Too-wit’sdescentleftusatlibertytoquitourhidingplaceandreconnoitrethehillinthevicinityofthechasm。Ataboutfiftyyardsfromthemouthofitwesawasmallspringofwater，atwhichweslakedtheburningthirstthatnowconsumedus。Notfarfromthespringwediscoveredseveralofthefilbert-busheswhichImentionedbefore。Upontastingthenutswefoundthempalatable，andverynearlyresemblinginflavourthecommonEnglishfilbert。Wecollectedourhatsfullimmediately，depositedthemwithintheravine，andreturnedformore。Whilewewerebusilyemployedingatheringthese，arustlinginthebushesalarmedus，andwewereuponthepointofstealingbacktoourcovert，whenalargeblackbirdofthebitternspeciesstrugglinglyandslowlyaroseabovetheshrubs。IwassomuchstartledthatIcoulddonothing，butPetershadsufficientpresenceofmindtorunuptoitbeforeitcouldmakeitsescape，andseizeitbytheneck。Itsstrugglesandscreamsweretremendous，andwehadthoughtsoflettingitgo，lestthenoiseshouldalarmsomeofthesavageswhomightbestilllurkingintheneighbourhood。Astabwithabowieknife，however，atlengthbroughtittotheground，andwedraggeditintotheravine，congratulatingourselvesthat，atallevents，wehadthusobtainedasupplyoffoodenoughtolastusforaweek。
Wenowwentoutagaintolookaboutus，andventuredaconsiderabledistancedownthesoutherndeclivityofthehill，butmetwithnothingelsewhichcouldserveusforfood。Wethereforecollectedaquantityofdrywoodandreturned，seeingoneortwolargepartiesofthenativesontheirwaytothevillage，ladenwiththeplunderofthevessel，andwho，wewereapprehensive，mightdiscoverusinpassingbeneaththehill。
Ournextcarewastorenderourplaceofconcealmentassecureaspossible，andwiththisobject，wearrangedsomebrushwoodovertheaperturewhichIhavebeforespokenofastheonethroughwhichwesawthepatchofbluesky，onreachingtheplatformfromtheinteriorofthechasm。Weleftonlyaverysmallopeningjustwideenoughtoadmitofourseeingthe，bay，withouttheriskofbeingdiscoveredfrombelow。Havingdonethis，wecongratulatedourselvesuponthesecurityoftheposition；forwewerenowcompletelyexcludedfromobservation，aslongaswechosetoremainwithintheravineitself，andnotventureoutuponthehill，Wecouldperceivenotracesofthesavageshavingeverbeenwithinthishollow；but，indeed，whenwecametoreflectupontheprobabilitythatthefissurethroughwhichweattainedithadbeenonlyjustnowcreatedbythefallofthecliffopposite，andthatnootherwayofattainingitcouldbeperceived，wewerenotsomuchrejoicedatthethoughtofbeingsecurefrommolestationasfearfullestthereshouldbeabsolutelynomeansleftusfordescent。Weresolvedtoexplorethesummitofthehillthoroughly，whenagoodopportunityshouldoffer。
Inthemeantimewewatchedthemotionsofthesavagesthroughourloophole。
Theyhadalreadymadeacompletewreckofthevessel，andwerenowpreparingtosetheronfire。Inalittlewhilewesawthesmokeascendinginhugevolumesfromhermainhatchway，and，shortlyafterward，adensemassofflameburstupfromtheforecastle。Therigging，mastsandwhatremainedofthesailscaughtimmediately，andthefirespreadrapidlyalongthedecks。Stillagreatmanyofthesavagesretainedtheirstationsabouther，hammeringwithlargestones，axes，andcannonballsattheboltsandotherironandcopperwork。Onthebeach，andincanoesandrafts，therewerenotless，altogether，intheimmediatevicinityoftheschooner，thantenthousandnatives，besidestheshoalsofthemwho，ladenwithbooty，weremakingtheirwayinlandandovertotheneighbouringislands。Wenowanticipatedacatastrophe，andwerenotdisappointed。Firstofalltherecameasmartshockwhichwefeltasdistinctlywherewewereasifwehadbeenslightlygalvanized，butunattendedwithanyvisiblesignsofanexplosion。Thesavageswereevidentlystartled，andpausedforaninstantfromtheirlaboursandyellings。Theywereuponthepointofrecommencing，whensuddenlyamassofsmokepuffedupfromthedecks，resemblingablackandheavythundercloud-then，asiffromitsbowels，aroseatallstreamofvividfiretotheheight，apparently，ofaquarterofamile-thentherecameasuddencircularexpansionoftheflame-thenthewholeatmospherewasmagicallycrowded，inasingleinstant，withawildchaosofwood，andmetal，andhumanlimbs-and，lastly，cametheconcussioninitsfullestfury，whichhurledusimpetuouslyfromourfeet，whilethehillsechoedandre-echoedthetumult，andadenseshoweroftheminutestfragmentsoftheruinstumbledheadlongineverydirectionaroundus。