an ordinary American cart-load of manure.  In the whole, by Mark’s computation, they got across about fifty of these cargoes, in the course of their twelve days’ work.  The entire day, however, was on no occasion given up wholly to this pursuit.  On the contrary, many little odd tasks wore completed, which were set by their necessities, or by fore thought and prudence.  All the empty water-casks, for one thing, were rolled ashore, and filled at the largest pool; the frequency of the rains admonishing them of the wisdom of making a provision for the dry season.  The Rancocus had a good deal of water still left in her, some of it being excellent Delaware river water, though she had filled up at Valparaiso, after passing the Horn.  Mark counted the full casks, and allowing ten gallons a day for Bob and himself, a good deal more than could be wanted, there remained in the ship fresh water enough to last them two years.  It is true, it was not such water as the palate often craved of a warm day; but they were accustomed to it, and it was sweet.  By keeping it altogether between decks, the sun had no power on it, and it was even more palatable than might have been supposed.  Mark occasionally longed for one good drink at some gushing spring that he remembered at home, it is true; and Bob was a little in the habit of extolling a particular well that, it would seem, his family were reputed to have used for several generations.  Notwithstanding these little natural backslidings on this subject, our mariners might be thought well off on the score of water, having it in great abundance, and with no reasonable fear of ever losing it altogether.  The casks taken ashore were filled for their preservation, as well as for convenience, an old sail being spread over them, after they were rolled together and chocked.  As yet, no water was given to any of the stock, all the animals finding it in abundance, in the cavities of the lava.

Some of the time, moreover, Betts passed in fishing, supplying not only Mark and himself, but the pigs and the poultry, with as much food as was desired.  Several of the fish caught turned out to be delicious, while others were of a quality that caused them to be thrown into the compost heap.  A cargo of guano was also imported, the rich manure being mixed up in liberal quantities with the loam.  At the end of the first week of these voyages to ‘loam-rock,’ Betts went out to fish in a new direction, passing to windward of the ‘sea-wall,’ as they called the reef that protected the ship, and pulling towards a bit of naked rock a short distance beyond it, where he fancied he might find a particular sort of little fish, that greatly resembled the Norfolk Hog-fish, one of the most delicious little creatures for the pan that is to be found in all the finny tribe.  He had been gone a couple of hours, when Mark, who was at work within the crater, picking up the encrusted ashes that formed its surface, heard Bob’s shout outside, as if he wished assistance.  Throwing