98 MATABELLO. [chap. xxv. 



soon reduced me to a state of miserable helplessness, and 

 I lay down, resigned to whatever might happen. After 

 three or four hours, I was told we were nearly over ; but 

 when I got up, two hours later, just as the sun was setting, 

 I found we were still a good distance from the point, 

 owing to a strong current which had been for some time 

 against us. Night closed in, and the wind drew more 

 ahead, so we had to take in sail. Then came a calm, and 

 we rowed and sailed as occasion offered ; and it was four in 

 the morning when we reached the village of Kissiwoi, not 

 having made more than three miles in the last twelve 

 hours. 



MATABELLO ISLANDS. 



At daylight I found we were in a beautiful little 

 harbour, formed by a coral reef about two hundred 

 yards from shore, and perfectly secure in every wind. 

 Having eaten nothing since the previous morning, we 

 cooked our breakfast comfortably on shore, and left 

 about noon, coasting along the two islands of this group, 

 which lie in the same line, and are separated by a narrow 

 channel. Both seem entirely formed of raised coral rock ; 

 but there has been a subsequent subsidence, as shown 

 by the barrier reef which extends all along them at 

 varying distances from the shore. This reef is sometimes 

 onlv marked bv a line of breakers when there is a little 



