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CHAPTER XXVII. 



PORT PEGASUS. 



The wind still holding steadily in the old quarter, our 

 skipper got very restless. He recalled his former exploits, 

 and, firing at the thought, decided then and there to have 

 a trip round to Port Pegasus, in the hope that he might 

 meet with some of his former good luck in the vicinity 

 of that magnificent bay. With the greatest alacrity we 

 obeyed his summons, handling the old barky as if she 

 were a small boat, and the same morning, for the first 

 time, ran out of the Straits to the eastward past Euapuke 

 Island. Beautiful weather prevailed, making our trip a 

 delightful one, the wonderful scenery of that coast appeal- 

 ing to even the most callous or indifferent among us. 

 We hugged the land closely, the skipper being familiar 

 with all of it in a general way, so that none of its beauties 

 were lost to us. The breeze holding good, by nightfall 

 we had reached our destination, anchoring in the north 

 arm near a tumbling cascade of glittering water that 

 looked like a long feather laid on the dark-green slope of 

 the steep hill from which it gushed. 



We had not been long at anchor before we had visitors 

 — half-breed Maories, who, like the Finns and Canadians, 

 are farmers, fishermen, sailors, and shipwrights, as 

 necessity arises. They brought us potatoes — most 

 welcome of all fruit to the sailor — cabbages, onions, and 



