The next and following days were spent in removing our furniture and
property, particularly our poultry, which had multiplied greatly. We
also constructed a poultry-yard, at a sufficient distance from our house
to save our sleep from disturbance, and still so near that we could
easily tend them. We made it as a continuation of the colonnade, and on
the same plan, but enclosed in the front by a sort of wire trellis-work,
which Fritz and Jack made wonderfully well. Fritz, who had a turn for
architecture and mechanics, gave me some good hints, especially one,
which we put into execution. This was to carry the water from the basin
of the fountain through the poultry-yard, which enabled us also to have
a little pond for our ducks. The pigeons had their abode above the
hen-roosts, in some pretty baskets, which Ernest and Francis made,
similar to those made by the savages of the Friendly Isles, of which
they had seen engravings in Cook’s Voyages. When all was finished, my
wife was delighted to think that even in the rainy season she could
attend to her feathered family and collect their eggs.
“What a difference,” said she, admiring the elegance of our
buildings,—“what a difference between this Tent House and the original
dwelling that suggested the name to us, and which was our only shelter
four years ago. What a surprising progress luxury has made with us in
that time! Do you remember, my dear, the barrel which served us for a
table, and the oyster-shells for spoons, the tent where we slept,
crowded together on dried leaves, and without undressing, and the river
half a mile off, where we were obliged to go to drink if we were
thirsty? Compared to what we were then, we are now great _lords_”
“Kings, you mean, mamma,” said Jack, “for all this island is ours, and
it is quite like a kingdom.”
“And how many millions of subjects does Prince Jack reckon in the
kingdom of his august father?” said I.
Prince Jack declared he had not yet counted the parrots, kangaroos,
agoutis, and monkeys. The laughter of his brothers stopped him. I then
agreed with my wife that our luxuries had increased; but I explained to
her that this was the result of our industry. All civilized nations have
commenced as we did; necessity has developed the intellect which God has
given to man alone, and by degrees the arts have progressed, and
knowledge has extended more perhaps than is conducive to happiness. What
appeared luxury to us now was still simplicity compared with the luxury
of towns, or even villages, among civilized nations. My wife declared
she had everything she wished for, and should not know what more to ask
for, as we now had only to rest and enjoy our happiness.
I declared against spending our time in rest and indolence, as the sure
means of ending our pleasure; and I well knew my dear wife was, like
myself, an enemy to idleness; but she dreaded any more laborious
undertakings.
“But, mamma,” said Fritz, “you must let me make a mill under the
cascade; it will be so useful when our corn grows, and even now for the
maize. I also think of making an oven in the kitchen, which will be
very useful for you to bake your bread in.”
“These would indeed be useful labours,” said the good mother, smiling;
“but can you accomplish them?”
“I hope so,” said Fritz, “with the help of God and that of my dear
brothers.”
Ernest promised his best aid, in return for his brother’s kind services
in forming his grotto, only requesting occasional leisure for his
natural history collections. His mother did not see the utility of these
collections, but, willing to indulge her kind and attentive Ernest, she
offered, till she could walk well, to assist him in arranging and
labelling his plants, which were yet in disorder, and he gratefully
consented. In procuring her some paper for the purpose, of which I had
brought a large quantity from the vessel, I brought out an unopened
packet, amongst which was a piece of some fabric, neither paper nor
stuff apparently. We examined it together, and at length remembered it
was a piece of stuff made at Otaheite, which our captain had bought of a
native at an island where we had touched on our voyage. Fritz appearing
much interested in examining this cloth, Ernest said gravely, “I can
teach you how to make it;” and immediately bringing _Cook’s Voyages_,
where a detailed description is given, he proceeded to read it. Fritz
was disappointed to find it could only be made of the bark of three
trees—of these our island produced only one. These trees were the
mulberry-tree, the bread-fruit, and the wild fig. We had the last in
abundance, but of the two former we had not yet discovered a single
plant. Fritz was not, however, discouraged. “They ought to be here,”
said he, “since they are found in all the South Sea Islands. Perhaps we
may find them on the other side of the rocks, where I saw some superb
unknown trees from the height where we discovered the grotto; and who
knows but I may find my pretty gazelle there again. The rogue can leap
better than I can over those rocks. I had a great wish to descend them,
but found it impossible; some are very high and perpendicular; others
have overhanging summits; I might, however, get round as you did by the
pass, between the torrent and the rocks at the Great Bay.”
Jack offered to be his guide, even with his eyes shut, into that rich
country where he conquered and captured his buffalo; and Ernest begged
to be of the party. As this was an expedition I had long projected, I
agreed to accompany them next day, their mother being content to have
Francis left with her as a protector. I cautioned Fritz not to fire off
his gun when we approached the buffaloes, as any show of hostility might
render them furious; otherwise the animals, unaccustomed to man, have no
fear of him, and will not harm him. “In general,” added I, “I cannot
sufficiently recommend to you to be careful of your powder; we have not
more than will last us a year, and there may be a necessity to have
recourse to it for our defence.”
“I have a plan for making it,” said Fritz, who never saw a difficulty in
anything. “I know it is composed of charcoal, saltpetre, and
sulphur—and we ought to find all these materials in the island. It is
only necessary to combine them, and to form it into little round
grains. This is my only difficulty; but I will consider it over; and I
have my mill to think on first. I have a confused recollection of a
powder manufactory at Berne: there was some machinery which went by
water; this machinery moved some hammers, which pounded and mixed the
ingredients—was not this the case, father?”
“Something like it,” said I; “but we have many things to do before
making powder. First, we must go to sleep; we must set out before
daybreak, if we intend to return to-morrow evening.” We did indeed rise
before the sun, which would not rise for us. The sky was very cloudy,
and shortly we had an abundant and incessant rain, which obliged us to
defer our journey, and put us all in bad humour, but my wife, who was
not sorry to keep us with her, and who declared this gracious rain would
water her garden, and bring it forward. Fritz was the first who consoled
himself; he thought on nothing but building mills, and manufacturing
gunpowder. He begged me to draw him a mill; this was very easy, so far
as regards the exterior,—that is, the wheel, and the waterfall that
sets it in motion; but the interior,—the disposition of the wheels, the
stones to bruise the grain, the sieve, or bolter, to separate the flour
from the bran; all this complicated machinery was difficult to explain;
but he comprehended all, adding his usual expression,—“I will try, and
I shall succeed.” Not to lose any time, and to profit by this rainy day,
he began by making sieves of different materials, which he fastened to a
circle of pliant wood, and tried by passing through them the flour of
the cassava; he made some with sailcloth, others with the hair of the
onagra, which is very long and strong, and some of the fibres of bark.
His mother admired his work, which he continued to improve more and
more; she assured him the sieve would be sufficient for her; it was
useless to have the trouble of building a mill.
“But how shall we bruise the grain, mamma?” said he; “it would be
tedious and hard work.”
“And you think there will be no hard work in building your mill?” said
Jack. “I am curious to see how you will contrive to form that huge
stone, which is called the millstone.”
“You shall see,” said Fritz; “only find me the stone, and it shall soon
be done. Do you think, father, that of our rock would be suitable?”
I told him I thought it would be hard enough, but it would be difficult
to cut from the rock a piece large enough for the purpose. He made his
usual reply,—“_I will try_. Ernest and Jack will assist me; and
perhaps you, papa.”
I declared my willingness, but named him the _master-mason;_ we must
only be his workmen. Francis was impatient to see the mill in operation.
“Oh!” said Jack, “you shall soon have that pleasure. It is a mere
trifle; we only want stone, wood, tools, and science.”
At the word “_science_,” Ernest, who was reading in a corner, without
listening to us, raised his head suddenly, saying,—“What science are
you in need of?”
“Of one you know nothing of, Mr. Philosopher,” said Jack. “Come, tell
us, do you know how to build a mill?”
“A mill?” answered Ernest; “of what description? There are many sorts.
I was just looking in my dictionary for it. There are corn-mills, and
powder-mills, oil-mills, wind-mills, water-mills, hand-mills, and
saw-mills; which do you want?”
Fritz would have liked them all.
“You remind me,” said I, “that we brought from the vessel a hand-mill
and a saw-mill, taken to pieces, to be sure, but numbered and labelled,
so that they could be easily united: they should be in the magazine,
where you found the anvil and iron bars; I had forgotten them.”
“Let us go and examine them,” said Fritz, lighting his lantern; “I shall
get some ideas from them.”
“Rather,” said his mother, “they will spare you the trouble of thinking
and labouring.”
I sent them all four to seek these treasures, which, heaped in an
obscure corner of the store-room, had escaped my recollection. When we
were alone, I seriously besought my wife not to oppose any occupations
our children might plan, however they might seem beyond their power; the
great point being, to keep them continually occupied, so that no evil or
dangerous fancies might fill their minds. “Let them,” I said, “cut
stone, fell trees, or dig fountains, and bless God that their thoughts
are so innocently directed.” She understood me, and promised not to
discourage them, only fearing the excessive fatigue of these
undertakings.
Our boys returned from the magazine, delighted with what they had found,
and loaded with work-tools. Those of the masons,—the chisel, the short
hammer, and the trowel, were not to be found, and rarely are taken out
to sea; but they had collected a great number of carpenters’
tools,—saws, planes, rules, &c. And now that Fritz was a smith, he had
no difficulty in making any tool he wanted. He was loaded on each
shoulder, and in each hand he brought a specimen of gunpowder; one sort
was in good condition, and they had found a barrel of it; the other was
much damaged by the water. Jack and Francis were also bending under the
weight of various articles; among which I saw some pieces of the
hand-mill Fritz wished to examine. Ernest, always rather idle, came
proudly on, with a leather belt across his shoulders, to which was
suspended a large tin box for plants, and a leather portmanteau for
stones, minerals, and shells. His brothers, even Francis, rallied him
unmercifully on his immense burden; one offered to help him, another to
go and bring the ass; he preserved his grave and thoughtful air, and
extended himself on a seat near his mother, who was occupied with his
specimens of natural history. Jack deposited his load in a corner, and
ran out; we soon saw him return with a huge screw-machine on his head,
which he placed before Ernest, saying, with an air of respect,—
“I have the honour to bring for his Highness the Prince of the Idle
Penguins, the press for his august plants, which his Highness doubtless
found too heavy; and, truly, it is no little weight.”
Ernest did not know whether to thank him or to be angry, but he decided
to join in the jest, and, therefore, answered gravely that he was
distressed that his Highness the Prince of the Monkeys should have taken
so much trouble to oblige him, that he ought to have employed some of
his docile subjects to do it; after all, he confessed that the press,
which he had not noticed, gave him great pleasure, and he placed some
plants in it immediately, which he had collected the evening before.
The rain ceasing for a short time, I went with Fritz and Jack to examine
our embankment, and to open the sluices of the pond. We found all right,
and our garden looking beautiful after the rain. On our return, we
looked in at the _Grotto Ernestine_, which we found inundated from the
opening above. We proposed to make a trench, or little channel, to carry
off the rain-water from it. We returned home, and retired to bed, in
hopes of being able to set out next morning. We were, however, again
disappointed, and for a longer period than we expected. The rain
continued some days, and the country was again a complete lake; we had,
however, no storm or wind, and our possessions did not suffer; so we
resolved to wait patiently till the weather would permit us to go. My
wife was delighted to be in her comfortable abode, and to have us round
her; neither did we waste the time. Ernest finished the arrangement of
his collection with his mother and Francis. Fritz and Jack prepared the
tools that would be wanted in their great undertaking—the first attempt
was to be a saw-mill. In order to prepare the planks they wished, a very
large saw, which they had found amongst the tools, would serve their
purpose; but it was necessary to set it in motion by water, and here was
the difficulty. Fritz made several models from the thin wood of our
chests, and the wheels of our guns, but they were too small. In the
mean time, the mind of my young mechanic was exercised, his ideas were
enlarged and improved; and, as this science was so necessary in our
situation, I allowed him to go on with his experiments. Notwithstanding
the rain, protected by my cloak, he went several times to the cascade to
look out for a place where he should place his mills to the best
advantage, and have a constant supply of water. Ernest assisted him by
his advice, and promised his labour when it should be needed. Jack and
Francis were helping their mother to card cotton, of which she had made
a large collection, intending to spin it for our clothing; and I
exercised my mechanical talents in turning a large wheel for her, which
it was necessary should revolve very easily, her leg being still stiff;
and a reel, by which four bobbins were filled at once by turning
a handle.
These different occupations aided us to pass the rainy season, which
visited us earlier this year, and did not remain so long. My wife knew
something of dyeing cloth; and, some of the plants she had helped Ernest
to dry having left their colour on the papers, she made some
experiments, and succeeded in obtaining a very pretty blue to dye our
clothes with; and, with the cochineal from our fig-tree, a beautiful red
brown, with which she had dyed for herself a complete dress.
Thus passed several weeks. Ernest read to us from some amusing or
instructive work every evening; and, when his collections were all put
in order, he worked at his lathe, or at the business of weaving. At last
the sun appeared; we spent some days enjoying it in our delightful
colonnade. We went to visit the grotto and the garden, where all was
going on well—the embankment had prevented the inundation. Satisfied
with our work, we now fixed our departure for the next day, once more
hoping the rain would not come again to disappoint us.
* * * * *