of them threw a sort of rainbow tint over all, and gave to the
valley the appearance of a garden of flowers. Among these we
recognised many of the bread-fruit trees, laden with yellow fruit,
and also a great many cocoa-nut palms. After gazing our fill we
pushed down the hill side, crossed the valley, and soon began to
ascend the second mountain. It was clothed with trees nearly to
the top, but the summit was bare, and in some places broken.

While on our way up we came to an object which filled us with much
interest. This was the stump of a tree that had evidently been cut
down with an axe! So, then, we were not the first who had viewed
this beautiful isle. The hand of man had been at work there before
us. It now began to recur to us again that perhaps the island was
inhabited, although we had not seen any traces of man until now;
but a second glance at the stump convinced us that we had not more
reason to think so now than formerly; for the surface of the wood
was quite decayed, and partly covered with fungus and green matter,
so that it must have been cut many years ago.

"Perhaps," said Peterkin, "some ship or other has touched here long
ago for wood, and only taken one tree."

We did not think this likely, however, because, in such
circumstances, the crew of a ship would cut wood of small size, and
near the shore, whereas this was a large tree and stood near the
top of the mountain. In fact it was the highest large tree on the
mountain, all above it being wood of very recent growth.

"I can't understand it," said Jack, scratching the surface of the
stump with his axe. "I can only suppose that the savages have been