ity of the sponge-shaped coral, which,
he said, was the best adapted to his purpose.

Max pronounced the whole project a humbug, and refusing to have anything
to do with it, equipped himself with club and cutlass, and started off
on a solitary excursion towards the south-easterly part of the island,
which we had not yet explored. He returned in the afternoon with a
glowing account of the discoveries he had made, among which were a
beautiful pond of fresh water, a stream flowing into it, and a
waterfall.

In two days we completed a lime-pit of proper dimensions. Arthur and
his assistants had in the same time collected and brought to the spot a
sufficient quantity of coral rock; we then covered the bottom of the pit
with fuel, and laid the coral, previously broken into small pieces, upon
it. The pile was next kindled, and when the fuel was consumed, we found
that the coral had yielded a supply of excellent lime, fine and
beautifully white. Without going into further details, it is enough to
say that the rest of Arthur's plan was carried out with the same
success. The cement was made, and a thick layer of it spread over the
floor of the house, as evenly and smoothly as could well be done, with
no better trowels than gigantic oyster-shells. In three days it was
hard as marble, and our house was now as complete as we could make it.
It had cost us a great deal of severe toil; we had found the
construction of it no such holiday employment as we had imagined; but it
was the fruit of our own ingenuity and perseverance, the work of our own
hands, and we regarded it with much complacency. Johnny impartially
compared it with the dwellings of I don't know how many other desert
islanders, and found it superior in some point to each and all of them.

Being now in a state of complete preparation, as we flattered ourselves,
for all sorts of weather, we began to feel as though a regular
out-and-out storm, would be rather a luxury than otherwise. These
bright skies and sunny days were very well in their way, but it wasn't
in anticipation of them, that we had been planning and working for a
month or more. There was no use at all for our model house in such fine
weather; indeed, while it continued, our old lodgings under the green
forest leaves and the star-light, were far preferable. It took full
half a dozen of our sleeping-mats, (and we had but three apiece), laid
upon the stony floor of our dwelling, to make a couch half as