262 NOPES WRITTEN ON A VOYAGE 
six species, made their appearance, and were in constant motion, raking 
over the semi-liquid mud with their claws and feet, and every now and 
then raising themselves on four feet above the surface, and spreading 
their extended chele in the air. I got two or three specimens of a 
little varnished black Mitra, crawling on the mud, but no other shells, 
except the Arca before mentioned. It rained heavily all the afternoon, 
and when during the night the tide rose and floated us, we had a strong 
head wind ; so we were obliged to remain where we were until morning, 
only going out into deeper water. 
26th. Got under weigh this morning at five a.m., with a fine fair wind, 
and stood across the northern part of Amphitrite Bay, as it is called on 
the charts. The shore is still all of the same character, but we were not 
so near it. I saw many wide gaps in the line of trees, being the mouths 
of considerable rivers or creeks, all named correctly and with minuteness 
on the Dutch charts; in spite of all this correctness, there is a small 
but very conspicuous island off a point named Jangong Kangka, 
which is not laid down at all. It is a mere mud bank, covered with 
Api Api trees, and is called Pulo Barang, or Mud Island; and I am 
inclined to look upon it as a proof, if indeed one were needed, of the 
extremely rapid growth of the land on this coast. The survey is some 
fifteen or sixteen years old, and the island must have been all day long; 
for weeks, before the eyes of all employed, had it existed at that time; 
it is besides visible from so many points, and is so well adapted for a 
station, that I think it could not possibly have escaped any surveyor. 
. In favour of this opinion, I may add that the trees, though tolerably 
large, are all young and vigorous, and there are none of the decayed 
worm-eaten stumps generally seen in such situations. We entered the 
mouth of the Indragiri about twelve o’clock; there was a very disagree- 
. able cross sea, caused by the meeting of the tide with the fresh-water 
. current, at this season very strong; and I observed, as I have frequently 
done in several similar places, a phenomenon which, so far as I am 
. aware, is undescribed. This is a dull droning musical sound appearing 
‘to come from beneath the boat ; it varies about three notes, E, F, G; of 
the bass clef, which run into one another as in a badly tuned Molian 
5 harp, and is in tone something between the bassoon stop of an organ 
and the drone of a bagpipe; sometimes it resembles also the creaking 
: of an ill-shutting door, and leaves an unpleasant vibratory sensation on 
the ear. The natives call it “swara hams,” voice of the current, and 
RID ani i I ME LA med 
