CHAPTER V 



AN OLD ACCOUNT OF KAR NICOBAR 



In 1778 Kar Nicobar was visited by Dr I. G. Koenig, a Swede, 

 and pupil of Linnaeus. He spent many years in India, both as 

 doctor to the Danish missionaries at Tranquebar, and as naturaHst 

 to the Nabob of Arcot. After visiting different parts of India 

 and Ceylon, he started on an expedition to Siam and Malacca, 

 and as his account of the voyage will be but little known to 

 English readers, I have extracted from it such portions as deal 

 generally with the island, leaving out a quantity of botanical 

 matter, 



A translation of all Koenig's diaries was made for the Straits 

 Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, and appears in Nos. 26 and 

 27 of its Journals. 



The account commences with the starting of the ship Bristol 

 from Madras on August 8, 1778, on its way to Siam. 



^'■August 31, 1778. — At 9 o'clock, land was discovered from the 

 mast. The sails were set and the course directed straight towards 

 the land. A quarter of an hour later, we could distinguish the 

 land from the fore deck ; it rose before us like smoke, and seemed 

 to be high and hilly. 



" As we approached the land, we could from time to time 

 distinguish some white, sparkling spots, especially close to the 

 summit of the mountain ; we took them to be chalk stone, but as 

 we came nearer, we saw that they were a peculiar kind of fields 

 interspersed with green. 



270 



