I was
enabled to force a way through it. I wished to reach the top of the
mound, if possible, because it appeared to be a very suitable spot upon
which to build a big flare for the purpose of attracting the attention
of ships, should any such chance to heave in sight; I therefore
persevered, and eventually came out at the base of the elevation, which
was clear of trees. Then I started to climb, and after an hour's
arduous toil reached its summit, the sides being exceedingly steep and
consisting for the most part of fine ashes, from which I suspected that
I was climbing the cone of an extinct volcano. This suspicion was fully
verified when I arrived at the top; for I found myself upon a narrow
platform, roughly elliptical in shape and some half a dozen yards wide,
from which I gazed down into the interior of a crater some two hundred
feet deep, the sides of which were nearly vertical, while the bottom was
apparently a shallow pool of stagnant water.

The rim would serve admirably as a site upon which to build a bonfire;
but the sides were so steep and the soil so loose that I foresaw it
would be difficult, almost to the point of impossibility, to climb them
with a load. I therefore decided to see whether the peak near the
centre of the island offered better facilities. But before descending I
took a good long look round the horizon, and was not very greatly
surprised to discover that there were no less than seven separate and
distinct indications of land to the northward, the nearest of which I
judged could not be very far away.

I walked round the rim of the crater to its northern side and made my
descent there, _en route_ for the peak near the centre of the island,
having first fully satisfied myself that the sea all round was entirely
bare of craft of any description. My way now lay again through timber
and more or less dense scrub, beyond which I found a small patch of open
grass land, and then more timber. But now, for some inscrutable reason,
there was little or no scrub. The trees were more lofty and wider
apart, and intermingled with what I may term the timber trees were a
fair number bearing fruit, among which I found several specimens of the
breadfruit, and an abundance of mangoes, guavas, custard and star
apples, plantains, bananas, and a few other varieties; thus there was
the assurance of an ample supply of food so long as we might be
compelled to remain upon the island.

It was past noon when I