COSTUME OF THE PEOPLE. 873 



while the others squatted down on the floor to be 

 within call if wanted. I certainly was not prepared 

 to meet, among the natives of such an out-of-the- 

 way corner of the world, with manners, evidently 

 habitual, so completely in accordance with what we 

 should consider the usages of good society, and 

 regretted my ignorance of the Malay language pre- 

 vented my entering into conversation with these 

 native gentlemen. 



In walking about the environs we saw many of 

 the inhabitants coming in with baskets of fruit, ve- 

 getables, eggs, and poultry. They generally carried 

 two baskets slung over the shoulder on a flat yoke 

 of bamboo, which resembled in form an unstrung 

 bow. The men were scantily dressed, either in a 

 tight wrapper round the loins, or at most with the 

 sarong or petticoat from the w T aist to the knees, but 

 nearly all carried a kriss stuck into the back of the 

 dress. The women were all decently clothed from 

 the neck to the ancles in a loose gown and petticoat. 

 Many of the men were athletic, with stout limbs, 

 but generally under the middle size. The women 

 were by no means handsome, their faces being 

 greatly disfigured by the use of the seri or beetel, 

 and their mouths were smeared all round with a dirty 

 red colour. 



Their houses were made chiefly of bamboo, 

 thatched with palm-leaves, and consisted of one or 

 two apartments, the floors being not commonly 

 raised above the ground : each was surrounded 



