“It is one fortunate thing about the winds here, they are not hot or stifling, especially not these which come in the autumn.”
The hill to the back of them, and against which the wagon was placed, close to the precipitous rocks, afforded protection in that direction, so that the pickets were required for the exposed positions only. Blakely took a hand in the watch during the night, and Stut, with his brother, insisted on doing double duty in that direction.
The timber was thicker here than at any other place along the route since they had left the Brabos country. Hickory, oak, walnut, a species of ash, as well as Cyprus, were found in abundance as well as many varieties of valuable shrubs, rubber plants, and the like, and some of the most beautiful flowers, far exceeding those in the northern portion of the island.
“It seems singular to me,” remarked Harry, during the course of the evening, “that all the savages live in the southern and western portions of the Island. We happened to be cast ashore at the eastern end and remained there, while all the others seemed to reach the western part and thus came into contact with the savages without any trouble.”
“They have found, by living here, that this part is the most desirable, from a climatic standpoint,” answered the Professor. “The knowledge of the most suitable spots is one acquired by all peoples in the different countries. When the Spanish priests established the Missions on the Pacific coast, they found the villages located at certain points in the interior, and a study of the places so selected, showed remarkable knowledge.”
“I found that condition of things in the remotest portions of Africa,” said John. “The most primitive inhabitants had the capacity to occupy locations which could not be improved on by the knowledge of the white man. As the Professor says, all the Missions in California are located at such vantage points, which were usually the site of the Indian villages.”
“In what respect were those locations better than others?”
“The winds were usually a factor in deciding the places for the villages. This will be found particularly true on this island. The monsoons which blow the hardest in this region, as we all know, come from the north. The return winds come from the southeast. In the one case the trees and the elevations protect them from the north, and the mountain range affords shelter from the east.”
Before morning a severe storm set in, and later was accompanied by a rainfall, which decided them to rest until it abated, so that it was past noon before the weather conditions were such as to enable them to go forward.
Chump’s wonderful constitution was bringing him around and healing his wound rapidly, and he was out of the wagon, and made short trips each day. His deportment had entirely changed. Instead of being glum and morose, as was his habit earlier in the days of captivity, he began to examine things with interest, and talked and laughed with his fellows.