Her face was oval; eyes black and large; and her hair black as the raven’s wing; her features were small and regular; her teeth white and good; but her complexion was very pallid, and not a vestige of colour on her cheeks. As I have since thought, it was more like a marble statue than anything I can compare her to. There was a degree of severity in her countenance when she did not smile, and it was seldom that she did. I certainly looked upon her with more awe than regard, for some time after I became acquainted with her; and yet her voice was soft and pleasant, and her manners very amiable; but it must be remembered I had never before seen a woman. After breakfast was over, I proposed going down to where the seamen lay, to see if they were awake; but I told her I thought that they would not be.
“I will go with you, as I left a basket with some things of mine in the boat, and it will be as well to bring them up at once.”
We therefore set off together, I having ordered Nero to stay in the cabin. On our arrival at the pool, we found the men still fast asleep; and by her directions I went into the water to the boat, and brought out a basket and a small bundle which she pointed out.
“Shall I wake them?” said I.
“No, no,” replied she; “so long as they sleep, they will be doing no harm. But,” said she, “we may as well take some potatoes up with us; fill both these handkerchiefs,” continued she, taking two out of the bundle. I did so, and she took one and I the other, and we returned to the cabin.
“Are these all the birds that you have for food?” said she, looking at the pile in the cabin.
“Yes,” replied I. “But what are we to do with the potatoes?”
“We can roast them by the fire if we like,” said she; “but at present we had better take them into the cabin. Did you plant all these flowers and creepers which grow over the cabin?”
“Yes,” replied I. “I was alone and had nothing to do, so I thought I would make a garden.”
“They are very pretty. Now that I am back, you can go down to the men if you please, and tell them, when they wake up, that I wish to have the smallest of the boat’s sails, to make a screen of. Tell the mate—he is the most civil.”