THE HOUSE FINISHED--A STORE-HOUSE BUILT--SAGO MANUFACTURED--WALTER MAKES
BOWS AND ARROWS--A SHOOTING EXPEDITION--WALTER SEES A TERRIFIC
CREATURE--CATCH AND COOK IT--ERECT A "SMOKING-HOUSE"--SUCCESSFUL
FISHING.
The house was nearly finished. The whole of it was constructed of
bamboos. The uprights were the thickest canes; the next in size formed
the horizontal beams, lashed together tightly with the long trailing
vines which abounded in the forest. The rafters of the flooring and the
roof were of a third size; while the flooring itself and the walls were
composed of the larger canes split in two, and, after being well wetted,
pressed down by heavy stones till they were perfectly flat. The roof
was thickly thatched with palm-leaves, which served also to cover the
outside walls of Alice's room. There was a broad verandah in front, in
which the occupants could sit and work during the heat of the day. The
common sitting-room was intended to serve them chiefly at night, when
the weather proved bad. There was no fear of cold in that climate, and
they had, consequently, only to guard against wet and an inconvenient
amount of wind. The lower rooms were not more than seven feet in
height, and the upper scarcely so high; so that the whole building,
independent of the roof, which had a steep pitch, did not reach more
than fourteen feet from the ground. A ladder with numerous rounds,
which would allow Alice to climb up and down with ease, led from the
sitting-room to the upper story. As, of course, they had no glass,
window-shutters were formed of the same material as the house, and
served well to exclude either the sun or rain.
"Why, we have forgotten a store-room!" exclaimed Walter, just as the
house was finished. "If we have no larder, how are we to keep our game,
and the sago which the doctor is going to make, and the roots and
fruits, and anything else we may obtain?"
"It was indeed an omission, and I wonder none of us thought of it
before," said the mate. "However, a few more hours' labour will enable
us to set up a building which will answer the purpose better than had we
put it inside the house."
Another journey to the bamboo brake supplied them with the necessary
amount of canes, and a small building was erected at one end of the
house--which served for one of its walls. It had three stories, each
about three feet in height, with a ladder reaching to them, so that no
marauders, unless they were climbers, could get in. This could not have
prevented either monkeys or snakes, or such active creatures as
tiger-cats, from robbing their stores. Well-fitting shutters were
therefore fixed on in front of the building, which was completed before
dark, and was considered strong enough for the purpose they had in view.
It was, indeed, a gigantic safe standing on four legs, the lower part
being quite open.
"Now we must set to work to kill game, and obtain other provisions, to
put in it," observed the mate.
"I shall be able to manufacture more bows for the rest of the party; for
though I am improving, I can scarcely expect, as yet, to kill game
enough for all hands, or to obtain a sufficient supply to lay by for the
voyage," said Walter.
"We will devote the remainder of this evening, then, to manufacturing
bows and arrows," said the mate.
"To-morrow I must beg you all to come and assist me in manufacturing
sago," observed the doctor. "I can employ all hands. We must first cut
down a tree, and then divide it into lengths, and drag them to the
water, where we must erect our machinery, which need only be of a very
rough character,--and probably the bamboo canes will help us to form
it."
"Mr Shobbrok, when do you propose to begin enlarging the boat? I do so
long to set sail in search of papa," said Alice.
"I have been considering the subject, young lady, and I am as anxious as
you can be, but there is a great deal to be done first. We must collect
provisions, and also ascertain that they will keep good during a long
voyage. One difficulty can be got over more easily than I at first
supposed; for the thick ends of the large bamboos will, I have no doubt,
carry a quantity of water, though I am afraid they will take more space
in stowing than I would wish. If the doctor succeeds in producing sago,
we shall have a substitute for bread; and it also may be preserved in
bamboo casks. I think, too, that we may manage to salt and smoke the
birds and fish we may catch; though, without hooks and lines, we can
only hope occasionally to kill some larger fish with our harpoons."
"I have been thinking, Mr Shobbrok," observed Walter, "that I could
make some fish-hooks from nails, with the help of a small file which I
have in my knife; and as we have plenty of rope, we may unpick some of
it, and twist some strong line."
"Pray set about it then, Walter," said the mate; "for time will be lost
if we go out in the boat in search of large fish to harpoon, when small
ones may be caught from the rocks on the seashore."
The next day the whole party started, under the guidance of the doctor,
to the spot where he had seen the sago palm. He observed that it was
the best time to cut down the tree, as the leaves were covered with a
whitish dust, which was a sign that the flower-bud was about to appear,
and that the sago, or pith within the stem, was then most abundant--it
being intended by nature for the support of the flowers and fruit. Nub
having climbed to the top of a tree, secured a rope, at which the whole
of the party hauling together, hoped to bring it down in the right
direction. The mate, axe in hand, then commenced chopping away. The
wood was tolerably soft, and as the weapon was sharp and he was a good
axe-man, the tree was soon cut through, and came crashing down to the
ground. He then, by the doctor's directions, divided the trunk into
pieces five feet in length. While he was thus occupied, the doctor got
his other companions to pull off the leaves, and to manufacture a number
of cylindrical baskets--in which, he told them, he intended to put the
pulp produced from the pith. The tree being cut up, ropes were fastened
to each piece, to enable them to be dragged to the side of the river.
Two men were required for each. Walter and Alice tried to drag one of
the smallest, but could not move it over the rough ground; they
therefore carried the baskets, and remained by the river to assist the
doctor and Nub, while the mate and Dan went back to bring up the other
logs. The first operation was to slice off a part of the outer hard
wood till the pith appeared. The log was then rested on bamboo trestles
a couple of feet from the ground. The two workmen now cut across the
longitudinal fibres and the pith together, leaving however, a part at
each end untouched, so that the log formed a rough trough. The pulp
thus cut into small pieces, and mixed with water, was beaten by a piece
of wood, by which means the fibres were separated from it, they floating
on the top, while the flour sank to the bottom. A number of bamboo
buckets, manufactured by Nub, enabled Walter and Alice to bring the
water required for the operation. The coarser fibres floating on the
top being thrown away, the water was drained off, and the remaining pulp
was again cleared by more water. This operation was repeated several
times, till a pure white powder alone remained.
"There, Miss Alice," said the doctor, showing it to her, "I beg to offer
you some, with which you can make cakes or puddings,--though I confess
that it is not equal to wheaten flour, as this is in reality starch: but
it will afford nourishment to us, as it would have done to the flowers
and roots of the tree had we not cut it down."
"I thought sago was like little white seeds," remarked Alice.
"What is imported is so in appearance," answered the doctor. "In order
that it may keep, it is prepared by being first moistened, and then
passed through a sieve into a shallow dish, and placed over a fire,
which causes it to assume a globular form. The sago, when properly
packed, will keep a long time; but the flour we have here would quickly
turn sour, if exposed to the air. I propose filling the baskets we have
made with what sago we do not require for immediate use, and sinking
them in fresh water, when it will thus keep for a long time. Had we but
an iron pot, we might easily prepare it for a voyage; but we must, of
necessity, find some other means of doing so."
"Don't you think the large mollusc-shell will answer the purpose?"
observed Walter. "If it will cook meat, it will surely bake the sago."
"In that instance it had water in it," observed the doctor. "I am
afraid that with dry sago in it the shell will take fire. However, we
will try. Perhaps we may find a large flat stone which we can surround
with a rim of wood; and by applying heat under the centre our object may
be attained."
"Oh, that will do capitally," said Walter; "and I am sure that we can
easily manufacture a sieve."
The mate and Dan had now brought up all the logs; and seeing how well
the doctor had succeeded, they heartily congratulated him.
In a short time the pith of the whole tree was turned into sago powder,
amounting, they calculated, to about one hundred pounds. The doctor
told them that this was but a small quantity compared with that which a
large tree produces, as frequently one tree alone yields five to six
hundred pounds' weight of sago. The greater part of the sago having
been buried in a quiet pool, where there was little fear of its being
disturbed, the party returned with the remainder late in the evening to
their house.
Walter was up next morning at daybreak, searching along the shore for a
flat stone to serve for the bottom of the pan he wished to make for
granulating the sago. To his great delight, he found one of
considerable size, almost circular, and with the edges washed smooth by
the action of the waves. He had brought some strips of the palm which
had been chopped off the sago tree on the previous day. One of these
was of sufficient length to bind round the stone; another served for the
rim of the sieve, and a number of large leaves cut into strips made the
bottom. Both contrivances had a rough look, but he hoped they would
answer the purpose. He placed the pan between two stones in the way the
mollusc had been fixed; and then hurrying to the doctor, brought him to
see what he had done. The fire was soon lighted under the stone, which
was heated without cracking; and the doctor then shook some flour from
the sieve on to the pan, and, greatly to his and Walter's delight, it
granulated perfectly.
"You have rendered our community a great service, Walter!" exclaimed the
doctor. "We may perhaps improve upon your contrivance, or, at all
events, make a number of pans and sieves, as the process at present is a
slow one, and it would take a long time to manufacture as much sago as
we shall require for the voyage."
Walter, however, begged that he might continue the manufacture, so that
he might be able to judge how much could be produced. Though he
laboured all day, he had only two or three pounds' weight to show; still
that was something, and no doubt remained that a supply of sago could be
obtained for the voyage. Alice, who had watched him at work, felt sure
that she could carry it on as well as he could; so the next day she took
his place, while he accompanied the doctor on a shooting expedition.
Nub was to attend them. Each carried a bow, with a quiver full of
arrows, and a long spear. They were neither of them as yet very expert
marksmen. The doctor was the best, while Walter was improving. Dan
always declared that his bow had a twist in it, and shot crooked; but he
was more successful than any of the party in catching birds in other
ways.
They had been waiting for Nub, who had gone out early in the morning;
but just as they were starting, they met him coming back with a couple
of hornbills, which had taken refuge in the hole occupied by the birds
before captured.
"I thought oders would come," he observed, holding them up; "and I got
one egg, too, which do nicely for Missie Alice's breakfast."
The doctor told him to take the birds home, and then to follow them.
They several times caught sight, as they went along, of some beautiful
birds of paradise, which, however, kept too high up in the trees to be
shot by arrows.
"We are out of luck this morning," said the doctor, when they had gone
some way without killing a bird.
"Don't you think that if we could make some bird-lime we might have a
better chance of catching the smaller birds?" asked Walter.
"No doubt about it, if we could get the ingredients, and a bait to
attract the birds," answered the doctor. "The idea is worth
considering. Keep your mind at work, my lad; you may be, at all events,
of great use in our present circumstances. I have known instances where
shipwrecked crews have starved when they might have supported their
lives, simply because they were too ignorant or too dull to exert
themselves and search diligently for food. An Australian savage will
live in the wilds where the white man will perish. But then the savage
knows the habits of all the living creatures in the neighbourhood, and
the roots and herbs, and indeed every vegetable substance which will
afford him nourishment. Had we more skill as marksmen, and did we know
the haunts of the animals frequenting these woods, I have no doubt that
we should have before this abundantly supplied ourselves with food of
all sorts. We are, however, improving, and I have no longer any anxiety
on the subject."
While the doctor was speaking, Walter had been intently looking towards
the branch of a large tree seven or eight feet above the ground.
"Oh, Mr Lawrie," he exclaimed, "what is that terrific monster? If it
should run at us it will kill us. The head looks to me like that of a
crocodile; but do such creatures exist on land? Shall we attack it, or
will it be better to get out of its way?" he asked, quickly recovering
his courage, and bringing his spear ready for battle. Walter's sharp
eyes had detected what Mr Lawrie had before failed to see in the gloom
of the forest.
"If we are not cautious, it will be getting out of our way, which I
should be sorry for," answered the surgeon with a calmness which
surprised his companion. "That creature is a species of iguana, some
few of which inhabit the East, though the larger number are found in
South America and the West India Islands. They are not very formidable
antagonists, and are more likely to run away than attack us. If we had
a good strong noose, we might throw it over the head of the animal, and
soon haul it down from its perch, where it at present seems to be
sleeping."
While they were speaking, Nub overtook them, and was highly pleased when
they pointed out to him the hideous-looking lizard.
"Look, I brought dis," he said, producing a piece of rope. "Now I go
and slip it ober de head of de iguana; and when I pull him down, you pin
him to de ground with your spears."
The doctor and Walter agreed to follow Nub's advice, and cautiously
approached the sleeping brachylophus, as the doctor called the creature.
It looked still more formidable as they approached; for it had a long
pointed tail, large claws, a row of spines down its back, and numerous
teeth in its long jaws. Lumps and excrescences of various sizes added
to the hideous appearance of its head.
Nub got the noose ready to throw, while the doctor and Walter held their
spears prepared for action. Nub drew nearer and nearer; the reptile
opened one of its eyes, and then the other, and moved its tail slightly.
In a moment the noose was dexterously thrown over its head, when Nub
gave a violent pull before it had time to grasp the branch with its
claws, and hauled it to the ground. "Now, Massa Walter," he shouted
out; "hold on to him tail." But though both Walter and the doctor
attempted to catch the creature's tail, it whisked it about so violently
that the task was no easy one. Nub meantime kept jumping round and
round, as it made attempts to bite his legs. The doctor at length
getting in front, ran his spear into its open mouth; while Walter, with
the point of his, pressed its neck down to the ground. The creature
had, however, still an abundance of life, and made desperate efforts to
escape. When it advanced, the doctor drove his spear further down its
throat; and when it retreated, finding the point unpleasant, Nub hauled
away on the rope, which grew tighter and tighter round its neck.
"Hit it on the tail with your spear, Walter; a few heavy blows will soon
render it helpless," said the doctor; and Walter, as directed,
belaboured the unfortunate creature, till at length its struggles
ceased.
"Hurrah! we got him now,--and plenty of dinner to last us for many
days," shouted Nub. "I tink what we now got to do is to make ropes fast
round him neck and drag him home."
Nub's suggestion was acted on; and having cut some vines and fastened
them round the creature's neck, they harnessed themselves and began
hauling it along. The operation was somewhat fatiguing, owing to the
roughness of the ground and the numerous roots which projected in all
directions. Their arrival was welcomed cordially by the mate and Dan;
Alice, however, could not believe that they intended to eat so hideous a
creature. It was forthwith hoisted up to the branch of a tree; and
while Nub and Dan prepared the fire for cooking it, the doctor cut open
its inside, which was found full of tree-frogs, small lizards, and other
creatures. Walter stood by watching him, as with scientific skill he
dissected the huge lizard, discoursing as he did so in technical
language, which was perfectly incomprehensible to his young hearer, on
the curious formation of the creature,--on its bones, muscles, and other
internal parts.
"I tink one ting," observed Nub, who, after he had deposited a bundle of
faggots near the fire, had come back to watch the proceedings. "I tink
that he make bery good roast, and remarkably fine stew, if we had salt
and pepper, and a few oder tings to eat wid him. I bery glad if we
catch one of dese beasts ebery oder day."
As soon as the doctor had satisfied his curiosity, Nub begged that he
might have the joints, as it was time to begin cooking them for dinner.
The remainder of the carcass was now hung up in the larder, which had
been finished in time for its reception.
"We must see about preserving our meat, however," observed the doctor,
"or we shall always be liable to starvation; and the sooner we begin the
better."
"What do you propose doing?" asked Walter. "I was thinking of searching
for salt on the seashore."
"A still more effectual way of preserving the meat will be to smoke it,
I suspect," said the doctor. "We have an abundance of stones, and we
can easily build a `smoking-house,' with the ever-useful bamboos for
rafters. We shall have time to do something before dinner."
"At all events, we can make a beginning. There's nothing like setting
at once about a thing which has to be done," observed Walter.
"You are right, my boy; and we will get the mate and Dan to help us, as
Nub, I see, is busy attending to our roast," said the doctor.
They immediately set to work to erect a circular wall about six feet in
diameter. They did not stop to procure cement, as even should the
structure tumble down no great damage would be done, and it might easily
be built up again. They had already raised it two or three feet in
height before Nub had finished his culinary operations. Dinner was laid
out, not, as hitherto, on the ground, but on a rustic-looking table,
with benches on one side, and a large arm-chair at one end for Mr
Shobbrok. Alice superintended the arrangements. They had leaves for
plates, sticks for forks, and their clasp-knives enabled them to cut up
their meat; and a neat bamboo cup stood by the side of each person,
while one of larger dimensions served to hold their only beverage, pure
water. At length Nub shouted, "Dinner is ready;" and he and Dan entered
the house, each bearing a large shell which they had picked up on the
shore,--one containing a piece of roast lizard, and the other one of the
hornbills captured in the morning. Nub then hurried out again, and
returned with a third shell full of sago; while a fourth was filled with
some roots which the doctor had dug up. The latter assured his friends
that they were perfectly wholesome, as he knew the nature of the plants.
They complimented Nub on his cooking, and all sat down with excellent
appetites, and hearts thankful for the substantial meal which had been
supplied them. Little had they expected to find so large a supply of
wholesome food when they first landed.
The next day the doctor and Nub went on with the erection of the
smoking-house; while the mate, assisted by Dan, made preparations for
the proposed alterations in the boat. He looked somewhat grave,
however, over the business; and Dan heard him saying to himself, "I wish
that I thought it would do. But it's a fearful risk for those young
people to run."
The doctor having at length finished the smoking-house, which was
covered over thickly with palm-leaves, he observed,--"And now we have
finished our house, we must get some game to put in it. Your bow and
arrows, Walter, will, I hope, give us a good supply."
"But are we not to try and catch some fish?" asked Walter. "They can be
more effectually smoked than birds, and will keep better, I fancy. I
have begun a hook, and I think that I may be able to finish two or three
more before night."
"By all means. If Mr Shobbrok does not intend to commence immediately
on the boat, we might take her into the middle of the harbour, or out to
sea, and try what we can catch."
The mate agreed to the doctor's proposal; so the next day they and
Walter went off, taking Alice, who wished to accompany them. Nub and
Dan remained on shore to attend to the traps, and shoot some birds, if
they could, for dinner. The fishing-party first threw their lines
overboard in the harbour, but after trying for some time they caught
only two small fish; they therefore pulled some way out to sea, where
the water was sufficiently shallow to allow them to anchor by means of a
large stone which they had brought for the purpose. They quickly got
bites, and began rapidly to pull up some large fish, which the doctor
believed, from their appearance, were likely to prove wholesome, though
he could not tell their names. They were so busily employed that the
time passed rapidly away, and evening was approaching before they
thought how late it was. They did not fail, as may be supposed, to keep
a bright lookout for any passing sail; but none appeared. With nearly
four dozen fine large fish, they returned to the harbour. Nub's eyes
glistened, as he came down to assist in hauling up the boat, on seeing
the number of fish.
"No fear now of starving, I tink," he observed. "I neber thought we get
so much as dat. God gives us all good tings, and we tank Him."
The rest of the day was employed in preparing the fish and hanging them
up to dry, after which a fire of green wood was placed under them; and
the doctor expressed his confidence that his plan for curing both fish
and fowl would succeed.
The mate had for some time wished to explore the island, and at supper
he proposed that they should set out the next day. Being unwilling to
expose Alice to the dangers they might have to encounter, he suggested
that she and Walter, with Nub, should remain behind at the house; for,
as they had now an ample supply of provisions, they might safely do so
without fear of starving. They both, however, begged so hard to go,
that he at length yielded to their wishes; and it was agreed that the
whole party should set off directly after breakfast the next morning.