1780. in one o f the huts an elderly man, w ho was in a great
Jan“ary' ■ fright, and preparing to make o ff with the moil valuable
o f his effe&s that he could carry. However, I was fortunate
enough, in a very little time, fo intirely to difpel his
fears, that he came out, and called to the two men who
were running away to return. T h e old man and I now
foon came to a p erfeft underftanding. A few figns, particula
rly that moil fignificant one o f holding out a handfu l
o f dollars, and then pointing to a herd o f buffaloes, and
the fowls that were running about the huts in great num.-
bers, left him without any doubts as to the real objects o f
our viiit. He pointed toward a place where the town flood,
and made us comprehend, that by go in g thither, all
our wants would be fupplied. By this time the young
men, who had fled, were returned, and the old man ordered
one o f them to conduit us to the town, as foon as an
ohftacle ihould be removed, o f w hich we were not aware.
On our firft coming out o f th e wood, a herd o f buffaloes.,
to the number o f twenty at leail, came running toward us,
toffing up their heads, fnufling the air, and roaring in a
hideous manner. T h e y had followed us to the huts, and
flood drawn up in a body, at a little diitance ; and the old
man made us underltand, that it would be exceedingly dangerous
for us to move, till they were driven into the woods,;
but fo enraged were the animals grown at the fight o f us,
that this was not effected without a good deal o f time and
difficulty. T he men, not being able to accomplifli it, we
were furprized to fee them call to. their affiftance a few little
boys, who foon drove them out o f fight. Afterward, w e
had occafion to obferve, that in driving thefe anirpals, and
fecuring them, which is done by putting a rope through a
hole which is made in their nofinis, little boys were a lways
employed»
employed, who could ftroke and handle them with impu- 1780.
nity, at times when the men durft not approach them. . Jan“arr-_(.
fla y in g got rid o f the buffaloes, we were condlifted to the
town, which was at a mile’s diitan ce ; the road to it ly in g
through a deep white fand. It is fituated near the fea-fidev
at the bottom o f a retired bay, which muft afford a fafe
road-ftead during the prevalence o f the South Weil mon-
foons.
This town confiffs o f between twenty and. thirty houfes,
built clofe together ; befides fix or feven others that are icat-
tered about the beach. T he roof, th e 'tw o ends, and the
fide fronting the country, are neatly conftrufted o f reeds;
the oppofite fide, facin g the fea, is intirely o p en ; but, b y
means o f a fort o f bamboo fereens, they can exclude or let
m as much o f the fun and air as they pleafe. We obferved,
like wife, other large fereens or partitions, for the purpofe
o f dividing, as occafion required, the iingle room o f which
the houfe, properly fpeaking, confifts, into feparate apartments.
We were conducted to the largeffi houfe in the town, belong
ing to their Chief, or, as they called h im, their Captain.
This houfe had a room at each end', feparared by a p a r ti- ,
tion o f reeds from the middle fpace, which was open oa,
both fides, and provided with partition fereens lik e the
others. It had, befides, a penthoufe, projecting four or five
feet beyond the roof, and running the'whole len g th on each
fide. At each end o f the middle room were h u n g fome
Chinefe paintings, reprefenting men and women in ludicrous
attitudes. In this apartment we were c iv illy deiired.
to feat ourfelves on mats, and betel was prefented to us.
2