1836.] THE SETTLEMENT. 457 
of coral rock on the outside, by its breadth, breaks the first vio- 
lence of the waves, which otherwise, in a day, would sweep away 
these islets and all their productions. The ocean and the land 
seem here struggling for mastery: although terra firma has ob- 
tained a footing, the denizens of the water think their claim at 
least equally good. In every part one meets hermit crabs of 
more than one species,* carrying on their backs the shells which 
they have stolen from the neighbouring beach. Overhead, nume- 
rous gannets, frigate-birds, and terns, rest on the trees; and 
the wood, from the many nests and from the smell of the atmos- 
phere, might be called a sea-rookery. The gannets, sitting on 
their rude nests, gaze at one with a stupid yet angry air. The 
noddies, as their name expresses, are silly little creatures. But 
there is one charming bird: it is a small snow-white tern, which 
smoothly hovers at the distance of a few feet above one’s head, 
its Jarge black eye scanning, with quiet curiosity, your expres- 
sion. Little imagination is required to fancy that so light and 
delicate a body must be tenanted by some wandering fairy 
spirit. 
Sunday, April 3rd.—After service I accompanied Captain 
Fitz Roy to the settlement, situated at the distance of some miles, 
on the point of an islet thickly covered with tall cocoa-nut trees. 
Captain Ross and Mr. Liesk live in a-large barn-like liouse 
open at both ends, and lined with mats made of woven bark. 
The houses of the Malays are arranged along the shore of the 
lagoon. The whole place had rather a desolate aspect, for there 
were no gardens to show the signs of care and cultivation. The 
natives belong to different islands in the East Indian archipelago, 
but all speak the same language: we saw the inhabitants of 
Borneo, Celebes, Java, and Sumatra. In colour they resemble 
the Tahitians, from whom they do not widely differ in features. 
Some of the women, however, show a good deal of the Chincse 
character. J liked both their general expressions and the sound 
of their voices. ‘They appeared poor, and their houses were des- 
titute of furniture; but it was evident, from the plumpness of 
* The large claws or pincers of some of these crabs are most beautifully 
adapted, when drawn back, to form an operculum to the shell, nearly as 
perfect as the proper one originally belonging to the molluscous animal. I 
was assured, aud as far as my observation went I found it so, that certain 
species of the hermit-crabs always use certain species of shells, 
