so he looked about for a heavy stone with which he could
start the staple.

The beach was strewn with lumps of hard silex in every form which could
do for a hammer.

Godfrey picked out one as thick as his wrist, and with it he gave a
tremendous whack on the plate of copper.

To his extreme surprise the bolt shot through the staple immediately
gave way.

Either the staple was broken by the blow, or the lock was not turned.

Godfrey's heart beat high as he stooped to lift up the box lid.

It rose unchecked, and in truth had Godfrey had to get it to pieces he
would not have done so without trouble. The trunk was a regular
strong-box. The interior was lined with sheet zinc, so that the
sea-water had failed to penetrate. The objects it contained, however
delicate they might be, would be found in a perfect state of
preservation.

And what objects! As he took them out Godfrey could not restrain
exclamations of joy! Most assuredly the box must have belonged to some
highly practical traveller, who had reckoned on getting into a country
where he would have to trust to his own resources.

In the first place there was linen--shirts, table-cloths, sheets,
counterpanes; then clothes--woollen jerseys, woollen socks, cotton
socks, cloth trousers, velveteen trousers, knitted waistcoats,
waistcoats of good heavy stuffs; then two pairs of strong boots, and
hunting-shoes and felt hats.

Then came a few kitchen and toilet utensils; and an iron pot--the famous
pot which was wanted so badly--a kettle, a coffee-pot, a tea-pot, some
spoons, some forks, some knives, a looking-glass, and brushes of all
kinds, and, what was by no means to be despised, three cans, containing
about fifteen pints of brandy and tafia, and several pounds of tea and
coffee.

Then, in the third place, came some tools--an auger, a gimlet, a
handsaw, an assortment of nails and brads, a spade, a shovel, a pickaxe,
a hatchet, an adze, &c., &c.

In the fourth place, there were some weapons, two hunting-knives in
their leather sheaths, a carbine and two muskets, three six-shooter
revolvers, a dozen pounds of powder, many thousand caps, and an
important stock of lead and bullets, all the arms seeming to be of
English make. There was also a small medicine-chest, a telescope, a
compass, and a chronometer. There were also a few English books, several
quires of blank paper, pencils, pens, and ink, an almanac, a Bible with
a New York imprint, and a "Complete Cook's M