ot see clearly how he was going to get the basket out from
the inside of the pot. He found he could copy in this way any form he
wished, but he finally hit upon the plan of making a form of wicker work
and coiling the clay rope inside it, for he saw that whether he
succeeded or not in getting the clay free from the basket he could use
the pot, and besides if the pot would stand the fire the basket would
burn off. To dry the pots Robinson stood them in the sun a few days.
When they were dry he tried to cook some soup in one of them. He filled
it with water and put it on his stove or oven, but how sadly had he
deceived himself. In a short time the water soaked into the clay and
soon the pot had fallen to pieces.

"How foolish I am!" said Robinson to himself; "the pots have to be fired
before they can be used." He set about this at once. He found two stones
of equal size, placed them near each other and laid a third across
these. He then placed three large pots upon them and made a hot fire
under them. No sooner had the flame shot up than one of the pots cracked
in two. "I probably made the fire too hot at first," thought Robinson.

He drew out some of the coals and wood, but afterwards gradually
increased the fire again. He could not, however, get the pots hot enough
to turn red. He brought the dryest and hardest wood, but could not
succeed in getting them hot enough to turn red. At length he was tired
out and was compelled to give it up. When the pots were cool he tried to
boil water in one. It was no better than the sun dried one.

He saw that he must provide some way to get the pots much hotter than he
could in the open air. He resolved to make an oven of stones large
enough to take in the wood as well as the pots. It must be above ground
so that there might be plenty of draught for the fire. With great labor,
he pried up and carried together flat stones enough to make an oven
about four feet high with a chimney at one side. He had put in the
center a stone table on which he could place three quite large pots. He
left an opening in one side that could be partially closed by a large,
flat stone.

He worked eagerly and at the end of the second day he was ready to fire
his oven. He first carried together a good quantity of dry wood, then he
put in his pots and laid the wood around them. In a short time he had a
very hot fire. He kept this up all day and until late at night.

[Illustration: SOME OF ROBINSON'S DISHES]