ISLES OF PALM 185 



vol. iv., for 1876, pp. 413-483. A paper on the 

 Botany of the Laccadives," based on the collections 

 made by the Investigator in 1889 and 1891, has been 

 contributed to the Jouriml of the Bombay Natural 

 History Society for 1892 by Dr D. Prain. This paper 

 contains some valuable and interesting notes on the 

 islands, compiled from the reports of various explorers. 



After taking astronomical observations for checking 

 the position of Pitti Bank, the Investigator proceeded, 

 with plenty of sounding and dredging on the way, 

 first to Calicut for supplies, and then to the island of 

 Minnikoy. At Calicut we took on board Colonel J. 

 Hill, R.E., the officer then in charge of Indian tidal 

 operations, who wished to inspect the tidal observatory 

 at Minnikoy. At this island we stayed a whole week, 

 and at first I hoped to be able to make a fairly 

 complete zoological and botanical survey of the place ; 

 but this hope went the way of all hopes, for as soon 

 as the inhabitants found out that I was a doctor, they 

 carried me off to a wilderness of sick people, upon 

 some of whom I was even obliged to operate, taking, 

 of course, only such selected cases — for example, the 

 removal of sequestra of dead bone, and the slitting up 

 of fistulous ulcers — as would be immediately benefited 

 by surgery without requiring any complicated after- 

 treatment. In this way a large portion of three of 

 my meagre tale of days had to be withdrawn from 

 the pursuit of natural history. 



