p our jars with all the water we could find,
and making ready to sail in the evening. I shot a small lory closely
resembling a common species at Ternate, and a glossy starling
which differed from the allied birds of Ceram and Matabello. Large
wood-pigeons and crows were the only other birds I saw, but I did not
obtain specimens.

About eight in the evening of June 25th we started, and found that with
all hands at work we could just haul up our mainsail. We had a fair wind
during the night and sailed north-east, finding ourselves in the morning
about twenty miles west of the extremity of Waigiou with a number of
islands intervening. About ten o'clock we ran full on to a coral reef,
which alarmed us a good deal, but luckily got safe off again. About two
in the afternoon we reached an extensive coral reef, and were sailing
close alongside of it, when the wind suddenly dropped, and we drifted on
to it before we could get in our heavy mainsail, which we were obliged
to let run down and fall partly overboard. We had much difficulty in
getting off, but at last got into deep water again, though with reefs
and islands all around us. At night we did not know what to do, as no
one on board could tell where we were or what dangers might surround us,
the only one of our crew who was acquainted with the coast of Waigiou
having been left on the island. We therefore took in all sail and
allowed ourselves to drift, as we were some miles from the nearest
land. A light breeze, however, sprang up, and about midnight we found
ourselves again bumping over a coral reef. As it was very dark, and we
knew nothing of our position, we could only guess how to get off again,
and had there been a little more wind we might have been knocked to
pieces. However, in about half an hour we did get off, and then thought
it best to anchor on the edge of the reef till morning. Soon after
daylight on the 7th, finding our prau had received no damage, we sailed
on with uncertain winds and squalls, threading our way among islands
and reefs, and guided only by a small map, which was very incorrect
and quite useless, and by a general notion of the direction we ought
to take. In the afternoon we found a tolerable anchorage under a small
island and stayed for the night, and I shot a large fruit-pigeon new to
me, which I have since named Carpophaga tumida. I also saw and shot at
the rare white-headed kingfisher (Halcyon saurophaga), but did not kill
it. The next morni