"I'll tell you, madam: in the first place, you have the wood to build
the house with; then you have the bark with which you can make ropes
and lines, and fishing-nets if you please; then you have the leaves for
thatching your house; then you have the fruit, which, as a nut, is good
to eat, and very useful in cooking; and in the young nut is the milk,
which is also very wholesome; then you have the oil to burn, and the
shell to make cups of, if you haven't any, and then you can draw toddy
from the tree, which is very pleasant to drink when fresh, but will
make you tipsy if it is kept too long. There is no tree which yields so
many useful things to man, for it supplies him with almost everything."

"At all events, we've plenty of them," said William.

"Yes, William, there's no want of them; and I am glad of it, for had
there been but few, I should not have liked to destroy them. People
might be wrecked here, as well as ourselves, and without the good
fortune that we have had in getting so many necessaries on shore; and
they might be obliged to depend wholly upon the cocoa-nut trees for
their support."



Chapter XIII

When breakfast was over the next morning, Ready observed, "Now, Mr.
Seagrave, we must hold a council of war, and decide upon an exploring
party for to-morrow; and, when we have settled that, we will find some
useful way of employing ourselves for the rest of the day. The first
question is, of whom is the party to consist? - and upon that I wish to
hear your opinion."