The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online

278 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap. xxv.of several acres in extent ; but the houses ai-e built so closely allround it upon piles in the water, that it is completely hidden.It is a place of great traffic, being the emporium for much of theproduce of these Eastern seas, and is the residence of manyBugis and Ceramese traders, and appears to have been chosenon account of its being close to the only deep channel betweenthe extensive shoals of Ceram-laut and those bordering the eastend of Cei'am. We now had contrary east winds, and wereobliged to pole over the shallow coral reefs of Ceram-laut fornearly thirty miles. The only danger of our voyage was just atits termination, for as we were rowing toAvards Manowolko, thelargest of the Goram group, we were carried out so rapidly bya strong westerly current, that I was almost certain at one timewe should pass clear of the island ; in which case our situationwould have been both disagreeable and dangerous, as, "svith theeast wind which had just set in, we might ha^-e been unable toreturn for many days, and we had not a day's water on board.At the critical moment I served out some strong spirits to mymen, which put fresli vigour into their arms, and carried us outof the influence of the current before it was too late.MANOWOLKO, GORAM GROUP.On arriving at Manowolko, we found the Eajah was at theopposite island of Goram ; but he was immediately sent for, andin the meantime a large shed was gi^en for our accommodation.At night the Eajah came, and the next day I had a visit fromhim, and found, as I expected, that I had already made hisacquaintance three years before at Aru. He was very friendly,and we had a long talk ; but when I begged for a boat and mento take me on to K^, he made a host of difficulties. There wereno praus, as all liad gone to Ke or Aru ; and even if one werefound, there were no men, as it was the season when all wereaway trading. But he promised to see about it, and I wasobliged to wait. For the next two or three days there wasmore talking and more difficulties were raised, and I had timeto make an examination of the island and the people.Manowolko is about fifteen miles long, and is a mere upraisedcoral-reef. Two or three hundred yards inland rise cliffs ofcoral rock, in many parts perpendicular, and one or twohundred feet liigli ; and this, I was informed, is characteristic ofthe whole island, in which there is no other kind of rock, andno stream of water. A few cracks and chasms furnisli paths tothe toi:> of tliese cliffs, where tliere is an open undulating country,in which the chief vegetable grounds of the inhabitants aresituated.The people here—at least tlie chief men—were of a muchpurer Mahxy race than the Mahometans of the mainland ofCerara, which is perhaps due to there having been no indigeneson these small islands when the first settlers arrived. In