ibe the relief I felt at discovering, in the first
place that my friend had escaped, and then on finding that a civilised
human being was near me. I could not tell whether he knew that his
brother was killed. I did not allude to the subject. We did our best
to encourage each other. We would gladly have got nearer together to
talk with more ease, but were afraid of letting go our hold of the
support, frail though it seemed, to which we clung. Van Deck encouraged
me by the assurance that it would soon be daylight, and that at early
dawn the fishermen would come off to examine the nets.

"They bear the Dutch, I am sorry to say, no good will," he observed.
"We are accused too justly of laying the produce of their industry under
tribute; but they will respect you as an Englishman, and for your sake
save the lives of both of us. Till I found that you had escaped I was
very anxious on that score."

As I have said, we talked continually, for silence was painful, as I
could not tell when my companion's voice was silent whether he had been
drawn down suddenly by a shark, or had sunk overcome by fatigue. Even
with conversation kept up in this way the time passed very slowly by.
How much worse off I should have been alone! At length Van Deck
exclaimed that he saw the dawn breaking in the sky. Rapidly after this
objects became more and more distinct; the tall bamboo buoys, with their
tufts of dry grass at the top, floating on the glassy water; then I
could distinguish my companion's head and shoulders just above the
surface; and the land about two miles off, on which, however, a surf
broke which would have made landing difficult, if not dangerous. The
tall trees and the mountains, range above range, seemed to rise directly
out of it.

Soon the fishermen's voices, as they pulled out, singing in chorus,
towards their buoys, greeted our ears. Two boats came close to us. The
fishermen exhibited much surprise at finding us, but instead of at once
coming up and taking us on board, they lay on their oars, and appeared
to be consulting what they should do with the strangers. How the
discussion might have terminated seemed doubtful, had not Van Deck told
them that I was an Englishman, whose countrymen had just conquered the
island; that he was my friend; and that if any harm happened to us my
people would come and cut off all the people in the district, whereas if
we were well treated they would be munificently rewarded. This