28 WHITE A Skittrh of ike Life of Samud White. 



this, into whioli the crew can creep. It is jjropelled with short 

 broad juiddles, oi- a hirjiv mat sail made of iiandainis leaves 

 sewn toj>ether, and hoisted on a bamboo yard to a triangle or 

 tripod mast, and lashed down to the craft. Of conrse these boats 

 can only sail before the wind, and they are going continually 

 from the Blackangtanna to J>obo with articles they have for 

 barter. The trade of the Aru peo])le must be very limited, for 

 there was nothing that 1 could see that is worlh trading for. 



The l*aradise plumes appear to be the chief thing they sell, 

 and they fetch 20/ each; very few pearlshell, and still fewer 

 pearls are found. I had a few pearl shells olfered me, by some 

 of the boats which were passing on their way to Dobo, and the 

 price asked for small shells was five rupees a pair. The pearls 

 offered me were very small, and a few edible birds nests and 

 some sugar cane seemed to be all the Arue people could trade in 

 except it be a little "Treimng" which T should judge as very 

 poor quality, it being a very different article from that which I 

 have been used to seeing in the straits. The edible birds nests 

 seemed to be valned at about threepence to sixi)ence each. Every 

 kind of fruit and vegetable was very scarce and dear. 



Minerals in the Aru Islands are wanting. I did not see 

 or hear of any. The whole of the country seems to be of a 

 limestone formation. 



MAMMALS. 

 The Mammals of the Aru Islands are not so numerous in 

 species or specimens as in most parts of Australia, nevertheless 

 small mammals such as rats of various kinds are by no means 

 scarce in many districts. They frequently annoyed us, by de- 

 stroying our food" and specimens. The largest of the animals 

 which came under notice while I was camping on the islands 

 was the pig, and I found that in his wild state he was a lanky 

 ungainly looking beast (the Malay name for this animal is 

 "Bahi"). The only species representing the kangaroo on the 

 island is a Avallaby of moderate size, and a distinct species. 

 The greatest distinguishing mark being a broad white bar on 

 the thigh. It is very like some of our scrub Avallaby. The 

 natives at times catch these animals in snares, and I have had 

 them brought to me tied by the legs till the limbs are swollen 

 and numb, or coiled up in a basket where they must have been 

 confined for days or weeks, so that in either case the unfortu- 

 nate animals could not walk, and never lived more than twenty- 

 four hours after being liberated. The next in size to the wallaby 

 is the cuscus, a tropical opossum of large size, and with a tail 

 which is perhensile and bare of hair for half its length. This 



