e the ancient Paradise--hurrah!" and Peterkin tossed
his straw hat in the air and ran along the beach, hallooing like a
madman with delight.

We afterwards found, however, that these lovely islands were very unlike
Paradise in many things. But more of this in its proper place.

We had now come to the point of rocks on which the ship had struck, but
did not find a single article, although we searched carefully among the
coral rocks, which at this place jutted out so far as nearly to join the
reef that encircled the island. Just as we were about to return,
however, we saw something black floating in a little cove that had
escaped our observation. Running forward, we drew it from the water,
and found it to be a long, thick, leather boot, such as fishermen at
home wear; and a few paces farther on, we picked up its fellow. We at
once recognised these as having belonged to our captain, for he had worn
them during the whole of the storm in order to guard his legs from the
waves and spray that constantly washed over our decks. My first thought
on seeing them was that our dear captain had been drowned; but Jack soon
put my mind more at rest on that point by saying that if the captain had
been drowned with the boots on, he would certainly have been washed
ashore along with them, and that he had no doubt whatever he had kicked
them off while in the sea that he might swim more easily.

Peterkin immediately put them on; but they were so large that, as Jack
said, they would have done for boots, trousers, and vest too. I also
tried them; but although I was long enough in the legs for them, they
were much too large in the feet for me. So we handed them to Jack, who
was anxious to make me keep them; but as they fitted his large limbs and
feet as if they had been made for him, I would not hear of it, so he
consented at last to use them. I may remark, however, that Jack did not
use them often, as they were extremely heavy.

It was beginning to grow dark when we returned to our encampment; so we
put off our visit to the top of a hill till next day, and employed the
light that yet remained to us in cutting down a quantity of boughs and
the broad leaves of a tree of which none of us knew the name. With
these we erected a sort of rustic bower, in which we meant to pass the
night. There was no absolute necessity for this, because the air of our
island was so genial and balmy that we could have slept quite well
without any shelter;