ch. vi.] Pratchan. 127 



the sheaths of the nebong palm, fastened into shape by 

 slender wooden skewers. Two logs are then laid parallel 

 to each other, and a foot or fifteen inches apart, and over 

 these the pans are placed close together, so as to form a 

 rude kind of flue, in the which a fire of light brushwood 

 is lighted, and very soon afterwards the salt may be 

 observed falling to the bottom of the evaporators. It 

 was a very hot morning, and the heat in the close forest 

 where I had been exploring was so intense, that I was 

 thankful to reach the coast and feel the delicious breezes 

 which came from the open sea. The beach to the west- 

 ward of the island is mainly of firm yellow sand, but 

 here and there paved more or less thickly with honey- 

 combed coral rocks and pebbles. The outer edge of 

 the old forest nearest the shore is fringed with tall 

 casuarina trees, here called " Kayu Aru." The Malays 

 have some legends connected with this tree, and 

 can rarely be induced to cut it down, although the 

 tough light timber is well suited for some particular 

 purposes. 



Under a group of these trees a large company of 

 Kadyans were encamped, and busily engaged making 

 " Pratchan." This is a reddish product made of prawns. 

 Some of the men were out in canoes just beyond the 

 shallow reefs catching the tiny fish, while others and the 

 women and girls were preparing them on shore. The 

 fish are jammed up in troughs formed of hollow trunks 

 of trees by beating wooden pestles, and when finished 

 resembles a stiff red paste, which is afterwards packed in 

 circular palm-leaf bags or baskets for the Chinese marTcets. 

 Some of the fish were being dried by being spread out in 

 the sun on mats. They were bright as burnished silver, 

 and in flavour reminded one of whitebait. The price of 

 the red paste, or prepared " Pratchan," is about three 



