"Ay, lad," replied Jack; "but there's a bit of hoop-iron at the end of
it, and that may be of much use to us."

"Very true," said I; "let us go fetch it." And with that we all three
rose and hastened down to the beach. I still felt a little weak from
loss of blood, so that my companions soon began to leave me behind; but
Jack perceived this, and, with his usual considerate good-nature, turned
back to help me. This was now the first time that I had looked well
about me since landing, as the spot where I had been laid was covered
with thick bushes, which almost hid the country from our view. As we
now emerged from among these and walked down the sandy beach together, I
cast my eyes about, and truly my heart glowed within me and my spirits
rose at the beautiful prospect which I beheld on every side. The gale
had suddenly died away, just as if it had blown furiously till it dashed
our ship upon the rocks, and had nothing more to do after accomplishing
that. The island on which we stood was hilly, and covered almost
everywhere with the most beautiful and richly coloured trees, bushes,
and shrubs, none of which I knew the names of at that time--except,
indeed, the cocoa-nut palms, which I recognised at once from the many
pictures that I had seen of them before I left home. A sandy beach of
dazzling whiteness lined this bright-green shore, and upon it there fell
a gentle ripple of the sea. This last astonished me much, for I
recollected that at home the sea used to fall in huge billows on the
shore long after a storm had subsided. But on casting my glance out to
sea the cause became apparent. About a mile distant from the shore I
saw the great billows of the ocean rolling like a green wall, and
falling with a long, loud roar upon a low coral reef, where they were
dashed into white foam and flung up in clouds of spray. This spray
sometimes flew exceedingly high, and every here and there a beautiful
rainbow was formed for a moment among the falling drops. We afterwards
found that this coral reef extended quite round the island, and formed a
natural breakwater to it. Beyond this, the sea rose and tossed
violently from the effects of the storm; but between the reef and the
shore it was as calm and as smooth as a pond.

My heart was filled with more delight than I can express at sight of so
many glorious objects, and my thoughts turned suddenly to the
contemplation of the Creator of them all. I mention this the mo