muskets to satisfy my
crew, who insisted on the necessity of being armed against attacks
of pirates; and with spices and a few articles of food for the voyage
nearly my last doit was expended.

The little island of Kilwaru is a mere sandbank, just large enough to
contain a small village, and situated between the islands of Ceram-laut,
and Kissa--straits about a third of a mile wide separating it from each
of them. It is surrounded by coral reefs, and offers good anchorage in
both monsoons. Though not more than fifty yards across, and not elevated
more than three or four feet above the highest tides, it has wells of
excellent drinking water--a singular phenomenon, which would seem
to imply deep-seated subterranean channels connecting it with other
islands. These advantages, with its situation in the centre of the
Papuan trading district, lead to its being so much frequented by the
Bugis traders. Here the Goram men bring the produce of their little
voyages, which they exchange for cloth, sago cakes, and opium; and
the inhabitants of all the surrounding islands visit it with the game
object. It is the rendezvous of the praus trading to various parts of
New Guinea, which here assort and dry their cargoes, and refit for the
voyage home. Tripang and mussoi bark are the most bulky articles of
produce brought here, with wild nutmegs, tortoiseshell, pearls, and
birds of Paradise; in smaller quantities. The villagers of the mainland
of Ceram bring their sago, which is thus distributed to the islands
farther east, while rice from Bali and Macassar can also be purchased at
a moderate price. The Goram men come here for their supplies of opium,
both for their own consumption and for barter in Mysol and Waigiou,
where they have introduced it, and where the chiefs and wealthy men are
passionately fond of it. Schooners from Bali come to buy Papuan slaves,
while the sea-wandering Bugis arrive from distant Singapore in their
lumbering praus, bringing thence the produce of the Chinamen's
workshops and Kling's bazaar, as well as of the looms of Lancashire and
Massachusetts.

One of the Bugis traders who had arrived a few days before from Mysol,
brought me news of my assistant Charles Allen, with whom he was well
acquainted, and who, he assured me; was making large collections of
birds and insects, although he had not obtained any birds of Paradise;
Silinta, where he was staying, not being a good place for them. This
was on the whole sati