KEPOBT ON THE ISLAND OF BANKA. 
329 
point and a spear like instrument for searching crabs in the sand, 
some empty cocoanut shells with ore and paddles in proportion to 
the size of the vessels are always found ; besides these I noticed in 
all the vessels I visited a drum and a comb of Uncommon size ; 
most prows carry a favourite cat. A number of long wooden lances, 
as their common weapon of defence, are always placed in conspicu¬ 
ous parts. These they wield with much dexterity. The larger 
prows (especially those intended for warlike purposes) are provid¬ 
ed with rantakkas, firelocks, spears and Malay cutlasses. 
Each prow carries a large sail. The day is spent in small excur¬ 
sions on the ocean, at night the vessels are anchored near the shore 
or fixed to a pole; smaller vessels are generally drawn upon the 
beach. When opportunities allow they seek the shelter of small 
bays or the outlets of rivers. The food of the Rayads is principal- 
# 
ly derived from the ocean, and affords an additional reason for the 
propriety of their name. They often subsist for many days succes¬ 
sively on fish, crabs, oysters or muscles, which they consume indis¬ 
criminately, hut they are extraordinarily fond of vegetable food, and 
whenever they have an opportunity ot indulging their appetites in 
eating rice their voracity is excessive and all of them devour double 
the quantity that will suffice another Malay. The constant diet of 
fish gives their stomach an uncommon capacity, and the gentle sti¬ 
mulus of vegetable food is very gratifying to them. The places they 
occupy or have lately visited are easily known by the remnants of 
fish, by piles of shells, 8cc,, and are also indicated at a great distance 
by a nauseous odour. Cleanliness is by no means one of their qua¬ 
lities. Those I observed were rarely exempt from irruptions of the 
skin, and several complained of diseases of the bowels. 
All their occupations have relation to the element on which they 
live: they spend their time chiefly in fishing or in preparing fishing 
tackle of various kinds. The preparation and arrangement of the 
leaves of a species of Pandanus for sails is the business of the females. 
Those which have attached themselves to a particular spot have.ac¬ 
quired some degree of industry *, part of the produce of their enter- 
prize is dried and exchanged for rice and necessaries. In the bay 
