CHAPTER V.

_Return to the wreck._

I broke a silence of some moments, with observing to my wife,
that I could not conquer my alarm at the view of so many cares
and such a variety of exertions to be made! In the first place,
a journey to the vessel. This is of absolute necessity; at least,
if we would not be deprived of the cattle and various other useful
things, all of which from moment to moment we ran the risk of
losing, by the first approach of a heavy sea. On the other hand,
there are so many things to think of, and so much exertion is
to be made, for the comfort of all in this desert spot! What
ought we to resolve upon? For example,—is it not, above all,
necessary to contrive a better kind of habitation, and also the
means of procuring a more secure retreat from wild beasts, for
ourselves, and some separate place of accommodation for our
provisions? I own I am at a loss what to begin upon first.

All will fall into the right order by degrees, observed my wife;
patience and regularity in our plans will go as far as actual
labour. I cannot, I confess, help shuddering at the thought of
this voyage to the vessel; but if you judge it to be of absolute
necessity, it appears to me that it cannot be undertaken too
soon. In the mean while, nothing that is immediately under my
own care shall stand still, I promise you. Let us not be over
anxious about the morrow; sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof. These were the words of the great and true friend of
mankind, and let us use so wise a counsel for our own benefit.

I will follow your advice, said I, and without further loss of
time. You shall stay here with the three youngest boys; and Fritz,
being so much stronger and more intelligent than the others,
shall accompany me in the undertaking.

At this moment I started from my bed, crying out loudly and briskly:
Get up, children, get up; it is almost light, and we have some
important projects for today; it would be a shame to suffer the
sun to find us still sleeping, we who are to be the founders
of a new colony!

At these words Fritz sprang nimbly out of the tent, while his
little brothers began to gape and rub their eyes, to get rid
of their sleepiness. Fritz ran to visit his jackall, which during
the night had become cold and perfectly stiff. He fixed him upon
his legs, and placed him to look like a sentinel at the entrance
of the tent, joyously expecting the wonder and exclamations of
his little brothers at so singular and unexpected an appearance.
But no sooner had the dogs caught a sight of him, than they began
a horrible barking, and set themselves in motion to fall upon
him instantly, thinking he was alive. Fritz had enough to do
to restrain them, and succeeded only by dint of coaxing and
perseverance.

In the mean time, their barking had awaked the younger boys,
and they all ran out of the tent, curious to know what could
be the occasion. Jack was the first who appeared, with the young
monkey on his shoulders; but when the little creature perceived
the jackall, he sprang away in terror, and hid himself at the
furthest extremity of the grass which composed our bed; with
which he covered himself so completely, that scarcely could the
tip of his nose be seen.

The children were much surprised at the sight of a yellow-coloured
animal standing without motion at the entrance of the tent. O
heavens! exclaimed Francis, and stepping back a few paces for
fear; it is a wolf! No, no, said Jack, going near the jackall
and taking one of his paws; it is a yellow dog, and he is dead;
he does not move at all. It is neither a dog nor a wolf, interrupted
Ernest in a consequential tone; do you not see that it is a _golden_
fox? Best of all, most learned professor! now exclaimed Fritz.
So you can tell an agouti, when you see him, but you cannot tell
a jackall; for jackall is the creature you see before you, and
I killed him myself in the night!

_Ernest._—In the night, you say, Fritz! In your sleep, I
suppose . . . . .

_Fritz._—No, Mr. Ernest; not in my sleep, as you so good-naturedly
suppose, but broad awake, and on the watch to protect you from
wild beasts! But I cannot wonder at this mistake in one who does
not know the difference between a jackall and a _golden_ fox!

_Ernest._—You would not have known it either, if papa had not
told you . . . . .

Come, come, my lads, I will have no disputes, said I. Fritz,
you are to blame in ridiculing your brother for the mistake he
made. Ernest, you are also to blame for indulging that little
peevishness of yours. But as to the animal, you all are right
and all are wrong; for he partakes at once of the nature of the
dog, the wolf, and the fox; and for his skin, it is really of
a golden tint! The boys in an instant became friends; and then
followed questions, answers, and wonder in abundance.

And now, my boys, let me remind you, that he who begins the day
without first addressing the Almighty, ought to expect neither
success nor safety in his undertakings. Let us therefore acquit
ourselves of this duty before we engage in any other occupation.
Having finished our prayers, the next thing thought of was breakfast;
for the appetites of young boys open with their eyes. Today their
mother had nothing to give them for their morning meal but some
biscuit, which was so hard and dry, that it was with difficulty
we could swallow it. Fritz asked for a piece of cheese to eat
with it, and Ernest spied about the second cask we had drawn
out of the sea, and which was standing in our kitchen, to discover
whether, as we had all imagined, it also contained some Dutch
cheeses. In a minute or two he came up to us, joy sparkling in
his eyes. Papa, said he, if we had but a little butter spread
upon our biscuit, do you not think it would improve it?

That indeed it would; but—_if_,—_if_; these never-ending _ifs_
are but a poor dependence. For my part, I had rather eat a bit
of cheese with my biscuit at once, than think of _ifs_, which
bring us so meagre a harvest.

_Ernest._—Perhaps though, the _ifs_ may be found to be worth
something, if we were to knock out the head of this cask.

_Father._—What cask, my boy? and what are you talking of?

_Ernest._—I am talking of this cask, which is filled with excellent
salt butter. I made a little opening in it with a knife; and
see, I got out enough of it to spread nicely upon this piece
of biscuit.

That glutton instinct of yours for once is of some general use,
answered I; and justice requires that I should also commend,
with moderation, the excellence of your nose. But now let us
profit by the event. Who will have some butter on their biscuits?
The boys surrounded the cask in a moment, while I was in some
perplexity as to the safest and most speedy method of getting
out its contents. Fritz proposed taking off the topmost hoop,
by which means one of the ends could be got out. But this I objected
to, observing, that we should be careful not to loosen the staves,
as the great heat of the sun would not fail to melt the butter,
which would run out, and thus be wasted. The idea occurred to
me, that I would make a hole in the bottom of the cask, sufficiently
large to take out a small quantity of butter at a time; and I
immediately set about manufacturing a little wooden shovel, to
use it for the purpose. All this succeeded vastly well, and we
sat down to breakfast, some biscuits and a cocoa-nut shell full
of salt butter being placed upon the ground, round which we all
assembled, and none of us failing from time to time to wish for
a fairy’s wand, to have enabled us to add a little milk from
the cow, or from some cocoa-nuts, to quench our thirst. We however
toasted our biscuit, and while it was hot applied the butter,
and contrived, without the fairy’s wand, to make a hearty breakfast.

Our dogs allowed us to finish our meal in tranquillity. They
were sleeping by our side; but I did not fail to remark, that
their late encounter with the jackalls had not concluded without
their receiving several wounds, which I now, for the first time,
observed in various parts of their body, and principally round
their necks. Fearing that the heat might bring on inflammation,
I desired Jack, the valiant, to wash a small quantity of the
butter thoroughly in fresh water, and then to anoint the wounds
with it while they continued sleeping. This he effected with
much skill and tenderness. The dogs awoke, but did not attempt
the least resistance, seeming to be sensible of the benefit he
was conferring on them; they themselves assisted the cure, by
frequently licking the parts; so that in a few days they were
as well as before.

One of the things we must not forget to look for in the vessel,
said Fritz, is a spiked collar or two for our dogs, as a protection
to them, should they again be called upon to defend themselves
from wild beasts, which I fear it is too probable will be the
case.

Oh! says Jack, I can make some spiked collars, if mamma will
give me a little help.

That I will most readily, my boy; for I should like to see what
new fancy has come into your head, cried mamma.

Yes, yes, pursued I, as many new inventions as you please; you
cannot better employ your time; and if you produce something
useful, you will be rewarded with the honour of our commendations.
But now we must think of setting ourselves to some occupation.
You, Mr. Fritz, who, from your superior age and discretion, enjoy
the high honour of being my privy counsellor, must make haste
and get yourself ready, and we will undertake today our voyage
to the vessel, to save and bring away whatever may be possible.
You younger boys will remain here, under the wing of your kind
mother; I hope I need not mention that I rely on your perfect
obedience to her will, and general good behaviour.

While Fritz was getting the boat ready, I looked about for a
pole, and put a piece of white linen to the end of it; this I
drove into the ground, in a place where it would be visible from
the vessel; and I concerted with my wife, that in case of any
accident that should require my immediate presence, they should
take down the pole and fire a gun three times as a signal of
distress, in consequence of which I would immediately return.
But I gave her notice, that there being so many things to accomplish
on board the vessel, it was very probable that we should not
be able to return the same day; in which case I, on my part,
also promised to make them signals. My wife had the courage and
the good sense to consent to my plan. Though she was well aware
that it could not but be dangerous to pass a night alone with
the children, without my protection, she yet preferred the risk,
to that of my returning late from the vessel. She, however, extorted
from me a promise that we should pass the night in our tubs,
and not on board the ship. We took nothing with us but our guns
and a recruit of powder and shot, relying that we should find
plenty of provisions on board; yet I did not refuse to indulge
Fritz in the wish he expressed to let him take the young monkey,
he feeling the most eager impatience to see how the young creature
would like some milk from the cow or from a goat.

We embarked in silence, casting our anxious looks on the beloved
objects we were quitting. Fritz rowed steadily, and I did my
best to second his endeavours, by rowing from time to time, on
my part, with the oar which served me for a rudder. When we had
reached to a considerable distance, I remarked, that beside the
opening by which we had the first time made land, there was another
that formed the mouth of the river, running not far from that
spot, and the current of which was visible a good way into the
sea.

To take advantage of this current, and to husband our strength
by means of it, was my first thought and my first care. Little
as I knew of the management of sea affairs, I however succeeded
in keeping our boat in the direction in which it ran, by which
means we were drawn gently on, till it had conducted us to within
a short distance of the vessel, without our having any other
trouble than that of keeping in the same line: at length, in
consequence of the gradual diminution of its force, we were again
obliged to have recourse to our oars; but our arms having now
rested for some time, we were ready for new exertions. A little
afterwards we found ourselves safely arrived at the cleft of
the vessel, and fastened our boat securely to one of its timbers.

Scarcely had we got out of the boat than Fritz proceeded with
his young monkey on his arm to the main deck, where he found
all the animals we had left on board assembled. I followed him
with great readiness, well pleased to observe the generous impatience
he betrayed, to relieve the wants of the poor abandoned creatures,
who, one and all, now saluted us by the cry or the sounds natural
to its species! It was not so much the want of food, as the desire
of seeing once more their accustomed human companions, which
occasioned them to manifest their joy in this manner, for they had
a portion of the food and water we had left them, still remaining.
The first thing we did was to put the young monkey to one of
the goats, that he might suck; and this he did with such evident
pleasure, and such odd grimaces, that he afforded us much amusement.
—We next examined the food and water of the other animals, taking
away what was half spoiled, and adding a fresh supply, that no
anxiety on their account might afterwards interrupt our enterprise.
Nor did we neglect the care of renewing our own strength by a
plentiful repast.

While we were seated, and appeasing the calls of hunger, Fritz
and I consulted what should be our first occupation; when, to
my great surprise, the advice he gave was, that we should immediately
contrive a sail for our boat. In the name of Heaven, cried I,
what makes you think of such a thing at so critical a moment,
and when we have so many other things of indispensable necessity
to arrange? We will think of a sail when we have leisure, with
all my heart, for it is an affair which will take a considerable
time to accomplish. In reality, I experienced great uneasiness
at the thought of passing the night at a distance from my family.

All you say is very true, father, said Fritz; but let me confess
the truth, which is, that I found it very difficult to perform
the task of rowing for so long a time, though I assure you I
did my best, and did not spare my strength. I observed that,
though the wind blew strong in my face, the current nevertheless
carried us on. Now, as we cannot be benefited on our return by
the current, I was thinking that we might make the wind supply
its place. Our boat will be very heavy when we have loaded it
with all the useful things we mean to take away, and I am afraid
I shall not be strong enough to row to land. Now do you not think
that a sail would be of great assistance?

Ah ha, Mr. Fritz! So you wish to spare yourself a little trouble,
do you? But to speak seriously, I perceive a great deal of good
sense in your argument, and think myself much obliged to my privy
counsellor for his good advice. The best thing we can do is,
to take care and not overload the boat, and thus avoid the danger of
sinking, or of being obliged to throw some of our stores over-board.
Come then, let us set to work upon your sail, which, if it saves
your labour in rowing, will be at least a little troublesome
at present. Come along, and let us look about for what we want.

I assisted Fritz to carry a pole strong enough to serve for a
mast, and another not so thick for a sail-yard. I directed him
to make a hole in a plank with a chisel, large enough for the
mast to stand upright in it.

I then went to the sail-chamber, and cut off from an ample piece
of sail-cloth enough to make a triangular sail: in the edges
I made holes, and passed cords through them. I then sought for
a pulley, that I might fasten it to the top of the mast, and
thus be enabled to raise and lower my sail at pleasure. Thus
prepared, I hastened to join Fritz, who was earnestly working
at the mast. As soon as he had done, we placed the plank that
he had perforated, upon the fourth of our tubs, and made it fast.
The pulley was suspended from a ring at the top of the mast,
and the cord, attached to the sharpest angle of the sail, was
passed through it. The sail formed a right-angle triangle, one
side of which touched the mast, and was fastened to it. The shortest
side was also fastened with cords to a pole, stretching from
the mast beyond the circumference of our bark, and of which one
end was fastened to the mast, and the other, by means of a cord,
to the helm, in such a manner that I could, from my position,
either weather the sail, or let it go altogether. In the foremost
and hindmost bench of our little bark, we made holes with a piercer,
and passed cords through them, by means of which we could pass
the sail from the right to the left side of us, and back again,
without being obliged to turn the boat entirely round.

While I was thus occupied, Fritz had been taking observations
through a telescope of what was passing on land, and which we
had already done several times. He imparted the agreeable tidings
that all was still well with our dear family. He had distinguished
his mother walking tranquilly along the shore. He soon after
brought me a small streamer, which he had cut from a piece of
linen, and which he entreated me to tie to the extremity of the
mast, and he appeared as much delighted with the streamer as
with the sail itself. He gave to our machine the name of _The
Deliverance_; and in speaking of it, instead of calling it a
_boat_, it was now always denominated _the little vessel_. I
could not withhold a smile at vanity like this, in such a situation
as ours; it gave me too an opportunity of observing the operation
of this prominent feature of human nature, in a lad of fourteen
years of age. I myself took great pleasure in seeing the little
streamer floating in the air, and in the respectable appearance
of our machine altogether.

But now, father, said Fritz, looking kindly on me as he spoke,
as you have eased me of the labour of rowing, it is my turn to
take care of you. I am thinking about making you a better-contrived
rudder; one that would enable you to steer the boat both with
greater ease and greater safety. Your thought would be a very
good one, said I, but that I am unwilling to lose the advantage
of being able to proceed this way and that, without being obliged
to veer. I shall therefore fix our oars in such a manner as to
enable me to steer the raft from either end. Accordingly, I fixed
bits of wood to the stem and stern of the vessel, in the nature
of grooves, which were calculated to spare us a great deal of
trouble.

During these exertions the day became far advanced, and I perceived
that we should be obliged to pass the night in our tubs, not
having as yet entered upon our task of emptying the vessel. We
had promised our family to hoist a flag as a signal of our intention
to pass the night from home, and we decided that our streamer
was precisely the thing we wanted for this purpose.

We employed the rest of the day in emptying the tubs of the useless
ballast of stone, and putting in their place what would be of
service, such as nails, pieces of cloth, and different kinds
of utensils, &c. &c. The Vandals themselves could not have made
a more complete pillage than we had done. The prospect we seemed
to have of an entire solitude, made us devote our principal attention
to the securing as much powder and shot as might fall in our
way, that we might thus secure the means of catching animals
for food, and of defending ourselves against wild beasts to the
latest moment possible. Utensils also for every kind of workmanship,
of which there was a large provision in the ship, were also objects
of incalculable value to us. The vessel, which was now a wreck,
had been sent out as a preparation for the establishment of a
colony in the South Seas, and for that reason had been provided
with a variety of stores not commonly included in the loading
of a ship. Among the rest, care had been taken to have on board
considerable numbers of European cattle; but so long a voyage
had proved unfavourable to the oxen and the horses, the greatest
part of which had died, and the others were in so bad a condition
that it had been found necessary to destroy them. The quantity
of useful things which presented themselves in the store-chambers,
made it difficult for me to select among them, and I much regretted
that circumstances compelled me to leave some of them behind.
Fritz, however, already meditated a second visit; but we took
good care not to lose the present occasion for securing knives
and forks and spoons, and a complete assortment of kitchen utensils.
In the captain’s cabin we found some services of silver, dishes
and plates of high-wrought metal, and a little chest filled with
bottles of all sorts of excellent wine. Each of these articles
we put into our boat. We next descended to the kitchen, which
we stripped of gridirons, kettles, pots of all kinds, a small
roasting-jack, &c. Our last prize was a chest of choice eatables,
intended for the table of the officers, containing Westphalia
hams, Bologna sausages, and other savoury food. I took good care
not to forget some little sacks of maize, of wheat, and other
grain, and some potatoes. We next added such implements for husbandry
as we could find;—shovels, hoes, spades, rakes, harrows, &c.
&c. Fritz reminded me that we had found sleeping on the ground
both cold and hard, and prevailed upon me to increase our cargo
by some hammocks, and a certain number of blankets: and as guns
had hitherto been the source of his pleasures, he added such
as he could find of a particular costliness or structure, together
with some sabres and clasp knives. The last articles we took,
were a barrel of sulphur, a quantity of ropes, some small string,
and a large roll of sail-cloth. The vessel appeared to us to
be in so wretched a condition, that the coming on of the least
tempest must make her go to pieces.

It was then quite uncertain whether we should be able to approach
her any more.

Our cargo was so considerable, that the tubs were filled to the
very brim, and no inch of the boat’s room was lost. The first
and last of the tubs were reserved for Fritz and me to seat ourselves
in and row the boat, which sunk so low in the water, that, if
the sea had been otherwise than quite calm, we should have been
obliged to ease her of some of the loading: we, however, used
the precaution of putting on our swimming-jackets, for fear of
any misfortune.

It will easily be imagined that every moment of the day had been
laboriously employed. Night suddenly surprised us, and it was
no longer possible to form a hope of returning to our family
the same evening. A large blazing fire on the shore soon after
greeted our sight,—the signal we had agreed upon for assuring
us that all was well, and to bid us close our eyes in peace.
We returned the compliment by tying four lanterns with lights
in them to our mast-head. This was answered on their part, according
to agreement, by the firing of two guns; so that both parties
had reason to be satisfied and easy.

After offering up our earnest prayers for the safety and happiness
of all, yet not without some apprehension for the night, we resigned
ourselves to sleep in our tubs, which, it must be confessed,
did not afford us a very enviable place of rest: they were, however,
safer than the vessel, and more convenient for guarding our heavily
loaded machine. At the least cracking of the vessel, we might
cut the rope in an instant, and get out to sea. Our night, thank
God, passed tranquilly enough: my boy Fritz slept as soundly
as if he had been in a bed; while I, notwithstanding my fatigue,
could neither close my eyes, nor keep them from the direction
of the shore, perpetually haunted by the recollection of the
nocturnal visit of the jackalls, some of whose race I feared
might come and enter the tent. I had, however, great reliance
that my valiant dogs would do their duty, and was thankful to
Heaven for having enabled us to preserve so good a protection.