THE ISLANDS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL. 71 



be a whole drove of Jungle-fowl. I could not get a shot but 

 followed them down closely, driving them towards the Geologist, 

 who, catching a close glimpse of one, made such a sudden rush 

 at it that it was compelled to fly being knocked down by a 

 shot before it had time to drop again on its own account 

 into the dense, though not high, jungle. Then we found that this 

 was a Megapod {M. nicobariensis) , the first fresh bird we 

 had ever seen of this anomalous species. Altogether it was a 

 day of white stones ; a little hot doubtless, everybody was 

 wet through, sopped, dripping, with perspiration, and the thorns 

 tvere trying ; but then the birds ! and when you went out for 

 a few minute's rest on the beach, (where Horsflelds' Swiftlet was 

 gliding rapidly to and fro, and the Common Sandpiper was of 

 course to the fore) , the delightful cool breeze and the delicious 

 young cocoanuts brimming full of the most fragrant, wholesome 

 and thirst-quenching beverage ever discovered or concocted ! 

 Mafoi, ones heart leaps yet at the thought of that first glorious 

 day at the Nicobars. How we ever got on board I don't know. 

 It was necessary to get into Camorta harbour before it was 

 too late, in the first place because the navigation is somewhat 

 intricate ; secondly, because we wanted to leave again early next 

 morning, and there were stores to be landed and a variety of 

 things to be done. But the steamer had hoisted any number of 

 flags, had fired three guns, and was obviously getting into a pain- 

 ful state of excitement, and yet it was impossible to make a 

 start. A. B. and C. were got with great difficulty together 

 on the beach. C. went off to call D. and B., but before they 

 arrived A. and B. had both seen something in the jungle and 

 off they had gone, and so on, and so on. Nor were the lascars 

 a bit behind hand, they kept running to the boats loaded with 

 cocoanuts, and when half were down at the boats, the other 

 half were away. 



Fortunately in practice these things do come to an end, and 

 somehow we got off about three hours later than we should have 

 done, but still, as it turned out, in plenty of time to make the 

 harbour, and one way or another get through all we had to 

 do there. 



We did not desire to remain longer than was absolutely 

 necessary at Camorta, for this has often been visited and 

 described, and Davison, who has joined us here, has been 

 working this little group (Nancowry, Camorta, Katchall, 

 and Trinkut,) for the past month, but we could not pos- 

 sibly leave till to-morrow morning, so we rowed about the mag- 

 nificent harbour, landed at several of the ISIicobar villages 



