PHOTOGRAPHING. 
207 
attack was daily expected, and we had nothing 
to do but long for the coming of the vessel. 
From the 21st till the 26th I was prostrate from 
fever, and I see some signs of impatience in my 
record. Our men wanted to go back to Amboina 
in a prahu trading for tortoise-shell which had 
called at Ritabel, and which would take about a 
month to reach Amboina ; but H. was deter- 
mined to keep them to help in defence should 
we be attacked. H. employed himself in patient 
efforts to photograph the natives and the vicinity; 
blit some of the chemicals were not in good con- 
dition, and the result was very unsatisfactory. 
He tried to sketch them, but they were so 
afraid when they saw what was being done, that 
some burst into tears and others ran away. The 
only way was to sketch them from the window, 
while Lopez went out and engaged them in 
conversation, trying to divert their attention 
from that direction. 
Early on the morning of the 28th, while I was 
pondering whatever we should eat that day, a 
cry arose, and Lopez ran in to say that the 
steamer was coming — “ he could not see it, but 
the natives did.” We had had one or two false 
alarms, and I was afraid to believe the good 
news. We hastily got the glass, and found it 
