MORNING, AND COGITATIONS CONNECTED THEREWITH--WE LUXURIATE IN THE SEA,
TRY OUR DIVING POWERS, AND MAKE ENCHANTING EXCURSIONS AMONG THE CORAL
GROVES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN--THE WONDERS OF THE DEEP ENLARGED
UPON.
What a joyful thing it is to awaken on a fresh, glorious morning, and
find the rising sun staring into your face with dazzling brilliancy! to
hear the birds twittering in the bushes, and to hear the murmuring of a
rill, or the soft, hissing ripples as they fall upon the seashore! At
any time, and in any place, such sights and sounds are most charming;
but more especially are they so when one awakens to them, for the first
time, in a novel and romantic situation, with the soft, sweet air of a
tropical climate mingling with the fresh smell of the sea, and stirring
the strange leaves that flutter overhead and around one, or ruffling the
plumage of the stranger birds that fly inquiringly around as if to
demand what business we have to intrude uninvited on their domains.
When I awoke on the morning after the shipwreck, I found myself in this
most delightful condition; and as I lay on my back upon my bed of
leaves, gazing up through the branches of the cocoa-nut trees into the
clear blue sky, and watched the few fleecy clouds that passed slowly
across it, my heart expanded more and more with an exulting gladness,
the like of which I had never felt before. While I meditated, my
thoughts again turned to the great and kind Creator of this beautiful
world, as they had done on the previous day when I first beheld the sea
and the coral reef, with the mighty waves dashing over it into the calm
waters of the lagoon.
While thus meditating, I naturally bethought me of my Bible, for I had
faithfully kept the promise which I gave at parting to my beloved
mother--that I would read it every morning; and it was with a feeling of
dismay that I remembered I had left it in the ship. I was much troubled
about this. However, I consoled myself with reflecting that I could
keep the second part of my promise to her--namely, that I should never
omit to say my prayers. So I rose quietly lest I should disturb my
companions, who were still asleep, and stepped aside into the bushes for
this purpose.
On my return I found them still slumbering, so I again lay down to think
over our situation. Just at that moment I was attracted by the sight of
a very small parrot, which Jack afterwards told me was called a
paroquet. It was seated on a twig that overhung Peterkin's head, and I
was speedily lost in admiration of its bright-green plumage, which was
mingled with other gay colours. While I looked I observed that the bird
turned its head slowly from side to side and looked downwards, first
with the one eye and then with the other. On glancing downwards I
observed that Peterkin's mouth was wide open, and that this remarkable
bird was looking into it. Peterkin used to say that I had not an atom
of fun in my composition, and that I never could understand a joke. In
regard to the latter, perhaps he was right; yet I think that, when they
were explained to me, I understood jokes as well as most people. But in
regard to the former, he must certainly have been wrong, for this bird
seemed to me to be extremely funny; and I could not help thinking that
if it should happen to faint, or slip its foot, and fall off the twig
into Peterkin's mouth, he would perhaps think it funny too! Suddenly
the paroquet bent down its head and uttered a loud scream in his face.
This awoke him, and with a cry of surprise, he started up, while the
foolish bird flew precipitately away.
"Oh, you monster!" cried Peterkin, shaking his fist at the bird. Then
he yawned, and rubbed his eyes, and asked what o'clock it was.
I smiled at this question, and answered that, as our watches were at the
bottom of the sea, I could not tell, but it was a little past sunrise.
Peterkin now began to remember where we were. As he looked up into the
bright sky, and snuffed the scented air, his eyes glistened with
delight, and he uttered a faint "Hurrah!" and yawned again. Then he
gazed slowly round, till, observing the calm sea through an opening in
the bushes, he started suddenly up as if he had received an electric
shock, uttered a vehement shout, flung off his garments, and rushing
over the white sands, plunged into the water. The cry awoke Jack, who
rose on his elbow with a look of grave surprise; but this was followed
by a quiet smile of intelligence on seeing Peterkin in the water. With
an energy that he only gave way to in moments of excitement, Jack
bounded to his feet, threw off his clothes, shook back his hair, and
with a lion-like spring, dashed over the sands and plunged into the sea
with such force as quite to envelop Peterkin in a shower of spray. Jack
was a remarkably good swimmer and diver, so that after his plunge we saw
no sign of him for nearly a minute, after which he suddenly emerged,
with a cry of joy, a good many yards out from the shore. My spirits
were so much raised by seeing all this that I, too, hastily threw off my
garments and endeavoured to imitate Jack's vigorous bound; but I was so
awkward that my foot caught on a stump, and I fell to the ground. Then
I slipped on a stone while running over the sand and nearly fell again,
much to the amusement of Peterkin, who laughed heartily and called me a
"slow coach;" while Jack cried out, "Come along, Ralph, and I'll help
you!" However, when I got into the water I managed very well; for I was
really a good swimmer and diver too. I could not, indeed, equal Jack,
who was superior to any Englishman I ever saw; but I infinitely
surpassed Peterkin, who could only swim a little, and could not dive at
all.
While Peterkin enjoyed himself in the shallow water and in running along
the beach, Jack and I swam out into the deep water and occasionally
dived for stones. I shall never forget my surprise and delight on first
beholding the bottom of the sea. As I have before stated, the water
within the reef was as calm as a pond; and as there was no wind, it was
quite clear from the surface to the bottom, so that we could see down
easily even at a depth of twenty or thirty yards. When Jack and I dived
into shallower water we expected to have found sand and stones, instead
of which we found ourselves in what appeared really to be an enchanted
garden. The whole of the bottom of the lagoon, as we called the calm
water within the reef, was covered with coral of every shape, size, and
hue. Some portions were formed like large mushrooms; others appeared
like the brain of a man, having stalks or necks attached to them; but
the most common kind was a species of branching coral, and some portions
were of a lovely pale-pink colour, others were pure white. Among this
there grew large quantities of seaweed of the richest hues imaginable,
and of the most graceful forms; while innumerable fishes--blue, red,
yellow, green, and striped--sported in and out amongst the flower-beds
of this submarine garden, and did not appear to be at all afraid of our
approaching them.
On darting to the surface for breath after our first dive, Jack and I
rose close to each other.
"Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?" said Jack as
he flung the spray from his hair.
"Never," I replied. "It appears to me like fairy realms. I can
scarcely believe that we are not dreaming."
"Dreaming!" cried Jack. "Do you know, Ralph, I'm half-tempted to think
that we really are dreaming! But if so, I am resolved to make the most
of it and dream another dive; so here goes--down again, my boy!"
We took the second dive together, and kept beside each other while under
water; and I was greatly surprised to find that we could keep down much
longer than I ever recollect having done in our own seas at home. I
believe that this was owing to the heat of the water, which was so warm
that we afterwards found we could remain in it for two and three hours
at a time without feeling any unpleasant effects such as we used to
experience in the sea at home. When Jack reached the bottom, he grasped
the coral stems and crept along on his hands and knees, peeping under
the seaweed and among the rocks. I observed him, also, pick up one or
two large oysters and retain them in his grasp, as if he meant to take
them up with him; so I also gathered a few. Suddenly he made a grasp at
a fish with blue and yellow stripes on its back, and actually touched
its tail, but did not catch it. At this he turned towards me and
attempted to smile; but no sooner had he done so than he sprang like an
arrow to the surface, where, on following him, I found him gasping and
coughing and spitting water from his mouth. In a few minutes he
recovered, and we both turned to swim ashore.
"I declare, Ralph," said he, "that I actually tried to laugh under
water!"
"So I saw," I replied; "and I observed that you very nearly caught that
fish by the tail. It would have done capitally for breakfast, if you
had."
"Breakfast enough here," said he, holding up the oysters as we landed
and ran up the beach.--"Hallo, Peterkin! Here you are, boy! split open
these fellows while Ralph and I put on our clothes. They'll agree with
the cocoa-nuts excellently, I have no doubt."
Peterkin, who was already dressed, took the oysters and opened them with
the edge of our axe, exclaiming, "Now, that's capital! There's nothing
I'm so fond of."
"Ah! that's lucky," remarked Jack. "I'll be able to keep you in good
order now, Master Peterkin. You know you can't dive any better than a
cat. So, sir, whenever you behave ill you shall have no oysters for
breakfast."
"I'm very glad that our prospect of breakfast is so good," said I, "for
I'm very hungry."
"Here, then, stop your mouth with that, Ralph," said Peterkin, holding a
large oyster to my lips. I opened my mouth and swallowed it in silence,
and really it was remarkably good.
We now set ourselves earnestly about our preparations for spending the
day. We had no difficulty with the fire this morning as our
burning-glass was an admirable one; and while we roasted a few oysters
and ate our cocoa-nuts, we held a long, animated conversation about our
plans for the future. What those plans were, and how we carried them
into effect, the reader shall see hereafter.