cnAp. xiviil] 



IN A NATIVE PRAU. 



413 



with that of Europenii vessels, in wliich the various ropea 

 and spars, tliouuh uuicli more nuiiiurons, are placed so as 

 not to interfere with each other's action. Here the case is 

 quite different-; for tliough there are no shrouds or stays to 

 complicate the matter, yet scarcely anything can be done 

 without first clearing something else out of the way. The 

 large sails cannot he shifted round to go on the other tack 

 withont first hauling tlowji the jibs, and the booms of the 

 fore and aft sails have to be lowered and completely 

 detached to perlbrm the same operation. Then there are 

 always a lot of ropes fonl of each other, and all the sails 

 can never be set (thou^»h they are so few) without a good 

 part of tiieir surface having the wind kejit out of tbeni by 

 others. Yet praus are much liked even by those who 

 have had European vessels, because of their cheapness 

 both in hrst cost and in keeping np ; almost all rejiairs 

 can be done by the crew, and very few European stores 

 are required. 



Dec. 2Stk — This day we saw the Ihmda group, the 

 volcano first appearing, — a perfect cone, having very 

 much the outline of the Egyptian pyramids, and looking 

 almost as regular In the evening the &nioke rested over 

 its gunimit like a small stationary cloud. This was my 

 first view of an active volcano, but pictures and pano- 

 ramas have so impressed such things on one's mind, that 

 when we at length behold them they seem nothing 

 extraordinar)'. 



Dec, ZOlh. — Passed the island of Teor, and a group 

 near it, which are very incorrectly marked on the charts. 

 Flying-fish were numerous to-tiay. It is a smaller species 

 than that of the Atlantic, and more active and elegant in 

 its motions. As they skim along the surface they turn on 

 their sides, so as fully to display tlieir beautiful tins, taking 

 a tlight of atout a buntired yards, rising and falling in a 

 most graceful manner. At a little distance they exactly 

 resemble swallows, and no one wlio sees them can doubt 

 that thL^y really do fly, not merely descend in an oblique 

 direction from the height they gain by their first spring. 

 In the evening an aquatic bird, a species of booby (Sula 

 fiber,) rested on our hen-coop, and was caught by the 

 neck by one of my buys. 



