long the eastern side
of the great Ki, which is well wooded to the summit of the hills, and
cleared away for cultivation in many places. There is no anchorage off
this side of the island, which is so steep to, that on one occasion we
could get no bottom with ninety fathoms, two ships' lengths from the
beach.

At daylight on the 5th we entered the strait between the greater and
lesser Ki, the shores on both sides of which are lined with small patches
of cultivation. During the day we observed several small detached reefs,
and at sunset anchored on a reef, extending from the north end of the
lesser Ki, in thirteen fathoms.

KI DOULAN.

April 6.

After breakfast, I started with some of the officers to visit Ki Doulan,
the principal village in the lesser Ki, and sent another boat to sound
towards a small island to the westward. After leaving the brig we passed
a luxuriant grove of coconut trees, extending along the beach, under the
shade of which we saw several villages, where the natives were busily
employed building boats.

A pull of three miles brought us to the town of Ki Doulan, situated near
the beach, and surrounded by a stone wall, which had every appearance of
antiquity. On the sea side, where the wall was in its best state of
preservation, there were three gates leading towards the beach, but
accessible only by means of ladders four or five feet high, which could
easily be removed in case of attack. The stones forming the sides of the
central gateway were ornamented by rude bas-reliefs, representing figures
on horseback; and the gate itself, formed of hard wood, and strong enough
to keep out any party not provided with artillery, was richly carved.

NATIVES OF KI DOULAN.

Within the walls there was a considerable space in which the houses were
built without any regularity, resembling those at Oliliet, with the
exception of the carved horns at the gable. We visited the chief's, and
found it tolerably clean: it consisted of one storey only; the
high-pitched roof being used as a storeroom, to the rafters of which all
sorts of miscellaneous articles were suspended. The chief himself, who
was an old man, dressed in the black serge denoting his rank, was very
civil, and offered us arrack and cocoa nuts. The natives of this group
differ considerably from those of Arru, and more resemble those of Timor
Laut, but are not so much inclined to treachery. The population is said
to amount to 8 or 10,000.

Christianit