312 TEE CRUISE OF TEE " CAGEALOT:* 



And a high old time we had of it that afternoon ! "What 

 with songs, dances, arid yarns, the hours flew by with 

 lightning speed. Our Kanakas, too, were overjoyed to 

 find compatriots among the visitors, and settled down to 

 a steady stream of talk which lasted, without intermission, 

 the whole night through. It was a wonderful exhibition 

 of tongue-wagging, though what it was all about puzzled 

 me greatly. 



Life on board those three ships, though described in 

 glowing terms by the visitors, was evidently not to be 

 mentioned for comfort in the same breath as ours. But 

 we found that our late captain's fame as a " hard 

 citizen " was well known to all ; so that it is only ordi- 

 nary justice to suppose that such a life as he led us 

 was exceptional for even a Yankee spouter. Our friends 

 gave us a blood-curdling account of the Solander whaling 

 ground, which we were about to visit, the James Arnold 

 and Coral having spent a season there that cruise. 1 

 did not, however, pay much attention to their yarns, feel- 

 ing sure that, even if they were fact, it would not help to 

 brood over coming hardships, and inclined to give liberal 

 discount to most of their statements. The incessant 

 chatter got wearisome at last, and I, for one, was not 

 sorry when, at two in the morning, our visitors departed 

 to their several ships, and left us to get what sleep still 

 remained left to us. 



A pleasant expedition was planned for the next day. 

 Our visit being principally for wooding and watering, 

 both of which it was necessary for us to do ourselves, 

 Captain Count showed his usual promptitude in com- 

 mencing at once. Permission having been obtained and, 

 I suppose, paid for, we set out with two boats and a 

 plentiful supply of axes for a well-wooded promontory to 

 prepare a store of wood. Wood chopping is not usually 



