slight infusion of Papuan on a mixture of Malay and Bugis has
produced a very good-looking set of people. The lower class of
the population consist almost entirely of the indigenes of the
adjacent island. They are a fine race, with strongly-marked
Papuan features, frizzly hair, and brown complexions. The Goram
language is spoken also at the east end of Ceram, and in the
adjacent islands. It has a general resemblance to the languages
of Ceram, but possesses a peculiar element which I have not met
with in other languages of the Archipelago.

After great delay, considering the importance of every day at
this time of year, a miserable boat and five men were found, and
with some difficulty I stowed away in it such baggage as it was
absolutely necessary for me to take, leaving scarcely sitting or
sleeping room. The sailing qualities of the boat were highly
vaunted, and I was assured that at this season a small one was
much more likely to succeed in making the journey. We first
coasted along the island, reaching its eastern extremity the
following morning (April 11th), and found a strong W. S.W. wind
blowing, which just allowed us to lay across to the Matabello
Islands, a distance little short of twenty miles. I did not much
like the look of the heavy sky and rather rough sea, and my men
were very unwilling to make the attempt; but as we could scarcely
hope for a better chance, I insisted upon trying. The pitching
and jerking of our little boat, soon reduced me to a state of
miserable helplessness, and I lay down, resigned to whatever
might happen. After three or four hours, I was told we were
nearly over; but when I got up, two hours later, just as the sun
was setting, I found we were still a good distance from the
point, owing to a strong current which had been for some time