came into a blaze of sunshine,
and then became suddenly aware that they had discovered a perfect
paradise. They stood on a table-land which was thickly covered with
cocoa-nut trees. A quarter of a mile farther on lay a beautiful valley,
the slopes and mounds of which were clothed with trees and beautiful
flowering herbage of various kinds, in clumps and groves of picturesque
form, with open glades and little meadows between, the whole being
backed by a grand mountain-range which traversed the island, and rose to
a height of more than a thousand feet.

"It is heaven upon earth!" exclaimed Brown, as they began to push into
the heart of the lovely scene.

"Humph! It's not all gold that glitters," growled McCoy, with a
sarcastic smile.

"It's pretty real, nevertheless," observed Isaac Martin; "I only hope
there ain't none o' the rascally niggers livin' here."

Christian said nothing, but wandered on, looking about him like one in a
dream.

Besides cocoa-nut palms and other trees and shrubs, there were
banyan-trees, the branches of which dropped downwards to the earth and
there took root, and other large timber-trees, and plantains, bananas,
yams, taro-roots, mulberry, tee-plant, and other fruit-bearing plants in
great profusion. Over this richly varied scene the eyes of William
Brown wandered in rapture.

"Magnificent!" he exclaimed; "a perfect garden!"

"Rich enough soil, eh?" said Martin, turning some of it up with the
point of his shoe.

"Rich enough, ay; couldn't be finer," said Brown. "I should think, from
its deep red colour, that it is chiefly decomposed lava. The island is
evidently volcanic in its origin. I hope we shall find fresh water.
We've not seen much yet, but it's sure to be found somewhere, for such
magnificent vegetation could not exist without it."

"What have we here?" said Christian, stooping to pick up something. "A
stone implement of some kind, like a spear-head, I think. It seems to
me that the island must have been inhabited once, although it does not
appear to be so now."

After they had wandered about for some time, examining the land, and
passing many a commentary, both grave and humorous, they turned to
retrace their steps, when Brown, who had gone on in advance, was heard
to cheer as he waved his hat above his head. He had discovered a
spring. They all hastened towards the spot. It lay like a clear gem in
the hollow of a rock a considerable distance up the mountain.