Adventure of the Naturalists. 71 



few tlirecpenny bits for his trouble, nor did he again make 

 his appearance the whole day. 



Some of the members of the Expedition had resolved to 

 ramble quite round the island, the circumference of which is 

 little if at all more than eight English miles. At early morn- 

 ing they had started with their guns and botanical boxes on 

 their shoulders full of the most buoyant expectation of secur- 

 ing an ample store of curiosities, starting from the east 

 coast and thence to the north side of the island ; and towards 

 sunset they made their appearance at the south side, foot-sore 

 and nearly exhausted. In the ardour of the chase and of 

 collecting "specimens," they had plunged so deep into the 

 forest, thereby losing all trace of the direction by which they 

 had entered, that as the sun was already beginning to de- 

 scend, they had no alternative but to hew a path with their 

 hatchets through the thickest of the forest, so as to reach the 

 beach once more. At times hanging by creepers, at others 

 swimming at various spots where the rocks dipped perpen- 

 dicularly into the sea, they at length arrived at the spot 

 where we were re-embarking, hungry, thirsty, and in a state 

 of such extreme exhaustion that we at first were really appre- 

 hensive for their lives. Singularly enough these severe hard- 

 ships were followed by no evil consequences to any one of the 

 party, though the recollection of them will surely not fade 

 out of their memory for the rest of their lives. 



The 21st March, being a Sunday, was duly observed, and was 

 kept as a much-needed day of rest, no boat going to shore. To- 



