Such action depends on the tides, slope of the sea-bottom, and the relation of one part of the shore to another in regard to contour and position, but particularly on the currents, which in some places would accumulate material and in others remove it. The crowns of the palm trees were frequented by flocks of the black and white nutmeg-pigeon (_Carpophaga bicolor_), an uncommon bird in such a situation. Of those we shot, several lodged in the trees and were fetched down by the natives, who climbed with the ankles joined by a belt or piece of rattan, and who, when lifting the feet, did not clasp the trunk with the arms as we should, but placing one round it, pressed against it with the other hand. We found two Shom Pe[.n] youths in the village, who seemed to be in a state of easy servitude, and were used for such work as carrying nuts or fetching water. There were between twenty and thirty men and boys dwelling here, and the skipper (with whom the people were more communicative than with us) said, only four women! Although, by going to Naukauri Harbour, said Puchree, they could obtain wives,--who, however, refused to leave their own homes,--he lamented the almost total impotence of himself and neighbours in the way of offspring. Asked if they ever married Shom Pe[.n] women, he said, "No, they didn't like them; they were dirty and didn't wash"; and when we suggested that he should catch (_tangkap_) a young one, and first train her for a year or two, and teach her manners--"Too much trouble." "_March_ 25.--We met Nyam and a companion at his house about six o'clock, and after a walk of half a mile reached the bank of a little river some 30 feet wide. Here lay a canoe, and paddles being produced we travelled up-stream, wading now and again over the shallows, until, having progressed a mile or so, we landed on the same bank at a spot where a second path commenced. This we followed for 2 miles in a northerly direction, crossing by the way the stream itself and a little tributary by bridges of sapling, and so arrived at the Shom Pe[.n] village. "We had already seen two kinds of buildings amongst these people; here we met with a third. "The houses--five in number, and recently constructed--stood on piles about 12 feet high; in several cases a live tree being built in. These supports were strengthened by diagonal struts--a most uncommon form of scaffolding among savages. The floors were made of saplings placed side by side, and the side walls, about 3 feet high, of split nibong palm; while the roofs, which just afforded head-room at the apex, were roughly thatched with whole palm leaves, piled on butt downwards.