282 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



poor to own a lamp, he lias instead a small fire of 

 charcoal raised on the top of an urn-shaped vessel 

 of earthen-ware. By his side are seen vessels for 

 making tea, and by copious draughts of that stimulant 

 he will try to revive his dead limbs by and by, when 

 he awakes from his contemplated debauch, and finds 

 his whole energy gone, and, as it were, his very life 

 on the point of leaving the body. 



My next excursion, after a week in the woods, 

 was with the commandant of the fort to a high bluff 

 on the eastern side of the entrance of the bay of 

 Kayeli. The fires which rage here year after year 

 destroy much of the thick forest, and a tall, coarse 

 grass takes its place. In these prairies grow 

 many hayii-piiti, or whitewood-trees, so called from 

 their bark, which makes them resemble our white 

 birches. Their branches are very scattering, and 

 bear long, narrow leaves, somewhat like those of our 

 willow, which are gathered about this time of year, 

 for the sake of their " oil." It is obtained in the 

 following manner: the leaves are plucked off by 

 hand and placed in baskets which are carried to 

 sheds, where they are emptied into large kettles, 

 that are partly filled with water, and carefully closed. 

 From the centre of the cover of the kettle rises a 

 wooden tube, to which is joined another of cloth, 

 that is coiled up in a barrel containing cold water. 

 A fire being made beneath the kettle, the volatile 

 "oil" is carried over and condensed in the tube. 

 About eight thousand bottles of this article are man- 

 ufactured here every year. Indeed, it foims almost 

 the only export from this large island. The price 



