CHAPTER XXX. THE ARU ISLANDS—
RESIDENCE IN DOBBO
(JANUARY TO MARCH 1857.)
On the 8th of January, 1857, I landed at Dobbo, the trading settlement of the
Bugis and Chinese, who annually visit the Aru Islands. It is situated on the small
island of Wamma, upon a spit of sand which projects out to the north, and is just
wide enough to contain three rows of houses. Though at first sight a most
strange and desolate-looking place to build a village on, it has many advantages.
There is a clear entrance from the west among the coral reefs that border the
land, and there is good anchorage for vessels, on one side of the village or the
other, in both the east and west monsoons. Being fully exposed to the sea-
breezes in three directions it is healthy, and the soft sandy heath offers great
facilities for hauling up the praus, in order to secure them from sea-worms and
prepare them for the homeward voyage. At its southern extremity the sand-bank
merges in the beach of the island, and is backed by a luxuriant growth of lofty
forest. The houses are of various sizes, but are all built after one pattern, being
merely large thatched sheds, a small portion of which, next the entrance, is used
as a dwelling, while the rest is parted oft; and often divided by one or two floors,
in order better to stow away merchandise and native produce.
As we had arrived early in the season, most of the houses were empty, and the
place looked desolate in the extreme—the whole of the inhabitants who received
us on our landing amounting to about half-a-dozen Bugis and Chinese. Our
captain, Herr Warzbergen, had promised to obtain a house for me, but
unforeseen difficulties presented themselves. One which was to let had no roof;
and the owner, who was building it on speculation, could not promise to finish it
in less than a month. Another, of which the owner was dead, and which I might
therefore take undisputed possession of as the first comer, wanted considerable
repairs, and no one could be found to do the work, although about four times its
value was offered. The captain, therefore, recommended me to take possession
of a pretty good house near his own, whose owner was not expected for some
weeks; and as I was anxious to be on shore, I immediately had it cleared out, and
by evening had all my things housed, and was regularly installed as an inhabitant