he assistance of our oars, the Paciencia Straits, the narrowest part
of the channel between Batchian and Gilolo. These were well named by the
early Portuguese navigators, as the currents are very strong, and there
are so many eddies, that even with a fair wind vessels are often quite
unable to pass through them. In the afternoon a strong north wind (dead
ahead) obliged us to anchor twice. At nigh it was calm, and we crept
along slowly with our oars.

On the 23d we still had the wind ahead, or calms. We then crossed over
again to the mainland of Gilolo by the advice of our Gani men, who knew
the coast well. Just as we got across we had another northerly squall
with rain, and had to anchor on the edge of a coral reef for the night.
I called up my men about three on the morning of the 24th, but there was
no wind to help us, and we rowed along slowly. At daybreak there was a
fair breeze from the south, but it lasted only an hour. All the rest of
the day we had nothing but calms, light winds ahead, and squalls, and
made very little progress.

On the 25th we drifted out to the middle of the channel, but made no
progress onward. In the afternoon we sailed and rowed to the south end
of Kaioa, and by midnight reached the village. I determined to stay here
a few days to rest and recruit, and in hopes of getting better weather.
I bought some onions and other vegetables, and plenty of eggs, and my
men baked fresh sago cakes. I went daily to my old hunting-ground in
search of insects, but with very poor success. It was now wet, squally
weather, and there appeared a stagnation of insect life. We Staved five
days, during which time twelve persons died in the village, mostly from
simple intermittent fever, of the treatment of which the natives are
quite ignorant. During the whole of this voyage I had suffered greatly
from sunburnt lips, owing to having exposed myself on deck all day to
loon after our safety among the shoals and reefs near Waigiou. The
salt in the air so affected them that they would not heal, but became
excessively painful, and bled at the slightest touch, and for a long
time it was with great difficulty I could eat at all, being obliged
to open my mouth very wide, and put in each mouthful with the greatest
caution. I kept them constantly covered with ointment, which was itself
very disagreeable, and they caused me almost constant pain for more than
a month, as they did not get well till I had returned to Ternate, and