Volume I Part 39 (2/2)

AGILITY OF JACK WHITE

We were all much amused and surprised at the extraordinary activity our Australian native, Jack White, displayed in ascending the coconut trees, which he did with as much ease as any of us could have hest, finding the sleeves of his frock and the legs of his trousers in the way, he held on with one ar, while he rolled his trousers up above the knee, and then with both legs, while he rolled his sleeves above his elbows His delight at the coconuts, which were quite new to hih ere not very successful in obtaining supplies on this occasion, we found on a subsequent visit, when our stay was longer, that they could be obtained at a very moderate price; firewood and water may also be obtained without difficulty

Off the town of Ki Doulan the water is too deep for a shi+p to anchor, but the shoal which projects from the point of the island three e in both es between all the islands in this group, though contracted in places by reefs, which, from the clearness of the water, can be distinctly seen fro of the 6th we got underweigh, and passing to the ard of the Ki group, saw the Nusa Tello Islands indistinctly through the haze to the ard of us At dawn on the 7th we ht winds prevented our ht air carried us along the land, and soon after sunset we anchored in twenty fathoht on the 8th did not ie, for it appeared we had entered by a narrow and deep channel between two reefs upon which there was not more than 4 1/2 fathoe canoe pulled by about a dozenin the bow He was very anxious to get some arrack, and promised plenty of supplies

After breakfast we landed, and were saluted by one gun from a proa hauled up on the beach Our arrival had evidently caused reat numbers, and formed a semicircle round the boat They were nearly all armed with cresses and steel-headed spears Several of them wore a sort of breastplate made of hide, and their heads were orna horn-like projections for down to their waists, and all had their hair dyed in the saain noticed the carved horns surables of the houses

THE ORAN KAYA

Soon after we landed, the Oran Kaya reat state of alarot within the circle of his country his head down till he touchedhiaudy red shahich for a time had the desired effect; and he then produced a docuned by Lieutenant Kolff, which appeared to be a certificate of good conduct By means of the vocabulary and dictionary I tried to etables and poultry, for which we had brought e These he promised to procure for us, and to send thens all the tio away as soon as possible

ALARM OF THE NATIVES

Finding the natives still coreat nuhly excited state, we ratified our curiosity on the beach, without attee, and returned on board

We subsequently found out that the natives had some reason to be alarmed at our appearance, as they had been recently visited by a frigate, sent by the Dutch govern island Laarat for the lish bark Alexander, on which occasion she destroyed the village and took away several of the natives, ere supposed to have been implicated in the business, prisoners to A which the natives reroup on the beach, evidently in deep consultation, the saing with hioat and a s We tried some time in vain to convince him we had no hostile intentions, and as the weather was too unsettled to rehed, andthe island of Vordate, which is h, luxuriantly wooded, very well cultivated, and apparently densely inhabited It is separated from Laarat by a narrow strait, which, from the way the sea broke across it, appeared to be quite shoal

RETURN TO OLILIET

April 11

At 10 AM ere off Laouran, but finding the swell, occasioned by the strong breezes experienced yesterday, was breaking too heavily on the reef skirting the bay for a boat to land, we stood on for Oliliet, and on rounding the point fired a gun and hove to Two canoes soon after left the beach, and from the number of articles of European manufacture hich they were decorated, we soon saw that some vessel must have visited the place since our departure; and on the chief co on board he handed me some papers, froton schooner, had visited the place during our absence; and by having a person on board who could communicate with the natives, he had succeeded by threats and proiven up to hilish at first, but Mr Watson afterwards ed to the Stedcombe schooner, the crehich were alltheir vessel He had been ten years on the island, during which ti was obliged to stand off and on, as there is no anchorage off Oliliet during the south-east monsoon, which had now set in; but two boats were sent on shore to obtain supplies

CONDUCT OF THE NATIVES

They ell received by the natives, and again visited the village, where they were surprised to find that all the wo and old, were dressed in a dark coloured wrapper, which reached from the waist to the knees, and on their ankles they wore a profusion of bright brass orna stock, but the chiefs pro, which I deterly worked to ard under easy sail during the night, but found at daylight that we had been sent so far to the southward by a current, that it was 10 AM

before ere again near enough to send the boats in

On landing they found all their chiefs, and a considerable nuetables, etc for sale But they had hardly co e iron-headed spear, in a state of intoxication, cae; he made directly for the crowd upon the beach, apparently with the intention of attacking our party; but the natives immediately closed upon him, and after some trouble disarmed him; after which he continued to rush about the crowd in a violent state of exciteainst any of our party he could see, and ns to them to leave the shore

At the sareat, that the officer in charge of the party prepared to return on board at once, in order to avoid any collision with the natives As soon as the chiefs became aware of his intention, they were most anxious he should remain, and made every profession of friendshi+p to induce him to do so; but he had heard so much of their treachery from the traders at Arru that he resisted their entreaties, and returned on board at half-past eleven