112 CANOES — CATTLE. 



wood, Laving outriggers on each side to prevent cap- 

 sizing; they are propelled by a paddle in the bow, 

 and one on the quarter, and when the occupants are 

 hurried they skim along with great velocity. One 

 man will go out in his canoe, drop anchor, and smoke 

 and fish all day long. Seeming to think the straits 

 belong to them, they will neither move nor turn out 

 for anybody. One day when we were towing a raft 

 of water aboard, one of these canoes lay directly in 

 our course. Finding gestures and the king's English 

 ineffectual in clearing the way, we merely sheered 

 our boats so as to pass ; but the raft continuing 

 its course, caught in the outrigger of the canoe, and, 

 despite the exertions of its owner, it was dragged for 

 some distance before he was able to extricate it. All 

 the time he was spluttering away in Malay, until, 

 finally, he mustered enough English to sing out, 

 "Let go ;" but, as the current was strong, we had as 

 much as we could do to hold our own, without help- 

 ing him. 



Their cattle, which they call bufiTalo, do not, either 

 in size, shape, or appearance, resemble the rovers on 

 our Western prairies ; they are small, formed like 

 our ox, with slender legs, and hair the color of that 

 of the deer. I at once pronounced them a variety 

 of the musk ox, and when, a few days after, I par- 

 took of the flesh, my opinion was strengthened. 

 The flesh was white and tender, but had so strong an 

 odor and taste as to be unpalatable to us. I do not 

 know whether the Malays eat them or not. The cows 

 give a rich milk, which, like the flesh, tastes strong. 



Tiieir horses are undersized, but appear active, 

 hardy, and intelligent. 



