off and put into the jars; repeating the process till all our jars were
full. We had thus a good supply of excellent oil, for any purpose for
which it might be required. Then, somewhat heavily laden, we returned
homewards.

"Well done, my friends! you have amply provisioned the _Good Hope_; and,
please Heaven, we will in a few days get her off the stocks and ready
for rigging!" exclaimed the skipper. "That will not take long; and we
may then, before the rain sets in, bid farewell to this place, which we
shall ever remember with affection for the happy home it has afforded us
for so many months."

We were now more busy than ever. The last planks were put on. Our
craft was completely decked over, and a cabin raised in the afterpart
for Marian and my father. We had manufactured an ample supply of
sailcloth, which, with the addition of the sail saved from the old
craft, would be sufficient. Cordage and blocks had been made, and the
masts and spars were already put up. The fibres of several plants
served as oakum for caulking the planks; and two or three resinous trees
afforded pitch for the seams, as also for paying over the outside. As
we had no paint, the interior was covered over with a varnish which
quickly became hard.

The day for the launch was at last fixed. We had no gay-coloured flags,
but Sambo had preserved a red handkerchief, which was hoisted to the
head of the mainmast, and waved proudly in the breeze. The sky was
bright, the wind light and balmy. The shores were then knocked away;
and, with loud cheers, and prayers that the _Good Hope_ might have a
prosperous voyage, we saw her glide gently into the waters of the lake,
on which she sat, as Peter observed, like a wild duck ready to take
wing. We had formed a rough pier with the trunks of two large trees,
alongside of which she was hauled, for the greater facility of carrying
her rigging and spars aboard. The rafts were drawn up on the other side
for the same purpose--the last service they were likely to render us.

Though we had an abundance of substantial provisions, we required for
our daily wants a supply of fruit and vegetables, as also some wildfowl
and other birds. For the purpose of obtaining them, Kallolo and I set
out one morning, each of us carrying a large basket on our back; he with
his blowpipe in his hand, and I with my bow in mine, and our pointed
sticks, without which we never went out. We took the way towards the
small l