The family Robinson Crusoe

by Johann David Wyss

True enough, said I; but be so good as to tell us how we are to get to land, and whether you have contrived the means.

I am sure it cannot be very difficult, said Jack with an arch motion of his head. Look here at these large tubs. Why cannot each of us get into one of them, and float to the land? I remember I succeeded very well in this manner on the water when I was visiting my godfather at S***.

Every hint is good for something, cried I, and I begin to think that what Jack has suggested is worth a trial; the counsels of even a child may be worth consideration, and should be accepted with gratitude. Quick then. Jack, give me the saw, the auger, and some nails; we will see what is to be done. I recollected having seen some empty casks in the ship’s hold; we went down, and found them floating with the water which had got into the vessel; it cost us but little trouble to hoist them up and place them on the lower deck, which was at this time scarcely above water. We saw with delight that they were all made of excellent wood, well guarded by iron hoops, and in every respect in sound condition; they were exactly suited for my object; and with the assistance of my sons I instantly began to saw them in two. In a certain time I had produced eight tubs of equal size and of the proper height. We now allowed ourselves some refreshment from the wine and biscuit with which some of these very casks were still filled.

I contemplated with perfect satisfaction my eight little tubs ranged in a line. I was surprised to see that my wife was still dejected; she sighed deeply as she looked at them: Never, never, cried she, can I venture to get into one of these.

Do not decide so hastily, my dear, said I: my plan is not yet complete, and you will see presently that it is more worthy of our confidence than this shattered vessel, which cannot move from its place.

I then sought for a long plank capable of being a little curved, and contrived to fasten my eight tubs to it, leaving a space at each end of the plank, reaching beyond the tubs, and presenting an outline like the keel of a vessel; we next nailed all the tubs to the plank, and then the tubs to each other as they stood side by side, to make them the firmer, and afterwards two other planks of the same length as the first, on each side of the tubs. When all this was finished, we found we had produced a kind of narrow boat divided into eight compartments, which I had no doubt would be able to perform a short course in calm water.

But, unfortunately, our marvellous machine proved so heavy, that with the strength of all united, we were not able to move it an inch from its place. I bade Fritz fetch me a crow, who soon returned with it: in the meanwhile I sawed a thick round pole into several pieces, to make some rollers. I now with the crow easily raised the foremost part of my machine, while Fritz placed one of the rollers under it.

How astonishing, said Ernest, that this engine, which is smaller than any of us, can do more than our united strength was able to effect! I wish I could know how it is constructed.

I explained to him as well as I could, the power of Archimedes’s lever, with which he said he could move the world if you would give him a point from which his mechanism might act, and promised to explain the nature of the operation of the crow when we should be safe on land.

One of the points of my system of education was to awaken the curiosity of my sons by interesting observations, to leave time for the activity of their imagination, and then to correct any error they might fall into. I contented myself now, however, with this general remark, That God sufficiently compensated the natural weakness of man by the gifts of reason, invention, and the adroitness of the hands; and that human meditation and reflection had composed a science called mechanics, the object of which was, to teach us how to make our own natural strength act to an incredible distance and with extraordinary force, by the intervention of instruments.