His majesty was delighted, as, indeed, he was with all Harry’s proposals. So that very day a branch was cut from a species of yew-tree, and with the aid of a string composed of hide the first rude bow was made.
This was improved upon day after day. The king’s forgemen and artificers were summoned, and after many trials of different kinds of wood for the bows and for the arrows, a very useful and very deadly kind of Cross-bow was eventually fashioned and duly approved of by the king.
The arrow-heads presented the greatest difficulty, but this was finally got over, and they fell upon a plan of not only forging good serviceable, ones, but of fastening them on so that the arrow itself would break before the head could come off.
King Googagoo’s, people now went in for the study of war in downright earnest, and gradually the army was supplied with finely-made cross-bows.
Many months went on in these preparations. Meanwhile the arts of peace were not forgotten. Googagoo’s men were very far ahead of any other tribe that ever Harry in his wanderings had met, in the pursuits of agriculture. There grew on many of the islands immense fields of paddy, or rice, and fields of sugarcane, all of which were duly hoed with hard wood instruments, and duly watered by hand in season.
They were so close to the water, and there were so many field hands, that any complicated system of irrigation was not required.
Harry taught this simple, innocent and frugal people many useful hints.
His youthful education, and the lessons honest Andrew had taught him when quite a boy, now came in very handy indeed, which only shows that no lad, whatever his position in life, should hesitate to learn a trade.
Harry, assisted by Raggy and Jack, made chairs for the king’s tent, and an extra couch. He also made rude but useful candlesticks, and with the fat of goats and pigs rude and useful candles to place in them; so that when the rainy season returned, it was quite a treat to sit in the palace tent with lights burning, and read, tell stories, and sing songs till it was time to go to bed.
The king was so easily pleased, so good-tempered, and so generally jolly, that Harry really could not help liking him.