412 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[chap. 
sea-bottom, consisting for the most part of mussel shells. The 
floor of the room was very dirty and black ; it looked as if it 
had never been in contact with a drop of water. The interior 
of the whole house struck one as being as poor and wretched as 
that of a Chukch tent. Its inhabitants appeared scarcely to own 
more than they stood or walked in, i.e. for every jDerson a large 
piece of cloth round the waist. Small boats lay moored to the 
platform. They were nothing else than tree-stems hollowed 
out, without any separate planks at the sides, at most two to 
two and a half metres long, and capable of carrying only two 
men. We had met such a boat a little way up the river, rowed 
by two youths, and laden with palm-leaves ; it was not more 
than five to eight centimetres above the water, and appeared as 
if it would capsize with the least indiscreet movement on the 
part of the boatmen. Some dogs of middle size went about 
loose on the platform ; they were at first shy and suspicious 
of us, and growled a little, but soon allowed themselves to be 
caressed. 
“ Of the natives, the Malays, unfortunately we saw at close 
quarters only some middle-aged men. When we approached the 
long floating beams which led to the platform, the women and 
children fled precipitately out of the nearest houses, and by the 
time got to the platform, they had fortified themselves in a 
distant house, where they sat motionless and cast curious glances 
at us through a hole. The children showed their fear of us by 
loud crying, kept up the whole time. When we attempted to 
approach the fugitives, they hastened farther away. We won 
their favour with some cigarettes, which Palander distributed 
among them, and with which they were evidently delighted. 
They had a serious, reserved, perhaps rather indifferent appear¬ 
ance. A physiognomist would perhaps have had difliculty in 
saying whether their countenances expressed ferocity, determi¬ 
nation, or indifference. It appeared as if it would not be 
easy to bring forth a look of mirth or gladness on their faces. 
At the Malay villages which we visited, some Chinese had a 
sago plantation. With some Malays as workmen in their 
service, they were now employed in loading a vessel of light 
draught with sago meal, of which they appeared to have a large 
quantity in store. Another vessel had just taken on board its 
cargo and was starting. The Chinese here made the same favour¬ 
able impression on me as their countrymen, whom I had seen 
before in Japan and Hong Kong, and whom I was afterwards to 
see at Singapore—the impression of an exceedingly industrious, 
thriving, contented, and cleanly race.” 
