The family Robinson Crusoe

by Johann David Wyss

Jack here remarked that the action of the crow was very slow.

Better slow than never, Jack, replied I. Experience has ever taught, and mechanical observations have established as a principle, that what is gained in speed is lost in strength; the purpose of the crow is not to enable us to raise any thing rapidly, but to raise what is exceedingly heavy; and the heavier the thing we would move, the slower is the mechanical operation. But are you aware, what we have at our command to compensate this slowness?

Yes, it is turning the handle quicker.

Your guess is wrong; that would be no compensation: the true remedy, my boy, is to call in the assistance of patience and reason; with the aid of these two fairies I am in hopes to set my machine afloat. As I said this, I tied a long cord to its stern, and the other end of it to one of the timbers of the ship which appeared to be still firm, so that the cord being left loose would serve to guide and restrain it when launched. We now put a second and a third roller under, and applying the crow, to our great joy our construction descended into the water with such a velocity, that if the rope had not been well fastened it would have gone far out to sea. But now a new misfortune presented itself: the machine leaned so much on one side that my boys all exclaimed they could not venture to get into it. I was for some moments in the most painful perplexity; but it suddenly occurred to me that ballast only was wanting to set it straight. I threw every thing I could find that was weighty and of small size into the tubs: by degrees the machine recovered, and was at length quite straight and firm in the water, and seeming to invite us to take refuge in its protection. All now would have thrown themselves at once into it, and the boys began to push each other, and dispute which should get in first.

I however drew them back, plainly perceiving that at best the voyage would be hazardous, and that the least motion of even one of these boisterous children might upset it and cause us to be all drowned. In seeking for a remedy for this inconvenience, I recollected that savage nations make use of a paddle for preventing their canoes from upsetting. With this thought I once more set to work to make one of these, that the completion of a contrivance which promised safety to so many cherished beings might not be wanting.

I took two of the poles of equal length, upon which the sails of the vessel had been stretched, and fixed one of them at the head and the other at the stern of my floating machine, in such a manner as to enable us to turn them at pleasure to right or left, as should best answer the purpose of guiding our machine, and putting it out to sea. I stuck the end of each pole, or paddle, into the bung-hole of an empty brandy keg, which served to keep the paddles steady, and to prevent any interruption in the management of the machine.

There remained nothing more for me to do, but to find out in what way I could clear out from the incumbrance of the wreck and get completely to sea. I got into the first tub, and steered the head of the machine, so as to make it enter the cleft in the ship’s side where it could remain quiet. I then remounted the vessel, and sometimes with the saw and sometimes with the hatchet, I cleared away to right and left every thing that could obstruct our passage: and that being effected, we next secured some oars for our voyage the next morning.

We had spent the day in laborious exertions; it was already late; and as it would not have been possible to reach the land that evening, we were obliged, though much against our inclination, to pass a second night in the wrecked vessel, which at every instant threatened to fall to pieces. We now refreshed ourselves by a regular meal, for during the day’s work, we had scarcely allowed ourselves to take a bit of bread or a glass of wine. Being in a more tranquil and unapprehensive state of mind than the preceding day, we all abandoned ourselves to sleep; not however till I had used the precaution of tying the swimming apparatus round my three youngest boys and my wife, as a means of safety, if the storm should again come on and should put the finishing stroke to the destruction of the vessel. I also advised my wife to dress herself in the clothes of one of the sailors, which was so much more convenient for swimming, or any other exertions she might be compelled to engage in. She consented, but not without reluctance, and left us, to look for one that might best suit her size. In a quarter of an hour she returned, dressed in the clothes of a young man who had served as volunteer on board the ship, and which she had found in his chest. She approached us with a natural timidity: but I soon found means to reconcile her to the change, by representing the many advantages it gave her. At length she joined in the merriment her dress occasioned, and one and all crept into our separate hammocks, where a delicious repose prepared us for the renewal of our labours.

CHAPTER II.
A landing, and consequent occupations.

By break of day we were all awake and alert, for hope as well as grief, is unfriendly to lengthened slumbers. When we had finished our morning prayer, I said, We now, my best beloved, with the assistance of heaven, must enter upon the work of our deliverance. The first thing to be done, is to give to each poor animal on board, before we leave them, a hearty meal; we will then put food enough before them for several days; we cannot take them with us; but we will hope it may be possible, if our voyage succeeds, to return and fetch them. Are you now all ready? Bring together whatever we mean to take, whatever is absolutely necessary for our wants. It is my wish that our first cargo should consist of a barrel of gunpowder, three fowling-pieces, and three carbines, with as much small shot and lead and as many bullets as our boat will bear; two pair of pocket pistols and one of large ones, not forgetting a mould to cast balls in: each of the boys and their mother also should have a bag to carry game in; you will find plenty of these in the cabins of the officers. We added a chest containing cakes of portable soup, another full of hard biscuits, an iron pot, a fishing-rod, a chest of nails and another of different utensils, such as hammers, saws, pincers, hatchets, augers, &c. and lastly some sail-cloth to make a tent. In short, the boys brought so many things, that we were obliged to reject some of them, though I had already exchanged the worthless ballast for articles of use for our subsistence.