Dreamland--A vision of home--Strange proceedings of my brother Ned--
Roughish weather--I make a slight progress--A ray of light--The
cargo--The wooden case--A disappointment--In darkness again--A welcome
draught--My bed--My slumbers interrupted by ugly visitors--I determine
to catch some rats--My further efforts at escape--My ill-success--My
conscience troubles me, but I succeed in quieting it--My visions--
Tantalising Aunt Deb and Mr Butterfield--The conference of the rats--
Their opinion of mankind--Their grievances and proposed remedies--A
sneeze and its effects.
My slumbers were far from tranquil. I think, indeed, that sometimes I
must have been half awake, for I was convinced that creatures were
running over me; but when I put my hand out they escaped. Then I began
to dream, and I fancied I was at home again in my own room. How I got
there I could not tell.
Suddenly my brother jumped out of bed, and began scrambling about the
room, overturning the chairs and table, and then got behind the chest of
drawers, and sent them down with a loud crash to the ground, laughing
heartily as he did so. It was very unlike his mode of proceeding, as he
was the quietest and best conducted member of the family. When he got
tired of this sort of amusement he began pulling the bed about, and
lifting it from side to side.
Naturally I expected to be tumbled out. I begged him to let me alone,
as I had gone through a great deal of fatigue, and wished to be quiet.
But he would not listen to me, and only shook the bed more violently
than before. Losing patience, I was going to jump up and seize him,
when I awoke.
I found that the movement was real, for the ship was rolling and
pitching more heavily than she had before done, and I could hear the
bulkheads creaking, and the timbers complaining, and the heels of the
mast working, and the dull sound of the water dashing against the sides
of the ship. There was still less chance than ever of being heard
should I again shout out, so I refrained from exhausting my strength by
the exercise of my voice. So much did the stout ship tumble about that
I could not attempt to make another exploring expedition. I therefore
lay still, waiting till the ship would again be quiet. I didn't know
then that a storm sometimes lasts for days, and that I might be starved
to death before it was over. Though the bun and draught of cold water
had somewhat satisfied my appetite, I again began to feel hungry, though
not so hungry as I might have been without them. Having nothing to eat,
I went off again to sleep.
When I once more roused up I began to think of the astonishment and
alarm my disappearance would cause to Aunt Deb and Mr Butterfield.
Would they have any suspicion of what had become of me? Perhaps they
would fancy that I had fallen off the quay into the river; but then Aunt
Deb would most likely insinuate that such was not to be my case. I
confess that any anxiety she might feel didn't trouble me, but I
regretted the anxiety my disappearance would cause my parents, and
brothers and sisters at home. However I could not help it, so I put the
thought from me. Hunger at last induced me to make another attempt to
escape, in spite of the way the ship was tumbling about. I fancied that
one of the bulkheads against which I had come was not so stout and
strong as the others. I thought I would try and force my way through,
but with only my hands how was that to be done.
Whilst creeping about I shoved my legs or arms into any opening I came
across. In doing so I kicked against some object which moved. I worked
my foot on till I came to the end of it, and then contrived to draw from
under one of the casks what proved to be a handspike, which had probably
on some occasion dropped down into the hold. I can't express the
satisfaction the possession of this instrument gave me. I felt it all
over, and tried its strength by a blow on the kelson, for at first I was
afraid it might be rotten. It proved sound. Armed with it I returned
to the bulkhead, against which I determined to make my attack. Standing
as firmly as I could, I dealt blow after blow as high up as I was able
to reach.
I suspected that had it not been for the noises which were constantly
issuing from all parts of the ship the sound of my blows would have been
heard. At last, to my joy, I felt something give way. This encouraged
me to proceed. On feeling with my hands I found that I was working
against a small upright door, which opened, I concluded, into another
part of the hold. I redoubled my efforts, and getting in the handspike
worked away till the door yielded still more. This further encouraged
me to proceed, but the operation took me a long time. Occasionally no
progress was made, but, like the dropping of water on a hard rock,
ultimately prevailed.
Now one nail was drawn, now another, and I was sure that the door was
giving way. A strong man would with one or two wrenches have forced it
open. Weak as I was for want of food, it now seems surprising to me
that my exertions should have produced any effect. I had begun at the
top. By working the handspike lower and lower down I by degrees tore
away the door, or as I may more properly say the panel, as there were no
hinges that I could discover. I was exerting all my strength in another
effort when it gave way, and down I fell with my head almost through the
aperture I had made. A faint light which came down from an opening
far-away revealed the sort of place I was in. Had I not been so long
accustomed to darkness I don't think that its strength would have been
sufficient for me to discover the objects around. I made out several
bales, cases, and packages, stowed tightly together; but still I failed
to see any outlet.
After recovering from my fall, by which I was somewhat hurt, I crept
out, endeavouring to move some of the huge packages; but I did so in
vain. I tried one and then another, but they did not yield to the
utmost efforts I could make. Though I could not move the packages, I
determined to try if any of them contained something edible. I first
felt the packages. I was convinced they were bales of canvas or loose
cloth. At last I came upon a wooden case. This I hoped might prove to
be full of biscuits or hams. I accordingly got out my knife, expecting
by patience to make a hole sufficiently large to admit my hand. As I
was completely in the dark I had to be very cautious not to cut myself
or break my knife, an accident which I knew was very likely to occur, I
cut out, therefore, only a small piece at a time. Then I felt with my
left hand to ascertain how I had got on. The case was very thick, and
it must have taken me a couple of hours or more before I could make a
hole an inch square. Even then I was not through it. I cut and cut
away, till to my satisfaction my knife went through. I now made fast
progress, and before long, as I ran in the blade it struck against a
hard substance. Still I went on, and at last found to my bitter regret
that the case contained iron goods of some sort. In spite of all the
care I had taken I had much blunted my knife, and I was afraid I might
not be able to make a hole in any other case I might find. I was ready
to cry with vexation, but it would be of no use to do that, so I shut up
my knife until I could discover some promising package to attack. I
felt about in vain for another case. By this time the faint light I had
observed had faded away, and I thus knew that evening had come on. I
had had only two buns all this time. Unless I could get some food I
fancied that I must die. Though I had nothing to eat I had plenty to
drink, and to refresh myself I returned to the part of the ship out of
which I had clambered. I soon discovered the water-cask, to which,
pulling out the plug, I eagerly applied my mouth. The huge draught of
water I swallowed greatly refreshed me, and prevented me feeling the
pangs of hunger. I now went back once more to that part of the hold to
which I had just gained access.
Feeling about, I came upon a piece of canvas, and I thought to myself
that it would somewhat add to my comfort could I make use of it to sleep
on. I dragged it out, and found that it was of sufficient size for my
purpose.
The exertions I had made had greatly exhausted my strength. I should
have lain down on the packages, but when I felt about I found that they
would not form an easy couch. There was no room to stretch myself, and
they were secured by hard ropes. Besides this I thought it possible
that from the working of the ship some of them might slip out of their
places, and come down upon me. I therefore dragged the piece of canvas
into the lower part of the hold, and, stretching it under one of the
water-casks, lay down to rest, intending before long to be up again and
at work.
I quickly dropped off to sleep, but was soon awakened by feeling some
creatures crawling over me. That they were rats I could have no doubt,
from their weight and the loud thud they made as they jumped off and on
the kelson. I lay perfectly quiet. Now I felt a fellow running up my
leg--now scrambling over my body. But the rogues did not venture near
my hands, their instinct telling them that they would have their necks
wrung if they did so. My object was to catch one or two of them, and,
disgusting as the idea would have been at any other time, I determined
if I could to get hold of one forthwith to eat him.
I had often grumbled at home of having on a Monday morning to consume
the dry bread which had remained over from the previous week. This
system had commenced on the arrival of Aunt Deb, who would not allow a
scrap of food to be lost, and she therefore persuaded my mother to give
up the hot rolls which we previously had for breakfast on that day. It
was the first of the many reforms introduced by our respected aunt which
didn't endear her to us.
The rats continued their gambols. Now I felt a fellow perched on my
leg--now he would run along my arm, and before I could lift up my hand
he was off again. I kept my feet covered up in the canvas, for I had no
wish to have them nibbling at my toes. Somehow or other none of them
came near my face, or I should certainly have caught one.
At length I jumped up determined to make chase, but the moment I moved
they were off in all directions. Perhaps they thought they had a hungry
enemy to deal with. I felt about everywhere, thinking I might find one
of them stowed away under a cask, or in some hole or corner, but they
had gone off, like imps of darkness as they were, at sunrise.
I wished more than ever for light. I thought that I could then
infinitely better have endured my confinement.
Fortunately for me, the ship must have been well cleaned out before the
cargo was taken on board; and as she was as tight as a bottle, there was
no bilge-water in her. Had there been, I could not have existed so long
far down in the depths of her hold.
The chase after the rats had aroused me, and I felt less inclination
than before to sleep, so I got up, resolved to have another search for
food of some sort. I was not very particular. A pound of tallow
candles would have been welcome as a meal. I did not stop to consider
whether I could have digested them. They would at all events have
allayed the gnawing of hunger. I remembered reading of people suffering
from hunger when navigating the ocean in open boats, and how much a
flying-fish, or a booby, or a lump of rancid grease, had contributed to
keep body and soul together. But neither booby nor flying-fish could I
possibly obtain. I tried to think of all the various articles with
which the ship was likely to be freighted. During my numerous visits to
the quay alongside which she had been moored, I had had the curiosity to
try and ascertain the contents of the packages about being hoisted on
board. I had in some places observed large packages of raisins, dried
figs, and hams, and kegs of butter, and dried fish, but they were being
landed. I had, however, seen no things of the same description
alongside the "Emu."
Still, unless I searched I was sure not to find; so, again crawling
through the opening I had made, I once more began to feel my way about,
and to try every package I could reach.
The cases I felt were all rough and strong. The packages were covered
with a stout material, showing the nature of the goods within. Again I
tried to move some of them so that I might make my way onwards, but I
found as before that they were all firmly jammed in their proper
positions. It was difficult to divine how the space I had got into had
been left vacant.
I might have spent two or three hours in the search, for of course I was
obliged to move slowly and with the greatest caution to avoid knocking
my head against any object, or falling down again and injuring myself.
I no longer felt any pain from my sprained ankle. The enforced rest I
had given it had contributed to restore it to use.
How little those on deck supposed that a human being was creeping about
so far down beneath their feet.
Before I gave in I tried another case, which seemed more promising than
any of those I had hitherto discovered. I got out my knife. I carved
and cut, feeling each little chip as I got it off; the case was of soft
deal, so that I had no great difficulty in cutting it, but I did so
without much hope of reaching food after all, and began to feel that I
should have to fall back on raw rat for supper. That was if I could
manage to catch the said rat. As before, I was disappointed. I got
into the case, but could only feel a mass of hay serving to pack china
or crockeryware of some sort. I had had hopes of success, and I could
not help feeling much disappointed.
The desire of sleep, which I had for some time thrown off, returned, and
I crept back to the spot which I had selected for my couch. I wrapt
myself up in the canvas, taking care to guard my feet, and putting one
hand over my nose, and the other under me, so that the rats should not
be able to nibble any of my extremities, which I thought it likely they
would try to do. I hoped, however, that if they made the attempt I
should be more successful in catching one.
For some time hunger prevented me from going to sleep. Again I thought
over my past life--my childhood's days--the time I spent at school--my
various companions--my chums and enemies--the tricks I had played--the
canings and floggings I had received--for instruction at that period was
imparted with a much larger proportion of the _fortiter in re_ than of
the _suaviter in modo_. I used then to wish heartily to get away from
school, but now I would very gladly have found myself back there again,
even with the floggings in prospect, provided I could be sure of an
ample breakfast, even though that breakfast might have consisted of
larded bread and sugarless tea. Though I had often had quarrels with my
brothers and sisters, I would willingly have entered into a compact
never to quarrel again. I would gladly have endured one of the longest
lectures Aunt Deb had ever given me, repeated ten times over, always
provided I was sure of obtaining a lump of bread and cheese after it. I
would thankfully have listened to the driest of some of my father's dry
sermons, with the expectation of obtaining a cold dinner on my return
home from church. But I knew that regrets were unavailing, and that as
I had made my bed so I must lie in it.