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, 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
the bulwarks, I happened to spit over the side; one of the men begged I
would not do so just now, but spit on deck, as they were much afraid
of this place. Not quite comprehending, I made him repeat his request,
when, seeing he was in earnest, I said, "Very well, I suppose there are
'hantus' (spirits) here." "Yes," said he, "and they don't like anything
to be thrown overboard; many a prau has been lost by doing it." Upon
which I promised to be very careful. At sunset the good Mahometans
on board all repeated a few words of prayer with a general chorus,
reminding me of the pleasing and impressive "Ave. Maria" of Catholic
countries.

Dec. 20th.-At sunrise we were opposite the Bontyne mountain, said to be
one of the highest in Celebes. In the afternoon we passed the Salayer
Straits and had a little squall, which obliged us to lower our huge
mast, sails, and heavy yards. The rest of the evening we had a fine west
wind, which carried us on at near five knots an hour, as much as our
lumbering old tub can possibly go.

Dec. 21st.-A heavy swell from the south-west rolling us about most
uncomfortably. A steady wind was blowing however, and we got on very
well.

Dec. 22d.-The swell had gone down. We passed Boutong, a large island,
high, woody, and populous, the native place of some of our crew. A small
prau returning from Bali to the island of Goram overtook us. The nakoda
(captain) was known to our owner. They had been two years away, but were
full of people, with several black Papuans on board. At 6 P.M. we passed
Wangiwangi, low but not flat, inhabited and subject to Boutong. We had
now fairly entered the Molucca Sea. After dark it was a beautiful
sight to look down on our rudders, from which rushed eddying streams of
phosphoric light gemmed with whirling sparks of fire. It resembled (more
nearly than anything else to which I can compare it) one of the large
irregular nebulous star-clust