Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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 Kissiwoi, 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 there has been a sub-
sequent subsidence, as shown 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 dead coral above the water,
which is here and there high enough to support a few low bushes. This was the first example
I had met with of a true barrier reef due to subsidence, as has been so clearly shown by Mr.
Darwin. In a sheltered archipelago they will seldom be distinguishable, from the absence of
those huge rolling waves and breakers which in the wide ocean throw up a barrier of broken
coral far above the usual high-water mark, while here they rarely rise to the surface.
On reaching the end of the southern island, called Uta, we were kept waiting two days for
a wind that would enable us to pass over to the next island, Teor, and I began to despair of
ever reaching Ké, and determined on returning. We left with a south wind, which suddenly
changed to north-east, and induced me to turn again southward in the hopes that this was the
commencement of a few days' favourable weather. We sailed on very well in the direction
of Teor for about an hour, after which the wind shifted to W.S.W., and we were driven much
out of our course, and at nightfall found ourselves in the open sea, and full ten miles to lee-
ward of our destination. My men were now all very much frightened, for if we went on we
might be a week at sea in our little open boat, laden almost to the water's edge; or we might
drift on to the coast of New Guinea, in which case we should most likely all be murdered. I
could not deny these probabilities, and although I showed them that we could not get back
