Part 6 (1/2)
The stor was accompanied by loud peals of thunder, and the children awoke and cried with fright, till they were hushed to sleep again The wind howled as it pressed with all its violence against the tents, while the rain poured off in torrents One e in, and the cords which held it strain and crack; at another, an eddy of ould force out the canvas, which would flap and flap, while the rain found rave and the children reposed was on the outside of the others, and therefore the reater violence than before A loud crash was heard by Ready and Mr Seagrave, followed by the shrieks of Mrs Seagrave and Juno; the pegs of the tent had given way, and the inmates were exposed to the fury of the elerave and Willia rain, and such was the darkness, that it ith some difficulty that by their united efforts the women and children could be extricated Toone, and he was bellowing furiously Williae and carried him into the other tent, where To irl were at last carried away and taken into the other tent: fortunately no one was hurt, although the frightened children could not be pacified, and joined in chorus with To more could be done except to put the children into bed, and then the whole party sat up the re to the noise of the wind, the roaring of the sea, and the loud patter of the rain against the canvas At dawn of day, Ready went out, and found that the gale had spent its force, and had already lorious s to which they had been accustomed since their arrival at the island: the sky was still dark, and the clouds were chasing each other wildly; there was neither sun nor blue sky to be seen: it still rained, but only at intervals, and the earth was soft and spongy; the little cove, but the day before so beautiful, was now aand tumultuous waves, and the surf was thrown many yards upon the beach: the horizon was confused - you could not distinguish the line between the water and the sky, and the whole shore of the island was lined with a white foam Ready turned his eyes to where the shi+p had been fixed on the rocks: it was no longer there - the whole fra about in every direction, or tossing aht asto where the shi+p had lain, as he turned round and found that Mr Seagrave had followed hiale has broken her up entirely This is a warning to us not to reer: we must make the most of the fine weather which we ree with you, Ready,” replied Mr Seagrave, - ”and there is another proof of it,” pointing to the tent which had been blon ”It was a mercy that none of the, and we shall have fine weather to-morrow Let us now see e can do with the tent, while Williaet any breakfast”
They set to work Ready and Mr Seagrave s, and very soon had it all ready; but the beds and bedding et through They hauled over the wet canvas, and then left it to go to their breakfast, to which Juno had summoned theht-time it will not be so wet, and we can handle it easier I see a break in the sky nohich promises fine weather soon And noe had better work hard to-day, for we s, which may be dashed to pieces on the rocks, if we do not haul them on the beach”
Chapter XIX
They went down to the beach Ready first procured froood stout rope; and as the waves threw up casks and ti washed back again, and either rolled or hauled them up with the rope until they were safely landed This occupied them for the major part of the day; and yet they had not collected a quarter of the articles that were in their reach, independent of the quantity which floated about out at sea and at the entrance of the cove
”I think,” said Ready, ”we have done a good day's work; to down, and the sun is showing hio to supper, and then see if we can ht”
The tent which had not been bloas given to Mrs Seagrave and the children, and the other was fitted up as well as it could be The bedding being all wet, they procured so stoay farther in the grove, had not sufferedthe canvas, they lay down, and the night passed without any disaster, for the as now lulled to a pleasant breeze
The next ; but a slight breeze rippled the waters, and there was little or no surf The various fragments of the wreck were tossed by the little surf that still re on the beach which had landed during the night, and many more required but a little trouble to secure theht into the cove, as all the articles which had been floating out at sea were now gradually corave worked till breakfast-ties
After breakfast they went down again to the beach and resumed their labours ”Look, Ready; what is that?” said Williain the cove
”That, sir, is the poor cow; and if you look again, you will see the sharks are around,a feast of her: don't you see them?”
”Yes, I do - what a quantity!”
”Yes, there's no want of theet into the water, and never let Too near it, for they don't care how shallow it is when they see their food But now, sir,” said Ready, ”Iany more of the wreck, while I set to and put the boat in proper repair”
Ready left the this ti the different articles thrown on shore, and rolling up the casks as far as they could
As it would take sorave detero to the other side of the island with Williarave had no objection to be left with Ready and Juno, on the third day after the gale they set off Williarove by the blazing of the cocoa-nut trees; and in two hours they reached their destination
”Is not this beautiful, father?” said Williarave ”I fancied that nothing could be more beautiful than the spot where we reside, but this surpasses it, not only in variety, but in extent”
”And now let us exa the way to the ravine
The spring was full and flowing, and the water excellent They then directed their steps towards the sandy beach, and, having walked some time, sat down upon a coral rock
”Who would have ever irave, ”that this island, and so many more which abound in the Pacific Ocean, could have been raised by the work of little insects not bigger than a pin's head?”
”Insects, father?” replied William
”Yes, insects Give me that piece of dead coral, William Do you see that on every branch there are a hundred little holes? Well, in every one of these little holes once lived a sea-insect; and as these insects increase, so do the branches of the coral-trees”
”Yes, I understand that; but how do you make out that this island was made by them?”
”Almost all the islands in these seas have been made by the labour and increase of these srows at first at the bottom of the sea, where it is not disturbed by the winds or waves: by degrees, as it increases, it advances higher and higher to the surface, till at last it corowth by the force of the winds and waves, which break it off, and of course it never grows above the water, for if it did the animals would die”
”Then how does it becorees; the ti of wood floating about, and covered with barnacles, round upon the coral reefs; that would be a sufficient commencement, for it would remain above water, and then shelter the coral to leeward of it, until a flat rock had fore of the water The sea-birds are always looking for a place to rest upon, and they would soon find it, and then their droppings would, in course of ti substances would be thrown on it; and land-birds, who are blown out to sea, ht rest themselves on it, and the seeds frorow into trees or bushes”
”I understand that”
”Well then, William, you observe there is an island commenced, as it were, and, once commenced, it soon increases, for the coral would then be protected to leeward, and grow up fast Do you observe how the coral reefs extend at this side of the island, where they are protected from the winds and waves; and how different it is on the weather side, which we have just left? Just so the little patch above water protects the corals to leeward, and there the island increases fast; for the birds not only settle on it, hut they , and so every year the soil increases; and then, perhaps, one cocoa-nut in its great outside shell at last is thrown on these little patches - it takes root, and becoe branches, which are turned intoits nuts, which again take root and grow in this mould; and thus they continue, season after season, and year after year, until the island becoe and as thickly covered with trees as the one we are now standing upon Is not this wonderful, ood God who can make such minute animals as these work his pleasure, and at the time he thinks fit produce such a beautiful island as this?”
”Indeed he is!” exclaimed William
”We only need use our eyes, William, and we shall love as well as adore Look at that shell - is it not beautifully marked? - could the best painter in the world equal its colouring?”
”No, indeed, - I should think not”
”And yet there are thousands of theht, and perhaps millions more in the water They have not been coloured in this way to be admired, like the works of man; for this island has been till now probably without any one upon it, and no one has ever seen them It makes no difference to Him, who has but to wish, and all is complete”
For a few rave and Williarave then rose fro: ”Coain; we have three hours' daylight left, and shall be ho was now preparing for their removal to the leeward side of the island Ready had nearly coh repair, and fitted a rave continued to collect and secure the various articles thrown on shore, particularly such as would be injured by their exposure to the weather: these they rolled or carried into the cocoa-nut grove, so as to be sheltered fros thrown on shore day after day, that they hardly knehat they had: but they secured case and cask one after another, waiting for a better opportunity to exareat ether, and, with their shovels, covered theet them from the beach without rave, as now getting quite strong, or Juno, idle They had es, ready for ale, they were ready, and it was arranged that Ready should put into the boat the bedding and canvas of one tent, and should take Willia transported this safe, he should return for a load of the most necessary articles, and then the farove to the other side of the island, and rerave while Ready and William returned for the other tent; and after that, the boat should make as ht all the things absolutely required It was a lovely cal when Ready and William pushed off in the boat, which ell loaded; and as soon as they were clear of the cove they hoisted the sail, and went away before the wind along the coast In two hours they had run to the eastern end of the island, and hauled up close inshore: the point which ran out, and at the end of which there was an inlet, was not a mile from them, and in a very short ti in for the sandy beach
”You see, William, it is fortunate for us that we shall always have a fair e coain”
”Indeed it is How many miles do you think it is from the cove to this part of the island?”
”About six or seven, not et the things out and carry the before dark”
The boat was soon unloaded, but they had soale as we had the other day when our tents are pitched here, William,” said Ready, ”for we shall be protected by the whole width of the cocoa-nut grove We shall hardly feel the wind, although we shall the rain, for that will co gets on,” said Williaet a drink fro to be up to the brim ater, and that he had never drunk water so excellent They then pushed off the boat, and, after rowing for about two hours or more, found therave, with To her handkerchief to the, received the congratulations of the whole party at their first successful voyage, and all expressed their delight at its having proved so o next tirows a little taller,” replied Ready