The family Robinson Crusoe

by Johann David Wyss

Fritz.—And by what is good air known? How judge that one may respire freely at a few paces from this mephitic cave?

Father.—This becomes evident when inspiration and expiration are performed with ease; besides, there is an infallible test: fire does not burn in foul air, yet it is made the means of correcting it. We must light a fire of sufficient strength in this hole to purify the air within, and render it friendly to respiration: at first the bad air will extinguish the fire, but by degrees the fire in its turn will expel the bad air and burn freely.

Fritz.—Oh! if that is all, it is an easy matter. As soon as the foul air is out, we can make a huge opening, and walk about in the whole interior as if it were a level plain. The boys now hastened to gather some dry grass, which they made into bundles; they then struck a light, and set fire to them, and threw the moss blazing into the opening; but, as I had described, the fire was extinguished at the very entrance, thus proving that the air within was highly mephitic. I now saw that it was to be rarefied by another and more effectual method; I recollected opportunely, that we had brought from the vessel a chest which had belonged to the artificer, and had put it by in the tent, and that it was full of granadoes and rockets, of which and other fire-works a number had been shipped for the purpose of making signals as well as for amusement. I sought this chest hastily, and took out of it some of the most requisite materials, and an iron mortar for the purpose of throwing them into the hollow: with these I speedily returned to attack with my artillery the aërial demons: I threw the whole in, with a train that extended to where we stood, and thus ignited the space. A general explosion took place, and an awful report reverberated through the dark recess; the granadoes flew about on all sides like brilliant meteors; we hurled them back to the extremity of the cavern, they rebounded and burst with a terrific sound. We then sent in the rockets, which had also a full effect; they hissed in the cavity like flying dragons, disclosing to our astonished view its vast extent. We beheld too, as we thought, numerous dazzling bodies that sparkled suddenly, as if by magic, and disappeared with the rapidity of lightning, leaving the place wrapped in the most profound obscurity. A squib bursting in the form of a star presented a spectacle we wished to be prolonged. On its separating, a crowd of little winged genii came forth, each holding a small lighted lamp, and the whole fluttering in every direction with a thousand varied reverberations: every thing in the cavern shone brilliantly, and offered instantly a truly enchanting sight; but they dropped in succession, fell to the ground without noise, and vanished like æthereal spirits.

After having played off our fire-works, I tried lighted straw: to our great satisfaction, the bundles thrown in were entirely consumed; we could then reasonably hope nothing was to be feared from the air; but there still remained the danger of plunging into some abyss, or of meeting with a body of water: from these considerations I deemed it more prudent to defer our entrance into this unknown recess till we had lights to guide us through it. I dispatched Jack on the buffalo to Falcon’s Stream, to impart our discovery to his mother and two brothers, directing him to return with them, and bring all the tapers that were left: my intention was to fasten them together on a stick, and form therewith a large torch, and thus illuminated, proceed with our whole troop to examine the interior of this grotto. I had not sent Jack on his embassy without a meaning; the boy possessed from nature a lively and poetical imagination: I knew he would tell his mother such wonders of the enchanted grotto, of the fire-works, and all they had brought to our view, that in spite of the charms of her spinning-wheel he would induce her to accompany him without delay, and bring us lights to penetrate the obscure sanctuary.

Overjoyed at his commission, Jack sprang on the buffalo, which he had nearly appropriated to himself, gaily smacked his whip, and set off so boldly that I almost trembled for his safety. The rash intrepid boy was unincumbered by fear, and made a complete race-horse of his horned Bucephalus.

In waiting his coming back, I proposed to Fritz to widen the entrance to the subterraneous grotto, to remove the rubbish, and make a way for his mother to pass in easily. After labouring three or four hours we saw them coming up in our car of state,—the one I had equipped for the potatoes,—and which was now drawn by the cow and the ass, and conducted by Ernest. Francis too played his part in the cavalcade, and contended with his brother for the ropes that served as reins. Jack, mounted on his buffalo, came prancing before them, blew through his closed hand in imitation of a French horn, and now and then whipped the ass and cow to quicken their motion. When they had crossed Family Bridge, he came forward on the gallop; and when he got up to us, jumped off the beast, shook himself, took a spring or two from the ground, and thus refreshed, ran up to the car to hand his mother out like a true and gallant knight.

I immediately lighted my torches; but instead of tying them together as I had intended, I preferred each taking one in his right hand, an implement in his left in case of accident, a taper in his pocket, flint and steel; and thus we entered the rock in solemn procession. I took the lead, my sons followed me, and their beloved mother with the youngest brought up the rear, her interest and curiosity not unalloyed with tender apprehensions; and indeed I felt myself that sort of fear which an unknown object is apt to excite: even our dogs that accompanied us betrayed some timidity, and did not run before as usual; but we had scarcely advanced four paces within the grotto, when all was changed to more than admiration and surprise. The most beautiful and magnificent spectacle presented itself. The sides of the cavern sparkled like diamonds, the light from our six tapers was reflected from all parts, and had the effect of a grand illumination. Innumerable crystals of every length and shape hung from the top of the vault, which, uniting with those of the sides, formed pillars, altars, entablatures, and a variety of other figures, constituting the most splendid masses. We might have fancied ourselves in the palace of a fairy, or in an illumined temple. In some places all the colours of the prism were emitted from the angles of the crystals, and gave them the appearance of the finest precious stones. The waving of the lights, their bright coruscations, dark points here and there occurring, the dazzling lustre of others—the whole, in short, delighted and enchanted the sight and the fancy.

The astonishment of my family was so great as to be almost ludicrous; they were all in a kind of dumb stupor, half imagining it was a dream: I had seen stalactites and read the description of the famous grotto of Antiparos, far more considerable than this, which, however, gave an idea of it. The bottom was level, covered with a white and very fine sand, as if purposely strewed, and so dry that I could not see the least mark of humidity anywhere. All this led me to hope the spot would be healthy, convenient, and eligible for our proposed residence.

I now formed a particular conjecture as to the nature of the crystallizations shooting out on all sides, and especially from the arch roof; they could scarcely be of that species of rock crystals produced by the slow filtering of water falling in drops and coagulating in succession, and seldom found in excavations exhibiting so dry a nature, nor ever with so many of the crystals perpendicular and perfectly smooth. I was impatient to evince the truth or falsehood of my opinion by an experiment, and discovered with great joy, on breaking a portion of one of them, that I was in a grotto of sal gem, that is, fossil or rock salt^[20], found in the earth in solid crystallized masses, generally above a bed of spar or gypsum, and surrounded by layers of fossils or rock. The discovery of this fact, which no longer admitted a doubt, pleased us all exceedingly. The shape of the crystals, their little solidity, and finally their saline taste, were decisive evidences.

How highly advantageous to us and our cattle was this superabundance of salt, pure and ready to be shovelled out for use, and preferable in all respects to what we collected on the shore, which required to be refined!