522 



VOYAGE FROM CERAM 



[chap. xxxt. 



and which leads to tlie villages on the south side of 

 Wai^aou. Entering a deep bay which looked premising, 

 got to the end of it, but it was then dusk, so we 

 anchored for the night, and having just finished all our 

 water coidd cook no rice for supper. Next morning early 

 (29th) we went on shore among the mangi-oves, and a 

 little way inland found some water, which reUeved our 

 anxiety considerably, and left us free to go along the coast 

 in search of the opening, or of some one who could direct 

 us to it- During the tliree days we had now been among 

 the reefs and islands, we had only seen a single small canoe, 

 which had approached pretty near to us, and then, notwith- 

 standing our signals, went off in another direction. The 

 sboi*es seemed all desert j not a honse, or boat, or human 

 being, or a puff of smoke was to be seen ; and as we could 

 only go on the course that the ever-changing wind would 

 allow us (our hands being too few to row any distance), 

 our prospects of getting to our destination seemed rather 

 remote and precarious. Having gone to the eastward ex- 

 tremity of the deep bay we had entered, without finding 

 any sign of an opening, we turned westward ■ and towards 

 evening were so fortunate m to find a small village of 

 seven miserable houses built on pdes in the water. 

 Luckily the Oraug-kaya, or head man, could speak a little 

 Malay, and informed us that the entrance to the strait was 

 really in the bay we bad examined, but that it was not to 

 be seen except when close in-shore. He said the strait 

 was often very narrow, and wound among lakes and rocks 

 and islands, and that it woidd take two days to reach the 

 large village of Muka, and three more to get to Waigiou, 

 I succeeded in hiring two men to go with us to Muka, 

 bringing a small boat in w^hich to return ; but we had to 

 wait a day for our guides, so I took my gun and made a 

 little excursion into the forest. The day was wet and 

 dri2?Jy, and I only succeeded in shooting two small birds, 

 but 1 saw the great black cockatoo, and had a glimpse of 

 one or two Birds of Paradise, wliose loud screams we had 

 heard on first approaching the coast. 



Leaving the village the next morning (July 1st) with a 

 light wind, it took us all day to reach the entnuice to the 

 chaunuh which resembled a small river, and was concealed 



