Reflections on mankind--The Author wants to be with his
ship--Projects going, but perceives it impracticable--
Youwarkee offers her service y and goes--An account of her
transactions on board-Remarks on her sagacity--She
despatches several chests of goods through the gulf to the
lake--An account of a danger she escaped--The Author has a
fit of sickness
Strange is the temper of mankind, who, the more they enjoy, the
more they covet. Before I received any return from my ship, I rested
tolerably easy, and but seldom thought upon what I had left behind me
in her, thinking myself happy in what I had, and completely so since
my union with my dear wife; but after I had got what I could never
have expected, I grew more and more perplexed for want of the rest, and
thought I should never enjoy true happiness while even a plank of the
ship remained. My head, be I where I would, or at what I would, was ever
on board. I wished for her in the lake, and could I but have got her
thither, I thought I should be an emperor; and though I wanted for
nothing to maintain life, and had so good a wife and five children I was
very fond of, yet the one thing I had not, reduced the comfort of all
the rest to a scanty pattern, even so low as to destroy my whole peace.
I was even mad enough to think of venturing up the cavern again, but was
restrained from the attempt by the certain impracticableness of it Then
I thought Youwarkee should make another trip to the ship. But what can
she bring from it, says I to myself, in respect of what must be left
behind? Her whole life will not suffice to clear it in, at the rate she
can fetch the loading hither in parcels. At last a project started, that
as there were so many chests on board, Youwarkee should fill some of
them and send them through the gulf to take their chance for the lake.
This, at first sight, seemed feasible; but then I considered how they
could be got from the ship to the gulf; and again, that they would never
keep out the water, and if they filled with a lading in them they would
sink; or, if this did not happen, they might be dashed to pieces against
the crags in the cavern. These apprehensions stopped me again; till,
unwilling to quit the thought, "True," says I, "this may happen to some;
but if I get but one in five, it is better than nothing." Thus I turned
and wound the affair in my mind; but objections still started too
obstinate to be conquered.
In the height of my soliloquy in comes Youwarkee, and seeing my dejected
look, would needs know the meaning of it I told her plainly that I could
get no rest from day to day ever since she first went to the ship, to
think such a number of good things lay there to be a prey to the sea, as
the ship wasted, when they might be of such infinite service here; and
that, since her last flight, I had suffered the more, when I thought how
near the gulf was to the ship; so that could I but get thither myself
with my boat, I would contrive to pack up the goods in the chests that
were on board, and carrying them in the boat, drop them near the draught
of the water, which of itself would suck them under the rock down the
gulf; and when they were passed through the cavern, I might take them
up in the lake. "Well," says she, "Peter, and why cannot I do this for
you?"--"No," says I, "even this has its objections." Then I told her
what I feared of their taking water, or dashing against the rock, and
twenty other ways of frustrating my views: "But, above all," says I,
"how can you get such large and weighty things to the gulf without a
boat? There is another impossibility! it won't do."
Youwarkee eyed me attentively. "Pr'ythee, my dear Peter," says she, "set
your heart at rest about that. I can only try; if no good is to be
done, you shall soon know it, and must rest contented under the
disappointment."--I told her if I was there, I could take all the things
out of the chests, and then melt some pitch and pour into every crack,
to keep out the water when they were set afloat. "Pitch!" says she,
"what's that?"--"Why," says I, "that is a nasty, hard, black sticking
thing that stands in tubs in the ship, and which being put over the fire
in anything to melt will grow liquid, and when it is cold be hard again,
and will resist the water and keep it out."--Says she, "How can I put
this pitch within-side of the chest-lid when I have tied it up?"--"It is
to no manner of purpose," says I, "to talk of it; so there's an end of
it."--"But," says she, "suppose yourself there, what things would you
bring first?"--I then entered into a long detail of particulars; saying
I would have this and that, and so on, till I had scarce left out a
thing I either knew of or could suppose to be in the ship; and for fear
I had not mentioned all, says I at last, if I was there, I believe I
should leave but little portable behind me.
"So, so, my dear," says Youwarkee, "you would roll in riches, I find;
but you have mentioned never a new gown for me."--"Why, aye!" says I,
"I would have that too."--"But how would you melt the pitch?" says
she.--"Oh," says I, "there is a tinder-box and matches in a room below,
upon the side of the fire-hearth." And then I let her see one I had
brought with me, and showed her the use of the flint and steel.--"Well,
my dear," says she, "will you once more trust me?"--I told her, her
going would be of little more use than to get a second gown or some such
thing; but if she was desirous, I would let her make another flight, on
her promise to be back as soon as possible.
In the evening she set out, and stayed two days, and till the night
of the third. I would here observe that though it was much lighter and
brighter on the outside of the rock where the ship lay than with us at
Graundevolet, yet having always her spectacles with her, I heard no
more complaint of the glare of light she used to be so much afraid of:
indeed, she always avoided the fire and lamp at home as much as she
could, because she generally took off her spectacles within doors; but
when at any time she had them on, she could bear both well enough.
Upon her return again, she told me she had shipped some goods to sea for
me, which she hoped would arrive safe (for by this time she had had my
seafaring terms so often over, she could apply them very properly),
and that they were in six chests, which she had pitched after my
directions.--"Aye!" says I, "you have pitched them into the sea perhaps;
but after my directions, I am satisfied was beyond your ability."--"You
glumms," says she, "think us gawrys very ignorant; but I'll satisfy you
we are not so dull of apprehension as you would make us. Did you not
show me one day how your boat was tarred and caulked, as you call
it?"--"I did," says I; "what then?"--"I'll tell you," says she. "When
I had emptied the first chest, and set it properly, I looked about for
your pitch, which at last I found by its sticking to my fingers; I then
put a good piece into a sort of little kettle, with a long handle, that
lay upon the pitch."--"Oh, the pitch-ladle!" says I.--"I know not what
you call it," says she; "but then I made a fire, as you told me, and
melted that stuff; afterwards turning up the chest side-ways, and then
end-ways, I poured it into it, and let it settle in the cracks, and with
an old stocking, such as yours, dipped into the pitch, I rubbed every
place where the boards joined. I then set the chest on the side of the
ship, and when the pitch was cold and hardened in it, filled it top-full
of things: but when I had done thus, and shut the lid, I found that
would not come so close but I could get the blade of a knife through
anywhere between it and the chest; whereupon I cut some long slips of
the cloth I was packing up, and fitting them all round the edge of the
chest, I dipped them into the pitch, and laid them on hot; and where one
slip would not do, I put two; and shutting the lid down close upon them,
I nailed it, as I had seen you do some things, quite round; then tying a
rope to the handle, I tipped the chest into the sea, holding the rope.
I watched it some time, and seeing it swim well, I took flight with the
rope in my hand, and drew the chest after me to the gulf, when, letting
go the rope, away it went. I served five more in the same manner: and
now, my dearest, I am here to tell you I hope you will be able to see at
least some of them, one time or other, in the lake."
I admired in all this at the sagacity of the gawrys. Alas! thinks I,
what narrow-hearted creatures are mankind! Did I not heretofore look
upon the poor blacks in Africa as little better than beasts, till my
friend Glanlepze convinced me, by disabling the crocodile, the passage
of the river, and several other achievements, that my own excellences
might have perished in a desert without his genius; and now what
could I, or almost any of us masterpieces of the creation (as we think
ourselves) and Heaven's peculiar favourites, have done in this present
case, that has been omitted by this woman (for I may justly style her so
in an eminent degree), and that in a way to which she was bred an utter
stranger?
After what I had heard from Youwarkee, I grew much more cheerful;
which she, poor creature, was remarkably pleased with. She went with me
constantly once, and sometimes twice a day, for several days together,
to see what success at the lake; till at length she grew very impatient,
for fear, as she afterwards told me, I should either think she had not
done what she said, or had done it in an ineffectual manner. But one
day, walking by the lake, I thought I saw something floating in the
water at a very great distance. "Youwarkee," says I, "I spy a sail!"
Then running to my boat* and taking her in, away we went, plying my oars
with all my might; for I longed to see what it was. At nearer view
I perceived it to be one of my wife's fleet. But what added to my
satisfaction was to see Youwarkee so pleased, for she could scarcely
contain herself.
When we came close to it, up she started: "Now, my dear Peter," says
she, "torment yourself no more about your goods on board; for if this
will do, all shall be your own."--She then lent me a hand to take it
in; but we had both work enough to compass it, the wood had soaked in so
much water. We then made the best of our way homewards to my wet-dock;
when, just as we had landed our treasure, we saw two more boxes coming
down the stream both together, whereupon we launched again, and brought
them in one by one; for I did not care to trust them both on one bottom,
my boat being in years, and growing somewhat crazy.
We had now made a good day's work of it; so, mooring the boat, we went
home, intending to be out next morning early with the cart, to convey
our imports to the grotto.
After supper, Youwarkee looking very earnestly at me, with tears just
glittering in her eyes, broke out in these words--"What should you
have thought, Peter, to have seen me come sailing, drowned, through the
cavern, tied to one of your chests?"--"Heaven forbid such a thought, my
charmer!" says I. "But as you know I must have been rendered the most
miserable of all living creatures by such a sight, or anything else that
would deprive me of you, pray tell me how you could possibly have such a
thought in your head?"--She saw she had raised my concern, and was very
sorry for what she had said. "Nothing, nothing," says she, "my dear!
it was only a fancy just come into my head."--"My dear Youwee," says I,
"you must let me know what you mean: I am in great pain till you explain
yourself; for I am sure there is something more in what you say
than fancy; therefore, pray, if you love me, keep me on the rack no
longer."--"Ah, Peter!" says she, "there was but a span between me and
death not many days ago; and when I saw the line of the last chest we
took up just now, it gave so much horror I could scarce keep upon my
feet."--"My dear Youwee, proceed," says I; "for I cannot bear my torment
till I have heard the worst."--"Why, Peter," says she, "now the danger
is over, I shall tell you my escape with as much pleasure as I guess
you will take in hearing of it. You must know, my life," says she, "that
having cast that chest into the sea, as I was tugging it along by
that very line, it being one of the heaviest, and moving but slowly, I
twisted the string several times round my hand, one fold upon another,
the easier to tow it; when, drawing it rather too quick into the eddy,
it pulled so hard against me, towards the gulf, and so quick, that I
could in no way loosen or disengage the cord from my fingers, but
was dragged thereby to the very rock, against which the chest struck
violently. My last thought, as I supposed it, was of you, my dear" (on
which she clasped me round the neck, in sense of her past agony); "when
taking myself for lost, I forbore further resistance; at which instant
the line, slackening by the rebound of the chest, fell from my hand of
itself, and the chest returning to the rock, went down the current. I
took a turn or two round on my graundee to recollect my past danger, and
went back to the ship, fully resolved to avoid the like snare for the
future. Indeed I did not easily recover my spirits, and was so terrified
with the thought, that I had half a mind to have left the two remaining
chests behind me; but as danger overcome gives fresh resolution, I again
set to work, and discharged them also down the gulf, as I hope you will
see in good time."
My heart bled within me all the while she spoke, and I even felt
ten times more than she could have suffered by the gulf. "My dearest
Youwee," says I, "why did you not tell me this adventure sooner?" "It is
too soon, I fear, now!" says she; for she then saw the colour forsake
my lips, my eyes grow languid, and myself dropping into her arms. She
screamed out, and ran to the chest, where all was empty; but turning
every bottle up, and from the remaining drops in each collecting a small
quantity of liquor, and putting it by little and little to my lips, and
rubbing my wrists and temples, she brought me to myself again; but I
continued so extremely sick for some days after, that it was above a
week before I could get down with my cart to fetch up my chests.
When I was able to go down, Youwarkee would not venture me alone, but
went herself with me. We then found two more of the chests, which we
landed; and I had work sufficient for two or three days in getting them
all up to the grotto, they were so heavy, and all the way through the
wood being up hill.
We had five in hand, and watched several days for the sixth, when seeing
nothing of it we gave it over for lost; but one day, as I was going for
water, Youwarkee would go with me, and urged our carrying the net, that
we might drag for some fish. Accordingly we did so; and now having taken
what we wanted, we went to the rill, and pushing in the head of the boat
(as I usually did, for by that means I could fill the vessel as I stood
on board), the first thing that appeared was my sixth chest. Youwarkee
spied it first, and cried, pointing thereto, "O Peter, what we have long
wished for, and almost despaired of, is come at last! let us meet and
welcome it." I was pleased with the gaiety of her fancy. I did as she
desired; we got it into the boat, after merrily saluting it, and so
returned home. It took us up several days time in searching, sorting,
and disposing our cargo, and drying the chests; for the goods themselves
were so far from being wetted or spoiled, that even those in the last
chest, which had lain so long in the water, had not taken the least
moisture.
Youwarkee was quite alert at the success of her packing, but left me
to ring her praises, which I did not fail of doing more than once at
unpacking each chest, and could see her eyes glow with delight to see
she had so pleased me.
She had been so curious as to examine almost everything in the ship; and
as well of things I had described, and she did know, as of what she did
not, brought me something for a sample; but, above all, had not forgot
the blue stuff, for the moment she had seen that she destined it to the
use of herself and children.