swimming about in the pool
with our vessel bottom upwards.

As she was so light, I soon righted her, and found that she had received
no injury, and appeared to be perfectly water-tight.

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

I could not prevail upon Mrs Reichardt to embark in my craft, the fate
of my first passenger, which she had witnessed from the shore, had
deterred her from attempting a voyage under such unpromising
circumstances.

As soon as I had dried my clothes, I was for making another experiment,
and one too of a more hazardous nature. I would not be parted from
Nero, but I made him lie at the bottom of the boat, where I could have
him under strict control. With him I also took my little flock of
gannets, who perched themselves round me, gazing about them with an air
of such singular stupidity as they were being propelled through the
water, that I could not help bursting out laughing.

"Indeed," said Mrs Reichardt, "such a boat's crew and such a boat had
never been seen in those seas before. A young Savage as captain, a tame
seal as boatswain, and a flock of gannets as sailors, certainly made up
as curious a set of adventurers as ever floated upon the wide ocean."

I was not the least remarkable of the strange group, for I had nothing
on but a pair of duck trousers, patched in several places; and my hair,
which had grown very long, hung in black wavy masses to my shoulders.
My skin was tanned by the sun to a light brown, very different from the
complexion of Mrs Reichardt, which had ever been remarkable for its
paleness. Indeed she told me I should find some difficulty in
establishing my claim to the title of European, but none at all to that
of Little Savage, which she often playfully called me.

Nevertheless, in this trim, and with these companions, I passed out of
the fishing-pool into the sea, with the intention of rowing round the
island. Mrs Reichardt waved her hand as I departed on my voyage,
having exhorted me to be very careful, as long as I was in hearing; she
then turned away, as I thought, to return to the hut.

The day was remarkably fine. There was not so much as a cloud on the
horizon, and scarcely a ripple on the water: therefore, everything
seemed to favour my project, for if there had been anything of a breeze,
the beating of the waves against the rock would have been a great
obstacle to my pursuing my voyage with either comfort or safety. The
water too was so clear, that although it was