172 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



boina and tlie populous islands of Haruku, Saparua, 

 and Nusalaut, to tlie east. Occasionally tlie patli 

 passed over a projecting ]3oint, but wlien it is low 

 water tlie natives usually prefer to follow along tlie 

 sliore, just as tlieir fathers did for centuries before 

 them, altliougli it is frequently twice as far as by the 

 road. In an hour and a half we came to Suli, a 

 pretty Christian kampong. The road then turned 

 to the north and led us for two or three miles over 

 low hills of coral rock, covered with a thin layer of 

 red soil, to Tulahu, a village on the north coast, 

 which contains a population of about fifteen hun- 

 dred, and is the largest on the island. Near its 

 centre is a mosque, for the whole community is com- 

 posed of Mohammedans. As I passed up the main 

 street on my way to the house of the rajah, scores of 

 boys and men kept gathering and following, to learn 

 from my servants who this strange foreigner that 

 headed the procession could be, and what was the 

 object of his coining. The rajah had been notified 

 by the Resident of my proposed visit, and received 

 me with a profound " salaam." In the village was a 

 Tuma negri^ or "house belonging to the village." 

 It had been erected by the villagers, in accordance 

 with orders from the Dutch Government, for the 

 accommodation of all officials and foreigners passing 

 that way. It was built in the usual style of foreign 

 houses in the East, "with a broad veranda in front, 

 an admirable place to trade with the j)eople. A 

 comfortable bedroom was fitted up for me, but I 

 dined with the rajah. I was always careful to 

 take a good supply of tea and sugar on such excur- 



