FLIGHT OF UATS. 



ISX 



" 26th July. — The whole mo»C[uito sqiuidron arc under 

 aoii along shore, and afibrd an interesting sight, their 

 white sails st^anthug out distinct from tho dark, jungled 

 shore. Anchored at night just within the mouth of the 

 8ibuyow. The natives were soon variouslj at work ; some 

 with their parangs waded up the uiuddj hauk to the 

 nepaJi, the leaves of which they cut for roofing, and tho 

 pith for food. Others threw their jalkh, or round fine; 

 nets, over the shallow piacesj to secure a fish meal ; 

 and some othera more successfully iished witli a .^eine. 

 All was peaceful and safe, although we were disposed 

 along the banka of a river where some few years agu 

 piratical expeditions were of daily oceurrcnce, and this 

 destructive state of things continued until the dwellings 

 all disaj)pcarod, and the inhabitants fled, 



** Towards sunset a remarkable circumstance occurred : 

 — vultures apparently, hut in reality huge hats {pleropm)^ 

 began to fly ovei* where we sat at dinner, ai fresco^ and 

 continued to do so for nearly half an hour, some soaring 

 very high, and others at less clistanoea. Shortly after 

 the last bird had passed, or even before, they began to 

 return exactly the opposite way, and so disappeared. 

 Ifot having a CaMtm in our fleet, we could only 

 detennhie, as many ivise people do, after the events 

 of the next few days, wliether the omen was a 

 hicky one. 



In the evening we amused ouraelves witli drawing 

 up a code of signals, in a council of four. When w^ritfcen, 



