s identical with
your own--and Gurney's--and, if you think fit, you may tell him so."

"Oh, thank you, Mr Troubridge!" exclaimed my companion. "I will
certainly do so, for I am sure that he will be glad to hear it. Of
course you understand that this conversation of ours was intended to be
private? You will not mention to others what--?"

"I will not," I promised; "make your mind quite easy upon that point.
As a matter of fact I am very much obliged to you for opening your mind
to me; I will give what you have said my most serious consideration; and
it may be that, a little later on, I shall be very glad to have a little
further conversation with you upon this most interesting subject."

CHAPTER TWELVE.

A LANDING IS EFFECTED.

The explorers, weary but jubilant, bubbling over with enthusiastic
encomiums upon the beauty, fertility, and resources of the island, and
loaded down with samples of the numerous fruits and vegetable products
which they had discovered, arrived on board the ship just as the sun was
sinking beyond the southern shoulder of the peak. Polson reported that,
upon landing, they had gone to the westward, and thence north, east, and
south, spreading themselves out in such a manner as to cover the widest
possible extent of country while still retaining touch with each other,
and had carefully examined the entire coast line of the island in search
of indications of the presence of natives, but finding none; so they had
come to the conclusion that they might safely assume the island to be
uninhabited, and therefore in that respect, as in all others, eminently
suited to their requirements. They had found two harbours, in addition
to the Basin, one--that which we had observed on the preceding evening--
toward the north-western extremity of the island, and the other--of
nearly the same area as the Basin--on the northern shore; but they
considered both these harbours to be inferior to the Basin, from the
fact that the one on the north-west coast was practically an open
roadstead, exposed to westerly winds, while the other, although pretty
well sheltered from all except north-westerly winds--which seldom blew
in that latitude--was shallow, the fringing reef entirely filling it.
They described the island as abundantly watered, having encountered and
crossed no less than twenty-seven streams and brooks during the day; and
there did not appear to be a sterile spot anywhere upon it, except just
the bald h