In the eastern seas; or the regions of the bird of paradise. A tale for boys

Front matter

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THE LIBRARY

OF

Chapter I. The India Man

The Bussorah Merchant, on a voyage from India, falls in with a sinking ship — Merlin, the captain's dog, introduced — Dick Tarbox the boatswain boards her, and brings away, at great risk, a dying gentleman, Mr. Heathfield, and his children, Walter and Emily — Mr. Heathfield dies 13

Chapter II. The History Of Walter And Emily

Walter narrates his history — His father, with ruined fortune, was going out as Consul to a place in South America, in the Mountaineer — Met with a fearful gale — Captain and officers killed or washed overboard — Crew deserted the ship — Mr. Heathfield's elder brother had quarrelled with him — His first cousin, Lord Heatherly, will take no notice of him — The Bussorah Merchant reaches London, and Captain Davenport receives the orphans into his house — Tries to get the assistance of their relations — The only one who notices them is Mr. Tom Heathfield, a cousin, and he is killed hunting 25

Chapter III. Walter Heathfield's Journal

The Bussorah Merchant sails for Japan and the Malay Archipelago — Captain Davenport takes Walter and Emily with his wife and daughter Grace — Merlin is still on board — Mr. Thudicumb first mate —Oliver Farwell cabin-boy — - Dick Tarbox boatswain— Potto Jumbo the black cook — Ali Tomba the serang. or chief man, of the Lascar crew — Mr. Hooker, an enthusiastic naturalist, goes as a passenger — He instructs Walter and Oliver, who is very intelligent — Use of the chronometer — How to take an observation — The "Horse Latitudes" — Region of calms — The Doldrums — The Sargasso Sea — The trade-winds — Flying-fish and dolphins — Leaping cuttle-fish — Albatross caught by Mr. Hooker — One shot 35

VI CONTENTS.

Chapter IV. I Perform A Satisfactory Exploit

Suspicious behaviour of Ali Tomba and the Lascars— Potto Jumbo's friendship for Merlin — Oliver reads the Bible — I learn to respect him — I am a good swimmer — Oliver falls overboard — I jump in after him — Danger of attack from albatross — Potto Jumbo and Merlin come to our assistance — Roger Trew, a seaman, introduced— We see a canoe in the distance 52

Chapter V. Suspicious Behaviour Of The Lascars

A man discovered to be in the canoe — We take him on board — Macco, a native of Madagascar, gives us his history — He enters among the crew as cook's mate — Potto Jumbo warns me of a conspiracy among the Lascars — I inform Mr. Thudicumb — Dream that the Lascars have mutinied G4

Chapter VI. The Ship In Danger

I am aroused to shorten sail — Blowing hard— A heavy sea — Potto Jumbo tells me that the Lascars are still plotting mischief — The ship on fire — Ali Tomba and his men attempt to get away in a boat — Passengers and crew exert themselves to put out the fire — The Lascars overpowered — They are suspected of setting the ship on fire 74

Chapter VII. We Enter The Eastern Seas

We pass through the Straits of Sunda — Mr. Hooker's delight— Reach Singapore — Singapore described— Our adventures on shore — Tigers — Tiger-pits — We pass Formosa — How the Chinese treated their prisoners — We arrive in the harbour of Nagasaki, in Japan — Christian martyrs of Japan — Japanese officers come on board — Their costume — Accompany Mr. Hooker on shore to the house of' a merchant — House described — Beauty of wild-flowers — Camelia japonica. — The lotus — Tea plantation — Visit to Daimio's house — Feast — Handsome dress of ladies — Beautiful children — A norimon — A family scene — Mode of salutation — Houses — Furniture — Strange pillow — Food — Manufactures — The two Emperors — Various orders of people — Sail for Manilla — An ancient Spanish galleon — Visit to beautiful lakes — City of Manilla — Tobacco manufactory — The natives called Tagals — Their dress and customs — Cock-fighting — Cloth and Manilla hemp made from a species of banana — Beautiful manufacture from the fibre of the pine-apple — We sail southward 85

Chapter VIII. Cross The Sea Of Celebes

The Bussorah Merchant sails across the Celebes Sea — A calm — Mr. Hooker's monkeys play tricks with Merlin — Potto Jumbo tells me that he wishes Ali Tomba had not been pardoned, as he and his men are still plotting mischief — The captain's anxiety — The barometer falls — A hurricane threatens — Mr.

CONTENTS. Vll

Hooker describes the Malayan Archipelago — Considers it divided into three i-egions, with different characteristics — The hurricane commences, and the ship is thrown on her beam-ends — Masts cut away — She rights — We drive before the gale 122

Chapter IX. The Moluccas

Fine weather returns — We steer for Ternate — One of the Moluccas— Mountainous islands appear ahead — We anchor — Captain Davenport is ill — He and the ladies and Mr. Hooker go on shore to live — Mr. Hooker's house — The Moluccas and spice trade described — Ternate described — Its trade with Papua — Burning mountains — Earthquakes — A number of our crew on shore — New masts got in — A typhoon comes on — Boats in harbour tossed about and wrecked — The Lascars let the cable slip, and the ship drives out of the harbour — The Lascars threaten to take one of the boats — The ship strikes on a reef — We climb up the mainmast — The Lascars climb the foremast — The foremast carried away — Oliver and I are washed off the mainmast, which soon after falls 135

Chapter X. A Desert Island Is Reached

We get hold of a spar — Macco, who is on a piece of wreck, helps us to gain it — We are picked up by a native trader — Vessel described — Fed on rice, bread-fruit, and octopus, or ink-fish, and red pepper — Water in bamboos — A Malay anchor —Cable of ratan — The vessel looks for the wreck — Body of Ali Tomba found 151

CHAPTER XL

OUR ISLAND.

We are landed on an uninhabited island — Make our way through the jungle to search for water — Make spades out of bamboo — Macco climbs a tree at the top of a hill — Find sago-palms — Bird of paradise — Find water — Shells for cooking utensils, <fec. — Build a hut — Tridacna gigas, a monster oyster 164

Chapter XII. Our Life On The Island

Begin cutting down sago-tree — Beauty of creeping ratans — Catch a cuscus — Birds of paradise — I break my knife — Macco manufactures an axe — Find eggs of megapodius — Mound-building birds — We save some to hatch 178

Chapter XIII. The Treasures Of Our Island

Dance of birds of paradise — Beautiful butterflies and beetles — Our sago-tree falls — Black-faced baboon — Find cocoa-nut trees —We erect sago washing-machine — We cook sago in a shell — A baboon visits our store — We build a house — Our sago oven — Uses of bamboo — Our brood of megapodi hatched — See a tree kangaroo— Macco kills it : 1 92 vi CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV.

I PERFORM A SATISFACTORY EXPLOIT.

Suspicious behaviour of Ali Tomba aud the Lascars— Potto Jumbo's friendship for Merlin— Oliver reads the Bible— I learn to respect him— I am a good swimmer

Oliver falls overboard— I jump in after him— Danger of attack from albatross

—Potto Jumbo and Merlin come to our assistance— Roger Trew, a seaman, introduced— We see a canoe in the distance 52

CHAPTER V.

SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOUR OF THE LASCARS,

A man discovered to be in the canoe— We take him on board— Macco, a native of Madagascar, gives us his history — He enters among the crew as cook's mate — Potto Jumbo warns me of a conspiracy among the Lascars — I inform Mr. Thudicumb — Dream that the Lascars have mutinied • 64

CHAPTER VI.

THE SHIP IN DANGER.

I am aroused to shorten sail— Blowing hard— A heavy sea— Potto Jumbo tells me that the Lascars are still plotting mischief— The ship on fire— Ali Tomba and his men attempt to get away in a boat— Passengers and crew exert themselves to put out the fire — The Lascars overpowered — They are suspected of settin; the ship on fire

CHAPTER VII.

WE ENTER. THE EASTERN SEAS.

We pass through the Straits of Sunda— Mr. Hooker's delight —Reach Singapore- Singapore described— Our adventures on shore— Tigers— Tiger-pits— We pass Formosa— How the Chinese treated their prisoners -We arrive in the harbour of Nagasaki, in Japan— Christian martyrs of Japan— Japanese officers come on board— Their costume— Accompany Mr. Hooker on shore to the house of" a merchant — House described — Beauty of wild-flowers — Cam elia japonica — The lotus— Tea plantation— Visit to Daimio's house — Feast- Handsome dress of ladies — Beautiful children — A norimon — A family scene — Mode of salutation — Houses — Furniture — Strange pillow — Food

Manufactures — The two Emperors — Various orders of people — Sail

for Manilla— An ancient Spanish galleon— Visit to beautiful lakes — City of Manilla— Tobacco manufactory — The natives called Tagals — Their dress and customs— Cock-fighting— Cloth and Manilla hemp made from a species of banana— Beautiful manufacture from the fibre of the pine-apple— We sail southward

.85

CHAPTER VIII.

CROSS THE SEA OF CELEBES.

The Bussorah Merchant sails across the Celebes Sea— A calm — Mr. Hooker"s monkeys play tricks with Merlin — Potto Jumbo tells me that he wishes Ali Tomba had not been pardoned, as he and his men are still plotting mischief — The captain's anxiety — The barometer falls— A hurricane threatens — Mr.

CONTENTS. Vll

Hooker describes the Malayan Archipelago — Considers it divided into three regions, with different characteristics— The hurricane commences, and the ship is thrown on her beam-ends — Masts cut away — She rights — We drive before the gale 122

CHAPTER IX.

THE MOLUCCAS.

Fine weather returns — We steer for Ternate — One of the Moluccas— Mountainous islands appear ahead — We anchor — Captain Davenport is ill — He and the ladies and Mr. Hooker go on shore to live — Mr. Hooker's house — The Moluccas and spice trade described — Ternate described— Its trade with Papua — Burning mountains — Earthquakes — A number of our crew on shore — New masts got in — A typhoon comes on — Boats in harbour tossed about and wrecked — The Lascars let the cable slip, and the ship drives out of the harbour — The Lascars threaten to take one of the boats — The ship strikes on a reef — We climb up the mainmast — The Lascars climb the foremast — The foremast carried away — Oliver and I are washed off the mainmast, which soon after falls 135

CHAPTER X.

A DESERT ISLAND IS REACHED.

We get hold of a spar — Macco, who is on a piece of wreck, helps us to gain it — We are picked up by a native trader — Vessel described — Fed on rice, bread-fruit, and octopus, or ink-fish, and red pepper — Water in bamboos — A Malay anchor —Cable of ratan — The vessel looks for the wreck — Body of Ali Tomba found 151

CHAPTER XL

OUR ISLAND.

We are landed on an uninhabited island — Make our way through the jungle to search for water — Make spades out of bamboo — Macco climbs a tree at the top of a hill — Find sago-palms — Bird of paradise — Find water — Shells for cooking utensils, &c. — Build a hut — Tridacna gigas, a monster oyster 164

CHAPTER XII.

OUR LIFE ON THE ISLAND.

Begin cutting down sago-tree — Beauty of creeping ratans — Catch a cuscus— Birds of paradise — I break my knife — Macco manufactures an axe — Find eggs of megapodius — Mound-building birds — -We save some to hatch 178

CHAPTER XIII.

THE TREASURES OF OUR ISLAND.

Dance of birds of paradise — Beautiful butterflies and beetles — Our sago-tree falls Black-faced baboon — Find cocoa-nut trees— We erect sago washing-machine — We cook sago in a shell — A baboon visits our store — We build a house — Our sago oven — Uses of bamboo — Our brood of megapodi hatched — See a tree kangaroo— Macco kills it 1 92

CONTENTS.

Chapter XIV. Carried Off By Savages

Aroused from our sleep by human voices— Papuans set our house on fire — Taken prisoners by Papuans — Their canoes described — As we leave the island the burning mountain breaks forth — We have reason to be thankful — Our captors mock us, and give us but a scanty allowance of food — Land on shore of New Guinea— Large bats are caught and cooked — We reach Papuan village — Habitations and dress of people described — Sleeping mats —We are treated kindly by a Papuan woman 207

Chapter XV. Our Adventures In New Guinea

Morning occupation of our captors — Papuan pipe — Sent to fish — See our friend, and her child in a huge shell — we go on a hunting expedition — Great shielded grasshopper — Natives shoot birds of paradise — Various birds of paradise described— We separate from natives — Kill a cuscus and tree kangaroo — See horned flies — Savages overtake and are about to kill us, when we are saved by the princess, our friend — She takes us to her hut — We are unsuccessful in fishing, and dread the consequences 221

Chapter XVI. Our Perilous Escape

The princess advises us to fly from the place — She giiides us — Beauty of forest scenery — Lovely shells in abundance — We travel all night, and stop in the morning to rest — Continue our journey along the shore — See a vessel in the offing— Stop again — A thick mist — Pursued by natives — Find a boat — Macco insists that we shall go in her — Catch a glimpse of natives on shore — They appear to strike the princess and Macco — Mist clears — See the brig— Pursued by canoes — Almost overtaken — Boat from brig comes to us — Natives attack the boat — Beaten off — We find old friends — The Dugong has been chartered by Mr. Hooker to look for us — Emily and Grace, under the Frau Ursula, on board — We stand in to look for Macco — Tarbox describes how he and his companions escaped from the wreck 235

Chapter XVII. The Aru Islands Visited

Dugong, name of brig — The animal dugong described — Sail for the Aru Islands- Pearl-divers — Chinese collecting edible birds' nests — We visit a cavern inhabited by sea-swallows — Trepang collectors — Arrive at Dobbo — Dutch man-of-war — We write by her to Captain Davenport — See a shark caught — Fair at Dobbo — Cassowaries described — Native game at football — Cock-fighting — Savage natives 253

Chapter XVIII. A Search For Birds Of Paradise

Oliver and I accompany Mr. Hooker in an excursion into the interior — Hermit crabs eaten by spiders — Tree-ferns — Palms — King bird of paradise — A morning in a tropical forest — Lovely birds — Mode of life among the natives — Eating sugar-cane 275

CONTENTS.

Chapter XIX. Voyage Continued

Sail from Dobbo — Native canoes — Reach Banda — Its burning mountain — Palmyra palm— Nutmeg-trees, shaded by kanary-trees — Molucca pigeons — An earthquake— Arrive at Amboyna — Crimson lories — Brush-tongued turkeys — A cocoa plantation — Cool draught from a young cocoa-nut — A clove plantation — Flying lizards — Enormous crab — Night sounds in the tropics — Ocean gardens — we witness an earthquake from the water 285

Chapter XX. A Modern Crusoe's Island

Macassar described — Baboon — Babirusa — "Wild pigs — Buffaloes, and buffalo milk — Sugar palm — The sapi-utan — Maleos hatched in the cabin — Sickness on board — Mr. Hooker very ill — Discover an island — See a flagstaff on it — We land, and find a house with numerous animals about it — Meet a person like Robinson Crusoe — His man Friday — We invite him on board — He and Mr. Hooker recognize each other — Emily and I find that he is our uncle — We accompany him on shore — Mr. Hooker too ill to move — Storm threatens. ..301

Chapter XXI. Sedgwick Island And Its Wonders

Our uncle's house — Prepare a feast — Mangostin, mango, duku, durian, bread-fruit, jack-fruit — Molasses from gomuti-palm — The dining-hall — Palm-wine — Bamboo cups — A storm comes on — AVe are anxious about the brig — We go to a rock to assist — Brig strikes on a reef 319

Chapter XXII. Wreck Of The "dugong."

Roger Trew swims off to the wreck — Merlin accompanies him — They convey a rope on board — Merlin returns with a note — Many of the crew lost — Brig in danger of going to pieces— Potto Jumbo brings Mr. Hooker on shore — Mr. Thudicumb and Tarbox land — All who have escaped assemble at the house— We repair the boat — Visit the wreck — Obtain stores, arms, and provisions — Mr. Hooker's specimens — Propose to build a vessel— Mr. Williams the missionary 330

Chapter XXIII. Our First Excursion In The Island

The Frau and the girls assist in carrying things up to the house — They attend to Mr. Hooker and Mr. Thudicumb, who remain ill — An expedition planned — The girls and Oliver go also— Beauty of the forest— Magnificent orchids— Flying-frog — Tree-ferns — Bamboo bridge — Amonaceous tree — Fig-tree or banyan — Leaf butterfly— We erect huts for the night — Wild animals on the island mentioned .t 352

Chapter XXIV. Excursion Continued Fearful Encounter With A Monster

In the morning find troops of monkeys in the trees above us — I try to catch one, and get a bite for my pains— The siamang— Pandanus— Pitcher-plants — Water

CONTENTS.

from them — Discover a beautiful lake near the mountain — We build a raft and sound the lake— Our pic-nic by the lake — A fearful battle with an orang-outan — Oliver in great danger — Commence our journey home 3G9

Chapter XXV. Termination Of Our Excursion

We observe the mountain smoking — Our night encampment — Peculiar sounds made by wood pigeons — Attractive poisonous fruit — Shoot a jungle cock — Origin of our domestic poultry — Gubbong-trees— Encounter with a snake- Superb peacocks—Sounds at night in the forest — Visit from a tiger — Battle between a mias and a crocodile — See a snake watching for its prey 3S9

Chapter XXVI. An Expedition Along The Coast Pirates Appear

Discover a hill suitable for a fortification — Our new highway — Reach home— Alarm of pirates — Preparations for their reception — The naturalists' anxiety about their collections — The pirate fleet disappears— Our fishing expeditions — Shoot a frigate-bird — Chinese mode of fishing with cormorants —catch a nautilus. . . 405

Chapter XXVII. Our Hill-fort

further discussion on the nautilus — Upas-tree— Barnacle goose — Visits to the wreck — Prepare for building a vessel — Hope Harbour named — Our vessel to be called the Hope — Pirate fleet again appears— We prepare to escape to the hill, which we propose to fortify — Our march, accompanied by our dumb companions— We fortify the hill— Tanda's report— Our first night at our fort — We finish the works — Cut down a cotton-tree — We manufacture coir rope from the gomuti-palm— Its various uses described — Dig for water— See a rhinoceros- Dig a trap for him 423

Chapter XXVIII. Attacked By Pirates

Our preparations continued — The wreck set on fire — My uncle and I set out to watch the pirates — They land and burn the house — They are chased by a python — We return to the fort— Another night of suspense— Our morning prayer— The python and the wild pig — Our battle with the python — Tanda brings word that the pirates are approaching — We are attacked — The fight — The humpbacked chief — AVe are hardly pressed — Oliver and my uncle wounded — The pirates suddenly take to flight 440

Chapter XXIX. Building Of The "hope."

The Frau and girls tend the wounded — Re-erect our flagstaff — A man-of-war in

sight She pursues the pirates — Disappears — Burial of the dead — We return

to the house — Find more dead, and a wounded pirate— I tend him — Our party collect on Flagstaff Rock — Safety of most of the specimens — Loss of the nautilus— The naturalist's grief — AVe rebuild the house — Sowing maize — Com-

CONTENTS. XI

mcnce building the vessel — Manufacture sago-bread — Ali, our prisoner, recovers— Ali helps us to search for honey — How he got it — We catch lemurs 4G0

Chapter XXX. Walter Disappears Narrative Continued By Emily

Ali helps me to search for another nautilus. — Emily's Journal: — Walter has disappeared, and Ali with him— Fears that the boat has been driven away from the island, or that Ali has murdered him — Our friends go on building the vessel — We constantly watch for Walter's return — Oliver joins us on Flagstaff Rock — Oliver faints from the heat — Grace runs to call the Frau — An orang-outan appears in the wood— Grace returns, followed by the Frau— The mias comes towards us — The Frau fires— Our fearful danger — Merlin brings Tarbox and the others to our assistance — The mias pursued— Is killed — Others found — A young mias captured 485

Chapter XXXI

MR. SEDGWICK'S UNFORTUNATE EXPEDITION.

No news of Oliver — The maize grows up— Our plantation — Sugar, rice, red pepper, tobacco, and other productions — Sugar refining — .An earthquake — Collect cocoa-nuts and other provisions — Ship-building pushed on — Oliver captures a huge bat— Mr. Sedgwick takes Oliver and Tanda to shoot wild fowl — They do not return — Our anxiety — Torches of damma manufactured — A party sets out to search for them — Return with my uncle and Oliver —Oliver ill — He describes their expedition — Discover a soap spring — A beautiful lake — Shoot wild ducks- -Tanda killed by a crocodile 501

Chapter XXXII. The "hope" Sails In Seae.ch Of Walter

Gather maize— Make more sago— Cut the paddy— Chinese mode of growing rice- Banana — Manufacture rope from banana stems or Manilla hemp— We visit the Hope— She is launched, and named by me — Vessel rigged— Stores put on board —She sails under charge of Mr. Thudicumb — We remain behind— We prepare leaves of tea-plant — The burning mountain sends up much smoke — My uncle and Oliver build a raft, on which to escape should it burst forth — We prepare provisions, and take them to Hope Harbour— Tempestuous weather comes on — See the cutter approaching — Our sad fears — She is wrecked in Cormorant Bay — My uncle and Oliver rush into the water to help them— Walter and Macco are brought on shore with the rest — My thankfulness 517

Chapter XXXIII. Walter's Adventures

Increase the size of the raft — The mountain threatens still more seriously than before.— Walter's Journal continued: — In search of a nautilus, Ali and I are driven to a distance by a storm — Catch enormous fish— Our water exhausted — Land on coral island covered with birds — Get birds' eggs and birds, but no water — Reach another island — I am nearly dying, when revived by a draught of cocoa-nut juice — Find turtles' eggs— Continue our voyage — Reach the main-

CONTENTS.

land — Sail up a river — Reach a Dyak village — Kiiid reception by the savages 53G

CHAPTER XXXIV. Walter's adventures in Borneo

A young Dyak warrior appears with a human head on a spear — A hunting expedition— We join it — Finely-tempered swords of Dyaks— Poisoned arrows—Illness of chief of neighbouring village — Expedition at night to get heads from another tribe — Ali sets the village on fire — He is killed— I escape down the river — Banks of river on fire 555

CHAPTER XXXV. Walter's adventures continued

Reach the open sea— Fall to sleep in my boat — Driven on an island while asleep — My boat drifted away — I find water — Take up my abode in a cavern — Pirates land — I conceal myself above my cavern — See a person trying to escape from pirates — Turns out to be Macco— We hide in the rock— Pirates leave— Macco finds an adze — Commences building a canoe — Cutter appears — We are taken off— Return to Sedgwick Island — She is wrecked 5C7

Chapter XXXVI. An Eruption Of The Burning Mountain

We haul up the Hope to repair her — Fearful earthquake, and burning mountain bursts forth — We fly towards Hope Harbour — Bamboo bridge breaks — The forest on fire — Narrow escapes — The forest burns close behind us — Reach the raft — Put off from the shore — The whole island on fire— See a ship 584

Chapter XXXVII. Old England Reached At Last — Conclusion

Ship approaches — We are taken on board the losses— Captain and Mrs. Davenport— Our joy at meeting — Voyage home — Captain Davenport tells me of the death of my uncle and his two sons — The illness of Lord Heatherly — Visit Lord Heatherly with Mr. Sedgwick— He acknowledges me as his heir — Death of Lord Heatherly — I succeed to the title and estates — My plans for benefiting my tenantry and improving the estate— Helped by Oliver, who goes to college- Oliver becomes a clergyman— I marry Grace — Our old friends settle near us — Emily married to Oliver Farwell 51>i

S\

) c

INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO

INDIAN OCEAN t^p^s

^MiM$MtM

IK THE EASTERN SEAS.

Chapter I. The Indiaman

S^St^ELL, Thudicumb, I hope by noon we may at

\ymrrt ^ast &et a glimPKe °f tne sun," said Captain Davenport to his first officer, as they walked ~ the deck of the Bussorah Merchant, homeward bound from the East Indies, and at that time rolling on over the long heaving seas of the The sky was overcast, but ever and anon a gleam of light burst forth amid the clouds, playing on the foaming crest of a wave. It was blowing hard, but had evidently been blowing much harder, of which fact the condition of the Indiaman gave evidence. A portion of the starboard bulwarks were stove in, one of her quarter boats was shattered, and other slight damages were visible.

" We must be ready for him, sir, at all events," said the first officer, looking at his watch.

Atlantic.

" It is not far off noon

" Tell Oliver to bring me my sextant," said the captain, as the mate descended from the poop into his cabin.

INDIAN O

Deep Sea

LAGO i c

GUINEA

Js of Paradia

CLTi^qarooi

WHS m THE EASTERN SEAS.

CHAPTER I.

THE INDIAMAN.

ELL, Thudicumb, I hope by noon we may at last get a glimpse of the sun," said Captain Davenport to his first officer, as they walked the deck of the Bussorah Merchant, homeward bound from the East Indies, and at that time rolling on over the long heaving seas of the Atlantic. The sky was overcast, but ever and anon a gleam of light burst forth amid the clouds, playing on the foaming crest of a wave. It was blowing hard, but had evidently been blowing much harder, of which fact the condition of the Indiaman gave evidence. A portion of the starboard bulwarks were stove in, one of her quarter boats was shattered, and other slight damages were visible.

" We must be ready for him, sir, at all events," said the first officer, looking at his watch. " It is not far off noon now."

" Tell Oliver to bring me my sextant," said the captain, as the mate descended from the poop into his cabin.

14 MERLIN INTRODUCED.

Mr. Tlmdicumb soon returned, bringing bis own instrument, and followed by a boy witb the captain's. Continuing their walk, they looked anxiously every now and then at the spot in the heavens where they expected the sun to appear. They were acconiclioSSIXU THE ATLANTIC.

panied by one who seemed to take as much interest as they did in what was going forward. When they turned, he turned ; when they looked up at the sky, he looked up also ; balancing himself when the ship rolled as they did, by leaning over to the opposite direction to which she was heeling. He, however, could not have afforded them any assistance in their observation, for though his eye and the expression

TAKING AN OBSERVATION. 15

of his countenance exhibited much sagacity, he was of the canine species — a large dog — a magnificent-looking fellow, who could, the crew declared, for he was a great favourite with them, do everything but talk— and, they might have added, take a meridional observation, or a lunar.

Mr. Thudicumb again looked at his watch. " There he is, sir," he exclaimed at length.

He and the captain stopped in their walk ; their sextants were quickly at their eyes ; and there they stood, their feet planted firmly on the heaving deck, in an attitude long practice alone could have enabled them to maintain. A clear space was seen in the sky, increasing rapidly, and yet not altogether blue, but the vapour which drove across it was not sufficiently thick to prevent the sun's rays descending upon the sea.

" She has dipped, sir," said the. first officer.

" She has," observed the captain.

The sun's elevation was read off on the index, and the instruments were returned to their cases. The calculation was very quickly worked out on a scrap of card.

" Make it noon, Mr. Thudicumb," said the captain, as, returning the case to the young cabin-boy, he directed him to take it below. While the captain and his first officer were making their observation, a group of midshipmen had collected on the deck with their quadrants in their hands, doing their best to shoot the sun, but their less experienced eyes could make but little of it in that heavy sea ; and when they came to read off their observations, they were somewhat surprised at the wonderful difference which existed among them. Stopping to listen to a few remarks made to them by the captain, they hurried off the deck to deposit their quadrants in places of safety. The dog all the time stood with his feet firmly planted on the deck, watching the captain, as if he fully