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ammunition and stores, and made me a large tent to secure myself and them from the weather. When I had done this, I began to work my way into the rock, laying all the earth and stones I dug out within my fence, in the manner of a terrace; and thus I had a cave just behind my hut.
But before the above works were eompleted, a sudden storm of thunder and lightning filled me with the greatest terror; for my powder suddenly darted into my mind, and my heart sunk within me at the thought that at one blast it might all be destroyed; on which not only my defence, but the providing of
my food entirely depended. No sooner was the storm over, than I laid aside every other work to make boxes and bags, in order to separate my powder, and put them in holes up and down the rocks, in such a manner, that ono parcel could not fire another.
While all this was doing, I walked out at least once every day with my gun, to see if I could kill any thing fit for food, and to acquaint myself with what the island produced. The first time I went out, I had the pleasure to find that there were