Hopes of a Sledge--Some Short Lessons in
Useful Things
I had observed along the shore many pieces of wood, of which I
thought I could make a kind of conveyance for our cask of butter and
other provisions from Tent House to Falcon’s Stream, and had secretly
determined to go early the next morning, before my family should
be awake, to the spot. I had fixed upon Ernest for my assistant,
thinking that his indolent temper required to be stimulated to
exertion. I made him feel as a great favour the preference I gave
him, and he promised to be ready at a very early hour.
At the first dawn of morning I quietly awoke Ernest. He got up, and
we descended the ladder without being perceived by the rest, who
continued to sleep soundly. We roused the ass, and I made him draw
some large branches of a tree, which I wanted for my undertaking.
We were not long in finding the pieces of wood, and set to work to
cut them the proper length, and we then laid them cross-ways on the
branches, which we thus converted into a kind of vehicle. We added
to the load a little chest, which we found half-buried in the sands,
quite close to the waves, and then we set out on our return to
Falcon’s Stream. When we reached our abode, the chest we had brought
was soon opened by a strong hatchet; for all were eager to see what
was within. It contained only some sailors’ dresses and some linen,
and both were wet with the sea.
We then sat down tranquilly to breakfast; and I next inspected the
booty of the young sportsmen, who had shot, in all, no less than
fifty ortolans and thrushes, and had used so large a quantity of
powder and shot, that when they were about to resume their sport,
my wife and I stopped them, recommending a more frugal use of those
valuable materials. I taught them how to make some snares, to be
suspended from the branches of the fig-tree, and advised them to use
the thread of the karata, which is as strong as horse-hair, for the
purpose.
Jack, who had got up into the tree, and had suspended some of the
snares to the branches, came down again to bring us the acceptable
intelligence that our pigeons had made a sort of nest there of some
dry grass, and that it already contained several eggs. I therefore
forbade the boys from firing any more in the tree, for fear of
alarming or wounding these gentle creatures. I also directed that the
snares should be frequently examined, to see that the pigeons were
not caught in them, as they might be strangled in their efforts to
get loose.
Meanwhile the boys and I had been busily employed: our work was
completed. Two bent pieces of wood, the segments of a circle, which
I fixed in their places by a straight piece of wood placed across,
and firmly fixed to the bent pieces in the middle and at the rear,
formed the outline of my machine. I then fastened two ropes in front;
and here was a sledge as perfect as could be desired. As I had not
raised my eyes from my work, I did not know what my wife and the two
youngest boys had been about. On looking up, I perceived that they
had been stripping off the feathers from a quantity of birds which
the boys had killed, and that they afterwards spitted them on an
officer’s sword, which Fritz had fancied and brought from the ship,
and which my wife had turned into this useful kitchen utensil. I
approved of the idea; but I blamed her profusion in dressing more
birds at once than we could eat. She reminded me that I had myself
advised her to half-roast the birds before putting them into the
butter, to be preserved for future use. She was in hopes, she said,
that as I had now a sledge, I should not fail of going to Tent House
after dinner to fetch the cask of butter, and in the meanwhile she
was endeavouring to be ready with the birds. I had no objection to
this, and determined on going to Tent House the same day, requesting
my wife to hasten the dinner for that purpose. She replied that this
was already her intention, as she also had a little project in her
head, which I should be informed of at my return. I, for my part,
had one too, which was to refresh myself, after the heat and fatigue
of my laborious occupations, by a plunge into the sea. I wished that
Ernest, who was to accompany me, should bathe also; while Fritz was
to remain at home for the protection of the family.