A Boat

           ButfirstIwastopreparemoreland,forIhadnowseedenoughtosowaboveanacreofground. BeforeIdidthis,Ihadaweek’sworkatleasttomakemeaspade,which,whenitwasdone,wasbutasorryoneindeed,andveryheavy,andrequireddoublelabortoworkwithit. However,Iwentthroughthat,andsowedmyseedintwolargeflatpiecesofground,asnearmyhouseasIcouldfindthemtomymind,andfencedtheminwithagoodhedge,thestakesofwhichwereallcutofthatwoodwhichIhadsetbefore,andknewitwouldgrow; sothatinoneyear’stimeIknewIshouldhaveaquickorlivinghedge,thatwouldwantbutlittlerepair. Thisworkwasnotsolittleastotakemeuplessthanthreemonths,becausegreatpartofthattimewasofthewetseason,whenIcouldnotgoabroad. 

           Withindoors,thatis,whenitrained,andIcouldnotgoout,Ifoundemploymentonthefollowingoccasions;alwaysobserving,thatallthewhileIwasatwork,Idivertedmyselfwithtalkingtomyparrot,andteachinghimtospeak, andIquicklylearnedhimtoknowhisownname,andatlasttospeakitoutprettyloud, "Poll,"whichwasthefirstwordIeverheardspokenintheislandbyanymouthbutmyown. This,therefore,wasnotmywork,butanassistanttomywork; fornow,asIsaid,Ihadagreatemploymentuponmyhands,asfollows,viz., Ihadlongstudied,bysomemeansorother,tomakemyselfsomeearthernvessels,whichindeedIwantedsorely,butknewnotwheretocomeatthem. However,consideringtheheatoftheclimate,IdidnotdoubtbutifIcouldfindoutanysuchclay, Imightbotchupsomesuchapotasmight,beingdriedinthesun,behardenoughandstrongenoughtobearhandling,andtoholdanythingthatwasdry,andrequiredtobekeptso; andasthiswasnecessaryinthepreparingcorn,meal,etc.,whichwasthethingIwasupon,IresolvedtomakesomeaslargeasIcould,andfitonlytostandlikejars,toholdwhatshouldbeputintothem.