The Coral Island, by R. M. Ballantyne

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Title: The Coral Island
       a Tale of the Pacific Ocean


Author: R. M. Ballantyne



Release Date: April 12, 2007  [eBook #646]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)


***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CORAL ISLAND***





Transcribed from the 1884 Thomas Nelson and Sons edition by David Price,
email ccx074@pglaf.org

{Book cover: cover.jpg}





The Coral Island:
A Tale of the Pacific Ocean


{A coral island: p0.jpg}

BY

ROBERT MICHAEL BALLANTYNE,
AUTHOR OF "HUDSON'S BAY; OR, EVERY-DAY LIFE IN THE WILDS OF NORTH
AMERICA;
"SNOW-FLAKES AND SUN-BEAMS; OR, THE YOUNG FUR-TRADERS;"
"UNGAVA: A TALE OF THE ESQUIMAUX," ETC., ETC.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY DALZIEL.

London:
THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW.
EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK.
1884.




Preface


I was a boy when I went through the wonderful adventures herein set down.
With the memory of my boyish feelings strong upon me, I present my book
specially to boys, in the earnest hope that they may derive valuable
information, much pleasure, great profit, and unbounded amusement from
its pages.

One word more.  If there is any boy or man who loves to be melancholy and
morose, and who cannot enter with kindly sympathy into the regions of
fun, let me seriously advise him to shut my book and put it away.  It is
not meant for him.

RALPH ROVER




CHAPTER I.


The beginning--My early life and character--I thirst for adventure in
foreign lands and go to sea.

Roving has always been, and still is, my ruling passion, the joy of my
heart, the very sunshine of my existence.  In childhood, in boyhood, and
in man's estate, I have been a rover; not a mere rambler among the woody
glens and upon the hill-tops of my own native land, but an enthusiastic
rover throughout the length and breadth of the wide wide world.

It was a wild, black night of howling storm, the night in which I was
born on the foaming bosom of the broad Atlantic Ocean.  My father was a
sea-captain; my grandfather was a sea-captain; my great-grandfather had
been a marine.  Nobody could tell positively what occupation _his_ father
had followed; but my dear mother used to assert that he had been a
midshipman, whose grandfather, on the mother's side, had been an admiral
in the royal navy.  At anyrate we knew that, as far back as our family
could be traced, it had been intimately connected with the great watery
waste.  Indeed this was the case on both sides of the house; for my
mother always went to sea with my father on his long voyages, and so
spent the greater part of her life upon the water.

Thus it was, I suppose, that I came to inherit a roving disposition.  Soon
after I was born, my father, being old, retired from a seafaring life,
purchased a small cottage in a fishing village on the west coast of
England, and settled down to spend the evening of his life on the shores
of that sea which had for so many years been his home.  It was not long
after this that I began to show the roving spirit that dwelt within me.
For some time past my infant legs had been gaining strength, so that I
came to be dissatisfied with rubbing the skin off my chubby knees by
walking on them, and made many attempts to stand up and walk like a man;
all of which attempts, however, resulted in my sitting down violently and
in sudden surprise.  One day I took advantage of my dear mother's absence
to make another effort; and, to my joy, I actually succeeded in reaching
the doorstep, over which I tumbled into a pool of muddy water that lay
before my father's cottage door.  Ah, how vividly I remember the horror
of my poor mother when she found me sweltering in the mud amongst a group
of cackling ducks, and the tenderness with which she stripped off my
dripping clothes and washed my dirty little body!  From this time forth
my rambles became more frequent, and, as I grew older, more distant,
until at last I had wandered far and near on the shore and in the woods
around our humble dwelling, and did not rest content until my father
bound me apprentice to a coasting vessel, and let me go to sea.

For some years I was happy in visiting the sea-ports, and in coasting
along the shores of my native land.  My Christian name was Ralph, and my
comrades added to this the name of Rover, in consequence of the passion
which I always evinced for travelling.  Rover was not my real name, but
as I never received any other I came at last to answer to it as naturally
as to my proper name; and, as it is not a bad one, I see no good reason
why I should not introduce myself to the reader as Ralph Rover.  My
shipmates were kind, good-natured fellows, and they and I got on very
well together.  They did, indeed, very frequently make game of and banter
me, but not unkindly; and I overheard them sometimes saying that Ralph
Rover was a "queer, old-fashioned fellow."  This, I must confess,
surprised me much, and I pondered the saying long, but could come at no
satisfactory conclusion as to that wherein my old-fashionedness lay.  It
is true I was a quiet lad, and seldom spoke except when spoken to.
Moreover, I never could understand the jokes of my companions even when
they were explained to me: which dulness in apprehension occasioned me
much grief; however, I tried to make up for it by smiling and looking
pleased when I observed that they were laughing at some witticism which I
had failed to detect.  I was also very fond of inquiring into the nature
of things and their causes, and often fell into fits of abstraction while
thus engaged in my mind.  But in all this I saw nothing that did not seem
to be exceedingly natural, and could by no means understand why my
comrades should call me "an old-fashioned fellow."

Now, while engaged in the coasting trade, I fell in with many seamen who
had travelled to almost every quarter of the globe; and I freely confess
that my heart glowed ardently within me as they recounted their wild
adventures in foreign lands,--the dreadful storms they had weathered, the
appalling dangers they had escaped, the wonderful creatures they had seen
both on the land and in the sea, and the interesting lands and strange
people they had visited.  But of all the places of which they told me,
none captivated and charmed my imagination so much as the Coral Islands
of the Southern Seas.  They told me of thousands of beautiful fertile
islands that had been formed by a small creature called the coral insect,
where summer reigned nearly all the year round,--where the trees were
laden with a constant harvest of luxuriant fruit,--where the climate was
almost perpetually delightful,--yet where, strange to say, men were wild,
bloodthirsty savages, excepting in those favoured isles to which the
gospel of our Saviour had been conveyed.  These exciting accounts had so
great an effect upon my mind, that, when I reached the age of fifteen, I
resolved to make a voyage to the South Seas.

I had no little difficulty at first in prevailing on my dear parents to
let me go; but when I urged on my father that he would never have become
a great captain had he remained in the coasting trade, he saw the truth
of what I said, and gave his consent.  My dear mother, seeing that my
father had made up his mind, no longer offered opposition to my wishes.
"But oh, Ralph," she said, on the day I bade her adieu, "come back soon
to us, my dear boy, for we are getting old now, Ralph, and may not have
many years to live."

I will not take up my reader's time with a minute account of all that
occurred before I took my final leave of my dear parents.  Suffice it to
say, that my father placed me under the charge of an old mess-mate of his
own, a merchant captain, who was on the point of sailing to the South
Seas in his own ship, the Arrow.  My mother gave me her blessing and a
small Bible; and her last request was, that I would never forget to read
a chapter every day, and say my prayers; which I promised, with tears in
my eyes, that I would certainly do.

Soon afterwards I went on board the Arrow, which was a fine large ship,
and set sail for the islands of the Pacific Ocean.




CHAPTER II.


The departure--The sea--My companions--Some account of the wonderful
sights we saw on the great deep--A dreadful storm and a frightful wreck.

It was a bright, beautiful, warm day when our ship spread her canvass to
the breeze, and sailed for the regions of the south.  Oh, how my heart
bounded with delight as I listened to the merry chorus of the sailors,
while they hauled at the ropes and got in the anchor!  The captain
shouted--the men ran to obey--the noble ship bent over to the breeze, and
the shore gradually faded from my view, while I stood looking on with a
kind of feeling that the whole was a delightful dream.

The first thing that struck me as being different from anything I had yet
seen during my short career on the sea, was the hoisting of the anchor on
deck, and lashing it firmly down with ropes, as if we had now bid adieu
to the land for ever, and would require its services no more.

"There, lass," cried a broad-shouldered jack-tar, giving the fluke of the
anchor a hearty slap with his hand after the housing was
completed--"there, lass, take a good nap now, for we shan't ask you to
kiss the mud again for many a long day to come!"

And so it was.  That anchor did not "kiss the mud" for many long days
afterwards; and when at last it did, it was for the last time!

There were a number of boys in the ship, but two of them were my special
favourites.  Jack Martin was a tall, strapping, broad-shouldered youth of
eighteen, with a handsome, good-humoured, firm face.  He had had a good
education, was clever and hearty and lion-like in his actions, but mild
and quiet in disposition.  Jack was a general favourite, and had a
peculiar fondness for me.  My other companion was Peterkin Gay.  He was
little, quick, funny, decidedly mischievous, and about fourteen years
old.  But Peterkin's mischief was almost always harmless, else he could
not have been so much beloved as he was.

"Hallo! youngster," cried Jack Martin, giving me a slap on the shoulder,
the day I joined the ship, "come below and I'll show you your berth.  You
and I are to be mess-mates, and I think we shall be good friends, for I
like the look o' you."

Jack was right.  He and I and Peterkin afterwards became the best and
stanchest friends that ever tossed together on the stormy waves.

I shall say little about the first part of our voyage.  We had the usual
amount of rough weather and calm; also we saw many strange fish rolling
in the sea, and I was greatly delighted one day by seeing a shoal of
flying fish dart out of the water and skim through the air about a foot
above the surface.  They were pursued by dolphins, which feed on them,
and one flying-fish in its terror flew over the ship, struck on the
rigging, and fell upon the deck.  Its wings were just fins elongated, and
we found that they could never fly far at a time, and never mounted into
the air like birds, but skimmed along the surface of the sea.  Jack and I
had it for dinner, and found it remarkably good.

When we approached Cape Horn, at the southern extremity of America, the
weather became very cold and stormy, and the sailors began to tell
stories about the furious gales and the dangers of that terrible cape.

"Cape Horn," said one, "is the most horrible headland I ever doubled.
I've sailed round it twice already, and both times the ship was a'most
blow'd out o' the water."

"An' I've been round it once," said another, "an' that time the sails
were split, and the ropes frozen in the blocks, so that they wouldn't
work, and we wos all but lost."

"An' I've been round it five times," cried a third, "an' every time wos
wuss than another, the gales wos so tree-mendous!"

"And I've been round it no times at all," cried Peterkin, with an
impudent wink of his eye, "an' _that_ time I wos blow'd inside out!"

Nevertheless, we passed the dreaded cape without much rough weather, and,
in the course of a few weeks afterwards, were sailing gently, before a
warm tropical breeze, over the Pacific Ocean.  Thus we proceeded on our
voyage, sometimes bounding merrily before a fair breeze, at other times
floating calmly on the glassy wave and fishing for the curious
inhabitants of the deep,--all of which, although the sailors thought
little of them, were strange, and interesting, and very wonderful to me.

At last we came among the Coral Islands of the Pacific, and I shall never
forget the delight with which I gazed,--when we chanced to pass one,--at
the pure, white, dazzling shores, and the verdant palm-trees, which
looked bright and beautiful in the sunshine.  And often did we three long
to be landed on one, imagining that we should certainly find perfect
happiness there!  Our wish was granted sooner than we expected.

One night, soon after we entered the tropics, an awful storm burst upon
our ship.  The first squall of wind carried away two of our masts; and
left only the foremast standing.  Even this, however, was more than
enough, for we did not dare to hoist a rag of sail on it.  For five days
the tempest raged in all its fury.  Everything was swept off the decks
except one small boat.  The steersman was lashed to the wheel, lest he
should be washed away, and we all gave ourselves up for lost.  The
captain said that he had no idea where we were, as we had been blown far
out of our course; and we feared much that we might get among the
dangerous coral reefs which are so numerous in the Pacific.  At day-break
on the sixth morning of the gale we saw land ahead.  It was an island
encircled by a reef of coral on which the waves broke in fury.  There was
calm water within this reef, but we could only see one narrow opening
into it.  For this opening we steered, but, ere we reached it, a
tremendous wave broke on our stern, tore the rudder completely off, and
left us at the mercy of the winds and waves.

"It's all over with us now, lads," said the captain to the men; "get the
boat ready to launch; we shall be on the rocks in less than half an
hour."

The men obeyed in gloomy silence, for they felt that there was little
hope of so small a boat living in such a sea.

"Come boys," said Jack Martin, in a grave tone, to me and Peterkin, as we
stood on the quarterdeck awaiting our fate;--"Come boys, we three shall
stick together.  You see it is impossible that the little boat can reach
the shore, crowded with men.  It will be sure to upset, so I mean rather
to trust myself to a large oar, I see through the telescope that the ship
will strike at the tail of the reef, where the waves break into the quiet
water inside; so, if we manage to cling to the oar till it is driven over
the breakers, we may perhaps gain the shore.  What say you; will you join
me?"

We gladly agreed to follow Jack, for he inspired us with confidence,
although I could perceive, by the sad tone of his voice, that he had
little hope; and, indeed, when I looked at the white waves that lashed
the reef and boiled against the rocks as if in fury, I felt that there
was but a step between us and death.  My heart sank within me; but at
that moment my thoughts turned to my beloved mother, and I remembered
those words, which were among the last that she said to me--"Ralph, my
dearest child, always remember in the hour of danger to look to your Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.  He alone is both able and willing to save your
body and your soul."  So I felt much comforted when I thought thereon.

The ship was now very near the rocks.  The men were ready with the boat,
and the captain beside them giving orders, when a tremendous wave came
towards us.  We three ran towards the bow to lay hold of our oar, and had
barely reached it when the wave fell on the deck with a crash like
thunder.  At the same moment the ship struck, the foremast broke off
close to the deck and went over the side, carrying the boat and men along
with it.  Our oar got entangled with the wreck, and Jack seized an axe to
cut it free, but, owing to the motion of the ship, he missed the cordage
and struck the axe deep into the oar.  Another wave, however, washed it
clear of the wreck.  We all seized hold of it, and the next instant we
were struggling in the wild sea.  The last thing I saw was the boat
whirling in the surf, and all the sailors tossed into the foaming waves.
Then I became insensible.

On recovering from my swoon, I found myself lying on a bank of soft
grass, under the shelter of an overhanging rock, with Peterkin on his
knees by my side, tenderly bathing my temples with water, and
endeavouring to stop the blood that flowed from a wound in my forehead.




CHAPTER III.


The Coral Island--Our first cogitations after landing, and the result of
them--We conclude that the island is uninhabited.

There is a strange and peculiar sensation experienced in recovering from
a state of insensibility, which is almost indescribable; a sort of
dreamy, confused consciousness; a half-waking half-sleeping condition,
accompanied with a feeling of weariness, which, however, is by no means
disagreeable.  As I slowly recovered and heard the voice of Peterkin
inquiring whether I felt better, I thought that I must have overslept
myself, and should be sent to the mast-head for being lazy; but before I
could leap up in haste, the thought seemed to vanish suddenly away, and I
fancied that I must have been ill.  Then a balmy breeze fanned my cheek,
and I thought of home, and the garden at the back of my father's cottage,
with its luxuriant flowers, and the sweet-scented honey-suckle that my
dear mother trained so carefully upon the trellised porch.  But the
roaring of the surf put these delightful thoughts to flight, and I was
back again at sea, watching the dolphins and the flying-fish, and reefing
topsails off the wild and stormy Cape Horn.  Gradually the roar of the
surf became louder and more distinct.  I thought of being wrecked far far
away from my native land, and slowly opened my eyes to meet those of my
companion Jack, who, with a look of intense anxiety, was gazing into my
face.

"Speak to us, my dear Ralph," whispered Jack, tenderly, "are you better
now?"

I smiled and looked up, saying, "Better; why, what do you mean, Jack?  I'm
quite well."

"Then what are you shamming for, and frightening us in this way?" said
Peterkin, smiling through his tears; for the poor boy had been really
under the impression that I was dying.

I now raised myself on my elbow, and putting my hand to my forehead,
found that it had been cut pretty severely, and that I had lost a good
deal of blood.

"Come, come, Ralph," said Jack, pressing me gently backward, "lie down,
my boy; you're not right yet.  Wet your lips with this water, it's cool
and clear as crystal.  I got it from a spring close at hand.  There now,
don't say a word, hold your tongue," said he, seeing me about to speak.
"I'll tell you all about it, but you must not utter a syllable till you
have rested well."

"Oh! don't stop him from speaking, Jack," said Peterkin, who, now that
his fears for my safety were removed, busied himself in erecting a
shelter of broken branches in order to protect me from the wind; which,
however, was almost unnecessary, for the rock beside which I had been
laid completely broke the force of the gale.  "Let him speak, Jack; it's
a comfort to hear that he's alive, after lying there stiff and white and
sulky for a whole hour, just like an Egyptian mummy.  Never saw such a
fellow as you are, Ralph; always up to mischief.  You've almost knocked
out all my teeth and more than half choked me, and now you go shamming
dead!  It's very wicked of you, indeed it is."

While Peterkin ran on in this style, my faculties became quite clear
again, and I began to understand my position.  "What do you mean by
saying I half choked you, Peterkin?" said I.

"What do I mean?  Is English not your mother tongue, or do you want me to
repeat it in French, by way of making it clearer?  Don't you remember--"

"I remember nothing," said I, interrupting him, "after we were thrown
into the sea."

{Slowly recovering: p24.jpg}

"Hush, Peterkin," said Jack, "you're exciting Ralph with your nonsense.
I'll explain it to you.  You recollect that after the ship struck, we
three sprang over the bow into the sea; well, I noticed that the oar
struck your head and gave you that cut on the brow, which nearly stunned
you, so that you grasped Peterkin round the neck without knowing
apparently what you were about.  In doing so you pushed the
telescope,--which you clung to as if it had been your life,--against
Peterkin's mouth--"

"Pushed it against his mouth!" interrupted Peterkin, "say crammed it down
his throat.  Why, there's a distinct mark of the brass rim on the back of
my gullet at this moment!"

"Well, well, be that as it may," continued Jack, "you clung to him,
Ralph, till I feared you really would choke him; but I saw that he had a
good hold of the oar, so I exerted myself to the utmost to push you
towards the shore, which we luckily reached without much trouble, for the
water inside the reef is quite calm."

"But the captain and crew, what of them?" I inquired anxiously.

Jack shook his head.

"Are they lost?"

"No, they are not lost, I hope, but I fear there is not much chance of
their being saved.  The ship struck at the very tail of the island on
which we are cast.  When the boat was tossed into the sea it fortunately
did not upset, although it shipped a good deal of water, and all the men
managed to scramble into it; but before they could get the oars out the
gale carried them past the point and away to leeward of the island.  After
we landed I saw them endeavouring to pull towards us, but as they had
only one pair of oars out of the eight that belong to the boat, and as
the wind was blowing right in their teeth, they gradually lost ground.
Then I saw them put about and hoist some sort of sail,--a blanket, I
fancy, for it was too small for the boat,--and in half an hour they were
out of sight."

"Poor fellows," I murmured sorrowfully.

"But the more I think about it, I've better hope of them," continued
Jack, in a more cheerful tone.  "You see, Ralph, I've read a great deal
about these South Sea Islands, and I know that in many places they are
scattered about in thousands over the sea, so they're almost sure to fall
in with one of them before long."

"I'm sure I hope so," said Peterkin, earnestly.  "But what has become of
the wreck, Jack?  I saw you clambering up the rocks there while I was
watching Ralph.  Did you say she had gone to pieces?"

"No, she has not gone to pieces, but she has gone to the bottom," replied
Jack.  "As I said before, she struck on the tail of the island and stove
in her bow, but the next breaker swung her clear, and she floated away to
leeward.  The poor fellows in the boat made a hard struggle to reach her,
but long before they came near her she filled and went down.  It was
after she foundered that I saw them trying to pull to the island."

There wan a long silence after Jack ceased speaking, and I have no doubt
that each was revolving in his mind our extraordinary position.  For my
part I cannot say that my reflections were very agreeable.  I knew that
we were on an island, for Jack had said so, but whether it was inhabited
or not I did not know.  If it should be inhabited, I felt certain, from
all I had heard of South Sea Islanders, that we should be roasted alive
and eaten.  If it should turn out to be uninhabited, I fancied that we
should be starved to death.  "Oh!" thought I, "if the ship had only stuck
on the rocks we might have done pretty well, for we could have obtained
provisions from her, and tools to enable us to build a shelter, but
now--alas! alas! we are lost!"  These last words I uttered aloud in my
distress.

"Lost!  Ralph?" exclaimed Jack, while a smile overspread his hearty
countenance. "Saved, you should have said.  Your cogitations seem to have
taken a wrong road, and led you to a wrong conclusion."

"Do you know what conclusion _I_ have come to?" said Peterkin.  "I have
made up my mind that it's capital,--first rate,--the best thing that ever
happened to us, and the most splendid prospect that ever lay before three
jolly young tars.  We've got an island all to ourselves.  We'll take
possession in the name of the king; we'll go and enter the service of its
black inhabitants.  Of course we'll rise, naturally, to the top of
affairs.  White men always do in savage countries.  You shall be king,
Jack; Ralph, prime minister, and I shall be--"

"The court jester," interrupted Jack.

"No," retorted Peterkin, "I'll have no title at all.  I shall merely
accept a highly responsible situation under government, for you see,
Jack, I'm fond of having an enormous salary and nothing to do."

"But suppose there are no natives?"

"Then we'll build a charming villa, and plant a lovely garden round it,
stuck all full of the most splendiferous tropical flowers, and we'll farm
the land, plant, sow, reap, eat, sleep, and be merry."

"But to be serious," said Jack, assuming a grave expression of
countenance, which I observed always had the effect of checking
Peterkin's disposition to make fun of everything, "we are really in
rather an uncomfortable position.  If this is a desert island, we shall
have to live very much like the wild beasts, for we have not a tool of
any kind, not even a knife."

"Yes, we have _that_," said Peterkin, fumbling in his trousers pocket,
from which he drew forth a small penknife with only one blade, and that
was broken.

"Well, that's better than nothing; but come," said Jack, rising, "we are
wasting our time in _talking_ instead of _doing_.  You seem well enough
to walk now, Ralph, let us see what we have got in our pockets, and then
let us climb some hill and ascertain what sort of island we have been
cast upon, for, whether good or bad, it seems likely to be our home for
some time to come."




CHAPTER IV.


We examine into our personal property, and make a happy discovery--Our
island described--Jack proves himself to be learned and sagacious above
his fellows--Curious discoveries--Natural lemonade!

We now seated ourselves upon a rock and began to examine into our
personal property.  When we reached the shore, after being wrecked, my
companions had taken off part of their clothes and spread them out in the
sun to dry, for, although the gale was raging fiercely, there was not a
single cloud in the bright sky.  They had also stripped off most part of
my wet clothes and spread them also on the rocks.  Having resumed our
garments, we now searched all our pockets with the utmost care, and laid
their contents out on a flat stone before us; and, now that our minds
were fully alive to our condition, it was with no little anxiety that we
turned our several pockets inside out, in order that nothing might escape
us.  When all was collected together we found that our worldly goods
consisted of the following articles:--

First, A small penknife with a single blade broken off about the middle
and very rusty, besides having two or three notches on its edge.
(Peterkin said of this, with his usual pleasantry, that it would do for a
saw as well as a knife, which was a great advantage.)  Second, An old
German-silver pencil-case without any lead in it.  Third, A piece of whip-
cord about six yards long.  Fourth, A sailmaker's needle of a small size.
Fifth, A ship's telescope, which I happened to have in my hand at the
time the ship struck, and which I had clung to firmly all the time I was
in the water.  Indeed it was with difficulty that Jack got it out of my
grasp when I was lying insensible on the shore.  I cannot understand why
I kept such a firm hold of this telescope.  They say that a drowning man
will clutch at a straw.  Perhaps it may have been some such feeling in
me, for I did not know that it was in my hand at the time we were
wrecked.  However, we felt some pleasure in having it with us now,
although we did not see that it could be of much use to us, as the glass
at the small end was broken to pieces.  Our sixth article was a brass
ring which Jack always wore on his little finger.  I never understood why
he wore it, for Jack was not vain of his appearance, and did not seem to
care for ornaments of any kind.  Peterkin said "it was in memory of the
girl he left behind him!"  But as he never spoke of this girl to either
of us, I am inclined to think that Peterkin was either jesting or
mistaken.  In addition to these articles we had a little bit of tinder,
and the clothes on our backs.  These last were as follows:--

Each of us had on a pair of stout canvass trousers, and a pair of
sailors' thick shoes.  Jack wore a red flannel shirt, a blue jacket, and
a red Kilmarnock bonnet or night-cap, besides a pair of worsted socks,
and a cotton pocket-handkerchief, with sixteen portraits of Lord Nelson
printed on it, and a union Jack in the middle.  Peterkin had on a striped
flannel shirt,--which he wore outside his trousers, and belted round his
waist, after the manner of a tunic,--and a round black straw hat.  He had
no jacket, having thrown it off just before we were cast into the sea;
but this was not of much consequence, as the climate of the island proved
to be extremely mild; so much so, indeed, that Jack and I often preferred
to go about without our jackets.  Peterkin had also a pair of white
cotton socks, and a blue handkerchief with white spots all over it.  My
own costume consisted of a blue flannel shirt, a blue jacket, a black
cap, and a pair of worsted socks, besides the shoes and canvass trousers
already mentioned.  This was all we had, and besides these things we had
nothing else; but, when we thought of the danger from which we had
escaped, and how much worse off we might have been had the ship struck on
the reef during the night, we felt very thankful that we were possessed
of so much, although, I must confess, we sometimes wished that we had had
a little more.

While we were examining these things, and talking about them, Jack
suddenly started and exclaimed--

"The oar! we have forgotten the oar."

"What good will that do us?" said Peterkin; "there's wood enough on the
island to make a thousand oars."

"Ay, lad," replied Jack, "but there's a bit of hoop iron at the end of
it, and that may be of much use to us."

"Very true," said I, "let us go fetch it;" and with that we all three
rose and hastened down to the beach.  I still felt a little weak from
loss of blood, so that my companions soon began to leave me behind; but
Jack perceived this, and, with his usual considerate good nature, turned
back to help me.  This was now the first time that I had looked well
about me since landing, as the spot where I had been laid was covered
with thick bushes which almost hid the country from our view.  As we now
emerged from among these and walked down the sandy beach together, I cast
my eyes about, and, truly, my heart glowed within me and my spirits rose
at the beautiful prospect which I beheld on every side.  The gale had
suddenly died away, just as if it had blown furiously till it dashed our
ship upon the rocks, and had nothing more to do after accomplishing that.
The island on which we stood was hilly, and covered almost everywhere
with the most beautiful and richly coloured trees, bushes, and shrubs,
none of which I knew the names of at that time, except, indeed, the cocoa-
nut palms, which I recognised at once from the many pictures that I had
seen of them before I left home.  A sandy beach of dazzling whiteness
lined this bright green shore, and upon it there fell a gentle ripple of
the sea.  This last astonished me much, for I recollected that at home
the sea used to fall in huge billows on the shore long after a storm had
subsided.  But on casting my glance out to sea the cause became apparent.
About a mile distant from the shore I saw the great billows of the ocean
rolling like a green wall, and falling with a long, loud roar, upon a low
coral reef, where they were dashed into white foam and flung up in clouds
of spray.  This spray sometimes flew exceedingly high, and, every here
and there, a beautiful rainbow was formed for a moment among the falling
drops.  We afterwards found that this coral reef extended quite round the
island, and formed a natural breakwater to it.  Beyond this the sea rose
and tossed violently from the effects of the storm; but between the reef
and the shore it was as calm and as smooth as a pond.

My heart was filled with more delight than I can express at sight of so
many glorious objects, and my thoughts turned suddenly to the
contemplation of the Creator of them all.  I mention this the more
gladly, because at that time, I am ashamed to say, I very seldom thought
of my Creator, although I was constantly surrounded by the most beautiful
and wonderful of His works.  I observed from the expression of my
companion's countenance that he too derived much joy from the splendid
scenery, which was all the more agreeable to us after our long voyage on
the salt sea.  There, the breeze was fresh and cold, but here it was
delightfully mild; and, when a puff blew off the land, it came laden with
the most exquisite perfume that can be imagined.  While we thus gazed, we
were startled by a loud "Huzza!" from Peterkin, and, on looking towards
the edge of the sea, we saw him capering and jumping about like a monkey,
and ever and anon tugging with all his might at something that lay upon
the shore.

"What an odd fellow he is, to be sure," said Jack, taking me by the arm
and hurrying forward; "come, let us hasten to see what it is."

"Here it is, boys, hurrah! come along.  Just what we want," cried
Peterkin, as we drew near, still tugging with all his power.  "First
rate; just the very ticket!"

I need scarcely say to my readers that my companion Peterkin was in the
habit of using very remarkable and peculiar phrases.  And I am free to
confess that I did not well understand the meaning of some of them,--such,
for instance, as "the very ticket;" but I think it my duty to recount
everything relating to my adventures with a strict regard to truthfulness
in as far as my memory serves me; so I write, as nearly as possible, the
exact words that my companions spoke.  I often asked Peterkin to explain
what he meant by "ticket," but he always answered me by going into fits
of laughter.  However, by observing the occasions on which he used it, I
came to understand that it meant to show that something was remarkably
good, or fortunate.

On coming up we found that Peterkin was vainly endeavouring to pull the
axe out of the oar, into which, it will be remembered, Jack struck it
while endeavouring to cut away the cordage among which it had become
entangled at the bow of the ship.  Fortunately for us the axe had
remained fast in the oar, and even now, all Peterkin's strength could not
draw it out of the cut.

"Ah! that is capital indeed," cried Jack, at the same time giving the axe
a wrench that plucked it out of the tough wood.  "How fortunate this is!
It will be of more value to us than a hundred knives, and the edge is
quite new and sharp."

"I'll answer for the toughness of the handle at any rate," cried
Peterkin; "my arms are nearly pulled out of the sockets.  But see here,
our luck is great.  There is iron on the blade."  He pointed to a piece
of hoop iron, as he spoke, which had been nailed round the blade of the
oar to prevent it from splitting.

This also was a fortunate discovery.  Jack went down on his knees, and
with the edge of the axe began carefully to force out the nails.  But as
they were firmly fixed in, and the operation blunted our axe, we carried
the oar up with us to the place where we had left the rest of our things,
intending to burn the wood away from the iron at a more convenient time.

"Now, lads," said Jack, after we had laid it on the stone which contained
our little all, "I propose that we should go to the tail of the island,
where the ship struck, which is only a quarter of a mile off, and see if
anything else has been thrown ashore.  I don't expect anything, but it is
well to see.  When we get back here it will be time to have our supper
and prepare our beds."

"Agreed!" cried Peterkin and I together, as, indeed, we would have agreed
to any proposal that Jack made; for, besides his being older and much
stronger and taller than either of us, he was a very clever fellow, and I
think would have induced people much older than himself to choose him for
their leader, especially if they required to be led on a bold enterprise.

Now, as we hastened along the white beach, which shone so brightly in the
rays of the setting sun that our eyes were quite dazzled by its glare, it
suddenly came into Peterkin's head that we had nothing to eat except the
wild berries which grew in profusion at our feet.

"What shall we do, Jack?" said he, with a rueful look; "perhaps they may
be poisonous!"

"No fear," replied Jack, confidently; "I have observed that a few of them
are not unlike some of the berries that grow wild on our own native
hills.  Besides, I saw one or two strange birds eating them just a few
minutes ago, and what won't kill the birds won't kill us.  But look up
there, Peterkin," continued Jack, pointing to the branched head of a
cocoa-nut palm.  "There are nuts for us in all stages."

"So there are!" cried Peterkin, who being of a very unobservant nature
had been too much taken up with other things to notice anything so high
above his head as the fruit of a palm tree.  But, whatever faults my
young comrade had, he could not be blamed for want of activity or animal
spirits.  Indeed, the nuts had scarcely been pointed out to him when he
bounded up the tall stem of the tree like a squirrel, and, in a few
minutes, returned with three nuts, each as large as a man's fist.

"You had better keep them till we return," raid Jack.  "Let us finish our
work before eating."

"So be it, captain, go ahead," cried Peterkin, thrusting the nuts into
his trousers pocket.  "In fact I don't want to eat just now, but I would
give a good deal for a drink.  Oh that I could find a spring! but I don't
see the smallest sign of one hereabouts.  I say, Jack, how does it happen
that you seem to be up to everything?  You have told us the names of half-
a-dozen trees already, and yet you say that you were never in the South
Seas before."

"I'm not up to _everything_, Peterkin, as you'll find out ere long,"
replied Jack, with a smile; "but I have been a great reader of books of
travel and adventure all my life, and that has put me up to a good many
things that you are, perhaps, not acquainted with."

"Oh, Jack, that's all humbug.  If you begin to lay everything to the
credit of books, I'll quite lose my opinion of you," cried Peterkin, with
a look of contempt.  "I've seen a lot o' fellows that were _always_
poring over books, and when they came to try to _do_ anything, they were
no better than baboons!"

"You are quite right," retorted Jack; "and I have seen a lot of fellows
who never looked into books at all, who knew nothing about anything
except the things they had actually seen, and very little they knew even
about these.  Indeed, some were so ignorant that they did not know that
cocoa-nuts grew on cocoa-nut trees!"

I could not refrain from laughing at this rebuke, for there was much
truth in it, as to Peterkin's ignorance.

"Humph! maybe you're right," answered Peterkin; "but I would not give
_tuppence_ for a man of books, if he had nothing else in him."

"Neither would I," said Jack; "but that's no reason why you should run
books down, or think less of me for having read them.  Suppose, now,
Peterkin, that you wanted to build a ship, and I were to give you a long
and particular account of the way to do it, would not that be very
useful?"

"No doubt of it," said Peterkin, laughing.

"And suppose I were to write the account in a letter instead of telling
you in words, would that be less useful?"

"Well--no, perhaps not."

"Well, suppose I were to print it, and send it to you in the form of a
book, would it not be as good and useful as ever?"

"Oh, bother! Jack, you're a philosopher, and that's worse than anything!"
cried Peterkin, with a look of pretended horror.

"Very well, Peterkin, we shall see," returned Jack, halting under the
shade of a cocoa-nut tree.  "You said you were thirsty just a minute ago;
now, jump up that tree and bring down a nut,--not a ripe one, bring a
green, unripe one."

Peterkin looked surprised, but, seeing that Jack was in earnest, he
obeyed.

"Now, cut a hole in it with your penknife, and clap it to your mouth, old
fellow," said Jack.

Peterkin did as he was directed, and we both burst into uncontrollable
laughter at the changes that instantly passed over his expressive
countenance.  No sooner had he put the nut to his mouth, and thrown back
his head in order to catch what came out of it, than his eyes opened to
twice their ordinary size with astonishment, while his throat moved
vigorously in the act of swallowing.  Then a smile and look of intense
delight overspread his face, except, indeed, the mouth, which, being
firmly fixed to the hole in the nut, could not take part in the
expression; but he endeavoured to make up for this by winking at us
excessively with his right eye.  At length he stopped, and, drawing a
long breath, exclaimed--

"Nectar! perfect nectar!  I say, Jack, you're a Briton--the best fellow I
ever met in my life.  Only taste that!" said he, turning to me and
holding the nut to my mouth.  I immediately drank, and certainly I was
much surprised at the delightful liquid that flowed copiously down my
throat.  It was extremely cool, and had a sweet taste, mingled with acid;
in fact, it was the likest thing to lemonade I ever tasted, and was most
grateful and refreshing.  I handed the nut to Jack, who, after tasting
it, said, "Now, Peterkin, you unbeliever, I never saw or tasted a cocoa
nut in my life before, except those sold in shops at home; but I once
read that the green nuts contain that stuff, and you see it is true!"

"And pray," asked Peterkin, "what sort of 'stuff' does the ripe nut
contain?"

"A hollow kernel," answered Jack, "with a liquid like milk in it; but it
does not satisfy thirst so well as hunger.  It is very wholesome food I
believe."

"Meat and drink on the same tree!" cried Peterkin; "washing in the sea,
lodging on the ground,--and all for nothing!  My dear boys, we're set up
for life; it must be the ancient Paradise,--hurrah!" and Peterkin tossed
his straw hat in the air, and ran along the beach hallooing like a madman
with delight.

We afterwards found, however, that these lovely islands were very unlike
Paradise in many things.  But more of this in its proper place.

We had now come to the point of rocks on which the ship had struck, but
did not find a single article, although we searched carefully among the
coral rocks, which at this place jutted out so far as nearly to join the
reef that encircled the island.  Just as we were about to return,
however, we saw something black floating in a little cove that had
escaped our observation.  Running forward, we drew it from the water, and
found it to be a long thick leather boot, such as fishermen at home wear;
and a few paces farther on we picked up its fellow.  We at once
recognised these as having belonged to our captain, for he had worn them
during the whole of the storm, in order to guard his legs from the waves
and spray that constantly washed over our decks.  My first thought on
seeing them was that our dear captain had been drowned; but Jack soon put
my mind more at rest on that point, by saying that if the captain had
been drowned with the boots on, he would certainly have been washed
ashore along with them, and that he had no doubt whatever he had kicked
them off while in the sea, that he might swim more easily.

Peterkin immediately put them on, but they were so large that, as Jack
said, they would have done for boots, trousers, and vest too.  I also
tried them, but, although I was long enough in the legs for them, they
were much too large in the feet for me; so we handed them to Jack, who
was anxious to make me keep them, but as they fitted his large limbs and
feet as if they had been made for him, I would not hear of it, so he
consented at last to use them.  I may remark, however, that Jack did not
use them often, as they were extremely heavy.

It was beginning to grow dark when we returned to our encampment; so we
put off our visit to the top of a hill till next day, and employed the
light that yet remained to us in cutting down a quantity of boughs and
the broad leaves of a tree, of which none of us knew the name.  With
these we erected a sort of rustic bower, in which we meant to pass the
night.  There was no absolute necessity for this, because the air of our
island was so genial and balmy that we could have slept quite well
without any shelter; but we were so little used to sleeping in the open
air, that we did not quite relish the idea of lying down without any
covering over us: besides, our bower would shelter us from the night dews
or rain, if any should happen to fall.  Having strewed the floor with
leaves and dry grass, we bethought ourselves of supper.

But it now occurred to us, for the first time, that we had no means of
making a fire.

"Now, there's a fix!--what shall we do?" said Peterkin, while we both
turned our eyes to Jack, to whom we always looked in our difficulties.
Jack seemed not a little perplexed.

"There are flints enough, no doubt, on the beach," said he, "but they are
of no use at all without a steel.  However, we must try."  So saying, he
went to the beach, and soon returned with two flints.  On one of these he
placed the tinder, and endeavoured to ignite it; but it was with great
difficulty that a very small spark was struck out of the flints, and the
tinder, being a bad, hard piece, would not catch.  He then tried the bit
of hoop iron, which would not strike fire at all; and after that the back
of the axe, with no better success.  During all these trials Peterkin sat
with his hands in his pockets, gazing with a most melancholy visage at
our comrade, his face growing longer and more miserable at each
successive failure.

"Oh dear!" he sighed, "I would not care a button for the cooking of our
victuals,--perhaps they don't need it,--but it's so dismal to eat one's
supper in the dark, and we have had such a capital day, that it's a pity
to finish off in this glum style.  Oh, I have it!" he cried, starting up;
"the spy-glass,--the big glass at the end is a burning-glass!"

"You forget that we have no sun," said I.

Peterkin was silent.  In his sudden recollection of the telescope he had
quite overlooked the absence of the sun.

"Ah, boys, I've got it now!" exclaimed Jack, rising and cutting a branch
from a neighbouring bush, which be stripped of its leaves.  "I recollect
seeing this done once at home.  Hand me the bit of whip-cord."  With the
cord and branch Jack soon formed a bow.  Then he cut a piece, about three
inches long, off the end of a dead branch, which he pointed at the two
ends.  Round this he passed the cord of the bow, and placed one end
against his chest, which was protected from its point by a chip of wood;
the other point he placed against the bit of tinder, and then began to
saw vigorously with the bow, just as a blacksmith does with his drill
while boring a hole in a piece of iron.  In a few seconds the tinder
began to smoke; in less than a minute it caught fire; and in less than a
quarter of an hour we were drinking our lemonade and eating cocoa nuts
round a fire that would have roasted an entire sheep, while the smoke,
flames, and sparks, flew up among the broad leaves of the overhanging
palm trees, and cast a warm glow upon our leafy bower.

That night the starry sky looked down through the gently rustling trees
upon our slumbers, and the distant roaring of the surf upon the coral
reef was our lullaby.




CHAPTER V.


Morning, and cogitations connected therewith--We luxuriate in the sea,
try our diving powers, and make enchanting excursions among the coral
groves at the bottom of the ocean--The wonders of the deep enlarged upon.

What a joyful thing it is to awaken, on a fresh glorious morning, and
find the rising sun staring into your face with dazzling brilliancy!--to
see the birds twittering in the bushes, and to hear the murmuring of a
rill, or the soft hissing ripples as they fall upon the sea-shore!  At
any time and in any place such sights and sounds are most charming, but
more especially are they so when one awakens to them, for the fist time,
in a novel and romantic situation, with the soft sweet air of a tropical
climate mingling with the fresh smell of the sea, and stirring the
strange leaves that flutter overhead and around one, or ruffling the
plumage of the stranger birds that fly inquiringly around, as if to
demand what business we have to intrude uninvited on their domains.  When
I awoke on the morning after the shipwreck, I found myself in this most
delightful condition; and, as I lay on my back upon my bed of leaves,
gazing up through the branches of the cocoa-nut trees into the clear blue
sky, and watched the few fleecy clouds that passed slowly across it, my
heart expanded more and more with an exulting gladness, the like of which
I had never felt before.  While I meditated, my thoughts again turned to
the great and kind Creator of this beautiful world, as they had done on
the previous day, when I first beheld the sea and the coral reef, with
the mighty waves dashing over it into the calm waters of the lagoon.

While thus meditating, I naturally bethought me of my Bible, for I had
faithfully kept the promise, which I gave at parting to my beloved
mother, that I would read it every morning; and it was with a feeling of
dismay that I remembered I had left it in the ship.  I was much troubled
about this.  However, I consoled myself with reflecting that I could keep
the second part of my promise to her, namely, that I should never omit to
say my prayers.  So I rose quietly, lest I should disturb my companions,
who were still asleep, and stepped aside into the bushes for this
purpose.

On my return I found them still slumbering, so I again lay down to think
over our situation.  Just at that moment I was attracted by the sight of
a very small parrot, which Jack afterwards told me was called a paroquet.
It was seated on a twig that overhung Peterkin's head, and I was speedily
lost in admiration of its bright green plumage, which was mingled with
other gay colours.  While I looked I observed that the bird turned its
head slowly from side to side and looked downwards, fist with the one
eye, and then with the other.  On glancing downwards I observed that
Peterkin's mouth was wide open, and that this remarkable bird was looking
into it.  Peterkin used to say that I had not an atom of fun in my
composition, and that I never could understand a joke.  In regard to the
latter, perhaps he was right; yet I think that, when they were explained
to me, I understood jokes as well as most people: but in regard to the
former he must certainly have been wrong, for this bird seemed to me to
be extremely funny; and I could not help thinking that, if it should
happen to faint, or slip its foot, and fall off the twig into Peterkin's
mouth, he would perhaps think it funny too!  Suddenly the paroquet bent
down its head and uttered a loud scream in his face.  This awoke him,
and, with a cry of surprise, he started up, while the foolish bird flew
precipitately away.

"Oh you monster!" cried Peterkin, shaking his fist at the bird.  Then he
yawned and rubbed his eyes, and asked what o'clock it was.

I smiled at this question, and answered that, as our watches were at the
bottom of the sea, I could not tell, but it was a little past sunrise.

Peterkin now began to remember where we were.  As he looked up into the
bright sky, and snuffed the scented air, his eyes glistened with delight,
and he uttered a faint "hurrah!" and yawned again.  Then he gazed slowly
round, till, observing the calm sea through an opening in the bushes, he
started suddenly up as if he had received an electric shock, uttered a
vehement shout, flung off his garments, and, rushing over the white
sands, plunged into the water.  The cry awoke Jack, who rose on his elbow
with a look of grave surprise; but this was followed by a quiet smile of
intelligence on seeing Peterkin in the water.  With an energy that he
only gave way to in moments of excitement, Jack bounded to his feet,
threw off his clothes, shook back his hair, and with a lion-like spring,
dashed over the sands and plunged into the sea with such force as quite
to envelop Peterkin in a shower of spray.  Jack was a remarkably good
swimmer and diver, so that after his plunge we saw no sign of him for
nearly a minute; after which he suddenly emerged, with a cry of joy, a
good many yards out from the shore.  My spirits were so much raised by
seeing all this that I, too, hastily threw off my garments and
endeavoured to imitate Jack's vigorous bound; but I was so awkward that
my foot caught on a stump, and I fell to the ground; then I slipped on a
stone while running over the mud, and nearly fell again, much to the
amusement of Peterkin, who laughed heartily, and called me a "slow
coach," while Jack cried out, "Come along, Ralph, and I'll help you."
However, when I got into the water I managed very well, for I was really
a good swimmer, and diver too.  I could not, indeed, equal Jack, who was
superior to any Englishman I ever saw, but I infinitely surpassed
Peterkin, who could only swim a little, and could not dive at all.

While Peterkin enjoyed himself in the shallow water and in running along
the beach, Jack and I swam out into the deep water, and occasionally
dived for stones.  I shall never forget my surprise and delight on first
beholding the bottom of the sea.  As I have before stated, the water
within the reef was as calm as a pond; and, as there was no wind, it was
quite clear, from the surface to the bottom, so that we could see down
easily even at a depth of twenty or thirty yards.  When Jack and I dived
in shallower water, we expected to have found sand and stones, instead of
which we found ourselves in what appeared really to be an enchanted
garden.  The whole of the bottom of the lagoon, as we called the calm
water within the reef, was covered with coral of every shape, size, and
hue.  Some portions were formed like large mushrooms; others appeared
like the brain of a man, having stalks or necks attached to them; but the
most common kind was a species of branching coral, and some portions were
of a lovely pale pink colour, others pure white.  Among this there grew
large quantities of sea-weed of the richest hues imaginable, and of the
most graceful forms; while innumerable fishes--blue, red, yellow, green,
and striped--sported in and out amongst the flower-beds of this submarine
garden, and did not appear to be at all afraid of our approaching them.

On darting to the surface for breath, after our first dive, Jack and I
rose close to each other.

"Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack, as
he flung the spray from his hair.

"Never," I replied.  "It appears to me like fairy realms.  I can scarcely
believe that we are not dreaming."

"Dreaming!" cried Jack, "do you know, Ralph, I'm half tempted to think
that we really are dreaming.  But if so, I am resolved to make the most
of it, and dream another dive; so here goes,--down again, my boy!"

We took the second dive together, and kept beside each other while under
water; and I was greatly surprised to find that we could keep down much
longer than I ever recollect having done in our own seas at home.  I
believe that this was owing to the heat of the water, which was so warm
that we afterwards found we could remain in it for two and three hours at
a time without feeling any unpleasant effects such as we used to
experience in the sea at home.  When Jack reached the bottom, he grasped
the coral stems, and crept along on his hands and knees, peeping under
the sea-weed and among the rocks.  I observed him also pick up one or two
large oysters, and retain them in his grasp, as if he meant to take them
up with him, so I also gathered a few.  Suddenly he made a grasp at a
fish with blue and yellow stripes on its back, and actually touched its
tail, but did not catch it.  At this he turned towards me and attempted
to smile; but no sooner had he done so than he sprang like an arrow to
the surface, where, on following him, I found him gasping and coughing,
and spitting water from his mouth.  In a few minutes he recovered, and we
both turned to swim ashore.

"I declare, Ralph," said he, "that I actually tried to laugh under
water."

"So I saw," I replied; "and I observed that you very nearly caught that
fish by the tail.  It would have done capitally for breakfast if you
had."

"Breakfast enough here," said he, holding up the oysters, as we landed
and ran up the beach.  "Hallo!  Peterkin, here you are, boy.  Split open
these fellows while Ralph and I put on our clothes.  They'll agree with
the cocoa nuts excellently, I have no doubt."

Peterkin, who was already dressed, took the oysters, and opened them with
the edge of our axe, exclaiming, "Now, that _is_ capital.  There's
nothing I'm so fond of."

"Ah! that's lucky," remarked Jack.  "I'll be able to keep you in good
order now, Master Peterkin.  You know you can't dive any better than a
cat.  So, sir, whenever you behave ill, you shall have no oysters for
breakfast."

"I'm very glad that our prospect of breakfast is so good," said I, "for
I'm very hungry."

"Here, then, stop your mouth with that, Ralph," said Peterkin, holding a
large oyster to my lips.  I opened my mouth and swallowed it in silence,
and really it was remarkably good.

We now set ourselves earnestly about our preparations for spending the
day.  We had no difficulty with the fire this morning, as our burning-
glass was an admirable one; and while we roasted a few oysters and ate
our cocoa nuts, we held a long, animated conversation about our plans for
the future.  What those plans were, and how we carried them into effect,
the reader shall see hereafter.




CHAPTER VI.


An excursion into the interior, in which we make many valuable and
interesting discoveries--We get a dreadful fright--The bread-fruit
tree--Wonderful peculiarity of some of the fruit trees--Signs of former
inhabitants.

Our first care, after breakfast, was to place the few articles we
possessed in the crevice of a rock at the farther end of a small cave
which we discovered near our encampment.  This cave, we hoped, might be
useful to us afterwards as a store-house.  Then we cut two large clubs
off a species of very hard tree which grew near at hand.  One of these
was given to Peterkin, the other to me, and Jack armed himself with the
axe.  We took these precautions because we purposed to make an excursion
to the top of the mountains of the interior, in order to obtain a better
view of our island.  Of course we knew not what dangers might befall us
by the way, so thought it best to be prepared.

Having completed our arrangements and carefully extinguished our fire, we
sallied forth and walked a short distance along the sea-beach, till we
came to the entrance of a valley, through which flowed the rivulet before
mentioned.  Here we turned our backs on the sea and struck into the
interior.

The prospect that burst upon our view on entering the valley was truly
splendid.  On either side of us there was a gentle rise in the land,
which thus formed two ridges about a mile apart on each side of the
valley.  These ridges,--which, as well as the low grounds between them,
were covered with trees and shrubs of the most luxuriant kind--continued
to recede inland for about two miles, when they joined the foot of a
small mountain.  This hill rose rather abruptly from the head of the
valley, and was likewise entirely covered even to the top with trees,
except on one particular spot near the left shoulder, where was a bare
and rocky place of a broken and savage character.  Beyond this hill we
could not see, and we therefore directed our course up the banks of the
rivulet towards the foot of it, intending to climb to the top, should
that be possible, as, indeed, we had no doubt it was.

Jack, being the wisest and boldest among us, took the lead, carrying the
axe on his shoulder.  Peterkin, with his enormous club, came second, as
he said he should like to be in a position to defend me if any danger
should threaten.  I brought up the rear, but, having been more taken up
with the wonderful and curious things I saw at starting than with
thoughts of possible danger, I had very foolishly left my club behind me.
Although, as I have said the trees and bushes were very luxuriant, they
were not so thickly crowded together as to hinder our progress among
them.  We were able to wind in and out, and to follow the banks of the
stream quite easily, although, it is true, the height and thickness of
the foliage prevented us from seeing far ahead.  But sometimes a jutting-
out rock on the hill sides afforded us a position whence we could enjoy
the romantic view and mark our progress towards the foot of the hill.  I
wag particularly struck, during the walk, with the richness of the
undergrowth in most places, and recognised many berries and plants that
resembled those of my native land, especially a tall, elegantly-formed
fern, which emitted an agreeable perfume.  There were several kinds of
flowers, too, but I did not see so many of these as I should have
expected in such a climate.  We also saw a great variety of small birds
of bright plumage, and many paroquets similar to the one that awoke
Peterkin so rudely in the morning.

Thus we advanced to the foot of the hill without encountering anything to
alarm us, except, indeed, once, when we were passing close under a part
of the hill which was hidden from our view by the broad leaves of the
banana trees, which grew in great luxuriance in that part.  Jack was just
preparing to force his way through this thicket, when we were startled
and arrested by a strange pattering or rumbling sound, which appeared to
us quite different from any of the sounds we had heard during the
previous part of our walk.

"Hallo!" cried Peterkin, stopping short and grasping his club with both
hands, "what's that?"

Neither of us replied; but Jack seized his axe in his right hand, while
with the other he pushed aside the broad leaves and endeavoured to peer
amongst them.

"I can see nothing," he said, after a short pause.

"I think it--"

Again the rumbling sound came, louder than before, and we all sprang back
and stood on the defensive.  For myself, having forgotten my club, and
not having taken the precaution to cut another, I buttoned my jacket,
doubled my fists, and threw myself into a boxing attitude.  I must say,
however, that I felt somewhat uneasy; and my companions afterwards
confessed that their thoughts at this moment had been instantly filled
with all they had ever heard or read of wild beasts and savages,
torturings at the stake, roastings alive, and such like horrible things.
Suddenly the pattering noise increased with tenfold violence.  It was
followed by a fearful crash among the bushes, which was rapidly repeated,
as if some gigantic animal were bounding towards us.  In another moment
an enormous rock came crashing through the shrubbery, followed by a cloud
of dust and small stones, flew close past the spot where we stood,
carrying bushes and young trees along with it.

"Pooh! is that all?" exclaimed Peterkin, wiping the perspiration off his
forehead.  "Why, I thought it was all the wild men and beasts in the
South Sea Islands galloping on in one grand charge to sweep us off the
face of the earth, instead of a mere stone tumbling down the mountain
side."

"Nevertheless," remarked Jack, "if that same stone had hit any of us, it
would have rendered the charge you speak of quite unnecessary, Peterkin."

This was true, and I felt very thankful for our escape.  On examining the
spot more narrowly, we found that it lay close to the foot of a very
rugged precipice, from which stones of various sizes were always tumbling
at intervals.  Indeed, the numerous fragments lying scattered all around
might have suggested the cause of the sound, had we not been too suddenly
alarmed to think of anything.

We now resumed our journey, resolving that, in our future excursions into
the interior, we would be careful to avoid this dangerous precipice.

Soon afterwards we arrived at the foot of the hill and prepared to ascend
it.  Here Jack made a discovery which caused us all very great joy.  This
was a tree of a remarkably beautiful appearance, which Jack confidently
declared to be the celebrated bread-fruit tree.

"Is it celebrated?" inquired Peterkin, with a look of great simplicity.

"It is," replied Jack

"That's odd, now," rejoined Peterkin; "never heard of it before."

"Then it's not so celebrated as I thought it was," returned Jack, quietly
squeezing Peterkin's hat over his eyes; "but listen, you ignorant boobie!
and hear of it now."

Peterkin re-adjusted his hat, and was soon listening with as much
interest as myself, while Jack told us that this tree is one of the most
valuable in the islands of the south; that it bears two, sometimes three,
crops of fruit in the year; that the fruit is very like wheaten bread in
appearance, and that it constitutes the principal food of many of the
islanders.

"So," said Peterkin, "we seem to have everything ready prepared to our
hands in this wonderful island,--lemonade ready bottled in nuts, and loaf-
bread growing on the trees!"

Peterkin, as usual, was jesting; nevertheless, it is a curious fact that
he spoke almost the literal truth.  "Moreover," continued Jack, "the
bread-fruit tree affords a capital gum, which serves the natives for
pitching their canoes; the bark of the young branches is made by them
into cloth; and of the wood, which is durable and of a good colour, they
build their houses.  So you see, lads, that we have no lack of material
here to make us comfortable, if we are only clever enough to use it."

"But are you sure that that's it?" asked Peterkin.

"Quite sure," replied Jack; "for I was particularly interested in the
account I once read of it, and I remember the description well.  I am
sorry, however, that I have forgotten the descriptions of many other
trees which I am sure we have seen to-day, if we could but recognise
them.  So you see, Peterkin, I'm not up to everything yet."

"Never mind, Jack," said Peterkin, with a grave, patronizing expression
of countenance, patting his tall companion on the shoulder,--"never mind,
Jack; you know a good deal for your age.  You're a clever boy, sir,--a
promising young man; and if you only go on as you have begun, sir, you
will--"

The end of this speech was suddenly cut short by Jack tripping up
Peterkin's heels and tumbling him into a mass of thick shrubs, where,
finding himself comfortable, he lay still basking in the sunshine, while
Jack and I examined the bread-tree.

We were much struck with the deep, rich green colour of its broad leaves,
which were twelve or eighteen inches long, deeply indented, and of a
glossy smoothness, like the laurel.  The fruit, with which it was loaded,
was nearly round, and appeared to be about six inches in diameter, with a
rough rind, marked with lozenge-shaped divisions.  It was of various
colours, from light pea-green to brown and rich yellow.  Jack said that
the yellow was the ripe fruit.  We afterwards found that most of the
fruit-trees on the island were evergreens, and that we might, when we
wished, pluck the blossom and the ripe fruit from the same tree.  Such a
wonderful difference from the trees of our own country surprised us not a
little.  The bark of the tree was rough and light-coloured; the trunk was
about two feet in diameter, and it appeared to be twenty feet high, being
quite destitute of branches up to that height, where it branched off into
a beautiful and umbrageous head.  We noticed that the fruit hung in
clusters of twos and threes on the branches; but as we were anxious to
get to the top of the hill, we refrained from attempting to pluck any at
that time.

Our hearts were now very much cheered by our good fortune, and it was
with light and active steps that we clambered up the steep sides of the
hill.  On reaching the summit, a new, and if possible a grander, prospect
met our gaze.  We found that this was not the highest part of the island,
but that another hill lay beyond, with a wide valley between it and the
one on which we stood.  This valley, like the first, was also full of
rich trees, some dark and some light green, some heavy and thick in
foliage, and others light, feathery, and graceful, while the beautiful
blossoms on many of them threw a sort of rainbow tint over all, and gave
to the valley the appearance of a garden of flowers.  Among these we
recognised many of the bread-fruit trees, laden with yellow fruit, and
also a great many cocoa-nut palms.  After gazing our fill we pushed down
the hill side, crossed the valley, and soon began to ascend the second
mountain.  It was clothed with trees nearly to the top, but the summit
was bare, and in some places broken.

While on our way up we came to an object which filled us with much
interest.  This was the stump of a tree that had evidently been cut down
with an axe!  So, then, we were not the first who had viewed this
beautiful isle.  The hand of man had been at work there before us.  It
now began to recur to us again that perhaps the island was inhabited,
although we had not seen any traces of man until now; but a second glance
at the stump convinced us that we had not more reason to think so now
than formerly; for the surface of the wood was quite decayed, and partly
covered with fungus and green matter, so that it must have been cut many
years ago.

"Perhaps," said Peterkin, "some ship or other has touched here long ago
for wood, and only taken one tree."

We did not think this likely, however, because, in such circumstances,
the crew of a ship would cut wood of small size, and near the shore,
whereas this was a large tree and stood near the top of the mountain.  In
fact it was the highest large tree on the mountain, all above it being
wood of very recent growth.

"I can't understand it," said Jack, scratching the surface of the stump
with his axe.  "I can only suppose that the savages have been here and
cut it for some purpose known only to themselves.  But, hallo! what have
we here?"

As he spoke, Jack began carefully to scrape away the moss and fungus from
the stump, and soon laid bare three distinct traces of marks, as if some
inscription or initials had been cut thereon.  But although the traces
were distinct, beyond all doubt, the exact form of the letters could not
be made out.  Jack thought they looked like J. S. but we could not be
certain.  They had apparently been carelessly cut, and long exposure to
the weather had so broken them up that we could not make out what they
were.  We were exceedingly perplexed at this discovery, and stayed a long
time at the place conjecturing what these marks could have been, but
without avail; so, as the day was advancing, we left it and quickly
reached the top of the mountain.

We found this to be the highest point of the island, and from it we saw
our kingdom lying, as it were, like a map around us.  As I have always
thought it impossible to get a thing properly into one's understanding
without comprehending it, I shall beg the reader's patience for a little
while I describe our island, thus, shortly:--

It consisted of two mountains; the one we guessed at 500 feet; the other,
on which we stood, at 1000.  Between these lay a rich, beautiful valley,
as already said.  This valley crossed the island from one end to the
other, being high in the middle and sloping on each side towards the sea.
The large mountain sloped, on the side farthest from where we had been
wrecked, gradually towards the sea; but although, when viewed at a
glance, it had thus a regular sloping appearance, a more careful
observation showed that it was broken up into a multitude of very small
vales, or rather dells and glens, intermingled with little rugged spots
and small but abrupt precipices here and there, with rivulets tumbling
over their edges and wandering down the slopes in little white streams,
sometimes glistening among the broad leaves of the bread-fruit and cocoa-
nut trees, or hid altogether beneath the rich underwood.  At the base of
this mountain lay a narrow bright green plain or meadow, which terminated
abruptly at the shore.  On the other side of the island, whence we had
come, stood the smaller hill, at the foot of which diverged three
valleys; one being that which we had ascended, with a smaller vale on
each side of it, and separated from it by the two ridges before
mentioned.  In these smaller valleys there were no streams, but they were
clothed with the same luxuriant vegetation.

The diameter of the island seemed to be about ten miles, and, as it was
almost circular in form, its circumference must have been thirty
miles;--perhaps a little more, if allowance be made for the numerous bays
and indentations of the shore.  The entire island was belted by a beach
of pure white sand, on which laved the gentle ripples of the lagoon.  We
now also observed that the coral reef completely encircled the island;
but it varied its distance from it here and there, in some places being a
mile from the beach, in others, a few hundred yards, but the average
distance was half a mile.  The reef lay very low, and the spray of the
surf broke quite over it in many places.  This surf never ceased its
roar, for, however calm the weather might be, there is always a gentle
swaying motion in the great Pacific, which, although scarce noticeable
out at sea, reaches the shore at last in a huge billow.  The water within
the lagoon, as before said, was perfectly still.  There were three narrow
openings in the reef; one opposite each end of the valley which I have
described as crossing the island; the other opposite our own valley,
which we afterwards named the Valley of the Wreck.  At each of these
openings the reef rose into two small green islets, covered with bushes
and having one or two cocoa-nut palms on each.  These islets were very
singular, and appeared as if planted expressly for the purpose of marking
the channel into the lagoon.  Our captain was making for one of these
openings the day we were wrecked, and would have reached it too, I doubt
not, had not the rudder been torn away.  Within the lagoon were several
pretty, low coral islands, just opposite our encampment; and, immediately
beyond these, out at sea, lay about a dozen other islands, at various
distances, from half a mile to ten miles; all of them, as far as we could
discern, smaller than ours and apparently uninhabited.  They seemed to be
low coral islands, raised but little above the sea, yet covered with
cocoa-nut trees.

All this we noted, and a great deal more, while we sat on the top of the
mountain.  After we had satisfied ourselves we prepared to return; but
here again we discovered traces of the presence of man.  These were a
pole or staff and one or two pieces of wood which had been squared with
an axe.  All of these were, however, very much decayed, and they had
evidently not been touched for many years.

Full of these discoveries we returned to our encampment.  On the way we
fell in with the traces of some four-footed animal, but whether old or of
recent date none of us were able to guess.  This also tended to raise our
hopes of obtaining some animal food on the island, so we reached home in
good spirits, quite prepared for supper, and highly satisfied with our
excursion.

After much discussion, in which Peterkin took the lead, we came to the
conclusion that the island was uninhabited, and went to bed.




CHAPTER VII.


Jack's ingenuity--We get into difficulties about fishing, and get out of
them by a method which gives us a cold bath--Horrible encounter with a
shark.

For several days after the excursion related in the last chapter we did
not wander far from our encampment, but gave ourselves up to forming
plans for the future and making our present abode comfortable.

There were various causes that induced this state of comparative
inaction.  In the first place, although everything around us was so
delightful, and we could without difficulty obtain all that we required
for our bodily comfort, we did not quite like the idea of settling down
here for the rest of our lives, far away from our friends and our native
land.  To set energetically about preparations for a permanent residence
seemed so like making up our minds to saying adieu to home and friends
for ever, that we tacitly shrank from it and put off our preparations,
for one reason and another, as long as we could.  Then there was a little
uncertainty still as to there being natives on the island, and we
entertained a kind of faint hope that a ship might come and take us off.
But as day after day passed, and neither savages nor ships appeared, we
gave up all hope of an early deliverance and set diligently to work at
our homestead.

During this time, however, we had not been altogether idle.  We made
several experiments in cooking the cocoa-nut, most of which did not
improve it.  Then we removed our goods, and took up our abode in the
cave, but found the change so bad that we returned gladly to the bower.
Besides this we bathed very frequently, and talked a great deal; at least
Jack and Peterkin did,--I listened.  Among other useful things, Jack, who
was ever the most active and diligent, converted about three inches of
the hoop-iron into an excellent knife.  First he beat it quite flat with
the axe.  Then he made a rude handle, and tied the hoop-iron to it with
our piece of whip-cord, and ground it to an edge on a piece of
sand-stone.  When it was finished he used it to shape a better handle, to
which he fixed it with a strip of his cotton handkerchief;--in which
operation he had, as Peterkin pointed out, torn off one of Lord Nelson's
noses.  However, the whip-cord, thus set free, was used by Peterkin as a
fishing line.  He merely tied a piece of oyster to the end of it.  This
the fish were allowed to swallow, and then they were pulled quickly
ashore.  But as the line was very short and we had no boat, the fish we
caught were exceedingly small.

One day Peterkin came up from the beach, where he had been angling, and
said in a very cross tone, "I'll tell you what, Jack, I'm not going to be
humbugged with catching such contemptible things any longer.  I want you
to swim out with me on your back, and let me fish in deep water!"

"Dear me, Peterkin," replied Jack, "I had no idea you were taking the
thing so much to heart, else I would have got you out of that difficulty
long ago.  Let me see,"--and Jack looked down at a piece of timber on
which he had been labouring, with a peculiar gaze of abstraction, which
he always assumed when trying to invent or discover anything.

"What say you to building a boat?" he inquired, looking up hastily.

"Take far too long," was the reply; "can't be bothered waiting.  I want
to begin at once!"

Again Jack considered.  "I have it!" he cried.  "We'll fell a large tree
and launch the trunk of it in the water, so that when you want to fish
you've nothing to do but to swim out to it."

"Would not a small raft do better?" said I.

"Much better; but we have no ropes to bind it together with.  Perhaps we
may find something hereafter that will do as well, but, in the meantime,
let us try the tree."

This was agreed on, so we started off to a spot not far distant, where we
knew of a tree that would suit us, which grew near the water's edge.  As
soon as we reached it Jack threw off his coat, and, wielding the axe with
his sturdy arms, hacked and hewed at it for a quarter of an hour without
stopping.  Then he paused, and, while he sat down to rest, I continued
the work.  Then Peterkin made a vigorous attack on it, so that when Jack
renewed his powerful blows, a few minutes cutting brought it down with a
terrible crash.

"Hurrah! now for it," cried Jack; "let us off with its head."

So saying he began to cut through the stem again, at about six yards from
the thick end.  This done, he cut three strong, short poles or levers
from the stout branches, with which to roll the log down the beach into
the sea; for, as it was nearly two feet thick at the large end, we could
not move it without such helps.  With the levers, however, we rolled it
slowly into the sea.

Having been thus successful in launching our vessel, we next shaped the
levers into rude oars or paddles, and then attempted to embark.  This was
easy enough to do; but, after seating ourselves astride the log, it was
with the utmost difficulty we kept it from rolling round and plunging us
into the water.  Not that we minded that much; but we preferred, if
possible, to fish in dry clothes.  To be sure, our trousers were
necessarily wet, as our legs were dangling in the water on each side of
the log; but, as they could be easily dried, we did not care.  After half
an hour's practice, we became expert enough to keep our balance pretty
steadily.  Then Peterkin laid down his paddle, and having baited his line
with a whole oyster, dropt it into deep water.

"Now, then, Jack," said he, "be cautious; steer clear o' that sea-weed.
There; that's it; gently, now, gently.  I see a fellow at least a foot
long down there, coming to--ha! that's it!  Oh! bother, he's off."

"Did he bite?" said Jack, urging the log onwards a little with his
paddle.

"Bite? ay!  He took it into his mouth, but the moment I began to haul he
opened his jaws and let it out again."

"Let him swallow it next time," said Jack, laughing at the melancholy
expression of Peterkin's visage.

"There he's again," cried Peterkin, his eyes flashing with excitement.
"Look out!  Now then!  No!  Yes!  No!  Why, the brute _won't_ swallow
it!"

"Try to haul him up by the mouth, then," cried Jack.  "Do it gently."

A heavy sigh and a look of blank despair showed that poor Peterkin had
tried and failed again.

"Never mind, lad," said Jack, in a voice of sympathy; "we'll move on, and
offer it to some other fish."  So saying, Jack plied his paddle; but
scarcely had he moved from the spot, when a fish with an enormous head
and a little body darted from under a rock and swallowed the bait at
once.

"Got him this time,--that's a fact!" cried Peterkin, hauling in the line.
"He's swallowed the bait right down to his tail, I declare.  Oh what a
thumper!"

As the fish came struggling to the surface, we leaned forward to see it,
and overbalanced the log.  Peterkin threw his arms round the fish's neck;
and, in another instant, we were all floundering in the water!

A shout of laughter burst from us as we rose to the surface like three
drowned rats, and seized hold of the log.  We soon recovered our
position, and sat more warily, while Peterkin secured the fish, which had
well-nigh escaped in the midst of our struggles.  It was little worth
having, however; but, as Peterkin remarked, it was better than the smouts
he had been catching for the last two or three days; so we laid it on the
log before us, and having re-baited the line, dropt it in again for
another.

Now, while we were thus intent upon our sport, our attention was suddenly
attracted by a ripple on the sea, just a few yards away from us.  Peterkin
shouted to us to paddle in that direction, as he thought it was a big
fish, and we might have a chance of catching it.  But Jack, instead of
complying, said, in a deep, earnest tone of voice, which I never before
heard him use,--

"Haul up your line, Peterkin; seize your paddle; quick,--it's a shark!"

The horror with which we heard this may well be imagined, for it must be
remembered that our legs were hanging down in the water, and we could not
venture to pull them up without upsetting the log.  Peterkin instantly
hauled up the line; and, grasping his paddle, exerted himself to the
utmost, while we also did our best to make for shore.  But we were a good
way off, and the log being, as I have before said, very heavy, moved but
slowly through the water.  We now saw the shark quite distinctly swimming
round and round us, its sharp fin every now and then protruding above the
water.  From its active and unsteady motions, Jack knew it was making up
its mind to attack us, so he urged us vehemently to paddle for our lives,
while he himself set us the example.  Suddenly he shouted "Look
out!--there he comes!" and in a second we saw the monstrous fish dive
close under us, and turn half over on his side.  But we all made a great
commotion with our paddles, which no doubt frightened it away for that
time, as we saw it immediately after circling round us as before.

"Throw the fish to him," cried Jack, in a quick, suppressed voice; "we'll
make the shore in time yet if we can keep him off for a few minutes."

Peterkin stopped one instant to obey the command, and then plied his
paddle again with all his might.  No sooner had the fish fallen on the
water than we observed the shark to sink.  In another second we saw its
white breast rising; for sharks always turn over on their sides when
about to seize their prey, their mouths being not at the point of their
heads like those of other fish, but, as it were, under their chins.  In
another moment his snout rose above the water,--his wide jaws, armed with
a terrific double row of teeth, appeared.  The dead fish was engulfed,
and the shark sank out of sight.  But Jack was mistaken in supposing that
it would be satisfied.  In a very few minutes it returned to us, and its
quick motions led us to fear that it would attack us at once.

"Stop paddling," cried Jack suddenly.  "I see it coming up behind us.
Now, obey my orders quickly.  Our lives may depend on it Ralph.  Peterkin,
do your best to _balance the log_.  Don't look out for the shark.  Don't
glance behind you.  Do nothing but balance the log."

{A dreadful adventure: p77.jpg}

Peterkin and I instantly did as we were ordered, being only too glad to
do anything that afforded us a chance or a hope of escape, for we had
implicit confidence in Jack's courage and wisdom.  For a few seconds,
that seemed long minutes to my mind, we sat thus silently; but I could
not resist glancing backward, despite the orders to the contrary.  On
doing so, I saw Jack sitting rigid like a statue, with his paddle raised,
his lips compressed, and his eye-brows bent over his eyes, which glared
savagely from beneath them down into the water.  I also saw the shark, to
my horror, quite close under the log, in the act of darting towards
Jack's foot.  I could scarce suppress a cry on beholding this.  In
another moment the shark rose.  Jack drew his leg suddenly from the
water, and threw it over the log.  The monster's snout rubbed against the
log as it passed, and revealed its hideous jaws, into which Jack
instantly plunged the paddle, and thrust it down its throat.  So violent
was the act that Jack rose to his feet in performing it; the log was
thereby rolled completely over, and we were once more plunged into the
water.  We all rose, spluttering and gasping, in a moment.

"Now then, strike out for shore," cried Jack.  "Here, Peterkin, catch
hold of my collar, and kick out with a will."

Peterkin did as he was desired, and Jack struck out with such force that
he cut through the water like a boat; while I, being free from all
encumbrance, succeeded in keeping up with him.  As we had by this time
drawn pretty near to the shore, a few minutes more sufficed to carry us
into shallow water; and, finally, we landed in safety, though very much
exhausted, and not a little frightened by our terrible adventure.




CHAPTER VIII.


The beauties of the bottom of the sea tempt Peterkin to dive--How he did
it--More difficulties overcome--The water garden--Curious creatures of
the sea--The tank--Candles missed very much, and the candle-nut tree
discovered--Wonderful account of Peterkin's first voyage--Cloth found
growing on a tree--A plan projected, and arms prepared for offence and
defence--A dreadful cry.

Our encounter with the shark was the first great danger that had befallen
us since landing on this island, and we felt very seriously affected by
it, especially when we considered that we had so often unwittingly
incurred the same danger before while bathing.  We were now forced to
take to fishing again in the shallow water, until we should succeed in
constructing a raft.  What troubled us most, however, was, that we were
compelled to forego our morning swimming excursions.  We did, indeed,
continue to enjoy our bathe in the shallow water, but Jack and I found
that one great source of our enjoyment was gone, when we could no longer
dive down among the beautiful coral groves at the bottom of the lagoon.
We had come to be so fond of this exercise, and to take such an interest
in watching the formations of coral and the gambols of the many beautiful
fish amongst the forests of red and green sea-weeds, that we had become
quite familiar with the appearance of the fish and the localities that
they chiefly haunted.  We had also become expert divers.  But we made it
a rule never to stay long under water at a time.  Jack told me that to do
so often was bad for the lungs, and, instead of affording us enjoyment,
would ere long do us a serious injury.  So we never stayed at the bottom
as long as we might have done, but came up frequently to the top for
fresh air, and dived down again immediately.  Sometimes, when Jack
happened to be in a humorous frame, he would seat himself at the bottom
of the sea on one of the brain corals, as if he were seated on a large
paddock-stool, and then make faces at me, in order, if possible, to make
me laugh under water.  At first, when he took me unawares, he nearly
succeeded, and I had to shoot to the surface in order to laugh; but
afterwards I became aware of his intentions, and, being naturally of a
grave disposition, I had no difficulty in restraining myself.  I used
often to wonder how poor Peterkin would have liked to be with us; and he
sometimes expressed much regret at being unable to join us.  I used to do
my best to gratify him, poor fellow, by relating all the wonders that we
saw; but this, instead of satisfying, seemed only to whet his curiosity
the more, so one day we prevailed on him to try to go down with us.  But,
although a brave boy in every other way, Peterkin was very nervous in the
water, and it was with difficulty we got him to consent to be taken down,
for he could never have managed to push himself down to the bottom
without assistance.  But no sooner had we pulled him down a yard or so
into the deep clear water, than he began to struggle and kick violently,
so we were forced to let him go, when he rose out of the water like a
cork, gave a loud gasp and a frightful roar, and struck out for the land
with the utmost possible haste.

Now, all this pleasure we were to forego, and when we thought thereon,
Jack and I felt very much depressed in our spirits.  I could see, also,
that Peterkin grieved and sympathized with us, for, when talking about
this matter, he refrained from jesting and bantering us upon it.

As, however, a man's difficulties usually set him upon devising methods
to overcome them, whereby he often discovers better things than those he
may have lost, so this our difficulty induced us to think of searching
for a large pool among the rocks, where the water should be deep enough
for diving yet so surrounded by rocks as to prevent sharks from getting
at us.  And such a pool we afterwards found, which proved to be very much
better than our most sanguine hopes anticipated.  It was situated not
more than ten minutes' walk from our camp, and was in the form of a small
deep bay or basin, the entrance to which, besides being narrow, was so
shallow that no fish so large as a shark could get in, at least not
unless he should be a remarkably thin one.

Inside of this basin, which we called our Water Garden, the coral
formations were much more wonderful, and the sea-weed plants far more
lovely and vividly coloured, than in the lagoon itself.  And the water
was so clear and still, that, although very deep, you could see the
minutest object at the bottom.  Besides this, there was a ledge of rock
which overhung the basin at its deepest part, from which we could dive
pleasantly and whereon Peterkin could sit and see not only all the
wonders I had described to him, but also see Jack and me creeping amongst
the marine shrubbery at the bottom, like, as--he expressed it,--"two
great white sea-monsters."  During these excursions of ours to the bottom
of the sea, we began to get an insight into the manners and customs of
its inhabitants, and to make discoveries of wonderful things, the like of
which we never before conceived.  Among other things, we were deeply
interested with the operations of the little coral insect which, I was
informed by Jack, is supposed to have entirely constructed many of the
numerous islands in Pacific Ocean.  And, certainly, when we considered
the great reef which these insects had formed round the island on which
we were cast, and observed their ceaseless activity in building their
myriad cells, it did at first seem as if this might be true; but then,
again, when I looked at the mountains of the island, and reflected that
there were thousands of such, many of them much higher, in the South
Seas, I doubted that there must be some mistake here.  But more of this
hereafter.

I also became much taken up with the manners and appearance of the
anemones, and star-fish, and crabs, and sea-urchins, and such-like
creatures; and was not content with watching those I saw during my dives
in the Water Garden, but I must needs scoop out a hole in the coral rock
close to it, which I filled with salt water, and stocked with sundry
specimens of anemones and shell-fish, in order to watch more closely how
they were in the habit of passing their time.  Our burning-glass also now
became a great treasure to me, as it enabled me to magnify, and so to
perceive more clearly the forms and actions of these curious creatures of
the deep.

Having now got ourselves into a very comfortable condition, we began to
talk of a project which we had long had in contemplation,--namely, to
travel entirely round the island; in order, first, to ascertain whether
it contained any other productions which might be useful to us; and,
second, to see whether there might be any place more convenient and
suitable for our permanent residence than that on which we were now
encamped.  Not that we were in any degree dissatisfied with it; on the
contrary, we entertained quite a home-feeling to our bower and its
neighbourhood; but if a better place did exist, there was no reason why
we should not make use of it.  At any rate, it would be well to know of
its existence.

We had much earnest talk over this matter.  But Jack proposed that,
before undertaking such an excursion, we should supply ourselves with
good defensive arms, for, as we intended not only to go round all the
shore, but to ascend most of the valleys, before returning home, we
should be likely to meet in with, he would not say dangers, but, at
least, with everything that existed on the island, whatever that might
be.

"Besides," said Jack, "it won't do for us to live on cocoa-nuts and
oysters always.  No doubt they are very excellent in their way, but I
think a little animal food, now and then, would be agreeable as well as
good for us; and as there are many small birds among the trees, some of
which are probably very good to eat, I think it would be a capital plan
to make bows and arrows, with which we could easily knock them over."

"First rate!" cried Peterkin.  "You will make the bows, Jack, and I'll
try my hand at the arrows.  The fact is, I'm quite tired of throwing
stones at the birds.  I began the very day we landed, I think, and have
persevered up to the present time, but I've never hit anything yet."

"You forget," said I, "you hit me one day on the shin."

"Ah, true," replied Peterkin, "and a precious shindy you kicked up in
consequence.  But you were at least four yards away from the impudent
paroquet I aimed at; so you see what a horribly bad shot I am."

"But," said I, "Jack, you cannot make three bows and arrows before to-
morrow, and would it not be a pity to waste time, now that we have made
up our minds to go on this expedition?  Suppose that you make one bow and
arrow for yourself, and we can take our clubs?"

"That's true, Ralph.  The day is pretty far advanced, and I doubt if I
can make even one bow before dark.  To be sure I might work by
fire-light, after the sun goes down."

We had, up to this time, been in the habit of going to bed with the sun,
as we had no pressing call to work o' nights; and, indeed, our work
during the day was usually hard enough,--what between fishing, and
improving our bower, and diving in the Water Garden, and rambling in the
woods; so that, when night came, we were usually very glad to retire to
our beds.  But now that we had a desire to work at night, we felt a wish
for candles.

"Won't a good blazing fire give you light enough?" inquired Peterkin.

"Yes," replied Jack, "quite enough; but then it will give us a great deal
more than enough of heat in this warm climate of ours."

"True," said Peterkin; "I forgot that.  It would roast us."

"Well, as you're always doing that at any rate," remarked Jack, "we could
scarcely call it a change.  But the fact is, I've been thinking over this
subject before.  There is a certain nut growing in these islands which is
called the candle-nut, because the natives use it instead of candles, and
I know all about it, and how to prepare it for burning--"

"Then why don't you do it?" interrupted Peterkin.  "Why have you kept us
in the dark so long, you vile philosopher?"

"Because," said Jack, "I have not seen the tree yet, and I'm not sure
that I should know either the tree or the nuts if I did see them.  You
see, I forget the description."

"Ah! that's just the way with me," said Peterkin with a deep sigh.  "I
never could keep in my mind for half an hour the few descriptions I ever
attempted to remember.  The very first voyage I ever made was caused by
my mistaking a description, or forgetting it, which is the same thing.
And a horrible voyage it was.  I had to fight with the captain the whole
way out, and made the homeward voyage by swimming!"

"Come, Peterkin," said I, "you can't get even _me_ to believe that."

"Perhaps not, but it's true, notwithstanding," returned Peterkin,
pretending to be hurt at my doubting his word.

"Let us hear how it happened," said Jack, while a good-natured smile
overspread his face.

"Well, you must know," began Peterkin, "that the very day before I went
to sea, I was greatly taken up with a game at hockey, which I was playing
with my old school-fellows for the last time before leaving them.  You
see I was young then, Ralph."  Peterkin gazed, in an abstracted and
melancholy manner, out to sea!  "Well, in the midst of the game, my
uncle, who had taken all the bother and trouble of getting me bound
'prentice and rigged out, came and took me aside, and told me that he was
called suddenly away from home, and would not be able to see me aboard,
as he had intended.  'However,' said he, 'the captain knows you are
coming, so that's not of much consequence; but as you'll have to find the
ship yourself, you must remember her name and description.  D'ye hear,
boy?'  I certainly did hear, but I'm afraid I did not understand, for my
mind was so taken up with the game, which I saw my side was losing, that
I began to grow impatient, and the moment my uncle finished his
description of the ship, and bade me good-bye, I bolted back to my game,
with only a confused idea of three masts, and a green painted tafferel,
and a gilt figure-head of Hercules with his club at the bow.  Next day I
was so much cast down with everybody saying good-bye, and a lot o' my
female friends cryin' horribly over me, that I did not start for the
harbour, where the ship was lying among a thousand others, till it was
almost too late.  So I had to run the whole way.  When I reached the
pier, there were so many masts, and so much confusion, that I felt quite
humblebumbled in my faculties.  'Now,' said I to myself, 'Peterkin,
you're in a fix.'  Then I fancied I saw a gilt figure-head and three
masts, belonging to a ship just about to start; so I darted on board, but
speedily jumped on shore again, when I found that two of the masts
belonged to another vessel, and the figurehead to a third!  At last I
caught sight of what I made sure was it,--a fine large vessel just
casting off her moorings.  The tafferel was green.  Three masts,--yes,
that must be it,--and the gilt figure-head of Hercules.  To be sure it
had a three-pronged pitchfork in its hand instead of a club; but that
might be my uncle's mistake; or perhaps Hercules sometimes varied his
weapons.  'Cast off!' roared a voice from the quarter-deck.  'Hold on!'
cried I, rushing frantically through the crowd.  'Hold on! hold on!'
repeated some of the bystanders, while the men at the ropes delayed for a
minute.  This threw the captain into a frightful rage; for some of his
friends had come down to see him off, and having his orders contradicted
so flatly was too much for him.  However, the delay was sufficient.  I
took a race and a good leap; the ropes were cast off; the steam-tug gave
a puff, and we started.  Suddenly the captain was up to me: 'Where did
you come from, you scamp, and what do you want here?'

"'Please, sir,' said I, touching my cap, 'I'm you're new 'prentice come
aboard.'

"'New 'Prentice,' said he, stamping, 'I've got no new 'prentice.  My boys
are all aboard already.  This is a trick, you young blackguard.  You've
run away, you have;' and the captain stamped about the deck and swore
dreadfully; for, you see, the thought of having to stop the ship and
lower a boat and lose half an hour, all for the slake of sending a small
boy ashore, seemed to make him very angry.  Besides, it was blowin' fresh
outside the harbour, so that, to have let the steamer alongside to put me
into it was no easy job.  Just as we were passing the pier-head, where
several boats were rowing into harbour, the captain came up to me,--

"'You've run away, you blackguard,' he said, giving me a box on the ear.

"'No I haven't,' said I, angrily; for the box was by no means a light
one.

"Hark'ee, boy, can you swim?'

"'Yes,' said I.

"'Then do it,' and, seizing me by my trousers and the nape of my neck, he
tossed me over the side into the sea.  The fellows in the boats at the
end of the pier, backed their oars on seeing this; but observing that I
could swim, they allowed me to make the best of my way to the pier-head.
So, you see, Ralph, that I really did swim my first homeward voyage."

Jack laughed and patted Peterkin on the shoulder.  "But tell us about the
candle-nut tree," said I; "you were talking about it."

"Very true," said Jack, "but I fear I can remember little about it.  I
believe the nut is about the size of a walnut; and I think that the
leaves are white, but I am not sure."

"Eh! ha! hum!" exclaimed Peterkin, "I saw a tree answering to that
description this very day."

"Did you?" cried Jack.  "Is it far from this?"

"No, not half a mile."

"Then lead me to it," said Jack, seizing his axe.

In a few minutes we were all three pushing through the underwood of the
forest, headed by Peterkin.

We soon came to the tree in question, which, after Jack had closely
examined it, we concluded must be the candle-nut tree.  Its leaves were
of a beautiful silvery white, and formed a fine contrast to the
dark-green foliage of the surrounding trees.  We immediately filled our
pockets with the nuts, after which Jack said,--

"Now, Peterkin, climb that cocoa-nut tree and cut me one of the long
branches."

This was soon done, but it cost some trouble, for the stem was very high,
and as Peterkin usually pulled nuts from the younger trees, he was not
much accustomed to climbing the high ones.  The leaf or branch was a very
large one, and we were surprised at its size and strength.  Viewed from a
little distance, the cocoa-nut tree seems to be a tall, straight stem,
without a single branch except at the top, where there is a tuft of
feathery-looking leaves, that seem to wave like soft plumes in the wind.
But when we saw one of these leaves or branches at our feet, we found it
to be a strong stalk, about fifteen feet long, with a number of narrow,
pointed leaflets ranged alternately on each side.  But what seemed to us
the most wonderful thing about it was a curious substance resembling
cloth, which was wrapped round the thick end of the stalk, where it had
been cut from the tree.  Peterkin told us that he had the greatest
difficulty in separating the branch from the stem, on account of this
substance, as it was wrapped quite round the tree, and, he observed,
round all the other branches, thus forming a strong support to the large
leaves while exposed to high winds.  When I call this substance cloth I
do not exaggerate.  Indeed, with regard to all the things I saw during my
eventful career in the South Seas, I have been exceedingly careful not to
exaggerate, or in any way to mislead or deceive my readers.  This cloth,
I say, was remarkably like to coarse brown cotton cloth.  It had a seam
or fibre down the centre of it, from which diverged other fibres, about
the size of a bristle.  There were two layers of these fibres, very long
and tough, the one layer crossing the other obliquely, and the whole was
cemented together with a still finer fibrous and adhesive substance.  When
we regarded it attentively, we could with difficulty believe that it had
not been woven by human hands.  This remarkable piece of cloth we
stripped carefully off, and found it to be above two feet long, by a foot
broad, and we carried it home with us as a great prize.

Jack now took one of the leaflets, and, cutting out the central spine or
stalk, hurried back with it to our camp.  Having made a small fire, he
baked the nuts slightly, and then pealed off the husks.  After this he
wished to bore a hole in them, which, not having anything better at hand
at the time, he did with the point of our useless pencil-case.  Then he
strung them on the cocoa-nut spine, and on putting a light to the topmost
nut, we found to our joy that it burned with a clear, beautiful flame;
upon seeing which, Peterkin sprang up and danced round the fire for at
least five minutes in the excess of his satisfaction.

"Now lads," said Jack, extinguishing our candle, the sun will set in an
hour, so we have no time to lose.  "I shall go and cut a young tree to
make my bow out of, and you had better each of you go and select good
strong sticks for clubs, and we'll set to work at them after dark."

So saying he shouldered his axe and went off, followed by Peterkin, while
I took up the piece of newly discovered cloth, and fell to examining its
structure.  So engrossed was I in this that I was still sitting in the
same attitude and occupation when my companions returned.

"I told you so!" cried Peterkin, with a loud laugh.  "Oh, Ralph, you're
incorrigible.  See, there's a club for you.  I was sure, when we left you
looking at that bit of stuff, that we would find you poring over it when
we came back, so I just cut a club for you as well as for myself."

"Thank you, Peterkin," said I.  "It was kind of you to do that, instead
of scolding me for a lazy fellow, as I confess I deserve."

"Oh! as to that," returned Peterkin, "I'll blow you up yet, if you wish
it--only it would be of no use if I did, for you're a perfect mule!"

As it was now getting dark we lighted our candle, and placing it in a
holder made of two crossing branches, inside of our bower, we seated
ourselves on our leafy beds and began to work.

"I intend to appropriate the bow for my own use," said Jack, chipping the
piece of wood he had brought with his axe.  "I used to be a pretty fair
shot once.  But what's that you're doing?" he added, looking at Peterkin,
who had drawn the end of a long pole into the tent, and was endeavouring
to fit a small piece of the hoop-iron to the end of it.

"I'm going to enlist into the Lancers," answered Peterkin.  "You see,
Jack, I find the club rather an unwieldy instrument for my delicately-
formed muscles, and I flatter myself I shall do more execution with a
spear."

"Well, if length constitutes power," said Jack, "you'll certainly be
invincible."

The pole which Peterkin had cut was full twelve feet long, being a very
strong but light and tough young tree, which merely required thinning at
the butt to be a serviceable weapon.

"That's a very good idea," said I.

"Which--this?" inquired Peterkin, pointing to the spear.

"Yes;" I replied.

"Humph!" said he; "you'd find it a pretty tough and matter-of-fact idea,
if you had it stuck through your gizzard, old boy!"

"I mean the idea of making it is a good one," said I, laughing.  "And,
now I think of it, I'll change my plan, too.  I don't think much of a
club, so I'll make me a sling out of this piece of cloth.  I used to be
very fond of slinging, ever since I read of David slaying Goliath the
Philistine, and I was once thought to be expert at it."

So I set to work to manufacture a sling.  For a long time we all worked
very busily without speaking.  At length Peterkin looked up: "I say,
Jack, I'm sorry to say I must apply to you for another strip of your
handkerchief, to tie on this rascally head with.  It's pretty well torn
at any rate, so you won't miss it."

Jack proceeded to comply with this request when Peterkin suddenly laid
his hand on his arm and arrested him.

"Hist, man," said he, "be tender; you should never be needlessly cruel if
you can help it.  Do try to shave past Lord Nelson's mouth without
tearing it, if possible!  Thanks.  There are plenty more handkerchiefs on
the cocoa-nut trees."

Poor Peterkin! with what pleasant feelings I recall and record his jests
and humorous sayings now!

While we were thus engaged, we were startled by a distant but most
strange and horrible cry.  It seemed to come from the sea, but was so far
away that we could not clearly distinguish its precise direction.  Rushing
out of our bower, we hastened down to the beach and stayed to listen.
Again it came quite loud and distinct on the night air,--a prolonged,
hideous cry, something like the braying of an ass.  The moon had risen,
and we could see the islands in and beyond the lagoon quite plainly, but
there was no object visible to account for such a cry.  A strong gust of
wind was blowing from the point whence the sound came, but this died away
while we were gazing out to sea.

"What can it be?" said Peterkin, in a low whisper, while we all
involuntarily crept closer to each other.

"Do you know," said Jack, "I have heard that mysterious sound twice
before, but never so loud as to-night.  Indeed it was so faint that I
thought I must have merely fancied it, so, as I did not wish to alarm
you, I said nothing about it."

We listened for a long time for the sound again, but as it did not come,
we returned to the bower and resumed our work.

"Very strange," said Peterkin, quite gravely.  "Do you believe in ghosts,
Ralph?"

"No," I answered, "I do not.  Nevertheless I must confess that strange,
unaccountable sounds, such as we have just heard, make me feel a little
uneasy."

"What say you to it, Jack?"

"I neither believe in ghosts nor feel uneasy," he replied.  "I never saw
a ghost myself, and I never met with any one who had; and I have
generally found that strange and unaccountable things have almost always
been accounted for, and found to be quite simple, on close examination.  I
certainly can't imagine what _that_ sound is; but I'm quite sure I shall
find out before long,--and if it's a ghost I'll--"

"Eat it," cried Peterkin.

"Yes, I'll eat it!  Now, then, my bow and two arrows are finished; so if
you're ready we had better turn in."

By this time Peterkin had thinned down his spear and tied an iron point
very cleverly to the end of it; I had formed a sling, the lines of which
were composed of thin strips of the cocoa-nut cloth, plaited; and Jack
had made a stout bow, nearly five feet long, with two arrows, feathered
with two or three large plumes which some bird had dropt.  They had no
barbs, but Jack said that if arrows were well feathered, they did not
require iron points, but would fly quite well if merely sharpened at the
point; which I did not know before.

"A feathered arrow without a barb," said he, "is a good weapon, but a
barbed arrow without feathers is utterly useless."

The string of the bow was formed of our piece of whip-cord, part of
which, as he did not like to cut it, was rolled round the bow.

Although thus prepared for a start on the morrow, we thought it wise to
exercise ourselves a little in the use of our weapons before starting, so
we spent the whole of the next day in practising.  And it was well we did
so, for we found that our arms were very imperfect, and that we were far
from perfect in the use of them.  First, Jack found that the bow was much
too strong, and he had to thin it.  Also the spear was much too heavy,
and so had to be reduced in thickness, although nothing would induce
Peterkin to have it shortened.  My sling answered very well, but I had
fallen so much out of practice that my first stone knocked off Peterkin's
hat, and narrowly missed making a second Goliath of him.  However, after
having spent the whole day in diligent practice, we began to find some of
our former expertness returning--at least Jack and I did.  As for
Peterkin, being naturally a neat-handed boy, he soon handled his spear
well, and could run full tilt at a cocoa nut, and hit it with great
precision once out of every five times.

But I feel satisfied that we owed much of our rapid success to the
unflagging energy of Jack, who insisted that, since we had made him
Captain, we should obey him; and he kept us at work from morning till
night, perseveringly, at the same thing.  Peterkin wished very much to
run about and stick his spear into everything he passed; but Jack put up
a cocoa nut, and would not let him leave off running at that for a
moment, except when he wanted to rest.  We laughed at Jack for this, but
we were both convinced that it did us much good.

That night we examined and repaired our arms ere we lay down to rest,
although we were much fatigued, in order that we might be in readiness to
set out on our expedition at daylight on the following morning.




CHAPTER IX.


Prepare for a journey round the island--Sagacious reflections--Mysterious
appearances and startling occurrences.

Scarcely had the sun shot its first ray across the bosom of the broad
Pacific, when Jack sprang to his feet, and, hallooing in Peterkin's ear
to awaken him, ran down the beach to take his customary dip in the sea.
We did not, as was our wont, bathe that morning in our Water Garden, but,
in order to save time, refreshed ourselves in the shallow water just
opposite the bower.  Our breakfast was also despatched without loss of
time, and in less than an hour afterwards all our preparations for the
journey were completed.

In addition to his ordinary dress, Jack tied a belt of cocoa-nut cloth
round his waist, into which he thrust the axe.  I was also advised to put
on a belt and carry a short cudgel or bludgeon in it; for, as Jack truly
remarked, the sling would be of little use if we should chance to come to
close quarters with any wild animal.  As for Peterkin, notwithstanding
that he carried such a long, and I must add, frightful-looking spear over
his shoulder, we could not prevail on him to leave his club behind;
"for," said he, "a spear at close quarters is not worth a button."  I
must say that it seemed to me that the club was, to use his own style of
language, not worth a button-hole; for it was all knotted over at the
head, something like the club which I remember to have observed in
picture-books of Jack the Giant Killer, besides being so heavy that he
required to grasp it with both hands in order to wield it at all.
However, he took it with him, and, in this manner we set out upon our
travels.

We did not consider it necessary to carry any food with us, as we knew
that wherever we went we should be certain to fall in with cocoa-nut
trees; having which, we were amply supplied, as Peterkin said, with meat
and drink and pocket-handkerchiefs!  I took the precaution, however, to
put the burning-glass into my pocket, lest we should want fire.

The morning was exceeding lovely.  It was one of that very still and
peaceful sort which made the few noises that we heard seem to be _quiet_
noises.  I know no other way of expressing this idea.  Noises which so
far from interrupting the universal tranquillity of earth, sea, and
sky--rather tended to reveal to us how quiet the world around us really
was.  Such sounds as I refer to were, the peculiarly melancholy--yet, it
seemed to me, cheerful--plaint of sea-birds floating on the glassy water,
or sailing in the sky, also the subdued twittering of little birds among
the bushes, the faint ripples on the beach, and the solemn boom of the
surf upon the distant coral reef.  We felt very glad in our hearts as we
walked along the sands side by side.  For my part, I felt so deeply
overjoyed, that I was surprised at my own sensations, and fell into a
reverie upon the causes of happiness.  I came to the conclusion that a
state of profound peace and repose, both in regard to outward objects and
within the soul, is the happiest condition in which man can be placed;
for, although I had many a time been most joyful and happy when engaged
in bustling, energetic, active pursuits or amusements, I never found that
such joy or satisfaction was so deep or so pleasant to reflect upon as
that which I now experienced.  And I was the more confirmed in this
opinion when I observed, and, indeed, was told by himself, that
Peterkin's happiness was also very great; yet he did not express this by
dancing, as was his wont, nor did he give so much as a single shout, but
walked quietly between us with his eye sparkling, and a joyful smile upon
his countenance.  My reader must not suppose that I thought all this in
the clear and methodical manner in which I have set it down here.  These
thoughts did, indeed, pass through my mind, but they did so in a very
confused and indefinite manner, for I was young at that time, and not
much given to deep reflections.  Neither did I consider that the peace
whereof I write is not to be found in this world--at least in its
perfection, although I have since learned that by religion a man may
attain to a very great degree of it.

I have said that Peterkin walked along the sands between us.  We had two
ways of walking together about our island.  When we travelled through the
woods, we always did so in single file, as by this method we advanced
with greater facility, the one treading in the other's footsteps.  In
such cases Jack always took the lead, Peterkin followed, and I brought up
the rear.  But when we travelled along the sands, which extended almost
in an unbroken line of glistening white round the island, we marched
abreast, as we found this method more sociable, and every way more
pleasant.  Jack, being the tallest, walked next the sea, and Peterkin
marched between us, as by this arrangement either of us could talk to him
or he to us, while if Jack and I happened to wish to converse together,
we could conveniently do so over Peterkin's head.  Peterkin used to say,
in reference to this arrangement, that had he been as tall as either of
us, our order of march might have been the same, for, as Jack often used
to scold him for letting everything we said to him pass in at one ear and
out at the other, his head could of course form no interruption to our
discourse.

We were now fairly started.  Half a mile's walk conveyed us round a bend
in the land which shut out our bower from view, and for some time we
advanced at a brisk pace without speaking, though our eyes were not idle,
but noted everything, in the woods, on the shore, or in the sea, that was
interesting.  After passing the ridge of land that formed one side of our
valley--the Valley of the Wreck--we beheld another small vale lying
before us in all the luxuriant loveliness of tropical vegetation.  We
had, indeed, seen it before from the mountain-top, but we had no idea
that it would turn out to be so much more lovely when we were close to
it.  We were about to commence the exploration of this valley, when
Peterkin stopped us, and directed our attention to a very remarkable
appearance in advance along the shore.

"What's yon, think you?" said he, levelling his spear, as if he expected
an immediate attack from the object in question, though it was full half
a mile distant.

As he spoke, there appeared a white column above the rocks, as if of
steam or spray.  It rose upwards to a height of several feet, and then
disappeared.  Had this been near the sea, we would not have been so
greatly surprised, as it might in that case have been the surf, for at
this part of the coast the coral reef approached so near to the island
that in some parts it almost joined it.  There was therefore no lagoon
between, and the heavy surf of the ocean beat almost up to the rocks.  But
this white column appeared about fifty yards inland.  The rocks at the
place were rugged, and they stretched across the sandy beach into the
sea.  Scarce had we ceased expressing our surprise at this sight, when
another column flew upwards for a few seconds, not far from the spot
where the first had been seen, and disappeared; and so, at long irregular
intervals, these strange sights recurred.  We were now quite sure that
the columns were watery or composed of spray, but what caused them we
could not guess, so we determined to go and see.

In a few minutes we gained the spot, which was very rugged and
precipitous, and, moreover, quite damp with the falling of the spray.  We
had much ado to pass over dry-shod.  The ground also was full of holes
here and there.  Now, while we stood anxiously waiting for the
re-appearance of these water-spouts, we heard a low, rumbling sound near
us, which quickly increased to a gargling and hissing noise, and a moment
afterwards a thick spout of water burst upwards from a hole in the rock,
and spouted into the air with much violence, and so close to where Jack
and I were standing that it nearly touched us.  We sprang to one side,
but not before a cloud of spray descended, and drenched us both to the
skin.

Peterkin, who was standing farther off, escaped with a few drops, and
burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter on beholding our miserable
plight.

"Mind your eye!" he shouted eagerly, "there goes another!"  The words
were scarcely out of his mouth when there came up a spout from another
hole, which served us exactly in the same manner as before.

Peterkin now shrieked with laughter; but his merriment was abruptly put a
stop to by the gurgling noise occurring close to where he stood.

"Where'll it spout this time, I wonder?" he said, looking about with some
anxiety, and preparing to run.  Suddenly there came a loud hiss or snort;
a fierce spout of water burst up between Peterkin's legs, blew him off
his feet, enveloped him in its spray, and hurled him to the ground.  He
fell with so much violence that we feared he must have broken some of his
bones, and ran anxiously to his assistance; but fortunately he had fallen
on a clump of tangled herbage, in which he lay sprawling in a most
deplorable condition.

It was now our turn to laugh; but as we were not yet quite sure that he
was unhurt, and as we knew not when or where the next spout might arise,
we assisted him hastily to jump up and hurry from the spot.

I may here add, that although I am quite certain that the spout of water
was very strong, and that it blew Peterkin completely off his legs, I am
not quite certain of the exact height to which it lifted him, being
somewhat startled by the event, and blinded partially by the spray, so
that my power of observation was somewhat impaired for the moment.

"What's to be done now?" inquired Peterkin ruefully.

"Make a fire, lad, and dry ourselves," replied Jack.

"And here is material ready to our hand," said I, picking up a dried
branch of a tree, as we hurried up to the woods.

In about an hour after this mishap our clothes were again dried.  While
they were hanging up before the fire, we walked down to the beach, and
soon observed that these curious spouts took place imme