378 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIV. 



one with an Arrow, when it may be run down with Dogs, the rest of the Herd 

 shunning it. They are of a delicator shape and make than a Deer, the 

 Horns not jagged, but turned as an Unicorn's ; nor spread into branches, but 

 straight, and long, and tapering, rooted on the Osfrontis, springing up on both 

 sides," In September Fryer left Madras, sailing round Ceylon and up the 

 Malabar Coast, where in obscure weather he tells us they were warned by water 

 snakes of their too near approach to the land. Anchoring off Phalapatam, a 

 town north of Mangalore, he sails up a creek in a boat manned by Lascars 

 whom he compares favourably with the English sailors, "who can hardly 

 ever work without horrid Oaths and hideous Crushing and Imprecations ; and 

 these Moormen, on the contrary, never set their hands to do any Labour, but 

 they sing a Psalm or Prayer and conclude at every joint application to it 

 allah allah, invoking on the name of God." Those who have rowed up the 

 Bombay creeks in a Bunder-boat can appreciate this description, though the 

 songs here sound somewhat Secular. "The Kiver was full of Alligators or 

 Crocodiles which lay basking in the Sun in the Mud on the River's side, whom 

 the Natives are fearless of ; conceiving the Brachminers have power to lay 

 a spell upon them, that they do no harm. Which, whether true or false, 'tis 

 certain they as seldom do Harm in the Water as the Tigres in the Woods, over 

 whom they fancy their Priests have the same prevalency." A year after leav- 

 ing England, Fryer landed in Bombay and was received by the Honorable 

 Gerald Aungier, Governor, both for the King and the Company, andPresident of 

 all the East Indies, An interesting description of Bombay follows, from which 

 it may be gathered that Colaba was then called Old Woman's Island, low and 

 barren of no other profit but to keep the Company's antelopes, and other Beasts 

 of Delight. A visit was paid to Bandora, then in possession of the Portuguese, 

 whence Fryer and his party travelled all oyer the Island of Salsette or Cano- 

 rein. Outside Bandora they used their fowling pieces all the way being 

 presented with rich game, as peacocks, doves and pigeons, chitrels or spotted 

 deer, and close to the ruined city of Canorein they passed through a wood 

 peopled by apes, tigers, wild buffalos and jackals, also flocks of parocket. 

 As the hot weather approached our author was led to moralise on the ingenu- 

 ity of the Weaver Bird. " In the meanwhile Nature affords us a pleasant 

 Spectacle for the Season, as well as Matter for Admiration j whereby I know 

 not why we should deny Season wholly to Animals; unless it be Man having 

 80 much, they seem comparatively to have none. For here is a Bird (having 

 its Name from the Tree it chuses for its Sanctuary, the Toddy Tree) 

 that is not only exquisitely curious in the artificial Composure of 

 its Nest with Hay, but furnished with Devices and Stratagems to Secure it 

 Self and young Ones from its deadly Enemy, the squirrel ; as likewise from 

 the injury of the Weather; which, being unable to oppose, it eludes with 

 this Artifice, contriving the Nest like a Steeple-hive with winding meanders ; 

 before which hangs a Penthouse for the rain to pass, tying it by so 

 slender a Thread to the Bough of the Tree, that the Squirrel dare not venture 



