CBA^. XXV ] WE ly HABIT ANTS, 365 



no other kind of rock, and no sti'cam of water A few 

 cracks and chasms furnish paths to the top of these 

 cliffs, where there is an optju nnduJatiug comitrj, in wliich 

 the chief vegetable gronnds of tlie inhabitants are situated. 



The people here — at least the chief men — ^were of a 

 much purer Malay race than the Mahometans of tlie 

 mainland of Ceram, which is perhaps due to there ha%'iug 

 heen no indigenes on these small islands when the first 

 settles ai-rived. In Ceram, the Alfuros of Papuan race 

 are the predominant tyjie, the Malay physiognomy beuig 

 seldom well marked ; whereas here the reverse is the 

 case, and a slight infusion of Papuan on a mixture of 

 Malay and Bugis has produced a very good-looking eet 

 nf people. The lower class of the population consists 

 almost entirely of the indigenes of the adjacent islands. 

 Tliey are a fine race, with strongly- marked Papuan fea- 

 tures, frizzly hair, and brow^n complexions. The Goram 

 language is spoken also at the east end of Ceram, anti in 

 liie adjacent islands. It has a general resemblance to 

 the languages of Ceram, but possesses a peculiar clement 

 which I have not met witli in other huiguiiges of the 

 Archipelago. 



After great delay, considering the importance of every 

 <lay at tliis time of year, a miserable boat and live men 

 were found, and wiili some dilhculty 1 stowed away in it 

 such baggage as it was absolutely necessary for me to take, 

 leaving scarcely sitting or sleeping room. The sailing qua- 

 lities of the boat were highly vaunted, and 1 was assured 

 that at this season a small one was much more likely to 

 succeed in making the journey. We first coasted alonj:^ 

 the island, reachiug its eastern extremity the following 

 uiomiug (April lltii), and found a strong \V,S.W. wind 

 blowing, which just allowed us to lay across to the Mata- 

 Vtello Islands, a distance Httle short of twenty miles. I did 

 not much like the look of the heaw sky and i-ather rough 

 sea, and my men were very uiniolling to make the attempt ; 

 but as we could scarcely hope; for a better chance, I insisted 

 upon trying. The pitching and jerking of our little boat 

 soon reduced me to a stat^. of miserable helplessness, and 

 I lay down, resigned to whatever might happem After 

 three or four hours, I was told we were nearly over; but 



