"By midday, having thoroughly explored the locality, we returned to a tiffin of biscuits and sardines, with unlimited numbers of young coconuts, which one of the men quickly obtained from an adjacent tree. Then the boat was launched and loaded, and with the wind helping for part of the distance we travelled back to the _Terrapin_. "As we passed Kópenhéat two men put out in a canoe with palm-leaf sails to inform us that a party of Shom Pe[.n] was then at their house. But it was now getting late, and the plates for the camera had all been exposed, so, after arranging for the aborigines to remain until next day, we parted from the canoe and proceeded to the schooner." "_March_ 22.--Off again by boat in the morning to Kópenhéat and met the Shom Pe[.n], who had remained overnight; they having come a distance variously estimated at from half a day to two days' journey (!) down the Alexandra River in small canoes of Nicobarese construction. "The headman, who was of the darkest complexion yet met with--a dull chocolate--spoke a little Malay. All were clothed--in far more garments than the Nicobarese--and generally very dirty. "Most of these people were afflicted with elephantiasis in various stages--none seriously, however. Nicobar water is reported to be bad; but, considering the state of the water-holes that the Shom Pe[.n] paths lead to, no surprise can be felt that those who use such a supply should be suffering from this disease. Often the water of the coast natives is unsatisfactory enough in quality, but having plenty of coconuts, they hardly ever use it for drinking purposes. "After we had finished with the people we gave them presents of cotton and sheath-knives, and then followed a path leading to the Dagmar through forest of a very open character. A walk of half a mile brought us to the bank of the river, here about 30 to 35 yards wide. There was very little current, owing to a sandbar across the mouth, which the natives say is dry at half-tide. The banks were jungle covered, and free from mangroves. "Before leaving the village we bought some fowls, and a pair of young monkeys, said to be only three or four months old. They were imprisoned in a pig cage, and seemed half-starved, and were certainly very frightened as they sat clinging convulsively to each other. "There is clear water, 300 or 400 yards wide, before Kópenhéat, with a reef on either side where the sea breaks heavily at high tide, but the anchorage is not so good as at Kunyi or Nyur." CHAPTER XIV GREAT NICOBAR--WEST AND SOUTH COASTS "Domeat"--Malay Traders--Trade Prices--The Shom Pe[.n] Language-- Place Names--Pulo Bábi--The growth of Land--Climbing a Palm Tree-- Servitude--Population--Views on Marriage with the Aborigines-- Towards the Interior--A Shom Pe[.n] Village--The Inhabitants-- Canoe-building--Barter--The West Coast--South Bay--Walker Island-- Chang-ngeh--Up the Galathea River--Water--We leave the Nicobars and sail to Sumatra.