The good ship _Inca_, then, was like most others built to the merchants'
order. She was "pigeon-breasted," and bulged out along the sides in
such a fashion, that her hold was far wider than her beam; and, looking
up from the bottom of the hold, the sides appeared to curve towards each
other, and converge over you like a roof. I knew that this was the
shape of the _Inca_, for it was then the universal shape of merchant
vessels, and I was somewhat used to noticing ships of all kinds that
came into our bay.
I have said that, while trying through the slits of the top of the box
with my knife, I felt something soft, which I took to be a bale of
linen; but I had also noticed that it did not extend over the whole lid.
On the contrary, there was about a foot at the end--that end contiguous
to the ship's timbers--where I could feel nothing. There were two
slits, and I had run my blade through each without touching any
substance, either hard or soft. I concluded, therefore, that there was
nothing there, and that about a foot of space behind the bale of linen
was empty.
This was easily explained. The bale standing on the two large
cloth-cases, was at that height where the side of the ship began to
curve inwards; and as its top would lie in contact with the timbers
higher up, the bottom angle would evidently be thrown out from them to
the distance of a foot or so, thus leaving a three-cornered space quite
empty, being only large enough to hold small packages of goods.
I reasoned, therefore, that if I were to proceed vertically upward, I
should soon come in contact with the side timbers of the ship,
constantly curving inward as high as the deck itself, and that I should
meet with many obstacles, such as small packages, which I knew would be
more difficult to deal with than large cases and boxes. For this
reason, then, but more for the others already assigned, I came to the
determination to make my next move in a horizontal direction.
You will perhaps wonder that I should have taken so much pains to
determine this point; but when you reflect upon the time and labour
which it required to cut through the side of a box, and then through the
adjacent side of the next--in short, to make a "stage" in advance--when
you reflect that a _whole day_ might be so occupied, you will then
perceive how important it was not to act rashly, but, if possible, to
proceed in the right direction.
After all, I was not quite so long in choosing which way to go, as I
have here been in narrating my reflections about it. It only required a
few minutes for me to make up my mind; but I was so pleased at being
once more on my legs, that I remained standing for nearly half an hour.
When sufficiently rested by this, I placed my arms inside the upper
case; and then, drawing myself up, prepared to go on with my work.
I experienced a thrill of joy as I found myself in this upper box. I
was now in the _second tier_ of the packages, and more than six feet
from the bottom of the hold. I was full three feet higher than I had
yet been; three feet nearer to the deck and the sky--to my
fellow-creatures--to liberty!
On minutely examining the end of the case through which I intended to
make an aperture, I was further joyed to find that this part of my work
would not be difficult. One board was already loose--the looseness
having been caused by my tearing out the large piece at the bottom.
Moreover, the blade of my knife told me that the object that was beyond,
did not stand close up to the case, but was several inches from it. In
fact, I could only just reach it with the tip of the blade. This was a
manifest advantage. I should be able, by a strong push or kick, to
start the board outward, and then dispose of it on one side or the other
between the two packages.
And this I finally succeeded in doing. Booted for the purpose, I laid
myself back, and then commenced beating a tattoo with my heels.
In a short while the "scranching" sound announced that the hoops and
nails were giving way; and after another kick or two the board flew out,
and slipped down between the boxes quite out of my reach.
I was not slow in thrusting my hands through the aperture thus made, and
endeavouring to ascertain what sort of an article was to come next; but
though I could feel a broad surface of rough plank, I was unable to make
out what sort of a package it was.
I knocked out another piece from the end of the cloth-case, and then a
third--which was all there was of it--so that I had now the whole end
open before me.
This gave me a fine opportunity to explore beyond, and I continued my
examination. To my surprise, I found that the broad surface of rough
deal extended in every direction beyond my reach. It rose vertically,
like a wall, not only covering the whole end of the cloth-case, but
stretching beyond it, upward and on both sides--how far I could not
tell, but so far that, after thrusting my arms up to the elbows, I could
feel neither edge nor corner.
This, then, was certainly a case of different shape and size from any I
had yet encountered; but what kind of goods it contained, I had not the
slightest idea. Cloth it was not likely to be, else it would have
resembled the other cases; nor yet linen--and there was some
gratification in knowing it could not be this.
In order to ascertain what it really was, I inserted my blade through
the slits of the rough deal. I felt something like paper; but I could
perceive that this was only an outside covering, for immediately under
it a hard substance resisted the point of my blade, almost as hard and
smooth as marble. By pressing the knife forcibly, however, I could feel
that it was not stone, but wood, some kind that was very hard, and that
appeared to be polished finely on the surface. When I struck suddenly
against it, it gave out an odd echo--a sort of ringing sound, or
"twang," but for all this, I could not imagine what it was.
There was no help for it but to cut into the case, and then perhaps I
should become better acquainted with the contents.
I followed a plan I had tried already. I selected one of the boards, of
which the great case was made, and with my knife cut it across the
middle. It was nearly twelve inches in width, and the work occupied me
for many long hours. My knife had become as "dull as a beetle," and
this added to the difficulty of the task.
The section was completed, at length; and, laying aside the knife, I
contrived to draw one end of the cut plank outwards. The space between
the two cases gave me room to move the board upward and downward, till
at length the nails at the end were twisted out, and the board fell down
along with the others.
The second half was displaced in a similar manner; and I had now made an
opening in the great case, large enough to enable me to examine its
contents.
There were sheets of paper spread over the surface of something hard and
smooth. These I dragged outwards, and laid the surface bare; and then I
ran my fingers over it. I perceived that it was some kind of wood, but
polished till it was as slippery as glass. It felt to the touch just
like the surface of a mahogany table; and I might have mistaken it for
one, but on rapping it with my knuckles, it gave forth that same ringing
hollow sound I had already noticed. Striking it with still greater
violence, I could hear a prolonged musical vibration, that reminded me
of an Eolian harp.
But I had now become aware of the nature of this huge object. It was a
_Pianoforte_. I had seen one like it before. One used to stand in the
corner of our little parlour, upon which my mother often made most
beautiful music. Yes, the object whose broad smooth surface now barred
my way, was neither more nor less than a _Piano_.