410 cook's VOYAGE TO JAN. 



of time and difficulty. The men not being able to 

 accomplish it, we were surprized to see them call to 

 their assistance a few little boys who soon drove 

 them out of sight. Afterward we had occasion to 

 observe, that in driving these animals and securing 

 them, which is done by putting a rope through a hole 

 which is made in their nostrils, little boys were al- 

 ways employed, who could stroke and handle them 

 with impunity at times when the men durst not ap- 

 proach them. Having got rid of the buffaloes, we 

 were conducted to the town, which was at a mile's 

 distance, the road to it lying through a deep white 

 sand. It is situated near the sea-side, at the bottom 

 of a retired bay, which must afford a safe road-stead 

 during the prevalence of the south-west monsoons. 



This town consists of between twenty and thirty 

 houses, built close together ; besides six or seven 

 others that are scattered about the beach. The 

 roof, the two ends, and the side fronting the country, 

 are neatly constructed of reeds ; the opposite side, 

 facing the sea, is entirely open ; but, by means of a 

 sort of bamboo screens, they can exclude or let in as 

 much of the sun and air as they please. We observed 

 likewise other large screens or partitions for the 

 purpose of dividing, as occasion required, the single 

 room of which the house, properly speaking, consists, 

 into separate apartments. 



We were conducted to the largest house in the 

 town belonging to their chief, or, as they called him, 

 their captain. This house had a room at each end, 

 separated by a partition of reeds from the middle 

 space, which was open on both sides, and provided 

 with partition-screens like the others. It had, be- 

 sides, a penthouse projecting four or five feet beyond 

 the roof, and running the whole length on each 

 side. At each end of the middle room were hung 

 some Chinese paintings, representing men and women 

 in ludicrous attitudes. In this apartment we were 

 civilly desired to seat ourselves on mats, and betel 

 was presented to us. 



