pring of fresh water. Mr Falconer shot several birds, and having
fishing-hooks and lines, the men quickly caught a supply of fish. They
then put up a hut for me, where I could enjoy that rest I so much
required. At night, also, a number of turtle were observed landing on
the sandy beach to lay their eggs, and we thus had no longer any fear of
suffering from starvation.

"So well satisfied were the men with the island, that they proposed
remaining, rather than venture again to sea. Mr Falconer inquired my
wishes. I knew that I could implicitly trust him. Months would perhaps
pass before any ship might appear. I begged that, if the men would be
persuaded to go, we might continue our voyage. They agreed at length to
do as he wished.

"Besides the casks, a number of cocoa-nuts were filled with water;
birds, and fish, and turtle, were salted, and four live turtle and a
number of cocoa-nuts were taken on board. Thus amply supplied with
provisions, we again set sail.

"We had been a week at sea, when a vessel was seen, hove-to in the
distance. We steered for her. Her boats were away in chase of a whale.
We received a kind welcome on board the ship, which was the _Harmony_,
from Captain Landon and his wife, who were Christian people. My
satisfaction was very great when I found that the captain intended
touching at this island, to refit his ship before proceeding to other
fishing-grounds. The second mate had died, and he offered Mr Falconer
the berth. He gladly accepted it. At the end of three weeks I had the
happiness of finding myself with these kind friends.

"I knew how Mr Falconer felt when he told me that he must continue on
board the _Harmony_, though he trusted on his arrival in England to be
able to obtain the command of a ship in which he might return here.
Since then no letter from him has reached me, nor have I received any
tidings of him. Still I feel perfect confidence that he is faithful and
true, and that he will return as soon as he can find the means of doing
so."

I felt very sorry when I heard the latter part of Miss Kitty's
narrative; for while I fully agreed with her that Mr Falconer would
return if he could, I feared that, had he not lost his life, he might
have been wrecked or taken prisoner, or detained somewhere by illness.

As Mr Newton afterwards observed to me, he had never seen any woman who
was so thoroughly sustained under a great trial by her confidence in the
man to whom s