One day, whilst lying here, after I had pretty well satiated my curiosity in the town, I strolled into the country, and came across a cemetery filled with hecatombs--a slab being placed at the head, another at the foot of the grave, and the space between filled with stones. Near this cemetery was a spot enclosed by a high, solid, stone wall, but I could not ascertain for what purpose it was designed. Pursuing my way, I found a number of trees covered with the names of ships that had visited Balli, with date and country attached: amongst them I noticed that of the Spanish ship before mentioned, and those of several whalers, with the quantity of oil they had aboard specified. I found some one had been here before me and carved our old barque’s name in large characters. Beyond this spot I discovered that a very populous country existed; but why we had not been told of it at the lower town, I cannot divine. The natives clustered around us in great numbers, and the women, after the first sight, were not afraid to approach us. In the centre of the town was a cockpit, where fowls, with steel gaffs, were plunging at each other, whilst their owners and backers were freely betting as to the result, so intensely bent on the contest, that they had neither eyes nor ears for us. Some of the men here were rather officious, and we scarcely knew what their intentions might be; probably it was only curiosity; but it induced us to beat as speedy a retreat as we could, without exciting notice. These people are very temperate, and I did not see them indulge in any of their intoxicating liquors, which consist of two varieties; one, a scarlet-colored spirit, which they call “toddie,” is made from the fermented juice of the unripe cocoa-nut. At first taste it does not appear strong, but over-indulgence in it produces either stupefaction or a species of insanity, resembling no effect I have ever seen from any other spirit. In the first case the subject is reduced to perfect helplessness and insensibility, which does not leave him altogether for several days; if the latter effect is produced, all the symptoms of violent insanity appear, and the madman does not rest until he has had a quarrel. Hence it was called “fighting toddie;” and one who has once indulged in it shuns it afterwards, on the principle that a burned child dreads the fire. The Anise is a colorless liquid, with a smoky, fiery taste, and has the same effect as other spirituous drinks. Neither of these liquors could be procured in the town when we first came ashore, whereupon some of us congratulated ourselves on the prospect of a temperate and sociable day; but part of our crew, determined to have a spree, by the offer of half a dozen whale’s teeth, induced a native to cross the country in quest of it. The hesitation of the people in furnishing it, evidently proceeded from a perfect knowledge of its effect upon seamen when ashore, and indulging in it _ad libitum_.