. It was
followed by a fearful crash among the bushes, which was rapidly repeated,
as if some gigantic animal were bounding towards us. In another moment
an enormous rock came crashing through the shrubbery, followed by a cloud
of dust and small stones, flew close past the spot where we stood,
carrying bushes and young trees along with it.

"Pooh! is that all?" exclaimed Peterkin, wiping the perspiration off his
forehead. "Why, I thought it was all the wild men and beasts in the
South Sea Islands galloping on in one grand charge to sweep us off the
face of the earth, instead of a mere stone tumbling down the mountain
side."

"Nevertheless," remarked Jack, "if that same stone had hit any of us, it
would have rendered the charge you speak of quite unnecessary, Peterkin."

This was true, and I felt very thankful for our escape. On examining the
spot more narrowly, we found that it lay close to the foot of a very
rugged precipice, from which stones of various sizes were always tumbling
at intervals. Indeed, the numerous fragments lying scattered all around
might have suggested the cause of the sound, had we not been too suddenly
alarmed to think of anything.

We now resumed our journey, resolving that, in our future excursions into
the interior, we would be careful to avoid this dangerous precipice.

Soon afterwards we arrived at the foot of the hill and prepared to ascend
it. Here Jack made a discovery which caused us all very great joy. This
was a tree of a remarkably beautiful appearance, which Jack confidently
declared to be the celebrated bread-fruit tree.

"Is it celebrated?" inquired Peterkin, with a look of great simplicity.

"It is," replied Jack

"That's odd, now," rejoined Peterkin; "never heard of it before."

"Then it's not so celebrated as I thought it was," returned Jack, quietly
squeezing Peterkin's hat over his eyes; "but listen, you ignorant boobie!
and hear of it now."

Peterkin re-adjusted his hat, and was soon listening with as much
interest as myself, while Jack told us that this tree is one of the most
valuable in the islands of the south; that it bears two, sometimes three,
crops of fruit in the year; that the fruit is very like wheaten bread in
appearance, and that it constitutes the principal food of many of the
islanders.

"So," said Peterkin, "we seem to have everything ready prepared to our
hands in this wonderful island,--lemonade ready bottled in nuts, and loaf-
bread growi