d been occupied by the chief mate, and in it were
found another axe, some nails, and several carpenters' tools, as well as
a coil of small line, which was very useful for lashing the various
parts of the raft together. As the materials were collected they were
carried to the rock, and in a short time the captain considered that
they had sufficient to commence operations, as with the few people it
would have to carry, a small raft only was necessary. They first lashed
some of the spars they had saved, together, forming an oblong square,
while others where placed diagonally to strengthen the framework, and
the stoutest was secured beneath to form a keel. As their strength
would afterwards have been unequal to the task, they were obliged to
launch it before they commenced planking it over, and they then secured
it on the west side of the reef, as it was in that direction they
proposed going, and the water was there much smoother than on the other,
where it was still agitated by the effects of the squall.

The spar used for the keel was the upper part of the mainmast, or rather
the topmast--for, it must be remembered, she was a polacca-rigged
craft--and which had been broken completely off when the lower shrouds
went over it; and as this was considerably longer than the raft, planks
were fastened to each corner of the square to both the ends, so as to
form a pointed bow and stern.

Several casks were picked up which had lost their contents, and these
were now bunged up afresh, and secured on either side of the framework,
and this being done, the business of planking over the whole now
commenced. Nails were little used or required, and it was found more
secure and expeditious to lash the ends of each plank down to the
framework, securing it also in the middle; and on the top of these,
others were placed at right angles, and either lashed or nailed down to
them, till the whole was exhausted, thus forming a solid and somewhat
strong mass of planking, sufficient, it was to be hoped, to bear them to
the island they wished to reach.

On the top of this the chests were placed on either side to serve as
bulwarks, one being secured in the centre on a platform of planks, for
Ada and Nina to sit on, and round it were arranged the casks of water
and provisions which had been hauled out of the water. Some of the
smaller spars had been reserved for other purposes. Out of one was
formed a mast, out of another a yard, on which the