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Rh after proceeding a few miles, they tied up the raft and returned in the small boat to camp, resolved to secure a night's rest under the cover of tents. To their surprise and disappointment, every vestige of their late home had disappeared, and they were compelled to shelter themselves under tents made of their blankets stretched over oars for ridge poles. By the light of the next morning a bottle was discovered tied to a shrub, containing a letter from Captain Abell, stating that he had been to the designated landing, and finding no one there, had loaded the goods left there onto the brig and sailed around the island, discovering the camp, which was also deserted, from which he inferred that the men had found some means of getting away from the island.

Nothing was now left to do but to wait for Captain Lambert to send another vessel for them, and again erecting some tents the castaways submitted with such patience as they could command to the inevitable. Bread began to run low, but one day a cask was seen floating around outside the reef which on being brought to shore was found to contain bread in good condition, and soon after a cask of wine was picked up. This fortunate flotsom added to their fish diet the variety necessary to health. Although the menu was limited, a certain amount of ceremony was observed on Saturdays when they dined in state, and drank, standing, the regular toast of the sailor, "To sweethearts and wives."

To amuse themselves the younger men searched the reef for corals of fanciful shapes and various colors, finding many beautiful forms, among which were some that resembled young fir trees in their manner of growth, and were red, blue, black and white. But excepting these ocean curios there was little to admire upon this unfinished scrap of earth, and when at length, after four months residence on the reef, the schooner Pomare from