CHAPTER XXIV

A New Domain—The Troop of Buffaloes—The Vanquished Hero

On entering our plantation of fruit-trees forming the avenue to Falcon’s Stream, we observed that they had not a vigorous appearance, and that they inclined to curve a little in the stalk: we therefore resolved to support them with sticks, and I proposed to walk to the vicinity of Cape Disappointment for the purpose of cutting some bamboos. I had no sooner pronounced the words, than the three eldest boys and their mother exclaimed, at once, that they would accompany me.

We accordingly fixed the following morning, and set out in full procession. For myself, I had a great desire to explore more thoroughly this part of our island. I therefore made some preparations for sleeping, should we find the day too short for all we might have to accomplish. I took the cart instead of the sledge, having fixed some planks across it for Francis and his mother to sit upon when they should be tired: I was careful to be provided with the different implements we might want; some rope machinery I had contrived for rendering the climbing of trees more easy; and lastly, some provisions, some water in a gourd-flask, and one bottle of wine from the captain’s store.

It was not without much difficulty that we conducted the cart through the thick entangled bushes, the most intricate of which I everywhere cut down, and we helped to push it along with all our strength. We soon arrived at the caoutchouc, or gum-elastic trees. I thought we could not do better than to halt here, and endeavour to collect a sufficient quantity of the sap to make the different utensils and the impenetrable boots and shoes, as I had before proposed. It was with this design that I had taken care to bring with me several of the most capacious of the gourd rinds. I made deep incisions in the trunks, and fixed some large leaves of trees, partly doubled together lengthways, to the place, to serve as a sort of channel to conduct the sap to the vessels I had kept in readiness to receive it. We had not long begun this process before we perceived the sap begin to run out as white as milk, and in large drops, so that we were not without hopes, by the time of our return, to find the vessels full, and thus to have obtained a sufficient quantity of the ingredient for a first experiment.

We left the sap running, and pursued our way, which led us to the wood of cocoa-trees: from thence we passed to the left, and stopped halfway between the bamboos and the sugar-canes, intending to furnish ourselves with a provision of each. We aimed our course so judiciously, that on clearing the skirts of the wood, we found ourselves in an open plain with the sugar-cane plantations on our left, and on our right those of bamboo, interspersed with various kinds of palm-trees, and, in front, the magnificent bay formed by Cape Disappointment, which stretched far out into the sea.

The prospect that now presented itself to our view was of such exquisite beauty, that we determined to choose it for our resting-place, and to make it the central point of every excursion we should in future make; we were even more than half disposed to desert our pretty Falcon’s Stream, and transport our possessions hither; a moment’s reflection, however, betrayed the folly of quitting the thousand comforts we had there, with almost incredible industry, assembled; and we dismissed the thought with promising ourselves to include this ravishing spot evermore in our projects for excursions.

It was now evening; and as we had determined to pass the night in this enchanting spot, we began to think of forming some large branches of trees into a sort of hut, as is practised by the hunters in America, to shelter us from the dew and the coolness of the air. While we were thus engaged, we were suddenly roused by the loud braying of the ass, which we had left to graze at a distance but a short time before. On going to the place, we saw him throwing his head in the air, and kicking and prancing about; and while we were thinking what could be the matter, he set off at a full gallop. Unfortunately, Turk and Flora, whom we sent after him, took the fancy of entering the plantation of the sugar-canes, while the ass had preferred the direction of the bamboos on the right.

The following morning we breakfasted on some milk from the cow, some boiled roots, and a small portion of Dutch cheese, and formed, during our meal, the plan of the business for the day. It was decided that one of the boys and myself, attended by the two dogs, should seek the ass through the bamboo plantation. I took with me the agile Jack, who was almost beside himself with joy at this determination.

We soon reached the bamboo plantation, and found means to force ourselves along its intricate entanglements. After great fatigue, and when we were on the point of relinquishing all further hope, we discovered the print of the ass’s hoofs on the soil, which inspired us with new ardour in the pursuit. After spending a whole hour in further endeavours, we at length, on reaching the skirts of the plantation, perceived the sea in the distance, and soon after found ourselves in an open space, which bounded the great bay. A considerable river flowed into the bay at this place, and we perceived that the ridge of rocks, which we had constantly seen, extended to the shore, and terminated in a perpendicular precipice, leaving only a narrow passage between the rocks and the river, which, during every flux of the tide, must necessarily be under water, but which at that moment was dry and passable. The probability that the ass would prefer passing by this narrow way, to the hazard of the water, determined us to follow in the same path: we had also some curiosity to ascertain what might be found on the other side of the rocks, for as yet we were ignorant whether they formed a boundary to our island, or divided it into two portions; whether we should see there land or water. We continued to advance, and at length reached a stream which issued foaming from a large mass of rock, and fell in a cascade into the river. The bed of this stream was so deep, and its course so rapid, that we were a long time finding a part where it might be most practicable for us to cross. When we had got to the other side, we found the soil again sandy, and mixed with a fertile kind of earth: in this place we no longer saw naked rock; but the print of the ass’s hoofs were again visible on the ground.

By observing closely, we saw with astonishment the prints of the feet of other animals, much larger and different in many respects from those of the ass. Our curiosity was so strongly excited, that we resolved to follow the traces; and they conducted us to a plain at a great distance, which presented to our wondering eyes a terrestrial paradise. We ascended a hill, which partly concealed from our view this delicious scene, and then, with the assistance of a glass, we beheld an extensive range of country, exhibiting every kind of rural beauty, and in which a profound tranquillity had seemed to take up its abode.

By straining our eyes, however, as far as we could see, we thought we perceived at a great distance some specks upon the land, that seemed to be in motion. We hastened towards the spot; and as we drew nearer, to our inexpressible surprise, beheld a pretty numerous group of animals, which in the assemblage presented something like the outline of a troop of horses or of cows. I observed them sometimes run up to each other, and then suddenly stoop to graze. Though we had not lately met with farther traces of the ass, I was not entirely without the hope of finding him among these animals. On a nearer approach, we perceived they were wild buffaloes. My alarm was so great that I remained for a few moments fixed to the spot like a statue. By good luck the dogs were far behind us, and the buffaloes gave no sign of fear or of displeasure at our approach: they stood perfectly still, with their large round eyes fixed upon us in vacant surprise: those which were lying down got up slowly, but not one among them seemed to have any hostile disposition towards us. The circumstance of the dogs’ absence was most likely, on this occasion, the means of our safety; as it was, we had time to draw back quietly, and prepare our firearms. It was not, however, my intention to make use of them in any way but for defence, being sensible that we were unequal to the encounter, and recollecting also to have read that the sound of a gun drives the buffalo to a state of desperation. I therefore thought only of retreating; and with my poor Jack, for whom I was more alarmed than for myself, was proceeding in this way, when unfortunately Turk and Flora ran up to us, and we could see were noticed by the buffaloes. The animals instantly, and all together, set up such a roar as to make our nerves tremble; they struck their horns and their hoofs upon the ground, which they tore up by pieces and scattered in the air. Our brave Turk and Flora, fearless of danger, ran, in spite of all our efforts, into the midst of them, and, according to their manner of attacking, laid hold of the ears of a young buffalo, which happened to be standing a few paces nearer to us than the rest; and, though the creature began a tremendous roar and motion with his hoofs, they held him fast, and were dragging him towards us. Our every hope seemed now to be in the chance of the terror the buffaloes would feel at the noise of our musketry, which, perhaps, for the first time would assail their organs, and most likely excite them to flight. With, I must confess, a palpitating heart and trembling hands, we fired both at the same moment: the buffaloes, terrified by the sound and by the smoke, remained for an instant motionless, as if struck by a thunderbolt, and then one and all betook themselves to flight with such incredible rapidity, that they were soon beyond the reach of our sight. We heard their loud roaring from a considerable distance, which by degrees subsided into silence, and we were left with only one of their terrific species near us; this one, a female, was no doubt the mother of the young buffalo which the dogs had seized; she had drawn near on hearing its cries, and had been wounded by our guns, but not killed; the creature was in a furious state: after a moment’s pause, she took aim at the dogs, and with her head on the ground, as if to guide her by the scent, was advancing in her rage, and would have torn them in pieces, if I had not prevented her by firing upon her with my double-barrelled gun, and thus putting an end to her existence.

The young buffalo still remained a prisoner, with his ears in the mouths of the dogs, and the pain occasioned him to be so furious, that I was fearful he might do them some injury; I therefore determined to advance and give them what assistance I might find practicable. To say the truth, I scarcely knew in what way to effect this. The buffalo, though young, was strong enough to revenge himself if I were to give the dogs a sign to let go his ears. I had the power of killing him with a pistol at a stroke; but I had a great desire to preserve him alive, and to tame him, that he might be a substitute for the ass, which we had but little hope of recovering. I found myself in a perplexing state of indecision, when Jack suddenly interposed an effective means for accomplishing my wishes. He had his string with balls in his pocket; he drew it out hastily, and making a few steps backward, he threw it so skilfully as to entangle the buffalo completely, and throw him down. As I could then approach him safely, I tied his legs two and two together with a very strong cord; the dogs released his ears, and from this moment we considered the buffalo as our own.

The question was now, how we were to get the buffalo home: having reflected, I conceived that the best way would be to tie his two fore-legs together so tight that he could not run, yet loose enough for him to walk; “and,” pursued I, “we will next adopt the method practised in Italy; you will think it somewhat cruel, but the success will be certain; and it shall afterwards be our study to make him amends by the kindest care and treatment. Hold you the cord which confines his legs with all your strength, that he may not be able to move.” I then called Turk and Flora, and made each again take hold of the ears of the animal; I took from my pocket a sharp-pointed knife, and taking hold of the snout, I made a hole in the nostril, into which I quickly inserted a string, which I immediately tied so closely to a tree that the animal was prevented from the least motion of the head, which might have inflamed the wound and increased his pain. I drew off the dogs the moment the operation was performed. The creature, thus rendered furious, would have run away, but the stricture of the legs and the pain in the nostril prevented it. The first attempt I made to pull the cord found him docile and ready to accommodate his motions to our designs, and I perceived that we might now begin our march.

I was unwilling to leave so fine a prey as the dead buffalo behind us: I therefore, after considering what was to be done, began by cutting out the tongue, which I sprinkled with some of the salt we had in our provision-bag. I next took off the skin from the four feet, taking care not to tear it in the operation. I remembered that the Americans use these skins, which are of a soft and flexible quality, as boots and shoes, and I considered them as precious articles. I lastly cut some of the flesh of the animal with the skin on, and salted it, and abandoned the rest to the dogs, as a recompense for their behaviour. I then repaired to the river, to wash myself, after which we sat down under the shade of a large tree, and ate the rest of our provisions.

As we were not disposed to leave the spot in a hurry, I desired Jack to take the saw and cut down a small quantity of the reeds, which from their enormous size might be of use to us. We set to work, but I observed that he took pains to choose the smallest. “What shall we do,” said I, “with these small-sized reeds? You are thinking, I presume, of a bagpipe, to announce a triumphal arrival to our companions!”

“You are mistaken, father,” answered Jack; “I am thinking of some candlesticks for my mother, who will set so high a value on them!”

“This is a good thought,” said I; “I am pleased both with the kindness and the readiness of your invention, and I will assist you to empty the reeds without breaking them; if we should not succeed, at least we know where to provide ourselves with more.”

We had so many and such heavy articles to remove, that I dismissed for that day all thoughts of looking further for the ass. I began now to think of untying the young buffalo; and on approaching him perceived with pleasure that he was asleep, which afforded me a proof that his wound was not extremely painful. As I began to pull him gently with the string, he gave a start; but he afterwards followed me without resistance.

We repassed the river in safety, and, accompanied by the agreeable sounds of its foaming cascades, we regained the narrow pass at the turn of the rocks. We proceeded with caution, and when safe on the other side, we thought of quickening our pace to arrive the sooner at the hut.

The first solicitudes about health and safety being answered, we entered upon the narrative of our adventures; when question after question was so rapidly proposed to us, that we, on our parts, were obliged to ask for the necessary time for our replies. All agreed that our success with the buffalo was the most extraordinary of our achievements: all longed for the morning, when they might take their fill of looking at the spirited creature we had brought with us. The day concluded with supper, and sound repose.