Although early spring, the weather was very mild to what I had been used to on the Norfolk coast; in fact the temperature was as warm in April as it is in the East of England at the end of May.

The garden by the house also had my care, for I planted enough edibles in it to have maintained a large family, instead of a solitary being like myself.  Still, I counted my animals as my family, and got to love them all, even to the little pigs.  I named them all.  There was my dog “Begum,” the donkey “Eddy,” the goat “Unicorn,” which I contracted to “Corny.”  This name was derived from the fact that she had broken off one horn close to her head.  The pigs being twins were “Romulus” and “Remus,” and, like the first Romans of that name, had frequent family quarrels, which were, however, soon ended, the brothers rolling over each other in delight in their pig stye.

“Corny” gave me about a pint to a pint and a half of milk a day, which I found quite sufficient for my wants, as I only used it for breakfast and tea, water forming my invariable drink for dinner.  Breakfast and tea-supper I usually took with some show of punctuality, but my dinner was eaten in all sorts of places—­on the Crevicon, in my canoe, on the beach, or in the grove—­in fact, just where I happened to be when I felt hungry and had my wallet with me.

“Begum” always took his meals with me, except when I was on the sea, when the poor fellow would follow my canoe round the island, and watch till I came back again.  Then his joy knew no bounds.  He would go fairly mad with delight, and I must confess I used to look for my comrade as fondly as if he were a brother awaiting my landing.  He would carry quite a big load for me up the rocky cliff path, and esteem it quite a pleasure; but when I had anything extra heavy to take up I made him fetch “Eddy” to my aid.  Strange as it may seem, this was a very simple proceeding, for I taught him in a couple of days, thus: 

On the stable door I fastened a piece of wood to act as a fall-latch, which worked so easily that “Begum” could lift it with his nose and allow the door to swing open.  Then “Eddy” would march out, and wherever I happened to be, would trot to me at the sound of my voice.  Indeed, at length he used to follow “Begum,” directly he was released, to any part of the island.  Therefore, if I required “Eddy’s” services when I was quite at the south end of the island, I had only to send “Begum” to fetch him, and away they would come together.  This proceeding had only one drawback, and that was, that “Eddy” would always help himself to a mouthful of anything in the way of green food, which happened to be growing within his reach, if he had to come near my little farm.  I verily believe that “Begum” used to take his friend past my crops on purpose, although it was by no means the easiest way to get to the Cotils, where my potato crop grew, and where I often used to go to get a shot at the sea fowl on the Fauconnaire.  As the crops were principally for his own winter maintenance, I could not grudge him a bite of his food in advance.