322 THE OCEAJS". 



the Thousand Isles, has never yet been explored, and 

 its intricacies afford concealment to petty pirates who 

 prey upon the small prahus and fishing-boats. * * * 

 A number of large fishing-boats were coming in from 

 sea, and standing with us into the roads ; and 

 although we were running at the rate of seven 

 knots an hour, they passed us with great rapidity. 

 They had a most graceful appearance ; many of them 

 were fourteen or fifteen tons' burthen, and each boat 

 carried one immense square-sail. As the breeze was 

 strong, a thick plank was thrust out to windward for 

 an outrijTger, on which several of the numerous crew 

 sat, or stood, to prevent the press of sail they were 

 canying from capsizing the boat. They were occa- 

 sionally hidden from our view by their passing be- 

 hind some of the small islets ; but in a few seconds 

 they would appear on the other side, having shot 

 past so rapidly, that we could scarcely fancy we had 

 lost sight of them at all." * 



In sailing amongst the numberless islands of the 

 Indian Archipelago, the voyager is struck with the 

 frequent appearance of towns or villages built 

 actually over the sea. The houses are constructed on 

 stout piles, which are firmly driven into the ground. 

 A fiat place is selected, where the tide ebbs and 

 fiows, that all dirt and filth from their habitations 

 may be regularly carried away without trouble, and 

 that they may be free from the presence of unplea- 

 sant and venomous reptiles. The houses are chiefly 

 of split bamboo, thatched with leaves : the windows 

 are made of the transparent iimer shell of the pearl 



* Enrl's Easitei-u Seas, p. 11. 



