The vessels employed by the natives of these islands differ from each other considerably. Those employed for war are long and narrow, lying low in the water and lightly built, a stage projecting from the sides, on which the rowers take their station. A house is erected in the middle for the fighting portion of the crew, on the flat roof of which their chief warriors perform the war-dance. Across the forepart of the vessel is placed a thick barricade made of light wood, provided with ports, through which the lelahs or great guns are pointed, thus affording protection to the rowers from musket shots, as the attack is always made stem on, the sides of the vessel having no bulwarks. The vessels employed by them for commercial purposes are large paduakans, with a smaller description of prahu, short and broad, with high stems and sterns, and covered with a roof of atap, which are engaged chiefly in the trade with Banda and Amboyna. Maritime pursuits occupy most of the time of the natives of these islands, and when a stoppage is put to commerce they resort to piracy. The cost for the maintenance of the crew is very small, these being Papuan slaves, whose food consists chiefly of sago and a sort of periwinkle, with a little dried fish, the latter being much esteemed by the negroes of New Guinea. The principal branch of commerce carried on by these islanders is the trade with Bali (an island adjoining the east end of Java), to which are taken many of the products of the coast of New Guinea. The Raja of Kilwari is deeply engaged in this, and frequently proceeds in person to Bali, where the government of a village has been conferred upon him by the king of that island, as a reward for his having purchased and brought back to their homes some Balinese princes, who had been captured by pirates. The Bughis traders from Celebes also resort to the Ceram-Laut Islands, the produce of their voyages being mostly carried to Singapore. The most important articles exported from this group consist of slaves, nutmegs, trepang, tortoise-shell, and edible birds'-nests, in return for which they take powder and shot, muskets, small cannon, calicoes, China-ware, iron-work, &c. The commerce of the entire chain of islands, extending from Ceram to New Guinea, is of the same description. The articles exported are, for the most part, obtained from the coast of New Guinea, which is annually resorted to by a large number of vessels from Ceram-Laut. The natives of the various islands forming the group assume the exclusive right of trading on particular parts of the coast, a breach of which on the part of their neighbours, instantly gives rise to warfare. Neither will the Papuas carry on a trade with any but those who are in the habit of visiting them. The places resorted to by the traders of Ceram-Laut lie to the westward of Lakahia, a bay on the coast, situated directly north from the Arru Islands. The extent of the trade may be imagined from