CHAP, xxni.] 



ARRIFAl. 



325 



Kttle cotton grown, from which the women weave sarongs 

 (Malay petticoats). There is only one well of good water 

 on the islands, situated close to the landing-place, to 

 which all the inhabitants come for drinking water. Tlie 

 men are good boat-builders, and they make a regular trade 

 of it and seem to be very well off. 



After five days at Kaioa we continued our journey, and 

 soon got among the narrow straits and islands which lead 

 down to the town of Batcbian. In the evening we stayed 

 at a settlement of GaUla men. These are natives of a 

 district in the extreme north of Gilolo, and are gi'eat 

 wanderers over this part of the Arcliipclago. They build 

 large and roomy praus mth outrij^erSj and settle on any 

 coast or island they take a fancy for. They bimfc deer and 

 wihl pig, diy^iiig the meat; they catch turtle and tripang; 

 tl ley cut down the forest and plant rice or maize, and are 

 altogether remarkably energetic and industrious. Tliey 

 are very fine people, of light complexion, tall, and with 

 Papuan features, coming nearer to the drawings and 

 descriptions of the true Polynesians of Tahiti and Owyhee 

 tlian any I have seen. 



During this voyage I had several times had an oppor- 

 tunity of seeing 'my men get fire by friction. A shari> 

 edged piece of bamboo is rubbed across the convex surface 

 of anotlier piece, on which a small notch is first cnt. The 

 nibhing is slow at first and gradually quicker, till it 

 becomes veiy rapid, and the fine powder rub)>ed off ignites 

 and falls through the hole which the rubbing has cut in 

 the Itamboo. This is done with great quickness and cer- 

 tainty. The Temate people use bamboo in another way. 

 They strike it^ ilinty surface with a bit of broken china, 

 and produce a spark, which they catch in some kind of 

 tinder. 



On the evening of October 2l8t we reached our destina- 

 tion, having been twelve days on the voyage. It had been 

 fine weather all the time, and, although veiy hot, I bad 

 enjoyed myself exceedingly, and bad besides obtained 

 some experience in boat work among islands and coral 

 reefs, which enabled me afterwards to undertake much 

 longer voyages of the same kind. The village or town of 

 Batchian is situated at the head of a wide and deep bay, 



