IN TIMOR-LAUT. 305 



either of us with the most pleasant reflections, but we deter- 

 mined to close our eyes on all but the bright side of the 

 picture of which we had got a glimpse. 



The villagers seemed perfectly well disposed towards us, 

 without fear or suspicion of us. We ventured to look into 

 their homes as we returned from our survey, and they beckoned 

 us in with a smile. 



Our first care was to obtain a liouse, and at once on our first 

 morning I set about looking for a site. Those who know best 

 what uncivilised ways are will understand our vexation at the 

 difficulties now encountered, the excuses for refusing one spot 

 after another, the whole-day palavers abandoned at night 

 without result, and day after day for eight days. By a large 

 present all round I had the satisfaction of at last cajoling the 

 old men into deciding on a site lying within the tide mark, 

 which forthwith was occupied before they could change their 

 minds. 



During the progress of the building which of necessity 

 had to be a pile dwelling, and when my presence and 

 actual help were not necessary, we made short excursions to 

 the immediate neighbourhood on which we were always 

 accompanied by some of the natives, who seemed to take 

 the liveliest possible interest in our doings, and with ^vhom 

 we mixed as much as we could. Perceiving that I recorded 

 their names for everything we encountered, they themselves 

 adopted the role of teacher — the young women not less 

 than the men — repeating to us the name of every tangible 

 object, as well as trying to bring us to a comprehension of 

 their expressions for abstract ideas. After some days they 

 began regularly to catechise us in past lessons, bringing us 

 various objects whose names they had already given us, 

 and by signs requiring us to repeat to them their names, 

 laughing heartily at us when we made a failure or a mis- 

 pronunciation. The buttons on our garments formed ex- 

 cellent objects on which to teach us numeration, and many 

 a score of times we have had to stand while some Venus- 

 formed maiden encountering us in the village insisted on 

 hearing us recount their tale again. So assiduous aud 

 apparently interested in our acquiring their language were 

 they, that their willing lessons are to us now one of the most 



