d find a way for us to escape."

"I know that. I was very weak and wrong to say what I did; but it seems
so impossible now that we shall ever get home, that I cannot help it,"
answered Alice.

"Perhaps it is the very best thing that could have happened to us," said
Walter; "and I am sure of it, as God ordered that it should be so," he
added.

In the meantime the rest of the party were giving vent to feelings of
dismay and sorrow at what had happened, till Nub made a remark very
similar to Walter's.

"You are right, Nub," said the mate. "I always doubted the prudence of
putting to sea in that boat. I know well that God could, if He chose,
have enabled us to reach Sydney in her; but we have no business to run
risks which our sense and experience tell us are very great: and it's my
belief that had a storm of half the violence of that which has passed
over this island overtaken us, we should have foundered. We must now,
like wise men, make the best of our position. The first thing we have
to do is to see what damage our house has suffered, and to repair it.
We must then set to work to collect provisions. After that, I tell you
what we must do: we must establish a lookout place on the high point at
the south side of our harbour, from whence we can obtain a wide range
over the ocean, and signal to any vessel which may heave in sight.
There is every reason to hope that one may come near us some day or
other; and we have a much better chance of getting off from an outlying
island, like this one, than we should have enjoyed had we landed an the
mainland, or on any dangerous cluster surrounded by reefs. So, my
friends, you see we have plenty to do to keep our minds from dwelling on
our misfortune; and I have good reason to believe that help will come in
time."

The mate's remarks restored cheerfulness to all the party, who no longer
spoke of the loss of the boat as an unmitigated misfortune.

"We must depend on the land, however, for supplying us with provisions,
as we cannot go out fishing," observed the doctor.

"Not so _sure_ of dat, sir," said Nub. "We build a canoe, which go out
quite far enough to catch fish. No bery difficult job, I tink."

"You are right, Nub," said the mate; "and we will put her in hand as
_soon_ as our lookout station is established."

"Capital!" exclaimed Walter. "That is the very thing I thought of
doing, for I have very often fancied how delightful it would be to
`paddle my own c