318 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



we noticed many fields interspersed among the trees 

 and jungle. In a small bay, just beyond, there was 

 a large dock, substantially walled in, and a gently 

 shelving sandy shore affording good anchorage. Here 

 a number of old women came out to gaze at us in 

 fishing sampans, looking out of their bleared old eyes 

 in mute amazement at having lived to see the day. 

 In a larger sea, on which we soon entered, bounded 

 on the south by the high mountains of Sikok, and 

 on the north by innumerable islands, and with no 

 visible outlet to it, the barren redness of some of the 

 hills rather augmented the brilliancy of the scene by 

 adding another colour to the deep blue of the water, 

 the bright blue of the sky, the forests' dark-green 

 hue, and the white shining clouds lying along the 

 mountain-tops. As we got on, however, not even the 

 coast of Southern China could have presented a more 

 sterile appearance ; and from one of the mountains 

 on the south there rose the yellow smoke of a volcano. 

 Suddenly another change : we were among small 

 islands, lying close together, of soft rock worn by the 

 sea into fretted caves, and covered thickly with green 

 ferns. There were little bays with sandy beaches, 

 and little cottages where one would gladly have made 

 selection for a summer residence. The larger villages 

 had breakwaters and piers before them, indicating no 

 small amount of enterprise and trade. From inquiries 

 afterwards made, I found that the shores of this In- 

 land Sea might afford large quantities of oil and 



