THE INDIAN OCEAN. 1^23 



oyster : they are nrran.^ed in rows or streets, witli 

 walks three or four feet wide reaching to the land, 

 but all heavy goods are transported by canoes, which 

 pass under the houses. The mode of driving the 

 piles, which are inserted into the bottom to the 

 depth of six feet, is curious and ingenious. A canoe 

 loaded with stones to the weight of two or three 

 tons is lashed on each side of a pile at high water, 

 which, as the tide falls, are suspended from it ; a 

 heavy piece of timber is then made successively to 

 fall upon the head, which, conjointly with the great 

 weight of the canoes, sinks it to the bottom rapidly. 

 Towns covering a square mile may be seen formed in 

 this manner. 



The harbours and straits are crowded during the 

 season with Cliinese junks ; which fail not to strike 

 an eye accustomed to the elegant proportions and 

 graceful tracery of an European ship, as ludicrously 

 monstrous. ]\Ir. Crawfurd says " The appearance 

 of a Chinese junk is remarkably grotesque and sin- 

 gular. The deck presents the figure of a crescent. 

 The extremities of the vessel are disproportionately 

 high and unwieldy, conveying an idea that any 

 sudden gust of wind would not fail to upset her. At 

 each side of the bow there is a large white spot or 

 circle to imitate eyes. These vessels, except before 

 the wind, are bad sailers, and very unmanageable. 

 They require a numerous crew to navigate them : 

 ^f one of the largest size, it often takes fifty men 

 to manage the helm alone." The high stern and 

 bow are alike flat, the latter having nothing answer- 

 ing to a cut-water. There are from two to foui 



