isposition, I had no difficulty in restraining myself. I used
often to wonder how poor Peterkin would have liked to be with us; and he
sometimes expressed much regret at being unable to join us. I used to do
my best to gratify him, poor fellow, by relating all the wonders that we
saw; but this, instead of satisfying, seemed only to whet his curiosity
the more, so one day we prevailed on him to try to go down with us. But,
although a brave boy in every other way, Peterkin was very nervous in the
water, and it was with difficulty we got him to consent to be taken down,
for he could never have managed to push himself down to the bottom
without assistance. But no sooner had we pulled him down a yard or so
into the deep clear water, than he began to struggle and kick violently,
so we were forced to let him go, when he rose out of the water like a
cork, gave a loud gasp and a frightful roar, and struck out for the land
with the utmost possible haste.

Now, all this pleasure we were to forego, and when we thought thereon,
Jack and I felt very much depressed in our spirits. I could see, also,
that Peterkin grieved and sympathized with us, for, when talking about
this matter, he refrained from jesting and bantering us upon it.

As, however, a man's difficulties usually set him upon devising methods
to overcome them, whereby he often discovers better things than those he
may have lost, so this our difficulty induced us to think of searching
for a large pool among the rocks, where the water should be deep enough
for diving yet so surrounded by rocks as to prevent sharks from getting
at us. And such a pool we afterwards found, which proved to be very much
better than our most sanguine hopes anticipated. It was situated not
more than ten minutes' walk from our camp, and was in the form of a small
deep bay or basin, the entrance to which, besides being narrow, was so
shallow that no fish so large as a shark could get in, at least not
unless he should be a remarkably thin one.

Inside of this basin, which we called our Water Garden, the coral
formations were much more wonderful, and the sea-weed plants far more
lovely and vividly coloured, than in the lagoon itself. And the water
was so clear and still, that, although very deep, you could see the
minutest object at the bottom. Besides this, there was a ledge of rock
which overhung the basin at its deepest part, from which we could dive
pleasantly and whereon Peterkin could s