The trade to these islands has existed from very early times, and it is from
them that Birds of Paradise, of the two kinds known to Linnaeus were first
brought The native vessels can only make the voyage once a year, owing to the
monsoons. They leave Macassar in December or January at the beginning of the
west monsoon, and return in July or August with the full strength of the east
monsoon. Even by the Macassar people themselves, the voyage to the Aru
Islands is looked upon as a rather wild and romantic expedition, fall of novel
sights and strange adventures. He who has made it is looked up to as an
authority, and it remains with many the unachieved ambition of their lives. I
myself had hoped rather than expected ever to reach this "Ultima Thule" of the
East: and when I found that I really could do so now, had I but courage to trust
myself for a thousand miles' voyage in a Bugis prau, and for six or seven months
among lawless traders and ferocious savages, I felt somewhat as I did when, a
schoolboy, I was for the first time allowed to travel outside the stage-coach, to
visit that scene of all that is strange and new and wonderful to young
imaginations-London!
By the help of some kind friends I was introduced to the owner of one of the
large praus which was to sail in a few days. He was a Javanese half-caste,
intelligent, mild, and gentlemanly in his manners, and had a young and pretty
Dutch wife, whom he was going to leave behind during his absence. When we
talked about passage money he would fix no sum, but insisted on leaving it
entirely to me to pay on my return exactly what I liked. "And then," said he,
"whether you give me one dollar or a hundred, I shall be satisfied, and shall ask
no more."
The remainder of my stay was fully occupied in laying in stores, engaging
servants, and making every other preparation for an absence of seven months
from even the outskirts of civilization. On the morning of December 13th, when
we went on board at daybreak, it was raining hard. We set sail and it came on to
blow. Our boat was lost astern, our sails damaged, and the evening found us
hack again in Macassar harbour. We remained there four days longer, owing to
its raining all the time, thus rendering it impossible to dry and repair the huge
mat sails. All these dreary days I remained on board, and during the rare
intervals when it didn't rain, made myself acquainted with our outlandish craft,
some of the peculiarities of which I will now endeavour to describe.
It was a vessel of about seventy tons burthen, and shaped something like a
Chinese junk. The deck sloped considerably downward to the bows, which are
thus the lowest part of the ship. There were two large rudders, but instead of
being planed astern they were hung on the quarters from strong cross beams,