110 



LEAVE WASIN. 



kind of one-handled blue and white vase, not 

 usually, in Europe at least, devoted to such pur- 

 pose. The E^iami discharging cargo, we walked 

 into the jungle, followed by a ragged tail of men 

 and boys, to inspect some old Portuguese wells : 

 as we traversed the village all the women fled — 

 a proof that El Islam here flourishes. This part 

 of the island is thinly veiled with a red argil- 

 laceous soil which produces a thick and matted 

 growth of thorny plants, creepers, and parasites : 

 eastward, where the mould is deeper, there is 

 richer vegetation, and a few stunted cocoas 

 have taken root. After fighting through the 

 jungle, we came upon two pits sunk in the soft 

 rock : Said bin Salim was bitterly derided whilst 

 he sounded the depth, 40 feet ; and by way of 

 revenge, I dropped a hint about buried gold, 

 which has doubtless been the cause of aching 

 arms and hearts to the churls of "Wasin. There 

 is no game on the Island or on the main : in the 

 evening, after a warm bath amongst the man- 

 groves, we left the dirty hole without a shade of 

 regret. 



The coast is here concealed by the usual 

 thickset hedge of verdure, above which nod the 

 tufts of straggling palms : its background is the 

 rocky purple wall of Bondei — Capt. Owen's 



