We conversed thus as we proceeded with our work; for it was always my endeavour to compensate to my children, as much as I was able, our want of books for their instruction. Little Francis presently came running loaded with dry branches for his mother, with his mouth crammed full of something, and calling out, Mamma, mamma, I have found a nice fruit to eat, and I have brought you home some of it!
Little glutton! replied his mother quite alarmed, what have you got there? For Heaven’s sake, do not swallow, in this imprudent manner, the first thing that falls in your way; for by this means you may be poisoned, and then you would die. She made him open his mouth, and took out with her finger, what he was eating with so keen a relish. With some difficulty she drew out the remains of a fig. A fig! exclaimed I: where did you find it? Thank God, this is no poison! But nevertheless, remember, Francis, that you are never to put any thing into your mouth, without first showing it to your mother or to me. And now you may tell us where you got this fig.
Francis.—I got it among the grass, papa; and there are a great many more. I thought it must be good to eat, for the fowls and the pigeons, and even the pig, came to the place and ate them in large quantities.
Father.—You see then, my dear, said I to my wife, that our beautiful trees are fig-trees, at least the kind which are thus named at the Antilles; for they do not in the least resemble the tree called by that name in Europe, except that they both bear a fruit having some little resemblance to each other. I now recollect that the leaves of the mango tree are of a round form, and not oval like these. I took this occasion to give the boys another lesson, on the necessity of being cautious in an unknown country, and never to venture on tasting any thing they met with, till they had seen it eaten by birds and monkeys. At the word monkeys, they all ran to visit the little orphan, whom they found seated on a root of a tree, and examining with the oddest grimaces and the most singular expression of curiosity, the half-skinned porcupine and the tiger cat, which lay near him. Francis offered him a fig, which he first turned round and round, then smelled at it, and concluded by eating it voraciously. Bravo, bravo! Mr. Monkey, exclaimed the boys, clapping their hands; so then these figs are good to eat! Thank you, Mr. Monkey; for, after your wise decision, we shall make a charming feast on them.
In the mean while, my wife had been employed in making a fire, in putting on the pot, and preparing for our dinner. She had put a large piece of the porcupine into it, and the rest she had laid in salt for another time. The tiger cat was bestowed upon the dogs, who waited impatiently to receive it. While our dinner was dressing, I employed my time in making some packing-needles with the quills of the porcupine. I put the point of a large nail into the fire till it was red hot; then taking hold of it with some wet linen in my hand, by way of guard, I with great ease perforated the thick end of the quills with it. I had soon the pleasure of presenting my wife with a large packet of long, stout, needles, which were the more valuable in her estimation, as she had formed the intention of contriving some better harnessing for our animals, and had been perplexed how to set about them without some larger needles. I, however, recommended to her to be frugal in her use of the packthread, for which I should soon have so urgent a need, in constructing a ladder for ascending the tree we intended to inhabit. I had singled out the highest and thickest fig-tree; and while we were waiting for dinner, I made the boys try how high they could throw their sticks and stones in it. I also tried myself; but the very lowest branches were so far from the ground, that none of us could touch them. I perceived, therefore, that we should be under the necessity of inventing some method to reach so far, as, otherwise, it would be impossible to fasten the ends of my ladder to them. I allowed a short pause to my imagination on the subject, during which I assisted Jack and Fritz in carrying the skins of the two animals to the adjacent stream, where we confined them under water with some large stones. By this time we were called to dinner, and we all partook with pleasure of our porcupine, which had produced an excellent soup, and had no fault but being a little hard. My wife, however, could not prevail upon herself to eat of it; which occasioned Jack, who did the honours of the dish, a little mortification. My wife could not be brought to relent, but made her dinner on a slice of ham and some bread and cheese, under the shade of the trees which she had so much desired, and where she found the plainest repast delicious.
CHAPTER X.
Construction of a ladder.
Our repast being ended, I observed to my wife, that I did not think it would be possible for us to sleep that night in the tree, and that we should therefore be obliged to lie on the ground. I however desired her immediately to begin preparing the harness for the animals, that they might go to the sea-shore and fetch the pieces of wood, and such articles as I might find necessary for enabling us to ascend the tree, if, contrary to my expectation, it should be found practicable. She lost not a moment in beginning her work; while I, in the mean time, set about suspending our hammocks to some of the arched roots of the trees, which I considered would be more convenient for passing the night than on the ground. I next spread a piece of sail-cloth large enough to cover them, to preserve us from the dew and from the insects. Having thus made the best provision I could for my family, I hastened with the two eldest boys, to the sea-shore, to examine what pieces of wood might have been thrown up by the waves, and to choose out such as were most proper for the steps of my ladder. The dry branches of the fig-tree I would not use, for they appeared to me too fragile for the purpose; and I had not observed any other kind of wood growing near, that was sufficiently solid. There were, no doubt, on the sands, numberless pieces, the quality of which was fit for my object; but, unfortunately, there was none that would not require considerable labour to be adapted to my purpose; and thus my undertaking would have experienced a considerable delay, if Ernest had not been lucky enough to discover a number of bamboo canes in a sort of bog, where they lay half covered with sand and mud. I took them out, and, with the boys’ assistance, completely cleared them from the dirt; and stripping off their leaves to examine them, I found to my great joy that they were precisely what I wanted. I then instantly began to cut them, with my hatchet, in pieces of four or five feet long; the boys bound them together in faggots proportioned to their strength for carrying them, and we prepared to return with them to our place of abode. I next secured some of the straight and most slender of the stalks, to make some arrows with, of which I knew I should stand in need. At some distance from the place where we stood, I perceived a sort of thicket, in which I hoped I might find some young twigs, which I thought might also be useful to me; I determined, however, first to examine them. We proceeded to the spot; but apprehending it might be the retreat of some dangerous reptile, or animal, we held our guns in readiness. Ponto, who had accompanied us, went before. We had hardly reached the thicket, when we observed him make several jumps, and throw himself furiously into the middle of the bushes; when instantly a troop of large-sized flamingoes[*] sprang out, and with a loud rustling noise mounted into the air. Fritz, always too ready with his gun, instantly fired, when two of the birds fell down among the bushes: one of them was quite dead, but the other was only slightly wounded in the wing: he soon got upon his feet, and giving himself a shake, and finding that he could not fly, he began to make use of his long legs, and to run so fast towards the water, that we were afraid he would escape us. Fritz, in the joy of his heart, ran to pick up the flamingo he had killed; he plunged up to his knees in the water, and with great difficulty was able to get out again; while I, warned by his example, proceeded more cautiously in my pursuit of the wounded bird. Ponto came to my assistance, for without him I should have lost all trace of the animal; but he ran on before, caught hold of the flamingo, and held him fast till I reached the spot, and took him into my protection. All this was effected with considerable trouble; for the bird made a stout resistance, flapping its wings with violence for some time. However, at last I succeeded in securing him.
Fritz was not long in extricating himself from the swamp; he now appeared holding the dead flamingo by the feet: but I had more trouble in the care of mine, as I had a great desire to preserve him alive. I had tied his feet and his wings with my handkerchief; notwithstanding which, he still continued to flutter about to a distressing degree, and tried to make his escape. I held the flamingo under my left arm, and my gun in my right hand. I made the best jumps I was able, to get to the boys, but at the risk of sinking every moment into the mud, which was extremely deep, and from which it would have been difficult to have released me. Attracted by the love of sporting, I had made my way through these dangerous places, scarcely observing their existence; but now, on my return, I shuddered on perceiving the danger to which I had exposed myself.
The joy of the boys was excessive, when they saw that my flamingo was alive. If we can but cure his wound and contrive to feed him, what a happiness it will be! said they. Do you think that he will like to be with the other fowls?
I know, answered I, that he is a bird that may be easily tamed; and we will make our experiment upon him: but he will not thank you for such food as we give our fowls; he will make his humble petition to you for some small fish, a few worms, or insects.