CHAPTER XXIV.
AND but for the land-bird which rested on their mast, and for their ownmercy in sparing it, they would have passed to the eastward, and neverseen that giant palm-tree in mid-ocean.
"Oh, let us put out all our sails, and fly to it!" cried Helen.
Welch smiled and said, "No, miss, ye mustn't. Lord love ye; what! run onto a land ye don't know, happy go lucky, in the dark, like that? Lay herhead for the tree, and welcome, but you must lower the mainsel andtreble-reef the foresel; and so creep on a couple of knots an hour, and,by daybreak, you'll find the island close under your lee. Then you canlook out for a safe landing-place."
"The island, Mr. Welch!" said Helen.
"There is no island, or I should have seen it."
"Oh, the island was hull down. Why, you don't think as palm-trees grow inthe water? You do as I say, or you'll get wrecked on some thundering reefor other."
Upon this Mr. Hazel and Miss Rolleston set to work, and, withconsiderable difficulty lowered the mainsail, and treblereefed theforesail.
"That is right," said Welch. "To-morrow you'll land in safety, and burymy messmate and me."
"Oh, no!" cried Helen Rolleston. "We must bury him, but we mean to cureyou." They obeyed Welch's instructions, and so crept on all night; and,so well had this able seaman calculated distance and rate of sailing,that, when the sun rose, sure enough there was an island under their lee,distant about a league, though it looked much less. But the palm-tree wasmore than twice that distance. Owing to wind and current they had madelee-way all night, and that tree stood on the most westerly point of theisland.
Hazel and Miss Rolleston stood up and hurrahed for joy; then fell ontheir knees in silent gratitude. Welch only smiled.
The breeze had freshened, and, though there were no great waves at sea,yet breakers, formidable to such a craft as theirs, were seen foamingover long disjointed reefs ahead, that grinned black and dangerous hereand there.
They then consulted Welch, and he told them they must tack directly, andmake a circuit of the island; he had to show them how to tack; and, thesea rising, they got thoroughly wetted, and Miss Rolleston ratherfrightened; for here was a peril they had wonderfully escaped hitherto.
However, before eleven o'clock, they had stood out to sea, and coastedthe whole south side of the island. They then put the boat before thewind, and soon ran past the east coast, which was very narrow--in fact, asort of bluff-head--and got on the north side of the island. Here thewater was comparatively smooth, and the air warm and balmy. They rangedalong the coast at about a mile's distance, looking out for a goodlanding.
Here was no longer an unbroken line of cliffs, but an undulating shore,with bulging rocks, and lines of reef. After a mile or two of that thecoast ran out seaward, and they passed close to a most extraordinaryphenomenon of vegetation. Great tangled woods crowned the shore and thelandward slopes, and their grand foliage seemed to flow over into thesea; for here was a broad rocky flat intersected with a thousand littlechannels of the sea; and the thousand little islets so formed werecrowded, covered and hidden with luxuriant vegetation. Huge succulentleaves of the richest hue hung over the water, and some of the mostadventurous of them showed, by the crystals that sparkled on their greensurface, that the waves had actually been kissing them at high tide. Thisceased, and they passed right under a cliff, wooded nearly to the point.
This cliff was broad and irregular, and in one of its cavities a cascadeof pure fresh water came sparkling, leaping and tumbling down to the footof the rock. There it had formed a great basin of water, cool, deep,transparent, which trickled over on to a tongue of pink sand and went intwo crystal gutters to the sea.
Great and keen was the rapture this sight caused our poor parchedvoyagers; and eager their desire to land at once, if possible, and plungetheir burning lips, and swelling throats, and fevered hands into thatheavenly liquid; but the next moment they were diverted from that purposeby the scene that burst on them.
This wooded cliff, with its wonderful cascade, was the very gate ofparadise. They passed it, and in one moment were in a bay--a sudden bay,wonderfully deep for its extent, and sheltered on three sides. Broadsands with rainbow tints, all sparkling, and dotted with birds, somewhite as snow, some gorgeous. A peaceful sea of exquisite blue kissingthese lovely sands with myriad dimples; and, from the land side, softemerald slopes, embroidered with silver threads of water, came to thevery edge of the sands. So that, from all those glorious hues, thatflecked the prismatic and sparkling sands, the eye of the voyagers passedat once to the vivid, yet sweet and soothing green of Nature; and overthis paradise the breeze they could no longer feel wafted spicy butdelicate odors from unseen trees.
Even Welch raised himself in the boat, and sniffed the heavenly air, andsmiled at the heavenly spot. "Here's a blessed haven!" said he. "Downsail, and row her ashore."
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