CHAPTEE 11. 



ENEMIES ASHORE AND AFLOAT. 



My hut of palm spathes — The deadly manchineels — How I caught 

 fish without hook or net — The morning bath in the bay — 

 Approaching danger — The great gray ghost of a shark. 



After the ship had disappeared behind the point, 

 it was a long while before I could collect my thoughts 

 and prepare for action. But as I had no shelter for 

 the coming night, I had no time to lose, if I did not 

 wish to sleep exposed upon the sands. Material for 

 shelter was close at hand, for I found a lot of straight 

 poles, cast up by the waves, and these served as up- 

 rights for the support of a thatch of palm leaves, with 

 which the beach was strewn. 



Selecting a spot beneath the palms on the bank of 

 a stream, I drove the poles into the sand, and soon 

 had the four sides of my hut in place. Over this 

 skeleton I tacked strips of canvas, covering them with 

 the palm leaves. Above them I placed a layer of the 

 great spathes of the mountain palm, some of which 

 were from six to eight feet long and two feet broad ; 

 they were curved like Spanish tiles, and formed ex- 

 cellent roofing material. I connected the poles by 

 crosspieces, and covered them with leaves ; and in a 



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