me, she delightedly expatiated on the perfections of Him whose least works are so transcendantly beyond all that man could do. "There is great vanity in human beings, Edward," continued she, "to suppose that all things were made merely to please and gratify them. O no! Think not, though man were not, the earth would want spectators God want praise !” "My darling Eliza !" I exclaimed, laying down the piece of plank I held in my hands, and embracing her; "O thou blessed angel! such were the beams of celestial light, which often thy much-loved father was wont to shed around him! May that God, whom thou dost so adore, spare thee, my love, long to comfort thy Edward, and once more to bless the eyes of thy revered parent!" We wept.

I completed my task more than an hour before sunset; but was too tired, to fulfil my promise of trying my gaskets that evening at the cocoa-nut grove; so, after making up a nest in my hen-house with some dried grass, and fixing a piece of slanting board for the fowls to walk up to its entrance, my wife placed the egg within, and finished the operation by strewing some corn upon the board, to induce the hens to find their new retreat. regaled ourselves with tea and roasted plantains, this evening; and felt peculiar delight in the retrospect of the day. Before we concluded our meal (which by the way we were in no hurry to finish, it being so pleasant in the open air upon the platform,) our colony gathered round us: some corn was thrown to the poultry; and the goats received for their treat the thick rind of a water

We

melon we had eaten at dinner with our salted food. Poor Fidele had nothing but a bit of buiscuit for his repast: we, indeed, often wished for a little fresh provisions, if it were only for his sake. I have known persons who would laugh at this feeling for the comfort and health of a dog; but I would not choose such persons for my friends. The sun set; and we all retired respectively to our resting places.

2

CHAP. VII.

SUNDAY, 20th January.-Although it was the Sabbath, we arose with the dawn, and enjoyed our ablutions of sea-water; and after dressing ourselves, at least in clean attire, but observing our amended costume of conveniency, we left the vessel early for our residence on shore; there to breakfast, and perform our church service in the forenoon. It was the first Sabbath we had observed with prayer, upon the shores of that land on which we now stood; and we could not but be impressed with the merciful providence of God, who had preserved us from a watery grave, which now we firmly believed to have been the lot of our captain and all his crew. After reading divine service, we conversed on this awful subject; charging ourselves with great coldness of heart towards our heavenly Father; and also with something like indifference to the fate of our companions, as hitherto we had made no effort to gain the summit of the promontory, whence, by the aid of the ship's spy-glass, we might, perhaps, discover some trace of them; even the melancholy wreck of their boat, lying on some neighbouring shore.

These reflections stimulated us to undertake the ascent of the promontory, which was very steep;

seeming, in truth, an absolute precipice. We, however, presently accoutred ourselves for the expedition. I put the pistols into my belt on one side, and a hatchet in the other; slinging the spyglass over one shoulder, and our canteen over the other. In my hand I took a boarding-pike, at once for defence, if needed, and for a walking staff to help me on my way. My dear partner tied up a couple of oranges in a handkerchief, and with her pilgrim's staff also, and Fidele running by her side, we set forward a little before noon, only stopping at the spring to fill the canteen ; and as soon as the low rocks and brushwood would allow, we turned round upon the base of the hill, and there found the ascent not near so steep as we had supposed; but the shrubs, and small trees, and spine-pointed aloes, retarded my poor Eliza's progress so much, that I was obliged to pioneer at almost every step with the hatchet, and remove the lopped branches, as well as I could, with the end of my pike; for the thorns and prickles of some of the plants cannot be encountered with the naked hand; so that I soon found I wanted a bill-hook instead of a hatchet; and I was glad in remembering there were plenty on board: they are made for the purpose of penetrating thickets; cutting first, and by their hooked bill they then lay hold of the lopped branch, and pull it aside. We, however, contrived to struggle forward, though advancing but slowly. At one time, quite fatigued, we were about to return, when we were suddenly encouraged to proceed, by descrying at some little distance the opening in

the back of our cave.

After an hour's hard per

severance, we gained the spot; and were surprised at being able, with very small difficulty, to climb on some projections of rock, and look through the aperture, which became a somewhat long passage, directly into the cavern. I hallooed, expecting some pigeons would fly out; but we did not see one. "I doubt not they pass the noon in the woods," cried I. We now determined to return back into that shaded region ourselves, and seek another way of ascent in that direction: but by the time we descended the present side of the acclivity, we were so heartily tired; I with cutting and clearing away, and my poor wife with scrambling and disentangling her petticoats, (which, although made short for the occasion, were still petticoats;) we gladly sat down under the shade of a tree, when we got to the foot of the promontory, and there partook of an orange for refreshment. During our ascent, I was in constant apprehension of coming upon serpents, but I did not communicate my fear to my companion; and the fate of our little dog was also much in my thoughts, if such a rencounter should take place happily we met none; and as nothing of the kind had been seen by us heretofore, I now ventured to hope (which proved true) that there were not any on the island.

We found ourselves refreshed, after resting awhile; and then proceeded, with a view of taking the height on this side of the hill; which stands forth as a boundary between the woodland region and the silkcotton-tree plantation. Our goats, which had come round from the cave thicket, and to whom we had