ble in our hands. Occasional flashes of lightning shone with a
ghastly glare through the watery curtains around us, and lent additional
horror to the scene. Yet we longed for those dismal flashes, for they
were less appalling than the thick blackness that succeeded them.
Crashing peals of thunder seemed to tear the skies in twain, and fell
upon our ears through the wild yelling of the hurricane as if it had
been but a gentle summer breeze; while the billows burst upon the
weather side of the island until we fancied that the solid rock was
giving way, and in our agony we clung to the bare ground, expecting
every moment to be whirled away and whelmed in the black, howling sea.
Oh, it was a night of terrible anxiety! and no one can conceive the
feelings of intense gratitude and relief with which we at last saw the
dawn of day break through the vapoury mists around us.

For three days and three nights we remained on this rock, while the
storm continued to rage with unabated fury. On the morning of the
fourth day it suddenly ceased, and the wind fell altogether; but the
waves still ran so high that we did not dare to put off in our boat.
During the greater part of this period we scarcely slept above a few
minutes at a time; but on the third night we slept soundly, and awoke
early on the fourth morning to find the sea very much down, and the sun
shining brightly again in the clear blue sky.

It was with light hearts that we launched forth once more in our little
boat and steered away for our island home, which, we were overjoyed to
find, was quite visible on the horizon, for we had feared that we had
been blown out of sight of it altogether. As it was a dead calm, we had
to row during the greater part of the day; but towards the afternoon a
fair breeze sprang up, which enabled us to hoist our sail. We soon
passed Penguin Island and the other island which we had failed to reach
on the day the storm commenced; but as we had still enough of
provisions, and were anxious to get home, we did not land--to the great
disappointment of Peterkin, who seemed to entertain quite an affection
for the penguins.

Although the breeze was pretty fresh for several hours, we did not reach
the outer reef of our island till nightfall; and before we had sailed
more than a hundred yards into the lagoon, the wind died away
altogether, so that we had to take to our oars again. It was late, and
the moon and stars were shining brightly when we ar