:V20 For JOB TO BATCHIJN. [chap. xxur. 



length of the tail at about 20^ and the width, towards the 

 extremity, about 4" or 5*. 



The whole of the next day we were obliged to stop near 

 the villaf^e of Tidore, owing to a strong wind right in our 

 teeth. The country was all culti%'ated, and I in vaiu 

 searched for any insects worth capturing. One of my nu n 

 went out to shoot, but returned home without a single binl. 

 At sunset, the wind having dropped, we quitted Tidore, 

 and reached the next islarid, Mai'eh, whore we stayed 

 till morning. The comet was again visible, but not nearly 

 so brilliant, boing partly ohscnn d by elouds, and dimmed 

 by the light of tlie new moon. We then n.nved across to the 

 island of Motir, which is so surrounded with coral-reefs 

 that it is diinget'ous to approacK These are perfectly flat, 

 and are only coveiml at high water, ending in craggy 

 vertical walls of coral in very deep water. "When there is a 

 little wind, it is dangerous to come netir these rocks; but 

 luckily it was quite smooth, so we moored to their edge, 

 while the men crawled over the reef to the lanJ, to make 

 A fire and cook our dinuier — the boat having no acconimo- 

 dation for more than heating water fur my morning and 

 evening coffee. We then rowed along tiie edge of the reef 

 to the end of the island, and were glad to get a nice 

 westerly breeze, which carried us over the strait to the 

 islaml of Makian, whero we arrived about 8 P.M. The 

 sky was quite clear, and though the moon shone brightly, 

 the comet appeared with qnite as much splendour as 

 when we first saw it 



The coasts of these small islands are very different 

 according to their geological formation. The volcanoea, 

 active 01' extinct, have steep lilack beiiches of volcanic 

 aaml, or are fringed with rugged masses of lava and basalt. 

 Coral is generally absent, occiirrbig only in small patches 

 in quiet bay^, and rarely or never forming reefs. Ternate. 

 Tidore, ami Makiau belong to this class. Islands of 

 volcanic origin, not themselves volcanoes, but which have 

 been probaldy recently upraised, are generally more or 

 leas completely surrounded by fringing reels of coral, and 

 Iiave beaches of shining white coral sand. Their coasts 

 present volcanic couglomei'ates, ba&alt, and in some places 

 a ibundatiou of stratilied rocks, with patches of upraised 



