At the further end the fireplace is situated. A flat block of wood is hollowed out and covered with sand or clay, and huge clay pots--often with a capacity of many gallons--stand above it, on pieces of stone, raising them clear of the coconut husks which are the principal fuel. Around lie pandanus fruit, the boards and shells with which it is prepared for eating, and the thorn-armed leaf-stems of the rattan, which the natives use for grating up coconut. Up in the roof, are stuck, between the thatch and the rafters, hollowed-out wooden troughs, in which the food of the pigs, dogs, and other animals is prepared; flat wooden dishes, provision baskets, and fans for blowing up the fire, made of the sheathing petiole of palm trees, while, across the beams, are hung coconut shells--joined in pairs by a short rattan handle--which contain the day's supply of water. The thatch of the houses--generally of lallang grass, but sometimes of palm leaf--is fastened to a framework, built with vertical rafters of the mid-ribs of the coco palm, joined crossways by battens of areca wood, of which material the grated floor is also made. Until recently, the whole structure was held together by careful mortising and lashings of cane, but now it is evident from the newer buildings that nails are coming into use among the natives of this island for such work. The houses stand in groups, on open sandy ground, and interspersed with them are plantations (_ya_) of bananas, melons, and sweet potatoes--protected from the numerous roving pigs by zigzag fences of rails piled horizontally between double posts--and clumps of fruit-trees of many varieties--coconut, orange, lime, shaddock, soursop, jack champada, tamarind and papaya. Sturdy brown-skinned natives, clad in the scantiest _kissáts_[18] of red cotton, and wearing picturesque chaplets of white palm leaf with long projecting ends (_tá-chökla_), stared at us as we walked through the village; children and women, with a piece of cotton cloth hitched round the waist, disappeared in the houses as we approached. The teeth of all were stained by constant betel-chewing, and, since the blacker the colour the more beautiful is the owner according to local standard, to produce this effect the teeth are never cleaned. The dwelling-place of the headman (_mah_), who is named Offandi, in no way differed from the others. We made our presence known from below. "Wait," came a voice, "wait till I've got my clothes on," and soon after the chief appeared in a rusty suit of black broadcloth, and a damaged, bowler hat. He was a short but exceedingly strong-looking man, with a thick neck and bullet head, and wore a very slight moustache. We shook hands all round, and commenced asking each other questions in English as we strolled through the village. Then, after ascertaining that we should be pleased to see him on board later, and provide spirituous refreshment, Offandi left us.