narrow, that stones might easily be thrown across from
either shore; while, on the contrary, the breadth of the Schischmaref
Strait admits of tacking, and renders its passage easy with a good ship.
The water in the Lagediak is so transparent, that in a depth of fourteen
fathoms, every stone at the bottom is discernible; the officer who sat
in the tops on the watch for shallows, deceived by this appearance,
expected every moment that the ship would run aground.

We continued to sail pleasantly on the beautiful smooth water of the
basin, but the wind blowing directly off the island of Otdia, (after
which the whole group is named, and where I hoped to meet with Rarik,) I
was compelled, as it grew dark, to cast anchor before the island of
Ormed, in a depth of thirty-two fathoms, on a bottom of fine coral sand.
Till the ship entered this natural harbour, the courage of the islanders
did not quite forsake them, as they supposed the entrance to be unknown
to us, and the exterior coast they trusted to the protection of the
surf; but when we had penetrated into the basin, the panic became
universal. We observed a constant running backwards and forwards on the
shore; canoes hastily laden and rowed away, some to the right and some
to the left, but none coming near us. The whole island of Ormed seemed,
on our arrival, to have fairly given up the ghost. It was not till after
dark that we could perceive any trace of life upon it; large fires were
then kindled in two places at some distance from each other, while many
smaller ones were flickering between them. We could also hear a sort of
shrieking song, accompanied by the drum, which I knew to be their manner
of calling on the gods for help, and which proved the extent of the
alarm we had occasioned. This religious rite lasted through the night,
but with the morning's dawn my friends had again disappeared, and the
stillness of death prevailed as before.

We weighed anchor, and endeavoured by tacking to reach Otdia; and in so
doing, often came very close upon the little picturesque bright green
islands which studded the sparkling lake. The fresh morning breeze
wafted aromatic odours towards us; but the huts of the inhabitants stood
empty and desolate. When we were near Otdia, we again descried canoes
sailing as close as possible to the shore. The population was busy on
the strand, but no one seemed rightly to know what should be done in
this alarming crisis. We next saw a long proces