NOCTURNAL VISITORS. 179

quarter. However, I was under no apprehension
from wild animals; crocodiles and caymans never
haunt the open coast, but keep in creeks and
lagoons, and there are no ravenous beasts on the
island. The only annoyance I suffered was from
the nocturnal perambulations of an immense variety
of crabs of all sizes, the grating noise of whose
armour would sometimes keep me awake. But
they were well watched by my dog; and if any
one ventured to approach, he was sure to be sud-
denly seized and thrown to a more respectful
distance ; or, if a crab of more tremendous appear-
ance deterred the dog from exposing his nose to its
claws, he would bark and frighten it away, by
which, however, I was often more seriously alarmed
than the occasion required. Many a comfortable
night’s rest have I had in these sepulchral dormi-
tories when the nights were clear and dry.”

But although there was little to fear from the
attacks of savage animals on Nancauwery, Haensel
assures us that 1t would have been hazardous in
the extreme to expose oneself thus on the Con-
tinent, as well as in some of the other East Indian
islands, on account of the numbers of these crea-
tures of various descriptions with which they
abound. He was himself in imminent peril on one
of his voyages either to or from Queda. A Danish

ship hailed their vessel, and approaching them m-
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