situation, with the soft sweet air of a tropical climate mingling
with the fresh smell of the sea, and stirring the strange leaves
that flutter overhead and around one, or ruffling the plumage of
the stranger birds that fly inquiringly around, as if to demand
what business we have to intrude uninvited on their domains. When
I awoke on the morning after the shipwreck, I found myself in this
most delightful condition; and, as I lay on my back upon my bed of
leaves, gazing up through the branches of the cocoa-nut trees into
the clear blue sky, and watched the few fleecy clouds that passed
slowly across it, my heart expanded more and more with an exulting
gladness, the like of which I had never felt before. While I
meditated, my thoughts again turned to the great and kind Creator
of this beautiful world, as they had done on the previous day, when
I first beheld the sea and the coral reef, with the mighty waves
dashing over it into the calm waters of the lagoon.

While thus meditating, I naturally bethought me of my Bible, for I
had faithfully kept the promise, which I gave at parting to my
beloved mother, that I would read it every morning; and it was with
a feeling of dismay that I remembered I had left it in the ship. I
was much troubled about this. However, I consoled myself with
reflecting that I could keep the second part of my promise to her,
namely, that I should never omit to say my prayers. So I rose
quietly, lest I should disturb my companions, who were still
asleep, and stepped aside into the bushes for this purpose.

On my return I found them still slumbering, so I again lay down to
think over our situation. Just at that moment I was attracted by
the sight of a very small parrot, which Jack afterwards told me was
called a paroquet. It was seated on a twig that overhung