The Life of Robert Louis Stevenson for Boys and Girls

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ugly picture of fruit and cake. Louis would fain cover it up if we could
spare a flag with which to do it. The doors at the further end lead to
the pantry and galley and beyond these are the men's quarters."

No expense had been spared in building the _Casco_ to make her
comfortable. She was intended, however, for cruising in the California
waters and was hardly suited to the rough handling she received during
the squally weather of the next few months. Fortunately she stood the
test well and her passengers suffered few discomforts.

Once under way and settled for living, the trip proved quite uneventful.
The long days were spent on deck reading or working, and Stevenson began
to gather material for a book on the South Seas. The ship's life suited
him admirably; every strange fish and new star interested him, and he
grew stronger hourly in the warm air.

"Since the fifth day," he wrote, "we were left behind by a full-rigged