Volume Two—Chapter Three.
At Close Quarters with a Shark.
I awoke soon after sunrise the next morning, and, calling Bob, in accordance with an arrangement made overnight, we both jumped on board the boat, and, pulling to the opposite side of a tiny headland about a mile away, stripped and plunged overboard, where we swam and dived, and wallowed about in the deliciously cool element for a good half-hour, enjoying our bath as thoroughly as though we were a couple of school-boys playing truant. We were strongly tempted to make a small preliminary exploring excursion inland after this, but Miss Ella had solemnly bound us both down not to do so without her; so we returned to the Water Lily instead, wonderfully refreshed and invigorated by our dip, and quite ready for the early breakfast which was to form the first regular feature in the programme for the day.
As we rowed back to the cutter, I embraced the opportunity to pass once more over the spot where I thought I had observed the oyster-bed and, on reaching it, and peering down in the shadow of the boat, I found I was right there lay beneath us a bed of several yards extent of what I felt sure were oysters.
We described a short circuit round our little craft before stepping on board again; and I felt so ashamed of her dingy, weather-beaten appearance, that I resolved she should have a fresh coat of paint before she went outside again. This we decided she should receive next day, I undertaking to wield the paintbrush whilst Bob employed himself in overhauling the rigging and examining the spars.
Breakfast was soon disposed of, as we were all equally eager to stand once more on mother earth; and then, Bob providing himself with a few biscuits, whilst I did the same, adding a few knick-knacks for my fair companion, we jumped into the boat, and in a very few minutes reached the shore.
The painter was made fast to the stem of a stout shrub which grew close to the water’s edge; and then Bob went straight towards the widest patch of shade, and the softest turf he could find, and flung himself forthwith upon the ground, asserting that it was his fixed intention to remain there for the rest of the day, and enjoy his holiday in accordance with his own peculiar notions.
After a few vain attempts to persuade him that he would find it much more pleasant to accompany us in a ramble over the island, we gave him up to his own devices; and, Ella accepting the support of my arm, we strolled slowly away.
Our steps were directed, in the first instance, towards the northern end of the island; our path being sometimes over the short tender grass with which the ground was thickly clad, and at others along the sandy beach, to which we were occasionally compelled to diverge in consequence of the dense undergrowth, through which it would have been impossible for my companion to force her way.
We picked up several very beautiful shells on the beach, and Ella promised herself a long ramble before leaving the island, expressly for the purpose of collecting a few of the choicest varieties.
I was rather disappointed to find such a scarcity of fruit, there being none, as far as we could discover, beyond the cocoa-nuts and a few wild figs the latter rather insipid to the taste, though still a welcome change after the food we had all been accustomed to.
Ella very thoughtfully collected a little of this fruit for Bob, when we chanced to meet with a tree bearing figs of a superior flavour to the average, and I promised her that on our return I would secure a few cocoa-nuts, and treat her to a draught of the delightfully refreshing cool new milk. We found walking to be far more fatiguing than we had expected, after being pent up so long on shipboard, and I think I found it even more so than my companion, she having had until recently the comparatively wide range of a ship’s deck upon which to take exercise; whilst we of the Water Lily could only boast of “a fisherman’s walk, two steps, and overboard.”
I kept a sharp look-out for fresh water, intending to entirely refill our tank and casks; and Ella was equally anxious for such a discovery, as she gave me notice that she intended to hold a grand wash; desiring me, at the same time, to make up a bundle of all my soiled linen, etc., and deliver it over to her. This I, of course, flatly refused to do, assuring her that I was fully equal to the task of doing my own washing, and that I never would consent to her descending to the performance of so menial a task for me.
“What!” said she, releasing my arm to speak with the greater energy, “not allow me to wash a few shirts and socks for you, and your pocket-handkerchiefs? Indeed, but you must; it is woman’s peculiar province to wash clothes. Men never wash properly: they either half do it or else beat to pieces whatever they may be washing in the vain endeavour to properly purify it. Now you must let me have my own way just this once, please.”
I still refused, and added laughingly: “It seems to me to be a part of your creed that ‘it is woman’s peculiar province’ to do certain things for men; and that, if she is not at hand to do it, it cannot be done at all, or at all events in a satisfactory manner. I remember your urging the plea that ‘it is woman’s peculiar province’ to cook, as a means whereby to gain my consent to your taking charge of that department; and very grateful am I to you for so doing, for we have enjoyed our meals as we never did before; but as to your doing any washing but your own, I cannot and will not consent to it.”
“But why not?” she persisted. “Woman was created as a help-meet for man; and I am sure you will admit that our sex is more thoroughly qualified for the performance of certain duties than is man; and, where that is distinctly the case, it seems to me to point naturally to the conclusion that such duties form a part of her share of the work necessary for the comfort and happiness of the race. Of course I would not offer to wash for you or for myself, if we were in a large ship and with proper servants to do such work; but in our present circumstances I see nothing whatever of a menial or degrading character in it.”
“Perhaps not,” I replied. “I cannot enter quite so deeply as you do into the question. I can only say that the idea is too repugnant for me to consent to any such division of the ‘necessary work’ so please say no more about it, for my mind is made up, and I can be as stubborn as Bob himself upon occasion.”
“I quite believe you,” she retorted, half playfully and half disposed to be angry, “though I do not consider Bob stubborn at all. He always lets me do whatever I like; and what an original character he is. Do you know, I quite admire him. He is somewhat rough and unpolished, I admit, but he is as gentle to me as was my own dear mamma; and I hold to the opinion that a man who is gentle and courteous to women is a man of sterling worth, let his manner be as uncouth as it may. I believe that gentleness and courtesy to our sex is the first and most distinguishing mark of nature’s nobility. But why do you permit him to be so familiar and disrespectful in his manner of addressing you?”
“I do not consider him in the slightest decree disrespectful,” I replied. “He is much older than I am, and a man of far wider experience, at all events in all matters connected with our profession; and that, and our long and severely-tried friendship, abundantly justifies the familiarity of his mode of address. I dislike formality with every one except strangers. It is all very well as a means of keeping at a distance those you dislike and have no desire to become intimate with, but it is a rather formidable barrier to friendship.”
“So I think, responded Ella with animation. I do so wish—”
“What?” I inquired. She hesitated a little and blushed a great deal, and then, apparently with some effort, replied:
“Well, I wish you would exchange the formal ‘Miss Brand’ for the more friendly and familiar ‘Ella;’ that is, if you consider me worthy of your friendship.”
“I will indeed,” I replied, “with very great pleasure, if you will permit me to do so; and I trust that you, in return, will call me, as I love to be called by all my friends—Harry.”
“Very well,” she replied gaily, “I will; that is, as long as you are good to me, and do not displease me in any way. The sign of my sovereign displeasure will be a return to the formality of ‘Mr Collingwood.’”
We chatted blithely on after this upon all sorts of subjects, and I was both surprised and delighted at the depth and extent of my companion’s information. She had evidently read much, and, what was more to the purpose, had selected her reading with sound judgment, storing her mind abundantly with useful facts which she always had ready for production in support of an argument, or by way of illustration, and she frequently graced her conversation with choice quotations, introduced in the best taste and with a manner as far as possible removed from anything like affectation or pedantry. I was charmed beyond measure, and over and over again thanked the lucky accident which had rendered it my good fortune to be put upon terms of such close intimacy with so fascinating a little creature.
At length we completed our tour of the northern end of the island, returning by way of the eastern shore, until we were abreast the clump of cocoa-nut trees; when we struck inland; and, after a somewhat tortuous course between the thick-growing shrubs, reached the beach on our own side once more.
Unfortunately for Ella’s projected laundry operations, we had not been able to discover the slightest sign of a spring of fresh water anywhere.
When we arrived opposite the point where the Water Lily rode peacefully at anchor, Bob was nowhere to be seen. The boat still remained moored to the shrub, as we had left her, so I concluded that he had grown tired of inactivity and had gone off, in the opposite direction to ourselves, for a stroll. I therefore proposed to Ella that she should rest awhile upon the soft, velvety turf, whilst I returned to the cutter for a piece of rope, to aid me in my ascent after the cocoa-nuts.
The rope was soon obtained; and, returning to the shore, I passed it in a loose band round the trunk of one of the trees, leaving room in the band for the introduction of my own body.
By bearing against this whilst I raised my feet and then slipping the band up the tree, I was easily and quickly enabled to reach the fruit, from which I selected an abundant supply of the finest specimens and flung them to the ground.
Whilst thus engaged Bob hove in sight, and when I reached the ground again he reported that, having soon grown tired of doing nothing, he had started away on a walk to the southward, about half an hour after we left him, and had gone to the extreme end of the island; that he had enjoyed his walk amazingly, was excessively tired, and, like ourselves, had failed to find any fresh water.
Under these circumstances poor little Ella was compelled to postpone her washing-day, I promising that she should have the necessary time allowed her at the first suitable island we happened to reach.
By this time the dinner-hour was approaching, and Ella desired to be put on board the cutter to make the few slight preparations for the meal which were necessary.
As soon as we had put her on board and whilst she was thus engaged, I took Bob away with me in the boat to try for a few oysters. We had no means of trawling for them; but I estimated that they lay in not more than about two and a half fathoms of water, and I considered myself quite diver enough to reach that distance.
As soon as we arrived at the spot I stripped and plunged in, taking down with me an old canvas clothes-bag, which I slung round my neck.
I soon found that I had been deceived, by the crystal transparency of the water, into underestimating the depth. It was fully four fathoms to the bottom; and this, together with the difficulty I experienced in keeping the mouth of the bag open, necessitated four plunges before I had obtained half the bag full. There was not time to do more just then, so I dressed, the bag was hauled up, and we returned with our prize to the cutter.
We resolved to commence dinner with a course of oysters, and I forthwith proceeded to open some, a task which gave me a very considerable amount of difficulty.
Imagine, if you can, my surprise and delight when on opening the second oyster I found that it contained several small pearls; the third was opened, and it also contained several the fourth had none, but the fifth on being opened revealed three beauties, each as large as the top of my middle finger. To be brief, I was soon satisfied that I had stumbled upon a bed of pearl-oysters, about half of the bivalves yielding when opened more or less pearls, the greater quantity being small, such as are set in rings; but several good-sized pearls were also found, and one magnificent fellow, as large as a cherry.
As may easily be imagined, we were all excitement after this; and I proposed that, as soon as dinner was over, we should move the cutter down and anchor her upon the bed, and devote the remainder of the afternoon to systematic pearl-fishing. The proposition was rapturously received, Ella declaring that she had often read of pearl-fishing, and should very much like to witness the operation.
Accordingly, dinner was no sooner over than we weighed and stood down to the spot under our jib, and having reached it the cutter was anchored as nearly as possible over the centre of the bed. I had hit upon a plan by which, I thought, some of my difficulties of the morning might be got over; and, as soon as we were brought up, Bob and I got our floating-anchor on deck, stretched the canvas upon it, and rigging out our spinnaker-boom, a rope was passed through the sheave in the outer end of it, and bent to the crowfoot of the floating-anchor, which thus hung suspended, like a large tray, over the water. It was then lowered to the bottom; a small pig of ballast was got on deck and slung to another rope’s-end, and I then went below and changed my dress for an old white shirt and duck trousers, buckling a belt round my waist, to which, as it happened, a strong sharp sheath-knife was attached.
Being now ready to descend I looked over the side, and satisfied myself that our floating-anchor lay all right at the bottom, and in such a manner as properly to perform its new functions as a tray. I then slipped over the side into the water, grasping firmly the rope to which the piece of ballast was attached; and, having well filled my lungs with air, I waved my disengaged hand. Bob let go the rope, and the ballast draped me swiftly to the bottom.
Still retaining my hold upon the sinker with one hand, I now rapidly shovelled the oysters into my “tray” with the other, as long as I could hold my breath; and I was satisfied, at the first experiment, that my expedient was a complete success, thrice as many oysters being deposited in the tray at one dive as I had obtained altogether in the morning.
I soon had to rise to get a fresh inhalation; but by hauling up the sinker every time, so as to have the benefit of its assistance in taking me to the bottom, I was enabled to reserve all my breath and energy for my work at the oysters; and so successful was I, that, in three descents, I managed to place upon the tray as many oysters as it would hold. It was now hauled up, its contents carefully transferred to the cutter’s deck, and the anchor or tray again lowered to the bottom.
This operation had been repeated five times, with the result that a goodly pile of bivalves now graced the deck; and I had crone down a second time on the sixth round (if I may so express myself), when suddenly a dark shadow fell upon the spot on which I was at work. I glanced upward, and, to my unspeakable horror, saw an enormous shark floating motionless within a fathom of, and directly above, me.
Why he did not attack me at once I could not imagine but I conjecture that it was because, lying flat upon the ground as I was, he had not room to turn, as sharks invariably do when seizing their prey. My blood seemed fairly to congeal in my veins as I realised my appalling position.
I must rise to the surface in a very few seconds or drown where I was; and I felt convinced that the moment I was far enough from the bottom to permit of the monster making his rush, he would do so.
Suddenly, the remembrance of my sheath-knife flashed across my brain. There was no time to hesitate; my powers of endurance were almost utterly exhausted, and I felt that I could hold my breath but a second or two longer so I quickly drew the knife, and darting suddenly upwards, succeeded in grasping the shark with my left hand by his starboard fin, whilst with my right I plunged my weapon to the hilt in his gleaming white belly, extending my arm to its full length as I did so, and thus inflicting a wound nearly or quite two feet in length.
Remembering the wonderful vitality of the shark, I did not content myself with this; but thrusting my armed hand into the gaping wound, I drew the knife two or three times rapidly across his interior arrangements, inflicting such severe injuries that in less than a minute after I rose to the surface blood-stained from head to foot, and speechless with exhaustion, the shark also appeared, floating dead within a dozen yards of the cutter.
Bob’s strong and ready hand was promptly extended to assist me in over the cutter’s low gunwale but so thoroughly exhausted was I, that I felt utterly unable to make the slightest effort in aid of my shipmate’s exertions, and he was obliged to drag me bodily inboard, where, after an unavailing effort to stand, I sank upon the deck, gasping for breath, and utterly unable to utter a word.
Ella’s eager face blanched deadly white at the horrifying spectacle I presented as I lay prone at her feet, my once white clothing now deeply imbued with blood, and I thought she would have fainted; but she struggled bravely against the weakness, though she could not repress a violent shudder, which thrilled through her from head to foot.
Sinking to her knees at my side, she gently raised me until my head rested upon her throbbing breast, and gazing upon my face with a look expressive of the deepest anxiety, she inquired, “Where are you hurt, Harry? Is it much? Are you in very great pain?”
I made a powerful but unavailing effort to reply, when seeing my lips move, but without any sound issuing from them, she suddenly lost her self-control, and shrieking, “He is dying, Bob; dying, I tell you. Oh! what can we do to save him?” burst into an overwhelming passion of tears and clasping me convulsively to her bosom, she sobbed forth wild prayers for mercy, mingled with the tenderest and most endearing epithets that ever sprang from the heart of a passionately loving woman to her lips.
Surprised beyond all power of expression, and almost overwhelmed with delight at this utterly unexpected betrayal of her feeling for me, I could not suffer her to continue; so having by this time somewhat recovered my breath, I gasped out, “I am not hurt, Ella; indeed I am not; I was only overcome for the moment with exhaustion; pray calm yourself.”
“Not hurt!” she exclaimed eagerly; “not injured at all? Thank God, oh, thank God for that! But—was it kind, sir—was it like a gentleman, to permit me to be surprised into such expressions as those which have just escaped my lips? How can I ever hold up my head again in your presence, or look you in the face?”
“Hush, Ella, darling,” I whispered. “Do not distress yourself, I entreat you. I have much to say to you, and what has just passed has but precipitated matters a little. Retire below for a short time, and calm your agitated feelings; and this evening I will ask you to favour me with a few minutes of your society on shore, when I will enter into such explanations as I trust will prove entirely satisfactory, and have the effect of completely healing your wounded sensibility.
“Why,” continued I cheerily, “that is well; the roses are already returning to your cheeks, and by the time that I have been down once or twice more, and have secured another—”
“Merciful Heaven!” she exclaimed, in horrified accents, “do I hear aright? Is it possible you can be mad enough to contemplate going into the water again, after having so narrowly escaped from such a horrible death? You must not, Harry and you will not, if you entertain the slightest feeling of—of—friendship for me. Indeed, I could not bear it; another shock, such as I have just received, would kill me. Pray have some little compassion upon me.”
“Enough, Ella, and more than enough, I answered, deeply moved. Henceforward your wishes are law to me and, since you object to my going overboard again, I promise you faithfully that I will not do so. Now go below, dear, and lie down for a short time, whilst Bob and I take the cutter back to her old moorings.”
As soon as she was out of sight, Bob, who had stood patiently on one side whilst the above dénouement was taking place, approached, and, extending his hand, exclaimed:
“Now that the little beauty has done with ye, lad, give an old friend a shake of your flipper. I’m right down glad to see ye well and hearty, my dear boy,” he continued, with strong emotion.
“We both saw that doubly and everlastingly damned brute range up and take a berth close above ye; and, to own the plain, honest truth, I put ye down as good as done for. There warn’t no time to do anything by way of warning ye, or lending ye a hand anyways; for, afore I could collect my scattered wits, we saw ye let go the sinker, and next minute the water alongside was like a biling pot; and then we seed the blood, and damn me if I didn’t turn that sick and queer I couldn’t see a thing, just for a moment; and when I hauled ye aboard, I couldn’t for the life of me tell whether you was dead or alive. Now let’s get up them few h’isters that was like to have cost us all so dear, and get away from the spot as soon as we can.”
We were not very long in getting the remainder of the oysters on board, and soon afterwards we had the cutter back at her old berth. Our first task, as soon as the craft was at anchor again, was to transfer our booty to the shore, where we spread them out on a large tarpaulin on the sand to die. The method pursued by the regular pearl-fishers, I believe, is to allow the fish to remain until they are in an advanced stage of decay, when the pearls are sought for amongst the putrid mass. I felt no inclination, however, for such a task, and, moreover, did not care to expend so much time as this process involved. I conjectured that, the fish once dead, they might be opened with comparatively little difficulty; and I thought that by the time our overhaul and painting was completed, the oysters would be in a fit state for operating upon.
Ella now reappeared on deck somewhat more composed, though there was still a slight nervous flutter perceptible in her movements. I took advantage of her presence on deck to remark casually that I would now go below and change my dress, and cleanse myself from the traces of my recent encounter, which I forthwith did; and when I had refreshed myself with a copious ablution, I really felt very little the worse for my adventure. Indeed, I believe that I was less discomposed by it than either of the others.
After tea was over, I took occasion to remind Ella that I had somewhat to say to her, and requested her to accompany me on shore and take a short walk on the beach, that I might speak without being embarrassed by Bob’s presence.
She stepped silently into the boat, and in a few minutes more we stood together on the strand. Taking the arm which I offered her, she said:
“Now, Harry, what is it you wish to say to me?”
“Simply this,” I replied. “From the nature of my occupation I have had, as you may suppose, but very few opportunities of associating with your sex. With the solitary exception of my sister, I cannot say that I am intimately acquainted with any woman; and I am an utter stranger to everything relating to womankind. I know nothing whatever of their characteristics, and have not the slightest idea of how they are likely to be influenced by powerful emotions. It may be that, under such circumstances, they sometimes utter words of which they are wholly unconscious, and which have not the most remote relation to their actual sentiments. If this really be the case, a man of honour, chancing to hear such words escape the lips of a lady, will forthwith forget that they were ever uttered. This I am prepared to do with regard to the words spoken by you this afternoon, Ella, if you wish me to understand that they had no meaning. True, it will dispel a brief but blissful dream in which I have dared to indulge for a short hour or two: but what right have I to suppose that I have awakened within your breast any sentiment beyond that of the merest friendship, if I may dare to aspire even to that, especially when I take into consideration the shortness of the time you have known me? It has been but a few days, I know but almost from the moment that we met upon the deck of the Copernicus, a new and hitherto unknown feeling has animated me; it has grown with every hour of my life since then, and, without analysing its nature, I have permitted it to strengthen until it has become a part of my very life itself; a feeling which I must perforce still continue to cherish—whether for weal or for woe, it is for you to say—as long as life remains. In saying that I never analysed this feeling I am stating what is strictly true; but in that dread moment this afternoon, when I unexpectedly found myself face to face with death in one of its most dreadful forms”—my companion shuddered violently—“in that terrible moment, I say, the discovery flashed upon me that the feeling to which I have referred is love, the most passionate, devoted, idolising love. Tell me, Ella, tell me, my darling, may I dare to hope that at some time in the distant future, when you shall have had opportunities of becoming better acquainted with me—”
“Cease, Harry,” the dear girl interrupted with deep emotion, “cease, I pray you, to agitate yourself with causeless fears. Why should I hesitate—after having already given such unequivocal expression to my feelings to avow that, like yourself, I have loved almost from the first moment of our meeting. I know not whether now, or at any future time, you will deem my heart too easily won; but, if you do, remember that the advantage has been from the first all on your side. You appeared as my deliverer from a situation of peculiar trial to a young and delicately brought-up girl, and of peril the nature and extent of which you are better able to realise than I am to tell, so, in judging me, you must not forget to take into consideration, and give me the benefit of, the peculiar circumstances of the case. And whether lightly won or not, you shall find, dear Harry, that my love is not the less sincere and loyal on that account for never was there a truer or more devoted wife than I will be to you, if it please God to permit us to become united.”
And saying this, my little darling turned, and with unaffected confiding simplicity, wound her soft arms about my neck, and raised her sweet lips to mine.
The conversation which followed, deeply interesting as it was to the parties engaged, need not be reproduced here suffice it to say that the insight I thus obtained of Ella’s character and disposition amply justified the sudden and precipitate step I had taken. That it was precipitate I could not and did not attempt to conceal from myself, and that it would have been highly imprudent under ordinary circumstances thus to connect myself by so binding a tie as betrothal to one of whose very existence I was ignorant but a short fortnight before, I was also fully aware; but, after all, marriage is, to a very great extent, a lottery and one can never be really certain, until after the nuptial knot has been tied, whether one has drawn a prize or a blank.
There are some women in whom a fresh trait of character is always revealing itself, so that, just when you think you have at last succeeded in thoroughly understanding them, you discover that you are just as far off any reliable knowledge of their character as ever.
But with Ella it was very different. There was a childlike openness and ingenuousness of manner about her which quickly revealed to the observer, not only the salient points, but also the finer gradations of her character and temperament; and I believe that I had a clearer insight into both at the time that I thus hastily offered myself, than many men who do the same thing after an acquaintance of a “season,” and with such knowledge as they are able to pick up by meeting their charmer at balls, picnics, canters in the “Row,” and what not.
At length we returned to the cutter, where we found Bob, with his pipe still between his teeth, sitting aft fast asleep. I wished Ella “good-night,” and then roused Master Bob up; and whilst we smoked a final pipe together, communicated my good fortune to him.
“Ay, ay!” said he, as soon as I had told him, “you may thank ‘Jack Shark’ for having it come upon ye so soon, lad; it was bound to come sooner or later. I’ve seed it clearer and clearer every day, but it warn’t for me to say a word one way or t’other; but the narrer squeak you had for it this a’ternoon just took the little lady flat aback, and afore she could pay off, you see, she let run a whole string of lovin’ words that there warn’t no way of hauling aboard and coiling down out of sight ag’in; and so she hadn’t no ch’ice but just to haul down her colours as soon as you opened fire. Well, you’ve made a pretty prize, Harry, and I congratulate ye with all my heart. A trimmer model, or one better ballasted with the right sort of feelin’s and idees, no man need wish to sail the v’y’ge of life in company with, and as to her being fond of ye, why, she couldn’t help showing of it, try all she would. She couldn’t talk of nothing else from morning to night but you. It don’t matter what the conversation started with, whether ’twas ships, or flyin’-fish, or hurricanes, waterspouts—anything in heaven or airth, she’d bring it all round in a sort of great-circle-sailing fashion to you. And now that you’ve got her, lad, I hope as you’ll be able to sail her properly. Women is very ticklish craft to handle, you must hear in mind; as tender in a squall as a racin’ cutter with all her flyin’-kites aloft; and you’ll have to keep a sharp look-out to win’ard, and have the halliards and sheets all ready for lettin’ run at a moment’s notice, or you’ll maybe get something ser’ous carried away, or have a reg’lar downright wrack altogether afore you knows where you are.”
I could not help smiling at this characteristic speech of congratulation and caution of Bob’s, to which I of course made a suitable reply and then shaking hands, we went below and tumbled into our respective hammocks.
Volume Two—Chapter Four.
The Lily among Breakers.
The next morning we were up betimes, and that Ella might be removed from the scene of dirt and confusion which the cutter would present during the day, our first act was to convey on shore the necessary rear and materials for the preparation and consumption of our meals there, it being anticipated that one day would suffice for all we intended to do just then.
By the time that we had done so and had returned to the cutter, Ella made her appearance on deck, meeting me affectionately, and then turning to thank Bob for the congratulations the honest and warm-hearted fellow saw fit to offer on the occasion. These over, I pulled the dear girl ashore, and she forthwith set about seeking for a favourable spot where to spread the tablecloth upon the sward, and to arrange her equipage, a fire having already been lighted and the kettle suspended over it, gipsy-fashion, from three crossed sticks.
Whilst she was thus engaged I returned on board, and routed out our small stock of paints, and set to work mixing them, whilst Bob, having already washed down inboard, busied himself in casting off and easing up the rigging preparatory to a regular overhaul, the first thing after breakfast.
As soon as the meal was ready, Ella came down to the beach and waved her pocket-handkerchief, the signal agreed upon; and we pulled ashore and took a hasty meal, it being understood that the day would be a busy one, I being desirous of finishing all before sunset, so as to make a start again next day, there being nothing to detain us or to make it worth our while to prolong our stay where we then were.
Breakfast over, Bob and I pulled back to the cutter, where we at once commenced work in earnest, leaving Ella to amuse herself by strolling along the shore and making her proposed collection of shells. By dinner-time I succeeded in finishing the painting, giving the craft not only a coat of black from her rail down to the copper, with a white stripe or ribbon round the ornamental groove cut for that purpose in the covering-board, but also a coat of pale stone-colour all round the inside of her low bulwarks, as well as a touch of varnish on the teak and mahogany-fittings of the deck.
This left me free to assist Bob in the afternoon, and such good progress did we make that by sunset the rigging had been overhauled and lifted, the mast-head examined in the eyes of the rigging, new service put on where required, and everything got back into its place again, the lanyards all set up, and the mainsail rebent, which it badly required.
We then had a good wash and adjourned to the shore, where we found our fair companion awaiting us with tea all ready, and a collection of most beautiful shells to exhibit, the fruits of her day’s gathering. As soon as the meal was over, everything was transported on board again, and put in its place; and I then rejoined Ella, who remained on shore, and we had a very enjoyable ramble, enlivened with such conversation as lovers delight in.
The next morning, as soon as breakfast was over, we all adjourned to the shore once more; and whilst Ella, at my recommendation, took another stroll about the island. Bob and I set to work upon the oysters. They were all dead by this time, of course, and not only so, but in such a condition that it taxed our resolution to the utmost to go through with the task about which we had set ourselves.
But what will man not do for the sake of wealth? It is true, we both felt sanguine about finding our treasure-island; and if the account we had received of it was true, there was more wealth there than we had the means of taking away with us; still we could not resist the temptation to secure this, comparatively speaking, small windfall that had come in our way, so we persevered; and we certainly had no reason to be dissatisfied with our reward.
When all was over we found that our acquisition amounted to about a quart-measure full of seed-pearls, and a similar measure full of pearls of a large size, ranging from the size of peas to, in one instance, a splendid fellow fully as large as a pigeon’s egg, many others being nearly as fine.
This task occupied us all the morning, and when it was finished we returned to the cutter, and at once set about taking our boat to pieces and stowing her away below.
This done, we took dinner, immediately after which Bob and I got the canvas set, hove up our anchor, and stood away for the western passage through the reef.
This passage was much wider than the one by which we had entered, and not nearly so crooked; and as we were just within the influence of the trade-winds, and it trended generally in a westerly direction, we had a fair wind through, so we had no difficulty whatever in passing out between the reefs, which we did under easy sail jetting the gaff-topsail and spinnaker upon the craft, however, as soon as we were fairly outside.
The wind was blowing fresh, but steady, from about south-east, and as our course was west-north-west, we flew merrily away very nearly dead before the wind, with our spinnaker boomed out to port.
Bob took the afternoon watch, and I retired below and lay down, as it was my eight hours out that night.
Ella remained on deck chatting gaily with Bob, and busying herself with some mysterious bit of sewing, and I soon dropped off into a doze.
Nothing of importance occurred for the remainder of that day, nor during the next.
Ella now regularly kept the first night-watch with me, whenever it was my eight hours out, and many a pleasant chat did we have together; and more and more reason did I see for congratulating myself upon my choice of a bride, hasty as that choice had been.
Now that we had had an explanation, and there no longer existed any reason for the fair girl’s concealing her ardent attachment to me, many little puzzling peculiarities and contradictions, which I had before observed in her conduct, disappeared; and I found her society more charming and her conversation more frank and enjoyable every day.
There was not a particle of coquettishness, or nonsense of any kind about her, and she made no hesitation whatever about acknowledging frankly yet modestly, the warmth of her affection.
She questioned me eagerly, and with the utmost interest, about my father; and I saw with delight that there was already springing up within her breast a feeling of regard for him, simply because he happened to be my father, which promised, with but a little encouragement, to blossom into deep affection.
In the prospect of finding the treasure she also exhibited an interest, but it was nothing in comparison with the other.
On one occasion, for example, when in speaking of it, I endeavoured to explain to her that there was no absolute certainty of our being able to find it, and that if we failed I should be compelled of necessity to return to my own profession as a means of support, she replied, “Well, Harry, dear, I really do hope you will find it, for it would be very hard to have you away from me for many months at a time, or indeed at all but I could reconcile myself to that if we only happen to be fortunate enough to find your dear father, so that I might have the satisfaction of knowing that when my darling was absent from me, he would be with a beloved parent.”
She was not at all insensible to the advantages of wealth; but I could see, in many little ways, that she was quite sincere in the statement she often made, that she would willingly sacrifice our chances of securing the gold for the certainty of discovering my father.
When I went on deck at seven-bells, in answer to Bob’s call, on the morning but one succeeding the day of our departure from the island, I found that the wind had dropped almost to a dead calm, the Lily making no more than about three knots; and that there was a heavy sultry feeling in the air, quite different from the usual freshness of the sea breeze. A thin and almost impalpable vapour was spread over the entire firmament, like a curtain, and away to the eastward a heavy bank of dark menacing cloud was slowly rising above the horizon.
A glance at the aneroid, which was fixed in the companion-way, so as to be visible to the helmsman, revealed the fact that the pointer of the instrument had gone considerably back; and this, together with the threatening aspect of the heavens, made me fear that we were about to have a very unpleasant break in the fine weather we had been favoured with since entering the Pacific.
“I don’t like the looks of things, Harry,” said Bob, as I glanced round at the aspect of our surroundings; “that glass there has gone back a good inch within the hour, and this light-flying stuff overhead has sprung from Lord knows where within the last ten minutes; and that bank down yonder seems to me to be working about in a way that’s altogether onaccountable, and looks very much as though ’twas breeding mischief. I’d ha’ called ye before, lad, but it’s only within these ten minutes that there’s been anything out of the way about the look of the weather.”
“It has a threatening look about it, certainly,” I replied, “and we will not waste a moment in getting the canvas off the craft, and in making her snug for whatever may befall. Leave the tiller to take care of itself, Bob, and in with the gaff-topsail, whilst I hand the spinnaker. Never mind about rolling them up; we can do that by-and-by, if we have time. So that’s well. Now settle away the peak halliards, or—here, let me have them, and I will lower away both peak and throat, whilst you gather in the sail. Now roll it snugly up, and stow it securely, and put the cover on, whilst I get in the jib and lower the topmast. Be as lively as you like, Bob; we shall have none too much time, by the look of things astern. Now we may yet roll up these sails and get them out of the way below, if we are smart. You do that, whilst I close-reef the foresail. I hope that whatever is coming will not last long; for we are in rather an ugly berth here among so many islands, and it may not be an easy matter to avoid them if we are obliged to scud, as I expect we shall be.”
We worked with a will, and in a quarter of an hour had the craft stripped, with the exception of a close-reefed foresail, and her topmast lowered. All the time that we were working, the heavy bank astern had been rising and spreading itself over the heavens like a dark canopy, the vast mass of vapour of which it was composed writhing and twisting like the contortions of a wounded snake; and by the time that our preparations were complete, the entire sky was overspread, with the exception of a low strip away on the western horizon, which was rapidly lessening, even as we looked upon it.
The interposition of this vast curtain of vapour between us and the sky caused an awful semi-darkness to fall upon the scene, and this was still further increased by the presence of a kind of smoky mist, which now filled the air, rendering everything so obscure that it was difficult to see further than a mile on either side.
Ella now came upon deck to announce that breakfast was ready, but we had something else to occupy our attention just then; and the fair girl placed her arm in mine, and gazed with us in silence at the awe-inspiring scene.
The wind had died away altogether, but the inky sea exhibited a singular and alarming appearance, leaping into low waves which had no run in any direction, and which presented more the appearance of what we see on the surface of a simmering caldron than anything else to which I can compare it.
Suddenly a blinding flash of lightning rent the canopy overhead, and simultaneously came the cracking, rattling crash of the thunder. I directed Ella to retire below, and not to attempt returning to the deck unless I called her, advising her also to get her breakfast at once, and clear everything away, if she wished to save the crockery, as I expected we should soon have more of both wind and sea than we wanted.
I then closed the cabin doors and drew over the slide, and well it was that I did so; for at that moment there came another flash, another deafening, stunning peal, and then the floodgates of heaven were opened, and the rain descended in such blinding sheets that our deck was in less than a minute full to the low rail, notwithstanding that there was an inch of clear space all round the craft, between bulwarks and covering-board, to enable her to free herself rapidly of water.
This lasted perhaps five minutes, and then the rain ceased as suddenly as it had come on. It was, to compare great things with small, like the emptying of a bucket of water. It was a deluge whilst it lasted, and it ceased as suddenly as would the shower from a bucket when its contents had all fallen to the ground.
Another minute or two of suspense succeeded, and then a pale, primrose-coloured streak appeared on the horizon to the eastward, rapidly increasing in size, and a hollow moaning sound gradually became audible in the air. I did not like it at all. I was sure something out of the common was about to happen, and I desired Bob to go forward and haul down the foresail, and stow it.
He had just done this, and was coming aft again, when he sung out, “Here it comes at last, Harry; stand by the tiller.” I looked, and away astern, right and left, far as the eye could reach, was a rapidly advancing and widening streak of white foam. On it came, outstripping in speed the fastest express train, the sea in front of it inky black, whilst behind it was all as white as milk. I sat down on deck, bracing my feet against the companion, and desired Bob to do the same and it was well we did so, or I verily believe we should have been blown overboard.
The hurricane struck us fairly astern, and I fully expected to see the mast go clean out of the cutter, whilst the foam boiled up over the taffrail and surged inboard, filling our decks, and piling; over us in a truly alarming manner. However, our rigging was all first-rate, and stood the tremendous strain bravely and, the laws of nature asserting their supremacy even in this wild scene, the little Lily rose and shook herself clear of the water which had swept in over her, and then away she flew, at a perfectly frightful speed, dead before it.
Had she been of the usual model, her bows would have been forced under by the enormous pressure of the wind behind, and she would have gone down head foremost; but, sharp as were her water-lines, her bows curved boldly out above water, and thus afforded her a support forward, which now proved her salvation.
The first fierceness of the gust lasted perhaps five minutes, possibly not so much, but it is difficult to measure time on such occasions as these, and then we got the strength of the gale proper. I thought it blew pretty hard off Cape Horn, but it was a trifle compared with this.
The sea remained perfectly smooth, for the simple reason that it could not get up. The tops of the surges, as they rose, were taken by the wind and swept off as neatly as you would cut a flower from its stalk with a riding-switch, and the air was filled completely with this scud water, rendering it so thick that it was impossible to see a cable’s length ahead.
As all immediate danger was for the present over, I now desired Bob to push back the companion slide, leaving the doors still closed however, and go below and get a mouthful of something to eat, as I did not know what call might yet be made upon our energies, and it was desirable that we should not allow ourselves to become exhausted from want of food.
As soon as he had snatched a hasty meal, he relieved me, and I went below in my turn, when I found that Ella had contrived to keep some coffee hot for us, as well as a supply of the cakes or rolls which she was so fond of making; and the dear girl, pale and terrified as she was, took her place at the table, attending to my wants with true womanly assiduity and self-forgetfulness.
She earnestly entreated to be allowed to accompany me on deck, and share whatever danger there might be, but this of course I would not allow, asserting, a little ungallantly, I fear, that she could do no good there, and would only be in the way. I gave her permission, however, to stand in the companion-way and look abroad upon the strange scene, providing that she wrapped herself well up, and put on my macintosh to prevent becoming wet through, and this concession she gratefully accepted.
Hour after hour we flew before the fury of the gale, my anxiety increasing with every mile that we travelled, for my chart told me that a group of islands lay directly ahead as we were then steering; and I knew, by my reckoning, that we must be drawing fearfully close to them, if indeed we were not already actually among them.
The wind had moderated, to a certain extent, from its first terrific violence, but it was still blowing far too hard to permit of our rounding-to, and making use of our floating-anchor; any attempt to do so must inevitably have resulted in the craft “turning the turtle” with us, and I had, therefore, no choice but to keep scudding.
The sea began to get up, too, now, and followed us in a very menacing manner, the huge foaming crests rearing high above our taffrail, and threatening every moment to fall on board. So great did this danger at last become, that I reluctantly directed Bob to go forward and set the foresail (which I had close-reefed before it was stowed) upon the craft.
This, in such weather, and with only one hand to do the work, promised to be a task of no ordinary difficulty; but Bob was the man to do it if any one could, and he set about the work with all the care and skill of which he was master.
I sheered the cutter about one point to port to keep the sail steadily drawing; and, the sheets being carefully trimmed, the old fellow took the halliards in one hand, knelt down upon the sail, and cast off the stops by which it was secured. He then steadied the halliards taut, sprang to the weather-side of the deck, and swayed away, catching a turn under a belaying-pin the moment the sail was up.
It almost set itself, and by Bob’s careful management it was filled and drawing without a single flap, which would at that moment have insured its destruction.
The effect of the exhibition of this mere shred of canvas was such a material acceleration of speed that we were no longer in any great danger of being “pooped;” but, on the other hand, we were now rushing with the greater impetuosity down upon the dangers which, I had too much reason to fear, awaited us ahead.
Indeed, I had abundant confirmation of these fears within the next half-hour, for we soon afterwards dashed past an extensive reef—over which the sea boiled and seethed with terrific violence—at so short a distance that, but for our slight alteration of course when the foresail was set, we must have plunged headlong upon it. To add to my anxiety, it still continued thick as ever, rendering it utterly impossible to see above a cable’s length, or two at the utmost, on any side of us.
So anxious did I at last become, that I was on the point of resigning the helm to Bob, that I might go below to consult the chart, and ascertain as nearly as I could our exact position, when suddenly, directly ahead, appeared a wild waste of boiling foaming surf, swirling, seething, and leaping high in the air, where it became instantly dissipated in the form of a dense driving mist.
I glanced wildly to port and to starboard, vainly hoping I should see clear unbroken water on one side or the other, though we were already too near the breakers to escape them. But far as the eye could penetrate the dense atmosphere on either side, stretched the remorseless breakers, and in another minute we were among them.
On first catching sight of the broken water, I had pointed to the companion in which Ella still stood; and Bob, seeing the action, caught my meaning in a moment, and with rather scant ceremony, thrust the poor little girl’s head below and drew the slide close over.
At the same instant I thought I detected a spot where the sea was breaking somewhat less madly than elsewhere, and I gave the cutter a strong sheer to starboard, that we might enter the surf at that point, it being my opinion that then lay the deepest water.
I had no hope of escaping, but the instinct of self-preservation asserted itself, as it always will, and prompted me to avail myself of even the slenderest and most doubtful chance in our favour.
The cutter heeled violently down, burying her lee gunwale half-deck high in the seething water, and I thought for a moment that she was going over altogether with us; the foresail jibed with a loud flap, and blew clear and clean out of the bolt-rope, and at the same instant the Water Lily plunged wildly into the boiling surf.
I braced myself for the shock which I expected would instantly follow, accompanied by the crashing in of the poor little craft’s timbers, but she did not touch.
The water tumbled on board forward, aft, everywhere, and Bob and I were frequently standing waist deep; and still the cutter rushed furiously on, all my efforts and energies now being directed to keeping as much as possible in those parts where the sea broke with least violence.
After the first half-minute or so, finding that we did not strike, hope faintly revived within me, especially as the cutter suddenly shot into a belt of unbroken water.
Down this channel we rushed, sheering now to port, now to starboard, as we followed its windings, the water becoming smoother with every fathom we proceeded.
I began to hope that our troubles were coming to an end, when suddenly the channel took a quick bend to windward, and without sail upon the boat it became impossible to follow it.
Selecting, as before, that part where the surf broke least heavily, I was fain therefore once again to let the little Lily drive into the white water, and the next moment we touched, though but lightly.
Another perilous quarter of a mile was run, and then, the air being rather clearer, I saw, some distance ahead, beyond the now much reduced surf, clear water again; but there was an unbroken barrier of foam between us and it, and from its appearance I greatly feared that the reef rose everywhere in that direction dangerously near to the surface.
There was not much to choose in the way of a course just then, so I steered for the nearest point of the new channel, and was just congratulating myself that we should reach it without touching again, when we plunged into the thickest of the foam, struck heavily, and sheered broadside to, heeling over so violently that Bob lost his footing and his hold together, and fell into the sea to leeward.
The main-sheet was lying coiled upon the deck under my hand, and I threw it over to him bodily. He fortunately caught it, and, exerting his utmost strength, succeeded in clambering on board again.
As he did so, a huge roller came foaming and tumbling towards us, striking our upturned side so violently that it hove us fairly over on our beam-ends, whilst it lifted us clear of the ledge to which we had hung, and launched us into the unbroken water to leeward.
Once clear of the ledge, the little craft instantly righted, and I put the helm hard up. We soon paid off, and swept away to leeward once more; but we were now in a good broad channel, with comparatively smooth water, and I saw, with satisfaction, that the surf on each side of us was becoming less and less heavy every minute.
Five minutes might have elapsed perhaps after we last struck, when I saw land looming through the haze ahead, and soon afterwards we found ourselves clear of the reefs altogether—inside of them, that is—and floating on the comparatively smooth surface of an extensive lagoon.
High land now distinctly appeared ahead of us, and we shortly discovered that it formed a portion of an island of considerable size, the northern end of which lay about three points on our starboard-bow.
Towards this point I at once directed the head of the cutter, with the object of getting under a lee as quickly as possible, and, if practicable, into a berth which would permit of our careening our poor little craft and examining into the extent of her damage. I directed Bob to open the companion now, as I was fearful that Ella might have received some injury when the cutter was hove on her beam-ends; but, to my great joy, as soon as the doors were thrown back, there she was, clinging desperately to the ladder, terribly frightened, but unhurt, as she assured me, beyond a few unimportant bruises.
As we neared the northern extremity of the island, towards which I was steering, we found that it terminated in an almost perpendicular cliff of some fifty or sixty feet in height, constituting the northern part of the base of a high hill, rising almost to the dignity of a mountain, which was thickly-wooded almost to its summit, and to the very verge of the cliffs, close under which we were now gliding swiftly along.
As my eye ranged over the northern face of these cliffs, which we had by this time opened, I detected a rather singular break in them at a particular point; and, curiosity prompting me, I sheered the cutter a little closer to get a nearer view of it.
Approaching still nearer, it seemed to me that this break extended quite to the water’s edge; but it was not until we were almost past it that I felt convinced not only that this was the case, but that there actually was a bay or cove of some sort inside it.
This discovery was made barely in time to enable me to jam my helm hard-a-starboard and just fetch the opening, through which in about five minutes afterwards we gently slid, finding ourselves in the midst of a deep basin of almost perfect circular form, so completely landlocked and with such a narrow and artfully-concealed entrance that it was not until we were within a biscuit-throw of the rocks that I felt absolutely certain there, really existed a passage at all.
The basin, as I have already said, was of circular form, and I judged it to be about a mile in diameter. The entrance was at the most northerly point in its circumference; at which spot, as I afterwards ascertained by sounding, there was nearly forty fathoms of water, though the horns or cusps of the encircling cliffs approached each other so closely that it would have been impossible to take even a small square-rigged vessel through without bracing her yards sharp fore and aft, and a craft of say a couple of hundred tons could not have been carried through at all.
At the entrance the cliffs rose almost perpendicularly out of the water, both outside and inside, terminating in a wedge on either side.
From this point, however, they gradually widened away in the form of a gently-rising plateau, out of which two spurs of the mountain sprang, one on each side of the basin.
Between these spurs or shoulders lay a ravine, which sloped evenly down from the level of the plateau on each side until it terminated, at the southern extremity of the basin, in a beach of fine sand. This ravine lay, of course, directly ahead of us as we entered; and its smooth, lawn-like surface, swelling gradually upwards towards the mountain in the rear and the plateaus on each side, formed a truly lovely picture under any circumstances, and especially to us who had, within the last hour, been battling with a stormy sea.
Its central portion, for perhaps a mile in length and a quarter of that width, was luxuriantly clothed with the freshest verdure, but was quite destitute of trees.
Beyond these limits, however, the whole face of the country was thickly-wooded, cocoa-nuts and bananas being conspicuously abundant. The beach ran about three-fourths round the basin, being broadest immediately in front of the ravine and gradually narrowing away to nothing at about a mile’s distance on either side.
At the western extremity of the beach a beautiful cascade tumbled over the edge of the cliff upon a low rocky platform below, from whence it dispersed itself into the sea.
I took the glass, and carefully swept the entire ravine with it to ascertain whether there were any indications that the island was inhabited, for I felt convinced that were it so this lovely spot would be the first selected as a place of abode. But for all that I could see no human foot had ever pressed the soil, and I felt encouraged to go close in and anchor; though, before doing anything else, I determined to make a voyage of discovery inland, and settle the question as to the existence or nonexistence of inhabitants.
If it should really prove that we had this lovely island all to ourselves, nothing could possibly be better suited to our purpose of careening the cutter: for I found, by repeated casts of the lead, that the water shoaled with almost mathematical regularity as we approached the beach.
On shooting through the narrow entrance we had found ourselves almost becalmed under the lofty cliffs, though the gale still howled overhead, so, having made up my mind as to the berth in which I would place the cutter, I desired Bob to get the jib on her, and under this short canvas we slid quietly across the basin to our anchorage, bringing up in three fathoms.
We immediately got our boat out and put her together and, as soon as she was ready, I took a double-barrelled shot-gun, and got Bob to put me ashore, leaving him to take care of Ella and the cutter, and telling him that in the event of anything transpiring to render his assistance necessary I would fire both barrels quickly one after the other, and not otherwise.
If a distant view of the country was attractive, it was, upon a closer inspection, perfectly enchanting, everything having the appearance rather of the happiest effects of landscape-gardening than of an unaided effort of nature. The ground, which from a distance appeared almost too regular for perfect beauty, I found to be finely broken; and on each side, as I walked up the ravine, were constantly recurring elevations and declivities, ornamented with fine clumps of tropical trees.
Besides the cocoa-nuts and bananas, I found plantains, figs, breadfruit, pine-apples, superior in size and flavour to any that I had ever before met with, and a large variety of other fruits with the names and qualities of which I was unacquainted.
Innumerable birds of the most beautiful plumage sported among the trees, and a few of them sang very sweetly, but for the most part the sounds which they emitted were quite unlike any that I had heard before.
I saw no traces of animals or reptiles, great or small and none whatever of man.
I walked quite to the head of the ravine, and then turned off to the right, with the object of passing round the base of the mountain; but, after an hour’s walk, I found that I had my labour for my pains, for I came out upon the edge of the cliff on the north-western side of the island, and now discovered that at that spot it not only extended for some distance to the southward, but swept round the northern base of the mountain inland, rising sheer like a wall for quite a hundred feet. After searching unavailingly for some time for a point at which it might be possible for me to pass, I was obliged to give it up and retrace my steps.
Reaching the head of the ravine once more, I now struck off to the left with the intention of passing round to the eastward. Another walk of about an hour, during which my progress was much impeded, as it had been on the opposite side, by the dense undergrowth, and I came out upon a small platform on the extreme eastern side of the mountain. This platform terminated on my left at the edge of the cliff, and ahead it gradually narrowed until there was barely room for a man to pass, and not then unless he had remarkably steady nerves: for on the right rose a perpendicular precipice, and on the left was the cliff-edge, with the lagoon nearly two hundred feet below. From my present position I was now able to see that this ledge was the only available point of passage from the northern to the southern side of the island unless one chose fairly to scale the mountain, which I was convinced would be a work of considerable difficulty, on account of the thickness of the bush or undergrowth.
Along this narrow ledge, then, I proceeded to take my way and, after a perilous journey of half a mile, came out upon safe ground once more. Half an hour afterwards I reached the southern side of the island, and clambering with considerable difficulty to the top of a precipitous knoll, I obtained an uninterrupted view of the whole southern side of the island. It extended from the point upon which I stood a distance of quite twelve miles, running nearly due north and south, and was divided pretty evenly by a ridge or spur of the mountain, which passed down its entire length.
The island varied considerably in width, being irregularly shaped somewhat like a diamond or lozenge, with numerous bays and creeks on its western side, but none whatever on the east. It was well wooded throughout, and presented a magnificent park-like appearance.
I had brought my most powerful glass with me, and from the commanding elevation upon which I stood, I now carefully swept the entire island as far as the range of my glass permitted, but without detecting the slightest trace of inhabitants.
Greatly gratified at the perfect security which this promised, I now retraced my steps, as the sun, which had burst through the clouds, was by this time approaching the horizon; and in about a couple of hours I found myself once more on board the cutter, where I was joyously welcomed by my companions, who had both begun to feel very uneasy at my prolonged absence.
Of course I did not fail to take back with me a plentiful supply of fruit, upon which we regaled ourselves luxuriously after a late dinner, during which I gave a detailed report of my explorations.
So satisfactory was this, that my companions were both delighted when I announced my intention of remaining there for a sufficient length of time to careen and examine the cutter and as this would of course necessitate the taking of everything movable out of her, it was arranged that we should commence our work next morning by rigging-up a couple of tents on shore, in which to take up our quarters until the cutter was once more ready to receive us.