be in would make the cabin a very uncomfortable habitation,
Captain Bland proposed rigging a tent on the beach under the cliffs in
which his wife and daughter might live till the work was accomplished.

As soon, therefore, as Medley and I with two of the men could be spared,
we accompanied the captain on shore, taking with us some spars, rope,
sails, and spare canvas. It was evident that the spot the captain first
thought of would be too hot, as not a breath of air reached it, so he
selected another further from the ship in a more open situation. Here,
having beaten smooth the black lava-like soil, we soon had up a
good-sized tent with three compartments--one for the captain and Mrs
Bland, one for Mary, and a third for a sitting-room. This done, while
the boat returned for some furniture and cooking utensils, the captain
sent me to the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean to the southward to
ascertain if the "Eagle" was in sight. I had not been long looking out
when I saw a sail standing for the island, but after watching her for
some time I was convinced that she was not the "Eagle," but a much
smaller craft. As she drew still nearer I perceived, indeed, that she
was a schooner, apparently a Spanish vessel, though she showed no flag.
Instead, however, of steering for the harbour where the "Lady Alice"
lay, she kept round the island to another on the other side. What she
was, or why she had come to the island, I could not conjecture, I was
about to return when I caught sight of a speck of white canvas above the
horizon. "That probably is the `Eagle,'" I thought. "In a few days I
shall have to bid my kind friends farewell and go back to my duties on
board her."

As there was a fine breeze the ship rapidly approached, and as I had no
doubt that she was the "Eagle," I went back to the tent to tell Captain
Bland that she was in sight, as also to describe to him the schooner I
had seen.

"She has probably come across from Payta to catch turtle or fish," he
observed. "We are not likely to see any of her crew, unless they think
that they can get a good price from us for what they bring."

We now returned on board to describe to the ladies the preparations we
had made for them. Captain Bland then had all the boats manned to
assist in towing in the "Eagle" should the wind fall light, as it
frequently did towards evening. At length Medley, who had landed and
gone to the top of the cliff, made the signal that she wa