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CHAP. V.

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THURSDAY, 10th January. I employed the early part of this morning in arranging matters on board; but before I secured the main hatchway, I got up some half-inch board and a plank, to make a table at my leisure, for the tent. We talked over our intended operations, at breakfast; and it was resolved to put some seeds and roots into the ground without loss of time, by which we hoped to be able to propagate every vegetable we had, excepting the plantain; for in it we found no seeds. As a preliminary step, we looked over our store of fruit and roots, and saw all sound, save one musk-melon, which had been a little bruised, and was beginning to spoil. Having stowed all away again, after airing them on the deck, I proposed going on shore; and, taking a couple of chairs from the cabin, and our muskmelon, we marched up to the plank house. I felt myself not a little important, I believe, when the two chairs were placed in the new building. There was a manifest exultation felt by us both at the moment; gratulatory and smiling, we sat ourselves down for the first time in our chairs, under the roof of a building made with my own hands. After a brief period in our new situation, Eliza went to the cave to feed the poultry, and I to get thence the

spade and hoe. The fowls were there, but we could not see either ducks or goats: I confess we were agitated, if not alarmed; and I more especially, thinking they were lost. "Don't fear, dear Edward," said she; "we shall find them: the poor things are only gone to seek something to drink; you perceive there is no water in the bucket." I approved her suggestion, and hastened with her to the spring, where we found the stragglers, and were thus relieved from our anxiety. We first thought of driving them directly back to the thicket; but, as I was to be gardening near, during the best part of the day, they were allowed to remain and feed where they were. My wife, meanwhile, supplied the fowls in the cave with water; but as we did not undertake to provide for all the wild pigeons in the place, she strewed her corn on the path leading from the cavern to the outside of the thicket, and thus drew the fowls out after her. When I came up from my work, to take my dinner at the plank house, which she had spread there, I saw them feeding near the door; and, as we sat at our meal, we threw them small pieces of biscuit, which they picked up piece by piece, the cock generally getting hold of each crumb first, then calling the hens to receive it from him.

By sunset I had put in several melon seeds of both sorts, and also seeds of the pumpkin, and had turned up and hoed a nice spot of ground in the neighbourhood of the spring; but I could not but perceive that this place was too shady for any thing but pumpkins and Indian corn: however, as we had plenty of seeds, I remarked, "Little could be lost

but the labour." We were glad to see the pine-top look well; and I gave it water, after putting some more good earth round it. We now drove the goats and ducks up to the cave, and in this operation Fidele took a conspicuous part; which pleased us much, as we foresaw the use our little friend and companion might be to us, in bringing "our flocks and herds home at even-tide."

The sun did not set with its usual beauty, this evening; the western horizon was overcast, and there had been little sea-breeze all day. We loitered some time in the vicinity of our new habitation, treating the goats with the rind of our muskmelon, and in other domestic trifling. The sky in the meanwhile became completely overcast; the goats suddenly deserted us, uttering an unusual cry, and ran into the thicket: we looked up, and, apprehending rain, hastened towards our vessel; but we had scarcely set forth, before it came on, pouring down on us in torrents, so that we were wet to the skin in two minutes. At this time there was not a breath of wind, and it had suddenly become quite dark. We got on board with difficulty, not only drenched, but fatigued, and with poor Fidelė, like a drowned rat, following us. As we descended into the cabin, I pulled the top of the companion over; but there was already much water below, in the steerage passage. It was quite dark in the cabin, and, from our being very wet, the want of light made us doubly uncomfortable. I drew the charge from one of my pistols, and struck fire in the pan, so as to ignite some paper I placed on a plate. upon the table; and keeping the flame up with a

few torn pieces for a minute or two, my wife brought a candle from the locker, which we lighted, and then joyfully proceeded to change ourselves: the rain meanwhile continued to fall in a deluge over our heads upon the deck, as if the very sky was coming down. We took off our dripping clothes, and put on our light night things. It was not cold, yet we felt chilly after our wetting. I now thought of the captain's case of hollands, and, without saying a word to Eliza, I brought out a bottle, and set her an example by taking a sup of it, and made her do the same. Having done this, we only said "God preserve us !" and went to bed, leaving the candle burning in a candlestick, standing on the plate. We could not sleep, the falling of the rain beat so heavily on the deck: but there was no wind. "Edward," said she, "we shall have another hurricane! let us put in the dead lights." "There can be no occasion for them, my love," I replied; 66 we have no sea to encounter here; we are in a secure and protected harbour."—"Oh! I know," resumed she, tremblingly, "that it will soon begin to thunder and lighten, and blow a tempest; and it will be dreadful !" "Well, but my own!" replied I, 66 we are safe; and you express more fear than when we really were in danger!" She sobbed. "You weep, Eliza,” cried I; "what is the matter?" -"We have gone to bed, Edward," exclaimed she, "when most called upon, without praying to that God who hitherto has been to us a father." I felt the justice of the remark, and embracing her with respondent tears, we rose upon our knees, and implored forgiveness and protection. We then lay

down in peace: the rain continued to pour in torrents; and soon we heard the howling of the wind : but as it did not come in at the cabin windows, I concluded it was from the westward. Still, as the companion doors were open, and the cabin windows open, there was a thorough draft; and the rain beat through the cabin with the wind, and the candle was blown out. I got up, and drew down all the windows in the cabin, and shut the door; and struck a light again with some difficulty, and, having relit our candle, I placed it on the floor near to the cabin bulkhead, out of the way of the draft. I then lay down, but could not sleep: the wind howled tremendously; and I now feared every moment that the brig would break adrift, as it blew right ahead, and the ropes by which she was fastened to the rocks were very slender. At last I could no longer continue in bed; therefore got up, and went forth to look out at the companion door; but the wind and rain drove so furiously in my face, and besides it was so dark withal, that I could see nothing. In this attempt, however, I was completely wet; and as I could not be more so, I determined to keep my station at the top of the companion ladder, until I had shut both the half-doors. That done, on coming down, I perceived we were all afloat in the steerage passage: still I gained by having closed the doors; for, by excluding some of the noise from the storm above, our situation became more comfortable. I lost no time in putting on a dry garment, and sat down on a chair beside my wife's bed, in the state-room, the door of which opened into the cabin; and, by its

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