CHAPTER X 



KACHAL AND OTHER ISLANDS 



Heavy Surf — Teressa — Bompoka — A Native Legend — Hamilton — Chaura — 

 Wizardry — Pottery — Kachal Typical of the Tropics — Nicobarese Dress — 

 West Bay — Lagoon — Mangroves — Whimbrel^Formation of Kachal — 

 Birds — Visitors to the Schooner — Fever — Chinese Junks — Thatch — 

 Relics — The Reef — Megapodes — Monkeys — Full-dressed Natives — 

 Medicine — A Death Ceremony — Talismans — Fish and Fishing — Geology. 



For some hours after we left Dring the breeze was very faint, 

 but at midday a heavy squall with rain overtook us and carried 

 us onward, so that we were soon sailing along the southern shore 

 of Teressa. 



The island of Bompoka, which lies but a short distance from 

 its south-east end, is high, with a central tableland, whence the 

 ground slopes gently downwards in every direction, and is 

 covered with forest and grass. 



Seen from a distance, Teressa looks like two islands, for it 

 is elevated at either end : the northern part is covered with forest ; 

 the southern end is all grass-land, save for a fringe of scrub and 

 large coco-palm groves along the coast. This portion of the 

 shore is very rocky in places, and numerous points of off-lying 

 reefs project from the water. 



A heavy swell was running from the south-west, and rank on 

 rank of breakers — lo feet or so in height — were rolling shore- 

 wards, throwing up clouds of smoke-like foam. It would have 

 been impossible to land without danger of losing guns, camera, 

 etc., so we decided not to make the attempt, and therefore 

 put about for Kachal, with the less regret in that the locality 



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