410 
BERIMBAL. 
end, but at the stern sloping to a level with the water, for the 
facility of drawing in the nets. The lake, though salt, is only 
three or four feet deep, with a muddy bottom. The men, as it was 
calm, pushed us along with poles. We had ordered the Rais to 
keep together, but one boat went away to the south, and, in defiance 
of our signals for her to join us, continued her Course till she 
reached the shore, and took in four fellows, for which act of disobe- 
dience we gave the Rais a good flogging. A fine breeze sprung 
up, with which we made tolerable way, but at four we were 
not a quarter of the way to Bourlos, and therefore determined to 
stop at a little island ahead. We reached it at five, and took a 
hearty dinner of cold mutton and pork, and our example was fol- 
lowed by our boatmen, in defiance of their religion, I prepared my 
couch as a tent ; the other gentlemen procured a small tent about 
ten, and slept under it. 
April 24. — ^We proceeded at eight, but the breeze being very 
fresh and unfavourable, we were obliged to tack frequently among the 
islands. Our Rais wished us much to stop at another island, where 
there was fresh water, but we positively refused, and obliged him 
to go on, though he pleaded that there was not water enough close 
to Bourlos, and that we could only go over the bank when the wind 
was fair and strong. At two we were off the spot he represented : 
it was indeed very shallow, and we were glad to send some of our 
party into a small fishing boat, to lighten our own, when the breeze 
blew very fresh, and we got safely over. The shoals near Bourlos 
obliged us to go a considerable round, before we could reach the 
channel by which the sea enters the lake. The current here, incon- 
sequence of the N. E. wind, was so strong that we were obliged to 
