kes. They
immediately kindled the fire and heated the iron plate. In the mean
time, I broke up the grated cassava, and mixed it with a little milk;
and giving each of them a cocoa-nut basin filled with the paste, I
showed them how to pour it with a spoon upon the plate, and spread it
about; when the paste began to puff up, I judged it was baked on one
side, and turned it, like a pancake, with a fork; and after a little
time, we had a quantity of nice yellow biscuits, which, with a jug of
milk, made us a delicious collation; and determined us, without delay,
to set about cultivating the manioc.

The rest of the day was employed in bringing up the remainder of our
cargo, by means of the sledge and the useful wheelbarrows.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XX.

The next morning I decided on returning to the wreck. The idea of the
pinnace continually haunted my mind, and left me no repose. But it was
necessary to take all the hands I could raise, and with difficulty I got
my wife's consent to take my three elder sons, on promising her we would
return in the evening. We set out, taking provision for the day, and
soon arrived at the vessel, when my boys began to load the raft with all
manner of portable things. But the great matter was the pinnace. It was
contained in the after-hold of the vessel, immediately below the
officers' berths. My sons, with all the ardour of their age, begged to
begin by clearing a space in the vessel to put the pinnace together, and
we might afterwards think how we should launch it. Under any other
circumstances I should have shown them the folly of such an undertaking;
but in truth, I had myself a vague hope of success, that encouraged me,
and I cried out, "To work! to work!" The hold was lighted by some chinks
in the ship's side. We set diligently to work, hacking, cutting, and
sawing away all obstacles, and before evening we had a clear space round
us. But now it was necessary to return, and we put to sea with our
cargo, purposing to continue our work daily. On reaching the Bay of
Safety, we had the pleasure of finding my wife and Francis, who had
established themselves at Tent House, intending to continue there till
our visits to the vessel were concluded; that they might always keep us
in sight, and spare us the unnecessary labour of a walk after our
day's work.

I thanked my wife tenderly for this kind sacrifice, for I knew how much
she enjoyed the cool shade of F