nch. Pull away, my lads."

"Yes; but very gently," cried Jack; and they glided on, the men guessing
the wishes of those on board by swinging together with a slow, steady
motion, and just lightly dipping their oars without a splash, so that,
as they glided on toward a patch of sand some four hundred yards away,
where the grove of palms was the highest, and the shade from the glowing
sun the deepest, a glorious view of the submarine treasures was enjoyed.
Jack sighed as the boat's prow touched the sands, the men sprang out on
either side in the shallow water, and ran her right up on the shore,
close to a great cocoa-nut tree, ready for the painter to be attached in
case the tide should rise as high.

Two men were left as keepers, and the party, shouldering their arms,
prepared to start inland.

"It will be best, gentlemen," said the captain, "to make our way along
the open ground between the lagoon and the forest to-day, and to keep
well together. I don't think there is a soul but ourselves on the
island, but it is as well to take every step as if we were in face of
enemies. For no doubt once upon a time the people who live among these
tropical islands were fairly amiable when not provoked; but I'm sorry to
say that they have been so ill-used by the sailors and traders of all
nations, that whatever they may have been, they are often now ready to
behave in a very treacherous manner to white people."

"Quite right," said Sir John; "and it is hard to make them understand
that we are perfectly peaceable. I quite agree with Doctor Instow that
our pleasant voyage ought not to be made arduous to him and painful to
us all by any sad accident. We do not want any patients suffering from
spear-thrust, or poisoned arrow sent from blow-pipe or bow, and I beg
that every one will understand that I should look upon it as a calamity
if, in defence of our lives, we were forced to fire upon a set of
ignorant savages. Captain Bradleigh, we trust to your guidance on
board, we will continue to do so, please, on shore."

"Thank you, Sir John," said the gentleman addressed; "you have uttered
my sentiments exactly, and I am glad to say that I can trust my lads
thoroughly. So now, then, we'll go west slowly and easily, so that you
can take a look at anything which takes your fancy, and we will just
skirt the woodland patches while we go as far as seems reasonable in
this direction, our main object being to find out whether we have the