rocky basin, into which a bright
stream flowed from a crevice in the rock. I rushed on shouting out
"Water! Water!" Eagerly I put my mouth to the pure fountain-head. Oh!
How deliciously sweet I found it! I let it run over my face, parched
and cracked by the hot sun and salt water. Brady, who was nearest to
me, heard me shout. "Hurrah, lads! Hurrah, lads! Here's water!" he
cried out, making a few attempts at leaps, as he rushed forward. The
others took up the cry, till the whole six of us were putting our mouths
to the fountain, for scarcely had I withdrawn mine than I returned again
for a fresh draught, the others doing the same thing. It is surprising
that we did ourselves no harm by the quantity we swallowed. Brady
declared that he heard it fizzing away as it went down his throat, from
the heat of his inside.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

Having quenched our burning thirst, our next impulse was to seek for
rest. Since we had been sleeping on the deck of the ill-fated frigate,
not one of us had closed his eyes. Collecting, therefore, a quantity of
dried leaves and boughs, we made a bed, on which we threw ourselves, the
boughs forming a shade overhead. In an instant almost I was asleep, and
so, I believe, were most of my companions. We had escaped the dangers
of the sea, but we had a good many more to encounter. The thoughts of
them, however, could not drive away sleep. I was awakened by feeling a
gnawing sensation of hunger. It was not so painful, perhaps, as thirst,
but it was very trying. I could have eaten a raw lizard had I found it
crawling over my face. My companions soon awoke from the same cause,
but nothing eatable, animal or vegetable, could we find. We hurried
down to the beach, and searched about for shell-fish. Not one could we
see.

"It will not do, lads, to stop here to starve," observed Kiddle. "What
do you say, Mr Burton? Had not we better push on along the shore,
while we have a little strength left, and try and find some natives who
may give us food?"

Esse and I agreed at once to Toby's suggestion, and returning once more
to our fountain for another draught, we set out along the coast. Esse
and I had on shoes, but, after being so long in the salt water, they
became shrunk and shrivelled when they dried, and were rather an
inconvenience than any assistance in walking. The rest of the party had
no shoes, and the hot sands burned and blistered their feet. We dragged
oursel