1843] AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS. 83 



Their chief object of cultivation is the cotton-plant, 

 although a considerable portion of arable or productive 

 land is devoted to the Batata and large Radish; the 

 low marshy grounds are principally arranged in Paddy 

 fields, on which they expend much pains and labour; 

 the Yam, Sugar-cane, and a kind of Wheat, are found 

 amongst them, but not common. The soil is turned up 

 by a plough of very simple construction, worked by a 

 single bullock; and this, with hoes and trowels, sum 

 up the amount of their agricultural implements, whilst 

 the pestal and mortar are in ordinary use, for pounding 

 rice. The sides of the mountains and uncultivated 

 grounds are covered with a high rank weedy grass, 

 serving as food for their black cattle, of which they have 

 a tolerable abundance, and, like the people of Loo-Choo, 

 were not disposed to part with them. They have a 

 numerous race of rough but sure-footed ponies, which 

 we found of great service, particularly in ascending the 

 mountains. 



The people of these islands affected an ignorance of 

 having at any period been visited by another nation, not- 

 withstanding we have decided proof of the wreck of the 

 'Providence', Capt. Broughton, in the year 1796, upon 

 the Island of Y-ki-ma, on the northern coast of Ty-pin-san, 

 and of the assistance rendered by them in constructing a 

 vessel in which they reached China. I closely questioned 

 men of seventy years of age, but no recollection could be 

 adduced, either of the wreck, or of the residence of the 

 crew amongst them. One circumstance, however, is 

 remarkable; notwithstanding their apparent ignorance 

 of navigation, we found a stone on the most elevated 



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