THE ISLANDS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL. 85 



sisted of the Geologist, the second officer and one or two others, 

 gave a rather poor account of the island. The shore was beset 

 with sharp coral ridges, the jungle was fearful, absolutely 

 impassable in many places, and there seemed to be few birds. 

 They brought a few Imperial and Pied Fruit-pigeons, several 

 specimens of the new JEtlwpyga, of the Nicobar Paroquets, 

 and a few others of no consequence. They had seen some 

 rats and a tupaia like what Davison had shot on the Great 

 Nicobar, but had not succeeded in ba£orino' one. 



It had been a very trying day, every one had been working 

 in the breathless heat of a dense tropical jungle, the whole 

 day from early morning till evening, except during the short 

 time it took us to run from Treis to Meroe, and the party were 

 more thoroughly worn out than on any previous occasion. 



The sun was now near setting, and the Captain, who did not 

 like our position, and who had strictly ordered that all boats 

 were to be aboard by sunset, fired a gun for the remaining boat. 

 One or two lascars and one European made their appearance on 

 the beach, but after loitering there opposite the boat for 

 some time turned back again and disappeared. The sun had now 

 set, a second gun was fired of which no one took the smallest 

 notice. By the waning light we could still make out with 

 our glasses the boat anchored outside the heavy surf, and the 

 canoe hauled up upon the beach. We heard several shots fired 

 from time to time. Then we fired a third mm, but the rising 

 moon showed boat and canoe " as you was," and that no sort 

 of attempt was being made to acknowledge our summons. 

 The Captain (liking as most Captains do, to have his orders 

 attended to) began to get angry. I began to get uneasy. 

 The return party had seen on the island sundry Malays, Bur- 

 mans and Mcobarese, not permanent residents, but birds of 

 passage come for cocoanuts and anything they could get. 



A boat was now launched, and the second officer sent off 

 to order the immediate return of the other boat. The Captain 

 expressed his intention of favoring the chief officer when he 

 did, come with a spice of his mind, and was very wrath. 



Shots were still heard at long intervals, the sea had got up a 

 little and the surf seemed tremendous. Presently a fire was lit 

 at the point opposite which the boat lay. We watched our mes- 

 senger boat anxiously, the wind was against her, and the sea 

 rather rough, and she seemed to make very little way ; at last we 

 made out that a landing had been effected. Then for a long 

 time all was silence and darkness, for clouds veiled the moon. 

 We waited, waited, waited, at last when every one, even the 



