I remembered, accurately the day of the wreck, and as I had been on shore one day, I out the first notch, and engraved on the shell: "December 18th, 18--."
As I marked upon my calendar I wondered how many shells I should have upon my string ere I was rescued from my lonely position. "Perhaps," I thought, "I may never see any other place." But I resolved not to harbor gloomy thoughts; and tying a large hard knot in one end of the cord, I strung the shell upon it, inserting it from the outside. Succeeding shells strung upon the cord would fit into one another like a nest of bowls. Thus I would have a complete record, and a practically imperishable one.
As I knew the day of the week on which I had commenced my lone life, I resolved, for each Sunday, to bore a hole instead of cutting a notch, for I intended to observe the Sabbath by abstaining from work.
Continuing my way to the pool, I set to work cutting bamboos. I selected only those measuring about two inches in diameter, and before the sun reached the zenith I had thirty of them cut and trimmed, ready to drag to my house.
I found it hot work, and I threw myself down to rest. For the first time I caught sight of the birds that had been making such a babel of discordant sounds all the morning. Several of them were flying about near the opposite side of the pool, and I at once recognized them as parrots.
"What a consolation it would be," I thought, "if I could capture one and teach it to talk. It certainly would prove far better than no companion."
Having landed the bamboos at the house, I set about cutting them into lengths corresponding to the height of the corner posts. These I set into the ground at regular intervals, in line with the posts, lashing the upper ends to the horizontal poles resting in the forks, and to the poles across the other two sides, using for the purpose a long, supple vine which I found growing in plenty in the edge of the woods, twisting around the trunks of the trees.
CHAPTER VI.
The Stockade; A Crusoe's Life.
By the time I had finished setting the poles into the ground, thus forming the enclosure of the house, my appetite began to assert itself; and I was again reminded that I must search for food other than cocoanuts and oranges. More substantial nourishment I must have if I was to continue to work and retain my health and strength. But my extreme anxiety to carry along the construction of my house sufficiently far to afford a feeling of security at night, decided me to make a few more meals of the oranges and nuts before suspending work long enough to discover or develop resources.