r were surveying the bay in which
the ship lay, and the coast in its immediate neighbourhood, we pulled
round to the opposite side of the island. We had as yet seen no
natives, but as cocoa-nut trees were visible on shore, we concluded that
some parts of it were inhabited. The centre was of considerable height,
and was evidently of volcanic origin, the highest point being apparently
a volcano, though no smoke or fire was seen proceeding from it.

We had been pulling on for three or four hours, keeping at some distance
from the shore, to avoid the reefs which ran off it, as the captain
wished to make the whole circuit during the day, when, just as we had
doubled the point, we saw right ahead, some way from the shore, a small
canoe with a flag flying at her bow. The commander ordered the men to
give way, fearing that the natives in the canoe, when they saw us, would
attempt to escape, and he specially wished to gain information from
them. (Tamaku, I should have said, formed one of the crew, having been
taken to act as interpreter.) There appeared to be no one on board the
canoe, which was at anchor; but as we drew nearer we saw the head of a
person rise up above the gunwale, when, as it seemed, he for the first
time caught sight of us. He gazed towards the gig with astonishment,
though without uttering any cry of alarm.

"He has an unusually white skin for a native," observed the captain;
"indeed, he must be, I am sure, a European."

The boy, for his features showed that he was very young, took something
from the bottom of the canoe, as we drew near, and kneeling down in the
bow in a suppliant manner, held out his hand towards us. The commander,
anxious not to alarm him, ordered the gig to pull round and back in
quietly astern, while, standing up, he leaned forward to examine what
the boy had got in his hand. Just at that moment another head rose
above the gunwale of the canoe from the outside; but that was black as
jet; and what should I see but Dicky Popo's astonished countenance, his
ivory teeth gleaming whitely as his mouth distended from ear to ear.

"Oh, ky! cappen--and you, Massa Rayner--where you come from?" he
exclaimed, as he rested on his elbows before getting into the canoe.

So interested was the captain in the appearance of the white boy,--more
even than in the number of beautiful pearls he held in his hand,--that
he scarcely recognised Popo.

"Who are you, and where do you come from?" asked the