cliff tested his unaccustomed energies very severely, and the toilsome
scramble up through the precipitous incline of the gap taxed them still
more; so that when he at length reached the top of the cliff, he was
glad enough to fling himself down in the long grass and allow himself
half an hour's rest and the refreshment of a pipe. At the end of that
time he once more set forward, shaping his course so as to pass to the
southward of the mountain, and from thence down the steep ravine to the
edge of the river, the left bank of which he determined on this occasion
to follow. As he pursued his journey he could not help being struck,
and very agreeably impressed, with the wonderful fertility of the
island, and the great variety of its products. The trees were many of
them of immense size, and though there were many species, the names and
natures of which he knew nothing about, he was able to identify on the
upper slopes of the mountain the pine, the fir, and what looked very
much like a species of ash; whilst on the table-land and on the slopes
of the ravine the teak, mahogany, and jarrah, as well as the cocoanut
and two or three other varieties of palm flourished in abundance, to say
nothing of the bamboo, several groves of which he passed through during
the course of the day. Of fruits also there was a great variety, among
others the pine-apple, banana, plantain, pawpaw, granadilla, guava,
orange, loquat, durian, and the cocoanut. Several species of cane also
flourished luxuriantly, and among them he found what he believed, from
its general appearance and its taste, to be a wild sugar-cane. But what
perhaps gratified him more than all was to meet here and there with
little patches of maize.
Of animal life also there was no lack. Of snakes there were more and in
greater variety than he at all cared to see, and in addition to these
the forest was alive with monkeys of several varieties, to say nothing
of other animals whose quick movements would not permit him to identify
them. Insects, as might be expected, swarmed in countless millions,
some of them being most grotesque in form and colour. Butterflies of
unusual size flitted about from flower to flower, and the upper branches
of the trees were fairly alive with birds of the most brilliant plumage,
among which he noticed two or three varieties of the parrot tribe,
whilst birds of paradise were there in such numbers that he thought he
might not inappropriately name his new domain "Paradise Island." Where
the ground was sufficiently open to permit of their growth, flowering
shrubs and plants with blossoms and blooms of the loveliest colours, and
some of them of the most delicate perfumes, abounded; and among the
shrubs there were several which he believed to be spice-bearing plants.
After a fatiguing but nevertheless very enjoyable tramp, he arrived, at
about two o'clock in the afternoon, at the margin of the lake, and at
once took measures for swimming across to the islet in its centre.
Collecting a large bundle of rushes, he stripped, and placing his
clothes and his other belongings upon the flimsy raft thus formed, and
stepping into the cool refreshing water, struck quickly out into the
centre of the lake, pushing his raft before him.
As he approached the islet he noted with great satisfaction that, so far
as he could then see, the place was admirably adapted for the head-
quarters of the little party so long as it might be necessary for them
to remain in their island prison. There were trees in abundance on the
islet, and of many varieties, but they did not grow so thickly together
as they did on what we may call the mainland, large spaces of open
prairie being discernable here and there, which Gaunt already mentally
devoted to the process of cultivation. Swimming quietly he reached the
islet with very little fatigue, and, dressing himself, at once set about
looking for the wherewithal for a dinner. He had not far to go, for he
had scarcely plunged into the first grove of trees when a large bird
took wing from among the branches, and, raising his rifle, he succeeded
in bringing it to the ground. It proved to be a brush-turkey, which he
forthwith proceeded to pluck and prepare for the spit; lighting a fire
meanwhile, so that it might burn well up and be in a fit state for
cooking when wanted. The turkey was cooked--after a fashion--and if it
was not as well done as the engineer could have wished, it was still
sufficiently so to satisfy his hunger, after which he set out to explore
the islet.
It was of no very great size, being about ten acres in extent, or
thereabouts, but its surface was finely broken up into miniature hills
and dales in such a way as to not only make the spot appear larger than
it really was, but also to present a very pleasing variety of aspect to
the eye. He found here a spring of fresh, clear, cool water, which was
a source of great satisfaction to him, as the water of the lake, being
in direct communication with the sea, was somewhat brackish, too much so
at all events to render it a desirable liquid for drinking and culinary
purposes; and the presence of this spring would avert all necessity for
a search on the mainland and a possible difficulty of securing a
sufficient supply without much labour.
Having an eye to the presence of the children upon this islet, Gaunt was
peculiarly inquisitive in the matter of reptiles, and it was a great
relief to his mind to discover that if any such were on the islet they
were so scarce that during his entire search round and through it he did
not encounter a single snake. So far as he could see there were no
animals to be found upon it, though birds were, of course, in as great
variety and numbers as they were on the mainland of the large island.
He was fortunate enough to find, not very far from the spot on which he
had landed, a shelving piece of beach running down into deep water,
which would serve him admirably as a site on which to build his proposed
boat, and near it--distant, in fact, not more than two hundred yards--
there was a small grove of palms and other trees which would serve
admirably as a shelter from the sun for his proposed house.
His survey of the islet completed, he again entered the water, and, with
his raft of rushes ahead of him as before, quietly paddled across to the
shore on the right back of the stream, which he now proposed to follow
down to its junction with the sea. A walk of about six miles brought
him to the mouth of the little estuary, which he found perfectly
concealed from the sea, in consequence of the river taking a sudden bend
and then doubling again almost upon itself between two low bluffs which
rose steeply out of the sea.
At this point there was no beach whatever, the shore being rocky and
precipitous; but somewhat further on the slopes of the land became
gentle, and a sandy beach was met with which, after a walk of some seven
or eight miles, brought him out at the spot on which he had originally
been landed from the ship, and within full sight of the encampment where
dwelt the rest of the party.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
GAUNT'S PONTOON RAFT.
His arrival, which took place just as tea was about being served in the
camp, was greeted with great rejoicing by all hands, but especially by
Mrs Gaunt; who, notwithstanding the assurances of Doctor Henderson, was
beginning to feel serious alarm on account of her husband's prolonged
absence.
Of course there was much to tell on both sides. The principal item of
news from the Doctor was that he and Nicholls had between them
contrived, during the two days of Gaunt's absence, to erect a very roomy
and by no means uncomfortable shelter for the men of the party; in
addition to which the whole of their goods and chattels were now placed
in perfect safety so far as the weather was concerned.
No adventures of any description had been met with by any of the party;
a circumstance which was no doubt largely due to the especial care which
Doctor Henderson had exercised in keeping them all close to the shore,
from a suspicion he had entertained that the forest depths might not be
altogether safe travelling, at least for women and children.
Gaunt's story of his journey to the wreck, with the vivid description he
gave of the fertility and general productiveness of their island-home,
greatly raised the spirits of the listeners; and the sanguine way in
which he spoke of their ability to build the little vessel which he
contemplated, caused them already to feel as if their days on the island
were numbered.
The chief point calling for consideration was how they should dispose of
themselves in the immediate future. Their position was this: they were
then located on the eastern end of the island; the lake and the islet
were situated almost in the centre of their domain, or say at a point
about six miles distant, as the crow flies, from the point where they
then were; whilst the spot where the wreck lay, if measured in the same
way, would be about five miles further on.
Gaunt made it so clear to them that the islet was the most fit and
proper spot at which to establish their head-quarters that that matter
might be considered as already definitely settled. But they would have
to draw all, or nearly all, the materials for the proposed craft from
the wreck; and that wreck would not only have to be broken up, but the
timber, etcetera, would have to be conveyed to the islet before a
permanent settlement could be established there. Had the party
consisted of men only, there was no doubt their best plan would have
been to remove in a body to the western end of the island, and to have
established themselves temporarily on or near the beach close to the
wreck whilst she was being broken up; but it seemed to be rather a
hardship that the women and children should have to be removed there--
involving a somewhat lengthy and arduous journey--and to go into
temporary quarters only to have to return gain over a great deal of the
same ground afterwards, Gaunt's idea was that the ladies and children
might be safely placed on the islet, and comfortably housed there in the
first place; after which the three men of the party could go over to the
wreck and remain there until everything of value were got out of her, he
undertaking to visit the islet at least once every day to ascertain that
all was going well in that direction. This proposition, however, met
with no favour from the parties chiefly interested; and so it was
ultimately resolved that, notwithstanding the inconvenience, the entire
party should settle down for the time being on the western side of the
island.
On the following morning this resolution was put into effect, the little
band taking with them nothing but just such arms as were deemed
absolutely essential to their safety, and the tinware, knives and forks,
and other small table conveniences with which Ned's forethought had
supplied them.
On this occasion Gaunt, who of course acted as guide, struck off in a
new direction; as, having made a sketch-plan of the island when he was
on the summit of the mountain, he believed it possible to reach the
wreck by a much shorter route than the one he had followed. Keeping
somewhat more to the right, or in a more northerly direction than on the
first occasion, he brought his companions out upon the banks of the
stream at a distance of about two miles below the lake, where the
channel was somewhat wider than in any other portion of its course, and
where the current was particularly gentle. Here it became necessary to
construct a raft of some description for the transport of the party
across the stream; but, as the water was perfectly smooth, anything
which would bear their weight and hold together during the passage was
considered sufficient, and with the aid of their axes such an affair was
knocked together in about three hours. The transit was then safely
accomplished; and, climbing the steep slope of the ravine through which
the stream flowed, they found upon reaching its summit that they had
arrived at a spot overlooking the lake, and from which they were enabled
to obtain an excellent view both of it and the islet which occupied its
centre. The ladies were especially delighted at the prospect of finding
a home in so lovely a spot; whilst Henderson cordially agreed with Gaunt
that it would be difficult to find a safer place and one more suitable
in every respect for head-quarters.
Pushing on, they arrived about three o'clock in the afternoon at the
base of the mountain; and here, in a pretty little meadow which lay
between two of its projecting spurs, they determined to encamp for the
night, the children, although they had been carried for the greater part
of the day, being extremely tired, and the ladies scarcely less so. A
little hut of branches and palm-leaves was constructed as a shelter for
the weaker members of the party during the night, the men contenting
themselves with the soft luxuriant grass for their sleeping place; and,
then, whilst Nicholls set to work to build a fire, Gaunt and Henderson
went off in different directions to forage for a supper.
The night passed without adventure or alarm of any description,
although, as a measure of precaution, the men had deemed it advisable
that each should watch for an equal portion of the night; and on the
following morning after an early breakfast the march was resumed. The
gap in the cliffs was reached about two o'clock that afternoon; and by
three the travellers found themselves on the beach at its nearest point
to the wreck.
The first matter to be attended to now was the erection of shelters of
some description. Henderson undertook to cut down a couple of saplings
which Gaunt pointed out as suitable for the purpose; and whilst he was
engaged upon this task the engineer, accompanied by Nicholls, went off
to the wreck, their object being to procure not only a small quantity of
ship's stores, but also one of the sails, which they intended to utilise
in the construction of tents. On arriving alongside and making a minute
inspection of the wreckage, it was found that the raffle was so
complicated that to cut away the sail from its yard as it then lay and
to convey it to the shore would be a work of very great difficulty; so,
after a short consultation together, Gaunt and Nicholls decided to cut
the whole adrift from the wreck and then warp it ashore just as it was.
Nicholls accordingly get to work upon this task with his axe; and whilst
he was thus engaged Gaunt searched for and found the boatswain's locker,
rummaging in which he discovered a small grapnel just suited to his
purpose. This he conveyed on deck, and, unreeving as much of the
running-gear as he could get at, a good long warp was made by bending
the whole together end to end. By the time that his preparations were
completed, Nicholls had got the wreckage cut completely adrift from the
hull, and the two men now proceeded to carefully coil down upon Gaunt's
raft the whole of the warp; the grapnel being bent on to one end, whilst
Nicholls, who was going to remain on the wreckage, retained possession
of the other. Gaunt then pulled shoreward; and as soon as the full
length of the warp was paid out he dropped the grapnel overboard and
then made the best of his way back to the wreckage, which Nicholls had
already begun to drag shoreward by the warp. The progress of the
wreckage shoreward was very slow; but it improved somewhat when Gaunt
was able to rejoin his companion. As the warp was hauled in it was
carefully coiled down on the wreckage; and when at length the grapnel
came to the surface it and the warp were once more promptly transferred
to the raft and a fresh cast was made, by which means they managed in
about an hour and a half to get the spars with all attached so close to
the beach that they grounded. It was now a comparatively easy matter to
cut it apart and so obtain the sail, which was the first thing they
required. The forecourse was selected, as being of considerable
dimensions; and this, when detached from its yard, was dragged up on the
beach and spread out to dry. With this sail, and rope procured from
among the rigging which had come ashore attached to the spars, they were
able to construct two capital tents; and by night-fall the little party
found themselves snugly housed.
The two succeeding days were devoted to the construction of a shed of
dimensions sufficient to contain all that they thought would be likely
to prove valuable to them among the stores and the cargo of the ship.
The structure was twenty-four feet long, by eighteen feet wide, and
eight feet high to the eaves; and it had a regular pitched roof, with
gable-ends, so that when the rainy season came--as come, Gaunt felt
certain it would--the wet might be thrown off, leaving the goods beneath
its shelter undamaged. It was not a very substantial affair, the four
corner-posts being the strongest portion of it, formed as they were by
the trunks of four standing cocoanut-trees, the sides and roof being
wattled and afterwards thatched with palm-leaves. But the engineer
thought it would serve its purpose; and his great object was to get
everything he could from the wreck in the shortest possible time,
because, lying where she was, she might, and probably would, go to
pieces on the occasion of the first heavy gale which might spring up.
The shed completed, their next task was to secure everything which might
prove of any possible value to them from the cargo of the wreck. In
order to transfer these articles from the hulk to the shore a raft would
be necessary; and a raft would also be required to eventually convey
those goods round to the islet. The latter transfer would involve the
expenditure of an immense amount of labour and time unless the wind or
some other motive power could be pressed into their service; and Gaunt
had already learned during the course of his professional experience
that when any important work had to be performed it was better and more
economical in every way to provide efficient "plant" in the first
instance. Now the construction of the vessel which he had in
contemplation was a simple and easy enough matter to a shipwright with
all the usual appliances at his disposal, but was really an important
and formidable task to people situated as these were; and, therefore,
when talking the matter over together, they had, influenced by Gaunt's
arguments, resolved to devote the time and labour required to construct
such aids as he seemed to think would be necessary and desirable. To
convey from where they then were round to the islet all that they would
require for the construction of their vessel would, with an ordinary
raft propelled by oars alone, involve a vast amount of labour and time;
and it was ultimately decided that it would be more expeditious in the
long run if a raft could be constructed of such a character that she
could be moved in any required direction by sails.
After a little thinking, Gaunt came to the conclusion that it would be
possible to construct such a raft, and he set to work to plan it. The
structure, as decided upon by him, consisted of two flat-bottomed
straight-sided pontoons, each twenty-four feet long by six feet wide,
and six feet deep, their ends being curved up from the bottom until they
met the deck in a sharp chisel-like form. These pontoons were built
with their fore-and-aft centre lines parallel, and were constructed on
separate pairs of ways, the whole of the materials being obtained from
the wreckage already strewn along the beach, and such portions of the
deck-planking of the wreck as could be removed without exposing the
cargo to the risk of damage by sea or rain. The bottom-planking was
laid athwartships, and four of the planks at equal distances from each
other were carried right through from pontoon to pontoon--the pontoons
being built with a space of six feet clear between them--thus securely
connecting the two pontoons together. The pontoons were decked all
over, the deck-planking for a length of twelve feet in the middle
portion being also carried right across from one to the other. The two
pontoons were thus securely fastened together above and below, the
result being that the entire structure formed a good, substantially-
built raft, having in its centre portion a platform or deck measuring
twelve feet fore and aft, and eighteen feet athwartships. The craft--if
one may dignify the structure with such a name--was rigged with one
mast, situated exactly in the centre, and well supported by shrouds on
each side, and she was provided with a lateen or three-cornered sail
bent to a very long yard composed of a number of bamboos fished
together. The yard was hung in its centre, an arrangement by which
Gaunt hoped to succeed in making his raft sail with either end foremost
with equal facility, his idea being to work the craft precisely upon the
same principle as that adopted by the Ladrone Islanders in the working
of their flying-proas.
This raft, though of such literal dimensions, was very easy and simple
to build, as there was no shaping of timbers and no elaborate
workmanship of any kind required, the only matter involving any
considerable degree of care being that the two pontoons should be
watertight; and this of course was very easily managed. But, simple as
the work was, it was fully a month before the raft was ready for
service, though when they at length got her afloat and tried her under
sail the result was satisfactory, far beyond their most sanguine
anticipations.
They were now in a position to attack the wreck in good earnest, which
they did by rigging up a pair of sheers on deck and hoisting the cargo
from the ship's hold and depositing it directly on the raft alongside.
The cargo proved to be, as had been expected, a general cargo--that is
to say, it consisted of more or less of almost every conceivable product
of a civilised country, from lucifer matches up to railway plant and
machinery.
It was a very difficult matter to decide what might, and what might not
be of value to the party, and the result was that they eventually
determined to land the entire cargo. Of course only a very small
portion of it would go into the shed which they had erected; but this
was a matter of no very great moment, for a great deal of it was of such
a nature that rain would not very materially injure it. It took them
another month to empty the wreck, and then they set about the task of
breaking her up.
To break up a ship is, under ordinary circumstances, no very difficult
matter, but as they expected that they would be dependent almost
entirely upon the wreck for the timber necessary to the construction of
their little ship, they had to go carefully to work; and as it was all
manual labour, and they were very weak-handed, they found the task one
of no ordinary difficulty. At length, however, after nearly another
month's arduous toil, they had cut her down to the water's-edge, and
there they were obliged to leave her.
Hitherto they had not allowed themselves time to very closely
investigate the nature of the cargo which they had so laboriously
conveyed to the shore, their chief anxiety being to secure from the
wreck every scrap likely to be of the slightest use to them, before the
change of, the season and the break-up of the weather should render this
impossible. Now, however, they had leisure to give their booty a
thorough overhaul; and this was the next task to which they devoted
themselves. As, however, they were now no longer pressed for time, and
one man could easily do most of what was required to be done in that
way, it was arranged that Doctor Henderson should examine the cargo as
far as he could, and prepare a detailed list of the various goods and
articles of which it was composed; whilst Gaunt and Nicholls should
proceed in the raft on a trip of exploration round the bay, for the
purpose of discovering an outlet in the reef which the former believed
to exist, and, if such an outlet could be found, to proceed through it
and make a short trial trip to sea for the purpose of testing the
sailing qualities of the raft.