CHAPTER LVI

Edible Birds’ Nests—Pearl-Fishery—Poor Jack is “Killed”—Discovery of Truffles

We had spent an entire day in preparing our cargo. A fresh and favourable breeze and a slightly ruffled sea induced us to embark immediately. Francis and his mother were left to guard the shore, and we gaily put off, amid their prayers and wishes for our safe return. We took with us some of our domestics: young Knips, the successor of our good old monkey, Jack’s jackal, Flora, Braun, and Folb, all found a place in the boat. Jack occupied the second seat in Fritz’s cajack. Ernest and I conducted the canoe loaded with our provisions and animals.

The cajack led the way, and we followed, steering our course through the shoals and rocks with the greatest difficulty. We did not encounter any marine monsters; but the rocks were covered with the whitened bones of walruses and sea-horses, and Ernest made us stop several times, at the risk of bruising our boat against the rocks, in order that he might collect some of these osseous remains for our museum of natural history.

We soon attained the promontory, behind which, Fritz said, was the Bay of Pearls. This promontory was singular and imposing. Arch rose above arch, column above column; in a word, it resembled the front of one of those old Gothic cathedrals, embellished with a thousand grotesque carvings and antiquated decorations, with the only difference that, instead of a pavement of marble, we had the blue sea, and the columns were washed by the waves. It struck us as a temple elevated to the Eternal, in the midst of immensity. We penetrated into the vault; it was sombre and gloomy, like an old cathedral, and only lighted by a few apertures in the rock.

The noise of our oars frightened the peaceable salanganes, and they flew about in such numbers as almost to render it impossible to guide the boat; but when our eyes became habituated to the darkness, we saw with pleasure that every niche and corner was filled with their nests. These nests resembled white cups, were as transparent as horn, and filled, like the nests of other birds, with feathers, and dry sticks of some sort of perfumed wood.

The trial which we had made of this substance, after boiling it with salt and spices, convinced us that it was a delicate and wholesome food; besides, we knew how highly it was valued in China, and we were so possessed with the idea that, some day or other, a vessel would arrive on our shores, with which we could trade, that I resolved to gather a considerable number of these nests, only taking care to leave those which contained eggs or young ones. Fritz and Jack climbed like cats along the rocks and detached the nests, which they gave to Ernest and me, who placed them in a large sack we had brought. It was soon filled, and I was glad of it, as the boys were tired, and I could not bear to see them suspended on the ladder over the water.

I now gave the order for departure. Fritz had assured me that the canal which flowed through the vault was navigable, and that by following the passage, we should soon arrive at the bay. The flood-tide carried us rapidly forward toward the other extremity of the cavern, and we could not help admiring the magnificence of the passage: the roof was covered with stalactites wrought by the hand of nature into a thousand fantastic forms. At length we issued into a beautiful bay; we were struck with surprise, and remained resting on our oars in silent admiration. The water was so calm and pure that we could see the fish far below us. I recognized the white fish, the shining scales of which are used as false pearls. I showed them to my sons; but they could not understand how a little stone would be worth so much more than the fish-scales, when the latter were full as brilliant as the former.

“It is not the object itself,” said I; “it is the difficulty in procuring it which costs so much. If every river in Europe abounded in pearls, they would be worth nothing.”

The day was too far advanced to commence our pearl-fishing, and we appeased our hungry stomachs with some slices of ham, fried potatoes, and some cassava cakes; and, after having lighted up fires along the coast, to keep off wild beasts, we left the dogs on shore and went on board the canoe, Knips being installed on the mast as vidette. We drew the sail over our heads, and, wrapping ourselves in our bear-skins, soon sank to rest.

We rose at daylight, and, after a frugal breakfast, commenced our labours in the pearl-fishery, and, with the aid of the rakes, hooks, nets, and poles, soon brought in a large quantity of the precious oysters: we heaped them all up in a pile on the shore, so that the heat of the sun would cause them to open.

Toward evening the coast appeared so beautiful, and the vegetation so rich and glowing, that it was impossible for us to resist the temptation of making an excursion to a little wood, where we had heard turkeys gobbling all day. Each took with him one of our faithful servants, and we separated. Ernest entered first into the wood, accompanied by Folb; Jack soon followed him, while Fritz and I remained a moment to fix our guns. A few moments after, we heard a report, then a scream from Jack, followed by another report. Fritz unhooded his eagle, I snatched up my gun, and we ran in the direction of Jack, who was screaming, “Papa! papa! quick! I am killed! quick! come!”

The poor boy had exaggerated matters a little, for he was not even wounded; but there he lay face to face with an enormous boar, with formidable tusks, who had knocked him down so rudely that he thought himself lost.

His brothers ran quickly up, and two shots well fired freed him from his terrible enemy. Ernest recounted to me the manner in which this affair happened. “I had entered into the little wood,” said he, “with Folb, when suddenly the brave dog quitted me, and set off in pursuit of a wild boar, who had come out of the forest, and was sharpening his tusks against the tree with a terrible noise. At that moment Jack came up; his jackal, perceiving the boar, sprang furiously upon him, while Folb attacked him on the other side. I approached cautiously, by passing from one tree to another, until I was near enough to fire; the jackal, however, had received such a terrible blow from the boar’s foot that he lay senseless on the grass. Jack then fired, but missed; and the boar, turning round, set off in pursuit of his new assailant, who fled like a Hottentot before him. Without doubt, he would have soon escaped if a projecting root had not tripped him up. Down he fell; I fired, but missed, and the boar began to butt poor Jack with his head. He, however, had not time to do him much harm, as Braun and Flora rushed in, and, seizing the animal by his ears, held him so firmly that he could not stir. Fritz’s eagle now joined the fray, and, flying on the head of the boar, who fairly frothed with rage, began picking at his eyes. Fritz now fired, and hit the animal directly in the throat; it fell right across Jack’s body, who could not disengage himself. I then ran up and helped him; he groaned dreadfully, and at first I thought he was seriously wounded; but I found that I was mistaken. He took Fritz’s arm and walked away, while I remained by the boar. It was not without some surprise that I saw master Knips with some large black tubercles, with which the ground was covered; I gathered two or three which I put in my game-bag. Look at them.”

So saying, the young naturalist presented me with six tubercles resembling potatoes, the odour of which was very penetrating. I opened one, and, having tasted it, I discovered that they were excellent truffles, of a perfumed, delicate flesh, marbled with white.

“It appears,” said I to my son, congratulating him on his discovery, “that the boar, who is very fond of these things, was eating them when he was disturbed.”

While talking in this way, night came on, and it was necessary to seek repose. We lighted our watch-fires, swallowed a morsel of meat, and then retired to our canoe: the dogs were again left on shore. We were soon asleep, and dreaming of the absent ones at our beloved Felsenheim.