efend ourselves if we are
attacked?" said Bass. "I should like to have a club to fight with."

"It would be no use, Mr Bass," answered Tom. "We must try to make
friends with the natives; I have no fear about the matter."

"Nor have I," said Harry.

Tom and the two boys made their way along the shore. Sometimes they had
to climb over rocks, sometimes to wade through black sand. At length
they reached a firmer beach, and got on better than at first.

The day was wearing on. They had had nothing to eat or drink since the
previous evening. They all felt faint and hungry.

At length they caught sight of a stream of sparkling water trickling
down the rocks. How eagerly they drank of it! It revived them, and
they pushed on. They were anxious to fall in with natives before dark
who might give them food and shelter.

The appearance of the country rapidly improved. At last, after climbing
some rocks, they found themselves looking down into a beautiful bay, on
the shore of which a number of women and girls were collected, who, from
the way they were employed in combing their dark hair or dressing their
heads with flowers, had apparently just come out of the water.

On seeing the three strangers several of the girls shrieked out. Among
them was a tall, dignified-looking person, who, on observing Tom and the
boys approaching, rose from the ground on which she had been seated and
advanced towards them. To their surprise, she addressed them in broken
English.

"Who you? where you come from?" she asked.

Tom replied that they were English, and had escaped from their ship,
which had been wrecked some way along the coast.

"And, please, marm," he added, "we are very hungry, especially these two
boys, and shall be thankful if you will give us some food as soon as
possible."

"We are not more hungry than he is," said Harry; "but he always thinks
more of us than of himself."

The lady smiled and made signs to them to accompany her, evidently
understanding what they said, though she herself had soon apparently
exhausted her stock of English words. She led the way, followed by her
maidens.

Climbing the rocks, which were easily surmounted, they found themselves
in a level country with trees growing luxuriantly, while plantations of
various descriptions were seen in every direction. At a little distance
was a cottage, which, though built after the native fashion, was of
considerable size.

"There is my house," s