Nero, who was an early riser, woke me up at daybreak, or I should have
slept much longer; for I had been tired out with the fatigue and
excitement of the night before. As soon as I was up, I looked into the
cabin, and found the woman was fast asleep; her straw hat was off, but
she had lain down in her clothes. Her black hair was hanging about her
shoulders. Having only seen Jackson with his bushy beard, I had been
somewhat surprised when I first saw the men on their landing so
comparatively clear of hair on their face; my astonishment at the clear
white skin of a woman--and in this instance, it was peculiarly white and
pallid--was very great. I also perceived how much more delicate her
features were than those of the men; her teeth, too, were very white,
and Jackson's were discoloured and bad; I longed to see her eyes, but
they were closed. Any other difference I could not perceive, as she had
drawn the blanket close up to her chin.
"This is then a woman;" said I to myself: "yes, and it's very like what
I used to see in my dreams." I looked a little longer, and then,
hearing Nero coming into the cabin behind me, and afraid that she would
awake, I made a hasty retreat.
I remained at this part of the cabin considering what I should do. I
thought I would light a fire, and go down for a fish to broil on the
embers for her breakfast, so I called Nero to come down with me. On
arriving at the pool, I found all the seamen fast asleep under the tent
they had made with the boat's sails; and they appeared to be much the
same as Jackson used to be after he had got drunk the night before; I
presumed, therefore, that such was their state, and was not far wrong.
Nero went into the pool and brought out a fish, as I ordered him, and I
then walked to the boat to examine it. This took me half an hour, and I
was sorry that none of the men were awake, that so I might ask any
questions I wished. I examined the pitch-kettle, and the boat's sails,
and the breakers. Breakers are small casks, holding about six to seven
gallons of water, and are very handy for boats. I remained about an
hour, and then went back to the cabin, carrying a fagot on my shoulder,
Nero following with the fish in his mouth. We were met by the woman,
who came out of the cabin; she no longer had the blanket round her, for
it was a beautiful bright morning, and very warm.
"Nero is bringing you your breakfast," said I, "so you ought to like
him."
"I dare say I shall, if we are to be companions in future," replied she.
"Do you want anything?" said I.
"Yes, a little water, if you can get me some."
I filled the kid from the spring, put it down by her, and then took out
the inside of the fish, and fed the birds, who were crowding round me.
The woman washed her face and hands, braided up her hair, and then sat
down on the rock. In the mean time, I had lighted my fagot, cleaned the
fish, and waited till the wood was burnt to ashes before I put the fish
on the fire. Having then nothing to do, I thought that reading would
amuse the woman, and I went in for the Bible.
"Shall I read to you?" said I.
"Yes," replied she with some astonishment in her looks.
I read to her the history of Joseph and his brethren, which was my
favourite story in the Bible.
"Who taught you to read?" said she, as I shut the book, and put the fish
on the embers.
"Jackson," said I.
"He was a good man, was he not?" replied she.
I shook my head. "No, not very good," said I, at last. "If you knew
all about him, you would say the same; but he taught me to read."
"How long have you been on this island?" said she.
"I was born on it, but my father and mother are both dead, and Jackson
died three years ago--since that I have been quite alone, only Nero with
me."
She then asked me a great many more questions, and I gave her a short
narration of what had passed, and what Jackson had told me; I also
informed her how it was I procured food, and how we must soon leave the
island, now that we were so many, or the food would not last out till
the birds came again.
By this time the fish was cooked, and I took it off the fire and put it
into the kid, and we sat down to breakfast; in an hour or so we had
become very sociable.
I must, however, now stop a little to describe her. What the men had
told me was quite true. She had lost her husband, and was intending to
proceed to England. Her name was Reichardt, for her husband was a
German, or of German family. She was, as I have since ascertained,
about thirty-seven years old, and very tall and elegant; she must have
been very handsome when she was younger, but she had suffered much
hardship in following her husband as she had done, through all the
vicissitudes of his travels.
Her face was oval; eyes black and large; and her hair black as the
raven's wing; her features were small and regular; her teeth white and
good; but her complexion was very pallid, and not a vestige of colour on
her cheeks. As I have since thought, it was more like a marble statue
than anything I can compare her to. There was a degree of severity in
her countenance when she did not smile, and it was seldom that she did.
I certainly looked upon her with more awe than regard, for some time
after I became acquainted with her; and yet her voice was soft and
pleasant, and her manners very amiable; but it must be remembered I had
never before seen a woman. After breakfast was over, I proposed going
down to where the seamen lay, to see if they were awake; but I told her
I thought that they would not be.
"I will go with you, as I left a basket with some things of mine in the
boat, and it will be as well to bring them up at once."
We therefore set off together, I having ordered Nero to stay in the
cabin. On our arrival at the pool, we found the men still fast asleep;
and by her directions I went into the water to the boat, and brought out
a basket and a small bundle which she pointed out.
"Shall I wake them?" said I.
"No, no," replied she; "so long as they sleep, they will be doing no
harm. But," said she, "we may as well take some potatoes up with us;
fill both these handkerchiefs," continued she, taking two out of the
bundle. I did so, and she took one and I the other, and we returned to
the cabin.
"Are these all the birds that you have for food?" said she, looking at
the pile in the cabin.
"Yes," replied I. "But what are we to do with the potatoes?"
"We can roast them by the fire if we like," said she; "but at present we
had better take them into the cabin. Did you plant all these flowers
and creepers which grow over the cabin?"
"Yes," replied I. "I was alone and had nothing to do, so I thought I
would make a garden."
"They are very pretty. Now that I am back, you can go down to the men
if you please, and tell them, when they wake up, that I wish to have the
smallest of the boat's sails, to make a screen of. Tell the mate--he is
the most civil."
"I will," said I. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes, bring up a few more potatoes; they will let you take them if you
say that I told you."
"Shall I take Nero with me?"
"Yes, I do not want his company, for I am a little afraid of him."
I called Nero, who came after me, and went down to the pool, when I
found that the men had all woke up, and were very busy, some lighting a
fire, some washing potatoes, and some trying to catch the fish in the
pool.
"Oh, here he is. Come, boy, what have you got for our breakfast? We've
been trying to catch some of these fish, but they're as quick as eels."
"Nero will soon catch you what you want," replied I. "Here, Nero, in."
Nero plunged in, and soon brought out a fish, and I then sent him in for
another.
"Thanks, lad," said the mate, "that will be enough for our breakfast.
That seal of yours is a handy fellow, and well trained."
While the other men were getting breakfast, one of them went up to Nero,
I believe with the intention of making friends with him, but Nero
rejected his advances, and showed his sharp teeth, snapping at him
several times. The man became angry, and caught up a piece of rock to
throw at the seal. He aimed at the animal's nose, and narrowly missed
hitting it. Had he done so, he would probably have killed it. This
made me very angry, and I told the man not to do so again; upon this, he
caught up another, and was about to throw it, when I seized him by the
collar with my left hand, and with my right drawing my American knife, I
threatened to stab him with it, if he attacked the beast. The man
started back, and in so doing, fell over a piece of rock, on his back.
This quarrel brought the mate to us, along with two or three of the men.
My knife was still lifted up, when the mate said:
"Come, my hearty, no knives, we don't allow them. That's not English.
Put it up; no one shall hurt the beast, I promise you. Bob, you fool,
why couldn't you leave the animal alone? You forget you are among
savages here."
At this, the other men burst out into a laugh.
"Yes," observed one; "I can swear, when I get back, that the natives of
this island are savages, who eat raw flesh, have seals for playmates,
and don't wear clothes enough for common decency?"
This made them laugh more, and the man who had attacked Nero, and who
had got upon his legs again, joined with the others; so all was again
good humour. The men sat down to their breakfast, while I examined the
boat again, and afterwards asked many questions, with which they were
much amused, every now and then observing, "Well, he is a savage!"
After they had breakfasted, I made Nero catch another fish, and sent him
up to the cabin with it, as I was afraid that the man might do him an
injury, and then told the mate that the woman had desired me to bring up
some potatoes.
"Take them," said he; "but you have nothing to carry them up with.
Here, fill the pail, and I will go to the cabin with you."
"She told me that I was to ask you for a small boat's sail, to hang up
as a screen."
"Well, she shall have the boat's mizen. We don't want it. I'll carry
it up."
The mate threw the sail and yard over his shoulder, and followed me up
to the cabin. On our arrival, we found the missionary's wife sitting on
the platform, Nero lying not far from her, with the fish beside him.
The mate took off his hat, and saluted my new companion, saying, that he
hoped she was comfortable last night.
"Yes," replied she, "as much so as I could expect; but I turned this
good lad out of his cabin, which I do not wish to do again, and
therefore I requested the sail for a screen. Now, John Gough, what do
you intend to do?" continued she.
The mate replied, "I came up here to see what quantity of provision the
lad might have. By his account, it will not last more than a month, and
it will take some time before we can reach where we are likely to fall
in with any vessel. Stay here we cannot, for we shall only eat the
provision and lose time; therefore the sooner we are off the better."
"If you take all the provision, of course you will take the lad with
you?" replied she.
"Of course we will."
"And my chest, and my seal?" inquired I.
"Yes, your chest, certainly; but as for your seal, I do not know what to
say to that--he will be starved in the boat, and if you give him his
liberty, he will do well enough."
"What you say is very true," replied the woman. "I am afraid, boy, that
you will have to part with your friend. It will be better for both of
you."
I made no reply; for it cut me to the heart to think of parting with
Nero; but still I had sense enough to perceive that what they said was
right.
The mate then went into the cabin, and examined the heap of dried birds
which I had collected, and having made his calculation, said that there
were sufficient for three weeks, but not more.
"And when do you think of leaving this island?" inquired the woman.
"The day after to-morrow, if I can persuade the men, madam," replied he;
"but you know they are not very easy to manage, and very thoughtless,
especially now that they have so unexpectedly fallen in with liquor."
"That I admit," replied she; "but as they will probably take the liquor
in the boat, that will not make so great a difference."
"I shall go down and speak to them, now they're all sober," replied the
mate, "and will let you know in the evening; or to-morrow morning
perhaps, will be better." The mate then saluted her, by touching his
hat, and left us.