ars of age. As on the previous boarding of a ship, Toc amazed the
sailors by shouting in English to "throw him a rope." Being now
possessed of a wardrobe, he had in his heart resolved to appear in a
costume worthy of the great occasion. For this end he had put on a vest
without sleeves, trousers that had done duty in the _Topaz_, and were
much too short, and a beaver hat which he had jauntily ornamented with
cock-tail feathers, and wore very much on the back of his head.

Thursday met the eager inquiries of Sir F. Staines with his usual
good-humoured off-hand urbanity, and gave his name in full; but a sudden
change came over his face while he spoke--a look of amazement, mingled
with alarm.

"Look! look there, Ned," he said, in a low tone, laying his hand on his
comrade's shoulder and pointing towards a certain part of the ship.
"What is that?"

Ned looked with an expression of awe in the direction indicated.

"What is it that puzzles you?" asked the Captain, not a little amused by
their looks.

"The beast! the beast!" said Toc.

"What, d'you mean the cow?"

"Is it a cow?" asked Toc in wonder.

"Of course it is. Did you never see a cow before?"

"No, never. I thought it was a big goat, or a horned sow," returned the
young man, as he approached the quiet animal cautiously. "I say, Ned,
it's a _cow_! It don't look much like the things that father Adams used
to draw, do it?"

Ned agreed that Adams's representation fell far short of the original,
and for some time they stood cautiously examining the strange creature,
and gently touching its sides.

Just then a little black terrier came bounding forward and frisked round
the Captain.

"Ha!" exclaimed Edward Young, with an intelligent look, "I know that
beast, Toc; it's a dog! I'm sure it is, for I have read of such things
in Carteret, and father has described 'em often, so have the women.
They have dogs, you know, on some islands."

But the surprise and interest raised in them by two animals were nothing
to what they felt on being conducted over the ship and shown all the
details of stores and armament in a man-of-war. The surprise changed
sides, however, when, on being asked to partake of luncheon, these men
stood up, clasped their hands, shut their eyes, and asked a blessing
before commencing to eat, in the familiar phrase, "For what we are about
to receive," etcetera.

Of course Captains Staines and Pipon went on shore, where they were
received