Father.—How else, then, is it produced, Mr. Professor? At least, you might be so good as to inform your little brother what you yourself know of its nature, since you laugh at his great ignorance on the subject.
Ernest.—I know that it is produced by art, but of the manner in which it is made, I confess I am myself ignorant. I imagine that it is prepared from charcoal, since it is so black, and that sulphur, of which it smells so strong, is mixed with it.
Father.—Add some saltpetre, and your answer will not be amiss; the saltpetre is in reality the principal ingredient; mixed with charcoal, it easily takes fire, and rarefies or expands the air that is mixed with it, by means of its elastic force. Touched with a spark of fire, it acts with extraordinary vehemence, and drives forward with astonishing force, whatever resists its action. So that balls or shot, impelled by this irresistible force, strike the object against which they impinge, so as to take away life: as you and I, and Fritz and Jack, see happen to us every day in letting off our guns.
The boys now had a thousand questions to propose, which brought on a sort of lesson in natural philosophy, as well as I could make it such, with the degree of information I possessed, and without instruments for experiments. The eldest boys understood the lesson pretty well, having previously some notion of the subjects; but little Francis, on hearing me say that the heat contained in bodies was brought out by motion or friction, asked, ludicrously enough, whether, in running very fast, he should not be in danger of being set on fire and burnt?
Your ideas run too fast, my little fellow, said I; but this I can tell you, that when a young boy like you, uses violent exercise, he runs at least the risk of inflaming his blood, and getting into a fever, or some other dangerous disease; and there results something like the burning you talk of, that may prove no less dangerous. But my remark is almost equally applicable to a person who takes too little exercise, and abandons himself to idleness; for such habits tend to vitiate the humours, and to corrupt the blood. Thus, my dear children, in this, as in every thing else, it is advisable to observe a just medium.
During this conversation, I was busily employed upon my sledge, which was soon completed; and I found that necessity had converted a preacher of moderate talents into a tolerably good carpenter. Two bent pieces of wood, the segments of a circle, formed the outline of my machine, which I fixed in their places, by a straight piece of wood, placed across, and firmly fixed to the bent pieces in the middle, and at the rear. I then fastened two ropes to the front of my work, and my sledge was finished. As I had not raised my eyes from my work, I did not know what my wife and the two youngest boys had been about. On looking up, I perceived that they had been stripping off the feathers from a quantity of birds, which the boys had killed, and that they afterwards spitted them on an officer’s sword, which my wife had turned into this useful kitchen utensil. I approved of the idea; but I blamed her profusion of dressing more birds at once than we could eat. She reminded me, that I had myself advised her to half roast the birds before putting into the butter, to be preserved for future use. She was in hopes, she said, that as I had now a sledge, I should not fail of going to Tent House after dinner, to fetch the cask of butter, and in the mean while, she was endeavouring to be ready with the birds. I had no objection to this, and immediately determined on going to Tent House the same day, and requested my wife to hasten the dinner for that purpose. She replied that this was already her intention, as she also had a little project in her head, which I should be informed of, at my return. I, for my part, had one too, which was to take a bathe in the sea, and thus refresh myself from the heat and fatigue of my laborious occupations. I wished that Ernest, who was to accompany me, should bathe also; while Fritz was to remain at home for the protection of the family.
CHAPTER XVI.
A bathing, a fishing, the jumping hare, and a masquerade.
As soon as Ernest and I had dined, we prepared for our departure. Fritz presented each with one of the best cases of his own workmanship, which we stuck through our belts, and which, in reality, were ingeniously contrived for holding spoons and knives and forks, while room was left in the middle for a little hatchet. I praised Fritz for having thus brought his idea to perfection, and for contriving to make two cases with his skin instead of one. He had used the skin of the two fore-legs of the animal for one, and of the two hind legs for the other, and reserved the place in the middle, for the hatchet. Ernest showed a warmth of gratitude for his share in the benefit, of which I had not thought him capable.
We now set about harnessing the ass and cow to our sledge; each took a piece of bamboo-cane in hand, to serve as a whip; and resting our guns upon our shoulders, we began our journey. Ponto was to accompany us, and Turk to remain behind. We bade adieu to our companions, and put our animals in motion. We took the road by the sea-shore, where the sands afforded better travelling for our vehicle, than the thick wild grass. We reached Family Bridge, on Jackall’s River, and arrived at Tent House, without either obstacle or adventure. We immediately unharnessed the animals to let them graze, while we set to work to load the sledge, with the cask of butter, the cask of cheese, a small barrel of gunpowder, different instruments, some ball, some shot, and Turk’s coat of mail. These exertions had so occupied our thoughts, that it was late when we first observed that our animals, attracted by the excellent quality of the grass on the other side of the river, had repassed the bridge, and wandered so far as to be out of sight. I was in hopes they would be easily found, and I directed Ernest to go with Ponto and bring them back, intending in the mean time to look for a convenient place, on the other side of Tent House, to bathe in. In a short time I found myself at the extremity of Providence Bay, and which ended, as I now perceived, in a marsh, producing the finest bulrushes it was possible to imagine; and further on, a chain of steep rocks, advancing somewhat into the sea, and forming a kind of creek, as if expressly contrived for bathing. The juttings of the rock even seemed like little separate cabinets, where one might be concealed from one’s companions. Enchanted with this discovery, I called out to Ernest to come and join me, and in the mean time, I amused myself with cutting some of the rushes, and imagining what use I could apply them to. Ernest neither replied nor came: so, after waiting a little, I resolved to go in pursuit of him, for I was unable to refrain from some uneasy sensations at his absence. Looking about in all directions, I at length discovered him at a distance, extended at his length on the ground, in the shade produced by Tent House. I approached him with a beating heart, fearing he might have been attacked by some wild beast; and was agreeably surprised at finding him in a sound and quiet sleep, while the ass and the cow were eating the grass close to the place where he lay.
Come, come, young traveller, you must awake, cried I, shaking him: while you are sleeping here, your animals may once more make their escape. He instantly awoke starting, and was soon on his feet. Oh! but I defy them to escape across the bridge, said he, rubbing his eyes; for I have taken away some of the planks, and left a space which they will have no great inclination to jump over.