ter the craft took the water, plunging deeply with the
foam brimming to her taffrail; then, rising buoyantly, she shot far out
toward the middle of the cove until, in obedience to my hail, Billy let
go her anchor and brought her up. I then saw that I had underestimated
the amount of ballast required, and that she needed about half a ton
more, and a slight readjustment of it to put her in correct trim. That,
however, was an error that could be easily rectified; and meanwhile I
was highly gratified by the graceful appearance she presented, now that
she was afloat.

Next in order came a "cold collation" that I had caused to be prepared
for the delectation of Bowata and his petty chiefs, the whole of whom I
had invited over to Eden to witness the launch, and--Billy having been
brought ashore in the islanders' boat--we forthwith fell to, all hands
doing full justice to the feast. At its conclusion I formally presented
the bungalow and all that we were leaving in it to Bowata, with a strict
injunction to him and his to show the utmost kindness to any shipwrecked
persons who might hereafter be so unfortunate as to be cast away on the
group, an injunction which they all promised to obey most faithfully.
Then followed our mutual farewells, to the accompaniment of much howling
and weeping on the part of our black friends; after which the remainder
of the day was devoted to the completion of the ballasting of the cutter
and its correct adjustment.

There was but one other duty now to be done before we started for home,
and that was the disposal of Kit, the leopard. Since the night when he
so fearfully mauled Svorenssen the nature of the beast had undergone a
material change for the worse. He had developed an uncertainty and
ferocity of temper that rendered him distinctly unsafe and altogether
unsuitable as a pet for anyone. With grief and many tears poor Billy
was obliged to admit that such was the case; therefore it was at length
agreed that he should be transported to West Island, where he could hurt
no one, and where he would find ample prey for his sustenance;
accordingly, on the following morning we weighed anchor and bade a final
good-bye to our Pacific Eden, sailing through the East and North Island
Channels to West Island, where, without mishap, we landed Kit and turned
him adrift to shift for himself, not by any means without regret, for
the beast had stood us in good stead on one memorable occasion. Then,
sailing