In Colour They Resemble The Tahitians, From Whom
They Do Not Widely Differ In Features.
Some of the women,
however, show a good deal of the Chinese character.
I liked
both their general expressions and the sound of their voices.
They appeared poor, and their houses were destitute of
furniture; but it was evident, from the plumpness of the little
children, that cocoa-nuts and turtle afford no bad sustenance.
On this island the wells are situated, from which ships
obtain water. At first sight it appears not a little remarkable
that the fresh water should regularly ebb and flow with the
tides; and it has even been imagined, that sand has the power
of filtering the salt from the sea-water. These ebbing wells
are common on some of the low islands in the West Indies.
The compressed sand, or porous coral rock, is permeated like
a sponge with the salt water, but the rain which falls on the
surface must sink to the level of the surrounding sea, and
must accumulate there, displacing an equal bulk of the salt
water. As the water in the lower part of the great sponge-
like coral mass rises and falls with the tides, so will the
water near the surface; and this will keep fresh, if the mass
be sufficiently compact to prevent much mechanical admixture;
but where the land consists of great loose blocks of
coral with open interstices, if a well be dug, the water, as I
have seen, is brackish.
After dinner we stayed to see a curious half superstitious
scene acted by the Malay women. A large wooden spoon
dressed in garments, and which had been carried to the grave
of a dead man, they pretend becomes inspired at the full of
the moon, and will dance and jump about. After the proper
preparations, the spoon, held by two women, became convulsed,
and danced in good time to the song of the surrounding
children and women. It was a most foolish spectacle;
but Mr. Liesk maintained that many of the Malays believed
in its spiritual movements. The dance did not commence till
the moon had risen, and it was well worth remaining to behold
her bright orb so quietly shining through the long arms
of the cocoa-nut trees as they waved in the evening breeze.
These scenes of the tropics are in themselves so delicious,
that they almost equal those dearer ones at home, to which
we are bound by each best feeling of the mind.
The next day I employed myself in examining the very
interesting, yet simple structure and origin of these islands.
The water being unusually smooth, I waded over the outer
flat of dead rock as far as the living mounds of coral, on
which the swell of the open sea breaks. In some of the
gullies and hollows there were beautiful green and other
coloured fishes, and the form and tints of many of the zoophytes
were admirable. It is excusable to grow enthusiastic over
the infinite numbers of organic beings with which the sea of
the tropics, so prodigal of life, teems; yet I must confess I
think those naturalists who have described, in well-known
words, the submarine grottoes decked with a thousand beauties,
have indulged in rather exuberant language.
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Words from 188660 to 189210
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