Exploration of the island: First day. Fresh water at Rapid River. Wild
goats, quail, tortoise, tobacco, wild ducks, trout, sweet potatoes,
mussels. Name the island and principal points, etc.
I arose very early in the morning and saw that I was to be favored with
a very pleasant day. I went to the seaside and took my usual bath;
thence to my lamp-tower and arranged all the wicks and reservoirs for a
long burning; then to breakfast, which I quickly dispatched, and then
my preparation to start, which consisted of the following: I first
filled my powder canister with nice, pure rain-water, and fitted it
with sennit straps of manilla to hang on my back, taking care to put
the screw in the head solidly home, so that it would not leak. In my
bag made of sedges I stowed my boiled eggs and turtle-steaks, already
cooked, also several other articles of value rolled up in different
parcels of birch-bark, including my fishing-line and hooks, and some
spare manilla strands, and bradawl, and carefully wrapped up my compass
and several large pieces of birch-bark and charcoal, intending to make
a sketch of the island as I explored it, being in my younger days
quite a good draughtsman. In my trousers pocket I placed my pipe and
tobacco, my flint and steel, and my tinder, tied up in my milkweed pod.
I then slung over my back my bow and arrows, the latter in a light
quiver of birch-bark that I had made for them; secured my knife in its
shark-skin sheath about my waist, and took my harpoon in my hand, and,
thus accoutred, started forth.
Before I advanced in any direction I bethought myself that I would
commence by naming the island and all prominent parts that my eye
could take in, and to continue this during my exploration. Accordingly
I walked down and faced the breakwater, and, drawing forth a piece
of birch-bark and charcoal, sketched rudely the outline before me.
Determined as I was to succeed, and remembering that I had overcome the
want of water and fire, I deliberately named the island _Perseverance
Island_. The point that ended the breakwater slightly to the westward
of me I named _Point Deliverance_; the reef in front of me, the
_Breakwater_, the water between me and the Breakwater, _Stillwater
Cove_, on account of its uniform quietness, being almost land-locked.
Having finished this I gave one long look of affection upon my
miserable hut, and, with a mental prayer for aid and assistance, struck
out on the pure, white, sandy beach towards the eastward part of the
island. I went naturally in this direction first, for I was too good
a sailor to walk around the island left-handed, or, as we say at sea,
"against the sun." I had just enough superstition to believe that such
a course would have brought me bad luck. I followed my beach about
one mile and a half, having on my left hand Stillwater Cove, and on
my right hand small groves of tree with long vistas between them,
giving me a view into the interior of the island, and over fields
of natural grass. I often left the beach to inspect these openings,
which I approached with perfect awe, expecting every moment to chance
upon some native village, or other sign of the presence of man. But
nothing of the kind occurred. And yet before I reached the end of my
beach I met with so startling an adventure that I was unmanned for
over an hour, and had to sit down and rest before proceeding on my
journey. Approaching one of these openings or glades I peered in as
usual, keeping myself on my hands and knees, to see if I could find any
signs of my dreaded enemies. But the place was as peaceful as any of
the others, and, standing up to my full height, I gave vent to a sigh
of relief, when, without a moment's notice or warning, some three or
four forms jumped from the long grass where they had been concealed
and made for the thickets further inland. I was so frightened that I
sank to the earth nearly senseless. But as my mind was just about to
leave me I had force of character enough to observe that they were not
savages, but animals. The revulsion, however, was too great, and I sat
down in a faint and sick state, as I have related. When I could collect
my mind I easily recognized the shapes I had seen as some species of
goats, and delighted indeed was I at the discovery. But it immediately
set me thinking, How could there be goats on this island? I well knew
that they would not be here naturally; that they must have been put
here, and probably by some whaler, for those vessels I well knew often
carry several of these animals with them. But if they had been placed
upon the island thus, why was it not reported, why was it not known? I
could conceive of only one reason, and that was that the unfortunate
vessel that had discovered it had afterwards been lost, and therefore
its existence had again become unknown. But this was only theory on my
part. The quickness with which they left me showed that they were wild,
and probably had been many years upon the island. If I should see only
this flock of four or five I should feel as if some of the human race
had, within a comparatively short time, visited the island. But if in
my explorations I should fall upon more of these creatures, I should
know that they had propagated and increased through untold years, and
from a commencement that would never be revealed.
Having completely overcome my faintness, and rejoiced at my discovery,
I passed back to the beach, and in a few moments came to a place where
it turned abruptly to the right. The land also, being quite rocky
and of some elevation, obstructed my view, and, preparing my bow and
arrow in one hand and my harpoon in the other, I crept round the bend
cautiously on my hands and knees. A beautiful sight struck my eyes. To
my right hand, and within a hundred yards of me, a dashing, sparkling
waterfall of some eight or ten feet in height, and fifteen or twenty
wide, poured its waters into Stillwater Cove; and beyond and inland as
far as my eye could reach, till the river mixed with the foliage on
either bank, and was undistinguishable, I saw smaller and less abrupt
falls of water coming down the gorge between the hillsides; in short, a
large mountain brook or small river, bubbling and gurgling its way to
dash itself at last over a fall into Stillwater Cove.
I forgot all about savages and natives, and, dashing down my weapons,
I rushed towards the fall, where it fell into the cove, and, holding
my hands under it, filled them with what my mouth proved to me to be
soft, pure, fresh river water. I danced, I sung; I was for a little
time as crazy as a loon, and here had I been distilling water and
racking my brains for days to provide, and a bubbling, running brook,
almost a river, within at least two miles of me all the time. But in
my happiness I soon forgot my past labors and distress, all that was
gone by. Here was a supply of water that kind Heaven had granted me,
inexhaustible, and of delicious coolness and taste. Having returned
a little to my senses, I went back for my weapons, and sat down and
enjoyed the scene before me. It was indeed beautiful. I saw that I was
at the head of Stillwater Cove, and that by crossing upon the stones
below the fall I should be on the side of the Breakwater, which I now
saw was part of the mainland, being a narrow peninsula running nearly
east and west, and enclosing Stillwater Cove, and joining the mainland
at the spot where I now was seated.
Oh, what a lovely spot I found myself sitting in. I named the beautiful
stream _Rapid River_, and drew out my birch-bark chart and sketched
and located it. I felt that this would be my home; and could anything
be more beautiful. As I sat upon a large stone near the river this is
what I saw round about me. To the westward, I knew that just around
the bend, but concealed from my eyes as I sat, was the long, beautiful
beach of Stillwater Cove, with its inland glades that I had just passed
over; to the northward and eastward, a gradually ascending grade of
land, covered with lovely groves of trees in full foliage; on both
sides of the river a beautiful valley of some quarter of a mile in
extent, covered with a natural turf and fringed at its circumference
with these beautiful groves; farther to the right a mountain that
seemed of considerable magnitude. Birds passed me in their flight from
one portion of the grove to the other, and I distinguished the wild
pigeon and wood-dove and several others that were familiar to my eye. I
observed that they came to one of the upper falls to drink, and after
enjoying to the full the beautiful scenery round about me, I followed
them there and tried to get a shot with my bow. I found that I could
get quite near to them, say within twelve or fourteen yards, but I
fired many times before I was successful enough to kill one, and even
then I should not have been able to have succeeded if it were not for
the innumerable number that came to drink and replace those whom I
frightened away by my repeated bad marksmanship. Each shot, however,
improved me, and I had also a determination to become skilled, and
therefore studied and discovered the error of each shot, and improved
upon it by the next. Looking down upon the terminus of Stillwater Cove
from this upper fall was superb; there it lay, a pure basin of white
sand, with this mountain stream dashing into it. Having feasted my
eyes, I got out my flint and steel and built me a nice fire in a short
time without any difficulty, and soon had my pigeon roasting at the end
of a long stick over the blaze. He eat so very nicely that I took to my
bow again, and after a few shots killed another, which I devoured in
the same way. I found that the air and exercise and my wanderings here
and there had made me very hungry, and I added to the roast pigeons
several of the boiled eggs and a long draught of pure water from the
running river at my feet. Having feasted abundantly, I arose, and
leaving my heavy powder canister of water behind me, I crossed Rapid
River just below the lower falls, and found myself on the further
side of Stillwater Cove. I turned to the left and walked towards the
Breakwater, and soon found myself heading for the place where the
boat had first struck on the reef, and opposite to my late residence.
Upon arrival there I could look across to my little hut, but I kept
on till I came to the end of the Breakwater and to Point Deliverance.
As I walked along the Breakwater I noticed on the inner side large
masses of mussels nearly a foot in length, larger than anything of the
kind I had ever seen before, the shells of which would make capital
dishes. I stored the fact in my memory for use hereafter. I stood at
last upon Point Deliverance and looked out to sea, but no sign of any
friendly vessel met my eyes. I turned to the westward and saw a large
bay, formed by my island, at least three miles across and three or
four deep, bounded on the northwestern side by a slight promontory,
which I concluded not to name, from the distance at which I now stood,
and on account of the uncertainty of what lay behind it, now not to
be seen from my present position; and as I was determined to pass
round the whole island I knew that I should come to it in due season.
The bay before me, into which Stillwater Cove poured its waters, I
named _Perseverance Bay_, and marked the same upon my birch-bark
chart. Having gazed about me and seen nothing to examine further, I
retraced my steps to Rapid River, and again sat down at the upper fall,
refreshing myself with a good long pull at the pure water. I started
up the gorge and penetrated for about a mile into the interior of the
island, and found that the river became smoother and more level as
I advanced, and that the groves of trees in places receded, leaving
meadows of grass, and long vistas often, on each bank. I made on this
trip of a mile or so several discoveries, the most important of which
was that there were plenty of goats upon the island, for I started
several herds, one numbering as large as ten or twelve, from the long
grass of the bottom land. This convinced me that years must have passed
since they had been put upon the island, as they were evidently very
numerous. I saw also a great many terrapin, or land tortoises, and saw
in them a luxury for the future. I felt convinced that sea turtle would
not often come to my island on account of its southerly position and
climate, and I looked upon the one I had captured as an exceptional
case; still, further in the summer they might be more plenty, their
presence would prove my theory correct about the mildness of the
climate, and I hoped it might prove true on every account.
[Illustration: ROAST PIGEON.--PAGE 91.]
In the pure limpid waters of Rapid River I saw several fish darting
about, some of which I was convinced were similar to brook trout, but I
had not fine enough fishing gear to try for them. In the long grass of
the meadow, near the bushes on the border, I started a veritable bevy
of quail,--or such I took them to be, and I had known the bird well
in boyhood,--and when they flushed and whirled into the air a feather
would have knocked me down. My nerves were, however, getting stronger
and stronger, for I reasoned that no human being could be on the island
and allow such a paradise as this to remain uninhabited. I recognized
amongst the trees, pines, hemlocks, maples, elms, oaks, etc.; and
amongst the bushes and plants several with which I was familiar. On one
of the smooth reaches of the river, passing from the meadow to higher
and firmer ground, I disturbed a large flock of ducks. On the left
bank of the river, which was not wooded, I came upon what I believed
to be a joyful discovery for me, namely, the tobacco plant. I was not
sure, but I had seen the weed growing in Virginia, and I felt sure
that, although stunted, and dispersed here and there, this was the
veritable article. I determined at my earliest opportunity to test some
of it by curing it, and in fact plucked a small portion of the leaves
for that purpose and thrust it into my bag. The taste in the green
state confirmed me in my opinion, and I felt sure I was right. This
discovery would be a great solace to me in my loneliness, and I felt
very thankful for it.
I crossed the river by wading and jumping from stone to stone, and
descended it on the other side, still seeking for new discoveries. My
friends the goats were often disturbed by me, and I saw with pleasure
that they were very numerous. They were, however, very shy, and ran
away with great speed and evident fright, and gave me no opportunity
to shoot at them. It was on this side of the river that I made the
discovery that gave me bread, or rather something in lieu of it. I
noticed a running vine upon the ground, and my memory told me that it
resembled that of the sweet potato. I pounced upon it, and, plucking
up the root, held in my hand the evidently half-grown bulb that I was
in search of. It had not yet matured, but it was bread for all future
time. I felt that I held in my hand the sweet potato of Virginia and
the Carolinas. This set me to thinking again, Was this nature or man?
Who had planted these two things, tobacco and potatoes, that I so much
desired, God or man! I felt that I should never know. The shades of
evening were by this time beginning to fall around me, and I made my
way back to the second fall on Rapid River and arranged for the night,
gathered wood for my fire, and grass for my couch, which I placed
under the overhanging and low branches of a cedar, similar to the one
near my hut, which I concluded to call the _Landing Place_, and so
marked it upon my chart. I was pleased with my explorations so far, and
foresaw that I could gather everything about me in the way of comfort
that a man could desire, except that one great instinct of our nature,
companionship with our fellow men. I ate my supper of turtle steaks and
eggs with great satisfaction, and by the light of my fire sought my
humble couch and slumber.