After long labour, we had eight tubs all the same height. We refreshed
ourselves with wine and biscuit, which we had found in some of the
casks. I then contemplated with delight my little squadron of boats
ranged in a line; and was surprised that my wife still continued
depressed. She looked mournfully on them. "I can never venture in one of
these tubs," said she.

"Wait a little, till my work is finished," replied I, "and you will see
it is more to be depended on than this broken vessel."

I sought out a long flexible plank, and arranged eight tubs on it, close
to each other, leaving a piece at each end to form a curve upwards, like
the keel of a vessel. We then nailed them firmly to the plank, and to
each other. We nailed a plank at each side, of the same length as the
first, and succeeded in producing a sort of boat, divided into eight
compartments, in which it did not appear difficult to make a short
voyage, over a calm sea.

But, unluckily, our wonderful vessel proved so heavy, that our united
efforts could not move it an inch. I sent Fritz to bring me the
jack-screw, and, in the mean time, sawed a thick round pole into pieces;
then raising the fore-part of our work by means of the powerful machine,
Fritz placed one of these rollers under it.

Ernest was very anxious to know how this small machine could accomplish
more than our united strength. I explained to him, as well as I could,
the power of the lever of Archimedes, with which he had declared he
could move the world, if he had but a point to rest it on; and I
promised my son to take the machine to pieces when we were on shore, and
explain the mode of operation. I then told them that God, to compensate