ſae” （）、 ™， §§， * · * * · * * * * š， * ， , ; ; ） ×* * * * * * * ſ ºſ ſºnº， №8 *** · · *********. : （） (, ) - P f E. E; Eº Eº -º Eº E; =: Es Eº E. b-º E; E. #3 t- # § i # : º º º ºg ~ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Fº-º-º-º-º: Filmºtº sº # ||||||||||||||Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll: THE GIFT OF Mr. Wilfred B. Shaw * * * * * * * * ºn sº ºw ſ / f * sº § 2. wºr-º- tº a . --- 24 & 2. º • T. &. º. 2 § % tº of 2% e. 22-26 tº e; -— sº ** * - 2^2-6-2 ** &tº º*. º Hubbard *i. - # # & SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON; ADWENTURES A FATHER AND MOTHER AND FOUR SONS | N A D E S E R T | S L A N D : THE GENUINE PROGRESS OF THE STORY FORMING A CLEAR ILLUSTRATION OF THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF NATURAI, HISTORY, AND MANY BRANCHES OF SCIENCE which Most IMMEDIATELY APPLY TO THE BUSINESS OF LIFE. To WHICII ARE ADDED, NOTES OF REFERENCE, EXPLANATORY OF THE SUBJECTS TREATED OF, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. FROM SEVENTH LONDON EDITION. CLEVELAND, O. PUBLISHED BY M. F. Too KER & Co. 1853. - HUDSON, OIIIO: Stereotyped by W. H. SHAIN, at the Hudson Stereotype Foundry. Printed by SAWYER, INGERSOLL & Co., Steam Press, Pentagon. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 15 * { ...' f 1, Å, ſ **.*.*. J--res 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. “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 1 I wish I could know how it is constructed.” I explained to him as well as I could, the power of Archimedes's 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. e One of the points of my system of educa- tion for my sons was, to awaken their curi- osity by interesting observations, to leave time for the activity of the imagination, and . then to correct any error they might fall into. I contented myself now, however, with this general remark, that God sufficiently compensated the natural weakness of man by . the gifts of reason, of invention, and the , §3 .*. º. M6 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. adroitness of the hands; and that human meditation and skill had produced a science, called mechanics, the object of which was, to teach us how to make our own natural strength act to an incredible distance, and with extraordinary force, by the intervention of instruments. Jack here remarked, that the action of the ( crow was very slow. \\ “Better slow than never, Jack,” replied I. º \ “Experience has ever taught, and mechanical : 'bbservations have established as a princi- ple, that what is gained in speed, is lost in strength: the purpose of the crow is not to enable us to raise any thing 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 com- pensate this slowness?” T “Yes, it is turning the handle quicker?” “Your guess is wrong; that would be no compensation; the true remedy, my boy, is to call in the assistance of patience and rea- son: with the aid of these two fairy powers, I am in hopes to set my machine afloat.” As * * **) THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 17 f 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 oc- curred 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 dis- pute which should be first. I drew them back, and seeking a remedy for this kind of . obstacle, I recollected that Savage nations B% 18 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 stretch- ed, 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 interrup- tion in the management of our future enter- prise. There remained nothing more to do, but to find in what way I could clear out from the incumbrance 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 clear- ed away to right and left, every thing that could obstruct our passage; and that being THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 19 effected, we next secured some oars for the voyage we resolved on attempting. We had spent the day in laborious exer- tions; 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 pre- caution 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 smimming, 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 20 THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 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, by representing the many advantages it gave her, till at length she joined in the merriment her dress occasioned, and one and all crept into our Separate hammocks, where a delicious repose prepared us for the renewal of our labors. CHAPTER II. 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 finish- ed 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 21 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 pair 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, &c., 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. - 22 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON When all was ready, we stepped bravely each into a tub. At the moment of our de- parture the cocks and hens began to cluck, as if conscious that we had deserted them, yet s 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 in- tended 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 ques- tions concerning it. The order of our de- parture was as follows: TIII. SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 23 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 sweet- est 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 cºy kind. 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, reflect- ing temper, well informed for his age, but Somewhat disposed to indolence and the plea- Sures of the senses. In the eighth, a father, to whose paternal.” care the task of guiding the machine for the Safety of his beloved family was intrusted. Each of us had useful implements within 24 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. gº 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 favor- § able 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 dis- tance. 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 pro- ceeded in a straight line. The two dogs per- ceiving we had abandoned them, plunged into the sea and swam to the boat; they were too large for us to think of giving them admit- tance, 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 fa- tigued, they rested their fore-paws on one THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 25 ** of the paddles, and thus with little effort pro- ceeded. ſº Jack was disposed to refuse them this ac- commodation, 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 endeavoring to secure some of the casks. I bade Fritz have a rope, a hammer, and some nails ready, and to try C 26 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. to sieze 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 out- line 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 those of Europe. I, for my part, was venting au- dibly my regret, that I had not thought of bringing a telescope that I knew was in the captaih's cabin, when Jack drew a small one from his pocket, and with a look of triumph presented it to me. 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 as- pect, 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 27 . 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 on 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 some- thing 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. 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 swam on shore, received us as if appointed to do the honors of the place, jumping round us with every demonstration of joy: the geese kept 28 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. up a loud cackling, to which the ducks, from their broad yellow beaks, contributed a per- petual thorough-bass: the cocks and hens, which we had already set at liberty, clucked: the boys chattering all at once, produced al- together an overpowering confusion of sounds: to this was added the disagreeable scream of some penguins and flamingos, which we now perceived, some flying over our heads, others sitting on the points of the rocks at the en- trance of the bay. By and by the notes of the latter had the ascendant, from their num- bers; and our annoyance was increased by a comparison we could not avoid making, be- tween the sounds they uttered, and the har- mony 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. The first thing we did on finding ourselves safe on terra firma, was to fall on our knees, and return thanks to the Supreme Being who had preserved our lives, and to recommend ourselves with entire resignation to the care of his paternal kindness. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 29 We next 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 dwel- ling was thus made secure. We next threw Some sail-cloth over the ridge, and stretching it to a convenient distance on each side, fast- ened 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 chest 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. Dur- ing this occupation, in which even the little Cºk 30 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 fresh-water 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 soup- cakes, with water, into our iron pot, and placed it over the flame; and my wife, with her little Francis for a scullion, took charge of preparing the dinner. In the mean while Fritz had been reload- ing the guns, with one of which he had wan- dered 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 gºto 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 mus- cles which grew upon them, My own occupation was fiow an endeavor to draw the two floating casksson shore, but in which I could ñół succeed; for our place of landing, though coiyenient enough for our fº -: ; * * . ck # . . . . . - sº **, , , º, . #" Y: º, . . THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 31 machine, was too steep for the casks. While I was looking about to find a more favorable spot, I heard loud cries proceeding from a short distance, and recognized the voice of my son Jack. I snatched my hatchet, and ran anxiously to his assistance. I soon per- ceived him up to his knees in water in a shal- low, and that a large sea lobster had fastened its claws in his leg. The poor boy screamed pitiably, and made useless efforts to disen- gage himself. I jumped instantly into the water; and the enemy was no sooner sensi- ble of my approach, than 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 an- imal in his own hand, that he might himself present so fine a booty to his mother. Ac- cordingly, 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 32 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 en- emy when he is unable to defend himself, Jack; it was 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, fear- less now of further warfare; and accordingly he carried it to the kitchen, triumphantly ex- claiming, “Mother, mother, a sea lobster — Ernest, a sea lobster! Where is Fritz 2 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 enor- mous size, while they observed that its form THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 33 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.” “Oh, oh! Mr. Boaster,” cried I, “you give a pretty account of the matter. Now nine 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 fough; with the arms with which nature had supplied him, but you had recourse to a great stone for your defense. Believe me, Jack, you haye no great reason to boast of the ad- venture.” Ernest, ever prompted by his savory tooth, bawled out that the lobster had better be put into the soup, which would give it an ex- cellent flavor: but this his mother opposed,’ observing, that we must be more economical 34 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 shoffld 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 muscles: why, I would not eat one of them for the world,—Think of my lobster 1" “That is not true, Jack; for they were oysters, and not muscles that I saw : I am sure of it, for they stuck to the rock, and I know they must be oysters.” “Fortunate enough, mydainty gentleman,” -S*. • -º THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 35 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 em- ployed for the common good; and above all none must be afraid of so trifling an incon- venience 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 oper- ations so simple and obvious; and if you do not wish to dine upon a soup without flavor, you had better run and fetch a little quickly.” 36 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 UIS0. “Why could we not have used some sea- water,” asked Jack, “instead of having all this trouble 7" “Sea-water,” answered I, “is more bitter than salt, and has, besides, a 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 every thing at once. We shall be lucky if we have not forgotten even more import- ant things.-‘‘But indeed,” said she, “this is a matter which cannot easily be set to THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 37 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 stu- pid 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. w Ernest observed, that if we could but ge 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?” “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) 38 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 un- fortunately 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 39 his assumed dissatisfaction. At the same in- stant Jack, having stolen behind him, ex- claimed, “A sucking pig! a sucking pig!” Fritz, finding his trick discovered, now proud- ly 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 avoracious animal, but is nice in the choice of his food. When his appetite is satiated, he buries what re- mains, and keeps it for another time. He is naturally of a gentle temper; but if pro- voked, 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 bur- row has but one entrance; he conceals him- self 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 40 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 flavor, which is disagreeable to Euro- peans. He is held in great esteem by the natives, particularly when the animal has been feeding near the Sea on plants impreg- nated 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 . . . .” &c. I, for my part, assumed a somewhat serious tone. —“I should have preferred,” observed I, “that you had in reality brought us nothing, to your asserting a falsehood. Never allow yourself, even in jest, my dear boy, to assert what you know to be an untruth. By such trifles as these, a habit of lying, the most disgusting of vices, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 41 may be induced. Now then that I have given you this caution, let us look at the animal. Where did you find it?” Fritz related, that he had passed over to the other side of the river. “Ah!” contin- ued 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 a soaked in milk, it would not be so hard,” ob- served our dainty Ernest.—“I must telſ 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 every thing, friend Fritz; we shall. not be without something to undertake to- D + 42 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. morrow, and even after to-morrow. But, above all, I am eager to know if you discov- ered, 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 re- sembled 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.” We had now 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 ex- pose himself to this misfortune: he quietly took his muscle-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 cast- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 43 ing 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 compan- ions? Yet this is the constant failing of 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 l’’ 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 dip- ping; 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 • k, 44 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. seized his gun, and struck them with it; call- ed 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 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: “Anger,” continued I, “is always a bad counselor, and may even lead the way to crimes: you are not ignorant of the history of Cain, who, in a moment of violent anger, killed his brother.”—“Say no more, my dearest father,” interrupted Fritz, in a tone of horror.—“Happy am I to recollect on this occasion,” resumed I, “that it was not human creatures you treated thus. But an THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 45 angry person never reasons; he scarcely knows whom he attacks. The most convinc- ing proof of this is, that you just now fell upon two dumb animals, incapable of judg- ment, and who most likely thought that your agouti was placed there, as the soup had been before, for them to eat. Confess, too, that it was vanity which excited the furious tempers you exhibited. If another than yourself had killed the agouti, you would have been more patient under the accident.” Fritz agreed that I was right, and, half drowned in tears, entreated my forgiveness. 2 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 fal- len, 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, &c., and also different kinds of seeds and roots of vegetables for the table. In the ful- ness of her kind heart she scattered several handfuls at once upon the ground, which the 46 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. fowls began eagerly to seize. I compliment- ed her on the benefits her foresight had se- cured for us; but I recommended a more sparing use of so valuable an acquisition, ob- serving, 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 roost- ing place among the rocks; the hens, with the two cocks at their head, ranged them- selves in a line along the bridge of the tent; and the geese and ducks betook themselves in a body, cackling and quacking as they pro- ceeded, to a marshy bit of ground near the sea, where some thick bushes afforded them shelter. A little later, we began to follow the ex- ample of our winged companions, by begin- ning our preparations for repose. First, we loaded our guns and pistols, and laid them carefully in the tent: next, we assembled together and joined in offering up our thanks to the Almighty for the succor afforded us, and supplicating his watchful care for our preservation. With the last ray of the sun we entered our tent, and after drawing the THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 47 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 bro- ken in the atmosphere; the more obliquely they fall, the more their feeble light is ex- tended 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 op- pressed with heat, we were now in the night inconvenienced by the cold, so that we clung 48 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. to each other for warmth. A sweet sleep be- gan to close the eyes of my beloved family; I endeavored 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 toler- ably comfortable. CHAPTER III. 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 would seek for traces of our late ship compan- ions, and at the same time examine the nature of the soil on the other side of the river, be- fore we determined on a fixed place of abode. My wife easily perceived that such an excur- sion could not be undertaken by all the mem- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 49 bers 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 my- self with Fritz on a journey of discovery. I entreated her not to loose 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 lob- ster 7”—“That he can best tell you him- self,” answered his mother. “But now pray step and awake the boys, while I make a fire and put on some water.” w 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 con- cealed 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.”— “I am glad to see, son Jack,” said I, “that that giddy head upon your shoulders can be prevailed upon to reflect, ‘Happy is he who 50 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. knows how to profit by the misfortunes of others,’ says the proverb. But 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?” “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, with- out 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. * * * , # * º THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 51 At the word guns, the color 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 re- ceived, 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 bis- cuit, 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 § 52 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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.” * 3. “I cannot think why you should give it all,” interrupted Ernest, “for you need not be uneasy about their journey. Like Robin- son 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 tea-cup full of de- licious sweet milk in it!” “Oh! brother Fritz, pray 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 pro- vided myself with the same articles, not for- getting a stock of biscuit and a flask of fresh river water. My wife now called us to break- fast, 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 re- ...ºf THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 53 gret from any one. The sea-lobster is an an- imal of considerable size, and its flesh is much more nutritious, but less delicate, than the common lobstor. Fritz urged me to set out before the excess- ive heat came on. —“With all my heart,” said I, “but we have forgot one thing.”— “What is that?” asked Fritz, looking round him; “I see nothing to do but to take leave of my mother and my brothers.”—“I know what it is,” cried Ernest; “we have not said our prayers this morning.”—“That is the very thing, my dear boy,” said I. “We are too apt to forget God, the giver of all, for the affairs of this world; and yet never had we So much need of his care, particularly at the moment of undertaking a journey in an un- known soil.” Upon this our pickle Jack began to imi- tate the sound of church-bells, and to call “Bome! bome! bidi bome, bidiman, bome. To prayers, to prayers, bome, bome!”— “Thoughtless boy!” cried I, with a look of displeasure, “when, oh! when will you be Sensible of that sacredness in devotion that banishes for the time every thought of levity E * * 54 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. or amusement? Recollect yourself, and let me not have again to reprove you on a sub- ject of so grave a nature.” In about an hour we had completed the preparations for our departure. I had load- ed the guns we left behind, and I now en- joined 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 re- peated 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 55 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 pas- Sage through tall grass, which twined with other plants, and were rendered more capa- ble of resistance by being half dried by the Sun. Perceiving, however, that walking on this kind of surface in so hot a sun would ex- haust 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 com- panions. 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, 56 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 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 kind- ness of his temper to the pleasures of our do- mestic scene. —“Observe, my dear boy,” said I, “to what dangers the tumult of the passions exposes us: the anger which over- powered you yesterday, and the error natural THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 57 to the occasion we have this moment wit- nessed, if you had unfortunately given way to it, might either of them have produced an irretrievable misfortune.” w Fritz assured me he was sensible to 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 possi- ble, casting our eyes alternately upon its Smooth expanse and upon the land in all di- rections, to discover our ship companions, or the boats which had conveyed them from us; but our endeavors were in vain. Fritz proposed to fire his gun from time to time, that, should they be any where conceal- ed near us, they might be led to know of our pursuit. 58 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. “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. —” “There is not only one good reason, but many,” replied I: “first, we should not re- turn evil for evil; next, it may be in their power to assist us; and lastly, they are per- haps 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 sub- sistence, 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 em- ployed in returning to the vessel, and saving the animals on board 7” THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 59 “—When a variety of duties present them- Selves 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 quadru- peds, 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.” My son made no reply to what I said, and We seemed by mutual silent consent to take a few moments for reflection. 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 *me out to view, that they were more at- tractive by their splendid plumage than by *ny charm of note. Fritz assured me that he had caught a glimpse of some animals like 60 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. apes among the bushes, and this was confirm- ed by the restless movements of Turk, who began to smell about him, and to bark so loud that the woods resounded with the noise. Fritz stole softly about to be sure, and pres- ently stumbled on a small round body which lay on the ground: he brought it to me, ob- serving 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.” “Dut 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 co- coa shell is inclosed 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 61 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 tea- cup full 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: travelers surely tell untruths l’’ “Travelers certainly do sometimes tell un- truths, but not, I believe, on the subject of the cocoa-nut, which is well known to contain the liquid you describe, just before they 3.T6 in a state of ripeness. It is the same with our European nuts, with the difference of quantity; and one property is common to both, that as the nut ripens, the milk dimin- ishes, by thickening, and becoming the same F f 62 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. %. º 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 veg- etation is extinguished by internal fermenta- tion, 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.” “Now I begin to understand. The peach- stone is divided into two parts, like a muscle- 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 63 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 gather- ing all the pieces together and giving them to Ernest, and telling him 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 disappoint- ment 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 it was not a time to be nice, we made a hearty meal, and then 64 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 per- plexed and intricate. 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 l’’ I had soon the sur- prise and satisfaction of assuring him that they were of the gourd-tree kind, the trunks of which bear fruit. Fritz, who had never heard of such a tree, 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 we 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.” THIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 65 “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 l’’ 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?” “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 flavor. 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 F * 66 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. their victuals in them; for the heat of fire would soon consume such a substance.” “I did not say the rind was put upon the fire.” “How droll! pray how are victuals to be cooked without fire 2" “Nor did I say that victuals could be cook- ed 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 of Nature.” A “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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 67 me help you to understand this amazing phe- nomenon. 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 small- est injury to the pot.” “But is not the food spoiled by ashes fall- ing in, or by pieces of the heated stones sep- arating 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 8, tolerable remedy for even the objection you have found. The food might be inclosed 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. 68 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 op- eration, had entirely spoiled his gourd by the irregular pressure of his instrument. I rec- ommended his making some spoons with the spoiled rind, as it was good for no other pur- pose. I, on my part, had soon completed two dishes of convenient size, and some smaller ones to serve as plates. Fritz was in the utmost astonishment at my success. –“I cannot imagine, father,” said he, “how this way of cutting the gourd could dccur to you!” “I have read the description of such a pro- cess,” replied I, “in books of travels; and THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 69 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 after- wards 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, bark of a tree, or anything he can get, round the part fiearest 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 prepar- ation ?” * . “No, they are of another species, and What you have seen is their natural shape.” Our conversation and our labor thus went 70 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. on together. Fritz had completed some plates, and was not a little proud of the achievement. “Ah, how delighted my moth- er will be to eat upon them l’’ cried he. “But how shall we convey them to her ? They will not, I fear, bear traveling 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 discov- ery. 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 endeavoring 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 she least resemblance to those I had seen in the Museum at London, and which were shown there as the work of THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 71 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 suc- cessful than your own,” I cried; “and to eat soup with either your spoons' or mine, we Ought to have mouths extending from ear to ear.” “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 im- proved upon my first attempt, and I am quite Sure of the pleasure they will afford my mother. I imagine it pleases God sometimes to visit his creatures with difficulties, that they may learn to be satisfied with a little.” “That is an excellent remark, my boy,” 72 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. said I, “and gives me more pleasure than a hundred crowns would do.” Fritz burst into a fit of laughter. —“You’do not rate my remark very high when you say this father,” cried he, “for of what use would a hundred crowns be to you at present ' If you had said a good soup, or a hundred cocoa-nuts, I should be much prouder for having made it.” “But as it is, my son, you have a right to be proud. I am well pleased to find you are beginning to estimate things according to their real value and usefulness, instead of considering them as good or bad, like chil- dren, without understanding the true reason. Money is only a means of exchange in human society; but here, on this solitary coast, Na- ture is more generous than man, and asks no payment for the benefits she bestows.” While these conversations and our labors had been going on, we had not neglected the great object of our pursuit, -the making every practicable search for our ship compan- ions. But our endeavors, alas! were all in vain. - ,' '. After a walk of about four leagues in all, we arrived at a spot where a slip of land . THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 73 reached far out into the sea, on which we ob- served 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 with- out 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 embel- lished nature presented herself; and we were in the highest degree sensible of her thousand charms. The shore rounded by a bay of some extent, thes ank, £ which ended in a promontory on the further side; the agreea- ble blue tint of its surface; the sea; genlty 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 ex- quisite delight, that, if the recollection of our unfortunate companions, iggūlfed perhaps in G . . . . 74 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. this very ocean, had not intruded to depress our spirits, we should have yielded to the ec- stasy 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 fu- ture safety for us all. We had encountered nö 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 coun- try which appeared to be allotted us for habitation;–“ at least, my son, our habita- tion it must be unless some vessel should hap- pen to put on shore on the same coast, and be in a condition to take us back to our native land. And God's will be done !” added I, “for he knows what is best for us. Having THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 75 left our native country, fixed in the intention of inhabiting some propitious soil, [See In- troduction], it was natural at first to encoun- ter difficult adventures. Let us therefore con- sider our situation as no disappointment in any essential respect. We can pursue our scheme for agriculture. We shall learn to in- vent arts. Our only want is numbers.” “As for me,” answered Fritz, “I care but little about being so few of us. If I have the happiness of seeing you and my mother well in health and easy, I shall not give myself much uneasiness about those wicked, unkind ship companions of ours.” “No, my boy; they were not all bad peo- ple; and they would have become better men here, because not exposed to the temptations of the world. Common interest, united ex- ertions, mutual services and counsels, to- gether with the reflections which would have grown in such a state as this, tend to the im- provement of the heart's affections.” “We however, of ourselves,” observed Fritz, “form a larger society than was the lot of Adam before he had children; and, as we grow older, we will perform all the necessary 76 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. labor, while you and my mother enjoy ease and quiet.” “Your assurances are as kind as I can desire, and they encourage me to struggle with what hardships may present themselves. Who can foresee in what manner it may be the will of Heaven to dispose of us? In times of old, God said to one of his chosen, “I will cause a great nation to descend from thy loins.” “And why may not we too become patri- archs, father ?” . “Why not? you ask; –and I have not now time to answer. But come, my young patriarch, let us find a shady spot, that we may not be consumed with the fierce heat of the sun before the patriarchal condition can be conferred upon us. Look yonder at that inviting wood: let us hasten thither to take a little rest, then eat our dinner, and return to our dear expecting family.” We descended the hill, and made our way to a wood of palms, which I had just pointed out to Fritz; our path was clothed with reeds, entwined with other plants, which greatly ob- structed our march. We advanced slowly THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 77 and cautiously, fearing at every step to re- ceive a mortal bite from some serpent that might be concealed among them. We made Turk go before, to give us timely notice of any thing dangerous. I also cut a reed-stalk of uncommon length and thickness, for my defense against any enemy. It was not with- out 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 flavor, so that not a doubt remained that we were pass- ing through a plantation of sugar-canes. I again applied the cane to my lips, and sucked it for some moments, and felt singularly re- freshed and strengthened. I determined not to tell Fritz immediately of the fortunate dis- covery 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 defense. 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 circum- G + 78 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. stance. He lifted it up, and still a larger quantity escaped. He now tasted what was on his fingers. Oh then for the exclama- tions—“Father, father, I have found some sugar !—some sirup! I have a sugar-cane in my handl Run quickly, father l’” We were soon together, jointly partaking of the pleasure we had in store for his dear mother and the younger brothers. In the meantime Pritz kept sucking the juice of the single cane he had cut, till his relish for it was ap- peased. 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 ra- tional enjoyments. “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 l’’ “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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 79 | 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 set- tled, when a great number of large monkeys, terrified by the sight of us and the barking of Turk, stole so nimbly, and yet so quietly 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 gri- maces, 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 ani- 80 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. mals! 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 pre- serving our own lives, we have no right to de- stroy it, and still less to torment it for our amusement, or from an insensate desire of re- venge. But what will you say if I show you that we may find means to make living mon- keys 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.” 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 ex- cessive anger. With their accustomed trick of imitation, they furiously tore off, nut by nut, all that grew upon the branches near THE Swiss FAMILY ROBINSON. 81 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 strat- agem; 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 open- ed 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 flavor; 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 co- 90a-nuts which had stalks, together, and threw them across my shoulder. Fritz re- Sumed his bundle of sugar-canes. We divided the rest of the things between us, and contin- ued our way towards home. - 82 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. CHAPTER IV. Return from the Voyage of Discovery. A Noctur. mal Alarm. MY poor boy now began to complain of fa- tigue; 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 sugar-canes' 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 l’’ 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 Swiss FAMILY ROBINSON. 83 “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.” “You have explained the nature of the dif- ficulty; 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 º' “The pith of the cane being completely in- terrupted in its growth by each knot, the opening made belów 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 84 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. time through the hole I have made, and fill this void: the juice of the cane forms an ob. stacle to this effort, and is accordingly driveſ into my mouth. But how shall I manag when I have sucked this part dry, to get a 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 fire-wood; for I must bring another circumstance to your recollec. tion; 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.” THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 85 “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 cocoa-nuts, which I have here in a tin bottle; we shall sit round on the grass and drink it so delic- iously" ! “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 Sliable to become hot in the sun.” “O heavens, how provoking ! I must taste t this very minute.” The tin bottle was OWered from his shoulder in the twinkling of an eye, and he began to pull the cork; as lºon as it was loose, the liquid flew upwards, issing and frothing like champagne. “Bravo, Mr. Fritz you have manufactur- led 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 H ; 86 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. sweet, and it is so sparkling ! do take a little, father. Is it not good 2 If all the milk re- mains 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 vine- gar. But this may be prevented by extraor- dinary 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 de- prives 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 87 * liquid of ill odor; 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.” Our regale imparted to our exhausted frames an increase of strength and cheerful- ness. 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, there- fore, could put them into our game bags con- Veniently 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 upon a troop of monkeys, who were skipping about and amus- ing themselves without observing our ap- proach. They were thus taken by surprise; and before we could get to the spot, our fero- cious Turk had already seized one of them; it was a female who held a young one in her arms, which she was caressing almost 88 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. to suffocation, and which incumbrance depriv- ed 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, &c., 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 shoul- ders, 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 endeavored 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 THE YOUNG MON KEY. H* THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 89 Sake, we could wish. The conduct of the lit- tle 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 chicken-heart, 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 ter- rible 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 pity- ing and caressing him. He was not larger than a kitten, and quite unable to help him- Self: 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 af- ford us much hope from their exertions.” “Father,” cried Fritz, “do let me have this little animal to myself. I will take the 90 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 dis- covering some wholesome fruits.” “I have not the least objection,” answered I. “You have conducted yourself through- out this tragic-comic adventure like a lad of courage and sensibility, and I am well satis- fied with every circumstance of your behavior. It is therefore but just that the little protegé 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 in- telligence, 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 its unfortunate mother. Fritz would have driven him away, but besides the difficulty of restraining him, we had to consid- er, that we might, ourselves, be in danger from the pressing hunger of so powerful an animal; all the food we had before given him THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 91 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 shoul- der 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, follow- ing 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 re- course 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 fas- tened 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.” 92 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 materi- als enough from the occasion for future ma- licious 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 every thing. As for the question of Turk, let me observe that it would THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 93 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 mon- key 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 at- tacking wild beasts: Heaven 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 dis- positions 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 ac- companied 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 rapacity of the ti- ger.” “I feel how fortunate we are in the pos- Session of two such creatures: but what a pity that the horses we had on board died during our voyage, and leave us with only an ass!” “Let us take care how we treat even our 94 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 per- formed by the horse; and it is not improba- ble 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 our- selves 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 ac- quainted with the country, ran off to meet his companion, and shortly after, our much- loved family appeared in sight, with demon- strations 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 95 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 de- lightful! 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 much prettier than you,” retorted Jack; “only See, he is laughing: I wish I could see him eat.”—“Ah! if we had but some cocoa- nut!” 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 ad- Venture?” interrupted my wife. In this manner, questions and exclamations suc- ceeded to each other with such rapidity as not to leave us time to answer them. At length, when all became a little tran- quil, I answered them thus: “Mºst happy zºº; am I to return to you again, my best beloved, and God be praised without any new, mis- I 96 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. fortune. We have even the pleasure of pre- senting you with many valuable acquisitions; but in the object nearest my heart, the dis- covery of our ship companions, we have en- tirely failed.” “Since it pleases God that it should be so,” said my wife, “let us endeavor to be con- tent, 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 idle- ness, 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 chil- dren, at the same time begging Ernest to re- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 97 lieve him of his gun. But Ernest, ever care- ful 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 hu- mor, relieved him of these; and thus we pro- ceeded altogether to our tent. 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 2* - “What, really and truly cocoa-nuts, bro- ther? 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 98 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 l’’ “Sugar-canes | Sugar-canes ' ' exclaimed they all; and, surrounding Fritz, made him give them full instructions on the sublime art of sucking sugar-canes. 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 in- spection. No one of them afforded her more pleasure than the plates and dishes, because, to persons of decent habits, they were arti- cles of indispensable necessity. We now ad- journed to our kitchen and observed with pleasure the preparations for an excellent re- past. 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 99 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 intrusted 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 drip- ping-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 odor of which increased our appetite. By the side of these most exhila- rating 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 travelers, who 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, I+ 100 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. “is a kind of wild bird, and is the booty of Ernest, who calls 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 intelli- gence, that I killed him with a single blow with my stick.” “What is the form of his feet, and of his beak'?” asked I. “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.” . 3. “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 recognize at the moment, the objects which chance throws in our THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 101 way, whether we have seen them before or not. Tell me now what birds there are with feet like those which you have just de- Scribed, and which are so formed to enable the creature to strike the water and prevent himself from sinking 7” “There are the man-of-war bird, cormor- ants, 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 every thing: Ernest killed the bird, and was able to tell his kind; we on our parts 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 ex- amining and tasting them.” ...Ah ! thank you, my good mother; º 102 THE Swiss FAMILY ROBINSON. I shall be very glad if papa will con- sent.” Father.—Well, well, you have my full per- mission. 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 for- get 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 every thing 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. Jörnest. —I have, however, the greatest de- sire 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 sup- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 103 per 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 them- selves of their delicious flavor; 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 handker- chief, 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. The boys were preparing to break some more of the nuts with the hatchet, after hav- ing 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, 104 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. when scooped, would remain with the form of tea cups or basins already made to our hands. Jack, who was on every occasion the most ac- tive, 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 mag- nificent service of china occasion half the pleasure to its possessor, as our utensils, man- ufactured 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 objec- tion,” answered I, “but remember to taste it yourself before you serve your guests.”—He ran to draw out the stopple and to taste it— “How tinfortunate l’” said he, “it is already turned to winegar.” THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 105 “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 flavor 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 recollect- ing 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 106 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. substance somewhat approaching to the qual- ity of matrasses, 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 favorite of all. Fritz and Jack contended for a short time which should enjoy the honor 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 awaked by the motion of the fowls on the ridge of the tent, and by a violent barking of our vigilant safe-guards, the dogs. I was instantly on my legs; my THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 107 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 jackalls had surrounded our brave dogs, who defended themselves with the stoutest courage. Already the fierce champions had laid three or four of their ad- versaries 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 endeavor to entangle and surprise the dogs, thus thrown off their guard, and so secure to themselves the ad- Vantage. But our watchful combatants were not so easily deceived; they took good care not to let the enemy approach them too nearly. I, for my part, had apprehended something Worse than jackalls. “We shall soon man- age to set these gentlemen at rest,” said I. “Let us fire both together, my boy; but let K 108 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 pur- sued them, and put the finishing stroke to what we had begun; and thus the battle ended: but the dogs, true Caribbees by na- ture, 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 jackall 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 jackall in addi- tion, as a recompense for their courageous behavior. We had now done with this affair. The body of the jackall was left on the rock, by the side of the tent, in which were the little sleepers, who had not once awakened during THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 109 the whole of the scene which had been pass. " ing. 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 re- specting the plan we should pursue for the ensuing day. CHAPTER W. 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 110 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. upon 2 For example, should not our very first endeavor be the contriving a better sort of habitation, and a more secure retreat from wild beasts, also a separate place for our provi- sions? I own I am at a loss what to begin first.” “All will fall into the right order by de- grees,” observed my wife; “patience and regularity in our plans will go as far as ac- tual labor. I cannot, I confess, help shud- dering at the thought of this voyage to the vessel; but if you judge it to be of absolute necessity, it cannot be undertaken too soon. In the meanwhile, nothing that is immedi- ately under my own care shall stand still, I promise you. Let us not be over anxious about to-morrow: ‘sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” These were the words of the true friend of mankind, and let us use so wise a counsel for our own benefit.” “I will follow your advice,” said I, “and without further loss of time. You shall stay here with the three youngest boys; and Fritz, being so much stronger and more in- telligent than the others, shall accompany me in the undertaking.” At this moment I started from my bed, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 111 crying out loudly and briskly, “Get up, chil- dren, 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 sleep- iness. Fritz ran to visit his jackall, which during the night had become cold and per- fectly 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 unex- pected an appearance. But no sooner had the dogs caught a sight of him, than they be- gan 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 perse- Verance. In the meantime, their barking had awaked the younger boys, and they ran out of the tent, curious to know what could be the oc- casion. Jack was the first who appeared, K% * 112 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. " with the young monkey on his shoulders; but when the little creature perceived the jackall, he sprang away in terror, and hid himself at the furthest extremity of the grass which composed our bed, and covered himself with it so completely, that scarcely could the tip of his nose be seen. The children were much surprised at the , sight of a yellow-colored animal standing without motion at the entrance of the tent.— “Oh heavens !” exclaimed Francis, and step- ping back a few paces for fear; “it is a wolf!”—“No, no,” said Jack, going near the jackall, and taking one of his paws; “it is a yellow dog, and he is dead; he does not move at all.”—“It is neither a dog nor a wolf, interrupted Ernest in a consequential tone; “do you not see that it is the golden fox 7”—“Best of all, most learned profes- sor!” now exclaimed Fritz. “So you can tell an agouti, when you see him, but you can- not tell a jackall; for jackall is the creature you see before you, and I killed him myself in the night!” * - Ernest. —In the night, you say, Fritz. & In your sleep, I suppose — . . . . THE Swiss FAMILY ROBINSON. 113 * Fritz. — No, Mr. Ernest; not in my sleep, " as you so good-naturedly suppose, but broad awake, and on the watch to protect you from wild beasts | But I cannot wonder at this mistake in one who does not know the differ- ence between a jackall and a golden fox I'rnest. —You would not have known it either, if papa had not told you “Come, come, my lads, I will have no dis- putes,” interrupted I. “Fritz, you are to blame in ridiculing your brother for the mis- take he made. Ernest, you are also to blame for indulging that little peevishness of yours. But as to the animal, you all are right and all are wrong; for he partakes at once of the nature of the dog, the wolf, and the fox.” The boys in an instant became friends; and then followed questions, answers, and wonder in abundance. “And now, my boys, let me remind you, that he who begins the day with- out first addressing the Almighty,Qught to expect neither success nor safety in his un- dertakings. Let us therefore acquit our- Selves of this duty before we engage in other occupations.” . Having finished our prayers, the next thing 3. 114 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. ... §§ ..? §: #. # 3 ** # , 3 & - * * * * t 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 diffi- culty 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 min- ute 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?” “That indeed it would; but—if- *f; these never-ending ifs are but a poor depend- ence. For my part, I had rather eat a bit of cheese with my biscuit at once, than think of ifs, which bring as so meagre a harvest. JErnest. — 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? Brnest. —I am talking of this cask, which is filled with excellent Salt butter. I made a THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 115 little opening in it with a knife; and see, I got out enough to spread micely upon this piece of biscuit. “That glutton instinct of yours for once is of some general use,” answered I. “Put now let us profit by the event. Who will have Some butter on his biscuit 7” The boys sur- rounded the cask in a moment, while I was in Some perplexity as to the best method of get- ting 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 bis- cuits 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. # '* : º, 116 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. “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 de- fend themselves from wild beasts, which I fear is too probable will be the case.” “Oh l’’ says Jack, “I can make spiked col- lars, 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 in- ventions as you please; you cannot better employ your time; and if you produce some- thing 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 honor of being my privy counselor, must make haste and get yourself ready, and we will undertake to-day our voyage to the vessel, to bring away what-º. ever may be possible. You younger boys will remain here, under the wing g; your kind mother: I hope I need not Itiention, that I rely on your perfect obedience to her will, and general good behavior.” THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 117 * 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 vis- ible 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 re- turn 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 ºwish 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. 118 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. We embarked in silence, casting our anx- ious looks on the beloved objects we were quitting. Fritz rowed steadily, and I did my best to second his endeavors, 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 hav- ing 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 ºnt with his young monkey on his arm to the "main deck, where he found all the animalsºve had left on board assembled. I followed him, well pleased to observe the generous impatience he showed THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 119 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 af- forded us much amusement. We next ex- amined the food and water of the other ani- mals, 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 L 120 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 cur- rent 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 2° “Ah ha, Mr. Fritz' You wish to spare yourself a little trouble, do you? But seri- ously, I perceive much good sense in your ar- gument, and feel obliged to my privy coun- selor 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.” THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 121 I assisted Fritz to carry a pole strong enough for a mast, and ānother 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 man- agement of our materials, we produced a sail. Fritz, after taking observations through a telescope of what was passing on land, and which we had already done several times, im- parted the agreeable tidings that all, was still Well with our dear family. He had distin- guished 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 Deliv- erance; and in speaking of it, instead of call- ing it a boat, it had now always the title of the little vessel. 122 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. “But now, father,” said Fritz, looking kindly on me as he spoke, “as you have eased me of the labor 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.” Accord- ingly, 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 sig- nal, if we passed the night from home, and we found the streamer precisely the thing we wanted for this purpose. g We employed the remnant of the day in THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 123 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, &c., &c. The Wandals 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 in- cluded 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 unfavorable 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 ne- L* 124 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. cessary 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, al- ready 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, &c. Our last prize was a chest of choice eatables, intended for the table of the officers, containing Westphalia hams, Bologna sau- sages, and other savory 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 hus- bandry as we could find;—shovels, hoes, spades, rakes, harrows, &, &c. Fritz re- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 125 minded me that we had found sleeping on the ground both cold and hard, and prevailed upon me to increase our cargo by some ham- mocks, 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, to- gether 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 sail-cloth. 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 uncer- tain 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 sunk 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, how- ever, used the precaution of putting on our Swimming-jackets, for fear of any misfortune. 126 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. . It will easily be imagined that the day had been laboriously employed. Night suddenly Surprised us, and we lost all hope of return- ing 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 appre- hension 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 jackalls, 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. THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 127 CHAPTER WI. 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 break- fast 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 su- perior size and power, and we speedily dºn- veyed 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 at- tentively 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 128 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. had a sight of your mother,” said I to Fritz, “my next concern is for the animals on board; let us endeavor 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 weight will be sure to sustain her above water; and we can draw her after the boat.” -- “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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 129 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 inven- tion is admirable: let.us therefore not lose a moment in making the experiment.” We hastened to the execution of our de- sign: 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 re-appeared, shaking the water from his head, and in a few sec- onds he had learned completely the art of Swimming. After another interval, we ob- Served that he appeared fatigued, gave up kis efforts, and suffered himself to be borne along by the course of the water, which sustained and conducted him to our complete satisfac- tion.—“Victory !” exclaimed I, hugging my boy with delight: “these useful animals are all our own; let us not lose a moment in adopting the same means with those that re-’ main; but take care not to lose our little lamb.” Fritz now would have jumped into the water to follow the poor creature, who 130 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. was still floating safely on the surface; but I stopped him till I had seen him tie on a swim- ming-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. f 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 sup- port the cow and the ass, two casks to each, the animal being placed in the middle with a disk 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. - * It was next the turn of the smaller animals: of these, the sow gave us the most trouble; we were first obliged to put on her a muzzle to prevent her biting; and then we tied a large piece of cork under her body. The (º. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 131 sheep and goats were more accommodating, and we had soon accoutred them for our ad- venture. And now we had succeeded in as- sembling 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 marking 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 showing him off. He fell into the water, and for a moment disappeared; but we soon saw him rise, and in the action of swimming be- tween 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 al- ready at a considerable distance from the ves M \ 132 THE SWISS FAMILY RoPINSON. sel, so that there was sufficient room for our experiment on the cow. We had more diffi- culty 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 excep- tion; she became quite furious, set up a loud squalling, and struggled with so much vio- lence 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 SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 133 the stern of the machine, and thus drew them after us. When every thing was adjusted, and our company in order, we hoisted our sail, which soon filling with a favorable wind, con- ducted us all safe to the land. We now perceived how impossible it would have been for us to have succeeded in our en- terprise 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 inef- fectual; while, by means of the sail, she pro- ceeded completely to our satisfaction, bearing in her train our company of animals; nor could we help laughing heartily at the singu- lar appearance we made. Proud of the suc- cess 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 views 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 134 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. * to be setting out on some excursion; but it was in vain that I endeavored, by any thing 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. — “Oh Heavens !” cried he, “we are lost 1” a fish of 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 smooth- ness 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 SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 135 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 cat- tle 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 ex- ample. 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 disencum- bered our animals of their swimming appar- atus. Scarcely had we entered upon this employment, when I was relieved by the joy- ful sounds which reached our ears, and filled our hearts with rapture. It was my wife and the youngest boys who uttered them, the lat- ter 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 M* 136 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. give them an account of our occupations in the vessel, of our voyage, and of all our dif- ferent 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, in- creased my satisfaction at the completion of our enterprise. “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 sa- gacity it is that we are indebted for our suc- cess. His mother could not refrain from giving him a hearty kiss. “Our gratitude is due to both,” said she ; “for both have labored to give us the possession of this troop of animals, an acquisition beyond any other, agreeable and serviceable to us in the situa- tion in which it has pleased Providence to place us.” Ernest and Jack now ran to the boat, and THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 137 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, burst- ing 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. i; By and by I perceived, with surprise, that Jack had round his waist a belt of metal cov- ered with yellow skin, in which were: fixed two pistols. “In the name of heaven,” ex- claimed I, “where did you procure this curi- ous 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.” Accordingly I looked at them, and per- ceived that each had on a collar similar to the belt round Jack's waist, with, however, 138 THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 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 in- vented and executed these collars and your belt 2 ” “Yes, father, they are indeed my inven- tion, 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 7” ºr “Fritz's Jackall furnished the first,” an- swered 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 partic- ular fancy for any thing, 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 commendations. But Fritz was both discontented and angry on finding that Jack had taken upon him to dispose of his Jackall, and to cut his beautiful skin into THE ANIMALS ASHORE. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 139 strips. He, however, concealed his ill-humor as well as he could; but presently he called out suddenly, holding his nose as he spoke, “What a filthy smell ! Does it perchance proceed from you, Mr. Currier : Is this the perfume we may expect from your manufac- tory? It is rather yours than mine,” replied Jack, in a resentful tone; “for it was your Jackall which you hung up in the sun to dry.” “And which would have been dried in a whole skin, if it had not pleased your sublime fancy to cut it to pieces, instead of leaving me the power to do what I please with my own booty,” answered his brother. “Son Fritz,” said I, in a somewhat angry tone, “this is not generous on your part. Of what importance is it who cut up the skin of the Jackall, if by so doing it has contributed to our use? My dear children, we are here in this desert island, in just such a situation as that of our first parents when they were driven out of the garden of Eden; it was still in their power to enjoy happiness in the fertile land in which God permitted them to live; and this happiness was to proceed from their obedience, from the work of their hands, 140 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. and the sweat of their brow: a thousand and a thousand blessings were granted for their use, but they suffered the passions of jeal- ousy, envy, and hatred to take root in their bosoms: Cain killed his brother Abel, and thus plunged his unhappy parents into the deepest affliction, so that he and his race were cursed by God. This is the horrid crime to which the habit of disputing may conduct. Let us then avoid such an evil, let us share one with the other in every benefit bestowed upon us, and from this moment may the words yours and mine be banished from our happy circle ! What is discovered or pro- cured by one of you, should be equally for the service of all, and belong to all without dis- tinction. It is quite certain, Jack, that the belt round your waist, not being dry, has an offensive smell; the pleasure of wearing what you had ingeniously contrived makes you will- ing to bear with the inconvenience: but we should never make our own pleasure the pain of another. I therefore desire that you will take it off and place it in the sun to dry, and take care that it does not shrink during the operation; and then you can join your bro- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 141 thers, and assist them to throw the jackall into the sea.” Fritz's ill-humor was already over; but Jack, whose temper was less docile, still re- tained the belt, and walked about in it with Somewhat of an air of resistance. His bro- thers continued their warfare, pretending to avoid him, and crying out—“What a smell! What a smell!” till at length Jack, tired with the part he had been acting, suddenly stripped off the belt, and joined the others ins dragging the dead jackall to the sea, where he no longer offended any one. Perceiving that no preparations were mak- ing 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 morn- ing. “A ham!” cried one and all; “a ham! and ready dressed ' What a nice Sup- per we shall have l’” 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 N 142 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. judge by appearances, a certain careful stew- ard 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.” “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 turtle's eggs, and then hur- ried 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 1 See, they are like white balls, covered with a skin like wetted parch- ment 1 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 3”—“Oh, that is part of our history,” interrupted my wife; “for I THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 143 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 desert. 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 re- turned to the kitchen; our slothful Ernest highly delighted that he was likely in future to have our loads carried by a servant. In the meanwhile the kind mother had pre- 144 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. pared the omelette, and spread a table-cloth 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 alto- gether 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 sov- ereigns of the country. It did not please the geese and ducks to add themselves to the number of these our loyal subjects: they de- Serted us for a marshy swamp, where they found a kind of little crabs in great abun- dance, and which furnished a delicious food for them, and relieved us of the care of pro- viding for their support. 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 in- dulge us with the promised history. THE SWISS FAMILY It OBINSON. 145 CHAPTER VII. 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 his- tory, yet you have not let me speak a single Word in all this time; but the longer a tor- rent is pent up, the longer it flows when once let loose. Now then that you are in the hu-, mor 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 em- barked, and from which I could see the ves- sel. 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 g N-k y . 146 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. the boys were up, in hopes to find a shady place where we might now and then re- tire 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 I 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 com- fort 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 to- wards 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. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 147 “In the morning, Jack had slipped to the side of the tent where Fritz had hung the jackall, and with his knife, which he sharp- ened 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 un- cleanly 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 in- tended to make some collars, which I shall arm with spikes, and the dogs will wear them for our defense.' I saw in an instant that Ernest had been the aggressor, and on him 148 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. fell the reproof: I represented how little a squeamishness like his suited with the diffi- culties of our situation, in which one and all were called upon to assist in any employment that should promise to contribute to the gen- eral good. “Jack returned to his strips of skin, the cleaning of which he completed very cleverly. When he had finished this part of his under- taking, 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 col- lars, 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 occu- pation of sewing them together, to prevent the heads of the nails from injuring the dogs. I begged to be excused; but seeing the good- humor with which he tried to sew them for 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 de- light to a virtuous child. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 149 “But now having yielded the first time, I found I had made myself liable to further claims. The next thing was a belt for him- self, which he had manufactured of the same materials, and was impatient to see com- pleted, it being intended to contain his pis- tols. “We shall see,' said he, strutting about as he spoke, ‘if the jackalls will dare to at- tack us now.’ — ‘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 effec- tual 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. “I next assembled them round me, and informed them of my plans for an excursion, 150 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 di- rection, 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROIRINSON. 151 had accustomed them from infancy to face danger of every kind; but I am now con- vinced that the parent who adopts a hardy scheme of education acts the wisest part. But now for the passing of the river. “Ernest was 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. Af- ter 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 contin- ued for some time to look around and admire 152 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 enjoy- ment 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, how- ever, it was necessary to go a long way through a strong kind of grass which reached above the heads of the little boys; an obsta- cle 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 noth- ing but the most exhausting endeavors 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 do- ing: at last I saw him tearing off some hand- fuls of grass, and wiping his clothes with º, §º. ##". CROSSING THE RIVER, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBIN SON. 153 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, every thing I had in them is wet, pistols, turfs, every thing.’ “‘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" dry- ing, that I might always have them about me.’ “‘Thoughtless, yet fortunate boy!” ex- claimed 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 impru- dence in future.’ — ‘There is nothing, I be- lieve, to fear, mother, for this time,' replied he, holding the pistol 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 154 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. were talking of what had happened, our at- tention 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 pre- pared to fire, but before they could be ready, the bird was out of the reach of shot. Er- nest 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 l 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 before-hand, that it was your pleasure he should wait till you could be quite ready,' observed I, laughing. “‘But, mother, how could I possibly sup- pose that the bird could fly away in less than the twinkling of an eye 7 Ah, if one would but come at this very moment l’ “‘A good sportsman, Ernest, always holds himself in readiness, this being, as I under- stand, one of his great arts; for you must know, that birds do not send messages to give notice of their coming.’ THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 155 “‘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 lit- tle Francis, “for I have read in my book of fables, that an eagle can carry off a sheep; and this bird was terribly large.’ “‘O 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 travelers sometimes name 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. “The boys remained stupid with astonish- O% 156 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINson. ment, following him with their eyes and open mouths without speaking a word, while for my own part I could not help laughing heart- ily. “Oh such fine sportsmen as we have here !' cried I: “they will never let us he in want of game, I plainly perceive. Ah, if one would but come at this very moment.' ' Ernest, always a little disposed to vent un- easiness by crying, now began to whimper; while Jack, with a curious mixture of tragi- comic bravery upon his features, his eyes darting upon the mountain traveler, takes off his hat, makes a profound bow, and roars out as if for the bird to hear: ‘Have the goodness, Mr. Traveler, to indulge me once more with a little visit, only for a single min- ute: 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 THE SWISS FAMILY RO]3INSON. 157 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 op- portunity of recognizing many of the origi- nals of the engravings in his books of natural history, and of displaying his knowledge, or his ignorance, to his heart's content. A pro- digious quantity of unknown birds were skip- ping 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 enor- mous 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 158 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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. He found that it measured more than fifteen braches (the brache is equal to twenty-two inches and a half). I made thirty-two steps in going round one of those 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 re- THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 150 Solved to go no further, but to enjoy its de- licious 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 pro- vision 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 remain- ed behind, sauntering about the skirts of the wood. To my great surprise, they did not ask for any thing 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 enchant- ing 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 160 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. # the vessel, which the waves might have wash- ed there. “ISut before we left our enchanting retreat, Jack entreated me to stay, and finish sewing the linen strips to his leather belt. The lit- tle coxcomb had so great an ambition to strut about and exhibit himself in this new orna- ment, 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 in- sisted 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 THE Swiss FAMILY Robinson. 161 track of the foot of man is to be found, wo might easily lose each other. I became more tranquil respecting him when we had got once more togethek 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 catch- ing 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 that 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 1 for I really began to think that, with their enor- mous 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 * # 162 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 favor, with his usual compos- ure, to pronounce just these words: —“They are turtle's eggs l' “‘Run, my children,’ cried I, ‘and get as many of them as you can ; they are excel- lent, and I shall have the greatest pleasure in being able to regale our dear travelers 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 im- agine; 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 recrossed as before, by leaping from one great stone to THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 168 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' " “And you think we could set up a tent in one of those giant trees at a distance of six- ty-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 impor- tant 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 endeavored to Soothe and relieve her somewhat wounded sensibility. “Do you recollect,” said she, “the large limetree 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 jºbne of my giant trees, which afford even stberior facilities in the enormous size and 164 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 marvelous 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. Father. — The brache, or half-ell, contains one foot ten inches, or twenty-two inches. Now then make your calculation. Brnest. —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 con- tains, and you have 792; divide this by 12, the number of inches in a foot, and it will as give us 66 for the number of feet. Is tútº right, father? r” THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 165 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. Father.—Well, say two feet and a half to each step. * Prnest. — 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 circumferenee 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 166 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. for any line which may be drawn from one point of the periphery to another passing through the centre 7 Now, Jack, you may show us what a great geometrician you intend to be. 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 be- tween 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 ran- dom; 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, al- ways measured three times the length of the diameter, and a trifle over, for the quantity of ribbon he should use. . Father.—So; height from the ground to THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 167 the branches, sixty-six feet; thickness, eight feet in diameter, and twenty-eight feet dis- tance from the extremities of the roots to the trunk; they really, with propriety, may be called giant trees. We now performed our devotions, and re- tired to rest, grateful to find ourselves once more together, and in health. We Soon closed our eyes, and enjoyed tranquil slum- bers till break of day. CHAPTER VIII. Construction of a Bridge. WHEN my wife and I awoke the next morn- ing, we resumed the question of our change of abode. I observed to her, that it was a matter of difficulty, and that we might have reason to repent such a step. “My own opinion ls,” said I, “that we had better re- main here, where Providence seems to have conducted us; the place is favorable to our personal safety, and is near the vessel, from ~ *k 168 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. which we may continue to enrich ourselves; we are on all sides protected by the rocks; it is an asylum inaccessible but by sea, or by the passage of the river, which is not easily accomplished. Let us then have patience yet a little longer at least, till we have got all that can be removed, or that would be useful to us, from the ship.” My wife replied, that the intense heat of the sands was insupportable; that by re- maining, we lost all hope of procuring fruits of any kind, and must live on oysters, or on such wild birds as that we found so unpalata- ble. “As for the safety you boast of,” pur- sued she, “the rocks did not prevent our receiving a visit from the jackalls; nor is it improbable that tigers or other animals might follow their example. Lastly, as to the treasures we might continue to draw from the vessel, I renounce them with all my heart. We are already in possession of pro- visions and other useful things; and, to say the truth, my heart is always filled with dis- tressing apprehensions, when you and Fritz are exposed to the danger of that perfidious element the Sea.” THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 169 “We will then think seriously of the mat- ter; but let us have a well-digested scheme of operation before we leave this spot for your favorite wood. First, we must contrive a store-house among the rocks for our provis- ions and other things, and to which, in case of invasion in the wood, we can retreat and defend ourselves. This agreed, the next thing is to throw a bridge across the river, if we are to pass it with all our family and baggage.” “A bridge l’’ exclaimed my wife: “can you possibly think of such a thing? If we stay while you build a bridge, we may con- sider ourselves as fixed for life. Why should we not cross the river as we did before? The ass and the cow will carry all we pos- sess upon their backs.” “But do you recollect, that to keep what they carry dry, they must not perform their journey as they did from the vessel? For this reason, then, if for no other, we must contrive a bridge. We shall want also some sacks and baskets to contain our different matters; you may therefore set about mak- ing these, and I will undertake the bridge, 170 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. which, the more I consider, the more I find to be of indispensable necessity; for the stream will, no doubt, at times increase, and the passage become impracticable in any other way. At this moment it would be found so for our shortest legged animals, and I am sure you would not wish to see them drowned.” “Well, then, a bridge let there be, said my wife, and you will leave our stock of gunpow- der here, I hope; for I am never easy with it so near us: a thunder-storm, or some thoughtless action of one of the boys, might expose us to serious dangers.” “You are right, my love; and I will care- 'fully attend to your suggestion. We will keep on hand only a sufficient quantity for daily use; I will contrive a place in the rock for the rest, where it will be safe from the chance of fire or dampness. It is an article which, according to the use which is made of it, may become, on the one hand, a most dan- gerous enemy, and, on the other, a most use- ful friend.” Thus, then, we decided the important ques tion of removing to a new abode: after º; * THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 171 we fixed upon a plan of labor for the day, and then awaked the boys. Their delight on hearing of our project may easily be con- ceived, but they expressed their fear that it would be a long while before a bridge could be built; a single hour appearing an age to them, with such a novelty in view as the prospect of removing to the wood, to live under the giant trees. They, in the fulness of their joy, entreated that the place might be called The promised Land. We now began to look about for breakfast; Fritz taking care not to neglect his monkey, who sucked one of the goats as contentedly as if she had been its mother. My wife un- dertook to milk another, and then the cow, and afterwards gave some of the milk to each of the children; with a part of what re- mained she made a sort of soup with biscuits, and the rest she put into one of the flasks, to accompany us in our expedition. During this time, I was preparing the boat for an- other journey to the vessel, to bring away a sufficient quantity of planks and timbers for the bridge. After breakfast we set out; and now I took with me Ernest as well as 172 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Fritz, that we might accomplish our object in a shorter time. We rowed stoutly till we reached the cur- rent, which soon drew us on beyond the bay; but scarcely had we passed a little islet, lying to one side of us, than we perceived a prodi- gious quantity of Seagulls and other birds. I had a curiosity to discover what could be the reason of such an assemblage of these creatures. I steered for the spot; but, find- ing that the boat made but little way, I hoisted my sail. To Ernest our expedition afforded the high- est delight. He was in ecstacies at seeing the sail begin to swell, and the motion of the streamer in the air. Fritz, on his part, did not for a moment take his eyes from the islet where the birds were. Presently he suddenly exclaimed, I see what it is;, the birds are all pecking, tooth and beak, at a monstrous fish, which lies dead upon the soil.” I approached near enough to step upon the land, and after bringing the boat to an anchor with a heavy stone, we stole softly up to the birds. We soon perceived that the object which attracted them was in reality an TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 173 enormous fish, which had been thrown there by the sea. So eagerly were they occupied with the feast, that not one of them attempted to fly off. We observed with astonishment the extreme voracity of this plumed group; each bird was so intent upon its prey, that we might have killed great numbers of them with our sticks alone. Fritz did not cease to express his wonder at the monstrous size of the animal, and asked me by what means he could have got there? “I believe,” answered I, “you were your- Self the means: there is every appearance that it is the very shark you wounded yester- day. See, here are the two balls which you discharged at its head.” “Yes, yes, it is the very same,” said my young hero, skipping about for joy: I well remember I had two balls in my gun, and here they are, lodged in his hideous head.” “I grant it is hideous enough,” continued I; “its aspect even when dead makes one shudder, particularly when I recollect how easy it would have been for him to have de- voured us. See what a huge mouth he has, and what a rough and prickly skinſ one 174 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. might almost use it for a file; and his length must be above twenty feet. We ought to be thankful to Providence, and a little to our Pritz also, for having delivered us from such a monster! But let us take away with us some pieces of his skin, for I have an idea that it may in some way or other be useful to us. But how to get at him is the diffi- culty.” Ernest drew out the iron ramrod from his gun, and by striking with it to right and left among the birds, soon dispersed them. Fritz and I then advanced and cut several long strips of the skin from the head of the shark, with which we were proceeding to our boat, when I observed, lying on the ground, some planks and timbers which had recently been cast by the Sea on this little island. On measuring the longest, we perceived they would answer our purpose; and, with the as- sistance of the crow and a lever which we had brought with us, found means to get them into the boat, and thus spare ourselves the trouble of proceeding to the vessel. With great exertion of our strength, we contrived to bind the timbers together, with the planks THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 175 upon them, in the manner of a raft, and tied them to the end of the boat; so that, through this adventure, we were ready to return in four hours from the time of departure, and might boast of having done a good day's work. I accordingly pushed again for the current, which soon drove us out to sea; then I tacked about, and resumed the direct rout for the bay. All this succeeded to my ut- most wishes; I unfurled my sail, and a brisk wind soon conveyed us to our landing-place. While we were sailing, Fritz, at my re- quest, had nailed the strips of skin we cut from the shark to the mast to dry; and he now observed to me that this was Wrong, as they had taken its round shape in drying, and could not be made flat again. “That was precisely my intention,” re- plied I; “they will be more useful to us round than flat; besides, you have still some left, which you may dry flat; and then we shall have a fine provision of shagreen, if We can find a good method to rub off the sharp points, and afterwards to polish it." - “I thought,” said Ernest, “that shagreen was made of ass's skin.” “And you were Q 176 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 3. not mistaken,” rejoined I; “the best sha- green is made in Turkey, Persia, and Tar- tary, from skin taken from the back of the ass and the horse. While the skin is yet moist, it is stretched upon a kind of hard fat; they then beat the skin, by which means the fat is incorporated, and gives the surface the appearance of a kind of file: but very good shagreen is also made from the skin of sea- fish, particularly in France.” Ernest asked his brother if he knew why the mouth of the shark is not, as in other an- imals, placed in the middle of the snout, but directly under. Fritz confessed his inability to answer this question. “I suppose,” rejoined Ernest, “that the mouth of the shark is thus placed, with the intention of preventing him from depopulat- ing the sea and the land. With so excessive a voraciousness of appetite as he possesses, nothing would escape him if he had the power to seize his prey without turning his body; but as it is, there is time enough for a smaller animal to make his escape.” “Well reasoned, my young philosopher,” cried I; “and though we should not always THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 177 be able to comprehend the intention of the Creator in the objects which surround us, at least the conjectures we are induced to form respecting them cannot fail of being a useful exercise to the mind.” We were once more landed safely on our shore, but no one of our family appeared. We called to them as loud as we could, which was answered by the same sounds in return, and in a few minutes my wife appeared be- tween her two little boys returning from the river, a rising piece of ground having con- cealed her from our sight: each carried a handkerchief in hand, which appeared filled with some new prize; and little Francis had a small fishing-net formed like a bag and strung upon a stick, which he carried on his shoulder. No sooner did they hear our voices, than they flew to meet us, surprised at our quick return. Jack reached us before the rest; and his first act was to open the hand- kerchief he held, and pour out a large number of lobsters at our feet: their mother and little Francis produced each as many more, form- ing all together a prodigious heap, and all alive ; so that we were sure of excellent din- 178 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. ners for some days at least. Some of the an- imals tried to escape in different directions; and the boys, in following them, were kept in full chase, sometimes pleased and some- times angry; sometimes laughing, sometimes scolding at the bootless trouble they were en- gaged in; for no sooner had they seized on the deserter, than ten more had followed his example. “Now, have I not been very lucky, papa 7” said little Francis; “for you must know it was I who found them out. Look, there are more than two hundred of them, and see how large they are, and what fine claws they have I am sure they will be quite deli- cious !” Father. — Excellent indeed, my little fel- low, and particularly if it was your industry that first discovered them. Jack. —Yes, father, it was Francis who saw them first; but it was I who ran to tell mamma, and it was I who fetched the net and put it to rights, and it was I who went up to my knees in water to catch them. Father. —You make a charming story of it together, my boys; but as it is an inter- 'THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 179 esting subject, you may tell me as many par- ticulars as you please; it is indeed an event of some importance for our kitchen, and I have great pleasure in looking forward to partaking of a dish of your providing. Jack. — Well then, papa, as soon as you were gone, mamma sat down outside the tent and began to work, while Francis and I took a little walk towards the river, to find out a proper place for you to begin the bridge. Father. — Bravo, Mr. Architect : but jok- ing apart, I am much gratified to find that careless head of yours for once employed upon a useful subject. Did you find a proper place for me to begin the bridge 2 Jack. —Yes, father, yes. But listen, and you will know all. When we reached the river we saw a large stone just at the edge, and little Francis kneeling down, and touch- ing it, suddenly cried out, “Jack, Jack, Fritz's jackall is covered all over with lob- sters! Run as fast as you can.” I sprang to him in an instant, and saw not only the jackall covered with them, but legions more coming in with the stream. I ran to tell mamma, who quickly got the net you brought Q* 180 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. from the vessel. Partly with this net, and partly with our hands, we caught those you see in a very few minutes; and we should have caught a much larger number if we had not heard you call, for the river is quite full of them. — “You took quite enough for once, my boy,” said I: “A little at a time is the maxim that suits us best, and I should even advise your taking the smallest of them back to the river, where they will grow larger; we shall still have sufficient for several magnifi- cent repasts.”—This then, said I to myself, is a new source for our support: even here, in these arid regions, we find means to pro- cure not only the necessaries of life, but even luxuries. May we never cease to evince our gratitude to Providence, by the exercise of a more than ordinary care and industry ! After giving in our turn an account of our voyage, my wife set about dressing some of the lobsters, and in the meantime Fritz and I employed ourselves in untying the raft of timbers and planks, and in moving them from the boat. I then imitated the example of the Laplanders, in harnessing their rein-deer for drawing their sledges. Instead of traces, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 181 halters, &c. I put a piece of rope, with a running knot at the end, round the neck of the ass, and passed the other end between its legs, to which I tied the piece of wood which I wished to be removed. The cow was har- nessed in the same manner, and we were thus enabled to carry our materials, piece by piece, to the spot which architect Jack had chosen at the river, as the most eligible for our bridge: to say the truth, I thought his judgment excellent; it was a place where the shore on each side was steep, and of equal height; there was even on our side an old trunk of a tree lying on the ground, which I foresaw would have its use. “Now then, boys,” said I, “the first thing is to see if our timbers are long enough to reach to the other side : by my eye, I should think they are; but if I had a surveyor's plane, we might be quite sure, instead of working at a venture. “But my mother has some balls of pack- thread, with which she measured the height of the giant tree,” interrupted Ernest, “and nothing would be more easy than to tie a stone to the end of one of them, and throw 182 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. it to the other side of the river; then we could draw it to the very brink, and thus ob- tain the exact length that would be required for our timbers.” “Your idea is excellent,” cried I; “noth- ing gives me more pleasure than to see you exercise your invention: run quickly and fetch the packthread.” He returned without loss of time; the stone was tied to its end, and thrown across as we had planned; we drew it gently back to the river edge, mark- ing the place where the bridge was to rest: we next measured the string, and found that the distance from one side to the other was eighteen feet. It appeared to me, that to give a sufficient solidity to the timbers, I must allow three feet at each end of extra length for fixing them, making therefore in all twenty-four; and I was fortunate enough to find that many of those we had brought did not fall short of this length. There now remained the difficulty of carrying one end across the stream; but we determined to dis- cuss this part of the subject while we ate our dinner, which had been waiting for us more than an hour. THIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 183 We all now proceeded homewards, and en- tering the kitchen, we found our good stew- arºl had prepared for us a large dish of lob- sters; but before tasting them, she insisted we should look at something she had been employed about: she produced two sacks in- tended for the ass, which she had seamed with packthread; the work, she assured us, had with difficulty been accomplished, since, for want of a needle large enough to carry packthread, she had been obliged to make a hole with a nail for every stitch; we might therefore judge by her perseverance in such a task, of the ardor with which she longed to see her plan of a removal executed. She re- ceived on this occasion, as was well her due, abundance of compliments and thanks from her companions, and also a little good-hu- mored raillery. For this time we hurried through our meal, each being deeply inter- ested in the work we were about to under- take, and thinking only of the part which might be assigned him towards the execution of the Nonsuch ; for this, for mutual encour- agement, was the name we gave our bridge, even before it was in existence. 184 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Having consulted as to the means of lay- ing our timbers across the river, the first thing I did was to attach one of them to the trunk of the tree, of which I have already spoken, by a strong cord, long enough to turn freely round the trunk; I then fastened a second cord to the other end of the timber, and tying a stone to its extremity flung it to the opposite bank. I next passed the river as I had done before, furnished with a pulley, which I secured to a tree; I passed my sec- ond cord through the pulley, and recrossing the river with this cord in my hand, I con- trived to harness the ass and cow to the end of the cord. I next drove the animals from the bank of the river; they resisted at first, but I made them go by force of drawing. I first fixed one end of the beam firm to the trunk of the tree, and then they drew along the other end, so as gradually to advance over the river: presently, to my great joy, I saw it touch the other side, and at length be- come fixed and firm by its own weight. In a moment Fritz and Jack leaped upon the timber, and, in spite of my paternal fears, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 185 crossed the stream with a joyful step upon this narrow but effective bridge. The first timber being thus laid, the diffi- culty was considerably diminished; a second and a third were fixed in succession, and with the greatest ease. Fritz and I, standing on opposite sides of the river, placed them at Such distances from each other as was neces- sary to form a broad and handsome bridge: what now remained to be done was to lay Some short planks across them quite close to each other, which we executed so expedi- tiously, that our construction was complifted in a much shorter time than I should have imagined possible. The reader should have seen our young workmen, to form the least conception of the delight they felt; they jumped, danced, played a thousand antics, and uttered a thousand joyful sounds upon their bridge. For my own part, I could hardly restrain myself from joining in these demonstrations of their perfect happiness; and my wife, who had been the mover of all our operations, was as little disposed to a si- lent calm enjoyment of our success as any of 186 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. the rest: she ran to one, and then to an- other, embracing each in turn, and was never tired of passing and repassing on our piece of workmanship, which was every where safe and even, and at least ten feet in breadth. I had not fastened the cross planks to each other, for they appeared to be close and firm without it; and besides, I recollected that in case of danger from any kind of invasion, we could with the greater ease remove them, and thus render the passage of the river more difficult. Our labor however had occasioned us so much fatigue, that we found ourselves unable for that day to enter upon new exer- tions; and the evening beginning to set in, we returned to our home, where we partook heartily of an excellent supper, and went to bed. CHAPTER IX. Change of Abode. As soon as we were up and had break- fasted, the next morning, I assembled all the THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 187 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 be- fore, 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 hu- man creatures or beasts; much caution is therefore necessary, and take care not to re- main separate from each other.” Having unburdened my mind of this necessary charge, we prepared for sitting 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 R 188 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. cord, which crossing each other, and being again brought round and fastened, served to hold the sacks firmly on the back of the an- imal. 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 provis- ion of butter, &c., &c. 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 jackalls. We must contrive a place for them among the luggage, and also one for our little Francis, who can- not 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.” Inow placed the children on the ass's back, fixing the enchanted bag in such a way as to TILE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 180 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 humor. — “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 peas 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 en- trance, and caught one after the other with- out difficulty. The boys looked at each other half ashamed, though much amused with the adventure. The fowls were then tied by the 190 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 every thing we were to leave, and, for greater se- curity, 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 assim- mediately behind them; the goat 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 for- wards, like adjutants to a troop of soldiers. Our march was slow, and there was some- SM R E H T § 1OWAL * # THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 191 thing solemn and patriarchal in the spectacle we exhibited; I fancied we must resemble our forefathers journeying in the deserts, ac- companied by their families and their posses- sions. – “Now then, Fritz,” cried I, “you have the specimen you wished for of the pa- triarchal mode of life; what do you think of it?”—“I like it much, father,” replied he: “I never read the Bible, without wishing I had lived in those good times.” “And I too,” said Ernest, “I am quite delighted with it; I cannot help fancying myself not merely a patriarch, but a Tartar, or an Arab, and that we are about to dis- cover I know not how many new and extra- ordinary things. Is it not true, father, that the Tartars and the Arabs pass their lives in journeying from one place to another, and carrying all they have about them 7” “It is certainly for the most part true,” replied I, “and they are denominated wan- dering tribes; but they generally perform their journeys attended by horses and cam- els, by means of which they can proceed a little faster, than if, like us, they had only an ass and a cow. For my part, I should 192 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. not be sorry if I were quite sure that the pil- grimage we are now making would be our last.”—“And I too am of your way of thinking,” cried my wife, “and I hope that in our new abode we shall be so well satisfied with the shade of such luxuriant trees, that we shall not be inclined to further rambles.” We had now advanced half way across the 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 res- tive 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 ap- prize us, by her continual grunting, that she disapproved of our migration. On the other side of the river we experi- enced 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 T[HE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 193 every thing 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 my- self to advance to their assistance. But youth is always full of ardor; 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 pro- ceeded. 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 !” 194 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. I soon reached the spot, and perceived that it was really as they said, bating a little ex- aggeration. 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 darted his quills so sud- denly at them, that a great number had pene- trated the skins of the valiant creatures, and remained sticking in them; and it was no doubt the pain they occasioned which made them howl so violently. While we were looking on, Jack deter- mined 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 a 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 l’”—“Oh yes, to be THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 195 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 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 your- Self ” Fritz only replied by a motion of his head. He was out of humor because his younger brother had deprived him of the honor 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 re- proaches; luck for one to-day, for another to-morrow; but 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 defense, by arming his body all over with long spears. The boys 196 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. were at a loss what means to use for carry- ing away his carcass. They thought of drag- ging it along the ground; but as often as they attempted to take hold, there was noth- ing 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.” While the boys were talking, my wife and I had hastened to relieve the dogs, by draw- ing out the quills and examining their wounds. Fritz had run on before with gun, hoping he should meet with some ani- mal 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 ad- venture, 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, TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 197 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 honor, my dear wife, for the discovery of this agree- able 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 im- mense, and so destitute of branches.” We began now 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 some- what uneasy on the question of our safety during the ensuing night; for I was ignorant of the nature of the extensive country I be- held around me, and what chance there might S 198 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. be of our being attacked by different kinds of wild beasts. I accordingly observed to my wife, that I would make an endeavor for us all to sleep in the tree that very night. While I was deliberating with her on the sub- ject, 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 recognized Fritz's voice crying out, “I touched him I touched him l’’ 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 ren- dered 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 199 fall in your way, for we cannot have more dangerous intruders.” Ernest. — I wish father you would be so good as to tell me why God created wild beasts, since man seems to be appointed to destroy them. Father. — This indeed is a question I can- not answer, and we must be contented with taking care to arm ourselves against them: neither can I explain to you why many other things, which to us appear to have only inju- rious qualities, have been created. With re- spect to beasts of prey, I am inclined to be- lieve, that one of the ends of Providence, in giving them existence, is their embellishing and varying the works of the creation; of maintaining a necessary equilibrium among creatures endowed with life; and lastly, to furnish man, who comes naked into the world, with materials for protecting himself from the cold, by the use of their skins, which become the means of exchange and commerce between different nations. We may also add, that the care of protecting himself from the attacks of ferocious ani- mals invigorates the physical and moral 200 THE SWISS FAMILY BOBINSON. powers of man, supports his activity, and renders him inventive and courageous. The ancient Germans, for example, were ren- dered robust and valiant warriors, through their habitual exercises in the field, which enabled them at a time of need, to defend their country and their liberty with as little difficulty as they would have experienced in killing a wolf or a bear. — But let us return to the animal Fritz has killed. Tell me all the particulars of your adventure. How did you kill him 7 Fritz. —With my pistol, father, as Jack killed the porcupine. Father. —Was he on this tree just by us? Fritz. – Yes, father, I had been observing that something moved among the branches. I went softly as near as I could ; and on see- ing him I knew him for a tiger cat. I fired, when he fell at my feet, wounded and furi- ous; and then I fired a second time and killed him. Father. —You were very fortunate, for he might gasily have devoured you. You should always take care, in aiming at animals of this kind, to be at a greater distance. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 201 Fritz. —Why so, father ? I might have missed him if I had been further off. I, on the contrary, tried to be as near him as pos- sible, and fired close to his ears. Father. — This was acting in the same way as your brother Jack, whom you so much derided for his want of care, and may Serve you as a lesson not to blame in your brothers, what you would yourself be perhaps obliged to do in the same situation; also not to interrupt their joy with unkind reflections, but rather to partake with them the pleasure of their success. Fritz. —Well, father; all I now ask of Jack is, that he will be so good as not to spoil the beautiful skin of this animal as he did that of the jackall. Only observe what beautiful figures it is marked with, and the fine effect of the black and yellow spots; the most richly manufactured stuff could not ex- ceed it in magnificence. What is the exact name of the animal? Father.—You may for the present give it the name of the tiger cat. I do not, how- ever, think that it is the animal which is 50 denominated at the Cape of Good Hope; I Sºk 202 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. rather think it is the margay, a native of America, an animal of extremely vicious dis- positions and singular voraciousness; he at- tacks all the birds of the forest, and nei- ther a man, a sheep, or goat, that should fall in his way, could escape his rapacity. In the name of humanity, therefore, we ought to be thankful to you for having destroyed him. Fritz. — All the recompense I ask, father, is, that you will let me keep the skin; and I wish you would tell me what use I can make of it. Father. — One idea occurs to me; skin the animal, carefully, so as not to injure it, particularly the parts which cover the fore legs and the tail. You may then make your- self a belt with it, like your brother Jack's. The odd pieces will serve to make some cases to contain our utensils for the table, such as knives, forks, spoons. Go then, boy, and put away its bloody head, and we will see how to set about preparing the skin. The boys left me no moment of repose till I had shown them how to take off the skins of the animals without tearing them. In the THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 203 meanwhile Ernest looked about for a flat stone as a sort of foundation for a fire-place, and little Francis collected some pieces of dry wood for his mother to light a fire. Er- nest was not long in finding what he wanted, and then he ran to join us and give us his assistance, or rather to reason, right or wrong, on the subject of skinning animals; and then on that of trees, making various comments and inquiries respecting the real name of those we intended to inhabit. — “It is my opinion,” said he, “that they are, really and simply, enormously large hazel trees; see if the leaf is not of exactly the same form.”— “But that is no proof,” interrupted I: “for many trees bear leaves of the same shape, but nevertheless are of different kinds.” Ernest. —I thought, father, that the mango tree only grew on the seashore, and in marshy soils : Father.—You were not mistaken: it is the black mango tree which loves the Water. But there is, besides, the red mango, which bears its fruit in bunches, something like our currant bushes. This kind of the mango tree is found at a considerable distance from 204 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. the sea, and its wood is used for dyeing red. There is a third sort, which is called the mountain mango, or yellow wood, and this is the kind whose roots produce the beautiful arches you now see around us. Presently little Francis came running, with his mouth crammed full of something, and calling out, “Mamma, mamma, I have found a nice fruit to eat, and I have brought you home some of it !” “Little glutton l’’ replied his mother, quite alarmed, “what have you got there? For heaven's sake, do not swallow, in this impru- dent manner, the first thing that falls in your way; for by this means you may be poisoned, and then you would die.” She made him open his mouth, and took out with her finger what he was eating with so keen a relish. With some difficulty she drew out the remains of a fig. —“A fig l’’ exclaimed I: “where did you get this fig’” Francis. – I got it among the grass, papa; and there are a great many more. I thought it must be good to eat, for the fowls and the pigeons, and even the pig, came to the place and ate them in large quantities. TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 205 Father. —You see then, my dear, said I to my wife, that our beautiful trees are fig- trees, at least the kind which are thus named at the Antilles. I took this occasion to give the boys another lesson on the necessity of being cautious, and never to venture on tast- ing anything they met with, till they had seen it eaten by birds and monkeys. At the word monkeys, they all ran to visit the little orphan, whom they found seated on the root of a tree, and examining with the oddest grimaces the half-skinned tiger cat, which lay near him. Francis offered him a fig, which he first turned round and round, then Smelled at it, and concluded by eating it v0- raciously.—“Bravo, bravo! Mr. Monkey,” exclaimed the boys, clapping their hands; so then these figs are good to eat! Thank you, Mr. Monkey, for after your wise decis- ion, we shall make a charming feast on them.” In the meanwhile my wife had been busy in making a fire, putting on the pot, and pre- paring for our dinner. The tiger cat was bestowed upon the dogs, who waited impa- tiently to receive it. While our dinner was 206 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBIN SON. dressing, I employed my time in making some packing-needles with some of the quills of the porcupine, which the boys had contrived to draw from his skin, and bring home. I put the point of a large nail into the fire until it was red-hot; then taking hold of it with some wet linen in my hand, by way of guard, I with great ease perforated the thick end of the quills with it. I had soon the pleasure of presenting my wife with a large packet of long, stout needles, which were the more val- uable in her estimation, as she had formed the intention of contriving some better har- ness for our animals, and had been perplexed how to set about them without some larger needles. I, however, recommended to her to be frugal in the use of her packthread, for which I should soon have so urgent a need, in constructing a ladder for ascending the tree we intended to inhabit. I had singled out the highest fig-tree; and while we were waiting for dinner, I made the boys try how high they could throw a stick or stone into it. I also tried myself; but the lowest branches were so far from the ground, that none of us could touch them. I per- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 207 ceived, therefore, that we should want some new inventions for fastening the ends of my ladder to them. I allowed a short pause to my imagination, during which I assisted Jack and Fritz in carrying the skin of the tiger cat to a near rivulet, where we confined it under water with some large stones. After this we returned and dined heartily on some slices of ham and bread and cheese, under the shade of our favorite trees. CHAPTER X. 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 pre- paring the harness for the animals, that they might go to the seashore, and fetch pieces of wood, or other articles which might be useful to us. I, in the meantime, set about Sus- pending 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 pre- 208 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. serve us from the dew and from the insects. I then hastened with the two eldest boys to the seashore, 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 pre- pared 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 appre- hending it might be the retreat of some dan- gerous reptile, or animal, we held our guns in readiness. Flora, who had accompanied us, went before. We had hardly reached the THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 209 thicket before she made several jumps, and threw herself furiously into the middle of the bushes; when a troop of large-sized flamin- goes 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 es- cape 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 cau- tiously 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 Wi- olence for some time. But at last I suo- ceeded in securing him. Fritz was not long in extricating himself from the swamp; he now appeared holding T 210 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 handker- chief; notwithstanding which, he still con- tinued 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 l’” 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 we 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.” JErnest. — Our river will furnish him with all these: Jack and Francis can catch as THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 211 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 flamingoes like this, of such a beautiful red color, and the wings so exquisitely tinted with purple? I think I have seen the flamingo in my Natural His- tory, and the colors were not like these ; so perhaps this is not a flamingo at last. Father. —I believe it is a flamingo, Fr- Ilest, and that this difference in the plumage denotes the age of the bird: when very young they are gray: at a more advanced age they are white; and it is only when they are full grown, that they are adorned with this beau- tiful 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. 212 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 re- quested they would oblige me by having a little patience; and I reminded them, that it was not long ago that they defied their mo- ther to catch the fowls, because they them- selves 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 thou- sand 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 THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 213 we brought home 2—“You should consider,” said I, “that some of them feed us, instead of being fed; and the one we have now brought you need not give 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. In the meantime, my little railers had tied the two longest canes together, and were en- deavoring 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, T} 214 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. and that the measure of the highest moun- tains, and their distance from each other, may be ascertained by the application of tri- angles and supposed lines. I instantly pro- ceeded 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 as- certain, 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 bam- boo, 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. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 215 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 l’’ 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 Bay, have patience. Have you, my dear, any strong thread : " said I to my wife; “I want some immediately.”—“We shall see,” said she, “what my enchanted bag, which has never yet refused its aid, can do for you." She then threw open its mouth. —“Come," said she, “pretty bag, give me what I ask for; my husband wants some thread, and it must be very strong See now, did I not promise you should have your wish?–here is a large ball of the very thread you want." Ernest.— But I do not see much magið, however, mother, in taking out of a bag ex- actly what we had before put into it. Father. – If we are to discuss the matter seriously, Ernest, I cannot but allow that 216 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. your observation is a just one; but in a mo- ment of dreadful apprehension, such as we experienced on leaving the vessel, to think of a variety of little things that might be use- ful to one or all of us, was an act that we may truly call magical; only from the best of wives and mothers, could it have pro- ceeded: it is, then, something like a truth, that your mother is a good fairy, who con- stantly provides for all our wants: but you young giddy things think little of the benefit you thus enjoy. Just at this moment Fritz joined us, hav- ing finished measuring the string: he 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 ar- row 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 217 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 sugar-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 218 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. rest so well upon it, that the joyous exclama- tions of the boys and my wife resounded from all sides. All the boys wished to be the first to ascend upon it; but I decided that it should be Jack, he being the nimblest and of the lightest figure among them. Accord- ingly, I and his brothers held the ends of the rope and of the ladder with all our strength, while our young adventurer tripped up the rounds with perfect ease, and presently took his post upon the branch; but I observed that he had not strength enough to tie the rope firmly to the tree. Fritz now inter- fered, assuring me that he could ascend as safely as his brother; but as he was much heavier, I was not altogether without appre- hension. I fastened the end of the ladder with forked stakes to the ground, and then gave him instructions how to step in such a way as to divide his weight, by occupying four rounds of the ladder at the same time, with his feet and hands. It was not long be- fore we saw him side by side with Jack, forty feet above our heads, and both saluting llS with cries of exultation. Fritz set to work to fasten the ladder, by passing the rope TIHE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 219 round and round the branch; and this he performed with so much skill and intelli- gence, that I felt sufficient reliance to deter- mine me to ascend myself, and well conclude the business he had begun. But first I tied a large pulley to the end of the rope, and carried it with me. When I was at the top, I fastened the pulley to a branch which was within my reach, that by this means I might be able the next day to draw up the planks and timbers I might want for building my aerial castle. I executed all this by the light of the moon, and felt the satisfaction of hav- ing done a good day's work. I now gently descended my rope ladder, and joined my wife and children. Finding an inconvenience in being three together on the branch, I had directed the boys to descend first. My astonishment, therefore, on reaching the ground, where neither Fritz nor Jack had made their ap- pearance, it is easier to conceive than to de- scribe. While I was endeavoring to conjec: "ture where they could be, we suddenly heard the sound of voices which seemed to Como from the clouds, and which chanted an even- 220 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. ing hymn. I soon perceived the trick our young rogues had played, who, seeing me busily employed in the tree, instead of de- scending as I had desired, had climbed up- wards from branch to branch, till they had reached the very top. My heart was now lightened of my apprehensions for their safety. I called out to them as loudly as I could to take great care in coming down. It was almost night, and the light of the moon scarcely penetrated the extreme thickness of the foliage. They presently descended with- out any accident, when they told us that scarcely had my voice reached to the great height at which they were. I now directed them to assemble all our animals, and to get what dry wood we should want for making fires, which I looked to as our defense against the attacks of wild beasts. I explained to them my reasons for this; informing them that in Africa, a country remarkable for its prodigious numbers of ferocious animals, the natives secure themselves from their noctur- nal visits by lighting large fires, which all these creatures are known to dread and avoid. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 221 My wife now presented me with the day's work she had performed; it was some traces, and a breast-leather each for the cow and the ass. I promised her, as a reward for her zeal and exertion, that we should all be com- pletely settled in the tree the following day, and we then assembled to supper. 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 tranquility. Our beautiful flamingo was not forgotten, Fritz having fed him with some crumbs of biscuit soaked in milk, which he ate Very heartily; and afterwards putting his head under his right wing, and raising his left foot, he abandoned himself with confidence toºl*P. And now the gaping of one, and the * U 222 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. stretched arms of another, gave us notice that it was time for our young laborers to retire to rest. We performed our evening devo- tions. I set fire to several of the heaps, and then threw myself contentedly upon my ham- mock. My young ones were already cased in theirs, and we were soon greeted with their murmurs at being obliged to lie so close to each other that they could not move their limbs. –“Ah, gentlemen,” cried I, “you must try to be contented. No sailor is ever better accommodated than you are now, and you must not expect beds to drop from the clouds on your behalf!” I directed them how to put themselves in a more convenient pos- ture, and to swing their hammock gently to and fro. “And See,” added I, “if sleep will not visit you as soon in a hammock as on a bed of down.” They profited by my advice, and all, except myself, were soon asleep. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 223 CHAPTER XI. 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 ap- proach of a jackall or a tiger, who might at- tack 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 pre- paring the breakfast, set off with Ernest, Jack, and Francis, attended by the ass, to the sea-shore; 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 prepara- 224 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. tions 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 founda- tion 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 ham- mocks; 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 sur- face 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 lit- tle 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 al- THE SWISS FAMILY ROIBINSON. 225 ready placed two beams upon the branches, I hastened to fix my planks upon them; and I made my floor double, that it might have suf- ficient 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 jour- ney 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 en- trance to our apartment; and in this I left à, large aperture, both as a means of Seeing U% 226 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 every thing was ready for our reception that very evening. Well sat- isfied with the execution of my plan, I de- scended 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 contriv- ing 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-parlor. 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 all the pieces of wood we had thrown down from the tree, and a quantity of small wood, to dry in a heap, at a small distance from our fire-place. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 227 Exhausted by the fatigues of the day, I threw myself on a bank, and my wife having seated herself near me, I thanked her for the tender care she was ever imposing on herself; and then I observed to her, that the many blessings we enjoyed led the thoughts natu- rally to the beneficent giver of them all; and to-morrow being a Sabbath-day, we would rest from work, in obedience to his command, and otherwise keep it holy. We then sum- moned our young family, und prepared them for the intended solemnity. I called their recollection to the nature of the Sabbath-day; to the gratitude due from us tº an Almighty being, who had saved and comforted usin the hour of peril, and the duty of our prayers and acknowledgements. I informed them that, after performing with them the service of the church, I should read to them a paper I had composed for the occasion, and to which I had given the name of a parable of the Great King. The children expressed their approbation of what I had said, eachin his own way, and we now assembled round our table to supper, my wife holding in her hand an earthen pot, which we had before 228 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. observed upon the fire, and the contents of which we were all curious to be informed of. She took off the cover, and with the fork drew out of it the flamingo which Fritz had killed. She informed us that she had pre- ferred dressing it this way, to roasting, be- cause Ernest had assured hér that it was an old bird, which would prove hard and tough, and had advised her to improve it by stew- ing. We rallied our glutton boy on this foi- ble of his character, and his brothers gave him the name of the cook. We, however, had soon reason to know that he had con- ferred 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 per- fectly contented with his company. His fine plumage was a most pleasing sight; while, TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 229 * 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. 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 lad- der 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 as- cension 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, there- fore, was made with the greatest difficulty, in 230 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. consequence of its swinging motion. At last, however, I got to the top, and, to the admi- ration 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 draw-bridge is raised, the in- habitants are secured from every attack of the enemy. Notwithstanding this apparent safety, I kept our guns in readiness for what- ever event might require their use. We now abandoned ourselves to repose; our hearts experienced a full tranquility; and the fa- tigue we had all undergone induced so sound a sleep, that daylight shone full in the front of our habitation before our eyes had opened. CHAPTER, XII. The Sabbath and the Parable. ON awaking in the morning, we were all sensible of an unusual refreshment, and a new active mind. “Well, young ones,” cried I, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 231 jocosely, “you have learned, I sce, how to sleep in a hammock: I heard not a single complaint all the night; no disputing about room from any one of you; all was still and tranquil.”—“Ah,” answered they, stretch- ing and yawning as they spoke, “we were 50 heartily fatigued yesterday, that it is no Won- der we slept soundly.” Father. — Here, then, my children, is an- other advantage derived from labor; that of procuring a sweet and peaceful sleep. My wife could not help wishing we had some place like a church for the worship of the Sabbath, till I said to her, “There is no place in the world that may not serve for " church, because we may entertain pious sºn- timents everywhere; and this majestic arch of Heaven, the immediate work of the Al- mighty, ought more effectually to raise the soul and touch the heart, than an edifice ºf stone made by the hand of man!" We descended the ladder, and breakfasted on warm milk; we served the animal" also with their meal, and then we all sat down OD the tender grass; the boys full of impatient curiosity; their mother absorbed in silent re- 232 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. flection, her hands joined, and her eyes some- times turned towards the sky; while I was penetrated with the most lively desire to im- press upon the young minds of my children, a subject I considered of the highest import- ance for their well-being, both in this world and in that which is to come. * All now standing up, I repeated aloud the church service, which I knew by heart, and we sang some verses from the hundred-and- nineteenth psalm, which the boys had before - learned; after which we sat down, and I be- gan as follows at “My dear ºffiden, there was once a Great King, whose kingdom was called The Coun- try of Light and Reality, because the purest and softest light of the sun reigned there continually, which caused the inhabitants to be in a perpetual state of activity. On the furthest borders of this kingdom, northward, there was another country, which also be- longed to the Great King, and the immense extent of which was unknown to all but him- self. From time immemorial, a plan the most exact of this country had been preserved in the royal archives. This second kingdom ſº # THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 233 was called The kingdom of Obscurity or of Night, because every thing in it was gloomy and inactive. “In the most fertile and agreeable part of his empire of Reality, this Great King had a residence called the Heavenly City, in which he lived and kept his court, which was the most brilliant that the imagination can form an idea of Millions of guards, and servants high in dignity, remained for ever round him, and a still larger number held themselves in readiness to receive his commands. The first of these were clothed in robes of cloth that was lighter than silk, and white as snow; for white, the image of purity, was the favorite color of the Great King. Others of his at- tendants carried flaming swords in their hands, and their garments displayed the most bril- liant colors of the rainbow; each of these stood in waiting to execute the will of th9 King, with the rapidity of lightning, on re- ceiving from him the slightest sign. All were happy to be admitted into his presence; their faces shone with the mildest joy: there was but one heart and one soul among them; the sentiment of paternal concord so united these V - 234 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. beings, that no envy or jealousy ever arose among them. The common centre of all their thoughts, and all their sentiments, was devo- tion to their sovereign: it would have been impossible either to see or converse with them, without desiring to obtain their friend- ship, and to partake their lot. Among the rest of the inhabitants of the Heavenly City, there were some less close in their attendance upon the Great King; but they were all vir- tuous, all happy, all had been enriched by the beneficence of the monarch, and, what is of still higher price, had received constant marks of his paternal care; for his subjects were all equal in his eyes, and he loved them and treated them as if they had been his children. “The great King had, besides the two kingdoms I have been describing, an unin- habited island of considerable extent: it was his wish to people and cultivate this island, for all within it was a kind of chaos: he des- tined it to be for some years the abode of such future citizens as he intended to receive finally into his residence, to which only such of his subjects were admitted, as had ren- TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 235 dered themselves worthy by their conduct. This island was called Earthly Abode, he who should have passed some time in it, and by his virtues, his application to labor, and the cultivation of the land, should have ren- dered himself worthy of reward, was after- wards to be received into the Heavenly City, and made one of its happy inhabitants. “To effect this end, the Great King caused a fleet to be equipped, which was to transport the new colonists to this island. These he chose from the kingdom of Night, and for his first gift bestowed upon them the enjoyment of light, and the view of the lovely face of nature, of which they had been deprived in their gloomy and unknown abode. It will easily be imagined that they arrived joyful and happy, at least they became so when they had been for a short time accustomed to the multitude of new objects which struck their feeble sight. The island was rich and fertile when cultivated. The beneficent King provided each individual who was disem- barked upon it, with all the things he could want in the time he had fixed for their stay in it, and all the means for obtaining the cer- V% - 236 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. tainty of being admitted as citizens of his magnificent abode, when they should leave the Earthly Island. All that was required to entitle them to this benefit was, that they should occupy themselves unceasingly in use- ful labor, and strictly obey the commands of the Great King, which he made known to them. He sent to them his only son, who ad- dressed them from his father in the following terms : “‘My dear children, I have called you from the kingdom of Night and Insensibility, to render you happy by the gifts of life, of sentiment, and of activity. But your happiness for the most part will depend upon yourselves. You will be happy if you wish to be so. If such is your sincere desire, you must never forget that I am your good King, your tender father; and you must faithfully fulfil my will in the cultivation of the country I have confided to your care. Each of you shall receive, on his arriving at the island, the portion of land which is intended for him; and my further commands respecting your conduct, will be soon communicated to you. I shall send you wise and learned men, who THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 237 will explain to you my commands; and that you may of yourselves seek after the light necessary for your welfare, and remember my laws at every instant of your lives, it is my will that each father of a family shall keep an exact copy of them in his house, and read them daily to all the persons who belong to him. Further, each first day of the week I require to be devoted to my service. In each colony, all the people shall assemble to- gether as brothers in one place, where shall be read and explained to them the laws con- tained in my archives. The rest of this day shall be employed in making serious reflec- tions on the duties and destination of the col- onists, and on the best means to fulfil the same: thus it shall be possible to all to re- ceive instruction concerning the best manner and most effectual means of improving the land which has been confided to your care: thus you will each day learn to manure, to sow, to plant, to water, and cleanse the land from tares, and from all evil weeds that may choke the good seed. On this same day, each of you may present his supplications, may tell me what he stands in need of, and 238 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. what he desires to have, to forward the per- fection of his labor; all these requests will appear before me, and I shall answer, by granting such as I shall think reasonable, and tending to a salutary end. If your heart tells you that the various benefits you enjoy, deserve your gratitude, and if you will testify it by doubling your activity, and by conse- crating to me the day I have chosen for my- self, I will take care that this day of rest, instead of being an injury to you, shall be- come a benefit, through the salutary repose of your body, and that of the animals given you to assist your labors, and who, as well as yourself, should enjoy repose on that day, to recruit their strength. Even the wild ani- mals of the field, and of the forests, ought on that day to be protected from the pursuit of the hunter. “‘He who, in his Earthly Abode, shall most strictly have observed my will, who shall have best fulfilled the duties of a brother to- wards his fellow inhabitants, who shall have preserved his land in the best order, and shall show the largest produce from it, shall be re- compensed for his deeds, and shall become THE SWISS FAMILY ROBIN SON. 239 an inhabitant of my magnificent residence in the Heavenly City. But the neglectful and the idle man, and the wicked man, who shall have spent their time in interrupt- ing the useful labors of others, shall be con- demned to pass their lives in slavery, or, ac- cording to the degree of their wickedness, shall be condemned to live in subterraneous mines, in the bowels of the earth. “‘From time to time, I shall send ships to fetch certain indivdiuals from the Earthly Island, to reward or punish them, according as they have done well or ill; and as none will be warned beforehand, of the time of the coming of my messenger, it will be well for you to keep watch, that you may be ready to perform the voyage, and worthy to be re- ceived into the Heavenly City. It will not be permitted for any one to pass by stealth on board the ship, and leave his abode with- out my orders; for such a one shall be se- verely punished. I shall have the most certain knowledge of all that passes in the Earthly Island, and no one will be able to deceive me. A magical mirror will at all times show me the actions of each individual 240 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. in the island, and you shall be judged accord- ing to your most secret thoughts and ac- tions.” “All the colonists were well satisfied with the discourse of the Great King, and made him the most sacred promises. After a short time allowed for repose from the fatigue of the voyage, a portion of land, and the proper instruments for labor, were distributed to each of the strangers. They received also seeds, and useful plants, and young trees, for pro- ducing them refreshing fruits. Each was then left at liberty to act as he pleased, and increase the value of what was confided to his care. But what happened? After some time, each followed the suggestions of his fancy: one planted his land with arbors, flow- ery banks, and sweet-swelling shrubs; all pleasing to the sight, but which brought forth nothing. Another planted wild apple-trees, instead of the good fruit, as the Great King had commanded; contenting himself with giving high-sounding names to the worthless fruit he had caused to be brought forth. A third had indeed sown good grain; but not knowing how to distinguish the tares that THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 241 grew up along with it, he pulled up the good plants before they were mature, and left only the tares in his ground. But the greater part let their land lie fallow, and bestowed no la- bor upon it, having spoiled their implements, or lost their seed, either from negligence or idleness, or liking better to amuse themselves than to labor; many of them had wilfully misunderstod the instructions of the Great King, and sought by subtle turns to change their meaning. “Few, very few, worked with diligence and courage, and seeking to improve their land, according to the orders they had re- ceived. The great fault of these was, that they would not believe what the Great King. had sent to tell them. All the fathers of families had indeed a copy of the laws of the Sovereign, but most of them omitted to read in the book: some saying that it was useless to read it, for they knew it by heart, while they never employed their thoughts upon it. Others pretended that these laws were good for times past, but were no longer beneficial for the present state of the country. Some had even the audacity to assert, that it con- 242 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. tained many inexplicable contradictions, that the laws it prescribed were merely supposed or falsified, and that they had, therefore, a right to deviate from them. Others among them maintained, that the magical mirror was a mere fable; that the King was of too merciful a nature to keep galleys; that there was no such place as the subterranean mines; and that all would at last enter the Heavenly City. From habit they continued to cele- brate the first day of the week, but by far the smallest part of it was consecrated to the honor of the Great King. Great numbers of them dispensed with going to the general as- sembly, either from idleness, or to employ themselves in occupations which had been ex- pressly forbidden. By far the greater part of the people considered this day of repose as intended for pleasure, and thought of nothing but adorning and amusing themselves as soon as daylight appeared. There were only then a small number of persons who kept the day according to the decree; and even of those who frequented the assembly, many had their thoughts absent, or were sleepy, or engaged in forming empty projects, instead of listen- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 243 ing to the words which fell from the lips of the minister of the Sovereign. The Great King, however, observed unalterably the laws he had laid down and announced, respecting them. From time to time, some frigates ap- peared on their coasts, each bearing the name of some disastrous malady; and these were followed by a large ship of the line, named the Grave, on board of which, the admiral, whose name was Death, caused his flag of two colors, green and black, to be constantly floating in the air. He showed the colonists, according to the situation in which he found them, either the smiling color of Hope, or the gloomy color of Despair. “‘This fleet always arrived without being announced, and seldom gave any pleasure to the inhabitants. The admiral sent the cap- tains of his frigates, to seize the persons he was ordered to bring back with him. Many who had not the smallest inclination, Were suddenly embarked, while others, who had prepared everything for the harvest, and whose land was in the best condition, were also seized. But these last took their depar- ture cheerfully, and without alarm; well W 244 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. knowing that nothing but happiness awaited them. It was those who were conscious they had neglected to cultivate their land, who felt the most regret. It was even necessary to employ force, to bring them under subjec- tion. When the fleet was ready for de- parture, the admiral sailed for the port of the Royal Residence; and the Great King who was present on their arrival, execut- ed with strict justice both the rewards and punishments which had been promised to them. All the excuses alleged by those who had been idle, were of no avail. They were sent to the mines and to the galleys, while those who had obeyed the Great King, and well cultivated their land, were admitted into the Heavenly City, clothed in robes of brilliant colors, one exceeding the other ac- cording to the degree of merit.”—Here, my dear children, ends my parable. May you have thoroughly understood its meaning, and may you reap the advantage it is capable of affording you! Make it the subject of your reflections the whole of this day. You, Fritz I see, are thoughtful; tell me what struck you most in my narration. TIIE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 245 Fritz. — The goodness of the Great King, and the ingratitude of the colonists, father. Father. — And you, Ernest, what is your thought 7 Ernest. — For my part, I think they were great fools to have made so bad a calcula- tion. What did they get by conducting them- selves as they did Ž With a little pains they might have passed a very agreeable sort of life in the island, and would have been sure of going afterwards to the Heavenly City. Jack. —To the mines, gentlemen, away with you! you have well deserved it. Francis. – For my part, I should have liked best to have lived with the men who were dressed in the colors of the rainbow. How beautifully they must have looked Father. —This is well, my boys. I per- ceive that each of you, according to his age and character, has seized the meaning of my parable. I have by this image endeavored to represent to you the conduct of God to- wards man, and that of man towards God; let us see now if you have completely seized the sense. —I then put different questions to them, and explained what they had not per- 246 TIIE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. fectly comprehended; and after a short re- view of the principal parts of my discourse, I concluded by a moral application. “IIuman creatures,” said I, “are the colonists of God; we are required to perform the business of probation for a certain period, and, sooner or later, are destined to be taken hence. Our final destination is Heaven, and a perfect happiness with the spirits of just men made perfect, and in the presence of the bountiful Father of us all. The piece of land intrusted to each is the soul; and according as he cultivates and ennobles it, or neglects or depraves it, will be his future reward or punishment. At present, dear children, that you know the true sense of my parable, each of you should make the application of it ac- cording to his own consciousness. You, Fritz, should think of the subjects who planted the wild apples, and wished to make them pass for sweet savory fruit of a superior kind. These represent persons who make a parade of the natural virtues belonging to their character, and which are consequently exer- cised without any trouble to themselves; such as courage, strength, &c.; who prefer * THE SWISS FAMILY IROIBINSON. 247 them to more essential qualities acquired by others, with sacrifices and labor to themselves; and who, full of presumption and arrogance, consider themselves as irreproachable, because nature has given them personal courage, and bodily strength, and a certain skill in the use of these qualities. “You, Ernest, should think of the sub- jects of the Great King, who cultivated their land so as to produce arbors, flowery banks, and sweet-smelling shrubs, and such produc- tions in general as would please the eye, but which produced no fruit. These are they, who give their whole attention to the ac- quiring of unfruitful knowledge, sciences, &c., and consider with a sort of contempt the things more immediately required for the conduct of life; who exert themselves solely for the understanding, and neglect the heart; whose principal aim it is, to obtain Self-indulgences, and who neglect what is use- ful in society. # “You, Jack, and you, Francis, should apply to yourselves the case of those men who let their land lie fallow, or, in their thoughtlessness, mistook the grain, and sowed Wik 248 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. tares instead of wheat. These are the neg- lectful subjects, who neither think nor learn, but give to the winds what is taught them, or entirely forget instruction; who reject vir- tuous sentiments, and let the bad ones grow in their hearts. But for ourselves, one and all, we will adopt the model of the good and zealous laborers; and should our exertions be a little painful, we shall think of the re- ward which awaits us, when we shall have adorned our Souls with all that is good, just, and praiseworthy. Thus, when death, which cannot fail to come at last, shall summon us, we may follow him with joy to the throne of the Good and Great King, to hear him pro- nounce these sweet and consoling words; ‘O good and faithful servant! thou hast been tried, and found faithful in many things; en- ter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’” — With these words, and a short prayer of benedic- tion, I concluded the solemnity of our Sun- day; and I had the satisfaction of seeing, that my four sons had not only listened at- tentively, but that they were struck with the application I had made to each of them. — They remained for a short time reflecting in THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 249 silence. Jack was the first to break it: — “You have explained to us every part of the parable, father, except the copy of the laws of the Great King, which was to be kept and read in every family: have you one of these copics? for you never read it to us.” Father. — My children, this copy is the Holy Rible, which contains all God's laws, and which we ought constantly to study. I cannot forgive myself for not having thought of bringing it from the vessel. Should we not be able to go another voyage, we shall forever be deprived of this divine doctrine. My Wife. — Have you then forgot my en- chanted bag, which I have promised shall furnish every thing you can desire? You wish for a Bible. In a minute I will put one into your hands; and heartily do I rejoice in having the power to procure you so great a Satisfaction. Father. — Most excellent of women Give me then the inestimable book, these laws of the Great King, which from this moment we will take for the rule of our lives. She opened her bag, and with joy I received from her the book of life. I opened it, and read 250 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. some passages from it to my family. In this solitude, in which for so long a time we had heard only our own thoughts expressed in an appropriate language, we were singularly af- fected with the voice from Heaven, which now seemed to address us: we felt forcibly that, notwithstanding our exile, we were still connected with the community of mankind by the invisible tie of the same religion, and the same Father: we were forever numbered among the children of God, to whom he en- joins laws, and on whom he bestows his care no less in a desert, than in an immense cap- ital. I explained with the utmost care what I read them, and I gave the book in turn to each of the boys, that they might have the pleasure of reading for themselves. I chose in preference such passages as were applica- ble to our circumstances. We then raised our hearts to God, to thank him for so signal a benefit as the preservation of our Bible. My young folks still remained thoughtful and serious; but by and by the gaiety natural to their age prevailed and each slipped gway to seek the recreation he liked best. The next morning, the boys assembled THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 251 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, be- gan 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 con- stituted the principal defense of the warriors of old, and might possibly become our only means of protection and subsistence: our provision of powder must at last be ex- hausted; 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 ani- mals, or attacking our enemies. The Carib- bees, 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 sub- ject, employed in finishing a bow, Ernest, who had been observing me for some time, 252 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 atten- tion to the circumstance. I began my in- structions 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 opera- tion, if his mother could spare them. You will not at first produce such excellent work- manship as I have seen of this kind from England; but with a little patience, regret- ting neither your time nor your labor, 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 pre- pared, cut certain small cylinders of wood of the size and length required; scoop these cyl- inders hollow, so as to form a convenient case for a knife, a fork, or a spoon; then stretch THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 253 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 upwards 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, which in the Antilles is called an Ortolan: they are very fat, and of a deli- cious taste. We now observed, for the first time, that the wild figs began to ripen, and 254 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. that they attracted these birds. I fore- saw, 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. Thus finished another day. Supper ended, and prayers said, we ascended the ladder in procession; and each got into his hammock to taste the Sweets of a tranquil sleep. CHAPTER XIII. Conversation, a Walk, and important Discoveries. JACK had finished the trial of his arrows: they flew to admiration; and he practised his THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 255 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 fin- ished my bow, and prepared some little ar- rows 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 pro- duced from our soupcakes. 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 prop- osition 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 X * 256 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. abode, and to the different parts of the coun- try which are known to us? I do not mean a general name to the whole island, but to the objects we are most concerned with : this will make us better understand each other, when conversing about them; and also pre- sent 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 dif- ficult 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 other still more diffi- cult. Ah! now we shall take our revenge of them. 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 257 organs will be fatigued, by frequently pro- nouncing such barbarous words as you pro- pose. Jack. — How shall we manage, then 7 What pretty names can we find? Pather. — We will do as all sorts of na- tions have done before us. We will call the places by different words from our own lan- guage, that shall express some particular circumstance with which we have been con- cerned. 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 the eldest. Fritz. — Let us call it Oyster Bay; you remember what quantities 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 258 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, 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 appropri- ate and sonorous, and please me extremely. But what name shall we give to the spot where we first set up our tent? Fritz. —Let us call it simply 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 : s Ernest. —It may be called Sea-Gull Is- land, 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 commem- orating the courage and the triumph of Fritz, who killed the monster. * Jack. — For the same reason, we will call THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 259 the marsh, in which you cut the canes for our arrows, Flamingo Marsh. 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 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. Pritz. – 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. Pather.—Will you let me decide the ques- tion 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 X 260 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 Faleon'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 solemnize 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 Disap- pointment.” - 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 Jackall's River; for these animals crossed it when they came and at- tacked us, and it was there that one of them was killed. The bridge I should name Fam- ily Bridge, because we were all employed in THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 261 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 con- verse about the country we inhabit, now that we have instituted names as if every thing belonged to us? Ernest. —It will be just as if we had farms and country houses, all dependent upon our castle. * Francis. –It is the same as if we were kings. 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 flamingoes; the What more shall I say? for I do not know the fam- ily name of all your vassals. Let me there- fore end, by hoping that you will not depop- ulate your kingdom. Fritz. — No, mother, we will take care of that. We will endeavor 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 coun- 262 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. try; and amused ourselves with saying, that 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 goodnéss of the Creator. Which way shall we direct our steps ?” 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 tan- ning; 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 savory 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBIN SON. 263 swimming about in our stream here, by Fal- con's Nest. Jack. —I will undertake to catch them, if any one will help to bring them home. Francis. – And I will catch my handker- chief full of lobsters in the Jackall's River, and we will put them into Falcon's Stream, where, no doubt, they will thrive to admira- tion. 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. 264 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Jack had his belt also armed with two pis- tols, 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 shoul- der. Their mother was the only person not burdened with a gun; but she carried her large butter-pot, to fill it at our large store- house. 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 rout along the stream was at first ex- tremely 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 pro- ceeded 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 appeared to be less open, we thought it would be prudent to bring our whole company together. On looking for- ward, we saw the boys approaching us full gallop, and this time, for a wonder, the grave THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 265 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; but he held out his hand, which contained three little balls of a light green color. “We have found a prize, indeed, father,” cried he at last, when he had recovered his voice; “we have found some potato seed l’’ “What say you? potato seed?” inquired I joyfully; “have you really been so fortun- ate? Come near, every one of you, and let me look at your little balls;” for I scarcely dared believe in so happy an event, as the discovery of a plant which would place us forever beyond the reach of hunger, and even of apprehension. We all hastened to the place where these tubercles had been gathered, and, with ex- treme joy we found there a large plantation of potato plants; a number of them were covered with their lilac and yellow blossoms, the sight of which conveyed more pleasure to our hearts than if they had been the most fragrant roses. Jack bawled out, jumping for joy, “They are really potatoes! and 266 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. though it was not I who discovered them, at least it shall be I who will dig them up.” Saying this, he knelt down and began to scratch them up from the earth with his hands; the rest of us, unwilling to be idle spectators, set to work also: with our knives and sticks we soon procured a sufficient num- ber to fill our bags and our pockets. “There are,” observed I, “different kinds of vegetables, more succulent and more deli- cate than the potato; but it is this plain sus- tenance that can be eaten for the longest time together, without satiety: accordingly, food of this nature, such as bread, rice, po- tatoes, obtains on the whole, a preference over provisions possessing a higher flavor. Can you tell me, boys, the reason of this?” Jörnest. —I know; it is because they are more wholesome. Jack. — And because they occasion no dis- gust; I could eat potatoes every day of my life, without being tired of them. * * Father. — All you say is true; in future they will serve us for bread, and often indeed for our whole dinner. But let us for the pres- ent dismiss the subject of our unexpected good fortune, and resume our expedition. TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 267 CHAPTER XIV. Continuation of the preceding Chapter; and nore Discoveries. CONVERSING on different subjects, we reached the long chain of rocks, over which our pretty Falcon Stream made its escape in a cascade, delighting at once the eye and the ear in its progress. We thus reached Jack- all's River, and from thence to Tent-House, having with difficulty pushed through the high grass which presented itself. Our fa- tigue, however, was relieved by the uncom- mon 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 ac- cessible, and the chain of rocks, forming al- together 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 Y 268 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. green-houses of Europe. There was also in abundance the Indian fig, with its large broad leaf; aloes of different forms and colors; the superb prickly candle, or cactus, bearing straight stalks, taller than a man, and crown- ed with long, straight branches, forming a sort of star. The broad plantain spread along the rocks its innumerable boughs twist- ed with each other, hanging down perpendic- ularly, and ornamented with flowers, which grew in large tufts, and were of the brightest rose-color, while that which pleased us best, and which was found there in great abund- ance, was the king of fruits, both for figure and relish, the crowned pine-apple, of which we all partook with avidity. Soon after, I was fortunate enough to dis- cover among the multitude of plants which grew either at the foot or in the clefts of the rock, the karata (the Bromelia Karata of Linnaeus), many of which were now in blos- som. Travelers have given so perfect a de- scription of this plant, that it was impossible I should mistake it. I pointed out to the boys the immense size of its leaves, hollowed in the middle like a saucer, in which rain is THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 260 for a long time preserved; also, its beautiful red flowers. As I was acquainted with the properties of this useful plant, the pith of which is used as tinder by the Negroes, who also make a strong kind of thread from the fibres of its leaves, I was not less satisfied with the discovery than I had been with that of the potatoes. Wishing to exhibit one of its uses to my children, I desired Ernest to take out my flint and steel. I took a dried stalk of the tree, stripped off the bark, and there appeared a kind of dry spongy substance, which I laid upon the flint; and then striking it with a steel, it in- stantly caught fire. The boys looked on with astonishment, and soon began to caper about, exclaiming: “Long live the tender-tree l’’ “Here, then,” said I, “we have an article of greater usefulness than if it served merely to gratify the appetite. Your mother will next inform us what materials she will use for sewing your clothes, when her provision of thread from the enchanted bag is ex- hausted.” º My Wife. —I have long been uneasy upon this very subject, and would willingly ex- 270 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. change our greatest luxury for some hemp or flax. Father. — And your wish shall be accom- plished. If you examine, you will find some excellent thread under the leaves of this ex- traordinary plant, where all-provident nature has placed a storehouse of this valuable ar- ticle, though the lengths of thread will be found not longer than the leaf. I accord- ingly drew out of one of the leaves a strong piece of thread of a red color, which I gave to my wife. “How fortunate it is for us,” said she, “that you have had the habit of reading and of study None of us would have had a thought about this plant, or have conceived that it could be of any use:—but will it not be difficult to draw out the lengths of thread through the prickles that surround them 7” Father. —Not in the least; we shall put the leaves to dry, either in the sun, or by a gentle fire. The useless part of the leaf will then separate by being beaten, and the mass of thread will remain. Fritz. — I see clearly, father, that we ought not to trust to appearances; but one THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 271 may, I suppose, assert that there are no good qualities in the prickly plants, which are growing here in all directions, and wounding the persons who go near them: of what use can they possibly be 7 Father. — The greatest part of these pos- sess medicinal virtues; great use is made in pharmacy of the aloe, which produces such abundance of beautiful flowers; in green- houses in Europe, some have been seen to bear more than three thousand blossoms. At Carlsbad, upon the estates of Count de Limbourg, there was an aloe-tree twenty-six feet in height; it had twenty-eight branches, which branches bore more than three thou- sand blossoms in the space of a month. At Paris, at Leyden, in Denmark, there have been also some exceedingly curious specimens of this tree; many of them are full of a re- sinous sort of sap, of which valuable gums are made. But look, here, too, is the Indian fig, or prickly pear, a vegetable of no com- mon interest; it grows in the poorest soils, and, as you see, upon the rocks; the poorer the soil, the more luxuriant and succulent its leaves; I should be tempted to believe that Yºk * 272 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. it was nourished by the air rather than by the earth. It is also called the racket-tree, from the resemblance of its long, thick, flat leaves to that well-known instrument. The plant bears a kind of fig, which is said to be sweet and palatable when ripened in its na- tive sun, and it is a salutary and refreshing food. This, then, is another plant of great utility. I next instructed them how to gather this prickly fruit without injury to their fin- gers. I threw up a stone, and brought down a fig, which I caught upon my hat; I cut off one end, and was thus enabled to hold it on a knife while I peeled off the skin. I then resigned it to the curiosity of my young com- panions. The novelty, rather than the taste, of the fruit, made them think it excellent: they all found means to gather some of the figs, and each was busied in inventing the best method of taking off the skins. In the meantime, I perceived Ernest holding a fig upon the end of his knife, turning it about in all directions, and bringing it close to his eye with a look of curious inquiry. —“I wish I could know,” said at length our young observer, “what THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 273 little animals these are in the fig, which feed so eagerly upon it, and are of quite a Scarlet color.” Father. — Ha, ha! this too will perhaps turn out a new discovery, and an additional source of usefulness. Let me look at your fig; I will wager that it is the insect called the cochineal. Jack. — The cochineal! what a droll name! What is the cochineal, father. Father. —It is an insect of the kind called suckers, or kermes. He feeds upon the In- dian fig, which, no doubt, is the cause of his beautiful color, so much esteemed in dyeing; for nothing else produces so fine a scarlet. In America, they stretch pieces of linen un- der the branches, and then shake the tree; and when the insects have fallen in great numbers, the ends of the linen are folded together to enclose them; the insects are sprinkled with vinegar or cold water, and sent to Europe, where a high price is paid for them. But I have not yet mentioned a still superior usefulness, peculiar to the Indian fig-tree: — what if I should assert that it can be used as a protection to man? 274 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Fritz. — As a protection to man | Why, how can that be, father ? Father. —It is well adapted for enclosing the dwellings of man; for you see, that be- sides the prickles, there is a large thorn at each of the knots in the stalk, well calculated for repelling the attacks of animals or men. This, then, you see, is a third usefulness the Indian fig-tree can boast, and of which I was not at first aware. You must perceive of what importance these enclosures are; and the rather, as they are made with so little trouble; for if you plant only one of its leaves in the ground, it immediately takes root, and grows with astonishing rapidity. Jack, the thoughtless, here cried out, that with the assistance of a knife, or even a stick, it would be easy to get over such a hedge; and he began to cut down with his clasp-knife a pretty large plant, striking to right and left with all his might, till one of the divided leaves fell with such violence on his leg, that the thorns struck into the flesh, and Jack roared out piteously, and quickly sat down to draw them out. I could not, as I assisted him, refrain from laughing a little at his ad- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 275 venture. I observed to him, how difficult it must be for savages, who wear no clothes, to force such a barrier as they formed; and for this once, I had the pleasure of convincing him. Ernest. — Ah, father, do let us make a ledge of these plants round our tree; we shall then have no further occasion for fires to preserve us from wild, beasts, or even from the Savages, who may arrive in their canoes, as they did on Robinson Crusoe's Island. Fritz. — And we could, then, easily gather the cochineal, and try to make the same beautiful scarlet color. Father. —We shall have time enough for many things my dear children; but for the present, it is sufficient to prove to you, that God has not made any thing to be wholly useless; and that it is the duty of man, on whom he has bestowed the gifts of wisdom and intelligence, to employ those faculties in discovering the utility of the different pro- ductions he has allowed to exist. Jack. — For my part, I have done with the Indian fig-tree, its fruit, its cochineal, and its ugly thorns, and I will never go near it again. 276 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Father. —If the plant could speak, it would most likely say, That little boy shall not come near me any more. Without any reason, or any necessity, but purely out of contradiction to his father, he attacks and destroys me; me, who would have done him service, if he would but have treated me with kindness, and have been careful in coming near me. — And now, Jack, if your leg is still painful, apply a leaf of the karata to it, for I recollect that the plant possesses the property of curing wounds. He accordingly took my advice, and in a few minutes was able to join us on our road to Tent-House. “Now then,” said Ernest, “I have had an opportunity of learning the valuable proper- ties of the karata tree, and of the Indian fig- tree; but I wish I could also be informed what those tall plants are which look like sticks covered with thorns, that I perceive every where about us; I see neither fruit nor insects on them : of what use, then, father, do you think they can be?” Father. —It is not in my power to explain to you the uses of all the plants in the world; I presume that many exist which have no THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 277 other than that of contributing to the suste- nance of different kinds of animals; and, as I have already told you, it is for man, by his Superior intelligence, to discover those that can be applied to his own use. Many pos- sess medicinal qualities of which I am igno- rant, and which will become better known as the world advances in age. The plant you speak of is perhaps the prickly candle, de- scribed by Bruce, in his Travels to Abyssinia, and of which he gives a drawing; the only difference that I perceive being the size. “They serve,” says he, “for food to the ele- phant and the rhinoceros; the first with his strong teeth, or his trunk, and the latter with his horn, lays hold of this seeming stick, and rips it up from one end to the other; they then devour the pith, and sometimes the rind.” I'rnest.—The palate of these animals must Surely be made of iron, to be able to chew such a thorny substance without injury. Fritz. — Why so? Camels and asses are very fond of thistles, and appear to digest them extremely well. It is probable, there- fore, that the stomach of these animals is 80 278 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. formed, that these prickly substances occa- sion in it only an agreeable excitation favor- able to their appetite and their digestion. IFather.—Your idea is not a bad one; and if it be not true, it is at least probable. JPritz. —Will you tell me, father, the pre- cise difference between true and probable 2 |Father. —Your question is one of those which have occupied the attention of philos- ophers for countless years, and would be too tedious for discussion at this moment; I will, however, endeavor to make my answer such, as to be of use to you, in the science of logic, or the art of reasoning. Let us see if you will understand it — What we call true, is that which cannot in any way be contra- dicted, and which exactly agrees, in every point, with the idea we conceive of a certain object, or as it really exists before our eyes: for example, when I make an impression with my Seal on some warm wax, it is abso- lutely true that the figure impressed on the wax, is the same as that on the seal. A thing is probable, when we have a variety of mo- tives for believing it true, without, however, being able to bring any proof. Again, we THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 279 call false, that which is in positive contradic- tion to all our notions, our reason, and our experience. Is it, true, probable, or false, that a man can fly up into the air : All. — It is false, absolutely false. Father. — How so : Jack. — Because the thing is impossible. Father. — Very well, my young philoso- pher, and why is the thing impossible : Jack. —Because it is not possible. Father. —Ha, ha, ha! here is a pretty round of possible and impossible. It is false because no such thing can be done, and no 8wch thing can be done, because it is not p08- 8ible. Presently you will tell me that it is impossible because it is false. Try again, my lads, we must have some better reasons. What say you, Ernest? Ernest. —I say, that the thing cannot be done, because it is not in the nature of man to fly; that having no wings, he is not formed for flying. Father.—Well, if some one should assert, that a man is able to make a machine, by the assistance of which he can raise and support himself in the air without wings, and without Z - 280 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. the machine resting upon any thing; would this be probable or improbable 2 What think you, Fritz’ Pritz. —I think I should have said £m- probable, if I had not known that people have accomplished what you describe, by the invention of balloons. Father. — And why should you have thought it improbable 2 Fritz. — Because man is, in his nature, heavier than the air; and I should have sup- posed, that a machine of whatever kind, in- stead of diminishing, would only add to his weight. Father. —Very well reasoned. But you would be told that this machine is of large dimensions, and composed of a close, light kind of silk, and that it is filled with air chem- ically prepared, which being much lighter than atmospheric air, tends perpetually to ascend, and supports the man in the air, as bladders support you upon the water. Do you understand all this, my boy? and what have you to say in answer? Fritz. – Yes, father, I understand it; and I perceive how it might be probable, that THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 281 since man has discovered a means to be sus- tained upon water, he might also find the means to raise and sustain himself in the air. Father. — And when a multitude of per- sons of veracity, and of different ages, shall declare that with their own eyes they saw a balloon, to which a parachute was fastened filled with men, and that all mounted in the air together, and disappeared above the clouds; should you still maintain that it is false that a man can fly? All. — No, to be sure, we should say that it is quite true that he can fly. Father. — And yet you all said, but a minute ago, that it was absolutely false. Fritz. — Ah! but we said that, father, of a man by himself, independently of any ma-. chine he might construct; for though nature has refused him wings, she has not failed to bestow on him an inventive mind, which more than compensates for that deficiency. Father. —Your observation is perfectly just, and I hope you will not fail to profit by it. With the aid of his intelligence, and his reason, there is scarcely any thing which man cannot attain to. But to return to Our 282 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. example: you will find in it the definition of the words which you ask me about: it is jalse, that a man of himself can fly; it is probable, that by the aid of a machine of his own invention he may be enabled to mount and sustain himself in the air; and it is also absolutely true, that this has been effected by man, though without his having yet found a certain means of guiding these factitious wings; a defect which, in a great measure, renders his discovery useless. At this point of our discourse, we reached Jackall's River, which we crossed, stepping with great, care from stone to stone, and shortly arrived at our old habitation, where we found every thing as we had left it; and each went in pursuit of what he intended to take away. Fritz loaded himself with pow- der 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, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 283 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 ani- mals 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 provis- ion of salt; but the sacks being occupied with potatoes, we could only throw a small quan- tity loose into one of them, to lie between the potatoes; 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 89 strange a fashion. Our mutual jokes, and the general good humor which prevailed, served to shorten the length of the walk, and Zºk 284 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. none complained of fatigue, till seated under our tree at Falcon's Stream. My wife now prepared to console us, by putting some of the potatoes which we so eagerly desired to taste, immediately on the fire. She next milked the cow and the goat, and gave us a draught of their warm milk. The kind crea- ture, fatigued at least as much as any of us, made no attempt to rest herself, till she had provided us with all she had to give for our refreshment. Having dined heartily on our potatoes, we concluded the day with evening- prayers, and then joyfully climbed our ladder to seek the blessing of repose in our aerial castle. CHAPTER XV. 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 285 and other provisions from Tent-House to Fal- con's Stream, and had secretly determined to go early the next morning, before my fam- ily 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 fa- vor the preference I gave him, and he prom- ised 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. ū 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 cross-ways 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 286 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 Er- nest to help me in making the new carriage. As we were hard at work, a prodigious THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 287 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 egg 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 288 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. great number of eggs, and we waited with impatience for the time when the hens would sit, in the hope of seeing their species mul- tiplied. In the meanwhile, Jack had got 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 alarm- ing or wounding these gentle creatures. I also directed that the snares should be fre- quently 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 prohi- bition 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. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 289 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 out- line of my machine. I then fastened two ropes in front, and here was a sledge as per- fect 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 290 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. sledge, I should not fail of going to Tent- House after dinner, to fetch the cask of but- ter, and in the meanwhile, she was endeavor- ing 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 inten- tion, 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 fa- tigue 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 protec- tion of the family. CHAPTER XVI. A Bathing, a Fishing, the jumping Hare, and a Masquerade. AT the moment of departure, Fritz pre- sented his brother and myself with a case of THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 291 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 jour- ney. 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 traveling for our vehicle, than the thick wild grass. We reached Family Bridge, on Jackall'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 but- ter, the cask of cheese, a small barrel of gunpowder, different instruments, some ball, and some shot. These exertions had so oc- AA 292 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. cupied 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 mean- time 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 con- trived for bathing. The juttings of the rock even seemed like little cabinets, for separate accommodation. Enchanted with this dis- covery, I called out to Ernest to come and join me, and in the meantime amused myself with cutting some of the rushes, and imagin- ing 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 SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 293 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 disap- pointed 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 l 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 294 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. a shallow, from which he could no longer es- cape, and thus he was effectually secured. We examimed him thoroughly, and he ap- peared 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. “You have now really labored,” said I to Ernest, “not only with your head, but with your whole body; and I would advise you to wipe the perspiration from your face, and keep a little quiet before you venture into the water. You have procured us a dish of great excellence, which will last for several days, and have conducted yourself like a true cavalier, without fear and without reproach.” “It was at least fortunate,” observed he in a modest tone, “that I thought of bring- ing my fishing-rod.” Father. — Certainly it was. But tell me how you came to see this large fish, and what made you think you could catch it? Ernest. —I used to remark great quanti- ties of fish in the water, just hereabout, and this made me determine to bring my fishing- tackle with me. In my way to the salt, I THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 295 perceived a great number of little crabs, upon which fishes feed, near the water's brink; I thought I would try to bait my hook with one of them; so I hastened my work, and came to this spot, where I caught only a dozen little fish, which are there in my hand- kerchief; but I remarked, that they were chased in the water by fishes of larger size. This gave me the idea of baiting my hook with one of the small ones; but the hook was too small, and my rod too weak. I then took one of the finest of the bulrushes you had just gathered, and put a larger hook to my line, and in a short time the large fish you see there seized upon the bait, and paid his life for his voracity. However, I must confess, that if you had not come to my as- sistance, I must either have let go my line, or have been dragged into the water; for the fish was stronger than I. We now examined the smaller fishes, which were mostly trout and herrings, while I felt certain that the large one was a salmon. I cut them all open, and rubbed them in the inside with salt, that they might not be in- jured by the heat. While I was thus em- AA* 296 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. ployed, 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 endeavor- ‘ing to escape, and made the most extraordi- nary jumps imaginable. The dog continuing to follow, the creature, in trying to avoid him, passed within gun-shot 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 pass- ing near him, seeking to hide itself among the tall herbage just by: he had fired so skil- fully, that the animal fell dead at the same instant. Iran with extreme curiosity to as- certain what kind of quadruped it might be. It was as large as a sheep, with the tail re- sembling that of a tiger; both its snout and THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 297 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 hind legs 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 engrav- ing or description of it in any natural his- tory, or book of travels. Ernest at length, clapping his hands together, joyously ex- claimed, “And have I really killed this won- derful animal. What will my mother and my brothers say? How astonished they will bel and how fortunate I am in securing so fine a prize! What do you think is its name, I would give all the world to know.” Father. — And so would I, my boy; but I am as ignorant as you. One thing, how- ever, is certain, that this is your lucky day. Let us again examine this interesting stran- ger, 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 298 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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. 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, porcu- pines, and jumpers. Father. — Jumpers | That short word fur- nishes the necessary clue; the animal is com- pletely formed like the gerboa 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 prop- erly to the genus Didelphis or Philander; because the female, who never bears more than one young one, carries it in a kind of THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 299 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 kill- ing an animal at once so rare and so remark- able. But now let us see how we shall man- age to drag him to the sledge. Ernest requested that I would rather assist him to carry it, as he was afraid of spoiling its beau- tiful mouse-colored 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 con- trived to carry it to the sledge, upon which it was securely fastened. Having now nothing more to detain us, we continued our road towards Falcon's Stream, conversing on the subject of natural history, and on the necessity of studying it in our youth, that we might learn to class plants and animals according to their characteristic marks; and we observed, that to such a knowledge as this it was owing that we had recognized the kangaroo. Ernest entreated 300 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. me to tell him all I knew about the animal. “It is,” said I, “a most singular kind of creature. Its fore legs, as you see, have scarcely the third part of the length of the hind ones, and the most it can do, is to make them serve the purpose of walking; but the hind legs enabled it to make prodigious jumps, the same as in the flea and the grass- hopper. The food of the kangaroo consists of herbs and roots, which they dig up very skilfully with their fore legs. They place themselves upon their hind legs, which are doubled under them, as if on a chair, and by this means are able to look above even the tall kinds of grass; they rest too upon their tail, which is exceedingly strong, and is also of great use to them in jumping, by assisting the spring from the ground. It is said that the kangaroo, if deprived of its tail, would scarcely be able to jump at all.” We at length arrived happily, though some- what 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, 301 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 traveling portmanteau. They all tried to jump about, but finding this im- possible, 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 mas- querade, and whether she had assisted them in attempting to act a comedy for our amuse- ment. She disclosed the mystery by inform- ing 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 sailor's clothes, and each had taken from it what article he had pleased. “I preferred,” said she, “that you should 302 THE SWISS FAMILY IRODINSON. see them in this odd sort of a disguise rather than quite naked, like little savages; ” in which opinion I assured her that I heartily joined. It was now our turn to give an account of our journey: as we advanced in our narra- tive, 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 an- swer first. Fritz was the only one who was a little silent. I saw plainly by his counte- nance what was passing in his mind. He was jealous of the good fortune of his bro- ther Ernest; but I also saw that he was struggling manfully against the ascendancy of so mean a passion. In a short time he had succeeded so completely, that he joined frankly and unaffectedly in our conversation and merriment. He came near the kanga- r00, 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 § ROLIC 'S F BOY THE BB THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 303 so little difficulty. — “But, father,” said he, “when you go again to Tent House, or on any other excursion, will it not be my turn to accompany you? For here at Falcon's Stream there is nothing new to amuse us; a few thrushes, and some pigeons; this is all we have from day to day, and I find it very tiresome.” “I promise you cheerfully what you de- sire, my dear boy,” said I, “for you have valiantly combated the jealousy and ill-hu- mor which assailed you on witnessing your brother's success with the kangaroo. I there- fore engage that you shall accompany me in my very next excursion, which will probably take place at no greater distance of time than to-morrow; and it will be another journey to the vessel. But in the meantime, let me ob- Serve to you, that the high opinion I have shown of your prudence and judgment, in leaving you here, in charge of your mother and your brothers, ought to be felt by you as more flattering than the applause you Would have gained by killing a kangaroo. You have accomplished an important duty, in keeping near them all the time, and not 304 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. suffering yourself to be allured by such amuse- ments as presented themselves to your fancy; and this conduct has increased my affection and respect for you. Praise is also due to Ernest, for the moderation with which he has felt his triumph, in so extraordinary an Oc- currence; for he has not even told you of my humiliating failure in attempting to shoot the kangaroo. To triumph over our passions, and to have on all occasions a perfect gov. ernment of our temper, is an acquisition of infinitely more value than the showing a certain skill in firing off a gun, and happen- ing to kill an animal. In our situation, we are forced upon the cultivation of such arts as these; but though we may practise them as necessary for our existence, we have no reason to be proud of them.” 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 skinned our kangaroo, and put it carefully aside till the next day, when we in- tended 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 305 fish, to which we added some potatoes; nor were our faithful companions Turk and Flora neglected. The labors of the day had more than usually disposed us all to seek repose; we therefore said our prayers at an early hour, mounted our ladder, and were soon asleep. CHAPTER XVII. 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. Be- fore 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 price when I made my appearance. Recollecting our want of the means of pro- tection against smilar depredations, I thought BB 306 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. it right to give them a slight correction for their fault. My wife, awaked by the growl- ing they made as they slunk away to the hol- low of a tree, was alarmed, and came down the ladder to see what was the matter; and now I had to perform the farther task of appeasing her kind heart for what she called a cruel act. “Kind-hearted 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 hover- ing about the hollow tree, and patting the dogs to console them. I now set about strip- ping my kangaroo, without injuring the skin; THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 307 but I advanced so slowly in the business, that my family were assembled about us, and call- ing 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 break- fast, 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. But to bring her to reason on the subject of these trips to the vessel was impracticable: I left her bathed in tears, and praying God that this might be the last. We took Ernest and Jack a little way with 308 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. us, and then I sent them back with a message to their mother, which I had not the resolu- tion to deliver myself—that we might be forced to pass the night on board the vessel, and not return till the evening of the follow- ing 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 Fal- con's Stream before noon. 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, • THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 309 replaced the bungs carefully, and threw the casks overboard, after securing them with ropes and cramps, so as to keep them to- gether at the vessel's side: this completed, we placed a sufficient number of planks upon them to form a firm and commodious plat- form 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 pro- vided, that we might not lose any time in looking for the provisions on board the ves- Sel. 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 mattrass, 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. 310 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. . 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 imple- ments: 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 plant- ers of Port Jackson, or among the savages. In the collection were several gold and silver watches, snuff-boxes of all descriptions, buc- kles, 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 feel- ing 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. TIHE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 311 We discovered a number of bars of iron, and large pigs of lead, grinding-stones, cart- wheels ready for mounting, a complete set of farrier's instruments, tongs, shovels, plough- shares, 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 every thing 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 noth- ing 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 im- possible 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 labor finished our loading, having added a large fishing- net, quite new, and the vessel's great com- pass. With the net, Fritz found two har- poons 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 312 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. thus be in readiness in case of seeing any large fish; and I indulged him in his fancy. Having completely executed our under- taking, we stepped into the tub-boat, and with some small difficulty, which a little re- flection and a few experiments soon enabled us to overcome, we pushed out for the cur- rent, drawing our raft triumphantly after us with a stout rope, which we had been careful to fasten securely at its head. CHAPTER XVIII. The Tortoise harnessed. THE wind was favorable, and briskly swell- ed our sail. The sea was calm, and we ad- vanced 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 313 sooner had Fritz learned this, than he en- treated me to steer softly within view of so extraordinary a creature. I readily con- sented; but as his back was towards me, and the sail between us, I did not observe his mo- tions, 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 7" exclaimed I, somewhat alarmed. “I have caught him l—I touched him 1" 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 en- deavors 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 har- poon and the tortoise go; but Fritz caught hold of my arm, conjuring me to wait a mo- ment, and not so hastily bring upon him the CC 314 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. mortification of losing, at one stroke, the harpoon, the rope, and 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 for- tune 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 315 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. Be- ing now near Tent-House, Fritz gave a halloo, and fired a gun, to apprize our relatives that we were not only arrived, but arrived in tri- umph. This soon produced the desired effect: the mother and her three young ones soon ap- peared, 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 mo- ment; and all were once more received with the kindest salutations, and such questions as kindness best knows how to propose. After some gentle reproaches from my wife, for leaving her and the boys for so long a time, the history of the tortoise was re- lated, and excited much merriment in our auditors. The tender-hearted mother, after heaving a sigh for the hard fate of the crea- ture, began to shudder at the thought of the danger we had been exposed to, and the es- Cape we had effected. 316 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 pro- digious 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 other articles of light weight, mattrasses, pieces of linen, &c.; 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 317 set out together to unload it again at Fal- con'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 up- per 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 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 lux- urious 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.” “Oh dear papa,” cried Francis, “do give me the shell, it will be such a pretty play- thing!” “No, no,” bawled out another; and one BB + 318 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. and all contended for the preference. I im- posed silence, declaring that the right was entirely in Fritz; “but,” continued I, “it may be well to ask what each of you thought of doing with the shell, if he had obtained it 2 '' Jºrmest. — I should turn it into a shield to defend myself with, if the savages should come upon us. Father. — Ah, there is my egotist again; but let us see in what way you would use it. You would fling it across your shoulders, no doubt, and take to your heels manfully. I have guessed right, my poor Ernest, have I not 7 – And you, Jack, what have you to say? Jack. — I should make a nice little boat of it, which would help to amuse us all. I was thinking how cleverly we could fill it with potatoes, or the other things we want to take from Tent-House to Falcon's Nest; it would glide along so nicely with the stream, and we should be saved all the fatigue we now have in carrying them. Father. —Your scheme, I grant, is not ill- imagined; but a small raft, or an old chest, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 319 would do just as well for your purpose. — And now for my little Francis; I wonder what pretty plan he had thought of? I'rancis. – I thought I should build a little house, papa, and the shell would make such a nice roof to it ! Father.—Wastly well, my lads, if we had only our amusement or our ease to think of; but I want you all to form the habit of think- ing and acting for the general good, rather than that of what will most gratify or accom- modate his single self. — Now, then, let me ask, to what use Fritz, the only rightful claimant to the shell, had intended to apply it 2 JFritz. —I thought, father, of cleaning it thoroughly, and fixing it by the side of our river, and keeping it always full of pure wa- ter for my mother's use, when she has to wash the linen, or cook our victuals. Father.—Excellent, excellent, my boy! all honor to the founder of the pure water- tub / This is what I call thinking for the general good. And we will take care to ex- ecute the idea as soon as we can prepare Some clay, as a solid foundation for its bottom. 320 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Jack. — Hah, hah Now then it is my turn; for I have got some clay, which I have put by to keep for use, behind those old roots yonder. Father. — And where did you get it, boy? Mother. — Oh, you may apply to me for this part of the information; to my cost I know where the clay was got. This morning early my young hero falls to digging and scrambling on the hill you see to the right, and home he comes with the news, that he has found a bed of clay; but in so dirty a condi- tion himself, that we were obliged to think next of the washing-tub. Jack. — And if I had minded a little dirt, mother, I should not have discovered this bed of clay, which you will see will be of great use to us. As I was returning from looking for potatoes, I thought I would take the high path along the river, just to see how rapidly it runs and forms those nice cascades: by and by I came to a large slope, watered by the river; it was so slippery, that I could not keep upon my legs; so I fell, and dirtied myself all over; on looking, I saw that the ground was all of clay, and almost liquid, so THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 321 I made some of it into balls, and brought them home. Ernest. —When the water-tub is complete, I will put some roots I have found to soak a little in it, for they are now extremely dry. I do not exactly know what they are; they look something like the radish, or horse-rad- ish: but the plant from which I took them was almost the size of a bush: being igno- rant, however, of its name or nature, I have not yet ventured to taste the roots, though I saw our sow eat heartily of them. Father. —If my suspicion is right, you have made a beneficial discovery, which, with the assistance of our potatoes, may furnish us the means of existence as long as we may remain in this island I think your roots are manioc, of which the natives of the West In- dies make a sort of bread or cake which they call cassave. But we must first carry the production through a certain preparation, without which it possesses pernicious proper- ties. Try to find the same place, and bring a sufficient quantity for our first experiment. We had finished unloading the sledge, and Ibade the three eldest boys accompany me 322 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. to fetch another load before it should be dark. We left Francis and his mother busy in pre- paring a refreshing meal for supper, the tor- toise having presented itself most opportunely for this purpose. 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 con- tained 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 reck- oned 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, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBIN SON. 323 and ready with the welcome she had prom- ised, of an ample and agreeable repast. Be- fore 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 cork-screw to the side, and filling the shell of a cocoa-nut with the contents, presented it to me. I found the liquor equal to the best canary I had ever tasted. — “How then,” said I, “have you performed this new mira- cle? 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 ram- ble 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 lit- tle 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 324 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 mattrasses 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 savory smell of the tortoise laid claim to my attention. I hastened down, and we all partook heartily of the luxurious , treat. We returned thanks to God, and speedily retired to taste the blessing of sound repose upon the said mattrasses. CHAPTER XIX. 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. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 325 Above, the scene was all repose; below, every thing 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 bid- ding. 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 load- ing, and returned to Falcon's Stream in time for breakfast; but not a single creature of its inhabitants appeared, though the sun was high above the horizon. —I gave a shout as loud as a war-whoop, which awoke my wife. “Really, my dear,” said she, “there must be a magic charm in the mattrass you brought yesterday, that has lulled us into so sound a sleep.”—“Up, my lads,” exclaimed I, once again; “the more we venture to parley with sloth, the longer she holds us in her chains; brave youths like you ought to awake at the first call, and leap quick and gaily out of bed. Fritz, a little ashamed, was dressed DD 326 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. first; Jack soon after him, and Francis next; the ever slothful Ernest was the last. — “It is so delightful,” cried he, “to lose oneself again after having been awakened one feels sleep come on afresh so gently.”—“But it is my duty to tell you, Ernest, and that gravely, that he who indulges himself in all that flatters his senses, will end by falling a victim to them.” After this short admonition, we all came down; and 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. In- stead 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 327 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 every where, at a loss what to select; and when I saw him again, he drew a wheelbarrow after him, shouting that he had found a vehi- cle for carrying our potatoes. 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 forepart of which is square) taken to pieces, with all its appurtenances, and even two small guns for its defense. This intelligence so delighted me, that I quitted every thing else to run to the bulkhead, when I was convinced of the truth of the lad's as- Sertion: 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, 328 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 attent- ively: they were dressed in black, and all uni- form, with white waistcoats and full cravats: the arms of these beings hung down care- lessly; 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 pygmies, and that they wish to form a friendly alliance with us.” Jack. - Oh, no! father, they are certainly Lilliputians, though somewhat bigger than those of whom I read the description in Gul- liver's Travels. “You then, child,” said I, “consider those travels as true; that there is an island of Lilliput, and inhabited by dwarfs. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 329 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 imag- ination of the author, whose taste and feel- ing led him to resort to allegory for the pur- pose of revealing grand truths. Do you know, Jack, what an allegory is 7" “It somewhat resembles a parable, I pre- Sume.” “Right, one is very similar to the other.” Jack. — And the pygmies you mentioned, are any to be found 7 “No more than there are Lilliputians: they exist only in poetical fiction, or in the erroneous account of some ancient naviga- tors, in which a group of monkeys has been fallaciously described as diminutive men.” Fritz. —Such probably are the manikins 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 DD+ 330 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. * ruffs. Ernest killed one soon after our ar- rival. They are excellent swimmers, but cannot fly; and so confused are they when on land, that they run in the silliest way into danger.” While we were talking, I steered gently to- wards 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 ex- hibited a good store of potatoes which she had got in during our absence, and a quan- tity of the roots I had taken for manioc, and in which I was not mistaken; I much ap- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 331 plauded her diligence and foresight, and gave Ernest and little Francis their share of ap- probation. “But now,” said I, “for some supper and repose; and if my little workman should be industriously inclined to-morrow, I shall re- ward them with the novelty of a new trade to be learned.” This did not fail to excite the curiosity of all; but I kept my word, and made them wait till the following day for the explanation I had to give. I waked the boys very early, reminding them that I had promised to teach them a new trade. “What is it? What is it?” ex- claimed they all at once, springing suddenly out of bed and hurrying on their clothes. -- Father. —It is the art of the baker, my boys. Hand me those iron plates that we brought yesterday from the vessel, and the tobacco-graters also, and we will make our experiment. Ernest, bring hither the roots found under ground: but first, my dear, I must request you to make me a small bag of a piece of strong wrapper cloth. My wife set instantly to work to oblige me; but having no great confidence in my 832 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. talents for making either bread or cakes, she first filled a copper boiler with potatoes, and put it on the fire, that we might not be with- out something to eat at dinner time: in the meanwhile I spread a piece of coarse linen on the ground, and assembled my young ones round me; I gave each of the boys a grater, and showed him at the same time how to rest it on the linen, and then to grate the roots of manioc ; in a short time each had pro- duced a considerable heap of a substance somewhat resembling pollard. The occupa- tion, as is always the case with novelties, was amusing to them all, and they looked no fur- ther into the matter: one showed the other his heap, saying in a bantering tone: “Will you eat a bit of nice cake made of grated rad- ishes 7 '' I now informed them that the manioc was known to be the principal sustenance of whole nations of the Continent of America, and which the Europeans who inhabit those coun- tries prefer to even our wheaten bread. I added “there are many kinds of manioc : one of these shoots rapidly, and its roots ma- ture in a short time; a second sort is of more THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 333 tardy growth; and there is another, the roots of which require the space of two years to be fit for use. The first two kinds have perni- cious or unwholesome qualities when eaten raw, but the third may be eaten without fear: for all this, the two first are generally pre- ferred, as being more productive, and requir- ing a shorter time for being fit for use.” By this time my wife had completed the bag. I had it well filled with what we called our pollard, and she closed it securely by Sewing up the end. I was now to contrive a kind of press: I cut a long, straight, Stout branch, from a neighboring tree, and stripped it of the bark; I then placed a plank across the table we had fixed between the arched roots of our tree, and which was ex- actly the right height for my purpose, and on this I laid the bag; I put other planks again upon the bag, and then covered all with the large branch, the thickest extremity of which I inserted under an arch, while to the other, which projected beyond the planks, I sus- pended all sorts of heavy substances, such as lead, our largest hammers and bars of iron, which, acting with great force as a press on 334 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. the bag of manioc, caused the sap it con- tained to issue in streams, which flowed plen- tifully on the ground. Fritz. —This machine of yours, father, though simple, is as effectual as can be de- sired. Father. — Certainly. It is the simplest lever that the art of mechanism can furnish, and may be made extremely useful. Ernest. —I thought that levers were never used but for raising heavy masses, such as blocks of stone, and things of that degree of weight; I had no notion that they were ever used for pressing. Father. — But you see that the point at which the lever rests on the planks must always be the point of rest or compression; the point at which its extremity touches the roots of the tree would no doubt be that of the raising power, if the root was not too strong to yield to the point of the lever; but then the resistance at the point of compres- sion or rest is still stronger, and presses ef- fectually, as you See, the contents of the bag. The Negroes, however, have another manner of proceeding; but it would have been much THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 335 too tedious in the process for us to imitate. They make tresses of the bark of a tree, and with it form a kind of basket of tolerable size; they fill it with manioc, and press it so tightly, that the baskets become shorter, and increase in breadth; they then hang the baskets to the strongest branches of trees, and fasten large stones to them, which draw the baskets again lengthways; by which ac- tion upon the manioc the sap runs out at the openings left by the tresses. Mother.—Can one make no use of this sap? Pather. — Certainly, we may : the same Negroes use it as food, after mixing with it Some pepper; and when they can procure them, some sea-crabs. Fritz. — Father, it no longer runs a single drop; may we not now set about making the dough? Father. —I have no objection; but as there are some poisonous kinds of manioc, it will be prudent to make only a small cake at first, by way of experiment, which we will give to the monkey and the fowls, and wait to see the effect, instead of exhausting our whole store at once. 336 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. We now opened the bag, and took out a small quantity of the pollard, which already was dry enough; we stirred the rest about with a stick, and then replaced it under the press. The next thing was to fix one of our iron plates, which was of a round form, and a little hollow, so as to rest upon two blocks of stone at a distance from each other; un- der this we lighted a large fire, and when the iron plate was completely heated, we placed a portion of the dough upon it with a wooden spade. As soon as the cake began to be brown underneath, it was turned, that the other side might be baked also. Ernest. — O how nicely it smells what a pity that we may not eat some of it immedi- ately Father. —I believe you might safely ven- ture, but it is perhaps better to wait till the evening, and run no greater risk than the loss of one or two of our fowls or of the monkey; and we may say this trial of the cake will be the first service he has rendered us. As soon as the cake was cold, we broke some of it into crums, and gave it to two of the fowls, and a larger piece to the monkey, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 337 who nibbled it with a perfect relish, making all the time a thousand grimaces, while the boys stood by envying the preference he en- joyed. IFritz. — Now tell me, father, how the sav- ages manage to grate their manioc, for surely they have not, like us, an instrument fitted for the operation; — and tell me also, if they call their composition by the name of cake or bread, as we do? Pather. —The savages having no such ar- ticle as bread in their bill of fare, have con- Sequently no word in their language to ex- press it. At the Antilles, the bread from the manioc is called cassave ; the savages make a kind of grater with sharp stones, or shells; or when they can get nails, on which they Set a high value, they drive them into the end of a plank, and rub the manioc upon it. But now, I pray you, good wife, give us quickly our potato dinner, and we will after- wards resume the baking trade. The first thing after dinner 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, EE 338 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 full to make a cake a piece, and they were to try who could suc- ceed 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 con- fessed 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 pig- eons and the fowls, which hovered about us to claim their share of the treat. My little rogues could not resist the pleasure of fre- quently tasting their cake, a little bit at a time, as they went on. At length the under- taking was complete; the cakes were put in a dish, and served, in company with a hand- some share of milk, to each person; and with this addition they furnished us with an excel- lent repast; what remained we distributed among our animals and fowls. ** THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 339 The rest of the day was employed by the boys in making several turns with their wheelbarrows, and by myself in different ar- rangements in which the ass and our raft had a principal share, both being employed in drawing to Tent-House the remaining articles we had brought from the ship. When all this was done we retired to rest, having first made another meal on our cakes, and con- cluded all with pious thanks to God for the blessings his goodness thought fit to bestow upon us. CHAPTER XX. The Cracker and the Pinnace. FROM the time of discovering the pinnace, my desire of returning to the vessel grew every moment more irresistible; but one thing I saw was absolutely necessary, which was, to collect all my hands to get her out from the situation where we had found her. I therefore thought of taking with me the 340 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. three boys: I even wished that my wife should accompany us; but she had been seized with such a horror of the perfidious element, as she called it, the sea, that she assured me the very attempt would make her ill and useless. I had some difficulty to pre- vail upon her to let so many as three of the children go : she made me promise to return the same evening, and on no account to pass another night on board the wreck; and to this I was, though with regret, obliged to COnSent. After breakfast then, we prepared for set- ting out. The boys were gay and on the alert, in the expectation of the pleasure that awaited them, particularly Ernest, who had not yet made a single voyage with us to the vessel. We took with us an ample provision of boiled potatoes and cassave; and in addi- tion, arms and weapons of every kind. We reached Safety Bay without any remarkable event; here we thought it prudent to put on our cork jackets; we then scattered some food for the geese and ducks which had taken up their abode there, and soon after stepped gaily into our tub-raft, at the same time fast- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 341 ening the new boat by a rope to her stern, so that she could be drawn along. We put out for the current, though not without consider- able fear of finding that the wreck had dis- appeared. We soon, however, perceived that it still remained firm between the rocks. Having got on board, all repaired, on the wings of curiosity and ardor, to that part of the vessel called the bulkhead, which con- tained the enviable prize, the pinnace. On further observation, it appeared to me that the plan we had formed was subject to at least two alarming difficulties; the one was the situation of the pinnace in the ship; and the other was the size and weight it would necessarily acquire when put together. The enclosure which contained the pinnace was in the interior of the ship, and timbers of prodigious bulk and weight separated it from the breach, and in this part of the deck there Was not sufficient space for us to put the pin- nace together, or to give her room when done. The breach also was too narrow and too ir- regular to admit of her being launched from this place, as we had done with our tub-raft. In short, the separate pieces of the pinnace EE-k * 342 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. were too heavy for the possibility of our re- moving them even with the assistance of our united strength. What therefore was to be done 7 and how could we meet such formida- ble difficulties? I stood on the spot absorbed in reflection, while the boys were running from place to place, conveying every thing portable they could find on board the raft. The cabinet which contained the pinnace was lighted by several small fissures in the timbers, which after standing in the place a few minutes to accustom the eye, enabled one to see sufficiently to distinguish objects. I discovered, with pleasure, that all the pieces of which she was composed were so accu- rately arranged and numbered, that without too much presumption, I might flatter myself with the hope of being able effectually to col- lect and put them together, if I could be al- lowed the necessary time, and could procure a convenient place. I therefore, in spite of every disadvantage, decided on the undertak- ing; and we immediately set about it. We proceeded at first so slowly as to have pro- duced discouragement, if the desire of pos- sessing so admirable a little vessel, quite new, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 343 perfectly safe, easy to conduct, and which might at some future day be the means of our deliverance, had not at every moment in- spired us with new strength and ardor. Evening, however, was fast approaching, and we had made but small progress; we were obliged to think of our promise to my wife; and, though with reluctance, we left our occupation and re-embarked. On reach- ing Safety Bay, we found there our kind Steward and little Francis; they had been, during the day, employed in arrangements for our living at Tent-House as long as we should have occasion to continue the excur- sions to the vessel: this she did to shorten the length of the voyage, and that we might be always in sight of each other. In return for her kindness, I made the best display I could of two casks of salted butter, three of flour, some small bags, of millet seed and of rice, and some other articles of utility and comfort for our establishment; and the whole was removed to our storehouse at the rocks. We passed an entire week in this arduous undertaking of the pinnace. I embarked every morning with my three sons, and re- 344 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. turned every evening, and never without some Small addition to our stores. We were now so accustomed to this manner of proceeding, that my wife bade us good-by without con- cern, and we, on our parts, left Tent-House without anxiety; she even had the courage to go several times, with no companion but her little Francis, to Falcon's Stream, to feed and take care of the poultry, and to bring back potatoes for our use. As night succes- sively returned, we had a thousand interest- ing things to tell each other, and the pleasure of being together was much increased by these short separations. At length the pinnace was completed, and in a condition to be launched: the question now was, how to manage this remaining diffi- culty. She was an elegant little vessel, per- fect in every part: she had a small neat deck; and her mast and sails were no less exact and perfect than those of a little brig. It was probable she would sail well, from the lightness of her construction, and in conse- quence drawing but little water. We had pitched and towed all the seams, that noth- ing might be wanting for her complete ap- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 345 pearance: we had even taken the pains of further embellishing, by mounting her with two small cannon of about a pound weight; and, in imitation of larger vessels, had fas- tened them to the deck with chains. But in spite of the delight we felt in contemplating a work, as it were, of our own industry; the great difficulty still remained: the said com- modious, charming little vessel, still stood fast enclosed within four walls; nor could I conceive of a means of getting her out. To effect a passage through the outer side of the vessel, by means of our united industry in the use of all the utensils we had secured, seemed to present a prospect of exertions beyond the reach of man, even if not at- tended with dangers the most alarming. We examined if it might be practicable to cut away all intervening timbers, to which, from the nature of the breach, we had easier ac- cess; but should we even succeed in this attempt, the upper timbers being, in conse- quence of the inclined position of the ship, on a level with the water, our labor would be unavailing: besides, we had neither strength nor time for such a proceeding; from one 346 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. moment to another, a storm might arise and ingulf the ship, timbers, pinnace, ourselves, and all. Despairing, then, of being able to find a means consistent with the sober rules of art, my impatient fancy inspired the thought of a project, which could not how- ever be tried without hazards and dangers of a tremendous nature. I had found on board a strong iron mortar, such as is used in kitchens. I took a thick oak plank, and nailed to different parts of it some large iron hooks: with a knife I cut a groove along the middle of the plank. I sent the boys to fetch some match-wood from the hold, and I cut a piece sufficiently long to continue burning at least two hours. I placed this train in the groove of my plank: I filled the mortar with gunpowder, and then laid the plank, thus furnished upon it, having previously pitched the mortar all around; and, lastly, I made the whole fast to the spot with strong chains, crossed by means of the hooks in every direction. Thus I accom- plished a sort of cracker, from which I ex- pected to effect a happy conclusion. I hung this machine of mischief to the side of the THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 347 bulk head next the sea, having taken previ- ous care to choose a spot in which its action could not affect the pinnace. When the whole was arranged, I set fire to the match, the end of which projected far enough beyond the plank to allow us sufficient time to escape. I now hurried on board the raft, into which I had previously sent the boys before apply- ing a light to the match; and who, though they had assisted in forming the cracker, had no suspicion of the use for which it was in- tended, and believing all the while it con- cealed some subject of amusement for their next trip to the vessel. I confess I had pur- posely avoided giving them the true explana- tion, from the fear of the entire failure of my project, or that the vessel, pinnace, and all that it contained, might in consequence be blown up in a moment. I had naturally, therefore, some reluctance to announce my- Self before the time as the author of so many disasters. On our arrival at Tent-House, I immedi- ately put the raft in a certain order, that she might be in readiness to return speedily to the wreck, when the noise produced by the 848 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. cracker should have informed me that my scheme had taken effect. We set busily to work in emptying her; and during the occu- pation, our ears were assailed with the moise of an explosion of such violence, that my wife and the boys, who were ignorant of the cause, were so dreadfully alarmed as instantly to abandon their employment. “What can it be 7 — what is the matter? — what can have happened?” cried all at once. “It must be cannon. It is perhaps the captain and the ship's company who have found their way hither | Or can it be some vessel in distress? Can we go to its relief?” Mother. — The sound comes in the direc- tion of the wreck: perhaps she has blown up. —From the bottom of her heart she made this suggestion, for she desired nothing more earnestly than that the vessel should be an- nihilated, and thus an end be put to our re- peated visits. Father. —If this is the case, said I, we had better return immediately, and convince ourselves of the fact. Who will be of the party? “I, I, I,” cried the boys; and the three THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 349 young rogues lost not a moment in jumping into their tubs, whither I soon followed them, after having whispered a few words to my wife, somewhat tending to explain, but still more to tranquilize her mind during the trip we had now to engage in. We rowed out of the bay with more rapid- ity than on any former occasion; curiosity gave strength to our arms. When the vessel was in sight, I observed with pleasure that no change had taken place in the part of her which faced Tent-House, and that no sign of Smoke appeared: we advanced, therefore, in excellent spirits; but instead of rowing, as usual, straight to the breach, we proceeded round to the side, on the inside of which we had placed the cracker. The horrible scene of devastation we had caused now broke upon our sight. The greater part of the ship's side was shivered to pieces; innumerable splinters covered the surface of the water; the whole exhibited a scene of terrible destruction, in the midst of which presented itself our ele- gant pinnace, entirely free from injury | I could not refrain from the liveliest exclama- tions of joy, which excited the surprise of E. F. 350 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. the boys, who had felt the disposition such a spectacle naturally inspired, of being de- jected. They fixed their eyes upon me with the utmost astonishment. — “Now then she is ours!” cried I– “the elegant little pin- nace is ours! for nothing is now more casy than to launch her. Come, boys, jump upon her deck, and let us see how quickly we can get her down upon the water.” Fritz. — Ah! now I understand you, fa- ther, you have yourself blown up the side of the ship with that machine you contrived in our last visit, that we might be able to get out the pinnace; but how does it happen that so much of the ship is blown away? Pather. —I will explain all this to you when I have convinced myself that the pin- nace is not injured, and that there is no dan- ger of any of the fire remaining on board; let us well examine. We entered by the new breach, and had soon reason to be satisfied that the pinnace had wholly escaped from injury, and that the fire was entirely extin- guished. The mortar, however, and pieces of the chain, had been driven forcibly into the opposite side of the enclosure. Having THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 351 now every reason to be satisfied and tran- quil, I explained to the boys the nature of a cracker, the manner of its operation, and the important service for which I was in- debted to the old mortar. I then examined the breach we had thus effected, and next the pinnace. I perceived that it would be easy, with the help of the crow and the lever, to lower her into the wa- ter. In putting her together, I had used the precaution of placing her keel on rollers, that we might not experience the same diffi- culty as we had formerly done in launching our tub-raft. Before letting her go, how- ever, I fastened the end of a long thick rope to her head, and the other end to the most solid part of the wreck, for fear of her being carried out too far. We put our whole inge- nuity and strength to this undertaking, and Soon enjoyed the pleasure of seeing our pretty pinnace descend gracefully into the sea; the rope keeping her sufficiently near, and ena- bling us to draw her close to the spot where I was loading the tub-boat, and where, for that purpose, I had lodged a pulley on a pro- jecting beam, from which I was enabled also 352 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. to advance with the completing of the neces- sary masts and sails for our new barge. I endeavored to recollect minutely all the in- formation I had ever possessed on the art of equipping a vessel; and our pinnace was shortly in a condition to set sail. On this occasion, a spirit of military af. fairs was awakened in the minds of my young group, which was never after extinguished. We were masters of a vessel mounted with two cannon, and furnished amply with guns and pistols' This was at once to be invinci- ble, and in a condition for resisting and de- stroying the largest fleet the savages could bring upon us! In the height of exultation, it was even almost wished they might assail us! For my own part, I answered their young enthusiasm with pious prayers, that we might ever escape such a calamity as the being compelled to use our fire-arms. Night surprised us before we had finished our work, and we accordingly prepared for our return to Tent-House, after drawing the pinnace close under the vessel's side. We arrived in safety, and took great care, as had been pre- viously agreed on, not to mention our new THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 353 and invaluable booty to the good mother, till We could surprise her with the sight of it in a state of entire completeness. In answer, therefore, to her inquiries as to the noise she heard, we told her that a barrel of gunpow- der had taken fire, and had shivered to pieces a small part of the ship. Two whole days more were spent in com- pletely equipping and loading the beautiful little barge we had now secured. When she was ready for sailing, I found it impossible to resist the earnest importunity of the boys, who, as a recompense for the industry and discretion they had employed, claimed my permission to salute their mother, on their approach to Tent-House, with two discharges of cannon. These accordingly were loaded, and the two youngest placed themselves with a lighted match in hand, close to the touch- holes, to be in readiness. Fritz stood at the mast, to manage the ropes and cables, while I took my station at the rudder. These matters being adjusted, we put off with sen- sations of lively joy, which was demonstrated by loud huzzas and suitable gesticulation. The wind was favorable, and so brisk, that E E * 354 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. we glided with the rapidity of a bird along the mirror of the waters; and while my young ones were transported with pleasure by the velocity of the motion, I could not myself refrain from shuddering at the thought of some possible disaster. Our old friend the tub-raft had been deep- ly loaded, and fastened to the pinnace, and it now followed as an accompanying boat to a superior vessel. We took down our large sail as soon as we found ourselves at the entrance of Safety Bay, to have the greater command in steering the pinnace; and soon the smaller ones were lowered one by one, that we might the more securely avoid being thrown with violence upon the rocks so prev- alent along the coast: thus, proceeding at a slower rate, we had greater facilities for man- aging the important affair of the discharge of the cannon. Arrived within a certain distance—“Fire /* cried Commander Fritz. The rocks behind Tent-House returned the sound. —“Fire / " said Fritz again—Er- nest and Jack obeyed, and the echoes again majestically replied. Fritz at the same mo- ment had discharged his two pistols, and all joined instantly in three loud huzzas. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 355 “Welcome ! welcome ! dear ones,” was the answer from the anxious mother, almost breathless with astonishment and joy! “Wel- come !” cried also little Francis, with his feeble voice, as he stood clinging to her side, and not well knowing whether he was to be Sad or merry ! We now tried to push to shore with our oars in a particular direction, that we might have the protection of a pro- jecting mass of rocks, and my wife and little Francis hastened to the spot to receive us: “Ah, dear deceitful ones l’’ cried she, throw- ing herself upon my neck, and heartily em- bracing me, what a fright have you, and your cannon, and your little ship, thrown me into I saw it advancing rapidly towards us, and was unable to conceive from whence it could come, or what it might have on board: I stole with Francis behind the rocks, and When I heard the firing, I was near sinking to the ground with terror; if I had not the moment after heard your voices, God knows where we should have run to—but come, the cruel moment is now over, and thanks to Heaven, I have you once again in safety! But tell me where you got so unhoped-for a prize as this neat charming little vessel? In 356 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. good truth, it would almost tempt me once more to venture on a sea-voyage, especially if she would promise to convey us back to our dear country ! I foresee of what use she will be to us, and for her sake I think that I must try to forgive the many sins of absence you have committed against me.” Fritz now invited his mother to get on board, and gave her his assistance. When they had all stepped upon the deck, they en- treated for permission to salute, by again dis- charging the cannon, and at the same mo- ment to confer on the pinnace the name of their mother — The Elizabeth. My wife was particularly gratified by these our late adventures; she applauded our skill and perseverance: “but do not,” said she, imagine that I bestow so much commendation without the hope of some return in kind: On the contrary, it is now my turn to claim from you, for myself and little Francis, the same sort of agreeable recompense; for we have not, I assure you, remained idle while the rest were so actively employed for the com- mon benefit. —No, not so; little Francis and his mother found means to be doing some- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 357 thing also, though not at this moment pre- pared to furnish such unquestionable proofs as you, by your salutations of cannon, &c.; but wait a little, good friends, and our proofs shall hereafter be apparent in some dishes of excellent vegetables which we shall be able to regale you with. — It depends, to say the truth, only on yourselves, dear ones, to go with me and see what we have done.” We did not hesitate to comply, and jumped briskly out of the pinnace for the purpose. Taking her little coadjutor Francis by the hand, she led the way, and we followed in the gayest mood imaginable. She conducted us up an ascent of one of our rocks, and stop- ping at the spot where the cascade is formed from Jackall's River, she displayed to our astonished eyes a handsome kitchen-garden, laid out properly in beds and walks, and, as She told us, everywhere sowed with the seed of useful plants. “This,” said she, “is the pretty exploit We have been engaged in, if you will kindly think so of it. In this spot the earth is so light, being principally composed of decayed leaves, that Francis and I had no difficulty 358 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. in working in it, and then dividing it into different compartments: one for potatoes, one for manioc, and other smaller shares for lettuces of various kinds, not forgetting to leave a due proportion to receive some plants of the sugar-cane. You, dear hus- band, and Fritz, will easily find means to conduct sufficient water hither from the cas- cade, by means of pipes of bamboo, to keep the whole in health and vigor; and we shall have a double source of pleasure from the general prosperity; for both the eye and the palate will be gratified. But you have not yet seen all : there, on the slope of the rock, I have transplanted some plants of the annas, Between these I have sowed some melon Seeds, which cannot fail to succeed, thus se- curely sheltered, and in so warm a soil: here is a plot allotted to peas and beans, and this other for all sorts of cabbage. Round each bed or plot I have sowed seeds of maize, on account of its tall and bushy form, to serve as a border, which at the same time will protect my young plants from the scorching heat of the sun.” I stood transported, in the midst of 50 per- THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 359 fect an exhibition of the kind zeal and perse- vering industry of this most amiable of wo- men I could only exclaim, that I should never have believed in the possibility of such a labor in so short a time, and particularly with so much privacy as to leave me wholly unsus- picious of the existence of such a project. Mother. — To confess the truth, I scarcely myself expected to succeed, so I resolved to be silent, to avoid being put to the blush for my presumption. But as I found my little calculations answer better than I expected, I was encouraged, and the hope of surprising you so agreeably gave me new strength and activity. I, however, was not without my suspicions that your daily visits to the wreck were connected with some great mystery, which at a certain time you would unfold. — So, mystery for mystery, thought I; and thus my love, it has turned out. Though act- ing in different directions, one only object has been our mutual aim—the substantial good of our beloved companions of the desert | After a few jocose remarks, with which we closed this conversation, we moved towards Tent-House. This was one of our happiest 360 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. days; for we were all satisfied with ourselves and with each other; we had conferred and received benefits; and I led my children to observe the goodness of Providence, who renders even labor a source of enjoyment, and makes our own happiness result from that of the objects of our affection, and our pride to arise from the commendations of which those objects may be deserving. “I had almost forgot, though,” said my wife, after a short pause, “one little reproach I had to make you: your trips to the vessel have made you neglect the bundle of precious fruit-saplings we laid together in mould at Falcon's Stream; I fear they by this time must be dying for want of planting, though I took care to water and cover them with branches. Let us go, my love, and see about them.” I readily consented, as many other matters required our presence at Falcon's Stream. We had now in possession the greater part of the cargo of the vessel; but almost the whole of these treasures were at present in the open air, and liable to injury from both sun and rain. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 361 My wife prepared with alertness for our walk. We hastened to unload the boat, and to place the cargo safely under shelter along with our other stores. The pinnace was anchored on the shore, and fastened with a rope, by her head, to a stake. When all our stores were thus dis- posed of, we began our journey to Falcon's Stream, but not empty-handed; we took with us every thing that seemed to be absolutely wanted for comfort; and when brought to- gether, it was really so much, that both our- Selves and our beasts of burden had no easy task to perform. CHAPTER XXI. Gymnastic Exercises; various Discoveries; sin- gular Animals, dºc. 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 extinc- GG 362 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. tion 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 occa- sion, I added the exercises of running, jump- ing, getting up trees, both by means of climb- ing 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 exer- cise 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 7” asked another: “Will it soon be ready?” continued a third. “I am endeavoring,” said I, “to imitate the arms used by a valiant nation, remark- able for their skill in the chase, and whom you all must have heard of: I mean the Pat- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 363 agonians, 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 sec- ond is, the so twisting itself about the animal as to impede his progress, even though he were at a full gallop. The stones continue turning, carrying with them the cord: the poor animal is at length so entangled, that 864 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. he can neither advance nor retire, and thus falls a prey to the enemy.” This description was heard with much in- terest 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 sur- rounded the tree, that the skill of the Pata- gonian huntsmen required no further illustra- tion. 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 be- ing 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 as I was dressing, I re- marked from my window in the tree, that the sea was violently agitated, and the waves swelled with the wind. I rejoiced to find myself in safety in my home, and that the day had not been destined for out-of-door oc- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 365 cupation. I observed then to my wife, that I should not leave her the whole day, and therefore was ready to execute any thing she found wanting in our domestic arrangement. We now fell to a more minute examination than I had hitherto had time for, of all our various possessions at Falcon's Stream. She 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 sit- ting 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 pre- vent so important an injury. I had promised the boys, the evening before, to go all to- gether to the wood of gourds, to provide our- Selves 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. When we had finished, the evening was too GG* º 366 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. far advanced for so long a walk. By Sunrise the next morning all were on foot; for noth- ing can exceed the alertness of young per- sons 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 occa- ision I took with me a double-barreled gun, loaded on the one side with shot for game, and on the other with ball, in case of meet- ing with an enemy. In this manner we set out, full of good- humor 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 seashore; and sending THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 367 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 re- sistance. The present captive was large in size, and strong; it struck the dogs, or who- ever 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 36S THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. threw my pocket-handkerchief over the head of the bustard; it could not disengage itself, and its efforts only served 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 con- dition to promise its preservation when we should once have conveyed it to Falcon's Stream, and could administer care and kind- ness 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, bawl- ing out, “Oh, what a handsome bird ' ' And what a size l What beautiful feathers l’— “I think it is a female bustard,” said Ernest. “And you are right,” answered I; “its flesh is excellent, having somewhat of the flavor of the turkey, to which it also in some other respects has resemblance. Let us endeavor THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 369 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 favorable to its ease. As we advanced on 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 com- plaining of thirst, when Ernest, whose dis- coveries 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 knowl- edge. 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 370 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. then fell to examining the phenomenon my- self, 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 con- duit. Ernest, and after him the other boys, quenched their thirst at this new fountain, in the completest manner. I tried the ex- periment of dividing the plants longways, and they soon gave out water enough to Sup- ply even the ass, the monkey, and the bus- tard. For my own part, touched with deep gratitude for the goodness of God towards me and my beloved family, I raised my eyes to Heaven in thankfulness. 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 find- ing the spot where Fritz and I had once be- fore 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 371 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 loos- ened 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 ap- proach. 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. 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 372 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 compan- ions. 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 labor 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, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 373 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 Fran- cis 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 tree; 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 noth- ing 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 them- Selves to venture further into the wood. Ernest with great eagerness proposed re- lieving me of this trouble, and putting him- Self in my place. It was not long before we heard him calling loudly to us, and saw him returning in great alarm. “Run quick, fa- ther,” said he, “here is an immense wild boar. Oh, how he frightened me ! I heard him grunting quite close to me, and then he HH 374 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 potatoes which appeared to have been ransacked by the animal. The ardor for the chase had been somewhat checked in Jack and Ernest, when they considered that they had so form- idable a creature to encounter: they stopped short, and began to dig potatoes, 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 ad- vanced with caution, holding our guns in read- liness to fire together the instant the animal should be within the proper distance. Pres- ently the spectacle of the two brave creatures attacking him on the right and left presented itself; each held one of his ears between their teeth. But it was not a boar, but our THE LOST SOW. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 375 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 hast- ened 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. The fruit was of different colors, and ex- tremely pleasing to the eye. Fritz ex- pressed 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 HH* 376 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. experiment with them upon the monkey. We now again, from extreme thirst, began to rec- ollect 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 an- imal lay; but instead of a crocodile, I saw before me a large sort of lizzard, named by naturalists Leguana or Yguana, an animal by nature of a mild character, and excellent THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 377 as food. Instantly all were for seizing him, and presenting so rare a prize to their mo- ther. Fritz was already taking aim with his gun; but I prevented him, observing, that the animal being protected by a coat of Scale, it might be difficult to destroy him, and that he is known to be dangerous, if ap- proached 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 ex- tremity of which I tied a string with a run- ning 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 liz- ard was awaked. The creature appeared en- tranced with pleasure as the sounds fell 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 378 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 ex- pressive of a delirious voluptuousness; he stretched himself at full length, made undu- lating 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 hos- tility. 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 379 of success, in which case I should have looked to the noose for protection; but this was ren- dered unnecessary. Continuing to whistle my most affecting melodies, I seized a favor- able moment to plunge my switch into one of his nostrils. The blood flowed in abun- dance, 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. 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. My Sons were delighted with the means I had used for killing him without pain. 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 reflec- tion, 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 380 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. pages, contending which should support my train, as they called the tail, which, independ- ently of the good humor 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 colors; for those of the lizard shone like pre- cious stones in the eyes of the sun. We were proceeding in our return, when we distinguished the voice of my wife and lit- tle Francis calling loudly upon my name. Our long absence had alarmed them: we had forgot on this occasion to give them notice of our approach by firing our gun, and they had imagined some terrible disaster must have be- fallen us. No sooner, however, did our cheer- ful notes reach their ear, than their lamenta- tions were changed to joy, and we were soon the happiest of beings, assembled under a large gourd tree, where we related every par- ticular of the excursion we had made, and laid the lizard at her feet. We had so many things to tell, that, till reminded by my wife, we for- got to mentioſ that we had failed of procur- ing any water. My Sons had taken out some of the unknown apples from their pockets, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 381 and they lay on the ground by our side. Rnips soon scented them, and came slily up and stole several, and fell to chewing them with great eagerness. I myself threw one or two to the bustard, who also ate them without hesitation. Being now convinced that the apples were not of a poisonous nature, I an- nounced to the boys, who had looked on with envy all the time, that they also might begin to eat them, and I myself set the example. We found them excellent in qual- ity, and I began to suspect that they might be the sort of fruit called guava, which is much esteemed in such countries. The tree which bears them is sometimes twenty feet in height, and of so fertile a nature, that in inhabited countries they are sometimes thinned and cut down, on account of the quantity of land they would occupy. This regale of the apples had in some measure relieved our thirst; but on the other hand, they had increased our hun- ger; and as we had not time for preparing a portion of the lizard, we were obliged to con- tent ourselves with the cold provisions we had brought with us. We had scarcely finished, before my wife 382 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. earnestly entreated we would begin our jour- ney home, and it appeared to me, as the eve- ning was so far advanced, that it would be prudent to return this once without the sledge, which was heavy laden, and the ass could have drawn it but slowly: I therefore determined to leave it on the spot till the following day, when I could return and fetch it, contenting myself with loading the ass, for the present, with the bags which contained our new sets of porcelain; the lizard, which I feared might not keep fresh so long; and our little Francis, who began to complain of being tired. I took these arrangements upon myself, and left to my wife and Fritz the care of confin- ing the bustard in such a manner that she could walk before us without danger of es- caping. When these preparations were complete, our little caravan was put in motion, taking the direction of a straight line to Falcon's Stream. The course of our route now lay along a wood of majestic oaks, and the ground was covered with acorns. My young travel- lers could not refrain from tasting them, and finding them both sweet and mild to the pal- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 383 ate, I had the pleasure of reckoning them as a new means of support. On considering, I recognized that they were a kind of oak which remains always green, and are a com- mon production of the woods in Florida, and that the Indians of North America extract from its fruit an excellent kind of sweet oil, which they use in cooking their rice. Numer- ous kinds of birds subsist upon these acorns. This we were led to remark, by the wild and discordant cries of several sorts of jays and parrots, which were skipping merrily among the foliage and the branches. We arrived shortly at Falcon's Stream, and had time to employ ourselves in some trifling arrangements, before it was com- pletely dark. My wife had great pleasure in taking out her Service of porcelain, and using some of the articles that very evening; par- ticularly 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, II 384 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 XXII. Eaccursion 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 385 wish to penetrate a little farther into the land, and ascertain whether any thing useful would present itself beyond the wall of rocks. I was, besides, desirous to be better acquainted with the extent, the form, and general pro- ductions 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, differ- ent 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 recognized one to be the great blue Vir- ginia 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 resem- bled a muffled drum, at another, the noise made in sharpening a saw. My first idea was of music played by savages, and we re- 386 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. treated quickly to hide ourselves among the bushes to listen. By degrees we advanced towards the place from whence the sound ap- peared to come: but perceiving nothing to alarm us, we separated some of the branches with our hands, and then discovered a hand- some 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 vapor which suddenly inclosed 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 387 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 resem- ble 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 extraordi- nary spectacle, of which I had formerly read an account, with astonishment. The number of the spectators of the feathered actor in- creased every moment, and the performance increased in spirit also in proportion, present- ing the idea of a perfect intoxication or de- lirium 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 him- self 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 II* - 388 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. annihilation to the creatures that fall in Our way ? Is not nature a thousand times more exhilerating in her animated movements, which express life and enjoyment, than in the selfish scheme of destruction you seem so fond of 2 Some allowance should no doubt be made for the curiosity of youth, for neces- sities caused by our situation, and even the taste you have acquired for sporting. I, therefore, as you well know, do not object to your killing now and then a little game, or Some singular or dangerous kind of animal; but moderation is on all occasions useful, and the spectacle of this bird, employed in such earnest endeavors to draw his females around him, was at least as amusing, as to see him stretched there at length, and lifeless, who but two minutes ago exhibited such rapid and lively motions ! His pretty hens too, all dispersed in terror, and deprived of the possibility of ever more admiring him, or be- ing his companions !” Fritz looked down, ashamed and sorry. I observed to him, the thing being done, there was now no remedy; that the fetras, or heath-cock, was much esteemed as game; THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 389 and that he had better take it from the ground, and carry it to his mother. We now laid the dead cock upon the ass's back, and proceeded on our journey. We soon arrived at the guava trees, and a little after at the spot where we had left the sledge, when we found our treasures in the best pos- sible 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 produc- tions 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 termin- ated by these rocks. We walked on, con- tinually 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 390 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 wax which stuck to our fingers as we attempted to gather them. I knew of a sort of bush producing wax that grows in America, and named by botanists Myrica cerifera; I had no doubt that this was the plant, and the discovery gave me great pleasure. “Let us stop here,” said I to Fritz, “for we cannot do better than col- lect a great quantity of these berries as a useful present to your mother.” A short time after, another object pre- sented itself with equal claims to our atten- tention; it was the singular modes of behav- ior of a kind of bird scarcely larger than a chaffinch, and clothed in feathers of a com- mon brown color. 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 inclosed great numbers of in- habitants, and was built round the trunk of f THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 391 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 recep- tacle; 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 esti- mated that it might contain at least a mil- lion. The males were somewhat larger than the females, and there was a trifling differ- ence in their plumage: the number of the males was very small in proportion to the females: I do not know whether this had been the cause of their thus assembling to- gether. 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 colors, produced a beautiful effect; they seemed to be perpetually disputing with the 392 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 partic- ular 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 393 reached the ground in safety. The signals of distress sent forth by the prisoner col- lected 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. IIe now re- leased 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. On the road home, we observed to each other, that from the circumstance of this young nestling within the structure, it ap- peared probable that the true right of prop- erty was in this species, and that the brown- colored birds we at first observed, were in- truders, endeavoring to deprive them of it. “Thus we find,” said I to Fritz, “the exist- ence of social dispositions in almost every class of the animal kingdom, which leads to the combining together for a common cause or benefit. A multitude of causes may in- duce animals to form a body or society, in- stead of living singly: among them may be 394 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. supposed the deficiency of females or of males; the charge of the young; providing them with food; or as a means for their safety and protection. Who shall dare to fix limits to the instinct or to the faculties of the animal creation ?” Fritz. —I do not, however, recollect any kind of animals who live thus together in S0- ciety, except the bees. Father. —What say you then to wasps, drones, and different kinds of ants? JFritz. —I did not indeed recollect the ants, though I have so often amused myself with looking at them: nothing can be more inter- esting than the ingenious little houses they construct; observing them attentively, we perceive their industry, their economy, their care of their young, in a word, all their un- dertakings, conducted on a plan of society and numbers. Father.—Have you also observed with what a provident kind of instinct they bring out their eggs to be warmed by the sun, and for this end remove them from place to place till the time of their maturity? Fritz. —Is it not probable, father, that THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 395 what we take for eggs, are chrysales of ants, which, like many other insects, are thus shut up while the process of their taking wings is in the operation ? Father. — You may be right. Writers on natural history have considered the industry and frugality of these insects, as a subject not unworthy of their consideration; but if the common ant of our own country excited so much of your admiration, what will be your astonishment at the labors performed by the ants of other regions ! There is a kind which build nests of four, six, and eight feet in height, and large in proportion: the ex- ternal walls of these structures are so thick and solid, that neither sun nor rain can pen- etrate them. They are houses which contain within, little streets, arched roofs, piazzas, colonades, and particular apartments for the offices of housewifery. The ant is an animal of pilfering propensities, on the profits of which it principally lives; it is also remark- able for constancy in its designs, and remain- ing ever in one place: a species of them ex- ists, however, in America, which is known by the name of the cephalate, or visiting ant; KK 396 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. they make their appearance in numerous troops every two or three years, and disperse themselves in every house; as soon as their visit is observed, it is customary to open all the apartments and receptacles for stores; they enter every where, and in a short time it is found that they have exterminated as effectually the rats, mice, bugs, kakerles (a sort of insect that gives great annoyance in hot countries); —in a word, all the different animals offensive or injurious to man, as if sent on a special mission to remedy the evils these occasion. They do no injury to man, unless they find in him an enemy, who pur- sues and disturbs their quiet; in which case they attack his shoes so violently, that they are destroyed with incredible rapidity. This curious species does not build its house above ground, but digs holes, sometimes not less than eight feet in depth, and plaster the walls ac- cording to the rules of the art of masonry. Fritz. —You mentioned just now, that in each class of the animal creation there were some individuals which formed themselves into societies; pray tell me which they are? Father. —I know of no instance among THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 397 birds, but that we have just been witnessing; but among quadrupeds there is at least one striking example of the social principle: — try to recollect it yourself. Fritz. —It is perhaps the elephant or the Sea-Otter. Father. —Neither is the one I thought of: the animals you have named discover also a strong disposition to live in society with their species, but they build nothing like a common house of reception: — try again. Pritz. — Ah, is it not the beaver, father? Is it not true, that these animals possess an intelligence, that enables them to contrive and place dams to such streams or rivers as obstruct their design of building entire vil- lages, and that by this operation they are furnished with a sort of ditch, which they use for their purposes? Father.—You are quite right; and strictly speaking, the marmoset also may be included in the number of sociable quadrupeds; for they dig themselves a common place of abode, a sort of cavern, in the mountains, and in these whole families of them pass the winter comfortably, in a continual sleep. 898 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. We 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 color. 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 im- mediately hardened by the air. This discov- ery 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 we walked, he looked frequently 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; THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 399 that of stretching on being pulled at the ex- tremities; 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, fa- ther l if this is not the very thing we form- erly used, to rub out bad strokes in our draw- ings.” “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 sat- isfied 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-colored bottles, of different sizes, such as we have seen them, in the following manner. Before the liquor has time to co- agulate, some small earthen bottles are dipped into it a sufficient number of times to form KK* ** 400 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. º the thickness required. These vessels are then hung over smoke, which completely dries them, and gives them a dark color. before they are entirely dry, a knife is drawn across them, which produces the lines or fig- ures 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 re- mains the complete form of a bottle.” Fritz. —This process seems simple enough, and we will make some bottles of it for car- rying 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, cer- tainly; 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 endeavor to draw it in sufficient quantities, in its liquid state, from the trees themselves. º * THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 401 We continued our way till we reached an- other wood, the skirts of which we had al- ready 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 ex- amine 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 tast- ing, 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 im- possible to pass, seemed to furnish a natural conclusion to our journey. We were there- fore unable to ascertain whether or not we should have found a passage beyond the wall of rocks: we perceived then no better re- source than to turn to the left towards Cape Disappointment, where the luxurious planta- tions of sugar-canes now again drew our at- 402 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. tention. That we might not return empty- handed to Falcon's Stream, and might de- serve 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 reserv- ing 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 be- fore; we took the sugar-canes from the ass, and fastened them to the sledge, and then we harnessed the ass, and the patient animal be- gan 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 vari- rious treasures, but particularly the sugar- canes: 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 dis- coveries, and to see him imitate the gestures THE PARROT. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 408 of the heath-cock, as he held it up for exam- ination: — 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 ecstacy: they jumped about like mad things, and I was obliged to inter- pose 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 404 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. then let it go suddenly, to the great amuse- ment of little Francis. Soon after night-fall, we partook of a hearty meal: being much fatigued, we went earlier than usual to rest, and having care- fully drawn up the ladder, we fell exhausted, into sound and peaceful slumbers. CHAPTER XXIII. Useful Occupations and Labors. — Embellish- ments; 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 per- ceived 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 TIHE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 405 making some wicks with the threads of Sail- cloth. When we saw an oily matter of a pleasing smell and light green color, 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 re- peated the operation, till the candles were in- creased to the proper size, and they were then put in a place and kept, till sufficiently hard- ened 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 advan- tage, 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, encour- LL 406 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. aged 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 ap- plied my thoughts, as to the best manner of conquering the difficulty, I suddenly recol- lected what I had heard read in a book of travels, of the method used by the Hotten- tots 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 cor- ner a stake : I placed one boy midway be- tween 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 cra- dle. They performed their office singing and THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 407 laughing all the time, and in an hour, on tak- ing 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 labor, 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 construct- ing a cart, in all its forms, for the better con- veyance of our effects from place to place, in- stead of the sledge, which caused us so much fatigue to load and draw. Many reasons in- duced 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 ac- complish such a machine; but it did not en- tirely 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 408 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 as- cend 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-trees, 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 labor and fatigue the most discouraging : — the ground was to be cleared of every thing it had produced, and a certain breadth cov- ered 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 wheelbarrows. Our next concern was to introduce, if pos- sible, some shade and other improvements on THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 409 the barren site of Tent-IIouse, and to render our occasional abode or visits there more sc- cure. We began by planting in a quincunx all those sorts of trees that thrive best in the Sun, such as lemon, pistachio, almond, mul- berry, 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 sort of nut-trees we placed along the shore. The better to conceal and fortify our tent, which inclosed 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 ap- pearance, we here and there interspersed the pomegranate; nor did I omit to make a little arbor 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 shad- ing annual plants, and, with benches placed under them, of a kind of private cabinet. Should any accident or alarm compel us to LL* $º 410 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 ap- proach. The curving form of the river having left some partial elevations of the soil within the inclosure, 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 draw- bridge, or to take it away entirely, this being the only point at which the passage of the river could be easily affected. But as we could not do all at once, we contented our- selves, for present safety, with taking away the first planks of the bridge at each and every time we passed it. My concluding la- bor was to plant some cedars along the usual THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 411 landing places, to which we might fasten our vessels. We employed six whole weeks in effecting these laborious arrangements; but the exer- cise of mind and body they imposed, contrib- uted to the physical and moral health of the boys, and to the support of cheerfulness and serenity in ourselves. The more we embel- lished our abode by the work of our own hands, the more it became dear to our hearts. The constant and strict observance of the Sabbath-day afforded such an interval of rest as could not fail to restore our strength, and inspire us with the desire of new exertions. The sentiment of gratitude which filled our minds towards the Supreme Being, who had saved us from destruction, and supplied us with all things needful, demanded utterance, and on Sundays we might allow ourselves the indulgence of pouring out our hearts in thank- fulness. 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 412 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 execu- tion. We reached the wreck without any striking adventure, and found her still fixed between the rocks, but somewhat more shat- tered 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 ex- tremely 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 every thing 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 ex- ception of the large cannon, and three or four immense copper caldrons. We by degrees THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 413 contrived to tie the heaviest articles to two or three empty casks well pitched, which would thus be sustained above water. I sup- posed that the wind and tide would convey the beams and timbers ashore, and thus with little pains we should be possessed of a suffi- cient quantity of materials for erecting a building at some future time. When these measures were taken, I came to the resolu- tion of blowing up the wreck, by a process similar to that with which I had so well suc- ceeded with the pinnace. We accordingly prepared a cask of gunpowder, which we left on board for the purpose: we rolled it tº the place most favorable for our views: we made a small opening in its side, and at the mo- ment of quitting the vessel, we inserted a piece of matchwood which we lighted at the last moment, as before. 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 suffi- cient length for us to hope that she would not go to pieces before dark. I proposed to 414 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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. About the time of night-fall, a majestic rolling sound like thunder, accompanied by a column of fire and smoke, announced that the ship, so awfully concerned with our pe- culiar destiny, which had brought us to our present abode in a desert, and furnished us there with such vast supplies for general com- fort, was that instant annihilated, and with- drawn forever 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 forever ! Could we then form a hope ever to behold that country more? We had made a sort of ju- bilee 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 415 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 sen- sible of motives for consolation in the dis- tressing 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 re- lieved the melancholy of the preceding even- ing, 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 416 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. the pinnace, with the tub-boat fastened to it, and made a way towards them through the numberless pieces of timber, &c. that in- tervened, 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 pur- pose of bringing away more cannon, caldrons, fragments of masts, &c., all of which we de- posited for present convenience in Safety Bay: and now began our most fatiguing op- erations, – 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 replac- ing the four wheels we had before taken from THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 417 the cannon ; and now found it easy to make the cow and the ass draw them. The largest of the boilers or copper cal- drons we found of the most essential use. We brought out all our barrels of gunpowder, and placed them on their ends in three sep- arate 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 up- side down upon each, which completely an- Swered the purpose of an out-house. The cannon were covered with sail-cloth, and up- on this we laid heavy branches of trees; the larger casks of gunpowder we prudently re- moved under a projecting piece of rock, and covered them with planks, till we should have leisure for executing the plan of an ammuni- tion store-house, about which we had all be- come extremely earnest. . My wife, in taking a survey of these our labors, made the agreeable discovery, that two of our ducks and one of the geese had been brooding under a large bush, and at the time were conducting their little families to the water. The news produced general re- MM 418 THE SWISS FAMILY ROIBINSON. joicings; and the sight of the little creatures, so forcibly carried our thoughts to Falcon's Stream, that we all conceived the ardent de- sire of returning to the society of the numer- ous old friends we had left there. One sighed for his monkey, another for his fla- mingo; Francis for his parrot, and his mo- ther for her poultry-yard, her various house- wifery accommodations, and her comfortable bed. We therefore fixed the next day for our departure, and set about the necessary preparations. CHAPTER XXIV. A new domain. — The troop of Buffaloes. –The Wanquished Hero. ON entering our plantation of fruit-trees forming the avenue to Falcon's Stream, we observed that they had not a vigorous ap- pearance, and that they inclined to curve a little in the stalk: we therefore resolved to support them with sticks, and I proposed to TII E SWISS FAMILY IROIRINSON. 419 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 ex- claimed, 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 can- dle-light, while I employed myself in compos- ing 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 acorn-wood: 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 morn- ing, and set out in full procession. For my- self, I had a great desire to explore more thoroughly this part of our island. I there- 420 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. fore 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 im- plements we might want; some rope machin- ery I had contrived for rendering the climb- ing 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 in- creased on our return; and we set out, tak- ing the road of the potato and manioc plan- tations. 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 Lozia Gregaria (Sociable Grossbeak.) It was not without much difficulty that we conducted the cart through the thick en- tangled bushes, the most intricate of which I everywhere cut down, and we helped to push THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 421 it along with all our strength. We succeeded tolerably well at last; and that the poor an- imals might have time to rest, we determined to pass several hours in this place, which fur- nished such a variety of agreeable and useful objects. We began by gathering a bag full of the guavas; and after regaling ourselves plentifully, 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 endeavor 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 con- duct the sap to the vessels I had kept in read- iness to receive it. We had not long begun this process before we perceived the sap be- gin to run out as white as milk, and in large MM* 422 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 quan- tity of the ingredient for a first experiment. 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 stop- ped half-way 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 de- sert our pretty Falcon's Stream, and trans- port our possessions hither: a moment's re- THE SWISS FAMILY ROIBIN SON. 423 flection, however, betrayed the folly of quit- ting the thousand comforts we had there with almost incredible industry assembled; and we dismissed the thought with promising our- selves to include this ravishing spot ever more in our projects for excursions. We disen- gaged 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 deter- mined to pass the night in this enchanting spot, we began to think of forming some largo branches of trees into a sort of hut, as is practised by the hunters in America, to shel- ter 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. Unfor- tunately, Turk and Flora, whom we sent after 424 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. him, took the fancy of entering the planta- tion 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 slum- bering companions. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 425 The following morning we breakfasted on some milk from the cow, some boiled pota- toes, 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. 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 relinquish- ing all further hope, we discovered the print of the ass's hoofs on the soil, which inspired us with new ardor in the pursuit. After spending a whole hour in further endeavors, 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 con- siderable 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 perpendic- 426 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. ular precipice, leaving only a narrow passage between the rocks and the river, which dur- ing 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 bound- ary to our island, or divided it into two por- tions; whether we should see there land or water. We continued to advance, and at length reached a stream which issued foam- ing 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 print of the ass's hoofs were again visible on the ground. By observing closely, we saw with aston- THE SWISS FAMILY IROBIN SON. 427 ishment, the prints of the feet of other ani- mals, much larger and different in many re- spects 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 behclū 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 par- tially 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 in- terspersed 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 428 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 en- joy 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 cul- tivation; it was every where 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 quan- tity of brilliantly colored butterflies, which the eye frequently confounded with the dif- ferent 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 nu- merous group of animals, which in the assem- blage presented something like the outline of a troop of horses or of cows. I observed them sometimes run up to each other, and then Sud- THE SWISS FAMILY IROBIN SON. 429 denly stoop to graze. Though we had not lately met with farther traces of the ass, I was not entirely without the hope of finding him among these animals. On a nearer ap- proach, we perceived that they were wild buf- faloes. 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 mo- ment, 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 displeas- ure at our approach: they stood perfectly still, with their large round eyes fixed upon us in vacant surprise: those which were ly- ing down got up slowly, but not one among them seemed to have any hostile disposition towards us. The circumstance of the dogs' 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 defense NN * 430 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 my- self, was proceeding in this way, when un- fortunately 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 trem- ble; they struck their horns and their hoofs upon the ground, which they tore up by pieces and scattered in the air. I with hor- ror foresaw the moment when, confounding us with the dogs, which no doubt they mis- took for Jackalls, they would seize upon and tear us to pieces. Our brave Turk and Flora, fearless of danger, ran, in spite of all our ef- forts, 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 tre- mendous roar and motion with his hoofs, they held him fast, and were dragging him THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 431 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 scemed now to be in the chance of the terror the buf- faloes would feel at the noise of our mus- ketry, 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, re- mained for an instant motionless, as if struck by a thunderbolt, and then one and all be- took 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 mo- ther of the young buffalo which the dogs had seized and still kept a prisoner; she had 432 THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 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 mo- ment'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 to pieces, if I had not prevented her by firing upon her with my double-barreled 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 horriblé and inevitable form, seemed to stare us in the face | But now we might hope that every danger was over: I was enchanted with the behavior of my boy, who, instead of giv- ing way to fears and lamentations, as other lads of his age might have done, had stood all the time in a firm posture by my side, and had fired with a steady aim in silence. I bestowed freely on him the commendation he had so well deserved, and made him sensible how ne- cessary it is in times of danger to preserve a presence of mind, which in many cases is of itself sufficient to effect the sought-for deliv- erance. The young buffalo still remained a THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 433 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 ad- vance and give them what assistance I might find practicable. To say the truth, I scarcely knew in what way to effect this. The buf- falo, though young, was strong cnough to re- venge 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 substituto for the ass, which we had but little hope of recovering. I found myself in a perplexing state of indecision, when Jack suddenly in- terposed an effective means for accomplishing my wishes. He had his string with balls in his pocket; he drew it out hastily, and mak- ing a few steps backward, he threw it so skil- fully as to entangle the buffalo completely, and throw him down. As I could then ap- proach 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 NN* 434 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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. The question was now, how we were to get the buffalo home; having reflected, I con- ceived that the best way would be to tie his two forelegs together so tight that he could not run, yet loose enough for him to walk; “and,” pursued I, “we will next adopt the method practised in Italy: you will think it somewhat cruel, but the success will be cer- tain; and it shall afterwards be our study to make him amends by the kindest care and treatment. Hold you the cord which con- fines his legs with all your strength, that he may not be able to move: – I then called Turk and Flora, and made each again take hold of the ears of the animal; I took from my pocket a sharp pointed knife, and taking hold of the snout, I made a hole in the nos- tril, into which I quickly inserted the string, which I immediately tied so closely to a tree, that the animal was prevented from the THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 435 least motion of the head, which might have inflamed the wound and increased his pain. I drew off the dogs the moment the operation was performed. The creature, thus rendered furious, would have run away, but the strict- ure of the legs and the pain in the nostril prevented it. The first attempt I made to pull the cord, found him docile and ready to accommodate his motions to our designs, and I perceived that we might now begin our march. I left him for a short time to make Some other preparations. I was unwilling to leave so fine a prey as the dead buffalo behind us; I therefore, after considering what was to be done, began by cutting out the tongue, which I sprinkled with some of the salt we had in our provision- bag; I next took off the skin from the four feet, taking care not to tear it in the opera- tion. I remembered that the Americans use these skins, which are of a soft and flexible quality, as boots and shoes, and I considered them as precious articles. I lastly cut some of the flesh of the animal with the skin on, and salted it, and abandoned the rest to the dogs, as a recompense for their behavior. I 436 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. then repaired to the river to wash myself, af. ter which we sat down under the shade of a large tree, and ate the rest of our provisions. 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 recds, 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 pre- Sume, of a bag-pipe, to announce a triumphal arrival to our companion ?”—“You are mis- taken, father,” answered Jack; “I am think- ing of some candlesticks for my mother, who will set so high a value on them l’’ “This is a good thought,” said I; “I am pleased both with the kindness and the read- iness 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 buf- THE SWISS FAMILY IRORINSON. 437 falo; 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 essen- tial service. In a short time we found ourselves once more at the narrow passage between the tor- rent 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 438 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 re- sembling 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 blos- som, and had no fruit. I suspected that the first of these was the little royal palm, some- times called awiwa 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 pro- tect the outer side of the narrow pass imme- diately over the torrent of the cascade. I determined to return and plant a line of them there, as close to each other as the consider- ation 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 439 regained the narrow pass at the turn of the rocks. We proceeded with caution, and when safe on the other side, we thought of quick- ening our pace to arrive the sooner at the hut. The first solicitudes about health and safety being answered, we entered upon the narra- tive of our adventures; when question after Question was so rapidly proposed to us, that we, on our parts, were obliged to ask for the necessary time for our replies. All agreed that our success with the buffalo was the most extraordinary of our achievements: all longed for the morning, when they might take their fill of looking at the spirited creature we had brought with us. The day concluded with Supper, and Sound repose. CHAPTER XXV. The Malabar Eagle; — Sago Manufactory; — Bees. * My wife the next morning began the con- Versation. She told me that the boys had 440 TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. been good and diligent; that they had as- cended Cape Disappointment with her, and had gathered wood, and made some torches for the night, and, what seemed almost in- credible, 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 pur- pose, 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 cautiously 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 coloring; 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 441 birds is thought a lucky omen; and it being neither large nor expensive in its food, I was desirous to keep and train it like a falcon, to pursue smaller birds. Fritz had already cov- ered 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 pur- pose 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 potatoes, which he greedily de- voured; and this led us to conclude that the pains from the wound in his nose had sub- sided, and that he would soon become tame. The morning of this day was spent in again talking over our late extraordinary adven- tures; 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 00 442 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 sup- plied us with, and we did not get up till af. ter sunrise. After a moderate breakfast, I chanted the accustomed summons for our set- ting out; but my young ones had some pro- jects in their heads, and neither they nor their mother were just then in the humor to obey me. “Let us reflect a little first,” said my wife; “as we had so much difficulty in felling the palm-tree, would it not be a pity to lose our labor, by leaving it in this place 7 Ernest as- sures me it is a sago-tree; if so, the pith would be an excellent ingredient for our soups. Do, my dear, examine it, and let us see if in any way we can turn it to account.” I found she was in the right: but in that THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 443 case it was necessary to employ a day in the business; since, to lay open from one end to the other a tree of such a length and sub- stance, was no trivial task. I however con- sented; as, independent of the use of the far- inaceous pith, I could, by emptying it, obtain two handsome and large troughs for the con- veyance of water from Jackall's river to my wife's kitchen-garden at Tent-IIouse, and thence to my new plantation of trees. Fritz. — One of the halves, father, will an- swer that purpose, and the other will serve as a conduit for our little stream from Fal- con's Nest into my pretty basin lined with tortoise-shell; we then shall be constantly regaled with the agreeable view of a fountain close to our dwelling : — I fancy it now be- fore my eyes, and that I see its course. “And I, for my part,” said Ernest, “ long for a sight of the sago formed into small grains, as I have seen it in Europe.” I how desired them to bring me the graters they had used for the manioc, and observed that they had to assist me in raising the palm-tree from the ground, which must be done, continued I, by fixing at each end 444 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. two small cross pieces or props to support it; to split it open as it lies would be a work of too much labor : this done I shall want sev- eral wooden wedges to keep the cleft open while I am sawing it, and afterwards a suffi- cient quantity of water. “There is the diffi- culty,” said my wife; “our Falcon's Stream is too far off, and we have not yet discovered any spring in the neighborhood of this place.” I'rnest. — That is of no consequence, mo- ther; I have seen hereabouts so great an abundance of the plants which contain water, that we need not be at a loss; for they will fully supply us, if I could only contrive to get vessels enough to hold it. We now produced the enormous reeds we had brought home, which being hollow, would answer the purpose of vessels; and as some time was required to draw off the water from such small tubes, he and Francis at once set to work; they cut a number of the plants, which they placed slantingly over the brim of a vessel, and whilst that was filling they were preparing another. The rest of us got round the tree, and with our united strength we soon succeeded in raising the heavy trunk, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 445 and the top of it was then sawed off. We next began to split it through the whole length, and this the softness of the wood en- abled us to effect with little trouble. We soon reached the pith or marrow that fills up the middle of the trunk the whole of its length. When divided, we laid one half on the ground, and we pressed the pith together with our hands, so as to make temporary room for the pith of the other half to the trunk, which rested still on the props. We wished to empty it entirely, that we might employ it as a kneading trough, leaving merely enough of the pith at both ends to prevent a running out; and then we pro- ceeded to form our paste. My young manufacturers fell joyfully to work: they brought water, and poured it gradually into the trough, whilst we mixed it with the flour. In a short time the paste ap- peared sufficiently fermented: I then made an aperture at the bottom of the grater on its outside, and pressed the paste strongly with my hand; the farinaceous parts pressed with ease through the small holes of the gra- ter, and the ligneous parts which did not pass 00% 446 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. were thrown aside in a heap, in the hope that mushrooms, &c. might spring from them. My boys were in readiness to receive in the reed vessels what fell from the grater, and conveyed it directly to their mother, whose business was to spread out the small grains in the sun upon sailcloth, for the purpose of drying them. Thus we procured a good sup- ply of a wholesome and pleasant food; and should have had a larger stock of it, had we not been restricted as to time; but the privi- lege of renewing the process at pleasure, by felling a Sago-tree, added to some impatience to take home our two pretty conduits, and employ them as proposed, prompted us to ex- pedite the business. The paste which re- mained was thrown upon the mushroom-bed, and watered well to promote fermentation. We next 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 com- menced his service, yoked with the cow; he supplied the want of the ass, and was very THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 447 * * . tractable: it is true, I led him by the cord in his nose, and thus restrained him when- ever he was disposed to deviate from his duty. We returned the same way as we came, in order to load the cart with a provision of ber- ries, 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, pro- duced numerous difficulties, and somewhat impeded our progress. We reached the wax and gum trees with tolerable speed and with- out 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 im- penetrable boots I had so long desired. We set out again, still preceded by our pi- oneers, who cleared the way for us through the little wood of guavas. Suddenly we heard a dreadful noise, which came from our van- guard, and beheld Fritz and Jack hastening towards us. I began now to fear a tiger or 448 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. panther was near at hand, or had perhaps at- tacked them. Turk began to bark so fright- fully, 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 al- most 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 suspicions; 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 ani- mal, 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 TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 449 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 rec- ollect 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 con- veyed to Falcon's Stream 7 Opinions being at variance, it was decided that for the pres- ent they should keep quiet possession of their retreat. - We then, so many adventures ended, pur- sued 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 450 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. stand. It was necessary to practise a meas- ure 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 ter- rified and fled; but the poor luckless parrot was too near the sanguinary creature to es- cape. 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 ran up and entreated him to spare its life: “Parrots,” said he, “we shall find in plenty, but never perhaps so beaute- ous, so magnificent a bird as this eagle, which, TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 451 as father observes, we may train for hawk- ing. You may, too, blame only yourself for the parrot's death; — why did you uncover his eyes? I could have told you that falcon- ers keep them covered six weeks, till they are completely tamed. But now, brother, let me have the care of him; let me manage the un- ruly 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 approach- ing the unruly bird. As soon as it was some- what composed, he replaced the fillet over the eyes, and smoked close to its beak and 452 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. nostrils so effectually, that it became motion- less 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 favorite 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 pos- Session of it, and made it lie down near him. We next began a business which we had long determined on; it was to plant bamboos close to all the young trees, to support them in their growth. We had our cart loaded with canes in readiness, and a large pointed iron to dig holes in the ground. We began our work at the entrance of the avenue nearest to Falcon's Stream. The walnut, chesnut, and cherry-trees we had planted in a regular line and at equal dis- tances, we found disposed to bend considera- bly to one side. Being the strongest, I took THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 453 the task of making holes with the implement upon myself, which, as the soil was light, I easily performed. The boys selgeted the bamboos, cut them of equal lengths, and pointed the ends to go into the ground. When they were well fixed, we threw up the earth compactly about them, and fastened the sapling by the branches to them with Some long straight tendrils of a plant which we found near the spot. In the midst of our exertions we entered into a conversation re- specting the culture of trees. Till then my boys had only thought of eating fruits, with- out giving themselves much trouble about their production; but now their curiosity was excited, and they asked a thousand questions, which I answered as well as I could. Towards evening, a keen appetite hastened our return to Falcon's Stream, where we found an excellent and plentiful supper pre- pared by our good and patient steward. When the sharpness of hunger was ap- peased, a new subject was introduced, which I and my wife had been thinking of for some time; she found it difficult, and even danger- ous, to ascend and descend our tree with a PP 454 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. rope ladder: we never went there but on go- ing to bed, and each time felt an apprehen- sion that one of the children, who scrambled up like cats, might make a false step, and perhaps be lamed forever: bad weather might come on, and compel us for a long time to- gether to seek an asylum in our aerial apart- ment, and consequently to ascend and de- scend 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 cir- cumference might be. The boys seized the THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 455 idea with ardor; 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, be- gan 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 ne- cessary, 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 456 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 every- thing in readiness for obtaining possession of their honey. The bees in the meantime were still buzzing furiously round the tree. I pre- pared tobacco, a pipe, some clay, chisels, hammers, &c. 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 wound- ed patients. CHAPTER XXVI. Treatment of Bees; — Staircase;— Training of various Animals; — Manufactures, dºc. NEXT morning, almost before dawn, all were up and in motion; the bees had re- TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 457 turned to their cells, and I stopped the pas- Sages with clay, leaving only a sufficient ap- erture for the tube of my pipe. I then smoked as much as was requisite to stupify, 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 hum- ming was heard in the hollow of the tree, and a noise like a gathering tempest, which died away by degrees. All was become calm, and I withdrew my tube without the appear- ance 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 PP* 458 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. the immense and wonderful work of this col- ony 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'ſine honey- combs: I cut them off with care, and put them in the gourds the boys constantly sup- plied 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 honey-combs, 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 care- fully 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 459 have failed to do, but for the precaution I took of passing 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 took this opportunity to relate to my childrén, all I had read, in the interesting work by Mr. Huber of Geneva, of the queen bee, this be- loved and respected mother of her subjects, who take care of and guard her, work for her, nourish the rising swarms, make the cells in which they are to lodge, prepare oth- ers of a different structure, as well as nutri- ment for the young queens destined to lead forth the fresh colonies. These accounts highly entertained my youthful auditory, who almost regretted having molested the repose of a fine peaceable kingdom that had flour- ished so long without interruption in the huge trunk. 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 460 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 set- tled 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 con- sumption; 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 un- covered 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 every thing in order; the bees going forth in swarms, and returning loaded with wax, from which I judged they were forming fresh edi- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 461 fices 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 conse- quence, I procured another gourd, into which I shook them, and placed it by the former: thus I had the satisfaction of obtaining at an 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 re- sistance 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, receive 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 462 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. begin our construction in its capacious hol- low that very day. The undertaking ap- peared at first beyond our powers; but in- telligence, patience, time, and a firm resolu- tion, 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 door-way equal in dimen- sions to the door of the captain's cabin, which we had removed with all its frame-work 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 THE SWISS FAMILY RORINSON. 463 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 conveni- ently 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 hap- pily effected the stupendous undertaking of conducting it to the level of our bedchamber. 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 464 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. nothing further to my design. When the whole was complete, 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 con- stant efforts to the end; and it employed us many weeks. I have now to relate some oc- currences that took place during the construc- tion 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 un- der 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 trad- ing with the savages; it being one of the ar- ticles they most value. We could now imme- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, 465 diately trace a deserter by the Sound, and bring it back to the fold. Next to the winding stairs, my chief occu- pation 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 in- defatigable in the training of the animal, and Soon brought it to carry, patiently, large bags of potatoes, 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 QQ 466 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 new-fangled bridle into the hands of the young rider, directing him how to use it. For a time the lad kept his saddle, not- withstanding the unruly gestures of the crea- ture; at length a side jolt threw him on the Sand, without his receiving much injury. Er- nest, Fritz, and lastly myself, got on success- ively, 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 rode 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 TRAINING THE BUFFAL0. THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 467 Swiftness of lightning. By continued atten- tions it at length became extremely docile: it was not in the least apt to start; and I re- ally 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 buf- falo; 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 them- Selves in training the animal as horses are exercised in a ridinghouse: 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 neg- lect his eagle: he daily shot sche small birds which he gave it to eat, placing them some times between the buffalo's horns, sometimes on the back of one of the hens, or of the fla- mingo, 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 QQ* - 468 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. it to soar without securing its return by a long string, apprehending its bold and wild nature would prompt it to take a distant and farewell flight from us. Our whole company, including even the in- ert Ernest, was infected with the passion of becoming instructors. Ernest tried his tal- ents 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 dur- ing 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 ham- per steady on the back of the mischievous urchin. This apparatus was at first intoler- able to poor Knips: he gnashed his teeth, TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 469 rolled on the ground, jumping like a mad creature, and did every thing to get rid of it: but all in vain, for education was the stand- ing order, and he soon found he must submit. The hamper was left on day and night; its sole food was what was thrown into it; and in a short time pug was so much accustomed to the burden, that he began to spit and growl whenever we attempted to take it off, and every thing 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. These different occupations filled up sev- eral 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 470 THE swiss FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 loos- ened at pleasure, to facilitate the extraction of the tapers. The wicks gave us most trou- ble as we had no cotton. We tried with mod- erate success the fibrous threads of the kar- rata, 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 chil- dren 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 471 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 pro- duced a close adhesion between the leather and stocking sole. I next proceeded to smear the whole with a coat of resin of a tol- erable 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 clay, 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 water-proof. 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 ## * 472 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 man- ufactured with the caoutchouc, which I used to cover the seams and render them less per- vious to water. The work turned out very imperfect, and so inferior to my incompara- ble boots, that Fritz wore them reluctantly; and the more so, as his brother shouted with laughter at the difficulty he had to run in them. We had also been engaged in the construc- tion of our fountain, which afforded a per- petual source of pleasure to my wife, and in- deed 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 af. terwards, by means of a gentle slope, to glide on contiguous to our habitation, where it fell into the tortoise-shell basin, which we had º, *. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 473 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, de- lighting 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, waterfowls. The only incon- venience was, that the water flowing in this open state through the narrow channels in a slender stream, was heated, and not refresh- ing when it reached us. I resolved to obvi- ate this inconvenience at my future leisure, by employing, instead of the uncovered con- duits, large bamboo canes, fixed deep enough in the ground to keep the water cool. In waiting the execution of this design, we felt pleasure in the new acquisition; and Fritz, who had suggested the notion, received his tribute of praise from all. 474 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. CHAPTER XXVII. Wild Ass; — Difficulty in breaking it; — The Heath-Fowl's Nest. WE were scarcely up one morning, and had got to work in putting the last hand to our winding staircase, when we heard at a dis- tance two strange kind of voices, that resem- bled 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 defense; 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 * TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROIRINSON. 475 their spiked collars and side-guards: I as- sembled our cattle about the tree to have them in sight, and I reascended 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 bray- ings in all the varieties of the gamut?” I listened, and a fresh roar, in sounds un- questionable, raised loud peals of laughter, amongst us; then followed the usual train of jests and mutual banter at 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 leis- urely, and stopping now and then to browse; but to our great joy, he was accompanied by RR 476 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. one of his own species, of very superior beauty; and when it was nearer, I knew it to be a fine onagra, or wild ass, which I con- ceived 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 CEigital, (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 de- scended the ladder with Fritz, desiring his brothers to keep still ; and I consulted my privy-counselor 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 an- imal, whose efforts to escape would draw the knot closer. I also prepared a piece of bam- º”. *, *.* * . 3. *. ge -*** THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 477 boo about two feet long, which I split at the bottom, and tied fast at top, to serve as nip- pers. Fritz attentively examined my contriv- ance, 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 Pat- agonian method, fearing the attempt might fail, and the beautiful creature avail itself of its natural velocity to evade us beyond re- covery; 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 onagra started on perceiving a human fig- ure; it sprang some paces backward, then stopped as if to examine the unknown form ; but as Fritz now remained quite still, the an- imal resumed its composure, and continued to browse. Soon after he approached the old ass, hoping that the confidence that would be 478 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 favorite 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 throw- ing the rope round its neck; but the motion and stroke so affrighted the beast, that it in- stantly sprang off. It was soon checked by the cord, which, in compressing the neck, al- most stopped its breath: it could go no far- ther, 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 bot- tom 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 situa- tion; I fastened the halter with two long ropes to two roots near us, on the right and THE SWISS FAMILY ROIRINSON. 479 left, and let the animal recover itself, notic- ing its actions, and devising the best way to tame it in the completest manner. 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 Onagra got up again, struck fu- riously 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 fast- ened it afresh, so as to give the least scope for motion, and thus render its escape im- practicable, 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 his fore- legs with a rope. I then fastened it and the wild ass side by side, and put before both RR* 480 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. plenty of good provender to solace their im- patience of captivity. We had now the additional occupation of training the onagra for our service or our pleasure, as might turn out to be most prac- ticable: my boys exulted in the idea of riding it, and we repeatedly congratulated each other on the good fortune which had thus re- sulted from the flight of our ass. Yet I did not conceal that we should have many difficul- ties to encounter in taming it, though it seem- ed 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 suffi- cient art and patience, being probably uncon- scious of the advantages of either. I there- fore 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, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 481 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 ob- served 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 four legs, by drawing the cords closer that fastened it to the roots, in order to subdue gradually by fa- tigue its natural ferocity. The children came in 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 endeavors failed. For a long time we despaired of success; the ona- gra 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 con- fined them, by fastening them to the forefeet with cords, which, however, I left moderately 482 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. loose, that we might not encroach too much upon the motion necessary for its health. It was at length familiarized to this discipline, and was no longer in a rage when we ab- proached, 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 at first put on its back, held on pretty well by clinging to its mane, from which it was suspended as often as the onagra furiously reared and plunged; it was therefore for the present impracticable for either of my sons to get upon it. The per- verse 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 expe- TIII, SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 483 dient, but not without much regret, as I re- solved, if it did not answer, to restore the animal to full liberty. I tried to mount the onagra, and just as in the act of rearing up violently to prevent me, I seized with my teeth one of the long cars of the enraged creature, and bit it till it bled; instantly it stood almost erect on its hind feet, motion- less, and as stiff as a stake; it soon lowered itself by degrees, while I still held its ear be- tween 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 onagra 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 long-eared, was very handsome and well broken in. Thus pa- tience on our parts conquered a serious diffi- culty, and gained for us a proud advantage. 484 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. I now explained to my companions that I learned this extraordinary mode of taming from a horsebreaker 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 any thing that 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 Eu- ropean settlements, where they profitably dis pose of their skins and horses. In a few weeks the onagra was so effect- ually tamed, that we all could mount it with- out fear: I still, however, kept his two fore- legs confined together with the cord, to mod- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 485 erate 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 travelers and natu- ralists as absolutely beyond the power of man to tame. But how superior was my gratifi- cation, on seeing Fritz spring at any time on the creature's back, drive along our avenue like lightning, and do what he pleased with it, in depicting to my fond imagination, that even on a desert unknown island, I could qualify my dear children to re-enter society, and become in such respects its ornamentſ In beholding their physical strength and na- tive graces unfold themselves, and these keep- ing pace with the improvement of their intel- ligence and their judgment; and in antici- pating that, buried as they were in a distant retreat, far from the tumult of the world, and all that excites the passions, their sentiments would be formed in exact conformity to the paternal feelings of my heart 1 I had not 486 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. lost the hope that we should one day return to Europe in some vessel chance might throw on our coast, or even with the aid of our pin- nace: but I felt, at the same time, and my wife still more, that we should not leave the island without a lively regret, and I deter- mined to pursue my arrangements as if we were to close existence on a spot where all around us prospered. g During the training of our horse, which we named Lightfoot, a triple brood of our hens had given us a crowd of little feathered be- ings; forty of these at least were chirping and hopping about us, to the great satisfac- tion of my wife, whose zealous care of them sometimes made me smile. Some of these we 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 sea- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 487 son, 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 cancs 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, &c., and as a hayloft 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. SS 488 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. In this task we engaged diligently, and went daily here and there with our cart to collect every thing useful, and that might give us employment when the weather prevented our going far. One evening, on our return from digging up potatoes, as our cart loaded with bags, drawn by the buffalo, ass and cow, was gently rolling along, seeing still a vacant place in the vehicle, I advised my wife to go home with the two youngest boys, whilst I went round by the wood of oaks with Ernest and Fritz, to gather as many sweet acorns as we could find room for. We had still some empty sacks. Ernest was accompanied by his monkey, who seldom left him; and Fritz, horseman like, was on his dear onagra, which he had appropriated to himself, inasmuch as he had helped to take and tame it, and in- deed because he knew how to manage it bet- ter than his brothers. Ernest was too lazy, and preferred walking at ease with the mon- key on his shoulder, and the more so, because it spared him the trouble of gathering fruit. When we reached the oaks, Lightfoot was tied to a bush, and we set actively to work THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 489 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 the loud cries of birds and flap- ping of wings, and this assured us a sharp conflict was going on between master Knips and the inhabitants of the bushes. I de- spatched Ernest to reconnoitre. He went stoutly towards the place, and in an instant we heard him exclaim, “Come quickly, fa- ther ' A fine heath-fowl's nest full of eggs; Mr. Knips, as usual, wished to make a meal of them; the hen and he are fighting for it; come quick, Fritz, and take her; I am hold- ing greedy-chops as well as I can.” Fritz ran up directly, and in a few mo- ments 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 from the eggs. And now Ernest came for- 490 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. ward 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 con- cealed under these long leaves, that I should not have observed them had not the hen, in defending herself against the monkey, scat- tered 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 play- thing.” I applauded Ernest's kind thought, and I encouraged him and Fritz to be thus ever considerate for the absent. The kind- nesses conferred on those who are separated from us have in themselves more merit, and are more valued, than those which are per- sonally received. It was now time to think THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 491 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-wagon. Our good cattle were in such complete sub- jection, that it was only necessary to speak to them. I remarked Ernest often applying his ear to the heat which held the eggs, as if he thought the little ones were near com- ing forth; I listened also and observed some shells already broken and the young protrud- ing: 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-mo- ther, and ate greedily a mixture of sweet SS* 492 THE SWISS FAMI I ILY IROBINSON. 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 domes- ticated, that they daily accompanied our fea- thered stock in search of food, and regularly came back at night to the roost I had pre- pared for them, and in which this little new colony of feathered beings seemed to delight. CHAPTER XXVIII. Flaa: ; — and the Rainy Season. JFRANCIS for a short time was highly amus- ed 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 493 in driving your goats and sheep.” It had been lately decided that it should be the bus- iness of Francis to lead these to pasture. Fritz accordingly sat down to help him divide the leaves, and afterwards plat 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 nat- uralists Chlomidia, and by others Phormion. This was a valuable discovery in our situation: I knew how much my wife wished for the pro- duction, and that it was the article she felt 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 494 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. no loss in the employment of it.” I could not help smiling at the scope she gave to her im- agination, on the bare mention of flax, though so much was to be done between the gather- ing 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 without asking my leave, one mounted Lightfoot, the other the buffalo, and galloped off towards the wood so fast that I had no time to call them back: they were already out of sight: their eagerness to oblige their mother in this instance pleaded their forgive- ness, and I suffered them to go on without following them, purposing to procé 3 and bring them back if they did not soon return. In waiting for them I conversed with my wife, who pointed out to me, with all the ani- mation and spirit of useful enterprise so nat- ural to her character, the various machinery I must contrive for spinning and weaving her flax for the manufactory of cloths, with which she said she should be able to equip us from head to foot; in speaking of which, her eyes sparkled with doing good, the love of the pur- est kind of joy, and I promised her all she de- sired of me. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 495 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 en- gage in, and previously in steeping the flax. Fritz. — How is flax prepared, father, and what is meant by steeping it? Father. —Steeping flax, or hemp, is ex- posing it in the open air, by spreading it on the ground to receive the rain, the wind, and the dew, in order in a certain degree to li- quify he plant; by this means the ligneous parts of the flax are separated with more ease from the fibrous; a kind of vegetable glue that binds them is dissolved, and it can then be perfectly cleaned with great ease, and the parts selected which are fit for spinning. JFritz. — But may not the natural texture of this part be destroyed by exposing it so long to wet 7 Father.—That certainly may happen when the process is managed injudiciously, and the flax not duly turned; the risk, however, is 496 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. not great, the fibrous part has a peculiar te- nacity, which enables it to resist longer the action of humidity: flax may be even steeped altogether in water without injury. Many think this the best and quickest method, and I am of their opinion. My wife coincided with me, especially in the sultry climate we inhabited : she there- fore proposed to soak the flax in Flamingo Marsh, and begin by making up the leaves in bundles, as they do hemp in Europe. We agreed to her proposal, and joined in this previous and necessary preparation of the flax during the rest of the day. 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 pick-axes. We stopped at the marsh, divided our large bundles into smaller, which we placed in the water, press- ing 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 admira- THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 497 tion the instinct of the flamingoes, in build- ing 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 re- sist all danger from the element 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, &c., 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. Occa- sional slight showers, the harbingers of win- ter, had already come on : the temperature, which hitherto had been warm and serene, became gloomy and variable; the sky was often darkened with clouds, the stormy winds 498 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. were heard, and warned us to avail ourselves of the favorable moment to get all that might be wanted ready. Our first care was to dig up a full supply of potatoes and yams 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. Notwith- standing 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 prep- aration: 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, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 499 carefully selecting the smallest and the young- est. In the environs we formed a large hand- some plantation of sugar-canes, so as to have hereafter every thing 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 we could not refrain from painful apprehensions in sur- mising 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 TT 500 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 deluge 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, mattrasses, and every article that could be injured by the rain; and most fortunate did we deem our- selves 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 cu- linary vessels, which my wife fetched as she happened to want them. Our little sheds be- tween 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 to- gether, and hardly able to move in these al- most dark recesses, which the foetid smell from the close adjoining animals rendered TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 50L 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 homes of our dear country: —but what was to be done ! we were not there, and losing our courage and our temper would only in- crease 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 be- low; 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 num- ber, 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 re- 502 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. turn. 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 occa- sion; 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 melted some olastic gum, which we spread over the shirts and hoods; and the articles thus prepared answered every purpose of water-proof 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 af- terwards they would have been rejoiced to have had the same; this, however, the re- duced 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 as much as we could, living on milk and cheese, and never making a fire but TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 503 to bake our cakes: we then used the occasion to boil a quantity of potatoes, 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. A more serious concern was, our not having provided sufficient hay and leaves for our European cattle, which we kept housed to avoid losing them; the cow, the ass, the sheep, and the goat, the two last of which were increased in number, required a large quantity of provin- der, so that we were ere long forced to give them our potatoes and sweet acorns, which by the by, they found very palatable, and we re- marked that they imparted a delicate flavor to their milk; — the cow, the goats, and even the sheep, amply supplied us with that pre- cious article: milking, cleaning the animals, and preparing their food, occupied us most of the morning, after which we were usually employed in making flour of the manioc root, with which we filled the large gourds, previ- ously placed in rows. The gloom of the at- mosphere and our low windowless habitation, TTºk 504 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 ta- ble, where a large taper fixed on a gourd gave us an excellent light, which enabled my wife to pursue her occupation with the nee- dle, while I on my part was forming a jour- nal, and recording what the reader has pe. rused 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 intrusted the care of writing off my pages in a clear legible. character: Fritz and Jack amused them- selves by drawing from memory, the plants and animals which had most struck their ob- servation; while one and all contributed to teach little Francis to read and write: we concluded the day with a devotional reading in the Holy Bible, performed by each in turn, and we then retired to rest, happy in our- selves, and in the innocent and peacefu course of our existence. Our kind and faith: THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 505 ful steward often surprised us agreeably on our return from looking after the cattle, by lighting a fagot of dried bamboo, and quickly roasting, by the clear and fervent heat it pro- duced, 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 extraor- dinary toil. Every four or 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 re- gales represented to our grateful hearts so many little festivals, the generous intention of which made us forget our bad accommoda- tions and confinement. 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 re- spective masters, who certainly would have deprived themselves to supply the wants of their helpless dependants. Francis had taken 506 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 of. fices of tenderness and vigilance. If the buf- falo, the Onagra, and pig, had not found sus- tenance abroad, they must have been killed or starved, and that would have given us much pain. In the course of these discom- forts, it was unanimously resolved on, that we would not pass another rainy season ex- posed to the same evils; even my gentle- tempered and most beloved consort, was a little ruffled now and then with our inconve- nient 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 triumph- antly with a book he had found in the bottom of our clothes' chest. “Here,” said he, “is our best counselor and model, Robinson Crusoe, since Heaven has destined us to a THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 507. similar fate, whom better can we consult 7 As far as I remember, he cut himself a habi- tation 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 assem- bled, and read the famous history with an ardent interest; it seemed, though so famil- iar, 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 res- cued us altogether, and not permitted one. only of us to be cast, a solitary being, on the island. The occurrence of this thought pro- duced an overwhelming sense of affection among us; we could not refrain from throw- ing ourselves into each other's arms, embrac- ing repeatedly, and the pathetic scene ended in mutual congratulations. Francis expressed his wish to have a Man Friday; Fritz thought it better to be with- out such a Companion, and to haves no sav- ages to contend with. Jack was for the sav- ages, Warfare, and encounters. The final 508 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. result of our deliberations was to go and Sur- vey the rocks round Tent-House, and to ex- amine whether any of them could be exca- wated 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. My wife was impatient to use it; and the drying, peeling, and spinning her flax, became from this time a source of inexhaust- able delight. CHAPTER XXIX. Spring;–Spinning;-Sal Mine. I CAN'hardly describe our joy, when, after many tedious and gloomy weeks of rain, the THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 509 sky began to brighten, the Sun to dart its be- nign 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 reanimated, 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. The vegetation of our plantation of trees was rapidly advancing; the seed we had thrown into the ground was sprouting in slen- der blades that waved luxuriantly; a pleasing tender foliage adorned the trees; the earth was enameled with an infinite variety of flowers, whose agreeable tints diversified the 510 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. verdure of the meadows. Odorous exhala- tions were diffused through the atmosphere; the song of birds was heard around: they were seen between the leaves, joyfully flut- tering from branch to branch; their various forms and brilliant plumage heightened this delightful picture of spring, and we were at once struck with wonder and penetrated with gratitude towards the Creator of so many beauties. Under these impressions we cele- brated the ensuing Sunday in the open air, and, if possible, with stronger emotions of piety than heretofore. The blessings which surrounded us were ample compensation for some uneasy moments which had occasionally intervened; and our hearts, filled with fresh zeal, were resolved to be resigned, if it should be the will of God, to pass the residue of our days in this solitude with serenity of soul. The force of paternal feelings, no doubt, made me sometimes form other wishes for my chil- dren; but these I buried in my own breast, for fear of disturbing their tranquility: but if I segretly indulged a desire for some event that might prolong and even increase their happiness, I nevertheless wholly sub- mitted all to the Divine will. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 511 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 clear- ed, the rooms between the roots re-occupied, and we were left with leisure to proceed to other employments. My wife lost not a mo- ment 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 thankful- ness, requesting me to make herºa wheel without delay, that she might enter upon her favorite work. UU 512 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. At an earlier period of my life I had prac- tised tourney for my amusement; now, how- ever, 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 en- deavors 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 searcely 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 en- gaged in turns at the wheel, to forward her business whilst she was occupied in the culi- nary offices; but not one of them was found so tractable as the cool-tempered, quiet Ern- est, who preferred this to more laborious ex- ertions. 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 amongst our provisions, that by far the largest portion was spotted THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 513 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. In looking over the stores, we were grieved to find the gunpowder, of which I had left three barrels in the tent, the most damaged. The contents of two were rendered wholly use- less. I thought myself fortunate on finding the remaining one in tolerable condition, and derived from this great and irreparable loss, a Cogent motive to fix upon winter quarters, where our stores, our only wealth, would not be exposed to such cruel dilapidations. Fritz and Jack were constant in their en- deavors to make me undertake the excavation in 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 impene- trableness; so that, with our limited powers, three or four summers would scarcely suffice to execute the design. Still the earnest de- 514 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. sire of a more substantial habitation, to de- fend us from the elements, perplexed me in- cessantly, 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 impres- sion 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 Jackall's Stream, and Family Bridge, and many of the pictu- resque projections of the rocks. I marked out with charcoal the opening we wished to make, and we began the heavy toil of pierc- ing the quarry. We made so little progress the first day, that, in spite of our courage, we were tempted to relinquish the undertak- ing; we persevered, however, and my hope was somewhat revived as I perceived the stone was of a softer texture as we pene- trated deeper: I concluded from this, that THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 515 the ardent rays of the sun striking upon the rock had hardened the external layer, and that the stone within would increase in soft- ness as we advanced; and it occurred to me, that the substance might be a species of cal- carious 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 ardor, and my boys assisted me with a spirit and zeal beyond their years. After a few days of assiduous labor, 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 labor 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 ſ” “Hah, hah, master Jack at his jokes again!— But let us hear, what have you UU% 516 TIIH, SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. # * pierced ? Is it the mountain 7 Not perad- venture your hand or foot, Jack 7" 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. “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 ap- erture for one of my sons to pass, and I ob- served that in reality the rubbish fell within the cavity, which I judged, from the falling THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 517 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 ter- ror, “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. Jack. — How does air become mephitic? Father. —In different ways: for example, when it is replete with noxious vapors, or when it contains too many igneous or inflam- mable particles, or when it is too heavy or dense, as fixed air is; but in general, when it merely loses its elasticity, it no longer passes freely into the lungs; respiration is then stopped, and suffocation speedily ensues, because air is indispensable to life and the circulation of the blood. 518 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Jack. — Then all to be done is, to be off quickly when one feels a stoppage of breath. Father. — This is certainly the natural course, when it can be taken; but the attack usually begins by a vertigo or dizziness of the head, so violent as to intercept motion, which is followed by an insurmountable op- pression; efforts are made to breathe, faint- ing follows, and, without speedy help, a Sud- den death takes place. • Fritz. —What assistance can be adminis- tered ? Father. — The first thing to be done is to remove the person so affected to pure fresh air, and to throw cold water over his body; he must then be well dried, and afterwards rubbed with warm cloths; vital air must be infused, or tobacco-smoke thrown up; — in short, he must be treated like a drowned per- son till signs of reanimation appear, which is not always the result. Fritz. —But why do you think, father, the air in this cavern is mephitic, as you term it, or dangerous to breathe in 7 Father.—All air confined and wholly sep- arated from that of the atmosphere, gradu- TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 519 ally loses its elasticity, and can no longer pass through the lungs: in this state it gen- erates injurious qualities that interrupt the process of respiration. It is in this act that the atmospheric air diffused around us, unites intimately with the blood, to which it com- municates one of its most essential parts, called vital air, for without it life cannot be supported. This air failing, respiration ceases, and death succeeds in a few minutes; the consequence is similar when this air is impregnated too abundantly with injurious parts. # Fritz. — And by what is good air known 7 How judge that one may respire freely at a few paces from this mephitic cave 7 Pather. — This becomes evident when in- spiration and expiration are performed with ease; besides, 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 res. ºpiration: 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. 520 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Fritz. — Oh! that will be an easy matter. 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, to- gether 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 burst- ing 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 ex- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 521 tent. We beheld too, as we thought, numer- ous dazzling bodies, that sparkled suddenly, , as if by magic, and disappeared with the ra- * pidity 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 its 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 re- verberations: every thing in the cavern shone brilliantly, and offered instantly a truly en- chanting sight; but they dropped in succes- sion, fell to the ground without noise, and vanished like ethereal spirits. After having played off our fireworks, I tried lighted straw: to our great satisfaction, the bundles thrown in were entirely con- sumed; we could then reasonably hope noth- ing 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 wa- ter. 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 522 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. to Falcon 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 his embassy without a mean- ing; 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 pen- etrate the obscure sanctuary. Jack, overjoyed, sprang on the buffalo, gayly smacked his whip, and set off so boldly, that I almost trembled for his safety. The intrepid boy was unincumbered 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, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 523 mounted on his buffalo, came prancing before them; blew through his closed hand, in imi- tation 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 pre- ferred 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 apprehen- sions; and indeed I felt myself that sort of fear which an unknown object is apt to ex- cite, even our dogs that accompanied us be- trayed some timidity, and did not run before as usual; but we had scarcely advanced four paces within the grotto, when all was changed ºš §§ * VV 524 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. to more than admiration and surprise. The most beautiful and magnificent spectacle pre- sented itself. The sides of the cavern spar- kled like diamonds, the light from our six tapers was reflected from all parts, and had the effect of a grand illumination. Innumer- able 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 the palace of a fairy, or an illumined temple. In some places, all the colors of the prism were emit- ted 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 in- tervening, the dazzling lustre of others—the whole, in short, delighted and enchanted the sight and the fancy. 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 SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 525 the famous grotto of Antiparos; my sensa- tions, 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 crystalizations 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 ever with so many of the crystals perpendicular and per- fectly smooth. I was impatient to evince the truth or falsehood of this idea by an experi- ment, 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 crystalized masses, generally above a bed of spar or gyp- sum, and surrounded by layers of fossils or , rock. The discovery of this fact, which no 526 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. longer admitted a doubt, pleased us all ex- ceedingly. The shape of the crystals, their little solidity, and finally their saline taste, were decisive evidences. How highly advantageous to us and our cattle was this superabundance of salt, pure and ready to be shoveled out for use, and preferable in all respects to what we collected on the shore, which required to be refined As we advanced in the grotto, remarkable figures formed by the saline matter every where presented themselves; columns reach- ing from the bottom to the top of the vault appeared to sustain it, and some even had cornices and capitals: here and there undu- lating masses which at certain distances re- sembled the sea. From the variegated and whimsical forms we beheld, fancy might make a thousand creations at its pleasure: win- dows, large open cupboards, benches, church ornaments, grotesque figures of men and an- imals; some like polished crystals or dia- monds, others like blocks of alabaster. We viewed with unwearied curiosity this repository of wonders, and we had all lighted our second taper, when I observed on the THE - SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 527 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 fall- ing on any of our heads might prove instantly fatal. But on closer inspection, I was con- vinced they had not dropped of themselves spontaneously; the whole mass was too solid for fragments of that size to have been so de- tached from it: and had dampness loosened them, they would have dissolved gradually: I concluded they were broken off by the con- cussion caused by the explosion of our artil- lery and fire-works, and I thought it prudent to retire, as other loosened pieces might un- expectedly 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 VV% 528 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. point of solidity there was nothing to fear, and that we might proceed without dread of accident. Loud exclamations, projects, con- sultations, now succeeded to our mute aston- ishment Many schemes were formed for converting this magnificent grotto into a con- venient and agreeable mansion for our abode. We had possession of the most eligible prem- ises; the sole business was to turn them to the best account; and how to effect this was our unceasing theme: some voted for our im- mediate establishment there, but they were opposed by more sagacious counsel, and it was resolved that Falcon's Stream should still be our head-quarters till the end of the year. CHAPTER, XXX. House in the Salt Rock; — Herring Fishery. THE lucky discovery of a previously exist- ing cavern in the rock, had, as must be sup- posed, considerably lessened our labor: ex- cavation was no longer requisite: I had more THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 529 room than was wanted for the construction of our dwelling: to render it habitable was the present object, and to do this did not seem a difficult task. The upper bed of the rock, in front of the cavern, through which my little Jack had dug so easily, was of a soft nature, and to be worked with moderate effort. I hoped also that, being now exposed to the air and heat of the sun, it would be- come by degrees as hard and compact as the first layer that had given me so much trouble. From this consideration I began, while it re- tained its soft state, to make openings for the doors and windows of the front. This I reg- ulated by the measurement of those I had fixed in my winding staircase, which I had removed for the purpose of placing them in our winter tenement. Intending Falcon's Nest in future as a rural retreat for the hot- test days of summer, the windows of the stair- case became unnecessary; and as to the door, I preferred making one of bark similar to that of the tree itself, as it would the better conceal our abode, should we at any time ex- perience invasion from savages or other ene- mies: the door and windows were therefore 530 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. taken to Tent House, and to be hereafter fixed in the rock. I had previously marked out the openings to be cut for the frames, which were received into grooves for greater convenience and solidity. I took care not to break the stone taken from the apertures, or at least to preserve it in large pieces, and these I cut with the saw and chisel into ob- longs an inch and half in thickness, to serve as tiles. I laid them in the sun, and was gratified in seeing they hardened quickly; I then removed them, and my sons placed them in order against the side of the rock, till they were wanted for our internal arrangements. When I could enter the cavern freely with a good doorway, and it was sufficiently lighted by the windows, I erected a partition, for the distribution of our apartments and other con- veniences. The extent of the place afforded ample room for my design, and even allowed me to leave several spaces in which salt and other articles could be stored. At the re- quest of my children, I was cautious to injure as little as possible the natural embellish- ments of this new family mansion; but with all my care, I could not avoid demolishing * TIIE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 531 them in the division allotted to the stables: cattle are fond of salt, and would not have failed to cat away these ornaments, and per- haps in a prejudicial quantity: however, to gratify and reward my obedient children, I preserved the finest of the pillars, and the most beautiful pieces to decorate our saloon. The large ones served us for chairs and ta- bles; the brilliant pilasters, at once enlivened and adorned the apartment, and at night multiplied the reflection of the lights. I laid out the interior in the following manner: A very considerable space was first partitioned off in two divisions; the one on the right was appropriated to our residence; that on the left was to contain the kitchen, stables, and work-room. At the end of the second divis- ion, where windows could not be placed, the cellar and store-room were to be formed; the whole separated by partition-boards, with doors of communication, so as to give us a pleasant and comfortable abode. Favored so unexpectedly by what nature had already effected of the necessary labor, we were far from repining ungratefully at what remained to be done, and entertained full hope of com- 532 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. pleting the undertaking, or at least the chief parts, before winter. The side we designed to lodge in, was di- vided into three apartments; the first, next the door, was the bedroom for my wife and me, the second a dining-parlor, and the last a bedroom for the boys: as we had only three windows, we put one in each sleeping- room; the third was fixed in the kitchen, where my wife would often be. A grating for the present fell to the lot of our dining- room, which, when too cold, was to be ex- changed for one of the other apartments. I contrived a good fireplace in the kitchen, near the window; I pierced the rock a little above, and four planks nailed together, and passing through this opening, answered the purpose of a chimney. We made the work- room near the the kitchen, of sufficient di- mensions for the performance of undertakings of some magnitude; it served also to keep our cart and sledge in : lastly the stables, which were formed into four compartments, to separ- ate the different species of animals, occupied all the bottom of the cavern on this side; on the other were the cellar and magazine THE SWISS FAMILY Robinson. 533 It is readily imagined, that a plan of this extent was not to be executed as if by en- chantment, and that we satisfied ourselves in the first instance with doing what was most urgent, reserving the residue for winter; yet every day forwarded the business more than . we had been aware of. On every excursion, we brought something from Falcon's Stream, that found its place in the new house, where we deposited likewise, in safety, the remain- ing provisions from the tent. The long stay we made at Tent-House dur- ing these employments, furnished us an op- portunity of perceiving several advantages we had not reckoned upon. Immense turtles were often seen on the shore, where they de- posited their eggs in the Sand, and they re- galed us with a rich treat; but, extending our wishes, we thought of getting possession of the turtles themselves for live stock, and of feasting on them whenever we pleased. As soon as we saw one on the sands, one of my boys was despatched to cut off its retreat; meanwhile we approached the animal, and quietly, without doing it any injury, turned it on its back, then passed a long cord through 534 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. the shell, and tied the end of it to a stake, which we fixed close to the edge of the water. This done, we set the prisoner on his legs again; it hastened into the sea, but could not go beyond the end of the cord; apparently it was all the happier, finding food with more facility along shore than out at sea; and we enjoyed the idea of being able to take it when wanted. I say nothing of sea-lobsters, oys- ters, and many other small fishes, which we could catch in any number. The large lob- sters, whose flesh was tough and coarse, were given to the dogs, who preferred them to po- tatoes; but we shortly after became posses- sors of another excellent winter provision, which chance unexpectedly procured us. One morning, when near Safety Bay, a singular sort of spectacle presented itself. At some distance from the shore an exten- sive surface of the water seemed in a state of ebulition, as if heated by a subterraneous fire: it swelled, subsided, foamed, like boil- ing water: a large number of aquatic birds hovered over it, sometimes they darted along the surface of the water, sometimes rose in the air, flying in a circle, pursuing each other THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 535 in every direction; we were at a loss to judge whether sportiveness, pleasure, or warfare produced their motions. My wife and the boys stood for a long time admiring this phenomenon, and indulged themselves in various ludicrous conjectures concerning it, till I at last informed them that the movable bank before us was neither more nor less than a shoal of herrings about to enter Safety Bay, and fall into our hands. All now had questions without end to propose about their appearing in such numbers, and I answered, that at a certain season, herrings leave the Frozen Sea together in a heap. They swim so close to each other, and oc- cupy such a space, as to appear like a bank or island of sand, several leagues in breadth, some fathoms deep, and sometimes above a hundred thousand long. They afterwards divide into bodies, directing their course to the coasts and bays, where they spawn, that is, leave their eggs among the stones and sea- plants, and to these spots the fishermen from all parts go to catch them. The herrings appear eager to reach those parts where the tide is lowest, to escape the voracity of the WW 536 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. large fishes which pursue them, by getting into shallow water; but in doing this, they become an easier prey to the birds and to man. Exposed to destruction in so many ways, one might wonder the species is not extinct, if nature had not provided against these accidents by their astonishing fecund- ity: 68,656 eggs have been found in a mod- erate-sized female: thus they continue undi- minished, notwithstanding the vast numbers which are destroyed. By this time the shoal of herrings had reached the entrance of our bay. They made a loud rustling noise in the water, leaping over each other, and displaying their scales of silver hue. This accounted for the lumi- nous sparks we had seen emitted from the sea, and which we could not previously ex- plain. We had no time for further contem- plation, but hastened to unharness our team, and supply the want of nets with our hands in catching the herrings: the boys used the largest gourds in lieu of pails, which were no sooner dipped in than filled; and we should have been at a loss where to stow them, had I not thought of employing the condemned THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 537 boat of tubs. It was accordingly drawn to the water's edge by the buffalo, and placed on rollers. My wife and the two youngest lads cleaned it, whilst the other two went to the cavern for salt, and I quickly fitted up a sort of tent of sail-cloth on the strand, so as to keep off the rays of the sun while we were busied in salting. We then all engaged in the task, and I allotted to each a share adequate to his strength and skill. Fritz took his station in the water, to bring us the herrings as fast as caught. Ernest and Jack cleaned them with knives, their mother pounded the salt; Fran- cis helped all, and I placed them in the tubs as I had seen done in Europe; while a joyous shout declared the general activity. I put a layer of salt at the bottom of the barrel, then of fish, the heads towards the staves, pro- ceeding thus till my tubs were nearly full: I spread over the last layer of salt large palm-tree leaves, on these a piece of sail-cloth, and fitted in two half-rounded planks for a heading, which I pressed down with stones. This effected, I put the buffalo and the ass to the cart again, and conveyed it to our cool cellar in the rock. In a few days, when the 538 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. herrings were sunk, I closed the barrels more accurately by means of a coating of clay and flax over the cloth, which kept out air and moisture completely, and secured us an ex- cellent food for winter. Scarcely had we finished our salting, when another novelty occurred: a number of sea- dogs came into the bay and river, that had followed the herrings with the utmost greed- iness, sporting in the water along shore, with- out evincing any fear of us. The fish pre- sented no attraction to the palate, but its skin, tanned and dressed, makes excellent leather. I was in great need of it for straps and harness, to make saddles for Fritz and Jack to ride the onagra and buffalo, and in short for our own use to cut up into soles, belts, and pantaloons, of which articles we much wanted a fresh supply: besides, I knew the fat yielded good lamp oil, that might be substituted for tapers in the long evenings of winter; and that it would be further useful in tanning and rendering the leather pliant. We had the good fortune to be again suc- cessful, and in a short time we secured a suf- ficient number of them, and carefully pre- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 539 Served the fat, of which we collected a large quantity; it was first put into a copper, melted and cleansed properly, then poured into casks, and kept for the tan-house and lamp. When time should allow, I purposed makingssoap with it, and this design excited my wife's zeal in the unpleasant though ul- timately useful task we were engaged in. We also took care of the bladders, which are very large, for the purpose of holding liquids; the remaining parts that could not be turned to account were thrown into the river. At this time I likewise made some im- provements in our sledge, to facilitate the carrying of stores from Falcon's Stream to our dwelling in the rock at Tent-House. I raised it on two beams, on axle-trees, at the extremities of which I put on the four gun- carriage wheels I had taken off the cannon from the vessel; by this alteration I obtained a light and convenient vehicle, of moderate height, on which boxes and casks could be placed. Pleased with the operations of the week, we set out all together with cheerful hearts for Falcon's Stream, to pass our Sun- day there, and once more offer our pious WW* 540 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. thanks to the Almighty, for all the benefits he had bestowed upon his defenseless crea- tureS. CHAPTER XXXI. New Fishery; — New Experiments; — New Dis- coveries, 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. From the moment I discovered gypsum to be the basis of the crystal salt in our grotto, I foresaw some great advantages I should derive from it; but to avoid enlarging the dimensions of our house by digging further, I tried to find a place in the continuation of the rock, which I might be able to blow up: I had soon the good fortune to meet with a THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 541 narrow slip between the projections of the rock, which I could easily, by the means I proposed, convert into a passage that should terminate in our work-room. I found also on the ground a quantity of fragments of gypsum, and removed a great number of them to the kitchen, where we did not fail to bake a few of the pieces at a time when we made a fire for cooking, which, thus calcined, rubbed into a powder when cold: we obtained a considerable quantity of it, which I put carefully into casks for use, when the time should come for finishing the interior of our dwelling. My notion was, to form the walls for separating the apartments, of the Squares of stone I had already provided, and to unite them together with a cement of this new in- gredient, which would be the means, both of sparing the timber, and increasing the beauty and solidity of the work. It is almost incredible the immense quanti- ty of plaster we had in a short time amassed; the boys were in a constant state of wonder as they looked at the heap. I seized the op- portunity of imprinting on their minds the value of a firm and steady perseverance in W. W. 542 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. an object once engaged in, the reward of which they now so agreeably experienced. “When we first cast our eyes,” continued I, “on this rock, how little did we conceive it possible to transform it into a comfortable dwelling-place; yet we have not only in our persons sufficed for carpenters and masons, but even plasterers too; and so effectually, that, if we had it much at heart, we might adorn our walls with stucco, as is the mode in Europe: we possess both the materials and the intelligence; and with the addition of patience and industry, there is scarcely any thing, even what at first should seem im- possible, too difficult for our performance.” The first use I made of the plaster was to complete some covers I had begun with other materials for my herring tubs, four of which I stopped down to render them impenetrable to the air; the rest of the herrings we in- tended to dry and smoke. For this purpose we erected a little sort of hut of reeds and branches, as is practised in Holland and America by the fishermen: we placed rows of sticks, reaching from side to side, across the hut, laid the herrings upon them, and THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 543 then lighted a heap composed of moss and fresh cut branches of trees, to produce a stronger and more effective vapor for the pur- pose: we made the door tight, and had soon the pleasure of adding a large stock of ex- quisitely flavored dried herrings to our former store for the ensuing winter. About a month after the singular visit of the herrings, which had now entirely left our shores, we received another, and not a less profitable one, from a fish of a different spe- cies: 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. As Jack and I were walking near the mouth of Jackal's River we perceived im- mense quantities of a large fish moving slowly towards the banks. As they came nearer, I distinguished the largest to be sturgeons, by the pointed Snout, while the smallest I pro- nounced to be salmon. Jack now strutted about in ecstacies. “What say you now, fa- ther?” said he ; “this is nothing like your little paltry herrings! A single fish of this troop would fill a tub l’”—“No doubt,” an- 544 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. swered I: and with great gravity I added, —“Prithee, 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 earn- est; 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 re- turned 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 curios- ity to mark what was next to happen, while the animation of his countenance, the promp- titude 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 a long piece 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 545 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 op- portune arrival, for the salmon Jack had pierced struggled so fiercely, that all our en- deavors 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 ex- hausted, and aided by Fritz and Ernest, we succeeded in drawing it to a bank, where I put an end to its existence. This fortunate beginning of a plan for a fishery inspired us all with hope and emula- tion. 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 prevent- 546 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, ing 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 creature in the water, and have been spared much pains and difficulty; but, on the other hand, such num- bers 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 man- age my booty. Ernest, with his rod and line and a hook, had also taken two smaller ones. Fritz, with his harpoon, had struck a stur- geon 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 547 pounds, and put them aside to make a dish called caviar, greatly relished by the Rus- sians and the Dutch. I took care also of the bladders, thinking it might be possible to make a glue from them, which would be use- ful 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 en- gaged in this process, I was at work upon the caviar 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 XX 548 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 com- plete, we began to meditate a plan for con- structing a small boat as a substitute for the tub-raft, to come close into 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 pur- pose; 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 excur- sion in pursuit of a tree of capacious dimen- sions, 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 549 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 flour- ishing 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 pease, beans of all sorts, let- tuces, &c.; our principle labor was to give them water freely, that they might be fresh and succulent for use. We had besides, mel- ons 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 labor with abundance of that delicious fruit. This state of general prosperity at Tent- House gave us the most flattering expecta- tions from our nurseries at Falcon's Stream. Full of these hopes, we one day set out alto- 550 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. gether for our somewhat neglected former abode. 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 ex- pert 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 bus- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 551 tards 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 in- dignation 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 still flying, and at no great distance. The eagle took a rapid flight. Fritz jumped like lightning on the back of XX* 552 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. his onagra, and galloped over every thing 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 in- terest: the eagle had soon his prey in view; he mounted above one of the bustard 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 bus- tard, fixed his claws and his beak in its back, till Fritz, arriving full gallop, got down from the onagra, replaced the bandage on the ea- gle's eyes, seated him once more upon the game-bag, and having relieved the poor bus- tard 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 553 dressed the wounds of the bustard. We per- ceived 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. W. W. 554 THE SWISS FAMILY RöBINSON. The rest of the day was employed in pick- ing 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 handmill we had secured from our de- parted ally, the wrecked vessel. Fritz. — But, father, the handmill is so small, and so subject to be put out of order: — why should we not contrive a watermill, as they do in Europe? We have surely rapid streams of water in abundance. Father. — This is true; but such a me- chanism is more difficult than you imagine. The wheel alone, I conceive, would be an un- dertaking far beyond our strength or our ca- pacity. 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 fur- ther attention. We have abundance of time before us, for we shall not want a watermill till our harvests are such as to produce plen- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 555 tiful 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 col- ony 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 al- ways 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 re- 556 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. mained behind; the cow, the ass, and the buffalo, were harnessed to the cart; and Fritz, mounted on his favorite, the onagra, 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 ac- quainted with every thing contained in the island we seemed destined forever 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 danger- ous, 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 push- ing through the tall tough grass, and alter- nately through the thick prickly bushes which everywhere obtruded themselves. We were often obliged to turn aside, while I cut a pas- sage with my hatchet: but these accidents seldom failed to reward my toil by the dis- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 557 covery of different small additions to our gen- eral comforts; among others, some roots of trees curved by nature to serve both for sad- dles and yokes for our beasts of burden. I took care to secure several, and put them in the cart. In about an hour we found ourselves at the extremity of the wood, and a most singular phenomenon presented itself to our view: a Small plain, or rather a grove of low bushes, to appearance almost covered with flakes of snow, lay extended before us. Little Fran- cis was the first to call our attention to it, he being seated in the cart. “Look, father,” cried he, “here is a place full of snow; let. me get down, and make Some snow-balls.” I could not resist a hearty laugh, though my- self completely at a loss to explain the hature of what in color and appearance bore so near a resemblance to it. Suddenly, however, a suspicion crossed my mind, and was soon confirmed by Fritz, who had darted forward on his onagra, and now returned with one hand filled with tufts of a most excellent spe- cies of cotton, so that the whole surface of low bushes was in reality a plantation of that W. W. * 558 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. valuable article. This most useful of almost the whole range of vegetable productions be- stowed by Providence on man, which, with the cost of only a little labor, supplies him with apparel, and commodious beds for the repose of his limbs, is found in such abund- ance in islands, that I had been surprised at not meeting with any before. The pods had burst from ripeness, and the winds had scat- tered around their flaky contents; the ground was strewed with them, they had gathered in tufts on the bushes, and they floated gently in the air. The joy of this discovery was almost too great for utterance, and was shared by all but Francis, who was sorry to lose his pretty Snowballs; and his mother, to soothe his regret, made the cotton into balls for him to play with, and promised, him some new shirts and dresses; then turning to me, she poured out her kind heart in descriptions of all the comfortable things she should make for us, could I but construct a spinning-wheel, and then a loom for weaving. — We ended with collecting as much cotton as our bags would hold, and my wife filled her pockets with / * THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 559 the seed, to raise it in our garden at Tent- House. It was now time to proceed; and we took a direction towards a point of land which skirted the wood of gourds, and, being high, commanded a view of the adjacent country. I conceived a wish to remove our establish- ment to the vicinity of the cotton plantation and the gourd wood, which furnished so many of the utensils for daily use throughout the family. I pleased myself in idea, with the view of the different colonies of animals I had imagined, both winged and quadruped; and in this elevation of my fancy, I even thought it might be practicable to erect a sort of farm-house on the soil, which we might visit occasionally, and be welcomed by the agree- able sounds of the cackling of our feathered subjects, which would so forcibly remind us of the customs of our forsaken but ever-cher- ished country. We accordingly soon reached the high ground, which I found in all respects favor- able to my design; behind, a thick forest gradually rose above us, which sheltered us from the north wind, and insensibly declined YY x * 560 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 accommoda- tion. 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 envi- able. 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. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 561 CHAPTER, XXXII. Completion of two Farm-Houses; — a Lake; — the Beast with a Bill; — a Boat. THE trees that I had chosen for the con- struction of my farm embellishments, were for the most part one foot in diameter in the trunk; they presented the form of a toler- ably regular parallelogram, with its longest side to the sea, the length twenty-four feet, and the breadth sixteen. I cut little hollow places or mortices in the trunks, at the dis- tance 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 mortices, and thus formed the skeleton of my building. We next nailed some laths from tree to tree, at equal dis- tances from each other, to form the roof, and placed on them, in mathematical order, a 562 TIHE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 under- taking. We found great difficulty in peel- ing off a sufficient quantity of bark from trees to cover our roof. I began with cut- ting 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 of our na- tive land. THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 563 On this occasion we made another agree- able discovery : my wife took up the remain- ing chips of the bark for lighting a fire, supposing they would burn easily; we were surprised by a delicious aromatic odor, which perfumed the air. On examining the half- consumed substance, we found some of the pieces to contain turpentine, and others gum- mastich, so that we might rely on a supply of these ingredients from the trees which had furnished the bark. It was less with a view to the gratifying our sense of smelling, than with the hope of being able to secure these valuable drugs for making a sort of pitch to complete our meditated boat, that we indulged our earnestness in the pursuit. The instinct of our goats, or the acuteness of their smell, discovered for us another pleas- ing acquisition: we observed with surprise, that they ran from a distance to roll them- selves on some chips of a particular bark which lay on the ground, and which they be- gan to chew and eat greedily. Jack seized a piece also, to find out what could be the reason of so marked a preference as the goats had shown. My wife and I then fol- YYºk - 564 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. lowed his example, and we were all convinced that the chips were cinnamon, though not so fine a sort as that from the isle of Ceylon. This new commodity was certainly of no great importance to us; but we regarded it with pleasure, as it might assist to distinguish some day of rejoicing. The tree from which we had taken our bark was old, and the cin- namon was the coarser flavored on this ac- count; I remembered to have read, that young trees produce this spice in much greater perfection. After our next meal we resumed with ar- dor our undertaking of the farm, 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 ad- mitted. 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 SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 565 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 hayloft 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 des- tined to receive our cotton matresses. 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, &c., &c. 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 566 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. their favorite 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 could 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 inten- tions at the farm, and the other objects of my journey. I had even come to the deter- mination 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 nu- merous animals we had left there. I directed TIHE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 567 one to mount the onagra, and the other the buffalo. 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 onagra, 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 occa- sionally from the fatigue of walking. During the absence of our purveyors, I rambled with Ernest about the neighboring soil, to make what new discoveries I could, and to procure, if possible, additions to our store of provisions. We followed the wind- ing of a river towards the middle of the wall of rocks; our course was interrupted by a marsh which bordered a small lake, the as- pect 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, 568 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 suc- ceeded in bringing down five or six of them, and I was pleased to remark in Ernest a just- ness 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 ardor, he did every thing with a slowness that seemed to imply dislike; yet the cool deliberation and constancy he ap- plied 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 gener- ally 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 569 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 our- selves upon the ground, as near to Knips as we could creep, and eat 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 friends, and filled a small gourd-shell with the finest fruit, then covered them with leaves, and tied them down with a tendril from a neighboring plant, to present them in perfection to his mother. I, on my part, gathered a speci- men of the rice to offer, that she might in- form 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 dis- tance, and whose banks, being overgrown with thick underwood, were necessarily con- cealed from the momentary view we had leis- XX % 570 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. ure to take of surrounding objects, particu- larly 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 contem- plated this limpid, azure, undulating body of water, the faithful miniature of so many grand originals, which I had probably lost sight of forever ! 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 momen- tary 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 lon- ger inhabitants of Europe; it was the ap- pearance of a quantity of swans gliding over the surface of the lake; but their color in- stead 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 SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 57.1 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 re- mained a long time in silent admiration of them: some of the swans pursued their course magnificently on the bosom of the blue wa- ter; others stopped and seemed to hold de- liberations with their companions, or to ad- mire themselves, or caress each other; many young ones followed in the train of the par- ent bird, who frequently turned half round, in execution of her watchful and matronly office. This was a spectacle which I could not allow to be interrupted by bloodshed, though Ernest, rendered a little vain by his success and my encomiums, would have been ready to fire upon the Swans, if I had not absolutely forbidden the attempt; at the same time I consoled him with the promise, that we would endeavor to obtain a pair of the interesting creatures for our establish- ment at Falcon's Stream. 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 ZZ 572 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 JBeast 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. The beast with a bill was next examined with eager curiosity, and then laid aside for the plan I had formed. My wife proceeded THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 573 to pluck and salt the birds we had killed, re- serving 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 to- wards 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 di- versified extent of landscape, comprehending sea, land, and rocks. When we had paused for a short time upon the exhaustless beau- ties 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 contrib- uted to form a landscape worthy the homage 574 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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. We lost no time in again setting to work; our experience at the farm enabled us to pro- ceed with incredible rapidity, and our suc- cess was in every respect more complete. The building contained a dining-room, two bedchambers, two stables, and a storeroom 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 prodi- gious 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 575 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 en- tirely separated. We toiled with increasing anxiety, at every moment dreading that we should not be able to preserve it from break- ing, 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 noth- ing 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 ZZ* 576 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. them of the paltry figure it would make, fol- lowing the pinnace, I heard not another word about the further pains and trouble, and they asked cagerly 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 ren- der it of too flat a form; but this we coun- teracted 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 de- spatched 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 THE SWISS FAMILY IROBINSON. 577 rocks, resolved, as I before mentioned, to plant there a sort of fortification of trees, which should produce the double effect of dis- couraging the invasion of savages, and allow- ing 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 Arca- dia, 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 neces- sary 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 ecstacies at the charming appearance she made. Our cow in the meantime had brought forth a young calf, a male; I pierced its nostril, as 578 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. I had so successfully practised with the buf- falo, 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 be- came 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, &c., &c. At length the time of the rainy season was near at hand, and we thought of it with pleasure, as it would put us in possession of the enjoy- ments we had procured by such unremitting industry and fatigue. We had an inexpres- sible longing to find ourselves domiciliated, and at leisure to converse together on the subject of all the wondrous benefits bestowed THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 579 upon us by an ever watchful and beneficent Providence We plastered over the walls of the princi- pal 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 of 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 goat's hair, mixed with wool obtained from the sheep, over the whole; on this surface we threw some hot water, in which a strong ce- ment 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 pro- ceSS was continued till the substance had be- 580 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. come 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 parlor, 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 parlor, where prayers were read, and breakfast immediately served: We then adjourned to the common room, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 581 where all sorts of industry went forward, and which contained the spinning-wheel and loom I had, though with indifferent success, con- structed 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 con- struct a turning machine, having used for the purpose one of the small cannon wheels, with the help of which the boys and I man- aged to produce some neat utensils for gen- eral use. After dinner, our work was re- sumed till night, when we lighted candles; and as they cost no more than our own trou- ble in collecting and manufacturing the ma- terials, we did not refuse ourselves the pleas- ure of using many at a time, to admire their lights splendidly reflected by the crystals every where 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 colonades, porticoes, altars, which, when the place was lighted to supply the want of a window, presented a truly enchanting spectacle. Divine service 582 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. “A * * , 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 natu- ral 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 grottos, and they produced together a very pleasing little concert. Thus, as will be perceived, we had made the first steps towards a condition of civili- zation: separated from society, condemned, perhaps, to pass the remainder of life in this desert island, we yet possessed the means of happiness; we had abundance of all the ne- cessaries, and many of the comforts, desired by human beings! We had fixed habits of ac- ~tivity and industry; we were in ourselves se- Fène and contented; our bodily health and strength increased from day to day; the sen- timent of tender attachment was perfect in THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 583 every heart; we every day acquired some new and still improving channel for the exertion of our physical and moral faculties; we every where beheld, and at all times acknowledged, marks of the divine wisdom and goodness; our minds were penetrated with love, grati- tude, and veneration for the Providence who had so miraculously rescued and preserved us, and conducted us to the true destination of man—that of providing by his labor for the wants of his offspring ! I trusted in the same goodness for restoring us once more to the society of our fellow men, or for bestow- ing upon us the means of founding in this desert a happy and flourishing colony of hu- man beings, and waiting in. silence for the further manifestation of his holy will, we passed our days in a course of industry, innocent pleasures, and reciprocal affec- tion. Nearly two years have elapsed with- out perceiving the smallest trace of civilized or savage man; without the appearance of a single vessel or canoe upon the vast gº by which we are surrounded. Oughtº then to indulge a hope that we shall once (10, 584 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. again behold the face of a follow creature? —We encourage serenity and thankfulness in each other, and wait with resignation the event. * \va. ~r ºn ‘. `s 3-ºn-, ``', 's * --y }