CHAPTER XXXII

Completion of Two Farmhouses—A Lake—A Boat

The trees that I had chosen for the construction of my farmhouse embellishments were for the most part one foot in diameter in the trunk; they presented the form of a tolerably regular parallelogram, with its longest side to the sea, the length twenty-four feet, and the breadth sixteen. I cut little hollow places or mortises in the trunks, at the distance of ten feet, one above the other, to form two stories. The upper one I made a few inches shorter before than behind, that the roof might be in some degree shelving; I then inserted beams five inches in diameter respectively in the mortises, and thus formed the skeleton of my building. We next nailed some laths from tree to tree, at equal distances from each other, to form the roof, and placed on them, in mathematical order, a covering composed of pieces of the bark of trees, cut into the shape of tiles, and in a sloping position, for the rain to run off in the wet season. As we had no great provision of iron nails, we used for the purpose the strong pointed thorn of the acacia, which we had discovered the day before. We cut down a quantity of them, and laid them in the sun to dry, when they became as hard as iron, and were of essential service to our undertaking.

After our next meal we resumed with ardour our undertaking of the farmhouse, which we continued without interruption for several days. We formed the walls with matted reeds interwoven with pliant laths to the height of six feet; the remaining space to the roof was enclosed with only a simple grating, that the air and light might be admitted. A door was placed in the middle of the front. We next arranged the interior with as much convenience as the shortness of the time and our reluctance to use all our timber would allow; we divided it half-way up by a partition wall into two unequal parts; the largest was intended for the sheep and goats, and the smallest for ourselves, when we should wish to pass a few days here. At the further end of the stable we fixed a house for the fowls, and above it a sort of hay-loft for the forage. Before the door of entrance we placed two benches, contrived as well as we could of laths and odd pieces of wood, that we might rest ourselves under the shade of the trees, and enjoy the exquisite prospect which presented itself on all sides. Our own apartment was provided with a couple of the best bedsteads we could make of twigs of trees, raised upon four legs, two feet from the ground, and these were destined to receive our cotton mattresses. Our aim was to content ourselves for the present with these slight hints of a dwelling, and to consider hereafter what additions either of convenience or ornament could be made, such as plastering, etc.

I had imagined we should accomplish what we wished at the farm in three or four days; but we found in the experiment that a whole week was necessary, and our victuals fell short before our work was done. We began to consider what remedy we could apply to so embarrassing a circumstance; I could not prevail upon myself to return to Falcon’s Stream before I had completed my intentions at the farm, and the other objects of my journey. I had even come to the determination of erecting another building upon the site of Cape Disappointment; I therefore decided that on this trying occasion I would invest Fritz and Jack with the important mission. They were accordingly despatched to Falcon’s Stream, and to Tent House, to fetch new supplies of cheese, ham, potatoes, dried fish, manioc bread, for our subsistence, and also to distribute fresh food to the numerous animals we had left there.

During the absence of our purveyors I rambled with Ernest about the neighbouring soil, to make what new discoveries I could, and to procure, if possible, additions to our store of provisions. We followed the winding of a river towards the middle of the wall of rocks: our course was interrupted by a marsh which bordered a small lake, the aspect of which was enchantingly picturesque. I perceived, with joyful surprise, that the whole surface of the swampy soil was covered with a kind of wild rice, ripe on the stalk, and which attracted the voracity of large flocks of birds. As we approached, a loud rustling was heard, and we distinguished on the wing, bustards, Canada heath-fowl, and great numbers of smaller birds. We succeeded in bringing down five or six of them; and I was pleased to remark in Ernest a justness of aim that promised well for the future.

Presently we saw Master Knips jump from Flora’s back, and smell along the ground among some thick growing plants, then pluck off something with his two paws, and eat of it voraciously. We ran to the spot to see what it could be, when, to the relief of our parched palates, we found he had discovered there the largest and finest kind of strawberry, which is called in Europe the Chili, or pine strawberry.

Pursuing our way a little further along the marsh, we reached the lake, which we had descried with so much pleasure from a distance, and whose banks, being overgrown with thick underwood, were necessarily concealed from the momentary view we had leisure to take of surrounding objects, particularly as the lake was situated in a deep and abrupt valley. No one who is not a native of Switzerland can conceive the emotion which trembled at my heart, as I contemplated this limpid, azure, undulating body of water, the faithful miniature of so many grand originals, which I had probably lost sight of for ever. My eyes swam with tears! Alas! a single glance upon the surrounding picture, the different characters of the trees, the vast ocean in the distance, destroyed the momentary illusion, and brought back my ideas to the painful reality, that I and mine were—strangers in a desert island!

Another sort of object now presented itself to confirm the certainty that we were no longer inhabitants of Europe: it was the appearance of a quantity of swans gliding over the surface of the lake; but their colour, instead of white, like those of our country, was a jetty black, and their plumage had so high a gloss as to produce, reflected on the water, the most astonishing effect. The six large feathers of the wings of this bird are white, exhibiting a singular contrast to the rest of the body: in other respects these birds were remarkable, like those of Europe, for the haughty gracefulness of their motions, and the voluptuous ease of their nature.

We now began to look for the shortest path for returning to the farm, which we reached at the same time with Fritz and Jack, who had well performed the object of their journey. We, on our part, produced our offering of strawberries and our specimen of rice, which were welcomed with shouts of pleasure and surprise. We filled the stable with forage, laid a large provision of grain for the fowls within their house, and began arrangements for our departure.

The following day we took a silent leave of our animals, and directed our course towards the eminence in the vicinity of Cape Disappointment; we ascended it, and found it in every respect adapted to our wishes. From this eminence we had a view over the country which surrounded Falcon’s Stream in one direction, and in others of a richly diversified extent of landscape, comprehending sea, land, and rocks. When we had paused for a short time upon the exhaustless beauties of the scene, we agreed with one voice, that it should be on this spot we would build our second cottage. A spring of the clearest water issued from the soil near the summit, and flowed over its sloping side, forming agreeable cascades in its rapid course; in short, every feature of the picture contributed to form a landscape worthy the homage of a taste the most delicate and refined. I presented my children with an appropriate word.—“Let us build here,” exclaimed I, “and call the spot—Arcadia;” to which my wife and all agreed.

We lost no time in again setting to work; our experience at the farm enabled us to proceed with incredible rapidity, and our success was in every respect more complete. The building contained a dining-room, two bed-chambers, two stables, and a store-room for preserving all kinds of provisions for man and beast. We formed the roof square, with four sloped sides, and the whole had really the appearance of an European cottage, and was finished in the short space of six days. What now remained to be done, was to fix on a tree fit for my project of a boat. After much search, I at length found one of prodigious size, and in most respects suitable to my views.

It was, however, no very encouraging prospect I had before me, being nothing less than the stripping off a piece of the bark that should be eighteen feet in length, and five in diameter; and now I found my rope ladder of signal service: we fastened it by one end to the nearest branches, and it enabled us to work with the saw as might be necessary at any height from the ground. Accordingly we cut quite round the trunk in two places, and then took a perpendicular slip from the whole length between the circles; by this means we could introduce the proper utensils for raising the rest by degrees, till it was entirely separated. We toiled with increasing anxiety, at every moment dreading that we should not be able to preserve it from breaking, or uninjured by our tools. When we had loosened about half, we supported it by means of cords and pulleys; and when all was at length detached, we let it down gently, and with joy beheld it lying safe on the grass. Our business was next to mould it to our purpose, while the substance continued moist and flexible.

The boys observed that we had now nothing more to do than to nail a plank at each end, and our boat would be as complete as those used by the savages; but for my own part, I could not be contented with a mere roll of bark for a boat; and when I reminded them of the paltry figure it would make following the pinnace, I heard not another word about the further pains and trouble, and they asked eagerly for my instructions. I made them assist me to saw the bark in the middle of the two ends, the length of several feet, these two parts I folded over till they ended in a point; I kept them in this form by the help of the strong glue I had before made from fish-bladders, and pieces of wood nailed fast over the whole. This operation tended to widen the boat in the middle, and thus render it of too flat a form; but this we counteracted by straining a cord all round, which again reduced it to the due proportion, and in this state we put it in the sun, to harden and fix.

Before our departure for Tent House, we collected several new plants for our kitchen-garden; and lastly, we made another trip to the narrow strait at the end of the wall of rocks, resolved to plant there a sort of fortification of trees, which should produce the double effect of discouraging the invasion of savages, and allowing us to keep our pigs on the other side, and thus secure our different plantations from the chance of injury. We accomplished all these intentions to our entire satisfaction, and, in addition, we placed a slight drawbridge across the river beyond the narrow pass, which we could let down or take up at pleasure on our side. We now hastened our return to Arcadia, and after a night’s repose we loaded the sledge with the boat and other matters, and returned to Tent House.

As soon as we had despatched some necessary affairs, we resumed the completion of the boat: in two days she had received the addition of a keel, a neat lining of wood, a small flat floor, benches, a small mast and triangular sail, a rudder, and a thick coat of pitch on the outside, so that the first time we saw her in the water, we were all in ecstasies at the charming appearance she made.

We had still two months in prospect before the rainy season, and we employed them for completing our abode the grotto, with the exception of such ornaments as we might have time to think of during the long days of winter. We made the internal divisions of planks and that which separated us from the stables of stone, to protect us from the offensive smell occasioned by the animals. Our task was difficult, but from habit it became easier every day. We took care to collect or manufacture a sufficient quantity of all sorts of materials, such as beams and planks, reeds, and twigs for matting, pieces of gypsum for plaster, etc., etc. At length the time of the rainy season was near at hand, and we thought of it with pleasure, as it would put us in possession of the enjoyments we had procured by such unremitting industry and fatigue.

We plastered over the walls of the principal apartments on each side with the greatest care, finishing them by pressure with a flat smooth board, and lastly a wash of size, in the manner of the plasterers in Europe. This ornamental portion of our work amused us all so much, that we began to think we might venture a step further in European luxury, and agreed that we would attempt to make some carpets with the hair of our goats. To this effect we smoothed the ground in the rooms we intended to distinguish with great care; then spread over it some sail-cloth, which my wife had joined in breadths, and fitted exactly; we next strewed the goats’ hair, mixed with wool obtained from the sheep, over the whole; on this surface we threw some hot water, in which a strong cement had been dissolved; the whole was then rolled up, and was beaten for a considerable time with hard sticks; the sail-cloth was now unrolled, and the inside again sprinkled, rolled, and beaten as before; and this process was continued till the substance had become a sort of felt, which could be separated from the sail-cloth, and was lastly put in the sun to harden. We thus produced a very tolerable substitute for that enviable article of European comfort, a carpet; of these we completed two, one for our parlour, and the other for our drawing-room, as we jocosely named them: both of which were completely fit for our reception by the time the rains had set in.

Thus, as will be perceived, we had made the first steps towards a condition of civilization; separated from society, condemned, perhaps, to pass the remainder of life in this desert island, we yet possessed the means of happiness; we had abundance of all the necessaries, and many of the comforts, desired by human beings.