CHAP. X.J 



AMPANAM. 



153 



fVirm rollers which toppled over on to the beach at regular 

 intervals with a noise like thunder. Sometioiea this surf 

 increases suddenly dui-ing perfect calmis, to as great a force 

 and fury as %vhen a gale of wind is hlowio^', heatiug to 

 pieces all boats tliat may uot have heeu hauled sufficiently 

 high upon the beach, and can-ying away incautious natives. 

 Tlua violent surf is probably in some way dependent on 

 the swell of the great southern ocean, and the violent 

 currents that flow through the Straits ol" Lombock. These 

 ai"0 so uncertain that vessels preparing to anchor in the 

 bay are sometimes suddenly swept away into the straits, 

 and are not able to gel back again fur a fortnight ! 

 What seamen call the '* ripples " are also very violent in 

 the straits, the sea appearing to bod and foam and dance 

 like the rapids below a cataract ; vessels are swept about 

 lielpless, and small ones are occasionally swamped in the 

 tinest weather and under the brightest skica, 



I felt considerably relieved when all my boxes and 

 myself had passed in safety through the devouring surf, 

 which the nutives look upon with some pride, saying, 

 that " their sea is always hungry, and eats up everything 

 it can catch." I was kindly received by Mr. Carter, an 

 Englishman, who is one of the Bandars or heensed traders 

 of the port, who offered me hospitality and every assistance 

 tiuring my stay. ITis house, storehouses^ and offices were 

 in a yard surroimded by a tall bamboo fence, and were 

 entirely constructed of bamboo with a thatch of grass, the 

 only available building materials. Even these were now 

 veiy scarce, owing to the great consumption in rebiulding 

 the place since the great fire some months before, which in 

 an hour or two had destmyed every building in the town. 



The next day I went to see Mr. S., anoilier merchant 

 to whom I had brought letter's of introduction, and who 

 lived about seven miles oil Mr. Carter kindly lent mo 

 a horse, and I was accompanied by a young Dutch gentle- 

 man residing at Anipanam, who olfered to be my giiide. 

 We first passed tlurough the town and subin-bs along a 

 straight road bordered by mud walls and a fine avenue of 

 lofty trees ; then through rice-lielda, irrigated in tlie same 

 matmer as I had seen them at Bilellug, and afterwards 

 over sandy pastures near the sea, antl occasionally along 



