Boat-building extraordinary--Peterkin tries his hand at cookery, and
fails most signally--The boat finished--Curious conversation with the
cat and other matters.
For many days after this Jack applied himself with unremitting
assiduity to the construction of our boat, which at length began to
look something like one. But those only who have had the thing to do
can entertain a right idea of the difficulty involved in such an
undertaking, with no other implements than an axe, a bit of hoop-iron,
a sail-needle, and a broken penknife. But Jack did it. He was of that
disposition which _will_ not be conquered. When he believed himself to
be acting rightly, he overcame all obstacles. I have seen Jack, when
doubtful whether what he was about to do were right or wrong, as timid
and vacillating as a little girl; and I honour him for it!
As this boat was a curiosity in its way, a few words here relative to
the manner of its construction may not be amiss.
I have already mentioned the chestnut tree with its wonderful
buttresses or planks. This tree, then, furnished us with the chief part
of our material. First of all, Jack sought out a limb of a tree of such
a form and size as, while it should form the keel, a bend at either end
should form the stem and stern-posts. Such a piece, however, was not
easy to obtain; but at last he procured it by rooting up a small tree
which had a branch growing at the proper angle about ten feet up its
stem, with two strong roots growing in such a form as enabled him to
make a flat-sterned boat. This placed, he procured three branching
roots of suitable size, which he fitted to the keel at equal distances,
thus forming three strong ribs. Now the squaring and shaping of these,
and the cutting of the grooves in the keel, was an easy enough matter,
as it was all work for the axe, in the use of which Jack was become
wonderfully expert; but it was quite a different affair when he came to
nailing the ribs to the keel, for we had no instrument capable of
boring a large hole, and no nails to fasten them with. We were, indeed,
much perplexed here; but Jack at length devised an instrument that
served very well. He took the remainder of our hoop-iron and beat it
into the form of a pipe or cylinder, about as thick as a man's finger.
This he did by means of our axe and the old rusty axe we had found at
the house of the poor man at the other side of the island. This, when
made red hot, bored slowly through the timbers; and, the better to
retain the heat, Jack shut up one end of it and filled it with sand.
True, the work was very slowly done, but it mattered not, we had little
else to do. Two holes were bored in each timber, about an inch and a
half apart, and also down into the keel, but not quite through. Into
these were placed stout pegs made of a tree called iron-wood; and, when
they were hammered well home, the timbers were as firmly fixed as if
they had been nailed with iron. The gunwales, which were very stout,
were fixed in a similar manner. But, besides the wooden nails, they
were firmly lashed to the stem and stern-posts and ribs by means of a
species of cordage which we had contrived to make out of the fibrous
husk of the cocoa-nut. This husk was very tough, and when a number of
the threads were joined together they formed excellent cordage. At
first we tied the different lengths together; but this was such a
clumsy and awkward complication of knots that we contrived, by careful
interlacing of the ends together before twisting, to make good cordage
of any size or length we chose. Of course it cost us much time and
infinite labour, but Jack kept up our spirits when we grew weary, and
so all that we required was at last constructed.
Planks were now cut off the chestnut trees of about an inch thick.
These were dressed with the axe--but clumsily, for an axe is ill
adapted for such work. Five of these planks on each side were
sufficient; and we formed the boat in a very rounded, barrel-like
shape, in order to have as little twisting of the planks as possible,
for although we could easily bend them, we could not easily twist them.
Having no nails to rivet the planks with, we threw aside the ordinary
fashion of boat-building and adopted one of our own. The planks were
therefore placed on each other's edges, and sewed together with the
tough cordage already mentioned. They were also thus sewed to the stem,
the stern, and the keel. Each stitch or tie was six inches apart, and
was formed thus: Three holes were bored in the upper plank and three in
the lower--the holes being above each other, that is, in a vertical
line. Through these holes the cord was passed, and, when tied, formed a
powerful stitch of three-ply. Besides this, we placed between the edges
of the planks layers of cocoa-nut fibre, which, as it swelled when
wetted, would, we hoped, make our little vessel water-tight. But in
order further to secure this end, we collected a large quantity of
pitch from the bread-fruit tree, with which, when boiled in our old
iron pot, we paid the whole of the inside of the boat, and, while it
was yet hot, placed large pieces of cocoa-nut cloth on it, and then
gave it another coat above that. Thus the interior was covered with a
tough, water-tight material; while the exterior, being uncovered, and
so exposed to the swelling action of the water, was, we hoped, likely
to keep the boat quite dry. I may add that our hopes were not
disappointed.
While Jack was thus engaged, Peterkin and I sometimes assisted him; but
as our assistance was not much required, we more frequently went
a-hunting on the extensive mud-flats at the entrance of the long valley
which lay nearest to our bower. Here we found large flocks of ducks of
various kinds, some of them bearing so much resemblance to the wild
ducks of our own country that I think they must have been the same. On
these occasions we took the bow and the sling, with both of which we
were often successful, though I must confess that I was the least so.
Our suppers were thus pleasantly varied, and sometimes we had such a
profusion spread out before us that we frequently knew not with which
of the dainties to begin.
I must also add that the poor old cat which we had brought home had
always a liberal share of our good things, and so well was it looked
after, especially by Peterkin, that it recovered much of its former
strength, and seemed to improve in sight as well as hearing.
The large flat stone, or rock of coral, which stood just in front of
the entrance to our bower, was our table. On this rock we had spread
out the few articles we possessed the day we were shipwrecked; and on
the same rock, during many a day afterwards, we spread out the
bountiful supply with which we had been blessed on our Coral Island.
Sometimes we sat down at this table to a feast consisting of hot
rolls--as Peterkin called the newly baked bread-fruit--a roast pig,
roast duck, boiled and roasted yams, cocoa-nuts, taro, and sweet
potatoes; which we followed up with a dessert of plums, apples, and
plantains--the last being a large-sized and delightful fruit, which
grew on a large shrub or tree not more than twelve feet high, with
light-green leaves of enormous length and breadth. These luxurious
feasts were usually washed down with cocoa-nut lemonade.
Occasionally Peterkin tried to devise some new dish--"a conglomerate,"
as he used to say; but these generally turned out such atrocious
compounds that he was ultimately induced to give up his attempts in
extreme disgust--not forgetting, however, to point out to Jack that his
failure was a direct contradiction to the proverb which he (Jack) was
constantly thrusting down his throat--namely, that "where there's a
will there's a way." For he had a great will to become a cook, but
could by no means find a way to accomplish that end.
One day, while Peterkin and I were seated beside our table, on which
dinner was spread, Jack came up from the beach, and, flinging down his
axe, exclaimed--
"There, lads, the boat's finished at last! So we've nothing to do now
but shape two pair of oars, and then we may put to sea as soon as we
like."
This piece of news threw us into a state of great joy; for, although we
were aware that the boat had been gradually getting near its
completion, it had taken so long that we did not expect it to be quite
ready for at least two or three weeks. But Jack had wrought hard and
said nothing, in order to surprise us.
"My dear fellow," cried Peterkin, "you're a perfect trump. But why did
you not tell us it was so nearly ready? Won't we have a jolly sail
to-morrow, eh?"
"Don't talk so much, Peterkin," said Jack; "and, pray, hand me a bit of
that pig."
"Certainly, my dear," cried Peterkin, seizing the axe. "What part will
you have? A leg, or a wing, or a piece of the breast--which?"
"A hind leg, if you please," answered Jack; "and, pray, be so good as
to include the tail."
"With all my heart," said Peterkin, exchanging the axe for his
hoop-iron knife, with which he cut off the desired portion. "I'm only
too glad, my dear boy, to see that your appetite is so wholesale, and
there's no chance whatever of its dwindling down into re-tail again, at
least, in so far as this pig is concerned.--Ralph, lad, why don't you
laugh, eh?" he added, turning suddenly to me with a severe look of
inquiry.
"Laugh!" said I; "what at, Peterkin? Why should I laugh?"
Both Jack and Peterkin answered this inquiry by themselves laughing so
immoderately that I was induced to believe I had missed noticing some
good joke, so I begged that it might be explained to me; but as this
only produced repeated roars of laughter, I smiled and helped myself to
another slice of plantain.
"Well, but," continued Peterkin, "I was talking of a sail to-morrow.
Can't we have one, Jack?"
"No," replied Jack, "we can't have a sail, but I hope we shall have a
row, as I intend to work hard at the oars this afternoon, and, if we
can't get them finished by sunset, we'll light our candle-nuts, and
turn them out of hands before we turn into bed."
"Very good," said Peterkin, tossing a lump of pork to the cat, who
received it with a mew of satisfaction. "I'll help you, if I can."
"Afterwards," continued Jack, "we will make a sail out of the cocoa-nut
cloth, and rig up a mast, and then we shall be able to sail to some of
the other islands, and visit our old friends the penguins."
The prospect of being so soon in a position to extend our observations
to the other islands and enjoy a sail over the beautiful sea afforded
us much delight, and after dinner we set about making the oars in good
earnest. Jack went into the woods and blocked them roughly out with the
axe, and I smoothed them down with the knife, while Peterkin remained
in the bower spinning, or rather twisting, some strong, thick cordage
with which to fasten them to the boat.
We worked hard and rapidly, so that when the sun went down, Jack and I
returned to the bower with four stout oars, which required little to be
done to them save a slight degree of polishing with the knife. As we
drew near, we were suddenly arrested by the sound of a voice. We were
not a little surprised at this--indeed, I may almost say alarmed; for,
although Peterkin was undoubtedly fond of talking, we had never up to
this time found him talking to himself. We listened intently, and still
heard the sound of a voice, as if in conversation. Jack motioned me to
be silent, and, advancing to the bower on tip-toe, we peeped in.
The sight that met our gaze was certainly not a little amusing. On the
top of a log which we sometimes used as a table sat the black cat, with
a very demure expression on its countenance, and in front of it,
sitting on the ground with his legs extended on either side of the log,
was Peterkin. At the moment we saw him, he was gazing intently into the
cat's face, with his nose about four inches from it, his hands being
thrust into his breeches pockets.
"Cat," said Peterkin, turning his head a little on one side, "I love
you!"
There was a pause, as if Peterkin awaited a reply to this affectionate
declaration. But the cat said nothing.
"Do you hear me?" cried Peterkin sharply. "I love you--I do! Don't you
love me?"
To this touching appeal the cat said "Mew" faintly.
"Ah! that's right. You're a jolly old rascal. Why did you not speak at
once, eh?" and Peterkin put forward his mouth and kissed the cat on the
nose!
"Yes," continued Peterkin, after a pause, "I love you. D'you think I'd
say so if I didn't, you black villain? I love you because I've got to
take care of you, and to look after you, and to think about you, and to
see that you don't die--"
"Mew, me-a-w!" said the cat.
"Very good," continued Peterkin; "quite true, I have no doubt. But
you've no right to interrupt me, sir. Hold your tongue till I have done
speaking. Moreover, cat, I love you because you came to me the first
time you ever saw me, and didn't seem to be afraid, and appeared to be
fond of me, though you didn't know that I wasn't going to kill you. Now
that was brave, that was bold, and very jolly, old boy, and I love you
for it--I do!"
Again there was a pause of a few minutes, during which the cat looked
placid, and Peterkin dropped his eyes upon its toes, as if in
contemplation. Suddenly he looked up.
"Well, cat, what are you thinking about now? Won't speak, eh? Now tell
me, don't you think it's a monstrous shame that those two scoundrels,
Jack and Ralph, should keep us waiting for our supper so long?"
Here the cat arose, put up its back and stretched itself, yawned
slightly, and licked the point of Peterkin's nose!
"Just so, old boy; you're a clever fellow. I really do believe the
brute understands me!" said Peterkin, while a broad grin overspread his
face as he drew back and surveyed the cat.
At this point Jack burst into a loud fit of laughter. The cat uttered
an angry fuff and fled, while Peterkin sprang up and exclaimed--
"Bad luck to you, Jack! you've nearly made the heart jump out of my
body, you have."
"Perhaps I have," replied Jack, laughing, as we entered the bower, "but
as I don't intend to keep you or the cat any longer from your supper, I
hope that you'll both forgive me."
Peterkin endeavoured to turn this affair off with a laugh, but I
observed that he blushed very deeply at the time we discovered
ourselves, and he did not seem to relish any allusion to the subject
afterwards; so we refrained from remarking on it ever after, though it
tickled us not a little at the time.
After supper we retired to rest and to dream of wonderful adventures in
our little boat and distant voyages upon the sea.