340 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
around a small sand-bank, the houses standing on piles 
half in the water, and quite concealing the land, so as to 
give the place a most singular appearance from a distance. 
Its eastern portion is under a native raja, and the 
western in Dutch hands, separated from the other by a 
strong stone wall, which also surrounds the island. 
About 30 miles farther on we come to the Goram 
group, consisting of the two islands of Goram and 
Manowolko, and the smaller island of Suruaki. These 
are governed by a native raja, and the inhabitants are 
generally known as Goram men. They are Moham¬ 
medans of Malay type, with a slight infusion of Papuan 
blood, who speak a peculiar language, and are probably 
derived from a mixture of Bugis with Moluccan Malays. 
They are a race of traders and ships’ pilots, making 
voyages every year to the Ke and Aru islands, and to 
New Guinea, selling their produce to Bugis traders, who 
take it to Makassar or Singapore. Although a Dutch 
postholder is resident here, money is unknown to them, 
and the chief barter is cotton twist. These islands 
consist of raised coral reefs, with cliffs and terraces 
rising two or three hundred feet high. In Manowolko 
there are no streams, but there are some in Goram, 
which probably has a substratum of harder rock. Goram 
is surrounded by an encircling reef, entirely under water 
except at the lowest ebb tide, but affording excellent 
anchorage and smooth water within. 
Twenty miles farther to the south-east are the small 
Matabello islands, of coral rock raised to a considerable 
height, and with a closely encircling reef leaving a narrow 
but secure passage for native boats within it. The rugged 
hills of these islands are covered with coco-nut trees, and 
the natives get their living by making coco-nut oil, which 
they sell to the Bugis traders. The only water here is 
