34^ Voyage of the Novara. 



externally to a rather massive beam, which swims parallel with 

 the boat, gave this canoe, apparently so fragile, such stability 

 and seaworthiness, that it is at all times not less safe than 

 a boat of European construction.* 



The natives steer with short paddles, and continue an 

 incredibly long time at this most exhausting work, as we 

 must conceive it to be. And yet they are to appearance a 

 feeble race, except that the muscular system of the upper 

 part of the body is remarkably developed. 



The dress of these people is remarkably simple, and 

 usually consists only of a piece of coloured linen cloth or 

 calico, which, worn short like a woman's petticoat, is thrown 

 single-fold round the loins. 



The pilot, though he could only make himself intelligible in 

 broken English, speedily came to a good understanding, and 

 offered to sell us bananas, pine-apples, and cocoa-nuts, as also 

 Ceylon jewels, the latter of which he carried on his person, 

 secured in a parti-coloured cotton belt. This reminded us 

 that we were nearing the shores of the country in which 

 costly stones are found, but precisely on that account, as 

 was natural, our speculative pilot found but a poor market 

 for his wares. 



Off the coast we caught a shark 7 feet long, and 135 lbs. 

 weight — a rather juvenile specimen — whose teeth, which we 



* These canoes resemble very closely tlie "proas," of the Poljaiesiau Islands, 

 carrying a beam on one side, which is quite straight, and always kept on tJie lee of 

 the wind and sea, the change of course being eflected by simply sliifting the sail, 

 and steering with the paddle fi'om the opposite end. 



