nt to the ship, to
think such a number of good things lay there to be a prey to the sea, as
the ship wasted, when they might be of such infinite service here; and
that, since her last flight, I had suffered the more, when I thought how
near the gulf was to the ship; so that could I but get thither myself
with my boat, I would contrive to pack up the goods in the chests that
were on board, and carrying them in the boat, drop them near the draught
of the water, which of itself would suck them under the rock down the
gulf; and when they were passed through the cavern, I might take them
up in the lake. "Well," says she, "Peter, and why cannot I do this for
you?"--"No," says I, "even this has its objections." Then I told her
what I feared of their taking water, or dashing against the rock, and
twenty other ways of frustrating my views: "But, above all," says I,
"how can you get such large and weighty things to the gulf without a
boat? There is another impossibility! it won't do."

Youwarkee eyed me attentively. "Pr'ythee, my dear Peter," says she, "set
your heart at rest about that. I can only try; if no good is to be
done, you shall soon know it, and must rest contented under the
disappointment."--I told her if I was there, I could take all the things
out of the chests, and then melt some pitch and pour into every crack,
to keep out the water when they were set afloat. "Pitch!" says she,
"what's that?"--"Why," says I, "that is a nasty, hard, black sticking
thing that stands in tubs in the ship, and which being put over the fire
in anything to melt will grow liquid, and when it is cold be hard again,
and will resist the water and keep it out."--Says she, "How can I put
this pitch within-side of the chest-lid when I have tied it up?"--"It is
to no manner of purpose," says I, "to talk of it; so there's an end of
it."--"But," says she, "suppose yourself there, what things would you
bring first?"--I then entered into a long detail of particulars; saying
I would have this and that, and so on, till I had scarce left out a
thing I either knew of or could suppose to be in the ship; and for fear
I had not mentioned all, says I at last, if I was there, I believe I
should leave but little portable behind me.

"So, so, my dear," says Youwarkee, "you would roll in riches, I find;
but you have mentioned never a new gown for me."--"Why, aye!" says I,
"I would have that too."--"But how would you melt the pitch?" says
she.--"Oh," says I, "t