er. "I say, Tony," (our regardless seaman had already thus
mutilated his name), "you seem to have plenty live stock in them parts."

"Plenty vat?" inquired the interpreter, with a perplexed expression.

"Why, plenty birds and beasts,--live stock we calls it, meanin' thereby
livin' creeturs." He pointed towards an opening in the mangroves,
through which were visible the neighbouring mud and sand flats, swarming
with wild-fowl, and conspicuous among which were large flocks of
pelicans, who seemed to be gorging themselves comfortably from an
apparently inexhaustible supply of fish in the pools left by the
receding tide.

"Ho, yis, me perceive; yis, plenty bird and beast--fishes too, and
crawbs--look dare."

He pointed to a part of the sands nearest to their encampment which
appeared to be alive with some small creatures.

"That's coorious," said Disco, removing his pipe, and regarding the
phenomenon with some interest.

"No, 'taint koorous, it's crawbs," replied Antonio.

"Crabs, is it?" said Disco, rising and sauntering down to the sands; for
he possessed an inquiring mind, with a special tendency to investigate
the habits (pranks, as he called them) of the lower animals, which, in
other circumstances, might have made him a naturalist.

Muttering to himself--he was fond of muttering to himself, it felt
companionable,--"coorious, very coorious, quite 'stroanary," he crept
stealthily to the edge of the mangroves, and there discovered that the
sands were literally alive with myriads of minute crabs, which were
actively engaged--it was supposed by those who ought to know best--in
gathering their food. The moment the tide ebbed from any part of the
sands, out came these crablets in swarms, and set to work, busy as bees,
ploughing up the sand, and sifting it, apparently for food, until the
whole flat was rendered rough by their incessant labours. Approaching
cautiously, Disco observed that each crab, as he went along sidewise,
gathered a round bit of moist sand at his mouth, which was quickly
brushed away by one of his claws, and replaced by another, and another,
as fast as they could be brushed aside.

"Eatin' sand they are!" muttered Disco in surprise; but presently the
improbability of sand being very nutritious food, even for crabs, forced
itself on him, and he muttered his conviction that they "was scrapin'
for wittles."

Having watched the crabs a considerable time, and observed that they
frequently interr