"No," said he.

"He has picked up a fable of these seas, that there is a tree which grows cabbages." Welch heard him and said, with due warmth, "Of course there is a tree on all these islands that grows cabbages; that was known a hundred years before you was born, and shipmates of mine have eaten them." "Excuse me, what those old admirals and buccaneers, that set the legend afloat, were so absurd as to call a cabbage, and your shipmates may have eaten for one, is nothing on earth but the last year's growth of the palm-tree." "Palm-tree be -- --!" said Welch; and thereupon ensued a hot argument, which Helen's good sense cut short.
"Mr.Hazel," said she, "can you by any possibility get our poor friend the _thing_ he wants ?" "Oh, _that_ is quite within the bounds of possibility," said Hazel dryly.
"Well, then, suppose you begin by getting him the _thing._ Then I will boil the thing; and he will eat the thing; and after all that it will be time to argue about the _name_ we shall give to the _thing."_ The good sense of this struck Mr.Hazel forcibly.

He started off at once, armed with the ax, and a net bag Welch had made since he became unfit for heavy labor.

He called back to them as he went, to put the pots on.
Welch and Miss Rolleston complied; and then the sailor showed the lady how to sew sailor--wise, driving the large needle with the palm of the hand, guarded by a piece of leather.

They had nailed two breadths of canvas to the trees on the north and west sides and run the breadths rapidly together; and the water was boiling and bubbling in the balers, when Miss Rolleston uttered a scream, for Hazel came running over the prostrate palm-tree as if it was a proper bridge, and lighted in the midst of them.
"Lot one," said he cheerfully, and produced from his net some limes, two cocoanuts, and a land-turtle; from this last esculent Miss Rolleston withdrew with undisguised horror, and it was in vain he assured her it was a great delicacy.
"No matter.