262 
SKETCHES AT THE NICOBARS. 
of her own charms Miss Come-again, for that was her narae, 
wound up by asking for a fathom of cloth, which she got. 
The natives are insatiable in their demands—they stick at 
nothing, they have at times asked me for all my instruments, 
for my dip circle, particularly the needle, which, in flying 
about, excited their unbounded admiration. On Monday 
morning I sent my tents on shore to have them set up, and 
I came on shore about half past eight. Here I was met by 
Captain Jim Booth, one of the Patriarchs X presume, who 
asked me how long I was going to remain. I told him six 
or seven days, perhaps more. He said <c you tell true, no tell 
lie ?” Captain H. came ashore about three hours after, and 
found the whole campong in a turmoil, they were beginning 
to show passive resistance by refusing to have any sort of 
trade with us, and taking me to be a Padre, they had con¬ 
cluded that I was going to build a house and remain there to 
the destruction of the population. Reports had been spread 
over the Island intimating that a Padre had come, and on 
Monday there was a general rendezvous at Anong, the village 
opposite to which we had anchored. Delegates came from all 
parties, nay there was an appearance of a Garde mobile, for 
two attended from the village of Sawa with fusils, one of 
which had lost the hammer, and the other, which was a per* 
cussion one, was unprovided with ammunition. This valiant 
army, when they found their services not likely to be called 
for, returned to the place from whence they came, and as 
their red cotton night caps were being gradually eclipsed by 
the increasing density of the foliage, I could not help ex¬ 
claiming c( Begone brave army don't kick up a row." 
Near to the place I had pitched my tents, was a shady 
retreat to which I retired to take the dip 5 this still more 
excited their fears, for it was the spot where they throw out 
the bones of the dead, after they have been buried for about 
a year. While I was actively employed, a man with the^ 
euphonious title of Captain White came to me with his 
breast all covered over with little bits of green as if he had 
been bathing in mint sauce, but which he assured me was 
(( black man's medecine" and told me that this was the burial 
place of his tribe, and then took me to show the spot, holding 
on to me like grim death. He pointed to a confused mass 
of human skulls, and thigh bones, and jaw bones of pigs, all 
heaped together, and remarked “ plenty black devil got there," 
which, considering that these bones belonged to his Fathers 
and Grandfathers, was highly complimentary. On returning 
to the dip circle he became quite enthusiastic at remarking 
