red, bearing boiled rice and messes of roasted and
stewed monkey and yams. Whatever the midshipmen might formerly have
thought of such a repast, they acknowledged that this was delicious.
Calabashes full of toddy, prepared from the sap of the cocoa-nut tree,
were then introduced.

"I say!" said Tom, after he had drunk two or three cups, "we had better
not take too much of this, or we shall find ourselves fou."

They wisely declined a pressing invitation of the chief to imbibe any
more of the apparently harmless liquor, but their two Papuan friends,
after their long absence, seemed to enjoy it, and were in a short time
perfectly drunk. This was a misfortune, as they could no longer
communicate with the friendly chief. However, he made signs to them to
lie down on their mats. Feeling confident of his honesty, they
willingly complied with his request.

After a day's rest, which all the party greatly required, Nick and Pipes
having recovered, they set off for a village on the coast, about thirty
miles distant.

Here the two Papuans found friends and relatives, who welcomed them
cordially, having long given them up for lost. The chief of the
village, to whom Nick and Pipes were related, requested the midshipmen
to take up their abode in his hut. It was situated in the midst of a
grove of magnificent trees, and near it was a garden, in which were
growing yams, bananas, pumpkins, and many other vegetables and fruits.
They were glad to accept the invitation, as the hut was of considerable
size, the floor spread neatly with mats, and perfectly clean. The
reception over, they made their way down to the shores of the harbour,
where, among several Chinese and other strange craft, what was their
satisfaction to see an English brig.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

THE MASTER OF THE FOX--BARGAIN FOR A PASSAGE--TRADING WITH THE NATIVES--
FAREWELL TO FRIENDS--THE SKIPPER'S RASCALLY TRICK--THE FOX WITH THE
MIDSHIPMEN ON BOARD AT SEA--BAD FARE--FISHING--A SHARK CAPTURED, AND THE
SKIPPER KNOCKED OVER--SHORT OF WATER--THE FOX STRUCK BY A SQUALL--
CAPSIZED--THE MIDSHIPMEN HOLD ON TO THE SIDE OF THE BRIG--IN A DESPERATE
CONDITION--A SAIL--TAKEN OFF BY A BOAT FROM THE EMPRESS--FOX FOUNDERS--
WELCOMED ON BOARD--SYDNEY REACHED--A PLEASANT VISIT ON SHORE--BOUND FOR
NEW ZEALAND.

While the midshipmen were standing on the shore of the harbour a boat
put off from the brig, and came towards them. She was pulled by four
hands, two of whom were