CHAP. Jtrxi.J 



SUQJR.CAXE EATERS, 



459 



and sometimes feed tlieir pigs with it. Near every house arti 

 great heaps of the refuse caoe ; and large "wicker-baskets to 

 contain this refuse as it is produced form a regular part of 

 the furniture of a house. Wliatever time of the day you 

 enter, you are sure to tind tliree or four people with a yard 

 of cane in one hand, a knife in the other, and a basket 

 hetween their legs, backing, pai'ing, chewing, and biisket- 

 filhng, with a persevering assiduity which reminds one of 

 a hungry cow grazing, or of a caterpillar eating up a leaf. 



After five days' absence the boats returned from Dobbe^ 

 bringing AM and all the things I had sent for quite safe. 

 A large party had assembled to be ready to cany home the 

 goods brought, among which were a good many cocoa-nuts, 

 which ai^ a great luxury here. It seems strange that they 

 should never plant them ; but the reason simply is, that 

 they cannot bring their hearts to burj' a good nut for 

 the prospective advantage of a crop twelve years hence. 

 Tliere is also the chance of the fruits being dug up and 

 eaten unless watched night and day. Among the things I 

 had sent for was a box of arraek, and I was now of course 

 besieged with requests for a little drop. I gave them a 

 fiask (about two bottles), which was very soon finished, 

 and 1 was assured that there were many present who liad 

 not ijad a taste. As I feared niy box would very soon be 

 emptied if I supplied all their demands, I told them I had 

 given them one, hut the second they must pay for, and 

 that afterwards 1 must have a Paradise bird for each tiask. 

 They immediately sent round to all the neighbouring 

 houses, and mustered up a rupee in Dutch copper money, 

 got their second flask, and drunk it as quickly as the first, 

 and were then very talkative, but less noisy and impor- 

 tunate than I had expected Two or three of them got 

 round me and begged me for the twentieth time to tell 

 them the name of my country. Tlien, as they could not 

 pronounce it satisfactorily, they insisted that I was de- 

 ceiving them, and that it was a name of my own invention- 

 One funny old man, who bore a ludicrous resemblance to 

 a friend of mine at home, was almost indignant "Ung- 

 lung ! " said he, " wlio ever heard of such a name ? — ang- 

 lang — anger-lang — -that can't be the name of your country; 

 you are playing with us." Then he tried to give a ooi*- 



