hoop, round the tree,
with sufficient space for his body inside it; then shoving the opposite
side of the grummet above him, and holding on with his knees, he worked
his way up the smooth trunk. Coal did the same on another tree, but
Jim, after making the attempt, had to give up.

"I never tried that sort of thing before, and can't manage it," he said,
coming down and ready to cry for weakness.

"Look out there!" shouted Sam Coal, who was the first to reach the top
of his tree; and he threw down a cocoanut, and then another, and
another, but they all broke as they touched the ground.

"I say, that'll never do!" cried Brown, as he picked up one of them,
while Horner and I got hold of the other two. "You must hang them round
your neck somehow. We want the juice, which is the best part."

Coal, on this, fastened three or four together in a handkerchief; Soper
had in the meantime done the same, and they descended with four
cocoanuts apiece. Horner and I had run with those we had picked up to
Mr Griffiths and the doctor, munching a portion as we went, while Brown
divided his among the other men, who were as eager to eat them as we
were. So we found were the mate and the doctor. They tasted delicious
to us, so long accustomed to salt or raw fish; but still more refreshing
was the milk, which we got on tearing off the outer rind by cutting
holes in the eyes with our knives. The cocoanuts, indeed, served us as
meat and drink.

All this time the doctor and mate had seen no signs of inhabitants, and
as we were all far too weak to think of exploring the country, we sat
down in the shade of the cocoanut-trees to rest. We talked a little to
each other for a short time, and first one dropped off to sleep, then
another. Mr Griffiths himself didn't long keep his eyes open, though I
fancy I heard him tell Brown that we must set a watch, lest any natives
should come suddenly down upon us. The mate and the doctor had both
been awake during the whole of the last night in the boat--no wonder
that they went to sleep.

At last I opened my eyes, and sitting up, looked about me, trying to
recollect where I was, and what had happened. This I soon did. My
companions lay scattered around me on the ground. In front was the sea,
and the two sides of the bay were formed by moderately high cliffs.
Behind us was a grove of cocoanut-trees, extending along the shore to
the cliffs, and beyond them I could see a hill, which formed the f