like to change places now and again with Dick, and his brother
takes a turn with the oar, it is all very well; but we are born to it,
as it were, and it makes no difference to us if we pull on all day,"
said Jack.

Fortunately, after we had pulled a couple of hours and the island of
Mota was fading in the distance, a breeze sprang up, and we were able to
stand on under sail. At length, towards evening, we got near the shore,
and seeing a number of natives on the beach, we hoped that we might
obtain information from them as to what had become of the schooner; for,
had she been driven past the island, they must have seen her.

"We take care," said Tubb, the New Zealander. "I not like dere looks;
dey not friends."

The people had hitherto been quiet enough, and I had observed no signs
of hostility; no sooner, however, did we approach the shore than they
assumed a warlike attitude, dancing and gesticulating in the wildest
manner, while they yelled and brandished their weapons as a sign to us
that we were to come no nearer. As it would have been madness to have
attempted landing in the face of such hostile demonstrations, we put the
boat partly round, and pulled on parallel with the shore, but at a
respectful distance. As we did so, we saw the natives running along the
beach, every now and then making threatening gestures as a warning to us
not to land.

"They may be savages," observed Charlie; "but they cannot be called
treacherous ones, or they would have allowed us to land and afterwards
murdered us."

We continued along the coast, hoping to come to the mouth of some
harbour in which we might find the missing schooner. No harbour
appeared, and everywhere, whenever we stood in closer than before to the
beach, the natives, gathering in numbers, ordered us to keep off. We
had now no choice but to remain at sea during the night, for we could
not hope to reach the next island within several hours. We therefore
stood away from Inhospitable Island, as we called it.

Fortunately the weather remained fine, and the coolness of the night was
pleasanter than the heat of day. A distant volcano, which threw up a
continuous column of flame, enabled us to steer a direct course, and, as
the breeze was very light, we did not expect to reach Aurora Island,
which we intended next to visit, till morning. Jack Lizard and I took
it by turns to steer, for I was rather afraid of trusting Charlie Dick
Tilston, lest a sudden squall