good, sir, but it don't mean much, for we might have a visit
from a big canoe-full at any time."

"How far did you go?" asked Carey.

"To where the little river glides out of a lake up yonder in the hills.
I fancy it must have been the crater of a volcano, for I kicked against
pieces of obsidian and slag. The volcanic glass broke up with edges as
sharp as a razor."

"But how far was it to the lake?" asked Carey.

"Ah, that I can't tell you in miles. In time it was two hours and a
half hard walking. Coming back, one hour and a half. I was away just
about four hours."

"Did you get a good view from the lake, sir?"

"No, but I climbed a peak close by it, and from there I could see all
round the island."

"Round the island!" grunted Bostock, nodding.

"Yes, round the island; and nearly all round it at a distance are reefs
of coral, with the rollers breaking upon them in white foam."

"Then it's only a little place," said Carey.

"Yes, only a few miles across."

"And all ours. Doctor Kingsmead, we ought to take possession of this
place for our own. But I say, did you see anything wonderful?"

"N-no. Plenty of beautifully coloured birds; lovely flowers in
abundance. Beetles and butterflies as beautiful as I ever saw."

"Any snakes?"

"I saw none, and I should hardly think there would be any; but I saw two
crocodiles."

"Did you?" cried Carey. "Where--up in the lake?"

"No, directly after I started, in the little river. Monsters."

"Any fish in the lake?"

"I could not tell. Most likely there would be. But I'm tired with my
walk. I'll tell you more as I think of what I saw."

"Just one thing, sir," said Bostock, apologetically. "When you was up
atop of the peak, could you see land anywheres?"

"I could not be quite sure, but I think so, in three different
directions. I certainly saw reefs with the breaking water in several
places as far as I could see. I ought to have taken a glass with me.
Next time I go up I will. Well, what have you been about?"

Carey eagerly related how they had passed the morning, not forgetting
the fishing and the pearls.

"Well," said the doctor, "we shall not starve. Pearl shell and pearls,
eh? We must collect and save all we can, and I should think that we
could collect enough cocoanuts to be very valuable, so that when the
time comes for us to leave this place we shall not go empty away."

The rest of the afternoon was spent leisurely strolling about t