PLEASE HANDLE WITH CARE University of Connecticut Libraries I 'd ^ \ CiT hbl, stx Swiss family Robinson: or. The adv 3 T153 DOblDlSS b 3 NO SO V > V "He tied the monkey with a cord to Turk's back, leading the dog by another cord, as he was very rebellious at first." TUE SWISS FAMILY EOBINSO^ ; OK. ADVENTURES IN A DESERT ISLAND. }oiiainn j3. UU'yss A NEW EDITION, WITH TEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN GILBERT ^ ^^»ii Vr.HOWLA';r. NEW YORK : THE WORLD PUBLISHING HOUSE, 21 ASTOR PLACE AND 142 EIGHTH ST. 1877. 7 s -V CONTENTS. Chap. Paqi 1. A Shipwreck, and Preparations for Deliverance . 11 2. A Landing, and consequent Occupations ..'.... 20 3. Voyage of Discovery 48 4. Return from the Voyage of Discovery ; — a Noc- turnal Alarm , . 82 5. Eeturn to the Wreck 109 6. A Troop of Animals in Cork Jackets.. . . , 127 7. Second Journey of Discovery, performed by the Mother of the Family 145 8. Construction of a Bridge 167 9. Change of Abode 186 10. Construction of a Ladder 207 11. The Settling in the Giant Tree 223 12. The Sabbath and the Parable 230 13. Conversation, a Walk, and Important Discov- eries 254 14. Continuation of the preceding Chapter, and more Discoveries 267 15. Hopes of a Sledge ; — some Short Lessens in Usefol Things 284 16. A Bathing, a Fishing, the Jumping Hare, and a Masquerade 290 1 7. More Stores from the Wreck 305 18. The Tortoise Harnessed 312 19. Another Trip to the Wreck 324 20. The Cracker and the Pinnace 339 VI CONTENTS. Chap. Paq« 21. Gymnastic Exercises; — Various Discoveries ; — Singular Animals, &c 861 22. Excursion into Unknown Tracts 384 23. Useful Occupations and Labors; — Embellish- ments ; — a Painful but Natural Sentiment . . 404 24. A new Domain ;—tlie Troop of Bufifalos; — the Vanquished Hero 418 25. The Ass returns with a Companion ; — Flax ; — Preparing for Winter 419 26. The Grotto ;— Herring Fishery 426 37. A new Establishment ; — The Cave ; — Winter in the Grotto 434 Postcript by the Editor 442 CONTINXJATION OF THE JOTJKNAIi. 28. The Adventurer; — my Wife's Accident; — the Storm and its Results 443 29. Search for the Adventurer ; — the Franciade, Fritzia, and Jackia ; — the Blacksmith 455 80. The Ernestine Grotto ; — the Mother's Holiday ; — Mills ; — an Exploration 470 31. The Mother Lost and Found ; — Jack ; — the Mis- sionary and his Flock ; — Madame Hirtel and her Family 498 Conclusion 526 Postscript Two Years After 64l THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. CHAPTER I. A Shipwreck, and Preparations for Delivera'»£e. .... Already the tempest had continued six days ; on the seventh its fury seemed still increasing ; and the morning dawned upon us without a prospect of hope, for we had wandered so far from the right track, and were so forcibly driven toward the southeast, that none on board knew where we were. The ship's company were exhausted by labor and watching, and the courage which had sustain- ed them, was now sinking. The shivered masts had been cast into the sea ; several leaks appeared, and the ship began to fill. The sailors forebore from swearing ; many were at prayer on their knees, while otherij A 2 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. offered miracles of future piety and goodness, as the condition of their release from danger. " My beloved children," said I to my four boys, who clung to me in their fright, " God can save us, for nothing is impossible to him. We must however hold ourselv'^s resigned, and instead of murmuring at his decree, rely that what he sees fit to do is best, and that should he call us from this earthly scene, we shall be near him in heaven, and united through eternity. Death may be well sup- ported when it does not separate those who love." My excellent wife wiped the tears which were falling on her cheeks, and from this mo- ment became more tranquil : she encouraged the youngest children, who were leaning on her knees ; while I, who owed them an exam-, pie of firmness, was scarcely able to resist my grief at the thought of what would most likely be the fate of beings so tenderly be- loved. We all fell on our knees, and suppli- cated the God of Mercy to protect us ; and the emotion and fervor of the innocent crea- tures, are a convincing proof that, even in childhood, devotion may be felt and under- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 3 Btood, and that tranquillity and consolation, its natural effects, may at that season be no loss certainly experienced. Fritz, my eldest son, implored in a loud voice, that God would deign to save his dear parents and his broth- ers, generously unmindful of himself: the boys rose from their posture with a state of mind so improved, that they seemed forgetful of the impending danger. I myself began to feel my hopes increase as I beheld the af- fecting group. Heaven will surely have pity on them, thought I, and will save their pa- rents to guard their tender years ! At this moment a cry of " Land, Land ! '* was heard through the roaring of the waves, and instantly the vessel struck against a rock with so violent a motion as to drive every one from his place ; a tremendous cracking suc- ceeded, as if the ship was going to pieces ; the sea rushed in, in all directions ; we per- ceived that the vessel had grounded, and could not long hold together. The captain called out that all was lost, and bade the men lose not a moment m putting out the boats. The sounds fell on my heart like a thrust from a dagger ; " We are lost ! " I exclaimed ; and SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. the children broke out into piercing cries. I then recollected myself, and addressing them again, exhorted them to courage, by observing that the water had not yet reached us, that the ship was near land, and that Providence would assist the brave. " Keep where you are," added I, " while I go and examine what is best to be done." I now went on the deck. A wave instantly threw me down, and wetted me to the skin ; another followed, and then another. I sus- tained myself as steadily as I could ; and looking around, a scene of terrific and com- plete disaster met my eyes ; the ship was shat- tered in all directions, and on one side there was a complete breach. The ship's company crowded into the boats till they could contain not one man more, and the last who entered, were now cutting the ropes to move off. I called to them with almost frantic entreaties to stop and receive us also, but in vain ; for the roaring of the sea prevented my being heard, and the waves, which rose to the height of mountains, would have made it im- possible to return. All hope from this source was over, for while I spoke, the boats, and all THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. tliey contained, were driving out of siglit. Mj best consolation now was to observe, that tbe slanting position the ship had taken, would afford us present protection from the water ; and that the stern, under which was the cabin that inclosed all that was dear to me on earth, had been driven upwards between two rocks, and seemed immovably fixed. At the same time, in the distance southward, I descried through clouds and rain several nooks of land, which, though rude and savage in appearance, were the objects of every hope I could form in this distressing moment. Sunk and desolate from the loss of all chance of human aid, it was yet my duty to appear serene before my family : " Courage, dear ones," cried I, on entering their cabin, " let us not desert ourselves : I will not con- ceal from you that the ship is aground ; but we are at least in greater safety than if she were "beating upon the rocks : our cabin is above water; and should the sea be more calm to-morrow, we may yet find means to reach the land in safety." What I had just said, appeased their fears ; for my family had the habit of confiding in 6 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. my assurances. They now began to feel the advantage of the ship's remaining still ; for its motion had been most distressing, by jost- ling them one against another, or whatever happened to be nearest. My wife, however, more accustomed than the children to read my inmost thoughts, perceived the anxiety which devoured me. I made her a sign which conveyed an idea of the hopelessness of our situation, and I had the consolation to see that she was resolved to support the trial with resignation : " Let us take some nourish- ment," said she, " our courage will strengthen with our bodies ; we shall perhaps need this comfort to support a long and melancholy night." Soon after, night set in : the fury of the tempest had not abated ; the planks and beams of the vessel separated in many parts with a horrible crash. We thought of the boats, and feared that all they contained must have sunk under the foaming surge. My wife had prepared a slender meal, and the four boys partook of it with an appetite to which their parents were strangers. They went to bed, and exhausted by fatigue, soon THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 7 were snoring soundly. Fritz, the eldest, sat up with us : "I have been thinking," said he, after a long silence, " how it may be possible to save ourselves. If we had some bladders or cork-jackets for my mother and my broth- ers, you and I, father, would aoon contrive to swim to land." "That is a good thought," said I: "we will see what can be done." Fritz and I looked about for some small empty firkins : these we tied two and two together with handkerchiefs or towels, leav- ing about a foot distance between them, and fastened them as swimming-jackets under the arms of each child, my wife at the same time preparing one for herself. We provided our- selves with knives, some string, some turfs, and other necessaries which could be put into the pocket, proceeding upon the hope, that if the ship went to pieces in the night, we should either be able to swim to land, or be driven thither by the waves. Fritz, who had been up all night, and was fatigued with his laborious occupations, now lay down near his brothers, and was soon ftsleep ; but their mother and I, too anxious 5 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. to close our eyes, kept watch, listening to every sound that seemed to threaten a further change in our situation. We passed this awful night in prayer, in agonizing apprehen- sions, and in forming various resolutions as to what we should next attempt. We hailed with joy the first gleam of light which shot through a small opening of the window. The raging of the winds had begun to abate, the sky was become serene, and hope throbbed in my bosom, as I beheld the sun already ting- ing the horizon. Thus revived, I summoned my wife and the boys to the deck, to partake of the scene. The youngest children, half forgetful of the past, asked with surprise why we were there alone, and what had become of the ship's company ? I led them to the recol- lection of our misfortune, and then added : " Dearest children, a Being more powerful than man has helped us, and will, no doubt, continue to help us, if we do not abandon our- selves to- a fruitless despair. Observe, our companions, in whom we had so much confi- dence, have deserted us, and that Divine Providence, in its goodness, has given us pro- tection ! But, my dear ones, let us show THE SWISS FAMILY ROBIN SOxV. 9 ourselves willing in our exertions, and thus deserve support from Heaven. Let us not forget this useful maxim, and let each laboi according to his strength." Fritz advised that we should all throw our- selves into the sea, while it was calm, and swim to land. — "Ah! that may be well enough for you," said Ernest, "for you can swim ; but we others should soon be drowned. Would it not be better to make a float of rafts, and get to land altogether upon it?" " Vastly well," answered I, " if we had the means for contriving such a float, and if, after all, it were not a dangerous sort of convey- ance. But come, my boys, look each of you about the ship, and see what can be done to enable us to reach the land." They now all sprang from me with eager looks, to do as I desired. I, on my part, lost no time in examining what we had to depend apon as to provisions and fresh water. My wife and the yougest boy visited the Animals, whom they found in a pitiable condition, near- ly perishing with hunger and thirst. Fritz repaired to the ammunition room ; Ernest t* the carpenter's cabin, and Jack to the apait 10 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. ment of the captain; but scarcely had he opened the door, when two large dogs sprang upon him, and saluted him with such rude af- fection, that he roared for assistance, as if they had been killing him. Hunger, how- ever, had rendered the poor creatures so gen- tle, that they licked his hands and face, utter- ing all the time a low sOrt of moan, and con- tinuing their caresses till he was almost suffo- cated. Poor Jack exerted all his strength in blows to drive them away ; at last he began to understand, and to sympathize in their joy- ful movements, and put himself upon another footing : he got upon his legs ; and gently taking the largest dog by the ears, sprang upon his back, and with great gravity pre- sented himself thus mounted before me, as 1 came out of the ship's hold. I could not re- frain from laughing, and I praised his cour- age : but I added a little exhortation to be cautious, and not go too far with animals of this species, who, in a state of hunger, might be dangerous. By and by my little company were again assembled round me, and each boasted of what he had to contribute. Fritz had two THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSCN. 11 fowling-pieces, some powder, and small shot, contained in horn flasks, and some bullets in bags. Ernest produced his hat filled with nails, and held in his hands a hatchet and a ham?* mer ; in addition, a pair of pincers, a pair of large scissors, and an auger, peeped out at his pocket-hole. Even the little Francis carried under hia arm a box of no very small size, from which he eagerly produced what he called some lit- tle sharp-pointed hooks. His brothers smiled scornfully. "Vastly well, gentlemen," said I ; " but let me tell you that the youngest has brought the most valuable prize : and this is often the case in the world ; the person who least rourts the smiles of Fortune, and in the calm ;f his heart is scarcely conscious of her exiif/nce, is often he to whom she most read- ily presents herself. These little sharp-point- eJ hooks, as Francis calls them, are fishing- hooks, and will probably be of more use in preserving our lives, than all we may find be eidos in the ship. In justice, however, I must confess, that what Fritz and Ernest have con- tributed, will also afi'ord essential service." 12 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. "I, for my part," said my wife, "hav* brought nothing ; but I have some tidings to communicate which I hope will secure my welcome : I have found on board, a cow and an ass, two goats, six sheep, and a sow pig with young : I have just supplied them with food and water, and I reckon on being able to preserve their lives." "All this is admirable," said I to my young laborers ; " and there is only master Jack, who, instead of thinking of something useful, has done us the favor to present us two per- sonages, who, no doubt, will be principally distinguished by being willing to eat more than we shall have to give them." "Ah! replied Jack, "but if we can once get to land, you will see that they will assist us in hunting and shooting." " True enough," said I, " but be so good as to tell us how we are to get to land, and whether you have contrived the means?" "I am sure it cannot be very difficult," said Jack, with iin arch motion of his head. "Look here at these large tubs. Why can- not each of us get into one of them, and float to the land ? I remember I succeeded very THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON". 13 well in this manner on the water, when I was visiting my godfather at S***." "Every one's thought is good for some- thing," cried I, "and I begin to believe thai what Jack has suggested is worth a trial: quick! then, boy, give me the saw, the auger, and some nails ; we will see what is to be done." I recollected having seen some empty casks in the ship's hold : we went down, and found them floating in the water which had got into the vessel ; it cost us but little trouble to hoist them up, and place them on the lower deck, which was at this time scarce- ly above water. We saw with joy, that they were all sound, well guarded by iron hoops, and in every respect in good condition ; they were exactly suited for the object ; and, with the assistance of my sons, I instantly began to saw them in two. In a short time I had produced eight tubs, of equal size, and of the proper height. We now allowed ourselves some refreshment of wine and biscuit. I viewed with delight my eight little tubs, ranged in a line. I was surprised to see that my wife did not partake our eagerness ; she sighed deeply as she looked at them : "Never, B 14 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. never,'* cried she, " can I venture to get into one of these." " Do not decide so hastily, my dear," said I : " my plan is not yet complete ; and you will see presently, that it is more worthy of our confidence than this shattered vessel, which cannot move from its place." I then sought for a long pliant plank, and placed my eight tubs upon it, leaving a piece at each end, reaching beyond the tubs ; which, bent upward, would present an outline like the keel of a vessel : we next nailed all the tubs to the plank, and then the tubs to each other, as they stood, side by side, to make them the firmer, and afterwards two other planks, of the same length as the first, on each side of the tubs. When all this was finished, we found we had produced a kind of narrow boat, divided into eight compart- ments, which I had no doubt would be able to peform a short course, in calm water. But now we discovered that the machine we had contrived was so heavy, that with the strength of all united, we were not able to move it an inch from its place. I bade Frit^ fetch me a crow, who soon returned with it! THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Id in the mean'wliile, I sawed a thick round pole into several pieces, to make some rollers. 1 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 ! 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. 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 acfivity 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 16 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 L *' Experience has ever taught, and mechanical observations have established as a princi' pie, 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 ? " • " 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." Aa THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, 17 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 joj 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 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, 80 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 ROBINSON. 1<, 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 smiraming, 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 i!li iJ THE SWISS FA]\III,Y ROETSSOT^ a young man who had served as 7ohinl?()i fin board the ship. She could not coiiceiil (he timid awkwardness so natural to her oex: i.a such a situation : but I soon found meanu to reconcile her to the change, by representing the many advantages it gave her, till at length she joined in the merriment her drosa occasioned, and one and all crept intD our separate hammocks, where a delicious r£pcoI THE ' S 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 tha 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 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 Avas as follows : THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSOK. 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 every 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 SWI.SS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 cii'cumstance 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 BO 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. 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 ^ammer, and some nails ready, and to try 3 ^'^^55 26 THE SWIISS FAMILY ROBINSON. to sieze them as we passe^. He succeeded in laying hold of two, and in such a wa^. 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 captain'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 rockj THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 27 and barren. Bj arid 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 cr^re of his paternal kindness. THE SWISS TAMELY 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 30 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Fiancis could take a share, I erected neai 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, Bt<^ny walk, and that he should go to the sea shore. Jack took the road towards a chain of rocks which jutted out into the sea, with the intention of gathering some of the mus- cles which grew upon them. My own occupation was now an endeavor to draw the two floating casks on shore, but in which I could not succeed ; for our place of landing, though convenient enough for our THL 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 becfcred 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 j 8S THM SllVISd FAMILY ftOBINSON. Llow on the face from the lobster's tail, which made him loose his hold, and the animal fell I to the ground. Jack again began to bawl out, while I could not refrain from laughing heartily. Tn 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 I scene. " This is what we call killing an en- I emy when he is unable to defend himself, I Jack; it was wrong to revenge an injury j while we are in a state of anger ; the lobster, j it is true, had given you a bite ; but then you, I on your part, would have eaten the lobster, j So the game was at least equal. Another time, I advise you to be both more prudent and more merciful.'* "But pray, father, let j 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 ? 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 " I found him up to the knees in a shallow pool, with a large lobster hold- inj^ his leg in its sharp chiws."' THE SWISS lAMILY 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 hia 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 mine would be, that if I had not been near, the lobster would have shown you another sort of game ; for the slap he gave you in the face compelled you, I think, to let go your hold. And it is well it should be thus; for he fousht with the arms with which nature had supplied him, but you had recourse to a great Btene for your defense. Believe me. Jack, you have 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 S4 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 should have got it if it had not been in the water, so that I must have wetted my feet " " Oh, that is a famous story," cried Jack: " I can tell you what he saw, — some nasty muscles : why, I would not eat one of them for the world. — Think of my lobster ! " " 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, my dainty gentleman," THE SWISS FAMILY R0BIN60N. 85 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 triiiin2: an incon- Yenience 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 ^vuich I h?tve 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 vras not left there by the sea? " " — No doubt it was, Mr. Kcasoner, 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 Tjpon oper- ations so simple and obvious ; u:id if you do not wish to dine upon a soup wiihout flavor, you had better run and fetch a lit;le quickly." 36 THE ST?>!^3 FAMILY ROBINSON. He set oiF and soon returned : what he brought had the appearance of sea-salt, but was so mixed with earth and sand, that I wap on the point of throwing it away ; but my wife prevented me, and by dissolving, and afterwards filtering some of it through a piece of muslin, we found it admirably fit for use. "Why could we not have used some sea- water," asked Jack, "instead of having all this trouble ?" "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 look^ a little like the fox in the fable, when the stork desires him to help himself from a vessel with a long neck. Silence was at length broken, by all bursting into a hearty laugh at our want of every kind of utensil, and at the thought of our own folly, in not recollecting that spoons and forks were things of absolute necessity. Ernest observed, that if we could but get some of the nice cocoa-nuts he often thought about, we might empty them, and use the pieces of the shells for spoons. "Yes, yes," replied I; 'Hf we could hui 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. Kun then quickly for some of them. But, gentlemen, 38 THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. I gl?e you notice, that no one of you must give himself airs because his spoon is without a handle, or though he chance to grease hia 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 a voracious 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 hj 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, teli 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 tliat I have given you this caution, let us look at the animal. Where did ycu 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 /lotion 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 aro pretty much in want." — " If our biscuit wero soaked in milk, it would not be so hard," ob- served our dainty Ernest. — " I must tell you too," continued Fritz, "that over on the other side there is as much grass for pasturage ars 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 eomething to undertake to* 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 liave 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 Vfho 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 SWlSS 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 ! " 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 togethei . Frita 44 THE SWISS TASHLY ROBINSON. seized his gun, and struck tliem witli it ; call- ed them the unkiuiest 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 PAMILT ROBINSON. 45 sngry 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 temper 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. 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 40 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, ^vhere some thick bushes afforded them shelter. A little later, we began to follow the ca 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 saJ-clotli 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, awakino; at the risino; 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 TUE SWISS FAMILY ROUINSON. 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, oui 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 tri 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 bv all the mem« THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 49 bei's 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 ns 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?" — "That he can best tell you him self," answered his mother. " But now pray ptep and awake the boys, while I make a firo and put on some water." The children were soon roused ; even our slothful Ernest submitted to the hard fate of rising so early in the morning. AYhen 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 bj 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 usj and see the guns are ready. 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 ho]d of Plora 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 woijld 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 tho hands which fed her ; but Turk, who was of a more fierce and independent temper still held if^-^t^m&M <^ 62 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. off, and seemed to feel a want of confidence in Fritz's advances. — "Gire him a claw of my lobster," cried Jack, "for I mean to give it all to you for your journey." " I cannot think why you should give it all," interrupted Ernest, " for you need not be uneasy about their journey. Like Eobin- 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 mo some," cried little Francis. We now prepared f5r 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 fresn 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 ro« THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 53 gret from any one. The sea-lobster is an an* imal of considerable size, and its fiesh is much more nutritious, but less delicate, than the common lobster. 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! borne! bidi home, bidiman, borne. 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 title every thought of levity 54 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. or amusement? Recollect yourself, and lot 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 fresli wator, 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 : bj stepping upon these, and making now and then some hazardous leaps, we contrived to reach the other side. Yfe 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, ! i 66 THE SWISS PAMILY ROBINSON. thinking that it might be occasioned by seme 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 afibrd 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 natura? THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 57 to the occasion we have this moment wit« nessei, if you had unfortunately given way to it^ might either of them have produced an irretrievable misfortune." Fritz assured me he was sensible to the truth and importance of my remarks ; that h^ 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 v/hich 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 ou? pursuit. 58 THE S^VISS FAMILY ROBINSON. "This would be vastly well," 1 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, Bnd 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 ? " THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 59 a •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 came out to view, that they were more at- tractive by their splendid plumage than by any charm of note. Fritz assured me that he had caught a glimpse of some animals like CO 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." " But do you not perceive that what you take for straws crossed and twined by the beak of a bird, is in fact a coat of fibres formed by the hand of Nature ? Do you not remember to have read, that the nut of a 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 hag been destroyed by time, which is the reason that the twisted fibres (or inner covering) are THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 61 flo apparent ; but now let us break the sbell^ and you will see the nut inside." "VVe 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 ! " " 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 are 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 ^^^^^^^<,^^^;^^^M^4^ « '>ii''ii^~^"^^^>s^^^'5^s?^' 62 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 ia not so divided, and I cannot conceive of it3 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 PAMILY 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 v>'ill 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. continue'd our route. We did not quit the wood, but pushed our way across it, being often obliged to cut a path through the bushea overrun by creeping plants, with our hatchet. At length we reached a plain, which affcrded 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. " heavens ! father, what odd trees, with wens growing all about their trunks!" 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 Bee," 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." THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 65 " It then, like the rind of that fruit, crin he used for making various utensils," observed I; "plates, dishes, basins, flasks. We ^vill give it the name of the gourd-tree." Fritz jumped for joy. — "How happy my mother will be!" cried he in ecstasj ; "she will no longer have the vexation of thinking when she makes soup, that we shall all scald our fingers! " " What, mj 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 66 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. their victuals in them ; for the heat of fire irould sf.Oi'; consume such a substance." "X iid not say the rind was put upon tho fire." " How droll ! pray how are victuals to be cooked without fire ? " " 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." " 1 have no idea of what vou 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, lie is driven by his weakness to ascribe to a miracle, or to witchcraft, what is, most likely, nothing but the most ordinary operation of Art or Nature." " Well, father, I will then believe in what you tell me of these rinds." *' That is, you will cut the matter short, by resvdving 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. C7 mo help you to understand this amazing phe- nomenon. AVhen 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 a 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; tho application of a milder heat than fire. THE SWISS TAMILY 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 irreguhir 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 occur 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 any thing he can get, round the part nearest the stalk of a very young gourd ; he draws this bandage so tight, that the part at liberty soon forms itself to a round shape, while the part which is confined contracts, and remains ever after narrow. By this method it is that they obtain flasks or bottles of a perfect form." " Are then the bottle-shaped gourds I have seen in Europe trained by a similar prepar- ation?" "No, they are of another species, and what you have seen is their natural shape." Our conversation and cur 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 ! " 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 l4ie least resemblance to those I had seen in the Museum at London, and which were shown there as the work of ^^co^/T .'^^fefe 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 bj 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 fiat, 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 afi'ord 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 mMs^ 13 'Ss^; ■Z.\f^ 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 wore in the highest degree sensible of her thousand charms. The shore rounded by a bay of some extent, the bank of which ended in a promontory on the further side ; the 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- 'jnisite delight, that, if the recollection of our unfortunate companions, ingulfed perhaps in 6 i; '^^6:^^ d ^^^ 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. "VVe had encountered no venomous or ferocious animals; and, as far as our sight could yet reach, we were not threatened by the approach of savages. I remarked to Fritz, that we seemed destined to a solitary life, and that it was a rich 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 yall 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 slovply 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 circuni- 78 TUE 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 hand ! Run quickly, father ! " We were soon together, jointly partaking of the pleasure we had in store for his dear mother and the younger brothers. In the meantime Fritz kept sucking the juice of the single cane he had cut, till his relish for it was 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 wdll take home a good provision of sugar-canes, however. I shall only just taste of them once or twice as I walk along. But it will be so delightful to regale my mother and my little brothers with them ! " ' " I have no objection ; but do not take too heavy a load, for you have other things to carry, and we have yet far to go." Counsel was given in vain. He persisted THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 73 ill cutting at lea^t 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 bj 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 m 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 jautj 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 oflf 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- coa-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 Yfaj towards home. 82 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON CHAPTER IV. Return from the Yoyage of Discover}/. A I^octun nal Alarm. My poor boy now began to complain of fa- tigue ; the sugar-canes galled bis 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!" 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 th(3 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 ? " " The pith of the cane being completely in- terrupted in its growth by each knot, the opening made beloAV could have no efi'ect 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 samo 84 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. time through the hole I have made, and fills this void : the juice of the cane forms an ob- stacle to this effort, and is accordingly driven into my mouth. But how shall I manage when I have sucked this part dry, to get at the part above ?" "Oh, oh, Mr. Philosopher, what should prevent you, who have been reasoning so well about the force and fluidity of the air, from immediately conceiving so simple a process as that of cutting away the part of the cane you have already sucked dry, and making a second perforation in the part above, so that " " Oh, I have it, I have it, I understand ; — • but if we should become too expert in the art of drawing out the juice, I fear but few of the canes will reach our good friends in the tent." " I also am not without my apprehensions, that of our acquisition we shall carry them only a few sticks for 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 novf experience ; we may suck them, therefore, without compunction, afc the diminution of their numbers." " I iTiade Jack conduct me to the shore where he had seen the foot-marks tl:at I might examine them, to judge of their number and direction," THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSOX. 85 " Well, then, if we can do no better with tlie 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- iouslj ! " " In this too, my generous boy, I fear you will be disappointed. You talk of milk ; but the milk of the cocoa-nut, no less than the juice of the sugar-cane, when exposed to the air and heat, turns soon to vinegar. I would almost wager that it is already sour ; for the tin bottle which contains it is particularly liable to become hot in the sun." " heavens, how provoking ! I must taste it this very minute." The tin bottle was lowered from his shoulder in the twinkling of an eye, and he began to pull the cork ; as soon as it was loose, the liquid flew upwards, hissing and frothing like champagne. "Bravo, Mr. Fritz! you have manufactur- ed 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 ij 86 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. sweet, and it is so sparkling ! do take a littU, father. Is it not good ? 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. A¥hen 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 evea 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- ino; themselves without observino- our an- proach. They were thus taken by surprise ; and before we could get to the spot, our fero- cious^ Tuxk had already seized one of them; it was a female who held a young one in her arms, which she was caressing almos/ >^'^it>'w^"^ 38 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. to suffocation, and wliich 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 disenorao-e. " 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, 1 must needs confess, than for your mother's THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 89 Bake, we could wish. The conduct of the lit tie 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. lie 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 h -, 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 circujustance of your behavior. It is therefore but just that the little protege should be given up to your management and discretion ; much will depend on your manner of educating him ; by and by we shall see whether he will be fittest to aid us with his 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. 9a 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 couid 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 SVnSS 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 mMI^ THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 93 in our situation be dangerous to teach our i dogs not to attack and kill, if thej 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 I 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 ou? 94 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBLNSON. 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 otlier, had reached the place we crossed ii? 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 hag ! " — "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 am I to return to you again, my best beloved, and God be praised ! without any new mis* 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 befrninor Ernest to re- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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- Tior, 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 ? " " 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 ! " " 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, 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." "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 oul THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 101 way, whether we have seen them before ol 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 ? " " 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 I thank you, my good mother ; m- 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.* .Ernest. — 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 ' I I per is ready, and the cocoa-nuts shall be for ! the dessert." [ We seated ourselves on the ground; my I wife had placed each article of the repast in j one of our new dishes, the neat appearance of { which exceeded all our expectations. My sons had not patience to wait, but had broken I the cocoa-nuts, and already convinced them- .^ selves of their delicious flavor ; and then they I fell to making spoons with the fragments of j the shells. The little monkey, thanks to the - J kind temper of Jack, had been served the first, and each amused himself with making h.\m suck the corner of his pocket handker- chief, dipped in the milk of the cocoa-nut. He appeared delighted with the treatment he re<;eived, 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 brini>; me a saw; — the thouo-ht had struck me, that by dividing the nuts carefully with this instrumentj the two halves, 8 104 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. "when scooped, would remain with the form of tea cups or basins abeady 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 unfortunate ! " said he, "it is already turned to vinegar." TUE 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 hiid spread in the tent, so that we anticipated with joy the prospect of stretching our limbs on a '"^^mm ^hserve*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 eeeing 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 neorlect the care of renewinoj 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 9 120 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?" "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 "jome, let us bcp;in." THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 121 I assisted Fritz to carry a pole strong enough for a mast, and another not so thick, for a sailjard. 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 af tJie little vessel. ^^^ 1*22 THE SWISS FAMILY ROLINSON. "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 oi 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 b<^ir*a; obliged to veer. I shall therefore fix our oars in such a manner as to enable me to steer the raft from either end." Accordr* 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 wo wanted for this purpose. We employed the remnant of the day in THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 123 emptying the tubs of the useless ballast of Btones, and putting in their place Tvhat would be of service, such as nails, pieces of cloth, and different kinds of utensils. &c., &c. The Vandals themselves could not have made a more complete pillage than we had done. The prospect before us of an entire solitude, made us devote our attention to the securing as much powder and shot as we could, as a means of catching animals for food, and of defending ourselves against wild beasts to the latest moment possible. Utensils for every kind of workmanship, of which there was a large provision in the ship, were also objects of incalculable value to us. The vessel which was now a wreck, had been sent out as a preparation for the establishment of a colony in the South Seas, and had been provided with a variety of stores not commonly 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 124 THE SWISS PAMILY 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, Bpades, 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 ofi'ering 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 doga would do their duty, and was thankful to Heaven for having enabled us to preserve so good a protection. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 12: CHAPTER VI. A Troop of Animals in Cork Jackets. Early the next morning, thougli scarcely light, I mounted the vessel, hoping to gain a sight of our heloved 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 con- 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 Fntz, "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, anJ '^ntrive to throw one and THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 129 all into the water ; you will see that they "w il] Bwim 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 his efforts, and sufi'ered 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 tlio water to follow the poor creature, who " I 130 THE SWISS FAMILY llOBINSON. 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. 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 cask on either side. I added a thong of leather, stretching from the casks across the breast and haunches of the animal, to make the whole secure ; and thus, in less than an hour, both my cow and my ass were equipped for swimming. 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 131 iheep 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 shoving him off. He fell into the water, and for a moment disappeared ; but we soon saw him rise, and in the action of swimming 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 asa had swum so courageously, that he was al- ready at a considerable distance from the ves 132 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. sel, SO that there was suflScient 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. 183 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 monkev while I was occupied in thinking of those I had left on land, and of whom I now tried to take a view through my telescope. My last act on board the vessel had been to take one look more at those beloved beings, and I perceived my wife and the three boys all in motion, and seeming 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 ! " a fish of enormous size is coming up to the boat." — "And whv lost?" said I, half angry, and yet half partaking of his fright. " Be ready with your gun, and the moment he is close upon uSj 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 vn the water and hurried off to sea, leaving us to observe the lustrous smooth- ness of his belly, and that as he proceeded he Btained 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. 13D 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 thi^ 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 10 >Jj^'i:^if^'^^ 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 Dur 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 (..dr^f 'pistolj-"^ '^''''^ '^'"''' ■'' ^""^^ ^^ ^''""'^ *^^°' '" '^^'"^^ '^^^^ I''^^^<' ^ ^^rmrMs:^^€n THE SWISS PAMILY ROBINSON. 187 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 efiected 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 brajing loud enouofh to make us deaf. 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, ^ __ ^'^ yr^. ^^^ 138 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. the exception of tlie collars being armed with nails, the points of which were outwards, and exhibited a forn^idable appearance. "And is it you, Mr. Jack," cried I, " who have in vented and executed laese collars and your belt?" " 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?" "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 1 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 SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. ];]& strips. He, hmvever, concealed his ill-humor as well as he could ; but presently he called out suddenly, holding his nose as ho 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 .?un 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 handa, 140 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. and the sweat of their brow : a thousand aiivl 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 afiliction, 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 vou can join your bro* THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 141 thers, and assist them to tlirovr the jaekall 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 in dragging the dead jaekall 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 ! " said they, clapping their hands to give a hearty welcome to the beare: of so fine a treat. — "It comes quite in thj nick of time too," interrupted I; "for, V* 142 THE SWISS FARHLY ROBINSON. judge bj 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 ! See, they are like whito balls, covered with a skin like wetted parch- ment ! We found them upon the sands along the shore." " Your account is perfectly just, my dear boy," said I : "by what means did you make so useful a discovery ? " — " Oh, that is part of our history," interrupted my wife ; " for 1 THE SWISS FA3ITLT 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 hor 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- 14i TUE 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 dehcious 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 ROBINi-ON. 145 .a CHAPTEE YII. Second Journey of Discover?/, performed ht/ iht Mother of the Fannily. "You pretend," said my wife, with a little malicious smile, " to be curious about mj 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 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 whioh the heat is even more excessive than without. Courage then! pursued I; my husband and my eldest son are at this moment employed for the general good ; why should not I be active and enterprising also ? why not undertake, with my youngest sons,. to do something that shall add some one 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 cufif. Ernest made his escape, more alarmed, I believe, by Jack's dirty hands, than by the expected blo^: 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, Mt 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 hinj 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, lie 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 mvself ; — few mothers refuse the sacrifice of a little personal convenience, to afl'ord de- light to a virtuous child. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 149 "But now havirg yielded the first time, I found I had made myself liable to further claims. The next thing was a beH 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 seme 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 plaus for an excursion, 11 150 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. and jou may believe I heard nothing like a dissenting voice. Thej 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 ho^ to use the guns. I now for the first timo began to feel how fortunate it was that you THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 Httle 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 sinco 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 ^^hich reached above the heads of the little boys ; an obsta- cle which, on trial, we found too difl5cult 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- inor : at last I saw him tearino; off some hand- fuls of grass, and wiping his clothes with THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 w^hile 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 wag little danger of their going off. While wc 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 ! 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 ? Ah, if one would but come at this very moment ! ' '' ^ A good sportsman, Ernest, always holds iiimseif 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 aotice 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 ii.' " ^I am sure it was an eagle,' said the lit- iJc Francis, 'for I have read in my book of fables, that an er. i^le can carry oflf a sheep ; and this bird was terribly large.' " ' ye?,' 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 grecH noise and mounted above their heads. '•^The boys remained stupid with astonish* ir^6 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. mcnt, following lilm with their eyes and open mouths without speaking a word, while for my own part I could not help laughing hc-iivt- ily. * Oh ! such fine sportsmen as we have here ! ' cried I : * they will never let us be in want of game, I plainly perceive. Ah, if one would hut come at this very moment ! ' Ernest, always a little disposed to vent un- easiness by crying, now began to whimper ; while Xick, with a curious mixture of tragi- comic bravery upon his features, his eyes darting upon the mountain traveler, takes oif 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, vrHh 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 ROBINSON. 157 tliis Dioment 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 trunka 158 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. of which seemed to be supported in their upright position bj arches on each side, these arclies 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 Vraches (the brache is equal to twentj-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 ROBINSON. 159 solved to go no furtlier, but to enjoy its de* licious coolness till it should be time to return. I sat down in this verdant eljsium 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 saluMry 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 beholdinci; and admirins; 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 m 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 y./'^'ii-^iiPX"^ 160 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. the vessel, wliich the waves might have wash* ed there. " But 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 1 had enough to do to walk quick enough to keep sight of him ; for in a country where no TTiV. SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 16i track of the foot of man is to be found, we mighc easily lose each other. I became more tranquil respecting him when we had got once more together on the sea shore; for, as I expected, we found there pieces of timber, poles, large and small chests, and other articles which I knew had come from the vessel. None of us, however, were strong enough to bring them aAvaj ; 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 ! 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. " "\7e now suudtiily cast our eyes on Flora, whom we percoivcd employed in turning over a //\-* _A \ T^^V-Ti ^\ \V ' xy - ^ I— —,■—■■ 4i) I, V 1C2 THE SWISS FAMILY ROB;T^SON. 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 ! ' " '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 lengtli, 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 ree^'os^ipd as before, by leaping from one great stone U\ THE S>WISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 163 another ; Vnile I also resumed my burden of little Francis at my back, and in this manner Boon 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 iii 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 iDipor- 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 80 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 in one of my giant trees, which afford even superior facilities in the enormous size and 12 164 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Btrengtli of their branches, and the peculla? manner of their growth? " " Well, v/ell, we slifell see about it. In the meanAvhile, my boys, lot 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." ErTtest. — 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. .Ernest. — I do not find it so easy as I thought. You must help me, Fritz: you are older than I am. Fritz, — With all my heart. First we take thirty-six brcLches ; then multiply 36 by 22, the number of inches each brache con- tains, and you ho.ve 792; divide this by 12, the number of inches in a foot, and it will give us 6Q for tht: number of feet. Is that right, father? THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, IGf) Father. — Yes, quite right. So, my dear wife, you \nl 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. Ernest — Twice 32 makes 64 ; the half of 32 is 16 ; which added to 64 makes 80 feet. Father. — Yery well. Tell me now, if you recollect the proper term in geometry for the circumference of a circle, or say of a tree, since we are talking of trees. Ernest. — Oh, you may be sure that I could not forget that it is called the periphery. Father. — Right. And what is the term 166 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. for any line which may be dra^^n frox one point of the periphery to another pascing through the centre ? 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 thau 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 shooild use. Father. — So ; height from the ground tj THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. 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. "VVe 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 Yin. 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 is," 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 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 ^*he 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 improbabl»3 thp.t tigers or other animals might follow their exa-mple. 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 trut^', my heart is always filled with dis- tressing apprehensions, when you and Fritz « are exposed to the danger of that perfidious clement the sea." m 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!" 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 coDtain our rliOci'-nt matters; you may therefore set ab'mt mak- ing these, and I will undertake the biidge^ ^/f 170 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. which, the more I consider, the more 1 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 1 am never easy with it so near us : a thunder-storm, or some thoughtless action cf one of the boys, might expose us to serious da;igers." " 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- f^ernus enemy, and, on the other, a most use- ful friend." Thu5*, fhoD. we decided the important quei\- tion of removing to a new abode : after which 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, wath such a novelty in view as the prosp3ct 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 asf 172 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Fritz, that we might accomplish our object in a shorter time. We rowed stoutly till we reached the ci\r- rent, which soon drew us on beyond the biy ; but scarcely had we passed a little islet, iyi: g to one side of ur, than we perceived a prodi- gious quantity of seagulls and other birds. I had a curiosity to di: cover what could be the reason of such an ascembl^.-ge of tVegs creatures. I steered for the F;p'>t ; but, find- ing that the boat made but liClle 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 i^ality an THE 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 month he has, and what a rough and prickly ^kin ! one 174 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. miglit 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 Fritz 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, ?oon 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 wouhl 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. AYith great exertion of our strength, we contrived to hind the tii:.bers together, with the planks ^ — ^''- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSOX. 175 apon tliem, 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 di'ying» 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 vou were 176 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. not mistaken," rejoined I; "the best isha- green is made in Turkey, Persia, and ^^ar- tary, from skin taken from the back of th« 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, biit 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 oscape." " 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 t":.?; 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 opeL 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 ^ve were sure of excellent din* 178 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. ners for some days at least. Some of :he an* imnls tried to escape in diiferent directions ; r.iid 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 ? " 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- I >> ClOUS I Father. — Excellent indeed, my I'ttle fel~ low, and particularly if it was yoci' industry that first discovered them. Jack. — Yes, father, it vras Francis who saw them first ; but it w<'3 I who ran to tell mamma, and it was I who fetched the net anu put it to rights, and it vras I who went up to my knees in water to catch them. Fatlcer. — You make a charming story of it together, my boys ; but as it is an inter- flr* THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 179 estlng 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 ? Jach. — 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 ! Bun as fast as you can." I sprang to him in an instant, anfl savr not orJy the jackall covered with them, but legions more coming in with th(^ stream. I ran to tell mamma, vrho quickly got the net you brought 13 180 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 caufrht 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 KOBINSON. 181 halters, &c. I put a piece of rope, with a running knot at the end, round the neck oi 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 tlius enabled to carry our materials, piece by pi^ce, 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 stono to the end of one of them, and throM J 82 THE SWISS TAMILY ROBINSON. it to the otlier 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 o^-hor 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 cur dinner, which had been waiting for us more than an hour. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 183 \Ye all now proceeded homewards, and en- tering the kitchen, we found our good stew- ard had prepared for us a large dish of lob- sters ; but before tasting them, she insisted we should look at somethiuG; 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 enou<2;h to carry packthread, she had been obliged to make a hole with a nail for everv stitch ; we miixht 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 fro^ her companions, and also a little good-hu- mored raillery. For this time we Ir ;r.* 1 through our meal, each being deeply irjcr- ested in the work we were about to un-x^r- take, and thinking only of the part which mio-bt 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 lI^.'!' !]xed one end of the beam firm to the trui/r 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 th*^ other side, and at length be- come fixed and firm by its own weight. In a moment Fritz and Jack leaped upf)n 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 completed in a much shorter time than I should have imagined r ossible. 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. .he rest : she ran to one, and then to an* other, embracing each in turn, and was nevef 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 80 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 Tont 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. 18? members of my family together, to take with them a solemn farewell of this our first place of reception f r m the awful disaster of the shipwreck. I confess that for my own part I could not leave it without regret ; it was a placo 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 w^ell 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 T tied several long pieces of vw- 188 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. cord, wh^'cL crossing each vtliur, and being again brought round and /..tenei', served ta hold the sacks firmly on the back <"f Ih^^ an imal. We next began to put together all the things we should stand most in need of for Iho 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 thev 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." I now placed the children on the ass's back, fixing the enchanted bag in such a way as to rS?l.^^./ THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 18^' support Urn, and I tied them together with BO rL.--i.:y f-ori^s, 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 100 THE SWISS FAMILY R03INPON. feet and wings, put into a basket covertc^. xr'ilh a net, and p];iced in triumph oii the top of our lugg8,ge. ^\Ve 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 thciTi into the ground. We ranged a number of vessels, both full and empty, round the tent, to serve as a rampart, and thus we confided to the protection of heaven our remaining treasures. At length, we set ourselves in motion : each of us, great and small, carried a gun upon his shoulder, and a game bag at his back. My wife led the way with her eldest son, the cow and the ass im- 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, canto Ernest, conducting the sheep, while I, in my capacity of general superintendent, followea 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 fiome* THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 Jxjv of the pa- triarchal mode of life ; wh>».t 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 ? " " 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 m^ 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 adv^ancod 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 ofi" 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 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 19* 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 mons<"rou=: porcupine I '* 14 ^'^^s^^ ^^^>— ^ 194 THE SWISS FAMILF 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 bloodj noses about the animal ; and when thej 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 m his belt, and aimed it so exactly at the head of the porcupine, that he fell dead the instant he fired, and before we had a notion of what he was about. This success raised Jack to the height of joy and vanity ; while Fritz, on the other hand, felt a sensation of jealousy almost to shedding tears. — " Is it right. Jack," said he, "that such a little boy as you should venture to fire off a pistol in this manner? How easily might you have wounded my father or me, or one of the dogs, by so rash an action!" — "Oh yes, to be THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 195 sure, and what do you. suppose hindered me from seeing that you were all behind me t 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 firtt 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 drprived him of the honor of the day ; and he sought a subject of complaint against ^^m. ns 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 J 96 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. were at a loss wliat means to use for carry ing away his carcass. They thought of drag- ging it along the ground; but as often ag 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^ =v*^< THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 19V 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 be^^ran 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 whai chance there might §^M^ 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 w^ould have alarmed me, if, at the same moment, we had not recognized Fritz's voice crying out, " I touched him ! I touched him ! " and in a moment we saw him running towards us, holding a dead animal of uncommon beauty by the paws. "Father, father, look, here is a superb tiger cat," said he, proudly raising it in the air, to show it to the best advantage. " Bravo ! bravo ! " cried I; "bravo, Nimrod the undaunted! Your exploit will call forth the gratitude of our cocks, hens, and pigeons, for you have 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 vharge you look about in every direction, and try to destroy as many of the species as THE SWISS FAMILY ILOUINSON. 199 fall in your way, for we cannot have more dangerous intruders." Ernest. — I wish father you would be sc ^ood as to tell me why God created wild beasts, since man seems to be appointed to I destroy them. i Father. — This indeed is a question I can- | not answer, and we must be contented with I taking care to arm ourselves against them : j neither can I explain to you why many other I things, which to us appear to have only inju- I riouH 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 embellit^hing 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 diflferent nations. We may also add, that the care of protectin^^ himself from the attacks of ferocious ani^ mals invigorates the physical and moial 200 THE SWISS FAiSIILY ROBINSON. powers of man, supports his activity, and renders liim 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 difiiculty as they Avould 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 ? 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 easily 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 miglit havo missed him if I had been further oS'. I, on the contrary, tried to be as near him as pos- sible, ard 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 stufi" 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 so denominated at the Cape of Good Hope; I s* 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 mo what use I can make of it. Father. — One idea recurs to me ; skin the animal, carefully, su as not to injure it, particularly the parts which cover the fore legs and the tail. You may then make your- self 'L 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 Bet about preparing the skin. The boys left me no moment of repose till I had shown them how to take oflf the skb.s of the animals without tearing them. In the THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 208 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 difi'erent 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 vhe 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, 1 have found a nice fruit to eat, and I have brought you home some of it ! " " Little glutton ! " 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!" 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. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 205 Father. — You see then, my dear, said I to*my Avife, 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 J:hey had seen it eaten by birds and monkeys. At th; 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 Bmelled at it, and concluded by eating it vo- raciously. — "Bravo, bravo! Mr. Monkey,'* exclaimed the boys, clapping their hands; BO then these figs are good to eat ! Thank you, jNIr. Monkey, for after your wise decis ion, we shall make a charming fea^t 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 wa? bestowed upon the dogs, who waited impa- tiently to receive it. While our dinner waa 206 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. dressing, I employed mj 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 Ave 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 wiae, 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- %S^ 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 oif 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- hendino; it mi^ht 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 f^w>^ "'.^ z?^^ THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 200 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 kn'ees 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 efl'ected with considerable trouble : for the bird made a stout resistance, flapping its wings with vi' olence for some time. But at last I suc- ceeded in securing him. Fritz was not long: in extrlcatino; himself from the swamp ; he now appeared holding 210 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. ^ the dead flamingp 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 diflBcult to release me. The joy of the boys was excessive, when they saw that my flamingo was alive. — " If we can but cure his wound and contrive to feed him, what a happiness it will be ! " said they. " Do you think he will like to be with the other fowls?" "I know," answered I, " that he is a bird that may be easily tamed ; but 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." Ernest, — Our river will furnish him with all these: Jack and Francis can catch aa THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 211 many as he will want; aiid very soon, with Buch long legs as he h'as, 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, Er- nest, 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 interesti 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 sueh 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 ROBINSON. 218 we brought home ? — " 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^ 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 ! " cried they, addressing each other, and then running to me. — "Tell us father," continued they, " what you are going to do with them ; do let me shoot one ; — and me; and me too," cried one and all as fast as they could speak. Father. — " Have patience, boys ; I say, have patience. Have you, my dear, any strong thread ? " said I to my wife ; " I want some immediately." — "We shall see," said she, "what my enchanted bag, which haa 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 magic, 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. 2 IT upwards, till the knot should reach the same branch. Having thus made quite sure of being able to raise my ladder, we all set to work with increased zeal and confidence. The first thing I did was to cut a length of about one hundred feet from my parcel of ropes, an inch thick ; this I divided into two equal parts, which I stretched along on the ground in two parallel lines, at the distance of a foot from each other. I then directed Fritz to cut portions of sugar-cane, each two feet in length. Ernest handed them to me, one after another ; and as I received them, ] 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 tlie 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 ua with cries of exultation. Fritz set to work to fasten the ladder, by passing the rope THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 2 IS 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 come 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 1 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 1 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 verj heartily ; and afterwards " putting his head under his right wing, and raising his left foot, he abandoned himself with confidence to sleep. And now the gaping of one, and the out- \ 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. We continued our work at the house, which occupied us several days." THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 223 CHAPTER XI. Hie settling in the Giant Tree, 1 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 waa 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 ofi" 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 Btore. In her absence, I ascended, the tree with Fritz, and made the neqessary prepara 224 THE SWISS family robinscn. 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 ROBINSON. 2'2h ready placed two beams upon the branches, I hastened to fix my planks upon them ; and 1 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, v/hile in the fourth was the en- trance to our apartment; and in this I left a large aperture, both as a means of seeing 16 22Q THE SWISS family rubinson what passed without, and admitting a current of air to cool us in tliis 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 /lot 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, 1 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 manj 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 us in 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, each in 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 TUT. SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. observed upon the fire, and the contents of which we were all curious to be informed of. She took oflf 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 her 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 bis 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 ; foi 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 wo 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, THE 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 greateet difficulty, in W.MM 230 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. consequence of its swinging motion. At last, however, I got to the top, and, to the Sjdmi- 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. Tlie Sahhath and the Parahle. 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 see, how to Bleep in a hammock : I heard not a single compjp^mt- all the night; no disputing about room from any one of you ; all was still and tranquil." — "Ah," finswered they, stretch- ing and yawning as they spoke, " we were so 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 a church, because we may entertain pious sen- 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 animals also with their meal, and then we all sat down on the tender grass ; the boys full of impatient curiosity ; their mother absorbed in silent re- y»/j'^'^^^4P\^^ 232 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. flection, her hands joined, and her eyes b^me^ times turned towards the sky ; while I was penetrated with tho mo^t lively desire to im- press upon the young minds of my childrer)., 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 tho 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 : " My dear children, 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 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 the 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 fentiment of paternal concord so united these 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- TTTE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 235 f^red ihemselves 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 becam-e 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- 236 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON taintj of being admitted as citizens of hu 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 efi'ectual means of improving the land which has been confided to your care : thus you will each day learn to manure, to BOW, 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 FAMITA B*,fiINSON. 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 giveja 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 Bhow the largest produce from it, shall be re- compensed for his deeds, and shall become THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 liibors 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 "i THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 241 grew up along with it, lie 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 17 ^cfV:^^(l7-<^f^==^ 242 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Gained 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 snme 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 214 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. / THE SWT:SS family ROBINSON. 245 Fritz. — The goodness of the Great King, and the ingratitude of the colonists, father. Father. — And you, Ernest, what is your thought ? 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 ? 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- 24G TKE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. fectly compreliended ; and after a short re- view of the principal parts of my discourse, I concluded by a moral application. "Human 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 ROBINSON. 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 j 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 spply to yourselves the case of those men who let their land lie fallow, or, in their thoughtlessness, mistook the grain, and sowed 248 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. tarijs 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 ; * 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 wdth the application I liad 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 copies? for you never read it to us." Father. — My children, this copy is the Holy Bible, 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. 3Iy 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 eolitude, 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 away to Beek the recreation he liked best. The next morning, the boys assembled '-* r' THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 251 round me with a petition that I would sho;^ rhem how to use arrows. We accordingly sat down on the grass ; I took out my knife, and, with the remains of a hamboo 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 sufell ; 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 ROBINSOH. 11 jimr 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 famely 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 imjporfant Discoveries. Jack had finished the trial of his ari'ows ; they flew to admiration ; and he practised his THE SWISS FAMILY ROSINSON. 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 hia 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 oui i^Ii^S^ 256 ^HE 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 ^kcly 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. tIacJc, — How shall we manage, then t What pretty names can we find ? Father. — 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 remembei 18 258 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. that you blubbered loud enough for all of ui to hear you. Ml/ 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? Frnest. — 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 comniem- 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 ihe marshj 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 Fields 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. Fritz. — Ila, ha, ha ! a noble name, it must be confessed ! Let us call it The FagWs 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. Father. — Will you let me decide the ques- tion for vou ? I think our abode should be called The Falcon s Nest ; for, you are not arrived at the dignity of eagles, but are, too 260 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. truly, poor simple birds of prey ; and like the falcon, you also are, I trust, obedient, aocile, active, and courageous. Ernest can have no objection to this ; for, as he knows, falcons make their nests in large trees. All exclaimed, clapping their hands, '* Yes, yes, we will have it The Falcon s Nest ! the sound is quite chivalrous ; so health to Falcon 8 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 JachalVs River ; for these animals crossed it when they came and at- tacked us, and it was there that one of them was killed, '.nic bridge I should name Fam- ily Bridge^ bectkUse we were all employed in THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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 goodness 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 ROBINSON. 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 ecse ; his stop was therefore slow and quiet. Our rout al mg 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 prolcitg the ple^cure of our walk, we pro- cseded slowly, am.iiing 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, indee J, father," cried he at last, when he had recovered his voice; "we have found some potato seed!" " What say you ? potato seed ? " inquired T joyfully; "have you rcrlly been so fortun- ate ? Come near, every one of you, and let me look at your little bolls ; " for I scarcely dared believe in so h:.,ppy an event, as the discovery of a plant vhich i70Zi5 place us forever beyond the reach of burger, 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, " Tbey 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 w^ 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, wi-^L ,:t satiety: accordingly, food of this nstv^e, cuch as bread, rice, po- tatoes, obtains on the whole, a preference jver provisiors pc^cessing a higher flavor. Oan you tell me, boys, the reason of this ? " Ernest. — I know ; it is because they are nore 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. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON 267 CHAPTER XIV. Continuation of the preceding Chapter ; and more Discoveries. Conversing on diS'erent 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, ha™g with difficulty pushed through the high grass which presented itself. Our fa- tigue, however, was r^^lieved by the unr^om- 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, nuA stronger than those cultivated in th« 208 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-^pple, 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 T 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 ia THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 269 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 bj 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 ! " "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." My Wife. — 1 have long been uneasy upon this very subject, and would willingly ex- F 270 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. change our greatest luxury for some hemp oi 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 di^cult to draw out the lengths of thread through the prickles that surround them ? " 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 ^vill 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. 1 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 ? 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 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 brouglit 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 rnr swy«3 family robtnson. 273 fittle 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 toiirether 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 thf.t it can be used as a protection to man ? 19 274 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 he- 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 hedge 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 ita 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, Thnt 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-IIouse. "Now then," said Ernest, "I have had an opportunity of learning the valuable proper- ties of the karata tree, and of the Indian fi;: 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 hia 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 tha 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 hia 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." Ernest. — 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 so . . .... ^- tM4M 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. Father. — Your idea is not a bad one ; and if it be not true, it is at least probable. Fintz. — Will you tell me, father, the pre- cise difference between true and probable ? 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, ill the science of logic, or the art of reasoning. Let us see if you will understand it — What we call true^ ia 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 ROBINSON. 279 call false, that which is in positive contradic- tion to all our notions, our reason, and out 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. Tather. — Very well, my youiig philoso- pher, and why is the thing impossible ? Jack. — Because it is not possible. leather. — Ha, ha, ha ! here is a pretty round of possible and impossible. It is false because no such thing can be done, and no such thing can be done, because it is not pos- sible. 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 bo 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 280 THE SWTSS TAMIIY ROBINSON. the macliine resting upcn anything; would this be probable or imjprobable ? What think you, Fritz ? Fritz. — I think I should have said im* 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 ? 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 T 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. leather, — 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 ihan 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 ia false, 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 efi'ected 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. "VVe now set out loaded on our return. Tht 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 tlie bridge, one after another, accoutred in so strange a fashion. Our mutual jokes, and the general good humor which prevailed, served to shorten the length of the walk, and 284 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Xione complained of fatigue, till seated undei our tree at Falcon's Stream. My wife no^ 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 iLseJui 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. 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 "Fritz, with a strong hatchet, forced the chest open, and we all crowded eagerly to see the contents." THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 28" 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 tnj wife, rising ; ^' every day I hear the hens clucking as if they had heen 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 wjiited witls 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 EOBINSON. 28'J 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 ofi" 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 ro'ist 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 20 290 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. sledge, I should not fail of going to Tent- House aft«r 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 jumjjing Hare, and a Masquerade, At the moment of departure, Fritz pre- Fdnted his brother and myself with a case of THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. 291 his cwa 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- .ff-^ ^H,^o -•34 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. ft 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. Frnest. — 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 a|; Avhich 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 ? Father. — 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 email 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, — 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. Fritz. — 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 ? Father. — 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, 23 388 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. young ones," said I, " as fast as you caa 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 ua 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 theii 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 h:.d found her. I therefore thought of taking with rae the 340 THE SWISS FAMILi' ll01iI^&0N. 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 gailj into our tub-raft, at the same time fast- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 841 ening the new boat bj 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 waa 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 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 ? 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 efiectually 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* Bessing 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- i- 4f' 844 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. turned every evening, and never without soma 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. S45 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 on? 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 diiferent parts of it some large iron hooks : with a knife I cut a groove along the middle of the plank. T 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 4 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 847 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 f®r 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 m;y scheme had taken eifect. We set busily to "work in emptying her ; and during the occu- pation, our ears were assailed with the noise 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 ? — what is the matter ? — what can have happened ? " cridd 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 tj:ie 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 o 50 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 easy 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 ? Father. — 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. 353. 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 efi*ected, 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 o!" 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 -^hich I was enabled also 852 THE SWISS FAMHiY 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 ofif with sen- sations of lively joy, which was demonstrated by loud huzzas and suitable gesticulation, The wind was favorable, and so brisk, tha< 24 854 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 I " 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. '1=^^'^='^^^^ 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 ! " 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 Bort 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. 857 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 JFAMILY ROBINSON. in ^voi-Iiing in it, and then dividing it into dlfierent compartments : one for p^+atoes, 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, bj 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 iftidst of so per- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 359 feet 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 hapniest 860 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 mj children to observe the goodness of Providence, who renders even labor a source of enjoyment, and makes our own happiness result from chat of the objects of our afi'ection, 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 negbct 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 gr^?^«r 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 Bun 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^ &c. I RECOMMENDED to my SOUS 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 extiuc- S62 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. tion of personal courage in a human being, than the comjciousness 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 oflf 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?" 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 1 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 clones continue turning, carrying with them tlie cord: the poor animal is at length so entangled, that 364 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 no> 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 i'ata- 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 mj 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 diflferent 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 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- sion 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 littlr 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, ^e 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, J 368 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. threw my pocket-liandkercliief 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 ! What beautiful feathers ! " — ■ "I think it is a female bustard," said Ernest. " And you are right," answered I ; "its flesh is excellent, having somewhat of the 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 thua 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. Aa 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 des ^ribed 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- edore. 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 25 370 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. then fell to examining the phenomenon mj. 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 BO 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 no"^? 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 FAMrLY 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' tiests 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 dififerent 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 874 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. scampered awaj to the wood. I hear hirr at this very moment." I then cried out to the boys to call thre 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; 396 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON they make their appearance in numeroua 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 i^ 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. Fritz. — 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 wintel comfortably, in a continual sleep. 31j8 the SWISS family robixson. We reached a wood, the trees of vrhlch 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 diiferent 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 ST\T:SS family ROBINSON. S99 that of stretcliing 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 ray eyes, and exclaiming, " Look, fa- ther ! 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 thnes to form 27 ■/i^^a^ks^^^ 400 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 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. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 401 "We continued our way till we readied 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 whetlier or not we should have found a passage beyond the wall of rocks : we perceived then no better re- Bource 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 aiforded 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 SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 403 •f 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 foi* 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 leno;th, and .-t-*. 4:04: THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. then let it go suddenly, to the great amnye- 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. Candle-making. — The Ship blown up. — TTie CaouU chouc Cocoa-nuts. — The Buffalo, The next morning my wife and children besought me to begin my manufacture of candles. I put the berries over a moderate fire : as the wax rose I carefully skimmed it, and put it in a vessel ; my wife supplied wicks, made from sail-cloth ; I dipped them into the wax, as often as was necessary to make them the proper thickness, and then placed them in a cool spot to harden. Though rude, they prolonged our days by useful hours we had lost before. THE SWISS FAMILY EOBINSON. 405 My wife had long desired, but had not been able, to make butter. I cut a largo gourd in two, filled it with three quarts oi cream, then united the parts. I then placed the gourd in the middle of a piece of sail- cloth, and, giving a corner to each of my sous, directed them to rock the cloth with a slow, regular motion. This was quite an amusement ; and at the end of an hour, my wife had excellent butter. Of the chestnut, walnut, and cherry-trees, we formed an avenue from Falcon's Nest to Family Bridge. We planted round the Tent-House every tree that required heat. These succeeded admirably. As this place was the magazine for our arms, ammunition, and provisions, we made a fortress of it, surrounding it with a high hedge of strong, thorny trees, so that it was inaccessible. "We always carefully removed the first planks of our bridge after crossing. We also placed our cannon on a little elevation ; and these labors occupied us three months. All went on well in our little colony. We Lad an abundant and certain supply of pro- visions ; but our wardrobe, notwithstand 406 THE SWISS FAMILY EOBmSON. ing continual repairing, was wretched, and we had no means of renewing it, except by again visiting the wreck, which I knew Btill contained some chests of clothes and bales of cloth. This decided me to make another voyage. We selected for our cargo bales of linen and woollen, barrels of tar, doors, windows, tables, benches, locks and bolts, all the ammunition, and even cannon. Some boil- ers, intended for a sugar-manufactory, we tied to some large, empty casks. When we had completed our arrange- ments, I resolved to blow up the ship. Just as the sun was going down, a column of fire, announced the destruction of the ves- sel. At this time, two of our ducks and one goose hatched each a brood, and were leading their noisy young families to the water. On our arrival at Falcon's Nest, we dis- covered many supplies wanting : the can- dles were failing ; my wife wanted some wild-fowl's eggs to set under her hens ; Jack wanted some guavas, and Francis some 8Figar-canes. So we made a family tour of THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 407 it, taking the cart,'witli the cow and ass, to contain our provisions, and a large sail-cloth, to make a tent. The weather was delightful, and we set out singing, in great spirits. The road was rugged, but we rested frequently. We stopped to see the bird-colony, which greatly delighted them all, and Ernest de- clared Loxia gregaria^ the sociable grosbeak. We filled two bags with wax-berries, and another with guavas. AYe then proceeded to the caoutchouc- tree. I made incisions in the trees, and placed bowls to receive the gum, which soon began to run in a milky stream. We turned a little to the left, and entered a beautiful and fertile plain, bounded on one Bide by the sugar-canes and wood of palms, on the other by the bamboos ; and before US was Cape Disappointment, backed by the ocean — a magnificent picture. We at once decided to make this our resting-place on our excursions ; we even thought of transferring our residence from Falcon's Nest to this spot. We loosed our animals, and separated on our several em* ployments — some to cut sugar-canes, others 408 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. bamboos, and, after stripping them, to make tliem into bundles, and place them in the cart. This hard work made tlie boys hungry ; they refreshed themselves with sugar-canes, but liad a great desire to have some cocoa- nuts. Their attempts to climb the lofty, bare trunk of the palm ended only in disap- pointment, till I gave them pieces of shark- skin to brace on their legs, showing them how to climb, by the aid of a cord fastened round the tree with a runnino; noose. Ernest, who had not climbed the tree, then bound his legs, and sprung up a palm which he had been examining. His brothers laughed at his taking the trouble to ascend a tree that had not a single nut. As soon as he reached the top, he struck w^th his hatchet, and a tuft of tender, yellow leaves fell at our feet_, which I recognized as the product of the cabbage-palm, a delicate food. But our hero did not descend ; and I asked him if he wanted to replace the cab- bage ? "Wait a little," said he; "I am bringing you some wine to drink my health ; but it comes slower than I could wish." THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 409 He now descended, holding his cocoa-cnp, into which he poured from his flask a clear, rose-colored liquor, and begged me to drink. It was the true palm-wine, as pleasant as champagne, and a great restorative, and thanking our learned Ernest, we all drank. We were putting up our tent for the night, when our ass, which had been quietly grazing, began to braj furiously, erected his ears, and, plunging into the bamboos, dis- appeared. I could not lose the useful an imal ; we decided that I should go, with Jack, and the two dogs, in search of him, leaving Fritz and Ernest as a guard for their mother. After an hour's fruitless search among the canes, we emerged beyond them, in an extensive plain on the bay. A river flowed into the bay here, and between the river and the rock was a narrow passage, which at high water would be overflowed. We thought it likely that our ass had passed by this delile ; we therefore went forward till we met with a Stream, which fell in a cascade, from a mass of rocks, into the river. We ascended the stream till we found a place ihullow enouojh to cross. Here we saw tho 410 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON shoe-marks of our ass, mingled with the foot steps of other animals, and at a distance we saw a herd of animals, but could not distin- guish what they were. We ascended a little hill, and, at a distance, saw some specks, which I concluded were the animals we had first seen, and I resolved to go nearer, in hopes our ass might have joined them. We made towards the spot, and, when we had crossed a little cluster of bamboos, we sud- denly came on a herd of buffaloes. At the sight, I was absolutely petrified, and my gun useless. Fortunately the dogs were in the rear, and the animals, lifting their heads, and fixing their large eyes on us, seemed more astonished than angry — we were the first men, probably, they had ever seen. The dogs, notwithstanding our efforts to re- strain them, flew at the buffaloes, and falling on a young buffalo that had strayed before the rest, seized it by the ears. The creature began to bellow, and struggle to escape ; its mother ran to its assistance, and, with her, the whole herd. At that moment we fired on the herd. The efiect was wonderful : they paused a moment, and then took to THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. 411 flight with incredible rapidity, and were soon out of sight. Mj dogs still held theii prize, and the mother, though wounded by our shot, tore up the ground in her fury ; but a pistol soon put an end to her life. I praised Jack for his courage and presence of mind. The dogs still held the young calf by the ears. Jack always carried his lasso ; he flung it so dexterously that he com- pletely wound it round the hind legs of the calf, and threw it. I replaced the lasso by a stronger cord, and used another to bind his fore-legs loosely. Jack cried victory, and already thought how his mother and brothers would be delighted. I began by tying to the foot of a tree the cords that held the legs ; then 1 caught hold of his mouth, and with a sharp knife perfo- rated the nostril, and passed a cord through. This cord was to guide the animal. As soon as the blood ceased to flow, I took the cord, uniting the two ends, and the creature fol- lowed me without resistance. I was unwilling to abandon the whole of the bufi'alo I had killed, as it is excellent meat; I therefore cut out tlie tongue, and 412 THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. Bome of tlie best parts from the loin, and covered them well with salt, of which we had taken a provision with us. I then care- fully skinned the four legs, remembering that the American hunters use these skins for boots, being remarkably soft and flexible. We permitted the dogs to feast on the re- mainder; and while they were enjoying themselves, we sat down under a tree to rest. We cut several of the very thick reeds, which make excellent vessels when sepa- rated at the joints ; but I perceived tliat Jack was cutting some of small dimensions, and I inquired his purpose. He replied : " I am cutting these reeds to make moulds for our candles." " An excellent thought, my dear boy !" said I ; "if even we break our moulds in getting out the candles." We crossed the narrow pass in the rocks, and here our dogs killed a large jackal, and Jack saved, with difiiculty, one of the young cubs, a prett}' little gold-colored creature. In the mean time I had tied the calf to a low tree, which I discovered was tlie thorny dwarf palm. It bears an oblong fruit, about THE SWISS FAMILY EOBINSON. 413 the size of a pigeon's Qgg, from which is ex- tracted an oil which is an excellent substitute for butter. I determined to return for some young shoots of this palm. It was almost night when we joined our family ; and endless were the questions the sight of the buffalo produced, and great was the boasting of Jack. I was compelled to lower his pride a little by an unvarnished statement. CHAPTER XXIY. The SagO'Palm. — Bach to Falcon'' s N'est. — The Stair- case in the Tree. — Money, In my absence, Fritz and Ernest had cut down an immense sago-palm, seventy feet high, intending to extract its precious pith ; but this they had been unable to accom- plish alone. While they were engaged in this monkeys had broken into the tent and destroyed everything ; they had drunk or overturned the milk, and spoiled all our provisions; and even so much injured the 414 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON". palisade I had erected round the tent, that it took them an hour, after thej returned, to repair the damage. Fritz had also taken a Malabar eagle. I advised him to train it as a falcon, to chase other birds. We then made a fire of green wood, in the smoke of which we placed the buffalo- meat, leaving it during the night, that it might be perfectly cured. We had had Bome for supper, and thought it excellent. We then retired to our mossy beds, to recruit our strength for the labors of another day. At break of day we rose, made a light breakfast, and I decided to remain here another day ; for it was no trifling under- taking to split up the sago-tree. I thought, after removing the useful pith from the trunk, to obtain two large channels to con- duct the water from Jackal River to the kitchen-garden. We first sawed off tlie head ; after four hours' labor we succeeded in splitting it. When parted, we pressed the pith with our hands, to get the whole into one division of the trunk, and began to make our paste. At one end of the spout we nailed one of the graters, through which y -y^ &, THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 415 we intended to force the paste, to form tlie round seeds. My little bakers set vigorously to work, some pouring water on the pith, while the rest mixed it into paste. When sufficiently worked, I pressed it strongly with my hand against the grater ; the fari- naceous parts passed easily through the holes, while the ligiieoiis part, consisting of splinters of wood, &c., was left behind. My wife spread the grains on sail-cloth, in the sun, to dry. I also formed some vermicelli. The next morning the whole caravan be- gan to move at an early hour. The buffalo, harnessed to the cart, by the side of the.cow, took tlie place of our lost ass, and began his apprenticeship as a beast of draught. We took the same road on our return, that we might carry away the candle-berries and the India-rubber. In crossing the wood of guavas, we sud- denly heard our dogs, who were before us. They were endeavoring to enter a thicket, in the midst of which Fritz declared he had caught a glimpse of an animal larger than the buffalo, with a black, bristly skin. I was just about to discharge my gun into tlio 416 TIIE SWISS FAillLY KOBINSON. thicket, when Jack, who had lain down on the ground, to look under the bushes, burst ^ into a loud laugh. "It is another trick of that vexatious animal, our old sow ! she is always making fools of us," cried he. Half- merry and half-angry, we made an opening into the thicket, and tliere discovered the lady lying, surrounded by seven little pigs only a few days old. We were very glad to see our old friend so attended, and stroked her. She seemed to recognize us, and grun'ed amicably. We supplied her with some po- tatoes, sweet acorns, and cassava bread, and took two of her young ones to be brought up at home, and left the rest to support themselves on acorns in the woods, where they would become game for us. At length we arrived at Falcon's Nest, which we re- garded with all the attachment of home. The next day we began to discuss a plan 1 had long had in my head ; but the execu- tion of it presented many ditiiciilties. It was, to substitute a firm and solid staircase for the ladder of ropes, which was a source of continual fear to my wife. " Have you not said there was a swarm of THE SWISS FAMILY EOBINSON. 417 bees in the trunk of tlie tree?" I inquired of my wife. " Yes," said little Francis, " they Btung my face dreadfully the other day, when I was on the ladder." '* Now, then," cried I, " let lis find out how far the tree is hollow : we can increase the size of the tunnel, and I have already planned the sort of staircase I can construct." I had hardly spoken, when the boys began to sound the tree. This rash proceeding had nearly been fatal to Jack, who, having placed himself just before the opening, and sti'iking violently, the whole swarm issued forth. Nothing was heard but cries. My wife hastened to cover the stings with moist earth ; but it was some hours before they could open their eyes. They begged me to get them the honey, and I prepared a hive — a large gourd, which I placed on a board nailed upon a branch of our tree, and covered with straw. Tlie next day I plastered up the entrance to the hive with clay, leaving only room to admit the bowl of my pipe, and began to smoke to stupefy the bees, when the murmur ceased, Fiitz and I, with a chisel and small 4:18 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. axe, made an opening about three feet square, below tlie bees' entrance. The in terior of the tree was filled with the honey- combs ; I cut them out carefully, and placed the upper comb, on which the bees were hanging in clusters, in the new hive, and put it on the plank prepared for it ; I then de- scended with the rest of the honeycomb, and filled a cask with it. The bees finally settled in the new hive, where the queen bee, doubt- less, had fixed herself. The tree was en- tirely hollow, and I thought I could easily fix a winding staircase in this wide tunnel. We began by cutting a doorway, on the side facing the sea, of the size of the door we had brought from the captain's cabin, with its framework. We smoothed the cavity, fixing in the middle a post about ten feet high, to serve for the axis of the stair- case. We had prepared, the evening before, a number of boards, to form our steps. We made deep notches corresponding in the pillar ; I placed my steps in these notches. We then fixed on the central pillar another of the same height. Four times we had to repeat this operation, and, finally, we reached THE SWISS FAMILY ROBmSON. 419 our branches, and terminated the staircase on the level of the floor of our apartment. I cleared the entrance by some strokes oi my axe. A rope for a railing, and window? completed it. My boys, meanwhile, were training their pets : Jack his jackal, Fritz his young eagle, which he trained to hawk, and Ernest hia monkey. After perfecting my candle-manu- facture, I made a pair of India-rubber or caoutchouc boots using as a mould a stock- ing, filled with sand, and covered with clay. One of our next tasks was to bring water from the river, by means of a dam and our sago pipes. CHAPTEE XXY. 2%e Ass Returns with a Companion. — Flax. — Prepar- ing/or Winter. One morning we were alarmed at hearing at a distance strange, sharp, prolonged sounds. At length, Fritz, who was leaning forward to listen, threw down his gun, and 420 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. bursting into a loud laugh, cried out, ^' It iff the ass come back." We could not but feel a little vexation at being put into such a flight by a donkey. Soon after, we had the pleasure of seeing him appear, accompanied by another animal of his own species, but infinitely more beautiful. I knew it at once to be the onager, or wild ass, and hastened down, with Fritz, to secure it, taking a noose, and also a piece of bamboo, about two feet long, split, and tied firmly. Fritz went up to our old servant, and otFered him oats mixed with salt. The ass came directly to eat; its companion followed ; Fritz adroitly threw the noose over its head. The terrified animal attempted to fly, but that drew the cord tight, and he lay down, his tongue hanging out. I hastened up and threw the halter of the ass round his neck, and placed tlie split cane over his nose, tying it firmly below with a string. I then took ofiT the noose, and tied the halter, by two long cords, to the roots of two separate trees, and left him. After a while it rose, and stamped furiously, trying to release itself; but pain obliged it to lie down. Then we dragged it THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 421 between two roots very near to each other, to which we tied the cords so short, that it could not escape. We took care our own donkey should not stray again, by tying his foi-e-feet. At the end of a month the onao^er was so far subdued, that we placed burdens on his back ; but the obedience necessary before we could mount him, it seemed impossible to instil into him. At last, I leaped on his back, and seizing one of his long ears be- tween my teeth, I bit it till the blood came. In a moment he reared on his hind-feet, re- mained for a while stiff and motionless, then came down on his fore-feet slowly, I still holding on his ear. At last I ventured to release him ; he made some leaps, but soon subsided into a sort of trot, I having pre- viously placed loose cords on his fore-legs. From that time we were his masters : my sons mounted him one after another; they gave him the name of Lightfoot, and never animal deserved his name better. The approach of the rainy season warned me to construct, under the roots of the trees, covered houses for the animals. "We began 36 422 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. by making a roof above the roots of oui tree, so linn that it formed a platform, which we surronnded with a railing ; and thus we had a balcony, and a pleasant promenade. We made several divisions in the interior, each little inclosure being appropriated to some nsef 111 purpose ; and thus, stables, poul- try-houses, dairy, larder, hay-house, store- room, &c., besides our dhiing-room, were all united under one roof. One evening, as we were bringing home a load of potatoes, I saw the cart was not full, and went with Fritz and Ernest to collect a sack of sweet acorns — Fritz mounted on his onager, Ernest followed by his monkey, and I carrying the bag. On arriving at the wood, we tied Lightfoot to a tree, and all three began to gather the dropped acorns, when we were startled by the cries of birds, and a loud flapping of wings. Ernest went softly to see what was the matter, and wo soon heard him calling out, " Be quick ! a fine heath-fowl's nest, full of eggs! Knips wants to suck them, and the motlier is beat* ing him." Fritz ran up, and they secured the two THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 423 birds, and a large nest filled with eggs. My wife placed the valuable eggs under a sitting hen. In a few days the eggs were hatch ed^ and the poultry-yard had an increase of fif- teen little strangers, who soon became aa tame as any of our fowls. Francis, to whom Ernest gave some sharp leaves from the heath-hen's nest, had soon become tired of playing with them, and they were tlirown aside. Fritz happened to take some of the withered leaves up, and advised Francis to make whip-lashes of them, to drive the goats and sheep with. He was pleased with the idea, and began to sjjlit the leaves into strips, which Fritz platted to- gether into very good whip-lashes. I found they were the Phorraium tenax^ or New Zealand flax ; and when I communicated it to my wife, it almost overwhelmed lier with loy. " Bring me all the leaves you can, without delay," cried she, " and I will make you stockings, shirts, coats, sewing-thread, cords — in fact, give me but flax and work- tools, and I can manage all." My boys, al- ways ready to second the wishes of their beloved mother, soon mouiited their coursers, ^jy^t^^'^ofh^ 424 THE SWISS FAMILY BOBINSON. Fritz on Liglitfoot, and Jack on the great bulFalo, to procure supplies. In a short time our young cavaliers re- turned with huge bundles of the precious plant. The first operation necessary was to steep the flax, so as in a certain degree to separate the fibrous and ligneous parts. In a fortnight the flax was ready ; we spread it in the sun, which dried it efi'ectU'ally. We brought in continually loads of sweet acorns, manioc, potatoes, wood, fodder for the cattle, sugar-canes, fruit, indeed every thing that might be useful. We profited by the last few days to sow the wheat and other grains. The rainy season came, and we were in a real lake ; fortunately, the waters did not quite reach our tree, but sur- rounded us about two hundred yards off, leaving us on a sort of island. We set about bringing down our hammocks and bedding to the sheltered space imder tlie roots of tlie trees. We were painfully crowded ; the pro- visions, cooking-utensils, and especially the animals, made our retreat almost insupport- able. We were choked with smoke if we lighted a fire, and inundated with rain if we THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 425 opened a door. For the first time since onr misfortune, we sighed for the comforts of our home ; but we set about endeavoring to amend our condition. The winding staircase was very useful to us ; tlie upper part was crowded with things we did not want, and my wife frequently worked in the lower part, at one of the win- dows. We crowded our beasts a little more, and gave a current of air to the places they had left. I gave a half-liberty to the buf- falo and the onager, tying their legs loosely, to prevent them straying. We made as few fires as possible, as, fortunately, it was never cold, and we had no provisions that required much cookery. As we sent out some of our animals in the morning, with bells round their necks, Fritz and I had to bring them in every evening, when we were invariably wet through. This induced my wife to make us a sort of cloak and hood, which we covered with caoutchouc, and thus obtained two cap- ital water-proof dresses. Though we had a glazed door to our hut, the gloominess of the weather made night come on early. We then lighted a candle, 426 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. on the table, round whicli we were all as« sembled. The good mother labored with hei needle, mending the clothes ; I wrote my journal ; while Fritz and Jack taught their young brother to read and write, or amused themselves with drawing the animals or plants they had been struck with. "We now decided not to expose ourselves to another rainy season in such habitation ; even my wife begged we would build a bet- ter winter-house ; stipulating, however, that we should return to our tree in summer. The last work of the winter was, at my wife's incessant request, a beetle for her flax, and some carding-combs. The beetle was easily made, but the combs cost much trouble. CHAPTER XXIV. The Grotto. — Herring-fisMng. I CANNOT describe our delight when we saw, at length, the sky clear. All our plan- tations and seeds had prospered. The corn THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 427 was springing, and the trees were covered with leaves and blossoms. We began our summer occupation by cleaning and putting in order our dormitory in the tree, which the rain and the scattered leaves had greatly deranged. We now began to strip, beat, and comb the flax, and drew out such hand- fuJs of soft, fine flax, ready for spinning, that my wife was overjoyed, and begged me to make her a wheel, that she might commence. By dint of application I succeeded in com- pleting these two machines. She began to spin with so much earnestness, that she would hardly take a walk, and reluctantly left her wheel to make dinner ready. Winter had done more damage at Tent-' House than at Falcon's I^est. The storm had overthrown the tent, carried away some of the sail-cloth, and injured our provisions. Fortunately our beautiful pinnace had not suffered much ; but our tub-boat was en- tirely destroyed. Although the rocks which surrounded Tent-House presented an un- broken surface, to all appearance, so hard as to leave little hopes of success, it was necessary to try to contrive some sort of eel 428 THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. lar, if only for our gunpowder. I marked out with chalk the dimension of the entrance I wished to give to the cellar ; then m}^ sona and I took our chisels, pickaxes, and heavy miner's hammers, and began boldly to hew the stone. At the end of five or six days, when the surface was removed, we found the stone easier to work ; and finally, only a sort of hardened clayj- which we could re- move with spades. One day, while I was working at the higher part, Jack, as the least, woiked below, hammering an iron bar, which he had pointed at the end, into the rock, to loosen the earth, when he sud- denly cried oat : *' Papa ! papa ! 1 have pierced through !" " Not through your hand, child?" asked I. " No, papa !" cried he ; "I have pierced through the mountain ! Huzza !" Moving the bar, I felt there was really a hollow apparently very little below the level we were working on. I took a long pole, and probed the cavity, and found that it must be of considerable size. My boys wished to have the opening enlarged, and to enter, but this I forbade ; for, as I leaned THE SWISS FAMILY EOBINSON. 429 forward to examine, a rush of mephitic aif gave me a sort of vertigo. " Come away, cliildren," cried I, in terror; "the air yon would breathe there is certain death." 1 sent them to collect liay, which I lighted and threw into the cave ; this was imme- diately extinguished. I next threw into the cave, by a cord, a quantity of rockets, grenades, &c., and scattered a train of gun- powder from them ; to this I applied a long match, and we retired to a little distance. A torrent of the carbonic acid gas rushed through the opening, and was replaced by the pure air. I threw in some more lighted hay, which blazed, then I knew all danger was over, and sent Jack for candles. During his absence, Fritz and I enlarged the open- ing, and swept a road. We had just fin- ished, when we heard the sound of wheels crossing the bridge, and the cart appeared, drawn by the cow and ass. Jack rode be- fore, on his buffalo, blowing through his band, to imitate a horn. I then proceeded into the rock ; my sons followed, and their mother came last, with Francis. We had gone but a few steps, when we stopped. 4:30 THE SWISS FAMILT ROBINSON'. struck with admiration ; all was glittering around us ; we were in a grotto of diamonds ! From the lieight of the lofty vaulted roof hung innumerable crystals, which formed colonnades, altars, and every sort of gothic ornament of dazzling lustre. The grotto was spacious, the floor smooth, and covered with a fine, dry sand. On breaking off a piece, and tasting it, I found, to my great joy, that we were in a grotto of rock-salt. The acquisition of salt was almost as valuable as this brilliant retreat was in itself. Some blocks of salt were scattered on the ground, which had, apparently, fallen from the vault- ed roof. I was alarmed ; for such an acci- dent might destroy one of my children. I therefore sent out my wife and younger sons. Fritz and I remained, and, after carefully examining the suspected parts, we fired our guns, and watched the effect ; one or two pieces fell, but the rest remained firm, though we struck with long poles as high as we could reach. We were now satisfied, and began to plan converting it into a habitation. I then laid out the grotto. On the right of the entrance was to be our dwelling ; on THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 431 the left were, first, oar kitchen, then the workshop and the stables ; behind these were the store-rooms and the cellar. We inserted in the rock the windows from the ship ; and this cost lis many days of labor. The right-hand portion was divided into three rooms : the first our own bedroom ; the middle, the common sitting-room, and beyond, the boys' room. As we had only three windows, we appropriated one to each bedroom, and the third to the kitchen, con- tenting ourselves, at present, with a grating in the dining-room. I constructed a sort of chimney in the kitchen, through a hole made in the face of the rock. These various labors took us a great part of the summer. Large turtles often came to deposit their eggs in the sand, and as soon as we saw one on shore, one of my sons ran to cut off its retreat. We tlien turned the creature on its back, and tied it firmly to a post, close to the water. When we placed it on its legs, it, of course, made for the water, but could only ramble the length of its cord. The lobsters, crabs, muscles, and every sort of fish which abound on the coast, plentifully 432 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. supplied our table. One morning a large portion of the sea appeared in a state of' ebullition, with flocks of birds hovering over, nttering piercing cries, and phinging into tlie waves. Suddenly this extraordinary mass advanced to the bay ; and as it proved to be a shoal of herrings, I at once organized my fishery. Fritz and Jack stood in the water, and filled baskets, taking them up as you would water in a pail ; tliey threw them on the sand ; my wife and Ernest cleaned them, and rubbed them with salt; I arranged them in small barrels, a layer of herrings and a layer of salt ; and when the barrel was full, the ass took them up to the store- Louse. This labor occupied us several days ; and we had for winter use several fine casks of herrings, which I covered over with plas- ter-of-paris, made from gypsum found in the cave. The refuse of this fishery, which we threw into the sea, attracted a number of seals ; we killed several for the skin and oil, and we also cured some, by smoking. A month after, and another shoal arrived, composed of sturgeons, salmon trout, and many other THE SWISS FAMIT.Y KOBINSON. 433 fishes. Jack immediate! v ran for his bow and arrows, and lie fastened the end of a ball of string to an arrow, and, aiming at the largest salmon, shot it in the side ; the fish tried to escape ; I assisted him to draw the cord, and we drew him to land, and dis- patched him. Fritz landed some large salmon with his harpoon; Ernest took his rod, and canght trout; and I, armed like Keptune, with an iron trident, succeeded in striking some enormous fish. The spawn of the sturgeon, a huge mass, weighing not less than thirty pounds, I made into caviare^ a favorite dish in Holland and Russia. I took the air-bladder and sounds of the fish, cut them in strips, and dried them in the sun. This is all that is neces- sary to prepare isinglass, when wanted for use ; it is cut in small pieces, and dissolved over a slow fire. I hoped to make window- panes from it instead of glass, m i34: THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. CHAPTEE XXVn. A New EstdblisTiment. — The Cave. — Winter in i%6 Grotto. Our garden produced peas, beans, lentils, and lettuces. We had delicious cucumbers and melons ; the maize was already a foot high, the sugar-canes were prospering, and the pine-apples on the high ground promised us a rich treat. At Falcon's !N"est we found mj wifti's fields ready for cutting. There were barley, wheat, oats, beans, millet, and lentils. AYe cut sufficient to give us seeds for another year. The richest crop was the maize, which suited the soil. Finding the birds busy rob- bing our grain-fields, Fritz unhooded his eagle, and the well-trained bird immediately pounced on a superb wild goose. "We next set out to explore, and were soon struck with some bushes apparently covered with snow. Fritz galloped forward and brought a branch, which I recognized to be cotton. We soon ^ejathered as much as THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON*. 435 filled three bags, intending to sow seed in the neighborhood of Tent House. After crossing the plain we reached the summit of a hill, from which the eye rested on a terrestrial paradise. Trees of every sort covered the sides of the hill, and a mur- muring stream crossed the plain, adding to its beauty and fertility. The wood we had just crossed formed a shelter against the north winds, and the rich pasture offered food for our cattle. We decided, at once, that this should be the site of our farm. We erected our tent, made a fire, and set about cooking our dinner. While this was going on, Fritz and I sought a convenient spot for our structure ; and we met with a group of beautiful trees, at such a distance one from another, as to form natural pillars for our dwelling. They formed a long square ; the long side facing the sea. The dimensions of the whole were about twenty- four feet by sixteen. I cut deep mortices, and set beams in the trees, about ten feet from the ground, and again ten feet higher ; this was the frame of my houps — solid, if not eleo-ant; I i-->laced over this a rude roof of f,% m >k/v -^36 THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON". bark, cut in squares, and placed sloping, timt the rain miglit run off. We fastened tliese with the thorn of the acacia. "We formed the walls of thin hitlis, interwoven with long pliant reeds for about six feet from tlie ground ; the rest was merely a sort of of light trellis-work, to admit light and air. The door opened to the sea.. One small apartment was for ourselves. On tlie upper story was a sort of hayloft. We had pro- vided a shelter for our cattle and fowls. As I did not wish to return till I had completed my new establishment, I sent Fritz and Jack to look after the animals at home, and bring back a fresh stock of provisions. During their absence, Ernest and I made a little excursion, to add some potatoes and cocoa-nuts. We ascended the stream, to a lake abounding with water-fowl. This lake was surrounded by tall, thick grass, which I found to be a sort of rice. A little, after we saw { Knips collect and carry to his mouth some- thing that seemed particularly to please hie palate. We followed hin], and, to our great comfort, were able to refresh ourselves with delicious strawberries. We ate plentifully THE SWISS FAMILY EOBINSON. 437 of this fruit, which was of enormons size ; Ernest especially enjoyed them, but did not forget the absent ; he filled Knip's little pannier with them, and I covered them with large leaves. I took, also, a specimen of rice» We proceeded round the lake, which pre- sented a different scene on every side. Birds of all kinds abounded ; but we were par- ticularly struck with a pair of black swans, sailing majestically on the water. Flora suddenly pounced upon a creature that was swimming quietly at the edge of the water, and brought it to us. It resembled an otter, but was web-footed, had an erect, bushy tail, like the squirrel, small head, eyes and ears almost invisible. A long, flat bill, like that of a duck, completed its strange appearance. "We were completely puzzled — even Ernest could not give its name. I boldly gave it the name of the beast with a bill. I told Ernest to take it, as I wished to stuflT and preserve it. " It will be," said he, " the first object for our museum." We returned bv a direct road to the tent, and all sat down together to a cheerful re* 438 THE SWISS FAMILY EOBINSON. past. Ernest dwelt on his discoveries, and was very pompous in his descri|4ions, and I was obliged to promise to take Fritz another time. I learnt that all was going on well at Falcon's ISTest. This enabled me to com- plete my farm-house. We remained four days longer, in which time I finished the interior, and my wife arranged in our own apartment the cotton mattresses, to be ready for our visits, and put into the houses the fodder and grain for their respective tenants. We then loaded our cart, and continued our journey till we reached Cape Disappoint- ment. There we ascended a hill, from the summit of which we looked upon rich plains, rivers, and woods. *'Here, my children," cried I, " here we will build our summer- house ;" and immediately began to erect a new building, like the Farm-House, but executed more quickly. The interior was divided into eating and sleep ijig apartments, stables and storeroom. This new erection received the name of Prospect Hill. 1 now sought a tree likely to suit me for a boat, and soon found one. The trunk was at least five feet in diameter, and I fancied it THE SWISS FAJVIILY ROBINSON. 439 would answer my purpose. I traced a circlo at the foot, and with a small saw cut the bark entirely through ; Fritz cut a similar circle eighteen feet above mine. "We then cut a slit the whole length, and, with wedges, finally succeeded in loosening the whole, and then gently let it down on the grass. I ^ immediately began to form my boat while the bark was fresh. We began by cutting out at each end a triangular piece of about five feet long ; then placing the sloping parts one over the other, I united them with pegs and strong glue, and thus finished the ends of my boat in a pointed form. I had the good fortune to meet with some very hard, crooked wood, admirably suitable for the frame work of the boat. We found, also, a sort of pitch, of which my wife and Francis collected sufticient for my work. The next morning we returned to Tent- House, where we immediately set to work on our canoe with such diligence that it was soon completed. For distant excursions we could take the pinnace, but the canoe would be invaluable for coasting. We had still two months before the rainy 4:40 THK SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON*. season, and tliis time we devoted to our grotto. We made all the partitions of wood, except those which divided us from the stables, which we built of stone, to exclude any smell from the animals. The privations we had suffered increased the enjoyment of our present comforts. We had now a warm, well-lighted, convenient habitation, and abundance of excellent provision for ourselves and our cattle. In the morninoj we assembled in the dining-room to prayers. After that we went to our work-room. My wife took her wheel, or her loom, which was a rude construction of mine, but on which she had contrived to weave some useful wool, cotton and linen. Everybody worked ; the workshop was never empty. I contrived, with the wheel of a gun, to arrange a sort of lathe, by means of which I and my sons produced some neat furniture and utensils. Ernest surpassed us all, and made some eleo;ant thino^s for his mother. After dinner our room was lighted up ; we did not spare our candles, and enjoyed the reflection in the elegant crystals. We had partitioned off a little chapel hi one ^@il k— -s^^-j-^. THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. 441 corner, ar.d nothing could be more mag- nificent than this chapel lighted np, with ita colonnades, portico, and altar. We had di- vine service here every Sunday. I erected a sort of pulpit, from which I delivered a short sermon to my congregation. Jack and Francis had flageolets of reeds, on which they acquired considerable skill. They accompanied their mother, who had a very good voice ; and this music, in our lofty grotto, had a charming efi*ect. Though condemned, perhaps, to pass our lires alone on this unknown shore, we might yet be happy. We were placed in the midst of abundance. We were active, industrious, and content ; blessed witli health, and united by afi'ection, our minds seemed to enlarge and improve every day. I humbly trusted in the Almighty, either to restore us to the world, or send some beings to join us in this beloved island, where, for two years, we had seen no traces of man. To Him we com- mitted our fate. We were happy and tran- quil, looking, with resignation, to the fu- ture. M2 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. POSTSCRIPT BY THE EDITOR. Thkee or four years after the family had been casi on this desert coast, where, as we see, they lived a happy and contented life, an English transport, the Adventurer, Captain Johnson, was driven by a storm upon the same shore, and, as the violence of the wind was lulled, ven- tured to approach. At a short distance they anchored, and sent Lieutenant Bell, in a boat, to examine the coast. Entering Safety Bay, he was astonished to see a handsome pinnace and boat at anchor ; near the strand a tent ; and in the rock doors and windows, like those of a European house. They landed, and saw a middle-aged man coming to meet them. TMs was the good father ; his family were at Falcon's Nest. He had seen the vessel in the morn- ing, through his telescope, but, unwilling to excite vain hopes, he had not spoken of it, but came alone towards the coast. The party were regaled with all hospitality at Tent- House ; and the good Swiss gave the lieutenant this first part of his journal for the Captain. They separated, hoping to meet next day. During the night, the Adventurer was driven out so far from the island, that Captain Johnson reluctantly relinquished the hope of rescuing the family. Thus it happened that the first part of this journal was brought to England, accompanied by a letter from the captain, declaring, that he would search for the Island, and either bring away the family, or, if they preferred to remain, send out colonists, and every thing necessary to promote their comfort. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 443 CONTINUATION OF THE JOURNAL CHAPTER XXYIII. The Adventurer. — My Wife's Accident. — Tlie Storm and its Results. My interview with Lieutenant Bell lasted till noon, and I wondered at seeing nothing of my wife or sons. Hastening to the tree, I found her on her bed, apparently in great pain. I asked what had happened. I learned, that my dear wife, descending the stairs, had been seized with a giddiness, had fallen down and injured herself so much, that she was nnable to raise without assist ance ; she now felt great pain in her right leg and in her left foot. I examined her foot first, which I found to be violently sprained. She begged me then to look at her leg, and, what was my distress, when I 444: THE SWISS FAIinLY KOBINSON. saw it was fractured above the ancle. I sent Fi'itz, without delay, to procure me twc pieces of bark, between which I placed the leo-. after havinsf, with the assistance of mv son, stretched it till the two pieces of broken bone united ; I then bound it with bandages of linen, and tied the pieces of bark round the leg, so that it might not be moved. I bound the sprained foot very tiglitly, till I could procure balsam. I felt assured, that the giddiness of the head, which had caused her fall, proceeded from a fulness of blood. I left her, with many charges, to the care of my three younger sons, and proceeded to Tent-House with Fritz, to whom I now re- lated my morning adventure, and consulted how we should mention it to his mother. "As the vessel, evidently needed repairs," I said, " we will show the captain the large bay at the other end of the island, formed by Cape Disappointment ; and when his ship is repaired, he will give us a place in it to return to Europe." " To return to Europe, father !" cried he ; "to leave our beautiful winter dwellino^, Tent-House, and our charming summer resi- THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 445 dence, Falcon's 'Nest ; so much that is our own, and which nobody covets, to return into Europe to poverty, to war. We want nothing. Dear father, can you consent to leave our blessed island?" " You are right, my dear son," said I. " Would to God we might always remain here happily together; but we are of differ- ent ages, and, by the law of nature, we must one day be separated. Consider, my dear son, if you should survive your brothers, how cheerless it would be to live quite alone on this desert island, without any one to close your eyes." We had now reached the grotto, and get ting the necessary medicines, we gathered some oranges, lemons, and tamarinds. Then we pursued our way homewards very quick- ly, notwithstanding the heat, which was ex- cessively oppressive, though the sun was hidden under clouds, which entirely con- cealed the sea from us. Nothino^ was to be seen but the waves breakino^ against the rocks. Fritz expressed his fears that a storm was coming on, which might prove fatal to the vessel. ^4:6 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. The rain soon fell in torrents, and we pro ceeded with great difficulty. After crossing the bridge, we saw, at a distance, a very extraordinary figure approaching. As it rapidly aj^proached us, we soon recognized the step. ^' It is Jack," we exclaimed ; who was huiTying to meet us, with my large cloak and boots. I had neglected to take them, and my little fellow had volunteered to bring them. To protect himself, he had put the cloak on, covering his head with tlie hood, and my boots being too large for him, he had put one on each arm, which he held. up to secure the hood. I asked how he had left his mother. "Yery uneasy," said he, *' about you ; else I think she must be much better, for her cheeks are very red, and her eyes very bright, and she talks incessantly. She would have come herself to seek you, but could not rise ; and when I told her I would come, she bid me be very quick ; but when I was coming down stairs, I heard her call me back, for fear of the rain and the thunder." Jack's account of his mother made me uneasy. I perceived that fever had set in. WMMS THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. 447 Changing my dress, I hastened to her, and concluded to bleed her; I opened my case of instrmnents, and laying out some that were rusty, for Ernest to clean, was looking for a good lancet, when a terrific clap oi thunder nearly blinded and prostrated us. On recovering, I rushed to my wife, whom I found insensible ; my children gathered round, and their frantic cries rose above the noise of the elements; but she lay lifeless. Francis threw himself on her, calling her by name. Either his voice, or the cries of her elder children, restored her faculties: she gradually recovered, and called me. I found that the fever had subsided, but that she was very weak. We then prepared a cooling drauo^ht, and Fritz beojan to make her a chicken-broth. All were busy but Ernest, v.dio sat still. "You sit as if the thunder- bolt had struck you," said I, to rebuke him. " It has, indeed," said he, quietly ; and he showed me his Yidss rapidly, tilled with island- ers ; and this time I thought that, in spite of the distance, I could recognize our canoe. Fritz wished to swim after them, but I stopped him. I even proposed that w^e Bhould return to Ernest, as I was of opinion that the savages would stop at the place 514: THE SWISS FA]VULY ROBINSON. where we had disembarked, to take away the boat they had left, and we might then learn from them what had become of my wife and children. We were endeavoring to retrace our road, when, to our great astonishment, we saw, at a few yards' dis- tance, a man clothed in a long black robe advancing towards us, whom we immediate- ly recognized as a European, " Either I am greatly deceived," said I, " or this is a missionary, come into these remote regions to make Him known to the wretched idolators." I was not wrong ; and met with joy one of my Christian brethren. Unable to speak, I silently embraced hirn. He addressed me in English, and his words fell on my soul like the message of an angel. '* Thank heaven I have met with you. This youth is Fritz, your eldest son, I con- clude ; but where have you left your second son, Ernest?" " Reverend sir," cried Fritz, " you have seen my brother Jack. Perhaps my mother ? You know where they are. Oh ! are they living ?" tr^ THE SWISS FAMILY EOBINSON. 515 " Yes, they are living, and well taken care of," said he ; " I will lead you to them." I was so overcome with joy, that I should have fainted, but, supported by my son, 1 managed to walk. My first words were a thanksgiving to God for his mercy. My good friend assured me that an hour's walk would bring me to my wife and sons. I then told him where we had left Ernest. " God orders all for the best," said I to the good priest ; " but for the road we took, we might not have met with you ; w^e s'lould have been without Ernest ; jou might have eouglit us all day in vain. " But first," interrupted Fritz, " pray tell me how Jack is ? "The wound, which he confesses he owes to his own imprudence, will have no evil consequences ; the savages had applied some healing herbs to it, but it was necessary to extract a ball, which I did. Since then he Bufiers less ; and will be soon well, when his anxiety about you is relieved." " Did brother talk to vou of us, sir ?" " He did," answered his friend ; " but I was acquainted with you before ; your 516 THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. motlier talked continiiallj of her husband and children. What mingled pain and de- light she felt last night when the savages brought to her Jack, wounded ! I was fortunately in the hut to comfort her." " And Francis," said I, " how rejoiced he would be to see his brother ai^^ain !" "Francis," said the missionary, smiling, " will be the protector of you all." We at last reached the wood. I was very anxious to know how my wife and Francis had been brought to this island, and how they met with the missionary. The five or six daj^s we had been separated seemed to me five or six months. We walked too quickly for me to get much information. "Thank God," said he, "I have already succeeded in giving tliis people some notions of humanity. After Francis was taken his playing and manners have so captivated them that the king is anxious to adopt him. But I hope to arrange all happily. A year ago, I could not have answered for the life of the prisoners ; now I believe them to be in safety." We were approaching the arm of the sea THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. 517 where we had left our pinnace, and my heart, at ease about the rest, became now anxious solely for Ernest. Fritz, eager to join his brother, ran on. As we reached the shore, I perceived my two sons on the deck of the pinnace, which was covered with the islanders, to whom they were distributing the treasures of the bag. At every new acquisition, the savages uttered cries of joy. The mirrors were at iirst received with the most delight, but this soon changed into terror, and they flung them into the sea. The colored glass beads had then the preference. When the voice of the missionary was heard, all left the pinnace, and crowded round him ; he har- angued them in their own language, and pointed me out to them. Some approached me, and rubbed their noses against mine, as a mark of respect. In the mean time, Ernest, learning that his mother and brother were safe, leaped from the pinnace and came to thank the missionary. The pinnace was then loosened, the sails Bet, and we entered with thankfulness. Dreadiufir the ao^itation of mv wife if she saw >^^^^^' « ^^t^ 518 THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. ns suddenly, I entreated our new friend to precede us, and prepare her. He consented ; but, as lie was coining on board, lie was stopped by one of the savages named Para* berv. Mr. AVillis then advised us to await the coming of the king. I selected some presents for him, when I saw our canoe ascending the strait; it was decorated with green branches, which the savages, who formed the king's guard, held in their hand ; and the chief, wearing a red and yellow hand- kerchief, which had belonged to my wife, was seated at the stern, and a flaxen-haired boy near him. With what delight did I recognize my child. He was naked above the waist, and wore a tunic of leaves, a necklace and bracelets of shells; and a var- iety of colored feathers mingled with his bright curls. " Have no fear," said the missionary ; "I promise you they shall restore him and his mother. Place yourselves at my side, with these branches of mimosa in your hands." The savage array advanced, the king and my youngest son each borne on the shoulder of two stalwart men. Francis soon recog- THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. 511) Dized IIS, and we could not restrain our feel- ing. Our first questions were for m}^ wife and Jack. Francis, apparently under no fear, gave reassuring answers. The mission- ary now appealed to the king in our behalf and such was his command over the tribe, that the king consented to restore my wife and sons. lie wished, however, to enjoy a sail in our pinnace. This delayed somewhat the meeting we all desired so earnestly. A short sail brous^ht us to the villao:e, where all ran out to admire our little vessel. After making some presents to the king, his wives and daughters we sailed back, and, guided by the good missionary, soon reached the spot where the white captives were. A lady, about twenty-seven years of age, dressed in a palm-leaf robe, came forth to welcome us. My wife, overcome with joy and gratitude, had well nigh fainted, but Fritz and Ernest, after embracing and restoring her, hastened to poor Jack, who had, as we now per- ceived, a charming girl of twelve, as his nurse. A few words made us acquainted with the family, so strangely met amid sav- ages. Madame Hirtel and her daughters 520 THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON". Sophia, aged twelve, and Matilda, two years younger, were, like ourselves, the victims of a wreck. As it was resolved that they should return with us to our island-home to enjoy the comforts we had procured, our prepara- tions were rapidly made, and Parabery of- fered to be our guide, the real distance being much less than our circuitous course led us to suppose. We were to set sail the next morning ; and that evening I learned the sad story of Madame Hirtel. " My life," she began, " passed without any remarkable events, till the misfortune occurred which brought me to this island. I was married, when very young, to M. Hirtel, a merchant at Hamburg, an excel- lent man, whose loss I have deeply felt. I was very happy in tliis union, arranged by my parents, and sanctioned by reason. "We had three children, a son and two daughters, in the first three years of our marriage ; and M. Hirtel, seeing his family increase so rap- idly, wished to increase his income. An ad- vantageous establishment was ofiered him in the Canary Islands; he accepted it, and THE SWISS rA:MILY EOBmsoiir. 521 prevailed on me to settle there, with my family, for some years. My parents, were dead : I had no tie to detain me in Europe I was goinor to see new regions, those fortu- nate isles I had heard so much of, and I set out iovfullv witli my husband and children, little foreseeinsT the misfortunes before me. " Our voyage was favorable ; the cliildren, like myself, were delisrhted with the novel- ties of it. I was then twenty-three years old ; Sophia, seven ; Matilda, six ; and Alfi-ed, our pretty, gentle boy, not yet five. Poor child ; he was the darling and the plaything of all the crew." She wept bitterly for a few moments, and then resumed her narration. "He was as fair as your own Francis, and greatly resembled him. We proceeded first to Bordeaux, where my husband had a cor- respondent, with whom he had large deal- ings ; by his means my husband was enabled to raise large sums for his new undertaking. We carried with us, in fact, nearly his whole fortune. We re-embarked under the most favorable auspices — the weather delightful, and the wind fair ; but we very soon had a 4i* 522 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. change ; we were met by a terrible storm and hurricane, such as the sailors had never witnessed. For a week our ship was tossed about by contrary winds, driven into un- known seas, lost all its riggings, and was at last so broken, that the water poured in on all sides. All was lost, apparently; but, in this extremity, my husband made a last at- tempt to save us. He tied my daughters and mj'self firmly to a plank, taking the charge of my boy himself, as he feared the addition- al weight would be too much for our raft. Plis intention was to tie himself to another plank, to fasten this to ours, and, taking his son in his arms, to give us a chance of being carried to the shore, which did not ap- pear far off. Whilst he was occupied in placing us, he gave Alfred to the care of a sailor who was particularly attached to him. I heard the man say, ' Leave him with me, 1 will take care to save him.' On this, M. Hirtel insisted on his restoi-ing him, and I cried out that he should be given to me. At that moment the ship, which was already fallen on its side, filled rapidly with water, plunged, and disappeared with all on board. THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 523 Tlie plank on which I and mj daughters were fixed alone floated, and I saw nothing but death and desolation round me." Madame Hirtel paused, almost suffocated bj the remembrance of that awful moment. " Poor woman !" said my wife, weeping, "it is five years since this misfortune. It was at the same time as our shipwreck, and was doubtless caused by the same storm. But how much more fortunate was I! I lost none that were dear to me, and we even had the vessel left for our use. But, my dear unfortunate friend, by what miracle were you saved ?" " It was He who only can work miracles," said the missionary, " who cares for the widow and the orphan, and without whose word not a hair of the head can perish, who at that moment gave courage to the Chris- tian mother." " My strength," continued she, " was nearly exhausted, when, after being tossed about by the furious waves, I found myself thrown upon what I supposed to be a sand- bank with my two children. 1 envied the state of my husband and son. If I had not 624: THE SWISS FAMILY EOBINSON. been a mother, I should have wished to have followed them ; but my two girls lay sense* less at my side, ?.nd I was anxious, as I per- ceived they still breatlied, to recover them. At the moment M. Hirtel pushed the raft into the water, he threw upon it a box bound with iron, which I grasped mechani- cally, and still held, wdien we were left on shore. It was not locked, yet it was with some difficulty, in my confined position, that I succeeded in opening it. It contained a quantity of gold and bank-notes, which I looked upon with contempt and regret. But there was something useful in the box. In the morocco portfolio which contained the bank-notes, there were the usual little instru- ments — a knife, scissors, pencils, stiletto, and also a small bottle of Eau de Cologne, which was particularly serviceable in restoring my children. I began by cutting the cords that tied us. I then rubbed my dear chil- dren with the Eau de Cologne, made them inhale it, and even swallow a little. The wind was still blowing, but the clouds be- gan to break, and the sun appeared, which dried and warmed us. My poor children THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 525 opened their eyes, and knew me, and I felt I was not utterly comfortless ; but their first words were to ask for their father and broth- er. I could not tell them they were no more. I tried to deceive myself, to support my strength, by a feeble and delusive hope. M. Hirtel swam well, the sailor still better ; and the last words I had heard still rung in my ears — 'Do not be uneasy, I will save the child.' If I saw any thing floating at a dis- tance, my heart began to beat, and I ran to- wards the water; but I saw it was only wreck, which I could not even reach. Some pieces were, however, thrown on shore, and with these and our own raft I was enabled to make a sort of shelter, by resting them against a rock. My poor children, by crouching under this, sheltered themselves from the rain, or from the rays of the sun. I had the good fortune to preserve a large beaver hat, which I wore at the time, and this protected me : but these resources gave me little consolation ; my children were complaining of hunger, and I felt only how much we were in want of. I had seen a Bhell-fish on the shore, resembling the oyster 520 THE SWISS FAMILY KOBINSON. or nmsele, I collected some, and, opening them with my knife, we made a repast on them, which sufficed for the first day. Night came — my children offered up their evening prayer, and I earnestly besought the succor of the Almighty. I then lay down beside my babes on our raft, as conveniently as we could, and they soon slept. The fearful thoughts of the past, and dreadful anticipa- tions of the future, prevented me from sleep- ing. My situation was indeed melancholy ; but I felt, as a mother, I ought not to wish for death. "As soon as day broke, I went close to the shore, to seek some shell-fish for our breakfast. In crossing the sand, I nearly plunged my foot into a hole, and fancied I heard a crash. I stooped, and putting my hand into the opening, found it was full of eggs; I had broken two or three, which I tasted, and thought very good. From the color, form, and taste, I knew them to be turtles' eggs ; there were at least sixty, so I had no more care about food. I carried away in my apron as many as I could pre- serve from the rays of the sun : this I en- THE SWI8S FAMILY ROBINSON. 527 deavored to effect bj burying them in the sand, and covering them with one end of our plank, and succeeded very well. Besides these, there were as many to be found on the shore as we required ; I have sometimes found as many as ninet}'' together. These were our sole support while we remained there ; my children liked them very much. I forgot to add, that I was fortunate enough to discover a stream of fresh water, running into the sea ; it was the same which runs past this house, and which conducted me here. The first day we suffered greatly from thirst, but on the second we met with the stream which saved us. I will not tire you by relating day by day our ead life ; every one was the same, and took away by de- grees every hope from me. As long as I dared to indulge any, I could not bear to leave the shore ; but at last it became un- supportable to me. I was worn out with gazing continually on that boundless hori- zon, and that moving crystal which had swallowed up my hopes. 1 pined for the verdure and shade of trees. Although I had contrived to make for my daughters little 628 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. hats of a marine rush, they suffered much from the extreme heat, — the burning rays of a tropical sun. I decided at last to abandon that sandy shore ; to penetrate, at all risks, into the country, in order to seek a shady and cooler abode, and to escape from the view of that sea which was so painful to me. I resolved not to quit the stream which was so precious to us, for, not having any vessel to contain water, I could not carry it with us. Sophia, who is naturally quick, formed, from a large leaf, a sort of goblet, which served us to drink from ; and I filled my pockets with turtles' eggs, as provision for a few days. I then set off with my two children, after praying the God of all mercy to watch over us ; and, taking leave of the vast tomb which held my husband and my son, I never lost sight of the stream; if any obstacle obliged me to turn a little way from it, I soon recovered my path. My eldest daugh- ter, who was very strong and robust, fol- lowed me stoutly, as I took care not to walk too far without resting; but I was often compelled to carry my little Matilda on my ehoulders. Both were delighted with the THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 529 shade of the woods, ard were so amused with the deh'ghtful birds that inhabited them, and a pretty little sportive green monkey, that they became as playful as ever. They sang and prattled; but often asked me if papa and Alfred would not soon return to see tliese pretty creatures, and if we were going to seek them. These words rent my heart, and I thought it best then to tell them they would meet no more on earth, and that they were both gone to heaven, to that good God to whom they prayed morning and even- ing. Sophia was very thoughtful, and the tears ran down her cheeks : ' I will pray to God more than ever,' said she, ' that he may make them happy, and send them back to us.' * Mamma,' said Matilda, ' have we left the sea to go to heaven ? Shall we soon be there? And shall we see beautiful birds like these?' We walked on very slowly, making frequent rests, till night drew on, and it was necessary to find a place for re- pose. I fixed on a sort of thick grove, which I could only enter by stooping; it was formed of one tree, whose branches, reach- ing the ground, take root there, and sood 45 630 THE SWISS FAMLLY KOBINSON. produce other stems, wliicli follow the same course, and become, in time, an almost im- penetrable thicket. Here I found a place for us to lie down, which appeared sheltered from wild beasts or savages, whom I equally dreaded. "We had still some eggs, which we ate ; but I saw with fear that the time approached when we must have more food, which I knew not where to find. I saw, in- deed, some fruits on the trees, but I did not know them, and feared to give them to my children, who wished to have them. 1 saw also cocoa-nuts, but quite out of my reach ; and even if I could have got them, I did not know how to open them. The tree un- der whose branches we had found protec- tion was, I conjectured, an American fig- tree ; it bore a quantity of fruit, very small and red, and like the European fig. I ven- tured to taste them, and found them inferior to ours, — insipid and soft, — but, I thought, quite harmless. I remarked that the little green monkej^s ate them greedily, so I had no more fear, and allowed my children to regale themselves. I was much more afraid oi wild beasts during the night; however, I THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON-. 531 had seen nothing worse than some little quadrupeds resembling the rabbit or squir- rel, which came in numbers to shelter them- selves during the night under our tree. The children wished to catch one, but I could not undertake to increase my charge. We had a quiet night, and were early awaked by the songs of the birds. How delighted I was to have escaped the noise of the waves, and to feel tlie freshness of the woods, and the perfume of the flowers, with which my children made garlands, to decorate my head and their own ! These ornaments, during this time of mourning and bereavement, affected me painfully, and I was weak enough to forbid them this innocent pleasure ; I tore away my garland, and threw it into the rivulet. ' Gather flowers,' said I, * but do not dress yourselves in them ; they are no fitting ornaments for us; your father and Alfred cannot see them.' They were silent and sad, and threw their garlands into the water, as I had done. "We followed the stream, and passed two more nights under the trees. We had the good fortune to find more figs ; but they did 532 THE SWISS FAMILY EOBmSOIT. not satisfy us, and our eggs were exhausted In mj distress I almost decided to return tc the shore, where we might at least meet with that nourishment. As I sat by the stream, reflecting mournfully on our situation, the children, who had been throwing stones into the water, cried out, ' Look, mamma, what pretty fishes !' I saw, indeed, a quantity of small salmon-trout in the river; but how could I take them ? I tiied to seize them with my hands, but could not catch them ; necessity, however, is the mother of inv /^' w3a2'^"%.'^ w^ J^^ !tS2^ 666 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. cietj, and though she is a few years older than he is, she is blessed with the vivacity of youth. Mr. Willis approves of this union, and we hope he will live to solemnize tho three marriages. Ernest and Henrietta in- habit the Grotto Ernestine, which his brothers fitted up as a very tasteful dwelling. They had even, to gratify their brother, raised on the rock above the grotto a sort ot observatory, where the telescope is mounted, to enable him to make his astronomical ob- servations. Yet, I perceive his passion for exploring distant planets is less strong, since he has so much to attach him to this. I give this conclusion of my journal to Captain Johnson, to take into Europe, to be added to the former part. If any of my read- ers be anxious for further particulars respect- ing our colony and our mode of life, let him set out for the Happy Island ; he will be warmly welcomed, and may join with us in Ernest's chorus, which we now sinff with additional pleasure : I All we love around us smile. Joyful is our Desert Isle. J -i^i -Sf:. University of Connecticut Libraries