HOLOTHVROIDEM. 293 



within our view. The roadstead had no longer the aspect of a vast 

 soUtude : wTeaths of smoke cro\\Tied the summit of Observatory- 

 Island, where, as if by enchantment, several large sheds had sprung 

 up, while numerous vessels, supplied with divers, were proceeding to 

 fish for Holothuria, which were passed immediately to the furnaces 

 erected for curing them. In the course of my voyage I had often 

 remarked little walls constructed of dry stones, consisting of several 

 half-circles joined one to the other. I had often, but vainly, tried to 

 discover the use of these little structures : I was now enlightened. 

 The Malays arrived. Their boats w^ere scarcely anchored when 

 several large boilers, in the shape of a half-sphere, the diameter of 

 which might be about forty inches, were placed upon the stone walls 

 of which I have spoken, and now served as improvised furnaces. 

 Near to them are sheds composed of four strong posts driven into 

 the ground, supporting roofing covered with hurdles, on which it is 

 probably intended to dry the Holothuria. During their sojourn in 

 this bay, the fishermen, having fine weather, made no use of these 

 sheds, having probably only prepared them as a precaution. 



" A crowd of men actively employed in building their sheds gave 

 an unaccustomed appearance to the bay, which could not fail to 

 attract the savage inhabitants of the mainland. Very soon, indeed, 

 we could see them hastening from all sides, and nearly all reached the 

 little island, either by swimming or wading through the sheet of 

 shallow water which separates it from the mainland. I only saw one 

 pirogue, made of the bark of a tree badly put together, which gave a 

 passage to three of these visitors. When night arrived, the Malays 

 had finished all their preparations ; some of them remained to 

 guard what they had left on shore, all the others returned to their 

 boats. 



" In the interval, a boat from the Astrolabe being wanted to carry 

 some visitors from the island, I profited by the occasion to visit one 

 of the proas, accompanied by M. Roquemauel. We were received 

 with much politeness, and even cordiality, by the captain or padrone 

 of the boats. He showed us over his little ship. The keel appeared 

 to us sufficiently solid ; even the lines did not want elegance ; but 

 great disorder seemed to reign in the stowage department. From a 

 kind of bridge, formed by hurdles of bamboos and junk, we saw the 

 cabin, which looked like a poultry-house ; bags of rice, packets, and 

 boxes were huddled together. Below was the store of water, of cured 

 trepang, and the sailors' berths. Each boat was furnished with two 

 rudders, one at each end, which lifted itself when the boat touched 

 the bottom. The craft was furnished with two masts, without shrouds. 



