316 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



almost brushed the shore. The people, and especially 

 the women and children, came out in great numbers 

 in boats to see us, and were not backward in their 

 salutations and exclamations of gratified surprise. 

 They raised so loud a laugh when " the Doctor," 

 our black cook, showed his head over the bulwarks, 

 that even that hardened individual was abashed, and 

 withdrew, cursing, to his own sanctuary. A little 

 way beyond there was anchorage in ten fathoms, and 

 the passages opened up into pretty broad stretches of 

 water between numerous islands, which sometimes 

 formed quite a labyrinth. Every little bay had a 

 village in it, and the bright verdure came down close 

 to the water's edge ; but here and there a red barren 

 hill looked as if it had been peeled of its vegetation. 

 A sky so bright and blue, and an air so dry and pure 

 as that we then enjoyed, are rarely to be found any- 

 where. On the southern side the hills seemed to be 

 composed chiefly of marl and limestone, with quarries 

 in them ; but as this, the fourth day of our voyage, 

 drew on, the hills became very barren, being of hard 

 rounded sandstone, only very imperfectly sprinkled 

 over with bushes and trees. Some spots, however, 

 were very beautiful, with wood running up grass- 

 covered hills, like strips of dark embroidery on a 

 light -green velvet mantle, while in the sandstone 

 above the water's edge, there were wave-worn caves, 

 which Don Juan and Haidee would not have despised. 

 On the south, the high mountains of Sikok, crowned 



