And When I Found That I Really Could Do So Now, Had I But
Courage To Trust Myself For A
Thousand miles' voyage in a Bugis
prau, and for six or seven months among lawless traders and
ferocious savages, I
Felt somewhat as I did when, a schoolboy, I
was for the first time allowed to travel outside the stage-coach,
to visit that scene of all that is strange and new and wonderful
to young imaginations-London!
By the help of some kind friends I was introduced to the owner of
one of the large praus which was to sail in a few days. He was a
Javanese half-caste, intelligent, mild, and gentlemanly in his
manners, and had a young and pretty Dutch wife, whom he was going
to leave behind during his absence. When we talked about passage
money he would fix no sum, but insisted on leaving it entirely to
me to pay on my return exactly what I liked. "And then," said he,
"whether you give me one dollar or a hundred, I shall he
satisfied, and shall ask no more."
The remainder of my stay was fully occupied in laying in stores,
engaging servants, and making every other preparation for an
absence of seven months from even the outskirts of civilization.
On the morning of December 13th, when we went on board at
daybreak, it was raining hard. We set sail and it came on to
blow. Our boat was lost astern, our sails damaged, and the
evening found us hack again in Macassar harbour. We remained
there four days longer, owing to its raining all the time, thus
rendering it impossible to dry and repair the huge mat sails. All
these dreary days I remained on board, and during the rare
intervals when it didn't rain, made myself acquainted with our
outlandish craft, some of the peculiarities of which I will now
endeavour to describe.
It was a vessel of about seventy tons burthen, and shaped
something like a Chinese junk. The deck sloped considerably
downward to the bows, which are thus the lowest part of the ship.
There were two large rudders, but instead of being planed astern
they were hung on the quarters from strong cross beams, which
projected out two or three feet on each side, and to which extent
the deck overhung the sides of the vessel amidships. The rudders
were not hinged but hung with slings of rattan, the friction of
which keeps them in any position in which they are placed, and
thus perhaps facilitates steering. The tillers were not on deck,
but entered the vessel through two square openings into a lower
or half deck about three feet high, in which sit the two
steersmen. In the after part of the vessel was a low poop, about
three and a half feet high, which forms the captain's cabin, its
furniture consisting of boxes, mats, and pillows. In front of the
poop and mainmast was a little thatched house on deck, about four
feet high to the ridge; and one compartment of this, forming a
cabin six and a half feet long by five and a half wide, I had all
to myself, and it was the snuggest and most comfortable little
place I ever enjoyed at sea.
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