ds off.

"Lower the boat!" cried the captain.

In a second the boat was lowered and manned by a part of the crew, who
were all armed with cutlasses and pistols. As the captain passed me to
get into it he said, "Jump into the stern-sheets, Ralph; I may want
you." I obeyed, and in ten minutes more we were standing on the
stranger's deck. We were all much surprised at the sight that met our
eyes. Instead of a crew of such sailors as we were accustomed to see,
there were only fifteen blacks, standing on the quarter-deck, and
regarding us with looks of undisguised alarm. They were totally
unarmed, and most of them unclothed. One or two, however, wore portions
of European attire. One had on a pair of duck trousers, which were much
too large for him, and stuck out in a most ungainly manner; another wore
nothing but the common, scanty, native garment round the loins and a
black beaver hat; but the most ludicrous personage of all, and one who
seemed to be chief, was a tall, middle-aged man, of a mild, simple
expression of countenance, who wore a white cotton shirt, a
swallow-tailed coat, and a straw hat, while his black, brawny legs were
totally uncovered below the knees.

"Where's the commander of this ship?" inquired our captain, stepping up
to this individual.

"I is cap'in," he answered, taking off his straw hat and making a low
bow.

"You!" said our captain in surprise. "Where do you come from, and where
are you bound? What cargo have you aboard?"

"We is come," answered the man with the swallow-tail, "from Aitutaki; we
was go for Rarotonga. We is native miss'nary ship; our name is de
_Olive Branch_; an' our cargo is two tons cocoa-nuts, seventy pigs,
twenty cats, and de Gosp'l."

This announcement was received by the crew of our vessel with a shout of
laughter, which, however, was peremptorily checked by the captain, whose
expression instantly changed from one of severity to that of frank
urbanity as he advanced towards the missionary and shook him warmly by
the hand.

"I am very glad to have fallen in with you," said he, "and I wish you
much success in your missionary labours. Pray take me to your cabin, as
I wish to converse with you privately."

The missionary immediately took him by the hand, and as he led him away
I heard him saying, "me most glad to find you trader; we t'ought you be
pirate. You very like one 'bout the masts."

What conversation the captain had with this man I never heard; bu