ece of rock hammered away until he forced the head
in. Then he took out a good-sized piece of meat and put it into the well.
The water here was constantly changing, a current flowing through it
towards the sea. Then he brought up two or three more loads of wreckage
and sat down under the awning, for it could scarcely be termed a tent, as
both ends were open to allow a free passage for the air. Here he sat for
some hours, occasionally getting up and looking over the sea to the right
and left. It was not until it was nearly noon and the sun was overhead
that he could try the experiment upon which he relied to obtain fire. When
it was nearly vertical he went down to the well, opened his watch-case,
and dipped the glass carefully into the water. He thought of trying to
take it out of the case, but the risk of breaking it would have been too
great. Carrying it very carefully, he went up to the tent again and sat
down beside his little heap of crumbled wood and held the watch-glass full
of water over it.

As he expected he found that it made an admirable burning-glass, its only
drawback being that it was only available when the sun was overhead.
Almost instantaneously as the focus fell upon the wood the latter began to
smoke, and in less than a minute a flame sprang up. Some small splinters
that he had got ready were placed on it, and in a very short time a fire
was blazing. As soon as the wood was well alight he had poured off the
water and very carefully wiped the glass and the rim that held it. He went
a short distance away as soon as the fire was burning well, and was
pleased to find that no smoke was given off, the sun having dried the
wreckage until not the slightest particle of moisture remained in it. He
now kept a sharp look-out along the shore, but it was not until nearly
five o'clock that he saw his companions issue from the trees a mile and a
half away and move along the sand. He went down to the well, took out the
meat, and brought it up and laid it on the rock to dry. He felt sure that
by this time the water would have removed the greater portion of the salt,
and that he would now be able to roast it satisfactorily.

He had already got two forked twigs as a support for his spit, and, taking
the ramrod from the gun, thrust it through the meat. He had ceased putting
on fresh wood the moment he saw the others come from the forest. The fire
soon sank down to a mass of glowing embers, over which he put the meat,
the