54 
THE NICOBAR ISLANDS. 
out a weapon in his hand, which he never for a moment quitted. 
They required money for their provisions, though they also expected 
knives, handkerchiefs, and other useful articles as presents. Dol- 
lars were the coin they preferred. We obtained a considerable 
quantity of cocoa-nuts, betle-nuts, papaus, plantains, limes, shad- 
docks, and a root which they call cachu, and which is evidently a 
species of arum. Fowls and pigs were in great abundance ; but 
yams, which we most wanted, were not to be procured; nor did we 
see a single pine-apple. A species of ginger grows wild in the island. 
The woods are chiefly composed of the Barringtonia, Cocoa-nut- 
tree, Tournefortia, Borassus, and Areca I saw: the Aletris fragrans, 
and several shrubs, which, not being in flower, I could not ascer- 
tain. Indeed, the natives objected to our going far into the woods. 
The beach is sand, intermixed with coral rock; over which there 
is a very heavy surf, except a part nearly opposite the village, 
where the boats landed without difficulty. Around the village 
were stuck tall pieces of bamboo, each of which, we were told, 
marked the place where a person had been interred ; and between it 
and the shore was a range of small cleft sticks, with a piece of flesh 
stuck in each; these compose a talisman to keep off death, which 
has visited them in its most dreadful form, the small-pox. An evil 
spirit is worshipped through fear, and has the best habitation in the 
place ; in the front of it are suspended offerings of different kinds. 
The view by Mr. Salt will give a very good idea of this whimsical 
scene. The people speak a broken English, mixed with Portuguese, by 
means of which we found no difficulty in communicating with them. 
We set sail from the island at night, leaving a male and female 
goatjof which they promised to take great care. The pigs purchased 
