"Make ourselves as happy as we can, and collect everything which will serve us as food, in case we have to make a long sojourn here, which it is, I think, very probable we shall have to do," replied Mr Brand.  "A ship may come off here in a few days or weeks, but we must remember that perhaps months or years may pass before one is seen.  I cannot say whereabouts we are, but I suspect that the pirates would not have left us in the usual track of vessels coming north round Cape Horn, or going east or west.  The next thing we have to do is to strip the branches off the tallest palm on the island, and make it serve as a flag-staff. We'll then make as large a flag as we can of our handkerchiefs and shirts, and any stuff which will be light enough to fly well."