182 VILLAGE OF MOGGOR. 



poles with long streamers of leaves attached to 

 them, hut what was their object we never could 

 discover. I am inclined to believe they are mere 

 boundary marks between the different fishing- 

 grounds of each village or small group of huts. We 

 landed about the centre of the south side of the 

 island, at a place called Moggdr, where was a very 

 pleasant spot that we afterwards found belonged to 

 our friend Seewai. Two or three good huts were 

 enclosed by a large and lofty fence of bamboo poles 

 very firmly fastened together ; behind which, in a lit- 

 tle valley, was by far the best garden in the island, 

 watered by a little running stream that formed a 

 small pool behind the beach. The soil was very 

 rich, deep and black, and the plantain- trees 

 very luxuriant. Very fine groves of cocoa-nuts 

 stretched along the shore, abundance of the ripe 

 nuts lying on the ground apparently disregarded. 

 Most of the people were absent, being attracted to 

 Keriam by the presence of the ship. Two old 

 women, an old man, and some children, however, 

 were in a neighbouring hut, who received us very 

 civilly. There was abundance of good water* here to 

 water our ships with, but it was in an inconvenient 

 situation, as the casks would have to be rolled some 

 distance over the sand-flats and reef, and then taken 

 three miles to the anchorage. 



As we were going off to our boat again, a young 



* This water seemed to be permanent, as it was in the same 

 state when we were here again at the latter end of May. 



