food and groceries. Lastly on the deck above the saloon had stood
two large lifeboats. Although these were amply secured at the
commencement of the gale one of them, that on the port side, was
smashed to smithers; probably some spar had fallen upon it. The
starboard boat, however, remained intact and so far as we could
judge, seaworthy, although the bulwarks were broken by the waves.

"There's something we can get away in if necessary," I said.

"Where to?" remarked Bastin. "We don't know where we are or if
there is any other land within a thousand miles. I think we had
better stop here as Providence seems to have intended, especially
when there is so much work to my hand."

"Be careful," answered Bickley, "that the work to your hand
does not end in the cutting of all our throats. It is an awkward
thing interfering with the religion of savages, and I believe
that these untutored children of Nature sometimes eat
missionaries."

"Yes, I have heard that," said Bastin; "they bake them first as
they do pigs. But I don't know that they would care to eat me,"
and he glanced at his bony limbs, "especially when you are much
plumper. Anyhow one can't stop for a risk of that sort."

Deigning no reply, Bickley walked away to fetch some fine fish
which had been washed up by the tidal wave and were still
flapping about in a little pool of salt water. Then we took
counsel as to how to make the best of our circumstances, and as a
result set to work to tidy up the saloon and cabins, which was