ISLAND OF SUMBAWA. 101 



when a man goes up to reef topsails in a gale, lie 

 has as much as he can do to attend to himself AYithout 

 taking notice of his hat, and, unless it fit him per- 

 fectly tight, he is sure to lose it. Hence, in this 

 collection may be seen head coverings of kangaroo 

 skin, canvass, dungaree, cloth, and other materials, 

 in every conceivable shape and make ; also straw 

 hats, made by the native of the Spice Islands, the 

 Arab of the coast of Africa, the Madagascar negro, 

 the swarthy Portuguese, and the Malay ; all fabri- 

 cated of difi'erent materials, and in different styles ; 

 all answering, equally well, the purpose for which 

 they are designed — that of protecting the wearer 

 from the seething sun, which has such power in the 

 native countries of their fabricators. 



After beating about two weeks — the variability of 

 the winds delaying our passage thus long, while, 

 with a favorable wind and plenty of it, we would 

 have accomplished it in ninety-six hours — we hove 

 in sight of the island of Sumbawa — the James 

 Allen accompanying us. After running for some 

 distance along its coast, delighted with the scenery 

 — every rock and crevice being covered with vegeta- 

 tion of the richest green, clusters of cocoa-nut trees 

 rising in every direction, and all the beauties of 

 tropical verdure opening to our delighted visions — a 

 mountain, said to be volcanic, came in for a due 

 share of our attention. Soon we entered the Straits 

 of Alias, and saw Balli Peak, a mountain of consider- 

 able altitude, covered with vegetation. Whilst at the 

 mouth of the straits, we were greeted with a sight 

 of a water-spout — a phenomena so often described 

 that for me to attempt it would be superfluous. I 

 9* 



