re
suddenly startled by a deep and solemn sound, which seemed to come from
a distance. While we listened intently, it was several times repeated
at short intervals of about fifteen seconds, each time more distinctly
than before. It resembled somewhat, the deepest tones of a powerful
organ, heard for an instant, and then abruptly stopped. Nothing was to
be seen in the direction from which it seemed to proceed, but the sea
glittering in the moonlight. Is it to be wondered at, if we listened
with feelings, tinged with superstitious awe, to that strange sound,
heard under such circumstances, and at such an hour? Johnny nestled
closer to Arthur's side, and I thought that the faces of my companions
grew visibly pale. Even Arthur looked perplexed and disturbed.

"What _can_ that be?" said Morton, after a few minutes of almost
breathless silence, during which we had listened in vain for its
repetition.

"It is certainly very strange," said Arthur. "I never heard any thing
at sea, at all like it, but once, and it is impossible that this can be
what I then heard--but hark!" And again the same deep pealing sound was
repeated several times, at shorter intervals, but more faintly than
before; after continuing for a few minutes it ceased again.

"What was the sound which you speak of, as resembling this?" asked
Morton, when all was silent once more.

"It was the cry of a kind of penguin, found at the Falkland Islands;
when heard on shore it is harsh and loud; but a short distance at sea,
and in the night, it has a pealing, solemn sound, like that which we
have just heard."

"It must come from land in the neighbourhood," said Morton, "we can
probably hear farther on such a night as this than we can distinguish
land."

"Yes, sounds on the water, in calm still nights, when there is no wind,
can be heard at great distances," said Arthur; "it is said that the
`All's well!' of the British sentinel at Gibraltar, is sometimes heard
across the strait, on the African shore, a distance of thirteen miles.
I have seen, at the Society Islands, native drums made of large hollow
logs, which might perhaps, at a distance, sound like what we heard a
moment ago. A Wesleyan missionary there, once told me of a great drum
that he saw at the Tonga Islands, called the `Tonga Toki,' which sounded
like an immense gong, and could be heard from seven to ten miles."

"Why, I thought that _this_ sounded like a gong," said Johnny, "perhaps
we are