XX 
THE SETTLEMENT 
487 
the shore of the lagoon. The whole place had rather a 
desolate aspect, for there were no gardens to show the signs of 
care and cultivation. The natives belong to different islands 
in the East Indian archipelago, but all speak the same 
language ; we saw the inhabitants of Borneo, Celebes, Java, 
and Sumatra. In colour they resemble the Tahitians, from 
whom they do not widely differ in features. Some of the 
women, however, show a good deal of the Chinese character. 
I liked both their general expressions and the sound of their 
voices. They appeared poor, and their houses were destitute 
of furniture ; but it was evident, from the plumpness of the 
little children, that cocoa-nuts and turtle afford no bad sus¬ 
tenance. 
On this island the wells are situated from which ships 
obtain water. At first sight it appears not a little remarkable 
that the fresh water should regularly ebb and flow with the 
tides ; and it has even been imagined that sand has the power 
of filtering the salt from the sea-water. These ebbing wells 
are common on some of the low islands in the West Indies. 
The compressed sand, or porous coral rock, is permeated like 
a sponge with the salt water ; but the rain which falls on the 
surface must sink to the level of the surrounding sea, and must 
accumulate there, displacing an equal bulk of the salt water. 
As the water in the lower part of the great sponge-like coral 
mass rises and falls with the tides, so will the water near the 
surface ; and this will keep fresh, if the mass be sufficiently 
compact to prevent much mechanical admixture ; but where 
the land consists of great loose blocks of coral with open 
interstices, if a well be dug, the water, as I have seen, is 
brackish. 
After dinner we stayed to see a curious half-superstitious 
scene acted by the Malay women. A large wooden spoon 
dressed in garments, and which had been carried to the grave 
of a dead man, they pretend becomes inspired at the full of 
the moon, and will dance and jump about. After the proper 
preparations, the spoon, held by two women, became convulsed, 
and danced in good time to the song of the surrounding 
children and women. It was a most foolish spectacle ; but 
Mr. Liesk maintained that many of the Malays believed in its 
spiritual movements. The dance did not commence till the 
