capsize, or get stove in, going over the reef, or
else will be smashed to bits on the shore," he said, "and the natives
will steal everything they can lay their hands on, especially if the
white men are drowned. So it is better to throw the money overboard."

I took his advice, and going on deck, we dropped both box and bag
overboard, just where Levi pointed out a big boulder, against which the
brigantine was crushing and pounding her quarter.

Again refusing to enter any of the boats, I watched my chance, and ran
for'ard, followed by Levi, and as soon as a big roller came along, we
dropped, and were carried ashore beautifully. Some hundreds of natives
and the white trader were on the look out, and ran in and caught us
before the backwash carried us out again.

The mate's boat had already reached the shore without accident, owing to
the splendid manner in which he and his native crew had handled her; but
both the captain and second mate came to grief, their boats broaching to
and capsizing just as they were within a few fathoms of the shore.

However, no lives were lost, and although next morning the brigantine's
decks had worked out of her and came ashore, the hull held together for
some weeks, and we saved a lot of stores. My money I recovered two or
three days later, though it had been carried more than a hundred yards
away from the spot where it had been dropped overboard. The tin cashbox
(which I had tied up in an oilskin coat, parcelled round with spun yarn,
and weighted inside with several hundred Snider cartridges) was found
buried in sand and broken coral, in a small pool on the reef; it
presented a most curious appearance, being almost round in shape. The
canvas bag was found near by, under a ledge of the reef, together with
the binnacle bell--which was doubled flat--and a dinner plate! The
bag (of No 2 canvas) had been hastily rolled up by Levi in the cabin
table-cloth, weighted with all the loose Snider cartridges we could find
in the darkened trade room, and tied up at each end like a "roly-poly."
This proved its salvation, for when we dug it out (under three fathoms
of water) the outer covering came away in fine shreds, and some of the
big Mexican sun dollars had cut through the canvas.

So ended my second experience, and the only satisfactory thing about it
to me, after losing over a thousand pounds worth of goods through the
captain's obstinacy, was that when he was fussing about after the wreck
try