The sea would soon have broken up the wreck, and provisions, weapons, clothes, bedding, and cooking traps would have been scattered in confusion on the beach. Fortunately the schooner had been swept on to the sand, in such a state, it is true, that she would never float again, but still habitable, at least for a time. Before she became useless as a dwelling the boys might hope to find some town or village, or, if the island was a desert one, some cave in the rocks which they might make their home.

That very day they set to work to make the schooner comfortable. A rope-ladder on the starboard side gave easy access to the beach. Moko, who as a cabin-boy knew something of cooking, took charge of the galley, and, helped by Service, proceeded to cook a meal which, thanks to excellent appetite, gave general satisfaction; and even Jenkins, Iverson, Dole and Costar became quite lively. Jack alone continued miserable; his character seemed to have quite changed; but to all his companions said to him on the subject he gave evasive replies.

Thoroughly tired out after so many days and nights of danger, the need of a good sound sleep was apparent to all. The youngsters were the first to find their way to the saloon, and the others soon followed. Briant, Gordon and Donagan took it in turns to keep watch. Might not some wild beasts put in an appearance? Or even a band of natives, who would be more formidable? But neither came. The night passed without an alarm of any kind; and when the sun rose the boys joined in prayer to God for their deliverance from peril, and started on such work as was necessary.

The first thing was to make a list of the provisions, and then of the weapons, instruments, utensils, clothes, tools, &c. The food question was serious, for it seemed they were in a desert land. They would have to trust to fishing and shooting, if anything remained to be shot. Donagan, who was a capital shot, had seen nothing yet but the birds on the reef and beach. But to be reduced to feeding on sea-birds was not a pleasant prospect, and it was desirable to know how long the schooner’s provisions would last if managed with care.

It was found that except the biscuits, of which there was a large store, the preserves, hams, meat biscuits—made of flour, minced pork, and spice—corned beef, salt beef, and sea stores generally, could not last longer than two months, so that from the very first they must have recourse to the productions of the country, and keep the provisions in case they had to journey some hundreds of miles to reach a port on the coast or a town in the interior.

‘Suppose some of these things have been damaged?’ asked Baxter. ‘If the sea-water got into the hold—’

‘That we shall see when we open the cases that look as though they had been knocked about,’  said Gordon. ‘If we were to cook them up again, they might do.’

‘I’ll look after that,’ said Moko.

‘The sooner the better,’ said Briant, ‘for the first day or two we shall have to live entirely on these things.’

‘And why shouldn’t we start to-day?’ asked Wilcox, ‘and see if we cannot find some more eggs among those rocks to the northward?’

‘Yes! that’s it!’ said Dole.

‘And why shouldn’t we go fishing?’ asked Webb. ‘Are there not any fishing-lines on board? Who’ll go fishing?’

‘I will! I will!’ said the youngsters.

‘All right,’ said Briant. ‘But no playing about; we only give the lines to those who mean business.’

‘Don’t get excited,’ said Iverson. ‘We will be as steady as—’

‘But look here,’ said Gordon; ‘we must first make a list of what there is on board. We have other things to think of besides what there is to eat.’

‘You can go and get a few oysters for lunch,’ said Service.

‘Ah! that I’ll do,’ said Gordon. ‘Off you go in twos and threes; and, Moko, you go with them.

The negro could be trusted. He was willing, clever, and plucky, and would probably be of great use. He was particularly attached to Briant, who did not conceal his liking for him.

‘Come on!’ said Jenkins.

‘Are you not going with them, Jack?’ asked Briant

Jack replied in the negative.

Jenkins, Dole, Costar, and Iverson then went off in charge of Moko, and scrambled up on to the reef which the sea had just left dry. In the cracks and crannies they might perchance come across many mollusks, mussels, clams, and even oysters, which, either raw or cooked, would form a welcome reinforcement. Away they went running and jumping, and evidently looking on the expedition as one of pleasure rather than work; at their age they remembered little of the trials they had passed through, and thought less of the dangers to come.

As soon as they had gone the elder boys began their search on the yacht. Donagan, Cross, Wilcox, and Webb devoted themselves to the weapons, ammunition, clothes, bedding, tools, and utensils, while Briant, Garnett, Baxter, and Service took stock of the drinkables. As each article was called out Gordon entered it in his note-book.

It was found that the yacht had a complete set of spare sails and rigging of all sorts, cordage, cables, hawsers, &c., and if she could have been got afloat again could have been completely refitted. But these best quality sails and new cordage would never again be used on the sea; they would come in useful in other ways. A few fishing appliances, hand-lines, and deep-sea-lines figured in the inventory, and very valuable they would be, for fish was abundant.

The list of weapons in the note-book gave eight central-fire fowling-pieces, a long-range duck-gun, and twelve revolvers for ammunition there were 300 cartridges for the breech-loaders, two barrels of gunpowder, each of twenty-five pounds, and a large quantity of lead, small shot and bullets. This ammunition, intended to be used on the New Zealand coast at the places the yacht put in at, would come in more useful for the general security. The storeroom also contained a few rockets for night signalling, and thirty cartridges and projectiles for the two small cannons on board, which it was hoped would not have to be used in repulsing a native attack.

The cooking utensils, and such like, were enough, even if the stay was to be a lengthy one. Though a good deal of the crockery had been smashed when the yacht ran ashore on the reef, yet enough remained at the service of the table.