ered with small
golden-winged plover, who displayed not the slightest fear of our
presence, letting us approach them within a few yards, then rising and
settling down again. From where we were we could see but seven of the
chain of fifteen islands which comprised the atoll; all of these were
thickly covered with coco palms, bearing an enormous crop of nuts, and
here and there groves of jack-fruit and pandanus broke the monotonous
beauty of the palms by their diversity of foliage.

No traces of natives were visible, though I knew that there were a
few--about thirty all told--for the redoubtable Captain Bully Hayes, who
claimed Ujilon as his own, and whose brig was the first ship to enter
the lagoon, had I knew established friendly intercourse with them. Two
years before, I had met the famous captain at Anchorite's Islands--to
the north of the Admiralty Group--when he had given me a description of
Ujilon and its marvellous fertility, and had tried to induce me to
go there with him with a gang of natives, and make oil for him. But
although he made me a most liberal offer--he was a most delightful man
to talk to, was the "South Sea pirate"--I did not trust him well enough,
despite his merry, laughing blue eyes, jovial voice and handsome face,
for he was a man who could be all things to all men; and the blue eyes
sometimes went black, and the smooth, shapely hand that was for ever
stroking the long flowing beard, liked too well to feel a trigger in the
crook of its forefinger. So I laughingly declined his offer--even when,
as an extra inducement, he pointed out to me a very handsome young
Marshall Island girl, who would do the station honours for me at Ujilon.

"All right, Mr. Sherry," he said, "please yourself;" and then over
another bottle of wine, he gave me some further particulars about the
great atoll, and told me of how it had taken him two months to get into
communication with the few inhabitants; and of the particular island on
which their village was concealed amid a dense grove of pandanus palms.
But that was two years ago, and I had forgotten much that he had told
me. However, as I intended to remain at Ujilon for two or three days,
it was likely that we might come across them--they were very quiet and
inoffensive people, so there was no danger to be apprehended from a
meeting.

By noon we had our temporary camp made comfortable, and were having
dinner when five natives made their appearance--three men and two