signed by nature as weapons of defence,
since there were certainly more of them than any fish could use to
advantage for swimming purposes. I began to suspect that I had caught a
Tartar; but I had now gone too far to back out with credit: my
self-respect wouldn't admit of the thought. So, taking a short
breathing spell, I again advanced to the attack, somewhat encouraged by
perceiving that my scaly antagonist seemed exhausted and distressed by
his recent exertions. His mouth was wide open, and his gills quivered;
but I was rather uncertain whether to regard this as a hostile
demonstration, or a sign of pain and fatigue. However, at it we went;
and, after getting my hands badly cut by some of the aforesaid bristling
spines and fins, besides being drenched with water, and plastered all
over with wet sand, which he splashed about in the struggle, I succeeded
in seizing him firmly by the tail, and throwing him high and dry upon
the beach. I then scooped out a hollow in the sand, a little above the
tide-mark, and filling it with water, pushed him into it, thus securing
him for the present.

Max, Morton, and Browne, who had been practising climbing cocoa-nut
trees, at the edge of the wood, with very indifferent success, had
witnessed, from a distance, the latter part of the "engagement," as Max
facetiously called it; and they now came up to learn the particulars,
and to inquire "whether it was a shark, or a young whale, that I had
been having such a terrible time with." While they were admiring my
captive, and jocosely condoling with me on the hard usage which I had
received, the voice of Johnny, (who, accompanied by Eiulo, had ventured
to stroll off in the direction of the point), was heard, raised to its
highest pitch, as he shouted for us to "come and see something strange."
But it seemed that his impatience would not permit him to await the
result of his summons, for the next moment he came running towards us in
a state of great excitement, and all out of breath, crying out that he
had "found a tree covered with oysters," and he had no doubt, there were
"lots more of them."

"A tree covered with _what_?" inquired Browne, dubiously.

"With oysters--with fine, large oysters!" cried Johnny, "just come and
see for yourselves."

"Wonderful island! productive soil!" exclaimed Max, in mock admiration.
"If oysters will take root, and grow here, I suppose pretty much any
thing will: I believe I will plant my boots to-mor