The family Robinson Crusoe

by Johann David Wyss

My wife was charmed with my good fortune in having cut through the rock at this spot. I observed, that in all probability the mine extended a long way, and that I should have discovered salt had I opened at any other part, though such a wonderful grotto might not have been found every where.

Little Francis said to his brothers in a whisper, that it was certainly the palace of some good fairy, who would come with her wand and grant them every thing they wished for, if they were good. Well then, said Jack, I ask her to make you a little wiser and less credulous; don’t you hear father say all these diamonds are only salt? and how often has he told you that God alone does wonders? The dear child said no more, but shook his pretty fair locks as if he gave up his enchanted palace with some reluctance; and to say the truth, his notion did not surprise me. As we advanced in the grotto, remarkable figures formed by the saline matter every where presented themselves; columns reaching from the bottom to the top of the vault appeared to sustain it, and some even had cornices and capitals: here and there undulating masses which at certain distances resembled the sea. From the variegated and whimsical forms we beheld, fancy might make a thousand creations at its pleasure; windows, large open cupboards, benches, church ornaments, grotesque figures of men and animals; some like polished crystals or diamonds, others like blocks of alabaster.

We viewed with unwearied curiosity this repository of wonders, and we had all lighted our second taper, when I observed on the ground in some places a number of crystal fragments that seemed to have fallen off from the upper part. Such a separation might recur and expose us to danger; a piece falling on any of our heads might prove instantly fatal: but on closer inspection I was convinced they had not dropped of themselves spontaneously; the whole mass was too solid for fragments of that size to have been so detached from it; and had dampness loosened them they would have dissolved gradually: I rationally concluded they were broken off by the explosion of our artillery and fire-works, that had caused a violent concussion in this subterraneous palace. However, I thought it prudent to retire, as other loosened pieces might unexpectedly fall on us. I directed my wife and three of the children to place themselves in the entrance, while Fritz and I carefully examined every part that threatened danger. We loaded our guns with ball and fired them in the centre of the cavern, to be more fully assured of what produced the separation of the former pieces; one or two more fell, the rest remained immovable, though we went round with long poles and struck all we could reach. We at length felt confident that in point of solidity there was nothing to fear, and that we might proceed to fit up our new habitation without dread of accident. Our joy on this important discovery did not fully declare itself till after these trials. Loud exclamations, mixed with numerously varied questions, projects, consultations, now succeeded to our mute astonishment! Many schemes were formed for converting this beautiful grotto into a convenient and agreeable mansion for our abode. All the force of our imagination was centred in that point: the greatest difficulty was removed; we had possession of the most eligible premises; the sole business now was to turn them to the best account, and how to effect this was our unceasing theme: some voted for our immediate establishment there, but they were opposed by more sagacious counsel, and it was resolved that Falcon’s Stream should continue to be our head quarters till the end of the year.

CHAPTER XXXIII.
House in the salt-rock;—herring fishery.

The lucky discovery of a previously-existing cavern in the rock, had, as must be supposed, considerably lessened our labour: excavation was no longer requisite: I had more room than was wanted for the construction of our dwelling; to render it habitable was the present object, and to do this did not seem a difficult task. The upper bed of the rock in front of the cavern, through which my little Jack had dug so easily, was of a soft nature, and to be worked with moderate effort. I hoped also that, being now exposed to the air and heat of the sun, it would become by degrees as hard and compact as the first layer that had given me so much trouble. From this consideration I began, while it retained its soft state, to make openings for the door and windows of the front. This I regulated by the measurement of those I had fixed in my winding stair-case, which I had removed for the purpose of placing them in our winter tenement. Intending Falcon’s Nest in future as a rural retreat for the hottest days of summer, the windows of the stair-case became unnecessary; and as to the door, I preferred making one of bark similar to that of the tree itself, as it would conceal our abode the better, should we at any time experience invasion from savages or other enemies: the doors and windows were therefore taken to Tent-house, and afterwards properly fixed in the rock. I had previously marked out the openings to be cut for the frames, which were received into grooves for greater convenience and solidity. I took care not to break the stone taken from the apertures, or at least to preserve it in large pieces, and these I cut with the saw and chisel into oblongs an inch and half in thickness, to serve as tiles. I laid them in the sun, and was gratified in seeing they hardened quickly; I then removed them, and my sons placed them in order against the side of the rock till they were wanted for our internal arrangements.

When I could enter the cavern freely through a good door-way, and it was sufficiently lighted by the windows, I erected a partition for the distribution of our apartments and other conveniences. The extent of the place afforded ample room for my design, and even allowed me to leave several spaces in which salt and other articles could be stored. At the request of my children, I was cautious to injure as little as possible the natural embellishments of this new family mansion; but with all my care, I could not avoid demolishing them in the division allotted to the stables:—cattle are fond of salt, and would not have failed to eat away these ornaments, and perhaps in a prejudicial quantity: however, to gratify and reward my obedient children, I preserved the finest of the pillars and the most beautiful pieces to decorate our saloon. The large ones served us for chairs and tables, and the brilliant pilasters at once enlivened and adorned the apartment, and at night multiplied the reflection of the lights. I laid out the interior in the following manner:—A very considerable space was first partitioned off in two divisions; the one on the right was appropriated to our residence; that on the left was to contain the kitchen, stables, and work-room. At the end of the second division, where windows could not be placed, the cellar and store-room were to be formed; the whole separated by partition boards, with doors of communication, so as to give us a pleasant and comfortable abode. Favoured so unexpectedly by what nature had already effected of the necessary labour, we were far from repining ungratefully at what remained to be done, and entertained full hope of completing the undertaking, or at least the chief parts, before winter.

The side we designed to lodge in, was divided into three chambers; the first, next the door, was the bed-room for my wife and me, the second a dining-parlour, and the last a bed-chamber for the boys. As we had only three windows, we put one in each sleeping-room; the third was fixed in the kitchen, where my wife would often be. A grating for the present fell to the lot of our dining-room, which, when too cold, was to be exchanged for one of the other apartments. I contrived a good fire-place in the kitchen near the window; I pierced the rock a little above, and four planks nailed together and passed through this opening answered the purpose of a chimney. We made the work-room near the kitchen, of sufficient dimensions for the performance of undertakings of some magnitude; it served also to keep our cart and sledge in: lastly, the stables, which were formed into four compartments to separate the different species of animals, occupied all the bottom of the cavern on this side; on the other were the cellar and magazine.

It is readily imagined that a plan of this extent was not to be executed as if by enchantment, and that we satisfied ourselves in the first instance with doing what was most urgent, reserving the residue of our arrangements for winter; yet every day forwarded the business more than we had been aware of. On every excursion, we brought something from Falcon’s Stream, that found its place in the new house, where we deposited likewise in safety the remaining provisions from the tent.

The long stay we made at Tent-House during these employments, furnished us an opportunity of perceiving several advantages we had not reckoned upon, and which we did not defer availing ourselves of. Immense turtles were very often seen on the shore, where they deposited their eggs in the sand, and they regaled us with a rich treat; but, extending our wishes, we thought of getting possession of the turtles themselves for live stock, and of feasting on them whenever we pleased. As soon as we saw one on the sands, one of my boys was dispatched to cut off its retreat; meanwhile we approached the animal, quickly and quietly without doing it any injury turned it on its back, passed a long cord through the shell and tied the end of it to a stake, which we fixed close to the edge of the water. This done, we set the prisoner on his legs again; it hastened into the sea, but could not go beyond the length of the cord: apparently it was all the happier, finding food with more facility along shore than out at sea; and we enjoyed the idea of being able to take it when wanted. I say nothing of sea-lobsters, oysters, and many other small fishes which we could catch in any number. We at length got used to and to like oysters, and occasionally had a treat of them. The large lobsters, whose flesh was tough and coarse, were given to the dogs, who preferred them to potatoes; but we shortly after became possessors of another excellent winter provision which chance unexpectedly procured us.

We left Falcon’s Stream very early one morning; when near Safety Bay we observed at some distance in the sea, a singular sort of spectacle which we had not before witnessed, though we had gone that way so many times. An extensive surface of the water seemed in a state of ebullition as if heated by a subterraneous fire; it swelled, subsided, foaming like boiling water: a large number of aquatic birds hovered over it, gulls, man of war birds, boobies, albatrosses, and a crowd of others we were strangers to, whose shrill cries pierced our ears; the feathered throng were in motion: sometimes they darted along the surface of the water, sometimes rose in the air, flying in a circle, pursuing each other in every direction; we were at a loss to judge whether sportiveness, pleasure or warfare produced their varied flights. The space too of seemingly boiling surface exhibited a peculiar aspect; small lights issued from it on all sides like flames disappearing and rekindling every moment. We perceived also that the motion of this part was from the main sea towards the land, and particularly Safety Bay, whither we hastened to examine this phenomenon. On our way we formed a thousand conjectures about it: my wife had accompanied us for the purpose of arranging the provisions in the new magazines; she supposed it to be merely a large sand bank, to which the tide gave the semblance of motion, and which by reflecting the beauteous tints of aurora, imparted a flame colour to the waves and caused an optical deception. This was too simple a solution for the vivid imagination of Fritz, who maintained that something extraordinary was operating at the bottom of the deep; some secret fire seeking a vent, or perhaps an earthquake; possibly the approaching irruption of a fresh volcano somewhere. Ernest strongly controverted this idea: The birds, said he, would instinctively fly from the spot, instead of collecting in heaps over it and gaily fluttering, so as to excite the surmise of there being another body in the air as large and as agitated as that in the sea: see how they plunge into it, said he; were the water hot, as Fritz thinks, they would scald their feet and beaks. The latter had little to say in reply; Well then, said he, tell us, Mr. Professor, what it is, instead of what it is not.