ed floating like smoke on
the pale heavens.

Davis applied his glass to it, and then looked at the Kanaka. "Call that
land?" said he. "Well, it's more than I do."

"One time long ago," said Uncle Ned, "I see Anaa all-e-same that, four
five hours befo' we come up. Capena he say sun go down, sun go up again;
he say lagoon all-e-same milla."

"All-e-same _what_?" asked Davis.

"Milla, sah," said Uncle Ned.

"O, ah! mirror," said Davis. "I see; reflection from the lagoon. Well,
you know, it is just possible, though it's strange I never heard of it.
Here, let's look at the chart."

They went back to the cabin, and found the position of the schooner well
to windward of the archipelago in the midst of a white field of paper.

"There! you see for yourselves," said Davis.

"And yet I don't know," said Herrick; "I somehow think there's something
in it. I'll tell you one thing too, captain: that's all right about the
reflection; I heard it in Papeete."

"Fetch up that Findlay, then!" said Davis. "I'll try it all ways. An
island wouldn't come amiss the way we're fixed."

The bulky volume was handed up to him, broken-backed as is the way with
Findlay; and he turned to the place and began to run over the text,
muttering to himself and turning over the pages with a wetted finger.

"Hullo!" he exclaimed. "How's this?" And he read aloud: "'_New Island_.
According to M. Delille this island, which from private interests would
remain unknown, lies, it is said, in lat. 12 deg. 49' 10'' S., long.
133 deg. 6' W. In addition to the position above given, Commander
Matthews, H.M.S. _Scorpion_, states that an island exists in lat.
12 deg. 0' S., long. 133 deg. 16' W. This must be the same, if such an
island exists, which is very doubtful, and totally disbelieved in by
South Sea traders.'"

"Golly!" said Huish.

"It's rather in the conditional mood," said Herrick.

"It's anything you please," cried Davis, "only there it is! That's our
place, and don't you make any mistake."

"'Which from private interests would remain unknown,'" read Herrick,
over his shoulder. "What may that mean?"

"It should mean pearls," said Davis. "A pearling island the Government
don't know about. That sounds like real estate. Or suppose it don't mean
anything. Suppose it's just an island; I guess we could fill up with
fish, and cocoa-nuts, and native stuff, and carry out the Samoa scheme
hand over fist. How long did he say it was before they raised Anaa