CHAPTER XXI

Gymnastic Exercises—Various Discoveries—Singular Animals, etc.

I recommended to my sons to resume the exercise of the shooting of arrows; for I had an extreme solicitude about their preserving and increasing their bodily strength and agility. On this occasion, I added the exercises of running, jumping, getting up trees, both by means of climbing by the trunk, or by a suspended rope, as sailors are obliged to do to get to the masthead. We began at first by making knots in the rope, at a foot distance from each other; then we reduced the number of knots, and before we left off we contrived to succeed without any. I next taught them an exercise of a different nature, which was to be effected by means of two balls of lead, fastened one to each end of a string about a fathom in length. While I was preparing this machinery, all eyes were fixed upon me.

“I am endeavouring,” said I, “to imitate the arms used by the Patagonians, inhabitants of the most southern point of America; but, instead of balls, which they are not able to procure, they tie two heavy stones, one at each end of a cord, but considerably longer than the one I am working with: every Patagonian is armed with this simple instrument, which they used with singular dexterity. If they desire to kill or wound an enemy, or an animal, they fling one of the ends of this cord at him, and begin instantly to draw it back by the other, which they keep carefully in their hand, to be ready for another throw, if necessary: but if they wish to take an animal alive, and without hurting it, they possess the singular art of throwing it in such a way as to make it run several times round the neck of the prey, occasioning a perplexing tightness; they then throw the second stone, and with so certain an aim, that they scarcely ever miss their object: the operation of the second is, the so twisting itself about the animal as to impede his progress, even though he were at full gallop. The stones continue turning, carrying with them the cord: the poor animal is at length so entangled, that he can neither advance nor retire, and thus falls a prey to the enemy.”

This description was heard with much interest by the boys, who now all entreated I would that instant try the effect of my own instrument upon a small trunk of a tree which we saw at a certain distance. My throws entirely succeeded; and the string with the balls at the end so completely surrounded the tree, that the skill of the Patagonian huntsmen required no further illustration. Each of the boys must then needs have a similar instrument; and in a short time Fritz became quite an expert in the art.

The next morning, as I was dressing, I remarked from my window in the tree, that the sea was violently agitated, and the waves swelled with the wind. I rejoiced to find myself in safety in my home, and that the day had not been destined for out-of-door occupation. We now fell to a more minute examination than I had hitherto had time for, of all our various possession at Falcon’s Stream. My wife showed me many things she had herself found means to add to them during my repeated absences from home: among these was a pair of young pigeons, which had been lately hatched, and were already beginning to try their wings, while their mother was again sitting on her eggs. From these we passed to the fruit trees we had laid in earth to be planted, and which were in real need of our assistance. I immediately set myself to prevent so important an injury. I had promised the boys, the evening before, to go all together to the wood of gourds, to provide ourselves with vessels of different sizes to keep our provisions in: they were enchanted with the idea, but I bargained that they must first assist me to plant all the young trees: which was no sooner said than set about.

When we had finished, the evening was too far advanced for so long a walk. By sunrise the next morning all were on foot, and we set out, full of good-humour and high spirits, from Falcon’s Stream. Turning round Flamingo Marsh, we soon reached the pleasant spot which before had so delighted us. Fritz took a direction a little further from the seashore; and sending Turk into the tall grass, he followed himself, and both disappeared. Soon, eager for sport, we heard Turk barking loud; a large bird sprang up, and almost at the same moment a shot from Fritz brought it down: but though wounded it was not killed: it raised itself, and got off with incredible swiftness, not by flying, but by running. Turk followed, and seizing the bird, held it fast till Fritz came up. Now a different scene succeeded from that which took place at the capture of the flamingo. The legs of that bird are long and weak, and it was able to make but a poor resistance. The present captive was large in size, and strong; it struck the dogs, or whoever came near, with its legs, with so much force, that Fritz, who had received a blow or two, dared not again approach the enemy. Fortunately I reached the spot in time to give assistance, and was pleased to see that it was a female bustard of the largest size.

To secure the bird without injuring it, I threw my pocket-handkerchief over the head of the bustard; it could not disengage itself, and its efforts served only to entangle it the more. As it could not now see me, I got near enough to pass a string with a running knot over its legs, which, for the present, I drew tight, to prevent further mischief from such powerful weapons. I gently released its wing from Turk’s mouth, and tied it, with its fellow, close to the bird’s body. In short, the bustard was our own.

As we advanced, I was frequently obliged to use the hatchet to make a free passage for the ass in the tall grass. The heat also increased, and we were all complaining of thirst, when Ernest, whose discoveries were generally of a kind to be of use, made one of a most agreeable nature. He found a kind of hollow stalk, of some height, which grew at the foot of trees, and entangled our feet in walking. He cut one of them, and was surprised to see a drop of pure fresh water issue at the place where the knife had been applied: he showed it to us, put it to his lips, and found it pure, and felt much regret that there was no more. I then fell to examining the phenomenon myself, and soon perceived that the want of air prevented a more considerable issue of water. I made some more incisions, and presently water flowed out as if from a small conduit. I tried the experiment of dividing the plants longways, and they soon gave out water enough to supply even the ass, the monkey, and the bustard.

We were still compelled to fight our way through thick bushes, till at length, arrived at the wood of gourds, we were not long in finding the spot where Fritz and I had once before enjoyed so agreeable a repose. My wife now gave us notice that she should want some vessels to contain milk, a large flat spoon to cut out butter by pieces, and next, some pretty plates for serving it at table, made from the gourd rinds.

I made the boys gather or collect the gourds, till we were in possession of a sufficient number. We now began our work: some had to cut; others to saw, scoop out, and model into agreeable forms. It was a real pleasure to witness the activity exhibited in this our manufacture of porcelain; each tried what specimens he could present for the applause of his companions. For my own part, I made a pretty basket, large enough to carry eggs, with one of the gourds, leaving an arch at the top to serve as a cover. I likewise accomplished a certain number of vessels, also with covers, fit to hold our milk, and then some spoons to skim the cream. My next attempt was some bottles large enough to hold fresh water, and these occasioned me more trouble than all the rest. It was necessary to empty the gourd through the small opening of the size of one’s finger, which I had cut in it; I was obliged, after loosening the contents with a stick, to get them out by friction with shot and water well shaken on the inside. Lastly, to please my wife, I undertook the labour of a set of plates for her use. Fritz and Jack engaged to make hives for the bees, and nests for the pigeons and hens. For this last object they took the largest gourds, and cut a hole in front, the size of the animal for whose use it was intended. The pigeons’ nests were intended to be tied to the branches of our tree; those for the hens, the geese, and the ducks, were to be placed between its roots, or on the seashore, and to represent a sort of hencoop.

Our work, added to the heat of the day, had made us all thirsty; but we found nothing on this spot like our fountain plants, as we had named them. The boys entreated me to go with them in different directions, and try to find some water, not daring by themselves to venture further into the wood.

Ernest with great eagerness proposed relieving me of this trouble, and putting himself in my place. It was not long before we heard him calling loudly to us, and saw him returning in great alarm.—“Run quick, father,” said he, “here is an immense wild boar.”

I then cried out to the boys to call the dogs quickly. “Halloo, here, Turk! Flora!” The dogs arrived full gallop. Ernest was our leader, and conducted us to the place where he saw the boar; but it was gone, and we saw nothing but a plot of roots which appeared to have been ransacked by the animal. We soon heard the cry of the dogs; for they had overtaken the runaway, and soon after the most hideous growling assailed our ears from the same quarter. We advanced with caution, holding our guns in readiness to fire together the instant the animal should be within the proper distance. Presently the spectacle of the two brave creatures attacking him on the right and left presented itself; each held one of his ears between its teeth. But it was not a boar, but our own sow which had run away and so long been lost! After the first surprise we could not resist a hearty laugh; and then we hastened to disencumber our old friend of the teeth of her two adversaries. But here the attention of all was attracted to a kind of small potato which we observed lying thick on the grass around us, and which had fallen from some trees which appeared loaded with the same production: our sow devoured them greedily, thus consoling herself for the pain and fright the dogs had occasioned her.

The fruit was of different colours, and extremely pleasing to the eye. Fritz expressed his apprehension that it was the poisonous apple called the mancenilla; but the sow ate them with so much eagerness, and the tree which bore them having neither the form nor foliage ascribed by naturalists to the mancenilla, that I doubted the truth of his idea. I desired my sons to put some of the fruit in their pockets, to make an experiment with them upon the monkey. We now again, from extreme thirst, began to recollect our want of water, and determined to seek for some in every direction. Jack sprang off, and sought among the rocks, hoping that he should discover some little stream: but scarcely had he left the wood than he bawled to us that he had found a crocodile.

“A crocodile!” cried I, with a hearty laugh; “you have a fine imagination, my boy! Who ever saw a crocodile on such scorching rocks as these, and with not a drop of water near? Now, Jack, you are surely dreaming....”

“Not so much of a dream as you may think, father,” answered Jack, trying to speak in a low voice; “fortunately he is asleep; he lies here on a stone at his full length; do, father, step here, and look at it; it does not stir in the least.”

We stole softly to the place where the animal lay; but instead of a crocodile, I saw before me a large sort of lizard, named by naturalists Leguana, or Yguana, an animal by nature of a mild character, and excellent as food. Instantly all were for seizing him, and presenting so rare a prize to their mother. Fritz was already taking aim with his gun: but I prevented him, observing that the animal being protected by a coat of scales, it might be difficult to destroy him, and that he is known to be dangerous, if approached, when angry. “Let us try,” said I, “another sort of experiment; as he is asleep, we need not be in a hurry.”

I cut a stout stick from a bush, to the extremity of which I tied a string with a running knot. I guarded my other hand simply with a little switch, and thus with cautious steps approached the creature. When I was very near to him, I began to whistle a lively air, taking care to make the sounds low at first, and to increase in loudness till the lizard was awaked. The creature appeared entranced with pleasure as the sounds fell upon his ear; he raised his head to receive them still more distinctly, and looked round on all sides to discover from whence they came. I now advanced by a step at a time, without a moment’s interval in the music, which fixed him like a statue to the place. At length I was near enough to reach him with my switch, with which I tickled him gently, still continuing to whistle, one after the other, the different airs I could recollect. The lizard was bewildered by the charms of the music: the attitudes he threw himself into were expressive of a delirious voluptuousness; he stretched himself at full length, made undulating motions with his long tail, threw his head about, raised it up, and by this sort of action disclosed the formidable range of his sharp-pointed teeth, which were capable of tearing us to pieces if we had excited his hostility. I dexterously seized the moment of his raising his head, to throw my noose over him. When this was accomplished, the boys drew near also, and wanted instantly to draw it tight and strangle him at once; but this I positively forbade, being unwilling to cause the poor animal so unmerited a suffering. I had used the noose only to make sure of him, in case it should happen that a milder mode of killing him, which I intended to try, failed of success, in which case I should have looked to the noose for protection; but this was rendered unnecessary. Continuing to whistle my most affecting melodies, I seized a favorable moment to plunge my switch into one of his nostrils. The blood flowed in abundance, and soon deprived him of life, without his exhibiting the least appearance of being in pain; on the contrary, to the last moment, he seemed to be still listening to the music.

We had now to consider of the best way for transporting to Falcon’s Stream so large and valuable a booty. After a moment of reflection, I perceived that I had better come at once to the determination of carrying him across my shoulders; and the figure I made with so singular an animal on my back, with his tail dragging on the ground, was not the least amusing circumstance of the adventure.

We were proceeding in our return, when we distinguished the voices of my wife and little Francis calling loudly upon my name. Our long absence had alarmed them: we had forgotten on this occasion to give them notice of our approach by firing our gun, and they had imagined some terrible disaster must have befallen us. We had so many things to tell, that, till reminded by my wife, we forgot to mention that we had failed of procuring any water. My sons had taken out some of the unknown apples from their pockets, and they lay on the ground by our sides. Knips soon scented them, and came slily up and stole several, and fell to chewing them with great eagerness. I myself threw one or two to the bustard, who also ate them without hesitation. Being now convinced that the apples were not of a poisonous nature, I announced to the boys, who had looked on with envy all the time, that they also might begin to eat them, and I myself set the example. We found them excellent in quality, and I began to suspect that they might be the sort of fruit called guava, which is much esteemed in such countries. This regale of the apples had in some measure relieved our thirst; but on the other hand, they had increased our hunger; and as we had not time for preparing a portion of the lizard, we were obliged to content ourselves with the cold provisions we had brought with us.

We had scarcely finished, before my wife earnestly entreated we would begin our journey home, and it appeared to me, as the evening was so far advanced, that it would be prudent to return this once without the sledge, which was heavy laden, and the ass could have drawn it but slowly. I therefore determined to leave it on the spot till the following day, when I could return and fetch it, contenting myself with loading the ass, for the present, with the bags which contained our new sets of porcelain; the lizard, which I feared might not keep fresh so long; and our little Francis, who began to complain of being tired. I took these arrangements upon myself, and left to my wife and Fritz the care of confining the bustard in such a manner that she could walk before us without danger of escaping.

When these preparations were complete, our little caravan was put in motion, taking the direction of a straight line to Falcon’s Stream. The course of our route now lay along a wood of majestic oaks, and the ground was covered with acorns. My young travellers could not refrain from tasting them; and finding them both sweet and mild to the palate, I had the pleasure of reckoning them as a new means of support.

We arrived shortly at Falcon’s Stream, and had time to employ ourselves in some trifling arrangements before it was completely dark. We concluded the exertions of the day with a plain repast, and the contriving a comfortable bed for the bustard by the side of the flamingo, and then stretched our weary limbs upon the homely couch, rendered by fatigue luxurious, in the giant tree.