been a man of
action, promptitude, decision. We return to England immediately--I do
not mean before luncheon, but as soon as the vessel in which I have
taken our passage is ready for sea, which will probably be in a few
days. I am sorry, Miss Pritty, that I have put you to so much
unnecessary trouble, but of course I could not foresee what was
impending. All I can do now is to thank you, and pay your passage back
in the same vessel with ourselves if you are disposed to go. That
vessel, I may tell you, has been selected by me with strict regard to my
altered position. It is a very small one, a mere schooner, in which
there are no luxuries though enough of necessaries. You will therefore,
my child, prepare for departure without delay."

In accordance with this decision Mr and Miss Hazlit and Miss Pritty
found themselves not long afterwards on board the _Fairy Queen_ as the
only passengers, and, in process of time, were conveyed by winds and
currents to the neighbourhood of the island of Borneo, where we will
leave them while we proceed onward to the island of Ceylon. Time and
distance are a hindrance to most people. They are fortunately nothing
whatever in the way of writers and readers!

Here a strange scene presents itself; numerous pearl-divers are at
work--most of them native, some European. But with these we have
nothing particular to do, except in so far as they engage the attention
of a certain man in a small boat, whose movements we will watch. The
man had been rowed to the scene of action by two Malays from a large
junk, or Chinese vessel, which lay in the offing. He was himself a
Malay--tall, dark, stern, handsome, and of very powerful build. The
rowers were perfectly silent and observant of his orders, which were
more frequently conveyed by a glance or a nod than by words.

Threading his way among the boats of the divers, the Malay skipper, for
such he seemed, signed to the rowers to stop, and directed his attention
specially to one boat. In truth this boat seemed worthy of attention
because of the energy of the men on board of it. A diver had just
leaped from its side into the sea. He was a stalwart man of colour,
quite naked, and aided his descent by means of a large stone attached to
each of the sandals which he wore. These sandals, on his desiring to
return to the surface, could be thrown off, being recoverable by means
of cords fastened to them. Just as he went down another naked diver