Fine Mirage. — Frigate grounds, hut is got off. 49 



main of the atmosphere ; while the tips of the waves, lashed 

 into foam as they broke upon them, seemed as if dancing in 

 the air. The canoes of the natives were reflected upside 

 down, till the figures seated in them were so enormously- 

 lengthened that one could almost fancy they were gigantic 

 ^ genii ' disporting on the surface of the sea. 



As we were sailing along in front of the village of Malacca 

 into the splendid harbour, and just as the lead had almost 

 a moment before marked 23 fathoms, the look-out man sud- 

 denly descried a shoal. Notwithstanding the manoeuvres 

 that were at once put in execution, it was found impossible to 

 get entirely clear, and the frigate grounded forward of the 

 beam on the port-side. Although it was ebb tide, yet deep 

 water was observable both ahead and astern, and accord- 

 ingly an effort was made, by running out the guns and laying 

 out a spring for the frigate to haul upon, to get the ship once 

 more afloat, which accordingly speedily proved successful, so 

 that by sundown we were enabled to anchor in good holding 

 ground, opposite the village of Itoe, in the island of Nang- 

 kauri. 



Here we lay in a calm, tranquil sheet of water, such as 

 we had not fallen in with throughout our voyage hitherto, 

 surrounded by dense forest, from which were heard dis- 

 tinctly, on board ship, the disagreeable shrill sound of in- 

 numerable crickets, and the deep coo of the great Nicobar 

 wood-pigeon. Except for these, the most profound stillness 

 reigned. There was not the smallest movement either in sea 



VOL. II. B 



