It fortunately happened that we had so much to do we could not weep all day; moreover, Jenny, who was very methodical, thought if we went on crying all the evening, how was she to get the tea ready. Accordingly, with some hesitation, having shewn her face several times before, she ventured to enquire if she might take away the remains of our feast. On this we all roused up, and bestirred ourselves; the girls helped to wash up; the little ones ran out to amuse themselves; I swept the floor, while Schillie put the room tidy; Madame having gone to lay down to cure her sad headache. We then all went down to the sea to bathe and enjoy the cool breeze, and at night we went to bed sorrowful but thankful for the many mercies above, around, about us.

On the morrow, lessons were to begin seriously, and some seemed to think it almost a hanging matter, so doleful did they look. They were to have that part of the room nearest the door, as being lighter and more airy. The maids had the rest of the room for laying the meals, while Schillie and I had to dispose of ourselves any way we could, so it was out of the way.

We had a long conversation on this particular morning, which I began by saying, “We must now begin to think of making discoveries, and storing food against the rainy weather.”

Schillie. “Good woman, how fidgety you are. I do think you might allow me a little rest after building that horrid house and labouring so hard.”

Mother. “But we shall look so silly if we have nothing to eat, and it is impossible to get out during the wet weather.”

Schillie. “That’s granted, I cannot abide wet weather.”

Mother. “Then making discoveries is your principal delight; and you may combine amusement and use together.”

Schillie. “A thing I abominate. I hate joining two things, and I cannot be amused when all the time I am thinking I am so useful.”

Mother. “Then sit down here, while I go and perpetrate this horrid crime!”

Schillie. “Now, June, you are going too far, as if I would suffer you to stir a yard without me; you will be tumbling over some precipice, get eaten up by a huge turtle, or light on another great snake. Now, come along, what’s the first discovery we are to make?”

Mother. “That’s more than I can settle, because I am quite in the dark at present about what we require. But, if you must have a decided answer, pray discover some shoes and boots.”

Schillie. “Now you must talk common sense if you mean me to help you. I heard that little demure Jenny, who thinks of nothing but the children, coming to you this morning with a complaint about the number of holes in her darling’s only pair of shoes.”

Mother. “Oh but she brought in her apron the whole establishment of young boots and shoes, that I might see the dilapidated condition in which they were.”

Schillie. “And what did you say to that?”

Mother. “I looked at her gravely and said, ’Then Jenny, order the carriage, and tell Goode I shall go to H this evening to buy boots and shoes for the young ones.’ I was sorry after I had indulged in this joke, for first of all she looked perplexed, then she looked sorrowful, and finally she bundled up her miserable cargo, and fled in a burst of tears.”

Schillie. “Then she is a greater goose than I imagined. She would have been more sensible had she devised some means of repairing them, without bothering you.”

Mother. “But they are past repair.”

Schillie. “Then she might have tried to concoct new ones.”

Mother. “Perhaps she does not like combining amusement and business together.”

Schillie. “Now, June, you are too bad, and to punish you I’ll not help you a bit with your boots and shoes.”

Mother. “Suppose we take to going without any.”

Schillie. “Yes, and get bitten to death with these horrid scorpions, or, look here, see how pleasant to put one’s naked foot on these black ants.”

Mother. “Then it seems clear we must have boots and shoes.”

Schillie. “Of course, who doubted it?”

Mother. “Then let us go and discover something that will somehow do for them.”

Schillie. “You always come round me in such a manner, that I begin to think if you told me to do so I should be creeping out of my skin some day.”

Mother. “Pray don’t disturb yourself with that idea, as I rather want to clothe you than disrobe you. For our next discovery must be something of which to make dresses.”

Schillie. “Are you gone mad; who wants dresses, have we not enough to last us for a year at least?”

Mother. “Yes, that I know, but I want to make the discovery, and get expert in the business before our own clothes are quite gone. It will be so awkward to have no clothes at all.”

Schillie. “Very much so.”

Mother. “Now do you know I have already had a great idea that this is the palm tree, out of which they make sago. Here you see are the young ones, small prickly shrubs, and here they are growing up into trees, and this one that I first pointed out is covered with a whitish dust, which I have read is an indication that the sago is ready to be taken.”

Schillie. “You seem very learned on the subject, but are you going to make boots and shoes out of sago?”

Mother (laughing). “No, no, I don’t want to confine my discoveries only to boots and shoes, I am for discovering everything, and I meant to have told you of this discovery before, for I conjectured it when you used to make me lie down to rest in this spot while you did my work.”

Schillie. “And very lucky it is that you have some one with an ounce of sense near you to make you rest. You don’t work race horses like carters, but a Suffolk Punch is made for use, and all the better for it.”

Mother. “You don’t compliment yourself, Mrs. Suffolk Punch, though I agree you do the work of the animal you liken yourself to. But I beg you won’t compare me to anything so useless as a racer, who is only required for a few days hard labour, and then may die, having fulfilled the purpose of filling the owner’s pockets.”

Schillie. “You know nothing about the matter. You don’t suppose that horses are bred so highly merely for running races. It is to improve the breed of horses, and you may go to the moon and never ”

Mother. “Look, look, what a lovely tree!”

Schillie. “So it is. Let us sit down, while I fish out my book, and discover what it is. Now then for characteristics. Why here is a picture of it. What a nice book this is. It’s a nutmeg tree. Then it may go to the dogs, for I hate nutmegs.”

Mother. “I don’t like them either, but I have heard they are very good preserved, and, besides, some of the others may like them, so let us see if any are ripe. No! none at all, so it’s lucky we are indifferent about nutmegs at present.”

Schillie. “All this shrubby stuff about here, looking something like Jerusalem artichoke, is ginger I think.”

Mother. “Yes, it is, so we will take some home, as it is very good for Madame. What nice large roots it has, but I don’t call it a shrub. Shrubs are bushy things.”

Schillie. “Call it what you like, so we may have some preserved. I could eat it for breakfast, dinner, and tea. Now, here are your boots and shoes growing on this Ita palm. Look, my knowing little book says the leaves are enclosed in cases, which serve for shoes, and this is the exact description of these tall fellows. Now, June, if we can only take some home to Jenny she will be as pleased as Punch, and so shall I, for I did not think your fidgetiness would end in such a fine encouraging manner.”

Mother. “But, good lack, as you say, how are we ever to get at them; this tree must be at least a hundred feet high, and all the others seem bigger, and all the leaves are at the top; almost sky-high they look.”

Schillie. “We must cut one down, there is no help for it. I will run home for a couple of hatchets, and mind you don’t stir from hence until I return, and don’t get eaten up, for your life, by anything.”

Mother. “Suppose you bring the girls with you; we shall never cut it down ourselves without aching all over, and they will be so glad to get out of school.”

Schillie. “I’ll be bound they will. But first I shall say only those are to come out who have been good, for the pleasure of seeing Miss Gatty screw up her countenance into ineffable disgust, for I know she will have been naughty.”

Mother. “You know you will do nothing of the sort, but, on the contrary, say that Gatty is more wanted than the others.”

Schillie. “I confess I have a weakness for that child, she is so preposterously mischievous.”

Mother. “Now I have a weakness for her, because she is like the knights of old, ‘the soul of honour.’ Now she fires up, and now she ruins her pocket handkerchiefs if anything is said derogatory to her own country or to her Queen. Did you hear or rather see her this morning while they were reading their history, when Madame praised Napoleon Buonaparte at the expense of the Duke of Wellington?”

Schillie. “Yes. I misdoubt me that I shall find her in sad disgrace. She will have endeavoured to soothe her wounded feelings by putting spiders on Sybil, changing Serena’s book, mislaying Madame’s alderman, which is neither more nor less than the name Gatty has given that great fat pencil with which Madame marks their books, and rat-ta-ta-tals them up when they are looking dull and stupid.”

Mother. “Don’t come without her, however, for she is the strongest. It’s a pity Sybil is so good as never to be in disgrace, for her little delicate fingers are of no use in such a case.”

Schillie. “Indeed Sybil and Serena are too stupid for anything. They learn all their books, they like all their lessons, they agree to all Madame’s crinkums crankums, and they are so horridly good, it quite puts me out.”

Mother. “Pooh, nonsense. If we had three Gattys here we should find the island too hot to hold us. Be content at having two of the best girls in the world to deal with.”

Schillie. “I must say Serena is a tip-top girl, she makes Miss Gatty look about her; but I must be off.”

During her absence, I sat down upon an old stump of a tree, and by and by I heard a little rustling in the bushes, out of which came a sort of animal like a large rat, but it had a flat tail, and each side of this tail was adorned with hair like fringe. It looked at me steadily, and, except its tail, was not an ugly creature. I did not choose to be frightened; but still as another and another came, and all stood steadily gazing at me, I had a sort of qualm that some rats fly at one’s throat, and, though not really injured, I might perhaps get severely bitten if they attacked me. I was therefore glad to hear the merry voices in the distance coming nearer and nearer; and, as the rats heard the unusual sounds, they slunk away as if by magic, for I could hardly perceive the movement by which they disappeared.

Schillie (quite breathless). “Well, here you are quite safe. I am always so afraid when I leave you that you get into some mischief. But you have seen something, I know by your face.”

Mother. “Then don’t look as if I was injured. I have only seen some odd-looking sorts of rats with flat tails.”

Schillie. “Then Otty must come with his gun and shoot them, for I dare say now that snake is dead the animals of all kinds will increase very much. I only wish there was a snake among the gnat tribe. Anything like the way in which I am teased by things biting me is not to be described.”

The girls were delighted with the business set before them, and even Madame appeared with a hatchet in her delicate fingers, but without being able to make even an apology of a stroke.

When the tree was down, we proceeded to shoe ourselves, intent upon delighting and surprising Jenny. But we never regarded a gummy substance exuding from all parts of the tree, which plagued us for some time afterwards, destroying the stockings, and very, very difficult to get off, also blistering the skin a little, but these sheathes for the leaves of the Ita palm really made capital shoes. We had only to dry them a little in the sun. They did not however last very long, and it was no uncommon thing for the boys to want a new pair every day. Notwithstanding there being such an abundance of these naturally-growing ready-made shoes, we were not sorry at the ingenious invention of Sybil and Serena, who, after repeated efforts, contrived to plait most excellent shoes out of grass.

One day, penetrating a little farther than usual, we came to a rich little glen, running down to the sea. Here, digging up some plants, as was our usual custom, to make fresh discoveries, we found the mould of a beautiful bright red colour; this shaded off into deep chocolate or bright yellow. We could not discover any metallic substance in it, or that it tasted of anything, but it painted our fingers whenever we touched it, and when first turned up was glossy and shining. Near this place grew some sugar canes, curiously striped, and a tree or shrub, seven or eight feet high, with an oblong hairy pod; something like a chestnut, hanging to it; inside were about thirty or forty seeds, buried in a pulp of bright red colour, smelling rather fragrant. We found out afterwards that these seeds were good for fevers, and the pulp made very good red paint.

The tobacco plant we all knew very well. It grew in the most rank manner here. But one of the most lovely trees we had yet discovered was one twenty feet high, with a grey, smooth, shining trunk, apparently destitute of bark. It had beautiful dark green leaves, with an astonishing profusion of white flowers, so deliciously fragrant, that we sat to the wind side of it with the greatest delight. It had berries on it, out of which squeezed a sweet oil smelling of cloves.

We did not like the situation of our house nearly so much as on the cliffs; we had so little air, and were so much tormented by insects of all kinds. Some of the ant hills were at least three feet high; and upon merely walking near them, the angry little inhabitants came swarming out in multitudes to resent the supposed injury.

On the cactuses, which grew very large, and in a most luxuriant manner, we discovered what we supposed were the insects for making cochineal, but we did not think that a grand discovery, but, on the contrary, thought the cotton plant a much greater gift.

I had been used to spin when in Scotland, having taken a fancy to the thing. But, not all the wishes in the world could produce a spinning wheel, so I kept my desires secret until I saw some hope of accomplishment. Every day each person had to bring in their quota of discoveries and additions to our larder and stores, for, though we knew nothing about the climate we imagined ourselves looking remarkably silly, should bad weather come on, and find us unprovided.

Taking one day as a specimen for all the rest, after three hours exploring, in different parties, we produced our treasures, as follows: Madame had gathered a number of small reeds or rushes, out of which she had concocted two very pretty and useful baskets, one of which had been immediately appropriated by a hen. For, while she was busy with the other, this hen thought she had never beheld so cosy a nest, and, therefore, laid an egg in it. This was of course given to Madame, for her supper, as a reward for her ingenuity. Schillie came dragging with her, besides innumerable other plants and curiosities, an enormous root, as thick as her waist.

Schillie. “Now then, young ones, come round and see what this is. You see when I cut it what milky stuff flows from it.”

“Yes,” said they, “we see; may we not have some to put into our own tea? It is so nasty without milk.”

Schillie. “For goodness sake, brats, don’t be so rash, it’s rank poison.”

Mother, Madame, and a whole Chorus. “Then, what good is it to us?”

Schillie. “Well! don’t make such a row, and you shall see. Here, Jenny, you and some of the young ladies help me to rasp or scrape it up, but, for your life don’t let it touch the skin, or you may die, but, at all events, you may get blisters on your hands.”

Mother (very cross). “How can you be so absurd, Schillie, as to bring such a dangerous thing amongst the children?”

Schillie. “Now, pray, keep yourself quiet until I have hurt one of them. You told me to make discoveries, and this is a superb one. Now, we have got a good heap. Fetch a cloth, Jenny, pop it in; now hold one while I hold the other, and twist and squeeze as if Master Felix’s life depended thereon. And now behold.”

So opening the cloth we discovered some nice white flowery-looking stuff, which she declared was tapioca, and which we discovered made most excellent bread. We really voted this discovery of the cassada root quite a grand discovery, though I was always very fidgety about the poisonous milk in it. But the loaves made from the flower were delicious. She, of course, had many more things to show us, but I will only take one from each of us. Sybil had been indefatigable in her search for hemp, and had found a species of grass, which she had beaten between two stones in the water, and it had spread into innumerable fine threads, so that hers was a most valuable discovery. Serena had found a perfect horde of turtle’s eggs, besides eggs innumerable of all kinds of birds. Gatty, we all knew, could not have discovered much, for she had been running from one Mother to another, flying off again to the girls, helping the little ones in innumerable difficulties, and doing anything but minding her own duties. However, nothing undaunted, she opened an apology for a handkerchief, and out waddled a large odd crab, for which Schillie greatly applauded her, and said she would have him boiled for supper. “But I have discovered something else,” said Gatty, with a mischievous twinkling of her eyes, and opening a paper box, out sprang a horrible spider, three inches round I am sure, black and hairy, faintly spotted. Madame and Sybil fled, the little ones shrieked, Schillie scolded, and in the midst of the uproar the spider bolted, and peace was restored. Zoe had discovered a beautiful species of jessamine tree, most fragrant in smell, and on which, for a wonder, there were no insects whatever, and she therefore supposed it must be something good.

We found out that no ants would touch the wood, so it proved very useful to us. Winny bent and quivered under the weight of an enormous curiously-shaped gourd, and triumphantly declared her discovery was nearly as big as the little Mother’s. “But it is no discovery, little one,” said Serena, “for we have had gourds before.” “But it is a discovery,” persisted the little one, “for it is such a big fellow, and it has a growing in and a growing out, quite unlike the others.” So we thanked her warmly, and Jenny said she was and had been undone to possess a gourd of that very particular shape. Lilly had discovered so many wonderful things (upon supposition) that we contented ourselves with thanking her for some large and useful shells which would serve for many purposes. The boys had been so intent on manufacturing fishing lines that they had spent their time wandering vaguely about, hoping fishing lines would fall from the skies for them, but as no such thing happened, they had pulled long hairy lines from the cactuses, and they had also brought in their pockets a fruit like an apple outside, but it was full of an insipid kind of custard. Jenny had got some sand for scouring her floors and kettles, also she said she had got a plant that looked like one in an old book she had, from which they made soap. This we found correct, and it proved a most valuable discovery; it was called the soap-wort. Hargrave had contented herself with gathering the most beautiful flowers she could see, at the same time bewailing over their rapid destruction, only wishing that they were artificial ones that she might ornament the young ladies’ dresses. It was on this day that my discovery consisted of the cinnamon tree. But all this will appear tedious, so I will go on to the time when we were roused from our discoveries, pretty walks, out-door amusements, and healthy exercise, by a terrific thunder storm.