"I wish you to understand," said he, "that my unwillingness to go on
with my history proceeds from my being obliged to make known to you the
hatred that subsisted between your father and me; but if you will
recollect, that we both had, in our early days, been striving to gain
the same object--I mean your mother--and also that he had taken, as it
were, what I considered to have been my place, in other points--that he
had been successful in life, and I had been unfortunate, you must not
then be surprised at my hating him as I did."
"I understand nothing about your feelings," replied I; "and why he
injured you by marrying my mother, I cannot see."
"Why, I loved her."
"Well, suppose you did, I don't know what love is, and therefore cannot
understand it, so tell me the story."
"Well then, when I left off, I told you that we had ventured to land
upon this island, by running the boat into the bathing-pond; but in so
doing, the boat was beaten to pieces, and was of no use afterwards. We
landed, eight persons in all; that is, the captain, your father, the
carpenter, mate, and three seamen, besides your mother. We had
literally nothing in the boat except three axes, two kids, and the two
pannikins, which we have indeed now; but as for provisions, or even
water, we had none of either. Our first object, therefore, was to
search the island to obtain water, and this we soon found at the rill
which now runs down by the side of the cabin. It was very fortunate for
us that we arrived exactly at the time that the birds had come on the
island and had just laid their eggs; if not, we must have perished with
hunger, for we had not a fish hook with us, or even a fathom of line.
"We collected a quantity of eggs, and made a good meal, although we
devoured them raw. While we were running about, or rather climbing
about, over the rocks; to find out what chance of subsistence we might
have on the island, the captain and your father remained with your
mother, who sat down in a sheltered spot near to the bathing-pool. On
our return in the evening, the captain called us all together, that he
might speak to us; and he said, that if we would do well, we must all
act in concert; that it also would be necessary that one should have the
command and control of the others; that without such was the case,
nothing would go on well;--and he asked us if we did not consider that
what he said was true. We all agreed, although I, for one, felt little
inclination to do so; but as all the rest said so, I raised no
objections. The captain then told us that, as we were all of one
opinion, the next point was to decide as to who should have the command;
he said, that if it had been on ship-board, he of course would have
taken it himself, but now we were on shore, he thought that Mr Henniker
was a much more competent person than he was, and he therefore proposed
that the command should be given to him, and he, for one, would
willingly be under his orders. To this proposal, the carpenter and mate
immediately agreed, and at last two of the seamen. I was left alone,
but I resisted, saying, that I was not going to be ordered about by a
landsman, and that if I were to obey orders, it must be from a
thorough-bred seaman. The other two sailors were of my way of thinking,
I was sure, although they had given their consent, and I hoped that they
would join me, which they appeared very much inclined to do. Your
father spoke very coolly, modestly, and prudently. He pointed out that
he had no wish to take the command, and that he would cheerfully serve
under the captain of the vessel, if it would be more satisfactory to all
parties that such should be the case. But the captain and the others
were positive, saying that they would not have their choice disputed by
such a drunken vagabond as I was, and that if I did not like to remain
with them, I might go to any part of the island that I chose. This
conference ended by my getting in a passion, and saying that I would not
be under your father's orders; and I was seizing one of the axes to go
off with it, when the captain caught my arm and wrested it from me,
stating that the axe was his property, and then telling me that I was
welcome to go where I pleased.
"I left them, therefore, and went away by myself to where the birds were
hatching, as I wished to secure a supply of eggs. When the night closed
in, I lay down upon the guano, and felt no cold; for the gale was now
over, and the weather was very mild.
"The next morning, when I awoke, I found that the sun had been up some
time. I looked for the rest of my companions whom I had quitted, and
perceived that they were all busily at work. The sea was quite calm;
and, when the vessel went down after we left, many articles had floated,
and had been washed to the island. Some of the men were busy collecting
spars and planks, which were near the rocks, and pushing them along with
the boat-hooks to the direction of the bathing-pond, where they hauled
them over the ridge, and secured them. Your father and mother, with the
carpenter, were on this ledge where we now are, having selected it as a
proper place for building a shelter, and were apparently very busy. The
captain and one of the seamen were carrying up what spars and timber
could be collected to where your father was standing with the carpenter.
All appeared to be active, and working into each other's hands; and I
confess that, as I looked on, I envied them, and wished that I had been
along with them; but I could not bear the idea of obeying any orders
given by your father; and this alone prevented my joining them, and
making my excuses for what I had done and said the previous night. I
therefore swallowed some more bird's eggs raw, and sat down in the sun,
looking at them as they worked.
"I soon perceived that the carpenter had commenced operations. The
frame of this cabin was, with the assistance of your father, before it
was noon, quite complete and put up; and then they all went down to the
bathing-place, where the boat was lying with her bottom beaten out.
They commenced taking her to pieces and saving all the nails; the other
men carried up the portions of the boat as they were ripped off, to
where the frame of the cabin had been raised. I saw your mother go up
with a load in her hand, which I believed to be the nails taken from the
boat. In a couple of hours the boat was in pieces and carried up, and
then your father and most of the men went up to assist the carpenter. I
hardly need tell what they did, as you have the cabin before you. The
roof, you see, is mostly built out of the timbers of the boat; and the
lower part out of heavier wood; and a very good job they made of it.
Before the morning closed in, one of the sides of the cabin was
finished; and I saw them light a fire with the chips that had been cut
off with the axes, and they then dressed the eggs and birds which they
had collected the first day.
"There was one thing which I had quite forgotten when I mutinied and
left my companions, which was, the necessity of water to drink; and I
now perceived that they had taken possession of the spot where the only
water had as yet been found. I was suffering very much from thirst
towards the close of the day, and I set off up the ravine to ascertain
if there was none to be found in that direction. Before night I
succeeded in finding some, as you know, for you have often drunk from
the spring when you have gone up for firewood. This gave me great
encouragement, for I was afraid that the want of water would have driven
me to submission. By way of bravado, I tore off; and cut with my knife,
as many boughs of the underwood on the ravine as I well could carry, and
the next morning I built a sort of wigwam for myself on the guano, to
show them that I had a house over my head as well as they had; but I
built it further up to the edge of the cliff, above the guano plain, so
that I need not have any communication with those who I knew would come
for eggs and birds for their daily sustenance.
"Before the night of the following day set in, the cabin was quite
finished.
"The weather became warmer every day, and I found it very fatiguing to
have to climb the ravine two or three times a day to procure a drink of
water, for I had nothing to hold water in, and I thought that it would
be better that I should take up my quarters in the ravine, and build
myself a wigwam among the brushwood close to the water, instead of
having to make so many journeys for so necessary an article. I knew
that I could carry eggs in my hat and pocket-handkerchief sufficient for
two or three days at one trip; so I determined that I would do so; and
the next morning I went up the ravine, loaded with eggs, to take up my
residence there. In a day or two I had built my hut of boughs, and made
it very comfortable. I returned for a fresh supply of eggs on the third
day, with a basket I had constructed out of young boughs, and which
enabled me to carry a whole week's sustenance. Then I felt quite
satisfied, and made up my mind that I would live as a hermit during my
sojourn on the island, however long it might be; for I preferred
anything to obeying the orders of one whom I detested as I did your
father.
"It soon was evident, however, how well they had done in selecting your
father as their leader. They had fancied that the birds would remain on
the island, and that thus they would always be able to procure a supply.
Your father, who had lived so long in Chili, knew better, and that in a
few weeks they would quit their nesting-place. He pointed this out to
them, showing them what a mercy it was that they had been cast away just
at this time, and how necessary it was to make a provision for the year.
But this they could not imagine that it was possible to do without salt
to cure the birds with; but he knew how beef was preserved without salt
on the continent, and showed them how to dry the birds in the sun.
While therefore I was up in the ravine, they were busy collecting and
drying them in large quantities, and before the time of the birds
leaving they had laid up a sufficient supply. It was he also that
invented the fishing-lines out of the sinews of the legs of the birds,
and your mother who knotted them together. At first, they caught fish
with some hooks made of nails, but your father showed them the way to
take them without a hook, as you have learnt from me, and which he had
been shown by some of the Indians on the continent.
"Owing to your father, they were well prepared when the birds flew away
with their young ones, while I was destitute. Previous to the flight, I
had fared but badly, for the eggs contained the young birds half formed,
and latterly so completely formed that I could not eat them; and as I
had no fire, and did not understand drying them, I had no alternative
but eating the young birds raw, which was anything but pleasant. I
consoled myself, however, with the idea that your father and mother and
the rest were faring just as badly as myself, and I looked forward to
the time when the birds would begin to lay eggs again, when I resolved
to hoard up a much larger supply while they were fresh. But my schemes
were all put an end to, for in two days, after a great deal of noise and
flying about in circles, all the birds, young and old, took wing, and
left me without any means of future subsistence.
"This was a horrid discovery, and I was put to my wits' ends. I
wandered over the guano place, and, after the third day of their
departure, was glad to pick up even a dead bird with which to appease my
hunger. At the same time, I wondered how my former companions got on,
for I considered that they must be as badly off as I was. I watched
them from behind the rocks, but I could perceive no signs of uneasiness.
There was your mother sitting quietly on the level by the cabin, and
your father or the captain talking with her. I perceived, however, that
two of the party were employed fishing off the rocks, and I wondered
where they got their fishing-lines; and at last I concluded that it was
by catching fish that they supported themselves. This, however, did not
help me--I was starving, and starvation will bring down the pride of any
man. On the fifth day, I walked down to the rocks, to where one of the
seamen was fishing, and having greeted him, I told him that I was
starving, and asked for something to eat.
"`I cannot help you,' replied he; `I have no power to give anything
away; it is more than I dare do. You must apply to Mr Henniker, who is
the governor now. What a foolish fellow you were to mutiny, as you did;
see what it has brought you to.'
"`Why,' replied I, `if it were not for fishing, you would not be better
off than I am.'
"`Oh yes we should be; but we have to thank him for that--without him, I
grant, we should not have been. We have plenty of provisions, although
we fish to help them out.'
"This puzzled me amazingly, but there was no help for it. I could
starve no longer, so up I went to the level where your father was
standing with the captain, and in a swaggering sort of tone, said that I
had come back, and wanted to join my comrades. The captain looked at me
and referred me to your father, who said that he would consult with the
rest when they came to dinner, as without their permission he could do
nothing; and then they both turned away. In the meantime I was ravenous
with hunger, and was made more so by perceiving that two large fish were
slowly baking on the embers of the fire, and that your mother was
watching them. However, there was no help for it, and I sat down at
some little distance, anxiously waiting for the return of the rest of
the party, when my fate would be decided. My pride was now brought down
so low, that I could have submitted to any terms which might have been
dictated. In about two hours they were all assembled to dinner, and I
remained envying every morsel that they ate, until the repast was
finished; when, after some consultation, I was ordered to approach--
which I did--and your father addressed me: `Jackson, you deserted us,
when you might have been very useful, and when our labour was severe;
now that we have worked hard, and made ourselves tolerably comfortable,
you request to join us, and partake with us of the fruits of our labour
and foresight. You have provided nothing, we have--the consequence is,
that we are in comparative plenty, while you are starving. Now I have
taken the opinion of my companions, and they are all agreed, that as you
have not assisted when you were wanted, should we now allow you to join
us, you will have to work more than the others to make up an equivalent.
It is therefore proposed that you shall join us on one condition, which
is, that during the year, till the birds again visit the island, it will
be your task to go up to the ravine every day, and procure the firewood
which is required. If you choose to accept these terms, you are
permitted to join, always supposing that to all the other rules and
regulations which we have laid down for our guidance, you will be
subject as well as we are. These are our terms, and you may decide as
you think proper.' I hardly need say, that I gladly accepted them, and
was still more glad when the remnants of the dinner were placed before
me: I was nearly choked, I devoured with such haste until my appetite
was appeased.
"When this was done, I thought over the conditions which I had accepted,
and my blood boiled at the idea that I was to be in a manner the slave
to the rest, as I should have to work hard every day. I forgot that it
was but justice, and that I was only earning my share of the year's
provisions, which I had not assisted to collect. My heart was still
more bitter against your father, and I vowed vengeance if ever I had an
opportunity; but there was no help for it. Every day I went up with a
piece of cord and an axe, cut a large fagot of wood, and brought it down
to the cabin. It was hard work, and occupied me from breakfast to
dinner-time, and I had no time to lose if I wanted to be back for
dinner. The captain always examined the fagot, and ascertained that I
had brought down a sufficient supply for the day's consumption."