ng water: an excellent clear stream ran into the sea
within a few yards of where we had landed. We also found oysters firmly
fixed to the rocks, which were very good. Some fish-hooks and lines
were among the articles saved from the wreck, and rough fishing-rods
having been cut from the trees, several fish were caught, which we fried
in our wood fire. Thus we had no fear of starving, and though our
position was not pleasant, none of the party despaired. To me, I must
own, the conditions were not unpleasant, I had read and heard of
shipwrecks and adventures of different kinds, and being by nature gifted
with a hopeful and fearless constitution, I rather enjoyed the whole
thing; for I was too young to think or feel deeply for the loss of the
captain and crew, who had been drowned. In fact, like most children, I
was thoughtless, and did not reflect enough for the disaster to impress
me much. I had kept beside Constance all the time we were on the raft,
and sat beside her in our tent. I felt very happy with her, and used to
gather flowers for her, as many grew close beside where we were
stopping. To me it seemed like a picnic, such as we used to have
sometimes in the cool weather at Delhi, but it was of longer duration.

The men had been talking about the possibility of travelling down the
coast to find either Natal, where there were a few traders, or if we
were west of Natal, to reach the Cape Colony, and then get some vessel
to come up the coast and rescue the females and the remainder of the
men. But the difficulties of the journey were unknown: they had no idea
of what rivers or other obstacles might be in the way; and so four days
passed without any move being made; and although a sharp look-out was
kept, no vessel was seen.

CHAPTER TWO.

It was on the fifth night after we had landed from the wreck, that one
of the sailors who was out with his gun, trying to shoot some monkeys
that he had seen in the trees, reported that he had seen some black men
in the distance, but did not think they had seen him. He did not like
to show himself to these men, for he did not know who, or what they
might be. None of the party knew much about the natives on this coast;
there was some kind of belief that they were Caffres or Hottentots, but
whether these people were inoffensive and friendly, or the reverse, no
one really knew. When I think of what happened, and now that I know the
character and habits of the tribes in