ave room both for a Row of Houses that stand all
along on the Edge or Brink of it, and a very narrow Street running
along before their Doors, between the Row of Houses and the foot of
the next Precipice; the Plain of which is in a manner level to the
tops of the Houses below, and so for the rest. The common Ladder to
each Row or Street comes up at a narrow Passage left purposely about
the middle of it; and the Street being bounded with a Precipice also
at each end, 'tis but drawing up the Ladder, if they be assaulted,
and then there is no coming at them from below, but by climbing up
as against a perpendicular Wall: And that they may not be assaulted
from above, they take care to build on the side of such a Hill, whose
backside hangs over the Sea, or is some high, steep, perpendicular
Precipice, altogether inaccessible. These Precipices are natural; for
the Rocks seem too hard to work on; nor is there any sign that Art
hath been employed about them. On Bashee Island there is one such,
and built upon, with its back next the Sea. Grafton and Monmouth
Isles are very thick set with these Hills and Towns; and the Natives,
whether for fear of Pirates, or Foreign Enemies, or Factions among
their own Clans, care not for Building but in these Fastnesses; which
I take to be the Reason that Orange Isle, though the largest, and as
Fertile as any, yet being Level, and exposed, hath no Inhabitants. I
never saw the like Precipices and Towns.

These Towns are pretty Ingenious also in building Boats. Their small
Boats are much like our Deal Yalls, but not so big; and they are
built with very narrow Plank, pinn'd with wooden Pins, and some
Nails. They have also some pretty large Boats, which will carry
40 or 50 Men. These they Row with 12 or 14 Oars of a side. They
are built much like the small ones, and they Row doubled Banked;
that is, two Men setting on one Bench, but one Rowing on one side,
the other on the other side of the Boat. They understand the use of
Iron, and work it themselves. Their Bellows are like those at Mindanao.

The common Imployment for the Men is Fishing; but I did never see
them catch much: Whether it is more plenty at other times of the Year
I know not. The Women do manage their Plantations.

I did never see them kill any of their Goats or Hogs for themselves,
yet they would beg the Panches of the Goats that they themselves
did sell to us: And if any of our surly Seamen did heave them into
the Sea, they would