390 



MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



making the circuit of the island of Ceram, was to visit him with stores 

 and provisions and proceed to Waigiou, both returning independently to 

 meet at Ternate in the autumn. 



I had been assured by the Coram and Bugis traders that Mysol was 

 the very best country for the birds of paradise, and that they were finer 

 and more abundant there than anywhere else. For Waigiou I had, 

 besides the authority of the native traders, that of Lesson also, who visited 

 the north coast for a few days, and mentions seven species of paradise 

 birds purchased there by him. 



These two promising expeditions turned out unfortunately in every 

 respect. On reaching Coram, after much difficulty and delay, I found it 

 impossible to make the voyage I had projected without a vessel of my 

 own. I therefore purchased a small native prau of about eight tons, and 

 after spending a month in strengthening and fitting it up, and having 

 with great difficulty secured a native crew, paid them half their wages 

 in advance, and overcome all the difficulties and objections which every 

 one of them made to starting when all was ready, we at length got away, 

 and I congratulated myself on my favourable prospects. Touching at 

 Ceramlaut, the rendezvous of the New Cuinea traders, I invested all 

 my spare cash in goods for barter with the natives, and then proceeded 

 towards Mysol. 



The very next day, however, being obliged to anchor on* the east 

 coast of Ceram on account of bad weather, my crew all ran away during 

 the night, leaving myself and my two Amboyna hunters to get on as we 

 could. With great difficulty I procured other men to take us as far as 

 Wahai, on the north coast of Ceram, opposite to Mysol, and there by a 

 great chance succeeded in picking up a make-shift crew of four men 

 willing to go with me to Mysol, Waigiou, and Ternate. I here found a 

 letter from Mr. Allen, telling me he was much in want of rice and other 

 necessaries, and was waiting my arrival to go to the north coast of Mysol, 

 where alone the Paradisese could be obtained. 



On attempting to cross the strait, seventy miles wide, between Ceram 

 and Mysol, a strong east wind blew us out of our course, so that we 

 passed to the westward of that island without any possibility of getting 

 back to it. Mr. Allen, finding it impossible to live without rice, had to 

 return to Wahai, much against his will, and there was kept two months 

 waiting a supply from Amboyna. When at length he was able to return 

 to Mysol, he had only a fortnight at the best place on the north coast, 

 when the last boat of the season left, and he was obHged to take his only 

 chance of getting back to Ternate. 



Through this unfortunate series of accidents he was only able to get a 

 single specimen of P. papuana, which is there finer than in most other 

 places, a few of the Cicinnurus regius, and of P. magnifica only a native 

 skin, though this beautiful little species is not rare in the island, and 

 during a longer stay might easily have been obtained. 



My own voyage was beset with misfortunes. After passing Mysol, I 

 lost two of my scanty crew on a little desert island, our anchor breaking 



