position with respect to the companion door, we had not felt either the wind or the rain, excepting in their terrific sounds." Edward," said she, "you have again been sadly wet; take a little more hollands." I did not reject her advice, but took a second small dose of the captain's cordial, which I found very comforting. At length the rain ceased; but the wind, if we could judge by its roaring noise, blew more violently. I listened attentively to every sound, to distinguish, if possible, whether the ropes were giving way; and I got up from my seat several times, to endeavour to see from the cabin windows whether we were yet close in our harbour. I threw one of them open, to enable me the better to discover our situation; but I could discern nothing but the water, covered with a sort of phosphorescent light; it could not be from any thing else, for the heavens were all darkness above. No rest visited our eye-lids; and during this suspense, I may say agony, we remained till daylight, the dawn of which was indeed gladness to our hearts: it released us from all dark apprehensions of jeopardy; and our ease was completed, by discovering that we remained unmoved from our safe situation. The wind lulled; but the rain continued to pour down unceasingly: I was glad, however, to throw open the cabin windows, for it had become very close and oppressive. On looking out, I could see little change in the usual scene around us: the wind had blown from the northward and westward; and as we lay under the lee of the sand-banks, the water was quite smooth beyond us, and nothing seen floating on it. My first business was to get a swab and an empty bucket,

and swab up into it all the wet in the steerage The rain had now ceased; I passage and cabin.

therefore set open the companion doors; and the windows of the cabin being already so, the thorough draft soon dried all below. When I went into the state-room to my wife, to tell her it was comfortable again, I found her sound asleep; and happy I was to see her so sweetly rest, after our anxious night. I watched by her; but she soon opened her fine mild eyes, and smiled on me. I kissed her serene forehead, and then both those sweet eyes, one after the other; and taking her by the hand, said, "Rise, my love, and let us pour out our gratitude to heaven."

The weather continued unsettled; and as we foresaw more squalls of wind, with rain, my Eliza remained in the vessel to prepare us a cold breakfast, and I set forth to see the state of our live stock on shore; and, with much apprehension for its fate, to reconnoitre the plank house that had cost me so much labour. I took some corn with me, and was glad to find the goats and fowls in the cave, and the ducks safe on its outside; there being a sort of ledge before it, which they could not ascend. I scattered some of the corn about, and in an instant a whole flock of pigeons flew down from the interior of the cave, and began to feed among the goats and poultry, the fowls now and then startling them from their feast by pecking them; but as no hostile hand had ever been raised against them, they evinced no more fear of me than of the animals; and as they were older possessors of the island, I did not grudge them, on this occasion, a little share of what was going. I then turned my steps, to examine the

plank house: I was rejoiced to find it standing unmoved, excepting only two of the planks on the eastern part of the roof, which had been blown off, and were lying on the sand near to it. I did not stop to walk over to the western shore of the isthmus, on which the wind had blown with violence during the night; but hastened back to the vessel, lest my dear wife should be uneasy. I told her that all was well, but that it looked black around, so that we might expect more bad weather. She was feeding the ducks in the coop, when I came on board; and Fidele, her faithful squire, was helping her in the best way he could, by eating the bigger pieces of biscuit, such as he thought might choke the poultry. We now went down to our own breakfast; after which, we considered how to employ our time to the best purpose on board, as the weather would preclude our doing any thing on shore: however, I thought it right to inspect the ropes, fastened from the brig to the rocks, and gladly found they had not been stranded in any part; the fact being, that the vessel was hard and fast in the sand, fore and aft, and was therefore immoveable. I next thought it well to take a spell at the pumps, and it was an hour before the pump sucked; so that I perceived I must not neglect this operation, but now and then pump as a duty. I then took the boards into the cabin; and, having the carpenter's chest at my command, I resolved on employing myself in making the small table for the plank house, while my wife occupied herself with her needle on a new pair of boot-legs.

:

During these home labours, the rain came on again in torrents, sometimes with squalls of wind, and at other times with thunder; after which the water fell like a cascade from the heavens: but we now felt our security, so that we worked and talked cheerfully we discussed our prospects, and all we planned to do; and it seemed as if our minds at this time were altogether engrossed with "bettering ourselves in life," that principle of action which follows man even into solitude. To dig, and to plant, and to sow, was the object now most prominent in our view, the ground being well soaked with rain. This induced me to talk over how and where I

would put in the yams and coccos, sow the Indian corn, plant the fruit-seeds, and so forth; but, alas! one individual could accomplish but little of all this; yet resolution, and a good heart for my work, enabled me to perform more than could have been expected. My table needed not to be very elegant; so I got on apace with it, while Eliza worked as briskly at the boot-legs; and being only interrupted by our short refreshment, and now and then in listening to the storm, we kept on industriously till night; and finished our tasks together.

I took a look upon deck, before it was dark, between the rains, and saw the sky still more threatening. I shut the companion close, and returned below. We knelt down to prayer, and retired to our state-room to rest; which we were so happy as to find, notwithstanding the increasing of the storm; during which we slept soundly, and arose at dawn perfectly refreshed.

Saturday, 12th. This morning I again visited our stock, and the plank house; and found all well. We employed ourselves during the greater part of this day, the weather continuing bad, in various useful operations. Of necessity we had become our own boot-makers, tailors, sempstresses; but another occupation was now forced on our consideration, the contemplation of which was certainly not quite so agreeable; viz. washing our linen! Eliza had never washed even a lawn cap, though some young gentlewomen, more dainty about their headdress without, than what they put within it, consume no small time with starch and pinners; but my little wife had left all that to the maids; and, indeed, her delicate hands were quite unfit for the employment. I offered to manage the whole for her; but she said, "It was woman's work, and therefore her duty."-" Nay," answered I, "we may here make customs for ourselves! We will then superintend together; and I will make two washer-women, which you and I shall cause to do all the labour."-" Indeed!" said she, smiling, "if you accomplish this, I shall tell it as a real tale of the tub!" I laughed at her allusion to the dean's allegory; and instantly, without explaining myself farther, set about planning my two wooden domestics. I kept in my mind's eye a battle-door; and cutting one of board, then shaped another of the same material, rather less. When finished, I put the small one into her hand, holding the other in my own. "I will show you," said I, " how, on

a smooth stone in the run of the spring, we can