246 The Gardens of thi Sun. [ch. xnu 



could not have tasted more delicious. Tlie wind had 

 now completely died away, and the current setting in 

 strong against us, we anchored in a sheltered bay until 

 the morning. 



August 2rd. — ^Awoke about three a.m., and finding a 

 fresh breeze springing up, we aroused our men, and got 

 up sail. In about an hour, however, the wind dropped, 

 and the men had to take to their paddles. We had a 

 nice view of the coast just after sunrise, and we also saw 

 Kiaa Balu very distinctly. We had changeable winds all 

 day, but managed to reach Gaya Bay about five o'clock ; 

 and, as wind and cm-rent were now against us, and the 

 men were tired with paddling most of the day, we went 

 ashore on one of the islands to cook, and resolved to 

 remain here all nighty or until a favourable breeze sprang 

 up, which we might expect at any time after sunset. 

 Here, as at Pulo Tiga, the beach is sandy, and is fringed 

 with tall casuarina trees, through which the winds sigh 

 as mournfully as they do through the leaves of a pine 

 forest here at home. 



The broad-leaved pandan {Pandanus duhius) is common 

 here, having a tall, cylindrical trunk, like a cocoa-nut 

 palm, and bearing a branched crown of dark-green leaves. 

 Here also we could obtain plenty of nebong tops ; and 

 on waste patches, near the shore, Tacca pinnatifida grew 

 abundantly This plant is interesting, as affording a 

 kind of starch, much used as food by the South Sea 

 Islanders, but not valued here, where rice is plentiful. 

 Here we found plenty of the large blue pigeon; and 

 although they were very wild, we managed to shoot two 

 or three ; and these, with the fi-esh palm-tops, were a 

 great gain to our cuKnary department. 



August 4.th. — Again a beautiful sunrise. We pulled 

 from under the lee of the island about six o'clock, and 



