she stepped on board. Then her guide took to the water like a duck, and
pushed her forward. The passage across the lake, and back again, was in
this way accomplished without any accident.

Having satiated herself with admiring the lake and its surrounding
scenery, she retired to a little nook roofed over with leaves, where her
guide quickly kindled a good fire in the usual Indian fashion. He cut a
small piece of wood to a fine point, and then selecting a second piece,
grooved it with a narrow and not very deep furrow. In this he rubbed the
pointed stick until the fragments detached during the process began to
smoke. These he flung into a heap of dry leaves and grass previously
collected, and swung the whole several times round in the air, until it
broke out into flames. The entire process did not occupy above two
minutes. Gathering a few plantains, these were roasted for supper; after
which Madame Pfeiffer withdrew to her solitary couch of dry leaves, to
sleep as best she might. It is impossible not to wonder at the
marvellous physical capability of this adventurous woman, no less than at
her courage, her resolution, and her perseverance. How many of her sex
could bear for a week the fatigue and exposure to which she subjected
herself year after year?

The next morning she accomplished the return journey in safety.

* * * * *

[Hong-Kong: page65.jpg]

On the 17th of May she left Tahiti, the Dutch vessel in which she had
embarked being bound via the Philippines. They passed this rich and
radiant group of islands on the 1st of July, and the next day entered the