and setting the sail, they
skimmed merrily along outside the reefs, keeping a bright look out for
any which might be just below the surface.

The only disagreeable part of the expedition was the necessity of
keeping two bands constantly baling. This showed how utterly impossible
it would have been to have attempted the proposed voyage before the boat
had been repaired. They found a sandy beach about a quarter of a mile
from the wreck. Here they hauled the boat up, and all hands at once
eagerly hastened on board. Pat suggested that the first thing to be
done was to bury the bodies, so that they might search the hold without
inconvenience; and he and Tim agreed to perform the disagreeable task.
Having found an old sail, they placed the remains in it. Among the
articles on board were a couple of spades, so that having dragged the
bodies to a piece of soft ground inside the rocks, they quickly dug a
grave, in which the white man and the blacks were placed together.

"They'll not fight there," said Tim, "whatever they may have done while
they had life in them."

The hold was then washed down, after which some cases of gun-powder
having been found, Tom devoted a portion to fumigating the hold. They
were now able to search the vessel thoroughly. Almost everything they
could possibly require was discovered in her. Still Tim was seen
searching about, as eagerly as at first. At length he gave a shout.

"Hurrah!" he cried out, "here is the treasure, my boys;" and he produced
a box of tobacco, in which was still a considerable portion of its
original contents. "It will serve us for many a day to come."

Some pipes were also found, and Tom at once gave the men leave to take a
smoke, for which they were truly grateful after the unpleasant duty they
had performed. The midshipmen in the mean time were engaged in
selecting the articles which they considered would be of the most use,
so that should any accident happen to the wreck before they could
return, they might at all events have secured the most necessary things.

In Tom's eyes the cask of tar was the most valuable. The voyage had
apparently been a long one, as nearly all the provisions had been
exhausted. A small barrel of biscuit, with a few pieces of beef at the
bottom of a cask, were almost the only provisions remaining on board.
There was, however, some tea, coffee, and sugar, and they did not forget
to carry off some cooking utensils, as well as a few cups,