od more sociable, and every way more
pleasant. Jack, being the tallest, walked next the sea, and Peterkin
marched between us, as by this arrangement either of us could talk to him
or he to us, while if Jack and I happened to wish to converse together,
we could conveniently do so over Peterkin's head. Peterkin used to say,
in reference to this arrangement, that had he been as tall as either of
us, our order of march might have been the same, for, as Jack often used
to scold him for letting everything we said to him pass in at one ear and
out at the other, his head could of course form no interruption to our
discourse.

We were now fairly started. Half a mile's walk conveyed us round a bend
in the land which shut out our bower from view, and for some time we
advanced at a brisk pace without speaking, though our eyes were not idle,
but noted everything, in the woods, on the shore, or in the sea, that was
interesting. After passing the ridge of land that formed one side of our
valley--the Valley of the Wreck--we beheld another small vale lying
before us in all the luxuriant loveliness of tropical vegetation. We
had, indeed, seen it before from the mountain-top, but we had no idea
that it would turn out to be so much more lovely when we were close to
it. We were about to commence the exploration of this valley, when
Peterkin stopped us, and directed our attention to a very remarkable
appearance in advance along the shore.

"What's yon, think you?" said he, levelling his spear, as if he expected
an immediate attack from the object in question, though it was full half
a mile distant.

As he spoke, there appeared a white column above the rocks, as if of
steam or spray. It rose upwards to a height of several feet, and then
disappeared. Had this been near the sea, we would not have been so
greatly surprised, as it might in that case have been the surf, for at
this part of the coast the coral reef approached so near to the island
that in some parts it almost joined it. There was therefore no lagoon
between, and the heavy surf of the ocean beat almost up to the rocks. But
this white column appeared about fifty yards inland. The rocks at the
place were rugged, and they stretched across the sandy beach into the
sea. Scarce had we ceased expressing our surprise at this sight, when
another column flew upwards for a few seconds, not far from the spot
where the first had been seen, and disappeared; and so, at long irregular