ing, caused in me a terrible surprise. The weather
clearing, I secured my powder in separate parcels.

_Nov._ 14--16. I made little boxes for my powder, lodging them in
several places. I also shot a large fowl, which proved excellent meat.

_Nov._ 17. I began to dig in the rock, yet was obliged to desist for
want of a pickax, shovel, and wheel-barrow. Iron crows I caused to
supply the place of the first; but with all my art I could not make a
wheel-barrow.

_Nov._ 18. It was my fortune to find a tree, resembling what Brazilians
call an iron tree. I had like to have spoiled my ax with cutting it,
being very hard and exceedingly heavy; yet with much labour & industry,
I made a sort of a spade out of it.

_Nov._ 21. These tools being made, I daily carried on my business;
eighteen days I allowed for enlarging my cave, that it might serve me,
not only for a warehouse, but kitchen, parlour, and cellar. I commonly
lay in the tent, unless the weather was rainy that I could not lie dry.
So wet would it be at certain seasons, that I was obliged to cover all
within the pale with long poles, in the form of rafters, leaning against
the rock, and loaded them with flags and large leaves of trees,
resembling a thatch.

_Dec._ 10. No sooner did I think my habitation finished, but suddenly a
great deal of the top broke in, so that it was a mercy I was not buried
in the ruins. This occasioned a great deal of pains and trouble to me,
before I could make it firm and durable.

_Dec_ 17. I nailed up some shelves and drove nails and staples in the
wall and posts to hang things out of the way.

_Dec_ 20. Every thing I got into its place, then made a sort of a
dresser, and another table.

_Dec._ 24. 25. Rain in abundance.

_Dec._ 26. Very fair weather.

_Dec._ 27. I chanced to light on some goats, shot one and wounded
another. I led it home in a string, bound up its leg, and cured it in a
little time; at length it became so tame and familiar as to feed before
the door, and follow me where I pleased. This put me in mind to bring up
tame creatures, in order to supply me with food after my ammunition
was spent.

_Dec._ 28, 29, 30. The weather being excessively hot, with little air,
obliged me for the most part, to keep within doors.

_Jan_ 1. Still sultry, however, obliged by necessity, I went out with my
gun, and found a great store of goats in the valleys; they were
exceedingly shy, nor could my dog hunt them down.

_Jan._ 3 to 1