found
very prolific everywhere. Then they ascended the undulating slopes of
the mountain-sides until they reached the rugged and bare rocks of the
higher ground.

On the way they found further and indisputable evidence of the island
having been inhabited at some previous and probably long past era.
Among these evidences were spear-heads, and axes of stone, and several
warlike weapons.

"Hallo! here's a circumstance," exclaimed Martin, stopping in front of
an object which lay on the ground.

On closer examination the "circumstance" turned out to be an image made
of a hard and coarse red stone.

"It is evidently an idol," said Christian; "and here are some smooth
round stones, resembling those used by the Otaheitans in war."

Not far from the spot, and in other places as they advanced, the
exploring party found heaps of stone chips, as well as more images and
tools.

"I've been thinking," said Brown, turning for a moment to look down at
the sea, which now lay spread out far below them like a blue plain,
"I've been thinking that the proof of people having been here long ago
lies not only in these stones, axes, spears, and images, but also in the
fact that we find the cocoa-nut trees, bananas, plantains,
breadfruit-trees, as well as yams and sweet potatoes, grow chiefly in
the sunny and sheltered parts of the island, and gathered together as if
they had been planted there."

"Here's the best proof of all," exclaimed Martin, who had a tendency to
poke about, with his long nose advanced, as if scenting out things.

They looked at the spot to which Martin pointed, and there saw a human
skeleton in the last stage of decay, with a large pearl shell under the
skull. Not far-off more human bones were discovered.

"That's proof positive," said Brown. "Now, I wonder why these natives
came here, and why they went away."

"P'r'aps they didn't come, but was born'd here," suggested Martin; "an'
mayhap they didn't go away at all, but died here."

"True, Martin," said Adams; "and that shell reminds me of what Captain
Bligh once told me, that the natives o' the Gambier Islands, which must
lie to wind'ard o' this, have a custom of puttin' a shell under the
heads of the dead in this fashion. Moreover, he told me that these same
Gambier chaps, long ago, used to put the people they vanquished in war
on rafts, and turn 'em adrift to sink or swim, or fetch what land they
might. No doubt some of these people got drifted here."