INHABITANTS OF THE yOGGY ISLANDS. 83 



by the beit accounts I could procure, only to 1400 ; 

 the inland parts of the iflands are uninhabited. Forah 

 or Fortune ifland is inhabited by the fame race of peo- 

 ple, and is faid to contain as many inhabitants as the 

 two Poggys. When we confider the mildnefs of the 

 climate, the eafe with which the inhabitants procure 

 wholefome nutritive food, and the little reftraint laid 

 on the communication between the fexes, this paucity 

 of inhabitants feems to indicate that the period 

 when their refidence in thefe iflands commenced, can- 

 not be very remote. Their houfes are built of bam- 

 boos and raifed on pofts ; the under part is occupied 

 by poultry and hogs, and, as u\z.j be fuppofed, much 

 filth is coiiedted there. The whole of their clothing 

 confids of a piece of coarfe cloth, made of the bark of 

 a tree, worn round the waift, and brought acrofs be- 

 tween the thighs ; they wear beads and other orna- 

 ments about the neck, of which a fmall green bead is 

 the moil eflecmed : though cocoa-nut trees are in fuch 

 plenty, they have not the ufe of oil ; and their hciir, 

 which is black, and might grow long and graceful, is, 

 for want of it, and the ufe of combs^ in general mat- 

 ted and plentifully funplied with vermin, v/hich thev 

 pick out and eat'; a iilthy cufrcm, but very common 

 among favage people, l^^ey have a method of filing 

 or grindmg their teeth to a point, which is alfo in ufe 

 on Sumaira. 



Their flature feldom exceeds five feet and a half, 

 and many, among them fall Ihort of this: fome of them 

 are extremely well made, with fine turned limbs and 

 expreflive comntenances : their colour is like that of 

 the Malays, a light brown or copper colour. The cuf- 

 torn of tattoowg or imprinting figures on the fkin is 

 general among them, of which I fhail fs.y more pre- 

 fentiy. 



The principal article of their feed is f^'.ro, vv'hicK 

 is found in plenty on th«fe iflands. The t'fec, when 

 ripe is cut down, and the pith which forms the fago, 



F 2 takea 



