Build fireplace. Make knife and spear from anchor. Build tower of
stones for perpetual lamps. Resolve to explore the island.
I slept soundly and pleasantly all night, and jumped out of bed in the
early morning light, ran to the beach, and had a nice plunge in the
smooth and sparkling waters. Just as I was about to leave the water I
espied two or three quite large dog-fish sharks, which were four or
five feet in length, and, although I had no fears of them as concerned
myself, they immediately gave me an idea of how I could utilize them
could I succeed in capturing them. I ran back to the bank, got into my
clothes, and, you may be well sure, knew that the fire was all right
even before I started to bathe; ran again to the seaside and dug a few
clams, and filled the bailer with salt water, and soon had my usual
meal of boiled eggs and roast clams under way. Whilst my breakfast
was cooking I commenced building, and completed a superior kind of
fireplace, with nice, strong sides of stone, set up on edge, and just
wide enough apart to sustain my condenser. After having eaten my
breakfast, quenched my thirst, and had a good, quiet smoke, I set the
fresh-water apparatus to work again, and commenced to apply myself to
the task of the day. With my clam-shell I cut the manilla warp from
the anchor, and the latter lay before me under my fixed gaze. I saw
that the stock, which was of iron also, was passed through a hole in
the solid iron forming the shank of the anchor, and was retained by a
shoulder on one side and a large ball at the extremity of its arm on
the other. My first attempt was to unship this iron stock or arm from
the rest of the anchor, and release it from the hole through which
it was rove and kept in place. To effect this I set up in the sand a
large stone, with quite a flat, smooth top, as my anvil, and procured
another, of an oblong, irregular shape, which I could grasp with my
right hand, and with which I could strike quite a powerful blow, as my
hammer. Thus equipped, I started a nice fire in my new fireplace and
put the condenser on that, leaving me the open fire for my blacksmith's
shop. I next went to the beach and got a piece of kelp, and with my
clam-shell cut it into suitable lengths for my purpose, and, thrusting
the ball at the end of the anchor-stock into the fire, I commenced
operations.
To increase the heat of the fire I piled on the sort of semi-charcoal
that had been formed by the wood covered in the ashes the night before,
and sprinkled the same carefully with a little water, and to still
further promote affairs I thrust one end of my pieces of kelp under the
warm ashes, towards the bottom and centre of the fire, and by putting
the other end to my lips I forced a blast of air through the flames
as nicely as if I had had a pair of bellows. The iron soon became
red-hot, and, snatching it out of the fire and on to my anvil, I, by a
few well-directed blows, soon had the ball reduced so as to be able to
unship the stock from the rest of the anchor, and held in my hand a bar
of iron about an inch in diameter and three feet long; quite a weapon
in itself, but not sufficient for such a mechanic as I was.
I took this bar of iron, and, putting the end again in the fire,
commenced upon my kelp bellows, and soon pulled it out, quite hot and
malleable. Suffice it to say that in not a very long space of time,
and by repeated beatings and hammerings, I had fashioned out quite a
respectable knife, of about eight inches in length and at least quarter
of an inch thick in the back; and although the sides were a little
wavy and irregular, I knew that grinding would nearly take that out.
Whilst the knife that I had made was still fastened to the original bar
of iron I drew it down to a long, thin point, and by grasping it and
bending it to the right and left soon had it free.
My next task was to temper this piece of metal, and by repeatedly
plunging it into water and back into the fire I soon got it quite
hard, and fit for my present purposes. I sought out a coarse-grained
stone, and with my tin of water sat down to moisten it and grind my
knife to an edge. I passed several hours at this work, but in the end
found myself possessed of quite a good-looking knife, with a good
sharp point and fair edge. I picked up a suitable piece of wood for a
handle, and soon had it in shape, and, slightly heating the pointed,
unfinished end, I drove it home with a stone firmly into the handle,
and my knife was done. Pleased enough was I with my success; but I did
not stop here. The hole in the shank of the anchor, whence I had drawn
the stock, fascinated me. I saw before me a hammer of iron, all ready
made to my hand. I thrust the anchor into the fire just below this
hole, towards the flukes, and set my kelp bellows to work with a will.
After repeated heatings and poundings I had brought the iron down to so
small a size that I was able, as before, to part it from the original
bar, by bending it backward and forward till the crystallization of the
iron was destroyed, exactly as you break off a nail by hitting it with
a hammer a few times in opposite directions. I had to get the ring off
at the end of the anchor in the same manner, and then found myself in
possession of a piece of iron almost exactly like what we sailors call
a top-maul, a flat-headed hammer with a long end. I speedily fitted
this with a good, strong handle, and, after beating it and tempering
it to the best of my ability, put it into use at once. Taking the bar
from which I had made my knife I soon made it take the shape of a kind
of spear, or rather harpoon, with a sharp, flat head, similar to those
arrows always printed on charts to show the direction of currents or
winds.
This, when finished, tempered, ground, and lashed firmly to a smooth
staff of wood, some two inches in diameter and eight feet in length,
was really a formidable weapon, either for offence or defence.
Armed with my harpoon and knife, I made my way to the seaside, having
still another project in my head. Proud, indeed, was I of my weapons,
and my natural courage was increased. I took off my clothes and waded
quietly into the water, and had not long to wait till I saw some of
my friends the dog-sharks, and picking out one that suited me,--for
I had no difficulty in approaching them, they showing no fear of
me,--I thrust my harpoon into him, and dragged him ashore, cut him
open with my knife, took out his liver, and dragged back the carcase
into the sea. I served three of them in this manner. From the last
one--which was the largest and had a beautiful skin--I cut a large
strip, out of which to make a case for my knife, which I did whilst it
was green, fitting it nicely, and also a small tip to cover the barbs
of my harpoon when not in use. I sewed these up, or, rather, fastened
them by means of a bradawl sharpened in the fire from one of the boat
nails, tempered and fitted with a handle, and nice, strong thread made
from my manilla rope. I brought back with me to the fireplace quite
a good-sized flounder, that I had also speared without the slightest
trouble, and it was soon cut up and broiling away for my dinner, it
being now about noon. I hung my shark livers in the sun, upon a tree, a
little distant from my camp, where they would not offend me, and placed
myself at table, the fish being now cooked, and plenty of cold boiled
eggs on hand.
I could spare no time for much dinner. My condenser had been taken off
long ago in the forenoon, my two meat-cans being full of water. After
dinner I stopped to take a few whiffs at my pipe, and then to work
again, for I had much to do ere the setting of the sun. In the first
place I proceeded to the right of my camp a short distance, and had no
difficulty in picking up as many large shells as I desired, some of
them being fully a foot in circumference, and beautiful enough, with
their pink, open mouths, to ornament the table of any lady. I gathered
together some fifteen or twenty of these, and transported them to the
seaside, and thence to my camp, having washed them out carefully, and
ascertaining that they would each hold about a quart or more of water.
I then set my condenser hard at work, determined to get a supply ahead
of any contingency.
For my next task I got hold of the breaker that contained my books and
charts, and by means of my hammer soon had the hoops off and the head
out. But I was mortified to see that a little water had worked into the
cask, and that the motion of the boat had caused the books, in moving
to and fro, to completely destroy the chart, and, with the little water
that had entered, reduced it to a pulp and beyond recognition and
repair. Tears started into my eyes at this cruel blow of fate, and it
was with the greatest anxiety that I seized upon the books and examined
them. Their strong canvas covers had preserved them, and although
battered, chafed, and damp they seemed intact,--all except the Nautical
Almanac, which had suffered somewhat in different portions, to what
extent I had now no time to examine minutely. My Compendium of Useful
Arts and Sciences, and Bowditch's Navigator, were, at least, saved,
and these were a library and tower of strength in themselves. I put
the three books carefully in the sun, where they might dry, and, after
heading up the breaker again and setting on the hoops strongly and
firmly, I went back to where I had gathered my shells and fastened on
to one that I had before discovered, that would hold many gallons,--it
is called, I think, sometimes, a sea oyster. With this burden I
struggled along to my tree where I had hung the sharks' livers, and
placed this huge basin under them to catch the dripping oil; and, as I
did not expect much result for a day or two, I cut off a portion of one
of the livers and took it to my fireside and carefully tried it out in
small pieces, in numerous clam-shells, and poured the oil thus obtained
into one of my shell reservoirs.
My next task was to go back into my grass-field and gather some of the
clayey earth that I had noticed there, and to bring it in my hat to
the camp, getting a sufficient quantity in two trips. With this clayey
earth I mixed pounded-up clam-shells and a small quantity of seaweed,
fine sand, and water. Then, near my cedar-tree, and protected by it, I
built a tower of flat stones, using this material as mortar. I built it
in a circular form, of about two feet in diameter, and perhaps three
feet high. At the bottom I left interstices every once in a while,
varying in size, but none of them larger than a half inch in diameter.
Towards the top I left the same kind of airholes, but rather larger in
size. On one side, about half way up, I left two stones so that they
could be taken out by hand and replaced, and when taken out would leave
quite a large aperture, large enough to put my arm into and explore
the interior. In the exact centre of this stone circular tower I drove
a strong stake, standing at least three feet higher than the walls,
and by means of sedge, rushes, manilla twine, and large leaves I made
the pointed top--of which this stake was the apex, and the top of the
circular wall the base--completely waterproof, the sedge projecting
beyond the walls in every direction.
Within this tower I placed my flint-stone, steel, and tinder, and
upon four smooth stones that I placed inside I fitted up on each a
large sea-clam shell full of shark's-liver oil, and from milkweed pods
provided each of them with a soft, cottony wick, which I lighted, and
then closed the aperture. By peeping through the interstices I could
see that my lamps burned splendidly, and by blowing I was unable to get
up any current inside. My gigantic lantern was made. If my fire should
go out, my flint and steel fail me, here was perpetual light. I placed
four lights within, so that in case the roof should leak a drop in a
heavy rain, some one or two of the shells would run a chance of not
being put out. I did not intend to allow my fire to go out this night,
but to burn the lamps as a test only of how much oil they would need,
and how they would appear in the morning, so as to know what to expect
should I leave them for any length of time.
Fixing my lamp-tower and pouring the condensed water into the breaker,
getting wood for the fire, and my other labors, had made the day a hard
one; but as the sun went down, and I supped upon the remains of my fish
warmed up, and the inevitable eggs, and enjoyed my pipe, I could but
think of how far I had advanced even in one twenty-four hours. Weapons
by my side, a breaker full of fresh water, and perpetual light in a
waterproof tower beside me. With the deepening shadows came, however,
the bitter feelings of desolation and solitude, mingled with the
uncertainty of the magnitude of my island, and the impossibility of my
being able, except by exploration, to prove it uninhabited.
During this day my heart jumped into my mouth many times when I heard
the least unusual noise, or, carelessly glancing up, mistook every
tree for a savage. My complete freedom from any annoyance up to the
present time was in itself satisfactory to my mind, and strong probable
reason that the island was unpeopled. Then its unknown position--for
I felt convinced that there was no known land where I was now
sitting--improved the probabilities. I foresaw that my next task would
be the exploration of the island and a search for fresh water; and,
wondering what the future would bring forth, I rolled drowsily over
into my seaweed bed, and dropped asleep in the very act.