with his auger and with a rope round his body to enable me to haul him up in case of any sharks heaving in sight before he might have time to fasten. Well, after nearly exhausting himself to no purpose, he gave it up as a bad job, and we pulled ashore, and on getting to his hut found Black Pidgeon there. 'I've got it,' cried my friend,'that's the man to do it. Come here Pidgeon. Are you fond of rum?' 'Berry' 'And baccy?' 'Berry.' 'Can you dive well, Pidgeon?' 'Berry' 'Are you afraid of tallon-arron?' (i. e. sharks.) 'No.' So the poor fellow was forthwith taken into the service, and when he was shown the casks and informed they were filled with rum, his eyes glistened like a wild cat's. 'Ky!' he said, 'black fellow get berry drunk by and by, like white fellow.' Providing himself with several pieces of wood from six to twelve inches in length, sharp at both ends, and sticking a hunting knife in the band worn round his head, in less time than I have taken to tell you, he had firmly fastened the auger with the rope attached into one of the casks, which was soon weighed and safely stowed in the bottom of the boat. Pidgeon was very anxious to lose no time in tasting its contents, but this would not do; so he went down secondly under a promise that if we got up another he should have a week's drunk. Whilst engaged with the auger a shark made bold to show him his teeth. As quick as thought Pidgeon plunged one of the pointed sticks into his open jaws, and the shark sheered off with his mouth distended, having got more for a meal than he bargained for. Nothing daunted, after breathing himself, the black went down again, and gave the signal to haul up. After lifting a bit, the rope suddenly slackened, and we could feel that something had given way, and Pidgeon didn't come up as we expected. A few bubbles rising on the surface attracted our instant attention, and on looking steadily below there was
