At Amboyna I Had Been Promised At
This Season A Calm Sea And The Wind Off Shore, But In This Case,
As In Every Other, I Had Been Unable To Obtain Any Reliable
Information As To The Winds And Seasons Of Places Distant Two Or
Three Days' Journey.
It appears, however, that owing to the
general direction of the island of Ceram (E.S.E. and W.
N.W.),
there is a heavy surf and scarcely any shelter on the south coast
during the west monsoon, when alone a journey to the eastward can
be safely made; while during the east monsoon, when I proposed to
return along the north coast to Wahai, I should probably find
that equally exposed and dangerous. But although the general
direction of the west monsoon in the Banda sea causes a heavy
swell, with bad surf on the coast, yet we had little advantage of
the wind; for, owing I suppose to the numerous bays and
headlands, we had contrary south-east or even due east winds all
the way, and had to make almost the whole distance from Amboyna
by force of rowing. We had therefore all the disadvantages, and
none of the advantages, of this west monsoon, which I was told
would insure me a quick and pleasant journey.
I was delayed at Kissa-laut just four weeks, although after the
first three days I saw that it would be quite useless for me to
stay, and begged the Rajah to give me a prau and men to carry me
on to Goram. But instead of getting one close at hand, he
insisted on sending several miles off; and when after many delays
it at length arrived, it was altogether unsuitable and too small
to carry my baggage. Another was then ordered to be brought
immediately, and was promised in three days, but doable that time
elapsed and none appeared, and we were obliged at length to get
one at the adjoining village, where it might have been so much
more easily obtained at first. Then came caulking and covering
over, and quarrels between the owner and the Rajah's men, which
occupied more than another ten days, during all which time I was
getting absolutely nothing, finding this part of Ceram a perfect
desert in zoology. although a most beautiful country, and with a
very luxuriant vegetation. It was a complete puzzle, which to
this day I have not been able to understand; the only thing I
obtained worth notice during my month's stay here being a few
good land shells.
At length, on April 4th, we succeeded in getting away in our
little boat of about four tons burthen, in which my numerous
boxes were with difficulty packed so as to leave sleeping and
cooling room. The craft could not boast an ounce of iron or a
foot of rope in any part of its construction, nor a morsel of
pitch or paint in its decoration. The planks were fastened
together in the usual ingenious way with pegs and rattans.
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