These three last articles constitute the wealth of the Aru people, with which they pay for their wives, or which they hoard up as "real property." Tobacco is in immense demand for chewing, and it must be very strong, or an Aru man will not look at it.

Knowing how little these people generally work, the mass of produce obtained annually shows that the islands must be pretty thickly inhabited, especially along the coasts, as nine-tenths of the whole are marine productions.
It was on the 2d of July that we left Aru, followed by all the Macassar praus, fifteen in number, who had agreed to sail in company.

We passed south of Banda, and then steered due west, not seeing land for three days, till we sighted some low islands west of Bouton.

We had a strong and steady south-east wind day and night, which carried us on at about five knots an hour, where a clipper ship would have made twelve.

The sky was continually cloudy, dark, and threatening, with occasional drizzling showers, till we were west of Bouru, when it cleared up and we enjoyed the bright sunny skies of the dry season for the rest of our voyage.
It is about here, therefore that the seasons of the eastern and western regions of the Archipelago are divided.