"Three days after our arrival here (Achin) our Portuguese died of a fever. What became of our Malayans I know not. Ambrose lived not long after; Mr Hall also was so weak that I did not think he would recover. I was the best, but still very sick of a fever, and little likely to live. Therefore Mr Driscol (an Irishman, and a resident in the factory which our East India Company had there then) and some other Englishmen persuaded me to take some purging physic of a Malayan doctor. I took their advice, being willing to get ease; but after three doses (each a large calabash of nasty stuff), finding no amendment, I thought to desist from my physic, but was persuaded to take one dose more, which I did, and it wrought so violently that I thought it would have ended my days. It working so quick with me ... and my strength being almost spent, I even threw myself down once for all.... I thought my Malayan doctor, whom they so much commended, would have killed me outright. I continued extraordinary weak for some days after his drenching me thus; but my fever left me for above a week, after which it returned upon me again for a twelvemonth, and a flux with it." CHAPTER V AN OLD ACCOUNT OF KAR NICOBAR In 1778 Kar Nicobar was visited by Dr I. G. Koenig, a Swede, and pupil of Linnæus. He spent many years in India, both as doctor to the Danish missionaries at Tranquebar, and as naturalist to the Nabob of Arcot. After visiting different parts of India and Ceylon, he started on an expedition to Siam and Malacca, and as his account of the voyage will be but little known to English readers, I have extracted from it such portions as deal generally with the island, leaving out a quantity of botanical matter. A translation of all Koenig's diaries was made for the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, and appears in Nos. 26 and 27 of its Journals. The account commences with the starting of the ship _Bristol_ from Madras on August 8, 1778, on its way to Siam. * * * * * "_August 31, 1778._--At 9 o'clock, land was discovered from the mast. The sails were set and the course directed straight towards the land. A quarter of an hour later, we could distinguish the land from the fore deck; it rose before us like smoke, and seemed to be high and hilly. "As we approached the land, we could from time to time distinguish some white, sparkling spots, especially close to the summit of the mountain; we took them to be chalk stone, but as we came nearer, we saw that they were a peculiar kind of fields interspersed with green.