Page 422 - Child's own book

to my old one, taking with me my grapes, which were now be­
come fine raisins of the sun.
I baJ been concerned for the loss of one of my cats; bat
about this time she came home, and increased my family with
three kittens, she having bred, as I supposed, by a wild cat, of
which then! were some in the woods, and they soon multiplied
so fust, that I was obliged to drive them from me.
The rainy and dry seasons now appeared quite regular to me.
I dug a piece of ground as well as I could with a wooden spade
of my own milking, and began to sow my own grain; but as I
was doing if, it occurred to my thoughts, that I would not sow
all, for fiar it should not grow, so I reserved about a handful of
each sort; and well it was I did so; for it did not come up till
many months afterwards. Vt ben I saw it did not grow, 1
sought for m n i s t t T ground, and dug up a piece nearer my bower,
which answered to my wishes; and my crop amounted to about
half n peek of each kind: by this means I \^as made master of
my business; knew when to sow, and that. I might expect two
seed-times and two harvests every year ; for the corn 1 set first
came up after the next wet season.
When the rains were over, I made a visit to my bower, where
I found the stakes I set lor my defence were shot up into trees,
which I pruned, and made as much alike as possible ; and they
became a complete shade. This was my work in the dry sea­
son ; and to employ myself when I could not go abroad, 1 made
biiskets, having, when a child, taken much delight to see a
basket-maker.
In one of the dry seasons, I took another ramble, armed with
my gun and hatchet, and guarded by my faithful dog. When
I had passed the valley in which stood my Iwwer, I came within
view of the sea, and it being a clear day, i plainly discovered
land; but whether island or cuntiuent, I could not tell; I