ghts. No sooner was the canvas stowed, than
we manned yards of our own accord, and then didn't we cheer her and the
admiral with right good will; and the whole crew, one and all, Chilians
and Englishmen, five hundred of us, burst forth with the hymn of the
Republic, praying at the end that Heaven would bless and prosper them.
She bowed more than once, but didn't say a word, and then burst into
tears.

"Ah! she was the lady who knew how to win a sailor's heart!"

CHAPTER NINE.

ROBINSON CRUSOE'S ISLAND.

Fleming and his old shipmate, Tom Carver, kept spinning their
interesting yarns about Lord Cochrane's gallant deeds till a late hour.
At last it was time to go to sleep; so we wrapped ourselves up as
closely as we could in our cloaks, with our feet to the fire and our
backs to the rock, to seek repose. Fleming, and Tom, and the doctor,
however, kept watch one after the other, both to keep up the fire and to
prevent our being taken by surprise by the visit of a puma, or any other
unwelcome visitor. By-the-by, the doctor told us that the puma very
seldom seeks his prey in the day-time, or attacks men, though he has
been known to do so at times. The fellow we killed measured fully five
feet from the nose to the tail, which was itself, in addition, two feet
and a half long. The back was of a brownish-red colour, and the breast
of a reddish ash colour, and the lower jaw and throat white. Its face
was like that of a huge cat, and it is said to be able to climb trees,
and to drop down from them on its prey. Its ordinary way of seizing its
prey is to spring on the back, and draw back the head of the animal till
its neck is broken. The guanaco, which is common throughout South
America, was used by the ancient Peruvians, in great numbers, as a beast
of burden. It carried about a hundredweight. Its flesh also served
them for food; of its skin leather articles were made, and its hair was
woven into cloth. When domesticated, it is known as the llama. It
feeds on vegetables, and requires no attention. Its voice resembles the
shrill neighing of a horse. Its use as a beast of burden has been
superseded by the horse, the ass, and the mule. The fleece of the tame
animal is not so long as that of the wild one. Their appearance I have
already described. I shall never forget that night among the Andes,--
how the stars of the southern hemisphere came out, and shone with a
brilliancy I had never before seen in that pur