rful surf would be
dashing over these rocks. Not a boat could live in it."

The other officers were of opinion that every one on board must have
been lost.

"Poor Archie!" said Tom to Desmond; "there's one of us gone, then. I
wish he had come in our boat, instead of accompanying the surveying
expedition. Captain Murray will be very sorry when he hears it."

As time was of consequence, and there was no object in searching
further, the boats put off and returned to the ship.

Captain Murray, while deeply regretting the loss of the _Dragon_, her
officers, and crew, was especially grieved to believe that his young
cousin, in whom he had taken so deep an interest, had perished also.
Both officers and men, however, soon got over their sorrow for
ship-mates and friends. They knew very well that such might be their
own fate some day, though, as is natural to human beings, they hoped to
escape it and die in their beds at a good old age, their fighting days
over and their gallant deeds done.

The _Bellona_ continued her course, passing through the Bashee Channel
to the south of Formosa, when she had a clear run for Hong-kong. At
length the lofty heights which extended from east to west along the
entire length of the island came in sight, and the _Bellona_ steered for
Sulphur Channel, which lies between the larger island and the little
island known as Green Island.

Steering through this channel, she entered the harbour of Victoria,
which assumed a completely land-locked appearance, being shut in on one
side by the Kowloon Peninsula and on the other by a point jutting off
from the main land, the former being only about a mile from the town of
Victoria.

The island of Hong-kong is of irregular shape, about nine miles long and
three broad. Besides the centre ridge there are a series of high lands
on either side of it. The Western end rises to the height of 1825 feet;
Victoria Peak, at the foot of which stands the town of Victoria,
creeping up the height from the beach. There are several other
harbours--Ly-tum on the southern side, and another on the west known as
Wong-ma-kok. On the western side of the neck of the peninsula which
forms the latter harbour is the military station of Stanley, where
barracks have been erected, as it was supposed that it would prove a
healthy position from being exposed to the south-west monsoon.

The _Bellona_ steamed up to an anchorage near Victoria. Among the ships
in the harbour w