164 GREAT NICOBAR— W. AND S. COASTS 



sleep from the trees, while the mosquitoes hummed away vainly 

 and viciously outside the net. 



" Now and again, for a time, came the cry of some startled 

 bird and the croaking of the tree-frogs ; but when these died 

 away the prevailing silence was broken only by the sound of 

 the dew dripping from the trees, and the occasional fall of dead 

 leaves or rotten branches." 



^^ March 29. — We turned out at daybreak while the river was 

 shrouded in mist, and after chota hazri, started down-stream. 



" The water had fallen a foot during the night, and for some 

 distance we could only use the oars to pole with. Presently, 

 however, we were paddling quickly down the river, until we came 

 to the fallen tree, where it was again necessary to unload. 



" All the contents were stacked on the bank, and then, while 

 the boat was on the trunk, I walked along the latter to take a 

 snap-shot of the scene from the shore. Just as it was half-way 

 across, our craft stuck fast ; all, gathering themselves together, 

 gave a mighty heave, and suddenly it slipped over, taking 

 everyone by surprise. 'Din fell into the water, 'Dul fell into 

 the boat, Mat straddled the tree, and Abbott, by a display of 

 flying, gibbon-like agility, succeeded in landing safely in the 

 stern. It was all very amusing to see from the shore ; far too 

 funny, indeed, at the time for me to get my photograph. 



" This was the only obstacle, for, thanks to the low tide, we 

 found no difficulty in passing beneath the other fallen trunks. 

 About ten o'clock we were back at the hut and lime-tree, and 

 stopped there for breakfast ; then, after gathering a bucketful of 

 fruit, were off again. 



" With the sun almost overhead, it now became very hot on 

 the water ; but, pushing on, we reached the river-mouth soon after 

 one o'clock and unloaded the boat once more before taking it 

 through the breakers. From inshore they seemed much more 

 formidable than from seaward, whence their height and the curl 

 of falling water were hidden. We lay a short distance from the 

 long, white lines that travelled across the bay, and watched them, 

 backing and pulling to keep our place. 



