120 VOYAGE FROM INDIA TO SIAM AND MALACCA. 



my calling does not demand any mbiute knowledge of such things. 

 The momitains here were less overgrown. A flat rock, showing 

 little above the surface of the water lay about half a German mile 

 distant from the others, deeper in the sea. At night we again 

 cast anchor. 



26. — To-day we had very strong north-east w4nd, which 

 was very unfavourable for us, as our course was just in that 

 direction. We had on both sides high land; on our left we specially 

 saw the Penno Mountains which the Siamese call, "the mountains 

 with hundred peaks." Our captain told me that there are abun- 

 dant gold mines in these mountains, which have however been 

 deserted since the insurrection of the Burmans. The present king 

 of Siam would not have them re-opened, for fear that his nation 

 might again fall into luxury and effeminacy throug'h riches. Ac- 

 cording to the captain's versioTi the gold was very line. The wind 

 increased, and to-vvards midday we were driven quite close to the 

 western coast, not far from a place called Pepery,* and there near 

 some very high mountains we were obliged to cast anchor again; 

 a Chinese junk was forced by. the weather to do the same. To- 

 wards evening the wind calmed down a little, and as we had only 

 about ten fathoms of water, , ^ome of our people began to fish. 

 Amongst other fish they caught an Echineis Naucratts,^ but one 

 could easily see that it was still young, as it was not quite tv/o 

 feet long. The whole body was of a black lead colour, with a 

 bright white stripe on either side underneath, running- along the 

 whole leng"th of the body. It sucked the ship so firmly that they 

 tore it a little when they pulled it up. The shield of the head 

 was four inches in length and five quarters of an inch in width; 

 it had twenty-five furrows, w^hich were edged with stiff hair and 

 this part was quite black, and as the animal was damaged I only 

 kept and dried this furrowy part. 



I made the following' description of two fishes, one of them 

 I believe to be a Lahrus, the other a perch. The upper lip is a 

 little longer than the lower, broad, shiny, double. The teeth are 

 numerous, sharp, small and of equal size. The nostrils are near 

 the eyes, oblong, with a depression near them, which is smaller than 

 the nostrils. The eyes are rather projectmg, big, their iris is 

 g'old-coloured, their pupil black and large. The gill-covers are 

 divided cross ways, the first one is indented with small teeth/ 



* Pipri. t A bucking-Sbh. 



