A HORDE OF CANOES. 973 
When the Flat Island lay about three miles 
to our right, the wind again died away. ‘This 
opportunity was not lost by the natives of 
Olajava, who had all the while followed us in 
their canoes. They exerted themselves to the 
utmost, and their well worked little vessels 
swiftly skimmed the smooth surface of the sea 
to the accompaniment of measured cadences, 
till they at last reached the ship. 
A horde of canoes now put off towards us 
from the Flat Island, and we were soon sur- 
rounded by immense numbers of them, locked 
so closely together, that they seemed to form a 
bridge of boats, serving for a market well 
stocked with fruits and pigs, and swarming 
with human beings as thick as ants on an ant- 
hill : they were all in high spirits, and with 
many jests extolled the goods they brought, 
making much more noise than all the traffic of 
the London Exchange. Even on our own 
deck we could only make ourselves heard by 
screaming in each other’s ears. 
Our bartering trade proceeded, however, to 
our mutual satisfaction. Those who were too 
far off to reach us endeavoured by all sorts of 
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