twelve days' work. The entire day, however, was on no occasion
given up wholly to this pursuit. On the contrary, many little odd tasks
wore completed, which were set by their necessities, or by fore thought
and prudence. All the empty water-casks, for one thing, were rolled
ashore, and filled at the largest pool; the frequency of the rains
admonishing them of the wisdom of making a provision for the dry season.
The Rancocus had a good deal of water still left in her, some of it
being excellent Delaware river water, though she had filled up at
Valparaiso, after passing the Horn. Mark counted the full casks, and
allowing ten gallons a day for Bob and himself, a good deal more than
could be wanted, there remained in the ship fresh water enough to last
them two years. It is true, it was not such water as the palate often
craved of a warm day; but they were accustomed to it, and it was sweet.
By keeping it altogether between decks, the sun had no power on it, and
it was even more palatable than might have been supposed. Mark
occasionally longed for one good drink at some gushing spring that he
remembered at home, it is true; and Bob was a little in the habit of
extolling a particular well that, it would seem, his family were reputed
to have used for several generations. Notwithstanding these little
natural backslidings on this subject, our mariners might be thought well
off on the score of water, having it in great abundance, and with no
reasonable fear of ever losing it altogether. The casks taken ashore
were filled for their preservation, as well as for convenience, an old
sail being spread over them, after they were rolled together and
chocked. As yet, no water was given to any of the stock, all the animals
finding it in abundance, in the cavities of the lava.

Some of the time, moreover, Betts passed in fishing, supplying not only
Mark and himself, but the pigs and the poultry, with as much food as was
desired. Several of the fish caught turned out to be delicious, while
others were of a quality that caused them to be thrown into the compost
heap. A cargo of guano was also imported, the rich manure being mixed up
in liberal quantities with the loam. At the end of the first week of
these voyages to 'loam-rock,' Betts went out to fish in a new direction,
passing to windward of the 'sea-wall,' as they called the reef that
protected the ship, and pulling towards a bit of naked rock a short
distance beyond it, where he fancie