soon reduced me to a state of miserable helplessness, and I
I lay down, resigned to whatever might happen. After I
three or four hours, I was told we were nearly over; but I
when I got up, two hours later, just as the sun was setting, I
I found we were still a good distance from the point, I
owing to a strong current which had been for some time I
against us. Night closed in, and the wind drew more I
ahead, so we had to take in sail. Then came a calm, and I
we. rowed and sailed as occasion offered ; and it was four in I
the morning when we reached the village of Kissiwoi, not I
having made more than three miles in the last twelve I
hours.
MATABELLO ISLANDS.
At daylight I found we were in a beautiful little
harbour, formed by a coral reef about two hundred
yards from shore, and perfectly secure in every wind.
Having eaten nothing since the previous morning, we
cooked our breakfast comfortably on shore, and left
about noon, coasting along the two islands of this group,
which lie in the same line, and are separated by a narrow
channel. Both seem entirely formed of raised coral rock ; |
but there has been a subsequent subsidence, as shown
by the barrier reef which extends all along them at
varying distances from the shore. This reef is sometimes
only marked by a line of breakers when there is a little
I [well on the sea; in other places there is a ridge of dead
I [oral above the water, which is here and there high enough
Ko support a few-low bushes. This was the first example I
l a d met with of a. true barrier reef due to subsidence, as
I Las been so clearly shown by Mr. Darwin. In a sheltered
ILrchipelago they will seldom be distinguishable, from
(the absence of those huge rolling waves and breakers
I {which in the wide ocean throw up a barrier of broken
I Loral far above the usual high-water mark, while here they
I [rarely rise to the surface.
On reaching the end of the southern island, called Uta;
[we were kept waiting two days for a wind that would
[enable us to pass over to the next island, Teor, and I.
began to despair of ever reaching K6, and determined on
[returning. We left with a south wind, which suddenly
[changed to north-east, and induced me to turn again
[southward in the hopes that this was the commencement
[of a few days’ favourable weather. We sailed on very
[well in the direction of Teor for about an hour, after
[which the wind shifted to W.S.W., and we were driven
much out of our course, and at nightfall found our-
[selves in the open sea, and full ten miles to leeward
[of our destination. My men were now all very much
[frightened, for if we went on we might be a week at sea
[in our little open boat, laden almost to the water’s edge ;
[or we might drift on to the coast of New Guinea, in which