164 MACASSAR rO THE ARU ISLANDS, [chap, xxviir. 



debtors seem to think this no disgrace, but rather enjoy 1 

 their freedom from responsibility, and the dignity of their 

 position under a wealthy and well-known merchant. They 

 trade a little on their own account, and both parties seem 

 to get on very well together. The plan seems a more 

 sensible one than that which we adopt, of effectually pre- 

 venting a man from earning anything towards paying his 

 debts by shutting him up in a jail. 



My own servants were three in number. Ali, the Malay 

 boy whom I had picked up in Borneo, was my head man. 

 He had already been with me a year, could turn his hand 

 to anything, and was quite attentive and trustworthy. He 

 was a good shot, and fond of shooting, and I had taught 

 him to skin birds very well. The second, named Baderoon, 

 was a Macassar lad, also a pretty good boy, but a desperate 

 gambler. Under pretence of buying a house for his mother, 4I 

 and clothes for himself, he had received four months' 

 wages about a week before we sailed, and in a day or two 

 gambled away every dollar of it. He had come on board 

 with no clothes, no betel, or tobacco, or salt fish, all which 

 necessary articles I was obliged to send Ali to buy for 

 him. These two lads were about sixteen, T should suppose;] 

 the third was younger, a sharp little rascal named Baso, 

 who had been with me a month or two, and had learnt to 

 cook tolerably. He was to fulfil the important office of 

 cook and housekeeper, for I could not get any regular 



