The rabbit-warren still continued to supply the larder of Granite House.  As fortunately it was situated on the other side of Creek Glycerine, its inhabitants could not reach the plateau nor ravage the newly-made plantation.  The oyster-bed among the rocks was frequently renewed and furnished excellent molluscs.  Besides that, the fishing, either in the lake or the Mercy, was very profitable, for Pencroft had made some lines, armed with iron hooks, with which they frequently caught fine trout, and a species of fish whose silvery sides were speckled with yellow, and which were also extremely savory.  Master Neb, who was skilled in the culinary art, knew how to vary agreeably the bill of fare.  Bread alone was wanting at the table of the settlers, and as has been said, they felt this privation greatly.

The settlers hunted too the turtles which frequented the shores of Cape Mandible.  At this place the beach was covered with little mounds, concealing perfectly spherical turtles’ eggs, with white hard shells, the albumen of which does not coagulate as that of birds’ eggs.  They were hatched by the sun, and their number was naturally considerable, as each turtle can lay annually two hundred and fifty.

“A regular egg-field,” observed Gideon Spilett, “and we have nothing to do but to pick them up.”

But not being contented with simply the produce, they made chase after the producers, the result of which was that they were able to bring back to Granite House a dozen of these chelonians, which were really valuable from an alimentary point of view.  The turtle soup, flavored with aromatic herbs, often gained well-merited praises for its preparer, Neb.

We must here mention another fortunate circumstance by which new stores for the winter were laid in.  Shoals of salmon entered the Mercy, and ascended the country for several miles.  It was the time at which the females, going to find suitable places in which to spawn, precede the males and make a great noise through the fresh water.  A thousand of these fish, which measured about two feet and a half in length, came up the river, and a large quantity were retained by fixing dams across the stream.  More than a hundred were thus taken, which were salted and stored for the time when winter, freezing up the streams, would render fishing impracticable.  By this time the intelligent Jup was raised to the duty of valet.  He had been dressed in a jacket, white linen breeches, and an apron, the pockets of which were his delight.  The clever orang had been marvelously trained by Neb, and any one would have said that the Negro and the ape understood each other when they talked together.  Jup had besides a real affection for Neb, and Neb returned it.  When his services were not required, either for carrying wood or for climbing to the top of some tree, Jup passed the greatest part of his time in the kitchen, where he endeavored to imitate Neb in all that he saw him do.  The black showed the greatest patience and even extreme zeal in instructing his pupil, and the pupil exhibited remarkable intelligence in profiting by the lessons he received from his master.