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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:51:32 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:51:32 -0700 |
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diff --git a/17618-h/17618-h.htm b/17618-h/17618-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..616423a --- /dev/null +++ b/17618-h/17618-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,7632 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Jethou, by E. R. Suffling</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .right {text-align: right;} + .left {text-align: left;} + .tbrk { margin-top: 2.75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem div {display: block; margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem div.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em;} + .poem div.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em;} + .poem div.i6 {display: block; margin-left: 6em;} + .poem div.i8 {display: block; margin-left: 8em;} + + /* index */ + + div.index ul li { padding-top: 1em ;text-align: center; } + + div.index ul ul ul, div.index ul li ul li { padding: 0; text-align: left; } + + div.index ul { list-style: none; margin: 0; } + + div.index ul, div.index ul ul ul li { display: inline; } + + div.index .subitem { display: block; padding-left: 2em; } + + hr.full { width: 100%; } + pre {font-size: 75%;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, Jethou, by E. R. Suffling</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: Jethou</p> +<p> or Crusoe Life in the Channel Isles</p> +<p>Author: E. R. Suffling</p> +<p>Release Date: January 28, 2006 [eBook #17618]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JETHOU***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by Steven Gibbs, Martin Pettit,<br /> + and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> + (http://www.pgdp.net/)</h3> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h1>JETHOU</h1> + +<h3>OR</h3> + +<h2>CRUSOE LIFE <span class="smcap">in the</span> CHANNEL ISLES</h2> + +<p class='center'><i>ILLUSTRATED BY DRAWINGS PREPARED FROM AUTHOR'S +OWN SKETCHES</i></p> + +<h3>BY</h3> + +<h2>E. R. SUFFLING</h2> + +<p class='center'><i>Author of "History and Legends of the Broad District,"<br /> +"How to Organize a Cruise on the Broads,"<br /> +"Afloat in a Gipsy Van," etc.</i></p> + +<h3>THIRD EDITION</h3> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust001.png" width='300' height='94' alt="Publisher's logo" /></p> + +<p class='center'>LONDON<br /> +JARROLD & SONS, 10 & 11, WARWICK LANE, E.C.<br /> +[<i>All Rights Reserved</i>]<br />1898</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="frontispiece" id="frontispiece"></a><img src="images/frontispiece.png" width='700' height='408' alt="Frontispiece the Island of Jethou" /></p> + +<p class="center"><span class="smcap">The Island of Jethou</span></p> + +<hr /> +<h2>CONTENTS.</h2> + +<div class="index"> +<ul> +<li><a href="#PREFACE">PREFACE.</a></li> +<li><a href="#LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS">LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.</a></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">My birth and home—My pretty cousin—Accident to the +"Kittywich"—Journey to Guernsey—Pleading to become +a Crusoe—My wish granted—Outfit secured—Sail to Jethou</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">I take possession of the Island—Landing stores—A grand +carousal—Farewell—Alone</li> + +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">First thoughts and impressions—A tour of the Island and +description</li> + +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">Farming operations—I make a plough and a cart—A +donkey hunt—Dumb helpers—My live stock</li> + +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">Canoeing—Fish of the place—The ormer and limpet—A +curious fishing adventure—Queer captures from the +sea—Rock fish—Construct a fish pond and water-mill</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">"Flapp," the gull—Surgical operation—The gull who refused +to die—Taxidermy extraordinary—Feathered friends—Snakes</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">I build a curious "box-boat"—An unpleasant night at sea—My +Sunday service—The poem, "Alexander Selkirk"—Its +applicability to my lot</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">A trip to St. Sampson's harbour—A horrid porcine murder—A +voyage round Sark—Nearly capsized—Trip round +Guernsey—The pepper-box—Curiosity of tourists</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">Harvest operations—Explore La Creux Derrible, and nearly lose my +life—Crusoe on crutches—An extraordinary discovery—Kill a +grampus—Oil on troubled waters—Make an overflow pump</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">A storm and a wreck—The castaway—Dead—A night of +horror—The boathouse destroyed—A burial at sea</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">Climate in Winter—Vision of my father—A warning voice—Supernatural +manifestations—The falling rock—My life saved by my dog</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">A fairy pool—Wonders of the deep—Portrait of a poet—The cave of +Fauconnaire—A letter from home and my answer to it</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">Another terrible storm—Loss of the "Yellow Boy"—A ketch +wrecked—I rescue a man from the sea, badly injured—He recovers</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">Work and song—Sunday service—Build a larger boat, the +"Anglo-Franc"—Collecting wreckage—Commence a +jetty—Our cookery—Blasting operations—The opening banquet</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">Trawling for fish and dredging for curios—Some remarkable +finds—A ghastly resurrection—The mysterious paper—The +hieroglyphic—A dangerous fall—<i>Hors de combat</i>—Attempts +to unravel the paper</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">Yarns: The cabbages which hung their heads—The raft of +spruce—Voyage of the "Dewdrop"—A lucky family—A +deep, deep draught—The maire's cat</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">The Will again—Searching for a clue to the paper—Barbe Rouge's +Will—A probable clue—Hopes and doubts—Perplexed—A memorable +trawl by moonlight—A real clue at last—The place of the skull found</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">Digging for the treasure—A noonday rest—The ghastly tenant of +the treasure house—We find the treasure—An account of what we discovered</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">Preparing to leave—A letter home—We lengthen and enlarge the +"Anglo-Franc"—Re-christen her "Happy Return"—Love at first +sight—Victualling and stowing cargo—Pretty Jeannette—The long +voyage—Incidents en route—Vegetarians, and their diet—Yarmouth +reached—Fresh-water navigation—My native heath</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">I surprise the old folks at home—All well—Is Priscilla false—We +meet—The missing letters—A snake in the grass—Dreams of vengeance</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">The "Happy Return" inspected—More of my father's ghost—Unpacking +the treasure—Seek an interview with Walter Johnson—Two letters</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">M. Oudin arrives—The Wedding Day—Division of the +spoil—Alec returns to Jethou—Wedding gifts—The end</li> +</ul></li> +<li><a href="#APPENDIX">APPENDIX.</a> +<ul> + <li class="subitem">A few words about the Channel Isles</li> +</ul></li> +</ul> +</div> + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE"></a>PREFACE.</h2> + +<p>As the writer does not pretend to possess what is termed literary style, +he would ask the indulgence of the reader in any little slip of the pen +which may occur in these pages, as it is not every Crusoe who can +command the facile quill, the pure style, or the lively imagination of a +Daniel Defoe, to narrate his adventures.</p> + +<p>It must be borne in mind that the island of Juan Fernandez possessed +many natural features, and a far greater area than Jethou can boast of, +and therefore more scope for the development of incidents and +descriptive embellishment.</p> + +<p>Doubtless many of the adventures here placed before the public will +appear puny beside the exploits of the original Crusoe; but it must be +taken into consideration that the author does not, like Defoe's hero, +revel in the impossible. At the same time it may be noted that the +adventures detailed are of a sufficiently exciting kind as to be above +any suspicion of dulness.</p> + +<p>Juan Fernandez lies about four hundred miles from the nearest land, and +it is therefore very difficult to imagine from whence the savages came +who were about to convert Friday into a <i>fricassee</i>. The Friday of our +story, y'clept Monday, came to Jethou in a natural if in an exciting +manner, and it will be found that everything else in the narrative, if +not an <i>exact</i> account of what really did happen, is at least feasible. +It is in fact a practicable narrative, served up in a plain, ungarnished +form, except that to make it more palatable to the general reader a +little love-story has been introduced towards the conclusion, which, it +is hoped, sustains the interest right to the last, and makes the volume +end as all good books should, by allowing the principal actors to "live +happily ever after."</p> + +<p class='right'>E. R. SUFFLING (<span class="smcap">Harry Nilford</span>).</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class='stanza'><div><i>Blomfield Lodge</i>,</div> +<div class='i2'><i>Portsdown Road</i>,</div> +<div class='i4'><i>London, W.</i></div></div> +</div> + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS" id="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS"></a>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> + +<div class="index"> +<ul> +<li><a href="#frontispiece"><span class="smcap">The Island of Jethou</span>.</a></li> +<li><a href="#p010.png"><span class="smcap">The Old Home at Barton</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p033.png"><span class="smcap">Map of the Island of Jethou</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p041.png"><span class="smcap">Plan of Homestead</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p045.png"><span class="smcap">My Plough</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p046.png"><span class="smcap">An Antediluvian Chariot</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p059.png"><span class="smcap">"I was Swamped in a Moment"</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p079.png"><span class="smcap">The "Yellow Boy," Plans, etc.</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p097.png"><span class="smcap">A Porcine Murder</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p099.png"><span class="smcap">Rocks at South End of Sark</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p111.png"><span class="smcap">The Main Path of the Island</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p117.png"><span class="smcap">La Creux Derrible</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p129.png"><span class="smcap">Too Late!</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p139.png"><span class="smcap">A Ghostly Visitant</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p159.png"><span class="smcap">"Along the Rugged Cliff Path"</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p165.png"><span class="smcap">Rescue of Alec Ducas</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p184.png"><span class="smcap">The Puzzling Document</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p185.png"><span class="smcap">A Terrible Fall</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p221.png"><span class="smcap">The Tenant of the Treasure House</span></a></li> +<li><a href="#p233.png"><span class="smcap">Lengthening the "Anglo-Franc"</span></a></li> +</ul> +</div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust009.png" width='550' height='130' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h1>JETHOU;</h1> + +<h3>OR,</h3> + +<h2>Crusoe Life in the Channel Isles.</h2> + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>MY BIRTH AND HOME—MY PRETTY COUSIN—ACCIDENT TO THE +"KITTYWICH"—JOURNEY TO GUERNSEY—PLEADING TO BECOME A CRUSOE—MY +WISH GRANTED—OUTFIT SECURED—SAIL TO JETHOU.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>That Crusoe of Crusoes, Alexander Selkirk, as I am aware, commences his +entertaining history with his birth and parentage, and as I am also a +Crusoe, although a very minor adventurer, I may as well follow the +precedent and declare my nativity.</p> + +<p>I was born at the little village of Barton in Norfolk, at the time the +guns at Balaclava were mowing down our red coats and tars, where my +father had a small<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> house facing the Broad. It was a comfortable old +two-storied building, with a thatched roof, through which a couple of +dormer windows peered out, like two eyes, over the beautiful green lawn +which sloped to the reed-fringed water. My father was in very +comfortable circumstances, as he was owner of six large fishing vessels +hailing from the port of Great Yarmouth, some ten or twelve miles +distant as the crow flies.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="p010.png" id="p010.png"></a><img src="images/p010.png" width='700' height='605' alt="THE OLD HOME AT BARTON." /></p> + +<p class='center'>THE OLD HOME AT BARTON.</p> + +<p>Being born, as it were, on the water (for a distance of a hundred yards +matters but little), I was naturally from my birth a young water dog, +although they tell<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> me that for some months after I made my bow to the +world, milk also played a prominent part in my career.</p> + +<p>As I grew into boyhood, of course I had my rowing punt and my rod, and +thus gained my first taste for a solitary life, as it frequently +happened that I would be away from sunrise to sunset on some little +expedition to one or other of the neighbouring Broads. By and bye came +the time when I arrived at that rare age for enjoyment, fourteen years. +This birthday, the fourteenth, was a red-letter day in my life, as I +received two presents, which were in my eyes very valuable ones; my +uncle presented me with a beautiful little light gun, and my father +handed me over his small sailing boat. Now I was a man! I felt it, and I +knew it, and so did my schoolmates, for there was not one of them, who +at some time or other, had not felt the effects of my prowess in a +striking manner. Still, the drubbings I gave were not always to my +credit, for I was a very big and strong lad for my age, and my +self-imposed tasks of long rowing trips and other athletic exercises, +naturally made me powerful in the arms and chest. Of my brain power I +shall say little, as my mind was ever bent on sporting topics when it +should have been diving into English history or vulgar fractions. Some +new device in fishing gear was always of more consequence to me than any +inquiry as to the name of the executioner who gave Charles the I. "chops +for breakfast," as we youngsters used to say, when we irreverently spoke +of the decollation of his Majesty.</p> + +<p>Still, somehow I stumbled through my schooling<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> till I was sixteen, when +I was sent off to my father's office on the Quay at Yarmouth to take +charge of the books, which were an everlasting humdrum record of +herrings and the various trawl fish which came in so frequently in our +vessels.</p> + +<p>Between whiles I had plenty of spare time, and whenever a few hours were +allowed me, I could not keep out of my boat, so that if the sea happened +to be fairly calm, I was sure to be found bobbing about on it, and was +as well known by the fishermen along the coast ten miles north and south +of Yarmouth, as I was by the folks in my own village. When the sea was +rough I turned my attention to Breydon Water, or the Bure, or other of +the rivers flowing into it, so that at an early age I could command my +little boat as easily as one manages a horse in driving. On Saturdays, +when the wind and weather were at all favourable, I used frequently to +hurry away from business as early as possible, and sail home along the +Bure and Ant, a distance of about twenty miles, rather more than less, +and became so accustomed to the route that I knew every tree and post, +aye, and almost every reed and bulrush on the river's bank on my +homeward way.</p> + +<p>Sometimes night would close in rather quickly upon me, but as I only had +two turnings to look out for, Thurne Mouth and Ant Mouth, I seldom made +a mistake, however dark it might be, especially when the venerable old +ruined gateway of St. Benet's Abbey was once passed.</p> + +<p>Almost always these trips were solitary ones, if I except the +companionship of my retriever "Begum,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> who was a present from my cousin +on his return from India. Begum, he informed me, was a ruler in India, +but whether male or female I never discovered.</p> + +<p>My dog was a gentleman, but to this day it has remained a matter of +conjecture with me, as to whether we inadvertantly gave him a lady's +name, or no. Anyway, "Begum" sounded well; he was a ruler, and being +black coincided with our school rulers, which were always black with +ink. Unfortunately, everyone persisted (possibly to annoy me if they +could), in calling him By Gum! strongly accentuating the second word, +and till the poor old dog died, the name stuck to him like a postage +stamp to a letter.</p> + +<p>In my holiday trips I had a companion, my cousin Priscilla, who was, if +the term be permissible; as great a water dog as myself. I am not going +to attempt a description of her, but I <i>must</i> let the reader know that +she was bigger, stronger, and a vast deal prettier than any girl within +a radius of many miles of our village; not that I wish to disparage the +looks or figures of our Norfolk girls, for they can hold their own with +the rest of England, as Bad King Harry knew when he wooed and won +Norfolk's Queen, Mistress Anne Boleyn of Blickling.</p> + +<p>'Cilla, as I called my cousin for brevity, could row, sail a boat, +skate, and shoot; yes, she was a very fair shot, and never a winter +passed but she gave a good account of duck, teal, mallard, pewit, and +geese, as the result of her prowess.</p> + +<p>But I will say no more of pretty cousin 'Cilla at present, as this +narrative is to be a record of what<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> more nearly concerns myself, so I +must not "<i>mardle</i>," as we say in Norfolk, but proceed with my story.</p> + +<p>I was twenty-one and some months more, for the rejoicings consequent +upon the event had become matter of past history, when my father one day +received intelligence of one of his fishing vessels having been towed in +a disabled state into the harbour of St. Peter Port, Guernsey. She was +so badly damaged that his presence was imperative, to decide as to her +ultimate fate.</p> + +<p>She had been to a Spanish port for cork and hemp, as the fishing season +was not a very good one, and on her return voyage had run upon an island +called Jethou, during a dense fog, luckily in a calm sea, or she would +never have come off whole again. Nothing ever does when it once plays at +ramming these granite islands. Like the Syrens, who lured or tried to +lure Ulysses, these islands are very fair to behold; but woe to the ship +that comes into contact with them, for they rarely escape from their +deadly embrace.</p> + +<p>The very next day (my father having allowed me to accompany him) we +started for Plymouth, a long journey, <i>via</i> London, at which city, being +my first visit to the metropolis, I could fain have broken our journey, +but our business being urgent we steamed away to Plymouth by the night +train. After a substantial meal next morning we sallied out to find the +first vessel sailing to Guernsey, and were lucky in discovering one +called the "Fawn," which was preparing to sail the same day. Although +only a cargo ketch the skipper bargained to take us, and about two p.m. +we unmoored and were soon off. Our passage<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> was a quick one, a strong +N.W. wind bowling us over to St. Peter Port in time for early breakfast +next morning.</p> + +<p>It is needless for me to go through the whole story of the running +ashore of our smack, as beyond the important fact that it was her mishap +which caused me ever to visit the Channel Islands, she has little else +to do with my narrative.</p> + +<p>She was damaged very seriously amidships, but my father, who had a happy +knack of turning almost everything to a good account, unless +irredeemably hopeless, was struck with a capital idea in this instance. +Instead of selling her as a worthless hulk, he had her cut in two, the +damaged timbers removed, a new length of keel laid down, and had her +lengthened about ten feet; after which operation she was as sound as +ever, and as my father had prophesied, no one recognized her again for +the same vessel.</p> + +<p>While we were waiting for the "Kittywitch" (for that was her name) to be +run off the slips, we had plenty of time to look about us; in fact, we +spent nearly seven weeks among these lovely islands.</p> + +<p>We explored Guernsey and Sark thoroughly, also Herm as far as we were +allowed, that island being more of a proprietary place than the others. +We also spent about ten days in Jersey, which is quite a large place in +comparison with the other islands. But of all the islands, I think Sark +carries off the palm, not that it has beauties of its own, or is grander +or more prolific, but it is an <i>epitome</i> of all the other islands; in +fact it contains in a small space every salient feature of the Channel +Isles; the people, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> granite cliffs, the bays, the caves, the hills, +the woods, the shady lanes, the sandy beaches, are all there, and the +surrounding sea is not a tone the less blue in its intensity, nor the +air a whit less balmy than that with which the other islands are +favoured.</p> + +<p>Now it happened, while we were staying at St. Peter Port, awaiting the +re-launching of our vessel, that we made friends with the proprietor of +the island of Jethou, upon which the "Kittywich" struck, and although it +was a good three miles from St. Peter's harbour, yet we made occasional +trips to the islet when the wind was fair and the sea smooth. With this +little island of Jethou I was charmed, and fancied I could make it my +Paradise, if only I could be allowed to live there for a twelvemonth, <i>a +la</i> Robinson Crusoe.</p> + +<p>At this idea my father, who was a thoroughly business-like, +matter-of-fact man, set up his eyes and called me a name not at all +polite; but as he was my parent, and viewed life through older optics +than mine, I daresay he was right in the main, when he called me, to put +it mildly, a "stupid fool." But although he pooh-poohed the idea, and +bade me dismiss it from my mind, I could not help the thought entering +my brain, and I wished something might possibly happen by which I might +be left alone on the island, to try, at all events, what Crusoe life was +really like.</p> + +<p>Sure enough something did happen which ultimately gave me the +opportunity of carrying out my idea in its entirety. M. Oudin, the +proprietor of the island, had two events to chronicle in one day,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> +events which quite altered his after life, and took him at an hour's +notice from his Jethou home to Gardner's Hotel, Guernsey.</p> + +<p>A letter arrived at St. Peter Port for him, from Paris, which, according +to custom, was placed in the guernsey breast of a fisherman, who sailed +with it straightway to M. Oudin. The latter gentleman having adjusted +his glasses, after instructing his man to give the messenger spirituous +refreshment (which is so very cheap in these islands), proceeded to scan +the contents of the letter. It was from a lawyer in Paris, informing him +of the decease of his brother, a leather merchant, who, dying wifeless +and childless, had bequeathed him both his business and fortune. This +intelligence of both joy and sorrow so bewildered and unstrung the +nerves of M. Oudin that, in accordance with his custom, he took a +dram—in fact the circumstances were so very warrantable that he took +two—and probably even more; or else they were like Mynheer Van Dunk's, +"deep, <i>deep</i> draughts." Anyway, upon giving the fisherman orders to +sail him back to Guernsey, and attempting to follow him with his serving +man, they somehow found themselves at the bottom of the gulch which led +down to the shore (upon which the boat was careened), so much mixed as +to arms and legs, that an observer would have wondered what curious +animal he was gazing upon. Two of them scrambled to their feet, and as +well as they could, shook themselves together; but the third, M. Oudin, +had unfortunately broken his right thigh-bone completely in two. Then +the maudlin men, despite his groans, placed him awkwardly in the boat, +and hoisted sail for Guernsey.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p> + +<p>As luck would have it, my father and I were standing upon the deck of +the now nearly finished "Kittywich," when the boat came in, and M. Oudin +having communicated to my father the nature of his hurt, my dad +immediately gave orders for him to be taken to Gardner's Hotel, where we +were staying, and hurrying for a doctor soon joined him there. The leg +was set, and I spent the greater part of each day by the side of M. +Oudin's bed, chatting and reading to him, and attending to his wants. +During our conversation I happened to mention what a great treat I +should consider it to be allowed to live on his island for a few months. +Presently we went more fully into the "whys and wherefores" of the case, +so that I quite began to imagine it might all come to pass as I wished, +but the arrival of my father in the midst of our very pleasant +conversation quite put a damper on the scheme.</p> + +<p>"Bah! he would hear nothing of it; it was a mad fool's idea. No, no, +think no more of such rubbish, my boy. Crusoe is all very well to +<i>read</i>, but it's a poor look out to have to <i>live</i> Crusoe."</p> + +<p>M. Oudin, seeing how my mind was bent upon the scheme, gave my father a +day or two to simmer down, and then took him in hand quietly and +practically.</p> + +<p>"Now look here, Nilford," said M. Oudin, motioning my respected father +to draw his chair nearer to the bed-side, "as you know, I must for the +present, at all events, leave Jethou, for by my brother's death my +presence is necessary in Paris. By his decease I become possessed of a +fortune of upwards of 700,000 francs and a large business to boot. Now a +business<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> employing upwards of forty men will require my constant +supervision, and it is therefore very unlikely that I shall ever return +to Jethou, except perhaps for a very brief holiday.</p> + +<p>"Now, during my enforced sojourn in this town, your son has shewn me +every attention and kindness, and with your permission I will give him +the whole of my interest in Jethou as a reward for his attention to me +during my recovery. The island is Crown property, which I rent for a +nominal sum, and as to the furniture, fixtures, and live stock they +shall be his (by your permission) to do as he likes with."</p> + +<p>My father made a wry face at this, while I, who sat speechless, could +feel my heart bounding against my ribs for very joy. Alas! my father +negatived the whole thing. "It was not to be thought of; it could not be +carried out by a youngster like me; I should perhaps die without +assistance reaching me; I might starve," and a score more obstacles were +mentioned. By and bye, however, with my earnest persuasion, backed up by +M. Oudin's quiet but forcible manner, my dad melted so far as to ask for +a couple of days for consideration.</p> + +<p>Oh! those two days, would they never pass? Yes, they rolled by at last, +and once more we were seated in M. Oudin's room.</p> + +<p>"Well, Nilford, what is your decision? I trust it is a favourable one +for the lad, for I am sure he would thoroughly enjoy the life; but if +not, why in case he grew 'mammy sick,' he could return home. But the lad +is of the right metal, and I'll warrant would see twelve months out +without getting weary of the life.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> Come now, Nilford, give me your +hand, and boy let go."</p> + +<p>By the way, my name is Harry Nilford, which I do not think I have +mentioned before.</p> + +<p>Then came a long verbal tug of war between these two good men, in which +I could discern that my father's refusal was solely based upon his love +for me and his apprehension for my safety. The tug of words, like a tug +of war at an athletic meeting, was a long one, first one gained an +advantage only to lose it to his opponent directly after; then the +opponent would get in a strong verbal tug, and nearly draw his man over +the line; but at length my father, with great reluctance, conceded a +point, a great point in fact, one which virtually settled the contest.</p> + +<p>"M. Oudin," said my parent, "I'll consent on one condition, which is, +that I may be allowed to draw up an agreement as to the boy's tenancy of +the island, and if Harry agrees to abide by it, well and good."</p> + +<p>"Very well, father," I quickly put in, "here are writing implements; +draw up your Code and I will soon tell you my decision."</p> + +<p>This was said with great emphasis on the "<i>my</i>," and delivered with an +air of—"see what a decided person <i>I</i> am."</p> + +<p>In an hour my father had drawn up the following document:—</p> + +<blockquote><p>TERMS OF AGREEMENT FOR MY SON'S RESIDENCE UPON JETHOU FOR 12 +MONTHS.</p> + +<p>My son Harry wishes to live the life of a Crusoe or Hermit, on the +Island of Jethou for twelve months, and to this I agree<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> only on +his signifying his willingness to abide by the terms stated in this +agreement.</p> + +<p>1. He shall allow no one to land on the island.</p> + +<p>2. Shall not himself land upon any of the surrounding islands +(rocks which are uninhabited excepted).</p> + +<p>3. Shall not speak to a living soul during the course of his +self-exilement.</p> + +<p>4. Shall obtain no stores nor goods of any kind from any other +island, nor from any passing vessel.</p> + +<p>5. Shall hold no communication with anyone, in any way:—</p> + +<p> (<i>a</i>) Either ashore or afloat.</p> + +<p> (<i>b</i>) Except in case of sickness, accident, detrimental to limb or +life, or</p> + +<p>(<i>c</i>) In other case of dire necessity.</p> + +<p>Should my son choose to abide by the above regulations, I will +agree to his holding the island for a period of one year.</p> + +<p class='right'>Signed, THOMAS J. NILFORD.</p></blockquote> + +<p>"There!" said my father, laying down his pen, "that is my ultimatum, my +son; and mark me, I will agree to <i>nothing</i> else."</p> + +<p>This was said in a manner which shewed plainly that he considered he had +drawn up a code so stringent that he did not deem it at all likely I +should accept his plan; but to his great chagrin, and I may almost say +his consternation, I reached out my hand, after reading the document, +and taking the goose quill, wrote under the last clause,</p> + +<blockquote><p>"Accepted—Harry Nilford."</p></blockquote> + +<p>That being done, my father could not go back upon his word, and +accordingly the whole thing was settled.</p> + +<p>M. Oudin was pleased, and I was supremely delighted, but my good old +father was quite dejected,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> and frankly avowed that it was like +sentencing me to twelve months' imprisonment. So it was, but what a +delightful imprisonment I anticipated it would be!</p> + +<p>However, in a day or two he came round, and as he could not well alter +the turn circumstances had taken, he endeavoured to ameliorate them. He +made me write down a list of what I thought I should require, and to +this list he added a long supplement; and after mature consultation with +M. Oudin, another list was added as addendum; in fact, the articles were +so numerous that they filled four huge packing cases.</p> + +<p>These cases were zinc-lined to keep the goods dry, as some of them were +perishable, and no one can tell with what pride I gazed at these boxes, +and thought of the glorious life I was about to lead. No thought of any +accident, or other drawback, even entered my head; in fact, as I sat on +the top of a case, swinging my legs and counting the hours which had to +pass before the day arrived when I was to take possession of my island +home, I was most consummately happy, being naturally ignorant of what +was to befall me.</p> + +<p>At length came the day for launching the "Kittywich," at which I +assisted to my utmost; for I knew that any hitch with her meant further +detention in Guernsey for me. All went well, and as she slid off the +stocks (like a duck entering the water) without a splash or jar of any +kind, a ringing cheer went up, and then I knew that I should soon bid +farewell to picturesque St. Peter Port, one of the finest harbour towns +of Great Britain.</p> + +<p>A few more days and the "Kittywich" had received<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> her cargo for home, +and with it a new name, for in consideration of her additional carrying +capacity, we rechristened her the "Cormorant." Then came the day on +which the Blue Peter was seen at her masthead, but what was even better +in my eyes, was my own outfit packed in the four huge cases which stood +so prominently on her hatchway amidships.</p> + +<p>M. Oudin hobbled down to the harbour to see us off, and in doing so +handed me a long heavy case as a parting gift, with instructions not to +open it for a week, by which time he hoped to be far away in Paris.</p> + +<p>We unmoored, left the harbour, and in an hour were laying at anchor off +the north end of Jethou.</p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust023.png" width='300' height='88' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span><img src="images/illust024.png" width='550' height='127' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>I TAKE POSSESSION OF THE ISLAND—LANDING STORES—A GRAND +CAROUSAL—FAREWELL—ALONE.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>The 2nd March, 187—, was a bright mild day, with but little wind and a +quiet sea: just the day for landing my stores. The goods I had selected, +and those added by my father and M. Oudin, were of a very miscellaneous +kind, and included provisions, farm and garden seeds (and a few +implements), a canoe, a gun, clothing, fishing gear, oil and coal, +cooking apparatus, and a score other things. As I knew the island was +devoid of animals except rabbits, I asked for, and obtained some live +stock—in fact, quite a farmyard. There were a goat, a dog, a cat, six +pigeons, two pigs, six fowls, and last, though by no means least, a +young donkey.</p> + +<p>The large cases of goods were landed in a boat, not without a slight +mishap, however, as one of them, in being lowered over the bulwarks, was +carelessly unhitched by the men in the boat and tumbled overboard; it +fell in three fathoms of water, but the water was so translucent that it +was clearly discernible on the bottom.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p> + +<p>This took quite an hour to get up, as it was an awkward thing to +grapple, but there were plenty of hands willing to help in landing the +goods, as several of the Guernsey men had come over to have a parting +spree.</p> + +<p>The pigs and donkey were pushed overboard and quickly reached the shore; +the former, in spite of popular belief, proving themselves excellent +swimmers when once they struck out shorewards, especially as the +distance was short. On landing they went up over the island, and for the +time disappeared among the rocks and wild bushes.</p> + +<p>By dusk the cry was, "All ashore," as everything had been landed, and +the "Cormorant" brought to a safe mooring under the lee of the rocky +island of Creviçon.</p> + +<p>Altogether there were nearly twenty of us, that is, my father and self, +the skipper and crew of the "Kitty," and several of the workmen who had +been employed in altering and repairing the vessel; also the master +shipwright, in whose charge the vessel had been.</p> + +<p>First came a grand spread in the principal room of the house, the +provisions for which had been brought over from St. Peter Port. It was a +great success, and after the improvised table had been cleared away +(boxes, surmounted by planks covered with a sail, formed the table) the +fun commenced. Joke followed joke, and song followed song. Then came +toasts and sentiments, which were of quite an international character, +as songs and sentiments in English, French, and Spanish were +continuously fired off, most of them being of a seafaring character.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p> + +<p>The skipper of the "Cormorant" led off with a regular old North Sea +song, called, "The Dark-eyed Sailor." It is probably known by nearly +every seaman in the North Sea Fishery, and is a great favourite at all +carousals. It commences:</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class='stanza'><div class='i6'>"It's of a comely young maiden fair,</div> +<div class='i6'>Who walked on the quay to take the air,</div> +<div class='i6'>She met a young sailor on the way,</div> +<div>So I paid attention, so I paid attention to what they did say."</div></div> +</div> + +<p>This song, sung by a Norfolk man, always seems to me a great curiosity, +as the last line is lengthened out and twisted about in a most grotesque +manner, apparently to suit the whim or fancy of the singer, for no two +of them seem to conjure vocally with it in the same way. Everyone +present is supposed to join in the last line as a kind of chorus, and +not only join in, but "give it lungs," as they say. Some of them pay +such attention to these points, that they appear in danger of lockjaw, +or the starting of a blood-vessel, so heartily do they sing.</p> + +<p>Then came a French song, with a chorus something about "Houp, houp, houp +à tra-la-la-la!" the singer standing on the top of an empty barrel to +warble, and as he set the fashion, so every succeeding singer followed +suit, and mounted the "pulpit," as they dubbed the cask.</p> + +<p>Old Roscoe, our wooden-legged mate (the right leg of flesh having been +lost in my father's service), gave a funny jaw-breaking Scotch song, +with a chorus which no one could repeat, so when the chorus came he sang +it alone, while we contented ourselves with howling "Rule Britannia"—at +least all those who<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> knew it, while the others who did not, laughed and +smoked.</p> + +<p>Then a Spaniard (who was a shipwright) sang one of his national songs to +an accompaniment of thumb-snapping (to imitate castanets), at which he +was very expert. He had a fine baritone voice, and his song was full of +fire, being a famous bull-fighting ditty, in which El Toro came in for a +dashing chorus.</p> + +<p>By and bye the fun became still faster and more furious, till old Ross, +of the timber-toe, took exception and would insist on order being kept. +Ross always constituted himself Master of the Ceremonies when anything +festive was on foot, and our men, as a matter of course, left everything +in his hands; but the men of St. Peter Port knew him not, and would have +no authority from him, and as a kind of good-natured revenge for his +interference, some of them played a practical joke upon him; but they +did not know their man, for no sooner had the joke been carried into +effect (gunpowder in his pipe) than Ross seized his stick and knocked +two of his tormentors down, the rest quickly fleeing out of doors. His +wooden leg greatly handicapped him, but he at length got one of the men +in a corner, who, on finding there was no means of escape, struck out +right and left at Ross's somewhat prominent nose, causing the claret to +flow like the cataract of Lodore. Now his Scotch blood was up, and he +certainly would have done his assailant an injury, as he was a very +powerful man, had not some of his comrades rescued him. But this did not +appease his fury, for he went at them all with a glass bottle in one +hand and a heavy stick in the other; but luckily his career was cut +short by a man who ran behind him,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> and with a well-directed blow with +an iron rod broke his leg clean in two just below the knee—the wooden +one, of course. Down came the hero, who in his rage tore up the earth +around him to fling at the circle of grinning faces. By this time my +father and the skipper came upon the scene, and after a time cooled down +the gallant Scot, and persuaded him to "gang awa" to bed, which he did, +going in state, borne at the <i>four</i> corners by four of his shipmates.</p> + +<p>This incident put a stop to the singing, but commenced fun in another +way. Some of the fellows cut up the remains of Ross's leg and stick and +set them on fire, the barrel which had done duty for a rostrum being +also broken up and added; other wooden articles were quickly flung on, +till at length quite a large bonfire was formed, round which these +excited men danced hand-in-hand like children round a Maypole. Their +manners, however, were hardly childlike, for they jumped, and yelled, +and sang with the ruddy firelight glowing on their countenances, till +they looked like a lot of demons performing some diabolical incantation. +All around was the dark night, and rocks, and trees, which gave a most +weird aspect to the scene when viewed from a short distance.</p> + +<p>And thus they were enjoying their pandemonium when my father, the +skipper, and I left them in the "wee sma' hours" and retired to rest.</p> + +<p class='tbrk'>How long they kept it up I know not, but when I awoke and dressed at +daylight all was quiet. At six all hands were called, and a sorry sight +they presented. Ross had mounted a jury-leg, while among the other<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> men +no less than three black eyes appeared, beside bruised cheeks, and red +swollen noses. However, all were friendly again, and agreed that they +had hardly ever before spent such a jolly night. Such was a sailor's +idea of a jolly time or "high old spree!"</p> + +<p>Breakfast over, my goods were hauled from the beach and placed in the +different rooms and sheds according to their kind, while by noon the +"Cormorant," with her Blue Peter flying, was ready for a start northward +to dear old England. The Guernseaise had departed amid give and take +cheering directly after breakfast, so that only the crew of the vessel +remained. My father bade me an affectionate farewell on the deck of the +vessel, but at the last embrace I felt too full of emotion to speak, for +a lump was in my throat, and a tear started from my father's eye and +rolled down his bronzed cheek, so that I knew that he, too, was greatly +moved at losing me for such a long period. A firm grip of the hand told +without words how we, father and son, loved each other, and to hide my +emotion I tumbled over the bulwarks into the dingy, and was pulled +ashore by a couple of hands, amid the hearty cheers of the men who stood +on deck. They gave me a salute of twelve <i>guns</i> (fired from two +revolvers).</p> + +<p>I stood on the rocky shore and waved a tablecloth tied to a boat-hook +till the vessel was hull down on the horizon, and then turned my face to +my island home, not feeling nearly so happy as I had anticipated a month +before. Alone! I felt as if the whole world had departed from me, and +that I was the sole survivor of the human race.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span><img src="images/illust030.png" width='550' height='130' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>FIRST THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS—A TOUR OF THE ISLAND AND +DESCRIPTION.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>As I walked up the rocky path leading to the house, I must confess I +felt anything but sprightly. I felt that Crusoe life, after all, was not +all <i>caviare</i>. I was very depressed, and must admit a few tears, as the +whole force of what I had undertaken presented itself vividly to my +mind. What if I met with an accident? What if I were taken ill? Suppose +someone put in at night and cut my throat for the sake of plunder? Who +would help me? Who would know of my position? Might I not die any one of +a hundred deaths without the fact being known for weeks, perhaps months? +What did this idiotic idea of mine amount to after all? Where was the +pleasure? Would it not be better to be home in dear old Barton with my +skiff and pretty Priscilla?</p> + +<p>Such were some of my thoughts, but my depression I cannot so readily +sprinkle on paper, and will not try to describe it. Let it suffice that +<i>I was</i> depressed, and deeply too.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></p> + +<p>I felt thirsty, so wandered to the house and sat down and poured myself +out a bottle of Bass, and as I drank it, became aware of the presence of +my dog, who placed his muzzle in my hand and looked into my face with +positively tears in his dear old eyes. Why, after all, I was not alone. +No, here was a friend indeed (teste Byron), who would be ever by my side +in weal and woe. "Poor dog, are you hungry then?" Yes he was, and by the +bye, why should I not try something? We ate; and in half an hour—such +is the changeableness of the human mind—I was as happy as a sand-boy +(whatever that may be), as I wandered by the sunny shore.</p> + +<p>I would make a tour of inspection of my estate; and, reader, if you will +kindly accompany me, I will show you the different sights of my little +island.</p> + +<p>Jethou, I must premise, is about half a mile long by a quarter wide. It +rises steeply from the sea all round, except at the North end, where the +slope is somewhat gentle. It is a dome-shaped mass, rising at the summit +to a height of nearly three hundred feet. It may serve to give a good +idea of its form if I liken it to a huge dish cover (a Britannia metal +one, if you will, for it is crown property), as it is very symmetrical +when viewed from a distance. It is, in fact, a huge bosom-like hill, +around which three paths are cut; the first varying from fifty to a +hundred feet above the sea, the second averages one hundred and fifty +feet above high water, and another runs round perhaps fifty feet higher +still. These paths at certain points are connected by other paths, so +that one may readily get from one elevation to another, except<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> where +the island is unusually steep, when zig-zag paths have to be negotiated. +In one part seven or eight zig-zags have to be walked to rise to an +elevation of about sixty or seventy feet, so steep is the south end of +the island. At the north-west rises a curious pyramidal mass of granite, +about one hundred and twenty feet above high water, called Creviçon, +which may be reached on foot at low tide or even quarter flood; but +after the tide once gets above the boulders it comes in like a mill +race, rising at times during certain winds as much as seven feet within +the hour; so that one may be cut off from the main island in a very few +minutes, as it would be madness to try and cross during a heavy sea, +whatever excellent swimming powers one might possess, as the rush of the +tide would sweep one away like a straw.</p> + +<p>Strange to say, there is another of these vast piles of granite, but of +greater altitude and bulk, at the south end of the island, with just +such a race of water running between it and the mainland after the tide +turns. It is called La Fauconnaire, or the Falconry, and approaches two +hundred feet in height, and very difficult of ascent. Each of these +rock-islands is surmounted by a stone beacon in form of a miniature +lighthouse tower (without the lantern story), about fifteen feet high. +These beacons serve seamen as landmarks, from which to take bearings, +and to warn them of the danger of a too near approach to this dreadful +coast—or rather coasts—for all these islands are terrible places in +rough weather.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="p033.png" id="p033.png"></a><img src="images/p033.png" width='389' height='700' alt="ISLAND of JETHOU By E. R. Suffling" /></p> + +<p class='center'>ISLAND of JETHOU By E. R. Suffling</p> + +<p>Now I will ask the reader to accompany me on a brief tour round the +island. Starting from the house,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> past the pigeon-tower, we pass under +some large walnut trees so thickly planted as to make the part very +shady, even on a bright day, and on dull days quite gloomy. We take the +middle path, which is about four feet wide, and flanked on each side by +braken and boulders. Indeed, nearly half the island consists of brakes +and granite blocks. I will mention the various items of interest as we +pass along, if the reader will supply his own imaginings of whirling +seagulls, frisking rabbits, sea breezes, bellowing surge as it bumps and +breaks against the granite sides of the island, flowers and bloom, +singing birds and sweet-smelling shrubs, etc. These things a mere pen, +however facile and graceful, cannot adequately describe without the help +of the reader's brain; so I will ask him to imagine the above for +himself, but I must warn him not to take cold with his lively +imagination, as occasionally the March winds are very keen here, and in +the present age of hypnotism, and thought-reading, and like gymnastics +of the brain, it is very easy to make the imagination play pranks of an +undesirable nature.</p> + +<p>Now to resume our walk. Taking the middle path we quickly ascend to a +height of nearly two hundred feet above the boiling surge dashing +against the impregnable rocks below, and get a splendid view of +Guernsey, a good three miles distant, stretching far away to the north, +where it lies so low that it seems to melt gradually away into the sea. +Presently we come to some huge rocks which lie so much in our path that +the footway has to wind round them. They are huge masses of granite so +poised that apparently<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> a good push would send them rolling into the sea +below, but their very size makes them secure, as some of the larger ones +must certainly weigh forty or fifty tons, and the wind would have to +blow a hurricane indeed which would dislodge them.</p> + +<p>Here is one weighing perhaps three or four hundredweight which I will +try and push over. I tug, and push, and presently it nods, and nods, and +rolls over and over, till gathering impetus down the steep side of the +island, it crashes with irresistible force through the furze, and +heather, and shrubs, clearing a path as it goes till it reaches the +granite rocks, upon which it crashes and bounds, breaking off great +splinters, till finally with a boom it buries itself in the foam, never +more to be seen by mortal eyes.</p> + +<p>Following the path we come to some curious terraces, one above the +other, which form a hanging garden facing due south. Now covered with +turf, it was many years ago a famous potato garden. This spot is known +as the Cotils.</p> + +<p>Almost opposite this end of the island and at a short distance, rises +the huge pyramidal mass of granite called La Fauconnaire (The Falconry). +It is nearly two hundred feet high, and surmounted, as already +mentioned, by a white stone beacon, which from Jethou looks the shape +and size of a loaf of white sugar; but a scramble to the top of the +rocks for those who have nerve to climb the steep sides of La +Fauconnaire, will show that the sugar loaf is fifteen feet high. La +Fauconnaire is, I believe, unclimbable except at one place, at least for +those who are not experienced cragsmen or Alpine experts. At low water +a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> causeway of rocks joins it to the mainland, but at half-tide even it +is impassable, except in a boat on a calm day. On a windy day such a +strong tide rushes through the strait that a boat would be swept away in +the attempt to cross, although the distance is only four or five hundred +feet. The narrowness of the channel makes the rush greater.</p> + +<p>Still keeping the middle path we come to an awful yawning chasm in the +earth, called La Creux Terrible. Its sides are so sheer that one +shudders to approach its crumbling brink for fear a slip should mean a +step into eternity. No man could fall here and live to tell the +sensation. Standing near the brink one can just discern the bottom, and +hear the sea surging and rolling along the floor as the tide gradually +rises. The chasm is funnel-shaped, and about two hundred feet deep by +about one hundred feet across. The bottom is connected with the beach by +a cavern, which may be entered at low tide, and the view taken from +below upward; but woe to the individual caught in this cave, for he +would have but a poor chance for his life if the tide once hemmed him +in.</p> + +<p>Leaving this dreadful place, which I never approached but twice in the +dark, we shortly come to a very noticeable rock rising from the sea; it +is called Le Rocher Rouge, but as the apex takes the form of a gigantic +arm-chair, I have taken the liberty (as I have done with many other +places and things) of rechristening it Trône de Neptune (Neptune's +Throne), and it has so fixed itself in my mind, that I have often during +a stormy night wondered if he might not be sitting there ruling the +elements, but never had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> the temerity to go and see. I may here tell the +reader that although not naturally superstitious, I have a way of +peopling my island with beings during the solitary walks I take in the +day, that at night I almost fancy these spirit-forms hover round +me—perhaps watching me. It may be that I have mistaken the flight of a +sea-gull or night-bird for something superhuman, but on several +occasions I have been warned of approaching danger by something outside +myself; not tangible to the touch, nor definable to the eye, but still +noticeable to the ear and to the mind. Put it down a bird, as your +opinion, reader, and enjoy that opinion, and let me enjoy my warning +watchers, whether fowl or spirit. Perhaps during my narrative I may have +more to say of my "hovering ones."</p> + +<p>From the island, at the point opposite Neptune's Throne, a good view of +Sark is obtained; on one day it will be seen standing clearly above the +sea, with Brechou or Merchant's Island clearly discernible, and La +Coupée (the isthmus which holds the two parts of the island together) +plainly in view in the sunlight; while on another day but a misty view +of it may be obtained; on yet another day it will be quite invisible, +although the distance is only about six miles.</p> + +<p>Resuming our path, Herm is close on our right, the swift channel, La +Percée, running between us and it, and as it lies in the sun looks a +very beautiful picture, especially as the prettiest end, the south, is +presented to our view. A little further we turn up the hill and come to +a grove of rather stunted trees, standing like a double row of soldiers +up to their knees in braken. It is a lovely spot, as the pretty<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> +fern-like brakes grow in great luxuriance beneath the spreading arms of +the walnut and other trees. These brakes grow so tall and thick that it +is quite difficult to force a passage through them, except where I have +cut a narrow path leading to a clearing, across which, on hot days, I +frequently swing my hammock, so as to obtain the full benefit of the +cool sea breeze as I sway beneath the welcome shadow of the biggest +walnut.</p> + +<p>Beyond the grove, at the summit of the island, is my arable land, my +farm, lying in a fence of wire-netting, without which I should not be +able to preserve a blade of anything eatable from the hordes of rabbits +which make the island a perfect warren.</p> + +<p>We descend again to the pathway with care, as the island's side is so +steep here that a trip over a stone or root might result in fatal +consequences.</p> + +<p>As we approach the north-east corner of the island we find the pathway +gradually descending, till we are not more than twenty or thirty feet +above sea level, and notice that a spur of land hooks out into the sea, +forming quite a little bay, very rugged, and very rocky, but still very +convenient as a haven in light weather. Here I keep my crab and lobster +pots, as it is easily accessible from the house. I call it Baie de +Homard (Lobster Bay).</p> + +<p>Keeping along the shore, to the north end of the island, we arrive at a +two-storied stone building which stands on the beach. This is my +store-house (for fishing gear, etc.) and workshop, and is situated only +a short distance from the house—perhaps three hundred yards. In the +days of the old privateers<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> this house played an important part, for it +was fitted as a blacksmith's and carpenter's shop, and was probably a +very handy place for slight repairs to be carried out at very short +notice.</p> + +<p>Leaving the Store, a beautiful velvety path, broad enough for a cart +road, leads up a slight ascent skirting the beach to the house and +cottage, which I naturally call by a word very dear to me in my +solitude—<i>home</i>.</p> + +<p>I will ask the reader to glance at the accompanying plan to aid him in +getting a clearer idea of this homestead than my pen, unaided by +pictorial effort, would convey.</p> + +<p>A, then, is a comfortable and picturesque four-roomed cottage. B is the +stable for my noble steed, Edward. C is the store-house, with loft over +for straw, etc., for said noble quadruped. In the store I keep my +utensils and implements for farm work, potatoes, flour, coals, and other +heavy goods. D, sheltered garden for winter crops; F, the vegetable and +fruit garden, in the midst of which stands an immense and very prolific +mulberry tree; it spreads its branches fifty-four feet from north to +south, and fifty-one feet from east to west. The garden contains fruit +trees of all kinds. E, the Seignieurie or Government House—my +palace—or, in plain words, a solid stone-built four-roomed house that +might stand a siege. The front windows look out over the lawn, G, to the +sea beyond, and those at the back command the well-walled-in fruit +garden, F. H is devoted to shrubs and medicinal herbs. J is the +flower-garden with a summer-house in the corner. K, the well of +excellent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> water. L, flight of stone steps to the lower path leading +round the island. M, pigeon-tower and fowl-house amidst walnut trees. N, +Plantation and forest trees. O, watch house, once used as a strong room +or prison. P, an old iron gun (mounted on a stone platform, which would +probably fall to pieces at the first discharge) for summoning aid in +case of sickness or distress. Q, road to fishing-store and boathouse. R, +path up the hill to the piggery.</p> + +<p>I think the reader may, from the foregoing, form some idea of the island +and homestead, as I have taken him all round the former, and pointed +out, although very briefly, the various portions of the latter. I have +wasted no time nor ink in so doing, as he like myself, will doubtless +find more pleasure in the narrative which commences in the succeeding +chapter. A fair idea of the island is necessary, so as clearly to +understand some of the incidents which are placed before the reader, and +I trust I have said sufficient to enable him to follow me in what I have +to tell of my sojourn on the pretty, though solitary island of Jethou.</p> + +<p>A glance at the accompanying map will give a good idea of the various +places in Jethou mentioned in this story.</p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust040.png" width='300' height='85' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p> + +<p class="center"><a name="p041.png" id="p041.png"></a><img src="images/p041.png" width='389' height='700' alt="PLAN OF HOMESTEAD 1890" /></p> + +<p class='center'>PLAN OF HOMESTEAD 1890</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span><img src="images/illust042.png" width='550' height='130' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>FARMING OPERATIONS—I MAKE A PLOUGH AND A CART—A DONKEY HUNT—DUMB +HELPERS—MY LIVE STOCK.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>My first few days were spent pleasantly enough, but as soon as the sun +had set my spirits would droop, and I felt anything but jolly, but like +Mark Tapley, I firmly made up my mind to be happy under all +circumstances.</p> + +<p>I had a deal of unpacking to do, and determined, as my stay was to be a +lengthy one, "to find a place for everything, and keep everything in its +place." My initial motto was a good one, and I worked for quite a week +scheming and contriving all kinds of receptacles and appliances for my +heterogeneous goods and chattels.</p> + +<p>My goat and donkey I turned loose, and as for my pigs, I had not seen +them since I landed; but I trusted that they were not like the +evil-tempered swine of the Bible, who cast themselves headlong into the +sea, for if that were the case they could commence their suicide at any +moment by rolling down any of the steep sides of the island into the +sea. I trusted that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> my pigs were sweet-tempered beasts, and of a +non-suicidal variety, and so they afterwards proved, and toothsome into +the bargain.</p> + +<p>The boathouse received my canoe, fishing gear, carpenter's tools, and +gunpowder, for I was afraid to keep the latter near the house, as I had +a large quantity, nearly half a hundredweight. I had this large quantity +for several reasons, the principal being that I wished to shoot a large +collection of sea fowl, and still have plenty for the big cannon which +was to summon aid from Herm or Guernsey, should it be required. My good +father had made arrangements for me to signal as follows:</p> + +<p>If I fired a single gun, the coastguard from Herm would put off to my +aid; if two guns were fired, help was to be considered very urgent, and +either the coastguard or one of the peasants of Herm would put over, if +the weather were calm enough to allow of a boat being launched. If I +fired minute guns, either by night or day, they would be reported to the +harbour master of St. Peter Port, who had my father's instructions to +send out a doctor immediately. Thus I felt comparatively easy in my mind +as to help in case of great need, either by accident or sickness. My +gunpowder was therefore kept in the lower floor of the boathouse, as I +thought it the safest place. I took only a pound at a time to the house +for shooting purposes.</p> + +<p>Having got everything stowed away to my satisfaction, my next step was +to look over the island and see how I could employ my time in +cultivating the soil. Near the top I found a large patch of arable<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> land +fenced in with wire netting, but it was greatly overgrown, having +apparently been some time out of cultivation. I stepped it out in as +correct yards as I could command by striding, and to my dismay found +there were just two acres, which discovery somewhat nonplussed me for a +time; for to dig over two acres with a spade was no light task, and I +took time to reflect and see if I could not concoct some easier means of +turning the soil than by digging.</p> + +<p>Down I sat upon a stone and lighted my pipe—the solitary man's +comforter—and with my gun across my knees ready for a stray shot, I +made out my plan of campaign, after much cogitation. Why not make a +plough? Nothing is made of nothing! What had I to turn into a plough? +Then the idea of a real Saxon plough came into my head, and there the +idea took tangible form, as I saw close by me a tree which would answer +my purpose. Down went my gun, and away I trotted down the rocky path to +the house, and quickly returned with an axe. I was quite out of breath +when I regained the tree, having made as much haste as if the tree were +provided with means of locomotion, or as if I had to cut down the tree +in a given time; but that is just my way, I am much too impulsive.</p> + +<p>A few strokes laid the tree low, and I soon had it trimmed ready for my +purpose. My next care was to make a pair of wheels, and this took me +much longer. I had noticed during one of my walks a large tree that had +been felled for some purpose, but never used, and to it I repaired with +a saw and worked away for several hours, cutting two slices from the +fairly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> symmetrical bole, about four inches wide. These gave me a pair +of solid wheels about twenty inches in diameter, which were large enough +for my purpose. These I attached to a short axle and bolted to the tree +which I felled, and by horizontally thrusting an iron rod, two feet +long, through the nose of my plough, about eighteen inches from the end, +I had my implement complete. The iron rod was to keep the pointed end of +my oak tree from burying itself too deeply in the ground. It was not a +beautiful object, but its usefulness condoned its ugliness.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="p045.png" id="p045.png"></a><img src="images/p045.png" width='700' height='335' alt="MY PLOUGH.—UTILITY, NOT BEAUTY." /></p> + +<p class='center'>MY PLOUGH.—UTILITY, NOT BEAUTY.</p> + +<p>I placed my handiwork aside for a season, and the next two days made +myself a curious sideless cart, which I could not help thinking bore a +great resemblance to a ladder on wheels. Two more sections from the big +tree formed the wheels, while a square piece of quartering thrust +through formed an axletree. The shafts and body of my vehicle were two +thick ash saplings twelve feet long, joined together with barrel staves +two and a half feet long, with the convex sides downward; then fore and +aft of the wheels I erected<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> a species of gibbet to prevent my load from +shifting, which having done, my antediluvian chariot was complete.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="p046.png" id="p046.png"></a><img src="images/p046.png" width='700' height='296' alt="AN ANTEDILUVIAN CHARIOT." /></p> + +<p class='center'>AN ANTEDILUVIAN CHARIOT.</p> + +<p>Having provided my implements I now proceeded to till my land. I took a +whole back-aching day to pluck all the large weeds and stones off my +farm, and retired weary at night to dream of my flourishing crops of the +future.</p> + +<p>Up with the lark next morning, I set out to find my noble long-eared +steed, Edward; but although I roamed about for an hour and a half I +could not discover him anywhere, so breakfasted and searched again, but +to no purpose. I gave him up as having been drowned whilst browsing on +the toothsome but truculent thistle or gorse. I looked at my plough and +cart in dismay, saying, "Man proposes, and an ass disposes." But shortly +after this dismal reflection, judge of my joy when I heard his musical +voice lifted up in sweet song, and borne to my enraptured ears on the +balmy noontide breeze. Laugh not, reader, for the poor brute's voice +<i>was</i> sweeter to me in my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> loneliness than that of the greatest operatic +singer who ever trilled her wondrous notes.</p> + +<p>Even after hearing the ass's braying I was a long time before I came +upon him quite down upon the stony shore, with not a blade of grass nor +even a thistle for him to nibble at. How he got there is to me a problem +to this day; but how I laboured to get him up again will ever remain in +my mind, for it makes me feel sore all over to think of it.</p> + +<p>Where I found him was at the south end of the island, facing rocky +Fauconnaire. How I wandered up and down seeking a place for him to +regain the lower path of the island. But all in vain. No place could I +find; and all the afternoon I worked like a Titan, getting him up to the +pathway again. Poor fellow! he was very docile, and I had thoughts of +trying to carry him up; but although I got under him and lifted him, I +could not climb with him, so at last had recourse to a block and fall, +and after bruising and battering the poor creature somewhat, I got him +to a safe ledge of rock, from whence by pushing, and tugging, and +lifting, I got him up, foot after foot, till the perspiration streamed +down my face. The real Robinson Crusoe never had anything half so +difficult as this to contend with, and yet here was I at the outset +working harder than a galley slave! I envied Robinson Crusoe number one, +and went at my donkey again, till towards evening I got him to the lower +path, and after a rest rode him home in triumph, lecturing him severely +all the way "not to be such an ass again."</p> + +<p>Next day I was <i>not</i> up with the lark—in fact it was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> past nine before +I opened my eyes, so much had the previous day's exertions tired me. I +felt tired and stiff all over, but my morning tub and breakfast quickly +restored me nearly to par.</p> + +<p>Edward was now domiciled in the stable, so putting on his collar and a +pair of home-made traces I harnessed him, with the help of various +contrivances of cord and staples, to my mediæval cart, and <i>bumped</i> (for +my cart was springless) down to the beach to gather seaweed. All day +long we worked, "Eddy" and I, taking load after load to the top of the +island; and the next day too was occupied in carting up seaweed or +"vraic," as the natives call it, except that we also took up two or +three loads of withered bracken, leaves, and other rubbish, which I +burned and spread over the land.</p> + +<p>After the ash and seaweed were spread I ploughed it in after a fashion, +streaking long shallow trenches with my pointed wooden plough, till I +had gone over the whole of the land. I looked at the tumbled ground with +no great satisfaction, for as much of the manure-seaweed was upon the +surface as under, so I turned to and ploughed crossways, which gave it a +little better appearance. Then I allowed it a week to rest, taking my +spade in the meantime and breaking the lumps and digging in the straying +"vraic." At length I had my land in tolerable order, although the +seaweed refused to rot as quickly as I desired. I reckoned, however, +that it would rot in time, and thus nourish the seed I put in, and so it +did.</p> + +<p>I will not weary the readers with too much of my farming cares, but have +written a little about it to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> show what obstacles a Crusoe has to +overcome, and how hard he has to work to gain his ends. He has no one to +pat his back when he is triumphant, nor anyone to sympathise with him +over a failure. He is his own critic and censor. Suffice it to say that +in due course I had patches of barley, clover, lucerne, mangold, +carrots, etc., sown, and when once the seeds were in I had plenty of +leisure for other pursuits.</p> + +<p>Although early spring, the weather was very mild to what I had been used +to on the Norfolk coast; in fact the temperature was as warm in April as +it is in the East of England at the end of May.</p> + +<p>The garden by the house also had my care, for I planted enough edibles +in it to have maintained a large family, instead of a solitary being +like myself. Still, I counted my animals as my family, and got to love +them all, even to the little pigs. I named them all. There was my dog +"Begum," the donkey "Eddy," the goat "Unicorn," which I contracted to +"Corny." This name was derived from the fact that she had broken off one +horn close to her head. The pigs being twins were "Romulus" and "Remus," +and, like the first Romans of that name, had frequent family quarrels, +which were, however, soon ended, the brothers rolling over each other in +delight in their pig stye.</p> + +<p>"Corny" gave me about a pint to a pint and a half of milk a day, which I +found quite sufficient for my wants, as I only used it for breakfast and +tea, water forming my invariable drink for dinner. Breakfast and +tea-supper I usually took with some show of punctuality, but my dinner +was eaten in all sorts of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> places—on the Creviçon, in my canoe, on the +beach, or in the grove—in fact, just where I happened to be when I felt +hungry and had my wallet with me.</p> + +<p>"Begum" always took his meals with me, except when I was on the sea, +when the poor fellow would follow my canoe round the island, and watch +till I came back again. Then his joy knew no bounds. He would go fairly +mad with delight, and I must confess I used to look for my comrade as +fondly as if he were a brother awaiting my landing. He would carry quite +a big load for me up the rocky cliff path, and esteem it quite a +pleasure; but when I had anything extra heavy to take up I made him +fetch "Eddy" to my aid. Strange as it may seem, this was a very simple +proceeding, for I taught him in a couple of days, thus:</p> + +<p>On the stable door I fastened a piece of wood to act as a fall-latch, +which worked so easily that "Begum" could lift it with his nose and +allow the door to swing open. Then "Eddy" would march out, and wherever +I happened to be, would trot to me at the sound of my voice. Indeed, at +length he used to follow "Begum," directly he was released, to any part +of the island. Therefore, if I required "Eddy's" services when I was +quite at the south end of the island, I had only to send "Begum" to +fetch him, and away they would come together. This proceeding had only +one drawback, and that was, that "Eddy" would always help himself to a +mouthful of anything in the way of green food, which happened to be +growing within his reach, if he had to come near my little farm. I +verily believe that "Begum" used to take<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> his friend past my crops on +purpose, although it was by no means the easiest way to get to the +Cotils, where my potato crop grew, and where I often used to go to get a +shot at the sea fowl on the Fauconnaire. As the crops were principally +for his own winter maintenance, I could not grudge him a bite of his +food in advance.</p> + +<p>Many a time when I have landed from my boat very tired, after a long +cruise or fishing expedition, I have always found "Begum" waiting for +me, ready to fetch "Eddy," at my word, to help to beach the boat and +carry my gear up the cliff. This used to be of such frequent occurrence +that upon the end of the boat's painter I worked a kind of collar for +"Eddy" to pull upon in comfort. This collar I made of old sacking sewed +over with sennet, and I must say it was quite a success, for he would +hold his head out as naturally to receive the collar as a beggar would +hold out his hat for the reception of an alms.</p> + +<p>The pigeons I brought with me and placed in the cote or tower soon +departed or died; possibly they were killed by hawks or other birds, but +that I never could discover. Anyway, the tower was not long tenantless, +for a pair of owls took up their abode there, and soon had a family of +six fluffy little fellows. Instead of destroying these birds as many +persons do in England, I allowed them to haunt the tower, in return for +which they kept the mice down, and I could not find that they did me any +kind of damage. I got quite to like their "to-whitting" and "to-wooing" +more than the monotonous "cooing" of the pigeons which never did sound +like music to my ears.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> + +<p>My six hens and a cockerel were located in the watch-house, from whence +they had the run of a large piece of wild ground overhanging the cliff. +Eggs I had in abundance, and even to spare, and before I left the island +had over thirty fowls. Beside the fowls' eggs I could, in the spring, +gather the eggs of the wild fowl inhabiting the islands by the score.</p> + +<p>Enough of animals and birds; let us open another chapter on another +topic.</p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust052.png" width='300' height='94' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span><img src="images/illust053.png" width='550' height='125' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>CANOEING—FISH OF THE PLACE—THE ORMER AND LIMPET—A CURIOUS +FISHING ADVENTURE—QUEER CAPTURES FROM THE SEA—ROCK +FISH—CONSTRUCT A FISH-POND AND WATER-MILL.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>When the warm days and calm seas of May came I turned my thoughts to the +sea, of which I am passionately fond, and of which one never seemed to +tire, as one does of tame river water. Unfortunately my only vessel was +a canoe about fourteen feet long by three feet beam, and for sea work, +such as one gets round the shores of these islands, quite unfitted; but +there it was, and I had simply Hobson's choice—that or none.</p> + +<p>On a calm sea, with a tide running only one way, such as one gets on the +English coast, the canoe was all very well and fairly safe; but here, +through the Percée, as the channel is called between Herm and Jethou, +the tide at times runs with great speed, and meeting with the resistance +of the Ferriers and other huge rocks, whirls, and turns, and foams in +all directions, so that a frail craft like a canoe would be a death-trap +to anyone foolhardy enough to venture out<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> in it. That being the case, I +could only follow my canoeing hobby when the sea was calm, but even then +did not venture far from land.</p> + +<p>I had several narrow escapes from upsetting, and at last, whilst lying +sleeplessly in bed (where, by-the-bye, most of my thinking and scheming +is done), the idea of making alterations in my canoe came under my +consideration, and before I went to sleep that night I had made up my +mind to improve her stability in several ways. I would make her fore and +aft compartments air-tight, so that if she turned turtle she would act +as a life preserver, and moreover, why not add an outrigger, such as the +natives of the Pacific have to theirs, making them almost impossible to +upset?</p> + +<p>The second day saw my plans an accomplished fact. I put in bulkheads +fore and aft, and pitched the canoe inside and out, making her heavier, +but thoroughly water-tight—the end compartments being even air-tight. I +raised the combing of the well to six inches in height, put on a deeper +keel, shortened my mast, and added an outrigger. What more <i>could</i> I do? +The outrigger I made of a bundle of bamboos lashed firmly together, like +the pictures one sees of the old Roman Fascines, or Rods of Authority, +and this I fastened about five feet from the side by means of a couple +of stout ash saplings. I found these improvements so admirable, that I +was not afraid in light winds (having gained a knowledge of the tides +and currents) of venturing anywhere either around Jethou or Herm.</p> + +<p>Immense quantities of fish are found all round<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> Jethou, the principal +being lobsters, crabs, crayfish, spider crabs, plaice, John Dorey, +soles, ormers, pollock, bass, gurnard, skate, cod, long-nose, rock fish, +turbot, brill, whiting, and conger.</p> + +<p>Several of the fish I had never seen before, as they are rarely if ever +caught off the Norfolk coast; thus John Dorey, spiders, ormers, rock +fish, and pollock were all new to me, and gave me great enjoyment in +their capture, beside which I was greatly taken with the flavour of both +the Dorey and pollock, scores of which I caught in the Percée.</p> + +<p>The ormer, rarely seen in England, is, I believe, sometimes called the +Sea Ear. It is somewhat the shape and size of a half cocoa nut (divided +lengthwise). The outside of the shell is of a rough texture, and of a +dull red colour, while the inside is beautifully coloured with an +iridescent mother o' pearl coating. (Why do we never hear anything of +the father o' pearl?) The ormer adheres to the rocks like the limpet +tribe, but is seldom seen above <i>low</i> water-mark, like the limpet, who +loves to be exposed to the sun and air twice a day.</p> + +<p>The flesh of the ormer, when grilled, is something like a veal cutlet +cooked in a fishy frying-pan, and I cannot say I was greatly enraptured +with the uncommon univalve.</p> + +<p>My first meeting with the ormer was by accident. I was having an <i>al +fresco</i> lunch of bread and raw limpets which I was detaching from the +rocks, eating them with a seasoning of vinegar and pepper which I had +brought with me when, being close down to the water among some outlying +rocks (as it was a very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> low neap tide), I saw something just under the +surface of a pool, of a dull red colour, which I perceived to be a +shell-fish of some kind. Stooping down, with a rapid blow of my knife I +detached it, and ere it sank into the unknown depths of the pool, +plunged in my left hand and secured it. It was an ormer—at least, so I +supposed, and on this supposition took it home and compared it with a +book on shells I had, and being satisfied with my researches, cooked and +ate the mollusc, although in some doubt. Next day, feeling much as the +first man who ever swallowed an oyster did—alive and hearty—I went at +dead low tide and gathered some more and ate also, but finally came to +the conclusion that one good sole was worth a sack of ormers. Still, +there is no accounting for taste. Some of the islanders are very fond of +ormers; but what is one man's meat is another's "<i>poisson</i>."</p> + +<p>Although at neap tide on many occasions I gathered many more, it was +more for the beauty of the shells than the flavour of the fish inside +them.</p> + +<p>For one with artistic tastes and love of colour like myself, the +interior of an ormer shell is a veritable fairy grotto. One discovery I +made regarding them and that is, that they form a dainty dish for the +huge conger eels which abound among the rocks, and about this bait I +must presently tell a little more.</p> + +<p>The granite rocks below high water-mark are simply spotted all over with +myriads of limpets, some of them of enormous size. Many of the shells in +my collection are over three inches across, and the fish when cooked +make two ample mouthfuls. My manner of dressing them was to place them +in a tub of sea<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> water for a night, and then to lay them on a gridiron, +point downward, over a bright fire, and grill them. When cooked they +would drop out of their shells when turned upside down over a plate +containing vinegar and pepper, and I considered them very nice. A friend +of mine who has tasted them in Cornwall says they would make any +well-bred dog sick. Thus, I say again, tastes vary!</p> + +<p>I must allow, however, that the leathery limpet is as far behind the +delicious sole or turbot in flavour, as a turnip is inferior to an +apple; but still a change is desirable, and for the matter of change I +think I had a turn at everything eatable on the island or in the sea +surrounding it, and still live to tell the tale.</p> + +<p>Well, now, let me tell an adventure that befell me while conger fishing +off the Creviçhon one calm evening just after dark. First let me point +out a device I had to adopt because my canoe had not sufficient space to +hold or carry all the fish I sometimes caught. I had to have recourse to +a floating fish carrier, and this I contrived out of an old dry goods +box, which I bored full of holes, so as to allow a current of water to +flow through and keep my fish alive. To give floating power to this +<i>fish-pound</i>, I fastened large bungs all round the outside, and to each +of the four corners I attached an inflated bladder, so that I could +easily store in it from thirty to forty pounds of fish, as it must be +observed, that whilst <i>in</i> the water the fish will swim, and thus add +but little weight to their floating prison. This box I attached to the +outrigger by a stout lanyard, and fended it off with the paddle, if the +eddy brought it in too close proximity to my craft.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, to my fish story. I had been anchored for about two hours near +Rocher Rouge fishing for conger, of which I had caught three small ones, +beside several rock fish and whiting, when I thought I would try another +kind of bait, so I armed my hook with a small ormer, which being of a +gristly texture, held on the barb well. Over the side went the gear, +attached to a strong line of thick water-cord, and although it was down +a considerable time no warning tug gave hope of sport to follow, so I +busied myself with the other two lines I had down, with a fair amount of +success. At length getting tired of taking nothing on my big line, I +thought I would coil it up and examine the bait, but when I had got the +line straight up and down it refused to leave the bottom, tug as I +would. I pulled till my canoe danced and bobbed about in an alarming +manner, in fact, till the coaming was in danger of going under the +gently heaving sea, but to no purpose; it would not budge, so tripping +anchor I paid out line and paddled fifty yards, thinking that if my hook +had fouled a rock I might by a side pull clear it. I hauled in gently, +and to my surprise found the line come in with a curious vibrating +motion, in little jerks, till it got straight up and down again, and +then I had a hard pull to get it from the bottom; but still I did get it +up little by little, and was now positive that it was a fish of some +kind, and of great weight. Foot after foot of line came in very +spasmodically, and with great reluctance, till at last a great, ugly, +slimy head, with yellow-green eyes, came above the surface, and so large +did it appear, that it quite took me aback. In my surprise I let go +several<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> coils of the line before I knew what I was about. The head was +enormous and <i>ex pede Hercules</i>. I knew the body must be of gigantic +proportions too. That I had hooked one of Neptune's fiends seemed +certain, and I was some time before I hauled up again to see really what +I had captured. In came the line again, foot by foot, with great +difficulty, till at length up came the terrible head again. But this +time I was prepared, and setting my teeth, held on. It was a huge +conger, such as I had never seen before, and which came very near being +the last I might gaze upon, for suddenly it brought its tail up over the +outrigger, and before I could counterbalance my craft, seemed to swamp +the canoe by its dead weight and the power of its fins. I was in the +water in a second, but never loosened my hold of the line. Letting go +the loose coils I struck out for Rocher Rouge, only some fifty yards +away, and, landing at the foot of the great granite throne, commenced to +haul in my line. To my joy the canoe, which still floated with its +coamings out of water, although the well was full, followed my line. I +afterwards ascertained that in falling overboard I had dropped between +the canoe and outrigger, and had thus drawn the line through the +intervening space after me. To this fact I owed the recovery of my +craft, which would otherwise have floated away, as I should have been +afraid to follow it, although an excellent swimmer, as the currents are +here so strong that I should probably never have got back again.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="p059.png" id="p059.png"></a><img src="images/p059.png" width='700' height='381' alt="I WAS SWAMPED IN A MOMENT." /></p> + +<p class='center'>I WAS SWAMPED IN A MOMENT.</p> + +<p>The canoe came slowly in till it was within reach, when I seized it, and +with a mighty effort dragged<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> it ashore undamaged. The lines I also drew +in and coiled tidily away, leaving the long one till the last, which, to +my great surprise, when I hauled in, still had the monstrous eel in tow. +I quite thought he had freed himself when he swamped me, but such was +evidently not the case. Having a firm footing I hauled in my line with +more confidence, and at length got my lord close to the rocks, and in +the clear water could see his huge length and thickness. He was a +terrible fellow, and if he had got my legs in his embrace might have +easily drowned me; but I did not give him a chance to use either his +tail or teeth, but getting his head close to the rocks I took a turn of +the line round a projecting crag, and proceeded to slaughter the monster +with my only weapon, the paddle. He took a lot of assassinating, but +gave up the ghost at last, after I had nearly pounded his head to a +jelly.</p> + +<p>Old "Begum," I must mention, witnessed my sudden departure from my +canoe, and the dear old fellow arrived at Rocher Rouge at the same +moment that I landed, so that we faced each other dripping wet in a most +comical manner. I sent "Begum" to fetch "Eddy," and in the meantime +emptied the canoe and put all straight, so that when the two animals +appeared on the cliff, standing out in bold relief against the clear +sky, I was in my canoe and on the way to the Cotills. They followed me +till I landed, and came and stood by me like two old comrades. I had +dragged the conger after me through the sea with a cord through his +gills, and this cord I attached to "Eddy," who dragged him home in +triumph, while<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> I sat on his back, <i>à la conqueror</i>, as I rode into my +domain, tired and wet, and as hungry as the proverbial hunter.</p> + +<p>A cheerful blaze of wood soon caused the kettle to boil, and over my +tea-supper I congratulated myself over my lucky adventure, for to lose +neither fish, canoe, nor self, was indeed a large slice of luck.</p> + +<p>Next day I improvised a pair of scales with the help of a half +hundredweight and a seven-pound weight which I possessed, and found to +my surprise that the monster weighed one hundred and three pounds. This +was not only the largest eel I ever caught, but the largest I ever saw. +In Guernsey market the heaviest conger I saw was one of sixty-seven +pounds—a baby in comparison to mine!</p> + +<p>The weights I used in weighing the monster were stones adjusted to the +proper iron weights, which I used as standards, and then by selecting +various sized stones obtained after great toil a whole set, from one +pound up to ten pounds, and thus could weigh anything.</p> + +<p>I had many other fishing adventures, but I think the above was about the +most exciting. I had many good takes of whiting and pollock, but was not +so fortunate among the soles, and plaice, and such-like ground game, as +my net was a very ramshackle affair of my own construction.</p> + +<p>I had also some remarkable miscellaneous captures at different times. +Once in the winter I had laid a long line for codling, and brought up, +firmly hooked, a very nice red tablecloth, beautifully worked round the +edge by some skilled hand in an Oriental pattern. I used it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> on gala +days as a flag, and I dare say passers by in the various vessels +wondered to what nationality it belonged, as the centre was ornamented +with a golden elephant with very curly tusks worked in white beads. +Another day I fished up a copper oil can, such as engineers use to oil +machinery with; and yet another time a bag of gravel which had +apparently once formed part of a yacht's ballast.</p> + +<p>When I found time heavy on my hands I would often take my canoe about +fifty yards south of La Fauconnaire, and with two or three lines fish +for rock fish, and never, on a single occasion, returned empty-handed. +The worst part of this performance was digging the bait of lugworms on +the little beach of Creviçhon. It was terribly hard work lifting the +rocks and boulders aside to find a place to dig, and then it was harder +work in digging the nasty worms from the granite grit in which they +resided, dwelt, or had their horrid being. Probably these hairy, oozy +creatures have their joys and pleasures, and their woes, just as every +other of God's creatures, but of what their happiness consists who can +tell? Anyway they are good for bait, and so have use if not beauty to +commend them.</p> + +<p>Crabs and lobsters I could trap at any time by putting down "pots" +anywhere round the island; but after a few weeks I got quite tired of +them for the table, but would occasionally put down a couple of "pots" +to see what of a curious nature I could catch. The crayfish, +spider-crabs, and hermit crabs, gave me infinite amusement, as they are +so different in their manners and customs to the ordinary crabs, and are +very bellicose, going for each other tooth and nail, or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> rather legs and +claws, in a most terrible manner. The way these little crustaceans +maimed each other put me in mind of the scene in Scott's "Fair Maid of +Perth," where the rival clans hew each others' limbs off with +double-handed swords, so that a truce has to be called for the purpose +of clearing the battle-ground of human <i>debris</i>. The crabs have the +advantage over the human species, insomuch that they can reproduce a +lost limb.</p> + +<p>Finding I could catch a large quantity of fish of all kinds, especially +rock fish, which, being new to me, I greatly admired, I set about +constructing a fish pond near the house.</p> + +<p>These rock fish are a curiosity in the way of fish. They run from about +six inches to two feet in length; weigh from a few ounces to a dozen +pounds, and no two that I have ever caught are alike, either in colour +or disposition of spots. They are spotty and speckly all over. Some have +copper-coloured spots, some yellow, some brown, some green, some red, +and some an assortment of colours, so that one never knows what colour +is coming up next. Persons who are fond, when playing cards, of betting +upon the colour of the trump to be turned up—black or red—would find +the pastime of "backing their colour" infinitely varied, if they tried +to guess the colour of the fish which would next appear.</p> + +<p>My first fish pond, ten feet by five feet, was a failure, as it was +leaky; but not to be beaten I commenced another and much larger one, +sixteen feet by ten feet. I selected a site close above high water-mark, +and commenced digging, and in fact worked a whole day at it, intending +to line it with a mixture of sand and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> lime, of which I had several tubs +for making mortar for repairing the brickwork of my homestead; but that +very evening I discovered a natural fish pond, or rather a pool, that +could be turned into one by a little outlay of labour.</p> + +<p>A cleft between two large rocks, separating them by about six feet, +allowed the sea at high tide to flow into a pool at the foot of an +amphitheatre of rocks, which gave a basin of water, at high tide, about +twenty feet across. Here was a grand, natural fish pool, and I soon +turned it into a comfortable home for my finny captures.</p> + +<p>First at low tide I cleared the bottom of this pool, and made it deeper. +Then, having previously made a huge batch of mortar, I set to work and +built a wall of rock across the cleft, until I had raised it six feet +high, taking great care to make it perfectly water-tight. This I +strengthened by laboriously placing blocks of stone on each side, so as +to prevent the sea from toppling my mortar-built wall over. As a pond it +was a perfect success, except in one particular, and that was that the +water in time would evaporate, or become stale; so I put my wits +together and constructed a curious kind of mill pump, which worked with +four wooden buckets upon an endless rope. It was jerky, but effective; +that is it was effective at high water, when the tide came up to my +sea-wall. At this time the mill, being placed right for the wind, would +commence to work, and the buckets to ascend and descend, and each shoot +its gallon of water into the pond, till sometimes it was full to the +brim, and even running over. Thus I could change the water<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> at will. I +was simply delighted, and fished from morning till night to stock my +pool, and in a fortnight had specimens of all kinds, colours, and sizes. +Eels, soles, whiting, dorey, pollock, long-nose, crabs, lobsters were +all there, but to my mind the big blubber-lipped rock fish were the +peacocks of my pool.</p> + +<p>I was so fond of lingering by this pool to read, and smoke, and watch +the fish, that I built myself a rock summer-house, and roofed it in with +wood, upon which I placed a layer of mortar, and then thatched it with +pine branches and braken. It was a picturesque little house, in a +picturesque spot, and if I tell the truth, I believe I made a +picturesque Crusoe.</p> + +<p>My dress consisted, in summer, of white duck trousers, canvas shoes, +coloured flannel shirt, a blue jean jacket, and broad-brimmed hat. Round +my waist I always wore a long red sash; it was four yards long, +consequently, would encircle my waist three times and still leave some +of the two ends to hang down at my side. This sash I found very useful, +for I used it as a wallet or hold-all. Nothing came amiss to +it—tobacco, pipes, cartridges, biscuits, fruit, fishing tackle, all +were tucked away in it at different or the same time, as they were so +easy to get at, and left the hands free.</p> + +<p>Now let us leave fish and fishing, and see in what other ways I enjoyed +my solitary life.</p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust066.png" width='300' height='68' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span><img src="images/illust030.png" width='550' height='130' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>"FLAP" THE GULL—SURGICAL OPERATION—THE GULL WHO REFUSED TO +DIE—TAXIDERMY EXTRAORDINARY—FEATHERED FRIENDS—SNAKES.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Every part of the island swarmed with rabbits, in fact, it was a perfect +warren, and must have contained thousands of them. I had therefore to +devise some means of keeping them down, or they would so have multiplied +as to eat up everything that to a rodent was toothsome, and that is +<i>nearly</i> everything green, even to the furze bushes. I had only four +tooth-traps with me, and these were not nearly adequate for the number I +wanted to kill, so I had recourse to wire gins. These I soon became an +adept in setting, and discovered that by placing the thin wire noose +close to the ground I could catch the wee rabbits, while by keeping the +lower part of the noose about four inches above the turf I could secure +the large ones. By practice and observation I soon learned not only the +best "runs," but could tell just where they would place their feet, as +they bounded up or down the steep acclivities.</p> + +<p>At times I had seventy or eighty gins set, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> caught perhaps a hundred +a week in the season, which I regret to say were nearly all thrown into +the sea. This destruction of good food I was very sorry to cause, as it +would have fed a dozen poor families; but it was a case of kill the +rabbits, or starve my own animals. I chose the latter alternative, and +thus had plump animals and plump rabbits too. Those I retained formed +food for myself, dog, pigs, and a gull I kept.</p> + +<p>The gull I must say a little about, as he became a constant companion to +me when I was within the wall which surrounded the homestead. "Flap," +for so I christened him, was a large grey and white gull which I secured +soon after coming to the island, by breaking his wing at a long shot. He +tried, poor fellow, to scramble down to the sea, and swim away, but +"Begum" was too quick for him, and pounced upon him before he could get +over the rocks. I examined the bird and found the wing bone to be +broken, but otherwise the bird was not at all hurt. It then came into my +mind to perform a surgical operation, and this I quickly carried out. I +trimmed away all the feathers from about the wound, and then with one +draw of my sharp knife cut through the flesh between the smashed bone, +and quickly amputated the wing.</p> + +<p>"Flap" was so fierce, and had such a formidable bill, that I had to +fasten him to a post to do all this, or he might have given me a deep +wound. I then bathed the stump of the wing with warm water, and bound it +up in a lump of lard, and the operation was complete.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p> + +<p>I placed him in the stable and fed him with bits of fish, rabbit, and +vegetable for about a week, by which time he was fairly tame; so then I +took him out and fastened a leather strap round his leg, and tethered +him on the grass plot in front of my house, as one would a cow, feeding +him several times daily on animal food or fish. After a week of this he +was so tame that he would try to get away from his peg to meet me in the +morning. Seeing this, I decided to release him from his stake. I did so, +and the poor bird followed me about like a dog; in fact, I believe +"Begum" was jealous of him, for when I petted the gull he would come and +thrust his great black nose into my hand, and look up to my eyes, as +much as to say,</p> + +<p>"Don't forget me, master!"</p> + +<p>At the end of about three weeks I ventured to take the bandage off +"Flap's" wing-stump, when I found, to my surprise, that it was so nearly +healed as not to require further treatment from me, Harry Nilford, M.D.</p> + +<p>"Flap's" domain was the homestead, about which he would hop and flap +with his one wing in a most comical manner. If I threw down half a +rabbit and called him, he would dash across the lawn at a gait that +would defy description, while his voracity was wonderful to behold. He +would take down half a rabbit in two or three fierce gulps, skin, bones, +and flesh; and I have known him, when very hungry, to eat a whole one at +a meal, which would only take a couple of minutes for him to discuss. It +was simply a matter of Hey Presto! and his meal was consumed.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> If a man +could eat in the same proportion, half a sheep would make a meal, while +a goose or turkey would only be a snack. Thank goodness, our appetites +are less keen, or a fat bullock would only serve a large family for +dinner, with the odds and ends left for supper.</p> + +<p>"Begum" and "Flap" were fast friends, and the dog would allow the bird +to take many liberties with him, such as taking quietly some pretty +sharp pecks if he attempted to eat a bit of "Flap's" food; but on the +other hand, "Flap" would take "Begum's" food from under his very nose +without a protest of any kind from the dog, except a look out of the +corner of his eye, as if he thought "What impudence!"</p> + +<p>I found sea fowl of all kinds to be very tenacious of life, especially +the common large gull. One case of this occurs to me as I write. I fired +at a gull and brought it down on the rocks; but it was only winged, and +picking it up, I wrung its neck, and flung it down, thinking it was +dead, but in a couple of minutes it gave such signs of returning +animation that I put the butt of my gun on its neck, which was upon the +hard pathway, and pressed with all my might. But the thing would <i>not</i> +die, so I got cross with both it and myself, with the bird for not dying +and myself for causing it so much unnecessary pain. Thinking to kill the +bird instantaneously, I took out my penknife, and ran it (or supposed I +was in the right spot) quite through the brain, so that the blade +projected half an inch on the other side. Just then some more gulls came +within shot, and I threw the bird on the ground, and made an onslaught +on the others. I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> dropped one, and scrambled down the cliffs for it, and +at length having secured it, climbed laboriously up the steep rocks +again. Judge of my surprise when, purring and blowing from my exertions, +just as my head rose above the ledge of the pathway where I had left the +transfixed bird, I saw it rise to its feet, give a loud Quah! and before +I could prevent it, away it went, half flying and flopping, half running +and scrambling, with my knife still in its skull, and was quickly out of +sight.</p> + +<p>The different kinds of gulls visiting Jethou are very numerous, and some +of them very pretty. One of the finest being the swift sea swallow, with +its lovely grey feathers, forked tail, and long graceful wings. Another +is the sea-pie, a very shapely black and white gull, which makes a noise +quite peculiar to itself when hunting among the rocky inlets for its +food, thus betraying its presence.</p> + +<p>Whenever I killed a bird of which I did not know the name, I would +fasten it up to some sticks in as life-like manner as possible, and make +a water colour drawing of it, taking great care to shew every detail, so +that in time I had over thirty drawings, each of which took me half a +day to execute. These are now in the writer's possession, and form a +pretty memento of his Crusoe days.</p> + +<p>I took to making these drawings, because my attempts at taxidermy were +grotesquely ludicrous; to put it plainly, they were unmitigated +failures. These remarks apply to my very early attempts, for I would not +have the readers think me incapable after long practice of turning out a +shapely bird or a fish fair to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> behold. I must own that my early +struggles at skinning and stuffing were certainly funny, as except from +the colour of the feathers one could not tell a tern from a Kentish crow +after I had mangled it about for a few hours. They were wonders of +natural history these specimens of mine, not altogether from my +unskilfulness in handling them, but from the fact that I lacked +materials to work with. During the long nights of autumn, I, to a +certain extent, perfected myself in setting up specimens, but found they +would not keep, as I had no arsenic to work with, using in its place a +disinfectant which was not a preservative, consequently my specimens +began to get mouldy and to smell high, and this prevailing mustiness +brought them to an untimely end, or at least the greater portion of +them. Thinking a day in the sunshine and fresh air might improve them, I +took them all out of the house, and carried them a few at a time down to +the small lawn, as it was nice and open, placing them promiscuously down +on the green sward; and a funny lot they looked. Fish of all kinds, +condition, and colors, and birds in all positions, natural and +unnatural; the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud's Waxworks was a +pleasant sight in comparison to my collection, at least that was the +impression I gleaned from "Begum" and "Flap," both of whom seemed +perfectly mad at seeing such an array of scarecrows on their favourite +playground.</p> + +<p>It was a lovely mild day, and I spent best part of it at La Fauconnaire, +rabbit and gull shooting, bringing home for my day's sport as many as I +could fairly carry. Leaving them in the storehouse I fed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> "Eddy," and +proceeded to perform the same office for the goat and pigs, but they +were nowhere to be seen. After a fair amount of searching I gave them up +for the time, and proceeded to take in my stuffed wonders, but alas, the +pigs and goat had been before me, for in the morning I had not properly +latched the lawn gate, and they had got in and created awful havoc. Many +of my specimens the pigs had actually eaten, others they had disjointed +and mangled in such a manner as to be perfectly useless, while what they +had not fallen foul of my Quixotic goat had, by spiking them with her +single horn, till she had had the satisfaction of knocking the stuffing +out of them. What was left of my most magnificent collection now looked +as if a charge of dynamite had played havoc with it. Thus my friends and +the world in general were prevented from gazing upon one of the most +curious collections of birds, beasts, and fishes that have ever been +stuffed (with whatever was handiest) since the art of taxidermy was +introduced.</p> + +<p>The stormy petrel during rough weather used to be a frequent visitor to +the Perchée Channel, skimming just above the dark waves so close to the +surface, as to appear to walk up a wave, rise above its crest, and then +walk down into the valley of water on the opposite side. I shot several +specimens, two of which I stuffed, but they were both eaten by those +horrid pigs.</p> + +<p>Oyster-pickers were quite plentiful, and I quickly discovered that they +might also aptly be termed limpet-pickers, for they seemed to take these +shell fish as their staple food. The <i>modus operandi</i> of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> feeding is to +pounce down upon a rock which the receding tide has left bare, and with +a single sharp blow with its beak, detach a limpet, and turning it mouth +upward, pick out the fish at its leisure. If it failed to detach the +limpet at once it would go on to another, knowing that when once +disturbed the limpet requires great force to detach it. Oysters lie in +deep waters where they are inaccessible to these birds, so whence is +their name derived?</p> + +<p>Then there were various kinds of divers, the principal of which class +was the cormorant, greatly resembling a half-starved black swan, that +is, it had a longer and thinner and less graceful body; but in many +points it was superior to the swan, especially in its flying and diving +powers, and in its quickness of action. Its head appears never to be +still, but constantly bobbing and turning from side to side, as if +saying, "Did you ever catch a cormorant asleep?" Knowing that the +Chinese train these birds to catch fish, I endeavoured to induce one to +come to me, and serve his apprenticeship as a fisherman, but to no +purpose. It was just as well I could not catch one, for I find they must +be trained from their young days to the art, as they are intractable in +their grown-up wildness, and I was thus spared a great deal of +unnecessary trouble and irritability of temper.</p> + +<p>Although I had a store of simple medicines with me, I scarcely ever +required to open the case. Once and once only, I felt poorly for a whole +week, but that I fancy was attributable to fruit and the heat. Although +not well, I thoroughly enjoyed a whole lazy week, most of which I spent +by the side of my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> fish pool, studying the habits of my finny comrades +in captivity. Some of the rock fish became so tame that they would rise +to the surface when I dropped crumbs of biscuits on the water, and I +verily believe if I had had the patience, I might have taught them to +feed from my fingers. Sometimes for a treat I would bring "Flap" and +place him near the water, and he seemed to enjoy looking at the +denizens; but they were all too big for him to gobble, or he would have +made an Aldermanic dinner of some of them.</p> + +<p>I occasionally saw a snake, but always of the harmless, blindworm +variety. Of this species I caught two and admired them, but I did not +make pets of them as I did of nearly everything else I could lay hands +on.</p> + +<p>One big fellow nearly two feet long I threw into the sea, thinking to +rid the island of at least one snake; but to my surprise he swam ashore +on the surface of the water as quickly as he could have progressed on +dry land. He was a veritable sea-serpent, although a small specimen.</p> + +<p>There were also two kinds of lizards of which I do not know the name, +but they were only small fellows, and may be what are called "efts." +They would sun themselves on the warm rocks, and on being disturbed dart +into some cranny till danger was past. They ran up and down rocks which +were nearly perpendicular, and were very amusing in their rapid +movements.</p> + +<p>I often thought as I lay in my hammock how I should have liked a +squirrel or two to be climbing about the branches above me; but one is +never<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> contented with what is allotted them. Probably had I possessed a +squirrel or two, I should have longed for a few monkeys, and having +them, should have wished for something else.</p> + +<p>Altogether I was perfectly contented with my lot, especially after the +melancholy of the first week had worn off, except just now and again a +particularly dismal feeling would assert itself, which I could not shake +off; but I simply attributed this to dull weather or over exertion. It +was nothing worth mentioning.</p> + +<p>My spirits are like a barometer; when the sun shines and the weather is +warm I am up; when it is wet and dull I am down, and I think this is the +case with many persons; in fact, I believe weather has a greater +influence on our lives than we are aware of. Statistics go to prove +this; for instance, more marriages take place during the five months, +June to September, than in the other seven colder months. From gaiety to +despair,—more suicides take place at the fall of the year than at any +other period. Rodent slaughter commenced this chapter and suicide ends +it; this puts me in mind of the Marriage Service, which commences +"Dearly" and ends with "amazement."</p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust076.png" width='300' height='83' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span><img src="images/illust024.png" width='550' height='127' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>I BUILD A CURIOUS "BOX" BOAT—AN UNPLEASANT NIGHT AT SEA—MY SUNDAY +SERVICE—THE POEM, "ALEXANDER SELKIRK"—ITS APPLICABILITY TO MY +LOT.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>During the summer my roving propensities began to assert themselves, and +I longed to go farther <i>afield</i> over the sea. I bethought me how I might +contrive myself a boat in which to venture into the offing with, as my +canoe was too frail to go far from shore.</p> + +<p>I looked around to see what I could utilize, and found I had a few inch +boards and plenty of rivets, nails, and screws; but after overhauling my +stock I came to the conclusion that my materials would not warrant my +commencing a craft of any size, so for several days I gave up the +project, till one day visiting the boathouse I cast my eyes on the large +tin-lined packing cases in which my goods had been packed. Why not +utilize these? There were four of them. Three were of the same +dimensions, namely, four feet long, three feet wide, and two and a half +feet deep; while the fourth was three feet and a half long, two feet +wide, and two and a half feet deep.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span></p> + +<p>That night I went to bed early, so as to have a good "think" as to how I +could make a boat of these boxes, with the help of my deal boards and +tools.</p> + +<p>I soon hit on a plan, and could scarcely get a wink of sleep for +thinking and maturing my plans; in fact, at two a.m. I got up, dressed, +and went and re-measured the cases and re-inspected them, to see if they +were really eligible for my purpose. They were, and I retired to bed +again perfectly overjoyed, so that I only dozed and woke continually +till five a.m., when I finally arose and commenced operations in the +boathouse.</p> + +<p>"Begum" knew there was something in the wind, for I had little to say to +him, so full was I of my scheme.</p> + +<p>I found my cases with their tin linings were quite water-tight, which +was a necessary condition for keeping my craft afloat, and having +prepared my tools and got my timber ready for a start, went homeward to +breakfast, shooting a very fine pigeon on the way, which had probably +strayed over from Guernsey. Here was a dinner provided for me which only +required cooking. Indeed, it frequently happened that at breakfast time +my dinner would be flying about round the island.</p> + +<p>To help me in the description of the building of my craft I here give +sketches of her construction. First I took my cases 2, 3, and 4, and +firmly screwed them together, and afterwards added number 5, which was +not so wide by six inches, but still served admirably for a stern. Then +came my first difficulty. How should I form the bows? This I got over by +making<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> another case, No. 1, of a triangular form with a bulkhead +running across, to which I nailed my side timbers, so as to give them an +outward curve. These streaks I put on clinker-wise—that is, +overlapping, and thoroughly caulked them with oakum soaked in grease.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="p079.png" id="p079.png"></a><img src="images/p079.png" width='694' height='700' alt="The Yellow-Boy" /></p> + +<p class='center'>The <span class="smcap">Yellow-Boy</span></p> + +<p>Next, to strengthen the hull and hold everything firmly in position, I +nailed a top streak along from stem to stern, so as to form a gunwale, +and another at the lower edges of the cases, tarring everything as I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> +proceeded, including myself; but as the weather was hot a pair of old +pants cut off at the knee, and a ragged shirt, were my only encumbrance +in the way of clothing. Now I proceeded to cut down the partitions +between the various sections for a depth of six inches. I then carefully +caulked the tiny crack between each of these bulkheads, and turning the +surplus tin over, nailed it to the wood. Over these bulkheads I placed +thwarts six inches wide, and then proceeded to make a keel. This I did +by bolting two thicknesses of board together and cutting them down, so +that it measured three inches deep at the stem and six at the stern. The +fastening on of this keel gave me more trouble than anything else +connected with the boat, for I had no bolts long enough to go through +six inches of timber, and then through the bottom of the boat. There was +only one way, and that was to make some bolts eight inches long, and +this I did from some pieces of three-eight iron rod I found. Nine bolts +took me a whole day to make—from six in the morning till six in the +evening. My anvil was a granite rock, which I had to carry on my +shoulders from the beach; but it served its purpose capitally.</p> + +<p>My labours at the anvil were considerably lightened by the singing of +all the appropriate songs I could think of, especially the "Village +Blacksmith," which I think I must have worn out while making my bolts +and other fastenings.</p> + +<p>I made heads to my bolts, and thrusting them through the keel, fastened +them off on the inside with iron collars or burrs. To make the keel more +secure I ran a strap of iron up the stern, from the heel of the keel, +and screwed it in place.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p> + +<p>For the mast I made a step by crossing two pieces of board, and where +they crossed cut a hole through sufficiently large to take my mast, +which was a short one, being only about ten feet long. These cross +pieces not only held the mast, but also greatly strengthened the bows, +which felt the first and full force of the waves.</p> + +<p>Then the rudder had to be made and attached, thole pins provided, and +the whole concern tarred inside and out, tin and all.</p> + +<p>Oars had to be made, and with these I had some little difficulty; but by +steadily pegging away I at length turned out three very serviceable, if +not elegant, ones. The third was in case of a breakage, for it would +never do to go to sea without a spare oar, as in case of accident I +might have drifted helplessly goodness knows where.<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></p> + +<p>The Bay of Avranches is a large place, and as the Channel Islands do not +lie in the direct course of ocean-going vessels, it would be extremely +awkward, even on a calm day, to be alone in a boat with but one oar.</p> + +<p>I found a large roll of old sails in the loft of the boathouse, all much +too large for my boat; but I selected a jib, and cut it down to form a +lug-sail.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> This sail being discoloured, I gave it a coat of yellow ochre +and boiled oil on each side, which gave it a very curious appearance. +The upper strake of my boat I also painted yellow, and to finish off +christened my craft the "Yellow Boy."</p> + +<p>The launch was a Herculean task, as I had built her too high above high +water-mark, and it took me nearly a day to get her down and afloat. +Finding I could not move her with my own bodily strength, I had to carry +an anchor out and attach a block-tackle and thus, with the help of my +faithful old comrade, "Eddy," haul the boat gradually down below high +water-mark, where I left her for the tide to rise and float her. She +seemed large while I was at work upon her, but the huge bulk of +Creviçhon towering up in the background dwarfed her to a cockle shell.</p> + +<p>While the tide was rising I busied myself in selecting large flat pieces +of granite for ballast, and fastening them down to the floor with +battens, which operation was scarcely finished when the tide came into +the little cove, and in half an hour the "Yellow Boy" was afloat. +"Hurrah!" I shouted, while "Begum" barked with joy. I could not refrain +from taking the good fellow with me for the trial trip, for I must have +someone to talk to, as I felt in such a joyful mood.</p> + +<p>It was late in the afternoon when we started off, and I had not broken +my fast since dinner, so letting the boat drift on the now sluggish +tide, I opened my tin provision box, and with capital appetites my dog +and I fell to.</p> + +<p>The water found its way in in two or three places,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> but these I quickly +caulked, and soon had everything water-tight. Then the sail did not sit +to my liking, so down it came, and having my palm and needles I soon +altered it. Then I shifted the ballast somewhat, and got everything +square and snug.</p> + +<p>After about a couple of hours, as the tide was quite spent, I thought it +was about time to turn towards home, but on looking back the islands had +disappeared in the evening haze which was springing up, so turning the +boat's head I guessed at the position of Jethou, and hauled up the sail. +There was but a breath of wind, and before half an hour of our homeward +voyage was accomplished it was (with the sea fog and the approach of +night) quite dark. Still I kept on, not sure where I was going, as I +could not see a light anywhere, till presently a steady rain set in, and +then I knew we were in for a night of it. The weather was warmish, but I +was so lightly clothed that I was quickly drenched to the skin. I looked +eagerly for a ship's light, but not one could I see, or I would have +borne down upon her and got the bearings of Jethou from her skipper. I +did what best I could under the circumstances, resolving never again to +be led away by any new fad, so as to be oblivious to everything else, as +I had been in getting my new boat into trim. It was a dreadful time for +me, as I knew Jethou to be surrounded by rocks on all sides, so that I +had to keep a very sharp look out, for fear of running on them and +getting stove in, which would probably have resulted in my death, if the +rocks were submerged at high water.</p> + +<p>About what I should judge to be the middle of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> night, as I sat +shaking with cold with my hand on the tiller, I suddenly became aware of +the presence of huge rocks right in front of me. I lowered the sail +instantly and got out the oars, pulling gently to the lee side of these +rocks, and with some difficulty landed and made fast my boat between two +lofty pillars of granite, which rose sheer from the sea. I was +dreadfully cold and could find no shelter from the rain, which had +completely saturated my paltry clothing. I therefore had a dip in the +sea, which appeared to me warmer than the cold rain and night air, and +less likely to have bad after effects upon my constitution. Oh, poor +Robinson Crusoe! here was a pretty kettle of fish at the very first +trip. How gladly would I have changed places with my donkey, who was +safely under shelter, listening to the rain beating down, and saying to +himself, "No work for me to-morrow!"</p> + +<p>The longest night must have an end, although I began to fear this +particular one would not do so, till I was past caring whether the sun +ever rose again or not. But by-and-bye the dawn began to break, and +quickly spread itself over the sky, and with the light the fog dispersed +slowly, and showed me a barrel upon the top of a pole perched on the +highest rock of the group I was a prisoner upon, by which I knew I was +on the Ferriers, which lie about a short mile south-west of Jethou. I +climbed to the pole and took a survey, and could just make out Jethou's +back above the haze which still rolled silently above the still waters.</p> + +<p>Down I scrambled to my boat, eager to push off and reach home, but alas, +my craft was high and dry<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> four feet above the sea, on a ledge which +just held her comfortably cradled, in derision to my anxiety. "Begum" +lay calmly sleeping in the stern sheets. How I envied him his power of +passing the dull hours away, oblivious to wet or cold.</p> + +<p>Half an hour—an hour—two hours passed, and then the kindly sea had +compassion on my lonely, forlorn condition, and rose and toyed with my +boat, and finally lifted her and bore her safely back to my home.</p> + +<p>Home! what a word after such a night! I almost fell ashore, so great was +my anxiety, and so desperately hungry did I feel.</p> + +<p>My surroundings had now changed from what they were three hours since; +for now I was on my island home, with the birds singing and the sun +shining brightly and warmly upon me, so that I threw off my wet clothes +and worked in a state of nature to get my tackle ashore, while "Begum" +fetched "Eddy" to help me to get my craft above tide mark.</p> + +<p>Good old "Eddy." I felt he was indeed a friend as he came trotting down +the rocky path with a regular royal salute of braying. He tugged, and I +tugged, till when the boat was safely beached I felt as nearly exhausted +as ever I have been in my life. I scarcely had strength to get up the +path which usually I took at a run. However, I <i>did</i> get up, and took a +good nip of brandy, following it with some solid refreshment, eating as +I lit the copper fire and filled the copper with water. While I waited +for the water to become hot, I became so drowsy that I could scarcely +keep awake, and yawned till an observer might have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> seen the roots of my +hair, such an open countenance did I present. The water (although I +watched it) boiled at last, and this I poured into a big tub partly +filled with cold water, and had a bath for ten minutes as hot as I could +bear it, after which I hopped into bed and slept, and slept, and slept.</p> + +<p>It was eight a.m. when I went to bed, and I did not wake for fourteen +hours—that is till ten p.m.; and knowing that I had slept the entire +day away without a thought for my poor live stock, I turned over, +resolving to be up and feed the said live stock at dawn. But when I +again woke the sun was high above the horizon, and up I jumped, or tried +to, but found that I was very stiff and sore all over from my night +adventure. As I walked about and worked, feeding my animals, I gradually +felt better, especially after a hearty breakfast, of which I stood much +in need, after twenty-four hours' fast.</p> + +<p>After this adventure I was very careful not to go out again without +protection from the weather in the shape of a good thick coat and +sou'wester, beside which I always put a tin of biscuits and a two-pound +tin of preserved meat in the lockers near the stern, in case of +emergency, and more than once I had to break bulk when a trip +unexpectedly kept me out longer than I anticipated.</p> + +<p>I now had all I could desire in the way of comforts and engagements, and +not an idle day did I spend, except Sundays, upon which day I never did +a stroke of work nor fired a shot. Even my rabbit gins were neglected +that day. All I did was to feed my animals, walk or doze in my hammock +and meditate, and this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> to me was a great enjoyment. When the wind was +westerly I could hear the Guernsey church bells ringing for service, and +when they ceased I knew it was eleven o'clock, and regulated my watch +accordingly; that being done I always spent the time between that hour +and twelve in going through the church service for the day, and the +regulation three hymns, with one or two added, and a chapter or two from +the Bible in place of a sermon. Then I felt comfortable, and contented, +and without fear.</p> + +<p>One Sunday afternoon, swinging in my hammock in the grove reading a book +of poetry, I came across those beautiful verses by Cowper, entitled, +"Alexander Selkirk," and could not but think how true they were to my +own lot in many points; in fact, few persons reading the poem <i>could</i> +appreciate it as I did in my solitude, with nought but the sea and sky +with their teeming creatures around me. The first half of the first +verse fitted me capitally, and I could not get it out of my head all +day; it tickled my fancy:</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class='stanza'><div>"I am monarch of all I survey,</div> +<div class='i2'>To my right there is none to dispute;</div> +<div>From the centre all round to the sea,</div> +<div class='i2'>I am lord of both fowl and of brute."</div></div> +</div> + +<p>In the second verse occur the lines:</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class='stanza'><div>"I am out of humanity's reach,</div> +<div class='i2'>I must finish my journey alone;</div> +<div>Never hear the sweet music of speech—</div> +<div class='i2'>I start at the sound of my own."</div></div> +</div> + +<p>Certainly it was very seldom I heard a human voice,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> even in the +distance, sometimes not for weeks together; but as to starting at the +sound of my own, well, that is not at all correct. Probably if my +friends could have heard the voice of either "Eddy" or myself, when in +full song, <i>they</i> would have had a <i>start</i>, if not a severe shock to the +system.</p> + +<p>Again:</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class='stanza'><div>"Society, friendship, and love,</div> +<div class='i2'>Divinely bestowed upon men;</div> +<div>Oh, had I the wings of a dove,</div> +<div class='i2'>How soon would I taste you again!"</div></div> +</div> + +<p>Dove's wings would not have borne my thirteen stone weight. Perchance +the giant wings of the Albatross would have been more practicable, if +less poetical, and with these appendages I might have been tempted to +have a peep at my friends in England, despite the supremely ridiculous +figure I should have cut in the air, and the chance I should have stood +of being shot as a very <i>rara avis</i>. Fancy me lighting down on our old +thatched-roof house, and frightening everyone out of their seven senses, +including my darling Priscilla, who, if she were not too frightened, +would certainly bring me down with a charge of No. 4 (chilled) shot.</p> + +<p>The next verse is nearly true of my state in its entirety:</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class='stanza'><div>"Religion! what treasure untold</div> +<div class='i2'>Resides in that heavenly word!</div> +<div>More precious than silver and gold,</div> +<div class='i2'><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span>Or all that this earth can afford;</div></div> + +<div class='stanza'><div>But the sound of the church-going bell</div> +<div class='i2'>These valleys and rocks never heard;</div> +<div>Never sighed at the sound of a knell,</div> +<div class='i2'>Or smiled when a Sabbath appeared."</div></div> +</div> + +<p>It is scarcely true to say that the rocks <i>never</i> hear the sound of the +church-going bell, for with a westerly breeze the bells can be heard +quite plainly, and I have even heard a dog bark at that distance, which +shows how distinctly, and to what a great distance sound will travel +over water.</p> + +<p>If rocks have ears they must occasionally have been ravished by my +rendering of Sankey and Moody's hymns. If they have a memory they must +have learnt several of them by heart; in fact, have been so familiar +with them as to desire a change for something secular. They never +applauded me, but when the Heavens spoke with thunder they clapped their +granite hands till they cracked again.</p> + +<p>The last verse hits me again—quite a bull's eye:</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class='stanza'><div>"But the sea fowl is gone to her nest,</div> +<div class='i2'>The beast is laid down in his lair;</div> +<div>Even here is a season of rest,</div> +<div class='i2'>And I to my cabin repair.</div> +<div>There's mercy in every place,</div> +<div class='i2'>And mercy, encouraging thought!</div> +<div>Gives even affliction a grace,</div> +<div class='i2'>And reconciles man to his lot."</div></div> +</div> + +<p>Yes, I nightly had to repair to my cabin, and in the wet season had my +cabin to repair; but I made it so cosy, that like the last line, "it +reconciled me to my lot."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span></p> + +<p>Oh, Crusoe! how I would have loved to have shared Juan Fernandez with +thee! What a Friday I would have been, and what enjoyment I should have +discovered in everything—except black man killing! But even that I +should have taken my part in it if it came to the question "kill or be +killed."</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> It so happened that only a few years since, a young lady, +taking a row after church one Sunday evening, lost an oar overboard and +drifted out to sea. In the morning she was picked up (being then quite +out of sight of land) by a vessel bound for Canada, and actually taken +to Newfoundland, from whence in about a month she arrived home safely, +much to the joy of her sorrowing friends, who had given her up as +drowned.</p></div> +</div> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust023.png" width='300' height='88' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span><img src="images/illust091.png" width='550' height='129' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>A TRIP TO ST. SAMPSON'S HARBOUR—A HORRID PORCINE MURDER—A VOYAGE +ROUND SARK—NEARLY CAPSIZED—TRIP ROUND GUERNSEY—THE +PEPPER-BOX—CURIOSITY OF TOURISTS.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>From time to time I made many improvements in the "Yellow Boy," and +learnt her capabilities, so that in time I took quite long cruises as +far as Guernsey, and even to Sark.</p> + +<p>It will be remembered that two of the conditions my father imposed upon +me, were that I should not land on any other island nor speak to anyone +under any pretence whatever, and these rules I rigorously carried out. +Many a time passing boatmen hailed me, but a wave of the hand and my +finger pointed to my output tongue was the only answer they received, +consequently I was called the "Dumb Man of Jethou," or the "Yellow Boy," +and as such and by no other name many of the fishermen knew me. Those +who did not know my history pitied me as a kind of voiceless castaway or +semi-sane being.</p> + +<p>My long trips were sometimes undertaken on calm moonlight nights: one, I +remember, was to St.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> Sampson's Harbour, Guernsey. I started about three +a.m., and reached the harbour before four o'clock, so that I had a good +look around the little haven, and at the shipping before anyone was +astir. I moored to the cable of a big brigantine which was lying +alongside the wharf ready for her cargo of granite for London. Curb +stones, blocks for paving, and broken metal for macadam roads are all +shipped here to the amount of several thousand tons weekly, so that the +granite quarrying and dressing give occupation to about 2,000 men, +women, and children. Granite working and fruit growing are the two great +industries of the island, which seems to me to be composed principally +of two extremely different materials—granite and glass; at any rate it +is not the place for stone throwing.</p> + +<p>As I swung on the cable of the big ship, I made myself a cup of coffee; +for I always carried a small lamp stove with me, so that I could cook +the fish I caught fresh from the sea, or make myself a cup of tea or +coffee to wash my meal down with.</p> + +<p>I have since found, that within the memory of persons still alive, +Guernsey was nearly cut off from Vale Parish by an arm of the sea, which +flowed over the salt marshes at high tide, so that all communication was +cut off between the two parts of the island except by one little bridge +and the ferry boat. The bridge was about 380 yards west of St. Sampson's +Church; but at the present day pleasant meadows, houses, and roads take +the place of the broad stream of salt water and marshes, which formerly +made Guernsey and Vale separate islands twice a day, at the time of high +tide.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span></p> + +<p>Just before five o'clock when heads began to peep over bulwarks, and men +to appear on the quay, passing to their work, I thought it time to be +off, as my strange craft would be sure to attract attention, which I did +not court, so I packed up and made snug for sailing. I was only just in +time, for a bearded face looked over the bulwarks of the brigantine, and +hailed me with a "Good morning, mate!" but I only pointed to my mouth +and ears as I unmoored. When I looked up again as I pushed off there +were half a dozen merry faces peering over the side at me, and I could +see they were surprised at the "Yellow Boy" and her dumb skipper. As I +sculled out of the harbour I could hear their remarks and laughter, +despite my deaf-mutism, and would gladly have had a chat with them if it +had not been for my "rules," for these were the first human voices I had +heard close by me for nearly four months.</p> + +<p>Away I scudded, taking my way across the Little Russel, past the stone +fort, with its one pop-gun on top, which is supposed to dominate the +channel, standing as it does on a rocky islet midway between Guernsey +and Herm. If a modern warship meant business, the bellicose gunners of +this little inkpot-looking fort would have what the French call a +<i>mauvais quart d'heure</i>. Arrived home about seven I had all the day +before me. One of our poets says,</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class='stanza'><div>"The only way to lengthen our days,</div> +<div>Is to take a piece off of the night, my boys!"</div></div> +</div> + +<p>This I used frequently to do, but always took care to take <i>my</i> piece +off the night, so as to <i>prefix</i> the day<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> instead of making it a kind of +baccanalian <i>appendix</i>. I have sometimes had my day twenty hours long, +from two in the morning till ten at night; but with this I used +afterwards to take an antidote in the shape of ten or eleven hours' +sleep. On such occasions I always gave my animals a double allowance of +food, and if they were improvident enough to consume it, as if it were +carnival time, or a period of some great feast, that was their look out, +and after their feast came a fast, which at worst only gave them an +increased appetite, and did them no real harm.</p> + +<p>Speaking of appetite and eating, I must describe my first pig-killing. I +felt that I required pork, and the more I thought of it the more I was +convinced that I <i>must</i> have it, although a murder had to be committed +before I could have it either roast, boiled, or fried. Very well, what +easier! There were the two pigs, each about one hundred and forty pounds +weight; all I had to do was to kill one. Of course I would set about it +at once; but upon reflection I became aware that some courage was +required, and that I was totally ignorant of the work before me. +However, I sharpened a long knife and went and had a look at the pigs, +and the more I looked the less I liked my task; so much so, that after +half an hour I decided that I would have tinned mutton for dinner—the +pork would be too fresh, and perhaps it might be a dull day to-morrow, +and I should want something to do! So the pig received a respite. Next +morning when I awoke and considered how and when I should kill the pig, +I made the resolve that come what might "that day the pig should die."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span></p> + +<p>After breakfast I again sharpened the knife, as if it had become blunt +again in the night, and got up a razor edge on the weapon, and once more +proceeded to the stye. I selected my victim, and got one of my legs over +the wall of the enclosure; but then my heart failed me, it seemed as if +I was about to slay an old friend; indeed, they <i>were</i> old friends, +those two piggies, and I had had many a chat with them, in fact, could +almost understand their language of grunts.</p> + +<p>How was I going to secure my victim before giving the <i>coup de grace</i>? +Should he not be offered up on a stool? if so, I had not one to use; but +an idea struck me, and that idea I adopted. Over the stye, about ten +feet from the ground, the limb of a walnut tree stretched across, and my +idea was to drop a line over the bough and make it fast round the +porker's snout, haul him up on his hind legs, and bury my knife up to +the hilt in his throat about where I thought his heart was situated. +Away I went and procured my cord, threw the end over the limb, made a +noose, and got it in the pig's mouth and over his nose; then I hauled +away amid the most blood-curdling shrieks imaginable. I got him on his +hind legs, and then for the first time, as I took the knife from my +belt, I knew the full meaning of the word "coward." But the deed had to +be done, it would never do to let the animal die of old age while I +wanted meat; so, setting my teeth, plunge went the knife, and at the +same time in my eagerness to step back, down I fell backward over the +other pig, who turned and bit me in the thigh, and then as he rushed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> +away went full butt into his comrade, which broke the rope, and down +came the bleeding animal on top of me. I was in an awful state of filth, +and as I rose they both came at me again; in fact I might have been +seriously hurt had I not used my knife freely on the already-wounded +pig. Luckily the other ran away, or it might have been serious for me. +In falling a second time I went down with my leg under me, and could not +rise; but I drove the knife into the animal's breast with all my might, +and then, seizing him round the body with my arms, forced the hilt +further in with my chest, but instead of killing the beast, to my horror +the point came out of his back as he freed himself and walked away. I +rose and got out of the stye as nimbly as I possibly could, and sat down +to try and find my face through the accumulation of blood and filth, +which having done, I peeped over the stye wall, and found the pig still +alive; so, to end the poor thing's misery and my own, I took up my gun +and shot him dead. What a relief it was to see him lie stone still in an +instant. I vowed never to attempt a porcine murder again, and while I +was on the island the other pig had a good time of it, for as governor +of Jethou I abolished capital punishment, and if a pig's years were as +many as Methuselah's, he might enjoy them all before I should again +attempt to put a period to them.</p> + +<p>From assassination to boat sailing is a long stride but at least a +change.</p> + +<p>I performed two long voyages in my little craft; at least they seemed +long ones to me at the time, considering the dangers of navigation in +these rocky, swift seas.</p> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span><a name="p097.png" id="p097.png"></a><img src="images/p097.png" width='700' height='415' alt="A PORCINE MURDER." /></p> + +<p class='center'>A PORCINE MURDER.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span>One trip was to Sark, which lies about six miles south-east of Jethou. I +selected a beautiful day in August for this trip, and started at +daylight, about four a.m., well provisioned, and with "Begum" to +accompany me, for somehow I always felt safer with him beside me. A +light south-west wind was blowing, so we reached Sark by six a.m., and +mooring the boat at the foot of the Coupée, in a bay called Grand Gréve, +I prepared coffee, and had a very leisurely breakfast, wondering at +man's capacity for stowage; but that is due to the salt breeze which +never yet put a man's liver wrong.</p> + +<p>After enjoying the rocking in the bright warm sunshine, and watching the +tiny people crossing the Coupée (like the little men crossing a bridge +on a willow-patterned plate), three hundred feet overhead, off I started +again. I kept about two hundred yards from the precipitous sides of the +island, steering so close to the rock Moie de la Bretagne, which rises +ninety feet above the sea, that I touched it as we (my boat, dog, and I) +glided by.</p> + +<p>Next, into the romantic little bay of Port Gorey (just a lovers' +paradise), where I let "Begum" have a run ashore while I sketched. Here +are situate the mines which were abandoned many years ago as a dismal +failure, leaving as a legacy to those fond of sketching some ruinous +cottages and huge chimney shafts, which look down on the little Bay of +Gorey, as Gog and Magog look down on the visitors to the London +Guildhall.</p> + +<p>Leaving Gorey we had a good look at the rock called L'Etac de Sark with +its satellites, and gave them a wide berth, for their tooth-like +appearance is not at all pleasant when but an inch of wood lies between +one and a watery grave. L'Etac is the highest isolated rock round the +island, rising nearly two hundred feet above low water.</p> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span><a name="p099.png" id="p099.png"></a><img src="images/p099.png" width='700' height='410' alt="ROCKS AT SOUTH END OF SARK." /></p> + +<p class='center'>ROCKS AT SOUTH END OF SARK.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span>To save time, instead of sweeping the bays we made a straight line, so +as to pass between Point Derrible and La Couchée, and quickly arrived +off what one may suppose the most picturesque spot in the Channel +Isles—Creux Harbour, with its stumpy little breakwater pier and cave +cutting which gives entrance to the island. The half-dozen fishermen on +the quay gave us a cheer as we passed, in answer to a wave from my +yellow cap.</p> + +<p>On our right were the rocky islets, rising about one hundred feet above +the sea, called La Burons, and I passed just in time to see a sheep fall +with a plunge and splash into the sea, shot by a man in a boat. This +appeared to be the local way of slaughtering the sheep which are put on +the rocks to crop the sparse herbage which grows above high-water mark. +After a fortnight among the rocks sheep will get so agile and +surefooted, that a man has no chance with them in running or climbing, +hence the rifle has to be employed to obtain mutton.</p> + +<p>After passing Grand Moie (one hundred and seventeen feet)—there are no +other rocks of any magnitude—so keeping well out I stripped and tumbled +overboard, hanging now to the stern, and then swimming alongside, but +never more than a yard away, for fear a current might part my boat and +me. "Begum," of course, swam with me, and seemed to keep an eye on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> his +master, for he seldom went far away from me. Whenever I looked round his +dear old brown eyes were upon me, as if he would say, "How are you +getting on, master?"</p> + +<p>We rounded the northernmost point of Sark, a rock called Bec du Nez, +about twelve a.m., and with a fair wind ran into Port Jument, where we +hove to for dinner; then creeping round Point Moie de Mouton, anchored +off the famous Gouilot caves, and took a sketch, but could not by reason +of my compact enter them. This was very annoying, for I had heard so +much about them and their wonderful pools and anemonæ. Disappointedly +hauling in my anchor I steered for the Gouilot Pass, and like a fool +nearly lost myself and craft. The distance between Moie de Gouilot and +the island of Brechou is only about seventy yards, and as it was now +past three o'clock, a swift tide was pouring pell-mell through the +channel; this in my indolence I did not think of, and had like an ass +taken a turn of the sheet round a cleat, and somehow got it jammed. Away +went the "Yellow Boy," like a shot out of a gun, and as we passed +through, a big puff of wind came round the end of Brechou, and nearly +took the mast out before I could let go the sheet. Another two or three +inches more and we must have capsized, and it was only due to the boat +being rather heavily laden with cooking apparatus, gun, and cartridges, +extra provisions, and the weight of "Begum" (eighty pounds), who was +fortunately lying to windward, that we did not heel right over. As it +was we were all afloat in each compartment, so I ran into the beautiful +bay of Havre<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> Gosselin and anchored. It took an hour to bale out and +sponge dry and put everything in order for the run home. After +rightsiding, and when over my tea, I cast my eyes upon the beautiful +precipitous vale which comes down from a height of about one hundred and +fifty feet to the sandy shore. It was an exquisite sight in the full +glow of the western sun, and would make a lovely theme for a canvas. It +was an emerald valley, through the trees of which the sun glinted and +made splendid contrasts of light and shade so beloved by the artist, +while at the top of the vale, hung, or appeared to hang, half a dozen +fishermen's cottages, such as the aforesaid artist frequently looks for +in vain; but here they are, and perhaps my artistic friends may thank me +for pointing out these delightful "bits" to them.</p> + +<p>I lingered as long as prudence would allow at this enchanting spot, and +crept along the lee of Brechou Island to get a peep at its harbour or +port, and soon found it, facing due west, a snug little haven enough in +calm weather; but the very thought of trying to get into it in a heavy +sea was enough to make one shudder. A steep path leads up from the beach +to a farmhouse, which stands high upon the island; it is the <i>only</i> +habitation in the place.</p> + +<p>This island is probably larger than Jethou, but being so near Havre +Gosselin is not so lonely, as help may very quickly be summoned in case +of accident or illness.</p> + +<p>How I should have loved to pay the old farmer and his family a visit to +compare notes with him; but it could not be, and even if I had seen him +it is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> doubtful if I could have understood him, as doubtless he spoke +Sarkoise French, and with that language I was totally unacquainted. +Still, we might have had what the Indians call a "pow-wow," and +fraternised to some extent if only by signs.</p> + +<p>At a little past six away we steered for home, but with a head wind and +rather choppy sea, so there was no help for it but to tack, which made a +long trip of it; but to make it short to the reader we reached home +about nine p.m., tired, wet, and hungry, for it began to drizzle at +sundown. Still, I never enjoyed a trip better than this memorable one of +about twenty-five miles, although I was glad after supper to lay my head +down on my pillow (and dream it all over again).</p> + +<p>At the risk of wearying my readers I must tell them of a trip I took +round Guernsey about a month later.</p> + +<p>"Begum" went with me, that was now a matter of course, for directly the +boat was shoved off, he would jump in and take his seat as if he were +pilot: there was no getting him out again.</p> + +<p>Well provisioned and provided for casualties, we started at the somewhat +late hour of six a.m., and in an hour made the land opposite St. +Sampson's harbour, and peeped in on passing, so as to see the busy scene +of granite trimming, breaking, and loading, which goes on here from +sunrise to sunset all the year round. I could plainly hear the +detonations as shots were fired in the quarries, and the dull rumble of +the stone, as great masses of granite, which have been unmoved since the +creation, were rent asunder and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> toppled into the quarry below. Vale +Castle and Bordeaux harbour, where I anchored, look picturesque from +whatever points they are seen, whether from land or sea, and two hours +quickly glided by as I sketched the lovely little bits of scenery around +me. My plan was to take about half an hour for each sketch, to get the +general outline and feeling of color, so that on my return I had plenty +to occupy me on a rainy day.</p> + +<p>The next point of interest was a little rocky island just past Bordeaux, +called Hommet Paradis, which is the scene of the death of Victor Hugo's +hero, Gilliatt, as related in "The Toilers of the Sea." He creates a +splendid hero, and in the last chapter makes him commit suicide in an +impossible manner. He causes his hero to stand in the sea, so that the +tide rises up to his feet, his knees, his waist, his shoulders, till, +still watching the vessel which bears his love from him through his own +stupid act, nothing but his head remains. Then the tide continues to +rise, and as the vessel vanishes on the horizon, "the head of Gilliatt +disappears. Nothing was visible now but the sea." Surely he might have +left a lock of hair or a sigh to mark the spot where he disappeared. I +have tried on even a very calm day to stand as Hugo's hero did, and let +the tide rise around me, but find the thing an impossibility. The motion +of the rising tide would lift one off their feet long before the water +rose above their shoulders, and as to making the man stand <i>still</i> and +drown, why the idea is ludicrous. But as Hugo created his hero, why +should he not be allowed to destroy him as he likes? The book<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> (except +the last chapter) is an exquisite piece of word painting, but I always +wish he had made a happy end of his hero. I felt this so much when I +read it on Jethou (for the third or fourth time) that I actually +re-wrote the last chapter for my own edification, and made Gilliatt +marry Dérnchette willy-nilly, so that everything ended properly, and the +lovers "lived happily ever after."</p> + +<p>North Guernsey (called Parish) is very uninteresting, in fact, from the +sea it looks a perfectly flat wilderness or desert, and I was glad when +the "Yellow Boy" glided into the deep clear blue water of Grand Havre, +where we moored for lunch.</p> + +<p>Here an incident occurred which might have caused me to go ashore +against my wish. While peppering some fish I was eating, the lid came +off my little tin box, and the contents were strewn thickly on my food. +Some of the condiment I scooped back into the box, and then gave a +mighty puff to blow the rest off my plate, when, unluckily blowing +against the wind, some of it blew into my eyes, causing me exquisite +pain for some time, necessitating my rubbing them.</p> + +<p>Had I remembered the Spanish proverb, "Never rub your eyes but with your +elbows," I should have saved myself a lot of needless pain, for they +became quite inflamed. I bathed them first in tepid water and afterwards +in cold, and then sat down in the bottom of the boat with a wet +handkerchief over them for an hour. This did them much good, but still +they felt very hot and inflamed. I could only just see to pick my way +among the shoals of rocks<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> along this west coast, and consequently made +very slow progress. Saline, Cobo, and Vazon Bays were all sailed slowly +through, and very pretty they were; but it now dawned upon me that I +should not see Jethou to-night, as it was already approaching the +gloaming of the day. Lowering the sail I put out the sculls, and paddled +back to a little inlet I had noticed near Cobo Bay, called Albecq Cove, +a rocky little inlet, but nicely sheltered from the south-west wind, +then gently blowing. Here I made all snug for the night; put on my +kettle to boil water for tea, while with the sail I made a kind of +awning to roof in the boat should it come on to rain, and made myself +generally comfortable.</p> + +<p>At nine p.m. I went to sleep, and at four a.m. was up again getting +ready for a start. My eyes felt nearly well again, but still rather +weak, so, stripping, I jumped overboard, and had a swim and dive, then +dressed, and after a cup of coffee felt no more of the eye soreness.</p> + +<p>Between Lihou Island and the shore I moored in shallow water to make a +sketch of the remains of what are said to have once been a Priory, +standing on the island, and which have since been used as a manufactory +of iodine, although it is now discontinued. When my sketch was nearly +completed, I became suddenly aware, by reason of the cessation of +motion, that my craft was aground. Sure enough so it was, for the tide +had left me on the causeway (laid bare at low tide), which serves as a +means of communication with the shore for the family who occupy the only +house on the eighteen-acre<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> island. I jumped up and seized the oars, and +pushed with main and utmost might, but the "Yellow Boy" refused to +budge, and I was in a quandary. The tide would not float me for another +three or four hours, so to wait would spoil my whole morning, and if I +stepped overboard and pushed off, should I not be breaking my contract +by landing? I sat down a few minutes and held council with myself, and +came to the conclusion that to stand in a foot of water was not +<i>landing</i>, so over I jumped, and by dint of a great deal of pushing, +hauling, perspiring, and the use of interjections (not profane, for I +never use a bad word), I got her off into deep water, and jumped in, +resolving never to anchor again in fleet water with a falling tide.</p> + +<p>From Lihou I made a bee-line to the Hanois lighthouse, which stands +about a mile from the shore, and forcibly reminds one of the Longship +Light off Land's End, Cornwall. I passed so close that the two men who +were standing on the rocks with a tub between them doing their week's +washing, asked me ashore; but I made a gurgling noise in my throat, and +pointed to my ears and mouth as I passed on. I meant them to understand +by this that I was a deaf mute, but they evidently took me for a +lunatic, as I could hear by their remarks.</p> + +<p>Rounding Pleinmont Point, upon which stands the dreary, solitary stone +house mentioned so frequently in Hugo's "Toilers of the Sea," I caught +the south breeze which was now blowing very fresh, and having a lea +shore on my left, I had to give it rather a wide berth till I came to La +Moye Point, where I turned<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> into Petit Bo Bay for my mid-day meal, that +being somewhat sheltered from the wind. It is a lovely little haven, and +so I found Icart, Moulin-Huet, and Fermain Bays, with their Titanic +surroundings.</p> + +<p>While moored in Fermain Bay admiring the beautiful scene, the wooded +slopes of the environing hills, the grand rocks, the pretty little +semicircular stretch of yellow sandy beach, the puny little martello +tower, and other items of interest, I discovered that while my +surroundings were interesting <i>me</i>, that I was also interesting my +surroundings, for I found I was gradually being surrounded by boats. +These contained pleasure parties, to whom the fishermen had evidently +told the story of my Crusoe life, and they were therefore anxious to get +a near view of me and my curious craft, while "Begum" came in for his +share of attention also.</p> + +<p>Some of the people wished to speak to me, but I up anchor, and with my +usual dumb appeal to my ears and mouth tried to get away, but there was +so little wind under the great cliffs that my progress was very slow, so +I had to sit, tiller and sheet in hand, while my tormentors said their +say, to me and about me, in French, German, and English. One young lady, +when she found I was dumb to her enquiries, made a confidant of "Begum," +and told him how she would like to see over Crusoe's island, as she +called Jethou, but all to no purpose, for, like his master, the dog was +dumb also, though not deaf.</p> + +<p>I should have bubbled over with pleasure to show the damsel my island +and resources; but all I could do was to raise my yellow cap, and expand +my mouth<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> horizontally across my face, to signify my approval of her +attention to <i>my dog</i>!</p> + +<p>As the boat crept out from the headland of Fermain Bay my yellow sail +began to draw, and very soon I left my pursuers behind. I had become so +used to my queer yellow boat and its yellow sail and flag, that I had +long ceased to see anything peculiar in it; but of course to other eyes +my craft and its crew were a source of speculation and surprise. After +this I never went near Guernsey again during the day-time.</p> + +<p>I made a straight run for home now, but somehow felt rather melancholy, +and could not get the young lady's face out of my mind. I felt somewhat +depressed to think I was fleeing from my fellow-men, as if I had +committed some grave offence and could not face them; but when once my +foot touched Jethou's shore (about seven p.m.) my thoughts and +melancholia vanished. There I was, home again, patting "Eddy's" back, +and pulling his long ears, and feeding the pig, and milking the goat, +getting ready my tea, and finally stretching my weary legs to take out +the kinks, which a couple of days in an open boat will put into any +man's limbs.</p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust076.png" width='300' height='83' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span><img src="images/illust042.png" width='550' height='130' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>HARVEST OPERATIONS—EXPLORE LA CREUX DERRIBLE, AND NEARLY LOSE MY +LIFE—CRUSOE ON CRUTCHES—AN EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY—KILL A +GRAMPUS—OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS—MAKE AN OVERFLOW PUMP.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>After my boating adventures I began to think it was high time I should +spend a week or two ashore, looking after my crops and the estate +generally.</p> + +<p>It was now September, and my apples and pears were ripe, and so were the +lovely mulberries. The giant tree was a sight to behold, with its +bushels of red, purple, and blackish-ruby fruit. I might have gathered +enough fruit and vegetables to have supplied a small community +throughout the season, so prolific is the soil, and encouraging to +vegetation the air.</p> + +<p>My potatoes turned out remarkably well—free from blemish, and of good +flavour. I must have had two or three tons, and went through the labour +of digging them and picking up all the tiny ones, as if I expected or +feared a famine. The pig's winter food was assured, at all events.</p> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span><a name="p111.png" id="p111.png"></a><img src="images/p111.png" width='700' height='407' alt="THE MAIN PATH OF THE ISLAND." /></p> + +<p class='center'>THE MAIN PATH OF THE ISLAND.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span>Long previous to this I had cut and gathered my hay crop, which was to +form the chief sustenance for "Eddy," and the goat, "Corny," for the +next five or six months. This I made into a neat stack close to the +house, and thatched thickly with brakes, beside which I covered it with +tarpaulin, and girded it about with old chain-cable to prevent its being +blown away: also I guarded the base with a surrounding of wire-netting +to preserve it from the rabbits.</p> + +<p>The crop I took most pleasure in was the barley, which I looked upon as +my legitimate harvest; the other crops seeming to be more like gardening +than real harvest work. I cut every handful with a reaping hook, which +took a long time; but as I had not a scythe this was my only way of +cutting it down. True, the Channel Islands mode of harvesting the barley +is to pull it up by the roots, a handful at a time, knocking the soil +off the roots upon the toe of the boot; but this seemed to me such an +un-English method that I would have nothing to do with it.</p> + +<p>After it had lain to dry for three or four days I called "Eddy" and my +solid-wheeled cart into requisition, and took it, load by load, down the +rocky path to the store-house, where I placed it all safely away in the +upper chamber. The pathway was so narrow in places that the deviation of +a few inches would have caused donkey, load, and cart, to be +precipitated scores of feet down the abrupt slope into the sea beneath. +To avoid this catastrophe I had to take a pick-axe and shovel, and +devote a whole day to widening it in parts, making this, the main path +to the top of the island, nowhere less than four feet wide.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span></p> + +<p>I rode home atop of the last load, and at my own door drank my own +health, with three cheers for everything and everybody, to which "Flap," +the gull gave a kind of croak, by way of approval to my sentiments.</p> + +<p>While my harvest was in progress I met with an adventure which might +have terminated the harvesting and my existence at the same time.</p> + +<p>It was a boisterous day. I was tired of digging potatoes, for my back +ached, and I wanted a rest. The Cotills being near the awful crater-like +mouth of La Creux Derrible, I thought I would go and explore it, and +find out in my own way, all about it; so, dropping my occupation, I +wandered slowly down the zig-zag, bracken-hemmed path, lit my pipe, and +prepared myself for laziness for an hour.</p> + +<p>When I am lazy I like to be <i>thorough</i>. I cannot bear to be half at work +and half at play; it is neither one thing nor another. So on this +occasion I strolled quietly down the pathway, which zig-zags seven or +eight times before it ends abruptly on the brow of a little cliff facing +La Fauconnaire. I scrambled down the cliff, across the beach, and over +the rocks which form a barrier to the entrance of the cavern leading to +the Creux. I noticed that the tide allowed an entrance to be effected, +so I climbed in over the gigantic boulders with which the floor of the +black cavern is covered, and soon found myself standing on the pebbly +floor of the chasm, looking up at its perpendicular sides, and admiring +the various ferns, weeds, and flowers which grew in beauty from its many +clefts and fissures. Then I saw something<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> move in a hole near my feet, +and found it to be a wounded rabbit, which had apparently fallen down +the shaft from one of the little ledges a hundred and fifty feet above. +The timid little fellow did not attempt to run away, so, picking him up, +I examined him and discovered that both his fore legs were broken, and +it quite hurt me to see the pitiful look he gave with his bright, +prominent, gazelle-like eyes. I fondled the wounded animal, and looking +upward intently, presently saw other little rodents hopping round little +ledges near the top, which did not appear, from where I stood, to be so +wide as their bodies; but there they were, and although I waited +expectantly for a long time for a prospective dinner, no others fell +upon me. I should have been afraid to shoot at them had I had my gun, +for fear of detaching pieces of rock, which, falling from such a height, +might have crushed my skull in.</p> + +<p>Seeing it was hopeless to think of saving the poor little bunny's life, +I gave him the "regulation stretch," and quieted him for ever. It seemed +strange that I should have cared for this one's life, and would have +saved it if I could, when I was daily trapping and shooting them in all +directions.</p> + +<p>I think it was his plaintive look that did it, or the consciousness that +I was a superior being, and had his little life (to a certain extent) at +my command, just as our Father above has mine; but anyway, in his +wounded state I knew that death was his best friend. Looking round I at +once realized what death meant—death in a terrible form—not to a +rabbit, but <i>death to myself</i>—and for a moment I felt paralyzed; for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> +there was the sea creeping in upon me, not ten yards away. The roof of +the cavern through which I had to pass, did not appear far above the +water at the outer mouth. As I gazed along the tunnel-like aperture the +waves continually broke, sending spray to the roof, shutting out much of +the daylight seaward, though from the opening above me the sunlit sky +shed its light upon me.</p> + +<p>Could I find a means of climbing up the perpendicular sides of my +prison, if only a few feet? No, I could not see a spot where even a +squirrel could ascend. What was to be done? The outlet was now filled to +the roof with the incoming tide, which here has a rise of from +twenty-five to thirty feet from low to high tide.</p> + +<p>The sea reached my feet, and to my excited imagination felt like the +fingers of death trying to clutch me. But I am not one to give up +without a big struggle, and I made up my mind to attempt to swim round +and round the opening, <i>like a rat in a pail</i>, if it came to the worst; +but although I am a good swimmer, I doubted my ability to keep afloat +for three or four hours, with a heavy sea pouring into the circular +cavity, which would presently be filled with a whirlpool of seething, +foaming water. I should be knocked and buffeted from side to side +against the adamantine rocks till I was dead, then tossed and played +with till the tide ran out and carried my body into the vast ocean +beyond, as food for fishes. My friends would never hear of me again, and +my animals on the island would starve till—yes, why not try?</p> + +<p>My soliloquy was cut short by noticing a crag<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> project beyond the others +about ten or twelve feet from the ground. Why could I not throw my +doubled silk sash over it, and haul myself up? I would try.</p> + +<p>The sea was now up to my knees, and was beginning to exert a rotary +motion, which, as the tide rose, would increase in velocity. So off came +my waist-sash, and after a few attempts it lodged over the boss of rock; +then to strengthen it I twisted it like a double rope, and carefully +hauled myself up it, hand over hand, till I grasped the protruding rock; +but as it only jutted out a few inches there was no possibility of +sitting upon it, so I gradually worked my way up by clutching at any +inequalities in the surrounding rock till I got one knee upon it, and +there I hung, with my fingers bent over a fissure like fish-hooks. How I +envied the rabbits overhead, who occasionally dislodged the <i>detritus</i> +of rock, which fell upon me. What would I not have given to be back on +the ledges of the Cotills, digging potatoes! But there I was, like a rat +in a trap, with no means of egress.</p> + +<p>In a short time my fingers became cramped, and the sharp rock cut my +knee to such an extent that the perspiration broke out clammily on my +forehead, as I realised that in a few minutes I must loose my hold and +drop into the whirling water beneath, unless I could find some other +means of supporting myself. I looked about, and presently found a small +hole for my right hand—one deep enough to get a fairly good hold +upon—and putting my fingers into this, I gently let my left hand glide +down the rock and bring up the sash on that side. This I placed in my +mouth,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> gently changed hands and hauled up the right end of the sash, +then, after many attempts, with my mouth and right hand I managed to tie +a knot in it so as to form the sash into a short endless band. This I +dropped down, and putting my foot in the loop, had a somewhat secure +support.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="p117.png" id="p117.png"></a><img src="images/p117.png" width='700' height='605' alt="La CREUX DERRIBLE" /></p> + +<p class='center'><span class="smcap">La CREUX DERRIBLE</span>.</p> + +<p>There I hung for about three hours, till the tide only left about two +feet of water on the upper part of the floor of the cavern. When I +attempted to descend I found I could not straighten my right leg because +of the constant pressure for such a long time upon the knee-joint, so I +waited till the cave floor was almost bare, and then let myself <i>fall</i> +down as gently as possible. I was not hurt by the fall, but could not +stand,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> as my knee would not allow itself to be straightened. I sat down +for an hour till the tide allowed me to hop out in great pain. Oh, how +glad I was to be out of that dreadful place; and even in my crippled +state I rejoiced at my liberty! Upon getting to the foot of the Cotills +cliff, I whistled for my faithful "Begum," but no "Begum" came, so I sat +down and rested, and whistled, and whistled again, till presently away +he came tumbling down the breech in the cliffs, to my great delight. +After a bit I despatched him to fetch "Eddy," and while that worthy was +on his way to my help, managed, with great exertion and risk, to scale +the cliff. "Eddy" bore me up the zig-zag, and home by the lower path, +and thankful indeed was I to get there.</p> + +<p>I bathed my knee, and did all I could for it, but it was many days +before I fully recovered the use of the limb; in fact, for three days I +used a crutch, which helped me along famously. Fancy a Crusoe on +crutches! After this adventure I made up my mind that I was not born to +be drowned.</p> + +<p>Now, a week after my Creux adventure another incident occurred which +greatly influenced my career both as regards my stay on the island and +my after life. This was a curious discovery I made quite by accident.</p> + +<p>It happened to be a very wet morning when I rose, and looked as if it +would continue all day, so I thought I would stay indoors and tidy up my +dwelling. I soon prepared my breakfast, and sat down to enjoy it, and as +I and my dog were discussing it, I could not help noticing the +dilapidated state of the stained and ragged wall-paper. It had probably +been on many years, and I recollected that somewhere among my stores I +had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> about a dozen rolls of new paper, so I said to myself, "Why not +strip the walls and re-paper the room?"</p> + +<p>Good! I soon cleared the room, and with a pail of water and a brush +began to soak the old paper and strip it off, when I found, to my +surprise, that it was several layers thick—five at least—while +underneath all was a kind of netting of some sort of linen-looking +fabric. I surmised that this was to give a better adhesive power to the +paste, as probably the walls might be damp, although they did not appear +to be so. So I tore the various papers off the wall, till I clumsily +dragged off a piece of the netting also. The netting came quite off in +my hand; a circular piece, about eighteen inches across. I examined it +to see what it really was, and to my amazement discovered it was a +beautiful lace collar. What a curious way of putting a collar on I +thought, and returned to the wall to see if it wore any other finery, +and quickly discovered that the four walls were covered all over with +lace of beautiful design. There were pieces of all shapes and sizes, and +most of it of exquisite workmanship; so, packing it into a trunk with +plenty of tobacco among it to keep away insects, I sealed it up, and +stood it in a dry place for future consideration.</p> + +<p>Even this curious find was not all I discovered, nor the most important, +although at the time I made my second discovery I did not attach any +value to it. It was this. When I came to the third side of the room, +opposite the door, I came upon a sort of niche or cupboard, close up to +the ceiling, which had no door, but simply a piece of lace tacked over +the aperture, and then thickly papered over some seven or eight times.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> +The opening was about ten inches high, eight inches wide, by six inches +deep, and in it stood two leathern drinking cups, capable of containing +about a pint each. In the first I took down was a tiny vial and three +gem rings, and in the second a small roll of paper, which upon unrolling +I found to be about two feet long by four inches wide. Upon it, in very +faded ink, was a long list of something in French. It looked like a very +heavy washing bill, and I was about to throw it away when I reflected +that it might tell something about the lace and the rings, so I rolled +it up in a linen bandage, and put it and the other articles in my +clothes box, so that some day I might get it deciphered.</p> + +<p>All this made me very excited, and I am afraid my thoughts were more on +my discoveries than upon my work, for the new paper was very badly put +on the walls; it was not hung perpendicularly, and had several gaping +joints, which annoyed me all the time I was on the island. But I had not +paper enough to recover the walls, as I used the rest for my +bed-chamber; therefore it remained, a lasting memorial of my +slovenliness and bad workmanship.</p> + +<p>About this time I shot a curious specimen—too large for stuffing—a +grampus. I was in my boat one day fishing for whiting, when I heard a +peculiar noise behind me, and looking round, saw a huge monster rise +from the sea about a hundred yards off, and make straight for me. Before +getting to the boat he dived again and again, when I saw that it was +apparently a young whale. Instinctively I clutched my gun, and as the +monster dived within a dozen yards of my boat I watched its rising; up +he came, not twenty feet away,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> whereupon I let him have both barrels at +the back of his head, and to my surprise he immediately turned over, +belly upward, gave a shudder, and was dead. I took my prize in tow, and +found on landing that it was upwards of ten feet long, and must have +weighed several hundredweight, for out of the water it was perfectly +unmanageable. I had to yoke "Eddy" and myself together, and drag the +monster above high water-mark, till I decided what to do with it.</p> + +<p>In the morning I took off the skin, which would have made excellent +leather, but I had no means of tanning it, so was jettisoned. Beneath +the skin was a thick layer of blubber, and this I flayed off, making +myself in a pretty pickle, and soon had a large pile of this reeking +adipose deposit. Then I brought my copper on the beach, as it was a +portable one, and lighting a fire I "tryed," or boiled my blubber down +and had several gallons to bottle by the end of the day.</p> + +<p>The flesh, I believe, is eatable, but it looked so dark and rich that I +was afraid to cook a piece and try it. Grampus is, no doubt, all very +well for shipwrecked mariners, but as I had plenty of other food the +carcase followed the skin into the sea. As it glided into the rough +water the oil exuded, and made a large patch of calm water as smooth as +a mill-pond.</p> + +<p>This gave me a splendid idea for using the oil. For the future I would +always take some with me on my boating expeditions! I did, and put it in +a bottle which I kept near the bows, and whenever I got into +difficulties near rocks or in a rough sea I could command a calm. This +power I used on many occasions, and with invariable success. For +instance, if my lines<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> got foul in a choppy sea, I could make the sea +calm, and get my gear out of tangle capitally, which, with the pitching +of my craft and the "send" of the following waves, would have otherwise +been a nearly hopeless task. Another use I put the oil to was to pour +some on my fish pond and bring the surface to a perfect calm; then I +could study my fish as well as if they were simply under a sheet of +glass, while by lying flat down on the margin of the pool, with my face +near the water, I could see even the most minute object on the bottom. +Looking into this pool was to me like looking into another world. Once +when very intent upon the doings of some spider-crabs, the rock upon +which I leaned my chest and hands gave way beneath my weight, and I was +immediately transformed into a fish, or at any rate, for some moments I +was an occupant of the same element and abode as the fish; but I soon +scrambled out without even a crab or lobster taking the opportunity of +tweaking my nose.</p> + +<p>To keep up my supply of oil I was continually on the look out for +grampuses or porpoises; but I did not see another of the former, +although plenty of the latter were to be seen at times—generally out of +range. Two I shot, but I believe when hit they sink. Anyway I did not +see either of them again, although the water was coloured with blood, +shewing that my aim had been true. I doubly wished to get a porpoise, +for the sake of its oil, and also to cut a steak and try its flavour, as +I have heard that in some of the ports on the eastern seaboard of the +United States, boats are fitted out to capture young porpoises for the +hotels, as porpoise calf is considered a delicacy. If cod liver oil is +good for consumptives, why not porpoise cutlets?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span></p> + +<p>How I would have liked to place a porpoise in my fish pond! What a +rumpus he would have caused? I might have seen him then in his habit as +he lived.</p> + +<p>My bucket pump frequently took it into its head to go on strike; that +is, it would work when it pleased, and be idle if it wished; so I had to +supplement it with another kind of apparatus. This contrivance was by +using a nine-foot length of four-inch iron piping, which I found in the +boat-store, and which had probably belonged to some vessel as the barrel +of a pump, or something of the kind. To this I fitted a long wooden +piston, having a wooden disk on the end, through which I cut a circular +hole, and fitted over it a leathern valve. When I pushed this piston +down into the water the valve would open and the water would enter the +barrel, and when I drew the piston up the valve would close and draw the +water to the mouth of the pipe, where it poured out of a hole a few +inches from the top into a wooden trough, which conveyed it into the +pool. This meant hard manual labour; but as I only had to use it about +once a week it was exercise for me, and I enjoyed it. So did the fish, +for they would come to the new water in numbers, either because of the +food contained in the water, or because of its coolness in the hot +weather, or some other reason that I am not scientist enough to fathom.</p> + +<p>My pond was my place of meditation, and often I would dream a couple of +hours away, thinking of home and those dear to me. I was like Adam, and +sometimes sadly sighed for my Eve; but Eve, otherwise Priscilla, was +hundreds of miles away; so I sighed and yawned, and made myself very +content with my dog and gun, and other belongings.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span><img src="images/illust053.png" width='550' height='125' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>A STORM AND A WRECK—THE CASTAWAY—DEAD—A NIGHT OF HORROR—THE +BOATHOUSE DESTROYED—A BURIAL AT SEA.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Winter was now rapidly approaching, but before its advent something of a +very grave nature happened.</p> + +<p>It had been a very blustering day, with occasional showers of sleet, +when about four p.m. I found myself standing by the watch-house, holding +my hat on; the sun fast setting in a very angry-looking sky.</p> + +<p>Evidently a storm was brewing, so I hauled my saucy little "Yellow Boy" +high above high-water line, and made everything snug before I went +indoors just after darkness had fallen all around. I felt uncomfortable +somehow, but could not tell why; but when the time for bed came, and the +wind was howling round the house as if it meant to cast it bodily into +the sea, I did not for some reason care to turn in; so replenishing my +lamp I sat down to read, but the wind shook the casements so roughly +that I had to give it up. About midnight, although it was late in the +autumn, a flash of lightning lit up the room and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> startled me; in a few +seconds the thunder began to roll, but a long way off.</p> + +<p>I sat waiting for another flash, and presently it came, this time with +the thunder much nearer. A little while and another more vivid flash, +with the thunder close to its heels, upon which I started up on the +impulse of the moment and donned my oilskin suit and sou'wester and +sallied out into the night; why I knew not. At first the night was pitch +dark, but a flash of brilliant lightning seemed to light up the whole +island, while at the same time came a crash of thunder, such as I hope +never to hear the like of again. It was as if the whole of the granite +island had been shivered to atoms by some awful volcanic crash; in fact, +I thought it was an earthquake. It only lasted a few seconds, but it +seemed to literally paralyze me; so much so, that I thought I should +have fallen. Other flashes succeeded, one of them striking a granite +block, which it shivered to pieces, although it weighed many tons, and +in the shock appeared itself to be broken; that is, it seemed like the +first stroke of a smith's hammer upon a red hot piece of iron, when the +sparks fly off in every direction. I dare not go along that path, +although it was now probably the safest; but as I went towards the beach +I could see the lightning run among the wet rocks like phosphorus.</p> + +<p>As I stood by the watch-house I fancied I could detect human voices +crying for aid, but put it down to my imagination, till I saw, to my +horror, not a hundred yards from the shore, a French Chasse-maré, or +fishing boat, driving straight for the rocks. I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> shouted, but the noise +of the breaking sea rendered it inaudible five yards off against such a +wind. Two of her three masts were gone, and by the next flash I could +distinguish several men crouching by the bulwarks, and one at the +tiller. Then came a sudden lurch and a dead stop, a tremendous sea +crashed on deck, and I knew she had struck the rocks on the beach not +fifty yards from where I stood.</p> + +<p>Heaven help them, for no earthly power could. I was helpless to render +the slightest assistance. I could only pray, and that I did fervently. +Doubtless the men would jump into the sea, with the very remote chance +of being thrown ashore alive, but that was very improbable.</p> + +<p>Still, there <i>was</i> a chance, and I went along the beach, as far as the +nature of the rocky shore would allow me, up and down, up and down, like +a dog on a race course, till at last, among a lot of cordage and fishing +gear, I thought I espied a man cast ashore, and so it was. He was +entangled in the mass of wreckage, and appeared dead. As I thought a +spark of life might still remain, I tried to disengage him, but try as I +would I could not disentangle his legs, so had recourse to my knife to +cut away the ropes which held him so fast. This I found a long process, +but at length I freed the poor fellow, and carried, or rather half +dragged him to the shelter of some rocks, and tried to revive him. His +heart still beat, so I ran to the house and got a bundle of straw and +some brandy. With the straw I made him a kind of bed, as he was a big +man, and the pathway too steep for me to carry him up, and pouring some +brandy into his mouth as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> he lay back I succeeded in causing him to open +his eyes, after about twenty minutes. I chafed his hands and did all I +could for him, and then ran back to procure more comforts. When I +returned he appeared much better; but although he looked at me he +appeared unable to speak, although he made a curious unintelligible +noise, such as one hears a dumb man make when he wishes to call a +person's attention. I noticed that blood was oozing from the corners of +his mouth, and signed to him to open it, when, to my horror, I perceived +that he had bitten his tongue completely off; hence his inability to +articulate. I then proceeded to examine him all over, but when I touched +his body he gave great groans, so that I would fain have left him alone, +had I not considered it my duty to act the Good Samaritan to him.</p> + +<p>I tried to persuade him by signs to rise, that I might support him to +the house, but he shook his head and groaned again, when it occurred to +me that his legs might be injured, and this I found to be but too true; +both his thighs were broken. Then an idea came happily to my mind, I +would fetch my donkey and cart, and so endeavour to get him by a +circuitous route to the house and put him to bed.</p> + +<p>Away I went and harnessed my faithful servant to his wonderful cart, and +was back again in about twenty minutes; but that short period had bereft +me of my patient, for when I bent over him to see if he were better, I +found he was again senseless. Taking up the lantern so that it shed its +full light on his face, I at once saw, to my consternation, that he was +dead. His eyes were wide open, and his teeth clenched in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> such a ghastly +manner as to make me, for a brief time, tremble with horror to think I +was thus left alone with a corpse.</p> + +<p>I threw a handful of straw over the awful countenance, and went home in +an unutterable frame of mind, as to me death has a most unnerving +effect. I laid down on my bed, after taking off my wet oil skins; but +sleep would not give me the oblivion I so craved till dawn. Sometimes I +dozed off, but only to dream horribly, so that I would awake in a great +perspiration, and with my nerves thoroughly unstrung, I would start to +my feet and gaze round the room, as if I expected some dread visitor. It +was an awful night for me.</p> + +<p>About four o'clock in the morning I had just dozed off again, when a +loud gust of wind gave my window an extra hard rattle, which woke me. I +laid quite still, but presently heard a curious shuffling outside my +door, which made me sit upright upon my bed, with my eyes starting from +my head, and riveted upon the door, which gradually opened with a +peculiar sliding noise, little by little, in jerks, and as it did so I +could feel my hair move on my head, as if trying to stand on end with +horror, but as it was very long it could only move in locks like +writhing eels. Little by little the door opened, and I expected to see +my black-bearded dead giant, with the awful face enter. I looked +instinctively near the top of the door for the face to show itself; but +such an awful visitant I was not doomed to see, though in his place, and +much nearer the floor, appeared a black head surmounted by a pair of +pointed horns. My eyes seemed as if they would fly from their sockets +at this sight, but only for a minute, for a body followed the head, +which was perfectly familiar to me—<i>it was my goat</i>.</p> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span><a name="p129.png" id="p129.png"></a><img src="images/p129.png" width='700' height='457' alt="TOO LATE!" /></p> + +<p class='center'>TOO LATE!</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span>I dropped upon my bed, overcome by the sudden change from horror to joy, +and laid there for some minutes, till the faithful Nanny came and licked +my ear and brought me back to consciousness again.</p> + +<p>I afterward accounted for her unexpected visit by surmising that the +wind must have blown open the outer door and let her into the passage, +as I had never fastened the doors, although the outer ones were provided +with bolts. Then Miss Nanny must have pushed open the door of my room +with a series of prods with her nose, and as she did so the old rug, +which I always threw at the bottom of the door to keep out the draught, +was gradually forced back till she had made sufficient space for the +admission of her body.</p> + +<p>Oh, the horrors of that night! Shall I ever forget them? No, not if I +live to the age of Noah, who ran his grandfather, Methuselah, very close +in the race of years.</p> + +<p>Day <i>did</i> dawn at last, and putting out my lamp I slept soundly for +several hours; in fact, when I awoke it was mid-day, and the sun shining +down pleasantly from a blue and cloudless sky.</p> + +<p>I breakfasted, fed my animals, and then—then! <i>What of the dead man +lying on the beach?</i> I shuddered at the mere idea of going near the poor +fellow. I dreaded gazing upon that face again—it <i>must</i> be done, still +it need not be done <i>just</i> yet. I would take a walk round the island and +see if the storm had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> thrown up anything else upon the shore, and give +myself time to think what I should do with the dead Frenchman. I would +walk the reverse way round to that which I usually did; that is to go +round past the boathouse, and thus along the east shore. This I did so +that I might make the tour of the island before seeing the dreadful man +again.</p> + +<p>Gun on shoulder, and dog at heel, I started slowly along, but had not +gone more than two hundred yards—in fact, had only just got in sight of +the boathouse—when I was startled by its changed appearance. The roof +was completely gone, and so were huge masses of the walls, the stones of +which were scattered thickly about the pathway along which I was +walking. I was so excited by the curious appearance that I actually ran +towards the building, as if the remaining portion had made up its mind +to take its flight after the part which was missing.</p> + +<p>When I arrived at the ruins I soon discerned what had taken place. The +lightning had struck it last night, and what felt to me like an +earthquake was the explosion of my large cask of gunpowder. The +boathouse was a complete ruin, and the ruin involved the loss of many +things of great value to me, among them being my canoe, most of my lamp +oil, paints, and above all, tools.</p> + +<p>I was like the prophet Jeremiah weeping over Jerusalem, for I sat down +on a rock, and viewing the desolation around me, wept also. Then I dried +my wet cheeks, and there and then set about clearing the ruin. But it +was a great task, and would take several days before I could clear the +debris and recover such<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> goods and chattels as were not totally +destroyed. I dug, I heaved over great masses of granite wall which had +been tumbled inward and outward by the explosion, I sawed through beams +and hacked through rafters with an axe, but my thoughts were not +altogether with my work.</p> + +<p>Every man has a skeleton in his cupboard, but I had more; I had a whole +carcase lying near my house, and this occupied my mind as much as my +labour. As I thought of it, so the harder I worked, but to no purpose, +and presently, for a spell of breathing, I sat down, axe in hand, upon a +beam, and resolved to decide there and then what to do.</p> + +<p>During the daylight I did not so much mind my dread visitor, but it was +the approaching night I did not like. Why are we so much more in fear of +unseen things at night than during the day? Whence comes the spell of +dread that night brings beneath its black wing? Does darkness affect the +nerves of a blind man as it does that of one with his full visual +powers? I think not. Probably day and night are but as one to the blind. +Then why does darkness bring a certain awe to ordinary mortals?</p> + +<p>But to resume the thread of my narrative.</p> + +<p>It appeared to me that there were three courses open to me. I could fire +the cannon (I had a few pounds of powder in the store near the house) +and summon aid; I could dig a grave and bury the body; or I could hitch +on my donkey and drag it down to the water at low tide, and let it be +washed whithersoever the sea should take it.</p> + +<p>I did not like either of these plans. If I fired the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> cannon it would +bring a possé of curious, prying people to the island, and probably I +should be taken away to St. Peter Port upon a coroner's quest. If I +buried the man I should always shun that part of the island, and should +have a constant memorial of my "night of horror" to depress me; while if +I committed the body to the waves I should for ever have it on my +conscience that I refused burial to a christian.</p> + +<p>Then I thought, why not at dawn in the morning tow the body to Herm, and +drag it ashore on the rocks opposite the labourers' cottages, as if it +had been flung there by the waves; but a high sea was running, and to my +craft the passage of the Percée was impossible, for the current running +through it would have swept me away, so that with a weight towing astern +I should never have reached Herm, not even if I had taken the corpse as +a passenger inside my boat. I lit my pipe to conjure up fresh +inspiration, and the charm worked, for I got an idea which seemed to me +to fulfil all my requirements from a religious point of view, and it +also appeared practicable.</p> + +<p>Being a sailor, my idea was to give the poor fellow a sailor's funeral, +and <i>bury him myself at sea</i>; and if the sea were not too rough it +should take place this very night. It wanted yet an hour of dusk, and I +would commence my preparations at once. Having formed my plan, and +looked calmly upon my undertaking as one that was a <i>duty</i> for a +christian man to perform, the fear in a great measure seemed to leave +me.</p> + +<p>I hauled down my boat, with "Eddy's" help, to high-water mark, and then +went, with as bold a mien<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> as I could muster, to the poor man's side; +nerving myself with a prayer I lifted the straw from his face, and was +pleased to find that the features had assumed their normal aspect, in +fact but for the eyes being partly opened, he looked as if he were +asleep. This was a great relief to me, and I now felt firm for the task +I had undertaken. I got the body on the cart by great exertion, and +transported it to the boat, where I laid it across amidships on two +planks and tied a huge rock to each ankle; then, having prepared +everything by the time night set in, I left the boat, as I found the +tide would not float her away, and went home.</p> + +<p>I thought if I waited another four or five hours the swell of the sea +would run down with the tide and become calm enough for me to venture +out upon my mission. I therefore had a substantial meal, and lay down on +my bed to rest, as I was very tired with my day's work and my previous +sleepless night.</p> + +<p>When I awoke I found that it was past eleven p.m., but on looking out +discovered that it was a fine night, though very dark. The sea had +greatly quieted down, so taking my lantern and dog, I blundered along +down the rocky path with "Eddy" at my heels, till I came to the boat of +which I was presently to become the Charon.</p> + +<p>With "Eddy's" help the boat was safely, though riskily launched, as my +passenger made it very top heavy. Seeing this, I caught "Begum" up and +tossed him overboard, so that he might swim ashore again, which I +daresay he thought a great liberty and very unkind, but it was a +necessity.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span></p> + +<p>Away into the darkness of the night I steered my little bark, among the +big hills and vales of the pathless deep. When I had gone as far as I +judged it prudent to venture, I thought I would drop anchor and down +sail, and accordingly hove the anchor overboard; but somehow the sail +would not descend. I had therefore to climb over my passenger and go to +the foot of the mast with the lantern to see what was amiss. I found the +halyard had jammed in the sheave, and in trying to release it, as the +boat slid down the side of a great black wave, she gave a tremendous +lurch, and I thought was about to capsize, but she righted quickly as +the yard came down on my head by the run. I gathered in the canvas and +turned round to see how I could make room for the yard to lie safely +when, presto, the dead man was gone! It certainly made my heart give a +big thump, but a moment's reflection shewed me that the rolling of my +boat had caused the body to shoot off the boards, feet downward, thus +saving me the trouble of having to tip it off the planks.</p> + +<p>The boat was now in good trim, and I had no fear for her safety nor my +own, so placing the lantern on the floor, I sat down and read by its +uncertain light the stirring service for the "Burial of those who die at +Sea." Fervently I said those prayers as the salt spray, mingling with my +tears, ran down my face, and when I pronounced the words, "I therefore +commit his body to the deep," I looked around fearfully, as if the man +might still be near me, but I saw him no more.</p> + +<p>The bell of St. Peter's struck twelve o'clock just as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> the service was +finished, sounding as I had never heard it sound before—so solemn and +full of meaning as it tolled out in the still midnight air.</p> + +<p>I pulled back with great effort, by reason of the heavy roll of the sea, +and landed by the ruined boathouse, with great risk of losing both +myself and boat. When safely ashore at last I was thankful to have +accomplished my dread mission without accident. As I hauled my boat up I +felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and +was quite happy again; probably at having acted the Good Samaritan to a +man who, like the one in the Bible, was not of the same country or creed +as myself.</p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust052.png" width='300' height='94' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span><img src="images/illust024.png" width='550' height='127' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>CLIMATE IN WINTER—VISION OF MY FATHER—A WARNING +VOICE—SUPERNATURAL MANIFESTATIONS—THE FALLING ROCK—MY LIFE SAVED +BY MY DOG.</p></blockquote> + + +<p>Winter was now come, but a very different atmosphere prevailed to what I +had been used to in my Norfolk home. There I was accustomed to see the +broads and rivers frozen over, and the means of communication by boat +between the various rivers completely stopped. There we dreaded the +marrow-piercing north-east wind which, coming straight across the cold +North Sea from icebound Norway and the frozen Baltic, caused everything, +animal and vegetable, to be cut and chilled, so that frequently both man +and plant succumbed to its penetrating rigour; but here the north or +east wind is not nearly such a dreaded visitor, and it is only on +exceptional days that its biting power is felt.</p> + +<p>There nothing seemed to grow during the winter, all vegetation +slumbered, sometimes never to awaken; here in mid winter the primrose +and violet were in full bloom, and on New Year's Day I gathered quite<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> a +posy of garden flowers, including roses and other fragrant flowers.</p> + +<p>Snow fell on two or three occasions, but the bright sun dissipated it +very quickly, and the frosts were not at all severe; in fact, were only +of occasional occurrence. These frosts are only severe enough to hurt +one class of persons, and that is the gardeners, who dread a frost +coming after the blossoms are set on the trees. The climate being so +mild the blossom buds burst at a very early period, so that a late frost +coming nips them, then good-bye to the fruit.</p> + +<p>Frequently potatoes are here being eaten before the green tops are above +ground in England, which is another proof of the mildness of the +climate. No doubt this mildness and equability of temperature is due in +a great measure to the influence of the Gulf Stream, which keeps the +surrounding sea at an even temperature; the sea in turn tempering the +wind, keeps the thermometer very level.</p> + +<p>There is usually a very mild fortnight towards the end of October, which +the natives call "La petite été;" it appears like a return of summer, +and is greatly enjoyed by everyone as the last of the really warm +weather.</p> + +<p>In the matter of sunshine England cannot be compared with these islands, +for taking our much-favoured Devonshire, and comparing the hours of +sunshine for December, January, and February, I find that in the Channel +Islands the sun shews its face just double the number of hours that it +does in fertile Devon.</p> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span><a name="p139.png" id="p139.png"></a><img src="images/p139.png" width='700' height='453' alt="A GHOSTLY VISITANT." /></p> + +<p class='center'>A GHOSTLY VISITANT.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span>In my garden on January 25th I had peas a foot above ground. How I +should have liked to shew my father these, he would scarcely have +believed his eyes, for April 25th in Norfolk, would not have produced +anything much more forward.</p> + +<p>Now, having mentioned my father, I must tell a curious incident which +happened concerning him upon the last day of January. About eight +o'clock in the evening I was sitting finishing a sketch of Creviçhon, +with my dog lying asleep near the fire, when he suddenly half raised +himself, and looking towards the other end of the room commenced to +whine.</p> + +<p>I followed his eyes, and there to my astonishment sat my father. He sat +on a stool facing me, with his leg, which was enveloped in a huge +covering, upon another stool. His right hand rested upon the covered +leg, while his left was placed upon his heart. As the dog whined he +looked straight at me, and in his well-known voice said,</p> + +<p>"It's all right, Harry, my boy, but it <i>was</i> a shake!"</p> + +<p>I stood up to rush to him, but as I rose he melted away, leaving nothing +but the two empty seats. I was staggered, but calm immediately, for I +had read of things of this kind before, and concluded that my father had +met with some accident, and had thus by some unknown means communicated +with me in spirit.</p> + +<p>I knew nothing of the why or wherefore of this wonderful means of +communication between two persons, but judged that in this case it +happened in this wise. My father had met with a severe accident, which +he was probably afraid might have had a fatal termination, that his +thoughts were intent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> upon me, his absent son. As he intently thought of +me, and how he should like to speak to me, he may have actually spoken +the words to himself, which by some unknown means I heard apparently +fall from his own lips, and in his very voice.</p> + +<p>The words assured me of his safety, and therefore beyond taking a note +of the day and the hour, I did not trouble myself much more about the +curious incident.</p> + +<p>While on this subject of the apparently supernatural, I will mention one +or two other inexplicable things which occurred to me during my +residence on Jethou.</p> + +<p>One night in autumn I could not sleep, so towards dawn got up and +dressed myself, as I had frequently done before, and took a walk round +the island, a distance of over a mile. This proceeding always had the +effect of giving me the desired sleep upon my again wooing Morpheus. On +this particular night my mind was filled with the question, "How can I +keep my fish pond always replenished with sea water?" and as I wandered +on in the dark, knowing the path so well, I was concocting a new pumping +device, when my steps were suddenly arrested by the word "Harry!" +pronounced gently but plainly just behind me. This woke me abruptly from +my reverie, and I turned round quickly, but could see nothing but my +faithful dog at my heels. "Strange, very strange indeed," I thought, and +was about to resume my walk, but there, not four steps away, was the +yawning abyss of La Creux Derrible, into which I should have walked in +another second, and been dashed to pieces on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> the rocks below. My life +was saved, but by what? Was it a spirit voice or some night bird that in +my abstraction I fancied pronounced my name?<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> Some will say the +latter, but I must maintain that it was a curious thing that this should +happen at precisely the correct instant, just in time to save me from a +violent death. It <i>was</i> a voice, for I recognized it as that of my own +love, Priscilla, who was at the moment two or three hundred miles away. +But how could <i>she</i> know of my danger?</p> + +<p>It may strike the reader as strange, and it is <i>strange</i>, I will allow; +but on another occasion my life was saved in a remarkable manner. One +afternoon late in the winter, after a heavy fall of rain, I was sitting +near the brink of the granite cliff on the west side of the island, +making a sketch of some rock masses in the glow of the ruddy setting +sun, when "Begum" became suddenly restive, and rubbed several times with +his head against my leg, looking up into my eyes at intervals. Then he +would walk away, looking round as if wanting me to follow and see +something (a proceeding he had often done before); but being busy I did +not give way to his solicitations, and went on working. This did not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> +please him, for he now took hold of my coat sleeve, and gave me a tug, +with his eyes at the same time fixed on mine; so, to oblige him, I rose, +and went after him to see what wonder he had to shew me. Contrary to his +usual custom he appeared to have nothing for me to see, but seemed +pleased to have me follow him, shewing his joy by wagging his tail, as +if he would wriggle his body in two, and looking up into my face over +his shoulder to shew his pleasure. As I had nearly finished my sketch I +thought I would humour him, and avoid taking cold by sitting too long in +the cool atmosphere among the damp rocks. With this thought in my mind I +turned round to fetch my colours and sketch, when suddenly near the top +of the island a large block of granite, about the size of a thirty-six +gallon barrel became detached, and commenced a downward career, crashing +all before it in its course. I paused and watched it, waiting to see it +bury itself with a mighty splash in the sea.</p> + +<p>It descended in leaps and bounds with increasing velocity, till, with a +final rise it launched itself upon the very stone on which I was sitting +a minute before, and with a sharp crash broke it completely in two, +hurling the pieces and itself the next instant into the sea!</p> + +<p>My sketch went with the rocky seat, and but for the intervention of my +dog I should have been <i>killed</i> first and drowned <i>afterwards</i>. My +colours, lying on the ground a foot away, were uninjured.</p> + +<p>What is the interpretation of this? It might be said that the previous +heavy rains had loosened the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> rock, and the warm sunshine having swelled +the mass of the earth beneath, had overbalanced it, and thus nearly +brought about a catastrophe. But what of the dog's warning? It was +<i>strange</i>, that is all the solution I can give. As a Norfolk labourer +once said to me when I was pumping him upon the subject of superstition,</p> + +<p>"Master, there's more things about than we knows of about both by day +and night."</p> + +<p>Perhaps there are, and if they are <i>things</i> of <i>good</i>, so much the +better. We know of hypnotism, psychic force, spiritualism, thought +reading, and other occult sciences which appear to produce nothing very +grand as results for <i>good</i>, but who shall say there is not some +"Guiding Good" which can (even against our wills) warn us, or sway our +minds in a given direction or in some way influence our movements, by +means <i>outside ourselves</i>?</p> + +<p>Sometimes after dark, with a half gale blowing, I have fancied all kinds +of things were about, of which the eye or ear might get indistinct +glimpses, and with the wind sighing and moaning among the trees and +rocks and my solitary life also taken into consideration, was this to be +wondered at.</p> + +<p>Solitude gives latitude for an imaginative mind to expand itself, and +for one shut up by himself as I was, trifles are frequently made +prominent, simply because there is nothing greater to attract one's +attention and thought.</p> + +<p>The wind sweeping among the rocks in a gale, will at times, form at it +were, notes or peculiar noises, which will, with other sounds of +rustling branches, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> cry of wild fowl and the beat of the sea on the +shore, all taking place concurrently, cause the listener to imagine he +hears voices. Again, who has not, when walking by a noisy babbling +brook, where it falls among rocks and other impediments in a quiet +place, heard as he has thought voices as of persons conversing at a +distance? Many trout-fishers will have heard these sounds, and know the +reason of their being heard; they can fully explain the cause, but I +doubt if they could explain the curious experiences related in this +chapter.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> I am aware that these things are but trifles to the +Theosophists and Esoteric Buddhists, who profess to project their astral +bodies, and play many other hocus pocus tricks of transmitting voices +and articles to immense distances. They may therefore be able to explain +these phenomena, I cannot; still I have the belief that there is some +spirit-force which can and does act as a medium between distant persons +who are in sympathy with each other.</p></div> +</div> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust023.png" width='300' height='88' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span><img src="images/illust091.png" width='550' height='129' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>A FAIRY POOL—WONDERS OF THE DEEP—PORTRAIT OF A POET—THE CAVE OF +FAUCONNAIRE—A LETTER FROM HOME AND MY ANSWER TO IT.</p></blockquote> + +<p>As the weather towards the end of winter was very uncertain, I did but +little boat-fishing, except on very fine days, when the sea was fairly +calm, and I had a longing for a certain kind of fish. At such times I +would embark for an hour or two, and rarely came home empty-handed.</p> + +<p>Crabs and lobsters I soon got tired of, and I think most people who +could eat their fill of them for the mere catching would do the same; +but a nice sole or slice of turbot takes a long time to satiate one's +appetite.</p> + +<p>Although little could be done in the garden or field during the winter +days I was never idle; that is, I never indulged in lying in bed or +letting the time slip dreamily by, so as to induce the belief that I was +enjoying myself. No, that would not suit me at all, for my disposition +was to be ever on the go—seeing, hearing, or trying to learn something. +Thus I knew almost every rock and cranny round the island, as I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> was +always poking and ogling into odd crannies and pools to see what I could +discover. Among my favourite places was the Fauconnaire, which being +surrounded at every tide, was always having fresh life and vegetation +brought to it by the ever-moving sea.</p> + +<p>There were many pools and wonderful little caves round this curious, +conical island, of which I knew, and into whose recesses I loved to pry; +and although I visited them frequently they seemed ever new to me.</p> + +<p>There was, facing due east, a large mass of rock near the foot of the +Fauconnaire, upon which I often sat on a calm day, looking down into the +mysteries of the sea. The water was so wonderfully clear, that at a +depth of twenty feet I could see every pebble and bunch of weed as +plainly as if only a sheet of glass hid them from view. This was to me +very remarkable, as on the sandy east coast of England, an object two or +three feet beneath the surface is hidden from the eye by the +discolouration of the water, caused by the sand and soft clay cliffs. +Here I could look down at one of the most lovely gardens the eye of man +ever rested upon.</p> + +<p>It was a wonderfully diversified collection of marine plants of all +sizes, shapes, and colours; in fact, a perfect marine paradise. The +colours embraced every hue of green, from the pale tint of a cut +cucumber to the darkest shade of bronze, merging upon blackness. The +yellow plants embraced every tint of yellow and orange imaginable, while +the pinks ran the whole gamut of shades of that colour.</p> + +<p>The forms and sizes of this enchanting garden of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> flowers without +blossom were as varied as the colours. On the rocky slopes adhered tiny +anemonæ; lower down were other bushy weeds growing in all forms and +positions, while further away in the deeper water rose up great feathery +fronds and waving arms, like the tentacles of some giant octopus feeling +for its prey. This bed of snake-like brown arms was a weird spot, which +only wanted a mermaid or two to make it complete; but I, as a <i>mere +man</i>, could only complete the picture by magnifying in my mind's eye the +innumerable fishes which swam in and out among the luxuriance of marine +vegetation, so as to fancy them mermaidens, and thus people this +wonderful water palace.</p> + +<p>The fish sometimes came along in shoals, principally the spotted +rock-fish, which seemed to be painted by nature to resemble the colours +of the surrounding rocks, stones, and sea-weed. Sometimes they would +appear singly, swimming hurriedly, just giving the leaves a pat with +their tails, as if closing the door behind them. These seemed to be +messengers, for presently others of a larger size would come along more +leisurely, as if to clear the way, and in a short time would appear +quite a shoal of these beautiful fish of all sizes, forming a +procession, as if they had some kind of carnival or festival afoot, and +were making the most of the day.</p> + +<p>What a spot for a poet to muse in! How he could roll his azure eyes and +comb out his locks with his lily-white taper fingers, and gaze into +space for a word to rhyme! How he would wrinkle his lofty brow, compress +his cupidon upper lip, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> unloose his <i>negligé</i> necktie, to give room +for his bosom to swell with pride at the enchanting poem which would, at +the picture before him, be sure to flow from the tip of his pretty +little golden stylographic pen! At least this is how I fancy a poet must +act, but never having seen one of those wonderful beings at work, I +have, like the said poet, to get my picture from the source of some of +his best work—the imagination.</p> + +<p>But a truce to badinage. True poetry is not a thing to laugh at and +disdain, for it is the salt of life, which makes existence endurable, +and gives a savour to our worldly toil.</p> + +<p>Pierce, a modern poet, hits off the shores of Jethou capitally, thus:</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class='stanza'><div class='i6'>"Lucent wave!</div> +<div class='i4'>Flash in sparkling bells</div> +<div class='i2'>On the coloured stones and tiny shells;</div> +<div class='i4'>With low music lave</div> +<div class='i6'>Sheltering rock,</div> +<div class='i4'>Flood the glassy pool,</div> +<div class='i2'>Sway the foliage 'neath its crystal cool,</div> +<div class='i4'>Wake with gentle shock</div> +<div class='i6'>The anemonæ,</div> +<div class='i4'>That like some lovely flower</div> +<div>Petals opening 'neath the sunlight's power,</div> +<div class='i4'>Its beauty spreads to thee."</div></div> +</div> + +<p>At low tide—or rather, at half tide—may be seen a huge square-headed +fissure or cave quite through a portion of La Fauconnaire. Its sides are +walls of granite, and the roof is also of that stone, from ten to twelve +feet high on the average, but much more in parts. Although daylight is +admitted at each end of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> this tunnel it is somewhat gloomy in the +centre, which perhaps adds to its charms, as objects are seen less +clearly, thus giving more scope to the imagination, of which daylight is +frequently a great destroyer. Semi-gloom causes one to speculate upon +things which, seen in the broad glare of day, have nothing of mystery or +wonder about them; they are but too evident to the eye. A grammar-school +education does not permit of great descriptive flights, or this cavern +would be for me an exquisite theme upon which to write a chapter on +fairyland.</p> + +<p>The walls of this vaulted chamber sparkled from the constant dripping of +water, which appeared to ooze from the sides and roof as the tide went +down; but what appeared most noticeable was the pink hue of these walls, +which upon closer inspection appeared to be lined with a kind of coral, +or some such substance, while here and there from roof and walls +depended most lovely fern-like sea-weed, whose long fronds waved +gracefully in the grateful breeze which came in from the south end in +puffs, just enough to stir the glorious pool of water covering the whole +floor of the cave. The chamber is not very wide, probably not more than +from four to five feet, so that the pool on the floor forms a miniature +lake of surpassing beauty, some forty or fifty feet long, and from one +to two feet deep; but the contents and the arrangement of that pool who +shall describe? In this small space may be found animal and vegetable +life of all kinds, anemonæ, lovely weeds, zoophytes, curious fish, +sponges, shells, coral, and a hundred other things, all in such +perfection and orderly wildness that no artificial aquarium<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> can ever +hope to present, for they are made by hands, and can never vie with +Nature in the formation of the wild and picturesque aspect of these +rocky pools.</p> + +<p>As the sea filled this cave at every tide there was always something new +for me to admire whenever I made a visit, and my only regret was that I +could not take it home with me if I should be spared to see Norfolk +again.</p> + +<p>Now to proceed a little further with my narrative.</p> + +<p>Christmas was a time which I knew not how to fill up. I wanted to be +jolly and to make some festive difference in the usual routine of my +daily life and fare, but with no companion I found it a very difficult +task, even to make myself believe it really was Christmas time.</p> + +<p>I made a plum pudding which had scarcely the consistence to hang +together when I rolled it out of the cloth; but that mattered little, as +a broken pudding required less muscular activity for the jaws. The main +point was the flavour; it was not at all bad. Tinned beef, potatoes, +tomatoes, a cauliflower, a rabbit pie, walnuts, and apples formed my +Christmas dinner, which was washed down by a bottle of Bass I had +reserved as a special Christmas treat. I drank the health of my absent +friends, and even gave three cheers for the King of Jethou—myself.</p> + +<p>To make the season appear as Christmassy as possible I cudgelled my +brain for a whole week, and composed what I am pleased to call<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span></p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class='stanza'><div class='i2'>A CHRISTMAS CAROL.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></div></div> + +<div class='stanza'><div>In olden time a child was born</div> +<div class='i2'>In Bethlehem the holy;</div> +<div>Mary was the mother's name,</div> +<div class='i2'>Who lay in manger lowly</div></div> + +<div class='stanza'><div><i>Refrain</i>—Sing, happy Virgin, mother mild;</div> +<div class='i8'>Sing, Joseph, father blessèd;</div> +<div class='i6'>Sing, angels, shepherds, men so wise,</div> +<div class='i8'>For this thy Lord confessèd.</div></div> + +<div class='stanza'><div>And as she in the manger lay,</div> +<div class='i2'>Beside the stallèd cattle,</div> +<div>A throng of shepherds entered in</div> +<div class='i2'>To hear the childish prattle.</div></div> + +<div class='stanza'><div>The shepherds low obeisance made,</div> +<div class='i2'>Before the manger kneeling,</div> +<div>As thro' the casement's open space</div> +<div class='i2'>The star's bright ray came stealing.</div></div> + +<div class='stanza'><div>The wingèd angel choir stood by,</div> +<div class='i2'>Their carol sweet a-singing;</div> +<div>While men of wisdom from the East,</div> +<div class='i2'>Drew near, their offerings bringing.</div></div> + +<div class='stanza'><div>Then from the clouds was heard a voice,</div> +<div class='i2'>This message earthward sending,</div> +<div>"Peace rest upon the earth so fair,</div> +<div class='i2'>Good-will 'twixt men ne'er ending."</div></div> +</div> + +<p>Although the lines seemed to go very well, I had great difficulty in +hitting upon a suitable tune; but when once I did fit the verses to a +composition of my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> own, I howled it from morning till night all over the +island. The very animals and birds must have been satiated with it. +Possibly they would gladly have exchanged Christmas for Easter, or some +other church festival, just for the sake of variety and change of tune.</p> + +<p>One misty morning at the end of February, I was standing near the old +cannon, chopping firewood wherewith to heat my oven, for it was my +weekly baking day, when I saw a boat containing two men coming through +the Creviçhon channel towards the house. One was pulling, and the other, +who sat in the stern sheets, waved a white flag or handkerchief upon a +stick, to attract my attention. I noticed them as soon as they did me, +and waved in return, making signs for them not to land.</p> + +<p>With my chopping hook still in my hand I ran down the rocky path towards +them, and arrived at the water's edge just as they were about to run the +boat ashore. I did not know what their intention in landing might be, so +shook the chopper at them to warn them off. My stature, and the sight of +my bare right arm, had their due effect, for they sheered off, a few +boats' lengths, much to my relief. I soon found, however, that they were +two of the men of Herm on a very peaceful mission, as they simply came +to deliver a letter to me which a boat had brought over from St. Peter +Port. I dare not speak, or could have asked them their mission, and they +seemed quite dumbfounded at my bellicose attitude towards them.</p> + +<p>The man in the stern now held up the letter, upon which I pantomimically +intimated my wish that he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> should come close in and throw the letter to +me. I then, lest they should be afraid to approach, threw my chopper as +far behind me as I could, sending it clattering among the boulders +nearly up to the cliff. Then the man in the stern folded the letter in +two, and tied a piece of spun yarn round it, to which he attached a +piece of stone, and tossed it to me. It fell fluttering near me, and I +was almost afraid to pick it up, for fear it might contain some bad news +of my family; but stooping, I secured it, placing it in my shirt bosom. +Then by signs I expressed my thanks to the kind Hermese who had brought +the missive.</p> + +<p>When they had pulled out of sight towards Herm I sat down on a rock, and +very mistrustfully drew forth the crumpled envelope. Was my father dead? +What of Priscilla? Was mother ailing? These and a hundred other +questions flashed across my mind as I slowly broke open the envelope. It +was a letter from my dear old dad. Short, but quite assuring it ran:</p> + +<blockquote><p>"<span class="smcap">My Dear Boy</span>,</p> + +<p>"All is well. On the 2nd of March you will have occupied Jethou +just twelve months. Some of my Yarmouth friends say I am cruel to +allow you to stay alone so long, and think you must be so broken +down by your exile, that nothing would keep you in Jethou six +months longer. Young Johnson has even gone so far as to say he +would wager you one hundred pounds you dare not stay another six +months, and I therefore write to make known his offer, which I have +in black and white, duly signed by him.</p> + +<p>"Write me the word, YES or NO, <i>only</i>.</p> + +<p class='center'>"Your affectionate Father,</p> + +<p class='right'>"WILLIAM K. NILFORD."</p></blockquote> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p> + +<p>What a curious letter from my father after all these months! Not a word +as to himself, mother, or Priscilla. Not a line of news except the first +three words, "All is well." That was assuring, at any rate, and made me +feel happy. Young Johnson was the squire's son, a dashing, go-ahead +fellow, but not greatly liked in the village, by reason of his +haughtiness.</p> + +<p>Although I had been looking forward to my return home I would not go to +be laughed at by our Yarmouth friends; no, I would stay at all risks, +and with the one hundred pounds I could make my future bride, Priscilla, +a grand present. Yes, my mind was made up at once, and if the men had +been within hail they might have come back and received my answer to +send over to the St. Peter Port post office, from which the packet would +take it to England, so that in about three or four days my father would +receive it.</p> + +<p>My answer was quickly written, for my reply was very laconic:</p> + +<blockquote><p class='right'>"<i>February 28th, 18—.</i></p> + +<p>"<span class="smcap">My Dear Father</span>,</p> + +<p>"All is well. I accept Johnson's wager of one hundred pounds, that +I do not occupy Jethou for another six months.</p> + +<p class='center'>"Your affectionate Son,</p> + +<p class='right'>"HARRY NILFORD."</p></blockquote> + +<p>About noon I espied two men fishing off the nearest point of Herm, and +going to the north-east corner of my island, to the promontory guarding +Lobster Bay,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> I signalled them with a handkerchief upon an ash sapling. +They soon saw the signal and pulled towards me. As they neared me I was +pleased to find they were the same two men who brought my father's +letter to me in the morning. They came close into the bay, so that I had +only to lean down and drop the letter into the boat, pointing towards +St. Peter Port to signify I wanted it to go there by the first boat +going.</p> + +<p>"Oui, très bien."</p> + +<p>Then I dropped half a crown (three francs) into their boat, and away +they pulled, quite pleased. I went about my work, but in about twenty +minutes, looking towards Guernsey, I saw the two men pulling away to St. +Peter Port with my letter. This was more than I expected, as it would +give them a rough pull of six miles. I only meant them to take the +letter to Herm; but away it went, and a day was saved.</p> + +<p>Away to my digging. I returned and forgot all about the men and the +letter, but to my astonishment about four hours after, they hailed me, +shouting and gesticulating, "C'est juste," they cried, and then away +they went home, and I saw them no more.</p> + + + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> Perhaps one of my musical readers will have the great +kindness to set this little Carol to music, and let me see what it goes +like to a tune that is musical and carol-like.</p></div> +</div> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust076.png" width='300' height='83' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span><img src="images/illust157.png" width='550' height='130' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>ANOTHER TERRIBLE STORM—LOSS OF THE "YELLOW BOY"—A KETCH +WRECKED—I RESCUE A MAN FROM THE SEA, BADLY INJURED—HE RECOVERS.</p></blockquote> + +<p>February went out angrily, a heavy sea and a high wind being constant +companions, but if February was wild the opening days of March were +worse; it blew great guns and was cold also, and was decidedly +unpleasant.</p> + +<p>Beside the weather being unpleasant it was also a source of anxiety to +me, for I had drawn the "Yellow Boy" upon a ledge of the Fauconnaire, +above high water-mark; but now that the sea was in such a terrible rage, +I was afraid it should dash over the ledge and dislodge her. If it did, +nothing could save her. I could go over to her at low water, but could +not draw her up higher, as the great rocks shelved out over her to the +height of forty or fifty feet, and I had no tackling strong enough to +raise her bodily to that awkward altitude; so I hoped and hoped on, but +on the 4th of March matters came to a climax.</p> + +<p>The sun rose red and angry, the wind blew in great<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> jerks and booms that +staggered me as I walked along the perilously narrow paths. Just before +high tide I walked along the lower path which, although fifty feet above +the sea, was soaked with salt spray from the roaring coamers breaking +below. The wind was so laden with spray that it was difficult to face it +while staggering along the rugged cliff path; but presently I arrived at +the point opposite the "Yellow Boy," and was glad to see her still +there, although she was sadly buffeted by the waves, which continually +leapt up to lick her off her granite cradle.</p> + +<p>I had secured her with ropes as well as I could, and had even taken an +anchor (attached to her mooring rope) some fifty feet up on a grassy +ledge above, and there securely fixed it into the short turf, with which +the first plateau of rocks were covered.</p> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span><a name="p159.png" id="p159.png"></a><img src="images/p159.png" width='700' height='417' alt="ALONG THE RUGGED CLIFF PATH." /></p> + +<p class='center'>ALONG THE RUGGED CLIFF PATH.</p> + +<p>I sat down in my oilskins in the shelter of a rock to watch my precious +boat, but I could see that her doom was sealed if the wind did not drop; +but that it did not do, for as the tide rose, so did the wind, till it +fairly howled among the rocks and tore through the trees in an awful +rage, so that presently the ropes which bound the "Yellow Boy" gave way, +as she was now very heavy, being level full of water. She only hung by +the anchor rope now, like a man being hanged, and every wave that rose +and broke in and around her, swung her from side to side, or spun her +round till she gradually banged herself to pieces against the cruel +granite walls. Then the tide gradually went down, and left the mere +dangling skeleton of my once beloved craft, hanging high and dry above +the send of the foaming waves, which at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> intervals rushed among the now +exposed rocks. The anchor held, and to the rope hung the two upper +strakes, to which were attached the two fore compartments; all the rest +was completely swept away, and with it my hope of again being able to +take the sea for fishing, shooting, or sailing purposes. Alas! poor +"Yellow Boy," I shall never see your like again! (neither probably will +anyone else!) She answered my purpose admirably, but as a model of naval +construction she was an absolute monstrosity, and would have made an +object of great interest in a naval exhibition. I deeply regretted her +loss, as I wanted to take her home as a great curiosity to open the eyes +of the Yarmouth fishermen; but it was not to be, and I turned sadly +away; my chief occupation (that of boating) being completely gone.</p> + +<p>As I stood once more on the Cotills I saw two small vessels making for +the Little Russel, or "Petit Ruan," as the Channel between Guernsey and +Herm is called. They were labouring heavily, with very little canvas +set, and evidently trying to gain the shelter of the islands, and if +possible make for St. Peter's or St. Sampson's Harbour. Along they came, +struggling and creeping closer, fathom by fathom, till just as the +foremost was passing La Fauconnaire, her foremast snapped short off by +the deck. In a moment she broached too, driving gradually broadside on +to Jethou. The other finding she could not run into port, ran off +towards Jersey where she might get better shelter, if it were not +altogether a case of leaping out of the frying-pan into the fire, as the +Jersey rocks are quite as hard and sharp as ours. At any rate in half an +hour she was lost to sight.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span></p> + +<p>The one which was now so helplessly driving towards where I stood was a +trim little trading ketch of some fifty tons burthen, and from my +elevated position I could see everything that took place on her deck. I +saw the men (there were three men and a boy) cast out two anchors which +appeared to hold her, then they commenced to cut away the mast and gear, +which had fallen overboard and was thumping her sides so continuously as +to cause grave apprehension of her being stove in. Having done this they +rigged the pump, and at it they went with vigour. All their activity was +required, as every wave that broke over her must have penetrated her +seams, which were doubtless opened by the buffeting she had received. +But alas! their noble efforts were all in vain, for with a snap, snap, +which I could distinctly hear, her cables both broke, and she drifted +quickly towards the shore. Seeing this, and thinking I might possibly be +of some service, I ran down to a little wooden shelter I had built at +the side of the Cotills, and procured a coil of thin rope, and slinging +it over my shoulder I hurried back with it to the scene of what would +probably be in a few minutes, a wreck.</p> + +<p>When I got back, having only been absent three or four minutes, I saw +that the crew had given up all hope of saving their vessel, and were now +only intent on saving their lives. To this end they were getting their +only boat out, lowering it safely on the lee side with two of the men +and the boy in it; the third man, who appeared to be the skipper, would +not leave the vessel, so the boat pushed off, but had not moved ten +fathoms away when a tremendous sea curled up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> under its stern, and +turned the boat a complete somersault, shooting the three occupants out +into the water. They could none of them swim apparently, and in a few +seconds disappeared beneath the turbulent waves; at least I did not see +them again, so that doubtless they found a watery grave.</p> + +<p>The last man evidently saw his danger, but was quite calm, although his +end seemed near, as only about two hundred yards now intervened between +the vessel and the rocky shore. He proceeded to lash a spar across the +two water barrels, which he emptied and bunged up, and then stood ready +to jump overboard with them, when the vessel struck. I also was on the +alert with my coil of rope, following the vessel as she drifted slowly +along the shore, till she neared a spur of cliff, which runs out near +the watch-house, close to the homestead, and here she came in full +contact with a mass of rock which shook her, crushed in her stem, and +made her recoil. The next wave threw her back again, but luckily more +steadily, so that I was enabled to throw my coil of rope down upon her +deck from my coign of vantage. I quickly whipped the shore end round the +stem of a huge furze bush, which grew within ten feet of the brink of +the cliff, and to my joy found that the man had seized the end which I +had thrown towards him. He stood amidship, being afraid to venture too +close to the bows, as the next wave would doubtless ram the ship hard +against the rocks again, and if he jumped now, he would simply be +smashed to pieces between the rocks and the vessel.</p> + +<p>He waited, holding on to the coamings of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> hatchway, which had been +burst open, till the little ketch gave another tremendous leap upon the +cruel rocks, and then as she recoiled he sprang to his feet, threw over +his barrel life preserver, and without hesitation leaped overboard with +the rope round his chest just beneath his arms. He swam, and I hauled, +and as he mounted the next wave I slackened, or he might have been +dashed to pieces, then on the wave breaking and running back, I hauled +with all my might, and in a short time had him safe in my arms, and bore +him amid the dashing spray and foam safely beyond danger. He was just +able to stand, and that was all, for directly I had half dragged and +half carried him up the cliffs to a grassy spot, he fell backwards +insensible. He could not have been in the sea more than two minutes, yet +he was terribly cut about, his hands being covered with blood; some of +his fingers were cut to the bone. This was done when the first wave +threw him against the rocks, when all depended upon his being able to +hold on against the receding water. He did in his despair hold on, as he +afterwards described it, "like a limpet," and thus though terribly +battered he was saved, the sole survivor of his little crew.</p> + +<p>When he came to, I assisted him up to the house, where I gave him some +hot grog and more solid refreshment, and then prepared him a warm bath. +Poor fellow! his legs made me shudder to look at them, so cruelly had +the rocks torn and lacerated them from the knee downward. Yet in his +terrible state the brave fellow was quite beside himself with joy at his +miraculous escape, while the next minute<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> the hot tears would gush from +his eyes at the thought of his poor messmates, who had sailed their last +voyage, and were now floating about to be devoured by the huge congers, +crabs, and lobsters, which are so numerous in these deep seas.</p> + +<p>A long night's rest greatly restored my guest, who had come to me <i>à la</i> +Friday in "Robinson Crusoe;" in fact, I felt an almost irresistible +longing to call him Friday, and introduce myself to him as R. Crusoe, +Esq.; but when I looked at his pale face and hands swathed in huge +bandages, I concluded it to be an ill time for any joking. After a day +or two's rest and unceasing attention to his wounds on my part, I was +pleased to find him greatly improved both in body and spirits, and +therefore felt that I might ask him a little about himself. What +information he gave me I will here epitomise.</p> + +<p>He was by name Alexander Ducas, a son of France, his native village +being situate on the Bay of Avranches, facing Jersey. He was about my +own age, but had seen more ups and downs than most men of double his +years. He had been in the French navy; had been mate of several vessels; +had also taken charge of several English yachts; had been skipper of two +or three small trading vessels, and finally had become owner and skipper +of the little ketch which had met with such a disastrous end a few days +before. This was not the first nor the second time he had narrowly +escaped death by drowning; but as he afterwards told me, "he thought he +had done with the <i>surface</i> of the water," and probably had I not +opportunely been on the spot, he would have shared the fate of his +poor crew, none of whose bodies were ever seen again.</p> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span><a name="p165.png" id="p165.png"></a><img src="images/p165.png" width='700' height='408' alt="RESCUE OF ALEC DUCAS." /></p> + +<p class='center'>RESCUE OF ALEC DUCAS.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span>"Why did you throw overboard your water barrel life preserver; before +you clutched my rope," I asked him.</p> + +<p>"A double chance," he replied, "for if the rope business had failed, I +might still have secured the aid of the barrels to support me. A poor +chance I allow, but a <i>chance</i> nevertheless."</p> + +<p>He was of medium height, fair, with sandy moustache, compactly knit, and +of surprising strength for a man of his inches. I afterwards found that +he was possessed with more than an ordinary amount of physical +endurance, for no matter how much work he crowded into a long summer's +day, he was always as blithe as a cricket when work was over, and we sat +by the old cannon to smoke an evening pipe and chat together about our +plans and prospects.</p> + +<p>Strange to say, he knew the man I buried at sea some months before, in +fact, had sailed with him on one vessel for several months, and he +moreover gave him a very bad character. It appears that he was a most +desperate fellow, having been in prison on several occasions for violent +conduct, and was noted for his brutal language and bad behaviour. He had +been turned out of the French navy for insubordination, and while on the +frigate was a perfect terror to his messmates. He was noted as the +strongest man of the three hundred who formed her crew, and as Ducas +said, "There won't be enough tears shed over his death by the friends +who knew him to wet a postage stamp!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span></p> + +<p>What a lucky thing for me this man did not become <i>my</i> comrade.</p> + +<p>By the end of a week Ducas, or as I more familiarly called him Alec, was +able to take short walks, and the more he saw of the island the better +he liked it, and finally asked to be allowed to stay with me, and +cultivate the land, and render what service he could in other ways.</p> + +<p>I was in a quandary to know how to answer him, as I did not know how it +would affect my agreement with Young Johnson "to stay on the island for +six months longer." I therefore told Alec I would let him know my +decision in four days from then, giving myself that time to turn the +matter over in my mind.</p> + +<p>So far as the agreement with my father went that was concluded, as my +twelve months had already expired; but what I was puzzled about was how +I should stand with Johnson. It seemed to me that he expected me to +remain <i>alone</i> on the island for the specified time—six months—but +what was I to do now man Friday had arrived? I puzzled over the matter a +long time, and then came to the conclusion that win or lose I would stay +on the island another summer, and whether I transgressed the contract or +not, I would retain Ducas, as it would be very pleasant to have a +companion, and if I was by so doing breaking the contract, must abide by +the consequences.</p> + +<p>I next interviewed Alec Ducas, and found that between his sea +engagements he had assisted in gardening and the usual routine of farm +work, beside which, being a thorough seaman, he could make his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> own +clothes and boots, consequently mine; in fact, could turn his hand to +anything, as only a sailor can.</p> + +<p>"Well, Ducas, I am going to stay here for another six months; you have +seen the resources of the house and island, and can judge best, if you +think you would rather stay here than go over to St. Peter Port in +prospect of getting another vessel. What do you say, would you rather go +or stay?"</p> + +<p>To this he made reply, his face beaming with delight,</p> + +<p>"Well, sir, I have not much of a mind to make up, but if you will allow +me to stay and help you, nothing will give me greater pleasure; in fact, +such a life is the one I crave. There is liberty for a man here, and +plenty of work to be done, and I have ample health and strength to do +it, so if you will say 'Yes,' I will take up my quarters with you."</p> + +<p>He spoke very good English, but with a decidedly foreign accent (which +sounded very pleasant to me, more so as he had a very musical voice), +and was a plain spoken man, one who called a spade a spade, and made no +nonsense about it.</p> + +<p>"Very well, Alec," said I; "then you stay, and I trust we may get along +happily together."</p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust066.png" width='300' height='68' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span><img src="images/illust042.png" width='550' height='130' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>WORK AND SONG—SUNDAY SERVICE—BUILD A LARGER BOAT, THE +"ANGLO-FRANC"—COLLECTING WRECKAGE—COMMENCE A JETTY—OUR +COOKERY—BLASTING OPERATIONS—THE OPENING BANQUET.</p></blockquote> + +<p>During the remainder of March we worked away merrily in the garden and +in the fields on the top of the island. I was really astonished at the +work we could get through in a day, Alec, myself, and the donkey. Alec +laughed at my plough and the cart, and together we made some +improvements in them. We also improved the lower path right round the +island, by cutting away the furze and undergrowth; with spade and pick +we made it broader in the narrowest parts, and by filling the +inequalities, made it comfortable to walk upon.</p> + +<p>Alec was a wonder for singing; in fact he was warbling all day long over +his work, and I must say he had rather a nice tenor voice, just such as +an Englishman would expect a Frenchman to possess. His répertoire of +songs was large, and embraced both ancient and modern, sacred and +secular, French and English; so there was plenty of variety.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> + +<p>Somehow or other, although he was of a most lively disposition, most of +his "best songs," as he called those he could sing with the greatest +ease and effect, were of the somewhat dismal or semi-lachrymose type, as +"Tom Bowling," "Half Mast High," "The Skipper and his Boy," etc. These +are all beautiful in their way, but with repetition pall upon one +somewhat, while your jovial song seems ever fresh, and will stand +singing many times before it becomes threadbare.</p> + +<p>Sometimes of an evening, after supper and a pipe, we would indulge in +duet singing, and when we came to the end of the song we would praise +each other and encore ourselves.</p> + +<p>"Let's have that one again. That's capital! Bravo!"</p> + +<p>Then at it we would go again, sometimes till near midnight.</p> + +<p>I had an old volume of sea songs in my trunk, several of which we both +knew, as "All's Well," "Larboard Watch," "The Anchor's Weighed," etc. +Alec's tenor and my deep baritone harmonized rather well, so we +thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. As we had no hearers we used to give +wonderful expression to our singing, possibly it was lucky no one could +hear us, for it would certainly unstring their nerves.</p> + +<p>On Sundays we did no work, but at eleven o'clock had a kind of service +which lasted quite an hour and a half. I was parson and read the +service, while Alec was clerk and read the lessons and made the +responses, while, to pass the time away, we always sang two hymns +wherever only one should be sung. This was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> to give each of us an +opportunity of selecting his favourites. There was no levity in all +this, we did it as a duty to our Maker, in thankfulness for the manifold +blessings bestowed upon us during the week; for our health, welfare, and +all the other blessings which He bestowed upon us from day to day. Alec +had great cause to be thankful that he had been spared ever to put foot +on land again, while I, beside my numerous lucky escapes, had not had a +day's real illness since I landed. Before I left the island, Sankey and +Moody's "Sacred Songs" would scarcely hold together, so much had it +suffered from being turned by our great rough thumbs and fingers, while +to say that some of the pages were slightly soiled was putting it in a +very mild manner. A stranger might have thought that we hid the volume +up the chimney, when not in use, and the appearance would quite have +warranted his surmise.</p> + +<p>Our first great work together was to build another boat, a larger one +than the "Yellow Boy," and on an improved principle. First we collected +whatever we thought would be of use in the construction of our craft, +which we christened, before a stick of her was laid, "The Anglo-Franc." +This was a curious commencement, I must own, but then we did some very +strange things on Jethou. The name was chosen because we, as +shipwrights, were respectively English and French. We scoured the whole +island for material, and succeeded in getting a huge pile together from +various sources, thus we were not so cramped as when I built the famous +"Yellow Boy."</p> + +<p>Speaking of the "Yellow Boy" reminds me that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> after the big storm I +saved the portion which still depended from the cable, suspended from +the side of La Fauconnaire. These pieces were the two upper strakes, +fifteen feet long, and the fore and second compartments. The timber from +these helped us greatly in the building of the new boat. Besides this +there were a number of rafters and floor boards that I had collected +from the old store-house after the explosion; but our third and best +supply was obtained from the wreck of Alec's ketch, "Jeanette," the fore +part of which still remained jammed high up between two rocks, which +stood about twelve feet apart, near high-water mark, on La Creviçhon. +From this, by dint of three days' hard work, we secured several loads of +deck-timber and other very useful pieces, which "Eddy" dragged up for us +to the ruined store-house.</p> + +<p>We found our cart wheels were not high enough to clear the big stones on +the beach, so we took them off and replaced them by two runners so as to +form a kind of sledge, which answered much better, although many pieces +were jerked off <i>en route</i>, by reason of the rugged path and primitive +construction of the sledge. As Alec remarked, they served as guide +posts, so that there was no losing the way. This idea I got by reading +Catlin's "North American Indians." By lashing two long tent poles at a +horse's sides, with the ends trailing on the ground, they form a kind of +sledge, upon which they can carry considerable loads upon transverse +sticks.</p> + +<p>From the battered hulk we also brought a great number of bolts and other +iron-work, a companion ladder, windlass, pump, bowsprit bits, bell, a +torn jib,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> a quantity of cordage, and whatever else we could lay our +hands upon, that might have the most remote chance of being of future +use to us.</p> + +<p>In story books it is usual to have a ship come ashore just in a +convenient spot, and with a full cargo; but ours, unfortunately, was +only half a battered hulk, perfectly empty, and in a most awkward +position to get at, as we had to cross the Creviçhon Channel at every +trip, so that we could only bring the wreckage over at low tide. We +could, however, continue our work of dismantling right through the day, +except for two hours, when the high tide flowed in and out through poor +"Jeanette's" ribs. These two hours we took for rest, food, and the +soothing pipe. Bless Raleigh!</p> + +<p>When we had collected all our material, both iron and wood, we commenced +building the "Anglo-Franc," and in three weeks had her finished and +afloat. She was sixteen feet over all, by five feet beam, and was rigged +in the style peculiar to the Guernsey boats; that is to say she had two +small masts. The foremast was stepped exactly amidships, while the mizen +was placed close to the stern. This arrangement strikes an Englishman as +very strange, as they are in the habit of seeing the foremast very +nearly in the bows; but Ducas was a sailor, and knew the rig adapted to +these waters, and I must say that under most circumstances the +"Anglo-Franc" behaved herself admirably. She was a success in every way. +One special feature was, that we built a kind of half-deck forward, +which formed a small cuddy or cabin quite large enough for one of us to +have "a watch below" in, or for a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> regular sleep at night, or we could +both squeeze inside during a pelting rain. We spent several single +nights at sea in the "Anglo-Franc" during the summer, and by putting a +sail-cloth awning from the aft edge of the cuddy deck we lengthened our +cabin by four feet, and could thus both obtain a good night's rest, or +cook in any wind or weather.</p> + +<p>When we had finished the boat we were rather at a loss to know how to +find accommodation for her when we did not actually require to use her. +In fine weather she could lie moored just off the house, and to enable +us always to keep her afloat, we rigged up an out-haul, so that standing +on the shore we could haul the boat out or in to its moorings whenever +we chose. This was all very well in fine weather, but when a fresh +south-west wind was blowing, and a heavy sea on, she would pitch and +roll to such an extent that we were afraid she would break loose and +drift away. We had therefore to cast about for some safer place for her, +and with this in view inspected the whole island round. When we came to +Lobster Bay, at the north-east corner, we agreed that that was the most +sheltered position we could find, and most suitable in every way for a +haven.</p> + +<p>Quite at the angle of the island a promontory runs straight out to the +eastward for a distance of about forty yards, thus forming a shelter +from the rush of the rising tide through the Perchée Channel, while the +island of Herm kept the wind from the north-east in check.</p> + +<p>"Now," said Alec, "if we could build a little stone breakwater from the +end of Cape Homard (Cape<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> Lobster, as Alec called the point, because we +kept the lobster and crab pots there), we could make as safe a little +harbour as one could wish for."</p> + +<p>This proposition seemed all very well, but the quantity of stone I knew +it would take rather staggered me, and I was a long time before I could +be brought to give my consent to help in the matter. But when Alec had +laid out his plans to me, I found them so consistent that I readily +agreed to help in the work.</p> + +<p>Without wearying the reader by describing in too great detail the +building of our breakwater, I will just give an outline of how it was +built, and another great success achieved, although to ensure that +success we had to work like a couple of galley slaves. Still, with all +our hard work, we were as happy as a couple of schoolboys. We toiled, +sang, and ate with such appetites as only those who are used to hard +work in the sea air can know.</p> + +<p>Our plan was to work on Monday; enjoy fishing, etc., on Tuesday; work on +Wednesday at the breakwater, at the garden on Thursday; on Friday at the +breakwater again; and on Saturday till noon also, after which we devoted +the rest of the day to baking, clothes washing and mending, and other +domestic duties. How my mother and 'Cilla would have laughed to see me +at the wash-tub, or hanging out the linen to dry on the furze bushes; or +to have seen Alec using a flat iron which, with great labour, we had +forged, and which was of a peculiar construction, but still very +efficacious in its work. Men are notoriously awkward in their manner of +wringing and other<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> laundry work, and I expect we were no exception to +the general rule. We made our clothes <i>clean</i>, and that was all we +required.</p> + +<p>Alec was a capital baker, so we had some excellent bread, while my +pastry was not to be sneezed at; in fact, at a rabbit pie I was quite a +<i>grand chef</i>. I also introduced several new culinary matters to Alec, +some of which he had never seen before; among them being the all-filling +Norfolk dumpling, which at first he did not seem to care for, but in +time he became inordinately fond of them, and would often ask me to make +him a <i>pouding de rien</i> (a pudding of nothing), which was his idea of +these articles of everyday diet in East Anglia.</p> + +<p>But I am not building my breakwater of dumplings, so will get back to +stone; not that I wish the reader to infer that my dumplings were ever +approaching that substance in their degree of firmness.</p> + +<p>First we collected all the very large stones we could find in the bay, +and placed them as a foundation for our breakwater; but these only +formed a layer about a foot deep. All these were large stones (some of +them weighed nearly three hundredweight), so to cope with them we made a +kind of four-handled hand barrow, upon which we rolled our rock, and +then taking two handles each, staggered off with it. These large pieces +we placed near the end of the breakwater, and when we had denuded the +bay, we obtained, with "Eddy's" help, some large piece of massed rock +and mortar from the ruined boathouse. These pieces we took in the +sledge, and built into a kind of wall to form the outer shell of the +breakwater, while the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> interior we filled with any odds and ends of +rocks (none of them less than a man's head in size) which we could find +on the shore. The interstices we filled with shingle, and the detritus +of granite, but when we had raised our structure to the level of high +water our available stone gave out. This rather nonplussed us, but at +last we decided to open a small quarry and see what granite we could +obtain to raise our undertaking another four feet in height.</p> + +<p>I had still several pounds of gunpowder left, and with part of this we +constructed some long thin cartridges for blasting. With these, a +pick-axe, and some long iron stanchions, which we used as levers, we +obtained a good supply of stone. The little quarry may still be seen, so +I am informed, although it is greatly covered with furze and weeds. It +is situated on the hill side, midway between the homestead and the ruins +of the boathouse. We chose an elevated position for our quarry, so that +we could roll the huge stones down the hill to the pathway below, where +we levered them up into the sledge, and dragged them to what we were +pleased to term "the works." Let it suffice to say that about the middle +of May our task was completed, and to commemorate the event we gave a +grand banquet on the pier head (for we called it a pier now, as it +sounded more dignified) to commemorate the event. Four of us sat down to +the banquet, or rather two stood and two sat. As architect I took the +head of the table (a wine cask), and Alec, as engineer, the foot; while +"Eddy," the donkey, as contractor, supported me on the right (dining +luxuriously on a bunch of carrots and some hay), and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> on my left was +dear old "Begum" as clerk of the works, enjoying two whole rabbits as +his share of the entertainment.</p> + +<p>We drank "Success to Jethou Pier," and trusted it would take every care +of the "Anglo-Franc," which we now placed within its encircling arm for +the first time.</p> + +<p>At low water we removed all the big stones from the little haven in +which our boat was now moored. This was for fear she might hurt her +bottom (as the tide left her careened half an hour before dead low +water), and thus made everything snug for her. At half-tide she floated, +so that for six hours out of every twelve we could go off just when we +liked, without any pushing or hard work of any kind; while to assist her +to her moorings, if we wished to bring her in at low tide, we rigged up +the windlass which we brought from the wreck, and thus we could at any +time haul her bodily out of the sea.</p> + +<p>Now, having given up a whole chapter to hard work, we will proceed to +something a little more interesting and exciting.</p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust040.png" width='300' height='85' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span><img src="images/illust024.png" width='550' height='127' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>TRAWLING FOR FISH AND DREDGING FOR CURIOS—SOME REMARKABLE FINDS—A +GHASTLY RESURRECTION—THE MYSTERIOUS PAPER—THE HIEROGLYPHIC—A +DANGEROUS FALL—HORS DE COMBAT—ATTEMPTS TO UNRAVEL THE PAPER.</p></blockquote> + +<p>As there were now two of us we occasionally had a turn at trawling, and +usually caught some fine flat fish, turbot, soles, and plaice. Our net +was a very primitive one of our own manufacture, and had to be handled +very gingerly, as the netting was old and the ironwork very fragile, but +knowing this we did not put undue strain upon it.</p> + +<p>The curious fish, marine plants, and odds and ends of all kinds that we +brought to the surface would have done a naturalist's heart good, for +there were frequently objects brought to light that were quite out of +the common.</p> + +<p>It seemed to me that the set of the Gulf Stream had something to do with +this, as we found some rare shells that did not appear indigenous to +these waters; we also found two old swords and the steel portion of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> a +flint lock pistol, beside some curious old pottery, all of which finds I +have preserved, and with other curios have formed quite a museum.</p> + +<p>Our plan of "Marine Exploration," as we called it, was this: We would +have a couple of hours trawling for fish in the usual manner, and then +if wind and tide were favourable, would run in and land our trawl, and +fish at the pier head, and bring out with us another implement, which +was a cross between a dredge and a trawl. It had an iron beam about six +feet wide, which kept the net on the bottom by reason of its weight; +from this rose an iron bow, forming a flattened half circle, and to this +was attached a piece of heavy double netting, the bottom of which was +protected from the rocks by a piece of old sail cloth a little larger +than the plan of the net. The poke of the net was only about seven feet +from beam to tail, so that we had no difficulty in raising it, +especially as we had a line fastened to the tail, which one of us could +haul upon, while the other (with a curious hand windlass, which looked +like some diabolical instrument of torture) raised the beam.</p> + +<p>We used to drain the net fairly well before bringing it inboard, and +then turn the contents out on the floor, then kneeling down we would +search among them just like a couple of misers counting their gold; +indeed, upon one occasion, we <i>did</i> have gold to count among our other +items.</p> + +<p>It was the bowl portion of a golden goblet, from which the foot had +become detached. From its encrusted appearance it must have lain for +many years in the sea. On another occasion we felt something<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> heavy in +the net as we hauled, and knowing that in the spot in which we were then +trawling, there were no rocks, we naturally wondered what it could be. +As we hove up the net, I remarked that I hoped it was not a dead body, +which remark made Alec feel quite queer, as he thought it might be one +of his comrades. He refused to help me haul for fear such should be the +case. I quickly pointed out to him that it could not be the case, as +apart from a corpse being devoured by the voracious fish, it would swell +as it decomposed, and gas being formed in it, it would buoy the body up, +and float it to the surface, when the send of the waves would waft it +away, no one knew whither.</p> + +<p>"Now," said I to Alec, "your messmates have been dead these four months, +and nothing of them now remains round this island, except perchance +their skeletons, and we are not likely to come upon <i>them</i>, so bear a +hand and let's see what luck has sent us."</p> + +<p>Slowly the net came up, and as the water left it there appeared among +the brown seaweed two huge pieces of rock tied to something which looked +very horrid. And horrid it turned out to be, for it was the remains of +the man I had buried months before, that is to say, the leg bones, with +some few remaining tendons and other parts, which the fish had not +stripped from the bones. We were glad to find that the upper part with +the skull attached had fallen off, so turning the net inside out, I for +a second time buried the poor man, or rather all that was left of him.</p> + +<p>One day in July, a very warm day, we had been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> fishing and caught but +little, so were having an hour's chat and smoke as our boat rocked +lazily on the clear blue water, when somehow the conversation turned on +curious discoveries and accidental finds. Suddenly the thought of my +valuable discovery of the lace entered my head. Should I tell Alec? No! +I would keep my secret; but what of the paper I had discovered in the +niche in the wall? Could not Alec decipher that for me? Should I tell +him of that? Why not? By keeping the paper to myself I should not know +if it were of value or no, so revolving the matter in my mind as to how +I should broach the subject, I at last made up my mind to consult him +upon the subject, but said nothing of it just then. We set to work +again, after a rest, and fished, but fortune that day was not kind to +us, or the fish were as lazy as ourselves; anyhow, we caught very few; +in fact, not more than we could consume in a fresh state. When we +obtained plenty we gutted them, split them, took off their heads, and +dried them in the sun for future use, just as the natives of the Pacific +Islands do theirs.</p> + +<p>That evening, when supper was finished, I told Alec I had something to +shew him, which did not belong to me, but which might or might not be of +value to me as the holder.</p> + +<p>Somehow I had, by associating the old leathern cup and the lace +together, brought myself to believe that the paper was like the lace, of +some value. Therefore it behoved me to be careful as to how I broached +the subject to Alec.</p> + +<p>I quietly took it from my trunk, and handed it to him carelessly, with +the remark,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Can you read that for me, Alec?"</p> + +<p>He had a good look at it, holding it very close to the lamp, and read it +quite through to himself, while I sat impatiently waiting for him to say +something about it. Not wishing to appear anxious I pretended to read, +but although I looked at the page it might just as well have been a +brick I was looking at as a book for all the information I got from it.</p> + +<p>At length he laid the paper down, and informed me that he could read it +well enough, but what did it all refer to?</p> + +<p>"It is a list of articles followed by some curious signs that I cannot +make out," said he. "Then it goes on to say that anyone finding the +things mentioned, may have them as a gift for his trouble in searching +for them. Then follows the date, Nov. 13, 17—. So probably your musty +old paper is at least one hundred years old."</p> + +<p>Then he laid the document on the table, relit his pipe, and went on +cutting out a netting needle for to-morrow's use. I merely remarked it +was an old paper I had had by me a long time, and as I wanted to know +what it was about had kept it. With that I put it away in the trunk, and +changed the subject by turning my attention to snooding a score or two +of fish hooks for conger fishing.</p> + +<p>Next day when I saw an opportunity I got away to a quiet spot, and +puzzled myself with the hieroglyphic-looking portion of the paper which +appeared thus:—</p> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span><a name="p184.png" id="p184.png"></a><img src="images/p184.png" width='700' height='517' alt="THE PUZZLING DOCUMENT" /></p> + +<p class='center'>-THE PUZZLING DOCUMENT-</p> + +<p>I puzzled over it for an hour, and then gave it up, not having obtained +the slightest clue to the meaning, if any meaning it had. Then I +reflected that a man was not likely to go to the trouble of writing out +a long list of articles, and sketching a skull with particular lines and +figures radiating from it for nought, to say nothing of hiding the paper +away in such a cosy little nook as the one in which I found it. Thus +reflecting I turned along the middle path homeward, wondering if some +old privateer skipper, or even pirate, had long years ago hidden the +articles mentioned in the list in some part of the island, or could it +refer to some treasure which—<i>slip! bump! crash!!</i></p> + +<p class='tbrk'>I opened my eyes and found Alec bending over me, while "Begum" sat +licking my hand. I tried to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> speak, but did so with extreme difficulty, +as if something were amiss with my chest. Whatever had happened! I tried +to rise, but had not the power.</p> + +<p>"How do you feel?" said Alec.</p> + +<p class="center"><a name="p185.png" id="p185.png"></a><img src="images/p185.png" width='700' height='645' alt="A TERRIBLE FALL FROM THE CLIFFS." /></p> + +<p class='center'>A TERRIBLE FALL FROM THE CLIFFS.</p> + +<p>To which I replied by asking him a question,</p> + +<p>"Whatever is the matter, Alec, am I hurt?" at which he laughed and said, +"I ought to know better than he could tell me; perhaps I would inform +him what I was doing there, and why, for more than half an hour since he +found me I had been insensible?"</p> + +<p>Then I remembered slipping carelessly over the edge of the path at a +part that was not at all<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> dangerous, and bumping myself against a +granite rock, but beyond that I remembered nothing whatever.</p> + +<p>Alec had missed me for nearly three hours, so calling to "Begum," he +strolled along to see what I was doing. It was our invariable custom to +tell each other where we were going, and what we were going to do, +whenever we separated for a time; but on this occasion I had purposely +omitted this precaution. The dog had found me on the lower pathway +doubled up, or as Alec put it, "Standing on my head in a very +undignified position, with my back against a granite boulder."</p> + +<p>I could not rise, in fact could scarcely move, so battered and bruised +was I in my fall of about fifty yards. Of course this was not a +perpendicular fall, or I should never have penned these lines; but as +the slope was one that a man could not walk up without using his hands, +it is a wonder to me to this day that I was not killed on the spot. +Evidently I had broken my swift fall by clutching at some furze bushes, +for my right hand was dreadfully lacerated, and full of furze needles, +and my shoulder so stiff that my arm seemed paralyzed; besides which, I +found I was spitting blood, which frightened me very much, as I was +afraid of some internal injury.</p> + +<p>The cart was fetched, and Alec assisted me on it; but oh dear me! I +thought the jolting would have shaken me literally to pieces, so I sang +out "Halt! Wo!" and told Alec I could go no farther, and then I fainted +away.</p> + +<p>It was only of five minutes' duration, but when I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> came to I felt as if +I was dying, and told Alec I thought my time had come, which greatly +alarmed the good fellow.</p> + +<p>"Do you mind my leaving you a few minutes," said he, "while I fire the +big gun for assistance?"</p> + +<p>"No, no, Alec, I will not consent to that; for if my time has come, all +the doctors<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> in the world cannot save me; and if I am not so badly +hurt as I fear, I shall pull through. Assist me to get on 'Eddy's' +back."</p> + +<p>By great exertion on the part of Alec, and great forbearance from crying +out on mine, I was presently mounted on the donkey, and being supported +on Alec's broad shoulder as he walked on the left side, I was at length +able to reach the house.</p> + +<p>Although in dreadful pain, I could not resist asking Alec if he did not +notice how well our group on the rocky path realized the parable of the +Good Samaritan. Here we were carrying out the story<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> exactly. I was the +"Certain Man" wounded; Alec the Good Samaritan; and "Eddy" the beast.</p> + +<p>The house being reached, next came the dreadful dismounting, and being +supported to bed; but even this was at last safely managed, and lying on +the coverlet for a time I felt much easier.</p> + +<p>Alec busied himself like a trained nurse, he took off my boots, gave me +some brandy, washed the blood from my head and hands, and then without +my knowledge gave me a sleeping draught from my medicine chest.</p> + +<p>When I awoke it was still daylight, and Alec had prepared me a good +supper, with which, like a good fellow, he fed me, and then we held a +consultation as to the nature of my hurts.</p> + +<p>We tried each leg, but beyond great black bruises there were no bones +broken; my hands were a mass of cuts and scratches, and my head was in +no better condition; but when we came to the right arm we found +something radically wrong at the shoulder, which had now become greatly +swollen, while as I sat on the edge of the bed the limb hung loosely +down in a way that caused us to think it was broken; at any rate it was +perfectly useless.</p> + +<p>We consulted Dr. Ogilvie's book upon all kinds of accidents that bones +are heir to, and came to the conclusion that either my collar bone was +broken or displaced, or my arm was out of the socket at the shoulder.</p> + +<p>Alec soon set to work, and ripped my coat and shirt off, and after a +deliberate diagnosis of my upper man, concluded that my shoulder was out +of joint<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> and must be put in. Again my comrade wished to fire the big +gun for assistance, but I made up my mind to attempt my own cure with +his help, as I had seen several cases of a similar nature treated on the +hunting field.</p> + +<p>My arm is a strong one, and I must draw a veil over the agony which +resulted from the clumsy way in which we hauled the poor limb about; but +we clicked the bone in at last, and then faint from pain I must have +gone off into a deep sleep, for the last I remember was feeling Alec +wipe the perspiration from my forehead as I fell back on my pillow in a +faint.</p> + +<p>For days I kept my bed, as every part of my anatomy had received a +tremendous battering when I took my flight over the jagged stones that +barred my way.</p> + +<p>My constant thought as I lay on the bed with the glorious sunshine +streaming in from the open window, which gave me a view of the dark +trees standing out against the azure sunlit sky, was about the +hieroglyphics on the paper. What did the skull portend, and what did the +letters and figures refer to?</p> + +<p>The skull I set down as the point to which the most importance was to be +attached, and as I believed it referred to some hidden articles or +treasure stowed away more than a century ago, I was naturally very eager +to find out its whereabouts.</p> + +<p>Well, say the skull represented the treasure spot, what did the square +surrounding it mean? I gave it up. "Then what," I asked myself, "is the +meaning of the letters at certain angles round the square both<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> inside +and out?" These I assumed to be the bearings of certain objects, as the +person stood at the spot in which the goods were hidden; the figures I +conjectured were the number of feet or yards distant of the "treasure +spot" from the various objects.</p> + +<p>Next, where was it most likely a man would hide anything of value, +beneath the sea or upon dry land? Land certainly. Would it be among the +rocks or where the ground was softer? Certainly the latter, I should +say.</p> + +<p>Then I set to thinking of the different places on the island where the +nature of the soil would allow of digging, and could call to mind but +few, and these mostly on the higher parts of the island. I determined +when I was able to get about that I would inspect all these places, and +see if I could find objects to correspond with the bearings and +distances given in the sketch. Having thus promised myself to pursue the +search further at a more appropriate time, I dismissed the subject from +my mind for the time being.</p> + +<p>After several days of enforced idleness I was at length able once more +to go out, but at first felt very weak in the legs for want of exercise.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> Speaking of island doctors reminds me that Dr. Moyle has +recently retired from practice in the Isles of Scilly, where he has been +the sole medical practitioner for over forty years. He is spoken of with +love and respect by all the islanders, and no wonder, for he has been a +wonderful old man. His patients were scattered over the five inhabited +islands, and never once did he fail to go when summoned. On many a wild +winter night has he been called up to cross the rough sea to attend, +perhaps, on some poor fisherman's child. Dressed in an oilskin coat, +sou'wester and big boots, he was always ready to go, and scarcely looked +like a medical man. The people have shown their regard for him in a +handsome manner. Without the aid of bazaars or other such institutions, +they have raised funds enough to present him with a life-long annuity of +£52.</p></div> +</div> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust052.png" width='300' height='94' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span><img src="images/illust053.png" width='550' height='125' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>YARNS: THE CABBAGES WHICH HUNG THEIR HEADS—THE RAFT OF +SPRUCE—VOYAGE OF THE "DEWDROP"—A LUCKY FAMILY—A DEEP, DEEP +DRAUGHT—THE MAIRE'S CAT.</p></blockquote> + +<p>Alec behaved splendidly while I was unable to help myself. He fished, +and by hook or by crook—or rather, by hook and by net—procured +whatever I cared for, beside which he killed the surviving pig, which +had now grown into an immense fellow, so that we had a good supply of +meat, although somewhat fat; but of this I ate little, preferring a more +vegetable diet, although at times I took a little meat, but not often. +When the day's work was over he would sit in the twilight and spin yarns +to me of his own curious experiences, one or two of which I cannot +refrain from repeating here.</p> + +<p>"Did you ever do any smuggling?" I asked him one day.</p> + +<p>"Well," said he, "that's rather personal, is it not? But still, I may as +well tell you truly—I have. But as it is now very risky work, and some +of my experience is recent, I shall not tell you of my own adventures +in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> that line of business, though I see but little harm in outwitting a +revenue officer, and at the same time enabling your neighbours to obtain +a luxury or two, which otherwise they would never have. Did I ever do +any smuggling? Rather! and my father and grandfather before me. In fact, +in the village of my birth a man is thought little of who has not, at +some time or other, been 'smarter than a revenue officer.'"</p> + +<p>These remarks aroused my curiosity, so I asked, "Were you ever caught at +the game?"</p> + +<p>"No," said he, "but I'll tell you how my father was once bowled over by +the sun taking part against him. It was in the month of August, 185-, +that he had, by manœuvring, brought ashore quite a nice little lot of +contraband during the night, and not liking to keep it in the house, +placed a couple of men on watch while he buried it in the garden. He had +a little plot of cabbages near one side of the garden, and he uprooted +about a dozen of these in the middle of the patch; then, digging a +somewhat shallow hole, he placed his goods in, and re-casting the mould +back, replanted the cabbages, not forgetting to remove the surplus mould +in pails. So far so good; but early the next morning a customs officer +had, by some means, heard that my father had been seen in his boat on +the previous day, in close proximity to a trading vessel which had +signalled for water, one of her casks having been started by the heat. +Of course my father was very pleased to see the officer (or apparently +so), and after showing him over the place, invited him to stay to +breakfast, which he gladly did. About ten o'clock he took his departure, +apparently quite as satisfied<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> with his visit, as my father was pleased +at his departure. All seemed very easy now—simply to wait till dark, +when one or two friends would divide the haul and take it away in some +secret manner. But a little after noon back came the officer, +accompanied by another. Here was evidently something in the wind, and my +father felt very anxious.</p> + +<p>"'Very sorry to trouble you, M. Ducas, but duty is duty, you know. Will +you kindly accompany us over your premises?'</p> + +<p>"'Certainly.'</p> + +<p>"Then they searched high and low, but nothing could they find. Dinner +was being served. Would they join us at table?</p> + +<p>"'Thanks, very pleased to.'</p> + +<p>"So they sat down. My father, after dinner, handed them a bottle of the +'right sort,' of which they were connoisseurs, and they enjoyed it. It +was a hot day, and everything was greatly in want of rain, and being so +hot and dry they strolled out into the garden, preparatory to taking +their leave.</p> + +<p>"'How are monsieur's pigs? Oh, ah, very fine fellows! Do you give them +much green food?'</p> + +<p>"Yes, a fair amount,' my father replied, and pulling up the nearest +cabbage to him, threw it to the animals.</p> + +<p>"'What a pity to waste such a fine cabbage,' said the chief officer. +'Why not give them one of those which are languishing so for want of +water?' and reaching over he made a big pull at one, which, to his +astonishment, came out of the ground without any resistance. 'Hello! +what's this, Ducas? Why, all<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> the middle ones seem to be in a sad way! +See, they are-hanging their heads. Perhaps the soil is not congenial to +their growth. <i>Have you a spade?</i>'</p> + +<p>"It was all up. The spade had to be forthcoming, and the end of it +was,—'Fined two hundred francs or thirty-five days in prison.'"</p> + +<p>"Well, Alec, that's not half bad. Spin us another."</p> + +<p>"Ah, well, I could spin you enough yarns to make a frigate's cable, and +a thick one too, if you would only listen to them."</p> + +<p>"Very good. Then let me have another strand towards the said ship's +cable; but don't spin it <i>too thick</i>."</p> + +<p>"Let's see, which one shall I give you? Oh, I know; but it's one that +did <i>not</i> end in a fine, though it was a very close shave. I was quite a +youngster, but anything but a green hand at the business, for I had +accompanied my father on many occasions on which he did not bring home +merely soles or <i>longue-nez</i> for freight. Just before the occasion of +which I am about to tell you there had been a gale, and during the worst +of the blow a Norwegian vessel had jettisoned her deck load of spruce +poles, and we being out fishing a day or two after, happened, as luck +would have it, to fall in with some of them. As we had some spare rope +aboard we made a kind of raft of them, and commenced towing them towards +the harbour, which was only five or six miles distant.</p> + +<p>"Now it so happened that a fishing boat passed us as we tugged our +timber along, and what is more remarkable, upon my father holding up a +white pail a man at the stern of the lugger did the same, then<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> altering +her canvas she made a tack (where one was not required), and coming very +close to us dropped overboard a series of black tin cases, which were no +doubt hermetically sealed, to preserve their contents. These cylinders +were so nicely balanced that the rounded sides of them just showed above +the water, and no more. Some more cabalistic signs then passed between +my father and the lugger's skipper, as she stood away on her course, and +in an hour was out of sight round the cape. We made fast the cylinders +(which were attached to a rope) <i>underneath</i> the raft, and standing in +for shore and entered the little port.</p> + +<p>"We moored our logs, and my father at once went to the authorities and +reported the finding of <i>a raft</i>, and as usual an officer came down to +inspect and put a mark on the timbers. His inspection was finished, and +he was about to go upon other business when a boy who had, with some +companions, been scampering about the raft, fell into the water. At once +a number of men jumped on the raft, which was nearly submerged by the +additional weight; but what was worse the cordage binding the logs +together gave way, and behold, bobbing among the floating men were seen +a series of floating cylinders! The men were hauled out of the water, +and so were the curious tin cases, while with the latter my father was +hauled off to appear before the magistrates on a charge of smuggling."</p> + +<p>"A clear case I should say, Alec," I remarked.</p> + +<p>"Well, so everyone thought; but, strange to say, my father was +discharged with a caution. The turning point of the case was, did we +pick up separate<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> logs of timber and construct the raft, or did we find +the raft <i>already made</i>? Our case was that we had picked up the <i>whole</i> +raft at sea, and not having examined it, were not supposed to know what +was hanging beneath it. Beside which, had not M. Ducas gone straight +away and given notice to the proper authorities? We obtained the benefit +of the doubt, but it was a very close squeak."</p> + +<p>"It was indeed. Now do you not remember any little adventure of your own +you could tell me?"</p> + +<p>"Adventures! I could fill a whole book with them; some of them so +strange that they would appear to most people more like falsehoods than +solid fact."</p> + +<p>"But, you know, Alec, it is only a hair line that frequently separates +the sublime from the ridiculous, and perhaps the line that divides your +true tales of the marvellous from story book fiction is so thin, that +ordinary persons cannot quite detect it; but never mind, let's have +something mild, and I'll undertake to swallow everything you tell me, +even if I have to bite it in two first."</p> + +<p>"There, now, you're laughing at me before I begin, and you shall not +have a strand of a yarn, so you may go to sleep again at once."</p> + +<p>Then I had to coax him, and he soon came round. He could not bear to be +doubted, much less laughed at.</p> + +<p>"Tell me about bringing that little cockle-shell of a yacht from London +to Guernsey, that you were speaking about the other day."</p> + +<p>"Oh! the 'Dewdrop.' Why, that's no yarn at all."</p> + +<p>Then, thought I to myself, here's something really true: and so I +afterwards proved it to be.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span></p> + +<p>"The 'Dewdrop' was one of the smallest yachts that ever ventured across +the Channel in the month of March. I left London with a fair wind from +the west, and got along the London river well enough; but once past the +Nore I found it quite lumpy enough to make things very wet and +uncomfortable, and after leaving Dover behind I had serious thoughts of +putting into Folkestone, or one of the south coast ports, but as I am +not one to take a task in hand and then give it up, I shaped my course +for Guernsey, making up my mind to give Cape La Hogue a wide berth. +There was a high west wind blowing, and a choppy sea rolling the white +horses along at a great pace, so that it required some amount of +attention to handle a light built twenty-foot yacht. Everything stood as +we bowled along, but having no one to help me I felt dreadfully tired +and hungry, for I could not leave the tiller to get a proper meal. Two +or three hours more and the wind backed a little to the south south-west +and blew harder than ever, while, in proportion as the wind rose, so did +the sea, so that the poor little 'Dewdrop,' with nearly a head wind, was +labouring heavily. How I got through the night I cannot tell, for with +cold and hunger I was nearly dead, and what was more, <i>I was lost</i>. When +I say lost, I could not tell within a score miles where I was. I looked +for the Casquet Light, but could not see it. Then I strained my eyes +ahead, trying to penetrate the darkness and discern Alderney Light, but +in vain. Turning my head to the left I looked out for the lights of Cape +La Hogue, but again was disappointed. Where was I? I could not tell, but +I fancied I knew<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> where <i>I should be</i> in a very short time, for the seas +were such as to make it a marvel how such a cockle-shell could float in +such a turmoil of black seething water. It was a terrible night, for +death rode near me on every crested wave, any one of which breaking +aboard would have formed my winding sheet. To make matters worse, +towards morning a dense sea fog set in, and I so far gave myself up as +to say my prayers at least half a dozen times in as many half hours.</p> + +<p>"Although apparently very reluctant to do so, the sun did rise at last, +and behold, as the fog melted away, not two miles off, on my starboard +beam, was Alderney. I never felt such a thrill of joy in my life as when +I saw the breakwaters at the entrance to Braye Harbour, extending their +arms as if to receive me into their snug embrace. I was glad to get into +smooth water once again, and inside a harbour to boot, for I had never +expected to set foot on dry land again. The old hands could scarcely +believe that I had crossed the Channel in such a gale; but there I was, +and there was the 'Dewdrop' to prove my assertion, therefore they could +not doubt it. I pumped her out, and repaired the little craft as well as +I could, and on the third day of being in port had eaten everything +eatable aboard, and as there was no chance of resuming the voyage yet I +had to get some food on 'tick.' This was all very well for a day or two, +but after I had been a week in Braye, with no prospect of getting away, +the landlord of the tavern from which I obtained my food, told me that +as I was a perfect stranger to him he could not afford, to keep me any<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> +longer on credit. What security could I give him for further food? This +was a poser, but the end of it was that I left my whole kit in pawn with +him, including even my watch. At length, on the twelfth morning after my +arrival the sea became calm enough for me to proceed, and with a west +wind I was in Guernsey Harbour four hours after leaving Braye. I think +this was the most adventurous voyage I ever made, as it took me sixteen +days to make two hundred and fifty miles. I think if the pay was a +guinea an hour I should not care about again crossing the Channel during +an equinoxial gale, especially to be skipper and crew of such a midge as +the 'Dewdrop.'"</p> + +<p>"That's what I call a decent little yarn, Alec,—<i>multum in parvo</i>—one +that might be drawn out into quite a long story, and if it were in the +hands of some men they would so spin it out, that the telling would +occupy almost as many hours as you were days on the voyage. Nothing like +condensing the agony and expanding the joy in a yarn, it makes the +listeners in a better mode, and more sociable with each other."</p> + +<p>"Sociability," said Alec, "among seafaring men is pretty general. It is +usually 'Hail, fellow, well met!' with us, for we endeavour to get all +the fun we can out of life, because we know that whenever he gets the +chance, Death will have his gibe at us. A sailor must, of necessity, +often face death, and therefore his motto is, 'Eat, drink, and be merry, +for to-morrow we die'; and death does come to him frequently when least +he expects it. I'll tell you an instance of this in which I and some of +my relatives were concerned.</p> + +<p>"Nine miles from the shore of my native village<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> there is a most +dreadful sand-bank, in the form of the letter U, which at low tide is +frequently bare, while at high tide not more than two fathoms of water +cover it. It has been a death-trap to many a stout vessel, and at the +time I am speaking of had nothing near it in the form of a lighthouse, +lightship, or even a buoy to mark its dread presence. At daybreak on a +rough November morning the look-out on duty discovered that a small +trading schooner was fast on the sands, and after the usual half-hour's +excitement in the village the surf boat, containing eleven men, was +launched and proceeded to the wreck. There was quite a little party of +my family aboard, as beside myself, the crew also contained my father, +brother, and two cousins.</p> + +<p>"To make a long story short, I will simply say, that after a three +hours' exhausting pull we reached the vessel, but were grieved to find +that of the crew of six hands, only one was left alive. Our attention +was therefore turned to the saving of this poor sailor, who had lashed +himself to the bowsprit, where he had sat all through the cold night, +and was so benumbed that he could scarcely speak. We shouted to him, and +made him understand that if he would cut his lashings, we would when +opportunity served, pull the boat under the bowsprit so that as we +glided by he might drop in and be saved. His knife was quickly at work, +and to show that he was free he held up his hands and moved himself on +the bowsprit. We gave him a cheer, and watching our best time, glided in +on the crest of a wave to deliver the poor fellow. Alas! in his +excitement he jumped too soon, and dropped between<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> the bows of the +vessel and our heavy boat. His head was for a second visible on the +surface, but before an arm could be stretched out to save him the two +vessels came crash together, with his head between them. A gush of blood +was all we saw of him, for the next moment we were all in the sea, +struggling for our own lives. Our boat had stove its bows in against the +ship, which we had approached too closely, in our endeavour to save the +poor man.</p> + +<p>"I was fortunate enough to secure an oar, and working gradually to +leeward of the wreck, with great exertion at length got aboard, where, +to my joy, I found my father. The boat still floated bottom upwards, +with five men upon the keel, who were constantly lashed by the cold +waves, till presently a larger wave than the others broke the hold of +two of the men, and washed them into eternity. Gradually in the swirl +and foam of the mighty waters the boat beat round to the leeward of the +ship, and I then saw that the men on the keel were my two cousins and +brother. They could all swim, and seeing that my father and I were ready +with ropes, quitted their precarious seat on the keel, and struck out +towards the ship. My brother and cousin Phillipe, after a terrible +struggle, were drawn aboard, but Gabriel, who could not swim so +strongly, presently became exhausted and cried out for a rope. The +distance appeared too far to fling it, but with a powerful swing my +father threw the coil, the end of which fell a yard short of the +swimmer. If I live a thousand years I shall never forget the look of +despair upon my cousin's face as he sank back in the water completely +exhausted. As<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> his head disappeared his hand, like an eagle's claw, came +above the surface of the water and gave one wild clutch at the rope +which should have proved his salvation, then it disappeared also, and he +was no more.</p> + +<p>"Thus, out of eleven men, only four were saved. Incredible as it may +seem, these were all of them relatives—my brother, father, cousin, and +self—it was quite a family party. We were taken off the wreck in the +afternoon by another boat and safely landed. Ducas was a lucky name that +day, and so it proved three years after, for my brother was the <i>only</i> +survivor when his fishing boat was run down, and a crew of eight men +perished."</p> + +<p>Seeing that we had just had one melancholy recital I thought it best to +start something more pleasant, so I handed Alec a large mug of coffee, +and said:</p> + +<p>"Take a drink, my comrade, and while you are slaking your thirst I will +spin you a drinking story."</p> + +<p>Then I recounted to him the story of Count Tilly of Brabant, and the +Holy Prior. How, during one of Tilly's numerous campaigns, a certain +town held out far too long for the general's liking, but at last it was +forced to surrender. Tilly had six of the chief men brought before him, +and commanded, as the town had laughed at his terms, that they should +die, to expiate the rest of the citizens. All kinds of conditions were +laid before him to avoid the doom of these unfortunate men, but they +were of no avail with him; he was implacable. One, Prior Hirsch, sought +him and tried to melt his adamantine heart, and being a man of +experience with human foibles, concluded to try the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> effect of some of +the good old wine for which the country is famous, and his own monastery +in particular. A huge flagon being introduced, filled with some of the +very "<span class="smcap">A1</span>" of the district, Tilly was induced to try some.</p> + +<p>"Very good wine indeed," exclaimed the General, "but it is no use your +trying to get round me in that way to pardon your burgesses, for I can +no more turn from my word than you can empty this goodly flagon at a +draught."</p> + +<p>"Is the case indeed so hopeless?" said the priest.</p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed," said the Count rising, "Drink me the contents of this +flagon at a draught, and your citizens are free; else at noon they +swing," and with a mocking smile on his lips he was about to stride out +of the room, when the priest arrested his steps with,</p> + +<p>"One moment, good Count, and I will e'en essay the task."</p> + +<p>Then, taking up the flagon, which held <i>thirteen pints</i>, he emptied it +to the very dregs, and fell back into his townsmen's arms.</p> + +<p>Tilly was as good as his word, and released his captives.</p> + +<p>"Whew!" whistled Alec; "where's the salt box? Thirteen pints at a +draught—thirteen pints! Why, your old priest would make a good second +to our maire's cat!"</p> + +<p>"What did his cat do?" queried I, innocently.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I thought everyone had heard of Curat's cat," premised Alec. "You +must know that his cat was growing old and spiteful, so he determined to +kill it; but although he tried various means, and got very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> near +accomplishing his end on several occasions the cat would always appear +again to trouble him. One evening, as a final effort in assassination, +before retiring to bed, he tied a heavy piece of iron round the cat's +neck, and dropped it into a water-butt which stood in his garden. Next +morning he was down betimes, and standing on the tiptoe both of +expectation and of his boots, he peeped over the edge of the tub, when +lo! there, on the bottom of the butt sat the cat looking up at him with +tears in her eyes, for she was too heavily anchored to climb out."</p> + +<p>But I broke in, "Where was the water?"</p> + +<p>"Well, you see," said Alec, "being her only means of escape, <i>she had +swallowed it</i>, as your priest did the wine, which accounted for her +swollen condition. So now, Mr. Thirteen Pints, I think we are about +quits."</p> + +<p>We were; Alec scored a point.</p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust023.png" width='300' height='88' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span><img src="images/illust157.png" width='550' height='130' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>THE WILL AGAIN—SEARCHING FOR A CLUE TO THE PAPER—BARBE ROUGE'S +WILL—A PROBABLE CLUE—HOPES AND DOUBTS—PERPLEXED—A MEMORABLE +TRAWL BY MOONLIGHT—A REAL CLUE AT LAST—THE PLACE OF THE SKULL +FOUND.</p></blockquote> + +<p>As soon as I was able I went out walking each day, and so rapid was my +convalescence that in ten days I was quite myself again. Alec had during +my enforced idleness been extra busy, and had made both house and garden +look very trim. He had not been able to go far away, for fear I might +want him, and thus had spent his time near home.</p> + +<p>From joking in the first instance we had now become quite familiar with +our new appellations; thus I was Crusoe, and Alec was Monday, that being +the day on which I saved him. For the sake of being as near like the +hero of Juan Fernandez as possible, I should have liked to call him +Friday; in fact, Good Friday, but as he came on the wrong day, Monday +had to be his name.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span></p> + +<p>As I write these pages, I can, in fancy, hear his voice shouting to me +on the island,</p> + +<p>"Crusoe! Crusoe! where are you? Rob—in—son Cru—soe, ahoy!"</p> + +<p>Being August, the fruit was ripe and very plentiful; in fact, it seemed +a sin to see it hang on the bushes and trees till it dropped upon the +ground, simply to serve the purpose of manure. To obviate this we made a +whole copper full of jam, and in making it we got into a pretty pickle, +both of us being up to our elbows in stickiness, but the jam <i>was</i> +prime!</p> + +<p>Whatever I did, or wherever I went, the paper I had found in the old +leathern cup always haunted me. Moreover, when it did not haunt <i>me</i>, I +haunted <i>it</i>; for I took it to various parts of the island, and taking +my stand in a certain place, would represent the spot shewn by the skull +in the drawing. Then Monday would measure in various directions to see +if he could get the measurements correct to certain rocks or tree +stumps, to see if they tallied with the paper, but it was no use, +nothing would coincide with that faded paper.</p> + +<p>We tried the Creviçhon, but nothing there agreed; then La Fauconnaire, +but could make nothing of that either, so we had again to let the matter +rest.</p> + +<p>One day, however, it suddenly struck me that as none of the trees on the +island were one hundred years old, I might have spared myself the +trouble of attempting them when making my calculations and measurements.</p> + +<p>By the way, perhaps it would be as well to state<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> what the precise +contents of my document were. Here is a copy:—</p> + +<blockquote><p>"This is the Will of Jean Tussaud, Master Mariner of C—— +(sometimes called Barbe Rouge). To the person who is lucky enough +to find my treasure house, I herewith declare him to be my heir, +and whatsoever he may find shall be his, and for his sole benefit.</p> + +<p>"My chief mate, William Trefry, a Cornish man, wished to become my +heir before my death, but I could not agree with him on that point, +although I left him in possession of the key of my 'petites fées' +(little fairies). The key and a valuable knife are all I gave him.</p> + +<p>"The bearings of my treasure house are these:—</p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/p184.png" width='700' height='517' alt="THE PUZZLING DOCUMENT" /></p> + +<p class='center'>-THE PUZZLING DOCUMENT-</p> + +<p>"The lucky one will find the following property.... (Here follows a +list of many valuable articles, and winds up with), 'and lastly my +pretty box of <i>petites fées</i>.'</p> + +<p class='tbrk'>"I leave Jethou to-night to join my vessel, which is about to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> make +a voyage to the West Indies, to see what business can be done +there. I leave this paper, so that should I never return, the goods +I have so industriously and riskily gathered together, may still be +of service to someone who may have skill enough to discover their +whereabouts.</p> + +<p class='center'>Signed</p> + +<p class='center'>"JEAN TUSSAUD (Barbe Rouge),</p> + +<p class='right'>"Feb. 19, 17—."</p></blockquote> + +<p>Here was a puzzle to which for weeks I could obtain no clue whatever, +but one day as I was sitting under the shade of the huge walnut tree +overlooking the garden, the idea came into my mind that this kind of +tree flourishes for generations, and from the gigantic proportions of +this particular tree, it must be a great deal more than a century old.</p> + +<p>I found Monday, and asked him how old he thought it would be, and he +gave it as his opinion that it was one hundred and fifty years old, if +it was a day. Then said I,</p> + +<p>"What is the French for walnut tree?"</p> + +<p>"Noyer," was his reply, and into my pocket went my hand to bring out the +mystic document to see if there was an N on the chart. Joy, there was, +and at sight of it my hand trembled violently, and I felt ready to choke +with excitement, as I believed I had now a key to the finding of the +treasure.</p> + +<p>Monday was as excited as myself, all he could exclaim was, "Oh, la, la! +Oh, la, la!" which was with him a mark of supreme delight.</p> + +<p>We fetched the yard measure, and commenced our survey, as I shrewdly +guessed the fine old mulberry tree had something to do with the +calculations; if so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> the distance from the mulberry tree (Murier +accounting for the letter M) to the walnut tree would be twenty-four +yards; so we measured, but could not make the distance correct, as we +made it 26-2/3 yards, or just eight feet too much. This quite nonplussed +us, and our excitement greatly abated; but we were not yet vanquished, +and set our wits to work to discover the meaning of another of the +letters from which we could take further measurements.</p> + +<p>Being near N (the walnut tree) I walked round the garden wall to the +point marked EC, but could there find no landmark at all from which to +measure. A century ago something may have stood there, but now it was a +bare spot. Here was another rebuff which seemed to upset my theory +altogether, and Monday with long visage said,</p> + +<p>"Crusoe, you are on the wrong scent, you have 'shaken hands with a +shadow.'"</p> + +<p>"Wait a bit, Monday. 'A cracked pitcher will hold <i>some</i> water,' and +although I may be wrong on some of the points, I may find at least <i>one</i> +correct one presently."</p> + +<p>We then walked along to the corner of the wall at the angle of which was +the letter P. At this point stood the well.</p> + +<p>"What is French for '<i>well</i>', Monday."</p> + +<p>"Puit."</p> + +<p>"Puit?"</p> + +<p>At this I gave a yell of delight.</p> + +<p>"Eureka! I believe. Measure away, good comrade; measure away!"</p> + +<p>"Where to, noble Crusoe?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Ah, where," said I to myself. "Well, measure off twelve yards towards +the centre of the garden, and see if it cuts the line between the +mulberry tree and the big walnut."</p> + +<p>We measured to the wall and climbed over, and continued our measuring, +but alas, it went beyond the bee-line between the two trees by about +five feet! Wrong again!</p> + +<p>Now I began to get angry, as I saw Monday was laughing up his sleeve at +me, and I called him <i>Alec</i> to shew him I was not in a laughing humour +but thoroughly in earnest.</p> + +<p>I walked along next inside the wall to about the point on the paper +marked P, which appeared to me to be at the window of the house.</p> + +<p>"What is window, Alec?"</p> + +<p>"Fenêtre."</p> + +<p>That would not do.</p> + +<p>"Now look here, Alec, you are laughing at me again, and I don't like it; +laugh some other time, but for the present give me your full attention, +and don't be a ninny. It is no joking matter, but one upon which I am +very serious and anxious, as I believe there is something attached to +this quest which is really worth a little trouble to elucidate."</p> + +<p>"And," replied he, still smiling, "when you get to the end of your +quest, I believe you will 'shake hands with a shadow' as I told you +before. But, Bold Crusoe, I <i>will</i> do my best to help you as a good +comrade should, so I will bottle up my hilarious mood till you find your +treasure, and then I will explode."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Very well, Monday," I replied. "I trust soon to be able to make you +have a perfect earthquake when I shew you Old Barbe Rouge's 'Petites +fées.' Fenêtre will not do. Now what are we standing near that commences +in French with the letter P?"</p> + +<p>Monday looked about and quickly said,</p> + +<p>"La porte, the door, porche, the porch; how will they do?"</p> + +<p>"Capital! now we are surely on the right track."</p> + +<p>So again we brought our measuring stick into play, but again the measure +was not quite right, but still not far out. We made it nearly eleven +yards instead of ten, and although not perfectly correct, it gave me +great hope.</p> + +<p>With but little trouble we made out the letters PM to be Porte Magasin +(door of the store house), and again we were about a yard too much in +the measurement. So we left it, and proceeded to the last point, the +letters CC.</p> + +<p>The point was outside the walls, and the longest distance of all—the +figures twenty being written on the line. As in the other instances I +asked Monday the names of all kinds of objects to locate the letters CC, +but failed in this, except that I presumed C might be Chaumière = +Cottage.</p> + +<p>Next taking our stand at the point which we supposed the centre of the +diagram—the place of the skull—we measured twenty yards towards the +cottage, but it fell short of the nearest point of the building by +nearly six feet; therefore probably it did not refer to the cottage at +all.</p> + +<p>We assumed therefore, that a tree or some such<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> object, to which the +letters CC referred, once stood on what was now a pathway joining the +cottage.</p> + +<p>We paused in our search for the day, resolving on the morrow to try our +luck by digging a deep hole in the garden at the spot which we <i>thought</i> +was the axis of the different radial measurements.</p> + +<p>"Begum" followed us about like a district surveyor, and seemed to know +something was on foot as well as himself.</p> + +<p>Our work of fishing, shooting, and field work seemed quite in the +background, and very insignificant compared with my treasure hunt; but +Alec seemed to be quite indifferent to it; in fact, I think he had an +idea that my fall had slightly shaken my brain, and perhaps addled it. I +more than suspected this, for I noticed he kept his eye ever on me, and +would scarcely let me out of his sight. Good, faithful fellow!</p> + +<p>"What say you to a sail this evening, Crusoe?"</p> + +<p>"Just the thing, Monday; it is such a glorious night, and the cool +breeze will do us good. What do you say to a drag with the trawl?"</p> + +<p>"The very thing; more fish are caught in one night than in two days, so +let's set to at once, that is, after a good substantial tea."</p> + +<p>The meal being finished, we soon got the trawl and gear aboard the +"Anglo-Franc," and away we went in the lovely moonlight, scouring the +bottom of the Perchée between the head of Jethou and the tail of Herm. +The latter island looked delightful in the pale greenish light of the +moon, while Creviçhon towering up against the sky, with the moon behind<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> +it, caused it to look like a silhouette cut out of black cardboard.</p> + +<p>"Who would be stifled up in a town with wealth and its attending cares, +in preference to this life of liberty I was leading?" I asked myself, +and for answer gave, "While one is young, full of health, and with no +encumbrances, a Bohemian life is all very well; but what when a wife and +family are dependent on one? That puts a different complexion on the +matter, for one can roam no more."</p> + +<p>I recollect this night well, for I revelled in its very antithesis to +life in England. Everything seemed so strange and quiet; the great black +rocks casting their shadows over the phosphorescent waves; the +star-studded sky, with the pale round moon, across which a gentle breeze +wafted silvery gauze-like clouds; the feeling of motion, the sense of +freedom, the love of labour to haul the net, the expectation of what +would be our luck, the merry badinage between my comrade and me, our +little songs between the hauls, and a score of other things cause me to +look back upon this night (and many others) with the thought, "Shall I +ever know such happiness again?"</p> + +<p>Many persons, yes, most persons, must have recollections of past pure +delights that steal across their memories of things which happened long +years ago, and cause them to ask themselves the same question, "Shall I +ever know such happiness again?"</p> + +<p>Why not? It always seems to strike me that when we are supremely happy, +we do not realise it at the time; but when the happy time has fled, and +has become a memory, we long for its return in vain.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> We long in vain +for that <i>particular</i> pleasure, but there are present joys for us to +which at the time we do not give heed enough, or instead of <i>bemoaning +the past</i> (which has flown) we should live and enjoy the <i>tangible +present</i>.</p> + +<p>From moralising to fishing is a long jump, but we must take the leap and +attend to our net again.</p> + +<p>After two or three hauls we had almost enough fish, but Alec said, "One +more for luck," and he being Skipper afloat, I Commandant ashore, like a +good A.B., I obeyed. We had caught several fair soles, but our last haul +brought us up two of the largest it has been my lot to capture.</p> + +<p>"They are two, but not a pair," remarked Alec.</p> + +<p>Neither were they, for when they were measured one was nineteen and a +half inches long, and the other exactly twenty-three inches. We +christened them Adam and Eve, and like a couple of cannibals declared +our intention of eating them for our supper when we got ashore.</p> + +<p>As we sailed slowly in against the tide, the question arose who should +devour Adam and who Eve; so we agreed to guess the length of the trawl +beam between the irons for choice of fish.</p> + +<p>I guessed first: "Ten feet."</p> + +<p>"There," said Monday, "you have nearly taken my guess out of my mouth, +for I was going to say three metres, and that makes it about, let me +see, nine feet ten inches."</p> + +<p>"How much is a metre?" I asked eagerly.</p> + +<p>"Why about thirty-nine inches and a quarter of your measure," was his +ready reply.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Then," I rejoined, bubbling over with excitement, "I've discovered the +measurements in the document. Why Old Barbe Rouge was a Frenchman, and +of course used French measure,—the metre! Hurrah!" and I made the rocks +echo with my excited hurrahs and loud laughter.</p> + +<p>Adam and Eve were duly cooked, but they were not half eaten, for either +they were too large or our appetites too small by reason of our great +excitement; anyhow, Adam would have sufficed for us both, and Eve would +have made a capital breakfast for us in the morning. As it was, the +mangled remains of the patriarchs remained for our dinner the next day, +as breakfast was, under the circumstances of what happened next day, +quite out of the question.</p> + +<p>As we did not get to bed till four a.m. we were not up till ten; in +fact, I slept but little, as dreams of treasure islands, fairy land, and +wonderful nuggets of gold persistently kept me tossing about feverishly, +till my comrade ran in and wanted to know if he was to dig the treasure +up before I was out of bed.</p> + +<p>I sprang out of bed and dressed, and in five minutes we were busy with +paper and rule.</p> + +<p>Hurrah! with metres instead of yards the distances tallied within a few +inches, so that near the centre of the garden we had a number of pegs +stuck in the mould all round a currant bush, of perhaps three or four +years' growth, which had thus accidentally marked the spot that was +indicated by a skull on the paper.</p> + +<p>Now came Alec's turn for excitement, and he was <i>intensely</i> excited. I +must say I liked my form of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> excitement best, for Monday seemed +completely off his head, and was gesticulating like a monkey dancing a +hornpipe on hot bricks; he was fairly beside himself. I took mine in a +calmer manner, that is, although I was brimful and even bubbling over +with it, I did not rave, but kept as cool as possible, and I remember at +the time thinking it was due to our different nationalities, the +excitable and phlegmatic temperaments predominating in the two +individuals and giving character. Probably a stranger looking on would +have thought us either a couple of fools or a pair of lunatics.</p> + +<p>Off came our jackets, and our sleeves were quickly rolled above our +elbows, displaying arms as brown as those of gypsies.</p> + +<p>Monday took the pick and I the shovel, and to work we went.</p> + +<p>I must not forget to mention that I had told Alec that whatever we found +I should consider it my duty to give up to M. Oudin as the real +proprietor of the island, and to this he readily assented, mentioning +that he at all events could say nothing to my plans, as he was simply my +assistant, my Monday.</p> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust076.png" width='300' height='83' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span><img src="images/illust217.png" width='550' height='125' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>DIGGING FOR THE TREASURE—A NOONDAY REST—THE GHASTLY TENANT OF THE +TREASURE HOUSE—WE FIND THE TREASURE—AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT WE +DISCOVERED.</p></blockquote> + +<p>By noon we had a well-like hole about seven feet deep, and found as we +dug that the soil became drier the lower we went, which was unusual, as +generally it gets more moist, so that digging at length becomes very +arduous.</p> + +<p>Although not more than seven feet deep, the earth we had piled all round +made the hole look at least ten feet to the bottom, and it had now +become very difficult to throw the earth over the edge of the opening +above.</p> + +<p>It was a hot August day, and the sun poured its almost vertical rays +upon us, so that the perspiration broke out at every pore, and bathed us +in moisture; but still we toiled on, till, as I say, noon arrived, +without our finding any token of treasure trove.</p> + +<p>Then said Monday, "What say you now of your quest, Crusoe? Don't you +think it's all moonshine, or rather (wiping the perspiration from his +brow) sunshine and shadow?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span></p> + +<p>I was fain to confess that it did seem like it, but asked,</p> + +<p>"Will you help me dig to a depth of ten feet from the surface? and if +nothing gives indication of what we are in search, I will then give up."</p> + +<p>"What, dig down ten feet, and be buried alive in this crumbling grave? +Just look at it, it is ready even now to tumble its sides in upon us."</p> + +<p>"Well, but," persisted I, "let us shore it up as we go down."</p> + +<p>"Very well then," he rejoined, "but I bargain for one hour's rest before +we delve further, and here goes for a swim."</p> + +<p>Then climbing up our improvised ladder away he went to the beach, +whither "Begum" and I quickly followed, and in five minutes we, who had +been so lately in a grave, were swimming about in the deliriously cool +water, dog and men thoroughly enjoying the exhilarating reaction.</p> + +<p>Our bathe being over, we strolled up to the house, and made another +attack upon Adam and Eve, and this time finished them; they were +delicious. As Monday would have his full sixty minutes' cessation, just +as Shylock would have his pound of flesh, we smoked the rest of the time +away, and then resumed our labours.</p> + +<p>We first took the precaution to shore up the sides of our pit with stout +pieces of wreckage and any other wood we could find, for fear of a +landslip, which might have resulted in serious if not fatal consequences +to us.</p> + +<p>Before we had dug ten minutes my spade struck<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> on something hard and +hollow, which quite startled us; but clearing the mould away from the +spot, I soon discovered the impediment to be a kind of wooden floor. +This we quickly cleared, and found it covered a space about four feet by +three. As we lifted the first piece with great expectancy, we found it +was oak, about two inches thick, and very little the worse for its long +burial, as the surrounding soil was dry.</p> + +<p>We looked into the narrow aperture left by the taking out of the oaken +plank, but could see nothing, as the depth of our pit made it somewhat +dark at the bottom, so I knelt down, and thrust my hand through the +opening and felt about. Presently I felt something hard, like a bundle +of sticks, and with a tug drew them through the opening, only to drop +them the next minute with a cry of horror, for it was a skeleton's hand +that came to view in my grasp.</p> + +<p>We looked at each other in dismay, as if to say,</p> + +<p>"How awful! what shall we do now?"</p> + +<p>Then we paused, and looked at each other again, till I broke out with,</p> + +<p>"There, Alec, your prophecy has come true, I <i>have</i> 'shaken hands with a +shadow,' or what is very near it—a skeleton. What shall we do next?"</p> + +<p>"Had we not better take up the flooring and see if we have come simply +upon a grave or what else is beneath us?"</p> + +<p>To this I acquiesced. The hole we had dug was about six feet square, to +enable both of us to work in it at once; so in this pit or chamber we +had plenty of room, and as I have already said, the oak floor we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> came +upon was only four feet by three feet, so that we could stand at the +side of the flooring as we removed it piece by piece.</p> + +<p>At last we had taken up the nine narrow pieces of oak which formed the +floor, and there before us lay the entire skeleton of a man, some +remnants of the clothes still covering parts of the frame, and a few +locks of yellow hair still adhering to the cranium.</p> + +<p>The skeleton was lying face downward, and neither of us liked to turn it +over to see if anything could be gathered from an inspection of the +front of it, or to ascertain if anything were hidden beneath it; so we +both knelt down, and bodily lifted the light but hideous occupant of +this awful pit, and placed it in a sitting posture in one corner. As we +did so, first a foot and then a leg dropped off at the knee joint, and +fell back into the hole, which sent an indescribable thrill of horror +through me, and no doubt it acted upon Alec in the same manner.</p> + +<p>When we came to look at the awful thing, Alec noticed something glitter +at its breast, and reaching forth his hand, attempted to take it to see +what it was.</p> + +<p>He gave the object a pull, but instead of coming away in his hand, it +only had the effect of pulling the ghastly form down upon him, so that +the orbless skull came with some force, right into his face. He uttered +a cry of dismay, and was about to fly up the ladder, when I arrested his +movements by bursting out laughing. The whole thing, although hideous +and startling, was rendered ludicrous by the accelerated movements of +Alec when the grinning jaws snapped right in his face. To save himself +from falling into the hole beneath, he clutched the frail form round the +body, causing its rags and bones to fall in tatters and pieces on to +something below, which gave a metallic ring.</p> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span><a name="p221.png" id="p221.png"></a><img src="images/p221.png" width='700' height='458' alt="THE TENANT OF THE TREASURE HOUSE." /></p> + +<p class='center'>THE TENANT OF THE TREASURE HOUSE.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span>The first shock of his fright being over, for he thought the man had +come to life again, we again propped it up in the corner, and examined +it closely.</p> + +<p>The glittering projection on the breast was the jewelled haft of a +dagger, the blade of which was thrust quite through the sternum or +breastbone, showing that a most powerful blow had given the poor man, +whoever he was, his <i>quietus</i>. Death must have been instantaneous, for +the position of the blade shewed that it had probably passed quite +through the heart.</p> + +<p>Another thing also attracted our attention; this was a pair of keys +suspended round the neck by a rusty chain. We took possession of both +dagger and keys; then placing the bony one in a piece of sail cloth, +hoisted him above ground and covered him up.</p> + +<p>Down into the hole we went again, almost breathless with excitement, and +recommenced our now light task of making further search for whatever +might be of value, being fully persuaded that something really worth +having now awaited us.</p> + +<p>Nor were we wrong in our conjecture, for the first things we came upon +were four large dishes of metal, resembling gold; but as they had been +rolled up like a scroll by some great force, we did not stop to unroll +them to enquire of what metal they really were. Beside them were five or +six golden cups of curious<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> work, being beautifully chased, two of them +containing jewels in the band of raised work which encircled the stems. +Then there were two utensils about a foot high, something in shape +between a pitcher and a flagon, which were perfect in form, not a dent +being visible in them, their only blemish being the tarnish with which +more than a century had marred them, but this could easily be removed.</p> + +<p>There were many bundles containing lace, but for the most part this was +so mouldy and musty, that it came to pieces with very little pulling, so +we threw it aside. Then we came upon quite an armoury of swords, +daggers, and pistols; but as most of them were much rusted, we only +selected a few of the better preserved ones, and left the rest.</p> + +<p>Among those we kept were three pairs of pistols, one pair of which were +a marvel of workmanship. The barrels were of silver, and engraved all +over with fruit and flowers, while the stocks of ivory were also carved +in every part, and were quite perfect, not even discoloured like the +wood work in the pit. They were wrapped in soft leather, and enclosed in +a velvet case which was in a somewhat discoloured and decayed state, but +still in a sufficiently whole form to preserve the pistols intact.</p> + +<p>Several swords I kept for decorative purposes, and also some of the huge +flintlock pistols.</p> + +<p>The bottom of the treasure-hole was filled with bundles of what had once +been costly garments of silk, velvet, satin, cloth with gold braid, and +wonderfully fine linen; but these were now useless, for time had quite +spoiled them. Among these raiments of a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> bygone age were a number of +copes, chasubles, stoles, and such-like ecclesiastic raiment; there was +also a beautifully worked mitre, and as these were in good condition we +kept them. Their preservation was evidently owing to their being +contained in a bullock's hide, which was sewn together apparently by the +sinews of the same animal.</p> + +<p>Then we came upon a whole pile of sashes, and breeches, and boots, and +goodness knows what in the way of wearing apparel, all in a state of dry +rot; in fact, they made such a dust that we ascended to <i>terra firma</i> +for a few minutes to get it out of our throats.</p> + +<p>We now appeared to have cleared the place, but what of the "petite +fées"? Had we seen them or what were they? To make sure we had secured +everything, we cleared the hole completely out, and in doing so luckily +saw the end of a box protruding from the side of the treasure chamber. A +kind of cave or tunnel had been made for the reception of this chest, +and it was a wonder we did not miss seeing it altogether.</p> + +<p>No doubt it contained the "petite fées," whatever they were; but to our +astonishment it was so heavy we could not move it. We therefore set to +work, and cleared away the surrounding earth, and by dint of hard +tugging in the confined space, we at length drew it from its hiding +place into the centre of the pit. It was securely locked with two huge +padlocks.</p> + +<p>We concluded we would hoist it out of its bed and examine it at our +leisure above ground. To compass this we had to erect a kind of tripod +of three long<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> pieces of deal, which had evidently at some time been +top-sail yards of some vessel probably wrecked on rocky Jethou. From +this we suspended a block and fall, and soon had our iron chest safely +above ground.</p> + +<p>About this time an unaccountable feeling seized us both; I know not what +it was, but it appeared to us that we were doing something wrong, +violating the grave of the dead man near us, or something of the kind.</p> + +<p>We seemed to feel that the bones should again be buried as quickly as +possible, for fear someone should see us at our task. Why this feeling +came over us I know not, but it did, so we fastened the rope attached to +the block round the waist of the grinning skeleton, and commenced to +lower him into his last home again; but he saved us further trouble by +breaking in two just above the hips and falling into the bottom of the +well-like hole. We quickly covered him with old clothes and hid him from +view.</p> + +<p>It was a work of some difficulty to get the iron chest to the house, but +this we accomplished at last with the donkey's help, and having brought +in the other goods, we cleared up for the day, completely tired out.</p> + +<p>At nine o'clock, an hour after supper, we retired to bed, each of us +fancying we should have our rest stopped by hideous dreams; but we were +mistaken, for we slept like the dead in the pit till six o'clock, when +we arose much refreshed by our long night's rest.</p> + +<p>It was raining fast, and as the drops pattered on the window pane, they +seemed like tears for the poor<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> fellow lying unburied in the hole +yonder; but we let him lie unburied, as we knew he was past all harm +from catarrh or rheumatism, and every other ailment of this world.</p> + +<p>We did not go out all day, but devoted our time to examining the great +find. The keys (as we suspected) which depended from the neck of the +skeleton, belonged to the iron chest; but as they were rusty, we had to +clean the wards with oil and ashes, but even then we could not shoot the +bolts in the locks, as probably they were rusty. There was but one way +left, and that was to raise the lid by force; but even this we did in a +gentle manner by filing through the hinges and finishing with a few taps +from a heavy hammer.</p> + +<p>No wonder the chest was so heavy, for the bottom of it was covered with +seventeen leather bags, each containing one hundred Spanish coins, +called doubloons, which I believe are worth for the mere intrinsic value +of the metal, about ten shillings each, but their monetary value was +about twelve shillings and sixpence each. This was something like a +find.</p> + +<p>At the end of the chest was a portion partitioned off, which contained +two drawers, a large and a small one, both of iron, lined with wood. The +large one contained three parchment books written in French, the first +of which Alec declared was an account of the life of Barbe Rouge, and +the other two were log books of his various voyages.<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a></p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span>In the right hand or small drawer was a very small gold casket of +exquisite workmanship, filled quite full of precious stones in their +natural rough state, together with a few cut gems of medium size. I +should say altogether they would have just filled a half-pint measure; +not that I believe they are ever sold in this manner, as if they were +nuts or peas. These then were Tussaud's "petite fées," and pretty ones +too.</p> + +<p>Of course we put a fabulous price on this part of our treasure; I think +in our ignorance we mentioned ten thousand pounds as about their value; +but when they were sold in London some months after, in a well-known +auction room, they realised but little more than a tithe of this amount.</p> + +<p>Next day being fine we carefully filled the hole up again, ramming the +earth down with a heavy wooden ram, and finished up by replanting the +currant bush, which I believe still lives, or its descendant, to mark +the spot where we discovered Jean (Barbe Rouge) Tussaud's treasures.</p> + +<p>We presumed at the time that the skeleton we found was that of the mate, +William Treffry, mentioned in the document, who had quarrelled with Red +Beard as to the property, and that the latter had stabbed him to the +heart, afterwards throwing the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> corpse upon the treasure, thus burying +his guilt and his goods at the same time. A translation of the books we +found corroborated us in this surmise, and accounted for many other +things regarding the property which at the time we could not understand.</p> + +<p>I may add that among the clothing, we found a number of odds and ends, +relics of the eighteenth century, which I still treasure in my home, one +room of which forms quite a respectable museum, as since my sojourn in +Jethou I have brought many curious things from Holland, France, and +Spain, many of which have pleasant stories attached to them.</p> + +<p>We found miniature portraits of a Spanish gentleman, and a handsome +fresh-coloured young lady with an English name, for their names were +painted round the margin; a pair of gloves apparently blood-stained, a +case of writing materials, four jewelled rings, a tress of dark brown +hair nearly four feet long, an English Bible, two watches with enamelled +cases (about the size of small turnips), and several other things which +need not be mentioned here, but of which we discovered the history in +the parchment books.<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a></p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> These books I have since had translated, and find them to +be full of "Red Beard's" personal adventures; most of them of such an +interesting nature, that coupled with our discovery of his treasure, and +what I have since learned of him from various sources, I have no doubt +the public would be interested in them. Possibly at no very distant +period I may publish a book embodying the principal adventures set forth +in these manuscripts, as many of the events in the life of Barbe Rouge +are of a startling character.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> See <a href="#APPENDIX">APPENDIX</a>—"Modern Treasure."</p></div> +</div> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust040.png" width='300' height='85' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span><img src="images/illust042.png" width='550' height='130' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>PREPARING TO LEAVE—A LETTER HOME—WE LENGTHEN AND ENLARGE THE +"ANGLO-FRANC"—RE-CHRISTEN HER, "HAPPY RETURN"—LOVE AT FIRST +SIGHT—VICTUALLING AND STOWING CARGO—PRETTY JEANETTE—THE LONG +VOYAGE—INCIDENTS EN ROUTE—VEGETARIANS, AND THEIR DIET—YARMOUTH +REACHED—FRESHWATER NAVIGATION—MY NATIVE HEATH.</p></blockquote> + +<p>After our discovery my sole thought seemed to be of home. In fact, I was +now as ready to leave the island, as I was, eighteen months before to +land upon it, and the last fortnight, although it could not have been +pleasanter, seemed as if it would never end.</p> + +<p>I appeared to go about my work in a mechanical way, and only three +things seemed to have much joy for me—my home, parents, and Priscilla.</p> + +<p>How should I get home was the next question? I knew my father's vessels +were all out to the herring harvest, which begins in August, and ends +just before Christmas, so that it was very unlikely he would send for +me. Beside this, I wanted to give them a surprise<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> by popping in upon +them when they least expected me. To this proceeding, however, there was +one great drawback, for, like a true Crusoe, I lacked money, having but +a few shillings to call my own. True, I had the Spanish doubloons; but +then, again, they were not mine, and if they were they were foreign +coins and out of date also, so that no one would have accepted them as +current coin.</p> + +<p>"What is to be done?" I asked my companion.</p> + +<p>"Done! Why there are several ways that I can think of," said Alec, after +a pause; "but first and foremost, why not go home in the 'Anglo-Franc?'"</p> + +<p>"Monday, you're joking."</p> + +<p>"Not at all. We have been out on several rough nights in her, and +surely, Norfolk is not such a great way off, that we need fear such a +voyage in early September. By your leave I will go with you and act as +skipper and pilot, and then, having taken you safely home, will resume +my post as King of Jethou. What do you say?"</p> + +<p>"But the 'Anglo-Franc' is too small, my good sir."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps so; but in a week we can lengthen her, and by adding a couple +of strakes to her upper works she will carry a ton more than she does +now, if it should be necessary."</p> + +<p>"Agreed, Alec. Your hand! Good thought!"</p> + +<p>The more I turned it over in my mind the better I liked the project. Why +not lengthen and strengthen her at once?</p> + +<p>Without delay we would set about it; but to make sure that my father +would not send a vessel for me, I would write him a line. As with my +former letter, brevity marked my epistle.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span></p> + +<blockquote><p class='right'>"<i>Jethou</i>, <br /> "<i>August 21st, 18—.</i></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">"Dear Father</span>,</p> + +<p>"All's well. I hope to arrive home about September 10th, and trust +to find you all well.</p> + +<p class='center'>"Your affectionate Son,</p> + +<p class='right'>"HARRY NILFORD."</p></blockquote> + +<p>Then, launching the boat, I instructed Alec to take the letter to Herm, +so that the first boat crossing would take it to the St. Peter Port post +office.</p> + +<p>I stood and watched him as he neared the little pier at the landing +place of Herm, and before he had arrived within two hundred yards of the +place, the whole population—men, women, and children—turned out to see +him. I am not sure but that the <i>entire</i> population was waiting to +receive him, for I could only count twelve persons. I think they could +not muster more than two or three more, all told, so that his reception +was a grand one.</p> + +<p>Having instructions from me not to land, he handed the letter up in a +cleft stick, and pushing off a boat's length, had a chat with the +natives.</p> + +<p>"They all spoke at once," said he, "and would not give me time enough to +answer their questions, so they got very little information from me. +There was one very nice girl there though, that I should like to know, +and when I get back from England, I think I shall try and see her +parents, for I shall be very lonely all by myself, when you are gone."</p> + +<p>Poor fellow! He had fallen in love at first sight with a vengeance. But +it is just like we poor men; we are no sooner in possession of enough +means to live<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> comfortably upon, than we are sure to want to share it +with someone else, providing the someone else is a pretty and loveable +woman. Right away from the Creation it has been the same. Adam and Eve +set us young fellows an example that it seems will never die out—at +least I hope not till we have all found Eves to our liking.</p> + +<p>The next ten days we worked very hard, for we lengthened the +"Anglo-Franc" nearly five feet amidships, and built her up nearly a foot +above her old gunwale, so that by raising the deck or roof of the cuddy +forward about fourteen inches, and lengthening it a couple of feet, we +had quite a cosy little cabin.</p> + +<p>It was wonderful what a remarkable difference these alterations made in +her appearance. True, she was only some six inches broader in the beam, +but now that she was lengthened amidships she was over twenty feet long, +and could stand larger and taller masts. These we soon gave her, so that +she now appeared as a half-decked lugger, and, considering our materials +and tools, quite a smart little craft.</p> + +<p>My occupation of Jethou, according to the agreement, ceased on September +2nd, and as it was now the last day of August, we set about putting +everything in order previous to leaving on the 3rd, should the weather +prove fine.</p> + +<p>It would never do to leave the island without someone in charge; and as +we neither of us knew anyone who would act while Alec was away, we were +again in a quandary. At last I hit on a bright idea, one that made my +comrade's eyes sparkle with delight.</p> + +<p>"Did you not say that the pretty damsel of Herm had a father?" I asked.</p> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span><a name="p233.png" id="p233.png"></a><img src="images/p233.png" width='700' height='402' alt="LENGTHENING OF THE ANGLO-FRANC" /></p> + +<p class='center'>LENGTHENING OF THE "ANGLO-FRANC"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span>"Yes," said Alec, "and a mother too. Would you like them to come over +and take charge? Yes? Oh! la! la!!"</p> + +<p>Then the simple fellow gambolled about like a young schoolboy, and +exclaimed, "Never mind the boat, let me try and swim over."</p> + +<p>"Swim, Alec! Don't be a ninny. Do you want to throw your life away in +such madness? Go down to the boat directly, and do not act like an ass."</p> + +<p>Away he sailed, and soon landed at the little pier, and was quickly +surrounded by the inhabitants, who took him towards the cottages out of +my sight.</p> + +<p>He was gone so long that I became impatient for his return. It almost +seemed as if he had forsaken me; but at length I descried him putting +off again, and soon he landed, wreathed in smiles, happiness beaming +from his eyes. He had settled everything. Father, mother, and daughter +were to come over at sunrise on the 3rd, so as to help us off and take +final instructions.</p> + +<p>The 1st and 2nd of September were occupied in taking in ballast, water, +provisions, etc.; in overhauling all the ropes, sails, and gear, and in +making a couple of beds of sacking stuffed with the softest hay we could +get. Then we had to bake and fish, so as to replenish our stock of food. +Fruit had to be gathered, two small kegs filled with water, and finally +the treasure and all my little curiosities to be got aboard.</p> + +<p>All this took us till long after dark on the 2nd, so that when Graviot, +his wife, and daughter landed about five a.m. on the 3rd, we were both +fast asleep,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> so much so indeed that they had difficulty in finding our +whereabouts and awakening us. At last, by rattling at the windows we +were aroused, and turned out to bid the old couple and their pretty +daughter, Marie, welcome to Jethou.</p> + +<p>They were very quickly busy, Marie especially, for with Alec's help she +soon had the breakfast spread and all ready, and anyone with half an eye +could see how matters stood between them. All appeared quite settled.</p> + +<p>After breakfast we all walked round the island together, so that I might +point out what I required done during the absence of Alec. I introduced +them to "Flap," the gull, who seemed to be rather shy of them, as they +were the first human beings who had been permitted to interview him +since I captured him fifteen months before, except Alec. The goat, +"Unicorna," and her companion, or rather son, "Butt," for she had had a +son a couple of months after her landing, were next placed under Marie's +protection, while my dear old friend, "Eddy," was handed over to Graviot +père, with strict injunctions to use him well and not to overload the +poor fellow. He seemed to know I was going to leave him, for he thrust +his nose into my hand, and made a great fuss of me as I caressed him.</p> + +<p>At eleven a.m., all being in readiness, I strode down the well-known +pathway towards our little pier for the last time, and it was not +without deep regret and dim eyes that I bade farewell to the home in +which the past eighteen months of my life had been passed in perfect +peace, contentment, and happiness. I could<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> not help a sigh as I thought +that this was the last tide I should see rise around Jethou. The last +time I should see</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class='stanza'><div>"The busy waters, multitudinous,</div> +<div>Lip the dry beach, and rippling every pool,</div> +<div>Embathe the limpets in their swirling cool,</div> +<div>And plash upon the rocks, returning thus</div> +<div>To their old haunts with pleasure tremulous."</div></div> +</div> + +<p>I loved every rock and tree, and felt loath to part from them, for they +were all old friends to me.</p> + +<p>I almost forgot to mention that after altering and painting our noble +craft, we re-christened her the "Happy Return," trusting that a good +name might give us a good voyage, and I am glad to say such proved to be +the case.</p> + +<p>We calculated the distance from Jethou to Great Yarmouth to be about +three hundred and fifty miles, but before our voyage was finished we +found we had greatly under-estimated the actual course; but apart from +the wish of getting to the journey's end, we had a most enjoyable time +of it. We calculated the trip would take us about five days, if the +weather were at all favourable, and in this we were not far out. Perhaps +a few details of the trip may be of interest to my readers, for a voyage +across the channel is not often undertaken in such a small vessel.</p> + +<p>As I have stated, we left Jethou about noon on the 3rd, and rounded the +southern end of hilly Herm, then we laid our course so as to pass +between Alderney and Cape La Hogue, but for fear of rocks gave the cape +a rather wide berth, so that about three<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> o'clock we had Alderney a +couple of miles off on our weather beam. I was laughing at Alec about +his yarn of the "Dewdrop," when an idea occurred to me.</p> + +<p>"What do you say to a glass of ale at the tavern you put up at in Braye +for those eleven days, eh, Alec?"</p> + +<p>"Just the thing. I have not tasted a glass for months."</p> + +<p>"Nor I," I replied. "Swing her round," and putting the helm over, we +made for Braye Harbour to get a glass of beer. The wind being south-west +was somewhat against us, but in an hour we were lying safely in the +little harbour, not far from the shore end of the great breakwater, +which is nearly a mile in length. We had two glasses of ale each and no +more, and having verified Alec's yarn of the "Dewdrop," which was +substantially correct, once more embarked, and with a fair wind cut +through the water at a smart race. Rounding Cape La Hogue we were +fortunate to get the tide in our favour, and by sunrise on the 4th could +just make out the entrance to Havre, from which we were some seven or +eight miles distant, and passing Fecamp, were abreast of Dieppe at three +p.m.</p> + +<p>So far we had done remarkably well, and I proposed to Alec, that as I +had a little money, we should go ashore and have a civilized dinner and +a look round the town; but he took a different view of the matter, and +advocated keeping on as long as the wind favoured us, and to this I +readily assented, as the wind was now somewhat unsteady.</p> + +<p>"Begum" seemed quite to enjoy the fun as well as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> ourselves, and made +himself quite at home, though I have no doubt he would have thoroughly +enjoyed a run ashore, and, as luck would have it, that night he had it.</p> + +<p>Some twenty miles further along the coast, that is, beyond Dieppe, we +met with our first mishap. The sea hereabout was decidedly choppy, and +the wind very puffy, and during one of these puffs we sprung the +foremast, which could not have been very strong, as the wind was not at +all high. Consulting a chart of the French coast, which we had obtained +at Braye, we decided, as it seemed to be setting in for a dirty night, +to round in to the mouth of the river Somme and stay the night at St. +Valery, so that we could get a new mast stepped early next morning, +before proceeding across Channel.</p> + +<p>It was lucky we did so, for the wind backed to the westward, raising a +lumpy sea, and down came the rain till past midnight, after which the +wind lulled and went to south-west again. About two a.m. out came the +moon, and quickly chased away the remaining black clouds, after which it +was fine again. It did not matter what the weather during the night was, +as we were safe in Port St. Valery, from seven p.m. of the 4th, till +eleven am. on the 5th.</p> + +<p>Early in the morning we found a carpenter, who soon rigged us up a new +mast, and after a stroll through the busy town to replenish our little +stock of eatables, we again pursued our voyage.</p> + +<p>From St. Valery to Boulogne is a distance of about forty-five miles, and +ere we reached it darkness was closing in, so we took in a reef, as was +our wont at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> night, and lowered the mizzen altogether. This gave us an +opportunity of moving along slowly, while one of us slept.</p> + +<p>We took it in turns throughout the night to take charge of the "Happy +Return," and thus by changing watch every two hours we got a fair amount +of sleep. Two hours at a stretch is all very well, but it is not +comfortable to be awakened out of a sound sleep in a warm, snug cabin, +to take one's turn at the helm; and I soon discovered that three turns +of two hours each is not nearly equivalent to a straightaway snooze of +six hours, by any means. One has just time to get comfortably off, and +then, "Ahoy, there! Larboard watch, turn out!" And then out you come to +set for two mortal hours in the wet stern sheets, gaping enough to +dislocate your jaw, and longing for the pleasure of dragging your mate +out at the expiration of the watch, while you turn into his warm bed +with a chuckling "Good-night, mate."</p> + +<p>Gaping seems to be very infectious, for on Jethou I have several times +noticed that Alec and I, as bed time approached, would sit and gape at +each other in a most alarming manner, yet not apparently taking heed of +each other's performances, but gradually catching the infection +unawares.</p> + +<p>On this particular night I gaped so as to be in danger of hitching my +upper teeth over the foremast head, in which case I must have swallowed +the whole mast, or have signalled to Alec for assistance.</p> + +<p>Making the run across from Cape Griznez to Dover is no place for gaping, +let alone sleeping; for vessels are so continually passing to and fro +that one requires<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span> all their wits about them to keep clear of the +steamers. These monsters, with their red and green eyes, came looming up +so noiselessly in the still night, without the least warning (save these +same eyes) of approaching danger, that I almost shuddered as they passed +just ahead or astern, to think what might happen if either one of us +slept for only a few minutes on his post. Just a crash, a scream, and +all would be over, and the great steamer would most likely pass along on +her voyage, and no one be the wiser that a couple of lives had been +sacrificed to Morpheus.</p> + +<p>When morning dawned the dear old chalk cliffs of Dover were looking down +upon our little cockle-shell, as she rose upon each glittering wave, and +looking up at those gigantic white cliffs, we seemed really to be at +home. Here was England at last, and I could not resist the temptation of +running into the harbour to once more put foot on my native land. We got +in about seven, and had a stroll about the hilly old place, then went to +a dining-room and had such a breakfast as my slim purse would afford. We +then gave "Begum" (who looked after the vessel while we were away) a run +ashore for half an hour, while we trimmed up and made all snug.</p> + +<p>At about half-past nine on the 6th we left the harbour in brilliant +sunshine, Ramsgate and Margate looking gay with their flags, yachts, +bathing machines, white houses, and throngs of holiday makers. The water +round the English coast looks hardly clean enough to bathe in after the +limpid crystal we had been used to at Jethou. It struck us as looking +peculiarly chalky and turbid, but a few days reconciled us to what we +shall in future have to put up with.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span></p> + +<p>We kept close in to the North Foreland, to avoid the dreaded Goodwin +Sands, as we did not wish to leave the bones of the "Happy Return," with +her valuable cargo, upon them.</p> + +<p>From the Foreland we took a straight course across the Thames estuary, +for what we thought was Walton Naze, but as we had no compass, and were +quite out of sight of land, we made a slight error, and about dusk found +ourselves close in with the shore. Not knowing where we were, as a fog +from the land had come bowling along over the calm sea, we entered a +pretty little bay, and dropped anchor for the night.</p> + +<p>While we were preparing supper and wondering where we had got to, as +there was not a house, church, or other landmark in sight, we felt a +bump against our quarter, and immediately after a head appeared above +our side, with a "Good evening, mates; I thought as how you might want +summat from the town, so I jest put off to ye, seeing ye were strangers +like."</p> + +<p>"Very good of you indeed, my man. Make fast and come aboard."</p> + +<p>Our visitor did not want much inviting, for he rolled in over the side, +and squatted down on a locker, as if he had known us all his life. He +was a little round-bodied, big-fisted, ruddy man, of about sixty; a +thorough water-dog, who, when his tongue was loosened spun yarns and +sang us songs till near midnight. He was about the merriest little man I +ever met. He had served twenty years in the navy, and was an old wooden +frigate man, full to the brim with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> anecdotes. I thought at the time +that it would be worth while for some enterprising editor to send out an +expedition to capture him and make him spin yarns to fill up an +otherwise uninteresting column of some weekly paper. If I had the space +at my command I would recapitulate some of his stories here, but I have +not. If I had, my readers would have to take such frequent pinches of +salt that they would have a most tantalizing drought upon them, one +which would be most difficult to quench.</p> + +<p>We obtained information as to our whereabouts, and found that we were +anchored in a little bay in the estuary of the Colne, about a mile from +the town of Brightlingsea.</p> + +<p>On the 7th the sun rose in great splendour, reminding one of the verse:</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class='stanza'><div>"The night is past, and morning, like a queen</div> +<div class='i2'>Deck'd in her glittering jewels, stately treads,</div> +<div>With her own beauty flushing fair the scene,</div> +<div class='i2'>The while o'er all her robe of light she spreads."</div></div> +</div> + +<p>At six a.m. we were again under weigh (after a good breakfast), and +close in with the land, which we hugged right away to Yarmouth, as it +was our nearest course.</p> + +<p>Speaking of breakfast reminds me of eating, and eating of diet, and diet +of health; and this again of my diet on Jethou. Two years ago I used to +laugh at vegetarians and call them "pap-eaters," "milk-and-water men," +and other pretty names; but while I was in Jethou I had cause to think +there was not only <i>something</i> in their theory but <i>much</i>.</p> + +<p>When the weather was too rough for me to fish, I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> have often lived for a +week or ten days on vegetarian diet, for although I had tinned meat I +got tired of it in warm weather, and only ate it occasionally when the +days were cold. The pig I killed was more than three-parts thrown away, +as I did not properly salt it; so my pork store did not last long.</p> + +<p>I used frequently to cut several slices of bread and stroll about the +garden and eat my breakfast direct from the bushes, while sometimes I +would cook a fish and eat, finishing up with three or four apples or +tomatoes with biscuits. Dinner would perhaps consist of a saucepan of +potatoes with a fish of some kind, then a rice pudding, or something +equally simple, and some cooked fruit eaten with it. I used invariably +to stroll through the garden daily and pluck a little of whatever fruit +was ripe. I had no meal which corresponded to a tea, but after work took +supper, which usually consisted of a scrap of meat or fish, bread and +jam, biscuits and fruit. Oatmeal porridge, with fruit and fish, formed +my breakfast throughout the winter. It must be remembered that I had a +splendid assortment of fruit, and as I ate it freshly gathered I had the +full benefit of its medicinal worth, for I had not a day's real sickness +while on the island. Excepting the ten days I was laid by with my fall I +did not have a single day's real illness. I had raspberries, +currants—black, red, and white—tomatoes, apples, pears, walnuts, +mulberries, gooseberries, etc., beside wild blackberries; also several +vegetables, such as onions, carrots, lettuces, cauliflowers, peas, +beans, potatoes, beet, and others.</p> + +<p>When I landed on the island I weighed twelve<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> stone six pounds. When I +was weighed at Dover, on my voyage home, I drew the beam at thirteen +stone eight pounds; so I was not starved. I was as tough as +whit-leather, and as strong as a horse, as we say in Norfolk. With this +experience, therefore, I must certainly affirm that a diet of +farinaceous food, fruit, vegetables, and fish, will not only give a man +good health, but a clear brain, a strong body to perform heavy work, and +staying power whenever anything unusual has to be endured or undertaken. +More than this, no man can wish for; and even if he is maintained from +his youth up on mutton cutlets, or choice rump steaks, he cannot be +<i>more</i> than healthy, strong, and happy.</p> + +<p>Englishmen having for centuries been a meat-eating nation, are naturally +reluctant to give up a habit that is almost part and parcel of their +nature; but probably if less meat were eaten and more fruit consumed, +especially in the warm weather, doctors would be less numerous, and the +hospitals be crying out less frequently for increased funds to provide a +greater number of beds.</p> + +<p>But where are we? Oh, yes, of course, they were Dovercourt lighthouses +we have just passed, which seemed to me like two more mile-stones on my +voyage home.</p> + +<p>The "Happy Return" behaved handsomely, and our cabin was quite dry all +the voyage, thanks, perhaps to an extra washboard strake we ran round +the bows before starting.</p> + +<p>We hoped on the 7th, by evening, to reach Yarmouth, but were doomed to +disappointment, as upon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> night closing in, we were only off Kessingland, +a mile or two south of Lowestoft. As we did not want to enter the Bure +before daylight, I decided to run into Lowestoft Harbour for the night, +which we did, and had a good night's rest. If I had not been so eager to +get home I should have passed under the bridge into Lake Lothing, and so +through Oulton Broad into the Waveney on my way, but now I was as eager +as a schoolboy, and could not bear the loss of even an hour.</p> + +<p>On the 8th we slipped out of harbour at dawn, which was about five +o'clock, and by seven a.m. crossed Yarmouth Bar, at which my heart +thumped so much that I looked round to see if Alec noticed it; probably +<i>if</i> he heard it he took it for the bump of the paddles on the water, as +a tug passed us towing a couple of fishing boats into the offing.</p> + +<p>At breakfast time, eight o'clock, we moored in the mouth of the Bure, +just alongside the quay by the ancient North Gate, which has looked down +upon the muddy old river for the past five centuries, its head held high +in the air, as if wishing to avoid the assortment of smells which +accompany the floating garbage sailing slowly towards the sea.</p> + +<p>How impatient I was for the tide to run up and bear me home to Barton, +about twenty miles from our present moorings, and at last it did turn. +To give it time to gain strength we waited a full hour, then, spreading +our joyous sails, away we sped. I might say we <i>tried</i> to rival the +express rate, but our actual progress was very parliamentary. We drew +only three feet of water, but with a slack tide under us we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span> touched +ground several times between North Gate and the One-mile-house, so had +to be very careful. From thence onward we had deep water and progressed +faster.</p> + +<p>It was nearly two o'clock as we lowered sail to pass Acle Bridge, and +only about half our journey completed. Stepping the masts, hoisting +sail, and having a glass of good Norfolk ale at the little inn alongside +the bridge occupied half an hour, but now the river was deeper and the +wind fresher, we went bowling along capitally, till taking the turn +before reaching St. Benet's Abbey, where we lost the favour of the wind. +The flat miles of marsh land looked strange to me after hilly, toilsome +Jethou. But now I was nearing home, and knew every tree and fence, every +break in the river wall, and every house we passed, and loved them all; +greeting them as familiar friends as we glided silently by them.</p> + +<p>St. Benet's Abbey passed we turn into the river Ant, and again travel +along with a fair wind till bothering old Ludham Bridge bars our +progress; so we have again to "down masts" to pass under the single +gothic arch, which has been the <i>ultima Thule</i> to many a large wherry. +Up sail once more, and on we glide up the tortuous narrow stream, till +passing quiet, quaint, little Irstead Church, with its two or three +attendant cottages, we at last enter Barton Broad.<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> Now my excitement +gives way to another feeling, that of suspense and fear as to how I +shall find the old folks at home. Are they well? Who<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> can tell what may +have taken place during the past six months since my father wrote me, +"<i>All's well.</i>" I feel a sudden chill as I think of <i>her</i> from whom I +have been absent for over eighteen months, and reproach myself for not +having communicated to her in some way or other. Is <i>she</i> well, and is +she still <i>mine</i>? Then my dear old mother, what of her? With these +thoughts crowding through my brain I feel as if I could leap out of the +boat and swim the remaining half mile, so slowly does she go through the +shallow water.</p> + +<p>S-s-s-ssh, bump! and we come to a sudden stop, for my reverie has caused +me to neglect my helm, and there we are, fast on a submerged muddy reed +bed.</p> + +<p>All this inland navigation is new to Alec, and he has been delighted to +see how I have handled the craft so far, but I think this <i>contretemps</i> +rather shakes his faith in my knowledge, till I explain to him the cause +of my neglect.</p> + +<p>A few hearty pushes astern and we are off again, and as the sun begins +to cast its long red rays across the tranquil Broad, with its reedy +margin and water-lily nooks, the "Happy Return" glides alongside our +little lawn. Joy! I am home again! The wanderer has returned, and the +erstwhile Crusoe has once more, like Rob Roy Macgregor, "his foot upon +his native heath."</p> + + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> See Appendix, page 277, "Norfolk Broads and Rivers."</p></div> +</div> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust066.png" width='300' height='68' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span><img src="images/illust217.png" width='550' height='125' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>I SURPRISE THE OLD FOLKS AT HOME—ALL WELL—IS PRISCILLA FALSE—WE +MEET—THE MISSING LETTERS—A SNAKE IN THE GRASS—DREAMS OF +VENGEANCE.</p></blockquote> + +<p>As I stepped upon the lawn no one was in sight, so treading lightly I +walked up to the house, and looked quietly in at the window, peeping +cautiously so as not to be seen. To my intense relief the picture I saw +within quite assured me that all was well. There sat my jolly old dad +and my dear mother, cosily taking their tea, quite unsuspecting who +would shortly join them in a cup. They looked very happy; so did a +couple of dogs gambolling on the hearthrug, while our old cat sat on a +rush hassock close by, looking dreamily at them through her half-closed +eyes, when they threatened to knock her off her perch in their play.</p> + +<p>I quietly glided in at the side door, and gently opening the parlour +door stood in the room before my parents. They both looked round as I +made a slight sound; in a moment the quietude was broken. My mother half +choked herself with the tea she was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> drinking, letting fall both cup and +saucer on the dogs in her amazement, who scampered away, yelping at +their sudden hot bath.</p> + +<p>"Mercy me! my boy!" and she fell sobbing in my arms, or rather on my +left arm, for my father had taken possession of my right hand with,</p> + +<p>"Hang it all, Harry, do you mean to kill us all with fright? Why, my +dear boy, I don't know what to say, I feel so glad to see you. However +did you get home?" etc., etc.</p> + +<p>It was some minutes before their nerves were restored, and I had time to +get a few words in edgeways between their greetings. They wanted me to +answer a hundred questions, without even pausing to give me a chance to +speak; but presently having satisfied them as to the chief points, I +thought it high time to fetch in my companion, whom I introduced as "Mr. +'Monday' Ducas, Skipper of the 'Happy Return.'" They quickly made him +welcome, taking him to be the Captain of the vessel I had come over in, +but remarked aside, that both he and I would look better for a wash and +a shave, while possibly a few inches off our hair would make us a little +more in accord with the usual mode of dressing hair in these parts. +Truly on peeping at ourselves in the glass we did look a couple of wild +men or North American trappers.</p> + +<p>A tea was then prepared for us to which we did ample justice, but +everything seemed so strange. We had not been used to chairs, carpets, +window blinds, mutton chops, or even butter, but they soon came back to +us as old friends, who had long been absent but not forgotten.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span></p> + +<p>We had a couple of bedrooms assigned to us, also a spare room, into +which, on the morrow, I meant to convey our whole cargo; but at present +I had neither mentioned our craft or its contents. These things I +reserved as a surprise for my dad in the morning.</p> + +<p>After we had tidied ourselves I ventured to ask about Priscilla, upon +which my father beckoned me to another room, which greatly upset me. +Surely nothing was wrong with her; was she ill?</p> + +<p>My father noticed my agitation as I asked, "Father, is anything amiss +with her? Don't tell me she is ill!"</p> + +<p>"No, no, my boy, calm yourself, she is well enough, but——"</p> + +<p>"Oh, go on, father, pray do! I can bear whatever you have to say about +her except that she has been untrue to me. If she has, I will find the +man who has stolen her affection, and——"</p> + +<p>"Peace! peace, my son! and listen to me quietly. I believe she is as +true a girl as ever lived; but why did you not answer her letters? Twice +she wrote to you, but not a line did she receive in reply."</p> + +<p>"Letters! I know nothing of any letters from her; all I have received +was the solitary letter from you. But tell me what has happened? Why do +you look so grave? Tell me, father, and end my suspense."</p> + +<p>"Well, as near as I can tell you, Harry, it is this. When you landed on +the island it was to be for twelve months only, but at the end of that +time I wrote to you stating that young Johnson would wager one hundred +pounds that you would be so sick of your exile, that you would not stay +another<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> six months on the island upon any consideration. I wrote you, +and you accepted the wager, and I find that during the past six months +he has been paying his addresses to Priscilla, who——"</p> + +<p>"What!" I broke in wildly, "trying to alienate the affections of my +betrothed, while he dangled a paltry one hundred pounds before my eyes +so as to keep the coast clear, while he laid siege to <i>my</i> love. Let me +catch sight of the villain, and he shall rue the day he trespassed on my +rights. But what does Priscilla say to his protestations of love; surely +she does not give him countenance?"</p> + +<p>"My boy, you are too hasty," said my father, patting me soothingly on +the shoulder; "listen patiently and hear all I have to say, then you can +draw your own conclusions.</p> + +<p>"Priscilla I know has not given him encouragement, but has returned +several presents that he has sent her; but what mortifies her so, is +that you have not even deigned to send her a line through all her time +of temptation, although she has written twice to you. Johnson's uncle +has a large estate in Florida, and being an old man, wants him to go out +and help him to manage it. Johnson has consented to go West, and only +this week made an offer of marriage to Priscilla asking her to accompany +him to Florida as his wife."</p> + +<p>"Yes, father, go on."</p> + +<p>"Well, I have not much more to say," he resumed; "I know not Priscilla's +answer, but this I do know, that if your love for her has changed, she +might do worse than accept your rival; but I trust such is not the +case."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span></p> + +<p>I could scarcely speak for rage and vexation, to think I had been so +befooled by this fellow, and to have given Priscilla cause to think my +love for her could possibly change. I would go to her at once. But my +father bade me sit down and collect myself, and calmly talk the matter +over with him.</p> + +<p>"Leave this affair to me, my boy, and join your mother and friend."</p> + +<p>I did so, but with an awful feeling of doubt at my heart. In half an +hour my father entered the room, and reassured me with a quiet smile and +nod, which was of great comfort to me.</p> + +<p>Another half hour went by, and then a rustling at the door made me +tremble with anticipation and doubt, for something told me it was +Priscilla. The handle turned, and as I held out both my hands to greet +her, for it was she, she bounded forward with a cry of joy, and fell +fainting into my arms.</p> + +<p>Here was a <i>dénoument</i>. I gently laid her inanimate form on the couch, +and was immediately hustled out of the room by the combined force of my +mother and our old domestic, Ellen, and not allowed to return for a +time, which to my fevered mind seemed an age, but which the clock +pronounced to be twenty minutes only.</p> + +<p>This time Priscilla came coyly to my arms, and I then knew all was well +between us, especially when she turned me round with,</p> + +<p>"Dear old Harry! come to the light, you great brown giant, and look me +in the face. Ah!" said she, as Alec obligingly held up the lamp that she +might get a full view of me, "I can read truth in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> those bonny brown +eyes, but you are a cruel fellow, or why did you not answer my letters? +You bad boy!"</p> + +<p>"Sit down, Priscilla," and I quietly took her hands in mine, and drew +her down beside me on the couch.</p> + +<p>"Now, Miss Fortune Teller! what letters do you refer to?"</p> + +<p>"Two that I sent you, one in June and the other only five weeks since, +at the beginning of August."</p> + +<p>"Believe me, Priscilla, I have never received them, and did not know of +your writing to me till my father informed me of it, but an hour since. +Where did you write them?"</p> + +<p>"Here, Harry, in this very room."</p> + +<p>"And who posted them, did you do so yourself?"</p> + +<p>"No, your father posted the first, and Ellen the other."</p> + +<p>"No," interposed my father, "I recollect young Johnson called in +directly you left, and seeing the letter in my hand, said he was going +up to the village, and would post it for me, so I gave it to him."</p> + +<p>Just then Ellen entered with glasses and decanters, and it suddenly +struck me to interrogate her on the subject.</p> + +<p>"Ellen, do you remember posting a letter to me, about a month ago, that +Miss Grant gave you?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, very well; at least I went half way to the post, when Mr. +Walter Johnson overtook me on his bay horse, and stopped me to ask how +Miss Grant was, and seeing the letter in my hand, he offered to drop it +in the box for me as he rode by the post office. So as it was such a wet +day I let him take it. Did I do wrong?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Well, I don't quite know, but never mind, it saved you a drag in the +wet, anyhow."</p> + +<p>The maid left the room, and then I gave it as my opinion that Walter +Johnson <i>had never posted the letters</i>, and that to-morrow I would +interview him on the subject.</p> + +<p>Alec was like a fish out of water at all this "high-bobaree," as he +called it; but we now quieted down and spent a very happy evening +together, with one or two neighbours, who having heard of my return, +called in to pay their compliments.</p> + +<p>That night I tossed and turned about feverishly, as my home-coming +experience had been so strange, that I could do nothing but think and +dream of it.</p> + +<p>Walter Johnson was ever before me, and the more I thought of him and his +underhand behaviour, the more I seemed to hate him, till at last I felt +in quite a frenzy against him. I vowed to myself that in the morning I +would see him, and if I could force him to confess his dastardly +behaviour in not posting the letters to me, and in making love covertly +to my affianced bride, I would thrash him soundly. My only fear was that +I should do him some permanent bodily injury if he sneered at me, or in +any way tried to ignore my right to put certain questions to him.</p> + +<p>Towards morning my plans of vengeance were arrested by slumber, of which +I was greatly in need.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span><img src="images/illust255.png" width='550' height='130' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>THE "HAPPY RETURN" INSPECTED—MORE OF MY FATHER'S GHOST—UNPACKING +THE TREASURE—SEEK AN INTERVIEW WITH WALTER JOHNSON—TWO LETTERS.</p></blockquote> + +<p>At eight I arose refreshed and looked out of the window, and saw Alec +and my father walking down to the "Happy Return," so I slipped on my +clothes and ran down to them.</p> + +<p>Father was amazed to think we had made the voyage in such a craft, and +said, "All's well that ends well, my lad; but if you had been caught in +a squall in the Channel, with a deeply laden boat like this, what do you +think would have become of her crew?"</p> + +<p>Then I explained how we had hugged first the French coast and then the +English, going into port when we wanted; and how we had been favoured +with fair winds and fine weather, which just pleased the old fellow. If +anyone wanted an attentive listener let him broach the subject of ships +and the sea, and he would at once have my dad as a most appreciative +hearer. Shipwrecks and disasters at sea on the East<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span> Coast are, +unfortunately, of only too frequent occurrence, and a large volume might +be written of the daring deeds that have been performed in connection +with them, which have come under my own observation.</p> + +<p>By the way, I promised my readers to say more of the vision of my +father, which appeared to me in Jethou. Now that I was home I had the +opportunity of telling him of this extraordinary occurrence. He was +naturally surprised at what I told him, and could only account for it in +one way. But let me briefly tell the reader what really occurred to him.</p> + +<p>He had been to Yarmouth as usual to business, and in the evening was +driving home when, in rounding a sharp turn, his trap was carelessly run +into by another vehicle driven by a lad. My father was thrown out, +falling upon the shaft of his own trap on his left side. As he was lying +in an insensible condition in the roadway, the horse, in trying to rise, +fell upon or kicked him in the thigh, breaking his leg. He was conveyed +home, and a doctor sent for, who, in a short time, brought him to his +senses. Upon examination it was found that his thigh-bone and a rib on +his left side were broken. While preparations were being made to set +these bones my father conversed eagerly about the nature of his hurts, +asking the doctor if they were likely to prove fatal, etc. The doctor +told him "No, not necessarily, but he must keep his mind quiet and not +worry." Then he told the doctor about me, as it was for my sake he cared +most, and it was at this time, viz., half-past eight p.m., that I saw +the vision of my father sitting in my room at Jethou. The mysterious +appearance was in some way connected with his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> <i>will</i>, but how it was +all brought about I must leave to the Psychical Society to fathom.<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a></p> + +<p>About ten in the morning Miss Grant came, and then I proposed that with +father's assistance we should get out the whole of the cargo and store +it in the spare room. I would not hear of his offer of a couple of men +to help, as I wanted nobody but ourselves to know of what our cargo +consisted.</p> + +<p>Slowly the various cases, bales, and packages were transported across +the greensward and safely housed, the heavy iron chest bringing up the +rear. This took the united strength of four of us to carry, and when we +had put it in the room, I locked the door and proceeded to show my +spoil.</p> + +<p>First I exhibited the curiosities which we had dredged up, a few stuffed +fish and birds, my sketches, curious stones, shells, and seaweed, etc. +These were duly admired. Then I brought out the old weapons, and undid +the bundles of garments, but being rather musty the effect upon my +onlookers was not great; in fact, my mother gave it as her opinion that +they (the costumes) might breed a fever or some foreign disease, and +should be buried or burnt. To this I could not consent however till I +had had a little more time to look them over and make drawings of them; +not that I ever intended setting up as a theatrical costumier,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> but I +have a great love for anything old, which my friends tell me will +ultimately become chronic, so that I shall have to be watched when +visiting museums and kindred places, for fear of the development of +kleptomania.</p> + +<p>Expectation ran high as I produced the key of the padlock to unchain the +big chest, for we had purchased an old lock at Alderney, from mine host +of the inn. The lid was raised, and I produced the three books, but as +no one could read them they were put down as evil-smelling things, musty +and mysterious.</p> + +<p>Next the small golden casket was produced and handed round, amid great +exclamations of delight, for I had polished it till it glittered again +in the sunlight. The polished gems on the lid and sides found great +favour in the sight of mother and Priscilla, who were quite lost in +wonder as to where I had obtained it. Presently I opened it, and poured +the uncut gems out upon the table, as a sample of Jethou pebbles; but +they were not much appreciated, although when held to the light they +certainly shewed rich colouring.</p> + +<p>"Only fancy walking about on a beach covered with these coloured stones. +I should think they look rather pretty when they are wet with sea water +and the sun shines on them. But then I suppose when you see them by the +<i>ton</i>, day after day, you take no notice of them?"</p> + +<p>This was Priscilla's idea, and when I told her that they were not so +common as to be walked upon or shovelled up by the <i>ton</i>, but that they +were really and truly diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, in +their natural uncut state, she would scarcely believe<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> it. Even my +mother expressed her incredulity with the remark, "Go along, boy! I +suppose we shall not know a turnip from an apple next?"</p> + +<p>As my veracity appeared to be at stake I now produced a little pouch of +cut, lustrous gems, which at once brought forth quite a different flight +of exclamations and queries.</p> + +<p>"The ducks! How lovely! How they glitter! See how the sun makes them +look as if they were alight! Are they <i>really</i> real? Where <i>did</i> you get +them from? Are they yours?" and a dozen other questions were put to me +in as many seconds, but I only laughed and said:</p> + +<p>"Now do you believe me?"</p> + +<p>The gold dishes, chalices, etc., were also produced, and made a great +impression—gold always does.</p> + +<p>My good old dad stood by, looking very grave, and gave a very emphatic +shake of his head, so I said:</p> + +<p>"What do you think of it all?"</p> + +<p>Another shake of the head, and then:</p> + +<p>"I don't know what to make of it at all, Harry; but if these things are +yours, I hope you came by them honestly. Such things are not indigenous +to Jethou, you know!"</p> + +<p>"Not indigenous to Jethou! Why, Alec will bear me out that they have +been indigenous to the island for scores of years, won't you, Alec?"</p> + +<p>"It is quite true, Mr. Nilford. These things have belonged to Jethou for +a century at least, but I cannot affirm that they are actually the +native produce of the island, any more than the contents of these bags."</p> + +<p>He thereupon pulled out one of the great leathern<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> bags and placed in my +father's hand, who nearly dropped it, as it weighed over a stone.</p> + +<p>When the old gentleman saw the huge silver coins, each more than double +the size of a five-shilling piece, he seemed spell-bound.</p> + +<p>"What are they? Are <i>all</i> the bags full?" he queried.</p> + +<p>"Yes, dad; and now if you will all sit down I will tell you the history +of my curious cargo."</p> + +<p>Then I told them from beginning to end the entire history of Barbe +Rouge's hoard, just as it is already known to the reader. I wound up my +wonderful recital by calling for pen, ink, and paper, and there and then +writing off to M. Oudin, in Paris, giving him a full account of the +find, and asking what should be done with the property.</p> + +<p>By Priscilla's desire I did not visit the Priory that day, but on the +morrow, after lunch, I took my heavy stick and strode up the gravel path +and gave a very important rat-a-tat-tat at the great oak door. The +servant who answered my summons informed me, much to my disappointment, +that both Mr. Johnson and his son had gone to Liverpool the previous +day, the former to see the latter off. Something of importance, the +servant thought, had caused him to depart two days before the date upon +which it was at first intended he should leave Barton. With a glance at +my big stick I thought perhaps I had somehow influenced his <i>hegira</i>, +and such I afterwards found to be the case.</p> + +<p>As I was bidding the servant (who did not know me) "good morning" she +asked my name, and upon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> my mentioning that I was Mr. Nilford's son, +asked me to wait while she fetched a letter which had been left in case +I should call. Mr. Johnson had also left a letter for Miss Grant. This I +said I should have much pleasure in delivering, and took them both.</p> + +<p>Arrived home I found Priscilla waiting for me in great anxiety, fearing +that if Walter Johnson was at home something serious between us might +occur. Probably something would have occurred. She seemed greatly upset, +and taking me aside, said she had something to impart to me, which I +must promise to forgive her for. I consented.</p> + +<p>"Then, Harry, I must confess to having written to Walter Johnson +yesterday. No, do not look in that terrible manner, for I did it both +for your good and his. I simply informed him that you were home and +would call upon him to-day, so that if he wished to avoid a violent +scene he had better hasten his departure."</p> + +<p>I could say nothing to this, as I felt that what she had done had saved +a deal of bother. Then I handed her the letter inscribed with her name. +To my surprise she would not open it herself, and no amount of +persuasion would cause her to. She wished me to open it and read its +contents, that I might see all was fair and straightforward. It merely +asked forgiveness for the writer for having behaved in such an +ungentlemanly manner, and hoping that as all was fair in love and war, +she would think of him as one who, having striven for a great prize, had +failed. Although defeated, he hoped she would remember him as one not +disgraced, etc., etc.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span></p> + +<p>My letter contained a cheque for a hundred pounds, as payment for a +wager lost to me, and wishing me every happiness. I ardently wished I +could have been near the writer at that instant, and I fancy he would +not only have felt most <i>unhappy</i>, but that he would have spent a +<i>mauvais quart d'heure</i>, as our Gallic neighbours say. So much for +Johnson, who never troubled us again.</p> + + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> I find, on enquiry, that this Society has some <i>hundreds</i> +of well-authenticated accounts of these occult occurrences, and it +really seems that we are often sceptical of these phenomena, without +taking the trouble to investigate the cases that come under our +immediate notice to discover their truthfulness.</p></div> +</div> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust076.png" width='300' height='83' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span><img src="images/illust042.png" width='550' height='130' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXII" id="CHAPTER_XXII"></a>CHAPTER XXII.</h2> + +<blockquote><p>M. OUDIN ARRIVES—THE WEDDING DAY—DIVISION OF THE SPOIL—ALEC +RETURNS TO JETHOU—WEDDING GIFTS—THE END.</p></blockquote> + +<p>Delays being dangerous, it was quickly decided that our wedding should +take place on October 15th, my father's birthday. Among the invitations +sent out was one to M. Oudin, of Paris, asking him to come and spend a +fortnight with us, so that he could kill two birds with one stone, viz., +be present at the wedding, and take with him the treasure we had found +on his island.</p> + +<p>On Michaelmas Day we received an acceptance of the invitation, and on +Old Michaelmas Day, which is a time of some note in Norfolk, our visitor +arrived.</p> + +<p>M. Oudin was greatly pleased with our fresh-water Broads, and as he was +fond of angling and shooting he was very interested and happy. We showed +him the treasure, of which he made notes in his pocket book, but further +he appeared to take little notice of the matter. From his arrival until +the wedding day was a period of excitement, and everyone about the place +seemed to regard it as a festival; and truly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> such it was, for every day +fun of some kind was afoot, especially in the evening, for then King +Misrule held his sway.</p> + +<p>M. Oudin spent most of his daylight on the Broad or the adjoining river +with Alec, in a small sailing skiff. These two, with rods, gun, and dog +("Begum"), used to bring in quite a good supply of fish and water-fowl, +which they captured in the quiet spots a little from the house.</p> + +<p>At length the wedding day arrived, and a bright happy day it proved, and +everything went "as happy as the wedding bells," and <i>they</i> rang merry +peals till quite midnight.</p> + +<p>Our whole village only contains about three hundred and fifty persons, +so everyone who wished came to a meal spread upon long tables on the +lawn, and from noon till midnight, dancing, singing, boating, etc., were +in full swing. At ten p.m. a huge bonfire was lighted, which had not +died out when our people arose the next day.</p> + +<p>Before going to the church, M. Oudin requested an audience of Priscilla, +father, mother, Alec, and myself, and a red-letter day it turned out to +be for us. Briefly, M. Oudin's harangue was this:</p> + +<p>"My dear friend Harry, but for your discovery of the articles here +before us (the treasure), both by good luck and your great ingenuity, I +should not now find myself the possessor of what must certainly be of +considerable value. Now, if you have any special wish as to which of the +articles you would like to possess, make your choice now, freely and +without stint."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span></p> + +<p>I stepped forward and selected some of the old arms, including the +silver pistols, the three books, and four bags of doubloons. Then, +turning the jewels out of the casket, I asked that this beautiful piece +of workmanship might be mine also.</p> + +<p>"Is that all, Harry?" said M. Oudin.</p> + +<p>"All, and more, sir, than I have really any claim to."</p> + +<p>"Good lad; I admire your moderation. Now, friend Alec, and what would +you like to take away with you?"</p> + +<p>"Well, sir, as the digging was mighty hard work, perhaps you would not +mind my taking a bag of the money, for I think it would be of more +service to me than anything else, as I can, by changing it, soon make it +into such small dimensions as to fold comfortably within the tuck of my +pocket book for future use."</p> + +<p>"Very well, my lad, your request shall be granted. And you, my dear +girl," turning to Priscilla, "what would you like as a memento of my +visit, and as a remembrance of your bridegroom's sojourn on my island?"</p> + +<p>Priscilla eyed the lace lovingly, and also the gems, but was puzzled in +her mind to know how much of one or the other she might select without +fear of encroaching on M. Oudin's generosity. M. Oudin quickly came to +the rescue with, "Now, my dear, you and Mrs. Nilford divide the lace +into three equal heaps, and I will tell you what we will decide upon."</p> + +<p>After a time the three heaps were arranged upon the floor, and M. Oudin +informed us that he should<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span> ask my father to place his foot upon one of +the heaps as he (M. Oudin) stood just outside the door. My dad did so, +and M. Oudin cried, "For Madam Nilford." Again my father touched a heap +with his foot. This time he cried, "For my own dear self." Then bursting +into the room he, with extravagant bows and apologies to Priscilla for +leaving her out, wound up by gathering up the remaining heap of lace, +and placing it at her feet. Then, taking her by the hand, he led her to +the table with:</p> + +<p>"Now, my dear child, let me pay a penalty for my omission in not calling +out your name. With this sweet little hand, which is in another hour to +be claimed by our friend here, grasp as many of these rough-skinned +little gems as your hand will hold, and they shall be yours."</p> + +<p>She grasped, but could only clutch fourteen or fifteen in her hand.</p> + +<p>"Ah!" exclaimed our volatile guest, "you see you are not of a grasping +nature. Come, Harry, try <i>your</i> luck at a grasp."</p> + +<p>I took a big grab and succeeded in retaining about forty, so that we had +between us much more than half the precious stones. But this was not +all, for he continued:</p> + +<p>"Now, Harry, I will relieve you of the <i>whole</i> of the doubloons, but at +the same time I will ask you to put this in your pocket, as a settlement +of what you might easily have taken for yourself, had you been anyone +but the honest lad you are."</p> + +<p>Here he handed me a cheque for a thousand pounds, which I sincerely +thanked him for. Then turning to Alec he said:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Young man, I believe it is your wish to live upon Jethou, and such +being the case I shall allow you to retain possession so long as you +choose to live there, and in addition to this, in lieu of the bag of +doubloons you selected, and which I shall retain, I purpose giving you a +sum of fifty pounds per annum, so long as you remain on Jethou."</p> + +<p>We all thanked him again and again for his generosity; but he would hear +nothing of thanks, as he said the goods belonged to me as much as to +him, and in giving away the greater portion he was only acting in a just +spirit, in which he declared generosity had no part. "Beside," said he, +"I shall leave your hospitable roof with a good slice of the treasure +trove, which, although found on my island, was (all but the lace) left +by will 'to the lucky discoverer of Barbe Rouge's hoard.' All round, I +trust we may say we are satisfied. And now to the church."</p> + +<p>In the afternoon I and my bride left for Hastings. Next day M. Oudin, +with his heavy packing case of doubloons, bade farewell to my parents to +return to Paris, where he had a very large leather business, and was +accounted a wealthy man, as his brother had left him his whole fortune.</p> + +<p>Alec, in a few days, set out on his return to Jethou, compassing the +distance as far as Dover in the "Happy Return," which I had presented to +him, but could get no further in her, as a gale from the south-west set +in, and further attempt at crossing would have been suicidal. He +therefore waited a few days for a stone steamer to take both him and his +boat to St. Sampson's Harbour, Guernsey, from which he crossed to his +island home.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span></p> + +<p>I may add that as a wedding gift my father presented me with two new +fishing smacks, complete with trawl net, herring nets, and other gear. +On my part, to Priscilla I handed over Walter Johnson's cheque for a +hundred pounds, which was duly honoured by his father.</p> + + +<p class='tbrk'>I think I have now spun my yarn to a finish, and if my readers have been +interested in my narrative, I shall, with the sense of conveying +pleasure to others, never regret the happy hours I myself spent while +enjoying a Crusoe's life in the Channel Islands.</p> + + +<blockquote><p class='center'><br /><i>L'ENVOI.</i></p> + +<p>At St. Peter's Church, Guernsey, on New Year's Day, <span class="smcap">Alexander +Ducas</span>, of Jethou, to <span class="smcap">Jeanette Graviot</span>, of Herm.</p></blockquote> + +<p class="center"><img src="images/illust052.png" width='300' height='94' alt="Decorative scroll" /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span><img src="images/illust269.png" width='550' height='128' alt="Decorative chapter heading" /></p> + +<h2><a name="APPENDIX" id="APPENDIX"></a>APPENDIX.</h2> + +<p class="center">A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE CHANNEL ISLES.</p> + +<p>To say that the Channel Islands are not known to the general public +would be to say what is in these modern days of advertising untrue; but +it may be doubted if they are so well known as they really deserve. They +might very well be called the "Multum in Parvo Islands," for they +contain a very great deal of beauty in a small space; in fact, it would +be very difficult, if not quite impossible, to find another place of the +same collective area with such a diversity of natural beauty. Hills, +dales, bays, promontories, rocks, trees, lawns, dells, watercourses, and +other natural features are here seen in every conceivable variety, and +their beauties never pall upon one.</p> + +<p>The extent of the islands is roughly as follows:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span>—</p> + +<table border='1' cellspacing='0' cellpadding='5' summary='Channel island details'> + <tr> + <td>Name.</td> + <td>Length<br /> Miles.</td> + <td>Breadth.<br /> Miles.</td> + <td>Area.<br /> Acres</td> + <td>Population.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Jersey<br />Guernsey<br />Sark<br />Alderney<br />Herm<br />Jethou</td> + <td>12½<br /> 9½<br /> 3<br /> 2<br /> 1½<br /> 1/3</td> + <td class='center'>5 to 7<br />4½<br />1½ at widest<br />½ on average<br /> ½<br />¼</td> + <td class='center'>40,000<br />15,500<br />950<br />600<br />300<br />50</td> + <td class='center'>65,000<br />35,000<br />600<br />2,000<br />2,000<br />1 family</td> + </tr> +</table> + +<blockquote><p class='center'>Total area, 57,400 acres, or about 90 square miles.</p> + +<p class='center'>Total population, 102,620.</p></blockquote> + +<p>Everybody appears to agree as to the salubrity of the climate, which is +remarkably equable throughout the year. Cool in summer, compared to the +continental towns on the same degree of latitude, and much warmer in the +winter. As a winter residence it is milder and less changeable than even +our favoured Devonshire.</p> + +<p>Quite a list of plants might here be appended to shew the degree of +mildness experienced in the Channel Islands. Many of them, although of +tropical growth, standing out of doors all the winter without taking +harm. Dr. Greenhow, of Edinburgh, while staying in Jersey one winter, +remarks in a letter to a friend dated January 21st, "I have now on a +table before me in full bloom, the following flowers—narcissus, +jonquils, stocks, wallflowers, rosemary, myrtle, polyanthus, mignonette, +and hyacinths." To these the worthy doctor might have added several +more, as the rose, violet, primrose, etc.</p> + +<p>Snow is very rare, and usually the night frost is dispelled in a few +hours by the warmth of the sun, and the general balminess of the air.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span>For health it is difficult to conceive a spot where a more pure air can +be discovered, for beside the fact of each island having the benefit of +a sea breeze from whichever quarter the wind may blow, there are no +manufactories on the islands to poison the atmosphere with fumes +deleterious to health, as in many of our large English towns—even those +called country towns. On the score of climate and air, therefore, the +Channel Isles will bear comparison with any English county; not only a +<i>favourable</i> comparison, but one that cannot be rivalled by them, even +in the south.</p> + +<p>In the matter of hours of sunshine the islands come out a long way ahead +of even Devon and Cornwall, as statistics show that for every hundred +hours these counties can boast of bright sunshine, the Channel Islands +can show nearly one hundred and forty.</p> + +<p>The cost of living on the islands is, taken altogether, less than in +England; but in the matter of house rent, is somewhat higher. Meat of +all kinds is a trifle dearer per pound than in England; but when it is +taken into consideration that the Channel Islands' pound is about +seventeen and three-quarter ounces of our avoirdupois weight, there is +little, if any difference in the prices. Fruit and fish are remarkably +good and cheap. The produce in the markets of Guernsey and Jersey are an +unusual sight to visitors, for the fruit is placed for customers' +inspection just as it is gathered, so that the plums, grapes, etc., +retain their bloom and look a perfect picture. The fish is brought in +straight from the sea, still retaining its iridescent hues, and there is +no need to enquire further if they are fresh, as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> they, to put it +metaphorically, speak for themselves. Coal has to be imported from +England and Belgium, and is therefore somewhat expensive; but it must be +remembered that the climate, being so mild, does not necessitate so much +being consumed.</p> + +<p>Wines and spirits are now, since the imposition of a Duty only a trifle +lower in price than in England, but perhaps of inferior quality. Tobacco +and cigars are ridiculously cheap, but not always nasty, because of +their cheapness. Anyone content to smoke a cigar of fair quality may do +so at a price about fifty per cent. less than in England; but if he is +fastidious in his taste, and requires something superior, such as a +genuine Havanna, he will look for it in vain. Strangely enough he can be +obliged at most cigar dealers with Havanna cigars at Havanna prices, but +as the Customs pass very few of the genuine cigars, it is a mystery +where they all come from. Yet they say smuggling is a thing of the past! +Or do the gentle tradesmen, to discourage smuggling, manufacture their +own <i>Havannas</i>? Good tobacco, shag and bird's-eye, may be had at +eighteen pence per pound.</p> + +<p>There are several routes to the Islands, the chief being in connection +with our large railways, and are undoubtedly the quickest and most +comfortable. Those fond of the sea may make the trip from London by +steamer any Saturday throughout the summer, a distance of nearly three +hundred miles for about a sovereign for the return journey. Another +route, for Cornish people, is from Falmouth. From Plymouth west of +England residents can take passage by a comfortable steamer any Friday, +which covers<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span> the distance to Jersey in about ten hours. The route from +Southampton is a favourite one, as although not the shortest sea route, +it is within such a small railway journey of London as to be reached in +about a couple of hours. The distance by water by this route (one +hundred and fifteen miles) does not apparently compare favourably with +the eighty miles from Weymouth to Guernsey; but it must be remembered +that the trip down the Southampton Water and along the shore of the Isle +of Wight, till the Needles are passed, is all smooth sailing. The actual +distance on the open sea is therefore not very much further than by the +Weymouth route.</p> + +<p>The steamers which, by the by, carry the mails to the Channel Isles, are +very large and powerfully-built vessels, fitted with every modern +appliance for the comfort of travellers. The London and South-Western +Railway may also be congratulated on having just the right men for +captains of their vessels. Men who, beside being capable navigators, are +also alive to the comfort of those who are temporarily in their charge. +Still, another route is by the Great Western Railway from Weymouth.</p> + +<p>I would add a final word to those who are about to hie <i>abroad</i> for a +genial climate, for beautiful scenery, or to see something not to be +seen elsewhere. Have they thought of the Channel Islands? If not, let +them try a month there, and if they are not pleased, there is the French +coast only twenty miles away. Should they not have gained all they +expected in a visit, they will at least have acquired one thing, and +that is a month's health.</p> + + +<p class='center'><br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span><span class="smcap">Modern Treasure</span>.</p> + +<p>Although the spoil we discovered on Jethou was worth a very considerable +amount, yet it appears quite insignificant beside some modern treasure +which has been either sought after or found, as the following items, +clipt from the London newspapers for July, 1891, will shew:—</p> + +<p>"A Dalziel's telegram from Berlin reports that a large treasure of gold +coins, of the size of twenty-mark pieces, has been found at Beuthen, in +Silesia. Part of them bear the date 1508. There are reported to be a +million coins in all."</p> + +<p>"His Majesty King James II. of England certainly gave a good deal of +trouble during his lifetime, and is now proving a nuisance indirectly in +a very extraordinary way, one hundred and ninety years after his death. +According to an ancient local legend, James, who died at Saint +Germain-en-Laye, hid away somewhere in the neighbourhood of the +monastery of Triel, the royal crown of England, the sceptre, and other +baubles of a total value of some £2,000,000. For more than forty years +past the owners of the estate on which are the ruins of the monastery, +have sought for the regalia by digging long trenches in all directions, +always starting from the building itself. This having become a serious +danger to the neighbouring village, the mayor is taking steps to prevent +any further delving by the seekers after hidden treasure."</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class='center'><i>Jarrold and Sons, Printers, Norwich, Yarmouth, and London.</i></p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JETHOU***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 17618-h.txt or 17618-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/7/6/1/17618">http://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/6/1/17618</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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