137 — 
“ We devoted this day to the exploration of a luouutain 
peak to the S. of us. We took a coloured man as our guide, but 
getting fatigued at our long walk he skeedaddled. However we 
had old Drowsy and Grumbler and they forget for ouce their 
charateristics. and though they did not know any regular path, 
like monkeys they seemed quite at home in the bush, and 
soon found us a way. They were quite delighted with our 
day for they found abundance to eat. I never saw a nigger 
yet that could’nt hud something to make a meal of on a tramp, 
from a cabbage palm to an earth nut inclusive. Here there 
was no need to go to these extremes, for there was any amount 
of mandarine, oranges, guavas &c. with which they beguiled 
the way. 
“ In one of our rests Drowsy gave us a little of his personal 
history, when it appeared that his “ lines ” had fallen in any- 
thing but pleasant places ” formerly, and the recital woko 
him up to most unwonted energy. 
“ He had not been many years in Mahe, but had been sto- 
len by the Arabs from his country which he indicated by 
pointing over the Ocean to where it lay. He had seen his 
father and mother killed, and he with a number of others had 
been put on board an Arab Dhow, where they were terribly 
beaten and ill used. They were fastened hand to hand to pole, 
so that no one could jump over-board, and if, when pursued, 
the Arabs could escape in their boats they would often scut- 
tle the Dhows or set tire to them so that there was no hope 
for poor wretches. This time they were suddenly attacked by 
an English steam launch and captured. The slaves were sent 
on board the Columbine Man of \\ r ar, and the Dhow was burnt, 
the slavers thus meeting the cruel fate they had destined for 
their victims, if the chances had been in their favour. We 
asked if he wanted to return to his native land, but. lie said 
No, Mahe very good place, me well treated and when mo 
work me get plenty eat.” 
“ We returned laden with rare and inters sting botanical 
specimens, but with the exception of a few common shells 1 
saw no other object of natural history. I don’t remember see- 
ing a single bird, not a sound broke the stillness of the woods 
