A resumé of three years on the island. Daily routine of life.
Inventions, discoveries, etc. Fortification of the Hermitage.
Manufacture of cannon and guns. Perfection and improvement of the
machine shop. Implicit faith of ultimately overcoming all obstacles
and escaping from the island. Desire to accumulate some kind of
portable wealth to carry with me, and decide to explore the island for
its hidden wealth and the surrounding ocean for pearl oysters.
I shall not become tedious by inflicting upon my readers the routine
of each day, or even of each month or year that I have passed on this
island, but shall pick out the most startling events of my life here,
both as to the inventions that I have made and the accidents and
adventures of which I have been the victim and hero.
Of course my discovery of iron gave me wonderful power to advance and
preserve myself. After my first set of tools were made, as I have
enumerated in detail, all other work, even if slow, was comparatively
easy.
My next task, after making the common tools that I needed and various
castings that were useful to me, was to erect a turning lathe,--one for
wood, which was quite simple, and one for iron, which was a work of
some magnitude,--and a whole year elapsed before I had it perfected to
my taste. The castings were rough, but solid and useful, and the other
parts were, with care and attention, at last made mathematically true,
and this, with a drilling machine and some iron rollers to roll out my
metal when coming from the furnace, completed my iron foundry, as I was
now pleased to call it.
Having all these things about me it was a small matter to cast several
small cannon, of some four or six pound calibre, and bore them out
on my turning-lathe and table. These I mounted on wooden trucks, and
placed one on East Signal Point, one on Eastern Cape, one on South
Cape, which I transported there by water in the canoe Fairy, one on
Penguin Point, and one on West Signal Point. It was fun for me to make
these things, and therefore, to protect myself still more, I made a
number, of smaller calibre even, which I placed pointing out through
embrasures in a wall with which I had encircled the Hermitage, and
surrounded with a strong picket fence, made of cast-iron, which I found
no difficulty in casting in sections of nearly ten feet in length. At
all the stations at the extremities of the island I hid a little amount
of ammunition, near the cannon erected, and also a flint and steel and
a limestock or slow-match, so that at any time, if needful, I could
load one of these cannon at once and discharge it. The touchholes I
covered nicely with a piece of goatskin, so as to protect the guns from
the weather, and fitted all the muzzles with a wooden plug, so that the
interior would be kept clear and dry.
[Illustration: PLACING THE CANNON.--PAGE 190.]
In the wall that now surrounded my Hermitage I built a strong iron
gate, that I could see through and yet too strong to be broken down by
any savage hands. The iron fence or comb which ran round the summit of
this wall, and of which I have spoken, crossed also above the gateway,
and made my house impregnable to anything except artillery. My doorway
facing this, in the Hermitage itself, had long been replaced by a nice
hard-wood one, with iron hinges, with several loopholes left, through
which I could poke a gun-barrel or discharge an arrow.
I had six cannon mounted on my wall, two in front, two on each side,
and one in rear, which was, however, naturally protected by a thick and
almost impenetrable grove of trees and undergrowth. These guns were
mounted in a peculiar manner upon carriages that allowed the muzzles to
be depressed at least thirty degrees, and I kept in store, to load them
with, quantities of iron ball castings, from the size of an English
walnut to a common musket bullet, which at close quarters would do
fearful execution. I approached these guns, from the interior, by means
of step ladders, made of wood, leading up to each from the enclosure,
and an oval hole, like an inverted letter U, was left in the iron
fencing to allow the muzzle to protrude over the wall. This opening,
however, was small, and not large enough to admit even the head of a
man, much less his body. The erection of the whole wall, which was some
nine feet high, cost me infinite labor and patience.
The fencing on top of it was, as I have said, rapidly turned out from
the casting mould, and gave me, comparatively speaking, little trouble.
To further protect this my fortress from any assaults, I brought the
water underground from Rapid River into the Hermitage, through a series
of pipes made of pottery thoroughly baked, glazed, and made so as to
fit one into the other, and controlled the flow by means of a stopcock
fixed into a piece of cane. The signs of this underground connection
with Rapid River I took care to thoroughly efface. And, furthermore, I
made it a duty to always keep at least six months' salted provisions
in store, ahead of all demands,--such as salted and smoked herring,
salmon, and other fish, with corned and dried goat's flesh, and some
few preserved vegetables such as I might have on hand.
In rear of my house, between the end of the house and the wall, I
dug a subterranean passage, leading under my wall, and coming again
to the surface in the midst of a seemingly impenetrable thicket of
undergrowth, some thirty yards away from the wall. This outlet was
carefully closed by a trapdoor, and soil even strewed on top and grass
allowed to grow over it. I did not know but what there might come a
time when I should have to use this passage, as the last recourse, to
save my life; and although now in security I built it carefully, to be
prepared for what might happen in the future.
After all these tasks for my defence were finished I commenced upon
a set of guns and pistols, or rather rifles,--for I had not the
slightest use for a shotgun, being able, in a hundred ways, by means of
steel-traps and similar devices, to capture all the birds and animals I
needed,--which I desired to protect myself against any human enemies,
should such ever appear. To this end I easily bored myself out some
four nice rifle barrels, and some half dozen of a smaller size for
pistols; these I had to stock, and mount with the old-fashioned flint
and steel, for I had no means of making any percussion-powder. I worked
at these for a long time, but at last I had them all in good order,
and used to amuse myself by practising with ball at the pigeons on the
trees, and the ducks on the river. I did not make the best shooting
in the world, for, not being able to procure lead, I was forced to
make my bullets of steel, and to revolve them in a cylinder for a long
time with sand, to make them globular and regular. The barrels of my
guns and pistols also had to be smooth bored to use these projectiles;
as a rifled barrel, if I could have made one, would have been ruined
by cast-steel bullets; still at a hundred yards, with a nice greased
patch, I was able to make good execution, and the pistols shot with
strength at a distance of at least twenty yards. Both weapons suited me
practically, and with my guns I had no difficulty in shooting several
of the wild goats, and also seals, whenever I needed their meat or
skins.
My flock of tame goats all this while had grown and increased, and
I added to my home comforts cheese and butter; but I made the wheel
on the further side of the river do all the churning by a simple
application of the machinery to a revolving clapper in an upright churn.
The parchment windows in the Hermitage had long since been reinforced
by iron shutters on the outside, that, if needed, could be bolted
securely on the inside, and the roof had been refitted and made of
timber and boards, and the whole covered with tiles, so as to be
fireproof. Up through this roof I had also built a tower, of brick,
not very large but quite high, some feet above the ridge-pole, which I
mounted to by a flight of stairs from the attic; for the upper part of
the house was floored off and completed when I erected the new roof,
having no want now of either boards or timber.
Up to this tower I trotted every morning before unbarring the door of
the Hermitage or the gate of the enclosure. From this lookout I could
see quite well in several directions, and notice if anything had been
touched or changed from the evening before. I missed, I think, at this
time, books more than anything, but then, again, from the very want of
them, I was forced to study with my Epitome and Book of Useful Arts
and Sciences, which possibly I might have thrown to one side for less
useful but more entertaining ones if I had had them. Wanting them, I
was becoming versed in many things which when I came upon the island I
knew nothing about, and I was pleased to think that, although alone,
I was improving, and the usefulness of a really good book was brought
forcibly before me each day, for I could not open either of mine
without finding food for reflection and study. I had always had my head
full of vagaries of different kinds that I should like some time to try
and experiment upon, and here seemed my opportunity; and it will be
observed, in its proper place, further on, that I attempted many things.
It was, I think, in my third year that I felt that my daily routine was
fixed for life, as far as concerned comforts and food; for by that time
I had wheat for my bread, and all kinds of vegetables and fruits that
I have before enumerated, in profusion. My apple and pear trees would
soon begin to bear, and in a year or two more I should have them to
add to my comforts. I had already commenced to preserve blackberries,
strawberries, etc., and found that my maple trees, in the spring,
were just as prolific as those in my Vermont home, and that I had no
difficulty in obtaining all the sugar I needed. Roasted wheat had,
however, to stand me instead of Java coffee, but this made me quite a
pleasant drink.
All these comforts were enhanced by a climate so uniform in temperature
that it was a pleasure to even exist, the winters bringing scarcely an
inch of snow or ice with them, and the summers even and mild; warm,
to be sure, but still far from being hot or oppressive. As I have
said so often in this narrative before, what in the world could one
want in excess of all this but companionship? Ah! it is little known
how many bitter hours of solitude I passed in gathering all these
comforts about me, and how, with a tenderness almost womanly, I made
friends with every kid, duck, young bird, seal, and living animal that
I gathered around me, and made pets of them all. My hardest duties
were to destroy these animals for my own consumption, and I latterly
destroyed what I could with the gun rather than touch one of those that
were domesticated. Some of these I could not bear to lay my hand upon,
especially my young kids and team of goats; but thank God there was no
need of it. I could easily destroy one of their species, when I needed
the flesh, with my rifle, for I veritably believe that I should have
gone without animal food rather than touch one of these pets. Two of
the kids, especially, followed me about all the time, and even into my
canoe when I took short trips abroad.
I had by this time, by means of snares, captured seven species of
birds which resembled our blackbirds and bobolinks of the north, and I
took great delight in feeding them in the cages I had made for them,
and listening to their music in the morning and evening hours. Long
search had taught me to feel sure that the island had no venomous
insects or reptiles, and it was also wholly free from that nuisance
the horse-fly, which is said to follow civilization, and that other
pest, the mosquito, was wholly unknown. In their stead there were a few
sand-fleas, a sort of wood-tick, which troubled the goats somewhat,
and a small black wood-fly, that was not troublesome except in some
seasons, in the woods, and on the coast. In December and January,
green-headed flies were apt to take hold of me once in a while, but not
so as to incommode me.
The air was so pure that meat would keep a long while without
putrefaction, even in the warm weather, and having nothing better to
do to take up my mind, I had, during the past winter, collected quite
an amount of thin ice from Rapid River, which, in a small subterranean
ice-house, roofed over with planks, and covered with sawdust, I had
stored for summer use, and on very warm days luxuriated in.
This life of solitude had made me tender to even inanimate things,
and it was wonderful to myself how the passion, self-importance, and
arbitrary manner of one accustomed to command at sea was dying out in
me. I began to almost have a reverence for flowers and all beautiful
inanimate things, and many hours of my life were passed in my garden
and on my farm, but especially the former, in examining and cultivating
some beautiful wild flower or trailing vine that I had transported
hence from the forest. I felt even that the bearing of my body was
changed from what it used to be when in days gone by I trod the
quarter-deck in all the pride and majesty of power.
I cannot say that I was at this time contented, but I can say that
I was much more patient, and the impetuosity of my temperament was
greatly subdued, and many things, both animate and inanimate, were
becoming, in spite of myself, very dear to my eyes. I even at times
began to feel homesick when I was absent over a day, in my canoe, from
the Hermitage, and came back to its comforts with an exclamation of
gratification and a swelling of the heart with joy when it came in
view, and showed itself intact during my temporary absence; and the
welcome given me by my goats, tame pigeons, ducks, and birds was very
touching, and, as I have said, endeared them to me greatly. Still for
no moment did the problem of escape leave my mind. Although without
relatives or children, I often dreamed of escaping from the island and
returning with friends to enjoy it with me and end my days here in
peace. I often thought how happy I could be here, far from the cares
of the world and all its vain excitements, could I see around about
me smiling faces of my fellow-men, who would look up to me as their
benefactor and ruler, for I had yet left some of the seaman's instinct
of desire to rule.
Up to this time I had done little exploring of the island; my first
trip around about it had been my last, and my excursions into the
interior had been short, and without making any material discovery of
moment. This was caused by the great tasks that I had given myself near
home, and the consummation of which had taken all my time. I had worked
very hard to accomplish all that was laid out before my eyes, and had
had little time for wandering about or being idle.
No sign of any vessel, or canoes of savages, had ever disturbed me.
I had often, during the last year, visited the points of my island
nearest to me, _i.e._ East and West Signal Points and the breakwater,
but no welcome sail had ever met my eye. The sight of the ocean also
from these points always gave me the blues, and sent me home troubled
and discontented, for the intellect given me by the Creator on such
occasions rebelled against my fate, and the ocean seemed my enemy, whom
I must overcome, and whom I could overcome if I could only think of the
means, for I would never acknowledge myself beaten, but only unable
for the present to cope with my adversary; and I used to talk to it,
and say: "Some day, thou mighty sea, with God's help, I will overcome
and conquer thee, and compel thee to carry me wherever I desire to be
borne. Power has been given man over the beasts of the field and over
all nature, and I have only to use my mind, with which God has endowed
me, to some day make thee, now my master, my slave. Roll on, therefore,
for a day shall come, God willing, in which thy billows shall carry me,
and the winds of heaven waft me to civilized lands, where the Creator
of both thee and me is adored and worshipped. You shall not always
separate me from the place whence I came. With my strong hold that
I have obtained I will yet overcome thee, and make thee my steed of
deliverance, instead of, as now, the boundary line of my imprisonment."
My daily life at about this time was something like this. I arose
in the morning, and, if the season would admit of it, took a plunge
in Stillwater Cove, first, however, visiting my tower to see if
everything was all right in all directions. I usually, with a sailor's
habits, arose early, and with the sun. After my bath I proceeded to
feed my numerous flock of goats, kids, pigeons, etc., and then to the
cares of my dairy, milking my goats and conveying the result of my
labors to my ice-house, near by, to be kept there, and at proper season
to be made into butter and cheese. Then to my breakfast, which I could
change in many various ways, as my appetite dictated, always commencing
the same, in these days, by thanking God for his preservation of me,
and expressing gratitude for the food before me, and hopefulness of
ultimate delivery from my island prison. After breakfast I went about
any work that might be on hand, such as fishing, gunning, or arranging
my household things, working in my iron ore, conveying coal or iron
from the mines, or running my sawmill, or else digging in my garden or
attending to my farm near the landing-place, and the thousand and one
daily things that had to be done with one pair of hands, to keep my
establishment in order.
When I thought it noon by the sun (for I soon gave over the attempt
to keep my clumsy clock agoing after I had obtained my latitude and
longitude) I repaired to the Hermitage, and if the weather was warm
and pleasant made my meal in the outer air, under the shade of a fine
large tree of the maple species, surrounded by my domestic birds; if
in winter, by my fireside, inside the house. After dinner I again
commenced my daily toil, first taking a good long smoke of my favorite
pipe, which, all things considered, was my greatest solace, and after
this taking up the work that I had laid down at the dinner hour. I kept
myself employed till sunset, or nearly so,--for I did not now overwork
myself as I used to in the beginning, in my impetuosity, but took
everything mildly, quietly, and comfortably,--when I again called my
flock together and attended to my milking. I knew that cheeses would
keep a long while, and, looking always forward to an escape, I was
gradually laying up a stock of this nutritious article for use in the
future should I ever need it, knowing well how palatable and refreshing
it always is at sea. After the milking was finished, which was not till
I had gathered the flock from their feeding pastures, I entered my
house for the night, taking with me one or two of my favorite kids, and
barring the iron gate in the enclosure wall carefully behind me, and
doing the same with the door of the Hermitage.
Once within, I lighted my lamps and gave myself plenty of light, and
took my supper, followed by the inevitable pipe, and often a glass of
my claret wine, as I called it, made from the pure juice of the grape.
Then I got out a sheet of parchment and commenced a history of the
day's proceedings, which I wrote down in detail, and from which this
narrative is condensed. This was a very important task, for upon the
daily performance of it rested the accuracy of my calendar. This often
carried me well into the evening, and if it did not, and I was not
very tired, I got out my Bowditch's Epitome and solved a problem or
two, and then turned to my Book of Useful Arts and Sciences and stored
my mind with some new fact, or tried to decipher some of the things
that were daily becoming more clear to me, and which I had commenced by
understanding scarcely a word about. When I found myself nodding over
this work I quietly betook myself to bed, preferring, as a rule, my
upright bedstead to the swinging hammock. I never put out the lights
and only removed my outer clothing when I slept, but then the latter
was a very natural act to a person who had for years turned in "all
a standing," as sailors say, and ready for a call at any time of the
night or day. My arms and ammunition were placed within easy access of
my hands, and, commending my soul to God, I used to sleep.
In winter I kept of course more within doors, and busied myself upon
my clothing and such things as needed sewing and lashing together,
fixing little nicknacks of shell and wood around about the room, to
hold flowers and ferns, or any little thing that had attracted my eye,
or would please me in my solitude. On rainy days I almost always went
to work in my smelting house at the forge, and if there was nothing
else to do I would busy myself in the making of nails for future use,
I having to beat out each one on the anvil; but when finished each of
my nails was a wrought one, and worth a dozen cast by machinery. I
always found plenty to do here, but I worked leisurely, always looking
toward the future. I got together a large quantity of rolled iron, of
about a quarter of an inch in thickness, and in sheets nearly two feet
wide and some eight or nine in length. This workshop I kept improving
till I had, besides my forge and all its tools, turning-lathes both for
wood and iron, many other useful things, which I had constructed at odd
times, such as a small but very strong derrick, which I fitted with
iron blocks and chains and with a winch and band, so that I was able to
handle large masses of iron with ease. My rollers, also, for rolling
out the iron when at a white heat, were in this room, and I had long
since improved and strengthened my water-wheel, so that I had all the
power at any time that I needed or desired, to move any or all of my
machinery.
Besides gathering together these sheets of iron I put them under my
drilling machine and punched the edges with holes of an uniform size,
so that they could at some time be riveted together, for I had an idea
in my head what I should use them for. The making of a large number
of rivets to fit these holes also took plenty of my time, as did the
making of different sizes of spikes, and once in a while some new
tool that I felt the need of. My files, also, once in a while had to
be re-marked and again hardened, and thus I found myself always with
plenty to do whenever I entered the smelting-house; and it was there
that I enjoyed myself the most, for I was a born mechanic, and I liked
the work, and nothing pleased me so much as to see something turning
out under my hand from a crude mass of iron into some useful tool, or
article of which I had need. Therefore when the stormy and rainy days
came it was with absolute pleasure that I walked into my smelting-house
and set to work. It was here that I saw my deliverance must be worked
out, and never a day passed but what my machinery was improved or
increased in some way, and made more perfect and reliable. A great
deal of it, to be sure, was crude, but it was also practical; and when
a piece of machinery would not perform well I went to work, and kept
at it until it would, and in the end had not the slightest trouble in
rolling, casting, drilling, planing, and turning iron or cast-steel, in
all reasonable shapes. To be sure my machinery was not painted, or even
well finished, except in the working parts, but to those sections I
gave a mechanic's care. I not only worked here, however, on stormy days
alone, but also nearly every spare moment that I had from other duties
that were also pressing.
As my riches began to accumulate I began to think seriously of
exploring the island for its hidden wealth, and see if I could not
during these years that I was waiting for escape--which I had made up
my mind was sure to come--lay up enough wealth, in some shape, to take
with me when I should depart, that would make me rich for the remainder
of my days. Knowing that such wealth, to be conveyed away by me, must
necessarily be in a small compass, I was working out a problem at this
very time to explore the bottom of the ocean around my island, and see
if I could not hit upon some pearl-oyster beds, whence I could draw
riches to carry away with me when I should leave this island, and the
theory that I had gotten into my head, and which I was trying to put
into actual practice, was the following:--