“I think,” said Captain Gray, “that this is one of the volcanic islands I spoke of, but still we may have landed on the most desolate part of it. To-morrow we will explore it in all directions, and find out just what our position is.”
After supper they prepared for their first night ashore, and yet it was not exactly ashore, either, as the boat was more comfortable as a sleeping place, than the rocky shore; so arranging the sail in the bottom of the boat, they spent, by far, the most comfortable night since the burning of the “Western Shore.”
When the first light of morning made its appearance, Allen and Harry (one of the sailors) set out to see if they could find water, which they were again likely to suffer for, or any kind of food. They followed the shore line until they had rounded a sharp point which obscured the boat from their view. As they rounded this point, an exclamation of joy burst from Allen’s lips. “See Harry,” cried he, “there is a large number of trees; they will probably have fruit of some kind.”
“Yes, they have fruit,” answered Harry, “but I’m afraid we can’t reach it. They are cocoanut trees.”
“Well, what if they are? What’s to prevent our getting the nuts; they would be a fine change in our diet, and the milk, too, would be very acceptable.”
“Yes, that’s true, sure enough, but we can’t get them. Those trees are from fifty to seventy-five feet high, and it takes a fellow that’s used to climbing them, to reach the nuts. I can tell you that.”
“Why,” said Allen, “can’t you climb one of those trees? You were nimble enough when you had to go aloft to set a sail, and I think it must be quite as hard to climb a mast as a tree.”
“No sir, that’s where you’re wrong. When a fellow’s going up the rigging, don’t you see he has all the ropes to help him, but to climb a cocoanut tree it’s a sight different. You’ve got nothing to lay hold of, and have got to trust to your feet and hands having a good grip on the bark.”
“I think you could do it if you tried,” said Allen.
“Well, I know as how I ain’t smart enough to do it, for I have tried it afore now. You see I’ve been around a good bit in the South Seas, and there ain’t no fellow but what’ll try his hand at climbing a cocoanut tree if he thinks he can do it.”