o the island to refit,
the Frenchman might possibly have a storehouse, with boats, perhaps, or
means of building one, and that we might thus be assisted to make our
escape. At last, so long a time had elapsed since her arrival, that we
began to fancy that she had gone out of harbour during a moonlight
night, and reached the offing without our perceiving her. To settle the
point, William and Trundle volunteered to reconnoitre, and I, afraid
that they might venture too far, resolved to go with them. We fixed on
that very afternoon to start, our intention being to get as close to the
harbour as we could before dark, and then to rest till the moon rose and
afforded us light.

"I hope that you'll have success, but it is a dangerous work you are
going on, young gentlemen," observed one of the emigrants, a Mr Peter
Lacy, or Lazy, as he was generally called, for it was most difficult to
arouse him to any exertion.

"Never fear, Mr Lazy, danger is a sweet nut we midshipmen are fond of
cracking to get at the kernel--honour. We shall be back all safe before
morning, and able to give a satisfactory report."

In good spirits we set off, for a considerable part of the distance
keeping along the shore, to avoid the tangled bush and rocks of the
interior. As, however, we approached the harbour, or rather the place
where we supposed the harbour to be, we left the beach and kept a more
inland course, taking advantage of all the cover we could find to
conceal ourselves. At last the sun went down and it quickly grew dark,
so we called a halt, and ate some of our provisions with a good
appetite. We listened attentively, but could hear no sound, so we
agreed to push on directly the moon got up. As we did not speak above a
whisper, a very soporiferous proceeding, I was not surprised that both
Toby and William fell asleep. It was more necessary, therefore, that I
should keep my eyes and ears open. At last I saw what looked like the
illuminated dome of some vast cathedral slowly emerge from the dark line
of the horizon; up it rose, till it assumed a globe-like form, and
appeared to decrease in size, while it cast a bright silvery light over
the hitherto obscured landscape. I roused up the two midshipmen, who
were sleeping as soundly as if they had been in their hammocks. We
worked our way onward among tangled underwood, not without sundry
scratches and inconvenient rents in our clothing, till we reached a
hill, up which we climbe