Crossword-Solution: DIB 3 letters, 30 clues 🏆 scrabble score: 6

Notwithstanding the obvious situation of this island in the direct track from the ports of India to the Spice Islands and to China, it seems to have been unknown to the Greek and Roman geographers, whose information or conjectures carried them no farther than Selan-dib or Ceylon, which has claims to be considered as their Taprobane; although during the middle ages that celebrated name was almost uniformly applied to Sumatra.

That Ptolemy's Jaba-dib or dio was intended, however vaguely, for the island of Java, cannot be doubted.

Uncle Dib seemed happy, and evidently had a keen sense of what the consistency of the stew must be to make the flounder palatable.

Dib agreed ('There's trouble!' he exclaimed) and both sprang to their feet, and with anxious countenances hastened to the rescue, Marcy crying out, as he passed Jeff and Guth, 'Stick by the flounder, boys! Stand firm; don't give in until he's well cooked; we'll save the General--you dig in the basting.' The boys, as Grandpapa called them, were crowding the charcoal finely.

Always having a taste for seeing what was going on, I kept close at Dib's heels, and soon saw through the grim smoke where the trouble was.