mong which we
recognised the graceful plume-like heads of a grove of cocoa-nut trees,
several broad-leaved bananas, and a number of the pandanus or screw-pine
(readily known by the beauty of its form and its white glossy leaves),
as also the paper mulberry tree, of much lower growth, with large
leaves. The gnawings of hunger, however, made us consider more
particularly how we could most quickly obtain some cocoa-nuts,--which I
saw hanging from the trees,--rather than about anything else. Harry and
Tom were thinking of exactly the same thing; so we got up, and being
unwilling to awaken our companions, proceeded together along the shore
till we reached one of the smaller trees, which Harry said he could
climb without difficulty.

"Then the sooner you are up it the better," cried Tom; "for if I don't
get something solid to eat soon, I must turn into a sheep, and begin to
nibble the grass and leaves."

"Other animals than sheep eat grass and leaves," I could not help
saying; "you might find yourself turned into one of them."

Tommy looked somewhat angry, which surprised Harry, who did not
understand my allusion, never having seen either a sheep or a donkey.
"Don't quarrel," he said. "I will soon get the cocoa-nuts; and Tom may
eat a whole one if he likes." So saying, he pulled off his shoes and
socks, and began climbing the tree in a way neither Tommy nor I could
have accomplished.

We watched him eagerly. I ran under the tree, intending to catch them.

"You had better stand away, or they may chance to break your head,"
shouted Harry. In a short time he had reached the top of the tree, and
broken off two large clusters of the fruit, with which he descended.
"They might have broken, and we should have lost the milk," he observed,
as he reached the bottom.

While we were employed in breaking off the outer husks, Harry ran down
to the beach and brought back a piece of sharp coral, with which he soon
made a hole in one of the cocoa-nuts. "There," he said, handing it to
me, "drink that--that will do you good."

How delicious the milk tasted! I passed it on to Tommy. In the
meantime, Harry had another cocoa-nut ready. We insisted, however, on
his taking the first draught from it. A third cocoa-nut supplied us all
with as much liquid as we required; we then broke open the shells, but
one cocoa-nut afforded us a sufficient breakfast. With the remainder we
returned to the spot where we had left our companions; wh