The wood of this tree is composed of fine
filaments; but the bark is so hard that it turns the edge of the hatchet,
and Paul was not even furnished with a knife. At length he thought of
setting fire to the palm tree, but a new difficulty occurred, he had no
steel with which to strike fire; and, although the whole island is covered
with rocks, I do not believe it is possible to find a flint. Necessity,
however, is fertile in expedients, and the most useful inventions have
arisen from men placed in the most destitute situations. Paul determined to
kindle a fire in the manner of the negroes. With the sharp end of a stone
he made a small hole in the branch of a tree that was quite dry, which he
held between his feet; he then sharpened another dry branch of a different
sort of wood, and afterwards placing the piece of pointed wood in the small
hole of the branch which he held with his feet, and turning it rapidly
between his hands, in a few minutes smoke and sparks of fire issued from
the points of contact. Paul then heaped together dried grass and branches,
and set fire to the palm tree, which soon fell to the ground. The fire was
useful to him in stripping off the long, thick and pointed leaves, within
which the cabbage was enclosed.
"Paul and Virginia ate part of the cabbage raw, and part dressed upon the
ashes, which they found equally palatable. They made this frugal repast
with delight, from the remembrance of the benevolent action they had
performed in the morning: yet their joy was embittered by the thoughts of
that uneasiness which their long absence would give their mothers.
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