; for we have wood in
abundance here, and apparently of many kinds, and Ned has, I see,
provided us with a stock of nails which, carefully used, might suffice
us for the purpose. But our island is, unfortunately for us, situated
in a sea which is swept at times by the most destructive hurricanes; and
it would be madness for us to think of leaving this place in anything
but a craft capable of living through the very worst of weather. I have
not the slightest doubt of my ability to design such a vessel; but, let
her be as small as we dare to make her, her construction will still be a
work of exceeding difficulty for our small party, and it will also be a
work of time. During that time we must all be housed, and clothed, and
fed. And I therefore propose that our first task shall be a thorough
examination of the entire island, for the purpose of ascertaining the
most suitable spot as a base for our operations; and, that discovered, I
think we should next go to work to construct for ourselves such a
dwelling as shall bid defiance to an assault by anything but civilised
troops; stock it abundantly with provisions, so that, if besieged, we
may not have famine to contend with; and, that done, I think we shall
then be free to begin our operations upon the boat. With regard to this
boat--for, in dimensions, she will not be much more--I think that, in
addition to being of a capacity sufficient to conveniently carry us all,
she should be fully decked and modelled upon such lines as will not only
make her a good sailer, but also a first-rate sea boat."

The doctor in his present situation found himself so utterly strange,
that, if left to himself, he would scarcely have known what to set about
first, and he was therefore only too glad to find that Gaunt was not
only so willing, but also so thoroughly able to grapple with the
difficulty. He said as much; and when Nicholls was asked his opinion it
turned out that, like a great many more of his class, he was quite
unable to advance one, but was perfectly willing to follow the lead of
his superiors, let them go where they would.

The next matter for consideration was that of the exploration of the
island, which Gaunt proposed to undertake alone. His idea was to
advance cautiously inland for a mile or so, and then, if he saw no sign
of their territory being inhabited, to make a push for the mountain at
about the centre of the island, and from thence onward to its western
side. I