He could not see how far the island extended to the east; it could be no great distance, for, above the farthest land, eastward, gleamed water. Upon this island, and upon this only of all in view, grew forest trees. The place was a desert, a waste; no sign of man appeared. By hard Fate this unlucky man had been blown away from his home, from his fellows, and his peers. Day had succeeded day, and he had seen nothing but water and sky, sky and water. Now he saw land, but a strange unknown land; a land never trodden by man before--a land he had never heard of, and he came of a great seafaring race. He had not been overwhelmed by the sea; but, except that fate, this was the worst that could befall him. He was not dead, but he stood in a strange land, a land from which he could never find his way back over unexplored seas, fathomless darkness of night, tumult of waves. But the best must be made of things as they were. Looking at sky and river and shore would not restore him to the land of his birth. The best thing to do was to try what he could make of the place which had come in his way and saved him from a watery grave. He glanced around him to see what facilities the place afforded. The first thing which caught his eyes was a large white stone among the trees at the top of the hill. Three trees stood near this stone. A hut might be constructed with the stone for one side, and trees for corners of the opposing side. It was desirable he should live on the highest point of the island. There was no trace of man here. But people might come up that river upon either design or compulsion, and it was desirable he should be in a position commanding all approaches. Yes, he would build a hut there to shelter them; when that was done, he should explore this strange country at leisure. Now he should go and fetch them. He returned to the boat, and, bending over the bundle, spoke, and raised the skins. The sun had not come out, but the light shone full and strong. In the light of that November day the man lifted and carried ashore his wife and new-born son, and conveyed them up to the place he had selected as their future home.