how it should be done, but his knowledge was
theoretical rather than practical, while Eiulo had acquired considerable
skill in the art, by building and thatching miniature houses in the
woods, an amusement which he and his young playmates had often practised
at home. The only thing now remaining to be done, was to make a number
of coarse mats, with which to enclose the sides of the house--as far as
in such a climate it is desirable to enclose them--together with an
additional supply, ready to be put up in bad weather, on fastenings
constructed for the purpose. But for this, there seemed to be no
immediate necessity. The sides of the building were low, and the eaves
extended two feet beyond them, and as we had an excellent roof above us,
we considered ourselves tolerably prepared, even for rainy weather.
However, we commenced manufacturing mats, in which, with the instruction
and example of Arthur and Eiulo, we were tolerably successful; but we
proceeded with this very much at our leisure. One or two brief showers,
like that which had exerted so sudden an influence in hastening the
commencement of our building scheme, afforded us the most satisfactory
evidence of the good qualities of our roof, which did not admit a drop
of rain. But at the same time we became aware of another defect in our
house, as a dwelling in wet weather. We had no floor but the bare
earth, and though Arthur had so levelled it, and protected it by a
little trench and embankment, that no water from the adjacent grounds
could reach us, except by the gradual process of saturation, still it
was very damp after a severe rain. To remedy this, Arthur talked from
time to time of making a floor of cement, which would dry to the
hardness of stone, and through which the moisture from the ground could
not penetrate. When asked where lime was to be obtained with which to
make his cement he assumed an air of mystery, and merely said that there
would be no difficulty on that score. One day, after we had got a large
supply of mats completed, and ready for use, he again recurred to the
subject of improving our floor, and explained that he intended to
prepare his mortar or cement, from sand and lime, the latter of which
was to be procured by burning coral rock in a pit. He prevailed upon
Morton, Browne, and myself to set about digging a "lime-pit" in the
gully beside Castle-hill, while he took Eiulo and Johnny with him in the
boat, to go in search of a quant