broad daylight.
We rose to our feet, and after stretching our cramped limbs, we climbed
to the top of the rock to look about us. The fire still raged over part
of the island, which was enveloped in thick wreaths of black smoke; but
to the west we caught sight of the blue sea, sparkling brightly in the
sunshine, the intervening space being free from flames, though
presenting a surface of black ashes, not a blade of grass apparently
having escaped the conflagration. We thought, too, that we recognised a
point round which the schooner had come just before dropping us in the
boat. This encouraged us to hope that we might not be very far-distant
from the place where we had landed. Without waiting, therefore, for
breakfast, we determined at once to set off.

"Let us take some beef, though," exclaimed Jerry; "it will prove that by
our own prowess we have killed a bull at all events."

The slices of beef were speedily cut, therefore, and strung on over our
shoulders, and, like two young Robinson Crusoes, we set off in the hopes
of soon relieving our anxiety about our friends. Nothing could be more
melancholy than the appearance of the country through which we passed--
cinders and blackness on every side. Every now and then we nearly
tumbled into a glowing heap of bog balsam. It was sad, too, to see the
number of nests, some with eggs in them, and others with young birds
completely roasted; indeed, we passed many old birds burned to cinders.
At last we struck the shore; but the face of nature had been so
completely altered by the fire, that we were uncertain whether it was to
the north or south of the creek at which we had landed. At last we
agreed that we were to the south of the spot we wished to reach, so we
stood along the beach to the north. We had not got far before we saw, a
little way inland, where the grass had been, two black masses. We
grasped each other's arms. Were they the figures of men? Trembling
with fear we hurried towards them. Though burned to cinders, still we
had no difficulty in recognising them as two seals. The poor things,
stupified and astonished by the fire, had probably had no time to waddle
into the water before it had overtaken them. Perhaps seals, like fish,
are attracted by fire, and the foolish animals had thought it a fine
sight to behold. We had taken no breakfast, and were beginning to feel
the want of food, but, at the same time, we were so thirsty that we did
not feel as i