had resolved also to try his
fortune on the fishing grounds in the neighbourhood of the New Hebrides
and the other Western Archipelago.

"A sail on the starboard bow," cried the look-out man, from aloft. I
was officer of the watch. We were far away from land, and meeting with
a strange sail is always a matter of interest in those seas. I went to
the mast-head with my glass, and made out that the sail was that of a
large double canoe. We kept away for her, not doubting that she had
been driven far out of her course. Of this the sad spectacle which met
our eyes as we drew near convinced us. On her deck were numerous
savages--some grouped together in the after part, others lying about in
different places, or leaning against the mast, and some apart in every
variety of attitude. Many appeared to be dead or in the last stage of
existence. Some few lifted up their hands imploringly towards us.
Others shook their spears and clubs, which they held in their
fast-failing grasp, possibly unconscious of what they were doing--the
ruling passion being, with them as with others, strong in death. The
ropes of their mat sail had given way, and it no longer urged them on.
It was necessary to approach them cautiously, for, though the savages
had but little strength left, they might, in their madness, attack us.
We lowered two boats, and, with our men well armed, pulled up to them.
As we got nearly alongside, some of the people in the after group rose
from their seats, and one endeavoured to drag himself towards us. He
was a young man--a light-coloured Indian--tall and handsome, and, unlike
most of the rest, clothed in jacket and trousers. The others moving,
showed us a young girl of the same light hue, reclining on a pile of
mats. She was clothed; her head was adorned with a wreath of coral, and
her arms and ankles with strings of beads. She struck me at once as
being very beautiful, though, as I saw her nearer, I perceived that her
eye had lost its lustre, and that her face was wan and emaciated. The
canoe was a very large one, capable of carrying a hundred and fifty
people, though not more than sixty were on board, and of that number
nearly half lay dead or dying on the deck. It was easy to divine what
had become of the rest. The young man made a sign that he would speak,
and pointing to the girl, he said, in a husky voice, "Save her, save
her! she Christian!" and then sunk exhausted on the deck.

CHAPTER TEN.

TH