Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (103 page)

             
An
hour
dragged
by
and
suddenly
they
were
entering
a
narrow
passage
marked
out
by
the
boats.
Tension
increased
as
the
passage
narrowed
further
and
the
leadsman
began
to
call
the
depth
in
ever
decreasing
numbers.
On
either
side
the
coral
showed
its
presence
through
the
changing
colours
in
the
clear
water.
The
boats
swept
ahead,
Harry
calling
the
changes
of
direction
they
signalled
as
the
ship
picked
her
way
through
the
narrow
passage.
From
the
deck
they
could
now
see
the
reefs
the
boats
had
skirted
and
eased
into
a
broader
stretch
of
water
in
which
the
leadsman
'
s
chant
changed
to,
"
By
the
deep
six,
by
the
mark
nine,
"
gradually
increasing
steadily
until
he
finally
began
to
call,
"
No
bottom,
no
bottom
with
this
line!
"

             
Now
to
Starboard
several
low
lying
islets
were
plainly
visible
in
the
distance
and
the
reef
exposed
by
the
sea
colour
giving
warning
of
the
vicious
coral
lurking
beneath
the
surface.
To
Larboard
the
end
of
the
huge
reef
betrayed
its
presence
in
breaking
surf
and
a
string
of
jewelled
shallows
stretching
away
to
the
south.
Ahead
the
narrow
passage
gave
way
to
the
Arafura
Sea.

             
"
Recall
the
boats.
"
The
order
was
a
welcome
one
and
flags
danced
aloft
to
signal
the
distant
launches.
The
telescope
showed
Harry
that
the
furthest,
Mister
Rogers
'
boat,
was
already
resting
her
oars,
evidently
planning
to
allow
the
ship
to
close
the
distance
and
lessen
the
pull
for
the
oarsmen.
He
trained
the
glass
to
Starboard
where
the
distant
coast
of
the
island
of
New
Guinea
stretched
across
the
horizon
and
noted
native
canoes
evidently
keeping
their
distance
from
the
ship
and
its
boats.
 

***

             
After
putting
a
good
distance
between
themselves
and
the
reef
through
which
they
had
so
fortunately
passed,
Captain
Blackwood
ordered
the
ship
to
anchor
in
the
lee
of
a
large
inhabited
island.
The
anchor
had
barely
been
secured
when
native
canoes
began
to
approach
cautiously,
their
scantily
clad
occupants
offering
fruit,
fish
and
strange
looking
vegetables.

             
Watching
the
brisk
trade
warily
the
First
Lieutenant
remarked,
"
Seems
they
are
at
least
familiar
with
visitors
from
Europe.
I
wonder
who
they
usually
encounter
here?
"

             
"
Zis
is
an
area
ve
frequent,
Mijn
Heer
,
"
said
Captain
Te
Water
watching
the
approach
of
another
canoe.
"
But
not
usually
in
such
a
ship
as
zis.
Small
traders,
wit
'
brigs,
skuits
,
some
dhows
ja
;
no
'
zink
of
zis
size.
"

             
Captain
Blackwood
joined
them,
"
Easy
to
see
why
–
that
passage
through
the
reef
is
not
to
be
recommended.
"
He
added
thoughfully
after
the
briefest
pause,
"
Though
Mister
Wentworth
thinks
there
is
a
deeper
and
safer
channel
further
north.
"

             
"
At
least
the
Purser
seems
to
have
acquired
the
fruit
he
was
seeking.
"
The
Third
Lieutenant
joined
them.
To
the
First
Lieutenant
he
said,
"
With
your
permission,
sir,
it
would
be
convenient
to
land
and
scrub
some
of
the
water
casks,
so
we
may
refill
them
from
the
stream
we
have
marked
at
the
beach.
"

             
The
First
Lieutenant
looked
dubious.
Finally
he
said,
"
Very
well,
but
take
a
party
of
the
Bullocks
with
you
and
warn
them
to
be
vigilant.
"

***

             
The
party
landed
early
the
following
morning,
and
the
casks
were
rolled
ashore.
An
hour
'
s
scrubbing
with
fine
sand
taken
from
the
river
bed
where
the
water
was
sweet
and
clean
rendered
the
interiors
fit
to
receive
the
fresh
water.

             
"
T
'
casks
is
clean
an
'
filled,
sir,
"
the
Masters
Mate
reported.

             
"
Good,
let
'
s
have
them
in
the
boats
then,
"
the
lieutenant
replied.
He
swatted
at
a
persistent
insect
and
added,
"
These
insects
are
worse
than
the
Jamaican
mosquitoes!
"