runs up to help him. At a sign from his
master, the dog rushes on one of the savages and holds him fast till he
gets his death-blow, and the other meets the same fate. Then Crusoe by
signs and kindly gestures makes the prisoner understand that he has
found a friend. The poor fellow utters some incomprehensible words, and
Crusoe, who has not heard a human voice for fifteen years, is delighted
to hear him speak. The other savages make off as fast as they can.

Robinson Crusoe's black friend receives the name of Friday, because he
came to the island on a Friday. In time Friday learns to speak, and
brightens and relieves the life of the solitary man. One day another
wreck is stranded on the rocks, and Robinson and Friday fetch from its
stores firearms and powder, tools and provisions, and many other useful
things. When eighteen long years have expired, the hero of our childhood
is rescued by an English ship.

ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN

The albatross is a knowing bird, or he would not follow vessels for
weeks. He knows that there is food on board, and that edible fragments
are often thrown out. But his power of observation and his knowledge are
much greater than might be suspected. He knows also of old where small
storm birds take their prey, and when he finds them flying along with
their catch he shoots down like lightning among them, appropriates all
he can find, and does not trouble himself in the least about the smaller
birds' disappointment.

But these vultures of the sea are still cleverer in other ways. Their
forefathers have lived on the sea for thousands of years, and their
senses have been developed to the greatest acuteness and perfection.
They know the regular winds, and can perceive from the colour of the
water if a cold or warm sea current sweeps along below them. If now our
friend the albatross, travelling westwards over the islands of
Polynesia, wishes to be carried along by the wind, he knows that he has
only to keep between the Tropic of Capricorn and the equator in order to
be in the belt of the south-east trade-wind. And no doubt he has also
noticed that this wind gives rise to the equatorial current which, broad
and strong, sets westwards across the Pacific Ocean. If he wishes to fly
north of the equator, he receives the same help from the north-east
trade-wind; but if he wanders far to the south or north of the equator,
he will meet with head winds and find that the ocean current sets
eastwards. I