the thicker part for the
purpose."

Tarbox, Roger Trew, and Potto Jumbo set to work to fell the tree, the
forest loudly resounding with the blows of their axes. I must not
occupy too much time in describing how the tree was felled, the branches
cut off, and squared into shape. We then, fastening some ratans round
it, dragged it on rollers to the bed which had been prepared, and thus
in due form laid the keel of the _Hope_. Mr Thudicumb, with pencil and
paper, had drawn a plan of the proposed vessel.

"We will give her a good floor," he said, "though she may be rather long
for her beam; but a long vessel is better suited to the seas we may have
to go through. We will rig her as a cutter or yawl perhaps."

Day after day we repaired to the bay; but to my eye our progress was but
slow indeed, as every timber had to be reformed, and the old bolts taken
out of them, as well as out of the planks. It was a long business.
With the exception of Mr Thudicumb and Tarbox, we were all
inexperienced carpenters. At last, indeed, Mr Thudicumb proposed that
he and Tarbox and Roger Trew, with Potto Jumbo, should devote themselves
to building the vessel, while the rest of us either went fishing, or
assisted Mr Sedgwick and Mr Hooker in collecting objects of natural
history, or in manufacturing sago, or in making other articles which
would be required for the voyage or present use.

We set to work to make our sago, much in the way I have before
described. We had got through the pith of a couple of trees, when one
day Ali made us understand that he had seen some bees at a distance, and
that he was sure we might procure some honey, if we would assist him in
obtaining it. The Frau pricked up her ears at the sound.

"Oh yes, yes!" she exclaimed; "it will be great thing with sago-bread.
You go, Ali; go!"

It was arranged that Mr Hooker, with Oliver and I, should accompany Ali
in his search. We started, therefore, accompanied by Merlin. Ali
supplied himself with a couple of large cloths. He also, as he went
along, cut some creepers, one a stout one, and another, of considerable
length, very fine. These he begged us to carry. With our guns as
usual, we took our way through the forest. I had often remarked that he
seemed very uncomfortable, as if there was something he wanted very
much. As we were proceeding, we came to several tall, slender, and
extremely graceful palms. The trunks were from six to eight inches only
in diam