attention; for the plank in her
bottom next but one to the keel, upon the starboard side, had been burst
inwards; this having been done, it would seem, by some rock in the beach
hidden just beneath the water's edge, the devil-fish having, no doubt,
ground the boat down upon it. Happily, the damage was not great; though
it would most certainly have to be carefully repaired before the boat
would be again seaworthy. For the rest, there seemed to be no other part
needing attention.

Now I had not felt any call to sleep, and so had followed the bo'sun to
the boat, giving him a hand to remove the bottom-boards, and finally to
slue her bottom a little upwards, so that he might examine the leak more
closely. When he had made an end with the boat, he went over to the
stores, and looked closely into their condition, and also to see how they
were lasting. And, after that, he sounded all the water-breakers; having
done which, he remarked that it would be well for us if we could discover
any fresh water upon the island.

By this time it was getting on towards evening, and the bo'sun went
across to look at Job, finding him much as he had been when we visited
him after dinner. At that, the bo'sun asked me to bring across one of the
longer of the bottom-boards, which I did, and we made use of it as a
stretcher to carry the lad into the tent. And afterwards, we carried all
the loose woodwork of the boat into the tent, emptying the lockers of
their contents, which included some oakum, a small boat's hatchet, a coil
of one-and-a-half-inch hemp line, a good saw, an empty colza-oil tin, a
bag of copper nails, some bolts and washers, two fishing-lines, three
spare tholes, a three-pronged grain without the shaft, two balls of spun
yarn, three hanks of roping-twine, a piece of canvas with four
roping-needles stuck in it, the boat's lamp, a spare plug, and a roll of
light duck for making boat's sails.

And so, presently, the dark came down upon the island, at which the
bo'sun waked the men, and bade them throw more fuel on to the fire, which
had burned down to a mound of glowing embers much shrouded in ash. After
that, one of them part filled the boiler with fresh water, and soon we
were occupied most pleasantly upon a supper of cold, boiled salt-meat,
hard biscuits, and rum mixed with hot water. During supper, the bo'sun
made clear to the men regarding the watches, arranging how they should
follow, so that I found I was set down to take my