The Swiss family Robinson
than any of us, can do more than our united strength was able to
effect! I wish I could know how it is constructed.”
I explained to him as well as I could the power of Archimedes’ lever,
with which he said he could move the world, if you would give him a
point from which his mechanism might act, and promised to explain the
nature of the operation of the crow when we should be safe on land.
One of the points of my system of education for my sons was to awaken
their curiosity by interesting observations, to leave time for the
activity of the imagination, and then to correct any error they
might fall into. I contented myself now, however, with this general
remark, that God sufficiently compensated the natural weakness of
man by the gifts of reason, of invention, and the adroitness of the
hands; and that human meditation and skill had produced a science,
called mechanics, the object of which was, to teach us how to make
our own natural strength act to an incredible distance, and with
extraordinary force, by the intervention of instruments.
Jack here remarked that the action of the crow was very slow.
“Better slow than never, Jack,” replied I. “Experience has ever
taught, and mechanical observations have established as a principle,
that what is gained in speed is lost in strength: the purpose of the
crow is not to enable us to raise anything rapidly, but to raise what
is exceedingly heavy; and the heavier the thing we would move, the
slower is the mechanical operation. But are you aware what we have at
our command, to compensate for this slowness?”
“Yes, it is turning the handle quicker.”
“Your guess is wrong; that would be no compensation: the true remedy,
my boy, is to call in the assistance of patience and reason: with
the aid of these two fairy powers I am in hopes to set my machine
afloat.” As I said this, I tied a long cord to its stern, and the
other end of it to one of the timbers of the ship, which appeared
to be still firm, so that the cord being left loose would serve to
guide and restrain it when launched. We now put a second and a third
roller under, and applying the crow, to our great joy our machine
descended into the water with such a velocity that, if the rope had
not been well fastened, it would have gone far out to sea. But now a
new difficulty presented itself: the boat leaned so much on one side
that the boys all exclaimed they could not venture to get into it. I
was for some moments in the most painful perplexity; but it suddenly
occurred to me that ballast only was wanting to set it straight. I
drew it near, and threw all the useless things I could find into the
tubs, so as to make weight on the light side. By degrees the machine
became quite straight and firm in the water, seeming to invite us to
take refuge in its protection. All now would get into the tubs, and
the boys began to dispute which should be first. I drew them back,
and seeking a remedy for this kind of obstacle, I recollected that
savage nations make use of a paddle for preventing their canoes from
upsetting. I once more set to work to make one of these.
I took two poles of equal length, upon which the sails of the vessel
had been stretched, and having descended into the machine, fixed one
of them at the head, and the other at the stern, in such a manner as
to enable us to turn them at pleasure to right or left, as should
best answer the purpose of guiding and putting it out to sea. I
stuck the end of each pole, or paddle, into the bung-hole of an empty
brandy-keg, which served to keep the paddles steady, and to prevent
any interruption in the management of our future enterprise.
There remained nothing more to do, but to find in what way I could
clear out from the incumbrance of the wreck. I got into the first
tub, and steered the head of the machine so as to make it enter
the cleft in the ship’s side, where it could remain quiet. I then
remounted the vessel, and sometimes with the saw, and sometimes with
the hatchet, I cleared away, to right and left, everything that could
obstruct our passage; and, that being effected, we next secured some
oars for the voyage we resolved on attempting.
We had spent the day in laborious exertions; it was already late; and
as it would not have been possible to reach the land that evening,
we were obliged to pass a second night in the wrecked vessel, which
at every instant threatened to fall to pieces. We next refreshed
ourselves by a regular meal; for, during the day’s work, we had
scarcely allowed ourselves to take a bit of bread, or a glass of
wine. Being now in a more tranquil and unapprehensive state of mind
than the day before, we all abandoned ourselves to sleep; not,
however, till I had taken the precaution of tying the swimming
apparatus round my three youngest boys and my wife, in case the storm
should again come on. I also advised my wife to dress herself in the
clothes of one of the sailors which were so much more convenient for
swimming, or any other exertions she might be compelled to engage
in. She consented, but not without reluctance, and left us to look
for some that might best suit her size. In a quarter of an hour she
returned, dressed in the clothes of a young man who had served as
volunteer on board the ship, and I soon found means to reconcile her
to the change, by representing the many advantages it gave her, till
at length she joined in the merriment her dress occasioned, and one
and all crept into our separate hammocks, where a delicious repose
prepared us for the renewal of our labours.
CHAPTER II
A Landing, and Consequent Occupations
By break of day we were all awake and alert, for hope as well as
grief is unfriendly to lengthened slumbers. When we had finished our
morning prayer, I said, “We now, my best beloved, with the assistance
of Heaven, must enter upon the work of our deliverance. The first
thing to be done is to give to each poor animal on board a hearty
meal; we will then put food enough before them for several days; we
cannot take them with us; but we will hope it may be possible, if our
voyage succeeds, to return and fetch them. Are you now all ready?
Bring together whatever is absolutely necessary for our wants. It is
my wish that our first cargo should consist of a barrel of gunpowder,
three fowling-pieces, and three carbines, with as much small-shot
and lead, and as many bullets as our boat will carry; two pairs of
pocket-pistols, and one of large ones, not forgetting a mould to
cast balls in; each of the boys, and their mother also, should have
a bag to carry game in; you will find plenty of these in the cabins
of the officers.” We added a chest containing cakes of portable soup,
another full of hard biscuits, an iron pot, a fishing-rod, a chest
of nails, and another of different utensils, such as hammers, saws,
pincers, hatchets, augers, etc., and lastly, some sailcloth to make
a tent. Indeed the boys brought so many things that we were obliged
to reject some of them, though I had already exchanged the worthless
ballast for articles of use in the question of our subsistence.
When all was ready we stepped bravely each into a tub. At the moment
of our departure the cocks and hens began to cluck, as if conscious
that we had deserted them, yet were willing to bid us a sorrowful
adieu. This suggested to me the idea of taking the geese, ducks,
fowls, and pigeons with us; observing to my wife that, if we could
not find means to feed them, at least they would feed us.
We accordingly executed this plan. We put ten hens and an old and a
young cock into one of the tubs, and covered it with planks; we set
the rest of the poultry at liberty, in the hope that instinct would
direct them towards the land, the geese and the ducks by water, and
the pigeons by the air.
We were waiting for my wife, who had the care of this last part of
our embarkation, when she joined us loaded with a large bag, which
she threw into the tub that already contained her youngest son. I
imagined that she intended it for him to sit upon, or perhaps to
confine him so as to prevent his being tossed from side to side. I
therefore asked no more questions concerning it. The order of our
departure was as follows:
In the first tub, at the boat’s head, my wife, the most tender and
exemplary of her sex, placed herself. In the second, our little
Francis, a lovely boy, six years old, remarkable for the sweetest and
happiest temper, and for his affection to his parents. In the third,
Fritz, our eldest boy, between fourteen and fifteen years of age, a
handsome, curl-pated youth, full of intelligence and vivacity. In
the fourth was the barrel of gunpowder, with the cocks and hens, and
the sail-cloth. In the fifth, the provisions of every kind. In the
sixth, our third son, Jack, a light-hearted, enterprising, audacious,
generous lad, about ten years old. In the seventh, our second son,
Ernest, a boy of twelve years old, of a rational, reflecting temper,
well informed for his age, but somewhat disposed to indolence and
pleasure. In the eighth, a father, to whose paternal care the task
of guiding the machine for the safety of his beloved family was
entrusted. Each of us had useful implements within reach; the hand
of each held an oar, and near each was a swimming apparatus, in
readiness for what might happen. The tide was already at half its
height when we left the ship, and I had counted on this circumstance
as favourable to our want of strength. We held the two paddles
longways, and thus we passed without accident through the cleft of
the vessel into the sea. The boys devoured with their eyes the blue
land they saw at a distance. We rowed with all our strength, but long
in vain, to reach it: the boat only turned round and round. At length
I had the good fortune to steer in such a way that it proceeded in
a straight line. The two dogs, perceiving we had abandoned them,
plunged into the sea and swam to the boat; they were too large for us
to think of giving them admittance, and I dreaded lest they should
jump in and upset us. Turk was an English dog, and Flora a bitch of
the Danish breed. I was in great uneasiness on their account, for I
feared it would not be possible for them to swim so far. The dogs,
however, managed the affair with perfect intelligence. When fatigued,
they rested their fore-paws on one of the paddles, and thus with
little effort proceeded.
Jack was disposed to refuse them this accommodation, but he soon
yielded to my argument that it was cruel and unwise to neglect
creatures thrown on our protection, and who indeed might hereafter
protect us in their turn, by guarding us from harm, and assisting in
our pursuit of animals for food. “Besides,” added I, “God has given
the dog to man to be his faithful companion and friend.”
Our voyage proceeded securely, though slowly; but the nearer we
approached the land, the more gloomy and unpromising its aspect
appeared. The coast was clothed with barren rocks, which seemed to
offer nothing but hunger and distress. The sea was calm; the waves,
gently agitated, washed the shore, and the sky was serene in every
direction; we perceived casks, bales, chests, and other vestiges of
shipwrecks, floating round us. In the hope of obtaining some good
provisions, I determined on endeavouring to secure some of the casks.
I bade Fritz have a rope, a hammer, and some nails ready, and to try
to seize them as we passed. He succeeded in laying hold of two, and
in such a way that we could draw them after us to the shore. Now
that we were close on land, its rude outline was much softened; the
rocks no longer appeared one undivided chain; Fritz, with his hawk’s
eye, already descried some trees, and exclaimed that they were palm