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But I am getting ahead of my story. We anchored off the south side of the island, about half a mile from the shore, in twenty fathoms water. Just as we dropped anchor we saw two boats coming out of a narrow passage in the reef and making towards us. Smith informed me that the largest boat belonged to the chief, and that he would probably be on board. I, therefore, directed him to take Malea below, and remain there with her until I should arrange a meeting with her father. She was so delighted with the sight of her own island and with the prospect of meeting her friends that we could hardly persuade her to leave the deck. As the boats approached near to the ship I had an opportunity of observing the chief; he was a fine-looking, robust man of about fifty, his features, although of the pure Malay type, yet regular and commanding, and his complexion much fairer than the ordinary islanders. When he stepped on board and accosted me, in broken English, his manner was perfectly free and unconstrained; and, although he was clad in native costume-naked from the waist upwards, his address was that of a perfect gentleman. I asked him whether he could supply my ship with water and fresh provisions, and arranged the price with him. I then asked whether he had not lost a daughter some years ago. He looked in my face as if he wished to pierce my very soul, and then eagerly asked me if I could give him any information about her. I requested him to go below with me and I would tell him some news of his lost child. He no sooner entered the cabin than Malea sprang out of one of the staterooms and rushed into his arms. After a fond embrace the chief held her at arm's length for a little, looking doubtfully from her to me, as if he wished to enquire what relation we bore to each other. But, before he had time to speak, Smith made his appearance and stood waiting for the chief to speak to him; but Malea took her husband's hand and placed it in her father's, and then raised the clasped hands to her lips, dropping a tear upon them. There was not a word spoken by any of them, but the reconciliation was complete. I then left them together for half an hour. At the end of that time we all went on shore in one of the native boats. The news of Malea's arrival had spread like wildfire, for, as we approached the beach, the natives flocked down to welcome her, and carried her across the island to the chief's house. I remained with them about three hours, and then bade them farewell, returning on board, loaded with every delicacy the island afforded, for which the chief would not accept the smallest return. At parting, I took the liberty of offering Smith some words of earnest counsel as to his future conduct, endeavouring to show him how useful he might be by instructing the islanders, and in setting them a good example of purity of life and behaviour, to all which he listened with respectful attention. During the time that I was on shore, the water and provisions had been sent on

board, and when I reached the ship the mate had hove short and was ready to weigh anchor. I found honest Tom in very low spirits at parting with Malea-she had such a gentle winning way with her; and I verily believe, had Tom been a single man, he would have been content to have spent the remainder of his days on the island. We tripped our anchor and made sail to the north-west, in the direction of China, and at sunset the beautiful island had disappeared below the eastern horizon.

I never again had an opportunity of visiting the island of Olea, but about six years after my visit I had the satisfaction of receiving a letter from Smith, which he had sent by a passing ship. He informed me that he had entirely conquered his appetite for strong drink, that he was living a life of unalloyed happiness and comfort, and last, but not least, that Malea had borne him two children-a boy and a girl; the girl promising to be as beautiful and as good as her mother.

HOMEWARD.

BY THOMAS GRAY.

TUNE-" The Comet of the West.

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Our good ship is homeward bound,
And a jolly crew we've found;
A capstan bar let each one of us take.
We warp her from her berth,

Amid sounds of joy and mirth,

And as we do it we will music make.

Step, boys, step around the capstan ;
Heave away and step with measur'd tread.
We keep the hawser taut,

And we give our home a thought,

As we step in time around the capstan head.

Now we see the vessel ride,

As she's swinging with the tide; Top-gallant sails and flying jib we set. For when we get a breeze,

She will skim across the seas;

So whistle, boys, until a breeze we get.

Whistle, boys, whistle till the wind comes,
Whistle till the wind comes full and free.
For it's so the wind we call,

Let us whistle one and all,

For the wind to take us home across the sea.

We have caught the breeze at last,

It is coming to us fast;

To windward see it ripple on the wave;
It fills out every sail,

And it freshens to a gale;

And now we sing another jolly stave.

Cheer! boys; cheer! for now the gale blows,

Cheer away, for now the spars all bend.

Before the gale we fly,

As the reefing knots we tie,

And the spray in clouds about our bows we send.

In one or two days more

We shall see our friends ashore;

The breasts of all aboard are full of hope.
No adverse winds arise

As to port the clipper flies;

The girls ashore are hauling at the rope.

Cheer, boys; cheer! and let's be jolly,
Cheer away, for dangers all have passed.
Each heart is full of glee,

Old England's cliffs we see,

Three good cheers, for on our home we look at last.

TWO SUNDAYS IN A WEEK!

BY THE AUTHOR OF "WHAT I SAW IN THE GOLDEN VALLEY."

"JACK BERNEY for the next yarn!" sung out Ned Hawkins.

"So says I," put in Tom Joyce, with more enthusiasm than grammer. "As the song goes, Jack's the lad!'

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"Yah, yah! Yack's de latt!" chorused old Hans Craenenbroeck; "Donner und blitzen! gif us von 'schkreamer,' Yack-latt, dat sall vaken de vat-you-call-him ?-de Sheven Schleeper!"

"Aweel, an' that's soun' sense onyway!" said M'Lachlan; "dinna run doon Dootchmen efter that."

"Can't!" said Jack Berney, a bronzed and black-whiskered Hercules, not the tallest but decidedly the squarest-built man in the ship; "Cargo's shifted! I'd thought of a yarn, but something's put it out of my head for the time. Maybe Owen Owens will make up for me just now."

"Yah, yah!" ejaculated old Hans; "dat be goot! Yack vill gif us von shtory pye an' pye."

As Owen the Welshman nodded his head, and squirted a stream of tobacco juice in token of assent, the fok's'le settled into silence, and the yarn began.

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"There's no place in the world like Wales," commenced Owen, "just as no king ever born can hold a candle to my ancestor, the great and glorious monarch, Griffydparchllydygwellethllewellyn! I'm a-going to reel off about Wales, and the yarn's of my young days, long afore I'd got grizzled and weatherworn. I often thinks, my lads, if we could see our young selves again, whether we shouldn't fancy we was somebody else; I don't mean in body so much as in feeling. There's as much difference betwixt a stripling of twenty and hisself at fifty-five as between the lubber's-hole and the spanker-boom, or the fok's'le and the poop. Men talks about have the same feelings;'-it's all bilge water! I dar' say some people are as excitable in their age as in their youth, but they can't take the same light view of things, and they don't have the same happy sensations. Maybe they're cheery-like; not low in the water; but still it's pump-work! I dar' say some bits of the o-riginal bunting sticks to the mast; still they're not fair speciments of the first flag. And if they were, the hoisting of it's not the same; besides, it's only kept there' like not run up all gay and nat'rally spread out to the breeze of Hope and Heartiness! Howsumdever, mates, I'm not a-going to morilise; only the truth's the truth; and, as my ancestor, the great and glorious King Griffydparchllydygwellethllewellyn, once said, 'Every traveller, at one time or another, turns his head and looks back!'

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