serviceable cup. By this time the
thick mud had settled down, though the water was far from limpid. We
each of us eagerly took a draught to quench our thirst. Thus, then, we
were supplied with the first necessary of life. By this time we had all
become very hungry; though we felt sure we could manufacture some sago
out of the sago-palms, yet it would be a work of time. Our chief hope
of obtaining food immediately was on the sea-shore--we might at all
events find shell-fish. Macco told us he was sure he could manufacture
some fishing-lines and hooks; the latter out of the bones of birds, and
the lines from some of the numerous creepers with which the island
abounded. While this was being done, however, we should be starved; we
therefore made the best of our way round through the path we had already
made to the shore. I had often thought the matter over, and I was sure
that many persons had lost their lives from not immediately setting to
work to try and find the means of subsistence. I had read of two
parties being cast away on the same island at a short distance from each
other: the one perishing; the other, from their energy and perseverance,
existing for many months, and ultimately escaping.

Oliver needed no urging, and Macco especially seemed ready to exert his
faculties in obtaining food. We looked along the beach, but the water
was up, and no shells with live creatures in them could we find. There
was no lack of empty shells, however, some of them of great size and
beauty, such as would fetch a high price in England.

"They are of very little use to us," I observed.

Macco heard me. "Not so sure of dat, Massa Walter," he said, for I
should remark that, having learned his English from Potto Jumbo, he
spoke very much in his way. "Here dis big shell make good cook-pot;
here clean out dis, make good cup; here plates, and here dis make good
spoon," and he picked up shells of different shapes.

"I wish, however, we could find something to put into them and cook," I
could not help saying.

Soon after, we had reached the beach where we had landed. We found the
sand soft and fine. Macco looked about, and then exclaimed, "Ha, ha!
here's somet'ing;" and he began digging away with the bamboo spade. In
a short time he produced a couple of turtle's eggs: we hunted, and soon
found several more. "Dese do till tide go down and we find shell-fish,"
he observed.

Though very hungry, I had no fancy for eating t