e hermit's home.

Just as he approached it there issued from its gloomy depths a strange
rumbling sound which induced him to stop and cock his gun. A curious
feeling of serio-comic awe crept over him as the idea of a fiery dragon
leaped into his mind! At the same time, the fancy that the immense abyss
of darkness might be one of the volcanic vents diminished the comic and
increased the serious feeling. Ere long the sound assumed the definite
tone of footsteps, and the dragon fancy seemed about to become a reality
when he beheld a long narrow thing of uncertain form emerging from the
darkness.

"It must be coming out tail-foremost!" he muttered, with a short laugh
at his semi-credulity.

Another instant and the hermit emerged into the blazing sunshine, and
stood pictured against the intense darkness like a being of
supernatural radiance, with the end of a long narrow canoe on his
shoulder.

As Nigel passed round a bush to reach him he perceived the dark form of
Moses emerging from the depths and supporting the body of the canoe.

"I see you are active and an early riser," said the hermit, with a nod
of approval on seeing our hero.

"I almost took you for a Krakatoa monster!" said Nigel, as they came out
in front of the cavern and laid the canoe on the ground. "Why, you've
got here one of the craft which we in England call a Rob Roy canoe!"

"It is fashioned on the same pattern," said the hermit, "but with one or
two alterations of my own devising, and an improvement--as I
think--founded on what I have myself seen, when travelling with the
Eskimos of Greenland."

Van der Kemp here pointed out that the canoe was not only somewhat
broader than the kind used in England, but was considerably longer, and
with three openings or manholes in the deck, so that it was capable of
holding three persons. Also, that there was a large rounded mass of wood
fixed in front of the three manholes.

"These saddles, as I call them," said the hermit, "have been suggested
to me by the Eskimos, who, instead of wearying their arms by supporting
the double-bladed paddle continuously, rest it on the saddle and let it
slide about thereon while being used. Thus they are able to carry a much
longer and heavier paddle than that used in the Rob Roy canoe, the
weight of which, as it rests on the saddle, is not felt. Moreover it
does not require nearly so much dip to put it in the water. I have heard
of a sort of upright with a universal joint b