.

Soon after nightfall, something did come of it. The lookout forward
hailed the quarter-deck with the dread cry, "Breakers ahead!" In less
than a minute more, everybody heard the crash of the broken water. The
_Fortuna_ was put about, and came round slowly in the light wind. Thanks
to the timely alarm and the fine weather, the safety of the vessel was
easily provided for. They kept her under a short sail; and they waited
for the morning.

The dawn showed them in the distance a glorious green island, not marked
in the ship's charts--an island girt about by a coral-reef, and having
in its midst a high-peaked mountain which looked, through the telescope,
like a mountain of volcanic origin. Mr. Duncalf, taking his morning
draught of rum and water, shook his groggy old head and said (and
swore): "My lads, I don't like the look of that island." The Captain
was of a different opinion. He had one of the ship's boats put into the
water; he armed himself and four of his crew who accompanied him; and
away he went in the morning sunlight to visit the island.

Skirting round the coral reef, they found a natural breach, which proved
to be broad enough and deep enough not only for the passage of the boat,
but of the ship herself if needful. Crossing the broad inner belt of
smooth water, they approached the golden sands of the island, strew ed
with magnificent shells, and crowded by the dusky islanders--men,
women, and children, all waiting in breathless astonishment to see the
strangers land.

The Captain kept the boat off, and examined the islanders carefully.
The innocent, simple people danced, and sang, and ran into the water,
imploring their wonderful white visitors by gestures to come on shore.
Not a creature among them carried arms of any sort; a hospitable
curiosity animated the entire population. The men cried out, in their
smooth musical language, "Come and eat!" and the plump black-eyed women,
all laughing together, added their own invitation, "Come and be kissed!"
Was it in mortals to resist such temptations as these? The Captain
led the way on shore, and the women surrounded him in an instant,
and screamed for joy at the glorious spectacle of his whiskers, his
complexion, and his gloves. So the mariners from the far north were
welcomed to the newly-discovered island.

III.

THE morning wore on. Mr. Duncalf, in charge of the ship, cursing the
island over his rum and water, as a "beastly green strip of a place, not