Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/205

 OR, VULCAN S PEAK. 199 they agreed to transport him and all his stores, the animals included, to Betto s Islands, a distance of fully three hun dred miles. The horses and cows were taken on a species of catamaran, or large raft, that is much used in those mild Beas, and which sail reasonably well a little off the wind, and not very badly on. At Betto s Islands a new bargain was struck, and the whole party proceeded to Rancocus Island, Bob making his land-fall without any difficulty, from having observed the course steered in coming from it. At Betto s group, however, Bob found the Neshamony, covered with mats, and tabooed, precisely as he had left her to a rope-yarn. Not a human hand had touched any thing belonging to the boat, or a human foot approached it, during the whole time of his absence. Ooroony, or Betto, was rewarded for his fidelity by the present of a musket and some ammunition, articles that were really of the last importance to his dignity and power. They were as good as a standing army to him, actually deciding summarily a point of disputed authority, that had long been in contro versy between himself and another chief, in his favour. The voyage between Betto s group and Rancocus Island was made in the Neshamony, so far as the human portion of the freight was concerned. The catamarans and ca noes, however, came on with the other animals, and all the utensils and stores. The appearance of Rancocus Island created quite as much astonishment among the native mariners, as had that of the horses, cows, &/c. Until they saw it, not one of them had any notion of its existence, or of a mountain at all. They dwelt themselves on low coral islands, and quite beyond the volcanic formation, and a hill was a thing scarce ly known to them. At this island Heaton and Betts deemed it prudent to dismiss their attendants, not wishing them to know anything of the Reef, as they were not sure what sort of neighbours they might prove, on a longer acquaint ance. The mountain, however, possessed so many advan tages over the Reef, as the latter was when Bob left it, that the honest fellow frankly admitted its general superi ority, and suggested the possibility of its becoming their permanent residence. In some respects it was not equal to the Reef, as a residence, however, the fishing in parti-