a Cruz and New Hebrides. One of the duties Captain Rogers had to
perform was to overhaul vessels suspected of unlawfully having islanders
on board for the purpose of taking them to work in Queensland or Fiji.
Several were met with, but their papers were regular and their
passengers appeared to be willingly on board; but at the same time, as
there was no one to interpret for them, the latter point remained
doubtful.

The _Empress_ continued her voyage, touching at numerous places, until
she reached the Fiji group, which has since passed into the possession
of England. Here she fell in with the _Orion_, commanded by Captain
Adair; and the two old friends, after spending some time in visiting the
various chiefs, sailed for Sydney, their ultimate destination. A visit
was paid to Noumea, the French settlement in New Caledonia, and the
ships also touched at Norfolk Island, no longer a convict establishment,
but now the habitation of the Pitcairn Islanders, and the head-quarters
of the Melanesian mission.

The ships had been at sea five days after leaving Norfolk Island, being
under sail, when the look-out from the mast-head of the _Empress_
announced that he saw what looked like a dead whale away on the
starboard bow.

"A whale does not float so high out of the water as that," remarked Mr
Hanson, who went up the rigging with his glass. "That's a vessel of
some sort, and a good large one, on her beam ends. Possibly her crew
may have escaped, and are clinging on to her."

On returning on deck he made his report, and the captain ordering the
yards to be braced up, the ship stood in the direction of the wreck.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

TOM AND DESMOND WITH THEIR PARTY RETREAT INTO THE INTERIOR--NICK SETS
OUT TO SCOUT--RETURNS--TOM GOES OUT AND BRINGS UNSATISFACTORY
INTELLIGENCE--THE PARTY REACH THE RIVER--EMBARK IN A CANOE--PURSUED--
ESCAPE UP THE RIVER--MOOR TO A TREE FOR THE NIGHT--A PLENTIFUL
BREAKFAST--THROUGH A FOREST--TOM AND PIPES VISIT THE SHORE--SEE THE SHIP
SAIL--A STORM--RETURN TO THEIR COMPANIONS--COMMENCE JOURNEY TO THE
SOUTHWARD--ESCAPE OBSERVATION OF NATIVES--NUMEROUS DANGERS--PETER SEIZED
BY A TIGER--BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS--BIRDS OF GAY PLUMAGE SHOT--BILLY NARROWLY
ESCAPES FROM A CROCODILE--ATTACKED BY MONKEYS--CROSS A WIDE PRAIRIE--
WANT OF WATER--FIND WATER-MELONS--BUFFALOES KILLED--SIGHT A SNOWY
MOUNTAIN--DEER KILLED, AND A FIGHT WITH A TIGER--CROSSING THE
MOUNTAINS--SEE A VOLCANO--AN ERUPTION--SERPENTS--A L