He was delighted with
his new charger, and chose to give him the name of Valiant.
We had still two months before the rainy season, and this time we
devoted to completing the comforts of our grotto. We made all the
partitions of wood, except those which divided us from the stables,
which we built of stone, to exclude any smell from the animals. We soon
acquired skill in our works; we had a plentiful supply of beams and
planks from the ship; and by practice we became very good plasterers. We
covered the floors with a sort of well-beaten mud, smoothed it, and it
dried perfectly hard. We then contrived a sort of felt carpet. We first
covered the floor with sailcloth; we spread over this wool and goats'
hair mixed, and poured over it isinglass dissolved, rolling up the
carpet, and beating it well. When this was dry, we repeated the process,
and in the end had a felt carpet. We made one of these for each room, to
guard against any damp that we might be subject to in the rainy season.
The privations we had suffered the preceding winter increased the
enjoyment of our present comforts. The rainy season came on; we had now
a warm, well-lighted, convenient habitation, and abundance of excellent
provision for ourselves and our cattle. In the morning, we could attend
to their wants without trouble, for the rain-water, carefully collected
in clean vessels, prevented the necessity of going to the river.
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