NARROW ESCAPE OF TtlE BARRACKS FROM FIRE. 93 
places to the depth of two or three feet, which in wet 
weather form a spongy swamp, and in dry weather a soft 
elastic caq^et. We happened just at this time to have 
a spell of very fine ho.t weather. I took the opportunity 
to practice the men in ball shooting so as to give a warm 
reception to the gentleman and his seven hundred men 
should they come. Some of the burning cartridge paper set 
fire, without our noticing it, to this dry and spongy carpet 
of spines, and it increased with such rapidity that very soon 
the whole plain was in a blaze, and the fire rapidly approached 
the barracks. Our water supply was soon expended without 
having made much impression. Fortunately beneath the 
spines w^ts a layer of fine white sand, and by heaping this on 
the flames we managed to smother them. At one time, 
althouo-h we had cut trenches in all directions the fire was so 
close to the barracks that I almost gave up all hope of saving 
them. Later in the afternoon a fresh danger was reported. 
The field magazine in which were stored about seventy 
thousand cartridges was in danger* So I had to move 
them at once. Where to put them was the question, I 
was afraid if 1 placed them with the barrack guard some 
careless fellow might drop a match or light amongst them, 
so the only place 1 could think of was under and around 
my bed, and there they remained till morning. 
The whole interior of the island except where the 
barracks were placed was one dense forest of enormous trees ; 
there was not much jungle except on the edge of the 
numerous creeks and ravines, Once having entered the 
forest you never saw the sky or a ray of sunlight till you 
came out of it, nothing but a grey gloomy sort of twilight. I 
never ventured into it without a compass and timing myself 
