He had a good house, arms and food, and in time a ship would come.

A ship must come, and, with his usual optimism, he was sure that it would come soon.
He passed by the lakes and noted the marshy spot where he had shot the ducks.

Others had come back and were feeding there now on the water grasses.

Doubtless they had never seen man before and did not know his full destructiveness, but Robert resolved to have duck for his table whenever he wanted it.
A mile or two farther and he saw another but much smaller lake, around the edge of which duck also were feeding, showing him that the supply was practically unlimited.

Just beyond the second lake lay the range of hills that constituted the backbone of the island, and although the sun was hot he climbed them, their height being about a thousand feet.