worn out, and with skins of the musk cat I had to make new ones. The
bears' skins were laid in the sun to dry, and of these we made fur
coats, which would keep us warm when the cold wet nights came round,
and there were some left to serve as quilts or rugs for our beds.

I now tried my hand at a new craft. I dug some clay out of the bed of
the stream, and taught the boys to knead it up with sand, and some talc
that had been ground as fine as road drift. I had made a lathe with a
wheel, and by its aid the clay left my bands in the shape of plates,
cups, pots, and pans. We then burnt them in a rude kiln, and though at
least one half broke with the heat and our want of skill, still those
that came out whole more than paid me for my toil, and kept up my
wife's stock of delf. Some of the jars were set round with red and blue
beads, and these were put on a shelf as works of art, and kept full of
long dried grass.

The time was now at hand when we must reap our grain and store the ripe
crops that were still on the ground; and, in fact, there was so much to
be done, that we scarce knew what to do first. The truth must be told
that our wants did not keep pace with the growth of our wealth, for the
land was rich, and we had but a few mouths to fill.

We knew that we might leave the roots in the ground for some time, as
the soil was dry, but that the grain would soon spoil; so we made the
corn our first care. When it was all cut and brought home, our next
task was to thresh it. The floor of our store room was now as hard as a
rock, for the sun had dried it, and there was not a crack to be seen.
On this we laid the ears of ripe corn, from which the long straw had
been cut, and sent the boys to bring in such of our live stock as were
fit for the work to be next done.