They walked round, but, with the exception of spars and a barrel or two of tar, they could find nothing of value. There was no want of staves and iron hoops of broken casks, and these, Ready observed, would make excellent palings for the garden when they had time to bring them round. After they had returned, they sat down to rest themselves, and then they went to the tents in the cocoa-nut grove, in which they had collected the articles thrown up when the ship went to pieces. "Why, the pigs have been at work here!" said Ready; "they have contrived to open one cask of flour somehow or another; look, sir - I suppose it must have been shaky, or they could not have routed into it; the canvas is not good for much, I fear; fortunately, we have several bolts of new, which I brought on shore. Now, sir, we will see what condition the stores are in. All these are casks of flour, and we run no risk in opening them, and seeing if they are in good order." The first cask which was opened had a cake round it as hard as a board; but when it was cut through with the axe, the inside was found in a good state. "That's all right, sir; and I presume the others will be the same; the salt water has got in so far and made a crust, which has preserved the rest. But now let us go to dinner, and to work afterwards." Chapter L After dinner they resumed their labour. "I wonder what's in this case?" said Mr. Seagrave, pointing to the first at hand. Ready set to work with his axe, and broke off the lid, and found a number of pasteboard boxes full of tapes, narrow ribbons, stay-laces, whalebones, and cottons on reels. "This has been sent out for some Botany Bay milliner," said Mr. Seagrave. "I presume, however, we must confiscate it for the benefit of Mrs. Seagrave and Miss Caroline. We will take them to them as soon as we have time." The next was a box without a lock; the lid was forced up, and they found a dozen half-gallon square bottles of gin stored in divisions. "That's Hollands, sir, I know," said Ready; "what shall we do with it?" "We will not destroy it, Ready, but at the same time we will not use it but as a medicine," replied Mr. Seagrave; "we have been so long used to spring-water, that it would be a pity to renew a taste for spirituous liquors." "I trust we shall never want to drink a drop of it, sir, either as a medicine or otherwise. Now for this cask with wooden hoops." The head was soon out, and discovered a dinner set of painted china with gold edges. "This, Mr. Seagrave, may be useful, for we are rather short of plates and dishes. Common white would have served as well." "And be more suitable with our present outfit," replied Mr. Seagrave. "Here's a box with your name on it, sir," said Ready; "do you know what is in it?" "I have no idea, Ready; but your axe will decide the point."