then, Mark and Bob went to put on the sheathing-paper and copper that had thus bountifully been provided for them, as soon as the seams were well payed.  This done, and it was no great job, the paint-brush was set to work, and the hull was completed!  In all, Mark and Betts were eight weeks, hard at work, putting their pinnace together.  When she was painted, the summer was more than half gone.  The laying of the deck had given more trouble than any other portion of the work on the boat, and this because it was not a plain, full deck, or one that covered the whole of the vessel, but left small stern-sheets aft, which was absolutely necessary to the comfort and safety of those she was to carry.  The whole was got together, however, leaving Mark and Bob to rejoice in their success thus far, and to puzzle their heads about the means of getting their craft into the water, now she was built.  In a word, it was far easier to put together a vessel often tons, that had been thus ready fitted to their hands, than it was to launch her.

As each of our mariners had necessarily seen many vessels in their cradles, each had some idea of what it was now necessary to do.  Mark had laid the keel as near the water as he could get it, and by this precaution had saved himself a good deal of labour.  It was very easy to find materials for the ways, many heavy planks still remaining; but the difficulty was to lay them so that they would not spread.  Here the awning-posts were found of good service, plank being set on their edges against them, which, in their turn, were made to sustain the props of the ways.  In order to save materials in the cradle, the ways themselves were laid on blocks, and they were secured as well as the skill of our self-formed shipwrights could do it.  They had some trouble in making the cradle, and had once to undo all they had done, in consequence of a mistake.  At length Mark was of opinion they had taken all the necessary precautions, and told Betts that he thought they might venture to attempt launching the next day.  But Bob made a suggestion which changed this plan, and caused a delay that was attended with very serious consequences.

The weather had become cloudy, and a little menacing, for the last, few days, and Bob proposed that they should lower the awning, get up shears on the rock, and step the mast of the pinnace before they launched her, as a means of saving some labour.  The spar was not very heavy, it was true, and it might be stepped by crossing a couple of the oars in the boat itself; but a couple of light spars—­top-gallant studding-sail booms for instance—­would enable them to do it much more readily, before the craft was put into the water, than it could be done afterwards.  Mark listened to the suggestion, and acquiesced.  The awning was consequently lowered, and got out of the way.  To prevent the hogs from tearing the sail, it was placed on two of the wheelbarrows and wheeled up into the crater, whither those animals had never yet found their way.  Then the shears were got up, and the mast was stepped and rigged; the boat’s sails were found and bent.  Mark now thought enough had been done, and that, the next day, they might undertake the launch.  But another suggestion of Bob’s delayed the proceedings.