han ever.

I must now pass over many months in very few words; just stating to the
reader what my position was at the end of three years, during which I
was alone upon the island. I had now arrived at the age of near
seventeen, and was tall and strong for my years. I had left off wearing
my dress of the skins of birds, having substituted one of the seaman's
shirts, which I had found in the chest. This, however, was the whole of
my costume, and although, had it been longer it would have been more
correct, still, as I had no other companion but Nero, it was not
necessary to be so very particular, as if I had been in society. During
these three years, I think I had read the Bible and Prayer-book, and my
Natural History book, at least five or six times quite through, and
possessing a retentive memory, could almost repeat them by heart; but
still I read the Bible as a sealed book, for I did not understand it,
having had no one to instruct me, nor any grace bestowed upon me. I
read for amusement, and nothing more.

My garden was now in a most flourishing condition, the climbing plants
had overrun the cabin, so as to completely cover the whole of the roof
and every portion of it, and they hung in festoons on each side of the
doorway. Many of the plants which I had taken up small, when I moved
them, had proved to be trees, and were now waving to the breeze, high
above the cabin roof; and everything that I had planted, from continual
watering and guano, had grown most luxuriantly. In fact, my cabin was
so covered and sheltered, that its original form had totally
disappeared; it now looked like an arbour in a clump of trees, and from
the rocks by the bathing-pool it had a very picturesque appearance.

I had, of course, several times gone up the ravine, and now that my axe
had become useful, I had gradually accumulated a large stock of wood
down by the bathing-pool, more than I could use for a long while, as I
seldom lighted a fire; but the cutting it was employment, and employment
was to me a great source of happiness. I had been several times to the
other side of the island, and had had more encounters with the seals, of
which I killed many, for I found their skins very comfortable and useful
in the cabin. I had collected about three dozen of the finest skins,
which were more than I required, but I had taken them for the same
reason that I had collected the firewood, for the sake of employment;
and in this instance, I