y."

"Poor wretches," said Oliver. "They don't understand the powers of
civilisation."

"Poor wretches, indeed!" said Panton, giving a writhe. "I don't feel
much pity for them. Murderous thieves."

"They are," said the mate, "some of them, and it's wonderful what
conceit the black beggars have. But we must not be too hopeful, for
there's no trusting savages. They jump into their canoes and they are
here, there, and everywhere in a few hours. Let's hear what report Mr
Drew gives us when he comes back."

"Hang the savages!" said Panton, pettishly.

"Must catch 'em first, sir," said the mate, laughing.

"They seem to have put a stop to everything," said Oliver, joining in
with a smile. "But we'll forgive them if they'll only keep away and let
us go on with our work, and," he added with a sigh, "it is such a lovely
place, and there is so much to do."

"Yes, it's glorious," said Panton, as his eyes slowly took in their
surroundings. "Now, too, that the volcano's calming down, everything
promises that we shall have had a glorious expedition."

"Lovely, sir," said the mate, drily. "What about my poor ship?"

"Yes, that is bad, but I wouldn't mind losing a brig for the sake of
reaching so wonderful a country."

"Ah, that's where I don't agree with you, sir," said the mate. "The
place is very glorious, and it's grand to get to a new country--where--"

"Look! look!" cried Oliver. "Mr Rimmer, your gun! Those birds with
the long loose tails!"

"Eh? Well, I didn't pull their tails and make 'em loose, sir. More
likely the monkeys."

"You've lost the chance," cried Oliver, pettishly. "Didn't you see?
They were a kind of bird of paradise that I don't think I have seen
before."

"Those were, sir?" said the mate, looking after the birds. "Well, I
should have said they were a kind of crow."

"Well, so they are, but very beautiful, all the same. You might shoot a
few birds for me, and I could sit and skin and preserve them, then I
should not feel that I was losing so much time."

"Wait till Mr Drew comes back, sir, and begin in earnest to-morrow.
I'll shoot all I can then, and the men will be very glad of the birds
without their skins, for they're longing for fresh meat, and if we can,
we must have another turn at the fish."

"And we can't go," sighed Oliver. "I am so longing to study up those
wonderfully-marked fish."

"You'll never get through all you want to do if we stay here for years,"
said t