or pressed great
bargains upon us in the shape of fresh fruit, Brummagem stones,
curiously ornamented boxes of shells, and toy carvings in ivory and
ebony, the latter mostly representing elephants and Chinese idols.
Altogether there was a perfect babel of tongues adding to the
confusion incident upon the landing of passengers and baggage. There
was much handshaking, while many hasty but hearty farewells were
spoken, for it must be remembered that the good ship, after leaving a
few of the cabin passengers safely on shore and taking on board a
supply of coals, would continue her voyage toward far-away England.

The queerly constructed boats to which we have referred consist of a
rudely dug-out tree trunk, fifteen or twenty feet long, having planks
of wood fastened to the sides lengthwise, to form gunwales and afford
some protection from the water. No nails are used in their
construction, the woodwork being securely lashed--we might say
sewed--together with Ceylon cordage, made from the fibrous bark of the
palm. An outrigger, consisting of a solid log of wood, is fastened
alongside six or eight feet away, by means of two arched poles of
stout, well-seasoned bamboo. The outrigger, which is about half the
length of the boat, prevents the possibility of overturning it, but
without this attachment so narrow a craft--less than twenty-four
inches in width--would not remain in an upright position, if occupied,
even in a perfectly calm sea. The outrigger is always kept to
windward, and as these canoes have both ends constructed alike, they
sail equally well either way. The mast and single sail, being
portable, are easily shifted from one end to the other, or adjusted to
suit. The similarity of these rude boats to those one sees throughout
the Eastern Archipelago shows us whence the idea was probably
borrowed. Some of the larger canoes are over forty feet in length, but
none are wide enough for two persons to sit abreast in them.

In these apparently frail floats the natives go fearlessly twenty
miles to sea in almost any weather short of a gale, to catch
deep-water fish, and it is a very rare occurrence to hear of any
serious mishap befalling a catamaran, or its hardy navigators. A
European, upon finding himself in one of these "floating scarecrows,"
according to the remark of a fellow passenger after reaching the
shore, "feels as if he were recklessly tempting Providence; and though
he may not be drowned, still he deserves to