414 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport, 



We were generally taken off the island by the 24th 

 May at the latest, for during the monsoon it is almost 

 impossible either to land on these islets or to get off 

 them. I had imported 400 gallon zinc and iron tanks, 

 in which I stored all our grain, and was as careful 

 with it as possible, but during my last season there 

 we were nearly starving. We had grain to last us till 

 the 30th May. We should have been relieved not 

 later than Her Majesty's natal day, but it came and 

 went and not a vestige of the steamer. The schooner 

 was laid up in Eangoon, and though I knew the 

 steamer had gone to Calcutta, I fully expected her 

 back, especially as there were every indications of the 

 rains setting in early. So getting anxious, I put the 

 men on half-rations. I don't think the Burmese and 

 their cognate races minded much, for they redoubled 

 their exertions, caught plenty of fish, &c., dug up wild 

 yams, and were in no way downcast ; but the Madras- 

 sies cried all day, and swore they had been sent there 

 to starve. Vessels passed us daily. I had Marryat's 

 universal code and all the requisite flags. I hung up 

 " We are starving," and also fired guns and rockets 

 and burnt blue lights ; but the ships, although they 

 passed quite closely, and we could see the people on 

 board examining our signals through telescopes, and 

 knew that we were building a lighthouse for the use 

 of all the navies of the world, took no notice of us or 

 our petition, but went on their way. Most of these 

 ships were American, sailing under the German or 

 Hamburg flag, for the Alabama had cleared the seas 

 of northern vessels. Neither did they help us, nor 

 did they report our signals on arrival at Eangoon and 

 Bassein, and there we were left to our fate. At last, 



