Part 35 (2/2)

On first starting, they were favoured with a fair breeze; but no sooner did they get a the labyrinthine mazes of the islands, than a foul wind set in, and delayed them in a manner which sorely tried Fleetwood's i those islands will know the difficulty of the navigation, and the necessity for constant watchfulness Besides the thousand islands and islets, there are, in every direction, rocks of all sizes, so above it to various heights; and although there are no regular tides, there are powerful and very variable currents, and many a shi+p has been cast away in consequence of the hier, on which he has been in reality running headlong

The _Ione_ had stood to the southward, and had tacked again to the northward, with the island of Milo blue and distant on her weather bealory, was rising over the land, the look-out ahead hailed that there were breakers on the starboard bow

”How far do you make them?” asked Linton, as the officer of the watch, as he went forward to examine them himself with his telescope

”By Jove! there is a mass of black rocks there; and I believe there is so to us on thelass, and see what you can make out”

”I can make it out clearly, sir,” replied the midshi+pman ”There are a number of people on the of that sort,it to attract our attention”

”They have been cast away, then, depend on it, and we o and see e can do for them,” said Linton ”Run down and tell the captain; and, as you coo to the rocks”

The captain and master, as well as all the officers, were soon on deck, and the brig was looking well up towards the rocks, within a few cables'

length of which, to leeward, the pilot said they , for it had been blowing very hard the previous day; but the wind had gone down considerably, and Captain Fleetwood expressed his opinion that there would not bethe people off the rocks, provided they could find an approach to the nearer, the rock appeared to be of so small an extent, that the waves curled round it, and erous to near it on one side as on the other

”I think that I can make out a part of the wreck jammed in between two rocks, just flush with the water,” observed Saltwell, who had been exaet on”

”Faith, indeed, it is,” said the ale of wind had come on, every one of those poor felloould have been washed away”

”It is an ill wind that blows nobody good,” remarked the purser, as a bit of aof a foul wind--and if we had had a fair one, we should have run past those rocks without ever seeing the people on theruff voice of the quarter- the shi+p ”Mind your hel us,” muttered the man at the wheel; ”she's fallen off two points”

”Hands about shi+p,” cried Captain Fleetwood ”We'll show the poor felloe do not intend to give theo-by Helm's a-lee! Tacks and sheets! Main-topsail haul Of all, haul”

And round ca, with her head to the eastward, or towards the island of Milo She was at this time about two miles to the southward of the rock, and that the people on it ht not suppose that she was about to pass theun to be fired, to attract their attention, and to show thereat effect; for the officers observed thenal-staffs round and round, as if to exhibit their delight

”They seem as if they were all drunk on the rock there,” said Linton

”I never saw people e antics”

”I fear it is more probable that they are mad,” observed the captain

”I have known many instances in whichto satisfy their hunger or thirst, have been tempted to drink salt water”

”It proves that theyon this tack, ain on the starboard tack, and away she flew, every instant nearing the rock It soon becaht in his suspicions; for, as they drew closer, they could see that some of the unfortunate wretches had thrown off all their clothing, and were dancing, and leaping, and gesticulating furiously--now joining hands, and whirling round and round, as fast as the inequalities of the ground would allow them, then they would rush into the water, and then roll down and turn over and over, shrieking at the top of their voices Soibbering, and pointing with idiot glance at their coures were seen stretched out by the side of the rock, apparently dead or dying

In the centre and highest part of the rock, a tent was erected, and before it were several persons in a far cal, others were on their knees, as if returning thanks to Heaven for their approaching deliverance, and tere stretched out on rude couches formed of sails, in front of the tent, too weak to stand up At last the _Ione_ got under the lee of the rock, and hove to

”We et into the boats,” said Captain Fleetwood ”I need not tell you how much I value every moment; at the same time, in pity for those poor wretches, we must endeavour to rescue them--I propose, therefore, to anchor the cutter at two cables' length froside theet into her, and then again haul her off How many are there--do you count, Mr Linton”