Our captain was daily superintending the completion of his two small praus.

All day long native boats were coming with fish, cocoa-nuts, parrots and lories, earthen pans, sirip leaf, wooden bowls, and trays, &c.

&e., which every one of the fifty inhabitants of our prau seemed to be buying on his own account, till all available and most unavailable space of our vessel was occupied with these miscellaneous articles: for every man on board a prau considers himself at liberty to trade, and to carry with him whatever he can afford to buy.
Money is unknown and valueless here--knives, cloth, and arrack forming the only medium of exchange, with tobacco for small coin.

Every transaction is the subject of a special bargain, and the cause of much talking.

It is absolutely necessary to offer very little, as the natives are never satisfied till you add a little more.