Swiss Family Robinson Part 34

Fortunately there was a sufficient supply of other eatables, and the fresh, delicious cocoanuts and goat's milk put everyone in good humour again.

While the mother packed everything up, Fritz and I got some sugar-cane shoots which I wished to plant, and then returned to the sh.o.r.e and again embarked.

Before returning to Whale Island, I felt a strong wish to round Cape Disappointment and survey the coast immediately beyond, but the promontory maintained the character of its name, and we found that a long sandbank, as well as hidden reefs and rocks, ran out a great way into the sea.

Fritz espying breakers ahead, we put about at once, and aided by a light breeze, directed our course towards Whale Island.

On landing, I began at once to plant the sugar-cane shoots we had brought. The boys a.s.sisted me for a while, but wearied somewhat of the occupation, and one after another went off in search of sh.e.l.ls and coral, leaving their mother and me to finish the work.

Presently Jack came back, shouting loudly:

'Father! Mother! Do come and look. There is an enormous skeleton lying here; the skeleton of some fearful great beast--a mammoth, I should think.'

'Why Jack!' returned I laughing, 'have you forgot our old acquaintance, the whale? What else could it be?'

'Oh no, father, it is not the whale. This thing has not fish bones, but real good, honest, huge, beast bones. I don't know what can have become of the whale--floated out to sea most likely. This mammoth is ever so much bigger. Come and see!'

As I was about to follow the boy, a voice from another direction suddenly cried:

'Father! Father! A great enormous turtle! Please make haste. It is waddling back to the sea as hard as it can go, and we can't stop it.'

This appeal being more pressing, as well as more important, than Jack's, I s.n.a.t.c.hed up an oar and hastened to their a.s.sistance.

Sure enough a large turtle was scrambling quickly towards the water, and was within a few paces of it, although Ernest was valiantly holding on by one of its hind legs.

I sprang down the bank, and making use of the oar as a lever, we succeeded with some difficulty in turning the creature on its back.

It was a huge specimen, fully eight feet long, and being now quite helpless, we left it sprawling, and went to inspect Jack's mammoth skeleton, which, of course, proved to be neither more nor less than that of the whale. I convinced him of the fact by pointing out the marks of our feet on the ground, and the broken jaws where we had hacked out the whalebone.

'What can have made you take up that fancy about a mammoth, my boy?'

'Ernest put it into my head, father. He said there seemed to be the skeleton of an antediluvian monster there, so I ran to look closer, and I never thought of the whale, when I saw no fish bones. I suppose Ernest was joking.'

'Whales are generally considered as fishes by those little acquainted with the animal kingdom, but they belong to the cla.s.s of mammals, which comprises man, the monkey tribes, the bats, the dogs and cats, all hoofed animals, whales and their allies, with other animals, the last on the list being the sloth.

'The name by which they are distinguished is derived from the Latin word "mama," a breast, and is given to them because all the species belonging to this cla.s.s are furnished with a set of organs called the mammary glands, secreting the liquid known as milk, by which the young are nourished.

'The bones of the whale differ from those of animals, simply in being of a hollow construction, and filled with air so as to render the carcase more buoyant. The bones of birds are also hollow, for the same reason, and in all this we see conspicuously the wisdom and goodness of the great Creator.'

'What a marvellous structure it is, father!' said Fritz. 'What a ponderous ma.s.s of bones! Can we not make use of any of them?'

'Nothing strikes me at this moment; we will leave them to bleach here yet awhile, and perhaps by sawing them up afterwards, make a few chairs, or a reading-desk for the museum. But now it is time to return home. Bring the boat round to where the turtle awaits his fate; we must settle how to deal with him.'

It was soon decided that he must swim. I fastened the empty water-cask to a long line, one end of which was made fast to the bow of the boat, the other carefully pa.s.sed round the neck and fore-paws of the creature, who was then lifted, so as to let him regain his feet; when he instantly made for the water, plunged in, the cask floated after him, and prevented his sinking.

We were all on board in a moment; and the worthy fellow, after vainly attempting to dive, set himself diligently to swim right forwards, towing us comfortably after him. I was ready to cut the line on the least appearance of danger, and kept him on the course for Safety Bay by striking the water with a boat-hook right or left, according as the turtle was disposed to turn too much one way or the other.

The boys were delighted with the fun, and compared me to Neptune in his car, drawn by dolphins, and accompanied by Amphitrite and attendant Tritons.

We landed safely at the usual place, near Rockburg, and the turtle was condemned and executed soon afterwards; the sh.e.l.l, which was quite eight feet long, and three broad, was, when cleaned and prepared, to form a trough for the water supply at the cave, and the meat was carefully salted, and stored up for many a good and savoury meal.

It had been my intention to bring a piece of land under cultivation before the next rainy season, to be sown with different sorts of grain; but many unforeseen circ.u.mstances had intervened to hinder this, and our animals, unaccustomed to the yoke, were not available for the plough.

I therefore gave up the idea for the present, and applied myself, with Ernest's a.s.sistance, to completing the loom, which, although the workmanship was clumsy, I succeeded in making quite fit for use. I had fortunately in my younger days spent many hours in the workshops of weavers and other artisans, and therefore I understood more than might have been expected of their various crafts.

Paste or size was required to smear over the threads; but we could not spare flour for such a purpose, and I used isingla.s.s, which kept the warp moist perfectly well, and spared us the necessity of setting up the loom in a damp uncomfortable place, which has often to be done to prevent the overdrying of the web.

Of this isingla.s.s I also made thin plates, to be used as window-panes; they were at least as transparent as horn, and when fixed deep in the rock and beyond the reach of rain, did good service in admitting light.

Success encouraging me to persevere, I next began harness-making; the spoils of the chase having furnished us with plenty of leather, with which I covered light frames of wood, using the hairy moss or lichen for stuffing, and ere long the animals were equipped with saddles, stirrups, bridles, yokes and collars, to the very great satisfaction of their youthful riders and drivers.

This occupation was followed by a great deal of work connected with the annual return of the herring shoals which now took place; to them succeeding, as on former occasions, shoals of other fish, and many seals. More than ever aware of the value of all of these, we did not fail to make good use of our opportunities, and captured large numbers.

The boys were getting anxious for another shooting expedition; but before undertaking that, I wished to do some basket-making, as sacks were beginning to fail us, and there was constant demand for baskets in which to carry and keep our roots and fruits. Our first attempts were clumsy enough; but, as usual, perseverance was rewarded, and we produced a good supply of all sorts and sizes. One very large basket I furnished with openings through which to pa.s.s a strong stick, so that it might, when heavily laden, be carried by two persons.

No sooner did the children see the force of this idea, than they got a bamboo, and popping little Franz into the basket, carried him about in triumph.

This amus.e.m.e.nt suggested a fresh notion to Fritz. 'Oh, father,' cried he, 'don't you think we might make something like this for mother, and carry her much more comfortably than jolting along in the cart?'

The boys shouted with glee at the proposal, and though their mother thought the plan feasible enough, she confessed that she did not much like the thought of sitting in the middle of a basket, and just looking out now and then over the rim.

However, I a.s.sured her it should be a well-shaped comfortable sedan-chair, or litter; and the next question was how it should be carried, since the boys could not play the part of Indian palanquin-bearers, either with safety to their mother, or with any pleasure to themselves.

'The bull and the buffalo!' cried Jack. 'Why not use them for it?

Let's go and try them now!'

Off ran the boys, and in a short time the basket was securely hung between Storm and Grumble. Fritz and Jack sprang into their saddles, and Ernest very gingerly deposited himself in the 'cradle', as Franz called it; they set forth at a most sober pace, the animals, who were perfectly docile, appearing only a little surprised at the new arrangement.

'Oh, it is so pleasant, mother, it is a delightful motion,' cried Ernest, as they pa.s.sed us. 'It swings and rocks really soothingly.

Quicker, Fritz! Go quicker!' And the trot pleasing him equally well, the pace gradually quickened, till the animals were going along at a rate which shook and jolted the basket about most fearfully.

Ernest called and screamed in vain for a halt. His brothers thought it capital fun to 'shake up' the 'professor', and made the circuit of the level ground near Rockburg, finally pulling up in front of us, like performers stopping to receive the applause of spectators.

It was impossible to help laughing, the scene was so ridiculous, but Ernest was very angry with his brothers, his reproaches provoked high words in reply, and a quarrel was imminent, but I interfered, and showed them how easily a joke carried too far would lead to disputes and bad feeling, urging them to avoid on all occasions any breach of the good fellowship and brotherly love which was the mainstay of our strength and happiness.

Good humour was soon restored, Ernest himself helped to unharness the beasts, and got some handfuls of salt and barley to reward their exertions, saying, that they must have some more palanquin-practise another day.

I was seated with my wife and Fritz beneath the shade of the verandah, engaged in wicker-work, and chatting pleasantly, when suddenly Fritz got up, advanced a step or two, gazing fixedly along the avenue which led from Jackal River, then he exclaimed:

'I see something so strange in the distance, father! What in the world can it be? First it seems to be drawn in coils on the ground like a cable, then uprises as it were a little mast, then that sinks, and the coils move along again. It is coming towards the bridge.'

My wife took alarm at this description, and calling the other boys, retreated into the cave, where I desired them to close up the entrances, and keep watch with firearms at the upper windows.

These were openings we had made in the rock at some elevation, reached within by steps, and a kind of gallery which pa.s.sed along the front of the rooms.

Fritz remained by me while I examined the object through my spy-gla.s.s.

'It is, as I feared, an enormous serpent!' cried I. 'It advances directly this way, and we shall be placed in the greatest possible danger, for it will cross the bridge to a certainty.'