larly proud of her as
he walked round her and critically surveyed her lines and general shape
the last thing before giving the word to put her into the water.
Needless to say she was also the object of great and ever-increasing
curiosity to the inhabitants of the valley generally, not more than
perhaps a dozen of whom had ever seen anything more handy and shipshape
than the unwieldy balsa, or raft constructed of reeds, a not very
manageable craft at the best of times, and of course quite incapable of
being navigated under sail except before the wind. The cutter was got
into the water without accident, and after some slight readjustment of
her inside ballast, to bring her accurately to her correct water line,
her young owner got on board and, a nice sailing breeze happening to be
blowing right down the lake, took her for a trial spin from one end of
the lake to the other, running down and beating back. The result was
eminently satisfactory in every respect, the little vessel developing a
fine turn of speed, not only before the wind but also close-hauled,
while she was of course, like all craft of similar form, remarkably
weatherly; indeed the smartness with which she worked back against the
wind, from the lower end of the lake, was regarded by the
unsophisticated inhabitants of the valley as nothing short of
miraculous.

Meanwhile, Escombe having given instructions for the manufacture of a
hardened copper hook, with two fathoms of chain attached, and a stout
rope of plaited raw hide, at the same time that he had put the yacht in
hand, these articles were now ready. Therefore, after exercising his
crew for a week, to get them thoroughly accustomed to the working of the
new craft, he made arrangements for a grand plesiosaurus hunt, to which
he invited his stanch friend Umu, and three or four other nobles who had
manifested a capacity for development into kindred spirits.

On a certain glorious morning this novel fishing party embarked on board
the yacht, taking with them, of course, their fishing line and the
carcasses of two llamas, cut in half, for bait, together with a
formidable battery of bows and arrows, spears, heavy maces, and other
weapons for the killing of their quarry when captured; to which armament
Escombe added his magazine rifle and two packets of cartridges, which
the faithful Arima had been careful to bring away from the survey camp,
together with everything else belonging to his young master, on the