They Visit the Town of Samodang. 231 
during our flay, though the whole, together, was net equal 
to the quantity that we bought the day after our arrival. 
On the nth, Mr. Banks having'iearnt from the fervant 
whom he had hired at Batavia, that the Indians of this iiland 
had a town upon the fhore, at fome diftance to the weftward, 
he determined to fee it : with this view he fet out in the 
morning, accompanied by the fecond lieutenant, and as he 
had fome reafon to think that his vifit would not be agreeable 
to the inhabitants, he told the people whom he met, as he 
was advancing along the fhore, that he was in fearch of 
plants, which indeed was alfo true. In about two hours 
they arrived at a place where there were four or five houfes, 
and meeting with an old man, they ventured to make feme 
enquiries Concerning the town. He faid that it was far dif- 
tant ; but they were not to be difeouraged in their enterprife, 
and he, feeing them proceed in their journey, joined company 
and went on with them. He attempted feveral times*to lead 
them out the way, but without fuccefs ; and at length they 
came within fight of the houfes. The old man then entered 
cordially into their party, and conduced them into the town. 
The name of it is Samodang, it confiils of about four hundred 
houfes, and is divided by a river of brackifh water iftto two 
parts, one of which is called the old town, and the other the 
new. As foon as they entered the old town, they met feve- 
ral Indians whom they had feen at -the trading-place, arid 
one of them undertook to Carry them over to the new town, 
at the rate of two pence a head. When the bargain was 
made, tw'O very fmall canoes were produced, in which they 
embarked; the canoes being placed along fide of each other, 
and held together, a precaution which was abfolutely necef- 
fary to prevent their overfetting, the navigation was at length 
fafely performed, though not without fome difficulty ; and 
when they landed in the new town, the people received them 
with great friendfhip, and fliowed them the houfes of their 
Kings and principal people, which are in this diflrift : few 
of them however were open, for at this time the people had 
taken up their refidence in the rice-grounds, to defend the 
crop againfl the birds and monkies, by which it would other- 
wife have been deltroyed. When their curiofity was fatisfied, 
they hired a large failing boat for two roupees, four Ihiilings, 
which brought them back to the fhip time enough to dine 
upon one of the fmall deer, weighing only forty pounds, 
which had been bought the day before, and proved to be very 
good and favory meat. 
We went on fhore in the evening, to fee how the people 
- who were employed in wooding and watering went on, and 
were informed that an ax had been ftolen. As the pafiing 
over this fault might encourage the commifiion of others of the 
U 2 fame 
