274 DAMPIER'S SOJOURN IN GREAT NICOBAR 



" Our Malayans were very well acquainted here, and carried 

 us to a small fishing village within a mile of the river's mouth, 

 called also by the name of the River Passange Jonca.* The 

 hardships of this voyage, with the scorching heat of the sun 

 at our first setting-out, and the cold rain, with our continuing 

 wet for the last two days, cast us all into fevers, so that now 

 we were not able to help each other, nor so much as to get 

 our canoe up to the village ; but our Malayans got some of 

 the townsmen to bring her up, . . . The Malayans that accom- 

 panied us from Nicobar separated themselves from us now, 

 living at one end of the house by themselves, for they were 

 Mahometans, as all those of the kingdom of Achin are ; and 

 though during our passage by the sea together we made them 

 be content to drink their water out of the same coco-shell as 

 us, yet being now no longer under that necessity, they again 

 took up their accustomed niceness and reservedness. They all 

 lay sick, and as their sickness increased, one of them threatened 

 us that if any of them died, the rest would kill us for having 

 brought them this voyage ; yet I question whether they would 

 have attempted it, or the country people have suffered it. We 

 made a shift to dress our own food, for none of these people, 

 though they were very kind in giving us anything that we 

 wanted, would yet come near us to assist us in dressing our 

 victuals. Nay, they would not touch anything that we used. 

 We had all fevers, and therefore took turns to dress victuals 

 according as we had strength to do it, or stomachs to eat it. I 

 found my fever to increase, and my head so distempered that 

 I could scarce stand ; therefore I whetted and sharpened my 

 penknife in order to let myself blood, but I could not, for my 

 knife was too blunt. 



" We stayed here ten or twelve days, in hopes to recover 

 our health, but finding no amendment, we desired to go to 

 Achin. . . . The natives . . . provided a large prau to carry us 

 thither, we not being able to manage our own canoe. Besides, 

 before this, three of our Malayan comrades were gone very sick 

 * Kampong Jangka, on the left bank of the river of that name. 



