32 
DHALAC. 
by an island called Nokhara, and the main land of Dhalac. Here 
is a very excellent but small landing place. 
The pilot and native went on to announce our arrival, while 
we reclined in the shade of a rock, and caused our people to collect 
some oysters, that grew in large clusters, suspended from the 
roof of the caverns, formed by the beating of the sea. At length 
more natives arrived, who begged us to advance to the village. 
We were met by a tall native, almost naked, with a cast of the 
wool in his hair, who, my pilot said, was the Dola, and to whom 
the present was to be given. He accompanied us till I was met 
by another man, in the Arab dress, with a cap ; his beard white 
as snow, and he had a more respectable appearance than the. 
former. I immediately conceived this to be the Dola, but the old 
pilot would not admit it. We were conducted into a house, built 
like all the others in the place, of madrapore, drawn from the sea, 
squared, and raised about twelve feet from the ground. It was 
thatched with a species of grass, and had one door, but no window. 
The bare earth formed the floor, and there was no furniture ex- 
cept five beds, made of wood, with cords drawn across, and raised 
about three feet from the ground. These were covered with mat- 
ting made of the leaves of the doom-tree.* I seated myself on one, 
Mr. Salt on another, the rest were occupied by natives and my 
lascars, who were sitting together in amicable equality. 
No one was armed even with a knife. I again urged that I 
thought the man in the Arab dress ought to have the present, but 
was over-ruled. The native therefore received a piece of blue Surat 
* A species of palm tree. 
