The least supply of the necessaries of life had been the limit apportioned in Livingstone's orders to Sneak, and in those of Sneak to the steward, when the latter was directed to prepare the contents of the "widow's cruse." With these instructions the steward had, to all appearance, strictly complied. A bottle of water, a pound or two of biscuit, and a piece of pork, alone appeared on first opening the basket; and as Ramsay beheld these gifts, a single sigh escaped him, and the emphatic words, "Death is near indeed!" Thinking, however, as the basket was of a tolerable size, that it appeared singularly full for the paucity of its contents, he hastily removed the bottle of water, and detecting some hard substance beneath the napkin which apparently covered the bottom wicker-work, he quickly lifted the linen, and there beheld that for which, solitary and alone as he was, he poured forth as many thanks and blessings on the kind provider as if he had in person been present to witness and to feel them.

What were these articles of treasure? None who have themselves been cast away, and put to the best resources of their ingenuity to preserve that frequent torment, life, need ask such a question; but for the happier of mankind it is easily answered:-a tinder-box, a pistol, some ballcartridge, and a tomahawk or small kind of hatchet; to this had been added a bottle of rum, which, valuing as a medicine beyond all praise in case of illness, Ramsay firmly determined should never be opened for a less urgent occasion.

As Ramsay viewed this treasure-uncounted gold and orient pearls never yet were of half the value-he felt deeply, strongly, gratefully, that the malice of his enemies had after all been vain ; and after that deep humility which springs from the heart to that great Spirit in whose hand we are, the next emotion was that of exulting strength and heroism.

The blood of old Scotland swept tingling through his heart, and rushed with an unquenchable glow through every vein, as, with a sentiment that might have animated the immortal Wallace, he clenched his hand in the air, and, with a shout that rang into the unpeopled wood ahove, exclaimed, "Please God, I never will be conquered while the life beats in my bosom !"

"What," added he, in a few seconds, and a calmer mood, "if I should even be allowed to overcome the obstacles that surround me, and live in this solitude for many years—be it so. All that such a situation can make

man do, shall be done by me, except repine-one only thought excepted; and where she but here to share my lone sojourn, I would not change my solitary shore-no, not for the cumbrous pomp of oriental greatness, or the gilded shackles of western refinement."

From the early hour of four in the morning till now past noon, nothing like refreshment had passed his feverish lips. A small horn drinking cup had been thrust in with his ruder treasures in the bottom of the steward's basket: he drew this forth, and, pouring into it a few drops from the bottle of water with as much care and parsimony as if it had been the veritable alchymist's elixir, he, even in the extremity of his thirst, forgot not, like a true knight whose chivalry had survived the age that it adorned, to pronounce her name with a blessing and a sigh, as, parched and feverish, he lingered over the scanty portion of the simple element, with a thankfulness and delight that the finest wines of the Côte d'or never yet produced at the banquets of the luxurious.

With a moderation equally Spartan, the rest of his repast was restrained; then replacing the whole of his stores very carefully, and taking his bearings, that he might know where again to find them, he loaded his pistol, and, taking his tomahawk in hand, thrust the former into his waist, to be ready on any sudden emergency, and sallied forth to seek for some place that might be made to afford him shelter for the night.

As he advanced over the rocks, that in many places rose precipitously out into abrupt and romantic headlands washed by the sea, he found that the peculiar and beautiful but tangled forest of the tropics came close down to the domain of the salt monarch, whose potent breath seemed in some places to have been ineffectual in preventing the verdure from even hanging over his aged breast. Numerous little rocky coves did he encounter, worn by the long action of the ocean, which played within its arms clear as the heavens, and seemingly almost as unfathomable, over which the lovely palm nodded her fair and diademed head, as if in admiration of her own beauty. Many a wild tamarind tree shed its ripened and unplucked fruit upon the briny surface of those deep little pools, which, hollowed into fanciful chambers that might have delighted the peris of ocean for their baths, were protected by the ridges of the rock and promontories, and in many cases supplied by some subterranean channel from the sea, the ebbing and flowing of which with the tide, proved

to the eye its connexion with the ocean. In all other respects, these singular pieces of water presented the lonely and enchanted appearance of a small but deep inland loch, surrounded by bowers whose extreme beauty could have owed none of their majestic grace to art; and the secret and gemmed caverns below were often lit up by an exquisite pale sapphire or emerald tint, as if springing from the profound deep, but caused in reality by the great proximity of the open sea.

From tree to tree clambered in the most wanton beauty numerous parasitical vines, draperied in every possible elegance of form and tracery of arch. The bright but baneful upas displayed its exquisite green foliage down to the very water's edge, while the immemorial cotton-tree, indisputably the monarch of those woods, showered its silver favours on every side, and supported its claims to royalty and respect by its vastness and magnificence.

Behind all this, the canebreak reared its nearly impassable wall of underwood; a thousand birds of the gay and golden plumage of those climes, and parrots innumerable, chattered and fluttered from tree to tree, as Ramsay's footfall awoke echoes that had been hushed since that dread hour when God first breathed upon the face of chaos, and called up all that was lovely out of all that was confused.

CHAPTER XXIX.

Bless'd be thy face, sweet Nature! for thy smiles
Are Truth and Beauty ministering to man.
A voice thou hast which never yet reproached,
An ear to which the humblest may complain,
A foe to pone, and yet the friend of all,
Earth's only friend entirely sincere.

HOWEVER great might be the burden which Ramsay had resolved to hear without shrinking, still he could not look around him on the unexpected loveliness of the landscape which burst on his view, after quitting the sandy cove below, without feeling that a part, and no slight one, of his hard fate was remitted, in the beauty of the spot on which he was deserted. His first thought naturally was as to where he should fix his habitation for the night. First he contemplated taking refuge in some high tree. Knowing, however, that many of the snakes of the tropics are deadly neighbours, and conceiving, even at the best, sleeping at roost is but a poor species of repose, he next conceived the idea of turning his hatchet to account, and by using the canebreak as a back, and cutting down stakes and boughs, he might so form a tolerable hut.

This certainly was better, but even this, after a hammock, was a sad change; and though he was now blessed with all leisure, and the most monarchical command of materials, he thought, nevertheless, that it would be quite as well to put off any architectural designs, until he knew the kind of enemies against whom he should be required to protect himself. Strongly now came upon his remembrance the deep affecting melancholy of that sacred passage, beginning with "The foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests;" but little had he at one time imagined that the case would be so completely his own.

Having rejected the shelter of the trees, and viewing with suspicion that of the forest hut, he determined to take a hint from the words just quoted, and see if he, like the fox, might not also find some hole or cavern to bestow himself. The idea once taken up was capable of much improvement. As a cavern was to be his abode, it was VOL. I.-O

desirable to seek one on the highest ground; and with renewed vigour and hope he arose, and set out on his journey.

Though many and exquisite were the spots that from time to time presented themselves, he had walked some distance before he perceived any such eminence as that which he desired to obtain, namely, a high hill by the seashore. On doing so at last, he found that the site which promised most of those capabilities which he sought, was yet at least three miles distant. This determined him to turn back, make all his moveable chattels into a kind of knapsack, and so commence his march towards the distant settlement. Having once more reached the spot near which he had been first turned adrift, he was unable for some short time to discover his small stock of worldly wealth. Calming, by a strong effort of mind, the perturbation thus occasioned, he had recourse to his bearings duly taken, and soon came upon everything as he had left it.

The packing, that horrible operation to land-bound civilians, did not long detain Ramsay; and having cut with his hatchet two sturdy saplings from the forest-one to support his bundle, and the other himself-he quitted the sand that had so lately seen him cast forth to perish.

With spirits which had so far recovered their tone as to be able thus to adapt their attention to the least expected change of circumstances, what tyranny could hope to crush him, or what malice expect to prove triumphant? A man so steeled may well be said to be clad in proof armour. It was not that he felt less deeply. Often as he walked along, with nothing earthly to yield a sound in reply to his musings, save the mournful breeze that whispered through the long quivering couch grass, did he feel tempted to lie down, and give a brief indulgence to his grief. But he was battling for his own esteem, and was determined to win the day.

The sun having sunk some way towards the west, abundance of trees enabled him to pursue the best part of his route in the shade. This was so far fortunate that it took from him the additional chance of being attacked by some sudden fever, the result of combined anxiety and the fervour of a sun so fierce as that above him.

The breeze blew strongly over the glorious face of the waters, sparkling in the greatest freshness and transparency near the land, and melting into that exquisite thin