trades, and some other causes that to him were unknown,
bringing clouds so often that not only shed their rain upon his garden,
but which served in a great measure to mitigate a heat that, without
shade of some sort or other, would be really intolerable.

With a view to the approaching summer, our mariners turned their
attention to the constructing of a tent within the crater. They got some
old sails and some spars ashore, and soon had a spacious, as well as a
comfortable habitation of this sort erected. Not only did they spread a
spacious tent for themselves, within the crater, but they erected
another, or a sort of canopy rather, on its outside, for the use of the
animals, which took refuge beneath it, during the heats of the day, with
an avidity that proved how welcome it was. This outside shed, or canopy,
required a good deal of care in its construction, to resist the wind,
while that inside scarce ever felt the breeze. This want of wind, or of
air in motion, indeed, formed the most serious objection to the crater,
as a place of residence, in the hot months; and the want of breeze that
was suffered in the tent, set Mark to work to devise expedients for
building some sort of tent, or habitation, on the in net itself, where
it would be always cool, provided one could get a protection from the
fierce rays of the sun.

After a good deal of search, Mark selected a spot on the 'Summit,' as he
began to term the place, and pitched his tent on, it. Holes were made in
the soft rocks, and pieces of spars were inserted, to answer for posts.
With a commencement as solid as this, it was not difficult to make the
walls of the tent (or marquee would be the better word, since both
habitations had nearly upright sides) by means of an old fore-course. In
order to get the canvas up there, however, it was found necessary to cut
out the pieces below, when, by means of the purchase at the derrick, it
was all hoisted to the Summit.

These several arrangements occupied Mark and Bob another fortnight,
completing the first quarter of a year they had passed on the Reef. By
this time they had got accustomed to their situation, and had fallen
into regular courses of duty, though the increasing heats admonished
both of the prudence of not exposing themselves too much beneath the
fiery sun at noon-day.

Chapter VIII.

"Now from the full-grown day a beamy shower
Gleams on the lake, and gilds each glossy flower,
Gay inse