64 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF INDIA. 



He has now, for fourteen years, lived here a "blameless life. He 

 has for long- been one of the most trusted men about the 

 Settlement, and when our late beloved and honored Viceroy, on 

 the first day of his fatal visit to these islands, desired the Super- 

 intendent to prepare a list of men whom he might properly 

 pardon, this poor fellow's name was one of the first on the roll. 



We all know what prevented that kindly design being 

 carried out ; the crowning hope that had cheered the sturdy 

 old Pathan for so many years was dashed from him, just as 

 it seemed about to bless him, by the same fanatic's hand that 

 robbed, us of the kindest, and noblest and India of one of the best 

 and ablest masters, we or she ever have had or will have, and as 

 the old man told me of the bitter disappointment of that day, 

 of the destruction of all his cherished visions of seeing once 

 more his home, his wife, his sons, large tears, that even he, 

 hardened to suffering as had been, could not wholly restrain, 

 trickled slowly down his weather-beaten cheeks. 



Then he got up without saying another word, went aft, 

 and busied himself, seeing the watch changed, and looking after 

 crew and boat and I saw him no more until, after I had laid 

 down and had slept some hours, just as I opened my eyes at 

 dawn, I saw him standing alone in the bows, looking sadly 

 across the mist-shrouded waters, towards his mountain 

 home — alas ! so far away. 



9th.— The whole party was soon up and off. "We expected the 

 Scotia to be off the eastern entrance of the channel at noon or 

 thereabouts, and so had no time to lose. Most of the party 

 landed on Jolly Boy Junior at once. I rowed about a little, and 

 in a small cave in one of the islets we found a number of Hors- 

 fields' Swiftlet (C. linchi) breeding. The nests were all halves 

 of little saucers or shallow cups, composed of moss glued 

 together by gelatine (entirely inspissated saliva it is asserted) and 

 fastened to the rock by a film of the same cement. Most of the 

 nests were empty, but a few contained young ones, and perhaps a 

 dozen contained eggs, two in each nest, pure white, almost gloss- 

 less, elongated ovals. The nests were placed haphazard about 

 or towards the roof of the cave which was about eight feet 

 high at the highest place and some 30 feet deep. In some places 

 a dozen were clustered together, in others the nests were quite 

 solitary. To judge from appearances at spring tides the waves 

 must reach to the furthest end of the little cave, and the floor, 

 for the first ten feet in, was perfectly smooth white, composed of 

 coral sand and shells, and looking as if daily washed, as it 

 doubtless is, at high tide. 



