148 STRENGTH AND ACTIVITY. 
another instance, which was supplied by 
Lieut. Belcher, who was admitted to be the 
most active among the officers on board, and 
who did not consider himself behindhand 
in such exploits. He offered to accompany 
one of the natives down a difficult descent, in 
spite of the warning given by his friend, that 
he was unequal to the task. They, how- 
ever, commenced the perilous descent; but 
Mr. Belcher was obliged to confess his in- 
ability to proceed, while his companion, per- 
fectly assured of his own footing, offered him 
his hand, and said he would conduct him to 
the bottom, if he would depend on him for 
safety. In the water they are almost as 
much at home as on land, and can remain 
nearly a whole day in the sea. They fre- 
quently swam round their little island. When 
the sea beat heavily on the island, they 
have plunged into the breakers and swum 
to sea beyond them. This they sometimes 
did, pushing a barrel of water before them 
when it could be got off in no other way ; 
and in this manner we procured several tons 
of water without a single cask being stove." 
The Rev. Wm. Armstrong, late Chaplain 
