ye. At length he stopped, and, drawing a
long breath, exclaimed--

"Nectar! perfect nectar! I say, Jack, you're a Briton--the best fellow I
ever met in my life. Only taste that!" said he, turning to me and
holding the nut to my mouth. I immediately drank, and certainly I was
much surprised at the delightful liquid that flowed copiously down my
throat. It was extremely cool, and had a sweet taste, mingled with acid;
in fact, it was the likest thing to lemonade I ever tasted, and was most
grateful and refreshing. I handed the nut to Jack, who, after tasting
it, said, "Now, Peterkin, you unbeliever, I never saw or tasted a cocoa
nut in my life before, except those sold in shops at home; but I once
read that the green nuts contain that stuff, and you see it is true!"

"And pray," asked Peterkin, "what sort of 'stuff' does the ripe nut
contain?"

"A hollow kernel," answered Jack, "with a liquid like milk in it; but it
does not satisfy thirst so well as hunger. It is very wholesome food I
believe."

"Meat and drink on the same tree!" cried Peterkin; "washing in the sea,
lodging on the ground,--and all for nothing! My dear boys, we're set up
for life; it must be the ancient Paradise,--hurrah!" and Peterkin tossed
his straw hat in the air, and ran along the beach hallooing like a madman
with delight.

We afterwards found, however, that these lovely islands were very unlike
Paradise in many things. But more of this in its proper place.

We had now come to the point of rocks on which the ship had struck, but
did not find a single article, although we searched carefully among the
coral rocks, which at this place jutted out so far as nearly to join the
reef that encircled the island. Just as we were about to return,
however, we saw something black floating in a little cove that had
escaped our observation. Running forward, we drew it from the water, and
found it to be a long thick leather boot, such as fishermen at home wear;
and a few paces farther on we picked up its fellow. We at once
recognised these as having belonged to our captain, for he had worn them
during the whole of the storm, in order to guard his legs from the waves
and spray that constantly washed over our decks. My first thought on
seeing them was that our dear captain had been drowned; but Jack soon put
my mind more at rest on that point, by saying that if the captain had
been drowned with the boots on, he would certainly have been washed
ashor