hundred cents for daily expenses, and put them in a small
japanned box, which always stood upon my table. In the
afternoon I went for a short walk, and on my return
this box and my keys, which I had carelessly left on the
table, were gone. Two of my boys were in the house, but
had heard nothing. I immediately gave information of the
two robberies to the Director at the mines and to the Commandant
at the fort, and got for answer, that if I caught
the- thief in the act I might shoot him. By inquiry in the
village, we afterwards found that one of the convicts who
was on duty at the Government rice-store in the village
had quitted his guard, was seen to pass over the bridge
towards my house, was .seen again within two hundred
yards of my house, and on returning over the bridge into
the village carried something under his arm, carefully
covered with his sarong. My box was stolen between the
hours he was seen going and returning, and it was so
small as to be easily carried in the way described. This
seemed pretty clear circumstantial evidence. I accused
the man and brought the witnesses to the Commandant.
The man was examined, and confessed having gone to the
river close to my house to bathe; but said he had gone no
further, having climbed up a cocoa-nut tree and brought
home two nuts, which he had covered over, because he was
ashamed to be seen carrying them ! This explanation was
thought satisfactory, and he was acquitted. I lost my
cash and my box, a seal I much valued, with other small
articles, and all my keys—the severest loss by far. Luckily
my large cash-box was left locked, but so were others
which I required to open immediately. There was, however,
a very clever blacksmith employed to do ironwork
for the mines, and he picked my locks for me when I
required them, and in a few days made me new keys, which
I used all the time I was abroad.
Towards the end of November the wet season set in, and
we had daily and almost incessant rains, with only about
one or two hours’ sunshine in the morning. The flat parts
of the forest became flooded, the roads filled with mud,
and insects and birds were scarcer than ever. On
December 13th, in the afternoon, we had a sharp earthquake
shock, which made the house and furniture shake
and rattle for five minutes, and the trees and shrubs wave
as if a gust of wind had passed over them. About the
middle of December I removed to the village, in order
more easily to explore the district to the west of it, and to
be near the sea when I wished to return to Ternate. I
obtained the use of a good-sized house in the Campong
Sirani (or Christian village), and at Christmas and the
New Year had to endure the incessant gun-firing, drum-
beating, and fiddling of the inhabitants.
These people are very fond of music and dancing, and it
} would astonish a European to visit one of their assemblies.