story has been an unconscionably long one. I think I
will go on deck and smoke a last cheroot, and then turn in."

"If you were a new hand from England, I should say that you had
better smoke it here," Fairclough said; "for the mists from the
water and swamps are apt to give fresh hands a touch of fever."

The time passed pleasantly, as they made direct for the mouth of
the straits between the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. There was a
light but steady breeze and, on the morning of the eighth day after
sailing, Harry, on going on deck, saw land on the port side. As the
lieutenant, on the evening before, said that they should next day
sight the Great Andaman, he was not surprised.

On looking at the chart, he said to Fairclough:

"I should have thought that it would have been shorter to go on the
other side of the islands."

"It would have been rather shorter; but there are four or five
islands to the north of the Andaman, and another very small one
halfway between it and Negrais, so I preferred going outside. When
we get south of the Little Andaman Island, we shall pass between it
and the Nicobar Islands. I fancy that they, and perhaps the
Andamans, once formed a part of Sumatra. They are scattered almost
in a line from its northern point. The land has probably sunk; and
these islands were, no doubt, the summits of mountains forming part
of the chain that runs through Sumatra.

"Once through the passage south of Little Andaman, we shall sail
due east for a day or two; and then lay her course nearly
southeast, which will take us right up the straits between Sumatra
and the Malay Peninsula."

"Are there any islands scattered about there?"

"There is one nasty little group, called the Arroa Islands, nearly
in mid-channel. I shall take care to pass them in daylight. Farther
down there are several largish islands near the Sumatra coast but,
as the passage is some sixty miles wide, there is little fear of
our running foul of them."

"Have the Dutch any settlements at Sumatra?"

"Two or three. Palembang is the principal. It is on a river that
runs down into the Banca Straits. I believe that they have trading
stations at Jambi and Siak."

A fortnight later the brig anchored off the coast of Singapore.
During the voyage, Harry had had many conversations with the
Malayan interpreter. The latter told him that the chief who had
written might not be in a position to carry out his offer. Not only
were the small Malay sta