I was now, by Jackson's account, nearly fourteen years old. During
fourteen years but one vessel had been seen by us. It might be fourteen
more, or double that time might elapse, before I should again fall in
with any of my fellow-creatures. As these thoughts saddened me, I felt
how much I would have sacrificed if Jackson had remained alive, were it
only for his company; I would have forgiven him anything. I even then
felt as if, in the murderer of my father, I had lost a friend.
That day I was so unsettled I could not do anything; I tried to read,
but I could not; I tried to eat, but my appetite was gone, I sat
looking at the ocean as it rolled wave after wave, sometimes wondering
whether it would ever bring a fellow-creature to join me; at others I
sat, and for hours, in perfect vacuity of thought. The evening closed
in; it was dark, and I still remained seated where I was. At last I
returned to my bed, almost brokenhearted; but fortunately I was soon
asleep, and my sorrows were forgotten.
Another morning was gladdened with a brilliant sun, the dark blue ocean
was scarcely ruffled by the breeze that swept over it, and I felt my
spirits much revived, and my appetite returned. After taking a meal, I
remembered what Jackson had told me about the belt with the diamonds,
and I went up to his bed-place, and turning out the bird's skins and
feathers, I raked up the gravel, which was not more than two inches
deep, and came to the board. I lifted it up, and found underneath a
hole, about a foot deep, full of various articles. There were the watch
and sleeve buttons of the mate, some dollars wrapped in old rags, a
tobacco-box, an old pipe, a brooch with hair forming initials, some
letters which were signed J. Evelyn, and which I perceived were from my
grandfather, and probably taken by Jackson after my mother's death. I
say letters, because they were such, as I afterwards found out, but I
had not then ever seen a letter, and my first attempt to decipher
written hand was useless, although I did manage to make out the
signature. There was in the tobacco-box a plain gold wedding-ring,
probably my mother's; and there was also a lock of long dark hair,
which I presumed was hers also. There were three or four specimens of
what I afterwards found out to be gold and silver ores, a silver
pencil-case, and a pair of small gold ear-rings. At the bottom of the
hole was the belt; it was of soft leather, and I could feel a hard
substance in it sewed in every square, which of course I presumed were
the diamonds, but I did not cut one of the divisions open to see what
was in them. It had on the upper part of it, in very plain writing,
"The property of Mr J. Evelyn, 33, Minories, London." I examined all
these articles one after another, and having satisfied my curiosity, I
replaced them in the hole for a future survey. I covered the hole with
the board, and put back the gravel and the feathers into the bed-place.
This occupied me about two hours, and then I again took my former
position on the rocks, and remained in a state of listless inactivity
of body and mind the remainder of that day.
This state of prostration lasted for many days--I may say for weeks,
before it was altogether removed. I could find no pleasure in my books,
which were taken up, and after a few moments laid aside. It was now
within a month of the time that the birds should come to the island. I
was in no want of them for sustenance; there were plenty left, but I
almost loathed the sight of food. The reader may inquire how it was
that I knew the exact time of the arrival of the birds? I reply that
the only reckoning ever kept by Jackson and me was the arrival of the
full moons, and we also made a mark on the rock every time that the
moon was at the full. Thirteen moons were the quantity which we
reckoned from the time of the birds appearing on the island one year,
until their re-appearance the next; and twelve moons had now passed. At
length, tired with everything, tired of myself, and I may say, almost
tired of life, I one day took it into my head that I would take some
provisions with me and a bottle to hold water, and go up the ravine,
and cut firewood which should last me a long while; and that I would
remain up there for several days, for I hated the sight of the cabin
and of all that was near to it. The next day I acted upon this
resolution, and slinging my dry provisions on my shoulder, I set off
for the ravine. In an hour I had gained it; but not being in a hurry to
cut wood, I resolved upon climbing higher up, to see if I could reach
the opposite side of the island; that is, at least, get over the brow
of the hill, to have a good view of it. I continued to climb until I
had gained a smooth grassy spot, which was clear of brushwood; and as I
sat down to rest myself, I observed some blue flowers which I had never
seen before, indeed I did not know that there was a flower on the
island. As I afterwards discovered, they were one of the varieties of
Gentianellas. I looked at them, admired them, and felt quite an
affection for them; they were very pretty, and they were, as well as
myself, alone. Jackson, when I was pointing out the English cottages in
the landscapes of "Mavor's Natural History," had told me a great deal
about gardening in England, and how wild flowers and trees were
transplanted and improved by culture; how roses and other plants were
nailed up the walls, as I had observed in the engravings, and how they
were watered and kept; and as I sat down looking at the flower, the
thought occurred to me, Why should I not take it with me, and keep it
for myself? I can water it, and take care of it. I resolved that I
would do so, for I already looked upon the plant as a treasure. I took
it up carefully with my American knife, leaving sufficient mould about
the roots, and then I proceeded to ascend the hill; but before I had
gone another hundred yards, I found at least a dozen more of these
plants in flower, all finer than the one I had dug up, and three or
four others very different from these, which were also quite new to me.
I was puzzled what to do; I put down the plants I had dug up and
continued my ascent, not having made up my mind. After half-an-hour's
climbing, I gained the summit, and could perceive the ocean on the
other side, and the other half of the island lying beneath me. It was
very grand from the height I stood on, but I observed little difference
between one side of the island and the other; all was rugged barren
rock as on my side, with the exception of the portion close to me; this
had brushwood in the ravine, which appeared to be a sort of cleft
through the island. All was silent and solitary; not a bird was to be
seen, and nothing that had life could I discover. I was about to
return, when I thought I might as well go down the ravine facing me for
a little way, and see what there was in it. I did so, and discovered
some other plants that I had not seen on my side of the island. There
were also some fern trees, and some twining plants running up them, and
I thought to myself, Why, these plants are what I saw in the picture of
the English cottages, or very like them. I wonder if they would run up
my cabin? and then all at once the idea came to me that I would plant
some of them round the cabin, and that I would make a garden of
flowers, and have plants of my own. The reader can hardly imagine the
pleasure that this idea gave me; I sat down to ruminate upon it, and
felt quite happy for the time. I now recollected, however, that the
cabin was built on the rock, and that plants would only grow in the
earth. At first this idea chilled me, as it seemed to destroy all my
schemes, but I resolved that I would bring some earth to the rock, and
make my garden in that way. I at first thought of the guano, but
Jackson had told me that it was only used in small proportions to
enrich the soil, and would kill plants if used by itself. After an
hour's consideration, during which I called to mind all that Jackson
had told me on the subject, I made up my mind I would return to the
cabin, and on my return ascertain how low down the ravine I could
obtain earth for my garden; I would then carry the earth to the cabin,
make a soil ready for the plants and flowers, and then, when all was
ready, I would go up the ravine, collect what I could, and make my
garden. I did so. I found that I could get soil about one-third of the
way up the ravine, a quarter of a mile below where the brushwood grew;
and having ascertained that, I returned to the cabin, threw down my
provisions which were to have lasted me a week, and as it was late, I
decided that I would not commence operations until the following day.
I took out of the chest a duck frock, and tying up the sleeves and
collar, so as to form a bag of the body of the frock, I set off the
next morning to begin my task. That day I contrived to carry to the
cabin ten or twelve bags of mould, which I put round it in a border
about four feet wide, and about a foot deep. It occupied me a whole
week to obtain the quantity of earth necessary to make the bed on each
side of the cabin; it was hard work, but it made me cheerful and happy
to what I had been before. I found that the best cure for melancholy
and solitude was employment, so I thus obtained valuable knowledge as
well as the making of my garden. When I had finished carrying the
mould, I started off for the ravine with two bags to hold the plants
which I might collect, and after a day's toil, I returned with my bags
full of small shrubs, besides a bundle of creepers to plant against the
sides of the cabin. The following day was occupied in planting
everything I had procured. I was sorry to see that the leaves and
flowers hung down, but I watered them all before I went to bed. The
next morning I was delighted to perceive that they had all recovered
and were looking quite fresh. But my garden was not full enough to
please me, and I once more went up the ravine, selecting other plants
which had no flowers on them, and one or two other shrubs, which I had
not before observed. When these were planted and watered, my garden
looked very gay and full of plants, and then I discovered the mould
came down for want of support at the edges; I therefore went and picked
up pieces of rock of sufficient size to make a border and hold up the
mould, and now all was complete, and I had nothing to do but to go on
watering them daily. This I did, and recollecting what Jackson had said
about the guano, I got a bag of it, and put some to each plant. The
good effect of this was soon observable, and before the birds came, my
garden was in a very flourishing condition.
I cannot express to the reader the pleasure I derived from this little
garden. I knew every plant and every shrub, and talked to them as if
they were companions, while I watered and tended them, which I did
every night and morning, and their rapid growth was my delight. I no
longer felt my solitude so irksome as I had done. I had something to
look after, to interest me, and to love; they were alive as well as I
was; they grew, and threw out leaves and flowers; they were grateful
for the care I bestowed upon them, and became my companions and friends.
I mentioned before that during the latter portion of the time I was
with Jackson, he had taught me to sing several songs. Feeling tired, in
my solitude, of not hearing the human voice, I found myself at first
humming over, and afterwards singing aloud, the various airs I had
collected from him. This afforded me much pleasure, and I used to sing
half the day. I had no one to listen to me, it is true, but as my
fondness for my garden increased, I used to sit down and sing to the
flowers and shrubs, and fancy that they listened to me. But my stock of
songs was not very large, and at last I had repeated them so often that
I became tired of the words. It occurred to me that the Prayer-book had
the Psalms of David at the end of it, set to music. I got the book, and
as far as the airs that I knew would suit, I sang them all; never were
Psalms, probably, sung to such tunes before, but it amused me, and
there was no want of variety of language.
Every three or four days I would go up the ravine, and search carefully
for any new flower or shrub which I had not yet planted in my garden,
and when I found one, as I often did, it was a source of great delight.