W.H.G.  Kingston Twice Lost (Fiscle Part-X) 
 
 
 Chapter I 
   
   
   
 Last Day At Home--Join The     "Heroine" As A Midshipman--Bound For The 
 Pacific--Ordered To Touch At Cape Coast Castle--On The     Look-Out For A 
 Pirate--Chase Her Up A River--Our Boat Attacked--Dicky Popo Brings Us 
 Information--Fight With The     Pirates--A Capture--A Schooner Blows Up-- 
 Deliver Up Our Prize To The     Commodore--Proceed On Our Voyage. 
   
   
 The Last Day Of     My Home-Life Came To An End.  Pierce And I Went To Our 
 Room And Turned In To Our Beds, But Not To Sleep.  We Had Still Many 
 Things To Say To Each Other, Though We Had Probably Said Them Over And 
 Over Again Before.  I Promised To Write A Journal, To Show To Him When I 
 Came Back From My First Voyage; And He Agreed To Keep One, From Which He 
 Might Make Extracts When He Wrote To Me, So That I Might Know Everything 
 That Took Place In Our Family Circle. 
   
   
 Our Father, Mr Rayner, Was A Half-Pay Lieutenant; But At The     End Of     The 
 War, Having No Expectation Of     Promotion, He Had Left The     Service And 
 Joined His Elder Brother, Our Uncle Godfrey (After Whom I Was Named), In 
 A Mercantile Business At Bristol, Near Which City We Lived.  He Knew 
 Nothing Of     Office Work, But Hoped By Diligence And Attention To Be Of 
 Assistance.  Our Uncle, However, Died Before He Had Gained A Thorough 
 Knowledge Of     The     Business; And, Besides The     Sorrow He Felt At Losing One 
 He Loved, Much Responsibility In Consequence Devolved Upon Him.  I 
 Believe That His Affairs Were Not As Prosperous As He Could Have 
 Desired; And He Sometimes Expressed His Regret That He Had Engaged In An 
 Undertaking For Which He Was Not Fitted. 
   
   
 I Had Shown No Predilection For A Seat In The     Counting-House; And 
 Consequently, When His Old Shipmate Captain Bracewell, Who Had Just Been 
 Appointed To The     Command Of     The     _Heroine_ Sloop-Of-War, Offered To Take 
 One Of     His Sons As A Midshipman, He Allowed Me, Greatly To My Delight, 
 To Enter The     Navy. 
   
   
 My Sea-Chest, Already Packed, Stood At One End Of     The     Room, With My Dirk 
 And The     Uniform I Was To Put On Next Day Lying Upon It; In Which, As May 
 Be Supposed, I Had Already Exhibited Myself To Pierce And Our Sister 
 Edith, Who Was Younger Than Either Of     Us, And Naturally Thought It, As 
 She Told Me, Very Becoming; An Opinion I Also Entertained, As Did Our 
 Mother, And--I Flattered Myself--The Rest Of     The     Household. 
   
   
 At Last Pierce's Voice Grew More And More Inarticulate, And He Dropped 
 Off To Sleep.  I, After Some Time, Was Following His Example, When The 
 Door Opened, And Our Mother Glided Into The     Room, Afraid Of     Awakening 
 Me.  I Was Conscious That She Was Bending Over Me: A Tear Dropped On My 
 Cheek, And I Felt Her Loving Kiss On My Brow.  I Started Up And Passed 
 My Arm Round Her Neck.  She Perhaps Thought That It Was The     Last Time I 
 Should Be With Her Alone On Earth. 
   
   
 "Godfrey, My Dear Boy," She Said, "Fear To Offend God, And Be Faithful 
 And True To Him And To All Men.  He Will Ever Prove Your Best Friend, 
 Here And Throughout Eternity." 
   
   
 "I Will, Mother; Indeed I Will," I Answered, As Soon As The     Beatings Of 
 My Heart And The     Sobs Which Burst From My Breast Allowed Me To Speak. 
   
   
 "Hush," She Said At Length; "We Must Not Awaken Pierce.  And You Too, 
 Godfrey, Must Go To Sleep, To Be Ready For Your Journey To-Morrow." 
   
   
 She Left Me, But I Could Hear Her Breathing Outside The     Door Till She 
 Thought I Had Dropped Off To Sleep. 
   
   
 Next Morning All The     Family Were Up To See Me Off.  I Won't Describe The 
 Scene: My Dear, Sweet Little Sister Edith, Though She Looked So Proud Of 
 Me In My Uniform, Sobbed As If She Would Break Her Heart; And I Found It 
 A Hard Matter To Restrain My Feelings, Till The     Coach Came By, And, My 
 Chest Being Stowed Away In The     Boot, My Father And I Mounted To The     Top. 
 I Soon Recovered My Spirits, When My Father, Entering Into Conversation 
 With Our Fellow-Passengers, Led Me To Join In It.  Most Of     Them Were 
 Seafaring Men; And One Of     Them, With Naval Buttons On His Greatcoat, 
 Made Himself Known To My Father As Peter Mudge, Once A Little Midshipman 
 With Him, But Now An Old Master's Mate On His Way To Join The     _Heroine_. 
   
   
 "You'll Keep An Eye On This Youngster, Then, For My Sake, Mudge?" Said 
 My Father; "Though I Know You Would Without My Asking You." 
   
   
 "That I Will, Mr Rayner," Answered Mr Mudge; "I'll Do All I Can For 
 Him, Though That May Be But Little." 
   
   
 "You've Got One Friend On Board Already, Godfrey," Observed My Father, 
 "Through My Interest.  I Hope You Will Soon Have Many More By Your Own 
 Merits." 
   
   
 We Reached Plymouth Late In The     Day; And The     Next Morning My Father Took 
 Me On Board To Introduce Me To The     Captain And Officers.  Captain 
 Bracewell Received Me Very Kindly; And When My Father Left--As He Was 
 Soon Obliged To Do--To Return Home, Peter Mudge Took Charge Of     Me, And 
 Led Me Down Into The     Midshipmen's Berth, Where He Introduced Me To My 
 New Messmates.  I Was At Home In A Few Minutes, And Made Up My Mind That 
 I Should Be Very Jolly.  In This Opinion I Was Confirmed By The 
 Assurances Of     Another Midshipman Of     About My Own Age, Or Rather Younger, 
 Tommy Peck By Name, Who Had Also Come To Sea For The     First Time, And Who 
 Naturally Became My Chief Chum.  He Was A Merry Fellow, Delighting In 
 Fun And Mischief; Caring Very Little About The     Result Of     The     Latter, 
 Provided He Could Amuse Himself For The     Moment; And Without A Particle 
 Of Forethought.  He Was Not Altogether Destitute Of     Sense, But At The 
 Time I Speak Of     He Greatly Required A Friend Like Mudge To Keep Him In 
 The Right Way. 
   
   
 The Sails Were Loosed, The     Men Were Going Round The     Capstan To The     Sound 
 Of The     Merry Fife, When A Messenger From The     Admiralty Arrived In Hot 
 Haste, Directing The     Captain To Carry Out Despatches To The     Governor Of 
 Cape Coast Castle, Instead Of     Proceeding Direct To The     Pacific, Whither 
 We Were Bound. 
   
   
 The Wind Being Fair And Fresh, In A Few Hours We Were Out Of     Sight Of 
 Land.  For The     First Time In My Life, As I Gazed Round From The     Deck, I 
 Saw Only The     Circle Of     The     Horizon Where Sea And Sky Met.  It Produced 
 In Me A Sensation Of     Pleasure Not Unmixed With Awe, Though I Confess 
 That The     Feeling Very Soon Wore Off. 
   
   
 The Next Day At Noon The     Midshipmen Were Ordered To Bring Up Their 
 Quadrants; And I Received My First Practical Lesson In Navigation.  I 
 Was Anxious To Gain A Knowledge Of     My Profession, And Peter Mudge Did 
 His Best To Instruct Me. 
   
   
 Day After Day We Sailed On, The     Fair Wind Lasting Us Till We Got To The 
 Latitude Of     The     Cape De Verde Islands, And I Began To Fancy That The 
 Stories I Had Heard Of     Gales And Hurricanes Were Fabulous, And That We 
 Were To Enjoy The     Same Sort Of     Weather During Our Cruise. 
   
   
 "Wait A Bit, My Lad, Till We're Rounding Cape Horn; You'll Then Chance 
 To Pick Up A Notion Of     What A Heavy Sea Is Like, If You Don't Happen To 
 Learn Sooner," Said Peter Mudge. 
   
   
 In Spite Of     Calms And Light Winds, However, We At Length Came Off Cape 
 Coast Castle; Consisting Of     An Extensive Range Of     Buildings Surrounded 
 By Fortifications, Appearing Of     Snowy Whiteness Against The     Dark Foliage 
 Of The     Wooded Height In The     Background.  The     Captain Went On Shore To 
 Deliver His Despatches To The     Governor.  We Were Expecting The     Pleasure 
 Of A Run On Shore, When He Returned On Board, And Ordering The     Anchor To 
 Be Hove Up, We Stood To The     South-Eastward Under All Sail. 
   
   
 It Soon Became Known That The     Governor Had Received Intelligence Of     The 
 Appearance Of     A Large Craft Off The     Coast, Supposed To Be A Pirate, Of 
 Which He Had Directed The     Captain To Go In Search.  A Sharp Look-Out Was 
 Accordingly Kept For Her During The     Night.  She Was Said To Be Heavily 
 Armed; Under Spanish Colours; And That Her Plan Of     Proceeding Was To 
 Capture Any Traders She Could Fall In With, Take Possession Of     Their 
 Cargoes, And Exchange Them On The     Coast For Slaves, With Which She 
 Returned To Cuba.  "A Profitable Style Of     Business, Whatever Might Be 
 Said Of     Its Honesty.  I Only Hope That We May Catch Her With English 
 Property On Board," Said Mudge; "We Shall Soon Put A Stop To Her 
 Tricks." 
   
   
 The Next Evening A Sail Was Sighted On The     Starboard Bow, Steering The 
 Same Course As We Were; And We Immediately Stood For Her, Hoping That 
 She Was The     Pirate.  It Was Doubtful Whether She Had Seen Us; If She 
 Had, She Had Possibly Taken Us For A Merchantman.  Darkness Was Coming 
 On, But We Had Got Her Bearings; And Unless She Was Suspicious Of     Us She 
 Would Stand On As She Was Doing, And Perhaps Shorten Sail To Allow Us To 
 Come Up With Her; If So, We Had No Doubt That We Should Take Her.  As It 
 Was Fully Believed That She Would Not Yield Without Fighting, The     Ship 
 Was Cleared For Action; The     Crew Went To Their Quarters, And All Stood 
 Ready Should We Sight Her, Which We Might Do At Any Moment. 
   
   
 On Glided Our Ship Over The     Dark Waters, Her Masts Towering To The     Sky 
 Like Some Phantom Of     The     Night.  A Strange Feeling Came Over Me As I 
 Thought That In A Few Minutes We Might Be Hotly Engaged In Firing Away 
 At The     Enemy, Round Shot And Bullets Flying About Us. 
   
   
 "Sail Right Ahead, Sir!" Shouted The     Second Lieutenant From Forward.  I 
 Looked Out Eagerly, And Saw The     Tall Masts And Sails Of     A Ship Fully As 
 Large As, If Not Larger Than, The     _Heroine_. 
   
   
 "We Must Speak Her Before Firing, Lest We Should Be Engaging A Friend," 
 I Heard The     Commander Observe To Mr Worthy, The     First Lieutenant.  "If 
 Yonder Craft Is A Pirate, She Takes Us For A Merchant Vessel, As She 
 Probably Knew That No Man-Of-War Of     Our Size Was On The     Station.  Don't 
 Fire A Shot Till I Give The     Order." 
   
   
 After This Not A Word Was Spoken.  In Perfect Silence We Glided Onwards, 
 Rapidly Approaching The     Dark Ship, Which We Could Now Distinguish 
 Clearly, With Her Courses Brailed Up, Evidently Awaiting Us.  The 
 Captain's Intention Was To Run Up On Her Starboard Quarter, So As To 
 Keep Her Between Us And The     Land.  We Were Almost Within Hail, And 
 Expected In Another Instant To Be Engaged, When Down Came Her Courses, 
 The Yards Were Braced Sharp Up, And She Stood Away On A Bowline Towards 
 The Coast.  On This Our Helm Was Immediately Put Down, And We Did The 
 Same, Keeping Directly After Her And Firing Our Bow-Chasers.  She Was 
 Evidently A Fast Craft, For She Rapidly Drew Ahead Of     Us.  The     Breeze 
 Freshened, And Having All Sail Set, We Heeled Over Till The     Lee Guns 
 Dipped Into The     Water. 
   
   
 "We Shall Be Whipping The     Masts Out Of     Her, If We Don't Take Care," I 
 Heard Mudge Observe. 
   
   
 The Captain Seemed To Think The     Same.  "Hand Royals And Topgallant 
 Sails," He Sang Out; "Be Smart, My Lads." 
   
   
 The Top-Men Hurried Aloft To Obey The     Order, For Every One Knew There 
 Was No Time To Be Lost.  The     Masts Bent Like Willow Wands, And I 
 Expected Every Moment To See Them Go Over The     Side.  While Attending To 
 Shortening Sail, The     Eyes Of     The     Officers Were Withdrawn From The     Chase; 
 For Some Of     The     Ropes Getting Foul During The     Operation, We Were Obliged 
 To Luff Up To Clear Them, Thereby Allowing Her To Get Still Farther 
 Ahead.  Still, She Could Be Distinguished Standing To The     Eastward.  As 
 Soon As The     Sails Were Handed We Stood On Again After Her, Staggering 
 Along Under Such Canvas As We Could Carry, And Every Eye On Board Turned 
 Towards Her. 
   
   
 "If She Runs Us Out Of     Sight, She'll Put Her Helm Up And Stand Down The 
 Coast," Observed Mudge; "And It Will Be A Hard Matter To Find Her 
 Again." 
   
   
 Our Chief Hope Was That Our Shot Might Wing Her; But Only One Gun Could 
 Be Brought To Bear, And With The     Sea There Was On, Though It Was Not 
 Very Heavy, Our Aim Was Uncertain.  Still, As We Had Got Her Jammed In 
 Between Us And The     Coast, There Was Little Chance Of     Her Ultimately 
 Escaping. 
   
   
 We Had Been Running On For Some Time, The     Chase Still Gaining On Us, And 
 Becoming Dimmer And Dimmer To View, When A Heavy Squall Struck The     Ship, 
 And Heeled Her Over So Much That The     Captain Gave The     Order To Shorten 
 Sail.  It Cleared Off, However, Before The     Sheets Were Let Fly; But When 
 We Again Looked Ahead The     Chase Was Nowhere To Be Seen.  We Accordingly 
 Edged Away To The     Southward, In Case She Should Have Gone Off Before The 
 Wind. 
   
   
 Not Long After This The     Morning Broke, And The     Wind Went Down.  As The 
 Chase Was Not To Be Seen To The     Southward, The     Captain And Mr Worthy 
 Were Still Convinced That She Had Continued Her Course To The     Eastward, 
 But That The     Thick Mist Hanging Over The     Coast Was Hiding Her From 
 Sight.  We Had Again Made All Sail, And Were Standing On As Before, When 
 The Look-Out At The     Mast-Head Shouted, "Land! Land!" And Shortly 
 Afterwards, As The     Atmosphere Cleared, We Could See The     Wood-Covered 
 Heights Of     The     African Coast Rising Above The     Belt Of     Thick Mist Which 
 Still Hung Over The     Lower Ground, And Which Would Effectually Conceal 
 The Chase Should She Have Stood In For The     Shore. 
   
   
 "Should She Be There, We Shall Soon Sight Her," Observed Mudge.  "I Only 
 Hope That Her Rascally Crew Will Have The     Courage To Fight For Their 
 Lives And Liberty; Though There Isn't Much Chance Of     That." 
   
   
 The Lead Was Kept Going, Of     Course, And Showed A Much Greater Depth Of 
 Water Than Had Been Expected.  On Reference To The     Chart, The     Captain 
 Found That We Must Be Approaching The     Mouth Of     A Large River.  The     Sun 
 Rising, Dissipated The     Mist; And We Had Got Close To The     Mouth Of     The 
 River When The     Wind Fell.  Being Thus Unable To Enter It, We Were 
 Compelled To Bring Up At No Great Distance From The     Shore.  From Where 
 We Lay We Could See But A Very Little Way Up The     River, A Point Of     Land 
 Covered With Trees Hiding The     Next Reach, So That The     Chase Might Be 
 There, Though Invisible To Us.  The     Captain Accordingly Directed The 
 First Lieutenant To Pull Up In The     Gig To Ascertain If She Was There; 
 Intending, If So, To Carry The     Ship Into The     River Whenever The 
 Sea-Breeze Should Set In.  As She Was A Large, Well-Armed Vessel, With A 
 Numerous Crew, He Was Unwilling To Risk The     Loss Of     His Men, At The 
 Commencement Of     A Long Voyage, By Attacking Her With The     Boats. 
   
   
 The Gig Was Soon Hidden Behind The     Point; When The     Watch Below, To Which 
 I Belonged, Was Allowed To Lie Down In The     Shade On Deck--For, Having 
 Been Awake All Night, We Could Scarcely Keep Our Eyes Open.  I Was In An 
 Instant Asleep; And Being Roused Up Again After A Snooze Of     Two Hours, I 
 Found That The     Gig Had Not Returned.  The     Captain Was Beginning To Get 
 Anxious, When The     Look-Out From The     Mast-Head, Who Could See Farther 
 Over The     Point Than We Could On Deck, Shouted, "The Gig In Sight, And 
 Another Boat Following Her." 
   
   
 Some Minutes Passed, When We Saw The     Gig Chased Round The     Point, The 
 Crew Pulling With All Their Might; And The     Next Instant A Much Larger 
 Boat Hove In Sight.  As She Did So, A Man Standing In The     Stern-Sheets 
 Was Seen To Lift A Musket And Fire At The     Gig: At The     Same Moment An Oar 
 Dropped From The     Hands Of     One Of     The     Crew, Who Sank Down On The     Thwart; 
 The Gig, However, Still Coming On.  It Was A Wanton Act.  The     Large Boat 
 Pulled Round, And Before We Could Have Brought One Of     Our Guns To Bear 
 On Her She Was Again Hidden Behind The     Point.  The     Captain, On Seeing 
 The Occurrence, Ordered The     Other Boats To Be Got Ready, Intending To 
 Send Them Up In Chase Of     The     Audacious Stranger, And They Were In The 
 Water Before The     Gig Was Alongside. 
   
   
 Lieutenant Worthy, On Coming On Deck, Informed The     Captain That He Had 
 Gone Up The     River For Some Distance Without Seeing The     Chase, When, Just 
 As He Had At Length Caught Sight Of     Her Topgallant-Masts Over A Wooded 
 Point, A Large Boat Had Darted Out From Behind It; While Several Shots 
 Fired From The     Shore Warned Him Of     The     Danger Of     Proceeding Farther. 
 Immediately Putting The     Gig Round, He Pulled Down The     River, Seeing That 
 It Would Be Madness To Attempt Attacking The     Larger Boat With His Small 
 Crew. 
   
   
 The Daring Way In Which The     Large Boat Had Attempted To Capture The     Gig 
 Proved The     Character Of     The     Craft To Which She Belonged; As Also That 
 Either Her Crew Must Consider Themselves Strong Enough To Resist A 
 Man-Of-War, Or Possibly Might Suppose That We Should Not Venture Into 
 The River. 
   
   
 In The     Meantime, The     Gig With The     Wounded Man Had Been Hoisted Up.  He 
 Still Breathed, And Was Immediately Carried Below, And Placed Under The 
 Care Of     The     Surgeon; Who, On Examining His Wound, Expressed But Slight 
 Hope That He Would Recover.  On Hearing This, The     Crew Threatened The 
 Pirates With Their Vengeance, And Were Eager To Go Up The     River And Take 
 Them. 
   
   
 We Now Anxiously Waited For The     Sea-Breeze.  The     Cable Was Hove Short, 
 The Sails Loosed; Still, As We Looked Eastward, Not A Ripple Disturbed 
 The Glass-Like Surface Of     The     Ocean. 
   
   
 "We've Got The     Fellow In A Trap, At All Events," Observed Mudge, "And 
 Fight He Must, Whether He Likes It Or Not." 
   
   
 "I Hope He Will," I Answered.  "I Should Like To See A Good Fierce 
 Battle; And There Will Be Little Glory In Taking The     Pirate, Should She 
 Give In At Once." 
   
   
 "You'll Sing A Different Note When You Find The     Shot Come Flying Thickly 
 About Your Ears, My Boy," Answered Mudge; "And As For The     Glory, There's 
 Not Much To Be Gained By Capturing A Rascally Pirate.  For My Part, I 
 Hope She'll Knock Under At Once, And Give Us As Little Trouble As 
 Possible." 
   
   
 Hour After Hour Went By, But The     Breeze Did Not Come; And I Heard 
 Lieutenant Worthy Remark That It Would Afford Time To The     Pirates, If 
 They Were So Minded, To Fortify Themselves On Shore, Which Would Enable 
 Them To Hold Out Much Better Against Us, As We Should Have Both The     Fort 
 And The     Ship To Contend Against. 
   
   
 "That Must Not Stop Us," Observed The     Captain; "We Must Take The     Ship 
 First, And The     Fort Afterwards." 
   
   
 At Last A Few Cat's-Paws Were Seen Playing Over The     Water.  The 
 Dog-Vanes Blew Out, And The     Breeze, Fresh And Pure From The     Ocean, Began 
 To Blow.  The     Anchor Was Quickly Got Up; And The     Ship, At First Standing 
 Close-Hauled To Weather The     Point, Glided On Towards The     Main Channel Of 
 The River.  The     Bar, On Which The     Water Was Unusually Deep,--A Few 
 Slight Rollers Only Coming In Over It,--Was Safely Passed, When We Began 
 To Stand Up The     Stream.  The     Shores On Either Hand Were Thickly Covered 
 With Trees, Forming Impenetrable Walls Of     Foliage, And Preventing Us 
 From Seeing The     Country Beyond, With The     Exception Of     Some High Hills 
 Which Rose In The     Distance. 
   
   
 The Wind Being Light, And The     Current Running Out, We Made But Slow 
 Progress; And Before We Got Far Up The     River The     Wind Again Failed Us, 
 And We Were Compelled To Come To An Anchor.  Had It Not Been For Mr 
 Worthy's Report, We Should Have Supposed That The     Ship Was Not There, 
 And Should Probably Have Stood Out To Sea Again, In The     Hope Of     Falling 
 In With Her Elsewhere.  As Evening Drew On, The     Hot Land-Breeze Again 
 Blew Down The     River, Which Was Here Of     Considerable Width. 
   
   
 "I Shouldn't Be Surprised If The     Pirate Were To Try To Give Us The     Slip 
 After All," Observed Mudge.  "We Must Keep A Sharp Look-Out, So That We 
 May Stop Her Should She Make The     Attempt.  I Only Hope She Will, As It 
 Will Be More To Our Advantage To Bring Her To Action Under Way, Than To 
 Have To Attack Her At Anchor, With Springs On Her Cables, And Protected 
 By A Fort Which, If The     Fellows Have Any Sense In Their Heads, They Are 
 Sure To Throw Up." 
   
   
 It Was Still Daylight, And Peter And I Were Walking The     Deck, For It Was 
 Our Watch; Indeed, The     Midshipmen's Berth Not Being The     Pleasantest 
 Place In The     World In That Climate, We Were Seldom In It, Except At 
 Meal-Times.  I Have Not Talked Much About The     Heat, But The     Air, If Not 
 Hotter, Was More Stifling In That River Than We Had Felt It Since We 
 Reached The     Coast.  I Was Looking Towards The     Nearest Shore, Off Which 
 We Had Brought Up At The     Distance Of     Scarcely A Cable-Length, When I Saw 
 A Figure Moving Amid The     Trees.  I Pointed Him Out To Mudge.  Presently, 
 As He Reached The     Bank, We Saw That He Was A Black Man, Without A 
 Particle Of     Clothing On.  Putting His Hand To His Mouth, He Hailed, And 
 Then Waved Vehemently, As If To Attract Our Attention.  Mudge Sent Me To 
 Tell Mr Worthy; Who At Once Ordered A Boat To Be Lowered, And Directed 
 Mudge To Pull In To The     Shore, To Ascertain What He Wanted.  The     Black, 
 However, Turning His Head Over His Shoulder, Either Saw Or Heard The 
 Approach Of     Some One He Wished To Avoid, And Plunging Into The     River, 
 Began To Swim Towards The     Ship.  Mudge And I Had Jumped Into The     Boat, 
 And As We Were Approaching The     Shore To Pick Up The     Black I Saw A Dark 
 Fin Rise Just Ahead Of     Us.  I Told Mudge. 
   
   
 "That's A Brute Of     A Shark!" He Exclaimed, "And A Big Fellow Too, And 
 The Chances Are He Has Poor Blackie For His Supper." 
   
   
 "Not If Our Voices Can Drive The     Monster Away," I Answered, Horrified At 
 The Thought Of     Witnessing The     Destruction Of     A Fellow-Creature.  "Shout! 
 Shout, All Hands!" 
   
   
 Mudge And I Raised Our Voices, Joined By The     Crew, Who Gave Way With 
 Redoubled Vigour.  The     Black, Who Just Then Saw The     Shark Coming, Began 
 To Splash And Kick, And To Shout Pretty Lustily.  This Was Not The     Only 
 Peril To Which He Was Exposed, For At The     Same Moment Several Persons 
 Appeared Among The     Trees, With Muskets In Their Hands, And Began To Fire 
 At Him.  Happily, One Of     The     Bullets Aimed At Him Or At Us Struck The 
 Savage Shark, Just As It Was About To Make A Dash At Him; And, Either 
 From The     Wound It Had Received, Or Frightened By Our Shouts, It Suddenly 
 Turned Round, With A Whisk Of     Its Tail, And Darted Away From Blackie. 
   
   
 We Immediately Dashed On, In Spite Of     The     Bullets.  The     Black Was Close 
 Alongside, When I Saw The     Monster's Huge Form Gliding Like Lightning 
 Beneath The     Surface; His Head Rising Just As, With A Violent Jerk, We 
 Drew The     Poor Fellow Into The     Boat.  The     Disappointed Brute Made A Grab 
 At One Of     The     Oars In Revenge, Though He Got Nothing But A Broken Tooth 
 For His Pains. 
   
   
 Without Stopping To Ask Questions, Mudge Put The     Boat Round, And Pulled 
 Away For The     Ship, Fortunately Not One Of     Us Being Hit, While The     Enemy 
 In The     Bush Quickly Vanished.  As Soon As We Were Out Of     The     Line Of 
 Fire, One Of     The     Ship's Guns, Loaded With Grape, Was Let Fly At The     Spot 
 From Which The     Shots Had Come, And Greatly Contributed To The     Rapid 
 Retreat Of     Blackie's Pursuers, Whoever They Were--At All Events, Of 
 Those Of     Them Who Escaped Being Hit; But Whether Any Were So, We Could 
 Not Tell.  As Soon As The     Boat Got Alongside, The     Black Sprang On Board 
 With Considerable Activity, Showing That He Was None The     Worse For His 
 Run And Subsequent Swim.  There He Stood, Naked As He Was Born; When An 
 Old Quartermaster, A Wag In His Way, Brought Him A Pair Of     Duck 
 Trousers, Evidently Considering That He Was Not Fit, As He Then Stood, 
 To Appear On The     Quarter-Deck Of     A British Man-Of-War.  Blackie Put Them 
 On With A Grin, Shook The     Water Out Of     His Woolly Pate, And Then, With 
 An Air Of     Perfect Self-Possession, Walked Aft To Where The     Commander And 
 Several Of     The     Other Officers Were Standing. 
   
   
 "Me Dicky Popo, Please, Sar," He Said, Giving A Haul At His Hair; "Me 
 Loyal British Subject--Once Serve His Majesty--But De Nigger 
 Slave-Catchers Find Me Ashore, Carry Me Off, And Sell Me To Still Bigger 
 Rascals.  Dey Ship Me Aboard Wid Oder Slaves; And Den A Bigger Rascal 
 Still Take De Whole Of     Us On Board De _Sea-Hawk_ Dere.  I Seed Dat 
 Somefing Was Wrong When Dey Run Up De River, And Den I Find Out Dat An 
 English Ship Chase Dem, And Come To An Anchor Inside De Bar; Den I Tink 
 If I Run Away And Get Aboard English Ship, I Know I Safe Under Dat 
 Flag." 
   
   
 As He Spoke He Pointed To The     Ensign Blowing Out From The     Flagstaff 
 Astern.  Finding That Dicky Popo, As The     Black Called Himself, 
 Understood English Pretty Well, The     Commander Questioned Him Further, 
 And Learned Many More Particulars About The     Ship We Had Just Chased. 
 She Was The     _Sea-Hawk_, Belonging To Havana, Fully As Large As The 
 _Heroine_, With As Numerous A Crew, And Carrying Two More Guns Than We 
 Did; So That, If Well Fought, She Would Prove A Formidable Antagonist. 
 She Had Already Captured A Vessel Which Had, Dicky Popo Said, About A 
 Hundred And Fifty Slaves On Board, And Was Waylaying Another, When We 
 Somewhat Put Out Her Arrangements, And Obliged Her To Run Up The     Very 
 River In Which The     Schooner She Had Intended To Capture Was Lying.  The 
 Pirate, Not Telling The     Captain Of     The     Schooner Of     His Intentions, Had 
 Persuaded Him To Assist In Defending His Vessel In Case They Should Be 
 Attacked.  For This Purpose They Had Both Landed Some Of     Their Men And 
 Guns; And He Had Also Sent On Shore The     Strongest Among The     Slaves, To 
 Assist In Throwing Up Fortifications.  Dicky Popo, Hearing That The 
 Corvette Had Entered The     River, Took The     Opportunity, While So Engaged, 
 Of Slipping Off, In The     Hope Of     Getting On Board; Resolved, Should He 
 Regain His Liberty, To Give Us Information Of     The     Preparations Made For 
 Our Reception. 
   
   
 I Liked The     Expression Of     Dick's Countenance, And Was Certain From The 
 First That He Was An Honest Fellow.  He Had Been Kindly Treated On Board 
 A Man-Of-War In Which He Had Served--Having Been Rescued From Slavery By 
 Her; And He Was Truly Grateful To The     English, And Anxious Practically 
 To Show His Gratitude.  I Do Not Believe The     Person Who Talks Of     His 
 Grateful Heart, When He Takes No Pains To Exhibit It. 
   
   
 The Captain Was In No Way Inclined To Change His Purpose On Hearing Of 
 The Preparations Made By The     Slavers For Their Defence.  "I Know That I 
 Can Trust To Our Stout Fellows, Who Will Bravely Do Their Duty; While 
 Our Rascally Enemies Are Fighting With Halters Round Their Necks," He 
 Observed To Mr Worthy. 
   
   
 "No Doubt About That, Sir," Was The     Answer; "And I Hope That It Will Not 
 Take Us Long To Capture The     Pirate, In Spite Of     The     Battery On Shore, 
 And The     Assistance The     Slave-Schooner May Give Her." 
   
   
 Soon After Dicky Popo Had Made His Appearance On Deck, Night Came On. 
 Notwithstanding The     Preparations The     Pirates Had Been Making For Their 
 Defence, The     Commander Expressed His Opinion That They Might Try To Slip 
 By Us And Get Out To Sea During The     Darkness, Rather Than Wait Our 
 Attack In The     River.  A Sharp Look-Out Was Therefore Kept, The     Anchor 
 Was Hove Short, And The     Watch Below Lay Down On Deck, So As To Be Ready 
 To Make Sail At A Moment's Notice.  A Boat Was Also Sent Some Way Ahead 
 To Row Guard, And Bring Us Early Information Should Either Of     The 
 Vessels Be Seen Coming Down.  We Knew, Of     Course, That The     Pirates Were 
 Aware Of     Our Exact Position, But They Could Not Tell That A Boat Was 
 Also Watching For Them. 
   
   
 The Greater Part Of     The     Night Passed By Quietly.  The     Middle Watch Had 
 Nearly Come To An End When The     Boat's Oars Were Heard, And She Shortly 
 After Dashed Up Alongside.  "The Ship Is Coming Down, And Will Be 
 Abreast Of     Us In A Few Minutes," Said The     Officer In Command.  "She Was 
 Shortening Sail When We Caught Sight Of     Her, And She Hopes To Escape 
 Being Seen By Dropping Past Us Under Bare Poles." 
   
   
 On Hearing This, The     Captain Gave The     Order To Make Sail; And Slipping 
 Our Cable With A Buoy To It, So That We Might Easily Pick It Up, We 
 Stood Towards The     Centre Of     The     River.  In Another Minute We Caught 
 Sight Of     The     Tall Masts Of     The     Pirate, Gliding Down With The     Current, 
 Not Many Cable-Lengths Off.  It Was Impossible For Her To Return; And 
 Should She Bring Up, We Might Sail Round Her And Fire At Her At Our 
 Leisure.  On Discovering Us (Which She Must Have Done Some Time Before, 
 As We, Being Under Sail, Must Have Been Seen Before We Could Make Her 
 Out), She Had Begun To Set Her Canvas.  That Availed Her But Little, 
 However, As We Now Had Her Within Range Of     Our Guns; Which, The     Captain 
 Giving The     Order, Began Firing Away As Rapidly As They Could Be Run In 
 And Loaded.  She Immediately Fired In Return From Her Foremost Guns, The 
 Only Ones Which For Some Minutes Could Be Brought To Bear On Us, As We 
 Were, It Will Be Understood, Standing Across The     River Directly Ahead Of 
 Her.  Her Sails Being Let Fall, She Soon Got Abreast Of     Us; When We Went 
 About, And Passing Directly Under Her Stern, So Closely That I Thought 
 We Were Going To Run Her Aboard, Fired The     Whole Of     Our Broadside Into 
 Her; We During The     Operation Having Received Only Two Or Three Shots, 
 Which Did No Material Damage.  Shrieks And Cries Arose From Her Deck, 
 Proving The     Fearful Havoc Produced By Our Raking Fire; While Several 
 Halyards And Braces Having Been Shot Away On Board Her, And Only Part Of 
 Her Canvas Having Been Set, We Again Kept Away, Speedily Got Up 
 Alongside Her, And Poured In Another Well-Directed Broadside.  She 
 Returned A Feeble Fire; Many Of     Her Crew At The     Guns Having Been, We Had 
 Thus Good Reason To Suppose, Killed Or Disabled By Our Shot.  We, Having 
 All Our Canvas Set, Were Running Ahead Of     Her, The     Captain Intending To 
 Luff Across Her Bows, And To Pour In Another Raking Fire, When We Heard 
 A Voice From Her Forecastle Shouting, In Broken English, "We Give In--We 
 Haul Down Flag--Don't Fire, Don't Fire!" 
   
   
 "Let Go Your Anchor, Then, And Bring Up, Or I'll Not Trust You," Shouted 
 The Captain. 
   
   
 The Sound Of     Voices In Loud Altercation Now Reached Us, Some Apparently 
 Crying Out One Thing, And Some Another, In Spanish; While We Were 
 Steering So As To Keep On The     Weather Bow Of     The     Pirate. 
   
   
 "Stand By,--Brace Up The     Yards," Cried The     Captain In A Loud Voice, So 
 That The     Spaniards Might Hear Him.  "Do You Yield, Or I Fire?" He 
 Shouted. 
   
   
 "Yes, Yes," Answered A Voice. 
   
   
 Immediately The     Sheets Were Let Fly, And The     Splash Of     The     Anchor And 
 The Sound Of     The     Cable Running Out Reached Our Ears Above The     Hubbub 
 Still Going Forward On Deck, When The     Ship Slowly Swung Round To The 
 Current.  We Immediately Hauled Our Wind, And Having Good Way, Went 
 About And Shot Up Abreast Of     Our Opponent, Whom We Thus Had Completely 
 In Our Power. 
   
   
 As Soon As We Had Furled Sails, Two Boats Were Lowered; Mr Worthy Going 
 In Command Of     One, And Peter Mudge Of     The     Other, The     Crews Being 
 Well-Armed.  As I Was The     Midshipman Of     The     Lieutenant's Boat, I 
 Accompanied Him. 
   
   
 No Opposition Was Offered, Though No Assistance Was Given, To Us, As We 
 Got Alongside.  We Quickly, However, Scrambled Up On Deck, Which, By The 
 Light Of     Several Lanterns Carried By The     Men, Presented An Appearance 
 Such As I Had Never Before Pictured To Myself.  The     First Step I Made, 
 My Foot Slipped And I Nearly Fell.  On The     Light Falling On The     Spot, I 
 Found That I Was Literally Standing In Blood.  Twenty Or More Human 
 Forms Lay Stretched Out Motionless, While Others Were Gathered Round The 
 Masts Or Leaning Against The     Guns, Endeavouring To Bind Up Their Wounds. 
 One Group Stood Aft In Sullen Silence Awaiting Our Coming, While The 
 Remainder Of     The     Crew Were Collected Forward.  By Their Dress We Saw 
 That Most Of     Those Aft Were Officers. 
   
   
 "Where Is The     Captain Of     This Ship?" Asked Lieutenant Worthy. 
   
   
 One Of     Them Pointed To A Body Which Lay Between Two Of     The     Guns, With 
 Part Of     The     Chest And One Of     The     Arms Carried Away. 
   
   
 "Poor Wretch!" Observed The     Lieutenant.  "He Will Not Then Have To 
 Answer To Us For His Misdeeds.  And Are You The     Officer In Command?" 
   
   
 The Man To Whom He Spoke Bowed His Head, And, Advancing, Presented His 
 Sword. 
   
   
 "Take His Weapon," Said The     Lieutenant, Turning To One Of     The     Men; "And 
 Disarm All The     Rest.  I Shall Not Receive The     Sword Of     A Pirate, As If 
 He Were A Naval Officer." 
   
   
 The Whole Of     The     Party Were Quickly Disarmed, And By The     Lieutenant's 
 Orders Our Men Then Lashed Their Arms Behind Them.  Peter Mudge With His 
 Boat's Crew Had, In The     Meantime, Made Their Way Along The     Slippery Deck 
 Forward, When He Treated The     Men Collected There In The     Same Fashion. 
 Mr Worthy Then Hailed The     Corvette, And Begged That The     Surgeons Might 
 Be Sent On Board To Attend To The     Wounded; And Those Who Appeared To Be 
 Officers Were Lowered Into The     Boat Which Brought Them, To Be Conveyed 
 To The     Ship For Safe Keeping. 
   
   
 While The     Surgeons Were Hurriedly Binding Up The     Limbs Of     The     Wounded 
 Men, We Were Engaged In Collecting The     Dead Bodies, That They Might Be 
 Hove Overboard.  On Counting Them, We Found That Five-And-Twenty Had 
 Been Killed Outright; And One By One, After The     Surgeon Had Examined 
 Them, They Were Thrown Into The     Water Through The     Ports. 
   
   
 "Here's Another Fellow, Sir, Who Seemed Just Now As Dead As A Door-Nail; 
 But As I Was Dragging Him Along The     Deck He Began To Sing Out, And To 
 Swear By All The     Saints That He Was Alive And Kicking; And, Faith, That 
 Same He Was, For I Had A Hard Matter To Keep Hold Of     His Legs.  He's 
 Quiet Enough Now, Though; And For The     Life Of     Me I Can't Tell Whether He 
 Was After Speaking The     Truth Or Not." 
   
   
 This Address Was Made By Paddy Doyle, An Irish Top-Man, To The     Surgeon 
 Who Was Examining The     Bodies Before They Were Hove Overboard.  The 
 Surgeon, Thus Appealed To, Went To The     Man.  "He Seems To Be Unhurt, And 
 Is Still Breathing," He Remarked.  "By His Dress He Appears To Be An 
 Officer.  Throw Some Water In His Face; And Keep A Watch Over Him, 
 Doyle, When He Comes To, As I Have No Doubt That He Soon Will.  I Must 
 Look After The     Other Wretches." 
   
   
 The Dead Having Been Disposed Of, And The     Unwounded Prisoners Placed 
 Under A Guard, The     Wounded Were Carried Into The     Large And Handsome 
 Cabin--Which, However, Could Not Afford Accommodation For All Of     Them; 
 The Rest Were Therefore Placed, With Such Spare Bedding As Could Be 
 Found, On The     Upper Slave-Deck. 
   
   
 By The     Time These Arrangements Were Made, It Was Nearly Daylight.  A 
 Prize Crew Of     Twenty Men Was Left On Board The     _Sea-Hawk_, With The 
 Assistant-Surgeon To Look After The     Wounded, The     Second Lieutenant 
 Coming On Board To Take Command Of     Them.  I Was Thankful To Be Ordered 
 To Return To The     Corvette, For I Was Heartily Sick Of     The     Scene I Had 
 Witnessed. 
   
   
 Just As I Was Going Over The     Side, I Heard Paddy Doyle Sing 
 Out,--"Arrah! My Dead Man's Come To Life Again!  Bear A Hand, And Help 
 Me To Haul Him In;" And Looking Back, I Saw That The     Irishman's Prisoner 
 Had Jumped Up, And Was Endeavouring To Spring Through A Port--Having 
 Watched The     Moment That Paddy's Back Was Turned On Him.  Paddy Had 
 Seized One Of     His Legs, And Was Tugging Away With Might And Main; While 
 The Spaniard, With His Other Foot On The     Port-Sill, Had Nearly Effected 
 His Purpose, Notwithstanding The     Irishman's Desperate Efforts To Prevent 
 His Escape.  "Arrah! Now He's Done It!" Exclaimed Doyle, Holding Up The 
 Spaniard's Shoe And A Piece Of     His Trousers Which Had Come Away In His 
 Hand. 
   
   
 The Man, Who Was Evidently A Good Swimmer, And Had Been Trusting To This 
 For Escape, Was Striking Out At A Rapid Rate For The     Shore. 
   
   
 "Give Way After Him!" Cried Lieutenant Worthy To Mudge, Who Was In The 
 Boat On The     Opposite Side To That From Which The     Pirate Had Escaped. 
   
   
 The Boat Shoved Off, But Had To Pull Ahead Of     The     Ship.  It Was Not Till 
 Then That Mudge Could See The     Swimmer, Who Had Already Made Considerable 
 Progress Towards The     Shore.  I Jumped Into The     Rigging To Watch Him. 
 Should He Once Land, And Get In Among The     Thick Trees, He Might Effect 
 His Purpose.  Possibly He Expected To Find Friends To Assist Him. 
   
   
 He Was Still Some Way Ahead Of     The     Boat, When I Caught A Momentary 
 Glimpse Of     The     Dark Fin Of     A Shark.  It Disappeared, And The     Next 
 Instant A Piercing Shriek Rent The     Air; The     Pirate Threw Up His Arms, 
 And Sank Beneath The     Surface!  Then The     Boat Pulled Round And Returned 
 To The     Ship. 
   
   
 Just As I Got On Board The     Corvette, A Loud Sound Of     Tom-Toms And Horns 
 Was Heard From The     Upper Part Of     The     River, And Presently A Fleet Of 
 Large Canoes Appeared Paddling Rapidly Towards Us.  It Seemed Scarcely 
 Possible That They Should Venture To Attack An English Man-Of-War; And 
 Yet, From The     Gestures Of     Their Crews, And The     Way They Came On, Such 
 Appeared To Be Their Intention.  Possibly They Had Heard The     Firing, 
 And, Taught To Believe The     _Sea-Hawk_ The     Most Powerful Ship Afloat, 
 Supposed That She Had Gained The     Victory.  On Discovering, However, That 
 She Was Anchored Astern Of     Us, They Ceased Paddling; Then After A Short 
 Interval Regaining Courage, They Again Came On, Shrieking And Shouting 
 And Beating Their Tom-Toms Louder Than Ever, To Intimidate Us Before 
 They Attempted To Board. 
   
   
 "Fire A Shot Over Their Heads," Said The     Commander.  "It Will Show The 
 Ignorant Savages That We Are Not To Be Trifled With." 
   
   
 Scarcely Had The     Gun Been Discharged, When The     Canoes Were Seen Paddling 
 Away As Fast As Their Black Crews Could Urge Them On, Each Endeavouring 
 As Soon As Possible To Get Out Of     The     Range Of     Our Shot; And In A Little 
 Time They Had Disappeared Behind The     Point Which Had Before Concealed 
 Them From Us. 
   
   
 We Had Still Another Task To Perform--The Capture Or Destruction Of     The 
 Slave-Schooner Of     Which Dicky Popo Had Told Us.  As The     Navigation Of 
 The River Was Intricate And Dangerous Above Where We Lay, The     Commander, 
 Unwilling To Risk The     Safety Of     The     Ship, Resolved To Send Up The     Boats, 
 Notwithstanding The     Assistance Which The     Canoes Might Be Expected To 
 Afford Her.  Three Were Accordingly Sent Away Under The     Command Of     Mr 
 Worthy, With Whom I Went; The     Pinnace Having A Six-Pounder In The     Bows, 
 And The     Others Being Armed With Swivels.  We Soon Came In Sight Of     The 
 Canoes, With The     Schooner At Anchor Some Distance Beyond Them.  A Shot 
 From Our Six-Pounder Quickly Sent Them Paddling Away Up The     Stream. 
 Popo, Who Had Been Taken In Our Boat To Point Out Where The     Battery Had 
 Been Thrown Up, Directly Afterwards Exclaimed,--"Dere!--Dere It Is!" 
   
   
 Scarcely Had He Spoken, When A Shot Came Whizzing Over Our Heads.  At 
 Our Lieutenant's Orders, The     Boats' Heads Were Immediately Turned 
 Towards The     Battery, When, Our Gun Being Fired At It, We Rapidly Pulled 
 On.  We Quickly Reached The     Bank; And The     Lieutenant, Whose Example I 
 Imitated, Leaped On Shore, Calling To The     Small-Arm Men To Follow Him. 
 In A Few Seconds We Were Scrambling Into The     Battery, The     Spaniards And 
 Blacks Who Had Just Before Been In It Making Their Escape Helter-Skelter 
 Into The     Thick Wood Behind It.  A Few Of     The     White Men--Who, To Do Them 
 Credit, Were The     Last To Run--Were Shot Or Cut Down, But The     Greater 
 Number Made Their Escape,--Our Lieutenant Wisely Not Allowing Us To 
 Follow.  Five Guns Found In The     Battery Were Spiked, Upon Which We 
 Immediately Re-Embarked And Pulled Away Towards The     Schooner. 
   
   
 We Had Not Got Many Fathoms From The     Shore, However, When A Thick Smoke 
 Was Seen Issuing From Her Hatches, Followed By Flames Which Burst Out 
 From Every Part.  We Pulled On, In The     Hope Of     Being Able To Extinguish 
 Them; For She Appeared To Be A Remarkably Fine Vessel, And Would Have 
 Proved A Prize Worth Capture.  Before We Got Up To Her, However, The 
 Lieutenant Ordered The     Men To Back Their Oars.  And Not Too Soon.  The 
 Boats Had Still Some Way On Them, When Up Went The     Masts And Deck Of     The 
 Schooner, Numerous Fragments Falling Close Around Us.  The     Flames Raged 
 Furiously For A Few Minutes Longer, After Which The     Hull Of     The 
 Lightly-Built Vessel, Shattered By The     Explosion, Sank Beneath The 
 Surface.  What Had Become Of     The     Unfortunate Slaves We Could Not Tell; 
 But It Was To Be Hoped, For The     Sake Of     Humanity, That All Had Been 
 Landed.  One Thing Was Very Certain,--That We Should Be Unable To 
 Capture Any Of     Them Should We Land, As They Would All Have Been Driven 
 Up Into The     Interior.  We Therefore Pulled Back To The     Ship; And The 
 Breeze Blowing Strongly Down The     River, She And Our Prize Were Got Under 
 Way, And We Stood Towards Its Mouth. 
   
   
 The Water On The     Bar Being Tolerably Smooth, We Got Out Without 
 Difficulty, And Shortly Afterwards Sighted A Sail Beating Up Towards The 
 Land.  She Was Made Out To Be A Frigate, And Proved To Be That Of     The 
 Commodore On The     Station, Who Had Also Heard Of     The     Pirate, And Was Come 
 To Look For Her.  He Complimented Our Commander On His Conduct In The 
 Affair, And, Greatly To Our Satisfaction, Relieved Us Of     Our Prisoners, 
 As Also Of     The     Charge Of     Our Prize, Directing Us To Proceed On Our 
 Voyage To The     Westward. 
   
   
 Dicky Popo, Who Had Been Entered On Board, Remained With Us, And Became 
 A Great Favourite Both With Officers And Men. 
   
   
 It Was Not Till Long Afterwards That I Heard Of     The     Fate Of     The 
 _Sea-Hawk_ And The     Survivors Of     Her Piratical Crew. 
 
 
 
 Chapter II 
   
   
   
 Rounding Cape Horn--A Gale--Put Into A Port In Patagonia--Visit A 
 Whaler--A Romantic History--The Lost Child--A Young Lady--A Snug 
 Harbour--Climb A Mountain--A Narrow Escape--Valparaiso--The Coral 
 Island--Communicate With The     Natives--An Addition To Our Crew--Dicky 
 Popo Lost Overboard--The Sandwich Islands--My Shipmates--Survey An 
 Island--Recover Popo, And Find A White Boy--How Popo Was Saved--Gain 
 Information About Harry, The     White Boy. 
   
   
 Little Did I Think, Scarcely Six Months Before, When Seated At A Desk In 
 My Father's Counting-House, That I Should Ever See Cape Horn; Yet There 
 It Rose On Our Starboard Beam, Dark, Solitary, And Majestic, High Above 
 The Ocean, Which Rolled In Vast Undulations At Its Base. 
   
   
 Onward We Glided, With The     Ship's Head To The     Westward And The     Wind Aft, 
 Under All Sail; Now Rising To The     Summit Of     A Glass-Like Billow, Now 
 Sinking Deep Down Into The     Valley To Climb Up The     Watery Steep On The 
 Opposite Side.  We Had Touched At Rio, To Obtain A Supply Of     Wood And 
 Water And Fresh Provisions; But I Need Not Give A Description Of     That 
 Magnificent Harbour, As Nothing Very Particular Occurred There. 
   
   
 "That's A Fine Sight!"  I Exclaimed, As I Watched The     Mighty Headland, 
 Which Gradually Faded From View Over Our Starboard Quarter. 
   
   
 "You'll See A Good Many Other Fine Sights," Observed Peter Mudge, Who 
 Was Somewhat Matter-Of-Fact.  "For My Part, I Have Been Glad To See The 
 Last Of     It Each Time I Have Come Round This Way, And To Get Safe Into 
 The Pacific; For Twice I Have Been Driven Back, And Have Been Kept 
 Knocking About Among The     Icebergs, With The     Wind Sharp Enough To Cut Our 
 Noses Off, For Six Blessed Weeks Or More.  I Only Hope That Is Not To Be 
 Our Lot This Time." 
   
   
 "I Hope Not," I Answered.  "I Was Expecting To Be In Smooth Water, With 
 A Sunny Sky Overhead, Before Many Days Are Over." 
   
   
 "So We May, Youngster; Then We'll Hope For The     Best," Said Mudge. 
 "Still, When A Fellow Has Met With As Many Ups And Downs As I Have, He 
 Learns Not To Fancy Himself Safe In Harbour Till He Has Got There." 
   
   
 This Time, However, Mudge, And We His Shipmates, Were Not Doomed To 
 Disappointment, And Were, Ere Long, Floating On The     Waters Of     The 
 Pacific.  We Ran To The     Northward With A Flowing Sheet, Keeping Much 
 Closer In With The     Coast Than, I Believe, Is Usual, Till We Reached The 
 46th Degree Of     South Latitude.  It Then Fell A Dead Calm.  We Had Just 
 Before Caught Sight Of     A Sail Away To The     Eastward, Beyond Which, Some 
 Forty Or Fifty Miles Off, Rose The     Lofty Peaks Of     The     Cordilleras, 
 Covered With Eternal Snows; Or I Should Say, Perhaps, The     Southern End 
 Of That Mighty Chain Which Rises Abruptly From The     Isthmus Of     Panama, 
 And Extends The     Whole Length Of     The     Continent. 
   
   
 For The     Entire Day We Lay Rolling Our Masts From Side To Side, Till It 
 Almost Seemed As If They Would Be Shaken Out Of     The     Ship.  The     Commander 
 Wished To Speak The     Stranger, On The     Chance Of     Her Being Lately From 
 England, And Able To Give Us Fresher Intelligence Than We Possessed.  He 
 Had Ordered A Boat To Be Got Ready To Be Sent Away, When, On Looking At 
 The Barometer, He Found That It Was Falling, While A Bank Of     Clouds Was 
 Seen To Be Rising To The     North-West. 
   
   
 "Hold Fast With The     Boat," He Said; "Before She Can Return, We May Have 
 A Gale Down Upon Us." 
   
   
 We Had Not Long To Wait For It; And In Half An Hour Or So We Were 
 Dashing Through The     Water Under Close-Reefed Topsails, Heeling Over With 
 The Wind From The     North-West Till The     Water Came Rushing In Through The 
 Lee Ports.  The     Master, Who Had Been On The     Coast Before, Recommended 
 That, In Order Not To Lose Ground, We Should Run For The     Gulf Of     Penas; 
 Where We Could Find Shelter Under The     Lee Of     An Island, Or Get Into One 
 Of The     Snug Ports Of     The     Mainland.  The     Ship's Head Was Accordingly Kept 
 To The     Eastward.  The     Sail We Had Seen Was Also Standing In The     Same 
 Direction, Probably With The     Same Object In View.  We Guessed, 
 Therefore, That She Was Also Bound To The     Northward, And Wished To Avoid 
 Being Driven Back.  Mudge Expressed His Satisfaction That We Had Not 
 Stood Away On The     Other Tack. 
   
   
 "If We Had, We Should Have Run A Chance Of     Being Blown Back Again Round 
 The Cape Into The     Atlantic," He Observed.  "Not Every Captain, However, 
 Would Venture To Stand In For The     Land As We Are Doing; We Must Keep Our 
 Eyes Open And The     Lead Going, Or We May Chance To Run The     Ship On Shore. 
 But As Yonder Vessel Probably Knows Her Way, We Shall Have Her As A 
 Guide, And May Hope To Find Shelter Without Difficulty." 
   
   
 We Quickly Overhauled The     Stranger, Which Proved To Be A Barque; And 
 From Her Appearance, As We Caught Sight Of     Her Hull, There Was No Doubt 
 That She Was A South Sea Whaler, And That, Consequently, She Was Likely 
 To Be Well Acquainted With The     Coast.  As We Stood On, We Caught Sight 
 Of An Extensive Chain Of     Islands, Stretching Out From The     Mainland On 
 Our Larboard Bow.  Gradually They Appeared More And More Abeam, While 
 Ahead Rose Up Several Lofty And Rugged Peaks.  The     Stranger Still Kept 
 The Lead; And Following Her, We At Length Found Ourselves In An 
 Extensive Bay, Completely Sheltered From The     Gale Blowing Without. 
 Being Now In Perfectly Smooth Water, And The     Commander Considering It 
 Not Prudent To Run Farther In, We Furled Sails, And Brought Up Some 
 Distance Ahead Of     The     Whaler, Which Had Just Before Come To An Anchor. 
   
   
 The Spot Where We Found Ourselves Was About The     Wildest I Had Ever Seen: 
 Dark Rocks Rose Out Of     The     Sea Fringing The     Shore, And Rugged Mountains 
 Towered Up To The     Sky In All Directions; While Not A Sign Of     Human Life 
 Was Visible.  As We Swept The     Coast With Our Glasses, We Discovered, 
 Almost Abreast Of     The     Ship, A Deep Indentation Which Looked Like The 
 Mouth Of     A Gulf Or Estuary.  This We Naturally Felt Anxious To Explore, 
 And We Hoped To Have Leave To Do So The     Next Day. 
   
   
 Soon After We Had Furled Sails, The     Commander Directed Peter Mudge To 
 Take The     Jolly-Boat And Board The     Whaler, With A Message To The     Master 
 Requesting Any Newspapers Of     A Late Date Which He Might Possess.  "Yes, 
 You May Go, Rayner," He Said To Me.  "And, Mr Mudge, Take Him A Leg Of 
 Mutton My Steward Will Put Into The     Boat, And Some Oranges We Brought 
 From Rio."  We Had Killed A Sheep The     Previous Day. 
   
   
 We Were Soon On Board The     Whaler.  The     Master, A Middle-Aged, 
 Grave-Looking Man, In A Long-Tailed Coat And Broad-Brimmed Hat, Not Much 
 Like A Sailor In Outward Appearance, Received Us Very Civilly, And Was 
 Grateful For The     Present, As His Wife, He Said, Was In Delicate Health, 
 And To Her It Would Be Especially Welcome.  He Invited Us Into The     Cabin 
 Where She Was Seated.  She Was A Nice, Pleasant-Looking Woman, Though It 
 Struck Me That Her Countenance Bore A Peculiarly Melancholy Expression. 
 He At Once Handed Us A Bundle Of     English Papers, Published Long After We 
 Had Left Home, And Which Were Very Welcome. 
   
   
 "You'll Stop And Take Supper With Us, Gentlemen.  I Hope," He Said; "It 
 Will Be On The     Table Immediately.  I Don't Know, However, That I Can 
 Offer You Better Fare Than You'll Get On Board Your Own Ship." 
   
   
 Mudge Assured Him That He Did Not Care About That, And Was Happy To 
 Accept His Invitation. 
   
   
 While We Remained In The     Cabin, Our Men Were Entertained By The     Crew. 
   
   
 We Had Just Taken Our Seats, When The     Door Of     A Side Cabin Opened, And A 
 Young Lady Stepped Out, Looking More Like A Fairy, Or An Angel, Or Some 
 Celestial Being, Than A Mortal Damsel.  So I Thought At The     Time.  Mudge 
 And I Rose And Bowed; She Returned Our Salutation With A Smile And A 
 Slight Bend Of     Her Neck.  The     Master Did Not Introduce Us, Nor Did He 
 Say Anything To Let Us Know Who She Was.  I, Of     Course, Thought That She 
 Was The     Captain's Daughter; But She Did Not Address Mrs Hudson As 
 Mother, And From Some Remarks She Made I Doubted Whether Such Was The 
 Case.  She At Once Entered Into Conversation Without The     Slightest 
 Bashfulness; And It Struck Me That She Was Exerting Herself, Not So Much 
 To Entertain Us, As To Keep Up Mrs Hudson's Spirits. 
   
   
 The Meal Did Not Occupy Much Time, So That We Had But Little Opportunity 
 Of Talking.  I Thought The     Young Lady's Voice Very Sweet And Melodious; 
 Indeed, She Seemed To Me The     Most Perfect Being I Had Ever Seen.  But 
 Then, It Must Be Remembered, I Was But A Midshipman, And My Experience 
 Was Not Very Extensive; And The     Best Part Of     A Year Had Passed Since We 
 Left England. 
   
   
 At Last, However, Mudge, Pulling Out His Watch, Observed That It Was 
 Time To Be On Board Again; So Getting Up, He Wished Mrs Hudson And The 
 Young Lady Good-Bye In His Hearty Way, And I Was Compelled To Follow His 
 Example.  Tears Came Into Mrs Hudson's Eyes As She Took Me By The     Hand 
 And Murmured, "May Heaven Preserve You From The     Dangers Of     The     Sea!" 
 The Young Lady Smiled Very Sweetly, And I Could Not Help Wishing That I 
 Might Have The     Opportunity Of     Paying Another Visit To The     _Hopewell_. 
   
   
 The First Mate Had Accompanied Me On Deck, Where I Found The     Master 
 Talking To Mudge.  I Therefore Went A Little Way Along The     Deck To 
 Summon Our Boat's Crew, Who Were With The     Men Forward. 
   
   
 "Mrs Hudson Appears To Be Very Melancholy," I Observed To My Companion. 
   
   
 "She Has Reason To Be So, Poor Lady," Said The     Mate.  "She Has Never Got 
 Over The     Loss Of     Her Only Child, In These Seas, Some Years Ago.  It Was 
 A Sad Affair, For He Was A Fine Brave Little Chap, The     Pet Of     All Hands. 
 The Master's, And My Boat, And The     Second Mate's, Had Gone Off In Chase 
 Of Whales, When Another Fish Was Seen Spouting In An Opposite Direction. 
 The Third Mate's Boat Was Lowered, When The     Little Fellow, Whose Mother 
 Was Ill Below, Asked To Be Taken.  The     Third Mate, Instead Of     Refusing, 
 Thoughtlessly Consented To Let Him Go; And Before The     Boatswain Or Any 
 One Else Who Had Sense In His Head Saw What He Was Doing, He Had Carried 
 Him Down Into The     Boat; No One On Deck, Indeed, Knew He Had Gone.  Away 
 Pulled The     Boat, When The     Look-Out At The     Mast-Head Shouted That One Of 
 Our Boats Had Struck A Fish, And The     Boatswain Accordingly Made Sail 
 Towards Her.  The     Whale, However, Darted Away, Towing The     Boats For A 
 League Or More Farther Off, And We Then Had A Hard Matter To Kill It. 
 It Had Long Been Dark Before We Got Alongside, By Which Time The     Weather 
 Had Changed, And The     Wind Was Blowing Very Strong, While A Nasty Sea Had 
 Got Up. 
   
   
 "I Shall Never Forget The     State Poor Mrs Hudson Was In When She Could 
 Not Discover What Had Become Of     Her Child; While Her Husband Was Almost 
 As Bad.  At Last One Of     The     Boys, Who Had Before Been Afraid To Speak, 
 Acknowledged That He Saw Little Harry In The     Arms Of     The     Third Mate Just 
 Before The     Boat Shoved Off, But That He, Being Called Below At That 
 Moment, Could Not Tell What Had Become Of     The     Child.  We At Once Cut 
 Adrift The     Fish We Had Secured, And Made Sail In The     Direction The     Boat 
 Was Supposed To Have Gone, Placing Lanterns In The     Rigging And Firing 
 Guns To Show Our Whereabouts.  The     Weather, However, Had Been Growing 
 Worse And Worse, And With The     Heavy Sea There Was Running, The     Boat 
 Herself, We Knew, Would Be In No Slight Peril. 
   
   
 "All Night Long We Continued Cruising Over The     Ground; But Not A Sign Of 
 The Boat Could We Discover.  When Morning Came, We Continued Our Search, 
 With The     Same Want Of     Success.  Towards Noon The     Weather Again 
 Moderated; But Though Fish Were Seen Spouting, The     Master Would Not Send 
 The Boats After Them; And Unwilling As We Were To Lose Them, None Of     Us 
 Had The     Heart To Press Him To Do So. 
   
   
 "For The     Best Part Of     A Week We Stood Backwards And Forwards In All 
 Directions Looking For The     Boat; Till At Last The     Men Began To Grumble, 
 And I Felt It My Duty To Urge The     Master To Carry Out The     Object Of     The 
 Voyage.  Almost Broken-Hearted, He Consented To Do So.  Slowly His Poor 
 Wife Recovered; And From That Day To This They Have Never Found Any 
 Trace Of     Their Lost Child.  Probably The     Third Mate Had Got Hold Of     A 
 Fish; And He Having But Little Experience, His Boat Must Have Been 
 Knocked To Pieces, Or Else Dragged Down By The     Line Becoming Foul Before 
 It Could Be Cut." 
   
   
 "A Very Sad History," I Remarked; "And I Am Not Surprised At Poor Mrs 
 Hudson's Melancholy.  But Who Is The     Young Lady?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "That Is More Than I Can Tell You," He Answered.  "She Came On Board The 
 Evening Before We Sailed, But Not One Of     Us Had Ever Heard Of     Her Till 
 Then, And Neither The     Master Nor Mrs Hudson Thought Fit To Enlighten Us 
 On The     Subject; While She Herself, Though Ready Enough To Talk To Me At 
 The Dinner-Table, Seldom Says Anything To Any Of     Us On Deck." 
   
   
 "How Very Romantic!"  I Could Not Help Exclaiming, More Interested Than 
 Ever In The     Young Lady. 
   
   
 Wishing Captain Hudson Good-Bye, We Shoved Off, And As We Pulled Away We 
 Saw The     Young Lady Standing On The     Poop Watching Us.  I Pulled Off My 
 Cap, And She Waved Her Handkerchief In Return. 
   
   
 The Account We Gave Of     Her And The     Master's Wife Excited Much Interest 
 On Board. 
   
   
 The Next Morning, As The     Gale Continued, A Party Was Made Up To Visit 
 The Shore.  It Consisted Of     The     Second Lieutenant And Master, Peter 
 Mudge, Tommy Peck, And I.  We Pulled In For The     Opening We Had Seen, And 
 Which I Found To Be Much Farther Off Than I Had Supposed--The Height Of 
 The Rocks At The     Entrance, Which Rose Sheer Out Of     The     Water, Making The 
 Land Appear Quite Close To Us.  At Length We Entered A Narrow Passage 
 With High Rocks On Both Sides For Some Distance, Completely Bare Of 
 Trees; Indeed, There Was Not A Spot In Which The     Roots Could Have Fixed 
 Themselves.  Gradually, However, The     Passage Opened Out, And We Found 
 Ourselves In A Large Basin, The     Shore Of     Which Was Covered With The 
 Richest Vegetation, Extending Far Up The     Sides Of     The     Mountains Rising 
 Around Us.  Dark Rocks Peeped Out From Amid The     Trees Which Grew On The 
 Mountain-Sides Till Lost To View, While Above Them Were Seen Towering 
 Peaks Covered With Glittering Snow.  The     Master Sounded As We Went In, 
 And Found The     Depth Of     Water Sufficient For The     Largest Ship.  Here She 
 Might Remain At Anchor Or Moored To The     Trees, While The     Fiercest Gale 
 Was Blowing Outside, As Securely As In An Artificial Dock. 
   
   
 We Pulled Round One Side Of     The     Basin, But Could Find No Opening By 
 Which, Should We Step On Shore, We Could Make Our Way Up The     Mountain. 
 We Did, Indeed, Land At Two Or Three Places, But It Was Impossible To 
 Get Beyond A Few Yards From The     Water's Edge.  Probably, No Human Being 
 Had Ever Before Set Foot In That Wooded Region.  Not Even The     Chirp Of     A 
 Bird Was Heard, Nor Was Any Sign Of     Life Visible--Silence And Solitude 
 Reigned Around.  The     Whole Surface Of     The     Ground Was One Mass Of     Rotten 
 Timber, Covered With Various Descriptions Of     Moss And Ferns.  The     Trunks 
 Of Trees Which Had Fallen Either From Age And Decay, Or From Being Blown 
 Down By The     Wind, Lay About In All Directions; Another Generation Having 
 Grown Up To Share The     Same Fate, And To Be Succeeded By Others Still 
 Proudly Rearing Their Heads Green And Flourishing. 
   
   
 "Come, It Won't Do To Be Balked!" Exclaimed The     Master.  "We'll Make Our 
 Way Somehow Or Other Through The     Forest;" And The     Boat Was Run With Her 
 Bow Against The     Yielding Bank.  "You'll Follow Me!"  As He Said This He 
 Sprang On Shore, Or Rather On To The     Trunk Of     A Tree.  "All Right--Come 
 Along," He Exclaimed; "Do As I Do."  The     Next Instant, However, Over He 
 Went On His Nose, And Disappeared. 
   
   
 We Followed, And Found His Legs Sticking Up, While His Head And 
 Shoulders Were Three Or Four Feet Deep In Damp Wood And Moss.  We 
 Managed To Haul Him Out, Covered From Head To Foot With Wet Moss; His 
 Blue Suit Turned Into One Of     Green, Fitted For The     Woodland Region In 
 Which He Was So Anxious To Roam.  Undaunted, However, He Made His Way 
 Onwards, Now Climbing Over A Somewhat Firm Trunk; Only, However, The 
 Next Instant To Sink Up To His Middle In The     Moss And Decayed Wood. 
 Tommy Followed, But Was Very Nearly Smothered, And Not Without 
 Difficulty We Hauled Him Out; Then The     Master, Finding Himself Alone, 
 Came Back Grumbling At Our Cowardice, As He Called It. 
   
   
 We Now All Embarked, And Pulled Along The     Shore In The     Hope Of     Finding A 
 More Practicable Way Up The     Mountain.  As We Got To The     Head Of     The 
 Basin, We Discovered A Stream Flowing Into It; Up This We Pulled For 
 Some Distance,--The Bank On Either Side Being Covered With Vegetation,-- 
 Till We Reached A Rocky Ledge On One Side, Over Which The     Water Had 
 Apparently At One Time Flowed.  A Low Waterfall A Slight Distance Ahead 
 Showed That Further Progress Was Impracticable.  We Accordingly Landed 
 On The     Ledge, And Once More Attempted To Make Our Way Up The     Mountain. 
 We Had Much The     Same Sort Of     Ground To Go Over As That On Which The 
 Master Had Made His First Essay; But As The     Belt Of     Forest Which 
 Separated Us From The     Steep Side Of     The     Mountain Was Much Narrower Than 
 In The     Former Place, We Persevered, And Soon Found That We Were 
 Ascending. 
   
   
 Up And Up We Went, Helping Ourselves Along By The     Roots And Branches Of 
 The Trees, The     More Stunted Growth Of     Which At Length Showed The     Height 
 We Had Reached.  We Now Emerged From The     Forest, When The     Ground Above 
 Us Appeared Covered With Spongy Moss, The     Walking Over Which We Found 
 Comparatively Easy, Saturated Though It Was With Snow-Water, Which Fell 
 In Every Direction In Tiny Cascades Over The     Side Of     The     Mountain.  Even 
 The Grass And Moss Were At Length Left Behind, And We Found Ourselves 
 Treading On Half-Melted Snow, Which, As We Ascended, Became More Crisp 
 And Solid--The Bright Glare, As The     Sun Fell On It, Proving Very Trying 
 To Our Eyes After The     Gloom Of     The     Forest.  Still, On We Went For Some 
 Distance, The     Ground Being Almost Level; Then We Ascended, And, Passing 
 Over The     Ridge, Descended Once More Into A Shallow Valley, On The     Other 
 Side Of     Which The     Mountain Rose At A Moderate Inclination, Which, It 
 Appeared To Us, We Could Mount Without Any Impediment Till We Reached 
 The Summit.  Thence We Expected To Obtain A Magnificent Prospect Over 
 The Sea On One Side, And The     Country Towards The     Interior On The     Other. 
   
   
 We Did Get Up It Somehow Or Other, Panting And Exhausted, With Our Heads 
 Aching And Our Eyes Dizzy, To Encounter A Fierce Snow-Storm Which Shut 
 Out All Objects From View.  To Remain Here Longer Might Prove Our 
 Destruction; We Soon, Therefore, Began Our Descent.  But The     Traces Of 
 Our Upward Path Were Obliterated, And After Descending A Short Distance 
 We Discovered That We Had Lost Our Way.  I Had Gone Some Little Distance 
 Ahead Of     The     Rest Of     The     Party, When I Saw Before Me A Gentle Slope Of 
 Snow, By Sliding Down Which I Fancied That I Should Quickly Arrive At 
 The Bottom; So, Calling To My Companions, I Began Slipping Gently 
 Downwards. 
   
   
 "It's Very Pleasant And Easy," I Shouted Out--"Come Along;" And On I 
 Went. 
   
   
 I Had Gone Some Hundred Yards, When, The     Atmosphere Clearing, I Saw 
 Rising Before Me A Perpendicular Cliff, Which I Knew Was The     Opposite 
 Side Of     A Deep Chasm.  Unless I Could Stop Myself, I Should Be Dashed To 
 Pieces.  I Thereupon Dug My Arms And Legs Into The     Snow; But Still On I 
 Went.  I Now Heard A Shout, And Looking Up I Saw Tommy Laughing Merrily 
 As He Descended, Totally Unaware Of     The     Fearful Peril He Was In.  I 
 Cried Out To Him To Stop Himself If He Could; But He Did Not Understand 
 What I Said.  On I Went; Not A Tree Nor A Rock Appeared To Which I Could 
 Cling.  The     Precipice Could Not Have Been Fifty Yards Before Me, When, 
 Making Another Desperate Effort, I Got My Feet Through The     Snow And 
 Fixed Against A Rock In The     Ground.  Still Tommy Came On, With The     Rest 
 Of The     Party Some Way Above Him.  Just As He Shot By Me, I Seized Him By 
 The Leg And Brought Him Up.  "Why Did You Do That?" He Cried Out, Even 
 Then Not Knowing How Close He Was To The     Edge Of     The     Precipice.  When He 
 Saw It, He Joined His Shouts With Mine; And Then Pointing To The     Left, 
 Where I Observed That The     Inclination Was Less Steep, We Directed The 
 Party Towards It.  Scrambling Along On Our Knees And Hands, We Joined 
 Them; And Now, Moving With The     Greatest Care, Fearing Every Instant To 
 Be Sent Sliding Down To Our Right, We At Length Reached A Ledge By Which 
 We Made Our Way Into The     Valley. 
   
   
 The Danger Was Now Past, But We Had To Undergo Immense Fatigue Before We 
 Got Back To The     Boat. 
   
   
 We Had Intended Calling On Board The     Whaler, To Pay Another Visit To 
 Captain Hudson, But The     Lateness Of     The     Hour Compelled Our Return To The 
 Ship.  I Was Much Disappointed, As I Hoped To See The     Young Lady By 
 Whose Appearance I Had Been So Much Struck The     Previous Day; But I 
 Consoled Myself With The     Expectation Of     Being Able To Go On Board The 
 Next Morning. 
   
   
 During The     Night, However, The     Gale Completely Ceased; And When I Came 
 On Deck I Saw The     Whaler Under All Sail Standing Out Of     The     Harbour, 
 With The     Wind Off The     Land.  We Followed, But Did Not Again Get Near 
 Enough To Communicate With Her.  We Stood Some Distance Off The     Coast, 
 And Then Continued Our Course To The     Northward. 
   
   
 Very Frequently, Afterwards, Did The     Image Of     That Fair Young Girl Recur 
 To My Memory, Though She Did Not Appear To Have Made So Much Impression 
 On Peter Mudge; But He Sometimes Spoke Of     The     Captain's Wife, And Seemed 
 To Sympathise With Her On The     Loss Of     Her Child, Though It Had Happened 
 So Long Ago. 
   
   
 The Peaks Of     The     Cordilleras Again Came In Sight, At A Distance Of     A 
 Hundred And Fifty Miles, Long Before The     Shore At The     Base Of     The     Mighty 
 Range Was Visible--One Of     Them, Aconcagua, Rising To An Elevation Of 
 Upwards Of     23,000 Feet Above The     Ocean.  We Touched At Valparaiso; Which 
 Might, We Agreed, Possibly Be A Paradise For Fleas, But Certainly Not 
 For Human Beings Of     Good Taste.  The     Climate Is Fine,--Of That I Have No 
 Doubt,--But The     Surrounding Country Is Sterile And Monotonous, The 
 Vegetation Just Then On The     Hills Consisting Of     Half-Withered Cacti, 
 Though In The     Valleys And The     Plains To The     Left Of     The     Town We Saw 
 Groves Of     Fruit Trees And Flowering Shrubs.  I Can Best Describe The 
 Place By Saying That It Is Divided By Two Deep Ravines Into Three Hills, 
 Sprinkled Over With Whitewashed Houses; The     Hills Are Called Fore-Top, 
 Main-Top, And Mizen-Top. 
   
   
 Sailing From Thence, During My Watch One Morning I Heard A Cry Of     "Land 
 Ahead!"  I Looked Out, But Nothing Like Land Could I See. 
   
   
 "We Shall Get Sight Of     It Before Long From The     Deck," Observed Mudge, 
 "If We Keep Our Eyes Open." 
   
   
 The Ship, As She Glided Onward, Rose And Sank With The     Swell Of     The 
 Ocean; And Presently, As She Rose, I Caught Sight Of     What Appeared To Be 
 A Fleet Of     Vessels At Anchor.  The     Next Instant They Had Disappeared; 
 But As She Rose On The     Next Swell I Again Caught Sight Of     The     Seeming 
 Masts, Which I Gradually Discovered To Be Tall Cocoa-Nut Palms Or 
 Pandanus Trees.  On Approaching Nearer, The     Whole White Beach Was 
 Distinctly Seen; And Above It A Narrow Belt Of     Land Of     A Light Clay 
 Colour, Surrounding A Perfectly Smooth Lagoon Of     A Beautiful Blue Tint; 
 While Against The     Outer Belt The     Surf Was Breaking With Terrific Force. 
 The Highest Part Of     The     Land Appeared To Be About Ten Or Twelve Feet 
 Above The     Level Of     The     Sea; And We Calculated That The     Belt Between The 
 Sea And The     Lagoon Was About Seven Hundred Feet Wide, The     Soil Being 
 Composed Of     Coral Debris And Vegetable Matter.  Besides The     Palm-Trees, 
 There Were A Few Shrubs Not More Than Fourteen Or Fifteen Feet In 
 Height.  The     Whole Island Was About Eight Miles Long, And From One And A 
 Half To Two Miles Wide. 
   
   
 We Sounded As We Approached, But Could Obtain No Bottom; And It Was Not 
 Till We Got Quite Close That The     Lead Gave Us Ninety Fathoms, And 
 Farther On Seventy, Thus Proving That The     Land Was The     Top Of     A 
 Submerged Mountain.  Such, Indeed, Are All The     Islands Of     This Group. 
 Once Upon A Time In The     World's History, A Mountainous Region Existed On 
 The Spot Over Which We Were Sailing, Which Gradually Sank Till The     Ocean 
 Flowed Over All The     Highest Portions.  The     Coral Insects Finding It A 
 Convenient Situation On Which To Build, The     Temperature Of     The     Water 
 Suiting Their Constitution, Commenced Operations, And Formed An 
 Encircling Reef Round The     Shore.  These Creatures Can Only Live At A 
 Certain Depth Beneath The     Surface; Thus, As The     Land Continued To Sink, 
 The First Builders Died, While Others Continued To Work Above Their 
 Habitations.  Still The     Land Sank, And The     Coral Insects Worked On, 
 Building Higher And Higher Till The     Summit Of     The     Mountain Was Not Only 
 Covered, But Was Many Fathoms Deep Below The     Surface.  This, However, 
 Did Not Prevent The     Persevering Creatures From Continuing Their 
 Operations; Till At Length A Time Came When The     Subsidence Of     The     Land 
 Ceased.  The     Breakers Then Washed Up Portions Of     The     Coral On To The 
 Summit Of     The     Reef, Which By Degrees Crumbled Away From The     Action Of 
 The Atmosphere.  Sea-Birds Made It Their Home, And Deposited The     Seeds 
 Of Various Plants, While The     Ocean Washed Up Other Seeds Still 
 Containing Germinating Powers.  Thus Vegetation Commenced; And The     Trees 
 And Shrubs Decaying, More Vegetable Mould Was Formed To Support The 
 Existence Of     A Further Succession Of     Trees And Shrubs. 
   
   
 I Give This Information Here, Though I Did Not Obtain It Till Long 
 Afterwards; Indeed, I Believe That No One At The     Time Understood How The 
 Island Was Formed.  I Asked Mudge, Who Told Me That It Was Placed There 
 By Nature, As Other Parts Of     The     Earth Had Been Formed, To Give A 
 Pleasing Variety To The     Face Of     The     Globe. 
   
   
 "It Will Afford Us Anything But A Pleasing Variety, If We Have To Sail 
 Through A Sea Studded With Such Islands As These," I Could Not Help 
 Observing; "For If We Don't Keep Our Eyes Open, We Shall Be Running On 
 Them." 
   
   
 "You May Well Say That, My Boy," He Answered.  "And As They Extend For 
 The Best Part Of     Two Thousand Miles Across The     Pacific, We Shall Be 
 Lucky If Our Keel Escapes Acquaintance With Some Of     Them, Should The 
 Commander Take It Into His Head To Cruise Through Their Midst." 
   
   
 The Ship Having Reached The     Lee Side Of     The     Island, A Boat Was Lowered, 
 And Mudge And I Accompanied The     First Lieutenant To Try And Open A 
 Communication With The     Inhabitants,--Carrying With Us Some Trifles, Such 
 As Beads, Small Looking-Glasses, And Other Trinkets, Furnished Us At 
 Home To Barter With The     Natives Or To Use As Presents In Order To Gain 
 Their Good-Will.  As We Pulled In, A Number Of     Them Appeared On The 
 Beach Armed With Long Spears And Clubs, Which They Brandished With 
 Menacing Attitudes, As If They Would Prevent Us From Landing.  We Had 
 Taken Dicky Popo With Us, Under The     Belief That, Seeing A Person Of     A 
 Darker Skin Than Ours Among Us, They Might Be Inclined To Trust Us; Not 
 That It Was Supposed He Could Understand Their Language. 
   
   
 As They Still Continued Waving Us Off, The     Lieutenant Held Up A String 
 Of Beads And Some Other Articles.  Then, Not Wishing To Risk The     Safety 
 Of The     Boat By Running Her On The     Coral Beach,--On Which The     Surf, 
 Beating Heavily, Might Soon Have Stove In Her Bows,--We Pulled In As 
 Close As We Could Venture, And He Threw The     Articles On Shore.  The 
 Savages Eagerly Picked Them Up; But Still They Did Not Appear Satisfied 
 As To Our Friendly Intentions, And Continued Waving Us Off, Shouting, At 
 The Same Time, At The     Top Of     Their Voices.  As They Did Not Throw Their 
 Spears, However, Or Make Any Other Hostile Movements, We Remained At A 
 Short Distance From The     Beach, Hoping That The     Presents We Had Given 
 Them Would Produce A More Amiable State Of     Mind.  Still, Though We Did 
 All We Could To Win Their Confidence, Whenever We Got A Little Nearer 
 They Again Began Gesticulating, Showing That They Had No Intention To 
 Let Us Land If They Could Help It. 
   
   
 Besides The     Men On The     Beach, We Saw A Group Of     People At Some Distance, 
 Who Seemed To Be Watching Our Proceedings With Great Interest, And 
 Apparently Holding Back One Of     Their Number Who Was Making Efforts To 
 Break Away From Them.  In Colour And Costume, Or Rather In The     Want Of 
 It, He Differed But Little From The     Rest; And We Therefore Concluded 
 That He Was Insane, Or That From Some Other Cause His Companions 
 Objected To His Coming Near Us.  As The     Commander Had Given Orders That 
 We Should On No Account Force A Landing, Our Lieutenant, Believing That 
 We Should Be Unable To Accomplish Our Object, Put The     Boat Round; And We 
 Were Pulling Off, When The     Man We Had Seen Escaped From Those Who Held 
 Him, And, Dodging Round The     Others, Sprang Into The     Water, And With 
 Rapid Strokes Swam Off Towards Us, In Spite Of     Several Spears Hurled At 
 Him.  Mr Worthy Instantly Pulled Back To Take Him In. 
   
   
 "Glad Get Among You," He Exclaimed, Greatly To Our Surprise, In 
 Tolerable English, As He Climbed Over The     Side. 
   
   
 "Why, My Friend, Who Are You?" Asked Mr Worthy. 
   
   
 "I Kanaka," He Answered; By Which We Knew That He Was A Sandwich 
 Islander. 
   
   
 As We Returned To The     Ship, He Explained That He Had Belonged To A 
 Vessel Caught In A Gale Off The     Island; When, Having Been Washed 
 Overboard From The     Bowsprit, And No Attempt Being Made To Pick Him Up, 
 He Had Remained Afloat All Night, And Succeeded The     Next Morning, In A 
 Way That Only A Sandwich Islander Could Have Accomplished, In Reaching 
 The Island.  Happily The     Inhabitants Did Not See Him Till He Had 
 Recovered His Strength.  He Then Went Boldly Among Them; And As He Was 
 Able To Make Himself Understood, He Had, By The     Way He Addressed Them, 
 Gained Their Confidence, Though He Believed That They Would Otherwise 
 Immediately Have Put Him To Death.  His Knowledge Being Superior To 
 Theirs, He Was Looked Upon With Much Respect; And As He Had Already 
 Taught Them Many Things They Did Not Before Know, The     People Wished To 
 Retain Him Among Them. 
   
   
 "Dey Stupid Savages," He Observed With A Look Of     Contempt; Though, 
 Except That He Could Speak A Little English, We Were Not Inclined To 
 Consider Him Much Raised Above Them In The     Scale Of     Civilisation. 
   
   
 The Lieutenant Then Inquired The     Character Of     The     Vessel From Which He 
 Had Been Washed Overboard.  The     Kanaka, Shaking His Head And Throwing An 
 Expression Of     Disgust Into His Countenance, Answered, "No Good;" And On 
 Further Examining Him, Mr Worthy Came To The     Conclusion That She Was 
 Either A Pirate, Or A Craft Engaged In Carrying Off The     Inhabitants To 
 Work In The     Mines Of     Peru--The Rumour Having Reached Us At Valparaiso 
 That Some Vessels Had Been Fitted Out For That Purpose.  He Had For Some 
 Time Been Serving On Board A Whaler, Where He Had Learned English; And 
 Having Deserted At A Port In Peru, Had Joined This Craft In The     Hope Of 
 Getting Back To His Own Island, Whither He Had Understood She Was Bound. 
   
   
 His Name, He Told Us, Was Tamaku.  He And Dicky Popo Soon Became Great 
 Friends, And Both Made Themselves Very Useful On Board.  It Was Singular 
 That They Should Have Joined Us Much In The     Same Way.  Tamaku Was Likely 
 To Prove Of     Service In Acting As Interpreter With The     Natives Of 
 Polynesia; For The     Language Of     The     Sandwich Group Differs But Slightly 
 From The     Dialects Of     The     Other Brown-Skinned Races Inhabiting The 
 Numerous Archipelagoes Which Dot Its Surface.  The     Sandwich Islanders 
 Can Thus Generally Make Themselves Understood Wherever They Go. 
   
   
 Tamaku Being A Merry, Obliging Fellow, Became A Favourite With The     Crew, 
 And We Hoped That We Should Be Able To Retain Him On Board Even After 
 Our Visit To The     Sandwich Islands, To Which We Were Now Bound. 
   
   
 We Were Glad Enough To Get Clear Of     The     Low Archipelago, For It Is A 
 Serious Matter To Be Caught In A Gale Amid Its Countless Coral Reefs, 
 Many Of     Which Are Not To Be Seen Until The     Ship Is Close Upon Them; And 
 Even In Fine Weather The     Greatest Vigilance Is Required To Avoid 
 Them. We Had A Look-Out At Each Fore-Topsail-Yardarm, At The 
 Fore-Topmast-Head, And Often At The     Bowsprit End, As The     Submerged Reefs 
 Can In Calm Weather Be Distinguished Only By The     Darker Colour Of     The 
 Water.  Even When We Were Clear Of     These, We Had Still To Keep A 
 Look-Out For Other Islands In Our Course; As Well As For The     Craft Which 
 Tamaku Had Described To Us, Or For Her Consorts, Which The     Commander Was 
 Very Anxious To Catch. 
   
   
 As We Were Soon Afterwards Running On With A Flowing Sheet During The 
 Night, The     Stars Being Obscured By Clouds, And The     Wind Pretty Strong, 
 "Land! Land On The     Starboard Bow!" Was Shouted From Forward.  "Land 
 Ahead!" Was The     Next Startling Cry.  What Dangerous Reef Might Run Off 
 It Was Not Known.  "Starboard The     Helm!" Shouted The     Officer Of     The 
 Watch; "Brace The     Yards Sharp Up!" 
   
   
 "All Hands On Deck!" Was The     Next Cry; For The     Ship Was Heeling Over So 
 Much To The     Gale That It Became Necessary To Shorten Sail Without Delay. 
 As It Was, The     Risk Of     Carrying Away The     Yards, If Not The     Masts, Was 
 Very Great.  While The     Hands Were Hauling Aft The     Sheets, A Loud Clap 
 Was Heard.  The     Main-Tack Had Given Way, And The     Clew Of     The     Sail Was 
 Flapping Furiously In The     Wind, Threatening With Death All Within Its 
 Reach. 
   
   
 At The     Instant It Gave Way A Sharp Cry Reached My Ears.  Immediately 
 Afterwards A Voice From The     Poop Shouted, "Man Overboard!"  But, Alas! 
 Whoever He Was, No Assistance Could Be Rendered Him.  Destruction 
 Awaited The     Ship Should She Not Weather The     Land Ahead.  One Of     My 
 Messmates Who Was On The     Poop--Tommy Peck By Name--Acting Upon The 
 Impulse Of     The     Moment, Cut The     Lanyard Of     The     Life-Buoy, Which Fell Into 
 The Seething Ocean; Though He Either Forgot To Pull That Which Would 
 Have Ignited The     Port-Fire, Or The     Port-Fire Itself Was Damaged, As No 
 Light Was Seen As It Fell Into The     Water. 
   
   
 Some Minutes Of     Anxious Suspense Followed, During Which The     Ship Was 
 Ploughing Her Way Through The     Dark Seas Which, Rolling Onward, Burst 
 Into Masses Of     Foam On The     Rocky Shore To Leeward. 
   
   
 At Length The     Open Ocean Could Be Seen Beyond The     Point Which Gradually 
 Appeared Over Our Starboard Quarter; But The     Commander Dared Not Yet 
 Keep The     Ship Away, Not Knowing How Far The     Reef Extending From It Might 
 Reach.  In The     Meantime The     Tack Had Been Secured, And Two Reefs Taken 
 In The     Topsail.  Even As It Was, However, The     Ship, Slashing Through The 
 Foaming Seas, Could Scarcely Look Up To The     Gale, And I Every Moment 
 Expected To See Her Go Right Over.  The     Water Was Rushing Through Her 
 Ports, And Rose Half-Way Up The     Deck To The     Combings Of     The     Hatchway. 
 With Infinite Relief, Therefore, I Heard The     Order Given To Port The 
 Helm And Square The     Yards; And Once More We Flew On Before The     Wind, 
 Leaving The     Dark Land Astern.  It Seemed As If There Had Come A Sudden 
 Lull, So Easily Did She Now Speed On Her Way Over The     Ocean. 
   
   
 All Were Eager To Know Who Had Been Lost, And The     Muster-Roll Was 
 Called.  One After Another The     Men Answered To Their Names, Till That Of 
 Dicky Popo Was Shouted Out.  No Dicky Answered, And It Became Certain 
 That He Was The     Unfortunate Individual Lost.  Tamaku Expressed His Grief 
 With A Loud Wail.  "O Popo!  Popo! Why You Go Overboard?" He Cried Out. 
 "You Not Swim Like Kanaka, Or You Get To Shore.  But Now I Know You At 
 De Bottom Of     De Sea." 
   
   
 It Was Sad, Indeed, To Think That The     Poor Lad Had Gone Overboard At A 
 Moment When It Was Utterly Impossible To Render Him Any Assistance. 
 Under Other Circumstances He Might Easily Have Been Saved, As The     Sea, 
 Though Rough, Was Not Sufficiently So To Prevent A Boat Being Lowered. 
 Now, However, We Could Not Go Back To Look For Him; Indeed, As Tamaku 
 Said, He Must Long Before This Have Perished. 
   
   
 We After This Sighted The     Marquesas, To Which The     French Have Laid 
 Claim, Though They Have Made No Attempt To Colonise These Beautiful And 
 Fertile Islands. 
   
   
 The Sandwich Islands Were At Length Reached, And We Brought Up Off 
 Honolulu, In The     Island Of     Oahu.  We Were More Struck With The     Beauty Of 
 The Scenery Than With That Of     The     Female Portion Of     The     Inhabitants; But 
 As The     Islands Have Been So Often Described, I Will Not Attempt To Do 
 So; Merely Remarking That They Are Eleven In Number, Some Of     Them About 
 A Hundred Miles In Circumference.  Hawaii, Formerly Known As Owhyhee, Is 
 Very Much The     Largest, Being Eighty-Eight Miles In Length By Sixty-Eight 
 In Breadth; And It Contains Two Lofty Mountains, Each Upwards Of 
 Thirteen Thousand Feet In Height--One Called Mauna Kea, And The     Other 
 Mauna Loa, Which Latter Is For Ever Sending Forth Its Volcanic Fires, 
 While It Casts Its Vast Shadow Far And Wide Over The     Ocean. 
   
   
 After Leaving Honolulu, Which In Those Days Was A Very Different Place 
 To What It Is Now, We Brought Up In The     Bay Of     Kealakeakua, Celebrated 
 As The     Place Where Captain Cook Lost His Life.  As We Entered The     Bay We 
 Could See In The     Far Distance The     Towering Dome Of     Mauna Loa.  The     Whole 
 Country Round Bore Evidence Of     The     Volcanic Nature Of     The     Soil; Broken 
 Cliffs Rose Round The     Bay, On The     North Side Of     Which A Reef Of     Rocks 
 Offers The     Most Convenient Landing-Place.  It Was Here That Captain Cook 
 Was Killed, While Endeavouring To Reach His Boat.  A Few Yards From The 
 Water Stands A Cocoa-Nut Tree, At The     Foot Of     Which He Is Said To Have 
 Breathed His Last.  The     _Imogene_ Carried Away The     Top Of     The     Tree; And 
 Her Captain Had A Copper Plate Fastened On To The     Stem, The     Lower Part 
 Of Which Has Been Thickly Tarred To Preserve It.  On The     Plate Is A 
 Cross, With An Inscription--"Near This Spot Fell Captain James Cook, The 
 Renowned Circumnavigator, Who Discovered These Islands, A.D. 1778." 
   
   
 Tamaku Having Been Allowed To Remain On Shore During The     Time We Were 
 Here, Came Off Again Of     His Own Free Will, And Expressed His Readiness 
 To Continue On Board. 
   
   
 We Again Sailed To The     Southward.  The     Commander Had Been Directed To 
 Visit The     Archipelagoes On The     Western Side Of     The     Pacific, But He 
 Wished First To Make A Survey Of     The     Island On Which We Had So Nearly 
 Run During The     Gale On Our Course Northward. 
   
   
 I Have, By-The-By, Said Very Little About My Messmates, Except Mr 
 Worthy, Peter Mudge (Who Acted As My Mentor, As He Was Likewise That Of 
 All The     Youngsters), And My Chum Tommy Peck.  There Was Another Mate, 
 Who Had Lately Passed,--Alfred Stanford, A Very Gentlemanly, Pleasing 
 Young Man.  We Had, Besides, A Surgeon, A Master's Assistant, The 
 Captain's Clerk And The     Purser's Clerk, Who Made Up The     Complement In 
 Our Berth.  My Chief Friend Among The     Men Was Dick Tillard, An Old 
 Quartermaster, To Whom I Could Always Go To Get Instruction In 
 Seamanship, With The     Certainty That He Would Do His Best To Enlighten 
 Me.  He Had Been At Sea All His Life, And Had Scarcely Ever Spent A 
 Month On Shore At A Time.  He Was A Philosopher, In His Way; And His 
 Philosophy Was Of     The     Best, For He Had Implicit Confidence In God's 
 Overruling Providence.  If Anything Went Wrong, His Invariable Remark 
 Was,--"That's Our Fault, Not His Who Rules Above; Trust Him, Lads, Trust 
 Him, And He Will Make All Things Right At Last." 
   
   
 I Have Very Little To Say About Our Second Lieutenant, Or The     Master, Or 
 Surgeon, Or Purser,--Who, As Far As I Knew, Were Respectable Men, Not 
 Above The     Average In Intellect, And Got On Very Well Together In The 
 Gunroom; So That Our Ship Might Have Been Looked Upon As A Happy One, As 
 Things Go, Though I Confess That We Cannot Expect To Find A Paradise On 
 Board A Man-Of-War. 
   
   
 I Must Not Omit To Mention Our Boatswain, A Person Of     No Small 
 Importance On Board Ship.  So, At All Events, Thought Mr Fletcher 
 Yallop, As He Desired To Be Called; And If We Youngsters Ever Wanted Him 
 To Do Anything For Us, We Always Thus Addressed Him--Though, Of     Course, 
 The Commander And Officers Called Him Simply Mr Yallop.  If The     Men 
 Addressed Him As Mr Yallop, He Invariably Exclaimed,--"Mr Fletcher 
 Yallop Is My Name, Remember, My Lad; And I'll Beg You Always To 
 Denominate Me By My Proper Appellation, Or A Rope's End And Your Back 
 Will Scrape Acquaintance With Each Other." 
   
   
 He Explained His Reasons To Me In Confidence One Day.  "You See, Mr 
 Rayner, I Expect Before I Die To Come Into A Fortune, When I Shall Be, 
 Of Course, Fletcher Yallop, Esquire.  I Can't Make The     Men Call Me So 
 Now, Because I Am But A Simple Boatswain; But I Like The     Sound; It Keeps 
 Up My Spirits.  When I Get Out Of     Sorts, I Repeat To Myself: `Fletcher 
 Yallop, Esquire, Be A Man; Be Worthy Of     Your Future Position In Society 
 When You Take Your Place Among The     Nobility Of     The     Land, And Perhaps 
 Write M.P. After Your Name,'--And In An Instant I Am Myself Again, And 
 Patiently Bear The     Rubs And Frowns To Which Even Warrant-Officers Are 
 Subjected.  In Truth, Though I Wish You Not To Repeat It, Mr Rayner, I 
 May Become A Baronet; And I Always Look With Trembling Interest At The 
 Gazette, To See If A Certain Person, Whose Heir I Am, Has Been Raised To 
 That Dignity." 
   
   
 I Ventured To Ask The     Boatswain On What He Grounded His Hopes Of 
 Fortune. 
   
   
 "That Is A Secret, Mr Rayner," He Replied, "Which I Must Not Divulge, 
 Even To You; But You Would Not Doubt My Word, I Am Sure.  That Must Be 
 Sufficient For The     Present; And I Must Request You Not To Make The 
 Matter A Subject Of     Conversation Among Your Messmates.  They Would Not 
 Enter Into My Feelings As You Do." 
   
   
 I Found, However, That Mr Yallop Had Been Equally Confidential To Tommy 
 Peck, Though He Had Not Ventured To Talk Of     His Hopes Either To Mudge Or 
 Stanford.  Tom And I, On Comparing Notes, Came To The     Conclusion That 
 The Boatswain Was Under A Hallucination; Though, As It Was A Very 
 Harmless One, And Afforded Him Intense Satisfaction Without In Any Way 
 Interfering With His Duty, We Agreed That It Was As Well To Let Him 
 Enjoy It.  He Was, Indeed, A First-Rate Seaman And An Excellent 
 Boatswain, Though He Handled The     Rope's End Pretty Freely When Any Of 
 The Ship's Boys Or Ordinary Seamen Neglected Their Duty.  He Was A 
 Broadly Built Man, With Enormous Black Whiskers; And No One Would Have 
 Supposed That He Possessed A Single Grain Of     Romance In His Composition. 
 He Had An Eagle Eye, And A Sun-Burned, Weather-Beaten Countenance; But 
 I Believe He Had As Tender A Heart As Any Man In The     Ship. 
   
   
 Nothing Of     Importance Occurred Till We Sighted The     Island Against Which 
 We Had So Nearly Run.  Standing In With The     Lead Going, We Found Good 
 Anchorage In A Wide Bay, Protected By A High Point Of     Land On One Side 
 And A Reef On The     Other.  The     Captain Wishing To Survey The     Island, And 
 The Weather Being Fine, He Ordered His Gig To Be Manned, And, Much To My 
 Satisfaction, Told Me To Be Ready To Accompany Him.  We Took A Supply Of 
 Provisions For The     Day, As We Did Not Expect To Be Back Till Late In The 
 Evening. 
   
   
 While The     First Lieutenant And Master Were Surveying The     Bay In Which 
 The Ship Lay, And The     Coast In Its Immediate Neighbourhood, We Pulled 
 Round To The     Opposite Side Of     The     Island.  We Had As Yet Seen No 
 Natives, But As Cocoa-Nut Trees Were Visible On Shore, We Concluded That 
 Some Parts Of     It Were Inhabited.  The     Centre Was Of     Considerable Height, 
 And Was Evidently Of     Volcanic Origin, The     Highest Point Being Apparently 
 A Volcano, Though No Smoke Or Fire Was Seen Proceeding From It. 
   
   
 We Had Been Pulling On For Three Or Four Hours, Keeping At Some Distance 
 From The     Shore, To Avoid The     Reefs Which Ran Off It, As The     Captain 
 Wished To Make The     Whole Circuit During The     Day, When, Just As We Had 
 Doubled The     Point, We Saw Right Ahead, Some Way From The     Shore, A Small 
 Canoe With A Flag Flying At Her Bow.  The     Commander Ordered The     Men To 
 Give Way, Fearing That The     Natives In The     Canoe, When They Saw Us, Would 
 Attempt To Escape, And He Specially Wished To Gain Information From 
 Them.  (Tamaku, I Should Have Said, Formed One Of     The     Crew, Having Been 
 Taken To Act As Interpreter.)  There Appeared To Be No One On Board The 
 Canoe, Which Was At Anchor; But As We Drew Nearer We Saw The     Head Of     A 
 Person Rise Up Above The     Gunwale, When, As It Seemed, He For The     First 
 Time Caught Sight Of     Us.  He Gazed Towards The     Gig With Astonishment, 
 Though Without Uttering Any Cry Of     Alarm. 
   
   
 "He Has An Unusually White Skin For A Native," Observed The     Captain; 
 "Indeed, He Must Be, I Am Sure, A European." 
   
   
 The Boy, For His Features Showed That He Was Very Young, Took Something 
 From The     Bottom Of     The     Canoe, As We Drew Near, And Kneeling Down In The 
 Bow In A Suppliant Manner, Held Out His Hand Towards Us.  The     Commander, 
 Anxious Not To Alarm Him, Ordered The     Gig To Pull Round And Back In 
 Quietly Astern, While, Standing Up, He Leaned Forward To Examine What 
 The Boy Had Got In His Hand.  Just At That Moment Another Head Rose 
 Above The     Gunwale Of     The     Canoe From The     Outside; But That Was Black As 
 Jet; And What Should I See But Dicky Popo's Astonished Countenance, His 
 Ivory Teeth Gleaming Whitely As His Mouth Distended From Ear To Ear. 
   
   
 "Oh, Ky! Cappen--And You, Massa Rayner--Where You Come From?" He 
 Exclaimed, As He Rested On His Elbows Before Getting Into The     Canoe. 
   
   
 So Interested Was The     Captain In The     Appearance Of     The     White Boy,--More 
 Even Than In The     Number Of     Beautiful Pearls He Held In His Hand,--That 
 He Scarcely Recognised Popo. 
   
   
 "Who Are You, And Where Do You Come From?" Asked The     Commander. 
   
   
 The Lad Only Shook His Head, As If He Did Not Understand His Question-- 
 Still Keeping His Hand Extended, With The     Pearls In It. 
   
   
 "He No Speakee English," Said Popo, Who Had Just Scrambled Into The 
 Canoe. 
   
   
 "Why, Dicky Popo," Cried The     Commander, "You Here, My Boy!" 
   
   
 I Could Not Resist Shaking Popo By The     Hand, So Delighted Was I To See 
 Him. 
   
   
 "Yes, Massa Cappen; Me No Drownee," He Answered. 
   
   
 "That's Very Evident," Said The     Commander; "And I Shall Be Glad To Know 
 How You Escaped.  But First I Want You To Set The     Mind Of     This Poor Lad 
 At Rest, As He Seems In A Great Fright.  Tell Him We Are Friends, And 
 Will Do Him No Harm, For He Does Not Understand What I Say To Him." 
   
   
 Popo, More By Signs Than Words, Quickly Succeeded In Tranquillising The 
 Lad. 
   
   
 "Who Is He?" Asked The     Commander, "For His Skin Is As White As Ours; And 
 I Cannot Suppose That He Is A Native." 
   
   
 "He Not Say Who He Is," Answered Popo; "But By-And-By Perhaps Talkee 
 More." 
   
   
 "Well, We Must Wait Patiently," Said The     Commander.  "Ask Him If He Has 
 Any Objection To Accompany Us; And If He Is Ready To Come We Will Take 
 You And Him Into The     Gig, While We Tow The     Canoe Astern."  After A Few 
 More Signs And Incomprehensible Words Had Passed Between Popo And The 
 White Boy, They Both Stepped Into The     Gig; The     Latter Still Holding The 
 Pearls In His Hand, Which, As Soon As He Was Seated, He Again Offered To 
 The Commander, Who This Time Received Them, And After Examining Them Put 
 Them Into His Pocket.  The     Canoe Was Then Made Fast To The     Gig Astern, 
 And We Continued Our Course Round The     Island. 
   
   
 The Commander Was Engaged In Noting Its Headlands And Bays And Other 
 Features, And Could Not Give His Attention To The     Lad; But I Lost No 
 Time In Trying To Learn From Popo How He Had Escaped,--Also Drawing From 
 Him Anything He Knew About The     White Boy.  On The     First Point He Quickly 
 Enlightened Me. 
   
   
 On Falling Overboard, He Had Caught Sight Of     The     Life-Buoy Which Peck 
 Had Providentially Let Go; And Being A Good Swimmer, He Had Reached It, 
 And Climbing Up, Had Made Himself Fast To It.  With A Feeling Of     Dismay 
 He Saw The     Ship Sailing On, But He Did Not Gave Way To Despair, As After 
 Some Time He Discovered That The     Life-Buoy Was Drifting Towards The 
 Land.  Still, He Knew That, Should It Be Driven Among The     Breakers, He 
 Should In All Probability Be Dashed To Pieces On The     Rocks.  However, As 
 He Told Me, He Hoped For The     Best, And Clung On, Finding Himself Getting 
 Nearer And Nearer The     Shore. 
   
   
 When Morning Broke, He Found That He Was Not More Than A Few 
 Cable-Lengths From The     Beach.  As The     Light Increased He Looked Out 
 Anxiously, And, Much To His Satisfaction, Saw That He Was Drifting 
 Towards A Sandy Bay.  He Cast Off The     Lashings Which Had Hitherto 
 Secured Him, That He Might Swim On Shore, Knowing That The     Life-Buoy 
 Would In All Probability Be Rolled Over And Over. 
   
   
 It Now Advanced But Little; And He Was On The     Point Of     Parting From It 
 And Beginning To Swim, When He Saw Several Natives Come Down To The 
 Beach, And Among Them A White Lad.  The     Former Stood Gazing At Him, 
 Apparently Indifferent To The     Rude Breakers; The     Lad, However, Directly 
 Afterwards Began To Launch A Small Canoe Which Lay On The     Beach, And 
 Jumping Into It And Actively Working The     Paddle, Made His Way Through 
 The Breakers Towards Him.  Popo Being Quite Sure That He Came As A 
 Friend, Left The     Life-Buoy As Soon As He Drew Near, And With A Few 
 Strokes Reached The     Bow Of     The     Canoe, Over Which He Soon Scrambled; When 
 The Boy At Once Paddled Back To The     Beach, Carrying Him Safely Through 
 The Breakers.  The     Savages, Who Were As Brown As Those He Had Before 
 Seen, Gathered Round Him And Examined His Skin With Much Curiosity, 
 Supposing, He Observed, That He Had Got On A Black Coat.  They Then Made 
 Him And The     White Boy Stand Together, Grinning At The     Contrast Which 
 Their Colours Presented, And Evidently Satisfied That They Themselves 
 Were The     Just Medium. 
   
   
 Popo, Who Was Very Hungry, Now Made Signs That He Wanted Something To 
 Eat.  His New Friend, Hastening Away, Quickly Returned From A Hut At No 
 Great Distance With Some Food, Which The     Brown Savages Did Not Prevent 
 His Giving Him.  Popo Soon Found, However, That Although His Life Was To 
 Be Spared He Was To Be Treated As A Slave, As The     White Boy Appeared To 
 Be. 
   
   
 After Remaining On The     Beach A Short Time, The     Savages Led Him To Their 
 Village, Which Consisted Of     A Number Of     Low Huts.  The     Women Had Been 
 Preparing Their Morning Meal, After Which Some Of     The     Men Went Out To 
 Kill Birds, While Others Occupied Themselves In A Taro Plantation On 
 Some Level Ground To The     Rear Of     Their Village.  Popo, Meantime, Who 
 Could Scarcely Keep His Eyes Open, Was Conducted By His White Friend To 
 A Hut, Where The     Latter Spread A Mat For Him, And Made Signs That He 
 Might Lie Down.  Scarcely Had He Done So When He Fell Fast Asleep. 
   
   
 The Next Day, The     Weather Being Finer, Many Of     The     Men Went Off In Their 
 Canoes; Popo And The     White Boy Being Taken Out In That Of     The     Chief. 
 Popo Found That They Were Engaged In Diving For Pearl-Oysters.  The 
 White Lad Appeared To Be Among The     Best Of     Their Divers.  He Fearlessly 
 Plunged Overboard With A Net And A Small Axe--The Net Being Attached To 
 The Boat By A Line; And When His Net Was Hauled Up It Was Invariably 
 Full Of     Oysters.  The     Chief Made Signs To Popo That He Must Do The     Same. 
 Though He Was A Good Swimmer, He Had Never Been Accustomed To Diving; 
 But The     White Boy Showed Him How He Could Accomplish The     Feat, And After 
 Some Practice He Was Able To Go Down, And Succeeded Almost As Well As 
 His Companion. 
   
   
 Since He Had Been There, Three Vessels Had Come And Purchased All The 
 Pearls Which Had Been Collected, When He And The     White Boy Had Been 
 Carried Off Some Way From The     Shore, So That They Might Not Communicate 
 With The     Crews.  After Each Visit Paid By The     Pearl-Traders, All The     Men 
 In The     Village Had Become Excessively Tipsy; And On The     First Two 
 Occasions They, Fearing That They Might Be Ill-Treated, Had Run Off And 
 Hidden Themselves, Though They Did Not Escape Punishment.  Popo Had 
 Begun To Learn His Companion's Language; Which He Spoke, However, In A 
 Way Very Different From The     Natives.  They Were Thus Able To Communicate 
 With Each Other. 
   
   
 Only The     Day Before Our Arrival Another Trader Had Gone Away, And At The 
 Present Time Every Man In The     Village Was Drunk.  As The     Old Chief Had 
 On Previous Occasions Beaten Them, When He Came To Himself, For Not 
 Having Some Pearls Ready For Him, They Had Come Off In The     Canoe By 
 Themselves, And Were Engaged In Fishing,--For So It May Be Called,--When 
 We Found Them. 
   
   
 Such Is An Outline Of     The     Account Popo Gave Me. 
   
   
 All The     Time I Was Talking To Popo, The     Lad Had His Eyes Fixed Intently 
 On Me, As If He Was Endeavouring To Understand What We Were Saying. 
   
   
 "And You, Popo," I Asked; "Are You Glad To Escape From The     Savages?" 
   
   
 "Yes, Massa; Dat I Am," Answered Popo. 
   
   
 "And Do You Think Your Companion Is The     Same?"  I Added, Looking Towards 
 Him. 
   
   
 "Yes, Yes," Said The     White Boy, Looking Up At Me. 
   
   
 "Why, You Must Be English; You Have Thoroughly Understood What I Said," 
 I Exclaimed. 
   
   
 "Me Tink So Too," Observed Popo. 
   
   
 The Commander, Who Had Been Listening To What We Had Been Saying, Now 
 Called Tamaku Aft, And Desired Him To Try If He Could Understand The 
 White Boy, Who After He Had Last Spoken Seemed Abashed, And Could Not Be 
 Got To Utter A Word.  Tamaku At Once Began To Ask Him Questions, Which 
 He Answered With Apparent Readiness In The     Same Language, Differing But 
 Slightly In Sound. 
   
   
 "Can You Make Out How He Came To Be Among The     Natives?" Asked The 
 Commander, When Tamaku And The     Boy Had Ceased Speaking. 
   
   
 "He Not Know Much," Answered The     Kanaka; "Long Time Wid Dem--Say Dey 
 Find Him In A Boat At Sea, And Bring Him Here And Make Him Slavey." 
   
   
 "Try And Find Out His Name," Said The     Commander; "Whether It Is Tom Or 
 Dick, Or Jack Or Harry." 
   
   
 Scarcely Had He Uttered The     Last Word When The     Boy Exclaimed, "Harry! 
 Harry! Dat My Name," And Seemed Almost Overcome By Hearing It Uttered. 
   
   
 "Well, Harry, My Boy, Can't You Talk A Little More English?  Since You 
 Remember Your Name, Tell Us Something About Your Father And Mother, Or 
 Any Of     Your Other Friends," Continued The     Commander. 
   
   
 "Father--Mother," Repeated The     Boy, With A Look Of     Pleasure, As If They 
 Were Words Once Familiar To His Tongue. 
   
   
 "Well Done, My Boy," Exclaimed The     Commander, Pleased With The     Result Of 
 His Experiment; "You'll Remember More Words By-And-By, When You Get On 
 Board.  And We'll Not Yet Pay Your Drunken Friends A Visit To Let Them 
 Wish You Good-Bye." 
   
   
 It Was Difficult To Say Whether The     Boy Understood Him; But, At All 
 Events, The     Commander's Kind Tone Of     Voice Gave Him Confidence, And He 
 Seemed Contented And Happy. 
   
   
 As We Had Only Just Time To Get Round The     Island, The     Commander Did Not 
 Put On Shore Anywhere; Also, With So Small A Party, He Thought It 
 Imprudent To Go Among The     Natives, Who Might Prove Hostile--Especially 
 If They Found That He Was Carrying Off Their Slaves.  Popo And The     White 
 Boy Appeared Well-Pleased At This; And It Was Evident That The     Latter 
 Had No Great Affection For Those Among Whom He Had Lived So Long. 
   
   
 Frequently During The     Remainder Of     The     Day We Heard The     Boy Saying To 
 Himself, "Yes, Yes--Harry--Father--Mother," As If Pleased With The     Sound 
 Of Those Long-Forgotten Words.  Then I Was Nearly Certain That I Heard 
 Him Muttering To Himself A Verse Of     A Child's Hymn; But The     Words Were 
 Indistinct. 
   
   
 He Listened Attentively To Every Word We Said, And Now And Then Uttered 
 A Word After Us. 
   
   
 "I Suspect That In The     Course Of     A Few Days He Will Be Able To Tell Us 
 More About Himself Than He Can Do Now," Observed The     Captain; "In The 
 Meantime, We Must Not Bother Him Too Much." 
   
   
 We Got On Board Just Before Darkness Set In.  Popo Was Greeted Warmly By 
 The Whole Of     The     Crew, Who Were Delighted To Find That He Had Escaped 
 And To Have Him Back Among Them Again; While Harry, As The     White Boy Was 
 At Once Called, Was Received With Much Curiosity, Every One Being Eager 
 To Know Who He Was And How He Had Fallen Into The     Hands Of     The     Savages. 
 As May Be Supposed, He Had Not Been Many Minutes On Board Before He Was 
 Rigged Out In A Shirt And Trousers And Jacket, With A Handkerchief Round 
 His Neck, And A Broad-Brimmed Hat On His Head.  He Made No Objection To 
 Putting On The     Dress, Which Really Became Him; And Dick Tillard, Who 
 Acted As His Valet, Observed That It Was Surely Not The     First Time He 
 Had Been So Rigged Out. 
   
   
 Next Day, The     Commander Went On Shore With A Strongly-Armed Party, 
 Taking Tamaku With Him, That He Might Try And Obtain Further Information 
 From The     Natives.  The     Latter Showed No Signs Of     Fear, Being Apparently 
 Accustomed To The     Sight Of     White Men.  They Inquired What Had Become Of 
 The Boys, And Demanded To Have Them Back.  Tamaku Replied That One Of 
 Them Belonged To The     Ship, And That The     Other Desired To Remain On 
 Board, So That They Could Not Be Given Up; But The     English Commander 
 Would Make A Present To Them If They Would Inform Him Honestly How They 
 Came To Have The     White Boy Among Them.  After This, By Tamaku's Account, 
 They Had A Long Palaver, When The     Old Chief, Stepping Forward, Said That 
 He Was Ready To Declare The     Truth: That Some Seven Years Before, As He 
 And His People Were On Board A Large Canoe On Their Way To This Island, 
 They Had Fallen In With An English Boat Containing Several Men And A 
 Little Boy; But The     Men Had All Died; And The     Little Boy Had Been Taken 
 Care Of, And Had Lived With Them Ever Since. 
   
   
 Tamaku Had His Suspicions That The     Men Had Been Put To Death; However, 
 It Was Not Worth While Pressing The     Matter Home On The     Chief, As, Of 
 Course, He Would Have Denied It. 
   
   
 The Commander Having Finished His Survey Of     The     Island, And Obtained All 
 The Information Respecting The     Boy Which He Could Collect, We Again Made 
 Sail And Stood To The     Westward. 
 
 
 
 Chapter III 
   
   
   
 Harry A Member Of     Our Mess--He Rapidly Improves--Anchor Off A Volcanic 
 Island--Our Boat-Cruise Round The     Island--Chase A Whaler--A Hurricane-- 
 Run Before It--Driven On An Island--Boat Damaged--Find Cocoa-Nuts-- 
 Search For Food--The Bird Island--We Form A Camp, And Go To Sleep. 
   
   
 I Must Not Stop To Describe Our Run To The     Westward, The     Islands We 
 Sighted, The     Narrow Escapes We Had Of     Knocking Our Bows In Against Coral 
 Reefs, Or The     Gales We Encountered In The     Falsely So-Called Pacific,-- 
 Not But That It Is Pacific Enough At Times, When Long Calms Prevail; And 
 On Two Such Occasions We Lay Basking, Or Rather Sweltering, Under The 
 Rays Of     A Tropical Sun, Scarcely Cooled Even During The     Night.  Still We 
 All Retained Our Health, Being Amply Supplied With Lime-Juice And 
 Preserved Vegetables, Calculated To Keep The     Much-Dreaded Scurvy At Bay. 
   
   
 Harry At Once Became A Favourite On Board; For Though He Had Been Cowed 
 By His Task-Masters, His Spirit Had Not Been Broken.  He Was Grateful 
 For All Kindness Shown Him, And Anxious To Learn, So That He In A Short 
 Time Was As Civilised As Any One On Board.  He Also Rapidly Acquired A 
 Knowledge Of     English,--Or, I May Say, Regained It, For So Quickly Did He 
 Pick Up The     More Simple Words, That It Was Clear He Must Have Known Them 
 Before.  As He Did So, Recollections Of     The     Past Seemed To Come Back To 
 His Mind; And When He Was Able To Speak His Thoughts, He Mentioned 
 Numerous Circumstances Which Convinced Us Of     What The     Commander Had From 
 The First Suspected. 
   
   
 I Took A Great Liking To Him, As He Did To Me; And Taking Care Not To 
 Suggest Ideas To Him Which Might Have Led Him Into Error, I Frequently 
 Got Him To Tell Me The     Recollections Of     His Early Days.  He Remembered 
 His Mother, Whom He Described As Very Beautiful, As He Naturally Thought 
 Her, And Very Like What Mrs Hudson Must Have Been; And He Spoke Of     His 
 Father As Being A Great Chief, Who Commanded A Number Of     Men; And Also 
 Of Being On Board A Ship, Which He Said Was Very Much Larger Than The 
 _Heroine_, And Had A Great Number Of     Men And Boats.  He Spoke, Also, Of 
 Enormous Fish Being Caught, And Brought Alongside, And Cut Up And 
 Burned; So That, Of     Course, I Knew She Must Have Been A Whaler.  At 
 Length He Said He Recollected Being Carried Into A Boat And Rowed Away 
 From The     Ship, Which He Had Never Seen Again; And Now I Had Not A Shadow 
 Of Doubt That He Was Indeed The     Long-Lost Child Of     Captain And Mrs 
 Hudson.  He Had No Recollection Of     The     Murder Of     The     Crew, However; But 
 He Next Remembered Finding Himself Among Dark-Skinned Savages, With Whom 
 He Had Ever Afterwards Remained.  Possibly He Might Have Been In An 
 Unconscious State, From Want Of     Food, When The     Boat Was Seized By The 
 Savages, And Had So Escaped Witnessing The     Murder Of     Her Crew. 
   
   
 As Soon As I Made This Out, I Told The     Commander; Who Took Great Pains 
 To Cross-Question Harry, And Ultimately Arrived At The     Same Conclusion 
 That I Had Done.  He Therefore At Once Told Harry That His Surname Was 
 Hudson, And That He Would Spare No Pains To Restore Him To His Father 
 And Mother, Who Had Long Mourned Him As Lost.  Harry Seemed Much 
 Affected By This, And Often Expressed To Me His Wish To See His Mother 
 Again, Declaring That He Should Know Her At Once; And He Thought, Also, 
 That He Could Recognise His Father.  I Reminded Him That His Mother 
 Would Look Much Older Than When He Had Been Parted From Her, As Grief 
 And Sickness Had Paled Her Cheek; But That I Felt Sure She Would 
 Recognise Him, And That He Must Do His Best To Be Like Us, So That She 
 Might Find Him A Real English Boy. 
   
   
 The Commander, On Thus Ascertaining Who He Was, Asked Us If We Would 
 Receive Him In The     Midshipmen's Berth,--Charging Us At The     Same Time To 
 Set Him A Good Example, By Avoiding Anything That Was Wrong, And By 
 Teaching Him Only What Was Right.  Without A Dissentient Voice We All 
 Agreed To The     Commander's Proposal, And Harry Hudson Forthwith Became A 
 Member Of     Our Mess.  Some Of     The     Men, And Dick Tillard Especially, Were 
 At First Rather Jealous Of     This.  When I Told Him What The     Commander Had 
 Said, He Replied,--"It's All Right, Mr Rayner; And If You Follow His 
 Advice, It Will Do You As Much Good As It Will Harry; And We'll All Be 
 Ready To Serve Him As Much As Before." 
   
   
 The Commander Also Spoke On The     Subject To Harry; Who, However, Did Not 
 Require His Lecture, As He Took The     Greatest Possible Pains To Imitate 
 Us, As Well As To Speak Correctly.  We Began Also To Teach Him To Read 
 And Write; But I Think He Must Have Known His Letters Before, From The 
 Rapid Way In Which He Learned Them--He Knew Them All In A Couple Of 
 Days, And In A Week Could Read Short Words; Indeed, It Was Evident That 
 He Was Possessed Of     Great Natural Intelligence, And An Amiable 
 Disposition.  Yet, Had He Lived On With The     Savages, He Would Have 
 Remained As Wild And Ignorant As They Were. 
   
   
 The Commander, Who Was A Truly Religious Man, Frequently Had Him In To 
 Talk To Him About God, And To Tell Him How Man, Being Sinful, Had 
 Separated From God, And Had Become A Rebel To Him; How God, 
 Notwithstanding, Loved Him, And Yet How, Being A God Of     Justice, He Must 
 Punish Sin, And Could Not Therefore Forgive Him Unless He Had Allowed 
 Another--His Own Sinless Son--To Be Punished Instead Of     Sinful Man. 
 Harry Thought Over What The     Commander Told Him; And A Day Or Two 
 Afterwards He Repeated To Me All That Had Been Said, And Observed That 
 He Was Convinced It Was Just The     Plan To Suit Man's Wants, And That He 
 Would Henceforth Try To Serve So Good And Merciful A God, And Love That 
 Dear Son Who Had Been Punished Instead Of     Him.  Thus Harry Became A 
 Christian; And, I Believe, A Much Better Christian Than Very Many On 
 Board.  Of     Course, When We Found Him His Mind Was Imbued With The     Same 
 Dark Heathenism As Were The     Minds Of     The     Savages Among Whom He Had 
 Lived. 
   
   
 A Sharp Look-Out Was Kept For A Sail; And Our Earnest Wish Was, That As 
 We Got To The     Westward We Should Fall In With Captain Hudson's Ship, As 
 He Had Intended To Proceed In That Direction.  We Were Not So Likely, It 
 Was Feared, To Fall In With Any Of     The     Abominable Chilian Kidnappers; 
 They Would Probably Only Attempt To Carry Off The     Brown Natives From The 
 Islands On The     Eastern Side Of     The     Pacific. 
   
   
 We Were Now, It Will Be Understood, Approaching The     Region Inhabited By 
 The Black-Skinned Races.  We Had Stood To The     Southward, And Visited 
 Samoa Or Navigator's Islands, Inhabited By An Intelligent Brown-Skinned 
 Race, Far More Advanced In Civilisation Than The     People We Now Expected 
 To Meet With; But I Must Not Stop To Describe Them. 
   
   
 We Had Been Some Days At Sea, Still Running To The     Westward, When We 
 Sighted A Small Island Ahead.  The     Captain Considered That It Was The 
 Northernmost Of     A Chain Of     Volcanic Islands Extending From The     Friendly 
 Group; And, As It Was Not Marked On The     Chart, He Wished To Survey It, 
 So We Accordingly Stood On.  As We Approached Nearer, We Saw That It 
 Consisted Of     A Range Of     Conical Peaks,--Many Of     The     Hills Rising Sheer 
 Out Of     The     Water, While Others Were Bordered By Low Cliffs Or Beaches. 
 It Had Also Several Deep Bays Or Inlets.  Though It Was Surrounded By A 
 Coral Reef, Two Openings Were Perceived In It, Through Which It Appeared 
 That There Would Be No Difficulty In Taking The     Ship, When We Might Find 
 Secure Anchorage In One Of     The     Bays Within It.  A Passage Nearly The 
 Eighth Of     A Mile Wide Appearing Ahead Of     Us, We Entered, Having 
 Look-Outs As Usual Aloft, To Warn Us In Time Of     Any Hidden Reefs In Our 
 Course, While The     Lead Was Also Kept Going. 
   
   
 The Wind Being Light, It Was Evening Before We Came To An Anchor; And 
 Darkness Soon Coming On, Displayed To Our Eyes The     Magnificent Spectacle 
 Of A Volcano Sending Forth Masses Of     Flame, With Hot Lava Running Down 
 The Sides Of     The     Mountain In Broad Streams, Some Making Their Way 
 Towards The     Bay In Which We Lay, Others Being Lost To Sight In A Deep 
 Gully, Apparently On The     Other Side.  Now And Then Loud Rumbling Sounds 
 Were Heard, Like The     Discharge Of     Big Guns In Rapid Succession Or The 
 Rattling Of     Thunder; And The     Watch On Deck Declared They Felt The     Ship 
 Shake, As If There Had Been An Earthquake.  Once, Also, A Shower Of 
 Ashes Fell On The     Ship's Deck, The     Wind Having Shifted, And Blowing From 
 Off The     Land.  The     Commander, However, Did Not Consider There Was Any 
 Danger, So We Remained Quietly At Anchor. 
   
   
 The Next Morning, When The     Commander And Master Were Preparing To Set 
 Off To Commence Their Survey, Mudge Asked Me If I Should Like To Make A 
 Trip Along The     Coast.  Of     Course I Said Yes.  As Tom And Harry Begged 
 That They Might Accompany Us, Mudge Got Leave To Take The     Jolly-Boat, 
 With Tillard, Tamaku, And Popo To Assist In Pulling.  We Provided 
 Ourselves With Food To Last Us For The     Day, Put Four Muskets And A 
 Cutlass Apiece Into The     Boat; Though, As The     Island Did Not Appear To Be 
 Inhabited, We Did Not Expect To Meet With Natives.  We Might, However, 
 We Thought, Get A Shot At Some Wild-Fowl; And We Intended Landing 
 Somewhere And Lighting A Fire To Cook Our Provisions. 
   
   
 Fully Expecting To Have A Pleasant Day, We Pulled Away From The     Ship. 
 Shortly Afterwards A Breeze Sprang Up, And We Made Sail, Running Swiftly 
 Along The     Shore.  Mudge And I Had Our Note-Books, In Which We Noted Down 
 The Points And Inlets, With The     Computed Distances. 
   
   
 We Soon Got To The     Extreme End Of     The     Island, And Had Just Doubled It 
 When I Caught Sight Of     A Vessel In The     Offing.  I Pointed Her Out To 
 Mudge.  He Looked At Her Through His Spy-Glass.  "She Is Becalmed," He 
 Observed; "And, Rayner, Do You Just Look At Her, And Tell Me What You 
 Think She Is; But Speak In A Low Voice, Because I Don't Want Harry To 
 Hear." 
   
   
 I Took The     Glass, And Made Out That The     Vessel Was Barque-Rigged; And 
 Though She Was Hull Down, I Felt Sure That She Was A Whaler. 
   
   
 "From The     Appearance Of     Her Sails, I Shouldn't Be Surprised If She Was 
 The _Hopewell_," Said Mudge.  "I Am Sure That The     Commander Would Wish 
 Us To Try And Communicate With Her, And Restore That Poor Lad To His 
 Parents; And Even If It Should Fall Dark Before We Can Get Back, The 
 Volcano Will Serve To Guide Us." 
   
   
 Of Course I Was Very Willing To Do As Mudge Proposed.  We Agreed, 
 However, Not To Say Anything To Harry, Lest We Should Disappoint Him. 
   
   
 "We Are Going To Board Yonder Barque," Said Mudge Aloud; "There Is An 
 Opening Through The     Reef Just Abreast Of     Us, And We Shall Have No 
 Difficulty In Reaching Her." 
   
   
 "Orders Are Orders," Said Tillard; "I Never Knew Any Good Come Of 
 Disobeying Them." 
   
   
 Mudge, However, Did Not Hear Him; And I, Looking Forward To The     Pleasure 
 Of Seeing Harry Restored To His Parents,--And It May Be That I Just 
 Thought Of     The     Pretty Young Lady I Had Seen On Board,--Did Not Repeat 
 What He Had Said. 
   
   
 As There Was A Light Breeze Off The     Land, We Hoisted Our Sail, That We 
 Might Benefit By It As Long As It Lasted.  Our Only Fear Was That The 
 Barque Might Get The     Breeze Also, And Stand Away From Us.  We Kept 
 Rowing, Therefore, To Increase Our Speed.  On We Pulled, But In My 
 Eagerness It Appeared That We Were No Nearer The     Barque Than At First. 
 I Saw By Harry's Countenance That He Was As Eager As We Were, And I 
 Could Not Help Thinking That He Suspected The     Object Of     Our Trying To 
 Board The     Barque.  At Last He Asked, Looking At Me Intently, "Do You 
 Think That My Father's Ship?" 
   
   
 "We Have Some Hopes That She Is; But, You Know, We May Be Mistaken, 
 Harry," Said Mudge; "So You Must Not Raise Your Expectations Too High. 
 Even If She Is, We May Not Reach Her; But, At All Events, We'll Do Our 
 Best To Get On Board." 
   
   
 Soon After This, On Looking Through The     Glass I Observed The     Barque's 
 Sails Fill Out, Though The     Wind Came From A Different Quarter To That 
 From Which We Got It. 
   
   
 "We May Still Cut Her Off, Though We Must Steer Rather More To The 
 Westward Than We Are Doing," Remarked Mudge, Altering The     Boat's Course. 
   
   
 We Immediately Afterwards Got A Much Stronger Breeze; And The     Boat Ran 
 Merrily Over The     Waves, Which, As We Got From Under The     Lee Of     The     Land, 
 Were Somewhat Higher Than They Had Before Been.  Still Mudge, In His 
 Eagerness, Did Not Seem To Notice This, Nor, I Confess, Did I; Having 
 Our Eyes Fixed On The     Vessel, We Did Not Look Astern.  We Had Been 
 Standing On For Some Distance, When An Exclamation From Tillard Made Me 
 Look Towards The     Land, Over Which Hung A Dense Black Cloud.  Directly 
 Afterwards, A Loud Rushing Noise Reached Our Ears, Resembling The 
 Continuous Roar Of     Thunder, Mingled With The     Sound Of     A Downpour Of 
 Rain.  It Was The     Voice Of     The     Hurricane.  Tillard Sprang To The 
 Halyards, And, Without Waiting For Mudge's Orders, Lowered The     Sail Half 
 Down. 
   
   
 "Keep Her Before The     Wind, Mr Mudge; It's Our Only Chance Now!" He 
 Exclaimed. 
   
   
 Mudge, Seeing That This Was The     Best Thing To Be Done, Followed His 
 Advice; And The     Wind Striking Us The     Instant Afterwards, Away We Flew 
 Directly Before It.  Had The     Seas Been Higher, We Might Have Attempted 
 To Keep The     Boat's Head To Wind, And Our Chance Of     Escape Would Have 
 Been Small Indeed; As It Was, Fast As We Flew Through The     Seething 
 Ocean, We Hardly Escaped Being Pooped, The     Crests Of     The     Seas 
 Continually Breaking Over The     Stern And Compelling All Hands To Keep 
 Baling.  I Looked For The     Barque, But Could Nowhere See Her; Indeed, The 
 Masses Of     Spray Which Filled The     Atmosphere, Mingled With Showers Of 
 Dust And Ashes Which Came From The     Volcano, Completely Obscured All 
 Objects At A Distance; And In A Short Time We Entirely Lost Sight Of     The 
 Land Itself.  We All Felt That We Were In A Most Perilous Position: Did 
 The Sea Get Up More, We Should In All Probability Be Swamped; Or Did The 
 Gale Continue And We Live Through It, We Should Be Driven Far Away From 
 The Island.  There Might Be Others Ahead, But They Were Certain To Be 
 Surrounded By Reefs, On Which The     Boat Would Probably Be Dashed To 
 Pieces.  All We Could Do Was To Keep The     Sail Hoisted A Few Feet Up, And 
 To Bale Out The     Water As Fast As It Washed Over The     Gunwale. 
   
   
 Night Now Came On, Adding To The     Horrors Of     The     Scene.  On And On We 
 Went, Mudge Sitting At The     Helm, And Steering The     Boat In A Way Which A 
 Good Seaman Only Could Have Done.  Tillard Offered To Relieve Him. 
   
   
 "No," He Answered; "I Got You Into This Mess, And It Is My Business To 
 Get You Out Of     It If I Can.  The     Hurricane Will Come To An End At 
 Last,--Maybe Before Daybreak,--And Then We Must Do Our Best To Make Our 
 Way Back To The     Island." 
   
   
 In Spite Of     Our Dangerous Position, We Were All Getting Very Hungry; We 
 Had Been About To Land In Order To Cook Our Dinner, When We Saw The 
 Barque, And After That We Were Too Eager To Think Of     Eating.  I Got Some 
 Biscuits Out Of     Our Basket, Which I Served Round To All Hands; And I 
 Then Found A Bottle Of     Wine. 
   
   
 "We Must Economise That," Observed Mudge, When He Found What I Was 
 About; "Half A Glass To Each Person Is As Much As We Ought To Take--It 
 May Be Longer Than You Suppose Before We Get Back Over The     Ground We 
 Have Come." 
   
   
 The Food Somewhat Revived Our Spirits.  Harry Sat Wonderfully Quiet And 
 Calm; Tommy Peck's Teeth Chattered A Little, As If He Did Not Like It; 
 But Neither Popo Nor Tamaku Uttered A Word.  The     Storm Gave No Signs Of 
 Breaking, And On And On We Went, Rushing Through The     Darkness.  At Any 
 Moment We Might Find Ourselves, We Knew, Cast Upon A Reef, And The     Boat 
 Dashed To Pieces; But That Risk, Fearful As It Was, Must Be Run. 
   
   
 I Asked Mudge If He Could Tell What O'clock It Was. 
   
   
 "It's Too Dark To See The     Hands Of     My Watch, But I Judge That It Is Some 
 Time Past Midnight," He Answered. 
   
   
 I Groaned, For I Thought It Must Be Nearly Daybreak. 
   
   
 "God Has Taken Care Of     Us Thus Far, And He Will Take Care Of     Us, If He 
 Thinks Fit, Till Morning," Observed Tillard; "We Must Not Give In, 
 However Bad Things Look." 
   
   
 At Last Day Began To Break.  The     Wind Blew As Hard As Ever, And No Land 
 Was Visible--Only The     Tumbling, Foam-Crested Seas, Amid Which We Flew, 
 Were Around Us. 
   
   
 "Patience, Lads," Said Mudge; "All We Can Do Is To Stand On As We Have 
 Been Going,--And We May Be Thankful That We Have Been Preserved Thus 
 Far,--Better To Have No Land, Than To Find Ourselves Close To A Coral 
 Reef With The     Sea Dashing Furiously Over It."  Which There Was No 
 Gainsaying. 
   
   
 After A Time I Again Asked If I Might Serve Out Some Food; To This Mudge 
 Consented, Charging Me To Be Careful As To Quantity. 
   
   
 After Taking Our Scanty Meal, Most Of     Us Lay Down To Rest Again. 
 Tillard Having Repeatedly Begged Mudge To Let Him Take The     Helm, Mudge 
 At Last Agreed To His Offer, Desiring To Be Called In A Couple Of     Hours, 
 Or Immediately Should There Be The     Slightest Change; And In A Moment, 
 Almost, He Was Asleep. 
   
   
 Tillard Ordered Tamaku To Keep A Look-Out Ahead, While We Four Younger 
 Ones Went To Sleep.  Before I Did So, However, I Took A Look-Out In 
 Every Direction In The     Hope Of     Seeing The     Barque; But No Sail Was In 
 Sight.  Though The     Weather Was Much Clearer Than It Had Been On The 
 Previous Evening, The     Gale Blew As Heavily As At First; And In A Couple 
 Of Hours Mudge Started Up And Insisted On Taking The     Helm Again, While 
 Tillard Lay Down To Obtain The     Rest He So Much Needed, I Taking Tamaku's 
 Place In The     Bows. 
   
   
 Thus We Ran On For The     Greater Part Of     The     Day, Hoping Every Hour That 
 The Wind Would Abate.  Late In The     Afternoon I Thought I Saw Land.  I 
 Told Mudge, Who, Standing Up, Observed That There Was No Doubt About It. 
 It Was A Small Island Directly In Our Course, So That We Should Have To 
 Haul Up To Avoid It. 
   
   
 "If We Do, We Shall Be Swamped," Said Mudge.  "We Must Trust, Therefore, 
 To Find An Opening In The     Encircling Reef, If There Is One; But If Not, 
 To Run Into A Harbour, Or To Beach The     Boat On The     Sand.  Of     Course, You 
 Will Understand, We May Run On A Coral Reef And Be Dashed To Pieces, Or 
 We May Meet With The     Same Fate Against A Rocky Shore.  We Must Trust To 
 Providence, As We Have Done Heretofore, And Not Expect The     Worst Till It 
 Comes Upon Us." 
   
   
 "We Are Ready, I Hope, For Whatever Is To Happen, Mr Mudge," Said 
 Tillard; "And We Know That You Will Do The     Best That Is To Be Done Under 
 The Circumstances." 
   
   
 Though It Would Be Satisfactory To Run Into A Snug Harbour, Yet I Could 
 Not Help Wishing That The     Land Was Farther Off.  We Approached It With 
 Terrible Rapidity; In A Few Minutes, I Knew, Our Fate Must Be Sealed. 
   
   
 Mudge Stood Up And Gazed Ahead.  "The Sea Is Breaking Heavily Over The 
 Encircling Reef," He Said; "But There Is A Smooth Lagoon Between It And 
 The Land.  If We Strike The     Reef, Though Our Boat May Be Knocked To 
 Pieces We May Be Washed Over Into The     Lagoon, And Those Who Can Swim 
 Well May Reach The     Shore," He Said Quite Calmly. 
   
   
 He Was Silent For A Minute, And No One Else Spoke. 
   
   
 "Lads," He Exclaimed At Length, "I See An Opening--It Is A Narrow One, 
 But We May Get Through It If We Can Hit The     Centre; Get Your Oars Ready, 
 And Stand By To Hoist The     Sail, Should I Tell You." 
   
   
 Soon After He Spoke I Heard The     Roar Of     The     Breakers Borne Up Against 
 The Blast, And Turning Round For A Moment I Saw That We Were Rapidly 
 Approaching Them. 
   
   
 "Hoist The     Sail," He Cried Out; "And You At The     Oars, Give Way For Your 
 Lives!" 
   
   
 We Tore On, The     Foaming Surges Rising Up On Either Side; The     Sea Washed 
 Into The     Boat, And Half Filled Her, But Still We Flew On.  I Know That I 
 Held My Breath, As I Should Think Did Most Of     The     Party; But Mudge Had A 
 Firm Grasp Of     The     Helm, And I Saw That His Countenance Exhibited No 
 Signs Of     Dismay.  Another Sea Struck The     Boat On The     Opposite Quarter; 
 The Next Moment, When I Thought We Were Safe, A Crash Was Heard,--The 
 Boat Quivered From Stem To Stern,--We Had Struck The     Reef.  A Cry 
 Escaped From Several Of     Us, For We Expected The     Boat To Sink.  Another 
 Sea Came Roaring Towards Us, Completely Deluging Us, And Washing Away 
 Everything Not Firmly Secured; But We Held Tightly To The     Sides And 
 Thwarts.  I Felt That The     Boat Was Being Hurled Forward. 
   
   
 "Pull For Your Lives, Lads!" Shouted Mudge. 
   
   
 Alas! Only Two Oars Remained.  Those Were Plied Lustily By Tillard, And 
 Harry, And I; And Before We Had Time For Much More Thought The     Boat Was 
 Driven On The     Beach Which Formed The     Inner Shore Of     The     Lagoon.  How We 
 Had Got There We Could Scarcely Tell: All We Knew Was That We Had Been 
 Mercifully Preserved.  We Leaped Out Of     Our Shattered Boat, And 
 Endeavoured To Haul Her Up So As To Prevent Her Being Carried Away By 
 Any Of     The     Following Seas; But None Of     Those Which Succeeded Were Of 
 Like Size To That Which Had Carried Us On To The     Beach.  We Had Great 
 Cause To Be Thankful That We Had Escaped The     Fearful Danger Which Had 
 Threatened Us.  Exhausted With The     Anxiety We Had Felt, And Want Of 
 Sleep, We All Sank Down On The     Sand. 
   
   
 It Was Now Nearly Dark, And We Felt Too Tired To Go In Search Of     Any 
 Other Spot On Which We Could Rest.  After A Little Time, However, Our 
 Hunger Reminded Us That We Had Had No Food For Some Hours; And As We 
 Naturally Expected To Obtain An Abundance On The     Island, We Agreed That 
 We Would At All Events Have A Good Supper.  Tillard And Tamaku 
 Accordingly Went To The     Boat To Bring Up Our Provisions, Which Had Been 
 Stowed Away In The     Locker. 
   
   
 As They Were Some Time Absent,--"Well, Lads, When Are You Coming Back 
 With Our Food?" Asked Mudge. 
   
   
 "We Can't Find It, Sir," Was The     Unsatisfactory Answer.  "It Must Have 
 Been Washed Out Of     The     Boat When That Sea Struck Us." 
   
   
 There Could Be No Doubt About The     Matter.  The     Breaker Of     Water, Which 
 Had Fortunately Been Secured, Was At Length Found; The     Contents Served 
 To Quench Our Thirst, But We Had To Go To Sleep In Our Wet Clothes, And 
 Supperless.  Tommy Began To Grumble At His Hard Fate, For He Was Very 
 Sharp Set; And So Were We All. 
   
   
 "I'll Tell You What, My Lads," Said Mudge: "We Ought To Be Thanking God 
 From Our Hearts That We Have Been Preserved Thus Far; For In All My Life 
 I Never Came Through So Bad A Sea As That We Have Just Escaped From. 
 Now Let Us Just Lift Our Voices Together And Praise Him From Whom All 
 Blessings Flow." 
   
   
 We Joined Heartily In The     Prayer Mudge Offered Up, As Also In The     Hymn 
 In Which He Led Us; And Then We Again Lay Down On The     Bank, Trusting 
 That We Should Find Food The     Next Morning; And That If There Were Any 
 Inhabitants They Might Prove Friendly. 
   
   
 The Rays Of     The     Sun Just Rising Out Of     The     Ocean Awoke Me.  Harry And 
 Tom Were Already Sitting Up; The     Rest Of     The     Party, Having Their Faces 
 Turned Away From The     Bright Luminary, Were Still Asleep.  The     Country 
 Wore A More Pleasing Aspect Than It Had Done When We Landed In The     Gloom 
 Of Evening.  The     Shore Was Fringed By A Variety Of     Trees, Among Which We 
 Recognised The     Graceful Plume-Like Heads Of     A Grove Of     Cocoa-Nut Trees, 
 Several Broad-Leaved Bananas, And A Number Of     The     Pandanus Or Screw-Pine 
 (Readily Known By The     Beauty Of     Its Form And Its White Glossy Leaves), 
 As Also The     Paper Mulberry Tree, Of     Much Lower Growth, With Large 
 Leaves.  The     Gnawings Of     Hunger, However, Made Us Consider More 
 Particularly How We Could Most Quickly Obtain Some Cocoa-Nuts,--Which I 
 Saw Hanging From The     Trees,--Rather Than About Anything Else.  Harry And 
 Tom Were Thinking Of     Exactly The     Same Thing; So We Got Up, And Being 
 Unwilling To Awaken Our Companions, Proceeded Together Along The     Shore 
 Till We Reached One Of     The     Smaller Trees, Which Harry Said He Could 
 Climb Without Difficulty. 
   
   
 "Then The     Sooner You Are Up It The     Better," Cried Tom; "For If I Don't 
 Get Something Solid To Eat Soon, I Must Turn Into A Sheep, And Begin To 
 Nibble The     Grass And Leaves." 
   
   
 "Other Animals Than Sheep Eat Grass And Leaves," I Could Not Help 
 Saying; "You Might Find Yourself Turned Into One Of     Them." 
   
   
 Tommy Looked Somewhat Angry, Which Surprised Harry, Who Did Not 
 Understand My Allusion, Never Having Seen Either A Sheep Or A Donkey. 
 "Don't Quarrel," He Said.  "I Will Soon Get The     Cocoa-Nuts; And Tom May 
 Eat A Whole One If He Likes."  So Saying, He Pulled Off His Shoes And 
 Socks, And Began Climbing The     Tree In A Way Neither Tommy Nor I Could 
 Have Accomplished. 
   
   
 We Watched Him Eagerly.  I Ran Under The     Tree, Intending To Catch Them. 
   
   
 "You Had Better Stand Away, Or They May Chance To Break Your Head," 
 Shouted Harry.  In A Short Time He Had Reached The     Top Of     The     Tree, And 
 Broken Off Two Large Clusters Of     The     Fruit, With Which He Descended. 
 "They Might Have Broken, And We Should Have Lost The     Milk," He Observed, 
 As He Reached The     Bottom. 
   
   
 While We Were Employed In Breaking Off The     Outer Husks, Harry Ran Down 
 To The     Beach And Brought Back A Piece Of     Sharp Coral, With Which He Soon 
 Made A Hole In One Of     The     Cocoa-Nuts.  "There," He Said, Handing It To 
 Me, "Drink That--That Will Do You Good." 
   
   
 How Delicious The     Milk Tasted!  I Passed It On To Tommy.  In The 
 Meantime, Harry Had Another Cocoa-Nut Ready.  We Insisted, However, On 
 His Taking The     First Draught From It.  A Third Cocoa-Nut Supplied Us All 
 With As Much Liquid As We Required; We Then Broke Open The     Shells, But 
 One Cocoa-Nut Afforded Us A Sufficient Breakfast.  With The     Remainder We 
 Returned To The     Spot Where We Had Left Our Companions; Who Were Very 
 Glad, When They Awoke, To Find Their Breakfast Ready. 
   
   
 The Hurricane, I Should Have Said, Was Over, And The     Sea Glittered 
 Brightly In The     Rays Of     The     Sun.  We Asked Mudge Whether He Proposed 
 Returning At Once To The     Island Where We Had Left The     Ship. 
   
   
 "There Are Several Reasons Against Our Doing So," He Answered.  "We Must 
 In The     First Place Repair Our Battered Boat--And That Will Be No Easy 
 Job, I Suspect; And We Have But Two Oars Remaining To Pull, Should It 
 Prove Calm; Then, We Have No Food Nor Water, And The     Distance Which It 
 Has Taken Us A Night And A Day To Accomplish May Occupy Us Three Or Four 
 Days In Returning, Perhaps Longer, Should The     Wind Be Contrary.  Before 
 We Can Put To Sea, Therefore, We Must Repair Our Boat, And Make A Couple 
 Of Oars At All Events, If Not More, And Obtain A Sufficient Stock Of 
 Provisions And Water.  It Won't Do To Trust To Cocoa-Nuts; We Want Fish 
 Or Fowl, And It Will Take Us More Than A Day To Get Them.  We Must Also 
 Consider Whether It Will Be Prudent To Go In Search Of     The     Ship, As She 
 May Have Left The     Harbour To Look For Us.  Judging From The     Appearance 
 Of The     Country We Saw, We Are Not Likely To Find Any Food Upon It; So 
 That Should We Arrive There After She Has Gone, We Should Be In A Worse 
 Predicament Than We Should Be By Remaining Here." 
   
   
 The Rest Of     The     Party Agreeing To Mudge's Proposal, We Went Down To The 
 Beach And Anxiously Examined The     Boat.  Two Planks In Her Starboard 
 Bilge Had Been Stove In, As Had Also A Portion Of     Her Bow; And It Seemed 
 Wonderful That She Should Have Floated Till She Had Reached The     Shore. 
 Harry And I Must Have Placed Our Feet Unconsciously On The     Shattered 
 Planks, And Thus Partially Prevented The     Water From Rushing In.  Tom, 
 Who Was In The     Bows, Had Also Pressed Down The     Sail With His Body, While 
 He Was Desperately Clinging To The     Foremost Thwart.  We Could Account 
 For Our Preservation In No Other Way. 
   
   
 Without Nails, Or Tools Of     Any Sort Except Our Clasp-Knives, We Could 
 Scarcely Hope To Render The     Boat Sufficiently Sea-Worthy For Such A 
 Voyage As We Might Have To Take Before We Could Get Back To The     Ship. 
 We All Looked At Each Other, Wondering Whether Any One Would Suggest 
 Something. 
   
   
 "Our Safest Plan Will Be To Remain On The     Island, In The     Hope That The 
 Ship May, In The     Course Of     Time, Come Off The     Shore To Look For Us," 
 Said Mudge.  "They Will Know That If We Have Escaped, We Must Have Been 
 Driven In This Direction; And I Don't Think Our Commander Will Desert Us 
 Till He Has Made A Thorough Search In All Directions.  If The     _Heroine_, 
 From Any Cause, Does Not Appear, We May Hope That A Whaler Or Some Other 
 Craft May Pass By And See Our Signals.  We Must Keep A Look-Out On Both 
 Sides Of     The     Island; For Though We May Be Happy Enough While We Remain 
 Here, It Won't Do To Turn Altogether Into Robinson Crusoes." 
   
   
 "Pleasanter Than Having To Keep Watch, However," Remarked Tom. 
   
   
 "We Must Think Of     Our Friends At Home," I Observed.  "Should The     Report 
 Reach England That We Are Lost, They Will Be Mourning For Us; And I For 
 One Am Anxious To Let Captain And Mrs Hudson Know That We Have Found 
 Their Son." 
   
   
 "Very Right, Godfrey," Said Mudge.  "I Am Glad To See You Thoughtful 
 About Others; And I Don't Suppose Tom Would Wish To Make His Own Family 
 Unhappy, As I Have No Doubt That They Care For Him More Than He 
 Fancies." 
   
   
 "I Was Not Thinking About Them Just Then," Said Tom.  "However, If I 
 Catch Sight Of     A Passing Sail, Depend Upon It I Will Do My Best To Let 
 Her Know That We Are Here." 
   
   
 The Idea Of     Immediately Going Off In The     Boat To Try And Find The     Ship 
 Was, Therefore, Of     Necessity Abandoned.  We Agreed That Our First 
 Business Must Be To Explore The     Island, And Ascertain What Supplies Of 
 Food We Were Likely To Find.  We Had Little Doubt That We Should Procure 
 Other Fruit Besides Cocoa-Nuts, While We Might Also Obtain Oysters Or 
 Other Molluscs, And Perhaps Be Able To Catch Fish--Though We Should 
 First Have To Manufacture Hooks And Lines Or Nets Of     Some Sort. 
   
   
 While Mudge And Tom And I Had Been Talking Over These Matters, Tillard 
 Had Been Again Examining The     Boat.  "I Have Been Thinking, Mr Mudge, 
 That If We Could Manage To Get Some Small Nails, We Might Secure Some 
 Canvas Over The     Damaged Part Of     The     Boat, And Patch Her Up Fit To Go To 
 Sea Again," He Said. 
   
   
 "That `If' Is The     Most Difficult Thing To Get Over," Said Mudge.  "Where 
 Are The     Nails To Come From?" 
   
   
 "Out Of     The     Handles Of     Our Clasp-Knives," Answered Dick.  "I Am A Bit Of 
 A Blacksmith; And I Have Been Thinking That If I Could Manage To Make A 
 Pair Of     Bellows, I Would Soon Get A Forge Up, And I Should Not Be Long 
 Before I Had A Few Dozen Of     Nails." 
   
   
 "There's Another `If' In The     Case," Observed Mudge. 
   
   
 "Yes, Sir; But It's One That Can Be Got Over, If I Can Catch A Seal Or 
 Some Other Animal With A Thick Skin." 
   
   
 "Still There Is An `If,'" Said Mudge. 
   
   
 "Well, Sir, But Perhaps I Can Do Without The     Skin.  I'll Try And Make 
 Use Of     A Piece Of     Canvas.  I'll Render It Air-Tight With Grease Or Wax, 
 Or Something Of     That Sort.  I Don't Promise To Succeed, But I'll Try My 
 Best." 
   
   
 "That's All We Can Expect Of     You," Said Mudge. 
   
   
 Tillard's Proposal Somewhat Raised Our Hopes.  We Had, However, In The 
 First Place, To Look Out For Water, Though The     Cocoa-Nut Milk Prevented 
 Our Suffering From Thirst; And, What Was Of     Equal Importance, To Search 
 For Food.  Before Setting Out, We Each Of     Us Cut A Long Pointed Stick-- 
 The Most Ready Weapon We Could Manufacture; Not For Defence, For It 
 Would Be Useless Against The     Arms Of     The     Natives, Should Any Exist On 
 The Island, But To Enable Us To Kill Any Animals We Might Meet With, As 
 Also To Assist Us In Getting Over Any Rough Ground, Or To Beat Down The 
 Brushwood Should We Meet With Forests Through Which We Might Have To 
 Force Our Way. 
   
   
 Leaving Tillard To Look After The     Boat And To Make Preparations For 
 Repairing Her, We Set Out.  Mudge Led The     Way, Tom And Harry And I 
 Followed, Tamaku And Popo Brought Up The     Rear.  We Proceeded Along The 
 Sea-Shore, Which Was More Level Than The     Interior, And Presented Few 
 Impediments To Our Progress.  After Going Some Distance To The     South, We 
 Reached A Region Which Had Apparently, At No Remote Period, Been Covered 
 By The     Sea--Probably Upheaved By Some Convulsion Of     Nature.  A Few 
 Cocoa-Nut And Pandanus Trees, However, Grew On It, And A Scant Herbage. 
 We Were About To Keep Along The     Sea-Beach, Near Which The     Land Rose, 
 Covered Thickly With Trees, When I Observed A Number Of     Birds Hovering 
 Over The     Part Of     The     Island I Have Described.  Crossing A Level Space 
 Covered At High Tide By The     Sea, We Reached What Was Evidently At Such 
 Times An Island.  Numberless Birds Had Made It Their Abode.  As We 
 Approached, They Seemed In No Way Alarmed--Those Which Were Sitting On 
 Their Nests Keeping Their Posts, Merely Poking Out Their Necks, And 
 Uttering Such Hoarse Croaks That We Were Almost Deafened By The     Sound, 
 And Could Scarcely Hear Each Other Speak. 
   
   
 "Hurrah!" Cried Mudge, "We Have Here Food Enough To Supply All Our 
 Wants; And, What's Better, Such As I Hope We May Be Able To Preserve For 
 Our Voyage." 
   
   
 A Large Number Of     The     Birds Were Sitting On Their Eggs, And So Tame Were 
 They That We Had To Push Them Over To Get At The     Said Eggs.  Among Them 
 Were Numerous Beautiful Tropic-Birds, Sooty Terns, And Gannets.  The 
 Eggs Of     The     Latter Were Laid On The     Ground, Without Any Nest; And So 
 Faithful Were The     Hens To Their Trust, That They Allowed Themselves To 
 Be Captured Rather Than Desert Them.  The     Most Remarkable And Beautiful 
 Of Those We Saw, However, Were The     Frigate-Birds, Whose Nests, 
 Constructed Of     A Few Sticks, Were Seen In All The     Surrounding Trees. 
 The Old Birds, As They Flew Off, Inflated Their Blood-Red Pouches To The 
 Size Of     A Child's Head, Looking Exactly As If Large Bladders Were 
 Attached To Their Necks, And Not At All Improving Their Appearance, 
 Handsome As They Were In Other Respects.  We At Once Filled Our Pockets 
 With Eggs; Choosing Such As Looked The     Freshest.  We Also Knocked Down 
 As Many Birds As We Were Likely To Require For Our Dinner And Supper. 
 This Discovery Raised Our Spirits, As We Had Now As Much Animal Food As 
 We Could Require. 
   
   
 On Our Return Along The     Sea-Shore, We Met With Several Large Crabs.  One 
 Big Fellow Had Caught A Snake, And Was Walking Off With It Wriggling In 
 His Claws, When Down Pounced A Frigate-Bird, And Carried Off Both Crab 
 And Snake Together.  Whole Armies, Too, Of     Soldier-Crabs, With Their 
 Shells On Their Backs, Were Moving About In Search Of     Prey, Or Looking 
 Out For More Commodious Homes; It Being Their Wise Custom Not To Leave 
 One Home Until They Have Found Another.  When They Neglect This 
 Precaution, Their Soft Tails Are Nearly Sure To Be Nabbed By One Of 
 Their Numerous Enemies.  The     Snakes, As Far As We Could Judge, Were Not 
 Venomous; Though, As We Were Not Certain Of     That Fact, We Agreed That It 
 Would Be As Well To Avoid Them.  The     Tropic-Birds Were The     Tamest,--Or I 
 Should Rather Say The     Least Aware Of     The     Harm We Might Do Them,--And 
 Allowed Us To Put Our Hands Under Them And Carry Off Their Eggs Without 
 Showing The     Slightest Fear. 
   
   
 We Had To Hurry Back, As The     Tide Was Rising, And Our Retreat Might Be 
 Cut Off. 
   
   
 On Reaching The     Bay Where We Were Cast Ashore, We Found That Tillard Had 
 Made Some Progress With His Forge. 
   
   
 "If I Can Once Get The     Bellows To Work, It Will Not Be Long Before We 
 Shall Have As Many Nails As We Want.  But We Must Have Patience, Sir," 
 He Observed To Mudge; "Patience Will Overcome All Difficulties." 
   
   
 We None Of     Us Were Disposed To Dispute This; So, Just Then, Being Rather 
 Anxious To Cook Our Eggs And Birds, I Inquired How We Were To Get A 
 Light To Kindle Our Fire.  No One Till Then Had Thought Of     That 
 Important Point.  We Each Of     Us Searched In Our Pockets For Flint And 
 Steel, But None Were To Be Found.  The     Sandwich Islander Was Applied To. 
 We Had Heard That The     Natives Of     The     South Sea Islands Obtained A Light 
 By Rubbing Two Pieces Of     Wood Together.  He Could Do It, He Replied, If 
 He Could Find The     Right Sort Of     Wood.  But The     Process Was Not An Easy 
 One, And Required Time; So, As We Were Too Hungry To Wait, We Dined Off 
 Raw Eggs, With A Dessert Of     Cocoa-Nut, Washed Down With The     Milk. 
   
   
 After We Had Finished Our Meal, Tamaku Set Off To Look For The     Wood He 
 Required, While We Were Employed In Collecting Leaves And Erecting Some 
 Arbours Of     Boughs, In Which We Might Shelter Ourselves During The     Night, 
 Instead Of     Spending It, As We Had Done The     Previous One, On The     Open 
 Beach.  It Was Nearly Dark When Tamaku Returned, Saying That He Had 
 Found The     Wood He Required; But As We Were Tired And Sleepy, We 
 Preferred Lying Down To Rest Instead Of     Waiting Till A Fire Could Be 
 Kindled And Provisions Cooked. 
 
 
 
 Chapter IV 
   
   
   
 On The     Island--Oysters On Trees--Harry's Narrow Escape From A Share--Our 
 First Breakfast--Tillard's Forge--Expedition Across The     Island--We 
 Manufacture Nails And Hooks--Find A Boat--Successful Fishing--Our 
 Friends Return--Launch The     Boat--Dick And I Start To Sail Round The 
 Island--Dick Taken Ill--My Dismay--We Are Blown Off The     Coast. 
   
   
 Although Our Beds Of     Leaves Were Tolerably Comfortable, And Our Clothes 
 Were Dry, We Did Not Oversleep Ourselves, But Awoke At Daybreak The     Next 
 Morning.  Refreshing As Was The     Cocoa-Nut Milk We Had Obtained, We All 
 Felt Very Thirsty; So Mudge Announced His Intention Of     Setting Off To 
 Look For A Spring Of     Water, Taking Popo With Him To Carry The     Breaker. 
 Tamaku Sat Down With His Knife To Cut The     Wood He Had Found Into The 
 Required Shape For Producing Fire; Tillard Proceeded With The 
 Arrangements For His Forge; While Harry And Tom And I Agreed To Go Along 
 The Shore To Look For Shell-Fish, And To Obtain A Further Supply Of 
 Cocoa-Nuts. 
   
   
 We Had Not Gone Far When We Came To A Creek, Or Narrow Bay, Running 
 Inland For Some Distance.  Its Shores Were Thickly Lined With Trees, 
 Their Roots Being Washed By The     Water, And Many Of     Their Boughs Dipping 
 Into It.  Near At Hand We Discovered A Cocoa-Nut Tree Bearing Several 
 Bunches Of     Fruit, And Harry At Once Volunteered To Climb To The     Summit. 
 While He Was Thus Engaged, I Heard Tom Shouting Out, "Halloa, Here Are 
 Oysters Growing On The     Trees!" 
   
   
 I Ran Down To The     Opening By Which He Had Gained The     Water; And There, 
 Sure Enough, All The     Boughs Reaching The     Surface Were Fringed With 
 Good-Sized Oysters.  We Gathered Those We Could Reach; And Looking Down 
 Into The     Clear Water Below The     Trees, I Saw That The     Rocks At The     Bottom 
 Were Thickly Covered With Those Nutritive Shell-Fish, In Every Stage Of 
 Growth, Many Of     The     Size Of     A Shilling And Even Smaller.  Here, At All 
 Events, Was An Unfailing Supply Of     Food; And, Encouraged By The 
 Discovery, We Hoped That We Should Obtain A Still Further Variety. 
   
   
 Having Filled Our Pockets And Handkerchiefs, We Hurried Back To The 
 Tree, Down Which Harry Was Descending With A Load Of     Cocoa-Nuts.  On Our 
 Showing Him The     Oysters, He Observed That They Were Too Small To Be Of 
 Much Use, And Volunteered At Once To Dive To The     Bottom And Obtain Some 
 Larger Ones.  We Accordingly Returned To The     Bay; When, Stripping Off 
 His Clothes, He At Once Plunged In, And Soon Brought A Number Of     Large 
 Oysters To The     Surface In His Handkerchief, Which He Had Taken Down With 
 Him For The     Purpose. 
   
   
 "Oh, There Are Not Enough," He Said,--"I Will Soon Get Some More;" And 
 Again He Plunged Down.  We Could See Him At The     Bottom, Working Away 
 With His Knife.  I Could Not Have Remained Half The     Time Beneath The 
 Surface. 
   
   
 While He Was Thus Engaged, I Caught Sight Of     A Dark Object At The 
 Entrance Of     The     Bay.  Horror Seized Me, For I Knew It To Be A Shark.  I 
 Shrieked Out To Harry To Return.  Tom Also Saw The     Fearful Monster, And, 
 With A Presence Of     Mind For Which I Should Not Have Given Him Credit, He 
 Took Up One Of     The     Larger Oysters And Sent It Skimming Along The 
 Surface, In The     Way Boys Are Accustomed To Make "Ducks And Drakes" With 
 Pieces Of     Slate On A Calm Day By The     Sea-Side.  I Immediately Followed 
 His Example, Hoping Thus To Distract The     Attention Of     The     Shark. 
   
   
 At Length, Though It Seemed A Long Time, Harry Came Up, And Only Then 
 Hearing Our Cries, Swam Rapidly To The     Shore.  We Held Out Our Hands To 
 Help Him, And I Breathed More Freely When His Feet Touched The     Dry 
 Ground.  A Moment Longer, And He Would Have Been Lost; For The     Shark, 
 Darting Forward, Almost Ran His Snout Against The     Bank In His Eagerness 
 To Seize His Prey; Then, Startled By Our Cries, And The     Oysters We 
 Continued To Heave At Him, He Suddenly Turned Round, Whisking The     Water 
 Into Our Faces With His Tail. 
   
   
 Harry Took The     Matter Very Coolly.  "It Is Not The     First Time I Have Had 
 A Shark Dart At Me," He Observed; "But I Have Generally Had A Companion 
 Who Has Attacked The     Creature With His Knife.  Had I Been Prepared, I 
 Would Have Met Him In The     Same Way." 
   
   
 "I Am Very Glad You Did Not Make The     Experiment, Harry," I Answered. 
 "However, It Is A Lesson To Us Not To Venture Into The     Water Without 
 Keeping A Look-Out; And I Am Very Thankful That You Have Escaped." 
   
   
 "So Am I," He Answered; "But Now, As We Have Got As Many Oysters As We 
 Can Carry, In Addition To The     Cocoa-Nuts, We May As Well Join Our 
 Friends And Have Breakfast." 
   
   
 "I Hope That Tamaku Will Have Managed To Light A Fire," Said Tom; "For 
 Though The     Oysters And Cocoa-Nuts Are Nice Enough As They Are, I Don't 
 Like Raw Eggs; And I Have An Especial Fancy For Some Roast-Duck." 
   
   
 As We Approached The     Bay We Saw A Cloud Of     Smoke Ascending From The 
 Sand, And We Found Tamaku Busily Employed In Blowing Up A Fire Which He 
 Had Kindled There.  We Soon Rejoined Him, And Asked Why He Had Chosen 
 This Spot. 
   
   
 "Because, You See, If I Had Lighted It On The     Grass, We Might Have Had A 
 Larger Fire Than Would Have Been Pleasant." 
   
   
 While We Were Standing Round The     Fire, Popo Came Back With A Breaker Of 
 Water, Saying That Mr Mudge Would Soon Follow.  Wishing To Surprise 
 Him, We Set To Work To Pluck The     Ducks, And Spit A Couple, And Roast 
 Some Eggs.  We Were Thus Employed When We Saw Him Coming Leisurely 
 Towards Us; But Discovering The     Fire, He Held Up His Hand With A Look Of 
 Astonishment, And Hurried Forward. 
   
   
 "Well, Lads, You Have Prepared A Feast," He Exclaimed, Sitting Down On 
 The Bank Above The     Sand.  "I Little Expected To Have So Many Good 
 Things; And I Am Thankful To Say That I Have Found A Stream Of     Fresh, 
 Cold Water, Issuing From The     Side Of     The     Hill, And Falling Into A Deep 
 Basin--In Which I Could Not Resist Taking A Bath; And I Would Advise You 
 To Do The     Same." 
   
   
 We Were Too Hungry To Wait For The     Roast-Ducks, So We Sat Down And 
 Commenced Our Breakfast On Eggs And Oysters, With Cocoa-Nut Milk.  By 
 The Time We Had Taken The     Edge Off Our Appetites, The     Ducks, Under 
 Tamaku's Superintendence, Were Thoroughly Cooked.  They Were Pronounced 
 Excellent, And We Agreed That No Aldermen Could Have Breakfasted Better. 
   
   
 "And What Are We To Do Now?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "We Have No Necessity To Be Anxious About Food; We Must First Of     All Go 
 Across To The     Other Side Of     The     Island, Which I Believe Is Not Far Off, 
 And Establish A Look-Out Place From Whence We Can Make Signals Should 
 Any Vessel Pass By," Answered Mudge.  "You, Tillard, I Suppose, Will 
 Prefer Waiting To Finish Your Forge; And We Must Trust To You To Keep Up 
 The Fire, So That, Should A Ship Appear Off The     Coast, Her Attention May 
 Be Attracted." 
   
   
 "I'll Undertake To Do That, Sir," Answered Tillard; "But As I Shall Want 
 Help, I Shall Be Obliged If Some One Will Remain With Me.  I Would 
 Rather Have One Of     The     Young Gentlemen; They Will Understand What I Want 
 Better Than Either Popo Or Tamaku.  Mr Rayner, Will You Stay By Me?" 
   
   
 "I Was Going To Offer To Do So," I Answered; "Although I Should Have 
 Liked Making An Exploring Expedition Across The     Island." 
   
   
 I Was Anxious To Be Of     Use; And Besides Wishing To Oblige Dick, I Was 
 Curious To See How He Would Proceed.  He Thanked Me Very Much; And The 
 Rest Of     The     Party Wishing Us Good-Bye, Set Off With Their Thick Sticks 
 As Arms, And A Supply Of     Ducks And Eggs, Wild-Fowl, And Cocoa-Nuts For 
 Provisions, Leaving Us As Much As We Could Require For A Couple Of     Days. 
   
   
 As Soon As They Were Gone, Tillard And I Set To Work On The     Forge.  He 
 Had Already Nearly Manufactured A Pair Of     Bellows With The     Aid Of     The 
 Bottom Boards Of     The     Boat,--Fortunately Of     Considerable Width,--And Some 
 Of The     Spare Canvas Which Had Remained In The     Boat's Bows.  It Was A 
 Very Rough-Looking Machine, But Still Was Likely To Answer Its Purpose. 
 We Also Found Several Pieces Of     Iron About The     Boat Which Could Be 
 Removed Without Impairing Its Strength; And These We Managed To Wrench 
 Off, With The     Help Of     A Sharp Piece Of     Coral. 
   
   
 At Length The     Fire Was Kindled In The     Forge, And On Working The     Bellows 
 A Strong Flame Was Produced.  All Our Tools Were Composed Of     Coral; Two 
 Long Pieces Served As Tongs, And Another As A Hammer.  Having Heated The 
 Iron, Dick Knocked It Out Into A Long Thin Bar, And Then Placing It On 
 The Mass Of     Coral Which Served As An Anvil, Cut It With Successive Sharp 
 Blows Of     His Knife Into Small Pieces.  Each Of     These Had To Be 
 Re-Heated, And Taken Up And Dropped Into A Small Hole With A Blow From 
 The Hammer, When The     Head Was Produced By Another Sharp Blow.  In This 
 Way He Formed A Number Of     Small Nails With Large Heads, Which, If Not 
 Very Well-Shaped, Were At Least Likely To Answer The     Purpose. 
   
   
 We Had Found A Gum Issuing From Some Pine-Trees, Which Did Not Dissolve 
 In Water; And By Mixing It With Some Grease Which We Happily Found In 
 The After-Locker, A Thick Paste Was Formed With Which We Payed Over The 
 Canvas.  The     Boat Had Been Hauled Up Sufficiently To Enable Us To Get At 
 Both Leaks During Low Tide; So We At Once Set To Work, And Were Thankful 
 To Find That The     Nails Answered Very Well: Fortunately, I Should Have 
 Said, I Had A Small Bradawl In My Knife, And Also A File, With Which I 
 Sharpened The     Points Of     The     Nails.  The     Whole Work Was Accomplished 
 Sooner Than I Could Have Expected; And Tillard Declared His Belief That 
 Not A Drop Of     Water Would Come Through The     Damaged Part Of     The     Boat, 
 Whatever It Might Do Elsewhere. 
   
   
 "I Wish We Could Try Her," I Said, When Our Last Nail Was Expended. 
   
   
 "Wait Patiently, Mr Rayner," Answered Dick; "When The     Tide Rises, We'll 
 Get Her Afloat." 
   
   
 He Was Mistaken, However, For With All Our Efforts We Could Not Succeed 
 In Launching Her.  We Had To Wait, Therefore, For The     Return Of     Our 
 Companions.  Getting Into The     Boat, However, We Made Another Thorough 
 Search; And While Doing So I Found Jammed Into A Corner Of     The 
 After-Locker A Large Fishing-Hook, Such As Is Used For Catching Sharks, 
 Bonitos, And Other Finny Monsters Of     The     Deep.  Besides This, We 
 Discovered A Ball Of     Twine And Some Spare Pieces Of     Rope. 
   
   
 Dick Examined The     Fishing-Hook.  "We Must Keep It As It Is," He 
 Observed.  "At First I Thought That I Might Form It Into Smaller Hooks; 
 But We Have Still Some Iron Remaining, And I Will Try My Hand At Making 
 Such As Will Catch The     Moderate-Sized Fish We Are Likely To Find In The 
 Lagoon Or Outside The     Reef." 
   
   
 Returning To The     Forge, Dick At Once Set To Work, And Succeeded In 
 Shaping Four Hooks, Though He And I Burned Our Fingers In The     Operation. 
 On Trying Them, However, They Were Found To Be Too Soft For Use. 
   
   
 "We Must Temper Them," I Observed; And I Ran And Filled A 
 Cocoa-Nut-Shell With Water. 
   
   
 We Again Heated The     Hooks, And Plunged Them Into The     Water, When We 
 Found That They Were Considerably Hardened.  I Then Worked Away With The 
 File Till I Had Sharpened The     Barbs And Reduced Them To A Fair Shape. 
 With The     Twine We Manufactured A Couple Of     Serviceable Lines, To Which 
 We Attached Some Small Pieces Of     Coral. 
   
   
 Our Companions Not Having Returned, We Agreed To Walk Along The     Shore To 
 The Northward Of     The     Oyster Creek, Where Harry Had Been So Nearly Caught 
 By The     Shark.  Having Made Up Our Fire So That It Was Not Likely To Go 
 Out Before Our Return, We Set Forth With Our Sticks In Our Hands.  We 
 Walked On Rapidly, Anxious To Get Back To Receive Our Friends,--Who 
 Would, We Thought, At All Events Return Before Nightfall.  Having 
 Doubled The     Creek, Which Did Not Run Far Inland, We Proceeded Along The 
 Shore, Turning Our Eyes Every Now And Then Seaward In Case A Vessel 
 Should Appear, Though I Scarcely Expected To See One.  Some Way On We 
 Discovered Another Opening In The     Reef, Through Which We Might Have 
 Passed, Had We Known Of     It, With Greater Ease Than By The     One Through 
 Which We Had Entered. 
   
   
 "We Must Go Out By That Opening, If Mr Mudge Determines To Put To Sea," 
 Observed Tillard; "Though, Without A Compass Or Chart, I Doubt Whether 
 It Will Be Wise To Leave This Island, Where We Have An Abundance Of 
 Food." 
   
   
 I Was Inclined To Agree With Him, As I Thought That We Had A Fair 
 Prospect Of     Being Taken Off By Our Own Ship Or By A Passing Whaler. 
   
   
 We Had Got Nearly Abreast Of     The     Opening, And Were About To Turn Back, 
 When I Caught Sight Of     A Dark Object On The     Shore Some Distance Off.  I 
 Pointed It Out To Dick.  "What Can That Be?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "It Looks To Me Like A Boat," He Answered; "And If So, Perhaps We May 
 Find That There Are Other People On The     Island Besides Ourselves." 
   
   
 We Hurried Eagerly On, And As We Drew Nearer We Saw That We Were Not 
 Mistaken.  There Lay A Small Boat, Somewhat Clumsily Though Strongly 
 Built, But Evidently After A European Model.  From The     Position In Which 
 She Lay, Almost Floating In A Miniature Lagoon Still Full Of     Water, We 
 Agreed That She Must Have Been Thrown Up By An Unusually High Sea, And 
 Left There By The     Receding Wave.  She Was In No Way Injured; And Except 
 That Her Upper Works Were Likely To Leak From Having Been Exposed To The 
 Sun For Some Time, She Was Still Fit For Use.  Her Painter Was Over Her 
 Bows; And Dick, Having Examined The     End, Was Of     Opinion That She Had 
 Broken Adrift While Towing Astern Of     A Vessel, Probably During A Gale Of 
 Wind.  What Had Become Of     The     Craft To Which She Had Belonged, It Was 
 Impossible To Say.  Whether She Had Gone To Pieces On The     Reef, Or Had 
 Managed To Haul Off, Was The     Question. 
   
   
 Hunting About, We Found A Broken Oar And Two Pieces Of     Board, Which Had 
 Probably Been Washed Out Of     Her, "I Think That We Might Get Her Afloat; 
 And It Will Save Us A Long Walk If We Can Paddle Her Back," Observed 
 Dick.  I Agreed With Him; And We Accordingly Set To Work To Clear A 
 Channel Through The     Sand Into The     Lagoon, Using The     Pieces Of     Board As 
 Spades.  It Did Not Take Us Long; And Though It Was As Much As Our 
 Strength Could Accomplish, We Contrived, By Putting Our Shoulders Under 
 The Gunwale, To Lift The     Boat Out Of     Her Bed, And To Launch Her On The 
 Water Of     The     Lagoon.  We Then Got In; And Though She Leaked, As We 
 Expected, We Were Able With Our Hats To Bale Out The     Water Fast Enough 
 To Keep Her Afloat. 
   
   
 Paddling On With The     Broken Oar And One Of     The     Pieces Of     Board, We 
 Reached Refuge Bay, As We Called The     Spot Where We Had Landed.  Much To 
 Our Disappointment, Our Companions Had Not Returned.  Expecting, 
 However, That They Might Arrive At Any Moment, We Set To Work To Roast 
 Some Eggs And The     Remainder Of     Our Wild-Fowl, Sufficient For All Hands. 
 Still Our Friends Did Not Appear.  Though We Began To Feel Somewhat 
 Anxious About Them, The     Smell Of     The     Roast-Duck Made Us So Hungry That 
 We Could Not Resist The     Temptation Of     Eating Our Share Without Waiting 
 For Them.  Dick Then Set To Work To Prepare Our Fishing Gear, And In The 
 Course Of     The     Evening Not Only Made A Netting Pin And Needle, But 
 Manufactured A Landing-Net, Which Would Serve The     Double Purpose Of 
 Catching Some Small Fish For Bait, And Rifting Up Any Larger Fish Likely 
 To Break Our Tackle Should We Attempt To Haul Them Out Of     The     Water. 
   
   
 Darkness Now Came On, And At Last We Had To Give Up All Hope Of     Seeing 
 Our Friends That Night.  We Agreed That In All Probability They Had 
 Found The     Distance Greater Than They Had Expected; So Creeping Into Our 
 Arbours, And Repressing The     Anxiety We Could Not Help Feeling, We Went 
 To Sleep. 
   
   
 On Awaking Next Morning, We Found That The     Weather Was Still Calm And 
 Fine; And Supposing That Our Friends Would Remain On The     Other Side Of 
 The Island To Breakfast, And Perhaps Still Longer, We Did Not Expect 
 Them Back Till Late In The     Day. 
   
   
 "I Vote That We Go Off And Try To Catch Some Fish," I Said.  "Our 
 Friends Will Be Much Obliged To Us If We Can Offer Them Some Fish 
 Instead Of     The     Ducks, Which, To Say The     Best Of     Them, Are Rather Tough 
 And Strong-Tasted." 
   
   
 Dick Agreed To My Proposal; And Having Payed Over The     Seams Of     The     Small 
 Boat With The     Mixture We Had Before Used, We Found On Launching Her That 
 She No Longer Leaked To Any Extent.  Before Embarking, Dick, Tucking Up 
 His Trousers, Waded Into The     Water With His Hand-Net, And Soon Caught An 
 Ample Supply Of     Small Fish For Bait.  Indeed, Had We Been Pressed For 
 Food, We Should Have Been Glad To Cook And Eat Them.  We Then Put The 
 Jolly-Boat's Oars And The     Boat-Hook, Which Had Been Preserved, Into The 
 Small Boat, And Shoved Off, Carrying A Lump Of     Coral With A Long Rope To 
 Serve As Our Anchor And Cable.  We First Tried The     Centre Of     The     Lagoon, 
 Where Before Long I Got A Bite, And Hauled Up A Fish With A Large Mouth 
 And Scales Of     Rich And Varied Colours. 
   
   
 "I Should Be Sorry To Eat That Fellow," Observed Dick; "For, In Spite Of 
 His Gay Coat, I Suspect He Is Poisonous; But We Will Keep Him In Case 
 The Bait Runs Short." 
   
   
 Dick Soon Afterwards Caught Three Others Of     The     Same Description.  "We 
 Must Try Fresh Ground," He Observed; So Hauling Up Our Anchor, We Pulled 
 Away Towards The     Broad Entrance Of     The     Lagoon, And Again Brought Up.  We 
 Soon Caught Several More Fish Of     Good Size And Sombre Colours, Which, As 
 Far As We Could Judge, Were Likely To Prove Wholesome.  They Tried Our 
 Hooks, However; And I Was Hauling Up Another Big Fellow, When He Broke 
 Away Just As Dick Was Getting The     Landing-Net Under Him.  Another Hook 
 Disappeared Before We Could Even See The     Fish Which Carried It Off! 
   
   
 "I Must Try Our Shark-Hook," Observed Dick, Putting On A Large Bait, And 
 Fastening It To The     End Of     A Thick Rope.  "Nothing Frightens The     Fish In 
 These Seas; And If We Were To Lower Down A Hempen Cable With A Baited 
 Hook, They Would Bite As Freely As They Would If We Were To Use A 
 Hair-Line." 
   
   
 The Hook Had Not Been Overboard A Minute When He Shouted Out, "I've Got 
 Hold Of     A Big One Now, Anyhow!" And Began Hauling Away. 
   
   
 "He Must Be A Shark, By The     Way He Is Pulling," I Observed. 
   
   
 "No, He Isn't," He Answered; "Though He Is Bigger Than Any Fish I Ever 
 Caught With A Hook And Line Before.  Just You Lean Over To The     Other 
 Side Of     The     Boat, Mr Rayner, Or Maybe He'll Capsize Us.  I'll Tackle 
 Him." 
   
   
 I Did As Dick Told Me; While He Hauled And Hauled Away, And Soon Brought 
 To The     Surface A Fish Shaped Something Like A Perch, But Apparently Of 
 Sixty Or Seventy Pounds Weight.  It Was Indeed, I Saw, A Species Of 
 Sea-Perch, From The     Large Spines On Its Back. 
   
   
 In Spite Of     The     Monster's Struggles, Dick Held It Fast, And At Length 
 Hauled It Into The     Boat.  "This Fellow Is A Prize," He Exclaimed, And I 
 Agreed With Him.  A Blow On The     Head Made It Remain Tolerably Quiet; And 
 On Further Examination I Was Convinced That I Was Right In Supposing It 
 To Be The     Fish Above-Named. 
   
   
 Having Now More Food Than We Could Consume, We Pulled Back To The     Shore; 
 To Find That Our Companions Had Not Yet Returned.  Having Hauled Up Our 
 Boat, We Had Ample Employment In Cleaning Our Fish For Cooking.  The     Big 
 Fellow Could Only Be Dressed By Being Cut Up Into Slices; But As We 
 Wished To Show It To Our Friends, We Allowed It To Remain Entire.  We 
 Had Just Finished Our Own Dinner On One Of     The     Fish--Which Being 
 Well-Shaped And Of     Sombre Hue, We Believed To Be Wholesome--When We 
 Heard A Shout, And Saw Harry And Tom Running Towards Us, Followed By 
 Tamaku. 
   
   
 I Pointed To The     Big Fish, Which Hung, In The     Shade, From The     Bough Of     A 
 Tree. 
   
   
 "That's Grand!" Exclaimed Tom.  "Still, I Don't Know But What The     Other 
 Side Of     The     Island Beats This; For We Have Found Bread-Fruit Trees, And 
 Plantains, And Yams, And All Sorts Of     Other Roots And Fruits.  And Mudge 
 Has Sent Us Over To Tell You To Bring The     Jolly-Boat Round, If You Have 
 Made Her Sea-Worthy, As He Thinks We Should Have A Better Chance Of 
 Getting On Board A Vessel On That Side Than This.  There Is A Capital 
 Harbour, In Which She Can Lie At Anchor; And A Hill Near It From Whence 
 We Can Obtain A Fine Look-Out Over The     Ocean For Ever So Many Miles. 
 Tamaku, Harry, And I Are To Remain Here To Keep A Look-Out On This Side 
 Till You Have Arrived On The     Other; And Then You Can Come Back And 
 Relieve Us If You Think Fit." 
   
   
 I Told Him That I Was Ready To Do Whatever Mudge Wished, But That The 
 Difficulty Would Be To Launch The     Jolly-Boat, Which Dick And I Had In 
 Vain Attempted To Do. 
   
   
 "Five Hands May Accomplish What Two Could Not," He Answered.  "Perhaps, 
 If We Can Get Some Rollers Under Her Keel, We May Be Able To Do It; And 
 Tamaku Is As Strong As An Elephant." 
   
   
 Dick, Feeling Confidence In The     Sea-Worthiness Of     The     Jolly-Boat, Was 
 Ready To Take Her Round, Either By Himself, Or With One Of     Us To Help 
 Him.  I Said That I Was Willing To Go, And We Settled To Start The     Next 
 Morning.  Our Friends Were Highly Pleased At Finding Another Boat In 
 Which They Could Go Off Fishing.  I Reminded Them That They Must Make 
 Some Oars First, As We Should Have To Take Ours; And As They Only Had 
 Their Clasp-Knives, It Would Be A Pretty Tough Job. 
   
   
 "Patience, As Dick Says, Will Accomplish Wonders; And Tamaku Cuts Away 
 With His Knife In A Fashion I Never Saw Any One Else Do," Answered Tom. 
   
   
 "I Cut Out The     Oars," Said Tamaku.  Indeed, He Was Ready To Aid In Any 
 Way Proposed, And Was Well-Pleased To Find That He Should Be Able To Go 
 Fishing In The     Punt. 
   
   
 The Rest Of     The     Day Was Spent In Making Some Rollers, And Also In 
 Preparing Some Food For Our Voyage; For Although The     Distance Was Not 
 Great, We Might Encounter A Calm Or Contrary Wind, And Be Delayed Longer 
 Than We Expected.  Unwilling To Lose Our Big Fish, Too, We Now Cut It Up 
 Into Slices, Which We Smoked Over The     Fire.  Dick Tillard Also Advised 
 Us To Search For Some Salt, That We Might Still Better Preserve Our 
 Fish; And Tom And Harry Undertook To Do So After We Had Set Sail. 
   
   
 The Next Morning, Breakfast Being Over, And The     Tide At Its Highest, We 
 Got The     Rollers Under The     Boat, And By Our United Exertions Managed To 
 Launch Her.  Dick, On Getting On Board, Was Well Satisfied With The     Way 
 In Which He Had Repaired Her Damages, And Expressed His Confidence That 
 She Was Not Only Fit To Perform The     Voyage Round To The     Other Side Of 
 The Island, But To Make A Much Longer One If Necessary. 
   
   
 Having Taken Our Provisions On Board, We Hoisted The     Sail; And The     Wind 
 Being From The     Southward, We Intended To Go Out At The     Broad Passage, 
 And Round By The     North End Of     The     Island.  Our Friends Accompanied Us In 
 The Small Boat To The     Entrance Of     The     Lagoon, And Then With Three Cheers 
 Left Us. 
   
   
 As We Kept Some Distance From The     Coast, To Avoid Any Reefs Which Might 
 Run Off It, We Could See The     Land Stretching Away Much Farther To The 
 North Than We Had Expected. 
   
   
 "Our Trip Will Be Longer Than I Thought For, Mr Rayner," Said Dick; 
 "But Now We Have Got Thus Far, And Have The     Wind With Us, It Will Be 
 Better To Keep On, And Maybe When We Round The     Point We Shall Then Get 
 It Favourable; Though I Don't Suppose Mr Mudge Was Aware How Far The 
 Island Stretches To The     Northward." 
   
   
 I Thought As Dick Did, And Agreed With Him That It Would Not Now Do To 
 Try And Beat Round The     Southern End, Which Appeared Quite As Far Off As 
 The Northern One.  On We Sailed; But Still The     Northern Cape We Wished 
 To Double Seemed A Long Way Off.  The     Weather, Too, Which Was Very Fine 
 When We Started, Now Gave Signs Of     Changing.  I Saw That Dick Was 
 Looking Graver Than Usual: Still He Was Not A Man To Give Up A Task He 
 Had Undertaken; So We Continued Running On, Though Clouds Had Gathered 
 In The     Sky, And The     Wind Blew Much Stronger Than At First. 
   
   
 "We May As Well Take A Reef Down, Mr Rayner," He Observed--"Or Perhaps 
 Two.  When We Come To Haul Our Wind, We Shall Have As Much Sail As The 
 Boat Will Bear." 
   
   
 We Soon Had The     Reefs In, And The     Sail Again Hoisted Up.  The     Boat Now 
 Flew Rapidly Over The     Fast-Rising, Foaming Seas.  On The     Larboard Side 
 The Surf Was Breaking Furiously On The     Coral Reef, Through Which No 
 Opening Could Be Seen; While Out At Sea, On The     Opposite Side, All Was 
 Dark And Lowering.  The     Wind Came In Fitful Gusts; Now From The 
 Southward, Now Blowing From The     Land. 
   
   
 I At Length Proposed Returning. 
   
   
 "That Would Be A Harder Matter Than Standing On," Answered Dick.  "Maybe 
 We Shall Come In Sight Of     A Harbour, And If So We Will Stand In And Take 
 Shelter; But If Not, Our Only Course Is To Run On Till We Can Double The 
 Cape.  And Then, Unless The     Wind Shifts To The     Westward, We Shall Be 
 Under The     Lee Of     The     Island, And Make Better Weather Of     It." 
   
   
 Dick Spoke Calmly; But As I Looked At His Countenance I Observed A 
 Strange Expression Pass Over It. 
   
   
 "Are You In Pain, Dick?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "To Say The     Truth, I Am, Sir," He Answered; "Though I Didn't Like To 
 Alarm You By Telling You How I Feel I Should Like To Have Some Doctor's 
 Stuff: Or Maybe A Glass Of     Rum Would Set Me To Rights; But As That Isn't 
 To Be Got, I Must Grin And Bear It." 
   
   
 As I Watched Dick, He Appeared To Grow Worse And Worse, And Every Now 
 And Then A Groan He Could Not Suppress Escaped Him.  Still, He Kept His 
 Seat At The     Helm, Steering The     Boat Before The     Wind With His Usual Care. 
 I Remembered The     Supposed Poisonous Fish He Had Spoken Of, And Wondered 
 Whether He Had Taken Any; But I Did Not Like To Suggest The     Thought To 
 Him.  Presently, To My Horror, His Hand Relaxed Its Hold Of     The     Helm, 
 And He Sank Down In The     Bottom Of     The     Boat.  I Seized The     Tiller In Time 
 To Prevent The     Boat Broaching-To, And Kept Her On As We Had Before Been 
 Steering.  I Could Do Nothing To Help Him, Except Place His Head Against 
 The Side Of     The     Boat.  He Breathed Heavily, Every Now And Then Giving A 
 Groan.  I Was Greatly Alarmed, Not Knowing What I Should Do By Myself; 
 While I Felt Much Grieved At The     Thought Of     Losing Him.  All I Could Do 
 Was To Sit And Steer.  Nothing I Could Offer Him Was Likely To Do Him 
 Any Good; And I Could Only Hope That His Strong Constitution Would Carry 
 Him Through The     Attack, Whatever It Was. 
   
   
 At Length I Was Very Nearly Up To The     Cape, And Expected To Get Round It 
 In The     Course Of     Half An Hour Or So, When The     Wind Fell Even More 
 Suddenly Than It Had Risen, And The     Boat Lay Rocking On The     Water, 
 Making No Perceptible Way.  I Tried To Do All I Could To Restore Dick. 
 I Sprinkled His Face With Water, And Poured Some Cocoa-Nut Milk Down His 
 Throat; But It Did Not Appear To Have The     Slightest Effect.  He Remained 
 Perfectly Unconscious, Only Giving Signs Of     Life By His Heavy Breathing 
 And His Groans, Which Grew Fainter And Fainter. 
   
   
 Hoping That At Last A Moderate Breeze Would Spring Up, I Shook The     Reefs 
 Out Of     The     Sail, And Again Hoisted It.  Still There Was No Change.  The 
 Sun Was Setting Over The     Island, And I Expected To Have My Difficulties 
 Increased By The     Approaching Darkness.  The     Weather Also Still Looked 
 Very Threatening.  Scarcely Had The     Sun Disappeared Behind A Cliff On 
 The Left, When The     Wind Again Suddenly Sprang Up, And Blew With Even 
 Greater Violence Than Before.  I Now Wished That I Had Not Shaken The 
 Reefs Out Of     The     Sail, But I Could Not Venture To Leave The     Helm To Make 
 Any Alteration. 
   
   
 On Flew The     Boat As Before, The     Foaming Seas Rising Up On Either Hand. 
 I Could But Dimly Distinguish The     Cliff.  At Length It Was Lost To 
 Sight.  As I Looked Out On The     Larboard Side, I Fancied That I Saw A 
 Line Of     White Breakers, Indicating A Reef Running Off From It.  How Far 
 It Might Extend I Could Not Tell; Perhaps A Mile, Or A Couple Of     Miles. 
 It Would Be Destruction, Should I Haul Up Too Soon And Strike On It; 
 Indeed, With The     Sail I Had Set, I Dared Not Do That.  My Only Resource 
 Was To Stand On, Hoping That The     Squall Would Pass Away As Quickly As It 
 Had Sprung Up.  I Knew That I Was Leaving The     Land Farther And Farther 
 Astern.  In Vain In My Anxiety I Called To Poor Dick To Help Me. 
 Sometimes The     Horrid Thought Came Over Me That He Was Dead, The 
 Splashing Of     The     Water And The     Howling Of     The     Wind Drowning The     Sound Of 
 His Breathing.  My Anxiety--Or, I May Confess It, My Alarm--Made Me Feel 
 Very Ill; And I Began To Fancy That I Too Had Been Poisoned, Either By 
 The Fish Or The     Wild-Fowl We Had Eaten. 
   
   
 I Scarcely Know How Many Hours Thus Passed.  At Last, As I Had Expected, 
 The Wind Suddenly Fell To A Gentle Breeze.  I Immediately Hauled Aft The 
 Sheet, Hoping To Be Able To Beat Up To The     Island Again By Daybreak; But 
 Scarcely Had I Stood On For A Quarter Of     An Hour When It Dropped 
 Altogether, And The     Boat Lay Rocking On The     Heaving Waters.  As There 
 Was No Use In Keeping The     Sail Set, I Lowered It, And Sat Down With My 
 Arm Round The     Mast, Intending To Keep Awake Till The     Breeze Should Again 
 Get Up; While I Heartily Prayed That It Might Come From A Direction 
 Which Might Enable Me To Fetch The     Island.  I Could Hear Dick Breathing; 
 But Though I Called To Him He Did Not Answer, And Appeared Quite As 
 Unconscious As At First.  I Felt Very Tired, After The     Excitement I Had 
 Gone Through; Still I Did My Utmost To Keep Awake.  All My Efforts, 
 However, Were Vain, And I Dropped Off To Sleep. 
   
   
 Suddenly I Awoke; And Standing Up, I Looked Out Anxiously For The     Land. 
 My Heart Sank: An Unbroken Sea-Horizon Was Around Me.  As I Was Still 
 Gazing, A Bright Glow Appeared In The     Direction Towards Which The     Boat's 
 Head Was Turned; And Presently The     Sun, A Vast Globe Of     Fire, Arose Out 
 Of His Ocean-Bed, Tinging With A Ruddy Hue The     Edge Of     The     Clouds Which 
 Still Covered The     Sky.  The     Breeze, However, Had Sprung Up From The 
 Eastward, And I Knew From The     Position Of     The     Sun In What Direction To 
 Steer.  The     Numerous Birds, Also, Which Hovered Round Me, Proved That 
 The Island Was Not Far Off. 
   
   
 I Again Attempted To Arouse Dick; But Though I Did Not Succeed, His More 
 Quiet Breathing Made Me Hope That He Was Recovering.  I Now Hoisted The 
 Sail; And Hauling Aft The     Sheet, Went To The     Helm, And Steered To The 
 Southward. 
 
 
 
 Chapter V 
   
   
   
 Daylight--I Make The     Land--Dick Recovers--Captured By A Native Canoe-- 
 Taken On Shore--Compelled To Work As Slaves--Our Hopes Of     Escape 
 Disappointed--Dick Again Ill--His Death--I Bury Him--Threatening Of 
 War--Harry Joins Me--We Witness A Single Combat--Our Champion Defeated-- 
 Captured By The     Enemy--Ill-Treated--Harry Disappears--I Escape To The 
 Beach--See A Boat--The Savages Pursue Me--Rescued By Mudge. 
   
   
 Anxiously I Looked Out Ahead For Land--Now On One Bow, Now On The     Other; 
 For I Could Not Tell How Far To The     Westward I Had Been Driven, Or On 
 Which Side It Might Appear.  It Was Possible, Indeed, That I Might Have 
 Got So Far To The     West As To Pass The     Island Altogether Should I 
 Continue To Steer Due South; And Yet In The     Uncertainty I Hesitated To 
 Take Another Course. 
   
   
 As I Sat In The     Stern-Sheets, I Watched Tillard's Countenance.  He 
 Seemed At Length To Have Fallen Into A Quiet Sleep, And I Trusted That 
 When He Awoke He Would Feel Himself Much Better.  I Bored A Hole In The 
 End Of     A Cocoa-Nut, And Also Got Some Fish Ready, That I Might Give Him 
 Some Food As Soon As He Awoke.  But Still He Slept On; And The     Fear Came 
 Over Me That It Might Prove The     Sleep Preceding Death.  Under Other 
 Circumstances, I Should Not Probably Have Thought So; But I Was Weary 
 And Anxious, And My Spirits Sank To The     Lowest Ebb.  As I Sat In The 
 Boat, Gliding Over The     Now Tranquil Sea, Glittering With The     Rays Of     The 
 Sun, I Might Have Been Regarded As A Picture Of     Perfect Contentment,-- 
 Very Different, Indeed, From What Was Really The     Case. 
   
   
 Every Now And Then I Stood Up To Look Out For The     Wished-For Land; Till 
 At Length A Light Mist Which Had Hung Over The     Water Was Dissipated By 
 The Increasing Heat Of     The     Sun, And To My Joy I Caught Sight Of     The 
 Lofty Headland We Had Hoped To Double The     Day Before, Rising Out Of     The 
 Blue Water Much Nearer Than I Had Expected To Find It.  My Spirits Rose; 
 And I Began To Hope That, Should Dick Recover, My Troubles And Anxieties 
 Would Be At An End.  I Could Not Help Shouting Out "Land! Land!" Though 
 I Was Not Aware That I Had Done So Till I Heard The     Sound Of     My Own 
 Voice.  It Had The     Effect Of     Arousing Dick, However. 
   
   
 "Land, Mr Rayner!" He Exclaimed.  "I Thought We Were About To Enter The 
 Harbour To Meet Mr Mudge And The     Rest." 
   
   
 I Tried To Explain What Had Happened, But His Senses Were Too Confused 
 To Allow Him For Some Time To Understand Me. 
   
   
 "What! Have You Been At The     Helm All Night?  You Must Be Pretty Well 
 Knocked Up, Sir," He Said.  "Let Me Take It While You Lie Down.  You 
 Need Rest." 
   
   
 I Observed, From The     Way He Spoke, That His Senses Were Still Confused; 
 So I Told Him That I Had Already Had Some Sleep, And That I Was Able To 
 Keep At The     Helm Very Well For The     Present. 
   
   
 I Now Gave Him Some Cocoa-Nut Milk And A Little Fish, Which He Took Very 
 Readily; And After Eating Some Of     The     Solid Food He Appeared Much 
 Better, And Was Soon Able To Sit Up And Talk Rationally. 
   
   
 Calculating By The     Time We Had Taken To Reach The     Headland, He Judged 
 That We Should Not Get Into The     Harbour At Soonest Till Sunset; And He 
 Advised That We Should Economise Our Food, In Case We Should Be Kept Out 
 Still Longer, As Would Certainly Be The     Case Did It Again Fall Calm. 
   
   
 We At Length Got Up With The     Island.  On The     Western Side It Presented A 
 Succession Of     High Cliffs, Along Which We Coasted.  As The     Day Advanced 
 The Breeze Freshened, And We Ran Briskly Through The     Water.  We Had Gone 
 Half A Mile Or So Along The     Coast, When I Caught Sight Of     A Sail Ahead. 
   
   
 "Hurrah!"  I Cried Out.  "Perhaps That Is A Ship.  Yonder Craft May Be 
 Able To Take Us And Our Companions On Board." 
   
   
 "She Is Only A Native Canoe," Observed Dick; "And It Is Questionable 
 Whether She Has Friends Or Enemies On Board.  If The     Latter, And She 
 Catches Us, We May Have Our Voyage Put A Stop To In A Way We Didn't 
 Bargain For." 
   
   
 The Craft At Which We Were Looking Was One Of     The     Large Double Canoes Of 
 These Seas, With A Single Triangular Sail Of     White Matting, Which I, In 
 The First Instance, Had Taken For Canvas.  On She Came Towards Us, 
 Close-Hauled, At A Rate Which Would Have Made It Useless To Attempt 
 Escaping Her.  The     Two Canoes Which Formed The     Lower Part Of     Her 
 Structure Were Of     Great Length, And Very Narrow, Supporting A Large 
 Platform Of     Some Height, Which Served To Keep Them Some Distance Apart. 
   
   
 We Could Only Distinguish Three Men On Her Deck; And Had Dick Been Well, 
 We Might Easily Have Resisted Them In The     Event Of     Their Exhibiting Any 
 Hostile Intentions.  But He Felt Himself Too Weak To Show Fight, And We 
 Agreed That Our Best Course Was To Put A Bold Face On The     Matter, And To 
 Bid Them Go On Their Way, While We Continued Our Course To The 
 Southward.  As We Drew Nearer, However, Three More Men Appeared From 
 Below, Holding Bows And Spears In Their Hands.  Placing The     Spears On 
 The Deck, Each Fixed An Arrow To His Bow; On Seeing Which--Believing 
 That They Were Going To Shoot--I Hauled Down The     Sail, And, Holding Up 
 My Hands, Tried To Make Them Understand That I Surrendered.  On This 
 They Withdrew Their Arrows, And The     Canoe Was Steered Up Alongside The 
 Boat.  I Then Pointed To Dick, Wishing To Explain To Them That He Was 
 Ill.  They Took No Notice Of     My Signs, However; And Two Or Three Of     Them 
 Leaping Into The     Boat, Which They Secured By A Rope To The     Canoe, 
 Dragged Him And Me Out Of     It On To Their Deck.  At First I Thought That 
 They Were Going To Kill Us Immediately.  Dick Was Too Weak To Make Any 
 Resistance; And I Knew That I Could Do Nothing By Myself.  I Endeavoured 
 To Exhibit As Little Fear As Possible, However, And Taking One Of     The 
 Savages By The     Hand, Shook It And Smiled, To Show That I Wished To Be On 
 Friendly Terms.  After They Had Talked Together, They Appeared To Have 
 Determined To Spare Our Lives; Then Lowering Their Sail, They Hoisted It 
 On The     Other Tack, And Stood For The     Shore, Towing Our Boat Astern. 
 Dick Was Allowed To Sit On The     Deck, While I Stood Near Him, No One 
 Molesting Us. 
   
   
 "We're In A Bad Case, Mr Rayner," He Observed; "But It Won't Do To Give 
 Way To Despair, And We Must Try To Put A Good Face On The     Matter.  If I 
 Was Well, And Able To Help You, I Shouldn't So Much Mind It; But I Feel 
 As Weak As A Baby, And That Tries Me." 
   
   
 "I Hope You Will Get Stronger Soon, Dick, And Then We Must Try To Make 
 Our Escape To Our Friends," I Answered.  "I Am Afraid That The     Savages 
 Are More Likely In The     Meantime To Get Hold Of     Them," He Observed. 
 "What Puzzles Me Is, That They Didn't Find Us Out Before; But I Suspect 
 That, For Some Reason Or Other, The     Southern End Of     The     Island Is Not 
 Inhabited." 
   
   
 I Could Only Account For The     Circumstance As Dick Did; And I Hoped That 
 Mudge Would Discover That There Were Natives On The     Island In Time To 
 Guard Against Them.  Of     Course, I Regretted Much That He Should Have 
 Divided Our Party, As I Felt That, United, We Might Have Held Out 
 Against Them, Or, At The     Worst, Have Escaped In Our Boats.  However, 
 There Was No Use Thinking Of     What Had Been Done; And We Must, I Felt, 
 Employ Our Energies In Making The     Best Of     Our Situation. 
   
   
 I Did My Utmost To Appear Contented, As If I Had No Fear Of     Our Captors. 
 To Show This, I Walked About The     Deck And Examined The     Structure Of     The 
 Canoe.  The     Separate Lower Portions, I Found, Were Composed Of     Two Large 
 Trees Hollowed Out, Each Having A Raised Gunwale About Two Inches High, 
 And Closed At The     Ends With A Kind Of     Bulk-Head Of     The     Same Height; So 
 That The     Whole Resembled A Long Square Trough, About Three Feet Shorter 
 Than The     Body Of     The     Canoe.  The     Two Canoes Thus Fitted Were Secured To 
 Each Other, About Three Feet Asunder, By Means Of     Cross Spars, Which 
 Projected About A Foot Over The     Side.  Over These Spars Was Laid The 
 Deck, Made Of     Small Round Spars Placed Close Together.  On It Was A 
 Fire-Hearth Of     Clay, On Which A Fire Was Burning; And I Observed A Large 
 Pot Suspended Over It, With Something Boiling Within Which Had A Savoury 
 Smell.  The     Mast Was Secured To The     Deck By Knees; The     Whole Being Fixed 
 To A Cross-Beam Resting On The     Lower Sides Of     The     Canoe.  The     Sail, 
 Which Was Composed Of     Matting, Was Stretched On A Lateen Yard, The     Foot 
 Being Extended To A Boom.  The     Ropes Were Made Of     The     Coarse Filaments 
 Of The     Plantain-Tree, Twisted Into Cordage Of     The     Thickness Of     A Finger; 
 And Three Or Four Such Cords Marled Together Served For Shrouds.  This 
 Curious Craft Was Steered By A Long Scull, The     Handle Of     Which Rose Four 
 Or Five Feet Above The     Deck.  In Calm Weather, As I Afterwards Observed, 
 The Natives Propel These Canoes Simply By Sculling; A Man Standing 
 Astern And Working The     Scull With Both Hands--A Very Slow Process.  They 
 Are, Indeed, Better Fitted For Sailing Than Paddling. 
   
   
 Beginning To Feel Very Hungry, I Made Signs To Our Captors That I Should 
 Like To Have Some Food; And I Also Pointed To Dick, Wishing To Make Them 
 Understand That He Too Required Nourishment.  One Of     Them On This Went 
 To The     Pot And Stirred It With The     Handle Of     His Spear, As If To 
 Ascertain Whether The     Contents Were Sufficiently Boiled.  Satisfied On 
 This Point, He Dived Down Into One Of     The     Canoes And Brought Up From A 
 Locker A Hooked Stick And Some Plantain Leaves; Whereupon All The     Party, 
 With The     Exception Of     The     Helmsman, Gathered Round The     Pot, When The 
 Same Man Drew Out Some Fish And Roots, And Divided Them Among His 
 Companions, Giving Dick And Me An Equal Share.  We Thanked Them As Well 
 As We Could By Eating The     Food.  Dick, Who Relished It Very Much, 
 Nodding His Head And Stroking His Stomach, Exclaimed "Bono, Bono,--Very 
 Good, Master Savages."  The     Fish Certainly Was Very Good; And As Our 
 Captors Ate It, We Had No Doubt That It Was Wholesome.  Dick Said He 
 Felt Much The     Better For It, And Could Now Look Things In The     Face With 
 Less Despondency Than Before. 
   
   
 The Canoe All This Time Was Gliding Smoothly Over The     Water, Though I 
 Confess, From Her Apparently Slight Structure, I Should Not Have 
 Relished Being On Board Her In A Heavy Sea.  As We Approached The 
 Island, I Observed A Small Bay Or Inlet For Which She Was Steering, With 
 High Cliffs Above It, And A Valley Running Up Inland To Some Distance, 
 While On All The     Level Spots Near The     Beach Grew Cocoa-Nut And Other 
 Trees.  The     Aspect Of     The     Country Was Highly Picturesque, And Altogether 
 Pleasing. 
   
   
 As We Drew Nearer, I Saw A Number Of     Dark-Skinned Natives, Almost Naked; 
 Some In The     Water, Engaged Apparently In Fishing, Others Lolling About 
 On The     Beach Watching Them.  At First They Took But Little Notice Of     The 
 Canoe; But As They Caught Sight Of     Us, And The     Jolly-Boat Towing Astern, 
 Those Not Employed In Fishing Hurried Down To The     Shore Of     The     Harbour, 
 Up Which The     Canoe Ran Till She Reached A Secure Spot Alongside A Rock, 
 On To Which Her Crew Could Step From The     Canoe Without Difficulty. 
   
   
 The Captain, Or Chief Man Of     The     Canoe, Now Made A Long Speech To The 
 Natives On Shore, Describing Apparently How He Had Found Us; On Which 
 Dick, Who Was Now Much Recovered, And I Shook Him By The     Hand, Hoping 
 That What He Had Said Was In Our Favour.  This Seemed To Please Him And 
 His Countrymen; And We Were Now Conducted On Shore With Far More Respect 
 Than We Had At First Expected To Receive.  While Some Inspected Our 
 Boat, Others, Collecting Round Us, Examined Our Clothes, Looking 
 Curiously At Our Light-Coloured Skins.  After More Palavering, We Were 
 Led Towards Their Village, When A Few Old Men And A Number Of     Women And 
 Children Came Out To Have A Look At Us, And We Had Again To Endure The 
 Same Sort Of     Scrutiny As Before. 
   
   
 After A Little Time, We Made Out That The     Captain Of     The     Canoe Which Had 
 Captured Us Was The     Son Of     The     Old Chief Of     The     Village, Under Whose 
 Protection We Were Placed, Or Rather Whose Property We Had Become.  I 
 Asked The     Old Man His Name, Mentioning My Own, And Then Pointing To Dick 
 And Pronouncing His.  The     Old Man Understood Me, And Replied, "Paowang." 
 I Then Asked The     Son His.  He Replied, "Whagoo;" On Which Dick And I 
 Again Shook Hands With Him, Thanking Them For The     Information. 
   
   
 "Well, Mr Paowang, I Hope You And We Shall Be Friends," Said Dick; "And 
 We Shall Be Further Obliged To You If You Will Show Us A House To Live 
 In, For We Should Be Glad To Get Out Of     The     Heat Of     The     Sud, And To Take 
 A Quiet Snooze; And At Supper-Time, If You Will Tell Your People To 
 Bring Us A Dish Of     Fish, And Any Other Articles You May Think Fit, We 
 Shall Be Further Indebted To You." 
   
   
 Although Paowang Could Not Understand Dick's Words, He Comprehended His 
 Gestures, And Pointing To A Hut Near His Own, Signified That We Might 
 Take Possession Of     It.  It Was A Simple Structure, Consisting Of 
 Uprights On Which Matting Was Stretched For Walls, The     Roof Being 
 Thatched With Plantain Leaves.  Some Coarse Mats Were Also Spread On The 
 Floor.  It Enabled Us To Escape From The     Pressure Of     The     Crowd, Which 
 Was Just What We Wanted To Do. 
   
   
 The Personal Appearance Of     Most Of     The     People Was Not Specially 
 Prepossessing, Though The     Chief And His Son Had Good-Humoured 
 Countenances.  The     Women Wore Petticoats Of     Matting; And The     Men Kilts 
 Or Cloths Round Their Waists And Brought Between Their Legs.  They Were 
 Naturally Brown Rather Than Black; But Many Of     Them Had Covered Their 
 Bodies With A Pigment Mixed With Either Earth Or Charcoal, Which Made 
 Them Much Darker Than They Really Were.  The     Older Men Had Short Bushy 
 Beards, And Large Heads Of     Almost Woolly Hair.  Besides Spears And Bows, 
 They Carried Large Heavy Carved Clubs In Their Hands, Of     Various Shapes, 
 Some Being Very Formidable-Looking Weapons.  They Had Also Darts With 
 Barbed Edges, Which They Threw From A Becket Or Sort Of     Sling Fixed To 
 The Hand.  With These Darts We Saw Them Kill Both Birds And Fish At A 
 Distance Of     Eight Or Ten Yards.  The     Only Tools We Saw Were Composed Of 
 Stone Or Shells.  Their Hatchets Were In Form Like An Axe, The     Pointed 
 End Being Fixed To A Hole In A Thick Handle.  However, I Have Not Time 
 At Present To Describe The     People.  What Disgusted Dick And Me Most Was 
 To See The     Poor Women Compelled To Perform All The     Hard Work, And Often 
 To Receive Blows Or Abuse From Their Ill-Tempered Masters. 
   
   
 We Were Allowed To Rest In Quiet Till The     Evening, When The     Chief Sent 
 Us, By One Of     His Daughters, Some More Fish And A Dish Of     Poi,--A Sort 
 Of Paste Made Of     The     Bread-Fruit Or Yams.  At Night, Also, We Were 
 Allowed To Sleep Without Interruption.  The     Next Morning, However, The 
 Chief Signified That We Must Not Expect To Eat The     Bread Of     Idleness, 
 And That We Must Either Work In The     Taro Grounds, Or Go Out Hunting And 
 Fishing.  Dick At Once Said That We Would Go Out Fishing In Our Own 
 Boat; Hoping, As He Whispered To Me, That We Might Thus Have The     Chance 
 Of Escaping.  I Warned Him Not To Show Too Great Eagerness, Lest They 
 Might Suspect That Such An Idea Had Entered Our Minds. 
   
   
 As We Could Only Converse By Signs, We Had Some Difficulty In Making 
 Them Understand What Was Meant.  Dick Was The     Most Successful.  He 
 Signified That We Could Not Go Out Hunting, As We Had No Arms To Hunt 
 With; Then He Pretended To Hoe And Dig, Shaking His Head To Signify That 
 That Was Not To His Taste; Then He Went Through The     Attitudes Of     Letting 
 Down The     Line And Hauling Up A Big Fish.  The     Chief Nodded His Head And 
 Pointed To The     Sea, And Allowed Us To Go Down To The     Harbour.  We Showed 
 Our Hooks, Which Were Stowed Away In The     Locker; And Seeing Some Small 
 Fish, Begged To Have Them As Bait,--Quite Happy In The     Thought That We 
 Should Be Allowed To Go Out Alone, And Might Thus, Having Thrown Our 
 Captors Off Their Guard, In The     Course Of     A Few Days Easily Make Our 
 Escape,--When Three Black Fellows, With Heavy Clubs And Sharp Axes, 
 Stepped In After Us, Showing By Their Grinning Countenances That They 
 Suspected Our Intentions. 
   
   
 Dick Looked In No Way Disconcerted, But Putting The     Oars Into Their 
 Hands, Bade Them Sit Down And Pull.  Of     This, However, They Had No 
 Conception; So He And I Had To Row The     Boat Out Of     The     Harbour, Thus 
 Letting Them See How We Managed The     Oars.  After Some Time Two Of     Them 
 Proposed Trying; But They Were Not Very Successful.  First One Caught A 
 Crab, Then The     Other Toppled Right Over On His Back And Very Nearly Lost 
 The Oar; Then The     First Went Over With His Legs In The     Air, Bringing His 
 Head With A Crack Against The     Thwart Behind Him.  Dick And I Could Not 
 Help Laughing At The     Hideous Faces He Made--At Which He Grew Angry, And 
 Seizing His Club, Threatened To Use It On Dick's Head.  Dick, Patting 
 Him On The     Back, Advised Him To Cool His Temper; Then Telling Him To 
 Steer, Took The     Oar To Show Him How He Could Use It. 
   
   
 At Last, Having Got Some Distance From The     Shore, Dick Proposed Bringing 
 Up And Trying Our Luck.  Almost Immediately I Got A Bite, And Pulled Up 
 A Big Fish; Dick Directly Afterwards Caught Another; And Thus We Went 
 On, Greatly To The     Delight Of     The     Natives.  Indeed, Our Hooks And Lines 
 Caught More Fish In The     Course Of     Three Hours Than Their Nets Usually 
 Entrapped In A Day. 
   
   
 The Chief, When We Got Back, Was Highly Pleased, And Bestowed The     Name 
 Of Big-Fish-Man On Dick. 
   
   
 Several Days Went By.  We Were In High Favour With Paowang, And The     Rest 
 Of The     People Treated Us With Much Kindness; Still We Were Slaves, And 
 We Felt Very Anxious About The     Fate Of     Our Companions.  Should The 
 Savages Discover Them, And They Be Tempted To Defend Themselves, They 
 Might Not Be Treated So Well As We Were; Whilst, Should They Be 
 Captured, Our Chances Of     Escape Would Be Smaller Than Ever. 
   
   
 A Fortnight Or More Had Gone By; And The     Natives Began To Treat Us More 
 Capriciously Than At First.  Several Of     Them Had By This Time Learned To 
 Row, And Sometimes Dick Was Compelled To Go Out To Fish By Himself With 
 A Couple Of     Natives; Sometimes I Was Sent, While Dick Was Ordered To 
 Work In The     Taro Fields.  When I Was Kept On Shore, I Had To Perform The 
 Same Sort Of     Labour, In Company With The     Women And Girls.  I Should Not 
 Have Minded It Very Much, Had It Not Been For The     Heat Of     The     Sun: And 
 From This I Found Dick Also Suffered Extremely; Indeed, He Was Looking 
 Very Ill, And I Much Feared That He Would Have A Relapse. 
   
   
 My Worst Apprehensions Were Too Soon Fulfilled.  One Evening, When I And 
 My Black Crew Returned Home From Fishing, I Found Dick Lying In Our Hut 
 Scarcely Able To Speak.  He Had Been Out The     Whole Day In The     Fields, 
 Scantily Supplied With Food, And Had Received A Sun-Stroke.  He Was In A 
 High Fever.  I Ran To The     Chief And Entreated Him To Give Me A Supply Of 
 Cocoa-Nut Milk, Which I Hoped, At All Events, Might Alleviate His 
 Sufferings.  The     Chief Replied That I Might Help Myself To Some 
 Cocoa-Nuts, But Offered Me No Other Assistance.  In Desperation I 
 Climbed The     Nearest Tree, On Which Some Were Still Hanging, And Threw 
 Them To The     Ground; Two Were Split And The     Milk Lost, But I Brought Home 
 Three Others.  I Feared, However, As I Offered The     Contents Of     One Of 
 Them To My Poor Companion, That It Was Too Late To Afford Him Any 
 Relief.  I Sat Up With Him All Night, Giving Him From Time To Time Some 
 Of The     Cooling Beverage; But He Was Evidently Getting Worse.  Once Only 
 He Spoke To Me.  "Get Off In The     Boat, Mr Rayner," He Said; "It Is Your 
 Only Chance.  Trust In God; He Will Help You In Time Of     Need." 
   
   
 He Was Silent After This, And, Overcome With Fatigue, I Dropped Off To 
 Sleep.  When I Awoke The     Light Was Shining In Through The     Door Of     The 
 Hut.  I Looked At Dick's Countenance; It Was Calm And Pleasant.  I Took 
 His Hand--It Dropped By His Side.  Then I Knew That My Poor Friend Was 
 Dead; And I Burst Into Tears. 
   
   
 When I Recovered Myself I Got Up And Told The     Chief What Had Happened, 
 Begging That Some Men Might Be Sent To Help Me To Dig His Grave, For 
 Already The     Flies Were Gathering About His Face.  The     Chief Complied 
 With My Request; So We Dug A Grave On The     Top Of     A Hill A Short Distance 
 From The     Village, And Within View Of     The     Sea.  In The     Evening We Carried 
 Him There, And I Took My Last Look Of     His Honest Countenance Ere The 
 Soil Was Thrown In On His Body.  I Then Got Some Young Saplings And 
 Planted Them Round The     Grave, Which I Covered Up With A Pile Of     Earth. 
 On This Also I Planted Some Flowering Shrubs.  Next Day I Employed 
 Myself In Carving On A Piece Of     Wood His Name, And The     Date, As Far As I 
 Could Calculate It, Of     His Death. 
   
   
 Soon After This I Discovered That Something Unusual Was Going Forward In 
 The Village.  The     Chief Had Evidently Important Intelligence Brought 
 Him; For The     Warriors Were Arming, And The     Women Were In A State Of 
 Agitation.  What It Was All About I Could Not Tell, And The     Savages Did 
 Not Think Fit To Enlighten Me.  They Did Not, However, Neglect Their 
 Taro Fields; And I Was Sent Out As Usual To Work. 
   
   
 I Had Started At Daybreak, That I Might Get As Much Done As Possible 
 During The     Cool Hours Of     The     Morning, And Was Labouring Away, When, 
 Hearing A Noise In The     Bushes Near Me, I Looked Up And Saw A Figure 
 Spring Out From Among Them.  The     Next Instant I Recognised Harry Hudson, 
 Who Ran Towards Me. 
   
   
 "Come Along," He Exclaimed; "I Am Pursued, And We May Both Be Captured. 
 I'll Tell You What Has Happened When We Reach A Place Of     Safety." 
   
   
 I Set Off With Him Towards The     Village.  Our Appearance, With The 
 Account We Gave, Made All The     Warriors Turn Out, Led By Whagoo, To Stop 
 The Progress Of     The     Enemy; For By Harry's Account The     Hostile Party Was 
 Approaching, And Would, If Not Stopped, Quickly Destroy The     Taro Fields 
 And Cut Down All The     Trees In Their Course.  The     Chief Expressed His 
 Gratitude To Harry For Giving Him The     Warning, And Promised To Defend 
 Him Should Those From Whom He Had Escaped Attempt His Recapture.  To My 
 Surprise, Harry Was Able To Make Himself Clearly Understood, Though The 
 Dialect He Spoke Evidently Differed Considerably From That Of     Paowang 
 And His People. 
   
   
 "But I Am Eager To Learn How You Found Your Way To This Place, And Knew 
 That I Was Here," I Observed. 
   
   
 Harry Then, Having Said How Anxious He And The     Rest Of     Them Had Become 
 At Not Hearing Of     Dick And Me, Told How One Day He And Tamaku Had Set 
 Off On An Exploring Expedition Farther To The     North Than They Had Yet 
 Ventured, In Search Of     Cocoa-Nuts And Other Fruit, Which Was Becoming 
 Scarce Around Them; That They Had Crossed A Stream Which Seemed To 
 Separate The     Southern From The     Northern End Of     The     Island; But As They 
 Were Going Through A Forest Which Extended Down To The     Sea, They Were 
 Suddenly Set Upon By A Large Party Of     Savages; When Tamaku, Attempting 
 To Defend Himself, Was Struck Down, And, He Feared, Killed.  The     Savages 
 Then Hurried Him Along With Them To Their Village, Where They Treated 
 Him With Tolerable Kindness; But Still He Dreaded Lest, Should He By Any 
 Chance Offend Them, They Might Without Ceremony Kill Him, And He 
 Intended To Make His Escape, If Possible, In Order To Warn Mudge And The 
 Rest Of     Their Danger.  Understanding Tolerably Well What They Said, He 
 Learned That A White Man And A Boy--And Of     Course He Had No Doubt That 
 Dick And I Were Spoken Of--Had Been Captured In A Boat By Their Enemies 
 At The     Northern End Of     The     Island, And That An Attack Upon Paowang's 
 Tribe Had Been Planned.  The     Chief Of     The     Party Into Whose Hands He Had 
 Fallen Was, He Found, Called Oamo; He Appeared To Be A Fierce, 
 Sanguinary Savage, And He Felt That His Own Life, While He Remained In 
 The Chief's Power, Was Very Insecure.  So, Finding That He Could Much 
 More Easily Reach Us Than Get Back Southward, And That His Captors Were 
 Less Likely To Look Out For Him On Our Side, He Resolved To Escape; And 
 That Very Night Succeeded In Doing So. 
   
   
 On Hearing This, Paowang And Whagoo Hurried On Their Preparations; And, 
 Led By The     Latter, The     Warriors Sallied Forth In Battle Array, Taking 
 Harry And Me With Them.  As We Had No Arms, And Should Have Been 
 Unwilling To Fight Even Had We Possessed Any, We Were Surprised At This; 
 But Whagoo Insisted That It Was Necessary, And We Were Compelled To 
 Comply.  We Marched On At A Rapid Rate Till We Reached A Broad Stream, 
 Which Separated, We Learned, The     Territory Of     Paowang From That Of     Oamo. 
 On Reaching The     Stream We Caught Sight Of     Oamo's Forces Drawn Up On The 
 Opposite Side.  The     Two Armies Then Set To Work To Hurl Abusive Epithets 
 At Each Other, Instead Of, As We Expected, Making Use Of     Murderous 
 Weapons.  This Had The     Effect, However, Of     Exciting Their Courage And 
 Working Up Their Anger.  Harry Told Me, That As Far As He Could Make 
 Out, Each Party Was Trying To Induce The     Other To Cross The     Stream And 
 Fight. 
   
   
 At Length Whagoo Dared Oamo To Come Over And Engage In Single Combat. 
 The Challenge, After Some Deliberation, Was Accepted; And That Chief, 
 With About Twenty Of     His Followers, Wading Across The     Stream, Formed On 
 The Northern Bank, Where They Stood Facing Our Party At About The 
 Distance Of     Fifty Yards.  The     Two Champions Then Advanced To Meet Each 
 Other, Armed With The     Formidable Carved Clubs I Have Described, One Blow 
 From Which Would, It Appeared, Quickly Decide The     Contest.  As They 
 Advanced Slowly, They Narrowly Eyed Each Other, Waiting For A Favourable 
 Moment To Deal The     First Blow.  Whagoo Was Young And Active, But Oamo 
 Appeared To Possess Superior Strength.  Cautiously He Advanced, Holding 
 His Club With Both Hands Towards The     Ground; While Whagoo Kept His 
 Elevated Above His Shoulders, As If Ready To Bring It Down On His 
 Antagonist's Head.  For A Minute Or More They Stood Facing Each Other, 
 Their Eyes Glaring Like Balls Of     Fire, When Like Lightning Oamo Bounded 
 Towards His Antagonist And Dealt A Blow Of     Force Sufficient To Bring An 
 Ox To The     Ground; But Whagoo, Actively Leaping On One Side, Avoided It, 
 And Prepared To Strike In Return.  In An Instant Oamo, Recovering 
 Himself, Lifted His Club In A Position To Receive His Enemy's Attack. 
 They Thus Stood For Another Minute Or More Face To Face, Each Unwilling 
 To Risk Defeat By Giving A Fruitless Blow. 
   
   
 At Length Whagoo, Losing Patience, Gave A Sudden Bound For The     Purpose 
 Of Reaching The     Right Side Of     Oamo, Who, However, Quickly Faced Him And 
 Made A Blow At His Head; Which He Avoided By Dropping On His Knee, 
 Receiving It On The     Blunt Part Of     His Club.  In An Instant He Was Again 
 On His Feet, And With Another Bound Attempted To Reach Oamo's Unguarded 
 Shoulder.  The     Latter, However, Was Too Wary To Allow Him To Succeed. 
 Thus They Continued Springing Round Each Other, Oamo's Aim Being 
 Evidently To Exhaust The     Strength Of     His Antagonist.  At Last He 
 Succeeded In Bringing His Weapon Down On Whagoo's Left Shoulder, And 
 Inflicted A Fearful Wound; Sufficient Apparently To Disable Him 
 Completely, For The     Blood Gushed Forth In A Way Which Must Quickly, It 
 Seemed, Drain His Veins Of     Their Contents.  He, However, Took No Notice 
 Of It, Though It Had Evidently Excited His Rage And Made Him Abandon The 
 Caution He Had Hitherto Maintained. 
   
   
 I Now Began Seriously To Fear For The     Result.  Oamo Saw His Advantage, 
 And Allowed Whagoo Still Further To Exhaust His Strength. 
   
   
 "What Are We To Do, Harry, If Our Friend Gets Beaten?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "We Must Try And Escape, For Otherwise I Fear That We Shall Be Handed 
 Over To The     Victorious Party," He Answered. 
   
   
 "Will They Kill Us?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "Not If Oamo Escapes Without A Wound," He Answered; "They Will Be So 
 Delighted With Their Victory That They Will Keep Us As Trophies.  I 
 Don't Like The     Look Of     Things, However." 
   
   
 Our Fears Were Still Further Increased When Oamo Succeeded In Bringing 
 His Weapon Down On Whagoo's Thigh, Leaping Back Quick As Lightning To 
 Avoid The     Blow Which The     Other Dealt In Return.  In His Eagerness To 
 Strike, And Much Weakened By His Wounds, Whagoo Overbalanced Himself, 
 And Before He Could Again Recover His Feet Or Raise His Club Oamo 
 Brought His Weapon With Tremendous Force Down On His Unguarded Skull, 
 Which With A Single Blow He Clove In Two, And Our Champion Fell Dead To 
 The Earth. 
   
   
 Oamo's Followers, Uttering Loud Shouts Of     Triumph, Immediately Rushed 
 Forward, And Before Harry And I, Who Stood Rooted With Horror To The 
 Spot, Could Make Our Escape, They Had Surrounded Us; Whagoo's Party 
 Having Bounded Off Like Startled Deer The     Instant They Perceived The 
 Fall Of     Their Chief.  Satisfied With His Victory, Oamo Did Not Attempt 
 To Follow Them, Aware Probably That Paowang, With The     Rest Of     His Tribe, 
 Would Quickly Be Down Upon Them To Avenge His Son's Death. 
   
   
 We Were At Once Dragged Off Across The     Stream; After Which The     Whole 
 Party, Carrying Us With Them, Retreated Southward, Singing Songs Of 
 Triumph. 
   
   
 Our Captors Did Not Halt Till They Reached Their Village, When The     Women 
 Came Out In Crowds To Welcome Them And To Gaze At Us.  I Expected 
 Nothing Less Than Torture And Death; But Even Oamo, Savage As He Was, 
 Did Not Look At Us Fiercely, As If Intending To Do Us Any Harm: Possibly 
 He Was So Well-Pleased With His Victory That He Was Inclined To Treat Us 
 More Kindly Than He Would Otherwise Have Done.  We Were, However, 
 Doomed, We Found, To Captivity; And I Naturally Supposed That They Would 
 Keep So Strict A Watch Over Us That We Should Have No Chance Of 
 Escaping. 
   
   
 "I Do Not Despair, However, Of     Doing That," Said Harry, When We Were 
 Talking Over The     Subject.  "They Are Not Aware That I Understand What 
 They Say, And I Shall Thus Be Able To Learn What They Are About; So We 
 May Be Able To Get Off By Watching An Opportunity.  From What I 
 Understand, The     Southern End Of     The     Island Is Tabooed, Having Belonged 
 To A Chief Who Was Looked Upon As A Priest, Or Sacred Character Of     Some 
 Sort.  He, Before Setting Out On An Expedition With All His People, From 
 Which He Never Returned, Threatened To Visit With The     Most Fearful 
 Curses Any Who Should Take Possession Of     His Territory During His 
 Absence.  Oamo And His People Had Therefore Been Afraid To Occupy It, 
 And Thus We Were Allowed To Remain There So Long Unmolested.  I Thus 
 Hope That If We Can Once Get Across The     Stream Which Divides It From 
 This Region, We Shall Be Safe." 
   
   
 Harry's Remarks Greatly Raised My Spirits, And I Was Better Able To 
 Endure The     Annoyances To Which We Were Subjected Than I Should Have Been 
 Had There Been Less Hope Of     Escape. 
   
   
 Day After Day Passed By, And We Were Treated Much As I Had Before Been 
 By Paowang And His People.  We Were Not Compelled, However, To Go Out 
 And Fish, For The     Best Of     Reasons--Our Captors Had No Canoes: Indeed, 
 Harry Learned That Paowang Possessed But The     One Canoe, Which Had 
 Captured Us; And As Whagoo Was Dead, There Was No One In The     Tribe To 
 Command It, So That In All Probability It Was Either Laid Up On Shore Or 
 Kept In The     Harbour.  This Seemed At First To Be A Matter Of     Little 
 Consequence To Us; But On Further Consideration We Saw That, Should We 
 Find It Necessary To Escape In Our Boat, There Would Be Little Risk Of 
 Our Being Pursued. 
   
   
 As Time Went On, Our Captivity Became More And More Galling, Though It 
 Was A Satisfaction To Us To Be Allowed To Remain Together; And During 
 The Evenings, When Our Work Was Over, I Had A Constant Source Of 
 Amusement In Endeavouring To Impart Such Knowledge As I Possessed To 
 Harry.  I Fortunately Remembered Portions Of     The     Bible, And Numerous 
 Pieces Of     Poetry And Prose; And By Repeating Them To Him, He Also Was 
 Able To Get Them By Heart.  I Used To Tell Him All About England, And 
 How Various Articles In Common Use Were Manufactured.  I Taught Him A 
 Good Deal Of     History And Geography; And Even Arithmetic, By Making Use 
 Of Pebbles.  By This Exercise Of     My Memory I Benefited Greatly, As I Was 
 Thus Induced To Recall Subjects Which I Should Otherwise In Time Have 
 Forgotten. 
   
   
 Our Comparatively Pleasant Life Was, However, At Length To Come To An 
 End.  From Some Motive Which We Could Not Understand--Perhaps Because 
 They Thought We Should Attempt To Escape--The Savages At Length 
 Separated Us, And Compelled Us To Sleep In Different Huts; While We Were 
 Employed Apart During The     Day.  Harry, However, Contrived One Evening To 
 Find Me; And I Then Urged Him, If He Had An Opportunity Of     Escaping By 
 Himself, Not To Run The     Risk Of     Being Caught By Coming To Look For Me. 
 I Said That I Would Either Follow, Or That Perhaps Mudge Would Manage By 
 Some Means Or Other To Obtain My Liberty, Should He Not Already Have 
 Left The     Island.  There Was Some Risk Of     This Being The     Case, We Agreed; 
 And If So, Harry Said That He Would Come Back To Me Rather Than Have To 
 Live Alone In Taboo Land, As We Called It. 
   
   
 Several Days Passed After This, And Though I Looked About For Harry, I 
 Could Nowhere Meet With Him, So I Began To Hope That He Had Escaped. 
 Sometimes The     Dreadful Idea Occurred To Me That The     Savages Might Have 
 Killed Him; And I Was More Inclined To Think This, Owing To The     Way In 
 Which They Began To Treat Me.  I Was Made To Work Harder Than Ever; And 
 Even The     Women, Who Had Hitherto Looked Kindly On Me, Turned Away Their 
 Faces; And I Was Often Almost Starving, Being Glad Of     The     Scraps Left By 
 The Women After Their Lords And Masters Had Handed Them The     Remains Of 
 Their Meals.  Still, Being Of     A Buoyant Disposition, I Did Not Give Way 
 To Despair, And Trusted That I Might Some Day Effect My Escape.  I Had 
 Various Plans For Doing So.  If I Could Get Down To The     Coast, I Thought 
 That I Might Make My Way Along The     Beach, Hiding Among The     Rocks In The 
 Day Time, And Moving On In The     Water Just At The     Margin At Night, So 
 That No Traces Of     My Footsteps Might Be Left. 
   
   
 As I Returned Very Regularly To My Hut At Night, My Savage Masters 
 Became Less Vigilant Than Before.  At Last I Felt My Captivity So 
 Irksome That I Determined At All Risks To Put My Plan Into Execution.  I 
 Came Back As Usual To The     Village In The     Evening, And, Pretending To 
 Have Hurt My Foot, As Soon As I Had Eaten The     Scanty Meal Given To Me I 
 Lay Down, As If About To Go To Sleep.  I Waited Anxiously Till All 
 Noises Had Ceased In The     Village, And Then Quietly Stole Out Of     My Hut; 
 And, Having Well Noted The     Way, As Soon As I Had Got To Such A Distance 
 That My Footsteps Were Not Likely To Be Heard, I Ran As Fast As I Could 
 To The     West Shore, Which Was Much The     Nearest.  In About An Hour I 
 Reached It, And At Once Began To Make My Way, As I Had Proposed, Along 
 The Beach.  At All Events, Oamo Would Not Be Able To Ascertain Whether I 
 Had Gone To The     North Or To The     South.  Fortunately The     Water Was High, 
 So That I Had The     Soft Sand To Tread On, My Feet Being On The     Margin. 
 As Fast As I Could Move, Afraid Even For An Instant To Step On The     Dry 
 Sand Lest I Might Leave A Footprint Behind Me, I Went On.  Sometimes I 
 Had To Climb Over Rocks; But Fortunately There Were No Cliffs In This 
 Part Of     The     Island Rising Sheer Out Of     The     Water, Or My Progress Would 
 Have Been Effectually Stopped. 
   
   
 All Night Long I Went On; The     Light Of     The     Moon, Which Rose Soon After I 
 Reached The     Shore, Enabling Me To Make Way With Less Difficulty Than I 
 Had Anticipated.  In Spite Of     The     Temptation To Continue My Course, When 
 Morning Dawned I Sought Shelter Among Some Rocks, Amid Which I Judged 
 That I Should Be Effectually Concealed From Any Pursuers On The     Shore. 
   
   
 How Far I Had Gone I Could Not Well Calculate, But I Supposed That I Was 
 Still A Long Way From The     Harbour, Where I Hoped To Find Mudge.  As I 
 Was Well Beyond The     High-Water Mark, I Had No Fear Of     Being Overwhelmed 
 By The     Rising Tide; Therefore, Feeling Very Tired, I Composed Myself On 
 My Somewhat Hard Couch To Sleep.  I Awoke With The     Idea That A Pair Of 
 Huge Wings Were Fanning Me; And On Looking Up I Saw A Large Sea-Fowl, As 
 Big As An Albatross, About To Pounce Down On My Head.  I Started To My 
 Feet, Defending My Face With My Arm, And Shouting At The     Top Of     My Voice 
 To Frighten It Off.  My Cries Had The     Desired Effect; And As I Watched 
 Its Flight Seaward, I Saw A Small Speck On The     Water.  Eagerly I Gazed 
 At It; It Was A Boat, Not A Canoe, As I Had At First Feared.  It Came 
 Nearer And Nearer, Evidently Steering Along The     Coast.  I Feared That I 
 Should Not Be Seen Among The     Broken Rocks Where I Had Concealed Myself, 
 And I Could Scarcely Hope To Make My Voice Heard So Far.  My Only Chance 
 Was To Run Along The     Light-Coloured Sand, And To Wave My Hands, Trusting 
 That I Might Attract The     Attention Of     My Friends In The     Boat--For That 
 They Were My Friends I Felt Certain. 
   
   
 Without Further Consideration, I Rushed From My Hiding-Place, And Began 
 Frantically Waving My Hands, Shouting At The     Same Time At The     Top Of     My 
 Voice.  As I For A Moment Ceased, I Heard An Echo To My Cries; And 
 Looking Over My Shoulder, I Saw A Party Of     Dark-Skinned Savages 
 Descending The     Hill Towards The     Beach.  From The     Glimpse I Got Of     Them, 
 I Saw That They Differed In Appearance From Those Among Whom I Had So 
 Long Been Held Captive; I Saw, Also, That They Had Neither Bows Nor 
 Spears.  With Fierce Cries They Rushed Down The     Hill Towards Me; While 
 Louder And Louder I Shouted, And Waved My Hands More Vehemently Towards 
 The Boat.  The     Savages, With Pointed Daggers In Their Hands, Had Reached 
 The Foot Of     The     Hill; And I Was Almost Abandoning Myself To Despair, 
 When I Saw The     Boat's Head Turned Towards The     Shore, And A Figure In The 
 Bows Stand Up And Wave To Me, While A Friendly Cheer Reached My Ears. 
   
   
 In A Few Minutes More--Long Before The     Boat Could Get Up To Me--The 
 Savages Were On The     Beach.  Though I Knew That Sharks Abounded On The 
 Coast, I No Longer Hesitated, But, Rushing Into The     Water, Waded As Far 
 As I Could, And Then Struck Out Towards The     Boat.  I Did Not Take Time 
 To Throw Off My Jacket, But, Fully Clothed As I Was, Swam On; One 
 Glance, As I Looked Backward, Revealing The     Savages Not A Dozen Yards 
 Behind Me.  If They Chose To Swim After Me, I Should Have Scarcely A 
 Chance Of     Escaping; But That Thought Did Not Make Me Abandon The 
 Attempt.  I Struck Out Boldly, And My Friends In The     Boat Pulled Away 
 Lustily To Meet Me. 
   
   
 On Turning On My Back For One Moment To Rest, Though Not To Stop, For I 
 Still Struck Out With My Feet, I Saw The     Savages On The     Margin Of     The 
 Water, Fiercely Threatening Me With Their Daggers, But Not Daring To 
 Swim Off In Pursuit.  My Mind Was Greatly Relieved; But There Was The 
 Risk Of     Cramp, Or Giving Way From Fatigue, As Also The     Still Greater 
 Danger Of     Being Snapped Up By A Huge Shark.  My Friends, However, Knew 
 This As Well As I Did, And Continuing To Exert Themselves As At First, 
 At Length Came Up With Me.  The     Time, However, Seemed Very, Very Long, 
 And I Was Almost Fainting From My Exertions, When I Felt A Strong Hand 
 Seize Me By The     Collar Of     My Jacket, And Mudge--For It Was He Who Had 
 Got Hold Of     Me--Pulled Me Over The     Gunwale And Placed Me In The 
 Stern-Sheets. 
   
   
 I Soon Recovered, And The     First Face My Eyes Fell Upon Was That Of 
 Harry.  The     Pleasure Of     Seeing Him Soon Restored Me.  He Told Me That He 
 Had Effected His Escape Just As I Was Attempting To Do, Though He Had 
 Been Compelled To Remain Concealed For Several Days Among The     Rocks.  As 
 Soon As He Reached The     Harbour He Told Mudge, Who Had Given Up All 
 Expectation Of     Ever Seeing Me Again Alive, Of     My Captivity; And Arranged 
 With Him A Plan For Rescuing Me.  Harry's Intention Was To Land After 
 Nightfall, And Boldly Make His Way Up To The     Village; Where, Knowing My 
 Hut, He Hoped To Be Able To Find Me, And To Conduct Me Back To The     Boat 
 Before Daylight.  The     Boat, However, Had First To Be Brought Round To 
 The East Side; So Mudge, Himself, And Tom Went Across The     Island 
 Together, And Brought Her Round By The     South End. 
   
   
 The Day After His Arrival, While They Were Employed In Putting On Board 
 Provisions For The     Expedition, Popo, Who Had Been Out Shooting With His 
 Bow And Arrows, Came Rushing Back, Saying That He Had Seen A Party Of 
 Savage Natives, Who Were Evidently Advancing Towards The     Harbour.  They 
 Had But Just Time To Jump Into The     Boat, Leaving A Large Portion Of     The 
 Provisions They Had Prepared Behind Them, And To Shove Off, When The 
 Savages Came Rushing Down With Threatening Gestures, Shouting And 
 Shrieking.  From Harry's Account, They Were Similar In Appearance To The 
 Men From Whom I Had Escaped, And We Agreed That They Were Probably Part 
 Of The     Tribe Who Had Been Absent, And Had Just Returned To Taboo Land. 
   
   
 In The     Meantime, Mudge Had Put The     Boat Round, And We Were Pulling Away 
 From The     Shore.  One Of     The     Plans Formed By My Friends, They Told Me, 
 Had Been, As Soon As They Had Recovered Me, To Try And Cut Out Our 
 Jolly-Boat, As The     Small Boat Was But Ill Adapted For The     Long Voyage We 
 Might Have To Take.  They Were Afraid, However, Should We Linger On The 
 Coast, That The     Savages Who Had Just Landed Would Pursue Us In The 
 Canoes In Which They Had Arrived; And Hence Our Only Safe Course Was At 
 Once To Get To A Distance, In The     Hope That We Might Either Fall In With 
 A Whaler, Or Reach Some Island Inhabited By People Of     A More Hospitable 
 Disposition.  With Reluctance, Therefore, We Abandoned The     Design Of 
 Trying To Get Hold Of     The     Jolly-Boat.  There Would, Of     Course, Have Been 
 Danger In The     Attempt, And We Therefore Considered It Altogether Wiser 
 To Avoid It. 
   
   
 Unhappily, We Had No Sail, And Only A Couple Of     Rough Oars, Formed By 
 Tamaku; We Had A Few Salted Fish And Birds, A Basket Of     Eggs, And Some 
 Cocoa-Nuts.  Our Stock Of     Water Was Contained In A Dozen 
 Cocoa-Nut-Shells, Prepared As Bottles By Poor Tamaku.  This Stock Would 
 Not Last Us Many Days; And Should It Be Exhausted Before We Could Reach 
 Another Island, Or Fall In With A Ship, We Must Starve. 
   
   
 Such Were Our Prospects As We Rowed Away From The     Island, Without Chart 
 Or Compass, Or Any Other Means Of     Guiding Our Course, With The     Exception 
 Of The     Stars By Night And The     Sun By Day. 
 
 
 
 Chapter VI 
   
   
   
 We Pull South-West--Want Of     Water And Food--Catch Some Flying-Fish-- 
 Sufferings From Thirst--A Breeze--A Sail--Taken On Board The     "Violet"-- 
 Visit New Caledonia--Off The     Australian Coast--A Hurricane--Brig 
 Wrecked--The Pumps Manned--Hopes Of     Getting Her Off--Land In The     Boats-- 
 My Father Remains On Board. 
   
   
 We Pulled On All Night, Taking It By Turns; And When The     Sun Rose Next 
 Morning We Were Out Of     Sight Of     Land.  Mudge Had Come To The 
 Determination Of     Steering To The     South, Under The     Belief That The 
 Inhabitants Of     The     Islands In That Direction Were Less Barbarous Than 
 Those We Had Left.  We Thought, Also, That We Should Be More Likely To 
 Fall In With A Whaler Or Sandal-Wood Trader Belonging To New South 
 Wales, Which Mudge Understood Were In The     Habit Of     Visiting The     Islands 
 In Those Seas.  Missionaries Also, We Knew, Were Settled On Some Of     The 
 Islands To The     Southward; But, Unfortunately, None Of     Us Had Heard Much 
 About Them, Though We Felt Sure That, Should We Reach A Place Where One 
 Was Established, We Should Be Treated Kindly.  But The     London And 
 Wesleyan Missionary Societies Had Not In Those Days Made The     Progress 
 They Have Since Done,--The Blessings Of     Christianity And Civilisation 
 Having Been By Their Means Carried Among A Very Large Number Of     The 
 Brown And Black-Skinned Races Of     The     Pacific.  They Had For Some Years 
 Been Working Among The     Society Islands, And A Few Had Visited Tonga, 
 Samoa, And Fiji; While Some Of     The     Native Converts Had Gone Forth Among 
 The More Savage Tribes, Fearless Of     The     Perils They Had To Encounter. 
   
   
 Mudge Proposed That We Should At Once Be Placed On An Allowance Both Of 
 Food And Water, To Which We All Readily Agreed.  We Rowed On All Day; 
 But The     Boat Was Heavy, And Though The     Water Was Calm We Did Not Make 
 More Than Three Knots An Hour--And We Knew Not How Many Miles We Might 
 Have To Go Before We Should Reach Land.  During The     Day We Each Pulled 
 About An Hour At A Time; And At Night, That We Might Enjoy Longer Sleep, 
 Those At The     Oars Continued Two Hours Before They Were Relieved. 
 Providentially, The     Weather Continued Fine, And The     Sea Almost As Calm 
 As A Mill-Pond; Thus We Were Able To Make Between Sixty And Seventy 
 Miles A Day. 
   
   
 I Cannot Describe The     Events Of     Each Day, As They Are Much Confused In 
 My Mind.  We Did Our Utmost To Keep Up Our Spirits: Sometimes We Sang, 
 And Sometimes We Told Such Stories As We Could Remember, Either Of 
 Fiction Or Truth.  Had Poor Dick Tillard Been Alive And With Us, His 
 Fund Of     Yarns Would Have Been Invaluable.  We Frequently Spoke Of     Him, 
 And Mourned His Loss.  Mudge Had Seen A Good Deal Of     Service, But He Had 
 Not The     Happy Knack Of     Describing What Had Happened To Him In The 
 Graphic, Racy Way Poor Dick Had Of     Spinning A Yarn.  Mudge Had Been With 
 Lord Cochrane During The     War, And Had Taken Part In Some Of     His Most 
 Gallant Adventures.  He Was With Him On Board The     _Pallas_ When Her 
 Boats Had Gallantly Cut Out The     _Tapageuse_ Brig, And Afterwards In Her 
 Action With The     _Minerva_, A Ship Nearly Double Her Size; But His 
 Gallant Commander Having Been, By The     Malignity Of     His Foes, Compelled 
 To Leave The     Navy, He Himself Had Very Little Prospect Of     Ever Getting 
 His Promotion. 
   
   
 He Gave Us An Account Of     The     Capture Off Barcelona, By The     _Speedy_ 
 Sloop-Of-War, Of     The     _Gamo_ Frigate, More Than Twice Her Size.  The 
 _Speedy_ Was A Little Craft, Of     One Hundred And Fifty-Eight Tons Only, 
 And Carried Fourteen Pop-Guns--Four-Pounders--With A Crew Of     Fifty-Four 
 Men; While The     _Gamo_ Measured Six Hundred Tons, And Had Thirty-Two 
 Guns, With A Crew Of     Three Hundred And Nineteen Men.  After A Desperate 
 Action, Lord Cochrane Laid The     Little _Speedy_ On Board His Big 
 Antagonist.  He Had Ordered His Men To Blacken Their Faces; And One 
 Party, Led By His Gallant Lieutenant Parker, Boarded At The     Bow, And 
 Soon Gained A Footing On The     Enemy's Deck.  Their Begrimed Faces And The 
 Impetuosity Of     Their Onset Struck Dismay Into The     Hearts Of     The 
 Spaniards, And They Incontinently Gave Way.  Meantime Lord Cochrane 
 Headed The     Aftermost Division; And The     Enemy, Thus Unexpectedly Assailed 
 Fore And Aft, Were Driven A Confused Mass Into The     Waist.  Here A 
 Desperate Hand-To-Hand Struggle Ensued; Till One Of     The     _Speedy's_ Men, 
 Having By The     Captain's Direction Fought His Way To The     Ensign-Staff, 
 Hauled Down The     Spanish Colours, When The     Spaniards, Believing That 
 Their Officers Had Struck The     Flag, Cried Out For Quarter.  The 
 Difficulty Was To Secure The     Prisoners, They Having Been Driven Into The 
 Main-Hold Of     The     _Gamo_.  The     Ladders Were Removed, And Guns Were 
 Pointed Down On Them, A Man Being Stationed With A Lighted Match, Ready 
 At Any Moment To Fire Among Them Should They Attempt To Retake The     Ship. 
 Meantime Sail Was Made On The     Prize, And She Stood Away From The     Shore 
 Just As A Number Of     Gunboats Were Seen Coming Out Of     Barcelona, Which, 
 Had They Acted With Any Degree Of     Spirit, Might Have Captured The 
 _Speedy_, Or Compelled Her To Relinquish Her Prize. 
   
   
 "I Wish I Had Been With Him," Exclaimed Mudge; "But I Was Not, For The 
 Best Of     Reasons--I Was Still In The     Nursery, And Had Not Thought Of 
 Going To Sea." 
   
   
 We All Said The     Same, Though None Of     The     Rest Of     Us Happened To Have 
 Been Born At That Time, As It Was Just The     Beginning Of     The     Century. 
 Poor Mudge--And There Were Many Officers At That Time, Like Him, Old 
 Enough To Be Post-Captains, Who Were Still Master's Mates--Often Sighed 
 As He Talked Of     The     Events Of     Former Days, And I Have Seen Him More Than 
 Once Brushing Away A Tear As He Spoke Of     His Disappointed Hopes And 
 Blighted Prospects. 
   
   
 Day After Day We Pulled On, Each Day Looking More Eagerly Than Ever For 
 Land Or For A Ship.  Our Food Was Rapidly Diminishing; And We Had Barely 
 Sufficient Water To Give Us A Wine-Glassful Apiece For Two More Days. 
 Still, What Might Not Happen In That Time?  Mudge Urged Us To Keep Up 
 Our Spirits And Pull On.  Tommy Grumbled A Little Now And Then, And 
 Expressed A Wish That He Had Never Come To Sea; But Neither Harry Nor 
 Popo Uttered The     Slightest Complaint.  When It Was Their Turn To Row, 
 They Pulled Away With All Their Might; When They Knocked Off, They 
 Generally Lay Down In The     Bottom Of     The     Boat And Went To Sleep.  The     Day 
 Was The     Most Trying Period, When The     Sun Beat Down On Our Unprotected 
 Heads.  Even With An Ample Supply Of     Food And Water We Should Have Found 
 It Trying; As It Was, We Suffered Doubly.  But Then Came The     Cool 
 Refreshing Night And An Unbroken Sleep Of     Two Hours, When We All 
 Revived, And Felt Much Better In The     Morning. 
   
   
 With A Feeling Which I Cannot Well Describe, We At Length Emptied Our 
 Last Nut-Shell Of     The     Salt, Strong-Tasting Liquid It Contained. 
   
   
 "I Trust We Shall Make The     Land Before Many Hours Are Over, Lads," Said 
 Mudge, In As Cheerful A Tone As He Could Command; "Or Maybe We Shall 
 Fall In With Some Craft Or Other.  I Should Prefer The     Latter, Provided 
 She Happens To Be English, With A Good Supply Of     Water On Board." 
   
   
 "But Suppose We Don't," Said Tom, Gloomily. 
   
   
 "We Mustn't Think Of     That, Lad," Said Mudge; "We Can All Easily Hold Out 
 For Another Four-And-Twenty Hours; And We Have Still Some Cocoa-Nuts, 
 Which We Must Chew To Prevent Ourselves From Feeling Thirsty." 
   
   
 We Now Counted The     Hours As They Went By.  As Yet Our Strength Was Not 
 Materially Decreased.  Though Our Arms Ached, We Could Still 
 Mechanically Labour At The     Oars When We Got Into Our Seats; But I Very 
 Much Doubt That We Made As Much As Three Knots An Hour. 
   
   
 That Next Night Was The     Most Trying We Had Yet Passed In The     Boat.  We 
 Had Had No Breakfast In The     Morning, Not A Drop Of     Water To Cool Our 
 Parched Tongues, Or Even To Moisten Our Cracked Lips.  We Might Have 
 Made The     Water, By More Economy, Hold Out Another Day, But There Was No 
 Use Regretting That Now.  We Felt The     Heat Greater Than Ever.  Tom 
 Proposed Getting Overboard; But There Was The     Difficulty Of     Getting In 
 Again; So Mudge Advised That We Should Simply Dip Our Clothes In The 
 Water And Put Them On Again, That We Might Thus Imbibe Some Moisture 
 Through Our Skins.  He Charged Us On No Account, However Thirsty We 
 Might Feel, To Drink The     Salt Water, Pointing Out The     Fearful Result 
 Which Might Ensue. 
   
   
 Once More The     Sun Went Down, And We Tried To Row, But Could Now Scarcely 
 Move The     Oars.  At Length, Afraid Of     Losing Them, Mudge Told Harry And 
 Me, Who Were Then Rowing, Or Rather Trying To Row, To Haul Them In; And 
 We All Stretched Ourselves In The     Bottom Of     The     Boat And Went To Sleep. 
   
   
 Morning Came Again, And One By One We Sat Up And Looked About Us, And 
 Then Gazed Into Each Other's Faces Without Speaking. 
   
   
 "I Vote We Have Breakfast," Said Tom At Length, "For I'm Sharp Set And 
 Very Thirsty." 
   
   
 "There's Neither Food Nor Water Remaining, Boy," Answered Mudge In A 
 Hollow Tone.  "God May, If He Thinks Fit, Send Us Help Before The     Day Is 
 Over.  We Can Hold Out A Few Hours Longer, I Should Hope; But If Help 
 Does Not Come, We Must Make Up Our Minds Like Men To Die.  It Has Been 
 The Lot Of     Many; Why Should We Complain?" 
   
   
 These Remarks Were Not Calculated To Raise Our Spirits.  Perhaps Mudge 
 Knew That It Would Be Useless To Make Any Attempt To Do So.  He Spoke 
 But The     Truth, And We All Knew That.  It Was A Perfect Calm; No Vessel 
 Could Approach Us, And We Were Too Weak To Row.  Mudge And I Made The 
 Attempt, Telling Tom To Steer; But After A Few Strokes I Could Row No 
 More, And Nearly Let My Oar Slip Before I Could Get It Inboard. 
   
   
 "We Must Wait For A Breeze," Said Mudge, "Which Will Come Some Time Or 
 Other; It Is Our Only Hope." 
   
   
 For Some Time He Was Silent.  He Alone Continued Seated On A Thwart, The 
 Rest Of     Us Having Sunk Down With Our Heads Upon Them, While We Leaned 
 Against The     Side Of     The     Boat.  As The     Sun Rose, The     Heat Became More And 
 More Oppressive. 
   
   
 "Lads, It Won't Do To Give Way To Despair," Exclaimed Mudge Suddenly, 
 After He Had Been Silent For An Hour Or More.  "Can't Some Of     You Sit Up 
 And Talk?" 
   
   
 On Hearing Him Say This, I Endeavoured To Arouse Myself.  Just Then I 
 Heard A Gentle Splash In The     Water Not Far Off.  "What's That?"  I 
 Exclaimed. 
   
   
 "A Shoal Of     Flying-Fish," Cried Mudge.  "They Are Heading This Way.  Get 
 Out Your Oar, Rayner, And We Will Try And Intercept Them." 
   
   
 By A Desperate Effort I Did As He Told Me, While He Pulled The     Oar On 
 The Opposite Side. 
   
   
 "That Will Do Now," He Cried.  "Stand By, Lads, And Try To Catch Your 
 Breakfast As They Come This Way." 
   
   
 The Appeal Was Not In Vain; Even Tom Showed That He Had Still Some Life 
 In Him.  The     Next Instant Several Flying-Fish Fell Into The     Boat, While 
 With The     Stretchers We Knocked Down Others Which Came Alongside.  They 
 Were Pursued By A Couple Of     Albacores; One Of     These Would Have Supplied 
 Us With Ample Food For Several Days, But So Rapid Were Their Movements 
 That We Got But A Single Blow At One Of     Them.  It Dashed By The     Boat, 
 And Was In An Instant Lost To Sight. 
   
   
 The Shoal Having Passed By, We Had No Hope Of     Catching More, So We 
 Immediately Set To Work Eating Those We Had Captured--More In The 
 Fashion Of     Ravenous Beasts Than Human Beings.  They Had Died Directly 
 They Were Out Of     The     Water, Or We Should Scarcely Have Waited To Give 
 Them A Knock On The     Head As A Quietus Before We Dug Our Teeth Into Them. 
 When People Are Situated As We Were, They Do Things At Which Under 
 Other Circumstances They Would Be Horrified. 
   
   
 But Eight Fish Had Been Caught; We Had Consumed Five, And Thus Only 
 Three Remained To Be Divided Among Us For Our Next Meal.  However, Even 
 The Small Amount Of     Food We Had Taken Somewhat Restored Our Strength, 
 And I Felt That I Could Hold Out Another Day If Water Could Be Obtained; 
 But There Was No Prospect Of     Rain--The Only Source From Whence It Could 
 Be Derived. 
   
   
 "If A Bird Would Just Tumble Into The     Boat, It Would Give Us Meat And 
 Drink," Observed Mudge.  "We Must Hope For That, Since No Rain Is Likely 
 To Come." 
   
   
 In Vain, However, Did We Look Around For Sea-Fowl; By Their 
 Non-Appearance We Feared That We Must Still Be Far Distant From Land. 
 Though We Felt The     Gnawings Of     Hunger, We Suffered Still More From 
 Thirst.  When I At Length Dropped Off To Sleep, I Dreamed Of     Sparkling 
 Fountains; I Saw Bottles Of     Champagne, And Bitter Beer, And All Sorts Of 
 Cooling Beverages,--Which, However, In Some Unaccountable Way, I Could 
 Not Manage To Carry To My Lips. 
   
   
 But I Will Not Dwell Longer On The     Sufferings My Companions And I 
 Endured; The     Subject Is A Painful One. 
   
   
 Mudge Would Not Let Us Take The     Remainder Of     The     Fish That Night, 
 Observing That It Would Last Till The     Next Morning, When We Should Want 
 It For Breakfast.  We All Acquiesced In His Decision.  He Was Constantly 
 Awake During The     Night, But The     Rest Of     Us Dozed For The     Greater Part Of 
 It.  At Daylight, When I Awoke, I Saw That He Had Rigged One Of     The     Oars 
 As A Mast, To The     Upper End Of     Which He Had Fastened A Large 
 Handkerchief. 
   
   
 "Rouse Up, Boys!" He Said, "And Take Your Breakfast; We Shall Obtain 
 Relief To-Day, Or I Am Much Mistaken." 
   
   
 "Why?"  I Groaned Out--For I Could Scarcely Speak. 
   
   
 "Because There Is A Breeze Coming.  And Look Up There At Those Birds-- 
 Perhaps One Of     Them Will Come Down And Pay Us A Visit; And If So, We 
 Mustn't Stand On Ceremony, But Knock It Inhospitably On The     Head." 
   
   
 Mudge Got Out The     Fish, And Cut Each In Two. 
   
   
 "You Must Take A Whole One," I Said; "You Require More Food Than We Do, 
 And Our Lives Depend On Your Keeping Up Your Strength." 
   
   
 "No; I Shall Reserve It For Luncheon," He Answered; "Even That Little 
 Will Be Better Than Nothing, And It Will Be Something To Look Forward 
 To." 
   
   
 So Dry Were Our Mouths, However, We Could Scarcely Masticate The 
 Uncooked Fish. 
   
   
 We Again Sank Down Into Our Places.  I Felt That I Could Not Hold Out 
 Many Hours Longer; While The     Rest Appeared Still More Exhausted. 
   
   
 Not A Word Was Uttered By Any Of     Us Excepting Mudge, Who In Vain 
 Appealed To Us To Talk.  "Say Something, Boys! Say Something!" He Every 
 Now And Then Cried Out; "This Silence Is Bad For Us All.  I Won't Ask 
 You To Crack A Joke, Or Tell A Funny Story; But Talk, Boys--Talk!"  A 
 Groan Was The     Only Answer Any Of     Us Gave. 
   
   
 A Gentle Breeze Blew From The     Eastward; I Had Just Consciousness Enough 
 To Be Aware Of     That--To See Honest Mudge Sitting Near Me, And Constantly 
 Looking About Him. 
   
   
 What Length Of     Time Had Passed I Know Not, When I Heard Him Shout, "A 
 Sail, Boys! A Sail!--We Shall Be Saved!"  His Voice Aroused Me, And I 
 Saw Him Standing Up, Shading His Eyes With His Hand, While He Leaned 
 Against The     Oar Which Formed The     Mast.  "She's Standing This Way; Do 
 Try, My Lads, To Hold Out For An Hour Or So Longer, And We Shall Have As 
 Much Water To Drink And Food To Eat As We Want," He Exclaimed.  "Here, 
 You Shall Have Your Luncheon;" And Taking The     Half Fish, He Divided It 
 Into Four Equal Portions. 
   
   
 "No, No, I Don't Want Any; I Can Hold Out Well Enough," He Answered, 
 When I Made Signs To Him To Take Some.  The     Rest Of     The     Party Stretched 
 Out Their Hands Feebly For The     Portion He Gave Them, But Could With 
 Difficulty Carry The     Food To Their Lips, Or Swallow It When They Had Got 
 It Into Their Mouths.  So Exhausted Were We, Indeed, That Though We Knew 
 That A Vessel Was Approaching, We Were Unable To Sit Up And Watch Her. 
 I Too Saw Her, And As She Got Nearer Mudge Sang Out That She Was A Brig 
 Under English Colours; Yet I Could Not Believe That She Was A Reality. 
 I Several Times Heard Him Speaking About Her Approach.  Once He 
 Exclaimed, With A Deep Groan,--"She's Hauled Her Wind, And Is Standing 
 Away From Us!" Then Again,--"No, No; She Sees Us!--Thank God, We're 
 Saved! We're Saved!"  Still, His Words Had No Effect Upon Me Or The     Rest 
 Of The     Party.  Again I Heard Him Hail; And A Voice Came From The     Brig In 
 Return.  I Was Just Conscious That We Were Alongside, And Soon 
 Afterwards I Felt Myself Lifted Upon The     Deck; But My Senses Were 
 Confused; I Could Not Understand Anything That Was Going Forward, And 
 Soon Lost All Consciousness. 
   
   
 How Long I Thus Lay I Could Not Tell, When, On Opening My Eyes, I Saw A 
 Face Bending Over Me; It Was That Of     My Mother.  I Was Sure That I Was 
 Dreaming, And Again Closed My Eyes.  The     Next Time I Opened Them, They 
 Fell On The     Sweet Features Of     My Young Sister Edith.  She Stood By The 
 Side Of     The     Cot In Which I Lay.  I Gazed At Her For Some Seconds.  There 
 She Stood, Watching Me Eagerly; Yet I Could Not Persuade Myself That It 
 Was Really Her.  I Knew How Very Vividly I Had Often Seen Persons And 
 Objects In My Dreams. 
   
   
 I Was In A Neatly Furnished Cabin; Just Before Me Was A Picture Of     Our 
 House At Clifton, And Near It Were Hanging A Girl's Straw Hat And 
 Mantle.  Again I Turned My Eyes Towards The     Figure At My Side.  "Edith," 
 I Murmured, Not Expecting To Receive A Reply. 
   
   
 "Yes, Yes, Dear Godfrey, I Am Edith!  Oh, How Thankful I Am That You Are 
 Getting Better, And Know Me." 
   
   
 The Reply Was Very Distinct, But So Are Often Replies In Dreams.  Just 
 Then I Heard A Voice Which Came Down The     Skylight, Giving An Order To 
 The Crew In An Authoritative Tone: It Was That Of     My Father, I Was Sure. 
   
   
 "Why, Edith, How Has It All Happened?"  I Asked; "Is It A Reality, Or Am 
 I Still Dreaming?" 
   
   
 "It Is All Real, I Assure You," Answered Edith.  "I Must Call Mamma. 
 Oh, How Thankful She Will Be!  We Were Afraid Sometimes That You Would 
 Not Get Better, And Poor Pierce Has Been So Unhappy, And So Have I; But 
 Papa Said He Knew That You Would Recover, And We Ought To Have 
 Remembered That He Is Always Right.  And Now You Must Get Well As Fast 
 As You Can." 
   
   
 As She Said This, I Began To Be Convinced That I Was Awake, And That 
 Edith Really Stood By My Side.  I Did Not Detain Her; And In Another 
 Minute My Mother Was Bending Over Me, And Folding Me In Her Arms, Just 
 As She Had Done The     Night Before I Came To Sea.  In A Short Time Pierce 
 Made His Appearance, But Was Only Allowed To Remain A Few Seconds.  Then 
 My Father Came Down, And Said A Few Words Expressive Of     His Happiness; 
 And Then Edith, Who Had Gone Away, Returned With A Cup Of     Broth, With 
 Which My Mother Fed Me Just As She Had Done When I Was A Baby. 
   
   
 I Wanted At Once To Know How It Had All Happened, And What Had Brought 
 My Family Out Into The     Pacific. 
   
   
 "It Is A Long Story, And You Are Not Strong Enough To Listen To It Now," 
 Answered My Mother; "We Will Tell You In Good Time.  One Thing I May 
 Say: We Were Providentially Sent To Rescue You And Your Companions." 
   
   
 "Are They All Right?"  I Asked.  "Have Mudge, And Harry, And Tom, And 
 Popo Been Saved?" 
   
   
 "Mr Mudge Has Almost Recovered; And The     Rest Are, I Trust, Out Of 
 Danger, Though At First They Appeared Even Weaker Than You Were," 
 Answered My Mother.  "Mr Mudge Has Told Us Harry's Interesting History. 
 Your Father Knows Captain Hudson, Who Is An Old Shipmate, And He Will 
 Do His Best To Restore The     Long-Lost Boy To His Parents.  However, We 
 Must Not Talk More At Present.  Go To Sleep Again.  Our Medical Book 
 Says, That The     More A Person Exhausted As You Have Been Can Sleep, The 
 Sooner He Will Get Well." 
   
   
 My Mother Having Arranged A Shawl Over My Shoulders, And Bidding Edith 
 Sit Down Out Of     Sight, Glided Out Of     The     Cabin.  When I Tried To Talk, 
 Edith Only Answered, "Hush!" And In A Few Minutes I Was Again Asleep. 
   
   
 I Do Not Know How It Would Have Fared With Us Had We Fallen Into Less 
 Careful Hands; But My Companions And I, In Spite Of     The     Heat, In A Short 
 Time Recovered. 
   
   
 When I Was Strong Enough To Bear Conversation, My Mother Told Me How My 
 Father, Finding His Mercantile Business In England Was Not Likely To 
 Flourish, Had Resolved To Emigrate To Australia, Where, As An Officer In 
 The Navy, He Could Obtain A Grant Of     Land.  Following His Nautical 
 Instincts, He Had Purchased A Brig, On Board Of     Which He Had Shipped All 
 The Family; Purposing To Make A Trading Voyage Before Finally Settling 
 Down, And Hoping Thus To Realise A Considerable Sum, And Pay The 
 Expenses Of     The     Vessel.  He Had Hitherto Been Tolerably Successful, 
 Though They Had Run No Slight Risk Twice, If Not Oftener, Of     Being Cut 
 Off By The     Treacherous Natives--"Treacherous Because, I Fear, They Have 
 Been Treated Treacherously," Observed My Mother.  "We Have Been 
 Mercifully Preserved, And Are Now On Our Way To Sydney, Where We Shall 
 Sell The     Brig And Commence Our Settlers' Life.  Your Father, However, 
 Intends First Visiting New Caledonia; And Perhaps New Guinea, And Some 
 Other Islands." 
   
   
 "Oh, Then, I Will Leave The     Navy And Settle With You!"  I Exclaimed. 
 "And I Am Nearly Certain That Mudge Will Also Be Ready To Give Up The 
 Navy And Join Us; As Also, I Am Sure, Will Harry, And Tom, And Popo." 
   
   
 It Was, Indeed, Most Providential That The     Brig Picked Us Up, For It Was 
 More Than A Fortnight After This That We Made New Caledonia, Along The 
 Northern Shore Of     Which We Coasted; My Father Intending To Bring Up In 
 Some Convenient Harbour, Where We Could Communicate With The     Natives, 
 And Purchase Sandal-Wood, Or Other Productions Of     The     Country.  The 
 Shore Consisted Of     Ranges Of     Hills Of     Some Height, Mostly Covered With 
 Wood, With Low Plains And Valleys Intervening.  We Saw Several Double 
 Canoes Under Sail, Such As I Have Before Described. 
   
   
 At Last We Found A Harbour, The     Appearance Of     Which From The     Sea Tempted 
 My Father To Enter It.  The     Instant We Dropped Our Anchor, The     Vessel 
 Was Surrounded By Canoes, Which Brought Off Vegetables And All Sorts Of 
 Provisions; But Having Heard Of     The     Way In Which Many Vessels Had Been 
 Cut Off By The     Natives, My Father Wisely Resolved To Allow No One To 
 Come On Board.  The     Crew Were Kept Under Arms While He And His Mates 
 Trafficked With The     Natives; The     Articles He Had To Dispose Of     Being 
 Lowered Down Into The     Canoes, While The     Provisions Were Hoisted Up On 
 Deck.  Had Similar Precautions Been Taken By The     Commanders Of     Other 
 Vessels, Numerous Fearful Tragedies Might Have Been Prevented. 
   
   
 Some Of     The     Canoes I Speak Of     Had Outriggers; But Others, Used 
 Apparently Only For The     Smooth Water Of     The     Harbour, Consisted Merely Of 
 Four Trunks Of     Some Light Wood, Partially Hollowed Out By Fire, And 
 Lashed Tightly Together.  Two Men Sat In Them,--One In The     Bows And The 
 Other Astern,--Who Used Long Pointed Paddles Like The     Heads Of     Spears. 
 They Usually Carried One Passenger; In Some Instances This Passenger Was 
 A Woman, Enveloped From Head To Foot In A Cloak Of     Matting. 
   
   
 As The     Brig Had Her Six Guns Pointed Through Her Ports, And The     Crew 
 Were Seen Pacing The     Deck With Cutlasses By Their Sides And Muskets In 
 Their Hands, The     People Showed Every Disposition To Behave Peaceably, 
 And To Traffic On Fair Terms.  Finding That We Wanted Sandal-Wood, They 
 Brought Off An Ample Supply, For Which My Father Gave Them A Price Which 
 Thoroughly Satisfied Them.  Had All Traders Behaved As He Did, I Am 
 Convinced That The     Natives, Who Have Often Been Stigmatised As 
 Treacherous Savages, Would Have Gained A Very Different Character. 
   
   
 We Again Sailed, Steering Westward, As My Father Wished To Inspect Some 
 Of The     Northern Portions Of     The     Eastern Coast Of     Australia, At That Time 
 But Little Known.  His Intercourse With Savages Had Led Him To Believe 
 That, If Properly Treated, As He Had Always Treated Them, They Could Be 
 Easily Managed; And He Had Therefore No Fear Of     Settling At A Distance 
 From Other Colonists.  Indeed, He Wished To Be As Far As Possible From 
 Other Stations; So That, By Keeping The     Convict Servants Assigned To Him 
 Away From The     Contaminating Influence Of     Their Old Companions, He Might 
 Have A Better Opportunity Of     Improving Them, While He Might At The     Same 
 Time Win The     Confidence Of     The     Natives. 
   
   
 I Have As Yet Said Nothing About The     Brig, Or Those On Board.  She Was 
 Called The     _Violet_, Of     Nearly Two Hundred Tons Burthen.  The     First And 
 Second Mates Were Respectively Men Selected By My Father For Their Good 
 Character, But There Was Nothing Remarkable About Them.  The     Boatswain, 
 Ned Burton, Took The     Place In My Regard Which I Had Bestowed On Poor 
 Dick Tillard, Whom, Strangely Enough, He Knew. 
   
   
 "And A Right Honest Fellow He Was, Master Godfrey," Said Ned; "And If 
 Ever I Go To That Island From Which You Have Escaped, I'll Pay A Visit 
 To His Grave.  He And I Served His Majesty For Many A Year; And If The 
 Peace Hadn't Come, We Should Have Been Serving Him Still.  When The     War 
 Was Over, And I Was Paid Off, I Had Made Up My Mind To Remain On Shore; 
 And So I Should, Had Not Your Father, Who Made His First Trip To Sea 
 With Me, Asked Me To Come Out On Board The     _Violet_.  He Would Have Made 
 Me Second Mate; But Then, You See, I Don't Understand Navigation, And So 
 I Couldn't Take The     Situation.  Howsomdever, When He Said He Would Make 
 Me A Boatswain, I Couldn't Refuse Him; And I'm Thinking, When The     Ship 
 Is Sold, And If I Like The     Country, Of     Settling Down Along With Him, And 
 Sending For My Old Woman And Our Two Daughters." 
   
   
 I Told Ned I Thought He Would Act Very Wisely; And That In Consequence 
 Of What Mr Mudge Had Said To Me, And Believing That I Should Have Very 
 Little Chance Of     Promotion, I Had Made Up My Mind To Quit The     Service, 
 If Captain Bracewell Would Allow Me. 
   
   
 "Not Much Difficulty About That, Master Godfrey," Answered Ned, 
 Laughing.  "They Don't Set A High Value On Midshipmen, According To My 
 Experience; And As He Has Probably Long Before This Given You And The 
 Rest Up For Lost, He Won't Be Ferreting You Out In Australia." 
   
   
 "But I Should Not Like To Do Anything Dishonourable," I Said; "And If 
 The Captain Were To Insist On My Returning In The     Ship, I Am Bound To Do 
 So: Besides Which, I Left My Chest On Board, And There Is Pay Due To 
 Me." 
   
   
 "I Thought A Midshipman's Pay Was Always Nothing, And Find Yourself, 
 Master Godfrey," Said Ned.  "And As For Your Chest And Its Contents, 
 They've Been Sold By Auction On The     Capstan-Head Long Ago, So That It 
 Would Be A Hard Job To Get Them Back Again." 
   
   
 I Talked The     Matter Over With Pierce, Who Earnestly Advised Me Not To 
 Think Of     Quitting Our Father, And Said He Was Sure That He Would Give Me 
 The Same Advice, As He Had Often Said How Much He Wished I Could Have 
 Been With Him. 
   
   
 I Must Not Forget To Mention My Young Sister's Pet Goat Nanny, Which Had 
 Long Afforded Her And My Mother Milk For Breakfast And Tea.  Nanny Was 
 The Most Affectionate Of     Animals; And The     Moment Edith Appeared On Deck 
 In The     Morning Would Come Bounding Up To Her, And Seemed Delighted At 
 Being Fondled, Though She Would Butt At Any One Else Who Touched Her. 
 She, However, Made Friends With Harry, And When Edith Was Below Would 
 Come Up To Him And Wait To Be Caressed; But No Sooner Did She See Her 
 Mistress, Than She Would Hasten To Her--Looking At Harry, As Much As To 
 Say, "I Like You Very Well, But I Like Her Best." 
   
   
 We Were Progressing Favourably On Our Voyage, Which Would In A Short 
 Time Terminate.  I Have Said Little Or Nothing About The     Wonders Of     The 
 Ocean, For They Have Been So Often Described.  I Cannot, However, Avoid 
 Mentioning A Beautiful Phenomenon Which Occurred One Night As We Were 
 Approaching The     Australian Coast.  There Was A Light Breeze, Which Just 
 Rippled The     Water Into Wavelets, Amid Which The     Brig Glided Onward.  The 
 Sky Was Overcast Sufficiently To Hide The     Stars.  Dark As It Was 
 Overhead, The     Whole Ocean Was Flashing With Light,--At Some Places In 
 Streaks, At Others In Vast Masses, The     Spouts Of     Several Whales 
 Appearing Like Jets Of     Liquid Fire; While Numberless Huge Medusae 
 Floated About, Appearing As If Composed Of     Molten Silver. 
   
   
 "I Wonder The     Ship Doesn't Catch Fire!" Exclaimed Tommy, Who Had Just 
 Come On Deck.  "It Would Be A Bad Job If It Did, For How Should We Ever 
 Put It Out Again?  What Can Light Up The     Water In This Fashion?" 
   
   
 My Father Overheard Him.  "We Call It The     Phosphorescence Of     The     Sea, 
 Because It Resembles The     Glow Emitted By Phosphorus," He Answered. 
 "Those Who Have Studied The     Subject Say That It Is Caused By The 
 Presence Of     Myriads Of     Minute Marine Organisms, Some Soft And 
 Gelatinous, And Others--Such As The     Crustacea--Of A Hard Nature; But, In 
 Reality, Under Some Conditions Of     The     Atmosphere All Sorts Of     Marine 
 Creatures, Like Those Huge Medusae, Shine Both In The     Water And Out Of 
 It." 
   
   
 This Appearance Continued Many Hours.  I Got Up Edith, Who Had Already 
 Retired To Her Cabin, To Look At It.  She Was As Delighted As We Were, 
 And Wanted Us To Have A Bucketful Brought On Deck.  Greatly To Our 
 Surprise, The     Water In The     Bucket Shone Almost As Brilliantly As It Did 
 In The     Ocean. 
   
   
 The Next Day The     Wind Changed, And The     Weather Became Much Worse Than It 
 Had Been Since We Had Been Taken On Board.  The     Wind Was Continually 
 Shifting, Now Coming From One Quarter And Now From Another.  I Saw That 
 My Father Was Unusually Anxious.  He Felt That The     Safety Of     The     Vessel, 
 And The     Lives Of     All On Board, Depended On Him.  It Was A Long Time 
 Since He Had Been At Sea, And He Had Never Been Off This Coast Before. 
 I Believe That It Would Have Been Better For Us Had We At Once Stood Off 
 The Land.  It Was Too Late To Hope To Do So, When The     Wind, Coming Round 
 To The     Eastward, Began To Blow A Perfect Hurricane.  My Father Then 
 Hoped To Find Shelter Within The     Coral Reefs Which Ran Along The     Coast 
 At A Distance Of     From Five To A Dozen Miles, On Which Captain Cook's 
 Ship, The     _Endeavour_, Was Nearly Cast Away, In His First Voyage. 
   
   
 Soon After Daybreak, The     Hurricane Came Down With Redoubled Fury.  The 
 Brig Was Hove-To Under Close-Reefed Fore-Topsails.  She Behaved Well; 
 And We Hoped, Believing That We Were Still Some Thirty Miles Or More 
 From The     Coast, That She Would Not Near The     Reefs Till The     Gale Had 
 Abated.  An Anxious Look-Out, However, Was Kept All Day To Leeward.  My 
 Father Did Not Tell My Mother And Edith The     Danger We Were In, But 
 Merely Begged Them To Remain In The     Cabin. 
   
   
 It Was About Three O'clock In The     Afternoon, When The     First Mate, Who 
 Had Been Seated In The     Main-Top Looking Out, Came Down On Deck, And Gave 
 My Father The     Alarming Intelligence That He Saw A Line Of     Breakers To 
 Leeward, Extending North And South As Far As The     Eye Could Reach. 
   
   
 "Could You Discover No Opening In Them?" Asked My Father. 
   
   
 "I Am Not Certain At This Distance That There Is None, Though The     Line 
 Of Surf Appeared To Me Without A Break For Its Whole Length," Was The 
 Answer. 
   
   
 "It Will Take Us Some Time To Drift So Far, At All Events," Observed My 
 Father; "And Before Then The     Wind May Come Down." 
   
   
 The Mate Looked Anxiously To The     Eastward.  "I Don't See Any Sign Of 
 That," He Answered. 
   
   
 "We Must Trust In Providence, Then," Said My Father.  "However, I Will 
 Go Aloft; And If We Can Discover An Opening, We Will Endeavour To Carry 
 The Ship Through It." 
   
   
 I Followed My Father To The     Main-Top, And Stood Looking Out With Him For 
 Some Minutes.  At Length It Appeared To Me That About Half A Mile To The 
 Southward There Was A Space Where The     Ocean Was Much Less Agitated Than 
 In Other Parts.  I Pointed It Out To My Father. 
   
   
 "You Are Right," He Said, After A Pause.  "It May Afford Us The     Means Of 
 Escape; For Should The     Gale Continue During The     Night, No Human Power 
 Can Save Us--Long Before It Is Over, We Should Be On The     Reef." 
   
   
 Having Accordingly Taken The     Bearings Of     The     Opening, He Descended The 
 Rigging. 
   
   
 The Operation Of     Keeping Away, When A Ship Has Been Hove-To, Is At All 
 Times A Dangerous One, And Requires The     Most Careful Management, As The 
 Sea May Otherwise Strike Her, And Wash Everything From Her Decks.  The 
 Crew Were Ordered To Their Stations.  The     First Mate, With A Couple Of 
 Trusty Hands, Went To The     Wheel. 
   
   
 "Up With The     Helm!" Cried My Father, Waiting Till An Enormous Sea Had 
 Passed By Us.  "Brace Round The     Fore-Yard!" 
   
   
 It Was Done, And The     Brig's Head Fell Off To The     Westward.  The 
 Main-Topsail, Closely Reefed, Was Set, And We Had Then As Much Canvas As 
 She Could Stagger Under.  As It Was, Several Seas Swept Over Her Deck, 
 Carrying Away Portions Of     Her Bulwarks, And Doing Other Damage; But All 
 Hands Clung On To The     Stanchions Around The     Mast, And Happily No One Was 
 Washed Overboard.  As We Flew On, We Could See The     Breakers Flying High 
 Up On Our Starboard Bow; While Ahead Appeared The     Opening Which We Had 
 Before Made Out.  The     Wind, It Should Be Understood, Was On Our Port, Or 
 Larboard Quarter, As It Was Then Called.  The     Topsail-Yards Bent With 
 The Pressure Put Upon Them.  Should They Go, The     Brig, Deprived Of     Her 
 After-Sail, Would Be Unable To Weather The     Southern End Of     The     Reef. 
   
   
 On And On We Flew.  A Few Minutes Would Decide Our Fate.  Huge Seas Came 
 Rolling Up Astern, Threatening To Break Aboard Us; While, On Either 
 Hand, The     White Breakers Rose To The     Height Of     Our Tops,--Those On The 
 Starboard Side Being So Near Us That It Appeared Even Now That We Should 
 Be Overwhelmed.  We Flew Through It, However; And I Heard An Expression 
 Of Thankfulness Escape My Father As The     White Wall Of     Foam Appeared Over 
 Our Starboard Quarter.  For The     Present We Were In Comparative Safety; 
 But Night Was Coming On, And The     Shore Could Not Be Far Off.  Once More 
 We Hauled Up To The     Northward; Then Hove-To Under The     Lee Of     The     Reef, 
 Hoping That The     Drift During The     Night Would Not Carry Us On Shore. 
 Still, Our Position Was Not Free From Danger.  The     Water, Even Under The 
 Lee Of     The     Reef, Was Considerably Agitated, Although There Was But 
 Little Risk Of     The     Seas Actually Breaking On Board As Long As We 
 Remained Afloat.  The     Order Was Given To Range The     Cable, And Get Ready 
 For Anchoring, Should We Approach The     Shore. 
   
   
 No One Turned In, For We Could Not Tell At What Moment All Hands Might 
 Be Required.  Towards The     End Of     The     First Watch, The     Gale Began To 
 Moderate, And Our Hopes Of     Ultimately Escaping Rose Considerably.  My 
 Father Waited Till Midnight, And Then Ordered The     Watch Just Relieved To 
 Turn In, To Be Ready To Take Their Duty In The     Morning.  It Was My 
 Morning Watch; So I Followed His Directions, And Turned In To My Berth, 
 Hoping At Daylight To See The     Coast Of     Australia, Which I Had Pictured 
 In Glowing Colours. 
   
   
 I Was Awakened By An Ominous Grating Sound, And Then By A Blow Which 
 Made The     Vessel Quiver From Stem To Stern.  She Lifted For An Instant, 
 And Then Down She Came Again With A Crash Which Seemed To Be Wrenching 
 Her Timbers Asunder.  I Knew Too Well What Had Happened.  We Were On 
 Shore; And In An Instant I Realised All The     Horrors Of     Our Situation. 
 The Cries And Shouts Which Reached Me From The     Deck Left No Doubt About 
 The Matter. 
   
   
 Shipping On My Clothes, I Hurried Into The     Cabin, Where I Found My 
 Mother And Edith.  Entreating Them To Remain Where They Were Till My 
 Father Summoned Them, I Next Went On Deck To Ascertain The     Worst. 
   
   
 The Brig Had Been Carried Over A Sunken Reef, And Lay With Her Masts 
 Pointing Towards The     Shore, Which Could Be Distinguished Through The 
 Gloom Not More Than Half A Mile Away.  My Father Stood By The     Mainmast 
 Perfectly Composed, Issuing Orders As If Nothing Had Occurred.  Hands 
 Were Sent Aloft To Furl The     Foretopsail; And He Then Directed That The 
 Boats On The     Starboard Side Should Be Brought Over, So As To Be Launched 
 Into The     Smoother Water Under Our Lee--Where, On Sounding, We Found That 
 There Was Sufficient Depth To Float Them Without Risk Of     Their Striking 
 The Coral Below.  We Had Driven On To A Small Inner Reef--A Portion, 
 Probably, Of     What Was Once The     Fringing Reef Of     The     Continent. 
   
   
 It May Seem Strange That My Father Had Not Gone Into The     Cabin, But His 
 Professional Duty Overcame All Other Considerations.  His First Thought 
 Was To Take Measures For Preserving The     Lives Of     All On Board. 
   
   
 As Soon As He Heard My Voice Near Him, He Directed Me To Go Back To The 
 Cabin, To Assure My Mother And Edith That, Though The     Brig Might Be 
 Lost, He Felt Perfect Confidence That We Should All Be Conveyed Safely 
 On Shore, And Desired Them To Put Together Such Things As They Were Most 
 Likely To Require Under The     Circumstances That We Might Be Placed In. 
 Although My Mother Was Alarmed, Her Fears Did Not Overcome Her; And 
 Edith, Seeing Her Comparatively Calm, Did Not Give Way To Terror. 
   
   
 "This Is Indeed A Sad Misfortune," Said My Mother; "But God's Will Be 
 Done.  We Must Trust To Him To Protect Us.  Tell Your Father We Will Do 
 What He Desires, And Shall Be Ready To Leave The     Vessel As Soon As He 
 Summons Us." 
   
   
 I Went On Deck, And Found My Father And The     Mates, Aided By Mudge, 
 Labouring With The     Crew In Getting Two Of     The     Boats Into The     Water.  Our 
 Boat Had Unfortunately Been Stove In By The     Falling Of     The     Topmasts When 
 The Brig Struck. 
   
   
 "It Is As Well To Be On The     Safe Side, And To Have The     Boats Ready To 
 Shove Off In Case It Should Be Necessary," I Heard Mudge Observe To My 
 Father.  "But, If I Mistake Not, It Was Somewhere About Here That 
 Captain Cook, On His First Voyage Round The     World, Was Nearly Lost In 
 The _Endeavour_; Though I Think He Must Have Been Further Off-Shore. 
 His Ship Was In A Worse Condition Than Ours, I Suspect, For She Went On 
 Shore At High-Water; And It Was Not Till After Two Or Three Tides Had 
 Fallen And Risen, And A Large Quantity Of     Her Stores Had Been Hove 
 Overboard, That She Was Got Off.  Even Then She Would Have Foundered, 
 Had Not A Fothered Sail--The Use Of     Which Was Not So Generally Known 
 Then As At Present--Been Got Under Her Bottom, By Which She Was Kept 
 Afloat Till She Was Carried Into Endeavour River.  Never Perhaps Was A 
 Ship So Nearly Lost; And Yet, Bad As Was Her Condition, She Continued 
 Her Voyage Round The     World, And Arrived Safely In England." 
   
   
 "You Hear What Mr Mudge Says, My Men," Observed My Father To The     Crew; 
 "It Ought To Encourage Us: But Whether We Get The     Ship Off Or Not, I 
 Feel Very Confident That We Shall Reach The     Shore Without Difficulty." 
   
   
 "Never Fear For Us, Sir," Cried Ned Burton--"We'll Do Our Duty; And If 
 The Brig Don't Budge, It Will Not Be Our Fault." 
   
   
 In The     Meantime, While I Was Below, The     Sails Were Furled, And The 
 Carpenter, By My Father's Orders, Had Sounded The     Well.  He Now Reported 
 Six Feet Of     Water In The     Hold; Which Showed That The     Water Must Be 
 Rushing In With Fearful Rapidity.  The     Pumps Were Immediately Manned, 
 And All Hands Set To Work To Keep It Under As Much As Possible. 
   
   
 While The     Mates Were Labouring With The     Men At The     Pumps, My Father And 
 Mudge And I Tried The     Depth Of     Water Round The     Ship.  Although There Was 
 Sufficient On The     Lee Side To Float The     Boats--We Found Six Feet 
 Astern--There Were Not More Than Eight Feet On The     Weather Or Starboard 
 Side.  We Thus Knew That She Must Have Beaten Over The     Ledge Into A Sort 
 Of Basin, From Which It Would Be Very Difficult, If Not Impossible, To 
 Extricate Her.  As The     Sea, However, Did Not Beat Against Her With Much 
 Force, We Hoped, Should The     Wind Not Again Increase, That She Would Hold 
 Together Till We Could Get Such Stores Out Of     Her As Would Be Necessary 
 For Our Support.  We Were, We Knew, A Long Way From Any Of     The 
 Settlements, And, Though We Might Reach Them In The     Boats, A Voyage 
 Along That Rocky And Inhospitable Coast Would Be A Dangerous One.  My 
 Father Did Not Perhaps Express What He Thought To The     Crew, As He Wished 
 To Keep Up Their Spirits, And To Make Every Possible Effort To Get Off 
 The Brig Before He Abandoned The     Attempt As Hopeless.  Nothing Effectual 
 Could Be Done Till The     Return Of     High-Water, However, And Daylight Would 
 Enable Us To See Our Position More Clearly Than At Present. 
   
   
 As Soon As "Spell O!" Was Cried, My Father And Mudge And I Took Our Turn 
 At The     Pumps, And Worked Away As Energetically As Any One, Though We 
 Well Knew That All Our Efforts Might Be In Vain.  Again And Again The 
 Carpenter Sounded The     Well, And Each Time Reported That, Notwithstanding 
 Our Exertions, The     Water Was Gaining On Us.  Still We Laboured On, Till 
 At Length The     First Streaks Of     Morning Appeared In The     Sky.  It Was Very 
 Nearly High-Water When We First Drove On The     Reef; The     Tide Had Since 
 Been Falling, And For The     Present It Would Be Utterly Impossible To Move 
 The Ship.  Our Fear Was That Should We Leave Her She Would Fill, And The 
 Stores And Cargo Be Damaged. 
   
   
 My Father Now For The     First Time Went Below, And I Accompanied Him.  We 
 Found My Mother And Edith Still Employed In Packing Up The     Articles They 
 Considered Would Most Be Required On Shore. 
   
   
 "This Is A Sad Event, My Dear Wife," He Said; "But We Must Bear It 
 Patiently, And Endeavour To Do The     Best We Can In The     Circumstances In 
 Which We Are Placed.  I Am Anxious To Land You And Edith Without Delay; 
 And I Propose To Send You And The     Boys Under The     Charge Of     Mr Mudge Or 
 One Of     The     Mates, With A Tent And As Many Provisions As The     Boat Will 
 Carry, So That Should Bad Weather Come On You Will Be Out Of     Danger." 
   
   
 "I Will Do As You Wish," Answered My Mother; "But I Would Far Rather 
 Remain On Board Till You Yourself Think It Necessary To Leave The     Brig. 
 I Don't Like The     Thought Of     Landing On A Strange Shore Without You; And 
 I Should Be Very Anxious There While You Are Still On The     Wreck And 
 Exposed To Danger." 
   
   
 "I Don't Expect To Incur Any Danger By Remaining; And Should It Become 
 Necessary To Leave The     Brig In A Hurry, We Shall Be Able To Do So Far 
 More Easily When You Are Already Safe On Shore," Answered My Father. 
 "However, As You Wish It, You Can Wait A Little Longer.  In The 
 Meantime, The     Boat Can Be Got Ready; And You And Those Who Are To 
 Accompany You Can Have Breakfast." 
   
   
 The Composed Way In Which My Father Spoke Considerably Reassured My 
 Mother.  Having Given Orders To The     Steward To Get Breakfast Ready, With 
 As Much Calmness As If We Were Still Running On Under Easy Sail In An 
 Open Sea, My Father Went On Deck. 
   
   
 Mudge Assisting Us, We Immediately Set To Work To Get Up Such Stores As 
 Could Be Most Easily Reached, With Some Sails And Several Spars For 
 Rigging A Tent.  While We Were Thus Engaged, The     Mates Got A Hawser 
 Ranged Ready To Carry The     Stream-Anchor Out Ahead, To Be Ready To Try 
 And Haul The     Brig Off At The     Top Of     High-Water; The     Rest Of     The     People 
 Still Labouring At The     Pumps. 
   
   
 My Father Now Sent Pierce And Tommy Peck Into The     Cabin, Telling Them To 
 Eat A Good Breakfast, That They Might Be Able To Make Themselves Useful. 
 Harry, Mudge, And I Followed; But We Scarcely Sat Down A Minute, 
 Tumbling The     Food Into Our Mouths As Fast As We Could, And Drinking Our 
 Coffee While Standing With The     Cups In Our Hands.  Mudge Was Off Again 
 Almost Immediately, To Allow My Father To Come Down And Take His 
 Breakfast.  I Was Struck By The     Way In Which My Mother Presided At The 
 Table, Edith Helping Her As If Nothing Unusual Had Occurred. 
   
   
 Harry And I Soon Followed Mudge, Whom We Found Engaged In Stowing The 
 Boat.  We Were Assisting Him, When We Were Again Summoned To The     Pumps; 
 For They Could Not Be Allowed To Rest For A Moment, And The     Gang Who Had 
 Just Been Working At Them Were Quite Tired Out, And Required Their 
 Breakfast. 
   
   
 All This Time The     Sea, Though It Did Not Break Over The     Vessel, Was 
 Striking Her Side, And Every Now And Then Made Her Give A Lurch Which I 
 Thought Would Send The     Masts Out Of     Her.  The     Tide Having Turned, Was 
 Now Again Rapidly Rising; So The     Anchor Was Carried Out Ahead, And 
 Preparations Made To Heave Her Off!  As The     Tide Rose The     Seas Began To 
 Beat With Greater Force Against The     Side Of     The     Vessel, Frequently 
 Flying Over Her Deck. 
   
   
 "Mudge," Said My Father, "I Must No Longer Delay Sending Mrs Rayner And 
 The Young People On Shore; I Confide Her And Them To Your Charge, 
 Feeling Sure That You Will Act, According To The     Best Of     Your Judgment, 
 For Their Good.  I Trust That You Will Meet With No Natives; But If You 
 Do, And They Appear To Be Hostile, You Have Arms With Which To Keep Them 
 At A Distance." 
   
   
 "Depend On Me, Sir," Said Mudge; Who Now, With The     Men Chosen To Man The 
 Boat, Hauled Her Alongside. 
   
   
 My Father Went Below, And Returned Conducting My Mother And Sister. 
 They Were Then Carefully Lowered Into The     Boat, In Which Mudge And The 
 Crew Were Seated; Pierce Went Next; Harry, Tom, Popo, And I Followed. 
   
   
 "Oh, May We Have Nanny With Us?" Cried Edith, Not Even Then Forgetting 
 Her Favourite. 
   
   
 "Where's Nanny? Where's Nanny?" Was Cried Along The     Deck; It Was Feared 
 At First That She Had Been Washed Overboard. 
   
   
 "Here She Is, All Right," Cried The     Cook, Who Had Looked Into The 
 Caboose, Where It Was Found That The     Goat Had Wisely Taken Shelter On 
 Finding Herself Neglected By Her Friends.  Her Usually Sleek Hair Was 
 Somewhat Blackened, But That Did Not Matter.  She Was Hauled Out Of     Her 
 Hiding-Place And Carried To The     Side Of     The     Vessel.  On Seeing Edith In 
 The Boat She Would Of     Her Own Accord Have Leaped In After Her, But As In 
 Doing So She Might Have Pitched Upon Some Of     Our Heads, She Was Lowered 
 Carefully Down. 
   
   
 "Thank You, Thank You," Cried Edith, As She Patted The     Head Of     Her 
 Favourite, Who Was Exhibiting Her Satisfaction At Being With Her Young 
 Mistress. 
   
   
 As We Shoved Off, My Mother Looked Anxiously At The     Brig, Still 
 Evidently Not Liking To Leave My Father On Board.  He Had Told Mudge To 
 Ascertain If There Were Any Natives In The     Neighbourhood; And Should He 
 Be Certain That There Were None, To Send The     Boat Back, That She Might 
 Either Assist In Getting The     Brig Off, Or Take More Stores And 
 Provisions On Shore.  As We Pulled Away The     Position Of     The     Brig 
 Appeared Hopeless Indeed, And I Believe My Father Would Have Thought So 
 Had He Been With Us; But He Could Not Bring Himself To Abandon Her Till 
 He Had Tried Every Possible Means Of     Getting Her Off.  She Was Heeling 
 Over On Her Side; And As The     Pumps Were Kept Going, The     Water Flowed Out 
 At The     Scuppers In A Continuous Stream. 
   
   
 "Is There No Hope, Mr Mudge, Of     Getting The     Vessel Off?" Asked My 
 Mother. 
   
   
 "The Commander Thinks That There Is, Or He Would Not Have Remained," He 
 Answered Evasively, Not Giving His Own Opinion; But I Saw By His 
 Countenance That He Did Not Think There Was Any Hope. 
   
   
 Our Attention Was Now Turned Towards The     Shore.  As We Approached We 
 Discovered What Appeared To Be The     Mouth Of     A River Some Way To The 
 South Of     Where The     Brig Lay, And As Mudge Considered We Should Obtain A 
 Better Landing-Place Within It Than Was Offered By The     Beach, All Along 
 Which The     Surf Broke With Some Force, He Steered Towards It.  We Found 
 That It Was Directly Opposite The     Passage Through The     Reef By Which We 
 Had Entered.  The     Ground On The     South Side Rose To A Considerable 
 Height, With A Line Of     Cliffs Facing The     Sea-Shore; While On The     North 
 The Country Was Much Lower, And Covered Sparsely With Trees Of     A Curious 
 Growth, Such As I Had Never Before Seen, And With No Underwood Anywhere 
 Visible; But The     Mouth Of     The     River On The     Lower Side Was Lined With 
 Mangroves, Which Extended Into The     Water. 
   
   
 There Was Some Sea On The     Bar, But Not Sufficient To Make Mudge Hesitate 
 About Entering.  He Waited, However, For A Good Opportunity.  "Give Way, 
 My Lads," He Shouted.  Just Then A Roller Came Foaming Up Astern, Which 
 Made Me Dread That My Mother And Edith Would Get A Wetting, Even If The 
 Consequences Were Not More Serious; But We Kept Ahead Of     It, And In 
 Another Minute Were In Smooth Water. 
   
   
 We Soon Discovered A Rocky Point On The     North Side, Which Offered A Good 
 Landing-Place, With Green Turf And A Few Trees Growing On The     Upper 
 Side; And Here We First Set Foot On The     Shores Of     Australia. 
 
 
 
 Chapter VII 
   
   
   
 Survey Our Camping-Place--Climb To The     Top Of     The     Cliff--Return To The 
 Brig--Fruitless Attempts To Get Her Off--Stores Landed--Visited By A 
 Native And His Family--Paddy Makes Pullingo's Acquaintance--A Raft 
 Built--A Storm--Brig Goes To Pieces--Disaffection Of     The     Crew--I Save 
 Mudge From A Snake--Cruise In The     Boats To Recover Cargo--Case Of     Seeds 
 Found--House Built--The Mates And Part Of     The     Crew Sail For Sydney In 
 The Long-Boat--Duties On Shore--Expedition With Edith In The 
 Jolly-Boat--Edith Taken Ill--A Gale--Cross The     Bar--A Merciful Escape. 
   
   
 The Spot On Which We Had Landed Was Well Chosen.  There Was Ample Level 
 Space On Which To Erect Our Tents; Indeed, A Whole Village Might Have 
 Been Built On It Under Such Shade As The     Trees Afforded; Though That, 
 Owing To The     Way The     Leaves Grew With Their Edges Upwards And Downwards, 
 Was But Slight.  It Was Joined To The     Mainland By A Narrow Neck, Which 
 Could Be Easily Defended, Should There Be Any Natives In The 
 Neighbourhood Inclined To Attack Us; While A Bend Of     The     Shore On The 
 Upper Side Of     The     Neck Afforded A Secure Harbour For The     Boats.  The 
 Cliffs, Which Extended Along The     Coast, And Apparently Ran Some Way Up 
 The River, Rose But A Short Distance From The     Bank; And As The     Trees 
 Grew Widely Apart Along The     Shore, No Enemy, We Supposed, Could Approach 
 Without Being Discovered. 
   
   
 As Soon As We Had Landed, My Mother Begged Mudge To Ascertain, As Far As 
 He Could, Whether There Were Any Natives In The     Neighbourhood; And If He 
 Was Satisfied That There Were None, To Send The     Boat Back To The     Brig-- 
 Which Was Not Visible From Where We Were, Being Hidden By The     Mangroves 
 On The     Point At The     Northern Side Of     The     Entrance To The     River. 
   
   
 "The Best Way To Ascertain That Will Be To Climb To The     Top Of     The 
 Cliffs, As From Thence I Doubt Not But I Shall Get A Good View All Over 
 The Country," Answered Mudge. 
   
   
 I Begged To Accompany Him; And He Giving Directions To The     Men To Land 
 The Stores And Provisions, We Set Off. 
   
   
 When We Reached The     Foot Of     The     Cliffs We Found That It Would Be No Easy 
 Matter To Mount Them; Indeed, Just Above The     Landing-Place They Were 
 Almost Perpendicular.  By Going Westward--That Is To Say, Up The 
 Stream--We Found That They Were More Broken; And At Length We Discovered 
 A Part Where, By Means Of     The     Shrubs Which Projected From The     Crevices, 
 We Had Hopes Of     Being Able To Climb Up To The     Top.  I Don't Know What 
 Landsmen Might Have Done, But We, Not To Be Deterred By Difficulties Or 
 The Fear Of     Breaking Our Necks, Commenced The     Ascent. 
   
   
 Up We Went, Now Scrambling Over The     Rocks, Now Swinging Ourselves Up By 
 Means Of     The     Shrubs, Till We Got To A Break In The     Ground--Probably In 
 Long Ages Past A Water-Course, When The     Ocean Was Flowing Off The 
 Ground; Now Presenting A Surface Of     Undulating Downs.  The     Sides Sloping 
 Gradually, We Easily Made Our Way Among The     Bushes Growing On Them, Till 
 We Stood On The     Downs I Have Just Spoken Of, On The     Top Of     The     Cliff. 
 By Proceeding Back To The     Sea We Reached The     Highest Part, Just Above 
 The Landing-Place. 
   
   
 Before Leaving The     Vessel, Mudge Had Thoughtfully Slung His Telescope 
 Over His Shoulder, And Was Thus Able To Take A Wide Survey Of     The 
 Country In Every Direction.  We First Looked Towards The     Brig, Which Lay 
 About A Mile And A Half To The     North-East, In The     Position In Which We 
 Had Left Her; The     Boat Was Alongside, And As Far As We Could Make Out, 
 No Effort Was Being Made To Get The     Vessel Off. 
   
   
 "I Doubt If Any Power Will Move Her; Or, If She Were To Be Hauled Off 
 The Rocks, Whether She Will Keep Afloat Long Enough To Bring Her Into 
 The Harbour," Said Mudge, With A Sigh.  "It Can't Be Helped; And We 
 Should Be Thankful To Have Reached The     Shore With Our Lives, And To Have 
 A Prospect Of     Making Our Way In Time To The     Settlements." 
   
   
 "I Am Afraid That My Father Will Be Dreadfully Cut Up At The     Loss Of     The 
 Brig And So Much Of     His Property, Even Although We May Manage To Land 
 The Stores And Part Of     The     Cargo," I Observed. 
   
   
 "He Would Have Been More Cut Up Had Your Mother And Sister And You Boys 
 Lost Your Lives, Or Been Compelled To Make A Long Voyage In The     Boats,-- 
 Which Might Have Been Our Fate Had We Not Got So Close Inshore," 
 Answered Mudge.  "Again I Say, Let Us Be Thankful For The     Mercies Shown 
 Us, And Make The     Best Of     Our Position." 
   
   
 Mudge, While He Was Speaking, Was Sweeping His Glass Round From The 
 Coast-Line To The     Northward, Towards The     Interior Of     The     Country.  I 
 Meantime Was Looking Down On The     Party Below The     Cliff, Who Were All 
 Busily Employed In Carrying The     Things Up From The     Boat, And Placing 
 Them Close To The     Spot Mudge Had Already Selected For Pitching The 
 Tent--In The     Centre Of     The     Little Peninsula.  Though They Were, I 
 Concluded, Within Musket-Shot, They Were Too Far Off For An Arrow To 
 Reach Them; So That, Even Should The     Natives Possess Such Weapons, Our 
 Encampment Could Not Be Assailed From The     Top Of     The     Cliff.  This Was 
 Satisfactory, As It Made The     Position We Had Chosen A Very Secure One. 
   
   
 The Spot Was About A Quarter Of     A Mile From The     Mouth Of     The     River.  The 
 Opposite Shore Was, As I Have Said, Much Lower Than That On Which We 
 Stood.  Close To The     Sea It Was Flat And Level, With A Few Sand-Hills 
 Scattered Over It.  Farther On, The     Ground Was Undulating And Thinly 
 Covered With Trees.  On Our Side, The     High Ground Extended As Far As The 
 Eye Could Reach Along The     Bank Of     The     River, As It Did Also Along The 
 Shore Southward.  Altogether, It Appeared To Me A Very Fine Country, 
 Such As We Had Reason To Be Thankful We Had Landed On. 
   
   
 "I Can See No Huts Or Cottages, Or Signs Of     People, Though It Seems 
 Strange That So Fertile A Region Should Be Uninhabited.  All I Can 
 Suppose Is, That The     People Live Either Underground, Or In The     Same Sort 
 Of Wretched Hovels I Have Seen Some Of     The     South Sea Islanders Dwelling 
 In," Said Mudge; "And If So, I Might Have Been Unable To Distinguish 
 Them, Even Although At No Great Distance.  Do You, Godfrey, Take The 
 Glass, And Tell Me What You Can Make Out." 
   
   
 I Did As He Bade Me, Examining Every Hill-Side And Hollow From North To 
 South Of     Our Position, Without Discovering Anything Like A Hut.  To The 
 West And South-West I Observed A Range Of     Blue Mountains, But The 
 Country To The     Southward Was Either Level Or Undulating, And Covered 
 With Trees Growing Widely Apart; So That Should We Decide On Making Our 
 Way Overland To The     Settlements, We Should For Some Distance At All 
 Events Find No Obstruction To Our Progress. 
   
   
 Having Finished Our Survey, We Went Along The     Top Of     The     Cliff To The 
 Westward, And By Proceeding On A Little Farther We Got Down By A 
 Somewhat Easier Way Than That By Which We Had Climbed Up. 
   
   
 In Consequence Of     The     Report Mudge Gave My Mother, She Begged That He 
 Would Go Back To The     Brig. 
   
   
 "That I May Not Do," He Answered, "As I Promised The     Captain To Remain 
 Here To Protect You: And Though My Belief Is That There Are No Natives 
 Hereabouts, I Cannot Be Certain; And I Should Never Forgive Myself, If 
 They Were To Come And Do You An Injury While I Had Neglected Orders And 
 Gone Away." 
   
   
 "Then Let Me Go Off," I Said, "With Three Of     The     Men,--They Will Be 
 Sufficient To Pull The     Boat That Short Distance; And You, Paddy Doyle, 
 And The     Boys, Will Be Well Able To Keep Any Savages At Bay Till We Come 
 Back." 
   
   
 To This Mudge Agreed, As My Mother Seemed To Wish It; And Everything 
 Having Been Landed From The     Boat, The     Men And I Jumped Into Her, And, 
 Shoving Off, Pulled Away For The     Brig. 
   
   
 By The     Time We Arrived Alongside, The     Tide Was As High As It Was Likely 
 To Rise.  My Father Was Glad To See Me Back, And To Hear The 
 Satisfactory Report Which I Gave Him.  We Had No Time For Conversation, 
 However, As The     Men Had Just Manned The     Capstan To Make Another Effort 
 To Heave The     Vessel Off.  But In Vain They Laboured; Not An Inch Would 
 She Move. 
   
   
 "I Am Afraid, Sir, That Our Only Chance Of     Floating Her Will Be, Either 
 To Land The     Cargo, Or To Heave It Overboard," Observed The     First Mate. 
   
   
 "I Have Arrived At The     Same Conclusion," Said My Father; "But We Will 
 Not Lose The     Cargo If It Can Be Helped.  We Will Land What We Can In The 
 Boats; And If The     Weather Continues Moderate, We Will Form A Raft, And 
 Convey As Much As It Can Carry,--By Which We Shall Be Enabled, I Hope, 
 To Save The     Larger Portion." 
   
   
 "Let's Have Another Heave First, Sir," Cried The     Men, Who Thus Showed 
 Their Regard For Their Commander, And The     Interest They Felt In His 
 Welfare, As They All Knew That He Would Be The     Chief Sufferer By The 
 Loss Of     The     Brig.  Again They Hove, Pressing Against The     Capstan-Bars As 
 If Nothing Could Resist Them. 
   
   
 "It's All Of     No Use," Exclaimed The     Carpenter, Who Had Been Below; "It's 
 My Belief That The     Coral Rock Has Gone Through The     Planking, And That 
 Unless We Can Get The     Cargo Out Of     Her, And Every Pig Of     Ballast, No 
 Power Will Float Her Or Get Her Off." 
   
   
 My Father, On Hearing This, Also Went Below; And On His Return He 
 Directed The     Mate, With Some Of     The     Crew, To Load The     Boats, While He 
 And Others Set To Work To Build A Raft.  As Soon As The     Two Boats Were 
 Loaded, He Ordered Me To Pilot The     Way In The     Jolly-Boat; Saying That He 
 Intended To Remain On Board, With The     Hands Not Required In The     Boats, 
 To Complete The     Raft. 
   
   
 "But Won't You Leave The     Mates, Father, To Do That?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "No, Godfrey," He Answered, Somewhat Sternly; "I Intend To Be The     Last 
 Man To Quit The     Vessel.  As Soon As The     Boats Are Unloaded, They Are To 
 Return, Unless Mr Mudge Thinks It Necessary To Detain The     Jolly-Boat. 
 Tell Him What I Say; And Assure Your Mother That She Need Be Under No 
 Apprehensions On My Account." 
   
   
   
 Of Course, All I Had To Do Was To Obey My Father; But I Could Not Help 
 Feeling Anxious About Him, As I Had No Doubt My Mother Would Be, 
 Notwithstanding The     Message I Was To Give Her.  Jumping Into The 
 Jolly-Boat, Then, I Told The     Men To Give Way, As I Wished To Reach The 
 Shore As Soon As Possible.  The     Water Was Tolerably Smooth; And Though 
 Our Boats Were Heavily Laden, We Crossed The     Bar Without Difficulty, It 
 Being Now High-Water, And Soon Reached The     Landing-Place. 
   
   
 As We Approached It, We Saw Three Strange Figures Standing At The 
 Farther End Of     The     Neck Of     Land, Apparently Watching The     Proceedings Of 
 Our Friends.  They Were Perfectly Black, Having On The     Smallest Possible 
 Amount Of     Clothing, With Bushy Heads Of     Hair; And One Of     Them Had A 
 Thick Beard, Moustache, And Whiskers.  Two Of     Them Had Long Spears In 
 Their Hands, But The     Other, Whom As We Got Nearer We Saw To Be A Woman, 
 Was Unarmed. 
   
   
 Mudge Hailed Us.  "Take No Notice Of     The     Natives," He Sang Out; "They've 
 Been There For The     Last Half-Hour, And Are Puzzled To Make Us Out.  The 
 Best Way To Manage Them Is To Let Them Alone; And By-And-By, Depend On 
 It, They'll Come And Try To Make Friends With Us." 
   
   
 I At Once Gave Mudge My Father's Message.  He Replied That There Was Not 
 The Slightest Necessity For Our Remaining, And Desired Me, As Soon As 
 The Boats Were Unloaded, To Pull Back Again To The     Brig.  "Paddy Doyle 
 And I Can Easily Manage Our Black Friends; And It Is Far More Important 
 That The     Boats Should Be Employed In Bringing The     Stores On Shore," He 
 Observed.  "The Only Advice I Have To Give Is, That You Should Cross The 
 Bar With The     Raft While The     Tide Is Flowing, And Pretty Near High-Water. 
 It Will Be Better To Wait For High Tide Than To Attempt It As Yet; And 
 I Hope Your Father Will Secure The     Raft Alongside, And Come On Shore In 
 The Last Trip The     Boats Make This Evening." 
   
   
 My Mother Sent A Similar Message, Entreating My Father Not To Remain. 
   
   
 The Crew Quickly Unloaded The     Boats, And Piled Up Their Cargoes, With 
 The Other Things Before Landed, In The     Centre Of     The     Camp. 
   
   
 I Observed That Paddy Doyle, Instead Of     Working With Us, Was Employed In 
 Watching The     Natives; Though He Pretended All The     Time Not To Be Taking 
 Any Notice Of     Them, But To Be Amusing Himself By Playing A Number Of 
 Strange Antics Calculated To Excite Their Curiosity.  This, After A 
 Time, He Succeeded In Doing.  The     Man, Having Directed His Companions To 
 Retire To A Distance,--For The     Purpose, As We Supposed, Of     Placing Them 
 Out Of     Danger,--Advanced Several Paces Nearer, And Stood Regarding Us 
 With Fixed Attention.  Though He Was No Beauty According To Our Notions, 
 He Was, As He Stood Motionless As A Statue, With His Bundle Of     Five 
 Lances, Their Sharp Points Polished And Serrated, In His Left Hand, 
 Really A Fine-Looking Savage.  Stuck In His Bushy Hair, And Fixed In His 
 Ear, He Wore A Heron's Feather; And Round His Waist Was A Broad Belt 
 Which Served To Keep Up His Very Tight Kilt, Composed Of     Opossum Skins. 
 In This Belt Was Stuck A Knife Or Dagger Of     Bone Or Stone; While At His 
 Back Was Slung A Small Stone Axe.  His Right Hand Was, However, Kept In 
 Readiness At Any Moment To Hurl One Of     His Lances At Us.  His Figure Was 
 Tall; And His Limbs, Though Covered With Dirt, Remarkably Clean, As Far 
 As Form Was Concerned--Showing That He Was Capable Of     Great Activity. 
   
   
 Paddy Now Pretended To Have Discovered Him For The     First Time, And 
 Advancing A Few Paces, Took Off His Hat And Made Him A Profound Bow. 
 Though In All Likelihood The     Savage Had Never Before Been So Saluted, He 
 Seemed To Understand That The     White Stranger Wished To Become Better 
 Acquainted With Him, And Pointing To Himself, He Uttered The     Word 
 "Pullingo." 
   
   
 "The Top Of     The     Morning To Ye, Mr Pullingo!  I'm After Hoping You're 
 Pretty Well.  And How's Mistress Pullingo, And Master Pullingo, And Any 
 Other Pledges Of     Mutual Affection You Happen To Possess?" Cried Paddy. 
   
   
 The Savage Uttered Some Words In A Not Unmusical Tone, But What They 
 Were Intended To Express It Was Impossible To Say, Nor Could We Be 
 Certain That He Had Mentioned His Own Name; But, As May Be Supposed, 
 Paddy At Once Dubbed Him Pullingo, Which Cognomen He Was Likely To 
 Retain Ever Afterwards. 
   
   
 "Exactly So," Said Paddy, As If He Had Understood Every Word That Had 
 Been Uttered.  "And My Name's Patrick Doyle, At Your Service; And It's 
 Myself And My Friends There Have Come To Spend A Few Weeks In Your 
 Country, Or Maybe Longer; And We Hope By-And-By To Have The     Pleasure Of 
 Your Better Acquaintance." 
   
   
 The Tone Of     Paddy's Voice, As Well As His Gestures, Seemed To Give 
 Confidence To The     Savage, And To Assure Him That We Had No Hostile 
 Intentions.  But After Doyle And He Had Thus Stood Looking At Each Other 
 For Some Minutes, He Began Slowly To Retreat, Always Keeping His Face 
 Towards Us, Till He Had Rejoined The     Woman And Boy, When He Sat Down And 
 Held A Conversation With Them.  They Then All Three Rose And Made Their 
 Way Up The     Bank Of     The     River, Till They Were Hidden From Sight Behind A 
 Rock. 
   
   
 I Was, However, But A Short Time On Shore, For As Soon As The     Boats Were 
 Unloaded We Pulled Away To The     Brig.  By The     Time We Got Back To Her The 
 Raft Was Nearly Completed.  As, However, The     Tide Was Running Out Of     The 
 River, My Father, Following Mudge's Advice, Determined Not To Send It On 
 Shore, But To Secure It Alongside For The     Night.  The     Boats Were 
 Therefore Again Loaded; And As Long As Daylight Lasted They Were Kept 
 Plying Backwards And Forwards. 
   
   
 With Great Unwillingness My Father Consented To Come On Shore With The 
 Rest Of     The     Crew In The     Last Trip.  "I Should Have No Fears About 
 Remaining," He Observed, "As I Feel Confident That The     Brig Will Hold 
 Together, Even Though We May Not Succeed In Getting Her Off." 
   
   
 We Had Landed Provisions Sufficient To Last Us, With Economy, For 
 Several Months; All Our Arms And Ammunition, Most Of     Our Own Clothing 
 And That Of     The     Ship's Company, As Well As Our Bedding And A Few 
 Articles Of     Furniture For My Mother's Use; Our Cooking Utensils And The 
 Cabin Dinner And Tea Service; The     Carpenter's Tool-Chest; Several Spades 
 And Pick-Axes, And Other Agricultural Implements; And Some Bales Of     New 
 Canvas, As Well As Several Of     The     Ship's Sails And A Number Of 
 Miscellaneous Articles.  Altogether, We Had Reason To Be Satisfied That 
 We Had Saved So Much.  Several Tents Had Been Put Up Before Dark To 
 Accommodate All The     Party.  The     Most Complete Was That For The     Use Of     My 
 Mother And Edith; The     Others Were Formed Simply By Stretching A Rope, 
 Over Which A Sail Was Thrown, Between Two Trees, The     Edges Of     The     Sail 
 Being Secured By Pegs To The     Ground On Either Side. 
   
   
 As Soon As My Father Landed He Summoned Several Of     The     Men, And Ordered 
 Them To Cut Down All The     Grass Which Grew On The     Isthmus, As Well As 
 That Surrounding Our Tents. 
   
   
 "I Take A Hint From Captain Cook," He Observed; "For I Remember The 
 Narrow Escape He And His Men Had From Destruction, When The     Savages, In 
 A Sudden Fit Of     Anger, Set Fire To The     Grass Surrounding His Encampment, 
 From Which His Powder And More Valuable Articles Had Only Just Before 
 Been Removed.  The     Savages Hereabouts May Be Disposed To Be Friendly 
 With Us; But It Will Not Do To Trust Them, As We Cannot Tell From What 
 Cause They May Take Offence." 
   
   
 We Had Hitherto Been Too Busy To Eat Anything, With The     Exception Of 
 Some Biscuit And Wine.  The     Fire Was Now Lighted, The     Tea-Kettle Put On, 
 And A Pot To Boil Some Of     The     Provisions We Had Brought With Us.  Nanny 
 Afforded Some Milk For Tea, And With The     Herbage She Would Now Obtain 
 She Would, It Was Hoped, Give Us An Abundant Supply. 
   
   
 My Father, Not Trusting To The     Natives, Placed A Sentry On The     Neck Of 
 Land, As Also Two Others To Watch The     Shore In Case They Should Pay Us A 
 Visit By Water During The     Night.  We All Then Retired To Our Tents; And 
 Having Been Up During The     Previous Night And Hard At Work All Day, We 
 Very Quickly Fell Asleep. 
   
   
 How Long A Time Had Passed I Knew Not, When I Was Awakened By A Rattling 
 Peal Of     Thunder, Which Sounded Directly Above My Head.  Starting Up And 
 Rushing Out Of     The     Tent, I Found My Father And The     Officers, As Well As 
 Most Of     The     Men, On Foot; The     Rain Was Coming Down In Torrents, And The 
 Wind Was Blowing Furiously, Dashing The     Water Against The     Bank, And 
 Making The     Tall Trees Bend Before It.  My Fear At First Was That They 
 Would Be Blown Down Upon Us; But When I Recollected The     Shape Of     Their 
 Leaves And Their Scanty Foliage, I Saw That There Was Not Much Danger Of 
 That.  How Thankful I Felt That My Father Had Not Remained On Board The 
 Brig, For She, I Could Not Help Fearing, Would Go To Pieces, And All Her 
 Cargo Be Lost. 
   
   
 My Father's First Object Was To Secure The     Boats, Which Lay In The     Bay I 
 Have Already Described, Above Our Encampment.  As Soon As This Was Done, 
 He In A Calm Voice Advised Those Who Had Not To Keep Watch To Turn In 
 Again.  "We Need Not Fear For Our Lives," He Observed; "And As For The 
 Brig, We Can Do Nothing Till Daylight.  Should The     Weather Then 
 Moderate, And She Still Hold Together, We May Get Off To Her; But If 
 Not, Heaven's Will Be Done.  We Should Be Thankful That Our Lives Have 
 Been Preserved, And That We Have Secured So Many Necessaries." 
   
   
 I Was Only Half Awake As It Was; So, Following My Father's Advice, I 
 Crept Back Into The     Tent, And In Spite Of     The     Storm Was Quickly Asleep. 
 Day Had Broken For Some Time When I Awoke; The     Rain Had Ceased, Though 
 The Sky Was Still Cloudy.  I Found The     Men Trying To Light A Fire With 
 The Damp Wood And Leaves They Had Collected, But It Was A Somewhat 
 Difficult Task.  My Father, Accompanied By Mudge, Had Gone Up To The     Top 
 Of The     Cliff To Look Out For The     Brig, But From The     Loud Roar Of     The 
 Breakers On The     Bar And Along The     Coast I Had But Little Hope That They 
 Would See Her.  The     Storm, However, Quickly Passed Away, The     Sun 
 Breaking Out From Amid The     Clouds Which Rolled Off To The     Southward.  I 
 Awoke My Younger Companions, Who Had Slept Through The     Whole Of     It, And 
 Were Very Much Astonished To Find The     Ground Wet And The     Sea Still 
 Roaring In A Voice Of     Thunder. 
   
   
 My Mother's Tent Having Been Securely Put Up, Had Withstood The     Wind, As 
 Had The     Others; Indeed, Constructed As They Were, They Could Not Be 
 Blown Down Or Disturbed Unless The     Pegs Had Been Drawn Out Of     The 
 Ground. 
   
   
 I Found My Mother And Edith Sitting Just Inside Their Tent, Waiting For 
 My Father's Return. 
   
   
 "The Utter Destruction Of     The     Brig Will Be A Sore Trial To Him," She 
 Observed; "And He Has No Hope That She Can Have Escaped; So We Must Do 
 Our Best To Keep Up His Spirits, And To Show Him That We Are Contented 
 With Our Lot.  I Feel Such Unbounded Gratitude To Heaven For His Having 
 Been Induced To Come On Shore Last Night, That The     Destruction Of     The 
 Vessel Appears To Me A Mere Trifle; And I Am Sure That You And Pierce 
 Will Do Your Best To Induce The     Rest To Obey His Directions." 
   
   
 "That We Will, Mother; And So, I Am Sure, Will Harry," Said Pierce, Who 
 Was With Me; "So Will Tommy Peck And Dicky Popo: And If They Don't, 
 We'll Make Them." 
   
   
 The Men Had Succeeded In Lighting A Fire; And Just As Breakfast Was 
 Ready My Father And Mudge Came In Sight.  They Shook Their Heads As They 
 Drew Near. 
   
   
 "Not A Vestige Of     The     Brig Remains," Said My Father, With A Sigh.  "I 
 Trust That, If We Can Get To Sydney, We Shall Recover Our Insurance; But 
 I Had Hoped Till The     Last To Save Her And The     Cargo.  We Have Happily 
 Secured A Good Store Of     Provisions And Ammunition; And I Propose Forming 
 A Settlement In This Neighbourhood, And, Having Become Acquainted With 
 Its Inhabitants, The     Nature Of     The     Country, And The     Wild Animals Which 
 May Afford Us Food, Ultimately To Send An Expedition Overland To Sydney. 
 When We Have Gained Experience, We Shall Have But Comparatively Little 
 Difficulty In Travelling To The     British Settlements In The     South." 
   
   
 My Mother Was Perfectly Ready To Agree To My Father's Proposal; Indeed, 
 She Saw The     Wisdom Of     Remaining Where We Were Until We Had Become 
 Acquainted With The     Country, And She Dreaded The     Long Overland Journey 
 Almost As Much As She Did A Voyage In The     Boats.  All The     Party, 
 However, I Found, Were Not Of     This Opinion, Though They Did Not At First 
 Express Themselves Openly On The     Subject.  The     Seamen, As Is Too Often 
 The Case When A Vessel Has Been Wrecked, Now That They Had Got On Shore 
 Did Not Consider Themselves Any Longer Under Naval Discipline; And 
 Though They Were Not Actually Disrespectful To My Father, They Took But 
 Little Pains To Carry Out His Orders.  He, Having Been Brought Up On 
 Board A Man-Of-War, Was Not Accustomed To The     Ways Of     Merchant-Seamen, 
 And Considered That They Were As Much Bound To Obey Him Now As Before. 
 The Mates, It Was Evident From Their Manner, Sided With The     Men, So That 
 Mudge Was The     Only Officer On Whom My Father Could Depend For Support. 
 They Two On All Occasions Consulted Together.  The     First Point They Had 
 To Decide Was The     Position Of     The     Proposed Settlement, Supposing That 
 The Men Would Willingly Assist In Forming It.  When My Father Spoke To 
 The Mates On The     Subject, However, They At Once Declared That They Had 
 No Intention Of     Remaining Where They Were. 
   
   
 "You See, Captain Rayner, You Have Your Wife And Family With You; But 
 With Us It Is Very Different," Observed The     First Mate.  "We Want To Get 
 Back To Our Families And To Civilised Life, And See No Reason Why We 
 Should Remain Here When We Have Got A Stout Boat In Which We Can Easily 
 Make The     Passage To Sydney.  If You'll Give Us The     Boat, We've Made Up 
 Our Minds To Go In Her As Soon As We've Stretched Our Legs On Shore A 
 Little." 
   
   
 My Father Replied That He Would Consider The     Matter; On Which The     Mate 
 Muttered Something Which Did Not Reach Our Ears. 
   
   
 I Was Shortly Afterwards Talking Over The     Matter With Mudge.  "It Can't 
 Be Helped, Though, I Fear," He Observed.  "If We Can't Persuade Them To 
 Stay, They Must Go; For We Certainly Have No Power To Compel Them To Do 
 What They Don't Wish, And We Must Therefore Depend Upon Ourselves.  I Am 
 Very Certain That Tommy Peck And Harry Will Remain Faithful; And So, I 
 Hope, Will The     Boatswain And Paddy Doyle, Who Seems Much Attached To 
 Us." 
   
   
 "I Can Answer For Ned Burton," I Said; "And, I Think, Two Or Three More 
 Of The     Men." 
   
   
 "Then, Whether Or Not Any Of     The     Rest Stay With Us, We Shall Manage To 
 Do Very Well," He Said In A Cheerful Tone.  "Now, After The     Experience 
 Of Last Night, I Am Anxious At Once To Build A Cottage For Your Mother 
 And Edith, In Which They Will Be More Comfortable Than In A Tent.  I 
 Told Your Father, Who Said He Should Be Much Obliged If I Would Do So; 
 And To Show The     Men That We Are Independent Of     Them, I Proposed That We 
 Should Set About It At Once.  The     Timber About Here Is Too Large For The 
 Purpose, But I Saw Some Near The     Mouth Of     The     River Which Will Serve 
 Well For Uprights And Rafters; And If We Can Get Doyle To Accompany Us, 
 We Will Set Off At Once With Our Axes And Begin To Cut It.  Tell The 
 Other Boys; And They Can Bring The     Logs Here Which We Cut Down, When 
 Your Father And Burton Will Set Them Up.  Perhaps We Shall Shame Some Of 
 The Other Men Into Offering Their Assistance." 
   
   
 Harry And Tom Were Well-Pleased To Have Something To Do, And Agreed That 
 The Two Of     Them Could Easily Carry A Log The     Distance These Had To Come, 
 Unless It Was Unusually Heavy.  The     Men Saw Us Setting Off, But 
 Continued Sitting Round The     Fire Smoking Their Pipes, Without Inquiring 
 Where We Were Going Or What We Were About To Do. 
   
   
 We Soon Reached The     Spot, Where, A Short Distance From The     Beach Below 
 The Cliffs, Grew A Number Of     Small Palm-Trees With Straight, Clean 
 Stems, Exactly Suited For Our Purpose.  We Soon Cut Down Two; With Which 
 The Boys Trotted Off, One At Each End, Telling Us To Be Ready With A 
 Couple More By The     Time They Came Back.  The     Heat Under The     Cliff Was 
 Very Great, And Had There Not Been A Sea-Breeze We Could Not, I Think, 
 Have Endured It.  Mudge Threw Off His Jacket, And Tucking Up His Shirt 
 Sleeves, Set Manfully To Work.  Doyle Did The     Same; And Each Had Cut 
 Down Two Trees Before I Had Felled One.  Doyle Then Went On Towards Some 
 Trees Which He Saw Farther Off, Leaving Me At Work A Little Distance 
 From Mudge. 
   
   
 I Was Chopping Away, When I Heard Mudge Give An Extraordinary Shriek; 
 And Looking Towards Him, What Was My Horror To See Him On The     Ground 
 Encircled In The     Folds Of     A Huge Serpent, Whose Head Was Raised High In 
 The Air As If About To Dart Its Fangs Into Him!  His Axe Had Fallen To 
 The Ground, So That He Was Unable To Defend Himself.  I Sprang Towards 
 Him With My Axe Uplifted; And I Must Have Attracted The     Serpent's 
 Attention, For Instead Of     Striking Its Prisoner It Turned Its Head 
 Towards Me.  Should I Miss, I Might Be Bitten As Well As My Friend. 
 There Was Not A Moment Even For Thought; With All My Might I Aimed A 
 Blow At The     Serpent's Head.  My Axe, Providentially, Had Been Lately 
 Sharpened, And With One Stroke I Cut Off The     Creature's Head, Which 
 Fell, In The     Act Of     Uttering A Hiss, Close To My Friend's Side.  The 
 Body Still Held Him Fast, And I Had To Exert Some Force To Unwind It; 
 After Which I Helped Him To Get On His Feet. 
   
   
 Many A Person Would Have Fainted Under Such Circumstances; Mudge Merely 
 Shook Himself To Ascertain That No Bones Were Broken; Then, Having 
 Picked Up His Axe, He Said,--"Most Heartily I Thank You, Godfrey; You 
 Have, I Verily Believe, By Your Courage And Presence Of     Mind, Saved My 
 Life, For In Another Instant That Creature's Fangs Would Have Been Into 
 Me.  I Only Hope There Are Not Many More In The     Neighbourhood, Or We 
 Shall Find It Unpleasant." 
   
   
 When Doyle And The     Boys Came Near, They Would Scarcely Credit What Had 
 Occurred, Till They Had Seen The     Body Of     The     Serpent With Its Head Cut 
 Off. 
   
   
 Before Again Setting To Work, We Hunted About In All Directions To 
 Ascertain That There Were No More Serpents Of     The     Same Description Near 
 At Hand.  We Could Find No Traces Of     Any Other; And I Had Afterwards 
 Reason To Believe That The     One I Had Killed Was Unusually Large: Indeed, 
 I Never Saw One Of     The     Same Size In The     Country,--Although There Are 
 Numerous Snakes, Many Of     Them Of     An Exceedingly Venomous Description, 
 While There Are Others Of     Large Size Perfectly Harmless. 
   
   
 Satisfied At Length That We Might Continue Our Work On The     Spot Without 
 Molestation, We Once More Began Cutting Down The     Trees, Which Our 
 Companions Carried To The     Encampment As Fast As We Could Fell Them.  We 
 Warned Them Not To Tell My Mother And Edith What Had Occurred, Lest They 
 Should Take Alarm, Under The     Belief That The     Country Was Infested With 
 Snakes.  As We Improved By Experience As Woodsmen, We Gained Upon The 
 Carriers, And By The     Evening Had Cut Down A Good Many More Trees Than 
 They Were Able To Convey To The     Encampment. 
   
   
 When We Arrived There We Found Some Of     The     Seamen Assisting My Father 
 And Burton, Who Were Engaged In Shaping And Putting Up The     Timbers; But 
 The Rest Were Taking It Easy, And Enjoying Themselves, As They Called 
 It.  Had My Father Allowed It, They Would Have Got Possession Of     The     Rum 
 And Wine, And Would Probably Have Been Quickly Drunk; But, Knowing The 
 Evil Consequences Which Would Have Ensued, He Was Very Firm On The 
 Subject, And Had Told Edith To Keep An Eye On The     Stores, And To Call 
 Him Should Any Of     The     Seamen Come Too Near The     Casks And Cases, Which 
 Were Piled Up Together. 
   
   
 The Wind Was Still Blowing Strongly From The     Sea, Creating A 
 Considerable Surf On The     Bar; And This Had Prevented The     Boats From 
 Going Out To Search For Any Part Of     The     Cargo Which Might Have Been 
 Thrown Up On The     Coast.  The     Seamen Also Saw That They Could Not 
 Commence Their Projected Voyage To Sydney. 
   
   
 Neither Pullingo Nor Any Other Natives Had Been Seen; And We Therefore 
 Concluded That The     Country Was But Thinly Populated.  Still, My Father 
 Considered It Wise To Place Sentries At Night To Guard Against Surprise. 
 Some Of     The     Men Grumbled At Being Ordered To Keep Watch, And My Father 
 And Mudge Had To Be Awake All Night To See That They Did Their Duty.  It 
 Was Strange That Men Who Had Behaved So Well During The     Voyage Should 
 Have Changed So Much; But So It Was.  Probably They Were Disappointed At 
 Not Getting To Sydney, Where They Had Expected To Enjoy Themselves After 
 Their Own Coarse Fashion.  The     Better-Educated Men, We Found, Were The 
 Best-Behaved. 
   
   
 By The     Next Morning The     Wind Had Gone Down, The     Ocean Sparkled Brightly 
 In The     Rays Of     The     Sun, And The     Bar Was Perfectly Smooth.  The     Mates Now 
 Asked My Father To Allow Them To Take Their Departure In The     Long-Boat, 
 With Such Of     The     Men As Wished To Go.  They Were Respectful In Their 
 Manner, But Determined, It Was Evident, To Carry Out Their Purpose.  My 
 Father Pointed Out To Them The     Danger They Would Incur, Ignorant As They 
 Were Of     The     Coast, Should Such A Gale As Had Just Ceased To Blow 
 Overtake Them; And He Advised Them To Raise The     Gunwale Of     The     Boat, So 
 As To Make Her More Sea-Worthy.  This, However, Would Take Time, They 
 Said, And They Were Anxious To Be Off At Once.  He Then Begged That They 
 Would Make An Excursion Along The     Coast To The     Northward, To Ascertain 
 What Had Become Of     The     Wreck, And Whether Any Of     The     Cargo Had Been 
 Thrown Up On The     Shore.  To This The     First Mate Consented, Provided My 
 Father Or Mudge Would Accompany Them. 
   
   
 "Let Me Go, Captain Rayner," Said Mudge, "While You Remain With Mrs 
 Rayner On Shore, And Superintend The     Building Of     The     House." 
   
   
 I Begged That I Might Accompany Mudge, Who Intended To Take The 
 Jolly-Boat; While The     First Mate, With Six Hands, Went In The     Long-Boat. 
 We Had Three Of     The     Men; The     Remainder, Who Were In Better Humour Since 
 My Father Had Promised To Allow Them To Take The     Long-Boat, Agreed To 
 Stay Behind And Help Him. 
   
   
 We First Pulled For The     Rock On Which The     Brig Had Been Cast, And Soon 
 Got Close Up To It.  Nothing Was Visible.  We Then Saw Through The     Clear 
 Water A Few Timbers Rising Up From The     Keel.  We Had No Need To Examine 
 The Spot More Nearly; These Told What Had Been The     Fate Of     The 
 Unfortunate _Violet_. 
   
   
 "I Am Very Glad That Your Father Did Not Come," Said Mudge; "It Would 
 Have Been A Sore Trial To Him.  And Now We'll Look Along The     Shore; 
 Though I Doubt Much Whether The     Cargo Will Have Been Carried Thus Far." 
   
   
 We Pulled In For The     Shore, And Then Along Outside The     Surf--Which Still 
 Broke On It For A Couple Of     Miles Or So To The     Northward--But For Some 
 Time Could Discover Only A Few Shattered Fragments Of     Wreck.  The 
 Long-Boat, However, Got Hold Of     Some Planks Which Were Still Washing 
 About; And The     Mate Seemed To Think That They Would Be Useful In Raising 
 The Boat, As My Father Had Advised. 
   
   
 We Were About To Turn Back, When I Caught Sight Of     A Box Floating 
 Lightly On The     Water.  At First I Thought It Must Be Empty; But Mudge 
 Observing That It Would At All Events Be Worth Having, We Pulled Towards 
 It.  It Was A Case Of     Some Size; And When We Got It On Board I Observed 
 The Word "Seeds" Painted On It. 
   
   
 "They May Be Of     The     Greatest Value, If They Are Not Spoiled By The     Salt 
 Water," Observed Mudge.  "Your Father Evidently Brought Them Out To Sow 
 In His Garden." 
   
   
 This Encouraged Us To Pull On Still Farther; And We Picked Up Three 
 Other Small Cases Of     Different Descriptions, And A Cask Of     Beer.  The 
 Mate Also Got Hold Of     Two Casks And Some Cases.  After Pulling A Mile On 
 To The     Northward, However, And Finding Nothing, We Agreed That It Would 
 Be Useless To Go Farther.  Accordingly, The     Boats Being Put About, We 
 Returned To The     River. 
   
   
 Mudge Made His Report To My Father. 
   
   
 "I Knew It Too Well," He Remarked, With A Sigh; "But I Had Some Hopes 
 That Part Of     The     Cargo Might Have Been Washed On Shore.  However, We 
 Must Be Thankful For The     Things Which We Have Recovered.  The     Seeds Are 
 Indeed Valuable; And As They Are Soldered Up In A Tin Case Inside The 
 Wooden One, There Is No Fear Of     Their Being Damaged." 
   
   
 One Of     The     Cases Contained Preserved Fruits, And Another Dried Tongues, 
 Which Were Not Much The     Worse For Being Wetted.  Another Was A Chest Of 
 Tea, Also In A Tin Case; And This Was A Welcome Addition To Our Stores. 
 The Beer Was Not To Be Despised, And Would Prove Useful Provided It Was 
 Taken In Moderation.  The     Cases The     Mate Had Picked Up Also Contained 
 Provisions.  He Had, However, Got A Small Cask Of     Rum.  My Father Said 
 That He Was Welcome To The     Provisions For His Voyage; But Warned Him Of 
 The Danger Of     Taking The     Rum, In Case The     Crew Should Insist On Having 
 More Than A Proper Allowance. 
   
   
 "I Have No Fear About That," Answered The     Mate.  "I Shall Be Able To 
 Keep Them In Order When Once We Get Away.  It Is Only At Present, While 
 They Are On Shore, That They Are A Little Insubordinate." 
   
   
 "I Hope That You May," Said My Father; "But I Should Warn You To Be 
 Careful." 
   
   
 The Crew, When They Found That My Father Not Only Did Not Wish To Detain 
 Them, But Was Ready To Assist Them In Every Way In Preparing The 
 Long-Boat For Sea, Behaved Very Well.  And As We Had A Supply Of     Tools 
 For The     Purpose, The     Carpenter And His Mate Were Not Long In Adding An 
 Upper Streak To The     Long-Boat, And In Decking Her Partly Over Forward: 
 They Also Fitted Her With A Couple Of     Masts, Two Lugs, And A Jib.  We 
 Discovered A Fine Spring Of     Water Issuing Out Of     The     Rock, Not Far Up 
 The River; But The     Difficulty Was To Find Casks To Carry A Sufficient 
 Supply For The     Voyage.  My Father Gave Up Two Breakers, And Advised The 
 Mate To Start The     Rum And Fill Up The     Cask With Water. 
   
   
 "No, Thank You," He Answered.  "We Can Put In To Any River We Come To, 
 And Are Sure To Be Able To Replenish Our Stock; While The     Men Will Be 
 More Contented If I Can Serve Them Out Their Allowance Of     Spirits." 
   
   
 My Father And Mudge Took Great Pains To See That The     Boat Was Well 
 Fitted Out, And Supplied With Everything Necessary For The     Voyage.  He 
 Also Gave The     Mates His Chart, A Compass, A Spy-Glass, And A Quadrant, 
 In Case They Might Be Driven Off The     Land, And Required To Ascertain 
 Their Position.  He Also Wrote A Letter To The     Merchant To Whom He Had 
 Consigned The     Brig, Requesting Him, Should The     Journey Overland Be 
 Deemed Impracticable, To Send A Vessel Within Three Months To Bring Him 
 And His Family To Sydney: Saying That He Would Wait Her Arrival For That 
 Time; Should She Not Then Appear, He Would Consider That It Was The 
 Opinion Of     Those Who Knew The     Country That He Might Without Danger 
 Undertake The     Journey By Land. 
   
   
 "You May Depend On Me, Sir, That I Will Deliver The     Letter," Said The 
 First Mate, When He Received It; While The     Second Mate Promised To Come 
 Back In The     Vessel. 
   
   
 The Two Mates And Ten Men Belonging To The     Brig Embarked In The 
 Long-Boat, Leaving The     Boatswain And Two Others, One Of     Whom Was The 
 Carpenter's Mate. 
   
   
 We Parted On Friendly Terms From Our Late Shipmates, Praying That They 
 Might Have A Prosperous Voyage.  As We Watched Them Standing Down The 
 River With A Light Breeze From The     Northward, Mudge, From What He Said, 
 Could Not Help Regretting, I Suspect, That He Had Not Been Able To 
 Accompany Them; For It Was Certainly His Duty, As It Was Mine And 
 Tommy's, To Try And Get On Board Our Ship Again.  But, On The     Other 
 Hand, He Could Not Bring Himself To Desert My Father; And, Of     Course, It 
 Was Still More My Duty To Remain With Him. 
   
   
 All This Time We Had Been Getting On With The     House, Which Was Now 
 Nearly Completed; And Dick Joint, The     Carpenter's Mate, Was Making A 
 Sash For The     Window Of     My Mother's Room, And Had Also Undertaken To Make 
 Various Articles Of     Furniture.  We Had Brought On Shore The     Cabin-Table, 
 With Three Folding-Chairs; As Also Two Cots, For My Mother And Edith. 
   
   
 I Have, By-The-By, Said Nothing About Them.  They Were Always Busily 
 Employed; But Edith Suffered Much From The     Heat, Which Was Very 
 Considerable Under The     Cliff, Satisfactory As The     Situation Was In Other 
 Respects.  My Father Sometimes Spoke Of     Moving On To The     Downs: But The 
 Objections To This Were, That We Should Be At A Distance From The     Water; 
 That We Should Have A Difficulty In Carrying Up Our Heavy Goods; And 
 That We Should Be More Exposed In The     Event Of     Our Being Attacked By 
 Hostile Natives; While At Times The     Heat Was Greater On The     Downs Than 
 Close To The     Water. 
   
   
 Edith Thought That She Should Feel Better If She Could Take A Row On The 
 River; So, Of     Course, Harry And I, And Pierce And Tommy, Offered To Take 
 Her Out Whenever She Wished To Go.  The     Boat Being A Light One, Even Two 
 Of Us Could Manage It With Perfect Ease; And We Thus Daily, And 
 Sometimes Twice A Day, Made A Trip To The     Mouth Of     The     River.  To 
 Shelter Her From The     Sun, We Formed An Awning Over The     Stern Of     The 
 Boat; And Carried A Cushion On Which She Could Recline. 
   
   
 Nanny The     Goat, Whenever She Saw Her Mistress Embarking, Leaped On 
 Board; And Seemed, Indeed, To Consider Herself Part Of     The     Crew.  Tom 
 Declared That He Thought She Would Soon Learn To Row With Her Horns; But 
 To This, When He Made The     Attempt To Teach Her, She Decidedly Objected, 
 And Preferred Lying Down Quietly By The     Side Of     Edith. 
   
   
 We Had Found A Supply Of     Fishing-Hooks, And Having Fitted Up Some Lines, 
 Were Sometimes Very Successful In Catching Fish.  We Were, However, 
 Generally Busy On Shore; And Our Only Idle Time Was When We Were Away On 
 Such Expeditions.  Not That It Was Altogether Spent In Idleness; For 
 While Engaged In Fishing, Harry Always Took His Books, That Edith Might 
 Instruct Him; And Under Her Tuition He Made More Rapid Progress Than He 
 Had Done On Board The     _Heroine_. 
   
   
 One Very Calm, Fine Day, Harry, Tommy, And I Started With Edith; Pierce, 
 Who Was Somewhat Unwell, Remaining In The     House.  Having Reached The 
 Bar, We Found The     Sea So Smooth That We Agreed To Pull Out Some Distance 
 Towards A Reef, Near Which We Had Before Caught Some Fine Fish.  Without 
 Considering The     Difficulty Of     Getting It Up Again, We Dropped Our Anchor 
 In Somewhat Deep Water; A Hempen Cable Being Secured To The     End Of     Two 
 Or Three Fathoms Of     Iron Chain, Which Was Shackled To The     Stem Of     The 
 Boat.  We Had Caught Several Fish; And Edith, Who Was Helping To Pull 
 Them Up, Seemed To Enjoy The     Fun As Much As We Did, When She Complained 
 Of Faintness, And Lay Down On Her Cushion In The     Stern Of     The     Boat. 
   
   
 "I Shall Soon Be Well Again," She Said; "So Go On, And Don't Mind Me." 
   
   
 We All Three Accordingly Let Down Our Lines, And Caught Several More 
 Fish.  Harry Had Just Pulled Up A Peculiarly Beautiful One, And Was 
 Turning Round To Show It To Edith, When We Heard Him Utter A Cry. 
   
   
 "Oh, Godfrey! See, See!--Is She Dead?" He Exclaimed.  "Oh, How Pale She 
 Is!" 
   
   
 I Sprang To The     After Part Of     The     Boat, And Taking Her Hand, Bent Over 
 Her.  Her Hand Was Warm, And She Still Breathed: Thus I Knew She Had 
 Only Fainted; But She Looked Dreadfully Ill. 
   
   
 "We Must Get Back As Soon As Possible," I Exclaimed.  "Harry, Do You Fan 
 Her, While Tom And I Get Up The     Anchor." 
   
   
 I Jumped Forward Again, And Tommy And I Began To Haul Away; But Though 
 Exerting All Our Strength, The     Anchor Did Not Yield.  Harry, Leaving 
 Edith For A Moment, Came And Helped Us; But We Tugged And Tugged In 
 Vain. 
   
   
 "We Must Cut It Somehow Or Other," I Exclaimed.  Then Recollecting That 
 We Had An Axe In The     Boat, I Seized It, And, While Harry Went Back To 
 Attend To Edith, Began Chopping Away At The     Portion Of     The     Chain Which 
 Went Over The     Gunwale. 
   
   
 "A Breeze Is Springing Up, And We Shall Not Be Long In Getting In," 
 Observed Tommy. 
   
   
 "It Will Be More Than A Breeze, I Suspect," I Answered, Looking Seaward, 
 Where A Dark Cloud Had Risen, Gradually Extending Along The     Horizon; "We 
 Are Going To Have A Thunderstorm.  Perhaps That Was The     Cause Of     Edith's 
 Fainting." 
   
   
 Already The     Water Was Foaming And Bubbling Round The     Bows Of     The     Boat. 
 In My Eagerness I Made A Deep Gash On The     Gunwale: This Taught Me To Be 
 More Cautious In Future.  Fortunately The     Axe Was A Good One, Or I 
 Should Have Broken It.  I Had Made Some Impression On One Of     The     Links 
 Of The     Chain; My Object Was To Strike Again In The     Same Place. 
   
   
 "Is It Nearly Through?" Asked Harry, Looking Round. 
   
   
 "No; Not Far Yet," I Answered. 
   
   
 "Then Let Me Try," He Said; "Perhaps I Can Do It." 
   
   
 I Willingly Yielded The     Axe To Him, For I Was Too Anxious To Have The 
 Chain Cut Through To Feel Jealous Should He Show Superior Skill.  He 
 Eyed The     Place Which I Had Been Cutting--I Having Made Several Jagged 
 Notches--And Then Brought Down The     Axe With Apparently Less Force Than I 
 Had Used.  It Was Exactly In The     Centre Of     The     Cut.  Each Time He Lifted 
 The Axe He Struck The     Same Place, And In Less Than A Minute The     Chain 
 Was Severed.  We Soon Prised Out The     Other Half Of     The     Link.  I Then 
 Sprang Aft To The     Helm; Tommy Got Out An Oar, And Pulled The     Boat's Head 
 Round; While Harry Hoisted The     Sail, Bringing The     Sheet Aft To Me; And 
 On We Flew Before The     Fast-Rising Wind.  Scarcely Were We Away When It 
 Came With Redoubled Force; And Had We Remained At Anchor Many Minutes 
 Longer, I Believe The     Boat Must Have Filled And Gone Down. 
   
   
 I Felt Very Thankful That We Had Cleared The     Chain; But We Had Still The 
 Bar To Cross.  Edith, Too, Remained In The     Same Fainting State.  I Was 
 In Hope That The     Fresh Breeze Would Revive Her; But As We Were Running 
 Before It, She Did Not Feel It Much.  I Looked Anxiously Towards The 
 Bar; Some Rollers Were Coming In, But They Were Not Very High, Nor Did 
 They Break Much As They Reached It.  We Might, Therefore, Venture To 
 Cross; Indeed, We Had No Choice, For I Knew How Anxious Our Father Would 
 Feel When He Saw The     Wind Rising. 
   
   
 As We Neared The     Bar Tommy Exclaimed,--"O Godfrey! Look At These 
 Rollers!  Shall We Be Able To Cross It, Do You Think?" 
   
   
 "We Must," I Said; "Get The     Oars Out, To Prevent Her From Broaching-To 
 In Case We Should Be Becalmed." 
   
   
 I Now Held The     Tiller Firmly In My Hand, And Kept My Eye Fixed On A 
 Point Of     The     Cliff Which Would Guide Me Directly Up The     Centre Of     The 
 Channel.  We Rose To The     Top Of     A Roller.  "Give Way! Give Way!"  I 
 Shouted.  Tom And Harry Pulled With All Their Might.  We Sank Into The 
 Watery Valley, And Began To Ascend The     Next Height.  Another Roller Came 
 Hissing On.  If It Caught Us, We Should Be Swamped; But The     Sail Kept 
 Full, And The     Two Pulled Right Lustily. 
   
   
 Just Then I Glanced Down On Edith's Face For An Instant: Her Eyes Were 
 Open; She Was Looking Round With Astonishment. 
   
   
 "Thank Heaven, You Are Better," I Said.  "Keep Quiet; We Shall Be All To 
 Rights Directly." 
   
   
 She Heard Me, And Did Not Move.  I Held My Breath, For We Were On The 
 Worst Part Of     The     Bar.  Another Roller Came On, And I Thought It Would 
 Overwhelm Us.  It Lifted The     Stern Of     The     Boat, And We Were Shot Amidst 
 A Mass Of     Foaming Waves, Till We Glided Down Into The     Smooth Water Of 
 The River. 
   
   
 We Now Quickly Ran Up The     River, And Rounding To, Shot Up To The 
 Landing-Place, Where My Father And Mother Stood Ready To Receive Us.  As 
 My Mother's Eye Fell On Edith's Pale Face She Uttered A Cry Of     Alarm. 
   
   
 "She Is Getting Better Now, Mother," I Said; "And Under Your Care She'll 
 Soon Be Well Again." 
   
   
 As I Spoke, Harry And I Were Preparing To Lift Edith Out Of     The     Boat. 
 My Father Came To Assist Us, And Carried Her In His Arms To The     Cottage. 
 I Was Thankful To Find That In A Short Time She Was Herself Again. 
 Possibly Her Sudden Illness May Have Been The     Means Of     Saving Our Lives. 
 Scarcely Had We Landed When The     Storm Burst With Great Fury, Though It 
 Lasted But A Short Time; After Which The     Sun Again Came Out, And All Was 
 Bright And Beautiful As Before. 
 
 
 
 Chapter VIII 
   
   
   
 Expedition To Obtain Vegetables--Crested Cockatoos--We Become Better 
 Acquainted With Pullingo And His Family--Tommy Takes Mr. And Mrs. 
 Pullingo's Portraits--A Sporting Expedition--See An Emu--Kill Two 
 Kangaroos--Meet Bushrangers--Go Out Fishing--Hurried Return--Bushrangers 
 Have Visited The     Village--Find The     Men Bound--Pursue Bushrangers--They 
 Escape--Edith And Pierce Missing--My Mother's Alarm--Search In The     Boat 
 Along The     Coast--Discover The     Body Of     A Bushranger Under The     Cliff-- 
 Return Without Finding The     Missing Ones. 
   
   
 A Week Had Passed Away Since The     Boat Left Us, And We Were All Feeling 
 Ourselves, As It Were, At Home.  As May Be Supposed, My Mother Begged 
 That We Would Not Take Edith Again Beyond The     Mouth Of     The     River; 
 Indeed, She Herself Had No Wish To Go.  Occasionally We Pulled Up The 
 Stream, For Although We Knew That There Were Natives In The 
 Neighbourhood, We Did Not Fear That They Would Molest Us, As We Had Not 
 Seen Any Of     Their Canoes; And By Keeping On The     Opposite Side Of     The 
 River To That On Which They Might Appear, We Knew That We Could Easily 
 Avoid Them. 
   
   
 When We Went To The     Place Where Mudge Had Been Attacked By The     Snake, We 
 Looked Around Very Carefully To Ascertain That None Of     Its Companions 
 Were Lurking In The     Neighbourhood; But We Never Saw Another Of     The     Same 
 Size--Or, Indeed, Of     Any Description Whatever.  Paddy Doyle, To Account 
 For This, Declared That The     Big Fellow Must Have Eaten Up All The     Others 
 Before He Got Killed Himself, And That Was The     Reason Why He Had Grown 
 To Such A Size. 
   
   
 We Thus Went Up And Down The     River, And Over The     Downs In Various 
 Directions, Without The     Slightest Fear.  Occasionally We Crossed To The 
 Opposite Bank In Search Of     Game, As Also To Look For Fruit, And Some 
 Vegetables Which Might Be Cooked For Dinner.  We Greatly Felt The     Want 
 Of Them; Indeed, My Father Was Afraid That Without Green Food We Might 
 Be Attacked By Scurvy.  We Had Dug A Garden And Put In Seeds, But These, 
 Of Course, Would Take Some Time To Come Up. 
   
   
 One Day Mudge, Harry, And I, Accompanied By Paddy Doyle, With Our Guns, 
 Went Across To The     Southern Side.  Harry Had Heard My Father Say How 
 Much He Wished To Have Fresh Greens Of     Some Sort; And As We Were Walking 
 Along We Saw Several Trees Of     The     Palm Species. 
   
   
 "Stay," Said Harry, "While I Climb To The     Top Of     One Of     These Trees; We 
 Shall There Find Just What The     Captain Wants." 
   
   
 Harry Was The     Best Climber Among Us, Having Been Compelled, When Living 
 With The     Indians, To Swarm Up The     Highest Trees To Cut Cocoa-Nuts For 
 Them.  We All Carried Long Sheath-Knives In Our Belts, Which Were Useful 
 For A Variety Of     Purposes.  Putting Down His Gun, Harry Was Quickly At 
 The Top Of     The     Tree, And, Using His Knife, Threw Down What Resembled A 
 Large Cabbage.  Ascending Tree After Tree, He Threw Down From Each A 
 Similar Bunch Of     Leaves, Till We Had As Many As We Could Carry.  Going 
 On, We Reached Some Sand-Hills, Where We Found A Kind Of     Bean Growing On 
 A Stalk Which Crept Along The     Ground.  Mudge Thought These Also Would Be 
 Good To Eat; And As They Were Fit For Picking, We Filled Our Satchels 
 With Them.  We Were Fortunate Also In Shooting Several Pigeons And A 
 Number Of     Parrots.  Indeed, We All Returned Fully Laden To The     Boat; And 
 I Know That I Was Very Glad To Get Rid Of     My Burden, Which Literally 
 Made My Shoulders Ache. 
   
   
 Just Before Shoving Off, I Saw, Coming Towards Us Through The     Air, A 
 Large Flight Of     Birds, Their Snowy Plumage Tinged With Pink Shining In 
 The Rays Of     The     Setting Sun.  Before Long They Pitched In A Group Of 
 Trees On The     Borders Of     The     River, Where They Commenced An Earnest 
 Conversation Rather Than A Concert, All Having Apparently Some 
 Interesting Matter To Communicate To One Another.  They Were Crested Or 
 Pink Cockatoos, The     Most Beautiful Birds We Had Yet Seen.  They Did Not 
 Appear To Be At All Alarmed At Our Presence, But Remained On The     Boughs 
 Where They Had Settled, Apparently Intending To Make These Their 
 Resting-Places For The     Night.  We Were Thus Able To Examine Them Without 
 Difficulty. 
   
   
 The General Colour Of     The     Bird Was White, With A Slight Pinkish Flush; 
 But The     Neck, Breast, And Hind Part Of     The     Tail Were Deeply Stained With 
 Crimson.  Its Most Remarkable Feature, However, Was Its Beautiful Crest, 
 Which It Raised Like A Fan Over Its Head, Or Depressed At The     Back Of 
 Its Neck.  The     Feathers Of     The     Crest Were Long, And Barred With Crimson, 
 Gold, Yellow, And White, Which Added Greatly To Its Beauty.  The     Bird 
 Was Between Thirteen And Sixteen Inches In Length.  We Might Have Shot 
 Any Number We Liked, But Having Already A Supply Of     Food, We Did Not 
 Like To Do So.  I Wished Very Much, However, To Catch One Alive, To 
 Carry To Edith; And Harry Said He Thought He Could Manage To Trap One, 
 Though, Unless We Could Get A Young Bird, It Would Be Difficult To Tame. 
   
   
 "You Are Magnificent Fellows," Observed Mudge; "But Notwithstanding 
 That, We Shall Be Under The     Necessity Of     Plucking Off Your Fine Feathers 
 And Cooking You Some Day, If We Are In Want Of     Game." 
   
   
 As The     Evening Was Drawing On, We Did Not Remain Longer To Admire The 
 Birds, But Pushing Off With Our Store Of     Provisions, Crossed The     River. 
   
   
 "You Have Indeed Brought Us A Seasonable Supply Of     Green Food," Said My 
 Father When We Landed.  "While Nature Affords Us Such Wholesome 
 Vegetables As Those You Have Found, And While Our Powder Lasts, We Need 
 Have No Fear Of     Starving; And If Such Can Be Obtained All The     Way To The 
 Southward, We May Set Forth On Our Journey With The     Hope Of     Being Able 
 To Find Ample Food, On The     Way, To Supply Our Wants." 
   
   
 We Had Been Constantly Expecting Another Visit From Our Native 
 Acquaintance Pullingo; But As He Did Not Make His Appearance, We Began 
 To Fancy That He Had Been Merely Travelling From One Part Of     The     Country 
 To Another, And Discovering Us On His Way, Had Been Tempted By Curiosity 
 To Approach Our Camp. 
   
   
 Some Days Had Gone By, When One Morning, As Paddy Doyle Was On The 
 Watch, He Sang Out, "Here Comes My Old Friend With His Wife And 
 Family.--The Top Of     The     Morning To Ye, Mr Pullingo! And The     Same To The 
 Misthress And The     Darling Little Ones; And, To Be Sure, One Of     Them Is A 
 Big Sthrapping Fellow, Of     Whom Ye May Be Proud, Mr Pullingo." 
   
   
 On Looking Out, We Saw The     Native Who Had Before Paid Us A Visit, 
 Accompanied By A Youth The     Very Picture Of     Himself, And Followed By A 
 Woman, Or "Gin," As The     Natives Call Their Wives, With Two Children, A 
 Boy And A Girl, Trotting By Her Side.  The     Lad Might Have Been His Son, 
 Certainly, But Not That Of     The     Woman, Who Was Apparently Much Too Young 
 To Be The     Mother Of     So Big A Fellow. 
   
   
 The Woman And Children Stopped At Some Distance Off, While The     Man And 
 Lad Approached Cautiously, Holding A Bundle Of     Lances In Their Left 
 Hand.  Paddy Made Signs To Them To Come On, And, To Give Them 
 Confidence, Put Down His Musket On The     Ground.  As He Did So They Laid 
 Down Their Lances And Came Much Nearer.  On This Paddy Advanced Towards 
 Them.  The     Savages Seemed To Understand Him, And Put Out Their Hands, 
 Which He Took And Shook Heartily, Apparently Much To Their Astonishment. 
 The Irishman And The     Elder Native Then Talked Away, Each In His Own 
 Language; Paddy Every Now And Then Bursting Into A Fit Of     Laughter At 
 The Strange Words Uttered By The     Savage. 
   
   
 Knowing That It Was Important To Gain The     Good-Will Of     The     Natives, I 
 Thought That It Would Be A Good Opportunity To Make Pullingo A Present. 
 So I Went Into The     Cottage And Asked My Father, Who Had Only Just Risen, 
 For Some Beads And A Looking-Glass, And Other Trinkets, Which He Had 
 Brought To Trade With The     South Sea Islanders.  I Got Things Enough For 
 Each Of     The     Party, Including The     Two Children, And Going Up To The 
 Savage, I Presented Them To Him, And Tried To Make Him Understand For 
 Whom They Were Each Intended.  Though He Took Them He Looked At Them 
 With Indifference, Considering, As It Seemed, That They Were Of     No Value 
 To Him; Nor, Indeed, Were They So In Reality. 
   
   
 "Perhaps He Would Rather Have Some Roast Parrot," Observed Doyle, Who 
 Had Just Before Placed Several Birds On Spits Before The     Fire To Cook 
 For Breakfast.  As We Had Many More Than We Absolutely Required, We 
 Could Easily Spare Them.  Doyle And I Therefore Got Each A Couple, And 
 Carried Them On The     Spits To The     Savage, Whose Eyes Brightened When He 
 Saw Them; And He And His Son Almost Snatched Them From Our Hands When We 
 Offered Them, And, Without Any Gesture Of     Thankfulness, Hurried Off To 
 Where The     Woman And Children Were Sitting. 
   
   
 "Arrah, Mr Pullingo, Do You Call That Good Manners?" Exclaimed Paddy. 
 "However, It's The     Way Of     The     Country, I Suppose; Though I Can't Say 
 It's A Good Way.  Just Give The     Little Ones Their Share, Though, And 
 I'll Not Be After Finding Fault With You." 
   
   
 As We Watched The     Natives, We Observed That They At Once Tore The     Birds 
 To Pieces, And Before They Themselves Had Eaten They Gave Each Of     The 
 Children A Joint. 
   
   
 "Come, I Have Hopes Of     You, Since You Look After The     Childher," Cried 
 Paddy, When He Saw This.  "We Shall Find That Mr Pullingo Is A Decent 
 Sort Of     Fellow When He Learns Some More Of     Our Ways." 
   
   
 It Appeared That Pullingo Was As Pleased With Us As Paddy Was With Him, 
 For We Saw Him Shortly Afterwards Employed, With His Wife And Son, In 
 Building A Hut, At A Spot Some Way Up The     River, Under The     Cliff.  It 
 Was Not A Very Dignified Structure: It Consisted Simply Of     A Number Of 
 Long Thin Sticks Stuck In A Circle In The     Ground, Their Tops Being Bent 
 Over And Secured Together By Grass Rope; The     Whole Was Then Covered With 
 Sheets Of     Rough Bark, Fastened On By The     Same Sort Of     Rope.  The     First 
 Hut Was Intended For Pullingo And His Wife; They Afterwards Put Up A 
 Smaller One For Their Big Son And The     Younger Children. 
   
   
 These Structures, Rude As They Were, Were Superior To Those We 
 Afterwards Met With Built By The     Natives, And Showed Us That Pullingo 
 Was More Advanced In Civilisation Than The     Generality Of     His Countrymen. 
 Whether Or Not The     Rest Of     His Tribe Were In The     Neighbourhood, We 
 Could Not Ascertain; At All Events, It Was Satisfactory To Have Gained 
 His Friendship, As He Would Give A Favourable Report Of     Us To Other 
 Natives, And Prevent Them, We Hoped, From Molesting Us. 
   
   
 I Forgot To Say That Tommy Peck, Though A Harum-Scarum Fellow, Possessed 
 Considerable Artistic Talent; Superior, At All Events, To Any Of     The 
 Rest Of     Us.  He Used To Amuse Edith By Making Drawings And Figures In 
 Her Sketch-Book--Which Had, With Her Small Library, Been Brought On 
 Shore--She Herself Being Only Able To Draw Landscapes. 
   
   
 "Shouldn't You Like, Miss Edith, To Have A Portrait Of     Prince Pullingo 
 And His Beautiful Bride?" He Asked.  "I Don't Think I Can Do It From 
 Memory, But Perhaps I Can Get Them To Sit For Their Likeness." 
   
   
 "By All Means," Answered Edith; "Though I Very Much Doubt That You Will 
 Succeed In Inducing Them To Sit Quiet While You Make Your Sketch." 
   
   
 "Trust Me For That," Said Tom.  "Lend Me Your Book And Pencil, And A 
 Piece Of     India-Rubber, And I'd Try;" And, Armed With His Apparatus, He 
 Walked Slowly Towards Pullingo's Encampment.  Harry And I Followed At A 
 Distance, So That We Might Not Interrupt Him.  On Arrival, He Made Them 
 A Bow And Announced His Object, Showing Them His Book, In Which Were The 
 Portraits Of     Several Of     Our Party,--Harry And I, And Popo,--By No Means 
 Flattering Likenesses. 
   
   
 I Don't Know Whether Pullingo Understood The     Meaning Of     The     Strokes He 
 Saw On The     Paper; But His Wife Did So, It Seemed, And, Turning To Him, 
 Expressed Her Wish To Have Her Likeness Taken.  Tommy At Once Made Them 
 Stand Up Before Him, And Began Sketching Away.  They Stood Watching Him 
 Intently, So That He Had Plenty Of     Time.  He Put On Rather More Clothing 
 Than They Possessed, As He Said, For Decency's Sake; It Was Also, He 
 Remarked, A Gentle Hint To Them, By Which He Hoped They Might Profit 
 When They Came Into Civilised Society. 
   
   
 He Finished The     Portraits Then And There, Put In All The     Requisite 
 Shades, And Showed Them To The     Lady And Gentleman.  The     Former Was 
 Delighted, Pointing Now At Her Portrait, Now At Herself, Then At Her 
 Husband, And Then At His Portrait.  He Did Not Appear Quite So Well 
 Satisfied; Fearing, Perhaps, That It Might Be Used For Some Magical 
 Purpose.  The     Lady Was Somewhat Disappointed When Tommy Shut Up His Book 
 And She Found That She Was Not To Possess It; He Therefore Tried To Make 
 Her Understand That He Would Make A Copy And Give It Her; A Promise He 
 Faithfully Fulfilled--Though Edith Kept The     Original, Which I Stuck In 
 My Journal. 
   
   
 The Tents Being Found Very Hot At Night, As Soon As The     First Cottage 
 Was Finished We Put Up Two Others For The     Accommodation Of     The     Rest Of 
 The Party, And One In Which To Stow Our Goods; For Though We Hoped To 
 Get Away In A Couple Of     Months, It Was Possible That We Might Be 
 Detained Very Much Longer, And That Our Stores Might Run A Risk Of     Being 
 Damaged By Remaining So Long Exposed To The     Weather.  While We Were At 
 Work, Pullingo And His Son Came And Watched Us With Intense Interest. 
   
   
 All Hands, However, Were Not Employed In Housebuilding, As It Was 
 Necessary That Some Of     The     Party Should Go In Search Of     Game, In Order 
 That We Might Not Exhaust The     Provisions We Had Brought On Shore. 
 Mudge, Harry, Paddy Doyle, And I Were The     Chief Sportsmen; And When 
 Pullingo Saw Us Setting Off He Followed At A Respectful Distance. 
 Whether He Also Intended To Hunt Or Not, We Could Not Tell; His Only 
 Weapons Were A Bundle Of     Lances, And A Piece Of     Hard Wood Shaped 
 Something Like A Scimitar--Called, We Found, A Boomerang--Which He 
 Carried In His Belt. 
   
   
 We Had Never Failed To Shoot As Many Birds As We Required, But We Were 
 Anxious To Kill Some Of     The     Curious Animals Which Captain Cook Called 
 Kangaroos.  They May Be Said To Be The     Principal Creatures Of     The 
 Country.  Their Heads Are Something Like Those Of     Deer, And Their Coats 
 Are Of     The     Same Colour.  They Are Of     All Sizes, Some Being As High As A 
 Man.  They Do Not Run, Like Other Animals, For Their Front Legs, Which 
 They Use As Arms, Are Too Short For The     Purpose; But They Have Very Long 
 Hind Legs, And Powerful Tails, Which Enable Them To Bound Over The 
 Ground At An Immense Rate.  It Is Wonderful What A Succession Of     Leaps 
 They Can Take. 
   
   
 We Saw Some Animals Like Opossums, And Flying Squirrels, Which We Took 
 To Be Bats; And We Occasionally Caught Sight Of     Wild Dogs Or Dingos,-- 
 Hideous, Savage-Looking Creatures, Though They Always Ran Away From Us 
 When We Moved Towards Them Or Shouted. 
   
   
 We Could Not Tell Whether Pullingo Understood Our Object; Had We Been 
 Able To Exchange Ideas With Him, He Might Have Greatly Assisted Us By 
 Showing Us Where Game Was To Be Found.  He Had Conceived, I Fancy, A 
 Great Respect For Our Firearms, And Followed Us For The     Sake Of     Seeing 
 Their Effect. 
   
   
 We Had Gone Farther Into The     Interior Than We Had Ever Before Been, In 
 The Hope Of     Finding Some Kangaroos, And Found Ourselves In An Open 
 Country Free Of     Trees, With Low Hills And Rocks Beyond.  We Were About 
 To Turn Back, Believing That, As There Was No Shelter, We Should Be 
 Unable To Approach Any Game Unperceived, When Doyle Exclaimed,--"Arrah, 
 See That Big Bird Which Has Just Started Up On Its Legs!  Quick, Quick! 
 Or He'll Be Off.  His Meat Would Make A Hundred Parrot-Pies, And Some To 
 Spare Besides." 
   
   
 On Turning Round As Paddy Spoke, I Saw, About A Hundred Yards Off, A 
 Bird Of     Enormous Size--So It Appeared To Me; A Bird Certainly, For It 
 Had Two Legs, Was Shaped Like A Bird, And Was Covered With Feathers.  It 
 Could Scarcely Have Been Less Than Seven Feet In Height; Was Of     A 
 Lightish Brown Colour, With A Long Neck, A Small Head, And Very Long 
 Powerful Legs; But Was Destitute Of     Wings, So Far As I Could See.  The 
 Creature Looked At Us With An Inquisitive Air, As If Wondering What Sort 
 Of Curious Animals We Were; And Then Advanced A Few Paces, As If To View 
 Us More Closely.  It Might Have Come Nearer, Had Not Paddy, Unable To 
 Resist The     Temptation Of     Trying To Kill It, Fired.  On Hearing The 
 Report, It Turned Round And Set Off, Running With The     Speed Of     A 
 Racehorse Across The     Country, While We Stood Gazing After It, And, As 
 Paddy Observed, Looking Very Foolish. 
   
   
 The Creature Was An Emu; Of     The     Same Family As The     African Ostrich, The 
 Rhea Of     America, And The     Cassowary Of     The     Indian Archipelago. 
   
   
 On Our Way Back, Soon Afterwards, And While Passing Through A Forest, 
 The Trees Of     Which Grew Rather Thicker Than Usual, We Saw In An Open 
 Glade Beyond It Three Of     The     Kangaroos So Coveted By Us.  We Crept 
 Forward, Keeping As Much As Possible Concealed By The     Trees, Lest We 
 Should Be Discovered Before We Could Get Within Shot Of     Them.  Mudge And 
 I Went First, Harry And Paddy Followed, All Having Our Guns Ready To 
 Fire.  At Length Mudge Took Aim At One Of     Them; I Imitated His Example. 
 We Waited To Let Harry And Paddy Come Up, However, And Then All Fired At 
 The Same Moment.  One Of     The     Creatures Fell Dead, Shot Through The     Head 
 By Mudge; Another Bounded Away At A Great Rate, Apparently Uninjured; 
 And A Third, After Making Two Or Three Springs, Sank To The     Ground, 
 Unable To Move.  We Rushed Forward To Seize It, Forgetting In Our 
 Eagerness To Reload Our Pieces.  While We Were Stopping To Examine The 
 Creature Mudge Had Killed, Paddy Ran Towards The     Wounded Animal, Which 
 At That Moment Sprang Up And Attempted To Bound Off Again. 
   
   
 "Arrah, Stop, Ye Baste," Cried Paddy, Attempting To Seize It; When At 
 That Instant It Struck Out With Its Hinder Claws, One Of     Which Tore A 
 Large Rent In The     Irishman's Trousers, Giving Him At The     Same Time A 
 Severe Scratch, Which, Had He Not Sprung Back, Might Have Been Serious. 
 In A Moment His Knife Was In His Hand, And Before The     Kangaroo Could 
 Repeat The     Blow He Had Plunged It Into Its Heart. 
   
   
 We Had Now An Over-Abundant Supply Of     Meat; The     Difficulty Was To Carry 
 It.  We Agreed That We Would Take The     Best Portions, And Give Pullingo 
 As Much As He Could Carry; While We Fastened The     Remainder Up To The 
 Bough Of     A Tree, Out Of     The     Reach Of     The     Wild Dogs. 
   
   
 We Were All Thus Busily Engaged, When I Fancied I Heard The     Sound Of 
 Horses' Feet; And What Was My Astonishment, On Looking Up, To See Two 
 Horsemen Approaching Us!  They Looked At Us With As Much Astonishment As 
 We Looked At Them.  Their Steeds Were In Tolerably Good Condition, But 
 They Themselves Were Thin And Haggard, Their Clothes Torn Almost To 
 Tatters.  Each Of     Them Had A Gun Slung Over His Shoulders, A Huge Pair 
 Of Holsters With A Brace Of     Pistols In Them, Large Saddle-Bags And 
 Leathern Cases Strapped On At Their Cruppers. 
   
   
 "Hallo, Strangers, Where Do You Come From?" Exclaimed One Of     The     Men, 
 With An Oath.  "I Didn't Think There Were Any Whites Hereabouts." 
   
   
 "Nor Did We Expect To See Any One At This Distance From Sydney," Said 
 Mudge, Eyeing The     Horsemen With A Suspicious Glance.  "Where Do You Come 
 From, My Friends?" 
   
   
 "As To That, I Don't Think It Much Concerns You," Answered The     Man; 
 "But, As I Take It You Are Englishmen, You'll Give Us A Share Of     These 
 Kangaroos; For There's One Thing I Can Tell You,--We're Pretty Sharp 
 Set." 
   
   
 "So I Should Think, From Your Appearance," Observed Mudge; "You Must 
 Have Had A Rough And Long Journey Up From Sydney." 
   
   
 "I Didn't Say We Were From Sydney,--Though I'll Allow We Have Been 
 There," Answered The     Man; "But It's A Good Many Months Since We Left It, 
 And We've Been Leading A Pretty Rough Life Since Then.  However, What We 
 Want Just Now Is A Slice Of     That Kangaroo; And We'll Talk About Other 
 Matters When We've Set It Before The     Fire To Roast." 
   
   
 "You're Welcome To As Much Of     The     Meat As You Want," Answered Mudge, 
 "Though We Haven't Got A Fire To Roast It At." 
   
   
 "We'll Soon Have One, Master," Answered The     Man.  He And His Companion 
 Then Getting Off Their Horses, Tethered Them, And Speedily Collecting 
 Some Dry Wood, Of     Which There Was An Abundance Scattered About, Piled It 
 Up; And One Of     Them Producing A Tinder-Box, Quickly Lighted The     Heap-- 
 First Taking Care, However, To Cut The     Dry Grass All Around.  They Then 
 Helped Themselves Pretty Freely To The     Flesh, Which, Cutting Into Thin 
 Slices, They Held At The     End Of     Sticks Before The     Fire.  Before It Was 
 Half Done Through, However, They Began Eagerly Gnawing Away At It, 
 Unable Longer To Restrain Their Appetite.  The     Smell Made Us Hungry; So 
 Cutting Off Some Thin Slices, We Roasted Them In The     Same Manner, But 
 Far More Thoroughly Than The     Strangers Had Done. 
   
   
 Pullingo, Who Had Been Watching Us, Now Stole Up, And By His Gestures 
 Begged For A Share,--Which, Of     Course, We Gave Him.  The     Strangers Eyed 
 Him Narrowly; And Though The     Desire To Get The     Food Had Induced Him To 
 Come Up, He Evidently Regarded Them With Suspicion.  After Exchanging A 
 Few Words With Each Other, One Of     Them Spoke To Him In A Jargon Which He 
 Seemed To Understand, Though We Could Not.  He Replied With Hesitation. 
 For Some Time They Continued Asking Him Questions, And Then Talking To 
 Each Other In A Slang Which Was As Incomprehensible To Us As Was The 
 Language They Spoke To The     Native. 
   
   
 "I Say, Master, There Are A Few Little Things We Want, And Would Be 
 Obliged To You If You'd Supply Us With," Said One Of     The     Men.  "In The 
 First Place, We Should Be Glad Of     Some Tobacco, And Maybe You've Got 
 Some About You; And We Want Some Powder And Shot, And A Couple Of 
 Knives; And A Suit Of     Clothes Wouldn't Come Amiss." 
   
   
 Mudge Had A Couple Of     Cigars, And Paddy A Small Quantity Of     Tobacco, 
 Which, Without Hesitation, They Gave To The     Strangers. 
   
   
 "As For Powder, We Can Spare You But A Small Quantity," Said Mudge; "And 
 For The     Other Things, You Must Come To Our Camp To Obtain Them.  I 
 Suppose Captain Rayner Will Be Willing To Give You What You Require For 
 Your Necessities." 
   
   
 "You'll Not Play Us A Scurvy Trick, And Detain Us, If We Come?" Said One 
 Of The     Men. 
   
   
 "We Are Not Likely To Do That," Answered Mudge, Somewhat Surprised At 
 The Remark.  "You Can Repay Us By Giving Us A Description Of     The     Country 
 Between Sydney And This." 
   
   
 "Well, We'll Come By-And-By, And You'll Have The     Things Ready For Us," 
 Said The     Man, In A Tone Which Still Further Surprised Us. 
   
   
 Having Satisfied Our Hunger, We Divided The     Kangaroo Into Portions, Each 
 Forming Such A Load As We Could Carry.  Mudge And Paddy Took The 
 Heaviest, Leaving Tommy And Me Somewhat Lighter Ones.  The     Strangers, 
 Without Making Any Apology, Loaded Their Horses With The     Larger Portion 
 Of The     Other Animal Pullingo Seemed Highly Delighted When We Gave Him 
 The Remainder.  The     Strangers Declined Accompanying Us, But Said They 
 Would Follow By-And-By.  Just As We Were Setting Off, They Again Begged 
 That We Would Spare Them A Little Powder And Shot, Acknowledging That 
 Their Own Was Expended, And That They Could Neither Obtain Food Nor 
 Defend Themselves Against The     Natives.  They Looked So Miserable That We 
 Could Not Help Feeling Compassion For Them, And Each Of     Us Gave Them A 
 Portion Of     Powder From Our Flasks And Some Shot From Our Belts. 
   
   
 As It Was Time To Return, We Set Off, Leaving Them Still Seated At The 
 Fire Cooking Some Of     The     Kangaroo.  Pullingo Having Obtained His Share, 
 Immediately Trotted Off With It Across The     Country, Without Offering To 
 Guide Us. 
   
   
 We Had Gone Some Distance When Mudge Observed To Me,--"I Don't Quite 
 Like The     Look Of     These Fellows.  I Have Heard That The     Worst Class Of 
 Convicts, Who Are Worked In The     Road-Gangs, Often Make Their Escape And 
 Live A Wild Life In The     Bush, Taking By Force From The     Settlers Whatever 
 They Can Get Hold Of.  They Go By The     Name Of     Bushrangers; And I Can't 
 Help Thinking That Those Fellows We Have Left There Are Of     That 
 Description." 
   
   
 "I've Little Doubt About That Same," Observed Paddy; "And It's A Pity We 
 Gave Them The     Powther, Though I Wouldn't Grudge Them The     Mate And The 
 'Baccy." 
   
   
 "They Would Scarcely Make Use Of     The     Powder To Injure Us," I Observed. 
   
   
 "I Wouldn't Trust Them For That, If They Are The     Gentry I Take Them 
 For," Said Mudge.  "However, We Must Keep A Watch, And Take Care That 
 They Don't Surprise Us." 
   
   
 We Were Pretty Well Tired By The     Time We Reached Our Settlement, As We 
 Called It.  As May Be Supposed, The     Supply Of     Kangaroo Which We Brought 
 Was Very Welcome, And A Portion Was Served Out To The     Men For Supper 
 That Evening.  As A Fire Had Been Seen Burning At Pullingo's Camp Long 
 Before Our Arrival, There Could Be Little Doubt That He Had Reached Home 
 Much Sooner Than We Did. 
   
   
 The Next Morning One Of     The     Strangers Made His Appearance At The 
 Settlement On Foot.  He Said That He Had Left His Companion On The     High 
 Ground To Look After The     Horses, And That He Had Come To Claim The 
 Articles We Had Promised.  My Father Had Agreed That Mudge Was Correct 
 In His Opinion Of     The     Strangers, But That It Would Be Better To Supply 
 Them With What They Wanted To Enable Them To Support Their Miserable 
 Existence, And To Try To Obtain From Them The     Information About The 
 Country So Important For Us To Gain. 
   
   
 The Man Looked A Little Less Starved-Like Than He Did The     Previous Day, 
 But His Ragged Clothes And Dirty Appearance Made Us Unwilling To Ask Him 
 Into The     House.  We Got A Table And Chair Out For Him, However, In The 
 Shade; And Gave Him An Ample Meal And A Glass Of     Ale, Which Made Him 
 Open His Heart Somewhat.  He Acknowledged That He And His Companion Were 
 Leading A Terrible Life In The     Bush, But That He Saw No Way Out Of     It. 
 He Described Somewhat Minutely The     Country We Should Have To Pass Over: 
 A Large Portion Was Open And Easily Traversed, But Other Parts Were 
 Mountainous, Rocky, And Wild In The     Extreme, With No Water To Be Found 
 For Miles.  Whether Or Not He Was Giving Us A True Description, It Was 
 Difficult To Determine,--Though, At All Events, He Must Have Come 
 Through The     Sort Of     Country He Described.  Perhaps It Might Be Avoided 
 By Keeping Further Into The     Interior Or Closer To The     Sea-Coast. 
   
   
 The Man Might Have Been A Bushranger, But He Did Not Appear To Be At All 
 Afraid Of     Us.  As Soon As He Had Satisfied His Hunger He Rose, And 
 Turning To Mudge, "Now, Master, I'll Thank You To Fulfil Your Promise," 
 He Said.  "We Want As Much Powder As You Can Spare, For It's Bread And 
 Meat To Us; And I'll Thank You For The     Knives And The     Clothes, And Some 
 Needles And Thread.  Here, Just Get A Pencil And Put Down What We Want." 
   
   
 "Suppose We Refuse To Give It?" Said My Father, Astounded At The     Man's 
 Impudence. 
   
   
 The Stranger's Countenance Assumed A Ferocious Expression.  "You Would 
 Find You Had Made A Bad Bargain," He Answered With The     Greatest 
 Effrontery.  "When A Gentleman Makes A Promise To Me, I Expect Him To 
 Fulfil It.  I Came Here As A Friend, And A Friend I Wish To Remain.  Not 
 That I Want To Trouble You With My Society; I Prefer Living By Myself. 
 But If You Do Me A Kindness, I Can Return It; If You Venture To Treat Me 
 Ill, I'll Have My Revenge--You May Depend On That." 
   
   
 "But Suppose We Were To Seize You, And Keep You A Prisoner Till We Could 
 Hand You Over To The     Authorities At Sydney?" Said My Father. 
   
   
 The Man Laughed Long And Loud.  "You Would Find That A Hard Job," He 
 Said; "And I Didn't Come Here Without Taking Means To Secure My Safety. 
 So You See, Captain, We Are Quite Equal.  Now, Let Me Have The     Things, 
 And I'll Be Off." 
   
   
 My Father Felt That As Mudge Had Promised The     Clothes And Other 
 Articles, It Was Right That They Should Be Given To The     Man.  A Bundle 
 Was Therefore Made Up Of     All The     Articles He Had Asked For; And As Soon 
 As He Had Received It, With Very Slight Thanks, He Fixed It On His 
 Shoulders, And Took His Way Up The     Cliff.  We Were In Hopes That We Had 
 Seen The     Last Of     Him And His Companion, Being Thoroughly Convinced That 
 They Were Bushrangers, And Desperate Ruffians. 
   
   
 We Observed That As The     Stranger Approached Our Camp The     Black And His 
 Family Made Their Escape From It, And Hid Behind A Rock Watching Him 
 Till He Had Disappeared Over The     Top Of     The     Cliff. 
   
   
 Pullingo Shortly Afterwards Came To Our Settlement, Which He Now 
 Frequently Did, Without Hesitation, Never Being Allowed To Go Away 
 Without Some Article Or Other Which We Thought Would Please Him, Or Food 
 For Himself And His Family.  Nothing We Had Came Amiss To Him Except 
 Beer Or Spirits, And When One Day Some Was Offered Him He Spat It Out 
 With Evident Disgust.  We Tried To Make Him Understand That We Wished To 
 Know His Opinion Of     The     Strangers.  After A Considerable Time He 
 Understood Us, And Making His Countenance Assume An Expression Of     Hatred 
 And Disgust, He Shook His Head, And Then, As It Appeared, Advised Us To 
 Shoot Them On The     First Opportunity. 
   
   
 As We Were Now Convinced Of     His Good Feelings Towards Us, He Was Allowed 
 To Roam About Our Village At Pleasure.  One Day He Appeared, Bringing A 
 Basket Containing Some Of     The     Many Magnificent Flowers Which Flourished 
 In The     Forest, Several Fruits, And Some Emu's Eggs.  Supposing That He 
 Had Brought Them As A Present To My Mother Or Father, We Did Not 
 Interfere With Him, But Allowed Him To Take His Own Way Of     Offering 
 Them. 
   
   
 I Watched Him From A Distance, When I Saw Him Enter Mudge's Room, The 
 Door Of     Which Was Open.  Wondering What He Was About, I At Length 
 Approached And Looked In; When I Saw Him On His Knees, With The     Contents 
 Of His Basket Spread Out On The     Ground, Bending Low Before Mudge's Gun, 
 Which Stood Leaning Against A Table In The     Corner.  He Was Uttering Some 
 Strange Gibberish, And Addressing The     Gun, Evidently Supposing It To Be 
 A Being Possessed Of     Supernatural Powers.  He Had Watched Day After Day 
 Its To Him Wonderful Performances, And Had Made Up His Mind To Endeavour 
 To Propitiate It. 
   
   
 I Did Not Like To Interrupt Him, Or In Any Way To Ridicule Him; And I 
 Was Very Glad That Neither Paddy Doyle Nor Tommy Saw Him, For I Was Very 
 Sure That They Would Not Have Refrained From Doing So.  I Therefore 
 Crept Away Without Letting The     Poor Savage Know That I Had Seen Him.  He 
 At Length Came Out Of     The     Hut, And Sauntered About The     Village As Usual, 
 Spending Some Time Watching The     Carpenter At Work. 
   
   
 When I Told Harry, He Said He Thought That It Was Very Natural, And That 
 When He First Came On Board The     _Heroine_ He Was Inclined To Pay The 
 Same Sort Of     Respect To The     Compass, The     Quadrants, The     Spy-Glasses, The 
 Big Guns And Muskets, And Various Other Things, Which Popo Told Him Were 
 The White Men's Fetishes. 
   
   
 Pullingo Had From The     First Looked Upon Paddy Doyle As His Chief Friend, 
 And They Soon Managed To Understand Each Other In A Wonderful Way. 
 Mudge Suggested, Indeed, That They Were Nearer Akin Than The     Rest Of     Us. 
 We Got Paddy To Ask Him If He Could Tell What Had Become Of     The 
 Bushrangers, And Paddy Understood Him To Say That They Had Gone Away To 
 A Distance; So, Concluding That This Was The     Case, We Ceased To Think 
 Much About Them. 
   
   
 Believing Ourselves Secure From Any Attack On The     Part Of     The     Natives, 
 We No Longer Took The     Precautions We Had Adopted On Our Arrival,--With 
 The Exception Of     Keeping Watch At Night, Which Was More For The     Purpose 
 Of Maintaining Naval Discipline Than From Any Apprehensions We Had Of     An 
 Attack.  We Used To Wander About By The     Side Of     The     River Under The 
 Cliff Without Our Arms, And Sometimes For Some Distance Over The     Open 
 Downs On The     Top.  Even My Mother And Edith Lost All Apprehension, And 
 Frequently Took Walks With Only Pierce Or Harry.  Sometimes I Went With 
 Them; But I Was Generally Employed In Shooting Or Fishing.  In 
 Consequence Of     This, The     Younger Ones Fancied That They Might Go 
 Wherever They Liked By Themselves. 
   
   
 One Day My Mother, Being Unwell, Was Confined To The     House, And Harry 
 Came Out Fishing With Ned Burton And Me In The     Boat.  My Father, Mudge, 
 And Tommy, Accompanied By Paddy Doyle And One Of     The     Other Men, Had Gone 
 On A Shooting Expedition, Attended By Pullingo And His Son, Leaving Only 
 Dicky Popo In Attendance On My Mother, And Two Men To Guard The     Camp. 
 As We Were Not Far Off, A Musket-Shot Would Bring Us Quickly Back If We 
 Were Required. 
   
   
 We Pulled Down To The     Mouth Of     The     River.  The     Fish Soon Began To Bite, 
 And We Hauled Up More Than We Had Ever Before Caught.  I Observed That 
 The Tide Was Unusually Low, As Numerous Rocks Which I Had Never Before 
 Seen Were Uncovered, And Remained So For Some Time.  At Last The     Tide 
 Began To Rise, And We Caught The     Fish Even Faster Than At First.  We 
 Were So Eagerly Engaged That We Did Not Remark How Rapidly The     Time Went 
 By.  We Were Well-Pleased, Because We Should Not Only Have Fish For All 
 Hands, But Be Able To Present Our Black Friends With A Welcome Supply. 
 We Found, I May Remark, That They Prized Us Not So Much For Our 
 Knowledge Of     The     Arts And Sciences, As In Proportion To Our Power Of 
 Obtaining Such Food As They Valued. 
   
   
 Burton Suggested That We Might Salt Some Fish, And Proposed Looking For 
 Salt Along The     Shore.  I Agreed With Him That It Would Be Important If 
 We Could Succeed In Doing So, As We Might Then Carry Some Salted Fish On 
 Our Journey. 
   
   
 As The     Fish Continued To Bite, We Remained To Catch Them, And We Were 
 Still Eagerly Hauling Them In When The     Sound Of     A Musket Fired At The 
 Camp Reached Our Ears.  We At Once Hauled In Our Lines, Got Up Our 
 Anchor, And Pulled Away As Hard As We Could Up The     River. 
   
   
 "What Can Be The     Matter?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "I Suppose They Wish To Remind Us That It Is Supper-Time, And So Fired 
 The Shot To Call Us Back," Answered Burton. 
   
   
 "I Hope That No Strange Blacks Have Come To The     Camp, Or That Those Bad 
 Men Whom We Met The     Other Day Have Not Returned," Said Harry. 
   
   
 "It May Be; But We'll Soon Show Them That We're Not Going To Stand Any 
 Of Their Tricks," Observed Burton. 
   
   
 This Last Suggestion Of     Harry Made Me Feel Very Anxious, As I Had Often 
 Heard Of     The     Atrocities Of     Which Bushrangers Had Been Guilty. 
   
   
 As We Neared The     Camp We Could See No One.  Just As We Pulled Up To The 
 Landing-Place, However, We Heard A Voice Cry Out,--"Help! Help!--Bear A 
 Hand, Or They'll Be Away."  We Eagerly Leaped On Shore, When The 
 Spectacle Which Met Our Eyes Made Us Very Anxious.  One Of     Our Men Lay 
 On The     Ground, Apparently Dead; And Not Far Off Was The     Other, Bound To 
 The Trunk Of     A Tree So That He Could Move Neither Hands Nor Feet. 
 "There! There!" He Cried.  "Stop Them!" 
   
   
 Too Anxious About My Mother And Edith And Pierce To Attend To Him, Or To 
 Understand Clearly What He Said, I Rushed To The     Door Of     Our Cottage. 
 It Was Closed.  I Knocked Loudly.  "Mother! Mother!--Let Me In; We've 
 Come To Your Assistance," I Exclaimed.  She Did Not Reply; But I Heard 
 Some One Moving, And Presently The     Door Opened And Dicky Popo Appeared. 
   
   
 "O Massa! So Glad You Come, Or Dey Murder Us All," He Exclaimed. 
   
   
 "But My Mother--Where Is She?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "She In Her Room, I Tink; But No Speakee," Answered Popo. 
   
   
 "Mother! Mother!--Where Are You?"  I Cried Out. 
   
   
 The Door Of     Her Room Was Also Closed; But Rushing Against It, With The 
 Aid Of     Dicky I Burst It Open.  My Mother Lay On The     Ground.  A Horrible 
 Feeling Came Over Me,--I Thought She Was Shot.  On Bending Down I Could 
 Discover No Wound, And I Found That She Still Breathed, So I Trusted 
 That She Had Only Fainted.  I Sprinkled Her Face With Water, And She 
 Shortly After Heaved A Sigh And Opened Her Eyes.  On Seeing Me She 
 Revived, And With Popo's Assistance I Lifted Her Up And Placed Her In A 
 Chair. 
   
   
 "Is It A Hideous Dream?" She Asked; "Or Have The     Bushrangers Really Been 
 Here?  And Where Are Edith And Pierce?" 
   
   
 "There Is Nothing Now To Be Alarmed About, Mother," I Answered.  "The 
 Bushrangers Have Gone Away, And Edith And Pierce Are Probably Hiding 
 Somewhere." 
   
   
 "Oh! Go And Look For Them," She Said, "And Bring Them Here At Once.  I 
 Am Afraid That Those Terrible Men Have Carried Them Off." 
   
   
 "Not At All Likely, Mother," I Said.  "I Have No Doubt, However, That 
 Burton And Harry Have Already Set Off To Follow The     Men." 
   
   
 As She Again Urged Me To Go, Assuring Me That She Was Quite Recovered, I 
 Took My Gun, And Telling Popo To Remain And Attend On Her, Hurried Out. 
 I Found That Burton And Harry Had Released The     Man Who Had Been Bound To 
 The Tree, While The     Other, Who Had Been Only Stunned, Had Recovered; And 
 All Four, With Guns In Their Hands, Were Making Their Way Towards The 
 Foot Of     The     Cliffs In Pursuit Of     The     Bushrangers.  I Followed, Shouting 
 For Edith And Pierce; For I Could Not Help Thinking It Possible That The 
 Bushrangers Might Have Carried Them Off.  As The     Robbers Were Heavily 
 Laden With Their Spoil, They Had Got Only A Part Of     The     Way Up The     Cliff 
 When We Caught Sight Of     Them.  With Intense Thankfulness I Saw That They 
 Were Alone, And That They Had Not Carried Off The     Children. 
   
   
 "Stop, You Villains!" Cried Burton, When He Got Near Enough To Make Them 
 Hear. 
   
   
 They Did Not Reply, But Continued Making Their Way Up The     Cliff. 
 Burton, Who Was Leading, Was About To Pursue, When One Of     Them Turned 
 Round And Levelled His Rifle At His Head. 
   
   
 "If You Advance Another Step I'll Fire!" Shouted The     Man. 
   
   
 "Two Can Play At That Game, Friend," Exclaimed Burton, Lifting His 
 Musket And Letting Fly At The     Bushranger.  We Imitated His Example; But 
 When The     Smoke Cleared Off We Found That The     Men Were Still Making Their 
 Upward Way, Springing With Wonderful Agility From Rock To Rock. 
   
   
 We Had To Stop To Reload; Then, Notwithstanding Their Threats, We Again 
 Began To Climb After Them.  They Had, However, A Long Start Of     Us, And 
 Had Already Gained The     Easier Part Of     The     Ascent; Still, Laden As They 
 Were, One Of     Them Might Slip And Give Us A Chance Of     Overtaking Him, And 
 We Continued Our Ascent.  They Were Now, However, Hidden From Sight By 
 The Trees And Rocks Above Our Heads. 
   
   
 Burton Still Kept Ahead Of     Us, And Was The     First To Gain The     Summit Of 
 The Cliff.  He Lifted His Musket And Fired.  Directly Afterwards The 
 Rest Of     Us Joined Him, When We Saw The     Two Bushrangers Galloping Away To 
 The Southward, At No Great Distance From The     Cliffs, Where, The     Ground 
 Being Level, They Could Make Better Play Than More To The     Right, Where 
 It Was Undulating And Somewhat Soft In The     Bottom.  They Were Already 
 Too Far Off For Our Bullets To Reach Them. 
   
   
 "Missed Again!" Exclaimed Ned.  "I Believe The     Fellows Must Bear Charmed 
 Lives; Or My Musket Has Taken To Shooting Crooked." 
   
   
 As We Could Not Hope To Overtake The     Robbers, I Told Burton How Anxious 
 I Was To Return And Look For Edith And Pierce,--Although I Hoped That, 
 Frightened By The     Appearance Of     The     Bushrangers, They Had Hidden 
 Themselves. 
   
   
 "I Think Not, Sir," Said Tom Nokes, One Of     Our Men.  "Soon After You 
 Went Off In The     Boat, I Saw The     Young People Starting Away Together 
 Along The     Shore; But Thinking Their Mother Had Given Them Leave To Go, I 
 Didn't Look After Them." 
   
   
 This Intelligence Was So Far Satisfactory, That It Made Me Believe They 
 Could Not Have Been Seen By The     Bushrangers--Who, Indeed, Could Scarcely 
 Have Been Such Ruffians As To Injure Them.  I Therefore Hurried Back To 
 My Mother; But She, Having Been Asleep All The     Morning, Did Not Even 
 Know That The     Children Had Gone Away.  She Expressed Her Anxiety On 
 Hearing What Nokes Had Said, As At All Events They Ought By This Time To 
 Have Returned.  Not Wishing To Alarm Her More, I Expressed My Belief 
 That They Would Soon Appear.  On Leaving Her, However, I Proposed To 
 Burton And Harry To Take The     Boat And Pull Along The     Shore, While Nokes 
 Volunteered To Go On Foot In The     Same Direction. 
   
   
 Having Landed Our Fish, We At Once Pulled Away; But No Signs Did We See 
 Of Edith Or Pierce.  The     Sun Was Setting As We Rowed Down The     River.  As 
 The Bar Was Smooth, We Crossed It Without Hesitation, And Continued Our 
 Course Along The     Shore, As Close In As The     Coral Reefs Would Allow Us To 
 Get.  Every Now And Then I Stood Up To Examine The     Shore, But Nowhere 
 Were The     Children To Be Seen.  The     Tide Had Risen, Too, And In Several 
 Places Washed The     Very Base Of     The     Cliffs.  This Alarmed Me Much, For I 
 Dreaded Lest The     Tide Might Have Entrapped Them As They Were Making 
 Their Way Back. 
   
   
 "We Needn't Fear That, Master Godfrey; For They Both Have Got Sense, And 
 Will Have Managed, I Hope, To Reach Some Place Of     Safety," Observed 
 Burton. 
   
   
 Again We Pulled On, When Just Under The     Highest Part Of     The     Cliff I 
 Caught Sight Of     An Object In The     Water Which Attracted My Attention.  At 
 First I Thought It Was A Rock, Covered With Seaweed Moved By The     Surging 
 Water.  We Paddled In As Close As We Could Venture Without Running The 
 Risk Of     Knocking The     Bottom Of     The     Boat Against The     Coral, And Then I 
 Made Out A Horse And A Human Figure Lying Together Half In The     Water. 
 The Man Was Motionless, And Apparently Dead; But The     Horse Was Still 
 Faintly Struggling, Trying To Keep Its Head Above The     Surface. 
   
   
 "That Must Be One Of     The     Bushrangers," I Exclaimed. 
   
   
 "No Doubt About It," Said Burton; "But How He Came To Fall Over The 
 Cliff It Is Hard To Say." 
   
   
 "Can We Not Reach Him And See If He Is Still Alive?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "No Man Could Have Fallen From That Height And Kept The     Breath In His 
 Body," Said Ned; "Nor, Indeed, Escape Breaking All His Bones, Unless He 
 Had Come Down On The     Top Of     His Horse.  Depend On It, He's Dead; And So 
 Will The     Poor Horse Be In Another Moment--See! Its Head Has Already Sunk 
 Under The     Water.  If We Hadn't To Look For The     Children We Might Try To 
 Get At Him; But It Would Lose Much Time, And We Might Chance Also To 
 Injure The     Boat." 
   
   
 "By All Means Then Let Us Pull On, And Continue Our Search For Edith And 
 Pierce," I Answered; And We Again Took To Our Oars. 
   
   
 Evening Was Now Drawing Rapidly On.  In Vain We Searched The     Coast As 
 Far As Our Eyes Could Reach.  As We Pulled Under The     Cliffs I Shouted My 
 Brother And Sister's Names, But Only The     Echo Of     My Voice Came Back 
 Faintly To Our Ears.  I Became More And More Alarmed, And It Seemed To 
 Me As If Their Doom Was Pronounced, When Burton Declared That We Must 
 Pull Back, As It Was Not Likely They Could Have Got So Far.  Harry 
 Showed That He Was As Unhappy As I Was, And Joined His Voice With Mine 
 In Shouting Out Their Names As We Made Our Way Towards The     Mouth Of     The 
 River. 
   
   
 There Was Scarcely Sufficient Daylight To Enable Us To Distinguish The 
 Entrance.  We Got Safely Over The     Bar, However, And As Fast As We Could 
 Move Our Oars We Pulled Up To The     Encampment.  My Father And His Party 
 Had Just Returned.  He Was, Of     Course, Very Much Alarmed At The 
 Disappearance Of     My Brother And Sister.  Nokes Had Discovered No Traces 
 Of Them, Still He Affirmed That He Had Seen Them Go In That Direction. 
 One Thing Was Certain,--That It Would Be Useless To Attempt Continuing 
 Our Search During The     Hours Of     Darkness. 
   
   
 That Was Indeed A Miserable Night.  My Father Did His Utmost To Comfort 
 My Poor Mother, But She Could Not Fail To Dread The     Worst.  Our Anxiety 
 About Them Made Us Scarcely Think Of     The     Visit Of     The     Bushrangers.  On 
 Examining Our Stores, However, It Was Seen That They Had Carried Off A 
 Considerable Quantity Of     Powder And Shot, And Numerous Other Articles 
 Which Were Likely To Prove Useful To Them In Their Wandering Life.  They 
 Had Not Forgotten, Either, To Supply Themselves With Several Bottles Of 
 Spirits: Perhaps The     Liquor, To Which They Had Been So Long 
 Unaccustomed, Was The     Cause Of     The     Death Of     The     Unhappy Wretch Whose 
 Body We Had Seen Beneath The     Cliff.  However, That Was Only Conjecture, 
 And Will Probably For Ever Remain So. 
   
   
 I Had No Inclination To Go To Bed, But My Father Insisted On My Turning 
 In, Saying That He Would Sit Up With My Mother; And In Spite Of     My Grief 
 And Anxiety I At Length Fell Fast Asleep. 
 
 
 
 Chapter IX 
   
   
   
 Paddy Suggests Obtaining Pullingo's Assistance--We Set Out--Descend The 
 Cliff By A Rope--Find Edith And Pierce In A Cave--The Boat Arrives--A 
 Tremendous Storm--The Water Flows Over Our Settlement--Escape To The 
 Cliffs--Take Refuge Under A Rock--Return To The     Village--It Has Escaped 
 Damage--A Whale Thrown On Shore--It Attracts The     Natives--Their Savage 
 Dance--They Encamp--Unpleasant Odour From The     Whale--Explore The     River-- 
 Return For Our Friends--Quit Our Village--Our First Encampment. 
   
   
 My Dreams Were As Miserable As My Waking Thoughts.  I Fancied That I Saw 
 The Bush Rangers Carrying Off Edith And Pierce, Who In Vain Struggled To 
 Release Themselves; Then The     Wretches Hurled The     Children Over The 
 Cliff, And Shouted As They Saw Them Falling; Then The     Sea Rolled Up And 
 Swept Them Away, As They Held Out Their Hands In Vain For Assistance. 
   
   
 I Awoke Before Daylight, And As I Had No Wish To Go To Sleep Again I 
 Dressed And Went Out.  The     First Person I Met Was Paddy Doyle. 
   
   
 "I'm After Thinking, Master Godfrey, That Friend Pullingo Will Be Able 
 To Help Us In Finding The     Dear Young Childher," He Said.  "I Can Soon 
 Make Him Understand That They Are Lost; And Though He Hasn't 
 Book-Learning, He's Got Notions In His Head Which Would Puzzle Some Of 
 Us.  The     Thought Came Across Me In The     Night, When Not A Rap More Sleep 
 Could I Get; And I've Been Waiting Till Daylight To Visit The     Blacks' 
 Camp." 
   
   
 "By All Means," I Said.  "I'll Go With You, For I Am Sure My Father Will 
 Approve Of     Your Idea." 
   
   
 As A Ruddy Glow Was Already Appearing In The     Eastern Sky, Precursor Of 
 The Sun, Paddy And I At Once Set Off.  As We Drew Near He Shouted, 
 "Pullingo, Pullingo."  Directly Afterwards We Saw The     Black Crawl Out Of 
 His Hut.  "Our Friend Doesn't Take Much Time To Dress In The     Morning," 
 Observed Paddy, "Seeing He Hasn't A Large Amount Of     Clothing To Put On, 
 And Isn't Over Particular About The     Use Of     Soap And Water." 
   
   
 The Black Quickly Understood That We Had Some Matter Of     Importance To 
 Communicate, But It Took Much Longer To Make Him Comprehend What We 
 Wanted Him For.  Paddy, However, Succeeded At Length; And He Set Off 
 With Us For The     Village. 
   
   
 On Arriving, That There Might Be No Mistake, I Took Pullingo Into The 
 House And Showed Him The     Children's Empty Beds, And Then Pointed Along 
 The Shore In The     Direction They Were Supposed To Have Taken.  He Thought 
 For Some Minutes, And Then Looking About, Found A Piece Of     Rope: He Soon 
 Made Us Understand That It Was Much Too Short For What He Wanted, And 
 Seemed Highly Pleased When We Took Him Into The     Store-House, Where He At 
 Once Selected A Long Coil.  He Then Touched Mudge, Burton, Doyle, And Me 
 On The     Shoulder, And Signified That He Wished Us To Accompany Him. 
 Before Setting Out, However, He Made Signs That He Should Like Something 
 To Eat, And Seemed Highly Pleased When We Gave Him Some Broiled Fish,-- 
 Which He Quickly Swallowed, Though He Had Had A Quantity Of     Kangaroo 
 Flesh On The     Previous Evening. 
   
   
 My Father Would Have Accompanied Us, But Was Unwilling To Leave My 
 Mother.  "I Entrust The     Search To You, Mudge," He Said; "And I Am Sure 
 That You Will Spare No Effort To Recover The     Children, Should Their 
 Lives Have Been Mercifully Preserved." 
   
   
 Pullingo Having Inquired By Signs Whether We Were Ready, We Set Out. 
 Instead, However, Of     Taking The     Way Along The     Shore, He Turned Up The 
 River Towards His Own Camp, And Then Ascended The     Cliff. 
   
   
 "I Wonder, After All, Whether He Really Understands That We Are In 
 Search Of     Edith And Pierce," I Observed To Paddy Doyle. 
   
   
 "No Doubt About It, Sir," Was The     Answer; "You'll See When We Get To The 
 Top That He'll Go Along The     Cliff.  Maybe He Knows Some Way Down That We 
 Haven't Discovered; Or There Is Some Place Or Other Into Which He Thinks 
 The Children Have Tumbled And Can't Get Out Again." 
   
   
 On Reaching The     Top Of     The     Cliff, However, Pullingo, Instead Of     Keeping 
 Close To The     Edge, Started Off In A Direction Which Would Lead Us, I 
 Saw, To A Spot Some Way Along The     Coast, Beyond The     Point, I Calculated, 
 Where The     Bushranger Had Fallen Over.  Had I Not Been So Anxious About 
 The Fate Of     My Brother And Sister, I Should Have Been Amused At The     Air 
 Of Importance With Which The     Savage Strutted On At The     Head Of     The 
 Party, Evidently Feeling Himself Infinitely Superior To Us.  He Held A 
 Lance In His Left Hand; A Tall Feather Was Stuck In His Bushy Hair; Not 
 An Article Of     Clothing Had He On, With The     Exception Of     The     Very Small 
 Kilt Which He Wore Round His Waist. 
   
   
 I Joined Mudge, And Went On Ahead With Him, Close Behind Our Guide, The 
 Other Men Following, And Carrying The     Coil Of     Rope Between Them. 
   
   
 "I Can't Fancy That The     Children Could Have Got So Far Round The     Coast 
 As The     Point We Shall Reach If We Continue On As We Are Going," I 
 Observed To Him. 
   
   
 "As The     Tide Was Low And The     Sand Smooth, They Were Probably Tempted To 
 Go On Without Considering How Far They Had Got," Said Mudge.  "I Am 
 Surprised, However, That Your Sister Edith Should Have Ventured, And Not 
 Recollected That The     Tide Would Again Rise, And That They Would Not Be 
 Able To Repass Many Of     The     Places They Had Previously Got Over Without 
 Difficulty.  Still, I Feel Sure That They Did Go Forward, And That The 
 Black Knows Where They Are." 
   
   
 His Remarks Somewhat Cheered Me.  We Went On And On; And It Seemed To Me 
 That We Must Be Near The     Part Of     The     Cliff Over Which The     Bushranger Had 
 Fallen.  We Discussed The     Probable Cause Of     His Death. 
   
   
 "At All Events, Horrible As Was His Death, It Was Better Than Dying Of 
 Starvation, As Is The     Fate, I Fancy, Of     A Large Proportion Of     The 
 Convicts Who Take To The     Bush," Observed Mudge; "Though Dreadful Must Be 
 The Fate Of     His Companion, Who Is Now Doomed To Wander Alone Through 
 These Wilds, Without Daring To Hold Any Intercourse With White Men For 
 Fear Of     Being Betrayed; And, Probably, Equally Dreading The     Blacks, Who, 
 If He Were To Be Found Unprepared, Would Speedily Put Him To Death." 
   
   
 We Went On For Nearly Two Miles, When We Reached A Fissure In The 
 Cliffs, The     Ground Sloping On Either Side Towards It.  The     Black 
 Advanced Cautiously; And Following Him, We Found Ourselves On The     Edge 
 Of The     Cliff, Which Appeared To Hang Over The     Water.  We Descended The 
 Slope I Have Mentioned, Till We Reached A Broad Ledge, About A Quarter 
 Of The     Way Down.  Signing To The     Men To Uncoil The     Rope, The     End Of 
 Which He Allowed To Fall Over Till It Apparently Reached The     Bottom, He 
 Now By Gestures Inquired Which Of     Us Was Ready To Descend. 
   
   
 "We Must First Secure The     Upper End, My Friend," Observed Mudge; A 
 Matter The     Black Did Not Appear To Have Considered. 
   
   
 Each Of     Us Had Fortunately Brought A Stout Staff To Serve Us As A 
 Walking-Stick; By Forcing These Together Into The     Ground, We Formed A 
 Post Of     Sufficient Strength Round Which To Secure The     Rope, One Man In 
 Addition Holding On To It. 
   
   
 "I Wish To Be The     First To Descend," Said I. 
   
   
 "No, No, Mr Godfrey; If There Is Danger, It Is Not You Should Run It, 
 As It Would Be A Sad Thing If You Were To Be Lost As Well As Your 
 Brother And Sister," Exclaimed Paddy Doyle.  "If Mr Mudge Will Give Me 
 Leave, I'll Be The     First To Go; And If I Get Safe Down I'll Shout Out, 
 And You Can Follow." 
   
   
 "Doyle Is Right," Said Mudge; "Let Him Go First." 
   
   
 Without Waiting A Moment, Paddy Threw Himself Over The     Cliff, Holding On 
 By The     Rope, And Began To Descend.  It Must Have Been Somewhat Trying 
 Even To His Nerves, For The     Rope Swung Backwards And Forwards, Being At 
 A Considerable Distance From The     Cliff.  How The     Black Came To Conceive 
 That We Should Venture Down, It Was Difficult To Say; As He Himself 
 Certainly Could Never Have Climbed Up Or Down Such A Rope, It Must Have 
 Been A Perfectly Original Idea With Him.  He Had Seen The     Rope In Our 
 Camp, And Formed A Just Opinion Of     Its Strength; And He Must Have Argued 
 That As He Could Climb A Thin And Lofty Tree Without Branches, So Could 
 We Get Up And Down A Stout Rope. 
   
   
 On Hearing Doyle's Voice I Was Going To Follow, When, To My Surprise, 
 Pullingo Approached The     Cliff, And Seizing The     Rope, Began To Descend As 
 Fearlessly As Doyle Had Done.  I Waited Till He Had Reached The     Bottom, 
 And Then, Not Without Some Feeling Of     Anxiety, Followed Their Example. 
 I Found That We Had Reached A Narrow Beach, Which Extended Some Way Up 
 In The     Hollow Formed Between The     Two Sides Of     The     Cliff.  I Looked 
 About, Half Expecting To See Edith And Pierce. 
   
   
 Pullingo Observed My Disappointment, And Beckoned Doyle And Me To Follow 
 Him.  He Turned Back--That Is To Say, To The     Northward Of     The     Spot Where 
 We Stood--And Made His Way Along An Exceedingly Narrow Ledge, A Few Feet 
 Only Above The     Water, Which Beat With A Hollow Sound Beneath Our Feet. 
 Sometimes I Had The     Greatest Difficulty In Making My Way; And When At 
 Length We Came To A Broader Place, Doyle Stopped And Pulled Off His 
 Shoes, Which He Put Into His Pocket.  I Followed His Example, And Was 
 Then Able To Get On Somewhat Better.  The     Cliff Was Too Smooth To Afford 
 Any Hold To Our Hands; And A Slip Would Have Plunged Us Headlong Into 
 The Sea. 
   
   
 At Length The     Black Stopped At A Somewhat Broader Place, Which Allowed 
 Us To Join Him; When, Turning Round, We Looked Down Into A Shallow 
 Cavern, In The     Centre Of     Which We Saw Edith And Pierce, Kneeling Down 
 Side By Side, And Gazing Towards The     Sea.  We Had Approached So 
 Noiselessly That They Had Not Heard Us.  I Easily Leaped To The     Level On 
 Which They Were Kneeling, And Uttered Their Names.  They Both Sprang To 
 Their Feet, And Throwing Their Arms Round Me, Burst Into Tears. 
   
   
 "We Were Praying To God For Help, But Thought It Would Come From The 
 Sea," Exclaimed Edith, As Soon As She Could Find Words To Speak.  "How 
 Did You Know We Were Here?  And Poor Mamma, How Frightened She Must Have 
 Been At Not Seeing Us!  That Made Us More Unhappy Than Anything Else All 
 The Night Long.  We Had Brought Some Food, So We Were Not Hungry; And 
 See! There Is A Spring Of     Water Issuing From The     Cliff, And That Gave Us 
 What We Wanted To Drink.  But We Have Been Very Frightened, And Know 
 That We Have Been Exceedingly Naughty In Coming So Far By Ourselves.  We 
 Got As Far As This, And Were Sitting Down, Very Happy, When We Began To 
 Think It Was Time To Go Home; But We Had Not Got Far Before We Found The 
 Water Close Up To The     Cliff, And We Could Not Pass.  It Rose Higher And 
 Higher, So We Ran Back And Got Into This Cave Just Before The     Sea 
 Reached The     Part Of     The     Beach By Which Alone We Could Gain It.  At First 
 We Thought That It Would Perhaps Come Right Up Into The     Cave And Drown 
 Us.  On And On It Came, And We Got Farther And Farther Back; And Oh, How 
 Thankful We Were When At Length We Saw It Stop And Come No Higher!" 
   
   
 I Did Not Scold Edith Or Pierce; And I Felt Very Thankful That The 
 Weather Had Been So Calm, For Had There Been Any Wind The     Surf Would 
 Have Broken Into The     Cave, And Certainly Have Swept Them Away. 
   
   
 We Had Now To Consider How We Were To Return.  I Proposed To Doyle That 
 We Should Wait Till The     Tide Had Gone Down, And Then Get Along The     Beach 
 By The     Way They Had Come. 
   
   
 "But Maybe The     Tide Won't Go Down As Low As It Did Yesterday; And If It 
 Doesn't, There Are Many Places You Will Be Unable To Get Across," Said 
 Doyle. 
   
   
 "Then The     Best Thing We Can Do Is To Send Round For The     Boat," I 
 Observed.  "If You Will Climb Up To The     Top Of     The     Cliff, I Will Stay 
 With My Brother And Sister." 
   
   
 "To Confess The     Truth, Mr Godfrey, It's Just The     Thing I Don't Think Is 
 As Aisy As It Looks," Said Doyle.  "I'll Try To Do It, To Please You; 
 But I Rather Think Our Friend Pullingo, Though Not Brought Up To The 
 Sea, Will Do It More Aisy." 
   
   
 "But How Is He To Make Them Understand That We Have Found The     Children 
 And Want The     Boat?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "Haven't You Got A Pencil And Paper!" Exclaimed Edith.  "Just Write A 
 Note To Mr Mudge, And Get Him To Take It Up." 
   
   
 "A Bright Idea," I Observed; And Taking Out My Pocket-Book, I Wrote A 
 Few Words, Explaining The     Plan We Proposed. 
   
   
 Pullingo At Once Understood That He Was To Carry Up The     Bit Of     Paper, 
 And Did Not Appear To Hesitate About Ascending The     Rope.  I Remained 
 With Edith And Pierce, While Paddy Went Back With The     Black.  He Soon 
 Returned To The     Cave, When He Told Me That Pullingo Had, Without 
 Hesitation Or The     Slightest Appearance Of     Fear, Grasped The     Rope And 
 Begun The     Ascent, Showing As Much Activity As A Monkey, Or, As He 
 Observed, As If He Had Been Born And Bred At Sea.  He Watched Him Till 
 He Had Climbed Safely Over The     Top Of     The     Cliff; When A Shout From Above 
 Told Him That My Note Had Been Received. 
   
   
 We Now Sat Down, Watching The     Tide, Which Was Still Flowing. 
   
   
 "What If It Should Rise Higher Than It Did Yesterday?"  I Observed; "We 
 Should Be Somewhat Cramped For Space." 
   
   
 "I Don't Think Pullingo Would Have Left Us Here If He Thought That Was 
 Going To Happen," Said Doyle; "He Knows All About It.  He Is A Wonderful 
 Fellow; How He Came To Find Out That The     Children Were Here, Is More 
 Than I Can Tell." 
   
   
 "We Saw His Son As We Came Along Yesterday, And Perhaps He Guessed Where 
 We Had Gone," Said Pierce, Thus Accounting For The     Black Knowing Where 
 To Find The     Children. 
   
   
 Still, I Did Not Feel Altogether Comfortable As I Saw The     Tide Rising 
 Higher And Higher, And I Began To Consider That, After All, It Might 
 Have Been Better To Have Tried To Go Up By The     Rope. 
   
   
 Edith Sat Quite Calmly.  "I Am Very Sure That It Will Not Come Higher 
 Than That," She Said, Placing A Stone On The     Ground. 
   
   
 "And Why Do You Think So?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "Because God Rules The     Waves.  He Can Stop Them Just Where He Wills," 
 She Answered With Perfect Calmness. 
   
   
 She Was Right; The     Water Came Only A Little Higher Than The     Stone, And 
 Then Began To Recede. 
   
   
 The Children Had Brought An Ample Store For Their Picnic, And Had Thus 
 Enough Food To Prevent Them Suffering Much From Hunger.  They Wanted 
 Paddy And Me To Take Some, But Of     Course We Would Not Touch It, Though I 
 Confess That By This Time I Was Somewhat Hungry. 
   
   
 At Length, Greatly To My Satisfaction, I Caught Sight Of     The     Boat 
 Pulling With Four Oars Rapidly Towards Us.  Feeling Her Way, She Got 
 Within Twenty Yards Of     Where We Were.  Burton, Who Was In Her, Tucking 
 Up His Trousers Waded On Shore, And Taking Up Edith Carried Her On 
 Board; While Paddy Got Pierce On His Back, And Soon Placed Him By Her 
 Side.  I Followed, When The     Boat Shoved Off, And We Made The     Best Of     Our 
 Way To The     River.  I Was Thankful To Hear From Mudge, Who Also Had Come, 
 That My Mother Was Much Better. 
   
   
 Our Father Received Us At The     Landing-Place, And Not A Word Of     Reproach 
 Did He Utter To Edith And Pierce--Feeling That They Had Been 
 Sufficiently Punished For Their Thoughtlessness; While Our Poor Mother 
 Welcomed Them Back With Tears Of     Joy. 
   
   
 "O Mamma, Mamma! How Very Sorry I Am That We Should Have Alarmed You 
 So," Exclaimed Edith, As She Threw Her Arms Round Our Mother's Neck. 
 "We Fancied That We Were Doing Something Very Heroic In Exploring The 
 Country, And Expected To Find Another River Or Beautiful Harbour, Little 
 Dreaming Of     The     Danger We Were Running." 
   
   
 "We May Thank God, My Child, That You Are Preserved," Answered Our 
 Mother.  "From What I Hear, Had A Storm Come On You Would Inevitably 
 Have Been Lost." 
   
   
 She Did Not Think At The     Moment How Narrow An Escape They Had Had. 
 Scarcely Had We Landed When The     General Appearance Of     The     Sky To 
 Windward Changed, Clouds Dark As Ink Rose Above The     Horizon; And Before 
 An Hour Had Passed, One Of     Those Fearful Gales Known As Black Hurricanes 
 Or Black Squalls, Which Occasionally Blow On The     Australian Coast, Began 
 To Rage. 
   
   
 It Was Far More Furious Than The     One Which Burst On Us Soon After We 
 Landed.  The     Sea Came Rushing Into The     River And Drove Back The     Ebb With 
 A Power Which Rapidly Made The     Water Rise; And As We Watched It Getting 
 Higher And Higher, We Began To Fear That The     Whole Of     Our Peninsula 
 Would Be Flooded.  Huge Boughs Were Torn Off The     Trees, Which Bent 
 Before The     Gale, And Every Instant We Expected Some Of     Them To Fall. 
   
   
 Night Coming Quickly On, Increased The     Horrors Of     The     Scene.  Several 
 Times My Father Went Down To The     Edge Of     The     Water To Ascertain How High 
 It Had Risen, Leaving Burton To Watch, And Report To Him Should It Rise 
 Above A Certain Point.  In A Short Time The     Flood Would Set In; If So, 
 We Might Expect The     Water To Rise Very Rapidly.  Of     Course, No One 
 Thought Of     Going To Bed; My Mother And Edith Sat Dressed For A Journey, 
 And Every One Was Ordered To Prepare To Start At A Moment's Notice.  We 
 Each Had Our Guns And As Much Ammunition As We Could Carry, For On That 
 Our Existence Might Depend Should We Be Deprived Of     Our Stores.  We Had 
 Also A Small Quantity Of     Provisions, A Second Pair Of     Shoes Apiece, And 
 A Few Articles Of     Clothing, Packed Up In Readiness For A Move. 
   
   
 "I Should Have Despatched A Party With Provisions And Ammunition To A 
 Place Of     Safety Up The     Side Of     The     Cliff, Had I Not Hoped That Before 
 The Flood Set In The     Gale Would Have Abated," Observed My Father; "And I 
 Even Now Think That It Might Be The     Most Prudent Course.  I Will Go Down 
 Once More And Ascertain If The     Waters Are Still Rising; And If They Are, 
 It Will Be Wise To Start At Once, Though I Regret That You And Edith 
 Should Be Exposed To The     Rain And Wind." 
   
   
 My Father Said This As We Were Collected In The     Sitting-Room Of     Our 
 House. 
   
   
 Mudge Just Then Came In, The     Rain Pouring Off His Hat.  "I Have Secured 
 The Boat With A Long Warp," He Said, "And Loaded Her With As Many Of     Our 
 Stores As I Thought She Could Safely Carry, So That When The     Waters 
 Subside I Trust That These May At All Events Be Preserved.  I Am Afraid, 
 Sir, That We Must Make A Start; The     Water Has Got To Within A Foot Of 
 The Top Of     The     Bank, And If A Heavy Sea Were To Come Rolling Up From The 
 Mouth Of     The     River It Might Sweep Over The     Whole Settlement." 
   
   
 "We Will No Longer Delay, Then," Said My Father; "Tell The     Men To Get 
 Ready." 
   
   
 We All Of     Us Accordingly, Loading Ourselves With The     Packages We Had 
 Prepared--My Mother, Indeed, Insisting On Carrying A Pretty Heavy 
 Bundle--Followed My Father Out Of     The     House.  Mudge Summoned The     Men, 
 Who Were Ready To Set Out.  Before Proceeding, However, My Father 
 Ordered Them To Secure All The     Doors And Windows, So That Should The 
 Buildings Not Be Carried Away By The     Flood, The     Articles Within Them 
 Might Be Preserved, Though They Would Get Damaged By The     Water.  My 
 Father Supported My Mother; Mudge Took Charge Of     Edith; And I Held 
 Pierce By The     Hand.  The     Rest Of     The     Party Pushed On Close Behind--And 
 From The     Remarks They Made They Evidently Expected The     Whole Peninsula 
 To Be Overwhelmed In A Few Minutes. 
   
   
 It Was With Difficulty We Could See Our Way.  "Let Me Go On Ahead, Yer 
 Honour," Sang Out Paddy; "I'm A Fine Pilot In The     Dark; And It's Better 
 That I Should Tumble Into The     River Than That You And The     Misthress 
 Should Come To Harm." 
   
   
 Paddy Had Supplied Himself With A Long Stick, With Which He Felt The     Way 
 Before Him.  We Managed, By Keeping Close Together Under His Guidance, 
 To Get Across The     Narrow Neck Of     Land, And Then Continued Our Course 
 Along The     Bank Of     The     River.  As It Was Somewhat Higher Than The 
 Peninsula, We Had No Great Fear Of     The     Waters Overtaking Us Till We 
 Could Reach A Place Of     Safety. 
   
   
 We Were Exposed, However, To Another Danger, From The     Masses Of     Earth 
 And Rock Which, Loosened By The     Wind, Came Falling Down On Our Left; 
 While Branches Of     Various Sizes, Wrenched Off The     Parent Stems, Were 
 Whirled Through The     Air, And Often Fell Close To Us.  Even Paddy Had 
 Great Difficulty In Finding The     Part Of     The     Cliff Which Was Accessible. 
 Happily, A Short Distance Up There Was An Overhanging Rock.  As There 
 Was No Danger Of     The     Waters Rising So High, And As It Seemed Perfectly 
 Secure, My Father Directed Us All To Take Shelter Beneath It.  We Were 
 Here, At All Events, Safe From The     Branches Hurtling Through The     Air, 
 And From The     Pieces Of     Rock Which Came Bounding Down The     Cliffs.  My 
 Mother, Edith, And Pierce Were Placed In The     Most Sheltered Part, And 
 The Rest Crept In On Either Side Or In Front Of     Them.  Here We All Sat 
 The Livelong Night, Anxiously Waiting For Day, And Wishing That The 
 Hurricane Would Cease. 
   
   
 "Such Furious Gales As This Seldom Last Many Hours," Observed My Father. 
 "I Trust That It Will Prove The     Clearing Storm, After Which We May Look 
 For Fine Weather.  And We Must Make Up Our Minds To Move In The     Upper 
 Downs Should We Remain In The     Neighbourhood; Though, Unless We Hear From 
 Sydney, I Believe That We Shall Act Wisely By Commencing Our Journey To 
 The Southward.  We Are A Sufficiently Large Party To Resist Any Attack 
 Which The     Natives May Venture To Make On Us; And As We Have An Abundance 
 Of Ammunition, We Shall Be Able To Supply Ourselves With Food On The 
 Road." 
   
   
 The Subject My Father Spoke Of     Was Of     Interest To Us All. 
   
   
 When We Were Not Talking, I Dozed Frequently Off; And Thus The     Night 
 Passed Away With Me More Rapidly Than I Could Have Expected.  Sometimes, 
 When I Awoke, I Heard The     Storm Still Howling And Raging, And The     Waves 
 Roaring On The     Shore; Then There Came A Lull, And For Some Time I Lost 
 All Consciousness. 
   
   
 On Starting Up I Saw That Several Of     The     Party Were On Foot.  The     Sky 
 Overhead Was Blue, And The     First Rays Of     The     Rising Sun Were Glancing On 
 The Tree-Tops Sprinkled With Moisture, Which Now No Longer Waved To And 
 Fro In The     Breeze. 
   
   
 "Let Us Return To Our Village: And I Trust That We May Find That Less 
 Damage Has Been Committed Than We Expected," Said My Father. 
   
   
 We All Anxiously Followed, Looking Towards The     Spot Where We Had Left 
 Our Houses Standing, And Wondering Whether They Would Still Be There. 
   
   
 "I See Their Roofs," Cried Pierce, Who, With Tom, Had Darted On Ahead; 
 "Hurrah! Hurrah!" 
   
   
 He Was Right, And In A Short Time We Reached The     Isthmus.  We Expected 
 To Find The     Garden, At All Events, Destroyed And Everything Uprooted. 
 The Water Had Indeed Washed Over The     Greater Part Of     The     Peninsula, And 
 Had Filled A Trench Dug Round The     Garden, But Could Scarcely Have Done 
 More Than Just Cover The     Ground.  It Had Entered The     Cottages, Which 
 Were A Little Lower Down; But It Had Risen But A Few Inches, And 
 Everything Was In Its Place.  Even In The     Storeroom, The     Articles Alone 
 Which Were On The     Lower Tier Had Got Wet.  The     Boat Was Also Secure, 
 With Her Cargo Undamaged.  We Had, Indeed, Reason To Be Grateful To 
 Providence, That The     Waters Had Been Arrested At The     Moment When They 
 Might Have Destroyed Everything In The     Settlement. 
   
   
 We Had To Wait Some Time For Breakfast--Till The     Wood We Could Collect 
 Was Dry Enough To Light A Fire; And In The     Interval We Employed 
 Ourselves In Cleaning Out The     Floors Of     The     Houses, Which Were Covered 
 With Slime.  Our Narrow Escape, However, Made My Father Determine Not To 
 Wait Beyond The     Expiration Of     The     Four Months, Should A Vessel From 
 Sydney Not Appear To Carry Us Off. 
   
   
 By Puffing And Blowing Paddy At Last Succeeded In Kindling A Fire, When 
 Our Tea-Kettle Was Boiled And We Had Breakfast. 
   
   
 Soon Afterwards I Was Looking With A Spy-Glass Towards The     Coast On The 
 Opposite Side Of     The     River, From Which Direction A Gentle Breeze Blowing 
 Wafted A Far From Pleasant Odour Towards Us, When I Observed A Large 
 Dark Object Lying On The     Beach.  On Looking At It With My Naked Eye, I 
 Had Till Then Supposed That It Was A Rock--Though I Could Not Help 
 Fancying That No Rock Had Formerly Been There.  I Now Discovered That It 
 Was A Huge Dead Whale, Which, Partly Decomposed, Had Been Thrown Up By 
 The Waves During The     Night.  It Was Likely To Prove Anything But An 
 Agreeable Neighbour, However, And Would Certainly Become Worse And 
 Worse. 
   
   
 I Pointed It Out To Mudge And The     Rest.  "We Must Hope That The     Wind 
 Will Change Before Long, Or Even At The     Distance It Is Off It Will Drive 
 Us Away From This," Said Mudge. 
   
   
 A Number Of     Sea-Birds Were Already Hovering Over The     Carcass, Showing 
 That They Had Scented It From Afar.  Though The     Smell Was Unpleasant, 
 Still I Was Anxious To Have A Nearer View Of     The     Monster; So Mudge, 
 Harry, Tommy, And I Agreed To Go Over. 
   
   
 Having Taken The     Things Out Of     The     Boat, We Pulled Across The     River, 
 Which Was Still Somewhat Swollen, And Had Just Landed When We Caught 
 Sight Of     Several Natives Rushing On With Headlong Speed Towards The 
 Whale, Having Apparently Come From The     Interior.  We Drew Back, And 
 Concealed Ourselves Behind The     Trees; And They, Evidently From Having 
 Their Eyes Fixed On The     Whale, Had Not Seen Us.  The     Country Towards The 
 West Was Open, And As I Turned My Glass In That Direction I Observed A 
 Still Greater Number Running On As Fast As Their Legs Could Carry Them. 
 The Sound Of     Their Wild Shouts And Shrieks, As They Clapped Their Hands 
 And Kicked Up Their Legs With Delight, Reached Our Ears.  On They Came. 
   
   
 We Had No Notion That Anything Like The     Number Of     Natives We Saw Existed 
 In The     Neighbourhood.  How, Indeed, They Came To Discover That The 
 Creature, To Them So Great A Prize, Had Been Cast On Shore, It Was 
 Difficult To Say--Unless, Like The     Birds Of     Prey, They Had Scented It 
 From Afar.  Over The     Hills They Came, Some Appearing At The     Entrance Of 
 A Valley, Others Making Their Way Along The     Shore.  Already We Saw That 
 Some Had Arrived; And Through My Glass I Recognised Our Friend Pullingo 
 As The     Principal Figure By The     Feather At The     Top Of     His Head, The 
 Bundle Of     Lances In One Hand, And An Axe Which We Had Given Him In The 
 Other.  Some Of     The     Natives Carried Huge Drums, Which They Beat With 
 Might And Main, Forming The     Bass To Their Shrill Shrieks.  All Seemed So 
 Eager To Reach The     Scene Of     Action, That Even Had We Been Much Nearer We 
 Ran Little Risk Of     Being Discovered. 
   
   
 On They Came In Troops, Till Nearly Two Hundred Must Have Been 
 Collected; Then Joining Hands, They Formed A Large Circle Round The 
 Whale, While Pullingo Mounted Along The     Tail To The     Top Of     It, Where He 
 Stood Flourishing His Axe, And Apparently Making A Speech To The 
 Assembled Multitude.  Its Tenor We Should Not Have Understood, Even Had 
 We Heard His Words Distinctly; But It Was Replied To By The     Shouts And 
 Cries Of     The     People Below: Then The     Drums Set Up A Thundering Rattle, 
 And The     Blacks Reiterating Their Shrieks And Cries, Men, Women, And 
 Children Began To Dance Round And Round, Throwing Themselves Into The 
 Wildest And Most Extravagant Postures, All Trying To Vie One With The 
 Other Who Could Leap, And Kick, And Twist Their Bodies And Arms About In 
 The Most Grotesque Fashion.  Whether It Was Simply To Show Their Joy, Or 
 Was Some Religious Ceremony, We Could Not Determine. 
   
   
 The Dance, If So It Could Be Called, Continued For Some Time, Pullingo 
 Still Remaining The     Central Figure On The     Top Of     The     Whale, When 
 Suddenly He Dug His Axe Into The     Creature's Back; On Which, Picking Up 
 Their Stone Knives Or Other Instruments, Which They Had Placed On The 
 Ground, The     Savages Rushed Forward And Began Hacking Away At The     Body Of 
 The Whale In A Most Ferocious Fashion. 
   
   
 I Was Very Glad That We Were At A Distance, For Even As Seen Through A 
 Telescope The     Spectacle Was One Of     The     Most Disgusting I Ever Witnessed. 
 As They Cut Out Pieces Of     The     Flesh, They Rammed Them Into Their 
 Mouths, Tearing Them With Their Teeth Like A Pack Of     Famishing Wolves; 
 Some Of     Them Literally Forcing Their Way Into The     Carcass, Out Of     Which 
 They Emerged Carrying Huge Pieces Of     Dripping Flesh, Covering Their 
 Bodies With Blood.  Even The     Women, Some Of     Them Young, And, As Seen 
 From A Distance, Far From Ill-Looking, Attacked The     Whale In The     Same 
 Fashion As The     Men, And Appeared Again Dripping All Over With Blood. 
 When I Thought Of     The     Putrid State Of     The     Flesh, It Made Me Almost Sick 
 To Look At Them, And Disgusted At Seeing Human Beings So Degraded. 
 Under Ordinary Circumstances They Were Not Pleasant Neighbours, But 
 Horrible Must Have Been The     Effluvium Arising From Them After They Had 
 Thus Gorged Themselves. 
   
   
 Not Having Any Wish To Get Nearer The     Scene, We Returned To The     Boat; 
 And In A Short Time Afterwards We Saw That They Had Lighted Fires In The 
 Neighbourhood Of     The     Monster, Intending Apparently To Cook The     Flesh, 
 And To Stay There Till They Had Eaten It Up. 
   
   
 The Presence Of     So Large A Number Of     Natives In Our Vicinity, Made My 
 Father Consider Seriously Whether It Would Not Be Prudent To Leave Our 
 Present Position Without Further Delay, Nearly Four Months Having 
 Elapsed Since The     Departure Of     The     Long-Boat.  He Forthwith Invited 
 Mudge And Burton To Hold A Consultation On The     Subject, At Which I Also 
 Was Present; And Where Mudge Remarked That Two Days Only Remained To 
 Complete The     Four Months. 
   
   
 "If No Vessel Appears In That Time, I Think We May Conclude, Either That 
 The Long-Boat Has Unfortunately Been Lost, Or That Mr Brown Has Been 
 Unable To Succeed In Obtaining A Vessel To Come To Our Relief," Observed 
 Mudge.  "While The     Whale Lasts, I Don't Think We Need Fear A Visit From 
 Those Unsavoury Gentlemen; But When They Have Recovered From The     Effects 
 Of Their Banquet, And Begin To Feel The     Pangs Of     Hunger, They Are Very 
 Likely To Become Troublesome; And Though We Should Be Able To Hold Our 
 Own Against Them, We Might Find It Dangerous To Go Out Hunting Singly Or 
 In Small Parties.  I Therefore Advise That At The     End Of     Two Days We 
 Should Proceed Up The     River As Far As The     Boat Will Carry Us, And Either 
 Pitch Our Camp There, While We Make Further Preparations For Our 
 Journey, Or Push On Southward At Once.  I Prefer An Inland Route To One 
 Along The     Coast, Because In The     Latter Case We Should Have To Follow Its 
 Various Sinuosities, And Have To Cross The     Rivers At Their Mouths, Where 
 They Are Probably The     Broadest; Whereas By Keeping Inland We May Steer A 
 Direct Course, And Are More Likely To Find Game And Obtain Fresh Water." 
   
   
 "I Am Of     Mr Mudge's Opinion," Observed Burton.  "By Keeping Near The 
 Coast, If The     Natives Are Inclined To Attack Us We Should Only Have One 
 Side To Defend.  But Then, Again, If We Move Quickly On They Will See 
 That We Are Merely Travelling Through The     Country, And Not Wishing To 
 Interfere With Them, And So Are Not Likely To Annoy Us.  I, However, 
 Would Advise That We Should Make All Preparations Before Leaving This, 
 And Begin Our Overland Journey Directly We Leave The     Boat." 
   
   
 "I Agree With All You Have Said," Observed My Father.  "I Will Get You, 
 Burton, To Explain The     Plan We Propose To The     Other Men; And I Hope That 
 All Will Be Satisfied That What We Suggest Is For The     Best.  I Should Be 
 Glad, However, If, Before Starting, We Could Manage To Communicate With 
 Pullingo, As He Would Prove Invaluable As A Guide Across The     Parts Of 
 The Country With Which He Is Acquainted; And I Think, After The     Way We 
 Have Treated Him, That He May Be Trusted." 
   
   
 "Paddy Doyle Would Be The     Best Person To Try And Get Hold Of     Him," I 
 Observed.  "It Would Be Pretty Trying To Any One Of     Us To Go Near The 
 Whale, But I Suspect That The     Irishman Would Not Be Very Particular; And 
 As Pullingo Knows That We Can Always Supply Him With Food, He Might Be 
 More Willing Than The     Rest Of     His Tribe To Leave The     Horrible Mass Of 
 Flesh On Which They Are Gorging Themselves." 
   
   
 "You Must Speak To Paddy, And See If He Is Willing To Go," Said My 
 Father.  "In The     Meantime, We Will Make Packages Of     The     Necessaries We 
 Are To Take With Us; And I Should Advise Each Person To Manufacture For 
 Himself A Pair Of     Canvas Leggings, And A Broad-Brimmed Hat Of     The     Same 
 Material." 
   
   
 Before Separating They Discussed Other Points, And Made Out A List Of 
 The Different Articles It Would Be Advisable To Take With Us. 
   
   
 As Soon As I Told Doyle, He Immediately Agreed To Visit The     Blacks' 
 Camp.  It Was Too Late To Set Off That Night; But Next Morning Burton 
 And I, With One Of     The     Other Men, Took Him Across To The     Opposite Shore. 
 We Watched Him As He Made His Way Towards The     Camp, Which, In Spite Of 
 The Odour Proceeding From The     Carcass Of     The     Whale, Was Pitched Close To 
 It.  The     Only Shelter The     Natives Had Provided For Themselves Consisted 
 Of Some Slabs Of     Bark Three Or Four Feet In Length, Either Stuck In The 
 Ground Or Leaning Against A Rail, With Their Fires In Front. 
   
   
 They Were Still, Apparently, All Fast Asleep, Overcome By Their Debauch 
 Of The     Previous Day And Night.  Doyle, Who Wisely Carried His Musket And 
 Pistols, Went On Without Hesitation.  How He Found Out Pullingo's 
 Sleeping-Place I Do Not Know, As There Was Nothing To Distinguish It 
 From The     Rest.  For Some Time He Was Lost To Sight Behind The     Carcass Of 
 The Whale. 
   
   
 We Waited And Waited, And Began At Length To Wonder That He Did Not 
 Return.  Before Starting, He Had Said That He Would Fire Off His Pistol 
 Should He Require Assistance, Though He Had Little Fear On That Score. 
   
   
 "I Hope That Nothing Has Happened To Poor Paddy," Observed Burton. 
   
   
 "I Can't Fancy It, Unless He Has Been Overcome By The     Odour Of     The 
 Whale," I Answered; "It Is Bad Enough Even Here, And Sufficient To Breed 
 A Fever Among The     Blacks, Even If It Does Not Make Us Sick." 
   
   
 "No Fear Of     That," Observed Burton; "They Are Accustomed To It.  Hurrah! 
 Here Comes Doyle, And Our Friend Pullingo With Him, Rubbing His Stomach, 
 As If He Found Walking A Trouble." 
   
   
 "I've Got Him," Exclaimed Doyle As He Approached; "But We Must Keep Him 
 Well Supplied With Food, Or He'll Be Off Again To Have Another Blow-Out 
 Of Whale's Flesh.  Faith, It's Rather High Flavoured; But It's To Their 
 Taste, I Suppose." 
   
   
 Pullingo Hesitated Before Stepping Into The     Boat, And Cast A Wistful 
 Glance In The     Direction Of     The     Whale. 
   
   
 "Don't Think About That, Old Fellow," Said Paddy, Patting Him On The 
 Shoulder; "We'll Give You As Much Good Grub As You Can Want.  So Come 
 Along With Us;" And Taking His Arm, He Induced Him To Step Into The 
 Boat. 
   
   
 I Did Not Find Him A Very Pleasant Neighbour; But I Held My Nose, And 
 Endeavoured Not To Think About The     Matter.  As Soon As We Got Him On 
 Shore, We Tried To Make Him Understand What We Wanted: That We Purposed 
 Moving Southward, And That We Would Reward Him Handsomely If He Would 
 Act As Our Guide.  We Could Not Clearly Make Out Whether Or Not He Was 
 Willing To Go; And As We Could Not Start For A Couple Of     Days, Mudge 
 Offered To Go Up The     River As Far As It Was Navigable In The     Boat, With 
 Doyle And Harry And Me, And One Of     The     Other Men, And To Take Him With 
 Us.  We Should Thus Be Better Able To Judge Whether He Understood What 
 We Wished Him To Do. 
   
   
 There Was No Risk, In The     Meantime, Of     The     Natives Leaving Their Feast; 
 And The     Wind Fortunately Now Blowing From Us Towards The     Whale, We Were 
 No Longer Annoyed By The     Disagreeable Odour.  One Thing Was Certain,-- 
 That The     Boat Could Not Carry Us All, With Our Provisions And Stores, 
 And That We Should, At All Events, Have To Make Two Or Three Trips.  My 
 Father, Therefore, Thought That The     Sooner We Set Off The     Better.  We 
 Accordingly Put On Board The     Boat A Supply Of     Provisions, Ammunition, 
 And Some Other Articles, Which We Intended Storing Near The 
 Landing-Place At The     Head Of     The     River.  We Also Took With Us Such Tools 
 As We Should Require To Build A Hut.  These Arrangements Being Made, We 
 Wished Our Friends Good-Bye, And Pulled Away Up The     River. 
   
   
 The Scenery, As We Advanced, Became Highly Picturesque, And In Some 
 Places The     Banks On Either Side Were Fringed With Trees; In Others, 
 Perpendicular Cliffs Rose Sheer Out Of     The     Water To A Considerable 
 Height; While Numerous Points Projected Into The     Stream, Some Rocky, 
 Others Covered With The     Richest Vegetation. 
   
   
 We Had Been Curious To Know How Pullingo And His Family Had Crossed The 
 River; But We Had Not Got Far When We Caught Sight Of     A Very 
 Rough-Looking Canoe Hauled Up On The     Bank.  We Pulled In To Examine It, 
 And Found That It Consisted Of     A Single Large Sheet Of     Bark Bent Up, The 
 Ends Roughly Sewed Together, Lumps Of     Clay Being Stuffed In To Prevent 
 The Water From Entering, While The     Centre Part Was Kept Open By Several 
 Pieces Of     Stick Fixed Across The     Upper Edge.  Such A Canoe Could Not 
 Take Many Minutes To Form; And We Agreed That It Would Be Well To Copy 
 The Natives When We Had Rivers To Cross, And To Form Similar Canoes, As 
 They Would Be More Quickly Constructed, And Could Be Guided With Less 
 Difficulty, Than A Raft.  Pullingo Made Us Understand That This Was His 
 Canoe, But That He Would Leave It Where It Was For The     Use Of     His Wife 
 And Family. 
   
   
 As The     Tide Had Just Begun To Flow When We Started, We Made Rapid 
 Progress.  We Saw Numerous Birds, Ducks And Geese, Which Skimmed Over 
 The Surface, Seeking For Their Prey, Or Flew Off, Startled By Our 
 Approach.  We Pulled On Till The     Shadows Which Spread Over The     Stream 
 Showed Us That Night Was Coming On, And That We Must Ere Long Look Out 
 For A Place To Encamp.  As, However, The     Sun's Rays Still Tinged The 
 Topmost Boughs Of     The     More Lofty Trees, We Continued Our Course, Anxious 
 To Get As High As Possible Before Bringing Up. 
   
   
 "Avast Pulling," Cried Mudge; "I Think I Hear The     Sound Of     A Waterfall." 
   
   
 We Obeyed Him.  I Could Distinctly Hear The     Rushing Noise Of     A Body Of 
 Water Coming From The     Upper Part Of     The     River.  We Again Gave Way, And 
 Saw Before Us A Mass Of     Foam Produced By The     Water Running Over A Ledge 
 Of Rocks Some Six Or Eight Feet In Height, Stretching Directly Across 
 The River.  This Would Effectually Bar Our Further Progress; And Not To 
 Lose More Time, We Pulled In To The     Right Or Southern Bank, Towards A 
 Spot Where The     Tall Trees Receding Afforded An Open Space On Which We 
 Might Encamp.  In Other Parts Along The     Bank The     Vegetation Was Of     An 
 Unusually Dense Character For Australia: Numberless Creepers Hung From 
 The Branches Of     The     Lofty Trees, Bearing Star-Like Flowers, Some White, 
 Others Of     A Yellow Hue, Shining Like Gold, Contrasted With The     Dark 
 Green Foliage; While The     Ground Below And More Open Spaces Were Carpeted 
 With A Rich Sward But Seldom Seen In That Country, And Produced, 
 Probably, By The     Spray From The     Waterfall Cast Over It When The     Wind 
 Blew Down The     River. 
   
   
 Pullingo, By His Gestures, Leading Us To Suppose That He Considered It A 
 Good Place For Encamping, We Accordingly Landed.  We Found The     Ground 
 Harder Than We Had Expected, As The     Soil, Which Was Only A Few Inches 
 Deep, Rested On A Bed Of     Rock, Which Had Prevented The     Trees From Taking 
 Root.  We Quickly Set About Forming Our Camp; Some Of     The     Party 
 Collecting Sheets Of     Bark, Aided By Pullingo, While Others Picked Up 
 Broken Branches For Our Fire. 
   
   
 While We Were Thus Employed, A Flight Of     The     Magnificent Cockatoos I 
 Have Before Described Settled On Some Of     The     Branches Close To The 
 River.  Pullingo, Who Had Brought His Boomerang, At Once Eyed Them 
 Eagerly.  Paddy And I, Who Were Near Him, Ran For Our Guns; But He Made 
 A Sign To Us Not To Shoot, Letting Us Understand That He Had A Far More 
 Effectual Way Of     Procuring Our Supper.  We Followed Him Cautiously, So 
 As Not To Frighten The     Birds As He Stole Towards Them.  As They 
 Clustered Thickly On The     Boughs, It Was Evident They Intended To Rest 
 There For The     Night.  They Sat Talking Away To Each Other At A Great 
 Rate For Some Minutes; Then, Having Placed Their Sentinels And Wished 
 Each Other Good-Night, They Put Their Heads Under Their Wings And 
 Prepared For Sleep.  They Little Thought Of     The     Subtle Foe In Their 
 Neighbourhood. 
   
   
 Having Got Close Under The     Tree Without Being Perceived, Pullingo Drew 
 His Boomerang From His Belt, And Retired A Few Paces From His Shelter; 
 Then Running Forward, To Give Power To His Arm, Till His Feet Touched 
 The Margin Of     The     Stream, And Throwing His Right Hand, Which Held The 
 Boomerang, Over His Back, He Cast It Directly Before Him With All The 
 Force Of     His Arm.  These Different Movements Had Scarcely Occupied Three 
 Seconds.  The     Sentinels, Meanwhile, Had Given A Warning Sound, And The 
 Birds Seemed To Be Aware That All Was Not Right.  When, However, They 
 Saw The     Weapon Flying Towards The     Surface Of     The     Water, They Appeared 
 Satisfied That It Had Nothing To Do With Them. 
   
   
 But Instead Of     Dropping Into The     Stream, As Might Have Been Expected, It 
 Suddenly Took A New Direction; And Flying Up Into The     Air With 
 Irresistible Force, Came Turning Round And Round In The     Most 
 Extraordinary Manner, With A Whizzing Sound, Into The     Very Midst Of     The 
 Cockatoos' Roosting-Place, Continuing Its Course Among Them--Killing One 
 Outright, Breaking The     Wing Of     Another, Sending Another Squalling To The 
 Ground, Cutting Open Their Heads, And Committing All Sorts Of     Damage 
 Among The     Feathered Inhabitants Of     The     Trees.  In Vain The     Unfortunate 
 Cockatoos, Overcome With Astonishment, Uttered Their Cries Of     Despair; 
 In Vain They Endeavoured To Escape The     Awful Blows Of     This Apparently 
 Enchanted Piece Of     Wood; The     Boomerang Continued Its Eccentric Course, 
 Not Ceasing Its Gyrations Till It Had Knocked Over Nearly A Dozen Birds, 
 And Had Fallen Close To The     Spot Where Its Owner Stood Ready To Receive 
 It. 
   
   
 It Was The     First Time I Had Ever Seen The     Boomerang Used, And I Could 
 Not Have Believed It Capable Of     Such Performances Had I Not Witnessed 
 Them.  Before The     Birds Had Recovered From Their Fright, The     Boomerang 
 Was Again In Their Midst, Whizzing Round And Round, As If Endued With 
 Life, And Committing Almost As Much Damage As Before.  Pullingo Was 
 Preparing To Throw It A Third Time, When The     Survivors Of     The     Cockatoos, 
 Discovering That This Was No Secure Resting-Place For Them, Took To 
 Flight, Uttering Mournful Cries For Their Lost Companions--Several Of 
 Whom, Having Been Roughly Plucked, Were Speedily Roasting On Spits 
 Before The     Fire. 
   
   
 "Much Obliged To You For The     Good Supper You've Procured For Us, Mr 
 Pullingo," Observed Paddy; "But It Surprises Me That You, Who Can Get As 
 Many Well-Tasted Birds As You Like By Throwing That Bit Of     Stick, Can 
 Bring Yourself To Eat Such Horrible Food As That Putrid Whale's Flesh. 
 However, We All Have Our Tastes; Though I Can't Say I Admire Yours." 
   
   
 These Remarks Were Made While We Were Seated Round The     Fire, And 
 Pullingo Was Gnawing Away At The     Whole Body Of     A Cockatoo, Which He Had 
 Taken For His Share.  Though He Could Not Understand A Word The     Irishman 
 Said, He Seemed To Have An Idea That He Was Referring To His Gastronomic 
 Powers, And He Complacently Stroked His Stomach, To Show That He Was 
 Enjoying His Food. 
   
   
 Having Finished Our Meal, We Prepared Ourselves For Sleep, Each Of     Us 
 Having Placed A Piece Of     Bark On The     Ground To Serve As A Mattress, 
 Under Shelter Of     The     Upright Pieces, According To The     Native Fashion. 
 Pullingo Was Quickly Snoring, Showing His Confidence In Us; But Mudge 
 Thought It Would Be Wiser To Keep Watch, In Case Any Strange Natives 
 Might Pay Us A Visit During The     Night.  We Knew That We Had No Danger To 
 Apprehend From Savage Animals, As Even The     Dingo, The     Only Carnivorous 
 Quadruped In The     Country, Will Not Attack A Human Being Able To Offer 
 The Slightest Resistance.  We Could Not, However, Tell What A Pack Of 
 Such Brutes Might Do Should They Find Us Asleep. 
   
   
 I Kept My Watch Very Faithfully; But I Suspect Some Of     The     Rest Of     The 
 Party Followed Pullingo's Example, And Went To Sleep.  No Serious 
 Consequences Ensued, But The     Sun Was Up Before Any Of     Us Awoke. 
   
   
 We Immediately Set To Work To Relight The     Fire And Cook Our Breakfast. 
 Mudge And Paddy Doyle Then Tried Once More To Ascertain Whether Pullingo 
 Was Willing To Accompany Us To The     South; And After Such Conversation As 
 They Could Carry On, They Were Satisfied That He Would Undertake To Act 
 As Guide--As Far, At All Events, As He Was Acquainted With The     Country. 
 What Had Become Of     His Big Son, His Wife, And Small Children, We Could 
 Not Make Out; But He Apparently Intended To Leave Them Behind. 
   
   
 "Now, Lads," Said Mudge, "We Will Store The     Goods We Have Brought Up, 
 And Then Make The     Best Of     Our Way Down To The     Camp; But As It Would Not 
 Be Safe, I Suspect, To Leave Them Without Protection, Are Any Of     You 
 Willing To Remain?  If We Carry Our Black Friend Back Within Scent Of 
 The Whale, I Am Afraid That He Will Attempt To Return To It.  Do You 
 Think, Doyle, That You Could Manage To Keep Him Here?" 
   
   
 "I'll Try, Your Honour; And I'm Ready Enough Myself To Remain, If 
 Anybody Will Stay With Me," Answered Paddy. 
   
   
 "I Will," Said Harry, Who Observed That The     Other Men Did Not Answer 
 Readily. 
   
   
 "So Will I," I Said, "If You Wish It, Mudge." 
   
   
 "No," He Answered; "Two Are Sufficient, And You May Be Wanted To Bring 
 Up The     Boat.  As We Have The     Tide With Us, We May Reach The     Camp And Be 
 Back Here Soon After Nightfall; And We Now Know The     River Sufficiently 
 Well To Pull Up In The     Dark." 
   
   
 Mudge Desired Doyle To Place The     Goods On A Bed Of     Bark Slabs, And To 
 Build A Hut Over Them Of     The     Same Material, So That, Should Rain Come 
 On, They Might Be Preserved From Wet.  Pullingo, On Seeing That We Left 
 Our Goods Behind Us, Was Perfectly Ready To Remain; And Wishing Our 
 Friends Good-Bye, We Pulled Rapidly Down The     River.  As We Had A Strong 
 Current With Us We Made Good Way, And In About Six Hours Reached The 
 Encampment. 
   
   
 "Has The     Vessel Appeared?"  I Asked Of     Tommy Peck, Who Had Come Down To 
 Meet Us, As I Sprang On Shore. 
   
   
 "Not A Sign Of     One," He Answered.  "The Captain Has Gone Up To The     Top 
 Of The     Cliff To Have A Better Look-Out; And If None Appears, I Think He 
 Will Be For Moving." 
   
   
 My Mother And Edith, On Hearing From Popo That The     Boat Had Arrived, 
 Came Out Of     The     House And Gave Me The     Same Report.  They Had Been Busily 
 Engaged For The     Last Two Days In Preparing For Our Intended Journey, As 
 Had Also The     Men In The     Camp. 
   
   
 On My Father's Return He Expressed Himself Satisfied With What We Had 
 Done, And Accepted Mudge's Offer To Go Back Again At Once With Another 
 Cargo Of     Goods; While He Himself Proposed To Remain With Pierce, Tom, 
 And One Of     The     Other Men; And I Was To Bring Back The     Boat, Which In Her 
 Last Trip Was To Carry Up My Father And Mother And Edith, And The 
 Remainder Of     The     Goods And Chattels We Intended To Remove. 
   
   
 We Accordingly Lost No Time In Again Starting, As We Did Not Wish To 
 Lose Any Of     The     Daylight.  For Nearly Two Hours We Had To Pull On In The 
 Dark, And Frequently It Was So Difficult To See Our Way That We Had To 
 Advance Cautiously.  I Sat In The     Bow, Endeavouring To Pierce The     Gloom, 
 So As To Catch Sight Of     Any Danger Ahead Before We Were Upon It.  Very 
 Thankful I Was When I Saw A Bright Glare Cast Over The     Water, And On The 
 Boughs And Trunks Of     The     Surrounding Trees, By Paddy Doyle's Camp-Fire, 
 And He And Harry Answered My Hail. 
   
   
 We Soon Made Our Way To The     Bank, When We Found That They Had Been 
 Expecting Us, And Had Prepared An Ample Supper Of     Roast Parrots And 
 Doves, With A Pot Of     Tea, And Some Cakes Cooked In The     Ashes.  They Had 
 Also Got Ready Our Sleeping-Places; So Without Loss Of     Time We Lay Down 
 To Rest, Intending To Start Again An Hour Before Dawn, That We Might, If 
 Possible, Return Before The     Close Of     The     Day. 
   
   
 I Was So Anxious To Be Off In Time That I Awoke Even Sooner Than Was 
 Necessary.  I Found Pullingo Sitting Up--Not Keeping Watch, But Stowing 
 Away In His Capacious Inside The     Remains Of     Our Supper, Which I Had 
 Intended For Breakfast.  Several Birds Which Had Been Killed The 
 Previous Day Were Hanging Up, So I Plucked And Spitted Them.  I Then 
 Aroused Those Of     My Companions Who Were To Form The     Crew.  We Hurried 
 Over Our Breakfast; And Making Our Way To The     Boat, Began Our Downward 
 Voyage.  As Before, We Had To Proceed Cautiously Till Daylight Returned; 
 We Then Made Such Good Play That We Reached The     Camp Even Before My 
 Father Expected Us. 
   
   
 He Had Just Returned From A Last Trip To The     Downs.  "No Vessel Anywhere 
 In Sight," He Said.  "I Very Much Fear That Brown And His Party Are 
 Lost; They Must Have Encountered The     Gales We Felt So Severely Here.  I 
 Warned Them Of     The     Danger They Would Run, But They Would Not Believe Me. 
 Nevertheless, I Am Heartily Sorry To Think That They Have Probably Been 
 Lost." 
   
   
 I Found That During Our Absence My Father Had Done His Utmost To Secure 
 The Property We Were To Leave Behind From Being Plundered By The 
 Natives.  He Had Barricaded The     Doors And Windows, Both Of     The     Huts And 
 The Store-House, With Pieces Of     Timber Fixed Firmly In The     Ground And 
 Horizontal Bars Nailed Across Them, Which We Had Hopes That The     Natives 
 Would Not Venture To Remove. 
   
   
 The Remainder Of     The     Articles We Intended To Carry With Us Were Neatly 
 Done Up In Packages.  We Also Took All Our Arms And Ammunition, Of     Which 
 We Had Not More Than Would Last Us, We Calculated, Till We Could Hope To 
 Reach The     Settlements; Indeed, It Was The     Fear Of     This Running Short 
 Which Made My Father Determine To Commence Our Journey To The     Southward 
 Without Further Delay.  While That Lasted, We Might Amply Supply 
 Ourselves With Food, And With Due Precaution Set The     Natives At 
 Defiance; But Should That Be Exhausted, They, With Their Long Spears And 
 Formidable Boomerangs, Would Be Superior To Us In Weapons Of     Defence, 
 While We Should Have No Means Of     Obtaining Provisions.  Had Not The 
 Bushrangers Carried Off So Much Of     Our Powder, We Might Have Remained 
 Another Month Or Two. 
   
   
 The Boat Was Loaded Without Delay.  Our Last Act Was To Collect All The 
 Vegetables Fit For Use In The     Garden, That We Might Have A Supply Of 
 Green Food--At All Events, For The     First Few Days Of     Our Journey.  Not 
 Without Regret Did We Bid Farewell To The     Spot Which Had Afforded Us 
 Shelter For So Many Weeks. 
   
   
 "Shove Off," Said My Father, As He Seated Himself At The     Helm, With My 
 Mother And Edith By His Side, While The     Faithful Nanny Crouched At My 
 Sister's Feet; And Giving Way, We Commenced Our Voyage Up The     River.  We 
 Took A Look Through An Opening In The     Trees In The     Direction Of     The 
 Whale, Round Which The     Natives Were Still Collected In Vast Numbers; And 
 Thankful Were We To Get Away From Them, For We Had No Doubt That As Soon 
 As They Had Eaten Up The     Monster They Would Become Troublesome.  We 
 Should Have Been Glad Had We Been Able To Penetrate Farther To The     West 
 By Water, As A Glance At The     Map We Had With Us Showed That We Should 
 Still Have A Considerable Amount Of     Westing To Make In Our Course To 
 Sydney. 
   
   
 My Mother Was Cheerful, Notwithstanding The     Arduous Journey On Foot 
 Which She Was About To Undertake.  Edith Laughed And Talked As Usual, 
 Not Troubling Herself About The     Matter; Indeed, She Thought That It 
 Would Be Very Good Fun To Walk On All Day Through A New Country With A 
 Constant Change Of     Scenery, And At The     End Of     It The     Amusement Of 
 Forming A Camp For The     Night.  She Thought, Indeed, It Would Be A 
 Succession Of     Picnics, Only With More Excitement Than Ordinary Picnics 
 Afford.  We None Of     Us Said Anything To Damp Her Spirits, Though I Could 
 Not Help Fearing That She Would Get Tired Before Long Of     This Style Of 
 Life.  We Had, However, Every Reason To Hope That We Should Enjoy Fine 
 Weather, As The     Rainy Season Was Now Over; And That Would Be Much In Our 
 Favour. 
   
   
 We Met With No Adventure Worth Recording, And Having Pulled On All Day 
 Without Cessation, We Reached The     Head Of     The     Navigation Soon After 
 Sunset.  Our Friends, Having A Fire Blazing Up Cheerfully And Provisions 
 Cooking At It, Were Collected On The     Bank To Welcome Us.  As Soon As The 
 Boat Was Unloaded We Dragged Her Up The     Bank Some Way From The     Water, 
 Where We Intended, Before Starting The     Next Morning, To House Her 
 Carefully Over, So That She Might Be Protected From The     Sun And Wet, And 
 Be Ready For Use Should We Be Compelled From Any Cause To Return. 
   
   
 Our Camp Was Formed At Some Distance From The     Water, On The     Side Of     A 
 Bank, Where The     Ground Was Drier Than The     Spot We First Occupied Near 
 The River.  It Was Truly A Wild Woodland Scene: The     Trees Of     Gigantic 
 Growth Towering Up To The     Starlit Sky, Their Branches Thickly Interlaced 
 With Countless Creepers, Which Hung Down In Festoons, Bearing Flowers Of 
 Various Hues, Some Of     Enormous Size, Others So Minute As Scarcely To Be 
 Discernible Except When Massed In Clusters.  Those Only, However, Were 
 Visible, Which, Hanging Low Down, Shone In The     Light Of     The     Blazing 
 Fire. 
   
   
 Mudge Had Thoughtfully Arranged A Bark Hut For My Mother And Edith, 
 While Lean-Tos Served For The     Rest Of     The     Party.  Considering Our 
 Circumstances, We Were Very Merry As We Sat Round The     Fire Enjoying A 
 Good Supper, For, Having An Abundance Of     Provisions, There Was No 
 Necessity To Stint Ourselves; Indeed, We Possessed More Than We Could 
 Carry, And Should Have To Let Some Remain _En Cache_, As The     Canadians 
 Call It. 
   
   
 Pullingo Had, According To His Own Idea, Become One Of     Us; Mudge Having 
 Dressed Him Up In A Shirt And Trousers, Which Made Him Far More 
 Presentable Among Civilised People Than He Had Hitherto Been.  He Had 
 Tried To Get Him Into A Canvas Jacket; But He Made Signs That It Was Too 
 Hot, And That He Should Sink With The     Weight;--Though One Would Not 
 Suppose That It Could Have Made Much Difference.  I Observed That At 
 Night He Took Off His New Clothes, And Merely Threw His Skin-Rug Over 
 Him; Probably He Would Otherwise Have Been Unable To Go To Sleep. 
   
   
 But I Must Now Hurry On, And Merely Give The     Chief Incidents Of     Our 
 Journey. 
 
 
 
 Chapter X 
   
   
   
 Journey Commenced--Our Night Encampment--Witness A Corroborree, Or 
 Skeleton Dance--Natives Visit Us--A Magician Plays Off His Tricks-- 
 Native Superstitions--Journey Resumed--Curious Trees--Camp Alarmed By A 
 "Laughing Jackass"--Halt For The     Day--Expedition--Discover An Old Woman 
 Trying To Arouse The     Natives To Attack Us--Pullingo Appears To Warn Us-- 
 We Retreat--A Hurried March--A Litter Formed For Edith--Again Encamp--A 
 Fugitive--Surprised By The     Natives--Prove To Be Friends Of     Pullingo--The 
 March Resumed. 
   
   
 Having Housed In The     Boat, And Hidden Such Provisions And Goods As We 
 Could Not Take With Us, We Commenced Our Journey.  We Each Of     Us Carried 
 A Pack Containing Ammunition, A Pair Of     Shoes, A Change Of     Clothing, 
 Flour, Biscuit, And Preserved Meat, Salt And Other Necessaries.  My 
 Father Had, In Addition, His Money, Which He Had Saved From The     Wreck, A 
 Compass, A Sextant, A Map, And A Book Or Two.  Mudge Was Similarly 
 Loaded.  I Had My Journal; And My Mother Insisted On Carrying Her Own 
 Clothing, As Well As Some Provisions, And Her Bible; While Edith Was 
 Quite Unhappy Till She Was Allowed To Have A Small Parcel Made Up For 
 Herself. 
   
   
 Each Package Was Suited To The     Strength Of     The     Person Who Had To Carry 
 It.  It Is A Very Different Thing To Lift A Weight Which May Appear 
 Perfectly Light For A Few Minutes, And To Have To Carry It Day After Day 
 On One's Shoulders, With The     Addition Of     A Musket, A Brace Of     Pistols, 
 And A Stout Stick. 
   
   
 Pullingo Went Ahead With His Spears In His Hand And His Boomerang Stuck 
 In His Girdle, Fully Conscious Of     His Dignity.  Paddy Doyle Went Next To 
 Him, Or Marched At His Side For The     Purpose Of     Keeping Him In Good 
 Humour, While He Endeavoured To Learn His Language And Teach Him 
 English.  Mudge Marched Next With Tommy Peck; My Father And Mother 
 Followed, And Either Harry Or I Accompanied Edith And Pierce, Who Led 
 The Goat Between Them; While Burton And Popo, With The     Other Men, 
 Brought Up The     Rear.  When I Was Not With Edith, I Either Walked 
 Alongside Burton Or Went Ahead With Mudge. 
   
   
 After We Left The     Neighbourhood Of     The     River We Emerged Into A More Open 
 Country; That Is To Say, The     Trees Grew At A Sufficient Distance Apart 
 To Enable Us To See A Long Way Between Them.  We Flattered Ourselves 
 That We Were Not Likely To Meet With Any Natives For Some Time, As We 
 Fancied That All Those In The     Neighbourhood Had Collected To Feed On The 
 Carcass Of     The     Whale, And We Knew That Pullingo Would Not Lead Us 
 Through A Country Inhabited By Any Tribes Hostile To His Own. 
   
   
 I Should Say That The     Aborigines Of     Australia Are Divided Into Numerous 
 Separate Tribes Or Families, Living Entirely Apart From Each Other, 
 Retaining Their Own Hunting-Grounds, And So Seldom Intermixing That In 
 Many Instances They Are Unacquainted With Each Other's Language.  We 
 Were Led To Suppose That Pullingo's Tribe Was Chiefly Located In The 
 Region To The     South Of     The     River, And That He Had Come Farther North 
 Than Usual When He Fell In With Us; We Could Only Thus Account For The 
 Confidence With Which He Marched On Ahead, As If Thoroughly Acquainted 
 With The     Country. 
   
   
 We Calculated That We Had Made Fifteen Miles, When We Encamped For The 
 Night On The     Border Of     A Thick Wood To Which Pullingo Conducted Us.  On 
 Looking At The     Map, However, It Seemed As If, After All Our Walking, We 
 Had Made No Progress, Though The     Ground Over Which We Had Passed Had 
 Been Perfectly Easy; And We Knew From The     Account The     Bushranger Had 
 Given Us That We Should Have A Mountainous And Rocky Region To Cross, 
 When Our Difficulties Would Be Greatly Increased. 
   
   
 "Come, Come," Said My Father, When He Heard The     Remarks Some Of     Us Were 
 Making; "I Must Not Let You Look At The     Map In Future.  All We Have To 
 Do Is To Push Bravely Onward While We Are On The     Move, And To Rest At 
 Such Spots As Will Afford Us Water And An Abundance Of     Game." 
   
   
 The Next Day, Having Made As Good Progress As On The     First, We Had 
 Altogether Accomplished Thirty Miles By Sunset.  We Had Thus Made Half A 
 Degree, Which, As Tommy Remarked, Sounded At All Events Like Something; 
 And Each Day We Managed To Shoot As Many Parrots Or Pigeons As We 
 Required For Food.  Occasionally, Too, Pullingo Brought Some Down With 
 His Boomerang. 
   
   
 We Had Been Travelling On For Some Days, When One Evening We Encamped 
 Near What Was Now A Rivulet, But It Had Already Fallen Considerably, And 
 We Could See By The     Appearance Of     The     Banks That It Would Probably Ere 
 Long Be Dry.  My Mother And Edith, Though They Had Walked On Without 
 Complaining, Were Evidently Tired, And My Father Proposed That We Should 
 Remain There To Rest, Or Only Take A Short Journey The     Next Day.  So Our 
 Camp Was Formed As Usual; And Our Provisions Having Been Cooked, We Sat 
 Round The     Camp-Fire To Take Our Supper. 
   
   
 We All Shared Alike: The     Food Requiring Cooking Was Boiled In Our 
 Largest Pot, The     Game And Vegetables Being Cut Up Into Small Pieces, And 
 Biscuit Or Flour Being Added To It, With Pepper And Mustard.  This Was A 
 Favourite Dish Both For Dinner And Supper, And Very Excellent It Was. 
 My Father And Mother And Edith, With Mudge And I And The     Other Boys, 
 Took Our Seats On One Side, While The     Men Collected On The     Other. 
 Pullingo Generally Squatted Down By The     Side Of     Paddy, Whom He Looked 
 Upon As His Chief Friend.  They Already Managed To Understand Each Other 
 Pretty Well, Eking Out The     Few Words They Knew Of     Each Other's Language 
 By Signs Which It Would Have Puzzled The     Rest Of     Us To Comprehend. 
   
   
 This Evening, Pullingo, Instead Of     Coming To The     Front, Had Seated 
 Himself Some Way Behind Doyle, Who Handed Him His Basin Of     Soup; And We 
 Had Nearly Finished Our Meal When, On Looking Up, I Found That The     Black 
 Had Disappeared.  I Had Fancied, During The     Pauses In The     Conversation, 
 That I Heard Strange Sounds Coming Out Of     A Thick Part Of     The     Forest 
 Behind Us, But I Took But Little Notice Of     Them.  The     Idea Which Passed 
 Through My Mind Was That They Were Produced By A Flock Of     Parrots Or 
 Cockatoos Retiring Late To Rest. 
   
   
 Presently I Saw Pullingo Come Back And Touch Paddy On The     Shoulder, 
 Making A Sign To Him To Follow.  Paddy Got Up, Taking His Gun, Which Lay 
 By His Side.  Being Curious To See Whatever The     Black Wished To Show 
 Him, I Took Up My Gun Also, And Crept On Close Behind Him.  The     Black 
 Led Us In The     Direction From Whence I Had Heard The     Sounds Proceed, And 
 Which Was, I Should Have Said, Directly To The     South Of     Us, Or In The 
 Path We Were About To Pursue Next Morning. 
   
   
 After Going Some Way, I Observed The     Glare Of     A Fire Reflected On The 
 Boughs Of     The     Trees Ahead Of     Us.  We Got Nearer And Nearer To It, When 
 The Black Stopped Behind Some Thick, Low Bushes.  I Saw Paddy Stretching 
 Himself On Tiptoe, And Looking Over Them; And Imitating Him, I Beheld A 
 Spectacle Which Sent A Thrill Of     Horror Through Me.  Paddy's Teeth Were 
 Chattering And His Limbs Shaking, Yet He Still Looked On With A Fixed 
 Gaze, As If He Could Not Force Himself Away.  Directly In Front Of     Us, 
 But Some Distance Off, In The     Dark Portion Of     A Forest Glade, Appeared 
 Some Twenty Or Thirty Skeleton Forms, Every Limb In Rapid Motion, 
 Twisting And Turning And Leaping,--The Legs And Arms Being Thrown Out 
 Sometimes Alternately, Like The     Toy Figures Worked By A String For The 
 Amusement Of     Babies And Small Children.  Now They Went On One Side, Now 
 On The     Other; Now They Cast Themselves Towards The     Ground, As If They 
 Were About To Turn Head Over Heels, In The     Fashion Of     Boys Making A 
 "Wheel" Alongside Carriages; Now Up They Leaped All Together, Now One 
 Following The     Other; Till, After A Succession Of     More Extravagant 
 Motions Than Before, They Suddenly Disappeared.  I Thought They Had Gone 
 Altogether, When In Another Instant They Again Burst Into View And 
 Recommenced The     Same Performances As Before. 
   
   
 For The     First Few Seconds--Until I Had Time For Reflection--I Could 
 Scarcely Help Fancying That They Were Skeletons Animated By Magic Power; 
 And Poor Paddy, I Saw, Fully Believed That Such Was The     Case.  All The 
 Time, A Band Of     Native Musicians, With Their Drums, Were Furiously 
 Beating Away Directly In Front Of     Us, Apparently Unconscious Of     Our 
 Presence.  This Convinced Me, If I Had Required Other Proof, That Human 
 Beings Had To Do With The     Spectacle I Saw; And Presently My Notion Was 
 Fully Confirmed By Seeing The     Seeming Skeletons Advance Close To The 
 Fire, When I Discovered The     Substantial Black Bodies Of     A Party Of 
 Natives Painted Over With White Lines To Resemble The     Bones Of 
 Skeletons. 
   
   
 They Continued Their Strange, Weird Dance, Twisting And Turning, Some 
 With Their Arms Akimbo, Others Resting On Their Legs.  The     Groan Of 
 Relief Given By Poor Paddy Nearly Betrayed Our Presence, Of     Which I 
 Concluded Pullingo Had Not Made Them Aware.  What Their Object Was It 
 Was Difficult To Say, Or What Was Pullingo's In Bringing Us To See Them: 
 Possibly, I Thought, Aware Of     Our Presence In The     Neighbourhood, They 
 Wanted To Frighten Us From Proceeding; Or Perhaps They Were Only 
 Performing A Corroborree Or Native Dance For Their Own Amusement. 
   
   
 After We Had Watched Them For Some Time, I Pulled Paddy's Arm, And Got 
 Him, Not Unwillingly, To Retire From The     Scene. 
   
   
 "Arrah, Misther Godfrey," He Said, "Sure They're Curious Crathurs, Them 
 Black Nagurs; And I Confess, Your Honour, When I First Saw Them, That I 
 Felt Nigh Ready To Sink Into The     Ground And Turn Into A Skeleton Myself! 
 But Why Pullingo Brought Us To See Them, Is More Than I Can Make Out." 
   
   
 "It Puzzles Me Also," I Said.  "Perhaps My Father Or Mr Mudge Will Be 
 Able To Form A Conjecture On The     Subject." 
   
   
 These Remarks Were Not Made Till We Were Well Out Of     Hearing Of     The 
 Natives.  Before We Had Got Far, Pullingo Joined Us, And Inquired, Paddy 
 Said, What We Thought Of     The     Performance. 
   
   
 The Information We Brought To The     Camp--Of The     Vicinity Of     So Large A 
 Party Of     Natives--Was Anything But Satisfactory, And Made My Father 
 Resolve To Continue The     Journey Next Morning, Instead Of     Resting A Day, 
 As He Had Proposed; And My Mother Declared That She Was Perfectly Able 
 To Travel, Provided We Could Make A Shorter Stage Than On The     Previous 
 Days.  The     Account We Gave Of     The     Curious Skeleton Dance Performed By 
 The Blacks Made Mudge, Tom, And Harry Determine To Go And See It. 
 Burton Offered To Accompany Them; But The     Rest Of     The     Men, After 
 Listening To The     Description Given By Paddy, Seemed To Think That There 
 Was Something Weird And Supernatural In It, And Showed No Inclination To 
 Join Them.  As For Pullingo, He Made No Attempt To Explain Matters, And 
 I Could Not Help Suspecting That He Had Got Up The     Performance Himself 
 For Some Purpose Of     His Own.  We Waited Some Time For The     Return Of 
 Mudge And The     Rest; But They At Length Came Back, Saying That They Had 
 Not Been Discovered, And That The     Skeletons Were Still Dancing Away As 
 Furiously As Ever. 
   
   
 My Father Determined That A Double Watch Should Be Kept During The 
 Night.  To Set The     Example, He Took The     First, With Burton And One Of 
 The Men; And I Relieved Him After A Couple Of     Hours.  During The     Whole 
 Time I Heard The     Drums Beating In The     Distance, And I Had No Doubt That 
 The Natives Were Keeping Up Their Corroborree, Which I Suppose Afforded 
 Them As Much Amusement As A Ball In England Does The     Young Ladies And 
 Gentlemen Who Attend It.  Mudge, Who Followed Me, Said That He Also 
 Heard The     Sounds During The     Whole Of     His Watch; Indeed, The     Natives Must 
 Have Kept Up Their Festivities, If So They Could Be Called, Till The 
 "Laughing Jackass"--Which Performs The     Duty Of     A Cock In Australia, By 
 Chattering Vociferously Just Before Sunrise--Warned Them To Seek Repose. 
   
   
 As We Were Anxious To Avoid The     Natives, We Started At Daybreak, And 
 Marched Nearly Four Miles Before We Halted For Breakfast, Munching Only 
 A Little Biscuit To Stay Our Appetites.  Pullingo Led The     Way As Usual, 
 Making Us Suppose That He Had No Connection With Those Who Had Been 
 Engaged In The     Corroborree.  My Father, However, Did Not Entirely Trust 
 Him: Taking Out His Compass, He Examined It Frequently, To Ascertain 
 That He Was Conducting Us On A Direct Course.  We Might, Indeed, Have 
 Dispensed With His Guidance, Had He Not Been Of     So Much Service In 
 Showing Us Where Springs Of     Water Were To Be Found, As Also In Pointing 
 Out The     Trees On Which Parrots, Pigeons, And Other Birds Perched At 
 Night. 
   
   
 After Breakfast We Rested For A Short Time, And Then Again Pushed 
 Forward, Hoping To Keep Well Ahead Of     Our Black Neighbours Of     The 
 Previous Night.  As It Was Impossible For My Mother And Edith To Make So 
 Long A Journey As On The     Previous Day, We Halted Early In The     Afternoon, 
 In A Wooded Region Very Similar To That In Which We Had Encamped On 
 Former Nights, On The     Southern Side Of     A Stream Which We Had Just Before 
 Passed.  I Call It A Stream, Because Water Ran Through It; But It 
 Consisted Merely Of     A Numerous Succession Of     Holes More Or Less Deep, 
 Connected By A Tiny Rivulet, Over Which We Could Step Without The 
 Slightest Difficulty.  We Could See That In The     Rainy Season The     Water 
 Had Risen Many Feet, When It Must Have Assumed The     Character Of     A 
 Torrent, Difficult And Often Very Dangerous To Cross. 
   
   
 We Lost No Time In Building A Hut For My Mother And Edith, And In 
 Arranging Shelter For Ourselves.  Mudge, Doyle, Harry, And I Then Took 
 Our Guns And Went Out To Kill Some Game For Supper, Hoping To Get As 
 Many Birds As Would Serve Also For Our Breakfast Next Day.  On Looking 
 About For Pullingo, To Get Him To Accompany Us, We Found That He Had 
 Disappeared; But In What Direction He Had Gone No One Could Tell. 
   
   
 "We Can Do Very Well Without Him," Observed Mudge; "Only We Must Take 
 Care Not To Lose Our Way." 
   
   
 My Father Offered To Lend Us His Compass, Charging Us To Be Very 
 Careful.  Our Object Had Been To Shoot Cockatoos, Parrots, Or Pigeons, 
 Or Indeed Any Other Birds Likely To Prove Good For Food.  We Troubled 
 Ourselves Very Little About Their Names Or Habits; We Were, Indeed, 
 Sportsmen Simply For The     Pot.  We Kept Our Eyes About Us, However, In 
 Search Of     A Kangaroo Or Any Other Animal; And Either Mudge Or I Had Our 
 Fowling-Piece Loaded With Bullets, In Case One Should Cross Our Path. 
 We Had Already Shot Several Beautiful Doves And Parrots; But Even Now I 
 Could Not Help Feeling What A Pity It Was To Deprive Creatures With So 
 Lovely A Plumage Of     Life. 
   
   
 We Were Walking On When Harry Exclaimed, "Look! Look! What Is That 
 Fearful Creature?" 
   
   
 "A Small Bear, I Do Believe, By Its Colour And The     Way It Walks," 
 Exclaimed Mudge As He Ran On.  "I Hope Soon To Be Better Acquainted With 
 The Gentleman." 
   
   
 The Animal, Which Was Leisurely Pursuing Its Course, Waddling Along 
 Something Like A Fat Bear, Across The     Bottom Of     A Slight Depression In 
 The Ground, Did Not Perceive Us; And Mudge, Whose Rifle Was Loaded With 
 A Bullet, Soon Got Sufficiently Near To Fire.  His Shot Must Have 
 Penetrated To The     Animal's Heart, For It Rolled Over And Was Dead In A 
 Moment.  On Examining The     Creature, Which Was Three Feet Long, We Found 
 Its Fur Warm, Long, And Somewhat Harsh To The     Touch, Of     A Grey Colour, 
 Mottled With Black And White.  Its Muzzle Was Very Broad And Thick.  It 
 Was, Indeed, Very Similar To A Bear, But It Possessed A Pouch Like The 
 Kangaroo, And Its Feet Were Black, And Armed With Strong Claws. 
   
   
 "He Is A Curious-Looking Creature," Observed Paddy, Who Quickly Came Up 
 With Us.  "One Thing Is Very Certain,--Whether It's A Bear Or A Pig Of 
 These Parts, It Will Give All Hands A Dacent Supply Of     Meat For The     Next 
 Day Or Two." 
   
   
 Paddy At Once Set To Work To Cut Up The     Animal, After Which We Loaded 
 Ourselves With The     Portions, I Should Think It Must Have Weighed Fully 
 Forty Pounds.  It Was, I Afterwards Found, A Wombat, Or Australian Bear, 
 An Animal Very Common In All Parts Of     The     Country.  It Burrows Deeply 
 Into The     Earth; But We Were Fortunate Enough To Find This One On A 
 Journey, Otherwise We Should Not Have Obtained It So Easily. 
   
   
 We Returned At Once With Our Booty To The     Camp, When Paddy Lost No Time 
 In Spitting The     Wombat, And Placing It To Roast Before The     Fire.  The 
 Spit He Used Was A Long Thin Stick, Which He Rested On Two Forked 
 Uprights Before The     Fire; One End Extending Like The     Tangent Of     A Circle 
 To A Sufficient Distance, So That A Person Could Keep Turning It Round 
 And Round Without Having To Sit Too Close To The     Fire. 
   
   
 Soon After Our Arrival Pullingo Appeared, Accompanied By Three Blacks, 
 One Of     Whom He Formally Introduced To Us As Naggernook.  He Was 
 Apparently, Judging By His Withered Skin And White Hair And Beard, A 
 Very Old Man; But He Had Not Lost The     Use Of     His Tongue, For He 
 Chattered Away With Extraordinary Volubility, As If Wishing To Impress 
 Some Matter Of     Importance Upon Us--Though What It Was, Of     Course We 
 Could Not Understand.  The     Sight Of     The     Wombat Roasting Before The     Fire 
 Excited His Interest, And He Inquired Of     Pullingo How We Had Obtained 
 It.  Pullingo, Pointing To Our Guns, Entered Into A Long Account Of     The 
 Wonders They Were Capable Of     Performing; Indeed, He Himself, Though He 
 Had So Often Seen Them Fired, Seemed Still To Regard Them With 
 Superstitious Awe, Which It Was Important For Our Interests That He 
 Should Continue To Feel. 
   
   
 As My Father Was Anxious To Conciliate The     Blacks, He Waited Till One Of 
 The Joints Of     The     Wombat Was Sufficiently Roasted, And Then Presented It 
 To Naggernook; Who Had No Sooner Received The     Present Than He Began 
 Jumping, And Hopping, And Skipping About In The     Most Extraordinary 
 Manner, Hugging It With Delight.  Having Thus Exhibited His 
 Satisfaction, If Not His Gratitude, He Sat Himself Down On The     Ground, 
 And Began To Devour The     Meat--Taking Off Huge Pieces, Which He Stuffed 
 Into His Mouth In A Fashion More Honoured In The     Breach Than In The 
 Observance; Occasionally Throwing A Piece, Though Not Without 
 Reluctance, To His Two Younger Companions, Who Sat By His Side, 
 Submissively Eating What Was Thus Bestowed On Them, Much After The     Way A 
 Couple Of     Dogs Would Have Done While Watching Their Master At Dinner. 
   
   
 We Had No Wish For The     Society Of     These Unattractive Specimens Of 
 Humanity, But They, It Appeared, Had Made Up Their Minds To Remain, For 
 The Purpose Of     Obtaining Whatever We Were Disposed To Bestow On Them,-- 
 Or Perhaps Of     Stealing, If They Had The     Opportunity.  However, On That 
 Point We May Have Wronged Them. 
   
   
 As Soon As The     Two Lads Had Scraped Every Particle Of     Meat Off The     Bone 
 Naggernook Had Thrown Them, They Collected Some Sheets Of     Bark And Put 
 Up A Lean-To Close To Our Camp, Showing That They Had No Intention Of 
 Going Away.  Pullingo, When He Sat Before The     Fire At Supper, Gave Us, 
 In A Low Voice, As If Afraid They Would Overhear Him, A Long Account Of 
 His Native Acquaintances Who Had Honoured Us With A Visit; But What It 
 Was We Could Not Clearly Make Out.  One Thing Was Certain,--That A 
 Considerable Number Of     Blacks Were Encamped In Our Neighbourhood, Though 
 Whether We Should Be Troubled By Them Remained To Be Seen.  Of     Course We 
 Kept Watch As Usual, Mudge And I Undertaking The     Charge Of     The     Second 
 Watch.  We Agreed To Walk Together Round And Round The     Camp; Or If One 
 Sat Down, The     Other Was To Move Backwards And Forwards, And To Speak To 
 Him At Each Turn. 
   
   
 We Had Been Walking Up And Down For Nearly An Hour, When, Feeling Very 
 Tired, I Sat Down, While Mudge Continued Pacing Up And Down.  He Had 
 Just Got To The     End Of     His Beat, The     Light Of     The     Fire Still Enabling Me 
 To Watch Him, When I Saw Him Bending Forward With His Hand Above His 
 Eyes, As If To Peer Into The     Darkness.  As I Got Up And Moved Towards 
 Him, He Stopped.  Just Then I Saw, In An Opening Of     The     Forest Some Way 
 Off, What Appeared To Be A Human Figure, Standing On The     Summit Of     A 
 Mound Of     Earth Slightly Elevated Above The     Surrounding Ground.  Human 
 Though The     Figure Was, It Had A Most Extraordinary Appearance.  From The 
 Shoulders Floated Out, Moved By The     Breeze Which Blew Through The 
 Opening, The     Ends Of     A Long Scarf, With Which Its Body Was Enveloped, 
 Like The     Wings Of     Some Huge Bird Of     Night.  A Long Beard Hung From Its 
 Chin; While Its Hair, Divided Into Separate Long Locks, Rose In Numerous 
 Points Above Its Head. 
   
   
 Not A Sound Issued From This Extraordinary-Looking Being, Who Stood Like 
 A Statue--With The     Exception Of     Its Arms, Which It Continued Slowly To 
 Wave Up And Down In A Series Of     Mysterious Signs, As If It Would Bar Our 
 Progress In That Direction; Indeed, If I May Not Be Accused Of     Impiety 
 By Saying So, It Reminded Me Of     The     Angel With The     Flaming Sword, 
 Stationed At The     Entrance Of     Eden To Prohibit The     Return Of     Our First 
 Parents,--Though I Am Very Certain That The     Idea Must Have Been Original 
 So Far As The     Australian Necromancer--For Such, We Concluded, Was The 
 Character Assumed By The     Being We Saw Before Us--Was Concerned.  He Must 
 Have Been A Bold Fellow, To Endeavour Thus To Practise On The     Supposed 
 Credulity Of     The     White Men, For A Shot From One Of     Our Rifles Might 
 Quickly Have Put An End To His Performances; But, Of     Course, We Did Not 
 For A Moment Think Of     Firing At Him. 
   
   
 "What Can Be The     Object Of     That Extraordinary-Looking Character?"  I 
 Asked, As I Got Close Up To Mudge. 
   
   
 "A Trick Of     The     Natives, I Conclude, To Try And Frighten Us," He 
 Answered.  "Perhaps, As They Know That They Cannot Compete With Our 
 Firearms, They Are Trying To Awe Us With An Exhibition Of     Their Magic 
 Powers; And That Old Fellow There Is Evidently Acting The     Part Of     A 
 Sorcerer.  I Should Suspect Him To Be Our Friend Naggernook, Had I Not 
 Seen Him Fast Asleep In His Camping-Place When I Last Passed Round That 
 Way.  Just You Go And See Whether He Is Still There, Godfrey, While I 
 Keep An Eye On The     Fantastic-Looking Personage Out There." 
   
   
 Moving Cautiously, I Made My Way Towards The     Spot Where Our Visitors Had 
 Gone To Rest; And There, To The     Best Of     My Belief, They Were All Three 
 Still Fast Asleep.  I Returned To Mudge, Who Had Not Moved, He Being 
 Curious To Watch The     Proceedings Of     The     Sorcerer. 
   
   
 "Rouse Up Pullingo," He Said, "And Let Us See What Account He Has To 
 Give When He Sees Yonder Scarecrow." 
   
   
 I Found Our Black Guide Sleeping In His Usual Place Near Paddy Doyle. 
 While I Was Waking Him, Paddy Started Up. 
   
   
 "There Is An Extraordinary-Looking Character Playing Off Some Trick Or 
 Other Not Far From This, And We Want To See What The     Black Thinks About 
 Him," I Said; "Try And Make Him Understand That We Are Not In The 
 Slightest Degree Frightened, And Only Want To Know What Can Be His 
 Object In Placing Himself There." 
   
   
 "But Suppose It Is A Real Ghost?  For The     Love Of     Heaven, Don't Be After 
 Offending Him," Said Paddy In A Low Whisper; "There Are Such Things In 
 The Old Country, And None But A Haythen Man Would Think Of     Doubting It. 
 So Do, Masther Godfrey Dear, Take Care What You Are About." 
   
   
 Paddy Having Thus Delivered Himself, Tried To Make Pullingo Understand 
 That We Had Seen Something Extraordinary Near The     Camp; And Not Without 
 Some Hesitation Did He Accompany Paddy And Me To Where I Had Left Mudge 
 Standing.  The     Effect Produced On Him Upon Seeing The     Figure Was Far 
 Greater Than I Had Expected: The     Moment His Eyes Fell On It He Began 
 Trembling All Over; And Shouting Out At The     Top Of     His Voice, "Karakul! 
 Karakul!" He Bolted Off Towards The     Camp. 
   
   
 His Cries Aroused The     Other Natives, Who, Starting To Their Feet, Fled 
 Away Through The     Forest, Uttering The     Same Mysterious Word.  The     Noise 
 They Made, Of     Course, Aroused Every One In The     Camp; And My Father And 
 Burton Quickly Joined Us, Inquiring What Was The     Matter.  We Had 
 Naturally Looked To See What Had Become Of     The     Blacks, And When We 
 Turned Our Eyes Again Towards The     Mound The     Mysterious Figure Had 
 Disappeared. 
   
   
 "We Must Try And Find The     Fellow, And Teach Him Not To Play His Tricks 
 Before Us," Exclaimed Mudge, Dashing Forward.  I And Most Of     The     Party 
 Followed.  Harry, However, Brave As He Was On Most Occasions, Seemed 
 Almost As Much Frightened As The     Blacks, And Entreated Us To Let The 
 Ghosts Alone. 
   
   
 In Vain We Hunted Round And Round The     Mound; No One Could We Discover: 
 Indeed, In The     Darkness, A Person Well Acquainted With The     Locality 
 Could Easily Have Escaped, And Might Still Be Hiding Not Far Off. 
   
   
 "There's No Use In Looking Further For The     Fellow," Observed Mudge; "But 
 We Must Let Him See That We Are Not Frightened By His Tricks." 
   
   
 Returning To The     Camp, We Made Up The     Fire, And Then Went In Search Of 
 Pullingo And His Friends.  After Some Time We Found Them, Crouching Down 
 Together In The     Hollow Of     A Tree Some Way On The     Other Side Of     The     Camp. 
 Either They Were Very Much Alarmed, Or They Pretended To Be So: Their 
 Teeth Were Chattering, Their Limbs Shaking, As They All Clung Together, 
 Holding Each Other's Hands, And Looking Out Of     Their Hole With Staring 
 Eyeballs; Even Their Hair Appeared To Have Assumed An Upright Position, 
 As If It Was Standing On End.  If Not Really Frightened, They Certainly 
 Acted Their Parts Very Cleverly.  Calling Paddy, Who Had Now Recovered, 
 And Seemed Rather Ashamed Of     Himself, We Got Him To Persuade Pullingo 
 And His Friends To Come With Us To The     Fire; Round Which They Sat Down 
 In Their Usual Fashion, As If Nothing Had Happened.  I Observed, 
 However, That They Looked Every Now And Then In The     Direction In Which 
 The Figure Had Appeared, And Occasionally Cast Suspicious Glances Behind 
 Them.  But A Couple Of     Roast Parrots Which We Divided Among Them 
 Contributed To Restore Their Spirits. 
   
   
 By Dint Of     Cross-Questioning Pullingo, We Learned From Him That The 
 Karakul Was, As We Suspected, A Sorcerer--A Being With Unlimited Power 
 Over The     Lives Of     All Who Offend Him.  He Produces The     Death Of     His 
 Victim In A Very Extraordinary Fashion, By Means Of     A Small Bone 
 Extracted From The     Body Of     A Dead Man, Which By His Magical Power He Can 
 Send Into The     Heart Of     Any One Whom He Wishes To Destroy.  He Obtains 
 This Bone By His Enchantments.  On The     Death Of     A Native, He Goes To The 
 Grave The     Night After The     Funeral, And Going Through Certain Magical 
 Performances, He Afterwards Lies On The     Top Of     It.  At The     Precise 
 Moment That A Certain Star Appears In The     Heavens The     Dead Man Comes 
 Forth, Summoned By These Incantations, And Introduces Within The     Skin Of 
 The Karakul, Without Causing Him More Pain Or Inconvenience Than Does 
 The Bite Of     An Ant, A Minute Bone Taken From His Own Skeleton.  The     Bone 
 Thus Obtained Remains Concealed Under The     Enchanter's Skin Till The 
 Moment That He Requires To Use It.  He Then, By Magical Power, Orders 
 The Mysterious Bone To Go Out Of     His Own Body And Plant Itself In That 
 Of The     Person He Intends To Destroy: It Immediately Enters The     Heart Of 
 His Unhappy Victim, Who Quickly Dies In Great Agony. 
   
   
 The Enchanter, However, Pretends Not Only To Kill People, But To Cure 
 Them.  When He Cannot Do So By His Incantations, He Tries Rubbing And 
 Various Passes, Much In The     Fashion Of     A Mesmeriser.  When These Fail, 
 He Burns The     Arms And Legs Of     His Patients, Bleeds Them Behind The     Ear, 
 Or Hangs Them Up By An Arm To The     Branch Of     A Tree; If They Are Wounded, 
 He Covers Up Their Wounds With An Ointment Of     Mud.  If After The 
 Application Of     These Remedies The     Patient Does Not Get Better, The 
 Karakul Declares That It Is His Own Fault, And Washes His Hands Of     It. 
   
   
 "We Have Good Reason To Stand In Awe Of     These Powerful Enchanters," 
 Observed Pullingo; At All Events, That Was What We Understood Him To 
 Say, As Far As We Could Comprehend His Gestures And Words.  When I Came 
 To Know More About The     Natives, I Found That His Account Was Perfectly 
 Correct.  He Told Us A Good Many Other Curious Things Relating To The 
 Superstitions Of     His Countrymen; But I Do Not Remember All Of     Them.  He 
 Told Us That The     Natives Are Firmly Convinced No Person Ever Dies From 
 Natural Causes; And That If Not Killed By His Fellow-Creatures, Or 
 Destroyed By The     Spells Of     Magicians, He Would Live On For Ever Without 
 Growing Old Or Exhausting His Physical Powers. 
   
   
 "Come, We've Had Enough Of     This Stuff," Said Mudge At Last.  "Tell Your 
 Friends To Turn In Again And Go To Sleep; And You Do The     Same, Master 
 Pullingo, Or You Will Not Be Fit For Your Duty To-Morrow." 
   
   
 Burton And One Of     The     Men Relieved Mudge And Me; But Though They Kept A 
 Look-Out For The     Karakul, The     Magician Did Not Think Fit To Return To 
 His Post: Possibly The     Gleam Of     The     Fire On Their Muskets As They Walked 
 Round The     Camp May Have Shown Him That The     Experiment Would Be 
 Dangerous. 
   
   
 We Talked Over The     Matter The     Next Morning, And Came To The     Conclusion 
 That, For Some Reason Or Other, The     Natives Were Anxious To Prevent Us 
 Continuing Our Journey.  Of     Course, We Settled To Take No Notice; And As 
 Soon As Breakfast Was Over We Packed Up Our Traps And Got Ready To 
 Start, Telling Pullingo To Lead The     Way.  He Hesitated, And Finally 
 Declared That He Could Not Venture In The     Direction Where The     Karakul 
 Had Appeared. 
   
   
 "You May Go Any Way You Like," Observed Mudge; "But We Shall Go Straight 
 Forward, And You May Join Us On The     Other Side." 
   
   
 Naggernook And His Attendants Had Been Watching Our Proceedings, And 
 When They Saw That We Were Advancing In The     Direction Of     The     Mound They 
 Bolted Off, Crying Out, "Karakul! Karakul!"  We Replied With Shouts Of 
 Laughter.  Mudge Fired A Shot Ahead To Make Them Understand That That 
 Would Clear The     Way Of     All Foes.  It Was A Hint Which They Were Well 
 Capable Of     Understanding, And, We Hoped, Would Prevent Their Countrymen 
 From Molesting Us.  Our Great Object Was To Avoid Coming Into Collision 
 With Them, For If Blood Was Once Shed We Could Not Tell Where It Might 
 End.  It Was Important To Show The     Natives Our Power, And That We Did 
 Not Entertain The     Slightest Fear Of     Them. 
   
   
 We Marched Forward In Our Usual Order, And Soon Left The     "Sorcerer's 
 Hillock," As We Called It, Far Behind.  Whether He And His Associates 
 Were Following Us We Could Not Tell; Though, Of     Course, Knowing The 
 Country, They Might Be Advancing In The     Same Direction On Either Side Of 
 Us, And Still Keeping Carefully Out Of     Sight. 
   
   
 I Have Not Spoken Much As Yet Of     The     Appearance Of     The     Country, Or The 
 Trees We Met With.  Near The     River, And As Far As We Could See Along The 
 Coast, Were Groups Of     Magnificent Pines Known As The     Norfolk Island 
 Pine, A Hundred Feet In Height, With Perfectly Straight Stems, Fit For 
 Masts To The     Largest Ships.  The     Most Numerous Trees Were The     Eucalypti, 
 Or Stringy-Bark Tree, Of     Various Species, Some Of     The     Prodigious Height 
 Of A Hundred And Fifty Feet; Others Were Of     Enormous Girth, Many From 
 Thirty To Forty Feet Round; And Several, Hollowed By Age, Were Large 
 Enough To Admit The     Whole Of     Our Party.  Except For Size, They Cannot Be 
 Called Handsome, As The     Colour Of     The     Leaf Is Harsh And Unsightly, Owing 
 To Its Margin Being Presented Towards The     Stem, Both Surfaces Having 
 Thus The     Same Relation To Light.  In The     Hollows We Met With Superb 
 Ferns Growing On Stems Some Twenty Feet In Height, And About The 
 Thickness Of     A Boat-Oar.  It Then Throws Out A Number Of     Leaves In Every 
 Direction, Four Or Five Feet In Length, Very Similar In Appearance To 
 The Common Fern.  Another Curious Tree Had A Stem Sixteen Feet Long; 
 After Which It Branched Out In Long Spiral Leaves Which Hung Down On All 
 Sides, Resembling Those Of     The     Larger Kinds Of     Grass.  From The     Centre 
 Of The     Leaves Sprang A Foot-Stalk Twenty Feet In Length, Exactly Like 
 The Sugar-Cane, And Terminating In A Spiral Spike Resembling An Ear Of 
 Wheat.  It Yielded A Fragrant-Scented Yellow Resin. 
   
   
 Pullingo Having Lost Two Of     His Spears, With Which He Had Attempted To 
 Kill A Big Forester Kangaroo, And Which Made Off With Them Sticking In 
 Its Back, He Climbed To The     Top Of     Several Of     These Trees And Cut Down 
 This Upper Stem.  He Then Hardened Them In The     Fire.  On Comparing The 
 New Spears With His Old Ones, We Found That They Were All Of     The     Same 
 Material.  We Before Had Been Puzzled To Know How He Had Obtained Such 
 Straight And Slender Rods. 
   
   
 Though We Believed That Pullingo Was Attached To Us, We Were Still Very 
 Doubtful Of     The     Temper Of     His Countrymen, And Therefore, When On The 
 March We Kept Close Together, To Be Ready To Resist Any Sudden Attack. 
 When We Halted At Mid-Day To Rest, We Took Care Not To Range To Any 
 Great Distance In Search Of     Game Unless We Had Him With Us.  We Seldom 
 Went More Than A Couple Of     Days Without Killing A Kangaroo Or A Wombat, 
 While We Obtained An Ample Supply Of     Birds,--Either Cockatoos Or Parrots 
 And Parakeets, Several Varieties Of     Pigeons, As Also Of     Doves, And Now 
 And Then A Bustard, Or Native Turkey, A Large Bird Weighing Sixteen Or 
 Eighteen Pounds.  Frequently, As We Were Marching On, We Were Saluted By 
 A Sound So Like The     Crack Of     A Whip, That Tommy And Pierce Declared That 
 Some Black Boy Near At Hand Must Be Amusing Himself With One; And It Was 
 Some Time Before We Discovered That The     Sound Was Produced By A Small 
 Bird Either Over Our Heads Or Perched On A Tree Near At Hand. 
   
   
 We Marched On About Ten Miles, And Again Encamped Close To One Of     The 
 Huge Eucalypti I Have Before Mentioned.  Near At Hand Was A Forest, Or 
 Bush, Somewhat Denser Than Usual With Hilly Ground, Which Confined Our 
 View On That Side To Narrow Limits.  A Stream Of     Water Tempted Us To 
 Stop Here Rather Than Push On A Few Miles Farther.  My Mother And Edith 
 Performed The     Daily Journey Without Feeling Any Unusual Fatigue; But The 
 Great Heats Had Not Begun, And The     Air Was Pure And Exhilarating. 
   
   
 Mudge, Paddy, And I Were Very Successful In A Shooting Expedition On 
 Which We Started, As Soon As We Had Encamped, With Pullingo; Mudge 
 Having Killed A Good-Sized Kangaroo, And Paddy And I Two Dozen 
 Gaily-Feathered Birds, While Pullingo Had Brought Down Nearly A Dozen 
 More With His Boomerang.  We Had Intended Going In The     Direction Of     The 
 Hills, But When He Saw Us Setting Off He Made Signs To Us That It Would 
 Be Of     No Use; And When We Still Persevered He Placed Himself In Front Of 
 Us, And By The     Most Violent Gestures Endeavoured To Stop Our Progress. 
 At Length, As We Dodged Him, He Turned Back Towards The     Camp And Sat 
 Himself Down On The     Ground, As If Determined Not To Accompany Us.  We 
 Therefore Gave Up The     Attempt, And Took The     Way He Pointed Out, Along 
 The Banks Of     The     Stream, Near Which We Found Most Of     The     Birds We 
 Killed. 
   
   
 On Our Return The     Men Set To Work To Pluck Our Feathered Prizes, While 
 Paddy Scientifically Cut Up The     Kangaroo; After Which There Was A Grand 
 Cooking Of     Flesh And Fowl, While Some Cakes Made By My Mother Were Baked 
 Under The     Ashes.  As A Rule, The     Farinaceous Food We Were Able To Carry 
 Was Reserved For My Mother, Edith, And Pierce.  We Found Scarcely 
 Anything In The     Shape Of     Fruit, But We Obtained A Sort Of     Wild Spinach, 
 And Occasionally Heads Of     Cabbage-Palms, Which Served Us For Vegetables, 
 And Assisted To Keep The     Whole Party In Health. 
   
   
 Supper Was Over, And My Mother And Edith Had Just Retired To Their Hut. 
 Except Mudge And Paddy, Who Had To Keep The     First Watch, The     Rest Of     The 
 Party Were About To Lie Down Under The     Lean-Tos, When On A Sudden There 
 Burst Forth, Close To Us, A Wild, Unearthly, And Abrupt Yell Of     Mocking 
 Laughter, As If Uttered By A Party Of     Natives Who, Creeping On Us 
 Unawares, Had Surrounded The     Camp, And Now To Their Delight Found That 
 We Were In Their Power.  We Started To Our Feet And Seized Our Arms, 
 Expecting The     Next Moment To Have A Shower Of     Spears Hurled Into Our 
 Midst; But When We Looked Round To See In Which Direction The     Enemy 
 Would Appear, No One Was To Be Seen. 
   
   
 "Where Can That Have Come From?" Exclaimed Mudge. 
   
   
 "The Fellows Must Have Retreated, Whoever They Were.  Keep Steady, My 
 Lads," Cried My Father; "On No Account Leave The     Camp.  Their Object 
 Probably Is To Entice Us Away, When They Hope To Destroy Us In Detail." 
   
   
 My Mother Had Come Out Of     Her Hut With Edith, Who Stood Trembling By Her 
 Side. 
   
   
 "Don't Be Alarmed," Said My Father.  "The Savages, Finding That We Are 
 Prepared, Are Not Likely To Attack Us." 
   
   
 "But There Is No Shelter For Them Nearer Than The     Neighbouring Bush; And 
 That Cry Came From A Spot Close At Hand," Observed Mudge.  "With Your 
 Leave, Captain Rayner, I Will Take Two Men With Me And Soon Rout Them 
 Out Of     Their Lurking-Place." 
   
   
 "Depend Upon It, They Are Far Away By This Time," Observed My Father. 
   
   
 Scarcely Had He Spoken, When Again There Came That Fearful Yell, 
 Sounding Like What I Could Conceive To Be The     Horrible Laughter Of     A 
 Maniac. 
   
   
 "Why, I Do Believe It Comes From Some Fellow Who Has Climbed Into This 
 Very Tree," Cried Mudge; "And I'll Take The     Liberty Of     Shooting Him If 
 He Doesn't Come Down Of     His Own Accord." 
   
   
 I Had Observed All This Time That Pullingo Sat Very Quietly By The     Fire, 
 Watching What We Were About, And Merely Uttering The     Word "Gogobera;" 
 But Whether That Was The     Name Of     The     Leader Of     The     Savages Surrounding 
 Us, Or Of     Some Supposed Malign Spirit, We Could Not Tell.  I Now Saw, 
 However, That He Was Quietly Laughing, Evidently Highly Diverted By The 
 Alarm These Strange Sounds Had Produced Among Us. 
   
   
 "The Black Knows Something About It," I Sang Out.  "I Shouldn't Be 
 Surprised If, After All, It Was One Of     Those Necromancers He Was Telling 
 Us About Playing Off His Tricks.  Paddy, Do You Try And Get Him To Tell 
 Us Who Has Been Making Those Hideous Noises." 
   
   
 Pullingo Quickly Understood Paddy, And Getting Up, Went Towards The 
 Branch Of     The     Tree At Which Mudge And Several Others Were Looking Up. 
 Taking Out His Boomerang, He Stepped A Few Paces Back; Then Away It Flew 
 Till It Took A Course Upwards And Penetrated Amid The     Boughs, And The 
 Next Instant Down Came A Large Bird, With A Black Head And A Peculiarly 
 Strong Beak. 
   
   
 "Dat Make Laughee," He Observed Composedly. 
   
   
 We Found That Our Nocturnal Visitor Was No Other Than That Well-Known 
 Member Of     The     Feathered Tribe, The     "Laughing Jackass;" More 
 Scientifically Denominated The     "Giant Kingfisher."  When I Saw The     Bird, 
 I Was Very Sorry That It Had Been Killed; For, Notwithstanding Its 
 Discordant Voice, It Is A Remarkably Sociable And Useful Creature, As We 
 Afterwards Discovered.  It Destroys Snakes, Which It Catches By The 
 Tail, And Then Crushes Their Head With Its Powerful Beak; It Also 
 Renders An Essential Service To The     Settlers Who Want To Get Up Early, 
 By Shouting Out Its Strange Notes To Welcome The     Approach Of     Dawn--From 
 Which Peculiarity It Is Also Called The     "Settler's Clock."  We Soon 
 Discovered That _Gogobera_ Was The     Name Given To It By The     Natives. 
 They, At All Events, Have No Superstitious Feeling Regarding It; For 
 Pullingo, Plucking The     Bird, Soon Had It Roasting Before The     Fire; And, 
 To The     Best Of     My Belief, He Had Devoured The     Whole Of     It Before The 
 Morning. 
   
   
 "I Hope We Shall Have No Other Disturbance During The     Night, And So I 
 Advise All Hands To Turn In," Said My Father. 
   
   
 We Quickly Followed His Advice.  Probably, Had The     Black Not Killed The 
 Poor Gogobera, We Should Have Been Aroused Betimes In The     Morning; As It 
 Was, The     Man Who Was On Watch At That Time Did Not Think It Necessary To 
 Call Us Till The     Sun Was Above The     Horizon. 
   
   
 My Father, I Found, After Consulting With Mudge, Determined To Remain 
 Where We Were For The     Day, As Our Camp Was Well Situated Near Water, And 
 There Was Evidently An Abundance Of     Game To Be Obtained In The 
 Neighbourhood.  Pullingo, Who Had Over-Eaten Himself During The     Night 
 With The     Gogobera, On Hearing This Showed No Inclination To Get Up, But 
 Rolled Himself Over And Went To Sleep Again. 
   
   
 Mudge And I Had Been Curious To Know What Sort Of     Country Lay Beyond The 
 Hills In The     Direction Pullingo Had Been So Unwilling We Should Take On 
 The Previous Day.  We Determined, Therefore, To Set Off As Soon As 
 Breakfast Was Over. 
   
   
 We Did So, Taking Paddy Doyle And Popo With Us To Carry Our Provisions, 
 And Armed With Our Fowling-Pieces And Pistols.  As Pullingo Was Still 
 Fast Asleep, We Settled Not To Interrupt Him.  We Set Off, Therefore, 
 Without Waiting For The     Black, And At Once Made Our Way To The     Westward, 
 Through The     Forest.  Soon Reaching The     Top Of     The     Hill, We Descended 
 Into The     Valley, Which Was Still More Thickly Wooded Than The     Country We 
 Had Left.  On We Went, Without Seeing Any Birds At Which To Fire, Till, 
 As We Happened To Be Standing Without Speaking, I Fancied I Heard The 
 Sound Of     Voices Coming From A Distance.  I Told Mudge, Who, On 
 Listening, Was Convinced That I Was Right. 
   
   
 "Still, We Will Go On," He Said.  "If The     Voices Are Those Of     Natives, 
 We Can But Retire; And The     Very Fact Of     Our Doing So Will Show Them, 
 Should They Discover Us, That We Have No Ill-Feeling Or Hostile 
 Intentions Towards Them." 
   
   
 We Went On And On Through The     Thick Forest, Which Afforded Us Ample 
 Shelter.  The     Voices We Had Heard Grew Louder And Louder, And We Saw 
 That We Were Approaching An Opening, When Just At The     Edge Of     It We 
 Found A Thick Belt Of     Bushes, Which Completely Concealed Us From Any One 
 Beyond, Though We Managed To Look Through It.  The     Scene Which Presented 
 Itself Induced Us To Remain Instead Of     Retiring.  In The     Centre, On The 
 Top Of     A Mound, Stood A Tall, Gaunt Old Woman, Her Long White Hair 
 Streaming Behind Her Back In The     Wind.  In Her Left Hand She Held A Long 
 Stick, Which She Flourished Above Her Head, While With The     Other She Was 
 Making The     Most Vehement Gestures.  Around The     Woman, And Densely Packed 
 Together, Were Collected A Number Of     Men Of     All Ages, And A Few Women-- 
 As We Supposed, From Seeing Several Sturdy Infants Rolling About On The 
 Grass By Their Sides.  The     Eager Faces Of     Her Audience Were Intently 
 Fixed Upon Her As She Poured Forth A Torrent Of     Words, The     Meaning Of 
 Which Was Beyond Our Comprehension.  So Intently Were They Listening, 
 That We Ran But Little Chance Of     Being Discovered, Unless She Should 
 Happen To Turn Her Eyes In The     Direction Of     The     Spot Where We Lay 
 Hidden. 
   
   
 For Several Minutes She Went On, Eloquently Addressing The     Assembly And 
 Wildly Gesticulating, Apparently In The     Endeavour To Arouse Them To Some 
 Mode Of     Action Which She Was Advocating.  From Some Of     The     Words Which 
 Reached Our Ears, We At Length Could Not Help Suspecting That She Was 
 Speaking About Us, And Advising The     Warriors Of     Her Tribe To Put A Stop 
 To Our Progress Through The     Country.  The     Longer She Went On The     More 
 Convinced We Became Of     This, And We Could Not Help Dreading That They 
 Would Suddenly Start Up To Rush Towards Our Camp, And Discover Us. 
   
   
 Mudge Touched Me On The     Shoulder, And Made A Sign To Me To Retreat While 
 There Was Time.  I Passed It On To Paddy And Popo, Who Were On The     Other 
 Side.  Just At That Moment, On Looking Round, I Saw The     Countenance Of     A 
 Black Close Behind Me.  Had Our Enemies Surrounded Us?  If So, We Should 
 Have To Fight Hard For Our Lives.  Great Was My Satisfaction, When A 
 Second Glance Showed Me That The     New-Comer Was No Other Than Pullingo, 
 Who Had Crept Cautiously Up To Us.  He Did Not Speak, But His Gestures 
 Proved That He Wished Us To Retreat As Silently As He Had Approached. 
 As This Was Undoubtedly The     Wisest Thing We Could Do, We Moved 
 Noiselessly Away From The     Bush, Stooping Down As He Was Doing, So That 
 We Might Escape Being Seen By The     Old Witch On The     Top Of     The     Mound. 
 Happily At That Time Her Head Was Turned Away From Us, While She Was 
 Addressing Those On The     Further Side Of     The     Circle. 
   
   
 Pullingo Led On Without Stopping For A Moment, Or Venturing Even To Look 
 Back, Probably Fearing That He Might Be Discovered, And Bring Down The 
 Vengeance Of     His Countrymen Upon Himself.  At All Events, The     Fact Of 
 His Having Followed Us, Knowing The     Danger In Which We Might Place 
 Ourselves, Was A Convincing Proof Of     His Fidelity.  With Unerring 
 Sagacity He Led The     Way Through The     Forest, And Not Till We Had Passed 
 Over The     First Range Of     Hills Did He Stop To Allow Us To Take Breath. 
   
   
 "Bad!--Mighty Bad, Paddy!" He Said, Turning Round To His Friend, And 
 Speaking With The     Accent He Had Learned From The     Irishman.  "If Get 
 Killed, Others Say Pullingo Did It.  Bad!--Mighty Bad, Paddy!" He 
 Continued Repeating, His Limited Stock Of     Words Not Allowing Him To 
 Express His Opinion Of     Our Proceeding In Any Other Way. 
   
   
 "But If We Had Not Gone, We Should Not Have Found Out That The     Blacks 
 Were Thinking Of     Attacking Us," Answered Doyle.  "They Might Have Been 
 Down Upon Us During The     Night, And Killed Every Mother's Son Among Us 
 Before We Were Awake In The     Morning; So You See, Mr Pullingo, Our 
 Journey Has Been Of     More Use Than You're Inclined To Suppose.  And Pray 
 How Comes It, If You Knew They Were There, That You Didn't Tell Us?" 
   
   
 "I Tell By-And-By If Dey Come," Answered Pullingo.  "Now, On Again;" And 
 Once More Moving Forward, He Led The     Way To The     Camp.  He Either Took A 
 Shorter Route, Or We Got Over The     Ground Very Much Faster Than When We 
 Were Going, As We Arrived Considerably Sooner Than I Expected. 
   
   
 The Account We Gave My Father Made Him Hesitate About Remaining Where We 
 Were.  We Had Still Four Hours Of     Daylight, And By Pushing On We Might 
 Put A Distance Of     Ten Miles Or So Between Ourselves And The     Blacks. 
 From What We Had Seen, And The     Few Words We Had Understood, We Gathered 
 That The     Old Hag, For Some Cause Or Other, Was Instigating Her Tribe To 
 Attack Us.  Pullingo Was Consulted On The     Subject; And When He 
 Understood That We Proposed Moving Away, He Advised That We Should Do So 
 Without Delay. 
   
   
 My Father Had Been Anxious To Allow My Mother And Edith Time To Rest: 
 The Strength Of     My Little Sister, Indeed, Was Severely Tried With The 
 Long Walk She Had Taken Every Day Since We Had Commenced Our Journey. 
   
   
 "But, Sure, We Can Carry The     Young Lady," Exclaimed Paddy.  "I, For One, 
 Will Willingly Lend My Shoulder.  Sure, She's As Light As A Feather!" 
   
   
 "And So Will I," Said Mudge.  "I Only Wish We Had Thought Of     It Before." 
   
   
 Burton Also, And One Of     The     Other Men, Volunteered To Carry Her.  My 
 Mother Thanked Them, And Declared That, So Far As She Herself Was 
 Concerned, She Was Ready To Proceed Any Distance Which Might Be Thought 
 Necessary.  We Accordingly At Once Set To Work To Construct A Sort Of 
 Palanquin.  Several Of     The     Trees I Have Described, Which Have Long 
 Foot-Stalks Above Their Leaves, From Which The     Natives Make Their 
 Spears, Were Growing Near, And From These Two Long Poles Were Speedily 
 Cut.  They Were Tough And Light, And Sufficiently Strong To Bear My 
 Sister's Weight.  Some Cross-Pieces Were Secured To Them, And The 
 Intervals Filled Up With The     Long Spiral Leaves From The     Same Tree.  On 
 The Top Of     This Network A Piece Of     Bark Was Fastened; Thus, In Less Than 
 Five Minutes A Very Suitable Litter Was Constructed. 
   
   
 Having Quickly Packed Up Our Traps, We Placed Edith On It And Set Out; 
 Paddy Declaring, With True Irish Politeness, That His Own Pack Felt All 
 The Lighter For Having The     Young Lady To Balance It.  Pullingo Was 
 Evidently Astonished At Seeing The     Pains We Took With The     Little Girl, 
 As His Own Wife And Daughters Would Have Had To Carry Any Property They 
 Possessed, While He Trudged Ahead, Laden Only With His Spears And 
 Boomerang,--Not, By The     Way, That The     Australian Natives Ever Are The 
 Possessors Of     Many Weighty Articles, Dispensing, As They Do When 
 Travelling, With Houses Or Clothing Or Cooking Utensils, Or Indeed Any 
 Of The     Requirements Of     Civilised Beings.  While Acting As Our Guide, 
 However, He Seemed Anxious To Imitate Us In All Respects, And Now 
 Marched Ahead Wearing The     Trousers And Shirt Which Had Been Given Him; 
 Looking Upon Them, However, More As An Honourable Distinction Than As 
 Articles Of     Necessity. 
   
   
 The Appearance Of     The     Country Varied But Little From That We Had Passed 
 Over.  It Was Sufficiently Level To Allow Of     Edith Being Carried Without 
 Difficulty, Though In Some Places Undulating, And Covered Pretty Thickly 
 With Trees; Generally, However, The     Country Was Thoroughly Park-Like, 
 And I Could Not Help Expecting To See A Herd Of     Deer Start Up And Go 
 Bounding Away Before Us.  In Lieu Of     Them, We Occasionally Caught Sight 
 Of Three Or Four Kangaroos, And Sometimes Of     Solitary Individuals,-- 
 Which, However, Made Their Escape Before We Could Get A Shot At Them. 
 They Are Wary Animals; And It Is Difficult To Approach Them Unless Where 
 The Cover Is Thick, And The     Sportsman Is On The     Alert.  But Even When 
 Feeding They Keep A Watchful Eye Round On Every Side, To Give Notice Of 
 Their Two Enemies, The     Natives Or The     Dingos, As They Approach. 
   
   
 "Well, After All, This Is A Very Jolly Life," Observed Tommy To Me, As 
 He And Harry And I Brought Up The     Rear, Having Been Ordered To Keep A 
 Look-Out On Every Side, As Well As Behind Us, Lest Any Natives Should Be 
 Following Our Trail.  "I Only Wish Those Black Fellows Would Take 
 Themselves Off And Not Interfere With Us." 
   
   
 "Perhaps They May Be Saying The     Same Thing Of     Us," I Observed.  "We Must 
 Remember That We Are The     Trespassers; And They, By Right Of     Previous 
 Occupation, Consider The     Country Their Own, And Are Naturally Not 
 Pleased At Seeing Us Killing The     Animals On Which They Subsist." 
   
   
 "But There Must Be Enough For Both Of     Us," Said Tommy, "Judging From The 
 Number Of     Birds We See Overhead.  And It Is Very Foolish In Them To 
 Attempt To Interfere With The     White Men: The     Weakest Must Always Go To 
 The Wall." 
   
   
 "That May Be," I Observed: "But They Have To Learn That Lesson; And In 
 The Meantime They Fancy That They Can Drive Us Out Of     The     Country.  We 
 Have, Of     Course, A Perfect Right To Come Here; But We Are Bound To Treat 
 Them With Humanity, And To Take Every Pains Not To Injure Them Or 
 Deprive Them Of     Their Means Of     Subsistence." 
   
   
 "That, I Am Sure, Is Very Right," Observed Harry.  "It Is Not Their 
 Fault That They Are Ignorant Savages; And We Must Think Of     What We 
 Should Have Been Ourselves If We Had Not Been Instructed.  I Never Can 
 Forget What I Might Have Become Had I Been Left With Those Dreadful 
 People From Whom You Rescued Me.  I Should Have Known Nothing Of     God Or 
 Of His Love For Man, Or Of     His Desire That Man Should Be Reconciled To 
 Him Through His Own Appointed Way, And Come To Live With Him In The 
 Glorious Heaven He Has Prepared, For Ever And Ever." 
   
   
 "Then Why Is It That Thousands And Tens Of     Thousands Of     Savages, In All 
 Parts Of     The     World, Are Allowed To Live And Die Without Ever Hearing Of 
 Him?" Asked Tommy. 
   
   
 "That Is One Of     The     Many Mysteries Which Man Has Failed To Solve," I 
 Observed.  "We Cannot Understand His Plans; With Regard To Them, All We 
 Know Is How He Deals With Us: For That We Know Through The     Bible, Where 
 All Seems To Me Perfectly Clear." 
   
   
 "I Am Sure It Is," Observed Harry; "I Have Been Certain Of     That Since 
 Your Mother And Edith Have Read The     Book To Me, And Have Taught Me To 
 Read It For Myself.  It Seems To Me That People Are Ignorant Because 
 They Will Not Read The     Book, Or Seek For Grace To Understand It." 
   
   
 I Was Very Glad To Hear Harry Say This, For It Showed That My Mother's 
 Instruction Had Not Been Thrown Away On Him.  Indeed, Besides Being 
 Thoroughly Guileless And Honest, He Possessed As Much Natural 
 Intelligence As Anybody I Ever Met. 
   
   
 We Talked About Many Other Things, And Harry Was Always Ready To Listen 
 For The     Sake Of     Gaining Information.  He Delighted Especially To Hear 
 About England, As Well As Other Countries, And The     Numberless Wonders Of 
 Which He Formerly Had No Conception. 
   
   
 That Day's March--To Us, Who Had Been Out All The     Morning--Was A Very 
 Fatiguing One.  We Had, Too, As I Have Said, To Be Constantly On The 
 Watch, Especially When Passing Near Thickets--So I Will Call Them--Of 
 Ferns Or Other Closely-Growing Trees, Which Might Afford Concealment To 
 The Blacks.  We Knew That, Cunning As They Were, They Were Just As 
 Likely To Appear Ahead Or On One Side Of     Us As Behind.  My Father Had 
 Given Directions That, Should We Be Attacked.  Edith Was To Be Placed On 
 The Ground, When We Were To Gather Round Her, Forming A Hollow Square, 
 In The     Same Way That Infantry Are Arranged To Receive Cavalry; But That 
 No One Was To Fire Until He Gave The     Word.  He Always Entertained A Hope 
 That The     Blacks, On Seeing Us Well-Prepared, Would Not Venture To Attack 
 Us. 
   
   
 I Was Very Thankful When At Length, Just As The     Sun Was Setting, 
 Pullingo Called A Halt By The     Side Of     A Wood.  It Was Somewhat In A 
 Hollow, For The     Sake Of     A Water-Hole Which Existed At The     Bottom.  Our 
 Camp, However, Was Pitched On A Slope Where The     Ground Was Dry.  Around 
 The Spot Grew Some Enormous Ferns, As Large As Ordinary Trees In The 
 Northern Parts Of     The     World.  We Lost No Time In Making Preparations For 
 Passing The     Night: Our Huts Were Quickly Put Up And A Fire Kindled--The 
 Grass Surrounding The     Place Being First Carefully Cut Down, So As To 
 Prevent Any Risk Of     It Blazing Up And Setting The     Trees In Flames. 
 This, In Dry Weather, Is The     Chief Danger To Be Guarded Against When 
 Travelling In Australia. 
   
   
 Edith Thanked Her Carriers For Having Saved Her So Much Fatigue. 
   
   
 "Sure, It's The     Pleasantest Thing I've Done For Many A Day, Miss Edith," 
 Answered Paddy, With A Flourish Of     His Straw Hat; "And Of     Course I Just 
 Speak The     Sentiments Of     All The     Rest." 
   
   
 Mudge, Who Was Not In The     Habit Of     Paying Compliments, Smiled; But He 
 Told Edith He Was Very Glad To Have Been Able To Carry Her, And That He 
 Should Propose Making A Litter For Mrs Rayner, And Letting Harry, And 
 Tom, And Popo, And Me Act As Her Bearers For Another Day. 
   
   
 Scarcely Had We Sat Down To Supper When We Were Saluted With The     Same 
 Discordant, Laughing Cry Which Had Startled Us On The     Previous Evening; 
 But This Time, Knowing From Whence It Proceeded, We Felt No Alarm; 
 Though I Believe That, Had Not Pullingo Killed The     Gogobera, We Should 
 Not Have Been Convinced That A Bird Could Have Produced Such Sounds. 
   
   
 Of Course, We Kept A Watch; But The     Night Passed Away Without Any Event 
 To Disturb Our Rest.  Even Before The     Sun Was Up, Our Friend The 
 "Laughing Jackass" Woke Us With His Strange Cries.  Pullingo Would Have 
 Killed Him With His Boomerang, Had We Not Begged His Life; And Soon 
 After The     Sun Was Up, I Observed Him Flying Away To A Place Of     Safety, 
 Disturbed By Seeing So Many People Moving About. 
   
   
 As Our Rest Had Been Cut Short At The     Last Place, My Father Settled To 
 Remain Here Till Past Noon, And To Make Only Half A Day's Journey, So 
 That We Might Start At Dawn The     Next Day And Make Some Progress During 
 The Cool Hours Of     The     Morning.  We Therefore Sat Quiet After Breakfast, 
 Enjoying The     Rest We All More Or Less Needed. 
   
   
 Though I Have Not Before Mentioned It, My Father, I Should Have Said, 
 Invariably Called All The     Party Together For Prayers, Both Morning And 
 Evening, And Either He Or My Mother Read A Portion Of     The     Bible To Us. 
   
   
 After This Had Been Done, Mudge And I Took Our Guns, In The     Hope Of 
 Shooting Some Birds For Dinner, Which We Intended To Take Before 
 Starting.  We Killed As Many As We Required; And Finding It Very Hot, We 
 Agreed To Rest Under The     Shade Of     A Huge Fern, While We Sent The     Game 
 Back By Popo, Who Had Accompanied Us, To Be Got Ready For Cooking. 
 Mudge Leaned Back Against A Tree And Lighted His Pipe, While I Sat Close 
 To Him, Enjoying The     Comparative Coolness Which The     Shade Afforded. 
   
   
 We Had Not Been Resting Many Minutes When We Heard A Rustling Sound In 
 The Bushes; And Supposing That It Was Caused By A Kangaroo, I Lifted My 
 Gun, Ready To Fire.  At That Instant A Native Burst From The     Cover; But 
 On Seeing Us, With A Look Of     Astonishment And Terror He Sprang On One 
 Side, And Continued His Course At Headlong Speed, Passing Some Thirty 
 Yards From Us, And Being Quickly Lost To Sight.  I Was Thankful That I 
 Had Not Fired, As I Was Nearly Doing, Before I Discovered That It Was A 
 Human Being, Rushing Through The     Forest, And Apparently, From Some Cause 
 Or Other, Flying From His Foes.  Had He Merely Been Hunting, He Would 
 Have Retreated, As He Would Have Known That The     Animal Of     Which He Was 
 In Chase Was Not Likely To Have Passed Us. 
   
   
 "It Proves, At All Events, That The     Natives Are Timid Beings, And That 
 We Have Very Little Cause To Fear Them, Or That Fellow Would Not Have 
 Been So Frightened At Seeing Us," Observed Mudge. 
   
   
 Some Time Passed By, When Mudge Looked At His Watch.  "I Should Think 
 That The     Parrots Must Now Be Properly Done; And We May As Well Return To 
 The Camp," He Observed.  "But, Really, I Feel Very Little Inclination To 
 Get Up." 
   
   
 Just As He Spoke I Saw Pullingo Close To Us.  He Had Approached So 
 Noiselessly, That, Had He Been An Enemy, He Might Easily Have Surprised 
 Us. 
   
   
 "Not Good Here; Too Far From Camp," He Said In A Low Voice. 
   
   
 Scarcely Had He Said This When I Heard A Rustling In The     Direction From 
 Whence The     Native Had Appeared, And Immediately Afterwards Seven Dark 
 Forms--Some With Spears, Others With Axes Or Clubs, In Their Hands--Came 
 Rushing Forth Into The     Sunlight, Looking About In Every Direction, As If 
 In Eager Search Of     Some One Or Something.  Concealed As We Were By The 
 High Grass And The     Trunks Of     The     Trees, They Did Not At First Perceive 
 Us, And Earnestly I Hoped That They Might Pass By Without Doing So. 
 Pullingo Crouched Down, Eagerly Watching Them, But Without Uttering A 
 Word.  Mudge's Hand Moved Towards His Pistols; And I Kept My Finger On 
 The Trigger Of     My Gun, Ready To Fire Should They Appear To Have Any 
 Intention Of     Attacking Us.  They Were More Savage-Looking Fellows Than 
 Any We Had Before Seen--Their Countenances Distorted With Rage, And 
 Every Action Exhibiting The     Fury Which Animated Them.  Eagerly They 
 Looked About On Every Side; But Not Discovering The     Object Of     Their 
 Search, Were About To Rush Onward, When One Of     Them Caught Sight Of     Us. 
   
   
 On Finding That We Were Discovered, We Both Sprang To Our Feet With Our 
 Guns Ready To Fire, Determined To Sell Our Lives Dearly Should They 
 Attack Us, As We Had No Doubt They Would; While With Terrific Shrieks 
 They Came Bounding Towards Us, Some With Their Spears Ready To Dart, 
 Others Flourishing Their Axes And Clubs. 
   
   
 "I'll Pick Off The     Leading Fellow, And You Fire At The     Next," Cried 
 Mudge; And I Was On The     Point Of     Obeying Him, When Pullingo Started Up 
 And Uttered Some Words In His Own Language, The     Meaning Of     Which We 
 Could Not Understand. 
   
   
 The Natives Stopped, And Pullingo Cried Out To Us, "Don't Shoot! Don't 
 Shoot!"  He Was But Just In Time.  "Dey Not Enemy," He Said. 
   
   
 He Now Advanced And Exchanged A Few Hurried Words With The     Natives, Who, 
 I Had Very Little Doubt, Were In Pursuit Of     The     Black We Had Previously 
 Seen; But, Of     Course, We Did Not Let Them Know That He Had Passed Us. 
 Having Exchanged A Few More Words With Pullingo, They Continued Their 
 Course In The     Direction The     Fugitive Had Taken, While We Returned With 
 Pullingo To The     Camp. 
   
   
 On The     Way He Told Us That The     Fugitive Had Committed A Murder Or Some 
 Other Crime, And That The     Avengers Were Following Him To Take His Life. 
 Alas! For Him, Poor Wretch! There Was No City Of     Refuge In The     Land; And 
 Unless He Could Exhibit More Cunning And Endurance Than His Seven 
 Pursuers, His Fate Was Sealed, And Probably Ere The     Sun Had Set He Would 
 Be Numbered With The     Dead. 
   
   
 We Were Thankful For Our Escape, For Had We Killed One Of     Them In Our 
 Ignorance Of     Their Intentions, The     Others Would Have Set Upon Us; And We 
 Should Either Have Been Compelled To Shoot The     Whole Of     Them, Or Have 
 Been Pierced Through And Through With Their Lances.  It Was, At All 
 Events, Fortunate That Pullingo Had Come Up Just At The     Right Moment. 
   
   
 Before We Reached The     Camp He Resumed His Shirt And Trousers, Which, For 
 Some Reason Or Other Which He Did Not Explain, He Had Hidden Away In The 
 Bush.  I Could Not Help Fancying That He Knew His Countrymen Might Pass 
 By That Way; And Having Found Out Where We Were, He Had Come To Warn Us 
 Of Our Danger. 
   
   
 We Narrated The     Adventure To My Father And The     Rest Of     The     Party; And 
 After The     Description We Gave Of     The     Blacks, They Expressed A Hope That 
 We Should Not Fall In With Them. 
   
   
 Our Game, As We Had Expected, Was Ready For Taking Off The     Spits; And As 
 Soon As We Had Discussed It, We Prepared For Our Departure. 
 
 
 
 Chapter XI 
   
   
   
 Visited By More Blacks On Our March--Wonder At Our Thunder-Makers--A 
 Permanent Camp Formed--Mudge And I Set Off To Explore The     Way--Pullingo 
 Disposes Of     His Garments--Cross A River--Reach The     Foot Of     The     Range-- 
 Pullingo Meets His Son Quaquagmagu--His Determination To Leave Us--The 
 Cavern Of     The     Moon--A Native Legend--Observe The     Natives Worshipping 
 Before The     Cavern--Deserted By Pullingo--We Proceed Without Him--Enter A 
 Rugged Region--Skeleton Of     The     Bushranger--Camp Under A Rock--Our Water 
 Exhausted. 
   
   
 We Travelled On For Several Days, Happily Escaping Any Molestation From 
 The Natives.  A Few Came Near Us, To Whom Pullingo Explained That We 
 Were Merely Passing Through The     Country, And That We Wished To Be On 
 Friendly Terms With The     Black Men,--But At The     Same Time That We 
 Possessed The     Power, With Our Wonderful Thunder-Makers, Of     Destroying 
 All Our Enemies.  Now And Then An Individual Bolder Than His Companions 
 Would Come Up To Us While We Were On The     March, Or When We Were 
 Encamped, For The     Purpose Of     Examining The     Said Thunder-Makers, As They 
 Called Our Firearms, More Closely; But When They Did So They Gazed At 
 Them With The     Utmost Astonishment And Awe In Their Countenances, And 
 Quickly Took Their Departure, Evidently Thinking It Not Safe To Remain 
 In The     Neighbourhood Of     Such Formidable Beings.  All This Time Even 
 Pullingo Himself Had Never Ventured To Touch A Firearm, So That He Had 
 No Idea How The     Explosion Was Produced.  The     Greater Number Of     The 
 Blacks We Saw, However, Scampered Off As Soon As They Caught Sight Of 
 Us. 
   
   
 The Country Over Which We Passed Was Very Similar To That I Have Before 
 Described.  One Evening, As We Were Passing Over A Higher Hill Than 
 Usual, We Caught Sight In The     Far Distance Of     A Blue Range Of     Mountains, 
 Which It Was Very Clear We Must Cross To Get To The     Southward.  How High 
 It Really Was We Could Not Decide, But It Appeared Of     Considerable 
 Elevation, And, We Feared, Would Prove Rugged And Barren. 
   
   
 When We Were Encamped That Evening, After My Mother And Edith Had 
 Retired To Their Hut, My Father Expressed His Fears To Mudge And Me That 
 They Might Suffer Much Inconvenience And Hardship, If Not Danger, In 
 Passing Over It.  "I Wish That I Had Shown More Resolution In Preventing 
 My Poor Mates From Going Away In The     Long-Boat," He Observed; "Had I 
 Induced Them To Wait Till The     Stormy Season Was Over, They Might Have 
 Accomplished The     Voyage In Safety, And We Should By This Time Probably 
 Have Been Succoured By A Vessel From Sydney, And Saved The     Fatigue Of 
 This Long Journey." 
   
   
 "You Acted For The     Best, Sir," Observed Mudge; "And Perhaps The 
 Difficulties We Have To Go Through May Not Be So Great As You 
 Anticipate.  However, I Have Been Thinking Over The     Matter, And If You 
 Will Allow Me And One Other Person To Set Out, With Pullingo As A Guide, 
 Supposing We Can Induce Him To Accompany Us, We Will Explore The     Route, 
 While You Remain Encamped In Some Eligible Position Near Water With The 
 Rest Of     The     Party, Where You Can Obtain Abundance Of     Game.  Doyle Is A 
 Capital Shot, And Sure Amply To Supply Your Larder.  We, Having 
 Ascertained The     Best Road To Take, Will Return For You; And Perhaps On 
 The Other Side Of     The     Range We May Fall In With Settlers, From Whom We 
 May Obtain Horses On Which Mrs Rayner And Your Daughter Could Perform 
 The Rest Of     The     Journey.  Two Or Three Men Can Often Make Their Way 
 Easily In A Region Through Which A Larger Party Would Find It Difficult 
 If Not Impossible To Proceed." 
   
   
 "I Am Indeed Most Grateful To You For Your Offer," Said My Father; "But 
 Whom Do You Propose Taking With You?  I Confess That, For The     Sake Of     My 
 Wife And Daughter, I Am Unwilling To Weaken Our Party, In Case The 
 Natives Should Visit Our Camp, And, Seeing Only A Few Men, Might Be 
 Tempted To Molest Us." 
   
   
 As Soon As I Had Heard Mudge's Proposal, I Determined If I Could To 
 Accompany Him.  "Let Me Go," I Exclaimed.  "I Can Endure As Much Fatigue 
 As Any One; And Though I Can Use My Rifle To Some Effect, The     Blacks, 
 Looking Upon Me Only As A Boy, Would Not Consider That I Added To The 
 Strength Of     The     Party: And Thus You Will Retain Five Men Besides 
 Yourself, While I Think I Shall Be Of     As Much Assistance To Mudge As Any 
 One Else." 
   
   
 "I Shall Be Very Happy To Have You, Godfrey," Said Mudge, "If Your 
 Father Approves Of     Your Going; Indeed, I Had Thought Of     Proposing That 
 You Should Accompany Me.  What Do You Say, Captain Rayner?  I Will 
 Defend Him With My Life, Should He Be Exposed To Danger--Not That I 
 Think We Shall Have To Encounter Any.  And We May Depend, I Think, On 
 Our Guns For Supplying Ourselves With Food." 
   
   
 My Father Considered The     Matter, And, Greatly To My Satisfaction, 
 Finally Agreed To Let Me Accompany Mudge.  He Explained The     Plan To My 
 Mother The     Next Morning, Observing: "We Allowed Godfrey To Go To Sea, 
 And Surely He Will Have To Encounter No Greater Danger By Accompanying 
 So Sensible And Determined A Fellow As Mudge, Than He Would Have Had To 
 Run Constantly While Performing The     Duties Of     His Profession." 
   
   
 The Matter Being Settled, We Lost No Time In Making Our Preparations. 
 We Had Some Alterations To Make In The     Contents Of     Our Packs, That We 
 Might Each Carry A Sufficient Store Of     The     Articles We Were Most Likely 
 To Require.  We Took An Ample Supply Of     Powder And Shot, A Tinder-Box 
 Apiece, The     Most Portable Food We Possessed, And Bottles To Contain 
 Water, With A Pocket-Compass And A Spy-Glass, And An Additional Pair Of 
 Shoes.  We Had Also A Kettle To Boil Water For Making Our Tea, And A Tin 
 Cup Apiece To Drink It Out Of, With A Spoon, A Plate Apiece, And A 
 Couple Of     Knives And Forks.  Our Camp Equipage, Though Not Elaborate, 
 Was As Complete As We Desired.  Our Legs Were Encased In Strong Gaiters. 
   
   
 We Left Our Party Encamped On The     Summit Of     A Mound, From Which They 
 Could Obtain A View On Every Side; While The     Trees, With The     Addition Of 
 Some Stockades Placed Between Them, Would Enable Them Effectually To 
 Defend Themselves Against Any Attack Of     The     Natives.  At The     Foot Of     The 
 Mound Ran A Stream With Several Deep Water-Holes In Its Course, Which 
 Were Not Likely Ever To Become Dry; While The     Trees Along Its Margin 
 Were Frequented By Various Descriptions Of     Birds.  Thus An Abundant 
 Supply Of     Food Could Always Be Obtained. 
   
   
 Between It And The     Range Was A More Thickly Wooded Country Than We Had 
 Hitherto Passed Through, And Of     Some Extent, Which Prevented Us From 
 Seeing The     Character Of     The     Ground Beyond.  Through This We Should Have 
 To Make Our Way.  We Should, However, Have Some Distance To Go Before We 
 Could Reach The     Actual Base Of     The     Hills. 
   
   
 Pullingo, As Far As We Could Ascertain, Had No Objection To Accompanying 
 Us; And Besides Our Guns, We Each Had A Brace Of     Pistols, An Axe, And A 
 Long Knife. 
   
   
 At Early Dawn, After A Hearty Breakfast, All The     Party Having Got Up To 
 Wish Us Good-Bye, We Set Out.  The     Clearness Of     The     Atmosphere Deceived 
 Us, And It Took Us Some Time Before We Entered The     Forest.  The     Rays Of 
 The Sun, As They Gleamed Through The     Trees, Showed Us The     Direction We 
 Were To Take.  Mudge Went First, And I Followed, For There Was Often Not 
 Room Between The     Numberless Creepers Which Hung Down From The     Boughs To 
 Make Our Way Two Abreast. 
   
   
 Pullingo Had, I Observed, For Some Days Past Been Giving Signs That He 
 Was Becoming Tired Of     The     Routine Of     Our Life, So Different From That 
 Which Natives Are Accustomed To Lead.  He Now, Instead Of     Going Ahead, 
 Lagged Behind, Merely Pointing In The     Direction We Were To Take, And 
 Which We Knew Perfectly Well Without His Assistance.  Directly We 
 Entered The     Forest I Saw Him Making All Sorts Of     Extraordinary Gestures, 
 And After Going On A Little Way I Observed That He Had Taken Off His 
 Shirt.  A Minute Afterwards, What Was My Surprise On Turning Round To 
 See Him Holding His Trousers In His Hand; Then, Flourishing Them For An 
 Instant In The     Air, He Pitched Them On To The     Bough Of     A Tree, Where 
 They Hung Fluttering In The     Breeze, While He Bounded Forward, As If 
 Delighted At Finding Himself Free Of     The     Garments Which Had So Long 
 Proved Irksome To Him.  I Hailed Mudge, And Asked Him Whether He Ought 
 Not To Be Told To Go Back And Get His Clothes. 
   
   
 "Let Him Alone," Was The     Answer; "He Is Only Following The     Bent Of     His 
 Nature; He Is Perfectly Welcome To Run Naked If He Likes, Though I 
 Suspect That When We Come To Cross The     Tops Of     The     Hills He Will Be 
 Sorry That He Got Rid Of     Them." 
   
   
 So Strange, However, Were The     Black's Antics, That I Began To Fear He 
 Had Lost His Senses.  He Shouted And Laughed, And Tumbled Head Over 
 Heels, And Skipped, And Jumped About In The     Most Extraordinary Manner, 
 As If Rejoicing In His Regained Freedom. 
   
   
 "I Suppose He Fancies That His Clothes Will Hang There Till He Comes 
 Back, When He Intends To Appear Decently, I Hope, At The     Camp," I 
 Remarked. 
   
   
 "I Don't Think He Troubles Himself About The     Future," Answered Mudge; 
 "He Just Now Feels As Much Satisfaction At Being Without His Clothes, As 
 You Or I Would In Getting A Warm Bath And Putting On A Clean Shirt And 
 Trousers." 
   
   
 We Were Some Time In Making Our Way Through The     Forest, Pullingo Not 
 Taking Any Special Trouble To Pick Out The     Best Path.  We Had Expected 
 Almost Immediately To Commence Our Ascent Of     The     Mountain, But On 
 Emerging From The     Forest We Saw Before Us A Valley, With A Broad Stream 
 Flowing Through It.  By The     Rapidity Of     The     Current We Judged That It 
 Made A Direct Course To The     Sea; And It Was Evidently Far Too Deep To 
 Allow Us To Hope That We Could Wade Across It. 
   
   
 We Pointed It Out To Pullingo, Who Had Now Become A Little More Quiet, 
 And Asked Him How He Proposed To Cross The     River.  He At Once Turned 
 Back, And Going Towards A Huge Old Stringy-Bark Tree Which Stood Out 
 Some Way From The     Rest, Stripped Off Two Large Pieces Of     Bark, Which He 
 Invited Us To Assist In Carrying Down To The     Water's Edge.  He Then, 
 Looking About, Got Some Long Grass Of     A Peculiar Nature, With Which He 
 Quickly Manufactured Some Strong Twine; Then Bending Up The     Ends Of     The 
 Bark, Which Yielded Easily To The     Pressure He Bestowed On It, And Using 
 A Pointed Stick As An Awl, He Soon Sewed Them Together.  Both Pieces 
 Were Treated In The     Same Way.  He Then Got Some Clay From The     Bank Of 
 The River And Stuffed It Into The     Ends; And Thus In A Wonderfully Short 
 Time Had Manufactured Two Canoes.  From Some Small Pieces Of     Bark And A 
 Pole, Which He Cut With My Axe, He Also Speedily Formed A Couple Of 
 Paddles. 
   
   
 We Had All Along Intended, It Will Be Remembered, Should We Meet With 
 Rivers, To Make Some Canoes For Crossing Them; But He, In Less Than A 
 Quarter Of     The     Time That We Should Have Employed In Making One, Had 
 Formed Two Which Would Answer The     Purpose--Though I Should Not, I Own, 
 Have Liked To Undertake A Long Trip In One Of     Them.  He Signed To Mudge 
 To Get Into One, While He Seated Himself In The     Other, Beckoning Me To 
 Follow, Which I Did Without Hesitation, Though The     Water Reached Almost 
 Up To The     Gunwale.  We Were Quickly Across; Then He Drew The     Canoes 
 Carefully Up The     Bank, And Placed Them Side By Side, Showing How He 
 Recollected That We Might Require Them On Our Return. 
   
   
 We Had Been Much Deceived As To The     Distance; And We Found That We Had 
 Still Some Way To Go Before We Got Actually Among The     Ranges We Had To 
 Traverse.  How Wide They Might Be We Could Not Tell; It Might Take Us A 
 Day Or Two, Or Several Days, To Cross Them. 
   
   
 The Evening Found Us Making Our Way Over A Tolerably Level Country, The 
 Hills Which We Thought So Near In The     Morning Being Still At Some 
 Distance.  Here And There Vast Eucalypti Of     Enormous Growth Were 
 Scattered About, Towering To The     Sky; Some Decayed And Hollow, With 
 Their Limbs Scathed By Lightning, And Their Bark Hanging Down In Long 
 Strips, Like Ragged Giants, Others Still Covered By Sombre Foliage. 
   
   
 We Were Struck By Pullingo's Manner; He Kept Looking About Him, Not As 
 If The     Region Were Strange To Him, But As If He Were Searching For 
 Something. 
   
   
 The Shadows Of     The     Tall Trees Continued Increasing In Length; At Last 
 Mudge Proposed That We Should Forthwith Encamp, And Accordingly Made 
 Pullingo Understand That We Intended Doing So.  He Nodded His Consent To 
 Our Proposal, And At Once Began To Collect Bark For A Lean-To And Wood 
 For A Fire.  Relieving Ourselves Of     Our Packs, We Assisted Him, And Had 
 Soon Erected Our Shelter For The     Night, Close To The     Trunk Of     One Of     The 
 Enormous Trees I Have Described.  These Arrangements Being Made, We Took 
 Our Guns, And In The     Course Of     A Few Minutes Had Shot As Many Birds As 
 We Required For Our Supper And Breakfast. 
   
   
 On Returning To Our Camp We Saw, To Our Surprise, Pullingo Seated On The 
 Ground Opposite Another Black, On Whose Knees His Hands Rested, While 
 They Gazed Into Each Other's Faces.  They Were Talking Earnestly 
 Together, As If They Had Matters Of     The     Greatest Importance To 
 Communicate.  As We Drew Near Enough To Distinguish The     Features Of     The 
 Stranger Black, We Recognised Our Old Acquaintance, Pullingo's Son, 
 Quaquagmagu.  So Deeply Were They Engaged, They Did Not Even Perceive 
 Our Approach; And As We Had No Wish To Disturb Them, We Retired To A 
 Distance To Wait Till They Had Finished Their Conversation.  Finding, 
 However, That We Might Wait Till Midnight, And As We Wished To Get Our 
 Pigeons Plucked And Roasted, We Once More Drew Near.  At Length 
 Perceiving Us, They Sprang To Their Feet; When Pullingo Exclaimed, 
 "Son--Quaquagmagu--Me, Me!" 
   
   
 "Of Course We Recollect Him," Said Mudge, Shaking Him By The     Hand.  I 
 Did The     Same, Apparently Much To The     Young Man's Satisfaction. 
   
   
 "And What Brought Your Son Here?" Inquired Mudge, As If He Knew That It 
 Would Be Useless To Put The     Question To Quaquagmagu. 
   
   
 "All, All," Answered Pullingo, Shaking His Head; And He Poured Forth A 
 Torrent Of     Words Which We Could Not Understand. 
   
   
 At Length, However, We Made Out, Chiefly By Signs, That Something Was 
 Wrong At Home--Either That His Children Were Ill, Or That His Wife Had 
 Run Away; At All Events, That He Wished To Return Northward.  This Was 
 To Us A Serious Announcement, As We Had Greatly Depended On His 
 Assistance For Traversing The     Country.  It Had, However, Been Tolerably 
 Evident That He Had Got Tired Of     Acting As Our Guide; Indeed, Few Of     The 
 Wild Natives Can Ever Be Depended Upon For Associating With The     Whites 
 For Any Length Of     Time.  Only The     Younger Men, Who Get Gradually 
 Habituated To Civilised Customs, Will Ever Remain Faithful To The     Duties 
 They Undertake.  Pullingo Was No Exception To The     Rule. 
   
   
 "Will It Be Necessary For Us To Turn Back?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "Certainly Not," Answered Mudge; "We Can Make Our Way Very Well Without 
 Him, And As It Is Important For The     Sake Of     Your Mother And Sister That 
 We Should Undertake The     Journey, I Say, By All Means Let Us Push On." 
   
   
 "I Am Perfectly Ready To Do So," I Answered; "Indeed, I Very Much Doubt 
 Whether Pullingo Knows Anything About The     Mountains, And I Suspect That 
 From The     First He Had No Intention Of     Conducting Us Over Them.  I 
 Suppose, However, That He Does Not Intend To Leave Us At Once?" 
   
   
 "Little Fear Of     That While We Have The     Pigeons Roasting At The     Fire," 
 Observed Mudge.  "Perhaps During The     Evening We Shall Be Able To Learn 
 More About The     Matter; However, In The     Meantime We Must Make Him And His 
 Son Assist Us In Plucking The     Birds, For I Am Getting Pretty Sharp Set." 
   
   
 Pullingo And Quaquagmagu Very Willingly Obeyed Our Directions, 
 Especially As They Were To Benefit By The     Task, And We Quickly Had A 
 Dozen Pigeons And Parrots Roasting On As Many Spits. 
   
   
 "And So, Pullingo, You Intend To Leave Us To Make Our Way Over The     Hills 
 By Ourselves!  That Is Not Treating Us Properly," Observed Mudge. 
   
   
 The Black Hung Down His Head, As If He Had Understood Every Word That 
 Was Said, And Then With A Sigh Pointed Northward. 
   
   
 "But Why Couldn't You Have Told Us This Before?" Asked Mudge. 
   
   
 Pullingo Pointed To His Son, To Intimate That He Had Brought Him 
 Intelligence Which Made Him Wish To Return. 
   
   
 "And Has He Come All This Way By Himself?" Asked Mudge, Making Signs At 
 The Same Time To Explain His Meaning. 
   
   
 The Black Intimated That He Had Not Come Alone, But That Several Of     His 
 Tribe Had Accompanied Him, For Some Object Or Other Which We Could Not 
 Make Out.  We Were Puzzled Also To Discover How Quaquagmagu Had Known 
 Where To Find His Father.  It Showed Us That The     Blacks Had Some Secret 
 Means Of     Communicating With Each Other Of     Which We Were Ignorant. 
   
   
 We Sat By Our Camp-Fire Endeavouring To Hold A Conversation With 
 Pullingo.  His Stock Of     Words Was But Small; Though, Considering The 
 Time He Had Been With Us, It Was Wonderful That He Had Gained The 
 Meaning Of     So Many.  We Both Eked Them Out By Signs, In Making Use Of 
 Which The     Black Was Singularly Clever.  Our Aim Was To Ascertain The 
 Object For Which Quaquagmagu And His Companions Had Come Into That Part 
 Of The     Country, But We Were For A Long Time Excessively Puzzled To 
 Understand The     Meaning Of     Pullingo's Words And Gestures.  It Had 
 Something To Do With The     Moon, And Also With A Large Cavern; But Whether 
 They Had Come To Worship The     Moon, Or Some Object In The     Cavern, We 
 Could Not Clearly Make Out. 
   
   
 It Was Not Till Long Afterwards That I Understood What He Wished To Tell 
 Us.  In The     Early Days Of     The     World, The     Moon, Who Was Then A Very 
 Beautiful Young Woman, Lived Happily In The     Midst Of     The     Forests Through 
 Which We Had Lately Passed.  It Was Her Custom To Take Up Her Abode In A 
 Large Cave In The     Side Of     The     Mountain We Were Approaching.  Here She 
 Would Have Remained Till The     Present Day, Had She Not, By The     Envy Of 
 Some Evil Spirits, Been Driven From Earth, And Condemned To Exist Only 
 In The     Night Up In The     Sky.  The     Stars, The     Blacks Believe, Are The 
 Tears Of     Regret Which The     Moon Sheds When Weary Of     Her Banished 
 Condition.  When She Gains A Certain Position In The     Sky, However, She 
 Is Able To Look Down Upon Her Former Well-Beloved Abode, On Which She Is 
 Wont To Shed A Brilliant Light; Unless Her Enemies, By Means Of     Clouds 
 Which They Send Across The     Heavens, Deprive Her Of     The     Only Pleasure She 
 Enjoys In Her Solitary Existence. 
   
   
 Those Of     Her Mortal Relatives Who Still Regard Her With Affection, Make 
 A Point Of     Paying An Annual Visit To The     Place She Loved So Well When On 
 Earth; And It Appeared That A Large Party Had Been Made Up By Pullingo's 
 Tribe With This Object In View.  The     Ceremony, If So It Could Be Called, 
 Was, We Understood, To Take Place The     Following Night. 
   
   
 Anxious As We Were To Push Forward, We Would Not Have Allowed Ourselves 
 To Be Stopped By Such An Object; But As The     Cavern Existed Some Way Up 
 The Mountain, We Thought That We Should Probably Not Be Able To Get Much 
 Beyond The     Spot.  Our Curiosity, Indeed, Had Been Excited By What 
 Pullingo Had Told Us, And We Were Glad Of     An Opportunity Of     Witnessing 
 Anything Like A Religious Ceremony Performed By The     Blacks; For, From 
 What We Had Heard Of     Them, We Supposed That They Were Utterly Destitute 
 Of Anything Approaching To Religion. 
   
   
 At Length Mudge Told Pullingo That It Was Time To Turn In.  We Retired 
 To Our Hut, Leaving Him And His Son To Creep Under A Lean-To They Had 
 Put Up.  Though We Believed That We Could Thoroughly Trust His Honesty, 
 And That Our Lives Also Would Be Safe While He Was Near Us, We Agreed 
 That It Would Be Prudent Not To Let Him Suppose That We Should Both Be 
 Asleep At Once.  Accordingly, After Mudge Lay Down I Walked About With A 
 Gun In My Hand, To Show That We Were On The     Watch; And When I Did Go To 
 Sleep, I Made A Pillow Of     My Knapsack, And Held A Pistol In My Hand. 
   
   
 We Were Awakened In The     Morning By The     Loud Cry Of     Our Friend The 
 "Laughing Jackass."  As Pullingo And Quaquagmagu Had Eaten Up The 
 Remainder Of     The     Birds We Had Shot, We Immediately Started To Obtain A 
 Fresh Supply.  This Was Not Difficult To Do, And We Soon Killed Enough 
 To Feed All Hands And To Enable Us To Carry Some With Us For The     Next 
 Day's Journey.  Then Shouldering Our Muskets, We Set Out With Our Faces 
 To The     Hill, The     Two Blacks Accompanying Us. 
   
   
 "Perhaps Pullingo Is, After All, Sorry For Having Intended To Desert Us, 
 And Will Still Continue Our Guide," I Observed. 
   
   
 "Not Much Chance Of     That," Answered Mudge.  "Depend On It, He'll Take 
 French Leave Whenever It Suits His Convenience." 
   
   
 Still, I Was Inclined To Believe That The     Native Would Prove Faithful. 
 Neither He Nor His Son, However, Offered To Carry Our Packs; Though 
 Pullingo Chatted As Usual, And Seemed In A Particularly Merry Mood. 
   
   
 In The     Afternoon, After Having Stopped For Dinner,--When We Fed Our 
 Attendants With The     Produce Of     Our Guns,--We Were Already Among The 
 Spurs Of     The     Mountains, Amid Which The     Trees Were Of     Even More Gigantic 
 Growth Than Lower Down.  Instead Of     Ascending Abruptly, We Found 
 Ourselves In A Valley With A Gentle Slope, Penetrating Far Into The 
 Range. 
   
   
 As The     Sun Was Now Setting, We Agreed To Camp Under A Tall Tree By The 
 Side Of     A Stream Flowing Down The     Valley, Which Would Supply Us With 
 Water.  We Had Shot Some Birds On Our Way, So We At Once Set To Work To 
 Collect Bark For Our Hut And Wood For Our Fire.  Pullingo And His Son 
 Assisted Us; But We Observed That They Did Not Put Up A Lean-To For 
 Themselves.  We Were Busily Engaged In Preparing Our Birds For Supper, 
 When, After We Had Spitted Them, On Looking Round We Found That Our 
 Black Companions Had Disappeared. 
   
   
 "I Suppose They Will Come Back For Their Share," Observed Mudge. 
   
   
 Even When The     Birds Were Roasted They Did Not Return, So We Ate Our 
 Supper And Prepared To Take Our Rest.  The     Moon, By This Time, Had Risen 
 High In The     Sky, And Was Shedding Her Beams On The     Precipitous Side Of 
 The Valley A Little Way Below Us.  I Was On The     Point Of     Dropping Off To 
 Sleep, Mudge Having Agreed To Keep Watch, When I Was Aroused By A Chorus 
 Of Strange, Unearthly Cries. 
   
   
 "Depend Upon It, These Must Proceed From Our Black Friends, Who Are 
 Paying Their Respects To The     Cavern Of     The     Moon," Observed Mudge.  "I 
 Thought Just Now I Caught Sight Of     Some Figures Moving Over The     Ground. 
 Probably Pullingo And His Son Are Among Them.  Let Us Go And See What 
 They Are About." 
   
   
 I Willingly Agreed.  Strapping On Our Packs, Which We Were Too Wise To 
 Leave Behind, We Proceeded In The     Direction From Which The     Sounds Came, 
 Knowing That The     Light Of     The     Fire Would Enable Us To Find Our Way Back 
 To The     Camp Without Difficulty.  In A Short Time We Caught Sight Of     A 
 Number Of     Dark Figures Forming A Semicircle In Front Of     A Cavern, The 
 Entrance To Which Was Surrounded By Trees And Numberless Creepers 
 Clinging To The     Rock.  The     Men Were Dancing In Their Usual Strange 
 Fashion, Leaping And Springing, And Twisting Their Bodies Into All Sorts 
 Of Curious Attitudes; Singing At The     Same Time At The     Top Of     Their 
 Voices.  Suddenly, At A Signal From Their Fugleman, They All Dropped 
 Down On Their Knees And Began To Creep Towards The     Cavern, Rubbing Their 
 Noses Every Now And Then On The     Ground.  Thus They Continued Moving 
 About In Front Of     The     Cavern, No One Apparently Daring To Approach Too 
 Near The     Entrance. 
   
   
 As We Were Unwilling To Be Discovered, Which We Thought Would Be The 
 Case Should They On Rising Face About In Our Direction, We Slowly 
 Retreated Towards Our Camp.  On Looking Back, We Saw That They Were 
 Still Crawling About On Hands And Knees; And As The     Spectacle Was Rather 
 Humiliating Than Interesting, We Did Not Feel Inclined To Watch Their 
 Further Proceedings. 
   
   
 After Lying Down I Was Very Soon Asleep.  When Mudge Called Me, He Told 
 Me That The     Shouting And Singing Had Been Going On Ever Since, And That 
 Neither Pullingo Nor His Son Had Returned. 
   
   
 "They'll Come Back, However, Before Morning," I Observed. 
   
   
 I Was Wrong, For When I Awoke They Were Not Visible; Nor, As Far As Our 
 Telescope Could Enable Us To Distinguish Objects, Was A Black To Be 
 Seen.  We Had Several Birds Remaining, And We Cooked Them; Still Fully 
 Expecting That Pullingo And His Son Would Return For Breakfast.  We Ate 
 Our Portion, Keeping The     Remainder For Them; But After Waiting For Some 
 Time, They Did Not Make Their Appearance. 
   
   
 "It Would Be Useless To Lose More Time," Observed Mudge At Length.  "It 
 Is Very Evident That Pullingo And Quaquagmagu Have Taken French Leave, 
 And Gone Off With Their Companions.  The     Chances Are That We Shall See 
 No More Of     Them.  If The     Old Fellow Changes His Mind, Which Perhaps He 
 May Do When He Recollects The     Pleasant Roasts With Which We Supplied 
 Him, He Can Easily Track Us Along The     Valley." 
   
   
 "I Can Scarcely Fancy That He Would Have Gone Off Without Wishing Us 
 Good-Bye," I Observed.  "We'll Give Him Another Chance: I'll Fire Off My 
 Gun, Which I Suppose He Will Understand As A Signal That We Are On The 
 March." 
   
   
 "Don't Throw Away A Shot For So Uncertain An Object," Answered Mudge. 
 "Let Us Look Out For The     Birds; We May As Well Carry As Much Food As We 
 Can Into The     Mountains, In Case We Should Find None There." 
   
   
 I Followed Mudge's Advice; And Looking About, Soon Caught Sight Of     A 
 Magnificent Cockatoo, At Which I Let Fly And Brought It To The     Ground, 
 The Echoes Of     The     Report Reverberating Down The     Valley.  "If Our Black 
 Friend Is In The     Neighbourhood He Must Have Heard That Shot," I 
 Observed.  Returning With My Prize, We Packed Up Our Traps, Stuffing The 
 Roast Pigeons Into Our Kettle, Which Mudge Carried, While I Hung The 
 Unplucked Bird Outside My Pack. 
   
   
 "Forward!" Cried Mudge, And We Turned Our Faces Up The     Mountain. 
   
   
 We Soon Got Into A Region Very Different From Any We Had As Yet Met 
 With.  Wild, Rugged, And Barren Rocks Rose Around Us, And A Stunted 
 Vegetation Alone Appeared In The     Gorges Along Which We Made Our Way. 
 Still We Pushed On, Steering By Our Compass, Which Told Us That We Were 
 Keeping A Pretty Direct Course To The     Southward.  Fortunate It Was That 
 We Had Brought Food With Us, For Not A Bird Appeared, Nor Did We See An 
 Animal At Which We Could Get A Shot.  We, Of     Course, Carefully Noted The 
 Way, Not Only That We Might Know It Again, But To Judge Whether It Could 
 Be Easily Traversed By Animals.  As Yet We Agreed That A Sure-Footed 
 Horse Could Easily Get Along, Rugged As The     Way Was, And Steep In Some 
 Places.  At Length We Came To The     Steep Side Of     A Mountain, Over Which 
 We Ourselves, Laden As We Were, Might Be Able To Make Our Way, Though It 
 Was Very Certain That No Horse Could Either Ascend Or Descend It With 
 Safety.  I Proposed, Notwithstanding, That We Should Climb It. 
   
   
 "We'll Not Do That If It Can Be Avoided," Answered Mudge.  "It May Take 
 Us Less Time To Get Over It, But It Will Be More Advantageous To Our 
 Friends If We Can Make Our Way Either To The     Right Or Left." 
   
   
 We Looked About And Soon Found A Route To The     Right, Which Appeared 
 Practicable, As Far As We Could See; But Where It Would Lead Us To, We 
 Could Not Tell. 
   
   
 "There's Nothing Like Trying," Observed Mudge; "And A Perpendicular 
 Precipice Alone Should Stop Us." 
   
   
 He Was Right; And After Proceeding About A Mile To The     Eastward, We 
 Descended Again Into A Valley Which Led In The     Direction We Wished To 
 Take.  A Cascade Which Came Tumbling Down The     Rock Tempted Us To Stop, 
 Although No Trees From The     Bark Of     Which We Could Form A Hut Were To Be 
 Seen.  The     Shrubs, However, Which Grew In The     Neighbourhood Of     The     Fall 
 Afforded Us A Supply Of     Firewood.  As We Could Find No Cave Or Hollow 
 For A Sleeping-Place, We Cut Down A Quantity Of     Boughs, And Arranged 
 Them So As To Screen Ourselves From The     Cool Breeze Which Blew Along The 
 Valley; But, From The     Dry Appearance Of     The     Grass, And Our Own Previous 
 Sensations, We Judged That The     Place Was Hot Enough During The     Day, When 
 The Sun Beat Down Into It. 
   
   
 We Soon Had Our Kettle Boiling; And Having Eaten Some Of     Our Cold 
 Pigeons--Which, By The     Way, Were Rather High By This Time--We Drank Our 
 Tea, And Lay Down To Sleep, With Our Firearms By Our Sides.  There Was 
 Not Much Chance Of     Our Being Interfered With By Natives, And We Also 
 Concluded That No Dingos Were Likely To Find Their Way Into A Region 
 Destitute Of     All Other Animals.  There Is No Country In The     World, 
 Indeed, In Which A Traveller Can Rest So Securely At Night, Provided No 
 Natives Attack Him, As In Australia.  Perhaps I Might Except The     Risk 
 From Snakes; But These Are Only To Be Met With In The     Hotter Spots, And 
 Even The     Venomous Ones Seldom Bite Unless Attacked.  Dreary As Was The 
 Aspect Of     The     Region In Which We Were Encamped, Compared With The 
 Scenery To Which We Had Been Accustomed, We Slept, However, Without 
 Fear; And The     Next Morning, Having Taken A Shower-Bath In The     Waterfall, 
 We Breakfasted, And Set Off In Good Spirits. 
   
   
 "No Signs Of     Master Pullingo," Observed Mudge.  "He Might Have Found It 
 Difficult To Track Us Over The     Rocky Ground, Even Had He Wished It; But 
 I Suspect That He Has Gone Away North With His Friends, And That We 
 Shall Not Again Set Eyes On Him." 
   
   
 We Trudged On Along The     Bottom Of     The     Gorge, The     Heat As The     Sun Rose 
 And Beat Down Into It Becoming Greater And Greater Till It Was Almost 
 Insupportable.  The     Scenery Became Still Wilder As We Advanced, And Much 
 More Arid; Often Bare Rocks Alone Were To Be Seen On Either Hand, With 
 Only The     Most Stunted Vegetation, And No Signs Of     Water.  We Travelled 
 On Till Noon, When We Stopped Under The     Shade Of     A Rock To Eat Our 
 Frugal Meal.  We Had, Of     Course, Filled Our Bottles In The     Morning, And 
 Therefore Did Not Suffer From Thirst, Though We Had Been Compelled To 
 Exhaust A Large Portion Of     Their Contents. 
   
   
 Hitherto The     Route We Had Fortunately Hit Upon Was Practicable For 
 Horses, Though In Many Places The     Riders Would Have To Dismount In Order 
 To Proceed With Safety.  The     Day Was Well Advanced When, As We Were 
 Making Our Way Through A Narrow Gorge, We Came Upon The     Bones Of     A Large 
 Animal; Which, Upon Examination, Proved To Be Those Of     A Horse--Picked 
 Completely Clean, However, By Birds Or Insects. 
   
   
 "This Shows That Some Traveller Has Been Trying To Make His Way Through 
 This Defile; And If He Came From The     Southward, It Should Encourage Us 
 To Hope That The     Route Is Practicable For Four-Footed Beasts," Observed 
 Mudge. 
   
   
 "Yes," I Remarked; "But Also, I Fear, It Makes It Probable That There Is 
 But Little Water Or Herbage, And That The     Poor Animal Must Have Died 
 From Hunger And Thirst.  And Look There! See, Here Are The     Bit And 
 Stirrups, And The     Ironwork Of     The     Saddle.  The     Rider Must Have Found It 
 Necessary To Desert His Steed Without Attempting To Preserve Them.  Look 
 There! Under The     Cliff Are Also Part Of     A Knapsack And Other Things." 
   
   
 We Hurried On To The     Spot At Which I Pointed.  There Lay A Gun, A Brace 
 Of Pistols, A Tinder-Box, A Clasp-Knife, Powder-Horn, The     Brass Of     A 
 Shot-Belt, And Many Other Articles.  The     Knife Attracted My Attention-- 
 It Was Exactly Like One I Had Lost; And Taking It Up, What Was My 
 Surprise To See My Own Initials On The     Small Plate In The     Handle, Which 
 I Had Myself Cut. 
   
   
 "That Powder-Horn Is One I Have Used," Observed Mudge; "I Left It In The 
 Store, Intending To Fill It.  Let Me See,--It Was The     Very Day Before 
 The Bushrangers Paid Us A Visit.  I Have No Doubt That The     Horse Was One 
 Ridden By The     Fellow Who Escaped, And That He Must Have Been Making His 
 Way Across The     Mountains When The     Animal Fell Down And Died." 
   
   
 "If So, He Must Have Been Very Hard Pressed, Or He Would Not Have Left 
 His Gun And Ammunition, On Which He Depended For Subsistence, Behind 
 Him," I Observed. 
   
   
 "You Are Right, Godfrey; And I Have No Doubt He Must Have Been Overtaken 
 By Sickness, Or Been Starved To Death."  Immediately After, Mudge 
 Exclaimed,--"See! There Is A Piece Of     Cloth Hanging In That Bush Above 
 Our Heads; Perhaps It Was Intended As A Signal To Any Passer-By, Or Has 
 Been Blown There By The     Wind.  I'll Take Off My Knapsack And Climb To 
 The Top; There Appears To Be A Broad Ledge, From Which I May Get A View 
 Down The     Gorge, And Perhaps Discover The     Most Practicable Path For Us To 
 Follow." 
   
   
 Mudge Did As He Proposed; When, Getting His Head Above The     Level Of     The 
 Ledge, He Turned Round And Exclaimed,--"It Is As I Expected.  There Lies 
 The Skeleton Of     The     Unhappy Wretch, Picked As Clean As The     Bones Of     His 
 Horse.  He Must Have Climbed Up Here For The     Purpose Of     Looking About 
 Him, And Sunk Down And Died.  Not An Article Of     Clothing Remains; The 
 Ants And Birds Must Have Carried That Off." 
   
   
 "Heaven Grant That His Fate May Not Be Ours!"  I Could Not Help Mentally 
 Exclaiming. 
   
   
 Mudge Having Looked Round The     Ledge, And Taken A Glance Along The 
 Valley, Now Rejoined Me.  We Had No Time To Lose, And Were Glad To Get 
 Away From The     Remains Of     The     Unhappy Man And His Steed.  The     Powder-Horn 
 Was Empty; And As We Did Not Wish To Add To The     Weight Of     Our Knapsacks, 
 We Left That And The     Other Articles, With The     Exception Of     My Knife, 
 Which I Put In My Pocket.  We Were Very Doubtful At Times Whether Any 
 Horse Could Get Over The     Rough Ground Along Which We Made Our Way. 
   
   
 At Last, Night Approaching, We Were Obliged To Encamp In A Wild And 
 Desolate Spot, The     Least Satisfactory We Had As Yet Stopped At.  The 
 Only Shelter We Could Find Was Under An Overhanging Rock; Such Bushes As 
 We Could See Not Affording Us The     Means Of     Building A Hut Or Putting Up 
 Any Protection Against The     Night Wind, Which Blew Keenly Across The 
 Heights.  We Managed, However, To Cut A Sufficient Quantity Of     Dry Wood 
 To Light A Fire, At Which To Boil The     Tea-Kettle And Cook Our Last 
 Remaining Bird.  It Was Somewhat High, But We Ate A Portion 
 Notwithstanding, Reserving Some For Breakfast Next Morning.  We Had Now 
 Only A Few Mouthfuls Of     Water At The     Bottom Of     Our Bottles, And, As Far 
 As We Could Judge From The     Appearance Of     The     Country To The     Southward, 
 Which Presented A Succession Of     Rocky Heights, It Might Be Long Before 
 We Could Replenish Our Store.  We Had Still, However, Some Preserved 
 Meat And Flour And A Small Quantity Of     Biscuit, Which We Had Hitherto 
 Carefully Husbanded; And We Hoped Before That Was Exhausted To Get Into 
 A Region Where Game And Fruits Of     Some Sort Could Be Found.  We Did Not, 
 Therefore, Allow Our Spirits To Be Depressed.  It Was A Great Thing To 
 Be Conscious That We Were Performing An Important Duty; And I Especially 
 Felt Very Thankful That My Mother And Edith Had Not Been Induced To 
 Attempt Crossing The     Mountains On Foot Before We Had Explored The     Way. 
   
   
 The Place We Had Chosen Was, At All Events, Dry Enough, And We Hoped, By 
 Creeping Close Under The     Rock, Not To Suffer Much From The     Cold. 
   
   
 Having Said Our Prayers,--Which, I May Here Observe, We Always Did Both 
 Morning And Evening,--We Recommended Ourselves To The     Care Of     Our 
 Heavenly Father, And Fearlessly Lay Down To Rest. 
 
 
 
 Chapter XII 
   
   
   
 Journey Across The     Mountain-Range--We Mount Higher And Higher--I Nearly 
 Give In--Reach The     Highest Ridge--Descend By A Rugged Valley-- 
 Benighted--Take Shelter In A Cavern--Visit From Dingos--Discover A 
 Pitcher-Plant--Kill A Rock Kangaroo--Journey Continued For A Month-- 
 Powder And Shot Expended--Mudge Sings To Keep Up Our Spirits--Found By A 
 Shepherd's Hut-Keeper--Night At The     Hut--Arrive At Captain Hudson's 
 Station--Welcomed--His Father's Joy At Hearing That Harry Is Alive--I 
 Become Ill--Lily's Father--Expedition Under Him To Assist Our Party-- 
 Nursed By Lily--I Recover--Arrival Of     Our Party--My Father Settles Near 
 Captain Hudson--Mudge And I Leave The     Navy--We Become Prosperous 
 Settlers--Conclusion. 
   
   
 We Had Not As Yet Undergone Any Intolerable Physical Sufferings From 
 Want Of     Food Or Water Since We Landed In Australia; We Had Always Found 
 Sufficient Water To Drink, And An Abundance Of     Game.  But As We Trudged 
 On During The     Next Day, We Began To Fear That Our Endurance Might Be Put 
 To A Severe Trial.  Our Bottles Were Empty, Our Fresh Animal Food 
 Exhausted; And We Were Afraid To Eat The     Salt Pemmican, For Fear Of 
 Still Further Increasing The     Thirst From Which We Were Suffering. 
   
   
 Wild, Rocky Ridges Alone Appeared Before Us, Rising Higher And Higher. 
 Still We Went On, Cheered With The     Hope That We Should Soon Reach The 
 Highest Ridge, And That Then We Might Descend To A More Fertile Region. 
 Sometimes We Had To Make Our Way Along The     Summit Of     Precipices; 
 Sometimes To Descend Into Rocky Valleys; And Then, Again, To Mount Up 
 Rugged Heights.  Still, It Was Our Belief That For The     Whole Of     The 
 Distance A Sure-Footed Steed Would Be Able To Make Its Way.  We 
 Ourselves Might Possibly Have Taken A Shorter Route; But Even Though 
 Sore Pressed We Kept Our Main Object Steadily In View.  We Looked About 
 On Every Side For Patches Of     Verdure, A Sure Sign Of     The     Neighbourhood 
 Of Water; But We Could See None To Tempt Us To Swerve From Our Course. 
   
   
 "I Suppose That The     Bushranger Must Have Been Making His Way To The 
 Northward, And Had Already Passed Over This Barren Region, When He 
 Perished," Observed Mudge.  "Were It Of     Any Great Extent, He Would Not 
 Have Attempted It; And I Hope That Before Long We Shall Meet With Water, 
 And Some Four-Footed Beasts Or Feathered Fowl To Afford Us Food." 
   
   
 "But How Do You Account For His Powder-Flask Being Empty?"  I Asked. 
   
   
 "He Probably Had Gone To The     South," Answered Mudge; "And Having Made An 
 Unsuccessful Raid On Some Of     The     Out-Settlers, Had Been Pursued And Hard 
 Pressed, And Had Taken To The     Mountains, In The     Hope Of     Making His 
 Escape, Before He Had Been Able To Replenish His Stock Of     Ammunition. 
 Perhaps He Intended To Pay Us Another Visit.  However, Conjectures On 
 The Subject Must Be Fruitless; Only, It Shows Us That If He Could Get As 
 Far As The     Place Where He Died, We, In Good Health And Strength, May 
 Hope To Make Our Way Over The     Ground, Rough As It May Be, Till We Can 
 Find Water And Food." 
   
   
 We Thus Kept Up Our Spirits With The     Anticipation Of     Soon Getting Out Of 
 Our Difficulty.  Still, In The     Aspect Of     The     Country There Was Nothing 
 To Encourage Us.  Except When We Were Traversing A Gorge Or Narrow 
 Valley, The     Air Was Pure And Exhilarating, And Gave Strength To Our 
 Muscles; But They Were Pretty Well Tried, I Must Confess. 
   
   
 I Was Gratified By The     Remarks Mudge Made To Me.  "You Get On Capitally, 
 Godfrey," He Said.  "I Haven't Heard A Grumble Come Out Of     Your Mouth, 
 And You Look Cheerfully At The     Bright Side Of     Things.  It Is The     Best 
 Plan For Making Your Way Through The     World; Of     That I Am Convinced, 
 Though I Haven't Always Followed It.  But Stick You To It, Lad.  You 
 Will, I Hope, Be Actuated By A Higher Motive; That Is, To Put Your Trust 
 In God's Love And Mercy.  Whatever Occurs, He Has Promised To Look After 
 Those Who Honestly Trust Him.  I Say Honestly, For He Won't Have Any 
 Half-And-Half Trust.  I Don't Think We Should Expect That He Will Attend 
 To The     Cries Of     Those Who Forget Him When They Think Themselves Safe And 
 Prosperous, And Only Pray For Help When They Are In Trouble.  I Have 
 Often Thought On That Subject, And Have Tried To Say My Prayers All The 
 More Heartily When Things Have Been Going Smoothly And Pleasantly With 
 Me." 
   
   
 I Agreed With Mudge, And Told Him That I Would Try To Remember His 
 Advice.  We Talked On This And On Many Other Subjects When The     Ground 
 Would Allow Of     Our Walking Abreast; But Sometimes I Had To Walk Behind 
 Him, While He Pioneered The     Way, And More Frequently We Could Only Think 
 Of The     Road And The     Means Of     Getting Along It.  There Was, Indeed, As 
 May Be Supposed, Very Little Plain Sailing; But Then We Had Time Enough 
 To Talk When We Were Encamped. 
   
   
 We Had Seen A Ridge Before Us Which We Hoped Would Prove The     Highest We 
 Should Have To Cross, And That Afterwards We Should Find Ourselves 
 Descending Gradually Into The     Plains To The     Southward.  Our Great Aim 
 Was To Get Over It Some Time Before Dark, So That We Might Gain A Lower 
 Level For Camping; And, As We Hoped, Find Water, Even Though We Might 
 Not Succeed In Killing Any Bird Or Beast For Supper. 
   
   
 We Had Both Become Very Silent; In Truth, I Found My Tongue Clinging To 
 The Roof Of     My Mouth, And A Dry, Painful Sensation In The     Throat.  I 
 Observed A Peculiar Hollowness In Mudge's Voice, Too, And I Was 
 Conscious That My Own Also Sounded Unusual.  Still It Would Not Do To 
 Give In, And We Were Not So Far Gone Yet As To Think Of     Doing That.  On, 
 Therefore, We Went, Though Not Without Suffering.  My Knees Felt Weak, 
 And I Breathed With Difficulty; But I Would Not Tell Mudge This, Lest It 
 Should Discourage Him. 
   
   
 At Length, However, I Could Hold Out No Longer.  Suddenly, When Twenty 
 Yards Or So Behind Mudge--For I Had Lately Lagged Somewhat--I Found 
 Myself Sinking To The     Ground, Not Far From The     Summit Of     A Ridge At 
 Which We Had Been Aiming.  He Went On, Not Knowing What Had Happened; I 
 Followed Him With My Eyes, Though I Could Neither Cry Out Nor Move.  He 
 Reached The     Top, And Looked Eagerly Out To The     Southward; Then He Took 
 Off His Hat And Waved It, Shouting Out, "I See A Fine Open Country 
 Ahead." 
   
   
 His Voice Revived Me, And Getting On My Feet, I Tottered Forward To Join 
 Him.  He Saw My Weakness, And Came To Help Me Up To The     Top Of     The 
 Ridge.  I Felt Greatly Revived At The     Knowledge That Our Chief 
 Difficulty Had Been Surmounted.  Mudge Stopped A Little To Consider The 
 Path It Would Be Most Advisable To Take Down The     Mountain, And Then 
 Proposed Proceeding.  Looking At Me, However, He Saw That I Was Not Able 
 To Exert Myself As Usual. 
   
   
 "Let Me Carry Your Pack, Godfrey," He Said; "It Won't Make Much 
 Difference To Me, As Most Of     The     Way Will Be Down-Hill, And It Will 
 Relieve You.  I Advise You Also To Munch A Little Biscuit And Pemmican; 
 You'll Get It Down In Time, Though At First You May Find It Difficult To 
 Swallow." 
   
   
 I Declined; But He Insisted That I Should Try, And Taking Out Some Of 
 The Food, Made Me Put It Into My Mouth. 
   
   
 "Perhaps Our Bottles May Contain A Little Water, And That Will Help 
 You," He Observed. 
   
   
 I Shook My Head, For I Knew Mine Was Empty.  He Looked At His, And Found 
 Half A Cupful I Believe That He Had Saved It For Such An Emergency.  It 
 And The     Fresh Air, And The     Knowledge That We Might Hope Soon To Be 
 Better Off Than At Present, Had A Magical Effect, And I Felt Able To 
 Continue The     Journey. 
   
   
 We Went On And On, Rapidly Descending, Till We Reached The     Edge Of     A 
 Precipice. 
   
   
 "This Won't Do," Observed Mudge; "But We Will Keep Along To The     Left, 
 Where The     Ground Slopes More Than It Does Here, And Perhaps We Shall 
 Reach A Practicable Valley." 
   
   
 He Was Not Mistaken; And We Soon Found Ourselves In A Valley, Which, 
 Though Stem And Wild As Those On The     Other Side Of     The     Mountain, Would 
 Lead Us, We Hoped, Into A More Fertile Region.  Night Rapidly 
 Approached, However, While We Were Still Surrounded By Barren Rocks, So 
 During The     Little Time Daylight Remained We Looked About To Find A 
 Sleeping-Place. 
   
   
 We Were Expecting To Be Compelled To Rest Without Any Shelter, When 
 Mudge, Who Was A Little Way On Up The     Side Of     The     Mountain, Cried 
 Out,--"Here Is A Cavern; It Will Shelter Us, At All Events, From The 
 Cold Wind And Dew; Though I Am Afraid We Must Go Without A Fire--Or Our 
 Tea, Seeing That We Have No Water To Boil Even If We Could Make One." 
   
   
 I Followed Him, And Groping Our Way We Found Ourselves In A Large Arched 
 Cavern In The     Slope Of     The     Mountain.  It Was Apparently Of     No Great 
 Depth, But Would Afford Us, At All Events, Ample Accommodation; And We 
 Accordingly Crept In.  We Ate A Little More Pemmican And Biscuit, Though 
 I Had The     Greatest Difficulty In Swallowing My Share.  We Then, Groping 
 About, Discovered Two Soft Places, Beds Of     Sand, A Short Distance Apart. 
 Mudge Chose One, And I Lay Down On The     Other. 
   
   
 "Go To Sleep Quickly, Godfrey," Said Mudge; "It Is The     Best Thing You 
 Can Do; You'll Find Yourself Stronger In The     Morning.  We'll Start At 
 Daylight, And Enjoy A Capital Breakfast--When We Find It." 
   
   
 I Did My Best To Follow His Advice, And Succeeded Better Than I Could 
 Have Expected.  I Must Have Slept For A Considerable Time, When I Awoke 
 With A Start, And Saw By The     Light Of     The     Moon, Which Streamed Into The 
 Cavern, Mudge Sitting Up With His Pistols In His Hands, And Staring, As 
 I Fancied, Wildly Before Him. 
   
   
 "What's The     Matter?"  I Exclaimed, Under The     Idea That He Was Still 
 Asleep And Fancied That He Saw Something Terrible. 
   
   
 "Look There! Look There!" He Answered.  "Can Those Be Wolves, Or 
 Jackals, Or Hyenas? Or What Other Prowling Creatures Of     Night Are They, 
 With Staring Eyeballs, At The     Entrance Of     The     Cavern?  Be Prepared, 
 Godfrey; For I Verily Believe They Are About To Rush In And Attack Us." 
   
   
 I Now Distinguished In The     Gloom A Dozen Or More Animals With Fiery 
 Eyes, As It Seemed To Me, Staring Fiercely At Us.  I Say Animals, Though 
 I Could Only Make Out The     Heads Of     Most Of     Them; But One Elevated On A 
 Slight Mound Above The     Rest Showed Me What They Were. 
   
   
 "I Am Very Sure There Are None Of     The     Animals You Mention In This 
 Country," I Answered, More Awake Than Mudge.  "I Believe They Are Only 
 Cowardly Dingos; And A Shout, Or, At All Events, A Shot, Would Send Them 
 To The     Right-About.  Fire, And You'll See I Am Not Mistaken," I Shouted 
 At The     Top Of     My Voice. 
   
   
 He Discharged His Pistol, The     Report Of     Which Echoed Loudly Through The 
 Cavern; And, As I Expected, The     Dingos--For Such They Were--Instantly 
 Turned Tail And Scampered Away, Uttering Cur-Like Yelps, Which Left No 
 Doubt As To Their Character. 
   
   
 "I Believe I Was Half Asleep," Said Mudge, "Or I Should Have Known What 
 These Yelping Brutes Were.  They Might Have Proved Somewhat Annoying Had 
 They Attacked Us Unawares; But I Don't Think They'll Come Back.  In Case 
 They Should, I'll Keep One Eye Open; But Do You Go To Sleep Again, 
 Godfrey--I Am Sorry You Should Have Been Disturbed." 
   
   
 I Did Not Trouble Myself Much About The     Dingos, As I Felt Pretty Sure 
 They Would Not Attack Human Beings, And I Very Soon Followed Mudge's 
 Advice. 
   
   
 I Cannot Say, When I Awoke In The     Morning, That I Felt As Rested As I 
 Could Have Wished.  My Mouth Was As Dry As A Dust-Hole, And The 
 Sensations In My Throat Were Very Distressing.  However, I Managed To 
 Get On My Feet; And The     Moment There Was Sufficient Daylight To Enable 
 Us To See Our Way, We Recommenced Our Descent. 
   
   
 As I Walked On,--Or I May Say, Stumbled On,--Mudge Still Insisting On 
 Carrying My Knapsack, We Eagerly Looked About For Water; But Though We 
 Saw Shrubs And Even Trees, Not The     Most Tiny Streamlet Could We 
 Discover.  I Felt Sure That I Could Not Put Anything Into My Mouth Until 
 I Had Taken Some Liquid To Moisten My Parched Throat; And Mudge 
 Confessed That He Felt Much As I Did, Though His Strength Was Less 
 Impaired Than Mine.  We Had Passed A Number Of     Trees, Which We Examined 
 Eagerly In The     Hope Of     Finding Some Juicy Fruit, But In Vain. 
   
   
 "What Would I Not Give For A Handful Of     Strawberries Or Figs!"  I Could 
 Not Help Exclaiming. 
   
   
 "I Shouldn't Object To A Dozen Ripe Pears Or Apples," Said Mudge; "But 
 None Of     These Trees Are Likely To Afford Us What We Want." 
   
   
 We Were Thus Trying To Keep Up Our Spirits, For It Was A Hard Matter To 
 Do So, When My Eye Fell On A Curiously-Shaped Tree.  Growing On It Was 
 What At First I Thought Was Fruit, Though Of     A Remarkable Form.  Making 
 Our Way Towards It, We Discovered That What We Took To Be Fruit Were In 
 Reality Leaf-Formed Cups, Some With Lids, Others Open; And Our Joy Can 
 Be Imagined When, On Taking Hold Of     One Of     Them, Some Clear Liquid Ran 
 Over The     Rim.  I Did Not Stop To Consider Whether It Was Real Water; But 
 Immediately Putting The     Cup To My Lips, I Drained It To The     Bottom.  How 
 Deliciously Cool And Refreshing It Tasted!--No Water From The 
 Fountain-Head Of     The     Purest Stream Could Have Been More So--Though It 
 Had A Somewhat Sweetish Taste. 
   
   
 Mudge Followed My Example; And Between Us We Had Drunk The     Contents Of 
 Several Of     These Small Cups, When He Whispered, Half To Himself, "I 
 Wonder Whether It Is Really Water, Or Something Poisonous!" 
   
   
 "I Am Very Sure That It Is Wholesome," I Could Not Help Answering; "It 
 Would Be Ungrateful In Us To Doubt It.  Providence Has Placed A Tree In 
 This Dry Spot For The     Purpose Of     Supplying Man, And Perhaps Some Of     His 
 Other Creatures, With The     Chief Necessary Of     Life." 
   
   
 "Or Perhaps It May Be To Nourish The     Tree," Observed Mudge. 
   
   
 "That May Be True; And Both Objects, As Is Often God's Intention, Are 
 Thus Answered," I Remarked. 
   
   
 "Then Let Us Sit Down Under It And Be Thankful; And Now We'll Eat Some 
 Pemmican And Biscuit," Exclaimed My Companion, "And Get A Little 
 Strength Into Our Bodies." 
   
   
 We Did So, And Felt Greatly Refreshed; And Before We Again Started We 
 Drank Some More Cupfuls Of     The     Liquid.  Near At Hand We Met With Several 
 Trees Of     The     Same Description, To Which We Again Applied.  Indeed, I 
 Felt That I Could Go On Drinking All Day Without Being Satisfied. 
   
   
 Thoroughly Recovered, We Now Looked About For Birds, That We Might Have 
 A Substantial Supper At Night.  Suddenly We Caught Sight Of     A Creature 
 Which, Startled By Our Approach, Bounded Out From Behind A Bush Where It 
 Was Feeding.  It Was A Kangaroo Of     Tolerable Size; But, Unlike The     Large 
 Kangaroos We Had Before Seen, It Went Leaping Away Up The     Hill With As 
 Much Ease As They Make Their Way Along The     Plain.  The     Appearance Of     The 
 Animal At This Spot Showed That We Were Likely To See Others, So, Though 
 That One Had Escaped, We Were Not Without Hopes Of     Having Some Meat For 
 Dinner.  We Kept Our Eyes About Us More Vigilantly Than Ever.  We Saw 
 Also A Few Birds, But They Kept At A Distance From Us.  Of     Course, Had 
 We Not Been Anxious To Push On, We Might Have Been Able To Get At Them, 
 And Might Possibly Also Have Got Up With The     Kangaroo We First Saw. 
   
   
 Trees Of     Various Descriptions Now Began To Appear, And Shrubs Of     Large 
 Size; Among Others Were Several Nettle-Trees, Twenty Feet In Height At 
 Least.  There Was No Mistaking Their Leaves.  Once Before, Though I Had 
 Forgotten To Mention It, I Had Had My Hands Severely Blistered By Merely 
 Touching Them.  Their Power Of     Injury, Indeed, Is Proportionate To Their 
 Size. 
   
   
 We Kept Along The     Side Of     The     Hill, On The     Probability Of     Starting 
 Another Kangaroo; Resolved To Chase It Either Up Or Down The     Slope, 
 Should We Fail To Kill It At The     First Shot.  We Accordingly Kept Our 
 Guns Ready To Fire; Looking, As We Walked Along, For More 
 Pitcher-Plants, In Case We Should Fail To Find Water. 
   
   
 We Had Gone On For Some Distance, And I Was Again Beginning To Feel 
 Excessively Thirsty, When We Saw Before Us A Valley, By Following Which 
 We Hoped That We Might Reach The     Foot Of     The     Mountain-Range.  We Were 
 Making Our Way Into It, When, Just Before Us, Another Kangaroo Started 
 Up From The     Sunny Spot Where It Had Been Basking, And Looked Round At 
 Us, Doubtful, Apparently, Which Direction To Take.  We Thought That It 
 Would Go Up The     Hill; But Instead Of     Doing So, It Came Bounding Towards 
 Us.  I Felt Sure That I Should Hit It, When Suddenly It Took A Leap Over 
 A Precipice On Our Right.  I Immediately Fired, And So Did Mudge, But 
 Not Before The     Animal Had Taken Its Spring.  In Consequence, Over The 
 Precipice It Went, And Rolled Down The     Steep Slope Towards The     Bottom Of 
 The Valley.  Uncertain At First Whether Either Of     Us Had Really Hit It, 
 I Handed My Gun To Mudge, And Looked Out For A Place Where I Could Make 
 My Descent.  Scrambling Down, I Was Not Long In Reaching The     Kangaroo. 
 The Poor Creature Was Still Living, And Tried To Raise Itself, As If 
 About To Fight In Its Defence; But My Knife Soon Put It Out Of     Pain. 
   
   
 Wishing To Carry Our Prize To The     Spot On Which We Had Been Standing 
 When We Shot It, As The     Place Was Convenient For Camping, I Dragged It 
 To The     Foot Of     The     Precipice, And Fastened Round It A Long Vine Which I 
 Found Growing Close At Hand; With This, Having Climbed To The     Top Of     The 
 Rock, I Without Difficulty Hauled It Up--Just As Mudge, Who Had Gone 
 Round To Assist Me, Came Back. 
   
   
 The Animal We Had So Fortunately Killed Was About Four Feet Long, 
 Including The     Tail; Which Was, However, Very Nearly Half That Length. 
 Its Fur Was Of     A Purplish Hue, Warming Into A Rich Rusty Red Towards The 
 Tail.  It Had Strong, Powerful Claws On Its Hinder Feet, Almost 
 Concealed By The     Thick Hair Around Them.  We Did Not, However, Stop Long 
 To Examine It, But, Taking Out Our Knives, Quickly Skinned And Cut It 
 Up.  This Done, We Lost No Time In Collecting Wood, Lighting A Fire, And 
 Setting A Joint To Roast; While We Toasted Some Thin Slices To Satisfy 
 The Immediate Cravings Of     Our Hunger. 
   
   
 As Soon As We Had Done So, Mudge Started To Look For Water, Leaving Me 
 To Attend To The     Roast, And To Watch That No Hungry Dingo Carried Off 
 Our Store Of     Meat.  "Depend Upon It, That Animal Can't Have Lived 
 Without Water; And If Its Home Is Near Here, Water Is Not Likely To Be 
 Far Off," He Observed.  So, Though It Still Wanted A Couple Of     Hours Or 
 More To Sunset, We Were So Weary That We Agreed It Would Be Wise To Stop 
 Where We Were. 
   
   
 After I Had Seen That The     Meat Was Roasted, I Employed Myself, While 
 Waiting For Mudge's Return, In Cutting Some Poles And Collecting Bark To 
 Form Our Hut; Keeping My Eye, However, On The     Fire.  It Was Fortunate 
 That I Did So, For While I Was Cutting Down A Small Tree, Partly Hid By 
 A Bush, I Caught Sight Of     One Of     Our Canine Visitors Of     The     Previous 
 Night--Or, At All Events, An Animal Of     The     Same Species, The     Abominable 
 Dingo--Stealing Cautiously Towards The     Carcass Of     The     Kangaroo.  I 
 Sprang Out, Axe In Hand, Hoping That The     Intruder Would Await My Coming. 
 He Did So For An Instant, Unwilling To Lose The     Feast He Had Expected 
 To Enjoy; But Just Before I Reached Him He Turned Round And Ran Off 
 Yelping, Disappointed Of     His Prey. 
   
   
 The Animal Was Shaped Like A Common Dog; Was Of     A Reddish-Brown Colour, 
 With A Sharp Muzzle, And Ears Short And Erect, Its Tail Pendent And 
 Bushy, And Its Eyes Small And Cunning. 
   
   
 We Afterwards Had A Great Deal Of     Trouble With These Dingos, Which Are 
 Clever Creatures, Hunting In Packs, And Committing Fearful Depredations 
 On The     Flocks Of     The     Settlers.  To Preserve Our Meat, I Hung It Up On 
 The Bough Of     A Small Tree, At A Height No Dingo Could Reach; Feeling 
 Very Sure That Otherwise It Would Be Carried Off During The     Night. 
   
   
 I Had Begun To Be Somewhat Anxious At Mudge's Long Absence, When At 
 Length I Heard His Voice, Singing As He Came Along; And Presently He 
 Climbed Up To The     Plateau With Both Our Bottles And The     Kettle He Had 
 Taken With Him Full Of     Water. 
   
   
 "We May Consider The     Difficult Part Of     Our Journey Over, And Be 
 Thankful," He Said, As He Got Up To Me.  "A Stream Flows Down The     Side 
 Of The     Mountain, And Instead Of     Running Towards The     Ocean, It Takes, As 
 Far As I Could See, A Due Southerly Course; So That We May Travel Along 
 Its Banks, And Be Sure Not Only Of     Water, But Of     Plenty Of     Birds, Which 
 Are Certain To Frequent The     Locality During The     Morning And Evening." 
   
   
 This Was Good News; And The     Ample Supply Of     Meat We Enjoyed Restored Our 
 Strength And Raised Our Spirits.  We Washed It Down With I Don't Know 
 How Many Cups Of     Tea; Which, Though We Had No Milk, Was Not The     Less 
 Enjoyable.  To Prevent Any Dingos From Unpleasantly Smelling At Us 
 During The     Night, We Fixed A Number Of     Sticks Into The     Ground Around Our 
 Sleeping-Place, And Before Turning In Made Up As Large A Fire As We 
 Could Find Fuel For.  Its Warmth, At That Altitude, Was Pleasant, If Not 
 Absolutely Necessary. 
   
   
 We Had A Capital Breakfast The     Next Morning Off Some More Of     The     Rock 
 Kangaroo, And Then Packed Up The     More Delicate Portions To Carry With 
 Us.  "Forward!" Cried Mudge; And Setting Our Faces Down The     Valley, We 
 Continued Our Course.  We Had Still Some Hundred Feet To Descend, And 
 Even Then We Were Not On A Level Plain, As, When Looking From The 
 Mountain, We Had Supposed The     Country Below Us To Be.  The     River On Our 
 Left Went Rushing And Foaming Onwards, Showing That The     Descent It Was 
 About To Make Was Still Considerable. 
   
   
 We Were Not Disappointed In Our Expectations Of     Finding Abundance Of 
 Game As We Travelled On By The     Side Of     The     River, For Three Days Or 
 More; After Which It Turned Towards The     Eastward On Its Course To The 
 Ocean. 
   
   
 After This We Proceeded Southward, Crossing Several Rivers And Numerous 
 Streams.  Most Of     The     Latter Were Fordable.  We Passed Over The     Rivers 
 In Canoes, Such As I Have Before Described.  For A Considerable Distance 
 We Had A Lofty Range Of     Mountains On Our Right; And We Had To Make Our 
 Way Over Some Of     The     Smaller Ranges, But With Much Less Difficulty Than 
 Over The     First We Had Crossed. 
   
   
 Perseveringly We Trudged Onwards, Over Table-Lands And Wide-Extending 
 Plains And Across Valleys.  All These Rivers, Streams, Mountains, Hills, 
 Plains, Table-Lands, And Valleys Have Long Since Been Named And 
 Thoroughly Explored; While Towns And Villages Have Sprung Up On The 
 Banks Of     The     Rivers, Numerous Flocks And Herds Are Pastured On The 
 Plains And Downs, And Thousands Of     Industrious Settlers People The 
 Country.  But In Those Days The     Black Man, The     Kangaroo, The     Emu, And 
 The Dingo Ranged In Unrestrained Freedom Over The     Land.  If Names There 
 Were, They Were Such Only As Were Given By The     Aboriginal Inhabitants To 
 The Regions They Claimed As Their Own. 
   
   
 We Frequently Met With Natives; But As We Were Always On Our Guard, And 
 Avoided Giving Them Offence, We Were Never Annoyed By Them.  We Fell In 
 With Most Of     Them While We Were On The     March, So That We Proceeded 
 Onwards And Saw Them No More; While The     Few Who On Rare Occasions 
 Visited Us At Our Camp In The     Evening, Were Always Friendly.  When We 
 Killed A Kangaroo Or Emu, We Gave As Much Of     The     Meat As We Could Spare 
 To Any Of     The     Black Men Who Were Near; And We Always Found That Food Was 
 The Most Acceptable Gift We Could Bestow. 
   
   
 We Had Been Nearly A Month On Our Journey From The     Time We Had Left My 
 Father's Camp.  That Space Of     Time May Appear Short To Those Who Are 
 Reading Our Adventures; But To Us It Seemed A Long Period, Especially As 
 We Felt Deeply Anxious To Send Relief To Our Friends, Whose Stock Of 
 Powder And Shot Might, We Feared, Be Exhausted Before We Could Return. 
 Mudge Observed That My Father Would Probably Send Back To Obtain 
 Supplies From The     Store We Had Left Behind; But I Reminded Him That The 
 Men Who Went Could Only Carry Enough For Themselves, And That Without 
 Beasts Of     Burden It Would Be Impossible To Relieve Their Wants In That 
 Way, While It Was Very Certain That The     Natives Could Not Be Induced To 
 Act As Carriers. 
   
   
 As Yet We Had Met With No Signs Of     Civilised Life; And As We Had Brought 
 No Quadrant, We Were Unable To Calculate, With Anything Like Accuracy, 
 The Number Of     Miles We Had Performed Each Day.  We Could Only Guess, 
 Therefore, How Far Off We Were From The     Most Northern Settlements.  Our 
 Powder And Shot, On Which Our Very Existence Depended, Was Rapidly 
 Diminishing; And Should That Become Exhausted, We Should Be At The     Mercy 
 Of The     Natives, And Have To Trust To Them For Supplying Us With Food, As 
 We Had Great Doubts Whether We Could Trap Any Birds Or Beasts. 
   
   
 Though We Had Occasionally Picked A Few Wild Fruits, The     Supply Was Very 
 Uncertain, And We Often Had To Go A Considerable Distance Without 
 Finding Any.  The     Most Nourishing Was A Fruit Larger Than A Spanish 
 Chestnut, And With A Similar Taste.  It Grew On A Tree With Beautiful 
 Green And Pinnated Foliage, Contrasting Strikingly With The     Dark Leaves 
 Which Give So Sombre A Hue To The     Australian Forests.  We Found Three To 
 Five Seeds In Pods Of     Considerable Size, Growing Solitary And Pendent. 
 Had We Been Able To Obtain A Sufficient Supply Of     These Nuts, We Might, 
 With The     Aid Of     The     Cabbage-Palms, And The     Leaves Of     A Species Of     Sorrel 
 And Other Plants We Met With, Have Been Able To Support Existence On A 
 Vegetable Diet. 
   
   
 On Examining Our Stores One Evening, As We Sat In Our Camp, We Found 
 That We Had Between Us Not More Than Half-A-Dozen Charges Of     Powder And 
 Shot.  We Had Still Some Pemmican, But Our Biscuit Had Long Been 
 Exhausted; And We Had But A Few Pinches Of     Tea, Although We Had For Some 
 Time Been Enjoying That Refreshing Beverage In A Very Diluted State. 
   
   
 "We Must Not Despair," Said Mudge,--"We Have Been Preserved Hitherto; 
 And We Must Trust To Him Who Has All Along Taken Care Of     Us, To Enable 
 Us To Reach Our Journey's End In Safety.  We Must Husband Our Powder And 
 Shot; We Must Live On Pemmican And Sorrel On Alternate Days, Unless We 
 Can Make Sure Of     Hitting The     Game We Meet With; And I Trust That We 
 Shall Thus Run No Risk Of     Starving, For A Week To Come." 
   
   
 The Cheerful Way In Which Mudge Spoke Revived My Spirits; And The     Next 
 Morning We Trudged Courageously On, Determined Not To Be Daunted By 
 Anticipated Difficulties.  Still, We Were Sorely Tried When We Missed 
 Two Kangaroos Which We Made Sure Of     Hitting.  At Length, Having Expended 
 Several Charges Of     Powder And Shot On As Many Small Birds, We Found, One 
 Evening, That Our Ammunition Had Come To An End. 
   
   
 "Cheer Up, Godfrey!" Exclaimed Mudge, After I Had Been Silent For Some 
 Time; "I'll Sing You A Song, To Show You That I Am Still In Good Heart, 
 As You Ought To Be;" And He Began Trolling Forth A Sea-Ditty Which He 
 Had Often Sung On Festive Occasions On Board The     _Heroine_. 
   
   
 He Had Got Through Three Or Four Verses, When We Were Somewhat Startled 
 By Hearing An English Hail.  Soon After We Had Replied To It, Having 
 Sprung To Our Feet, A Voice Exclaimed, "Hallo, Mates! Where Have You 
 Dropped From?" And We Saw Emerging From The     Gloom The     Figure Of     A White 
 Man, In The     Rough Dress Of     A Shepherd, With A Gun In His Hand And A 
 Brace Of     Pistols In His Belt.  As I Caught Sight Of     Him, The     Thought 
 Crossed My Mind That He Was A Bushranger; But We Rushed Forward, 
 Notwithstanding, Without Asking Who Or What He Was, And Grasped Him By 
 The Hand, When A Few Words Sufficed To Tell Him What He Wanted To Know. 
   
   
 "And Have We Really Got Near The     Settlements?" Asked Mudge Eagerly. 
   
   
 "The Nearest, I Suppose, You Would Call A Settlement, Is Not More Than 
 About Five Miles Away To The     Southward," Answered The     Man; "But Mine And 
 My Mate's Hut Is Less Than A Quarter Of     A Mile Off, And You Will Be 
 Welcome There If You Like To Strike Camp And Come Along With Me.  Our 
 Tea-Kettle Is Boiling, And The     Damper Will Be Cooked By The     Time We Get 
 There.  I Am The     Hut-Keeper; And My Mate, The     Shepherd, Had Just Penned 
 The Sheep And Made All Snug For The     Night, When I Caught Sight Of     The 
 Glare Of     Your Fire.  Says I To My Mate, `It's Some Of     Them Natives, And 
 They'll Be Trying To Steal A Sheep, Or Do Some Other Mischief; At All 
 Events, I'll Go And See What They're About.'  When I Heard That Jolly 
 Song Of     Yours, Sir, I Soon Knew All Was Right, Though I Did Wonder How 
 You Came To Be Out Here." 
   
   
 Mudge, Who Was Perfectly Satisfied That The     Man Was What He Represented 
 Himself To Be, At Once Accepted His Invitation; And Emptying Our Kettle, 
 We Quickly Slung That And Our Other Traps On Our Backs, And Prepared To 
 Accompany The     Shepherd. 
   
   
 "Stay, Mates, We'll Put Out The     Fire First," He Said; "We Don't Know 
 Where The     Sparks May Be Carried To If Left Alone: They Might Soon Set 
 The Whole Country In A Blaze." 
   
   
 Having Taken This Precaution, We Walked Briskly Along With Our New 
 Friend.  We Soon Reached A Low Shingle-Roofed Slab Hut, From Which A 
 Couple Of     Dogs Issued, Barking Furiously On Hearing The     Footsteps Of 
 Strangers.  The     Hut-Keeper's Voice Quickly Silenced Them, When They Came 
 Fawning Up To Him, Licking Even Our Hands When They Discovered That We 
 Were Whites.  Our Companion Ushered Us Into His Hut, Which Consisted Of 
 One Smoke-Begrimed Room, Containing A Clay Fireplace, Two Rough Bunks In 
 The Corner, And A Table And Couple Of     Stools In The     Centre.  The     Kettle 
 On The     Wood Fire Was Bubbling And Hissing Merrily. 
   
   
 Our Guide's "Chum," As He Called Him, Presently Came In From The 
 Sheepfold, And Gave Us A Hearty Welcome.  He Was As Rough-Looking As His 
 Companion, But Scarcely Rougher Than Mudge, With His Unshaven Beard, His 
 Moustache, And Long Hair; And I, Though I Had Not A Beard And Moustache 
 To Boast Of, Must Have Looked Pretty Rough Too. 
   
   
 Our Hosts Gave Us The     Best They Had: Fresh Damper, Broiled Mutton, And 
 Tea.  The     Captain, As They Called Their Master, Allowed No Spirits, But, 
 They Acknowledged, Took Good Care That They Were Well Supplied With 
 Necessaries; And If We Would Stop Another Day They Would Give Us 
 Plum-Pudding For Dinner.  We, Of     Course, Said That We Were Anxious To Go 
 On To The     Station As Soon As Possible, That We Might Obtain Horses To 
 Return To Our Friends.  The     Captain, They Said, Would Give Us Every 
 Assistance In His Power.  He Had A Herd Of     Cattle, As Well As Sheep, 
 With Several Horses, Though Whether He Would Be Able To Spare The     Horses 
 They Could Not Tell; But He Would Probably Try And Obtain Them For Us 
 From The     Next Station, A Dozen Miles Or So Farther Off. 
   
   
 We Were Still, We Found, A Hundred And Fifty Miles, At Least, From 
 Sydney; So That, Had Not The     Settlers Established Stations To The 
 Northward, We Should Have Had A Long Journey To Perform Before We Could 
 Obtain Assistance.  They Were More Ready To Hear The     Accounts We Had To 
 Give Than To Say Anything About Themselves; Indeed, When Once Or Twice 
 Mudge Inquired How Long They Had Been In The     Colony, And Why They Came 
 Out, They Made Evasive Answers, And Turned The     Subject.  They Were, In 
 Reality, Convicts; Assigned Servants, Who Received No Wages, But Were 
 Allowed Thus Much Of     Liberty As Long As They Behaved Themselves Well. 
   
   
 As Soon As Supper Was Over, They Advised Us To Turn In, Observing That 
 They Should Have To Be Up Before Daybreak To Breakfast, That The 
 Shepherd Might Take His Sheep At Early Dawn To Their Pasture, At Some 
 Distance From The     Hut.  They Offered Us Their Bunks, But We Declined; 
 For Two Reasons: One Was, That They Looked Excessively Black And Dirty; 
 And The     Other, That, Being Long Accustomed To Sleep On The     Bare Ground, 
 We Would Not Turn Them Out Of     Their Beds.  We Accordingly Lay Down On 
 The Floor, With Our Knapsacks As Pillows, With A Feeling Of     Security 
 Which We Had Not For Long Enjoyed; And Knowing That One Of     The     Faithful 
 Dogs Was Watching At The     Door, We Were Soon Fast Asleep.  When I Awoke, 
 I Saw The     Hut-Keeper Kneading A Damper, Which He Put Under The     Ashes Of 
 The Already Kindled Fire.  I Need Not Say That I Would Rather Not Have 
 Witnessed The     Operation. 
   
   
 I Did Not Open My Eyes Again Till He Summoned Us To Breakfast, When We 
 Were Joined By The     Shepherd, Who Had Gone Out To See That His Sheep Were 
 Safe.  Our Meal Being Quickly Despatched, He Bade Us Farewell And Again 
 Sallied Forth, To Let His Sheep Out Of     Their Pen; When The     Hut-Keeper 
 Asked Us If We Were Inclined To Stop A While, Or Go On To The     Captain's. 
 We, Of     Course, Expressed A Wish To Set Off At Once, And Begged Him To 
 Show Us The     Way. 
   
   
 "I Can't Go With You, As I Have To Help My Chum To Attend To Some Sick 
 Sheep," He Said, "And To Look After The     Hut; But You Can't Mistake It If 
 You Keep Due South, Over Yonder Rise With The     Three Big Trees At The     Top 
 Of It, And Then Make For A Stream You Will See Shining In The     Distance. 
 There's A Bridge Over It, Which Leads To The     Station." 
   
   
 The Directions Being Sufficiently Explicit, We Set Off Without Fear Of 
 Losing Our Way.  A Walk Of     Rather More Than An Hour's Duration Brought 
 Us In Sight Of     The     Stream, With A Plank-Bridge Thrown Over It; On Which, 
 As We Got Nearer, We Saw Two Black Men.  They Were Not, However, Such As 
 We Had Been Accustomed To Meet With, But Were Decently Clothed. 
 Saluting Us Civilly In English With "Good Morning, Friends," They Told 
 Us That This Was The     Station Of     Which We Were In Search, And That If We 
 Went On A Little Farther We Should Find The     Master, Who Would Be Glad To 
 See Us. 
   
   
 Passing Some Huts, We Soon Saw Before Us A Low, Bungalow-Looking 
 Building, With A Broad Verandah.  Directly Afterwards There Issued Forth 
 A Middle-Aged Gentleman, Who Advanced Towards Us.  "Glad To See You, My 
 Friends, Wherever You Come From," He Said, Putting Out His Hand.  "You 
 Look As If You Had Had A Long Tramp Of     It.  I Take It You Are Ready For 
 Breakfast.  Come In At Once.  We Were Just Upon The     Point Of     Sitting 
 Down When I Caught Sight Of     You From The     Window." 
   
   
 "Thank You, Sir," Answered Mudge.  "Your Shepherds, At Whose Hut We 
 Slept, Gave Us Some Breakfast; But We Accept Your Hospitality, As, For 
 My Part, I Should Be Ready For A Little More; And So, I Dare Say, Will 
 My Friend Rayner,--At All Events, Midshipmen Have The     Credit Of     Being 
 Able To Stow Away Two Or Three Meals In Succession Without 
 Inconvenience, And We Have Been On Short Allowance For Some Days Past." 
   
   
 "What, Are You Naval Officers?" Exclaimed The     Captain, Eyeing Us 
 Attentively.  "I Thought So From The     Way You Spoke.  However, Come In. 
 You Can Tell Me All About Yourselves Afterwards; It Doesn't Come Up To 
 My Notions Of     Hospitality To Bother Strangers With Questions Before They 
 Have Eaten, And Drunken, And Rested Themselves After Their Journey." 
   
   
 Saying This, Our Host Led The     Way Into A Neat Parlour, Where Two Ladies 
 Were Seated At Table; One Evidently His Wife, The     Other Very Young.  I 
 Looked From Her To The     Elder Lady, Then, Springing Forward, I Put Out My 
 Hand And Exclaimed, "Mrs Hudson!" 
   
   
 She Shook It With A Look Of     Surprise; Then, Turning Round, I Added, 
 "Captain Hudson, I Am Sure It Is You, Sir;" And Looking At The     Young 
 Lady, I Said, "I Don't Know Your Name, But I Remember You Very Well 
 Indeed, And Have Never Forgotten You Since I Was On Board The 
 _Hopewell_, Off The     Coast Of     Patagonia, Two Years Ago." 
   
   
 After I Had Shaken Captain Hudson By The     Hand, The     Young Lady, Who Had 
 Risen From Her Chair, Came Forward To Greet Me, Saying, "I Remember The 
 Midshipman Who Paid Us A Visit, But I Should Not Have Recognised You; 
 Yes, Yes--I Remember Your Eyes And Your Features Now;" And She Smiled 
 Very Sweetly. 
   
   
 "I Thought I Had Seen Your Face Before," I Heard Mudge Saying, As 
 Captain Hudson Was Shaking Him Warmly By The     Hand. 
   
   
 Our Host And Hostess Now Pressed Us To Sit Down To Breakfast, But I 
 Could Scarcely Eat Anything For Thinking Of     The     Information We Had To 
 Give Them.  A Word Whispered In My Ear From Mudge--"Don't Say Anything 
 Yet"--Made Me Cautious, For He Was Too Wise Not To Think That It Would 
 Be Dangerous To Communicate Such Joyful Intelligence Too Suddenly, And 
 That It Was Important To Break It To The     Captain First.  We Had A Great 
 Deal To Tell About Our Adventures, However. 
   
   
 Captain Hudson Then Informed Us That Soon After We Fell In With Him The 
 Ship Had Come Across To Sydney, Where, On Account Of     Mrs Hudson's 
 Health, He Had Given Up The     Command, And Determined To Settle On Shore. 
 Finding An Acquaintance Who Happened To Be In Sydney, And Who Wished To 
 Give Up This Station, He Came On Here.  "For Though So Far In Advance Of 
 The Other Settlers," Continued Captain Hudson, "I Was Sure That, By The 
 Proper Management Of     My Assigned Servants, And By Treating The     Blacks 
 Judiciously, We Should Be As Safe Here As Near Other Stations.  I Have 
 Not Been Mistaken; And We Have Already Succeeded In Partly Civilising 
 Several Young Natives, Who Seem Perfectly Happy And Contented, And Are 
 Ready To Perform Any Light Labour To Which I Put Them." 
   
   
 When We Told Captain Hudson That The     Object Of     Our Journey Was To Carry 
 Assistance To Our Friends, He At Once Volunteered To Do All In His Power 
 To Obtain Horses, Provisions, And Trusty Men To Accompany Us Back. 
 "Though I Cannot Go Myself," He Said, "I Have A Friend In The 
 Neighbourhood Who Will, I Am Sure, Take Great Pleasure In Accompanying 
 You, And In Whom You May Thoroughly Rely, As Few Men Have Travelled More 
 In The     Wilds Than He Has, Or Are So Well Able To Manage The     Natives." 
   
   
 I Saw The     Young Lady Look Up At Captain Hudson As He Spoke, But What 
 That Look Betokened I Could Not Then Understand.  All This Time We Were, 
 Of Course, Burning To Tell Him That His Son Was Alive; Though, Had He 
 Known It, He Could Scarcely Have Been More Anxious To Send Assistance To 
 Our Friends Than He Was Already.  It Occurred To Me, Indeed, That, To 
 Save Him And Mrs Hudson The     Anxiety Of     Waiting For Harry's Arrival, It 
 Might Be Better To Say Nothing About Him.  How Dreadful It Would Be 
 Should Any Accident Have Happened To Him In The     Meantime, Or Should All 
 Our Party Have Perished!  Not That We Dared Contemplate Such A 
 Contingency For Two Moments Together.  It Did, However, When I Felt At 
 All Depressed, Flash Across My Mind; But I Put It From Me As Too 
 Horrible To Dwell On; Besides Which, It Seemed Like Ingratitude To God, 
 Who Had So Far Protected Us. 
   
   
 As Soon As Breakfast Was Over, I Mentioned My Idea To Mudge; But He 
 Considered That We Ought To Tell The     Captain That We Had Found A White 
 Boy Among The     Savages, Apparently Of     The     Age Of     His Son--That He Had 
 Been Long With Us, And Had Become Perfectly Civilised, And, From His 
 Amiable Qualities, A Great Favourite.  Captain Hudson Might Thus Draw 
 His Own Conclusions. 
   
   
 The Captain Soon Afterwards Joined Us, When Mudge Cautiously Introduced 
 The Subject; Notwithstanding Which He Was Almost Overcome With 
 Agitation. 
   
   
 "We Ought Not To Raise Your Hopes Too High, Sir," Said Mudge; "But 
 Still, Neither Captain Bracewell Nor Any One On Board The     Ship Had Any 
 Doubts On The     Subject." 
   
   
 "How Can I Thank My Merciful Father In Heaven For His Boundless Kindness 
 To Me!" Exclaimed The     Captain.  "I Will Carefully Prepare My Dear Wife, 
 But In Her Delicate State Of     Health It Will Require Great Caution; And I 
 Must Beg You, Therefore, Not To Utter A Word To Any One Else." 
   
   
 This, Of     Course, We Promised To Do; And We Were Surprised At The 
 Self-Command Which The     Captain Afterwards Exhibited In Presence Of     Mrs 
 Hudson. 
   
   
 We Had Made Inquiries About Our Ship, But She Had Not Visited Sydney 
 Before Captain Hudson Had Been Last There, And He Had Heard Nothing Of 
 Her.  This Satisfied Mudge That He Was Not In Duty Bound To Go There To 
 Look For Her. 
   
   
 Captain Hudson, Notwithstanding The     Agitation Of     His Mind, Observed Our 
 Tattered Condition, And Insisted On Rigging Us Both Out In New, Strong 
 Clothes Suited For Our Object.  These Were Put On After A Thorough Bath 
 In The     Stream Hard By.  Mudge Also Had Got Shaved By The     Captain's Black 
 Cook, An African Who Had Accompanied Him On Shore, And Who Was Barber, 
 Sheep-Shearer, Tailor, Carpenter, And I Don't Know How Many Other Trades 
 Besides. 
   
   
 Captain Hudson, In The     Meantime, Had Sent Off To The     Friend He Spoke Of, 
 Who Soon Afterwards Arrived On Horseback.  He Was A Handsome, 
 Middle-Aged Man, Of     A Peculiarly Grave And Melancholy Countenance, But 
 With A Keen Eye, And Who Appeared, By His Bearing And Manners, To Have 
 Been An Officer.  He At Once, On Hearing Our Account, Agreed To 
 Accompany Us, And To Organise An Expedition To Carry Such Provisions As 
 He Thought Would Be Necessary, With Horses For The     Conveyance Of     My 
 Mother And Sister, As Well As My Father, And Any Of     The     Rest Of     The 
 Party Who Might Be Unable To Walk. 
   
   
 I Felt In High Spirits, And Perfectly Ready To Set Off On The     Following 
 Morning.  Towards Evening, However, I Suddenly Became Very Ill, When 
 Mrs Hudson Insisted On My Going To Bed; And Next Morning I Was Utterly 
 Unable To Rise.  But, Of     Course, The     Expedition Could Not Be Delayed On 
 My Account. 
   
   
 I Was Unconscious, So I Was Afterwards Told, For Some Time; And When I 
 Regained My Senses I Found That The     Party Had Long Since Started.  My 
 Fear Was That While I Had Been In Delirium I Might Have Talked Of     Harry 
 Hudson, And I Was Thankful To Find That Such Had Not Been The     Case. 
 Mrs Hudson Watched Over Me With As Much Care As My Own Mother Could 
 Have Done, And I Often Saw Tears Dropping From Her Eyes--When I Knew 
 That She Was Thinking Of     Her Own Boy, Whom She Supposed To Have Been 
 Lost. 
   
   
 As I Got Better, Lily, For Such Was The     Name Of     The     Young Lady--She Was, 
 As I Could Not Help Telling Her, A Sweet White English Lily; Not Like 
 One Of     The     Australian Lilies, With Grand Blossoms Of     Rich Crimson, Six 
 Inches In Diameter, Growing On Stalks Twenty Feet High--Lily Was My 
 Constant Companion.  Every Day That I Was In Her Company I Admired Her 
 More And More--But I Must Not Talk About That Just Now.  She Was, I 
 Suspected, The     Daughter Of     The     Leader Of     The     Expedition, Who, For Some 
 Reason--Not A Dishonourable One--Was Compelled To Live A Secluded Life 
 In Australia.  Two More Months Passed Away, When One Afternoon A Man On 
 Horseback Appeared, Bringing The     Joyful Intelligence That Our Party Were 
 Close At Hand, And All Well.  I Saw That Mrs Hudson Was Greatly 
 Agitated, And I Now Knew That The     Captain Had Been Gradually Preparing 
 Her For The     Appearance Of     Their Son. 
   
   
 It Is Beyond My Power To Describe The     Meeting; I Know A Great Many Of     Us 
 Cried With Joy, And I Am Not Ashamed To Say That I Did So.  My Dear 
 Mother And Edith Had Borne The     Journey Well, Though They Had Been Hard 
 Pressed For Some Weeks, And Had Become Very Anxious Before The 
 Appearance Of     The     Expedition Sent To Succour Them. 
   
   
 Captain Hudson Received Our Party With Unbounded Hospitality, Having 
 Prepared A Residence For Those Who Could Not Be Received Into His Own 
 House.  I Was Delighted To Find That My Father Had Arranged To Take A 
 Station Within A Few Miles Of     That Of     Captain Hudson, Who Promised To 
 Afford Him That Assistance Which, As A New-Comer, He Of     Course Greatly 
 Required. 
   
   
 Mudge, Who, As Soon As He Could Communicate With England, Made 
 Arrangements For Quitting The     Service, Got A Grant Of     Land, And Settled 
 Near Us.  Being Only A Midshipman, I Had Simply To Discharge Myself, 
 Without Any Other Formality; As Did Tommy Peck.  The     Rest Of     The     Crew 
 Were So Enamoured Of     The     Country That They Remained With Us, And Turned 
 Stockmen; Most Of     Them Becoming At Length Successful Settlers. 
   
   
 Harry, Of     Course, Married Edith; And Lily Became My Wife.  This Event 
 Happened A Long Time Ago, And It Might Not Increase The     Interest Of     My 
 Readers If I Were To Say That It Is Long Since Our Wives Became 
 Grandmothers. 
   
   
 We All Flourished, As I Am Firmly Convinced People Will Do Who, Seeking 
 Guidance From Above, Act With Due Judgment And Discretion, Taking 
 Advantage Of     The     Experience, As Well As Warning From The     Failure, Of 
 Others.  We, Of     Course, Had Those Ups And Downs Which All Settlers In 
 Australia Must Meet: Dingos Carried Off Our Sheep, And The     Rot Visited 
 Them; The     Blacks Were Troublesome, And Droughts And Blights Occurred; 
 Bush-Fires Occasionally Took Place, And Our Wool Brought Lower Prices 
 Than We Had Hoped For.  But, Notwithstanding, In The     Long Run We Were 
 Blessed With Prosperity, And Had Ample Reason To Be Thankful That We Had 
 Been Preserved From The     Numerous Dangers We Had Encountered, And That We 
 Had Been Guided To The     Shores Of     Australia. 
   
   
 The End. 
 
 
 Publication Date: September 18th 2014 https://www.bookrix.com/-tj5a887cd663e35