2oS LAND OF PAPUAS, OR NEW GUINEA. 



the reft. Numbers of fires were feen, poffibly made by the 

 mountaneers. 

 Papuan The fliores were planted with coco pahns, and varied with 



"°"^^^- ji^g grotefque inhabitants, and their fingular habitations, built 



over the water on ftages ereded on pofts, far projeding into the 

 ►bay, and conftruiled exadly like fome of the ftairs on the river 

 'Thames. A few yards from this is another ftage in deeper water, 

 on winch ftands a fmall more elevated hut ; the firft tenement 

 is the largeft, and contains fourteen cabins (fome arelelTer) {even 

 on a fide, befides a common hall. In the laft the women fit, 

 fome making mats, others pots out of the ductile clay, which 

 they afterwards burn with dry grafs or brufli wood ; the women 

 do moft of the work ; they often are {een. with an axe pre- 

 paring the timber for the ftages, while the men indulge in in- 

 dolence, or preparation for the chafe of wild hogs. The mar- 

 ried people, with their families, live apart from the batchelors 

 in the greater houfes; the batchelors in thofe on the end of the 

 ftage ; fuch is faid to be the cafe with t-he Battas on Sumatra^ 

 and the Moroots on Borneo. The frontifpiece to Mr. ForreJTs 

 book gives a full idea of thefe tenements, and the furrounding 

 fcenery, and in tab. 12. is a beautiful view of the entrance, with 

 one of thofe little round-headed button -fli aped iflands, covered 

 with V. ood to the water edge, and which charaderife the archi- 

 pelagos of thefe parts of the Indian feas. 

 HAr.AroRAs. In the inland part of the country is a race of men called 



Haraforas, who are a fort of gardeners, and cultivate the plan- 

 tanes, and fome other efculents ; thefe they fupply the Papitas 

 with, by a certain tenure ; for if a Papuan prefents a Harafora 

 3 with 



