JAUNTS IN THE JUNGLE. 135 



Taking my gun, I commenced a survey, sending 

 the men in all directions to hunt for any living thing 

 they might find. 



At last I discovered a house in the very centre of 

 the island, and made my way straight for it ; but on 

 arriving at it, found it was only a temple, most pro- 

 bably erected by some shipwrecked fishermen or 

 sailors out of the coarse timber of their wreck, &c., 

 and after feeling the images carefully, to ascertain if 

 they might chance to be constructed of any thing 

 edible (how we wished even to find a gingerbread idol 

 amongst them ; wouldn't we have gobbled down his 

 godship ?) we took our departure in sorrow and 

 despair. 



Two very lean sparrows flitted across our path, but 

 they looked so wretchedly poor that I let them depart 

 in peace. 



On arriving at the beach where we had landed, I 

 was nonplus-sedby observing all the Malays stretched 

 out in skirmishing order along the shore on their 

 hands and knees, and apparently digging some hidden 

 treasures from under the sand, which operation was 

 presently elucidated by observing several forage caps 

 full of cockles by the sides of some of the soldiers. 



As the landing from the ship had taken up many 

 hours, it was now beginning to grow dark, so the 

 bugle sounded the retreat, and every man brought 

 in his cap, handkerchief, and hands, full of these shell- 

 fish (not a man, I firmly believe, having himself eaten 



