e to bear with me. Both of us were
terribly cramped in the boat; and by way of exercise one or the other
would occasionally jump overboard and have a long swim. Whenever we
could we landed at night.

One morning, shortly after we had begun our usual trip for the day, and
were rounding a headland, I was almost stupefied to behold in front of me
the masts of a boat (which I afterwards found to be a Malay proa), close
in-shore. The situation, in reality, was between Croker's Island and the
main, but at the time I thought that I had at length reached Somerset. I
sprang to my feet in a state of the greatest excitement. "Thank God!
thank God!" I shouted to Yamba; "we are saved at
last!--saved--saved--saved!" As I shouted, I pulled the canoe round and
made for the vessel with all possible despatch. We very soon came up
with her, and found her almost stranded, in consequence of the lowness of
the tide. I promptly clambered aboard, but failed to find a soul. I
thought this rather strange, but as I could see a hut not very far away,
close to the beach, I steered towards it. This little dwelling, too, was
uninhabited, though I found a number of trays of fish lying about, which
afterwards I found to be _beche-de-mer_ being dried and smoked. Suddenly,
while Yamba and I were investigating the interior of the hut, a number of
Malays unexpectedly appeared on the scene, and I then realised I had had
the good fortune to come across a Malay _beche-de-mer_ expedition.

The fishermen were exceedingly surprised at seeing Yamba and me; but when
they found I could speak their language a little they evinced every sign
of delight, and forthwith entertained us most hospitably on board their
craft, which was a boat of ten or fifteen tons. They told me they had
come from the Dutch islands south of Timor, and promptly made me an offer
that set my heart beating wildly. They said they were prepared to take
me back to Kopang, if I wished; and I, on my part, offered to give them
all the pearl shells left on my little island in the Sea of Timor--the
latitude of which I took good care not to divulge--on condition that they
called there. They even offered Yamba a passage along with me; but, to
my amazement and bitter disappointment, she said she did not wish to go
with them. She trembled as though with fear. She was afraid that when
once we were on board, the Malays would kill me and keep her.

One other reason for this fear I knew, but it