Our field work was by this time over. The land had been plowed and sown with wheat, barley, and maize. On the other side of Jackal River we had planted potatoes and cassava roots, and all sorts of other seeds had been carefully sown.
We had not neglected the ostrich's eggs, and one day Fritz introduced me with great glee to three little ostriches. But alas, the little creatures were not destined to enjoy life long. One died almost as soon as it was hatched, and the others, after tottering about on their stilt-like legs for a few days, followed its example.
I now found time to turn my attention to the bears' skins, which required preparation before they would be fit for use as leather. They had been salted and dried, and now required tanning. I had no tan, however. This was unfortunate; but not to be deterred from my purpose, I determined to use a mixture of honey and water in its place.
The experiment proved successful. When the skins were dried they remained flexible and free from smell, while the fur was soft and glossy.
This was not the only result of the experiment, for the honey-water which I boiled appeared so clear and tempting, that it struck me that I might prepare from it an excellent drink. I put by some of the liquid before making use of it as tan, and reboiled it with nutmeg and cinnamon. The preparation, which much resembled English mead, was pronounced delicious, and the mother begged me to brew a large supply. As our cellar was now well stocked with provisions for the winter, and our other preparations were completed, I was able to turn my attention to details of lesser importance. The boys had been clamoring for hats, and as my success in so many trades had surprised me, I agreed to turn hatter for the nonce. With the rat skins and a solution of india rubber, I produced a kind of felt, which I dyed a brilliant red with cochineal, and stretching this on a wooden block I had prepared, I passed over it a hot iron, to smooth the nap, and by next morning had the satisfaction of presenting to my wife a neat little red Swiss cap, to be lined and finished by her for one of the boys. The mother admired the production immensely, and lining it with silk, added yet more to its gay appearance by adorning it with ribbons and ostrich feathers, and finally placed it upon the head of little Franz.
So delighted was everyone with the hat, that all were eager to be similarly provided, and begged me to manufacture more. I readily agreed to do so, as soon as they should furnish me with the necessary materials, and advised them to make half a dozen rat traps, that they might secure the water rats with which the stream abounded, and whose rich glossy fur would serve admirably for felt.
Every fifth animal that they brought me I told them should be mine, that I might obtain material for a hat for myself and their mother.
The boys at once agreed to this arrangement, and began the manufacture of the traps, which were all so made that they should kill the rats at once, for I could not bear the idea of animals being tortured or imprisoned.
While they were thus engaged I applied myself to the manufacture of porcelain. I first cleaned the pipeclay and talc from all foreign substances, and made them ready to be beaten down with water into a soft mass, and then prepared my molds of gypsum plaster. These preparations were at length made, and the molds received a thin layer of the porcelain material. When this was partly baked, I sprinkled over it a powder of colored glass beads which I had crushed, and which looked very pretty in patterns upon the transparent porcelain.
Some of my china vessels cracked with the heat of the stove, some were very ill-shaped; but, after many failures, I succeeded in producing a set of white cups and saucers, a cream-jug, a sugar-basin, and half a dozen small plates.