boat with a peculiar wavy motion. Just before reaching us it sank out of
sight. I cast an inquiring glance at my cousin, who said, in a low tone
of voice, "A shark!" A feeling of wonder and dread came over me, and
doubtless showed itself in my face, for my uncle said, in an assuring
voice, "He will not harm us."

The mackerel stopped biting all at once. Our fishing was over. It was
now about ten o'clock, and the sun had become warm. Half a mile from us
was a small island, with a plenty of grass and a few trees, but no
houses. Uncle James proposed that we should row to it, which we gladly
did. Its shores were steep and rocky, and we found much difficulty in
landing; but at last we got ashore and pulled the boat up after us.
Among the rocks we found a quantity of drift-wood; we gathered some, and
built a fire. Uncle James produced some bread and crackers from his
basket, and, after roasting some of the nice, fat mackerel on sharp
sticks before the fire, we sat down to what seemed to us a delicious
breakfast. We were in excellent spirits, and George and I cracked jokes
and laughed to our hearts' content. After our hunger had been satisfied,
we wandered over the island, which we christened Mackerel Island, and,
sitting upon a high cliff, watched the seals as they bobbed their heads
out of the water, and turned their intelligent, dog-like faces, with
visible curiosity, toward us. They did not seem to be at all afraid, for
they swam close to the rock upon which we sat. We whistled, and they
were evidently attracted by the sound. These seals are numerous in some
of the bays on the New England coast. Most of them are small, but
occasionally one is seen of considerable size. Their fur is coarse and
of little value, but they are sought after by fishermen for the sake of
their oil, which commands a ready sale for a good price. After we had
got fully rested, we launched our boat, rowed homeward, and soon landed
upon the beach.