wind against it, we should run the double chance of
being burnt up by the lava or drowned among the breakers."

"We'll take good care to keep away from it, then," said Harry, laughing.

The following day we came off the island of Santa Cruz, the largest of
the group. When even several miles from the shore, a number of canoes
approached us, each generally containing three people, all of whom
showed an anxiety to trade. We stood into a small harbour, where we
brought up, when immediately more than a hundred canoes came around us,
loaded with mats, bows and arrows, and cocoanuts, which the islanders
willingly gave for bottles, pipes and tobacco, and for articles of
clothing. Whenever a shirt or a pair of trousers were to be had, the
islanders immediately slipped them on, not always as they were intended
to be worn, several putting the hind part before. They were an ugly
race--their skins nearly black, and their foreheads low and receding,
with high cheekbones and broad faces, their noses flat and mouths large,
while their heads were like black, curly mops. I cannot exactly say
that they were dressed, their only garment being a sort of apron,
fastened by a string tightly round the waist; but they wore
tortoise-shell rings hanging from their ears down to their shoulders,
and one large ring through the nose, which gave a most hideous
expression to their countenances. Some had on necklaces of human teeth,
and armlets of shells. Their habitations were low, small, and dirty
huts of a circular form, roofed with the leaf of the cocoanut tree, and
destitute of every description of furniture. They were altogether the
most ugly and diminutive race we had hitherto met with.

As usual, Harry would only allow a dozen on board at a time, while a
strict watch was kept on all their movements, but as far as we could
judge, they had no treacherous intentions. As evening approached, we
made them understand that we wished to be left in quiet, though it was
somewhat difficult, without giving them offence, to get them into their
canoes. They then paddled on shore, promising the next day to return
with the sort of wood we required, of which we showed them a specimen.
We, of course, kept a strict watch during the night, and were ready at
any moment to defend ourselves; but not a single canoe was seen floating
on the surface of the harbour; we therefore supposed that the natives
had retired to their huts to sleep.

Next day a chief ca