alm-trees thereon; that the islet was of sandy soil, and
supported no vegetation beyond the few palms mentioned.

"This, then, explains the matter," said Cavendish. "Evidently it has
been missed by our vessels, but the Dons have located it. I can clearly
see that these charts will be indeed very useful to us."

By this time the island could be made out from the level of the deck, as
also the smoke, which was undoubtedly rising from a signal-fire that had
been lighted on the beach. The ships were, however, not yet near enough
to make out who the inhabitants were, nor how many of them there might
be. Indeed, had it not been for the sight of the smoke, the captain
would have imagined the island to be totally uninhabited, and would not
have thought it worth while to stop thereat; and, but for the fact of
the smoke being observed, this veracious yarn would most probably have
had a very different ending.

All the officers of the ship, including Cavendish, Roger, and Harry,
were now standing in the eyes of the vessel; some had mounted the
bulwarks, and were supporting themselves thereon by holding on to the
rigging, and one and all were shading their eyes with their hands
against the powerful rays of an almost vertical sun, each anxious to
catch the first sight of the man, or men, who had built that signal-fire
on the beach.

In obedience to an order from Cavendish, old Martin, who was credited
with having the sharpest eyes in the ship, went aloft to the
foremast-head, on the lookout, with instructions to let those on deck
know when he first caught sight of the inhabitants of the island.

In about a quarter of an hour they had very perceptibly neared the
shore, which lay very low, and presented, at a closer view, more the
appearance of a mud or sand-bank, with a few dwarfed trees and shrubs
growing thereon, than an island in its accepted sense of the word; and
shortly afterward Martin's voice came down from aloft in accents of
excitement: "I see un, zir; there 'a be. 'Tes only one man, zir, so far
as Ai can mek out, and 'a be a-waving of a red shirt, or zummat laike
that, Ai think, zir."

"Can you only see one man, Martin; or are there any more with him, think
you?" shouted Cavendish.

"Naw, zir," responded the old fellow; "as Ai zay, Ai can only zee one of
'em, and 'e do be a-carryin' on zumthing wonnerful, zir. 'E be
a-jumpin' up an' down, and a-wavin' of his arms laike to one possessed.
Ai expec's as how un be