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

398 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.last got into deep water again, though with reefs and islands allaround us. At night we did not know what to do, as no one onboard could tell where we were or what dangers might surroundus, the only one of our crew who was acquainted with the coastof Waigiou having been left on the island. We therefore tookin all sail and allowed ourselves to drift, as we were soiue milesfrom the nearest land. A light breeze, however, spi-ang up, andabout midnight we found ourselves again bumping over a coralreef. As it was very dark, and we knew nothing of our position,we could only guess how to get off again, and had there been alittle more wind we might have been knocked to pieces. However,in about half an hour we did get off, and then thought itbest to anchor on the edge of the reef till moi-ning. Soon afterdaylight on the 27th, finding our prau liad received no damage,we sailed on with uncertain winds and squalls, threading ourway among islands and reefs, and guided only by a small map,which was very incorrect and almost useless, and ])y a generalnotion of the direction we ought to take. In tlie afternoon wefound a tolerable anchorage under a small island and stayed forthe night, and I sliot a large fruit-])igeon new to me, which Ihave since named Carpophaga tumida. I also saw and shot atthe rare white-headed kingfisher (Halcyon saurophaga), but didnot kill it. The next morning we sailed on, and having a fairwind reached the shores of the large island of Waigiou. Onrounding a point we again ran full on to a coral reef with ourmainsail up, but luckily the wind had almost died away, andwith a good deal of exertion we managed to get safely oS.We now had to search for the narrovv' channel among theislands, which we knew was somewhere hereabouts, and wliichleads to the villages on the south side of Waigiou. Entering adeep bay which looked promising, we got to the end of it, but itwas then dusk, so we anchored for the night, and having justfinished all our water could cook no rice for suj^per. Nextmorning early (29th) we went on shore among the mangroves,and a little way inland found some water, which relieved ouranxiety considerably, and left us free to go along the coast insearch of the opening, or of some one who could direct us to it.During the three days we had now been among the reefs andislands, we had only seen a single small canoe, which had approacliedpretty near to us, and then, notwithstanding, oursignals went off in another direction. The shores seemed alldesert ; not a house, or boat, or human being, or a pufFof smokewas to be seen ; and as we could only go on the coui'se that tlieever-changing wind would allow us (our hands being too few torow any distance), our prospects of getting to our destinationseemed rather remote and precarious. Having gone to theeastward extremity of the deep bay we had entered, withoutfinding any sign of an opening, we turned westward ; andtowards evening were so fortunate as to find a small village ofseven miserable houses built on piles in the water. Luckily the