oes hauled up,
together with an English boat, and supposed that they were at the
principal landing place of the island.

On either side of the landing place the cliffs rose steeply up, at
a short distance from the beach. But at this point a sort of
natural gap existed, up which the road ascended into the interior
of the island. There were several natives moving about on the beach
as the boys approached, and one of these was seen, at once, to
start at a run up the road. The lads had carefully removed all
vestige of the paint from their faces and hands and, having put on
their doublets, concealed the strange appearance presented before
by their white shirts.

No resistance was opposed to their landing; but the natives
motioned to them that they must not advance inland, until a
messenger returned from the governor. The boys were only too glad
to throw themselves down full length on the soft sand of the beach,
and to dry their clothes in the sun; as for ten days they had been
constantly wet, and were stiff and tired.

Presently a native came down at a run, and announced that the
governor was at hand. Rising to their feet, and making the best
show they could in their faded garments, the lads soon saw a
Portuguese gentleman, attended by four soldiers, coming down the
road between the cliffs.

"Who are you?" he asked in Portuguese, as he reached them, "and
whence come you?"

"We are Englishmen," Ned said in Spanish. "We belong to the ship of
Captain Drake, which passed by here in its voyage of circumnavigation.
By an accident, we in the canoe were separated from the ship and left
behind. We have come to seek your hospitality, and protection."

"We heard of an English vessel at Ternate," the governor said,
sternly, "some weeks since; and heard also that its captain was
making an alliance with the king there, against us."

"It was not so," Ned said. "The admiral stopped there for a few
days to obtain supplies such as he needed; but we are not here
either to make alliances or to trade. Captain Drake, on starting,
intended to voyage round the coast of America; and to return, if
possible, by the north. After coasting up the western shores of
that continent, he found that it would be impossible to pass round
the north, as the coast extended so rapidly toward the north of
Asia. He therefore started to return by the Cape, and on his way
passed through these islands.

"Had it been part of his plan to make alliances with the