NAVIGATION AND TRADE, 
103 
industrious of the brown tribes of the Arcbipelago, 
The mechanical skill of the latter people ia particularly 
displayed in the constmction of small vessels — -indeed 
every village on the coasts of the Ki Islands has the 
appearance of a large boat-bailder^s yard. The foreign 
traders generally call there on their way to the Arrus^ for 
the purpose of purchasing one or more prahus, to be 
employed in visiting the more remote fishing villages ; 
and as these are geuerally sold or given away to the 
islanders on the departure of the traders, they have in a 
great measure superseded the vessels of the natives in the 
western Arrus, if they ever had any of a large size. Tlie 
Ki prahus are graceful-looking vessels, from seventy to a 
hundred feet long, and ten or twelve feet broad, very low 
sided, and having platforms erected over them^ on which 
the crew cook and sleep. 
One of the most striking pecnliai-ities in connection 
with the customs of the Arruans, consists in the high 
value they place upon elephants* tusks, brass gongs, and 
large porcelain dishes^ which ai*e in such demand, that 
they generally form part of the cargoes brought by the 
foreign traders. The writer has a lively recollection of 
the inercduloua surprise with which he listened to the 
statements of the Bughis traders he met* with in Java 
and Singapore during his earlier visits to the Archi- 
pelago, who informed him that the islanders hoarded up 
these valuables, without making any Ostensible use of 
them, and gave prices which enabled the Bughis tradera 
to buy up these articles on any terms, in fact to command 
the market. Siam and Cochin-China were then the chief 
Bonrces of the supply of ivory, but latterly African tusks 
