AT FUTUNA, BEORUITING. 299 



me an unfathomable mystery. Certainly be did not 

 reveal any sucb masterful attributes as one would have 

 expected in him, while he served as harpooner on board 

 the Cachalot. 



Gradually we crept south, until one morning we 

 sighted the towering mass of Sunday Island, the prin- 

 cipal member of the small Kermadec group, which lies 

 nearly on the prime meridian of one hundred and 

 eighty degrees, and but a short distance north of the 

 extremity of New Zealand. We had long ago finished 

 the last of our fresh provisions, fish had been very 

 scarce, so the captain seized the opportunity to give us 

 a run ashore, and at the same time instructed us to do 

 such foraging as we could. It was rumoured that there 

 were many wild pigs to be found, and certainly abund- 

 ance of goats ; but if both these sources of supply failed, 

 we could fall back on fish, of which we were almost sure 

 to get a good haul. 



The island is a stupendous mass of rock, rising sheer 

 from the waves, in some places to a height of fifteen 

 hundred feet. These towering cliffs are clothed with 

 verdure, large trees clinging to their precipitous sides in 

 a marvellous way. Except at one small bight, known 

 as Denham Bay, the place is inaccessible, not only from 

 the steepness of its cliffs, but because, owing to its 

 position, the gigantic swell of the South Pacific assails 

 those immense bastions \vith a force and volume that 

 would destroy instantly any vessel that unfortunately 

 ventured too near. Denham Bay, however, is in some 

 measure protected by reefs of scattered boulders, which 

 break the greatest volume of the oncoming rollers. 

 Within those protecting barriers, with certain winds, it 

 is possible to efi"ect a landing, with caution ; but even 

 then no tyro in boat-handling should venture to do so, 



