a good supper.  About ten at night the Neshamony sailed, Mark carrying her out into the open water, when he placed Bob at the helm.  Bigelow had remained in the ship, to overhaul the lumber, of which there were still large piles both betwixt decks and in the lower hold, as did the whole of the Socrates family, who were yet occupied with the hay harvest and the ‘wash.’  Before he lay down to catch his nap, Mark took a good look to the southward, in quest of the beacon, but it was not burning, a sign the savages had not appeared in the course of the day.  With this assurance he fell asleep, and slept until informed by Bob that the pinnace was running in beneath the cliffs.  Betts called him, because the honest fellow was absolutely at a loss to know where to find the entrance of the cove.  So closely did the rocks lap, that this mouth of the harbour was most effectually concealed from all but those who happened to get quite close in with the cliffs, and in a particular position.  Mark, himself, had caught a glimpse of this narrow entrance accidentally, on his first voyage, else might he have been obliged to abandon the hope of getting on the heights; for subsequent examination showed that there was but that one spot, on the whole circuit of Vulcan’s Peak, where man could ascend to the plain, without having recourse to engineering and the labour of months, if not of years.

Bob had brought along one of the two swivels of the ship, as an armament for the Neshamony, and he fired it under the cliffs, as a signal of her return.  This brought down all the men, who, with their united strength, dragged the carronades up the Stairs, and placed them in position.  With a view to scale the guns, the governor now had each loaded, with a round shot and a case of canister.  The gun just above the pass, he pointed himself, at the entrance of the cove, and touched it off.  The whole of the missiles went into the passage, making the water fairly foam again.  The other gun was depressed so as to sweep the Stairs and, on examination, it was found that its shot had raked the path most effectually for a distance exceeding a hundred yards.  Small magazines were made in the rocks, near each guy, when the most important part of the arangements for defence were considered to be satisfactorily made for the present.  The remainder of the cargo was discharged, and got up the mountain, though it took three days to effect the last.  The provisions were opened below and overhauled, quite one-half of the pork being consigned to the soap-fat, though the beef proved to be still sound and sweet.  Such as was thought fit to be consumed was carried up in baskets, and re-packed on the mountain, the labour of rolling up the barrels satisfying everybody, after one experiment.  This difficulty set Mark to work with his wits, and he found a shelf that overhung the landing, at a height of fully a hundred yards above it, where there was a natural platform of rock, that would suffice for