vered seamen of the Rancocus were alone, having acted in
perfect good faith with their former officer, who led them to the
awning, gave them some refreshment, and heard their story. The account
given by Jones, for the first time that very day, turned out to be
essentially true. When the launch was swept away from the ship, it drove
down to leeward, passing at no great distance from the crater, of which
the men in her got a glimpse, without being able to reach it. The
attention of Hillson was mainly given to keeping the boat from filling
or capsizing; and this furnished abundance of occupation. The launch got
into one of the channels, and by observing the direction, which was
nearly east and west, it succeeded in passing through all the dangers,
coming out to leeward of the shoals. As everybody believed that the ship
was hopelessly lost, no effort was made to get back to the spot where
she had been left. No island appearing, Hillson determined to run off to
the westward, trusting to fall in with land of some sort or other. The
provisions and water were soon consumed, and then came the horrors usual
to such scenes at sea. Hillson was one of the first that perished, his
previous excesses unfitting him to endure privation. But seven survived
when the launch reached an island in Waally's part of the group, so
often mentioned. There they fell into the hands of that turbulent and
warlike chief. Waally made the seamen his slaves, treating them
reasonably well, but exacting of them the closest attention to his
interests. Brown, as a ship-carpenter, soon became a favourite, and was
employed in fashioning craft that it was thought might be useful in
carrying out the ambitious projects of his master. The men were kept on
a small island, and were watched like any other treasure, having no
opportunity to communicate with any of those whites who appeared in
other parts of the group. Thus, while Betts passed two months with
Ooroony, and Heaton and his party nearly as much more time, these
sailors, who heard of such visitors, could never get access to them.
This was partly owing to the hostilities between the two chiefs--Ooroony
being then in the ascendant--and partly owing to the special projects of
Waally, who, by keeping his prisoners busily employed on his fleet,
looked forward to the success which, in fact, crowned his efforts
against his rival.

At length Waally undertook the expedition which had appeared in such
force beneath the