The Swiss Family Robinson; or Adventures in a Desert Island

el is indispensable, if we wish to save our cattle, and many other things that may be useful to us; on th

iness your voyage may give me, I yield to the importance and utility of it. Let it be done to-day; and

dren should remain with my wife; and Fritz, the

than they flew at it, and would have torn it to pieces, if he had not soothed them and called them off. However, their barking effectually roused the boys, who rushed out to see the cause. Jack issued first with the monkey on his shoulder; but no sooner did the little creature see the jackal,

or, who knew the agouti immediately,

characteristics," said Ern

Fritz, ironically, "don't you

with tears in his eyes, "perhaps you would not

. This discussion terminated, I summoned them to prayers, after which we thought of breakfast. We had nothing but biscuit, which was certainly dry and hard. Fritz begged for a little cheese with it

ood, but it was no use

displaying a piece of butter he had ext

een fortunate for us," said I. "Come

e. We then sat down to breakfast with a cocoa-nut basin filled with good salt Dutch butter. We toasted our biscuit, buttered it hot, and agreed that it was excellent. Our dogs were sleeping by us as we breakfasted; and I remarked that they had bloody marks of the last night's fray, in some deep and dange

y his inventive powers; and, ordering my children, not to leave their mother, during our ab

gun three times, when we would immediately return; for I had informed my dear wife it might be necessary for us to remain on board all night; and she consented to the plan, on my promising to pass the n

the water of the river which issued at a little distance, which I was glad to take advantage of, to spare our labour. It carried us thr

ey to a goat, which he sucked with extraordinary grimaces, to our infinite amusement. We then took some refreshment ourselves, and Fritz, to my great surprise, proposed that we should begin by adding a sail to

ng a deck, and then, by aid of a block used to hoist and lower the sails, raised our mast. Finally, two ropes fastened by one end to the yard, and by the other to each extremity of the boat, enabled us to direct the sail at pleasure. Fritz next ornamented th

r, pewter plates and dishes, and a small chest filled with bottles of choice wines. All these we took, as well as a chest of eatables, intended for the officers' table, portable soup, Westphalian hams, Bologna sausages, &c.; also some bags of maize, wheat, and other seeds, and some potatoes. We collected all the implements of husbandry we could spare room for, and, at the request of Fritz, some hammocks and blanke

rs, we sought our tubs, not the most luxurious of dormitories, but safer than the ship. Fritz slept soundly; but I