258 THE ARU ISLANDS. [chap. xxxi. 



to water, and the whole box is neat, strong, and well 

 finished. They are made from a few inches to two or 

 three feet long, and being much esteemed by the Malays 

 as clothes-boxes, are a regular article of export from Aru. 

 The natives nse the smaller ones for tobacco or betel-nut, 

 but seldom have clothes enough to require the larger ones, 

 which are only made for sale. 



Among the domestic animals which may generally be 

 seen in native houses, are gaudy parrots, green, red, and 

 blue, a few domestic fowls, which have baskets hung for 

 them to lay in under the eaves, and who sleep on the 

 ridge, and several half- starved wolfish-looking dogs. In- 

 stead of rats and mice there are curious little marsupial 

 animals about the same size, which run about at night and 

 nibble anything eatable that may be left uncovered. Foiir 

 or five different kinds of ants attack everything not 

 isolated by water, and one kind even swims across that ; 

 great spiders lurk in baskets and boxes, or hide in the folds 

 of my mosquito curtain ; centipedes and millepedes are 

 found everywhere. I have caught them under my pillow 

 and on my head ; while in every box, and under every 

 board which has lain for some days undisturbed, little 

 scorpions are sure to be found snugly ensconced, with their 

 formidable tails quickly turned up ready for attack or 

 defence. Such companions seem very alarming and dan- 

 gerous, but all combined are not so bad as the irritation 



