When this finally ceased, I had an attack of fever, which left me so weak and so unable to eat our regular food, that I feel sure my life was saved by a couple of tins of soup which I had long reserved for some such extremity.

I used often to go out searching after vegetables, and found a great treasure in a lot of tomato plants run wild, and bearing little fruits about the size of gooseberries.

I also boiled up the tops of pumpkin plants and of ferns, by way of greens, and occasionally got a few green papaws.

The natives, when hard up for food, live upon a fleshy seaweed, which they boil till it is tender.

I tried this also, but found it too salt and bitter to be endured.
Towards the end of September it became absolutely necessary for me to return, in order to make our homeward voyage before the end of the east monsoon.