CHAPTER XXXV. VOYAGE FROM
CERAM TO WAIGIOU.
(JUNE AND JULY 1860.)
IN my twenty-fifth chapter I have described my arrival at Wahai, on my way
to Mysol and Waigiou, islands which belong to the Papuan district, and the
account of which naturally follows after that of my visit to the mainland of New
Guinea. I now take up my narrative at my departure from Wahai, with the
intention of carrying various necessary stores to my assistant, Mr. Allen, at
Silinta, in Mysol, and then continuing my journey to Waigiou. It will be
remembered that I was travelling in a small prau, which I had purchased and
fitted up in Goram, and that, having been deserted by my crew on the coast of
Ceram, I had obtained four men at Wahai, who, with my Amboynese hunter,
constituted my crew.
Between Ceram and Mysol there are sixty miles of open sea, and along this
wide channel the east monsoon blows strongly; so that with native praus, which
will not lay up to the wind, it requires some care in crossing. In order to give
ourselves sufficient leeway, we sailed back from Wahai eastward, along the
coast of Ceram, with the land-breeze; but in the morning (June 18th) had not
gone nearly so far as I expected. My pilot, an old and experienced sailor, named
Gurulampoko, assured me there was a current setting to the eastward, and that
we could easily lay across to Silinta, in Mysol. As we got out from the land the
wind increased, and there was a considerable sea, which made my short little
vessel plunge and roll about violently. By sunset we had not got halfway across,
but could see Mysol distinctly. All night we went along uneasily, and at
daybreak, on looking out anxiously, I found that we had fallen much to the
westward during the night, owing, no doubt, to the pilot being sleepy and not
keeping the boat sufficiently close to the wind. We could see the mountains
distinctly, but it was clear we should not reach Silinta, and should have some
difficulty in getting to the extreme westward point of the island. The sea was
now very boisterous, and our prau was continually beaten to leeward by the
waves, and after another weary day we found w e could not get to Mysol at all,
but might perhaps reach the island called Pulo Kanary, about ten miles to the