cided,
with a heavy heart, to leave Ernest alone to protect the vessel. His
calm and cool manner made it less dangerous for him to meet the natives.
He knew several words of their language, and had read of the mode of
addressing and conciliating them. He promised me to be prudent, which
his elder brother could not be. We took the bag of toys which Fritz had
brought, and left those in the chest, to use if necessary; and, praying
for the blessing of Heaven on my son, we left him. My sorrow was great;
but he was no longer a child, and his character encouraged me. Fritz
embraced his brother, and promised him to bring Jack back in safety.

* * * * *

CHAPTER LII.

After having traversed for some time a desert, sandy plain without
meeting a living creature, we arrived at a thick wood, where we lost the
traces we had carefully followed. We were obliged to direct our course
by chance, keeping no fixed road, but advancing as the interwoven
branches permitted us. The wood was alive with the most beautiful birds
of brilliant and varied plumage; but, in our anxious and distressed
state, we should have been more interested in seeing a savage than a
bird. We passed at last through these verdant groves, and reached an
arid plain extending to the shore. We again discovered numerous
footsteps; and, whilst we were observing them, we saw a large canoe pass
rapidly, filled with islanders: and this time I thought that, in spite
of the distance, I could recognize the canoe we had built, and which
they had robbed us of. Fritz wished to swim after them, and was
beginning to undress himself, and I only stopped him by declaring that
if he did, I must follow him, as I had decided not to be separated from
him. I even proposed that we should return to Ernest, as I was of
opinion that the savages would stop at the place where we had
disembarked, to take away the boat they had left, and we might then, by
means of the words Ernest had acquired, learn from them what had become
of my wife and children. Fritz agreed to this, though he still persisted
that the easiest and quickest mode of return would have been by
swimming. We were endeavouring to retrace our road, when, to our great
astonishment, we saw, at a few yards' distance, a man clothed in a long
black robe advancing towards us, whom we immediately recognized as
a European.

"Either I am greatly deceived," said I, "or this is a missionary, a
worthy servant