he was. He quickly
again made his way along the rope to the deck of the vessel. The next
moment he appeared again, holding a young lady with one arm, while he
dragged himself along the rope with the other, but he twice had to
descend to avoid the rollers. The young lady seemed more dead than
alive when he placed her in the boat, but she quickly recovered, while
he, not in the slightest degree exhausted, dashed off again on board the
vessel, and brought another girl in the same way through the surf. A
third time he went, and on this occasion he encountered a young man, a
gentleman apparently, who was endeavouring to make his way by himself
along the rope. He was clutching the rope desperately, when a roller
going over him tore him away from his hold. Toa, seeing what had
happened, dashed after him, and seizing him brought him back to the
rope. Again Toa had to dive twice with the almost senseless stranger,
whom he at length placed, greatly exhausted, in the boat. The young
ladies had quickly recovered, so that I was able to pay attention to the
last comer, and with the assistance of the old pilot and two other men
we brought him to.

"The sooner we get ashore with these people the better, and let them
have a change of duds," said the old pilot. "But I do not like leaving,
while there are any people remaining on board."

"Oh, pray wait," said one of the young ladies. "There is a poor woman
and her child and several other people, besides the captain and crew,
who, I suppose, do not require so much help."

By this time, seeing the possibility of getting alongside the ill-fated
vessel in a boat, two put off from the shore, manned by stout fellows.
The first succeeded in getting alongside and bringing away a number of
the passengers, but the next was less successful. The brig gave a
tremendous roll, and striking the boat, capsized her in a moment, and
the whole of the people were scattered about in the raging surf. They
were, however, all picked up in various ways by the boats, but one poor
woman had her child washed from her arms. It was being rapidly carried
away by the receding sea, when Toa, who was on board the brig, sprang
after it and catching it in one arm, held its head above the surf while
he swam forward with the other. Thus the little fellow was borne along
by his preserver. Now the brave chief rose to the summit of a foaming
sea, now he sank down into the trough, again to rise with the boy still