distance on either side.

At the western extremity of the beach a beautiful cascade tumbled over
the edge of the cliff upon a low rocky platform below, from whence it
dispersed itself into the sea.

I took the glass, and carefully swept the entire ravine with it to
ascertain whether there were any indications that the island was
inhabited, for I felt convinced that were it so this lovely spot would
be the first selected as a place of abode. But for all that I could see
no human foot had ever pressed the soil, and I felt encouraged to go
close in and anchor; though, before doing anything else, I determined to
make a voyage of discovery inland, and settle the question as to the
existence or non-existence of inhabitants.

If it should really prove that we had this lovely island all to
ourselves, nothing could possibly be better suited to our purpose of
careening the cutter: for I found, by repeated casts of the lead, that
the water shoaled with almost mathematical regularity as we approached
the beach.

On shooting through the narrow entrance we had found ourselves almost
becalmed under the lofty cliffs, though the gale still howled overhead:
so, having made up my mind as to the berth in which I would place the
cutter, I desired Bob to get the jib on her, and under this short canvas
we slid quietly across the basin to our anchorage, bringing up in three
fathoms.

We immediately got our boat out and put her together; and, as soon as
she was ready, I took a double-barrelled shot-gun, and got Bob to put me
ashore, leaving him to take care of Ella and the cutter, and telling him
that in the event of anything transpiring to render his assistance
necessary I would fire both barrels quickly one after the other, and not
otherwise.

If a distant view of the country was attractive, it was, upon a closer
inspection, perfectly enchanting, everything having the appearance
rather of the happiest effects of landscape-gardening than of an unaided
effort of nature. The ground, which from a distance appeared almost too
regular for perfect beauty, I found to be finely broken; and on each
side, as I walked up the ravine, were constantly recurring elevations
and declivities, ornamented with fine clumps of tropical trees.

Besides the cocoa-nuts and bananas, I found plantains, figs, bread-
fruit, pine-apples, superior in size and flavour to any that I had ever
before met with, and a large variety of other fruits with the names and
qu