, in the fulness of his heart, had tended with the utmost care,
as being a vivid remembrancer of me, rather than out of love for natural
history. It was in superb condition;--the water as clear and pellucid as
crystal; the red and green sea-weed of the most brilliant hues; the red,
purple, yellow, green, and striped anemones fully expanded, and
stretching out their arms as if to welcome and embrace their former
master; the starfish, zoophytes, sea-pens, and other innumerable marine
insects, looking fresh and beautiful; and the crabs, as Peterkin said,
looking as wide awake, impertinent, rampant, and pugnacious as ever. It
was indeed so lovely and so interesting that I would scarcely allow
myself to be torn away from it.

Last of all, we returned to the bower and collected the few articles we
possessed, such as the axe, the pencil-case, the broken telescope, the
pen-knife, the hook made from the brass ring, and the sail-needle, with
which we had landed on the island;--also, the long boots and the pistol,
besides several curious articles of costume which we had manufactured
from time to time.

These we conveyed on board in our little boat, after having carved our
names on a chip of iron-wood, thus:--

JACK MARTIN,
RALPH ROVER,
PETERKIN GAY,

which we fixed up inside of the bower. The boat was then hoisted on
board and the anchor weighed; which latter operation cost us great labour
and much time, as the anchor was so heavy that we could not move it
without the aid of my complex machinery of blocks and pulleys. A steady
breeze was blowing off shore when we set sail, at a little before sunset.
It swept us quickly past the reef and out to sea. The shore grew rapidly
more indistinct as the shades of evening fell, while our clipper bark
bounded lightly over the waves. Slowly the mountain top sank on the
horizon, until it became a mere speck. In another moment the sun and the
Coral Island sank together into the broad bosom of the Pacific.

CHAPTER XXX.

The voyage--The island, and a consultation in which danger is scouted as
a thing unworthy of consideration--Rats and cats--The native
teacher--Awful revelations--Wonderful effects of Christianity.

Our voyage during the next two weeks was most interesting and prosperous.
The breeze continued generally fair, and at all times enabled us to lie
our course; for being, as I have said before, clipper-built, the pirate
schooner could lie very close to th