"A year passed away, during which I was thus employed. At last, the
birds made their appearance, and after we had laid up our annual
provision, I was freed from my task, and had only to share the labour
with others. It was now a great source of speculation how long we were
likely to remain on the island; every day did we anxiously look out for
a vessel, but we could see none, or if seen, they were too far off from
the island to permit us to make signals to them. At last we began to
give up all hope, and, as hope was abandoned, a settled gloom was
perceptible on most of our faces. I believe that others would have now
mutinied as well as myself, if they had known what to mutiny about.
Your father and mother were the life and soul of the party, inventing
amusements, or narrating a touching story in the evenings, so as to
beguile the weary time; great respect was paid to your mother, which
she certainly deserved; I seldom approached her; she had taken a
decided dislike to me, arising, I presume, from my behaviour towards
her husband, for now that I was again on a footing with the others, I
was as insolent to him as I dared to be, without incurring the penalty
attached to insubordination, and I opposed him as much as I could in
every proposal that he brought forward--but your father kept his
temper, although I lost mine but too often. The first incident which
occurred of any consequence, was the loss of two of the men, who had,
with your father's permission, taken a week's provisions, with the
intention of making a tour round the island, and ascertaining whether
any valuable information could be brought back; they were the carpenter
and one of the seamen. It appears that during their return, as they
were crossing the highest ridge, they, feeling very thirsty, and not
finding water, attempted to refresh themselves by eating some berries
which they found on a plant. These berries proved to be strong poison,
and they returned very ill--after languishing a few days, they both
died.
"This was an event which roused us up, and broke the monotony of our
life; but it was one which was not very agreeable to dwell upon, and
yet, at the same time, I felt rather pleasure than annoyance at it--I
felt that I was of more consequence, and many other thoughts entered my
mind which I shall not now dwell upon. We buried them in the guano,
under the first high rock, where, indeed, the others were all
subsequently buried. Three more months passed away, when the other
seaman was missing. After a search, his trousers were found at the edge
of the rock. He had evidently been bathing in the sea, for the day on
which he was missed, the water was as smooth as glass. Whether he had
seen something floating, which he wished to bring to land, or whether
he had ventured for his own amusement, for he was an excellent swimmer,
could never be ascertained--any more than whether he had sunk with the
cramp, or had been taken down by a shark. He never appeared again, and
his real fate is a mystery to this day, and must ever remain so. Thus
were we reduced to four men--your father, the captain, the mate, and
me. But you must be tired--I will stop now, and tell you the remainder
some other time."
Although I was not tired, yet, as Jackson appeared to be so, I made no
objection to his proposal, and we both went to sleep.
While I had read the Bible to Jackson, I had often been puzzled by
numbers being mentioned, and never could understand what was meant,
that is, I could form no of the quantity represented by seventy or
sixty, or whatever it might be. Jackson's answer was, "Oh! it means a
great many; I'll explain to you bye-and-bye, but we have nothing to
count with, and as I am blind, I must have something in my hand to
teach you." I recollected that at the bathing pool there were a great
many small shells on the rocks, about the size of a pea; there were
live fish in them, and they appeared to crawl on the rocks. I collected
a great quantity of these, and brought them up to the cabin, and
requested Jackson would teach me to count. This he did, until he came
to a thousand, which he said was sufficient. For many days I continued
to count up to a hundred, until I was quite perfect, and then Jackson
taught me addition and subtraction to a certain degree, by making me
add and take away from the shells, and count the accumulation, or the
remainder. At last, I could remember what I had gained by manipulation,
if I may use the term, but further, I could not go, although addition
had, to a degree, made me master of multiplication, and subtraction
gave me a good idea of division.
This was a new delight to me, and occupied me for three or four weeks.
At last I had, as I thought, learned all that he could teach me in his
blind state, and I threw away the shells, and sighed for something more.
Of a sudden it occurred to me, that I had never looked into the book
which still lay upon the shelf in the cabin, and I saw no reason now
that I should not; so I mentioned it to Jackson, and asked him why I
might not have that book?
"To be sure you may," replied he; "but you never asked for it, and I
quite forgot it."
"But when I asked you before, you were so particular that I should not
open it. What was your reason then?"
Jackson replied--"I had no reason except that I then disliked you, and
I thought that looking into the book would give you pleasure. It
belonged to that poor fellow that was drowned; he had left it in the
stern-sheets of the boat when we were at Valdivia, and had forgotten
it, and we found it there when we landed on the island. Take it down,
it will amuse you."
I took down the book, and opened it. It was, if I recollect right,
called "Mavor's Natural History." At all events, it was a Natural
History of Beasts and Birds, with a plate representing each, and a
description annexed. It would be impossible for me to convey to the
reader my astonishment and delight. I had never seen a picture or
drawing in my life. I did not know that such things existed. I was in
an ecstasy of delight as I turned over the pages, hardly taking
sufficient time to see one object before I hastened on to another. For
two or three hours did I thus turn over leaves, without settling upon
any one animal; at last my pulse beat more regularly, and I commenced
with the Lion. But now what a source of amusement, and what a multitude
of questions had to be answered by my companion. He had to tell me all
about the countries in which the animals were found; and the
description of the animals, with the anecdotes, were a source of much
conversation; and, what was more, the foregrounds and backgrounds of
the landscapes with which the animals were surrounded produced new
ideas. There was a palm-tree, which I explained to Jackson, and
inquired about it. This led to more inquiries. The lion himself
occupied him and me for a whole afternoon, and it was getting dark when
I lay down, with my new treasure by my side. I had read of the lion in
the Scriptures, and now I recalled all the passages; and before I slept
I thought of the bear which destroyed the children who had mocked
Elisha the prophet, and I determined that the first animal I would read
about the next morning should be the bear.
I think that this book lasted me nearly two months, during which time,
except reading a portion every night and morning to Jackson, the Bible
and Prayer-book were neglected. Sometimes I thought that the book could
not be true; but when I came to the birds, I found those which
frequented the island so correctly described, that I had no longer any
doubt on the subject. Perhaps what interested me most were the plates
in which the barn-door fowls and the peacock were described, as in the
background of the first were a cottage and figures, representing the
rural scenery of England, my own country; and in the second there was a
splendid mansion, and a carriage and four horses driving up to the
door. In short, it is impossible to convey to the reader the new ideas
which I received from these slight efforts of the draftsman to give
effect to his drawing. The engraving was also a matter of much wonder,
and required a great deal of explanation from Jackson. This book became
my treasure, and it was not till I had read it through and through, so
as almost to know it by heart, that at length I returned to my Bible.
All this time I had never asked Jackson to go on with his narrative;
but now that my curiosity was appeased, I made the request. He
appeared, as before, very unwilling; but I was pertinacious, and he was
worried into it.
"There were but four of us left and your mother, and the mate was in a
very bad state of health; he fretted very much, poor fellow, for he had
left a young wife in England, and what he appeared to fear most was,
that she would be married again before he could get home. It ended in a
confirmed liver complaint, which carried him off nine months
afterwards; and thus was one more of our companions disposed of. He
died very quietly, and gave me his sleeve-buttons and watch to deliver
to his wife, if ever I should escape from the island. I fear there is
little chance of her ever receiving them."
"Where are they?" said I, recollecting how I had seen him lift up the
board under his bed-place.
"I have them safe," replied Jackson, "and if necessary, will tell you
where to find them."
This reply satisfied me, and I allowed him to proceed.
"We buried him in the guano, by the side of the two others, and now we
were but three. It was at this time that your mother was confined and
you were born; that is about three months after the death of the mate.
We had just finished laying in our stock of birds for the year when she
was taken ill, sooner than was expected, and it was supposed that it
was occasioned by over-exertion at the time. However, she got up very
well without any medical assistance, and your father was much pleased
at having a son, for he had been married five years without any
prospect of a family. I ought to observe that the loss of our
companions, one after another, had had the effect of bringing those
that remained much closer together; I was treated with more kindness by
both your father and mother, and the captain, and I returned it as well
as my feelings would permit me, for I could not altogether get rid of
my animosity to your father. However, we became much more confidential,
that is certain, and I was now treated as an equal.
"Six months passed away and you had become a thriving child, when a
melancholy occurrence"--here Jackson covered up his face with his hands
and remained for some time silent.
"Go on," said I, "Jackson, I know that they all died somehow or
another."
"Very true," replied he, recovering himself. "Well, your father
disappeared. He had gone to the rocks to fish, and when I was sent to
bring him home to dinner, he was nowhere to be found. It was supposed
that a larger fish than usual had been fast to his line, and that he
had been jerked off the rocks into the water and the sharks had taken
him. It was a dreadful affair," continued Jackson, again covering his
face.
"I think," replied I, "that any man in his senses would have allowed
the fish to have taken the line rather than have been dragged into the
water. I don't think that the supposed manner of his death is at all
satisfactory."
"Perhaps not," replied Jackson; "his foot may have slipped, who knows?
we only could guess; the line was gone as well as he, which made us
think what I said. Still we searched everywhere, but without hope; and
our search--that is the captain's and mine, for your poor mother
remained with you in her arms distracted--was the cause of another
disaster--no less than the death of the captain. They say misfortunes
never come single, and surely this was an instance of the truth of the
proverb."
"How did he die?" replied I, gravely, for somehow or other I felt
doubts as to the truth of what he was saying. Jackson did not reply
till after a pause, when he said--
"He was out with me up the ravine collecting firewood, and he fell over
the high cliff. He was so injured that he died in half an hour."
"What did you do?"
"What did I do--what could I do but go back and break the news to your
mother, who was distracted when she heard it; for the captain was her
friend, and she could not bear me."
"Well go on, pray," said I.
"I did all that I could to make your mother comfortable, as there now
were but her, you, and I, left on the island. You were then about three
years old; but your mother always hated me, and appeared now to hate me
more and more. She never recovered the loss of your father to whom she
was devotedly attached; she pined away, and after six months she died,
leaving you and me only on the island. Now you know the whole history,
and pray do not ask me any more about it."