I Had A Crew Of Three Men And A Boy, Besides My
Two Amboyna Lads; Which Was Sufficient For Sailing, Though Rather
Too Few If Obliged To Row Much.
The next day was very wet, with
squalls, calms, and contrary winds, and with some difficulty we
reached Kilwaru, the metropolis of the Bugis traders in the far
East.
As I wanted to make some purchases, I stayed here two days,
and sent two of my boxes of specimens by a Macassar prau to be
forwarded to Ternate, thus relieving myself of a considerable
incumbrance. I bought knives, basins, and handkerchiefs for
barter, which with the choppers, cloth, and beads I had brought
with me, made a pretty good assortment. I also bought two tower
muskets to satisfy my crew, who insisted on the necessity of
being armed against attacks of pirates; and with spices and a few
articles of food for the voyage nearly my last doit was expended.
The little island of Kilwaru is a mere sandbank, just large
enough to contain a small village, and situated between the
islands of Ceram-laut, and Kissa - straits about a third of a mile
wide separating it from each of them. It is surrounded by coral
reefs, and offers good anchorage in both monsoons. Though not
more than fifty yards across, and not elevated more than three or
four feet above the highest tides, it has wells of excellent
drinking water - a singular phenomenon, which would seem to imply
deep-seated subterranean channels connecting it with other
islands.
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