“That I admit,” replied she; “but as they will probably take the liquor in the boat, that will not make so great a difference.”
“I shall go down and speak to them, now they’re all sober,” replied the mate, “and will let you know in the evening; or to-morrow morning perhaps, will be better.” The mate then saluted her, by touching his hat, and left us.
Chapter Twenty One.
There was one thing which had made a great impression on me in the conversation with the men in the morning. They called me a savage, and said that I had not sufficient clothes on; and as I observed that they were all dressed in jackets and trousers, which covered them from head to foot, I took it for granted that my shirt, which was all that I wore, was not a sufficient clothing. This had never occurred to me before, nor can the reader be surprised at it. I had been like our first parents in Eden—naked but not ashamed; but now that I had suddenly come in contact with my fellow-men, I felt as if something were amiss. The consequence was, that I went to the chest and got out a pair of white trousers, and put them on. I thought them very uncomfortable and very unnecessary articles; but others—wore them, and I felt that I must do so also. They were rather long for me, but I rolled up the bottoms of the legs, as I observed that the seamen did, and then came out on the platform, where the missionary’s wife was still seated, looking out upon the waves as they lashed the rocks. She immediately observed the addition that I had made to my dress, and said—
“That is a great improvement. Now you look like other people. What is your name? You have not told me.”
When I had answered the question, I said to her—
“I have brought up more of the potatoes, as you call them; what am I to do with them?”
“First tell me, have you any spot that you know about the island where there is mould—that is, earth, like you have in your garden—where we can plant them?”