202 
FIRE. 
able restless condition which succeeds a fever 
attack, a longing seized me to look out of the 
door, for I had for many days been unable to 
leave my sleeping apartment. Fortunate im- 
pulse ! Kobez had piled half-a-dozen great logs 
on the fire of the drying-house (an erection, like 
our dwelling and all the Tenimber tenements, 
of bamboos and atap thatch, now, at the close 
of the dry season, very inflammable), and left 
them to the whims of a strong breeze, which, at 
the moment I looked, had just fanned the fire 
into fierce flames. J sped into the village for 
help, but met the post-holder with his men run- 
ning towards me, attracted by the rushing noise 
of the conflagration. Without a moment’s delay, 
some of them cut great palm-branches to inter- 
pose between the burning house and the over- 
hanging eaves of our dwelling ; others tore apart 
the framework, scattered the bundles of plants, 
and beat the flames with green branches ; while 
the Tenimber natives poured on water, which 
they carried in gourds and bamboos from the 
sea close by. With what breathless anxiety I 
watched the effect of each gust of wind I for the 
thatch of our house — in which were stored several 
tins of petroleum and spirits of wine, and a quan- 
tity of gunpowder— was already scorched. Had 
