She had attempted to beat her cream in a vessel, but either the heat of the climate, or her want of patience, rendered her trials unsuccessful.

I felt that I had not skill enough to make a churn; but I fancied that by some simple method, like that used by the Hottentots, who put their cream in a skin and shake it till they produce butter, we might obtain the same result.
I cut a large gourd in two, filled it with three quarts of cream, then united the parts, and secured them closely.

I fastened a stick to each corner of a square piece of sailcloth, placed the gourd in the middle, and, giving a corner to each of my sons, directed them to rock the cloth with a slow, regular motion, as you would a child's cradle.

This was quite an amusement for them; and at the end of an hour, my wife had the pleasure of placing before us some excellent butter.

I then tried to make a cart, our sledge being unfitted for some roads; the wheels I had brought from the wreck rendered this less difficult; and I completed a very rude vehicle, which was, nevertheless, very useful to us.
While I was thus usefully employed, my wife and children were not idle.
They had transplanted the European trees, and thoughtfully placed each in the situation best suited to it.