BOUND THE COCOS AND SETCHELLES. 135 



we went again towards what used to be a noted haunt 

 of the sperm whale, the Seychelle Archipelago. Before 

 the French, whose flag flies over these islands, had with 

 their usual short-sighted policy, clapped on prohibitive 

 port charges, Mahe was a specially favoured place of 

 call for the whalers. But when whaleships find that it 

 does not pay to visit a place, being under no compul- 

 sion as regards time, they soon find other harbours 

 that serve their turn. We, of course, had no need 

 to visit any port for some time to come, having made 

 such good use of our opportunities at the Cocos. 



We found whales scarce and small, so, although we 

 cruised in this vicinity for nearly two months, six small 

 cow cachalots were all we were able to add to our stock, 

 representing less than two hundred barrels of oil. This 

 was hardly good enough for Captain Slocum. Therefore, 

 we gradually drew away from this beautiful cluster of 

 islands, and crept across the Indian Ocean towards the 

 Straits of Malacca. On the way, we one night encountered 

 that strange phenomenon, a " milk " sea. It was a lovely 

 night, with scarcely any wind, the stars trying to make 

 up for the absence of the moon by shining with intense 

 brightness. The water had been more phosphorescent 

 than usual, so that every little fish left a track of light 

 behind him, greatly disproportionate to his size. As 

 the night wore on, the sea grew brighter and brighter, 

 until by midnight we appeared to be sailing on an ocean 

 of lambent flames. Every little wave that broke against 

 the ship's side sent up a shower of diamond- like spray, 

 wonderfully beautiful to see, while a passing school of 

 porpoises fairly set the sea blazing as they leaped and 

 gambolled in its glowing waters. Looking up from sea 

 to sky, the latter seemed quite black instead of blue, and 



