!

The heat on the island was so intense, that our greatest necessity was
for some shelter from the sun. The only materials which the place
furnished us were rocks of coral, with which we built up walls, over
which were spread pieces of sail from the vessel. We lived in these
lodges, in little companies. We sat together in ours in the daytime, and
could not leave our shelter for a moment without feeling as if we were
sunstruck. Every night we abandoned it, and slept out on the rocks; but
the frequent little showers proved so uncomfortable that we were driven
to great extremity to devise some covering. R.'s ingenuity proved equal
to the emergency. He secured an opportunity to visit the vessel (which
held together for some days) in one of the boats which were continually
plying between her and the island, bringing over all available stores.
All the mattresses and other bedding that could be secured had been
distributed, mostly to the mothers and children. His penetrating eye
detected the materials for a coverlet in the strips of painted canvas
nailed to the deck. He managed without tools to tear off some pieces,
and, by untwisting some tarred rope, to fasten them together; thus
providing a quilt, which, if not comfortable, was at least waterproof,
and served to draw over us when a shower came on. It was no protection,
however, against the crabs, large and small, that used to crawl under
it, and eat pieces out of our clothes, and even our boots, while we were
asleep. These crabs were of the _hermit_ order. Each one, from the
minutest to the largest, had taken possession of the empty shell of some
other creature, exactly large enough for him, and walked about with it
on his back, and drew himself snugly into it when molested. Every little
crevice in the rocks had a white or speckled egg in it when we landed,
and from these we made a few good meals. The one day the women spent on
the island alone with the birds passed in the most friendly manner; but
after the men and boys came, the larger ones abandoned us.

We felt sorry not to bring away some of the beautiful shells which were
plentiful there, and more gorgeous than any thing I ever saw before.
While the living creature is in them, they are much brighter than after
it is dead; and in the length of time it takes to bring them from
tropical countries, they fade almost like flowers. Mrs. S. was so
enterprising, and, I must say, so unaesthetic, as to try to concoct a
meal fr