I
then told him who we were, and how we came to dwell on the isle. I
learned from him, in turn, that he was bound for New South Wales; that
he knew Captain Rose, who had lost his child, and that he had made a
search for her on the coast. He told me that a storm had thrown him off
his course, and that the wind drove him on this coast, where he took
care to fill his casks from a fresh stream that ran by the side of a
hill, and to take in a stock of wood.
"It was then," he said, "that we first heard your guns; and when on the
third day the same sound came to our ears, we knew that there must be
some one on the coast, and this led us to put up our tents and wait
till the crew should search the land round the bay."
I then made the crew a gift of what we had brought in our boat, and
said to Captain Stone, for that was his name: "I hope, sir, that you
will now go with me to Rock House, the place where we live, and where
you will see Miss Rose, who will be glad to hear some news of home."
"To be sure I will, and thank you much," said he; "and I have no doubt
that Mr. West would like to go with us." This Mr. West was on his way,
with his wife and two girls, to New South Wales, where he meant to
build a house and clear a piece of land.
We all three then left the ship in our boat, and as we came in sight of
Shark Isle, Jack, who was on the fort, fired his guns.
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