1813
                           THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON

                                 by Johann Wyss









şiElectronically Enhanced Text (c) Copyright 1996, World Library(R)
DAK Upgraded Edition, Copyright 2000, DAK Industries 2000, Inc(R)şI

{CHAPTER_1
                                  1
            A Shipwreck, and Preparations for Deliverance
-
  ALREADY THE tempest had continued six days; on the seventh its
fury seemed still increasing; and the morning dawned upon us without a
prospect of hope, for we had wandered so far from the right track, and
were so forcibly driven toward the south-east, that none on board knew
where we were. The ship's company were exhausted by labour and
watching, and the courage which had sustained them was now sinking.
The shivered masts had been cast into the sea; several leaks appeared,
and the ship began to fill. The sailors forbore from swearing; many
were at prayer on their knees; while others offered miracles of future
piety and goodness as the condition of their release from danger.
'My beloved children,' said I to my four boys, who clung to me in
their fright, 'God can save us, for nothing is impossible to him. We
must however hold ourselves resigned, and, instead of murmuring at his
decree, rely that what he sees fit to do is best, and that should he
call us from this earthly scene, we shall be near him in heaven, and
united through eternity. Death may be well supported when it does
not separate those who love.'
  At this moment a cry of 'Land, land!' was heard through the
roaring of the waves, and instantly the vessel struck against a rock
with so violent a motion as to drive every one from his place; a
tremendous cracking succeeded, as if the ship was going to pieces; the
sea rushed in, in all directions; we perceived that the vessel had
grounded, and could not long hold together. The captain called out
that all was lost, and bade the men lose not a moment in putting out
the boats. The sounds fell on my heart like a thrust from a dagger:
'We are lost!' I exclaimed, and the children broke out into piercing
cries. I then recollected myself, and, addressing them again, exhorted
them to courage, by observing that the water had not yet reached us,
that the ship was near land, and that Providence would assist the
brave. 'Keep where you are,' added I, 'while I go and examine what
is best to be done.'
  I now went on the deck. A wave instantly threw me down, and wetted
me to the skin; another followed, and then another. I sustained myself
as steadily as I could; and looking around, a scene of terrific and
complete disaster met my eyes: the ship was shattered in all
directions, and on one side there was a complete breach. The ship's
company crowded into the boats till they could contain not one man
more, and the last who entered were now cutting the ropes to move off.
I called to them with almost frantic entreaties to stop and receive us
also, but in vain; for the roaring of the sea prevented my being
heard, and the waves, which rose to the height of mountains, would
have made it impossible to return. All hope from this source was over,
for, while I spoke, the boats, and all they contained, were driving
out of sight. My best consolation now was to observe that the slanting
position the ship had taken would afford us present protection from
the water; and that the stern, under which was the cabin that enclosed
all that was dear to me on earth, had been driven upwards between
two rocks, and seemed immovably fixed. At the same time, in the
distance southward, I descried, through clouds and rain, several nooks
of land, which, though rude and savage in appearance, were the objects
of every hope I could form in this distressing moment.
  Sunk and desolate from the loss of all chance of human aid, it was
yet my duty to appear serene before my family: 'Courage, dear ones,'
cried I on entering their cabin, 'let us not desert ourselves: I
will not conceal from you that the ship is aground; but we are at
least in greater safety than if she were beating upon the rocks; our
cabin is above water; and should the sea be more calm to-morrow, we
may yet find means to reach the land in safety.'
                                                    {CHAPTER_1 ^paragraph 5}
  What I had just said appeased their fears; for my family had the
habit of confiding in my assurances. They now began to feel the
advantage of the ship's remaining still; for its motion had been
most distressing, by jostling them one against another, or whatever
happened to be nearest. My wife, however, more accustomed than the
children to read my inmost thoughts, perceived the anxiety which
devoured me. I made her a sign which conveyed an idea of the
hopelessness of our situation; and I had the consolation to see that
she was resolved to support the trial with resignation. 'Let us take
some nourishment,' said she; 'our courage will strengthen with our
bodies; we shall perhaps need this comfort to support a long and
melancholy night.'
  Soon after night set in; the fury of the tempest had not abated; the
planks and beams of the vessel separated in many parts with a horrible
crash. We thought of the boats, and feared that all they contained
must have sunk under the foaming surge.
  My wife had prepared a slender meal, and the four boys partook of it
with an appetite to which their parents were strangers. They went to
bed, and, exhausted by fatigue, soon were snoring soundly. Fritz,
the eldest, sat up with us. 'I have been thinking,' said he, after a
long silence, 'how it may be possible to save ourselves. If we had
some bladders or cork-jackets for my mother and my brothers, you and
I, father, would soon contrive to swim to land.'
  'That is a good thought,' said I; 'we will see what can be done.'
  Fritz and I looked about for some small empty firkins; these we tied
two and two together with handkerchiefs or towels, leaving about a
foot distance between them, and fastened them as swimming-jackets
under the arms of each child, my wife at the same time preparing one
for herself. We provided ourselves with knives, some string, some
turfs, and other necessaries which could be put into the pocket,
proceeding upon the hope that, if the ship went to pieces in the
night, we should either be able to swim to land, or be driven
thither by the waves.
                                                   {CHAPTER_1 ^paragraph 10}
  Fritz, who had been up all night, and was fatigued with his
laborious occupations, now lay down near his brothers, and was soon
asleep; but their mother and I, too anxious to close our eyes, kept
watch, listening to every sound that seemed to threaten a further
change in our situation. We passed this awful night in prayer, in
agonising apprehensions, and in forming various resolutions as to what
we should next attempt. We hailed with joy the first gleam of light
which shot through a small opening of the window. The raging of the
winds had begun to abate, the sky was become serene, and hope throbbed
in my bosom, as I beheld the sun already tinging the horizon. Thus
revived, I summoned my wife and the boys to the deck to partake of the
scene. The youngest children, half forgetful of the past, asked with
surprise, why we were there alone, and what had become of the ship's
company? I led them to the recollection of our misfortune, and then
added, 'Dearest children, a Being more powerful than man has helped
us, and will, no doubt, continue to help us, if we do not abandon
ourselves to a fruitless despair. Observe, our companions, in whom
we had so much confidence, have deserted us, and that Divine
Providence, in its goodness, has given us protection! But, my dear
ones, let us show ourselves willing in our exertions, and thus deserve
support from heaven. Let us not forget this useful maxim, and let each
labour according to his strength.'
  Fritz advised that we should all throw ourselves into the sea, while
it was calm, and swim to land.- 'Ah! that may be well enough for you,'
said Ernest, 'for you can swim; but we others should soon be
drowned. Would it not be better to make a float of rafts, and get to
land all together upon it?'
  'Vastly well,' answered I, 'if we had the means for contriving
such a float, and if, after all, it were not a dangerous sort of
conveyance. But come, my boys, look each of you about the ship, and
see what can be done to enable us to reach the land.'
  They now all sprang from me with eager looks, to do as I desired. I,
on my part, lost no time in examining what we had to depend upon as to
provisions and fresh water. My wife and the youngest boy visited the
animals, whom they found in a pitiable condition, nearly perishing
with hunger and thirst. Fritz repaired to the ammunition room;
Ernest to the carpenter's cabin; and Jack to the apartment of the
cabin; but scarcely had he opened the door, when two large dogs sprang
upon him, and saluted him with such rude affection that he roared
for assistance, as if they had been killing him. Hunger, however,
had rendered the poor creatures so gentle, that they licked his
hands and face, uttering all the time a low sort of moan, and
continuing their caresses till he was almost suffocated. Poor Jack
exerted all his strength in blows to drive them away: at last he began
to understand, and to sympathise in their joyful movements, and put
himself upon another footing. He got upon his legs, and gently
taking the largest dog by the ears, sprang upon his back, and with
great gravity presented himself thus mounted before me, as I came
out of the ship's hold. I could not refrain from laughing, and I
praised his courage; but I added a little exhortation to be
cautious, and not go too far with animals of this species, who, in a
state of hunger, might be dangerous.
  By and by my little company were again assembled round me, and
each boasted of what he had to contribute. Fritz had two
fowling-pieces, some powder and small-shot, contained in horn
flasks, and some bullets in bags.
                                                   {CHAPTER_1 ^paragraph 15}
  Ernest produced his hat filled with nails, and held in his hands a
hatchet and a hammer; in addition, a pair of pincers, a pair of
large scissors, and an auger, peeped out at his pocket-hole.
  Even the little Francis carried under his arm a box of no very small
size, from which he eagerly produced what he called some little
sharp-pointed hooks. His brothers smiled scornfully. 'Vastly well,
gentlemen,' said I; 'but let me tell you that the youngest has brought
the most valuable prize, and this is often the case in the world;
the person who least courts the smiles of Fortune, and in the calm
of his heart is scarcely conscious of her existence, is often he to
whom she most readily presents herself. These little sharp-pointed
hooks, as Francis calls them, are fishing-hooks, and will probably
be of more use in preserving our lives than all we may find besides in
the ship. In justice, however, I must confess, that what Fritz and
Ernest have contributed will also afford essential service.'
  'I, for my part,' said my wife, 'have brought nothing; but I have
some tidings to communicate which I hope will secure my welcome: I
have found on board a cow and an ass, two goats, six sheep, and a
sow big with young: I have just supplied them with food and water, and
I reckon on being able to preserve their lives.'
  'All this is admirable,' said I to my young labourers; 'and there is
only master Jack, who, instead of thinking of something useful, has
done us the favour to present us two personages, who, no doubt, will
be principally distinguished by being willing to eat more than we
shall have to give them.'
  'Ah!' replied Jack, 'but if we can once get to land, you will see
that they will assist us in hunting and shooting.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_1 ^paragraph 20}
  'True enough,' said I, 'but be so good as to tell us how we are to
get to land, and whether you have contrived the means?'
  'I am sure it cannot be very difficult,' said Jack, with an arch
motion of his head. 'Look here at these large tubs. Why cannot each of
us get into one of them, and float to the land? I remember I succeeded
very well in this manner on the water, when I was visiting my
godfather at S__.'
  'Every one's thought is good for something,' cried I, 'and I begin
to believe that what Jack has suggested is worth a trial: quick, then,
boy! give me the saw, the auger, and some nails; we will see what is
to be done.' I recollected having seen some empty casks in the
ship's hold: we went down, and found them floating in the water
which had got into the vessel; it cost us but little trouble to
hoist them up, and place them on the lower deck, which was at this
time scarcely above water. We saw, with joy, that they were all sound,
well guarded by iron hoops, and in every respect in good condition;
they were exactly suited for the object; and, with the assistance of
my sons, I instantly began to saw them in two. In a short time I had
produced eight tubs, of equal size, and of the proper height. We now
allowed ourselves some refreshment of wine and biscuit. I viewed
with delight my eight little tubs, ranged in a line.
  I then sought for a long pliant plank, and placed my eight tubs upon
it, leaving a piece at each end reaching beyond the tubs; which,
bent upward, would present an outline like the keel of a vessel. We
next nailed all the tubs to the plank, and then the tubs to each
other, as they stood, side by side, to make them the firmer, and
afterwards two other planks, of the same length as the first, on
each side of the tubs. When all this was finished, we found we had
produced a kind of narrow boat, divided into eight compartments, which
I had no doubt would be able to perform a short course in calm water.
  But now we discovered that the machine we had contrived was so
heavy, that, with the strength of all united, we were not able to move
it an inch from its place. I bid Fritz fetch me a crow, who soon
returned with it: in the meanwhile I sawed a thick round pole into
several pieces, to make some rollers. I then, with the crow, easily
raised the foremost part of my machine, while Fritz placed one of
the rollers under it.
                                                   {CHAPTER_1 ^paragraph 25}
  'How astonishing,' cried Ernest, 'that this engine, which is smaller
than any of us, can do more than our united strength was able to
effect! I wish I could know how it is constructed.'
  I explained to him as well as I could the power of Archimedes'
lever, with which he said he could move the world, if you would give
him a point from which his mechanism might act, and promised to
explain the nature of the operation of the crow when we should be safe
on land.
  Jack here remarked that the action of the crow was very slow.
  'Better slow than never, Jack,' replied I. 'Experience has ever
taught, and mechanical observations have established as a principle,
that what is gained in speed is lost in strength: the purpose of the
crow is not to enable us to raise anything rapidly, but to raise
what is exceedingly heavy; and the heavier the thing we would move,
the slower is the mechanical operation. But are you aware what we have
at our command, to compensate this slowness?'
  'Yes, it is turning the handle quicker.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_1 ^paragraph 30}
  'Your guess is wrong; that would be no compensation: the true
remedy, my boy, is to call in the assistance of patience and reason:
with the aid of these two fairy powers I am in hopes to set my machine
afloat.' As I said this, I tied a long cord to its stern, and the
other end of it to one of the timbers of the ship, which appeared to
be still firm, so that the cord being left loose would serve to
guide and restrain it when launched. We now put a second and a third
roller under, and, applying the crow, to our great joy our machine
descended into the water with such a velocity that, if the rope had
not been well fastened, it would have gone far out to sea. But now a
new difficulty presented itself: the boat leaned so much on one side
that the boys all exclaimed they could not venture to get into it. I
was for some moments in the most painful perplexity; but it suddenly
occurred to me that ballast only was wanting to set it straight. I
drew it near, and threw all the useless things I could find into the
tubs, so as to make weight on the light side. By degrees the machine
became quite straight and firm in the water, seeming to invite us to
take refuge in its protection. All now would get into the tubs, and
the boys began to dispute which should be first. I drew them back, and
seeking a remedy for this kind of obstacle, I recollected that
savage nations make use of a paddle for preventing their canoes from
upsetting. I once more set to work to make one of these.
  I took two poles of equal length, upon which the sails of the vessel
had been stretched, and having descended into the machine, fixed one
of them at the head, and the other at the stern, in such a manner as
to enable us to turn them at pleasure to right or left, as should best
answer the purpose of guiding and putting it out to sea. I stuck the
end of each pole, or paddle, into the bung-hole of an empty
brandy-keg, which served to keep the paddles steady, and to prevent
any interruption in the management of our future enterprise.
  There remained nothing more to do but to find in what way I could
clear out from the encumbrance of the wreck. I got into the first tub,
and steered the head of the machine so as to make it enter the cleft
in the ship's side, where it could remain quiet. I then remounted
the vessel, and sometimes with the saw, and sometimes with the
hatchet, I cleared away, to right and left, everything that could
obstruct our passage; and, that being effected, we next secured some
oars for the voyage we resolved on attempting.
  We had spent the day in laborious exertions; it was already late;
and as it would not have been possible to reach the land that evening,
we were obliged to pass a second night in the wrecked vessel, which at
every instant threatened to fall to pieces. We next refreshed
ourselves by a regular meal; for, during the day's work we had
scarcely allowed ourselves to take a bit of bread, or a glass of wine.
Being now in a more tranquil and unapprehensive state of mind than the
day before, we all abandoned ourselves to sleep; not, however, till
I had used the precaution of tying the swimming apparatus round my
three youngest boys and my wife, in case the storm should again come
on. I also advised my wife to dress herself in the clothes of one of
the sailors, which were so much more convenient for swimming, or any
other exertions she might be compelled to engage in. She consented,
but not without reluctance, and left us to look for some that might
best suit her size. In a quarter of an hour she returned, dressed in
the clothes of a young man who had served as volunteer on board the
ship. She could not conceal the timid awkwardness, so natural to her
sex, in such a situation: but I soon found means to reconcile her to
the change, and one and all crept into our separate hammocks, where
a delicious repose prepared us for the renewal of our labours.

{CHAPTER_2
                                  2
                A Landing, and consequent Occupations
-
  BY BREAK OF DAY we were all awake and alert, for hope as well as
grief is unfriendly to lengthened slumbers. When we had finished our
morning prayer, I said, 'We now, my best beloved, with the
assistance of Heaven, must enter upon the work of our deliverance. The
first thing to be done, is to give to each poor animal on board a
hearty meal; we will then put food enough before them for several
days; we cannot take them with us; but we will hope it may be
possible, if our voyage succeeds, to return and fetch them. Are you
now all ready? Bring together whatever is absolutely necessary for our
wants. It is my wish that our first cargo should consist of a barrel
of gunpowder, three fowling-pieces, and three carbines, with as much
small-shot and lead, and as many bullets as our boat will carry; two
pairs of pocket-pistols, and one of large ones, not forgetting a mould
to cast balls in: each of the boys, and their mother also, should have
a bag to carry game in; you will find plenty of these in the cabins of
the officers.' We added a chest containing cakes of portable soup,
another full of hard biscuits, an iron pot, a fishing-rod, a chest
of nails, and another of different utensils, such as hammers, saws,
pincers, hatchets, augers, etc., and lastly, some sail-cloth to make a
tent. Indeed, the boys brought so many things that we were obliged
to reject some of them, though I had already exchanged the worthless
ballast for articles of use in the question of our subsistence.
  When all was ready we stepped bravely each into a tub. At the moment
of our departure the cocks and hens began to cluck, as if conscious
that we had deserted them, yet were willing to bid us a sorrowful
adieu. This suggested to me the idea of taking the geese, ducks,
fowls, and pigeons with us; observing to my wife that, if we could not
find means to feed them, at least they would feed us.
  We accordingly executed this plan. We put ten hens and an old and
a young cock into one of the tubs, and covered it with planks; we
set the rest of the poultry at liberty, in the hope that instinct
would direct them towards the land, the geese and the ducks by
water, and the pigeons by the air.
  We were waiting for my wife, who had the care of this last part of
our embarkation, when she joined us loaded with a large bag, which she
threw into the tub that already contained her youngest son. I imagined
that she intended it for him to sit upon, or perhaps to confine him so
as to prevent his being tossed from side to side. I therefore asked no
questions concerning it. The order of our departure was as follows:
                                                    {CHAPTER_2 ^paragraph 5}
  In the first tub, at the boat's head, my wife, the most tender and
exemplary of her sex, placed herself.
  In the second, our little Francis, a lovely boy, six years old,
remarkable for the sweetest and happiest temper, and for his affection
to his parents.
  In the third, Fritz, our eldest boy, between fourteen and fifteen
years of age, a handsome, curl-pated youth, full of intelligence and
vivacity.
  In the fourth was the barrel of gunpowder, with the cocks and
hens, and the sail-cloth.
  In the fifth, the provisions of every kind.
                                                   {CHAPTER_2 ^paragraph 10}
  In the sixth, our third son, Jack, a light-hearted, enterprising,
audacious, generous lad, about ten years old.
  In the seventh, our second son, Ernest, a boy of twelve years old,
of a rational, reflecting temper, well informed for his age, but
somewhat disposed to indolence and pleasure.
  In the eighth, a father, to whose paternal care the task of
guiding the machine for the safety of his beloved family was
entrusted. Each of us had useful implements within reach; the hand
of each held an oar, and near each was a swimming apparatus, in
readiness for what might happen. The tide was already at half its
height when we left the ship, and I had counted on this circumstance
as favourable to our want of strength. We held the two paddles
longways, and thus we passed without accident through the cleft of the
vessel into the sea. The boys devoured with their eyes the blue land
they saw at a distance. We rowed with all our strength, but long in
vain, to reach it: the boat only turned round and round. At length I
had the good fortune to steer in such a way that it proceeded in a
straight line. The two dogs, perceiving we had abandoned them, plunged
into the sea and swam to the boat; they were too large for us to think
of giving them admittance, and I dreaded lest they should jump in
and upset us. Turk was an English dog, and Flora a bitch of the Danish
breed. I was in great uneasiness on their account, for I feared it
would not be possible for them to swim so far. The dogs, however,
managed the affair with perfect intelligence. When fatigued, they
rested their fore-paws on one of the paddles, and thus with little
effort proceeded.
  Jack was disposed to refuse them this accommodation, but he soon
yielded to my argument that it was cruel and unwise to neglect
creatures thrown on our protection, and who indeed might hereafter
protect us in their turn, by guarding us from harm, and assisting in
our pursuit of animals for food. 'Besides,' added I, 'God has given
the dog to man to be his faithful companion and friend.'
  Our voyage proceeded securely, though slowly; but the nearer we
approached the land, the more gloomy and unpromising its aspect
appeared. The coast was clothed with barren rocks, which seemed to
offer nothing but hunger and distress. The sea was calm; the waves,
gently agitated, washed the shore, and the sky was serene in every
direction; we perceived casks, bales, chests, and other vestiges of
shipwrecks, floating round us. In the hope of obtaining some good
provisions, I determined on endeavouring to secure some of the
casks. I bade Fritz have a rope, a hammer, and some nails ready, and
to try to seize them as we passed. He succeeded in laying hold of two,
and in such a way that we could draw them after us to the shore. Now
that we were close on land, its rude outline was much softened; the
rocks no longer appeared one undivided chain; Fritz, with his hawk's
eye, already descried some trees, and exclaimed that they were
palm-trees. Ernest expressed his joy that he should now get much
larger and better cocoa-nuts than he had ever seen before. * I, for my
part, was venting audibly my regret that I had not thought of bringing
a telescope that I knew was in the captain's cabin, when Jack drew a
small one from his pocket, and with a look of triumph presented it
to me.
                                                   {CHAPTER_2 ^paragraph 15}
-
  * The cocos nucifera, of the order of Palma, grows in both
the East and West Indies.
 
  The acquisition of the telescope was of great importance; for with
its aid I was able to make the necessary observations, and was more
sure of the route I ought to take. On applying it to my eye I remarked
that the shore before us had a desert and savage aspect, but that
towards the left the scene was more agreeable; but when I attempted to
steer in that direction, a current carried me irresistibly towards the
coast that was rocky and barren. By and by we perceived a little
opening between the rocks, near the mouth of a creek, towards which
all our geese and ducks betook themselves; and I, relying on their
sagacity, followed in the same course. This opening formed a little
bay; the water was tranquil, and neither too deep nor too shallow to
receive our boat. I entered it, and cautiously put on shore to a
spot where the coast was about the same height above the water as
our tubs, and where, at the same time, there was a quantity sufficient
to keep us afloat. The shore extended inland, in something of the form
of an isosceles triangle, the upper angle of which terminated among
the rocks, while the margin of the sea formed the basis.
                                                   {CHAPTER_2 ^paragraph 20}
  All that had life in the boat jumped eagerly on land. Even little
Francis, who had been wedged in his tub like a potted herring, now got
up and sprang forward; but, with all his efforts, he could not succeed
without his mother's help. The dogs, who had swum on shore, received
us, as if appointed to do the honours of the place, jumping round us
with every demonstration of joy; the geese kept up a loud cackling, to
which the ducks, from their broad yellow beaks, contributed a
perpetual thorough bass; the cocks and hens, which we had already
set at liberty, clucked; the boys, chattering all at once, produced
altogether an overpowering confusion of sounds: to this was added
the disagreeable scream of some penguins and flamingos, which we now
perceived; the latter flying over our heads, the others sitting on the
points of the rocks at the entrance of the bay. By and by the notes of
the flamingos had the ascendant from their numbers; and our
annoyance was increased by a comparison we could not avoid making
between the sounds uttered and the harmony of the feathered
musicians of our own country. I had, however, one advantage in
perspective- it was that, should we hereafter be short of food,
these very birds might serve for our subsistence.
  We then employed our whole attention in unloading the boat. Oh!
how rich we thought ourselves in the little we had been able to rescue
from the merciless abyss of waters! We looked about for a convenient
place to set up a tent under the shade of the rocks; and having all
consulted and agreed upon a place, we set to work. We drove one of our
poles firmly into a fissure of the rock; this rested upon another
pole, which was driven perpendicularly into the ground, and formed the
ridge of our tent. A frame for a dwelling was thus made secure. We
next threw some sail-cloth over the ridge, and stretching it to a
convenient distance on each side, fastened its extremities to the
ground with stakes. Lastly, I fixed some tenter-hooks along the edge
of one side of the sail-cloth in front, that we might be able to
enclose the entrance during night by hooking in the opposite edge. The
chests of provisions, and other heavy matters, we had left on the
shore. The next thing was to desire my sons to look about for grass
and moss, to be spread and dried in the sun, to serve us for beds.
During this occupation, in which even the little Francis could take
a share, I erected near the tent a kind of little kitchen. A few
flat stones I found in the bed of a freshwater river served for a
hearth. I got a quantity of dry branches: with the largest I made a
small enclosure round it; and with the little twigs, added to some
of our turf, I made a brisk cheering fire. We put some of the
soupcakes, with water, into our iron pot, and placed it over the
flame; and my wife, with my little Francis for a scullion, took charge
of preparing the dinner.
  In the meanwhile, Fritz had been reloading the guns, with one of
which he had wandered along the side of the river. He had proposed
to Ernest to accompany him; but Ernest replied that he did not like
a rough, stony walk, and that he should go to the sea-shore. Jack took
the road towards a chain of rocks which jutted out into the sea,
with the intention of gathering some of the mussels which grew upon
them.
  My own occupation was now an endeavour to draw the two floating
casks on shore, but in which I could not succeed; for our place of
landing, though convenient enough for our machine, was too steep for
the cask. While I was looking about to find a more favourable spot,
I heard loud cries proceeding from a short distance, and recognised
the voice of my son Jack. I snatched my hatchet, and ran anxiously
to his assistance. I soon perceived him up to his knees in water in
a shallow, and that a large lobster had fastened its claws in his leg.
The poor boy screamed pitiably, and made useless efforts to
disengage himself I jumped instantly into the water; and the enemy was
no sooner sensible of my approach then he let go his hold, and would
have scampered out to sea, but that I indulged the fancy of a little
malice against him for the alarm he had caused us. I turned quickly
upon him, and took him up by the body, and carried him off, followed
by Jack, who shouted our triumph all the way. He begged me at last
to let him hold the animal in his own hand that he might himself
present so fine a booty to his mother. Accordingly, having observed
how I held it to avoid the gripe, he laid his own hand upon it in
exactly the same manner; but scarcely had he grasped it than he
received a violent blow on the face from the lobster's tail, which
made him loose his hold, and the animal fell to the ground. Jack again
began to bawl out, while I could not refrain from laughing heartily.
In his rage he took up a stone, and killed the lobster with a single
blow. I was a little vexed at this conclusion to the scene. 'This is
what we call killing an enemy when he is unable to defend himself,
Jack; it is wrong to revenge an injury while we are in a state of
anger: the lobster, it is true, had given you a bite; but then you, on
your part, would have eaten the lobster. So the game was at least
equal. Another time, I advise you to be both more prudent and more
merciful.'- 'But, pray, father, let me carry it to my mother,' said
Jack, fearless now of further warfare; and accordingly he carried it
to the kitchen, triumphantly exclaiming, 'Mother, mother, a sea
lobster!- Ernest, a sea lobster! Where is Fritz? Where is Fritz?
Take care, Francis, he will bite you.' In a moment all were round
him to examine the wonderful creature, and all proclaimed their
astonishment at his enormous size, while they observed that its form
was precisely that of the common lobster so much in use in Europe.
  'Yes, yes,' said Jack, holding up one of the claws; 'you may well
wonder at his size: this was the frightful claw which seized my leg,
and if I had not had on my thick sea pantaloons, he would have bit
it through and through; but I have taught him what it is to attack me:
I have paid him well.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_2 ^paragraph 25}
  'Oh, oh! Mr. Boaster,' cried I, 'you give a pretty account of the
matter. Now mine would be that, if I had not been near, the lobster
would have shown you another sort of game; for the slap he gave you in
the face compelled you, I think, to let go your hold. And it is well
it should be thus; for he fought with the arms with which nature had
supplied him, but you had recourse to a great stone for your
defence. Believe me, Jack, you have no great reason to boast of the
adventure.'
  Ernest, ever prompted by his savoury tooth, bawled out that the
lobster had better be put into the soup, which would give it an
excellent flavour; but this his mother opposed, observing that we must
be more economical of our provisions than that, for the lobster of
itself would furnish a dinner for the whole family. I now left them,
and walked again to the scene of this adventure, and examined the
shallow: I then made another attempt upon my two casks, and at
length succeeded in getting them into it, and in fixing them there
securely on their bottoms.
  On my return, I complimented Jack on his being the first to
procure an animal that might serve for subsistence, and promised
him, for his own share, the famous claw which had furnished us with so
lively a discussion.
  'Ah! But I have seen something, too, that is good to eat,' said
Ernest; 'and I should have got it if it had not been in the water,
so that I must have wetted my feet-'
  'Oh! that is a famous story,' cried Jack; 'I can tell you what he
saw- some nasty mussels: why, I would not eat one of them for the
world. Think of my lobster!'
                                                   {CHAPTER_2 ^paragraph 30}
  'That is not true, Jack; for they were oysters, and not mussels,
that I saw: I am sure of it, for they stuck to the rock, and I know
they must be oysters.'
  'Fortunate enough, my dainty gentleman,' interrupted I, addressing
myself to Ernest; 'since you are so well acquainted with the place
where such food can be found, you will be so obliging as to return and
procure us some. In such a situation as ours, every member of the
family must be actively employed for the common good; and, above
all, none must be afraid of so trifling an inconvenience as wet feet.'
  'I will do my best, with all my heart,' answered Ernest; 'and at the
same time I will bring home some salt, of which I have seen immense
quantities in the holes of the rocks, where I have reason to suppose
it is dried by the sun. I tasted some of it, and it was excellent.
Pray, father, be so good as to inform me whether this salt was not
left there by the sea?'
  'No doubt it was, Mr. Reasoner, for where else do you think it could
come from? You would have done more wisely if you had brought us a bag
of it, instead of spending your time in profound reflections upon
operations so simple and obvious; and if you do not wish to dine
upon a soup without flavour, you had better run and fetch a little
quickly.'
  He set off, and soon returned: what he brought had the appearance of
sea-salt, but was so mixed with earth and sand, that I was on the
point of throwing it away; but my wife prevented me, and by
dissolving, and afterwards filtering some of it through a piece of
muslin, we found it admirably fit for use.
                                                   {CHAPTER_2 ^paragraph 35}
  'Why could we not have used some sea-water,' asked Jack, 'instead of
having all this trouble?'
  'So we might,' answered I, 'if it had not a somewhat sickly
taste.' While I was speaking, my wife tasted the soup with a little
stick with which she had been stirring it, and pronounced that it
was all the better for the salt, and now quite ready. 'But,' said she,
'Fritz is not come in. And then, how shall we manage to eat our soup
without spoons or dishes? Why did we not remember to bring some from
the ship?'- 'Because, my dear, one cannot think of everything at once.
We shall be lucky if we have not forgotten even more important
things.'- 'But, indeed,' said she, 'this is a matter which cannot
easily be set to rights. How will it be possible for each of us to
raise this large boiling pot to his lips?'
  I soon saw that my wife was right. We all cast our eyes upon the pot
with a sort of stupid perplexity, and looked a little like the fox
in the fable, when the stork desires him to help himself from a vessel
with a long neck. Silence was at length broken, by all bursting into a
hearty laugh at our want of every kind of utensil, and at the
thought of our own folly, in not recollecting that spoons and forks
were things of absolute necessity.
  Ernest observed that, if we could but get some of the nice
cocoa-nuts he often thought about, we might empty them, and use the
pieces of the shells for spoons.
  'Yes, yes,' replied I; 'if we could but get,- but we have them
not; and if wishing were to any purpose, I had as soon wish at once
for a dozen silver spoons; but, alas! of what use is wishing?'
                                                   {CHAPTER_2 ^paragraph 40}
  'But at least,' said the boy, 'we can use some oyster-shells for
spoons.'
  'Why, this is well, Ernest,' said I, 'and is what I call a useful
thought. Run then quickly for some of them. But, gentlemen, I give you
notice that no one of you must give himself airs because his spoon
is without a handle, or though he chance to grease his fingers in
the soup.'
  Jack ran first, and was up to his knees in the water before Ernest
could reach the place. Jack tore off the fish with eagerness, and
threw them to slothful Ernest, who put them into his handkerchief,
having first secured in his pocket one shell he had met with of a
large size. The boys came back together with their booty.
  Fritz not having yet returned, his mother was beginning to be
uneasy, when we heard him shouting to us from a small distance, to
which we answered by similar sounds. In a few minutes he was among us,
his two hands behind him, and with a sort of would-be melancholy
air, which none of us could well understand. 'What have you
brought?' asked his brothers; 'let us see your booty, and you shall
see ours.'- 'Ah! I have unfortunately nothing.'- 'What! nothing at
all?' said I.- 'Nothing at all,' answered he. But now, on fixing my
eye upon him, I perceived a smile of proud success through his assumed
dissatisfaction. At the same instant Jack, having stolen behind him,
exclaimed, 'A sucking pig! a sucking pig!' Fritz, finding his trick
discovered, now proudly displayed his prize, which I immediately
perceived, from the description I had read in different books of
travels, was an agouti, an animal common in that country, and not a
sucking pig, as the boys had supposed. 'The agouti,' says M. de
Courtills, in his voyage to St. Domingo, 'is of the size of a hare,
and runs with the same swiftness; but its form is more like the pig,
and he makes the same grunting noise. He is not a voracious animal,
but is nice in the choice of his food. When his appetite is
satiated, he buries what remains, and keeps it for another time. He is
naturally of a gentle temper; but if provoked, his hair becomes erect,
he bites, and strikes the ground with his hind feet like the rabbit,
which he also resembles in digging himself a burrow under ground;
but this burrow has but one entrance: he conceals himself in it during
the hottest part of the day, taking care to provide himself with a
store of patates and bananas. He is usually taken by coursing, and
sometimes by dogs, or with nets. When it is found difficult to seize
him, the sportsman has only to whistle. As soon as the agouti hears
the sound, he is instantly still, remains resting on his hind feet,
and suffers himself to be taken. His flesh is white, like that of
the rabbit; but it is dry, has no fat, and never entirely loses a
certain wild flavour, which is disagreeable to Europeans. He is held
in great esteem by the natives, particularly when the animal has
been feeding near the sea on plants impregnated with salt. They are
therefore caught in great numbers, and for this reason the species
is much diminished.'- 'Where did you find him? How did you get at him?
Did he make you run a great way?' asked all at once the young
brothers. 'Tell me, tell us all...' etc.
  Fritz related that he had passed over to the other side of the
river. 'Ah!' continued he, 'it is quite another thing from this place;
the shore is low, and you can have no notion of the quantity of casks,
chests, and planks, and different sorts of things washed there by
the sea. Ought we not to go and try to obtain some of these
treasures?'- 'We will consider of it soon,' answered I; 'but first
we have to make our voyage to the vessel, and fetch away the
animals: at least you will all agree that of the cow we are pretty
much in want.'- 'If our biscuit were soaked in milk, it would not be
so hard,' observed our dainty Ernest.- 'I must tell you too,'
continued Fritz, 'that over on the other side there is as much grass
for pasturage as we can desire; and besides, a pretty wood, in the
shade of which we could repose. Why then should we remain on this
barren desert side?'- 'Patience,' replied I; 'there is a time for
everything, friend Fritz: we shall not be without something to
undertake to-morrow, and even after to-morrow. But, above all, I am
eager to know if you discovered, in your excursion, any traces of
our ship companions?'- 'Not the smallest trace of man, dead or
alive, on land or water; but I have seen some other animals that
more resembled pigs than the one I have brought you, but with feet
more like those of the hare; the animal I am speaking of leaps from
place to place; now sitting on his hind legs, rubbing his face with
his front feet, and then seeking for roots, and gnawing them like
the squirrel. If I had not been afraid of his escaping me, I should
have tried to catch him with my hands, for he appeared almost tame.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_2 ^paragraph 45}
  We now had notice that our soup was ready, and each hastened to
dip his shell into the pot, to get out a little; but, as I had
foreseen, each drew out a scalded finger, and it was who could
scream the loudest. Ernest was the only one who had been too
cautious to expose himself to this misfortune: he quietly took his
oyster-shell, as large and deep as a small saucer, from his pocket,
and carefully dipping it into the pot, drew it out filled with as much
soup as was his fair share, and casting a look of exultation on his
brothers, he set it down till it should be cold enough to eat.
  'You have taken good care of yourself, I perceive,' said I. 'But now
answer me, dear boy, is the advantage worth the pains you take to be
better off than your companions? Yet this is the constant failing in
your character. As your best friend, I feel it my duty to balk you
of the expected prize; I therefore adjudge your dish of delicious soup
to our faithful followers, Turk and Flora. For ourselves, we will
all fare alike; we will simply dip our shells into the pot till hunger
is appeased; but the picked dish for the dogs, Ernest: and all the
rest alike!'
  This gentle reproach sunk, I perceived, into his heart; he placed
the shell, filled with soup, upon the ground, and in an instant the
dogs had licked up every drop. We on our parts were as sharp set as
they, and every eye was fixed on the pot, watching for the steam to
subside a little, that we might begin dipping; when, on looking round,
we saw Turk and Flora standing over the agouti, gnawing and tearing
him fiercely with their teeth and paws. The boys all screamed
together: Fritz seized his gun, and struck them with it; called them
the unkindest names, threw stones at them, and was so furious that, if
I had not interfered, it is probable he would have killed them. He had
already bent his gun with the blows he had given them, and his voice
was raised so high as to be re-echoed from the rocks.
  When he had grown a little cool, I seriously remonstrated with him
on his violence of temper. I represented to him what distress he had
occasioned his mother and myself for the event of a rage so
alarming; that his gun, which might have been so useful, was now
spoiled; and that the poor animals, upon whose assistance we should
probably so much depend, he had, no doubt, greatly injured.
  Soon after we had taken our meal, the sun began to sink into the
west. Our little flock of fowls assembled round us, pecking here and
there what morsels of our biscuit had fallen on the ground. Just at
this moment my wife produced the bag she had so mysteriously huddled
into the tub. Its mouth was now opened; it contained the various sorts
of grain for feeding poultry- barley, peas, oats, etc., and also
different kinds of seeds and roots of vegetables for the table. In the
fulness of her kind heart she scattered several handfuls at once
upon the ground, which the fowls began eagerly to seize. I
complimented her on the benefits her foresight had secured for us; but
I recommended a more sparing use of so valuable an acquisition,
observing that the grain, if kept for sowing, would produce a harvest,
and that we could fetch from the ship spoiled biscuit enough to feed
the fowls. Our pigeons sought a roosting place among the rocks; the
hens, with the two cocks at their head, ranged themselves in a line
along the ridge of the tent; and the geese and ducks betook themselves
in a body, cackling and quacking as they proceeded, to a marshy bit of
ground near the sea, where some thick bushes afforded them shelter.
                                                   {CHAPTER_2 ^paragraph 50}
  A little later, we began to follow the example of our winged
companions, by beginning our preparations for repose, and we loaded
our guns and pistols, and laid them carefully in the tent. With the
last ray of the sun we entered our tent, and, after drawing the
sail-cloth over the hooks, to close the entrance, we laid ourselves
down close to each other on the grass and moss we had collected in the
morning.
  The children observed, with surprise, that darkness came upon us all
at once; that night succeeded to day without an intermediate twilight.
'This,' replied I, 'makes me suspect that we are not far from the
equator, or at least between the tropics, where this is of ordinary
occurrence; for the twilight is occasioned by the rays of the sun
being broken in the atmosphere; the more obliquely they fall, the more
their feeble light is extended and prolonged; while, on the other
hand, the more perpendicular the rays, the less their declination:
consequently, the change from day to night is much more sudden when
the sun is under the horizon.'
  I looked once more out of the tent to see if all was quiet around
us. The old cock, awaking at the rising of the moon, chanted our
vespers, and then I lay down to sleep. In proportion as we had been
during the day oppressed with heat, we were now in the night
inconvenienced by the cold, so that we clung to each other for warmth.
A sweet sleep began to close the eyes of my beloved family; I
endeavoured to keep awake till I was sure my wife's solicitude had
yielded to the same happy state, and then I closed my own. Thanks to
the fatigue we had undergone, our first night in the desert island was
very tolerably comfortable.

{CHAPTER_3
                                  3
                         Voyage of Discovery
-
  I WAS ROUSED at the dawn of day by the crowing of the cocks. I awoke
my wife, and we consulted together as to the occupations we should
engage in. We agreed that we should seek for traces of our late ship
companions, and at the same time examine the nature of the soil on the
other side of the river, before we determined on a fixed place of
abode. My wife easily perceived that such an excursion could not be
undertaken by all the members of the family; and full of confidence in
the protection of Heaven, she courageously consented to my proposal of
leaving her with the three youngest boys, and proceeding myself with
Fritz on a journey of discovery. I entreated her not to lose a
moment in giving us our breakfast. She gave us notice that the share
of each would be but small, there being no more soup prepared.-
'What then,' I asked, 'is to become of Jack's lobster?'- 'That he
can best tell you himself,' answered his mother. 'But now pray step
and awake the boys, while I make a fire and put on some water.'
  The children were soon roused; even our slothful Ernest submitted to
the hard fate of rising so early in the morning. When I asked Jack for
his lobster, he ran and fetched it from a cleft in the rock, in
which he had concealed it: 'I was determined,' said he, 'that the dogs
should not treat my lobster as they did the agouti, for I knew them
for a sort of gentlemen to whom nothing comes amiss.'- 'Will you not
kindly give Fritz the great claw, which bit your leg (though I
promised it to you), to carry with him for his dinner in our journey?'
said I.
  'What journey?' asked all the boys at once.- 'Ah! we will go too:
a journey! a journey!' repeated they, clapping their hands, and
jumping round me like little kids. 'For this time,' said I, 'it is
impossible for all of you to go; we know not yet what we are to set
about, nor whither we are going. Your eldest brother and myself
shall be better able to defend ourselves in any danger without you;
besides that with so many persons we could proceed but slowly. You
will then all three remain with your mother in this place, which
appears to be one of perfect safety, and you shall keep Flora to be
your guard, while we will take Turk with us. With such a protector,
and a gun well loaded, who shall dare treat us with disrespect? Make
haste, Fritz, and tie up Flora, that she may not follow us; and have
your eye on Turk, that he may be at hand to accompany us; and see
the guns are ready.'
  At the word guns, the colour rose in the cheeks of my poor boy.
His gun was so bent as to be of no use; he took it up and tried in
vain to straighten it: I let him alone for a short time, but at length
I gave him leave to take another, perceiving with pleasure that the
vexation had produced a proper feeling in his mind. A moment after, he
attempted to lay hold of Flora to tie her up; but the dog,
recollecting the blows she had so lately received, began to snarl, and
would not go near him. Turk behaved the same, and I found it necessary
to call with my own voice, to induce them to approach us. Fritz, then,
in tears entreated for some biscuit of his mother, declaring that he
would willingly go without his breakfast to make his peace with the
dogs. He accordingly carried them some biscuit, stroked and caressed
them, and in every motion seemed to ask their pardon. As of all
animals, without excepting man, the dog is least addicted to
revenge, and at the same time is the most sensible of kind usage,
Flora instantly relented, and began to lick the hands which fed her;
but Turk, who was of a more fierce and independent temper, still
held off, and seemed to feel a want of confidence in Fritz's advances.
'Give him a claw of my lobster,' cried Jack, 'for I mean to give it
all to you for your journey.'
                                                    {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 5}
  'I cannot think why you should give it at all,' interrupted
Ernest, 'for you need not be uneasy about their journey. Like Robinson
Crusoe, they will be sure enough to find some cocoa-nuts, which they
will like much better than your miserable lobster: only think, a
fine round nut, Jack, as big as my head, and with at least a teacupful
of delicious sweet milk in it!'
  'Oh! Fritz, do bring me some,' cried little Francis.
  We now prepared for our departure: we took each a bag for game,
and a hatchet. I put a pair of pistols in the leather band round
Fritz's waist, in addition to the gun, and provided myself with the
same articles, not forgetting a stock of biscuits and a flask of fresh
river water. My wife now called us to breakfast, when all attacked the
lobster; but its flesh proved so hard that there was a great deal left
when our meal was finished, and we packed it for our journey without
further regret from any one. The sea lobster is an animal of
considerable size, and its flesh is much more nutritious, but less
delicate, than the common lobster.
  In about an hour we had completed the preparations for our
departure. I had loaded the guns we left behind, and I now enjoined my
wife to keep by day as near the boat as possible, which in case of
danger was the best and most speedy means of escape. My next concern
was to shorten the moment of separation, judging by my own feelings
those of my dear wife; for neither could be without painful
apprehensions of what new misfortune might occur on either side during
the interval. We all melted into tears; I seized this instant for
drawing Fritz away, and in a few moments the sobs and often-repeated
adieus of those we left behind died away in the noise of the waves
which we now approached, and which turned our thoughts upon
ourselves and the immediate object of our journey.
  The banks of the river were everywhere steep and difficult,
excepting at one narrow slip near the mouth on our side, where we
had drawn our fresh water. The other side presented an unbroken line
of sharp, high, perpendicular rocks. We therefore followed the
course of the river till we arrived at a cluster of rocks at which the
stream formed a cascade. A few paces beyond, we found some large
fragments of rock which had fallen into the bed of the river; by
stepping upon these, and making now and then some hazardous leaps,
we contrived to reach the other side. We proceeded a short way along
the rock we ascended in landing, forcing ourselves a passage through
tall grass, which twined with other plants, and were rendered more
capable of resistance by being half dried by the sun. Perceiving,
however, that walking on this kind of surface in so hot a sun would
exhaust our strength, we looked for a path to descend and proceed
along the river, where we hoped to meet with fewer obstacles, and
perhaps to discover traces of our ship companions.
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 10}
  When we had walked about a hundred paces, we heard a loud noise
behind us, as if we were pursued, and perceived a rustling motion in
the grass, which was almost as tall as ourselves. I was a good deal
alarmed, thinking that it might be occasioned by some frightful
serpent, a tiger, or other ferocious animal. But I was well
satisfied with Fritz, who, instead of being frightened, and running
away, stood still and firm to face the danger, the only motion he made
being to see that his piece was ready, and turning himself to front
the spot from whence the noise proceeded. Our alarm was, however,
short; for what was our joy on seeing rush out, not an enemy, but
our faithful Turk, whom in the distress of the parting scene we had
forgotten, and whom no doubt our anxious relatives had sent on to
us! I received the poor creature with lively joy, and did not fail
to commend both the bravery and discretion of my son, in not
yielding to even a rational alarm, and for waiting till he was sure of
the object before he resolved to fire: had he done otherwise, he might
have destroyed an animal likely to afford us various kinds of aid, and
to contribute by the kindness of his temper to the pleasure of our
domestic scene.- 'Observe, my dear boy,' said I, 'to what dangers
the tumult of the passions exposes us: the anger which overpowered you
yesterday, and the terror natural to the occasion we have this
moment witnessed, if you had unfortunately given way to it, might
either of them have produced an irretrievable misfortune.'
  Fritz assured me he was sensible of the truth and importance of my
remarks, that he would watch constantly over the defects of his
temper, and then he fell to caressing the faithful and interesting
animal.
  Conversing on such subjects as these, we pursued our way. On our
left was the sea, and on our right the continuation of the ridge of
rocks which began at the place of our landing, and ran along the
shore, the summit everywhere adorned with fresh verdure and a great
variety of trees. We were careful to proceed in a course as near the
shore as possible, casting our eyes alternately upon its smooth
expanse and upon the land in all directions to discover our ship
companions, or the boats which had conveyed them from us; but our
endeavours were in vain.
  Fritz proposed to fire his gun from time to time, that, should
they be anywhere concealed near us, they might thus be led to know
of our pursuit.
  'This would be vastly well,' I observed, 'if you could contrive that
the savages, who are most likely not far distant, should not hear
the sound, and come in numbers upon us.'- 'I am thinking, father,'
interrupted Fritz, 'that there is no good reason why we should give
ourselves so much trouble and uneasiness about persons who abandoned
us so cruelly, and thought only of their own safety.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 15}
  'There is not only one good reason, but many,' replied I; 'first, we
should not return evil for evil; next, it may be in their power to
assist us; and lastly, they are perhaps at this moment in the greatest
want of assistance. It was their lot to escape with nothing but life
from the ship, if indeed they are still alive, while we had the good
fortune to secure provisions enough for present subsistence, to a
share of which they are as fully entitled as ourselves.'
  'But, father, while we are wandering here, and losing our time
almost without a hope of benefit to them, might we not be better
employed in returning to the vessel, and saving the animals on board?'
  'When a variety of duties present themselves for our choice, we
should always give the preference to that which can confer the most
solid advantage. The saving of the life of a man is a more exalted
action than the contributing to the comfort of a few quadrupeds,
whom we have already supplied with food for several days; particularly
as the sea is in so calm a state that we need entertain no
apprehension that the ship will sink or go entirely to pieces just
at present.'
  When we had gone about two leagues, we entered a wood situated a
little further from the sea: here we threw ourselves on the ground,
under the shade of a tree, by the side of a clear running stream,
and took out some provisions and refreshed ourselves. We heard the
chirping, singing, and motion of birds in the trees, and observed,
as they now and then came out to view, that they were more
attractive by their splendid plumage than by any charm of note.
Fritz assured me that he had caught a glimpse of some animals like
apes among the bushes, and this was confirmed by the restless
movements of Turk, who began to smell about him, and to bark so loud
that the wood resounded with the noise. Fritz stole softly about to be
sure, and presently stumbled on a small round body which lay on the
ground: he brought it to me, observing that it must be the nest of
some bird. 'What makes you of that opinion?' said I. 'It is, I
think, much more like a cocoa-nut.'
  'But I have read that there are some kinds of birds which build
their nests quite round: and look, father, how the outside is
crossed and twined.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 20}
  'But do you not perceive that what you take for straws crossed and
twined by the beak of a bird is in fact a coat of fibres formed by the
hand of Nature? Do you not remember to have read that the nut of a
cocoa-shell is enclosed within a round fibrous covering, which again
is surrounded by a skin of a thin and fragile texture? I see that in
the one you hold in your hand, this skin has been destroyed by time,
which is the reason that the twisted fibres (or inner covering) are so
apparent: but now let us break the shell, and you will see the nut
inside.'
  We soon accomplished this; but the nut, alas! from lying on the
ground, had perished, and appeared but little different from a bit
of dried skin, and not the least inviting to the palate. Fritz was
much amused at this adventure. 'How I wish Ernest could have been
here!' cried he. 'How he envied me the fine large cocoa-nuts I was
to find, and the whole teacupful of sweet delicious milk which was
to spring out upon me from the inside! But, father, I myself
believed that the cocoa-nut contained a sweet refreshing liquid, a
little like the juice of almonds: travellers surely tell untruths!'
  Travellers certainly do sometimes tell untruths, but not, I believe,
on the subject of the cocoa-nut, which is well known to contain the
liquid you describe, just before they are in a state of ripeness. It
is the same with our European or hazel nuts, with a difference of
quantity; and also that in the unripe state they contain only a pith
of a sub-acid taste: one property, however, is common to both, that as
the nut passes maturity, the milk diminishes, by thickening, and
becoming the same substance as the nut. If you put a ripe nut a little
way under the earth, in a good soil, the kernel will shoot and burst
the shell; but if it remain above ground, or in a place that does
not suit its nature, the principle of vegetation is extinguished by
internal fermentation, and the nut perishes as you have seen.'
  'I am now surprised that this principle is not extinguished in every
nut; for the shell is so hard it seems impossible for a softer
substance to break it.'
  'The peach-stone is no less hard; the kernel, notwithstanding, never
fails to break it, if it is placed in a well-nurtured soil.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 25}
  'Now I begin to understand. The peach-stone is divided into two
parts, like a mussel-shell; it has a kind of seam round it, which
separates of itself when the kernel is swelled by moisture; but the
cocoa-nut in my hand is not so divided, and I cannot conceive of its
separating.'
  'I grant that the cocoa-nut is differently formed; but you may see
by the fragments you have just thrown on the ground that Nature has in
another manner stepped in to its assistance. Look near the stalk,
and you will discover three round holes, which are not, like the
rest of its surface, covered with a hard impenetrable shell, but are
stopped by a spongy kind of matter; it is through these that the
kernel shoots.'
  'Now, father, I have the fancy of gathering all the pieces
together and giving them to Ernest, and telling these particulars. I
wonder what he will say about it, and how he will like the withered
nut?'
  'Now the fancy of your father, my dear boy, would be to find you
without so keen a relish for a bit of mischief. Joke with Ernest, if
you will, about the withered nut; but I should like to see you heal
the disappointment he will feel by presenting him at last with a sound
and perfect nut, provided we should have one to spare.'
  After looking for some time, we had the good luck to meet with one
single nut. We opened it, and finding it sound, we sat down and ate it
for our dinner, by which means we were enabled to husband the
provisions we had brought. The nut, it is true, was a little oily
and rancid; yet, as this was not a time to be nice, we made a hearty
meal, and then continued our route. We did not quit the wood, but
pushed our way across it, being often obliged to cut a path through
the bushes, overrun by creeping plants, with our hatchet. At length we
reached a plain, which afforded a more extensive prospect, and a
path less perplexed and intricate.
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 30}
  We next entered a forest to the right, and soon observed that some
of the trees were of a singular kind. Fritz, whose sharp eye was
continually on a journey of discovery, went up to examine them
closely. 'O heavens! father, what odd trees, with wens growing all
about their trunks!' I had soon the surprise and satisfaction of
assuring him that they were bottle gourds, the trunks of which bear
fruit. Fritz, who had never heard of such a plant, could not
conceive the meaning of what he saw, and asked me if the fruit was a
sponge or a wen. 'We will see,' I replied, 'if I cannot unravel the
mystery. Try to get down one of them, and we will examine it
minutely.'
  'I have got one,' cried Fritz, 'and it is exactly like a gourd, only
the rind is thicker and harder.'
  'It then, like the rind of that fruit, can be used for making
various utensils,' observed I; 'plates, dishes, basins, flasks. We
will give it the name of the gourd-tree.'
  Fritz jumped for joy. 'How happy my mother will be!' cried he in
ecstasy; 'she will no longer have the vexation of thinking, when she
makes soup, that we shall all scald our fingers.'
  'What, my boy, do you think is the reason that this tree bears its
fruit only on the trunk and on its topmost branches?'
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 35}
  'I think it must be because the middle branches are too feeble to
support such a weight.'
  'You have guessed exactly right.'
  'But are these gourds good to eat?'
  'At worst they are, I believe, harmless; but they have not a very
tempting flavour. The Negro savages set as much value on the rind of
this fruit as on gold, for its use to them is indispensable. These
rinds serve them to keep their food and drink in, and sometimes they
even cook their victuals in them.'
  'Oh, father! it must be impossible to cook their victuals in them;
for the heat of fire would soon consume such a substance.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 40}
  'I did not say the rind was put upon the fire.'
  'How droll! pray how are victuals to be cooked without fire?'
  'Nor did I say that victuals could be cooked without a fire; but
there is no need to put the vessel that contains the food upon the
fire.
  'I have no idea of what you mean; there seems to be a miracle.'
  'So be it, my son. A little tincture of enchantment is the lot of
man. When he finds himself deficient in intelligence, or is too
indolent to give himself the trouble to reflect, he is driven by his
weakness to ascribe to a miracle, or to witchcraft, what is, most
likely, nothing but the most ordinary operation of Art or Nature.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 45}
  'Well, father, I will then believe in what you tell me of these
rinds.'
  'That is, you will cut the matter short by resolving to be sure on
the word of another: this is a good way to let your own reason lie
fallow. Come, come, no such idleness; let me help you to understand
this amazing phenomenon. When it is intended to dress food in one of
these rinds, the process is, to cut the fruit into two equal parts,
and scoop out the inside; some water is put into one of the halves,
and into the water some fish, a crab, or whatever else is to be
dressed: then some stones, red hot, beginning with one at a time,
are thrown in, which impart sufficient heat to the water to dress
the food, without the smallest injury to the pot.'
  'But is not the food spoiled by ashes falling in, or by pieces of
the heated stones separating in the water?'
  'Certainly it is not easy to make fine sauces or ragouts in such a
vessel; but a dressing of the meat is actually accomplished, and the
Negroes and savages, who are the persons to make use of what is thus
cooked, are not very delicate; but I can imagine a tolerable remedy
for even the objection you have found. The food might be enclosed in a
vessel small enough to be contained in our capacious half of a
gourd, and thus be cooked upon the principle so much used in
chemistry- the application of a milder heat than fire. And this method
of cooking has also another advantage, that the thing contained cannot
adhere to the sides or bottom of the vessel.'
  We next proceeded to the manufacture of our plates and dishes. I
taught my son how to divide the gourd with a bit of string, which
would cut more equally than a knife; I tied the string round the
middle of the gourd as tight as possible, striking it pretty hard with
the handle of my knife, and I drew tighter and tighter till the
gourd fell apart, forming two regular-shaped bowls or vessels; while
Fritz, who had used a knife for the same operation, had entirely
spoiled his gourd by the irregular pressure of his instrument. I
recommended his making some spoons with the spoiled rind, as it was
good for no other purpose. I, on my part, had soon completed two
dishes of convenient size, and some smaller ones to serve as plates.
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 50}
  Fritz was in the utmost astonishment at my success. 'I cannot
imagine, father,' said he, 'how this way of cutting the gourd could
occur to you!'
  'I have read the description of such a process,' replied I, 'in
books of travels; and also that such of the savages as have no knives,
and who make a sort of twine from the bark of trees, are accustomed to
use it for this kind of purpose. So you see what benefit may be
derived from reading, and from afterwards reflecting on what we read.'
  'And the flasks, father; in what manner are they made?'
  'For this branch of their ingenuity they make preparation a long
time beforehand. If a Negro wishes to have a flask, or bottle with a
neck, he binds a piece of string, linen, or bark of a tree, or
anything he can get, round the part nearest the stalk of a very
young gourd; he draws this bandage so tight that the part at liberty
soon forms itself to a round shape, while the part which is confined
contracts, and remains ever after narrow. By this method it is that
they obtain flasks or bottles of a perfect form.'
  'Are then the bottle-shaped gourds I have seen in Europe trained
by a similar preparation?'
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 55}
  'No, they are of another species, and what you have seen is their
natural shape.'
  Our conversation and our labour thus went on together. Fritz had
completed some plates, and was not a little proud of the
achievement. 'Ah, how delighted my mother will be to eat upon them!'
cried he. 'But how shall we convey them to her? They will not, I fear,
bear travelling well.'
  'We must leave them here on the sand for the sun to dry them
thoroughly; this will be accomplished by the time of our return this
way, and we can then carry them with us; but care must be taken to
fill them with sand that they may not shrink or warp in so ardent a
heat.' My boy did not dislike this task; for he had no great fancy
to the idea of carrying such a load on our journey of further
discovery. Our sumptuous service of porcelain was accordingly spread
upon the ground, and for the present abandoned to its fate.
  We amused ourselves as we proceeded, in endeavouring to fashion some
spoons from the fragments of the gourd-rinds. I had the fancy to try
my skill upon a piece of cocoa-nut; but I must needs confess that what
we produced had not the least resemblance to those I had seen in the
Museum at London, and which were shown there as the work of some of
the islanders of the Southern Seas. A European, without instruments,
must always find himself excelled in such attempts by the superior
adroitness and patience of savages; in this instance too of ourselves,
we had the assistance of knives, while the savages have only flat
stones with a sharp edge to work with.
  'My attempt has been scarcely more successful than your own,' I
cried; 'and to eat soup with either your spoon or mine, we ought to
have mouths extending from ear to ear.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 60}
  'True enough, father,' answered Fritz; 'but it is not my fault. In
making mine, I took the curve of my bit of rind for a guide; if I
had made it smaller, it would have been too flat, and it is still more
difficult to eat with a shovel than with an oyster-shell. But I am
thinking that they may serve till I have improved upon my first
attempt, and I am quite sure of the pleasure they will afford my
mother.'
  While these conversations and our labours had been going on, we
had not neglected the great object of our pursuit- the making every
practicable search for our ship companions. But our endeavours,
alas! were all in vain.
  After a walk of about four leagues in all, we arrived at a spot
where a slip of land reached far out into the sea, on which we
observed a rising piece of ground or hill. On a moment's reflection we
determined to ascend it, concluding we should obtain a clear view of
all adjacent parts, which would save us the fatigue of further
rambles. We accordingly accomplished the design.
  We did not reach the top of the hill without many efforts and a
plentiful perspiration; but when there, we beheld a scene of wild
and solitary beauty, comprehending a vast extent of land and water. It
was however in vain that we used our telescope in all directions: no
trace of man appeared. A truly embellished Nature presented herself;
and we were in the highest degree sensible of her thousand charms. The
shore, rounded by a bay of some extent, the bank of which ended in a
promontory on the further side; the agreeable blue tint of its
surface; the sea, gently agitated by waves in which the rays of the
sun were reflected; the woods, of variegated hues and verdure,
formed altogether a picture of such magnificence, of such new and
exquisite delight that, if the recollection of our unfortunate
companions, engulfed perhaps in this very ocean, had not intruded to
depress our spirits, we should have yielded to the ecstasy the scene
was calculated to inspire. In reality, from this moment we began to
lose even the feeble hope we had entertained, and sadness stole
involuntarily into our hearts. We, however, became but the more
sensible of the goodness of the Divine Being, in the special
protection afforded to ourselves, in conducting us to a home where
there was no present cause for fear of danger from without, where we
had not experienced the want of food, and where there was a prospect
of future safety for us all. We had encountered no venomous or
ferocious animals; and, as far as our sight could yet reach, we were
not threatened by the approach of savages. I remarked to Fritz that we
seemed destined to a solitary life, and that it was a rich country
which appeared to be allotted us for a habitation- 'at least, my
son, our habitation it must be, unless some vessel should happen to
put on shore on the same coast, and be in a condition to take us
back to our native land.'
  We then descended the hill and made our way to a wood of palms:
our path was clothed with reeds, entwined with other plants, which
greatly obstructed our march. We advanced slowly and cautiously,
fearing at every step to receive a mortal bite from some serpent
that might be concealed among them. We made Turk go before, to give us
timely notice of anything dangerous. I also cut a reed-stalk of
uncommon length and thickness, for my defence against any enemy. It
was not without surprise that I perceived a glutinous sap proceed from
the divided end of the stalk. Prompted by curiosity, I tasted this
liquid, and found it sweet and of a pleasant flavour, so that not a
doubt remained that we were passing through a plantation of
sugar-canes. I again applied the cane to my lips, and sucked it for
some moments, and felt singularly refreshed and strengthened. I
determined not to tell Fritz immediately of the fortunate discovery
I had made, preferring that he should find it out for himself. As he
was at some distance before me, I called out to him to cut a reed
for his defence. This he did, and without any remark, used it simply
for a stick, striking lustily with it on all sides to clear a passage.
The motion occasioned the sap to run out abundantly upon his hand, and
he stopped to examine so strange a circumstance. He lifted it up,
and still a larger quantity escaped. He now tasted what was on his
fingers. Oh! then for the exclamations- 'Father, father, I have
found some sugar!- some syrup! I have a sugar-cane in my hand! Run
quickly, father!' We were soon together, jointly partaking of the
pleasure we had in store for his dear mother and the younger brothers.
In the meantime Fritz kept sucking the juice of the single cane he had
cut, till his relish for it was appeased. I thought this a
profitable moment to say a word about excesses; of the wisdom of
husbanding even our lawful pleasures; of the advantages of
moderation in our most rational enjoyments.
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 65}
  'But, father, we will take home a good provision of sugar-canes,
however. I shall only just taste of them once or twice as I walk
along. But it will be so delightful to regale my mother and my
little brothers with them!'
  'I have no objection; but do not take too heavy a load, for you have
other things to carry, and we have yet far to go.'
  Counsel was given in vain. He persisted in cutting at least a
dozen of the largest canes, tore off their leaves, tied them together,
and putting them under his arm, dragged them, as well as he was
able, through thick and thin to the end of the plantation. We regained
the wood of palms without accident; here we stretched our limbs in the
shade, and finished our repast. We were Scarcely settled when a
great number of large monkeys, terrified by the sight of us and the
barking of Turk, stole so nimbly and yet so quickly up the trees, that
we scarcely perceived them till they had reached the topmost parts.
From this height they fixed their eyes upon us, grinding their
teeth, making horrible grimaces, and saluting us with screams of
hostile import. Being now satisfied that the trees were palms, bearing
cocoa-nuts, I conceived the hope of obtaining some of this fruit in
a milky state, through the monkeys. Fritz, on his part, prepared to
shoot at them instantly. He threw his burdens on the ground, and it
was with difficulty I, by pulling his arm, could prevent him from
firing.
  'Ah, father, why did you not let me fire? Monkeys are such
malicious, mischievous animals! Look how they raise their backs in
derision of us!'
  'And is it possible that this can excite your vengeance, my most
reasonable Mr. Fritz? To say the truth, I have myself no
predilection for monkeys, who, as you say, are naturally prone to be
malicious. But as long as an animal does us no injury, or that his
death can in no shape be useful in preserving our own lives, we have
no right to destroy it, and still less to torment it for our
amusement, or from an insensate desire of revenge. But what will you
say if I show you that we may find means to make living monkeys
contribute to our service? See what I am going to do; but step aside
for fear of your head. If I succeed, the monkeys will furnish us
with plenty of our much-desired cocoa-nuts.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_3 ^paragraph 70}
  I now began to throw some stones at the monkeys; and though I
could not make them reach to half the height at which they had taken
refuge, they showed every mark of excessive anger. With their
accustomed trick of imitation, they furiously tore off, nut by nut,
all that grew upon the trunk near them, to hurl them down upon us;
so that it was with difficulty we avoided the blows; and in a short
time a great number of cocoa-nuts lay on the ground round us. Fritz
laughed heartily at the excellent success of our stratagem; and as the
shower of cocoa-nuts began to subside, we set about collecting them.
We chose a place where we could repose at our ease, to feast on this
rich harvest. We opened the shells with a hatchet, but first enjoyed
the sucking of some of the milk through the three small holes, where
we found it easy to insert the point of a knife. The milk of the
cocoa-nut has not a pleasant flavour; but it is excellent for
quenching thirst. What we liked best was a kind of solid cream which
adheres to the shell and which we scraped off with our spoons. We
mixed with it a little of the sap of our sugar-canes, and it made a
delicious repast.
  Our meal being finished, we prepared to leave the wood of palms. I
tied all the cocoa-nuts which had stalks together, and threw them
across my shoulder. Fritz resumed his bundle of sugar-canes. We
divided the rest of the things between us, and continued our way
towards home.

{CHAPTER_4
                                  4
        Return from the Voyage of Discovery- A Nocturnal Alarm
-
  MY POOR BOY now began to complain of fatigue; the sugar-canes galled
his shoulders, and he was obliged to shift them often. At last he
stopped to take breath. 'No,' cried he, 'I never could have thought
that a few sugarcanes could be so heavy. How sincerely I pity the poor
Negroes who carry heavy loads of them! Yet how glad I shall be when my
mother and Ernest are tasting them!'
  While we were conversing and proceeding onwards, Fritz perceived
that from time to time I sucked the end of a sugar-cane, and he
would needs do the same. It was in vain, however, that he tried:
scarcely a drop of the sap reached his eager lips. 'What can be the
reason,' said he, 'that though the cane is full of juice, I cannot get
out a drop!'
  'The reason is,' answered I, 'that you make use neither of
reflection nor of your imagination.'
  'Ah! I recollect now; is it not a question about air? Unless there
were a particular opening in the cane I may suck in vain; no juice
will come.'
                                                    {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 5}
  'You have explained the nature of the difficulty, but how will you
manage to set it right?'
  'Father, lend me your cane an instant.'
  'No, no, that will not do; what I wish is, that you should
yourself invent the remedy.'
  'Let me see: I imagine that I have only to make a little opening
just above the first knot, and then the air can enter.'
  'Exactly right. But tell me what you think would be the operation of
this opening near the first knot; and in what manner can it make the
juice get into your mouth?'
                                                   {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 10}
  'The pith of the cane being completely interrupted in its growth
by each knot, the opening made below could have no effect upon the
part above; in sucking the juice I draw in my breath, and thus exhaust
the air in my mouth: the external air presses at the same time through
the hole I have made and fills this void; the juice of the cane
forms an obstacle to this effort, and is accordingly driven into my
mouth. But how shall I manage when I have sucked this part dry, to get
at the part above?'
  'Oh, oh, Mr. Philosopher! what should prevent you, who have been
reasoning so well about the force and fluidity of the air, from
immediately conceiving so simple a process as that of cutting away the
part of the cane you have already sucked dry, and making a second
perforation in the part above, so that-'
  'Oh, I have it, I have it, I understand; but if we should become too
expert in the art of drawing out the juice, I fear but few of the
canes will reach our good friends in the tent.'
  'I also am not without my apprehensions, that of our acquisition
we shall carry them only a few sticks for firewood; for I must bring
another circumstance to your recollection: the juice of the sugar-cane
is apt to turn sour soon after cutting, and the more certainly in such
heat as we now experience. We may suck them, therefore, without
compunction at the diminution of their numbers.'
  'Well, then, if we can do no better with the sugar-canes, at least I
will take them a good provision of the milk of the cocoa-nuts, which I
have here in a tin bottle; we shall sit round on the grass and drink
it so deliciously!'
                                                   {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 15}
  'In this too, my generous boy, I fear you will be disappointed.
You talk of milk; but the milk of the cocoa-nut, no less than the
juice of the sugar-cane, when exposed to the air and heat, turns
soon to vinegar. I would almost wager that it is already sour; for the
tin bottle which contains it is particularly liable to become hot in
the sun.'
  'O heavens, how provoking! I must taste it this very minute.' The
tin bottle was lowered from his shoulder in the twinkling of an eye,
and he began to pull the cork; as soon as it was loose, the liquid
flew upwards, hissing and frothing like champagne.
  'Bravo, Mr. Fritz! you have manufactured there a wine of some
mettle. I must now caution you not to let it make you tipsy.'
  'Oh, taste it, father, pray taste it, it is quite delicious, not the
least like vinegar: it is rather like excellent new wine: its taste is
sweet, and it is so sparkling! do take a little, father. Is it not
good? If all the milk remains in this state, the treat will be
better even than I thought.'
  'I wish it may prove so, but I have my fears: its present state is
what is called the first degree of fermentation; the same thing
happens to honey, dissolved in water, of which hydromel is made.
When this first fermentation is past, and the liquid is clear, it is
become a sort of wine or other fermented liquor, the quality of
which depends on the materials used. By the application of heat, there
next results a second and more gradual fermentation, which turns the
fluid into vinegar. But this may be prevented by extraordinary care,
and by keeping the vessel that contains it in a cool place. Lastly,
a third fermentation takes place in the vinegar itself, which entirely
changes its character, and deprives it of its taste, its strength, and
its transparency. In the intense temperature of this climate, this
triple fermentation comes on very rapidly, so that it is not
improbable that, on entering our tent, you might find your liquids
turned to vinegar, or even to a thick liquid of ill odour: we may
therefore venture to refresh ourselves with a portion of our booty,
that it may not all be spoiled. Come, then, I drink your health, and
that of our dear family. I find the liquor at present both
refreshing and agreeable; but I am pretty sure that, if we would
arrive sober, we must not venture on frequent libations.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 20}
  Our regale imparted to our exhausted frames an increase of
strength and cheerfulness. We reached the place where we had left
our gourd utensils upon the sands; we found them perfectly dry, as
hard as bone, and not the least misshapen. We now, therefore, could
put them into our game-bags conveniently enough, and this done, we
continued our way. scarcely had we passed through the little wood in
which we breakfasted, when Turk sprang away to seize a troop of
monkeys, who were skipping about and amusing themselves without
observing our approach. They were thus taken by surprise; and before
we could get to the spot, our ferocious Turk had already seized one of
them; it was a female, who held a young one in her arms, which she was
caressing almost to suffocation, and which encumbrance deprived her of
the power of escaping. The poor creature was killed, and afterwards
devoured; the young one hid himself in the grass, and looked on,
grinding his teeth all the time that this horrible feat was
performing. Fritz flew like lightning to make Turk let go his hold. He
lost his hat, threw down his tin bottle, canes, etc., but all in vain;
he was too late to prevent the murder of the interesting mother.
  The next scene that presented itself was of a different nature,
and comical enough. The young monkey sprang nimbly on Fritz's
shoulders, and fastened his feet in the stiff curls of his hair; nor
could the squalls of Fritz, nor all the shaking he gave him, make
him let go his hold. I ran to them, laughing heartily, for I saw
that the animal was too young to do him any injury, while the panic
visible in the features of the boy made a ludicrous contrast with
the grimaces of the monkey, whom I in vain endeavoured to disengage.
'There is no remedy, Fritz,' said I, 'but to submit quietly and
carry him; he will furnish an addition to our stock of provisions,
though less alluring, I must needs confess, than for your mother's
sake we could wish. The conduct of the little creature displays a
surprising intelligence; he has lost his mother, and he adopts you for
his father; perhaps he discovered in you something of the air of a
father of a family.'
  'Or rather the little rogue found out that he had to do with a
chickenheart, who shrinks from the idea of ill-treating an animal
which has thrown itself on his protection. But I assure you, father,
he is giving me some terrible twitches, and I shall be obliged to
you to try once more to get him off.'
  With a little gentleness and management I succeeded. I took the
creature in my arms as one would an infant, nor could I help pitying
and caressing him. He was not larger than a kitten, and quite unable
to help himself; its mother was at least as tall as Fritz.
  'What shall I do with thee, poor orphan?' cried I; 'and how, in
our condition, shall I be able to maintain thee? We have already
more mouths to fill than food to put into them, and our workmen are
too young to afford us much hope from their exertions.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 25}
  'Father,' cried Fritz, 'do let me have this little animal to
myself I will take the greatest care of him; I will give him all my
share of the milk of the cocoa-nuts, till we get our cows and goats;
and who knows? his monkey instinct may one day assist us in
discovering some wholesome fruits.'
  'I have not the least objection,' answered I. 'You have conducted
yourself throughout this tragi-comic adventure like a lad of courage
and sensibility, and I am well satisfied with every circumstance of
your behaviour. It is therefore but just that the little protege
should be given up to your management and discretion; much will depend
on your manner of educating him; by and by we shall see whether he
will be fittest to aid us with his intelligence, or to injure us by
his malice; in this last case we shall have nothing to do but to get
rid of him.'
  While Fritz and I were talking about the young monkey, Turk was
taking his fill of the remains of his unfortunate mother. Fritz
would have driven him away, but besides the difficulty of
restraining him, we had to consider that we might, ourselves, be in
danger from the pressing hunger of so powerful an animal; all the food
we had before given him in the day seemed too little for the appeasing
his unbounded appetite.
  We now thought of resuming our journey. The little orphan jumped
again on the shoulders of his protector, while I on my part relieved
my boy of the bundle of canes. Scarcely had we proceeded a quarter
of a league when Turk overtook us full gallop. Fritz and I received
him without the usual marks of kindness, and reproached him with the
cruel action he had committed, as if he could feel and understand
us; but he showed no sign of concern about the matter, following
quietly behind Fritz with an air of cool and perfect satisfaction. The
young monkey appeared uneasy from seeing him so near, and passed round
and fixed himself on his protector's bosom, who did not long bear so
great an inconvenience without having recourse to his invention for
a remedy. He tied some string round Turk's body in such a way as to
admit of the monkey's being fastened on his back with it, and then
in a tone of genuine pity, he said, 'Now, Mr. Turk, since you had
the cruelty to destroy the mother, it is for you to take care of her
child.' At first the dog was restive, and resisted; but by degrees,
partly by menaces, and partly by caresses, we succeeded in gaining his
good-will, and he quietly consented to carry the little burden; and
the young monkey, who also had made some difficulties, at length found
himself perfectly accommodated. Fritz put another string round
Turk's neck, by which he might lead him, a precaution he used to
prevent him from going out of sight. I must confess we had not the sin
of too great haste to answer for, so that I had leisure for amusing
myself with the idea that we should arrive at our home with
something of the appearance of keepers of rare animals for show. I
enjoyed in foresight the jubilations of our young ones when they
should see the figure we made. 'Ah!' cried Fritz, 'I promise you,
brother Jack will draw materials enough from the occasion for future
malicious jokes.'- 'Do you then, my son,' said I, 'like your admirable
mother, who never fails to make allowance for the buoyant spirits of
youth, and is ever ready to find a charitable motive in everything. As
for the question of Turk, let me observe, that it would in our
situation be dangerous to teach our dogs not to attack and kill, if
they can, what unknown animals they meet with. You will see that he
will soon regard your little monkey as a member of our family: already
he is content to carry him on his back. But we must not discourage him
in his fancy for attacking wild beasts: Heaven has bestowed the dog on
man to be his safeguard and ally, and the horse the same. How
conspicuous is the goodness of the Almighty in the natural
dispositions he has bestowed on these useful creatures, who discover
so much affection for man, and so easily submit to the slavery of
serving him! A man on horseback, and accompanied by a troop of
well-conditioned dogs, need not fear any species of wild beasts, not
even the lion, nor the hyaena; he may even baffle the voracious
rapidity of the tiger.'
  'I feel how fortunate we are in the possession of two such
creatures: but what a pity that the horses we had on board died during
our voyage, and left us with only an ass!'
                                                   {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 30}
  'Let us take care how we treat even our ass with disdain. I wish
we had him safe on land. Fortunately he is large and strong, and not
of the common kind. We may train him to do us the same services as are
performed by the horse; and it is not improbable that he will even
improve under our care, and from the excellent pasture he will find in
this climate.'
  In such conversation as this, on subjects equally interesting to
both, we forgot the length of our journey, and soon found ourselves on
the bank of the river, and near our family, before we were aware.
Flora from the other side announced our approach by a violent barking,
and Turk replied so heartily that his motions unseated his little
burden, who in his fright jumped the length of his string from his
back to Fritz's shoulder, which he could not afterwards be prevailed
upon to leave. Turk, who began to be acquainted with the country,
ran off to meet his companion, and shortly after, our much-loved
family appeared in sight, with demonstrations of unbounded joy at
our safe return. They advanced along by the course of the river,
till they on one side, and we on the other, had reached the place we
crossed in the morning. We repassed it again in safety, and threw
ourselves into each other's arms. Scarcely had the young ones joined
their brother than they again began their joyful exclamations: 'A
monkey, a live monkey! Papa, mamma, a live monkey! Oh, how delightful!
how happy shall we be! How did you catch him? What a droll face he
has!'- 'He is very ugly,' said little Francis, half afraid to touch
him.- 'He is prettier than you,' retorted Jack; 'only see, he is
laughing: I wish I could see him eat.'- 'Ah! if we had but some
cocoa-nuts!' cried Ernest; 'could you not find any? Are they nice?'-
'Have you brought me any milk of almonds?' asked Francis.- 'Have you
met with any unfortunate adventure?' interrupted my wife. In this
manner, questions and exclamations succeeded to each other with such
rapidity as not to leave us time to answer them.
  At length, when all became a little tranquil, I answered them
thus: 'Most happy am I to return to you again, my best beloved, and,
God be praised! without any new misfortune. We have even the
pleasure of presenting you with many valuable acquisitions; but in the
object nearest my heart, the discovery of our ship companions, we have
entirely failed.'
  'Since it pleases God that it should be so,' said my wife, 'let us
endeavour to be content, and let us be grateful to Him for having
saved us from their unhappy fate, and for having once more brought
us all together: I have had much uneasiness about your safety, and
imagined a thousand evils that might beset you. The day appeared an
age. But now I see you once more safe and well! But put down your
burdens; we will all help you; for though we have not spent the day in
idleness, we are less fatigued than you. Quick then, my boys, and take
the loads from your father and your brother. Now then sit down, and
tell us your adventures.'
  Jack received my gun, Ernest the cocoa-nuts, Francis the
gourd-rinds, and my wife my game-bag. Fritz distributed the
sugar-canes, and put his monkey on the back of Turk, to the great
amusement of the children, at the same time begging Ernest to
relieve him of his gun. But Ernest, ever careful of his ease,
assured him that the large heavy bowls with which he was loaded were
the most he had strength to carry. His mother, a little too
indulgent to his lazy humour, relieved him of these; and thus we
proceeded all together to our tent.
                                                   {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 35}
  Fritz whispered me that if Ernest had known what the large heavy
bowls were, he would not so readily have parted with them. Then
turning to his brother,'Why, Ernest,' cried he, 'do you know that
these bowls are cocoa-nuts, your dear cocoa-nuts, and full of the
sweet nice milk you have so much wished to taste?'
  'What, really and truly cocoa-nuts, brother? Pray give them to me,
mother; I will carry them, if you please, and I can carry the gun
too.'
  'No, no, Ernest,' answered his mother, 'you shall not tease us
with more of your long-drawn sighs about fatigue: a hundred paces
and you would begin again.' Ernest would willingly have asked his
mother to give him the cocoa-nuts, and take the gun herself, but
this he was ashamed to do. 'I have only,' said he, 'to get rid of
these sticks, and carry the gun in my hand.'
  'I would advise you not to find the sticks heavy, either,' said
Fritz drily; 'I know you will be sorry if you do: and for this good
reason- the sticks are sugar-canes!'
  'Sugar-canes! Sugar-canes!' exclaimed they all; and, surrounding
Fritz, made him give them full instructions on the sublime art of
sucking sugar-canes.
                                                   {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 40}
  My wife also, who had always entertained a high respect for the
article of sugar in her household management, was quite astonished,
and earnestly entreated we would inform her of all particulars. I gave
her an account of our journey and our new acquisitions, which I
exhibited one after the other for her inspection. No one of them
afforded her more pleasure than the plates and dishes, because, to
persons of decent habits, they were articles of indispensable
necessity. We now adjourned to our kitchen, and observed with pleasure
the preparations for an excellent repast. On one side of the fire
was a turnspit, which my wife had contrived by driving two forked
pieces of wood into the ground, and placing a long even stick,
sharpened at one end, across them. By this invention she was enabled
to roast fish, or other food, with the help of little Francis, who was
entrusted with the care of turning it round from time to time.
  On the occasion of our return, she had prepared us the treat of a
goose, the fat of which ran down into some oyster-shells placed
there to serve the purpose of a dripping-pan. There was, besides, a
dish of fish, which the little ones had caught; and the iron pot was
upon the fire, provided with a good soup, the odour of which increased
our appetite. By the side of these most exhilarating preparations
stood one of the casks which we had recovered from the sea, the head
of which my wife had knocked out, so that it exposed to our view a
cargo of the finest sort of Dutch cheeses, contained in round tins.
All this display was made to excite the appetite of the two
travellers, who had fared but scantily during the day; and I must
needs observe that the whole was very little like such a dinner as one
should expect to see on a desert island.
  'What you call a goose,' said my wife, 'is a kind of wild bird,
and is the booty of Ernest, who calls him by a singular name, and
assures me that it is good to eat.'
  'Yes, father, I believe that the bird which I have caught is a
kind of penguin, or we might distinguish him by the surname of
Stupid. He showed himself to be a bird so destitute of even the
least degree of intelligence that I killed him with a single blow with
my stick.'
  'What is the form of his feet, and of his beak?' asked I.
                                                   {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 45}
  'His feet are formed for swimming; in other words, he is what is
called web-footed; the beak is long, small, and a little curved
downwards. I have preserved his head and neck, that you might
examine it yourself: it reminds me exactly of the penguin, described
as so stupid a bird in my book of natural history.'
  'You now then perceive, my son, of what use it is to read, and to
extend our knowledge, particularly of the productions of nature: by
this study and knowledge we are enabled to recognise at the moment the
objects which chance throws in our way, whether we have seen them
before or not. Tell me now what birds there are with feet like those
which you have just described, and which are so formed to enable the
creature to strike the water and prevent himself from sinking?'
  'There are the man-of-war bird, cormorants, and pelicans, father.'
  'By what mark do you distinguish the kind to which you just now said
the penguin or Stupid belonged?'
  'Upon my word,' interrupted his mother, 'I must give the answer
myself; and it shall be a petition that you will take some other
time for your catechism on birds: when once you begin a subject, one
never sees the end of it. Now, to my mind, there is a time for
everything: Ernest killed the bird, and was able to tell his kind;
we on our part shall eat him; what more therefore is necessary? Do you
not see, husband, that the poor child is thinking all the while of his
cocoa-nuts? Let me intercede on his behalf, and prevail upon you to
let him have the pleasure of examining and tasting them.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 50}
  'Ah! thank you, my good mother: I shall be very glad if papa will
consent.'
  FATHER.- Well, well, you have my full permission. But first you will
be obliged to learn from Fritz the best manner of opening them, so
as to preserve the milk: and one word more; I recommend to you not
to forget the young monkey, who has no longer his mother's milk for
food.
  JACK.- I cannot prevail upon him to taste a bit. I have offered
him everything we have.
  FATHER.- This is not surprising, for he has not yet learned how to
eat; you must feed him with the milk of cocoa-nuts till we can procure
something more suitable.
  JACK.- I will give the poor little creature my share, with all my
heart.
                                                   {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 55}
  ERNEST.- I have, however, the greatest desire to taste this milk
myself, just to know what it is like.
  'And so have I,' said the little Francis.
  'However, gentlemen, the monkey must live,' cried Jack, a little
maliciously.
  'And we and our children must live too,' answered their mother.
'Come, then, the supper is ready, and the cocoa-nuts shall be for
the dessert.'
  We seated ourselves on the ground: my wife had placed each article
of the repast in one of our new dishes, the neat appearance of which
exceeded all our expectations. My sons had not patience to wait, but
had broken the cocoa-nuts, and already convinced themselves of their
delicious flavour; and then they fell to making spoons with the
fragments of the shells. The little monkey, thanks to the kind
temper of Jack, had been served the first, and each amused himself
with making him suck the corner of his pocket-handkerchief, dipped
in the milk of the cocoa-nut. He appeared delighted with the treatment
he received, and we remarked with satisfaction that we should most
likely be able to preserve him.
                                                   {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 60}
  The boys were preparing to break some more of the nuts with the
hatchet, after having drawn out the milk through the three little
holes, when I pronounced the word halt, and bade them bring me a
saw. The thought had struck me that, by dividing the nuts carefully
with this instrument, the two halves, when scooped, would remain
with the form of teacups or basins already made to our hands. Jack,
who was on every occasion the most active, brought me the saw. I
performed my undertaking in the best manner I could, and in a short
time each of us was provided with a convenient receptacle for food: my
wife put the share of soup which belonged to each into the new basins.
The excellent creature appeared delighted that we should no longer
be under the necessity, as before, of scalding our fingers by
dipping into the pot; and I firmly believe that never did the most
magnificent service of china occasion half the pleasure to its
possessor as our utensils, manufactured by our own hands from gourds
and cocoa-nuts, excited in the kind heart of my wife. Fritz asked me
if he might not invite our company to taste his fine champagne,
which he said would not fail to make us all the merrier. 'I have not
the least objection,' answered I, 'but remember to taste it yourself
before you serve it to your guests.' He ran to draw out the stopple
and to taste it.- 'How unfortunate!' said he, 'it is already turned to
vinegar.'
  'What, is it vinegar?' exclaimed my wife. 'How lucky! it will make
the most delicious sauce for our bird, mixed with the fat which has
fallen from it in roasting, and will be as good a relish as a
salad.' No sooner said than done. This vinegar produced from cocoa-nut
proved a corrective of the wild and fishy flavour of the penguin.
The same sauce improved our dish of fish also. Each boasted most of
what he himself had been the means of procuring: it was Jack and
Francis who had caught the fish in one of the shallows, while Ernest
was employed with very little trouble to himself in securing his
penguin, the Stupid. My poor wife had herself performed the most
difficult task of all, that of rolling the cask of Dutch cheeses
into the kitchen, and then knocking out its head.
  By the time we had finished our meal, the sun was retiring from
our view; and recollecting how quickly the night would fall upon us,
we were in great haste to regain our place of rest. My wife had
considerately collected a tenfold quantity of dry grass, which she had
spread in the tent, so that we anticipated with joy the prospect of
stretching our limbs on a substance somewhat approaching to the
quality of mattresses, while, the night before, our bodies seemed to
touch the ground. Our flock of fowls placed themselves as they had
done the preceding evening: we said our prayers, and, with an improved
serenity of mind, lay down in the tent, taking the young monkey with
us, who was become the little favourite of all. Fritz and Jack
contended for a short time which should enjoy the honour of his
company for the night; and it was at last decided that he should be
laid between them; after which each would have a hand in covering
him carefully, that he might not catch cold. We now all lay down
upon the grass, in the order of the night before, myself remaining
last to fasten the sail-cloth in front of the tent; when, heartily
fatigued by the exertions of the day, I, as well as the rest, soon
fell into a profound and refreshing sleep.
  But I had not long enjoyed this pleasing state, when I was
awakened by the motion of the fowls on the ridge of the tent, and by a
violent barking of our vigilant safeguards, the dogs. I was
instantly on my legs: my wife and Fritz, who had also been alarmed,
got up also: we each took a gun, and sallied forth.
  The dogs continued barking with the same violence, and at
intervals even howled. We had not proceeded many steps from the
tent, when, to our surprise, we perceived by the light of the moon a
terrible combat. At least a dozen of jackals had surrounded our
brave dogs, who defended themselves with the stoutest courage. Already
the fierce champions had laid three or four of their adversaries on
the ground, while those which remained began a timid kind of moan,
as if imploring pity and forbearance. Meanwhile they did not the
less endeavour to entangle and surprise the dogs, thus thrown off
their guard, and to secure to themselves the advantage. But our
watchful combatants were not so easily deceived: they took good care
not to let the enemy approach them too nearly.
                                                   {CHAPTER_4 ^paragraph 65}
  I, for my part, had apprehended something worse than jackals.
  'We shall soon manage to set these gentlemen at rest,' said I.
'Let us fire both together, my boy; but let us take care how we aim,
for fear of killing the dogs; mind how you fire, that you may not
miss, and I shall do the same.' We fired, and two of the intruders
fell instantly dead upon the sands. The others made their escape;
but we perceived it was with great difficulty, in consequence, no
doubt, of being wounded. Turk and Flora afterwards pursued them, and
put the finishing stroke to what we had begun, and thus the battle
ended; but the dogs, true Caribbees by nature, made a hearty meal on
the flesh of their fallen enemies. My wife, seeing all quiet,
entreated us to lie down again and finish our night's sleep; but Fritz
asked me to let him first drag the jackal towards the tent, that he
might exhibit him the next morning to his brothers. I however observed
to Fritz that, if Turk and Flora were still hungry, we ought to give
them this last jackal in addition, as a recompense for their
courageous behaviour.
  We had now done with this affair. The body of the jackal was left on
the rock, by the side of the tent in which were the little sleepers,
who had not once awaked during the whole of the scene which had been
passing. Having, therefore, nothing further to prevent us, we lay down
by their side till day began to break, and till the cocks, with
their shrill morning salutation, awoke us both. The children, being
still asleep, afforded us an excellent opportunity to consult together
respecting the plan we should pursue for the ensuing day.

{CHAPTER_5
                                  5
                         Return to the Wreck
-
  I BROKE A silence of some moments with observing to my wife that I
could not but view with alarm the many cares and exertions to be made.
'In the first place, a journey to the vessel. This is of absolute
necessity: at least, if we would not be deprived of the cattle and
other useful things, all of which from moment to moment we risk losing
by the first heavy sea. What ought we to resolve upon? For example,
should not our very first endeavour be the contriving a better sort of
habitation, and a more secure retreat from wild beasts, also a
separate place for our provisions? I own I am at a loss what to
begin first.'
  At this moment I started from my bed, crying out loudly and briskly,
'Get up, children, get up; it is almost light, and we have some
important projects for to-day; it would be a shame to suffer the sun
to find us still sleeping, we who are to be the founders of a new
colony!'
  At these words Fritz sprang nimbly out of the tent, while the
young ones began to gape and rub their eyes, to get rid of their
sleepiness. Fritz ran to visit his jackal, which during the night
had become cold and perfectly stiff. He fixed him upon his legs, and
placed him like a sentinel at the entrance of the tent, joyously
anticipating the wonder and exclamations of his brothers at so
unexpected an appearance. But no sooner had the dogs caught a sight of
him than they began a howl, and set themselves in motion to fall
upon him instantly, thinking he was alive. Fritz had enough to do to
restrain them, and succeeded only by dint of coaxing and perseverance.
  The next thing thought of was breakfast; for the appetites of
young boys open with their eyes. To-day their mother had nothing to
give them for their morning meal but some biscuit, which was so hard
and dry that it was with difficulty we could swallow it. Fritz asked
for a piece of cheese to eat with it, and Ernest cast some searching
looks on the second cask we had drawn out of the sea, to discover
whether it also contained Dutch cheeses. In a minute he came up to us,
joy sparkling in his eyes; 'Father,' said he, 'if we had but a
little butter spread upon our biscuit, do you not think it would
improve it?'
                                                    {CHAPTER_5 ^paragraph 5}
  'That indeed it would; but- if- if; these never-ending ifs are but a
poor dependence. For my part, I had rather eat a bit of cheese with my
biscuit at once, than think of ifs, which bring us so meagre a
harvest.'
  ERNEST.- Perhaps, though, the ifs may be found to be worth
something, if we were to knock out the head of this cask.
  FATHER.- What cask, my boy? and what are you talking of?
  ERNEST.- I am talking of this cask, which is filled with excellent
salt butter. I made a little opening in it with a knife; and see, I
got out enough to spread nicely upon this piece of biscuit.
  'That glutton instinct of yours for once is of some general use,'
answered I. 'But now let us profit by the event. Who will have some
butter on his biscuit?' The boys surrounded the cask in a moment,
while I was in some perplexity as to the best method of getting at the
contents. Fritz was for taking off the topmost hoop, and thus
loosening one of the ends. But this I objected to, observing that
the great heat of the sun would not fail to melt the butter, which
would then run out and be wasted. The idea occurred to me that I would
make a hole in the bottom of the cask, sufficiently large to take
out a small quantity of butter at a time; and I set about
manufacturing a little wooden shovel to use for the purpose. All
this succeeded vastly well, and we sat down to breakfast, some
biscuits and a cocoa-nut shell full of salt butter being placed upon
the ground, round which we all assembled. We toasted our biscuit, and,
while it was hot, applied the butter, and contrived to make a hearty
breakfast.
                                                   {CHAPTER_5 ^paragraph 10}
  'One of the things we must not forget to look for in the vessel,'
said Fritz, 'is a spiked collar or two for our dogs, as a protection
to them should they again be called upon to defend themselves from
wild beasts, which I fear is too probable will be the case.'
  'Oh!' says Jack, 'I can make spiked collars, if my mother will
give me a little help.'
  'That I will, most readily, my boy; for I should like to see what
new fancy has come into your head,' cried she.
  'Yes, yes,' pursued I, 'as many new inventions as you please; you
cannot better employ your time; and if you produce something useful,
you will be rewarded with the commendations of all. But now for
work. You, Mr. Fritz, who, from your superior age and discretion,
enjoy the high honour of being my privy-counsellor, must make haste
and get yourself ready, and we will undertake to-day our voyage to the
vessel, to bring away whatever may be possible. You younger boys
will remain here, under the wing of your kind mother: I hope I need
not mention that I rely on your perfect obedience to her will, and
general good behaviour.'
  While Fritz was getting the boat ready, I looked about for a pole,
and tied a piece of white linen to the end of it: this I drove into
the ground, in a place where it would be visible from the vessel;
and I concerted with my wife that, in case of any accident that should
require my prompt assistance, they should take down the pole and
fire a gun three times as a signal of distress, in consequence of
which I would immediately turn back. But I gave her notice that, there
being so many things to accomplish on board the vessel, it was
probable that we should not, otherwise, return at night; in which case
I, on my part, also promised to make signals. My wife had the good
sense and the courage to consent to my plan. She, however, extorted
from me a promise that we should pass the night in our tubs, and not
on board the ship. We took nothing with us but our guns and a
recruit of powder and shot, relying that we should find provisions
on board; yet I did not refuse to indulge Fritz, in the wish he
expressed, to take the young monkey, as he wished to see how the
little creature would like some milk from the cow or from a goat.
                                                   {CHAPTER_5 ^paragraph 15}
  We embarked in silence, casting our anxious looks on the beloved
objects we were quitting. Fritz rowed steadily, and I did my best to
second his endeavours, by rowing from time to time, on my part, with
the oar which served me for a rudder. When we had gone some
distance, I remarked a current which was visible a long way. To take
advantage of this current, and to husband our strength by means of it,
was my first care. Little as I knew of the management of sea
affairs, I succeeded in keeping our boat in the direction in which
it ran, by which means we were drawn gently on, till at length the
gradual diminution of its force obliged us again to have recourse to
our oars; but our arms having now rested for some time, we were
ready for new exertions. A little afterwards we found ourselves safely
arrived at the cleft of the vessel, and fastened our boat securely
to one of its timbers.
  Fritz the first thing went with his young monkey on his arm to the
main deck, where he found all the animals we had left on board
assembled. I followed him, well pleased to observe the generous
impatience he showed to relieve the wants of the poor abandoned
creatures, who, one and all, now saluted us by the sounds natural to
its species. It was not so much the want of food, as the desire of
seeing their accustomed human companions, which made them manifest
their joy in this manner, for they had a portion of the food and water
we had left them still remaining. The first thing we did was to put
the young monkey to one of the goats that he might suck; and this he
did with such evident pleasure, and such odd grimaces, that he
afforded us much amusement. We next examined the food and water of the
other animals, taking away what was half spoiled, and adding a fresh
supply, that no anxiety on their account might interrupt our
enterprise. Nor did we neglect the care of renewing our own strength
by a plentiful repast.
  While we were seated, and appeasing the calls of hunger, Fritz and I
consulted what should be our first occupation; when, to my surprise,
the advice he gave was, that we should contrive a sail for our
boat.- 'In the name of Heaven,' cried I, 'what makes you think of this
at so critical a moment, when we have so many things of
indispensable necessity to arrange?'- 'True, father,' said Fritz; 'but
let me confess that I found it very difficult to row for so long a
time, though I assure you I did my best, and did not spare my
strength. I observed that, though the wind blew strong in my face, the
current still carried us on. Now, as the current will be of no use
in our way back, I was thinking that we might make the wind supply its
place. Our boat will be very heavy when we have loaded it with all the
things we mean to take away, and I am afraid I shall not be strong
enough to row to land; so do you not think that a sail would be a good
thing just now?'
  'Ah ha, Mr. Fritz! You wish to spare yourself a little trouble, do
you? But seriously, I perceive much good sense in your argument, and
feel obliged to my privy-counsellor for his good advice. The best
thing we can do is, to take care and not overload the boat, and thus
avoid the danger of sinking, or of being obliged to throw some of
our stores overboard. We will, however, set to work upon your sail; it
will give us a little trouble. But come, let us begin.'
  I assisted Fritz to carry a pole strong enough for a mast, and
another not so thick for a sailyard. I directed him to make a hole
in a plank with a chisel, large enough for the mast to stand upright
in it. I then went to the sail-room, and cut a large sail down to a
triangular shape: I made holes along the edges, and passed cords
through them. We then got a pulley, and with this and some cords,
and some contrivance in the management of our materials, we produced a
sail.
                                                   {CHAPTER_5 ^paragraph 20}
  Fritz, after taking observations through a telescope of what was
passing on land, and which we had already done several times, imparted
the agreeable tidings that all was still well with our dear family. He
had distinguished his mother walking tranquilly along the shore. He
soon after brought me a small streamer, which he had cut from a
piece of linen, and which he entreated me to tie to the extremity of
the mast, as much delighted with the streamer as with the sail itself.
He gave to our machine the name of The Deliverance; and in
speaking of it, instead of calling it a boat, it had now always
the title of the little vessel.
  'But now, father,' said Fritz, looking kindly on me as he spoke, 'as
you have eased me of the labour of rowing, it is my turn to take
care of you. I am thinking to make you a better contrived rudder;
one that would enable you to steer the boat both with greater ease and
greater safety.'- 'Your thought would be a very good one,' said I,
'but that I am unwilling to lose the advantage of being able to
proceed this way and that, without being obliged to veer. I shall
therefore fix our oars in such a manner as to enable me to steer the
raft from either end.' Accordingly, I fixed bits of wood to the stem
and stern of the machine, in the nature of grooves, which were
calculated to spare us a great deal of trouble.
  During these exertions the day advanced, and I saw that we should be
obliged to pass the night in our tubs, without much progress in our
task of emptying the vessel. We had promised our family to hoist a
flag as a signal, if we passed the night from home, and we found the
streamer precisely the thing we wanted for this purpose.
  We employed the remnant of the day in emptying the tubs of the
useless ballast of stones, and putting in their place what would be of
service, such as nails, pieces of cloth, and different kinds of
utensils, etc., etc. The Vandals themselves could not have made a more
complete pillage than we had done. The prospect before us of an entire
solitude made us devote our attention to the securing as much powder
and shot as we could, as a means of catching animals for food, and
of defending ourselves against wild beasts to the latest moment
possible. Utensils for every kind of workmanship, of which there was a
large provision in the ship, were also objects of incalculable value
to us. The vessel, which was now a wreck, had been sent out as a
preparation for the establishment of a colony in the South Seas; and
had been provided with a variety of stores not commonly included in
the loading of a ship. Among the rest, care had been taken to have
on board considerable numbers of European cattle: but so long a voyage
had proved unfavourable to the oxen and the horses, the greatest
part of which had died, and the others were in so bad a condition that
it had been found necessary to destroy them. The quantity of useful
things which presented themselves in the store-chambers made it
difficult for me to select among them, and I much regretted that
circumstances compelled me to leave some of them behind. Fritz,
however, already meditated a second visit; but we took good care not
to lose the present occasion for securing knives and forks, and
spoons, and a complete assortment of kitchen utensils. In the
captain's cabin we found some services of silver, dishes and plates of
high-wrought metal, and a little chest filled with bottles of many
sorts of excellent wine. Each of these we put into our boat. We next
descended to the kitchen, which we stripped of gridirons, kettles,
pots of all kinds, a small roasting-jack, etc. Our last prize was a
chest of choice eatables, intended for the table of the officers,
containing Westphalia hams, Bologna sausages, and other savoury
food. I took good care not to forget some little sacks of maize, of
wheat, and other grain, and some potatoes. We next added such
implements for husbandry as we could find; shovels, hoes, spades,
rakes, harrows, etc., etc. Fritz reminded me that we had found
sleeping on the ground both cold and hard, and prevailed upon me to
increase our cargo by some hammocks, and a certain number of blankets;
and as guns had hitherto been the source of his pleasures, he added
such as he could find of a particular costliness or structure,
together with some sabres and clasp-knives. The last articles we
took were a barrel of sulphur, a quantity of ropes, some small string,
and a large roll of sailcloth. The vessel appeared to us to be in so
wretched a condition, that the least tempest must make her go to
pieces. It was then quite uncertain whether we should be able to
approach her any more.
  Our cargo was so large that the tubs were filled to the very brim,
and no inch of the boat's room was lost. The first and last of the
tubs were reserved for Fritz and me to seat ourselves in and row the
boat, which sank so low in the water, that if the sea had not been
quite calm, we should have been obliged to ease her of some of the
loading; we, however, used the precaution of putting on our
swimming-jackets, for fear of any misfortune.
                                                   {CHAPTER_5 ^paragraph 25}
  It will easily be imagined that the day had been laboriously
employed. Night suddenly surprised us, and we lost all hope of
returning to our family the same evening. A large blazing fire on
the shore soon after greeted our sight- the signal agreed upon for
assuring us that all was well, and to bid us close our eyes in
peace. We returned the compliment, by tying four lanterns, with lights
in them, to our mast-head. This was answered, on their part, by the
firing of two guns; so that both parties had reason to be satisfied
and easy.
  After offering up our earnest prayers for the safety of all, and not
without some apprehension for our own, we resigned ourselves to
sleep in our tubs, which appeared to us safer than the vessel. Our
night passed tranquilly enough: my boy Fritz slept as soundly as if he
had been in a bed: while I, haunted by the recollection of the
nocturnal visit of the jackals, could neither close my eyes, nor
keep them from the direction of the tent. I had, however, great
reliance that my valiant dogs would do their duty, and was thankful to
Heaven for having enabled us to preserve so good a protection.

{CHAPTER_6
                                  6
                  A Troop of Animals in Cork-jackets
-
  EARLY THE NEXT morning, though scarcely light, I mounted the vessel,
hoping to gain a sight of our beloved companions through a
telescope. Fritz prepared a substantial breakfast of biscuit and
ham; but, before we sat down, we recollected that in the captain's
cabin we had seen a telescope of a much superior size and power, and
we speedily conveyed it to the deck. While this was doing, the
brightness of the day had come on. I fixed my eye to the glass, and
discovered my wife coming out of the tent, and looking attentively
towards the vessel, and at the same moment perceived the motion of the
flag upon the shore. A load of anxiety was thus taken from my heart;
for I had the certainty that all were in good health, and had
escaped the dangers of the night. 'Now that I have had a sight of your
mother,' said I to Fritz, 'my next concern is for the animals on
board; let us endeavour to save the lives of some of them at least,
and to take them with us.'
  'Would it be possible to make a raft, to get them all upon it, and
in this way get them to shore?' asked Fritz.
  'But what a difficulty in making it! and how could we induce a
cow, an ass, and a sow, either to get upon a raft, or, when there,
to remain motionless and quiet? The sheep and goats one might
perhaps find means to remove, they being of a more docile temper:
but for the larger animals, I am at a loss how to proceed.'
  'My advice, father, is to tie a long rope round the sow's neck,
and throw her without ceremony into the sea: her immense bulk will
be sure to sustain her above water; and we can draw her after the
boat.'
                                                    {CHAPTER_6 ^paragraph 5}
  'Your idea is excellent: but unfortunately it is of no use but for
the pig; and she is the one I care the least about preserving.'
  'Then here is another idea, father: let us tie a swimming-jacket
round the body of each animal, and contrive to throw one and all
into the water; you will see that they will swim like fish, and we can
draw them after us in the same manner.'
  'Right, very right, my boy; your invention is admirable: let us
therefore not lose a moment in making the experiment.'
  We hastened to the execution of our design: we fixed a jacket on one
of the lambs, and threw it into the sea; and, full of anxious
curiosity, I followed the poor beast with my eyes. He sunk at first,
and I thought him drowned; but he soon reappeared, shaking the water
from his head, and in a few seconds he had learned completely the
art of swimming. After another interval, we observed that he
appeared fatigued, gave up his efforts, and suffered himself to be
borne along by the course of the water, which sustained and
conducted him to our complete satisfaction. 'Victory!' exclaimed I,
hugging my boy with delight: 'these useful animals are all our own;
let us lose not a moment in adopting the same means with those that
remain; but take care not to lose our little lamb.' Fritz now would
have jumped into the water to follow the poor creature, who was
still floating safely on the surface; but I stopped him till I had
seen him tie on a swimming-jacket. He took with him a rope, first
making a slip-knot in it, and soon overtaking the lamb, threw it round
his neck, and drew him back to our boat: and then took him out of
the water.
  We next got four small water-butts. I emptied them, and then
carefully closed them again. I united them with a large piece of
sail-cloth, nailing one end to each cask. I strengthened this with a
second piece of sail-cloth, and this contrivance I destined to support
the cow and the ass, two casks to each, the animal being placed in the
middle, with a cask on either side. I added a thong of leather,
stretching from the casks across the breast and haunches of the
animal, to make the whole secure; and thus, in less than an hour, both
my cow and my ass were equipped for swimming.
                                                   {CHAPTER_6 ^paragraph 10}
  It was next the turn of the smaller animals: of these, the sow
gave us the most trouble: we were first obliged to put a muzzle on her
to prevent her biting; and then we tied a large piece of cork under
her body. The sheep and goats were more accommodating, and we had soon
accoutred them for our adventure. And now we had succeeded in
assembling our whole company on the deck, in readiness for the voyage:
we tied a cord to either the horns or the neck of each animal, and
to the other end of the cord a piece of wood similar to the mode
used for making nets, that it might be easy for us to take hold of the
ropes, and so draw the animal to us, if it should be necessary. We
struck away some more of the shattered pieces of wood from the fissure
of the vessel, by which we were again to pass. We began our experiment
with the ass, by conducting him as near as possible to the brink of
the vessel, and then suddenly shoving him off. He fell into the water,
and for a moment disappeared; but we soon saw him rise, and in the
action of swimming between his two barrels, with a grace which
really merited our commendation.
  Next came the cow's turn: and as she was infinitely more valuable
than the ass, my fears increased in due proportion. The ass had swum
so courageously, that he was already at a considerable distance from
the vessel, so that there was sufficient room for our experiment on
the cow. We had more difficulty in pushing her overboard; but she
reached the water in as much safety as the ass had done before: she
did not sink so low in it, and was no less perfectly sustained by
the empty barrels; and she made her way with gravity, and, if I may so
express it, a sort of dignified composure. According to this method we
proceeded with our whole troop, throwing them one by one into the
water, where by and by they appeared in a group floating at their
ease, and seemingly well content. The sow was the only exception:
she became quite furious, set up a loud squalling, and struggled
with so much violence in the water that she was carried to a
considerable distance, but fortunately in a direction towards the
landing-place we had in view. We had now not a moment to lose. Our
last act was to put on our cork-jackets; and then we descended without
accident through the cleft, took our station in the boat, and were
soon in the midst of our troop of quadrupeds. We carefully gathered
all the floating bits of wood, and fastened them to the stern of the
machine, and thus drew them after us. When everything was adjusted,
and our company in order, we hoisted our sail, which soon filling with
a favourable wind, conducted us all safe to the land.
  We now perceived how impossible it would have been for us to have
succeeded in our enterprise without the aid of a sail; for the
weight of so many animals sunk the boat so low in the water that all
our exertions to row to such a distance would have been ineffectual;
while, by means of the sail, she proceeded completely to our
satisfaction, bearing in her train our company of animals; nor could
we help laughing heartily at the singular appearance we made. Proud of
the success of so extraordinary a feat, we were in high spirits, and
seated ourselves in the tubs, where we made an excellent dinner. Fritz
amused himself with the monkey, while I was occupied in thinking of
those I had left on land, and of whom I now tried to take a view
through my telescope. My last act on board the vessel had been to take
one look more at those beloved beings, and I perceived my wife and the
three boys all in motion, and seeming to be setting out on some
excursion; but it was in vain that I endeavoured, by anything I saw,
to conjecture what their plan might be. I therefore seized the first
moment of quiet to make another trial with my glass, when a sudden
exclamation from Fritz filled me with alarm. 'O heavens!' cried he,
'we are lost! a fish of an enormous size is coming up to the boat.'-
'And why lost!' said I, half angry, and yet half partaking of his
fright. 'Be ready with your gun, and the moment he is close upon us we
will fire upon him.' He had nearly reached the boat, and with the
rapidity of lightning had seized the foremost sheep: at this instant
Fritz aimed his fire so skilfully that the balls of the gun were
lodged in the head of the monster, which was an enormous shark. The
fish half turned himself round in the water and hurried off to sea,
leaving us to observe the lustrous smoothness of his belly, and that
as he proceeded he stained the water red, which convinced us he had
been severely wounded. I determined to have the best of our guns at
hand the rest of the way, lest we should be again attacked by the same
fish, or another of his species.
  The animal being now out of sight, and our fears appeased, I resumed
the rudder; and as the wind drove us straight towards the bay, I
took down the sail, and continued rowing till we reached a
convenient spot for our cattle to land. I had then only to untie the
end of the cords from the boat, and they stepped contentedly on shore.
Our voyage thus happily concluded, we followed their example.
  I had already been surprised and uneasy at finding none of my family
looking out for us on the shore: we could not, however, set out in
search of them till we had disencumbered our animals of their swimming
apparatus. Scarcely had we entered upon this employment, when I was
relieved by the joyful sounds which reached our ears, and filled our
hearts with rapture. It was my wife and the youngest boys who
uttered them, the latter of whom were soon close up to us, and their
mother followed not many steps behind, each and all of them in
excellent health, and eager for our salutations. When the first
burst of happiness at meeting had subsided, we all sat down on the
grass, and I began to give them an account of our occupations in the
vessel, of our voyage, and of all our different plans and their
success, in the order in which they occurred. My wife could find no
words to express her surprise and joy at seeing so many useful animals
round us; and the hearty affection she expressed for them, in language
the most simple and touching, increased my satisfaction at the
completion of our enterprise.
                                                   {CHAPTER_6 ^paragraph 15}
  'Yes,' said Fritz, a little consequentially; 'for this once, the
privy counsellor has tried his talents at invention.'
  'This, indeed, is very true,' replied I; 'in all humility have I
to confess that to Fritz alone all praise belongs, and that to his
sagacity it is that we are indebted for our success.' His mother could
not refrain from giving him a hearty kiss. 'Our gratitude is due to
both,' said she; 'for both have laboured to give us the possession
of this troop of animals, an acquisition, beyond any other,
agreeable and serviceable to us in the situation in which it has
pleased Providence to place us.'
  Ernest and Jack now ran to the boat, and began to shout their
admiration of the mast, the sail, and the flag, desiring their brother
to explain to them how all the things they saw had been effected,
and what he himself did of them. In the meantime we began to unpack
our cargo, while Jack stole aside and amused himself with the animals,
took off the jackets from the sheep and goats, bursting from time to
time into shouts of laughter at the ridiculous figure of the ass,
who stood before them adorned with his two casks and his swimming
apparatus, and braying loud enough to make us deaf.
  By and by I perceived, with surprise, that Jack had round his
waist a belt of metal covered with yellow skin, in which were fixed
two pistols. 'In the name of Heaven,' exclaimed I, 'where did you
procure this curious costume, which gives you the look of a smuggler?'
  'From my own manufactory,' replied he; 'and if you cast your eyes
upon the dogs, you will see more of my specimens.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_6 ^paragraph 20}
  Accordingly I looked at them, and perceived that each had on a
collar similar to the belt round Jack's waist, with, however, the
exception of the collars being armed with nails, the points of which
were outwards, and exhibited a formidable appearance. 'And is it
you, Mr. Jack,' cried I, 'who have invented and executed these collars
and your belt?'
  'Yes, father, they are indeed my invention, with a little of my
mother's assistance when it was necessary to use the needle.'
  'But where did you get the leather and the thread and the needle?'
  'Fritz's jackal furnished the first,' answered my wife; 'and as to
the last, a good mother of a family is always provided with them. Then
have I not an enchanted bag, from which I draw out such articles as
I stand in need of? So if you have a particular fancy for anything,
you have only to acquaint me with it.' I tenderly embraced her, to
express my thanks for this effort to amuse by so agreeable a raillery,
and Jack too came in for his share both of the caresses and our hearty
commendation.
  Perceiving that no preparations were making for supper, I told Fritz
to bring us the Westphalia ham. The eyes of all were now fixed upon me
with astonishment, believing that I could only be in jest; when
Fritz returned, displaying with exultation a large ham, which we had
begun to cut in the morning. 'A ham!' cried one and all; 'a ham! and
ready dressed! What a nice supper we shall have!' said they,
clapping their hands to give a hearty welcome to the bearer of so fine
a treat. 'It comes quite in the nick of time too,' interrupted I;
'for, to judge by appearances, a certain careful steward I could
name seems to have intended to send us supperless to bed, little
thinking, I suppose, that a long voyage by water is apt to increase
the appetite.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_6 ^paragraph 25}
  'I will tell you presently,' replied my wife, 'what it was that
prevented me from providing a supper for you all at an early hour:
your ham, however, makes you ample amends; and I have something in
my hand with which I shall make a pretty side-dish; in the twinkling
of an eye you shall see it make its entrance.' She now showed us about
a dozen of turtles' eggs, and then hurried away to make an omelette of
some of them.
  'Look, father,' said Ernest, 'if they are not the very same which
Robinson Crusoe found in his island! See, they are like white balls,
covered with a skin like wetted parchment! We found them upon the
sands along the shore.'
  'Your account is perfectly just, my dear boy,' said I; 'by what
means did you make so useful a discovery?'- 'Oh, that is part of our
history,' interrupted my wife; 'for I also have a history to relate,
when you will be so good as to listen to it.'
  'Hasten, then, my love, and get your pretty side-dish ready, and
we will have the history for the dessert. In the meantime I will
relieve the cow and the ass from their jackets. Come along, boys,
and give me your help.' I got up, and they all followed me gaily to
the shore. We were not long in effecting our purpose with the cow
and the ass, who were animals of a quiet and kind temper; but when
it was the sow's turn, our success was neither so easy nor so certain;
for no sooner had we untied the rope than she escaped from us, and ran
so fast that none of us could catch her. The idea occurred to Ernest
of sending the two dogs after her, who caught at her ears, and sent
her back, while we were half deafened with the hideous noise she made;
at last she suffered us to take off her cork-jacket. We now laid the
accoutrements across the ass's back, and returned to the kitchen;
our slothful Ernest highly delighted that he was likely in future to
have our loads carried by a servant.
  In the meantime the kind mother had prepared the omelette, and
spread a tablecloth on the end of the cask of butter, upon which she
had placed some of the plates and silver spoons we had brought from
the ship. The ham was in the middle, and the omelette and the cheese
opposite to each other; and altogether made a figure not to be
despised by the inhabitants of a desert island. By and by the two
dogs, the fowls, the pigeons, the sheep, and the goats had all
assembled round us, which gave us something like the air of sovereigns
of the country. It did not please the geese and ducks to add
themselves to the number of these our loyal subjects; they deserted us
for a marshy swamp, where they found a kind of little crabs in great
abundance, and which furnished a delicious food for them, and relieved
us of the care of providing for their support.
                                                   {CHAPTER_6 ^paragraph 30}
  When we had finished our repast, I bade Fritz present our company
with a bottle of Canary wine, which we had brought from the
captain's cabin, and I desired my wife to indulge us with the promised
history.

{CHAPTER_7
                                  7
  Second Journey of Discovery performed by the Mother of the Family
-
  'YOU PRETEND,' said my wife, with a little malicious smile, 'to be
curious about my history, yet you have not let me speak a single
word in all this time: but the longer a torrent is pent up, the longer
it flows when once let loose. Now, then, that you are in the humour to
listen, I shall give vent to a certain little movement of vanity which
is fluttering at my heart. Not, however, to intrude too long upon your
patience, we will skip the first day of your absence, in the course of
which nothing new took place, except my anxiety on your account, which
confined me for the most part to the spot from whence you embarked,
and from which I could see the vessel. But this morning, when I was
made happy by the sight of your signal, and had set up mine in return,
I looked about, before the boys were up, in hopes to find a shady
place where we might now and then retire from the heat of the sun; but
I found not a single tree. This made me reflect a little seriously
on our situation. It will be impossible, said I to myself, to remain
in this place with no shelter but a miserable tent, under which the
heat is even more excessive than without. Courage, then! pursued I; my
husband and my eldest son are at this moment employed for the
general good; why should not I be active and enterprising also? why
not undertake, with my youngest sons, to do something that shall add
some one comfort to our existence? I will pass over with them to the
other side of the river and with my own eyes examine the country
respecting which my husband and Fritz have related such wonders. I
will try to find out some well shaded, agreeable spot, in which we may
all be settled. I now cast another look towards the vessel; but
perceiving no sign of your return, I determined to share a slight
dinner with the boys, and then we set out resolutely on a journey of
discovery for a habitation better sheltered from the sun.
  'In the morning, Jack had slipped to the side of the tent where
Fritz had hung the jackal, and with his knife, which he sharpened from
time to time upon the rock, he cut some long strips of skin from the
back of the animal, and afterwards set about cleaning them. Ernest
discovered him in this uncleanly occupation; and as he is, as we all
know, a little delicate, and afraid to soil his fingers, he not only
refused to give Jack any assistance, but thought fit to sneer a little
at the currier-like trade which he had engaged in. Jack, who, as we
also know, has not the most patient temper in the world, raised his
hand to give him a little cuff. Ernest made his escape, more
alarmed, I believe, by Jack's dirty hands than by the expected blow;
while I, for my part, ran to set them right, and to give a mother's
reproof to both. Jack persisted that he had a justification full and
undeniable in the great usefulness of the said dirty work; "for,"
observed he, "it is intended to make some collars which I shall arm
with spikes, and the dogs will wear them for our defence." I saw in an
instant that Ernest had been the aggressor, and on him fell the
reproof: I represented how little a squeamishness like his suited with
the difficulties of our situation, in which one and all were called
upon to assist in any employment that should promise to contribute
to the general good.
  'Jack returned to his strips of skin, the cleaning of which he
completed very cleverly. When he had finished this part of his
undertaking, he looked out from the chest of nails those that were
longest, and which had the largest and flattest heads; these he
stuck through the bits of skin intended for the collars, at small
distances. He next cut a strip of sail-cloth, the same breadth as
the leather, and laying it along on the heads of the nails, politely
proposed to me the agreeable occupation of sewing them together, to
prevent the heads of the nails from injuring the dogs. I begged to
be excused; but seeing the good humour with which he tried to sew them
himself, and that, with all his good-will, it was too hard a task, I
rewarded him by doing it myself- few mothers refuse the sacrifice of a
little personal convenience to afford delight to a virtuous child.
  'But now having yielded the first time, I found I had made myself
liable to further claims. The next thing was a belt for himself, which
he had manufactured of the same materials, and was impatient to see
completed, it being intended to contain his pistols. "We shall see,"
said he, strutting about as he spoke, "if the jackals will dare to
attack us."- "But, dear Jack, you do not foresee what will happen- a
piece of skin not entirely dry is always liable to shrink when exposed
to the heat; so, after all, you will not be able to make use of it."
My little workman, as I said this, struck his forehead, and betrayed
other marks of impatience. "What you say is true," said he, "and I had
not well considered; but I know of an effectual remedy." He then
took a hammer and some nails, and stretched his strips of leather on a
plank, which he laid in the sun to dry quickly; thus preventing the
possibility of their shrinking. I applauded his invention, and
promised him I would not fail to give you a full account of his
proceedings.
                                                    {CHAPTER_7 ^paragraph 5}
  'I next assembled them round me, and informed them of my plans for
an excursion; and you may believe I heard nothing like a dissenting
voice. They lost not a moment in preparing themselves; they examined
their arms, their game-bags, looked out the best clasp-knives, and
cheerfully undertook to carry the provision-bags; while I, for my
share, was loaded with a large flask of water and a hatchet, for which
I thought it likely we might find a use. I also took the light gun
which belongs to Ernest, and gave him in return a carbine, which might
be loaded with several balls at once. We took some refreshment, and
then sallied forth, attended by the two dogs for our escort. Turk, who
had already accompanied you in the same direction, seemed well aware
that he knew the way, and proceeded at the head of the party in
quality of a conductor. We arrived at the place at which you had
crossed the river, and succeeded in passing over, though not without
difficulty.
  'As we advanced, I reflected that our safety depended in some
measure on the two boys, because it was they only who knew how to
use the guns. I now, for the first time, began to feel how fortunate
it was that you had accustomed them from infancy to face danger of
every kind; but I am now convinced that the parent who adopts a
hardy scheme of education acts the wisest part. But now for the
passing of the river.
  'Ernest was the first in reaching the other side. The little Francis
entreated me to carry him on my back, which was difficult enough. At
length we found means to manage pretty well, thanks to Jack, who
relieved me of my gun and the hatchet. But for himself, finding he was
scarcely able to stand under his added weight, he resolved to go
straight into the water at once, rather than run the risk of slipping,
by stepping on the loose wet pieces of stone so heavily loaded. I
myself had great difficulty to keep myself steady with the dear little
burden at my back, who joined his hands round my neck, and leaned with
all his weight upon my shoulders. After having filled my flask with
river-water, we proceeded on our way till we had reached to the top of
the hill which you described to us as so enchanting, and where I
partook of the pleasure you had experienced. I continued for some time
to look around and admire in silence; and for the first time since the
event of our dreadful accident at sea, I felt my heart begin to open
to a sense of enjoyment and of hope.
  'In casting my eyes over the vast extent before me, I had observed a
small wood of the most inviting aspect. I had so long sighed for a
little shade that I resolved to bend our course towards it; for
this, however, it was necessary to go a long way through a strong kind
of grass, which reached above the heads of the little boys; an
obstacle which, on trial, we found too difficult to overcome. We
therefore resolved to walk along the river, and turn at last upon
the wood. We found traces of your footsteps, and took care to follow
them till we had come to a place which seemed to lead directly to
it; but here again we were interrupted by the height and thickness
of the grass, which nothing but the most exhausting endeavours could
have enabled us to get through. Jack was now loitering a little
behind, and I frequently turned round to observe what he could be
doing: at last I saw him tearing off some handfuls of grass and wiping
his clothes with it, and then shake his pocket-handkerchief, which was
wet, and lay it on his shoulders to dry. I hastened back to inquire
what had happened.
  '"Oh, mother," said he, "I believe all the water of the river we
have crossed has got into my pockets; only see, everything I had in
them is wet, pistols, turfs, everything."
                                                   {CHAPTER_7 ^paragraph 10}
  '"Good heavens!" interrupted I, in great alarm; "had you put your
pistols in your pocket? They were not loaded, I hope?"
  '"I am sure I do not know, mother; I only put them there while my
belt was drying, that I might always have them about me."
  '"Thoughtless, yet fortunate boy!" exclaimed I. "Do you know what an
escape you have had? If with the suddenness of your motions the
pistols had gone off, they would infallibly have killed you. Take
care, I entreat you, not to commit such an imprudence in future."-
"There is nothing, I believe, to fear, mother, for this time," replied
he, holding the pistols so as to let the water run out of them. And in
reality I perceived, by the condition they were in, that there was
little danger of their going off. While we were talking of what had
happened, our attention was interrupted by a sudden noise, and looking
about we perceived a large bird rising from the thickest part of the
grass and mounting in the air. Each of the boys prepared to fire,
but before they could be ready, the bird was out of the reach of shot.
Ernest was bitterly disappointed, and instantly exchanged the gun
for the carbine I had given him, crying, "What a pity! If I had but
had the lightest gun! if the bird had not got away so fast, I would
lay any wager I should have killed him."
  '"The mischief was, no doubt, that you did not let him know
beforehand that it was your pleasure he should wait till you could
be quite ready," observed I, laughing.
  '"But, mother, how could I possibly suppose that the bird could
fly away in less than the twinkling of an eye? Ah, if one would but
come at this very moment!"
                                                   {CHAPTER_7 ^paragraph 15}
  '"A good sportsman, Ernest, always holds himself in readiness,
this being, as I understand, one of his great arts; for you must
know that birds do not send messages to give notice of their coming."
  '"I wish I could but know," said Jack, "what bird it was; I never
saw any the least like it."
  '"I am sure it was an eagle," said the little Francis, "for I have
read in my book of fables that an eagle can carry off a sheep; and
this bird was terribly large."
  '"Oh yes!" said Ernest scoffingly, "as if all large birds must be
eagles! Why, do you not know that there are some birds much larger
even than eagles? The ostrich, for example, which travellers sometimes
named the Condor, or the Candor. I must confess it would have afforded
me the highest pleasure to have examined this bird minutely."
  '"If you had had time to examine him, you would have had time to
kill him," said I; "but as the opportunity is gone, let us look for
the place in the grass from which he mounted; we may judge at least of
his size by the mark he will have left there." The boys now all
scampered away to the place, when suddenly a second bird, exactly like
the first, except that he was a little larger, rushed out with a great
noise and mounted above their heads.
                                                   {CHAPTER_7 ^paragraph 20}
  'The boys remained stupid with astonishment, following him with
their eyes and open mouths without speaking a word, while for my own
part I could not help laughing heartily. "Oh! such fine sportsmen as
we have here!" cried I; "they will never let us be in want of game,
I plainly perceive. Ah! if one would but come at this very
moment!" Ernest, always a little disposed to vent uneasiness by
crying, now began to whimper; while Jack, with a curious mixture of
tragi-comic bravery upon his features, his eyes darting upon the
mounting traveller, takes off his hat, makes a profound bow, and roars
out, as if for the bird to hear, "Have the goodness, Mr. Traveller, to
indulge me once more with a little visit, only for a single minute:
you cannot imagine what good sort of people we are: I entreat that
we may have the pleasure of seeing you once again-" We now minutely
examined the place from which the birds had mounted, and found a
kind of large nest formed of dry plants, of clumsy workmanship; the
nest was empty, with the exception of some broken shells of eggs. I
inferred from this that their young had lately been hatched; and
observing at this moment a rustling motion among some plants of
shorter growth, at some distance from the spot on which we stood, I
concluded that the young covey were scampering away in that direction;
but as the motion soon ceased, we had no longer a guide to conduct
us to their retreat. We next reached a little wood; and here our son
Ernest had an opportunity of recognising many of the originals of
the engravings in his books of natural history, and of displaying
his knowledge, or his ignorance, to his heart's content. A
prodigious quantity of unknown birds were skipping and warbling on the
branches of the trees, without betraying the least alarm at our
vicinity. The boys wanted to fire on them; but this I absolutely
forbade, and with the less scruple as the trees were of so enormous
a height as to be out of gun-shot reach. No, my dear husband, you
cannot possibly form an idea of the trees we now beheld! You must
somehow have missed this wood; or so extraordinary a sight could not
have escaped your observation. What appeared to us at a distance to be
a wood was only a group of about fourteen of them, the trunks of which
seemed to be supported in their upright position by arches on each
side, these arches being formed by the roots of the tree.
  'Jack climbed with considerable trouble upon one of these
arch-formed roots, and with a packthread in his hand measured the
actual circumference of the tree itself: it came to more than
fifteen braches. I made thirty-two steps in going round one of these
giant productions at the roots; and its height from the ground to
the place where the branches begin to shoot may be about thirty-six
braches. The twigs of the tree are strong and thick; its leaves
moderately large in size, and bearing some resemblance to the
hazel-tree of Europe; but I was unable to discover that it bore any
fruit. The soil immediately round and under its branches produced in
great abundance a short thick kind of plant, unmixed with any of the
thistle kind, and of a perfectly smooth surface. The large breadth
of shade which presented itself seemed to invite us to make this
spot the place of our repose; and my predilection for it grew so
strong that I resolved to go no further, but to enjoy its delicious
coolness till it should be time to return. I sat down in this
verdant elysium with my three sons around me. We took out our
provision-bags: a charming stream, formed to increase the coolness and
beauty of the scene, flowed at our feet, and supplied us with a
fresh and salutary beverage. Our dogs were not long in reaching us;
they had remained behind, sauntering about the skirts of the wood.
To my great surprise, they did not ask for anything to eat, but lay
down quietly and were soon asleep at our feet. For my own part, I felt
that I could never tire of beholding and admiring this enchanting
spot; it occurred to me that, if we could but contrive a kind of
tent that could be fixed in one of the trees, we might safely come and
make our abode here. I had found nothing in any other direction that
suited us so well in every respect; and I resolved to look no further.
When we had shared our dinner among us, and well rested from our
fatigue, we set out on our return, again keeping close to the river,
half expecting to see along the shore some of the pieces or other
vestiges of the vessel, which the waves might have washed there.
  'But before we left our enchanting retreat Jack entreated me to
stay, and finish sewing the linen strips to his leather belt. The
little coxcomb had so great an ambition to strut about and exhibit
himself in this new ornament that he had taken the trouble to carry
the piece of wood on which he had nailed his skin to dry along with
him through the whole of our expedition. Finding that the skin was
really dry, I granted his request, preferring, since work I must, to
do it now when I had the advantage of being in the shade. When I had
finished, he eagerly fastened on the belt, and placed his pistols in
it: he set himself before us in a marching step, with the knuckles
of his hand turned back upon his hip, leaving to Ernest the care of
putting on the dogs' collars; which he insisted should be done, for it
would give them, he said, a martial air. The self-imagined hero was
all impatience for you and Fritz to see him in his new accoutrement;
so that I had enough to do to walk quick enough to keep sight of
him; for in a country where no track of the foot of man is to be found
we might easily lose each other. I became more tranquil respecting him
when we had got once more together on the sea-shore; for, as I
expected, we found there pieces of timber, poles, large and small
chests, and other articles, which I knew had come from the vessel.
None of us, however, were strong enough to bring them away; we
therefore contented ourselves with dragging all we could reach to
the dry sands, beyond the reach of the waves at high water. Our
dogs, for their part, were fully employed in catching crabs, which
they drew with their paws to the shore as the waves washed them up,
and on which they made an excellent repast. I now understood it was
this sort of prey which had appeased their hunger before they joined
us at dinner. "Heaven be praised," cried I, "that our animals have
found means to procure sustenance at so cheap a rate! for I really
began to think that, with their enormous appetites, they might some
day have taken it into their heads to eat their masters."
  'We now suddenly cast our eyes on Flora, whom we perceived
employed in turning over a round substance she had found in the sands,
some pieces of which she swallowed from time to time. Ernest also
perceived her motions, and did us the favour, with his usual
composure, to pronounce just these words- "They are turtles' eggs."
  '"Run, my children," cried I, "and get as many of them as you can;
they are excellent, and I shall have the greatest pleasure in being
able to regale our dear travellers on their return with so new and
delicious a dish." We found it difficult to make Flora leave the eggs,
to which she had taken a great fancy. At length, however, we succeeded
in collecting near two dozen of them, which we secured in our
provision-bags. When we had concluded this affair, we by accident cast
our eyes upon the sea, and to our astonishment perceived a sail, which
seemed to be joyfully approaching towards the land. I knew not what to
imagine; but Ernest exclaimed that it was you and Fritz; and we soon
had the happiness of being convinced that it was indeed our
well-beloved! We ran eagerly towards the river, which Jack and
Ernest re-crossed as before, by leaping from one great stone to
another; while I also resumed my burden of little Francis at my
back, and in this manner soon arrived at the place of your landing,
when we had nothing further to do but to throw ourselves into your
arms!'
                                                   {CHAPTER_7 ^paragraph 25}
  'And you think we could set up a tent in one of those giant trees at
a distance of sixty-six feet from the ground! And by what means are we
to ascend this tree? for at present I have no clear view of this
important part of the subject.'
  I perceived a tear stealing into my wife's eye, that she could not
prevail upon me to think as she wished of her discovery, and that I
treated the subject of her giant trees with so little respect: I
therefore endeavoured to soothe and relieve her somewhat wounded
sensibility.
  'Do you recollect,' said she, 'the large lime-tree in the public
walk of the town we lived in; and the pretty little room which had
been built among its branches, and the flight of stairs which led to
it? What should hinder us from effecting such a contrivance in one
of my giant trees, which afford even superior facilities in the
enormous size and strength of their branches, and the peculiar
manner of their growth?'
  'Well, well, we shall see about it. In the meanwhile, my boys, let
us extract a little lesson in arithmetic from the subject of these
marvellous trees, for this, at least, will be deriving a real
benefit from them. Tell me, learned Mr. Ernest, how many feet there
are in thirty-six braches? for that, your mother assures us, is the
height of the trees.'
  ERNEST.- To answer this question, I must know first how many feet or
inches the brache contains.
                                                   {CHAPTER_7 ^paragraph 30}
  FATHER.- The brache, or half-ell, contains one foot ten inches, or
twenty-two inches. Now then make your calculation.
  ERNEST.- I do not find it so easy as I thought. You must help me,
Fritz: you are older than I am.
  FRITZ.- With all my heart. First we take thirty-six braches; then
multiply 36 by 22, the number of inches each brache contains, and
you have 792; divide this by 12, the number of inches in a foot, and
it will give us 66 for the number of feet. Is that right, father?
  FATHER.- Yes, quite right. So, my dear wife, you will have every
evening to climb sixty-six feet to get to bed, which, as we have no
ladder, is not the easiest thing imaginable. Now then let us see how
many feet the tree is in circumference, taking it round the roots.
Your mother found that she walked round it in thirty-two steps. Tell
us then, Ernest, how many feet do you think these thirty-two steps
would make?
  ERNEST.- You always ask me the things that I know nothing at all
about: you should tell me, at least, how many feet there are in a
step.
                                                   {CHAPTER_7 ^paragraph 35}
  FATHER.- Well, say two feet and a half to each step.
  ERNEST.- Twice 32 makes 64; the half of 32 is 16; which added to
64 makes 80 feet.
  FATHER.- Very well. Tell me now if you recollect the proper term
in geometry for the circumference of a circle, or say of a tree, since
we are talking of trees.
  ERNEST.- Oh, you may be sure that I could not forget that it is
called the periphery.
  FATHER.- Right. And what is the term for any line which may be drawn
from one point of the periphery to another, passing through the
centre? Now, Jack, you may show us what a great geometrician you
intend to be.
                                                   {CHAPTER_7 ^paragraph 40}
  JACK.- I believe it is called the diameter.
  FATHER.- So far right. Next, can you tell me what is the diameter of
a periphery of eighty feet, and what distance there is between the
extremities of the roots of the giant tree and its trunk?
  The boys all began to reckon, and soon one said one number, one
another, at random; but Fritz called out, louder than the rest, that
the distance was twenty-six feet.
  FATHER.- You are pretty near. Tell me, did you make a calculation,
or was it a mere guess?
  FRITZ.- No, father, not a guess; but I will tell you. In the town in
which we lived, I have often taken notice that the hatter, when he was
about to bind the edge of a hat, always measured three times the
length of the diameter, and a trifle over, for the quantity of
riband he should use.
                                                   {CHAPTER_7 ^paragraph 45}
  FATHER.- So; height from the ground to the branches, sixty-six feet;
thickness, eight feet in diameter; and twenty-eight feet distance from
the extremities of the roots to the trunk: they really, with
propriety, may be called giant trees.
  We now performed our devotions, and retired to rest.

{CHAPTER_8
                                  8
                           Change of Abode
-
  AS SOON AS WE were up and had breakfasted the next morning, I
assembled all the members of my family together, to take with them a
solemn farewell of this our first place of reception from the awful
disaster of the shipwreck. I confess that for my own part I could
not leave it without regret; it was a place of greater safety than
we were likely again to meet with; it was also nearer to the vessel. I
thought it right to represent strongly to my sons the danger of
exposing themselves as they had done the evening before, along the
river. 'We are now going, continued I, 'to inhabit an unknown spot,
which is not so well protected by Nature as that we are leaving: we
are unacquainted both with the soil and its inhabitants, whether human
creatures or beasts: much caution is therefore necessary and take care
not to remain separate from each other.' Having unburdened my mind
of this necessary charge, we prepared for setting out. I directed my
sons to assemble our whole flock of animals, and to leave the ass
and the cow to me, that I might load them with the sacks as before
concerted. I had filled these, and made a slit longways in the
middle of each, and to each side of the slits I tied several long
pieces of cord, which, crossing each other, and being again brought
round and fastened, served to hold the sacks firmly on the back of the
animal. We next began to put together all the things we should stand
most in need of for the two or three first days in our new abode:
working implements, kitchen utensils, the captain's service of
plate, and a small provision of butter, etc., etc. I put these
articles into the two ends of each sack, taking care that the sides
should be equally heavy, and then fastened them on. I afterwards added
our hammocks to complete the load, and we were about to begin to
march, when my wife stopped me. 'We must not,' said she, 'leave our
fowls behind, for fear they should become the prey of the jackals.
We must contrive a place for them among the luggage, and also one
for our little Francis, who cannot walk so far, and would interrupt
our speed. There is also my enchanted bag, which I recommend to your
particular care,' said she, smiling; 'for who can tell what may yet
pop out of it for your good pleasure?'
  I now placed the child on the ass's back, fixing the enchanted bag
in such a way as to support him, and I tied them together with so many
cords that the animal might even have galloped without danger of his
falling off.
  In the meanwhile, the other boys had been running after the cocks
and hens and the pigeons, but had not succeeded in catching one of
them; so they returned empty-handed and in ill humour. 'Little
blockheads!' said their mother, 'see how you have heated yourselves in
running after these untractable creatures! I could have put you in a
way to catch them in a moment; come with me and see.' She now
stepped into the tent, and brought out two handfuls of pease and oats,
and by pronouncing a few words of invitation in the accustomed tone,
the birds flocked round her. She then walked slowly before them,
dropping the grain all the way, till they had followed her into the
tent. When she saw them all inside, and busily employed in picking
up the grain, she shut the entrance, and caught one after the other
without difficulty. The boys looked at each other half ashamed, though
much amused with the adventure. The fowls were then tied by the feet
and wings, put into a basket, covered with a net, and placed in
triumph on the top of our luggage.
  We packed and placed in the tent everything we were to leave, and
for greater security, fastened down the ends of the sail-cloth, at the
entrance, by driving stakes through them into the ground. We ranged
a number of vessels, both full and empty, round the tent, to serve
as a rampart, and thus we confided to the protection of Heaven our
remaining treasures. At length, we set ourselves in motion: each of
us, great and small, carried a gun upon his shoulder, and a game-bag
at his back. My wife led the way with her eldest son, the cow and
the ass immediately behind them; the goats, conducted by Jack, came
next; the little monkey was seated on the back of his nurse, and
made a thousand grimaces. After the goats came Ernest, conducting
the sheep, while I, in my capacity of general superintendent, followed
behind, and brought up the rear; the dogs for the most part pranced
backwards and forwards, like adjutants to a troop of soldiers. Our
march was slow, and there was something solemn and patriarchal in
the spectacle we exhibited; I fancied we must resemble our forefathers
journeying in the deserts, accompanied by their families and their
possessions.
                                                    {CHAPTER_8 ^paragraph 5}
  We had now advanced half-way across our bridge, when the sow for the
first time took the fancy of joining us. At the moment of our
departure she had shown herself so restive and indocile that we were
compelled to leave her behind us; but seeing that we had all left
the place, she had set out voluntarily to overtake us; taking care,
however, to apprise us, by her continual grunting, that she
disapproved of our migration.
  On the other side of the river we experienced an inconvenience
wholly unexpected. The tempting aspect of the grass, which grew here
in profusion, drew off our animals, who strayed from us to feed upon
it; so that, without the dogs, we should not have been able to bring
them back to the line of our procession. The active creatures were
of great use to us on this occasion; and when everything was
restored to proper order, we were able to continue our journey. For
fear, however, of a similar occurrence, I directed our march to the
left, along the sea-side, where the produce of the soil was not of a
quality to attract them.
  But scarcely had we advanced a few steps on the sands, when our
two dogs, which had strayed behind among the grass, set up a sort of
howl, as if engaged in an encounter with some formidable animal. Fritz
in an instant raised his gun to his cheek, and was ready to fire;
Ernest, always somewhat timid, drew back to his mother's side; Jack
ran bravely after Fritz with his gun upon his shoulder; while I,
fearing the dogs might be attacked by some dangerous wild beast,
prepared myself to advance to their assistance. But youth is always
full of ardour; and in spite of my exhortations to proceed with
caution, the boys, eager for the event, made but three jumps to the
place from which the noise proceeded. In an instant Jack had turned to
meet me, clapping his hands, and calling out, 'Come quickly, father,
come quickly, here is a monstrous porcupine!'
  I soon reached the spot, and perceived that it was really as they
said, bating a little exaggeration. The dogs were running to and fro
with bloody noses about the animal; and when they approached too
near him, he made a frightful noise, and pierced them with his
quills so deeply and suddenly that the pain the wounds occasioned made
them howl violently.
  While we were looking on, Jack determined on an attack, which
succeeded well. He took one of the pistols which he carried in his
belt, and aimed it so exactly at the head of the porcupine that he
fell dead the instant he fired, and before we had a notion of what
he was about. This success raised Jack to the height of joy and
vanity; while Fritz, on the other hand, felt a sensation of jealousy
almost to shedding tears. 'Is it right, Jack,' said he, 'that such a
little boy as you should venture to fire off a pistol in this
manner? How easily might you have wounded my father or me, or one of
the dogs, by so rash an action!'- 'Oh yes, to be sure; and what do you
suppose hindered me from seeing that you were all behind me? Do you
think I fired without taking care of that? Do you take me for an
idiot? The porcupine could tell you about that, brother Fritz, if he
could but speak. My first fire- pop- dead as a herring! This is
something like, brother Fritz, and you would be glad enough to have
had such a chance yourself!' Fritz only replied by a motion of his
head. He was out of humour because his younger brother had deprived
him of the honour of the day, and he sought a subject of complaint
against him, as the wolf did with the poor little lamb. 'Come, come,
boys,' said I, 'let me hear no envious speeches and no reproaches; but
luck for one to-day, for another to-morrow; all for the common good.
Jack was, perhaps, a little imprudent, but you must allow that he
showed both skill and courage; let us not, therefore, tarnish the
glory of his exploit.' We now all got round the extraordinary
animal, on whom Nature had bestowed a strong defence by arming his
body all over with long spears. The boys were at a loss what means
to use for carrying away his carcass. They thought of dragging it
along the ground; but, as often as they attempted to take hold,
there was nothing but squalling, and running to show the marks made by
his quills on their hands. 'We must leave him behind,' said they; 'but
it is a great pity.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_8 ^paragraph 10}
  While the boys were talking, my wife and I had hastened to relieve
the dogs, by examining the wounds which had been inflicted by the
quills. Fritz had run on before with his gun, hoping he should meet
with some animal of prey. What he most desired was to find one or
two of those large bustards which his mother had described to him.
We followed him at our leisure, taking care not to expose our health
by unnecessary fatigue; till at last, without further accident or
adventure, we arrived at the place of the giant trees. Such indeed
we found them, and our astonishment exceeded all description. 'Good
heavens! what trees! what a height! what trunks! I never heard of
any so prodigious!' exclaimed one and all. 'Nothing can be more
rational than your admiration,' answered I, measuring them with my
eyes as I spoke. 'I must confess I had not myself formed an idea of
the reality. To you be all the honour, my dear wife, for the discovery
of this agreeable abode, in which we shall enjoy so many comforts
and advantages. The great point we have to gain is the fixing a tent
large enough to receive us all in one of these trees, by which means
we shall be perfectly secure from the invasion of wild beasts. I
defy even one of the bears, who are so famous for mounting trees, to
climb up by a trunk so immense and so destitute of branches.'
  We now began to release our animals from their burdens, having first
thrown our own on the grass. We next used the precaution of tying
their two fore-legs together with a cord, that they might not go far
away or lose themselves. We restored the fowls to liberty; and then
seating ourselves upon the grass, we held a family council on the
subject of our future establishment. I was myself somewhat uneasy on
the question of our safety during the ensuing night; for I was
ignorant of the nature of the extensive country I beheld around me,
and what chance there might be of our being attacked by different
kinds of wild beasts. I accordingly observed to my wife that I would
make an endeavour for us all to sleep in the tree that very night.
While I was deliberating with her on the subject, Fritz, who longed to
take his revenge for the porcupine adventure, had stolen away to a
short distance, and we heard the report of a gun. This would have
alarmed me, if at the same moment we had not recognised Fritz's
voice crying out, 'I touched him! I touched him!' and in a moment we
saw him running towards us, holding a dead animal of uncommon beauty
by the paws. 'Father, father, look, here is a superb tiger-cat,'
said he, proudly raising it in the air, to show it to the best
advantage.- 'Bravo! bravo!' cried I; 'bravo, Nimrod the undaunted!
Your exploit will call forth the gratitude of our cocks, hens, and
pigeons, for you have rendered them what they cannot fail to think
an important service. If you had not killed this animal, he would no
doubt have demolished in one night our whole stock of poultry. I
charge you look about in every direction, and try to destroy as many
of the species as fall in your way, for we cannot have more
dangerous intruders.'

{CHAPTER_9
                                  9
                       Construction of a Ladder
-
  OUR REPAST ended, I observed to my wife that we should be obliged to
pass the night on the ground. I desired her to begin preparing the
harness for the animals, that they might go to the sea-shore, and
fetch pieces of wood, or other articles which might be useful to us.
I, in the meantime, set about suspending our hammocks to some of the
arched roots of the trees. I next spread a piece of sail-cloth large
enough to cover them, to preserve us from the dew, and from the
insects. I then hastened with the two eldest boys to the sea-shore
to choose out such pieces of wood as were most proper for the steps of
my ladder. Ernest was so lucky as to discover some bamboo canes in a
sort of bog. I took them out, and, with his assistance, completely
cleared them from the dirt; and stripping off their leaves, I found,
to my great joy, that they were precisely what I wanted. I then
instantly began to cut them with my hatchet, in pieces of four or five
feet long; the boys bound them together in fagots, and we prepared
to return with them to our place of abode. I next secured some of
the straight and most slender of the stalks, to make some arrows with,
of which I knew I should stand in need. At some distance from the
place where we stood, I perceived a sort of thicket, in which I
hoped to find some young pliant twigs, which I thought might also be
useful to me: we proceeded to the spot; but apprehending it might be
the retreat of some dangerous reptile or animal, we held our guns in
readiness. Flora, who had accompanied us, went before. We had hardly
reached the thicket before she made several jumps, and threw herself
furiously into the middle of the bushes; when a troop of large-sized
flamingos sprang out, and with a loud rustling noise mounted into
the air. Fritz fired, when two of the birds fell among the bushes: one
of them was quite dead; the other was only slightly wounded in the
wing, and finding that he could not fly, he ran so fast towards the
water that we were afraid he would escape us. Fritz, in the joy of his
heart, plunged up to his knees in the water, to pick up the flamingo
he had killed, and with great difficulty was able to get out again;
while I, warned by his example, proceeded more cautiously in my
pursuit of the wounded bird. Flora came to my assistance, and
running on before, caught hold of the flamingo, and held him fast till
I reached the spot, and took him into my protection. All this was
effected with considerable trouble; for the bird made a stout
resistance, flapping its wings with violence for some time. But at
last I succeeded in securing him.
  Fritz was not long in extricating himself from the swamp; he now
appeared holding the dead flamingo by the feet; but I had more trouble
in the care of mine, as I had a great desire to preserve him alive.
I had tied his feet and his wings with my handkerchief;
notwithstanding which, he still continued to flutter about to a
distressing degree, and tried to make his escape. I held the
flamingo under my left arm, and my gun in my right hand. I made the
best jumps I was able to get to the boys, but at the risk of sinking
every moment in the mud, which was extremely deep, and from which it
would have been difficult to release me.
  The joy of the boys was excessive, when they saw that my flamingo
was alive. 'If we can but cure his wound, and contrive to feed him,
what a happiness it will be!' said they. 'Do you think he will like to
be with the other fowls?'
  'I know,' answered I, 'that he is a bird that may be easily tamed;
but he will not thank you for such food as we give our fowls; he
will make his humble petition to you for some small fish, a few worms,
or insects.'
                                                    {CHAPTER_9 ^paragraph 5}
  ERNEST.- Our river will furnish him with all these: Jack and Francis
can catch as many as he will want; and very soon, with such long
legs as he has, he may learn the way to the river and find them for
himself. But, father, are all flamingos like this, of such a beautiful
red colour, and the wings so exquisitely tinted with purple? I think I
have seen the flamingo in my Natural History, and the colours were not
like these: so perhaps this is not a flamingo at last.
  FATHER.- I believe it is a flamingo, Ernest, and that this
difference in the plumage denotes the age of the bird: when very young
they are grey; at a more advanced age they are white; and it is only
when they are full grown that they are adorned with this beautiful
tinted plumage. But one of you must hold our live flamingo, while I
repeat my visit to the canes, for I have not done with them yet.
  I accordingly selected some of the oldest of the stalks, and cut
from them their hard pointed ends, to serve for the tips of my arrows,
for which they are also used by the savages of the Antilles. Lastly, I
looked for two of the longest canes, which I cut, for the purpose of
measuring the height of our giant tree, about which I felt so deep
an interest. When I told my sons the use I intended to make of the two
longest canes, they indulged themselves in a hearty laugh at me, and
maintained that, though I should lay ten such canes up the trunk of
the tree, the last would not reach even the lowest branch. I requested
they would oblige me by having a little patience; and I reminded
them that it was not long ago that they defied their mother to catch
the fowls, because they themselves had not known how to set about
it. We now thought of returning. Ernest took the charge of the
canes; Fritz carried the dead flamingo, and I resumed the care of
the living one.
  We had now reached the spot where we had left the three bundles of
bamboo canes; and as my sons were sufficiently loaded, I took charge
of them myself.
  We at length arrived once more at our giant trees, and were received
with a thousand expressions of interest and kindness. All were
delighted at the sight of our new captures. My wife, with her usual
anxiety about the means for subsisting, asked where we should get food
enough for all the animals we brought home? 'You should consider,'
said I, some of them feed us, instead of being fed; and the one we
have now brought need not give you much uneasiness, if, as I hope,
he proves able to find food for himself' I now began to examine his
wound, and found that only one wing was injured by the ball, but
that the other had also been slightly wounded by the dog laying hold
of him. I applied some ointment to both, which seemed immediately to
ease the pain. I next tied him by one of his legs, with a long string,
to a stake I had driven into the ground, quite near to the river, that
he might go in and wash himself when he pleased.
                                                   {CHAPTER_9 ^paragraph 10}
  In the meantime, my little railers had tied the two longest canes
together, and were endeavouring to measure the tree with them; but
when they found that they reached no further than the top of the
arch formed by the roots, they all burst into immoderate fits of
laughter, assuring me, that if I wished to measure the tree, I must
think of some other means. I however sobered them a little by
recalling to Fritz's memory some lessons in land-surveying he had
received in Europe, and that the measure of the highest mountains, and
their distance from each other, may be ascertained by the
application of triangles and supposed lines. I instantly proceeded
to this kind of operation, fixing my canes in the ground, and making
use of some string, which Fritz guided according to my directions. I
found that the height of the lower branches of our tree was forty
feet; a particular I was obliged scrupulously to ascertain before I
could determine the length of my ladder. I now set Fritz and Ernest to
work, to measure our stock of thick ropes, of which I wanted no less
than eighty feet for the two sides of the ladder; the two youngest I
employed in collecting all the small string we had used for measuring,
and carrying it to their mother. For my own part I sat down on the
grass, and began to make some arrows with a piece of the bamboo, and
the short sharp points of the canes I had taken such pains to
secure. As the arrows were hollow, I filled them with the moist
sand, to give them a little weight; and lastly, I tipped them with a
bit of feather from the flamingo, to make them fly straight.
Scarcely had I finished my work than the boys came jumping round me,
uttering a thousand demonstrations of joy. 'A bow, a bow, and some
real arrows!' cried they, addressing each other, and then running to
me. 'Tell us, father,' continued they, 'what you are going to do
with them: do let me shoot one; and me; and me too,' cried one and all
as fast as they could speak.
  FATHER.- 'Have patience, boys; I say have patience. Have you, my
dear, any strong thread?' said I to my wife. From her bag she produced
a large ball of the very thread I wanted.
  Fritz, having finished measuring the string, brought me the
welcome tidings that our stock, in all, was about five hundred
fathoms, which I knew to be more than sufficient for my ladder. I
now tied the end of the ball of strong thread to an arrow, and
fixing it to the bow, I shot it off in such a direction as to make the
arrow pass over one of the largest branches of the tree, and fall
again to the ground. By this method I lodged my thread securely, while
I had the command of the end and the ball below. It was now easy to
tie a piece of rope to the end of the thread, and draw it upwards,
till the knot should reach the same branch. Having thus made quite
sure of being able to raise my ladder, we all set to work with
increased zeal and confidence. The first thing I did was to cut a
length of about one hundred feet from my parcel of ropes, an inch
thick; this I divided into two equal parts, which I stretched along on
the ground in two parallel lines, at the distance of a foot from
each other. I then directed Fritz to cut portions of cane, each two
feet in length. Ernest handed them to me, one after another; and as
I received them, I inserted them into my cords at the distance of
twelve inches respectively, fixing them with knots in the cord,
while Jack, by my order, drove into each a long nail at the two
extremities, to hinder them from slipping out again. Thus, in a very
short time, I had formed a ladder of forty rounds in length, and, in
point of execution, firm and compact, and which we all beheld with a
sort of joyful astonishment. I now tied it with strong knots to the
end of the rope which hung from the tree, and pulled it by the
other, till our ladder reached the branch, and seemed to rest so
well upon it, that the joyous exclamations of the boys and my wife
resounded from all sides.
  All our animals came round us, one after the other. My wife threw
some grain to the fowls, to accustom them to draw together in a
particular spot; and when they had eaten it, we had the pleasure of
seeing our pigeons take their flight to the top of the giant tree, and
the cocks and hens perching and settling themselves, and cackling
all the time, upon the rounds of the ladder. The quadrupeds we tied to
the arched roots of the tree, quite near to our hammocks, where they
quietly lay on the grass to ruminate in tranquillity.

{CHAPTER_10
                                  10
                    The Settling in the Giant Tree
-
  I HAD THOUGHT it necessary to keep watch during this first night.
Every leaf that stirred gave me the apprehension that it was the
approach of a jackal or a tiger, who might attack us. As soon as one
of the heaps was consumed, I lighted another; and at length, finding
that no animal appeared, I by degrees became assured, and fell into
a sound sleep. The next morning we took our breakfast, and fell to
work. My wife having finished her daily occupation of milking the cow,
and preparing the breakfast, set off with Ernest, Jack, and Francis,
attended by the ass, to the seashore: they had no doubt of finding
some more pieces of wood, and they thought it would be prudent to
replenish our exhausted store. In her absence, I ascended the tree
with Fritz, and made the necessary preparations for my undertaking,
for which I found it in every respect convenient; for the branches
grew close to each other, and in an exactly horizontal direction. Such
as grew in a manner to obstruct my design, I cut off either with the
saw or hatchet, leaving none but what presented me with a sort of
foundation for my work. I left those which spread themselves evenly
upon the trunk, and had the largest circuit, as a support for my
floor. Above these, at the height of forty-six feet, I found others,
upon which to suspend our hammocks; and higher still there was a
further series of branches, destined to receive the roof of my tent,
which for the present was to be formed of nothing more than a large
surface of sail-cloth.
  The progress of these preparations was considerably slow. It was
necessary to raise certain beams to this height of forty feet that
were too heavy for my wife and her little assistants to lift from
the ground. I had, however, the resource of my pulley, which served to
excellent purpose, and Fritz and I contrived to draw them up to the
elevation of the tent, one by one. When I had already placed two beams
upon the branches, I hastened to fix my planks upon them; and I made
my floor double, that it might have sufficient solidity if the beams
should be warped from their places. I then formed a wall of staves
of wood like a park-paling all round for safety. This operation, and a
third journey to the sea-shore to collect the timber necessary, filled
our morning so completely that not one of us had thought about dinner.
For this once we contented ourselves with a bit of ham and some
milk, which we ate, and returned to finish our aerial palace, which
began to make an imposing appearance. We unhooked our hammocks from
the projecting roots, and by means of my pulley contrived to hoist
them up the tree. The sail-cloth roof was supported by the thick
branches above; and as it was of great compass, and hung down on every
side, the idea occurred to me of nailing it to the paling on two
sides, thus getting not only a roof, but two walls also; the immense
trunk of the tree forming a third side, while in the fourth was the
entrance to our apartment: and in this I left a large aperture, both
as a means of seeing what passed without, and admitting a current of
air to cool us in this burning temperature. We also on this side
enjoyed an extensive view of the vast ocean and its lengthening shore.
The hammocks were soon hung on the branches, and everything was
ready for our reception that very evening. Well satisfied with the
execution of my plan, I descended with Fritz, who had assisted me
throughout the whole; and as the day was not far advanced, and I
observed we had still some planks remaining, we set about contriving a
large table, to be placed between the roots of the tree, and
surrounded with benches; and this place we said should be called our
dining-parlour. For this time we performed our task imperfectly, for I
confess I was much fatigued. The table, however, was such as might
be well endured, and my wife expressed her approbation as she looked
on, busied with preparations for our supper. In the meantime, the
three youngest boys collected the pieces of wood we had thrown down
from the tree, and a quantity of small wood, to dry in a heap, at a
short distance from our fireplace.
  We now assembled round our table to supper, my wife holding in her
hand an earthen pot, which we had before observed upon the fire, and
the contents of which we were all curious to be informed of. She
took off the cover, and with a fork drew out of it the flamingo
which Fritz had killed. She informed us that she had preferred
dressing it this way to roasting, because Ernest had assured her
that it was an old bird, which would prove hard and tough, and had
advised her to improve it by stewing. We rallied our glutton boy on
this foible of his character, and his brothers gave him the name of
the cook. We, however, had soon reason to know that he had conferred
upon us an important obligation; for the bird, which, roasted, we
perhaps should not have been able to touch, now appeared excellent,
and was eaten up to the very bones.
  While we were enjoying our repast, the live flamingo stalked up to
the place where we were sitting, in the midst of our flock of fowls,
to receive his part of the repast. He had now become so tame that we
had released him from the stake. He took his walks gravely from
place to place, and looked perfectly contented with his company. His
fine plumage was a most pleasing sight; while, on the other hand,
the sportive tricks and the grimaces of our little monkey afforded the
most agreeable spectacle imaginable. The little animal had become
quite familiar with us; jumped from the shoulder of one to that of
another; always caught adroitly the meat we threw him, and ate it in
so pleasant a way as to make us laugh heartily.
                                                   {CHAPTER_10 ^paragraph 5}
  The boys now, by my direction, lighted one of the heaps of wood.
We tied long ropes loosely round the necks of our dogs, purposing to
mount to our tent with the ends in my hand, that I might be able to
let them loose upon the enemy at the first barking I should hear.
Every one was eager to retire to rest, and the signal for ascending
the ladder was given. The three eldest boys were up in an instant;
then came their mother's turn, who proceeded slowly and cautiously,
and arrived in perfect safety. My own ascension was last, and the most
difficult; for I carried little Francis on my back, and the end of the
ladder had been loosened at the bottom that I might be able to draw it
up in the tent during the night; every step, therefore, was made
with the greatest difficulty, in consequence of its swinging motion.
At last, however, I got to the top, and, to the admiration of the
boys, drew the ladder after me. It appeared to them that we were in
one of the strong castles of the ancient cavaliers, in which, when the
drawbridge is raised, the inhabitants are secured from every attack of
the enemy. Notwithstanding this apparent safety, I kept our guns in
readiness for whatever event might require their use. We now abandoned
ourselves to repose; our hearts experienced a full tranquillity and
the fatigue we had all undergone induced so sound a sleep that
daylight shone full in the front of our habitation before our eyes had
opened.
  The next morning the boys assembled round me with a petition that
I would show them how to use arrows. We accordingly sat down on the
grass; I took out my knife, and, with the remains of a bamboo cane,
began to make a bow. I was well satisfied to observe them one and
all take a fancy to shooting with an arrow, having been desirous to
accustom them to this exercise, which constituted the principal
defence of the warriors of old, and might possibly become our only
means of protection and subsistence: our provision of powder must at
last be exhausted; we might even, from moment to moment, be deprived
of it by accident; it therefore was of the utmost importance to us
to acquire some other means of killing animals, or attacking our
enemies. The Caribbees, I recollected, were taught at a very tender
age to strike an object at the distance of thirty or forty steps; they
hit the smallest birds perched on the top of the tallest trees. Why
then should it not be possible for my boys to learn to do the same?
  While I was silently reflecting on the subject, employed in
finishing a bow, Ernest, who had been observing me for some time,
slipped suddenly away; and Fritz coming up at the same moment, with
the wetted skin of the tiger-cat in his hand, I paid no attention to
the circumstance. I began my instructions to my eldest boy
respecting the trade of a tanner. I told him the method of getting rid
of the fat of the skin, by rubbing it over with sand, and placing it
in running water till it had no longer any appearance of flesh, or any
smell next to rub it with soft butter, to make it supple, and then
to stretch the skin in different directions; and also to make use of
some eggs in the operation, if his mother could spare them. 'You
will not at first produce such excellent workmanship as I have seen of
this kind from England; but with a little patience, regretting neither
your time nor your labour, you will have completed some decent-looking
cases, which will give you the more pleasure, from being the work of
your own hands. When your skin shall have thus been prepared, cut
certain small cylinders of wood of the size and length required; scoop
these cylinders hollow, so as to form a convenient case for a knife, a
fork, or a spoon; then stretch your softened skin upon the surface
of the cylinders in such a manner that the skin may reach a little
beyond the extremity of the wood, and close at the top; you have
nothing more to do than to let the skin cling to and dry upon these
moulds.'
  At this moment we heard the firing of a gun, which proceeded from
our tent in the tree, and two birds at the same time fell dead at
our feet. We were at once surprised and alarmed, and all eyes were
turned upward to the place. There we saw Ernest standing outside the
tent, a gun in his hand, and heard him triumphantly exclaiming, 'Catch
them! catch them there! I have hit them; and you see I did not run
away for nothing.' He descended the ladder joyfully, and ran with
Francis to take up the two birds; while Fritz and Jack mounted to
our castle, hoping to meet with the same luck.
  One of the dead birds proved to be a sort of thrush, and the other
was a very small kind of pigeon, very fat, and of a delicious taste.
We now observed for the first time that the wild figs began to
ripen, and that they attracted these birds. I foresaw, in consequence,
that we were about to have our table furnished with a dish which
even a nobleman might envy us. I gave the boys leave to kill as many
of them as they liked. I knew that, half roasted, and put into barrels
with melted butter thrown over them, they would keep a long time,
and might prove an excellent resource. My wife set about stripping off
the feathers of the birds, to dress them for our dinner. I seated
myself by her side, and proceeded in my work of arrow-making.
                                                  {CHAPTER_10 ^paragraph 10}
  Thus finished another day. Supper ended, we ascended the ladder in
procession; and each got into his hammock to taste the sweets of a
tranquil sleep.

{CHAPTER_11
                                  11
                       Conversation, and a Walk
-
  JACK HAD finished the trial of his arrows: they flew to
admiration; and he practised his new art incessantly. Little Francis
waited with impatience for the moment when he should try also, and
followed with his eyes every stroke I made. But when I had finished my
bow, and prepared some little arrows for him, I must next undertake to
make him a quiver. I took some bark from the branch of a tree, which
came off in a round form; and folding the edges over each other, I
stuck them together with some glue produced from our soup-cakes. I
next stuck on a round piece to serve for the bottom; and then tied
to it a loop of string which I hung round his neck. He put his
arrows into it: and, quite happy, took his bow in his hand, and ran to
try his skill by the side of his brother. Fritz had also cleaned and
prepared his materials for the cases, when his mother summoned us to
dinner. We cheerfully placed ourselves under the shade of our tree,
round the table I had manufactured. At the end of the repast, I made
the following proposition to the boys, which I was sure would give
them pleasure.
  'What think you, my good friends,' said I, 'of giving a name to
the place of our abode, and to the different parts of the country
which are known to us? I do not mean a general name to the whole
islands, but to the objects we are most concerned with; this will make
us better understand each other, when conversing about them; and
also present to us the soothing illusion of inhabiting a country
already known and peopled.'
  They all exclaimed, joyfully, that the idea was excellent.
  JACK.- Oh! pray, father, let us invent some very long names, and
that are very difficult to be pronounced. I should be glad that
those who shall read about us should be a little puzzled to remember
the names of the places and things that belonged to us. What pains has
it not cost me to remember their Monomotapa, their Zanguebar,
their Coromandel, and many others still more difficult. Ah! now we
shall take our revenge on them.
                                                   {CHAPTER_11 ^paragraph 5}
  FATHER.- This would be well, if it were probable that our history in
this country, and the names we shall have bestowed, were likely to
be objects of public curiosity; but in the meanwhile you forget that
our own organs will be fatigued by frequently pronouncing such
barbarous words as you propose.
  JACK.- How shall we manage, then? What pretty names can we find?
  FATHER.- We Will do as all sorts of nations have done before us.
We will call the places by different words from our own language
that shall express some particular circumstance with which we have
been concerned.
  JACK.- Well, so we will: I shall like this still better. Where shall
we begin?
  FATHER.- We shall naturally begin with the bay by which we entered
this country. What shall we call it? What say you, Fritz? You must
speak first, for you are eldest.
                                                  {CHAPTER_11 ^paragraph 10}
  FRITZ.- Let us call it Oyster Bay: you remember what quantity of
oysters we found in it.
  JACK.- Oh, no; let it rather be called Lobster Bay: for you cannot
have forgot what a large one it was that caught hold of my leg, and
which I carried home to you.
  ERNEST.- Why then we may as well call it the Bay of Tears, for you
must remember that you blubbered loud enough for all of us to hear
you.
  MY WIFE.- My advice would be, that, out of gratitude to God, who
conducted us hither in safety, we ought to call it Providence Bay,
or the Bay of Safety.
  FATHER.- These words are both appropriate and sonorous, and please
me extremely. But what name shall we give to the spot where we first
set up our tent?
                                                  {CHAPTER_11 ^paragraph 15}
  FRITZ.- Let us simply call it Tent House.
  FATHER.- That will do very well. And the little islet at the
entrance of Providence Bay, in which we found so many planks and
beams that enabled us to make our bridge, how shall it be named?
  ERNEST.- It may be called Sea-Gull Island, or Shark Island;
for it was here we saw those animals.
  FATHER.- I am for the last of these names, Shark Island; for it
was the shark that was the cause of the sea-gulls being there; and
thus we shall also have a means of commemorating the courage and the
triumph of Fritz, who killed the monster.
  JACK.- For the same reason, we will call the marsh, in which you cut
the canes for our arrows, Flamingo Marsh.
                                                  {CHAPTER_11 ^paragraph 20}
  FATHER.- Quite right, I think: and the plain, through which we
passed on our way to this place, Porcupine Field, in memory of
your skilful encounter with the animal. But now comes the great
question- What name shall we give to our present abode?
  ERNEST.- It ought to be called simply, Tree Castle.
  FRITZ.- No, no, that will not do at all; that is the same as if,
when we wanted to name a town, we called it The Town. Let us
invent a more noble name.
  JACK.- Yes, so we will. I say Fig Town.
  FRITZ.- Ha, ha, ha! a noble name, it must be confessed! Let us
call it the Eagle's Nest, which I am sure has a much better sound.
Besides, our habitation in the tree is really much more like a nest
than a town, and the eagle cannot but ennoble it, since he is the king
of birds.
                                                  {CHAPTER_11 ^paragraph 25}
  FATHER.- Will you let me decide the question for you? I think our
abode should be called The Falcon's Nest; for you are not arrived at
the dignity of eagles, but are, too truly, poor simple birds of
prey; and, like the falcon, you also are, I trust, obedient, docile,
active, and courageous. Ernest can have no objection to this; for,
as he knows, falcons make their nests in large trees.
  All exclaimed, clapping their hands. 'Yes, yes; we will have it The
Falcon's Nest! the sound is quite chivalrous; so health to
Falcon's Nest Castle!' cried they, all looking up to the tree, and
making low bows. I poured out a small quantity of sweet wine, and
presented it to each, to solemnise our baptism. 'Now then,' said I,
'for the promontory, where Fritz and I in vain wearied our eyes, in
search of our companions of the vessel;- I think it may properly be
called Cape Disappointment.'
  ALL.- Yes, this is excellent. And the river with the bridge-
  FATHER.- If you wish to commemorate one of the greatest events of
our history, it ought to be called The Jackal's River; for these
animals crossed it when they came and attacked us, and it was there
that one of them was killed. The bridge I should name Family Bridge,
because we were all employed in its construction, and all crossed it
together in our way to this place. Let me ask you all, if it will
not be a great pleasure to converse about the country we inhabit,
now that we have instituted names as if everything belonged to us?
  ERNEST.- It will be just as if we had farms and country houses,
all dependent upon our castle.
                                                  {CHAPTER_11 ^paragraph 30}
  FRANCIS.- It is the same as if we were king.
  MY WIFE.- And the queen-mother is not without hope that her little
slips of majesty will conduct themselves mercifully towards their
subjects, the birds, the agoutis, the geese, and the flamingos; the-
What more shall I say? for I do not know the family name of all your
vassals. Let me therefore end, by hoping that you will not
depopulate your kingdom.
  FRITZ.- No, mother, we will take care of that. We will endeavour
to extirpate only those among our subjects who are wicked.
  In this pleasing kind of chat, the time of dinner passed agreeably
away. We settled the basis of a geography of this our new country; and
amused ourselves with saying it must go by the first post to Europe.
  As the evening advanced, and the intense heat of the day began to
diminish, I invited all my family to take a walk. 'Leave your work for
this time, my boys,' said I, 'and let us make a short excursion; let
us seek, in the beautiful face of nature, the traces of the wisdom and
goodness of the Creator. Which way shall we direct our steps?'
                                                  {CHAPTER_11 ^paragraph 35}
  FRITZ.- Let us go to Tent House, father; we are in want of powder
and shot for the little consumers of our figs; nor must we miss our
dinner for to-morrow, or forget that we are to secure a supply for
winter.
  MY WIFE.- I too vote for Tent House; my butter is nearly gone, for
Fritz took an unreasonable share for his new trade of tanning; also, I
have never failed to observe that those who most zealously preach a
life of frugality and economy are at least as well satisfied as the
rest, when I present them with a savoury dinner.
  ERNEST.- If we go to Tent House, let us try to bring away some of
the geese and ducks with us; they will look very well swimming about
in our stream here, by Falcon's Nest.
  JACK.- I will undertake to catch them, if any one will help to bring
them home.
  FRANCIS.- And I will catch my handkerchief full of lobsters in the
Jackal's River, and we will put them into Falcon's Stream, where, no
doubt, they will thrive to admiration.
                                                  {CHAPTER_11 ^paragraph 40}
  FATHER.- You really all of you assign such good reasons that I see I
must yield to them. To Tent House, then, we will go; but we will not
take our accustomed road along the sea-shore, but rather vary our
pleasure, by trying to explore some other way. We will keep along
our own little stream as far as the wall of rocks; it will be easy for
us to cross it by jumping from stone to stone, and so to get to Tent
House: we will return with our provisions by the road of Family Bridge
and along the sea-shore. This new route may possibly furnish some
additional discoveries.
  My idea was highly applauded, and all was soon arranged for our
setting out. Fritz was adorned with his fine tiger-cat-made belt. Jack
had his belt also, armed with two pistols, round his waist. Each
carried a gun and a game-bag; even little Francis had his bow in his
hand and his quiver on his shoulder. Their mother was the only
person not burdened with a gun; but she carried her large
butter-pot, to fill it at our large storehouse. Turk marched before
us, with his coat of mail studded with spikes, but it was apparent
that he felt intimidated and ill at ease; his step was therefore
slow and quiet.
  Our route along the stream was at first extremely agreeable, being
sheltered by the shade of large trees, while the ground under our feet
was a short and soft kind of grass. To prolong the pleasure of our
walk, we proceeded slowly, amusing ourselves with looking about us
to the right and left; the eldest boys made frequent escapes on
before, so that we sometimes lost sight of them. In this manner we
reached the end of the wood; but the country now appearing to be
less open, we thought it would be prudent to bring our whole company
together.
  On looking forward, we saw the boys approaching us full gallop,
and this time, for a wonder, the grave Ernest was first. He reached me
panting for breath, and so full of joy and eagerness that he could not
pronounce a single word distinctly: the rest soon came up, and our
expedition was resumed.
  Conversing on different subjects, we reached the long chain of
rocks, over which our pretty Falcon's Stream made its escape in a
cascade, delighting at once the eye and the ear in its progress. We
thus reached Jackal's River, and from thence to Tent House, having
with difficulty pushed through the high grass which presented itself
Our fatigue, however, was relieved by the uncommon beauty of the
scenery around: on the right hand was a boundless sea; on the left,
the island, with the bay by which it was accessible, and the chain
of rocks, forming altogether an assemblage of the picturesque, equal
to what the liveliest fancy could desire. We distinguished different
families of grasses, many of them of the thorn-leaved species, and
stronger than those cultivated in the greenhouses of Europe. There was
also in abundance the Indian fig, with its large broad leaf; aloes
of different forms and colours; the superb prickly candle, or
cactus, bearing straight stalks, taller than a man, and crowned with
long straight branches, forming a sort of star. The broad plantain
spread along the rock its innumerable boughs twisted with each
other, hanging down perpendicularly, and ornamented with flowers,
which grew in large tufts, and were of the brightest rose-colour,
while that which pleased us best, and which was found there in great
abundance, was the king of fruits, both for figure and relish, the
crowned pine-apple, of which we all partook with avidity.
                                                  {CHAPTER_11 ^paragraph 45}
  At last we crossed Jackal's River, stepping with great care from
stone to stone, and shortly arrived at our old habitation, where we
found everything as we had left it; and each went in pursuit of what
he intended to take away. Fritz loaded himself with powder and shot: I
and my wife and Francis employed ourselves in filling our pot with
butter, the carrying of which on our return it was agreed was to
fall on me. Ernest and Jack looked about for the geese and ducks;
but as they were become somewhat savage, the boys could not succeed in
catching one of them. The idea then occurred to Ernest of taking a
small bit of cheese, and tying it to the end of a piece of string, and
holding it to float in the water. The voracious animals hastened
eagerly to seize it. In this way Ernest drew them towards him one by
one, with the cheese in its mouth, till he had caught the whole:
each bird was then tied in a pocket-handkerchief, leaving the head
at liberty, and fastened one to each game-bag, so that all had a share
in carrying them.
  We had a thought of taking back a provision of salt; but the sacks
being occupied with wild roots, we could only throw a small quantity
loose into one of them, to lie between them: in this way we secured
a tolerable supply.
  We now set out loaded on our return. The ducks and geese, with their
heads and necks stretching out at our shoulders, cackling with all
their might, gave us a truly singular and ludicrous appearance; and we
could not help laughing immoderately as we passed the bridge, one
after another, accoutred in so strange a fashion. Our mutual jokes,
and the general good humour which prevailed, served to shorten the
length of the walk, and none complained of fatigue till seated under
our tree at Falcon's Stream.

{CHAPTER_12
                                  12
        Hopes of a Sledge- Some short Lessons in useful Things
-
  I HAD OBSERVED along the shore many pieces of wood, of which I
thought I could make a kind of conveyance for our cask of butter and
other provisions from Tent House to Falcon's Stream, and had
secretly determined to go early the next morning, before my family
should be awake, to the spot. I had fixed upon Ernest for my
assistant, thinking that his indolent temper required to be stimulated
to exertion. I made him feel as a great favour the preference I gave
him, and he promised to be ready at a very early hour. I was also
desirous to leave Fritz with the family, as being the tallest and
strongest, he was more able to afford protection.
  At the first dawn of morning I quietly awoke Ernest. He got up,
and we descended the ladder without being perceived by the rest, who
continued to sleep soundly. We roused the ass, and I made him draw
some large branches of a tree, which I wanted for my undertaking.
  We were not long in finding the pieces of wood, and set to work to
cut them the proper length, and we then laid them crossways on the
branches, which we thus converted into a kind of vehicle. We added
to the load a little chest, which we found half buried in the sands,
quite close to the waves, and then we set out on our return to
Falcon's Stream. When we reached our abode, the chest we had brought
was soon opened by a strong hatchet; for all were eager to see what
was within. It contained only some sailors' dresses and some linen,
and both were wet with the sea.
  We then sat down tranquilly to breakfast; and I next inspected the
booty of the young sportsmen, who had shot, in all, no less than fifty
ortolans and thrushes, and had used so large a quantity of powder
and shot that, when they were about to resume their sport, my wife and
I stopped them, recommending a more frugal use of those valuable
materials. I taught them how to make some snares, to be suspended from
the branches of the fig-tree, and advised them to use the thread of
the karata, which is as strong as horse-hair, for the purpose. What is
new always amuses young persons, and the boys accordingly took a great
fancy to this mode of sporting. Jack succeeded in his very first
attempt. I left Francis to assist him, and took Fritz and Ernest to
help me in making the new carriage.
                                                   {CHAPTER_12 ^paragraph 5}
  As we were hard at work, a prodigious clatter was heard among the
fowls; the cock crowed louder than the rest, and the hens ran to and
fro, as if pursued. 'I wonder what is the matter with the
creatures,' cried my wife, rising, 'every day I hear the hens clucking
as if they had been laying eggs.' At this moment Ernest happened to
look at the monkey, and remarked that he fixed his piercing eyes on
the hens; and when he saw my wife approaching, driving the hens before
her, he jumped quickly into a hollow place under one of the roots of
the tree, and hid himself. Ernest was at the place as soon as he,
and caught him with a new-laid egg in his paw, which he was going to
conceal. The monkey sprang away to another hole, and Ernest
followed: here also he found some eggs, and brought them in his hat to
his mother, who received them with great pleasure. The monkey,
greedy of such food, had seized the eggs as soon as the hens had
laid them. We inflicted no other punishment upon him for this little
piece of knavery, than that of tying him up when the hens were about
to lay. My wife expressed her joy at this new acquisition, and soon
collected a great number of eggs; and we waited with impatience for
the time when the hens would sit, in the hope of seeing their
species multiplied.
  In the meanwhile, Jack had got up into the tree, and had suspended
some of the snares to the branches, to catch the little devourers of
our figs: he came down again to bring us the acceptable intelligence
that our pigeons had made a sort of nest there of some dry grass,
and that it already contained several eggs. I therefore forbade the
boys from firing any more in the tree, for fear of alarming or
wounding these gentle creatures. I also directed that the snares
should be frequently examined, to see that the pigeons were not caught
in them, as they might be strangled in their efforts to get loose.
My sons had all murmured a little at my prohibition of the
gunpowder; and little Francis, with his innocent face, came running to
tell me that he was going to ask his brother to help him to sow some
gunpowder that they might have plenty. We all laughed heartily at
the idea, and Professor Ernest did not overlook the occasion to
display his science.
  During these arrangements, the boys and I had been busily
employed: our work was completed. Two bent pieces of wood, the
segments of a circle, which I fixed in their places by a straight
piece of wood placed across, and firmly fixed to the bent pieces in
the middle and at the rear, formed the outline of my machine. I then
fastened two ropes in front; and here was a sledge as perfect as could
be desired. As I had not raised my eyes from my work, I did not know
what my wife and the two youngest boys had been about. On looking
up, I perceived that they had been stripping off the feathers from a
quantity of birds which the boys had killed, and that they
afterwards spitted them on an officer's sword, which Fritz had fancied
and brought from the ship, and which my wife had turned into this
useful kitchen utensil. I approved of the idea; but I blamed her
profusion, in dressing more birds at once than we could eat. She
reminded me that I had myself advised her to half roast the birds
before putting them into the butter, to be preserved for future use.
She was in hopes, she said, that, as I had now a sledge, I should
not fail of going to Tent House after dinner to fetch the cask of
butter, and in the meanwhile she was endeavouring to be ready with the
birds. I had no objection to this, and determined on going to Tent
House the same day, requesting my wife to hasten the dinner for that
purpose. She replied that this was already her intention, as she
also had a little project in her head, which I should be informed of
at my return. I, for my part, had one too, which was to refresh
myself, after the heat and fatigue of my laborious occupations, by a
plunge into the sea. I wished that Ernest, who was to accompany me,
should bathe also; while Fritz was to remain at home for the
protection of the family.

{CHAPTER_13
                                  13
       A Bathing, a Fishing, the Jumping Hare, and a Masquerade
-
  AT THE MOMENT of departure Fritz presented his brother and myself
with a case of his own workmanship, which we stuck into our belts, and
which, in reality, were well contrived for holding spoons, and
knives and forks, while room was left in the middle for a little
hatchet. I praised Fritz for having thus brought his idea to
perfection, and for contriving to make two cases with his skin instead
of one.
  We had harnessed the ass and the cow to our sledge: we each took a
piece of bamboo cane in hand, to serve as a whip, and, resting our
guns upon our shoulders, began our journey. Flora was to accompany us,
and Turk to remain behind. We bade adieu to our companions, and put
our animals in motion. We took the road by the sea-shore, where the
sands afforded better travelling for our vehicle than the thick wild
grass. We reached Family Bridge, on Jackal's River, and arrived at
Tent House without either obstacle or adventure, and unharnessed the
animals to let them graze, while we set to work to load the sledge
with the cask of butter, the cask of cheese, a small barrel of
gunpowder, different instruments, small ball, and some shot. These
exertions had so occupied our thoughts that it was late when we
first observed that our animals, attracted by the excellent quality of
the grass on the other side of the river, had repassed the bridge, and
wandered so far as to be out of sight. I was in hopes they would be
easily found, and directed Ernest to go with Flora and bring them
back, intending in the meantime to look for a convenient place on
the other side of Tent House to bathe in. In a short time I found
myself at the extremity of Providence Bay, which ended, as I now
perceived, in a marsh, producing some fine bulrushes; and further
on, a chain of steep rocks, advancing somewhat into the sea, and
forming a kind of creek, as if expressly contrived for bathing. The
juttings of the rock even seemed like little cabinets, for separate
accommodation. Enchanted with this discovery, I called out to Ernest
to come and join me, and in the meantime amused myself with cutting
some of the rushes, and imagining what use I could apply them to.
  I desired him to fill a small bag with some of the salt he had
formerly observed here, and then to empty it into the large one for
the ass to carry; and to take care to fill equally on each side.
'During this time I will take the refreshment of bathing; and then
it will be your turn to bathe, and mine to take care of the animals.'
  I returned to the rocks, and was not disappointed in my
expectation of an enjoyment the most delicious; but I did not stay
long, fearing my boy might be impatient for his share of so new a
pleasure. When I had dressed myself, I returned to the place to see if
his work had advanced: presently I heard his voice calling out,
'Father, father, a fish! a fish of monstrous size! Run quickly,
father: I can hardly hold him; he is eating up the string of my line!'
I ran to the place from which the voice proceeded, and found Ernest
lying along the ground on his face, upon the extremity of a point of
land, and pulling in his line, to which a large fish was hanging,
and struggling to get loose. I ran hastily and snatched the rod out of
his hand, for I feared the weight and activity of the fish might
pull him into the water. I gave the line length, to calm the fish, and
then contrived to draw him gently along, into a shallow, from which he
could no longer escape, and thus he was effectually secured. We
examined him thoroughly, and he appeared to weigh not less than
fifteen pounds; so that our capture was magnificent, and would
afford the greatest pleasure to our good steward of provisions at
Falcon's Stream.
                                                   {CHAPTER_13 ^paragraph 5}
  We now examined the smaller fishes, which were mostly trout and
herrings, while I felt certain that the large fish was a salmon. I cut
them all open, and rubbed them in the inside with salt, that they
might not be injured by the heat. While I was thus employed, Ernest
went to the rocks and bathed, and I had time to fill some more bags
with salt before his return. We then harnessed and loaded our animals,
and then resumed the road to Falcon's Stream.
  When we had proceeded about half-way, Flora, who was before us,
suddenly sprang off, and by her barking gave notice that she scented
some game. We soon after saw her pursuing an animal which seemed
endeavouring to escape, and made the most extraordinary jumps
imaginable. The dog continued to follow; the creature, in trying to
avoid him, passed within gunshot of the place where I stood. I
fired, but its flight was so rapid that I did not hit. Ernest, who was
at a small distance behind, hearing the report of my gun, prepared his
own, and fired it off at the instant the singular animal was passing
near him, seeking to hide himself among the tall herbage just by: he
had fired so skilfully that the animal fell dead at the same
instant. I ran with extreme curiosity to ascertain what kind of
quadruped it might be. It was as large as a sheep, with the tail
resembling that of a tiger; but its snout and hair were like those
of a mouse, and its teeth were like a hare's, but much larger; the
fore-legs resembled those of the squirrel, and were extremely short;
but to make up for this its hindlegs were as long as a pair of stilts,
and of a form strikingly singular. We examined the creature a long
time in silence. I could not be sure that I had ever seen an engraving
or description of it in any natural history or book of travels.
Ernest, at length, clapping his hands together, joyously exclaimed,
'And have I really killed this wonderful animal? What will my mother
and my brothers say? How astonished they will be! and how fortunate
I am in securing so fine a prize! What do you think is its name,
father? I would give all the world to know.'
  FATHER.- And so would I, my boy, but I am as ignorant as you. One
thing, however, is certain, that this is your lucky day. Let us
again examine this interesting stranger, that we may be certain to
what family of quadrupeds it belongs: this will perhaps throw a
light upon its name.
  ERNEST.- I think it can hardly be named a quadruped; for the
little fore-legs look much more like hands, as is the case with
monkeys.
  FATHER.- They are notwithstanding legs, I can assure you. Let us
look for its name among the animals who give suck: on this point we
cannot be mistaken. Now let us examine its teeth.
                                                  {CHAPTER_13 ^paragraph 10}
  ERNEST.- Here are the four incisory teeth, like the squirrel.
  FATHER.- Thus we see that it belongs to the order of Nibblers. Now
let us look for some names of animals of this kind.
  ERNEST.- Besides squirrels, I recollect only mice, marmots, hares,
beavers, porcupines, and jumpers.
  FATHER.- Jumpers! That short word furnishes the necessary clue;
the animal is completely formed like the jerboa, or jumping hare,
except that it is twice the size of those of which I have read a
description.... Wait a moment- an idea strikes me: I will wager that
our animal is one of the large jumpers, called kangaroo; it belongs
properly to the genus Didelphis or Philander; because the
female, who never bears more than one young one, carries it in a
kind of purse placed between her hind-legs. To the best of my
knowledge, this animal has never been seen but on the coast of New
Holland, where it was first observed by the celebrated navigator
Captain Cook. You may then be highly flattered with your adventure
of killing an animal at once so rare and so remarkable. But now let us
see how we shall manage to drag him to the sledge.
  Ernest requested that I would rather assist him to carry it, as he
was afraid of spoiling its beautiful mouse-coloured skin by dragging
it on the ground. I therefore tied the fore-legs of the kangaroo
together; and, by means of two canes, we, with considerable trouble,
contrived to carry it to the sledge, upon which it was securely
fastened.
                                                  {CHAPTER_13 ^paragraph 15}
  We at length arrived happily, though somewhat late, at Falcon's
Stream, having heard from a great distance the salutations of our
family. Our companions all ran to meet us; but it was now, on seeing
the ludicrous style of the dress of the three boys, our turn for
immoderate fits of laughter. One had on a sailor's shirt, which
trained round him, like the robe of a spectre; another was buried in a
pair of pantaloons, which were fastened round his neck, and reached to
the ground, and the third had a long waistcoat, which came down to the
instep, and gave him the exact form of a travelling portmanteau.
They all tried to jump about; but finding this impossible, from the
length of their garments, they next resolved to carry off the whole
with an air, by strutting slowly to and fro, in the manner of a
great personage in a theatre. After some hearty laughing, I inquired
of my wife what could be the cause of this masquerade, and whether she
had assisted them in attempting to act a comedy for our amusement. She
disclosed the mystery by informing me that her three boys had also
been bathing, and that, while thus engaged, she had washed all their
clothes; but as they had not dried so soon as she expected, her little
rioters had become impatient, and had fallen on the chest of
sailors' clothes, and each had taken from it what article he had
pleased.
  It was now our turn to give an account of our journey: as we
advanced in our narrative, we presented, one after another, casks,
bulrushes, salt, fish, and lastly, with infinite triumph, our
beautiful kangaroo. In a trice it was surrounded, examined, and
admired by all, and such a variety of questions asked that Ernest
and I scarcely knew which to answer first. Fritz came near the
kangaroo, and examined it; then, turning to his brother, he observed
to him, in a kind tone, that he had had good luck, and that he must be
a good shot to have killed the animal with so little difficulty.
  We concluded the day with our ordinary occupations. I gave some salt
to each of our animals, to whom it was an acceptable treat. We then
took our kangaroo, and put it carefully aside till the next day,
when we intended to cut it to pieces, and lay such parts in salt as we
could not immediately consume. We made an excellent supper on our
little fish, to which we added some vegetables; nor were our
faithful companions Turk and Flora neglected.

{CHAPTER_14
                                  14
                      More Stores from the Wreck
-
  I ROSE WITH the first crowing of the cock, descended the ladder, and
set about skinning the kangaroo, taking care not to deface its
beautiful smooth coat. Our dogs relished their meal on the entrails of
the animal so much that they intended themselves the pleasure of a
breakfast on the carcass. Before I could descend, they had got off its
head, as it hung by the hind feet, and half friends, half foes, they
were going to share their prize when I made my appearance.
Recollecting our want of the means of protection against similar
depredations, I thought it right to give them a slight correction
for their fault. My wife, awaked by the growling they made as they
slunk away to the hollow of a tree, was alarmed, and came down the
ladder to see what was the matter; and now I had to perform the
further task, of appeasing her kind heart for what she called a
cruel act. 'Kindhearted creature,' said I, 'well I know how glad you
would be if there were not a stick in the world! But I did not beat
Turk and Flora through anger or revenge, but from prudence and
precaution: they intended modestly only to eat up our kangaroo,
which you promised yourself such pleasure in cooking; and, unable as I
was to acquaint them in the canine tongue that it was not placed there
for their use, it was proper to let them know this in such a way as to
deter them in future; otherwise, as they are strongest, they would end
by devouring all our stock.'
  My wife owned I was in the right: but I observed her from a corner
of my eye hovering about the hollow tree, and patting the dogs to
console them. I now set about stripping my kangaroo, without
injuring the skin; but I advanced so slowly in the business that my
family were assembled about us, and calling out Famine! before I had
finished my work. Having at last completed it, I went to the river
to wash myself thoroughly, and then to the sailors' chest, to change
my coat, that I might appear with decency at breakfast, and give my
sons an example of that cleanliness which their mother was so eager to
inculcate. Breakfast over, I ordered Fritz to get ready for Tent
House, where we should prepare the boat, and proceed to the vessel.
  After taking an affectionate leave of my wife, we began our journey.
I left Flora with her, and entreated her not to be uneasy, and to
commit herself to the care of the kind Providence who had till then so
graciously watched over us, and who would again bring us back to her
safe and sound, enriched with many things conducive to our welfare.
  We took Ernest and Jack a little way with us, and then I sent them
back with a message to their mother, which I had not the resolution to
deliver myself- that we might be forced to pass the night on board the
vessel, and not return till the evening of the following day. It was
most essential to get out of it, if yet afloat, all that could be
saved, as a moment might complete its destruction. I instructed my
sons how they should soothe their mother; I exhorted them to obey
and to assist her; and, that their excursion might not be useless, I
directed them to gather some salt, and enjoined them to be at Falcon's
Stream before noon.
                                                   {CHAPTER_14 ^paragraph 5}
  We got into the boat, and, gaining the current, quickly cleared
Safety Bay, and reached the vessel, whose open side offered us an
ample space to get on board. When we had fastened our boat, our
first care was to select fit materials to construct a raft, as
suggested by my son Ernest. Our boat of staves had neither room nor
solidity enough to carry a considerable burden; we therefore looked
about, and found a sufficient number of water-casks, which appeared to
me proper for my new enterprise. We emptied them, replaced the bungs
carefully, and threw the casks overboard, after securing them with
ropes and cramps, so as to keep them together at the vessel's side:
this completed, we placed a sufficient number of planks upon them to
form a firm and commodious platform, or deck, to which we added a
gunwale of a foot in depth all round, to secure the lading. Thus we
contrived a handsome raft, in which we could stow thrice as much as in
our boat. This laborious task had taken up the whole day; we
scarcely allowed ourselves a minute to eat some cold meat we had
provided, that we might not lose any time in looking for the
provisions on board the vessel. In the evening, Fritz and I were so
weary that it would have been impossible for us to row back to land;
so having taken all due precautions in case of a storm, we lay down in
the captain's cabin, on a good elastic mattress, which induced such
sound repose that our prudent design to watch in turn, for fear of
accident, was forgot, and we both slept heavily, side by side, till
broad daylight opened our eyes. We rose, and actively set to work to
load our raft.
  We began with stripping the cabin of its doors and windows, with
their appendages; next we secured the carpenter's and gunner's chests,
containing all their tools and implements: those we could remove
with levers and rollers were put entire upon the raft, and we took out
of the others what rendered them too heavy. One of the captain's
chests was filled with costly articles, which, no doubt, he meant to
dispose of to the opulent planters of Port Jackson, or among the
savages. In the collection were several gold and silver watches,
snuff-boxes of all descriptions, buckles, shirt-buttons, necklaces,
rings; in short, an abundance of all the trifles of European luxury.
But the discovery that delighted me most was a chest containing some
dozens of young plants of every species of European fruits, which
had been carefully packed in moss for transportation. I perceived
pear, plum, almond, peach, apple, apricot, chestnut trees, and vine
shoots. I beheld, with a feeling I cannot describe, those
productions of my dear country, which once so agreeably embellished my
rural dwelling, and which, I might hope, would thrive in a foreign
soil. We discovered a number of bars of iron, and large pigs of
lead, grinding-stones, cartwheels ready for mounting, a complete set
of farrier's instruments, tongs, shovels, ploughshares, rolls of
iron and copper wire, sacks full of maize, pease, oats, vetches, and
even a little hand-mill. The vessel had been freighted with everything
likely to be useful in an infant colony so distant. We found a
saw-mill in a separated state, but each piece numbered, and so
accurately fitted, that nothing was easier than to put it together for
use.
  I had now to consider what of all these treasures I should take or
leave. It was impossible to carry with us, in one trip, such a
quantity of goods; and to leave them in the vessel was exposing
ourselves to be wholly deprived of them.
  We with difficulty and hard labour finished our loading, having
added a large fishing net, quite new, and the vessel's great
compass. With the net, Fritz found two harpoons and a rope-windlass,
such as they use in the whale-fishery. He asked me to let him place
the harpoons, tied to the end of the rope, over the bow of our
tub-boat, and thus be in readiness in case of seeing any large fish;
and I indulged him in his fancy.
  Having completely executed our undertaking, we stepped into the
tub-boat, and with some small difficulty, which a little reflection
and a few experiments soon enabled us to overcome, we pushed out for
the current, drawing our raft triumphantly after us with a stout rope,
which we had been careful to fasten securely at its head.

{CHAPTER_15
                                  15
                        The Tortoise harnessed
-
  THE WIND WAS favourable and briskly swelled our sails. The sea was
calm, and we advanced at a considerable rate. Fritz had for some
time fixed his eyes on something of a large size which was floating on
the water, and he now desired me to take the glass and see what it
could be. I soon perceived that it was a tortoise, which had fallen
asleep in the sun on the surface of the water. No sooner had Fritz
learned this than he entreated me to steer softly within view of so
extraordinary a creature. I readily consented; but as his back was
towards me, and the sail between us, I did not observe his motions,
till a violent jerk of the boat, a sudden turning of the windlass, and
then a second jerk, accompanied by a rapid motion of the boat gave
me the necessary explanation. 'For Heaven's sake, what are you
about, Fritz?' exclaimed I, somewhat alarmed.
  'I have caught him! I touched him!' cried Fritz, without hearing one
word I had been saying. 'The tortoise is ours; it cannot escape,
father! Is not this, then, a valuable prize, for it will furnish
dinners for us all for many weeks?'
  I soon perceived that the harpoon had caught the animal, which,
feeling itself wounded, thus agitated the vessel in its endeavours
to get away. I quickly pulled down the sail, and seizing a hatchet,
sprung to the boat's head to cut the rope, and let the harpoon and the
tortoise go; but Fritz caught hold of my arm, conjuring me to wait a
moment, and not so hastily bring upon him the mortification of losing,
at one stroke, the harpoon, the rope, and the tortoise: he proposed
watching himself, with the hatchet in his hand, to cut the rope
suddenly, should any sign of danger appear; and I yielded to his
entreaties.
  Thus, then, drawn along by the tortoise, we proceeded with a
hazardous rapidity. I soon observed that the creature was making for
the sea; I therefore again hoisted the sail; and as the wind was to
the land, and very brisk, the tortoise found resistance of no avail;
he accordingly fell into the track of the current, and drew us
straight towards our usual place of landing, and, by good fortune,
without striking upon any of the rocks. We, however, did not disembark
without one difficult adventure. The state of the tide was such as
to throw us upon a sand-bank; we were at this time within a gunshot of
the shore; the boat, though driven with violence, remained upright
in the sand. I stepped into the water, which did not reach far above
my knees, for the purpose of conferring upon our conductor his just
reward for the alarm he had caused us, when he suddenly gave a plunge,
and then disappeared. Following the rope, I presently saw the tortoise
stretched at length at the bottom of the water, where it was so
shallow that I soon found means to put an end to his pain, by
cutting off his head with the hatchet, and he bled to death. Being now
near Tent House, Fritz gave a halloo, and fired a gun, to apprise
our relatives that we were not only arrived, but arrived in triumph.
This soon produced the desired effect: the mother and her three
young ones soon appeared, running towards us; upon which Fritz
jumped out of the boat, placed the head of our sea-prize on the muzzle
of his gun, and walked to shore, which I reached at the same moment;
and all were once more received with the kindest salutations, and such
questions as kindness best knows how to propose.
                                                   {CHAPTER_15 ^paragraph 5}
  After some gentle reproaches from my wife, for leaving her and the
boys for so long a time, the history of the tortoise was related,
and excited much merriment in our auditors. The tender-hearted mother,
after heaving a sigh for the hard fate of the creature, began to
shudder at the thought of the danger we had been exposed to, and the
escape we had effected.
  Our conversation ended, I requested my wife to go with two of the
younger boys to Falcon's Stream, and fetch the sledge and the beasts
of burden that we might see at least a part of our booty from the ship
put safely under shelter the same evening. A tempest, or even the
tide, might sweep away the whole during the night! We took every
precaution in our power against the latter danger, by fixing the
boat and the raft, now, at the time of its reflux, as securely as we
could without an anchor. I rolled two prodigious masses of lead,
with the assistance of levers, from the raft upon the shore, and
then tied a rope to each, the other ends of which were fastened, one
to the raft, and the other to the boat, and thus satisfied myself that
they could not easily be forced away.
  While we were employed on this scheme, the sledge arrived, and we
placed the tortoise upon it, and also some articles of light weight,
such as mattresses, pieces of linen, etc.; for I reckoned that the
animal itself weighed at least three quintals. The strength of our
whole party was found necessary to move it from the raft to the
sledge; we therefore all set out together to unload it again at
Falcon's Stream.
  Our first concern, on reaching our abode, was the tortoise, which we
immediately turned on his back, that we might strip off the shell, and
make use of some of the flesh while it was fresh. Taking my hatchet, I
separated the upper and under shell all round, which were joined
together by cartilages. The upper shell of the tortoise is extremely
convex; the under, on the contrary, is nearly flat. I cut away as much
of the flesh of the animal as was sufficient for a meal, and laid
the rest carefully on the under shell, which served as a dish,
recommending to my wife to cook what I had cut off, on the other
shell, with no other seasoning than a little salt, and pledged
myself that she would produce a luxurious dish. 'We will then,' said
I, rub salt on what we mean to keep, and distribute the head,
entrails, and feet to the dogs; for all, you know, must live.'
  We had finished unloading the sledge, and I bade the three eldest
boys accompany me to fetch another load before it should be dark. We
left Francis and his mother busy in preparing a refreshing meal for
supper, the tortoise having presented itself most opportunely for this
purpose.
                                                  {CHAPTER_15 ^paragraph 10}
  Having reached the raft, we took from it as many effects as the
sledge could hold, or the animals draw along. One object of my
attention was to secure two chests which contained the clothes of my
family, which I well knew would afford the highest gratification to my
wife, who had frequently lamented that they were all compelled to wear
clothes that were not their own; reminding her at every moment, she
said, how much they might be wanted by their proper claimants. I
reckoned also on finding in one of the chests some books on
interesting subjects, and principally a large handsomely-printed
Bible. I added to these, four cart-wheels and a hand-mill for
grinding; which, now that we had discovered the manioc, I considered
of signal importance. These and a few other articles completed our
present load.
  On our return to Falcon's Nest, we found my wife looking anxiously
for our arrival, and ready with the welcome she had promised of an
ample and agreeable repast. Before she had well examined our new
stores, she drew me, with one of her sweetest smiles, by the arm.
'Step this way,' said she, and leading to the shade of a tree, 'this
is the work I performed in your absence,' pointing to a large cask
half sunk in the ground, and the rest covered over with branches of
trees. She then applied a small corkscrew to the side, and filling the
shell of a cocoa-nut with the contents, presented it to me. I found
the liquor equal the best Canary I had ever tasted. 'How then,' said
I, 'have you performed this new miracle? I cannot believe the
enchanted bag produced it.'- 'Not exactly,' replied she; 'for this
time it was an obliging white wave which threw it on shore. I took a
little ramble in your absence yesterday, to see what I could find, and
well my trouble was rewarded! The boys ran for the sledge, and had but
little difficulty in getting the cask to Falcon's Stream, where we dug
this place in the earth to keep it cool.'
  My wife now proposed that all should be regaled with some of the
delicious beverage. My own share so invigorated me, that I found
myself able to complete my day's work, by drawing up the mattresses we
had brought from the ship to our chamber in the tree, by means of a
pulley. When I had laid them along to advantage, they looked so
inviting that I could scarcely resist my desire of at once
committing myself to the kind relief they seemed to offer to my
exhausted strength.
  But now the savoury smell of the tortoise laid claim to my
attention. I hastened down, and we all partook heartily of the
luxurious treat.

{CHAPTER_16
                                  16
                      Another Trip to the Wreck
-
  I ROSE BEFORE day to go to the sea-side, and inspect our two
vessels. I gently descended the ladder without awaking my family.
Above, the scene was all repose; below, everything was in life and
motion. The dogs jumped about me, the cock and the hens flapped
their wings and chuckled, and our goats shook their long beards as
they browsed. I quickly roused and harnessed the ass, and the dogs
followed without bidding. As I approached the shore, animated at
different moments by hope and fear, I soon saw that the boat and
raft had resisted the tide, though it had partially heaved them up.
I got quickly on the raft, took a small loading, and returned to
Falcon's Stream in time for breakfast.
  Breakfast over, we returned to the sea-side to complete the
unloading of the raft that it might be ready for sea on the ebbing
of the tide. We were not long in taking two cargoes to Falcon's
Stream. At our last trip the water was nearly up to our craft. I
sent back my wife and the boys, and remained with Fritz till we were
quite afloat; when observing Jack still loitering near, I guessed at
his wish, and consented to his embarking with us. Shortly after, the
tide was high enough for us to row off. Instead of steering for Safety
Bay, to moor our vessels there securely, I was tempted by a fresh
sea-breeze to go out again to the wreck; but it was too late to
undertake much, and I was unwilling to cause my dear partner
uneasiness by passing another night on board. I therefore determined
to bring away only what could be obtained with ease and speed; we
searched hastily through the ship for any trifling articles that might
be readily removed. Jack was up and down everywhere, at a loss what to
select; and when I saw him again, he drew a wheel-barrow after him,
shouting that he had found a vehicle for carrying our wild roots.
  But Fritz next disclosed still better news, which was, that he had
discovered behind the bulk-head, amid-ship, a pinnace (i.e. a
small craft, the fore part of which is square), taken to pieces,
with all its appurtenances, and even two small guns for its defence.
This intelligence so delighted me that I quitted everything else to
run to the bulk-head, when I was convinced of the truth of the lad's
assertion; but I instantly perceived that to put it together, and
launch it, would be an Herculean task. I collected various utensils, a
copper boiler, some plates of iron, tobacco-graters, two
grinding-stones, a small barrel of gunpowder, and another full of
flints, which I much valued. Jack's barrow was not forgotten; two more
were afterwards found and added, with straps belonging to them. All
these articles were hurried into the boat, and we re-embarked with
speed, to avoid the land-wind that rises in the evening. As we were
drawing near to shore, we were struck with the appearance of an
assemblage of small figures ranged in a long line on the strand that
seemed to be viewing us attentively; they were dressed in black, and
all uniform, with white waistcoats and full cravats: the arms of these
beings hung down carelessly; now and then, however, they seemed to
extend them tenderly, as if they wished to embrace or offer us a token
of friendship.
  'I really think,' said I to the boys, who were steadfastly gazing at
them, 'that we are in the country of the pigmies, and that they wish
to form a friendly alliance with us.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_16 ^paragraph 5}
  JACK.- Oh, no, father! they are certainly Lilliputians, though
somewhat bigger than those of whom I read the description in
Gulliver's Travels.
  'You then, child,' said I, 'consider those travels as true; that
there is an island of Lilliput, and inhabited by dwarfs?'
  JACK.- Gulliver says so. He met also with men of an immense stature,
besides an island inhabited by horses-
  'And yet I must tell you that the only reality in all his
discoveries is the rich imagination of the author, whose taste and
feeling led him to resort to allegory for the purpose of revealing
grand truths. Do you know, Jack, what an allegory is?'
  JACK.- It somewhat resembles a parable, I presume?
                                                  {CHAPTER_16 ^paragraph 10}
  'Right, one is very similar to the other.'
  JACK.- And the pigmies you mentioned, are any to be found?
  'No more than there are Lilliputians; they exist only in poetical
fiction, or in the erroneous account of some ancient navigators, in
which a group of monkeys has been fallaciously described as diminutive
men.'
  FRITZ.- Such probably are the mannikins that we see now stretching
out their arms towards us. Ah, now I begin to perceive that they
have beaks, and that their arms are short drooping wings;- what
strange birds!
  'You are right, son, they are penguins, or ruffs; Ernest killed
one soon after our arrival. They are excellent swimmers, but cannot
fly; and so confused are they when on land, that they run in the
silliest way into danger.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_16 ^paragraph 15}
  While we were talking I steered gently towards shore, to enjoy the
uncommon sight the longer; but the very moment we got into shallow
water, my giddy Jack leaped up to his waist into it, and was quickly
on land, battering with his stick among the penguins, before they were
aware of his approach, so that half a dozen of them were immediately
laid flat; the remainder, seeing they were so roughly accosted,
plunged into the sea, dived, and disappeared.
  As the sun declined, and we despaired of finishing before night
set in, each of us filled a barrow, in order to take home something. I
requested that the tobacco-graters and iron plates might be in the
first load.
  Arrived at Falcon's Stream, my wife exhibited a good store of
tuberous roots, which she had got in during our absence, and a
quantity of the roots I had taken for manioc, and in which I was not
mistaken; I much applauded her diligence and foresight, and gave
Ernest and little Francis their share of approbation.
  The first thing we did was to visit our fowls. Those which had eaten
the manioc were in excellent condition, and no less so the monkey.
'Now then to the bakehouse, young ones,' said I, 'as fast as you can
scamper.' The grated manioc was soon emptied out of the bag, a large
fire was quickly lighted, and I placed the boys where a flat surface
had been prepared for them, and gave to each a plate of iron and the
quantity of a cocoa-nut-ful to make a cake apiece, and they were to
try who could succeed the best. They were ranged in a half circle
round me, that they might observe how I proceeded, and adopt the
same method for themselves. The result was not discouraging for a
first experiment, though it must be confessed we were now and then
so unlucky as to burn a cake; but there was not a greater number of
these than served to feed the pigeons and the fowls, which hovered
round us to claim their share of the treat. My little rogues could not
resist the pleasure of frequently tasting their cake, a little bit
at a time, as they went on. At length the undertaking was complete;
the cakes were put in a dish, and served, in company with a handsome
share of milk, to each person; and with this addition they furnished
us with an excellent repast; what remained we distributed among our
animals and fowls.

{CHAPTER_17
                                  17
   Gymnastic Exercises- Various Discoveries- Singular Animals, etc.
-
  I RECOMMENDED to my sons to resume the exercise of the shooting of
arrows; for I had an extreme solicitude about their preserving and
increasing their bodily strength and agility. Nothing tends more to
the extinction of personal courage in a human being than the
consciousness of wanting that strength of limb, or that address, which
may be necessary to aid us in defending ourselves, or in escaping from
dangers. On this occasion, I added the exercises of running,
jumping, getting up trees; both by means of climbing by the trunk,
or by a suspended rope, as sailors are obliged to do to get to the
mast-head. We began at first by making knots in the rope, at a foot
distance from each other; then we reduced the number of knots, and
before we left off we contrived to succeed without any. I next
taught them an exercise of a different nature, which was to be
effected by means of two balls made of lead, fastened one to each
end of a string about a fathom in length. While I was preparing this
machinery, all eyes were fixed upon me. 'What can it be intended for?'
cried one.- 'How can we use it?' asked another.- 'Will it soon be
ready?' continued a third.
  'I am endeavouring,' said I, 'to imitate the arms used by a
valiant nation, remarkable for their skill in the chase, and whom
you all must have heard of: I mean the Patagonians, inhabitants of the
most southern point of America; but, instead of balls, which they
are not able to procure, they tie two heavy stones, one at each end of
a cord, but considerably longer than the one I am working with:
every Patagonian is armed with this simple instrument, which they
use with singular dexterity. If they desire to kill or wound an enemy,
or an animal, they fling one of the ends of this cord at him, and
begin instantly to draw it back by the other, which they keep
carefully in their hand, to be ready for another throw, if
necessary; but if they wish to take an animal alive, and without
hurting it, they possess the singular art of throwing it in such a way
as to make it run several times round the neck of the prey,
occasioning a perplexing tightness; they then throw the second
stone, and with so certain an aim, that they scarcely ever miss
their object: the operation of the second is, the so twisting itself
about the animal as to impede his progress, even though he were at
full gallop. The stones continue turning, carrying with them the cord:
the poor animal is at length so entangled that he can neither
advance nor retire, and thus falls a prey to the enemy.'
  This description was heard with much interest by the boys, who now
all entreated I would that instant try the effect of my own instrument
upon a small trunk of a tree which we saw at a certain distance. My
throws entirely succeeded; and the string with the balls at the end so
completely surrounded the tree that the skill of the Patagonian
huntsmen required no further illustration. Each of the boys must
then needs have a similar instrument; and in a short time Fritz became
quite expert in the art, as indeed he was in every kind of exercise
that required strength or address; he was not only the most alert of
my children, but being the eldest, his muscles were more formed, and
his intelligence was more developed than could yet be expected in
the other three.
  The next morning we made a more minute examination than I had
hitherto had time for, of all our various possessions at Falcon's
Stream. My wife showed me many things she had herself found means to
add to them during my repeated absences from home: among these was a
pair of young pigeons, which had been lately hatched, and were already
beginning to try their wings, while their mother was again sitting
on her eggs. From these we passed to the fruit-trees we had laid in
earth to be planted, and which were in real need of our assistance.
I immediately set myself to prevent so important an injury. I had
promised the boys, the evening before, to go all together to the
wood of gourds, to provide ourselves with vessels of different sizes
to keep our provisions in: they were enchanted with the idea, but I
bargained that they must first assist me to plant all the young trees;
which was no sooner said than set about.
                                                   {CHAPTER_17 ^paragraph 5}
  When we had finished, the evening was too far advanced for so long a
walk. By sunrise the next morning all were on foot; for nothing can
exceed the alertness of young persons who act in expectation of a
pleasurable change of scene. The ass, harnessed to the sledge,
played the principal character: his office was to carry our dinners, a
bottle of Canary wine, and some powder and shot, and to bring home our
service of empty gourds. Turk, according to custom, led the way as our
advanced guard; next followed the three eldest boys, equipped for
sporting; after them, the tender mother, leading the little one, and
Flora brought up the rear, with the monkey on her back, to which the
boys had given the name of Knips. On this occasion I took with me a
double-barrelled gun, loaded on the one side with shot for game, and
on the other with ball, in case of meeting with an enemy.
  In this manner we set out, full of good-humour and high spirits,
from Falcon's Stream. Turning round Flamingo Marsh, we soon reached
the pleasant spot which before had so delighted us. Fritz took a
direction a little further from the sea-shore; and sending Turk into
the tall grass, he followed himself, and both disappeared. Soon, eager
for sport, we heard Turk barking loud; a large bird sprung up, and
almost at the same moment a shot from Fritz brought it down; but
though wounded it was not killed: it raised itself, and got off with
incredible swiftness, not by flying, but by running. Turk followed,
and seizing the bird, held it fast till Fritz came up. Now a different
scene succeeded from that which took place at the capture of the
flamingo. The legs of that bird are long and weak, and it was able
to make but a poor resistance. The present captive was large in
size, and strong; it struck the dogs, or whoever came near, with its
legs, with so much force that Fritz, who had received a blow or two,
dared not again approach the enemy. Fortunately I reached the spot
in time to give assistance, and was pleased to see that it was a
female bustard of the largest size. I had long wished to possess and
to tame a bird of this species for our poultry-yard, though I
foresaw that it would be somewhat difficult.
  To secure the bird without injuring it, I threw my
pocket-handkerchief over the head of the bustard; it could not
disengage itself, and its efforts served only to entangle it the more.
As it could not now see me, I got near enough to pass a string with
a running-knot over its legs, which, for the present, I drew tight, to
prevent further mischief from such powerful weapons. I gently released
its wing from Turk's mouth, and tied it, with its fellow, close to the
bird's body. In short, the bustard was our own! and that in a
condition to promise its preservation when we should once have
conveyed it to Falcon's Stream, and could administer care and kindness
to compensate for the rough treatment it had experienced at our hands.
  We removed the prisoner to the spot where our companions had been
waiting our return. Ernest and Jack ran briskly forward, bawling
out, 'Oh, what a handsome bird! And what a size! What beautiful
feathers!'- 'I think it is a female bustard,' said Ernest. 'And you
are right,' answered I 'its flesh is excellent, having somewhat of the
flavour of the turkey, to which it also in some other respects has a
resemblance. Let us endeavour to tame and preserve it by all means. We
have gained for our poultry-yard a bird of rare value on account of
its size, which will, it may be hoped, attract its mate, and thus
furnish us with a brood of its species.'
  I now fixed the bustard on the sledge, in a posture the most
favourable to its ease. As we advanced in our way, I was frequently
obliged to use the hatchet to make a free passage for the ass in the
tall grass. The heat also increased, and we were all complaining of
thirst, when Ernest, whose discoveries were generally of a kind to
be of use, made one of a most agreeable nature. He has already been
described as a lover of natural history, and now he had gathered, as
he proceeded, such plants as he met with, with the view of adding to
his stock of knowledge. He found a kind of hollow stalk, of some
height, which grew at the foot of trees, and entangled our feet in
walking. He cut one of them, and was surprised to see a drop of pure
fresh water issue at the place where the knife had been applied: he
showed it to us, put it to his lips, and found it pure, and felt
much regret that there was no more. I then fell to examining the
phenomenon myself, and soon perceived that the want of air prevented a
more considerable issue of water. I made some more incisions, and
presently water flowed out as if from a small conduit. Ernest, and
after him the other boys, quenched their thirst at this new
fountain, in the completest manner. I tried the experiment of dividing
the plants longways, and they soon gave out water enough to supply
even the ass, the monkey, and the bustard.
                                                  {CHAPTER_17 ^paragraph 10}
  We were still compelled to fight our way through thick bushes,
till at length, arrived at the wood of gourds, we were not long in
finding the spot where Fritz and I had once before enjoyed so
agreeable a repose. Our companions had not soon done admiring and
wondering at the magnificence of the trees they now beheld, and the
prodigious size of the fruit which grew upon the trunk.
  Jack and Ernest employed themselves in collecting dried branches and
flints, while their mother was occupied in attending to the poor
bustard. She remarked to me that it was cruel to keep her any longer
blinded, and her legs tied together on the sledge. To please her, I
took off the covering and loosened the string on the legs, but still
left it so as to be a guard against its running away, or inflicting
blows on those who might approach. I tied her by a long string to
the trunk of a tree that she might relieve herself by walking about.
  My wife now gave us notice that she should want some vessels to
contain milk, a large flat spoon to cut out butter by pieces, and
next, some pretty plates for serving it at table, made from the
gourd rinds.
  FATHER.- You are perfectly reasonable in your demand, dear wife,
said I; and, on my part, I require some nests for the pigeons, some
baskets for eggs, and some hives for bees.
  ALL.- Oh yes, these things must all be made, we will set earnestly
to work.
                                                  {CHAPTER_17 ^paragraph 15}
  JACK.- But first, father, tell us how to divide one of the rinds
with a string.
  I made them gather or collect, till we were in possession of a
sufficient number. We now began our work: some had to cut, others to
saw, scoop out, and model into agreeable forms. It was a real pleasure
to witness the activity exhibited in this our manufacture of
porcelain: each tried what specimens he could present for the applause
of his companions. For my own part, I made a pretty basket, large
enough to carry eggs, with one of the gourds, leaving an arch at the
top to serve as a cover. I likewise accomplished a certain number of
vessels, also with covers, fit to hold our milk, and then some
spoons to skim the cream. My next attempt was some bottles large
enough to hold fresh water, and these occasioned me more trouble
than all the rest. It was necessary to empty the gourd through the
small opening of the size of one's finger, which I had cut in it; I
was obliged, after loosening the contents with a stick, to get them
out by friction with shot and water well shaken on the inside. Lastly,
to please my wife, I undertook the labour of a set of plates for her
use. Fritz and Jack engaged to make the hives for the bees, and
nests for the pigeons and hens. For this last object they took the
largest gourds, and cut a hole in front, the size of the animal for
whose use it was intended: they had, when finished, so very pretty
an appearance that little Francis was ready to cry that he was not
quite small enough to get into and live in one of them. The pigeons'
nests were intended to be tied to the branches of our trees; those for
the hens, the geese, and the ducks, were to be placed between its
roots, or on the sea-shore, and to represent a sort of hen-coop.
  Our work, added to the heat of the day, had made us all thirsty; but
we found nothing on this spot like our fountain- plants, as we had
named them. The boys entreated me to go with them in different
directions, and try to find some water, not daring by themselves to
venture further into the wood.
  Ernest with great eagerness proposed relieving me of this trouble,
and putting himself in my place. It was not long before we heard him
calling loudly to us, and saw him returning in great alarm. 'Run
quick, father,' said he, 'here is an immense wild boar. Oh, how he
frightened me! I heard him grunting quite close to me, and then he
scampered away to the wood. I hear him at this very moment.'
  I then cried out to the boys to call the dogs quickly. 'Halloo,
here, Turk! Flora!' The dogs arrived full gallop. Ernest was our
leader, and conducted us to the place where he saw the boar; but he
was gone, and we saw nothing but a plot of roots which appeared to
have been ransacked by the animal. The ardour for the chase had been
somewhat checked in Jack and Ernest, when they considered that they
had so formidable a creature to encounter: they stopped short, and
began to dig wild plants, and left it to Fritz and me to follow the
traces of the dogs. We soon heard the cry of the latter; for they
had overtaken the runaway, and soon after the most hideous growling
assailed our ears from the same quarter. We advanced with caution,
holding our guns in readiness to fire together the instant the
animal should be within the proper distance. Presently the spectacle
of the two brave creatures attacking him on the right and left
presented itself; each held one of his ears between his teeth. But
it was not a boar, but our own sow, which had run away and so long
been lost! After the first surprise we could not resist a hearty
laugh; and then we hastened to disencumber our old friend of the teeth
of her two adversaries. Her frightful squalling resounded through
the wood, and drew our young companions to the place, when a warfare
of banter and accusation went round among the parties. But here the
attention of all was attracted to a kind of small potato which we
observed lying thick on the grass around us, and which had fallen from
some trees which appeared loaded with the same production: our sow
devoured them greedily, thus consoling herself for the pain and fright
the dogs had occasioned her.
                                                  {CHAPTER_17 ^paragraph 20}
  The fruit was of different colours, and extremely pleasing to the
eye. Fritz expressed his apprehension that it was the poisonous
apple called the mancenilla; but the sow ate them with so much
eagerness, and the tree which bore them having neither the form nor
foliage ascribed by naturalists to the mancenilla, made me doubt of
the truth of his idea. I desired my sons to put some of the fruit in
their pockets, to make an experiment with them upon the monkey. We now
again, from extreme thirst, began to recollect our want of water,
and determined to seek for some in every direction. Jack sprang off,
and sought among the rocks, hoping that he should discover some little
stream; but scarcely had he left the wood than he bawled to us that he
had found a crocodile.
  'A crocodile!' cried I, with a hearty laugh; 'you have a fine
imagination, my boy! who ever saw a crocodile on such scorching
rocks as these, and with not a drop of water near? Now, Jack, you
are surely dreaming....'
  'Not so much of a dream as you may think, father,' answered Jack,
trying to speak in a low voice; 'fortunately he is asleep; he lies
here on a stone at his full length; do, father, step here, and look at
it; it does not stir in the least.'
  We stole softly to the place where the animal lay; but instead of
a crocodile, I saw before me a large sort of lizard, named by
naturalists Ceguana, or Yguana, an animal by nature of a mild
character, and excellent as food. Instantly all were for seizing
him, and presenting so rare a prize to their mother. Fritz was already
taking aim with his gun; but I prevented him, observing that, the
animal being protected by a coat of scales, it might be difficult to
destroy him, and that he is known to be dangerous, if approached
when angry. 'Let us try,' said I, 'another sort of experiment; as he
is asleep, we need not be in a hurry: only a little contrivance is
necessary to have him safe in our power alive, and the process will
afford us an amusing spectacle.'
  I cut a stout stick from a bush, to the extremity of which I tied
a string with a running-knot. I guarded my other hand simply with a
little switch, and thus with cautious steps approached the creature.
When I was very near to him, I began to whistle a lively air, taking
care to make the sounds low at first, and to increase in loudness till
the lizard was awaked. The creature appeared entranced with pleasure
as the sounds fen upon his ear; he raised his head to receive them
still more distinctly, and looked round on all sides to discover
from whence they came. I now advanced by a step at a time, without a
moment's interval in the music, which fixed him like a statue to the
place. At length I was near enough to reach him with my switch, with
which I tickled him gently, still continuing to whistle, one after the
other, the different airs I could recollect. The lizard was bewildered
by the charms of the music; the attitudes he threw himself into were
expressive of a delirious voluptuousness; he stretched himself at full
length, made undulating motions with his long tail, threw his head
about, raised it up, and by this sort of action disclosed the
formidable range of his sharp-pointed teeth, which were capable of
tearing us to pieces if we had excited his hostility. I dexterously
seized the moment of his raising his head to throw my noose over
him. When this was accomplished, the boys drew near also, and wanted
instantly to draw it tight and strangle him at once, but this I
positively forbade, being unwilling to cause the poor animal so
unmerited a suffering. I had used the noose only to make sure of
him, in case it should happen that a milder mode of killing him, which
I intended to try, failed of success, in which case I should have
looked to the noose for protection; but this was rendered unnecessary.
Continuing to whistle my most affecting melodies, I seized a
favourable moment to plunge my switch into one of his nostrils. The
blood flowed in abundance, and soon deprived him of life, without
his exhibiting the least appearance of being in pain; on the contrary,
to the last moment, he seemed to be still listening to the music.
                                                  {CHAPTER_17 ^paragraph 25}
  As soon as he was dead, I allowed the boys to come quite near, and
to tighten the noose, which we now found useful to draw him to the
ground from the large stone on which he lay. We had now to consider of
the best way for transporting to Falcon's Stream so large and valuable
a booty. After a moment of reflection, I perceived that I had better
come at once to the determination of carrying him across my shoulders;
and the figure I made with so singular an animal on my back, with
his tail dragging on the ground, was not the least amusing
circumstance of the adventure. Fritz and Jack presented themselves
as pages, contending which should support my train, as they called the
tail, which, independently of the good humour inspired amongst us,
considerably eased me of the weight, and gave me the air of an old
Chinese emperor, habited in a superb royal mantle of many colours; for
those of the lizard shone like precious stones in the rays of the sun.
  We started shortly afterwards for Falcon's Stream, and had time to
employ ourselves in some trifling arrangements before it was
completely dark. My wife had great pleasure in taking out her
service of porcelain, and using some of the articles that very
evening; particularly the handsome egg-basket and the vessels for
the milk. Fritz was instructed to dig a place in the ground, to
serve for a kind of cooler, the better to preserve the milk; and we
covered it with boards, and put heavy stones to keep them down. Jack
took the pigeons' nests and scampered up the tree, where he nailed
them to the branches; he next laid some dry moss within, and placed
one of the female pigeons we had contrived to tame, and which at the
time was brooding, upon it; he put the eggs carefully under the
mother, who seemed to accept his services, and to coo, in return, with
gratitude.
  We concluded the exertions of the day with a plain repast, and the
contriving a comfortable bed for the bustard by the side of the
flamingo, and then stretched our weary limbs upon the homely couch,
rendered by fatigue luxurious, in the giant tree.

{CHAPTER_18
                                  18
                    Excursion into Unknown Tracts
-
  MY FIRST THOUGHT the next morning was to fetch the sledge from the
wood. I had a double motive for leaving it there, which I had
refrained from explaining to my wife, to avoid giving her
uneasiness. I had formed a wish to penetrate a little further into the
land, and ascertain whether anything useful would present itself
beyond the wall of rocks. I was, besides, desirous to be better
acquainted with the extent, the form, and general productions of our
island. I wished Fritz only, who was stronger and more courageous than
his brothers, and Turk, to accompany me. We set out very early in
the morning, and drove the ass before us for the purpose of drawing
home the sledge.
  As we were picking up some acorns, different birds of exquisite
plumage flitted about us; for this once I could not refuse Fritz the
pleasure of firing upon them that we might learn their species. He
brought down three. I recognised one to be the great blue Virginia
jay, and the other two were parrots. One of the two was a superb red
parrot; the other was green and yellow.
  While Fritz was reloading his gun, we heard a singular sort of
noise, which came from a distance. At one moment it resembled a
muffled drum, at another, the noise made in sharpening a saw. My first
idea was of music played by savages, and we retreated quickly to
hide ourselves among the bushes to listen. By degrees we advanced
towards the place from whence the sound appeared to come; but
perceiving nothing to alarm us, we separated some of the branches with
our hands, and then discovered a handsome bird, about the size of
the English cock; and, like it too, adorned with elegantly-formed
smooth feathers round the neck, and a comb upon his head. The animal
stood erect on a decayed trunk of a tree, which was lying on the
ground, and at this moment exhibited some singular gestures. His
tail was spread in the form of a fan, similar to that of the
turkey-cock, but shorter; the feathers round his neck and head were
erect and bristling. He sometimes agitated them with so quick a motion
as to make them appear like a vapour which suddenly enclosed him;
sometimes he whirled himself round and round on the trunk of the tree;
at others he moved his head and eyes in such a manner as to express
a state of distraction, making at the same time the singular kind of
noise with his voice which had alarmed us, and which was preceded
and followed by a sort of explosion. This last was caused by the
motion of his wing striking in a quick measure on the trunk, which was
hollow and dry, and made the noise resemble a muffled drum. There were
assembled around him a great number of birds of the same species,
but much smaller, and of a less beautiful form. One and all fixed
their eyes upon him, and seemed delighted with the pantomime. I
contemplated this extraordinary spectacle, of which I had formerly
read an account, with astonishment. The number of the spectators of
the feathered actor increased every moment, and the performance
increased in spirit also in proportion, presenting the idea of a
perfect intoxication or delirium of the creature. At this moment,
Fritz, who stood a little behind me, put an end to the scene by firing
off his gun. The actor fell from the stage, and stretching himself
on the sand, breathed his last, and the spectators betook themselves
suddenly to flight. I must confess the interest I took in the
exhibition was of so lively a nature that I could not refrain from
reproaching Fritz in an angry tone. 'Why,' said I, 'must we be
always applying the means of death and annihilation to the creatures
that fall in our way?'
  Fritz looked down, ashamed and sorry. I observed to him, the thing
being done, there was now no remedy; that this species of bird was
much esteemed as game; and that he had better take it from the ground,
and carry it to his mother.
                                                   {CHAPTER_18 ^paragraph 5}
  We now laid the dead cock upon the ass's back, and proceeded on
our journey. We soon arrived at the guava-tree, and a little after
at the spot where we had left the sledge, when we found our
treasures in the best possible condition; but as the morning was not
far advanced, we entered upon our intended project of penetrating
beyond the wall of rocks.
  We pursued our way in a straight line at the foot of these massy,
solid productions of Nature, every moment expecting to reach their
extremity, or to find some turn, or breach, or passage through them,
that should conduct us into the interior of the island, if, as I
presumed, it was not terminated by these rocks. We walked on,
continually looking about, that nothing might escape us worthy of
notice, and to anticipate and avoid such dangers as should threaten.
Turk, with his usual bravery, took the lead, the ass followed with
lazy steps, shaking his long ears, and Fritz and I brought up the
rear.
  We next entered a pretty little grove, the trees of which were
unknown to us. Their branches were loaded with large quantities of
berries of an extraordinary quality, being entirely covered with a
minute meal or farina. I knew of a sort of bush, the berries of which,
when boiled, yield a viscous scum resembling wax: it grows in America,
and is named by botanists Myrica cerifera, or candleberry-tree; this
plant resembled it much, and the discovery gave me great pleasure.
'Let us stop here,' said I to Fritz; 'for we cannot do better than
collect a great quantity of these berries as a useful present to
your mother.'
  A short time after another object presented itself with equal claims
to our attention; it was the singular modes of behaviour of a kind
of bird scarcely larger than a chaffinch, and clothed in feathers of a
common brown colour. These birds appeared to exist as a republic,
there being among them one common nest, inhabited at pleasure by all
their tribes. We saw one of these nests in a tree, in a somewhat
retired situation; it was formed of plaited straws and bulrushes
intermixed; it enclosed great numbers of inhabitants, and was built
round the trunk of the tree; it had a kind of roof formed of roots and
bulrushes, carefully knit together. We observed in the sides small
apertures, seemingly intended as doors and windows to each
particular cell of this general receptacle; from a few of these
apertures issued some small branches, which served the birds as points
of rest for entering and returning; the external appearance of the
whole excited the image of an immensely large open sponge. The
inhabitants were very numerous; they passed in and out continually,
and I estimated that it might contain at least a million. The males
were somewhat larger than the female, and there was a trifling
difference in their plumage: the number of males was very small in
proportion to the females: I do not know whether this had been the
cause of their thus assembling together.
  While we were attentively examining this interesting little
colony, we perceived a very small kind of parrot hovering about the
nest. Their gilded green wings, and the variety of their colours,
produced a beautiful effect; they seemed to be perpetually disputing
with the colonists, and not unfrequently endeavoured to prevent
their entrance into the building; they attacked them fiercely, and
even tried to peck at us, if we but advanced our hand to the
structure. Fritz, who was well trained in the art of climbing trees,
was earnestly desirous to take a nearer view of them, and to secure,
if possible, a few individuals. He threw his burden down, and
climbed to the nest: he then tried to introduce his hand into one of
the apertures, and to seize whatever living creature it should touch
in that particular cell; what he most desired was to find a female
brooding, and to carry both her and the eggs away. Several of the
cells were empty, but by perseverance he found one in the situation he
wished; but he received so violent a peck from an invisible bird
that his only care was now to withdraw his hand; presently, however,
he ventured a second time to pass his hand into the nest, and
succeeded in seizing his prey, which he laid hold of, and, in spite of
the bird's resistance, he drew it through the aperture, and squeezed
it into the pocket of his waistcoat; and buttoning it securely, he
slided down the tree and reached the ground in safety. The signals
of distress sent forth by the prisoner collected a multitude of
birds from their cells, who all surrounded him, uttering loud cries,
and attacking him with their beaks, till he had made good his retreat.
He now released the prisoner, and we discovered him to be a
beautiful little green parrot, * which Fritz entreated he might be
allowed to preserve, and make a present of to his brothers, who
would make a cage to keep him in, and would then tame him and teach
him to speak.
                                                  {CHAPTER_18 ^paragraph 10}
-
  * Tuiete. This is the smallest kind of Brazilian parrot. There
is an infinite variety in their plumage.
-
  We shortly reached a wood, the trees of which, in a small degree,
resembled the wild fig-tree; at least the fruit they bore, like the
fig, was round in form, and contained a soft juicy substance full of
small grains. Their height was from forty to sixty feet; the bark of
the trunk was scaly, like the pine-apple, and wholly bare of branches,
except at the very top. The leaves of these trees are very thick; in
substance tough, like leather; and their upper and under surfaces
are different in colour. But what surprised us the most was a kind
of gum, which issued in a liquid state from the trunk of the tree, and
became immediately hardened by the air. This discovery awakened
Fritz's attention: in Europe he had often made use of the gum produced
by cherry-trees, either as a cement or varnish, in his youthful
occupations; and the thought struck him that he could do the same with
what he now saw.
  As he walked, he frequently looked at his gum, which he tried to
soften with his breath, but without success: he now discovered a still
more singular property in the substance; that of stretching on being
pulled at the extremities; and, on letting go, of reducing itself
instantly, by the power of an elastic principle. He was struck with
surprise, and sprang towards me, repeating the experiment before my
eyes, and exclaiming, 'Look, father! if this is not the very thing
we formerly used to rub out bad strokes in our drawings.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_18 ^paragraph 15}
  'Ah! what do you tell me?' cried I with joy; 'such a discovery would
be valuable indeed. The best thanks of all will be due to you, if it
is the true caoutchouc-tree which yields the Indian rubber. Quick,
hand it here that I may examine it.' Having satisfied myself of our
good fortune, I had now to explain that caoutchouc is a kind of
milky sap, which runs from its tree, in consequence of incisions
made in the bark. 'This liquor is received in vessels placed expressly
for the purpose: it is afterwards made to take the form of
dark-coloured bottles, of different sizes, such as we have seen
them, in the following manner:- Before the liquor has time to
coagulate, some small earthen bottles are dipped into it a
sufficient number of times to form the thickness required. These
vessels are then hung over smoke, which completely dries them, and
gives them a dark colour. Before they are entirely dry, a knife is
drawn across them, which produces the lines or figures with which
you have seen them marked. The concluding part of the operation is
to break the mould, and to get out the pieces by the passage of the
neck, when there remains the complete form of a bottle.'
  FRITZ.- This process seems simple enough, and we will make some
bottles of it for carrying liquids when we go far in pursuit of
game. But still I do not perceive how the discovery is of so much
value to us.
  FATHER.- Not by this use of it alone, certainly; but its quality
is excellent for being made into shoes and boots without seams, if
we can add the assistance of earthen moulds of the size of the leg
or foot to be fitted. We must consider of some means of restoring
masses of the caoutchouc to its liquid form, for spreading upon the
moulds; and if we should not succeed, we must endeavour to draw it
in sufficient quantities, in its liquid state, from the trees
themselves.
  We continued our way till we reached another wood, the skirts of
which we had already seen, it being the same which stretches from
the sea-shore to the top of the rocks. In this spot alone, and mixed
with a quantity of cocoa-trees, I discovered a sort of tree of smaller
growth, which I presumed must be the sago palm: one of these had
been thrown down by the wind, so that I was able to examine it
thoroughly. I perceived that the trunk of it contained a large
quantity of a mealy substance; I therefore, with my hatchet, laid it
open longways, and cleared it of the whole contents; and I found, on
tasting it, it was exactly like the sago I had often eaten in
Europe. We now began to consider how much further we would go: the
thick bushes of bamboo, through which it was impossible to pass,
seemed to furnish a natural conclusion to our journey. We were,
therefore, unable to ascertain whether or not we should have found a
passage beyond the wall of rocks: we perceived then no better resource
than to turn to the left towards Cape Disappointment, where the
luxurious plantations of sugar-canes now again drew our attention.
That we might not return empty-handed to Falcon's Stream, and might
deserve forgiveness for so long an absence, we each took the pains
to cut a large bundle of the canes, which we threw across the ass's
back, not forgetting the ceremony of reserving one apiece to refresh
ourselves with along the road. We soon arrived on the well-known shore
of the sea, which at length afforded an open and a shorter path; we
next reached the wood of gourds, where we found our sledge loaded as
we had left it the night before; we took the sugar-canes from the ass,
and fastened them to the sledge, and then we harnessed the ass, and
the patient animal began to draw towards home.
  We arrived at Falcon's Stream without any further adventure. We
received at first some kind reproofs; we were next questioned; and,
lastly, thanked, as we displayed our various treasures, but
particularly the sugarcanes: each of the boys seized one, and began to
suck it, as did their mother also. Nothing could be more amusing
than to hear Fritz relate, with unaffected interest, our new
discoveries, and to see him imitate the gestures of the heath-cock, as
he held it up for examination: his hearers continued to shout with
laughter for many minutes. Then came the history of the colony of
birds, and their singular habitation, and of the green parrot, all
of which was listened to with the delight excited by a fairy tale.
Fritz showed them the handsome red parrot, dead, also the great blue
jay, both of which they did not cease to admire; but when he took
out of his pocket the little green parrot all alive, there were no
bounds to their ecstasy; they jumped about like mad things, and I
was obliged to interpose my authority to prevent their tearing him
to pieces, in the struggle who should have him first. Francis nearly
devoured the little animal with kisses, repeating a thousand times,
'Pretty little parrot!' At length the bird was fastened by the leg
to one of the roots of the trees, till a cage could be made for him;
and was fed with acorns, which he appeared exceedingly to relish. We
next gave an account of the prospect I now had of furnishing not
only candles, but boots and shoes. Fritz took a bit of the rubber from
his pocket and drew it to its full length, and then let it go
suddenly, to the great amusement of little Francis.
                                                  {CHAPTER_18 ^paragraph 20}
  Soon after nightfall we partook of a hearty meal: being much
fatigued, we went earlier than usual to rest, and having carefully
drawn up the ladder, we fell exhausted into sound and peaceful
slumbers.

{CHAPTER_19
                                  19
            Useful Occupations and Labours Embellishments-
                   A painful but natural Sentiment
-
  ON THE FOLLOWING day, my wife and the boys importuned me to begin my
manufactory of candles: I therefore set myself to recollect all I
had read on the subject. I soon perceived that I should be at a loss
for a little fat to mix with the wax I had procured from the
berries, for making the light burn clearer; but I was compelled to
proceed without. I put as many berries into a vessel as it would
contain, and set it on a moderate fire; my wife in the meantime
employed herself in making some wicks with the threads of
sail-cloth. When we saw an oily matter, of a pleasing smell and
light-green colour, rise to the top of the liquid the berries had
yielded, we carefully skimmed it off and put it into a separate
vessel, taking care to keep it warm. We continued this process till
the berries were exhausted, and had produced a considerable quantity
of wax; we next dipped the wicks one by one into it, while it remained
liquid, and then hung them on the bushes to harden: in a short time we
dipped them again, and repeated the operation till the candles were
increased to the proper size, and they were then put in a place and
kept till sufficiently hardened for use. We, however, were all eager
to judge of our success that very evening, by burning one of the
candles, with which we were well satisfied. In consequence of this new
treasure, we should now be able to sit up later, and consequently
spend less of our time in sleep; but independently of this
advantage, the mere sight of a candle, which for so long a time we had
been deprived of, caused ecstasies of joy to all.
  Our success in this last enterprise encouraged us to think of
another, the idea of which had long been cherished by our kind steward
of provisions; it was to make fresh butter of the cream we every day
skimmed from the milk, and which was frequently, to her great
vexation, spoiled and given to the animals. The utensil we stood in
need of was a churn, to turn the cream in. Having earnestly applied my
thoughts as to the best manner of conquering the difficulty, I
suddenly recollected what I had read about in a book of travels, of
the method used by the Hottentots for making butter; but instead of
a sheep-skin sewed together at its extremities, I emptied a large
gourd, washed it clean, filled it again with cream, and stopped it
close with the piece I had cut from the top. I placed my vase of cream
on a piece of sail-cloth with four corners, and tied to each corner
a stake. I placed one boy midway between each stake, and directed them
to shake the cloth briskly, but with a steady measure, for a certain
time. This exercise, which seemed like children's play, pleased them
mightily, and they called it rocking the cradle. They performed
their office, singing and laughing all the time, and in an hour, on
taking off the cover, we had the satisfaction of seeing some excellent
butter. We heartily congratulated each other, and praised the workmen,
who by their constancy of labour had thus produced a most agreeable
article of food. I had now to propose to my sons a work of a more
difficult nature than we had hitherto accomplished: it was the
constructing a cart, in all its forms, for the better conveyance of
our effects from place to place, instead of the sledge, which caused
us so much fatigue to load and draw. Many reasons induced me to
confine my attempt in the first instance to a two-wheel cart, and to
observe the result before I ventured on one with four wheels. I
tried earnestly and long to accomplish such a machine; but it did
not entirely succeed to my wishes, and I wasted in the attempt both
time and timber; I however produced what from courtesy we called a
cart, and it answered the purpose for which it was designed.
  When I had no occasion for the boys, they with their mother
engaged in other useful matters. They undertook to transplant the
European fruit-trees, to place them where they would be in a better
situation for growth, according to the properties of each. They
planted vine-shoots round the roots of the magnificent tree we
inhabited, and round the trunks of some other kinds of trees which
grew near; and we watched them, in the fond anticipation that they
would in time ascend to a height capable of being formed into a sort
of trellis, and help to cool us by their shade. Lastly, we planted two
parallel lines of saplings, consisting of chestnut, cherry, and the
common nut-tree, to form an avenue from Family Bridge to Falcon's
Stream, which would hereafter afford us a shaded walk to Tent House.
This last undertaking was not to be effected without a degree of
labour and fatigue the most discouraging:- the ground was to be
cleared of everything it had produced, and a certain breadth covered
with sand, left higher in the middle than on the sides, for the sake
of being always dry. The boys fetched the sand from the sea-side in
their wheel-barrows.
                                                   {CHAPTER_19 ^paragraph 5}
  Our next concern was to introduce, if possible, some shade and other
improvements on the barren site of Tent House, and to render our
occasional abode or visits there more secure. We began by planting
in a quincunx all those sorts of trees that thrive best in the sun,
such as lemon, pistachio, almond, mulberry, and lime trees; lastly,
some of a kind of orange-tree which attains to a prodigious size,
and bears a fruit as large as the head of a child. The commoner
sorts of nut-trees we placed along the shore. The better to conceal
and fortify our tent, which enclosed all our stores, we formed on
the accessible side a hedge of wild orange and lemon trees, which
produce an abundant prickly foliage; and to add to the agreeableness
of their appearance, we here and there interspersed the pomegranate:
nor did I omit to make a little arbour of the guava shrub, which is
easily raised from slips, and bears a small fruit rather pleasant to
the taste. We also took care to introduce at proper places a certain
number of the largest sorts of trees, which in time would serve the
double purpose of shading annual plants, and, with benches placed
under them, of a kind of private cabinet. Should any accident or alarm
compel us to retire to the fortress of Tent House, a thing of the
first importance would be to find there sufficient food for our
cattle. For the greater security, I formed a plantation of the
thorny fig-tree, of sufficient breadth to occupy the space between our
fortress and the river, thus rendering it difficult for an enemy to
approach.
  The curving form of the river having left some partial elevations of
the soil within the enclosure, I found means to work them into
slopes and angles, so as to serve as bastions to our two cannon from
the pinnace and our other fire-arms, should we ever be attacked by
savages. When this was all complete, we perceived that one thing
more was wanting, which was, to make such alterations in Family Bridge
as would enable us to use it as a drawbridge, or to take it away
entirely, this being the only point at which the passage of the
river could be easily effected. But as we could not do all at once, we
contented ourselves, for present safety, with taking away the first
planks of the bridge at each end every time we passed it. My
concluding labour was to plant some cedars along the usual
landing-places, to which we might fasten our vessels.
  We employed six whole weeks in effecting these laborious
arrangements, and by this time we had nearly exhausted our stock of
clothes, and we were compelled once more to have recourse to the
vessel, which we knew still contained some chests fit for our use.
To this motive we added an earnest desire to take another look at her,
and, if practicable, to bring away a few pieces of cannon, which might
be fixed on the new bastions at Tent House, and thus we should be
prepared for the worst.
  The first fine day I assembled my three eldest sons, and put my
design into execution. We reached the wreck without any striking
adventure, and found her still fixed between the rocks, but somewhat
more shattered than when we had last seen her. We secured the chests
of clothes, and whatever remained of ammunition-stores: powder,
shot, and even such pieces of cannon as we could remove, while those
that were too heavy we stripped of their wheels, which might be
extremely useful.
  But to effect our purpose it was necessary to spend several days
in visits to the vessel, returning constantly in the evening, enriched
with everything of a portable nature which the wreck contained; doors,
windows, locks, bolts- nothing escaped our grasp: so that the ship was
now entirely emptied, with the exception of the large cannon, and
three or four immense copper caldrons. We by degrees contrived to
tie the heaviest articles to two or three empty casks well pitched,
which would thus be sustained above water. I supposed that the wind
and tide would convey the beams and timbers ashore, and thus with
little pains we should be possessed of a sufficient quantity of
materials for erecting a building at some future time. When these
measures were taken, I came to the resolution of blowing up the wreck.
We accordingly prepared a cask of gunpowder, which we left on board
for the purpose: we rolled it to the place most favourable for our
views: we made a small opening in its side, and, at the moment of
quitting the vessel, we inserted a piece of matchwood, which we
lighted at the last moment. We then sailed with all possible
expedition for Safety Bay, where we arrived in a short time. We
could not, however, withdraw our thoughts from the wreck, and from the
expected explosion, for a single moment. I had cut the match a
sufficient length for us to hope that she would not go to pieces
before dark. I proposed to my wife to have our supper carried to a
little point of land from whence we had a view of her, and here we
waited for the moment of her destruction with lively impatience.
                                                  {CHAPTER_19 ^paragraph 10}
  About the time of nightfall, a majestic rolling sound, like thunder,
accompanied by a column of fire and smoke, announced that the ship
so awfully concerned with our peculiar destiny, which had brought us
to our present abode in a desert, and furnished us there with such
vast supplies for general comfort, was that instant annihilated, and
withdrawn for ever from the face of man! At this moment, love for
the country that gave us birth, that most powerful sentiment of the
human heart, sunk with a new force into ours. The ship had disappeared
for ever! Could we then form a hope ever to behold that country
more? We had made a sort of jubilee of witnessing the spectacle: the
boys had clapped their hands and skipped about in joyful
expectation; but the noise was heard- the smoke and sparks were seen!-
while the sudden change which took place in our minds could be
compared only to the rapidity of these effects of our concerted scheme
against the vessel. We all observed a mournful silence, and all
rose, as it were by an impulse of mutual condemnation, and with our
heads sinking on our bosoms, and our eyes cast upon the ground, we
took the road to Tent House.
  My wife was the only person who was sensible of motives for
consolation in the distressing scene which had been passing; she was
now relieved from all the cruel fears for our safety in our visits
to a shattered wreck that was liable to fall to pieces during the time
we were on board. From this moment she conceived a stronger partiality
for our island and the modes of life we had adopted.
  A night's repose had in some measure relieved the melancholy of
the preceding evening, and I went rather early in the morning, with
the boys, to make further observations as to the effects of this
remarkable event. We perceived in the water, and along the shore,
abundant vestiges of the departed wreck; and amongst the rest, at a
certain distance, the empty casks, caldrons, and cannon, all tied
together and floating in a large mass upon the water. We jumped
instantly into the pinnace, with the tub-boat fastened to it, and made
a way towards them through the numberless pieces of timber, etc., that
intervened, and in a little time reached the object of our search,
which from its great weight moved slowly upon the waves. Fritz, with
his accustomed readiness, flung some rope round two four-pounders, and
contrived to fasten them to our barge; after which he secured also
an enormous quantity of poles, laths, and other useful articles.
With this rich booty we returned to land.
  We performed three more trips for the purpose of bringing away
more cannon, caldrons, fragments of masts, etc., all of which we
deposited for present convenience in Safety Bay; and now began our
most fatiguing operations,- the removing such numerous and heavy
stores from the boats to Tent House. We separated the cannon and the
caldrons from the tub-raft, and from each other, and left them in a
place which was accessible for the sledge and the beasts of burden.
With the help of the crow we succeeded in getting the caldrons upon
the sledge, and in replacing the four wheels we had before taken
from the cannon; and now found it easy to make the cow and the ass
draw them.
  The largest of the boilers or copper caldrons we found of the most
essential use. We brought out all our barrels of gunpowder, and placed
them on their ends in three separate groups, at a short distance
from our tent; we dug a little ditch round the whole, to draw off
the moisture from the ground, and then put one of the caldrons
turned upside upon each, which completely answered the purpose of an
outhouse. The cannon were covered with sail-cloth, and upon this we
laid heavy branches of trees; the larger casks of gunpowder we
prudently removed under a projecting piece of rock, and covered them
with planks till we should have leisure for executing the plan of an
ammunition store-house, about which we had all become extremely
earnest.
                                                  {CHAPTER_19 ^paragraph 15}
  We then fixed the next day for our departure to Falcon's Nest, and
set about the necessary preparations.

{CHAPTER_20
                                  20
      A new Domain- The Troop of Buffaloes- The vanquished Hero
-
  ON ENTERING our plantation of fruit-trees, forming the avenue to
Falcon's Stream, we observed that they had not a vigorous
appearance, and that they inclined to curve a little in the stalk:
we therefore resolved to support them with sticks, and I proposed to
walk to the-vicinity of Cape Disappointment, for the purpose of
cutting some bamboos. I had no sooner pronounced the words than the
three eldest boys and their mother exclaimed at once that they would
accompany me. Their curiosity had been excited by our accounts of
the amusing objects we had met with in our visit to the spot: each
found a sound and special reason why he must not fail to be of the
party. Our provision of candles was nearly exhausted, and a new
stock of berries must therefore be procured; for my wife now
repaired our clothes by candle light, while I employed myself in
composing a journal of the events of every day: then, the sow had
again deserted us, and nothing could be so probable as that we
should find her in the acornwood: Jack would fain gather some guavas
for himself; and Francis must needs see the plantation of sugar-canes.
In short, all would visit this land of Canaan.
  We accordingly fixed the following morning, and set out in full
procession. For myself, I had a great desire to explore more
thoroughly this part of our island. I therefore made some preparations
for sleeping, should we find the day too short for all we might have
to accomplish: I took the cart instead of the sledge, having fixed
some planks across it for Francis and his mother to sit upon when they
should be tired. I was careful to be provided with the different
implements we might want; some rope machinery I had contrived for
rendering the climbing of trees more easy; and lastly, some
provisions, some water in a gourd-flask, and one bottle of wine from
the captain's store. When all was placed in the cart, I for this
time harnessed to it both the ass and the cow, as I expected the
load would be increased on our return: and we set out, taking the road
of the root and manioc plantations. Our first halt was at the tree
of the colony of birds, which I now examined with more attention,
and recollected to what species they belonged, by naturalists named
Loxia gregaria (sociable grossbeak).
  It was not without much difficulty that we conducted the cart
through the thick entangled bushes, the most intricate of which I
everywhere cut down, and we helped to push it along with all our
strength. We succeeded tolerably well at last, and, that the poor
animals might have time to rest, we determined to pass several hours
in this place, which furnished such a variety of agreeable and
useful objects. We began by gathering a bag full of the guavas; and
after regaling ourselves plentifuly, we put the remainder into the
cart.
  We continued our way, and soon arrived at the caoutchouc, or
gum-elastic trees. I thought we could not do better than to halt here,
and endeavour to collect a sufficient quantity of the sap, to make the
different utensils, and the impenetrable boots and shoes, as I had
before proposed. It was with this design that I had taken care to
bring with me several of the most capacious of the gourd rinds. I made
deep incisions in the trunks, and fixed some large leaves of trees,
partly doubled together lengthways, to the place, to serve as a sort
of channel to conduct the sap to the vessels I had kept in readiness
to receive it. We had not long begun this process before we
perceived the sap begin to run out as white as milk, and in large
drops, so that we were not without hopes, by the time of our return,
to find the vessels full, and thus to have obtained a sufficient
quantity of the ingredient for a first experiment.
                                                   {CHAPTER_20 ^paragraph 5}
  We left the sap running, and pursued our way, which led us to the
wood of cocoa-trees: from thence we passed to the left, and stopped
halfway between the bamboos and the sugar-canes, intending to
furnish ourselves with a provision of each. We aimed our course so
judiciously, that on clearing the skirts of the wood we found
ourselves in an open plain with the sugar-cane plantations on our
left, and on our right those of bamboo, interspersed with various
kinds of palm-trees, and, in front, the magnificent bay formed by Cape
Disappointment, which stretched far out into the sea.
  The prospect that now presented itself to our view was of such
exquisite beauty that we determined to choose it for our
resting-place, and to make it the central point of every excursion
we should in future make; we were even more than half disposed to
desert our pretty Falcon's Stream, and transport our possessions
hither; a moment's reflection, however, betrayed the folly of quitting
the thousand comforts we had there, with almost incredible industry,
assembled; and we dismissed the thought with promising ourselves to
include this ravishing spot evermore in our projects for excursions.
We disengaged the animals, that they might graze and refresh
themselves under the shade of the palm-trees, and sat down to enjoy
our own repast, and to converse on the beauty of the scene.
  It was now evening; and as we had determined to pass the night in
this enchanting spot, we began to think of forming some large branches
of trees into a sort of hut, as is practised by the hunters in
America, to shelter us from the dew and the coolness of the air. While
we were thus engaged, we were suddenly roused by the loud braying of
the ass, which we had left to graze at a distance but a short time
before. On going to the place, we saw him throwing his head in the
air, and kicking and prancing about; and while we were thinking what
could be the matter, he set off on a full gallop. Unfortunately,
Turk and Flora, whom we sent after him, took the fancy of entering the
plantation of the sugar-canes, while the ass had preferred the
direction of the bamboos on the right. We began to fear the approach
of some wild beast might have frightened the creature, and to think of
assembling our fire-arms. In a little time the dogs returned, and
showed no signs, by scenting the ground or otherwise, of any
pursuit. I made a turn round the hut to see that all was well, and
then sallied forth with Fritz and the two dogs, in the direction the
ass had taken, hoping the latter might be enabled to trace him by
the scent.
  Fatigued, and vexed with the loss of the useful creature, I
entered the hut, which I found complete, the boys having covered it
with sail-cloth, and strewed branches on the ground for sleeping,
and collected some reeds for making a fire, which the freshness of the
evening air rendered agreeable to all: it served us also for cooking
our supper. When all was safe, I watched and replenished the fire till
midnight, rather from habit than the fear of wild beasts, and then
took possession of the little corner assigned me near my slumbering
companions.
  The following morning we breakfasted on some milk from the cow, some
boiled roots, and a small portion of Dutch cheese, and formed,
during our meal, the plan of the business for the day. It was
decided that one of the boys and myself, attended by the two dogs,
should seek the ass through the bamboo plantation. I took with me
the agile Jack, who was almost beside himself with joy at this
determination.
                                                  {CHAPTER_20 ^paragraph 10}
  We soon reached the bamboo plantation, and found means to force
ourselves along its intricate entanglements. After great fatigue,
and when we were on the point of relinquishing all further hope, we
discovered the print of the ass's hoofs on the soil, which inspired us
with new ardour in the pursuit. After spending a whole hour in further
endeavours, we at length, on reaching the skirts of the plantation,
perceived the sea in the distance, and soon after found ourselves in
an open space, which bounded the great bay. A considerable river
flowed into the bay at this place, and we perceived that the ridge
of rocks, which we had constantly seen, extended to the shore, and
terminated in a perpendicular precipice, leaving only a narrow passage
between the rocks and the river, which, during every flux of the tide,
must necessarily be under water, but which at that moment was dry
and passable. The probability that the ass would prefer passing by
this narrow way, to the hazard of the water, determined us to follow
in the same path: we had also some curiosity to ascertain what might
be found on the other side of the rocks, for as yet we were ignorant
whether they formed a boundary to our island, or divided it into two
portions; whether we should see there land or water. We continued to
advance, and at length reached a stream which issued foaming from a
large mass of rock, and fell in a cascade into the river. The bed of
this stream was so deep, and its course so rapid, that we were a
long time finding a part where it might be most practicable for us
to cross. When we had got to the other side, we found the soil again
sandy, and mixed with a fertile kind of earth: in this place we no
longer saw naked rock; but the prints of the ass's hoofs were again
visible on the ground.
  By observing closely, we saw with astonishment the prints of the
feet of other animals, much larger and different in many respects from
those of the ass. Our curiosity was so strongly excited, that we
resolved to follow the traces; and they conducted us to a plain at a
great distance, which presented to our wondering eyes a terrestrial
paradise. We ascended a hill, which partly concealed from our view
this delicious scene, and then, with the assistance of a glass, we
beheld an extensive range of country, exhibiting every kind of rural
beauty, and in which a profound tranquillity had seemed to take up its
abode. To our right appeared the majestic wall of rocks which
divided the island. Some of these appeared to touch the heavens,
others to imprint the clouds with wild fantastic forms, while mists,
broken into pieces, partially concealed their tops. To the left, a
chain of gently rising hills, the long green verdure of which,
tinged with blue, stretched as far as the eye could discern, and
were interspersed at agreeable distances with little woods of
palm-trees. The river we had crossed flowed in a serpentine course
through this exquisite valley, presenting the idea of a broad floating
silver riband, while its banks were adorned with reeds and various
aquatic plants. I could with difficulty take my eyes from this
enchanting spectacle, and I seated myself on the ground to contemplate
and enjoy it at my leisure. Neither on the plain, nor on the hills,
was there the smallest trace of the abode of man, nor of any kind of
cultivation; it was everywhere a virgin soil, in all its original
purity; nothing endowed with life appeared to view, excepting a few
birds, which flew fearlessly around us, and a quantity of
brilliantly-coloured butterflies, which the eye frequently
confounded with different sorts of unknown flowers, which here and
there diversified the surface of the soil.
  By straining our eyes, however, as far as we could see, we thought
we perceived at a great distance some specks upon the land that seemed
to be in motion. We hastened towards the spot; and as we drew
nearer, to our inexpressible surprise, beheld a pretty numerous
group of animals, which in the assemblage presented something like the
outline of a troop of horses or of cows. I observed them sometimes run
up to each other, and then suddenly stoop to graze. Though we had
not lately met with further traces of the ass, I was not entirely
without the hope of finding him among these animals. On a nearer
approach, we perceived they were wild buffaloes. This animal is formed
at first sight to inspire the beholder with terror; it is endowed with
an extraordinary degree of strength, and two or three of them would
have been capable of destroying us in a moment, should they attack us.
My alarm was so great that I remained for a few moments fixed to the
spot, like a statue. By good luck the dogs were far behind us, and the
buffaloes gave no sign of fear or of displeasure at our approach: they
stood perfectly still, with their large round eyes fixed upon us in
vacant surprise: those which were lying down got up slowly, but not
one among them seemed to have any hostile disposition towards us.
The circumstance of the dog's absence was most likely, on this
occasion, the means of our safety; as it was, we had time to draw back
quietly, and prepare our fire-arms. It was not, however, my
intention to make use of them in any way but for defence, being
sensible that we were unequal to the encounter, and recollecting
also to have read that the sound of a gun drives the buffalo to a
state of desperation. I therefore thought only of retreating; and with
my poor Jack, for whom I was more alarmed than for myself, was
proceeding in this way, when unfortunately Turk and Flora ran up to
us, and we could see were noticed by the buffaloes. The animals
instantly, and all together, set up such a roar as to make our
nerves tremble; they struck their horns and their hoofs upon the
ground, which they tore up by pieces and scattered in the air. I
with horror foresaw the moment, when, confounding us with the dogs,
which no doubt they mistook for jackals, they would seize upon and
tear us to pieces. Our brave Turk and Flora, fearless of danger,
ran, in spite of all our efforts, into the midst of them, and,
according to their manner of attacking, laid hold of the ears of a
young buffalo, which happened to be standing a few paces nearer to
us than the rest; and, though the creature began a tremendous roar and
motion with his hoofs, they held him fast, and were dragging him
towards us. Thus hostilities had commenced; and unless we could
resolve to abandon the cause of our valiant defenders, we were now
forced upon the measure of open war, which, considering the strength
and number of the enemy, wore a face of the most pressing and
inevitable danger. Our every hope seemed now to be in the chance of
the terror the buffaloes would feel at the noise of our musketry,
which, perhaps, for the first time would assail their organs, and most
likely excite them to flight. With, I must confess, a palpitating
heart and trembling hands, we fired both at the same moment: the
buffaloes, terrified by the sound and by the smoke, remained for an
instant motionless, as if struck by a thunder-bolt, and then one and
all betook themselves to flight with such incredible rapidity, that
they were soon beyond the reach of our sight. We heard their loud
roaring from a considerable distance, which by degrees subsided into
silence, and we were left with only one of their terrific species near
us; this one, a female, was no doubt the mother of the young buffalo
which the dogs had seized and still kept a prisoner; she had drawn
near on hearing its cries, and had been wounded by our guns, but not
killed; the creature was in a furious state: after a moment's pause,
she took aim at the dogs, and with her head on the ground, as if to
guide her by the scent, was advancing in her rage, and would have torn
them in pieces, if I had not prevented her by firing upon her with
my double-barrelled gun, and thus putting an end to her existence.
  It was only now that we began to breathe. A few moments before,
death in the most horrible and inevitable form seemed to stare us in
the face! But now we might hope that every danger was over. The
young buffalo still remained a prisoner, with his ears in the mouths
of the dogs, and the pain occasioned him to be so furious, that I
was fearful he might do them some injury; I therefore determined to
advance and give them what assistance I might find practicable. To say
the truth, I scarcely knew in what way to effect this. The buffalo,
though young, was strong enough to revenge himself if I were to give
the dogs a sign to let go his ears. I had the power of killing him
with a pistol at a stroke; but I had a great desire to preserve him
alive, and to tame him, that he might be a substitute for the ass,
which we had but little hope of recovering. I found myself in a
perplexing state of indecision, when Jack suddenly interposed an
effective means for accomplishing my wishes. He had his string with
balls in his pocket; he drew it out hastily, and making a few steps
backward, he threw it so skilfully as to entangle the buffalo
completely, and throw him down. As I could then approach him safely, I
tied his legs two and two together with a very strong cord; the dogs
released his ears, and from this moment we considered the buffalo as
our own. Jack was almost mad with joy. 'What a magnificent creature!
How much better than the ass he will look, harnessed to the cart!
How my mother and the boys will be surprised and stare at him as we
draw near!' repeated he, many and many times.
  As we were not disposed to leave the spot in a hurry, I desired Jack
to take the saw and cut down a small quantity of the reeds, which from
their enormous size might be of use to us. We set to work, but I
observed that he took pains to choose the smallest. 'What shall we
do,' said I, 'with these small-sized reeds? You are thinking, I
presume, of a bagpipe, to announce a triumphal arrival to our
companions!'- 'You are mistaken, father,' answered Jack; 'I am
thinking of some candlesticks for my mother, who will set so high a
value on them!'
                                                  {CHAPTER_20 ^paragraph 15}
  'This is a good thought,' said I; 'I am pleased both with the
kindness and the readiness of your invention, and I will assist you to
empty the reeds without breaking them; if we should not succeed, at
least we know where to provide ourselves with more.'
  We had so many and such heavy articles to remove, that I dismissed
for that day all thoughts of looking further for the ass. I began
now to think of untying the young buffalo; and on approaching him
perceived with pleasure that he was asleep, which afforded me a
proof that his wound was not extremely painful. As I began to pull him
gently with the string, he gave a start; but he afterwards followed me
without resistance. I fastened another string to his horns, and led
him on by drawing both together; and he performed the journey with
so unexpected a docility that, to ease ourselves of a part of our
heavy burdens, we even ventured on the measure of fastening the
bundles of reeds upon his back, and upon these we laid the salted
pieces of the buffalo. The creature did not seem aware that he was
carrying a load; he followed in our path, as before, and thus on the
first day of our acquaintance he rendered us an essential service.
  In a short time we found ourselves once more at the narrow passage
between the torrent and the precipice of the rocks, which I have
already mentioned. I had tied the young buffalo to a tree near the
cascade, without remarking of what species it might be; when I went to
release him, I saw that it was a kind of small palm-tree, and on
looking about me, I also observed some other palm-trees, which I had
not before met with. One of the kinds, I now remarked, was from ten to
twelve feet in height, its leaves were armed with thorns, and it
bore a fruit resembling a small cucumber in form, but which at this
time was immature, so that we could not taste it. The second, which
was smaller, was also thorny; it was now in blossom, and had no fruit.
I suspected that the first of these was the Little Royal Palm,
sometimes called Awiva, or Adam's Needle; and the other, the
Dwarf Palm. I resolved to avail myself of both, for further
fortifying my enclosure at Tent House, and also to protect the outer
side of the narrow pass immediately over the torrent of the cascade. I
determined to return and plant a line of them there, as close to
each other as the consideration of their growth would allow; for my
intention, of course, was to effect this by means of the young
shoots which presented themselves in great abundance: we also hoped by
that time to find their fruit ripe, and to ascertain their kind.
  We repassed the river in safety, and, accompanied by the agreeable
sounds of its foaming cascades, we regained the narrow pass at the
turn of the rocks. We proceeded with caution, and when safe on the
other side, we thought of quickening our pace to arrive the sooner
at the hut.

{CHAPTER_21
                                  21
                       The Malabar Eagle- Bees
-
  MY WIFE the next morning began the conversation. She told me that
the boys had been good and diligent; that they had ascended Cape
Disappointment with her, and had gathered wood, and made some
torches for the night; and, what seemed almost incredible, had
ventured to fell and bring down an immense palm-tree. It lay prostrate
on the ground, and covered a space of at least seventy feet in length.
To effect their purpose, Fritz had got up the tree with a long rope,
which he fastened tight to the top of it. As soon as he had come
down again, he and Ernest worked with the axe and saw to cut it
through. When it was nearly divided, they carefully managed its fall
with the rope, and in this manner they succeeded. Fritz was in high
spirits too on another account: he brought me on his wrist a young
bird of prey, of the most beauteous plumage; he had taken it from
the nest in one of the rocks near Cape Disappointment. Very young as
the bird was, it had already all its feathers, though they had not yet
received their full colouring: it answered to the description I had
read of the beautiful eagle of Malabar, and I viewed it with the
admiration it was entitled to. Meeting with one of these birds is
thought a lucky omen; and it being neither large nor expensive in
its food, I was desirous to keep it and train it, like a falcon, to
pursue smaller birds. Fritz had already covered its eyes, and tied a
string to its foot: and I advised him to hold it often, and for a
length of time, on his hand, and to tame it with hunger, as
falconers do.
  When all the narratives were concluded, I ordered a fire to be
lighted, and a quantity of green wood to be put on it, for the purpose
of raising a thick smoke, over which I meant to hang the buffalo
meat I had salted, to dry and preserve it for our future use. The
young buffalo was beginning to browse, and we gave him also a little
of the cow's milk; and in a few days we fed him with a heap of
sliced roots, which he greedily devoured; and this led us to
conclude that the pains from the wound in his nose had subsided, and
that he would soon become tame.
  The morning of this day was spent in again talking over our late
extraordinary adventures; we left our meat suspended over the smoke of
the fires during our sleep; we tied the young buffalo by the side of
the cow, and were pleased to see them agree and bid fair to live in
peace together. At night the dogs were set upon the watch. Fritz
resolved to go to bed with his eaglet fastened on his wrist, and its
eyes still bound: it remained in this state throughout the night
without disturbing its master. The time of repose elapsed so calmly
that none of us awoke to keep in the torch-lights, which now for the
first time the industry of the boys had supplied us with, and we did
not get up till after sunrise.
  We employed ourselves in loading the cart with our tools and the two
halves of the tree. Night coming on, we retired to our hut, where we
enjoyed our usual repose, and early next morning were ready to
return to Falcon's Stream. Our buffalo now commenced his service,
yoked with the cow; he supplied the want of the ass, and was very
tractable; it is true I led him by the cord in his nose, and thus
restrained him whenever he was disposed to deviate from his duty.
                                                   {CHAPTER_21 ^paragraph 5}
  We returned the same way as we came, in order to load the cart
with a provision of berries, wax, and elastic gum. I sent forward
Fritz and Jack as a vanguard, with one of the dogs; they were to cut
an ample road through the bushes for our cart. The two
water-conductors, which were very long, produced numerous
difficulties, and somewhat impeded our progress. We reached the wax
and gum trees with tolerable speed, and without any accident, and
halted to place our sacks of berries in the cart. The elastic gum
had not yielded as much as I expected, from the too rapid thickening
caused by an ardent sun. We obtained, however, about a quart, which
sufficed for the experiment of the impenetrable boots I had so long
desired.
  We set out again, still preceded by our pioneers, who cleared the
way for us through the little wood of guavas. Suddenly we heard a
dreadful noise, which came from our vanguard, and beheld Fritz and
Jack hastening towards us. I began now to fear a tiger or panther
was near at hand, or had perhaps attacked them. Turk began to bark
so frightfully, and Flora joined in so hideous a yell, that I prepared
myself for a bloody conflict. I advanced at the head of my troop to
the assistance of my high-mettled dogs, who ran furiously up to a
thicket, where they stopped, and with their noses to the ground, and
almost breathless, strove to enter it. I had no doubt some terrible
animal was lurking there; and Fritz, who had seen it through the
leaves, confirmed my suspicion; he said it was about the size of the
young buffalo, and that his hair was black and shaggy. I was going
to fire at it promiscuously in the thicket, when Jack, who had
thrown himself on his face on the ground to have a better view of
the animal, got up in a fit of laughter- 'It is only,' exclaimed he,
'our old sow, who is never tired of playing off her tricks upon us.'
Half vexed, half laughing, we broke into the midst of the thicket,
where in reality we found our old companion stretched supinely on
the earth, but by no means in a state of dreary solitude; she had
round her seven little creatures, which had been littered a few days
and were sprawling about, contending with each other for the best
place near their mother for a hearty meal. This discovery gave us
considerable satisfaction, and we all greeted the good matron, who
seemed to recollect and welcome us with a sociable kind of grunting,
while she licked her young without any ceremony or show of fear. And
now a general consultation took place- should this new family be
left where we found it, or conveyed to Falcon's Stream? Opinions being
at variance, it was decided that for the present they should keep
quiet possession of their retreat.
  We then, so many adventures ended, pursued our road, and arrived
at Falcon's Stream in safety, experiencing what is so generally
true, that home is always dear and sacred to the heart, and
anticipated with delight. All was in due order, and our animals
welcomed our return in their own jargon and manner, but which did
not fail to be expressive of their satisfaction in seeing us again. We
threw them some of the food they were most partial to, which they
greedily accepted, and then voluntarily went back to their usual
stand. It was necessary to practise a measure dictated by prudence,
which was to tie up the buffalo again, to inure it by degrees to
confinement; and the handsome Malabar eagle shared the same fate:
Fritz chose to place it near the parrot, on the root of a tree; he
fastened it with a piece of packthread, of sufficient length to
allow it free motion, and uncovered its eyes: till then the bird had
been tolerably quiet; but the instant it was restored to light it fell
into a species of rage that surprised us; it proudly raised its
head, its feathers became ruffled, and its eyeballs seemed to whirl in
their orbits, and dart out vivid lightnings. All the poultry were
terrified and fled; but the poor luckless parrot was too near the
sanguinary creature to escape. Before we were aware of the danger,
it was seized and mangled by the formidable hooked beak of the
eagle. Fritz vented his anger in loud and passionate reproaches; he
would have killed the murderer on the spot, had not Ernest run up
and entreated him to spare its life. 'Parrots,' said he, 'we shall
find in plenty, but never perhaps so beauteous, so magnificent a
bird as this eagle, which, as father observes, we may train for
hawking. You may too blame only yourself for the parrot's death; why
did you uncover his eyes? I could have told you that falconers keep
them covered six weeks, till they are completely tamed. But now,
brother, let me have the care of him; let me manage the unruly fellow;
he shall soon, in consequence of the methods I shall use, be as
tractable and submissive as a new-born puppy.'
  Fritz refused to part with his eagle, and Ernest did not long oppose
giving him the information he wanted. 'I have read,' said he,
'somewhere, that the Caribs puff tobacco smoke into the nostrils of
the birds of prey and of the parrots they catch, until they are
giddy and almost senseless; this stupefaction over, they are no longer
wild and untractable.'
  Fritz resolved on the experiment; he took some tobacco and a pipe,
of which we had plenty in the sailors' chests, and began to smoke,
at the same time gradually approaching the unruly bird. As soon as
it was somewhat composed, he replaced the fillet over the eyes, and
smoked close to its beak and nostrils so effectually that it became
motionless on the spot, and had the exact air of a stuffed bird. Fritz
thought it dead, and was inclined to be angry with his brother; but
I told him it would not hold on the perch if it were lifeless, and
that its head alone was affected;- and so it proved. The favourite
came to itself by degrees, and made no noise when its eyes were
unbound; it looked at us with an air of surprise, but void of fury,
and grew tamer and calmer every day. The care of the monkey was now by
all adjudged to Ernest as a reward, and he took formal possession of
it, and made it lie down near him.
                                                  {CHAPTER_21 ^paragraph 10}
  It was after these amusing diversions that a new subject was
introduced, which I and my wife had been thinking of for some time:
she found it difficult, and even dangerous, to ascend and descend
our tree with a rope ladder: we never went there but on going to
bed, and each time felt an apprehension that one of the children,
who scrambled up like cats, might make a false step, and perhaps be
lame for ever: bad weather might come on, and compel us for a long
time together to seek an asylum in our aerial apartment, and
consequently to ascend and descend oftener.
  My wife had repeatedly applied to me to remedy this evil, and my own
anxiety had often made me reflect if the thing were really possible. A
staircase on the outside was not to be thought of; the considerable
height of the tree rendered that impracticable, as I had nothing to
rest it on, and should be at a loss to find beams to sustain it; but I
had for some time formed the idea of constructing winding stairs
within the immense trunk of the tree, if it should happen to be
hollow, or I could contrive to make it so; I had heard the boys
talking of a hollow in our tree, and of a swarm of bees issuing from
it, and I now, therefore, went to examine whether the cavity
extended to the roots, or what its circumference might be. The boys
seized the idea with ardour; they sprang up, and climbed to the tops
of the roots like squirrels, to strike at the trunk with axes, and
to judge from the sound how far it was hollow; but they soon paid
dearly for their attempt; the whole swarm of bees, alarmed at the
noise made against their dwelling, issued forth, buzzing with fury,
attacked the little disturbers, began to sting them, stuck to their
hair and clothes, and soon put them to flight, uttering lamentable
cries. My wife and I had some trouble to stop the course of their
uproar, and cover their little wounds with fresh earth to allay the
smart. Jack, whose temper was on all occasions rash, had struck
fiercely upon the bees' nest, and was more severely attacked by them
than the rest; it was necessary, so serious was the injury, to cover
the whole of his face with linen. The less active Ernest got up the
last, and was the first to run off when he saw the consequences, and
thus avoided any further injury than a sting or two; but some hours
elapsed before the other boys could open their eyes, or be in the
least relieved from the acute pain that had been inflicted. When
they grew a little better, the desire of being revenged of the insects
that had so roughly used them had the ascendant in their minds: they
teased me to hasten the measures for getting everything in readiness
for obtaining possession of their honey. The bees in the meantime were
still buzzing furiously round the tree. I prepared tobacco, a pipe,
some clay, chisels, hammers, etc. I took the large gourd long intended
for a hive, and I fitted a place for it by nailing a piece of board on
a branch of the tree; I made a straw roof for the top, to screen it
from the sun and rain; and as all this took up more time than I was
aware of, we deferred the attack of the fortress to the following day,
and got ready for a sound sleep, which completed the cure of my
wounded patients.

{CHAPTER_22
                                  22
      Treatment of Bees- Staircase- Training of various Animals-
                          Manufactures, etc.
-
  NEXT MORNING, almost before dawn, all were up and in motion; the
bees had returned to their cells, and I stopped the passages with
clay, leaving only a sufficient aperture for the tube of my pipe. I
then smoked as much as was requisite to stupefy, without killing,
the little warlike creatures. Not having a cap with a mask, such as
bee-catchers usually wear, nor even gloves, this precaution was
necessary. At first a humming was heard in the hollow of the tree, and
a noise like the gathering tempest, which died away by degrees. All
was become calm, and I withdrew my tube without the appearance of a
single bee. Fritz had got up by me: we then began with a chisel and
a small axe to cut out of the tree, under the bees' hole of
entrance, a piece three feet square. Before it was entirely separated,
I repeated the fumigation, lest the stupefaction produced by the first
smoking should have ceased, or the noise we had been just making
revived the bees. As soon as I supposed them lulled again, I separated
from the trunk the piece I had cut out, producing as it were the
aspect of a window, through which the inside of the tree was laid open
to view; and we were filled at once with joy and astonishment on
beholding the immense and wonderful work of this colony of insects.
There was such a stock of wax and honey, that we feared our vessels
would be insufficient to contain it. The whole interior of the tree
was lined with fine honey-combs: I cut them off with care, and put
them in the gourds the boys constantly supplied me with. When I had
somewhat cleared the cavity, I put the upper combs, in which the
bees had assembled in clusters and swarms, into the gourd which was to
serve as a hive, and placed it on the plank I had purposely raised.
I came down, bringing with me the rest of the honeycombs, with which I
filled a small cask, previously well washed in the stream. Some I kept
out for a treat at dinner; and had the barrel carefully covered with
cloths and planks, that the bees, when attracted by the smell, might
be unable to get at it. We assembled round the table, and regaled
ourselves plentifully with the delicious treat. My wife then put by
the remainder; and I proposed to my sons to go back to the tree, to
prevent the bees from swarming again there on being roused from
their stupor, as they would not have failed to do but for the
precaution I took of placing a board at the aperture, and burning a
few handfuls of tobacco on it, the smell and smoke of which drove them
back whenever they attempted to return. At length they desisted, and
became gradually reconciled to their new residence, where their
queen no doubt had settled herself I now advised that all should watch
during the night over the whole provision of honey obtained while
the bees were torpid, who, when recovered, would not fail to be
troublesome, and come in legions to get back to their property; and to
this end we threw ourselves on our beds, in our clothes, to take an
early doze; on awakening about nightfall, we found the bees quiet in
the gourd, or settled in clusters upon near branches, so we went
expeditiously to business. The cask of honey was emptied into a
kettle, except a few prime combs, which we kept for daily consumption;
the remainder, mixed with a little water, was set over a gentle
fire, and reduced to a liquid consistence, strained and squeezed
through a bag, and afterwards poured back into the cask, which was
left upright and uncovered all night to cool. In the morning the wax
was entirely separated, and had risen to the surface in a compact
and solid cake, that was easily removed: beneath was the purest,
most beautiful, and delicate honey that could be seen; the cask was
then carefully headed again, and put into cool ground near our
wine-vessels. This task accomplished, I mounted to revisit the hive,
and found everything in order; the bees going forth in swarms and
returning loaded with wax, from which I judged they were forming fresh
edifices in their new dwelling-place. I had been surprised that the
numbers occupying the trunk of the tree should find room in the gourd,
till I perceived the clusters upon the branches, and I thence
concluded a young queen was among each of them. In consequence, I
procured another gourd, into which I shook them, and placed it by
the former; thus I had the satisfaction of obtaining at any easy
rate two fine hives of bees in activity.
  We soon after these operations proceeded to examine the inside of
the tree. I sounded it with a pole from the opening I had made; and
a stone fastened to a string served us to sound the bottom, and thus
to ascertain the height and depth of the cavity. To my great surprise,
the pole penetrated, without any resistance, to the branches on
which our dwelling rested, and the stone descended to the roots. The
trunk, it appeared, had wholly lost its pith, and most of its wood
internally. It seems that this species of tree, like the willow in our
climates, receives nourishment through the bark; for it did not look
decayed, and its far-extended branches were luxuriant and beautiful in
the extreme. I determined to begin our construction in its capacious
hollow that very day. The undertaking appeared at first beyond our
powers; but intelligence, patience, time, and a firm resolution
vanquished all obstacles. We were not disposed to relax in any of
these requisites. I was pleased to find opportunity to keep my sons in
continual action, and their minds and bodies were all the better for
exertion. They grew tall and strong, and were too much engaged to
regret, in ignoble leisure, any of their past enjoyments in Europe.
  We began to cut into the side of the tree, towards the sea, a
doorway equal in dimensions to the door of the captain's cabin,
which we had removed with all its framework and windows. We next
cleared away from the cavity all the rotten wood, and rendered the
interior even and smooth, leaving sufficient thickness for cutting out
resting-places for the winding stairs, without injuring the bark. I
then fixed in the centre the trunk of a tree about twenty feet in
length, and a foot thick, completely stripped of its branches, in
order to carry my winding staircase round it: on the outside of this
trunk, and the inside of the cavity of our own tree, we formed
grooves, so calculated as to correspond with the distances at which
the boards were to be placed to form the stairs. These were
continued till I had got to the height of the trunk round which they
turned. I made two more apertures at suitable distances, and thus
completely lighted the whole ascent. I also effected an opening near
our room, that I might more conveniently finish the upper part of
the staircase. A second trunk was fixed upon the first, and firmly
sustained with screws and transverse beams. It was surrounded, like
the other, with stairs cut slopingly; and thus we happily effected the
stupendous undertaking of conducting it to the level of our
bed-chamber. Here I made another door directly into it. To render it
more solid and agreeable, I closed the spaces between the stairs
with plank. I then fastened two strong ropes, the one descending the
length of the central trunk, the other along the inside of our large
tree, to assist in case of slipping. I fixed the sash-windows taken
from the captain's cabin in the apertures we had made to give light to
the stairs; and I then found I could add nothing further to my design.
When the whole was completed, it was so pretty, solid, and convenient,
that we were never tired of going up and coming down it. Our success
was owing to the firm resolution adopted by all, to persevere in
patient industry and constant efforts to the end; and it employed us
many weeks.
                                                   {CHAPTER_22 ^paragraph 5}
  I have now to relate some occurrences that took place during the
construction of our staircase.
  A few days after the commencement of our undertaking, our brave
Flora whelped us six young puppies, all healthy, and likely to live.
The number was so alarming that I was under the necessity of
drowning all but a male and female to keep up the breed. A few days
later, the two she-goats gave us two kids, and our ewes five lambs: so
that we now saw ourselves in possession of a pretty flock; but lest
the domestic animals should follow the example of the ass, and run
away from us, I tied a bell to the neck of each. We had found a
sufficient number of bells in the vessel, which had been shipped for
trading with the savages; it being one of the articles they most
value. We could now immediately trace a deserter by the sound, and
bring it back to the fold.
  Next to the winding stairs, my chief occupation was the management
of the young buffalo, whose wound in the nose was quite healed, so
that I could lead it at will with a cord or stick passed through the
orifice, as the Caffrarians do. I preferred the stick, which
answered the purpose of a bit, and I resolved to break in this
spirited beast for riding as well as drawing. It was already used to
the shafts, and very tractable in them; but I had more trouble in
inuring him to the rider, and to wear a girth, having made one out
of the old buffalo's hide. I formed a sort of saddle with
sail-cloth, and tacked it to the girth. Upon this I fixed a burden,
which I increased progressively. I was indefatigable in the training
of the animal, and soon brought it to carry, patiently, large bags
of roots, salt, and other articles in the place of the ass. The monkey
was his first rider, who stuck so close to the saddle that, in spite
of the plunging and kicking of the buffalo, it was not thrown. Francis
was then tried, as the lightest of the family; but throughout his
excursion I led the beast with a halter, that it might not throw him
off. Jack now showed some impatience to mount the animal in his
turn. I next passed the stick through the buffalo's nose, and tied
strong packthread at each end of it, bringing them together over the
neck of the animal, and put this newfangled bridle into the hands of
the young rider, directing him how to use it. For a time the lad
kept his saddle, notwithstanding the unruly gestures of the
creature; at length a side jolt threw him on the sand, without his
receiving much injury. Ernest, Fritz, and lastly myself, got on
successively, with more or less effect. His trotting shook us to the
very centre, the rapidity of his gallop turned us giddy, and our
lessons in horsemanship were reiterated many days before the animal
was tamed, and could be ridden with either safety or pleasure. At
last, however, we succeeded without any serious accident; and the
strength and swiftness of our saddled buffalo were prodigious. It
seemed to sport with the heaviest loads. My three eldest boys
mounted it together now and then, and it ran with them with the
swiftness of lightning. By continued attentions it at length became
extremely docile: it was not in the least apt to start; and I really
felt satisfaction in being thus enabled to make my sons expert riders,
so that if they should ever have horses, they might get on the most
restive and fiery without fear:- none could be compared to our young
buffalo; and the ass, which I had intended to employ in the same
way, was far surpassed by this new member of our family. Fritz and
Jack, with my instructions, amused themselves in training the animal
as horses are exercised in a riding-house; and by means of the
little stick through the nose, they were able to do what they
pleased with him.
  In the midst of all this, Fritz did not neglect his eagle; he
daily shot some small birds, which he gave it to eat, placing them
sometimes betwixt the buffalo's horns, sometimes on the back of one of
the hens, or of a flamingo, or on a shelf, or at the end of a stick,
in order to teach it to pounce like a falcon upon other birds. He
taught it to perch on his wrist whenever he called or whistled to
it; but some time elapsed before he could trust it to soar without
securing its return by a long string.
  Our whole company, including even the inert Ernest, was infected
with the passion of becoming instructors. Ernest tried his talents
in this way with his monkey, who seldom failed to furnish him with
work. It was no poor specimen of the ludicrous to see the lad, he
whose movements were habitually slow and studied, now constrained to
skip and jump, and play a thousand antics with his pupil during
training-hours, and throughout, against the grain, carrying forward
the lesson the grotesque mimic was condemned to learn, of bearing
small loads, climbing the cocoa-trees, and to fetch and bring the
nuts. He and Jack made a little hamper of rushes, very light: they put
three straps to it, two of which passed under the fore, and one
between the hind legs of the animal, and were then fastened to a
belt in front, to keep the hamper steady on the back of the
mischievous urchin. This apparatus was at first intolerable to poor
Knips; he gnashed his teeth, rolled on the ground, jumping like a
mad creature, and did everything to get rid of it; but all in vain,
for education was the standing order, and he soon found he must
submit. The hamper was left on day and night; its whole food was
what was thrown into it; and in a short time Knips was so much
accustomed to the burden that he began to spit and growl whenever we
attempted to take it off, and everything given to the creature to hold
was instantly thrown into it. Knips became at length a useful member
of our society; but he would only obey Ernest, whom he at once loved
and feared; thus affording a proof of at least one of the great ends
of all instruction.
                                                  {CHAPTER_22 ^paragraph 10}
  These different occupations filled up several hours of the day;
when, after working at our stairs, we assembled in the evening round
our best of friends, the good mother, to rest ourselves; and forming a
little circle, every individual of which was affectionate and
cheerful, it was her turn to give us some agreeable and less fatiguing
occupation in the domestic concerns of Falcon's Stream: such as
improving our candle-manufactory, by blending the berry and the
bees'-wax, and employing the reed moulds invented by Jack; but
having found some difficulty in taking out the candles when cold, I
adopted the plan of dividing the moulds, cleaning the inside, and
rubbing it over with a little butter, to prevent the wax from adhering
to it; then to rejoin both halves with a band that could be loosened
at pleasure, to facilitate the extraction of the tapers. The wicks
gave us most trouble, as we had no cotton. We tried with moderate
success the fibrous threads of the karata, and those of the algava
or flame-wood; but each had the inconvenience of becoming a sort of
coal or cinder. The production which gave us the most satisfaction was
the pith of a species of elder; but it did not, however, lessen our
desire to discover the only appropriate ingredient, the cotton-tree.
  We now began to think of manufacturing our impenetrable boots
without seams, of the caoutchouc, or elastic gum. I began with a
pair for myself; and I encouraged my children to afford a specimen
of their industry, by trying to form some flasks and cups that could
not break. They began by making some clay moulds, which they covered
with layers of gum, agreeably to the instructions I had given them. In
the meanwhile I filled a pair of stockings with sand, and covered them
with a layer of clay, which I first dried in the shade, and afterwards
in the sun. I then took a sole of buffalo leather, well beaten, and
studded round with tacks, which served me to fix it under the foot
of the stocking; after this I poured the liquid gum into all the
interstices, which, on drying, produced a close adhesion between the
leather and stocking sole. I next proceeded to smear the whole with
a coat of resin of a tolerable thickness; and as soon as this layer
was dried on, I put on another, and so on till I had applied a
sufficiency with my brush. After this I emptied the sand, drew out the
stocking, removed the hardened day, shook off the dust, and thus
obtained a pair of seamless boots, as finished as if made by the
best English workman; being pliant, warm, soft, smooth, and completely
waterproof. I hung them up directly that they might dry without
shrinking. They fitted uncommonly well; and my four lads were so
highly pleased with their appearance that they skipped about with joy,
as they asked me to make each of them a pair. I refrained from any
promise, because I wished to ascertain their strength previously,
and to compare them with boots made out of mere buffalo leather. Of
these I at once began a pair for Fritz, with a piece of the
slaughtered buffalo's skin. They gave far more trouble than those
manufactured with the caoutchouc, which I used to cover the seams, and
render them less pervious to water. The work turned out very
imperfect, and so inferior to my incomparable boots that Fritz wore
them reluctantly; and the more so as his brothers shouted with
laughter at the difficulty he had to run in them.
  We had also been engaged in the construction of our fountain,
which afforded a perpetual source of pleasure to my wife, and indeed
to all of us. In the upper part of the stream we built with stakes and
stones a kind of dam that raised the water sufficiently to convey it
into the palm-tree troughs; and afterwards, by means of a gentle
slope, to glide on contiguous to our habitation, where it fell into
the tortoise-shell basin, which we had elevated on stones to a certain
height for our convenience; and it was so contrived that the redundant
water passed off through a cane pipe fitted to it. I placed two sticks
athwart each other for the gourds, that served as pails, to rest on;
and we thus produced, close to our abode, an agreeable fountain,
delighting with its rill, and supplying us with a pure crystal
fluid, such as we frequently could not get when we drew our water from
the bed of the river, which was often encumbered with the leaves and
earth fallen into it, or rendered turbid by our water-fowls. The
only inconvenience was that the water flowing in this open state
through the narrow channels in a slender stream was heated, and not
refreshing when it reached us. I resolved to obviate this
inconvenience at my future leisure, by employing, instead of the
uncovered conduits, large bamboo canes fixed deep enough in the ground
to keep the water cool.

{CHAPTER_23
                                  23
    The Wild Ass- Difficulty in Breaking it- The Heath-fowl's Nest
-
  WE WERE scarcely up one morning, when we heard at a distance two
strange kinds of voices that resembled the howlings of wild beasts
mixed with hissings and sounds of some creature at its last gasp;
and I was not without uneasiness: our dogs too pricked up their
ears, and seemed to whet their teeth for a sanguinary combat with a
dangerous enemy.
  From their looks we judged it prudent to put ourselves in a state of
defence; we loaded our guns and pistols, placed them together within
our castle in the tree, and prepared to repel vigorously any hostile
attack from that quarter. The howlings having ceased an instant, I
descended from our citadel, well armed, and put on our two faithful
guardians their spiked collars and side-guards: I assembled our cattle
about the tree to have them in sight, and I re-ascended to look around
for the enemy's approach. Jack wished they might be lions- 'I should
like,' said he, 'to have a near view of the king of beasts, and should
not be in the least afraid of him.'
  At this instant the howlings were renewed, and almost close to us.
Fritz got as near the spot as he could, listened attentively, and with
eager looks, then threw down his gun, and burst into a loud
laughter, exclaiming, 'Father, it is our ass! the deserter comes
back to us, chanting the hymn of return: listen! do you not hear his
melodious brayings in all the varieties of the gamut?' I listened, and
a fresh roar, in sounds unquestionable, raised loud peals of
laughter amongst us; and then followed the usual train of jests and
mutual banter of the alarm we had one and all betrayed. Shortly after,
we had the satisfaction of seeing among the trees our old friend
Grizzle, moving towards us leisurely, and stopping now and then to
browse; but, to our great joy, he was accompanied by one of his own
species, of very superior beauty; and when it was nearer, I knew it to
be a fine onager, or wild ass, which I conceived a strong desire to
possess, though at the same time aware of the extreme difficulty there
would be in taming and rendering him subject to the use of man. Some
writers, who have described it under the name of the Oeigitai (or
long-eared horse), given it by the Tartars, affirm that the taming
it has been ever found impracticable; but my mind furnished an idea on
the subject, which I was resolved to act on if I got possession of the
handsome creature. Without delay I descended the ladder with Fritz,
desiring his brothers to keep still; and I consulted my
privy-counsellor on the means of surprising and taking the stranger
captive.
  I got ready, as soon as possible, a long cord with a running-knot,
one end of which I tied fast to the root of a tree; the noose was kept
open with a little stick slightly fixed in the opening, so as to
fall of itself on the cord being thrown round the neck of the
animal, whose efforts to escape would draw the knot closer. I also
prepared a piece of bamboo about two feet long, which I split at the
bottom, and tied fast at the top, to serve as nippers. Fritz
attentively examined my contrivance, without seeing the use of it.
Prompted by the impatience of youth, he took the ball-sling, and
proposed aiming at the wild ass with it, which he said was the
shortest way of proceeding. I declined adopting this Patagonian
method, fearing the attempt might fail, and the beautiful creature
avail itself of its natural velocity to evade us beyond recovery; I
therefore told him my project of catching it in the noose, which I
gave him to manage, as being nimbler and more expert than myself The
two asses drew nearer and nearer to us. Fritz, holding in his hand the
open noose, moved softly on from behind the tree where we were
concealed, and advanced as far as the length of the rope allowed
him: the onager started on perceiving a human figure; it sprang some
paces backward, then stopped, as if to examine the unknown form; but
as Fritz now remained quite still, the animal resumed its composure,
and continued to browse. Soon after he approached the old ass,
hoping that the confidence that would be shown by it would raise a
similar feeling in the stranger; he held out a handful of oats mixed
with salt; our ass instantly ran up to take its favourite food, and
greedily devoured it: this was quickly perceived by the other. It drew
near, raised its head, breathed strongly, and came up so close that
Fritz, seizing the opportunity, succeeded in throwing the rope round
its neck; but the motion and stroke so affrighted the beast that it
instantly sprang off. It was soon checked by the cord, which, in
compressing the neck, almost stopped its breath: it could go no
further, and, after many exhausting efforts, it sunk panting for
breath upon the ground. I hastened to loosen the cord, and prevent its
being strangled. I then quickly threw our ass's halter over its
head; I fixed the nose in my split cane, which I secured at the bottom
with packthread. Thus I succeeded in subduing the first alarm of
this wild animal, as farriers shoe a horse for the first time. I
wholly removed the noose that seemed to bring the creature into a
dangerous situation; I fastened the halter with two long ropes to
two roots near us, on the right and left, and let the animal recover
itself, noticing its actions, and devising the best way to tame it
in the completest manner.
                                                   {CHAPTER_23 ^paragraph 5}
  The rest of my family had by this time come down from the tree,
and beheld the fine creature with admiration, its graceful shape and
well-turned limbs, which placed it so much above the ass, and nearly
raised it to the noble structure of the horse. In a few moments the
onager got up again, struck furiously with its foot, and seemed
resolved to free itself from all bonds; but the pain of its nose,
which was grasped and violently squeezed in the bamboo, forced it to
lie down again. Fritz and I now gently undid the cords, and half
led, half dragged it, between two roots closely connected, to which we
fastened it afresh, so as to give the least scope for motion, and thus
render its escape impracticable, whilst it enabled us to approach
securely, and examine the valuable capture we had made. We also
guarded against master Grizzle playing truant again, and tied him fast
with a new halter, confining its fore-legs with a rope. I then
fastened it and the wild ass side by side, and put before both
plenty of good provender to solace their impatience of captivity.
  We had now the additional occupation of training the onager for
our service or our pleasure, as might turn out to be most practicable:
my boys exulted in the idea of riding it, and we repeatedly
congratulated each other on the good fortune which had thus resulted
from the flight of our ass. Yet I did not conceal that we should
have many difficulties to encounter in taming it, though it seemed
very young, and not even to have reached its full growth. But I was
inclined to think proper means had not been hitherto adopted, and that
the hunters, almost as savage as the animals themselves, had not
employed sufficient art and patience, being probably unconscious of
the advantages of either. I therefore determined to resort to all
possible measures. I let the nippers remain on its nose, which
appeared to distress him greatly, though we could plainly perceive
their good effect in subduing the creature; for without them no one
could have ventured to approach him. I took them off, however, at
times when I gave it food, to render eating easier; and I began, as
with the buffalo, by placing a bundle of sail-cloth on its back, to
inure it to carry. When accustomed to the load, I strove to render the
beast by degrees still more docile by hunger and thirst; and I
observed with pleasure that when it had fasted a little and I supplied
it with food, its look and actions were less wild. I also compelled
the animal to keep erect on its fore-legs, by drawing the cords closer
that fastened it to the roots, in order to subdue gradually by fatigue
its natural ferocity. The children came by turns to play with it,
and scratch its ears gently, which were remarkably tender; and it
was on these I resolved to make my last trial, if all other endeavours
failed. For a long time we despaired of success; the onager made
furious starts and leaps when any of us went near it, kicked with
its hind-feet, and even attempted to bite those who touched it. This
obliged me to have recourse to a muzzle, which I managed with
rushes, and put on when it was not feeding. To avoid being struck by
its hind-feet, I partially confined them, by fastening them to the
fore-feet with cords, which, however, I left moderately loose, that we
might not encroach too much upon the motion necessary for its
health. It was at length familiarised to this discipline, and was no
longer in a rage when we approached, but grew less impatient daily,
and bore to be handled and stroked.
  At last we ventured to free it by degrees from its restraints, and
to ride it as we had done with the buffalo, still keeping the
fore-feet tied; but notwithstanding this precaution and every
preceding means, it proved as fierce and unruly as ever for the
moment. The monkey, who was first put on its back, held on pretty well
by clinging to its mane, from which it was suspended as often as the
onager furiously reared and plunged; it was therefore for the
present impracticable for either of my sons to get upon it. The
perverse beast baffled all our efforts, and the perilous task of
breaking it was still to be persevered in with terror and
apprehension. In the stable it seemed tolerably quiet and gentle;
but the moment it was in any degree unshackled, it became wholly
ferocious and unmanageable.
  I was at length reduced to my last expedient, but not without much
regret, as I resolved, if it did not answer, to restore the animal
to full liberty. I tried to mount the onager, and just as in the act
of rearing up violently to prevent me, I seized with my teeth one of
the long ears of the enraged creature, and bit it till it bled;
instantly it stood almost erect on its hind-feet, motionless, and as
stiff as a stake; it soon lowered itself by degrees, while I still
held its ear between my teeth. Fritz seized the moment, and sprang
on its back; Jack, with the help of his mother, did the same,
holding by his brother, who on his part clung to the girth. When
both assured me they were firmly seated, I let go the ear: the
onager made a few springs less violent than the former, and, checked
by the cords on its feet, it gradually submitted, began to trot up and
down more quietly, and ultimately grew so tractable that riding it
became one of our chief pleasures. My lads were soon expert
horsemen; and their horse, though rather longeared, was very
handsome and well broken in. Thus patience on our parts conquered a
serious difficulty, and gained for us a proud advantage.
  I now explained to my companions that I learned this extraordinary
mode of taming from a horse-breaker I met with by chance. He had lived
long in America, and carried on the skin-trade with the savages, to
whom he took, in exchange, various European goods. He employed in
these journeys half-tamed horses of the southern provinces of that
country, which are caught in snares or with nooses. They are at
first unruly and resist burdens; but as soon as the hunter bites one
of their ears, they become mild and submissive, and at last so
docile that anything may be done with them. The journey is continued
through forests and over heaths to the dwellings of the savages; skins
are given in barter for the goods brought them, with which the
horses are reloaded. They set out again on their return, and are
directed by the compass and stars to the European settlements, where
they profitably dispose of their skins and horses.
                                                  {CHAPTER_23 ^paragraph 10}
  In a few weeks the onager was so effectually tamed that we all could
mount it without fear: I still, however, kept his two fore-legs
confined together with the cord, to moderate the extreme swiftness
of its running. In the room of a bit, I contrived a curb; and with
this and a good bite applied, as wanted, to the ear, it went to
right or left at the will of the rider. Now and then I mounted it
myself, and not without an emotion of pride at my success in
subduing an animal that had been considered by travellers and
naturalists as absolutely beyond the power of man to tame.
  During the training of our horse, which we named Lightfoot, a
triple brood of our hens had given us a crowd of little feathered
beings; forty of these at least were chirping and hopping about us, to
the great satisfaction of my wife, whose zealous care of them
sometimes made me smile. Some of these were kept near us, while others
were sent in small colonies to feed and breed in the desert, where
we could find them as they were wanted for our use.
  This increase of our poultry reminded us of an undertaking we had
long thought of, and was not in prudence to be deferred any longer;
this was the building, between the roots of our great tree, covered
sheds for all our bipeds and quadrupeds. The rainy season, which is
the winter of these countries, was drawing near; and to avoid losing
most of our stock, it was requisite to shelter it.
  We began by forming a kind of roof above the arched roots of our
tree, and employed bamboo canes for the purpose; the longest and
strongest supported the roofing in the place of columns, the smaller
more closely united and composed the roof itself. I filled up the
interstices with moss and clay, and I spread over the whole a thick
coat of tar. By these means I formed a compact and solid covering,
capable of bearing pressure. I then made a railing round it, which
gave the appearance of a pretty balcony, under which, between the
roots, were various stalls, sheltered from rain and sun, that could be
easily shut and separated from each other by means of planks nailed
upon the roots: part of them were calculated to serve as a stable
and yard, part as an eating-room, a store-room, etc., and as a
hay-loft, to keep our hay and provisions dry in. This work was soon
completed; but afterwards it was necessary to fill these places with
stores of every kind for our supply throughout the wet season. In this
task we engaged diligently, and went daily here and there with our
cart to collect everything useful, and that might give us employment
when the weather prevented our going far.
  When we reached the oaks, Lightfoot was tied to a bush, and we set
actively to work to gather the acorns that had dropped from the trees.
While all were busily employed, the monkey quitted its master's
shoulder, and skipped unperceived into an adjoining bush. It had
been there some time, when we heard on that side loud cries of birds
and flapping of wings, and this assured us a sharp conflict was
going on betwixt master Knips and the inhabitants of the bushes. I
despatched Ernest to reconnoitre. He went stoutly towards the place,
and in an instant we heard him exclaim, 'Come quickly, father! A
fine heath-fowl's nest, full of eggs; Mr. Knips, as usual, wishes to
make a meal of them; the hen and he are fighting for it; come quick,
Fritz, and take her; I am holding Greedy-chops as well as I can.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_23 ^paragraph 15}
  Fritz ran up directly, and in a few moments brought out alive the
male and female heath-fowl, both very beautiful: the cock finely
collared, similar to one he had killed on a former occasion. I was
rejoiced at this discovery, and helped my son to prevent their escape,
by tying their wings and feet, and holding them while he returned to
the bush for the eggs. And now Ernest came forward, driving the monkey
before him, and carrying his hat with the utmost care: he had stuck
his girdle full of narrow sharp-pointed leaves, in shape like a
knife-blade, which reminded me of the production named sword-grass;
but I did not pay much attention, as I was too busily engaged in our
egg-hunt, and considered his decoration as childishness. On coming
up to me he uncovered his hat, and gave it me in a transport of joy,
crying out, 'Here, father, are some heath-fowl's eggs. I found them in
a nest so well concealed under these long leaves that I should not
have observed them had not the hen, in defending herself against the
monkey, scattered them about. I am going to take them home, they
will please my mother; and these leaves will amuse Francis, for they
are like swords, and he will like them for a plaything.' It was now
time to think of moving homeward: my two sons filled the bags with
acorns, and put them on Lightfoot. Fritz mounted, Ernest carried the
eggs, I took charge of the hen, and we proceeded to Falcon's Stream,
followed by our train-waggon. Our good cattle were in such complete
subjection that it was only necessary to speak to them. I remarked
Ernest often applying his ear to the hat which held the eggs, as if he
thought the little ones were near coming forth; I listened also, and
observed some shells already broken, and the young protruding: we were
overjoyed at our good luck, and Fritz could not refrain from
trotting on briskly to bear the tidings to his mother. When arrived,
our first care was to examine the eggs: the female bird was too
frightened and wild to sit upon them; fortunately we had a hen that
was hatching: her eggs were immediately removed, and the new ones
put in their place: the female heath-fowl was put into the parrot's
cage, and hung up in the room, to accustom it to our society. In
less than three days all the chickens were hatched; they kept close to
their foster-mother, and ate greedily a mixture of sweet acorns
bruised in milk, such as we gave our tame poultry: as they grew up I
plucked out the large feathers of their wings, lest they should
naturally take flight; but they and their real parent gradually became
so domesticated that they daily accompanied our feathered stock in
search of food, and regularly came back at night to the roost I had
prepared for them, and in which this little new colony of feathered
beings seemed to delight.

{CHAPTER_24
                                  24
                      Flax- and the Rainy Season
-
  FRANCIS FOR A short time was highly amused with his sword-leaves,
and then, like all children, who are soon tired of their toys, he grew
weary of them, and they were thrown aside. Fritz picked up some of
them that were quite soft and withered; holding up one which was
pliable as a riband in his hand. 'Francis,' said he, 'you can make
whips of your sword-grass, and they will be of use in driving your
goats and sheep.' It had been lately decided that it should be the
business of Francis to lead these to pasture. Fritz accordingly sat
down to help him to divide the leaves, and afterwards plait them
into whip-cords. As they were working, I saw with pleasure the
flexibility and strength of the bands. I examined them more closely,
and found they were composed of long fibres, or filaments; and this
discovery led me to surmise that this supposed sword-grass might be
a very different thing, and not improbably the flax-plant of New
Zealand, called by naturalists Chlomidia, and by others
Phormion. This was a valuable discovery in our situation: I knew how
much my wife wished for the production, and that it was the article
she felt the most the want of I therefore hastened to communicate
the intelligence to her, and she expressed the liveliest joy.
'This,' said she, 'is the most useful thing you have found; lose not a
moment in searching for more of these leaves, and bring me the most
you can of them: I will make you stockings, shirts, clothes, thread,
ropes- in short, give me flax, looms, and frames, and I shall be at no
loss in the employment of it.' I could not help smiling at the scope
she gave to her imagination on the bare mention of flax, though so
much was to be done between the gathering the leaves and having the
cloth she was already sewing in idea. Fritz whispered a word in Jack's
ear; both went to the stable, and one mounted Lightfoot, the other the
buffalo, and galloped off towards the wood.
  In a quarter of an hour our deserters came back; like true
hussars, they had foraged the woods, and heavily loaded their cattle
with the precious plant, which they threw at their mother's feet
with joyful shouts. It was next proposed that all should assist her in
preparations for the work she was to engage in, and previously in
steeping the flax.
  Next morning the ass was put to the small light car, loaded with
bundles of leaves; Francis and the monkey sat on them, and the
remainder of the family gaily followed with shovels and pickaxes. We
stopped at the marsh, divided our large bundles into smaller, which we
placed in the water, pressing them down with stones, and leaving
them in this state till it was time to remove and set them in the
sun to dry, and thus render the stems soft and easy to peel. In the
course of this work we noticed with admiration the instinct of the
flamingos, in building their cone-shaped nests above the level of
the marsh, each nest having a recess in the upper part, in which the
eggs are securely deposited, while the contrivance enables the
female to sit with her legs in the water: the nest is of clay, closely
cemented, so as to resist all danger from the elements till the
young can swim.
  In a fortnight we took the flax out of the water, and spread it on
the grass in the sun, where it dried so rapidly that we were able to
load it on our cart the same evening, and carry it to Falcon's Stream,
where it was put by till we had time to make the beetles, wheels,
reels, carding-combs, etc., required by our chief for the manufacture.
It was thought best to reserve this task for the rainy season, and
to employ the present time in collecting a competent stock of
provisions for ourselves and for all the animals. Occasional slight
showers, the harbingers of winter, had already come on; the
temperature, which hitherto had been warm and serene, become gloomy
and variable; the sky was often darkened with clouds, the stormy winds
were heard, and warned us to avail ourselves of the favourable
moment to get all that might be wanted ready.
                                                   {CHAPTER_24 ^paragraph 5}
  Our first care was to dig up a full supply of yams and other roots
for bread, with plenty of cocoa-nuts and some bags of sweet acorns. It
occurred to us, while digging, that the ground being thus opened and
manured with the leaves of plants, we might sow in it to advantage the
remainder of our European corn. Notwithstanding all the delicacies
this stranger land afforded us, the force of habit still caused us
to long for the bread we had been fed with from childhood; we had
not yet laid ourselves out for regular tillage, and I was inclined
to attempt the construction of a plough of some sort as soon as we had
a sufficient stock of corn for sowing. For this time, therefore, we
committed it to the earth with little preparation: the season,
however, was proper for sowing and planting, as the ensuing rain would
moisten and swell the embryo grain, which otherwise would perish in an
arid burning soil. We accordingly expedited the planting of the
various palm-trees we had discovered in our excursions at Tent
House, carefully selecting the smallest and the youngest. In the
environs we formed a large handsome plantation of sugar-canes, so as
to have hereafter everything useful and agreeable around us, and
thus be dispensed from the usual toil and loss of time in procuring
them.
  These different occupations kept us several weeks in unremitted
activity of mind and body; our cart was incessantly in motion,
conveying home our winter stock; time was so precious that we did
not even make regular meals, and limited ourselves to bread, cheese,
and fruits, in order to shorten them, to return quickly to our work,
and despatch it before the bad season should set in.
  Unfortunately, the weather changed sooner than we had expected,
and than, with all our care, we could be prepared for: before we had
completed our winter establishment, the rain fell in such heavy
torrents that I could not refrain from painful apprehension in
surmising how we should resist such a body of water that seemed to
change the whole face of the country into a lake.
  The first thing to be done was to remove our aerial abode, and to
fix our residence at the bottom of the tree, between the roots and
under the tarred roof I had erected; for it was no longer possible
to remain above, on account of the furious winds that threatened to
bear us away, and deluged our beds with rain through the large opening
in front, our only protection here being a piece of sail-cloth,
which was soon dripping wet and rent to pieces. In this condition we
were forced to take down our hammocks, mattresses, and every article
that could be injured by the rain; and most fortunate did we deem
ourselves in having made the winding stairs, which sheltered us during
the operation of the removal. The stairs served afterwards for a
kind of lumber-room; we kept all in it we could dispense with, and
most of our culinary vessels, which my wife fetched as she happened to
want them. Our little sheds between the roots, constructed for the
poultry and the cattle, could scarcely contain us all; and the first
days we passed in this manner were painfully embarrassing, crowded all
together, and hardly able to move in these almost dark recesses, which
the foetid smell from the close adjoining animals rendered almost
insupportable: in addition, we were half stifled with smoke whenever
we kindled a fire, and drenched with rain when we opened the doors.
For the first time since our disaster, we sighed for the comfortable
houses of our dear country. But what was to be done? We were not
there, and losing our courage and our temper would only increase the
evil. I strove to raise the spirits of my companions, and obviate some
of the inconveniences. The now doubly-precious winding stair was, as I
have said, every way useful to us; the upper part of it was filled
with numerous articles that gave us room below; and as it was
lighted and sheltered by windows, my wife often worked there, seated
on a stair, with her little Francis at her feet. We confined our
live stock to a smaller number, and gave them a freer current of
air, dismissing from the stalls those animals that, from their
properties, and being natives of the country, would be at no loss in
providing for themselves. That we might not lose them altogether, we
tied bells round their necks; Fritz and I sought and drove them in
every evening that they did not spontaneously return. We generally got
wet to the skin and chilled with cold during the employment, which
induced my wife to contrive for us a kind of clothing more suitable to
the occasion: she took two seamen's shirts from the chest, and with
some pieces of old coats she made us a kind of cloth hoods, joined
together at the back, and well formed for covering the head
entirely: we dissolved some elastic gum, which we spread over the
shirts and hoods; and the articles thus prepared answered every
purpose of waterproof overalls, that were of essential use and comfort
to us. Our young rogues were ready with their scornful jokes, the
first time they saw us in them; but afterwards they would have been
rejoiced to have had the same: this, however, the reduced state of our
gum did not allow, and we contented ourselves with wearing them in
turn, when compelled to work in the rain, from the bad effects of
which they effectually preserved us.
  As to the smoke, our only remedy was to open the door when we made a
fire; and we did without fire as much as we could, living on milk
and cheese, and never making one but to bake our cakes: we then used
the occasion to boil a quantity of our favourite roots and salt meat
enough to last us a number of days. Our dry wood was also nearly
expended, and we thanked Heaven the weather was not very cold; for had
this been the case, our other trials would have much increased. The
gloom of the atmosphere and our low windowless habitation sensibly
abridged our daylight; fortunately we had laid in a huge store of
candles, and felt no want of that article. When darkness obliged us to
light up, we got round the table, where a large taper fixed on a gourd
gave us an excellent light, which enabled my wife to pursue her
occupation with the needle, while I on my part was forming a
journal, and recording what the reader has perused of the narrative of
our shipwreck and residence in this island, assisted from time to time
by my sons and their admirable mother, who did not cease to remind
me of various incidents belonging to the story. To Ernest, who wrote a
fine hand, was entrusted the care of writing off my pages in a clear
legible character; Fritz and Jack amused themselves by drawing from
memory the plants and animals which had most struck their observation;
while one and all contributed to teach little Francis to read and
write. Our kind and faithful steward often surprised us agreeably,
on our return from looking after the cattle, by lighting a faggot of
dried bamboo, and quickly roasting, by the clear and fervent heat it
produced, a chicken, pigeon, or duck from our poultry-yard, or some of
the thrushes we had preserved in butter, which were excellent, and
welcomed as a treat to reward extraordinary toil. Every four of five
days the kind creature made us new fresh butter in the gourd-churn;
and this, with some fragrant honey spread on our manioc cakes,
formed a collation that would have raised the envy of European
epicures. These unexpected regales represented to our grateful
hearts so many little festivals, the generous intention of which
made us forget our bad accommodation and confinement.
                                                  {CHAPTER_24 ^paragraph 10}
  The fragments of our meals belonged in right to our domestic animals
as part of the family. We had now four dogs, the eagle, and the
monkey, to feed; they relied with just confidence on the kindness of
their respective masters, who certainly would have deprived themselves
to supply the wants of their helpless dependants. Francis had taken
under his mighty protection the two puppies; my wife, Flora; and I,
the brave Turk: thus each had his attendant, of which he took care,
and no one was dispensed from the offices of tenderness and vigilance.
If the buffalo, the onager, and pig had not found sustenance abroad,
they must have been killed or starved, and that would have given us
much pain. In the course of these discomforts, it was unanimously
resolved on that we would not pass another rainy season exposed to the
same evils; even my gentle-tempered and most beloved consort was a
little ruffled now and then with our inconvenient situation, and
insisted more than any of us on the plan of building elsewhere a
more spacious winter residence; she wished, however, to return to
our castle in the tree every summer, and we all joined with her in
that desire. The choice of a fresh abode now engrossed our
attention, and Fritz, in the midst of consultation, came forward
triumphantly with a book he had found in the bottom of our
clothes-chest. 'Here,' said he, 'is our best counsellor and model,
Robinson Crusoe; since Heaven has destined us to a similar fate,
whom better can we consult? As far as I remember, he cut himself a
habitation out of the solid rock: let us see how he proceeded; we will
do the same, and with greater ease, for he was alone; we are six in
number, and four of us able to work.' This idea of Fritz was hailed by
all. We assembled, and read the famous history with an ardent
interest; it seemed, though so familiar, quite new to us; we entered
earnestly into every detail, and derived considerable information from
it, and never failed to feel lively gratitude towards God, who had
rescued us all together, and not permitted one only of us to be
cast, a solitary being, on the island. The concurrence of this thought
produced an overwhelming sense of affection among us; we could not
refrain from throwing ourselves into each other's arms, embracing
repeatedly, and the pathetic scene ended in mutual congratulations.
  Francis expressed his wish to have a Man Friday; Fritz thought
it better to be without such a companion, and to have no savages to
contend with. Jack was for the savages, warfare, and encounters. The
final result of our deliberations was to go and survey the rocks round
Tent House, and to examine whether any of them could be excavated
for our purpose.
  Our last job for the winter, undertaken at my wife's solicitation,
was a beetle for her flax, and some carding-combs. I filed large nails
till they were even, round, and pointed: I fixed them at equal
distances in a sheet of tin, and raised the sides of it like a box;
I then poured melted lead between the nails and the sides, to give
firmness to their points, which came out four inches. I nailed this
tin on a board, and the machine was fit for work.

{CHAPTER_25
                                  25
                     Spring- Spinning- Salt Mine
-
  I CAN HARDLY describe our joy, when, after many tedious and gloomy
weeks of rain, the sky began to brighten, the sun to dart its benign
rays on the humid earth, the winds to be lulled, and the state of
the air became mild and serene. We issued from our dreary hovels
with joyful shouts, and walked round our habitation breathing the
enlivening balmy ether, while our eyes were regaled with the beauteous
verdure beginning to shoot forth on every side. Reviving Nature opened
her arms, every creature seemed re-animated, and we felt the genial
influence of that glorious luminary which had been so long concealed
from our sight, and now returned, like a friend who had been absent,
to bring us back blessings and delight. We rapidly forgot in new
sensations the embarrassments and weary hours of the wet season, and
with jocund, hopeful hearts, looked forward to the toils of summer
as enviable amusements.
  Our summer occupations commenced by arranging and thoroughly
cleaning Falcon's Nest, the order and neatness of which the rain and
dead leaves blown by the wind had disturbed; in other respects,
however, it was not injured, and in a few days we rendered it fit
for our reception; the stairs were cleared, the rooms between the
roots re-occupied, and we were left with leisure to proceed to other
employments. My wife lost not a moment in resuming the process of
her flax. Our sons hastened to lead the cattle to the fresh
pastures; whilst it was my task to carry the bundles of flax into
the open air, where, by heaping stones together, I contrived an oven
sufficiently commodious to dry it well. The same evening, we all set
to work to peel, and afterwards to beat it and strip off the bark; and
lastly to comb it with my carding machine, which fully answered the
purpose. I took this laborious task on myself, and drew out such
distaffs full of long soft flax ready for spinning that my
enraptured wife ran to embrace me, to express her thankfulness,
requesting me to make her a wheel without delay, that she might
enter upon her favourite work.
  At an early period of my life I had practised turnery for my
amusement; now, however, I was unfortunately destitute of the
requisite utensils; but as I had not forgotten the arrangement and
component parts of a spinning-wheel and reel, I by repeated endeavours
found means to accomplish those two machines to her satisfaction;
and she fell so eagerly to spinning as to allow herself no leisure
even for a walk, and scarcely time to dress our dinners: nothing so
much delighted her as to be left with her little boy, whom she
employed to reel as fast as she could spin; and sometimes the other
three were also engaged in turns at the wheel to forward her
business while she was occupied in culinary offices; but not one of
them was found so tractable as the cool-tempered, quiet Ernest, who
preferred this to more laborious exertions. Our first visit was to
Tent House, and here we found the ravages of winter more
considerable than even at Falcon's Stream; the tempest and rain had
beaten down the tent, carried away a part of the sail-cloth, and
made such havoc among our provisions that by far the largest portion
was spotted with mildew, and the remainder could be only saved by
drying them instantly. Luckily our handsome pinnace had been for the
most part spared; it was still at anchor, ready to serve us in case of
need; but our tub-boat was in too shattered a state to be of any
further service.
  Fritz and Jack were constant in their endeavours to make me
undertake the excavation of the rock, but I had no hopes of success.
Robinson Crusoe found a spacious cavern that merely required
arrangement: no such cavity was apparent in our rock, which bore the
aspect of extreme solidity and impenetrableness; so that with our
limited powers, three or four summers would scarcely suffice to
execute the design. Still the earnest desire of a more substantial
habitation, to defend us from the elements, perplexed me
incessantly, and I resolved to. make at least the attempt of cutting
out a recess that should protect the gunpowder, the most valuable of
all our treasures. I accordingly set off one day, accompanied by my
two boys, leaving their mother at her spinning, with Ernest and
Francis. We took with us pickaxes, chisels, hammers, and iron
levers, to try what impression we could make on the rock. I chose a
part nearly perpendicular, and much better situated than our tent: the
view from it was enchanting; for it embraced the whole range of Safety
Bay, the banks of Jackal's Stream, and Family Bridge, and many of
the picturesque projections of the rocks. I marked out with charcoal
the opening we wished to make, and we began the heavy toil of piercing
the quarry. We made so little progress the first day that, in spite of
our courage, we were tempted to relinquish the undertaking; we
persevered, however, and my hope was somewhat revived as I perceived
the stone was of a softer texture as we penetrated deeper: I concluded
from this that the ardent rays of the sun striking upon the rock had
hardened the external layer, and that the stone within would
increase in softness as we advanced; and it occurred to me that the
substance might be a species of calcareous stone. When I had cut about
a foot in depth, we could loosen it with a spade like dried mud;
this determined me to proceed with double ardour, and my boys assisted
me with a spirit and zeal beyond their years.
                                                   {CHAPTER_25 ^paragraph 5}
  After a few days of assiduous labour, we measured the opening, and
found we had already advanced seven feet into the rock. Fritz
removed the fragments in a barrow, and discharged them in a line
before the place, to form a sort of terrace; I applied my own labour
to the upper part, to enlarge the aperture; Jack, the smallest of
the three, was able to get in and cut away below. He had with him a
long iron bar sharpened at the end, which he drove in with a hammer,
to loosen a piece at a time; suddenly he bawled out, 'It is pierced
through, father! Fritz, I have pierced it through!'
  'Hah, hah, Master Jack at his jokes again! but let us hear, what
have you pierced? Is it the mountain? Not peradventure your hand or
foot, Jack?' cried I.
  JACK.- No, no, it is the mountain (the rocks resounding with his
usual shout of joy); huzza, huzza! I have pierced the mountain!
  Fritz now ran to him. 'Come, let us see then: it is no doubt the
globe at least you have pierced,' said he, in a bantering tone: 'you
should have pushed on your tool boldly, till you reached Europe, which
they say is under our feet; I should have been glad to peep into
that hole.'
  JACK.- Well, then, peep you may, but I hardly know what you will
see; come and look how far the iron is gone in, and tell me if it is
all my boasting.
                                                  {CHAPTER_25 ^paragraph 10}
  'Come hither, father,' said Fritz, 'this is really extraordinary:
his iron bar seems to have got to a hollow place; see, it can be moved
in every direction.' I approached, thinking the incident worth
attention. I took hold of the bar, which was still in the rock, and
working it about, I made a sufficient aperture for one of my sons to
pass, and I observed that in reality the rubbish fell within the
cavity, which I judged from the falling of the stones was not much
deeper than the part we stood on. My two lads offered to go in
together and examine it; this, however, I forbade. I even made them
remove from the opening, as I smelled the mephitic air that issued
abundantly from it, and began myself to feel giddiness in
consequence of having gone too near; so that I was compelled to
withdraw quickly, and inhale a purer air. 'Beware, my dear
children,' said I, in terror, 'of entering such places, for the loss
of life might be the consequence.'
  JACK.- How can that be, father?
  FATHER.- Because the air is mephitic, that is, foul, and therefore
unfit for breathing in.
  FRITZ.- And by what is good air known? How judge that one may
respire freely at a few paces from this mephitic cave?
  FATHER.- There is an infallible test; fire does not burn in foul
air, yet it is made the means of correcting it. We must light a fire
of sufficient strength in this hole to purify the air within, and
render it friendly to respiration: at first the bad air will
extinguish the fire, but by degrees the fire in its turn will expel
the bad air and burn freely.
                                                  {CHAPTER_25 ^paragraph 15}
  The boys now hastened to gather some dry moss, which they made
into bundles: they then struck a light and set fire to them, and threw
the moss blazing into the opening; but, as I had described, the fire
was extinguished at the very entrance, thus proving that the air
within was highly mephitic. I now saw that it was to be rarefied by
another and more effectual method; I recollected that we had brought
from the vessel a chest that was full of grenades, rockets, and
other fireworks, which had been shipped for the purpose of making
signals, as well as for amusement. I sought it hastily, and took
some of these, together with an iron mortar for throwing; out of it
I laid a train of gunpowder, and set fire to the end which reached
to where we stood: a general explosion took place, and an awful report
reverberated through the dark recess: the lighted grenades flew
about on all sides like brilliant meteors, rebounding and bursting
with a terrific sound. We then sent in the rockets, which had also a
full effect. They hissed in the cavity like flying dragons, disclosing
to our astonished view its vast extent. We beheld too, as we
thought, numerous dazzling bodies that sparkled suddenly, as if by
magic, and disappeared with the rapidity of lightning, leaving the
place in total darkness. A squib bursting in the form of a star
presented a spectacle we wished to be prolonged. On this separating, a
crowd of little winged genii came forth, each holding a small
lighted lamp, and the whole fluttering in every direction with a
thousand varied reverberations: everything in the cavern shone
brilliantly, and offered instantly a truly enchanting sight; but
they dropped in succession, fell to the ground without noise, and
vanished like aethereal spirits.
  After having played off our fireworks, I tried lighted straw; to our
great satisfaction, the bundles thrown in were entirely consumed; we
could then reasonably hope nothing was to be feared from the air;
but there still remained the danger of plunging into some abyss, or of
meeting with a body of water. From these considerations, I deemed it
more prudent to defer our entrance into this unknown recess till we
had lights to guide us through it. I despatched Jack on the buffalo to
Falcon's Stream, to tell his mother and brothers of our discovery,
directing him to return with them, and bring all the tapers that
were left: my intention was to tie them together to the end of a
stick, and proceed with it lighted to examine the cavity. I had not
sent Jack on this embassy without a meaning; the boy possessed from
nature a lively imagination; I knew he would tell his mother such
wonders of the enchanted grotto, of the fireworks, and all they had
brought to our view that he would induce her to accompany him
without delay, and bring us lights to penetrate the obscure sanctuary.
  Jack, overjoyed, sprang on the buffalo, gaily smacked his whip,
and set off so boldly that I almost trembled for his safety. The
intrepid boy was unencumbered by fear, and made a complete
race-horse of his horned Bucephalus.
  In three or four hours we saw them coming up in our car of state,
which was now drawn by the cow and the ass, and conducted by Ernest.
Francis too played his part in the cavalcade, and contended with his
brother for the ropes that served as reins. Jack, mounted on his
buffalo, came prancing before them; blew through his closed hand, in
imitation of the French horn, and now and then whipped the ass and cow
to quicken their motion. When they had crossed Family Bridge, he
came forward on the gallop; and when he got to us, jumped off the
beast, shook himself, took a spring or two from the ground, and thus
refreshed, ran up to the car to hand his mother out, like a true and
gallant knight.
  I immediately lighted some of the tapers; but not together, as I had
intended: I preferred each taking one in his right hand, an
implement in his left, another taper in his pocket, flint and steel;
and thus we entered the rock in solemn procession. I took the lead, my
sons followed me, and their beloved mother, with the youngest, brought
up the rear. The interest and curiosity she felt were not unalloyed
with tender apprehensions; and indeed I felt myself that sort of
fear which an unknown object is apt to excite; even our dogs, that
accompanied us, betrayed some timidity, and did not run before, as
usual; but we had scarcely advanced four paces within the grotto, when
all was changed to more than admiration and surprise. The most
beautiful and magnificent spectacle presented itself The sides of
the cavern sparkled like diamonds, the light from our six tapers was
reflected from all parts, and had the effect of a grand
illumination. Innumerable crystals of every length and shape hung from
the top of the vault; which, uniting with those of the sides, formed
pillars, altars, entablatures, and a variety of other figures,
composing the most splendid masses. We might have fancied ourselves in
a fairy palace, or an illuminated temple. In some places, all the
colours of the prism were emitted from the angles of the crystals, and
gave them the appearance of the finest precious stones. The waving
of the lights, their bright coruscations, dark points here and there
intervening, the dazzling lustre of others- the whole, in short,
delighted and enchanted the sight and the fancy.
                                                  {CHAPTER_25 ^paragraph 20}
  The astonishment of my family was so great as to be almost
ludicrous; they were all in a kind of dumb stupor, half imagining it
was a dream. For my own part, I had seen stalactites, and read the
description of the famous grotto of Antiparos; my sensations,
therefore, were not the same. The bottom was level, covered with a
white and very fine sand, as if purposely strewed, and so dry that I
could not see the least mark of humidity anywhere. All this led me
to hope the spot would be healthy, convenient, and eligible for our
proposed residence. I now formed a particular conjecture as to the
nature of the crystallisations shooting out on all sides, and
especially from the arch-roof They could scarcely be of that species
of rock-crystals produced by the slow filtering of water falling in
drops, and coagulating in succession, and seldom found in
excavations exhibiting so dry a nature, nor even with so many of the
crystals perpendicular and perfectly smooth. I was impatient to evince
the truth or falsehood of this idea by an experiment, and discovered
with great joy, on breaking a portion of one of them, that I was in
a grotto of sal-gem, that is, fossil, or rock salt, found in the
earth in solid crystallised masses, generally above a bed of spar or
gypsum, and surrounded by layers of fossils or rock. The discovery
of this fact, which no longer admitted a doubt, pleased us all
exceedingly. The shape of the crystals, their little solidity, and
finally their saline taste, were decisive evidences.
  We viewed with unwearied curiosity this repository of wonders, and
we all had lighted our second taper, when I observed on the ground
in some places a number of crystal fragments that seemed to have
fallen off from the upper part. Such a separation might recur, and
expose us to danger; a piece falling on any of our heads might prove
instantly fatal. But, on closer inspection, I was convinced they had
not dropped of themselves spontaneously; the whole mass was too
solid for fragments of that size to have been so detached from it;
and, had dampness loosened them, they would have dissolved
gradually: I concluded they were broken off by the concussion caused
by the explosion of our artillery and fireworks, and I thought it
prudent to retire, as other loosened pieces might unexpectedly fall on
us. I directed my wife and three of the children to place themselves
in the entrance, while Fritz and I carefully examined every part
that threatened danger. We loaded our guns with ball, and fired them
into the centre of the cavern, to be more fully assured of what
produced the separation of the former pieces; one or two more fell;
the rest remained immovable, though we went round with long poles, and
struck all we could reach. We at length felt confident that in point
of solidity there was nothing to fear, and that we might proceed
without dread of accident. Many schemes were formed for converting
this magnificent grotto into a convenient and agreeable mansion for
our abode. We had possession of the most eligible premises: the sole
business was to turn them to the best account; and how to effect
this was our unceasing theme.

{CHAPTER_26
                                  26
       New Fishery- New Experiments- New Discoveries, and House
-
  THE ENTERPRISE of our dwelling went on, sometimes as a principal,
sometimes as an intermediate occupation, according to the greater or
less importance of other concerns; but though we advanced thus with
moderate rapidity, the progress was such as to afford the hope of
our being settled within it by the time of the rainy season.
  It was during this period that one day we observed Safety Bay to
be filled with large fishes, which seemed eager to push to the
shore, for the purpose of depositing their eggs among the stones in
fresh water. Soon after, as Jack and I were walking near the mouth
of Jackal's River, we perceived immense quantities of a large fish
moving slowly towards the banks. As they came nearer, I
distinguished the largest to resemble sturgeons, a fish found in
higher latitudes, while the smallest I pronounced to be salmon. Jack
now strutted about in ecstasies. 'What say you now, father?' said
he; 'this is nothing like your little paltry fry! A single fish of
this troop would fill a tub!'- 'No doubt,' answered I; and with
great gravity I added,- 'Prythee, Jack, step into the river, and fling
them to me one by one that I may take them home to salt and dry.'
  He looked at me for a moment with a sort of vacant doubt if I
could possibly be in earnest: then seizing suddenly a new idea-
'Wait a moment, father,' cried he, 'and I will do so': and he sprang
off like lightning towards the cavern, from whence he soon returned
loaded with a bow and arrows, the bladders of the sea-dogs, and a ball
of string, to catch, as he assured me, every one of the fishes. I
looked on with interest and curiosity to mark what was next to happen,
while the animation of his countenance, the promptitude and boyish
gracefulness of his motions, and the firm determination of his manner,
afforded me the highest amusement. He tied the bladders round at
certain distances with long pieces of string, to the end of which he
fastened an arrow and a small iron hook; he placed the large ball of
string in a hole in the ground at a sufficient distance from the
water's edge, and then he shot off an arrow, which the next instant
stuck in one of the largest fishes. My young sportsman uttered a shout
of joy. At the same moment Fritz joined us, and witnessed this
unexpected feat without the least symptom of jealousy. 'Well done,
brother Jack,' cried he; 'but let me, too, have my turn.'
  Saying this, he ran back and fetched the harpoon and the windlass,
and returned to us accompanied by Ernest. We were well pleased with
their opportune arrival, for the salmon Jack had pierced struggled
so fiercely that all our endeavours to hold the string were
insufficient, and we dreaded at every throw to see it break, and the
animal make good its escape. By degrees, however, its strength was
exhausted, and, aided by Fritz and Ernest, we succeeded in drawing
it to a bank, where I put an end to its existence.
                                                   {CHAPTER_26 ^paragraph 5}
  This fortunate beginning of a plan for a fishery inspired us all
with hope and emulation. Fritz eagerly seized his harpoon and
windlass; I, for my part, like Neptune, wielded a trident; Ernest
prepared the large fishing-rod; and Jack his arrow, with the same
apparatus as before, not forgetting the bladders, which were so
effectual in preventing the fish from sinking when struck. We were now
more than ever sensible of our loss in the destruction of the
tub-boat, with which we could have pursued the creatures in the water,
and have been spared much pains and difficulty; but, on the other
hand, such numbers of fishes presented themselves at the mouth of
the river that we had only to choose among them. Jack's arrow, after
missing twice, struck the third time a large sturgeon, which was so
untractable that we had great difficulty in securing him. I too had
caught two of the same fish, and had been obliged to go up to the
middle in the water to manage my booty. Ernest, with his rod and
line and a hook, had also taken two smaller ones. Fritz, with his
harpoon, had struck a sturgeon, at least eight feet in length, and the
skill and strength of our whole company were found necessary to
conduct him safe to shore, where we harnessed the buffalo to him
with strong cords to draw him to Tent House.
  Our first concern was to clean our fish thoroughly inside, to
preserve them fresh the longer. I separated the eggs I found in
them, and which could not be less than thirty pounds, and put them
aside to make a dish called caviare, greatly relished by the
Russians and the Dutch. I took care also of the bladders, thinking
it might be possible to make a glue of them, which would be useful for
so many purposes. I advised my wife to boil some individuals of the
salmon in oil, similar to the manner of preparing tunny fish in the
Mediterranean: and while she was engaged in this process, I was at
work upon the caviare and the glue. For the first, I washed the
berries in several waters, and then pressed them closely in
gourd-rinds, in which a certain number of holes had been bored. When
the water had run off, the berries were taken out in a substance
like cheese, which was then conveyed to the hut to be dried and
smoked. For the second, we cut the bladders into strips, which we
fastened firmly by one end to a stake, and taking hold of the other
with a pair of pincers, we turned them round and round till the
strip was reduced to a kind of knot, and these were then placed in the
sun to harden; this being the simple and only preparation necessary
for obtaining glue from the ingredient. When thoroughly dry, a small
quantity is put on a slow fire to melt. We succeeded so well, and
our glue was of so transparent a quality that I could not help feeling
the desire to manufacture some pieces large enough for panes to a
window frame.
  When these various concerns were complete, we began to meditate a
plan for constructing a small boat as a substitute for the tub-raft,
to come close in to shore. I had a great desire to make it, as the
savages do, of the rind of a tree; but the difficulty was to fix on
one of sufficient bulk for my purpose; for though many were to be
found in our vicinity, yet each was on some account or other of too
much value to be spared. We therefore resolved to make a little
excursion in pursuit of a tree of capacious dimensions, and in a
situation where it was not likely to yield us fruit, to refresh us
with its shade, or to adorn the landscape round our dwelling.
  In this expedition we as usual aimed at more than one object:
eager as we were for new discoveries, we yet allowed ourselves the
time to visit our different plantations and stores at Falcon's Stream.
We were also desirous to secure a new supply of the wax berry, of
gourds, and of elastic gum. Our kitchen-garden at Tent House was in
a flourishing condition; nothing could exceed the luxuriance of the
vegetation, and, almost without the trouble of cultivation, we had
excellent roots and plants in abundance, which came in succession, and
promised a rich supply of peas, beans of all sorts, lettuces, etc.;
our principal labour was to give them water freely that they might
be fresh and succulent for use. We had besides, melons and cucumbers
in great plenty, which, during the hottest weather, we valued more
than all the rest. We reaped a considerable quantity of Turkey wheat
from the seed we had sown, and some of the ears were a foot in length.
Our sugar-canes were also in the most prosperous condition, and one
plantation of pine-apples on the high ground was also in progress to
reward our labour with abundance of that delicious fruit.
  This state of general prosperity at Tent House gave us the most
flattering expectations from our nurseries at Falcon's Stream. Full of
these hopes, we all set out together one day for our somewhat
neglected former abode.
                                                  {CHAPTER_26 ^paragraph 10}
  We arrived at Falcon's Stream, where we intended to pass the
night. We visited the ground my wife had so plentifully sowed with
grain, which had sprung up with an almost incredible rapidity and
luxuriance, and was now nearly ready for reaping. We cut down what was
fairly ripe, bound it together in bundles, and conveyed it to a
place where it would be secure from the attacks of more expert grain
consumers than ourselves, of which thousands hovered round the
booty. We reaped barley, wheat, rye, oats, pease, millet, lentils,-
only a small quantity of each, it is true, but sufficient to enable us
to sow again plentifully at the proper season. The plant that had
yielded the most was maize, a proof that it best loved the soil. It
had already shown itself in abundance in our garden at Tent House; but
here there was a surface of land, the size of an ordinary field,
entirely covered with its splendid golden ears, which still more
than the other plants attracted the voracity of the feathered race.
The moment we drew near, a dozen at least of large bustards sprang
up with a loud rustling noise, which awakened the attention of the
dogs; they plunged into the thickest parts, and routed numerous flocks
of birds of all kinds and sizes, who took hastily to flight: among the
fugitives were some quails, who escaped by running; and lastly some
kangaroos, whose prodigious leaps enabled them to elude the pursuit of
the dogs.
  We were so overcome by the surprise such an assemblage of living
creatures occasioned, as to forget the resource we had in our guns; we
stood as it were stupid with amazement during the first moments, and
before we came to ourselves, the prey was beyond our reach, and for
the most part out of sight. Fritz was the first to perceive and to
feel with indignation the silly part we had been playing, and to
consider in what way we could repair the mischief. Without further
loss of time, he took the bandage from his eagle's eyes (for the
bird always accompanied him perched upon his game-bag), and showed him
with his hand the bustards flying, and at no great distance. The eagle
took a rapid flight. Fritz jumped like lightning on the back of his
onager, and galloped over everything that intervened, in the direction
the bird had taken, and we soon lost sight of him.
  We now beheld a spectacle which in the highest degree excited our
curiosity and interest: the eagle had soon his prey in view; he
mounted above one of the bustards in a direct line, without losing
sight of it for an instant, and then darted suddenly down; the
bustards flew about in utter confusion, now seeking shelter in the
bushes, then crossing each other in every direction, in the attempt to
evade the common enemy; but the eagle remained steady in pursuit of
the bird he had fixed upon for his prey, and disregarded all the rest:
he alighted on the unlucky bustard, fixed his claws and his beak in
its back, till Fritz, arriving full gallop, got down from the
onager, replaced the bandage on the eagle's eyes, seated him once more
upon the game-bag, and having relieved the poor bustard from his
persecutor, he shouted to us to come and witness his triumph. We ran
speedily to the place.
  At the conclusion of this adventure, we hastened forward to Falcon's
Stream, and dressed the wounds of the bustard. We perceived with
pleasure that it was a male, and foresaw the advantage of giving him
for a companion to our solitary female of the same species, which
was completely tamed. I threw a few more bundles of maize into the
cart, and without further delay we arrived at our tree, one and all
sinking with faintness from hunger, thirst, and fatigue. It was on
such occasions that my exemplary partner evinced the superior
fortitude and generosity of her temper: though necessarily more a
sufferer than the rest, her first thought was always what she could
administer to relieve us in the shortest time. On this occasion, as we
had consumed our little store of wine, and could not soon and easily
procure milk from the cow, she contrived to bruise some of the maize
between two large stones, and then put it in a linen cloth, and with
all her strength squeezed out the sap; she then added some juice
from the sugar-canes, and in a few minutes presented us with a draught
of a cool refreshing liquid, invitingly white to the eye, and
agreeable to the taste, which we received at her hands with feelings
of grateful emotion.
  The rest of the day was employed in picking the grains of the
different sorts of corn from the stalks; we put what we wished to keep
for sowing into some gourd-shells, and the Turkey wheat was laid
carefully aside in sheaves till we should have time to beat and
separate it. Fritz observed that we should also want to grind it;
and I reminded him of the hand-mill we had secured from our departed
ally the wrecked vessel.
                                                  {CHAPTER_26 ^paragraph 15}
  FRITZ.- But, father, the hand-mill is so small, and so subject to be
put out of order: why should we not contrive a water-mill as they do
in Europe? We have surely rapid streams of water in abundance.
  FATHER.- This is true; but such a mechanism is more difficult than
you imagine. The wheel alone, I conceive, would be an undertaking
far beyond our strength or our capacity. I am, however, well pleased
with the activity and zeal which prompted your idea; and we will
hereafter consider whether it may be worth while to bestow upon it
further attention. We have abundance of time before us, for we shall
not want a water-mill till our harvests are such as to produce
plentiful crops of corn. In the meantime, let us be thinking of our
proposed excursion for to-morrow; for we should set out at least by
sunrise.
  We began our preparations accordingly. My wife chose some hens and
two fine cocks, with the intention of taking them with us, and leaving
them at large to produce a colony of their species at a considerable
distance from our dwelling-places: I, with the same view, visited
our beasts, and selected four young pigs, four sheep, two kids, and
one male of each species; our numbers having so much increased, that
we could well afford to spare these individuals for the experiment. If
we succeeded in thus accustoming them to the natural temperature and
productions of our island, we should have eased ourselves of the
burden of their support, and should always be able to find them at
pleasure.
  The next morning, after loading the cart with all things
necessary, not forgetting the rope ladder and the portable tent, we
quitted Falcon's Stream. The animals, with their legs tied, were all
stationed in the vehicle. We left abundance of food for those that
remained behind: the cow, the ass, and the buffalo were harnessed to
the cart; and Fritz, mounted on his favourite, the onager, pranced
along before us, to ascertain the best and smoothest path for the
cavalcade.
  We took this time a new direction, which was straight forward
between the rocks and the shore, that we might make ourselves
acquainted with everything contained in the island we seemed
destined for ever to inhabit. In effect, the line proceeding from
Falcon's Stream to Safety Bay might be said to be the extent of our
dominions: for as to the adjacent exquisite country of the
buffaloes, Fritz and I had discovered that the passage to it by the
end of the rocks was so dangerous, and at so great a distance, that we
could not hope to domiciliate ourselves upon its soil, as we had
done on our side of the rocks. We found, as usual, much difficulty
in pushing through the tall tough grass, and alternately through the
thick prickly bushes which everywhere obtruded themselves. We were
often obliged to turn aside, while I cut a passage with my hatchet:
but these accidents seldom failed to reward my toil by the discovery
of different small additions to our general comfort; among others,
some roots of trees curved by nature to serve both for saddles and
yokes for our beasts of burden. I took care to secure several, and put
them in the cart.
                                                  {CHAPTER_26 ^paragraph 20}
  We soon reached the high ground, which I found in all respects
favourable to my design; behind, a thick forest gradually rose above
us, which sheltered us from the north wind, and insensibly declined
towards the south, ending in a plain, clothed luxuriantly with
grass, shrubs, and plants, and watered by a refreshing rivulet,
which was an incalculable advantage for our animals of every kind,
as well as for ourselves.
  My plan for a building was approved by all, and we lost no time in
pitching our tent, and forming temporary accommodations for cooking
our victuals. When we had refreshed ourselves with a meal, I, for my
part, resolved to look about in all directions that I might completely
understand what we should have to depend upon in this place, in
point of safety, salubrity, and general accommodation. I had also to
find a tree that would suit for the proposed construction of a boat;
and lastly, to meet, if possible, with a group of trees, at such fit
distances from each other as would assist me in my plan of erecting
a farm-house. I was fortunate enough in no long time to find in this
last respect exactly what I wanted, and quite near to the spot we on
many accounts had felt to be so enviable. I returned to my companions,
whom I found busily employed in preparing excellent beds of the
cotton, upon which, at an earlier hour than usual, we all retired to
rest.

{CHAPTER_27
                                  27
                Completion of two Farm-houses- A Lake-
                    The Beast with a Bill- A Boat
-
  THE TREES THAT I had chosen for the construction of my farm-house
embellishments were for the most part one foot in diameter in the
trunk; they presented the form of a tolerably regular parallelogram,
with its longest side to the sea, the length twenty-four feet, and the
breadth sixteen. I cut little hollow places or mortises in the trunks,
at the distance of ten feet, one above the other, to form two stories.
The upper one I made a few inches shorter before than behind, that the
roof might be in some degree shelving; I then inserted beams five
inches in diameter respectively in the mortises, and thus formed the
skeleton of my building. We next nailed some laths from tree to
tree, at equal distances from each other, to form the roof, and placed
on them, in mathematical order, a covering composed of pieces of the
bark of trees, cut into the shape of tiles and in a sloping
position, for the rain to run off in the wet season. As we had no
great provision of iron nails, we used for the purpose the strong
pointed thorn of the acacia, which we had discovered the day before.
We cut down a quantity of them, and laid them in the sun to dry,
when they became as hard as iron, and were of essential service to our
undertaking. We found great difficulty in peeling off a sufficient
quantity of bark from trees to cover our roof. I began with cutting
the bark entirely round at distances of about two feet all the
length of the trunk; I next divided the intervals perpendicularly into
two parts, which I separated from the tree by sliding a wedge under
the corners, to raise the bark by degrees; I next placed the pieces on
the ground, with stones laid on them to prevent their curving, to
dry in the sun; and lastly, I nailed them on the roof, where they
had the appearance of fishes' scales- an effect that was not only
pleasing to the eye, but reminded us of the roofs in our native land.
  After our next meal we resumed with ardour our undertaking of the
farm-house, which we continued without interruption for several
days. We formed the walls with matted reeds interwoven with pliant
laths to the height of six feet; the remaining space to the roof was
enclosed with only a simple grating, that the air and light might be
admitted. A door was placed in the middle of the front. We next
arranged the interior with as much convenience as the shortness of the
time and our reluctance to use all our timber would allow; we
divided it half-way up by a partition-wall into two unequal parts; the
largest was intended for the sheep and goats, and the smallest for
ourselves, when we should wish to pass a few days here. At the further
end of the stable we fixed a house for the fowls, and above it a
sort of hay-loft for the forage. Before the door of entrance we placed
two benches, contrived as well as we could of laths and odd pieces
of wood, that we might rest ourselves under the shade of the trees,
and enjoy the exquisite prospect which presented itself on all
sides. Our own apartment was provided with a couple of the best
bedsteads we could make of twigs of trees, raised upon four legs,
two feet from the ground, and these were destined to receive our
cotton mattresses. Our aim was to content ourselves for the present
with these slight hints of a dwelling, and to consider hereafter
what additions either of convenience or ornament could be made, such
as plastering, etc., etc. All we were now anxious about was to provide
a shelter for our animal colonists, which should encourage and fix
them in the habit of assembling every evening in one place. For
several days, at first, we took care to fill their troughs with
their favourite food mixed with salt, and we agreed that we would
return frequently to repeat this indirect mode of invitation for their
society, till they should be entirely fixed in their expectation of
finding it.
  I had imagined we should accomplish what we wished at the farm in
three or four days; but we found in the experiment that a whole week
was necessary, and our victuals fell short before our work was done.
We began to consider what remedy we could apply to so embarrassing a
circumstance; I could not prevail upon myself to return to Falcon's
Stream before I had completed my intentions at the farm, and the other
objects of my journey. I had even come to the determination of
erecting another building upon the site of Cape Disappointment; I
therefore decided that on this trying occasion I would invest Fritz
and Jack with the important mission. They were accordingly
despatched to Falcon's Stream, and to Tent House, to fetch new
supplies of cheese, ham, potatoes, dried fish, manioc bread, for our
subsistence, and also to distribute fresh food to the numerous animals
we had left there. I directed one to mount the onager, and the other
the buffalo.
                                                   {CHAPTER_27 ^paragraph 5}
  My two knights-errant, proud of their embassy, set off with a
brisk trot; they, at my desire, took with them the old ass, to bring
the load of provisions. Fritz was to lead him with a bridle, while
Jack smacked a whip near his ears to quicken his motions; and
certainly, whether from the influence of climate, or the example of
his companion, the onager, he had lost much of his accustomed
inactivity; and this was the more important, as I intended to make a
saddle for my wife to get on his back, and relieve herself
occasionally from the fatigue of walking.
  During the absence of our purveyors I rambled with Ernest about
the neighbouring soil, to make what new discoveries I could, and to
procure, if possible, additions to our store of provisions. We
followed the winding of a river towards the middle of the wall of
rocks: our course was interrupted by a marsh which bordered a small
lake, the aspect of which was enchantingly picturesque. I perceived,
with joyful surprise, that the whole surface of the swampy soil was
covered with a kind of wild rice, ripe on the stalk, and which
attracted the voracity of large flocks of birds. As we approached, a
loud rustling was heard, and we distinguished on the wing, bustards,
Canada heath-fowl, and great numbers of smaller birds. We succeeded in
bringing down five or six of them; and I was pleased to remark in
Ernest a justness of aim that promised well for the future. The habits
of his mind discovered themselves on this as on many previous
occasions; he betrayed no ardour, he did everything with a slowness
that seemed to imply dislike; yet the cool deliberation and
constancy he applied to every attempt so effectually assisted his
judgment that he was sure to arrive at a more perfect execution than
the other boys. He had practised but little in the study of how to
fire a gun to the best advantage; but Ernest was a silent inquirer and
observer, and accordingly his first essays were generally crowned with
success.
  Presently we saw Master Knips jump from Flora's back, and smell
along the ground among some thick growing plants, then pluck off
something with his two paws, and eat of it voraciously. We ran to
the spot to see what it could be, when, to the relief of our parched
palates, we found he had discovered there the largest and finest
kind of strawberry, which is called in Europe the Chili, or pine
strawberry. On this occasion, the proud creature, man, generously
condescended to be the imitator of a monkey: we threw ourselves upon
the ground, as near to Knips as we could creep, and ate as fast as
we could swallow, till we felt refreshed. Many of these strawberries
were of an enormous size, and Ernest, after devouring an immense
quantity, recollected his absent friend, and filled a small
gourd-shell with the finest fruit, then covered them with leaves,
and tied them down with a tendril from a neighbouring plant, to
present them in perfection to his mother. I, on my part, gathered a
specimen of the rice to offer, that she might inform us if it was
fit for culinary purposes.
  Pursuing our way a little further along the marsh, we reached the
lake, which we had descried with so much pleasure from a distance, and
whose banks, being overgrown with thick underwood, were necessarily
concealed from the momentary view we had leisure to take of
surrounding objects, particularly as the lake was situated in a deep
and abrupt valley. No one, who is not a native of Switzerland, can
conceive the emotion which trembled at my heart, as I contemplated
this limpid, azure, undulating body of water, the faithful miniature
of so many grand originals, which I had probably lost sight of for
ever! My eyes swam with tears! Alas! a single glance upon the
surrounding picture, the different characters of the trees, the vast
ocean in the distance, destroyed the momentary illusion, and brought
back my ideas to the painful reality, that I and mine were-
strangers in a desert island!
  Another sort of object now presented itself to confirm the certainty
that we were no longer inhabitants of Europe: it was the appearance of
a quantity of swans gliding over the surface of the lake; but their
colour, instead of white, like those of our country, was a jetty
black, * and their plumage had so high a gloss as to produce,
reflected on the water, the most astonishing effect. The six large
feathers of the wings of this bird are white, exhibiting a singular
contrast to the rest of the body: in other respects these birds were
remarkable, like those of Europe, for the haughty gracefulness of
their motions, and the voluptuous ease of their nature. We remained
a long time in silent admiration of them: some of the swans pursued
their course magnificently on the bosom of the blue water; others
stopped and seemed to hold deliberations with their companions, or
to admire themselves, or caress each other; many young ones followed
in the train of the parent bird, who frequently turned half round,
in execution of her watchful and matronly office.
                                                  {CHAPTER_27 ^paragraph 10}
-
  * Black swan. Discovered by M. de la Billardiere on a lake of
New Zealand, and also in New Holland.
-
  Flora at this moment dragged out of the water a creature she had
killed. It was somewhat in shape like an otter, and like the tribe
of water birds, web-footed: its tail was long and erect, and covered
with a soft kind of hair; the head was very small, and the ears and
eyes were almost invisible; to these more ordinary characters was
added, a long flat bill, like that of a duck, which protruded from its
snout, and produced so ludicrous an effect that we could not resist
a hearty laugh. All the science of the learned Ernest, joined with
my own, was insufficient to ascertain the name and nature of this
animal. We had no resource but to remain ignorant; in the meantime
we christened it by the name of Beast with a Bill, and decided
that it should be carefully stuffed and preserved.
  We now began to look for the shortest path for returning to the
farm, which we reached at the same time with Fritz and Jack, who had
well performed the object of their journey. We, on our parts, produced
our offering of strawberries and our specimen of rice, which were
welcomed with shouts of pleasure and surprise.
                                                  {CHAPTER_27 ^paragraph 15}
  The beast with a bill was next examined with eager curiosity, and
then laid aside for the plan I had formed. My wife proceeded to
pluck and salt the birds we had killed, reserving one fresh for our
supper, which we partook of together upon the benches before the
door of our new habitation. We filled the stable with forage, laid a
large provision of grain for the fowls within their house, and began
arrangements for our departure.
  The following day we took a silent leave of our animals, and
directed our course towards the eminence in the vicinity of Cape
Disappointment; we ascended it, and found it in every respect
adapted to our wishes. From this eminence we had a view over the
country which surrounded Falcon's Stream in one direction, and in
others of a richly-diversified extent of landscape, comprehending sea,
land, and rocks. When we had paused for a short time upon the
exhaustless beauties of the scene, we agreed with one voice that it
should be on this spot we would build our second cottage. A spring
of the clearest water issued from the soil near the summit, and flowed
over its sloping side, forming agreeable cascades in its rapid course;
in short, every feature of the picture contributed to form a landscape
worthy the homage of a taste the most delicate and refined. I
presented my children with an appropriate word. 'Let us build here,'
exclaimed I, 'and call the spot Arcadia-' to which my wife and all
agreed. *
-
  * Arcadia, according to the poets, was the most beautiful and
the happiest of all countries. See Sir Philip Sidney's beautiful
romance of that title.
-
                                                  {CHAPTER_27 ^paragraph 20}
  We lost no time in again setting to work; our experience at the farm
enabled us to proceed with incredible rapidity, and our success was in
every respect more complete. The building contained a dining-room, two
bed-chambers, two stables, and a store-room for preserving all kinds
of provisions for man and beast. We formed the roof square, with
four sloped sides, and the whole had really the appearance of a
European cottage, and was finished in the short space of six days.
What now remained to be done was to fix on a tree fit for my project
of a boat. After much search, I at length found one of prodigious
size, and in most respects suitable to my views.
  It was, however, no very encouraging prospect I had before me, being
nothing less than the stripping off a piece of the bark that should be
eighteen feet in length, and five in diameter: and now I found my rope
ladder of signal service: we fastened it by one end to the nearest
branches, and it enabled us to work with the saw as might be necessary
at any height from the ground. Accordingly we cut quite round the
trunk in two places, and then took a perpendicular slip from the whole
length between the circles; by this means we could introduce the
proper utensils for raising the rest by degrees, till it was
entirely separated. We toiled with increasing anxiety, at every moment
dreading that we should not be able to preserve it from breaking, or
uninjured by our tools. When we had loosened about half, we
supported it by means of cords and pulleys; and when all was at length
detached, we let it down gently, and with joy beheld it lying safe
on the grass. Our business was next to mould it to our purpose,
while the substance continued moist and flexible.
  The boys observed that we had now nothing more to do than to nail
a plank at each end, and our boat would be as complete as those used
by the savages; but for my own part, I could not be contented with a
mere roll of bark for a boat; and when I reminded them of the paltry
figure it would make following the pinnace, I heard not another word
about the further pains and trouble, and they asked eagerly for my
instructions. I made them assist me to saw the bark in the middle of
the two ends, the length of several feet; these two parts I folded
over till they ended in a point; I kept them in this form by the
help of the strong glue I had before made from fish-bladders, and
pieces of wood nailed fast over the whole: this operation tended to
widen the boat in the middle, and thus render it of too flat a form;
but this we counteracted by straining a cord all round, which again
reduced it to the due proportion, and in this state we put it in the
sun, to harden and fix. Many things were still wanting to the
completion of my undertaking, but I had not with me proper utensils: I
therefore despatched the boys to Tent House, to fetch the sledge,
and convey it there for our better convenience in finishing.
  Before our departure for Tent House, we collected several new plants
for our kitchen-garden: and lastly, we made another trip to the narrow
strait at the end of the wall of rocks, resolved, as I before
mentioned, to plant there a sort of fortification of trees, which
should produce the double effect of discouraging the invasion of
savages, and allowing us to keep our pigs on the other side, and
thus secure our different plantations from the chance of injury. We
accomplished all these intentions to our entire satisfaction, and,
in addition, we placed a slight drawbridge across the river beyond the
narrow pass, which we could let down or take up at pleasure on our
side. We now hastened our return to Arcadia, and after a night's
repose we loaded the sledge with the boat and other matters, and
returned to Tent House.
  As soon as we had despatched some necessary affairs, we resumed
the completion of the boat; in two days she had received the
addition of a keel, a neat lining of wood, a small flat floor,
benches, a small mast and triangular sail, a rudder, and a thick
coat of pitch on the outside, so that the first time we saw her in the
water, we were all in ecstasies at the charming appearance she made.
                                                  {CHAPTER_27 ^paragraph 25}
  Our cow in the meantime had brought forth a young calf, a male. I
pierced its nostril, as I had so successfully practised with the
buffalo, and it gave promise of future docility and strength.
  We had still two months in prospect before the rainy season, and
we employed them for completing our abode in the grotto, with the
exception of such ornaments as we might have time to think of during
the long days of winter. We made the internal divisions of planks, and
that which separated us from the stables, of stone, to protect us from
the offensive smell occasioned by the animals. Our task was difficult,
but from habit it became easier every day. We took care to collect
or manufacture a sufficient quantity of all sorts of materials, such
as beams and planks, reeds, and twigs for matting, pieces of gypsum
for plaster, etc., etc.
  We plastered over the walls of the principal apartments on each side
with the greatest care, finishing them by pressure with a flat
smooth board, and lastly a wash of size, in the manner of the
plasterers in Europe. This ornamental portion of our work amused us
all so much, that we began to think we might venture a step further in
European luxury, and agreed that we would attempt to make some carpets
with the hair of our goats. To this effect we smoothed the ground in
the rooms we intended to distinguish with great care; then spread over
it some sail-cloth, which my wife had joined in breadths, and fitted
exactly; we next strewed the goats' hair, mixed with wool obtained
from the sheep, over the whole; on this surface we threw some hot
water, in which a strong cement had been dissolved: the whole was then
rolled up, and was beaten for a considerable time with hard sticks;
the sail-cloth was now unrolled, and the inside again sprinkled,
rolled, and beaten as before; and this process was continued till
the substance had become a sort of felt, which could be separated from
the sail-cloth, and was lastly put in the sun to harden. We thus
produced a very tolerable substitute for that enviable article of
European comfort, a carpet: of these we completed two; one for our
parlour, and the other for our drawing-room, as we jocosely named
them: both of which were completely fit for our reception by the
time the rains had set in.
  All we had suffered during this season in the preceding year doubled
the value of the comforts and conveniences with which we were now
surrounded. We were never tired of admiring our warm and well-arranged
apartments, lighted with windows, and well secured with doors from
wind and rain, and our granary filled with more than a sufficient
winter supply of food for ourselves and for our cattle. In the
morning, our first care was to feed and give them drink; and both
these were now constantly at hand, without the pains of fetching or
preparing: after this we assembled in the parlour, where prayers
were read, and breakfast immediately served: we then adjourned to
the common room, where all sorts of industry went forward, and which
contained the spinning-wheel and loom I had, though with indifferent
success, constructed to gratify my wife. Here all united in the
business of producing different kinds of substances, which she
afterwards made into apparel. I had also contrived to construct a
turning-machine, having used for the purpose one of the small cannon
wheels, with the help of which the boys and I managed to produce
some neat utensils for general use. After dinner our work was
resumed till night, when we lighted candles; and as they cost no
more than our own trouble in collecting and manufacturing the
materials, we did not refuse ourselves the pleasure of using many at a
time, to admire their lights splendidly reflected by the crystals
everywhere pendent. We had formed a convenient portion of our dwelling
into a small chapel, in which we left the crystals as produced by
nature; and they exhibited a wondrous assemblage of colonnades,
porticoes, altars, which, when the place was lighted to supply the
want of a window, presented a truly enchanting spectacle. Divine
service was performed in it regularly every Sunday. I had raised a
sort of pulpit, from which I pronounced such discourses as I had
framed for the instruction of my affectionate group of auditors.
Jack and Francis had a natural inclination for music. I did the most I
could in making a flageolet apiece for them of two reeds, on which
they so frequently practised as to attain a tolerable proficiency:
they accompanied their mother, who had a sweet-toned voice, the volume
of which was doubled by the echoes of the grottoes, and they
produced together a very pleasing little concert.

{CHAPTER_28
                                  28
                    Anniversary of our Deliverance
-
  ONE MORNING, having arisen earlier than the rest of my young family,
I occupied myself by counting up the time that had passed away since
our shipwreck. I calculated the dates with the utmost exactness, and I
found that the next day would be the second anniversary of that event,
so I resolved to celebrate the day with all the pomp our situation
would permit.
  As I had not yet fixed upon the arrangements for our holiday, I said
nothing about it to my family. Breakfast over, we proceeded to our
different employments, and it was not until we were seated at supper
that I announced, in a pompous manner, the holiday for the morrow.
  'Be ready,' said I to my sons, 'to celebrate the anniversary of
the morrow; let each one prepare himself as is proper for so great a
day.' These last words, joined to the announcement of a holiday,
surprised and overjoyed my children. Their mother was not less
astonished than they were to find that they had been on the island two
years.
  A crowd of questions was now poured in upon me as to the manner in
which I had discovered that we had been here two years.
                                                   {CHAPTER_28 ^paragraph 5}
  'Very simply,' said I to my sons. 'When we were wrecked it was the
end of January; our lost calendar had eleven months then to run
through, and I have followed its course through the present year. If
my recollection serves me right, and if the dates which I have made
are exact, to-morrow finishes the second year.'
  We talked, during some time, of different affairs, until I gave
the signal of retirement. My good little men lay extended on their
mattresses a long time, wondering and talking over the coming holiday.
  The wished-for morrow at length arrived, and the day had scarcely
dawned before I heard the report of a cannon resounding through the
rocks. I was frightened, and instantly rose up to discover the
cause. I found my sons stretched on their beds, apparently fast
asleep, and Jack was snoring with all his might; but it was impossible
for him to play the part of 'sleeper' long, and he no sooner perceived
me than he cried out, 'Oh, how well she went off!'
  We rose and dressed as decently as our scanty means afforded, and
proceeded to breakfast.
  'You have practised for some time,' said I, 'in wrestling,
running, slinging, and horsemanship; the time has come when you
shall receive the reward for your labours. You shall this day contend,
before your mother and I, and the crown shall be given to the
victor. Come, champions,' I added, elevating my voice, 'the barrier is
open, enter the lists; and you, trumpets, sound the horn of combat.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_28 ^paragraph 10}
  I then organised the different combats which were to take place.
First came firing at a mark; the materials for this were soon arranged
by fixing in the ground a rudely-shaped piece of wood, with two bits
of leather at each side of the top, which we called a kangaroo. Jack
did wonders, either by chance or skill: he shot away one of the ears
of our pretended kangaroo! Fritz just grazed the head, and Ernest
lodged his ball in the middle of the body. The three shots were all
worthy of praise. Another proof of skill was then made; it consisted
in firing at a ball of cork which I threw up in the air; Ernest had
the advantage here: he cut the ball to pieces. Fritz also shot well,
but Jack could not hit it. We then tried the same thing with
pistols, shortening the distance.
  Slinging succeeded to the pistol exercise: Fritz carried off the
prize. After that came archery; and here all- even little Francis-
distinguished themselves. Next came the races; and I gave them for a
course the distance between Family Bridge and Falcon's Nest.
  'The one that arrives first,' said I to the runners, who were
gathered about me, 'will bring me, as proof of his victory, my
knife, which I left on the table, under the tree.' I then gave the
signal, by clapping my hands three times. My three sons set out,
Jack and Fritz with all the impetuosity that marked their character;
on the contrary, Ernest, who never did anything without reflecting,
set off slowly at first, but gradually augmented his pace. I perceived
that he had elbows pressed firmly against his body, and I augured well
from this little mark of prudence.
  The runners were absent about three-quarters of an hour. Jack
returned first; but he was mounted on his buffalo, and the onager
and the ass followed him.
  'How now,' said I, 'is this what you call racing? It was your
legs, and not those of the buffalo, that I wished to exercise.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_28 ^paragraph 15}
  'Bah!' cried he, jumping from the back of his courser; 'I knew I
would never get there, so I left the course; and, as the trial of
horsemanship comes next, I thought that, as I was near Falcon's
Nest, I would bring our coursers back with me.'
  Fritz came next, all out of breath and covered with sweat; but he
had not the knife, and it was Ernest who brought it me.
  'How came you to have the knife,' said I, 'when Fritz got here
before you?'
  'The thing is simple,' answered Ernest; 'in going, he could not long
keep up the pace he started with, and soon stopped to breathe, while I
ran on and got the knife; but in coming back, Fritz had learned a
lesson; he pressed his arms against his sides, and held his mouth
shut, as he had seen me do, and then the victory depended upon our
relative strength: Fritz is 16, while I am but 13, and of course he
arrived first.'
  I praised the two boys for their skill, and declared Ernest
conqueror.
                                                  {CHAPTER_28 ^paragraph 20}
  But now Jack, mounted on his buffalo, demanded that the equestrian
exercises should commence, and he be allowed to repair the injury
his reputation had sustained.
  'To the saddle, to the saddle, my lads,' he bellowed with all his
force, 'and you shall then see who can best manage a courser; we shall
then know whether you can sit your horse as well as you can exercise
your legs.'
  I hastened to comply with the request of the little braggadocio:
Fritz mounted his onager, and Ernest took the ass; but although they
tried all their skill, Jack distanced them both. I was frightened
myself to see with what boldness the boy abandoned himself to the
powerful animal that bore him. To stop, charge, and turn, was but a
trifle to him; a practised groom could not have managed a
thorough-bred horse with more ease and grace than he did his bull.
Often, when the animal was in full gallop, he would rise, and,
throwing himself on his back, extend his arms on each side, as the
circus-riders do. But I expressly forbade this useless and dangerous
experiment. Just as I had declared the contest over, and was about
to proclaim Jack victor, the little Francis rode into the arena,
mounted on his young bull 'Broumm,' who was not more than three or
four months old; my wife had made him a saddle of kangaroo-skin,
with stirrups adjusted to his little legs, and there he sat, a whip in
his right hand, and the bridle of his animal in the left.
  'Gentlemen,' said the little cavalier, saluting us with a gracious
bend, 'I have not contended with you thus far in any of the
exercises of the day; will you now permit Milo of Crotona to make a
trial of his horsemanship before you?'
  The assembly loudly applauded this little harangue, and the cavalier
commenced to manoeuvre his courser. The boy was more cool and calm
than those of his age are apt to be. But what I admired most was the
docility of the animal. My wife looked on with maternal pride to see
the success of her dear pupil, and Francis was unanimously
proclaimed an excellent horseman.
                                                  {CHAPTER_28 ^paragraph 25}
  After the horsemanship, the swimming occupied some time; they also
climbed the trees; and, after we had finished our gymnastics, I
announced that the rewards would now be distributed, and that the
crowns would shade the brows of the victors.
  Every one hastened to the grotto, which had been lighted up with all
the torches we possessed; my wife, as queen of the day, was
pompously installed in an elevated seat, decorated with flowers, and I
called up the laureates to receive the rewards, which their mother
distributed to each one as she impressed a tender kiss upon his
forehead.
  Fritz- conqueror at shooting and swimming- received a superb English
rifle, and a hunting-knife, which he had long wished for. Ernest had
for the reward of the race a splendid gold watch. * Jack- the cavalier
obtained a magnificent pair of steel spurs and a whip of whalebone.
Little Francis received a pair of stirrups and a box of colours, as
a reward for the industry he had displayed in educating his bull.
-
  * These articles were portion of the property brought from the
wreck.
                                                  {CHAPTER_28 ^paragraph 30}
-
  When this distribution was finished, I rose, and, turning to my
wife, presented her with a beautiful English work-box, in which was
contained all those little things that add so much to the comfort of
an industrious woman, such as pins, needles, scissors, etc.
   'Receive,' said I, 'my excellent companion, also a reward; for your
services and endurance during the year well deserve one, even though
the tender love of myself and children may be in itself a sufficient
reward.'
  The day was finished as it had begun- with songs and expressions
of joy; we were all happy and contented: we all enjoyed that pure
felicity which a life free from reproach had given us; and we all
thanked in our hearts the Lord who had been so merciful toward us.

{CHAPTER_29
                                  29
  Excursion to the Farm-house- A new economic way of Bird-catching-
          Gourds- Monkey roots or Ginseng- A Race of Enemies
-
  WE ALL REMEMBERED the bountiful provision we had derived from the
blackbirds and ortolans that had settled upon our giant tree at
Falcon's Nest the preceding year. The time had now arrived for their
re-appearance, and we resolved to leave the grotto, which had become
our established residence, and remove nearer to the spot, where I
intended to secure as many as possible of this delicious provision for
the coming winter.
  My boys were all eager to start, their minds animated with the
most warlike intentions. Fritz, the marksman, and Jack, rejoiced at
the good shots they would have; but I did not partake in their
enthusiasm, for I remembered the prodigious quantity of powder that
had been consumed the preceding year, and I was resolved to conduct
the affair more economically.
  I remembered to have read, in a book of voyages, that the
inhabitants of the Pelew islands capture birds a great deal larger and
stronger than ortolans by means of limed twigs; and I intended to
make, with gum-elastic and oil, a sort of glue that would save us a
great deal of powder.
                                                   {CHAPTER_29 ^paragraph 5}
  The provision of india-rubber which we had collected on our last
excursion was exhausted; we had made waterproof boots of it, and,
before I set out, I wished to give them a new coat of it. I sent Fritz
and Jack to the wood of india-rubber trees, where I thought they would
find, ready drawn, a sufficient quantity of the gum, as we had made
large incisions in the trees, and placed calabashes under them to
receive the gum; and as experience had taught us that the sun
hardens it immediately, we had protected our calabashes from its rays,
by surrounding them with green branches.
  Our two messengers were lost to our view when my wife suddenly
exclaimed, 'Stupid woman that I am, I have forgotten to give the
boys a calabash in which they might put the gum, for they cannot bring
it home in the flat dishes we put there. I mean to go directly, and
see whether my gourds are ripe.'
  I tranquillised my good wife by assuring her that they would not
be at a loss to find something; and then, returning to the last word
she had spoken, asked her what she meant by saying 'my gourds.' *
-
  * Gourd, or calabash, a climbing plant, with a fruit allied to the
cucumber, melon, squash, etc. In Egypt and Arabia, the lower classes
boil it in vinegar, or make a kind of pudding of it, by filling the
shell with rice and meat.
                                                  {CHAPTER_29 ^paragraph 10}
-
  She then informed me that she possessed a superb plantation of
gourds, the seeds of which she had found among our European grains,
and which she had planted in her kitchen-garden. She led the way
there; and we found, among many other plants, a quantity of those
bottle-shaped gourds that the peasants in our country carry to the
field. Some were ripe, some just formed, and others in full bloom.
We selected the ripest, and those the form of which could be useful to
us, and we commenced to empty them out. We made bottles, and plates,
and saucers, using alternately the knife and the saw. But Ernest, my
aid and companion, had very little taste for such work, and he could
scarcely contain his joy when he heard me say we had done enough. He
threw down his knife and ran to his gun, intending to give the
ortolans and the jays, who were perched in the tree, a discharge of
small shot; but I soon stopped him, for I was afraid the discharge
would frighten away the peaceable inhabitants against whom I had
projected a more quiet mode of warfare.
  We now anxiously expected our young messengers back, for the sun had
already begun to decline. Ernest kept a good look-out on the side
his brothers were expected from, and he soon perceived them rapidly
approaching, the one mounted on the onager, and the other on the
buffalo.
  'Well,' said I, 'have you made out well?'
  'Oh, yes, very well,' said Fritz, in a singular tone, as they leaped
from their coursers, and showed us what they had brought, which
consisted of a root of anise that Jack had brought in his
buffalo-pouch; a root wrapped up in leaves, which they called
'monkey root'; two calabashes of india-rubber, and another half full
of turpentine; a sack full of wax berries, and a crane, which
Fritz's eagle had killed. But while they were exhibiting their
treasures, they talked so fast and so rambling that I was obliged to
make them preserve a little order in their recital.
                                                  {CHAPTER_29 ^paragraph 15}
  Jack then commenced telling us how he had obtained the anise and the
turpentine. Of these two things, one was, at least, superfluous; but
the other might be of some advantage, as I could use it instead of
oil, in making my snares for the birds. I then asked them concerning
the 'monkey root' they had brought; Fritz answered as follows:
  'I do not know of what importance this root may be to us; but I
can assure you that it far surpasses manioc, both in smell and savour.
We discovered it close by the farm-house, where a company of monkeys
were regaling themselves on it. You would have laughed to see the
manner in which the ugly animals pulled out the roots. They made use
of a process which the labourers of Europe have no idea of- they
pulled them up by turning somersets.'
  'By turning somersets!' cried we; 'why, how wonderful!'
  'Yes, somersets,' replied Fritz. 'Every monkey, after having
buried his teeth as far as possible in the root, turns himself
violently over, backward, and repeats the exercise until his
reiterated efforts have drawn the precious root from the ground. We
looked on for a considerable time at the grimaces and contortions of
the hideous animals; but, curious to judge for ourselves of the
merit of an article they seemed so very fond of, we resolved to
disperse them. The report of a gun would have scattered the whole
flock; but I remembered your instructions not to waste powder, and
we contented ourselves by driving at full gallop among the
affrighted troop, who fled in all directions. We soon tasted the root,
and, finding it very delicious, I wrapped some pieces up in leaves,
and brought them to you to see whether you know any other name than
'monkey root' for it.'
  Here Fritz stopped, and I took up the root; and, after having tasted
it, I told my sons that their discovery was really a treasure, for I
believed that it was the ginseng, the sacred root of China, which
popular superstition had made a sort of universal panacea, and which
the emperor alone could gather. Sentinels are placed in the spots
where the ginseng grows; but, notwithstanding their vigilance, immense
quantities are smuggled by the Americans. *
                                                  {CHAPTER_29 ^paragraph 20}
-
  * Found likewise in the northern parts of America; it has jointed
fleshy taper root about the size of a finger- taste rather sweet, with
a slight bitterness- the Chinese have but little faith in any medicine
that has not this combined with it.
-
  'Blessed be the monkeys, then,' said Ernest, 'that they have made
known to us the existence of so precious an article.'
  'Bless them, if you please,' answered Fritz; 'as for my part, I
heartily abhor them. After having gathered up the roots which we
have brought home,' he continued, 'we directed our course toward the
gum-trees; the calabashes were full; we emptied them into others
easier to carry, and, as the sun was yet very high, we thought we
would go to the farm-house and see how our little colonists got along.
But imagine what was our astonishment at seeing the farm-house
overturned, the walls torn down, and the planks scattered, here and
there, over the ground; the chickens were strangled, and the goats
wandered through the scene of devastation. Our beautiful establishment
had been sacked from top to bottom by a troop of mischievous
animals, without doubt those villainous monkeys. Oh, how sorry I
felt that I had not shot into the group and punished them for their
audacity. We collected our poor beasts, who ran toward us on hearing
our voices. We repaired their enclosure as much as we were able to;
and, instead of reposing ourselves under the shade of that roof we had
hoped to find, we turned, with saddened hearts, toward the 'Lake of
Swans,' where it was that my eagle captured the crane. We then
hastened our return, happy in having found so delicious a root as
the ginseng, but overwhelmed with grief on beholding the ruins of
our farm-house, and thinking of your sorrow when you should hear the
news.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_29 ^paragraph 25}
  Fritz finished his recital. The news he had brought grieved us
deeply, and I vowed vengeance against the malicious monkeys, who would
soon render our island desolate. I consoled my sons by telling them
I intended very soon to organise a 'monkey hunt,' where they might
display their courage and address.
  Supper was now announced; the ginseng made its appearance, and was
pronounced excellent; but as its aromatic nature made it more of a
medicine than an article of food, I forbade its frequent use, while
I enjoined my wife to plant a few roots in our garden. We then
separated, having decided that the first work on the morrow should
be the manufacture of the bird-snares.

{CHAPTER_30
                                  30
               Bird-snares which prove also Boy-snares-
     Bird-taking by Torchlight- Extermination of the Monkey Tribe
-
  THE NEXT MORNING, after we had finished our every-day occupations,
such as prayer, breakfast, and attending to our beasts, my young
family reminded me of my promise of last night. All were impatient
to see the snares in operation, and all prophesied marvels from this
new invention.
  I took a certain quantity of the liquid india-rubber, which I
mixed with the turpentine, and placed the mixture over the fire;
and, while the glue was thickening, I sent the boys into the copse
to gather a quantity of little twigs which I needed. They soon brought
me a large quantity, which I made them dip in the glue and fasten to
the branches of the fig-trees, the fruit of which I observed was
very much liked by the ortolans, * thrushes, and becaficoes, *(2)
who frequented the place. I discovered that we had but seen the last
of the season the preceding year, as at present the birds were so
numerous that a blind man firing into the tree could not have failed
to bring down a large number of them. The abundance of game
suggested another idea to my mind; I thought that if the ortolans were
so numerous during the day they would not be less so at night, and I
resolved to try, in imitation of the Americans in Virginia, the
experiment of a hunt with torches, persuaded that it would be more
expeditious and successful than taking the birds by snares.
-
                                                   {CHAPTER_30 ^paragraph 5}
  * Ortolan, not unlike the yellow-hammer.
  *(2) Beccafigo, or Fig-eater, about the size of a linnet; both
these birds feed on fruits and berries, and are much prized for the
delicacy of their flesh; a very large trade is carried on from the
island of Cyprus with the former.
-
  But my little boys, while employed at making the snares, had been
taken in their own trap. Hands, faces, and clothes were all covered
with glue, and one could not touch them without getting besmeared.
They were all in great consternation, and their good mother also,
for she had but very little clean linen to spare them. I calmed
their fears by assuring them that some ashes and water would remedy
all this disorder, and wash out all the stains.
  I rallied them a little on their awkwardness. 'I knew very well,'
said I, 'that my glue would trap the birds; but I had no idea it would
catch little boys.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_30 ^paragraph 10}
  I then taught them how to avoid the inconvenience of glueing their
fingers, by plunging a packet of five or six twigs, by the aid of a
pair of pincers, into the glue, instead of dipping them in singly.
They adopted the plan, which succeeded perfectly. When I had made a
sufficient quantity, Jack and Fritz climbed into the tree, and
placed the branches of fig-trees, covered with the snares, among the
limbs of the tree; and it was not long before we saw the unfortunate
ortolans falling to the ground in numbers, their legs and wings
stuck fast in the glue. They fell so fast that Francis, Ernest, and my
wife were scarcely sufficient to gather up the game and kill them,
while the two other boys again fixed in the branches the snares that
had fallen with the birds, and which served three or four times.
But, although the fowling was so abundant, the labour was very
fatiguing, for the branches to which Fritz and Jack had to climb
were as much as sixty or seventy feet from the ground. I placed a
great deal of confidence in my torches, and I arranged the materials
for making them, in which turpentine was a powerful auxiliary.
  While I was thus occupied, Jack brought me a beautiful bird, much
larger than an ortolan, which had been taken in the snares.
  'I am very certain,' said Ernest, who had approached, and who,
with his observing eye, had already recognised the bird, 'I am very
sure that it is one of our European pigeons, one of the young ones
from those who built their nests last year in the branches of the
tree.'
  I took the bird from Jack's hands, and recognised with pleasure that
Ernest's conjecture was true. I rubbed the ends of his wings and his
feet with ashes to clean them from the glue, and I put him in a cage
with the intention of adding a dove-cot to our domestic property. We
captured others, and at night we had in our possession two fine
pairs of wood-pigeons. Fritz thought that our grotto would be the best
place to fix their habitation. I approved of the plan, and I
promised to commence the work as soon as we had finished our present
occupation.
  But, notwithstanding our hard labour during the day, we were not
able to fill more than one barrel. I enjoined my sons to take notice
of the trees on which the ortolans roosted during the night. The
bark of two or three of the fig-trees which were covered with the
excrements of the birds decided the matter; and, after supper, and a
few minutes of rest, I commenced my preparations. These were few in
number, and consisted of two or three long bamboo canes, two bags,
torches of resin, and some sugar-canes. Fritz, my grand huntsman,
regarded me with a look of incredulity. He could not understand how,
with these strange instruments, I could realise the prodigies I
prophesied.
                                                  {CHAPTER_30 ^paragraph 15}
  We set out; and the night- which succeeds immediately to the day
in these climates- soon overshadowed the earth. Arrived at the foot of
the trees that we had chosen, I lighted up my torches, and scarcely
had the flame begun to burn than a cloud of ortolans fell down
around us, and began to fly wildly around the flickering flames.
  'Well, gentlemen,' said I to my sons, 'you see that my stratagem has
proved not to be a bad idea. Now is your time: I have placed the
game within your reach; you have but to extend your hand, and you
are masters.'
  I then armed each one with a bamboo cane, and set them an example by
striking right and left among the mass of ortolans. They fell as thick
and fast as rain, and we soon filled two large bags. Our flambeaux,
however, would only last long enough to light us back to Falcon's
Nest; and as the sacks were too heavy for me alone to carry, we placed
them crosswise on the bamboo poles, and thus carried them very easily.
The obscurity of the night, the torches which lighted us, and the
sacks on poles, gave to our march the aspect of the funeral
processions we read of in romances.
  We arrived safely at Falcon's Nest, and, before we retired to
rest, looked over our game, and terminated the sufferings of those
poor birds that had not been killed by the blows. The next day,
every one put his hand to the work of cleaning and preparing our game-
a very disagreeable, although necessary task. We filled two barrels
with ortolans, half roasted, and packed down in butter.
  I had not forgotten in the midst of these culinary occupations the
expedition I intended to make against the monkeys, and I fixed its
commencement for the following day. We rose early; my wife gave us
provisions for two days, and we set out. Fritz mounted the onager, I
took the ass, Jack and Ernest were seated together on the back of
the buffalo, whom we had loaded with our provisions, our tent, and
everything we had need of. Three of our dogs accompanied us. I made
known to my sons that the war to which I conducted them would be a war
of death, and that I was resolved to exterminate the whole race of the
mischievous animals.
                                                  {CHAPTER_30 ^paragraph 20}
  'It is,' said I, 'but a question of life and death between us and
the monkeys. If they do not succumb, we must; it is an affair of
preservation. Without doubt the useless effusion of blood is horrible,
but there are circumstances that render it necessary.'
  We soon arrived at the shore of the lake and I selected a good place
for our encampment, and we commenced immediate operations. We put up
our tent, and fastened hopples to the legs of our animals to prevent
their escaping, and we set off in quest of the enemy. The farm-house
was deserted, and the sight of the disorder which reigned there- the
overturned walls and scattered ruins- did but confirm me in my
intention to use the utmost degree of severity towards the
depredators.
  Fritz set off in advance, and, in a few moments, returned to
announce to us that he had discovered the whole horde at a little
distance tranquilly amusing themselves, and utterly unconscious of the
danger near. We then drove slightly into the ground, all around the
farm-house, little stakes of wood, and we stretched between them
long and flexible ropes; in different places we placed cocoa-nuts, and
little vessels of cooked rice or maize with some fruit, and even
some palm-wine, of which I knew by experience the monkeys were very
fond. All these things we smeared over with the glue I had used to
capture the birds with; we also spread it over the trunks of the trees
and on everything, so that it was impossible to venture in the
labyrinth we had constructed, or to touch any of the vessels,
without getting stuck fast. We then retired to our tent, to give the
enemy a fair chance to approach. The day passed, however, and yet
nothing appeared; and I began to fear that the cunning animals had
perceived our motions, and suspected something wrong was going on.
At night we lay down, after having done ample justice to the cold
provisions we had brought with us; but nothing troubled our repose.
  The next morning we awoke very early; but the monkeys had been
beforehand with us, and the first sight that met our eyes was the
whole company marching toward our traps. Nothing could be more
laughable than to see the hideous procession; some walked on four
legs, while others held themselves upright and marched majestically
along, as if they were human beings. We remained still in the tent,
for fear of frightening them; and we soon saw them busily engaged at
the feast we had prepared for them. That which I had predicted soon
happened; and immediately the whole troop formed but one solid
block: they were all stuck fast together by the glued lines and the
stakes, which attached themselves closely to their fur. It was a
strange and truly laughable sight to see the attempts they made to
extricate themselves; but their efforts were useless; and soon the
whole troop set up a cry of fury and of rage. Never have I seen
grimaces more hideous, or contortions more frightful. Those whom their
gluttony had conducted toward the calabashes of rice or wine,
carried away these vessels stuck fast to their mouths, while others
dragged about the long sticks, which completely hindered them from
escaping. When I thought that the disorder was complete, I let loose
our dogs; they threw themselves furiously upon the troop of monkeys,
tore them in pieces with their teeth, while we followed, striking
right and left with our sticks. The unhappy monkeys uttered most
lamentable cries, and rolled over at our feet as if to implore our
pity; but I commanded that no quarter should be given, and we did
not rest until the extermination was complete. Our sticks were dyed
with blood, and the scene presented the appearance of a field of
battle.
  We dug a ditch three or four feet in depth, and buried the dead
bodies; and I surrounded the spot with a palisade to keep out our
domestic animals.
                                                  {CHAPTER_30 ^paragraph 25}
  We took a little repose, and endeavoured to repair the disorder at
the farm-house, collecting our frightened animals, establishing as
much order as a few hours' stay would permit; and then striking our
tent, we set off for home. Before we went, however, we made a new
conquest: it was that of two beautiful birds, larger than the ordinary
pigeon, whom I recognised as pigeons of Molucca: their plumage was
an agreeable mixture of blue, green, yellow, purple, and violet.
This capture was the work of Fritz, who had placed a little cup of
rice, covered with glue, on a palm-tree, and the two birds had been
taken by it. After having cleaned their wings, we fastened their
feet together, and carried them with us, intending to admit them
members of our future dove-cot at Tent House.

{CHAPTER_31
                                  31
                  Jack's Adventure and Narrow Escape
-
  WE WERE OCCUPIED fifteen days in working at our dove-cot and other
objects which called for our attention; and I may as well say, in this
place, that the native pigeons multiplied so fast and increased so
abundantly that I was obliged to reduce the number, as, in time,
they would have driven out our beautiful pigeons of Molucca; and as
the great multiplication was increased by swarms of emigrants from
Falcon's Nest, I determined to reduce the number of European pigeons
to five pairs; and to prevent any new-comers, snares of glue were
placed around the dove-cot every morning before it was opened, and
they furnished us many a good fat pigeon, and relieved the eagle of
Fritz from much hard duty.
  An adventure of which Master Jack was the hero diverted the monotony
of our existence, divided as it was between new constructions and
provisioning our habitation for winter.
  Jack had one day set off on an expedition, the intent and purpose of
which nobody but himself had any knowledge of; but his absence was not
long, for we soon saw him returning, covered from head to foot with
a thick, black mud, and dragging after him a bundle of Spanish rushes,
likewise covered with mud. The poor boy's eyes were filled with tears,
and his irregular walk proved that he had lost one of his shoes.
  At this tragi-comic sight we burst into a fit of laughter; his
mother alone did not partake in the general gaiety, and she received
the poor fellow rather coldly.
                                                   {CHAPTER_31 ^paragraph 5}
  'Really,' said she, 'I do not think there is your equal in the
world. Do you think that you have a whole wardrobe at your service
to supply you with clean clothes? What a pretty condition you are in.'
  'Ha! ha!' laughed Fritz. 'He looks like a Barbary goose.'
  'Yes,' replied Ernest; 'or like the god Neptune, emerging from his
watery empire.'
  'Laugh away, gentlemen,' cried poor Jack; 'if you had been as near
death as I have been, you wouldn't laugh so heartily.'
  These words arrested my attention. I reproached the boys with
their unbrotherly conduct, and begged our hero to relate his story.
                                                  {CHAPTER_31 ^paragraph 10}
  'Where have you been,' said I, 'to dirty yourself so?'
  'In Flamingo Marsh.'
  'Why, what in the name of common sense were you doing there?'
  'Alas!' answered the poor boy, as he heaved a deep sigh, 'I wanted
to get some Spanish osiers to make nests for the pigeons.'
  'A praiseworthy intention,' said I; 'and it is doubly unjust to
reward you with sarcasm. It was not your fault that the enterprise did
not succeed well.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_31 ^paragraph 15}
  'Oh, no; and if it had not been for these bundles of rushes I should
certainly have lost my life. I wanted some thin, flexible rushes;
those on the borders of the swamp were too large, and I advanced
farther into the marsh, jumping from hummock to hummock, until I
came to a spot where the only footing was a mass of soft, black mud;
my feet slipped in, and I found myself up to my knees in the compound;
and, gradually sinking deeper, I commenced screaming at the top of
my voice; but nobody heard me, except my jackal, who came running up
to me, and tried to assist me by howling with all his might.'
  'But why,' said Ernest, 'did you not try to swim? you excel all of
us in swimming.'
  'Fine advice, truly; I would like to see you swimming in a swamp, up
to your neck in mud, and surrounded by a thick forest of willows. When
I perceived that neither my cries nor those of the jackal produced any
good, I endeavoured to draw myself out; for I was sinking fast, and
had no time to lose. I took my knife from my pocket, and cut, from the
willows that surrounded me, two large bundles, and, placing one
under each arm, they served me as a sort of hold. I then exerted all
my strength, and, by moving my body, my arms, and my legs, I managed
to raise myself up a little. All this time my jackal stood on the edge
of the marsh, howling with all his might. I whistled him to me, and,
grasping hold of his tail, at last, with great difficulty, I reached
terra firma.'
  'God be praised, my poor child,' said I, 'that you have been
preserved to us! but the risk was great, and you may thank your jackal
that you are alive.'
  'Who knows,' said Fritz, 'whether either of us would have thought of
such a plan?'
                                                  {CHAPTER_31 ^paragraph 20}
  'For my part,' added Ernest, 'I really cannot tell what I would have
done.'
  'Oh, your inventive genius would have suggested some means of
escape,' replied Jack; 'but necessity is the best master.'
  His mother hastened to wash and clean the poor adventurer: his
entire suit was put to soak in the Jackal's River, and we also
washed the rushes, as I intended to make use of them. In their present
condition they were too long and hard, and we were obliged to cut them
in several strips.
  I profited by the willows that Jack had brought, to commence the
construction of a machine that my wife had long expected of me,
viz., a weaving-machine.
  Two rushes, split lengthwise, and wound round with packthread, so
that they would dry without bending, formed four bars to make that
part of the machine called the 'combs.' I made my sons cut me a
quantity of little pieces of wood, to make the teeth for the combs;
and when I had procured these first materials for my construction, I
put them aside, saying nothing to anybody concerning their
destination, as I wished the machine to be a surprise to my wife,
and I proved insensible to all the ridicule showered upon my little
sticks, which Ernest facetiously called toothpicks.
                                                  {CHAPTER_31 ^paragraph 25}
  'What are you going to make with all those sticks?' asked my wife
with womanish curiosity.
  'Oh, nothing but a whim of mine,' I answered, laughing. 'I intend to
make you a superb instrument of music, such as the Hottentots have,
called a gom-gom. Let me alone, and I promise you, you shall be
the first to dance to its melodious sounds.'
  'Dance! I assure you that I have other things to do; dancing never
will occupy much of my time, I am afraid.'
  'If you are really going to make a gom-gom,' said Ernest, 'your
little sticks are useless; for gom-goms are made by simply
stretching some cords over a piece of calabash, and the music is
produced by drawing a quill across the cords.'
  'A fine instrument, I declare,' cried Jack, 'why, it would
frighten a jackal.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_31 ^paragraph 30}
  'No matter what it will do, I have given you a correct
description; for I have seen one, and the tone it emitted sounded
exactly like gom-gom.'
  Every one was now anxious to know what I was going to do; but I
waived all questions, telling my wife that she would be the first
one to rejoice at its completion.
  About this time, our onager gave birth to a beautiful little ass
of its species. It was received with pleasure, for it not only added
to our number of useful animals, but also afforded us a courser that
in future time would make quite a figure in our cavalcades. I gave
it the name of 'Rapid,' as I designed him particularly for the saddle;
and we saw with pleasure that his limbs were all beautifully
proportioned.
  The approach of the rainy season and the remembrance of the
trouble we had had in collecting our animals last year, induced us
to invent a method to render the service less painful; it was to
accustom them to return to their homes at the sound of a conch, in
which I had placed a bit of wood, like a flute. The pigs were the only
ones that we could not manage. They were unruly and loved their
liberty too much to be confined; we willingly abandoned them, as the
dogs could easily bring them together if desired.
  Among the embellishments and comfort with which we had surrounded
our winter habitation, we yet wanted a reservoir of pure water,
which we were obliged to bring from the Jackal's River. The distance
was too great in winter, and I wished to remedy the inconvenience
before the rains came on. I conceived the idea of bringing a stream of
water from the river to the grotto, and to establish a fountain, as we
had done at Falcon's Nest. Bamboo canes, fitted into one another,
served us for canals; we rested them on crotches of wood, and a barrel
sunk in the ground performed the office of a basin.
                                                  {CHAPTER_31 ^paragraph 35}
  We proposed, when time permitted us, to give to this construction
the elegance and perfection it wanted. But such as it was, it answered
our purpose; and my wife assured me she was just as contented with the
little fountain as if it had been built of marble, and surrounded by
dolphins and naiads, spouting water from their mouths.

{CHAPTER_32
                                  32
   The Approach of Winter and Wet Season- Invention of a New Light-
                        Literary Acquisitions
-
  THE SEASON OF rains was fast approaching, and we used all possible
expedition to get in everything necessary. The grain, the fruits of
all sorts which surrounded our habitation, potatoes, rice, guavas,
sweet acorns, pine-apples, anise, manioc, bananas, nothing in short
was forgotten. We sowed our seeds as we had done the year before,
hoping that the European sorts would sprout quicker, and more
easily, on account of the moisture of the atmosphere.
  My wife made us sacks of canvas which we filled, and by the aid of
our patient beasts carried to the magazines, where they were emptied
into large hogsheads prepared for them. But these labours were not
accomplished without much trouble; for as we had planted our corn
and wheat at different times, we were obliged to choose out the ripe
stalks from a whole field- work of no small difficulty. I resolved
to devise some plan for a more regular cultivation the next year. We
had a pair of buffaloes for all the labour that would have to be done;
and all that was required, in addition to our present stock of
harness, was a double yoke, which I intended to make during our winter
seclusion. It was necessary now for us to become labourers, as we
had successively been carpenters, coal-burners, and basket-makers; but
necessity is despotic, and under this hard master we were serving an
apprenticeship.
  But the rains had already commenced; several times we had been
visited by heavy showers, which hastened our remaining occupations. By
degrees the horizon became covered with thick clouds, the winds
swept fearfully along the coast, the billows rose, and for the space
of fifteen days we were witnesses of a scene whose majesty and
terrific grandeur man cannot form an idea. Nature seemed overturned,
the trees bent to the terrible blasts, the lightning and the thunder
were mingled with the wind and the storm; in one word, it was a
concert of Nature's many voices, where the deep tones of the thunder
served for the bass, and harmoniously blended with the sharp
whistlings of the storm. It seemed to us that the storm of last year
had been nothing in comparison to it. Nevertheless, the winds began to
calm, and the rain, instead of beating down upon us in torrents, began
to fall with that despair-inspiring uniformity, which we felt would
last for twelve long weeks. The first moments of our seclusion were
sad enough, but necessity reconciled us to our situation, and we began
as cheerfully as possible to arrange the interior of our
subterranean habitation.
                                                   {CHAPTER_32 ^paragraph 5}
  We had only taken a few of our animals in with us: the cow, on
account of her milk, the ass to take care of the little foal, and
Lightfoot and Storm, because we would need them in the excursions
which might become necessary.
  The small department that we had allotted for the stable prevented
us from accommodating more, and the sheep and goats were sent to
Falcon's Nest, as we were sure they would find abundant pasture and
good shelter there; and one of my cavaliers rode over every day to
carry them a handful of salt, and see that nothing was wanting. Our
dogs, the jackal, Master Knips, and the eagle, all found a home with
us, and their attention and playfulness enabled us to pass away many
of the long hours we were obliged to spend under the roof of our
grotto.
  We devoted our attention first to a crowd of minor wants which we
only discovered by occupation, but yet were of primary necessity. I
have said that our apartments were all on one floor; but the ground
had not been carefully levelled, and we set to work to fill up the
cavities and cut away the projections, so as to prevent any of us from
breaking our necks. The fountain I had made did not answer the
purpose, and the one great necessity of a good supply of water was
as yet unprovided for. We also made tables and chairs, prepared for
all the exigencies of our position, and endeavoured to render our long
confinement as supportable as possible. But there was yet an
inconvenience. We had not imagined we wanted light. There were but
three openings in the grotto, besides the door: one in the kitchen,
one in the work-room, and a third in my sleeping-chamber. The boys'
room, and all the rest of our habitation, was plunged in the most
complete darkness. The light never penetrated into the recesses of the
grotto. I discovered that three or four more windows were necessary;
but they could not be made before the return of fine weather, and I
devised the following remedy for the defect.
  Among the bamboos that I had procured as leaders for the water was
one of great size, which I had preserved. This bamboo I found by
chance was just the height of our grotto. I trimmed it, and planted it
in the ground about a foot deep, surrounding it with props to make
it steady. I then gave Jack a hammer, a pulley, and a rope, and,
appealing to his agility, I asked him to climb the pole. In a moment
he was at the top, and, after having driven the pulley into the roof
of the grotto, and thrown the cord over it, he descended safely to the
ground. I then suspended to one end of the cord a large lantern
which we found in the ship. Francis and my wife were officially
charged with its supervision, and, thanks to the thousand reflectors
which lined the sides of the rock, our grotto was as light as if it
had been broad day. The light was an immense benefit to us, and
enabled us to carry on our different occupations with zeal and
comfort.
  Ernest and Francis charged themselves with the task of arranging our
library, and disposing, in its different shelves, the works we had
saved from the wreck. Jack aided his mother in the kitchen; and Fritz,
being stronger than his brothers, assisted me in the work-room.
                                                  {CHAPTER_32 ^paragraph 10}
  We arranged there, by the window, a superb English turning-lathe,
with all its equipments. I had often amused myself by turning in my
younger days, and I now could put my knowledge of the art to some use.
We also constructed a forge; anvils were fixed in large blocks of
wood, and all the tools of the wheelwright and the cooper were laid
out in long array on the racks I had put up next the wall. Our shop
began to assume a business-like appearance, of which I was proud;
and often did I congratulate myself that I had sufficiently acquainted
myself, in youth, with mechanics to prevent their being entirely new
to me.
  The grotto every day grew more agreeable, and we were enabled to
wait without ennui for the welcome light of the sun. We had our
work-room, our dining-room, and our library, where we could refresh
our minds after the fatigues of the body; for the cases we had saved
from the ship contained a quantity of books which had belonged to
the captain and officers. Besides Bibles and books of devotion, we
found works on history, botany, philosophy, voyages, and travels, some
enriched with engravings, which were a real treasure to us. We had
also maps, several mathematical and astronomical instruments, a
portable globe, an English invention, which blew up like a balloon;
but the sort of works which prevailed were grammars and dictionaries
of different nations: they generally form the chief stock of ship
libraries.
  I have as yet said nothing of the thousand little comforts we
found in the boxes we had saved from the vessel, and which we now
looked over. We found all sorts of furniture: mirrors, several very
handsome toilet-cases and bureau-tables, in which we found
everything necessary for writing. We even found a splendid clock, with
an automaton figure, which, if I could have put in order, would have
sounded the hours; as it was it made a very handsome show on the
marble table in our saloon. Our grotto grew every day so comfortable
that the children could not think of any name suitable to call it
by: some wanted it called The Fairy Palace, others The Resplendent
Grotto; but after a long discussion, we came to the conclusion that it
should be called simply 'Felsenheim,' or the dwelling in the rock.
Time rolled away so rapidly in all these occupations that two months
of the rainy season had elapsed, and I had not yet found time to
make my double yokes, or a new pair of carding-combs that my wife
had teased me for a long time.

{CHAPTER_33
                                  33
         Close of the Rainy Season- The Monarch of the Deep-
          The New Robinson- Coral, its Origin, and its Uses
-
  THE END OF THE month of August was marked by a renewal of the bad
weather. The rain, the winds, the thunder redoubled with new fury. How
happy we were in the habitation we had made. What would have become of
us in our aerial palace at Falcon's Nest? and our tent, how could that
have withstood the storm? But at last the weather became more settled;
the clouds dissipated; the rain ceased; and we were able to venture
out from our grotto, to see whether the world yet remained firm.
  We promenaded upon the belt of rocks that extended all along the
coast; and, as we had need of liberty and exercise, we took pleasure
in scaling the highest peaks, and looking over the plain which was
spread out beneath us. Fritz, always daring, and whose eye almost
rivalled that of his eagle, was standing upon the peak of rocks,
when he perceived, upon the little island in Flamingo Bay, a black
spot, the nature and form of which he could not determine; but he
thought it was a shipwrecked vessel. Ernest, who mounted after him,
took it for a sea-lion, such as Admiral Anson speaks of in his
voyages. I determined to go and inspect it myself. We walked down to
the sea-shore, emptied the rain-water from the canoe, and all set off,
with the exception of Francis and my wife, who hardly liked our
excursion.
  The nearer we approached, the more rapidly one conjecture followed
another. At last, when we were near enough to distinguish it, what was
our surprise to see an enormous whale, lying on his side upon the
strand.
                                                   {CHAPTER_33 ^paragraph 5}
  Being ignorant whether he was dead or sleeping, I did not think it
prudent to approach without precaution; consequently we turned
around and steered for the other side of the island, which consisted
of nothing more than a sandbank elevated above the waves; but a rank
growth of herbs and plants covered it, and it was the resort of
numbers of sea-birds, whose nests and eggs we found in abundance.
  There were two roads to choose, by which to reach the whale: one
by climbing over the rocks, which rendered it laborious; the other
longer, but far the less fatiguing. I took the first path, and
commanded the boys to take the other, as I wished to examine fully
this little island, which wanted but trees to render it charming. From
this elevation I could see the whole coast, from Tent House to
Falcon's Nest, which spectacle made me almost forget the whale; and
when I reached the side where my children were, they came running
toward me, screaming with joy, and carrying their hats full of
shells and coral, which they had picked up on the beach. 'Look, papa,'
said they, 'what beautiful shells we have found; what can have brought
them here?'
  'It is the sea, my children,' I answered; 'the sea has thrown them
up from its abyss, and it appears to be little cause for
astonishment that she should bring such frail, light things as those
shells, when she has thrown upon our shores a monster whose bulk is so
immense.'
  'Enormous,' replied Fritz. 'It seems strange that we should amuse
ourselves with these petty trifles instead of examining our whale. I
can hardly estimate its grandeur.'
  Ernest did not like to hear the shells called petty trifles, and
declared he would rather examine one of them than a thousand such
enormous masses as our ugly whale; but I ended the dispute that was
arising between himself and his brother, by declaring that we would
return after dinner, with the necessary articles for attacking the
enormous prey that the ocean had thrown for us upon the sand.
                                                  {CHAPTER_33 ^paragraph 10}
  I remarked that Ernest followed us to our embarkation with regret. I
asked him the cause, and he declared that, if I wished to make him
happy, I would leave him alone on this island, where he would live
like Robinson Crusoe. The idea made me smile, and I instantly replied,
'You foolish boy, do you know that the life of Robinson is but a
finely-wrought fiction, and that your romantic project has a
thousand obstacles attending it? You would not be there long before
you would grow tired of your solitude; sickness would come, and some
fine morning we should find the poor hermit dead upon the beach. Thank
God, He did not separate us at our shipwreck; we are six in all, and
we are scarcely able to provide for our well-being. What could you do,
alone, upon these rocks?'
  The new Robinson was convinced, and quietly followed us to the boat.
My little rowers were scarcely able to make any headway against the
tide, and they complained bitterly of the hard lot to which they
were subjected.
  'You ought, dear papa,' said they, 'to devise some plan to render
rowing less laborious.'
  'You think I have more power than I really possess,' I answered;
'but if you can procure me an iron wheel, about a foot in diameter,
I will try what can be done.'
  'An iron wheel?' said Fritz; 'there were two among our iron-works:
they belonged to a smoke-jack; and I can easily get them for you, if
mamma has not taken them yet.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_33 ^paragraph 15}
  I did not want to engage myself too far; so I neither promised nor
refused, but urged my rowers to redouble their labours, and we soon
glided swiftly over the waves.
  Some moments after, the conversation turned upon coral, and Jack
asked me what use they made of this production of nature.
  'Formerly,' said I, 'coral was in great vogue throughout Europe,
as it was used in the head-dresses of ladies; but the coral has now
gone out of fashion, and it is only gathered as specimens for museums,
which is all we can do with this, among our other curiosities.'
  Fritz wished to know to what region coral belonged; 'for,' said
he, 'I have read that it was the work of a little worm.'
  'It is true,' said I; 'all sorts of shells are formed by the viscous
deposit of the individual who dwells in them. Coral is formed by a
very minute insect, which lives in the water, but is of so frail a
nature that it cannot subsist but in numberless quantities.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_33 ^paragraph 20}
  I then related to my sons the phenomena of the existence of the
polypi. I told them also about the coral fisheries; and, while
talking, we arrived at our destination, where my wife and son were
ready to receive us. She admired the beauty of our coral, but observed
that it was of no use in the household affairs; and when I had told
her my resolution to return to the whale that afternoon, she
cheerfully declared that she would accompany me. I was enchanted at
this resolution, and we hastened to prepare the necessary provisions
and articles for a stay of two days; for, perhaps, we might be
detained on the island, and I thought it best to make preparations
accordingly.

{CHAPTER_34
                                  34
                      The Whale, its Dissection-
               Uses of the Different Parts of the Whale
-
  AFTER DINNER, which we partook of an hour earlier than usual, I made
a search for some barrels in which to put the blubber of the whale.
I did not want to take the empty barrels we had at Falcon's Nest and
Felsenheim, as I knew that it would be impossible to remove the
disagreeable smell of oil. My wife reminded me that we yet had four
tubs in our boat, which would answer my purpose very well. I
fastened them to the stern of the canoe; and, after having armed my
sons with knives, and hatchets, and saws, and all the
cutting-instruments I could find, we weighed anchor, and directed
our course toward the island where the whale lay. The sea was calm,
and we arrived without much trouble, excepting the weight of our
cargo, which necessarily delayed our progress.
  My first care was to make the canoe and the tubs fast, and protect
them against the violence of the waves. My wife and Francis were
almost frightened at the first sight of such a monster.
  Our whale looked like those of Greenland: the back was greenish
black, the stomach yellowish, the fins and tail black. I immediately
measured it, and I found that it was between sixty and seventy feet
long, and about forty in diameter, which is about the ordinary size of
these monsters of the deep. My children were astonished at the
proportions of the head, which formed a third of the whole creature;
its mouth was immense; and its jaws, which were full twelve feet in
length, were furnished with flexible appendages called 'dewlaps,'
and which in Europe form an article of commerce. One thing which
struck Fritz was the smallness of the monster's eye, which was not
larger than that of an ox; and the opening by which his immense
mouth communicated with his throat, was scarcely the diameter of my
arm.
                                                   {CHAPTER_34 ^paragraph 5}
  'If the animal is voracious,' said my son, laughing, 'he cannot
swallow a very large mouthful at a time.'
  'You speak truly,' I answered; 'and the whale owes, in effect, its
enormous corpulence to a little fish, of which it is very fond, and
which it finds in the Polar Seas. It swallows a prodigious quantity at
every meal. It also absorbs, at the same time, a large quantity of
sea-water, which it throws out by the two holes placed below its
nostrils; it is to this faculty it owes the name of 'blowing fish,'
which it shares with several other marine monsters, as voracious,
and nearly as immense as itself.'
  Ernest, in considering the narrow throat of the whale, wondered
how Jonah could have found entrance. I then took occasion to say
that it was not right to take the Sacred Books in their literal sense,
and that, under the general name of whale, are comprehended other
marine monsters of the same force, but whose interior organisation are
quite in accordance with this miracle of the Sacred Writings.
  'But,' added I, 'let us adjourn to another time all learned
dissertations. To work, gentlemen- to work, and let us hasten, if we
wish to get anything done before night comes on.'
  Fritz and Jack then entered the head of the whale, and working
with the hatchet and the saw, cut out the 'dewlaps,' which Francis and
his mother carried to the boat; we cut out more than two hundred
pieces of different sizes. While this was going on, Ernest and I cut
several feet deep into the fat which covered the sides of the
animal; we literally swam in grease, for walls of solid fat rose on
each side of us. But we were not long the only claimants for the
whale. A multitude of winged robbers surrounded us, eager to associate
in our work. They flew round and round our heads, then, gradually
approaching, they were so bold as to snatch pieces of fat from our
hands. The birds were very troublesome; but my wife having made the
remark that their down would be of use to her, I knocked down some
with a club, and threw them into the boat. I cut from the back of
the animal a long and large band of skin, out of which I wanted to
make a harness for the ass and the two buffaloes. It was a difficult
task, the skin was so thick, and so hard to cut. I should have liked
to have carried away some of the intestines, and the sinews of the
tail; but the night was advancing, and it was time to return. The tubs
were placed in the canoe, and we set out for the coast with the new
cargo we had acquired. It was for us a precious treasure, but far from
agreeably obtained. Arrived at the shore, we unloaded our cargo, which
the ass, the cow, and the buffalo immediately transported home.
                                                  {CHAPTER_34 ^paragraph 10}
  The next morning we again embarked in the canoe; but this time
Francis and his mother were left behind; as they could have been of no
use in the work I intended, which was to penetrate into the interior
of the whale, and, if possible, to procure some parts of its immense
intestines. A fresh wind was blowing, and we soon arrived at the
island, which we found covered with gulls and other marine birds, who,
in spite of the canvas with which the pieces that had been cut from
the whale were covered, had made a plentiful meal. It was necessary to
have recourse to fire-arms to drive away this horde of pillagers.
  We took care, before commencing our work, to strip off every article
of clothing, excepting our pantaloons; then, like true butchers, we
opened the animal, selected from the mass of entrails those which
would best suit our purpose; I cut them in pieces of from six to
twelve feet long, and, after having turned them inside out, washed
them, and well rubbed them with sand; they were then placed in the
boat.
  'Ah,' said Ernest, while we were preparing them, 'what splendid
sausages mamma could make with these entrails!'
  'I wish I had one here,' said Jack, who heartily approved of
Ernest's idea; and so saying, he commenced to inflate a piece of
entrail which was not less than a foot and a half in diameter.
  We abandoned the rest of our prey to the voracious birds; and, after
having loaded our boat with a new cargo of whale blubber, we set
sail for Felsenheim.
                                                  {CHAPTER_34 ^paragraph 15}
  The reason that I had taken so much trouble to obtain the whale's
intestines was, because I wished to use them as vessels to contain the
oil; my sons thought that the idea was wonderful, and wanted to know
how I had thought of it.
  'The author of this idea,' said I, 'was necessity, that great
impulse of human industry; it was that which taught those wretched
beings who live where no wood or green thing ever grows how to
supply their wants. It was necessity that taught the Esquimaux to
use the entrails of the whale in place of vessels they had not the
means of constructing, and discovered to them, in this single
animal, treasures which the inhabitants of more favoured climes cannot
appreciate.'
  The conversation then turned upon the many uses of animal
entrails, from cords for violins up to the aerostatic globe which
elevates man above the earth- the covering of balloons being generally
made of the skin of the intestines of animals.
  Ernest then tried to explain to his brothers the phenomena of
aerostatic ascension.
  'Balloons,' said he, 'are only kept up in the air because they are
lighter than the atmosphere that surrounds them, the same way as
bladders filled with air float on the water, the air they contain
being lighter than water. This light air is obtained by heat, which
expands the particles of air, and causes them to occupy more room; but
as that process is long and tedious, balloons are generally filled
with hydrogen gas, which is lighter than common air.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_34 ^paragraph 20}
  'Papa,' said Jack, 'can't you make me a balloon with this piece of
whale's entrail? It would be so nice to ride through the air, over the
forests and the rivers.'
  I observed to my little aeronaut that his project would be rather
difficult, as it would require a balloon to be eighty feet in diameter
to lift a little boy sixty pounds' weight, and that even then it would
be of no use, as he could not direct it through the air.
  When we arrived at home, we found my wife anxiously expecting us;
but the sight of our greasy habiliments almost frightened her, and she
anticipated the labour of washing them with no very pleasurable
sensations; but I consoled her by promising miracles from the rich
treasures of whale oil, and the entrails we had brought home. We
washed ourselves completely, and, after an entire change of
clothing, set out for Felsenheim.

{CHAPTER_35
                                  35
          The Boat-propeller or Rowing Machine- Sea-monsters
-
  THE DAY HAD scarcely dawned when we were all up and ready for
work. The four tubs of fat were raised from the ground, and, a
strong pressure being applied, we squeezed out as much of the oil as
possible; and as this was the finest and purest, we filled one or
two of the entrails with it.
  The rest was emptied into a large iron kettle, and, a slow fire
being applied, it was soon reduced to a liquid state. A large iron
spoon, which we had saved from the wreck, and which had been
originally intended for the sugar factory, served us to empty the
oil into the entrails from the kettle. All these works were carried on
at a distance from Felsenheim, as we did not wish to perfume the air
around our habitation with the fetid odour of whale oil.
  When we had procured a sufficient quantity of oil, we threw the
lumps of tried-out fat into the Jackal's River, where our geese and
ducks found a delicious repast. We also threw our birds away, after my
wife had plucked the feathers: their meat was too coarse for us. The
lobsters, however, were not so particular, and we profited by the
avidity with which they rushed to the bait to renew our stock.
  While we were occupied in our manufacture of oil, my wife made me
a proposition which met my hearty approbation: it was to establish a
new colony on the island of the whale. 'We will put some fowls there,'
said she; 'they will be safe from their two great plagues, the monkeys
and the jackals.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_35 ^paragraph 5}
  I liked the project of my wife very much; and the children were so
enchanted that they wanted to start immediately, and put it into
execution. But it was now too late, and I calmed their ardour by
mentioning my promise about the canoe.
  'Oh,' cried Jack, 'the canoe will go along without any rowing; how
fine it will be!'
  'Stop, stop,' said I; 'not so fast. All that I can do will be to
save your arms some labour, and quicken our speed.'
  I immediately commenced the work. All my materials consisted of
the wheel of a smoke-jack and an iron-toothed axle upon which it
turned. The machine that I constructed was not a masterpiece of
execution; but it answered the purpose very well. A handle attached to
the wheel put the machine in motion, and two large flat pieces of
whale-bone, nailed together in the form of a cross, and fixed at
each end of the axle, resembled the wheels of a steam-boat. When the
handle was turned, the wings of whalebone beat against the surface
of the water, and drove the canoe forward. Its velocity was in
proportion to the power imparted to the wheel.
  I will not attempt to describe the transports of joy that my
children evinced when they saw the canoe gliding over the surface of
the water: they clapped their hands and jumped with joy as they
watched Fritz and myself making a trial of our invention. I was
astonished myself at the rapidity of our course. We had scarcely
touched the earth, when every one was in the boat, and begging me to
make an excursion to the island of the whale. But the day was too
far advanced to admit of such a thing, and I promised them that we
would make, on the morrow, a grand trial of our vessel by an
excursion, by sea, to the farm-house at Prospect Hill, for the purpose
of inspecting our colony there.
                                                  {CHAPTER_35 ^paragraph 10}
  My proposition was well received: and we immediately began to
prepare our arms and provisions, so that we could start early on the
morrow.
  At the first dawning of the day everybody was ready. We did not
forget provisions; and my wife put up, in a double envelope of fresh
leaves, a piece of the whale's tongue, which, by the recommendation of
doctor Ernest, she had cooked and spiced as a delicate viand.
  We gaily quitted the shore, and the strong current of the Jackal's
River soon brought us into the sea: the breeze was good, and
everything promised a favourable sail. We soon perceived Shark Island,
the bank of sand where the whale had been stranded; and so well did
our machine work that in a short time we found ourselves in sight of
Prospect Hill. I had kept at some distance from the coast, as I was
afraid that there might be some hidden rocks inshore, which might
destroy our frail bark. The distance was great enough to permit us
to take in at one glance the splendid panorama which was unfolded
before us. On one side was Falcon's Nest, with its giant trees; in the
distance, a range of rocks which seemed to touch the heavens; while,
if your eyes sought a nearer object, they fell upon Whale Island,
its green verdure contrasting beautifully with the sublime expanse
of ocean.
  When we had arrived opposite the 'Wood of Monkeys,' I ran the boat
into a little creek, and landed, to replenish our stock of cocoa-nuts.
It was with feelings of the keenest pleasure that we heard the crowing
of the cocks through the woods, announcing the neighbourhood of the
farmhouse. The sound recalled our dear country to our minds, where
often this same noise has made known to the wearied traveller the
neighbourhood of some friendly cottage. We re-embarked and rapidly
neared Prospect Hill, and could plainly distinguish the bleating of
our little herd. We landed, and directed our course toward the
farm-house.
  Everything was in order; but what greatly astonished us was the
wildness of the sheep and goats, who fled on all sides at our
approach. My sons began to run after them; but as the long-bearded
ladies were far more agile than they were, they soon grew tired of the
chase, and, drawing from their pockets the strings with balls
attached, they soon captured three or four of the fugitives.
                                                  {CHAPTER_35 ^paragraph 15}
  We dined at Prospect Hill. The cold meats we had brought had
composed our repast; but the whale's tongue was unanimously pronounced
most detestable and only fit for a sailor. We gave it to Jack's
jackal, the only one of our domestic animals who had followed us.
  He made a delicious meal from it, to judge from his avidity, while
we rinsed our mouths with milk, in vain endeavours to remove the
oily taste.
  I left my wife to make the preparations for our departure, and
started out with Fritz to gather some sugar-cane. I also dug up some
roots to plant on Whale Island.
  We weighed anchor, or, at least, we pulled up the stone that secured
us and coasted along in the direction of Cape Disappointment, which
I wished to double; but the cape still justified its name, and a
long bank of sand stretching out prevented our progress, and we were
obliged to turn back. I hoisted the sail, we redoubled our labours
at the wheel, and, thanks to a little breeze that sprung up, were soon
in sight of Whale Island.
  Our passage was signalised by a spectacle entirely new to us.
While sailing quietly along, we perceived, in the distance, what
appeared to us to be a mass of rocks; on nearing it, however, we heard
strange bellowings and discovered that we had mistaken for shoals a
herd of marine monsters, who, apparently, were fighting with one
another. We were dumb with fear, and, I need scarcely say, we used all
our strength to escape from these monsters before they perceived us.
                                                  {CHAPTER_35 ^paragraph 20}
  On landing at Whale Island, my first care was to plant the roots I
had brought from Prospect Hill; but my little companions, on whose
assistance I had counted, did not think the plantation of sufficient
consequence for them, and ran off to the beach to gather shells. My
good wife supplied their places, and we two began our labours.

{CHAPTER_36
                                  36
   Weaving-machine- Basket-making- The Alarm- The dangerous Visitor
-
  WE HAD HAD so much trouble in harvesting our crops the last season
that we had resolved, instead of trusting them to the ground,
without any order or regularity, to prepare a field which could
receive them all at the same time, and where they could ripen
together. But as our animals were not yet sufficiently accustomed to
the yoke to warrant our undertaking the task, I was obliged to defer
it till some future period.
  In the meantime, I employed myself in constructing a weaving-machine
for my wife: our garments had become so tattered and torn that the
machine was of incalculable benefit to us. It was neither perfect
nor handsome, and nothing more could be expected. As we had none of
the wheat flour that the weavers use to make paste, which they
employ in hardening the warp, and preventing the threads from
tangling, I substituted the glue of fish; and I may confess, without
self-praise, that my composition was better than that of the
weavers, for the fish-glue preserves a humidity that the ordinary glue
does not, and by employing it one can weave in a dry situation,
instead of descending into cellars, where the weavers, from time
immemorial, have been obliged to confine themselves. From this
fish-glue I also made window-panes, not well calculated, it is true,
for windows exposed to the rain; but they answered for ours, which, on
account of their deep embrasures, were protected from storm.
  These two successes encouraged me, and I resolved to try my hand
at another thing, or, to speak poetically, 'add another flower to my
wreath.' My little cavaliers had long tormented me to make them
saddles and bridles, and our beasts had need of yokes and other
harness. I commenced my work and established myself as saddler;
kangaroos and sea-dogs furnished me with the necessary leather, and
I used for wadding the moss that the Molucca pigeons had discovered to
us. But as this moss would have matted together, and grown hard
under the rider, I employed my sons in twisting it into cords, in
which state it was left some time, and then untwisted; by that means
we obtained frizzed hair, as elastic as that of horses. In a short
time we had saddles and stirrups, bits and bridles, yokes and collars,
each adapted to the strength of the animal for which it was intended.
  Instead of attaching the plough, or any other implement, by cords,
to the horns of the animal, as they do in France and Germany, I
resolved to adopt the Italian method, and put the yoke on their necks.
Besides, it appeared to me that the pressure was less on the
forehead than on the shoulders of the animal, and future experience
confirmed my opinion.
                                                   {CHAPTER_36 ^paragraph 5}
  These labours were not yet terminated when we received, as we had
the preceding year, the visit of a bank of herrings. We had found them
so agreeable during the rainy season, that we did not let these pass
unheeded.
  The herrings were followed by the sea-dogs, which we also received
thankfully; their bladders and skins had become too precious to
allow us to neglect them. We killed about twenty or twenty-four, of
different sizes; the skin and fat were all put to use; nothing was
left but the tough flesh, which we abandoned to the crawfishes in
the Jackal's River.
  But this sedentary course of life did not suit the restless minds of
my young people, and they earnestly begged me to take them hunting
in the country. I put the matter off, and took in hand another sort of
work, the want of which we felt sensibly. I speak of the making of
baskets, a number of which articles we needed to carry our rice,
roots, grain, etc. Our first attempts were clumsy enough, and we
reserved them for our potato baskets. We gradually improved, and
when I thought we were skilful enough, I ventured to use those Spanish
rushes that had cost Jack so dear, and we made a number of fine
baskets; they were not as finished workmanship as more skilful hands
would have effected, but they were light and strong, and that was
all we cared for.
  My sons had made a large basket to put manioc roots in, and, in a
fit of mischief, Jack and Ernest had passed a bamboo cane through
the handles, and, putting little Francis in the basket, set off on a
full run, while the poor fellow endeavoured in vain to stop them.
  Fritz, who had been looking at them, turned to me, saying, 'An
idea has struck me, papa; why cannot we make a litter of rushes for
mamma, and then she will be able to accompany us in our distant
excursions?' 'Really,' I replied, 'a litter would be much more
convenient than the back of the ass, and much easier than the cart: we
will try what can be done.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_36 ^paragraph 10}
  My children were delighted at the plan; but my wife laughingly
observed, 'that she would make but a poor figure seated in a wicker
basket.' 'Never fear,' said I, 'we will make you a fine palanquin,
such as are used in Persia and Hindostan.'
  'Heyday!' cried Ernest, 'a palanquin supposes slaves to carry it:
are we to act in that capacity?'
  'Be quiet, my dear children,' answered their good mother; 'I will
never take you for my slaves; and, if ever I consent to ride in such a
machine, it will be on condition that it shall be carried on
stronger shoulders than yours.'
  'Really,' said Jack, 'we need not trouble ourselves about being
porters; have we not the buffalo and the bull? Mr. Storm, my
courser, will do all that is asked of him.'
  I approved of his idea, and I complimented the boy on his bright
thought, a rare occurrence for him.
                                                  {CHAPTER_36 ^paragraph 15}
  We immediately put the design of the palanquin into execution: the
two animals were brought out; two poles, which supported a large
basket, were suspended by cords on each side, and Ernest jumped in
to make the first trial. Jack mounted Storm, who was placed at the
head, and Francis Broumm, who supported the hinder part, and they
set off. The first steps answered admirably; the basket, balanced
between the poles, resembled a luxurious carriage on its springs of
steel. But it was not exactly a pleasant carriage-drive that Ernest
enjoyed; for, at a given signal agreed on by his coachmen, they
whipped up their beasts, and set off at full gallop, subjecting Ernest
to a punishment as novel as it was ridiculous, which consisted in
forcing him to perform a sort of basket-dance at each jump of his
conductors. The fun was violent, but it was harmless, and we could not
help laughing to see the phlegmatic Ernest so tossed about.
  'Hold on! hold on! Stop! stop!' he screamed, at the top of his
voice.
  But they turned a deaf ear to his entreaties, and the poor patient
was obliged to undergo this agreeable amusement during the time it
took them to gallop from our sides to Jackal's River. One can easily
imagine his anger when they dumped him over on the sand; and the
quarrel went so far that I was obliged to interfere. I reprimanded
Jack, and that was satisfaction enough for the pacific Ernest, whom
I saw, a moment after, helping his brother to unharness the animals,
and put them in the stable. He even went to find some salt for these
innocent instruments of his memorable ride. We then all returned to
our basket-making; but we had scarcely recommenced, when Fritz,
whose eagle eye was always making discoveries, suddenly started up, as
if frightened at a cloud of dust which had arisen on the other side of
the river, in the direction of Falcon's Nest.
  'There is some large animal there,' said he, 'to judge from the dust
it has raised; besides, it is plainly coming in this direction.'
  'I cannot imagine what it is,' I answered; 'our large animals are in
the stable, resting themselves after the experiment of the palanquin.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_36 ^paragraph 20}
  'Probably two or three sheep, or, perhaps, our sow, frollicking in
the sand,' observed my wife.
  'No, no,' replied Fritz, quickly; 'it is some singular animal: I can
perceive its movements: it rolls and unrolls itself alternately; I can
see the rings of which it is formed. See, it is raising itself up, and
looks like a huge mast in the dust; it advances- stops- marches on;
but I cannot distinguish either feet or legs.'
  I ran for the spy-glass we had saved from the wreck, and directed it
toward the dust.
  'I can see it plainly,' said Fritz; 'it has a greenish-coloured
body. What do you think of it, papa?'
  'That we must fly as fast as possible, and intrench ourselves in the
grotto.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_36 ^paragraph 25}
  'What do you think it is?'
  'A serpent- a huge serpent, advancing directly for us.'
  'Shall I run for the guns, to be ready to receive him?'
  'Not here. The serpent is too powerful to permit of our attacking
him, unless we are ourselves in a place of safety.'
  We hastened to gain the interior of the grotto, and prepared to
receive our enemy. It was a boa-constrictor; * and he advanced so
quickly that it was too late to take up the boards on Family Bridge.
                                                  {CHAPTER_36 ^paragraph 30}
-
  * Of all the reptiles that exist, none equal in size and power the
Boa, some of them being occasionally met with from thirty to forty
feet in length, and of a strength so prodigious as to destroy as large
and powerful an animal as a rhinoceros by enveloping its victim in its
capacious folds, and then contracting itself to such an extent that it
quickly succeeds in crushing it to death.
-
  We watched all his movements, and saw him stretching out his
enormous length along the bank of the river. From time to time the
reptile would raise up the forepart of his body twenty feet from the
ground, and turn his head gently from right to left, as if seeking for
his prey, while he darted a triple-barbed tongue from his half-open
jaws. He crossed the bridge, and directed his course straight for
the grotto: we had barricaded the door and the windows as well as we
were able, and ascended into the dove-cot, to which we had made an
interior entrance; we passed our muskets through the holes in the
door, and waited silently for the enemy- it was the silence of terror.
  But the boa, in advancing, had perceived the traces of man's
handiwork, and he came on hesitatingly, until at last he stopped,
about thirty paces directly in front of our position. He had
scarcely advanced thus far when Ernest, more through fear than through
any warlike ardour, discharged his gun, and thus gave a false
signal. Jack and Francis followed his example; and my wife, whom the
danger had rendered bold, also discharged her gun.
                                                  {CHAPTER_36 ^paragraph 35}
  The monster raised his head; but either because none of the shots
had touched him, or because the scales of his skin were impenetrable
to balls, he appeared to have received no wound. Fritz and I then
fired, but without any effect, and the serpent glided away with
inconceivable rapidity toward the marsh which our ducks and geese
inhabited, and disappeared in the rushes.
  A general exclamation accompanied his disappearance. We were
inexpressibly relieved. We commenced to speak. Every one was sure that
they had hit him; but all agreed he was as yet unwounded. We also
concurred as to his immense proportions; but as for the colour of
his skin, every one embroidered it according to his own taste.
  The neighbourhood of the boa threw me into the most unenviable state
of mind; for I could think of no way to rid ourselves of him, and
our united forces were as nothing against such an enemy. I expressly
commanded my whole family to remain in the grotto, and forbade them
opening the door without my permission.

{CHAPTER_37
                                  37
              Continued Imprisonment- Final Deliverance-
           The Boa-constrictor and its Victim the poor Ass
-
  THE FEAR OF our terrible neighbour kept us shut up three days in our
retreat- three long days of anguish and alarm- during which time I
suffered no one to break the rule I had established; the interior
service of the grotto was the only consideration that could induce
me to break it, and even then I allowed no one to go beyond the
reservoir of the fountain.
  The monster had given us no signs of his presence, and we would have
supposed him departed, either by traversing the marsh, or by some
unknown passage in the rock, if the agitation which reigned among
our aquatic animals had not assured us of his presence. Every
evening the whole colony of ducks and geese would direct their
course to the bay, making a terrible noise, and sail away for Whale
Island, where they found a safe asylum.
  My embarrassment daily increased; and the immovability of the
enemy rendered our position very painful. I was afraid that a direct
attack might cost us the lives of one or more of our little family.
Our dogs could do nothing against such a foe; and to have exposed
any one of our beasts of burden would have been certain destruction to
it. On the other hand, our provisions daily diminished, as the
season was not yet far enough advanced to have laid in any winter
stores. In a word we were in a most deplorable situation, when
Heaven came to our aid. The instrument that effected our deliverance
was our poor old jackass, the companion of our wanderings, and
faithful servant.
                                                   {CHAPTER_37 ^paragraph 5}
  The fodder that we happened to have in the grotto had diminished
frightfully: it was necessary to nourish the cow, as she contributed
in great part to our subsistence, and some must be taken from the
other animals. In this dilemma I resolved to set them at liberty,
and let them provide for their own nourishment. As inconvenient as
this measure was, it was better than to see us all dying of hunger,
shut up in the grotto. I thought that if we could get them on the
other side of the river they would find a plentiful supply of food,
and be in safety as long as the boa remained buried in the rushes. I
was afraid to cross Family Bridge, lest I should arouse the monster,
and I decided to ford at the spot where our first crossing was made.
My plan was to attach the animals together. Fritz, mounted on his
onager, would direct the front of the procession, while I would take
care that the march was effected in good order. I recommended to my
son, at the first sign of the serpent's presence, to fly, as fast as
his beast would carry him, to Falcon's Nest. As to our animals, I left
to Providence the care of watching over and saving them. For my
part, I proposed to post myself on a rock that overlooked the marsh,
and in case of an attack on the part of the serpent, retreat to the
grotto, where a well-directed discharge of fire-arms would rid us of
him.
  I then loaded all our arms; my sons were placed as videttes in the
dove-cot, with orders to observe the movements of the enemy, while
Fritz and I arranged our beasts as aforesaid. But a little
misunderstanding put an end to all my plans. My wife, who had charge
of the door, did not wait for the signal, and opened it before the
animals were attached together. The ass, who had grown very lively,
considering his age, by his three days' rest and good feed, no
sooner saw a ray of light than he shot out of the door like an
arrow, and was away in the open plain before we could stop him. It was
a comical sight to see him kicking his heels in the air; and Fritz
would have mounted his onager, and rode out after him, but I
restrained him, and contented myself by trying every manner of
persuasion to induce the poor animal to come back. We called him by
his name; we made use of our cow-horn; but all was useless- the unruly
fellow exulted in his liberty, and, as if urged on by some fatality,
he advanced direct to the marsh. But what horror froze our veins when,
suddenly, we saw the horrid serpent emerging from the rushes. He
elevated his head about ten feet from the ground, darted out his
forked tongue, and crawled swiftly on toward the ass. The poor
fellow soon saw his danger, and began to run, braying with all his
might; but neither his cries nor his legs could save him from his
terrible enemy, and in a moment he was seized, enveloped, and
crushed in the monstrous rings that the serpent threw around him.
  My wife and sons uttered a cry of terror, and we fled in haste to
the grotto, from whence we could view the horrible combat between
the boa and the ass. My children wanted to fire, and deliver, said
they, the poor jackass; but I forbade them to do it.
  'What can you do,' said I, 'with fire-arms? The boa is too much
occupied with his prey to abandon it, and, besides, if you wound
him, perhaps we may become the victim of his fury.' The loss of our
ass was great, it was true, but I hoped that it would save us from a
greater. 'Let us remain here, and the enemy will fall an easy prey
to us; only wait until he has swallowed the victim he is now
strangling.'
  'But,' said Jack, 'we shall have to wait a long time; for it will be
a great while before the snake can tear in pieces, and swallow our
poor ass.' 'No; the serpent never tears his prey in pieces, and the
teeth with which he is armed serve but to seize it; and when he has
prepared it, he makes but one mouthful of it.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_37 ^paragraph 10}
  'What!' asked Francis, in a tone stifled with terror; 'a single
mouthful! Is it venomous?'
  'No,' replied I; 'the boa is not venomous, but it is not the less
terrible: he is endowed with extraordinary strength, and when he has
become master of an animal, he crushes it, and, mixing the bones and
flesh together, buries the whole in his body.'
  'Impossible!' answered Jack; 'the boa can never break the bones of
our ass; and as for swallowing him whole- why, the ass is larger
than the serpent.'
  'Impossible?' interrupted Fritz. 'Look, the monster is already at
his work; do you not see how he is torturing our poor animal?- look
how he fashions it to the dimensions of his throat!'
  In fact, the boa proceeded with horrible avidity to his repast. My
wife would not behold the mournful spectacle, and she retired to the
interior of the grotto, taking little Francis with her. I was glad
of this, as the sight became so horrible I could scarcely bear it
myself The ass was dead; we had heard his last bray half stifled by
the pressure of the boa, and we could now distinctly hear the cracking
of his bones. The monster, to give himself more power, had wound his
tail about a piece of rock, which gave it the force of a lever, and we
saw him kneading like dough the deformed mass of flesh, among which we
could distinguish nothing but the head, dripping with blood and
covered with wounds. When the monster judged his preparation
sufficient, he commenced to swallow the prey he had secured. He placed
before him the mass of flesh, and extending his immense length along
the ground, by a sudden effort distended his body frightfully; then,
squirting a stream of saliva over the carcass, he began. Seizing the
ass by the hind feet, by little and little we saw the whole body
buried in the insatiate maw of the monster. Every few moments he would
eject a flood of saliva over his prey, as if to render the operation
of swallowing it more easy. We observed that as he advanced the animal
lost his strength; and when all had been swallowed he remained
perfectly torpid and insensible.
                                                  {CHAPTER_37 ^paragraph 15}
  The operation had been long: at seven o'clock it had commenced,
and at noon had just finished.
  I saw that the time had now arrived, and I exclaimed, 'Now, my
children, now the serpent is in our power!'
  I then set out from the grotto, carrying my loaded gun in my hand;
Fritz followed close by my side; Jack came next, but the more timid
Ernest lingered behind. I thought it best to pay no attention to him
until all was over. Francis and his mother remained at home.
  On approaching the reptile, I found that my suppositions were right,
and that it was the giant boa of the naturalists. The serpent raised
his head, and darting on me a look of powerless anger, again let it
fall.
  Fritz and I fired together, and both our shots entered the skull
of the animal; but they did not produce death, and the eyes of the
serpent sparkled with rage. We advanced nearer, and, firing our
pistols directly through the eye, we saw his rings contract, a
slight quiver ran through his body, and he lay dead upon the sand
before us, stretched out like the mast of a ship.
                                                  {CHAPTER_37 ^paragraph 20}
  We set up a shout of victory, and we huzzaed so long and loud that
Ernest, Francis, and my wife came running down towards us, trembling
with fright, for fear a band of howling savages had landed on the
coast.
  'Let us rejoice,' said I, 'after such a victory. Once more we owe
our lives to the providence of God.'
  'For my part,' said Fritz, 'I must say that I felt strange
sensations of fear while the serpent was devouring his prey. Poor
jackass! he devoted himself for our deliverance, as Curtius did, a
long time ago, for the Roman people.'
  'And,' replied Ernest, 'how often the things we prize least become
the most useful.'
  'Poor dear ass,' added little Francis, 'we shall never ride him
again!'
                                                  {CHAPTER_37 ^paragraph 25}
  ''Tis true, my child,' answered his mother; 'we should regret the
loss of our good and faithful servant; but it was necessary that one
of our animals should die for us. Let us thank God that our poor ass
was chosen; for we could spare him the best, and he was so old that he
soon must have died a natural death. The dragon has but anticipated it
by a few months.'
  Francis took notice of the name by which his mother had called the
serpent, and asked if it was one of those dragons that used to
infest Switzerland.
  I laughed at his simplicity, and replied that the dragons of the
storybooks and mountain ballads never existed but in the minds of
those who wrote them.
  'Do they eat serpents?' said Francis. 'If so, we shall have enough
for all winter.'
  'Oh, fie!' exclaimed everybody, with an expression of disgust.
                                                  {CHAPTER_37 ^paragraph 30}
  'I think that it will look well stuffed, and put up in front of
our grotto, to frighten away all intruders,' said Fritz.
  'But it will also frighten our domestic animals,' interrupted
Ernest. 'Its place is in our library, where it will figure well by the
side of our coral and other curiosities.'
  My wife asked me if the flesh of serpents ever was eaten.
  'The Indians,' said I, 'eat the flesh of the rattlesnake, the most
venomous of the whole tribe, and they also never receive any injury
from the flesh of those animals that they shoot with poisoned arrows.'
  'I would not eat a morsel for the world,' replied my wife.
                                                  {CHAPTER_37 ^paragraph 35}
  'Nothing but prejudice; and I can assure you that if I had nothing
else I would gladly put up with a steak from a nice fat boa.'
  This was an appropriate occasion to give my sons a lesson in the
natural history of the serpent, and I answered their numberless
questions with pleasure. I recounted to them how some pigs that had
been left on an island in America, so infested by rattlesnakes that it
was impossible to land there, completely cleared it of every serpent.
  Ernest wished to know whether the rattlesnake really possessed the
power of charming birds, and killing them by his breath.
  'Very learned men,' I replied, 'have thought so, but it is
probable that the charm consists in the terror of the birds, which
renders them unable to fly. Besides,' said I, 'there is a bird found
in Africa called the secretary bird, on account of a feather
projecting from the ear, whose sole food is serpents.' I then
explained to my children how the poison of the serpent is infused into
any object.
  'There are two little bags fixed in the upper jaw, corresponding
to two of the lower teeth, which are very long and pointed, and
which the serpent has the power of drawing down in the gum. When the
animal only wishes to take hold of anything, he does not use them; but
when he wishes to inflict a death-wound, then he strikes their sharp
hollow points into the two little bags of poison; the venom runs
down into the teeth, and from thence into the wounds inflicted by
them.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_37 ^paragraph 40}
  I then spoke of the 'Hooded Snake' that the Indian jugglers teach to
dance for the amusement of an ignorant populace. In short, all my
knowledge of serpents was unfolded to the boys, and the presence of
the boa added much to the interest of the lesson.

{CHAPTER_38
                                  38
         The Burial of the Ass- Discovery of a Crystal Grotto
-
  AFTER THE three days of anguish that we had spent in the grotto,
we felt the extreme pleasure of regained liberty; it was a second
deliverance, almost as great as that from our shipwreck. Men never
feel the magnitude of the gift of life until after some danger has
threatened its extinction.
  As I thought it best to finish immediately with the boa, I sent
Fritz and Jack to the grotto, with injunctions to bring back the
buffaloes. I remained with Ernest and Francis, to keep off the birds
of prey, which already hovered around it, for I wished to preserve the
brilliant-coloured skin with which it was covered.
  When we were alone, I gently reproached Ernest with the timidity
he had shown in attacking the serpent, and, as a punishment, I
laughingly condemned him to compose an epitaph on our poor departed
jackass. The punishment was as good as a reward to the doctor, for
it was he who composed all the odes for our holidays.
  He set about the work. Resting his head on his hand for about ten
minutes, he arose and recited, with a sort of half-timid,
half-satisfied air, the following stanzas:
                                                   {CHAPTER_38 ^paragraph 5}
-
              'Here rests a faithful ass,
                 Who his master once disobey'd,
               And was devour'd by a snake at last,
                 Who of him a breakfast made.
                                                  {CHAPTER_38 ^paragraph 10}
-
              'A family, shipwreck'd on the isle,
                 Mother, father, and children four,
               Tried to save him, but in vain;
                 And now our faithful slave's no more.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_38 ^paragraph 15}
-
  'Wonderful! wonderful!' cried I. 'Here are eight lines, of which
some have as many feet as the centipede; but as they are the best
verses ever composed on the island, they will figure admirably on this
monument to our jackass.'
  So saying, I drew a piece of red lead from my pocket and scrawled
the verses, after his dictation, on the surface of the rock.
  I had scarcely finished when Fritz and his brother returned with the
buffaloes. The new epitaph was the subject of conversation; but my
young critics were so severe upon the poetry, and showered so many
sarcasms upon the author, that he was obliged to give up the
defence, and join in the general laugh.
  We commenced our work by attaching the two buffaloes to the head
of the ass, which yet projected from the mouth of the boa. While we
held the serpent by the tail, they pulled from its stomach the
disfigured remains of our unfortunate jackass. We buried them in the
earth near by, and piled some pieces of rock over them for a monument.
                                                  {CHAPTER_38 ^paragraph 20}
  The buffalo and his companion were then attached to the tail of
the monster, and we set out for the grotto, supporting the head to
prevent it from trailing on the ground.
  'How shall we go to work to get the skin off?' asked my sons, as
we deposited our heavy burden before the grotto.
  'See if you cannot find a way yourselves,' said I, good-humouredly.
  'I remember,' said Fritz, 'to have read, in the travels of Captain
Stedman, that a Negro having killed a boa, the skin of which the
captain was very desirous to preserve, took a very ingenious method to
deprive the serpent of it. He passed a rope round its neck, the end of
which he threw over a strong branch, and then, having hoisted the
serpent, he climbed the tree, and, throwing one arm around the animal,
with the other he made a deep incision in the throat: then, holding
his knife steady, he slid gently down the body of the animal,
cutting the skin all the way down, and thereby rendering it much
more easy for removal.'
  'Admirable!' cried all the boys, simultaneously; 'but there is one
difficulty: we are none of us as heavy as the Negro; we could not make
an incision.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_38 ^paragraph 25}
  'I have thought of a simpler method than that,' cried Ernest; 'one I
have often seen employed to skin eels, and which will serve
admirably for our present purpose. It is this; to cut the skin
around the neck, and, loosening the first part, attach strong cords to
it, fasten the cord to the buffaloes, and, taking care to secure the
head of the serpent strongly, drive the animals in the opposite
direction, and by that means draw off the whole skin.'
  'Oh,' said Jack, 'that will not be half as amusing as the Negro's
method: I would like to take a slide down the body of the snake.'
  'Amusement must give place to utility; and I think that the idea
of Ernest is more simple and easier than the other. Come, boys,'
continued I, 'to the work. I leave the whole labour and the honour
of the invention to you alone. As for the preparation of the skin,
nothing can be easier: after you have cleaned the head as well as
possible, you can wash the skin with salt water, sand, and ashes; then
you must expose it to the sun's rays to dry, and, finally, fill it
with hay, cotton, and all sorts of light materials.'
  They at last undertook the work. The skin was washed, dried, and
prepared as I had directed; and I could not see without laughing the
strange method they adopted to stuff it. They hoisted the snake up
to the limb of a tree, and Jack, in his swimming costume, jumped
into the long, hollow skin, and trampled down the hay, moss, and
cotton that his brothers threw in to him with their pitchforks. When
the skin was full, we saw him sticking his head out of the hole, and
hurrahing with all his might.
  When this work, which had occupied a whole day, was finished, we
mended the holes that our balls had made in the skin; and, with a
piece of cochineal, gave to the tongue that blood-red colour of
which death had deprived it; then we elevated it on a wooden stand,
arranging its body as gracefully as possible around the pole, and
fixing the jaws half open. Our dogs began to bark as soon as they
saw it; and our animals recoiled from it as if it were a living boa.
So arranged, it was solemnly installed in our library, where it took
the first rank among our curiosities; at the same time Ernest wrote
over the door the following legend: 'Asses cannot enter here.' We took
the legend in two different ways; and it was agreed that the
inscription should signify that the library was the sanctuary of
science and study, and for ever interdicted the entrance of idleness
or ignorance.
                                                  {CHAPTER_38 ^paragraph 30}
  We had nothing more to fear from the neighbourhood of the boa; but I
was afraid it might have either left its mate (it was a female) behind
it, or else a nest of little ones, which in time would spread terror
through the land. I resolved, in consequence, to undertake two
expeditions- the one through the marsh, the other towards Falcon's
Nest, through the passage in the rock, where I supposed the boa had
got through.
  We then set out loaded with our hunting equipage. We carried,
besides our arms, some boards, and the bladders of sea-dogs, to
sustain us on the water, if necessary. The boards we wanted to
assist us in our march; for, by placing one before the other, and
taking them up, we made a solid walk of wood. This was a great
convenience, and enabled us to search the marsh thoroughly. We
easily recognised the traces of the boa; the rushes were bent down
where he had passed through, and there were deep spiral impressions in
the wet ground where he had rested his enormous rings. But we
discovered nothing that induced us to believe that the boa had a
companion: we found neither eggs, nor little ones- nothing but a
nest of dried rushes, and I did not think that the boa had constructed
even that. Arrived at the end of the marsh, we made an interesting
discovery; it was that of a new grotto, which opened out of the
rock, and out of which flowed a little stream that passed on among the
rushes of the marsh.
  The grotto was hung with stalactites, which rose in immense
columns on each side, as if to sustain the vault, and formed
themselves into singular and beautiful designs. We remained some
time in admiration of this miracle of nature, and as we walked on, I
remarked that the ground upon which we trod was composed of an
extremely fine and white sort of earth, which, after examining it, I
recognised as being 'fullers' clay.' I immediately gathered some
handfuls, and carefully placed them in my pocket-handkerchief.
  'Here,' said I, to my sons, who were regarding me with astonishment,
'here is a discovery that will be very welcome to your mother; and
henceforth, if we bring her dirty clothes, we will bring her something
to wash them, for here is soap.'
  'I thought,' said Ernest, 'that soap was the result of human
industry, and not a production of the earth.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_38 ^paragraph 35}
  'You thought rightly; the soap that is ordinarily used is composed
of a certain salt, the acidity of which is corrected by the addition
of grease and so forth, which weakens its power greatly. But this
fabrication is tedious and costly, and men have been so fortunate as
to find a sort of earth in which is united certain qualities of the
soap; it is this we have found, and it is called 'fullers' clay,'
because it is used to clean woollen goods.' *
-
  * To prepare it for the fullers' use it is first baked, then
thrown into cold water, when it falls into powder, and the
separation of the coarse from the fine effected by the process is
termed washing over.
-
  We had approached the source of the spring while conversing; and
Fritz, who was a little in advance, cried out that the rock had a
large opening on one side. We ran forward, and soon found ourselves in
a new cavern. We fired off a pistol, and we were able to judge by
the echo that the grotto extended to a great distance. We then lighted
two candles, with which our knapsacks were provided; they burned
without obstacle, and the pure light assured us of the salubrity of
the air. Having left the others behind, Fritz and I continued to
advance, when suddenly we saw our torches reflected from every side of
the rock.
                                                  {CHAPTER_38 ^paragraph 40}
  'Ah, papa,' cried Fritz, in a transport of joy, 'see! see! a salt
grotto! look at the enormous blocks of salt lying at our feet.'
  'You are very much mistaken, indeed,' I answered; 'these masses
are not salt; if they were, the water which drips from the rock
would have melted them long ago; instead of salt it is crystal: we are
really in a palace of rock-crystal.'
  'Better yet- a palace of crystal! what an immense treasure for us!'
  'Yes; such a treasure as the gold mine was to Robinson Crusoe.'
  'Look, papa, here is a piece I have broken off; it is not salt, as
you said; but it is not transparent like crystal.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_38 ^paragraph 45}
  'That is your fault; you troubled it by breaking it off.'
  The expression appeared new to my son, he could not comprehend how
you could trouble a piece of crystal. I then explained the whole
theory of the formation of crystals.
  'The masses which we see before us,' said I, 'all form columns and
pyramids of exactly six sides; the greatest care is necessary in
transporting them, as rough usage loosens long needle-like particles
in the interior, which cross each other and produce obscurity. The
crystal then is called 'troubled.' Considerable blocks are to be
seen in many museums of Europe.'
  'I begin to think,' said my son, with an air of chagrin, 'that our
discovery will not be of much use to us, except to add to the
curiosities in our museum.'
  The curiosity of my son had been excited by what I had said upon the
subject of crystals, and I saw with satisfaction that his youthful
mind eagerly grasped at the knowledge of the wonderful works of
nature. I informed him that the crystals were formed from the sediment
deposited by the emanations of water, which attaches itself to the
rock, coagulates, and in time becomes as hard as any of the metals.
'The ancients thought it was petrified ice, but modern science has
investigated the matter more fully. The art of fashioning and moulding
rock-crystal has been discovered, and many medical and chemical
instruments are made from it.' But the light of our candles
commenced to grow dim, and I thought it prudent to retreat.

{CHAPTER_39
                                  39
               The strange Noise- Francis's first Shot-
        Excursion to the Farm-house- The Cabiai- The Musk Rat
-
  I HAD AS yet only half accomplished my design, and there remained
all the country about the farm-house yet unexplored; and besides, I
wished, if it were possible, by fortifying the passages in the rock,
to keep out all such visitors as the one we had lately received. I
made sure, before we set out, against any accident that might
happen: we took plenty of provisions, arms, vessels of all sorts,
torches to scare away all intruders on our night encampments, in
short, everything that would render our excursion safer and less
disagreeable; and any one that could have seen our departure from
Falcon's Nest would have thought that we were moving into the country,
so loaded was the waggon with all sorts of articles.
  The good mother took her place in the cart. Storm and Valiant were
attached to it, carrying also their young masters; the cow drew our
baggage; and Fritz, mounted on the onager, rode in front of the
caravan, as a sort of advanced guard, while Ernest and I brought up
the rear on foot.
  The farther we advanced, the fewer traces we found of the serpent.
We could not see a single monkey in the cocoa-wood; and the crowing of
our cocks, mingled with the bleating of our herds, gave promise of
good order at the farm-house; and we were not disappointed. As soon as
we arrived, our good housekeeper set about procuring us some dinner,
while we went to gather the cotton.
                                                   {CHAPTER_39 ^paragraph 5}
  After dinner I announced that we would immediately commence our
search, and we divided into three parties, each one charged to explore
a part of the country. Ernest and his mother had, for their
division, the guard of the provisions and the collection of all the
ripe blades in the rice-field; to defend them we left our brave dog
Billy. Fritz and Jack, accompanied by Turk and the jackal, took the
right bank of the lake, while I followed the left, with Francis and
his two young dogs. It was the first time that the little fellow had
shared in any of our expeditions, or had had a gun entrusted to him;
he marched along with his head up, and as proud as a new-made officer;
and he burned with ardour to make trial of his new weapon. But the
noise of our steps among the dried rushes frightened only some herons,
and they flew so suddenly and quickly that it was impossible to
shoot them. Francis began to grow despairing at his ill success,
when suddenly we found ourselves in presence of an innumerable
quantity of wild geese and black swans, which covered the waters in
all directions. Francis was just about to fire into the mass, when
suddenly a sort of deep, prolonged cry, like a bellow, issued from the
middle of the rushes. We stopped, astonished, and a second after the
cry was repeated.
  'I am sure,' said Francis, 'that it is the little onager.'
  'Impossible,' said I; 'he would not leave his mother; and,
besides, we must have heard him as he passed along. It is more
likely to be a swamp-bird, called a 'bittern'.'
  'How could a bird make such a noise as that? Why, it sounds like the
bellowing of a bull; it must be of prodigious size.'
  'Not at all; it is not so large nor as strong as other herons of the
same family. But your supposition proves that you are ignorant that
the voice of an animal has nothing to do with its size, but only
with the conformation of its throat and the muscles of the breast.
Thus, the canary and the nightingale, two very small birds, fill the
air with their song, and modulate their voice to such prolonged
notes as we should not think so feeble an animal capable of. As to the
bittern, it is related that, when he sings, he buries the extremity of
his beak in the mud of the swamp; and this gives it that deep,
sonorous tone which resembles more the voice of a bull than a bird.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_39 ^paragraph 10}
  'Oh, how I would like to kill it!' said my little hunter. 'How proud
I would feel to bring down such a prey with my first shot!'
  'Attention, then, and in a few moments you can have that pleasure.'
  I called the dogs to my side, and, setting them in the rushes,
presently heard the report of Francis's gun. But, instead of firing in
the air, he had discharged his gun right into the thickest part of the
rushes, and I saw the birds that the dogs had disturbed flying away
safe and sound.
  'You awkward fellow,' said I; 'you have let your game escape you.'
  'On the contrary, papa, I have him! I have him!' repeated he, with
passionate emotion. 'Look!'
                                                  {CHAPTER_39 ^paragraph 15}
  So saying, he pulled out of the rushes an animal resembling an
agouti, and which the little hunter had already christened by that
name.
  I examined it with attention, and discovered that there was much
difference between it and the agouti.
  This one was about two feet in length, had incisor teeth like the
rabbit, webbed feet, long snout, but no tail at all.
  'You have killed a rare and curious beast,' said I to my little boy.
'It is an inhabitant of South America, of the same family as the
agouti and peccaries, but much rarer. It is a cabiai, and what is
more, a cabiai of the largest size.'
  'And what sort of an animal is this cabiai? I have never heard of
him before.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_39 ^paragraph 20}
  'Oh yes; you heard him bray just now; for it was his cry that I
attributed to the bittern. This animal profits by the darkness of
night to provide his food: he runs fast; can swim well, and has the
power of remaining a long time under water; he eats seated on his
hind-legs; and as to his cry, it sounds exactly like the braying of an
ass.'
  But it was now time to return home, and Francis rejoiced at the
prospect of his triumph over his brothers. He took up his cabiai,
threw it over his shoulder, and although I saw that it was much too
heavy for him, I thought I would let him have the merit of the whole
affair. We trudged on a little way in silence, when Francis exclaimed:
  'How foolish I am to carry such a load. If I clean my game 'twill be
twice as light.'
  'A good idea,' said I. 'We do not eat the entrails; and the dogs, to
whom they belong, can just as well eat them here as anywhere.'
  The little fellow then set about opening the cabiai, and when he had
finished, we resumed our march; but the cabiai was yet too heavy for
his feeble shoulders. Another idea then occurred to him, to put it
on the back of one of the dogs.
                                                  {CHAPTER_39 ^paragraph 25}
  We then fastened it strongly on the back of Braun; and the dog,
proud of his charge, set off in advance.
  We arrived at the pine-wood, and set to work to gather a quantity of
canes, which we had discovered to be eatable. We perceived some
monkeys in the distance, who disappeared as we approached, apprising
us that the hated race was not yet exterminated. But as to the boa,
nothing indicated that it had passed through, or that it had left
any young ones.
  We found, on returning, Master Ernest tranquilly seated on the
bank of the river, and surrounded by a prodigious number of enormous
rats, which he had killed. The phlegmatic philosopher then recounted
to us the history of this massacre.
  'We were occupied,' said he, 'my mother and I, in collecting the
ripe rice-blades, when I discovered, at a little distance, a sort of
high, solid causeway, which looked like a road constructed in the
middle of the swamp. I immediately set off to discover what it was,
and Master Knips with me. But we had scarcely advanced one step when
he darted from my side in pursuit of an animal that quickly
disappeared in a sort of hole bored in the causeway. I remarked, on
advancing, that the two sides of the bank were pierced all along
with these holes, all of the same form and size. I was curious to know
what they contained, and I introduced into the opening a long bamboo
cane that I had in my hand. I had scarcely drawn it out when there
issued forth a legion of animals similar to the first. Knips ran after
them; but the rice grew so thick that he could not get along. An
idea then occurred to me to place my rice-sack over the hole. I did
so; and beating the top of the causeway with a stick, a great number
ran into the sack. I then began to beat the bag with my stick, so as
to kill the prisoners. But imagine my surprise when I found myself
assailed by a whole army of rats who emerged from every side, and
began to run up my pantaloons. Knips made most desperate attempts. I
could do nothing with my stick, and I cannot tell what might have
happened if Billy had not heard my voice, and come to my assistance.
He rushed bravely upon the army of rats, and made so terrible a
slaughter that the enemy fled in terror. Those that you behold fell
victims to my stick and the formidable teeth of Billy; the rest of the
army took refuge in their holes.'
  The narration of Ernest excited my curiosity, and I wished to see
for myself the causeway with its inhabitants, and I recognised a
series of works similar to those of the beaver, with the single
difference, that they were not so extensive. I made my sons observe
the conformity that existed between these animals and the beaver of
the north; both had the same membrane at the feet to facilitate
swimming; both had the flat tail, and both were provided with two
little bags of musk.
                                                  {CHAPTER_39 ^paragraph 30}
  Fritz and Jack returned during these conversations; they brought
back a ruffled moor-hen and a nest of eggs: we placed them under one
of our hens that happened to be sitting at the time. We then all
united around a savoury mess of rice that my good wife had prepared.
She had cooked a small piece of the cabiai; but it was detestable, and
we abandoned it to our dogs, who would not taste the flesh of the rats
on account of the smell of musk.
  The conversation naturally turned upon what we should do with our
rat-skins; and it was determined upon to make a carpet of them, to
preserve the floor of our house dry. Our first care was to clean
them with sand and ashes, as we were accustomed to do.
  The two little bags of musk with which these animals were provided
excited the attention of the children, and question followed
question in quick succession, as to the manner in which the
Europeans gather this precious substance.
  I informed them that many animals were provided with musk: the
gazelle, the beaver, the ondatra (which was the true name of the
rats which Ernest had killed), the pole-cat, the civet, and the musk
rat. I explained to them, at the same time, the different processes in
use to procure their musk, and how the Dutch, who understand taming
these animals, shut up, at certain periods, civets and musk rats,
and after they have deposited the contents of their bags they are
let loose until they are replenished.
  But this dissertation on the civet and ondatra had not made us
forget the detestable taste of the cabiai.
                                                  {CHAPTER_39 ^paragraph 35}
  'Ah,' said Ernest, who loved good eating- 'ah, if we only had a
little dessert now, to take away the fishy taste of that abominable
beast!'
  At this exclamation, Jack and Francis ran to their knapsacks.
  'Look here, sir!' said the youngest, as he threw some pine-canes
before the philosopher.
  'Look here, sir!' said Jack, placing on the table some little
shining apples, of a pale green, and which exhaled a strong odour of
cinnamon.
  A general cry of admiration greeted them.
                                                  {CHAPTER_39 ^paragraph 40}
  'Stop!' cried I. 'Before tasting this fruit, Master Knips must
undergo the customary trial, for I am afraid these are the fruit of
the manchineel-tree; and the manchineel apples produce most terrible
colics.'
  I then opened one of the fruit, and discovered that I had been
deceived by the appearance. The manchineel apple has a nut, and
these had very small seeds, like the common apple. While I was showing
this difference to my children, Master Knips snatched one of the
apples from the table and commenced to eat it, smacking his lips as if
it were something excellent. This determined the matter. I distributed
the fruit, and on tasting them we declared them most excellent.
Fritz wished to know their name.
  'They are,' said I, 'cinnamon apples; I think you gathered them from
a low shrub; * did you not, Jack?'
-
  * The bark of which forms the fragrant spice of that name,- the
fruit or apple resembles the acorn or olive, but possessing little
of either the smell or the taste of the bark.
                                                  {CHAPTER_39 ^paragraph 45}
-
  'Oh, yes, yes- shrub- cinnamon. I am falling asleep,' stammered
out the stupid fellow.
  I then gave the signal for retiring. We took all necessary
precautions for safety during the night, and we sought, on our
mattresses of cotton, the repose that the fatigues of the day had
rendered necessary.

{CHAPTER_40
                                  40
      The Pig-hunt- The Supply- The Otaheitan Roast- Ham Smoking
-
  THE NEXT MORNING, at break of day, we renewed our search. We
directed our course to the sugar-cane plantation, where I had built
a hut of branches; but we found it all blown down; and setting up
our tent, we resolved to pass the forenoon there.
  While my wife was making preparations for dinner, we explored the
sugar-canes, as I thought it would be a natural retreat for the
serpents, if there yet remained any in this part of the country.
Happily, our investigation was without any result; and we were turning
to quit the sugar-canes, when suddenly our dogs began to bark, as if
they had taken some dangerous animal. We could perceive nothing; but
as it was not prudent to venture among the canes, I ordered my sons to
direct their course toward the plain, and we soon found ourselves
clear of the canes. At the same time there emerged from them a troop
of pigs of quite respectable size and strength. I at first thought
it was the young family of our old sow; but their number, the grey
colour of their skin, and the singular manner in which they walked,
soon banished that idea. They trotted one after the other with a
precision and regularity that would have done honour to a troop on
parade. I took good aim, fired both barrels of my gun, and two of
the animals fell. The loss did not seem to make much impression on the
rest of the troop, who trotted on as before. It was a singular
spectacle to see the whole family marching along the borders of the
sugar-cane, with an imperturbable tranquillity; every one followed
exactly in his place, without any pushing for precedence; and, on
examining them more closely, we found that there was but one
footstep in the sand, so regularly did they march.
  But Jack and Fritz, who were a little in advance, could not let them
pass unheeded. Bang, bang, went their pistols, and two more animals
bit the dust; the dogs also had their part in the victory, and each
one strangled a victim.
  I immediately recognised them as being a sort of hog, and as I
knew that one part, if not immediately removed, would render the
meat uneatable, I immediately set about the operation, and my sons
gladly aided me, so rejoiced were they at such a splendid booty; for
we had six pigs, each, on an average, three feet in length. *
                                                   {CHAPTER_40 ^paragraph 5}
  While we were thus occupied, I heard the reports of two other guns
in the distance; I conjectured them to have come from Ernest and
Francis, who had overtaken the pigs. I was right; and Ernest, who soon
returned with the waggon for which I had sent Fritz, confirmed me in
my conjecture. We thus had in possession three more pigs, for Billy
had also done his duty.
-
  * Probably the Collared Peccary. M. Schomberg gives an interesting
account of meeting just such a herd whilst in a state of
infuriation, the leader of which he shot in the act of rushing at him.
-
  The arrival of the doctor naturally provoked a discussion on the
name of our game. Fritz thought that these were the Otaheitan pigs
of which Captain Cook speaks. Ernest was of another opinion, and
maintained that they were peccaries. * This animal is very common in
Guiana and South America. Before loading the waggon we resolved to
clean our game to diminish the weight. Although we worked as
diligently as possible, the work was not yet finished at
dinner-time, and we were glad to find in the sugarcane a cordial
that refreshed and nourished us. We set out for the tent; but my
boys were so proud of our chase that they determined to convert our
convoy into a triumphal march: they cut some green boughs and
decorated our equipage; they adorned their caps and guns with flowers,
and we made our entree chanting a song of victory.
                                                  {CHAPTER_40 ^paragraph 10}
-
  * Ernest was undoubtedly right according to the description given.
-
  'You have kept me waiting long enough, gentlemen,' said my wife;
'your dinner is all spoiled; but, bless me! what a quantity of meat!
Why should you abuse the provision nature has so liberally provided,
by killing more than we require?'
  We justified ourselves as well as we were able, and my children
offered their mother the sugar-canes they had brought home.
                                                  {CHAPTER_40 ^paragraph 15}
  Fritz proposed to regale the family with an Otaheitan roast. We
received his proposition, but it was put off till the morrow, as the
preparation of our pigs precluded all thoughts of anything else.
  I sent the two smaller boys to gather a quantity of green branches
and leaves, with which to smoke our pork, and we then set to work.
Ernest skinned the pigs. Fritz and I cut them up, and my wife salted
the pieces. I piled the hams all together, so that the salt would
penetrate every part, and we also poured salted water over them and
allowed them to remain until the hut for smoking was constructed. As
for the heads and bones, they were abandoned to the dogs.
  The next morning, Fritz recalled to my memory the promise I had made
to allow him to serve us for dinner an Otaheitan roast. He began by
digging a deep trench; he then took the pig he had reserved for the
purpose, washed it with care, rubbed the interior with salt, and
filled it with a sort of stuffing made of meat, potatoes, and
different roots.
  When the trench was full of combustibles, Fritz set it on fire;
and from time to time the boys threw in, by the direction of their
elder brother, a quantity of pebbles, which soon became red hot.
  My wife observed all these particulars with a look of incredulity.
                                                  {CHAPTER_40 ^paragraph 20}
  'Beautiful cookery you will make,' said she, 'with an entire pig,
some ashes, and a hole in the ground- delicious eating I do not
doubt!'
  Nevertheless, notwithstanding her sarcasms, she could not help
giving the boys some advice, and she aided Fritz in giving his pig the
graceful turn that roast pigs should always have to taste good.
  When these preparations were finished, our cook-in-chief enveloped
his 'roast' in leaves and pieces of bark; a hole was made in the
burning cinders large enough to receive it, and it was then covered
with red-hot stones, and the hole filled up with earth to prevent
the air from penetrating.
  At the sight of this last ceremony my wife gave up, and exclaimed,
in a tone of discouragement-
  'Oh, what a mess! It may be very good for savages, but do not think,
I beg of you, that a Swiss woman, who piques herself on her
knowledge of cookery, is going to touch such a dish of burned meat
as will come out of that hole.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_40 ^paragraph 25}
  But Fritz did not despair, and he made a learned appeal to the
testimony of navigators in favour of the delicious taste of the
Otaheitan roasts. I interrupted his erudition by pointing to the hut
ready to receive our meat. We had about twenty superb hams- a nice
treasure for us during the rainy season. We filled the hut we had
constructed with green leaves and wet branches, set them on fire,
and made preparations to remain until the meat was all smoked.
  Fritz let his 'roast' cook for about two hours; and it was not
without astonishment that, after having taken off the triple layer
of earth, cinders, and stones, the most delicious odour saluted our
olfactories. I scarcely expected anything eatable and we had before us
meat cooked to a nicety, combined with a spicy perfume that would have
done honour to a Parisian cook. Some ashes which had fallen on it were
carefully removed, and the meat was pronounced delicious. That which
astonished me most was the spicy odour with which it was
impregnated, and I attributed it to the leaves with which it had
been cooked. I made an examination, and came to the conclusion that it
was the ravensara of Madagascar, the root called by naturalists
'agathophyllum,' signifying 'good leaf' I threw a certain quantity
into the smoking-hut, in hopes that they might impart an aromatic
odour to the hams.
  During the three days of fumigation, I had every day, with my
sons, explored the country. These excursions discovered to us no
traces of the boa; but they very seldom ended without their bringing
home some little addition to our comforts and luxuries.
  One day we directed our course toward the wood of bamboo, and
returned home loaded with cups of all dimensions, formed from
rushes, which we sawed apart at every knot; some of them were very
large, twenty inches in diameter. We also made another discovery the
same day: it was that each knot of the rushes distilled a sugary
matter which crystallised in the sun, and resembled candied sugar.
These rushes also furnished us a quantity of long, strong thorns,
which filled the place of nails admirably.
  We also made an excursion to Prospect Hill; but we found
everything there in the greatest disorder: the walls of the farm-house
were pulled down, and the cattle gone. The monkeys had passed that
way, and left unequivocal traces of their progress.
                                                  {CHAPTER_40 ^paragraph 30}
  I resolved to undertake a war of complete extermination against this
hated race, who appeared to dispute the possession of the country with
us; but this important question was left until another time.
  We then surrounded the hut, where our hams were suspended, with a
rampart of earth, and fortified it with branches and stones, so as
effectually to keep out all intruders; and we arranged everything so
that we might be ready to set off on the morning of the fourth day,
and commence our explorations beyond the defile that had been the
barrier between the district we had inhabited for nearly three
years, and an unknown land, which we had but once entered, and then
were nearly destroyed by a troop of buffaloes.

{CHAPTER_41
                                  41
     Excursions into the Savanna- Two Horsemen- The Ostrich Hunt-
                      The Nest- The Land Turtles
-
  WE BEGAN OUR march at daylight, and, after having journeyed on for
about two hours, I gave the signal for a halt, as about gunshot from
the defile which separated the two countries appeared to me to be a
favourable spot for our encampment. It was situated on an elevated
point that commanded a far-extended prospect, and was defended on
one side by a thick pine forest.
  'Here,' said Fritz; 'is a spot where we can defend ourselves against
all enemies; and, if you take my advice, father, you will establish
a post here.'
  Jack bellowed out-
                                                   {CHAPTER_41 ^paragraph 5}
  'A post-office! why, where can we send the letters to?'
  'Sydney, Port Jackson, and New Holland,' replied I, as gravely as
possible.
  This answer attracted the attention of Francis, who asked me why I
had named these places- whether by chance, or because I really thought
we were near them.
  'The more I consult the charts of the captain,' said I, 'the more
I think we are in the latitude of New Holland. The circumstances of
our shipwreck, the route which the vessel had followed, the tropical
rains, the productions of the coast, the sugar-canes, the spices,
the palm-trees, all confirm me in this opinion.'
  Fritz wanted me, before quitting the place, to leave, as a mark of
our passage, a fortress, after the manner of the Kamtschatkans,
which is simply composed of some boards, elevated by stones at each
corner, to a height sufficient to keep out all savage animals.
Before commencing this work, we made an investigation of the forest
round about; but we discovered nothing but two margays, * or wild
cats, who fled into the forest before we could level a gun at them.
                                                  {CHAPTER_41 ^paragraph 10}
-
  * A species of wild cat that is extremely fierce and untameable.
-
  The rest of the morning was devoted to the fortification of our
encampment. We then dined; but the heat was so powerful that we were
obliged to postpone our excursion into the savanna until the morrow.
  Nothing troubled the repose of the night. We were up at daylight,
and in a few moments our preparations were complete. I took with me my
three eldest sons, as I wished to be in force on entering into a
country as yet unknown. Francis remained with his mother to take
care of the baggage; and, after breakfast, we packed some
provisions, and took leave of our good mother, who saw us depart
without uneasiness.
                                                  {CHAPTER_41 ^paragraph 15}
  We passed through the defile, at the extremity of which we had
erected a palisade of bamboo and thorny palm; but it had all been torn
down, and we could easily trace on the sand the spiral imprints of the
boa, clearly demonstrating that he had come from the savanna through
this passage. I intended to erect a solid rampart here that should
be proof against the attack of any animal; but I was obliged to
defer the execution of the plan until some other time.
  We had now ventured into a country we had entered but once before.
Jack recognised the place where we had taken the buffalo; the river
which divided the plain was bordered by a rich line of vegetation.
We followed its course for some time, and arrived at the grotto
where my son had taken the young jackal; but the farther we advanced
vegetation disappeared, and we soon found ourselves in the middle of
an immense plain, only bounded by the horizon. The sun beat right down
on our heads, the sand burned our feet- in one word, it was a
desert- a desert without a single tree- a desert of sand, the only
green things being a few withered geraniums and some sort of grass
that contrasted strangely with the aridity of the soil. On crossing
the river, we had filled our gourds with fresh water, but the sun
had heated it so that we could not drink it, and we were obliged to
throw it away.
  After two hours of painful journeying we arrived at the foot of a
hill that we had perceived afar off: it was a rock that elevated
itself in the middle of the desert, and afforded us a refuge against
the rays of the sun. We were too fatigued to climb the rock and
reconnoitre the country: we could scarcely stand against the
overpowering rays of the sun, and our dogs were as tired as ourselves;
we were isolated in the middle of the desert, and could see the
river in the distance, like a silver thread, winding through its green
banks. It was like the Nile, beheld from a mountain under the
burning sun of Nubia.
  We had scarcely been seated five minutes when Master Knips, who
had accompanied us, suddenly disappeared over the rock, having
probably scented some brother monkeys in the neighbourhood; our
dogs, also, and the jackal deserted us; but we were too tired to
call them back.
  I brought out some morsels of sugar-cane, and distributed them among
the boys, for our thirst was terrible. This refreshment restored our
appetites, and some rounds of roast peccary furnished us with an
excellent repast.
                                                  {CHAPTER_41 ^paragraph 20}
  'Confess,' said Fritz, laughingly, 'that a piece of ham, roasted a
l'Otaheitan, does not taste bad in a desert like this.'
  'It is a little better,' said Ernest, 'than the mortified flesh of
the Tartars, who, it is said, put the meat which they eat under the
saddles of the horses they ride, and thus carry their provisions
with them.'
  This trait of erudition on the part of Ernest brought on a
discussion; and I was endeavouring to explain my reasons for
discrediting this story, when suddenly Fritz, whose excellent sight
was always making discoveries, cried out.
  'What do I see!' said he. 'There are two horsemen galloping up
towards us. There, a third has joined them- doubtless they are Arabs
of the desert.'
  'Arabs!' said Ernest; 'Bedouins you mean.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_41 ^paragraph 25}
  'Bedouins are but one division of the great family of Arabs, and
your brother was right,' said I; 'but take my spy-glass, Fritz; your
news astonishes me.'
  'Oh, I see now a number of waggons loaded with hay; but they are
so distant I can scarcely distinguish anything; something
extraordinary is certainly going on.'
  'Let me have the glass,' cried Jack, impatiently; and he declared he
saw a crowd of cavaliers who carried little lances, with banners at
the point.
  'Come, give me the glass now,' said I; 'your imaginations are too
poetic to be relied upon.'
  I applied the glass to my eye, and, after having looked some time
attentively,-
                                                  {CHAPTER_41 ^paragraph 30}
  'Well,' said I to Jack, 'your Arabs, your cavaliers with lances,
your hay-carts, what do you think they have been transformed into?'
  'Camelopards, perhaps.'
  'No; although not a bad idea, yet they are ostriches, and chance has
thrown a splendid chase into our hands; and if you will take my
advice, we will not let these beautiful inhabitants of the desert pass
us by without measuring our strength with theirs.'
  But the ostriches were rapidly approaching, and it was time to think
of some mode of capturing them. It seemed to me that the best way
would be to wait until they came up, and then attack them by surprise.
I ordered Fritz and Jack to go in search of the dogs, whilst Ernest
and I sought some shelter to conceal us from the ostriches. We threw
ourselves down behind some large tufts of a plant that grew among
the rocks, and which I recognised as the euphorbia, commonly called
wolf's milk, and the juice of which is one of the most active
poisons in the world.
  Jack and Fritz now returned with our faithful companions, whom, from
their wet skins, we easily judged to have been taking a bath
somewhere.
                                                  {CHAPTER_41 ^paragraph 35}
  The ostriches were now within eyesight, and I could distinguish that
the family was composed of three females and a male, who was easily
recognised by the long white feathers of his tail. We crouched
closer to the ground, and held our dogs close to our sides, for fear
lest their impatience should defeat our stratagem.
  'Make ready your eagle,' said I to Fritz; 'for if our legs are not
sufficient we will have recourse to his wings.'
  'Do ostriches run so very fast?' asked Jack; 'if they do, however,
neither I nor Fritz are quite snails, and Master Ernest was long ago
crowned victor in our races.'
  'Oh,' answered I, 'Ernest's legs, good as they may be, will not make
much difference to the ostrich: he does not even fear a horseman at
full speed.'
  'How are we going to capture them, then? we have no horses.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_41 ^paragraph 40}
  'That is true; but it is more by the sagacity than by the mere
swiftness of the horse that they succeed. The ostrich is never
attacked in front, or behind, only at the side. It is known that, when
this bird is pursued, he describes a circle, more or less in extent,
but yet always returning to the point from whence he set out. The
whole science of the chase consists in constraining the bird, if
possible, to narrow this circle. The hunter keeps at his side, follows
him, presses him, and torments him until, wearied out, the poor
ostrich falls into the hands of his enemies. But as the circle it
describes is sometimes very extensive, and as one horse gets exhausted
before the bird is captured, hunters always take care to have a
relay of horses all along the course, and sometimes one ostrich will
tire out four or five horses.'
  'Is it true,' said Ernest, 'that on the approach of danger it is
usual for the ostrich to hide its head behind a stone, in order, as it
thinks, to render itself invisible?'
  'In order to answer you,' said I, 'one ought to have the key to an
ostrich's thoughts; but I have no doubt it is some exaggerated
traveller's tale. It is much more probable that, if it really does
conceal its head, it is in obedience to the great law of instinct,
which teaches all animals to take the greatest care of the most
vulnerable parts of their body; or, perhaps, the ostrich buries his
head to give the blows he makes with his feet more force. For my part,
I think that the ostrich has always been a much calumniated bird.'
  I now perceived that the ostriches were aware of our presence-
they appeared to hesitate in their march; but, as we remained
immovable, they at last seemed reassured, and were advancing
directly to us, when our dogs, whom we could not keep quiet,
suddenly sprang out upon them. Away went the timid birds, with a
rapidity that can be compared to nothing else but the wind driving
before it a bundle of feathers. * Their feet did not appear to touch
the ground, their half-extended wings had the appearance of sails, and
the wind greatly accelerated their velocity. I then ordered Fritz to
unhood his eagle; he did so, and the noble bird soon lit upon the head
of the male ostrich, and, attacking his eyes, soon brought him to
the ground. The dogs and the jackal ran up, and when we arrived the
gigantic bird was just expiring under the numerous wounds that the
ferocious animals had inflicted.
-
                                                  {CHAPTER_41 ^paragraph 45}
  * The ostrich is quite incapable by the most energetic action of
flying off the ground altogether.
-
  We were greatly disappointed at this issue of our chase; but, as the
evil was without remedy, we contented ourselves with preserving the
lifeless corpse. The eagle and jackal were immediately taken away,
as being the most ferocious. We then deprived the unfortunate animal
of the white plumes in the tail, and we placed them proudly in our
hats. The rich and sumptuous feathers contrasted strangely with our
old worn-out beavers, but they were an excellent protection against
the rays of the sun.
  While we were talking about the bird, Jack and Ernest, who had
followed the jackal, made some great discovery, and we soon saw them
waving their plumed hats in the air, and shouting to us to hurry on.
  'A nest!' they cried, 'an ostrich's nest!- Quick- quick!'
                                                  {CHAPTER_41 ^paragraph 50}
  We hurried on, and found the two boys standing over a large
ostrich nest- if we can dignify a hole dug in the ground by the name
of nest- in which were symmetrically arranged from twenty-five to
thirty eggs, * each as large as a child's head.
-
  * The female bird lays from ten to twelve eggs, and two or more will
deposit in the same nest.
-
  'Take care,' said I to my young companions, who were going to meddle
with the nest; 'you will disarrange the order, and then the female
will desert her nest.' The jackal had broken one of the eggs when
the nest was discovered, and I observed to Jack that one thing was yet
wanting in the education of his pupil, and that he needed a good
whipping to cure him of his destroying propensity.
                                                  {CHAPTER_41 ^paragraph 55}
  My sons wanted to carry away the ostrich-eggs; they would hatch
them, they said, by exposing them in the daytime to the rays of the
sun, and wrapping them up as warm as possible at night, so I came to
their assistance, and advised them to cut some branches from a low
sort of pine that grew about the rocks, and make a basket to carry
their eggs, as the Dutch milkwomen carry their milk-pots. My plan
succeeded admirably, and my little boys began their march without
the slightest complaint.
  We then arrived at the borders of a swamp that seemed to be formed
by the confluence of several springs that flowed from the rocks; we
could trace the marks of the dogs and the monkey, and recognised
this as the place where they had wet themselves. We could perceive, in
the distance, troops of buffaloes, monkeys, and antelopes, but so
far from us that we took no further notice of them; nothing,
however, indicated to us the presence of a boa, or that such animals
resided here. We halted at this marsh, and refreshed ourselves with
some provisions; and then, filling our empty gourds with water,
prepared to depart, when we perceived the jackal had made a discovery.
It was a round object which he had dug out of the sand with his
paws; it resembled a mass of moist earth, and I threw it into the
water to clean it, when, what was my astonishment to see it move! I
took it out, and, on examining it, discovered it to be a turtle of the
smallest kind, scarcely as large as an apple.
  The jackal still continued his investigations in the sand, and we
soon had a dozen of the little turtles crawling around us, some of
whom I picked up, and put in my knapsack.

{CHAPTER_42
                                  42
              Bears! Bears!- Narrow Escape- The Combat-
               Discovery of Porcelain Earth- The Condor
-
  WE QUITTED THE borders of the swamp; but, instead of directing our
steps through the desert, we followed a little stream of water that
led us to the rock where we had reposed on our first excursion into
the savanna. It was a delicious route in comparison with our painful
journey of the morning. We found trees, grass- in short, it was a
little oasis in the desert, and we named it 'Green Valley.' We soon,
however, left its verdure far behind us, and again we were in the
desert; but the heat was not as violent, and our rest had recruited
our weary strength, so that we found the route less painful, and
journeyed tranquilly on, carrying our only conquest, the ostrich-eggs.
But it was not our fault: it was because we had seen no game. As we
had remarked that the animals of the country were far more afraid of
our dogs than of us, we took the precaution to hold our faithful,
yet too quarrelsome, companions in leash. I took charge of Turk, Fritz
of Braun, Ernest of Folb, and Jack of his jackal; as for Billy, he
always carried Master Knips on his back, so we were obliged to let him
go free.
  We were yet distant about half an hour's journey from the jackal's
grotto; Jack and Fritz had stopped a moment to adjust their burdens,
and I also stopped with them, while Ernest marched forward, followed
by Folb.
  'The philosopher is in a hurry to get home,' said Jack, laughing;
'he runs that he may be rested first.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_42 ^paragraph 5}
  But scarcely had the fellow finished his sentence, when we heard a
cry of distress; it was the voice of Ernest, followed by two
terrible howls, mingled with the barking of the dogs. A moment
after, Ernest reappeared; he was running at full speed, his face
deadly pale, and he cried out in a voice stifled with fear,-
  'Bears! bears! they are following me'; and the poor boy fell into my
arms more dead than alive. I had not time to reassure him, and I
felt myself seized with a sudden shiver, as an enormous bear appeared,
immediately followed by a second.
  'Courage, children,' was all I could say. I seized my gun, and
prepared to receive the enemy. Fritz did the same; and, with a courage
and coolness far above his years, he took his place by my side. Jack
also took his gun, but remained in the rear; while Ernest, who had
no arms- for in his fright he had let his gun fall- took to his
heels and ran away.
  But our dogs were already at the attack, and they had commenced to
measure themselves with their terrible adversaries. We fired together;
and, although our shots did not bring down the enemy, they
nevertheless told well: one of the bears had a jaw broken, the other a
shoulder fractured. But the combat was not yet finished: they were
only partially disabled. Our faithful servants did prodigies of
valour; they fought most desperately, rolling in the dust with their
enemies, while their blood poured in streams on the sand. We would
have fired again, but we were afraid that we should kill the dogs,
it being impossible, during the changing contest, to take any aim.
We resolved to advance nearer, and, at about four paces from the
bears, we discharged our pistols direct at their heads. The huge
animals gave a groan that caused us to shudder, and then fell back
motionless on the sand.
  We remained some time dumb with astonishment and terror before our
two horrible adversaries. Our dogs, covered with bleeding wounds, were
still tearing the bears as if they were alive; and, fearing a feint, I
again discharged my pistols at the heads of the two beasts.
                                                  {CHAPTER_42 ^paragraph 10}
  Then my little boys approached the two animals, and stood
contemplating them with a mixture of fear and admiration. They
passed their hands over the long line of sharp teeth with which
their jaws were furnished, raised their huge paws armed with
terrible claws, and admired their fawn-coloured skins. The
conclusion of this examination resulted in a general question of
what was to be done with them.
  Jack wished to make two helmets out of their skins, 'which,' said
he, 'will make us appear very terrible to our enemies.' Ernest, less
warlike, proposed that we should wear them as cloaks during the
rainy season, or else make mattresses from them.
  It was too late to meddle with the animals, and we took the
precaution, before leaving, to draw the two carcasses into the
jackal's cave, and cover them with thorn-bushes, to keep off all
carnivorous beasts and birds of prey; we also buried our
ostrich-eggs in the sand, as their weight retarded our march
greatly, and we could leave them here until the morrow.
  The sun was set when we rejoined my wife and our little Francis. A
good fire and a well-cooked supper refreshed our weary bodies, and
my little heroes commenced a long narration of the exploits of the
day, Master Jack making up for the small share he had had in our
victory by boasting and swaggering enough for all. My wife was so
frightened at the recital of our danger that she could not restrain
her tears; and, although I assured her that the flesh of the bears
would make as good provision as the peccaries, she begged me not to
return into the desert.
  My wife and Francis had not been idle during our absence; they had
discovered on the banks of a stream a sort of greasy, white earth,
which appeared to me to be fine pipe-clay. They had also collected
water enough for the use of our domestic animals, and, by the force of
industry and perseverance, had amassed, at the entrance of the defile,
a quantity of materials necessary for my projected fortification.
                                                  {CHAPTER_42 ^paragraph 15}
  I thanked my good wife for the pains she had taken. We then
lighted a large fire to guard us through the night, and our dogs,
whose wounds my wife had washed and dressed with fresh butter, lay
down beside it. I wished, before retiring for the night, to make a
trial of the earth my wife had found, for I suspected that it was
porcelain. I made two roughly shaped bowls from it, and threw them
into a furnace of hot cinders, and we then all retired to the tent,
where sweet sleep soon sealed our eyelids. The next morning it
required a strong effort to tear us from our beds, so wearied out
had we been the preceding day. I found my two bowls hardened by the
heat: they were, as I supposed, porcelain, rather coarse grained,
but well enough for our purposes. We breakfasted in haste; the
beasts were harnessed to the cart, and, after a pleasant little
ride, we arrived safe and sound at the cavern of the bears.
  On approaching, we found the entrance of the cave occupied by a
troop of birds, whom, by their conformation, ruffled necks, and the
colour of their feathers, we should have taken to be turkey-cocks,
if a nearer examination had not convinced us that they were birds of
prey, occupied in dissecting our bears, as we could see them flying
out, carrying away huge pieces of the flesh. I thought, by the immense
number of birds, that our work was finished, and nothing would be left
but the bones, when suddenly we heard a flapping of wings above us,
and a black shadow passed along the ground; we raised our eyes and
beheld an immense bird of prodigious size, whose wings extended full
sixteen feet; he came gradually sweeping down toward us, when Fritz
fired his gun, and the formidable creature fell dead at our feet; it
had been shot in the heart, and the life-blood oozed out from the
wound.
  The report of the gun had frightened the band of marauders, and they
flew away stunning our ears with the horrible discord that they
made; we then entered the cavern, and found one of the bears half
devoured, and the other completely cleansed of the entrails, a
saving of labour, by the by, to us. We loaded our cart with the
skins and the remaining meat, and, placing the immense bird, which
we had discovered to be a condor of the largest size, upon the top, we
set off for the tent.

{CHAPTER_43
                                  43
         Preparation of the Bears' Flesh- Pepper discovered-
    Cups out of the Ostrich-eggs- The Angora Rabbits and Antelopes
-
  WE DEVOTED a whole day to the preparation of the bears' flesh. After
having skinned them with the utmost care and precaution, I cut off the
hams, and then divided the rest of the meat into long strips, about an
inch in thickness, and we exposed the whole to a good current of
smoke, as the ancient buccaneers used to do. The grease was
collected in bamboo canes, and carefully preserved; for, besides its
use in the kitchen, my wife said it was excellent on bread in lieu
of butter. We had about a hundred pounds of fat, together with that
which the peccaries had afforded us a few days before; we abandoned
the carcasses to our dogs, and they, aided by the birds of prey,
soon picked the bones so clean that there remained nothing but two
perfectly white, dry skeletons, which we carried home with us for
our museum. As for the skins, they were carefully washed with salt
water, and rubbed with sand and ashes; and although our talents in the
art of currying were poor enough, we rendered the skins sufficiently
soft for all purposes, without having recourse to the Greenlanders'
process, who, it is said, chew them in order to render them soft.
  I very much regretted that we had not the leaves of the ravensara
with us, so that we might impart its delicious odour to our meat;
but the children, while searching the bushes, had discovered a sort of
vine, which, upon examination, I found to be pepper. I received this
new gift with transports of joy, for it would now enable us to
preserve many things that the heat of the climate had before
rendered impossible to do. The skins of the bears, the hams, and
strips of flesh received the first application of our new discovery.
The condor came next; after having taken out every particle of
flesh, we rubbed the interior of the skin smartly with powdered
pepper, and, filling the cavity with moss and cotton, reserved the
arrangement of the bird until we returned to Felsenheim.
  Our labours had been too peaceful for the restless, turbulent
character of my boys. I could see that they were tired and fretful,
and I thought that the best plan would be to diversify our work with
some amusement. I proposed to them to make an excursion alone in the
desert; my proposition, as one may suppose, was joyfully received, and
the perspective of an unchecked course rallied the flagging spirits of
my little companions. Ernest refused to accompany them, preferring
to remain at home with us. On the other hand, Francis was so eager
to accompany his brothers, that I at last permitted him to go.
                                                   {CHAPTER_43 ^paragraph 5}
  Fritz, Jack, and Francis were soon in the saddle, and, after
having gaily saluted us, galloped off through the defile.
  My wife and I resumed our domestic labours, and Ernest, tranquilly
seated on the sand, occupied himself in making cups from ostrich-eggs;
for we had discovered, by putting our eggs into hot water, that the
principle of life was exhausted. Ernest had read of a plan somewhere
to separate the eggs by surrounding them with a string steeped in
strong vinegar. The action of the acid on the lime contained in the
shell forms a circular line, which gradually eats through; but the
lining membrane of the egg was so hard that it was necessary to cut it
with a knife; it had all the elasticity of parchment.
  We soon quitted this occupation to undertake another. While
examining a small cavern which we had discovered near the tent, I
found several minerals, among others, a piece of asbestos, known as
being incombustible; and also a superb block of talc, as transparent
as glass, and which I resolved to fashion into window-panes. Ernest
aided me as much as he was able, and we soon detached a splendid
piece, about two feet in length, and the same in thickness. My wife,
who received everything that could recall Europe to her mind with
pleasure, was overjoyed at our new discovery, especially when I
informed her that this mineral could be divided into leaves no thicker
than paper.
  We had been thus occupied the best part of the day, and, as
evening approached, we gathered around our hearth, where our good
housewife was cooking two bear's paws, which had been well soaked in
brine, and the smell of which, as it escaped from the pot, promised us
a delicious supper, and we sat down to while away the time in
conversation until our huntsmen returned. We did not wait long, for
the galloping of their steeds was soon heard, and in another moment
they were at our sides.
  Jack and Francis each carried a little kid on his back, with the
feet tied together, and the game-bag of Fritz appeared to me to be
pretty full.
                                                  {CHAPTER_43 ^paragraph 10}
  'A fine chase, papa!' cried Jack. 'Storm carried me through the
desert like a flash of lightning. Fritz has two magnificent Angora
rabbits in his pouch, and also a complaisant cuckoo, who led us to one
of the finest hives I have ever seen; we shall be able to get plenty
of honey.'
  'Jack has not told all,' said Fritz: 'we have taken a whole troop of
antelopes prisoners, and have driven them into our domains, where we
can hunt them and tame them just when we please.'
  'About the rabbits,' added I, 'what do you intend to do with them?
If they should happen to get in your mother's vegetable garden,
there would not be much of it left.'
  'No, no; but I thought that one of our two islands would make a good
home for them; for instance, Shark Island would make a magnificent
warren, and furnish us many a good dish, and fine furs to make caps
out of.'
  'But how did you come to take them alive?'
                                                  {CHAPTER_43 ^paragraph 15}
  'The honour of the capture is due to my eagle; he pounced down
upon a troop of rabbits that were flying before us, and carried off
two in his talons. I rescued them before he had injured them, and he
consoled himself by killing another, which he soon devoured.'
  I could see that Jack was watching every opportunity to put in a
word, and I laughingly requested the poor fellow to speak.
  'In my turn!' said he, 'in my turn! only I galloped on with
Francis while Fritz was chasing the rabbits; the dogs followed us, and
suddenly we saw them jump forward, and run after two little animals
about the size of a hare that fled with incredible rapidity. Away we
all went, and, after a hot chase of a quarter of an hour, we
captured the two fugitives. There they are,' continued the young
narrator, throwing down before us two beautiful little animals: 'I
think they are young fawns.'
  'And I think,' said I, 'that they are antelopes.'
  'Well, whatever they may be,' continued Jack, 'our dogs behaved
admirably, and so, I can say, did their masters. But that was
nothing to what happened afterwards. We had scarcely commenced our
progress when a sort of cuckoo began to fly before us, singing away as
if to defy us. Francis, who always is imagining something
marvellous, exclaimed that it was some prince, enchanted by a fairy,
who wished to conduct us to his palace. 'Bah!' said I; 'I'll soon
break the enchantment'; and I had already levelled my gun, when
Fritz requested me to recollect that it was loaded with ball, and that
I should only waste the charge. I accordingly slung my gun on my back,
and we rode on, the cuckoo flying on before us, when suddenly he
stopped just over a bee's nest, artfully concealed in the ground. We
now held a council of war about the nest, and discussed the plan of
attack. Francis begged to be excused, recalling to our memories the
former attack at Falcon's Nest. Fritz was willing to do all the
advising part, but would rather leave the execution to somebody
else; so you see, at last, the whole affair devolved upon me. Armed
with some sulphur matches that I found in my knapsack, I advanced
and tried to suffocate the bees by throwing the lighted matches down
the hole, when suddenly a rumbling noise was heard, and, in a
second, a swarm of bees emerged, attacking me on all sides; my hands
and face were violently treated, and it was with the greatest
difficulty that I mounted my buffalo and rode away, bearing with me
the honourable marks of the conflict. I could scarcely believe,'
said Jack, as he finished his recital, 'that so small an animal
could cause so much pain.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_43 ^paragraph 20}
  'Well, well,' said I, 'you have received a good lesson in natural
history; take care that you do not forget it; but go to your mother,
and let her put something on your face to allay the pain.'
  I then made a basket of willows, covered with canvas at the top,
in which to put the rabbits and the antelopes, so that they might be
easily carried to Felsenheim. We were undetermined whether we would
keep them at the grotto, or abandon them on one of the islands of
the coast.
  My children would have preferred to keep the pretty creatures by us;
but I was afraid that they might get into the garden, and do some
damage, so it was resolved at last that they should be put on Shark
Island, and there left at liberty.
  I reflected long upon what Jack had told me concerning the strange
bird that had shown them the nest of bees. I easily recognised it as
being the 'cuckoo-indicator' of naturalists; 'but,' thought I, 'how,
if this coast is uninhabited, could the bird have known that human
beings liked honey, and would be willing to share the discovery with
him? Is not such conduct a sign that we are not the first men who have
trod this soil? May not the interior of the country be inhabited?'
These considerations were of the highest importance to us, and I was
convinced that it would not be prudent to advance into the interior,
unless with the greatest caution. I also resolved to build a
fortress on one side of the coast, and I chose Shark Island as its
situation, as it appeared to me that a strong fortification that would
command the coast of Felsenheim, and fortified by our two cannons,
would enable us to defend ourselves against all attack from the
interior, if any ever took place.
  After supper we lighted our torches and fires, attended to our
smokehouse, and lay down with unburdened consciences to enjoy our
night's rest.

{CHAPTER_44
                                  44
                Ostriches again- A Hunt and a Capture-
                   Acquisition of Treasure- Vanilla
-
  AT THE BREAK OF day I was up, and awoke my sons; our labours were
almost done- our bears' meat was smoked, our fat all tried-out into
bamboo vessels; and the rainy season, which was rapidly approaching,
warned us to return to our home in the grotto. Nevertheless, I
wished to make another excursion into the desert, to see whether a
second visit to the nest of ostrich-eggs would not succeed better than
the first.
  As we wished to accomplish this excursion as rapidly as possible, it
was resolved to go on horseback. Fritz gave up his onager to me, and
took the young colt, and Jack and Francis each mounted their
respective beasts. As to Master Ernest, he preferred to remain at
home; he had become the habitual companion of his mother, and
succeeded Francis as assistant in the kitchen.
  We took with us Turk and Billy, and set off, following the direction
of the Green Valley, tracing over again all the places rendered
illustrious by some remembrance of our last excursion- the spot
where we had encountered the bears, the turtle-marsh, and, at last,
the rock from which Fritz discovered the ostriches. To this rock we
gave the name of 'Arab's Tower,' in allusion to the mistake he had
made in thinking the ostriches to be Arabs of the desert.
                                                   {CHAPTER_44 ^paragraph 5}
  Jack and Francis galloped off at full speed, and, as the plain was
so level that they could not escape from my eye, I let them go on.
  They soon had almost disappeared in the savanna, and it was with
great difficulty that our eyes could follow them, surrounded as they
were by a cloud of dust. They had passed far beyond the
ostrich-nest, to which we directed our course, wishing to see
whether the eggs had been abandoned or not.
  We had scarcely come in sight of the nest when we saw four noble
ostriches rise from the sand and advance towards us. Fritz's first
care was to prepare his eagle for the conflict; and, to prevent it
from renewing the former scene of carnage, he fastened its beak so
strongly that it was almost harmless. Our dogs were also muzzled,
and we stood still, in order that we might not frighten the birds.
On they came, with half-extended wings, gliding over the ground with
inconceivable rapidity. They seemed to think us inanimate objects, for
they came on directly for us until they had arrived within
pistol-shot; they were three females and a male- the last a little
in advance, with his beautiful tail-feathers floating behind him.
The moment of attack was come; I seized my string with balls, and,
calling up all my sleight-of-hand, I launched it against the male
ostrich. Unfortunately, however, instead of catching him around the
legs, as I intended, the balls of my string took a turn round his
body, and I only fastened his wings to his sides. It diminished his
speed somewhat, but the victory was not complete; and the frightened
bird turned round, and, using his long legs, endeavoured to escape:
away we dashed after him, I on the onager, and Fritz on the colt.
But we were nearly exhausted, when, happily, Jack and Francis rode up,
and cut off his farther retreat. Fritz then unhooded his eagle, and,
pointing out the ostrich to him, he immediately pounced upon his prey;
and now commenced an arduous chase. Jack and Francis on one side,
and Fritz and I on the other, tormented him, and harassed him
without ceasing; but the most useful combatant was the eagle. The
presence of this new enemy troubled the ostrich greatly; he felt him
on his head, and heard the flapping of his wings, while, on the
other hand, the eagle, furious at finding his beak strongly fastened
by a ligature of cotton, was so violent that, by a vigorous stroke
of his wings, the ostrich fairly tottered. Jack then threw his
string and balls so skilfully that the noble bird bit the sand of
the desert. A cry of joy burst from the huntsmen, the eagle was
recalled and hoodwinked, and we hastened to our prize in order to
prevent his breaking the bonds that confined him; for he was so very
violent, and struggled so vigorously, that I hardly dared to
approach him. I imagined that by depriving him of light I might reduce
his fury, and I threw my hunting-sack, my vest, and handkerchief, over
his head. I had discovered the secret: no sooner were his eyes covered
than he became as quiet as a lamb. I approached, passed a large band
of sea-dog-skin around his body, two other bands were attached as
reins to each side, and his legs were fastened with strong cords, long
enough to allow him to walk, but which confined him sufficiently to
prevent his escape.
  'A fine prize, truly!' said Jack, when our work was done. 'We have
got the giant; but how shall we tame him?'
  'Wait awhile,' answered I; 'the most ferocious nature yields to
education: do you not know that the Indians even tame the enormous
elephant, and that by a very simple means?- they place a wild elephant
between two others, already tame; they deprive him of the use of his
trunk; and, fastening him strongly, leave the tame elephants to
teach him better manners.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_44 ^paragraph 10}
  'Admirable, papa!' cried Jack, bursting into a fit of laughter.
'According to that, we now want two tame ostriches, and I do not think
that either Fritz or I are large enough to supply their places.'
  'I thought of that before,' replied I; 'but, instead of ostriches,
we have other auxiliaries that will well answer as a substitute for
them. The bull and the buffalo, for example, will, I think, do very
well on each side of our captive, while you, and your brother, each
armed with a whip, can teach him to march in a line with them.'
  'Oh yes, papa; that will be fine fun, and is sure to succeed,' was
the answer to my proposition.
  I then attached our two coursers before and behind the ostrich
with strong cords; and when all was ready, my two cavaliers jumped
into their saddles, and I pulled the covering from the head of the
ostrich.
  The bird remained some time immovable, as if astonished at the
return of light. It soon made a start; but the ropes pulled it roughly
back, and it fell down on its knees; again it made the attempt, and
again it was foiled. It tried to fly, but its wings were tightly
fastened by the band I had passed around them: its legs were also
restrained: it threw itself from side to side with the utmost
violence, but the patient buffaloes did not pay the least attention to
the pulling and hauling. At last the bird appeared convinced of the
inutility of its efforts, and, submitting to its two companions, set
off with them at full gallop. They dashed gallantly on for half an
hour, until the buffalo and the bull, less accustomed to the sands
of the savanna than the ostrich, forced it to abate its rapid pace,
and adopt a slower system of movement.
                                                  {CHAPTER_44 ^paragraph 15}
  While the two young cavaliers were thus occupied, Fritz and I set
out in search of the ostrich-nest. The cross of willows which we had
planted in the ground near it, at our last visit, still remained, and,
as we approached, a female bird rose up off the nest and fled
rapidly away into the desert. Her presence appeared to us a good
augury, as it assured us that the eggs still retained the principle of
life. I had taken care to bring with me a sack and a quantity of
cotton. I now took out six of the eggs, and, enveloping them as
carefully as possible in the cotton, placed them in the sack,
leaving the others in the nest, in hopes the mother would not discover
the theft. The sack containing the eggs was carefully fastened on
the back of the onager, whom I led slowly along; Fritz mounted his
colt, while Jack and Francis marched before us, escorting the ostrich,
and controlling its waywardness by an occasional blow.
  We traversed the Green Valley without perceiving anything
uncommon, and soon arrived at the tent, where Ernest and his mother
received us with an astonishment they could not find words to express.
  'What, in the name of patience,' cried my wife, as she perceived the
ostrich, 'are you going to do with that immense bird? Have we so
much more provisions than our other animals can consume that you
must go into the desert to find another pensioner? It is said that the
ostrich eats iron; shall I give him some now? What do you mean to do
with him?'
  'A post-horse, mamma,' cried Jack, 'a post-horse that I mean to name
'Hurricane,' for nothing else can equal him in rapidity. Nobody else
shall ride him but me, and I will give you Storm, Ernest, because
you have no courser.'
  'The ostrich,' said I, 'has not such a very voracious appetite as
you suppose; on the contrary, it is a very quiet animal, who is
contented with green herbage which he can easily find for himself;
and, besides, if we are obliged to help him, he certainly is able to
help us.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_44 ^paragraph 20}
  While I was making this short apology to my wife for the
introduction of the ostrich, Jack and Francis were quarrelling, behind
my back, for the ownership of it.
  'Jack pretends,' said Francis, 'to esteem the ostrich as his
property. I don't think it is quite fair; I helped to catch him as
well as he.'
  'Very well,' said I, 'let us divide him. Fritz, you may take the
head, for it was your eagle that stunned him; I claim the body, for it
was my string and balls that caught that; Jack, you own the legs- your
balls captured them; and we will give you, Francis, a feather from the
tail, as it was there, I believe, you kicked the bird to make it stand
up.'
  I fastened the ostrich securely between two trees, and the rest of
the day was devoted to preparations for our departure on the morrow.
We had a number of new riches to collect, and I wished to leave
nothing behind us.
  The next day we set off early. The ostrich took his place between
the bull and the buffalo, as before; he was, at first, inclined to
be refractory, and threw himself from right to left, but all in
vain: his two conductors were like immovable masses, against which all
resistance was unavailing.
                                                  {CHAPTER_44 ^paragraph 25}
  Fritz mounted the young colt 'Rapid,' and I the onager, while Ernest
directed the cart, in the middle of which my wife sat in all her
majesty, among the provisions. Our march was slow, but it was very
picturesque, as may be imagined.
  We halted at the entrance of the defile where my sons had
suspended the cord with the feathers attached, to keep back the
antelopes and gazelles. In the place of the cord, we erected a solid
palisade of bamboo, high enough to keep out all animals that do not
climb. We planted a row of thorn-bushes on each side, and sprinkled
a layer of sand all around, so that we could discover what sort of
animals might frequent it. During the construction of this fence we
made a new discovery; it was that of the Vanilla bean, which I
recognised by its brown pods and balsamic odour.
  Our labours at the defile detained us a long time, and it was
night when we arrived at the cabin of the Hermitage. We found our
smoking-hut the same as before, and our provision of peccary
untouched. We lighted a fire, and, after a frugal repast, extended
ourselves on our sacks of cotton, and courted balmy sleep.
  The next day, we discovered a new treasure: our hen-house had
received an addition of twenty young hens- the product of the eggs
Jack had brought home in his hat. My wife was enchanted at this
discovery, and caught several pairs to take home with her.
  We were so anxious to return to our dear Felsenheim, and to resume
all our comforts and luxuries, that we resolved not to stop again
until we arrived there. It was long after noon when our weary
journey was finished. We were worn out with fatigue; the sun's rays
had been pouring down on our heads all day, and our strength was so
exhausted we could scarcely give our animals their evening food.

{CHAPTER_45
                                  45
                   Progress in Ostrich Discipline-
                Efficacy of Tobacco Smoke- The new Hat
-
  THE DAY AFTER our arrival at Felsenheim, my wife commenced 'cleaning
house.' Windows were opened, beds aired, and all swept and
garnished. While she and the two younger boys were thus employed, I,
with the two elder, unpacked and distributed the riches we had brought
home.
  We had tied the ostrich, at first, under a tree, and securely
fastened his feet; but we changed his situation, and tied him to one
of the strong bamboo columns that supported the gallery.
  We next visited the eggs, and they were, like the first, submitted
to the trial of warm water. Several of them fell heavily to the
bottom; but three or four moved slightly when immersed in the water,
and these were carefully preserved, in order that we might try the
experiment of hatching them by cotton and artificial heat. For this
purpose I constructed an oven, in which I took care to maintain that
degree of heat which the thermometer marked as being the natural
heat of the hen.
                                                   {CHAPTER_45 ^paragraph 5}
  We then installed our Angora rabbits on Shark Island; we constructed
a burrow in the ground, similar to those of Europe, and, before
putting them in, we combed them, and removed all the superfluous hair.
We also fixed wooden combs over the entrance of each burrow, so that
the rabbits, when passing in or out, would be deprived of some part of
their fine wool, which I intended to manufacture into hats.
  The two antelopes were also transported to Shark Island. We should
have liked very much to have kept these charming little creatures
about us, but the fear of the dogs and beasts of prey forced us to
condemn the timid creatures to confinement. In order to render their
exile as agreeable as possible, I erected a hut, in the middle of
the island, to shelter them, and we took good care to provide them
with plenty of provisions. It was a pleasure to see the slender, timid
creatures bounding gracefully over the high grass, and we greatly
admired their light movements, the rapidity of their course, and the
beautiful shape of their bodies. The antelope is of a deep-brown
colour, in some places approaching to black; a long line of white
hairs extends down the neck and the backbone to the tail, but it is
almost entirely hidden by the brown hairs which cover the back; upon
each of the cheek-bones is a white spot, and there are also white
spots on the haunches. Its legs are very slender, and its feet
extremely small; its tail, which is very short, is covered with long
brown hairs, and the upper lip is furnished with a black moustache.
They are the most graceful, timid little creatures that can be
imagined. The antelope carries with it the valuable perfume called
musk, which is much sought after by the American hunters; and, it is
said, a very cruel method is used to deprive them of this treasure.
They beat the antelope with sticks, until lumps and blood-blisters are
formed on the skin; these contusions are tied tightly with a string,
so that the extravasated blood in these sort of pockets cannot escape;
they are then left until they fall off of themselves, and in them is
found the perfumed blood which becomes musk, and is worth its weight
in gold.
  There remained alive but two of the little turtles which we had
brought home, and these were transported to our goose-swamp. We had
originally intended them for the kitchen-garden, but my wife was
afraid that they would do her salads more hurt than good, and at
last they were condemned to the mud of the swamp. Jack was sent to
deposit them there, and he had scarcely arrived at the swamp, when
we heard him call out for Fritz to hurry thither, and bring his
stick with him. I supposed that they were going to knock down two or
three of the bullfrogs with which the swamp abounded, when what was my
surprise to see them coming towards us, dragging with them an enormous
eel that they had found in one of the fikes Ernest had constructed
there before we had set out for the savanna. The other fikes had all
been broken through by the fishes that had been caught in them. The
eel was joyfully received; our good housekeeper instantly cooked us
a piece, and the rest was prepared as the sailors prepare the Tunny
fish.
  The pepper and the vanilla bean, climbing plants, found a place
about the bamboo columns which we had erected to support a sort of
piazza at the entrance of our grotto. The vessels of grease we had
brought back, and the smoked flesh of the peccaries and the bears,
were placed in the magazine of provisions, where they presented a
formidable array, by the assistance of which we could brave all
attacks of famine.
  When these first works were finished, we occupied ourselves in
embellishing our habitation, and rendering our position more
agreeable.
                                                  {CHAPTER_45 ^paragraph 10}
  The two bear-skins were placed in the sea-water, being loaded with
large stones to prevent the tide from carrying them away.
  My wife also took the heath fowl we had brought home under her
charge, and she let Master Knips and the jackal understand that they
must be respected, or else their lives would pay the penalty. The
condor was placed in the museum, and we intended to devote a day to
finishing his preparation. The block of talc, the asbestos, and the
porcelain earth that we discovered, were also placed in the museum,
but not simply as curiosities, as I intended to convert the talc
into window-panes, the porcelain into all sorts of utensils, and to
make from the asbestos incombustible wicks with which to supply the
lamp I had suspended from the roof of the grotto. But all these
works were deferred until the rainy season confined us to the house.
  The skins of the rats Ernest had brought annoyed us by the odour
of musk they exhaled. I made them up into a packet; and remembering
what I had read concerning the manner in which sailors bring over
the assa-foetida, a sort of foetid gum, by hoisting it up to the top
of the mast, I placed our rat-skins out in the open air, under the
gallery, where their offensive smell could not reach us.
  I was thinking, at the time, of a project that, in employing all
hands, would not allow the philosopher to be less industrious than his
brothers. I wished, before the rains came on, to prepare a field to
receive the seeds we had hitherto confided to the earth without any
order or regularity. It was a difficult enterprise, and we felt in all
its reality the force of that law which condemned man to gain his
bread by the sweat of his brow. Our faithful animals were of much
assistance to us; but the sun was so intense that the slightest labour
utterly exhausted them. We could work but four hours in the day: two
in the morning and two in the evening; we were able, however, to
prepare at last about two acres of land, which would furnish us an
ample harvest of maize, potatoes, and manioc-root.
  During the intervals of our fatiguing field labours, we occupied
ourselves by beginning the education of the ostrich. It was an
enterprise as difficult as it was novel; but I had read that it
could be accomplished, and I was resolved to try it.
                                                  {CHAPTER_45 ^paragraph 15}
  Our pupil began by putting himself in a terrible passion; he
struggled, snapped at us with his beak, and cut up all sorts of
capers; but we could find no better remedy for such conduct than to
treat him as we had treated Fritz's eagle, that was, by burning
tobacco under his nose. This had the desired effect, and we soon saw
the majestic bird totter and fall insensible to the ground. We had
recourse to this plan several times. Little by little we relaxed the
cord which fastened it to the bamboo post, and gave it room to
wander about the doorway. A litter of rushes was provided for him;
calabashes filled with sweet nuts, rice, maize, and guavas were placed
every day before the animal; in a word, we neglected nothing that we
thought would consort with the fellow's taste.
  During three days all our cares were in vain: our choice dishes were
regarded with great disdain, the beautiful captive would not eat,
and it carried its obstinacy so far that at last I was seriously
afraid of the consequences. At last an idea occurred to my wife
which relieved us from all embarrassment. It was to poke down the
throat of the bird, willy nilly, balls of maize and butter. The
ostrich made horrible faces at first but, when it got a taste of the
balls, all trouble on that point was over, and the delicacies we
placed before it were quickly devoured, the guavas, by the by, being
especially favoured.
  The natural savageness of the bird disappeared more and more every
day; it would let us approach it without striking at us, and after
some days we thought we could, without much risk, unfasten it, to take
a short lesson in the art of walking. We placed it between the buffalo
and the bull, and put it through all the exercises of the stable- to
trot, to gallop, stop short, trot again, walk slow, etc. I cannot
say that the poor bird relished his first lesson very much, but the
tobacco pipe and the whip were two admirable instructors, and when
he was disposed to become unruly a whiff of tobacco would set all to
rights.
  At the end of the month its education was complete, and it had so
well succeeded that I now seriously thought of making our new conquest
of general usefulness. I wished it to associate with our domestic
animals, to submit like them to regular movements, and to stop and
march as we wished. The first thing that was to be thought of was a
bit; but how could I contrive a bit for a beak? I had never seen
one, and I must confess that I felt greatly embarrassed; at last I
achieved my task. I had remarked that the absence of light had a
very direct influence upon the ostrich; it would stop short when
blindfold, and could not be induced to move until its eyes were
uncovered. This discovery was the basis of the new invention that I
constructed. I made, with the skin of a sea-dog, a sort of hood,
like the one we had made for the eagle, which covered the head,
being fastened about the neck. I made two openings in the side of this
hood, one opposite each eye, and covered each of these holes with
one of our little turtleshells, attached to a whale-bone spring, fixed
in such a manner that it would open and shut. Reins were fastened to
these springs, so that, by their action, we could admit the light or
shut it out, just as we pleased. When the two shells were open, the
ostrich galloped straight on; when one was opened, it went in a
direction corresponding with the eye that received light, and when
both shells were shut, it would stop short. The most fully trained
horse could not have obeyed better than our ostrich did, under his
novel head-dress.
  Our first success encouraged us; and, as human vanity always has a
share in all the actions of life, it was found necessary to decorate
the hood with all our disposable ornaments. Accordingly,
ostrich-plumes pulled out of its own tail, ribbons and tinsel, were
sewed on to the covering, and made a very gay appearance as they
fluttered in the air.
                                                  {CHAPTER_45 ^paragraph 20}
  My children thought that the education of our captive was now
complete; but I was of a different opinion. The ostrich is a very
robust animal, and capable of supporting a great deal of fatigue. I
wished it to learn to carry burdens, to draw a carriage, and be
adapted for horsemanship; I began, consequently, to fabricate
harness for each of these occupations. Of the first I shall say
nothing; but the third, that is to say, the saddle and all that
pertained to equestrian exercises, was a masterpiece of saddlery. I
had brought my saddles and bridles to such perfection that I have
not the least doubt that, had I resided at the Cape of Good Hope,
the land of ostriches, I would have obtained a brevet of invention and
the pompous title of first saddler to the kingdom. But, whatever was
the merit of my invention, I must confess we had a great deal of
difficulty in making the ostrich submit to our wishes; our hardest
task was to make it submit to our mounting it; but I knew that
patience and perseverance are the two first elements of success in
imparting education. I was not, therefore, discouraged, and at last we
had the satisfaction to see our new courser galloping between
Felsenheim and Falcon's Nest with one of our young cavaliers mounted
on his back.
  The artificial nest of ostrich-eggs, which we had enveloped in
cotton, and placed in a stove, had succeeded; that is to say, out of
six eggs, three had hatched. The young ostriches were the
drollest-looking animals that could be imagined: they looked like
ducks, mounted on long legs, and they tottered awkwardly about on
their slender stilts. One died the day after its birth; the two others
survived, and we endeavoured to preserve them by taking all possible
care for their comfort. Maize, acorns, boiled rice, milk, and cassava,
were set before them in rich profusion.
  Our next care was to give our bear-skins their necessary
preparation. I carefully removed all particles of flesh that adhered
to them, rubbed them with vinegar several times, and then with a
mixture of ashes and grease worked at them constantly until they had
attained the desired softness, and we thus obtained two superb warm
coverings.
  When all our provisions were gathered in, and we felt sure that we
could get through the winter without famine overtaking us, we
commenced our manufacture of hats. It was a labour as difficult as
novel for us. Of course we did not display all the skill and fine
taste that those who work for the London and Parisian dandies are
obliged to possess; but we only wanted a comfortable covering for
our heads.
  The first question that presented itself was the form of our hats;
each one gave in his opinion, but necessity came into the council, and
obliged us to give our new manufacture the form most in unison with
our means of execution. It was extremely simple: I cut a wooden
head, which divided into two parts, and on which we spread a thick
layer of soft paste, composed of rat-skin and the glue of fishes. We
let it dry, and as it took the exact impress of the mould, we obtained
a sort of cap, of which my readers can form some idea of the shape.
                                                  {CHAPTER_45 ^paragraph 25}
  It had cost us a great deal of trouble to produce even this
ill-looking affair. My sons were scarcely less satisfied with it
than I was; but our European hats were so dilapidated that it became a
matter of necessity to procure something to replace them.
  'Is it a hat, a bonnet, or a cap?' asked Master Ernest, laughing. 'A
fine question to submit to the academy of Felsenheim at its first
meeting.'
  'Hat or cap,' said Fritz, 'it is of a most abominable colour, and
I vote for some sort of colouring to dye it with.'
  'Yes,' replied Ernest; 'I vote for red, it's the poets' colour.'
  'And the cardinals' and the doctors',' chimed in Jack. 'Dye the
cap red by all means, and we will have a cardinal's hat for
professor Ernest.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_45 ^paragraph 30}
  This sally made us all laugh, and the discussion proceeded.
Francis preferred grey, Jack green, as being the favourite colour of
the hunter, while Fritz- the prudent Fritz- voted for white, he having
read that this attracted less heat than any other colour, from which
he concluded it was the best for a cap.
  'I am sorry,' said I, 'that I cannot accommodate you all; but I have
not half the colours you mentioned. Fritz's colour showed his
judgment; Jack picked out his more for ornament than use; and as for
Ernest, whether he was thinking of cardinals or not, his must be the
colour, as it is the only one I can procure easily.'
  I now had recourse to the cochineal, and I soon gave to our
beavers a beautiful brilliant purple tint. The hat looked better; I
adorned it with a couple of ostrich-plumes, and it looked better
still; my wife passed a ribbon round it, which she had found in her
enchanted sack, and the disdain with which my poor beaver had been
received, was changed into anxious requests for its possession.
  But its destination had been fixed beforehand: it belonged to
Francis by right, as he had lost his old hat a few days before.

{CHAPTER_46
                                  46
          Return of the Rainy Season- A new Want- The Cajack
-
  THE RAINY SEASON was now rapidly approaching, and we were soon
obliged to give up our excursions. The winds and the rain commenced;
the sky that had so long been clear became dark with storm-clouds;
terrible tempests announced the approach of winter; and we closed
the door of our grotto, happy in having such a comfortable shelter.
  With the English turning-lathe which we had brought from the
wreck, I started to make various household utensils; but these labours
were much more interesting to me than to my young family, and I feared
that the inactivity to which I saw them reduced would render them
indolent. Francis found occupation enough in his books; but his
brothers never entered the library unless when driven by necessity.
I felt the urgency of providing some active occupation for them, and
one more to their taste than literature; but I could not think of
anything, when Fritz came to my assistance.
  'We have,' said he, 'in the person of our ostrich, a splendid
post-horse, with which to travel the highways of our kingdom; we
have carts to transport our provisions; a pinnace and a canoe, which
are riding majestically at anchor in Safety Bay; but one thing is
yet wanting: we have need of an equipage that will glide over the
surface of the water, as the ostrich does over the sand- we want a
light barque that will transport us in the twinkling of an eye to
the farthest extremities of our kingdom; coast along the rocks, and
bound over the opposing waves. I have read that the Greenlanders
have a sort of vessel which they call "cajack," * and which I must
have. Why cannot we construct one? We have constructed a canoe- why
should we, civilised Europeans, not succeed in that which barbarous
savages have attempted?'
-
                                                   {CHAPTER_46 ^paragraph 5}
  * More commonly spelt 'kayak.'
-
  I joyfully received the proposition of my son; but my wife, who
had an old grudge against the sea and its dangers, disapproved of
the project of the cajack. We brought forward all the arguments and
inducements we could think of to gain her consent; but all was in
vain, and my good Elizabeth was silent, but unconvinced.
  However it may be, the construction of a cajack would fill up the
vacuum in my sons' occupations, and I resolved to commence it,
promising my wife a masterpiece of grace and swiftness.
  The cajack, the only embarkation of the Greenlander, is a sort of
canoe in the form of a shell; and a piece of walrus-skin, with three
or four strips of whalebone, are almost the only requisites for its
construction. It is extremely light, and the navigator who has
glided in it over the surface of the wave can easily carry it on his
shoulder when he has arrived at land. The Greenlander develops in
the management of his cajack an address and boldness almost
incredible; he attempts with it long voyages, employs it to hunt the
walrus and the sea-dog, and, whether the sea be calm or agitated,
his cajack is impelled over the waves like a feather; in it the
islander never thinks of fear- his legs crossed at the bottom of the
boat, and his oars in his hand, he knows not of such a thing as
shipwreck.
                                                  {CHAPTER_46 ^paragraph 10}
  The Greenlander is no adept in civilisation and the arts,
therefore his cajack is not a masterpiece of execution; we hoped to
improve upon it, and intended that our projected bark should
resemble the Greenlander's in no other points but swiftness and
lightness.
  The strips of whalebone, bamboo cane, and Spanish rushes, with
some sea-dog skin, were the materials that we employed. Two arched
strips of whalebone fastened at each end, and separated in the
middle by a piece of bamboo fixed transversely across, formed the
two sides of our canoe; other pieces of whalebone, woven in with
rushes and moss, well covered with pitch, formed the skeleton. The
first improvement on the cajack was to arrange it so that the rower
could remain sitting; while, in the cajacks of the Greenlander, he
is obliged to remain with the legs crossed, like a tailor, or else
to lie down in the bottom of the boat- both very uncomfortable
positions, and depriving the rower of much of his strength.
  I shall say nothing of the exterior decorations, of the elongated,
and, consequently, more graceful form than that of the original;
but, on the whole, this assemblage of osiers, whalebone, and bamboo,
formed a construction so light and elastic that it would rebound
like a ball from the earth; and when we submitted it to the water,
although heavily laden it scarcely drew two inches. We were engaged
upon our new work more than a month; but it succeeded so well that
my sons prophesied it would work miracles.
  When the skeleton of our boat was finished, and the interior covered
with a coat of gum and moss, we commenced the construction of an
envelope. For this I took the two entire skins of sea-calves, fastened
one at each end of the canoe, and then drew them down under it,
where they were strongly sewed together, and covered with a gum
elastic coat, to render them impervious to water. I also cut out
oars of bamboo, and fastened bladders to one end, so that they might
be useful in case of accident. I also constructed, in the bow, a place
to receive a sail, in case we should decide, at a future period, to
put one there.
  Fritz, as the author of the idea of the cajack, and being the eldest
and the most capable of managing it, was solemnly installed owner of
the cajack, Jack and Ernest being but little tempted by so seemingly
dangerous a construction.
                                                  {CHAPTER_46 ^paragraph 15}
  There was yet an important thing wanting in the completion of our
Greenland boat: it was the equipment of him who was to manage it. I
had often heard of a sort of apparel well known to those who dwell
near the sea, and which consisted in enveloping a person in an
air-tight dress, lighter than the volume of liquid his body displaced.
I described this apparel to my sons, narrated to them how the head
of the swimmer was covered with a hood, furnished with a pipe intended
to let in air, when it was if necessary to breathe under water. My
description of the costume and the air-chimney fairly turned the boys'
heads, and they would not rest, night or day, until they persuaded
me to ask their mother to construct such a suit for them.
  My good Elizabeth, to whom our desires were as laws, kindly
undertook the work; and so nimbly did her needle ply, that in a few
days she had made a complete swimming-costume for Fritz.
  A jacket of the skin of the whale's entrails, hermetically sealed
and sewed round the borders, so that the air could not possibly
escape, was furnished with a flexible pipe, closed with a valve, so
that it could be inflated or exhausted at the pleasure of its wearer.
  The winter had glided insensibly away: reading, the study of
languages, and other literary pursuits had been mingled with our
domestic avocations, and helped to render the gloomy days we passed in
the grotto more pleasant and agreeable.
  But our emancipation from the grotto was approaching: the wind
calmed, the sea resumed its wonted placidity, the grass sprang up
under our feet, and we revisited Falcon's Nest, with its giant trees
and its rich harvest of springing grain.
                                                  {CHAPTER_46 ^paragraph 20}
  The swimming-costume was the last thing that we had made, and
Fritz was anxious to make a trial of it; consequently, one fine
afternoon, dinner over, he put on his jacket, which was drawn close
round his neck; then his hood, with its pipe for air, was fitted to
the jacket, and two pieces of talc inserted in such a manner as to
enable him to see.
  Our first movement, on seeing him thus accoutred, was to burst
into a fit of laughter; but Fritz plunged gravely into the water,
and struck out for Shark Island. We followed him in the canoe, and
arrived about the same time. We unfastened his hood, and found that
not a particle of water had penetrated it: every one was rejoiced at
the success of the experiment, and we all persuaded our kind mother to
make us one each.
  We then set off to explore the island, and endeavour to discover
what had become of the colony we had planted there. Our first visit
was to the antelopes. They fled at our approach; but we saw with
pleasure that they had devoured all the provisions we had provided
them with. We strewed some rushes in their little hut, for a litter;
and after renewing the stock of provisions, left the spot, so that the
timid animals could return.
  A second excursion to Shark Island gave us leisure to examine the
different plantations we had made: they had succeeded admirably, and
we found several young trees already some feet above the ground. Our
rabbits had also prospered, and the family had increased to an
enormous extent.
  We made, too, a short excursion to Whale Island; our plantations
here had also succeeded- all was prosperity around us. Our maritime
possessions and those on terra firma afforded a most agreeable
spectacle to the eyes of the proprietors. Abundance, richness, and a
luxuriant vegetation gave promise of an excellent harvest. We
stopped a moment upon the rock which overlooked the island, to cast
a glance upon the scene around us.
                                                  {CHAPTER_46 ^paragraph 25}
  One day, when I was occupied by my domestic cares in the interior of
the grotto, three of my sons disappeared without saying anything; they
carried with them their arms, provisions, and a number of rat-traps.
The latter easily explained the secret of their expedition: they had
gone for rat-skins in order to make some new hats. I wished them
good luck, and thought nothing more of the matter.
  Ernest, always fond of home, had remained reading in the library; my
wife was occupied in the kitchen; and I resolved to imitate my sons,
and attempt an excursion alone. I had need of some large blocks of
wood with which to grind the grain we had gathered; but I would not
cut down one of the trees around our habitation for fear of
disfiguring our residence. I went to the stable for a horse; but all
except the buffalo had disappeared, and I was obliged to be content
with him. I soon fastened him to the sledge, and we set off in company
in the direction of the Jackal's River. I took with me Folb and Braun;
the faithful Billy remained with Ernest, and Turk had gone off in
the morning with his young masters.
  My intention in choosing the river road was that in passing I
might take a look at our plantations of manioc and potatoes which
extended along its bank. I had not seen this land, which we had
prepared with a great deal of trouble, for four months prior, and I
expected to find an abundant harvest preparing for us. Judge, then, of
my surprise, on approaching, to find the whole plantation a scene of
ruin: the roots that had just begun to sprout were all trodden under
foot, or scattered over the ground- in a word, it was a scene of utter
desolation. I thought at first that perhaps my sons had gathered the
harvest; but the prints in the moist earth soon revealed the authors
of this devastation: it had been done either by the wild pigs, or else
by the family of our old sow.
  My brave companions, Folb and Braun, had gone off in search of the
despoilers; and they soon returned, driving before them a whole herd
of pigs, at the head of which trotted our old sow, grunting most
melodiously. I was so irritated at the unlucky animals that almost
instinctively I raised my gun, and by a single shot brought down two
young porkers. The others took to flight, and the dogs would have
pursued them, but I called them back, and, cutting off the heads of
the two pigs, gave them to them. I then placed the bodies on the
sledge, and having marked with a hatchet the trees I had chosen, so
that I should know them again, I set off for Felsenheim.

{CHAPTER_47
                                  47
         Return of the Boys- Their Adventures- The Kangaroo-
                  Harvesting- Partridges and Quails
-
  TOWARD EVENING we began to grow anxious about the return of the
boys, when suddenly Jack appeared in the distance. He arrived at
full gallop on his ostrich, having left his brothers far behind. He
brought nothing with him, pretending that his courser would receive no
other burden than himself. Fritz and Francis coming up, we
discovered that each of them carried before him a sack full of game,
the products of the chase, in which they had been extremely fortunate;
and they had brought back with them four of those beasts whom we had
christened 'beasts with a bill,' twenty ondatras, one monkey, a
kangaroo, and two varieties of the musk rat, which they had found in
the swamp. The first was the musk-beaver, not much different from
the ondatra, excepting in the formation of his snout. I recognised
it as being the Tolay of Buffon. *
-
  * Probably the Totai, not Tolay, which is rather larger than an
ondatra, more resembling the rabbit both in appearance and habit.
                                                   {CHAPTER_47 ^paragraph 5}
-
  Francis laid down before us a bundle of thistles with extremely
sharp points, which would serve admirably to card wool, hair, etc. But
each one was anxious to narrate the details of the expedition; and,
according to custom, Jack commenced.
  'First of all,' said he, 'honour to my courser, honour to the
horse with long legs- honour to the hippogriff. * He carried me
along so fast that I was obliged to shut my eyes, and the motion
really took my breath away. There is one thing yet wanting to complete
my equipments: I want a mask with glass eye-lenses; you will make one,
papa- I must have it.'
-
  * A fabulous winged horse.
                                                  {CHAPTER_47 ^paragraph 10}
-
  'Ah, my dear cavalier, I am sorry; but I shall not make you a mask.'
  'Why not?'
  'The reason is, that, instead of having recourse to the industry
of another, you should attempt the thing yourself; so then, if you
want a mask, make one yourself'
  'That is well,' said Fritz; 'every one for himself is the
principle we have been carrying out all the morning; we had nobody but
ourselves to prepare our dinner. But, dear papa, what do you think
of the fine furs we have brought back?'
                                                  {CHAPTER_47 ^paragraph 15}
  'I receive them with all the thanks they merit; but I would rather
my huntsmen would let me know when they are going away, and not run
off and leave their parents ignorant of where they are.'
  'That is true,' said Fritz. 'We thought of that when we were a
league away from here; but I promise you it shall never happen again.'
  The boys' frankness disarmed me, and I could not reproach them.
While my sons were unharnessing their coursers, and leading them to
the stable, my wife gave the last turn to her roast pig, and we were
soon all seated round the table.
  'Truly,' said Francis, as he snuffed up the delicious odour of the
pig, 'this is a great deal nicer dinner than the one we cooked out
in the desert; and, I must confess, I have not much relish for a
hunter's life, when he has to cook his own dinners.'
  'Admirable!' replied his good mother, laughing. 'I am enchanted to
have so well divined the taste of my little Francis.' And she took
occasion to remark to us the treasures with which she had loaded our
table. By the side of the pig was placed a plate of nice fresh
salad; opposite to that was a dish of the Hottentot jelly; for dessert
we had a sort of fritters made from guava apples; sweetmeats of
cinnamon preserved in sugar; a bottle of hydromel completed this
dinner, which was laid out with as much precision and nicety as if
we had been at Zurich instead of on a desert island.
                                                  {CHAPTER_47 ^paragraph 20}
  During the repast, each one recounted his adventures, Fritz
describing their passage through the valley, the attack of the
ondatras and the beavers. 'We also,' said he, 'then saw those
'beasts with a bill' coming out of the swamp to partake of a repast
intended for them. We then caught a fish or two in the lake; and
relieving our dinner with a plate of ginseng cooked in the ashes,
sat down to our humble meal.'
  'Pooh, pooh!' cried Jack the boaster; 'who cares for rats and
fishes? It is to my courser and me that you owe this royal prize, this
noble kangaroo.'
  'Oh, yes,' added Francis, 'a prize very easy to take, as it remained
quiet until you came up and shot it.'
  'For my part,' continued Fritz, 'I have brought home nothing but a
plant; but it is of more value than the kangaroo. Examine these
thistles, I beg of you; see their hard, sharp points. Will they not be
excellent to card the hair in manufacturing our hats?'
  'Oh, go away with your thistles,' replied Jack; 'my game is worth
twice as much as a waggon-load of them.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_47 ^paragraph 25}
  We now had before us the whole of the game which our adventurers had
brought home. The rats were soon passed over; we were too familiar
with them to dwell long on their probable uses. The musk-beaver
received a more careful examination; but the kangaroo was an object of
special study on the part of Master Ernest.
  'The kangaroo,' said he, 'is one of the most curious animals of
the New World. It is sometimes nine feet in length, from the extremity
of the snout to the end of the tail; they sometimes weigh as much as
two hundred pounds; the hair is short and thick, of a reddish-grey
colour, lighter on the flanks and belly; it has a small, elongated
head, large, erect ears, and a nose furnished with a mustache; its
neck and shoulders are small, increasing in size gradually toward
the haunches; the fore-legs of the kangaroo are about eighteen
inches in length: they serve the animal merely to scratch the earth
and to convey victuals to its mouth; but its hind-legs are
prodigiously strong; it springs often seven or eight feet high.
There are but three claws on each foot, the middle one of which is
considerably longer than the others. The tail of the kangaroo is long,
thick at the butt, but gradually tapering; the animal uses it for
defence, and can strike blows with it strong enough to break the leg
of a man.'
  Each one of our young adventurers had a thousand different stories
to relate, each one vaunting his own prowess and extolling his share
in the events of the day. I had no time to listen to their
boastings, and I turned to examine the products of the expedition
and determine their use. The thistles of Fritz, which I recognised
as being the 'carding-thistle,' were received by me as a precious
discovery- one more instrument added to our resources. My sons had
also brought home some cuttings of sweet potatoes and cinnamon:
their good mother received them with joy; and the next morning they
were carefully planted in the kitchen-garden.
  The grain that we had sown before the rainy season, I perceived, had
now come to maturity, although it was not more than five months
since we had confided it to the earth. We now had our hands full of
business. The herrings would soon arrive, then the sea-dogs would
come; and my dear Elizabeth lamented piteously while she enumerated
all the labour we yet had to perform. There was the manioc to dig
up, the potatoes to gather and sow- in short, a thousand cares to
attend to, a thousand labours to undertake, that would occupy more
time than the year has days.
  I tranquillised my good companion as well as I was able, assuring
her that the manioc would not be injured by remaining in the ground;
and as to the potatoes, I informed her that she had nothing to fear
for this precious fruit, as our soil was warm and sandy, and they
would keep a great while in the earth.
                                                  {CHAPTER_47 ^paragraph 30}
  I decided that our labours should commence with the grain, the chief
and best of our resources; but wishing to effect the harvest in the
shortest possible time, and with the smallest expenditure of strength,
I resolved to adopt the Italian method rather than the Swiss.
  I commenced by levelling a large space before the grotto, to serve
as a threshing-floor. We then, after having well watered it, beat
the earth for a long time with clubs. When the sun had dried it up,
the operation was repeated, and we continued it until we obtained a
solid, flat surface, without a crack in it, and almost as impenetrable
to water as to the sun's rays. When we had finished this, I
harnessed the buffalo and the bull to the famous osier basket which we
had dignified by the pompous name of 'palanquin,' and which had been
the innocent instrument of torturing poor Ernest. Jack and Francis
recalled the scene to the philosopher, and invited him to take another
ride; but Ernest was not a boy that would be taken twice in the same
trap, and he respectfully declined the honour.
  On arriving at the field we were about to reap, my wife asked me
where I would find anything with which to tie up the blades into
sheaves.
  'We will need nothing of the sort,' said I; 'everything is to be
done according to the Italian method. Those people, naturally averse
to labour, never use sheaves, as being too heavy to carry.'
 'How, then,' asked Fritz, 'do they manage to carry their harvest
home?'
  'You will soon see,' said I.
                                                  {CHAPTER_47 ^paragraph 35}
  At the same time I gathered up in my left hand all the stalks it
could contain. and taking a long knife in my right hand, I cut off the
stalks about six inches below the head. I then threw the handful
into the basket. 'There,' said I, laughing, to Fritz, 'there is the
first act of an Italian harvest.'
  My children thought it was an admirable plan; and in a short time
the plain presented but an unequal surface, bristling with decapitated
stalks, here and there dotted with a forgotten blade.
  'I must confess,' said my good wife, as she cast a look over the
field, 'that I do not much approve of an Italian harvest. Why, only
look at the fine blades you have left behind.'
  'Not so fast, my dear woman, not so fast,' said I; 'do not condemn
my new method yet, bad as it seems: what we leave behind now we will
drink afterward.'
  'This is an enigma I cannot solve.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_47 ^paragraph 40}
  'I did not expect you could; but sometimes, if things were not put
in enigmas, they would be forgotten; however, to explain mine, I
will tell you that the Italian drinks what he does not eat of his
harvest, only it is under another form. In Italy, grass, hay, and
pasturage are extremely rare and dear. The Italian endeavours to
provide for this scarcity by converting the refuse of his harvest into
forage. He never cuts down the straw of the grain, and the substance
that remains in the stalk makes the grass grow, and forms a solid mat.
Then he cuts it and gathers an excellent forage for his cattle. The
blades that were left about the field render the supply of milk from
the cow that eats them much more abundant. And now, you see, I have
explained my enigma.'
  'Very good,' replied my wife; 'but if the Italian feeds all his
straw to his cattle, out of what does he make litter for them?'
  'None is needed. The soil of Italy is a healthful one, and does
not throw out that humidity which prevents our cattle from sleeping on
the bare ground. But we have no time for further explanation: after
having gathered the grain like the Italians, we must thresh it like
them. Gentlemen, to the grotto, and prepare your coursers- we shall
have need of them.'
  We now hastened to the grotto, taking with us the grain we had
just cut. When we arrived there, Ernest and his mother received orders
to sprinkle the blades over the threshing-floor I had prepared,
while my three cavaliers stood by their coursers' sides, laughing at
our new invention for threshing grain.
  'Ah,' said Jack, 'my courser will cut capers here, such as she never
did in the desert.' 'Threshing grain on horseback!' said another.
'Harvesting at a hand-gallop!' said a third. The laugh and jest went
merrily round, and my innovation at least made us all joyful, if
nothing else. But I kept a sober face, looking as if I was quite
certain my project would succeed.
                                                  {CHAPTER_47 ^paragraph 45}
  When everything was prepared, 'To the saddle!' cried I, 'to the
saddle!' and I told them they had nothing to do but display their
horsemanship among the grain. I leave the screams, the shouts of
laughter, to the imagination of readers; the bull, the onager, and the
ostrich rivalled each other in swiftness; my wife, Ernest, and I, each
one armed with a pitchfork, followed after them, throwing the grain
under the feet of the animals. Everything went on marvellously well,
when two incidents, which I had not foreseen, rekindled the flame of
my wife's irony, who was not yet a sincere convert to the Italian
method. The bull and the onager, unable to withstand the temptation
before them, suddenly stopped short in their career, and, stretching
out their long tongues, each took up a huge mouthful of the grain.
  When the grain was all threshed, we set to work to clear it of the
straws and dirt that had become mixed with it. This was the most
difficult and the most painful part of all the labour. We laid the
grain on close hurdles, and with wooden flails we endeavoured to
disengage the dirt; but this was not to be effected, except at the
expense of our eyes, mouth, or nose. The poor little workmen coughed
terribly, and we were obliged to desist every few moments to clear our
throats.
  Our feathered colony, which had taken care to keep clear of the
heels of the animals, now that they were gone, flocked around us,
picking up by single grains as much as the onager and the bull had
taken at one mouthful. 'Let them alone,' said I to my sons; 'what they
take now we will recover some other time; and if the corn
diminishes, the fowls will grow fatter.' But I had spoken too late,
for my wife had already frightened them, and they were all far away.
  We were several days engaged in these works, and we wished to see
exactly how much we possessed. We found ourselves rich enough to
defy all attacks of famine; we had sixty bushels of barley, eighty
of wheat, and more than a hundred of maize, from which I concluded
that the soil was more favourable to this last than to the barley
and the other European grains we had sown at the same time. We had not
prepared the maize as we had the other grains; but after having
dried the stalks, we detached the grains by beating them with long,
flexible whips; we took this care because we wanted its soft and
elastic leaves to stuff our mattresses. My wife also burned the
stalks, the ashes containing an alkaline quality very useful in
bleaching linen.
  I had not lost sight of my intention of obtaining a second harvest
before the end of the season, and we now set to work to clear our
fields of the straw; but we had scarcely commenced when we beheld an
innumerable swarm of quails and partridges start up from the dried
stalks, where they had been enticed by the few blades of grain we
had left behind. As we were unprepared for them, they all escaped,
save one quail, which Fritz brought down with a stone; but the
presence of these birds after the harvest was a precious discovery for
following years, and we anticipated with pleasure the superb chase
of quails and partridges we should have after our harvests.
                                                  {CHAPTER_47 ^paragraph 50}
  When the land was all cleared I sowed it anew; but remembering
what I had learned in Europe, not to exhaust the soil, I varied my
original mode of operation, and contented myself by sowing, for the
second crop, wheat and oats.
  Our agricultural labours were scarcely finished, when the bank of
herrings appeared off Safety Bay. Our winter provisions being so
abundant, we did not take as many as customary of these; and we
contented ourselves with preparing two barrels, one of salted and
one of smoked herrings; we also preserved some of the fish alive,
which we put in the Jackal's River, so that at any time we could
obtain them.
  The sea-dogs then had their turn: my pneumatic syringe did
wonders; and, thanks to its assistance, our labour on these animals
was but trifling. The skins, the bladders, all were put to use,
experience having taught us the value of these riches. We had not been
able to finish our cajack until this time, and we now provided it
abundantly with bladders, so that it might float more lightly on the
surface of the water. When this work was finished, preparations were
made to launch the boat and try her power over the winds and the
waves.

{CHAPTER_48
                                  48
                   Trial of the Cajack- The Alarm-
               Adventure with Cows at Sea- The Planets
-
  THE TRIAL OF THE cajack was a grand holiday fete; all were anxious
to join in it: and when Fritz appeared, clad in his maritime
costume, he was formally invited to take his place in his boat of
skin. I had forgotten to say before that the cajack was furnished with
two little wheels of copper, so that it could be used as well on
land as on sea. This advantage enabled my sons to arrange the ceremony
with all possible pomp. Fritz was installed upon his bench, as proud
as Neptune or any other marine god setting off on a distant voyage.
The form of the cajack was not a bad resemblance of those immense
shells that fable has assigned to the sea-gods, as having been used
for chariots. The gravity of the hero who sat enthroned, holding an
oar in his hand in place of a trident; the efforts of his brothers,
who pushed the cajack behind, sounding some sea-conches they had found
with all their might; all this presented a spectacle as animated as it
was picturesque. I laughed heartily: but my good Elizabeth, always
preserving her hatred against the ocean, could not hide the big
tears that rolled from her eyes when she thought of the dangers that
menaced so frail and fragile a skiff. To reassure her, I untied the
canoe and held myself ready to start at a moment's notice, if any real
danger should threaten our Greenland sailor. When all these
precautions were taken- 'To the sea!' cried I to Fritz; 'to the
sea!' 'Good-bye!' repeated his brothers; and the cajack glided into
the water with inconceivable rapidity. The surface of the bay was calm
and tranquil, and soon the Greenlander was dancing gaily over the
waves: then, like a skilful actor, he began executing a series of
evolutions, each more adroit or more audacious than the other.
Sometimes he would shoot off far out of our sight; then suddenly he
would disappear in a cloud of foam, to the great terror of his mother;
in another moment we saw his head above the floods, and an oar that he
had elevated to signalise his triumph.
  The address and the audacity of our young sailor provoked, as one
can easily imagine, loud and frequent applauses on our part: on his
part, not content with acting on the surface of the bay, he turned his
frail bark toward the Jackal's River, and attempted to mount the
current; but this proved too strong for him, and threw him back so
violently that he disappeared from our sight. To jump into the canoe
and fly to the assistance of the poor Greenlander was the affair of an
instant. Jack and Ernest went with me; and we left Francis on the
shore with his mother, who abandoned herself to all the terrors that
maternal love could inspire. The wheel of the canoe appeared to us too
slow; and while I exerted all my force in turning it, my two sons took
each an oar. We scarcely touched the surface of the water; yet we
could not perceive anything, our cries had no echo but the rocks,
and our sight was lost in the foaming waves that boiled up around
us. I felt my heart beating violently, and I had not the courage to
express my uneasiness to my sons; when suddenly, in the direction of a
rock just visible through the foam, I saw a light cloud of smoke
issuing forth, and putting my hand on my pulse, I counted its beat
four times before that smoke was followed by a report.
  'He is saved!' cried I, 'he is saved! Fritz is there in the
direction of the smoke: before a quarter of an hour he will rejoin
us.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_48 ^paragraph 5}
  I then fired my pistol, which was instantly answered by another
report in the same direction. Ernest drew out his watch. After a
hard row we perceived Fritz, and in a quarter of an hour we reached
him.
  We found the young hero of the sea established on the rocks.
Before him lay a walrus, or sea-cow, which he had killed with his
harpoon. I commenced by reproving my son for his imprudence.
  'My dear father,' answered he, 'it was the current that swept me
away in spite of myself: my oars were like straws before the
impetuosity of the Jackal's River; and I found myself thrown back into
the sea, at such a distance as to lose sight of land altogether. But I
had no time to fear: a company of sea-cows passed along, almost
under my nose. To throw my harpoon and strike one of these animals was
the work of an instant; but the wound I had inflicted was not
mortal, and instead of weakening him, it seemed, on the contrary, to
inspire him with new strength. He dived down; but the traces of
blood he left behind, and the bladder of air fastened to the end of
the rope of the harpoon, served as guides to follow him. The second
time I was more successful, and I launched a second harpoon direct
in his side. This last blow was decisive, and, after some struggles,
the monster extended himself on this rock. Remembering our
precaution with the boa, I fired two pistols at the head of the
animal, and probably those were the reports you heard.'
  'I do not know what use this will be to us, notwithstanding it is
near ten feet long,' said I.
  'Well, then, if it is good for nothing,' answered Fritz, 'I will
keep the head myself: I will prepare it and fasten it to the bow of my
cajack: its long, white teeth will have a fine effect, and I will
now call my cajack THE WALRUS!'
                                                  {CHAPTER_48 ^paragraph 10}
  'The tusks of the walrus,' said I, 'are the only things worth
preserving. They are as white and hard as ivory. But make haste, for
the sky gives sure token of a storm.'
  'This head will be a splendid ornament, Fritz, on the bow of your
cajack,' said Jack.
  'Yes,' replied Ernest; 'rotten flesh will be a very agreeable
perfume, certainly.'
  'Rest in peace, doctor,' answered the sailor; 'rest in peace. I will
prepare the head of my walrus so that its odour will not be more
disagreeable than that of the stuffed animals in our museum; but I
must be quick and finish my work.'
  'I thought,' said Ernest, while Fritz was thus occupied, 'that the
seal, walrus, and such animals, did not inhabit these southern climes.
How is it possible that we find them here?'
                                                  {CHAPTER_48 ^paragraph 15}
  'Without doubt,' said I, 'these amphibious animals appertain to
the northern seas; but their presence in such a burning climate is
easily explained. A tempest or a terrible storm might have transported
them; besides, there is a species of this animal found at the Cape
of Good Hope, and called dugong; and perhaps our animal is one of
these. There are, however, some slight differences between the
kinds, but their food in all regions is similar, viz., the marine
plants and the shell-fish that they detach from the rocks with their
long teeth.'
  But Fritz had now finished his labour, and, while I was engaged in
cutting off some strips of the animal's skin, he entreated me to add
three very useful things to the furniture of his cajack: a compass,
that he might guide himself, if at any time he should be blown off the
coast; a lance and a hatchet, so that he could attack an enemy or
defend himself, if necessary. I could see no objection to his demands;
and as we had more than one compass I promised my son to place one
in the prow of his boat, and also to furnish him with a lance and
hatchet.
  I wished to take Fritz and his cajack into our canoe, but he
refused, and dashed on, saying he would announce our return to his
mother. I let him proceed, and he soon passed us. While we were rowing
quietly on, Ernest, who always wanted to know the whys and
wherefores of everything, asked me how I managed to calculate the
exact distance that separated us from his brother.
  'In a very simple manner,' said I. 'All that is necessary is a
little information possessed by almost everybody at all acquainted
with the phenomena of nature. It is known that light passes through
space with extreme rapidity; and that in a second after it is
evolved it has traversed space to the extent of eighty leagues. Sound,
on the contrary, is much slower in its transition, and in the same
time passes through a space of 1032 feet. I knew that my pulse, like
that of every man in good health, beats regularly sixty times per
minute; I counted four beatings between the smoke and the report, from
which I calculated Fritz was distant from us about 4160 feet, or about
a quarter of one of our leagues. I then immediately knew that it would
occupy us a quarter of an hour to row to him. The wind, the rain,
the state of the atmosphere might counteract these effects, but
generally it can be calculated pretty exactly.'
  'Another secret that I did not know before,' replied my little
philosopher, in a tone that denoted the pleasure he felt at his
acquisition of knowledge; 'another of those marvels that appear so
impossible to him who does not understand them. But,' continued he,
'can celestial light, and the time it takes to reach us, be also
determined?'
                                                  {CHAPTER_48 ^paragraph 20}
  'Certainly it can. Astronomy has ascertained, with the greatest
exactitude, the distance which separates our globe from the sun and
stars above us. It has been estimated that the solar rays take eight
minutes to descend to the earth, and that the light of Sirius, the
dog-star, cannot reach us in less than six years. Likewise, if a
cannon was fired in that star, we could not hear it in less than
6000 years after the detonation.'
  'My goodness! Astonishing! Why, one's head turns with the thought!'
  'It almost confuses one when we employ calculation with regard to
the fixed stars, there being thousands and thousands of them farther
even from us than Sirius, and probably all the stars which stud the
blue vault above us are inhabited worlds, in comparison with which our
globe appears but as a grain of sand in space.'

{CHAPTER_49
                                  49
    The Storm and threatened Destruction- The Erection of a Fort-
        Cap of Prince Fortunatus- Sturgeon Fishing at Vienna-
                  A Nocturnal Visit- The Drawbridge
-
  THE STORM, however, came on quicker than I had anticipated. We had
scarcely accomplished a third of our course, when the thick, black
clouds that brooded over the horizon burst forth in torrents of
rain. The wind, the lightning, the waves, were confounded in
horrible confusion. Fritz was too far from us to allow of his
joining us, and I repented of not having taken him into the boat
with us. I desired Jack and Ernest to put on their swimming corsets,
which we were always careful to take with us, and to lash themselves
fast to the ropes of the canoe, so that they would not be carried away
by the waves that occasionally broke over us.
  The tempest increased, and my anxiety increased with it; the waves
elevated themselves like mountains: at one moment we would be high
in air, and at another precipitated to the bottom of an abyss, where
it would seem we were lost for ever. But the violence of the tempest
prevented its lasting a great while. The waves subsided, and after a
hurricane of a quarter of an hour, the wind fell, and the storm for
a time was over, although black and angry clouds rolled over our
heads. Our canoe had breasted the storm bravely, and had not bent
under the waves that dashed over her, and whirled her round like a
feather on the surface of the water.
                                                   {CHAPTER_49 ^paragraph 5}
  Fritz and his cajack were ever present to my mind, his embarkation
was so insecure, and his barque so frail for such a trying occasion.
  We redoubled our efforts at the oars and the wheel, and soon arrived
within sight of Safety Bay. We entered the well-known harbour, and the
first objects which greeted our sight were Fritz, Francis, and their
mother, kneeling on the beach: they were praying for our preservation.
The heart of my poor Elizabeth was almost broken with anxiety, and
we leaped from our canoe, amid the cries of joy and the embraces of
the dear ones who rushed to our arms.
  'What a day, my father!' said Ernest, still pale with terror. 'How
terribly we have suffered!'
  'For my part,' said Jack, 'I swallowed more than my share of
sea-water; and I can assure you it is the most detestable drink that
was ever poured down human throat. I was much amused with looking at
the doctor here, who sat with his mouth shut, and making most horrible
faces.'
  'Oh, indeed!' exclaimed Ernest, a little nettled. 'I am really
very glad that I have been able to divert Mr. Jack at a moment when
diversion was not so easy to procure. But I must beg leave to say that
if I was afraid, I kept it to myself.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_49 ^paragraph 10}
  'Tis true,' added I, in my turn. 'If Ernest was frightened, he did
not make it known, as probably he remembered that cries and screams
but render danger more embarrassing. But let us congratulate ourselves
upon the solidity of our equipage: our bark canoe breasted the storm
as gallantly as if she had been a ship of the line; and I will not
fear now to go to the succour of any ship in distress.'
  'Oh, doubtless,' said Fritz, 'the canoe did very well; but my cajack
has also some claims to the honours of the day. Twice or thrice it was
submerged, and not a single thing is broken. Only we must take care,
when we go out to succour any ship, that we do not go too far.'
  'Ha! ha!' said Jack, laughing. 'On condition, then, that vessels
will agree to be shipwrecked in fine weather and near shore, you
will agree to save them.'
  'Why,' said Fritz, pursuing his idea, 'why can we not construct on
Shark Island a sort of fort where we can place a signal gun? Its
echoes when fired could be heard through the wind and rain, the
unfortunate people could answer, and we could fly immediately to their
assistance.'
  'Oh, if we could see men once more!' replied my young sons,
carried away by that instinct of sociability which binds all the
members of the human race- 'men on our shore- men like ourselves-
oh, what happiness it would be!'
                                                  {CHAPTER_49 ^paragraph 15}
  'Without doubt it would be very fine. If I had the enchanted cap
of Prince Fortunatus, I would take a cannon under each arm and carry
them over there. I cannot see how else we could transport them
thither. Ah, gentlemen, if the work could be done in reality as easily
as it can in imagination, what a fine fort we would have there! But
how can a man and four boys, aided by his wife- a fine cook, it is
true; but what could she do in military affairs?- construct a sea-fort
with cannon, walls, port-holes, etc.?'
  'I think,' said my wife, ironically, 'that every new difficulty that
presents itself should be attempted, not despaired of; for it displays
how much your ingenuity can effect.'
  'Good, good,' replied I, jestingly. 'We will adjourn the
commencement of our fort for the present, and occupy ourselves with
securing the boats.'
  The canoe was then drawn up on the sand, the cajack carried to the
grotto, and the walrus's head to the work-room to be prepared, so that
it could be attached to the cajack.
  The rain had been so abundant that the Jackal's River had overflowed
its banks and damaged some of our constructions, which demanded
instant restoration.
                                                  {CHAPTER_49 ^paragraph 20}
  We now employed ourselves in building protections against any
other storms that might visit the coast of Felsenheim. During our
labours we received the visit of a superb company of salmons. We
captured a number, which were salted and smoked according to the
customary manner; we preserved some alive by passing a strong cord
through the gills and fastening them to stakes. Sturgeons are
conducted, living, to Vienna, up the whole course of the Danube in
this manner.
  We had resumed the peaceable course of our domestic avocations,
when, one clear moonlight night, I was suddenly awakened by barks
and cries, as if all the jackals of the country, the bears and
tigers of the savanna, had made an invasion into our domain. I rose in
a great fright, and arming myself with a gun, I walked to the door
of the grotto, which we generally left open on account of the fresh
air. Fritz had also heard the noise, and I found him half dressed,
ready to face the danger.
  'What do you think it is, papa?' said he; 'a new invasion of
jackals?'
  I dissembled the real fear I entertained, and assured my son that
doubtless it was our pigs, who were making us a nocturnal visit. I did
not think my supposition would be true. We ran out, and found that our
dogs and the jackal had captured three large hogs. Our first
movement was to laugh: we tried to call off our dogs, but in vain;
they had the poor pigs by the ears, and they would not let them go,
and we were forced to open their mouths with our hands. The pigs never
waited to see who were their liberators, but scampered away and were
soon across the river.
  I attributed this invasion to negligence on our part, and thought we
had forgotten to take up the planks from Family Bridge; but, upon
examination, I found that they had been all removed, and that the
audacious pigs had come across on the beams of the bridge.
                                                  {CHAPTER_49 ^paragraph 25}
  This occurrence convinced me that Family Bridge was not sufficient
for our security: instead of a barrier, it was only a means of
entering our domains. I had long contemplated the erection of a
drawbridge, and now appeared the proper time for constructing it. To
be sure, a drawbridge was not a little thing to undertake; but after
having constructed two vessels, attempted and executed a thousand
other things which required more skill than the simple art of
carpentering, we could not recoil before the idea of constructing a
bridge.
  I understood the turning-bridges; but as I had neither vice nor
windlass, I was obliged to adopt the simplest kind of drawbridge. I
constructed, between two high stakes, a sweep that could be easily
moved, and by the means of two ropes, a lever, and a counterpoise,
we had a bridge which could be easily raised and lowered. It would
only insure us against the invasion of animals, the river being too
shallow to oppose any obstacle to a more serious attack. Whatever it
was, our domains were enriched with a new masterpiece, and my young
people exerted themselves in a thousand gymnastic exercises about
the stakes of the drawbridge: it was lowered, raised, and for a few
days it was a great source of amusement for them.

{CHAPTER_50
                                  50
            Taming of Antelopes- Sugar and the Sugar-cane-
    Combat with a Hyena- A Flying Courier- The Monster Pigeon Roost
-
  THE DRAWBRIDGE suffered the fate of all new inventions, admiration
evaporates so quickly! and at the end of several days, if any one
climbed the stakes, it was that they might have the pleasure of seeing
the antelopes and gazelles bounding over the plain of Falcon's Nest.
  'Behold,' said one, 'how graceful and light those animals are!
they scarcely touch the earth. What a pity we cannot tame them; or, at
least, approach them without scattering the whole flock, as the wind
does the dust!'
  'To take them,' said Ernest, 'you will have to adopt the plan
resorted to by the Georgians in capturing buffaloes.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_50 ^paragraph 5}
  'Tut, tut,' said Jack; 'cannot you find an example nearer home
than Georgia?'
  'For the world of thought,' replied the professor, gravely, 'there
is no limitation; and it would be as well to become acquainted with
the Georgian method before rejecting Georgia as being too distant.'
  'Well, then, doctor, give us a lesson.'
  The professor, who willingly forgot the sarcasms and pleasantries
that were showered upon him, whenever he availed himself of an
opportunity to display his scientific knowledge, now began to
explain this former remark.
  'In the savannas of North America, in some places, beds of marl
are found which contain salt of which the animals are very fond: the
buffaloes especially flock in great numbers to this luxury which
Nature has provided for them. The natives of the country lie in ambush
for them there, and numbers fall victims to their avidity. In the
absence of salt marl,'continued the professor, 'we can, if we wish,
prepare artificially a representative of it, where the graceful
antelopes will fall into the snare. We can, for that purpose, mix
together the porcelain clay and some salt.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_50 ^paragraph 10}
  'Adopted! adopted!' responded all the little boys unanimously. 'Long
live philosopher Ernest, first professor of the academy of Felsenheim,
doctor, librarian, manager of the museum, naturalist, and so forth!'
  To plan an excursion and ask my permission was the work of an
instant, and my hare-brained youngsters promised themselves so much
pleasure that I had not the disposition to deny them.
  'Oh do, do, papa!' was the general cry; 'an excursion is more fun
than constructing bridges.'
  'I will make some pemmican,' said Fritz; 'we have bears' meat enough
left for it.'
  'And I,' said Jack, with a mysterious air, 'I will take two
pigeons with me. I have got an idea in my head.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_50 ^paragraph 15}
  'And I,' added little Francis, 'will take care of the coursers;
and if Fritz will take my advice, he will take the cajack along- it
will sail so nicely on the lake; and perhaps we can capture some of
the black swans. Oh, how beautiful a pair of those swans would look in
the basin of Falcon's Nest!'
  The weather was calm and serene, and everything promised a
pleasant excursion to the adventurers.
  Fritz walked up to his mother, who was occupied in her
kitchen-garden, and saluting her with all the grace of a polished
cavalier, asked her if she would give him some pieces of bears'
flesh to make a pemmican.
  'Tell me, if you please,' answered his good mother, 'what a pemmican
is.'
  'It is a very common and highly-esteemed preparation in North
America. The Canadians make it almost their only food. It is
composed of the flesh of either a bear or goat, which they chop and
beat up until it is reduced to a very small quantity.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_50 ^paragraph 20}
  'And what do you want to do with such stuff? Bears' flesh beaten
cannot be such very desirable eating.'
  'Oh, mamma, do give me some; we are going on an excursion, and the
pemmican is excellent for food on such an occasion.'
  'How!' said his mother; 'another excursion without consulting me!
Did you suppose I had no objections?'
  Fritz brought to his aid all the arts of flattery and address, and
he soon returned with the bears' meat. The fabrication of pemmican was
commenced immediately, under the inspection of Fritz. The meat was
pounded and crushed, until, after two days of hard work, it was
reduced to half its former size. I tasted the meat of which Fritz
boasted so much, and I did not think it bad.
  Baskets, sacks, and all utensils necessary for the excursion were
collected together; even our old sledge was brought down, and it was
mounted on cannon-wheels, and loaded with all that the young
adventurers intended to carry with them. The cajack, arms, provision
for the mouth and for war- nothing was forgotten; anything that came
into their heads they piled on, and a caravan in the desert could
not have made more preparation.
                                                  {CHAPTER_50 ^paragraph 25}
  The morning of departure arrived. Every one was awake before day;
and Jack, without saying a word to anybody, climbed up into the
dove-cot, and took out several pairs of pigeons. They were that
species called by Buffon, Turk Pigeon. *
-
  * Probably the large-crowned pigeon of the East Indies, described by
Buffon as being the size of a turkey.
-
  'How is this?' said I, as I saw the youngster placing his pigeons
into a basket. 'It appears that you gentlemen are not content with
your pemmican, etc., but take precautions to provide a variety for
yourselves. I am only afraid that those old pigeons will be pretty
tough eating.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_50 ^paragraph 30}
  The fellow looked at me knowingly for a moment, but did not
answer. When they were about to set off, I saw him conversing
mysteriously with Ernest; but I could discover nothing, and
contented myself with waiting a surprise of some kind, as I knew
they intended one.
  At last they were ready to set out. Ernest alone remained with his
mother and me, and we employed ourselves in constructing a
sugar-cane press, which my wife had much need of. The machine, which
was composed of three cylinders, placed upright, differed very
little from the ordinary presses, with the exception that it was
arranged so as to be moved by animals. These labours naturally led
us to speak of sugar.
  'A few more improvements,' said Ernest, laughingly, 'and we shall
have a regular refinery soon at Felsenheim.'
  'It will be a great while yet,' said I. 'There is a great deal of
difference between a sugar factory and our contrivance.'
  'I must confess,' replied the philosopher, 'that I have but very
undefined notions concerning the way in which the liquid we extract
from these canes is transformed into the hard, white, shining
substance we call sugar.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_50 ^paragraph 35}
  This acknowledgment coming from Ernest was equivalent to a formal
demand to explain to him all I knew about sugar making. I therefore
began,-
  'Sugar,' said I, 'as you well know, is procured from the sugar-cane.
The sugar-cane is easily propagated: all that is necessary is to
bury the canes in furrows, and from each knot buds a shoot, which
becomes the germ of a new plant. It requires nine months to arrive
at maturity. It is then cut, the leaves are thrown away, and the
stalks crushed under very heavy wooden rollers: the liquor which is
pressed out is called sugar-honey. The first thing done with the
sugar-honey is to boil it, which must be done immediately, for in
twenty-four hours it becomes sour, and soon changes into vinegar. It
is boiled an entire day, water being poured in from time to time;
the foam is skimmed off very carefully; and, to purge the sugar
more, wood ashes and quick lime are thrown in, the skimming being
continued. The liquid is then passed through straining-cloths. The
dregs, in some places, serve to feed the hogs; in other places they
are mixed with water, and, being left to ferment, make wine. The
liquor is then boiled over, and the violence of the boiling is
appeased by throwing on the top some oil. The smallest quantity of
acid will prevent the sugar from crystallising and assuming a solid
form. The warm liquor is then emptied into earthen moulds, shaped like
deep cones, and open at both ends: the little hole at the point is
stopped by wood, linen, or straw. The whole art of refining consists
in depriving the liquid of a honey-like sap which prevents it from
assuming the requisite whiteness, solidity, and brilliancy. This sap
passes out through the little hole. In about forty days the sugar
becomes hard and dry; it is of greyish-white colour, and from this the
different sorts of sugar are made. When the same preparation has
been repeated it forms 'brown sugar,' the best of which is nearly
white, and exhales an odour of violet. The brown sugar, purified by
the whites of eggs, or the blood of cattle, forms the refined, or
royal sugar, so named on account of the pure, glittering colour of the
grain. This sugar, when very dry, will produce a sound if struck
with the fist; and if you strike it with a knife in a dark place, it
will emit phosphorescent sparks. The liquid which escapes from the
moulds is about the consistence of honey, and it is most commonly
known by the name of 'molasses.' Candied sugar is nothing but sugar
melted and crystallised; it can be bought either white or red.'
  While we were thus tranquilly conversing, our young adventurers were
pursuing their course toward the savanna. I will relate their
adventures here as they were recounted to us on the return of the
party.
  They had passed over the tract of land that separated Family
Bridge from the country which we had called Waldegg, or the Hermitage,
and where they intended to pass the day, when, on approaching the
farm-house, they heard cries like that of a person in distress. It was
a sort of wild, maniacal laugh; and the animals stopped in terror; the
dogs barked and howled fearfully; and the ostrich, more frightened
than the others, fled in the direction of the Lake of Swans with
such rapidity that all the efforts of its master could not check it.
The bull and the onager trembled so violently that Fritz and his
brother were obliged to dismount.
  'There is some ferocious animal here,' said the eldest to Francis;
'our coursers will run off if we do not hold them; and I think that
the beast must be either a lion or a tiger. You go forward a few
paces, while I hold the coursers; and if you perceive anything, return
in haste to me, and we will concert a plan to capture it, or else
mount and fly as fast as possible.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_50 ^paragraph 40}
  Francis seized his gun, put two pistols in his belt, called Folb and
Braun, and calmly walked on in the direction of the strange laugh.
He had not gone more than thirty paces when he perceived, through
the bushes, an enormous hyena, who, after having killed one of our
sheep, was devouring it; while ever and anon that strange laugh of joy
would echo from its bloodstained lips. The presence of the little
hunter did not disturb the monster in his horrid repast. While rolling
his flaming eyes he tore the poor sheep in pieces. But Francis
wanted neither courage nor presence of mind; he placed himself
behind a tree, and taking good aim, he discharged both barrels of
his gun, and was so fortunate as to break both the fore-legs and
pierce the breast of the hyena. The dogs then rushed on; their
terror changed into rage. The most terrible combat now ensued
between them and the furious monster; growls and cries resounded
through the air, and the blood flowed in torrents.
  Fritz, who had succeeded in attaching the onager and the bull to a
tree, now ran up at the sound of the double explosion and the noise of
the dogs. They would have fired again and terminated the combat, but
the dogs were so close to the hyena that they were afraid of hitting
them, so that they were obliged to await the issue of the combat. Folb
took the hyena by the throat, and Braun by the muzzle, and there
they held him until he dropped down dead. My sons uttered a cry of
joy; and calling off the dogs, dressed the wounds they had received by
rubbing them with hydromel and bears' grease, which they had brought
with them to eat.
  Jack soon returned. He could not stop the ostrich until it had
arrived at the middle of the rice-field, and it required the
greatest exertion to force it to turn back.
  On seeing the monster that his brothers had so courageously
attacked, Jack did not express his admiration the less because he
had not been a participant in the act.
  The hyena, with its yellow fur, striped with coarse, black hairs;
its paws armed with sharp nails; its muzzle elongated like that of a
wolf; and its small, round, red eyes, is one of the most ferocious,
savage animals one can imagine. The hyena is about the size of a
wild boar, but its body is shorter and more compact; its head is
better set and more round; its ears are long and erect; and its
legs, especially the hind ones, are very long; the eyes are placed
like those of a dog; the hair is long, of a dark-grey colour, mixed
with yellow, and with transverse stripes of black. It is, perhaps, the
only species of quadruped that has not four claws on the hind feet.
This savage and solitary animal dwells alone in the caverns of the
mountains, and in holes which it digs for itself under ground. Nothing
can exceed the ferocity of its nature; and even if taken very young it
can never be tamed. It lives like the wolf, but it is stronger and
hardier, and it sometimes has attacked men. It will follow a herd a
long distance. It often breaks open the doors of stables and kills the
cattle. Its eyes sparkle like diamonds, and it is asserted that it
sees better in the night than by day. The hyena will defend itself
against the lion, does not fear the panther, and will kill the
ounce. When driven by hunger, it will dig up the ground in graveyards,
and eat the bodies it disinters. It is found in almost all parts of
Asia and Africa. The capture of this animal was one of the most heroic
actions we had performed since the shipwreck.
                                                  {CHAPTER_50 ^paragraph 45}
  When my sons had established their tent, etc., at Waldegg, they
set off with the sledge to bring the hyena thither. The following
day was entirely devoted to skinning the animal and preparing the
hide. While they were thus employed, we were calmly conversing under
the vault of the grotto.
  'I wonder where my brothers are,' said Ernest. 'I think we shall
very soon have news from them.'
  'What put that idea into your head?' said his mother.
  'Oh, I dreamed it,' said Ernest.
  'Bah! A great confidence your dreams will induce!' replied my wife.
                                                  {CHAPTER_50 ^paragraph 50}
  While we were thus talking, a bird, whose genus we could not
discover on account of the obscurity, fluttered in at the open door of
the dove-cot.
  'Shut it, shut it!' cried Ernest; 'to-morrow morning we will inspect
our new guest. Who knows! perhaps it is a courier from New Holland,
and bears despatches under its wing from Sydney, Port Jackson, and
so forth.'
  'Why, how is it your thoughts run on despatches and news this
evening, Ernest?'
  'Ah, it is nothing,' answered he, with indifference; 'only the
arrival of that pigeon recalled to my mind something I have been
reading to-day, concerning the correspondence the ancient Greeks and
Romans carried on by means of carrier-pigeons. Is not the story true?'
  'Certainly it is,' answered I. 'Of all the inhabitants of the air,
none can fly to such an immense distance. Pigeons are sometimes
trained to be carriers; but there is a particular kind called
carrier-pigeons; and I believe I have a book in the library that gives
a very clear description of the wandering pigeon.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_50 ^paragraph 55}
  I rose, and taking the book from the library, read as follows,-
  'Ornithologists have given to this sort of pigeon the name of
"Columba migratoria," that is to say, traveller-pigeon, and its
habits fully justify its name. Sometimes visiting the Gulf of
Mexico, other times fixed at Hudson's Bay, it will pass over in its
excursion more than seven hundred leagues easterly; but it never flies
farther westward than the chain of Rocky Mountains. Some
individuals, more enterprising than the rest, have, however, crossed
the ocean, and sometimes reached Scotland. Their power of flight and
the extent of their vision is astonishing; and although they soar very
high, they can perceive the fruits that they feed on, such as
juniper-berries, wild fruits, etc., and they will fly down to obtain
them. They fly in such dense, numberless bodies, as sometimes to
intercept the light of the sun; and it has been calculated that they
fly twenty-five post leagues per hour. If human industry could train
these rapid coursers, telegraphs would be useless, and a message could
be conveyed from Zurich to Berlin in a very few hours. The structure
and form of their bodies are admirably adapted to the long voyages
they undertake. Their wings are proportionately longer than those of
any other sort; their long, flat tail is a rudder which serves to
assist the force of their wings. There is a very great difference in
the colour of the plumage of the two sexes; the modest exterior of the
female beautifully contrasts with the dazzling plumage of the male,
who is not only handsomer, but larger than the female: from the
extremity of his beak to his tail, his length is about two feet. The
head is of a bluish slate colour, the wings and back the same, only
dotted over with black and brown spots; the breast is a reddish hazel,
the neck is adorned with the most beautiful colours- green, purple,
gold-colour, and scarlet, glitter in all their beauty; the belly is
pure white, and the legs and feet are of a beautiful red, and a
large band of shining black passes across the tail. The distinctive
and predominant character of this kind of pigeon is the love of
society: there are no isolated individuals in their excursions; all
fly in one solid mass. A celebrated naturalist estimated the number of
a troop he encountered on the banks of the Ohio at hundreds of
millions, and his calculation was far from being exaggerated. This
cloud of birds was three hours in passing over his head, and its
length was sixty-five leagues; counting two birds to the cubic foot,
this band was composed of 1,200,000,000 of birds, and they flew so
closely that they quite obscured the ground beneath them. These
immense columns are formed by the reunion of a great number of
distinct parties, but all having a common purpose, executing the
same manoeuvres in the same space; they have also the singular habit
of all choosing the same roosting-place, where they assemble at
evening, and disperse the next morning in search of food. The weight
of the birds breaks down the branches of the forest, and gives it
the appearance of having been visited by a severe storm. The
nourishment consumed each day by this enormous quantity of pigeons has
been calculated, allowing a moderate ration to each individual,
although they eat often and much; and it has been found they consume
more than the most populous of the European capitals. At the break
of day they disperse to lay under contribution a space equal to
several of the Swiss cantons. Some divisions of the great band fly
very far, but always return punctually to the breeding-place. This
spot is always selected as retired as possible, and concealed from the
natural enemies of the birds; but all precautions are insufficient
against man, the most dangerous of their foes. As soon as a
breeding-place is discovered, the whole country for miles around
make preparations to visit it. The carts are hastily laden with a
few household utensils, a quantity of salt, empty barrels, etc., and
all the family set off for the pigeon-roost. When all have met, a sort
of police guard is established to keep the peace, and then the work
begins. At evening the firing commences, and continues as long as they
can see the game. After the birds have dispersed in the morning,
they commence gathering up the game, and during the whole day are
laboriously employed in picking, cleaning, and packing away the
immense number of pigeons. During the harvest, the pigs are driven in;
and they almost visibly fatten, so nutritious are the pigeons. A
brig has been seen at New York, entirely laden down with this singular
merchandise, and the cargo had a rapid sale. The life of these unhappy
pigeons is but a continued series of dangers and perils. Those that
survive the carnage commence building their nests, and these cover
an immense space. In the state of Kentucky a breeding-place has been
seen, one league broad and sixteen leagues long. The nests are
occupied about the commencement of April, and toward the end of May
the young birds learn to fly, and the whole band commences its grand
voyage. The female sits thrice a-year, and often has three different
nests to construct; for about eight or ten days before the time of
their departure the hunters arrive at the forest, armed with
hatchets and everything necessary for a long stay; the trees, laden
with nests, are cut down; and the cries of the victims, the noise of
the wings of the parent birds as they flutter around their unhappy
offspring, mingled with the repeated blows of the hatchet, and the
crashing of the trees, make a deafening clamour. The young pigeons are
extremely fat, and they are killed for the purpose of obtaining the
fat. One large tree laden with nests and young birds will furnish a
family with grease enough for several months.
  'The traveller-pigeon of America can only preserve its manners in
the immense forests west of the Alleghany Mountains; the bands which
venture east of them find their passage obstructed by numerous
enemies. When hunger compels them to seek the cultivated plains,
they are taken by hundreds in nets; everybody that owns a gun uses
it against the unhappy birds, and they are the accompaniments of every
repast. But the time is approaching when pigeon-hunting will be less
productive; as the population increases in the interior of the
continent, the pigeons, finding their movements so contracted, will
lose their social habits, the persecuted race will gradually diminish,
and it will insensibly change its manners, and become disseminated and
confounded with the other kinds of the same genus.'
  I stopped here; Ernest made several remarks upon the instinct of the
traveller-pigeon, but he was reserved and guarded in his words, and
I asked him what was the matter.
  'To-morrow you will see- to-morrow,' was the only answer he made;
and soon we were all buried in sleep.

{CHAPTER_51
                                  51
        Despatches from the Interior- The Pigeon Letter Post-
  A Heron Royal- A Tapir- War with the Monkeys- Fearful Night Cries
-
  THE NEXT MORNING, Ernest rose before me, and paid a visit to the
dove-cot; I said nothing; and after breakfast I saw him coming in,
holding in his hand a piece of paper, folded and sealed like a
government letter, which he presented to me on bended knees, saying,
as he did so, 'Noble and gracious lord of these lands, I beg you to
excuse the postmaster of Felsenheim for the delay that the
despatches from Sydney and New Holland have experienced; the packet
was retarded, and did not arrive till very late last evening.'
  His mother and I burst into a laugh at this ridiculous speech.
  'Well,' replied I, continuing the jest, 'what are our subjects in
Sydney and New Holland engaged in? Will the secretary open and read
the despatches?'
                                                   {CHAPTER_51 ^paragraph 5}
  At these words, Ernest broke the seal of the paper, and, elevating
his voice, commenced-
-
  'The Governor-General of New Holland, to the Governor of
Felsenheim, Falcon's Nest, Waldegg, the Field of the Sugar-Canes,
and the surrounding country.
-
    'GREETING,
                                                  {CHAPTER_51 ^paragraph 10}
  'Noble and faithful ally! We learn with displeasure that three
men, whom we suppose to be part of your colony, are making inroads
into our savannas, and doing much damage to the animals of the
province; we have also learned that frightful hyenas have broken
through the limits of our quarter, and killed many of the domestic
animals of our colonists. We therefore beg you, on one part, to call
back your starving huntsmen; on the other, to provide measures to
purge the country of the hyenas and other ferocious beasts that infest
it. Especially I pray God, my Lord Governor, that He will keep you
under His holy protection.
  'Done under our hand and seal at Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, the
twelfth day of the eighth month of the thirty-fourth year of the
colony.
                                   'PHILIP PHILLIPSON, Governor.'
-
  Ernest stopped in laughter at the effect the letter produced on
us. I felt that there was some mystery, and I was anxious to get at
the bottom of it. Ernest enjoyed my evident embarrassment, and,
jumping up and down as children do, he let fall a new paper from his
pocket. I caught it up, and was going to read it, when he laid his
hand on my arm, saying-
                                                  {CHAPTER_51 ^paragraph 15}
  'Those also are despatches; they came from Waldegg, and, although
less pompous than General Phillipson's, perhaps they are more
truthful. Listen, then, to a letter from Waldegg-'
  'Oh, do explain to us,' said I, 'this prolonged enigma. Did your
brothers leave a letter before they went? Is the news of the hyena
true? Did they act so rashly as to attack the animal?'
  'Here is a letter from Fritz,' replied Ernest; 'my pigeon brought it
to me last night.'
  'Thanks, many thanks, my dear child, for your idea,' said his
mother; 'but this hyena! oh, quick, read me the letter.'
  He opened the paper and read the following words:-
                                                  {CHAPTER_51 ^paragraph 20}
-
  'DEAR PARENTS, and you, my good ERNEST- I will inform you of our
arrival at Waldegg; we there found a hyena, who had devoured several
of our sheep. Francis alone has all the honour of having killed the
monster, and he deserves much praise for his intrepidity: we have
passed the whole day in preparing the skin, which is very fine, and
will be very useful. The pemmican is the most detestable stuff I
ever tasted. Adieu! we embrace you tenderly in spirit.
                                                           'FRITZ.'
-
  'A true hunter's letter,' cried I. 'But this hyena, how could it
have found its way into our domains? Has the palisade been
overturned?'
                                                  {CHAPTER_51 ^paragraph 25}
  'We shall probably receive another letter this evening,' said
Ernest, and that will give us further details of the expedition.'
  After dinner a new pigeon was seen to enter the dove-cot. Ernest,
who had not remained quiet one moment during the day, immediately shut
the door of the dove-cot, removed from the wing of the aerial
messenger the despatch he had brought, and delivered it to us; it read
as follows:-
-
  'The night has been fine- the weather beautiful- excursion in cajack
on lake- capture of some black swans- several new animals-
apparition and sudden flight of an aquatic beast, entirely unknown
to us- to-morrow at Prospect Hill.
                              'Be of good cheer;
                                                  {CHAPTER_51 ^paragraph 30}
                                           'Your sons,
                                   'FRITZ, JACK, and FRANCIS.'
-
  'It is almost a telegraphic despatch,' said I, laughing; 'it could
not be more concise. Our huntsmen would rather fire a gun than write a
sentence; nevertheless, their letter tranquillises me; but I really
hope that the hyena which they killed is the only one in the country.'
  We received other letters from them at intervals; but they were so
concise that I will continue here the narration the boys made on their
return.
                                                  {CHAPTER_51 ^paragraph 35}
  Delivered from the terrible neighbourhood of the hyena, they had
undertaken to explore the marsh around the Lake of Swans. Fritz
embarked in the cajack, and his brothers followed, as near as possible
to him, along the shore. The black swans afforded a fine chase to
our young huntsmen. A loop of wire fastened to a long bamboo was the
means they employed; but they captured only three young swans, the old
ones being too strong, and defending themselves with their powerful
wings.
  After the swans came a bird of a new kind, who, by his majestic walk
and noble appearance, seemed the king of birds. The boys threw the
wire loop over his head, and, drawing him to the shore, fastened his
feet and wings, and laid him alongside the swans.
  While they were occupied in examining their magnificent prey,
which Ernest afterward pronounced to be the 'heron royal,' an
extraordinary animal rushed out from the weeds, and passing close to
their sides, struck them with terror. It was an animal about the
size of a young foal, of a form like that of the rhinoceros, only it
had not the horn on the nose which that animal has; the upper lip
was very prominent, and the whole body of a very dark brown colour. My
three huntsmen were not very distinguished naturalists, and the best
name they could find for the beast was the Tapir or Anta of South
America.
  The tapir is an animal which is commonly found in Guiana and Brazil.
The form of its body resembles that of the pig, and its upper lip is
much longer than the lower; its throat is armed with four teeth, its
eyes are small, its ears round and drooping; its tail is short,
pyramidically shaped and destitute of hair. It has legs and feet
like the wild boar, and has four nails on the hind, and three on the
fore, feet. The hair of the tapir is short, and, when the animal is
young, spotted with white; but as it grows older it becomes a dark,
uniform brown. The tapir is a most excellent swimmer; it will dive
down and pass a great distance under the water, thus defying all
attempts of the hunters to take it. Naturalists say that the tapir
sleeps all day under water, and at night roams through the forest in
search of food. The Portuguese were the first that gave it the name of
'anta.' The savages think the flesh of this animal equal to beef; they
also cover their shields with the skin, which is very hard and
durable.
  Fritz was unacquainted with its characteristics when the animal
appeared. He began, however, to pursue it in his cajack; but the tapir
swam away so rapidly that he was soon obliged to desist. During this
time Jack and Francis had set out for the hut, carrying with them
the black swans and the beautiful heron royal. In their way thither
they encountered a flock of cranes, which hovered around their
heads, uttering piercing cries. A great number were soon brought down,
not by fire-arms, but by the bows which the boys carried. These were
provided with long, triangular-pointed arrows.
                                                  {CHAPTER_51 ^paragraph 40}
  Our huntsmen, after all their exertions, had acquired a most
ferocious appetite; and although their repast was frugal, yet they did
it ample justice. The cold meat of the peccary, guavas, cinnamon
apples, and potatoes cooked in the ashes, were all devoured with
thankfulness. The pemmican alone was disdained, and declared
unworthy of its reputation.
  Before night, our young adventurers filled a sack with ripe rice;
they also gathered a quantity of cotton, which they intended to
carry the next day to Prospect Hill, the end of their proposed
excursion. Fritz, who had brought with him some of the euphorbia to
poison the monkeys, needed some cocoa-nuts, divided in two, to hold
the baits for the mischievous animals. My sons did not like the
trouble of climbing a tree, so they chose out one that was loaded with
fruit, and cutting it down, as the Caribbees do, they obtained a
supply of cocoa-nuts and two enormous palm cabbages.
  When they told me of this, I reproved them for cutting down the
tree, and forbade them ever doing the like again. The palm is one of
the most beautiful trees in the country, and unites in itself the most
precious vegetable riches; and I tried to impress it on their minds
that it was wrong to cut down anything that could be rendered useful
in its natural position.
  My sons quitted Waldegg and directed their course toward Prospect
Hill; but I will let Fritz tell the story himself.
  'On entering the wood of pines,' said he, 'we were greeted by a
concert of sharp cries which proceeded from every tree; they came from
the monkeys, who sat among the branches, grinning most horribly at us.
From grimaces they passed to blows, and we soon felt a shower of
pine-apples, which might have hurt us severely if we had not
discharged our pistols, and frightened away the whole tribe. This
reception did not increase my benevolent feelings toward the
monkeys, and confirmed me in my project to chastise them. We found
on the borders of the wood a sort of millet, about ten feet in height,
which I easily recognised as being the doura, or black millet. This
field was very large; but in different places the stalks were broken
down, as if a hail-storm had passed over it. We hastened to reach
Prospect Hill, and on approaching it we easily perceived that the
monkeys had been there. Our plantations had been ravaged, and our
little farm-house devastated and infected by the ordure the villainous
animals had left behind them. We cleaned out the interior with a broom
of millet. I cannot express our rage and disappointment. We passed the
afternoon in endeavouring to construct a place to protect us against
any attack from the horrid animals during the night. I must here, my
dear parents,' continued Fritz, 'beg pardon for a fault of which I
must plead guilty. I took the gum of the euphorbia without asking your
permission, for I was afraid that you would not trust me with it. We
commenced the preparations for our work before night. The cocoa-nuts
and calabashes which we had brought were all put into requisition;
we filled them with rice, guavas, palm-wine, and all sorts of enticing
ingredients. To each one of these articles I added a portion of the
gum of the euphorbia, and then scattered those snares all over the
forest, and awaited the issue of the morrow. We were about to retire
to our mattresses of cotton, when suddenly a brilliant light lighted
up the horizon, and we thought at first that it was a ship on fire. We
immediately quitted the hut and ran as fast as possible to the
summit of Cape Disappointment. It appeared to be a mass of fire,
perfectly round, which arose from the bosom of the waves and
elevated itself above their surface. It was the moon. I do not think I
ever saw a more marvellous sight. The sea was calm, the waves were
dashing gently against the foot of the cape; the evening breeze
scarcely ruffled the smooth surface, on which the beautiful moon shone
down, and in which she reflected all her splendour. We remained some
time gazing on this scene in silence; but the calm contemplation in
which we became absorbed was suddenly interrupted by a discord of
the most diabolical sounds I ever heard. It was a confused mixture
of bellowings, groans, and piercing screams. In answer to these
formidable accents, our dogs responded by long-drawn barks, and the
jackal yelled in sympathy with the cries of his fellows, that grated
on our ears in the direction of the savanna. We heard the piercing cry
of a wild horse, mingled with a deep, sonorous growl, which I felt
sure proceeded from a lion or a tiger. This singular amalgamation of
sounds lasted about a quarter of an hour. We were about to descend
when we heard the galloping of a horse in the distance, and we
regained our hut, full of apprehension that there was an elephant or a
hippopotamus in the neighbourhood. We found everything tranquil
about the hut; but we had scarcely laid our heads on our pillows
when another outburst commenced in the pine wood. It was at first a
solo; but voices gradually joined in, and the noise was so shrill
and piercing that it nearly split our ears; and our dogs, whom we
had fastened to the stakes of the hut, kept up a most deafening
clamour in response. It was impossible for us to sleep a wink: the
howling and screaming continued all night, and I felt heartily glad
when morning arrived. We arose eager to ascertain the results of the
night. Alas! we found all our musicians asleep on the earth; but it
was an eternal sleep. There lay the monkeys, who had partaken of the
fatal meal we had prepared for them. The earth was strewn with their
dead bodies, evincing that the euphorbia had produced a most
terrible effect. We threw the poisoned monkeys and the utensils we had
used into the ocean, and felt rejoiced that our disgusting and hideous
work was accomplished. It was then that Jack composed the famous
letter, which you were so unfortunate as not to receive. Here it is, a
splendid specimen of the sublime and beautiful:-
                                                  {CHAPTER_51 ^paragraph 45}
                                            '"PROSPECT HILL,
                           '"the llth, 12th, and 13th inst.
-
    '"The caravansary of Prospect Hill has been cleaned and again
rendered habitable; pain and trouble did the labour cost us; but the
guilty ones have paid for it with their blood. Nemesis has poured
poison into the cup of vengeance, and Ocean rolls its waves over the
dead bodies of the traitors. The sun smiled benignly on our
departure this morning; and he will bid us adieu this evening at the
defile of the savanna.
                                          '"Valete, valete."' *
                                                  {CHAPTER_51 ^paragraph 50}
-
  * Farewell, farewell.
-
  I will now resume the narrative myself, and explain the effect of
Jack's letter, which we really had received. The passage about Ocean
and the dead bodies puzzled me, as I did not then know what I have
just now written, and which was afterward told me by Fritz. Another
despatch arrived, which added to my anxiety. It contained the
following words:-
-
                                                  {CHAPTER_51 ^paragraph 55}
  'The palisade of the defile which leads to the savanna is destroyed;
the sugar-canes have been all trampled down, and we have discovered
large foot-prints, like those of the elephant, in the sands. There are
also the prints of the hoofs of wild horses. Come quickly to our
aid, dear parents; there is much to do for the safety of the colony.
Lose not an instant, we beg of you.'
-
  I leave it to the reader to imagine the inquietude into which this
letter threw me. I saddled the onager without losing a moment, and,
leaving Ernest and his mother to follow me on the next day, I set
off for the defile. There was a distance of six leagues between my
sons and me; but I accomplished it in three hours.
  My children were surprised to see me arrive so promptly, and they
received me with transports of joy. The idea I had entertained of
the devastation was but faint in comparison with the reality. The
sugar-canes were irretrievably lost: they had been trampled down,
and the leaves torn off, by some animal that I was sure must have been
an elephant. All our trouble in erecting the palisade had been wasted;
the stakes had been all torn up, the trees near by deprived of their
bark, the bamboos had been treated no better than the sugar-canes, and
every young shrub I had planted had been torn up. I examined
attentively the foot-prints in the sand, and was convinced that the
larger ones were those of the elephant, and the smaller ones those
of a hippopotamus; but I could discover no traces of the hyena. I
surrounded our tent with dry branches, and amassed an abundant
provision of combustibles, so that we might keep off any beasts by
fires at night. We each took our turns in watching and replenishing
them; but nothing troubled our repose.
  Ernest and his mother arrived after dinner, bringing with them the
waggon, the cow, the ass, and all necessary utensils for our
encampment, which was likely to last a good while.
                                                  {CHAPTER_51 ^paragraph 60}
  We immediately began the construction of a solid fortification
across the defile, one that would effectually keep out all
intruders. I will spare my readers the details of this tiresome
work, which occupied us constantly for more than a month. My good
Elizabeth shared in our toils, and inspired her sons with ardour and
perseverance. Sometimes we would relax from our labours; Fritz would
make excursions in his cajack, and the other boys would wander off,
and always bring us home something useful.

{CHAPTER_52
                                  52
    The Redoubt- Valuable Discoveries- Crocodiles and Alligators-
     Tea Plant- The Mysterious Sack- Jack's Fright- Artillery and
                    Fortification of Shark Island
-
  OUR NEXT LABOUR was to construct some sort of a fort to shelter us
whenever we might visit the defile. We had not strength enough to
build a regular fort; and, besides, our knowledge of fortification was
very limited. At last Fritz thought of a plan of a Kamschatdale
fort, which he had read of somewhere, and which I thought, with a
little improvement, would answer admirably.
  The Kamschatdale fort simply consists of four high stones, upon
which are laid planks and boards, forming a platform upon which a
hut of bark or branches is constructed- not a very formidable fortress
certainly; but yet capable of defending us in case of an attack from
wild beasts.
                                                   {CHAPTER_52 ^paragraph 5}
  Instead of four stones for the foundation, we chose out four trees
to answer the same purpose. We did not cut the branches off close, but
left them as rests for the beams of our platform; these trees
resembled the plane-tree of Europe, and were adorned with the vines of
the vanilla bean, which were climbing up the trunk. We surrounded
our platform with a high and strong network of rushes and branches,
leaving an opening for entrance; and we covered the roof with the
waterproof leaves of the Talipot palm. Those leaves grow so large that
ten men can be covered by one of them. We were glad to have discovered
a tree of this palm, as it afforded us many facilities. Our fort
bore a strong resemblance to Falcon's Nest; and, surrounded as it
was by green trees and flourishing verdure, it did not look much
like a military construction.
  To ascend to the platform, we employed one of the simplest means I
could imagine: it was by a beam which descended perpendicularly to the
ground, and notched deeply into steps. We also arranged this so that
it could be raised and lowered at pleasure.
  The next day Fritz embarked; and fearing that his cajack would not
be large enough to hold the cargo he intended to bring home, he
fastened a raft of rushes behind it. He was ashamed, he said, to go
for some banana cuttings only, and he intended to bring home something
else. We occupied ourselves during the day in preparing to set out for
Felsenheim; and Fritz did not return till late in the evening, when we
saw him coming toward us, the cajack and the raft loaded down to the
water's edge.
  'Bravo! bravo!' cried his brothers, as they saw Fritz advancing,
laden with green branches. The cargo was soon unloaded, and dragged up
to the hut with as much contentment as if it had been the galleons
of silver that Admiral Anson captured. Fritz also gave into Jack's
hands a wet sack that seemed to contain something alive: the fellow
took it, and looking in, exclaimed, 'Good! Fritz has executed my
commission,' and then ran off and hid his treasure in the bushes.
  Fritz now came up, holding in his hand a superb bird, the feet and
wings of which he had fastened, and which he presented to us as the
principal booty of the day.
                                                  {CHAPTER_52 ^paragraph 10}
  It was the Sultan Cock of Buffon, the king of waterfowls, so
called from its beauty of form, and the brilliancy of its plumage. I
easily recognised its long red legs, and its beautiful green and
violet plumage, with a red spot in the forehead. My wife wished to add
it to the inhabitants of the farm-yard; and as it was very gentle,
it soon became as tame as the rest of our domestic fowls, who appeared
jealous of the new-comer.
  Fritz now recounted to us the details of the day. He informed us
that he had ascended the river for a great distance, and that he had
been astonished at the majestic forests which bordered it, and threw a
sombre shade over its waters. He had encountered several families of
turkeys, pintadoes, and peacocks, whose cries and screams imparted
an air of life to the sombre river. Farther on, the scene had changed:
there were enormous elephants feeding along the bank, in troops of
twenty or thirty; some were playing in the water, and squirting the
cooling fluid over the heated bodies of their companions; tigers and
panthers, too, lay sleeping in the sun, their magnificent fur
contrasting strangely with the green bank upon which they reclined;
but not one of these animals paid the least attention to the young
navigator.
  'I felt my inability and weakness,' said Fritz, 'on finding myself
face to face with these terrible enemies; my gun, my balls, and my
skill would have been of little use, and I thought I had better
retrace my steps. I commenced to turn my cajack round, when what was
my surprise to see, at about the distance of two gunshots before me, a
long and large mouth, armed with rows of formidable teeth, and the
whole apparatus moving directly toward me. I cannot say how I found
strength enough to escape, I felt so frightened at the apparition. I
took a lesson then in natural history that I have no desire soon to
repeat.'
  'What animal was it,' asked Francis, 'the mouth and teeth of which
Fritz saw coming out of the water?'
  'An alligator, probably,' said Ernest; 'or, if you would prefer
using a name more familiar to you, a crocodile.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_52 ^paragraph 15}
  'A crocodile! What, the same animal that the Egyptians adored as a
god?'
  'The very same,' replied the doctor, enchanted at the opportunity of
displaying his science. 'The crocodile is the largest and strongest of
the family of lizards, to which it belongs, and some think that this
is the animal alluded to in the Holy Scriptures by the name of
leviathan. The crocodile, which at the Antilles is also called cayman,
is a monster of the greatest voracity; it is produced from a very
small egg, but it attains a length of more than twenty feet: it is
covered with a hard, scaly skin, of a bronze colour mingled with green
and dirty white spots; its mouth opens as far back as the ears, and
the jaws are furnished with a great number of canine teeth, long and
round, white and pointed, and which fit exactly in one another; its
eyes resemble those of the pig, and it makes a noise very similar to
the grunt of that animal; its paws are armed with sharp claws; its
tail is rounding, and as long as all the rest of its body.
Crocodiles are found in the Ganges, the Nile, the Niger, in Asia, in
Africa, and in several of the great rivers of America. In Egypt they
are very plentiful: they dwell in the rivers, and remain immovable
in the mud until their hunger is aroused, and then they are
extremely watchful. They feed on fish, and are excessively fond of
human flesh.'
  It was evident, from the narrative of Fritz, that the environs of
the defile were peopled by wild and savage animals, and that
particular precaution should be taken to secure our domain against any
invasion on their part.
  We finished our preparations for departure, and set off at break
of day the next morning for Felsenheim. Fritz asked my permission to
allow him to make the journey by water, in his cajack, and to return
home by doubling Cape Disappointment. I readily consented, as the ease
with which he managed his little boat gave me nothing to fear, and
besides, I was anxious to know more about the cape.
  We both set out at the same time, and both arrived home safely.
                                                  {CHAPTER_52 ^paragraph 20}
  The hope, although feeble, which we entertained, that one day some
ship would visit our coast, was never forgotten; and we collected
all that the country afforded as precious or useful, so that in case a
vessel should arrive we could exchange with them, or, if an occasion
offered to quit the island, we should have something wherewith to
pay our passage. For that purpose we gathered, every year, a
quantity of cotton, dried different sorts of fruits, preserved
others in sugar, such as cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, etc. We discovered
tea, too, which was of the highest importance.
  Jack arrived at the drawbridge half an hour before the rest of us,
the long legs of his ostrich giving him clearly the advantage. The
first care of the young scamp was to run to the marsh of ducks, and
choose a convenient place to deposit the mysterious sack. We arrived
and unpacked with all the tranquillity of good householders who return
to their homes after an absence of several months. Fritz arrived
some time after us.
  Our first care was to dispose of all the fine birds we had brought
home. The heath-cocks, Canada fowls, and the cranes (one of which
had a wing broken), were placed on one of our islands. The heron
royal, the Sultan Cock, and the elegant 'Girl of Numidia,' were placed
in the marsh with the ducks and geese, and shared with them the crumbs
of our repast.
  These first cares occupied us a good part of the day; and while
awaiting supper and listening to Fritz's tale of his voyage,
suddenly we were surprised by hearing a most horrible noise,
resembling distant thunder. These strange sounds appeared to come from
the marsh. The dogs began to bark, the animals seemed frightened,
and I rose immediately to ascertain the cause of our ears being
assailed by such a hideous uproar.
  'Jack,' cried I, 'bring me my gun; we will see who's the musician;
and you, Fritz- how! do you sit still in time of danger?'
                                                  {CHAPTER_52 ^paragraph 25}
  Fritz smiled, and made me a sign to reseat myself, telling me, while
Jack was gone for the gun, that the noise was the croaking of two
monstrous frogs that were confined in the bag Jack had put in the
marsh. *
-
  * Probably belonging to that species called the bull-frog, an animal
about eight inches long, and four or five in breadth. Its croaking
is so loud as to resemble the roaring of a bull heard at a distance,
whence its name.
-
  'Admirable!' cried I. 'Let us all get up, and when he reappears,
exhibit signs of the greatest inquietude; thus the fellow will fall
into his own trap.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_52 ^paragraph 30}
  Jack soon returned with the guns- he brought two.
  'Very well,' said I: 'you are a brave fellow, Jack, and brought
the other gun so that you could share the danger with me.'
  Jack answered nothing; but turning to Fritz, who feigned the
greatest fear, asked him if he knew what animal it was.
  'Yes; and we are going to attack him at once. I can very well
distinguish his form through the rushes.'
  'A jaguar,' said Ernest, 'is the most beautiful tiger of America;
its fur is superb. The naturalists call it Felis cincalor; it has-'
                                                  {CHAPTER_52 ^paragraph 35}
  'It has- it has-' interrupted the coward. 'I know very well what
it has; but I do not want to have to fight one': and the fellow set
off on a full run to the grotto, and he soon appeared on the
exterior gallery. We began to laugh heartily, and then Master Ernest
revealed the secret.
  'It was your sack,' said he; 'it was the two frogs we heard that was
the jaguar- the tiger with the rich fur, the monster that you fled
from; a grand soldier you would make, truly!'
  Jack became the star of the evening. He was called knight of the
jaguar, hero of the frogs; and all the compliments he was so fond of
showering on his brothers were returned with interest.
  When we were a little rested from our fatigue, my wife recalled to
mind Falcon's Nest and its aerial chateau, which we had almost
forgotten since our discovery of the salt cavern.
  'It is wrong,' said she, 'to let that beautiful habitation go to
ruin. Although Felsenheim offers us a sure protection in winter, yet
Falcon's Nest, with its gigantic branches and pleasant verdure, is the
most agreeable habitation we could possess.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_52 ^paragraph 40}
  My wife spoke reasonably, and I promised her that I would do as
she wished. We left Felsenheim and took up our residence in our old
habitation. The roof that we had made over the roots was newly
plastered with gum and resin; the staircase was repaired; we
substituted a bark roof for the old linen one over our chamber in
the tree; we made a balcony all around it, and repaired everything, so
that it was a clean, agreeable habitation.
  But the embellishments at Falcon's Nest were but a prelude to more
considerable and difficult works. Fritz had not renounced his idea
of fortifying Shark Island, and making that a sort of rallying point
in case of danger. He teased me so about it, and his head was so
full of plans and projects, that it was impossible to resist him,
and the work was at length begun.
  One can easily conceive how great were the obstacles that a man
and four boys had to contend with, in order to convey two cannons to
the island, and level them on a platform more than fifty feet in
height. It cost us immense labour even to effect the transport of
the cannons. I then placed on the platform we had built a large
capstan; and, to shorten the time and reduce the labour in passing
round the rock, I let down a rope, made into loops, so that we could
easily ascend and descend. The cannons were attached by strong
ropes, and then hauled up by the capstan. This work cost us a whole
day of hard labour; but at last the cannons were landed on the
platform, and established with their mouths toward the sea. We
placed a long pole in the rock, with a string and pulley, so that we
could hoist up a flag at any time. How glad we felt when our work
was done! and how proud we were of our ingenuity! When we had
crowned this military construction with a flag, a cry of joy was
uttered; and, as economical as I felt we must be in powder, six
times we fired our cannons, and the echo of the rocks repeated the
noise over a vast extent of ocean.

{CHAPTER_53
                                  53
      Excursion of Fritz- Discovery of Pearls- Intelligence of a
      Fellow-creature- Account of Fritz's wonderful Discoveries
-
  ONE CAN EASILY imagine that my young family was not so easy to
govern now as it was during the first few years of our stay.
  My children would often absent themselves whole days, hunting in the
forest, or clambering over the rocks; but when they returned at
evening, fatigued and wearied, if I had intended to reproach them
for their wandering life, they would have so much to tell me
concerning the rare and curious things that they had seen, that I
never had resolution enough to scold them.
  Fritz one day went off in this manner, and caused us the greatest
disquietude. He had taken with him some provisions, and- as if the
land was not large enough for him- also his cajack, and gone out to
sea. He had set out before daylight, and night was approaching, but
nothing could be seen of him. My wife was in a state of the greatest
suspense; and, to alleviate her distress, I launched the canoe, and we
set out for Shark Island. There, from the top of the flag-staff, we
displayed our flag and fired an alarm-cannon. A few moments after,
we saw a black spot in the far distance, and, by the aid of a
spy-glass, we discovered our beloved Fritz. He advanced slowly
toward us, beating the sea with his oars, as if his canoe was
charged with a double load.
                                                   {CHAPTER_53 ^paragraph 5}
  'Fire!' cried Ernest, in his capacity as commander of the fort,
'fire!' and Jack touched off the cannon. We descended to the shore,
and were soon in the arms of our adventurer Fritz. His boat was loaded
with different things; and something heavy and dark, which looked like
the head of a large animal, was towing behind.
  'It appears,' said I, 'my dear Fritz, that your day has not been
an unprofitable one.'
  'It has not,' replied Fritz; 'for, besides the booty which you
see, I think I have made a discovery which is worth more to us than
all the treasures of the earth.'
  These words, half whispered in my ear, excited my curiosity: but I
thought I would say nothing until the voyager had taken breath. When
we had brought on shore his sack, filled with large oysters, as it
appeared to me, and the marine monster which served as a counterpoise,
we drew the little cajack, with its master seated in triumph in it, up
to the grotto. The boys then returned to obtain the remainder of the
cargo, while we sat down quietly in the gallery to listen to Fritz's
narrative. He commenced the recital of his adventures by begging us to
pardon him for running away, as he had resolved to visit the eastern
part of our country, of which we as yet knew nothing.
  'I had long ago intended to make this expedition,' said he. 'I
furnished my cajack with provisions, and two skins, one full of water,
the other of hydromel. I had placed a compass in my boat, a fish-net
and a harpoon were on the right, a gun and an anchor on the left; I
also put a pair of pistols in my waist, and slung my ammunition-bag
around my neck. This morning, before you awoke, I softly arose and
ran, as is my custom, to the borders of the sea. The weather was so
beautiful, the waves so tranquil, that I could not resist the
temptation. I called my eagle, and seizing a hatchet, jumped into
the cajack, and falling into the current of Jackal's River, was
hurried out toward the shoals where our vessel had been wrecked. I saw
there, in passing, and at not a very great depth either, a great
quantity of bars of iron, cannons, and balls, which we may one day get
up, if we discover the means of plunging to that depth. I directed
my course towards the eastern coast, among shoals and rocks covered
with the nests of sea-birds, who flew around me uttering piercing
cries. Whenever the rocks offered any surface, you would see great
marine monsters extended in the sun, while others were playing and
bellowing frightfully in the neighbouring waters. There were
sea-lions, and elephants, and walruses of all sorts, who, holding on
to the rocks by their long teeth, let their hinder parts rest in the
water. It seemed that this was the general rendezvous of these
monsters; for I saw, in coasting along the shore, several places
strewed with their bones and ivory teeth; and perhaps we can procure
some fine carcasses there for our museum.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_53 ^paragraph 10}
  'Oh, how delightful!' cried out all the auditors; 'we can make
handles for our knives out of those fine ivory teeth.'
  Francis, whose reflective spirit had always a remark to make,
asked me what use these enormous teeth were to the animals, as they
could neither bite nor wound with them.
  'All teeth are not for that purpose,' said I. 'Some are arms for
attack or defence, such as those of the elephant, rhinoceros, the
walrus, and the narwhal; * others, like the tusks of the boar, and the
curved teeth of the babirossa, are a sort of implement with which
nature has provided the animal, either to dig up roots, to detach
shells from the rocks, or to pull down branches of trees, so that they
can eat the foliage. The hippopotamus alone has such strong and
singular teeth as to render it uncertain for what they are designed,
as the animal feeds on grass and herbs. Besides, the tusks of the
walrus and the hippopotamus, being less porous than those of the
elephant, are more valuable; and as they are less liable to turn
yellow, dentists employ them in the fabrication of artificial teeth.'
-
  * It is frequently called the sea-unicorn, from having a tooth or
horn projecting from its upper jaw.
                                                  {CHAPTER_53 ^paragraph 15}
-
  Fritz now resumed his narrative. 'I must confess,' said he, 'that
when I saw myself encompassed by these monsters, I did not feel very
safe; and I endeavoured, as far as I was able, to pass through the
shoals unperceived, which I effected after a hard row of an hour and a
half. I stopped my course before a magnificent portico of rocks, which
nature seemed to have fashioned into the most imposing forms; it was
like the arch of an immense bridge, under which the sea flowed in like
a canal, while the rock on each side of the entrance advanced out into
the sea, like an immense promontory. I did not hesitate to enter
this sombre vault, from the other extremity of which issued a feeble
light. A delicious coolness filled the cavern. On all sides numbers of
the little coast-swallows were flying about; and on my entrance into
the cavern, a swarm of these birds surrounded me, uttering piercing
cries, as if they wished to prohibit my farther approach. I tied my
skiff to an angular stone in the cavern, and began to examine the
inhabitants. I found I was mistaken in considering these birds
swallows: * they were about the size of wrens, their breast of a
pure white colour, their wings of a light grey, the back of a lustrous
black. Their nest appeared like those of other birds, made of feathers
and dry leaves; but they were placed on a singular sort of a
support, resembling a long spoon, made of greyish, polished wax.
Some of these nests were empty; and having examined them with more
attention, I discovered that they  were made of a substance resembling
fish-glue. I disengaged a few of them to bring home to you, and I
now beg you will examine them, and see whether they are good for
anything.'
-
  * The Hirundo esculenta, or Indian swallow, very delicately
tasted, and often mixed in soups: the nests are about the size of a
goose's egg, and in substance they much resemble isinglass, and are
esteemed a great luxury, and sell at a high price.
-
                                                  {CHAPTER_53 ^paragraph 20}
  'Certainly they are, my son. If we carried on commerce with China or
India, we could sell these nests for their weight in gold; for they
eat them by millions, and esteem them one of the greatest delicacies.'
  A general cry of disgust burst forth from my wife and children, at
the idea of eating birds' nests. I explained to them that the feathers
and moss lining the inside were not eaten, but only the covering,
which is carefully cleaned and cooked with spices, making a
transparent, savoury jelly. The word jelly reconciled my wife to the
birds' nests, and she consented to an experiment with them.
  'Is not one of the greatest delicacies made out of sharks' fins? and
why not out of birds' nests?' said I.
  Fritz promised that he would clean them the first thing in the
morning; then, turning toward me, he asked where the birds procured
the gummy matter with which they make their nests.
  'It is not positively known,' answered I. 'Some pretend that it is
the foam of the sea, which this little bird, called Salangane,
gathers in its beak; and that this foam, in drying, takes the
appearance of wax or fish-glue. Another opinion is, that it is derived
from a shell-fish of which the birds are very fond. This last
opinion appears the most probable as it possesses animal qualities.
But let us leave this discussion and listen to the narrative of our
traveller.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_53 ^paragraph 25}
  'I advanced boldly through the passage,' said he, 'and came out into
a magnificent bay, whose low and fertile shores stretched out into a
savanna of vast extent; trees and shrubs everywhere varied the
beauty of the scene: on the right, a vast mass of rocks rose up, being
a prolongation of those that I had passed through; on the left
rolled a calm and limpid river; and beyond this was a thick swamp,
which terminated in a dense forest of cedars. While I was coasting
along the shores of the bay, I perceived at the bottom of the
transparent waters beds of shells resembling large oysters. 'Here,'
said I to myself, 'is something that is much better than our little
oysters at Felsenheim; if they taste good, I will take some home
with me.' I detached some with my hook and threw them on the sand,
without getting out of my canoe, and set to work to obtain more.
When I returned with a new load, I found that the oysters I had
first deposited on the sand were opened, and the sun had already begun
to corrupt them. I took up one or two; but instead of finding the nice
fat oyster I expected, I found nothing but a hard, gritty meat. In
trying to detach this from the shell, I felt some little round, hard
stones, like peas, under my knife; I took them out, and found them
so brilliant, that I filled a little box with them which I happened to
have with me. Do you not think, my father,' added Fritz, 'that they
are really pearls?'
  'See, see!' said the boys, catching hold of the box. 'How beautiful,
how brilliant, how regular!'
  I took the box in my hand. 'They are really pearls,' cried I,
'oriental pearls of the greatest beauty. You have, in truth,
discovered a treasure, my son, which one day will be, I hope, of
immense value to us. We will pay a visit to this rich bay as soon as
possible; but continue your story.'
  'I pursued my course,' resumed Fritz, 'along the coast, indented
with creeks, and covered with verdure and flowers. I came up to the
mouth of the river, the calm waters of which floated on tranquilly
toward the sea; its surface, overgrown with aquatic plants,
resembled a verdant prairie covered with different sorts of birds. I
gave to this river the name of St. John, as it put me in mind of the
description I had read of a river of that name in Florida. Having
renewed my provision of fresh water, I then directed my course towards
the other promontory, opposite the arch by which I had entered. This
bay, which I named the Bay of Pearls, was about six miles from one
promontory to the other, and a chain of rocks separated it from the
sea; one entrance only is practicable, for all the rest are covered
with shoals and sand-banks, forming a natural harbour, which wants but
the neighbourhood of a city to render it perfect. I endeavoured to
leave the bay; but the tide had risen so high that it filled the
vault, and I was obliged to await its ebb. I stepped on shore, as I
saw on all sides, popping up out of the water, the heads of marine
animals, which appeared about the size of a calf, and they plunged and
frisked about in such a manner that I was afraid they would overset my
cajack; so I secured it to a point in the rock, and, taking my eagle
in my hand, I stood ready to attack the first game that came near
me; for I wished to procure one of the animals, which resembled a
stuffed valise, as I thought its thick skin might be of use to me. A
company of them soon came, plunging and diving, close to the shore.
I cast off my eagle, who seized on the largest and best, and soon
blinded him; I jumped on a projecting rock, and, catching hold of
the animal with my boat-hook, drew it to the shore. All the others
fled as if by enchantment. I had to remove the entrails of the animal,
as the weight was too heavy for my little skiff; but, while I was thus
occupied, a prodigious number of sea-birds clustered around me: gulls,
sea-swallows, frigates, and half a dozen other kinds. They came up
so close that I whirled my staff around to keep them off, and in doing
so knocked down a very large bird, an albatross, I think. After this
operation was finished, I fastened my sea-otter to the stern of my
boat; and, taking a sack full of oysters, made preparations for my
return. I soon passed through the arch, and sailed quietly along,
until I saw your flag and heard the report of the cannon.'
  After this narrative, and while my wife and the younger boys had
gone to the cajack, the one to examine the edible birds' nests, the
others to look at the pearl-oysters, my son drew me aside and confided
to my ear an important secret.
                                                  {CHAPTER_53 ^paragraph 30}
  'A very singular circumstance,' said he, 'happened on my voyage.
In examining the albatross, * which I had knocked down, judge my
surprise when I saw a piece of linen around one of its feet. I
untied it, and read the following words written upon it in good
English: "Save the poor shipwrecked sailor on the smoking rock." I
cannot express to you, my father, what I felt on seeing this linen.
I read and re-read the line to assure myself that it was not an
optical illusion. From this moment my only thought shall be to
search the coast in quest of the smoking rock to save the sufferer
my brother- my friend. Oh! once more perhaps I may see a human
being. An idea occurred to me to attach the linen again to the foot of
the albatross, and to write upon a second piece, which I fastened to
the other foot, the following sentence in English: "Have confidence
in God: succour is near." If the bird returns to the place from
whence it came, thought I, the person can read the answer: at all
events there will be no harm in trying this experiment. The
albatross had been stunned, and I poured some hydromel down its throat
to reanimate it. I attached my note to its foot, and let it go,
earnestly praying that its mission might be successful. The bird
flew up, hesitated for a moment, and then darted rapidly away in an
easterly direction, which decided me to take that route in my search.'
-
  * One species of the albatross is by far the largest of all
aquatic birds. There are others not quite so large, which measure
about seven feet from the tips of the wings; these are chiefly found
in the southern seas; the face of these birds is very remarkable,
having some resemblance to the owl.
-
  I said nothing concerning the secret which Fritz had confided to me,
as I wished to think it over, and see what could be done.
                                                  {CHAPTER_53 ^paragraph 35}
  The pearls were too important an object to be forgotten, and my sons
importuned me to start immediately on our projected expedition to
the newly-discovered fishery.
  'Softly,' said I; 'before riding, you must saddle your horse; and if
you  wish that your enterprise should succeed, you must take with
you the necessary implements. Let each one of you try to invent
something useful for our purpose, and then we will start.'
  This proposition was received with joyous acclamations, and each
member of the party set his ingenuity to work. I forged for myself two
large iron rakes and two small hooks of the same metal; I fixed wooden
handles to the first-named, with iron rings attached, so that I
could fasten them to the boat and drag them over the banks of oysters;
with the hook I intended to loosen the oysters, which the rakes were
insufficient to detach.
  Ernest made a sort of butterfly-net with scissors attached, intended
to receive the birds' nests. Jack constructed a kind of ladder, made
by piercing a long bamboo at regular distances, and fixing in sticks
crosswise; the machine looked like the stick in a parrot's cage. To
the top the young man fixed a hook of iron, and a spike at the bottom,
so that it should rest firmly in the rocks. Francis, very adroit in
making nets, made several very strong ones to hold our oysters.
  During this time, Fritz worked in silence at his cajack,
endeavouring to construct a second seat in it. I alone knew his
intention; but I dared not encourage him by evincing my knowledge of
his object.
                                                  {CHAPTER_53 ^paragraph 40}
  We next prepared our provisions for the voyage; two hams were
cooked, cassava cakes, barley-bread, rice, nuts, almonds, and other
dry fruits; and for drink we took a barrel of water, and one of
hydromel. These stores, with our tools and fishing implements,
loaded down the boat.

{CHAPTER_54
                                  54
       Pearl-fishery- The African Boar- Poor Jack is 'Killed'-
                        Discovery of Truffles
-
  WE HAD SPENT an entire day in preparing our cargo. A fresh and
favourable breeze and a slightly ruffled sea induced us to embark
immediately. Francis and his mother were left to guard the shore,
and we gaily put off, amid their prayers and wishes for our safe
return. We took with us some of our domestics: young Knips, the
successor of our good old monkey, Jack's jackal, Flora, Braun, and
Folb, all found a place in the boat. Jack occupied the second seat
in Fritz's cajack. Ernest and I conducted the canoe loaded with our
provisions and animals.
  The cajack led the way, and we followed, steering our course through
the shoals and rocks with the greatest difficulty. We did not
encounter any marine monsters; but the rocks were covered with the
whitened bones of walruses and sea-horses, and Ernest made us stop
several times, at the risk of bruising our boat against the rocks,
in order that he might collect some of these osseous remains for our
museum of natural history.
  The sea was as calm and brilliant as a mirror, and was covered
with the little boats of the nautilus, a sort of shell-fish which much
resembles a miniature gondola, and from which it is pretended men
learned the art of navigation.
                                                   {CHAPTER_54 ^paragraph 5}
  We soon attained the promontory, behind which, Fritz said, was the
Bay of Pearls. This promontory was singular and imposing. Arch rose
above arch, column above column; in a word, it resembled the front
of one of those old Gothic cathedrals, embellished with a thousand
grotesque carvings and antiquated decorations, with the only
difference that, instead of a pavement of marble, we had the blue sea,
and the columns were washed by the waves. It struck us as a temple
elevated to the Eternal, in the midst of immensity. We penetrated into
the vault; it was sombre and gloomy, like an old cathedral, and only
lighted by a few apertures in the rock. We searched every place in
order to see whether there were any of those terrible marine
monsters concealed there, but we could only discover a few bones
scattered here and there over the rocks.
  I gave the order for departure. Fritz had assured me that the
canal which flowed through the vault was navigable, and that, by
following the passage, we should soon arrive at the bay. The
flood-tide carried us rapidly forward toward the other extremity of
the cavern, and we could not help admiring the magnificence of the
passage: the roof was covered with stalactites, wrought by the hand of
nature into a thousand fantastic forms; columns and capitals rose in
rich profusion; and it seemed as if nature had assembled here
specimens of all the styles of architecture- the Doric, the Ionic, the
Corinthian, all had their representatives. At length we issued into
a beautiful bay; we were struck with surprise, and remained resting on
our oars in silent admiration. The water was so calm and pure that
we could see the fish far below us. I recognised the white fish, the
shining scales of which are used as false pearls. I showed them to
my sons; but they could not understand how a little stone would be
worth so much more than the fish-scales, when the latter were full
as brilliant as the former.
  'It is not the object itself,' said I; 'it is the difficulty in
procuring it which costs so much. If every river in Europe abounded in
pearls, they would be worth nothing.'
  We soon arrived at the rocky bank where Fritz had found the
pearl-oysters. The coast presented a most beautiful prospect; forests,
which lost themselves in the distance, and high mountains covered with
the rich vegetation of the tropics. A majestic river flowed into the
bay, and cut the green prairies like a band of silver. We all landed
safely, except Master Knips, who could not make up his mind to leap
the narrow space which separated him from terra firma; twenty
times he rose on his hind-legs, and twenty times he shrank back, as if
he had the ocean to cross. At length we took pity on him, and threw
him a rope, by which means he safely landed.
  The day was too far advanced to commence our pearl-fishing, and we
appeased our hungry stomachs with some slices of ham, fried
potatoes, and some cassava cakes; and, after having lighted up fires
along the coast, to keep off wild beasts, we left the dogs on shore,
and went on board the canoe, Knips being installed on the mast as
vidette. We drew the sail over our heads, and, wrapping ourselves in
our bear-skins, soon sank to rest. Nothing disturbed our repose save a
concert of jackals, who regaled us for about an hour with a most
horrible charivari, to which Jack's pupil responded by ear-piercing
howls.
                                                  {CHAPTER_54 ^paragraph 10}
  We rose at daylight, and, after a frugal breakfast, commenced our
labours in the pearl-fishery, and, with the aid of the rakes, hooks,
nets, and poles, soon brought in a large quantity of the precious
oysters: we heaped them all up in a pile on the shore, so that the
heat of the sun would cause them to open.
  Toward evening the coast appeared so beautiful, and the vegetation
so rich and glowing, that it was impossible for us to resist the
temptation of making an excursion to a little wood, where we had heard
turkeys gobbling all day. Each took with him one of our faithful
servants, and we separated. Ernest entered first into the wood,
accompanied by Folb; Jack soon followed him, while Fritz and I
remained a moment to fix our guns. A few moments after, we heard a
report, then a scream from Jack, followed by another report. Fritz
unhooded his eagle, I snatched up my gun, and we ran in the
direction of Jack, who was screaming, 'Papa! papa! quick! I am killed!
quick! come!'
  The poor boy had exaggerated matters a little, for he was not even
wounded; but there he lay face to face with an enormous boar, with
formidable tusks, who had knocked him down so rudely that he thought
himself lost. Jack, notwithstanding his twenty years, was as
cowardly as ever.
  His brothers ran quickly up; two shots well fired freed him from his
terrible enemy, and we loaded him with sarcasms and jokes upon the
poltroonery he had displayed. The fellow, however, was so terribly
frightened, that I feared for the consequences; so I gave him a
glass of hydromel, and after having rubbed the contusions of his
head and back with the same liquid, I sent him on board the canoe,
where he soon fell asleep on his mattress.
  Ernest recounted to me the manner in which this affair happened.
'I had entered into the little wood,' said he, 'With Folb, when
suddenly the brave dog quitted me, and set off in pursuit of a wild
boar, who had come out of the forest, and was sharpening his tusks
against the tree with a terrible noise. At that moment Jack came up;
his jackal, perceiving the boar, sprang furiously upon him, while Folb
attacked him on the other side. I approached cautiously, by passing
from one tree to another, until I was near enough to fire; the jackal,
however, had received such a terrible blow from the boar's foot,
that he lay senseless on the grass. Jack then fired, but missed; and
the boar, turning round, set off in pursuit of his new assailant,
who fled like a Hottentot before him. Without doubt, he would have
soon escaped if a projecting root had not tripped him up. Down he
fell; I fired, but missed, and the boar began to butt poor Jack with
his head. He, however, had not time to do him much harm, as Braun
and Flora rushed in, and, seizing the animal by his ears, held him
so firmly that he could not stir. Fritz's eagle now joined the fray,
and, flying on the head of the boar, who fairly frothed with rage,
began picking at his eyes. Fritz now fired, and hit the animal
directly in the throat; it fell right across Jack's body, who could
not disengage himself. I then ran up and helped him; he groaned
dreadfully, and at first I thought he was seriously wounded; but I
found that I was mistaken. He took Fritz's arm and walked away,
while I remained by the boar. It was not without some surprise that
I saw Master Knips with some large black tubercles, with which the
ground was covered; I gathered two or three which I put in my
game-bag. Look at them.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_54 ^paragraph 15}
  So saying, the young naturalist presented me with six tubercles
resembling potatoes, the odour of which was very penetrating. I opened
one, and, having tasted it, I discovered that they were excellent
truffles, of a perfumed, delicate flesh, marbled with white.
  'It appears,' said I to my son, congratulating him on his discovery,
'that the boar, who is very fond of these things, was eating them when
he was disturbed.'
  Soon night came on, and it was necessary to seek repose. We
lighted our watch-fires, swallowed a morsel of meat, and then
retired to our canoe: the dogs were again left on shore. We were
soon asleep, and dreaming of the absent ones at our beloved
Felsenheim.

{CHAPTER_55
                                  55
         Encounter with Lion and Lioness- The Cachalot Whale-
            A Savage! Parley, and Recognition of a Friend
-
  OUR FIRST CARE, on rising the next morning, was to set about the
preparation of the boar. Jack had recovered from his fear, and,
accompanied by thin dogs, we set out to look for the dead boar. He was
enormous- between a boar and a buffalo in size, and his head was
indeed frightfully large. While we were examining his gigantic
proportions, Fritz cried out-
  'Zounds! we can obtain some fine hams here; better, I think, than
those we procured from the peccaries.'
  'For my part,' said Ernest, 'I claim the head: it will make a fine
addition to our museum. But how shall we ever get this enormous body
to the shore?'
                                                   {CHAPTER_55 ^paragraph 5}
  'As to that,' replied Fritz, 'I think I can manage it, if papa
will let me.'
  'Willingly; but I fear that the flesh of this old African is not
better than a European boar. My advice is, that instead of dragging
the immense carcass away, we cut off what we want, and let the rest
alone.'
  My sons agreed with me, and we began to cut off the hams and head of
the wild boar. Some branches of trees furnished us with sleds to put
the pieces on, and we made the dogs draw them to the shore.
  While we were occupied in disposing of our hams, chance made known
to us an important discovery. Ernest remarked on the branches we had
cut to make our sleds a sort of nut; he opened one, but, instead of
a kernel, it contained a beautiful fine cotton, of a deep yellow,
which I recognised as being the real Nankin cotton. This cotton owes
its name to a province of China, where it grows abundantly, and is
cultivated with much care. We made a large provision of these nuts,
and dug up two young trees to carry to Felsenheim.
  Jack shrank with fright from the head of his terrible enemy, and
appeared quite overjoyed that it was going to figure in our museum;
but, on the observation of Ernest that it would be very difficult to
prepare, and having heard that boar's head was very fine eating, we
resolved to cook it with truffles, in the Otaheitan manner;
consequently Fritz and Ernest set to work, and dug a deep ditch, while
I cleaned the head and heated some stones. When these preparations
were finished, we placed the head, stuffed with truffles, and seasoned
with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, in the ditch, and covered it with
red-hot stones and a thick layer of earth. While our supper was
cooking, we suspended the hams over the smoke of the fire, and
tranquilly sat down to talk over the events of the day, when
suddenly a deep, prolonged cry rang through the forest. It was the
first time we had ever heard such unearthly tones: the rocks echoed
it, and we felt seized with sudden terror; the dogs and the jackal
also commenced howling horribly.
                                                  {CHAPTER_55 ^paragraph 10}
  'What a diabolical concert!' said Fritz, jumping up and seizing
his gun; 'some danger must be near. Build up the fire,' continued
he, 'and while I try to discover the danger in my cajack, you retire
to the canoe.' This plan appeared the best we could pursue, and I
adopted it. We threw on the fire all the wood we could find ready cut,
and, without losing time, we regained the canoe. Fritz jumped into the
cajack, and was soon lost in the obscurity.
  During all this time the roarings continued, and they appeared to
approach nearer to us. Our dogs gathered around the fire, uttering
plaintive moans. Our poor little monkey seemed to suffer painfully
from fear. I imagined that it was a leopard or a panther, which had
been attracted by the remains of the wild boar in the wood. My
doubts did not last long, for we soon discovered by the pale light
of our fires a terrible lion, considerably larger and stronger than
those I had seen in the royal menageries of Europe. In two or three
leaps he bounded over the space which separated the wood from the
shore; he stood immovable for a moment, and then commenced lashing his
flanks with his tail, and roaring furiously, every moment crouching
down as if to spring on us. This frightful pantomime did not last
long: every moment he would run to the stream, lap up some water,
and then return. I remarked with mortal anguish that the animal came
nearer and nearer to the shore; and at length he lay crouched down,
his flaming eyes fixed directly on us. Half in fear, half in
despair, I raised my gun, and was about to fire, when suddenly I heard
a report; the animal bounded up, gave a tremendous yell, and fell
lifeless on the earth.
  'Tis Fritz,' murmured my poor Ernest, pale with terror. 'Oh God!
protect my brother.'
  'Yes, it is he,' I cried, 'our brave Fritz: he has saved us from a
terrible death; let us go to him.' In two strokes of the oars we
were on shore; but our dogs, with an admirable instinct, began to bark
terribly: I did not neglect this indication; we threw more wood on the
fire, and again jumped into the boat. It was time; for scarcely were
we secure, when a second enemy rushed from the forest: it was not so
large as the first, but its roar was frightful. This time it was a
lioness, probably the companion of the superb animal which we had just
killed. How grateful I felt that both had not appeared together;
what could we have done? The lioness ran straight up to the corpse
of her late partner, smelled it, and licked up the blood, which had
flowed from the wound; and when she was convinced that he no longer
lived, she set up a howl of rage that pen could not describe; she
lashed her sides and opened her enormous mouth, as if she would devour
us all.
  Again Fritz fired, and the shot, less fortunate than the first, only
broke the shoulder of the animal. The wounded lioness commenced
rolling on the sand, foaming with rage; but all three of our dogs
rushed upon her. It was a repetition of the combat with the bears in
the savanna; the obscurity of the night, the formidable voice of the
lioness, the horrid howlings of the dogs, struck us dumb with fear.
Braun and Folb seized the animal in the flanks, and Flora caught
hold of the throat. Another shot would have put an end to the
combat, but I was afraid of wounding the dogs; so I jumped from the
boat, and, running up to the animal, who was held fast by the dogs,
I plunged my hunting-knife direct to her heart: the blood spouted out,
and the lioness fell; but the victory had cost us dear, for there
lay our poor Flora, dead under the terrible wounds she had received
from the fangs of the monster.
                                                  {CHAPTER_55 ^paragraph 15}
  Fritz now ran up and threw himself into my arms, as did Ernest and
poor Jack, who trembled with mortal agony. We lighted our torches, and
directed our course toward the field of battle; we found poor Flora
with her teeth yet clutching the throat of her enemy, while the
royal couple lay majestically extended on the sand, and we could
hardly suppress a sentiment of fear which struck us as we gazed on the
terrific beasts.
  'What a terrible range of teeth!' said Ernest, as he raised up the
head of the lion.
  'Yes, and what frightful claws!' said Jack; 'wouldn't they make nice
holes in your skin?'
  'Poor Flora!' said Fritz, as he detached the dead body of our dear
dog from that of the lioness; 'she has done for us to-day what our old
ass did in the case of the boa. Come, Ernest, see if you cannot induce
your muse to fabricate an epitaph.'
  'Ah! my muse, I must confess, has been too terribly frightened to
make any rhymes.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_55 ^paragraph 20}
  'Tush! go and meditate while we dig the grave of our poor hunter,
and be sure to be ready when we are done.'
  Flora received the honours of a funeral by torchlight; we dug a
grave, and silently placed in it the remains of the faithful animal,
and a flat stone served to mark her resting-place. Ernest composed the
following legend, which he read to us, saying that he was too
frightened for poetry, and Flora must be contented with prose:
-
                    _____________________________
                   |                             |
                                                  {CHAPTER_55 ^paragraph 25}
                   |       HERE LIES FLORA,      |
                   |     A DOG REMARKABLE FOR    |
                   |    HER COURAGE & DEVOTION.  |
                   |   SHE DIED UNDER THE CLAWS  |
                   |    OF A LION, ON WHOM SHE   |
                                                  {CHAPTER_55 ^paragraph 30}
                   |     ALSO INFLICTED DEATH.   |
                   |_____________________________|
-
  'Admirable,' said Fritz. 'It must be confessed, Ernest, you write
full as good prose as poetry.'
  Jack, who did not care much for poetry or prose, remarked that the
night was waning, and, as it would be impossible to sleep, he
thought that we had better have something to eat.
                                                  {CHAPTER_55 ^paragraph 35}
  'I suppose,' said he, 'the poor boar's head must be done by this
time: any way, I mean to go and see.'
  So saying, Jack began to clear away the covering of earth and
cinders, while Ernest and I dressed the wounds of the dogs. But,
instead of the juicy meat poor Jack expected, he found nothing but a
carbonised mass of bones and burned flesh. He was going to throw it
away in disgust, when I stopped his hand, and cutting off the burnt
flesh with my knife, we found underneath some most delicious meat,
saturated with the perfume of the truffles in a manner that every
epicure knows how to appreciate.
  When we had eaten, we tried to snatch a little sleep, after the
fatigues of the night. At sunrise we were up, and our first care was
to deprive our noble prey of their superb furs. My pneumatic
syringe, which I had taken the precaution to bring with me, did the
business effectually, and we soon obtained two of the most splendid
skins that can be imagined; the fur was as soft as silk, and of a most
beautiful colour.
  The heat of the sun had commenced to corrupt the oysters heaped upon
the bank, and the effluvia which they exhaled induced us to return
to Felsenheim, and early in the morning we set sail. Jack did not feel
much inclination to take his place again in Fritz's cajack, so
pretended that the exercise of the oars was too fatiguing for him, and
embarked with us in the canoe, more hands making lighter work there.
  Fritz set off before us, as if to serve as pilot; but when he had
conducted us through the vault, and over the shoals, he rowed up to
our canoe, and, handing me a letter, shot off again like an arrow. I
opened the paper quickly, and imagine my surprise when I found that,
instead of having forgotten the albatross and the smoking rock, he
informed me in the letter that he was going in search of the
unfortunate being! I had a thousand objections to make to this
romantic project; but Fritz rowed so fast, I could barely halloo
through the speaking-trumpet- 'Return soon, and be prudent,' before he
was out of sight. We gave to the cape where he left us, the name of
the 'Adieu Cape.' We prayed that our adventurer might return safe, and
I begged my rowers to redouble their endeavours, so that we could
arrive early at Felsenheim, for I suspected that my good Elizabeth
would be worried at our long absence of three days.
                                                  {CHAPTER_55 ^paragraph 40}
  We finally arrived without accident, and the different treasures
we had brought were joyfully received; the truffles, the lion-skins,
the pearls, the Nankin, became the objects of a thousand questions,
but they could not drive away the thoughts of Fritz; and my wife
said she would willingly give up all our cargo of pearls, etc., if she
could only see her beloved son.
  I had not yet spoken to my wife concerning the reason of Fritz's
absence, as I did not wish to give rise to hopes which were so
unlikely to be realised; but now I thought that it was my duty to do
so. I then confided to her the secret of the albatross.
  I now undertook the preparation of our lion-skins, and carried them,
for that purpose, to our tannery on Whale Island, where, as I said
before, our dirty work was done; we also occupied ourselves in storing
our provisions, and with the necessary household avocations. Five days
had thus passed away and still Fritz had not returned, and his
mother was so anxious and worried that I proposed to launch the
pinnace and make a new excursion to the Bay of Pearls; she received my
proposition with demonstrations of the utmost joy, for she thought
that Fritz would return in that direction, and that we should
certainly meet him. We lost no time; the pinnace was prepared, and
early the next day we bade adieu to Felsenheim, and soon were in sight
of the promontory of the bay, when suddenly the vessel ran against a
black mass, and was nearly thrown over by the shock. My wife and
sons uttered a cry of terror; but the boat soon righted, and I
perceived that the obstacle was not a point of rock, as I had thought,
but a marine monster of the family of blowers, for we soon saw him
throw up into the air two spouts of water mingled with blood. I
instantly pointed the cannons of the pinnace, and a discharge of
artillery prevented the huge monster from overturning us, which he
certainly would have done if the blow had not stunned him. We saw with
pleasure that the waves carried the enormous body to a sand-bank a
little distance from the shore, and there it lay like a stranded ship.
  While we were conversing, Ernest suddenly uttered a loud scream.
'A man! a savage!' said he, and he pointed out to us in the distance a
sort of canoe dancing over the waves. The person who conducted it
seemed to have perceived us, for he advanced and then disappeared
behind a projecting point, as if to communicate his discovery to his
companions. I leave our sensations to the imagination of the reader. I
had not the slightest doubt that we had fallen in with a band of
savages, and we began to fortify our boat against their arrows, by
making a bulwark of the stalks of maize and corn we had brought with
us. We loaded our cannons, guns, and pistols, and, everything
arranged, we stood ready behind our rampart, resolved to defend it
as long as we were able. We dared not advance, for there was the
savage; and Ernest, growing tired of the pantomime, observed that,
if we used the speaking-trumpet, possibly our savage might
understand some words of the half-dozen languages we were familiar
with.
  The advice appeared good. I took up the speaking-trumpet and
bellowed out with all my force, some words of Malay; but still the
canoe remained immovable, as if its master had not comprehended us.
                                                  {CHAPTER_55 ^paragraph 45}
  'Instead of Malay,' said Jack, 'suppose we try English.' So
saying, he caught up the trumpet, and in his clear, loud tone
pronounced some common sailor-phrases, well known to all who have ever
been on board ship. The device succeeded, and we saw the savage
advancing toward us, holding a green branch in his hand. Nearer and
nearer he came, and at last we recognised in the painted savage our
own dear Fritz.
  'Fritz! 'tis Fritz, 'tis Fritz; there is his cajack and the walrus's
head in front; it is Fritz disguised like a savage,' exclaimed Jack.
  We soon received our intrepid adventurer; he was naked to the waist,
and painted white and black, just like a Caribbee Indian.

{CHAPTER_56
                                  56
    Adventures of Fritz- Our Adopted Sister- Sir Edward Montrose-
                 Attack of Wolves- Another Companion
-
  WHEN WE HAD freed Fritz from our oft-repeated embraces, we commenced
asking him all manner of questions; and, speaking all together, the
poor fellow was so confused he did not know what to do. I demanded
an answer on two points only- whether his excursion had been
satisfactory, and why he had played this farce of dressing himself
like a savage, and causing us such anxiety.
  'As to the purpose of my excursion,' said he, with a joy he could
scarcely conceal, 'I have attained it'; and the young man, as he
said these words, pressed my hand, which he held in his. 'As for my
costume, I mistook you for a tribe of Malays, or some other nation,
and, in the fear that you were enemies, I endeavoured to disguise
myself by painting the upper part of my body with powder, soaked in
water. The two reports of the cannon that I heard convinced me more
and more that you were enemies; the Malay words that you addressed
to me confirmed me, and I should still have been endeavouring to
deceive you, and you would still have been in fear of me, if Jack
had not bawled out those sailor-phrases in his unmistakable voice.'
  We all began to laugh over the farce we had been enacting; and
Fritz, drawing me aside, said, in an eager joyous tone, 'I have
succeeded, papa: the hand of God conducted me to the dwelling-place of
the poor shipwrecked girl- for it was a woman that had written those
lines. Three years has she lived on that smoking rock, all alone!
destitute of everything! Can you believe it, but the poor girl has
conjured me not to betray her sex, except to you and my mother, for
she is afraid of my brothers, although I assured her that none would
welcome her more gladly. I have brought her with me: she is near by,
on a little island just beyond the Bay of Pearls; come and see her.
Oh! do not say anything to my brothers. I want to enjoy their surprise
when they find I have brought them back a sister, for I am sure she
will allow them to call her so.'
                                                   {CHAPTER_56 ^paragraph 5}
  I consented to the wish of my son, and, without saying anything to
the rest of the family, I ordered them to hoist the sails, weigh
anchor, and make ready to depart. Fritz, who had changed his dress and
washed off his disguise, flew about, hastening his less eager
brothers; then, jumping into his cajack, he piloted us through the
shoals and reefs that were scattered along the coast. After an
hour's sailing he turned off, and directed his course toward a shady
island not far from the Bay of Pearls; we sailed close up to the
shore, and fastened the pinnace to the trunk of a fallen tree.
Fritz, however, was quicker than we, and he was on shore, and had
entered a little wood in the middle of the island before we had yet
landed. We followed him into the wood, and soon found ourselves in the
vicinity of a hut, built like those of the Hottentots, with a fire
burning before it, on which some fish were cooking in a large shell.
Fritz uttered a peculiar kind of halloo, and what was our surprise
to see, descending from a large tree, a young and handsome sailor,
who, turning his timid eyes on us, stood still, as if he dared not
approach!
  It was such a long time since we had seen a man- ten years!- society
had become so strange a thing to us that we remained stupefied; our
hearts felt for the young stranger, but our tongues remained dumb.
  The silence was broken by Fritz, who, taking the young sailor by the
hand, advanced toward us. 'My father, my mother, and you, my
brothers,' said he, in a voice broken by emotion, 'behold a friend-
a brother- that I present you, a new companion in misfortune- Sir
Edward Montrose, who, like ourselves, has been shipwrecked on the
coast.'
  'He is welcome among us,' was the general cry; and, approaching
the young sailor, whom I easily recognised as being a woman, and
taking her by the hand I comforted and encouraged her, assuring the
seeming man that among us he would always find food and sustenance; my
wife and myself would be his parents, and my sons his brothers. My
wife, moved by compassion, opened her arms, and the young sailor
rushed into them, bursting into a flood of tears, as he thanked us for
our kindness. The most lively joy now reigned in our little circle,
and his brothers poured question after question upon Fritz, who
joyfully replied, 'I will tell you all afterward; let us attend now to
our new brother.' Supper was served, and my wife brought out a
bottle of her spiced hydromel to add to the feast. Everybody spoke
at once, and my sons addressed their new companion with such
vivacity as to embarrass the timid stranger: my wife saw his distress,
and, as it was late, she gave the signal for retreat, taking the
sailor with her on the pinnace, where she said she intended to provide
a bed for him that would amply console him for the uncomfortable
nights he had hitherto passed. We then separated, my wife and the
stranger retiring to the boat, while my sons and I stopped to light
and arrange our watch-fires.
  The new-comer naturally became the subject of conversation.
                                                  {CHAPTER_56 ^paragraph 10}
  'I should like to know,' said Francis, addressing himself to
Fritz, 'what put it into your head to go to the succour of our new
brother. How did you know there was a man shipwrecked on the coast?'
  Fritz smiled without answering.
  'Are you endowed with second sight, after the manner of the Scotch?'
said Ernest.
  'No,' added Jack; 'I think Sir Edward must have written him a letter
by the carrier-pigeons.'
  'A good idea- you almost guessed right,' said Fritz; and he then
recounted to his brothers the whole history of the albatross: he spoke
of his thoughts and actions, but he became so excited in his narration
that he forgot himself and the secret he had to keep. A word escaped
him, and he called the young sailor 'Emily.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_56 ^paragraph 15}
  'Emily!- Emily!' repeated his brothers, who had begun to doubt the
mystery; 'Emily!- Fritz has deceived us, and Sir Edward is a girl!-
our adopted brother turned into a sister!'
  I leave to the imagination to picture the embarrassment of Fritz
when he discovered his imprudence. In vain he endeavoured to bring
back his words: it would not do, and the girl could no longer hide her
sex by the hat and pantaloons.
  This discovery changed the conversation. Fritz explained to his
brothers the motives which had induced Emily to conceal her sex, for
she was afraid to trust herself among four young men, whose
character and manners she was utterly unacquainted with; but the
boys declared that nothing pleased them better than to have a new
sister, and that this change would not lower Emily at all in their
esteem.
  The next morning we sat down to a breakfast of fruits, cold meat,
and chocolate of our own making, which was a great treat to my new
daughter, and recalled her native land to her mind. After breakfast
I proposed to weigh anchor and return to the Bay of Pearls, where
the cachalot stranded on the shore offered us a magnificent prey.
Arrived there, we debated in what manner we could carry away the
oily substance with which the head and dorsal bone of this animal is
filled. Unfortunately we had no barrels in which we could gather the
precious product. Emily rescued us from our dilemma by mentioning a
process she had seen employed in India, which was, to put the
half-liquid substance in wet linen bags. The idea appeared
excellent, and we immediately put it into practice. I gathered all the
sacks I could find, and dipping them in the sea-water, stretched
them open with pieces of branches. We were two hours engaged in
these preparations. The tide was not yet high enough to allow the
pinnace to approach the bank where the whale lay; but we took the
canoe and the cajack and set off, leaving the two women under the
safeguard of Turk, and taking with us Folb, Braun, and the jackal. The
monster lay extended like a huge wall; our dogs ran up to it, and a
moment after we heard some animals howling dreadfully. We hastened
up and found our brave dogs valiantly contending with a troop of black
wolves, who were devouring the whale. Two of their number were already
stretched on the sand, two others were yet engaged with the dogs,
and the rest had fled at our approach toward a little wood. We
perceived some jackals among the troop of fugitives, and our
surprise was great at seeing Jager, our jackal, run away with them,
leaving us all astonished at his desertion.
  Our dogs acquitted themselves bravely: four wolves lay stretched
upon the sand, but the noble animals had paid dearly for their
victory; the blood streamed from all parts of their bodies, and the
ears of Folb especially were dreadfully torn. Jack dressed their
wounds with some hydromel, while Fritz and Francis aided me in another
work. The former, after having armed his feet with cramp-irons,
climbed like a cat up the back of the monster, and cut open the
enormous head of the cachalot with a hatchet, and then with a ladle
dipped the spermaceti out of the head, and emptied it into one of
the sacks which I held ready, while Francis covered the outside with
wet sand and mortar, forming a solid crust through which none of the
grease could escape. Our sacks were soon full, for as fast as Fritz
emptied the head the cavity was filled by a fresh supply from the
backbone. The operation was very fatiguing, and I was glad when it was
over. We then cut a quantity of willows, and wove them into little
pointed caps, with which we covered the sacks, in order to shield them
from the sun and the birds of prey, who were fast assembling in
great numbers.
                                                  {CHAPTER_56 ^paragraph 20}
  We now thought of returning. The tide was high, but the load was too
heavy for the boat; we therefore were obliged to leave them and return
to the verdant little island, which we had named 'Good Rencounter,'
because there we had first found Emily. The appearance of the sacks
ranged on the sand was very droll; they exactly resembled little
Chinese with their pointed hats, and we could not help laughing
heartily at the sight.
  After having recounted our adventures, and shown our four fine black
wolves, with their superb skins, we were invited by our dear
housekeepers to sit down to an excellent dinner, enriched by a new
dish- a sauce after the manner of the Caribbees, made with eggs of
land-crabs, with which the island abounded. I was undecided as to what
means I should adopt to transport the spermaceti to the island, for
the pinnace could not approach the bank near enough, without risk of
running aground, and our other boats were not large enough. Every
one gave his advice; when it came to Emily's turn, she observed, in
her soft, silvery tone, 'If you are willing, my dear papa'- for
already she had accustomed herself to address me by that endearing
name- 'if you are willing, while you and my brothers are engaged in
that disgusting tannery, I will promise to bring over your sacks: and,
if you will give me a piece of wolf's skin,' added she, laughing, 'I
will make a charm that I am certain will bring back the runaway
companion of my brother Jack.'
  The next morning, before my sons were awake, Emily prepared for
her expedition; she took a bladder of fresh water, a basket of
provisions, and lightly descending the ladder of the pinnace, she
seated herself in Fritz's cajack, untied it, and rowed off with a
grace and ease that surprised me. I would have called her back, but
the little vixen gaily kissed her hand, and soon was far on her way
toward the bank of sand. She had chosen just the right time; the
tide was rising, and had just commenced to wet the bottom of the
sacks. The adventurous girl jumped on shore, fastened all the sacks by
cords to a rope which she had with her, and tied the rope to the
cajack, and again embarking, drew after her all the sacks, the
contents of which, being light, floated like bladders on the water.
  The capture of the jackal gave the most trouble to the industrious
girl, for she was obliged to get out and fasten the boat with a
large stone. From the point where I stood I had been able with my
spy-glass to trace her every movement; but when I saw her disappear in
a little wood near the shore I felt some slight alarm, which was
soon dissipated, however, as she immediately returned, and sitting
down on the grass, began to eat the provision she had taken with
her, scattering pieces of bread and meat all about, while she called
'Jager! Jager!' as loud as she was able. The poor animal, who was
almost dead with hunger, not being accustomed to seek his food in
the woods, soon approached near the young enchantress, who kept on
throwing him pieces of soaked biscuit, each time shortening the
distance between them; at last she offered him a vessel of water,
and the poor beast ran right up to her: she threw a rope round his
neck, fixed the muzzle on his mouth, and taking him on board the
cajack, placed him on the second seat Fritz had constructed. In this
position poor Jager, very much ashamed of his bad conduct, found
himself placed; the little witch who had captured him then made a
little cap of rushes, and put it on his head, throwing a shawl
around his shoulders, which gave him the appearance of another
passenger.
  During this time, my sons, who had been occupied with their
wolfskins, commenced to feel uneasy about the long absence of their
sister, and they were just going to step into the pinnace to go in
search of her, when suddenly she came in sight. The appearance of
her new companion surprised them greatly.
                                                  {CHAPTER_56 ^paragraph 25}
  'Where did our new sister find that new brother?' said one.
  'Do men sprout up here like mushrooms?' said another.
  'Perhaps a magician has aided her,' added Francis.
  Fritz alone remained silent; but he seemed greatly confused, and ran
out into the water to see who it was accompanying his sister. Suddenly
he burst into a loud laugh, and clapping his hands and sputtering
the water all over us, he cried out to Jack-
  'Oh, 'tis he- your rascally jackal. See how he sits there- the
scamp-with all the dignity of a prime minister.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_56 ^paragraph 30}
  We burst into a laugh at the odd appearance he made, and then turned
toward his mistress, who, jumping on shore, set the captive at
liberty, and then, with a triumphant air, showed us the long line of
sacks which followed her little skiff.
  It was now full noon; we sat down to table, and, after dinner, began
our preparations for setting out for Felsenheim, where we desired to
install our new companion. We packed up everything we had, including
Emily's treasures, both those she had saved from shipwreck and those
she had fabricated herself Fritz had made her a box which held them
all, and they really were very curious, consisting of clothes,
ornaments, domestic utensils, and all sorts of articles which she
had made in her exile, out of the scanty material she had at her
disposal. There were fish-lines made of the twisted hair of the
young girl's head, with fish-hooks attached, made of the
mother-of-pearl; some needles made from fish-bones; piercers and
bodkins, made of the beaks of birds; two beautiful needle-cases, one
made of a pelican's feather, the other of the bone of a sea-calf The
skin of a young walrus sewed together served for a bottle, a lamp made
of a shell, with a wick of cotton drawn from her handkerchief, over
the lamp another shell served as boiler; a turtle-shell used to cook
food in, by throwing in hot stones, some fish-bladders, shells of
all sizes, serving for glasses, spoons, dishes, etc.; little sacks
full of seeds gathered by the young solitary, a quantity of plants,
such as the cochelaria, sorrel, celery, and cress, which grow among
the rocks.
  For wearing-apparel, she had a hat made of the downy breast of the
cormorant, which was stretched over some feathers from the same
bird, forming a complete shelter for the head and neck against the
rays of the sun, a little waistcoat with sleeves, made from the skin
of the sea-calf, the skin of the fore-legs serving as sleeves; some
other garments made of birdskin, or walrus-skin; belts, stockings, and
shoes, all made of skin.
  Emily's jewels were few in number, consisting of a gold comb and a
string of fine pearls, which she happened to have on when shipwrecked;
she had also some boxes made of turtle-shells, which contained
pieces of amber, and some pearls of a beautiful red tint, which she
had extracted from some sort of shell-fish, and, besides, some pencils
made of feathers and hair, with which the poor girl amused herself
by writing. I must not forget to mention a beautiful little purse made
of sea-calf-skin, and containing some elegant and rare shells, which
she had gathered on the seashore. The whole of these objects were
enclosed in a large case which Fritz had made, and placed on our
vessel, already loaded with the bags of spermaceti, the wolf-skins,
etc. The rest of the day was consumed in packing up; and, during the
last repast we made on the island, Emily's skill, and the means
which she had employed to pass away the time of her dreary exile,
furnished interesting and spirited subjects for conversation.
  The next day, when we were all ready to start, Emily brought us
another proof of her patience and industry; she ran into a little plot
of shrubbery, the branches of which dipped into the sea, and brought
out a large bird, confined by a cord, which she presented to us as
being a skilful fisherman; it was a cormorant, which the young girl
had trained, and taught, after the manner of the Chinese, to capture
fish. Emily now bade adieu to the island that had received her, and
the trees that had sheltered her, during her short sojourn. We could
not leave the place without giving it a name, so we called the bay
in which we anchored 'Happy Bay,' in allusion to the joyful meeting we
had had there. We now took the direction of the Bay of Pearls, where
we were obliged to make a short stay before returning to Felsenheim,
to which we were impatient to introduce our new companion.

{CHAPTER_57
                                  57
        The Feathered Fisherman- The Limekiln- Fritz's Story-
             The Orang-Outang or Man-monkey- Vampire Bat-
                 Adventure with a Crocodile-alligator
-
  FRITZ, SEATED IN his cajack, served as pilot to assist us in
penetrating safely through the rocks and shoals into the bay, where at
last we all arrived in safety. Everything was found just as we had
left it- the table and benches yet standing, our fireplace
undestroyed, and, what was more, the air was purified; and, the
oysters having all been dried up by the sun, had lost their unpleasant
odour. The dead bodies of the lions and the wild boar were but heaps
of whitened bones, the birds of prey having completely stripped them
of every particle of flesh.
  All appeared tranquil, and we thought it safe to stop long enough to
extract the pearls from their shells; this operation, which was
certainly not very agreeable, did not long detain Emily, who ran
away to find my wife, whom she demurely asked whether she would like a
plate of nice fish for dinner. The good woman smiled incredulously,
and said that she knew no means by which we could procure fish
enough for seven persons in half an hour.
                                                   {CHAPTER_57 ^paragraph 5}
  'Well, well,' said the young lady, 'let me alone, and I will promise
to bring you a nice mess before dinner time.'
  She took her cormorant under her arm, and, jumping into the
cajack, in two strokes of the oars was twenty paces from the shore;
she then passed a large copper ring round the neck of the cormorant,
so that he could not swallow the fish he caught. Thus prepared, she
placed him on the edge of the boat, and remained perfectly still.
The fishing soon commenced, and it was a droll sight to see the
feathered fisherman, his neck stretched out, his eye fixed steadily on
the water, and every now and then giving a plunge and reappearing with
a fine fish,- a trout, a silver-fish, or a salmon,- which he carried
to his young mistress. After he had taken enough, she took the ring
off his neck, gave the faithful bird some of the fish as a reward, and
hastened home with her successful capture to her adopted mother.
  When our pearls were all extracted we gathered them up in a linen
sack, counting four hundred, among which were some extraordinary large
ones. There was nothing for supper; my sons, therefore, took their
guns and game-bags, intending to go and shoot some birds in the Wood
of Truffles. Emily wished to accompany them, and when I observed
that it was impossible she should be familiar with the use of arms,
she, smiling, assured me it would be a pity indeed if she, the
daughter of a colonel and a hunter, did not know how to fire a gun,
and besides, I had nothing to fear, as she would not leave her
brothers. I let her go, not placing much confidence in her shooting;
but a snipe killed on the wing by the young huntress elicited
unbounded applause from my sons, who, when they returned home,
lauded her performance to the skies.
  We wished to go direct to Felsenheim immediately; but an
unexpected discovery detained us a longer time than we intended. I had
noticed among the stones which strewed the shore, a sort of rock which
appeared to me could be easily converted into lime. It was a discovery
too precious to be neglected, and I resolved to establish a limekiln
without delay on the beach. It did not take us long to make one to
suit our purpose; but the calcination of the stones occupied us much
longer, and we were obliged to sit up a great part of the night.
During this time we made some barrels of pieces of pine bark,
circled with strong withes of willow; a round piece of bark served for
the bottom, and another for the cover. To enliven our labour, and to
abridge the length of the evening, I persuaded Fritz to give us a more
complete account than he had hitherto done of the manner in which he
had found our new sister, and the details of his voyage. It was the
best way in which to employ our remaining time, and the curiosity of
my sons was so excited that they formed a circle about Fritz, who thus
commenced his narration.
  'You all remember,' said he to his brothers, 'the manner in which
I left you, after having given my father a letter which contained an
account of my intended excursion. The sea was calm; but I had scarcely
passed the Bay of Pearls, when suddenly a violent wind arose,
gradually increasing to a perfect hurricane; the rising waves, the
rain, the thunder and lightning, all confounded in horrible confusion.
My little bark was not strong enough to resist the tremendous sea, and
all that I could do was to abandon myself to the current, without
being frightened at the violence with which I was hurried along. I put
my trust in God, hoping that He would extend His hand over me to
save me, as He had often done before.
                                                  {CHAPTER_57 ^paragraph 10}
  'My hopes were realised, for after several hours of dread, the
wind fell and the air calmed, and my canoe again found its equilibrium
upon the surface of the waters. I was far from all the places that
we were acquainted with; the tempest had thrown me on a coast entirely
new to my eyes; the conformation of the rocks, the gigantic cliffs
which seemed to lose themselves in the clouds, the vegetation, the
animals I perceived on the coast, the birds which flew about me, all
announced a new world. My first care was to look carefully around
and see whether some light smoke did not rise behind the rocks; for,
as you know, the Smoking Rock was my only thought,- it was the point
of my expedition, and I felt within me a voice which said my search
would not be in vain. I could perceive nothing as yet; but full of
hope, I rowed along the coast. Night came on, and I passed it in the
cajack, after having made a miserable supper on pemmican.
  'The next morning I continued my journey, and the farther I
advanced, the more the coast appeared to change its aspect. I
encountered, from time to time, majestic rivers, which flowed silently
on and mingled with the sea. The mouth of one of them resembled an
immense bay, and I decided to ascend it some little distance; its
banks were covered with large trees, willows, and vines, so thickly
woven together that they resembled a huge mat, covered with birds,
monkeys, and even squirrels: amongst the aquatic birds were some
that would fall down on the water as if struck by a ball, but no
sooner touch the surface than as suddenly rise, and stretch out toward
me their long necks, terminated by a flat head and pointed beak,
forming an exact resemblance of the serpent. The bird is called, I
think, the Amhingu, or snake-neck bird; it lives in the water, but has
its nest in trees.
  'Towards the middle of the day the heat became so unsupportable that
it was impossible to resist the desire of seeking some shade under the
trees. I turned my boat and ascended the difficult current of
another broad and noble river, and went on shore with the intention of
shooting a bird; but scarcely had I fired, when an enormous mass
rushed from the willows, and, catching up my bird, I fled to the
cajack as quickly as possible. I then perceived, on the surface of the
water, an enormous hippopotamus and her young ones, who, frightened by
the report of my gun, were endeavouring to gain the opposite bank. I
descended the river, and having regained the sea, took refuge from the
heat of the sun under a rock which overhung the waves. After being
slightly refreshed, I pursued my route, and sailed on a long time
without being able to land; the rivers and shores were both defended
by guards I had little desire to come in contact with, for I
recognised elephants, lions, panthers,- in one word, a complete
reunion of all the ferocious animals of creation. I also saw antelopes
and troops of gazelles; but these timid animals seemed only to have
been placed there as food for beasts that range the forests. After
travelling several leagues farther, the appearance of the coast
suddenly changed, and, as if the ferocious animals had had their
district marked out to them, I ceased to perceive any. The shore
appeared peaceable, but desolate; the breeze which murmured among
the vines, and the song of some inoffensive birds were the only noises
which broke the calm stillness, and I felt reassured, and resolved
to land and procure a repast. I accordingly fastened my cajack as
strongly as possible, and jumped lightly to the shore; and being
hungry, I lighted my fire, and began to prepare a juicy dinner from
a fat goose which I had shot while landing, and a dozen of oysters.
While I was thus occupied in appeasing my hunger, I saw advancing
toward me from a little wood which skirted the river, a sort of being,
which, by its movements, height, and formation, I at first took to
be human. The fire did not frighten him. He walked upright holding a
stick in his hand, and advanced toward me without the least
hesitation. At this sight I felt an emotion of mingled joy and fear,
for I thought I saw a man; but this illusion was of short duration,
and I soon recognised in the strange being an orang-outang monkey. I
would willingly have let him approach, but I perceived that he was
followed by a whole troop of the same species; and as I was afraid
of such a number, I fired my pistol, and the entire cavalcade,
screaming with terror, disappeared in the woods. Night now approached,
and I resolved to spend it on shore. I made no fire for fear that it
would attract the orang-outangs, and I fired my gun two or three times
in order to frighten them more effectually. I had noticed under the
roof of the cavern which I had chosen for the purpose of passing the
night in, a sort of hideous bird, which, by its form and manners,
might well pass for the harpies of the fable. It was an enormous
bat, called, I believe, the 'Vampire Bat,' and which sucks the blood
of persons whom they may chance to find asleep. I commenced by
firing some shots to drive away these unwelcome guests, and three or
four of the horrid monsters flew out, uttering piercing cries; and you
may believe that I did not sleep very well with such unpleasant
neighbours near, who kept up a continual rustling all night.
  'I rose long before daylight, and felt glad to get away from the
cavern, which I named 'Vampire Cave.' The country through which I
now sailed was of an aspect entirely different from any I had ever yet
seen. There were beautiful green plains, dotted over with clumps of
towering palms; little lakes surrounded with osiers, upon the
borders of which sported herds of elephants; thick tufts of cactus
of all sorts, loaded with flowers and fruits, which the enormous
rhinoceros seemed to devour without paying any attention to the
thorns; beautiful clumps of the mimosa, the high tops of which the
towering giraffe devoured with as much facility as a goat would a
small shrub.
  'On I sailed, and, once more seduced by the picturesque appearance
of a river which lost itself in a tranquil bay, I resolved to ascend
it. The water slipped gently under the prow of my little cajack-
nothing appeared to indicate any danger; there were no serpents on the
bank, no horrid beasts in the forests, and I floated tranquilly on,
enjoying the fresh breeze and the cool shade of the overhanging trees,
when suddenly there appeared before me a long throat, armed with
rows of strong sharp teeth; it was distended to its full capacity,
as if it would take in at one mouthful myself, the cajack, and the
oars. I instantly comprehended the extent of my danger, and, seizing
one of the oars, I drove it with all my strength direct into the
yawning mouth of the monster, who disappeared in an instant, leaving a
long trace of blood behind him, showing that the wound I had made
was of some importance. I did not remain long on this river; two other
monsters of the same nature as the first rose up to the surface of the
water. They were crocodile-alligators, the most terrible kind among
these animals, but whose tremendous voracity is happily balanced by
a natural laziness, which retains them always near the spot where they
were born. The alligator rarely goes in search of his prey,
generally patiently waiting its approach; all its science consists
in hiding under the water, and rising to the surface just in front
of its destined victim. I had escaped from one danger only to fall
into another; for at a little distance from the River of Alligators,
while coasting along a little wood, I observed that the trees were
loaded with the rarest and most beautiful of birds, among which were
lyras, paroquets, humming-birds, and birds of paradise,- in one
word, a complete assemblage of all that array of beautiful plumage
which decorates the forests of the New World, and I could not resist
the desire of attacking them. I landed, attached my cajack to the bank
and walked up to the wood, holding my eagle unhooded in my hand. I
cast him off, and he returned with a superb paroquet, whose
flame-coloured feathers sparkled in the sun's rays. While I was
occupied in examining him, I heard behind me a light rustling on the
sand, which I thought was merely caused by a little land-turtle, or
some such animal, and I turned carelessly round. It was well I did so;
for, not twelve paces from me there was a splendid royal tiger with
open mouth, crouched down as if about to spring upon me. I stood as if
struck with stupor; a mist came over my eyes, and scarcely could I
raise my gun, so much had horror paralysed my strength, when
suddenly my brave eagle, comprehending my danger, flew boldly at the
advancing tiger, and began to pick at his eyes. This timely succour
saved me; for it enabled me to collect my senses, and levelling my
gun, I discharged its contents into the right flank of my enemy, and
then two pistol-balls lodged in the throat completed my victory. The
tiger lay dead; but, alas! my victory had cost me dear, for my poor
eagle fell at the same time with his conquered enemy, who had seized
him in his claws and had torn him in pieces. I picked him up, and
carried him to the cajack, hoping some day to have him stuffed and
placed in our museum.
                                                  {CHAPTER_57 ^paragraph 15}
  'I quitted the shore with a sorrowing mind, and I doubled a little
cape, when, suddenly, from the summit of the grey rocks which bordered
the coast, I perceived a light cloud of smoke rising in the air. I
turned my canoe in the direction of the long-sought-for signal. The
irregularities of the rocks along the coast were the only difficulties
I had to encounter, and it appeared to me that I should never get
through them. At last I landed, and, with infinite difficulty,
scrambled up the rocks until I arrived at a platform on which I
perceived a human creature. After a space of ten years, this was the
first strange face I had seen, and you may judge of my emotions by
comparing them with those you have just experienced. At the noise
which I made in approaching, the individual, who was arranging the
fire, rose, perceived me, uttered a cry of surprise and joy, then,
joining his hands, stood still, as if waiting for me to speak.
Notwithstanding the midshipman's dress she wore, her exclamation,
and the delicate contour of her features, convinced me that I was in
the presence of a female. I stopped about ten paces from her, and
calling to my memory all I knew of English, I said in a subdued
tone, 'I am the liberator whom God has sent you. I have received the
message of the albatross.' I must have pronounced these words very
badly, as Emily did not at first comprehend them; I repeated them,
however, and after a few moments we understood each other well
enough to make a mutual interchange of our feelings. Gestures,
looks, accents all filled up the blank that words had left vacant. I
spoke to my new sister about the castle of Felsenheim, of Falcon's
Nest, and of our shipwreck and ten years' sojourn on the coast,
where we lived in almost European luxury; on her part, she recounted
to me the history of her childhood, her shipwreck, and existence on
the Island of the Smoking Rock, making a fine story for my papa to
write out in the long winter evenings. We had thus suddenly become
brother and sister, the sympathy of misfortune supplying the want of
the ties of blood. Emily graciously invited me to supper, after
which we passed the remainder of the night, I in my cajack, she in the
branches of a tree, where she always slept from the fear of wild
beasts. The next morning we again met. Emily had already prepared
breakfast, which consisted of fruit and broiled fish. The repast being
over, the sea looked so calm, that I thought we had better start;
so, after packing up all her curiosities, and putting them on board
the cajack, we took our seats and set off. We sailed on a long time;
but an accident happened to my little barque, and I was obliged to put
in at the little island which you have called 'Good Rencounter,' in
memory of our meeting; it was there I left my new-found sister, who,
doubtful of her reception in a strange family, begged me to go on
and ask permission of my father to bring her among them. I
consented; and my canoe having been repaired, I took the well-known
route home: it was then that I encountered you, and from fear that you
were pirates, I disguised myself, and played you such a trick.'

{CHAPTER_58
                                  58
    Emily's own Story- Return to Felsenheim with Military Honours
-
  THE STORY OF Fritz had detained us longer than I had anticipated, as
upon looking at my watch, I discovered that it was midnight. The
audience were not at all sleepy, however, but, as we had to execute
labours on the morrow which would require strength and agility, I
thought that if they sat up all night they would be overwearied the
next day; I therefore deemed it necessary to cut short the
narration, deferring its completion till a more convenient time.
This decision was received with a very bad grace; but it was positive,
so each one sought his accustomed resting-place, either on shore or in
the pinnace.
  The next morning, when all the family were assembled for
breakfast, the enterprise and courage of Fritz became the subject of
conversation; this naturally brought on the story of last night, and I
was obliged to consent that Emily's history should open the day. I
wanted the dear girl herself to tell it; but she was so timid,
though at the same time so lively, busied in her domestic occupations,
that I could do nothing with her. Fritz was therefore entreated to act
as her proxy, and resume his recital.
  'As soon as I was able to understand my new sister,' said he, 'I
asked her by what course of events she had been thrown on the desert
coast where I now found her.
  'She told me that she was born in India, of English parents, and
that her father, after having served as major in a British regiment,
obtained the command of an important English colony. The commandant,
Montrose- for that was the name of Emily's father- had the
misfortune to lose his wife only three years after his marriage;
and, profoundly afflicted by this loss, all his affections centred
in their only child.
                                                   {CHAPTER_58 ^paragraph 5}
  'Major Montrose, having been appointed colonel, was ordered to
return with part of his regiment to England. This circumstance
forced him to separate himself from his daughter, as naval
discipline did not allow women on board a line-of-battle ship in
time of war. It was arranged, however, that she should sail the same
day that he did, in another ship, the captain of which was an old
friend of her father's, and who would take every care of his daughter.
The old soldier wept bitterly at parting with his dear child; he
foresaw all the dangers of the long and tedious voyage, and it was not
without a great deal of self-command that he resolved to entrust his
beloved Emily to the treacherous waves of the ocean. The voyage at its
commencement was prosperous and agreeable, but before many days a
terrible tempest arose. The ship was thrown off her course, and a
furious wind drove her down upon our rocky coast; two shallops were
launched upon the angry waves, and a chance of safety offered to the
shipwrecked. Emily found a place in the smallest- the captain was in
the other. The storm continuing, the boats were soon separated, and
the one that contained Emily was broken in pieces, and the poor girl
alone, of all the crew, was fortunate enough to escape death. The
waves carried her, half fainting, to the foot of the rock where I
discovered her. She crawled under the shade of a projecting rock, and,
sinking on the sand, slept for four-and-twenty hours. There she passed
several days, abandoned to dark despair, with no nourishment but
some birds' eggs, which she found on the rocks. At the end of that
time, the sun reappearing and the sea growing calm, the poor
castaway thought of the crew in the large shallop; and, in the hope
that they might see her, she resolved to establish signals of
distress. As she wore a midshipman's uniform on board ship, by order
of her father, she had a box in her pocket, containing a flint, knife,
and other articles. She picked up some pieces of wood which the sea
had thrown on the sand, carried them to the summit of the rock, and
there kindled a fire, which she never allowed to go out. You can
easily imagine how drearily passed the first days of Emily's exile;
she had to contend against all the horrors of hunger and the desert.
How thankful she felt for the semi-masculine education that her father
had given her: it had endowed her with courage and resolution far
beyond her sex. She built a hut, fished, hunted, tamed birds- among
others a cormorant, which she taught to catch fish- in one word, she
lived alone, with no earthly succour, for three long dreary years.'
  Toward evening the pinnace was laden with all that we could carry
away, and we talked seriously of returning to Felsenheim. The poetic
description we had given concerning the salt grotto, and our aerial
palace at Falcon's Nest, had rendered Emily exceedingly curious to
judge for herself concerning all these wonders. The next day we
weighed anchor just as dawn was breaking; the sail of the pinnace
fluttered gaily in the fresh breeze, and Fritz's cajack, containing
himself and Francis, went before us as pilots. When we hove in sight
of Prospect Hill, I proposed to stop and take a look at the
farm-house; but Fritz and his brother asked permission of me to go
on home, so that they could have all things prepared for us. I
consented, and they set out, while we landed at Prospect Hill. All was
in order at the farm-house. Emily, who for three years had not seen
a human habitation, could not restrain a cry of admiration. My wife
ostentatiously showed her the colonies of feathered inhabitants
which she had established, and which had prospered beyond our most
sanguine hopes.
  We again embarked in the pinnace, and from Prospect Hill we sailed
to Shark Island, where we secured, in passing, a fine quantity of
the soft wool of the Angora rabbits. From Shark Island we directed our
course toward Felsenheim, and we could just distinguish it when a
salute of ten guns greeted our ears. This produced a very good effect,
doctor Ernest only regretting that the salute was not composed of an
odd number of guns. 'An even number,' said he, 'is entirely contrary
to general usage.'
  We returned the polite salute of our two artillerymen by a salvo
of eleven guns, the execution of which was undertaken and performed by
Jack and Ernest in a style that would have done honour to a
practised cannoneer. Soon after we saw Fritz and Francis coming toward
us in their canoe; they received us at the entrance of the bay, and
followed us to the shore. They landed before us, and the moment
Emily's foot touched the sand, a hurrah resounded through the air, and
Fritz, springing forward, presented her his hand, like a gallant
cavalier, and led her up to the portico of the grotto. There a new
spectacle awaited us: a table was spread in the middle of the gallery,
and loaded with all the fruits that the country produced. Bananas,
figs, guavas, oranges, rose up in perfumed heaps upon flat calabashes.
All the vases of our fabrication, cocoa-nut cups and ostrich-eggs
mounted on turned wooden pedestals, urns of painted porcelain, all
were filled with hydromel and milk; while a large dish of fried
fish, and a huge roast turkey, stuffed with truffles, formed the solid
part of the repast. A double festoon of flowers surrounded the
canopy above the table, sustaining a large medallion on which was
inscribed, 'Welcome, fair Emily Montrose!' It was a complete
holiday, and as pompous a reception as our means would allow. Emily
sat down to table between my wife and myself; Ernest and Jack also
took their places; while the two caterers of the feast, each with a
napkin on his arm, did the honours of the table. The most poetic and
bombastic toasts were successively drunk, and Emily's name echoed from
every side.

{CHAPTER_59
                                  59
                              Conclusion
-
  IT IS WITH A thousand different sensations that I write the word
conclusion. It recalls to my mind all that has passed. It was toward
the end of the rainy season, the wind had lost its violence, and a
patch of blue sky could now and then be seen; our pigeons had
quitted the dove-cot, and we ourselves ventured to open the door of
the grotto, and taste the fresh air.
  Our first care was for our gardens, which had suffered injury; we
took account of the damage as well as we were able, and then set out
for our more distant possessions. Fritz and Jack proposed to make an
excursion to Shark Island, to inspect our fort and colony there. I
consented, and they set off in the cajack.
  My sons, on their arrival, having examined the interior of the fort,
and assured themselves that nothing of importance was damaged, began
to look round and see if anything appeared on the horizon, but all was
blank. Wishing to see whether the cannons were in good order, they
began firing away, as if they had all the powder in the world at their
command. But what was their astonishment and emotion when, a moment
after, they heard distinctly three reports of a cannon in the
distance! They could not be mistaken, for a faint light toward the
east preceded each report. After a short consultation as to what
should be done, the two brothers resolved to hasten home and recount
their adventure to us. To jump into the canoe and put off was the work
of an instant; the boat appeared scarcely to touch the surface, so
rapidly did they impel her over the waves.
  We had heard the reports of the cannons they had fired, and we could
not imagine why they were hurrying back so fast. I called out, as loud
as I could, 'Halloo, there! what is the matter?' On they came, and,
jumping on shore, fell into my arms, faintly articulating, 'Oh,
papa, papa, did you not hear them?'
                                                   {CHAPTER_59 ^paragraph 5}
  'Hear what?' said I. 'We have heard nothing but the noise your waste
of powder made.'
  'You have not heard three other reports in the distance?'
  'No.'
  'Why, we heard them plainly and distinctly.'
  'If there is really a ship on our coasts,' said I, 'who knows
whether it is manned by Europeans or by Malay pirates- who knows
whether we ought to rejoice, or be sorry at its presence, and that,
instead of preparing for deliverance, we should make preparations
for defence?'
                                                  {CHAPTER_59 ^paragraph 10}
  My first resolution was to organise a system of defence, and provide
for our safety. We watched alternately under the gallery of the
grotto, so that we could be ready in case of surprise; but the night
passed quietly away, and in the morning the rain commenced, and
continued so violently during two long days that it was impossible for
us to go out.
  On the third day the sun reappeared. Fritz and Jack, full of
impatience, resolved to return to Shark Island, and try a new
signal. I consented; but, instead of the cajack, we took the canoe,
and I went with them. My wife, Emily, Ernest, and Francis, remained in
the grotto. On arriving at the fort we hoisted our flag, while Jack,
ever impatient, loaded a cannon and fired it; but scarcely had the
report died away in the distance, when we distinctly heard a louder
answering report in the direction of Cape Disappointment.
  Jack could not contain himself for joy. 'Men, men,' cried he,
dancing about us; 'men, papa; are you sure of it now?' And his
enthusiasm communicating itself to us, we hoisted another and a larger
flag on our flagstaff. Six other reports followed the first one we had
heard.
  Overpowered with emotion, we hastened to our boat, and were soon
in the presence of the family. They had not heard the seven reports,
but they had seen our two flags flying, and they were eagerly
waiting for circumstantial news.
  'Quick, tell us,' cried they, all at one time, 'are they Europeans?-
English?- is it a merchant vessel?- a corvette?'
                                                  {CHAPTER_59 ^paragraph 15}
  We could not answer half these questions; we could only positively
announce the presence of a ship on our coast. My children were half
wild with joy; and Emily especially, giving loose reign to her
lively imagination, assured me that it was certainly her father,
come in search of her, and that God had mercifully brought him to this
spot.
  I ordered that everything in the grotto should be put in a place
of safety. My three youngest sons, my wife, and Emily, set off for
Falcon's Nest with our cattle, and I embarked in the cajack with
Fritz, to reconnoitre. This separation pained us exceedingly; my
good Elizabeth, whom age had rendered less confident, could not
restrain her tears, and she enjoined us to be particularly prudent
during our expedition.
  It was near mid-day when we set out; we coasted along without
discovering anything, and the illusion of the moment began to
dissipate. On more calm reflection, however, the certainty that we had
heard the seven reports of the cannon kept up our courage, when
suddenly, on doubling a little promontory which had hitherto concealed
it from us, we beheld a fine European ship majestically reposing at
anchor, with a long-boat at the side, and an English flag floating
at the masthead.
  If I had permitted it, Fritz would have thrown himself into the
sea and swum off to the ship; but I was afraid that, notwithstanding
the English flag, the vessel before us might be a Malay corsair, which
had assumed false colours in order to deceive other vessels. We
remained at a distance, not liking to venture nearer without being
more certain what they were. We could see all that was passing on
board the vessel. Two tents had been raised on the shore, tables
were laid for dinner, quarters of meat were roasting before blazing
fires, men were running to and fro, and the whole scene had the
appearance of an organised encampment. Two sentinels were on the
deck of the vessel, and when they perceived us they spoke to the
officer on duty who stood near, and who turned his telescope toward
us.
  'They are Europeans,' cried Fritz; 'you can easily judge from the
face of the officer. Malays certainly would be more dusky than that.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_59 ^paragraph 20}
  Fritz's remark was true; but yet I did not like to go too near. We
remained in the bay, manoeuvring our canoe with all the dexterity of
which we were capable. We sang a Swiss mountain song, and when we
had finished I cried out through my speaking-trumpet these three
words, Englishmen, good men! But no answer was returned: our song,
our cajack, and more than all our costume, I expect, marked us for
savages, from the officer making signs to us to approach, and
holding up knives, scissors, and glass beads, of which the savages
of the New World are generally so desirous. This mistake made us
laugh; but we did not approach, as we wished to present ourselves
before them in better trim. We contented ourselves with exclaiming
once more, Englishmen, and then darted off as fast as our boat could
carry us. The joy that we felt redoubled our strength, and we
instinctively knew that the morrow would be a new era in our
existence, and that our ties with mankind might again be renewed.
  We landed near Falcon's Nest, where our dear ones were anxiously
awaiting us. Our prudence was approved; Emily alone thought that we
should have gone and discovered who the strangers were. My wife, on
the contrary, praised us exceedingly for not presenting ourselves
before people in such a machine as a miserable cajack.
  'Truly,' said she, laughingly, 'it would give too small an idea of
the importance of our establishment. We must take the best of our
boats when we go, or else the captain of the ship will think we are
nothing but poor shipwrecked creatures.'
  This little display of vanity on the part of my wife made me
smile, and it was decided that the pinnace should be prepared to carry
us to the English ship. Every one but myself and wife were half mad
with joy; they ran hither and thither, acting like crazy people. As
for myself, I scarcely wished to renounce my patriarchal mode of
life and my possessions, which had cost me so much labour, and had
become so dear to me; and neither my wife nor myself could again
consent to a sea voyage; but all this was but a dream; we as yet
knew nothing about the ship or its character.
  We passed a whole day in preparing the pinnace, and loading it
with presents for the captain, as we wished him to see that those whom
he had taken for savages were beings far advanced in the arts of
civilisation. We set off at sunrise; the weather was magnificent,
and we sailed gallantly along, Fritz preceding us as pilot. My wife
and Emily were dressed as sailors. Ernest, Jack, and Francis managed
the boat, while I attended to the tiller. As a precaution we loaded
our cannons and guns, and took with us all the defensive arms that
we could find. We counted on the friendly disposition of the
English; but if they deceived us, we were disposed to sell our lives
dearly.
                                                  {CHAPTER_59 ^paragraph 25}
  When we could clearly distinguish the ship, a sensation of vivid joy
was experienced by us all: my sons were dumb with pleasure and
eagerness.
  'Hoist the English flag,' cried I in the voice of a Stentor; and a
second after, a flag similar to the one on the ship fluttered from our
masthead.
  If we were filled with extraordinary emotions on seeing a European
ship, the English were not less astonished to see a little boat with
flowing sails coming toward them. Guns were now fired from the ship
and answered from our pinnace, and joining Fritz in his cajack, we
approached the English ship to welcome the captain to our shores.
  The captain received us with that frankness and cordiality that
always distinguish sailors; and conducted us to the cabin, where a
flask of Cape wine cemented the alliance between us.
  I recounted to the captain, as briefly as possible, the history of
our shipwreck, and our sojourn of ten years on this coast. I spoke
to him of Emily, and asked him if he had ever heard of Sir Edward
Montrose. The captain not only knew him, but it was a part of his
instructions to explore these latitudes, where, three years before,
the ship Dorcas, which had on board the daughter of Commander
Montrose, was supposed to be wrecked, and to try to discover whether
any tidings of the vessel or crew could be ascertained. In
consequence, he manifested the greatest desire to see her, and
assure her that her father was alive. He informed us that a tempest of
four days' duration had thrown him off the course, which he followed
for Sydney and New Holland; and thus he had been driven on this coast,
where he had renewed his wood and water. 'It was then,' added he, that
we heard the reports of cannon, which we answered; on the third day
new discharges convinced us that we were not alone on the coast, and
we resolved to wait until, by some means or other, we discovered who
were our companions in misfortune. But we find an organized colony and
a maritime power, whose alliance I solicit in the name of the
sovereign of Great Britain.'
                                                  {CHAPTER_59 ^paragraph 30}
  This last sally made us laugh, and we cordially pressed the hand
which Captain Littleton extended to us.
  The rest of the family were waiting some distance off in the
pinnace. We took leave of the captain, who, ordering his gig to be
manned, arrived on board our vessel almost as soon as we did. We
received him with every demonstration of joy and friendship, and Emily
was half wild with happiness at the sight of a fellow-countryman,
and one who brought intelligence of her father.
  The captain brought with him an English family that the fatigues
of the passage had rendered ill; consisting of Mr. Wolston, a
distinguished machinist, his wife, and two daughters. My wife
offered Mrs. Wolston her assistance, and promised her that her
family should find every comfort and convenience at Felsenheim, if
they would return with us. They gladly consented, and we set out
with them, taking leave of the captain, who did not like to pass the
night away from his ship.
  My readers can form an idea of the astonishment which was evinced by
the Wolston family on seeing all our establishments. We ostentatiously
pointed out to them Felsenheim with its rocky vault, the giant tree of
Falcon's Nest, Prospect Hill, and all the marvels which were comprised
in our domains. A frugal repast in the evening united both families
under the gallery of the grotto, and my wife prepared, in the
interior, apartments and beds to receive the new-comers.
  The next morning Mr. Wolston came up to me, and tenderly
stretching out his hand spoke as follows:-
                                                  {CHAPTER_59 ^paragraph 35}
  'Sir,' said he, 'I cannot express all the admiration that I feel
on regarding the wonders with which you are surrounded. I came from
England to seek repose: where can I find it better than here? and I
shall esteem myself the happiest of men if you will allow me to
establish myself in a corner of your domains.'
  This proposition of Mr. Wolston filled me with joy, and I
immediately assured him that I would willingly share with him the half
of my patriarchal empire.
  Mr. Wolston hastened to communicate to his wife the success of his
application, and the morning was devoted to the joy and pleasure
that this news caused. But considerations of a painful nature occupied
my mind: the ship which now presented itself was the second only we
had seen in ten years, and probably as long a period might elapse
before another appeared, should we let Captain Littleton and his
ship leave us without any addition to his crew. These questions
affected the dearest interests of our family. My wife did not wish
to return to Europe; I was myself too much attached to my new life
to leave it, and we were both at an age when hazards and dangers
have no attraction, and ambition has resolved itself into a desire for
repose. But our children were young, their life was but just
commencing, and I did not think it right to deprive them of the
advantages which civilisation and a contact with the world
presented: and then again, Emily, since she had heard that her
father was in England, did not conceal her desire to return; and
although we regretted losing this amiable girl, yet it was
impossible to detain her. So at last I decided to call my children
together, and ascertain their sentiments. I spoke to them of civilised
Europe, of the resources of every kind which society offered to its
members, and I asked them if they would depart with Captain Littleton,
or be content to pass the remainder of their lives upon this coast.
  Jack and Ernest declared that they would rather remain. Ernest,
the philosopher, had no need of the world to interrupt his studies;
and Jack, the hunter, found the domain of Falcon's Nest large enough
for his excursions. Fritz was silent, but I saw by his countenance
that he had decided to go; I encouraged him to speak; he confessed
that he had a great desire to return to Europe, and his younger
brother, Francis, declared that he would willingly accompany him.
  At last, the family of the old pastor was to be dismembered; two
of our sons were about to leave us, and perhaps we should never
again see them. My good Elizabeth submitted to the sad necessity;
she had a mother's objections, but she studied the advantage of her
children.
                                                  {CHAPTER_59 ^paragraph 40}
  Mr. Wolston also dismembered his family: he kept but one of his
daughters; the other went on to New Holland. These family arrangements
were very painful, and when they were finished I hastened to inform
the captain of the Unicorn. He readily consented to take our three
passengers.
  'I resign three persons,' said he, 'Mr. and Mrs. Wolston and one
of their daughters; I take three more, and my complement will not be
affected.'
  The Unicorn remained eight days at anchor, and we employed them in
preparing the cargo which was to be the fortune of our voyagers on
arriving in Europe. All the riches that we had amassed- pearls, ivory,
spices, furs, and all our rare productions, were carefully packed
and put on board the ship, which we also furnished with meat and
fruits.
  On the eve of their departure, I gave Fritz this narration of our
shipwreck and establishment on the desert coast, enjoining him
expressly to have it published as soon after his arrival as he
possibly could.
  We none of us slept much during the last night. At the dawn of day
the cannon of the ship announced the order to go on board. We
conducted our children to the shore; there they received our last
embraces and benedictions.
                                                  {CHAPTER_59 ^paragraph 45}
  The anchor has been weighed, the sails unfurled, the flag run up
to the masthead, and a rapid wind promises speedily to separate us
from our children.
  I finished these few lines whilst the ship's boat is waiting. My
sons will thus receive my last blessing. May God ever be with you.
Adieu, Europe! adieu, dear Switzerland! Never shall I see you again!
May your inhabitants be always happy, pious, and free!
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                               THE END