CHAP, xxxvi.] SCARCITY OF FOOD. 365 



burning ache, as bad as the worst toothache, and lasted 

 about two hours, generally going off at noon. When this 

 finally ceased, I had an attack of fever, which left me so 

 weak and so imable to eat our regular food, that I feel 

 sure my life was saved by a coiiple of tins of soup which 

 I had long reserved for some such extremity. I used often 

 to go out searching after vegetables, and found a great 

 treasure in a lot of tomato plants run wild, and bearing 

 little fruits about the size of gooseberries. I also boiled 

 up the tops of pumpkin plants and of ferns, by way of 

 greens, and occasionally got a few green papaws. The 

 natives, when hard up for food, live upon a fleshy sea- 

 weed, which they boil till it is tender. I tried this also, 

 but found it too salt and bitter to be endured. 



Towards the end of September it became absolutely 

 necessary for me to return, in order to make our home- 

 ward voyage before the end af the east monsoon. Most 

 of the men who had taken payment from me had brought 

 the birds they had agreed for. One poor fellow had been 

 so unfortunate as not to get one, and he very honestly 

 brought back the axe he had received in advance ; 

 another, who had agreed for six, brought me the fifth 

 two days before I was to start, and went off immediately 

 to the forest again to get the other. He did not return, 

 however, and we loaded our boat, and were just on the 

 point of starting, when he came running down after us 



