On awaking in the morning, we were all sensible of an unusual refreshment, and a new activity of mind. Well, young ones, cried I jocosely, you have learned, I see, how to sleep in a hammock, I heard not a single complaint all the night! no disputing about room from any one of you; all was still and tranquil. Ah, answered they, stretching and yawning as they spoke, we were so heartily fatigued yesterday, that it is no wonder we slept so soundly. + 

Father.⁠—Here then, my children, is another advantage derived from labour; that of procuring a sweet and peaceful sleep. + 

Yes, yes, father, that is very true, said they, so let us go to work again today: What is there to do? What will you give each of us to do? + 

Father.⁠—Nothing at all; you will do no work with your hands for the whole day. + 

The Boys.⁠—Oh, father, you are joking now, I see you are; you are laughing at us because we slept a little too long. + 

Father.⁠—No, my dear boys, I am not joking. This day is Sunday, and God said, “Six days shall thou labour, but the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God;” and we will therefore celebrate it as we ought. + 

Jack.⁠—Sunday! What, are there Sundays here? That is quite delightful! Oh, I will go and shoot my arrows, and I will walk about and play, and I will do no work the whole day. + 

Father.⁠—Do you think, then, that it was solely for the purpose that people might amuse themselves, and indulge in idleness, that God reserved Sunday to himself? You mistake; what he intended was, that there should be a day set apart for worship and thanksgiving for all his goodness, and such an employment of our time ought to be our greatest pleasure. + 

Ernest.⁠—I thought, father, that the worship of God consisted in going to church to hear a sermon and sing hymns: we have no church here, how then can we properly observe Sundays? + 

Francis.⁠—And we have no organ either, and I am very sorry, for I like very much to hear it. + 

Jack.⁠—You see then, papa, that it is not possible for us to celebrate Sunday in the way you propose. + 

Fritz.⁠—How childishly you talk! Do you think that papa, who made sermons for us in our own country, cannot make them here? Is not God in every place, as certainly as in a church? And what should hinder us from singing without an organ? When there were soldiers encamped near our town, they had neither church nor organ, and yet the service of the church was performed to them: we have a good minister, and that is the principal thing. + 

Father.⁠—Your brother is quite right, my boys; God is indeed everywhere, and the best worship consists in thinking of him, and of his holy will, and resolving to fulfil it. In this sense, there is no place in the world that may not serve for a church, because we may entertain pious sentiments everywhere; and this majestic arch of heaven, the immediate work of the Almighty, ought more effectually to raise the soul and touch the heart, than an edifice of stone made by the hand of man! We will, therefore, perform divine service this morning; we shall have no sermon today, those I know by heart being beyond your comprehension: young persons should be addressed on the subject of the Supreme Being, according to their feeble understanding, and not as we would address an audience whose judgement and reason are matured. I will hereafter compose a sermon that shall be suitable for you: today we will repeat the prayers, and sing one of those affecting hymns of adoration which your mother taught you. I will then relate to you a parable of the Great King, which is well adapted to awaken pious thoughts and sentiments in your minds. + 

The Boys.⁠—A parable, a parable! What, like that of the Sower in the Testament. Ah, yes, do, papa; we will listen forever to that; do begin directly. + 

Father.⁠—Everything in its turn, if you please: first, let us perform our usual morning devotions; then we will descend to breakfast, and take care of our animals, a work which God permits us to engage in even on Sundays: in the meanwhile, I will reflect a little on the history I am to relate, and then I will call you round me. + 

Accordingly, after prayers, we descended the ladder, and breakfasted on warm milk; we served the animals also with their meal, and then we all sat down on the tender grass; the boys full of impatient curiosity; their mother absorbed in silent reflection, her hands joined and her eyes sometimes turned towards the sky; while I was penetrated with the most lively desire to impress upon the young minds of my children, a subject I considered of the highest importance for their well-being, both in this world and in that which is to come. + 

All now standing up, I repeated aloud the church service, which I knew by heart, and we sung some verses from the hundred and nineteenth psalm, which the boys had before learned; after which we sat down, and I began as follows: + 

“My dear children, there was once a Great King, whose kingdom was called The country of Light and Reality, because the purest and softest light of the sun reigned there continually, which caused the inhabitants to be in a perpetual state of activity. On the furthest borders of this kingdom, northward, there was another country which also belonged to the Great King, and the immense extent of which, was unknown to all but himself. From time immemorial, a plan the most exact of this country, had been preserved in the royal archives. This second kingdom was called The kingdom of Obscurity or of Night, because everything in it was gloomy and inactive. + 

“In the most fertile and agreeable part of his empire of Reality, this Great King had a residence called the Heavenly City, in which he lived and kept his court, which was the most brilliant that the imagination can form an idea of. Millions of guards, and servants high in dignity, remained forever round him, and a still larger number held themselves in readiness to receive his commands. The first of these were clothed in robes of cloth that was lighter than silk, and white as snow; for white, the image of purity, was the favourite colour of the Great King. Others of his attendants carried flaming swords in their hands, and their garments displayed the most brilliant colours of the rainbow; each of these stood in waiting to execute the will of the King, with the rapidity of lightning, on receiving from him the slightest sign. All were happy to be admitted into his presence; their faces shone with the mildest joy, and wore the impression of a calm serenity, and of the absence of all inquietude and pain: there was but one heart, and one soul among them; the sentiment of paternal concord so united these beings, that no envy or jealousy ever arose among them. The common centre of all their thoughts, and all their sentiments, was devotion to their sovereign: it would have been impossible either to see or converse with them, without passionately desiring, even at any sacrifice, to obtain their friendship, and to partake their lot. Among the rest of the inhabitants of the Heavenly City, there were some less close in their attendance upon the Great King; but they were all virtuous, all happy, all had been enriched by the beneficence of the monarch, and, what is of still higher price, had received constant marks of his paternal care; for his subjects were all equal in his eyes, and he loved them and treated them as if they had been his children. + 

“The Great King had, besides the two kingdoms I have been describing, an uninhabited island of considerable extent; it was his wish to people and cultivate this island, for all within it was a kind of chaos: he destined it to be for some years the abode of such future citizens as he intended to receive finally into his residence, to which only such of his subjects were admitted, as had rendered themselves worthy by their conduct. This island was called Earthly Abode; he who should have passed some time in it, and by his virtues, his application to labour, and the cultivation of the land, should have rendered himself worthy of reward, was afterwards to be received into the Heavenly City, and made one of its happy inhabitants. + 

“To effect this end, the Great King caused a fleet to be equipped, which was to transport the new colonists to this island. These he chose from the kingdom of Night, and for his first gift bestowed upon them the enjoyment of light, and the view of the lovely face of nature, of which they had been deprived in their gloomy and unknown abode. It will easily be imagined that they arrived joyful and happy, at least they became so, when they had been for a short time accustomed to the multitude of new objects which struck their feeble sight. The island was rich and fertile when cultivated. The beneficent King provided each individual who was disembarked upon it, with all the things he could want in the time he had fixed for their stay in it, and all the means for obtaining the certainty of being admitted as citizens of his magnificent abode, when they should leave the Earthly Island. All that was required to entitle them to this benefit was, that they should occupy themselves unceasingly in useful labour, and strictly obey the commands of the Great King which he made known to them. He sent to them his only son, who addressed them from his father in the following terms: + 

“ ‘My dear children, I have called you from the kingdom of Night and Insensibility to render you happy by the gifts of life, of sentiment, and of activity. But your happiness for the most part will depend upon yourselves. You will be happy if you wish to be so. If such is your sincere desire, you must never forget that I am your good king, your tender father; and you must faithfully fulfil my will in the cultivation of the country I have confided to your care. Each of you shall receive, on his arriving at the island, the portion of land which is intended for him; and my further commands respecting your conduct, will be soon communicated to you. I shall send you wise and learned men, who will explain to you my commands; and that you may of yourselves seek after the light necessary for your welfare, and remember my laws at every instant of your lives, it is my will that each father of a family, shall keep an exact copy of them in his house, and read them daily to all the persons who belong to him. Further, each first day of the week, I require to be devoted to my service. In each colony, all the people shall assemble together as brothers in one place, where shall be read and explained to them, the laws contained in my archives. The rest of this day shall be employed in making serious reflections on the duties and destination of the colonists, and on the best means to fulfil the same: thus, it shall be possible to all, to receive instruction concerning the best manner and most effectual means, of improving the land which has been confided to your care: thus, you will each day learn to manure, to sow, to plant, to water, and cleanse the land from tares, and from all evil weeds that may choke the good seed. On this same day, each of you may present his supplications, may tell me what he stands in need of, and what he desires to have, to forward the perfection of his labour; all these requests will appear before me, and I shall answer, by granting such as I shall think reasonable, and tending to a salutary end. If your heart tells you that the various benefits you enjoy, deserve your gratitude, and if you will testify it by doubling your activity, and by consecrating to me the day I have chosen for myself, I will take care that this day of rest, instead of being an injury to you, shall become a benefit, through the salutary repose of your body, and that of the animals given you to assist your labours, and who, as well as yourself, should enjoy repose on that day to recruit their strength. Even the wild animals of the field, and of the forests, ought on that day to be protected from the pursuit of the hunter. + 

“ ‘He, who in his Earthly Abode shall most strictly have observed my will, who shall have best fulfilled the duties of a brother towards his fellow inhabitants, who shall have preserved his land in the best order, and shall show the largest produce from it, shall be recompensed for his deeds, and shall become an inhabitant of my magnificent residence in the Heavenly City. But the neglectful and the idle man, and the wicked man, who shall have spent their time in interrupting the useful labours of others, shall be condemned to pass their lives in slavery, or, according to the degree of their wickedness, shall be condemned to live in subterraneous mines, in the bowels of the earth. + 

“ ‘From time to time, I shall send ships to fetch certain individuals from the Earthly Island, to reward or punish them, according as they have done well or ill; and as none will be warned beforehand, of the time of the coming of my messenger, it will be well for you to keep watch, that you may be ready to perform the voyage, and worthy to be received into the Heavenly City. It will not be permitted for anyone to pass by stealth on board the ship, and leave his abode without my orders; for such a one shall be severely punished. I shall have the most certain knowledge of all that passes in the Earthly Island, and no one will be able to deceive me. A magical mirror will at all times show me the actions of each individual in the island, and you shall be judged according to your most secret thoughts and actions.’ + 

“All the colonists were well satisfied with the discourse of the Great King, and made him the most sacred promises. After a short time allowed for repose from the fatigue of the voyage, a portion of land and the proper instruments for labour, were distributed to each of the strangers. They received also seeds, and useful plants, and young trees for producing them refreshing fruits. Each was then left at liberty to act as he pleased, and increase the value of what was confided to his care. But what happened? After some time, each followed the suggestions of his fancy: one planted his land with arbours, flowery banks, and sweet-smelling shrubs; all pleasing to the sight, but which brought forth nothing. Another planted wild apple-trees, instead of the good fruit as the Great King had commanded; contenting himself with giving high-sounding names to the miserable fruit he had caused to be brought forth. A third had indeed sown good grain; but not knowing how to distinguish the tares that grew up along with it, he pulled up the good plants before they were mature, and left only the tares in his ground. But the greater part let their land lie fallow, and bestowed no labour upon it, having spoiled their implements, or lost their seed, either from negligence or idleness, or liking better to amuse themselves than to labour; many of them had wilfully misunderstood the instructions of the Great King, and sought by subtleties to change their meaning. + 

“Few, very few, worked with diligence and courage, and seeking to improve their land, according to the orders they had received. The great fault of these was, that they would not believe what the Great King had sent to tell them. All the fathers of families, had indeed a copy of the laws of the Sovereign, but most of them omitted to read in the book: some saying that it was useless to read it, for they knew it by heart, while they never employed their thoughts upon it. Others pretended that these laws were good for times past, but were no longer beneficial for the present state of the country. Some had even the audacity to assert, that it contained many inexplicable contradictions; that the laws it prescribed were merely supposed or falsified, and that they had therefore a right to deviate from them. Others among them maintained, that the magical mirror was a mere fable; that the King was of too merciful a nature to keep galleys; that there was no such place as the subterranean mines; and that all would at last enter the Heavenly City. From habit they continued to celebrate the first day of the week, but by far the smallest part of it was consecrated to the honour of the Great King. Great numbers of them dispensed with going to the general assembly, either from idleness, or to employ themselves in occupations which had been expressly forbidden. By far the greater part of the people considered this day of repose as intended for pleasure, and thought of nothing but adorning and amusing themselves as soon as daylight appeared. There were only then a small number of persons who kept the day according to the decree; and even of those who frequented the assembly, many had their thoughts absent, or were sleepy, or engaged in forming empty projects, instead of listening to the words, which fell from the lips of the minister of the sovereign. The Great King, however, observed unalterably the laws he had laid down and announced, respecting them. From time to time, some frigates appeared on their coasts, each bearing the name of some disastrous malady; and these were followed by a large ship of the line, named the Grave, on board of which, the admiral, whose name was Death, caused his flag of two colours, green and black, to be constantly floating in the air. He showed the colonists, according to the situation in which he found them, either the smiling colour of Hope, or the gloomy colour of Despair. + 

“This fleet always arrived without being announced, and seldom gave any pleasure to the inhabitants. The admiral sent the captains of his frigates, to seize the persons he was ordered to bring back with him. Many who had not the smallest inclination were suddenly embarked, while others, who had prepared everything for the harvest, and whose land was in the best condition, were also seized. But these last took their departure cheerfully, and without alarm; well knowing that nothing but happiness awaited them. It was those who were conscious they had neglected to cultivate their land, who felt the most regret. It was even necessary to employ force to bring them under subjection. When the fleet was ready for departure, the admiral sailed for the port of the Royal Residence; and the Great King, who was present on their arrival, executed with strict justice both the rewards and punishments which had been promised to them. All the excuses alleged by those who had been idle, were of no avail. They were sent to the mines and to the galleys, while those who had obeyed the Great King and well cultivated their land, were admitted into the Heavenly City, clothed in robes of brilliant colours, one exceeding the other according to the degree of merit.”⁠—Here, my dear children, ends my parable. May you have thoroughly understood its meaning, and may you reap the advantage it is capable of affording you! Make it the subject of your reflections the whole of this day. You, Fritz, I see, are thoughtful; tell me what struck you most in my narration. + 

Fritz.⁠—The goodness of the Great King, and the ingratitude of the colonists, father. + 

Father.⁠—And you, Ernest, what is your thought? + 

Ernest.⁠—For my part, I think they were great fools to have made so bad a calculation. What did they get by conducting themselves as they did? With a little pains they might have passed a very agreeable sort of life in the island, and would have been sure of going afterwards to the Heavenly City. + 

Jack.⁠—To the mines, gentlemen, away with you! you have well deserved it. + 

Francis.⁠—For my part, I should have liked best to have lived with the men who were dressed in the colours of the rainbow. How beautiful they must have looked! + 

Father.⁠—This is well, my boys. I perceive that each of you, according to his age and character, has seized the meaning of my parable. I have by this image endeavoured to represent to you the conduct of God towards man, and that of man towards God: let us see now if you have completely seized the sense.⁠—I then put different questions to them, and explained what they had not perfectly comprehended; and after a short review of the principal parts of my discourse, I concluded it by a moral application. + 

“Human creatures, said I, are the colonists of God; we are required to perform the business of probation for a certain period, and sooner or later are destined to be taken hence. Our final destination is Heaven, and a perfect happiness with the spirits of just men made perfect, and in the presence of the bountiful Father of us all. The piece of land entrusted to each is the soul! and according as he cultivates and ennobles it, or neglects or depraves it, will be his future reward or punishment. At present, dear children, that you know the true sense of my parable, each of you should make the application of it according to his own consciousness. You, Fritz, should think of the subjects who planted the wild apples, and wished to make them pass for sweet savoury fruit of a superior kind. These represent persons who make a parade of the natural virtues belonging to their character, and which are consequently exercised without any trouble to themselves; such as courage, strength, etc. who prefer them to more essential qualities acquired by others, with sacrifices and labour to themselves; and who, full of presumption and arrogance, consider themselves as irreproachable, because nature has given them personal courage, and bodily strength, and a certain skill in the use of these qualities. + 

“You, Ernest, should think of the subjects of the Great King who cultivated their land so as to produce arbours, flowery banks, and sweet-smelling shrubs, and such productions in general as would please the eye, but which produced no fruit. These are they, who give their whole attention to the acquiring unfruitful knowledge, sciences, etc., and consider with a sort of contempt the things more immediately required for the conduct of life; who exert themselves solely for the understanding, and neglect the heart; whose principal aim it is, to obtain self-indulgences, and who neglect what is useful in society. + 

“You, Jack, and you, Francis, should apply to yourselves the case of those men who let their land lie fallow, or, in their thoughtlessness, mistook the grain, and sowed tares instead of wheat. These are the neglectful subjects, who neither think nor learn, but give to the winds what is taught them, or entirely forget instruction; who reject virtuous sentiments, and let the bad ones grow in their hearts. But for ourselves, one and all, we will adopt the model of the good and zealous labourers; and should our exertions be a little painful, we shall think of the reward which awaits us, when we shall have adorned our souls with all that is good, just, and praiseworthy. Thus, when death, which cannot fail to come at last, shall summon us, we may follow him with joy to the throne of the Good and Great King, to hear him pronounce these sweet and consoling words: O good and faithful servant! thou hast been tried, and found faithful in many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” With these words, and a short prayer of benediction, I concluded the solemnity of our Sunday; and I had the satisfaction of seeing, that my four sons had not only listened attentively, but that they were struck with the application I had made to each of them. They remained for a short time reflecting in silence. Jack was the first to break it: You have explained to us every part of the parable, father, except the copy of the laws of the Great King, which was to be kept and read in every family: have you one of these copies? for you never read it to us. + 

Father.⁠—Alas! my children, I have never been without such a copy; and not only one, but several, and we have read in it almost every day. This copy is the Holy Bible, which contains all God’s laws, and which we ought constantly to study carefully. I cannot forgive myself for not having thought of bringing it from the vessel. Should we not be able to go another voyage, we shall forever be deprived of this divine doctrine. I can hardly imagine how it could be possible for me, a minister of the Holy Gospel, and the father of a family, to be so occupied about things for the comfort of our poor mortal bodies, and forget what might console and sustain our immortal souls, and which was so necessary for the conduct of my children! + 

My Wife.⁠—Have you then forgot my enchanted bag, which I have promised shall furnish everything you can desire? You wish for a Bible. In a minute I will put one into your hands; and heartily do I rejoice in having the power to bring you so great a satisfaction. + 

Father.⁠—O best and most excellent of women! how ashamed I am of myself in the comparison! While, in the midst of confusion and horrors, you thought of so many little things conducive to our comfort, and which we as males disdained to be occupied about, have you then also taken care of the most essential of all, the health of our souls? A thousand thanks are due to you! Give me the inestimable book, these laws of the Great King, which I have mentioned in my parable, and which from this moment, we will take for the rule of our lives. She opened her bag, and with joy I received from her the book of life. I opened it, and immediately read some passages from it to my family. In this solitude, in which for so long a time we had heard only our own thoughts expressed in an appropriate language, we were singularly affected with the voice from heaven, which now seemed to address us: we felt forcibly that, notwithstanding our exile, we were still connected with the community of mankind: by the invisible tie of the same religion, and the same Father, we were forever numbered among the children of God, to whom he enjoins laws, and on whom he bestows his care, no less in a desert, than in an immense capital; our island, containing only our own family, was no doubt as interesting in his eyes, as whole nations of people. I explained with the utmost care what I read to them, and I gave the book in turn to each of the boys, that they might have the pleasure of reading for themselves. + 

I chose in preference, such passages as were applicable to our circumstances. We then raised our hearts to God, to thank him for so signal a benefit as the preservation of our Bible! My young folks still remained thoughtful and serious; but by and by the gaiety natural to their age, prevailed, and each slipped away to seek the recreation he liked best. But as it had been enjoined them not to undertake any kind of labour, they rambled about from place to place, with more appearance of listlessness than of reflection. This gave me an opportunity of observing, that at their age, the soul is too feeble to sustain herself through the whole day without occupation. I recalled them, therefore, and observed that the Great and Good King did not require complete inaction from them, and that they might amuse and occupy themselves the rest of the day, without giving him offence, provided they should avoid unruly sports. Jack desired me to lend him my bow and arrows, as he wished to see how they would fly, now that they had been completed from the quills of his porcupine. Fritz had a great desire to be employed about the case he was to make of the skin of the tiger-cat, and asked my advice how to proceed. Little Francis, also, laid my activity under contribution, by requesting me to make him a bow and arrows, he being yet too young to be entrusted with a gun. I began with giving Jack the bow and arrows as he desired, and told him how to make the sand run out, and to put on the sharp points at the end, and tie them securely round with packthread, and then to dip them into some glue. + 

Yes, yes, I understand, said Jack wagging his head knowingly; I know how to do it very well, father. But will you be kind enough to tell me where there is a glue-shop, that I may step and buy some glue in a minute? + 

I will show you where, said little Francis, laughing as he spoke: ask mamma to give you one of her soup cakes, which are exactly like good strong glue. + 

Little blockhead! replied Jack, you think then it is enough to be like; what I want is glue, and not soup. + 

Father.⁠—Not so much of a blockhead as you think, Jack, interrupted I. The truth often comes from the lips of children, and you will do well to follow his advice. I am of opinion, that one of the cakes, dissolved in a little water, and afterwards thickened upon the fire, would produce what would be an excellent substitute for glue; give yourself therefore the trouble of making the experiment. Put a soup cake over the fire in one of our coconut shells, and you will soon know the event. + 

While Jack was preparing his glue, and Francis, proud of being the inventor, was busied in assisting his brother, blowing the fire etc., Fritz came to me for my advice about the making of his case. Run, said I, and fetch your skin, and we will work at it together. I sat down on the grass, took out my knife, and with the remains of a bamboo cane, began to make a bow for Francis. I was well satisfied to observe them one and all, take a fancy to shooting with an arrow, having been desirous to accustom them to this exercise, which constituted the principal defence of the warriors of old, and might possibly become our only means of protection and subsistence: our provision of powder must at last be exhausted; we might even, from moment to moment, be deprived of it by accident; it therefore was of the utmost importance to us, to acquire some other means of killing animals, or attacking our enemies. The Caribees, I recollected, were taught at a very tender age, to strike an object at the distance of thirty or forty steps; they hit the smallest birds perched on the top of the tallest trees. Why then should it not be possible for my boys to learn to do the same? I will at least, said I, provide them with bows and arrows, and try what can be done. + 

While I was silently reflecting on the subject, employed in finishing a bow for Francis, Ernest, who had been observing me for some time, slipped suddenly away; and Fritz coming up at the same moment, with the wetted skin of the tiger-cat in his hand, I paid no attention to the circumstance. I began my instructions to my eldest boy, respecting the trade of a tanner. I told him the method of getting rid of the fat of the skin, by rubbing it over with sand, and placing it in running water till it had no longer any appearance of flesh, or any smell; next to rub it with soft butter, to make it supple, and then to stretch the skin in different directions; and also to make use of some eggs in the operation, if his mother could spare them. You will not at first produce such excellent workmanship as I have seen of this kind from England; but with a little patience, regretting neither your time, nor your labour, you will have completed some decent-looking cases, which will give you the more pleasure, from being made from an animal of your own taking, and by the work of your own hands. When your skin shall have thus been prepared, cut certain small cylinders of wood of the size and length required; scoop these cylinders hollow, so as to form a convenient case for a knife, a fork, or a spoon; then stretch your softened skin upon the surface of the cylinders, in such a manner, that the skin may stretch a little beyond the extremity of the wood, and close at the top; you have then nothing more to do, than to let the skin cling to, and dry upon these moulds. Your work will then be finished, and will turn out a neat and masterly production. + 

Fritz.⁠—I understand perfectly, and I hope I shall succeed; but if I were to take some cork for my moulds, the cases would be lighter, and more convenient for carrying. + 

Father.⁠—No doubt they would, but where can you get any cork? and how would you be able to cut it and scoop it out? It is a wood singularly impracticable, and would resist the knife. + 

Fritz.⁠—If you would let me take one of the cork jackets we keep for swimming, I could try, by means of heating it, to render it fit for my purpose. + 

Father.⁠—To this I have no objection; I like to see you inventive, and casting about for the means of success. In reality, we have a pretty considerable number of those jackets; and I am in hopes we shall not want them any more. You may get one of them, but take care not to hold it too long to the fire. What is the matter, wife, that you shake your head? You seem dissatisfied with your boy’s undertaking? + 

My Wife.⁠—No, I am not dissatisfied with his work, provided he can accomplish it, but with the use for which it is intended. Do you imagine that I shall let you have our silver table utensils to be dragged about, at the risk of losing them, in your expeditions? In the first place, I do not consider them as our own; and what account should we have to give the captain, should we ever meet again? + 

Jack.⁠—Oh, we should have accounts enough for him. We would tell him, that but for the pains we took to preserve them, they would all have gone to the bottom; that the last thing our friends the sharks would have thought of, would be to restore his silver spoons; and that, as we had all the trouble, they ought to be considered of our own earning. + 

My Wife.⁠—So you have made a partnership with the sharks, my boy! I hope, however, that you entertain a higher idea than you profess, of your own nature; and that upon more reflection you will perceive, that in equity and justice, we ought to consider, not only these utensils, but all the other things of value we took from the vessel, as a trust committed to our care; and which we ought to use our utmost endeavours to preserve. I am, however, of opinion, that having rescued them at the risk of our lives, we have a right to use them for our own convenience, while we remain destitute of all human aid; but that, if we should ever find the persons to whom they belong, it is a duty incumbent on us to return them. + 

Fritz.⁠—And I, for my part, am of opinion, that the captain, however great a man he may be, will not be sorry to receive them in a magnificent case made from the skin of the tiger-cat, with which I shall present him, in return for the use of his utensils. + 

I was laughing at the vanity of my young pretender, when suddenly, we heard the firing of a gun, which proceeded from our tent in the tree, and two birds at the same time fell dead at our feet. We were at once surprised and alarmed, and all eyes were turned upwards to the place. There we saw Ernest standing outside the tent, a gun in his hand, and heard him triumphantly exclaiming, Catch them! catch them there! I have hit them; and you see I did not run away for nothing. He descended the ladder joyfully and precipitately, and ran with Francis to take up the two birds; while Fritz and Jack mounted to our castle in the tree, hoping to meet with the same luck. I observed them when they were got near the top, and called after them⁠—What are you going about? Have you already forgot the Great King, who commands that the birds of the air and the beasts of the field should rest on the day he has consecrated to himself? + 

These words suddenly interrupted the zeal of the young sportsmen, and diminished the pleasure of Ernest. He blushed, and cast his eyes on the ground, without attempting an excuse; while his brothers quietly descended the ladder, and began to examine the birds which had fallen from the tree. One of the dead birds proved to be a sort of thrush, and the other was a very small kind of pigeon, which in the Antilles is called an ortolan: they are very fat, and of a delicious taste. We now observed, for the first time, on looking about, that the wild figs began to ripen, and that they attracted a great number of these birds. I foresaw, in consequence, that we were about to have our larder well stored, and our table furnished with a dish which even a nobleman might envy us. I consoled the boys for the reproach I had made them, by giving them permission to kill as many of these birds, in future, as they liked. I knew that, half roasted and put into barrels with melted butter thrown over them, it was a food that would keep a long time, and might prove an excellent resource in time of need. My wife set about stripping off the feathers of the birds Ernest had killed, to dress them for our supper. I seated myself by her side, and proceeded in my work of arrow-making for Francis; and observed to my wife, that she would find an excellent substitute in the figs, for the grain we should want to feed our fowls, who no doubt would be found to have as high a relish for them, as was evinced by the ortolans. + 

Thus finished our day of rest. The birds proved excellent; but in point of quantity, we ran no risk of indigestion. Supper ended, and prayers said, we ascended the ladder in procession; and each withdrew to his hammock to taste the sweets of a tranquil sleep, though unprompted by such fatigue as we had experienced the preceding day. + 