"If we had but a canoe we might go off into deeper water, and then we might catch a greater variety, and many fish very fit for food," he remarked, eyeing as he spoke several trees which, he said, would make good canoes.  One or more canoes we accordingly resolved to have; so at once we set to work to cut down a couple of trees.  That operation our axes quickly accomplished.  It did not take us long to fashion the outside.  To scoop out the inside was more difficult.  Our axes did the rougher portion, and then we heated stones and bits of iron, and burned out the remainder, scraping off the black part with our knives.  In about a week we had a couple of small canoes completed, with seats across, and with three paddles in each.  Silva took charge of one, Cousin Silas of the other.  The doctor and I went with him, while Ben and Jerry accompanied Silva.