quitting Cocoa-nut Bay, as we had christened the place we
had come ashore from the wreck of the pinnace.

"Next morning we woke up more at our usual time aboard ship, soon after
the sun rose, the rest and food and drink having refreshed us so greatly
that we felt almost ourselves again; but we were still mighty hungry and
polished off our two yams for breakfast in a brace of shakes, the men
not listening to the injunctions of Magellan and myself that perhaps
they would feel the want of them more before the day was out. Now they
had had their ravenous cravings appeased, they thought they had come to
the end of all their privations. Poor chaps, they and myself had to
suffer a good deal more yet before we had quite done with Madagascar!

"A little later on, a sort of large parrot or cockatoo came flying down
the valley, perching on the branch of a tree near the waterfall, where
he began to croak away; so Denis Brown ups with a piece of stone and
chucking it at the bird brings it down. In a moment he had picked off
the feathers, when Magellan, taking out his knife again, cuts the parrot
into six portions, entrails and all, and distributes it amongst us.
That was the first thing we had between our teeth in the shape of meat
for nearly six days, for we had our last meal on board the pinnace the
day before she upset; so the fowl tasted better to us than the best
fancy dish ever served up at the lord-mayor's dinner--the only thing
against it being that there was so little of it, divided amongst the six
of us! However, it was a godsend any way; and it gave us so much
additional strength and courage, combined with the effects of the yams
we had already eaten and the plentiful supply of good water, that it was
unanimously resolved, after having a thorough rest that day by the side
of the river, to resume our march to Majunga the next morning at
daybreak and to keep on till we got there.

"But, `Man proposes and God disposes,' says the old proverb, and a very
wise one too, as we proved before the next forty-eight hours went over
our heads.

"There was no breakfast this morning of our second day's rest by the
banks of the river that had so providentially been sighted in time to
save our lives; but, notwithstanding that drawback, the whole party of
us started gaily afresh on our way through the jungle, resuming our
southerly course towards Majunga. Magellan and I regretted very much
that we had omitted bringing the empty wat