Mark certainly knew very little of gardening, but Bob could turn his hand to almost anything.  Several mistakes were made, notwithstanding, more particularly in the use of the seed, with which they were not particularly acquainted.  Mark’s Reef lay just within the tropics, it is true (in 21 deg. south latitude), but the constant sea-breeze rendered its climate much cooler than would otherwise have been the case.  Thus the peas, and beans, and even the onions, did better, perhaps, on the top of the crater, than they would have done in it; but the ochre, egg-plants, melons, and two or three other seeds that they used, would probably have succeeded better had they been placed in the warmest spots which could be found.  In one respect Mark made a good gardener.  He knew that moisture was indispensable to the growth of most plants, and had taken care to put all his seeds into cavities, where the rain that fell (and he had no reason to suppose that the dry season had yet set in) would not run off and be wasted.  On this point he manifested a good deal of judgment, using his hoe in a way to avoid equally the danger of having too much or too little water.

It was dinner-time before Mark and Betts were ready to quit the ‘Summit,’ as they now began to term the only height in their solitary domains.  Bob had foreseen the necessity of a shade, and had thrown an old royal into the boat.  With this, and two or three light spars, he contrived to make a sort of canopy, down in the crater, beneath which he and Mark dined, and took their siestas.  While resting on a spare studding-sail that had also been brought along, the mariners talked over what they had done, and what it might be best to undertake next.

Thus far Mark had been working under a species of excitement, that was probably natural enough to his situation, but which wanted the coolness and discretion that are necessary to render our efforts the most profitable to ourselves, or to others.  Now, that the feverish feeling which set him at work so early to make a provision against wants which, at the worst, were merely problematical, had subsided, Mark began to see that there remained many things to do, which were of even more pressing necessity than anything yet done.  Among the first of these there was the perfect security of the ship.  So long as she rode at a single anchor, she could not be considered as absolutely safe; for a shift of wind would cause her to swing against the ‘sea-wall,’ as he called the natural breakwater outside of her, where, if not absolutely wrecked, she might receive material damage.  Prudence required, therefore, that the ship should be moored, as well as anchored.  Nevertheless, there was a good deal of truth in what Mark had said touching the plants growing while he and Bob were busy at other matters; and this thought, of itself, formed a sufficient justification for what he had just done, much as it had been done under present excitement.  As they under the shade of the royal, our mariners discussed these matters, and matured some plans for the future.