sailing northward, with a fair wind, we should reach Tewa in less than a
day. Though generally cheerful, and overflowing with boyish spirits,
there were times when it was apparent that he pined for his home; and,
though he never directly urged it, he earnestly wished to have us make
the attempt to reach his father's island in the yawl.

At length I began to suspect, from the constant and minute inquiries
which Arthur made in relation to Tewa, and its people, their usages,
habits, etcetera, that he was thinking seriously of some such attempt.
He directed his inquiries particularly to the point whether the island
was ever visited by ships. Eiulo remembered hearing his father speak of
big canoes, without any outriggers, and whose masts were as high as a
cocoa-nut-tree, having passed in sight of the island. He had heard,
too, that a long while ago, one of these great vessels had got aground,
upon a reef between Tewa and the adjacent island, and that the natives
had gone off to her in their canoes, and some of them had ventured on
board at the invitation of the strangers. Old Wakatta was one of these,
and he had received a wonderful present from the white chief, which he
had often exhibited to Eiulo, and which, from his description of it,
appeared to be neither more nor less than a small looking-glass. The
great canoe had, by throwing overboard a part of her cargo, got off from
the reef at the rising of the tide, and resumed her voyage. It was
pretty evident that the arrival of a European vessel at the islands, was
an event of very rare occurrence, and in all probability the result of
mere accident. Except that he steadily pursued inquiries of this kind,
Arthur said nothing to show that he entertained the thought of such an
undertaking as I suspected him to be revolving. Browne and Morton both
had exaggerated notions of the cruelty and treachery of the "heathen
native;" as the former called them, and would, I had no doubt, be
strongly averse to any step calculated to place us in their power,
unless it should also, in some way, increase our prospects of ultimately
getting home.

For several days after the occurrences narrated in the last chapter, we
remained at Castle-hill, making little excursions daily in various
directions. Having now discovered a supply of fresh water, and abundant
means of subsistence, it seemed as though there was at present nothing
further for us to do, except to assist Arthur, as far as we c