CHAPTER VII. 



Strait Settlements — Peijanq — Singapore — Bintang and Iiatam — 

 Banca — Leaf and Stick Insects — Sumatra Coast — Floating 

 Islands. 



Amongst the passengers were two bishops, one a 

 Protestant on his way to Austraha, the other a Roman 

 Catholic bound for Batavia. The weather was tine, 

 and on the second day we passed the Nicobar Islands, 

 N. Lat. 7° 8', E. Long. 93'' 4', consisting of two larger 

 and a group of smaller islands. The former are said to 

 contain about 6,000 inhabitants, principally Malays of 

 rather piratical propensities ; the shores are fringed 

 with cocoanut palms and plantains. 



On the following day we sighted Sumatra. The 



