so that we could go from one to the other without being exposed
to the wet.

We had another severe storm that night, but the next day we worked and
stowed everything away as well as we could. The old original cavern,
being to Oscar's great delight the receptacle for the gunpowder and
ammunition, more because it was the furthest from the others than from
any particular wish to oblige him. Every now and then in the midst of
our arrangements we had a severe storm, generally accompanied with
thunder and lightning. To be exposed to one for only a few minutes
wetted us quite through, therefore not wishing to lose a moment of such
precious time, it was not until late in the evening that we changed or
rested. At the end of three days we had done wonders, but had nearly
done ourselves up also. That morning there was no sun; nothing but
continual pouring down of rain all day, and so it continued for a
fortnight. During this time we made ourselves more comfortable in the
three caverns, which communicated with each other; one of which was very
dark and close. The lighter ones we used all day, but they smelt damp
and unwholesome, and the children began to grow pale, and become
restless. Besides our food was but indifferent; no fruit or vegetables,
or fish. Eggs we had in abundance from the chickens and ducks we had
brought with us, and which had scarcely ceased laying since we arrived,
so much did they thrive in this luxuriant island. The evenings were very
tedious, and we had to invent all sorts of games which would at once
amuse them, and yet be exercise also.

Felix and Winny were both attacked with ague, and Madame had so bad a
cough no lessons could be done. I wondered at first, on hearing Gatty's
eager enquiries every morning after Madame, until I accidently heard in
answer by Hargrave that Madame had not slept during the night, "All
right, girls, the cough is delightfully bad." This put me and Schillie
upon employing our spare time in teaching them ourselves, which
announcement was at first received rather coldly; but they derived such
infinite amusement from our inaptness to the business that they were
quite impatient if anything prevented us performing this office. With
the utmost gravity and demureness Gatty would bring me the same lesson
to repeat every day; and though I must, in justice to myself, allow that
I thought it must be the easiest book in the world, it seemed all the
same thing, I was too innocent to imagine s