had of knocking our bows in against coral
reefs, or the gales we encountered in the falsely so-called Pacific,--
not but that it is pacific enough at times, when long calms prevail; and
on two such occasions we lay basking, or rather sweltering, under the
rays of a tropical sun, scarcely cooled even during the night. Still we
all retained our health, being amply supplied with lime-juice and
preserved vegetables, calculated to keep the much-dreaded scurvy at bay.

Harry at once became a favourite on board; for though he had been cowed
by his task-masters, his spirit had not been broken. He was grateful
for all kindness shown him, and anxious to learn, so that he in a short
time was as civilised as any one on board. He also rapidly acquired a
knowledge of English,--or, I may say, regained it, for so quickly did he
pick up the more simple words, that it was clear he must have known them
before. As he did so, recollections of the past seemed to come back to
his mind; and when he was able to speak his thoughts, he mentioned
numerous circumstances which convinced us of what the commander had from
the first suspected.

I took a great liking to him, as he did to me; and taking care not to
suggest ideas to him which might have led him into error, I frequently
got him to tell me the recollections of his early days. He remembered
his mother, whom he described as very beautiful, as he naturally thought
her, and very like what Mrs Hudson must have been; and he spoke of his
father as being a great chief, who commanded a number of men; and also
of being on board a ship, which he said was very much larger than the
_Heroine_, and had a great number of men and boats. He spoke, also, of
enormous fish being caught, and brought alongside, and cut up and
burned; so that, of course, I knew she must have been a whaler. At
length he said he recollected being carried into a boat and rowed away
from the ship, which he had never seen again; and now I had not a shadow
of doubt that he was indeed the long-lost child of Captain and Mrs
Hudson. He had no recollection of the murder of the crew, however; but
he next remembered finding himself among dark-skinned savages, with whom
he had ever afterwards remained. Possibly he might have been in an
unconscious state, from want of food, when the boat was seized by the
savages, and had so escaped witnessing the murder of her crew.

As soon as I made this out, I told the commander; who took great p