We stood at the top of a smooth and gradual descent. Before us lay a secluded valley, from which the land rose on every side, to about the elevation of the grove behind us. In some places it ascended in gentle slopes, in others by abrupt acclivities. In the bosom of the valley spread a little lake of oval form, fringed in some places with shrubbery, while in others, groups of casuarinas extended their long drooping boughs in graceful arches over the water. After pausing a moment we descended to the margin of the pond, which was so limpid that we could distinguish every pebble at the bottom. At the upper or northern end, and near the point at which we had come out of the grove, a small stream precipitated itself some fifteen feet down a rocky declivity, and fell into a circular basin a few yards in diameter. Overflowing this basin, it found its way into the lake by another descent of a few feet. Around the basin, and on both sides of the waterfall, were several curious columns of basalt, and irregular picturesque piles of basaltic rock. The plash of the water, falling into the rocky basin, was the only sound that broke the Sabbath-like silence that pervaded the valley. There was, or seemed to be, something unreal and dream-like about the scene, that made us pause where we stood, in silence, as though the whole were an illusion, which a word or a motion would dispel. "How beautiful!" exclaimed Browne, at last, and a soft clear echo, like the voice of the tutelary spirit of the valley, answered, "Beautiful!" "Hark!" cried Johnny, "what a charming echo. Listen again," and he shouted "Hurrah!" "Hurrah!" softly responded the echo, and almost in the same breath a harsh voice, apparently close at hand, and which was evidently not an echo, cried out, "Hillioh--oh!" We started, and gazed around us, and at each other, in astonishment, but we could see nothing from which this strange exclamation could proceed. "That," said Johnny, in a trembling whisper, and seizing Browne's hand, "that is the voice of the wild Frenchman I heard in the woods near Castle-hill." "Yes," answered Max, gravely, "who knows but there are cannibals here? You had better be careful, Johnny, how you hurrah in the woods." Max's manner made me suspect that he possessed some clue to the mystery which the rest of us lacked. "I don't care," answered Johnny, stoutly, while the apprehensive glances which he cast around on every side, hardly agreed with his valiant words, "I shall hurrah in spite of all the savages on the island." "Hillioh!--Hillioh!" yelled the same voice, more fiercely than before. Max burst into a fit of laughter, when following the direction of his eye, we looked up, and espied an enormous parrot perched upon a purau branch, directly over our heads, from which he eyed us with a disdainful and truculent air. "There's your wild Frenchman at last, Johnny," said Max, "I expect he'll call us to account presently for our treatment of his hat."