of the tropics--these islands, full of sugar-candy
and blackamoors.

"I was not at first a favourite with the crew, for not having had an
opportunity of testing my qualifications, but having heard some of my
veracious narratives, they were inclined to look upon me as an empty
braggadocio, a character they very naturally despised; but I soon gave
them reason to alter their opinion, when I was quickly raised to that
position in their estimation which I ever after enjoyed.

"We were about a day's sail from this same harbour of Port Royal, and
were expecting to make the land next morning, when it fell calm. It was
the hottest time of the year. The sun sent his rays down on our heads
as if he were a furnace a few yards off, making the pitch in the seams
of our decks bubble and squeak, like bacon in a frying-pan; and I
remember that a basket of eggs in the cabin were hatched in a few
minutes, and looking up from a book I was reading, I saw a whole brood
of chickens and ducks squattering about the deck, not knowing where
they'd come from, or what to do with themselves. The chickens, however,
soon went to roost in a corner, for it was too hot to keep awake, and
the ducks waddled up on deck, and were making the best of their way over
the vessel's side into the element in which they delight, when we turned
them into a water-butt, which contented them mightily.

"But this was not the story I was going to tell you. Everyone on board
felt like the ducks and chickens, overcome by the heat; so that at last,
not considering the risk they ran, many of the men stripped off their
clothes and jumped overboard.

"I, however, kept mine on, and so did several others. The fact was,
that we had only, in that hot weather, to give ourselves a shake, and to
turn once round in the sun, and we were dry through and through.

"We had frolicking and swimming about for some time, enjoying the
comparatively cool water, though, for the matter of that, it was pretty
well hot enough to boil a lobster, when suddenly our ears were assailed
with a terrific cry of `A shark! a shark!'

"The outside man was a fine young fellow, Tom Harding by name. The poor
fellow saw his danger, for the shark was making directly for him. I
sang out to him not to be afraid, but to swim as fast as he could
towards the ship, and he didn't require to be told twice. Meantime I
was making a circle round, so as to approach the beast in the rear; for,
as you all know, I am