We Arrive at Treasure Island
"Land ahead!"
Such was the welcome cry that greeted my ears as I awoke on the
morning of our thirty-eighth day afloat.
Hastily throwing on my clothes, I rushed on deck to view the land of
promise. We were approaching the Lesser Antilles, and ahead the
lofty, wooded slopes of an extensive island were slowly coming into
sight, while north and south the peaks of other islands showed their
heads above the horizon, for the weather was particularly clear, the
hour being just after sunrise.
Captain Jeremy was already up and about, and was holding the chart
in his hand, for we were on the point of passing over shoal water,
though no rocks reared their heads above the sea.
The leadsman was in the chains, his voice being heard with
monotonous regularity--"By the mark five"[1]; and the anchor was
already uncatted and hung ready to let go at the first sign of
danger.
Astern the _Neptune_ was wallowing slowly in our wake, under reduced
canvas.
Gradually the island loomed nearer and nearer, till we could
distinguish a saddle-shaped hill, covered with dense vegetation,
descending steeply on its northern face, while its southern portion
seemed to end in a long, flat plain. At first sight there appeared
no break in the encircling ridge of white sand 'gainst which the
breakers flung themselves in cascades of milk-white foam, the noise
of which was borne to our ears like the distant roll of drums.
"By the deep four," shouted the leadsman.
"Carry on," said Captain Jeremy calmly, though by his manner I knew
'twould be hazardous to question him. "Another man in the chains!"
"A quarter less four." The water was shoaling rapidly.
Still our Captain gave no sign to alter the brig's course, although
an ominous pale green patch ahead and several others of a dark brown
hue on either side of us betokened the presence of dangerous
sandbanks and rocks. His eyes were intently fixed on a rocky
pinnacle which was slowly coming into line with a distant island.
"Hard a larboard!"
Round swept the _Golden Hope_, heeling over to the beam wind as it
caught her retrimmed sails. We were now shaping a course parallel to
the eastern side of the island, while the _Neptune_, turning in our
wake, had also succeeded in negotiating the unseen channel.
"Keep her as she goes, quartermaster," ordered Captain Jeremy, who
was now devoting his attention to some secret bearings on the shore.
"By the mark thirteen," sang out the leadsman, while almost directly
afterwards his companion gave the cry, "And a half six."
"Starboard your helm."
Once more the _Golden Hope_ swung round till she lay on her former
course and was pointing straight for the island. Right ahead I could
now see a deep bay, or rather gulf, protected by a ridge of jagged
rocks running obliquely seaward from either horn of the land. Even
here the rollers ran high, but they lacked the broken crest that
elsewhere marked an almost continuous submerged reef.
Away aloft sprang the men to reduce still further our spread of
canvas. With a succession of heavy lurches the _Golden Hope_ crossed
the bar and entered the land-locked harbour.
"Let go," shouted Captain Jeremy, laying down his glass with a sigh
of relief and wiping his heated brow.
With a sullen splash the anchor plunged beneath the waves, the stout
hempen cable flew through the hawse-pipe, and the _Golden Hope_
brought up head to wind in the sheltered anchorage of Treasure
Island.
The _Neptune_, smartly handled, also dropped anchor half a cable's
length nearer inshore, and steps were immediately taken to moor both
vessels, a massive chain bridle and swivel being bent on to the
cables to prevent undue chafing, and also to facilitate matters
should we be compelled to slip in a hurry.
The waters of this little harbour were so clear that the bed of the
sea could be distinctly seen at a depth of five fathoms. The _Golden
Hope_ was lying immediately over a white sandy 'patch, though both
her anchors were embedded in blue mud, which formed an excellent
holding-ground.
It being too late in the day to land, for mooring and "snugging
down" had taken up a considerable time, all hands were allowed to
stand easy. Many of the men took advantage of this permission to
bathe, and a strange sight it was to see a constant stream of seamen
running along our fore-yard and diving thence into the sea.
For my part, I could not bring myself to attempt a plunge from that
dizzy height, but contented myself with diving off the catheads; yet
before many days had passed I conquered my fears and essayed the
leap, for which I had reason to be thankful ere the cruise of the
_Golden Hope_ was over.
A sharp look-out was kept in case the swimmers were attacked by
sharks, but we were not molested by these monsters. On our voyage we
had frequently come across them, and they would follow the ship for
days; but on our crossing the bar they deserted us. Possibly the
roar of the surf had frightened them, and we were not sorry to lose
their unwelcome attentions.
Next day the boats were ordered away to sound the bay and the bar
without. The weather was exceedingly hot, and even when sheltered
beneath canvas awnings the heat was oppressive. Yet ere nightfall
the soundings were taken, with sufficient exactness to assure
ourselves that no hidden danger lay within the entrance to our
harbour, while the wreck of the Spanish caravel was discovered lying
close to the northernmost arm of the reef in eleven fathoms of
water.
I could trace her rounded sides and lofty poop and fo'c'sle, even
though the timbers were covered with weeds. She was lying almost on
an even keel, though with a slight list to starboard, her bows
pointing obliquely to the shore. Had she been a few hundred yards to
the south'ard she must assuredly have made the harbour in safety,
and then there would have been no need for our presence off the
island.
"It was commonly supposed," said Captain Jeremy to me, "that the
whole of the crew of the caravel perished in the wreck, but I can
prove that such was not the case. When she struck she remained above
water some time--possibly for weeks--and the survivors removed the
treasure to a safe hiding-place in the hills. How they fared you
shall see. With the next heavy gale the _Madre_ slipped off the
rocks and settled in deep water, where we now see her. This accounts
for the treasure not being found by anyone but myself. Now we'll
return to the _Golden Hope_, for 'tis nearly sunset."
That night extra watches were set on both ships, for we knew not
whether the island was inhabited or otherwise, while at any time
some buccaneering craft might attempt to surprise us as we lay at
anchor. But nothing untoward occurred to, disturb our slumbers,
although the change from the constant heave of the ocean to the
motionless calm within this sheltered harbour caused me to lie awake
on my back for several hours.
A thousand thoughts passed through my brain. Here we were off
Treasure Island, but would our quest be successful? What was my
uncle doing? Had he guessed the reason of my flight? or did he think
that I had come to some untimely ending? If the latter, what would
he do with my home in far-off Brockenhurst? And Constance--how was
she faring? Then I recalled the incidents that led to my presence on
board the _Golden Hope_. I pictured again the struggle with the two
dragoons on the Lyndhurst Road, the fatal night when my father was
foully slain, the underground refuge, my midnight flight and
subsequent discomforts in the hold. Once more I saw the Algerine
crumple up under our broadside, and pictured the boarding of the
_Neptune_. These and a chain of other incidents I recalled, till
just before dawn I fell asleep.
Yet during the short interval while I slept occurred the first of a
series of incidents that led to the direst misfortunes which befel
our enterprise.
[1] This refers to the sounding in fathoms as shown by the leadline.
This line is "marked" at 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17, and 20 fathoms
by distinctive strips of calico, bunting, leather, &c. The
intervening depths are not "marked", and are called "deeps".