A WET ADVENTURE 179 



A handsome tree grew on the island, called the 

 Wongeye or wild date, which bore profusely ; and 

 many a good time we had, eating the sweet fruit. 



The day the steamer arrived from Townsville, we 

 went over to -Thursday Island. 



We found father in the hotel parlor, reading a news- 

 paper. The breeze through an open window behind 

 him blew his curly white locks back and forth over his 

 fine face, and it seemed to me that he never looked so 

 handsome before. Ah ! how little I then dreamed 

 that we were so soon to see that face, and hear that 

 pleasant voice, no more ! 



We all went, in Mr. Clark's boat, back to Friday 

 Island, where we spent several days more in collect- 

 ing. A strange phenomenon of this part of the world 

 is the trade wind, which blows half the year in one 

 direction, and the other half in another. It only blows 

 hard in the daytime ; the nights are generally clear 

 and still. Father spent most of his time in collecting 

 shells, over which he was very enthusiastic. 



The day we left Mr. Clark's, the sea was very rough, 

 and before we reached Thursday Island we were in 

 danger, almost every moment, of being swamped, as the 

 waves broke right over us. We tried to round a point 

 to enter the quiet water, but we could not reach it, on 

 account of the strong tide running ; so Mr. Clark ran 

 the boat on the coral reef, and one of his men and 

 myself leaped out into the water, to lighten it, and 



