VISIT SEE W A I. 245 



before ; but there was evidently something the 

 matter ashore which we could not understand. 



I accompanied Captain Blackwood in the first 

 gig to Keriam, outside which much new fencing 

 had been raised. Several men ran down to receive 

 us, of whom the principal were two called Burrooma 

 and Keouck, who waded off to us and got into 

 the boat. 



Mammoos was not visible ; and as we wished 

 first to apply to old Seewai, as the best natured and 

 most honest of the islanders, we inquired for him. 

 They said he w r as round on the other side of the 

 island, at his own place of Moggor. Arrived there, 

 he was not to be found at first, but we were 

 received with the usual shouts of welcome by the 

 rest, especially by the children ; and on walking 

 into his plantation, we met him returning from the 

 hill with a load of fire-wood on his shoulders. He 

 was delighted to see us, embraced us most affection- 

 ately, and immediately assented to our invitation to 

 go on board the " ow shippo," and spend the evening. 

 They seemed all very busy making new fences 

 and building new huts. We saw the commence- 

 ment of one of the latter. Eight or ten stout 

 posts about five feet high, were driven into the 

 ground at equal distances, forming a circle of fifteen 

 feet diameter. Round these, at equal heights, were 

 fastened three hoops of bamboo, both inside and 

 outside the posts, but a space in the lower hoops was 

 left between two of the posts, where the low door 



