I left the reader at the moment in which I had placed the first part of
my journal in the hands of Lieutenant Bell, to deliver to Captain
Johnson, of the English vessel the _Adventurer_, expecting him to return
the next day with Lieutenant Bell. We separated in this hope, and I
thought it necessary to inform my family of this expected visit, which
might decide their future lot. My wife and elder sons might wish to
seize this only occasion that might occur to revisit their native
country—to quit their beloved island, which would doubtless cost them
much sorrow at the last moment, but was necessary to their future
comfort. I could not help feeling distressed at the prospect of my dear
children’s solitary old age, and I determined, if they did not wish to
return with Captain Johnson, to request him to send some colonists out
to people our island.
It will be remembered that I had left home alone, and at an early hour,
having perceived a vessel from the top of our tree with my telescope. I
had set out without breakfast, without giving my sons their tasks, or
making any arrangements for the labours of the day. My conference with
Lieutenant Bell had been long; it was now past noon, and knowing how
prompt my wife was to alarm herself, I was surprised that I did not
meet her, nor any of my sons. I began to be uneasy, and on my arrival I
hastily mounted the tree, and found my faithful partner extended on her
bed, surrounded by her four sons, and apparently in great pain. I
demanded, with a cry of grief, what had happened; all wished to speak at
once, and it was with some difficulty I learned, that my dear wife, in
descending the staircase, had been seized with a giddiness in her head,
and had fallen down and injured herself so much, that she was unable to
rise without assistance; she was now enduring great pain in her right
leg and in her left foot. “Ernest and I,” added Fritz, “carried her
without delay to her bed, though not without difficulty, for the
staircase is so narrow; but she continued to get worse, and we did not
know what to do.”
_Jack_. I have rubbed her foot continually, but it swells more and more,
as well as her leg, which I dare not touch, it hurts her so much.
_Ernest_. I remember, father, that of the chests that we brought from
the ship there is one unopened, which is marked “_medicines_,”—may it
not contain something that will relieve mamma?
_Father_. Perhaps it may, my son. You did well to remember it; we will
go to Tent House for it. Fritz, you shall accompany me to assist in
bringing it.
I wished to be alone with Fritz, to consult him about the English
vessel, and was glad of this opportunity. Before I left my wife, I
intended to examine her leg and foot, which were exceedingly painful.
When I was preparing to enter the Church, I had studied medicine and
practical surgery, in order to be able to administer to the bodily
afflictions of my poor parishioners, as well as to their spiritual
sorrows. I knew how to bleed, and could replace a dislocated limb. I had
often made cures; but since my arrival at the island I had neglected my
medical studies, which happily had not been needed. I hoped now,
however, to recall as much of my knowledge as would be sufficient to
cure my poor wife. I examined her foot first, which I found to be
violently sprained. She begged me then to look at her leg, and what was
my distress when I saw it was fractured above the ankle; however, the
fracture appeared simple, without splinters, and easy to cure. I sent
Fritz without delay to procure me two pieces of the bark of a tree,
between which I placed the leg, after having, with the assistance of my
son, stretched it till the two pieces of broken bone united; I then
bound it with bandages of linen, and tied the pieces of bark round the
leg, so that it might not be moved. I bound the sprained foot very
tightly, till I could procure the balsam which I expected to find in the
chest. I felt assured, that the giddiness of the head, which had caused
her fall, proceeded from some existing cause, which I suspected, from
the pulse and the complexion, must be a fulness of blood; and it
appeared to be necessary to take away some ounces, which I persuaded her
to allow me to do, when I should have brought my medicine-chest and
instruments from Tent House. I left her, with many charges, to the care
of my three younger sons, and proceeded to Tent House with Fritz, to
whom I now related my morning adventure, and consulted him how we should
mention it to his mother. Fritz was astonished. I saw how his mind was
employed; he looked round on our fields and plantations, increasing and
prospering.
“We must not tell her, father,” said he. “I will be at Tent House early
in the morning; you must give me some commission to execute; I will
await the arrival of the Captain, and tell him that my dear mother is
ill,—and that he may return as he came.”
“You speak rashly, Fritz,” answered I. “I have told you that this ship
has suffered much from the storm, and needs repairs. Have you not often
read the golden rule of our divine Master, _Do unto others as you would
have others do unto you?_ Our duty is to receive the Captain into our
island, and to assist him in repairing and refitting his vessel.”
“And he will find,” said he, “we know something of that kind of work.
Did you show him our beautiful pinnace and canoe? But can such a large
vessel enter our Bay of Safety?”
“No,” replied I; “I fear there will not be sufficient water; but we will
show the captain the large bay at the other end of the island, formed by
Cape Disappointment; he will find there a beautiful harbour.”
“And he and his officers may live at the farm, and we can go over every
day to assist in repairing their vessel,” continued Fritz.
“Very well,” said I; “and when it is finished, he will, in return, give
us a place in it to return to Europe.”
“To return to Europe, father!” cried he; “to leave our beautiful winter
dwelling, Tent House, and our charming summer residence, Falcon’s Nest;
our dear, good animals; our crystals of salt; our farms; so much that is
our own, and which nobody covets, to return into Europe to poverty, to
war, to those wicked soldiers who have banished us! We want nothing.
Dear father, can you consent to leave our beloved island?”
“You are right, my dear son,” said I. “Would to God we might always
remain here happily together; but we are of different ages, and by the
law of nature we must one day be separated. Consider, my dear son, if
you should survive your brothers, how cheerless it would be to live
quite alone on this desert island, without any one to close your eyes.
But let us look at these trees; I see they are tamarind-trees; their
fruit contains a pulp which is very useful in medicine, and which will
suit your mother, I think, as well as the juice of the orange or lemon.
We shall find some of the latter at our plantation near Tent House; but,
in the mean time, do you climb the tamarind-tree, and gather some of
those pods which resemble those of beans, fill one side of the bag with
them, the other we will reserve for the oranges and lemons. Not to lose
any time, I will go on to Tent House to seek for the two chests, and you
can follow me.”
Fritz was up the tamarind-tree in a moment. I crossed Family Bridge, and
soon reached the grotto. I lighted a candle, which I always kept ready,
entered the magazine, and found the two chests, labelled.
They were neither large nor heavy, and, having tied cords round them for
the convenience of carrying them, I proceeded to visit the orange and
lemon trees, where I found the fruit sufficiently ripe for lemonade.
Fritz came to meet me, with a good supply of tamarinds. We filled the
other end of his sack with oranges and lemons. He threw it over his
shoulder, and, neither of us being overloaded, we pursued our way
homewards very quickly, notwithstanding the heat, which was excessively
oppressive, though the sun was hidden under the thick clouds, which
entirely concealed the sea from us. Nothing was to be seen but the waves
breaking against the rocks. Fritz expressed his fears that a storm was
coming on, which might prove fatal to the vessel, and wished to take out
the pinnace and endeavour to assist Captain Johnson. Delighted as I felt
with his fearless humanity, I could not consent; I reminded him of the
situation of his mother. “Forgive me, dear father,” said he; “I had
forgotten everything but the poor vessel. But the captain may do as we
did, leave his ship between the rocks, and come, with all in the vessel,
to establish themselves here. We will give them up a corner of our
islands; and if there should be any ladies amongst them, how pleasant it
would be for mamma to have a friend!”
The rain now fell in torrents, and we proceeded with great difficulty.
After crossing the bridge, we saw at a distance a very extraordinary
figure approaching us; we could not ascertain what species of animal it
was. It appeared taller than any of the monkeys we had seen, and much
larger, of a black or brown colour. We could not distinguish the head,
but it seemed to have two thick and moveable horns before it. We had
fortunately taken no gun with us, or Fritz would certainly have fired
at this singular animal. But as it rapidly approached us, we soon
recognized the step, and the cry of pleasure which hailed us. “It is
Jack,” we exclaimed; and in fact it was he, who was hurrying to meet us
with my large cloak and waterproof caoutchouc boots. I had neglected to
take them, and my dear little fellow had volunteered to bring them to
Tent House. To protect himself on the way, he had put the cloak on,
covering his head with the hood, and my boots being too large for him,
he had put one on each arm, which he held up to secure the hood.
Conceive what a singular figure he made. Notwithstanding our uneasiness,
and our wretched condition, for we were wet to the skin, we could not
but laugh heartily at him. I would not consent to use the coverings he
had brought; neither Fritz nor I could be worse for the distance we had
to go, and Jack was younger and more delicate; I obliged him therefore
to retain his curious protection; and asked how he had left his mother.
“Very uneasy,” said he, “about you; else I think she must be much
better, for her cheeks are very red, and her eyes very bright, and she
talks incessantly. She would have come herself to seek you, but could
not rise; and when I told her I would come, she bid me be very quick;
but when I was coming down stairs, I heard her call me back for fear of
the rain and the thunder; I would not hear her, but ran as fast as I
could, hoping to reach Tent House. Why did you come back so soon?”
“To spare you half your journey, my brave little man,” said I, hastening
on; for Jack’s account of his mother made me uneasy. I perceived she
must be labouring under fever, and the blood ascending to her head. My
children followed me, and we soon reached the foot of our castle in
the air.
* * * * *