[Footnote 11: These staves of office were canes with silver or golden knobs, on which were engraven the arms of the East India Company and the name of the chief to whom they were delivered, together with an appropriate inscription.] CHAPTER IV. LETTE. Arrival at the Island of Lette.--Anchoring Place.--Series of Disasters.--Character of the Inhabitants.--The Mountaineers.--Differences among the Islanders.--Good Effects of our Mediation.--Respect entertained by the Natives towards the Dutch Government. On the following morning, June 17th, we found ourselves close under the south-west point of Lette, and perceived reefs extending along the shore at a distance of half a mile from the land. This island is, for the most part, high and hilly, but near the sea the land is level. The greater portion of the inhabitants reside on the sea-coast, in villages erected upon elevated and projecting points of land, which present a charming appearance as the island is approached. We ran close along the reefs until opposite to the village of Tombra, where there is an opening in the reef, into which we warped the brig, and moored her head and stern. The inlet or basin, which afforded us anchorage, is from four hundred to five hundred feet broad, with depths of six to nine fathoms over a sandy bottom. It is bounded on each side by reefs visible at low water, and at the extremity of the cove lies a white sandy beach covered with numerous cocoa-nut trees. As soon as the brig was secured, I landed with the native interpreter, at a spot where several of the Christian inhabitants were waiting to conduct us to the village. This did not present an appearance indicating prosperity, as it contained no more than twenty-five houses, occupied both by Christians and heathens. During the previous year, three villages in the neighbourhood had been entirely destroyed by fire, the inhabitants losing all their household property; and shortly afterwards an additional disaster occurred in the death of the Orang Kaya, to whom no successor had yet been appointed. The anarchy and confusion this gave rise to, had caused many of the people to abandon the spot. Those who received us on the beach evinced great joy at our arrival, and expressed hopes that through my intervention, order would again be restored.