COCOS— THE ISLE OF PIRATES 245 



were left behind by an American whaler. These 

 had remained a considerable time on the island, but 

 were eventually taken off by another whaler; not, 

 however, without poisoning the minds of part of 

 her crew, two of whom were induced to try a similar 

 experiment, and were now almost reduced to star- 

 vation, notwithstanding the presence of their 

 countrymen. The master, however, assured me of 

 his intention of giving them a passage to Payta, 

 the lesson of the former characters leading him to 

 assume severity to the last moment, as a warn- 

 ing to his own, as well as to the crews of other 

 vessels." 



"The pumpkins had flourished, the whaler hav- 

 ing collected fifty from seeds planted just a year 

 before. The other seeds seemed to have been de- 

 stroyed, but he planted more." 



The more recent historical events connected with 

 Cocos belong more especially to the following chap- 

 ter, in which Miss Rose treats of the era of treasure 

 hunting. 



One of my last memories of Cocos is the most 

 dramatic. I rowed across to the west side of Cha- 

 tham Bay close to Nuez Island. This is a very 

 lovely sliver of land, a few hundred yards long and 

 with a steep, high ridge, the underlying rocks show- 

 ing through the foliage — white shoulders through 

 a tattered coat, while, on the lower reaches, long, 

 flowing grass clings like the exquisite emerald pel- 

 age of some somnolent behemoth. The figs and 

 other trees drop showers of aerial rootlets which 

 drape the island like gigantic beaded curtains. 



