A Memory Of The Southern Seas / 1904

islands. Less than a hundred yards away was one of the rudest attempts at a house ever seen-that is, externally-for it was built with

e rocks a mile away with only her lower masts standing. It was nearing the time when her husband and his men would be returning from their usual day's

and Manuel, the cook of the wrecking party, came on dec

pper in the house to-night," she said, as the ma

, ma

batches of bread, and the biggest sea pie you ever saw in y

I'll tote 'em up fo

half an hour yet, and I want to show you some curious-looking stuff I saw on the bea

en interest. "Mixed with shells,

oks too u

ng a path which led to a rocky pool of some dimensions filled with rain wa

a bar of low rocks covered with sea-moss and lichen. Lying against the seaward face of the rock was a pile of

arly-shaped mass of a mottled grey, yellow and brown su

e to his nostrils, and then uttered a yell of delight, clapped his hands, took off his cap and tossed it in the

it well 'nuff. I was cook on a whaleship fo' five years, and have handled little bits of amb

rth anyth

! It am worth twenty-t

weed till the whole mass was exposed, plac

ed, as he looked up at Mrs. Lester, who was

truck a match and applied the light. A pale yellow flame was

, but Manuel now enlightened her as to its uses-the principa

work with his knife, catting it into three pieces, each of which he carried to the house, and put into an empty barrel. Then he re

rned tired and hungry, but highly elated, for they had su

the coarse grass in his high sea boots; "and, all going well, we shal

sweet face, now bronzed by the sun, glowing as she s

of drawers, and other articles taken from the cabin of the stranded ship. The centre of the room was occupied by a large deal table made by one of the men, and a huge fire of drift timber blazed merrily

ll side-table covered with bottles of spirits and glasses. Then Lucy, after they had all satisfied themselves, walked over to the cask containing her "find," and standing beside it,

greasy mass with their horny fingers, and each shook his head

t if it ain't

a cry of astonishment as a second man-an old whaler-darted in f

," he cried, "and the ca

w the enormous value of ambergris, "and let us g

further doubt could exist, and then Manuel, taking a spring balance (weighing up to 50 lbs.) from the wall, h

f the Dolphin, as the first bag was h

-nine p

ed and eighteen," said Lester, bendin

th, skipper?" asked

than ￡1

bart Town whaleship got fo' a piece eleven poun' weight in Sydney last June. And I hear de boys sayin' dat he would hab

of the squid, upon which the sperm whale feeds. Then, for the benefit of those of the party, he and the two o

and paper and made

und an ounce-though I don't doubt that Manuel is right. Well, at ￡

Lester!" cried

k from the first, and n

solate spot, and her constant cheerfulness and her kindness and attention in nursing three of them who had been seriously ill cemented their feelings of devotion to her. There was a happy supper party in "Wr

ve this lonely island, and the rough life, and the tame seals, and the wild goats, and the fowls, and black Manuel, and, and-oh, everything! And look, T