All day and another night we drifted on. The flesh of the boa was
consumed. Unless a strong breeze should get up which might drive us on
shore, we must go on for many days without being able to obtain food. I
again became anxious on that point, and was sorry we had not saved more
of the boa's flesh, unpalatable as I had found it. Again the sun rose
and found us floating on in the middle of the stream. Duppo, although
his countenance did not show much animation, was keeping, I saw, a
look-out on the water, to get hold of anything that might drift near us.
Presently I observed the small trunk of a rough-looking tree come
floating down directly towards us. As it floated on the surface, being
apparently very light, it came at a more rapid rate than we were moving.
At length it almost touched the trunk, and Duppo, signing to me to come
to his assistance, scrambled down towards it. He seized it eagerly, and
dragged it up by means of a quantity of rough fibre which hung round it.
He then asked me to help him in tearing off the fibre. This I did, and
after we had procured a quantity of it, he let the trunk go. When I
inquired what he was going to do with it, he made signs that he intended
to manufacture some fishing-lines.
"But where are the hooks? and where the bait?" I asked, doubling up my
finger to show what I meant.
"By-and-by make," he answered; and immediately on regaining our usual
seat, he set to work splitting the fibre and twisting it with great
neatness.
I watched him, feeling, however, that I could be of little assistance.
He seemed to work so confidently that I hoped he would manage to
manufacture some hooks, though of what material I was puzzled to guess.
The kind of tree which had so opportunely reached us I afterwards saw
growing on shore. It reaches to about the height of thirty feet. The
leaves are large, pinnate, shining, and very smooth and irregular. They
grow out of the trunk, the whole of which is covered with a coating of
fibres hanging down like coarse hair. It is called by the natives
_piassaba_. This fibre is manufactured into cables and small ropes. It
is also used for brooms and brushes; while out of the finer portions are
manufactured artificial flowers, baskets, and a variety of delicate
articles.
While Duppo was working away at the fishing-lines, I was watching the
various masses of trees floating near us. One especially I had observed
for some time a little ahead of us, and we now appeared to be nearing
it. As I watched it I saw something moving about, and at length I
discovered that it was a monkey. He kept jumping about from branch to
branch, very much astonished at finding himself floating down the river.
He was evidently longing to get back to his woods, but how to manage it
was beyond his conception. I pointed him out to Duppo. "He do," he
said, nodding his head. It was a great question, however, whether we
should reach the floating island. Even when close to it the current
might sweep us off in another direction. Still, as we had drawn so
near, I was in hopes that we should be drifted up to it. Had I not been
hungry, I should have been very unwilling to shoot the monkey but now, I
confess, I longed to get to the island for that very object. The
creature would supply us and True with food for a couple of days, at all
events. By that time Duppo might have finished his fishing-lines, and
we might be able to catch some fish. Had we been on a raft, we might
have impelled it towards an island; but we had no control over the huge
tree which supported us. All we could do therefore was to sit quiet and
watch its progress. Sometimes I doubted whether it was getting nearer,
and my hopes of obtaining a dinner off the poor monkey grew less and
less. Then it received a new impulse, and gradually we approached the
island. Again for an hour or more we went drifting on, and seemed not
to have drawn a foot nearer all the time. Duppo every now and then
looked up from his work and nodded his head, to signify that he was
satisfied with the progress we were making. He certainly had more
patience than I possessed. At length I lay down, True by my side,
determined not to watch any longer. I fell asleep. Duppo shouting
awoke me, and looking up I found that our tree had drifted up to the
floating mass; that the branches were interlocked, and as far as we
could judge we were secured alongside. The monkey, who had been for a
brief time monarch of the floating island, now found his dominions
invaded by suspicious-looking strangers. For some time, however, I did
not like to venture across the boughs; but at length the trunk drove
against a solid part of the mass, and Duppo leading the way, True and I
followed him on to the island. "Ocoki! ocoki!" he exclaimed, and ran
along the trunk of a tall, prostrate tree of well-nigh one hundred feet
in length. On the boughs at the further end grew a quantity of
pear-shaped fruit, which he began to pick off eagerly. I did the same,
though its appearance was not tempting, as it was covered with an outer
skin of a woody texture. As he seemed eager to get it, I did not stop
to make inquiries, but collected as much as I could carry in my wallet
and pockets. He meantime had filled his arms full, and running back,
placed them in a secure place on the trunk of the tree we had left.
The monkey had meantime climbed to a bough which rose higher than the
rest out of the tangled mass. Hunger made me eager to kill the
creature. I took good aim, hoping at once to put it out of pain. I hit
it, but in falling it caught a bough with its tail, and hung on high up
in the air. Duppo immediately scrambled away, and before long had
mounted the tree. Though the monkey was dead, its tail still circled
the bough, and he had to use some force to unwind it. He brought it
down with evident satisfaction, and now proposed that we should return
to our tree and light another fire. We first collected as much dry wood
and as many leaves as we could find. Duppo quickly had the monkey's
skin off. True came in for a portion of his dinner before ours was
cooked. I saw Duppo examining the smaller bones, which he extracted
carefully, as well as a number of sinews, which he put aside. He then
stuck some of the meat on to thin spits, and placed it to roast in the
usual fashion over the fire. While this operation was going on, he
peeled some of the fruit we had collected. Inside the rind was a
quantity of pulpy matter, surrounding a large black oval stone. I found
the pulpy matter very sweet and luscious. I ate a couple, and while
engaged in eating a third I felt a burning sensation in my mouth and
throat, and, hungry as I was, I was afraid of going on. Duppo, however,
consumed half-a-dozen with impunity. I may as well say here that this
fruit is of a peculiarly acrid character. When, however, the juice is
boiled it loses this property, and we frequently employed it mixed with
tapioca, when it is called _mingau_ by the natives. It takes, however,
a large portion of the fruit to give even a small cup of the mingau. It
grows on the top of one of the highest trees of the forest, and as soon
as it is ripe it falls to the ground, when its hard woody coating
preserves it from injury. The natives then go out in large parties to
collect it, as it is a great favourite among them.
As may be supposed, we were too hungry to wait till the monkey was very
much done. I found that I could eat a little ocoki fruit as a sweet
sauce with the somewhat dry flesh.
Although the island was of some size, yet, as we scrambled about it, we
saw that its portions were not firmly knit together, and I thought it
very likely, should a storm come on, and should it be exposed to the
agitation of the water, it might separate. I therefore resolved to
remain on our former tree, that, at all events, having proved itself to
be tolerably stable.
We were engaged in eating our meal when my ears caught that peculiar
sound once heard not easily forgotten--that of a rattlesnake. Duppo
heard it too, and so did True, who started up and looked eagerly about.
At length we distinguished a creature crawling along the boughs of a
tree about a dozen yards off. It had possibly been attracted by the
smell of the roasting monkey, so I thought. It seemed to be making its
way towards us. Perhaps it had long before espied the monkey, which it
had been unable when alive to get hold of. At all events, it was a
dangerous neighbour. I had no wish for it to crawl on to our tree,
where it might conceal itself, and keep us constantly on the watch till
we had killed it. Now I caught sight of it for a moment; now it was
hidden among the tangled mass of boughs. Still I could hear that
ominous rattle as it shook its tail while moving along. Though its bite
is generally fatal, it is easily avoided on shore, and seldom or never,
I have heard, springs on a human being, or bites unless trodden on, or
suddenly met with and attacked. In vain I looked for it. It kept
moving about under the boughs, as I could tell by the sound of its
rattle. Now it stopped, then went on again, now stopped again, and I
dreaded every instant to see it spring out from its leafy covert toward
us. I kept my gun ready to fire on it should I see it coming. I was so
engaged in watching for the snake, that I did not observe that the
island was turning slowly round. Presently there was a rustling and a
slightly crashing sound of the boughs, and I found that our tree was
once more separated from the island, and just then I saw not only one
but several snakes moving about. One of the creatures came along the
bough, and lifting its head, hissed as if it would like to spring at us,
but by that time we were too far off. Again we went floating down with
greater speed than the floating island, and, judging from the
inhabitants we had seen on it, we had reason to be thankful that we had
escaped so soon.
Duppo, since he had finished eating, had been busy scraping away at some
of the monkey bones, and he now produced several, with which he
intimated he should soon be able to manufacture some hooks. Having put
out our fire lest it should ignite the whole tree, we once more
scrambled back to our former resting-place. Duppo, having got a couple
of lines ready, worked away most perseveringly with the monkey bones,
till he had manufactured a couple of serviceable-looking hooks. These
he bound on with the sinews to the lines. He was going to fasten on
some of the knuckle-bones as weights, but I having some large shot in my
pocket, they answered the purpose much better. The hooks, baited with
the monkey flesh, were now ready for use. Duppo, however, before
putting them into the water, warned me that I must be very quick in
striking, lest the fish should bite the lines through before we hauled
them up. As we were floating downwards we cast the lines up the
current, taking our seat on a stout bough projecting over the water.
There we sat, eagerly waiting for a bite, True looking on with great
gravity, as if he understood all about the matter. I almost trembled
with eagerness, when before long I felt a tug at my line. I struck at
once, but up it came without a fish. Again, in a short time, I felt
another bite. It seemed a good strong pull, and I hoped that I had
caught a fish which would give us a dinner. I hauled it up, but as it
rose above the water I saw that it was not many inches in length.
Still, it was better than nothing. It was of a beautiful grey hue. On
getting it into my hand to take it off the hook, what was my surprise to
see it swell out till it became a perfect ball. "_Mamayacu_!" exclaimed
Duppo. "No good eat." I thought he was right, for I certainly should
not have liked attempting to feed on so odd-looking a creature. When
going to unhook it I found that its small mouth was fixed in the meat.
When left alone it gradually resumed its former proportions.
I soon had another bite, and this time I hoped I should get something
worth having. Again I hauled in, when up came a fish as long as the
other was short and round, with a curious pointed snout. This, too, had
been caught by the tough monkey meat, and promised to be of little more
service than my first prize. I caught two or three other curious but
useless fish, though, if very much pressed for food, we might have
managed to scrape a little flesh off them. Duppo sat patiently fishing
on. Though he had got no bites, he escaped being tantalised as I was by
the nibbling little creatures which attacked my bait. Perhaps he sank
his lower down. I could not exactly make it out, but so it was; and at
length I saw his line pulled violently. His eyes glistened with
eagerness. He had evidently, he thought, got a large fish hooked. He
first allowed his line to run to its full length, then gradually he
hauled it in, making a sign to me to come to his assistance. He then
handed me the line. I felt from the tugging that a fish of a
considerable size was hooked. He meantime got an arrow from his quiver
and fitted it to his bow. Then he signed to me to haul in gently. I
did so, dreading every instant that our prize would escape, for I could
scarcely suppose that a bone hook could withstand so strong a pull.
Kneeling down on the trunk, he waited till we could see the dark form of
the fish below the surface. At that moment the arrow flew from his bow,
and the next all resistance ceased; and now without difficulty I hauled
the fish to the surface. Stooping down, he got hold of it by the gills,
and with my assistance hauled it up to the trunk. It was nearly three
feet long, with a flat spoon-shaped head, and beautifully spotted
striped skin. From each side of its head trailed thin feelers, half the
length of the fish itself. I felt very sure that with such tackle as we
had that I should never have been able to secure so fine a fish. We had
now food to last us as long as the fish remained good. We had just time
to light a fire and cook a portion, as we had dressed the monkey flesh,
before darkness came on.
The night passed quietly away, and the morning light showed us the same
scene as that on which the evening had closed, of the far-off forest,
and the wide expanse of water, with single trees and tangled masses of
underwood floating on it. After we had lighted a fire, and cooked some
more fish for breakfast, Duppo put out his lines to try and catch a
further supply. Not a bite, however, did he get. He hoped, he said, to
be more successful in the evening. We therefore hauled in the lines,
and I employed the time in teaching him English. I was sure that Ellen
would be greatly pleased, should we ever return, to find that he had
improved.
Another day was passing by. The wind had been moderate and the river
smooth. Again it came on to blow, and our tree was so violently
agitated that I was afraid it would be thrown over, and that we should
be washed off it. As we looked round we saw the other masses with which
we had kept company tossed about in the same way, and frequently moving
their positions. Now we drove on before the wind faster than we had
hitherto gone. There was one mass ahead which I had remarked from the
first, though at a considerable distance. We were now drifting nearer
to it. I had watched it for some hours, when I fancied I saw an object
moving about on the upper part. "It must be another monkey," I said to
myself. I pointed it out to Duppo. He remarked that it moved too
slowly for a monkey; that it was more probably a sloth. Then again it
stopped moving, and I could scarcely distinguish it among the branches
of the trees. I hoped that we might drift near enough to get it. It
would probably afford us more substantial fare than our fish. After a
time I saw Duppo eagerly watching the island. Suddenly he started up,
and waved his hand. I looked as keenly as I could. Yes; it seemed to
me that the figure on the island was again moving, and waving also. It
was a human being; and if so, who else but Arthur? My heart bounded at
the thought. Yet, how could he have escaped? How had he not before
been seen by us? Again I waved, this time with a handkerchief in my
hand. The figure held out a handkerchief also. There was now no doubt
about the matter. It was very doubtful, however, whether we should
drift much nearer the floating island. The wind increased; a drizzling
rain came down and almost concealed it from sight, so that we could not
tell whether or not we were continuing to approach it. This increased
my anxiety. Yet the hope of seeing my friend safe, once kindled, was
not to be extinguished; even should we not drive close enough to the
island to join each other, we still might meet elsewhere. All we could
do, therefore, was to sit quietly on the tree, and wait the course of
events.
One of the most difficult things to do, I have found, is to wait
patiently. Hour after hour passed by. The wind blew hard, and often so
high did the waves rise that I was afraid we might be swept off. What
would become of us during the long, dreary night? I felt the cold, too,
more than I had done since we began our voyage. How much more must poor
Duppo have suffered, with less clothing! I should have liked to have
lighted a fire; but with the rain falling, and the tree tossing about,
that was impracticable. We all three--Duppo, True, and I--sat crouching
together in the most sheltered part of the tree. Thus the hours of
darkness approached, and crept slowly on. Did I say my prayers? it may
be asked. Yes, I did; I may honestly say that I never forgot to do so.
I was reminded, too, to ask for protection, from feeling how little able
I was, by my own unaided arm, to escape the dangers by which I was
surrounded. I tried to get Duppo to join me. I thought he understood
me; but yet he could scarcely have had the slightest conception of the
great Being to whom I was addressing my prayers. I hoped, however, when
he knew more of our language, that I should be able to impart somewhat
of the truth to his hitherto uncultivated mind.
In spite of the rain, the darkness, and the movements of our tree, I at
length fell asleep, and so, I believe, did Duppo and True. I was awoke,
after some time, by a crashing sound, similar to that which had occurred
when we drove against the floating island. I started up. True uttered
a sharp bark. It awoke Duppo. Presently I heard a voice at no great
distance exclaiming, "What is that? Who is there?"
"Who are you?" I shouted out.
"I am Arthur! And oh, Harry! is it you?"
"Yes," I answered. "How thankful I am that you have escaped!"
"And so am I that you have been saved," answered Arthur. "But where are
you? I cannot find my way among the bough. Have you come off to me in
the canoe?" I told him in reply how we were situated. "Can you join
me?" he asked. "I have hurt my foot, and am afraid of falling."
"Stay where you are," I answered; "we will try to reach you."
I made Duppo understand that I wished to get to where Arthur was. It
was necessary to move very cautiously, for fear of slipping off into the
water. We could not tell, indeed, whether the butt-end or the boughs of
our tree had caught in the floating island; all we could see was a dark
mass near us, and a few branches rising up towards the sky. I was
afraid, however, that if we did not make haste we might be again
separated from it as we had been from the other island. We scrambled
first some way along the boughs; but as we looked down we could see the
dark water below us, and I was afraid should we get on to the outer ends
that they might break and let us fall into it. I thought also of True,
for though we might possibly have swung ourselves across the boughs, he
would have been unable to follow us. I turned back, and once more made
my way towards the root-end, which, by the experience we had before had,
I hoped might have driven in closer to the mass we wished to reach. We
had to crawl carefully on our hands and knees, for the rain had made the
trunk slippery, and we might easily have fallen off. As I got towards
the end, I began to hope that it was touching the island. I again
called out to Arthur. His voice sounded clearer than before. When I
got to the end among the tangled mass of roots, I stopped once more to
ascertain what Duppo advised we should do.
I sat some time trying to pierce the gloom. At length I thought I saw a
thick bough projecting over the extreme end of our tree. If I could
once catch hold of it I might swing myself on to the island. There was
one fear, however, that it might give way with my weight. Still I saw
no other mode of getting to Arthur. True, I hoped, might leap along the
roots, which were sufficiently buoyant to bear his weight, at all
events. Having given my rifle to Duppo to hold, I cautiously went on.
I got nearer and nearer the bough. With one strong effort I might catch
hold of it. I sprang up, and seized it with both hands. It seemed
firmly fixed in a mass of floating wood. After clambering along for a
short distance I let myself down and found footing below me. I now
called to Duppo, and holding on to the bough above my head with one
hand, stepped back till at last I was able to reach the rifle which he
held out towards me. True sprang forward, and was in an instant by my
side. Duppo followed more carefully, and at length we were all three
upon the island.
"We shall soon find our way to you," I cried out to Arthur.
"Oh, thank you, thank you!" he answered.
It was no easy matter, however, to make our way among the tangled mass
of trunks and roots and boughs without slipping down into the crevices
which yawned at our feet. I could judge pretty well by his voice where
Arthur was. Duppo pulled at my arm. He wished that I would let him go
first. This I was glad to do, as I had great confidence in his judgment
and activity. Following close behind him, we at length got directly
under where Arthur was perched.
"Here we are," I cried out, "on a firm trunk. Could you not manage to
come down?"
"I am afraid not," he answered.
"Stay, then; I will climb up and assist you," I said.
Putting my gun down, I made my way up the branch. Most thankful I was
again to press his hand.
"I am somewhat sick and hungry," he said; "but now you have come, I
shall soon be all right."
"Well, let me help you down first," I replied. "We have brought some
food, and when you have eaten it we will talk more about what has
happened to us. I hope we shall manage somehow or other to reach the
shore before this island is carried out to sea."
"Oh yes, I hope so indeed," he said. "I have never thought that
likely."
I now set to work to help Arthur down. Duppo stood under the branch and
assisted me in placing him at length in a more secure position.
"Oh, I am so thankful you have come!" he kept repeating; "my only
anxiety was about you. Still I hoped, as I had so wonderfully escaped,
that you might also be safe. All I know is, that I was in the water,
and then that I found myself clinging to a bough, and that I gradually
pulled myself up out of the water. I believe I fainted, for I found
myself lying among a mass of boughs; and when I managed at last to sit
up, I discovered that I was floating down the river. Not for some time
did I feel any sense of hunger. At length, when I did so, I found,
greatly to my satisfaction, that I had my wallet over my shoulders, well
stored with provisions. They were, to be sure, wet through; but I ate
enough to satisfy the cravings of hunger. In the morning I looked about
me, hoping to see you on one of the masses of trees which were floating
down the stream round me. You may fancy how sad I felt when I could
nowhere distinguish you. I knew, however, that it was wrong to give way
to despair, so when the sun came forth I dried the remainder of the
food, which has supported me hitherto."
"But did you feel any pain from your wound?" I asked. "That has been
one great anxiety to me. I thought you were truck by a poisoned arrow."
"No," he answered. "I pulled it out at once, and had forgotten it, till
I felt a pain in my shoulder. Then the dreadful thought that it was
poisoned came across me, and I expected, for some time, to feel it
working within my system. It was perhaps that which made me faint; but
as I did not feel any other ill effects, I began to hope that, either in
passing through my jacket the poison had been scraped off, or that it
has, as I have heard, but slight noxious effects on salt-eating
Europeans."
I agreed with him that this must be the case; indeed, he complained of
only a slight pain in the shoulder where the arrow had struck him. In
the darkness which surrounded us, I could do no more than give him some
of the food we had brought with us. The remainder of the night we sat
on the trunk of the tree, Duppo and I supporting Arthur in our arms,
while True crouched down by my side. We could hear the water washing
round us, and the wind howling among the branches over our heads. The
rain at length ceased, but I felt chilled and cold; and Arthur and Duppo
were, I feared, suffering still more. Thus we sat on, doing our best to
cheer each other. So long a time had passed since Arthur had been
struck by the arrow, that I no longer apprehended any dangerous effects
from it. Still, he was very weak from the long exposure and the want of
food, and I became more anxious to get him safe on shore, where, at all
events, he might obtain shelter and sufficient nourishment. Wherever we
might be cast, we should, in all probability, be able to build a hut;
and I hoped that with my gun, and Duppo's bow, we should obtain an ample
supply of game.
"Now we have found each other, I am afraid of nothing," said Arthur.
"Neither am I," I answered. "Still I fear that Ellen and John will be
very unhappy when they do not see us."
We had been talking for some time, when we felt a violent shock. The
water hissed and bubbled up below us, and the mass of trees on which we
floated seemed as if they were being torn asunder. Such, indeed, was
the case. Duppo uttered a cry of alarm.
"What shall we do?" exclaimed Arthur. "O Harry, do try and save
yourself. Never mind me. What can have happened?"
"We have driven ashore," I answered. "I am nearly certain of it. All
we can do till daylight is to cling on to this trunk; or, if you will
stay here with Duppo, I will try and make my way to the other side, to
ascertain where we are."
"Oh, do not leave me, Harry," he said. "I am afraid something may
happen to you."
We sat on for a few minutes. Still the crashing and rending of the
boughs and sipos continued. At length I was afraid that we might be
swept away by the current, and be prevented from reaching the shore. I
therefore told Duppo what I wanted to do. He taking Arthur by one arm,
I supported him by the other, and thus holding him up we tried to force
our way among the tangled mass. Now we had to hang on by our hands,
finding no firm footing for our feet. In vain we tried to force our way
onwards. In the darkness I soon saw that it was impossible. A thick
wall of sipos impeded our progress. It was not without the greatest
difficulty that at length we got back to the trunk we had left. Even
that was violently tossed about, and I was even now afraid that we might
be thrown off it. Once more we sat down on the only spot which afforded
us any safety. Gradually objects became more clear, and then I saw,
rising up against the sky, the tall upright stems of trees. They could
not be growing on our floating island. I now became aware that the mass
on which we sat had swung round. It seemed once more to be moving on.
There was no time to be lost. Duppo and I again lifted up Arthur, and
made our way towards the end of the trunk. Not till then did I discover
that it was in actual contact with the shore. We hurried along. A few
feet only intervened between us and the dry land. "Stay, I will go
first," I exclaimed, and made a sign to Duppo to support Arthur. I let
myself down. How thankful I was to find my feet on the ground, though
the water was up to my middle. "Here, Arthur, get on my back," I cried
out. Duppo helped him, and in another minute I was scrambling up the
bank on the dry ground. Duppo let himself down as I had done, and True
leaped after us. Scarcely were we on shore when the trunk we had left
floated off, and we could see the mass, with several detached portions,
gliding down the river. Where we were we could not tell, but daylight
coming on would soon reveal that to us. We sat ourselves down on the
bank, thankful that we had escaped from the dangers to which we should
have been exposed had we remained longer on the floating island.