e of
matting, leaving a small aperture through which I could see what was
going forward. The schooner stood close up to us. I was very certain
that she was the pirate. Several faces I recognised. Among them was
Captain Bruno. At first I thought that they were going to run us down;
then I dreaded that they were going to make us come alongside. Hauling
their foresail to windward, they hailed two or three times, but in a
language was not understood. At last an answer was given from the
canoe. What it was I could not tell. It seemed to satisfy them. To my
great joy they once more let draw their foresail, and stood away from
us. This was not the last time we were to see that ill-omened craft.

As soon as she had got to some distance off, my friends came out of
their hiding-place, and I disengaged myself from the folds of the mat.
Truly thankful were we that we had escaped her. The missionary told us
that the pirates had stated that we were about three hundred miles to
the westward of Otaheite, and that we should pass several islands to get
there. Once at Otaheite the chief knew the direct course to his own
island, and believed that he should have no difficulty in finding it.
Our escape from the pirate made us, for a time, almost forget our raging
thirst; we could not, however, but admire the fidelity and resolution of
the natives, who, rather than run the risk of betraying us, had
refrained from asking for water from the pirate.

All that day our sufferings were very great. As we were running on
during the night, our ears were assailed by the sound of breakers. We
listened; they were on our weather bow. If we ran on we might miss the
island; so we hauled down our sail, and paddled slowly on towards the
spot whence the sound proceeded. All night we remained within sound of
the surf. How anxiously we waited for daylight to ascertain that there
was an island, and not merely a coral reef over which the sea was
breaking! That night was one of the most anxious we had yet passed.
Slowly the hours dragged along. It was wonderful to observe the calm
and resigned manner of the islanders. The missionaries and the chief
never gave the slightest sign of distress; even the women did not
complain. "It must be near daybreak," said Mr Brand, waking up out of
a sleep into which he had at last fallen. "Look out." We strained our
eyes in the direction in which we believed the island to exist. A few
pale streaks appeare