THE INDIAN OCEAN 



ancient ruins almost completely dismantled, their 

 stones half-smothered in green rank growth. The 

 wide riverlike bay stretched on before us as far as 

 the waning light permitted us to see; finally losing 

 itself in the heart of mystery. 



Steadily and confidently our ship steamed for- 

 ward, until at last, when we seemed to be afloat in 

 a land-locked lake, we dropped anchor and came 

 to rest. 



Darkness fell utterly before the usual quarantine 

 regulations had been carried through. Active and 

 efficient agents had already taken charge of our 

 affairs, so we had only to wait idly by the rail until 

 summoned. Then we jostled our way down the 

 long gangway, passed and repassed by natives 

 carrying baggage or returning for more baggage, 

 stepped briskly aboard a very bobby little craft, 

 clambered over a huge pile of baggage, and stowed 

 ourselves as best we could. A figure in a long white 

 robe sat astern, tiller ropes in hand; two half-naked 

 blacks far up toward the prow manipulated a pair of 

 tremendous sweeps. With a vast heaving, jabbering, 

 and shouting our boat disengaged itself from the 

 swarm of other craft. We floated around the stern 

 of our ship — and were immediately suspended in 

 blackness dotted with the stars and their reflections 

 and with various, twinkling, scattered lights. To one 



57 



