ing either deafened, or driven out of
our senses. At the first slackening of the wordy warfare, Dunmore put
his questions, and then Lizzie said--

"Baal there been any white fellow along of here."

"You been sure, Lizzie, ask suppose they been see any big fellow canoe."

Again the same hideous noise now took place, but I will not tire my
readers with too minute a description of a scene with which they must
now be pretty conversant, suffice it to say, that what with the real or
pretended stupidity of the gins, and the imperfect English of our
interpreter, we were more puzzled at the conclusion of the debate than
we had been at its commencement.

"Had they seen a vessel?"

"Oh yes, big fellow, with wings like 'it bird."

"How long ago?"

"Plenty long time ago."

"One moon ago?"

"Yes, one moon ago."

"Sure it was one moon?"

"No, thought it must be one day ago, and plenty smoke sit down along of
big canoe."

Altogether the skein was too tangled for us to attempt to unravel it.
They had seen vessels evidently, both sailing ships and steamers, but
whether it was yesterday, or ten years back, there were no means of
ascertaining; but to make certain that we were not being deceived, we
instituted a strict overhaul of the gunyahs, in hopes of finding
something that might give us a clue to the fate of the missing men.
When we broke up our circle for this purpose, the component parts of
the "heap" assumed an upright posture, and it was remarkable to witness
the awe with which they regarded Lizzie. At first they seemed afraid
to approach her, and stood some five yards distant, watching her whilst
she puffed out the smoke from her relighted pipe, and posed herself in
an attitude of becoming superiority, for she saw clearly enough that
the happy moment for making an impression had arrived. Gradually they
drew closer and closer, and at last, three of the eldest gins going
down on all fours, crept slowly up until close in front of her, when
they stopped, and buried their withered old faces in the sand at her
feet. After enjoying their humiliation for a few seconds, she
condescended to speak to them, and very shortly they were all
chattering away on the most amicable terms.

Meanwhile the gunyahs or native huts, and the camp, had been thoroughly
searched, but without bringing to light anything European, except a few
bottles, and a pint pot which had been accidentally left behind by one
of the party on the occasion