bberies to the Director at the
mines and to the Commandant at the fort, and got for answer, that if
I caught the thief in the act I might shoot him. By inquiry in the
village, we afterwards found that one of the convicts who was on duty at
the Government rice-store in the village had quitted his guard, was
seen to pass over the bridge towards my house, was seen again within
two hundred yards of my house, and on returning over the bridge into
the village carried something under his arm, carefully covered with
his sarong. My box was stolen between the hours he was seen going
and returning, and it was so small as to be easily carried in the way
described. This seemed pretty clear circumstantial evidence. I accused
the man and brought the witnesses to the Commandant. The man was
examined, and confessed having gone to the river close to my house to
bathe; but said he had gone no farther, having climbed up a cocoa-nut
tree and brought home two nuts, which he had covered over, _because
he was ashamed to be seen carrying them!_ This explanation was thought
satisfactory, and he was acquitted. I lost my cash and my box, a seal
I much valued, with other small articles, and all my keys-the severest
loss by far. Luckily my large cash-box was left locked, but so were
others which I required to open immediately. There was, however, a very
clever blacksmith employed to do ironwork for the mines, and he picked
my locks for me when I required them, and in a few days made me new
keys, which I used all the time I was abroad.

Towards the end of November the wet season set in, and we had daily and
almost incessant rains, with only about one or two hours' sunshine in
the morning. The flat parts of the forest became flooded, the roads
filled with mud, and insects and birds were scarcer than ever. On
December Lath, in the afternoon, we had a sharp earthquake shock, which
made the house and furniture shale and rattle for five minutes, and the
trees and shrubs wave as if a gust of wind had passed over them. About
the middle of December I removed to the village, in order more easily
to explore the district to the west of it, and to be near the sea when I
wished to return to Ternate. I obtained the use of a good-sized house in
the Campong Sirani (or Christian village), and at Christmas and the New
Year had to endure the incessant gun-firing, drum-beating, and fiddling
of the inhabitants.

These people are very fond of music and dancing, and it wo