trust them. We could, however, see no smoke or other signs
of the country being inhabited.

We had not gone far, when Brown sang out, "Starboard! Hard a-starboard!
A reef ahead!"

On this the mate, luffing up, ordered us to lower the sail. It was done
in an instant, and not a moment too soon, for we saw close abeam a coral
reef not two feet under the surface.

"We may be thankful that we didn't stand on during the night," said Mr
Griffiths to the doctor.

We now got out the oars and pulled cautiously on. We soon found
ourselves in a channel, with coral reefs on either side, all of them
just below the surface; and as the passage twisted and turned in all
directions, it required the greatest possible caution to thread our way
through it.

We might well be thankful not only that we did not stand on during the
night, but that we had not driven farther south during the gale while we
rode to the raft. Nothing could have preserved the boat from being
dashed to pieces. At length we got clear of the encircling reef, and
found ourselves in a broad expanse of perfectly smooth water. The rocks
rising directly out of it formed the shore. We had to pull along them
some distance to find a convenient landing-place. At last a beautiful
bay opened out, with a sandy beach, the ground rising gradually from it,
covered with cocoanut-trees.

On seeing it, led by Brown, we uttered a cheer, and giving way with a
will ran the boat's keel on the beach. He jumped out first, and we all
followed, without thinking of savages, and only very grateful to find
ourselves once more on firm ground. Led by the mate and the doctor, we
fell on our knees, and I believe with grateful hearts returned thanks to
God for our safety.

We were hurrying up to the trees with our eyes fixed on the cocoanuts
which hung temptingly from them, when the mate called to us to be
cautious, for though we had seen no natives, there might be some in the
neighbourhood, who might come suddenly down and attack us while we were
engaged in obtaining the cocoanuts.

He and the doctor then proceeded with their muskets in their hands a
little way in advance, while under Brown's directions we prepared to get
down the nuts. Miles Soper, Sam Coal, and Jim were the best climbers,
but without assistance, weak as we all were, they found that they could
not swarm up the trees. We therefore got some ropes from the boat, and
Soper soon twisted one of them into a grummet, or