RITABEL, 
139 
under too disheartening auspices ! Wc eagerly 
looked from the deck as we came closer and 
closer to the indented coast* whose low foreshore 
was covered with a thick forest of cocoa-nut 
trees and dark-green mangrove thickets* and 
which, though not uninviting, formed a marked 
contrast to the rich vegetation we had left be- 
hind in the Eastern Archipelago. At last the 
ship dropped anchor close by the village of 
Kitabel, in the narrow straits between Larat and 
the mainland. As soon as we had made fast, 
boats put off from both shores, and in a few 
minutes we were surrounded by a little fleet, 
whose occupants scrambled on hoard, talking in 
exuberant Papuan fashion, affording us an op- 
portunity of forming some opinion of our com- 
panions of the next three months. They were 
powerful, athletic fellows, having rich chocolate- 
coloured skins and flowing manes of gold- lined 
hair, which gave them a most prepossessing air. 
Two solemn-looking old personages — evidently 
chiefs of their villages, for one wore a battered 
grey hat, and the other a jacket of dark gauze 
stuff, tied by the arms round his neck — kept 
close to our elbow, and every now and again 
making the action of raising a cup to the lips 
and drinking, repeated “ laru ” the word for 
