o 



00 THE CRUISE OF TEE "CACHALOT." 



as the experiment would almost certainly be fatal to 

 boat and crew. 



We hove-to off the little bay, the waters of which 

 looked placid enough for a pleasure-party, lowered two 

 boats well furnished with, fishing gear and such other 

 equipment as we thought would be needed, and pulled 

 away for the landing-place. As we drew near the beach, 

 we found that, in spite of the hindrance to the ocean 

 swell afforded by the reefs, it broke upon the beach in 

 rollers of immense size. In order to avoid any mishap, 

 then, we turned the boats' heads to seaward, and gently 

 backed towards the beach, until a larger breaker than 

 usual came thundering in. As it rushed towards us, we 

 pulled lustily to meet it, the lovely craft rising to its 

 foaming crest like sea-birds. Then, as soon as we were 

 on its outer slope, we reversed the stroke again, coming 

 in on its mighty shoulders at racing speed. The instant 

 our keels touched the beach we all leapt out, and, 

 exerting every ounce of strength we possessed, ran the 

 boats up high and dry before the next roller had time to 

 do more than hiss harmlessly around our feet. It was 

 a task of uncommon difficulty, for the shore was wholly 

 composed of loose lava and pumice-stone grit, into which 

 we sank ankle-deep at every step, besides being exceed- 

 ingly steep. 



We managed, however, to escape without any mishap, 

 for the drenching was a boon to our burnt-up skins. 

 Off we started along the level land, which, as far as 1 

 could judge, extended inland for perhaps a mile and a 

 half by about two miles wide. From this flat shelf the 

 cliffs rose perpendicularly, as they did from the sea. 

 Up their sides were innumerable goat-tracks, upon some 

 of which we could descry a few of those agile creatures 

 climbing almost like flies. The plateau was thickly 



