"
"And he will find," said he, "we know something of that kind of work.
Did you show him our beautiful pinnace and canoe? But can such a large
vessel enter our Bay of Safety?"
"No," replied I; "I fear there will not be sufficient water; but we will
show the captain the large bay at the other end of the island, formed by
Cape Disappointment; he will find there a beautiful harbour."
"And he and his officers may live at the farm, and we can go over every
day to assist in repairing their vessel," continued Fritz.
"Very well," said I; "and when it is finished, he will, in return, give
us a place in it to return to Europe."
"To return to Europe, father!" cried he; "to leave our beautiful winter
dwelling, Tent House, and our charming summer residence, Falcon's Nest;
our dear, good animals; our crystals of salt; our farms; so much that is
our own, and which nobody covets, to return into Europe to poverty, to
war, to those wicked soldiers who have banished us! We want nothing.
Dear father, can you consent to leave our beloved island?"
"You are right, my dear son," said I. "Would to God we might always
remain here happily together; but we are of different ages, and by the
law of nature we must one day be separated. Consider, my dear son, if
you should survive your brothers, how cheerless it would be to live
quite alone on this desert island, without any one to close your eyes.
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