ew land lies.

"We may have discovered a new island for King George," says the captain.
"We must lie to till the morning, and then we will sail nearer, and see
this unknown shore."

The morning comes, and almost before it is day some of the officers are
on deck with their glasses, eagerly looking toward the island, which
they can now see far more plainly. Even without a glass its lofty rocks
and steep precipices can be distinguished. The ships are approaching
nearer and nearer, till now their anchors are dropped, and one of the
captains orders a boat to be prepared.

"Though I doubt how we shall get her through the surf," he says,
ponderingly; "it is a dangerous coast, and no pilot within hail. People
there too, I see--savages. The men must go well armed. Peters, look to
the loading of the pistols."

"Ay, ay, sir," answered Peters, looking, like the rest, towards the
rocks, where groups of people coming and going were to be seen.

There was evidently great excitement on the island. A ship was a strange
and unusual sight, no doubt.

Before the ship's boat could be launched, two men were seen to climb the
top of the steep cliff which almost overhung the narrow beach. They,
however, seemed to find no difficulty in their dangerous path, though
each carried on his shoulders a light canoe. The strangers wore some
kind of clothing, but even through the captain's glass it was impossible
to tell of what race they were.

Dark against the clear sky, the two figures were seen for awhile to
stand gazing steadfastly toward the ship, and then bounded like goats
down the rugged face of the rock, and soon launched their canoes
fearlessly in the angry surf.

"Haul the boat up, we'll wait and receive these natives on board," says
the captain; and in a few minutes one of the canoes was under the bows
of the ship.

"Come alongside," shouted a sailor, trusting that his signs and gestures
would explain the meaning of his English words.

"We have no boat-hook to hold on by," cried in answer the foremost of
their visitors.

No words can explain the surprise with which the captain and the whole
crew listened to these words spoken in pure English by the supposed
savage. They looked at him and at each other, but no one spoke till the
eager voice was again heard from the boat.

"Won't you heave us a rope now?"

A sailor seized and flung one end of a coil of rope, and in a moment
their strange visitor had seized it and climbed fearl