Digby Heathcote Part 9

"A ma.s.s of phosph.o.r.escent creatures," answered his uncle. "We will go to the deep pool (this was a quiet little bay close at hand). We shall then be able to fish up a supply for examination."

On reaching the pool all at first appeared dark, but Mr Nugent and Marshall stooping down, swept the surface with their nets, when wherever they touched the water, it glowed with the most brilliant flashes.

Having filled the bottles, they lifted the water up in the nets, when it looked as if they had got in them a lump of the most glittering gold, or a ma.s.s of molten lead. A still more beautiful appearance was produced when they threw the water up in the air and it came down in glittering showers, like the dropping stars from a firework.

"Glorious! beautiful!" shouted Digby; "I did not think the sea could produce anything so fine."

Then they stirred the water about with a long pole, till the whole pool, which had been in tranquillity so dark, became like a caldron of boiling metal. After amusing themselves with the variety of effects to be produced, the party returned homeward.

"What is the use of all that shining stuff, now, I wonder?" said Digby.

"I am glad to hear you ask the question," replied his uncle. "That shining stuff is called the phosph.o.r.escence of the ocean. It is composed of numberless minute animals, each not larger than a pin's head. Through a microscope we should see that all parts of the animal shine, but at different times. It emits, as it were, sparks, now from one part of its body, now from another. It is a very beautiful object, especially in southern lat.i.tudes, and that alone may account for its creation; just as birds with gay plumage, and flowers of varied hues and sweet scents, were formed for the benefit of man. It wonderfully relieves, also, on a dark night, the obscurity of the ocean, and its light is so great during storms that it enables seamen the better to perform the duties of the ship. Of one thing you may be certain, that nothing is created in nature without a very adequate object."

On reaching home, Mr Nugent got out his microscope, and exhibited to Digby the wonders of the creatures they had caught. Power had also brought home a bucketful of water. It contained, among other creatures, a little melon-shaped animal, which Mr Nugent turned into a gla.s.s tumbler. It was smaller than a small hazel nut, of a transparent consistency, and with bands down it like the divisions in a melon.

These bands, when the tumbler was shaded, glittered in the most beautiful way, while the creature moved about in the water, now rising to the surface, and now sinking almost to the bottom. When again brought to the light, it was seen putting forth what Digby called its fishing lines. These, when it was on the surface, reached to the bottom, and were evidently employed for the object Digby supposed.

"This beautiful little creature is called a Cydippe or Beroe," observed Mr Nugent. "Those bands are denominated cilia. See, they are like little paddles. They are the means by which the animal moves. Now look--he has turned his head down, and away he plunges to the bottom; now he rises slowly, like a balloon. I doubt not that there is much enjoyment even in that little ma.s.s of jelly. Wonderful are all G.o.d's works. Who can measure the happiness which exists even in an atom."

Digby became far more interested than, a few weeks before, he would have thought possible. At the same time he did not take in all the remarks his uncle and Marshall made. He would have found it impossible to describe the curious marine animals they showed him. At the same time the impression left on his mind was beneficial, as he in that way learned to comprehend the fact of the existence of the numberless wonders of nature, and to regard them with interest and respect.

Although he could not manage to recollect a single one of the hard names he heard, he surely was better off than a person who remains ignorant that even such things exist.

The day after the Noctilucae had exhibited their brightness on the sea in so remarkable a degree, a heavy gale sprung up and blew on the sh.o.r.e for some hours with great violence.

"I hope no other shipwreck happened last night," said Digby, as they got up in the morning.

"I hope not," answered Marshall. "We should have heard of it before this. But if you will come down with me to the beach, by and by, we shall find that other floating things have been wrecked, and that the sea has cast them up in great numbers on the sh.o.r.e."

As soon as lessons were over the boys set out. Digby was now quite eager for anything of the sort. They had not gone far along the beach when Marshall pounced on a dark-looking ma.s.s, which he put into his jar.

"What nasty thing is that?" exclaimed Digby, looking at it with disgust.

"Nasty! no; it is a magnificent Holothuria, or sea-cuc.u.mber. Toby would call it a sea-pudding. It will look very different when it is in my vivarium, let me tell you. It now looks like a great bag, but the outside of that bag is covered with numbers of suckers, by which it is able to crawl about at a rapid rate; while in the inside are its head and intestines, and all its fishing apparatus."

"I should like to see it in full action," said Digby. "But I say, Marshall, what are all those lumps of jelly? Are they good to eat?

They look as if they would be, boiled a little, perhaps."

Marshall laughed heartily. "I doubt if even the Chinese attempt to eat them. If they do, they must eat them raw, for even in the air they very soon dissolve. Those are Medusae, or jelly-fish, or sea-nettles. The first English name they obtain from their appearance, the second on account of the property they possess of stinging; and that you would soon discover if, when you were bathing, one of them got his long arms round you."

"Arms, surely they have not got arms?" said Digby.

"Indeed they have, and very long arms, too, with which they can catch all sorts of prey. They have mouths and all internal arrangements, and, soft and gelatinous as they appear, they can consume animals of a much higher organisation than themselves. You would not suppose that they could gobble up crabs, yet they can do so without the slightest difficulty. They have also the property of giving forth light. You may see them by thousands floating about near the surface of the water, in shape like small umbrellas, and moving up and down just as if a heart beat beneath. You will find them often in the river when the flood-tide is coming in; and when we go on our trawling expedition we shall see numbers of them."

Digby, notwithstanding what Marshall had told him, had not quite made up his mind about them; and as he had brought a basket in which to carry curiosities, he put several of them into it.

"Ah, here are some of the things I admire," exclaimed Digby, picking up a star-fish. "They are curious."

"Not more so than many others," answered Marshall. "Yet I agree with you, that they are very curious indeed. You would not suppose that they can crawl along at the bottom of the sea at a considerable rate, and that they are the most voracious of marine animals. They have a big mouth in the centre of the lower side; and those star-like arms supply them with food. They progress by means of suckers, with which the whole of the lower part of their bodies is covered. They are the scavengers of the ocean; and it is wonderful the amount of animal food they can consume, which would otherwise tend to putrefy the ocean itself.

Another curious circ.u.mstance about them is, that when one or more of their rays are broken off, fresh ones are produced; indeed, I have seen it stated in print that a single ray has produced the mouth and the other rays, and then that the old ray has fallen off, and that a new star-fish, in its perfect proportions, has been thus reformed."

"I dare say what you tell me is all true," said Digby; "but it is very hard to believe."

"I am only telling you what I have heard from others, though I have observed some of the facts myself," answered Marshall. "See, now; what do you call that?" he added, holding up a very perfect Echinus.

"A sea-egg, of course," answered Digby. "But I own that it has always puzzled me how any fish can manage to lay an egg covered with spines."

"It is not an egg at all; it is much more properly called a sea-urchin or a sea-hedgehog. It is allied to the star-fish. By means of these spines it can move about with great ease; they serve also as its protection. The covering is most curious: it is composed of several hundred pentagonal plates. By a process going on continually from the inside, each one of these plates is enlarged by a fresh deposit; and thus, without altering their shape, the animal, as it grows, has its coat of armour growing also."

"Well, Marshall, I must say that you spin wonderful yarns, as Toby Tubb would say, about all these things. I suppose that they are all true; but they do sometimes make me open my eyes."

"Depend on it they are all true. Mr Nugent can tell still more wonderful ones," answered Marshall. "The more we examine the productions of nature the more wonderful things we shall discover.

There is no doubt, also, that--"

"I dare say not," said Digby, yawning. "But do you know, Marshall, that, somehow or other, I would rather sometimes hear old Toby spin one of his yarns than listen to my uncle's lectures on natural history.

They are all very well in their way when one is in the humour for them, but, just now, I am rather inclined for a brisk walk; and, thinking of Toby, I say, I wish that we could get him to tell us how the ship he was on board of attacked I don't know how many Frenchmen, or some other of our enemies, and took one of them in sight of their own port. He was telling Easton all about it one day. Perhaps he will not feel inclined to tell it again."

Marshall laughed at the idea of an old sailor _not_ liking to spin a yarn a second time, when the chances were in favour of his having already spun it many hundred times. He took the hint, also, about the lectures on natural history, and said nothing more to Digby on the subject. He well knew that if he was to attempt to cram it down his throat, Digby would be very likely to take a disgust to it, and obstinately set his face against all branches of natural history. He promised, moreover, to try and get Toby to spin the yarn in which Easton had been so much interested.

The next Sat.u.r.day half-holiday was very lovely, and all Mr Nugent's pupils agreed to make a boating excursion up the river as far as they could go, and to dine in pic-nic fashion at the end of the voyage.

"We must try and get Toby Tubb to spin his yarn," observed Digby, as they were starting.

Mrs Nugent had supplied them with some cold provisions; and they took potatoes to cook, and tea and sugar; and they hoped to catch some fish, which would be a great addition to their fare. However, they were fortunately independent of the fish, which sometimes obstinately refuse to be caught.

Power, however, who had great confidence in his own success as a fisherman, wanted the rest to leave a cold veal pie behind, a.s.suring them that he would take care that they had an ample supply of salmon-peel, and ba.s.s, and flounders, which he promised to catch and cook for them.

"That is all very well," said Marshall; "but I vote that we take the pie, and then we can be eating that while Power is dining on the fish which he has not yet caught."

"Now, do you, Toby, take the helm, and we will row," said Marshall, seating himself ready to pull the stroke oar.

Digby jumped in next him, for he knew that he was about to fulfil his promise, to get Toby to spin a yarn.

All took their seats, up went the oars. "Give way!" sung out Toby. The oars came with a simultaneous flop into the water, and the young crew bending to them, the boat glided swiftly and steadily over the smooth surface. The scenery for some distance was very beautiful: there were high cliffs, broken and fantastic in shape, with here and there openings through which green fields, and woods, and cottages could be seen, and deep bays and inlets, and, further off, downs, or heather land, on which sheep or cattle were feeding. The sky was blue, the air was fresh and pure; all were enjoying themselves, though they could not perhaps tell why.

"Try old Toby now," whispered Digby into Marshall's ear.

Marshall began in a diplomatic way. "Now, Toby," he said, "while we are pulling and cannot talk much, it seems a pity that you should not be telling us something we should like to hear. You have been in a battle or two, I dare say; perhaps fought with double your numbers, and came off victorious, as I have heard of British seamen doing more than once."

"I believe you, Master Marshall," interrupted Toby. "I have been in a battle when we had three to one against us, and still we thrashed them.

I'll tell you how it was. I belonged, in those days, to the _Spartan_, a smart frigate of thirty-eight guns, and a first-rate dashing officer, Captain Jahleel Brenton, commanded her. We were in the Mediterranean in the year 1810. Many were the things we did which we had a right to talk about. It was about the end of April we were cruising in company with the _Success_ frigate, Captain Mitford, and the sloop _Espoir_, when, standing in for the Castle of Terrecino, on the Italian coast, we made out a ship, three barques, and several feluccas, at anchor under shelter of the guns of that fort. Our captain, as soon as he saw them, determined to have them; so as he was commodore, do you see, he ordered away the boats of the squadron to cut them out. I was not a little pleased to find myself in one of the _Spartan's_ boats. The whole expedition was commanded by Lieutenant Baumgart, of the _Spartan_; and we had with us another brave officer, Lieutenant George Sartorius, of the _Sirius_.

"We rendezvoused on board the _Spartan_, and soon after noon pulled in for the castle, covered by the fire of the squadron, which opened a brisk cannonade on the town and batteries. The enemy were not idle, and the shot were flying pretty thick about us, but that did not stop our way.

"'There's the ship, my boys, and we must have her, and the barques too, if we can,' sung out our lieutenant; and on we dashed, with a loud cheer, towards her.

"Round-shot and bullets came rattling about our heads, but they didn't stop our way more than would a shower of hail. Away we pulled, maybe a bit faster, to get through them the quicker. In a quarter less no time we were alongside the ship, which mounted six guns, scrambling up her sides, knocking everybody who opposed us on the head--not that all stopped for that, seeing that many leaped into their boats as soon as we gained the deck, and pulled away for the sh.o.r.e. The rest, however, made a tough fight of it before they knocked under. To cut the cables and to let fall the topsails and sheet home was the work of a few moments only, and we were under weigh almost before the enemy had turned the guns of the castle on us.

"The other boats, meantime, divided the barques among them, and, attacking them altogether, drove their crews into the water, and, cutting their cables, made sail after us. We lost only one man killed and two wounded in the whole affair, and carried all four vessels off in safety.

"That's what we call a cutting-out expedition. There's nothing we used to like better. They were generally pretty sharp slap-dash affairs; no shilly-shallying, and counting what was dangerous and what was not; but it was pull in, jump aboard, and we were out again with the prizes before the enemy had time to find out what we were about. But that wasn't what I was going to tell you about.