In the Eastern Seas

by William Henry Giles Kingston

We had for a long time given up watching for Walter. The Hope might find him, but it was not very likely that he could come back in the small boat. I should have given way long ago to despair had not Oliver been with us; but he showed me that despair is on all occasions wrong, and I endeavoured to overcome my anxiety.

How quiet our party appeared that evening, so many having gone. My uncle spoke but little. Oliver did his best to interest Grace and me; and the Frau, though she did not talk very learnedly, talked away, and did her best to amuse us. Every now and then she turned on Mr Sedgwick and bantered him on his silence. Merlin went up to the seats which had usually been occupied by the absent ones and snuffed at them all round. Then he went and lay down in his usual place on a mat near the door. He had seen them go off in the vessel in the morning. I wonder if he knew where they had gone. I believe he was fully aware that they had gone in search of Walter.

There was another earthquake last night. The house shook almost as much as before, and this morning I thought my uncle looked far more anxious than ever; indeed, he observed that he was not quite certain whether it would not have been wiser for us all to have gone on board the Hope. “These earthquakes are often forerunners of an eruption,” I heard him remark to Oliver. Oliver and he went out soon afterwards to Hope Harbour with their axes, and were absent all the day. When they came back Oliver said he had been employed in cutting down trees. I asked him what they were for.

“Why, Mr Sedgwick thinks it may be as well to prepare a raft, in case we should wish to leave the island before the return of the boat.”

“But could we possibly wish to do that?” I exclaimed. “Not under ordinary circumstances,” he answered. “But, Miss Emily, I would urge you to brace up your nerves for whatever may occur; or better than that, seek for strength from above to go through any danger to which you may be exposed. I think indeed that Mr Sedgwick himself wished me to talk to you about the matter, for he has grave apprehensions that there may be, with short notice, an eruption of the mountain. I had terrible evidence of what that may produce, when Walter and I escaped from our island. He therefore thinks it prudent to have a raft ready sufficient to carry us all. If we could build it, it would remain secure in Hope Harbour, though we may pray that it may not be required. The trees we have cut down are of a very light wood, which floats easily, and we are going to place the planks which remain over from the vessel, with a quantity of bamboo on the top of it, so that we may quickly make a buoyant and secure raft.”

I believe I should have been far more alarmed at this information had I received it from any one else, but Oliver spoke in so calm a way that I felt sure that all would be for the best. I then told Grace, who was perhaps more alarmed than I had expected her to be. I trusted, too, that the Hope would return before such a fearful event should occur, and that we might be safe away from the island in her. We gradually told the Frau what Mr Sedgwick apprehended. “Ah, yes!” she said, looking up at the mountain, “I think so too. Before long that send up stones and ashes, and send down rivers of lava from its sides; but I hope we be away first. I would rather be living in my own Dutch land, where we see no hill higher than a mole-hill, and where we have the sea ready to come in over the country with every storm, than I would live out in these beautiful lands, where the earthquake like the sea, and the mountains are like so many cannons stuck in the ground with their muzzles up.”

When my uncle came home I told him what I had heard, and begged he would allow us to come and help him and Oliver to make the raft. “I do not know that you can help us in building the raft,” he said; “but you can assist in preparing the provisions and stores, without which it would be of little use, as we should only put to sea to be starved.”

This we gladly undertook to do, and immediately commenced arranging packages for the buffaloes to carry. The Frau hurried off, and worked very energetically, every now and then casting an anxious glance up at the mountain. “What if it blow up before we ready?” she exclaimed. “Dear, oh dear!” The buffaloes had become so accustomed to us that we could lead them without difficulty, and as soon therefore as we were ready, we started off by the well-beaten track to Hope Harbour. I will not say that we were not a little anxious lest we might meet a mias or tiger or other wild beast, but we had Merlin as a guard, besides which, we hoped that the frequent firing of the guns had driven them away. We found my uncle and Oliver hard at work upon the raft. It was now almost ready to launch. “We must build a shed also in which to store our goods till the moment comes for embarking, should we be compelled to quit the island,” he observed. “We will hope, however, for the best, and that the old mountain will remain quiet till the Hope returns.” We made three trips with the buffaloes, till we had collected an ample supply of provisions, as also some additional clothing, and canvas with which to form a covering to the raft. We were of some assistance also in putting up the shed. This was soon done. It had, however, to be tolerably secure, to prevent the entrance of monkeys, or any wandering bear which might have found his way to the store. Both creatures are great thieves, and would have carried off the whole of them. This done, my uncle and Oliver made several improvements on the raft. A strong rail was put up round it to serve as a bulwark, and a place raised in the centre, also securely railed in, which they said should be our post. They rigged also a couple of masts and sails, and some long oars, as well as a rudder and some short paddles, which latter might be used at times when the oars could not be so well worked. Altogether we looked with some satisfaction on the raft, and felt thankful that we had the means of escaping should we be driven from the island.

We were now looking out every day for the return of the Hope. The weather, which for long had been very fine, once more gave signs of changing. We remembered too clearly the sad night when the brig was lost, and we dreaded lest the cutter might be exposed to a similar danger. Hitherto the weather had been beautifully calm and clear; now clouds were gathering in the sky, though the wind was not as yet very strong.

“How dreadful it would be,” said Grace, “if the mountain were to burst forth while a hurricane was blowing! We should be driven from the island, and yet not be able to venture on the sea.”