Swiss Family Robinson Part 13

Juno strongly objected to his friendly approaches, and got out of his way so fast as she could; and it was clear that he would easily put to flight the fiercest animal he might encounter, while protected by armour at once defensive and offensive. I determined to make also a helmet for Jack out of the remainder of the skin, which to his infinite delight I speedily did.

Amid these interesting occupations the evening drew on, and after a pleasant walk among the sweet glades near our abode, we closed our Sabbath day with prayer and a glad hymn of praise, retiring to rest with peaceful hearts.

Next morning, I proposed an expedition to Tentholm, saying I wished to make my way thither by a different route. We left the tree well armed; I and my three elder sons each carrying a gun and game-bag, while little Franz was equipped with his bow and quiver full of arrows. A most curious party we formed: Fritz adorned with his belt of margay skin, and Jack, with his extraordinary headdress, looked like a couple of young savages.

Their mother and I walked together; she, of the whole party, being the only one unarmed, carried a jar in which to get b.u.t.ter from Tentholm; we were preceded by the dogs Turk armed most effectually with his cuira.s.s of porcupine skin, and Juno keeping at a respectful distance from so formidable a companion.

Master Knips fully intended to mount his charger as usual; but when he saw him arrayed apparently in a new skin, he approached him carefully, and touching him with one paw, discovered that such a hide would make anything but an agreeable seat; the grimace he made was most comical, and chattering vociferously he bounded towards Juno, skipped on her back, seated himself, and soon appeared perfectly reconciled to the change of steed.

The flamingo saw us starting, and, having been much petted during the last day or two, considered himself ent.i.tled to accompany us; for some time he kept beside the children, following first one and then another as they explored the wood on either side; their irregular course, however, at length disgusted him, and, abandoning them, he walked sedately by my side.

We strolled on in the cool evening air, following the course of the stream. The boys roamed ahead of me, intent on exploration.

Presently I heard a joyful shout, and saw Ernest running at full speed towards me, followed by his brothers. In his hand he held a plant, and, panting for breath, and with sparkling eyes, he held it up to me.

'Potatoes! Potatoes, father,' he gasped out.

'Yes,' said Jack, 'acres and acres of potatoes!'

'My dear Ernest,' said I, for there was no mistaking the flower and leaf, and the light clear-green bulbous roots, 'you have indeed made a discovery; with the potato we shall never starve.'

'But come and look at them,' said Jack, 'come and feast your eyes on thousands of potatoes.'

We hurried to the spot: there, spread out before us, was a great tract of ground, covered with the precious plant.

'It would have been rather difficult,' remarked Jack, 'not to have discovered such a great field.'

'Very likely,' replied Ernest, smiling, 'but I doubt if you would have discovered that it was a potato field.'

'Perhaps not,' said Jack, 'you are quite welcome, at all events, to the honour of the discovery; I'll have the honour of being the first to get a supply of them.' So saying, he dug up, with hands and knife, a number of plants, and filled his game-bag with the roots. The monkey followed his example, and scratching away with his paws most cleverly, soon had a heap beside him. So delighted were we with the discovery, and so eager were we to possess a large supply of the roots, that we stopped not digging until every bag, pouch and pocket was filled.

Some wished to return at once to Falconhurst, to cook and taste our new acquisition; but this I overruled, and we continued our march, heavily laden, but delighted.

'How,' said I, 'can we thank the Giver of all these blessings, sufficiently?'

'Oh,' said Franz, 'we can say, "We thank thee, O Lord, for all thy goodness and mercy; and bless us for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen."'

'That would not be sufficient,' said Fritz. 'Do you think it would be enough just to say to father and mother: "Thank you for all you do,"

and not to show that we were really thankful, by loving them and doing what we can to please them?'

'You are quite right, Fritz,' said I; 'Franz did not say all that was necessary, he should have added, "Give me grace to do Thy will, and to obey Thee in all things."'

As we thus talked, we reached the head of our streamlet, where it fell from the rocks above in a beautiful, sparkling, splashing cascade. We crossed and entered the tall gra.s.s on the other side.

We forced our way through with difficulty, so thick and tangled were the reeds. Beyond this, the landscape was most lovely. Rich tropical vegetation flourished on every side: the tall stately palms, surrounded by luxuriant ferns; brilliant flowers and graceful creepers; the p.r.i.c.kly cactus, shooting up amidst them; aloe, jasmine and sweet-scented vanilla; the Indian pea and, above all, the regal pineapple*, loaded the breath of the evening breeze with their rich perfume. The boys were delighted with the pineapple, and so eagerly did they fall to, that my wife had to caution them that there were no doctors on our territory, and that if they became ill, they would have to cure themselves as best they might.

* At this point the author seems to a.s.sume that pineapples grow on trees. They do not.

This advice, however, seemed to have small effect on my sons, and showing Knips what they wanted, they sent him after the ripest and best fruit.

While they were thus employed, I examined the other shrubs and bushes.

Among these I presently noticed one which I knew well from description to be the karatas.

'Come here, boys,' I said, 'here is something of far more value than your pineapples. Do you see that plant with long pointed leaves and beautiful red flower? That is the karatas. The filaments of the leaves make capital thread, while the leaves themselves, bruised, form an invaluable salve. The pith of this wonderful plant may be used either for tinder or bait for fish.

'Suppose, Ernest, you had been wrecked here, how would you have made a fire without matches, or flint and steel?'

'As the savages do,' replied he, 'I would rub two pieces of wood together until they kindled.'

'Try it,' I said, 'but, if you please, try it when you have a whole day before you, and no other work to be done, for I am certain it would be night before you accomplished the feat. But see here,' and I broke a dry twig from the karatas, and peeling off the bark, laid the pith upon a stone. I struck a couple of pebbles over it, and, they emitting a spark, the pith caught fire.

The boys were delighted with the experiment. I then drew some of the threads from the leaves, and presented them to my wife.

'But what,' said Fritz, 'is the use of all these other p.r.i.c.kly plants, except to annoy one? Here, for instance, is a disagreeable little tree.'

'That is an Indian fig,' said I. 'It grows best on dry, rocky ground; for most of its nourishment is derived from the air. Its juice is used, I believe, medicinally, while its fruit is pleasant and wholesome.'

Master Jack was off in a moment when he heard of a new delicacy, and attempted to gather some of the fruit, but in vain; the sharp thorns defied his efforts, and with bleeding hands and rueful countenance, he returned.

I removed the thorns from his hands, and making a sharp wooden skewer, I thrust it into a fig, and quickly twisted it from its branch and split it open with a knife, still holding it upon the skewer. The rest followed my example, and we regaled ourselves upon the fruit, which we found excellent.

Ernest carefully examined the fig he was eating. 'What', he exclaimed, presently, 'are these little red insects? They cling all over the fruit, and I cannot shake them off. Can they be cochineal?'

He handed me the fig, and I examined it attentively.

'You are quite right, my boy,' I said, 'there is no doubt this is the real cochineal. However, though it is worth its weight in gold to European traders, it is of little use to us, I am afraid, unless any of you care to appear in gay colours. The cochineal, you know, forms the most lovely scarlet dye.'

'No, thank you,' said Jack, 'but we will take a lot of it when we go home again. Now let us find something more useful to us.' And they thereupon plied me incessantly with questions concerning every plant and shrub we pa.s.sed.

'Stop, stop,' I said at length. 'The most learned naturalist would be much puzzled with many of these trees; and I, who have never seen any of them before, and know them merely by description, cannot pretend to tell you the names, or explain to you the use of one quarter of them.'

Discussing, however, the properties of such shrubs as I did know, we at length reached Tentholm. Everything was safe, and we set to work to collect what we wanted. I opened the b.u.t.ter cask from which my wife filled her pot. Fritz saw after the ammunition, and Jack and Ernest ran down to the beach to capture the geese and ducks. This they found no easy matter, for the birds, left so long alone, were shy, and nothing would induce them to come on sh.o.r.e and be caught. Ernest at length hit upon an ingenious plan.

He took some pieces of cheese, and tied them to long strings. This bait he threw into the water, and the hungry ducks instantly made a grab at it; then with a little skilful manoeuvring he drew them on sh.o.r.e.

While Jack and he were thus busily employed catching and tying the rebels together by the feet, we procured a fresh supply of salt, which we packed upon Turk's back, first relieving him of his coat of mail.

The birds we fastened to our game-bags, and carefully closing the door of our tent, started homewards by the sea-sh.o.r.e. After a cheerful and pleasant walk, we once more reached our woodland abode. I released the birds, and, clipping their wings to prevent their leaving us, established them on the stream. Then, after a delicious supper of potatoes, milk and b.u.t.ter, we ascended our tree and turned in.

Having remarked a great deal of driftwood on the sands the preceding evening, it occurred to me that it would be well to get some of it, and make a kind of sledge, so that the labour of fetching what we wanted from our stores at Tentholm might not fall so heavily on ourselves.

I awoke early and roused Ernest as my a.s.sistant, wishing to encourage him to overcome his natural fault of indolence. After a little stretching and yawning, he got up cheerfully, pleased with the idea of an expedition while the others still slept, and we made our way to the beach, taking with us the donkey, who drew a large broad bough, which I expected to find useful in bringing back our load.

As we went along, I remarked to Ernest that I supposed he was rather sorry for himself, and grudged leaving his cosy hammock and pleasant dreams at this untimely hour.

'Oh, father, do not laugh at my laziness! Indeed I mean to cure myself of it. I am very glad to go with you. I intended to shoot some more of the ortolans this morning, but there will be plenty of time afterwards.

The boys will be shooting at them, I daresay, but I don't expect they will have any great luck.'

'Why not, pray?' inquired I.