CHAP. XXV.] THE INHABITANTS. 79 



whom had almo.st driven me to distraction by beating 

 tom-toms the whole voyage. 



I found the people here very nearly in a state of nature, 

 and going almost naked. The men wear their frizzly hair 

 gathered into a flat circular knot over the left temple, 

 which has a very knowing look, and in their ears cylindeis 

 of wood as thick as one's finger, and coloured red at the 

 ends. Armlets and anklets of woven grass or of silver, 

 with necklaces of beads or of small fruits, complete their 

 attire. The women wear similar ornaments, but have their 

 hair loose. All are tall, with a dark brown skin, and well 

 marked Papuan physiognomy. There is an Amboyna 

 schoolmaster in the village, and a good number of children 

 attend school every morning. Such of the inhabitants as 

 have become Christians may be known by their wearing 

 their hair loose, and adopting to some extent the native 

 Christian dress — trousers and a loose shirt. Very few 

 speak Malay, all these coast villages having been recently 

 formed by inducing natives to leave the inaccessible 

 interior. In all the central part of Ceram there now 

 remains only one populous village in the mountains. 

 Towards the east and the extreme west are a few others, 

 with which exceptions all the inhabitants of Ceram are 

 collected on the coast. In the northern and eastern dis- 

 tricts they are mostly Mahometans, while on the south- 

 west coast, nearest Amboyna, they are nominal Christians. 



