er was
thought necessary in his capacity of a cook. As for Betts, he went along
as the governor's counsellor and companion.

Bridget's little girl was born in the cabin of the ship; and the week
preceding that set for the voyage, she and the child were taken across
to the Peak, that the former might spend the period of her husband's
absence with Anne, in the Garden of Eden. These absences and occasional
visits gave a zest to lives that might otherwise have become too
monotonous, and were rather encouraged than avoided. It was, perhaps, a
little strange that Bridget rather preferred the Reef than the Peak for
a permanent residence; but there was her much-beloved ship, and there
she ever had her still more beloved husband for a companion.

On the appointed day, the Neshamony set sail, having on board a family
of three of the swine. The plan for the excursion included a trip to the
volcano, which had not yet been actually visited by any of the
colonists. Mark had been within a league of it, and Bob had passed quite
near to it in his voyage to the Peak; but no one had ever positively
landed, or made any of those close examinations of the place, which,
besides being of interest in a general way, was doubly so to those who
were such near neighbours to a place of the kind. This visit Mark now
decided to make on his way to leeward, taking the volcano in his course
to Rancocus Island. The _detour_ would lead the Neshamony some fifteen
or eighteen leagues on one side; but there was abundance of time, and
the volcano ought to be no longer neglected.

The wind did not blow as fresh as in common, and the Neshamony did not
draw near to the volcano until late in the afternoon of the day she
sailed. The party approached this place with due caution, and not
without a good deal of awe. As the lead was used, it was found that the
water shoaled gradually for several leagues, becoming less and less,
deep as the boat drew near to the cone, which was itself a circular and
very regular mountain, of some six or eight hundred feet in height,
with a foundation of dry rock and lava, that might have contained a
thousand acres. Everything seemed solid and permanent; and our mariners
were of opinion there was very little danger of this formation ever
disappearing below the surface of the sea again.

The volcano being in activity, some care was necessary in landing. Mark
took the Neshamony to windward, and found a curvature in the rocks where
it w