with the rains, made me conclude it a very proper season to sow it.  Accordingly I dug up a piece of ground, with my wooden spade, and dividing it into two parts, sowed about two thirds of my seed, preserving by me about a handful of each.  And happy it was I did so; for no rains falling, it was choaked up, and never appeared above the earth till the wet season came again, and then part of it grew, as if it had been newly sown.

I was resolved all to make another trial; and seeking for a moister piece of ground near my bower, I there sowed the rest of my seed in February, a little before the vernal equinox; which having the rainy months of March and April to water it, yielded a noble crop, and sprang up very pleasantly.  I had still saved part of the seed, not daring to venture all; and by the time I found out the proper seasons to sow it in, and that I might expect every year two seed-times and two harvests, my stock amounted to above half a peck of each sort of grain.

No sooner were the rains over, but the stakes which I had cut from the trees, shot out like willows the first year after lopping their heads.  I was ignorant of the tree I cut them from; but they grew so regularly beautiful, that they made a most lively appearance, and so flourished in three year’s time, that I resolved to cut more of them; and these soon growing made a glorious fence, as afterwards I shall observe.

And now I perceived that the seasons of the year might generally be divided, not into summer and winter, as in Europe, but into wet and dry seasons, as in this manner: 

     / February,\
Half< March, > Rainy, sun coming near the Equinox.
     \ April, /

/ April,  \
|  May,     |
Half<   June,     > Dry, sun getting north of the Line.
|  July,    |
\ August, /

     / August, \
Half< September, > Wet, the sun being then come back.
     \ October, /

/ October,  \
|  November,  |
Half<   December,   >  Dry, sun running south of the Line.
|  January,   |
\ February, /

The wet seasons would continue longer or shorter, as the winds happened to blow.  But having found the ill consequences of being abroad in the rain, I took care beforehand to furnish myself with provisions; and during the wet months sat within doors as much as possible.  At this time I contrived to make many things that I wanted, though it cost me much labour and pains, before I could accomplish them.  The first I tried was to make a basket; but all the twigs I could get proved so brittle, that I could not then perform it.  It now proved of great advantage to me that when a boy, I took great delight in standing at a basket-maker’s in the same town where my father lived, to view them at work; and like other boys, curious to see the manner of their working these things and very officious to assist, I perfectly learned the method of it, and wanted nothing but the tools.  And it coming into my mind that the twigs of that