ng we sailed on, and having a fair wind reached the
shores of the large island of Waigiou. On rounding a point we again ran
full on to a coral reef with our mainsail up, but luckily the wind had
almost died away, and with a good deal of exertion we managed get safely
off.

We now had to search for the narrow channel among islands, which we knew
was somewhere hereabouts, and which leads to the villages on the south
side of Waigiou. Entering a deep bay which looked promising, we got to
the end of it, but it was then dusk, so we anchored for the night, and
having just finished all our water could cook no rice for supper. Next
morning early (29th) we went on shore among the mangroves, and a little
way inland found some water, which relieved our anxiety considerably,
and left us free to go along the coast in search of the opening, or of
some one who could direct us to it. During the three days we had now
been among the reefs and islands, we had only seen a single small canoe,
which had approached pretty near to us, and then, notwithstanding our
signals, went off in another direction. The shores seemed all desert;
not a house, or boat, or human being, or a puff of smoke was to be seen;
and as we could only go on the course that the ever-changing wind would
allow us (our hands being too few to row any distance), our prospects of
getting to our destination seemed rather remote and precarious. Having
gone to the eastward extremity of the deep bay we had entered, without
finding any sign of an opening, we turned westward; and towards evening
were so fortunate as to find a small village of seven miserable houses
built on piles in the water. Luckily the Orang-kaya, or head man, could
speak a little. Malay, and informed us that the entrance to the strait
was really in the bay we had examined, but that it was not to be seen
except when close inshore. He said the strait was often very narrow, and
wound among lakes and rocks and islands, and that it would take two days
to reach the large village of Muka, and three more to get to Waigiou. I
succeeded in hiring two men to go with us to Muka, bringing a small boat
in which to return; but we had to wait a day for our guides, so I took
my gun and made a little excursion info the forest. The day was wet and
drizzly, and I only succeeded in shooting two small birds, but I saw the
great black cockatoo, and had a glimpse of one or two Birds of Paradise,
whose loud screams we had heard on first a