200 FORM OF HOUSES. 



They were of a very good size and beautiful appear- 

 ance, and I regretted I had not known of their 

 being there before I fired, when we might have 

 occupied the narrow neck of land with the boat's 

 crew, and had some excellent sport. 



As soon as we had joined Captain Blackwood, 

 whom we found at the entrance of the lagoon, and 

 he had finished his observations, we set off in chase, 

 but though we saw six we did not succeed in getting 

 within reach of one. We then crossed the entrance 

 to two or three houses on the opposite side, where 

 we bought some cocoa-nuts. These houses were 

 raised about five feet above the ground, upon strong 

 posts, and were accessible by steps to a door in 

 front. They seemed to consist of one long room, 

 with a common passage down one side next the 

 wall, the remainder being divided into compartments 

 or stalls as it were, by bamboo screens. The houses 

 were full of women and children, but as they did 

 not seem willing for us to enter, we did not press it. 

 The men were busy, some in building a boat, others 

 in preparing chunam, and others in pounding rice. 

 They said they were Bugis, and that the name of 

 the place was Rajah Bali, or else Lombock, that the 

 names of the country and of that place were the 

 same, and that the chief of the district was a Bugis. 

 They were anxious to sell us fowls and other refresh- 

 ments, and behaved very civilly. One man asked 

 who we were and where we came from, and on our 

 telling him, he immediately pointed to his prahu, 



