III.] THE ROAD TO SHIURI. 51 



of animals, fish, shells, and tiowers. Whether the island is subject 

 to peculiarly heavy rains or not, I do not know, but the piers were 

 extremely massive. The road exhibited like e\"idences of labour, for 

 it was paved the whole distance from Xapha to Shiuri with small 

 blocks of coralline limestone, which, though well enough for booted 

 Europeans, must, one would have imagined, be more than trying 

 to the barefooted natives. Our men, however, made nothing of it, 

 but trotted along at a pace that would have done credit to the best 

 hammock-bearers in Madeira. Our palanquins were carried in a 

 slanting direction along the broad road ; the angle being changed 

 from time to time, so as to give each shoulder the same amount of 

 work. It was what in military parlance would have been termed 

 moving to the front in echelon. By this means we were able to 

 get an unobstructed view of the country in front of us, and at the 

 same tune to carry on conversation with our neighbour if we felt 

 inclined. The ground rises but gradually at first, and the road 

 leads through fields of paddy, passing every now and then some 

 peasant's hut half hidden in clumps of bamboo and Ijanana. As 

 we increased the altitude, millet and sweet potato seemed to take 

 the place of rice, and w^e noticed with what care the land was 

 cultivated, and how much time and labour must have been exj)ended 

 on the elaborate system of terracing in ^;ogue, so that the some- 

 what uncertain supply of water should be used to the utmost 

 advantage. No hedges break what, but for the presence of small 

 abrupt hills and clumps of trees, would otherwise be a rather 

 monotonous landscape, but their place is supplied by the low gray 

 side-walls of the terraces. We passed several parties of natives on 

 the road, who looked at us with undisguised astonishment, but 

 were nevertheless not prevented thereby from bowing profoundly. 

 Some of them were driving down ponies laden with market produce, 

 but in no case were they mounted, although it seems that the upper 

 classes occasionally ride. These Liu-kiuan ponies are sturdy little 

 animals, rough-haired, and very diminutive. They have, doubtless, 

 been imported from the mainland, and like the oxen, and indeed 



