joicing. It was many months since anyone on the island had tasted bread; for some time after the shipwreck a plentiful supply of sailors' biscuits had been washed ashore; but these were now all finished, or if any more were found on the beach they were so sodden with salt water that they were quite uneatable. Everyone, therefore, looked forward very eagerly to the time when the wheat would be converted into loaves of bread. The fortunate possessors of the small wheat-field spent nearly all their time in looking after it. In the dry season while the wheat was young, they watered it; and when it was nearly ripe, fearing it would be damaged by the violence of a tropical storm, they erected a strong bamboo fence all round it to protect it from the wind. At last the precious grains were ripe, and, after setting apart a due quantity for seed, it was bartered away at an enormously high value for the possessions and labour of the other inhabitants of the little colony. Everyone very much enjoyed his first bit of bread; but there was no doubt that its flavour
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II.]
THE SHIPWRECKED SAILORS.
27
