Return from the Voyage of Discovery--A Nocturnal
Alarm
My poor boy now began to complain of fatigue; the sugar-canes galled
his shoulders, and he was obliged to shift them often. At last he
stopped to take breath.--“No,” cried he, “I never could have thought
that a few sugar-canes could be so heavy. How sincerely I pity the
poor negroes who carry heavy loads of them! Yet how glad I shall be
when my mother and Ernest are tasting them!”
“I am not without my apprehensions, that of our acquisition we
shall carry them only a few sticks for firewood; for the juice of
the sugar-cane is apt to turn sour soon after cutting, and the more
certainly in such heat as we now experience; we may suck them,
therefore, without compunction at the diminution of their numbers.”
When we reached the place where we had left our gourd utensils upon
the sands, we found them perfectly dry, as hard as bone, and not the
least misshapen. We now, therefore, could put them into our game-bags
conveniently enough, and this done, we continued our way. Scarcely
had we passed through the little wood in which we breakfasted, when
Turk sprang away to seize upon a troop of monkeys, who were skipping
about and amusing themselves without observing our approach. They
were thus taken by surprise; and before we could get to the spot,
our ferocious Turk had already seized one of them; it was a female
who held a young one in her arms, which she was caressing almost
to suffocation, and which incumbrance deprived her of the power of
escaping. The poor creature was killed, and afterwards devoured;
the young one hid himself in the grass, and looked on, grinding his
teeth. Fritz flew like lightning to make Turk let go his hold. He
lost his hat, threw down his tin bottle, canes, etc., but all in
vain; he was too late to prevent the death of the interesting mother.
The next scene that presented itself was of a different nature, and
comical enough. The young monkey sprang nimbly on Fritz’s shoulders,
and fastened his feet in the stiff curls of his hair; nor could the
squalls of Fritz, nor all the shaking he gave him, make him let go
his hold. I ran to them, laughing heartily, for I saw that the animal
was too young to do him any injury, while the panic visible in the
features of the boy made a ludicrous contrast with the grimaces of
the monkey, whom I endeavoured to disengage.
With a little gentleness and management I succeeded. I took the
creature in my arms as one would an infant, nor could I help pitying
and caressing him. He was not larger than a kitten, and quite unable
to help himself; its mother was at least as tall as Fritz.
“What shall I do with thee, poor orphan?” cried I; “and how, in our
condition, shall I be able to maintain thee? We have already more
mouths to fill than food to put into them, and our workmen are too
young to afford us much hope from their exertions.”
“Father,” cried Fritz, “do let me have this little animal to myself.
I will take the greatest care of him; I will give him all my share of
the milk of the cocoa-nuts, till we get our cows and goats; and who
knows? his monkey instinct may one day assist us in discovering some
wholesome fruits.”
“I have not the least objection,” answered I. “You have conducted
yourself throughout this tragi-comic adventure like a lad of courage
and sensibility, and I am well satisfied with every circumstance of
your behaviour. It is therefore but just that the little protégé
should be given up to your management and discretion.”
We now thought of resuming our journey. The little orphan jumped
again on the shoulders of his protector, while I on my part relieved
my boy of the bundle of canes. Scarcely had we proceeded a quarter
of a league when Turk overtook us full gallop. The young monkey
appeared uneasy from seeing him so near, and passed round and fixed
himself on his protector’s bosom, who did not long bear so great an
inconvenience without having recourse to his invention for a remedy.
He tied some string round Turk’s body in such a way, as to admit
of the monkey’s being fastened on his back with it, and then in a
tone of genuine pity, he said, “Now, Mr. Turk, since you had the
cruelty to destroy the mother, it is for you to take care of her
child.” At first the dog was restive, and resisted; but by degrees,
partly by menaces, and partly by caresses, we succeeded in gaining
his good-will, and he quietly consented to carry the little burden;
and the young monkey, who also had made some difficulties, at length
found himself perfectly accommodated. Fritz put another string round
Turk’s neck, by which he might lead him, a precaution he used to
prevent him from going out of sight.
Thus proceeding, we soon found ourselves on the bank of the river,
and near our family, before we were aware. Flora from the other side
announced our approach by a violent barking, and Turk replied so
heartily, that his motions unseated his little burden, who in his
fright jumped the length of his string from his back to Fritz’s
shoulder, which he could not afterwards be prevailed upon to leave.
Turk, who began to be acquainted with the country, ran off to meet
his companion, and shortly after, our much-loved family appeared in
sight, with demonstrations of unbounded joy at our safe return.
I gave my wife an account of our journey and our new acquisitions,
which I exhibited one after the other for her inspection. No one of
them afforded her more pleasure than the plates and dishes, because,
to persons of decent habits, they were articles of indispensable
necessity. We now adjourned to our kitchen, and observed with
pleasure the preparations for an excellent repast. On one side of
the fire was a turnspit, which my wife had contrived by driving two
forked pieces of wood into the ground, and placing a long even stick,
sharpened at one end, across them. By this invention she was enabled
to roast fish, or other food, with the help of little Francis, who
was intrusted with the care of turning it round from time to time.
On the occasion of our return, she had prepared us the treat of a
goose, the fat of which ran down into some oyster-shells placed there
to serve the purpose of a dripping-pan. There was, besides, a dish
of fish, which the little ones had caught; and the iron pot was upon
the fire, provided with a good soup, the odour of which increased our
appetite. By the side of these most exhilarating preparations stood
one of the casks which we had recovered from the sea, the head of
which my wife had knocked out, so that it exposed to our view a cargo
of the finest sort of Dutch cheeses, contained in round tins.
We seated ourselves on the ground: my wife had placed each article of
the repast in one of our new dishes, the neat appearance of which
exceeded all our expectations. My sons had not patience to wait,
but had broken the cocoa-nuts, and already convinced themselves of
their delicious flavour; and then they fell to making spoons with the
fragments of the shells.
The boys were preparing to break some more of the nuts with the
hatchet, after having drawn out the milk through the three little
holes, when I pronounced the word _halt_, and bade them bring me a
saw;--the thought had struck me, that by dividing the nuts carefully
with this instrument, the two halves, when scooped, would remain
in the form of tea-cups or basins already made to our hands. Jack,
who was on every occasion the most active, brought me the saw. I
performed my undertaking in the best manner I could, and in a short
time each of us was provided with a convenient receptacle for food.
By the time we had finished our meal, the sun was retiring from our
view; and recollecting how quickly the night would fall upon us,
we were in great haste to regain our place of rest. My wife had
considerately collected a tenfold quantity of dry grass, which she
had spread in the tent, so that we anticipated with joy the prospect
of stretching our limbs on a substance somewhat approaching to the
quality of mattresses, while, the night before, our bodies seemed
to touch the ground. Our flock of fowls placed themselves as they
had done the preceding evening: we said our prayers, and, with an
improved serenity of mind, lay down in the tent, taking the young
monkey with us, who was become the little favourite of all. We all
lay down upon the grass, in the order of the night before, myself
remaining last to fasten the sail-cloth in front of the tent; when,
heartily fatigued by the exertions of the day, I, as well as the
rest, soon fell into a profound and refreshing sleep.
But I had not long enjoyed this pleasing state, when I was awakened
by the motion of the fowls on the ridge of the tent, and by a violent
barking of our vigilant safeguards, the dogs. I was instantly on my
legs: my wife and Fritz, who had also been alarmed, got up also: we
each took a gun, and sallied forth.
The dogs continued barking with the same violence, and at intervals
even howled. We had not proceeded many steps from the tent, when,
to our surprise, we perceived by the light of the moon a terrible
combat. At least a dozen of jackals had surrounded our brave dogs,
who defended themselves with the stoutest courage. Already the
fierce champions had laid three or four of their adversaries on the
ground, while those which remained began a timid kind of moan, as
if imploring pity and forbearance. Meanwhile they did not the less
endeavour to entangle and surprise the dogs, thus thrown off their
guard, and so secure to themselves the advantage. But our watchful
combatants were not so easily deceived: they took good care not to
let the enemy approach them too nearly.
I, for my part, had apprehended something worse than jackals.--“We
shall soon manage to set these gentlemen at rest,” said I. “Let us
fire both together, my boy; but let us take care how we aim, for
fear of killing the dogs; mind how you fire, that you may not miss,
and I shall do the same.” We fired, and two of the intruders fell
instantly dead upon the sands. The others made their escape; but we
perceived it was with great difficulty, in consequence, no doubt, of
being wounded. Turk and Flora afterwards pursued them, and put the
finishing stroke to what we had begun; and thus the battle ended.
The body of one of the jackals was left on the rock, by the side
of the tent in which were the little sleepers, who had not once
awaked during the whole of the scene which had been passing. Having,
therefore, nothing further to prevent us, we lay down by their side
till day began to break, and till the cocks, with their shrill
morning salutation, awoke us both. The children being still asleep,
this afforded us an excellent opportunity to consult together
respecting the plan we should pursue for the ensuing day.