we were compelled to remain at
anchor; towards the evening the wind went round to W.S.W., with dirty
weather, so that we got adrift by our anchor getting loose, upon which we
dropped our large anchor to avoid stranding; in the afternoon the storm
subsided and we had variable winds.

In the morning of the 23rd we set sail, course held S.E. with a S.W. wind
and violent rains; when we had run a mile, the heavy swells forced us to
drop anchor; in the afternoon we lifted anchor with great difficulty and
peril owing to the violent rolling of the yacht, and set sail, but
shortly after, the yacht Aernem making a sign with her flag that she
could not manage to heave her anchor, we cast anchor again.

In the morning of the 24th the weather was unruly, with a W. wind and a
very hollow sea; in the afternoon the weather getting slightly better,
both the yachts set sail again with the wind as before, holding a S. by
E. course; in the evening we dropped anchor in 14 fathom, having sailed 4
miles S.S.E., and found the land to extend E.S.E. ever since the 20th
instant.

In the morning of the 25th we set sail with a N.N.W. wind, sailing 4
miles on an E.S.E. course, and then 5 miles on a S. by E. and S.S.E.
course, after which the foretop-mast of the Aernem broke, so that we were
both compelled to drop anchor in 10 fathom about 4 miles from the land.

In the morning of the 26th we set sail to get near the Aernem and speak
to her crew, who were engaged in repairing the rigging and replacing the
foremast; we both drifted with the current in the teeth of the wind, and
thus ran 3 miles, when the Aernem cast anchor 11/2 mile from us on the
weather-side; in the evening there was a strong current from the W.S.W.
with rain, which lasted the whole night.

* * *

NOTE.

(Here end the mountains of the western extremity of Nova Guinea.)

The high-lying interior of Ceram ends here, without showing any opening
or passage (through which we might run north according to our plan), and
passes into low-lying half-submerged land, bearing E.S.E. and S.E. by E.,
extending in all likelihood as far as Nova Guinea, a point which with
God's help we mean to make sure of at any cost; on coming from Aru to the
island of Ceram, the latter is found to have a low-lying foreland
dangerous to touch at, since at 6, 8 and 9 miles' distance from the same,
the lofty mountains of the interior become visible, the low foreland
remaining invisible until one has got with