1836.] THE SETTLEMENT. 333 



expresses, are silly little creatures. But there is one charming bird 

 it is a small snow-white tern, which smoothly hovers at the distance 

 of a few feet above one's head, its large black eye scanning, with quiet 

 curiosity, your expression. Little imagination is required to fancy that 

 so light and delicate a body must be tenanted by some wandering fairy 

 spirit. 



Sunday, April yd. After service I accompanied Captain Fitz Roy 

 to the settlement, situated at the distance of some miles, on the point 

 of an islet thickly covered with tall cocoa-nut trees. Captain Ross 

 and Mr. Liesk live in a large barn-like house open at both ends, and 

 lined with mats made of woven bark. The houses of the Malays are 

 arranged along the shore of the lagoon. The whole place had rather 

 a desolate aspect, for there were no gardens to show the signs of care 

 and cultivation. The natives belong to different islands in the East 

 Indian Archipelago, but all speak the same language: we saw the 

 inhabitants of Borneo, Celebes, Java, and Sumatra. In colour they 

 resemble the Tahitians, from whom they do not widely differ in 

 features. Some of the women, however, show a good deal of the 

 Chinese character. I liked both their general expressions and the 

 sound of their voices. They appeared poor,, and their houses were 

 destitute of furniture ; but it was evident, from the plumpness of the 

 little children, that cocoa-nuts and turtle afford no bad sustenance. 



On this island the wells are situated, from which ships obtain water. 

 At first sight it appears not a little remarkable that the fresh water 

 should regularly ebb and flow with the tides ; and it has even been 

 imagined, that sand has the power of filtering the salt from the sea- 

 water. These ebbing wells are common on some of the low islands in 

 the West Indies. The compressed sand, or porous coral rock, is per- 

 meated like a sponge with the salt water ; but the rain which falls on 

 the surface must sink to the level of the surrounding sea, and must 

 accumulate there, displacing an equal bulk of the salt water. As the 

 water in the lower part of the great sponge-like coral mass rises and 

 falls with the tides, so will the water near the surface ; and this will 

 keep fresh, if the mass be sufficiently compact to prevent much 

 mechanical admixture ; but where the land consists of great loose blocks 

 of coral with open interstices, if a well be dug, the water, as I have 

 seen, is brackish. 



After dinner we stayed to see a curious half-superstitious scene 

 acted by the Malay women. A large wooden spoon dressed in gar- 

 ments, and which had been carried to the grave of a dead man, they 

 pretend becomes inspired at the full of the moon, and will dance and 

 jump about. After the proper preparations, the spoon, held by two 

 women, became convulsed, and danced in good time to the song of the 

 surrounding children and women. It was a most foolish spectacle; 

 but Mr. Liesk maintained that many of the Malays believed in its 

 spiritual movements. The dance did not commence till the moon had 

 risen, and it was well worth remaining to behold her bright orb so 

 quietly shining through the long arms of the cocoa-nut trees as they 

 waved in the evening breeze. These scenes of the tropics are in them- 



