172 TRAVELS IN TEE EAST INDIAN AECmPELAGO. 



boina and tlie populous islands of Haniku, Saparoaj 

 and Nusalaut, to the east. Occasionally the patli 

 pasaed over a projecting pointy but when it is low 

 water the natives usually prefer to follow along the 

 shore, just as their fathers did for centuries before 

 them, although it is frequently twice as far as by the 

 road. In an hour and a half we came to Suli, a 

 pretty Christian kampong. The road then turned 

 to the north and led us for two or three miles over 

 low hills of coral rock, covered with a thin layer of 

 red soil, to Tulahu, a village on the north coast, 

 which contains a population of about fifteen hun* 

 dred, and is the largest on the island. Near its 

 centre is a mosque, for the whole community is com- 

 posed of Mohammedans. As I passed up the main 

 street on ray way to the house of the rajah, scores of 

 boys and men kept gathering and following, to leara 

 from my servants who this strange foreigner that 

 headed the procession could be, and what was the 

 object of his coming. The rajah had been notified 

 by the Resident of my proposed visit, and received 

 me with a profound " salaam," In the village was a 

 negrij or "house belonging to the village." 

 It had been erected by tbe villagers, in accordance 

 with orders from the Dutch G-overnment, for the 

 accommodation of all ofiicials and foreigners passing 

 that way. It was built in the usual style of foreign 

 houses in the East, with a broad veranda in front, 

 an admirable place to trade with the people. A 

 comfortable bedroom was fitted up for me, but I 

 dined with the rajah, I was always careful to 

 take a good 8U}>ply of tea and sugar on such excur- 



