"
"What do you think we ought to do first?"
"Well, sir, our first job will be to haul up the boat and secure her
from harm; we will half-dock her in the sand, and cover her over, for I
do not think it will be safe to go in her now to the other side of the
island, where the sea will always be rough."
"There I perfectly agree with you. Now what is the next?"
"Why, sir, we must not leave the tents where they are, but take them
down, and as soon as they are dry, stow them away, for we may want them
by and by; then, sir, we must build a large outhouse for our stores and
provisions, with a thatched roof, and a floor raised about four feet
from the ground; and then, under the floor, the sheep and goats will
have a protection from the weather. Then there is the fish-pond to
make, and also a salt-pan to cut out of the rock. Then we have two more
long jobs. One is, to go through the woods and examine the stores we
have left on the other side of the island, sort and arrange them all
ready for bringing here after the rains are over; and we must also
explore the island a little, and find out what it produces; for at
present we know nothing of it: we may find a great many things useful
to us, a great many trees and fruits, and I hope and trust we may be
able to find some more grass for our live stock.
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