Chapter XII

Produced by Michelle Shephard, Tiffany Vergon, Juliet

Sutherland, Charles Franks, Charles Aldarondo and the

Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

THE CORAL ISLAND

_A Tale Of The Pacific Ocean_

BY

R. M. BALLANTYNE

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.

CONTENTS

CHAP.

I. MY EARLY LIFE AND CHARACTER

II. THE DEPARTURE--A DREADFUL STORM

III. THE CORAL ISLAND

IV. OUR ISLAND DESCRIBED--CURIOUS DISCOVERIES

V. ENCHANTING EXCURSIONS AMONG THE CORAL GROVES

VI. AN EXCURSION INTO THE INTERIOR

VII. HORRIBLE ENCOUNTER WITH A SHARK

VIII. THE BEAUTIES OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA TEMPT PETERKIN TO DIVE

IX. PREPARE FOR A JOURNEY ROUND THE ISLAND

X. MAKE DISCOVERY OF MANY EXCELLENT ROOTS AND FRUITS

XI. EFFECTS OF OVER-EATING, AND REFLECTIONS THEREON

XII. SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TANK

XIII. NOTABLE DISCOVERY AT THE SPOUTING CLIFFS

XIV. STRANGE PECULIARITY OF THE TIDES

XV. BOAT-BUILDING EXTRAORDINARY

XVI. THE BOAT LAUNCHED--WE VISIT THE CORAL REEF

XVII. A MONSTER WAVE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

XVIII. AN AWFUL STORM AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

XVIX. AN UNEXPECTED VISIT AND AN APPALLING BATTLE

XX. INTERCOURSE WITH THE SAVAGES--CANNIBALISM PREVENTED

XXI. A SAIL!--AN UNEXPECTED SALUTE

XXII. I FALL INTO THE HANDS OF PIRATES

XXIII. A STRANGE SAIL, AND A STRANGE CREW

XXIV. UNPLEASANT PROSPECTS

XXV. THE SANDAL-WOOD PARTY

XXVI. MISCHIEF BREWING--MY BLOOD IS MADE TO RUN COLD

XXVII. REFLECTIONS--THE WOUNDED MAN

XXVIII. ALONE ON THE DEEP--NECESSITY THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

XXIX. THE EFFECT OF A CANNON-SHOT

XXX. THE VOYAGE

XXXI. A STRANGE AND BLOODY BATTLE

XXXII. AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY

XXXIII. THE FLIGHT--THE PURSUIT

XXXIV. IMPRISONMENT--SINKING HOPES

XXXV. CONCLUSION

THE CORAL ISLAND

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 hilltops 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 on 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 any rate, 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 seaports, 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 readers' 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 messmate 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 canvas 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 messmates, 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

staunchest 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."

"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 in 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 daybreak

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 see only 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 quarter-deck 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 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 honeysuckle

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," he said, 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."

"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 was 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 struck 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

whipcord 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 back. These last were as

follows:--

Each of us had on a pair of stout canvas trousers, and a pair of

sailors' thick shoes. Jack wore a red flannel shirt, a blue jacket, and

a red Kilmarnock bonnet or nightcap, 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 canvas 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," said 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."

"O 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 and 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 he 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 begun 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 seashore! 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 first

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,

first 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 sand, 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 into 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 were pure white. Among this there grew large quantities of

seaweed 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 seaweed 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 storehouse. 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 hillsides afforded us a position whence we

could enjoy the romantic view and mark our progress towards the foot of

the hill. I was 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, and 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

mountainside."

"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; "I 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 booby! and hear of it now."

Peterkin readjusted 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, patronising 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-fruit 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 hillside, 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 hiding 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 whipcord, and ground it to an edge on a piece

of sandstone. 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 whipcord, 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, dropped it into deep water.

"Now then, Jack," said he, "be cautious; steer clear o' that seaweed.

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, dropped 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."

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 eyebrows 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 this 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 forest of red and green

seaweeds, 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 sympathised 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 seaweed 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 the 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 descend 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

firelight, 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 humble-bumbled 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

figure-head 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 walks 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 your 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 sake 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 pierhead, where several boats were rowing into the 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

pierhead. 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 peeled 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. "O 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--I'll--"

"Eat it," cried Peterkin.

"Yes, I'll eat it! Now, then, my bow and two arrows are finished; so if

you are 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 dropped.

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 whipcord, 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 exceedingly 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 round

us really was. Such sounds as I refer to were, the peculiar

melancholy--yet, it seemed to me, cheerful--plaint of sea-birds

floating on the glassy waters 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

reappearance of these water-spouts, we heard a low, rumbling sound near

us, which quickly increased to a gurgling 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

aside, 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?" asked 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 immediately after

the fall of a huge wave, never before it; and, moreover, that the

spouts did not take place excepting when the billow was an extremely

large one. From this we concluded that there must be a subterraneous

channel in the rock into which the water was driven by the larger

waves, and finding no way of escape except through these small holes,

was thus forced up violently through them. At any rate, we could not

conceive any other reason for these strange water-spouts, and as this

seemed a very simple and probable one, we forthwith adopted it.

"I say, Ralph, what's that in the water; is it a shark?" said Jack,

just as we were about to quit the place.

I immediately ran to the overhanging ledge of rock, from which he was

looking down into the sea, and bent over it. There I saw a very faint

pale object of a greenish colour, which seemed to move slightly, while

I looked at it.

"It's like a fish of some sort," said I.

"Hallo, Peterkin!" cried Jack, "fetch your spear; here's work for it."

But when we tried to reach the object, the spear proved to be too short.

"There now," said Peterkin with a sneer, "you were always telling me it

was too long."

Jack now drove the spear forcibly towards the object, and let go his

hold; but although it seemed to be well aimed, he must have missed, for

the handle soon rose again; and when the spear was drawn up, there was

the pale green object in exactly the same spot, slowly moving its tail.

"Very odd," said Jack.

But although it was undoubtedly very odd, and although Jack and all of

us plunged the spear at it repeatedly, we could neither hit it nor

drive it away, so we were compelled to continue our journey without

discovering what it was. I was very much perplexed at this strange

appearance in the water, and could not get it out of my mind for a long

time afterwards. However, I quieted myself by resolving that I would

pay a visit to it again at some more convenient season.

Chapter X

Make discovery of many excellent roots and fruits--The resources of the

Coral Island gradually unfolded--The banyan tree--Another tree which is

supported by natural planks--Waterfowl found--A very remarkable

discovery, and a very peculiar murder--We luxuriate on the fat of the

land.

Our examination of the little valley proved to be altogether most

satisfactory. We found in it not only similar trees to those we had

already seen in our own valley, but also one or two others of a

different species. We had also the satisfaction of discovering a

peculiar vegetable, which Jack concluded must certainly be that of

which he had read as being very common among the South Sea islanders,

and which was named _taro_. Also we found a large supply of yams, and

another root like a potato in appearance. As these were all quite new

to us, we regarded our lot as a most fortunate one, in being thus cast

on an island which was so prolific and so well stored with all the

necessaries of life. Long afterwards we found out that this island of

ours was no better in these respects than thousands of other islands in

those seas. Indeed, many of them were much richer and more productive;

but that did not render us the less grateful for our present good

fortune. We each put one of these roots in our pocket, intending to use

them for our supper; of which more hereafter. We also saw many

beautiful birds here, and traces of some four-footed animal again.

Meanwhile the sun began to descend, so we returned to the shore, and

pushed on round the spouting rocks into the next valley. This was that

valley of which I have spoken as running across the entire island. It

was by far the largest and most beautiful that we had yet looked upon.

Here were trees of every shape and size and hue which it is possible to

conceive of, many of which we had not seen in the other valleys; for,

the stream in this valley being larger, and the mould much richer than

in the Valley of the Wreck, it was clothed with a more luxuriant growth

of trees and plants. Some trees were dark glossy green, others of a

rich and warm hue, contrasting well with those of a pale light green,

which were everywhere abundant. Among these we recognised the broad

dark heads of the bread-fruit, with its golden fruit; the pure, silvery

foliage of the candle-nut, and several species which bore a strong

resemblance to the pine; while here and there, in groups and in single

trees, rose the tall forms of the cocoa-nut palms, spreading abroad,

and waving their graceful plumes high above all the rest, as if they

were a superior race of stately giants keeping guard over these

luxuriant forests. Oh, it was a most enchanting scene, and I thanked

God for having created such delightful spots for the use of man.

Now, while we were gazing around us in silent admiration, Jack uttered

an exclamation of surprise, and pointing to an object a little to one

side of us, said--

"That's a banyan tree."

"And what's a banyan tree?" inquired Peterkin, as we walked towards it.

"A very curious one, as you shall see presently," replied Jack. "It is

called the _aoa_ here, if I recollect rightly, and has a wonderful

peculiarity about it. What an enormous one it is, to be sure!"

_"It!"_ repeated Peterkin; "why, there are dozens of banyans here! What

do you mean by talking bad grammar? Is your philosophy deserting you,

Jack?"

"There is but one tree here of this kind," returned Jack, "as you will

perceive if you will examine it." And, sure enough, we did find that

what we had supposed was a forest of trees was in reality only one. Its

bark was of a light colour, and had a shining appearance, the leaves

being lance-shaped, small, and of a beautiful pea-green. But the

wonderful thing about it was, that the branches, which grew out from

the stem horizontally, sent down long shoots or fibres to the ground,

which, taking root, had themselves become trees, and were covered with

bark like the tree itself. Many of these fibres had descended from the

branches at various distances, and thus supported them on natural

pillars, some of which were so large and strong that it was not easy at

first to distinguish the offspring from the parent stem. The fibres

were of all sizes and in all states of advancement, from the pillars we

have just mentioned to small cords which hung down and were about to

take root, and thin brown threads still far from the ground, which

swayed about with every motion of wind. In short, it seemed to us that,

if there were only space afforded to it, this single tree would at

length cover the whole island.

Shortly after this we came upon another remarkable tree, which, as its

peculiar formation afterwards proved extremely useful to us, merits

description. It was a splendid chestnut, but its proper name Jack did

not know. However, there were quantities of fine nuts upon it, some of

which we put in our pockets. But its stem was the most wonderful part

of it. It rose to about twelve feet without a branch, and was not of

great thickness: on the contrary, it was remarkably slender for the

size of the tree; but, to make up for this, there were four or five

wonderful projections in this stem, which I cannot better describe than

by asking the reader to suppose that five planks of two inches thick

and three feet broad had been placed round the trunk of the tree, with

their _edges_ closely fixed to it, from the ground up to the branches,

and that these planks had been covered over with the bark of the tree

and incorporated with it. In short, they were just natural buttresses,

without which the stem could not have supported its heavy and

umbrageous top. We found these chestnuts to be very numerous. They grew

chiefly on the banks of the stream, and were of all sizes.

While we were examining a small tree of this kind, Jack chipped a piece

off a buttress with his axe, and found the wood to be firm and easily

cut. He then struck the axe into it with all his force, and very soon

split it off close to the tree, first, however, having cut it across

transversely above and below. By this means he satisfied himself that

we could now obtain short planks, as it were all ready sawn, of any

size and thickness that we desired; which was a very great discovery

indeed, perhaps the most important we had yet made.

We now wended our way back to the coast, intending to encamp near the

beach, as we found that the mosquitoes were troublesome in the forest.

On our way we could not help admiring the birds which flew and chirped

around us. Among them we observed a pretty kind of paroquet, with a

green body, a blue head, and a red breast; also a few beautiful

turtle-doves, and several flocks of wood-pigeons. The hues of many of

these birds were extremely vivid--bright green, blue, and scarlet being

the prevailing tints. We made several attempts throughout the day to

bring down one of these, both with the bow and the sling--not for mere

sport, but to ascertain whether they were good for food. But we

invariably missed, although once or twice we were very near hitting. As

evening drew on, however, a flock of pigeons flew past. I slung a stone

into the midst of them at a venture, and had the good fortune to kill

one. We were startled, soon after, by a loud whistling noise above our

heads; and on looking up, saw a flock of wild-ducks making for the

coast. We watched these, and observing where they alighted, followed

them up until we came upon a most lovely blue lake, not more than two

hundred yards long, embosomed in verdant trees. Its placid surface,

which reflected every leaf and stem as if in a mirror, was covered with

various species of wild ducks, feeding among the sedges and

broad-leaved water-plants which floated on it, while numerous birds

like water-hens ran to and fro most busily on its margin. These all

with one accord flew tumultuously away the instant we made our

appearance. While walking along the margin we observed fish in the

water, but of what sort we could not tell.

Now, as we neared the shore, Jack and I said we would go a little out

of our way to see if we could procure one of those ducks; so, directing

Peterkin to go straight to the shore and kindle a fire, we separated,

promising to rejoin him speedily. But we did not find the ducks,

although we made a diligent search for half-an-hour. We were about to

retrace our steps, when we were arrested by one of the strangest sights

that we had yet beheld.

Just in front of us, at the distance of about ten yards, grew a superb

tree, which certainly was the largest we had yet seen on the island.

Its trunk was at least five feet in diameter, with a smooth grey bark;

above this the spreading branches were clothed with light green leaves,

amid which were clusters of bright yellow fruit, so numerous as to

weigh down the boughs with their great weight. This fruit seemed to be

of the plum species, of an oblong form, and a good deal larger than the

magnum-bonum plum. The ground at the foot of this tree was thickly

strewn with the fallen fruit, in the midst of which lay sleeping, in

every possible attitude, at least twenty hogs of all ages and sizes,

apparently quite surfeited with a recent banquet.

Jack and I could scarce restrain our laughter as we gazed at these

coarse, fat, ill-looking animals while they lay groaning and snoring

heavily amid the remains of their supper.

"Now, Ralph," said Jack, in a low whisper, "put a stone in your

sling--a good big one--and let fly at that fat fellow with his back

toward you. I'll try to put an arrow into yon little pig."

"Don't you think we had better put them up first?" I whispered; "it

seems cruel to kill them while asleep."

"If I wanted _sport,_ Ralph, I would certainly set them up; but as we

only want _pork,_ we'll let them lie. Besides, we're not sure of

killing them; so, fire away."

Thus admonished, I slung my stone with so good aim that it went bang

against the hog's flank as if against the head of a drum; but it had no

other effect than that of causing the animal to start to its feet, with

a frightful yell of surprise, and scamper away. At the same instant

Jack's bow twanged, and the arrow pinned the little pig to the ground

by the ear.

"I've missed, after all," cried Jack, darting forward with uplifted

axe, while the little pig uttered a loud squeal, tore the arrow from

the ground, and ran away with it, along with the whole drove, into the

bushes and disappeared, though we heard them screaming long afterwards

in the distance.

"That's very provoking, now," said Jack, rubbing the point of his nose.

"Very," I replied, stroking my chin.

"Well, we must make haste and rejoin Peterkin," said Jack. "It's

getting late." And without further remark we threaded our way quickly

through the woods towards the shore.

When we reached it, we found wood laid out, the fire lighted and

beginning to kindle up, with other signs of preparation for our

encampment, but Peterkin was nowhere to be found. We wondered very much

at this; but Jack suggested that he might have gone to fetch water; so

he gave a shout to let him know that we had arrived, and sat down upon

a rock, while I threw off my jacket, and seized the axe, intending to

split up one or two billets of wood. But I had scarce moved from the

spot when, in the distance, we heard a most appalling shriek, which was

followed up by a chorus of yells from the hogs, and a loud hurrah.

"I do believe," said I, "that Peterkin has met with the hogs."

"When Greek meets Greek," said Jack, soliloquising, "then comes the tug

of--"

"Hurrah!" shouted Peterkin in the distance.

We turned hastily towards the direction whence the sound came, and soon

descried Peterkin walking along the beach towards us with a little pig

transfixed on the end of his long spear!

"Well done, my boy!" exclaimed Jack, slapping him on the shoulder when

he came up; "you're the best shot amongst us."

"Look here, Jack!" cried Peterkin, as he disengaged the animal from his

spear. "Do you recognise that hole?" said he, pointing to the pig's

ear; "and are you familiar with this arrow, eh?"

"Well, I declare!" said Jack.

"Of course you do," interrupted Peterkin; "but, pray, restrain your

declarations at this time, and let's have supper, for I'm uncommonly

hungry, I can tell you; and it's no joke to charge a whole herd of

swine with their great-grandmother bristling like a giant porcupine at

the head of them!"

We now set about preparing supper; and, truly a good display of viands

we made, when all was laid out on a flat rock in the light of the

blazing fire. There was, first of all, the little pig; then there were

the taro-root, and the yam, and the potato, and six plums; and, lastly,

the wood-pigeon. To these Peterkin added a bit of sugar-cane, which he

had cut from a little patch of that plant which he had found not long

after separating from us; "and," said he, "the patch was somewhat in a

square form, which convinces me it must have been planted by man."

"Very likely," replied Jack. "From all we have seen, I'm inclined to

think that some of the savages must have dwelt here long ago."

We found no small difficulty in making up our minds how we were to cook

the pig. None of us had ever cut up one before, and we did not know

exactly how to begin; besides, we had nothing but the axe to do it

with, our knife having been forgotten. At last Jack started up and

said--

"Don't let us waste more time talking about it, boys.--Hold it up,

Peterkin. There, lay the hind-leg on this block of wood--so;" and he

cut it off, with a large portion of the haunch, at a single blow of the

axe. "Now the other--that's it." And having thus cut off the two

hind-legs, he made several deep gashes in them, thrust a sharp-pointed

stick through each, and stuck them up before the blaze to roast. The

wood-pigeon was then split open, quite flat, washed clean in salt

water, and treated in a similar manner. While these were cooking, we

scraped a hole in the sand and ashes under the fire, into which we put

our vegetables, and covered them up.

The taro-root was of an oval shape, about ten inches long and four or

five thick. It was of a mottled-grey colour, and had a thick rind. We

found it somewhat like an Irish potato, and exceedingly good. The yam

was roundish, and had a rough brown skin. It was very sweet and well

flavoured. The potato, we were surprised to find, was quite sweet and

exceedingly palatable, as also were the plums; and, indeed, the pork

and pigeon too, when we came to taste them. Altogether this was

decidedly the most luxurious supper we had enjoyed for many a day; and

Jack said it was out-of-sight better than we ever got on board ship;

and Peterkin said he feared that if we should remain long on the island

he would infallibly become a glutton or an epicure: whereat Jack

remarked that he need not fear that, for he was _both_ already! And so,

having eaten our fill, not forgetting to finish off with a plum, we

laid ourselves comfortably down to sleep upon a couch of branches,

under the overhanging ledge of a coral rock.

Chapter XI

Effects of over-eating, and reflections thereon--Humble advice

regarding cold water--The "horrible cry" accounted for--The curious

birds called penguins--Peculiarity of the cocoa-nut palm--Questions on

the formation of coral islands--Mysterious footsteps--Strange

discoveries and sad sights.

When we awoke on the following morning, we found that the sun was

already a good way above the horizon, so I came to the conclusion that

a heavy supper is not conducive to early rising. Nevertheless we felt

remarkably strong and well, and much disposed to have our breakfast.

First, however, we had our customary morning bathe, which refreshed us

greatly.

I have often wondered very much in after years that the inhabitants of

my own dear land did not make more frequent use of this most charming

element, water. I mean in the way of cold bathing. Of course, I have

perceived that it is not convenient for them to go into the sea or the

rivers in winter, as we used to do on the Coral Island; but then I knew

from experience that a large washing-tub and a sponge do form a most

pleasant substitute. The feelings of freshness, of cleanliness, of

vigour, and extreme hilarity, that always followed my bathes in the

sea, and even, when in England, my ablutions in the wash-tub, were so

delightful that I would sooner have gone without my breakfast than

without my bathe in cold water. My readers will forgive me for asking

whether they are in the habit of bathing thus every morning; and if

they answer "No," they will pardon me for recommending them to begin at

once. Of late years, since retiring from the stirring life of adventure

which I have led so long in foreign climes, I have heard of a system

called the cold-water cure. Now, I do not know much about that system,

so I do not mean to uphold it, neither do I intend to run it down.

Perhaps, in reference to it, I may just hint that there may be too much

of a good thing. I know not, but of this I am quite certain, that there

may also be too little of a good thing; and the great delight I have

had in cold bathing during the course of my adventurous career inclines

me to think that it is better to risk taking too much than to content

one's self with too little. Such is my opinion, derived from much

experience; but I put it before my readers with the utmost diffidence

and with profound modesty, knowing that it may possibly jar with their

feelings of confidence in their own ability to know and judge as to

what is best and fittest in reference to their own affairs. But, to

return from this digression, for which I humbly crave forgiveness.

We had not advanced on our journey much above a mile or so, and were

just beginning to feel the pleasant glow that usually accompanies

vigorous exercise, when, on turning a point that revealed to us a new

and beautiful cluster of islands, we were suddenly arrested by the

appalling cry which had so alarmed us a few nights before. But this

time we were by no means so much alarmed us on the previous occasion,

because, whereas at that time it was night, now it was day; and I have

always found, though I am unable to account for it, that daylight

banishes many of the fears that are apt to assail us in the dark.

On hearing the sound, Peterkin instantly threw forward his spear.

"Now, what can it be?" said he, looking round at Jack. "I tell you what

it is: if we are to go on being pulled up in a constant state of horror

and astonishment, as we have been for the last week, the sooner we're

out o' this island the better, notwithstanding the yams and lemonade,

and pork and plums!"

Peterkin's remark was followed by a repetition of the cry, louder than

before.

"It comes from one of these islands," said Jack.

"It must be the ghost of a jackass, then," said Peterkin, "for I never

heard anything so like."

We all turned our eyes towards the cluster of islands, where, on the

largest, we observed curious objects moving on the shore.

"Soldiers they are--that's flat!" cried Peterkin, gazing at them in the

utmost amazement.

And, in truth, Peterkin's remark seemed to me to be correct; for, at

the distance from which we saw them, they appeared to be an army of

soldiers. There they stood, rank and file, in lines and in squares,

marching and countermarching, with blue coats and white trousers. While

we were looking at them, the dreadful cry came again over the water,

and Peterkin suggested that it must be a regiment sent out to massacre

the natives in cold blood. At this remark Jack laughed and said--

"Why, Peterkin, they are penguins!"

"Penguins?" repeated Peterkin.

"Ay, penguins, Peterkin, penguins--nothing more or less than big

sea-birds, as you shall see one of these days, when we pay them a visit

in our boat, which I mean to set about building the moment we return to

our bower."

"So, then, our dreadful yelling ghosts and our murdering army of

soldiers," remarked Peterkin, "have dwindled down to penguins--big

sea-birds! Very good. Then I propose that we continue our journey as

fast as possible, lest our island should be converted into a dream

before we get completely round it."

Now, as we continued on our way, I pondered much over this new

discovery, and the singular appearance of these birds, of which Jack

could only give us a very slight and vague account; and I began to long

to commence our boat, in order that we might go and inspect them more

narrowly. But by degrees these thoughts left me, and I began to be much

taken up again with the interesting peculiarities of the country which

we were passing through.

The second night we passed in a manner somewhat similar to the first,

at about two-thirds of the way round the island, as we calculated, and

we hoped to sleep on the night following at our bower. I will not here

note so particularly all that we said and saw during the course of this

second day, as we did not make any further discoveries of great

importance. The shore along which we travelled, and the various parts

of the woods through which we passed, were similar to those which have

been already treated of. There were one or two observations that we

made, however, and these were as follows:--

We saw that, while many of the large fruit-bearing trees grew only in

the valleys, and some of them only near the banks of the streams, where

the soil was peculiarly rich, the cocoa-nut palm grew in every place

whatsoever; not only on the hillsides, but also on the seashore, and

even, as has been already stated, on the coral reef itself, where the

soil, if we may use the name, was nothing better than loose sand

mingled with broken shells and coral rock. So near to the sea, too, did

this useful tree grow, that in many places its roots were washed by the

spray from the breakers. Yet we found the trees growing thus on the

sands to be quite as luxuriant as those growing in the valleys, and the

fruit as good and refreshing also. Besides this, I noticed that on the

summit of the high mountain, which we once more ascended at a different

point from our first ascent, were found abundance of shells and broken

coral formations; which Jack and I agreed proved either that this

island must have once been under the sea, or that the sea must once

have been above the island. In other words, that as shells and coral

could not possibly climb to the mountain-top, they must have been

washed upon it while the mountain-top was on a level with the sea. We

pondered this very much; and we put to ourselves the question, "What

raised the island to its present height above the sea?" But to this we

could by no means give to ourselves a satisfactory reply. Jack thought

it might have been blown up by a volcano; and Peterkin said he thought

it must have jumped up of its own accord! We also noticed, what had

escaped us before, that the solid rocks of which the island was formed

were quite different from the live coral rocks on the shore, where the

wonderful little insects were continually working. They seemed, indeed,

to be of the same material--a substance like limestone; but while the

coral rocks were quite full of minute cells in which the insects lived,

the other rocks inland were hard and solid, without the appearance of

cells at all. Our thoughts and conversations on this subject were

sometimes so profound that Peterkin said we should certainly get

drowned in them at last, even although we were such good divers!

Nevertheless we did not allow his pleasantry on this and similar points

to deter us from making our notes and observations as we went along.

We found several more droves of hogs in the woods, but abstained from

killing any of them, having more than sufficient for our present

necessities. We saw also many of their footprints in this

neighbourhood. Among these we also observed the footprints of a smaller

animal, which we examined with much care, but could form no certain

opinion as to them. Peterkin thought they were those of a little dog,

but Jack and I thought differently. We became very curious on this

matter, the more so that we observed these footprints to lie scattered

about in one locality, as if the animal which had made them was

wandering round about in a very irregular manner, and without any

object in view. Early in the forenoon of our third day we observed

these footprints to be much more numerous than ever, and in one

particular spot they diverged off into the woods in a regular beaten

track, which was, however, so closely beset with bushes that we pushed

through it with difficulty. We had now become so anxious to find out

what animal this was and where it went to, that we determined to follow

the track, and, if possible, clear up the mystery. Peterkin said, in a

bantering tone, that he was sure it would be cleared up, as usual, in

some frightfully simple way, and prove to be no mystery at all!

The beaten track seemed much too large to have been formed by the

animal itself, and we concluded that some larger animal had made it,

and that the smaller one made use of it. But everywhere the creeping

plants and tangled bushes crossed our path, so that we forced our way

along with some difficulty. Suddenly, as we came upon an open space, we

heard a faint cry, and observed a black animal standing in the track

before us.

"A wild-cat!" cried Jack, fitting an arrow to his bow, and discharging

it so hastily that he missed the animal, and hit the earth about half a

foot to one side of it. To our surprise the wild-cat did not fly, but

walked slowly towards the arrow, and snuffed at it.

"That's the most comical wild-cat I ever saw!" cried Jack.

"It's a tame wild-cat, I think," said Peterkin, levelling his spear to

make a charge.

"Stop!" cried I, laying my hand on his shoulder; "I do believe the poor

beast is blind. See, it strikes against the branches as it walks along.

It must be a very old one;" and I hastened towards it.

"Only think," said Peterkin, with a suppressed laugh, "of a

superannuated wild-cat!"

We now found that the poor cat was not only blind, or nearly so, but

extremely deaf, as it did not hear our footsteps until we were quite

close behind it. Then it sprang round, and putting up its back and

tail, while the black hair stood all on end, uttered a hoarse mew and a

fuff.

"Poor thing," said Peterkin, gently extending his hand, and

endeavouring to pat the cat's head. "Poor pussy; chee, chee, chee;

puss, puss, puss; cheetie pussy!"

No sooner did the cat hear these sounds than all signs of anger fled,

and advancing eagerly to Peterkin, it allowed itself to be stroked, and

rubbed itself against his legs, purring loudly all the time, and

showing every symptom of the most extreme delight.

"It's no more a wild-cat than I am!" cried Peterkin, taking it in his

arms; "it's quite tame.--Poor pussy, cheetie pussy!"

We now crowded around Peterkin, and were not a little surprised, and,

to say truth, a good deal affected, by the sight of the poor animal's

excessive joy. It rubbed its head against Peterkin's cheek, licked his

chin, and thrust its head almost violently into his neck, while it

purred more loudly than I ever heard a cat purr before, and appeared to

be so much overpowered by its feelings, that it occasionally mewed and

purred almost in the same breath. Such demonstrations of joy and

affection led us at once to conclude that this poor cat must have known

man before, and we conjectured that it had been left either

accidentally or by design on the island many years ago, and was now

evincing its extreme joy at meeting once more with human beings. While

we were fondling the cat and talking about it, Jack glanced round the

open space in the midst of which we stood.

"Hallo!" exclaimed he, "this looks something like a clearing. The axe

has been at work here. Just look at these tree-stumps."

We now turned to examine these, and without doubt we found trees that

had been cut down here and there, also stumps and broken branches; all

of which, however, were completely covered over with moss, and bore

evidence of having been in this condition for some years. No human

footprints were to be seen either on the track or among the bushes, but

those of the cat were found everywhere. We now determined to follow up

the track as far as it went, and Peterkin put the cat down; but it

seemed to be so weak, and mewed so very pitifully, that he took it up

again and carried it in his arms, where in a few minutes it fell sound

asleep.

About ten yards farther on, the felled trees became more numerous, and

the track, diverging to the right, followed for a short space the banks

of a stream. Suddenly we came to a spot where once must have been a

rude bridge, the stones of which were scattered in the stream, and

those on each bank entirely covered over with moss. In silent surprise

and expectancy we continued to advance, and, a few yards farther on,

beheld, under the shelter of some bread-fruit trees, a small hut or

cottage. I cannot hope to convey to my readers a very correct idea of

the feelings that affected us on witnessing this unexpected sight. We

stood for a long time in silent wonder, for there was a deep and most

melancholy stillness about the place that quite overpowered us; and

when we did at length speak, it was in subdued whispers, as if we were

surrounded by some awful or supernatural influence. Even Peterkin's

voice, usually so quick and lively on all occasions, was hushed now;

for there was a dreariness about this silent, lonely, uninhabited

cottage--so strange in its appearance, so far away from the usual

dwellings of man, so old, decayed, and deserted in its aspect--that

fell upon our spirits like a thick cloud, and blotted out as with a

pall the cheerful sunshine that had filled us since the commencement of

our tour round the island.

The hut or cottage was rude and simple in its construction. It was not

more than twelve feet long by ten feet broad, and about seven or eight

feet high. It had one window, or rather a small frame in which a window

might perhaps once have been, but which was now empty. The door was

exceedingly low, and formed of rough boards, and the roof was covered

with broad cocoa-nut and plantain leaves. But every part of it was in a

state of the utmost decay. Moss and green matter grew in spots all over

it. The woodwork was quite perforated with holes; the roof had nearly

fallen in, and appeared to be prevented from doing so altogether by the

thick matting of creeping-plants and the interlaced branches which

years of neglect had allowed to cover it almost entirely; while the

thick, luxuriant branches of the bread-fruit and other trees spread

above it, and flung a deep, sombre shadow over the spot, as if to guard

it from the heat and the light of day. We conversed long and in

whispers about this strange habitation ere we ventured to approach it;

and when at length we did so, it was, at least on my part, with

feelings of awe.

At first Jack endeavoured to peep in at the window, but from the deep

shadow of the trees already mentioned, and the gloom within, he could

not clearly discern objects; so we lifted the latch and pushed open the

door. We observed that the latch was made of iron, and almost eaten

away with rust. In the like condition were also the hinges, which

creaked as the door swung back. On entering, we stood still and gazed

around us, while we were much impressed with the dreary stillness of

the room. But what we saw there surprised and shocked us not a little.

There was no furniture in the apartment save a little wooden stool and

an iron pot, the latter almost eaten through with rust. In the corner

farthest from the door was a low bedstead, on which lay two skeletons,

embedded in a little heap of dry dust. With beating hearts we went

forward to examine them. One was the skeleton of a man, the other that

of a dog, which was extended close beside that of the man, with its

head resting on his bosom.

Now we were very much concerned about this discovery, and could scarce

refrain from tears on beholding these sad remains. After some time we

began to talk about what we had seen, and to examine in and around the

hut, in order to discover some clue to the name or history of this poor

man, who had thus died in solitude, with none to mourn his loss save

his cat and his faithful dog. But we found nothing--neither a book nor

a scrap of paper. We found, however, the decayed remnants of what

appeared to have been clothing, and an old axe. But none of these

things bore marks of any kind; and, indeed, they were so much decayed

as to convince us that they had lain in the condition in which we found

them for many years.

This discovery now accounted to us for the tree-stump at the top of the

mountain with the initials cut on it; also for the patch of sugar-cane

and other traces of man which we had met with in the course of our

rambles over the island. And we were much saddened by the reflection

that the lot of this poor wanderer might possibly be our own, after

many years' residence on the island, unless we should be rescued by the

visit of some vessel or the arrival of natives. Having no clue whatever

to account for the presence of this poor human being in such a lonely

spot, we fell to conjecturing what could have brought him there. I was

inclined to think that he most have been a shipwrecked sailor, whose

vessel had been lost here, and all the crew been drowned except himself

and his dog and cat. But Jack thought it more likely that he had run

away from his vessel, and had taken the dog and cat to keep him

company. We were also much occupied in our minds with the wonderful

difference between the cat and the dog. For here we saw that while the

one perished like a loving friend by its master's side, with its head

resting on his bosom, the other had sought to sustain itself by

prowling abroad in the forest, and had lived in solitude to a good old

age. However, we did not conclude from this that the cat was destitute

of affection, for we could not forget its emotions on first meeting

with us; but we saw from this that the dog had a great deal more of

generous love in its nature than the cat, because it not only found it

impossible to live after the death of its master, but it must needs,

when it came to die, crawl to his side and rest its head upon his

lifeless breast.

While we were thinking on these things, and examining into everything

about the room, we were attracted by an exclamation from Peterkin.

"I say, Jack," said he, "here is something that will be of use to us."

"What is it?" said Jack, hastening across the room.

"An old pistol," replied Peterkin, holding up the weapon, which he had

just pulled from under a heap of broken wood and rubbish that lay in a

corner.

"That, indeed, might have been useful," said Jack, examining it, "if we

had any powder; but I suspect the bow and the sling will prove more

serviceable."

"True, I forgot that," said Peterkin; "but we may as well take it with

us, for the flint will serve to strike fire with when the sun does not

shine."

After having spent more than an hour at this place without discovering

anything of further interest, Peterkin took up the old cat, which had

lain very contentedly asleep on the stool whereon he had placed it, and

we prepared to take our departure. In leaving the hut, Jack stumbled

heavily against the doorpost, which was so much decayed as to break

across, and the whole fabric of the hut seemed ready to tumble about

our ears. This put into our heads that we might as well pull it down,

and so form a mound over the skeleton. Jack, therefore, with his axe,

cut down the other doorpost, which, when it was done, brought the whole

hut in ruins to the ground, and thus formed a grave to the bones of the

poor recluse and his dog. Then we left the spot, having brought away

the iron pot, the pistol, and the old axe, as they might be of much use

to us hereafter.

During the rest of this day we pursued our journey, and examined the

other end of the large valley, which we found to be so much alike to

the parts already described, that I shall not recount the particulars

of what we saw in this place. I may, however, remark that we did not

quite recover our former cheerful spirits until we arrived at our

bower, which we did late in the evening, and found everything just in

the same condition as we had left it three days before.

Chapter XII

Something wrong with the tank--Jack's wisdom and Peterkin's

impertinence--Wonderful behaviour of a crab--Good wishes for those who

dwell far from the sea--Jack commences to build a little boat.

Rest is sweet as well for the body as for the mind. During my long

experience, amid the vicissitudes of a chequered life, I have found

that periods of profound rest at certain intervals, in addition to the

ordinary hours of repose, are necessary to the well-being of man. And

the nature as well as the period of this rest varies, according to the

different temperaments of individuals, and the peculiar circumstances

in which they may chance to be placed. To those who work with their

minds, bodily labour is rest. To those who labour with the body, deep

sleep is rest. To the downcast, the weary, and the sorrowful, joy and

peace are rest. Nay, further, I think that to the gay, the frivolous,

the reckless, when sated with pleasures that cannot last, even sorrow

proves to be rest of a kind, although, perchance, it were better that I

should call it relief than rest. There is, indeed, but one class of men

to whom rest is denied--there is no rest to the wicked. At this I do

but hint, however, as I treat not of that rest which is spiritual, but

more particularly of that which applies to the mind and to the body.

Of this rest we stood much in need on our return home, and we found it

exceedingly sweet when we indulged in it after completing the journey

just related. It had not, indeed, been a very long journey,

nevertheless we had pursued it so diligently that our frames were not a

little prostrated. Our minds were also very much exhausted in

consequence of the many surprises, frequent alarms, and much profound

thought to which they had been subjected; so that when we lay down on

the night of our return under the shelter of the bower, we fell

immediately into very deep repose. I can state this with much

certainty, for Jack afterwards admitted the fact, and Peterkin,

although he stoutly denied it, I heard snoring loudly at least two

minutes after lying down. In this condition we remained all night and

the whole of the following day without awaking once, or so much as

moving our positions. When we did awake it was near sunset, and we were

all in such a state of lassitude that we merely rose to swallow a

mouthful of food. As Peterkin remarked, in the midst of a yawn, we took

breakfast at tea-time, and then went to bed again, where we lay to the

following forenoon.

After this we arose very greatly refreshed, but much alarmed lest we

had lost count of a day. I say we were much alarmed on this head, for

we had carefully kept count of the days since we were cast upon our

island, in order that we might remember the Sabbath-day, which day we

had hitherto with one accord kept as a day of rest, and refrained from

all work whatsoever. However, on considering the subject, we all three

entertained the same opinion as to how long we had slept, and so our

minds were put at ease.

We now hastened to our Water Garden to enjoy a bathe, and to see how

did the animals which I had placed in the tank. We found the garden

more charming, pellucid, and inviting than ever, and Jack and I plunged

into its depth and gambolled among its radiant coral groves, while

Peterkin wallowed at the surface, and tried occasionally to kick us as

we passed below. Having dressed, I then hastened to the tank; but what

was my surprise and grief to find nearly all the animals dead, and the

water in a putrid condition! I was greatly distressed at this, and

wondered what could be the cause of it.

"Why, you precious humbug," said Peterkin, coming up to me, "how could

you expect it to be otherwise? When fishes are accustomed to live in

the Pacific Ocean, how can you expect them to exist in a hole like

that?"

"Indeed, Peterkin," I replied, "there seems to be truth in what you

say. Nevertheless, now I think of it, there must be some error in your

reasoning; for if I put in but a few very small animals, they will bear

the same proportion to this pond that the millions of fish bear to the

ocean."

"I say, Jack," cried Peterkin, waving his hand, "come here, like a good

fellow. Ralph is actually talking philosophy. Do come to our

assistance, for he's out o' sight beyond me already!"

"What's the matter?" inquired Jack, coming up, while he endeavoured to

scrub his long hair dry with a towel of cocoa-nut cloth.

I repeated my thoughts to Jack, who, I was happy to find, quite agreed

with me. "The best plan," he said, "will be to put very few animals at

first into your tank, and add more as you find it will bear them. And

look here," he added, pointing to the sides of the tank, which, for the

space of two inches above the water-level, were encrusted with salt,

"you must carry your philosophy a little further, Ralph. That water has

evaporated so much that it is too salt for anything to live in. You

will require to add _fresh_ water now and then, in order to keep it at

the same degree of saltness as the sea."

"Very true, Jack; that never struck me before," said I.

"And, now I think of it," continued Jack, "it seems to me that the

surest way of arranging your tank so as to get it to keep pure and in

good condition, will be to _imitate_ the ocean in it. In fact, make it

a miniature Pacific. I don't see how you can hope to succeed unless you

do that."

"Most true," said I, pondering what my companion said. "But I fear that

that will be very difficult."

"Not at all," cried Jack, rolling his towel up into a ball and throwing

it into the face of Peterkin, who had been grinning and winking at him

during the last five minutes--"not at all. Look here. There is water of

a certain saltness in the sea; well, fill your tank with sea-water, and

keep it at that saltness by marking the height at which the water

stands on the sides. When it evaporates a little, pour in _fresh_ water

from the brook till it comes up to the mark, and then it will be right,

for the salt does not evaporate with the water. Then there's lots of

seaweed in the sea; well, go and get one or two bits of seaweed and put

them into your tank. Of course the weed must be alive, and growing to

little stones; or you can chip a bit off the rocks with the weed

sticking to it. Then, if you like, you can throw a little sand and

gravel into your tank and the thing's complete."

"Nay, not quite," said Peterkin, who had been gravely attentive to this

off-hand advice--"not quite; you must first make three little men to

dive in it before it can be said to be perfect; and that would be

rather difficult, I fear, for two of them would require to be

philosophers. But hallo! what's this? I say, Ralph, look here. There's

one o' your crabs up to something uncommon. It's performing the most

remarkable operation for a crab I ever saw--taking off its coat, I do

believe, before going to bed!"

We hastily stooped over the tank, and certainly were not a little

amused at the conduct of one of the crabs which still survived its

companions. It was one of the common small crabs, like to those that

are found running about everywhere on the coasts of England. While we

gazed at it, we observed its back to split away from the lower part of

its body, and out of the gap thus formed came a soft lump which moved

and writhed unceasingly. This lump continued to increase in size until

it appeared like a bunch of crab's legs; and, indeed, such it proved in

a very few minutes to be, for the points of the toes were at length

extricated from the hole in its back, the legs spread out, the body

followed, and the crab walked away quite entire, even to the points of

its nipper-claws, leaving a perfectly entire shell behind it, so that,

when we looked, it seemed as though there were two complete crabs

instead of one.

"Well!" exclaimed Peterkin, drawing a long breath, "I've _heard_ of a

man jumping out of his skin and sitting down in his skeleton in order

to cool himself, but I never expected to _see_ a crab do it!"

We were, in truth, much amazed at this spectacle, and the more so when

we observed that the new crab was larger than the crab that it came out

of. It was also quite soft, but by next morning its skin had hardened

into a good shell. We came thus to know that crabs grow in this way,

and not by the growing of their shells, as we had always thought before

we saw this wonderful operation.

Now I considered well the advice which Jack had given me about

preparing my tank, and the more I thought of it the more I came to

regard it as very sound and worthy of being acted on. So I forthwith

put his plan in execution, and found it to answer excellently well,

indeed, much beyond my expectation; for I found that, after a little

experience had taught me the proper proportion of seaweed and animals

to put into a certain amount of water, the tank needed no further

attendance; and, moreover, I did not require ever afterwards to renew

or change the sea-water, but only to add a very little fresh water from

the brook, now and then, as the other evaporated. I therefore concluded

that if I had been suddenly conveyed, along with my tank, into some

region where there was no salt sea at all, my little sea and my

sea-fish would have continued to thrive and to prosper notwithstanding.

This made me greatly to desire that those people in the world who live

far inland might know of my wonderful tank, and, by having materials

like to those of which it was made conveyed to them, thus be enabled to

watch the habits of those most mysterious animals that reside in the

sea, and examine with their own eyes the wonders of the great deep.

For many days after this, while Peterkin and Jack were busily employed

in building a little boat out of the curious natural planks of the

chestnut tree, I spent much of my time in examining with the

burning-glass the marvellous operations that were constantly going on

in my tank. Here I saw those anemones which cling, like little red,

yellow, and green blobs of jelly, to the rocks, put forth, as it were,

a multitude of arms and wait till little fish or other small

animalcules unwarily touched them, when they would instantly seize

them, fold arm after arm around their victims, and so engulf them in

their stomachs. Here I saw the ceaseless working of those little coral

insects whose efforts have encrusted the islands of the Pacific with

vast rocks and surrounded them with enormous reefs. And I observed that

many of these insects, though extremely minute, were very beautiful,

coming out of their holes in a circle of fine threads, and having the

form of a shuttlecock. Here I saw curious little barnacles opening a

hole in their backs and constantly putting out a thin, feathery hand,

with which, I doubt not, they dragged their food into their mouths.

Here, also, I saw those crabs which have shells only on the front of

their bodies, but no shell whatever on their remarkably tender tails,

so that, in order to find a protection to them, they thrust them into

the empty shells of whelks, or some such fish, and when they grow too

big for one, change into another. But, most curious of all, I saw an

animal which had the wonderful power, when it became ill, of casting

its stomach and its teeth away from it, and getting an entirely new set

in the course of a few months! All this I saw, and a great deal more,

by means of my tank and my burning-glass; but I refrain from setting

down more particulars here, as I have still much to tell of the

adventures that befell us while we remained on this island.

Chapter XII

Notable discovery at the spouting cliffs--The mysterious green monster

explained--We are thrown into unutterable terror by the idea that Jack

is drowned--The Diamond Cave.

"Come, Jack," cried Peterkin, one morning about three weeks after our

return from our long excursion, "let's be jolly to-day, and do

something vigorous. I'm quite tired of hammering and hammering, hewing

and screwing, cutting and butting, at that little boat of ours, that

seems as hard to build as Noah's ark. Let us go on an excursion to the

mountain-top, or have a hunt after the wild-ducks, or make a dash at

the pigs. I'm quite flat--flat as bad ginger-beer--flat as a pancake;

in fact, I want something to rouse me, to toss me up, as it were. Eh!

what do you say to it?"

"Well," answered Jack, throwing down the axe with which he was just

about to proceed towards the boat, "if that's what you want, I would

recommend you to make an excursion to the water-spouts. The last one we

had to do with tossed you up a considerable height; perhaps the next

will send you higher--who knows?--if you're at all reasonable or

moderate in your expectations!"

"Jack, my dear boy," said Peterkin gravely, "you are really becoming

too fond of jesting. It's a thing I don't at all approve of, and if you

don't give it up, I fear that, for our mutual good, we shall have to

part."

"Well then, Peterkin," replied Jack with a smile, "what would you have?"

"Have?" said Peterkin; "I would _have_ nothing. I didn't say I wanted

to _have;_ I said that I wanted to _do."_

"By-the-bye," said I, interrupting their conversation, "I am reminded

by this that we have not yet discovered the nature of yon curious

appearance that we saw near the water-spouts, on our journey round the

island. Perhaps it would be well to go for that purpose."

"Humph!" ejaculated Peterkin, "I know the nature of it well enough."

"What was it?" said I.

"It was of a _mysterious_ nature to be sure!" said he, with a wave of

his hand, while he rose from the log on which he had been sitting and

buckled on his belt, into which he thrust his enormous club.

"Well, then, let us away to the water-spouts," cried Jack, going up to

the bower for his bow and arrows; "and bring your spear, Peterkin. It

may be useful."

We now, having made up our minds to examine into this matter, sallied

forth eagerly in the direction of the water-spout rocks, which, as I

have before mentioned, were not far from our present place of abode. On

arriving there we hastened down to the edge of the rocks and gazed over

into the sea, where we observed the pale-green object still distinctly

visible, moving its tail slowly to and fro in the water.

"Most remarkable!" said Jack.

"Exceedingly curious!" said I.

"Beats everything!" said Peterkin.

"Now, Jack," he added, "you made such a poor figure in your last

attempt to stick that object, that I would advise you to let me try it.

If it has got a heart at all, I'll engage to send my spear right

through the core of it; if it hasn't got a heart, I'll send it through

the spot where its heart ought to be."

"Fire away then, my boy," replied Jack with a laugh.

Peterkin immediately took the spear, poised it for a second or two

above his head, then darted it like an arrow into the sea. Down it went

straight into the centre of the green object, passed quite through it,

and came up immediately afterwards, pure and unsullied, while the

mysterious tail moved quietly as before!

"Now," said Peterkin gravely, "that brute is a heartless monster; I'll

have nothing more to do with it."

"I'm pretty sure now," said Jack, "that it is merely a phosphoric

light; but I must say, I'm puzzled at its staying always in that exact

spot."

I also was much puzzled, and inclined to think with Jack that it must

be phosphoric light, of which luminous appearance we had seen much

while on our voyage to these seas. "But," said I, "there is nothing to

hinder us from diving down to it, now that we are sure it is not a

shark."

"True," returned Jack, stripping off his clothes; "I'll go down, Ralph,

as I'm better at diving than you are.--Now then, Peterkin, out o' the

road!" Jack stepped forward, joined his hands above his head, bent over

the rocks, and plunged into the sea. For a second or two the spray

caused by his dive hid him from view; then the water became still, and

we saw him swimming far down in the midst of the green object. Suddenly

he sank below it, and vanished altogether from our sight! We gazed

anxiously down at the spot where he had disappeared for nearly a

minute, expecting every moment to see him rise again for breath; but

fully a minute appeared, and still he did not reappear. Two minutes

passed! and then a flood of alarm rushed in upon my soul, when I

considered that, during all my acquaintance with him, Jack had never

stayed under water more than a minute at a time; indeed, seldom so long.

"O Peterkin!" I said, in a voice that trembled with increasing anxiety,

"something has happened. It is more than three minutes now." But

Peterkin did not answer, and I observed that he was gazing down into

the water with a look of intense fear mingled with anxiety, while his

face was overspread with a deadly paleness. Suddenly he sprang to his

feet and rushed about in a frantic state, wringing his hands, and

exclaiming, "O Jack, Jack! he is gone! It must have been a shark, and

he is gone for ever!"

For the next five minutes I know not what I did; the intensity of my

feelings almost bereft me of my senses. But I was recalled to myself by

Peterkin seizing me by the shoulders and staring wildly into my face,

while he exclaimed, "Ralph! Ralph! perhaps he has only fainted. Dive

for him, Ralph!"

It seemed strange that this did not occur to me sooner. In a moment I

rushed to the edge off the rocks, and without waiting to throw off my

garments, was on the point to spring into the waves, when I observed

something black rising up through the green object. In another moment

Jack's head rose to the surface, and he gave a wild shout, flinging

back the spray from his locks, as was his wont after a dive. Now we

were almost as much amazed at seeing him reappear, well and strong, as

we had been at first at his non-appearance; for, to the best of our

judgment, he had been nearly ten minutes under water, perhaps longer,

and it required no exertion of our reason to convince us that this was

utterly impossible for mortal man to do and retain his strength and

faculties. It was therefore with a feeling akin to superstitious awe

that I held down my hand and assisted him to clamber up the steep

rocks. But no such feeling affected Peterkin. No sooner did Jack gain

the rocks and seat himself on one, panting for breath, than he threw

his arms round his neck and burst into a flood of tears. "O Jack,

Jack!" said he, "where were you? What kept you so long?"

After a few moments Peterkin became composed enough to sit still and

listen to Jack's explanation, although he could not restrain himself

from attempting to wink every two minutes at me, in order to express

his joy at Jack's safety. I say he attempted to wink, but I am bound to

add that he did not succeed, for his eyes were so much swollen with

weeping, that his frequent attempts only resulted in a series of

violent and altogether idiotical contortions of the face, that were

very far from expressing what he intended. However, I knew what the

poor fellow meant by it, so I smiled to him in return, and endeavoured

to make believe that he was winking.

"Now, lads," said Jack, when we were composed enough to listen to him,

"yon green object is not a shark; it is a stream of light issuing from

a cave in the rocks. Just after I made my dive, I observed that this

light came from the side of the rock above which we are now sitting; so

I struck out for it, and saw an opening into some place or other that

appeared to be luminous within. For one instant I paused to think

whether I ought to venture. Then I made up my mind, and dashed into it.

For you see, Peterkin, although I take some time to tell this, it

happened in the space of a few seconds, so that I knew I had wind

enough in me to serve to bring me out o' the hole and up to the surface

again. Well, I was just on the point of turning--for I began to feel a

little uncomfortable in such a place--when it seemed to me as if there

was a faint light right above me. I darted upwards, and found my head

out of water. This relieved me greatly, for I now felt that I could

take in air enough to enable me to return the way I came. Then it all

at once occurred to me that I might not be able to find the way out

again; but, on glancing downwards, my mind was put quite at rest by

seeing the green light below me streaming into the cave, just like the

light that we had seen streaming out of it, only what I now saw was

much brighter.

"At first I could scarcely see anything as I gazed around me, it was so

dark; but gradually my eyes became accustomed to it, and I found that I

was in a huge cave, part of the walls of which I observed on each side

of me. The ceiling just above me was also visible, and I fancied that I

could perceive beautiful glittering objects there; but the farther end

of the cave was shrouded in darkness. While I was looking around me in

great wonder, it came into my head that you two would think I was

drowned; so I plunged down through the passage again in a great hurry,

rose to the surface, and--here I am!"

When Jack concluded his recital of what he had seen in this remarkable

cave, I could not rest satisfied till I had dived down to see it: which

I did, but found it so dark, as Jack had said, that I could scarcely

see anything. When I returned, we had a long conversation about it,

during which I observed that Peterkin had a most lugubrious expression

on his countenance.

"What's the matter, Peterkin?" said I.

"The matter?" he replied. "It's all very well for you two to be talking

away like mermaids about the wonders of this cave, but you know I must

be content to hear about it, while you are enjoying yourselves down

there like mad dolphins. It's really too bad."

"I'm very sorry for you, Peterkin, indeed I am," said Jack, "but we

cannot help you. If you would only learn to dive--"

"Learn to fly, you might as well say!" retorted Peterkin in a very

sulky tone.

"If you would only consent to keep still," said I, "we would take you

down with us in ten seconds."

"Hum!" returned Peterkin; "suppose a salamander was to propose to you

'only to keep still,' and he would carry you through a blazing fire in

a few seconds, what would you say?"

We both laughed and shook our heads, for it was evident that nothing

was to be made of Peterkin in the water. But we could not rest

satisfied till we had seen more of this cave; so, after further

consultation, Jack and I determined to try if we could take down a

torch with us, and set fire to it in the cavern. This we found to be an

undertaking of no small difficulty, but we accomplished it at last by

the following means: First, we made a torch of a very inflammable

nature out of the bark of a certain tree, which we cut into strips,

and, after twisting, cemented together with a kind of resin or gum,

which we also obtained from another tree; neither of which trees,

however, was known by name to Jack. This, when prepared, we wrapped up

in a great number of plies of cocoa-nut cloth, so that we were

confident it could not get wet during the short time it should be under

water. Then we took a small piece of the tinder, which we had carefully

treasured up lest we should require it, as before said, when the sun

should fail us; also, we rolled up some dry grass and a few chips,

which, with a little bow and drill, like those described before, we

made into another bundle, and wrapped it up in cocoa-nut cloth. When

all was ready, we laid aside our garments, with the exception of our

trousers, which, as we did not know what rough scraping against the

rocks we might be subjected to, we kept on.

Then we advanced to the edge of the rocks, Jack carrying one bundle,

with the torch, I the other, with the things for producing fire.

"Now don't weary for us, Peterkin, should we be gone some time," said

Jack; "we'll be sure to return in half-an-hour at the very latest,

however interesting the cave should be, that we may relieve your mind."

"Farewell!" said Peterkin, coming up to us with a look of deep but

pretended solemnity, while he shook hands and kissed each of us on the

cheek. "Farewell! and while you are gone I shall repose my weary limbs

under the shelter of this bush, and meditate on the changefulness of

all things earthly, with special reference to the forsaken condition of

a poor shipwrecked sailor boy!" So saying, Peterkin waved his hand,

turned from us, and cast himself upon the ground with a look of

melancholy resignation, which was so well feigned that I would have

thought it genuine had he not accompanied it with a gentle wink. We

both laughed, and springing from the rocks together, plunged head first

into the sea.

We gained the interior of the submarine cave without difficulty, and,

on emerging from the waves, supported ourselves for some time by

treading water, while we held the two bundles above our heads. This we

did in order to let our eyes become accustomed to the obscurity. Then,

when we could see sufficiently, we swam to a shelving rock, and landed

in safety. Having wrung the water from our trousers, and dried

ourselves as well as we could under the circumstances, we proceeded to

ignite the torch. This we accomplished without difficulty in a few

minutes; and no sooner did it flare up than we were struck dumb with

the wonderful objects that were revealed to our gaze. The roof of the

cabin just above us seemed to be about ten feet high, but grew higher

as it receded into the distance, until it was lost in darkness. It

seemed to be made of coral, and was supported by massive columns of the

same material. Immense icicles (as they appeared to us) hung from it in

various places. These, however, were formed not of ice, but of a

species of limestone, which seemed to flow in a liquid form towards the

point of each, where it became solid. A good many drops fell, however,

to the rock below, and these formed little cones, which rose to meet

the points above. Some of them had already met, and thus we saw how the

pillars were formed, which at first seemed to us as if they had been

placed there by some human architect to support the roof. As we

advanced farther in, we saw that the floor was composed of the same

material as the pillars; and it presented the curious appearance of

ripples such as are formed on water when gently ruffled by the wind.

There were several openings on either hand in the walls that seemed to

lead into other caverns; but, these we did not explore at this time. We

also observed that the ceiling was curiously marked in many places, as

if it were the fretwork of a noble cathedral; and the walls, as well as

the roof, sparkled in the light of our torch, and threw back gleams and

flashes as if they were covered with precious stones. Although we

proceeded far into this cavern, we did not come to the end of it; and

we were obliged to return more speedily than we would otherwise have

done, as our torch was nearly expended. We did not observe any openings

in the roof, or any indications of places whereby light might enter;

but near the entrance to the cavern stood an immense mass of pure white

coral rock, which caught and threw back the little light that found an

entrance through the cave's mouth, and thus produced, we conjectured,

the pale-green object which had first attracted our attention. We

concluded, also, that the reflecting power of this rock was that which

gave forth the dim light that faintly illumined the first part of the

cave.

Before diving through the passage again we extinguished the small piece

of our torch that remained, and left it in a dry spot; conceiving that

we might possibly stand in need of it, if at any future time we should

chance to wet our torch while diving into the cavern. As we stood for a

few minutes after it was out, waiting till our eyes became accustomed

to the gloom, we could not help remarking the deep, intense stillness

and the unutterable gloom of all around us; and, as I thought of the

stupendous dome above, and the countless gems that had sparkled in the

torchlight a few minutes before, it came into my mind to consider how

strange it is that God should make such wonderful and exquisitely

beautiful works never to be seen at all, except, indeed, by chance

visitors such as ourselves.

I afterwards found that there were many such caverns among the islands

of the South Seas, some of them larger and more beautiful than the one

I have just described.

"Now, Ralph, are you ready?" said Jack, in a low voice, that seemed to

echo up into the dome above.

"Quite ready."

"Come along, then," said he; and plunging off the ledge of the rock

into the water, we dived through the narrow entrance. In a few seconds

we were panting on the rocks above, and receiving the congratulations

of our friend Peterkin.