200 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARGUIPELAGO. 



KetTimmg from Abobo to Nullahia and Laimtu, 

 I took a small praii for Sapania, The monsoon was 

 light and the sea smooth at first, but when again we 

 approached Tanjong O, which these natives always 

 spoke of with the same respect that our sailors speak 

 of Cape Horn, we found a very strong eurrent set- 

 ting in one direction, while the vnnd had freshened 

 fi'om the opposite quarter. The meeting of the 

 wind and cup'ent made the waves rise iiTegularly up 

 in pyi-amida and tmnble over in every dii*ectionu The 

 natives, apparently half tenified^ stripped off their 

 clothes, as if they expected that the boat would cer- 

 tainly be swamped, and that soon their only chance 

 of escape would be to swim to the shore and attemjit 

 to climb tip the ragged rocks through the surf; but I 

 encouraged them to paddle with all their might, and 

 though several waves broke over us, we went safely 

 through. As soon as the danger was past, each na- 

 tive frequently looked back and boastfully shook his 

 head, as if to taunt the evil spirit that dwells on this 

 dangerous headland. 



When we arrived at Saparua, I found the Resident 

 just on the point of starting for the neighboring 

 coast of Ceram, and only waiting to invite me to ac- 

 company him. So again I was in good fortune, for I 

 had not anticipated reaching that almost unknown 

 island. From the southern bay we were taken in 

 chairs across the isthmus, that connects the two main 

 parts of Saparua, to the north bay. It was now night, 

 but we continued along the east side of this bay to 

 the kampong Nollot, at the northern end of the island, 

 the neai'est point to the part of Ceiam we were to 



