For many months after this we continued to live on our island in
uninterrupted harmony and happiness. Sometimes we went out a-fishing in
the lagoon, and sometimes went a-hunting in the woods, or ascended to
the mountain-top, by way of variety, although Peterkin always asserted
that we went for the purpose of hailing any ship that might chance to
heave in sight. But I am certain that none of us wished to be delivered
from our captivity, for we were extremely happy; and Peterkin used to
say that, as we were very young, we should not feel the loss of a year
or two. Peterkin, as I have said before, was thirteen years of age,
Jack eighteen, and I fifteen. But Jack was very tall, strong, and manly
for his age, and might easily have been mistaken for twenty.
The climate was so beautiful that it seemed to be a perpetual summer,
and as many of the fruit-trees continued to bear fruit and blossom all
the year round, we never wanted for a plentiful supply of food. The
hogs, too, seemed rather to increase than diminish, although Peterkin
was very frequent in his attacks on them with his spear. If at any time
we failed in finding a drove, we had only to pay a visit to the plum
tree before mentioned, where we always found a large family of them
asleep under its branches.
We employed ourselves very busily during this time in making various
garments of cocoa-nut cloth, as those with which we had landed were
beginning to be very ragged.
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