g
been exactly thirteen hours coming fifteen miles. We landed on a beach
of hard coralline rock, with rugged cliffs of the same, resembling those
of the Ke Islands (Chap. XXIX.) It was accompanied by a brilliancy and
luxuriance of the vegetation, very like what I had observed at those
islands, which so much pleased me that I resolved to stay a few days
at the chief village, and see if their animal productions were
correspondingly interesting. While searching for a secure anchorage for
the night we again saw the comet, still apparently as brilliant as at
first, but the tail had now risen to a higher angle.

October 14th.--All this day we coasted along the Kaioa Islands, which
have much the appearance and outline of Ke on a small scale, with the
addition of flat swampy tracts along shore, and outlying coral reefs.
Contrary winds and currents had prevented our taking the proper course
to the west of them, and we had to go by a circuitous route round the
southern extremity of one island, often having to go far out to sea on
account of coral reefs. On trying to pass a channel through one of these
reefs we were grounded, and all had to get out into the water, which in
this shallow strait had been so heated by the sun as to be disagreeably
warm, and drag our vessel a considerable distance among weeds and
sponges, corals and prickly corallines. It was late at night when we
reached the little village harbour, and we were all pretty well knocked
up by hard work, and having had nothing but very brackish water to drink
all day-the best we could find at our last stopping-place. There was a
house close to the shore, built for the use of the Resident of Ternate
when he made his official visits, but now occupied by several native
travelling merchants, among whom I found a place to sleep.

The next morning early I went to the village to find the "Kapala," or
head man. I informed him that I wanted to stay a few days in the house
at the landing, and begged him to have it made ready for me. He was very
civil, and came down at once to get it cleared, when we found that the
traders had already left, on hearing that I required it. There were no
doors to it, so I obtained the loan of a couple of hurdles to keep out
dogs and other animals. The land here was evidently sinking rapidly,
as shown by the number of trees standing in salt water dead and dying.
After breakfast I started for a walk to the forest-covered hill above
the village, with a c