The sails and clothing which they had brought from the wreck had been husbanded and made to last as long as possible; and then Blanche, who was industrious, spun and wove cloth for both from the fibre of a coarse weed like hemp.

Her wheel and loom were rude affairs constructed by John Stevens, who, thanks to his early experience as a pioneer, knew how to make all useful household implements.

When their shoes were worn out he tanned the skins of goats and made them moccasins, and he even wore a jacket of goat's skin.
For a covering for his head, he shot a fox and dressing the skin fashioned himself a cap.

In fact, the castaways lived as comfortably as the pioneers of Virginia.

John had his days of despondency, however.