On Saturday, April 19th, the king gave another grand feast and dance, to which we were all invited as usual. After some time spent in dancing by the chiefs and king, the old black “doctor”[3] of the “Maria Laura” struck up with his violin, and all hands joined in a regular breakdown. This pleased the king and natives very much, they laughing heartily and exclaiming, “What for all the same ’Meriky fashion?” As we before remarked, Captain H. had built a ball-alley on the island, and the king and chiefs spent a great part of their time there, and had become very expert players. The king might often be seen “rolling a string” with one of the foremast hands of the different ships. The “Mary Frazier” had now been in port nearly four months, the “Maria Laura” two months, and ourselves one month. The three ships were ready for sea, and had been for weeks, but the wind blew constantly into the passage—a fair wind to enter port, but impossible for a ship to leave. At length, however, on the morning of Wednesday, April 23d, the wind died away and it fell a dead calm, and the old man determined to make the effort to tow the ship out of the passage. Accordingly, we “hove up” anchor and down boats, and commenced to tow. When at the mouth of the passage a breeze sprang up, taking us “all aback,” and swinging the ship around. We were rapidly drifting into the breakers, when the pilot, Rotumah Tom, immediately sprang into a boat alongside, and, pulling for the weather side of the passage, with the end of a line in his hand, which he had taken with him, he plunged down and made it fast around a coral rock, came up, and made signals to “heave away” on board. This was the work of almost a moment; the ship was within but a few feet of the breakers, and we held our breath, expecting every instant to see her strike. But by sharp, quick work, and the good judgment and activity of Rotumah Tom, we soon cleared the breakers, and, warping up to our old anchorage, “let go” again. The other ships also dropped anchor, and congratulated us on the narrow escape of the “Emily.” We felt thankful to GOD for the escape, narrow as it was. To have been wrecked there and then would have been truly lamentable. The next morning a light breeze sprang up from the southward, and all three ships left Strong’s Island, bidding them adieu. The breeze increased as we dropped the land, and with a fair wind we headed west-northwest for Guam. [3] The cook. CHAPTER XVII. Guam.—Invasion of the Ladrone Islands by the Spaniards in 1554.—Getting off Recruits.—Fruit.—Climate.—Captain Anderson.—Massacre of Captain Luce and Boat’s Crew.—Proceed to Japan Cruising-ground.—Ship “Boy.”—Boat’s Crew taken down by a Whale.—Albicore and Skipjack.—“Our Luck” again.—The Spell broken.—Bark “Medina.”—Manuel and the Hog.—A slight Tap.