are of wood, and oil is frequently applied to the bottom. There are a few built entirely of wood and very little iron, being generally tree-nailed on to the timbers. The sails are of matting, neatly woven, and generally well cut in a seamanlike manner. The cables are of cocoa-nut fibres, and the anchors of a species of very heavy wood. Chunam is used on the vessels, having wooden bottoms; and the upper works are blacked with a substance resembling lacquer. The largest class may carry forty or fifty tons. Trees of a large growth are very scarce, being cut away to the tops of the highest hills; they are therefore obliged to resort further inland for ship-timber; a few planks of forty feet in length and about four inches in thickness, of a very hard wood, were seen in the ship-yards, sawed out quite roughly. Temples or houses for religious worship and priests, there are none; they are said to be prone to superstitious rites--this assertion has been fully confirmed in many instances. In passing along between the village of Vunglam and the beach, I saw a shed erected, having within it some characters written on a board resembling the Chinese, but being blended so much together, they could not be understood; the picture of a frightful object was also there. A Chinese, who was with us, said it was placed there to guard against evil spirits, which greatly infested that place. In another part of the village was erected a similar shed, under which was a board, on which was inscribed in Chinese characters, only the word _God_, it therefore reminded me at once of what St. Paul found written on an altar at Athens, “To the unknown God.” I suppose those more refined barbarians and these poor Cochin-Chinese, are alike ignorant of _Him_ who made and governs all things. Traversing the beach near Vung-chow, we saw a small cell erected on posts, in the middle of a grove of trees; looking into it, we found two chalk-fish painted green, suspended from the roof, and some pots containing half-burnt joss-sticks. When they wish for success in fishing, offerings are made to the presiding Deity. Great quantities of sea-shells were scattered about the place, and fires were evidently frequently made; thus they present the essence of their feasts only to the Neptunian Deity, while the pious devotee devours the substance. In another similar place about four miles from thence, we found another cell or box erected on posts, but it was more neatly constructed--in it were two paintings in water colours, evidently Chinese, each having one large and two small female figures; before them were half-burnt incense rods and on one side a horse’s head wrapped in a cloth, which, on opening, we found filled with maggots: a great number of small green glazed pots were scattered about.