of the brute alarmed me, and I was about to shove off again to avoid its attack, when I perceived that it was tethered to the rock by a chain which was attached to a metal collar round its neck, and that in spite of its frantic efforts it could not come within some yards of my boat.
It continued to bark violently, and I had scarcely time to wonder at the strange phenomenon of a tethered seal, when a new cause of astonishment presented itself.
From the still clear water of the enclosed sea a man's head suddenly emerged. The head was surmounted by a sort of helmet, made of some shining material, and he wore a pair of spectacles which gave a very droll appearance to his dripping face.
My surprise was no way lessened when this strange head hailed me with a sonorous "Hulloh!" I replied by repeating his salutation. "Hulloh!" I said.
"Who are you, and where do you come from?" said the head.
"I am the only survivor of a dreadful shipwreck," I replied, "and I beg you to help me to get my boat across this reef, that I may come to the land yonder."
"All right, stranger," he replied, and forthwith he clambered up on the reef, and presently stood by my side. His clothing was of the scantiest, consisting only of short trousers, fastened round the waist with a broad and heavy-looking belt, and descending half way down the thigh like the bathing-drawers worn in England.
With his assistance the boat was hauled up the reef and launched on the enclosed water. He refused my offer to get into the boat beside me, but plunged again into the water, and placing himself at the stern commenced to push the boat towards the land, whilst I assisted its progress with the oars. I thought to myself, if this is a fair specimen of the inhabitants of this country they must be uncommonly fond of the water.
I observed that the water over which we now moved was as clear as crystal and of a beautiful blue tint. Looking over the boat's side, I could see far down into the depths below, which seemed to be filled with the strangest and most beautiful growths of corals and marine plants of all shapes and hues.
As we progressed, my friend at the stern was joined by several companions, who came I know not whence, but I supposed they must have been swimming about and I had not observed them; they all helped to push along the boat.
My astonishment at the strangeness of my position, pushed along in my boat by these tritons in bathing-drawers, helmets and spectacles, made me forget to use my oars, but the boat moved steadily onwards by their united efforts.
"Who, and what are you?" I exclaimed; but could get no satisfactory reply.
"Stop till you get ashore," one said; "you will then learn all about it." So I had to restrain my curiosity.
The few miles of sea were soon traversed, and my boat was pushed into a creek, the snow-white sand of which was overhung with a dense foliage of palms and other tropical trees, whose appearance was strange to me.
As soon as the boat stopped, I leaped out, right glad to touch terra firma once more. My attendants emerged from the water at the same time. They were six in number, and each, as he issued from the sea, plucked a broad palm-leaf and threw it over his shoulders. The one who had first assisted me, told me I must go along with them to the office of the Inspector.
A narrow path wound upwards from the beach through the dense forest composed of magnificent trees, many of which were laden with tempting fruit; among which I noticed plantains, oranges, pomegranates and bread-fruit. Among their branches, birds of exquisite plumage darted hither and thither, chattering to one another in discordant notes, uttering shrill cries, and now and then emitting sweet musical sounds.
Shrubs laden with flowers of resplendent colours, of every shade of scarlet, crimson, yellow, blue and white, formed a thick undergrowth, while climbing plants threw their shoots and tendrils from trunk to trunk and branch to branch. The air teemed with insect life. Butterflies of gorgeous colours and flies of all sorts and sizes danced among the branches, and hovered in countless myriads about us as we walked. In fact, their attentions were extremely annoying, and I observed that each of my companions used a broad palm-leaf by way of flapper, to ward off their attacks.
The noise made by the feathered beauties, and the hum and buzz of the winged insects, rendered it utterly impossible for me to converse with my strange attendants; so we walked on without speaking until we arrived at the mouth of a cave or grotto, excavated, whether by nature or art I could not decide, in a precipitous rock that barred our further progress.
Entering this cave, which extended a considerable way into the hill, I was struck with its agreeable coolness compared with the broiling heat of the external air.
A portly personage, clad in a loose blue cotton robe, rose from a bed of green leaves at our entrance, and I was formally presented to him by my original captor, and given to understand that he was the Inspector we were in search of.
He seated himself at a table, strewed with large books and writing materials. He demanded my name, and questioned me as to whence I came, how I was wrecked, the name of the ship, of the captain, the number of passengers, the cargo, &c., &c., and cross-examined me minutely as to the circumstances of my escape, and whether it was not possible that some of my fellow-passengers might also have been saved. He entered all the particulars in one of the large books, and when I, in return, questioned him as to the country I was now in, he said,—
"You will learn all about us and our country from the Instructor, to whom you will soon be introduced; but as you must now be hungry and tired, you shall have food and rest here till morning."
He dismissed my attendants, who speedily decamped and left me alone with the Inspector. He placed before me delicious fruits and some cooked meat of exquisite flavour and evidently most artistically prepared; but what animal it originally belonged to I was unable to say, nor did I care to ask my very laconic, not to say surly, entertainer. I fell to, and ate with great gusto. A few cocoa-nuts supplied me with a refreshing drink. I noticed that my host, after placing the food before me, retired to a distant part of the cave and did not once look at me while I was eating; in fact, he seemed rather to avoid seeing me eat. When I was completely satiated, I told him how well I had dined, to which he answered only by a sort of impatient grunt, and he conducted me to a bed of fresh leaves in a recess of the cave, and told me I might repose there as long as I chose.
I flung myself on the inviting couch, and wearied out with the exertions I had lately made and the excitement caused by all the strange events of this day of surprises, I soon fell into a profound sleep of which I stood greatly in need, as I had had but little rest since I had been so wonderfully rescued alone of all the crew and passengers of the ill-fated Precursor.
THE ARCHIPELAGO ON THE EQUATOR
CHAPTER II.
THE ARCHIPELAGO ON THE EQUATOR.
IT was bright day when I awoke next morning. I looked about me and found I was alone in the cavern, which I had now leisure to survey. Believing it to be the dwelling-place of the Inspector, I could not help noticing how scantily it was provided with the comforts we consider indispensable in a room. The table on which lay the writing materials and books, a few chairs, several couches of leaves similar to that I lay on, and a sort of cupboard whence my host had taken the food he set before me yesterday, were all I was able to discover. Two or three garments,
