Part 2 (1/2)
The report of such a skilful physician soon spread abroad Patients flocked to hi a fortune But ere long he had observed other people with symptoms of the sairl, and had learnt also that these sy the betel-nut
Had he been discreet he would have kept his secret to hiood fortune he was a talker, and could not help telling his coood joke--for, sad to say, the life of a poor native is held but too lightly by Europeans
In the end, however, it proved no joke to the doctor The parents of the girl cae, and vengeance was vowed against him by the friends of the deceased His patients deserted hiet rid of the scandal, as well as to get out of the danger that surrounded hie hoht him out
CHAPTER FIVE
THE FIshi+NG-BIRDS
Our travellers were following up one of the tributaries of the Burra southward joins the latter near its great bend The plant-hunter designed to penetrate the Bholan Himalaya, because it had not yet been visited by any botanist, and its flora was reported to be very rich and varied
They were still passing through a settled part of the country, where fields of rice and sugar-cane, with groves of bananas, and various species of palm, were cultivated; some of the latter, as the cocoa-pale-leaved _Caryota_, for the hich they produce
The opiuo-trees, and the great broad-leaved pa, and black-pepper vines, with beautiful green leaves, trained against the stes, and nettle-trees, and the singular screw-pines, and euphorbias, and various species of the orange, were observed along the way
The botanist sawto the Chinese flora, and he could not help res that reminded him of what he had read about China In fact, this part of India--for he was very near the borders of assam--bears a considerable resemblance to China, in its natural productions, and even the customs of the people assimilate somewhat to those of the Celestial land To make the resemblance more complete, the cultivation of the tea-plant has been introduced into this part of the world, and is now carried on with success
But as our travellers proceeded, they becaht Chinathey had yet observed
On rounding a clump of trees they came in view of a e of this lake, they perceived aup, and held in his hands a long slender pole, hich he was poling the boat out towards the centre of the lake
Our travellers, Ossaroo excepted, uttered exclamations of surprise, and came at once to a halt
What had caused them such astonish bamboo pole No Such were common objects seen every day on their journey It was none of these that had brought the It was the fact that along both sides of the boat--on the very edge or gunwale--was a row of large birds as big as geese They hite-throated, white-breasted birds,long crooked necks, large yellow bills, and broad tails rounded at the tips
Although thepole over their heads, now on one side, then on the other, the birds appeared so tame that they did not heed his manoeuvres; and yet not one of thee of the skiff!
Now and then one would stretch its long neck over the water, turn its head a little to one side, and then draw it in again, and resume its former attitude Such taht astonished the Bavarian boys Both turned to Ossaroo for an explanation, who gave it by si the words--
”He go fishee”
”Ah! a fisherman!” rejoined the botanist
”Yes, Sahib--you watchee, you see”
This was explanation enough The boys now re with cormorants; and even at the distance at which they saw them, they could perceive that the birds on the boat were no other than cormorants They were the species known as _Phalacrocorax Sinensis_; and although differing somewhat from the common cormorant, they possessed all the characteristicbreastbone, the beak curving doard at the tip, and the broad rounded tail
Desirous of witnessing the birds at work, our travellers remained stationary near the shore of the lake It was evident the fisher towards his ground
After a short while he reached the centre of the lake; and then, laying aside his long baiving theht do to his pointer or spaniel--and the next s, rose up froht, one and all of the into the water
Now our travellers beheld a singular scene Here a bird was observed swi the crystal below--there the broad tail of another stood vertically upwards, the rest of its body hidden below the surface--yonder, a third was altogether subone down--a fourth was seen struggling with a large fish that glittered in its pincer-like beak--a fifth had already risen with its scaly prey, and was bearing it to the boat; and thus the twelve birds were all actively engaged in the singular occupation to which they had been trained The lake, that but the lass, was now covered with ripples, with circling eddies, with bubbles and foaed, and flapped about after their finny prey It was in vain the fish endeavoured to escape theh the water, and swim beneath with as much rapidity as upon the surface Its keel-like breastbone cuts the liquid eles for paddles, and its broad tail acting as a rudder, the bird is able to turn sharply round, or shoot forith incredible rapidity
A singular circumstance came under the observation of our travellers
When one of the birds had succeeded in bringing up a fish, which was larger than coe for its captor to convey to the boat, several othersforward, to render assistance in carrying the fish aboard!