Part 11 (1/2)
Late in the afternoon, Arthur and Eiulo returned from their tour of examination, having made, as Arthur intimated, some discoveries, of which, in due time, we should all reap the benefit. Morton having found a tough and elastic kind of wood, had shaped a tolerable bow for Johnny, when it came to providing a string, the resources of both failed. The difficulty being made known to Eiulo, he volunteered to supply what was wanted, and went with Johnny and Morton into the adjoining forest to look for a certain kind of bark, from which to make the required cord.
”There!” said Arthur, when we were left alone together; ”how capitally this excursion has worked. How differently things seem from what they did yesterday, when we were at the islet, perfectly stagnant and stupid.
One would not take us for the same people. Only let us always have something to do, something to interest and busy ourselves about, and we need not be very miserable, even on a desert island.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
CAMPING OUT.
A DESPERATE ENGAGEMENT--JOHNNY DISCOVERS AN ”OYSTER TREE”--VAGRANTS, OR KINGS?--A SLEEPING PRESCRIPTION.
”Travellers ne'er did lie, Though fools at home condemn them: If in Naples, I should report this now, would they believe me?”
About sunset we went down to the beach to bathe. The trees along the sh.o.r.e were occupied by immense crowds of exemplary sea-fowl, whose regular and primitive habits of life had sent them to roost at this early hour. Notwithstanding their webbed feet, they managed to perch securely among the branches, many of which were so heavily freighted, that they bent almost to the ground beneath their load.
Finding a spot where the beach shelved off gradually into deep water, with a smooth, firm bottom, free from sh.e.l.ls and corallines, we had a refres.h.i.+ng swim. Afterwards, strolling along the sh.o.r.e by myself, I found a large fish, beautifully marked with alternate black and yellow bands, in a shallow, fenced off from the lagoon at low water, by a coral ridge. The too eager pursuit of some of the smaller tribe of fishes, had probably beguiled him into this trap, where he had been left by the tide, to fall a victim, as I confidently reckoned, to his own rapacity.
All escape into deep water seemed to be pretty effectually cut off and I looked upon him as already the captive of my bow and spear; but fearing lest some of the others should come up to share the glory of securing so splendid a prize, I forthwith set about effecting his actual capture.
Rolling my trowsers above my knees, I waded into the water to drive him ash.o.r.e; but I soon found that my task was not going to prove by any means as easy as I had antic.i.p.ated. My intended victim was exceedingly vigorous and active, and as ferocious as a pike. He obstinately refused to be driven at all, and struggled and floundered as desperately as if he already had a vivid presentiment of the frying-pan, snapping viciously at my fingers whenever I undertook to lay hold of him. To add to the aggravating features of the case, he seemed to bristle all over with an inordinate and unreasonable quant.i.ty of sharp-pointed fins and spines, which must have been designed by nature as weapons of defence, since there were certainly more of them than any fish could use to advantage for swimming purposes. I began to suspect that I had caught a Tartar; but I had now gone too far to back out with credit: my self-respect wouldn't admit of the thought. So, taking a short breathing spell, I again advanced to the attack, somewhat encouraged by perceiving that my scaly antagonist seemed exhausted and distressed by his recent exertions. His mouth was wide open, and his gills quivered; but I was rather uncertain whether to regard this as a hostile demonstration, or a sign of pain and fatigue. However, at it we went; and, after getting my hands badly cut by some of the aforesaid bristling spines and fins, besides being drenched with water, and plastered all over with wet sand, which he splashed about in the struggle, I succeeded in seizing him firmly by the tail, and throwing him high and dry upon the beach. I then scooped out a hollow in the sand, a little above the tide-mark, and filling it with water, pushed him into it, thus securing him for the present.
Max, Morton, and Browne, who had been practising climbing cocoa-nut trees, at the edge of the wood, with very indifferent success, had witnessed, from a distance, the latter part of the ”engagement,” as Max facetiously called it; and they now came up to learn the particulars, and to inquire ”whether it was a shark, or a young whale, that I had been having such a terrible time with.” While they were admiring my captive, and jocosely condoling with me on the hard usage which I had received, the voice of Johnny, (who, accompanied by Eiulo, had ventured to stroll off in the direction of the point), was heard, raised to its highest pitch, as he shouted for us to ”come and see something strange.”
But it seemed that his impatience would not permit him to await the result of his summons, for the next moment he came running towards us in a state of great excitement, and all out of breath, crying out that he had ”found a tree covered with oysters,” and he had no doubt, there were ”lots more of them.”
”A tree covered with _what_?” inquired Browne, dubiously.
”With oysters--with fine, large oysters!” cried Johnny, ”just come and see for yourselves.”
”Wonderful island! productive soil!” exclaimed Max, in mock admiration.
”If oysters will take root, and grow here, I suppose pretty much any thing will: I believe I will plant my boots to-morrow: they may do for seed, and are good for nothing else any longer--don't you begin to think this must be an enchanted island, Johnny?”
”O, you may make fun of it, if you please; but it's true: and if you'll come with me, I'll shew you the trees.”
”Well,” said Browne, ”I am ready for almost any thing in the way of the marvellous, since having seen a solid and substantial-looking island turn into a vapour, and vanish away before my very eyes. I shall be careful about doubting any thing, until I get back to some Christian country, where things go on regularly. For the present, I am in state of mind to believe in phoenixes and unicorns--and why not in oyster-trees? Who knows but we have happened upon a second Prospero's isle? Lead on, Johnny, and bring us to this wonderful tree.” And Johnny started off accordingly, followed by Browne and Morton.
In a moment the latter was heard calling out, ”I say, Max! do you understand conchology?”
”Yes, enough to tell a bivalve when I see one: should like to have a 'dozen fried' before me now.”
”If a 'dozen raw' will answer, just step this way, and we'll accommodate you equal to Florence.”
On hastening to the spot, all scepticism as to the ”oysters growing on trees,” was speedily removed. A row of mangroves lined the sh.o.r.e for some distance, each elevated upon its white pile of protruding and intertwisted roots. Attached to the branches of these trees, which overhung the water and drooped into it at high tide, were abundance of fair-sized oysters. Looking down into the water beneath the mangroves, I perceived the certain indications of an extensive and well-stocked oyster-bed. The bottom was thickly covered with them, in every stage of growth mult.i.tudes being scarcely larger than a sixpence. I could also see, through the shallow water, an immense number of little white specks, like drops of spermaceti, scattered about among them. It was evident, that here was an abundant and unfailing supply of these delicious sh.e.l.l-fish.
Browne broke off from one of the trees a large branch, having half a dozen oysters attached to it, with which he hastened to confront the unbelieving Max, and flouris.h.i.+ng it in his face, demanded to know if he was ”convinced now.” Although constrained to admit that they _looked_ very like oysters, Max seemed to consider the evidence of more than one of the senses necessary to afford satisfactory proof of so extraordinary a phenomenon, and accordingly proceeded to see how they tasted.
After opening one of the largest, (using his cutla.s.s as an oyster-knife), and making the experiment with due deliberation, he announced himself perfectly satisfied.
By the time we had all sufficiently tasted the quality of the oysters, (which were really very good, and well-flavoured, notwithstanding the unusual position in which they were discovered), it had become quite dark. Though the evening was fine, there was not much light, the moon and stars glimmering faintly through a soft purple haze, which, as I had observed since we had been on the island, generally seemed to fill the atmosphere for a short time after sunset, and at a little later hour entirely disappeared. As we strolled back towards the foot of ”Castle-Hill,” Johnny suddenly looked up, and inquired, as if the thought had just occurred to him, where we were going to sleep.
”That's a pretty question to ask,” said Browne, laughing, ”it implies that we are common vagrants.”