the year a strong current sets in a
northerly and westerly direction, and it is due to this fact that Vanaki
accomplished his swim. Now for his story.

"I was in the port watch of the _Aurore_. We came to Ureparapara in
the month of June to 'recruit' and got four men. Whilst we were there,
Captain Houston (who was then mate of the _Aurore_) asked me if I would
dive under the ship and look at her copper; for a week before we had
touched a reef. So I dived, and found that five sheets of copper were
gone from the port side about half a fathom from the keel. So the
captain took five new sheets of copper, and punched the nail holes, and
gave me one sheet at a time, and I nailed them on securely. In three
hours it was done, for the ship was in quiet, clear water, and I knew
what to do. The captain then said to me laughingly that he feared I had
but tacked on the sheets loosely, and that they would come off. My heart
was sore at this, and so I asked Mr. Houston, who is a good diver, to
go and look. And he dived and looked, and then five other of the
crew--natives--dived and looked, and they all said that the work was
well and truly done--all the nails driven home, and the sheets smooth,
and without a crinkle. This pleased the captain greatly, and he gave me
a small gold piece, and told me that I could go on shore, and spend it
at the white trader's store.

"Now I did a foolish thing. I bought from the trader two bottles of
strange grog called _arrak_. It was very strong--stronger than rum--and
soon I and two others who drank it became very drunk, and lay on the
ground like pigs. Mr. Houston came and found me, and brought me on
board, and I was laid on the after-deck under the awning.

"At sunset the ship sailed. I was still asleep, and heard nothing,
though in a little while it began to blow, and much rain fell The
captain let me lie on the lee side, so that the rain might beat upon me,
and bring me to life again.

"When four bells struck I awoke. I was ashamed. Waiting until the wheel
was relieved, I crept along the deck unseen, for it was very dark, and
goy up on the top of the top-gallant fo'c'stle, and again lay down. The
ship was running before the wind under close-reefed sails, and the sea
was so great that she pitched heavily every now and then, and much water
came over the bows. This did me good, and I soon began to feel able to
go below and turn in in my bunk. Then presently, as I was about to rise,
the ship made