saved. One of the most welcome prizes was a bundle of
fish-hooks, found in the boatswain's chest. Lines were easily
manufactured, and less than an hour's fishing gave them food for the
day. Birds were frequently caught in snares; and roots and fruits were
not wanting. Thus, sterile as the island at first appeared, they had
reason to be thankful that it supplied them with everything absolutely
necessary for sustaining life.

The end of three months found them settled in the hut, following an
almost regular routine of labour. Men-of-war's men, from their
training, dislike idleness; and the three young officers and the two men
cut out ample employment for themselves during every hour of the day.
They did not fail, however, to discuss every possible means of escaping.

The midshipmen and Ned proposed to raise the sides of their small boat
and to put to sea in her in the hopes of reaching India, or of finding
some inhabited island at which ships were likely to touch, so that they
might ultimately find their way home.

To this proposal Jacob Crane strongly objected, though Ralph was at
first rather inclined to favour it, desperate as it appeared.

"Nothing we can do to the boat can make her fit for a long voyage, even
if the weather should prove fine," observed Jacob. "To my mind, we
ought to be thankful at being as well off as we are. God has mercifully
saved our lives and placed us here, and here we should be content to
remain and make the best use of our time till He thinks fit to send us
relief. If we were likely to be starved, or if there were savages
threatening to kill us, the case would be different. It then would be
perfectly right for us to put off in our boat, and we might trust to Him
for protection. If we had been supplied with tools, it might then have
been our duty to try and build a vessel large enough for the voyage to
India or the Cape of Good Hope; but we haven't got them, and there isn't
a shipwright among us. Perhaps some vessel may be wrecked on the coast,
and we may be the means of saving the lives of the people aboard her.
Depend on it God has always got a purpose in all that He does or allows,
though we don't see it--that's my firm belief--therefore I say again,
let us be content with the blessings God has sent us, and be resigned to
His will."

Jacob's argument decided Ralph, and won over the rest of the party.

Though their boat was not large enough for a voyage, they made frequent