The Ternate, people use bamboo in another way.
They strike its flinty surface with a bit of broken china, and
produce a spark, which they catch in some kind of tinder.
On the evening of October 21st we reached our destination, having
been twelve days on the voyage. It had been tine weather all the
time, and, although very hot, I had enjoyed myself exceedingly,
and had besides obtained some experience in boat work among
islands and coral reefs, which enabled me afterwards to undertake
much longer voyages of the same kind. The village or town of
Batchian is situated at the head of a wide and deep bay, where a
low isthmus connects the northern and southern mountainous parts
of the island. To the south is a fine. range of mountains, and I
had noticed at several of our landing-places that the geological
formation of the island was very different from those around it.
Whenever rock was visible it was either sandstone in thin layers,
dipping south, or a pebbly conglomerate. Sometimes there was a
little coralline limestone, but no volcanic rocks. The forest had
a dense luxuriance and loftiness seldom found on the dry and
porous lavas and raised coral reefs of Ternate and Gilolo; and
hoping for a corresponding richness in the birds and insects, it
was with much satisfaction and with considerable expectation that
I began my explorations in the hitherto unknown island of
Batchian.
CHAPTER XXIV.
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