Our success in this last enterprise, encouraged us to think of another, the idea of which had long been cherished by our kind steward of provisions: it was, to make fresh butter of the cream we every day skimmed from the milk, and which was frequently, to her great vexation, spoiled, and given to the animals for want of such a process. The utensil we stood in need of, was a churn, to turn the cream in. Having earnestly applied my thoughts, as to the most effectual manner of conquering the difficulty, I suddenly recollected what I had read in a book of travels, of the method used by the Hottentots for making butter; but in adopting it, I determined to introduce one feature of proceeding, for which, apparently, they have not a partiality; and this was, the utmost attention to cleanliness. Instead of a sheep-skin sewed together at its extremities, I emptied a large gourd of its natural contents, and filled it again with cream, and stopped it quite close with the piece I had cut from the top. I placed my vase of cream on a piece of coarse linen cloth with four corners, which last I tied to four stakes; I placed one boy midway between each stake, and directed them to shake the linen briskly, but with a steady measure, for a certain time. This exercise, which seemed like children’s play, pleased them mightily, and they called it rocking the cradle. They performed their office singing and laughing all the time, and in an hour, on taking off the cover, we had the satisfaction of seeing some excellent butter. We heartily congratulated each other, and praised the workmen, who by their constancy of labour, had thus produced one of the first conveniences in the list of articles for food.
The employments we had thus been engaged in, were little different from play; but now a question occurred of one that would require our most serious attention:—it was the constructing a cart, in all its forms, for the better conveyance of our effects from place to place, instead of the sledge which caused us so much fatigue to load and draw. Many reasons induced me to confine my attempt in the first instance to a two-wheel cart, and to observe the result before I ventured on one with four wheels.
I will not fatigue the reader with the detail of my undertaking: I tried earnestly and long to accomplish my machine; but it did not entirely succeed to my wishes, and I wasted in the attempt both time and timber. I however produced what from courtesy we called a cart; but I would not advise my readers to take it for a model, though, to say the truth, to us it answered the purpose for which it was designed.
While I was thus laboriously engaged, the boys and their mother were no less busy in matters of use or convenience; and I now and then left my cart to assist them with my advice, though, to do them justice, I must say, they seldom stood in need of it. They undertook to transplant the greatest part of the European fruit-trees, to place them where they would be in a better situation for growth, according to the properties of each. They planted vine shoots round the roots of the magnificent tree we inhabited, and round the trunks of some other kinds of trees which grew near; and we watched them in the fond anticipation that they would in time ascend to a height capable of being formed into a sort of trellis, and help to cool us by their shade. In the climate we inhabited, the vine requires the protection of the larger trees against the scorching rays of the sun. Lastly, we planted two parallel lines of saplings, consisting of chesnut, cherry, and the common nut-trees, to form an avenue from Family Bridge to Falcon’s Stream, which would hereafter afford us a cool shade in our walks to Tent House. This last undertaking was not to be effected without a degree of labour and fatigue the most discouraging:—the ground was to be cleared of every thing it had produced, and a certain breadth covered with sand, left higher in the middle than on the sides, for the sake of being always dry. The boys fetched the sand from the sea-side in their wheel-barrows, and I also nailed together a few pieces of wood, in the form of a tub, which could be harnessed to the ass to ease in some measure their fatigue.
Our next concern was to introduce, if possible, some shade and other improvements on the barren site of Tent House, and to render our occasional abode or visits there more secure. We began by planting in a quincunx all those sorts of trees that thrive best in the sun, such as lemon, pistachio, almond, mulberry, and lime-trees; lastly, some of a kind of orange-tree which attains to a prodigious size, and bears a fruit as large as the head of a child[12], and weighs not less than twelve or fourteen pounds. The commoner sorts of nut-trees we placed along the shore in the most favourable situations. The better to conceal and fortify our tent, which inclosed all our stores, we formed on the accessible side, a hedge of wild orange and lemon-trees, which produce an abundant prickly foliage; and to add to the agreeableness of their appearance, we introduced here and there the pomegranate; nor did I omit to make a little arbour of the guava shrub, which is easily raised from slips, and bears a small fruit rather pleasant to the taste. We also took care to introduce at proper places a certain number of the largest sorts of trees, which in time would serve the double purpose of shading annual plants, and, with benches placed under them, of a kind of private cabinet. Should any accident or alarm compel us to retire to the fortress of Tent-House, a thing of the first importance would be to find there sufficient food for our cattle. For the greater security, I formed a plantation of the thorny fig-tree, of sufficient breadth to occupy the space between our fortress and the river, thus rendering it difficult for an enemy to approach.
The curving form of the river having left some partial elevations of the soil within the inclosure, I found means to work them into slopes and angles so as to serve as bastions to our two cannon from the pinnace and our other fire-arms, should we ever be attacked by savages. When this was all complete, we perceived that one thing more was wanting, which was to make such alterations in Family Bridge as would enable us to use it as a drawbridge or to take it away entirely, this being the only point at which the passage of the river could be easily effected. But as we could not do all at once, we contented ourselves, for present safety, with taking away the first planks of the bridge at each end every time we passed it. My concluding labour was to plant some cedars along the usual landing-places, to which we might fasten our vessels.
We employed six whole weeks in effecting what for the present it was possible to effect, of these laborious arrangements; but the continual exercise of mind and body they imposed, visibly contributed to the physical and moral health of the boys, and to the support of cheerfulness and serenity in ourselves. The more we embellished our abode by the work of our own hands, the more it became dear to our hearts. The constant and strict observance of the sabbath-day afforded such an interval of rest, as could not fail to restore our strength; and inspire us with the desire of new exertions. The sentiment of gratitude which filled our minds towards the Supreme Being, who had saved us from destruction and supplied us with all things needful, demanded utterance, and on Sundays we might allow ourselves the indulgence of pouring out our hearts in thankfulness. Thus our religious exercises, succeeded by gymnastic recreations, and these again by pleasing rambles near Falcon’s Stream, during which I did not fail to inculcate some moral truth, served to increase at once, our usefulness and our happiness. It was deserving of remark, that though the boys had been employed in severe labour through the week, yet they were ever ready to encounter the climbing of trees, running races, swimming, shooting with the bow and arrow, when Sunday came; a proof that it is not so much inaction which renews the strength, as a change of occupations.
But the repetition of these exercises wore out our clothes so fast, that another trip to the vessel was absolutely necessary. We had nearly exhausted the stock we had already brought away; we were now absolutely in rags, and we feared we saw the time when we should be compelled to renounce the European modes of dress. I had also another reason; the cart I had just completed, and with which at first I was quite enchanted on further acquaintance disclosed a defect which it was scarcely possible to endure; it was a violent creaking of the wheels at every turn, and in addition the wheels moved so imperfectly round the axle-tree, that the united strength of the ass and the cow could scarcely drag the machine along. It was in vain that, in spite of my wife’s reproofs, I applied a little butter now and then; in an hour or two the butter was dried, and the wheels remained the same.
These two circumstances compelled us then once more to have recourse to the vessel, which heaven and the waves had still preserved. We knew there remained on board five or six chests containing apparel, and we suspected there were also some tubs of pitch and grease for wheels in her hold, which we should thus obtain. To these motives were added, that of an earnest desire to take another look at her, and, if practicable, to bring away a few pieces of cannon which might be fixed on the new bastions at Tent House, and thus we should be prepared for the worst.
The first fine day I assembled my three eldest sons, and put my design into execution. We reached the wreck without any striking adventure, and found her still fixed between the rocks, but somewhat more shattered than when we had last seen her. We did not lose a moment in searching for the tubs of pitch, which, with the help of the pulley, we soon conveyed into the pinnace; we next secured the chests of clothes, and whatever remained of ammunition stores; powder, shot, and even such pieces of cannon as we could remove, while those that were too heavy, we stripped of their wheels, which might be extremely useful.