A thick,
short, smooth turf clothed the ground beneath and around the detached
roots of the trees, and everything combined to render this one of the
most delicious spots the mind could conceive.
"Here we rested, and made our noon-day repast; a clear rivulet ran near
us, and offered its agreeable waters for our refreshment. Our dogs soon
joined us; but I was astonished to find they did not crave for food, but
laid down to sleep at our feet. For myself, so safe and happy did I
feel, that I could not but think that if we could contrive a dwelling on
the branches of one of these trees, we should be in perfect peace and
safety. We set out on our return, taking the road by the sea-shore, in
case the waves had cast up anything from the wreck of the vessel. We
found a quantity of timber, chests, and casks; but all too heavy to
bring. We succeeded in dragging them, as well as we could, out of the
reach of the tide; our dogs, in the mean time, fishing for crabs, with
which they regaled themselves, much to their own satisfaction and to
mine, as I now saw they would be able to provide their own food. As we
rested from our rough labour, I saw Flora scratching in the sand, and
swallowing something with great relish. Ernest watched, and then said,
very quietly, 'They are turtles' eggs.
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