and a slight infusion of Papuan on a mixture of Malay and Bugis has produced a
very good-looking set of people. The lower class of the population consist
almost entirely of the indigenes of the adjacent island. They are a fine race, with
strongly-marked Papuan features, frizzly hair, and brown complexions. The
Goram language is spoken also at the east end of Ceram, and in the adjacent
islands. It has a general resemblance to the languages of Ceram, but possesses a
peculiar element which I have not met with in other languages of the
Archipelago.
After great delay, considering the importance of every day at this time of year,
a miserable boat and five men were found, and with some difficulty I stowed
away in it such baggage as it was absolutely necessary for me to take, leaving
scarcely sitting or sleeping room. The sailing qualities of the boat were highly
vaunted, and I was assured that at this season a small one was much more likely
to succeed in making the journey. We first coasted along the island, reaching its
eastern extremity the following morning (April 11th), and found a strong W.
S.W. wind blowing, which just allowed us to lay across to the Matabello Islands,
a distance little short of twenty miles. I did not much like the look of the heavy
sky and rather rough sea, and my men were very unwilling to make the attempt;
but as we could scarcely hope for a better chance, I insisted upon trying. The
pitching and jerking of our little boat, soon reduced me to a state of miserable
helplessness, and I lay down, resigned to whatever might happen. After three or
four hours, I was told we were nearly over; but when I got up, two hours later,
just as the sun was setting, I found we were still a good distance from the point,
owing to a strong current which had been for some time against us. Night closed
in, and the wind drew more ahead, so we had to take in sail. Then came a calm,
and we rowed and sailed as occasion offered; and it was four in the morning
when we reached the village of Kisslwoi, not having made more than three miles
in the last twelve hours.
MATABELLO ISLANDS.
At daylight I found we were; in a beautiful little harbour, formed by a coral
reef about two hundred yards from shore, and perfectly secure in every wind.
Having eaten nothing since the previous morning, we cooked our breakfast
comfortably on shore, and left about noon, coasting along the two islands of this
group, which lie in the same line, and are separated by a narrow channel. Both
seem entirely formed of raised coral rock; but them has been a subsequent
subsidence, as shaven by the barrier reef which extends all along them at varying
distances from the shore, This reef is sometimes only marked by a. line of
breakers when there is a little swell on the sea; in other places there is a ridge of