ng
her favourite.

"Where's Nanny? where's Nanny?" was cried along the deck; it was feared
at first that she had been washed overboard.

"Here she is, all right," cried the cook, who had looked into the
caboose, where it was found that the goat had wisely taken shelter on
finding herself neglected by her friends. Her usually sleek hair was
somewhat blackened, but that did not matter. She was hauled out of her
hiding-place and carried to the side of the vessel. On seeing Edith in
the boat she would of her own accord have leaped in after her, but as in
doing so she might have pitched upon some of our heads, she was lowered
carefully down.

"Thank you, thank you," cried Edith, as she patted the head of her
favourite, who was exhibiting her satisfaction at being with her young
mistress.

As we shoved off, my mother looked anxiously at the brig, still
evidently not liking to leave my father on board. He had told Mudge to
ascertain if there were any natives in the neighbourhood; and should he
be certain that there were none, to send the boat back, that she might
either assist in getting the brig off, or take more stores and
provisions on shore. As we pulled away the position of the brig
appeared hopeless indeed, and I believe my father would have thought so
had he been with us; but he could not bring himself to abandon her till
he had tried every possible means of getting her off. She was heeling
over on her side; and as the pumps were kept going, the water flowed out
at the scuppers in a continuous stream.

"Is there no hope, Mr Mudge, of getting the vessel off?" asked my
mother.

"The commander thinks that there is, or he would not have remained," he
answered evasively, not giving his own opinion; but I saw by his
countenance that he did not think there was any hope.

Our attention was now turned towards the shore. As we approached we
discovered what appeared to be the mouth of a river some way to the
south of where the brig lay, and as Mudge considered we should obtain a
better landing-place within it than was offered by the beach, all along
which the surf broke with some force, he steered towards it. We found
that it was directly opposite the passage through the reef by which we
had entered. The ground on the south side rose to a considerable
height, with a line of cliffs facing the sea-shore; while on the north
the country was much lower, and covered sparsely with trees of a curious
growth, such as I h