90 Voyage of the Novara. 



water are continually trickling. The insignificant brooks 

 and rivers of the large well- wooded islands lying further to 

 the south of Great and Little Nicobar, are in like manner kept 

 full the whole year by the blessed abundance of the watery 

 element. On the other hand, the northern islands, so far at 

 least as the marl formation extends, seem to be but scantily 

 supplied with water, especially on Kamorta, Nangkauri, 

 Tringkut, and apparently Teressa and Bampoka as well. All 

 the small streams on the two first- named islands, which fall 

 into the Nangkauri harbour, were found to be very nearly 

 dried up. 



The principal beverage of the natives of these islands 

 is the fluid contents of the unripe cocoa-nut, while it should 

 seem that they fetch the water required for house purposes 

 from the pools of sweet water, which they find scattered here 

 and there among the river-courses. Springs we saw none, 

 with the exception of the old ruined one of the Moravian 

 Brethren near the village of Malacca on the island of Nang- 

 kauri. Kar-Nicobar, although likewise belonging to the same 

 marl-formation as the before-mentioned islands, has never- 

 theless no lack of drinkable water, since the expanse of land 

 raised from eight to twelve feet above the level of the ocean 

 constitutes the site of those singular springs, the sweet water 

 in which rises and falls with the ebb and flow of the tide. 

 The explanation of this singular phenomenon must not be 

 sought for in the filtration of the sea- water by the coral rock, 

 but is simply due to the rain-water, being the lighter, float- 



