Page:Kaempfer History of Japan 1727 vol 1 (IA historyofjapangi01kaem).pdf/76

They live ſeparate from each other in poor ſmall Cottages, conſiſting only of one ſingle Room, with a ſmall Window and a Door to come in. Theſe Huts are not above five or ſix Paces long, and two or three broad. All the Furniture within, conſiſts in a Bench round the room, to ſit, or lye upon; without, there are ſome few Pinang Trees: For although the Iſland conſiſts of ſcarce any thing but rocky Precipices, yet they chooſe for their Habitations ſuch Places, where they can have a little flat ground round their Cottages, on purpoſe to plant ſome Pinang and other Trees. The Inhabitants are lively enough, and not ill ſhaped. They are ſomewhat blacker than the Javans, as they live alſo nearer the Æquinoctial Line, ſome of them ſeem’d to me to be of a very unhealthy Complexion. They pluck out the Hairs of their Beards, as do alſo the Inhabitants of Malacca and Sumatra, which makes them both look like ugly old Women. They are all Mahomethans, this Religion having ſpread almoſt all over the Eaſt. Their Habit conſiſts in a Piece of coarſe Cloath, madc of the Bark of a Tree, which they wear about the Waſte. They wear a piece of the ſame Cloath, twiſted in form of a Garland, about their Heads; ſome wear Hats of Gabbe Gabbe Leaves. Gabbe Gabbe is a common Tree all over the Eaſt-Indies, and not unlike the Palm Tree. The Indians make their Saga of it, which they eat inſtead of Bread. The Inhabitants came on board our Ship in ſmall Boats juſt big enough to hold each a Man, and withall ſo light, that one Man can eaſily hawl them on Shore. The Man ſits in the middle his Goods laid behind him: The Oars are above a Man’s Length, and ſo ſhap’d that the Man holding them in the middle rows with both ends on either ſide of the Boat. They have alſo larger Boats, which will hold conveniently four People, and with theſe they venture as far as the Coaſts of Malacca. They brought us exceeding large Mango's, bigger than ever I ſaw them; Piſangs (Indian Figs) likewiſe of an uncommon Size, about a Span and a half in Length and a Span in their angular Circumference, very large Suurſacks, Pine Apples, ſmall Lemons, Fowl, and a very particular ſort of Rams, of a rediſh colour, with long Hairs and a large Tusk on each Side. They brought nothing of their Manufactures on board but Bags of Piſang neatly enough twiſted, and ſmall Mats of the ſame Subſtance, as alſo of Gabbe Gabbe Leaves, likewiſe very artfully wrought. They would take no Money for their Commodities, but Linnen, Shirts, Rice, Iron, and other Bawbles were very acceptable to them. They ſeem to have no Knowledge at all in Moncy, for having ſhew’d them ſome Pieces, they would ask for a ſmall Mat ten times its Value. On the contrary, for a ſmall Piece of courſe Linnen, perhaps not worth three Farthings, they would readily exchange Victuals to the Value of two or three Shillings. The whole Iſland, as I have already obſerv’d is ſcarce any thing elſe but a heap of Stones, Rocks, and ſteep high Mountains, and yet, what appear’d to me remarkable, their barren Tops, where per-

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