Although our friends were greatly exhausted by having to cling so long
to the cutter with the sea breaking furiously over them, after resting
for some time on the beach they were able to proceed to the house. I
clung to Walter's arm as we walked along, and could only again and again
say how rejoiced and thankful I was that he had escaped. He seemed so
pale and weak, that I forebore asking him questions. Still, of course,
I was longing to know what adventures he had gone through. He, however,
seemed more anxious to be told what had occurred to us during his
absence.
"You shall read all the chief events in the continuation of your
journal," I said. "You remember, Walter, that you asked me to go on
with it should you be interrupted, and I have done so; and perhaps if I
read it to you I shall be able to make remarks as I go on, which will
still further enable you to understand all that has occurred since you
went away."
The next day, as Walter was utterly unable to go out, I spent in reading
what I had written; and he then showed me his note-book, which he had
fortunately had with him, and in which he had also marked down the chief
part of his adventures. The particulars of the voyage of the _Hope_ I
had yet to learn. I now, however, handed him over his journal, that he
might enter more clearly the events he described to me. Mr Hooker
afterwards told us about the voyage of the _Hope_, which had terminated
in so disastrous a way to our little vessel. Happily, the mountain
continued burning slowly, though steadily, and our uncle told us he
trusted it would do so without committing further damage, though he
suspected that the beauties of many of the scenes we visited round its
base must have been considerably marred; indeed, now and then a puff of
wind brought a quantity of fine dust in our direction, which covered
everything, and even penetrated into the house.
I found that Mr Hooker, and those who had suffered least from their
shipwreck, had gone to Hope Harbour. They said they wished to see if
anything could be saved from the cutter; but I suspect, from some
remarks which they let fall, that their intention was to increase the
size of the raft, and to make some further improvements on it, so that
it might carry, if required, the whole of the party without difficulty.
------------------------------------------------------------------------