tile source of want, and one great incentive
to idleness and crime, is thus present with the one class, but absent
in the other; but besides this the Christians look upon themselves as
nearly the equals of the Europeans, who profess the same religion, and
as far superior to the followers of Islam, and are therefore prone to
despise work, and to endeavour to live by trade, or by cultivating their
own land. It need hardly be said that with people in this low state of
civilization religion is almost wholly ceremonial, and that neither
are the doctrines of Christianity comprehended, nor its moral precepts
obeyed. At the same time, as far as my own experience goes, I have found
the better class of "Orang Sirani" as civil, obliging, and industrious
as the Malays, and only inferior to them from their tendency to get
intoxicated.

Having written to the Assistant Resident of Saparua (who has
jurisdiction over the opposite part of the coast of Ceram) for a boat
to pursue my journey, I received one rather larger than necessary with a
crew of twenty men. I therefore bade adieu to my kind friend Captain Van
der Beck, and left on the evening after its arrival for the village of
Elpiputi, which we reached in two days. I had intended to stay here, but
not liking the appearance of the place, which seemed to have no virgin
forest near it, I determined to proceed about twelve miles further
up the bay of Amahay, to a village recently formed, and inhabited by
indigenes from the interior, and where some extensive cacao plantations
were being made by some gentlemen of Amboyna. I reached the place
(called Awaiya) the same afternoon, and with the assistance of Mr.
Peters (the manager of the plantations) and the native chief, obtained
a small house, got all my things on shore, and paid and discharged
my twenty boatmen, two of whom had almost driven me to distraction by
beating tom-toms the whole voyage.

I found the people here very nearly in a state of nature, and going
almost naked. The men wear their frizzly hair gathered into a flat
circular knot over the left temple, which has a very knowing look, and
in their ears cylinders of wood as thick as one's finger, and coloured
red at the ends. Armlets and anklets of woven grass or of silver, with
necklaces of beads or of small fruits, complete their attire. The women
wear similar ornaments, but have their hair loose. All are tall, with a
dark brown skin, and well marked Papuan physiognomy. There