Arriving before the principal town (Doang) he found the walls too strong to storm without cannon. He therefore commenced a strict blockade, which as they had neither provisions nor water in the town, obliged them to surrender on the seventh day from the commencement of the siege. Ramanetaka then, after disarming the walls of their cannon, and the people of their muskets, swords, &c., returned in triumph to Johanna. For this service the king of Johanna gave him an estate on which to locate himself and people, and he remained there five years peacefully directing the cultivation of it.

In this time the Johannese respected Ramanetaka very much for his uprightness, and frequently contrasted his conduct as a prince among his own people, with that of their own king, to the sad disadvantage of the latter. This excited the jealousy of the king, who sent for Ramanetaka, and said you must leave my country as your influence is getting greater than mine. Ramanetaka, therefore, once more prepared to embark in quest of a home.

But in the meanwhile some of the chief men came to him and said, "The people are all with you, why don't you become our king"; to which he generously replied, "Your king first received me when I came here, how then can I turn him from his throne". Seeing that they could not prevail on Ramanetaka to join them, they proceeded without him, and drove the king off the island; then again offering the authority to Ramanetaka, he accepted it, the former king having gone to Mohilla, where he died shortly after. Some time after this Ramanetaka went to Mohilla where he was elected king also, and for some reasons which do not appear he took up his residence there, seldom visiting Johanna.

This probably excited the jealousy of the Johannese, who threw off his authority and elected another king. And now commenced a series of expeditions from one island against another in which the Mohilla, people were generally victorious without gaining any substantial advantage; the Johannese being driven to great distress by this sort of warfare appealed to the governor of Mauritius, who wrote several letters to Ramanetaka threatening him with the severe displeasure of the English if he did not cease. I question whether he ever comprehended the contents of these letters, for they had been preserved with great care, and were now produced for our inspection, with as complaisant looks as if they had been so many good certificates.

Ramanetaka has been dead a considerable time, leaving the government in the guardianship of the governor of the town (a native of Mozambique) till his daughter (the present queen) becomes of age.

Since Ramanetaka's death the power of these people has considerably declined, and although they still have a respectable shew of muskets, yet their large guns, as well as the walls of the town on which they stand, are fast falling into decay.

Doang is the principal town of Mohilla. It is walled round, and situated close to the beach, similar to Johanna, which it much resembles in appearance. Along the sea face is a solid rampart or platform for

very

a battery of guns, but only a few old guns without carriages were here. The queen's house is situated at the north-west corner (nearer the beach) of the town; it is built in the European style, and of respectable dimensions. The principal mosque is situated on the beach outside the town wall. The land near the beach is low, rising very gently till it joins the ridge of moderately elevated land running through the middle of the island. It is thickly clothed with wood, and entirely wanting in that variety of scenery that gives such a charm to Johanna.

The natives say there are several fine harbours formed by the reef on the south-western shore of the island, and the commander of the French schooner told me that the governor of Mayotte intended sending a manof-war over to survey them. He also informed me that the island is very unhealthy for Europeans; but then similar reports were against Johanna at one time, which subsequent experience has proved without any foundation.

The present queen of Mohilla, being the daughter of Ramanetaka, is said to be the rightful heir to the crown of Madagascar, and I suppose in anticipation that she may one day be recalled to that high station. The French authorities at Mayotte take considerable interest in her education. But notwithstanding this the friendship of the English would be preferred at present. The dying request of Ramanetaka being to endeavour to' secure the friendship of the English, should an opportunity ever present itself; and from the great respect they all bear to his memory this will be done, whilst the queen is of such a tender age, but of course, as she grows up under the influence of a French education, it is not unlikely that she may change her policy.

Here our interpreter had the pleasure of meeting "Joseph," one of his Christian countrymen, who escaped with him from Tamatave at the time of the Christian persecution, after the accession of Ranavalona the present queen of Madagascar..

He is employed here as a missionary, and from his serious and sensible conversation and behaviour, I should think well qualified for the task. James was quite delighted to be with his countrymen again. and they were equally pleased to see him. He remained on shore the whole time we were here, and became a general favourite; indeed, if he had not been already married it was rumoured that he might have become king of the Mohilla.

Early on the morning after our arrival, I proceeded to place myself in a position to get a "base" for a survey of the anchorage, from the sound of the guns fired to salute the queen,-this was done at 8 o'clock. The battery on shore returned our salute directly; and considering that most of their guns are rusty old things without carriages they got through it wonderfully well.

As the whole of the day was taken up with the "survey", and we were to sail early on the morrow, I was obliged to land at night for ob

servations.

The night being fine I finished them by 2h. A.M., when finding that

my boat had grounded I had no resource but to wait patiently till the tide rose again. Hearing a noise of revelry in the court yard below the rampart I descended and found James, our interpreter, in the middle of a war dance, to the intense delight of some 60 or 70 Hova women, who were beating time with their hands. Ascending the steps again and entering a room in an old tower attached to the queen's house, I found the little French governess and the inissionary Joseph in conversation, in which I joined. Happening to speak of the probability of the Malagasy Christians being permitted to return again to their country, Joseph said with great energy, 66 I pray to God that it may be so, it would be

happiness indeed.”

The little governess producing a large accordion enquired if I could play it, fortunately Mr. Jones (my assistant) understood it perfectly, and entertained them with waltzes, polkas, and marches alternately, till near daybreak, to their intense delight, when the tide rising enabled us to return on board.

I found out the next day that the queen and all her attendants had been listening to the music all the time within a few feet of us, but they would not enter the room for fear of disturbing us.

Having furnished ourselves with fresh stock at Johanna we did not make any purchases here, but a fine fat bullock was sent off to the ship from the queen as a present. From the quantity of cattle I saw on shore I should think this island would furnish supplies to any ship putting in here, but the watering place is some distance from the anchorage, and the anchorage itself is more open than at Johanna. It is a great pity that the south-west side of the island is not properly surveyed, as should the report of the natives concerning the harbours to be found there prove correct, this island of all the group would be the most convenient for vessels passing through the Mozambique in the north-east

monsoon.

I shall conclude this account of Mohilla with a few remarks on making the anchorage off the town of Doang.

E.S.E., about three miles from the south-east end of Mohilla is a large white rock about 200 feet high, very remarkable, and which cannot fail to be seen by any vessels approaching from this quarter. Doang the principal town of Mohilla, lies N.W. about 14 or 15 miles from this rock. Running towards the anchorage from this quarter I do not think it safe to approach the coast nearer than one mile, until it is better examined. When a ship has approached within the limits of the plan, the bottom can be plainly seen in 9 fathoms. The best anchorage is marked in the plan. Whilst at Mohilla we had light variable winds chiefly from the southward with fine clear weather. Barometer rising to 30-10, temperature 75° to 77°. We have not had a sprinkling of rain since passing Cape Amber.

I ought to mention that the story of Ramanetaka's adventures were furnished me by James, our interpreter.

Left Mohilla on the 12th of September, steaning against a light

S.S. Westerly wind, 13th at noon in lat. 14° 30′ S., long. 44° 52′ E. Barometer steady at 30.12, thermometer 79°, current N.E.b.N. 9.

The rise of the barometer a tenth before leaving Mohilla prepared us for a southerly wind, and as in the passage nothing occurred worthy of notice, I will only remark that the wind veered from S.S. W. to S. on the second day after leaving, then shortly to S.E., falling calm when within 60' of Boyanna Bay. Shortly afterwards springing up again from N.E., it blew pretty fresh, then decreasing in strength it veered to north, falling calm as it veered to the westward.

September 14th we entered Boyanna Bay nearly mid-channel, and met with very irregular soundings, not shewn in Captain Owen's plan of the place; among which were several casts of quarter less four fathoms, but upon getting inside the bay heads it deepened to 9 and 10 fathoms. On mentioning this circumstance to the masters of two merchant ships we found at anchor here, I was told that no danger existed, and that nothing less than 3 fathoms would be found anywhere at a moderate distance from the shore. However, until better surveyed I should always proceed over these patches with caution.

The Geyser anchored in 14 fathoms at low water with the north point of the bay N.b. W., and Sandy point (Bullock point) W.b.S. S., little less than a mile from the shore.

Thus at

During our stay here land and sea breezes blew regularly, but continually changed their direction with the course of the sun. daylight, if there was any wind at all it was from the east; by 8 o'clock it would work round to north-east, a nice gentle breeze; now freshening fast it would gradually veer round to north by noon (blowing right in the harbour) its strength now about 5 or 6 bc, and then during the afternoon to north-west, decreasing and veering to west by sunset, then dying away; after a short interval of calm the land wind commences; at midnight it is at its greatest strength, blowing from the southward, and gradually veering round to east by morning. The barometer 29-98, temperature ranging between 74° and 82°. Fine weather, but lightning every evening to the southward.

SKETCHES At the NICOBARS.

HAVING recently visited the Nicobar Islands, I shall endeavour in the following pages to give some sketches of the manners of their inhabitants. The first island where we stopped was Car Nicobar, the most northern of the group. At a short distance from shore, we were hailed by a canoe fitted with out-riggers and having from five to six natives in it. In the distance we only saw in the shape of dress two hats amongst the whole party, and nothing else, but when they came nearer

we found each man had a piece of cloth round his loins of about two inches in breadth. On coming on board, these natives showed the most easy coolness and confidence: they took possession of the poop, sat upon our chairs, crossed their legs, and prefaced all their questions with "I say." Their principal demands were for muskets, hatchets, cloth, and mirabile dictu, soup ladles. We could not imagine to what use the soup ladles were to be applied, till we found that with silver wire the women adorn their arms and fingers. I told them I was coming on shore and going to make a house, to which they evinced the most strenuous opposition, asking if I was a Padre. We found all this opposition arose from a recent visitor having filled their minds with suspicions of the Danes and other white people, persuading them that the consequence of Europeans, especially missionaries, settling amongst them, would be the ruin, and depopulation of the islands.

The next morning we landed in an open sandy beach, whereon I determined to pitch my tents. I took a walk into the jungle, where some of the trees, the Barringtonia speciosa, grow to a most glorious height. I passed through two or three villages. At one where I stopped to drink a cocoa-nut, there issued from one of the houses a young female with a Junonian walk, and not unlike in appearance what I could fancy the Samian goddess, her arms, her thinly clad limbs, and her face were all of the most elegant proportions. The young lady, the next night I was on shore, and when fast asleep, paid me a visit, but alas! for my vanity, which was highly tickled, it was only to beg an empty pot which had held herring paste which she had seen and mightedly coveted! I gave her at the same time a looking-glass. She looked at it and asked its use, to which I replied to see her face, for I never knew a young damsel who did not glory in the reflection of her own charms. Miss Come-again, for that was her name, wound up by asking for a fathom of cloth, which she received.

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 went on shore about half-past eight. Here I was met by Captain Jim Booth, one of the Patriarchs I presume, who asked me how long I was going to remain. I told him six or seven days, perhaps more. He said "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 concluded 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