e landscape that seemed to be gliding past us, when
suddenly we heard, from some distance ahead of us, a sound as of a horn
being blown, the sound being taken up and repeated at various points
both ahead and astern of us.

"What do you think is the meaning of that rumpus, Mr Blackburn?" asked
Billy. "Do you think they're scared at the sight of us? It looks a bit
like it, doesn't it; for, see, sir, they've all started to run."

I directed the telescope toward the shore. It was as Billy had said;
everybody within sight was running, and at remarkable speed too; but
whether or not it was the apparition of the boat that had startled them
I could not tell, for about half of them seemed to be hastening at
breakneck speed toward a part of the beach about half a mile ahead,
where a group of some forty or fifty blacks had already gathered, close
to the water's edge, and seemed to be engaged, in feverish haste, in
collecting stones, or lumps of coral. Other groups, which I believed to
be composed of women, were running with equal speed toward the cliffs at
the back of the island.

Turning my telescope again upon the rapidly gathering natives on the
beach, I saw that it could not be the boat that was causing their
excitement, for a number of them, having collected as many stones as
could be conveniently held in the hollow of the left arm, were now
excitedly pointing and directing their companions' attention to some
object in the channel immediately before them. Turning the telescope in
the direction toward which they were pointing, I presently sighted three
objects, that I believed to be the heads of animals, making rapid
progress through the water toward that point on the beach where the
still rapidly swelling crowd had collected, and, as I watched, little
jets of water began to spout up round the foremost of those heads. The
blacks were stoning it, with the evident object of driving it off, or at
least of preventing its approach; and remarkably good marksmen they
appeared to be, too, for as I continued to watch I observed four or five
direct hits, evoking from the target a most appalling shrieking roar,
while its progress through the water perceptibly speeded up. That the
three swimming creatures had been recognised by the blacks as enemies--
possibly of long standing--was clear enough; and here, it appeared to
me, was an excellent opportunity for me to establish good relations
between ourselves and the savages by taking