Edible Birds’ Nests--Pearl-Fishery--Poor Jack
is “Killed”--Discovery of Truffles
We had spent an entire day in preparing our cargo. A fresh and
favourable breeze and a slightly ruffled sea induced us to embark
immediately. Francis and his mother were left to guard the shore, and
we gaily put off, amid their prayers and wishes for our safe return.
We took with us some of our domestics: young Knips, the successor
of our good old monkey, Jack’s jackal, Flora, Braun, and Folb, all
found a place in the boat. Jack occupied the second seat in Fritz’s
cajack. Ernest and I conducted the canoe loaded with our provisions
and animals.
The cajack led the way, and we followed, steering our course through
the shoals and rocks with the greatest difficulty. We did not
encounter any marine monsters; but the rocks were covered with the
whitened bones of walruses and sea-horses, and Ernest made us stop
several times, at the risk of bruising our boat against the rocks,
in order that he might collect some of these osseous remains for our
museum of natural history.
We soon attained the promontory, behind which, Fritz said, was the
Bay of Pearls. This promontory was singular and imposing. Arch
rose above arch, column above column; in a word, it resembled the
front of one of those old Gothic cathedrals, embellished with a
thousand grotesque carvings and antiquated decorations, with the
only difference that, instead of a pavement of marble, we had the
blue sea, and the columns were washed by the waves. It struck us
as a temple elevated to the Eternal, in the midst of immensity. We
penetrated into the vault; it was sombre and gloomy, like an old
cathedral, and only lighted by a few apertures in the rock.
The noise of our oars frightened the peaceable salanganes, and they
flew about in such numbers as almost to render it impossible to guide
the boat; but when our eyes became habituated to the darkness, we
saw with pleasure that every niche and corner was filled with their
nests. These nests resembled white cups, were as transparent as horn,
and filled, like the nests of other birds, with feathers, and dry
sticks of some sort of perfumed wood.
The trial which we had made of this substance, after boiling it with
salt and spices, convinced us that it was a delicate and wholesome
food; besides, we knew how highly it was valued in China, and we were
so possessed with the idea that, some day or other, a vessel would
arrive on our shores, with which we could trade, that I resolved
to gather a considerable number of these nests, only taking care
to leave those which contained eggs or young ones. Fritz and Jack
climbed like cats along the rocks and detached the nests, which
they gave to Ernest and me, who placed them in a large sack we had
brought. It was soon filled, and I was glad of it, as the boys were
tired, and I could not bear to see them suspended on the ladder over
the water.
I now gave the order for departure. Fritz had assured me that
the canal which flowed through the vault was navigable, and that
by following the passage, we should soon arrive at the bay. The
flood-tide carried us rapidly forward toward the other extremity of
the cavern, and we could not help admiring the magnificence of the
passage: the roof was covered with stalactites wrought by the hand
of nature into a thousand fantastic forms. At length we issued into
a beautiful bay; we were struck with surprise, and remained resting
on our oars in silent admiration. The water was so calm and pure that
we could see the fish far below us. I recognized the white fish, the
shining scales of which are used as false pearls. I showed them to
my sons; but they could not understand how a little stone would be
worth so much more than the fish-scales, when the latter were full as
brilliant as the former.
“It is not the object itself,” said I; “it is the difficulty in
procuring it which costs so much. If every river in Europe abounded
in pearls, they would be worth nothing.”
The day was too far advanced to commence our pearl-fishing, and we
appeased our hungry stomachs with some slices of ham, fried potatoes,
and some cassava cakes; and, after having lighted up fires along the
coast, to keep off wild beasts, we left the dogs on shore and went
on board the canoe, Knips being installed on the mast as vidette.
We drew the sail over our heads, and, wrapping ourselves in our
bear-skins, soon sank to rest.
We rose at daylight, and, after a frugal breakfast, commenced our
labours in the pearl-fishery, and, with the aid of the rakes, hooks,
nets, and poles, soon brought in a large quantity of the precious
oysters: we heaped them all up in a pile on the shore, so that the
heat of the sun would cause them to open.
Toward evening the coast appeared so beautiful, and the vegetation
so rich and glowing, that it was impossible for us to resist the
temptation of making an excursion to a little wood, where we had
heard turkeys gobbling all day. Each took with him one of our
faithful servants, and we separated. Ernest entered first into the
wood, accompanied by Folb; Jack soon followed him, while Fritz and I
remained a moment to fix our guns. A few moments after, we heard a
report, then a scream from Jack, followed by another report. Fritz
unhooded his eagle, I snatched up my gun, and we ran in the direction
of Jack, who was screaming, “Papa! papa! quick! I am killed! quick!
come!”
The poor boy had exaggerated matters a little, for he was not even
wounded; but there he lay face to face with an enormous boar, with
formidable tusks, who had knocked him down so rudely that he thought
himself lost.
His brothers ran quickly up, and two shots well fired freed him from
his terrible enemy. Ernest recounted to me the manner in which this
affair happened. “I had entered into the little wood,” said he, “with
Folb, when suddenly the brave dog quitted me, and set off in pursuit
of a wild boar, who had come out of the forest, and was sharpening
his tusks against the tree with a terrible noise. At that moment Jack
came up; his jackal, perceiving the boar, sprang furiously upon him,
while Folb attacked him on the other side. I approached cautiously,
by passing from one tree to another, until I was near enough to fire;
the jackal, however, had received such a terrible blow from the
boar’s foot that he lay senseless on the grass. Jack then fired, but
missed; and the boar, turning round, set off in pursuit of his new
assailant, who fled like a Hottentot before him. Without doubt, he
would have soon escaped if a projecting root had not tripped him up.
Down he fell; I fired, but missed, and the boar began to butt poor
Jack with his head. He, however, had not time to do him much harm,
as Braun and Flora rushed in, and, seizing the animal by his ears,
held him so firmly that he could not stir. Fritz’s eagle now joined
the fray, and, flying on the head of the boar, who fairly frothed
with rage, began picking at his eyes. Fritz now fired, and hit the
animal directly in the throat; it fell right across Jack’s body, who
could not disengage himself. I then ran up and helped him; he groaned
dreadfully, and at first I thought he was seriously wounded; but I
found that I was mistaken. He took Fritz’s arm and walked away, while
I remained by the boar. It was not without some surprise that I saw
master Knips with some large black tubercles, with which the ground
was covered; I gathered two or three which I put in my game-bag. Look
at them.”
So saying, the young naturalist presented me with six tubercles
resembling potatoes, the odour of which was very penetrating. I
opened one, and, having tasted it, I discovered that they were
excellent truffles, of a perfumed, delicate flesh, marbled with white.
“It appears,” said I to my son, congratulating him on his discovery,
“that the boar, who is very fond of these things, was eating them
when he was disturbed.”
While talking in this way, night came on, and it was necessary to
seek repose. We lighted our watch-fires, swallowed a morsel of meat,
and then retired to our canoe: the dogs were again left on shore.
We were soon asleep, and dreaming of the absent ones at our beloved
Felsenheim.