174 A NATURALIST ON DESERT ISLANDS. 



punctilios and adios we say goodbye, and both parties 

 continue on their way. 



Arrived on board the yacht, we learn that the com- 

 naander of the gim-boat has paid us a visit himself, and 

 has asked to see our papers, besides asking a thousand 

 questions. Offers of hospitaUty, in the shape of hght 

 refreskment, were rather curtly declined, and our suspicious 

 visitor goes over the side more mystified than ever ; while 

 a minute later the gun-boat starts away for the other side 

 of the island. 



That night, while all slept peacefully on board the 

 yacht, and one of us dreamt of finding an unique species 

 of parrot, which was the envy of the whole ornithological 

 world ; an armed party of men from the gun-boat marched 

 over from the ranche and watched through the long hours, 

 in the trees, at the head of our little cove. Our anchor- 

 watch could see them now and then as they struck a 

 Hght, in a vain endeavour to keep off the mosquitoes by 

 smoking. What they saw we do not know — certainly 

 no party stealing ashore to dig holes in which to bury 

 arms or secrete contraband ; but if the sand-flies are 

 onty twice as bad at night as they are here in the day- 

 time, these poor fellows must have spent an imhappy 

 time indeed, and this is saying nothing at all about the 

 mosquitoes. 



Dear little peaceful Zenaida cove — by which name our 

 captain christened you, and duly entered you in the log — 

 what curious expressions you must have hstened to all 

 through that long hot night ; so very different, we imagine, 

 from the silvery-toned accents of the sea-nymphs when 

 they come ashore to rest on your rocks, tired of disporting 

 themselves among the " white horses " outside. Perhaps 

 they sometimes whisper to you of the beautiful coral 

 gardens they visit down below; of the angel and the 

 peacock fish they know so well ; of the lovely mauve 

 coloured beds of waving sea-fans, and the long stalked, 

 flower-like crinoids ; but surely you have never listened 

 to such strange language as you heard that night, when 



