ns, and just went and hid his light under a bushel. What a world
of good he might have done us all if he had spoken out manfully! As it
was, all that precious time was lost. The mate did speak to me
occasionally, but timidly, and I did not understand him. How should I?
It was not till long afterwards, as Mr Morgan knows, that I became
acquainted with Christianity. Before that I was as a heathen; I knew
nothing of Christ, nothing of God. The winter passed away, the spring
returned, and the summer drew on, and not a sail had been seen. All
hands became anxious to get off, and from early dawn till nightfall the
flag was kept flying, and one or more of the party were on the lookout
from Flagstaff Hill. At length a sail hove in sight. Nearer and nearer
she came. `Would our flag be seen?' was now the question. The wind was
off the shore, she tacked, she was beating up towards us. From her
white canvas and the length of her yards she was pronounced to be a
man-of-war corvette, and her ensign showed us that she was English.
Some of the men declared that they would rather live the rest of their
days on the island than go on board a man-of-war; but the mate told them
that they were very foolish, and that if they did their duty they would
be better treated than on board most merchantmen. I shared their fears,
for I had heard all sorts of stones about the treatment of men on board
men-of-war, which I have since found to be absurdly false. The end was
that we all stood ready to receive the boat when she reached the beach.
A lieutenant with a midshipman came in her. They were very much
surprised to hear that we had been a whole year on shore, observing that
we must have saved a good supply of provisions from the wreck. When the
mate told them of the wild cattle, and that we could catch some, they
begged us to do so, saying that the purser would purchase the meat from
us for the ship's company. They accordingly returned on board, but soon
came back with the butcher, and by the next day we had six or eight fine
animals ready for them. The officer kindly gave us permission to carry
off any of our property which could be stowed away on board. From the
considerate treatment the men received, they all volunteered into the
service, and I was rated as a ship's boy, and from that day to this have
belonged to the Royal Navy of England. The mate was promised promotion
if he would join.

"`At all events I do not wish to eat th