n Yorkshire, and trifles never
took away his breath. He replied calmly:

"Yo're o'reet, Davy. We wor a bit sleepy, but we're quite wakken
noo. Keep yor shirt on, and we'll do better next time."

When the canoes, which were built entirely with sheets of bark, were
drawn up on the beach, nothing was found in them but a few sticks,
bark paddles, and a gown--a lilac cotton gown.

"That goon," said Campbell, "has belonged to some white woman thae
deevils have murdered. There is no settler nearer than Jamieson, and
they maun ha brocht the goon a' the way frae the Bass."

But Campbell was mistaken. There had been another white woman in
Gippsland.

THE ISLE OF BLASTED HOPES.

There is a large island where the Ninety-Mile Beach ends in a
wilderness of roaring breakers. It is the Isle of Blasted Hopes.
Its enchanting landscape has allured many a landsman to his ruin, and
its beacon, seen through the haze of a south-east gale, has guided
many a watchful mariner to shipwreck and death.

After the discovery of Gippsland, Pearson and Black first occupied
the island under a grazing license, and they put eleven thousand
sheep on it, with some horses, bullocks, and pigs. The sheep began
to die, so they sold them to Captain Cole at ten shillings a head,
giving in the other stock. They were of the opinion that they had
made an excellent bargain, but when the muster was made nine thousand
six hundred of the sheep were missing. The pigs ran wild, but
multiplied. When the last sheep had perished, Cole sold his license
to a man named Thomas, who put on more sheep, and afterwards
exchanged as many as he could find with John King for cattle and
horses. Morrison next occupied the island until he was starved out.
Then another man named Thomas took the fatal grazing license, but he
did not live on the land. He placed his brother in charge of it, to
be out of the way of temptation, as he was too fond of liquor. The
brother was not allowed the use of a boat; he, with his wife and
family, was virtually a prisoner, condemned to sobriety. But by this
time a lighthouse had been erected, and Watts the keeper of it had a
boat, and was, moreover, fond of liquor. The two men soon became
firm friends, and often found it necessary to make voyages to Port
Albert for flour, or tea, or sugar. The last time they sailed
together the barometer was low, and a gale was brewing. When they
left the wharf they had taken on board all the sto