Linen¹—Shoes of Seal-leather—Manufacture of Pyroxyle—Gardening—Fishing—Turtle-eggs—Improvement of Master Jup—The Corral—Musmon Hunt—New Animal and Vegetable Possessions—Recollections of their Native Land.

The first week of January was devoted² to the manufacture of the linen garments required by the colony. The needles found in the box were used by sturdy if not delicate fingers, and we may be sure that what was sewn was sewn firmly.

There was no lack of thread, thanks to Cyrus Harding's idea of re-employing that which had been already used in the covering of the balloon. This with admirable patience was all unpicked by Gideon Spilett and Herbert, for Pencroft had been obliged to give this work up, as it irritated him beyond measure; but he had no equal in the sewing part of the business. Indeed, everybody knows that sailors have a remarkable³ aptitude⁴ for tailoring.

The cloth of which the balloon-case was made was then cleaned by means of soda⁵ and potash, obtained by the incineration of plants, in such a way that the cotton, having got rid of the varnish⁶, resumed its natural softness and elasticity⁷; then, exposed to the action of the atmosphere, it soon became perfectly⁸ white. Some dozen shirts and socks—the latter not knitted of course, but made of cotton—were thus manufactured. What a comfort it was to the settlers to clothe themselves again in clean linen, which was doubtless rather rough, but they were not troubled about that! and then to go to sleep between sheets, which made the couches at Granite⁹ House into quite comfortable beds!

It was about this time also that they made boots of seal-leather, which were greatly needed to replace the shoes and boots brought from America. We may be sure that these new shoes were large enough and never pinched the feet of the wearers.

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