ly detained
in Waally's part of the group, and consequently had not been in a
situation to learn all the particulars of the singular party of
colonists who had gone to the southward. Thus much did Peters relate, in
substance, when a call among the savages notified the whole of the
whites of the necessity of coming to some conclusion concerning the
future. Jones and Peters acknowledged it would not be safe to remain any
longer, though the last gave his opinion with an obvious reluctance. As
it afterwards appeared, Peters had married an Indian wife, to whom he
was much attached, and he did not like the idea of abandoning her. There
was but a moment for reflection, however, and almost without knowing it
himself, when he found the pinnace about to make sail in order to get
off the land, he followed Jones into her, and was half a mile from the
shore before he had time to reflect much on her he had left behind him.
His companion consoled him by telling him that an opportunity might
occur of sending a message to Petrina, as they had named the pretty
young savage, who would not fail to find her way to Rancocus, sooner or
later.

With these important accessions to his forces, Bob did not hesitate
about putting to sea, leaving Waally to make what discoveries he might.
Should the natives ascend to the higher parts of the mountain, they
could hardly fail to see both the smoke of the volcano and the Peak,
though it would luckily not be in their power to see the Reef, or any
part of that low group of rocks. It was very possible they might attempt
to cross the passage between the two mountains, though the circumstance
that Vulcan's Peak lay so directly to windward of Rancocus offered a
very serious obstacle to their succeeding. Had the two sailors remained
with them, _they_, indeed, might have taught the Indians to overcome the
winds and waves; but these very men were of opinion, from what they had
seen of the natives and of their enterprises, that it rather exceeded
their skill and perseverance, to work their canoes a hundred miles dead
to windward, and against the sea that was usually on in that quarter of
the Pacific.

The colonists, generally, gave the two recruits a very welcome
reception. Bridget smiled when Mark suggested that Jones, who was a
well-looking lad enough, would make a very proper husband for Joan, and
that he doubted not his being called on, in his character of magistrate,
to unite them in the course of the next