myself, but I found they would not be too heavy for
them, and I judged it best to accustom them early to the difficulties,
fatigue, and labour, which would be their lot; and to attend entirely on
themselves; I, therefore, divided the clothes into two unequal bundles,
proportioned to their strength, and having made a knot in each, I passed
a slender branch through it, and showed them how to carry it on their
shoulders.

"When I saw them walking before me in this savage fashion, with their
little white bodies exposed to the storm, I could not refrain from
tears. I blamed myself for condemning them to such an existence, and
thought of returning to the shore, where some vessel might rescue us;
but we were now too far off to set about it. I continued to proceed with
much more difficulty than my children, who had nothing on but their
shoes and large hats. I carried the valuable box, in which I had placed
the remains of our last night's supper, an act of necessary prudence, as
there was neither fishing nor hunting now.

"As the day advanced, the rain diminished, and even the sun appeared
above the horizon.

"'Look, my darlings,' said I, 'God has heard us, and sent his sun to
warm and cheer us. Let us thank him,'

"'Papa has begged it of him!' said Matilda. 'Oh! mamma, let us pray him
to send Alfred back!'

"My poor little girl bitterly regretted the loss of her brother. Even
now she can scarcely hear his name without tears. When the savages
brought Francis to us, she at first took him for her brother. 'Oh, how
you have grown in heaven!' cried she; and, after she discovered he was
not her brother, she often said to him, 'How I wish your name
was Alfred!'

"Forgive me for dwelling so long on the details of my wretched journey,
which was not without its comforts, in the pleasure I took in the
development of my children's minds, and in forming plans for their
future education. Though anything relating to science, or the usual
accomplishments, would be useless to them, I did not wish to bring them
up like young savages; I hoped to be able to communicate much useful
knowledge to them, and to give them juster ideas of this world and
that to come.

"As soon as the sun had dried them, I made them put on their dresses,
and we continued our walk by the brook, till we arrived at the grove
which is before this rock. I removed the branches to pass through it,
and saw beyond them the entrance to this grotto. It was very low and
na