er. On the 14th, therefore, they anchored at a convenient spot near an
uninhabited island off the east coast of Celebes. The first thing they
did was to pitch their tents, and entrench themselves as strongly as
they could on the shore, lest any of the inhabitants of the larger
island in view might attack them. After having thus provided for their
security, they landed the cargo and set up a smith's forge. As all
their coals were spent, before they could use it, they had to
manufacture charcoal.

The place was remarkably healthy, and those who had hitherto been sickly
quickly recovered their strength. The island was thickly wooded with
trees of great height. Among them fire-flies in vast numbers were seen
flitting, at night every twig on the trees appearing as if lighted up by
stars.

They also saw what they took to be huge bats, which moved rapidly
through the air with short flights. When they alighted they hung on the
boughs, with their backs downwards. They also found, in vast numbers,
large land crabs, which lived in colonies under the roots of trees, but
never, as far as they could see, entered the water. They accordingly
called this place Crab Island.

All necessary repairs being completed, the _Golden Hind_ sailed on the
12th of December, directing her course westward. When off the coast of
Celebes, she became entangled among reefs and shoals, from out of which
it required the greatest possible care to find a free passage. Here
they were sailing, now in one direction, now in another, until the 9th
of January, when, a favourable breeze springing up, they believed that
they had extricated themselves from their dangerous position, and that
they had an open sea before them. They were running under all sail,
when, in the beginning of the first night watch, a loud grating sound
was heard,--the masts quivered: the _Golden Hind_ had run hard and fast
on a rock. No land was in sight; there appeared no hopes of getting her
off. Like pious men as they were, of a sort, they fell down on their
knees and implored God's protection. They then rose,--their brave
Admiral setting the example,--and bestirred themselves to see what could
be done. The pumps were tried and quickly sucked dry, showing that the
hull of the _Golden Hind_ was sound.

It was now deemed important to carry an anchor out to seaward, but
before doing so a boat was lowered, into which the Admiral leaped,
undertaking the charge of sounding all