o take an inventory of all our possessions, that we might
husband them as much as possible. We also attended greatly to our
gardens, and the few remaining potatoes that we had were planted that we
might not be totally bereft of such a useful vegetable. I never saw
anything like the growth of the English vegetables we had brought with
us. They were almost too luxuriant, approaching to rankness.

Day after day passed by and we were still alone. No ardently-desired
vessel hove in sight, nothing met our longing gaze as we daily scanned
the horizon. Fearing the inevitable lowness of spirits that such
constant hoping and longing, followed by as constant disappointment,
must end in, I, one evening, said that I should not at all like being
cooped up in those caverns again the next rainy season.

_Schillie._--"Now if you mention one word about building one of your old
huts, you shall be whipt."

_Mother._--"Oh no, no! I have had quite enough of the huts. I have not
the smallest intention of building such another flimsy affair."

_Schillie._--"Then if you are going to talk common sense, I am quite
willing to listen. Those caverns certainly put one rather in mind of
one's grave, and I cannot get the nasty dead smell of them out of my
nose. Now then, June, be speedy, and let us hear your intentions. Shall
we build a boat, and betake ourselves off or shall we live _al fresco_,
despite Madame's fears, or what? Come, speak up."

_Mother._--"I don't fancy building a boat at all, much less trusting
myself in it; but, agreeing with you in your horror of huts, I think we
must now make a good substantial house."

"Your horror!" said Schillie. "Delightful," exclaimed all the others.
"What splendid fun. How very charming. Where shall it be? Let us begin
immediately."

Spite of all her opposition, Schillie knew very well we must have a
house, and the more she grumbled I knew the harder she would work. So
everybody was ordered to use their best wits, and give their opinions as
to the kind, size, situation, and other things belonging to the intended
mansion, and at tea-time the sense of the company was to be taken. In
the meantime I compared our list of goods, with what the captain had
made out for us, and found that we had suffered considerably by the
rain. Out of seven barrels of flour four were nearly spoilt; a cask of
cheese and ship's biscuit was all that remained of those commodities;
not a bit of the salted beef and pork could be