ck to you, Jack! you've nearly made the heart jump out of my body,
you have."

"Perhaps I have," replied Jack, laughing, as we entered the bower, "but,
as I don't intend to keep you or the cat any longer from your supper, I
hope that you'll both forgive me."

Peterkin endeavoured to turn this affair off with a laugh, but I observed
that he blushed very deeply at the time we discovered ourselves, and he
did not seem to relish any allusion to the subject afterwards; so we
refrained from remarking on it ever after,--though it tickled us not a
little at the time.

After supper we retired to rest and to dream of wonderful adventures in
our little boat, and distant voyages upon the sea.

CHAPTER XVI.

The boat launched--We visit the coral reef--The great breaker that never
goes down--Coral insects--The way in which coral islands are made--The
boat's sail--We tax our ingenuity to form fish-hooks--Some of the fish we
saw--And a monstrous whale--Wonderful shower of little fish--Water-spouts.

It was a bright, clear, beautiful morning, when we first launched our
little boat and rowed out upon the placid waters of the lagoon. Not a
breath of wind ruffled the surface of the deep. Not a cloud spotted the
deep blue sky. Not a sound that was discordant broke the stillness of
the morning, although there were many sounds, sweet, tiny, and melodious,
that mingled in the universal harmony of nature. The sun was just rising
from the Pacific's ample bosom and tipping the mountain tops with a red
glow. The sea was shining like a sheet of glass, yet heaving with the
long deep swell that, all the world round, indicates the life of ocean;
and the bright sea-weeds and the brilliant corals shone in the depths of
that pellucid water, as we rowed over it, like rare and precious gems.
Oh! it was a sight fitted to stir the soul of man to its profoundest
depths, and, if he owned a heart at all, to lift that heart in adoration
and gratitude to the great Creator of this magnificent and glorious
universe.

At first, in the strength of our delight, we rowed hither and thither
without aim or object. But after the effervescence of our spirits was
abated, we began to look about us and to consider what we should do.

"I vote that we row to the reef," cried Peterkin.

"And I vote that we visit the islands within the lagoon," said I.

"And I vote we do both," cried Jack, "so pull away, boys."

As I have already said, we had made four o