as very easy, so far
as regards the exterior,--that is, the wheel, and the waterfall that
sets it in motion; but the interior,--the disposition of the wheels, the
stones to bruise the grain, the sieve, or bolter, to separate the flour
from the bran; all this complicated machinery was difficult to explain;
but he comprehended all, adding his usual expression,--"I will try, and
I shall succeed." Not to lose any time, and to profit by this rainy day,
he began by making sieves of different materials, which he fastened to a
circle of pliant wood, and tried by passing through them the flour of
the cassava; he made some with sailcloth, others with the hair of the
onagra, which is very long and strong, and some of the fibres of bark.
His mother admired his work, which he continued to improve more and
more; she assured him the sieve would be sufficient for her; it was
useless to have the trouble of building a mill.

"But how shall we bruise the grain, mamma?" said he; "it would be
tedious and hard work."

"And you think there will be no hard work in building your mill?" said
Jack. "I am curious to see how you will contrive to form that huge
stone, which is called the millstone."

"You shall see," said Fritz; "only find me the stone, and it shall soon
be done. Do you think, father, that of our rock would be suitable?"

I told him I thought it would be hard enough, but it would be difficult
to cut from the rock a piece large enough for the purpose. He made his
usual reply,--"_I will try_. Ernest and Jack will assist me; and
perhaps you, papa."

I declared my willingness, but named him the _master-mason;_ we must
only be his workmen. Francis was impatient to see the mill in operation.
"Oh!" said Jack, "you shall soon have that pleasure. It is a mere
trifle; we only want stone, wood, tools, and science."

At the word "_science_," Ernest, who was reading in a corner, without
listening to us, raised his head suddenly, saying,--"What science are
you in need of?"

"Of one you know nothing of, Mr. Philosopher," said Jack. "Come, tell
us, do you know how to build a mill?"

"A mill?" answered Ernest; "of what description? There are many sorts.
I was just looking in my dictionary for it. There are corn-mills, and
powder-mills, oil-mills, wind-mills, water-mills, hand-mills, and
saw-mills; which do you want?"

Fritz would have liked them all.

"You remind me," said I, "that we brought from the vessel a hand-mill
and a saw-mill,