Am. lie was very friendly, and we had a long ta lk ; but
when I begged for a boat and men to take me on to K(j,
he made a host of difficulties. There were no praus, as all
had gone to Kd or Aru ; and even if one were found, there
were no men, as it was the season when all were away
trading. But he promised to see about it, and I was obliged
to wait. For the next two or three days there was more
talking and more difficulties were raised, and I had time
to make an examination of the island and the people.
Manowolko is about fifteen miles long, and is a mere
upraised coral-reef. Two or three hundred yards inland
rise cliffs of coral rock, in many parts perpendicular, and
one or two hundred feet high; and this, I was informed,
is characteristic of the whole island, in which there is
no other kind of rock, and no stream of water. A few
cracks and chasms furnish paths to the top of these
cliffs, where there is an open undulating country, in which
the chief vegetable grounds of the inhabitants are situated.
The people here—at least the chief men—were of a
much purer Malay race than the Mahometans of the
mainland of Ceram, which is perhaps due to there having
been no indigenes on these small islands when the first
settlers arrived. In Ceram, the Alfuros of Papuan race
are the predominant type, the Malay physiognomy being
seldom well marked ; whereas here the reverse is the
case, and a slight infusion of Papuan on a mixture of
é
Malay and Bugis has produced a very good-looking set
If people. The lower class of the population consists
[imost entirely of the indigenes of the adjacent islands,
[[hey are a fine race, with strongly-marlced Papuan features,
frizzly hair, and brown complexions. The Goram
language is spoken also at the east end of Ceram, and in
(h e adjacent islands. It has a general resemblance to
[he languages of Ceram, but possesses a peculiar element
Lhich I have not met with in other languages of the
Archipelago.
After great delay, considering the importance of every
Hay at this time of year, a miserable boat and five men
were found, and with some difficulty 1 stowed away in it
such baggage as it was absolutely necessary for me to take,
leaving scarcely sitting or sleeping room. The sailing qua-
\ lities of the boat were highly vaunted, and I was assured
[that at this season a small one was much more likely to
succeed in making the journey. We first coasted along
[the island,, reaching its eastern extremity the following
_{morning (April 11th), and found a strong W. S.W. wind
[blowing, which just allowed us to lay across to the Mata-
bello Islands, a distance little short of twenty miles. I did
[not much like the look of the heavy sky and rather rough
sea, and my men were very unwilling.to make the attempt;
but as we could scarcely hope for a better chance, I insisted
[upon trying. The pitching and jerking of our little boat