shouts and wild gesticulations, and as the glare
of the fire shot past him, he appeared to be
clothed in flame, whilst his gaunt arms flung
titanic shadows along the distant plain, like
those of a monster windmill hard at work in
the midnight breeze.

The appointed time drew near; a gong
sent forth a few notes of thunder, and with
magic suddenness the dancing, singing, and
drinking ceased. The Shark-Charmer stole
away, no one knew where; some thought to
pray, more probably into the Arrack Bazaar;
the boatmen, divers, and government Peons,
crowding down the beach and through the
water, passed to their appointed posts in the
boats. More than four thousand human beings
packed themselves into those frail-looking
craft, and yet they were not so crowded as
not to leave room for the oysters. The
Adapanaar led me to his cutter; we seated
ourselves, and he gave orders to the head Tandal,
or commodore of the fleet, to make all ready.
Then arose a low indistinct murmur, which
gradually swelled into hollow thunder: the echo
of thousands of voices. The boatmen rose up
on their benches, flung high their arms, opened
their huge mouths and rolled their shining
eyes. What could all this mean? Was it a
revolt? No,—the Shark-Charmer was missing
from his post; without his potent presence
not a boat of all the fleet would put to sea.
A detachment of Peons, and a few Malay
riflemen were despatched in search of the
"holy" truant. In a few minutes they returned
leading the charmer of the deep staggering
along in a most mysterious manner, and flinging
his arms about him as though possessed.
The Peons rolled him very unceremoniously
into one of the largest boats, where he fell on
the flooring with a heavy crash.

The Adapanaar gave the final signal amidst
a momentary hush; a small field-piece was
fired from the base of the flag-staff, half-a-
dozen rockets shot into the air and scattered
themselves in a thousand stars over our heads,
and away went the two hundred boats in
gallant style! A loud discordant shout was
raised on shore, answered lustily by the crews
and divers, and then all was still again. The
land breeze was fresh: the water smooth as
glass; and our fleet made rapid way. The
large, yellow bamboo masts pointed high in
air, with their enormous, beautifully white
transparent sails filling with the breeze, and
lit up by the bonfire on shore, seemed as
though they were a host of huge winged
creatures of the deep, hastening to their sea-
homes far away. On the soft cushions of our
roomy craft, I laid me down beneath the
awning's shade, and slept some quiet hours.
I started from my rest on hearing some one
near me giving orders in a loud voice. It
was still dark, and looking out I perceived a
bright small light not very far distant. It was
a signal-light at the mast-head of the
"Wellington." We were close to the "Banks," and
in a few minutes I was on board the vessel.
The fleet went astern, and there quietly
awaited day-light. By the time we had sipped
a cup of hot coffee, and smoked a cheroot, it
was broad daylight, and then a move was
made. I passed once more to the soft cushions
of the cutter, the Adapanaar saw all ready,
and in a few minutes a gun was fired, and off
we went as before.

The fishing-grounds lay above half a mile
a-head of the bark, and arriving on them, it
occupied some time to arrange the many boats
in proper order, so as to prevent delay or
confusion. The sun had risen, bright and
gorgeous, over the land. All eyes were turned
towards the "Wellington," awaiting the
expected signal to commence operations. Five
divers in each boat were mounted on the
gunwales, armed with their diving-stones, nets,
and ropes; the remaining five stood eagerly
watching them. The Inspector was standing
on the vessel's poop—the boatswain by
his side, with the signal halyards in his
hands. Minutes seemed hours. At last there
was a move on deck, and the signal-flag
rose slowly upwards; the union-jack fluttered
in the morning breeze, and just as it touched
the mast-head a thousand divers, with their
stones and nets, plunged silently in the sea.
I shall not easily forget the sensation I
experienced when I saw the crowd of human
beings sink, as by magic, in the depths below,
leaving but a few bubbles to mark their
downward path. I pulled out my watch; a minute
elapsed, and not one of all the thousand
appeared; a minute and a quarter—a minute
and a half—three quarters—two minutes—
still not a soul rose to the surface. I dreaded
some fearful calamity. Two minutes and
a quarter had flown; the drops of perspiration
gathered thickly on my forehead; my
hands trembled, so that I could scarce
hold my watch. I turned to the Adapanaar
in an agony of anxiety, but he was sitting
calm and quiet as an oyster. How gladly
my heart beat when I saw first a dozen
heads and shoulders, then fifty, then five
hundred and more, ascend to the surface, bubbling
and spluttering, as well they might after such
a submarine excursion. And then the bustle
and excitement began in good earnest, on all
sides. The boatmen helped to pull in the
nets full of oysters; the divers, but little
fatigued, climbed over the boats' sides, and
saw their fish counted into distinct heaps by
the Peon in charge of the boat. Each net
appeared to have brought up from fifty to
seventy oysters. As the last of the divers
came over the boats' sides, the five hundred
who had quietly waited their turn rose up,
and, with their nets and stones, plunged in as
their comrades had before them, as rapidly
and as silently.

The arrangements for diving are exceedingly
simple:—the diving-stone is a piece
of granite, conical-shaped, and weighing
about ten pounds; through one end of it
a double cord of coir is rove, of sufficient