y, I thought, up at the mountain, from
which wreaths of smoke were ascending somewhat thicker than usual; and I
heard him urging Mr Thudicumb to hasten on with the vessel. "Tanda and
I will prepare stores as fast as we can," he observed. The
ship-builders hurried off with their tools, but he and Tanda and Oliver
remained behind. They afterwards set off to what we call Cocoa-nut
Grove, as a large number of cocoa-nuts grow there. Tanda led one of the
buffaloes with huge panniers on his back. After a time they returned,
having procured a number of cocoa-nuts. They were very different from
the cocoa-nuts we had been some time before eating, far more like those
I had been accustomed to see in England. When the nut is young the
shell is soft, and of a pale green colour. It shortly afterwards, when
the shell is formed, turns to a light yellow, and on the other side is a
thin layer of so soft a consistency, that it can easily be cut with a
spoon. In this condition it is always eaten by the natives. When it
grows older, the outside assumes a wood colour. The husk becomes dry,
and the hard shell is surrounded within by a thick, tough oily
substance, and, indeed, just as we see it in England. The natives look
upon it in this condition as very indigestible, and seldom eat it. It
is of value, however, for the oil which it now contains. Such were the
nuts which Tanda brought to the house. We all set to work to break the
nuts and to scrape out the interior substance with knives. When this
was done, it was put into a large pan and boiled over the fire. After a
time the oil was separated from the pulp, and floated on the top. We
then, under my uncle's directions, skimmed it off, and poured it into
bowls and bottles. It was now fit for use--a very sweet, pure oil. As
our pan was not very large, it took some time to make a quantity. We
wanted some for present use, but the chief object was to have a supply
for our lamps on board the vessel. This oil, my uncle said, is
generally used throughout the archipelago for lamps; indeed, it is
almost the only substance used for lighting.

We were so busily employed during the day, that we almost forgot all
about the earthquake. There was one thing, however, we did not forget;
for, in spite of occupation, my thoughts were constantly recurring to
Walter. As soon as our work was over, we ran down to the beach,
accompanied by Oliver, who carried his gun for our defence, lest anoth