I was now, by Jackson's account, nearly fourteen years old. During
fourteen years but one vessel had been seen by us. It might be fourteen
more, or double that time might elapse, before I should again fall in
with any of my fellow-creatures. As these thoughts saddened me, I felt
how much I would have sacrificed if Jackson had remained alive, were it
only for his company; I would have forgiven him anything. I even then
felt as if, in the murderer of my father, I had lost a friend.
That day I was so unsettled I could not do anything; I tried to read,
but I could not; I tried to eat, but my appetite was gone. I sat
looking at the ocean as it rolled wave after wave, sometimes wondering
whether it would ever bring a fellow-creature to join me; at others I
sat, and for hours, in perfect vacuity of thought. The evening closed
in, it was dark, and I still remained seated where I was. At last I
returned to my bed, almost broken-hearted; but fortunately I was soon
asleep, and my sorrows were forgotten.
Another morning was gladdened with a brilliant sun, the dark blue ocean
was scarcely ruffled by the breeze that swept over it, and I felt my
spirits much revived, and my appetite returned. After taking a meal, I
remembered what Jackson had told me about the belt with the diamonds,
and I went up to his bed-place, and turning out the birds' skins and
feathers, I raked up the gravel, which was not more than two inches
deep, and came to the board. I lifted it up, and found underneath a
hole, about a foot deep, full of various articles. There were the watch
and sleeve-buttons of the mate, some dollars wrapped in old rags, a
tobacco-box, an old pipe, a brooch with hair forming initials, some
letters which were signed J. Evelyn, and which I perceived were from my
grandfather, and probably taken by Jackson after my mother's death. I
say letters, because they were such, as I afterwards found out, but I
had not then ever seen a letter, and my first attempt to decipher
written hand was useless, although I did manage to make out the
signature. There was in the tobacco-box a plain gold wedding-ring,
probably my mother's; and there was also a lock of long dark hair, which
I presumed was hers also. There were three or four specimens of what I
afterwards found out to be gold and silver ores, a silver pencil-case,
and a pair of small gold ear-rings. At the bottom of the hole was the
belt; it was of soft leather, and I could feel a hard substance in it
sewed in every square, which of course I presumed were the diamonds, but
I did not cut one of the divisions open to see what was in them. It had
on the upper part of it, in very plain writing, "The property of Mr J.
Evelyn, 33, Minories, London." I examined all these articles one after
another, and having satisfied my curiosity, I replaced them in the hole
for a future survey. I covered the hole with the board, and put back
the gravel and the feathers into the bed-place. This occupied me about
two hours, and then I again took my former position on the rocks, and
remained in a state of listless inactivity of body and mind the
remainder of that day.
This state of prostration lasted for many days--I may say for weeks,
before it was altogether removed. I could find no pleasure in my books,
which were taken up, and after a few moments laid aside. It was now
within a month of the time that the birds should come to the island. I
was in no want of them for sustenance; there were plenty left, but I
almost loathed the sight of food. The reader may inquire how it was
that I knew the exact time of the arrival of the birds? I reply that
the only reckoning ever kept by Jackson and me was the arrival of the
full moons, and we also made a mark on the rock every time that the moon
was at the full. Thirteen moons were the quantity which we reckoned
from the time of the birds appearing on the island one year, until their
re-appearance the next; and twelve moons had now passed. At length,
tired with everything, tired of myself; and I may say, almost tired of
life, I one day took it into my head that I would take some provisions
with me and a bottle to hold water, and go up the ravine, and cut
firewood which should last me a long while; and that I would remain up
there for several days, for I hated the sight of the cabin and of all
that was near to it. The next day I acted upon this resolution, and
slinging my dry provisions on my shoulder, I set off for the ravine. In
an hour I had gained it; but not being in a hurry to cut wood, I
resolved upon climbing higher up, to see if I could reach the opposite
side of the island; that is, at least, get over the brow of the hill, to
have a good view of it. I continued to climb until I had gained a
smooth grassy spot, which was clear of brushwood; and as I sat down to
rest myself, I observed some blue flowers which I had never seen before;
indeed I did not know that there was a flower on the island. As I
afterwards discovered, they were one of the varieties of Gentianellas.
I looked at them, admired them, and felt quite an affection for them;
they were very pretty, and they were, as well as myself, alone.
Jackson, when I was pointing out the English cottages in the landscapes
of Mayor's Natural History, had told me a great deal about gardening in
England, and how wild flowers and trees were transplanted and improved
by culture; how roses and other plants were nailed up the walls as I had
observed in the engraving, and how they were watered and kept; and as I
sat down looking at the flower, the thought occurred to me, Why should I
not take it with me, and keep it for myself? I can water it and take
care of it. I resolved that I would do so, for I already looked upon
the plant as a treasure. I took it up carefully with my American knife,
leaving sufficient mould about the roots, and then I proceeded to ascend
the hill; but before I had gone another hundred yards, I found at least
a dozen more of these plants in flower, all finer than the one I had dug
up, and three or four others very different from these, which were also
quite new to me. I was puzzled what to do; I put down the plants I had
dug up and continued my ascent, not having made up my mind. After half
an hour's climbing, I gained the summit, and could perceive the ocean on
the other side, and the other half of the island lying beneath me. It
was very grand from the height I stood on, but I observed little
difference between one side of the island and the other; all was rugged
barren rock as on my side, with the exception of the portion close to
me; this had brushwood in the ravine, which appeared to be a sort of
cleft through the island. All was silent and solitary; not a bird was
to be seen, and nothing that had life could I discover. I was about to
return, when I thought I might as well go down the ravine facing me for
a little way, and see what there was in it. I did so, and discovered
some other plants that I had not seen on my side of the island. There
were also some fern trees, and some twining plants running up them, and
I thought to myself, Why, these plants are what I saw in the picture of
the English cottages, or very like them. I wonder if they would run up
my cabin? And then all at once the idea came to me that I would plant
some of them round the cabin, and that I would make a garden of flowers,
and have plants of my own. The reader can hardly imagine the pleasure
that this idea gave me; I sat down to ruminate upon it, and felt quite
happy for the time. I now recollected, however, that the cabin was
built on the rock, and that plants would only grow in the earth. At
first this idea chilled me, as it seemed to destroy all my schemes, but
I resolved that I would bring some earth to the rock, and make my garden
in that way. I at first thought of the guano, but Jackson had told me
that it was only used in small proportions to enrich the soil, and would
kill plants if used by itself. After an hour's consideration, during
which I called to mind all that Jackson had told me on the subject, I
made up my mind I would return to the cabin, and on my return ascertain
how low down the ravine I could obtain earth for my garden; I would then
carry the earth to the cabin, make a soil ready for the plants and
flowers, and then, when all was ready, I would go up the ravine, collect
what I could, and make my garden. I did so. I found that I could get
soil about one-third of the way up the ravine, a quarter of a mile below
where the brushwood grew; and having ascertained that, I returned to the
cabin, threw down my provisions which were to have lasted me a week, and
as it was late, I decided that I would not commence operations until the
following day.
I took out of the chest a duck frock, and tying up the sleeves and
collar, so as to form a bag of the body of the frock, I set off the next
morning to begin my task. That day I contrived to carry to the cabin
ten or twelve bags of mould, which I put round it in a border about four
feet wide and about a foot deep. It occupied me a whole week to obtain
the quantity of earth necessary to make the bed on each side of the
cabin; it was hard work, but it made me cheerful and happy to what I had
been before. I found that the best cure for melancholy and solitude was
employment, so I thus obtained valuable knowledge as well as the making
of my garden. When I had finished carrying the mould, I started off for
the ravine with two bags to hold the plants which I might collect, and
after a day's toil, I returned with my bags full of small shrubs,
besides a bundle of creepers to plant against the sides of the cabin.
The following day was occupied in planting everything I had procured. I
was sorry to see that the leaves and flowers hung down, but I watered
them all before I went to bed. The next morning I was delighted to
perceive that they had all recovered and were looking quite fresh. But
my garden was not full enough to please me, and I once more went up the
ravine, selecting other plants which had no flowers on them, and one or
two other shrubs, which I had not before observed. When these were
planted and watered, my garden looked very gay and full of plants, and
then I discovered the mould came down for want of support at the edges;
I therefore went and picked up pieces of rock of sufficient size to make
a border and hold up the mould, and now all was complete, and I had
nothing to do but to go on watering them daily. This I did, and
recollecting what Jackson had said about the guano, I got a bag of it,
and put some to each plant. The good effect of this was soon
observable, and before the birds came, my garden was in a very
flourishing condition.
I cannot express to the reader the pleasure I derived from this little
garden. I knew every plant and every shrub, talked to them as if they
were companions, while I watered and tended them, which I did every
night and morning, and their rapid growth was my delight. I no longer
felt my solitude so irksome as I had done. I had something to look
after, to interest me, and to love; they were alive as well as I was;
they grew, and threw out leaves and flowers; they were grateful for the
care I bestowed upon them, and became my companions and friends.
I before mentioned that during the latter portion of the time I was with
Jackson, he had taught me to sing several songs. Feeling tired, in my
solitude, of not hearing the human voice, I found myself at first
humming over, and afterwards singing aloud, the various airs I had
collected from him. This afforded me much pleasure, and I used to sing
half the day. I had no one to listen to me, it is true; but as my
fondness for my garden increased, I used to sit down and sing to the
flowers and shrubs, and fancy that they listened to me. But my stock of
songs was not very large, and at last I had repeated them so often that
I became tired of the words. It occurred to me that the Prayer-book had
the Psalms of David at the end of it, set to music. I got the book, and
as far as the airs that I knew would suit, I sang them all; never were
Psalms, probably, sung to such tunes before, but it amused me, and there
was no want of variety of language.
Every three or four days I would go up the ravine, and search carefully
for any new flower or shrub which I had not yet planted in my garden,
and when I found one, as I often did, it was a source of great delight.