expression of wonder. He probably had never seen
any beings so fair and graceful before. I could not help fancying that
he must have supposed them angels from another world; but whether or not
I was right, I have my doubts. When, however, one of them took him a
cup of tea which the Frau had just brewed, he received it with an
expression of countenance which I thought betokened gratitude.

When a number of people are working together with a will properly
directed, it is extraordinary how rapidly work can be got through. We
had a considerable number of the uprights in their places before we sat
down to breakfast. We were not long about our meal, as we were
determined to finish what was necessary to be done as soon as possible.
Having cut down a sufficient supply of bamboos, we next proceeded to
fell several sago-palms, for the purpose of obtaining the leaf-stems for
the walls and partitions, while from the trunks we intended to make a
supply of sago for our voyage. By the evening we had made wonderful
progress with the house, and retired to our temporary huts, satisfied
that we had done a good day's work.

Fitting the leaf-stems into frames occupied a longer time; but as
neatness was not our object, it was done rapidly. Thus in about four
days we had a very respectable house over our heads, capable of holding
all the party. My uncle sighed as he looked about it, though, and
thought of the treasures his former abode had contained. We now brought
back his and Mr Hooker's collections, and stored them in a division
which we called the museum.

"The next thing we have to do is to grow some corn for our consumption,"
said our uncle.

"Grow corn?" I asked. "Why, I did not suppose that we were to remain
here a year till it came up."

He laughed. "A couple of months, or little more, after it is put into
the ground, will be sufficient to produce the ripe corn," he answered.

I expressed some incredulity, for I fancied that he was laughing at me.

"Set to work and scrape up the ground, for it is scarcely necessary to
dig it very deep. We will put in the corn, and you will see that my
prediction will be fulfilled. Fortunately, I saved a quantity of seed,
which I placed with my collections in concealment," he said.

From house-building all hands set to work to cultivate the ground, and
we quickly had a large space cleared for the reception of the seed,
which, although not a native of that clime, flourishes, as it