VHTUHXAL VISITORS. 179 



quarter. However, I was under no apprehension 

 from wild animals ; crocodiles and caymans never 

 haunt the open coast, but keep in creeks and 

 lagoons, and there are no ravenous beasts on the 

 island. The only annoyance I suffered was from 

 the nocturnal perambulations of an immense variety 

 of crabs of all sizes, the grating noise of whose 

 armour would sometimes keep me awake. But 

 they were well watched by my dog; and if any 

 one ventured to approach, he was sure to be sud- 

 denly seized and thrown to a more respectful 

 distance ; or, if a crab of more tremendous appear- 

 ance deterred the dog from exposing his nose to its 

 claws, he would bark and frighten it away, by 

 which, however, I was often more seriously alarmed 

 than the occasion required. Many a comfortable 

 night's rest have I had in these sepulchral dormi- 

 tories when the nights were clear and dry." 



But although there was little to fear from the 

 attacks of savage animals on Nancauwery, Haeusel 

 "assures us that it would have been hazardous in 

 the extreme to expose oneself thus on the Con- 

 tinent, as well as in some of the other East Indian 

 islands, on account of the numbers of these crea- 

 tures of various descriptions with which they 

 abound. He was himself in imminent peril on one 

 of his voyages either to or from Queda. A Danish 

 ship hailed their vessel, and approaching them iu- 



