erved, pointing to the large shell in
which we had boiled our eggs. The water had evaporated, leaving the
sides and stones covered with saline particles. By scraping this off,
we had an ample supply of salt for our meat.

"It strikes me, Mr Walter," said Oliver, "that we may be able to
manufacture enough salt to preserve the animals we kill, for the time
may come when we may not be able to obtain any, and possibly it might be
a better way of preserving them than by drying them in the smoke."

"In dry, cool weather we might do so," I observed; "but in this hot
climate I doubt whether we could get the salt in with sufficient
rapidity to stop putrefaction. However, of course, it would assist in
preserving the meat."

"I am afraid you are right, Mr Walter," he answered. "At all events,
it is satisfactory to know that we can procure salt for our daily use."

"Oliver," I said, "I must ask a favour of you--it is, not to call me Mr
Walter. A common misfortune has made us brothers, and as a brother, I
am sure, I shall ever look upon you."

"I will do what you wish," said Oliver, "for I owe my life to you; yet,
though I regard you as a brother, I do not feel myself your equal."

"Do not talk of that, my dear fellow," I said. "We will not bandy
compliments. I should have been very miserable had I been left on this
island by myself, or even with so honest a fellow as our dark-skinned
friend here; for though we two might have been like Robinson Crusoe and
his man Friday, I have often thought that Crusoe must have passed many
dull and melancholy hours, without a companion with whom he could
exchange ideas on equal terms."

I felt much more at my ease after I had said this to Oliver. I had long
looked upon him as a very superior lad. His earnest piety, his courage
and his coolness, had made me greatly respect him. Had I been told to
choose a companion in the situation in which I was placed, I certainly
should have selected him. Our meal over, we went back to our sago-tree,
and commenced our work. We made some progress, but still clasp-knives
were very inadequate tools for the work we had undertaken. Every now
and then, as we were labouring on silently, we heard the same cry of
Wawk--wawk--wawk!--Wok--wok--wok! and caught sight of magnificent birds
flitting among the higher branches of the trees, but so rapidly did they
move, that we could scarcely distinguish their forms. We knew them,
however, to be birds of para