BABIES. 
183 
who, like those with white skins, derive amuse- 
ment from small dolls, stuffed with rice grains 
instead of sawdust. The packets of sugar I be- 
stowed were inviolately kept for them, and given 
little little, though evidently very tempting 
to the mothers themselves. The baby arms and 
legs are almost covered with circlets of shell, bone, 
and brass, with which the mother plays, rattling 
them up and- down as she dandles the child ; and 
almost all the beads and buttons they get hold of 
£0 to adorn the little necks. I do wish that the 
need of wanner coverings had suggested itself to 
their minds. 'I have often seen the infants shrink- 
ing from the evening wind, and am assured that 
they really suffered discomfort from the cold. 
We are now drawing close to Amboina, hav- 
ing returned by the exact route by which we 
went. We were rather disappointed that we did 
not have the opportunity to go by the other, with 
which we are unfamiliar — Le., coasting the west 
of Timor-laut, touching at Sera, Babbar, Wetter, 
and thence returning to Banda and Amboina ; 
but it really mattered little, as we were unable 
from weakness to go much on shore. We picked 
up wonderfully towards the end of the fortnight 
on shipboard, enjoying ease of mind, and an at- 
mosphere free from malaria. 
