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

xxxT.] VOYAGE FROM CERAM TO AVAIGIOU. 399Orang-kaya, or head man, could speak a little !Malay, and informedus that the entrance to the strait was really in the baywe had examined, but that it was not to be seen except when closein-shore. He said tl)e strait was often very narrow, and woundamong lakes and rocks and islands, and that it would take twodays to reach the large A'illage of Muka, and tliree more to getto Waigiou. I succeeded in hiring two men to go with us to]\Iuka, bringing a small boat in whicli to return ; but we had towait a day for our guides, so I took my gun and made a littleexcursion into the forest. Tlie day was wet and drizzly, and Ionly succeeded in shooting two small birds, but I saw the greatblack cockatoo, and had a glimpse of one or two Birds ofParadise, whose loud screams we had heard on first approachingthe coast.Leaving the village tlie next morning (July 1st) with a lightwind it took us all day to reach the entrance to the channel,which resembled a small rivei-, and was concealed by a projectingl^oint, so that it was no wonder we did not discover it amid thedense forest vegetation which everywhere covers these islands tothe water's edge. A little way inside it becomes bounded by precipitousrocks, after winding among which for about two miles,we emerged into what seemed a lake, but which was in fact adeep gulf having a narrow entrance on tlie south coast. Thisgulf was studded along its shores with numbers of rocky islets,mostly mushroom shaped, ftom tlie water having worn awaythe lower jDart of the soluble coralline limestone, leaving themoverhanging from ten to twenty feet. Every islet was coveredwith strange-looking shrubs and trees, and was generallycrowned by lofty and elegant palms, which also studded theridges of the mountainous shores, forming one of the mostsingular and picturesque landscajDes I have ever seen. Thecurrent which had brought us through the narrow strait nowceased, and we were obliged to row, which with our short andheavy prau was slow work. I went on shore several times, butthe rocks were so precipitous, sharp, and honeycombed, that Ifound it impossible to get through the tangled thickets withwliich they were everywhere clothed. It took us tlu'ee days toget to the entrance of the gulf, and then the wind was such asto prevent our going any further, and we might have had towait for days or weeks, when, much to my suri:)rise and gratification,a boat arrived from Muka with one of the head men,who had in some mysterious manner heard I was on my way,and had come to my assistance, bringing a present of cocoa-nutsand vegetables. Being thoroughly acquainted with the coast,and having several extra men to assist us, he managed to get theprau along by rowing, poling, or sailing, and by night had broughtus safely into harbour, a great relief after our tedious and unhappyvoyage. We had been already eight days among the reefs,and islands of Waigiou, coming a distance of about fifty miles,and it was just forty days since we had sailed from Goram.