to afford Miss Onslow a run ashore; so, taking
possession of the boat that O'Gorman had graciously intimated I might
use--the same craft that had done us such good service ere we fell in
with the _Governor Smeaton_--I paddled alongside the brig, and suggested
to the young lady that we should devote the remainder of the day to an
exploration of the island proper. To this my companion acceded with
alacrity and evident delight; so, packing a small basket with everything
required for a substantial luncheon, I stepped the boat's mast, set her
canvas, and we got under way, working out through the loch into the big
lagoon formed by the barrier reef, and then coasting alongshore until we
reached a promising-looking landing-place. Here we ran the boat up on
the beach, secured her, and, stepping ashore, decided to lunch before
proceeding farther, since it was by this time drawing well on toward
midday. Then, having made a hearty meal, we plunged into the jungle,
with the idea of reaching the summit of the hill if we could hit upon a
practicable path. Viewed from the sea, the island had the appearance of
being as completely and thickly overgrown with jungle as had been the
islet where O'Gorman and his gang were hunting for treasure, but upon
entering the forest we found that it was not so, and that, by keeping
our eyes about us, we might manage with very little difficulty to work
our way through the comparatively open spaces that occurred at frequent
intervals. And we had not proceeded very far when we were fortunate
enough to fall athwart a tiny stream, with just the merest trickle of
water in it now, but which was evidently, in the rainy season, a
roaring, raging torrent. The bed of this stream was full of small
boulders, that served very well as stepping-stones, and as we knew we
could not go astray if we followed the course of the stream, and as we
knew, moreover, that by so doing we should be constantly rising, and as,
further, we should thus avoid being impeded by the necessity to wind our
way through the jungle, we decided to adopt this course, with the happy
result that in about an hour's time we found ourselves close to the
summit, and above the line of vegetation. There still remained about a
hundred feet of climbing to be done, however, ere we could attain the
summit; and this climbing had to be accomplished on a slope of some
sixty degrees, composed of fine, loose scoria, that gave way and slid
downward as soon as