with our hands; and after performing our
ablutions in the stream, and putting on our still wet clothes, we began to
think it advisable to break our long fast, it being now twenty-four hours
since we had tasted food.

Accordingly, our day's ration was brought out, and seating ourselves on a
detached fragment of rock, we proceeded to discuss it. First we divided it
into equal portions, and carefully rolling one of them up for our
evening's repast, divided the remainder again as equally as possible, and
then drew lots for the first choice. I could have placed the morsel that
fell to my share upon the tip of my finger; but notwithstanding this, I
took care that it should be full ten minutes before I had swallowed the
last crumb. What a true saying it is that "appetite furnishes the best
sauce"! There was a flavour and a relish to this small particle of food
that, under other circumstances, it would have been impossible for the
most delicate viands to have imparted. A copious draught of the pure water
which flowed at our feet served to complete the meal, and after it we rose
sensibly refreshed, and prepared for whatever might befall us.

We now carefully examined the chasm in which we had passed the night. We
crossed the stream, and gaining the farther side of the pool I have
mentioned, discovered proofs that the spot must have been visited by some
one but a short time previous to our arrival. Further observation
convinced us that it had been regularly frequented, and, as we afterwards
conjectured from particular indications, for the purpose of obtaining a
certain root, from which the natives obtained a kind of ointment.

These discoveries immediately determined us to abandon a place which had
presented no inducement for us to remain, except the promise of security;
and as we looked about us for the means of ascending again into the upper
regions, we at last found a practicable part of the rock, and
half-an-hour's toil carried us to the summit of the same cliff from which
the preceding evening we had descended.

I now proposed to Toby that instead of rambling about the island, exposing
ourselves to discovery at every turn, we should select some place as our
fixed abode for as long a period as our food should hold out, build
ourselves a comfortable hut, and be as prudent and circumspect as
possible. To all this my companion assented, and we at once set about
carrying the plan into execution.

With this view, after explor