Oh. VII.] DEFENSIVE MEASUEES. Ill 



pistol to protect the community in case of need. This little 

 incident seemed to prove that they were always on the alert, 

 and gave colour to the general report that they, like the 

 Chiaese, are subject to the raids of the raw mountain 

 savages, against whom they are always more or less prepared 

 to defend themselves. This was also corroborated by the 

 fact that ia the midst of the viUage a building was in course 

 of construction which was evidently of a defensive charac' 

 ter. It was in a very imfinished state, having at present no 

 roof, and the walls not aU completed; but the loopholes 

 in the walls of the finished sides, as weU as the accounts of 

 the natives themselves, showed for what purpose it was 

 intended. Men were engaged in sawing wood, and doing 

 other business of construction. 



By the side of this unfinished building was piled a great 

 heap of tiles of a dark colour, and of a most rubbishy brittle 

 character, which they had purchased of the Chinese for 

 roofing their fort. It seemed the greater pity, inasmuch as 

 the rocks of Sau-o Bay are of a slatey character, with very 

 distinct cleavage; and, close by the village, slates might have 

 been obtained by a little trouble and intelligence ; and these 

 would have answered the purpose better than the wretched 

 tiles they were about to use. A herd of water-buffaloes, 

 brought home late in the afternoon, repaired to a muddy 

 pool in front of this building, and, with their characteristic 

 timidity and stupidity, after eyeii^ us curiously for some 

 time, they took alarm at some movement of one of our 

 party, and bolting helter-skelter out of the mud, floundered 

 over the heap of tUes, crushing numbers of them to pieces, 

 and all but overturned some of the native huts in their mad 

 career. Besides buffaloes, they have pigs (always black), 

 Chinese dogs, Malay cats with short twisted tails, and fowls. 



