Youwarkee's account of the stages to Arndrumstake--The
author uneasy at her flight--His employment in her absence;
and preparations for receiving her father--How he spent the
evenings with the children.
My wife was now upon her journey to her father's; but where that was, or
how far off, it was impossible for me to conceive by her description
of the way; for she distinguished it not by miles or leagues, but by
swan-geans, and names of rocks, seas, and mountains, which I
could neither comprehend the distance of from each other, nor from
Graundevolet, where I was. I understood by her, indeed, there was a
great sea to be passed, which would take her up almost a day and night,
having the children with her, before she reached the next arkoe, though
she could do it herself she said, and strain hard, in a summer's
night; but if the children should flag by the way, as there was no
resting-place between us and Battringdrigg, the next arkoe, it might
be dangerous to them, so she would take the above time for their sakes.
After this, I found by what she said there was a narrow sea to pass, and
a prodigious mountain, before she reached her own country; and that her
father's was but a little beyond that mountain. This was all I could
know in general about it. At their departure she and the children had
taken each a small provision for their flight, which hung about their
necks in a sort of purse.
I cannot say, notwithstanding this journey was taken with my concurrence
and consent, that I was perfectly easy when they were gone, for my
affection for them all would work up imaginary fears too potent for my
reason to dispel, and which at first sat with no easy pressure upon
my mind. This my pretty babies at home perceiving, used all the little
winning arts they could to divert and keep up my spirits; and from day
to day, by taking them abroad with me, and playing with and amusing them
at home, I grew more and more persuaded that all would go right with the
absent, and that in due time I should see them return again.
But as the winter set in, I went little abroad, and then we employed
ourselves within doors in preparing several things which might not only
be useful and ornamental, if the old glumm should come to see us, but
might also divert us, and make the time pass less tediously. The first
thing I went upon was a table, which, as my family consisted of so many,
I intended to make big enough for us all. With that view I broke up a
couple of chests, and, taking the two sides of one of them, I nailed
them edge to edge by strong thick pieces underneath at each end and in
the middle; then I took two chest-lids with their hinges, nailing one
to each side of my middle piece, which made two good flaps; after this,
with my tools, of which I had now a chest-full, I chopped out of new
stuff and planed four strong legs quite square, and nailed them strongly
to each corner of my middle board; I then nailed pieces from one leg to
the other, and nailed the bed likewise to them; then I fastened a border
quite round within six inches from the bottom, from foot to foot, which
held all fast together. When all this was done, still my table was
imperfect; I could not put up the flaps, having no proper support. To
remedy this I sawed out a broad slip from a chest-side, and boring a
large hole through the centre, I spiked it up to the under-side of the
table's bed, with a spindle I contrived just loose enough to play round
the head of the spike, filing down that part of the spindle which passed
through the bed of the table, and riveting it close; so that when my
flaps were set up I pulled the slip crosswise of the table, and when the
flaps were down, the slip turned under the top of the table lengthwise:
next, under each flap, I nailed a small slip lengthwise of the flaps,
to raise them on a level, when up, with the top of the table. When I had
thus completed the several parts of this needful utensil, I spent some
time and pains by scraping and rubbing, to render it all as elegant as
could be, and the success so well answered my wish, that I was not a
little proud of the performance; and what rendered my work thereon a
still more agreeable task, was my pretty infants' company, who stood by,
expressing their wonder and approbation at every stroke.
Now I had gotten a table, I wanted chairs to it; for as yet we had
only sat round the room upon chests, which formed a bench of the whole
circumference, they stood so thick. There was no moving of them without
a monstrous trouble every time I might have occasion to set out my
table: besides, if I could have dragged them backwards and forwards,
they were too low to be commodious for seats; so I resolved to make some
chairs and stools also, that might be manageable. I will not trouble you
with the steps I took in the formation of these; only, in general, you
must know, that some more chests I broke up to that purpose served me
for timber, out of which I framed six sizeable handsome chairs, and a
competent number of stools.
But now that I was turned joiner, I had another convenience to provide
for. I had nothing wherein to enclose things, and preserve them from
dust, except the chests, and they were quite unfit for holding liquors,
victuals, and such like matters, but open shells, as most of my vessels
were. Wherefore, having several boards now remaining of the boxes I had
broken up for chairs and stools, I bethought me of supplying this great
deficiency; so of these spare boards, in a workmanlike way (for by this
time I was become a tolerable mechanic), I composed a very tight closet,
holding half-a-dozen broad shelves, shut up by a good pair of doors,
with a lock and key to fasten them. These jobs took me up almost three
months, and I thought I had not employed them idly, but for the credit
and service of my family. I was now again at leisure for farther
projects. I was uncertain as to my wife's return, how soon she might be
with me, or how much longer she might stay; but I was sure I could do
nothing in the meanwhile more grateful than increasing, by all means in
my power, the accommodations of my house, for the more polite as well as
convenient reception of her father, or any else who might accompany her
home in the way of a retinue, as she talked of. I saw plainly I had not
room for lodging them, and that was a circumstance of main importance to
be provided for. Hereupon I thought of adding a long apartment to one
of my outer-rooms, to range against the side of the rock; but reflecting
that such a thing would be quite useless, unless I could finish it in
time, so as to be complete when my guests came, and not knowing how soon
that might be, I resolved to quit this design; and I fell upon another
which might do as well, and required much less labour and fewer days to
perfect.
I remembered that amongst those things my wife had packed up on board
the ship, and which came home through the gulf, there were two of the
largest sails, and a couple of a smaller size. These I carried to
the wood, and tried them in several places to see where they might be
disposed to most advantage in the nature of a tent, and having found a
convenient spot to my purpose, I cut divers poles for supporters, and
making straining lines of my matweed, I pitched a noble one, sufficient
to cover or entertain a numerous company, and so tight everywhere as to
keep out the weather. The front of this new apartment I hung with blue
cloth, which had a very genteel effect. I had almost forgotten to tell
you that I contrived (by hanging one of the smaller sails across, just
in the middle, which I could let down or raise up at pleasure) to divide
the tent occasionally into two distinct rooms.
When I had proceeded thus far, there were still wanting seats for this
additional building, as I may call it, and though I could spare some
chests to sit on, I found they would not half do. For a supplement,
then, I took my axe and felled a couple of great trees, one from each
side of the tent, sawed off the tops, and cut each of the trunks in two
about the middle: these huge cylinders I rolled into the tent with a
good deal of toil and difficulty; two of them I thrust into the inner
division, and left two in the outer. I placed them as benches on both
sides, then, with infinite pains, I shaved the upper face of each smooth
and flat, and pared off all the little knots and roughnesses of the
front, so that they were fitted to sit on, and their own weight fixed
them in the place where I intended them to be. At the upper end of the
farther chamber I set three chests lengthwise for seats, or any other
use I might see fit to put them to.
During these operations we were all hard at it, and no hand idle but
Dicky in arms, and Sally, whom he kept in full employ; but Pedro, being
a sturdy lad, could drive a nail, and lift or carry the things I wanted,
and Jemmy and David, though so young, could pick up the chips, hold a
nail or the lamp, or be some way or other useful; for I always preached
to them the necessity of earning their bread before they ate it, and not
think to live on mine and their brother's labour.
The nights being pretty long, after work was over, and Sarah had fed her
brother and laid him in his hammock, we used to sit all down to enjoy
ourselves at a good meal, for we were never regular at that till night;
and then after supper, my wife being absent, one or other of the young
ones would begin with something they had before heard me speak of, by
saying, "Daddy, how did you use to do this or that in England?" Then all
ears were immediately open to catch my answer, which certainly brought
on something else done either there or elsewhere; and by their little
questions and my answers they would sometimes draw me into a story
of three hours long, till, perhaps, two or three of my audience were
falling asleep, and then we all went to bed.
I verily believe my children would, almost any of them, from the
frequent repetition of these stories, have given a sufficient account
of England to have gained a belief from almost any Englishman of their
being natives there.
I frequently observed, that when we had begun upon Cornwall, and
traversed the mines, the sea-coast, or talked of the fine gentlemen's
seats, and such things, one would start up, and, if the discourse
flagged ever so little, would cry, "Ay; but, daddy, what did you do when
the crocodile came after you out of the water?" And another, before
that subject was half-ended (and I was forced to enter on every one they
started), would be impatient for the story of the lion; and I always
took notice that the part each had made the most reflections on, was
always most acceptable to the same person: but poor Sally would never
let the conversation drop without some account of the muletto, it was
such a pretty, gentle creature, she said.