m. They then fixed two oars at either
side of one end of the raft, and stayed them up, so that a sail might be
hoisted between them. Some time was thus spent, for the sea tumbled
them about a good deal, and it was no easy matter to work. It was
necessary, indeed, to keep all the articles lashed together till they
were wanted, or they would have been washed away.

They had been too eagerly employed to think of eating; at length,
however, when their task was accomplished, Walter looked up and said,
"Are you hungry, Mr Shobbrok?"

"I think you must be," answered the mate. "We will see what the basket
contains, for I tumbled into it whatever I could get hold of in a hurry,
and I am greatly afraid that there is not as much food as we could wish
for."

The mate and Walter sat down on the centre of their raft and anxiously
examined the contents of their basket. There was a small piece of
cooked salt beef, a few biscuits, and part of a Dutch cheese; a scanty
supply for two persons with little prospect of obtaining more till they
could reach land. There were, however, several bottles, but what they
contained it was difficult to say without opening them: one certainly
had oil in it, two were full of red wine, and two others of a clear
liquid, as it appeared when they were held up to the sun.

"I hope it may be water," exclaimed Walter; "for I am very thirsty
already."

"I am sorry to say that it's not," answered the mate; "for they are
tightly corked up. It must be gin, which is at all events better than
nothing."

"I would give both of them for a bottle of water," said Walter.

"We must try to do without it, however, and endure thirst as long as we
can," said the mate. "Let us be thankful for what we have got."

Walter and the mate each ate one of the biscuits and a small piece of
the meat and cheese; but they did not take much meat, for fear of
exciting thirst. Walter took a very little wine.

"We must husband our stores, to make them last longer. I will tell you
what we will do to prevent ourselves suffering from thirst--I have known
the plan to succeed, and enable people to go many days without drinking,
without being much the worse for it. We will dip our clothes twice a
day in the water, and our skins will thus soak up as much moisture as we
absolutely require; though I will allow it would be pleasanter if we had
a little cold water to pour down our throats."

They both did as the mate advised, and fo