In the Eastern Seas Part 24

"It was not I who thought of them," I answered; "it was Oliver. He said he thought it would cheer up Mr Hooker to know that some of his things had been saved; and we must try and get some more on sh.o.r.e if we can."

"Oh yes, yes!" exclaimed both the girls together. "Bring his treasures rather than ours. Many of them, probably, he cannot replace; and we can dress, I daresay, in mats, or the cloth I have seen made out of the paper mulberry-tree."

"Well, well, young ladies," said Tarbox. "We can find room, I daresay, in the boat for your light things, as well as Mr Hooker's chests; so I hope, if we can get hold of the things, you will not have to rig up in any outlandish fas.h.i.+on."

He said this as we were shoving off the boat with our oars; and now, sitting down, we again pulled out towards the wreck.

"The gentleman on sh.o.r.e says he has lived here for several years," said Oliver. "All that time no vessel has called off here. Now, if we are to get away, would it not be better if we were to try and build one large enough for the purpose, so that we may quit the island whenever it is thought best?"

"You are right, Oliver," said Tarbox. "If we can get hold of the carpenter's tools, and ropes and spars enough, with blocks and sails, we may build a craft out of the wreck, or of the wood we can cut down in the island. It does not take so long to dry as it does in Old England."

Roger Trew agreed with Tarbox, and so did I, that we ought to make the attempt, and thanked Oliver for his suggestion. We determined, therefore, at once to secure as much rope and as many blocks as we might want, as well as sailcloth or sails and spars.

"I have heard talk of a man out in the Pacific Islands who built a vessel with far less means than we have got," observed Tarbox. "He was a missionary gentleman, though he knew well how to work at a forge, as well as to use his saw and hammer. To the best of my recollection, he had only got a file and a saw and an old anchor to begin with. He first taught the natives how to a.s.sist him, and then set to work to cut down the trees and to saw them into planks. He next put up a forge, and made the bellows, and manufactured nails and pins, and all the work he wanted."

"Oh yes, I have read of him," said Oliver. "He was Mr Williams, the missionary. He built the vessel, I think, at Raratonga, when he was left there by himself, without another European to help him. She was called the _Messenger of Peace_, and he sailed many thousand miles afterwards on board her in his missionary voyages. If Mr Williams--who had no knowledge of s.h.i.+p-building except such as he obtained from observation of the vessels he visited--could do so, we, at all events, ought to be able to build a craft capable of carrying us to Singapore, even though we may not secure much more from the wreck."

"There is one thing we want, and that is iron," observed Tarbox; "and rope and blocks, and provisions, too. It would take us some time to put such a craft together."

"All I know is," said Oliver, "that Mr Williams had but the iron part of an anchor, a pick-axe, and a few garden tools, with some iron hoops.

His vessel was from about sixty to seventy tons, and from the time he cut the keel until she was launched not more than four months had pa.s.sed. Besides the bellows and forge, he made a lathe, and indeed manufactured everything that was required. His sails were composed of fine mats, woven by the natives; and the rope was manufactured from the hemp which grew on the island. In the same way he found subst.i.tutes for oak.u.m, pitch, and paint, and everything he required."

"He you speak of must have been a very wonderful man," observed Tarbox.

"I consider that a man who could do what he did is fit to be Prime Minister. Why, he would have made the Thames Tunnel, if he had tried."

"Very likely he would," said Oliver; "but G.o.d wanted him for His work, and that was to go out to those islands to the east of us in the Pacific, and to convert the natives to Christianity."

By this time we had regained the wreck. Our first search was for the clothing of the Frau and the young ladies. We managed to get up a trunk which contained a portion of them, though the water had got in, and had greatly spoiled the contents. We fished about for some time, and then got up another box, which had suffered in the same way.

"It cannot be helped," observed Tarbox. "We will not be particular how the old lady and little girls look; and the clothes will soon dry-- that's one good thing. The sun is not idle out in these parts."

Our next hunt was for the carpenter's tools. When I say that half the deck was under water, it may be supposed that there were very few things which had escaped soaking. Fortunately the carpenter had stowed many of his things away in a locker on the upper side of the vessel. These we secured, and then searched for his chest, which we knew contained some more of the necessary tools.

"Poor fellow! if he had stuck by us instead of attempting to swim on sh.o.r.e, he would have been here to lend us a hand," observed Tarbox.

Oliver was very busy hunting about. Of course, we had thrown off our jackets, and retained only our trowsers. We did not mind, therefore, plunging into the water, now and then diving down in the hopes of getting hold of something. At length Oliver cried out that he felt the handle of a chest, which he thought must be the carpenter's. We soon got a hook and rope, and hauled it up, when with much satisfaction we found he was right. It was somewhat heavy, and we doubted if we should get it into the boat. At last Oliver suggested that we should open it, and carry some of the tools separately, so as to lighten it. This we did; and by the time we had got a few coils of rope on board, and some blocks, our boat was heavily laden.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

OUR FIRST EXCURSION IN THE ISLAND.

On our arrival at the beach, we found that the indefatigable Frau and her young companions had carried up all the articles to the house. On seeing us return, they had again come down, with Potto Jumbo, to help us. The Frau, lifting a coil of rope, put it round her neck, exclaiming, "Ah! I have one fine necklace--I carry this;" and off she set, with a bag of biscuit at her back. The girls each loaded themselves with blocks and ropes, while we carried up the chests and heavier articles.

Great was Mr Hooker's delight when he saw his beloved cases arrive.

"What! you have saved these?" he exclaimed, lifting up his hands, and gazing at them with affection. "I am indeed indebted to you. I little thought any one else appreciated them as I do. But it shows you are true lovers of science, that you value such treasures as these--not as ordinary persons value them, but as men of science look at them--at their true worth. Thank you, my friends--thank you;" and he shook us all warmly by the hand.

I really believe that the restoration of his collections contributed greatly to his recovery.

The next day we were employed in the same way--in getting on sh.o.r.e as many of the stores as we could fish up from the wreck. Mr Sedgwick was well pleased at the appearance of the case of wine.

"It is just what my patients want," he observed; "and though I can manufacture palm-wine and arrack, they will not answer the purpose nearly so well. Indeed, the arrack is poisonous stuff at the best."

For some days both Mr Hooker and the mate appeared to hang between life and death. Our uncle, I saw, was very anxious about them, and seldom absent from their room. When he went away, the good Frau took his place. When absent, however, he was still engaged in their service, as he was either concocting medicines or cooking dishes to suit their taste.

"Potto Jumbo is a very good sea-cook," he observed to me, "but not quite capable of producing a dish fit for an invalid; and as to my Dyak, Tanda, his ideas are somewhat limited in that way."

The weather continued fine, and the vessel hung together; but the boatswain was of opinion that should another gale come on, she would quickly go to pieces.

"Though we might get some of her timbers and planks, they would be sorely battered by getting knocked on the rocks," he observed; "and to my mind it would be better if we could get them ripped off at once. It will be a pretty tough job; but it is to be done."

I proposed the matter to Mr Sedgwick, but he rather doubted our capability of performing the operation. He could not help us, as he was required to attend to our friends, while his man had to look after the plantations and animals, and indeed had ample work. He thought that fresh planks from the trees in the forest would be of more use than the broken ones we might get from the vessel. We, indeed, were prevented from returning to her for some days, on account of a strong wind setting in directly on the sh.o.r.e, which created so much surf that we were unable to pa.s.s through it in our small boat.

Mr Thudic.u.mb was to be our master-builder. He had more acquaintance with s.h.i.+p-building than any of us--indeed, probably than all the party put together; but he was yet too ill even to superintend the undertaking. We hoped, however, that in the course of a week or two he would be sufficiently recovered to set us to work. At present, indeed, he could scarcely even give his thoughts to the subject.

I proposed that we should employ the time in exploring the island. Mr Sedgwick had never gone to any great distance from the spot where he had located himself. He had been unable to do so, as directly he began to collect his menagerie it was necessary for him to remain to attend to his animals. He was also unwilling to go far from the coast, lest, a vessel pa.s.sing, he might lose the opportunity of getting on board her.

This had kept him week after week, and month after month, within a few miles of the sh.o.r.e. He was now, however, very glad to make the proposed expedition.

Mr Hooker and the mate were sufficiently recovered to move about the house and to take short walks in the neighbourhood. The girls were both very anxious to go also, but the Frau strongly objected to their doing so.

"Suppose we meet snakes, or wild beasts, or savages?" she asked. "Oh no, no, Frauline Emily and Grace. You must stop and take care of Mr Hooker and poor Mr Thudic.u.mb. What they do without you?"

We were much amused at the Frau's anxiety, because we suspected that she supposed if they went she would have to go also, and for this she had no fancy. She was a very good nurse, and a very good cook; but she took little interest in beautiful scenery or in natural history.

"We will take very good care of the young ladies if you like to remain behind," said our uncle. "We can easily make some litters to carry them, should they be tired, and we will leave you to a.s.sist in garrisoning our castle."

"Oh, but I not like to lose sight of them," she answered; and indeed she was afraid that they might meet with some accident, or suffer from the hards.h.i.+ps of the journey.

They, however, pleaded their cause so well, that at length it was arranged they were to go with us.

"I have read that Lady Raffles accompanied her husband, Sir Stamford, in many of his excursions through Sumatra and other islands of these seas, and I do not see why we should be afraid of any of the hards.h.i.+ps which she had to go through," observed Emily.

We now busied ourselves in making preparations for our journey. Our party consisted of our uncle as leader, Oliver and I, d.i.c.k Tarbox, Roger Trew, and Potto Jumbo. Merlin evidently understood that we were going on an expedition, and wagged his tail and looked up in my face as if to ask if he might accompany us. First he went to one, and then to another, making the same request.

"If you can spare him, Hooker, we will take him," observed my uncle.

"He seems so well trained, that I think he will not range too widely and disturb our game."

"Speak to him, and he will do whatever you tell him," said Mr Hooker; and so Merlin was added to our party.

We promised the Frau that should the difficulties we might meet with be too great for the girls to encounter, we would at once return, and leaving them, set off again by ourselves. We each of us earned a fowling-piece, an axe, and a knife, with flint and steel, and a bag of sago-cake, prepared as have before described. We felt very sure that we could provide ourselves with an ample supply of animal food, as also vegetables, wherever we might go. Nature has been lavishly bountiful in that region in her supply of food for the wants of man; indeed, there are no parts of the world where a little labour will produce such an abundance of all the necessaries of life as in most of the islands of that archipelago.

Several streams ran down from the neighbouring mountains fertilising the land, and, in the intervals, cocoa-nut trees grew, with fruit now sufficiently ripe to afford a delicious draught of cool liquid whenever we might want it.

We rose before daybreak to breakfast, that we might commence our journey in the cool of the morning. Our friends collected in the verandah to wish us good-bye. Mr Hooker, however, seemed very unhappy at being unable to accompany us.

"Cheer up, friends," said our uncle. "We shall be back, probably, in two or three days; and having stretched our legs, we shall be the better able to make another excursion, and I hope by that time you will be of the party."