I HAD left the old pilot at Waigiou to take care of my house and
to get the prau into sailing order - to caulk her bottom, and to
look after the upper works, thatch, and ringing. When I returned
I found it nearly ready, and immediately began packing up and
preparing for the voyage. Our mainsail had formed one side of our
house, but the spanker and jib had been put away in the roof, and
on opening them to see if any repairs were wanted, to our horror
we found that some rats had made them their nest, and had gnawed
through them in twenty places. We had therefore to buy matting
and make new sails, and this delayed us till the 29th of
September, when we at length left Waigiou.
It took us four days before we could get clear of the land,
having to pass along narrow straits beset with reefs and shoals,
and full of strong currents, so that an unfavourable wind stopped
us altogether. One day, when nearly clear, a contrary tide and
head wind drove us ten miles back to our anchorage of the night
before. This delay made us afraid of running short of water if we
should be becalmed at sea, and we therefore determined, if
possible, to touch at the island where our men had been lost, and
which lay directly in our proper course. The wind was, however,
as usual, contrary, being S.S.W. instead of S.S.E., as it should
have been at this time of the year, and all we could do was to
reach the island of Gagie, where we came to an anchor by
moonlight under bare volcanic hills.
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