We left Amboyna on the 26th of March, but continued calms prevented our reaching the picturesque island of Banda until the 1st of April. According to my instructions, I was to obtain here the advice of the Resident, with pilots and interpreters for New Guinea; but as none of the latter were to be met with here, I judged it best to proceed to the Ceram-Laut Islands, where I should be likely to obtain them. The Resident informed me that a war existed between the people of Kilwari and Keffing, and that the interposition of the Government had been requested by several of the tribes. The Commandant Kaltaay, who resided in Kilwari, had come with several others to Banda for this purpose, and had furnished the Resident with the particulars of the affair. His declaration was placed in my hands, with the request that, as I should probably visit these islands, I would endeavour to make peace between the hostile parties, since their wars had greatly injured the native trade, and thereby caused a great want of provisions at Banda. The Commandant Kaltaay had three jonkos with him, which followed the brig, while he, with three of his retinue, took passage with us. On the 5th of April we left the Roads of Banda, with our little flotilla in company, and were again detained on our voyage by calms, being unable to reach the channel between Keffing and Ghissa until the 8th. We passed along the edge of the reefs which front the north coast of the latter island, and came to anchor in the mouth of the channel which separates it from the Ceram-Laut Islands. Ghissa is a low, sandy, uninhabited island, surrounded on all sides by reefs, which extend farthest to seaward from the south end. In the centre of the island is a lagoon, communicating with the sea by a channel on the north side, which absolutely swarms with various kinds of fish, while its shores abound with ducks and snipes. Ghissa was once inhabited; but a war having broken out between the people and those of Kilwari, the latter obtained the upper hand, and drove the others from their island, forcing them to take refuge on Ceram-Laut and the adjacent places, while everything they left behind was destroyed. From this period the island had remained unoccupied. A small portion of the former population still resided on Ceram-Laut, under the rule of a chief in subjection to the people of Kilwari, the latter treating them in a most barbarous manner. Having anchored close to the villages on Kilwari, a gun was fired from the brig as a signal that a vessel of war had arrived, and that the chiefs were required to come on board.