Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
would not serve us, and we had to row again for hours, and when night came had not
reached the village. We were so fortunate, however, as to find a deep sheltered cove where
the water was quite smooth, and we constructed a temporary anchor by filling a sack with
stones from our ballast, which being well secured by a network of rattans held us safely dur-
ing the night. The next morning my men went on shore to cut wood suitable for making
fresh anchors, and about noon, the current turning in our favour, we proceeded to the vil-
lage, where we found an excellent and well-protected anchorage.
On inquiry, we found that the head men resided at the other Gani on the western side of
the peninsula, and it was necessary to send messengers across (about half a day's journey) to
inform them of my arrival, and to beg them to assist me. I then succeeded in buying a little
sago, some dried deer-meat and cocoa-nuts, which at once relieved our immediate want of
something to eat. At night we found our bag of stones still held us very well, and we slept
tranquilly.
The next day (October 12th), my men set to work making anchors and oars. The native
Malay anchor is ingeniously constructed of a piece of tough forked timber, the fluke being
strengthened by twisted rattans binding it to the stem, while the cross-piece is formed of a
long flat stone, secured in the same manner. These anchors, when well made, hold exceed-
ingly firm, and, owing to the expense of iron, are still almost universally used on board the
smaller praus. In the afternoon the head men arrived, and promised me as many rowers as I
could put on the prau, and also brought me a few eggs and a little rice, which were very ac-
ceptable. On the 14th there was a north wind all day, which would have been invaluable to
us a few days earlier, but which was now only tantalizing. On the 16th, all being ready, we
started at daybreak with two new anchors and ten rowers, who understood their work. By
evening we had come more than half-way to the point, and anchored for the night in a small
bay. At three the next morning I ordered the anchor up, but the rattan cable parted close to
the bottom, having been chafed by rocks, and we then lost our third anchor on this unfortu-
nate voyage. The day was calm, and by noon we passed the southern point of Gilolo, which
had delayed us eleven days, whereas the whole voyage during this monsoon should not have
occupied more than half that time. Having got round the point our course was exactly in the
opposite direction to what it had been, and now, as usual, the wind changed accordingly,
coming from the north and north-west,—so that we still had to row every mile up to the vil-
lage of Gani, which we did not reach till the evening of the 18th. A Bugis trader who was
residing there, and the Senaji, or chief, were very kind; the former assisting me with a spare
anchor and a cable, and making me a present of some vegetables, and the latter baking fresh
sago cakes for my men, and giving me a couple of fowls, a bottle of oil, and some pump-
