ywhere was the same wiry grass which we had taken at a
distance for soft turf. At length we came to an open space, raised but
slightly above the level of the sea. It was tenanted by innumerable
aquatic birds--gannets, sooty terns, beautiful tropic and frigate birds,
the nests of the latter constructed of rough sticks covering the boughs
of the surrounding trees. While the gannets, whose eggs had been
deposited on the ground without nests refused to move as we approached--
only exhibiting their alarm or displeasure by loud croaks, and allowing
us to catch hold of them without resistance--the frigate birds, more
wary, rose from their perches, inflating their blood-red pouches to the
size of large cocoanuts, as they ascended high up in the air above our
heads, or flew off to sea; others circled round us screeching wildly and
flapping their wings. The discordant noise, the heat, the disagreeable
smell, and the roughness of the ground, made the ladies unwilling to
proceed further, and they proposed returning slowly to the boats; but
Dick, Nat, and I, with Jack Lizard, one of the men, pushed forward in
spite of all obstacles, as I was anxious to explore more of the island.

"Do not be long away," shouted Harry; "we may have a breeze shortly, and
must get aboard."

"Ay, ay!" I answered, as we hurried on, expecting to be able to get to
the other side of the island and to turn back and overtake them before
they reached the boats. The ground rose slightly as we advanced,
showing that the island had been upheaved, since first formed by its
minute architects, owing to some volcanic convulsion far down in the
depths of the ocean. Masses of coral worn by time lay scattered about,
amid which grew shrubs and tangled creepers, with here and there a few
taller trees; but as the shrubs were not of a thorny species we pushed
through them or leaped over them, Dick and Nat coming down on their
noses more than once in our progress. Seeing a knoll, or rather a mass
of coral, thrown up higher than the rest ahead I made for it, hoping to
get from thence a more extensive view than we could from where we were.
We soon climbed to the summit, which was high enough to enable us to
look over the surrounding trees.

"Hillo, what are those dots out there?" exclaimed Nat, pointing towards
the eastern end of the nearest island, which we had seen from the
schooner.

"Dots, do you call them, young gentleman?" said Lizard; "to my mind they
are ca