44 THE INLAND SEA EEVISITED. 



smallest atom of copper became detached, the ship's 

 bottom was certain to be attacked in a few hours. The 

 native craft have an extra planking or false bottom, 

 and this is frequently charred by burning grass and 

 light brushwood underneath, which prevents in some 

 measure the attacks of the worm. 



Four channels lead out of the Inland Sea, and, from 

 their narrowness, the tides rush through at great speed. 

 The I^aruta, or "whirlpool," between the island of 

 Awadji and Sikok, is very narrow; through here the 

 ebb and flood tide literally falls eight feet in 200 yards. 

 In passing through in a ship, you feel as if rushing 

 to something unknown. Very few people venture to 

 take this channel, and wisely; but from being intimately 

 acquainted with the tides, rocks, and locality generally, 

 I often took it with perfect confidence in ordinary 

 weather. In fact, after getting within the influence 

 of the rush of water, you are carried through in 

 safety nolens volens. When deer-shooting once, on the 

 Sikok side, and passing close to the rocky point which 

 formed the boundary of the pass on that side, we were 

 not a little surprised to see one of our men-of-war 

 approaching from the Inland Sea, but after watching 

 her through in safety, we thought nothing more of the 

 circumstance or of her bold captain until, meeting him 



