debtors seem to think this no disgrace, bnt rather enjoy
their freedom from responsibility, and the dignity of their
position under a wealthy and well-known merchant. They
trade a little on their own account, and both parties seem
to get on very well together. The plan seems a more
sensible one than that which we adopt, of effectually preventing
a man from earning anything towards paying his
debts by shutting him up in a jail.
My own servants were three in number. Ali, the Malay
boy whom I had picked up in Borneo, was my head man.
He had already been with me a year, could turn his hand
to anything, and was quite attentive and trustworthy. He
was a good shot, and fond of shooting, and I had taught
him to skin birds very well. The second, named Baderoon,
was a Macassar lad, also a pretty good boy, but a desperate
gambler. Under pretence of buying a house for his mother,
and clothes for himself, he had received four months’
wages about a week before we sailed, and in a day or two
gambled away every dollar of it. He had come on bolrd
with no clothes, no betel, or tobacco, or salt fish, all which
necessary articles I was obliged to send Ali to buy for
him. These two lads were about sixteen; I should suppose;
the third was younger, a sharp little rascal named Baso,
who had been with me a month or two, and had learnt to
cook tolerably. He was to fulfil the important office of
cook and housekeeper, for I could not get any regular
servants to go to such a terribly remote country; one
might as well ask a chef de cuisine to go to Patagonia.
On the fifth day that I had spent on board (Dec. 15th)
the rain ceased, and final preparations were made for
starting. Sails were dried and furled, boats were constantly
coming and going, and stores for the voyage, fruit, vegetables,
fish, and palm sugar, were taken on board. In the
afternoon two women arrived with a large party of friends
and relations, and at parting there was a general nose-
rubbing (the Malay kiss), and some tears shed. These
were promising symptoms for our getting off the next
day; and accordingly, at three in the morning, the owner
came on board, the anchor was immediately weighed, and
by four we set sail. Just as we were fairly off and clear
of the other praus, the old juragan repeated some prayers,
all around responding with “Allah il Allah,” and a few
strokes on a gong as an accompaniment, concluding with
all wishing each other “ Salaamat jalan,” a safe and happy
journey. We had a light breeze, a calm sea, and a fine
morning, a prosperous commencement of our voyage of
about a thousand miles to the far-famed Aru Islands.
The wind continued light and variable all day, with a
calm in the evening before the land breeze sprang up. We
were then passing the island of “ Tanakaki ” (foot of the
land), at the extreme south of this part of Celebes. There
are some dangerous rocks here, and as I was standing by