of
natives sitting round them, examining their dresses and trying to
imitate their way of speaking.

I advised them to let their friends know that they were sleepy, and
wanted to lie down. As soon as they did this, the natives got up in the
politest way possible, and spread mats for them at one side of the room.
In the next hut I found Miles Soper and Sam Coal. I said to them what
I had said before to Jack and Jim, and I then went on to another hut,
the natives in each behaving in precisely the same manner.

When I told the mate, he was perfectly satisfied, and said that we must
trust the natives. We were not mistaken. Early the next morning a
plentiful meal was brought us, and during our stay on the island we were
treated with the greatest kindness by these mild and courteous people.
The doctor said that they were Malays, though very unlike many of their
brethren scattered about the Indian seas.

Having recovered completely from the effects of being cramped up so long
in the boat, and the unwholesome food we had lived on, we were anxious
to prosecute our voyage.

The chief looked very sorrowful when the mate told him we must be going,
and that we should be thankful to him for provisions and water for the
voyage. When he told his people, they brought us down fowl and
vegetables enough to fill the boat. We showed them our hen-coop, in
which we could keep a number of the fowl alive, but that we wanted food
for them. Off they ran, and quickly came back with a good supply.

By this time we could understand each other wonderfully well, helping
out what we said by signs. The chief gave us all a grand feast the last
night of our stay, and the next morning, having shaken hands with all
round, we went aboard, and once more put to sea. The natives at the
same time came off in their canoes, and accompanied us some way outside
the reef; then, with shouts and waving of hands, they wished us
good-bye.

We had a long passage before us, but we were in good health and spirits,
and we hoped to perform it in safety. We had to keep a sharp look-out
at night, for, as the mate told us, there were some small islands
between the Pellew and the Philippines, and that, he not being certain
of their exact position, we might run upon them.

For a whole week we had fine weather, though, as the wind was light, we
didn't make much way. At the end of that time clouds began to gather in
the horizon, and soon covered the whole sky, whi