Leaving a party below, to clear away the burnt barrels and debris,
and to extinguish any fire that might still smoulder among them,
the rest returned on deck. Terrible as was the storm, it was a
relief, to all, to cling to the rail and breathe the fresh air,
after the stifling atmosphere of the hold.
The scene, however, was a terrible one. Lightning was flashing
overhead incessantly, although the thunder was only occasionally
heard, above the howl of the storm. The sea was broken and
irregular, leaping in masses over the bulwarks, and sweeping the
decks. The force of the wind continually tore the heads off the
waves, and carried the spray along in blinding showers.
"We are very near the eye of the hurricane," Captain Fairclough
shouted, in Lindsay's ear. "The men at the wheel tell me she has
been twice round the compass, already; but this broken sea would,
alone, tell that. We must get a little sail on the main mast, and
try to edge out of it."
A small stay sail was got out and hoisted, and the helm was put
down a little. Though still running at but a slight angle before
the wind, the pressure was now sufficient to lay her down to her
gunwale. The crew gathered under shelter of the weather bulwark,
holding on by belaying pins and stanchions.
Night had now set in, but it made little difference; for the
darkness had, before, been intense, save for the white crests of
the tossing waves. Sheets of foam blew across the deck and,
sometimes, a heavy fall of water toppled down on the crew. A
pannikin of hot soup had been served out to the men, and this would
be the last hot refreshment they would obtain, before the gale
broke; for the hatchways were all battened down, and it was
impossible to keep the fire alight.
"The best thing you can do is to turn in, Lindsay," Fairclough
said, after the former had finished his soup--a task of no slight
difficulty, under the circumstances. "You can do no good by
remaining up."
"How long is it likely to last?"
"Probably for two or three days, possibly longer."
"I will take your advice," Harry said. "I shall be glad to get
these wet clothes off."
For a time, he was sorry that he had lain down, for the motion was
so violent that he could, with difficulty, keep himself in his
berth. Being, however, completely worn out by the buffeting of the
gale, the efforts required to hold on, the excitement of the fire
and storm, it was not long before he dropped off to sleep; and he
did not wake up until a ray of dim light showed that the morning
was breaking. The motion of the ship was unabated and after, with
great difficulty, getting into his clothes, he went up on deck.
Except that the clouds were somewhat more broken, there was no
change. Dark masses of vapour flew overhead, torn and ragged. The
wild tumble of waves rose and fell, without order or regularity.
Forward, the bulwark on both bows had been carried away, and the
deck was swept clear of every movable object.
One watch was below, the men of the other were for the most part
gathered aft, and lashed to belaying pins. Fairclough was standing
near the wheel. With some difficulty, Harry made his way to him.
"Not much change since last night," he said. "I feel quite ashamed
of myself, for having been sleeping in my berth while you have all
been exposed to this gale."
"There has not been much to do," the commander said. "In fact,
there is nothing to be done, except to keep her as much as we dare
from running straight before the wind. We have not had much success
that way for, as you see, the tumble of water shows that we are
still but a short distance from the centre of the gale. I sent the
starboard watch below at four bells and, in a few minutes, we shall
be relieved. Hardy wanted to stay with me, but I would not have it.
"The cook has managed, somehow, to boil some water, and served a
pannikin of coffee to all hands, just before the watch turned in;
and he has sent word that he will have some more ready, by the time
they come up again."
He looked at his watch, and called out, "four bells."
One of the men made his way to the bell, with alacrity. The watch
below did not come up, for a few minutes, as they waited to drink
their coffee. As soon as they appeared, the men on deck went below.
"All the better for your sleep, Mr. Hardy?" Fairclough asked, as
the other joined him.
"Very much better, sir. I think the cook ought to have a medal. The
cup of coffee before we turned in, and that we have just drunk,
have made new men of us."
"You will call me, instantly, if there is any change, Mr. Hardy.
"Mr. Eden, you had better come with us. The coffee will be ready,
in my cabin."
There was no possibility of sitting at the table. But, sitting down
on the floor to leeward, and holding a mug in one hand and a
biscuit in the other, they managed, with some difficulty, to
dispose of the meal. Then Fairclough, putting on some dry clothes,
threw himself on his bunk. The midshipman retired to his own cabin,
and Harry went on deck.
"How are we heading, Mr. Hardy?" he shouted, when he joined the
lieutenant.
"At the present moment, we are running nearly due east but, as we
have been round the compass, several times, since the gale struck
us, there is no means of saying, with anything like certainty,
where our position is. But I was talking it over with the captain,
before I went down, and we both agreed that, as the centre of the
hurricane is undoubtedly moving to the northeast, we must have gone
a good many miles in that direction.
"Of course, there is no means of determining how far till we can
get a glimpse of the sun; but there is no doubt that, if the gale
continues, we shall soon be in a very perilous position, for we
must be driving towards the Andamans. We may have the luck to pass
north of them, or to go between them.
"We tried, last night, to get up a little more sail; but she would
not stand it, and we were obliged to take it off again. So we can
do nothing but hope for the best."
Two hours later, Fairclough came out again.
"I am afraid that you have not been to sleep," Harry said.
"No. I am all the better for the rest, but sleep was out of the
question.
"How is she heading now, Mr. Hardy?"
"Northeast, sir."
Fairclough took his telescope from the rack in the companion and,
slinging it over his shoulder, mounted the ratlines to the top.
"Have you made out anything?" he asked the sailor stationed there.
"I have thought, once or twice, sir, that I saw land ahead; but I
could not say for certain. It is so thick that it is only when the
clouds open a bit that one has a chance."
Although he had taken his glass with him, Fairclough did not
attempt to use it, at present; but stood gazing fixedly ahead. A
quarter of an hour later there was a sudden rift in the clouds, and
a low shore was visible, some five or six miles ahead; and a dark
mass, much farther off, rising into the cloud. Fairclough instantly
unslung the telescope, and adjusted it. A minute afterwards the
clouds closed in again and, telling the man to keep a sharp
lookout, he descended to the deck.
"We must set the main top-sail on her again, close reefed, of
course. We are running straight for land and, unless I am much
mistaken, it is the great Andaman. There is a lofty hill, some
distance back from the shore. I only caught a glimpse of its lower
part, but none of the small islands have any hill to speak of. The
shore is about six miles off and, as the peak lies about the centre
of the island, and as this is a hundred and forty miles long, we
are some seventy miles from the northern point.
"You know what that means. However, we must do all that we can, to
keep her off."
"Ay, ay, sir," Hardy said, turning without another word, and then
gave orders to the men to set the top sail.
This was done, and the ship's course was laid parallel to the
shore. The wind was now nearly northwest, and she lay down until
the water was several planks up her deck. The crew were all lashed
to windward, clustering where they would be most out of danger,
should the mast go.
Fairclough stood for a minute, looking at the shivering mast, and
the shrouds stretched like iron bars.
"We must get the guns overboard, Mr. Hardy; she will never stand
this," and indeed the waves, striking her broadside, were falling
in a cascade over her.
Calling four of the men, Hardy made his way down into the lee
scuppers, where the water was nearly up to their waists; opened the
portholes and slacked the lashings, when the four guns disappeared
overboard. It required much greater pains to get down the guns from
the port side, as tackle had to be attached to each, so that they
could be lowered carefully, one by one, across the deck; but all
worked heartily, and these also were launched overboard.
"That has eased her, a bit," Fairclough said, when Hardy rejoined
him. "They helped to pin her down, and I could almost feel the
difference, as each gun went overboard."
"I am afraid that it will make no difference, in the long run,"
Hardy said. "She must be making a great deal of leeway, and I
should say that she will be on shore in a couple of hours, at the
latest. Still, we may have time to look out for a soft spot."
"We should not have much chance, in that case, Hardy; my only hope
is in another shift of wind."
"But it will go round more to the north, sir, and then we sha'n't
be able to lie our course, at all. It has gone round a point, since
we got up the top sail."
"Quite so; and I doubt whether it will go round soon enough to save
us. If it should go round a little more to the north, we must try
and get her on the other tack; but I am afraid, in such a sea, she
will not go about. Of course, our great aim is to reach Port
Cornwallis; or, if we cannot get as far as that, I have just been
having a look at the chart, and I see there are three narrow
straits. How much water there is in them, I do not know. They are
most vaguely marked on the chart. One of them is but thirty miles
north of our present position and, if we find that we cannot make
the northern point, I shall try to get in there. I am not sure
that, in any case, it would not be the best plan; for if there is
only water enough to run a mile or so up this passage, we shall
ground in comparatively still water; whereas, as the wind has been
blowing from every quarter, it is almost certain that there will be
a tremendous sea in the open port."
Fairclough placed himself at the wheel, and told the two midshipmen
to go round, and tell the crew that there was an inlet ahead, but
the depth of the water was uncertain. When they approached it, all
hands would come aft, so as to avoid being crushed by the falling
masts. A dozen of the men were to take hatchets, and cut away the
wreckage if the mast fell, leaving only a couple of the shrouds
uncut. When this was done, directly the vessel began to break up,
those who could not swim were to make their way by these shrouds to
the floating mast. Those who could swim could make, at once, for
the shore.
"When all have left the ship but Mr. Hardy and myself, we will cut
the shrouds; and the masts will probably ground, ere long."
While before the sailors had, for the most part, been gazing at the
coast, on which they had little doubt that their bodies would soon
be cast up; they became lively and active, as soon as they received
the order. It seemed that, after all, there was a chance for them.
Four hours passed. The wind had now so far headed them that the
brig could no longer keep her course parallel with the shore. Twice
they had endeavoured to put her about, but each time failed; and
she was now making so much leeway that the coast was less than
three miles away. A tremendous sea was breaking upon it. One of the
midshipmen had, for the past hour, been in the foretop with a
glass; and the captain himself now went up, and took his place
beside him. He saw at once that, accustomed as he was to use his
telescope in rough weather, it would be useless here; for the
motion was so great that it was only by following the midshipman's
example, and lashing himself to the mast, that he could retain a
footing.
"You are sure that you have seen no break in the surf, Mr. Eden?"
"Quite sure, sir."
"We ought not to be far from it, now, if it is rightly marked on
the chart."
Another hour passed, and they were within a mile and a half of the
shore.
"I think that I can see a break, over there, sir," and the
midshipman pointed to a spot a mile along the coast.
"Pray God that it may be so," Fairclough said, "for it is our only
chance."
Two or three minutes later, he said:
"You are right, there is certainly a break there. There is a line
of surf, but it does not run up the shore, as it does everywhere
else."
He at once descended to the deck.
"Thank God!" he said, as he joined Mr. Hardy and Harry who, on
seeing him coming down, had made their way to the shrouds, "there
is a break in the surf. It is not a complete break, but there is
certainly an inlet of some sort. And though it looks as if there
were a bar, there may be plenty of water for us for, with such a
sea as this, it would break in three fathoms of water and, as we
don't draw more than two, we may get over it. At any rate, it is
our only hope."
"It gives us a chance, if we strike," the lieutenant said, "for it
will be comparatively calm water, inside the bar. Those who can
swim should have no difficulty in getting ashore. The others might
do so, on wreckage. Her masts are sure to come out of her, if she
strikes heavily."
"I shall be obliged if you will go up to the foretop, Hardy, and
con the brig in; but mind you, come down before we get to the white
water. You may as well send Mr. Eden down."
Mr. Hardy was not long before he came down again and, at the
captain's suggestion, both he and Harry went below, and armed
themselves with pistols. As soon as they came up again, they took
their places by Fairclough. The seamen had all gathered aft. The
boatswain had cut the lashings holding the spars--that had been
sent down from aloft--in their place by the bulwarks. The boats had
all been torn from their davits, or smashed; with the exception of
the largest cutter, which lay bottom upwards in the middle of the
ship, securely lashed to the deck.
"Now, men," the captain said, raising his voice almost to a shout,
so that all might hear him, "you have behaved as well as men could
do, during this storm; and I have no doubt that you will continue
to do so, to the end. Remember that no one is to leave the ship,
till I give the order. If you are cool and calm, there is good
ground for hope that all may be saved.
"If the mast falls, you who have hatchets run forward at once, and
stand in readiness to cut the lanyards; but don't strike until I
give the order."
They were now fast approaching the line of surf.
"Let everyone take hold of something," Mr. Fairclough shouted. "If
we strike, we are sure to be pooped."
Another minute, and she was close to the breaking waves. Everyone
held his breath as, impelled by a great breaker, she dashed into
the surf with the swiftness of an arrow. There was a shock,
followed by a grating noise, and then the brig slowly came to a
standstill.
"Hold on, hold on for your lives!" the captain shouted, as a wave
even larger than the last came towering up behind them, in an
almost perpendicular wall. It struck the vessel with tremendous
force, and swept waist deep along the deck; while the vessel,
herself, surged forward. There was another shock, but this time
much slighter and, as the next wave carried them on, there was a
general cheer from the sailors.
"She has floated, she is through it, hurrah!"
She was, indeed, over the bar.
"There are men in the water," Fairclough shouted. "Get ready to
cast ropes to them."
Four men, who had been swept overboard by the rush of water, were
rescued; two others were found dead on the deck, having been dashed
against the stanchions, or other obstacles.
The brig continued her course, four or five hundred yards farther
then, as the banks of the inlet closed in, Fairclough gave orders
for the anchors to be let go. Everything had been prepared for this
order, and the anchors at once dropped and, as soon as fifty
fathoms of chain had been run out, the brig swung round head to
wind.
"Muster the men, and see if any are missing."
This was done, and only one, besides three found dead, did not
answer to his name. The general opinion was that he had struck
against something, as he was swept overboard, and had been killed
or disabled; for all who had been seen in the water had been
rescued.
"Serve out an allowance of grog, all round, Mr. Eden," Fairclough
said, "and tell the cook to get his fire alight, as soon as
possible. We shall all be glad of a good meal.
"Well, thank God, everything has ended far better than we could
have hoped for!"
Two hours later the crew, having got into dry clothes, were sitting
down, enjoying a plentiful allowance of pea soup and salt junk;
while the officers were partaking of similar fare, in the cabin.
None who saw them there would have dreamt of the long struggle they
had been through, and that the ship was well nigh a wreck. It was
now late in the afternoon, and Fairclough gave orders that all
might turn in, as soon as they liked; except that an anchor watch,
of four men, must maintain a sharp lookout, for the natives of the
island were bitterly hostile to the whites.
"I don't think there is any real danger," he said to Harry, "or
that they will attempt to take the ship. Their habit is, I have
heard, to lie in hiding, and to shoot their arrows at any stranger
who may land."
They sat chatting, for an hour, after the meal was concluded. Then
the conversation flagged, and Fairclough said, presently:
"I think that we may as well follow the men's example, and turn in.
I can hardly keep my eyes open."
The gale was still blowing strongly, in the morning, though its
force had somewhat abated. But inside the bar there was but a
slight swell, and the brig rode easily at her anchors; for the wind
was now several points west of north, and they were consequently
protected by the land.
The work of repairing damages began at once for, owing to the
length of the voyage, the stores of provisions and water were
beginning to run very short. Two or three buffaloes had been
bought, at the village where Harry had landed but, with the
exception of some fruit, and the meat sent off by the tumangong, no
other fresh food had been obtained, since they sailed from
Calcutta. The boat was turned over and launched; and the work of
making a new fore-top mast, and overhauling the rigging, proceeded
with.
During the day, several of the natives were observed at the edge of
the forest by Harry who, having no special work to do, had been
asked by Fairclough to keep his eye on the shore, and to ascertain
whether they were being watched; as he intended, when the repairs
were finished, to see if any spring of fresh water existed in the
neighbourhood. He therefore kept a telescope directed on the shore
and, soon after daybreak, made out two little men at the edge of
the trees.
The natives of the Andaman Islands are among the lowest types of
humanity known. Their stature does not exceed five feet and, with
their slender limbs and large heads, their appearance is almost
that of a deformed people. They use no clothing whatever,
plastering their bodies with clay, or mud, to protect the skin from
the sun's rays. Animals are scarce on the islands, and the people
live chiefly on fish. They carry bows and arrows, and heavy spears;
to which, in most cases, are added shields. They inhabit
roughly-made arbours, and seldom remain long at any spot; moving
about in small communities, according to the abundance or scarcity
of food. They use no cooking utensils, and simply prepare their
food by placing it on burning embers.
The men first made out soon disappeared but, later on, Harry could
see that there were many of them inside the line of forest.
"It is a nuisance," the captain said, when he told him the result
of his examination of the shore. "I suppose, in a day or two, we
shall have hundreds of them down here. I don't think they will try
to interfere with us, as long as we are at work; but they will
certainly oppose us, if we attempt to enter the forest, and will
effectually prevent our wandering about in search of water. We
could only go in a strong body and, even then, might lose a good
many lives from their arrows.
"Of course, we should be able to beat them off; but I should be
sorry to have to kill a lot of the poor little beggars. One can
hardly blame them for their hostility. Naturally, they want to have
the place to themselves, and are just as averse to our landing as
our forefathers were to Julius Caesar and his Romans.
"Of course they would be, if they only knew it, very much better
off by being civil. We have numbers of things that would be
invaluable to them. For instance, I would willingly give them a
dozen cooking pots, and as many frying pans, if they would let us
obtain water peaceably. I suppose that, at some time or other,
Malays landed here, and carried off a number of heads; or they may
have been shot down by some reckless ruffians of traders, and have
so come to view all strangers as deadly enemies. However, so far as
I have heard, there is no chance of their being friendly; and
native traders say that, of vessels that have been wrecked on the
coast, none of the crew ever escaped.
"By the way, I believe that fish are extremely plentiful here. We
have a good supply of fishing lines on board, for we generally fish
when we are at anchor."
"If you will let me have them, tomorrow," Harry said, "Abdool and I
will look after that. I hate having nothing to do and, certainly,
fish would be a very agreeable change, after such a long spell of
salt meat."
"You shall have them, the first thing in the morning."
Accordingly, the next day the lines were got out; and the Malay
interpreter, who knew a great deal more of fishing than did Harry
or Abdool, took the matter in hand. The hooks were baited with
pieces of meat, or shreds of white or scarlet bunting. The fish bit
eagerly, and all three were kept actively employed in drawing them
up, and rebaiting the hooks. They were of all sizes, from a quarter
of a pound to four or five pounds and, by dinner time, there were
enough to furnish an ample meal for all on board.
"I will keep three or four of the men at work, this afternoon,"
Fairclough said, "and we will have night lines down. We can salt
down those we do not eat and, at any rate, we shall not be drawing
much on our stores."
By evening the new fore-top mast was in its place. As the heaviest
part of the work was now done, orders were given for a boat's crew
to start, in the morning, to cruise along the coast and see if any
stream ran into it. Mr. Eden was to be in command. The crew were to
be well armed, but were not to attempt to effect a landing.
The sea had now calmed down, and the southwest monsoon was blowing
steadily.
"You had better go south. The land is much higher there, and there
is more likelihood of there being streams. I think you will be able
to lie your course or, at any rate, make a long leg and a short
one. You are to go, as nearly as you can tell, twenty miles. If you
do not meet with a stream by that time, turn back. You will have
the wind free, then, and can be back here well before sunset. Of
course, if you find fresh water, you will at once return.
"Would you like to go with the boat, Mr. Lindsay?"
"Very much. My hands are so sore, from hauling in the lines, that I
am afraid I shall not be able to help in the fishing, tomorrow."
The party started early. It consisted of ten men, the coxswain, the
midshipmen, and Harry. The surf was no longer breaking on the bar
outside. There was a bright sea, with white-crested waves and,
before starting, the captain ordered a reef to be put in the sails.
"She could carry full sail, well enough," he said to Harry, "but
there is no occasion for haste; and it is always best to be on the
safe side, especially when a middy is in command. Besides, it is
just as well to keep dry jackets."
A keg of water and a supply of food, sufficient for two days, were
placed on board.
"I expect you will be back by three o'clock in the afternoon, Mr.
Eden; but it is always well to provide against any accident."
With the sheets hauled tight aft, the cutter was just able to lie
her course, outside the line of breakers. In a little over an hour
there was a break in the shore, and a stream of some forty feet
wide fell into the sea; and a general cheer broke from the sailors,
who had been put on allowance for the past week.
"Put her about, coxswain," the midshipman said; "we need go no
farther."
"Can't we land, and have a bathe, sir?" the coxswain asked.
"Certainly not. That is the very thing that we mus'n't do. For
anything we know, there may be natives about; and some of us might
get stuck full of their arrows before we could get out of range.
This will be good news, and there will be no longer any need for
your being kept on short allowance of water."
At ten o'clock the boat re-entered the inlet, and lowered sail by
the side of the brig.
"You have been successful, I suppose, by your coming back so soon,
Mr. Eden?" the captain said, when they were within easy hail.
"Yes, sir. There is a small stream, about seven miles from here."
"That is very satisfactory. Now you can come on board. There is
plenty of work for all hands."
Everyone, indeed, was busy in repairing damages. The carpenters
were engaged upon the bulwarks and the stern, which had been much
damaged by the wave that had lifted them over the bar. As there
were not sufficient planks on board for this work, canvas was
utilized for filling up the gaps in the bulwarks; and this, after
being nailed to temporary stanchions, was coated with pitch. All
hands worked cheerfully. The change of diet already benefited them,
and the news that there was plenty of fresh water near enabled the
remaining supply to be freely used--a matter of no slight
consequence, to men working in the broiling sun.
Two days later the work was finished and, on the following morning,
the anchors were weighed and the sails shaken out; and the brig
left the inlet that had saved them from destruction and, after
sailing out to sea a couple of miles, came about and laid her
course for the mouth of the stream.
The fishing had been continued, without intermission. Watches had
again been set, and the work of attending to the lines was very
welcome, as helping to pass away the four hours of darkness. By the
time they left the inlet, a sufficient quantity had been salted
down to last the ship's company for a week, without recourse to the
salt-meat casks.
The carpenter, with three or four assistants, had patched up the
second cutter--the boat that had been least injured. The others had
been broken up for firewood, some of the pieces being reserved for
the repairs of the cutter.
As soon as the brig reached the mouth of the stream she was
anchored, two hundred yards off the shore. The water barrels had
already been got up on deck, and some of these were lowered into
the first cutter, of which Mr. Hardy took the command. It was not
deemed advisable to employ the second boat in bringing water on
board as, if heavily laden, the water would force its way in
through the hastily-executed repairs. The captain, then,
accompanied by Harry and an armed crew, took his place in her; and
went ahead of the larger boat into the stream.
It was found to be but three or four feet deep, with a slow current
and, for some little distance up, was too brackish to be used. It
was not until they entered the line of forest that it was found
fresh enough. The men in the first cutter proceeded to fill their
casks, while those in the other boat laid in their oars and, musket
in hand, watched the forest. In a few minutes the work was done,
and the first cutter rowed straight for the brig; while the second
cutter followed her, for some distance beyond the trees, and there
waited for her return.
"So far, so good," Fairclough said; "but I am afraid that we shall
be disturbed, before we have made another trip. No doubt, some of
the natives followed the cutter along the shore, yesterday. I don't
suppose they recognized what your object was, as you did not enter
the stream; but when they saw the brig going the same way this
morning, I have no doubt that they set off in this direction.
However, with one more boat load we can manage, well enough, until
we reach the Hooghly for, with this wind, we shall make a quick
run."
In a quarter of an hour the cutter was seen returning and, when it
approached them, Fairclough again took the lead. All appeared still
in the forest, and the men had just begun to refill the casks, when
a shower of arrows fell among the boats.
"Let half your men go on with their work, Mr. Hardy, and the others
stand to their arms."
Not a single foe was visible, but the arrows still flew fast from
among the trees.
"Open fire!" Fairclough said. "Fire anywhere among the bushes. I
don't suppose that we shall hit them, but it may frighten them.
They can't know much about firearms."
From both boats a scattering fire of musketry at once opened, the
men loading and firing as quickly as they could. The effect was
immediate. Arrows still fell, but only occasionally; and evidently
shot at random, for but few of them came near the boats.
The men in the first cutter were working energetically, dipping
breakers into the water and emptying them into the large casks. In
three or four minutes these were filled, and Hardy hailed the
captain.
"We are full up, now, sir, both casks and breakers."
"Then retire at once, Mr. Hardy. We will follow you."
As they issued from under the trees, the arrows again fell fast.
"Don't fire," the captain said; "perhaps they may issue out, and
then we will give them a lesson--that it is better not to interfere
with men who are doing them no harm."
This proved to be the case. No one had been hit by the fire from
the boats and, now that the shooting had ceased, the natives, with
shouts of triumph, ran out from the forest. There were some
hundreds of them.
The captain hailed the boat in front.
"Stop rowing, Mr. Hardy, and open fire on them.
"Now, lads," he went on, to his own crew, "fire steadily, and don't
throw away a shot."
[Illustration: The rattle of musketry broke out again.]
As the rattle of musketry broke out again from both boats, many of
the natives dropped. The others stopped, at once. A shower of
arrows was discharged; and then, as the fire was kept up, they fled
back into the woods; and the men, again taking to their oars, rowed
out without further molestation to the brig. None of the crew had
been killed, but four were wounded by the arrows.
"I hope they are not poisoned," Fairclough said, in a low voice, to
Harry. "I don't know whether they use poison, on these islands; but
we must hope not. However, we will not frighten them by even
hinting at the possibility of such a thing."
Happily, however, no evil symptoms resulted. The wounds were, for
the most part slight and, the next day, all were able to return to
their duty. The fair weather now set in and, ten days later, the
brig dropped anchor in the river, opposite Calcutta.
Harry at once went ashore, and handed to the Governor a full report
of what had taken place.
"I have not time to read this rather bulky report of yours, at
present, Captain Lindsay," the latter said, with a smile. "Please
give me the pith of it, as shortly as possible."
"The island, sir, is well adapted for a trading station; and would,
I should think, when the forests are partly cleared away, be a
healthy one. I have interviewed the tumangong, who has signed a
document agreeing, at any time in the future that it may be
desired, to cede either a trading station or the whole island to
us. He was greatly pleased with the presents that you sent; and is,
I believe, thoroughly in earnest in his desire for a trading
station to be established so close to him. The Rajah of Johore has
ratified this agreement, and has given his cordial consent for the
cession of the island to us.
"It seems that he, himself, is an usurper. The rightful heir is a
boy of seven or eight years old, and I think it is possible that,
either at the present man's death, or possibly even before that, he
may ascend the throne. At present, he and his mother are in the
hands of the reigning rajah; but I have promised her that, if we
take possession of Singapore, she and her son can find an asylum
there, and a small pension for her maintenance; and she, on her
part, has promised that she will bring up her son to regard us as
his best friends; and that he, if he ascends the throne, shall also
ratify the treaty, and will become our warm ally.
"As to the Dutch, the reply of their Governor is with the report,
but certainly it is an unfavourable one; and no cooperation, in the
work of repressing piracy, can be expected from them."
"I did not expect it, Captain Lindsay; and indeed, as I told you at
the time, only sent you to Batavia in order to account for the
presence of one of our ships of war in those waters.
"Well, sir, your mission has been, in all respects, most
satisfactory. I shall read your report, and give it full
consideration, at my leisure. For the present you will remain here,
available for any office, military or civil; but at present, at any
rate, you will retain your civil employment.
"I will not ask you to dine with me, today, as it is hardly likely
that I shall have time to read your report, this afternoon; but I
shall be glad if you will do so, tomorrow, and you can then answer
any questions that may suggest themselves to me."