de the cavern that I could not at
first admire its wonders. My companions helped me to a ledge of a rock
just visible in the dusk, where we stopped to rest ourselves. The
subdued light within the cave was derived entirely from the reflection
through the mouth of the submerged passage, and I was at first afraid
that I should scarcely be repaid the exertion I had made and the risk
run. Suddenly, however, the chief leaped into the water, and began
swimming about, when the phosphorescent light produced by his movements
was more beautiful and brilliant than anything of the sort I had ever
seen. Wherever he went he was followed by a stream of liquid fire.
When both the natives were in the water, the light was sensibly
increased, so that I obtained some notion of the size of the cavern. It
was, however, at the best, a somewhat dreary place of captivity, and the
poor girl who inhabited it must have passed many an anxious hour,
uncertain whether her lover would be able to return and bring her her
daily allowance of food and water, and help her finally to escape. I
owned that, having once performed the feat, I did not feel that I should
be inclined to pay the cave a second visit. I therefore, as I sat on
the rock and pictured to myself how the lovely Neuha had passed her
time, took in every visible object; then, feeling rested, told the chief
that I was ready to return to the outer world. I own that I had some
slight apprehension of encountering a shark on the way; but I felt
tolerably satisfied that my companions would send it to the rightabout,
if they did not kill the monster.

"Now I'm ready," I said.

The natives then, seizing my arms as before, dived with me almost to the
bottom, and, while holding my breath, I felt myself carried along, this
time escaping the roof. With infinite satisfaction I saw the bright
sunlight overhead. We rose to the surface close to the canoe, and I was
hauled on board, pretty well done, however, to receive the
congratulations of my friends. The account I gave did not tempt them to
make the experiment. After landing on some rocks to discuss the viands
we had brought, we pulled back the way we had come, and late in the
evening got on board the schooner.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

We were now bound on a cruise among the islands of Melanesia, inhabited
by a dark-skinned race, differing very greatly from the people we had
previously visited. We hoped, however, to obtain a supply of
sandal-