Part 36 (1/2)

The tih his absence from home could only be counted in months, Don had shot up and altered wonderfully They had touched at the Cape, at Ceylon, and thenon to their station farther east, and cruising to and fro

During that period Don's experience had been varied, but the opportunity he was always looking for did not seem to come

Then a year had passed away, and they were back at Singapore, where letters reached both, anddepressed for the rest of the week

Then ca when there was no little excite oozed out that the sloop was bound for New Zealand, a place in those days little known, save as a wonderful country of tree-fern, pine, and volcano, where the natives were a fierce fighting race, and did not scruple to eat those whom they took captive in war

”Noo Zealand, eh?” said Jem

”Port Jackson and Botany Bay, I hear, Je of the world”

”Ay, so we shall, Mas' Don Bot'ny Bay! That's where they sends the chaps they transports, arn't it?”

”Yes, I believe so”

”Then we shall be like transported ones e get there You're right, after all, Mas' Don First chance there is, let o ashore”

”I mean to, Jem; and somehow, come what may, ill”

CHAPTER TWENTY

A NATURALISED NEW ZEALANDER

Three months had passed since the conversation in the last chapter, when after an adverse voyage from Port Jackson, His Majesty's sloop-of-war under shortened sail made her way slowly towards as in those days a land of , and the watch were on deck, ready for reducing sail or any eency More were ready in the tops, and all on board watching the glorious scene unfolding before them

”I say, Mas' Don, look ye there,” whispered Jeether in the foretop ”If this don't beat Bristol, I'm a Dutchman”

”Beat Bristol!” said Don contemptuously; ”why, it's as different as can be”

”Well, I dunno so much about that,” said Je puts one in mind of a factory chi ever so far off I say, are those burning mountains?”

”I suppose so, unless it's steam But what a lovely place!”

There were orders for shortening sail given just then, and they had nothe next quarter of an hour, when, erly at the glorious prospect of sea and sky, and verdant land and mountain The vessel slowly rounded what appeared to be a headland, and in a short tirown cal a lovely lake; and as they went slowly on and on, it was to find that they were forging ahead in a perfect archipelago, with fresh beauties opening up each reen, and cut up into valley, hill, andsent forth into the clear sunny air a cloud of silvery stean spread to welcome the newcomers from a civilised land At their distance from the shore it was impossible to make out the individual trees, but there seemed to be clumps of noble pines some distance in, and the valleys were rowth

”Well, all I've got to say, Mas' Don, is this here--Singpore arn't to be grumbled at, and China's all very well, only hot; but if you and , let's do it here”

”That's exactly what I was thinking, Jem,” replied Don

”Say, Mas' Don, p'r'aps it arn't formaster, to make remarks”