The Swiss family Robinson
is the true _caoutchouc_ tree which yields the Indian rubber. Quick,
hand it here, that I may examine it.”--Having satisfied myself of our
good fortune, I had now to explain that caoutchouc is a kind of milky
sap, which runs from its tree, in consequence of incisions made in
the bark. “This liquid is received in vessels placed expressly for
the purpose: it is afterwards made to take the form of dark-coloured
bottles, of different sizes, such as we have seen them, in the
following manner. Before the liquid has time to coagulate, some small
earthen bottles are dipped into it a sufficient number of times
to form the thickness required. These vessels are then hung over
smoke, which completely dries them, and gives them a dark colour.
The concluding part of the operation is to break the mould, and to
get out the pieces by the passage of the neck, when there remains
the complete form of a bottle. In the same way we may be able to
make shoes and boots without seams, if we can add the assistance of
earthen moulds of the size of the leg or foot to be fitted. We must
consider of some means of restoring masses of the caoutchouc to its
liquid form, for spreading upon the moulds; and if we should not
succeed, we must endeavour to draw it in sufficient quantities, in
its liquid state, from the trees themselves.”
We now began to consider how much farther we would go: the thick
bushes of bamboo, through which it was impossible to pass, seemed
to furnish a natural conclusion to our journey. We were, therefore,
unable to ascertain whether or not we should have found a passage
beyond the wall of rocks: we perceived then no better resource than
to turn to the left towards Cape Disappointment, where the luxurious
plantations of sugar-canes now again drew our attention. That we
might not return empty-handed to Falcon’s Stream, and might deserve
forgiveness for so long an absence, we each took the pains to cut a
large bundle of the canes, which we threw across the ass’s back, not
forgetting the ceremony of reserving one apiece to refresh ourselves
with along the road. We soon arrived on the well-known shore of the
sea, which at length afforded an open and a shorter path; we next
reached the wood of gourds, where we found our sledge loaded as we
had left it the night before; we took the sugar-canes from the ass,
and fastened them to the sledge, and then we harnessed the ass, and
the patient animal began to draw towards home.
FOOTNOTE:
[2] _Tuiete._ This is the smallest kind of Brazilian
parrot. There is an infinite variety in their
plumage.
CHAPTER XXIII
Useful Occupations and Labours--Embellishments--A
Painful but Natural Sentiment
On the following day, my wife and the boys importuned me to begin my
manufactory of candles: I therefore set myself to recollect all I had
read on the subject. I soon perceived that I should be at a loss for
a little fat to mix with the wax I had procured from the berries,
for making the light burn clearer; but I was compelled to proceed
without. I put as many berries into a vessel as it would contain, and
set it on a moderate fire; my wife in the meantime employed herself
in making some wicks with the threads of sail-cloth. When we saw an
oily matter, of a pleasing smell and light green colour, rise to the
top of the liquid the berries had yielded, we carefully skimmed it
off and put it into a separate vessel, taking care to keep it warm.
We continued this process till the berries were exhausted, and had
produced a considerable quantity of wax; we next dipped the wicks one
by one into it, while it remained liquid, and then hung them on the
bushes to harden: in a short time we dipped them again, and repeated
the operation till the candles were increased to the proper size, and
they were then put in a place and kept till sufficiently hardened
for use. We, however, were all eager to judge of our success that
very evening, by burning one of the candles, with which we were well
satisfied.
Our success in this last enterprise encouraged us to think of
another, the idea of which had long been cherished by our kind
steward of provisions; it was to make fresh butter of the cream
we every day skimmed from the milk, and which was frequently, to
her great vexation, spoiled and given to the animals. The utensil
we stood in need of was a churn to turn the cream in. Having
earnestly applied my thoughts as to the best manner of conquering
the difficulty, I suddenly recollected what I had read in a book of
travels, of the method used by the Hottentots for making butter; but
instead of a sheep-skin sewed together at its extremities, I emptied
a large gourd, washed it clean, filled it again with cream, and
stopped it close with the piece I had cut from the top. I placed my
vase of cream on a piece of sail-cloth with four corners, and tied to
each corner a stake: I placed one boy midway between each stake, and
directed them to shake the cloth briskly, but with a steady measure,
for a certain time. This exercise, which seemed like children’s play,
pleased them mightily, and they called it rocking the cradle. They
performed their office, singing and laughing all the time, and in
an hour, on taking off the cover, we had the satisfaction of seeing
some excellent butter. I had now to propose to my sons a work of a
more difficult nature than we had hitherto accomplished: it was the
construction of a cart, for the conveyance of our effects from place
to place, to supersede the sledge, which caused us so much fatigue
to load and draw. I tried earnestly and long to accomplish such a
machine; but it did not entirely succeed to my wishes, and I wasted
in the attempt both time and timber: I however produced what from
courtesy we called a cart, and it answered the purpose for which it
was designed.
By this time we had nearly exhausted our stock of clothes, and we
were compelled once more to have recourse to the vessel, which we
knew still contained some chests fit for our use. To this motive
we added an earnest desire to take another look at her, and, if
practicable, to bring away a few pieces of cannon.
The first fine day I assembled my three eldest sons, and put my
design into execution. We reached the wreck without any striking
adventure, and found her still fixed between the rocks, but somewhat
more shattered than when we had last seen her. We secured the chests
of clothes, and whatever remained of ammunition stores: powder, shot,
and even such pieces of cannon as we could remove, while those that
were too heavy we stripped of their wheels, which might be extremely
useful.
But to effect our purpose, it was necessary to spend several days in
visits to the vessel, returning constantly in the evening, enriched
with everything of a portable nature which the wreck contained;
doors, windows, locks, bolts--nothing escaped our grasp: so that
the ship was now entirely emptied, with the exception of the large
cannon, and three or four immense copper caldrons. We by degrees
contrived to tie the heaviest articles to two or three empty casks
well pitched, which would thus be sustained above water. I supposed
that the wind and tide would convey the beams and timbers ashore,
and thus with little pains we should be possessed of a sufficient
quantity of materials for erecting a building at some future
time. When these measures were taken, I came to the resolution of
blowing up the wreck, by a process similar to that which had so
well succeeded with the pinnace. We accordingly prepared a cask of
gunpowder, which we left on board for the purpose: we rolled it to
the place most favourable for our views: we made a small opening
in its side, and on quitting the vessel, we inserted a piece of
match-wood, which we lighted at the last moment, as before. We then
sailed with all possible expedition for Safety Bay, where we arrived
in a short time.
About the time of nightfall, a majestic rolling sound like thunder,
accompanied by a column of fire and smoke, announced that the ship
so awfully concerned with our peculiar destiny, which had brought us
to our present abode in a desert, and furnished us there with such
vast supplies for general comfort, was that instant annihilated, and
withdrawn for ever from the face of man! At this moment, love for the
country that gave us birth, that most powerful sentiment of the human
heart, sank with a new force into ours. The ship had disappeared for
ever! Could we then form a hope ever to behold that country more?
We had made a sort of jubilee of witnessing the spectacle: the boys
had clapped their hands and skipped about in joyful expectation; but
the noise was heard; the smoke and sparks were seen; and the sudden
change which took place in our minds could be compared only to the
rapidity of these effects of our concerted scheme against the vessel.
We all observed a mournful silence, and all rose, as it were by an
impulse of mutual condemnation, and took the road to Tent House.
A night’s repose had in some measure relieved the melancholy of
the preceding evening, and I went rather early in the morning with
the boys, to make further observations as to the effects of this
remarkable event. We perceived in the water, and along the shore,
abundant vestiges of the departed wreck; and amongst the rest, at a
certain distance, the empty casks, caldrons, and cannon, all tied
together and floating in a large mass upon the water. We jumped
instantly into the pinnace, with the tub-boat fastened to it, and
made a way towards them through the numberless pieces of timber,
etc., that intervened, and in a little time reached the object
of our search, which from its great weight moved slowly upon the
waves. Fritz, with his accustomed readiness, flung some rope round
two four-pounders, and contrived to fasten them to our barge; after
which he secured also an enormous quantity of poles, laths, and other
useful articles. With this rich booty we returned to land.
We performed three more trips for the purpose of bringing away more
cannon, caldrons, fragments of masts, etc., all of which we deposited
for present convenience in Safety Bay; and now began our most
fatiguing operations--the removing such numerous and heavy stores
from the boats to the Tent House. We separated the cannon and the
caldrons from the tub-raft, and from each other, and left them in a
place which was accessible for the sledge and the beasts of burden.
With the help of the crow we succeeded in getting the caldrons upon
the sledge, and in replacing the four wheels we had before taken from
the cannon; and now found it easy to make the cow and the ass draw
them.
The largest of the boilers or copper caldrons we found of the most
essential use. We brought out all our barrels of gunpowder, and
placed them on their ends in three separate groups, at a short
distance from our tent; we dug a little ditch round the whole, to
draw off the moisture from the ground, and then put one of the
caldrons turned upside down upon each, which completely answered the
purpose of an outhouse. The cannon were covered with sail-cloth,
and upon this we laid heavy branches of trees; the larger casks of
gunpowder we prudently removed under a projecting piece of rock, and
covered them with planks till we should have leisure for executing
the plan of an ammunition store-house, about which we had all become
extremely earnest.
My wife, in taking a survey of these our labours, made the agreeable
discovery that two of our ducks and one of the geese had been
brooding under a large bush, and at the time were conducting their
little families to the water. The news produced general rejoicings;
and the sight of the little creatures so forcibly carried our