he handle of his spear, as if to
ascertain whether the contents were sufficiently boiled. Satisfied on
this point, he dived down into one of the canoes and brought up from a
locker a hooked stick and some plantain leaves; whereupon all the party,
with the exception of the helmsman, gathered round the pot, when the
same man drew out some fish and roots, and divided them among his
companions, giving Dick and me an equal share. We thanked them as well
as we could by eating the food. Dick, who relished it very much,
nodding his head and stroking his stomach, exclaimed "Bono, bono,--very
good, master savages." The fish certainly was very good; and as our
captors ate it, we had no doubt that it was wholesome. Dick said he
felt much the better for it, and could now look things in the face with
less despondency than before.

The canoe all this time was gliding smoothly over the water, though I
confess, from her apparently slight structure, I should not have
relished being on board her in a heavy sea. As we approached the
island, I observed a small bay or inlet for which she was steering, with
high cliffs above it, and a valley running up inland to some distance,
while on all the level spots near the beach grew cocoa-nut and other
trees. The aspect of the country was highly picturesque, and altogether
pleasing.

As we drew nearer, I saw a number of dark-skinned natives, almost naked;
some in the water, engaged apparently in fishing, others lolling about
on the beach watching them. At first they took but little notice of the
canoe; but as they caught sight of us, and the jolly-boat towing astern,
those not employed in fishing hurried down to the shore of the harbour,
up which the canoe ran till she reached a secure spot alongside a rock,
on to which her crew could step from the canoe without difficulty.

The captain, or chief man of the canoe, now made a long speech to the
natives on shore, describing apparently how he had found us; on which
Dick, who was now much recovered, and I shook him by the hand, hoping
that what he had said was in our favour. This seemed to please him and
his countrymen; and we were now conducted on shore with far more respect
than we had at first expected to receive. While some inspected our
boat, others, collecting round us, examined our clothes, looking
curiously at our light-coloured skins. After more palavering, we were
led towards their village, when a few old men and a number of women