Being fully exposed to the sea-breezes in three directions it is healthy, and the soft sandy heath offers great facilities for hauling up the praus, in order to secure them from sea-worms and prepare them for the homeward voyage.

At its southern extremity the sand-bank merges in the beach of the island, and is backed by a luxuriant growth of lofty forest.

The houses are of various sizes, but are all built after one pattern, being merely large thatched sheds, a small portion of which, next the entrance, is used as a dwelling, while the rest is parted oft; and often divided by one or two floors, in order better to stow away merchandise and native produce.
As we had arrived early in the season, most of the houses were empty, and the place looked desolate in the extreme--the whole of the inhabitants who received us on our landing amounting to about half-a-dozen Bugis and Chinese.

Our captain, Herr Warzbergen, had promised to obtain a house for me, but unforeseen difficulties presented themselves.

One which was to let had no roof; and the owner, who was building it on speculation, could not promise to finish it in less than a month.