CHAPTER XXII

Excursion into Unknown Tracts

My first thought, the next morning, was to fetch the sledge from the wood. I had a double motive for leaving it there, which I had refrained from explaining to my wife, to avoid giving her uneasiness. I had formed a wish to penetrate a little farther into the land, and ascertain whether anything useful would present itself beyond the wall of rocks. I was, besides, desirous to be better acquainted with the extent, the form, and general productions of our island: I wished Fritz only, who was stronger and more courageous than his brothers, and Turk, to accompany me. We set out very early in the morning, and drove the ass before us for the purpose of drawing home the sledge.

As we were picking up some acorns, different birds of exquisite plumage flitted about us; for this once, I could not refuse Fritz the pleasure of firing upon them, that we might learn their species. He brought down three. I recognized one to be the great blue Virginia jay, and the other two were parrots. One of the two was a superb red parrot: the other was green and yellow.

We soon arrived at the guava trees, and a little after at the spot where we had left the sledge, when we found our treasures in the best possible condition; but as the morning was not far advanced, we entered upon our intended project of penetrating beyond the wall of rocks.

We pursued our way in a straight line at the foot of these massy, solid productions of nature, every moment expecting to reach their extremity, or to find some turn, or breach, or passage through them, that should conduct us into the interior of the island, if, as I presumed, it was not terminated by these rocks. We walked on, continually looking about, that nothing might escape us worthy of notice, and to anticipate and avoid such dangers as should threaten.

We next entered a pretty little grove, the trees of which were unknown to us. Their branches were loaded with large quantities of berries of an extraordinary quality, being entirely covered with a minute meal or farina. I knew of a sort of bush, the berries of which, when boiled, yield a viscous scum resembling wax: it grows in America, and is named by botanists Myrica cerifera, or candleberry tree; this plant resembled it much, and the discovery gave me great pleasure.

A short time after, another object presented itself with equal claims to our attention; it was the singular modes of behaviour of a kind of bird scarcely larger than a chaffinch, and clothed in feathers of a common brown colour. These birds appeared to exist as a republic, there being among them one common nest, inhabited at pleasure by all their tribes. We saw one of these nests in a tree, in a somewhat retired situation; it was formed of plaited straws and bulrushes intermixed; it enclosed great numbers of inhabitants, and was built round the trunk of a tree; it had a kind of roof formed of roots and bulrushes, carefully knit together. We observed in the sides small apertures, seemingly intended as doors and windows to each particular cell of this general receptacle; from a few of these apertures issued some small branches, which served the birds as points of rest for entering and returning: the external appearance of the whole excited the image of an immensely large open sponge.

While we were attentively examining this interesting little colony, we perceived numbers of a very small kind of parrot hovering about the nest. Their gilded green wings, and the variety of their colours, produced a beautiful effect; they seemed to be perpetually disputing with the colonists, and not infrequently endeavoured to prevent their entrance into the building; they attacked them fiercely, and even tried to peck at us, if we but advanced our hand to the structure. Fritz, who was well trained in the art of climbing trees, was earnestly desirous to take a nearer view of them, and to secure if possible a few individuals. He threw his burden down, and climbed to the nest: he then tried to introduce his hand into one of the apertures, and to seize whatever living creature it should touch in that particular cell; what he most desired, was to find a female brooding, and to carry both her and the eggs away. Several of the cells were empty, but by perseverance he found one in the situation he wished; but he received so violent a peck from an invisible bird, that his only care was now to withdraw his hand; presently, however, he ventured a second time to pass his hand into the nest, and succeeded in seizing his prey, which he laid hold of, and in spite of the bird’s resistance, he drew it through the aperture, and squeezed it into the pocket of his waistcoat, and buttoning it securely, he slided down the tree, and reached the ground in safety. The signals of distress sent forth by the prisoner collected a multitude of birds from their cells, who all surrounded him, uttering loud cries, and attacking him with their beaks, till he had made good his retreat. He now released the prisoner, and we discovered him to be a beautiful green parrot, which Fritz entreated he might be allowed to preserve, and make a present of to his brothers, who would make a cage to keep him in, and would then tame him and teach him to speak.

On the road home, we observed to each other, that from the circumstance of this young bird’s nesting within the structure, it appeared probable that the true right of property was in this species, and that the brown-coloured birds we at first observed were intruders endeavouring to deprive them of it.

We reached a wood, the trees of which, in a small degree, resembled the wild fig-tree; at least the fruit they bore, like the fig, was round in form, and contained a soft juicy substance full of small grains. Their height was from forty to sixty feet; the bark of the trunk was scaly, like the pineapple, and wholly bare of branches, except at the very top. The leaves of these trees are very thick; in substance tough, like leather; and their upper and under surfaces are different in colour. But what surprised us the most was a kind of gum which issued in a liquid state from the trunk of the tree, and became immediately hardened by the air. This discovery awakened Fritz’s attention: in Europe he had often made use of the gum produced by cherry trees, either as a cement or varnish, in his youthful occupations: and the thought struck him, that he could do the same with what he now saw.

As he walked, he frequently looked at his gum, which he tried to soften with his breath, but without success: he now discovered a still more singular property in the substance: that of stretching on being pulled at the extremities, and, on being let go, of reducing itself instantly, by the power of an elastic principle. He was struck with surprise, and sprang towards me, repeating the experiment before my eyes, and exclaiming, “Look, father! if this is not the very thing we formerly used to rub out bad strokes in our drawings.”

“Ah! what do you tell me?” cried I with joy; “such a discovery would be valuable indeed. The best thanks of all will be due to you, if it is the true caoutchouc tree which yields the Indian rubber. Quick, hand it here, that I may examine it.”—Having satisfied myself of our good fortune, I had now to explain that caoutchouc is a kind of milky sap, which runs from its tree, in consequence of incisions made in the bark. “This liquid is received in vessels placed expressly for the purpose: it is afterwards made to take the form of dark-coloured bottles, of different sizes, such as we have seen them, in the following manner. Before the liquid has time to coagulate, some small earthen bottles are dipped into it a sufficient number of times to form the thickness required. These vessels are then hung over smoke, which completely dries them, and gives them a dark colour. The concluding part of the operation is to break the mould, and to get out the pieces by the passage of the neck, when there remains the complete form of a bottle. In the same way we may be able to make shoes and boots without seams, if we can add the assistance of earthen moulds of the size of the leg or foot to be fitted. We must consider of some means of restoring masses of the caoutchouc to its liquid form, for spreading upon the moulds; and if we should not succeed, we must endeavour to draw it in sufficient quantities, in its liquid state, from the trees themselves.”

We now began to consider how much farther we would go: the thick bushes of bamboo, through which it was impossible to pass, seemed to furnish a natural conclusion to our journey. We were, therefore, unable to ascertain whether or not we should have found a passage beyond the wall of rocks: we perceived then no better resource than to turn to the left towards Cape Disappointment, where the luxurious plantations of sugar-canes now again drew our attention. That we might not return empty-handed to Falcon’s Stream, and might deserve forgiveness for so long an absence, we each took the pains to cut a large bundle of the canes, which we threw across the ass’s back, not forgetting the ceremony of reserving one apiece to refresh ourselves with along the road. We soon arrived on the well-known shore of the sea, which at length afforded an open and a shorter path; we next reached the wood of gourds, where we found our sledge loaded as we had left it the night before; we took the sugar-canes from the ass, and fastened them to the sledge, and then we harnessed the ass, and the patient animal began to draw towards home.

FOOTNOTE:

Tuiete. This is the smallest kind of Brazilian parrot. There is an infinite variety in their plumage.