ends that had came in so usefullys and it was now melted
down in Snowball's recovered copper. The finishing touch was given to
the structure by piling several big boulders over the upper row of
shingles along the ridge pole, for greater stability and to prevent
boisterous Boreas from playing any of his rude tricks to its
disadvantage.

The roof done, all hands turned their attention to raising the sides of
the shanty. This was a much easier job, consisting in nailing rough
pieces of planking at intervals across the corner-posts from end to end,
both inside the building and without, and then filling up the
interstices, or intervening hollows, with the basaltic debris that was
scattered around--just as rubble is thrown in between skeleton brickwork
by what are termed "jerry-builders" to form party-walls of modern
tenements. The side walls were then carried up to within a foot or so
of the eaves of the roof, the sail-covering of which after being allowed
to lap over was now tucked in at the top, thus closing up the chinks and
making all snug.

The front of the shanty was afterwards finished off in the same way,
although more planking was employed as greater nicety of detail was
necessary in order to arrange for the doorway and windows, for which
latter the remains of the cabin sky-light Frank thought of bringing
ashore supplied the material; but it took a couple of days to complete
the building to the satisfaction of Ben and Mr Meldrum, notwithstanding
which drawback the whole party took possession of it the night after the
wreckage had been landed, the recovered timber enabling the carpenter
and his crew to proceed with the work--all declaring that the house was
perfect and ever so much better than the discarded tent, in spite of
many things being still wanting.

In the interior, of course, a flooring had been dispensed with, from the
simple fact of their having no wood to spare for such a luxury; but
otherwise it was made to look very comfortable.

Through the aid of canvas curtains suspended from the roof, it was
divided, as Mr Meldrum had originally planned, into three tolerably
commodious apartments, the cosiest and most sheltered of which, at the
extreme end of the building, was apportioned to the ladies some
sailcloth being spread on the bare ground to render it warmer; while the
middle and larger room was reserved as a store and place of general
assembly for eating and carrying on such avocations as were req