ht of fruit-bats (PECA) homeward
from their nocturnal depredations, we shipped our oars and started,
pulling to a certain position whence we could see over an immense area.
Immediately upon rounding the horn of our sheltered bay, the fresh
breeze of the south-east trades met us right on end with a vigour that
made a ten-mile steady pull against it somewhat of a breather. Arriving
at the station indicated by the chief, we set sail, and, separating as
far as possible without losing sight of each other, settled down for
the day's steady cruise. Anything more delightful than that excursion
to those who love seashore scenery combined with boat-sailing would be
difficult to name. Every variety of landscape, every shape of strait,
bay, or estuary, reefs awash, reefs over which we could sail, ablaze
with loveliness inexpressible; a steady, gentle, caressing breeze, and
overhead one unvarying canopy of deepest blue. Sometimes, when skirting
the base of some tremendous cliffs, great caution was necessary, for at
one moment there would obtain a calm, death-like in its stillness; the
next, down through a canyon cleaving the mountain to the water's edge
would come rushing with a shrill howl, a blast fierce enough to almost
lift us out of the water. Away we would scud with flying sheets dead
before it, in a smother of spray, but would hardly get full way on her
before it was gone, leaving us in the same hush as before, only a dark
patch on the water far to leeward marking its swift rush. These little
diversions gave us no uneasiness, for it was an unknown thing to make a
sheet fast in one of our boats, so that a puff of wind never caught us
unprepared.

On that first day we seemed to explore such a variety of stretches
of water that one would hardly have expected there could be any more
discoveries to make in that direction. Nevertheless, each day's cruise
subsequently revealed to us some new nook or other, some quiet haven or
pretty passage between islands that, until closely approached, looked
like one. When, at sunset, we returned to the ship, not having seen
anything like a spout, I felt like one who had been in a dream, the
day's cruise having surpassed all my previous experience. Yet it was but
the precursor of many such. Oftentimes I think of those halcyon days,
with a sigh of regret that they can never more be renewed to me; but I
rejoice to think that nothing can rob me of the memory of them.

Much to the discomfort of the