MODE OP PASSING FEOM ISLAND TO ISLAND. 179 



Island." Saparua is also known to tlie natives as 

 Honimoa, and Liaser, whence prol>ably tlie old 

 name Uliassers, for tlais is the most important of the 

 three islands, and would natin*ally give its name to 

 the whole group. A merchant from Saparna, the 

 chief place on the island of that name, was then 

 visiting Amboina, and kindly inxdted me to accom- 

 pany him when he should retiiin — an invitation I 

 was most happy to accept, for Rumphius received 

 many shells fr'om these islands, and I anticipated ob- 

 taining some species alive, of which I possessed only 

 shells. A heavy atomi delayed us for a week, a 

 frequent occuri'enee during the southeast monsoon. 

 Fx'om Amboina we followed my former route to 

 Tulahu, which we reached at evenings the usual 

 time for commencing a voyage in these seas at this 

 time of year, because the wind generally moderates 

 after sunset, and fi*eshens again the next morning 

 soon after simrise. We embarked at once on a large 

 praUj manned by eighteen natives of Saparua, and 

 readily distinguished from the people of Amboina 

 by the peculiar custom of clipping the hair short all 

 over the head, except a nan"ow band along the fore- 

 head, which is allowed to hang down over the face, 

 and gives them a remai'kably clownish appearance. 

 One of these men, who was coxswain or captain, 

 steered with a large paddle; two others were de- 

 tailed to keep up the continual, monotonous din^ 

 and which these people consider music, and the 

 others rowed. Om* musical instruments were a 

 huge Ufa,, that gave out a dtdl, heavy sound, such as 

 would be caused by beating a hollow log, and not 



