I believe that this was owing to the heat of the water, which was
so warm that we afterwards found we could remain in it for two and
three hours at a time without feeling any unpleasant effects such as we
used to experience in the sea at home. When Jack reached the bottom, he
grasped the coral stems, and crept along on his hands and knees,
peeping under the seaweed and among the rocks. I observed him also pick
up one or two large oysters and retain them in his grasp, as if he
meant to take them up with him, so I also gathered a few. Suddenly he
made a grasp at a fish with blue and yellow stripes on its back, and
actually touched its tail, but did not catch it. At this he turned
towards me and attempted to smile; but no sooner had he done so than he
sprang like an arrow to the surface, where, on following him, I found
him gasping and coughing, and spitting water from his mouth. In a few
minutes he recovered, and we both turned to swim ashore.
"I declare, Ralph," said he, "that I actually tried to laugh under
water."
"So I saw," I replied; "and I observed that you very nearly caught that
fish by the tail. It would have done capitally for breakfast if you
had."
"Breakfast enough here," said he, holding up the oysters, as we landed
and ran up the beach. "Hallo, Peterkin! here you are, boy. Split open
these fellows while Ralph and I put on our clothes. They'll agree with
the cocoa-nuts excellently, I have no doubt.
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