ops with a red glow. The sea was shining like a sheet of
glass, yet heaving with the long, deep swell that, all the world round,
indicates the life of Ocean; and the bright seaweeds and the brilliant
corals shone in the depths of that pellucid water, as we rowed over it,
like rare and precious gems. Oh, it was a sight fitted to stir the soul
of man to its profoundest depths! and if he owned a heart at all, to
lift that heart in adoration and gratitude to the great Creator of this
magnificent and glorious universe!

At first, in the strength of our delight, we rowed hither and thither
without aim or object. But after the effervescence of our spirits was
abated, we began to look about us and to consider what we should do.

"I vote that we row to the reef," cried Peterkin.

"And I vote that we visit the islands within the lagoon," said I.

"And I vote we do both," cried Jack; "so pull away, boys!"

As I have already said, we had made four oars; but our boat was so small
that only two were necessary. The extra pair were reserved in case any
accident should happen to the others. It was therefore only needful
that two of us should row, while the third steered by means of an oar--
and relieved the rowers occasionally.

First we landed on one of the small islands and ran all over it, but saw
nothing worthy of particular notice. Then we landed on a larger island,
on which were growing a few cocoa-nut trees. Not having eaten anything
that morning, we gathered a few of the nuts and breakfasted. After this
we pulled straight out to sea, and landed on the coral reef.

This was indeed a novel and interesting sight to us. We had now been so
long on shore that we had almost forgotten the appearance of breakers,
for there were none within the lagoon. But now, as we stood beside the
foam-crested billow of the open sea, all the enthusiasm of the sailor
was awakened in our breasts; and as we gazed on the widespread ruin of
that single magnificent breaker that burst in thunder at our feet, we
forgot the Coral Island behind us, we forgot our bower and the calm
repose of the scented woods, we forgot all that had passed during the
last few months, and remembered nothing but the storms, the calms, the
fresh breezes, and the surging billows of the open sea.

This huge, ceaseless breaker, to which I have so often alluded, was a
much larger and more sublime object than we had at all imagined it to
be. It rose many yards above the