He had, however, to make a stout
framework of rods. He would first coil his grass rope into this frame
and then sew it together with twine or thread made from this fibre.
[Illustration: ROBINSON'S BASKETS]
He afterwards tried making smaller and finer baskets out of the fibre
that he had discovered, which could be easily had from the
thick-leaved plant he thought he had seen at home. He first used long,
tough, fine roots he had seen when digging up the tree at the mouth
of his cave. Afterwards he discovered some tall, tough reeds growing
near by. He laid in a supply of these. He found that when he wanted
to use them, a good soaking in water made them as pliable and tough
as when first cut.
The making of the baskets and storing up grains made it possible for
Robinson to become a farmer and thus make himself independent. This
thought was a great relief to him.
XXIX
ROBINSON BECOMES A FARMER
Robinson had now been on the island long enough to know how the
seasons changed. He found that there were two kinds of weather there,
wet weather and dry weather. There were two wet seasons in each year
and two dry ones. During the wet seasons, which lasted nearly three
months, Robinson had to remain pretty closely at home, and could not
gather grain, for the plants were then starting from the seeds. It
ripened in the dry seasons. Robinson soon found that he must have a
store of corn and wild rice for food during the rainy seasons.
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