At daylight I found we were； in a beautiful little harbour， formed by a coral reef about two hundred yards from shore， and perfectly secure in every wind. Having eaten nothing since the previous morning， we cooked our breakfast comfortably on shore， and left about noon， coasting along the two islands of this group， which lie in the same line， and are separated by a narrow channel. Both seem entirely formed of raised coral rock； but them has been a subsequent subsidence， as shaven by the barrier reef which extends all along them at varying distances from the shore， This reef is sometimes only marked by a. line of breakers when there is a little swell on the sea； in other places there is a ridge of dead coral above the water， which is here and there high enough to support a few low bushes. This was the first example Ihad met with of a true barrier reef due to subsidence， as has been so clearly shown by Mr. Darwin. In a sheltered archipelago they will seldom be distinguishable， from the absence of those huge rolling waves and breakers which in the wide ocean throw up a barrier of broken coral far above the usual high-water mark， while here they rarely rise to the surface.
On reaching the end of the southern island， called Uta， we were kept waiting two days for a wind that would enable us to pass over to the next island， Teor， and I began to despair of ever reaching Ke， and determined on returning. We left with a south wind， which suddenly changed to north-east， and induced me to turn again southward in the hopes that this was the commencement of a few days' favourable weather. We sailed on very well in the direction of Teor for about an hour， after which the wind shifted to WSW.， and we were driven much out of our course， and at nightfall found ourselves in the open sea， and full ten miles to leeward of our destination. My men were now all very much frightened， for if we went on we might be a. week at sea in our little open boat， laden almost to the water's edge； or we might drift on to the coast of New Guinea， in which case we should most likely all be murdered. I could not deny these probabilities， and although I showed them that we could not get back to our starting-point with the wind as it was， they insisted upon returning. We accordingly put about， and found that we could lay no nearer to Uta than to Teor； however， by great good luck， about ten o'clock we hit upon a little coral island， and lay under its lee till morning， when a favourable change of wind brought us back to Uta， and by evening (April 18th w e reached our first anchorage in Matabello， where I resolved to stay a few days， and then return to Goram. It way with much regret that I gave up my trip to Ke and the intervening islands， which I had looked forward to as likely to make up for my disappointment in Ceram， since my short visit on my voyage to Aru had produced me so many rare and beautiful insects.
The natives of Matabello are almost entirely occupied in ****** cocoanut oil， which they sell to the Bugis and Goram traders， who carry it to Banda and Amboyna. The rugged coral rock seems very favourable to the growth of the cocoa-nut palm， which abounds over the whole island to the very highest points， and produces fruit all the year round. Along with it are great numbers of the areca or betel-nut palm， the nuts of which are sliced， dried， and ground into a paste， which is much used by the betel-chewing Malays and Papuans. A11 the little children here even such as can just run alone， carried between their lips a mass of the nasty-looking red paste， which is even more disgusting than to see them at the same age smoking cigars， which is very common even before they are weaned. Cocoa-nuts， sweet potatoes， an occasional sago cake， and the refuse nut after the oil has been extracted by boiling， form the chief sustenance of these people； and the effect of this poor and unwholesome diet is seen in the frequency of eruptions and scurfy skin diseases， and the numerous sores that disfigure the faces of the children.
The villages are situated on high and rugged coral peaks， only accessible by steep narrow paths， with ladders and bridges over yawning chasms. They are filthy with rotten husks and oil refuse， and the huts are dark， greasy， and dirty in the extreme. The people are wretched ugly dirty savages， clothed in unchanged rags， and living in the most miserable manner， and as every drop of fresh water has to be brought up from the beach， washing is never thought of； yet they are actually wealthy， and have the means of purchasing all the necessaries and luxuries of life.
Fowls are abundant， and eggs were given me whenever I visited the villages， but these are never eaten， being looked upon as pets or as merchandise. Almost all of the women wear massive gold earrings， and in every village there are dozens of small bronze cannon lying about on the ground， although they have cost on the average perhaps ā10 a piece. The chief men of each village came to visit me， clothed in robes of silk and flowered satin， though their houses and their daily fare are no better than those of the ether inhabitants. What a contrast between these people and such savages as the best tribes of bill. Dyaks in Borneo， or the Indians of the Uaupes in South America， living on the banks of clear streams， clean in their persons and their houses， with abundance of wholesome food， and exhibiting its effect in healthy shins and beauty of form and feature！ There is in fact almost as much difference： between the various races of savage as of civilized peoples， and we may safely affirm that the better specimens of the former are much superior to the lower examples of the latter class.
