MALAY PEAHUS. 



149 



were found floating in the harbour; an inquest was held, and it then transpired that 

 one of these two junks on the way down from China had lost 250 men out of 600, and 

 the other 200 out of 400." 



The Malay prahus are the craft of the inhabitants of the straits, and are something 

 like the Chinese junks, though never so large as the largest of the latter, rarely exceeding 

 fifty or sixty tons burden. They have one mast, a tripod made of three bamboos, two 



CHINESE JtXK AT SINGAl'ORE. 



or three feet apart at the deck, and tapering up to a point at the top. Across two 

 of the bamboos smaller pieces of the same wood are lashed, making the mast thus act as 

 o, shroud or ladder also. They carry a large lug-sail of coarse grass-cloth, having a yard 

 both at top and bottom. The curious part of them is the top hamper about the stem. 

 With the deck three feet out of the water forward, the top of the housing is fifteen or 

 more feet high. They are steered with two rudders, one on either quarter. In addition 

 to the ships and native craft, are hundreds of small boats of all descriptions constantly 

 moving about with fruits, provisions, birds, monkeys, shells, and corals for sale. The sailor 



