Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 3
by Charles Herbert Sylvester · English · Gutenberg #5902 · 681,794 chars · public domain (US)
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 3
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.
Title: Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 3
Author: Charles Herbert Sylvester
Release date: June 1, 2004 [eBook #5902]
Most recently updated: December 29, 2020
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5902
Credits: Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOURNEYS THROUGH BOOKLAND, VOL. 3 ***
Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
JOURNEYS THROUGH BOOKLAND
A NEW AND ORIGINAL
PLAN FOR READING APPLIED TO THE
WORLD'S BEST LITERATURE
FOR CHILDREN
BY
CHARLES H. SYLVESTER
Author of English and American Literature
VOLUME THREE
New Edition
1922
CONTENTS
JOHN'S PUMPKIN .......... Mrs. Archibald
THE MOCK TURTLE'S STORY .......... Lewis Carrol
THE SPIDER AND THE FLY .......... Mary Hoiritt
A FAREWELL .......... Charles Kingsley
QUEEN ALICE .......... Lewis Carroll
THE LEPRECHAUN .......... William Allingham
THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER .......... Lewis Carroll
BETH GELERT .......... William R. Spencer
ROBINSON CRUSOE .......... Daniel Defoe
FAITHLESS SALLY BROWN .......... Thomas Hood
THE MARINER'S DREAM .......... William Dimond
THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON .......... Johann Rudolph Wyss
ECHO .......... John G. Saxe
THE STORY OF ALADDIN, OR THE WONDERFUL LAMP ... From the Arabian Nights
THE SECOND VOYAGE OF SINBAD THE SAILOR . From the Arabian Nights
BARBARA FRIETCHIE .......... John Greenleaf Whittier
BEOWULF AND GBENDEL
CUPID AND PSYCHE .......... Adapted by Anna McCaleb
THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN .......... Robert Browning
FRITHIOF THE BOLD .......... Adapted by Grace E. Sellon
THE STORY OF SIEGFRIED .......... Adapted by Grace E. Sellon
NIGHT .......... Robert Southey
LOCHINVAR .......... Sir Walter Scott
ROBIN HOOD
ROLAND AT RONCESVALLES
For Classification of Selections, see General Index, at end of
Volume X
ILLUSTRATIONS
ALADDIN LEADS THE PRINCESS INTO THE PALACE (Color Plate)
Arthur Henderson FRONTISPIECE
JOHN'S PUMPKIN ... Lucille Enders
THE GRYPHON ... After Sir John Tenniel
ALICE SAT STILL ... After Sir John Tenniel
THE LOBSTER QUADRILLE ... After Sir John Tenniel
AND TURNS OUT HIS TOES ... After Sir John Tenniel
THE SPIDER AND THE FLY ... Herbert N. Rudeen
IT WAS A GOLDEN CROWN ... After Sir John Tenniel
ALICE CONSIDERED ... After Sir John Tenniel
TWO QUEENS ASLEEP AT ONCE ... After Sir John Tenniel
THIS WAY, THAT WAY, SO WE MAKE A SHOE ... Herbert N. Rudeen
THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER ... After Sir John Tenniel
THE LITTLE OYSTERS WAITED ... After Sir John Tenniel
I DEEPLY SYMPATHIZE ... After Sir John Tenniel
THE DEATH OF GELERT ... Herbert N. Rudeen
ROBINSON CHUSOE FINDS A FOOTPRINT ON THE SAND ... G.H. Mitchell
FRIDAY ... G.H. Mitchell
FRIDAY ROASTING THE KID ... G.H. Mitchell
I DISCOVERED A SHIP LYING AT ANCHOR ... G.H. Mitchell
THEY STARTED UP (Halftone) ... G.H. Mitchell
MAP OF GLOBE ... G.H. Mitchell
LIKE MOUNTAINS THE BILLOWS SWELL ... Donn P. Crane
THE SHIP WAS JAMMED BETWEEN HIGH ROCKS ... J. Allen St. John
THEY MADE A RAFT OF CASKS ... J. Allen St. John
THE AGOUTI ... J. Allen St. John
THE MONKEYS THREW DOWN COCONUTS ... J. Allen St. John
THE SHEEP FLOATED FAMOUSLY ... J. Allen St. John
FALCONHURST ... J. Allen St. John
CHEST OF TREASURE ... J. Allen St. John
OVERTURNING THE TURTLE ... J. Allen St. John
PENGUINS ... J. Allen St. John
CATCHING THE WILD ASS ... J. Allen St. John
FLAMINGOS ... J. Allen St. John
I ADVANCED WITH A LONG POLE ... J. Allen St. John
JACK AND THE OSTRICH ... J. Allen St. John
THE WALRUS ... J. Allen St. John
LATEST NEWS BY PIGEON POST ... J. Allen St. John
HIPPOPOTAMUS ... J. Allen St. John
ALBATROSS ... J. Allen St. John
PEARL BAY ... J. Allen St. John
WE BROUGHT UP WITHIN HAIL ... J. Allen St. John
THE SLAVE OF THE LAMP ... Arthur Henderson
ALADDIN DESCENDED THE STEPS ... Arthur Henderson
"GENIE, BUILD ME A PALACE" ... Arthur Henderson
"NEW LAMPS FOR OLD" ... Arthur Henderson
ALADDIN SALUTED THE PRINCESS JOYFULLY ... Arthur Henderson
THE VALLEY WAS STREWED WITH DIAMONDS ... Arthur Henderson
THE ROC FLEW AWAY WITH SINBAD (Halftone) ... Arthur Henderson
BARBARA FRIETCHIE ... Iris Weddell White
GRENDEL COULD NOT BREAK THAT GRIP OF STEEL ... Arthur Henderson
BEOWULF ON HIS NOBLE STEED ... Arthur Henderson
SHE LOOKED UPON THE GOD OF LOVE ... Iris Weddell White
PSYCHE AND CHARON ... Iris Weddell White
CUPID SPIED PSYCHE SLEEPING ... Iris Weddell White
PEOPLE CALL ME THE PIED PIPER ... Iris Weddell White
GREAT RATS, SMALL RATS ... Herbert N. Rudeen
A WONDERFUL PORTAL OPENED WIDE ... Iris Weddell White
THEY HAD BECOME BETROTHED ... Donn P. Crane
FRITHIOF BEHELD THE TWO WITCHES ... Donn P. Crane
SIEGFRIED AND THE DRAGON ... Louis Grell
A GREAT CASTLE TOWERED ABOVE THE CLIFFS ... Louis Grell
THE DEATH OF SIEGFRIED ... Louis Grell
LOCHINVAR ... Arthur Henderson
TUMBLED HIM INTO THE BROOK ... Jessie Arms
THE STRANGER OVERTHROWS ROBIN HOOD ... Jessie Arms
ROBIN HOOD AND THE WIDOW ... Jessie Arms
ROBIN HOOD AND THE SHERIFF ... Jessie Arms
ROBIN HOOD PLAYS HARPER ... Jessie Arms
IN THE GREENWOOD ... Jessie Arms
GANELON PICKS UP CHARLEMAGNE'S GLOVE ... Louis Grell
WHERESOEVER HE PLANTED HIS FOOT, THERE HE STAYED ... Jan in Grell
ROLAND FEEBLY WINDED HIS HORN ... Louis Grell
[Illustration: A GREAT BIG YELLOW ONE]
JOHN'S PUMPKIN
By MRS ARCHIBALD
Last spring I found a pumpkin seed,
And thought that I would go
And plant it in a secret place,
That no one else would know,
And watch all summer long to see
It grow, and grow, and grow,
And maybe raise a pumpkin for
A Jack-a-lantern show.
I stuck a stick beside the seed,
And thought that I should shout
One morning when I stooped and saw
The greenest little sprout!
I used to carry water there,
When no one was about,
And every day I'd count to see
How many leaves were out.
Till by and by there came a flower
The color of the sun,
Which withered up, and then I saw
The pumpkin was begun;
But oh! I knew I'd have to wait
So long to have my fun,
Before that small green ball could be
A great big yellow one.
At last, one day, when it had grown
To be the proper size,
Said Aunt Matilda: "John, see here,
I'll give you a surprise!"
She took me to a pantry shelf,
And there before my eyes,
Was set a dreadful row of half
A dozen pumpkin pies.
Said Aunt Matilda; "John, I found
A pumpkin, high and dry,
Upon a pile of rubbish, down
Behind that worn-out sty!"
O, dear, I didn't cry, because
I'm quite too big to cry,
But, honestly, I couldn't eat
A mouthful of the pie.
THE MOCK TURTLE'S STORY
By LEWIS CARROLL
NOTE.--The Mock Turtle's Story is from Alice in Wonderland, one of the
most delightful books that ever was written for children. It tells the
story of a little girl's dream of Wonderland--a curious country where
one's size changes constantly, and where one meets and talks with the
quaintest, most interesting creatures. Through the Looking-Glass, a
companion book to Alice in Wonderland, is almost equally charming,
with its descriptions of the land where everything happens backward.
Queen Alice, and The Walrus and the Carpenter, are from Through the
Looking-Glass.
The real name of the man who wrote these books was Charles Lutwidge
Dodgson, but every one knows him better as Lewis Carroll. He was a
staid and learned mathematician, who wrote valuable books on most
difficult mathematical subjects; for instance, he wrote a Syllabus of
Plane Algebraical Geometry, and it is not a joke, though the name may
sound like one to a person who has read Alice in Wonderland. However,
there was one subject in which this grave lecturer on mathematics was
more interested than he was in his own lectures, and that was
children--especially little girls. He liked to have them with him
always, and they, seeing in him a friend and playmate, coaxed him
constantly for stories and stories, and yet more stories.
One day, in July, 1862, he took three of his little friends, Alice and
Edith and Lorina Liddell, for a trip up the river, and on that
afternoon he began telling them about Alice and her Wonderland,
continuing the story on other occasions, He had no intention then of
making a book, but the story pleased little Alice and her sisters so
well that they talked about it at home and among their grown-up
friends, who finally persuaded the author to have it printed. It has
gone on growing more and more popular, and will keep on doing so as
long as children love fun and wonderful happenings.
The pictures which Sir John Tenniel made for Lewis Carroll's books are
almost as famous as the books themselves, and every child who has
studied them knows exactly how dear little Alice looked, and feels
certain that he would recognize a Gryphon or a Mock Turtle anywhere.
The pictures given here are after Tenniel's drawings.
They had not gone far before they saw the Mock Turtle in the distance,
sitting sad and lonely on a little ledge of rock, and, as they came
nearer, Alice could hear him sighing as if his heart would break. She
pitied him deeply.
"What is his sorrow?" she asked the Gryphon, and the Gryphon answered,
"It's all his fancy, that: he hasn't got no sorrow, you know. Come
on!"
So they went up to the Mock Turtle, who looked at them with large eyes
full of tears, but said nothing.
"This here young lady," said the Gryphon, "she wants for to know your
history, she do."
"I'll tell it her," said the Mock Turtle in a deep-hollow tone: "sit
down both of you, and don't speak a word till I've finished."
So they sat down, and nobody spoke for some minutes. Alice thought to
herself, "I don't see how he can EVER finish, if he doesn't begin."
But she waited patiently.
[Illustration: THE GRYPHON]
"Once," said the Mock Turtle at last, with a deep sigh, "I was a real
Turtle."
These words were followed by a very long silence, broken only by an
occasional exclamation of "Hjckrrh!" from the Gryphon, and the
constant heavy sighing of the Mock Turtle. Alice was very nearly
getting up and saying "Thank you, sir, for your interesting story,"
but she could not help thinking there MUST be more to come, so she sat
still and said nothing.
"When we were little," the Mock Turtle went on at last, more calmly,
though still sobbing a little now and then, "we went to school in the
sea. The master was an old Turtle--we used to call him Tortoise--"
[Illustration: ALICE SAT STILL]
"Why did you call him Tortoise, if he wasn't one?" Alice asked.
"We called him Tortoise because he taught us," said the Mock Turtle
angrily; "really you are very dull."
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself for asking such a simple
question," added the Gryphon; and then they both sat silent and looked
at poor Alice, who felt ready to sink into the earth. At last the
Gryphon said to the Mock Turtle, "Drive on, old fellow! Don't be all
day about it!" and he went on in these words:
"Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you mayn't believe it--"
"I never said I didn't!" interrupted Alice.
"You did," said the Mock Turtle.
"Hold your tongue!" added the Gryphon, before Alice could speak again.
The Mock Turtle went on:
"We had the best of educations--in fact, we went to school every day-"
"I'VE been to a day-school too," said Alice; "you needn't be so proud
as all that."
"With extras?" asked the Mock Turtle a little anxiously.
"Yes," said Alice, "we learned French and music."
"And washing?" said the Mock Turtle.
"Certainly not!" said Alice indignantly.
"Ah! then yours wasn't a really good school," said the Mock Turtle in
a tone of great relief. "Now at OURS they had at the end of the bill,
'French, music, AND WASHING--extra.'"
"You couldn't have wanted it much," said Alice, "living at the bottom
of the sea."
"I couldn't afford to learn it," said the Mock Turtle with a sigh. "I
only took the regular course."
"What was that?" inquired Alice.
"Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with," the Mock Turtle
replied; "and then the different branches of Arithmetic--Ambition,
Distraction, Uglification, and Derision."
"I never heard of 'Uglification'," Alice ventured to say. "What is
it?"
The Gryphon lifted up both its paws in surprise. "Never heard of
uglifying!" it exclaimed. "You know what to beautify is, I suppose?"
"Yes," said Alice, doubtfully; "it means--to--make--anything--
prettier.
"Well then," the Gryphon went on, "if you don't know what to uglify
is, you ARE a simpleton."
Alice did not feel encouraged to ask any more questions about it, so
she turned to the Mock Turtle, and said, "What else had you to learn?"
"Well, there was Mystery," the Mock Turtle replied, counting off the
subjects on his flappers--"Mystery, ancient and modern, with
Seaography: then Drawling--the Drawling-master was an old conger eel,
that used to come once a week: HE taught us Drawling, Stretching, and
Fainting in Coils."
"What was THAT like?" said Alice.
"Well, I can't show it you, myself," the Mock Turtle said: "I'm too
stiff. And the Gryphon never learned it."
"Hadn't time," said the Gryphon. "I went to the Classical master,
though. He was an old crab, HE was."
"I never went to him," the Mock Turtle said with a sigh: "he taught
Laughing and Grief, they used to say." "So he did, so he did." said
the Gryphon, sighing in his turn, and both creatures hid their faces
in their paws.
"And how many hours a day did you do lessons?" said Alice, in a hurry
to change the subject.
"Ten hours the first day," said the Mock Turtle; "nine the next, and
so on."
"What a curious plan!" exclaimed Alice.
"That's the reason they're called lessons," the Gryphon remarked:
"because they lessen from day to day."
This was quite a new idea to Alice, and she thought it over a little
before she made her next remark. "Then the eleventh day must have been
a holiday?"
"Of course it was," said the Mock Turtle.
"And how did you manage on the twelfth?" Alice went on eagerly.
"That's enough about lessons," the Gryphon interrupted in a very
decided tone: "tell her something about the games now."
The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and drew the back of one flapper across
his eyes. He looked at Alice and tried to speak, but for a minute or
two sobs choked his voice. "Same as if he had a bone in his throat,"
said the Gryphon, and it set to work shaking him and punching him in
the back.
At last the Mock Turtle recovered his voice, and, with tears running
down his cheeks, he went on again:
"You may not have lived much under the sea"--("I haven't," said
Alice)--"and perhaps you were never even introduced to a lobster"--
(Alice began to say "I once tasted"--but checked herself hastily, and
said, "No, never")--"so you can have no idea what a delightful thing a
Lobster-Quadrille is!"
"No, indeed," said Alice. "What sort of a dance is it?"
"Why," said the Gryphon, "you first form into a line along the
seashore--"
"Two lines!" cried the Mock Turtle. "Seals, turtles, salmon, and so
on: then, when you've cleared all the jellyfish out of the way--"
"THAT generally takes some time," interrupted the Gryphon.
"You advance twice--"
"Each with a lobster as a partner!" cried the Gryphon.
"Of course," the Mock Turtle said: "advance twice, set to partners--"
"Change lobsters, and retire in same order," continued the Gryphon.
"Then you know," the Mock Turtle went on, "you throw the--"
"The lobsters!" shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air. "As
far out to the sea as you can--"
"Swim after them!" screamed the Gryphon.
"Turn a somersault in the sea!" cried the Mock Turtle, capering wildly
about.
"Change lobsters again!" yelled the Gryphon at the top of its voice.
"Back to land again, and--that's all the first figure," said the Mock
Turtle, suddenly dropping his voice; and the two creatures, who had
been jumping about like mad things all this time, sat down again very
sadly and quietly, and looked at Alice.
"It must be a very pretty dance," said Alice timidly.
"Would you like to see a little of it?" said the Mock Turtle.
[Illustration: THE LOBSTER QUADRILLE]
"Very much indeed," said Alice.
"Come, let's try the first figure!" said the Mock Turtle to the
Gryphon. "We can do it without lobsters, you know. Which shall sing?"
"Oh, YOU sing," said the Gryphon. "I've forgotten the words."
So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now and
then treading on her toes when they passed too close, and waving their
fore paws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang this, very
slowly and sadly:
"'Will you walk a little faster!' said a whiting to a snail,
'There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle--will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?
"'You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!'
But the snail replied 'Too far, too far!' and gave a look askance--
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.
"'What matters it how far we go?' his scaly friend replied,
'There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France;
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?'"
"Thank you, it's a very interesting dance to watch," said Alice,
feeling very glad that it was over at last; "and I do so like that
curious song about the whiting!"
"Oh, as to the whiting," said the Mock Turtle, "they--you've seen
them, of course?"
"Yes," said Alice, "I've often seen them at dinn--" she checked
herself hastily.
"I don't know where Dinn may be," said the Mock Turtle, "but if you've
seen them so often, of course you know what they're like."
"I believe so," Alice replied thoughtfully. "They have their tails in
their mouths; and they're all over crumbs."
"You're wrong about the crumbs," said the Mock Turtle; "crumbs would
all wash off in the sea. But they HAVE their tails in their mouths;
and the reason is"--here the Mock Turtle yawned and shut his eyes.
"Tell her about the reason and all that," he said to the Gryphon.
"The reason is," said the Gryphon, "that they WOULD go with the
lobsters to the dance. So they got thrown out to sea. So they had to
fall a long way. So they got their tails fast in their mouths. So they
couldn't get them out again. That's all."
"Thank you," said Alice, "it's very interesting. I never knew so much
about a whiting before."
"I can tell you more than that, if you like," said the Gryphon. "Do
you know why it's called a whiting?"
"I never thought about it," said Alice. "Why?"
"IT DOES THE BOOTS AND SHOES," the Gryphon replied very solemnly.
Alice was thoroughly puzzled. "Does the boots and shoes!" she repeated
in a wondering tone.
"Why, what are YOUR shoes done with?" said the Gryphon. "I mean, what
makes them so shiny?"
Alice looked down at them, and considered a little before she gave her
answer. "They're done with blacking, I believe."
"Boots and shoes under the sea," the Gryphon went on in a deep voice,
"are done with whiting. Now you know."
"And what are they made of?" Alice asked in a tone of great curiosity.
"Soles and eels, of course," the Gryphon replied rather impatiently;
"any shrimp could have told you that."
"If I'd been the whiting," said Alice, whose thoughts were still
running on the song, "I'd have said, to the porpoise, 'Keep back,
please; we don't want YOU with us!'"
"They were obliged to have him with them," the Mock Turtle said; "no
wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise."
"Wouldn't it really?" said Alice in a tone of great surprise.
"Of course not," said the Mock Turtle; "why, if a fish came to ME, and
told me he was going a journey, I should say 'With what porpoise?'"
"Don't you mean 'purpose'?" said Alice.
"I mean what I say," the Mock Turtle replied in an offended tone.
And the Gryphon added, "Come, let's hear some of YOUR adventures."
"I could tell you my adventures--beginning from this morning," said
Alice a little timidly; "but it's no use going back to yesterday,
because I was a different person then."
"Explain all that," said the Mock Turtle.
"No, no! the adventures first," said the Gryphon in an impatient tone;
"explanations take such a dreadful time."
So Alice began telling them her adventures from the time when she
first saw the White Rabbit; she was a little nervous about it just at
first, the two creatures got so close to her, one on each side, and
opened their eyes and mouths so VERY wide, but she gained courage as
she went on. Her listeners were perfectly quiet till she got to the
part about her repeating, "You are old, Father William," to the
caterpillar, and the words all coming different, and then the Mock
Turtle drew a long breath, and said, "That's very curious."
"It's all about as curious as it can be," said the Gryphon.
"It all came different!" the Mock Turtle repeated thoughtfully. "I
should like to hear her try and repeat something now. Tell her to
begin." He looked at the Gryphon as if he thought it had some kind of
authority over Alice.
"Stand up and repeat, ''Tis the voice of the sluggard'," said the
Gryphon.
[Illustration: AND TURNS OUT HIS TOES]
"How the creatures order one about, and make one repeat lessons!"
thought Alice. "I might just as well be at school at once."
However, she got up, and began to repeat it, but her head was so full
of the Lobster-Quadrille, that she hardly knew what she was saying,
and the words came very queer indeed:
"'Tis the voice of the lobster; I heard him declare,
'You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair.'
As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose
Trims his belt and his buttons, and turns out his toes."
"That's different from what _I_ used to say when I was a child," said
the Gryphon.
"Well, I never heard it before," said the Mock Turtle; "but it sounds
uncommon nonsense."
Alice said nothing; she had sat down again with her face in her hands,
wondering if anything would ever happen in a natural way again.
"I should like to have it explained," said the Mock Turtle.
"She can't explain it," said the Gryphon hastily. "Go on with the next
verse."
"But about his toes?" the Mock Turtle persisted. "How COULD he turn
them out with his nose, you know?"
"It's the first position in dancing," Alice said; but she was
dreadfully puzzled by the whole thing, and longed to change the
subject.
"Go on with the next verse," the Gryphon repeated impatiently; "it
begins 'I passed by his garden.'"
Alice did not dare to disobey, though she felt sure it would all come
wrong, and she went on in a trembling voice:
"I passed by his garden, and marked, with one eye,
How the owl and the oyster were sharing the pie."
"What IS the use of repeating all that stuff," the Mock Turtle
interrupted, "if you don't explain it as you go on? It's by far the
most confusing thing _I_ ever heard."
"Yes, I think you'd better leave off," said the Gryphon, and Alice was
only too glad to do so.
"Shall we try another figure of the Lobster-Quadrille?" the Gryphon
went on. "Or would you like the Mock Turtle to sing you a song?"
"Oh, a song, please, if the Mock Turtle would be so kind," Alice
replied, so eagerly that the Gryphon said, in a rather offended tone,
"Hm! No accounting for tastes! Sing her 'Turtle Soup,' will you, old
fellow?"
The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and began, in a voice sometimes choked
with sobs, to sing this:
"Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!
"Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
Game, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two p
ennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful, beauti--FUL SOUP!"
THE SPIDER AND THE FLY
By MARY HOWITT
"Will you walk into my parlor?"
Said a spider to a fly:
'Tis the prettiest little parlor
That ever you did spy.
The way into my parlor
Is up a winding stair,
And I have many pretty things
To show when you are there."
"Oh, no, no!" said the little fly,
"To ask me is in vain;
For who goes up your winding stair
Can ne'er come down again."
"I'm sure you must be weary
With soaring up so high;
Will you rest upon my little bed?"
Said the spider to the fly.
"There are pretty curtains drawn around,
The sheets are fine and thin;
And if you like to rest awhile,
I'll snugly tuck you in."
"Oh, no, no!" said the little fly,
"For I've often heard it said,
They never, never wake again
Who sleep upon your bed."
Said the cunning spider to the fly,
"Dear friend, what shall I do
To prove the warm affection
I've always felt for you?
I have within my pantry
Good store of all that's nice;
I'm sure you're very welcome--
Will you please to take a slice?"
"Oh, no, no!" said the little fly;
"Kind sir, that cannot be;
I've heard what's in your pantry,
And I do not wish to see."
"Sweet creature," said the spider,
"You're witty and you're wise;
How handsome are your gauzy wings,
How brilliant are your eyes.
I have a little looking-glass
Upon my parlor shelf;
If you'll step in one moment, dear,
You shall behold yourself."
"I thank you, gentle sir," she said,
"For what you're pleased to say,
And bidding you good morning, now,
I'll call another day."
The spider turned him round about,
And went into his den,
For well he knew the silly fly
Would soon be back again;
So he wove a subtle thread
In a little corner sly,
And set his table ready
To dine upon the fly.
He went out to his door again,
And merrily did sing,
"Come hither, hither, pretty fly,
With the pearl and silver wing;
Your robes are green and purple,
There's a crest upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright,
But mine are dull as lead."
Alas, alas! how very soon
This silly little fly,
Hearing his wily, flattering words,
Came slowly flitting by:
With buzzing wings she hung aloft,
Then near and nearer drew--
Thought only of her brilliant eyes
And green and purple hue;
Thought only of her crested head--
Poor foolish thing! At last
Up jumped the cunning spider,
And fiercely held her fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair,
Into his dismal den,
Within his little parlor--but
She ne'er came out again!
And now, dear little children
Who may this story read,
To idle, silly, flattering words,
I pray you, ne'er give heed:
Unto an evil counsellor
Close heart and ear and eye,
And learn a lesson from this tale
Of the spider and the fly.
A FAREWELL
By CHARLES KINGSLEY
My fairest child, I have no song to give you;
No lark could pipe to skies so dull and gray;
Yet, ere we part, one lesson I can leave you
For every day.
Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever;
Do noble things, not dream them, all day long:
And so make life, death, and that vast forever
One grand sweet song.
QUEEN ALICE
By LEWIS CARROLL
Alice threw herself down to rest on a lawn as soft as moss, with
little flower beds dotted about it here and there. "Oh, how glad I am
to get here! And what IS this on my head?" she exclaimed, as she put
her hands up to something very heavy, that fitted tight all round her
head.
"But how CAN it have got there without my knowing it?" she said to
herself, as she lifted it off, and set it on her lap to make out what
it could possibly be. It was a golden crown.
"Well, this IS grand!" said Alice. "I never expected I should be a
queen so soon--and I'll tell you what it is, your majesty," she went
on in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself),
"it'll never do for you to be lolling about on the grass like that!
Queens have to be dignified, you know!"
So she got up and walked about--rather stiffly just at first, as she
was afraid that the crown might come off: but she comforted herself
with the thought that there was nobody to see her; "and if I really am
a queen," she said, as she sat down again, "I shall be able to manage
it quite well in time."
Everything was happening so oddly that she didn't feel a bit surprised
at finding the Red Queen and the White Queen sitting close to her, one
on each side: she would have liked very much to ask them how they came
there, but she feared it would not be quite civil. However, there
would be no harm, she thought, in asking if the game was over.
[Illustration: IT WAS A GOLDEN CROWN]
"Please, would you tell me--" she began, looking timidly at the Red
Queen.
"Speak when you're spoken to!" the Queen sharply interrupted her.
"But if everybody obeyed that rule," said Alice, who was always ready
for a little argument, "and if you only spoke when you were spoken to,
and the other person always waited for YOU to begin, you see nobody
would ever say anything, so--"
"Ridiculous!" cried the Queen. "Why, don't you see, child--" here she
broke off with a frown, and, after thinking for a minute, suddenly
changed the subject of the conversation. "What do you mean by 'If you
really are a queen?' What right have you to call yourself so? You
can't be a queen, you know, till you've passed the proper examination.
And the sooner we begin it, the better."
"I only said 'if'," poor Alice pleaded in a piteous tone.
The two queens looked at each other, and the Red Queen remarked, with
a little shudder, "She SAYS she only said 'if'--"
"But she said a great deal more than that," the White Queen moaned,
wringing her hands. "Oh, ever so much more than that."
"So you did, you know," the Red Queen said to Alice. "Always speak the
truth--think before you speak--and write it down afterward."
"I'm sure I didn't mean--" Alice was beginning, but the Red Queen
interrupted her impatiently.
"That's just what I complain of. You SHOULD have meant! What do you
suppose is the use of a child without any meaning? Even a joke should
have some meaning--and a child's more important than a joke, I hope.
You couldn't deny that, even if you tried with both hands."
"I don't deny things with my HANDS," Alice objected. "Nobody said you
did," said the Red Queen. "I said you couldn't if you tried."
"She's in that state of mind," said the White Queen, "that she wants
to deny SOMETHING--only she doesn't know what to deny."
"A nasty, vicious temper," the Red Queen remarked; and there was an
uncomfortable silence for a minute or two.
The Red Queen broke the silence by saying to the White Queen, "I
invite you to Alice's dinner party this afternoon."
The White Queen smiled feebly, and said, "And I invite YOU."
"I didn't know I was to have a party at all," said Alice; "but if
there is to be one, I think _I_ ought to invite the guests."
"We gave you the opportunity of doing it," the Red Queen remarked:
"but I dare say you've not had many lessons in manners yet?"
"Manners are not taught in lessons," said Alice. "Lessons teach you to
do sums, and things of that sort."
"Can you do addition?" the White Queen asked. "What's one and one and
one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one?"
"I don't know," said Alice. "I lost count."
"She can't do Addition," the Red Queen interrupted. "Can you do
Subtraction? Take nine from eight."
"Nine from eight I can't, you know," Alice replied very readily: "but--"
"She can't do Subtraction," said the White Queen. "Can you do
Division? Divide a loaf by a knife--what's the answer to that?"
"I suppose--" Alice was beginning, but the Red Queen answered for her.
"Bread-and-butter, of course. Try another Subtraction sum. Take a bone
from a dog: what remains?"
Alice considered. "The bone wouldn't remain, of course, if I took it--
and the dog wouldn't remain; it would come to bite me--and I'm sure
_I_ shouldn't remain!"
[Illustration: ALICE CONSIDERED]
"Then you think nothing would remain?" said the Red Queen.
"I think that's the answer."
"Wrong as usual," said the Red Queen; "the dog's temper would remain."
"But I don't see how--"
"Why, look here!" the Red Queen cried. "The dog would lose its temper,
wouldn't it?"
"Perhaps it would," Alice replied cautiously.
"Then if the dog went away, its temper would remain!" the Queen
exclaimed triumphantly.
Alice said, as gravely as she could, "They might go different ways."
But she couldn't help thinking to herself, "What nonsense we ARE
talking!"
"She can't do sums a BIT," the queens said together, with great
emphasis.
"Can YOU do sums?" Alice said, turning suddenly on the White Queen,
for she didn't like being found fault with so much.
The Queen gasped and shut her eyes. "I can do Addition," she said, "if
you give me time--but I can't do Subtraction under ANY circumstances!"
"Of course you know your A B C?" said the Red Queen.
"To be sure I do," said Alice.
"So do I," the White Queen whispered: "we'll often say it over
together, dear. And I'll tell you a secret--I can read words of one
letter! Isn't THAT grand? However, don't be discouraged. You'll come
to it in time."
Here the Red Queen began again. "Can you answer useful questions?" she
said. "How is bread made?"
"I know THAT," Alice cried eagerly. "You take some flour--"
"Where do you pick the flower?" the White Queen asked. "In a garden,
or in the hedges?"
"Well, it isn't PICKED at all," Alice explained: "it's GROUND--"
"How many acres of ground?" said the White Queen. "You mustn't leave
out so many things."
"Fan her head!" the Red Queen anxiously interrupted. "She'll be
feverish after so much thinking." So they set to work and fanned her
with bunches of leaves, till she had to beg them to leave off, it blew
her hair about so.
"She's all right again now," said the Red Queen. "Do you know
languages? What's the French for fiddle-de-dee?"
"Fiddle-de-dee's not English," Alice replied gravely.
"Who ever said it was?" said the Red Queen.
Alice thought she saw a way out of the difficulty this time. "If
you'll tell me what language 'fiddle-de-dee' is, I'll tell you the
French for it!" she exclaimed triumphantly.
But the Red Queen drew herself up rather stiffly, and said, "Queens
never make bargains."
"I wish queens never asked questions," Alice thought to herself.
"Don't let us quarrel," the White Queen said, in an anxious tone.
"What is the cause of lightning?"
"The cause of lightning," Alice said, very decidedly, for she felt
quite certain about this, "is the thunder--no, no!" she hastily
corrected herself. "I meant the other way."
"It's too late to correct it," said the Red Queen: "when you've once
said a thing, that fixes it, and you must take the consequences."
"Which reminds me," the White Queen said, looking down and nervously
clasping and unclasping her hands, "we had SUCH a thunderstorm last
Tuesday--I mean one of the last set of Tuesdays, you know."
Alice was puzzled. "In OUR country," she remarked, "there's only one
day at a time."
The Red Queen said, "That's a poor thin way of doing things. Now HERE,
we mostly have days and nights two or three at a time, and sometimes
in the winter we take as many as five nights together--for warmth,
you know."
"Are five nights warmer than one night, then?" Alice ventured to ask.
"Five times as warm, of course."
"But they should be five times as COLD, by the same rule--"
"Just so!" cried the Red Queen. "Five times as warm, AND five times as
cold--just as I'm five times as rich as you are, AND five times as
clever!"
Alice sighed and gave it up. "It's exactly like a riddle with no
answer!" she thought.
"Humpty Dumpty saw it too," the White Queen went on in a low voice,
more as if she were talking to herself. "He came to the door with a
corkscrew in his hand--"
"What did he want?" said the Red Queen.
"He said he WOULD come in," the White Queen went on, "because he was
looking for a hippopotamus. Now, as it happened, there wasn't such a
thing in the house, that morning."
"Is there generally?" Alice asked in an astonished tone.
"Well, only on Thursdays," said the Queen.
"I know what he came for," said Alice: "he wanted to punish the fish,
because--"
Here the White Queen began again. "It was SUCH a thunderstorm, you
can't think!" ("She NEVER could, you know," said the Red Queen.) "And
part of the roof came off, and ever so much thunder got in--and it
went rolling round the room in great lumps--and knocking over the
tables and things--till I was so frightened, I couldn't remember my
own name!"
Alice thought to herself, "I never should TRY to remember my name in
the middle of an accident! Where would be the use of it?" but she did
not say this aloud, for fear of hurting the poor Queen's feelings.
"Your Majesty must excuse her," the Red Queen said to Alice, taking
one of the White Queen's hands in her own, and gently stroking it:
"she means well, but she can't help saying foolish things, as a
general rule."
The White Queen looked timidly at Alice, who felt she OUGHT to say
something kind, but really couldn't think of anything at the moment.
"She never was really well brought up," the Red Queen went on: "but
it's amazing how good-tempered she is! Pat her on the head, and see
how pleased she'll be!" But this was more than Alice had courage to
do.
"A little kindness--and putting her hair in papers--would do wonders
with her--"
The White Queen gave a deep sigh, and laid her head on Alice's
shoulder. "I AM so sleepy!" she moaned.
"She's tired, poor thing!" said the Red Queen. "Smooth her hair--lend
her your nightcap--and sing her a soothing lullaby."
"I haven't got a nightcap with me," said Alice, as she tried to obey
the first direction: "and I don't know any soothing lullabies."
"I must do it myself, then," said the Red Queen, and she began:
"Hush-a-by, lady, in Alice's lap!
Till the feast's ready, we've time for a nap:
When the feast's over, we'll go to the ball--
Red Queen, and White Queen, and Alice, and all!"
"And now you know the words," she added, as she put her head down on
Alice's other shoulder, "just sing it through to ME; I'm getting
sleepy, too." In another moment both queens were fast asleep, and
snoring loud.
[Illustration: TWO QUEENS ASLEEP AT ONCE]
"What AM I to do?" exclaimed Alice, looking about in great perplexity,
as first one round head, and then the other, rolled down from her
shoulder, and lay like a heavy lump in her lap. "I don't think it EVER
happened before, that any one had to take care of two queens asleep at
once! No, not in all the history of England--it couldn't, you know,
because there never was more than one queen at a time. Do wake up, you
heavy things!" she went on in an impatient tone; but there was no
answer but a gentle snoring.
THE LEPRECAUN
By WILLIAM ALLINGHAM
NOTE.--The Leprecaun, or Shoemaker, is one of the solitary fairies of
Ireland. He is a little fellow who wears a red coat with seven buttons
in each row, and a cocked or pointed hat, on the point of which he
often spins round like a top. You may often see him under the hedge
mending shoes; where, if you are sharp enough, you may catch him and
make him give up the big crocks of gold, of which the little miser has
saved many and many. But you must be careful, for if after you have
seen him once you take your eyes off him for a single instant, he
vanishes into the air like a wreath of smoke.
Little cowboy, what have you heard,
Up on the lonely rath's green mound?
Only the plaintive yellow-bird
Singing in sultry fields around?
Chary, chary, chary, chee-e!
Only the grasshopper and the bee?
"Tip-tap, rip-rap,
Tick-a-tack-too!
Scarlet leather sewn together,
This will make a shoe.
Left, right, pull it tight,
Summer days are warm;
Underground in winter,
Laughing at the storm!"
Lay your ear close to the hill:
Do you not catch the tiny clamor,
Busy click of an elfin hammer,
Voice of the Leprecaun singing shrill
As he merrily plies his trade?
He's a span
And a quarter in height;
Get him in sight, hold him fast,
And you're a made
Man!
You watch your cattle the summer day,
Sup on potatoes, sleep in the hay;
How should you like to roll in your carriage
And look for a duchess's daughter in marriage?
Seize the shoemaker, so you may!
"Big boots a-hunting,
Sandals in the hall,
White for a wedding feast,
And pink for a ball:
This way, that way,
So we make a shoe,
Getting rich every stitch,
Tick-tack-too!"
Nine and ninety treasure crocks
This keen miser-fairy hath,
Hid in mountain, wood and rocks,
Ruin and round-tower, cave or rath,
And where the cormorants build;
From the times of old
Guarded by him;
Each of them filled
Full to the brim
With gold!
[Illustration: THIS WAY, THAT WAY, SO WE MAKE A SHOE]
I caught him at work one day myself,
In the castle ditch where the foxglove grows,
A wrinkled, wizened and bearded elf,
Spectacles stuck on the top of his nose,
Silver buckles to his hose,
Leather apron, shoe in his lap.
"Rip-rap, tip-tap,
Tick-tack-too!
A grig stepped upon my cap,
Away the moth flew.
Buskins for a fairy prince,
Brogues for his son,
Pay me well, pay me well,
When the job's done."
The rogue was mine beyond a doubt;
I stared at him, he stared at me!
"Servant, Sir!" "Humph," said he,
And pulled a snuff-box out;
He took a long pinch, looked better pleased,
The queer little Leprecaun,
Offered the box with a whimsical grace,
Pouf! he flung the dust in my face,
And, while I sneezed, was gone!
THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER
By LEWIS CARROLL
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"
The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky;
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.
[Illustration: THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER]
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"
"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
"Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach;
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."
The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.
But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.
Four others Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock,
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
[Illustration: THE LITTLE OYSTERS WAITED]
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."
"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said,
"Do you admire the view?
"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you twice!"
"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"
[Illustration: I DEEPLY SYMPATHIZE]
"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
"Oh, Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?"
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.
BETH GELERT
By WILLIAM E. SPENCER
The spearmen heard the bugle sound,
And cheerily smiled the morn;
And many a brach, and many a hound,
Obeyed Llewelyn's horn.
And still he blew a louder blast,
And gave a lustier cheer,
"Come, Gelert, come, wert never last
Llewelyn's horn to hear.
"O, where does faithful Gelert roam,
The flower of all his race;
So true, so brave,--a lamb at home,
A lion in the chase?"
In sooth, he was a peerless hound,
The gift of royal John;
But now no Gelert could be found
And all the chase rode on.
That day Llewelyn little loved
The chase of hart and hare;
And scant and small the booty proved,
For Gelert was not there.
Unpleased, Llewelyn homeward hied,
When, near the portal seat,
His truant Gelert he espied,
Bounding his lord to greet.
But when he gained his castle door,
Aghast the chieftain stood;
The hound all o'er was smeared with gore;
His lips, his fangs, ran blood.
Llewelyn gazed with fierce surprise;
Unused such looks to meet,
His favorite checked his joyful guise,
And crouched, and licked his feet.
[Illustration: THE DEATH OF GELERT]
Onward, in haste, Llewelyn passed,
And on went Gelert, too;
And still, where'er his eyes he cast,
Fresh blood-gouts shocked his view.
O'erturned his infant's bed he found,
With blood-stained covert rent;
And all around the walls and ground
With recent blood besprent.
He called his child,--no voice replied,--
He searched with terror wild;
Blood, blood he found on every side,
But nowhere found his child.
"Hell-hound! my child's by thee devoured,"
The frantic father cried;
And to the hilt his vengeful sword
He plunged in Gelert's side.
Aroused by Gelert's dying yell,
Some slumberer wakened nigh;
What words the parent's joy could tell
To hear his infant's cry!
Concealed beneath a tumbled heap
His hurried search had missed,
All glowing from his rosy sleep,
The cherub boy he kissed.
Nor scathe had he, nor harm, nor dread,
But, the same couch beneath,
Lay a gaunt wolf, all torn and dead,
Tremendous still in death.
Ah, what was then Llewelyn's pain!
For now the truth was clear;
His gallant hound the wolf had slain
To save Llewelyn's heir.
ROBINSON CRUSOE
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
The author of Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe, lived in England from
1661 to 1731. He was a brave, liberty-loving man who was always in
opposition to the tyranny of the government, and was many times
punished for his independent speech and lively interest in the wrongs
of his fellows.
We do not know positively what inspired him to write the story, or
where he got his facts. It has been generally believed that his tale
was founded on The Life and Adventures of Alexander Selkirk, a book
which was published about seven years before Robinson Crusoe appeared,
in 1719. Selkirk was a buccaneer on a ship cruising in the South
Atlantic. He quarreled violently with his captain, and at his own
request was put ashore alone on the island of Juan Fernandez. Here he
lived for four years and four months, and was then rescued by a
privateer. The adventures of Selkirk have so little in common with
those of Robinson Crusoe that it is doubtful whether Defoe had the
former in mind at all. Moreover, there had been published in England
some twenty years before Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe the story of
Peter Serrano, who was shipwrecked and lived for several years on an
island near the mouth of the Orinoco.
This is the scene of Robinson Crusoe, and it is probable that Defoe
was influenced by Serrano's story.
The title-page of the first edition is as follows:
"The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of
York, Mariner; Who lived Eight and Twenty Years, all alone in an un-
inhabited Island on the Coast of America, near the Mouth of the Great
River Oroonoque; Having been cast on Shore by Shipwreck, wherein all
the Men perished but himself. With an Account how he was at last as
strangely delivered by Pyrates. Written by Himself. London: Printed
for W. Taylor at the Ship in Pater-Noster-Row. MDCCXIX"
The story as Defoe tells it is vividly written in what seems to us now
rather quaint phraseology, but everything appears so simple and so
real that it is hard to believe that the man who wrote the story did
not really have the experiences he relates. Defoe did not intend to
write a book for children, and Robinson Crusoe is really the first
great English story, and the forerunner of our modern novels. The
book, however, became very popular, and the children seized upon it at
once and made it their own particular story. Countless editions of it
have been printed, and it has been translated into almost every modern
language. Besides this, there have been dozens of English versions of
Robinson Crusoe, from simple little tales in words of one syllable, to
finer editions in which Defoe's language has been modernized and a
really new story created. However, there is nothing so charming and so
real as Crusoe's own account of himself, and the selections which
follow are taken from the larger book just about as they were written
by Defoe.
Robinson Crusoe was a good honest Englishman, who made the best of a
hard situation and worked his way into comparative comfort in spite of
a thousand difficulties and dangers, of which only those who read the
book have any idea. He was so manly about it always, and so
straightforward in his account of what he did, that it is worth any
one's while to read the entire book.
THE MAN FRIDAY
I am now to be supposed retired in my castle, after my late voyage to
the wreck, my frigate laid up and secured under water, and my
condition restored to what it was before; I had more wealth than I had
before, but was not at all the richer; for I had no more use for it
than the Indians of Peru had before the Spaniards came there.
It was one of the nights in the rainy season in March, the four-and-
twentieth year of my first setting foot in this island of
solitariness; I was lying in my bed or hammock awake, very well in
health, had no pain, no distemper, no uneasiness of body, nor any
uneasiness of mind more than ordinary, but could by no means close my
eyes; that is, so as to sleep; no, not a wink all night long. It is
impossible to set down the innumerable crowd of thoughts that whirled
through that great thoroughfare of the brain, the memory, in this
night's time: I ran over the whole history of my life in miniature, or
by abridgment, as I may call it, to my coming to this island, and also
of that part of my life since I came to this island.
When these thoughts were over, my head was for some time taken up in
considering the nature of those wretched creatures, the cannibals,
[Footnote: Crusoe had been much disturbed by discovering footprints
and remains of fires, which showed him that his island had been
visited. As he found human bones near the embers, he knew that his
visitors were cannibals.] and how it came to pass in the world that
the wise Governor of all things should give up any of his creatures to
such inhumanity--nay, to something so much below even brutality
itself--as to devour its own kind: but, as this ended in some (at that
time) fruitless speculations, it occurred to me to inquire, what part
of the world these wretches lived in? how far off the coast was from
whence they came? what they ventured over so far from home for? what
kind of boats they had? and why I might not order myself and my
business so, that I might be able to go over thither, as they were to
come to me?
I never so much as troubled myself to consider what I should do with
myself when I went thither; what would become of me if I fell into the
hands of these savages; or how I should escape them if they attacked
me; but my mind was wholly bent upon the notion of my passing over in
my boat to the mainland. I looked upon my present condition as the
most miserable that could possibly be; that I was not able to throw
myself into anything but death, that could be called worse; and if I
reached the shore of the main, I might perhaps meet with relief, or I
might coast along, till I came to some inhabited country, where I
might find some relief; and, after all, perhaps I might fall in with
some Christian ship that would take me in; and if the worst came to
the worst, I could but die, which would put an end to all these
miseries at once.
[Illustration: ROBINSON CRUSOE FINDS A FOOTPRINT ON THE SAND]
When this had agitated my thoughts for two hours or more, with such
violence that it set my very blood into a ferment, and my pulse beat
as if I had been in a fever, merely with the extraordinary fervor of
my mind about it, Nature, as if I had been fatigued and exhausted with
the very thoughts of it, threw me into a sound sleep. One would have
thought I should have dreamed of it, but I did not, nor of anything
relating to it; but I dreamed that as I was going out in the morning
as usual, from my castle, I saw upon the shore two canoes and eleven
savages, coming to land, and that they brought with them another
savage, whom they were going to kill, in order to eat him; when, on a
sudden, the savage that they were going to kill jumped away, and ran
for his life; and I thought, in my sleep, that he came running into my
little thick grove before my fortification, to hide himself; and that
I, seeing him alone, and not perceiving that the others sought him
that way, showed myself to him, and smiling upon him, encouraged him;
that he kneeled down to me, seeming to pray me to assist him; upon
which I showed him my ladder, made him go up, and carried him into my
cave, and he became my servant; and that as soon as I had gotten this
man, I said to myself, "Now I may certainly venture to the mainland,
for this fellow will serve me as a pilot, and will tell me what to do,
and whither to go for provisions, and whither not to go for fear of
being devoured; what places to venture into, and what to escape." I
waked with this thought; and was under such inexpressible impressions
of joy at the prospect of my escape in my dream, that the
disappointments which I felt upon coming to myself, and finding that
it was no more than a dream, were equally extravagant the other way,
and threw me into a very great dejection of spirit.
Upon this, however, I made this conclusion: that my only way to go
about to attempt an escape was, to endeavor to get a savage into my
possession; and, if possible, it should be one of their prisoners,
whom they had condemned to be eaten, and should bring hither to kill.
My next thing was to contrive how to do it, and this indeed was very
difficult to resolve on; but as I could pitch upon no probable means
for it, so I resolved to put myself upon the watch, to see them when
they came on shore, and leave the rest to the event, taking such
measures as the opportunity should present, let what would be.
With these resolutions in my thoughts, I set myself upon the scout as
often as possible, and indeed so often, that I was heartily tired of
it. About a year and a half after I had entertained these notions, and
by long musing had, as it were, resolved them all into nothing, for
want of an occasion to put them into execution, I was surprised one
morning by seeing no less than five canoes all on shore together on my
side of the island, and the people who belonged to them all landed and
out of my sight. The number of them broke all my measures; for seeing
so many, and knowing that they always came four or six, or sometimes
more in a boat, I could not tell what to think of it, or how to take
my measures to attack twenty or thirty men single-handed; and so lay
still in my castle, perplexed and discomforted; however, I put myself
into all the same postures for an attack that I had formerly provided,
and was just as ready for action if anything had presented.
Having waited a good while, listening to hear if they made any noise,
at length being very impatient, I set my guns at the foot of my
ladder, and clambered up to the top of the hill, by my two stages;
standing so, however, that my head did not appear above the hill, so
that they could not perceive me by any means. Here I observed, by the
help of my perspective glass, that they were no less than thirty in
number; that they had a fire kindled, and that they had meat dressed;
how they had cooked it, I knew not, or what it was; but they were all
dancing, in I know not how many barbarous gestures and figures, their
own way, round the fire.
While I was thus looking on them, I perceived, by my perspective, two
miserable wretches dragged from the boats, where, it seems, they were
laid by, and were now brought out for the slaughter. I perceived one
of them immediately fall; being knocked down, I suppose, with a club,
or wooden sword, for that was their way, and two or three others were
at work immediately, cutting him open for their cookery, while the
other victim was left standing by himself, till they should be ready
for him. In that very moment, this poor wretch seeing himself a little
at liberty, Nature inspired him with hopes of life, arid he started
away from them, and ran with incredible swiftness along the sands,
directly toward me--I mean, toward that part of the coast where my
habitation was.
I was dreadfully frighted, I must acknowledge, when I perceived him
run my way; and especially when, as I thought, I saw him pursued by
the whole body; and now I expected that part of my dream was coming to
pass, and that he would certainly take shelter in my grove; but I
could not depend, by any means, upon my dream for the rest, that the
other savages would not pursue him thither, and find him there.
However, I kept my station, and my spirits began to recover when I
found that there was not above three men that followed him, and still
more was I encouraged, when I found that he outstripped them
exceedingly in running, and gained ground on them, so that, if he
could but hold out for half an hour, I saw easily he would fairly get
away from them all.
There was between them and my castle the creek, which I mentioned
often at the first part of my story, where I landed my cargoes out of
the ship; and this I saw plainly he must necessarily swim over, or the
poor wretch would be taken there; but when the savage escaping came
thither, he made nothing of it, though the tide was then up; but,
plunging in, swam through in about thirty strokes, or thereabouts,
landed, and ran with exceeding strength and swiftness; when the three
pursuers came to the creek, I found that two of them could swim, but
the third could not, and that, standing on the other side, he looked
at the others, but went no further, and soon after went softly back;
which, as it happened, was very well for him in the end. I observed
that the two who swam were yet more than twice as long swimming over
the creek as the fellow was that fled from them.
It came now very warmly upon my thoughts, and indeed irresistibly,
that now was the time to get me a servant, and perhaps a companion or
assistant; and that I was plainly called by Providence to save this
poor creature's life; I immediately ran down the ladders with all
possible expedition, fetched my two guns, for they were both at the
foot of the ladders, as I observed before, and getting up again with
the same haste to the top of the hill, I crossed toward the sea; and
having a very short cut, and all down hill, clapped myself in the way
between the pursuers and the pursued, hallooing aloud to him that
fled, who, looking back, was at first perhaps as much frighted at me
as at them; but I beckoned with my hand to him to come back; and, in
the meantime, I slowly advanced toward the two that followed; then
rushing at once upon the foremost, I knocked him down with the stock
of my piece; I was loth to fire because I would not have the rest
hear; though, at that distance, it would not have been easily heard,
and being out of sight of the smoke, too, they would not have known
what to make of it. Having knocked this fellow down, the other who
pursued him stopped, as if he had been frighted, and I advanced toward
him: but as I came nearer, I perceived presently he had a bow and
arrow, and was fitting it to shoot at me: so I was then necessitated
to shoot at him first, which I did, and killed him at the first shot.
The poor savage who fled, but had stopped, though he saw both his
enemies fallen and killed, as he thought, yet was so frighted with the
fire and noise of my piece, that he stood stock-still, and neither
came forward nor went backward, though he seemed rather inclined still
to fly than to come on. I hallooed again to him, and made signs to
come forward, which he easily understood, and came a little way, and
then stopped again, then a little further, and stopped again, and I
could then perceive that he stood trembling, as if he had been taken
prisoner, and had just been to be killed, as his two enemies were. I
beckoned to him again to come to me, and gave him all the signs of
encouragement that I could think of, and he came nearer and nearer,
kneeling down every ten or twelve steps, in token of acknowledgment
for my saving his life. I smiled at him, and looked pleasantly, and
beckoned to him to come still nearer; at length, he came close to me,
and then he kneeled down again, kissed the ground, and laid his head
upon the ground, and, taking me by the foot, set my foot upon his
head; this, it seems, was in token of swearing to be my slave forever.
I took him up and made much of him, and encouraged him all I could.
But there was more work to do yet; for I perceived the savage whom I
had knocked down was not killed, but stunned with the blow, and began
to come to himself: so I pointed to him, and showed him the savage,
that he was not dead; upon this he spoke some words to me, and though
I could not understand them, yet I thought they were pleasant to
hear; for they were the first sound of a man's voice that I had heard,
my own excepted, for above twenty-five years.
But there was no time for such reflections now; the savage who was
knocked down recovered himself so far as to sit up upon the ground,
and I perceived that my savage began to be afraid; but when I saw
that, I presented my other piece at the man, as if I would shoot him;
upon this, my savage, for so I called him now, made a motion to me to
lend him my sword, which hung naked in a belt by my side; so I did, He
no sooner had it, but he runs to his enemy, and at one blow cut off
his head so cleverly that no executioner in Germany could have done it
sooner or better; which I thought very strange for one who, I had
reason to believe, never saw a sword in his life before, except their
own wooden swords: however, it seems, as I learned afterward, they
make their wooden swords so sharp, so heavy, and the wood is so hard,
that they will even cut off heads with them, ay, and arms, and that at
one blow, too. When he had done this, he comes laughing to me in sign
of triumph, and brought me the sword again, and with abundance of
gestures which I did not understand, laid it down, with the head of
the savage that he had killed, just before me.
But that which astonished him most was to know how I killed the other
Indian so far off; so, pointing to him, he made signs to me to let him
go to him; and I bade him go, as well as I could; when he came to him,
he stood like one amazed, looking at him, turning him first on one
side, then on the other, looked at the wound the bullet had made,
which it seems was just in his breast, where it had made a hole, and
no great quantity of blood had followed; but he had bled inwardly, for
he was quite dead. He took up his bow and arrows, and came back, so I
turned to go away, and beckoned him to follow me, making signs to him
that more might come after them. Upon this he made signs to me that he
should bury them with sand, that they might not be seen by the rest,
if they followed; and so I made signs to him again to do so. He fell
to work; and in an instant he had scraped a hole in the sand with his
hands, big enough to bury the first in, and then dragged him into it,
and covered him; and did so by the other also; I believe he had buried
them both in a quarter of an hour. Then calling him away, I carried
him, not to my castle, but quite away to my cave on the further part
of the island: so I did not let my dream come to pass in that part,
that he came into my grove for shelter. Here I gave him bread and a
bunch of raisins to eat, and a draught of water, which I found he was
indeed in great distress for, from his running: and having refreshed
him, I made signs for him to go and lie down to sleep, showing him a
place where I had laid some rice straw, and a blanket upon it, which I
used to sleep upon myself sometimes; so the poor creature lay down,
and went to sleep.
He was a comely, handsome fellow, perfectly well made, with straight,
strong limbs, not too large, tall and well shaped; and, as I reckon,
about twenty-six years of age. He had a very good countenance, not a
fierce and surly aspect, but seemed to have something very manly in
his face; and yet he had all the sweetness and softness of a European
in his countenance too, especially when he smiled. His hair was long
and black, not curled like wool; his forehead very high and large; and
a great vivacity and sparkling sharpness in his eyes. The color of the
skin was not quite black, but very tawny; and yet not an ugly, yellow,
nauseous tawny, as the Brazilians and Virginians, and other natives of
America are, but of a bright kind of a dun-olive color, that had in it
something very agreeable, though not very easy to describe. His face
was round and plump; his nose small, not flat like the negroes, a very
good mouth, thin lips, and his fine teeth well set, and as white as
ivory.
After he had slumbered, rather than slept, about half an hour, he
awoke again, and came out of the cave to me; for I had been milking my
goats, which I had in the inclosure just by: when he espied me, he
came running to me, laying himself down again upon the ground, with
all the possible signs of an humble, thankful disposition, making a
great many antic gestures to show it; at last he laid his head flat
upon the ground, close to my foot, and set my other foot upon his
head, as he had done before; and after this, made all the signs to me
of subjection, servitude, and submission imaginable, to let me know
how he would serve me so long as he lived. I understood him in many
things, and let him know I was very well pleased with him.
In a little time I began to speak to him, and teach him to speak to
me; and, first, I let him know his name should be FRIDAY, which was
the day I saved his life; I called him so for the memory of the time;
I likewise taught him to say "Master"; and then let him know that was
to be my name: I likewise taught him to say "Yes" and "No" and to know
the meaning of them; I gave him some milk in an earthen pot, and let
him see me drink it before him, and sop my bread in it; and I gave him
a cake of bread to do the like, which he quickly complied with, and
made signs that it was very good for him. I kept there with him all
night; but, as soon as it was day, I beckoned to him to come with me,
and let him know I would give him some clothes; at which he seemed
very glad, for he was stark naked.
As we went by the place where he had buried the two men, he pointed
exactly to the place, and showed me the marks that he had made to find
them again, making signs to me that we should dig them up again and
eat them. At this, I appeared very angry, expressed my abhorrence of
it, made as if I would vomit at the thoughts of it, and beckoned with
my hand to him to come away, which he did immediately, with great
submission. I then led him up to the top of the hill, to see if his
enemies were gone; and pulling out my glass, I looked, and saw plainly
the place where they had been, but no appearance of them or their
canoes; so that it was plain they were gone, and had left their two
comrades behind them, without any search after them.
But I was not content with this discovery; but having now more
courage, and consequently more curiosity, I took my man Friday with
me, giving him the sword in his hand, with the bow and arrows at his
back, which I found he could use very dexterously, making him carry
one gun for me, and I two for myself; and away we marched to the place
where these creatures had been; for I had a mind now to get some
fuller intelligence of them. When I came to the place, my very blood
ran chill in my veins, and my heart sunk within me, at the horror of
the spectacle; indeed, it was a dreadful sight, at least it was so to
me, though Friday made nothing of it. Friday, by his signs, made me
understand that they brought over four prisoners to feast upon; that
three of them were eaten up, and that he, pointing to himself, was the
fourth; that there had been a great battle between them and their next
king, of whose subjects, it seems, he had been one; and that they had
taken a great number of prisoners, all of which were carried to
several places, by those who had taken them in the fight, in order to
feast upon them, as was done here by these wretches upon those they
brought hither.
We then came back to our castle; and there I fell to work for my man
Friday; and first of all, I gave him a pair of linen drawers, which I
had out of the poor gunner's chest I mentioned, which I found in the
wreck, and which, with a little alteration, fitted him very well; then
I made him a jerkin of goat's skin, as well as my skill would allow,
and I was now grown a tolerably good tailor; and I gave him a cap
which I had made of a hare's skin, very convenient, and fashionable
enough; and thus he was clothed, for the present, tolerably well; and
was mighty well pleased to see himself almost as well clothed as his
master. It is true, he went awkwardly in these clothes at first:
wearing the drawers was very awkward to him, and the sleeves of the
waistcoat galled his shoulders and the inside of his arms; but a
little easing them where he complained they hurt him, and using
himself to them, at length he took to them very well.
The next day, after I came home to my hutch with him, I began to
consider where I should lodge him; and that I might do well for him
and yet be perfectly easy myself, I made a little tent for him in the
vacant place between my two fortifications, in the inside of the last,
and in the outside of the first; and as there was a door or entrance
there into my cave, I made a formal framed doorcase, and a door to it
of boards, and set it up in the passage, a little within the entrance;
and, causing the door to open in the inside, I barred it up in the
night, taking in my ladders, too; so that Friday could no way come at
me in the inside of my innermost wall, without making so much noise in
getting over it that it must needs awaken me; for my first wall had
now a complete roof over it of long poles, covering all my tent, and
leaning up to the side of the hill; which was again laid across with
smaller sticks, instead of laths, and then thatched over a great
thickness with the rice straw, which was strong, like reeds; and at
the hole or place which was left to go in or out by the ladder, I had
placed a kind of trapdoor, which, if it had been attempted on the
outside, would not have opened at all, but would have fallen down and
made a great noise; and as to weapons, I took them all into my side
every night, But I needed none of all this precaution: for never man
had a more faithful, loving, sincere servant than Friday was to me;
without passions, sullenness, or designs, perfectly obliging and
engaging; his very affections were tied to me like those of a child to
a father; and I dare say he would have sacrificed his life to save
mine, upon any occasion whatsoever; the many testimonies he gave me of
this put it out of doubt, and soon convinced me that I needed to use
no precautions for my safety on his account.
I was greatly delighted with him, and made it my business to teach him
everything that was proper to make him useful, handy, and helpful; but
especially to make him speak, and understand me when I spoke; and he
was the aptest scholar that ever was; and particularly was so merry,
so constantly diligent, and so pleased when he could but understand
me, or make me understand him, that it was very pleasant to me to talk
to him. Now my life began to be so easy that I began to say to myself,
that could I but have been safe from more savages, I cared not if I
was never to be removed from the place where I lived.
********
I soon found a way to convince him that I would do him no harm, and
taking him up by the hand, laughed at him, and pointing at a fowl
which was indeed a parrot, and to my gun, and to the ground under the
parrot, to let him see I would make it fall, I made him understand
that I would shoot and kill that bird; accordingly, I fired, and bade
him look, and immediately he saw the parrot fall. He stood like one
frighted again, notwithstanding all I had said to him; and I found he
was the more amazed, because he did not see me put anything into the
gun; but thought that there must be some wonderful fund of death and
destruction in that thing, able to kill man, beast, bird, or anything
near or far off; and the astonishment this created in him was such as
could not wear off for a long time; and, I believe, if I would have
let him, he would have worshipped me and my gun; as for the gun
itself, he would not so much as touch it for several days after; but
would speak to it and talk to it, as if it had answered him, when he
was by himself; which, as I afterward learned of him, was to desire it
not to kill him. Well, after his astonishment was a little over at
this, I pointed to him to run and fetch the bird I had shot, which he
did, but stayed some time; for the parrot, not being quite dead, had
fluttered away a good distance from the place where she fell; however,
he found her, took her up, and brought her to me; and as I had
perceived his ignorance about the gun before, I took this advantage to
charge the gun again, and not to let him see me do it, that I might be
ready for any other mark that might present.
I resolved to feast him the next day by roasting a piece of a kid;
this I did by hanging it before the fire on a string, as I had seen
many people do in England, setting two poles up, one on each side of
the fire, and one across the top, and tying the string to the cross
stick, letting the meat turn continually. This Friday admired very
much; but when he came to taste the flesh, he took so many ways to
tell me how well he liked it, that I could not but understand him: and
at last he told me, as well as he could, he would never eat man's
flesh any more, which I was very glad to hear.
The next day, I set him to work beating some corn out, and sifting it
in the manner I used to do, as I observed before; and he soon
understood how to do it as well as I, especially after he had seen
what the meaning of it was, and that it was to make bread of; for
after that, I let him see me make my bread, and bake it too; and in a
little time, Friday was able to do all the work for me, as well as I
could do it myself.
[Illustration: FRIDAY ROASTING THE KID]
This was the pleasantest year of all the life I led in this place.
Friday began to talk pretty well, and understand the names of almost
everything I had occasion to call for, and of every place I had to
send him to, and talk a great deal to me: so that, in short, I began
now to have some use for my tongue again, which, indeed, I had very
little occasion for before, that is to say, about speech.
Besides the pleasure of talking to him, I had a singular satisfaction
in the fellow himself: his simple, unfeigned honesty appeared to me
more and more every day, and I began really to love the creature; and
on his side I believe he loved me more than it was possible for him
ever to love anything before.
I had a mind once to try if he had any inclination for his own country
again; and having taught him English so well that he could answer me
almost any questions, I asked him whether the nation that he belonged
to never conquered in battle. At which he smiled, and said, "Yes, yes,
we always fight the better"; that is, he meant, always get the better
in fight; and so we began the following discourse:
Master.--You always fight the better; how came you to be taken
prisoner, then, Friday?
Friday.--My nation beat much for all that.
Master.--How beat? If your nation beat them, how came you to be taken?
Friday.--They more many than my nation, in the place where me was:
they take one, two, three and me: my nation over-beat them in the
yonder place, where me no was; there my nation take one, two, great
thousand.
Master.--But why did not your side recover you from the hands of your
enemies, then?
Friday.--They run, one, two, three, and me, and make go in the canoe;
my nation have no canoe that time.
Master.--Well, Friday, and what does your nation do with the men they
take; do they carry them away and eat them, as these did?
Friday.--Yes, my nation eat mans too, eat all up.
Master.--Where do they carry them?
Friday.--Go to other place, where they think.
Master.--Do they come hither?
Friday.--Yes, yes, they come hither; come other else place.
Master.--Have you been here with them?
Friday.--Yes, I been here (points to the N.W. side of the island,
which it seems was their side).
By this, I understood that my man Friday had formerly been among the
savages who used to come on shore on the further part of the island,
on the same man-eating occasions that he was now brought for: and,
some time after, when I took the courage to carry him to that side,
being the same formerly mentioned, he presently knew the place, and
told me he was there once, when they ate up twenty men, two women, and
one child. He could not tell twenty in English, but he numbered them,
by laying so many stones in a row, and pointing to me to tell them
over.
CRUSOE AND THE PIRATES
I was fast asleep in my hutch one morning, when my man Friday came
running in to me, and called aloud, "Master, Master, they are come,
they are come!" I jumped up, and, regardless of danger, I went, as
soon as I could get my clothes on, through my little grove, which, by
the way, was by this time grown to be a very thick wood; I say,
regardless of danger, I went without my arms, which was not my custom
to do; but I was surprised, when, turning my eyes to the sea, I
presently saw a boat at about a league and a half distant, standing in
for the shore, with a shoulder-of-mutton sail, as they call it, and
the wind blowing pretty fair to bring them in: also I observed
presently, that they did not come from that side which the shore lay
on, but from the southernmost end of the island. Upon this I called
Friday in, and bade him lie close, for these were not the people we
looked for, and we might not know yet whether they were friends or
enemies. In the next place, I went in to fetch my perspective glass,
to see what I could make of them; and, having taken the ladder out, I
climbed up to the top of the hill, as I used to do when I was
apprehensive of anything, to take my view the plainer, without being
discovered.
I had scarce set my foot upon the hill, when my eye plainly discovered
a ship lying at anchor, at about two leagues and a half distance from
me, S.S.E., but not above a league and a half from the shore. By my
observation, it appeared plainly to be an English ship, and the boat
appeared to be an English longboat.
I cannot express the confusion I was in; though the joy of seeing a
ship, and one that I had reason to believe was manned by my own
countrymen, and consequently friends, was such as I cannot describe;
but yet I had some secret doubts about me--I cannot tell from whence
they came--bidding me keep upon my guard; for that I had better
continue as I was, than fall into the hands of thieves and murderers.
[Illustration: I DISCOVERED A SHIP LYING AT ANCHOR]
I saw the boat draw near the shore, as if they looked for a creek to
thrust in at, for the convenience of landing; however, as they did not
come quite far enough, they did not see the little inlet where I
formerly landed my rafts, but ran their boat on shore, upon the beach,
at about half a mile from me; which was very happy for me; for
otherwise they would have landed just at my door, as I may say, and
would soon have beaten me out of my castle, and perhaps have plundered
me of all I had. When they were on shore, I was fully satisfied they
were Englishmen, at least most of them; one or two I thought were
Dutch, but it did not prove so; there were in all eleven men, whereof
three of them I found were unarmed, and, as I thought, bound; and when
the first four or five of them were jumped on shore, they took those
three out of the boat, as prisoners. One of the three I could perceive
using the most passionate gestures of entreaty, affliction, and
despair, even to a kind of extravagance; the other two, I could
perceive, lifted up their hands sometimes, and appeared concerned
indeed, but not to such a degree as the first. I was perfectly
confounded at the sight, and knew not what the meaning of it should
be.
All this while I had no thought of what the matter really was, but
stood trembling with the horror of the sight, expecting every moment
when the three prisoners should be killed; nay, once I saw one of the
villains lift up his arm with a great cutlass, as the seamen call it,
or sword, to strike one of the poor men; and I expected to see him
fall every moment; at which all the blood in my body seemed to run
chill in my veins. I wished heartily that I had any way to have come
undiscovered within shot of them, that I might have secured the three
men, for I saw no firearms they had among them; but it fell out to my
mind another way. After I had observed the outrageous usage of the
three men by the insolent seamen, I observed the fellows run
scattering about the island, as if they wanted to see the country. I
observed that the three other men had liberty to go also where they
pleased; but they sat down all three upon the ground very pensive, and
looked like men in despair.
It was just at high water when these people came on shore; and while
they rambled about to see what kind of a place they were in, they had
carelessly stayed till the tide was spent, and the water was ebbed
considerably away, leaving their boat aground. They had left two men
in the boat, who, as I found afterward, having drunk a little too much
brandy, fell asleep; however, one of them, waking a little sooner than
the other, and finding the boat too fast aground for him to stir it,
hallooed out for the rest, who were straggling about; upon which they
all soon came to the boat; but it was past all their strength to
launch her, the boat being very heavy, and the shore on that side
being a soft oozy sand, almost like a quicksand. In this condition,
like true seamen, who are, perhaps, the least of all mankind given to
forethought, they gave it over, and away they strolled about the
country again; and I heard one of them say aloud to another, calling
them off from the boat, "Why, let her alone, Jack, can't you? she'll
float next tide"; by which I was fully confirmed in the main inquiry
of what countrymen they were. All this while I kept myself very
close, not once daring to stir out of my castle any further than to my
place of observation; and very glad I was to think how well it was
fortified. I knew it was no less than ten hours before the boat could
float again, and by that time it would be dark, and I might be at more
liberty to see their motions, and to hear their discourse, if they had
any. In the meantime, I fitted myself up for a battle, as before,
though with more caution, knowing I had to do with another kind of
enemy than I had at first. I ordered Friday also, whom I had made an
excellent marksman with his gun, to load himself with arms. I took
myself two fowling pieces, and I gave him three muskets; my figure,
indeed, was very fierce; I had my formidable goatskin coat on, with my
great cap, a naked sword by my side, two pistols in my belt, and a gun
upon each shoulder.
It was my design not to have made any attempt till it was dark; but
about two o'clock, being the heat of the day, I found that they were
all gone straggling into the woods, and, as I thought, laid down to
sleep; the three poor distressed men, too anxious for their condition
to get any sleep, were, however, sat down under the shelter of a great
tree, at about a quarter of a mile from me, and, as I thought, out of
sight of any of the rest. Upon this I resolved to discover myself to
them, and learn something of their condition. Immediately I marched as
above, my man Friday at a good distance behind me, as formidable for
his arms as I was. I came as near them undiscovered as I could, and
then, before any of them saw me, I called aloud to them in Spanish,
"What are ye, gentlemen?" They started up at the noise, but were ten
times more confounded when they saw me, and the uncouth figure that I
made. They made no answer at all, but I thought I perceived them just
going to fly from me, when I spoke to them in English.
"Gentlemen," said I, "do not be surprised at me; perhaps you may have
a friend near, when you did not expect it."
"He must be sent directly from Heaven, then," said one of them very
gravely to me, and pulling off his hat at the same time to me; "for
our condition is past the help of man."
"All help is from Heaven, sir," said I; "but can you put a stranger in
the way to help you? for you seem to be in some great distress. I saw
you when you landed; and when you seemed to make application to the
brutes that came with you, I saw one of them lift up his sword to kill
you."
The poor man, with tears running down his face, and trembling, looking
like one astonished, returned--
"Am I talking to God, or man? Is it a real man, or an angel?"
"Be in no fear about that, sir," said I; "if God had sent an angel to
relieve you, he would have come better clothed, and armed after
another manner than you see me in; pray lay aside your fears; I am a
man, an Englishman, and disposed to assist you; you see I have one
servant only; we have arms and ammunition; tell us freely, can we
serve you? What is your case?"
"Our case, sir," said he, "is too long to tell you, while our
murderers are so near us; but in short, sir, I was commander of that
ship; my men have mutinied against me; they have been hardly prevailed
on not to murder me, and at last have set me on shore in this desolate
place, with these two men with me--one my mate, the other a passenger;
where we expected to perish, believing the place to be uninhabited,
and know not what to think of it."
"Where are those brutes, your enemies," said I; "do you know where
they are gone?"
[Illustration: THEY STARTED UP]
"There they lie, sir," said he, pointing to a thicket of trees; "my
heart trembles for fear they have seen us, and heard you speak: if
they have, they will certainly murder us all."
"Have they any firearms?" said I.
"They had only two pieces," he answered, "one of which they left in
the boat."
"Well, then," said I, "leave the rest to me; I see they are all
asleep; it is an easy thing to kill them all; but shall we rather take
them prisoners?"
He told me there were two desperate villains among them that it was
scarce safe to show any mercy to; but if they were secured, he
believed all the rest would return to their duty. I asked him which
they were. He told me he could not at that distance distinguish them,
but he would obey my orders in everything I would direct.
"Well," said I, "let us retreat out of their view or hearing, lest
they awake, and we will resolve further."
So they willingly went back with me, till the woods covered us from
them.
"Look you, sir," said I, "if I venture upon your deliverance, are you
willing to make two conditions with me?" He anticipated my proposals
by telling me that both he and the ship, if recovered, should be
wholly directed and commanded by me in everything; and if the ship was
not recovered, he would live and die with me in what part of the world
soever I would send him, and the two other men said the same.
"Well," said I, "my conditions are but two: first--that while you stay
in this island with me, you will not pretend to any authority here;
and if I put arms in your hands, you will, upon all occasions, give
them up to me, and do no prejudice to me or mine upon this island, and
in the meantime be governed by my orders; secondly--that if the ship
is or may be recovered, you will carry me and my man to England
passage free."
In the middle of this discourse we heard some of them awake, and soon
after we saw two of them on their feet. I asked if either of them were
the men who, he had said, were the heads of the mutiny. He said, "No."
"Well, then," said I, "you may let them escape; Providence seems to
have awakened them on purpose to save themselves. Now," said I, "if
the rest escape you, it is your fault."
Animated with this, he took the musket I had given him in his hand,
and a pistol in his belt, and his two comrades with him, with each a
piece in his hand. The two men who were with him going first made some
noise, at which one of the seamen, who was awake, turned about, and
seeing them coming, cried out to the rest; but it was too late then,
for the moment he cried out they fired, I mean the two men, the
captain wisely reserving his own piece. They had so well aimed their
shot at the men they knew, that one of them was killed on the spot,
and the other very much wounded; but not being dead, he started up on
his feet, and called eagerly for help to the other; but the captain,
stepping up to him, told him it was too late to cry for help, he
should call upon God to forgive his villainy, and with that word
knocked him down with the stock of his musket, so that he never spoke
more; there were three more in the company, and one of them was
slightly wounded; by this time I was come; and when they saw their
danger, and that it was in vain to resist, they begged for mercy. The
captain told them he would spare their lives if they would give him an
assurance of their abhorrence of the treachery they had been guilty
of, and would swear to be faithful to him in recovering the ship, and
afterward in carrying her back to Jamaica, from whence they came. They
gave him all the protestations of their sincerity that could be
desired; and he was willing to believe them, and spare their lives,
which I was not against; only that I obliged him to keep them bound
hand and foot while they were upon the island.
While this was being done, I sent Friday with the captain's mate to
the boat, with orders to secure her, and bring away the oars and sail,
which they did; and by and by three straggling men, that were (happily
for them) parted from the rest, came back upon hearing the guns fired;
and seeing the captain, who was before their prisoner, now their
conqueror, they submitted to be bound also, and so our victory was
complete.
At present our business was to consider how to recover the ship, and
the captain agreed with me that there should be no attacking them with
so small a number as we were.
It presently occurred to me that in a little while the ship's crew,
wondering what was become of their comrades and of the boat, would
certainly come on shore in their other boat to look for them, and that
then, perhaps, they might come armed, and be too strong for us; this
he allowed to be rational. Upon this, I told him the first thing we
had to do was to stave the boat, which lay upon the beach, so that
they might not carry her off; and taking everything out of her, leave
her so far useless as not to be fit to swim; accordingly, we went on
board, took the arms which were left on board out of her, and whatever
else we found there, which was a bottle of brandy, and another of rum,
a few biscuit-cakes, a horn of powder, and a great lump of sugar in a
piece of canvas (the sugar was five or six pounds); all which was very
welcome to me.
When we had carried all these things on shore (the oars, mast, sail,
and rudder of the boat were carried before), we knocked a great hole
in her bottom, that if they had come strong enough to master us, yet
they could not carry off the boat. Indeed, it was not much in my
thoughts that we could be able to recover the ship; but my view was,
that if they went away without the boat, I did not much question to
make her again fit to carry us to the Leeward Islands.
While we were thus preparing our designs, and had first, by main
strength, heaved the boat upon the beach, so high that the tide would
not float her off at high-water mark; and besides, had broken a hole
in her bottom too big to be quickly stopped, and were sat down musing
what we should do, we heard the ship fire a gun, and make a waft with
her ancient, as a signal for the boat to come on board; but no boat
stirred; and they fired several times, making other signals for the
boat. At last, when all their signals and firing proved fruitless, and
they found the boat did not stir, we saw them, by the help of my
glasses, hoist another boat out, and row toward the shore; and we
found, as they approached, that there were no less than ten men in
her, and that they had firearms with them.
As the ship lay almost two leagues from the shore, we had a full view
of them as they came, and a plain sight even of their faces; because
the tide having set them a little to the east of the other boat, they
rode up under shore, to come to the same place where the other had
landed, and where the boat lay.
As soon as they got to the place where their other boat lay, they ran
their boat into the beach and came all on shore, hauling the boat up
after them; which I was glad to see, for I was afraid they would
rather have left the boat at an anchor some distance from the shore,
with some hands in her, to guard her, and so we should not be able to
seize the boat. Being on shore, the first thing they did, they ran all
to their other boat; and it was easy to see they were under a great
surprise to find her stripped, as above, of all that was in her, and a
great hole in her bottom. After they had mused awhile upon this, they
set up two or three great shouts, hallooing with all their might, to
try if they could make their companions hear; but all was to no
purpose. Then they came all close in a ring, and fired a volley of
their small arms, which we heard, and the echoes made the woods ring;
but it was all one; our first prisoners, who were in the cave, could
not hear; and those in our keeping, though they heard it well enough,
yet durst give no answer to them. They were so astonished at the
surprise of this, that as they told us afterward, they resolved to go
all on board again to their ship, and let them know that the men were
all murdered, and the longboat staved; accordingly, they immediately
launched their boat again, and got all of them on board.
The captain was terribly amazed, and even confounded, at this,
believing they would go on board the ship again, and set sail, giving
their comrades over for lost, and so he should still lose the ship,
which he was in hopes we should have recovered; but he was quickly as
much frighted the other way.
They had not been long put off with the boat, when we perceived them
all coming on shore again; but with this new measure in their conduct,
which it seems they consulted together upon, viz., to leave three men
in the boat, and the rest to go on shore, and go up into the country
to look for their fellows.
We had no remedy but to wait and see what the issue of things might
present; the seven men came on shore, and the three who remained in
the boat put her off to a good distance from the shore, and came to an
anchor to wait for them; so that it was impossible for us to come at
them in the boat. Those that came on shore kept close together,
marching toward the top of the little hill under which my habitation
lay; and we could see them plainly, though they could not perceive us;
we should have been very glad if they would have come nearer to us, so
that we might have fired at them, or that they would have gone further
off, that we might come abroad. But when they were come to the brow of
the hill, where they could see a great way into the valleys and woods,
which lay toward the northeast part, and where the island lay lowest,
they shouted and hallooed till they were weary; and not caring, it
seems, to venture far from the shore, nor far from one another, they
sat down together under a tree to consider it.
We waited a great while, though very impatient for their removing; and
were very uneasy, when, after a long consultation, we saw them all
start up, and march down toward the sea; it seems they had such
dreadful apprehensions of the danger of the place, that they resolved
to go on board the ship again, give their companions over for lost,
and so go on with their intended voyage with the ship.
As soon as I perceived them go toward the shore, I imagined it to be
as it really was, that they had given over their search, and were
going back again; and the captain, as soon as I told him my thoughts,
was ready to sink at the apprehensions of it; but I presently thought
of a stratagem to fetch them back again. I ordered Friday and the
captain's mate to go over the little creek westward, and so soon as
they came to a little rising ground, at about half a mile distance, I
bade them halloo out, as loud as they could, and wait till they found
the seamen heard them; that as soon as ever they heard the seamen
answer them, they should return it again; and then, keeping out of
sight, take a round, always answering when the others hallooed, to
draw them as far into the island and among the woods as possible, and
then wheel about again to me by such ways as I directed them.
They were just going into the boat when Friday and the mate hallooed;
and they presently heard them, and, answering, ran along the shore
westward, toward the voice they heard, when they were stopped by the
creek, where, the water being up, they could not get over, and called
for the boat to come up and set them over; as, indeed, I expected.
When they had set themselves over, I observed that the boat being gone
a good way into the creek, and, as it were, in a harbor within the
land, they took one of the three men out of her, to go along with
them, and left only two in the boat, having fastened her to a stump of
a little tree on the shore. This was what I wished for; and
immediately leaving Friday and the captain's mate to their business, I
took the rest with me; and, crossing the creek out of their sight, we
surprised the two men before they were aware--one of them lying on the
shore, and the other being in the boat; the fellow on shore was
between sleeping and waking, and going to start up; the captain, who
was foremost, ran in upon him, and knocked him down; and then called
out to him in the boat to yield, or he was a dead man. There needed
very few arguments to persuade a single man to yield, when he saw five
men upon him, and his comrade knocked down; besides, this was, it
seems, one of the three who were not so hearty in the mutiny as the
rest of the crew, and therefore was easily persuaded not only to
yield, but afterward to join very sincerely with us.
In the meantime Friday and the captain's mate so well managed their
business with the rest, that they drew them, by hallooing and
answering, from one hill to another, and from one wood to another,
till they not only heartily tired them, but left them where they were
very sure they could not reach back to their boat before it was dark;
and, indeed, they were heartily tired themselves also, by the time
they came back to us.
We had nothing now to do but to watch for the others in the dark, and
to fall upon them, so as to make sure work with them. It was several
hours after Friday came back to me before they came back to their
boat; and we could hear the foremost of them, long before they came
quite up, calling to those behind to come along; and could also hear
them answer, and complain how lame and tired they were, and not able
to go any faster; which was very welcome news to us. At length they
came up to the boat; but it is impossible to express their confusion
when they found the boat aground in the creek, the tide ebbed out, and
their two men gone; we could hear them call one to another in the most
lamentable manner, telling one another they were got into an enchanted
island; that either there were inhabitants in it, and they should all
be murdered, or else there were devils and spirits in it, and they
should all be carried away and devoured. They hallooed again, and
called their two comrades by their names a great many times; but no
answer. After some time, we could see them, by the little light there
was, run about, wringing their hands like men in despair; and
sometimes they would go and sit down in the boat to rest themselves,
then come ashore again, and walk about again, and so the same thing
over again. My men would fain have had me give them leave to fall upon
them at once in the dark; but I was willing to take them at some
advantage, so as to spare them, and kill as few of them as I could;
and especially I was unwilling to hazard the killing of any of our
men, knowing the others were very well armed. I resolved to wait, to
see if they did not separate; and therefore, to make sure of them, I
drew my ambuscade nearer. We came upon them, indeed, in the dark, so
that they could not see our number; and I made the man they had left
in the boat, who was now one of us, to call them by name, to try if I
could bring them to a parley, and so perhaps might reduce them to
terms; which fell out just as we desired: for, indeed, it was easy to
think, as their condition then was, they would be very willing to
capitulate. So he calls out as loud as he could to one of them, "Tom
Smith! Tom Smith!" Tom Smith answered immediately, "Is that Robinson?"
for it seems he knew the voice. The other answered, "Ay, ay; for God's
sake, Tom Smith, throw down your arms and yield, or you are all dead
men this moment." "Who must we yield to? Where are they?" says Smith
again. "Here they are," says he; "here's our captain and fifty men
with him, have been hunting you these two hours; the boatswain is
killed, Will Fry is wounded, and I am a prisoner; and if you do not
yield you are all lost."--"Will they give us quarter then?" says Tom
Smith, "and we will yield."---"I'll go and ask, if you promise to
yield," said Robinson; so he asked the captain. And the captain
himself then calls out, "You, Smith, you know my voice; if you lay
down your arms immediately, and submit, you shall have your lives,
all but Will Atkins."
Upon this, Will Atkins cried out, "For God's sake, captain, give me
quarter; what have I done? They have all been as bad as I" (which, by
the way, was not true; for, it seems, this Will Atkins was the first
man that laid hold of the captain, when they first mutinied, and used
him barbarously, in tying his hands, and giving him injurious
language); however, the captain told him he must lay down his arms at
discretion, and trust to the Governor's mercy; by which he meant me,
for they all called me Governor. In a word, they all laid down their
arms, and begged their lives; and I sent the man that had parleyed
with them, and two more, who bound them all; and then my great army of
fifty men, which, with those three, were in all but eight, came up and
seized upon them, and upon their boat; only that I kept myself and one
more out of sight, for reasons of state.
Our next work was to repair the boat, and think of seizing the ship;
and as for the captain, now he had leisure to parley with them, he
expostulated with them upon the villainy of their practices with him,
and at length upon the further wickedness of their design, and how
certainly it must bring them to misery and distress in the end, and
perhaps to the gallows. They all appeared very penitent, and begged
hard for their lives. As for that, he told them they were not his
prisoners, but the commander's of the island; that they thought they
had set him on shore in a barren, uninhabited island; but it had
pleased God so to direct them, that it was inhabited, and that the
Governor was an Englishman; that he might hang them all there if he
pleased; but, as he had given them all quarter, he supposed he would
send them to England, to be dealt with there as justice required,
except Atkins, whom he was commanded by the Governor to advise to
prepare for death; for that he would be hanged in the morning.
Though this was all but a fiction of his own, yet it had its desired
effect; Atkins fell upon his knees to beg the captain to intercede
with the Governor for his life; and all the rest begged of him, for
God's sake, that they might not be sent to England. It now occurred to
me, that the time of our deliverance was come, and that it would be a
most easy thing to bring these fellows in to be hearty in getting
possession of the ship; so I retired in the dark from them, that they
might not see what kind of a Governor they had, and called the captain
to me; when I called, as at a good distance, one of the men was
ordered to speak again, and say to the captain, "Captain, the
commander calls for you"; and presently the captain replied, "Tell
his Excellency I am just a-coming." This more perfectly amused them,
and they all believed that the commander was just by, with his fifty
men. Upon the captain coming to me, I told him my project for seizing
the ship, which he liked wonderfully well, and resolved to put it in
execution the next morning. But, in order to execute it with more art,
and to be secure of success, I told him we must divide the prisoners,
and that he should go and take Atkins, and two more of the worst of
them, and send them pinioned to the cave where the others lay; this
was committed to Friday and the two men who came on shore with the
captain. They conveyed them to the cave as to a prison; and it was,
indeed, a dismal place, especially to men in their condition. The
others I ordered to my bower, as I called it; and as it was fenced in,
and they were pinioned, the place was secure enough, considering they
were upon their behavior.
To these in the morning I sent the captain, who was to enter into a
parley with them; in a word, to try them, and tell me whether he
thought they might be trusted or not to go on board and surprise the
ship. He talked to them of the injury done him, of the condition they
were brought to; and that though the Governor had given them quarter
for their lives as to the present action, yet that if they were sent
to England, to be sure they would all be hanged in chains; but that if
they would join in so just an attempt as to recover the ship, he would
have the Governor's engagement for their pardon.
Any one may guess how readily such a proposal would be accepted by men
in their condition; they fell down on their knees to the captain, and
promised, with the deepest imprecations, that they would be faithful
to him to the last drop, and that they should owe their lives to him,
and would go with him all over the world; that they would own him as a
father to them as long as they lived.
Our strength was now thus ordered for the expedition: 1, the captain,
his mate, and passenger; 2, the two prisoners of the first gang, to
whom, having their character from the captain, I had given their
liberty, and trusted them with arms; 3, the other two that I had kept
till now in my apartment pinioned, but, on the captain's motion, had
now released; 4, the single man taken in the boat; 5, these five
released at last; so that there were thirteen, in all, besides five we
kept prisoners in the cave for hostages.
The captain had now no difficulty before him, but to furnish his two
boats, stop the breach of one, and man them. He made his passenger
captain of one, with four of the men; and himself, his mate, and five
more, went in the other; and they contrived their business very well,
for they came up to the ship about midnight. As soon as they came
within call of the ship, he made Robinson hail them, and tell them he
had brought off the men and the boat, but that it was a long time
before they had found them, and the like; holding them in chat till
they came to the ship's side; when the captain and mate, entering
first, with their arms immediately knocked down the second mate and
carpenter with the butt end of their muskets, being very faithfully
seconded by their men; they secured all the rest that were upon the
main and quarter-decks, and began to fasten the hatches, to keep them
down that were below, when the other boat and their men, entering the
forechains, secured the forecastle of the ship, and the scuttle which
went down into the cook-room, making three men they found there
prisoners. When this was done, and all safe upon deck, the captain
ordered the mate, with three men, to break into the roundhouse, where
the new rebel captain lay, who, having taken the alarm, had got up,
and with two men and a boy had got firearms in their hands; and when
the mate, with a crow, split open the door, the new captain and his
men fired boldly among them, and wounded the mate with a musket ball,
which broke his arm, and wounded two more of the men, but killed
nobody. The mate, calling for help, rushed, however, into the
roundhouse, wounded as he was, and with his pistol shot the new
captain through the head, the bullet entering at his mouth, and came
out again behind one of his ears, so that he never spoke a word more;
upon which the rest yielded, and the ship was taken effectually,
without any more lives being lost.
As soon as the ship was thus secured, the captain ordered seven guns
to be fired, which was the signal agreed upon with me to give me
notice of his success; which, you may be sure, I was very glad to
hear, having sat watching upon the shore for it till nearly two of the
clock in the morning. Having thus heard the signal plainly, I laid me
down; and it having been a day of great fatigue to me, I slept very
sound, till I was surprised with the noise of a gun; and presently
starting up, I heard a man call me by the name, "Governor! Governor!"
and presently I knew the captain's voice; when, climbing to the top of
the hill, there he stood, and pointing to the ship, he embraced me in
his arms. "My dear friend and deliverer," said he, "there's your ship;
for she is all yours, and so are we, and all that belong to her." I
cast my eyes to the ship, and there she rode, within little more than
half a mile of the shore; for they had weighed her anchor as soon as
they were masters of her, and, the weather being fair, had brought her
to an anchor just against the mouth of the little creek; and, the tide
being up, the captain had brought the pinnace in near the place where
I had first landed my rafts, and so landed just at my door, I was at
first ready to sink down with the surprise; for I saw my deliverance,
indeed, visibly put into my hands, all things easy, and a large ship
just ready to carry me away whither I pleased to go.
We then began to consult what was to be done with the prisoners we
had; for it was worth considering whether we might venture to take
them away with us or no, especially two of them, whom we knew to be
incorrigible and refractory to the last degree; and the captain said
he knew they were such rogues that there was no obliging them, and if
he did carry them away, it must be in irons, as malefactors, to be
delivered over to justice at the first English colony he could come
at; and I found that the captain himself was very anxious about it.
Upon this, I told him that, if he desired it, I durst undertake to
bring the two men he spoke of to make it their own request that he
should leave them upon the island.
"I should be very glad of that," said the captain, "with all my
heart."
"Well," said I, "I will send for them up, and talk with them for you."
So I caused Friday and the two hostages, for they were now discharged,
their comrades having performed their promise; I say, I caused them to
go to the cave, and bring up the five men, pinioned as they were, to
the bower, and keep them there till I came. After some time, I came
thither dressed in the new habit which had been given me by the
captain. Being all met, and the captain with me, I caused all the men
to be brought before me, and I told them I had got a full account of
their villainous behavior to the captain, but that they were fallen
into the pit which they had dug for others. They might see by and by
that their new captain had received the reward of his villainy; for
that they would see him hanging at the yardarm; as to them, I wanted
to know what they had to say why I should not execute them as pirates,
taken in the fact, as by my commission they could not doubt I had
authority to do.
One of them answered in the name of the rest, that they had nothing to
say but this, that when they were taken, the captain promised them
their lives, and they humbly implored my mercy: but I told them I knew
not what mercy to show them; for as for myself, I had resolved to quit
the island with all my men, and had taken passage with the captain to
go for England; and as for the captain, he could not carry them to
England, other than as prisoners in irons, to be tried for mutiny, and
running away with the ship; the consequence of which, they must needs
know, would be the gallows; so that I could not tell what was best for
them, unless they had a mind to take their fate in the island; if they
desired that, I did not care, as I had liberty to leave it. They
seemed very thankful for it, and said they would much rather venture
to stay there than to be carried to England to be hanged: so I left it
on that issue.
However, the captain seemed to make some difficulty of it, as if he
durst not leave them there; upon this, I seemed a little angry with
the captain, and told him they were my prisoners, not his; and that
seeing I had offered them so much favor, I would be as good as my
word; and that if he did not think fit to consent to it, I would set
them at liberty, as I found them; and if he did not like it, he might
take them again if he could catch them. Upon this, they appeared very
thankful, and I accordingly set them at liberty, and bade them retire
into the woods, to the place whence they came, and I would leave them
some firearms, some ammunition, and some directions how they should
live very well, if they thought fit. Upon this I prepared to go on
board the ship, and desired him to go on board in the meantime, and
keep all right in the ship; but told the captain I would stay that
night to prepare my things, and told him to send the boat on shore
next day for me; ordering him, at all events, to cause the new
captain, who was killed, to be hanged at the yardarm, that these men
might see him.
When the captain was gone, I sent for the men up to me to my
apartment, and entered seriously into discourse with them on their
circumstances. I told them I thought they had made a right choice;
that if the captain had carried them away, they would certainly be
hanged. I showed them the new captain hanging at the yardarm of the
ship, and told them they had nothing less to expect.
When they had all declared their willingness to stay, I then told them
I would let them into the story of my living there, and put them into
the way of making it easy to them: accordingly, I gave them the whole
history of the place, and of my coming to it; showed them my
fortifications, the way I made my bread, planted my corn, cured my
grapes; and, in a word, all that was necessary to make them easy. I
told them the story also of the sixteen Spaniards that were to be
expected, for whom I left a letter, and made them promise to treat
them in common with themselves.
I left them my firearms, viz., five muskets, three fowling pieces, and
three swords. I had above a barrel and a half of powder left; for
after the first year or two I used but little, and wasted none. I gave
them a description of the way I managed the goats, and directions to
milk and fatten them, and to make both butter and cheese. In a word, I
gave them every part of my own story; and told them I should prevail
with the captain to leave them two barrels of gunpowder more, and some
garden seeds, which I told them I would have been very glad of. Also,
I gave them the bag of peas which the captain had brought me to eat,
and bade them to be sure to sow and increase them.
I left them the next day, and went on board the ship. We prepared
immediately to sail, but did not weigh that night. The next morning
early, two of the five men came swimming to the ship's side, and,
making the most lamentable complaint of the other three, begged to be
taken into the ship for God's sake, for they should be murdered, and
begged the captain to take them on board, though he hanged them
immediately. Upon this the captain pretended to have no power without
me; but after some difficulty, and after solemn promises of amendment,
they were taken on board, and were, some time after, roundly whipped
and pickled; after which they proved very honest and quiet fellows.
Sometime after this, the boat was ordered on shore, the tide being up,
with the things promised to the men; to which the captain, at my
intercession, caused their chests and clothes to be added, which they
took, and were very thankful for.
And thus I left the island, the 19th of December, as I found by the
ship's account, in the year 1686, after I had been upon it eight-and-
twenty years, two months, and nineteen days; being delivered from this
captivity the same day of the month that I first had been cast ashore.
In this vessel, after a long voyage, I arrived in England the 11th of
June, in the year 1687, having been thirty-five years absent.
FAITHLESS SALLY BROWN
By THOMAS HOOD
Young Ben he was a nice young man,
A carpenter by trade;
And he fell in love with Sally Brown,
That was a lady's maid.
But as they fetched a walk one day,
They met a press-gang crew;
And Sally she did faint away,
Whilst Ben he was brought to.
The boatswain swore with wicked words
Enough to shock a saint,
That, though she did seem in a fit,
'Twas nothing but a feint.
"Come, girl," said he, "hold up your head,
He'll be as good as me;
For when your swain is in our boat
A boatswain he will be."
So when they'd made their game of her,
And taken off her elf,
She roused, and found she only was
A-coming to herself.
"And is he gone, and is he gone?"
She cried and wept outright;
"Then I will to the water-side,
And see him out of sight."
A waterman came up to her;
"Now, young woman," said he,
"If you weep on so, you will make
Eye-water in the sea."
"Alas! they've taken my beau, Ben,
To sail with old Benbow;"
And her woe began to run afresh,
As if she'd said, "Gee woe!"
Says he, "They've only taken him
To the tender-ship, you see."
"The tender-ship," cried Sally Brown--
"What a hard-ship that must be!"
"O, would I were a mermaid now,
For then I'd follow him!
But O, I'm not a fish-woman,
And so I cannot swim.
"Alas! I was not born beneath
The Virgin and the Scales,
So I must curse my cruel stars,
And walk about in Wales."
Now Ben had sailed to many a place
That's underneath the world;
But in two years the ship came home,
And all her sails were furled.
But when he called on Sally Brown,
To see how she got on,
He found she'd got another Ben,
Whose Christian name was John.
"O Sally Brown! O Sally Brown!
How could you serve me so?
I've met with many a breeze before,
But never such a blow!"
Then, reading on his 'bacco box,
He heaved a heavy sigh,
And then began to eye his pipe
And then to pipe his eye.
And then he tried to sing "All's Well!"
But could not, though he tried;
His head was turned,--and so he chewed
His pigtail till he died.
His death, which happened in his berth,
At forty-odd befell;
They went and told the sexton, and
The sexton tolled the bell.
THE MARINER'S DREAM
By WILLIAM DIMOND
In slumbers of midnight the sailor-boy lay;
His hammock swung loose at the sport of the wind;
But watch-worn and weary, his cares flew away,
And visions of happiness danced o'er his mind.
He dreamt of his home, of his dear native bowers,
And pleasures that waited on life's merry morn;
While Memory stood sideways half covered with flowers,
And restored every rose, but secreted its thorn.
Then Fancy her magical pinions spread wide,
And bade the young dreamer in ecstacy rise;
Now far, far behind him the green waters glide,
And the cot of his forefathers blesses his eyes.
The jessamine clambers in flowers o'er the thatch,
And the swallow chirps sweet from her nest in the wall;
All trembling with transport he raises the latch,
And the voices of loved ones reply to his call.
A father bends o'er him with looks of delight;
His cheek is impearled with a mother's warm tear;
And the lips of the boy in a love-kiss unite
With the lips of the maid whom his bosom holds dear.
The heart of the sleeper beats high in his breast;
Joy quickens his pulses,--his hardships seem o'er;
And a murmur of happiness steals through his rest,--"O God! thou
hast blest me,--I ask for no more."
Ah! whence is that flame which now bursts on his eye?
Ah! what is that sound which now 'larms on his ear?
'Tis the lightning's red gleam, painting hell on the sky!
'Tis the crashing of thunders, the groan of the sphere!
He springs from his hammock, he flies to the deck;
Amazement confronts him with images dire;
Wild winds and mad waves drive the vessel a wreck;
The masts fly in splinters; the shrouds are on fire.
Like mountains the billows tremendously swell;
In vain the lost wretch calls on mercy to save;
Unseen hands of spirits are ringing his knell,
And the death-angel flaps his broad wings o'er the wave!
O sailor-boy, woe to thy dream of delight!
In darkness dissolves the gay frost-work of bliss.
Where now is the picture that fancy touched bright,--
Thy parent's fond pressure, and love's honeyed kiss?
O sailor-boy! sailor-boy! never again
Shall home, love or kindred thy wishes repay;
Unblessed and unhonored, down deep in the main,
Full many a fathom thy frame shall decay.
[Illustration: LIKE MOUNTAINS THE BILLOWS SWELL]
No tomb shall e'er plead to remembrance for thee,
Or redeem form or frame from the merciless surge,
But the white foam of waves shall thy winding sheet be,
And winds in the midnight of winter thy dirge.
On a bed of green sea flowers thy limbs shall be laid,--
Around thy white bones the red coral shall grow;
Of thy fair yellow locks threads of amber be made,
And every part suit to thy mansion below.
Days, months, years, and ages shall circle away,
And still the vast waters above thee shall roll;
Earth loses thy pattern forever and aye,--
O sailor-boy! sailor-boy! peace to thy soul!
THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON
[Footnote: Defoe's Robinson Crusoe was so very popular that a host of
imitations of it were written. Most of them have been entirely
forgotten but one, The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Rudolph Wyss,
proved so popular, especially with children that it was translated
from the original German into several languages and new editions are
still appearing, though the book was published in 1813.
The Swiss Family Robinson gives the story of a family who were cast
away by shipwreck, on an uninhabited island. By no means all of the
book is given here--any of the interesting adventures and ingenious
experiments have been of necessity omitted--but the parts here given
tell a continuous story.]
I
THE SHIPWRECK AND LANDING
For many days we had been tempest-tossed. Six times had the darkness
closed over a wild and terrific scene, and returning light as often
brought but renewed distress, for the raging storm increased in fury
until on the seventh day all hope was lost.
We were driven completely out of our course; no conjecture could be
formed as to our whereabouts. The crew had lost heart, and were
utterly exhausted by incessant labor.
The riven masts had gone by the board, leaks had been sprung in every
direction, and the water which rushed in gained upon us rapidly.
Instead of reckless oaths, the seamen uttered frantic cries to God for
mercy, mingled with strange and often ludicrous vows, to be performed
should deliverance be granted.
Every man on board alternately commended his soul to his Creator, and
strove to bethink himself of some means of saving his life.
My heart sank as I looked around upon my family in the midst of these
horrors. Our four young sons were overpowered by terror. "Dear
children," said I, "if the Lord will, he can save us even from this
fearful peril; if not, let us calmly yield our lives into his hand,
and think of the joy and blessedness of finding ourselves forever and
ever united in that happy home above."
At these words my weeping wife looked bravely up, and, as the boys
clustered round her, she began to cheer and encourage them with calm
and loving words. I rejoiced to see her fortitude, though my heart was
ready to break as I gazed on my dear ones. We knelt down together, one
after another praying with deep earnestness and emotion. Fritz, in
particular, besought help and deliverance for his dear parents and
brothers, as though quite forgetting himself.
Our hearts were soothed by the never-failing comfort of childlike,
confiding prayer, and the horror of our situation seemed less
overwhelming. "Ah," thought I, "the Lord will hear our prayer! He will
help us."
Amid the roar of the thundering waves I suddenly heard the cry of
"Land, land!" while at the same instant the ship struck with a
frightful shock, which threw every one to the deck, and seemed to
threaten her immediate destruction.
Dreadful sounds betokened the breaking up of the ship, and the roaring
waters poured in on all sides.
[Illustration: THE SHIP WAS JAMMED BETWEEN HIGH ROCKS]
Then the voice of the captain was heard above the tumult, shouting,
"Lower away the boats! We are lost!"
"Lost!" I exclaimed, and the word went like a dagger to my heart; but
seeing my children's terror renewed, I composed myself, calling out
cheerfully, "Take courage, my boys! we are all above water yet. There
is the land not far off; let us do our best to reach it. You know God
helps those that help themselves!" With that, I left them and went on
deck. What was my horror when through the foam and spray I beheld the
only remaining boat leave the ship, the last of the seamen spring into
her and push off, regardless of my cries and entreaties that we might
be allowed to share their slender chance of preserving their lives. My
voice was drowned in the howling of the blast; and even had the crew
wished it, the return of the boat was impossible.
Casting my eyes despairingly around, I became gradually aware that our
position was by no means hopeless, inasmuch as the stern of the ship,
containing our cabin, was jammed between two high rocks, and was
partly raised from among the breakers which dashed the forepart to
pieces. As the clouds of mist and rain drove past, I could make out,
through rents in the vaporous curtain, a line of rocky coast; and
rugged as it was, my heart bounded toward it as a sign of help in the
hour of need. Yet the sense of our lonely and forsaken condition
weighed heavily upon me as I returned to my family, constraining
myself to say with a smile, "Courage, dear ones! Although our good
ship will never sail more, she is so placed that our cabin will remain
above water, and to-morrow, if the wind and waves abate, I see no
reason why we should not be able to get ashore."
These few words had an immediate effect on the spirits of my children,
who at once regarded our problematical chance of escaping as a happy
certainty, and began to enjoy the relief from the violent pitching and
rolling of the vessel. My wife, however, perceived my distress and
anxiety, in spite of my forced composure, and I made her comprehend
our real situation, greatly fearing the effect of the intelligence on
her nerves. Not for a moment did her courage and trust in Providence
forsake her, and on seeing this, my fortitude revived.
"We must find some food, and take a good supper," said she; "it will
never do to grow faint by fasting too long. We shall require our
utmost strength to-morrow."
Night drew on apace, the storm was as fierce as ever, and at intervals
we were startled by crashes announcing further damage to our
unfortunate ship.
A good meal being now ready, my youngsters ate heartily, and retiring
to rest, were speedily fast asleep. Fritz, who was of an age to be
aware of the real danger we were in, kept watch with us.
We searched about and fortunately got hold of a number of empty flasks
and tin canisters, which we connected two and two together so as to
form floats sufficiently buoyant to support a person in the water, and
my wife and young sons each willingly put one on. I then provided
myself with matches, knives, cord and other portable articles,
trusting that, should the vessel go to pieces before daylight, we
might gain the shore not wholly destitute.
Fritz, as well as his brothers, now slept soundly. Throughout the
night my wife and I maintained our prayerful watch, dreading at every
fresh sound some fatal change in the position of the wreck.
At length the faint dawn of day appeared, the long, weary night was
over, and with thankful hearts we perceived that the gale had begun to
moderate; blue sky was seen above us, and the lovely hues of sunrise
adorned the eastern horizon.
I aroused the boys, and we assembled on the remaining portion of the
deck, when they, to their surprise, discovered that no one else was on
board.
"Hello, papa! what has become of everybody? Are the sailors gone? Have
they taken away the boats? Oh, papa! why did they leave us behind?
What can we do by ourselves?"
"My good children," I replied, "we must not despair, although we seem
deserted. Only let us bestir ourselves, and each cheerily do his best.
Who has anything to propose?"
"The sea will soon be calm enough for swimming," said Fritz.
"And that would be all very fine for you," exclaimed Ernest, "but
think of mother and the rest of us! Why not build a raft and all get
on shore together?"
"We should find it difficult, I think, to make a raft that would carry
us safe to shore. However, we must contrive something, and first let
each try to procure what will be of most use to us."
Away we all went to see what was to be found, I myself proceeding to
examine, as of great consequence, the supplies of provisions and fresh
water within our reach.
My wife took her youngest son, Franz, to help her to feed the
unfortunate animals on board, who were in a pitiful plight, having
been neglected for several days.
Fritz hastened to the arm chest, Ernest to look for tools; and Jack
went toward the captain's cabin, the door of which he no sooner opened
than out sprang two splendid large dogs, who testified their extreme
delight and gratitude by such tremendous bounds that they knocked
their little deliverer completely head over heels, frightening him
nearly out of his wits. Jack did not long yield either to fear or to
anger; he presently recovered himself; the dogs seemed to ask pardon
by vehemently licking his face and hands, and so, seizing the larger
by the ears, he jumped on his back, and, to my great amusement, coolly
rode to meet me as I came up the hatchway.
When we reassembled in the cabin, we all displayed our treasures.
Fritz brought a couple of guns, shot belt, powder flasks, and plenty
of bullets.
Ernest produced a cap full of nails, an ax, and a hammer, while
pincers, chisels, and augers stuck out of all his pockets.
Little Franz carried a box, and eagerly began to show us the "nice
sharp little hooks" it contained.
Said my dear wife, "I have nothing to show, but I can give you good
news. Some useful animals are still alive; a cow, a donkey, two goats,
six sheep, a ram, and a fine sow. I was but just in time to save their
lives by taking food to them."
"All these things are excellent indeed," said I; "but my friend Jack
here has presented me with a couple of huge, hungry, useless dogs, who
will eat more than any of us."
"Oh, papa! they will be of use! Why, they will help us to hunt when we
get on shore!"
[Illustration: THEY MADE A RAFT OF CASKS]
We very soon found four large casks, made of sound wood, and strongly
bound with iron hoops; they were floating with many other things in
the water in the hold, but we managed to fish them out, and drag them
to a suitable place for launching them. They were exactly what I
wanted, and I succeeded in sawing them across the middle. Hard work it
was, and we were glad enough to stop and refresh ourselves with
biscuits. My eight tubs now stood ranged in a row near the water's
edge, and I looked at them with great satisfaction; to my surprise, my
wife did not seem to share my pleasure.
"I shall never," said she, "muster courage to get into one of these!"
"Do not be too sure of that, dear wife," I replied.
I next procured a long, thin plank, on which my tubs could be fixed,
and the two ends of this I bent upward so as to form a keel. Other two
planks were nailed along the sides of the tubs; they also being
flexible, were brought to a point at each end, and all firmly secured
and nailed together. I felt satisfied that in smooth water this craft
would be perfectly trustworthy. But when we thought all was ready for
the launch, we found, to our dismay, that the grand contrivance was so
heavy and clumsy that even our united efforts could not move it an
inch.
"I must have a lever," cried I. "Run and fetch the capstan bar!"
Fritz quickly brought one, and, having formed rollers by cutting up a
long spar, I raised the fore part of my boat with the bar, and my sons
placed a roller under it.
I now made fast a long rope to the stern of our boat, attaching the
other end to a beam; then placing a second and third roller under it,
we once more began to push, this time with success, and soon our
gallant craft was safely launched: so swiftly indeed did she glide
into the water that, but for the rope, she would have passed beyond
our reach. The boys wished to jump in directly; but, alas, she leaned
so much on one side that they could not venture to do so. Some heavy
things being thrown in, however, the boat righted itself by degrees,
and the boys were so delighted that they struggled which should first
leap in to have the fun of sitting down in the tubs. To make her
perfectly safe, I contrived outriggers to preserve the balance, by
nailing long poles at the stem and stern, and fixing at the ends of
each empty brandy casks. Then, the boat appearing steady, I got in;
and turning it toward the most open side of the wreck, I cut and
cleared away obstructions, so as to leave a free passage for our
departure, and the boys brought oars to be ready for the voyage. This
important undertaking we were forced to postpone until the next day,
as it was by this time far too late to attempt it. It was not pleasant
to have to spend another night in so precarious a situation; but
yielding to necessity, we sat down to enjoy a comfortable supper, for
during our exciting and incessant work all day we had taken nothing
but an occasional biscuit and a little water.
We prepared for rest in a much happier frame of mind than on the
preceding day, but I did not forget the possibility of a renewed
storm, and therefore made every one put on the belts as before.
I persuaded my wife (not without considerable difficulty), to put on a
sailor's dress, assuring her she would find it much more comfortable
and convenient for all she would have to go through. She at last
consented to do this, and left us for a short time, reappearing with
much embarrassment and many blushes, in a most becoming suit, which
she had found in a midshipman's chest. We all admired her costume, and
any awkwardness she felt soon began to pass off; we then retired to
our berths, and peaceful sleep prepared us all for the exertions of
the coming day,
We rose up betimes, for sleep weighs lightly on the hopeful, as well
as on the anxious. After kneeling together in prayer, "Now, my beloved
ones," said I, "with God's help we are about to effect our escape. Let
the poor animals we must leave behind be well fed, and put plenty of
fodder within their reach; in a few days we may be able to return, and
save them likewise. After that, collect everything you can think of
which may be of use to us."
The boys joyfully obeyed me, and I selected from the large quantity of
stores they got together canvas to make a tent, a chest of carpenter's
tools, guns, pistols, powder, shot, and bullets, rods and fishing
tackle, an iron pot, a case of portable soup, and another of biscuit.
These useful articles, of course, took the place of the ballast I had
hastily thrown in the day before.
With a hearty prayer for God's blessing, we now began to take our
seats, each in his tub. Just then we heard the cocks begin to crow, as
though to reproach us for deserting them.
"Why should not the fowls go with us!" exclaimed I. "If we find no
food for THEM, they can be food for US!" Ten hens and a couple of
cocks were accordingly placed in one of the tubs, and secured with
some wire netting over them.
The ducks and geese were set at liberty, and took to the water at
once, while the pigeons, rejoicing to find themselves on the wing,
swiftly made for the shore. My wife, who managed all this for me, kept
us waiting for her some little time, and came at last with a bag as
big as a pillow in her arms. "This is MY contribution," said she,
throwing the bag to little Franz, to be, as I thought, a cushion for
him to sit upon.
All being ready, we cast off, and moved away from the wreck. My good,
brave wife sat in the first compartment of the boat; next her was
Franz, nearly eight years old. Then came Fritz, a spirited young
fellow of fifteen; the two center tubs contained the valuable cargo;
then came our bold, thoughtless Jack; next him Ernest, my second son,
intelligent, well-formed, and rather indolent. I myself stood in the
stern, endeavoring to guide the raft with its precious burden to a
safe landing place.
The elder boys took the oars; every one wore a float belt, and had
something useful close to him in case of being thrown into the water.
The tide was flowing, which was a great help to the young oarsmen. We
emerged from the wreck and glided into the open sea. All eyes were
strained to get a full view of the land, and the boys pulled with a
will; but for some time we made no progress, as the boat kept turning
round and round, until I hit upon the right way to steer it, after
which we merrily made for the shore.
We had left the two dogs, Turk and Juno, on the wreck, as they were
both large mastiffs, and we did not care to have their additional
weight on board our craft; but when they saw us apparently deserting
them, they set up a piteous howl, and sprang into the sea. I was sorry
to see this, for the distance to the land was so great that I scarcely
expected them to be able to accomplish it. They followed us, however,
and, occasionally resting their fore paws on the out-riggers, kept up
with us well.
Our passage, though tedious, was safe; but the nearer we approached
the shore the less inviting it appeared; the barren rocks seemed to
threaten us with misery and want.
Many casks, boxes, and bales of goods floated on the water around us.
Fritz and I managed to secure a couple of hogsheads, so as to tow them
alongside. With the prospect of famine before us, it was desirable to
lay hold of anything likely to contain provisions.
By and by we began to perceive that, between and beyond the cliffs,
green grass and trees were discernible. Fritz could distinguish many
tall palms, and Ernest hoped they would prove to be cocoanut trees,
and enjoyed the thoughts of drinking the refreshing milk.
"I am very sorry I never thought of bringing away the captain's
telescope," said I.
"Oh, look here, father!" cried Jack, drawing a little spyglass
joyfully out of his pocket.
By means of this glass, I made out that at some distance to the left
the coast was much more inviting; a strong current, however, carried
us directly toward the frowning rocks, but I presently observed an
opening, where a stream flowed into the sea, and saw that our geese
and ducks were swimming toward this place. I steered after them into
the creek, and we found ourselves in a small bay or inlet where the
water was perfectly smooth and of moderate depth. The ground sloped
gently upward from the low banks to the cliffs, which here retired
inland, leaving a small plain, on which it was easy for us to land.
Every one sprang gladly out of the boat but little Franz, who, lying
packed in his tub like a potted shrimp, had to be lifted out by his
mother.
The dogs had scrambled on shore before us; they received us with loud
barking and the wildest demonstrations of delight. The geese and ducks
kept up an incessant din, added to which was the screaming and
croaking of flamingoes and penguins, whose dominion we were invading.
The noise was deafening, but far from unwelcome to me, as I thought of
the good dinners the birds might furnish.
As soon as we could gather our children around us on dry land, we
knelt to offer thanks and praise for our merciful escape, and with
full hearts we commended ourselves to God's good keeping for the time
to come.
All hands then briskly fell to the work of unloading, and oh, how rich
we felt ourselves as we did so! The poultry we left at liberty to
forage for themselves, and set about finding a suitable place to erect
a tent in which to pass the night. This we speedily did; thrusting a
long spar into a hole in the rock, and supporting the other end by a
pole firmly planted in the ground, we formed a framework over which we
stretched the sailcloth we had brought; besides fastening this down
with pegs, we placed our heavy chest and boxes on the border of the
canvas, and arranged hooks so as to be able to close up the entrance
during the night.
When this was accomplished, the boys ran to collect moss and grass, to
spread in the tent for our beds, while I arranged a fireplace with
some large flat stones, near the brook which flowed close by. Dry
twigs and seaweed were soon in a blaze on the hearth; I filled the
iron pot with water, and giving my wife several cakes of the portable
soup, told her to establish herself as our cook, with little Franz to
help her.
Fritz, meanwhile, leaving a loaded gun with me, took another himself,
and went along the rough coast to see what lay beyond the stream; this
fatiguing sort of walk not suiting Ernest's fancy, he sauntered down
to the beach, and Jack scrambled among the rocks, searching for
shellfish.
I was anxious to land the two casks which were floating alongside our
boat, but on attempting to do so, I found that I could not get them up
the bank on which we had landed, and was therefore obliged to look for
a more convenient spot. As I did so, I was startled by hearing Jack
shouting for help, as though in great danger. He was at some distance,
and I hurried toward him with a hatchet in my hand. The little fellow
stood screaming in a deep pool, and as I approached, I saw that a huge
lobster had caught his leg in its powerful claw. Poor Jack was in a
terrible fright; kick as he would, his enemy still clung on. I waded
into the water, and seizing the lobster firmly by the back, managed to
make it loosen its hold, and we brought it safe to land. Jack, having
speedily recovered his spirits, and anxious to take such a prize to
his mother, caught the lobster in both hands, but instantly received
such a severe blow from its tail that he flung it down. Once more
lifting the lobster, Jack ran triumphantly toward the tent.
"Mother, mother! a lobster, Ernest! look here, Franz! mind, he'll bite
you! Where's Fritz?" All came crowding round Jack and his prize,
wondering at its unusual size, and Ernest wanted his mother to make
lobster soup directly, by adding it to what she was now boiling.
She, however, begged to decline making any such experiment, and said
she preferred cooking one dish at a time. Having remarked that the
scene of Jack's adventure afforded a convenient place for getting my
casks on shore, I returned thither and succeeded in drawing them up on
the beach, where I set them on end, and for the present left them.
On my return I resumed the subject of Jack's lobster, and told him he
should have the offending claw all to himself, when it was ready to be
eaten, congratulating him on being the first to discover anything
useful.
"As to that," said Ernest, "I found something very good to eat, as
well as Jack, only I could not get at them without wetting my feet."
"Pooh!" cried Jack, "I know what he saw---nothing but some nasty
mussels; I saw them too. Who wants to eat trash like that! Lobster for
me!"
"I believe them to be oysters, not mussels," returned Ernest calmly.
"Be good enough, my philosophical young friend, to fetch a few
specimens of these oysters in time for our next meal," said I; "we
must all exert ourselves, Ernest, for the common good, and pray never
let me hear you object to wetting your feet. See how quickly the sun
has dried Jack and me."
"I can bring some salt at the same time," said Ernest; "I remarked a
good deal lying in the crevices of the rocks; it tasted very pure and
good."
"If you had brought a bagful of this good salt it would have been more
to the purpose. Run and fetch some directly."
"Now," said my wife, tasting the soup with the stick with which she
had been stirring it, "dinner is ready; but where can Fritz be?" she
continued, a little anxiously.
"How are we to eat our soup when he does come?" I asked; "we have
neither plates nor spoons, and we can scarcely lift the boiling pot to
our mouths. We are in as uncomfortable position as was the fox to whom
the stork served up a dinner in a jug with a long neck. [Footnote:
This is a reference to one of the famous old fables, which you will
find in Volume I.] Off with you, my boys; get oysters, and clean out a
few shells. What though our spoons have no handles, and we do burn our
fingers a little in bailing the soup out."
Jack was away and up to his knees in the water in a moment, detaching
the oysters. Ernest followed more leisurely, and still unwilling to
wet his feet, stood by the margin of the pool and gathered in his
handkerchief the oysters his brother threw him; as he thus stood, he
picked up and pocketed a large mussel shell for his own use. As they
returned with a good supply we heard a shout from Fritz in the
distance; we replied to him joyfully, and presently he appeared before
us.
"Oh, Fritz!" exclaimed his brothers, "a sucking-pig, a little sucking-
pig. Where did you get it? How did you shoot it? Do let us see it!"
Fritz then with sparkling eyes exhibited his prize.
He told us how he had been to the other side of the stream. "So
different from this," he said; "it is really a beautiful country, and
the shore, which runs down to the sea in a gentle slope, is covered
with all sorts of useful things from the wreck. Do let us go and
collect them."
[Illustration: THE AGOUTI]
"But the sucking-pig," said Jack; "where did you get it?"
"It was one of several," said Fritz, "which I found on the shore; most
curious animals they are; they hopped rather than walked, and every
now and then would squat down on their legs and rub their snouts with
their fore paws. Had not I been afraid of losing them all, I would
have tried to catch one alive, they seemed so tame."
Meanwhile Ernest had been carefully examining the animal in question.
"This is no pig," he said, "and except for its bristly skin, does not
look like one. See, its teeth are not like those of a pig, but rather
like those of a squirrel. "In fact," he continued, looking at Fritz,
"your sucking-pig is an agouti."
"Dear me," said Fritz; "listen to that professor lecturing! He is
going to prove that a pig is not a pig!"
"You need not be so quick to laugh at your brother," said I, in my
turn; "he is quite right. The little animal makes its nest under the
roots of trees, and lives upon fruit. But, Ernest, the agouti
[Footnote: This animal, which is about the size of a hare, is a native
of South America and the West Indies.] not only looks something like a
pig, but most decidedly grunts like a porker."
While we were thus talking, Jack had been vainly endeavoring to open
an oyster with his large knife. "Here is a simpler way," said I,
placing an oyster on the fire; it immediately opened. "Now," I
continued, "who will try this delicacy?" All at first hesitated to
partake of them, so unattractive did they appear. Jack, however,
tightly closing his eyes and making a face as though about to take
medicine, gulped one down. We followed his example, one after the
other, each doing so rather to provide himself with a spoon than with
any hope of cultivating a taste for oysters.
Our spoons were now ready, and gathering round the pot we dipped them
in, not, however, without sundry scalded fingers. Ernest then drew
from his pocket the large shell he had procured for his own use, and
scooping up a good quantity of soup he put it down to cool, smiling at
his own fore-sight.
"Prudence should be exercised for others," I remarked; "your cool soup
will do capitally for the dogs, my boy; take it to them, and then come
and eat like the rest of us."
Ernest winced at this, but silently taking up his shell he placed it
on the ground before the hungry dogs, who lapped up its contents in a
moment; he then returned, and we all went merrily on with our dinner.
While we were thus busily employed, we suddenly discovered that our
dogs, not satisfied with their mouthful of soup, had espied the
agouti, and were rapidly devouring it. Fritz, seizing his gun, flew to
rescue it from their hungry jaws, and before I could prevent him,
struck one of them with such force that his gun was bent. The poor
beasts ran off howling, followed by a shower of stones from Fritz, who
shouted and yelled at them so fiercely that his mother was actually
terrified. I followed him, and as soon as he would listen to me,
represented to him how despicable was such an outbreak of temper:
"for," said I, "you have hurt, if not actually wounded, the dogs; you
have distressed and terrified your mother, and spoiled your gun."
Though Fritz's passion was easily aroused, it never lasted long, and
speedily recovering himself, immediately he entreated his mother's
pardon, and expressed his sorrow.
By this time the sun was sinking beneath the horizon, and the poultry,
which had been straying to some little distance, gathered round us,
and began to pick up the crumbs of biscuit which had fallen during our
repast. My wife hereupon drew from her mysterious bag some handfuls of
oats, peas, and other grain, and with them began to feed the poultry.
She at the same time showed me several other seeds of various kinds.
The pigeons now flew up to crevices in the rocks, the fowls perched
themselves on our tent pole, and the ducks and geese waddled off,
cackling and quacking, to the marshy margin of the river. We, too,
were ready for repose, and having loaded our guns, and offered up our
prayers as the last ray of light departed, we closed our tent and lay
down to rest.
The children remarked the suddenness of nightfall, for indeed there
had been little or no twilight. This convinced me that we must be not
far from the equator.
II
EXCURSION AND SETTLEMENT
We should have been badly off without the shelter of our tent, for the
night proved as cold as the day had been hot, but we managed to sleep
comfortably, every one being thoroughly fatigued by the labors of the
day. The voice of our vigilant cock roused me at daybreak, and I awoke
my wife, that in the quiet interval while yet our children slept, we
might take counsel together on our situation and prospects. It was
plain to both of us that we should ascertain if possible the fate of
our late companions, and then examine into the nature and resources of
the country on which we were stranded.
We therefore came to the resolution that, as soon as he had
breakfasted, Fritz and I should start on an expedition with these
objects in view, while my wife remained near our landing place with
the three younger boys.
"Rouse up, rouse up, my boys," cried I, awakening the children
cheerfully. "Come and help your mother to get breakfast ready."
"As to that," said she, smiling, "we can but set on the pot, and boil
some more soup!"
"Why, you forget Jack's fine lobster! It is well the lobster is so
large, for we shall want to take part with us on our excursion to-
day."
At the mention of an excursion, the four children were wild with
delight, and capering around me, clapped their hands for joy.
"Steady there, steady!" said I, "you cannot expect all to go. Such an
expedition as this would be too dangerous and fatiguing for you
younger ones. Fritz and I will go alone this time, with one of the
dogs, leaving the other to defend you."
We then armed ourselves, each taking a gun and a game bag; Fritz in
addition sticking a pair of pistols in his belt, and I a small hatchet
in mine. Breakfast being over, we stowed away the remainder of the
lobster and some biscuits, with a flask of water, and were ready for a
start. I took leave of my wife and children, bidding them not to
wander far from the boat and tent, and we parted, not without some
anxiety on either side.
We now found that the banks of the stream were on both sides so rocky
that we could get down to the water by only one passage, and there was
no corresponding path on the other side. I was glad to see this,
however, for I now knew that my wife and children were on a
comparatively inaccessible spot, the other side of the tent being
protected by the steep and precipitous cliffs. Fritz and I pursued our
way up the stream until we reached a point where the waters fell from
a considerable height in a cascade, and where several large rocks lay
half covered by the water; by means of these we succeeded in crossing
the stream. We thus had the sea on our left, and a long line of rocky
heights, here and there adorned with clumps of trees, stretching away
inland to the right. We had forced our way scarcely fifty yards
through the long rank grass, which was here partly withered by the sun
and much tangled, when we heard behind us a rustling, and looking
around saw our trusty dog Turk, whom in our anxiety at parting we had
forgotten, and who had been sent after us, doubtless by my thoughtful
wife.
From this little incident, however, we saw how dangerous was our
position, and how difficult escape would be should any fierce beast
steal upon us unawares; we therefore hastened to make our way to the
open seashore. Here the scene which presented itself was indeed
delightful. A background of hills, the green, waving grass, the
pleasant groups of trees stretching here and there to the water's
edge, formed a lovely prospect. On the smooth sand we searched
carefully for any trace of our hapless companions, but not a mark of a
footstep could we find.
We pushed on until we came to a pleasant grove which stretched down to
the water's edge; here we halted to rest, seating ourselves under a
large tree, by a rivulet which murmured and splashed along its pebbly
bed into the great ocean before us. Gayly plumaged birds flew
twittering above us, and Fritz and I gazed up at them.
My son suddenly started up. "A monkey," he exclaimed; "I am nearly
sure I saw a monkey."
As he spoke he sprang round to the other side of the tree, and in
doing so stumbled over a round substance, which he handed to me,
remarking, as he did so, that it was a round bird's nest, of which he
had often heard.
"You may have done so," said I, laughing, "but you need not
necessarily conclude that every round hairy thing is a bird's nest;
this, for instance, is not one, but a cocoanut."
We split open the nut, but, to our disgust, found the kernel dry and
uneatable.
"Hullo," cried Fritz, "I always thought a cocoanut was full of
delicious sweet liquid, like almond milk."
"So it is," I replied, "when young and fresh; but as it ripens the
milk becomes congealed, and in the course of time is solidified into a
kernel."
As cocoanuts must be overripe before they fall naturally from the
tree, it was not without difficulty that we obtained one in which the
kernel was not dried up.
Continuing our way through a thicket, which was so densely overgrown
with lianas [Footnote: Lianas are climbing plants which have thick,
woody stems, and which wind themselves about other plants for support.
They are particularly plentiful in the Amazon region of South America]
that we had to clear a passage with our hatchets, we again emerged on
the seashore beyond, and found an open view, the forest sweeping
inland, while on the space before us stood at intervals single trees
of remarkable appearance.
We approached to examine them, and I recognized them as calabash
trees, the fruit of which grows in a curious way on the stems, and is
a species of gourd, from the hard rind of which bowls, spoons and
bottles can be made. "The savages," I remarked, "are said to form
these things most ingeniously, using them to contain liquids; indeed,
they actually cook food in them. When the gourd is divided in two, and
the shell or rind emptied of its contents, it is filled with water,
into which the fish, or whatever is to be cooked, is put; red-hot
stones are added until the water boils; the food becomes fit to eat,
and the gourd rind remains uninjured. Now suppose we prepare some of
these calabashes, that they may be ready for use when we take them
home."
Fritz instantly took up one of the gourds, and tried to split it
equally with his knife, but in vain; the blade slipped, and the
calabash was cut jaggedly. "What a nuisance!" said Fritz, flinging it
down; "the thing is spoiled; and yet it seemed so simple to divide it
properly."
"Stay," said I; "you are too impatient; those pieces are not useless.
Do you try to fashion from them a spoon or two while I provide a
dish."
I then took from my pocket a piece of string, which I tied tightly
round a gourd, as near one end of it as I could; I then tapped the
string with the back of my knife, so that it penetrated the outer
shell. When this was accomplished, I tied the string yet tighter; and
drawing the ends with all my might, I divided the gourd exactly as I
wished.
"That is clever! It certainly makes a capital soup tureen, and a soup
plate, too," said Fritz, examining the gourd. We made a number of
gourd dishes, and I filled them with sand, and left them to dry;
marking the spot that we might return for them on our way back.
For three hours or more we pushed forward, keeping a sharp lookout on
either side for any trace of our companions, till we reached a bold
promontory, stretching some way into the sea, from whose rocky summit
I knew that we should obtain a good and comprehensive view of the
surrounding country. With little difficulty we reached the top, but
the most careful survey of the beautiful landscape failed to show us
the slightest sign or trace of human beings. Before us stretched a
wide and lovely bay, fringed with yellow sands, either side extending
into the distance, and almost lost to view in two shadowy
promontories; inclosed by these two arms lay a sheet of rippling
water, which reflected in its depths the glorious sun above. The scene
inland was no less beautiful; and yet Fritz and I both felt a shade of
loneliness stealing over us as we gazed on its utter solitude.
"Cheer up, Fritz, my boy," said I, presently. "Remember that we chose
a settler's life long ago, before we left our own dear country; we
certainly did not expect to be so entirely alone--but what matters a
few people, more or less? With God's help, let us endeavor to live
here contentedly, thankful that we were not cast upon some bare and
inhospitable island. But come, the heat here is getting unbearable;
let us find some shady place before we are completely broiled away."
We descended the hill and made for a clump of palm trees, which we saw
at a little distance. To reach this, we had to pass through a dense
thicket of reeds, no pleasant or easy task; for besides the difficulty
of forcing our way through, I feared at every step that we might tread
on some venomous snake. Sending Turk in advance, I cut one of the
reeds, thinking it would be a more useful weapon against a reptile
than my gun. I had carried it but a little way, when I noticed a thick
juice exuding from one end. I tasted it, and to my delight found it
sweet and pleasant. I at once knew that I was standing amongst sugar
canes.
My son cut a dozen or more of the largest canes, and stripping them of
their leaves, carried them under his arm. We then pushed through the
cane-brake, and reached the clump of palms for which we had been
making; as we entered it a troop of monkeys, who had been disporting
themselves on the ground, sprang up, chattering and grimacing, and
before we could clearly distinguish them were at the very top of the
trees.
Fritz was so provoked by their impertinent gestures that he raised his
gun and would have shot one of the poor beasts.
"Stay," cried I, "never take the life of any animal needlessly. A live
monkey up in that tree is of more use to us than a dozen dead ones at
our feet, as I will show you."
Saying this, I gathered a handful of small stones, and threw them up
toward the apes. The stones did not go near them, but influenced by
their instinctive mania for imitation, they instantly seized all the
cocoanuts within their reach, and sent a perfect hail of them down
upon us.
[Illustration: THE MONKEYS THREW DOWN COCOANUTS]
Fritz was delighted with my stratagem, and rushing forward picked up
some of the finest of the nuts. We drank the milk they contained,
drawing it through the holes, which I pierced, and then, splitting the
nuts open with the hatchet, ate the cream which lined their shells.
After this delicious meal, we thoroughly despised the lobster we had
been carrying, and threw it to Turk, who ate it gratefully; but far
from being satisfied, the poor beast began to gnaw the ends of the
sugar canes, and to beg for cocoanut. I slung a couple of the nuts
over my shoulder, fastening them together by their stalks, and Fritz
having resumed his burden, we began our homeward march.
Just as we had passed through the grove in which we had breakfasted,
Turk suddenly darted away from us and sprang furiously among a troop
of monkeys, which were gamboling playfully on the turf at a little
distance from the trees. They were taken by surprise completely, and
the dog, now really ravenous from hunger, had seized and was fiercely
tearing one to pieces before we could approach the spot.
His luckless victim was the mother of a tiny little monkey, which,
being on her back when the dog flew at her, hindered her flight. The
little creature attempted to hide among the grass, and in trembling
fear watched its mother. On perceiving Turk's bloodthirsty design,
Fritz had eagerly rushed to the rescue, flinging away all he was
carrying, and losing his hat in his haste. All to no purpose as far as
the mother ape was concerned, and a laughable scene ensued, for no
sooner did the young monkey catch sight of him, than at one bound it
was on his shoulders; and, holding fast by his hair, it firmly kept
its seat in spite of all he could do to dislodge it. He screamed and
plunged about as he endeavored to shake or pull the creature off, but
all in vain; it only clung the closer to his neck, making the most
absurd grimaces.
I laughed so much at this ridiculous scene, that I could scarcely
assist my terrified boy out of his awkward predicament. At last, by
coaxing the monkey, offering it a bit of biscuit, and gradually
disentangling its small sinewy paws from the curls it grasped so
tightly, I managed to relieve poor Fritz, who then looked with
interest at the baby ape, no bigger than a kitten, as it lay in my
arms.
"What a jolly little fellow it is!" exclaimed he; "do let me try to
rear it, father. I dare say cocoanut milk would do until we can bring
the cow and the goats from the wreck. If he lives, he might be useful
to us. I believe monkeys instinctively know what fruits are wholesome
and what are poisonous."
"Well," said I, "let the little orphan be yours."
Turk was meanwhile devouring with great satisfaction the little
animal's unfortunate mother. I could not grudge it him, and continued
hunger might have made him dangerous to ourselves. We did not think it
necessary to wait until he had dined, so we prepared to resume our
march.
The tiny ape seated itself in the coolest way imaginable on Fritz's
shoulder, I helped to carry his canes, and we were on some distance
before Turk overtook us.
He took no notice of the monkey, but it was very uneasy at sight of
him, and scrambled down into Fritz's arms, which was so inconvenient
to him that he devised a plan to relieve himself of his burden.
Calling Turk, and seriously enjoining obedience, he seated the monkey
on his back, securing it there with a cord; and then, putting a second
string round the dog's neck that he might lead him, he put a loop of
the knot into the comical rider's hand, saying gravely: "Having slain
the parent, Mr. Turk, you will please to carry the son."
At first this arrangement mightily displeased them both, but by and by
they yielded to it quietly; the monkey especially amused us by riding
along with the air of a person perfectly at his ease.
"We look just like a couple of mountebanks on their way to a fair with
animals to exhibit," said I. "What an outcry the children will make
when we appear!"
Juno was the first to be aware of our approach, and gave notice of it
by loud barking, to which Turk replied with such hearty good will that
his little rider, terrified at the noise his steed was making, slipped
from under the cord and fled to his refuge on Fritz's shoulder, where
he regained his composure and settled himself comfortably.
Turk, who by this time knew where he was, finding himself free, dashed
forward to rejoin his friends, and announce our coming.
One after another our dear ones came running to the opposite bank,
testifying in various ways their delight at our return, and hastening
up on their side of the river, as we on ours, to the ford at which we
had crossed in the morning.
The boys, suddenly perceiving the little animal which was clinging
close to their brother, in alarm at the tumult of voices, shouted in
ecstasy:
"A monkey! a monkey! oh, how splendid! Where did Fritz find him? What
may we give him to eat? Oh, what a bundle of sticks! Look at those
curious, great nuts father has got!"
We could neither check this confused torrent of questions, nor get in
a word in answer to them.
At length, when the excitement subsided a little, I was able to say a
few words with a chance of being listened to.
Jack shouldered my gun, Ernest took the cocoanuts, and little Franz
carried the gourds; Fritz distributed the sugar canes amongst his
brothers, and handing Ernest his gun, replaced the monkey on Turk's
back.
My wife, as a prudent housekeeper, was no less delighted than the
children with what we had brought back; the sight of the dishes
pleased her greatly, for she longed to see us eat once more like
civilized beings. We went into the kitchen, and there found
preparations for a truly sumptuous meal. Two forked sticks were
planted in the ground on either side of the fire; on these rested a
rod from which hung several tempting-looking fish; opposite them hung
a goose from a similar contrivance, slowly roasting, while the gravy
dropped into a large shell placed beneath it. In the center sat the
great pot, from which issued the smell of a most delicious soup. To
crown this splendid array, stood an open hogshead full of Dutch
cheeses. All this was very pleasant to two hungry travelers, but I was
about to beg my wife to spare the poultry until our stock should have
increased, when she, perceiving my thought, quickly relieved my
anxiety. "This is not one of our geese," she said, "but a wild bird
Ernest killed."
"Yes," said Ernest, "it is a penguin, I think; it let me get quite
close, so that I knocked it on the head with a stick. Here are its
head and feet, which I preserved to show you; the bill is, you see,
narrow and curved downward, and the feet are webbed.
It had funny little bits of useless wings, and its eyes looked so
solemnly and sedately at me that I was almost ashamed to kill it."
We then sat down before the appetizing meal prepared for us, our
gourds coming for the first time into use, and having done it full
justice, produced the cocoanuts by way of dessert.
"Here is better food for your little friend," said I to Fritz, who had
been vainly endeavoring to persuade the monkey to taste dainty morsels
of the food we had been eating; "the poor little animal has been
accustomed to nothing but its mother's milk; fetch me a saw, one of
you."
I then, after extracting the milk of the nuts from their natural
holes, carefully cut the shells in half, thus providing several more
useful basins. The monkey was perfectly satisfied with the milk, and
eagerly sucked the corner of a handkerchief dipped in it.
The sun was now rapidly sinking below the horizon, and the poultry,
retiring for the night, warned us that we must follow their example.
We did not, however, long enjoy this repose; a loud barking from our
dogs, who were on guard outside the tent, awakened us, and the
fluttering and cackling of our poultry warned us that a foe was
approaching. Fritz and I sprang up, and seizing our guns rushed out.
There we found a desperate combat going on; our gallant dogs,
surrounded by a dozen or more large jackals, were fighting bravely.
Four of their opponents lay dead, but the others were in no way
deterred by the fate of their comrades. Fritz and I, however, sent
bullets through the heads of a couple more, and the rest galloped off.
Turk and Juno did not intend that they should escape so cheaply, and
pursuing them, they caught, killed, and devoured another of the
animals, regardless of their near relationship.
Soundly and peacefully we slept until cock-crow next morning, when my
wife and I awoke, and began to discuss the business of the day.
"It seems absolutely necessary, my dear wife," I began, "to return at
once to the wreck while it is yet calm, that we may save the poor
animals left there, and bring on shore many articles of infinite value
to us, which, if we do not now recover, we may finally lose entirely.
On the other hand, I feel that there is an immense deal to be done on
shore, and that I ought not to leave you in such an insecure shelter
as this tent."
"Return to the wreck by all means," replied my wife, cheerfully.
"Patience, order, and perseverance will help us through all our work,
and I agree with you that a visit to the wreck is without doubt our
first duty. Come, let us wake the children, and set to work without
delay."
So severely had we dealt with our supper the previous night that we
had little to eat but the biscuits, which were so dry and hard that,
hungry as we were, we could not swallow much. Fritz and I took some
cheese to help them down, while my wife and younger sons soaked theirs
in water.
"See here, father," and Ernest pointed to a large cask; "that barrel
contains butter of some sort, for it is oozing out at the end."
"Really, Ernest," I said, "we are indebted to you. I will open the
cask." So saying, I took a knife and carefully cut a small hole, so
that I could extract the butter without exposing the mass of it to the
effects of the air and heat. Filling a cocoanut shell, we once more
sat down, and toasting our biscuits before the fire, spread them with
the good Dutch butter. We found this vastly better than the dry
biscuits, and while we were thus employed I noticed that the two dogs
were lying unusually quiet by my side. I at first attributed this
drowsiness to their large meal during the night, but I soon discovered
that it arose from a different cause; the faithful animals had not
escaped unhurt from their late combat, but had received several deep
and painful wounds, especially about the neck. The dogs began to lick
each other on the places which they could not reach with their own
tongues, and my wife carefully dressed the wounds with butter, from
which she had extracted the salt by washing.
I begged the party who were to remain on shore to keep together as
much as possible, and having arranged a set of signals with my wife,
that we might exchange communications, asked a blessing on our
enterprise. I erected a signal post, and, while Fritz was making
preparations for our departure, hoisted a strip of sailcloth as a
flag; this flag was to remain hoisted so long as all was well on
shore, but should our return be desired, three shots were to be fired
and the flag was to be lowered.
All was now ready, and warning my wife that we might find it necessary
to remain all night on the vessel, we tenderly bade adieu and
embarked. Except our guns and ammunition, we were taking nothing, that
we might leave as much space as possible for the stowage of a large
cargo. Fritz, however, had resolved to take his little monkey, that he
might obtain milk for it as soon as possible. We had not got far from
the shore, when I perceived that a current from the river set in
directly for the vessel, and though my nautical knowledge was not
great, I succeeded in steering the boat into the favorable stream,
which carried us nearly three-fourths of our passage with little or no
trouble to ourselves; then by dint of hard pulling, we accomplished
the whole distance, and entering through the breach, gladly made fast
our boat and stepped on board. Our first care was to see the animals,
who greeted us with joy--lowing, bellowing, and bleating as we
approached; not that the poor beasts were hungry, for they were all
still well supplied with food, but they were apparently pleased by the
mere sight of human beings. Fritz then placed his monkey by one of the
goats, and the little animal immediately sucked the milk with evident
relish, chattering and grinning all the while; the monkey provided
for, we refreshed ourselves with some wine and biscuits.
I chose a stout spar to serve as a mast for our boat, and having made
a hole in a plank nailed across one of the tubs, we, with the help of
a rope and a couple of blocks, stepped it and secured it with stays.
We then discovered a lugsail, which had belonged to one of the ship's
boats; this we hoisted; and our craft was ready to sail. Fritz begged
me to decorate the masthead with a red streamer, to give our vessel a
more finished appearance. Smiling at this childish but natural vanity,
I complied with his request. I then contrived a rudder, that I might
be able to steer the boat; for though I knew that an oar would serve
the purpose, it was cumbrous and inconvenient. While I was thus
employed, Fritz examined the shore with his glass, and soon announced
that the flag was flying and all was well.
So much time had now slipped away that we found we could not return
that night, as I had wished. We signaled our intention of remaining on
board, and then spent the rest of our time in taking out the stones we
had placed in the boat for ballast, and stowing in their place heavy
articles of value to us. As the ship had sailed for the purpose of
supplying a young colony, she had on board every conceivable article
we could desire in our present situation; our only difficulty, indeed,
was to make a wise selection. A large quantity of powder and shot we
first secured, and as Fritz considered that we could not have too many
weapons, we added three excellent guns, and a whole armful of swords,
daggers, and knives. We remembered that knives and forks were
necessary, and we therefore laid in a large stock of them, and kitchen
utensils of all sorts. We then went over the stores, and supplied
ourselves with potted meats, portable soups, Westphalian hams,
sausages, a bag of maize and wheat, and a quantity of other seeds and
vegetables. I then added a barrel of sulphur for matches, and as much
cordage as I could find. All this--with nails, tools, and agricultural
implements--completed our cargo, and sank our boat so low that I
should have been obliged to lighten her had not the sea been calm.
Night drew on, and a large fire, lighted by those on shore, showed us
that all was well. We replied by hoisting four ship's lanterns, and
two shots announced to us that our signal was perceived; then, with a
heartfelt prayer for the safety of our dear ones on shore, we retired
to our boat, and Fritz, at all events, was soon sound asleep. For a
while I could not sleep; the thought of my wife and children--alone
and unprotected, save by the great dogs--disturbed my rest.
The night at length passed away. At daybreak Fritz and I arose and
went on deck. I brought the telescope to bear upon the shore, and with
pleasure saw the flag still waving in the morning breeze; while I kept
the glass directed to the land, I saw the door of the tent open, and
my wife appear and look steadfastly toward us.
I at once hoisted a white flag, and in reply the flag on shore was
thrice dipped. Oh, what a weight seemed lifted from my heart as I saw
the signal!
"Fritz," I said, "I am not now in such haste to get back, and begin to
feel compassion for all these poor beasts. I wish we could devise some
means for getting them on shore."
"We might make a raft," suggested Fritz, "and take off one or two at a
time."
"True," I replied; "it is easy enough to say, 'make a raft,' but to do
it is quite another thing."
"Well," said Fritz, "I can think of nothing else, unless indeed we
make them such swimming belts as you made for the children."
"Really, my boy, that idea is worth having. I am not joking, indeed,"
I continued, as I saw him smile; "we may get every one of the animals
ashore in that way."
So saying, I caught a fine sheep, and proceeded to put our plan into
execution. I first fastened a broad piece of linen round its belly,
and to this attached some corks and empty tins; then, with Fritz's
help, I flung the animal into the sea--it sank, but a moment afterward
rose and floated famously.
[Illustration: THE SHEEP FLOATED FAMOUSLY]
"Hurrah!" exclaimed Fritz, "we will treat them all like that." We then
rapidly caught the other animals and provided them, one after the
other, with a similar contrivance. The cow and ass gave us more
trouble than did the others, as for them we required something more
buoyant than the mere cork; we at last found some empty casks and
fastened two to each animal by thongs passed under its belly. This
done, the whole herd were ready to start, and we brought the ass to
one of the ports to be the first to be launched. After some
maneuvering we got him in a convenient position, and then a sudden
heave sent him plunging into the sea. He sank, and then, buoyed up by
the casks, emerged head and back from the water. The cow, sheep, and
goats followed him one after the other, and then the sow alone
remained. She seemed, however, determined not to leave the ship; she
kicked, struggled, and squealed so violently, that I really thought we
should be obliged to abandon her; at length, after much trouble, we
succeeded in sending her out of the port after the others, and when
once in the water, such was the old lady's energy that she quickly
distanced them, and was the first to reach the shore.
We had fastened to the horns or neck of each animal a cord with a
float attached to the end, and now embarking, we gathered up these
floats, set sail, and steered for shore, drawing our herd after us.
Delighted with the successful accomplishment of our task, we got out
some biscuits and enjoyed a midday meal; then, while Fritz amused
himself with his monkey, I took up my glass and tried to make out how
our dear ones on shore were employing themselves. As I was thus
engaged, a sudden shout from Fritz surprised me. I glanced up; there
stood Fritz with his gun to his shoulder, pointing it at a huge shark;
the monster was making for one of the finest sheep; he turned on his
side to seize his prey; as the white of his belly appeared Fritz
fired. The shot took effect, and our enemy disappeared, leaving a
trace of blood on the calm water.
"Well done, my boy," I cried; "you will become a crack shot one of
these days; but I trust you will not often have such dangerous game to
shoot." Fritz's eyes sparkled at his success and my praise, and
reloading his gun he carefully watched the water. But the shark did
not again appear, and, borne onward by the breeze, we quickly neared
the shore. Steering the boat to a convenient landing place, I cast off
the ropes which secured the animals, and let them get ashore as best
they might. There was no sign of my wife or children when we stepped
on land, but a few moments afterward they appeared, and with a shout
of joy ran toward us. We were thankful to be once more united, and
after asking and replying to a few preliminary questions, proceeded to
release our herd from their swimming belts, which, though so useful in
the water, were exceedingly inconvenient on shore. My wife was
astonished at the apparatus.
Fritz, Ernest and I began the work of unloading our craft, while Jack,
seeing that the poor donkey was still encumbered with his swimming
belt, tried to free him from it. But the donkey would not stand quiet,
and the child's fingers were not strong enough to loosen the cordage;
finally, therefore, he scrambled upon the animal's back, and urging
him on with hand and foot, trotted toward us.
"Come, my boy," I said, "no one must be idle here, even for a moment;
you will have riding practice enough hereafter; dismount and come and
help us."
Leaving my wife to prepare supper, we returned to the shore and
brought up what of the cargo we had left there; then, having collected
our herd of animals, we returned to the tent.
The meal which awaited us was as unlike the first supper we had there
enjoyed as possible. My wife had improvised a table of a board laid on
two casks; on this was spread a white damask table-cloth, on which
were placed knives, forks, spoons, and plates for each person. A
tureen of good soup first appeared, followed by a capital omelet, then
slices of ham; and finally some Dutch cheese, butter, and biscuits
completed the repast.
III
DISMANTLING THE SHIP
NOTE.--The temporary tent which the castaways erected on the shore
where they landed was neither safe nor comfortable, so they moved
farther along shore, where in a group of trees they built a shelter
among the limbs of a mangrove, about thirty feet from the ground. It
was necessary to bridge the river and make a road in order to transfer
supplies easily.
Besides their building operations, all were compelled to hunt, fish
and forage for supplies for their own table and for food for their
animals and pets. Porcupines, crabs, flamingoes and numerous other
birds were captured or seen, fish were taken from the waters,
cochineal insects were discovered, and numerous useful vegetable
products were found in the woods and swamps. The family were very
comfortably situated, and from the wreck and through hunting and
fishing, were able to set a very good table.
Next morning, while the breakfast was getting ready, I attended to the
beautiful skin of the kangaroo, which I was anxious to preserve
entire; and afterward, when Fritz had prepared everything in readiness
for our trip to the wreck, I called Ernest and Jack in to give them
some parting injunctions. They, however, had disappeared directly
after breakfast, and their mother could only guess, that, as we
required potatoes, they might have gone to fetch a supply. I desired
her to reprove them, on their return, for starting away without leave;
but as it appeared they had taken Turk, I satisfied myself that no
harm was likely to befall them, although it was not without reluctance
that I left my dear wife alone with little Franz, cheering her with
hopes of our speedy return with new treasures from the wreck.
[Illustration: FALCONHURST]
Advancing steadily on our way, we crossed the bridge at Jackal River,
[Footnote: The family had given names to all the places in their
neighborhood. Thus their original living place was called Tentholm,
the river Jackal River, and the new house in the trees Falconhurst.]
when suddenly, to our no small astonishment, Jack and Ernest burst out
of a hiding place where they had lain in wait for us, and were
enchanted with the startling effect of their unexpected appearance
upon their unsuspecting father and brother. It was evident that they
fully believed they might now go with us to the wreck.
To this notion I at once put a decided stop, although I could not find
in my heart to scold the two merry rogues for their thoughtless
frolic, more especially as I particularly wished to send back a
message to my wife. I told them they must hurry home, so as not to
leave their mother in suspense, although, as they were already so far,
they might collect some salt. And I instructed them to explain that,
as my work on board would take up a long time, she must try to bear
with our absence for a night. This I had meant to say when we parted,
but my courage had failed, knowing how much she would object to such a
plan, and I had resolved to return in the evening.
On consideration, however, of the importance of constructing a raft,
which was my intention in going, and finishing it without a second
trip, I determined to remain on board for the night, as the boys had,
unintentionally, given me the chance of sending a message to that
effect.
"Good-by, boys; take care of yourselves! We're off," shouted Fritz, as
I joined him in the tub-boat, and we shoved off.
The current carried us briskly out of the bay; we were very soon
moored safely alongside the wreck, and scrambling up her shattered
sides, stood on what remained of the deck, and began at once to lay
our plans.
I wanted to make a raft fit to carry on shore a great variety of
articles far too large and heavy for our present boat. A number of
empty water casks seemed just what was required for a foundation; we
closed them tightly, pushed them overboard, and arranging twelve of
them side by side in rows of three, we firmly secured them together by
means of spars, and then proceeded to lay a good substantial floor of
planks, which was defended by a low bulwark. In this way we soon had a
first-rate raft, exactly suited to our purpose.
It would have been impossible to return to land that same evening, for
we were thoroughly fatigued by our labors, and had eaten only the
light refreshments we had brought in our wallets, scarcely desisting a
moment from our work.
Rejoicing that we were not expected home, we now made an excellent
supper from the ship's provisions, and then rested for the night on
spring mattresses, a perfect luxury to us after our hard and narrow
hammocks.
Next morning we actively set about loading the raft and boat, first
carrying off the entire contents of our own cabins; then, passing on
to the captain's room, we removed the furniture, as well as the doors
and window frames, with their bolts, bars, and locks. We next took the
officers' chests, and those belonging to the carpenter and gunsmith;
the contents of these latter we had to remove in portions, as their
weight was far beyond our strength.
One large chest was filled with an assortment of fancy goods, and
reminded us of a jeweler's shop, so glittering was the display of gold
and silver watches, snuffboxes, buckles, studs, chains, rings, and all
manner of trinkets; these, and a box of money, drew our attention for
a time; but more useful to us at present was a case of common knives
and forks, which I was glad to find, as more suited to us than the
smart silver ones we had previously taken on shore. To my delight we
found, most carefully packed, a number of young fruit trees; and we
read on the tickets attached to them the names, so pleasant to
European ears, of the apple, pear, chestnut, orange, almond, peach,
apricot, plum, cherry, and vine.
The cargo, which had been destined for the supply of a distant colony,
proved, in fact, a rich and almost inexhaustible treasure to us.
Ironmongery, plumber's tools, lead, paint, grindstones, cart wheels,
and all that was necessary for the work of a smith's forge, spades and
plowshares, sacks of maize, peas, oats, and wheat, a hand-mill, and
also the parts of a saw-mill so carefully numbered that, were we
strong enough, it would be easy to put it up, had been stowed away.
So bewildered were we by the wealth around us that for some time we
were at a loss as to what to remove to the raft. It would be
impossible to take everything; yet the first storm would complete the
destruction of the ship, and we should lose all we left behind.
Selecting a number of the most useful articles, however, including of
course the grain and the fruit trees, we gradually loaded our raft.
Fishing lines, reels, cordage, and a couple of harpoons were put on
board, as well as a mariner's compass.
Fritz, recollecting our encounter with the shark, placed the harpoons
in readiness; and amused me by seeming to picture himself a whaler,
flourishing his harpoon in most approved fashion.
Early in the afternoon both our crafts were heavily laden, and we were
ready to make for the shore. The voyage was begun with considerable
anxiety, as, with the raft in tow, there was some danger of an
accident.
But the sea being calm and the wind favorable, we found we could
spread the sail, and our progress was very satisfactory.
Presently, Fritz asked me for the telescope, as he had observed
something curious floating at a distance. Then handing it back, he
begged me to examine the object; which I soon discovered to be a
turtle asleep on the water, and of course unconscious of our approach.
"Do, father, steer toward it!" exclaimed he.
I accordingly did so, that he might have a nearer look at the
creature. Little did I suspect what was to follow. The lad's back was
turned to me, and the broad sail was between us, so that I could not
perceive his actions; when, all of a sudden, I experienced a shock,
and the thrill as of line running through a reel. Before I had time to
call out, a second shock, and the sensation of the boat being rapidly
drawn through the water, alarmed me.
"Fritz, what are you about?" cried I. "You are sending us to the
bottom."
"I have him, hurrah! I have him safe!" shouted he, in eager
excitement.
To my amazement, I perceived that he really had struck the tortoise
with a harpoon; a rope was attached to it, and the creature was
running away with us.
Lowering the sail and seizing my hatchet, I hastened forward, in order
to cut the line, and cast adrift at once turtle and harpoon.
"Father! do wait!" pleaded the boy; "there is no danger just yet. I
promise to cut the line myself the instant it is necessary! Let us
catch this turtle if we possibly can."
"My dear boy, the turtle will be a very dear bargain, if he upsets all
our goods into the sea, even if he does not drown us too. For Heaven's
sake, be careful! I will wait a few minutes, but the minute there is
danger, cut the line."
[Illustration: OVERTURNING THE TURTLE]
As the turtle began to make for the open sea, I hoisted the sail
again; and, finding the opposition too much for it, the creature again
directed its course landward, drawing us rapidly after it. The part of
the shore for which the turtle was making was considerably to the left
of our usual landing place. The beach there shelved very gradually,
and at some distance from land we grounded with a sharp shock, but
fortunately without a capsize.
The turtle was evidently greatly exhausted, and no wonder, since it
had been acting the part of a steam tug, and had been dragging, at
full speed, a couple of heavily laden vessels. Its intention was to
escape to land; but I leaped into the water, and wading up to it,
dispatched it with my ax. Such was its tenacity of life, however, that
it did not cease its struggles until I had actually severed its head
from its body.
As we were by no means far from Falconhurst, Fritz gave notice of our
approach by firing off his gun, as well as shouting loudly in his
glee; and, while we were yet engaged in securing our boats and getting
the turtle on shore, the whole family appeared in the distance,
hastening eagerly toward us; and our new prize, together with the
well-laden boat and raft, excited the liveliest interest; my wife's
chief pleasure, however, consisted in seeing us back, as our night's
absence had disturbed her, and she was horrified by the description of
our dangerous run in the wake of the fugitive turtle. Being anxious to
remove some of our goods before night, the boys ran off to fetch the
sledge; while I, having no anchor, contrived to moor the boats by
means of the heavy blocks of iron we had brought.
It required our united strength to get the turtle hoisted onto the
sledge, its weight being prodigious; we found it, indeed, with the
addition of the sapling fruit trees, quite a sufficient load.
We then made the best of our way home, chatting merrily about our
various adventures. The first thing to be done on arriving was to
obtain some of the turtle's flesh and cook it for supper. To my wife
this appeared necessarily a work of time, as well as of difficulty;
but I turned the beast on its back, and soon detached a portion of the
meat from the breast with a hatchet, by breaking the lower shell; and
I then directed that it should be cooked, with a little salt, shell
and all.
"But let me first cut away this disgusting green fat," said my wife,
with a little shudder, "See how it sticks all over the meat. No one
could eat anything so nasty."
"Leave the fat, whatever you do!" exclaimed I. "Why, my dear, that is
the very best part, and the delight of the epicure. If there be really
too much, cut some off--it can be used as lard; and let the dogs make
a supper of the refuse."
"And the handsome shell!" cried Fritz; "I should like to make a water
trough of that, to stand near the brook, and be kept always full of
clear water. How useful it would be!"
"That is a capital idea," I replied, "and we may manage it easily, if
we can find clay so as to make a firm foundation on which to place
it."
I arose early the next morning, as I had some doubts about the safety
of my vessels on the open shore. The dogs were delighted when I
descended the ladder, and bounded to meet me; the cocks crowed and
flapped their wings; two pretty kids gamboled around; all was life and
energy; the ass alone seemed disinclined to begin the day, and as I
especially required his services, this was unfortunate. I put his
morning dreams to flight, however, and harnessed him to the sledge;
the cow, as she had not been milked, enjoyed the privilege of further
repose, and, with the rest of the family, I left her dozing.
My fears as to the safety of the boats were soon dispelled, for they
were all right; and, being in haste to return, the load I collected
from their freight was but a light one, and the donkey willingly
trotted home with it, he, as well as I, being uncommonly ready for
breakfast. As I approached the tree, not a sound was to be heard, not
a soul was to be seen, although it was broad day; and great was my
good wife's surprise, when, roused by the clatter and hullabaloo I
made, she started up, and became aware of the late hour.
"What can have made us oversleep ourselves like this?" she exclaimed.
"It must be the fault of those mattresses; they are delightful, but
really too lulling; see, the children are sound asleep still."
"Now for prayers and breakfast," I called, "and then off to work. I
must have our cargo landed in time to get the boats off with the next
tide."
By dint of downright hard work, we accomplished this, and I got on
board with Fritz as soon as they were afloat; the rest turned
homeward, but Jack lingered behind with such imploring looks, that I
could not resist taking him with me.
My intention had been simply to take the vessels round to the harbor
in Safety Bay, but the calm sea and fine weather tempted me to make
another trip to the wreck. It took up more time than I expected, so
that, when on board, we could only make a further examination of the
cargo, collect a few portable articles, and then avail ourselves of
the sea breeze, which would fail us later in the evening.
To Jack the pleasure of hunting about in the hold was novel and
charming, and very soon a tremendous rattling and clatter
Showing first 200,000 characters. Full text: gutenberg.org/ebooks/5902