Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/155

OR, VULCAN S PEAK. 149 necessarily so close, that it usually requires time for one who does not know where to put his hand on everything, to ascertain how much or how little is to be found in it. Such was the fact with Mark, whose courtship and mar riage had made a considerable inroad on his duties as a mate. As he overhauled the hold, he daily found fresh reasons for believing that Friend Abraham White had made provisions, of one sort and another, of which he was profoundly ignorant, but which, as the voyage had termi nated, proved to be of the greatest utility. Thus it was, that just as he was about to commence getting out th^se great requisites from new planks, he came across a stf n, stern-frame, and keel of a boat, that was intended to be eighteen feet long. Of course our young man profited by this discovery, getting the materials of all sorts, inducing these, round to the ship-yard by means of the raft. For the next two months, or until he had reason to he- lieve spring had fairly set in, Mark toiled faithfully at his boat. Portions of his work gave him a great dea) of trouble; some of it on account of ignorance of the craft, and some on account of his being alone. Getting the awning up anew cost poor Mark the toil of several days, and this because his single strength was not sufficient to hoist the corners of that heavy course, even when aided by watch-tackles. He was compelled to rig a crab, with which he effected his purpose, reserving the machine to aid him on other occasions. Then the model of the boat cost him a great deal of time and labour. Mark knew a good bottom when he saw it, but that was a very different thing from knowing how to make one. Of the rules of draughting he was altogether ignorant, and his eye was his only guide. He adopted a plan that was sufficiently ingenious, though it would never do to build a navy on the same principle. Having a great plenty of deal, Mark got out in the rough about twice as many timbers for one side of his boat as would be required, in this thin stuff, when he set them up in their places. Aided by this beginning, the young man began to dub and cut away, until he got each piece into something very near the. shape his eye toid him it ought to be. Even aftr he had got as far as this, our boat-builder 13*