e; and plunging off the ledge of the rock into
the water, we dived through the narrow entrance. In a few seconds we
were panting on the rocks above, and receiving the congratulations of
our friend Peterkin.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

STRANGE PECULIARITY OF THE TIDES--ALSO OF THE TWILIGHT--PETERKIN'S
REMARKABLE CONDUCT IN EMBRACING A LITTLE PIG AND KILLING A BIG SOW--SAGE
REMARKS ON JESTING--ALSO ON LOVE.

It was quite a relief to us to breathe the pure air and to enjoy the
glad sunshine after our long ramble in the Diamond Cave, as we named it;
for although we did not stay more than half-an-hour away, it seemed to
us much longer. While we were dressing, and during our walk home, we
did our best to satisfy the curiosity of poor Peterkin, who seemed to
regret, with lively sincerity, his inability to dive.

There was no help for it, however, so we condoled with him as we best
could. Had there been any great rise or fall in the tide of these seas,
we might perhaps have found it possible to take him down with us at low
water; but as the tide never rose or fell more than eighteen inches or
two feet, this was impossible.

This peculiarity of the tide--its slight rise and fall--had not
attracted our observation till some time after our residence on the
island. Neither had we observed another curious circumstance until we
had been some time there. This was the fact that the tide rose and fell
with constant regularity, instead of being affected by the changes of
the moon as in our own country, and as it is in most other parts of the
world--at least, in all those parts with which I am acquainted. Every
day and every night, at twelve o'clock precisely, the tide is at the
full; and at six o'clock, every morning and evening, it is ebb. I can
speak with much confidence on this singular circumstance, as we took
particular note of it, and never found it to alter. Of course I must
admit we had to guess the hour of twelve midnight, and I think we could
do this pretty correctly; but in regard to twelve noon we are quite
positive, because we easily found the highest point that the sun reached
in the sky by placing ourselves at a certain spot whence we observed the
sharp summit of a cliff resting against the sky, just where the sun
passed.

Jack and I were surprised that we had not noticed this the first few
days of our residence here, and could only account for it by our being
so much taken up with the more obvious wonders of ou