ADVANTAGES OF COURTESY. 205 



pleased by our visit, and especially so by treating 

 them as equals, and addressing them in terms of 

 courtesy and politeness.* We also took the ladies 

 aboard a prahu, which was lying by the beach. We 

 were struck with the exact resemblance of its upper 

 part to their shore habitations. It was, in fact, just 

 like one of their houses, only lower in its propor- 

 tions, and standing on shorter posts, built on a boat 

 instead of on the ground. A ledge of bamboo out- 

 side this, and projecting over the gunwale of the 

 boat, formed the place for the rowers, and a trian- 

 gular mast forward served for their sail. The boat 

 was strong and well-shaped. This prahu came from 

 Banda. 



We found there were three villages hereabouts : 

 one called Pejar, at the head of the creek, which 

 was nearly dry at low water ; the one we were at, 

 called Tanjong Luar, or " Outer Point ;" and 

 another on the other side of the creek and a little 

 farther up the bay, the name of which I forget, but 

 I think it was Pabahar. The ground around Tan- 

 jong Luar was dry, brown, and barren-looking : it 

 seemed to consist entirely of volcanic sand and 

 ashes, with pieces of pumice. All these were said 



* Nothing more speedily wins the heart of the people of 

 Malay race, than urbane and courteous treatment, and nothing 

 is more contrary to their own customs and conduct, and more 

 offensive to their feelings, than the brusqueness, or even abuse, 

 with which they are too often treated by Europeans. " Suaviter 

 in modo, fortiter in re," is the very maxim to adopt with them. 



