and he'll know all about that."

"But he's going, he tells me, to shoot birds in the forests and up the
rivers, and means to skin 'em, and he won't do it."

"Why not?" I said.

"Why not? Because if the fevers don't stop you both, the Injuns will;
and if they don't, you'll get your boat capsized in the rivers or along
the coast, or you'll get lost in the woods and never be heerd of again."

"Uncle's an old, experienced traveller," I said, "and has been a great
deal in South America."

"You warn't with him there, was you?"

"No," I said; "but I was with him in the East Indian Islands."

"Then you tell him to stop about the West Indy Islands. He may get some
birds there, but he won't if he goes to the coast yonder. You tell him
I say so."

"What's the use?" I said. "Uncle has made his plans."

"Oh, yes, and he thinks he's going to do wonders with that cranky
cockboat."

He turned and nodded his head contemptuously at our good-sized boat
lashed on the deck amidships.

"It was the best he could get in Port Royal Harbour," I said, "and all
the better for being rather small."

"Why?" said the captain.

"Easier to manage. We can go up the rivers in her, or sail along the
coast."

"You'll get snagged in the rivers, and pitched into the sea if you try
to coast along. Oh, here he is!"

For at that moment Uncle Dick, looking particularly eager and inquiring,
came up to where we stood.

"Well, captain," he said, "having a word with my nephew about our boat?"

"That's so, sir," was the reply, "and about that venture of yours. You
take my advice, now, and just go from port to port with me, and you can
buy all you want for a few dollars; and that'll be better than going up
country and catching fevers. There's lots o' bird-skins to be bought."

Uncle Dick laughed good-humouredly.

"Why, captain," he said, "I might just as well have stopped in London
and bought a few bird-skins down by the docks."

"A deal better, doctor. You don't know what you're cutting out for
yourself."

"We should come off badly for natural history specimens, captain, if
people followed your advice."

"Quite well enough, doctor. I don't see much good in stuffed birds."

"Ah, well, captain," said my uncle, "we will not argue about that. You
land us and our boat where I said."

"Do you know what sort of a place it is, sir?"

"Pretty well," replied my uncle. "I shall know better when we reach
it."

"All right, sir. You