The family Robinson Crusoe

by Johann David Wyss

Ernest.—I am much disposed to think it is some huge sea-monster, a grampus or a whale that raises up its back sometimes like an isle, on which are a quantity of small fishes that offer an easy prey to the birds; on this account they follow the monster, striving greedily to seize all they can in darting on it: those that succeed, fly off with their prey, and the rest pursue to snatch it from them. I feel assured that this is the case, and that if we look closely we shall observe this aquatic giant stretch out its immense fins, and when sufficiently warmed by the sun and it has inhaled a fresh supply of air, it will dive into the ocean, and form a vortex capable of sinking a large ship, if near it.

Jack.—Yes, father, Ernest is quite right. At the very edge of the bank, and in proportion to its approach, I distinctly see something fall and rise again; one of its monstrous fins no doubt; I perceive its enormous claws too, certainly. If this great creature leaped out of the water, should we not all be in imminent danger?

Father.—Yes, yes, it might perhaps swallow my son Jack as people swallow a pill. But, boys, these suppositions are at best but flimsy fancies, and it is a pity that the pains you take should not produce the least semblance of truth; and I am really surprised to find you so ready to believe in the existence of a monster equal in length to this moving bank.

Ernest.—Upon my word, father, I have read of whales upsetting the largest ships by getting under them, and that sailors have often mistaken them for islands, got on them, sunk, and been devoured by the monster.

Father.—You must allow, Ernest, for a good deal of exaggeration in such accounts, if they be not altogether fabulous. It is possible a marine animal of huge dimensions may have upset a small vessel, though I presume that would be difficult; I likewise believe it possible for a whale’s back to have been taken at some distance for a diminutive island; but when near, its shape and motions would soon destroy the illusion. It is certain that the whale-fishers get on the back of the animal to harpoon it; and this I believe is the foundation of these wonderful narratives. As to the moveable bank before us, I will now, on the observation I have taken, venture to inform you that it is neither more nor less than a shoal of herrings about to enter Safety Bay and fall into our hands; they will be well received by me, I assure you; and it is worth our while to get on speedily, that we may be sure of securing so valuable a booty.

Francis.—But, dear father, what is a herring-shoal?

Father.—It is an immense number of small fishes called herrings, which you ought to know, having often eaten of them in Europe. They swim so close together and occupy such a space, that they appear like a bank or island of sand several leagues in breadth, some fathoms deep, and sometimes above a hundred thousand long, at the moment of leaving the frozen sea together in a heap: they afterwards divide into bodies which cross the ocean on all sides, directing their course to the coasts and bays, where they spawn, that is, leave their eggs among the stones and sea plants, and to these spots fishermen from all parts go to catch them. The shoal is invariably followed by a legion of the largest fishes, such as bonittas, dories, sturgeons, dolphins, sea-dogs, &c. which are very fond of them. These are not their only enemies; they also draw after them, as you see, flocks of voracious birds, that rush like banditti along the surface of the water and seize all they can. The herrings appear eager to reach those parts where the tide is lowest, to escape from the voracity of the sea monsters, by getting into shallow water; but in doing this they become an easier prey to the birds and to man. Exposed to destruction in so many ways, one might wonder the species is not extinct, if nature had not provided against these accidents by their astonishing fecundity; 68,656 eggs have been found in a moderate-sized female: thus they continue undiminished notwithstanding the vast numbers which are destroyed; in some seasons and latitudes they appear in such numerous and compact bodies that the fishery is relinquished. What Jack took for arms or fins, is, I imagine, the water spouted in the air by the dolphins, which keenly pursue the herrings. The whale and the grampus join in the chase, and from their size must commit enormous devastations.

Fritz.—It is well they have left us a few; see how the shoal enters the bay. And in reality the entrance of it was entirely filled with them: they made a loud rustling noise in the water, leaping over each other, and displaying their scales of silver hue. This accounted for the luminous sparks we had seen emitted from the sea, and which we could not previously explain. We had no time for further contemplation, but hastened to unharness our team and supply the want of nets with our hands in catching the herrings: the boys used the largest gourds in lieu of pails, which were no sooner dipped in than filled; and we should have been at a loss where to stow them, had I not thought of employing the condemned boat of tubs. No sooner thought than accomplished; I had it immediately drawn to the water’s edge by the buffalo, and placed it on rollers; my wife and the two youngest lads cleaned it, whilst the other two went to the cavern for salt, and I quickly fitted up a sort of tent of sail-cloth on the strand, so as to keep off the rays of the sun while we were busied in salting. We then all engaged in the task, and I allotted to each a share adequate to his strength and skill. Fritz took his station in the water to bring us the herrings as fast as caught; Ernest and Jack cleaned them with knives; their mother pounded the salt; Francis helped all, and I placed them in the tubs as I had seen done in Europe. A joyous shout declared the general activity, though we did not get at once into a regular train with our proceedings; one of us was occasionally disengaged whilst the others were overborne with labour: this however was speedily arranged, and the business so well managed, that it was performed with speed and pleasure. I put a layer of salt at the bottom of the barrel, then of fish, the heads towards the staves, proceeding thus till my tubs were nearly full: I spread over the last layer of salt, large palm-tree leaves, on these a piece of sail cloth, and fitted in two half-rounded planks for a heading, which I pressed down with stones. This effected, I put the buffalo and the ass to the cart again, and conveyed it to our cool cellar in the rock. In a few days, when the herrings were sunk, I closed the barrels more accurately by means of a coating of clay and flax over the cloth, which kept out air and moisture completely, and secured us an excellent food for winter.

This work, in which we were engaged several days, kept us at Tent-House the whole week. Working from morning till night, we could only prepare and salt two large casks of them, and we wished to have at least eight. During this time fresh herrings were our chief aliment, and we from the novelty relished them exceedingly.

Scarcely had we finished our salting when another business arising out of it occurred; a number of sea dogs came into the bay and river^[21], that had followed the herrings with the utmost greediness, sporting in the water along shore, without evincing any fear of us. This fish, which is scarcely eatable, offered little attraction to our palate and table, but in a different point of view the possession of it would be very beneficial; its skin tanned and dressed, makes excellent leather. I was in great need of it for straps and harness, to make saddles for Fritz and Jack to ride the onagra and buffalo, and in short for our own use to cut up into soles, belts, and pantaloons, of which articles we much wanted a fresh supply: besides, I knew the fat yielded good lamp oil, that might be substituted for tapers in the long evenings of winter; and that it would be further useful in tanning and rendering the leather pliant.