citAP. isxvn.] 



TO TERNATE, 



545 



to rest and recruit, cind in liopus of getting better weatla^r. 

 I bought some onions and other vegetables, and plenty of 

 eggs, and my men baked fresh sago cakes, I went daily 

 to my old Ininting-ground in search of insects, but witli 

 very poor success. It waa now wet, sqiaally weather, and 

 there ajipeared a st-aguation of insect life. We stayed five 

 days, during which time twelve persons died in the village* 

 mostly from simple intermittent fever, of the treatment of 

 which the natives are quite ignorant During the whole 

 of tills voyage 1 had suftered greatly from sun-burnt lips, 

 owing to having exposed myself on deck all day to look 

 after our safety among the shoals and reefs near Waigioti. 

 Tlie salt in the air so affected them that they would 

 not heal, but became excessively painful, and bled at 

 the slightest touch, and for a long time it was with 

 great difficidty I could eat at all, being obliged to open 

 my mouth very wide, and put in each mouthful with 

 the greatest caution. I kept them constantly covered 

 with ointment, which was itself very disagreeable, and 

 they caused me almost constant pain for more than a 

 month, as they did not get well till I had returned to 

 Ternate, and was able to remain a week indoors. 



A boat which left for Ternate the day after we arrived, 

 was obliged to return the next day, on account of bad 

 weather. On the 31st we wect out to the anchorage 

 at the mouth of the harbour, so as to be ready to start 

 at the fir-st favourable opportimity. 



On the 1st of November I called up my men at one in 

 the morning, and we started with the tide in our favour. 

 Hitherto it liad usually been calm at night, but on thia 

 occasion we had a strong westerly sqmiU with rain, which 

 tuj-^ned our prau broadside, and obliged us to anchor, 

 Wlien it had passeil we went on rowing all iiight, but the 

 wind aiiead counteracted the current in our tavour, and we 

 advanced but little. Soon after sunrise the wind became 

 stronger and more adverse, and as we had a dangerous lee- 

 shore which we could not clear, we had to put about and 

 get an olfmg to the W.S.W. This series of conti-iuy 

 winds and bad weather t*ver since we started, not having 

 had a single day of fair wind, was very remarkable. My 

 men firialy believed there was something unlucky in 



