FLOATIXG ISI.ANDS. 
91 
“A general langli here caused him to cough nervously 
and renew the hail: — ‘Phrau man-a-ar!’ 
‘“Lower a boat, Mr. Bridge,’ at length ordered the 
captain, ‘and send her to see what they are; we may hail 
here all night.’ So the boat was lowered and pulled off 
toward the piratical phraus. They proved to be small 
floating islets of brushwood and densely packed grass 
drifting with the current; and the discovery was no 
sooner made than our alarmist was on deck. 
“‘Why, where are your guns?’ asked one. 
“‘Jist mind your own bisness, will ye?’ Fortunately 
for the navy, our alarmist subsequently became disgusted 
with the expedition, and left the service of his country 
for the retirement of a counti’y-life.” 
These and many similar incidents were now laid before 
us in return for the letters we had brought; and, as a 
kind of dessert to the reunion, they showed us a sick-list 
which seemed to proclaim the survey at an end : nearly 
half our force was hors de combat, and the other half 
was composed of men whose overtaxed muscles moved 
slowly to the daily work Still, we hung to it bravely, and 
were soon rewarded with the most entire success: the 
survey of Gaspar Straits was ended. The Hancock and 
Kennedy left for IIong-Kong, vid Singapore, with their 
crippled crews, toward its close, and left the Cooper and 
my boat to fill in a few soundings and sail for the former 
place direct in a few days. We Avere destined to pass 
through some suffering and a vast deal of alarm and 
anxiety before the expiration of that time ; but we knew 
it not then, and went on our careless way. 
