Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/61

Rh beards and hair. But when a box of looking glasses came ashore, and they beheld themselves "as others see us" for the first time, their excitement was very great, and they were disposed some to fight their mirrored selves, while some would have run away. A pet canary, spreading its wings and opening its bill before its reflection in a mirror has as much comprehension of the radiation or reflection of light as the people on this coral island. This family proved to be the only one on the reef, and very inoffensive people they were.

The signal kite by day nor the lantern, by night had brought any vessel to the assistance of the crew of the Sultana, but her floating wreckage had been seen by the natives of a neighboring island soon after Captain Lambert left for Otaheite, and a visit was received from a canoe load of thirty of them, who were not permitted to land until they had sent their spears ashore. Friendly relations were soon established with the visitors, who remained a week on the reef, at the end of which time, to the joy of the castaways, a vessel appeared on the northwest side of the island, and sent a boat ashore.

This vessel proved to be an English bark, commanded by Capt. John Clarke, which had been lying on the opposite side of Bow Island when the Sultana was deterred from landing by the war-like appearance of the natives at that place. She carried at that time fifteen men, was from Valparaiso, and had on board the Danish consul and a linguist, or interpreter. The natives of Bow Island had afterwards looted her, and made prisoners of the captain and all the crew, except the linguist, and four sailors who were left to navigate her. The missionaries at Otaheite fitted out their little brig, Abell, master, and dispatched her to the rescue of Captain Clarke. When two days out on this errand, the brig encountered a gale which so damaged her that she