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paratus had been laid up for a month, and it was raining hard. 
At night when I was going to bed a report got about that she 
was to sail early next morning. I had to come on board, 
and, spite of heat and swarms of the most bloodthirsty mos- 
quitoes, to clean plates and filter bath solution. At four 
o’clock in the morning everything was ready j but, mean- 
while, one of Captain Sherrard Osborne’s fleet had come in, 
and totally spoilt the point of view I had chosen. At day- 
light I crossed the straits in a boat, and set up the tent under 
a bank, hoping to avoid the direct rays of the sun. I was 
slightly mistaken. Before long the sun shone directly on the 
tent, and the woodwork inside soon became unpleasantly hot 
to the touch.* I got two pretty good views of the Cr Alabama” 
at anchor, and another in which she appeared steaming out 
of the harbour. 
The steamer left Singapore on December 24th, and the 
same evening a ship was reported on fire. At nine o’clock 
we were close to the burning vessel, which proved to be the 
“ Martaban,” set on fire by the “ Alabama.” The water- 
being perfectly smooth, the effect was magnificent. 
On the 26th I arrived at Penang early in the morning. 
Nothing can exceed the beauty of this island. The heat on 
the low grounds near the sea is very great ; but on the hills, 
which are often hidden by great fleecy clouds, the atmosphere 
is deliciously cool and healthy. The steamer only stopped a 
few hours, but I secured some beautiful negatives. A crowd 
of Chinese and Malays favoured me with their company. 
The water running out of the waste pipe caused great asto- 
nishment. I was told they called my tent “ ruma Setan” 
(the “ Devil’s house”), which name is also applied to the 
Freemason’s lodge at Singapore. 
On New Year’s Eve we anchored at Diamond harbour, on 
the Hooghly, and landed at Calcutta next morning. As soon 
as possible I got my baggage on shore and prepared a silver 
bath of thirty grains of silver to the ounce of water. Finding 
the light far quicker than at Singapore, I thought it well to 
