CHAP. XXXI.] SUGAR-CANE EATERS. 245 



measured tones of the apathetically polite Malay, but with 

 loud voices, shouts, and screaming laughter, in which the 

 women and children were even more conspicuous than the 

 men. It was only while gazing at me that their tongiies 

 were moderately quiet, because their eyes were fully occu- 

 pied. The black vegetable soil here overlying the coral rock 

 is very rich, and the sugar-cane was finer than any I had 

 ever seen. The canes brought to the boat were often ten 

 and even twelve feet long, and thick in proportion, with 

 short joints throughout, swelling between the knots with the 

 abundance of the rich juice. At Dobbo they get a high 

 price for it, Id. to od. a stick, and there is an insatiable 

 demand among the crews of the praus and the Baba fisher- 

 men. Here they eat it continually. They half live on it, 

 and sometimes feed their pigs with it. Near every house are 

 great heaps of the refuse cane ; and large wicker-baskets to 

 contain this refuse as it is produced form a regular part of 

 the furniture of a house. Whatever time of the day you 

 enter, you are sure to find three or four people with a yard 

 of cane in one hand, a knife in the other, and a basket 

 between their legs, hacking, paring, chewing, and basket- 

 filling, with a persevering assiduity which reminds one of 

 a hungry cow grazing, or of a caterpillar eating up a leaf. 



After five days' absence the boats returned from Dobbo, 

 bringing Ali and all the things I had sent for quite safe. 

 A large party had assembled to be ready to carry home the 



