82 Letter LT. 
the principal fishing ground is the north coast of Australia, 
where the fishing is mainly carried on by Malays. 
After gathering a few specimens of grasses and various small 
plants, which grew close to the shore, we turned back. The 
tide was out, and the fine flat beach before us presented rather 
a curious appearance. It was covered with shells of various 
shapes and sizes, but these, instead of lying motionless 
as shells usually do, were skimming over the sand in a 
most extraordinary manner. Catching one, I found on ex- 
amination that the shell was occupied by a hermit crab, and 
that it was the nimble legs of these creatures which gave the 
shells their wonderful powers of locomotion. These crabs, not 
being able to build their own houses, take possession of all the 
empty shells lying about the beach—a habit of theirs which has 
sometimes disgusted me exceedingly ; for after returning from a 
stroll along the beach with a pocket full of shells, I would find 
that I had also—what I didn’t bargain for, a pocket full of those 
vicious little hermits, in a state of lively irritation. I need 
hardly say that my pocket was generally emptied much faster 
than it was filled. 
Thad not time, however, to make lengthened observations 
of crabs or anything else, as I wished to reach the vessel while 
my specimens were in good order for pressing ; so hurrying on, 
I reached the boat, and, making an appointment with my man 
for the following morning, went off to the vessel. 
Next day we turned our steps inland. Winding along a nar- 
row pathway, one of the highways of the island, we came, be- 
‘fore we had gone far, upon several of the natives’ little planta- 
tions, and I saw also several of their huts nestling amidst the 
trees. In the plantations, which average about half-an-acre in 
size, taro, bananas, and sugarcane are grown; and the work 
which is involved in the cultivation of these plants is by no 
