Away we all went to see what was to be found, I myself proceeding to examine, as of greatest consequence, the supplies of provi-
2
sions and fresh water within our reach.
My wife took her youngest son, Franz, to help her to attend to the unfortunate animals on board, who were in a pitiful plight, having been neglected for several days.
Fritz hastened to the arms chest, Ernest to look for tools; and Jack went towards the captain's cabin, the door of which he no sooner opened, than out sprang two splendid large dogs, who testified their extreme delight and gratitude by such tremendous bounds that they knocked their little deliverer completely head over heels, frightening him nearly out of his wits.
Jack did not long yield either to fear or anger, he presently recovered himself, the dogs seemed to ask pardon by vehemently licking his face and hands, and so, seizing the larger by the ears, he jumped on his back, and, to my great amusement, coolly rode to meet me as I came up the hatchway. I could not refrain from laughing at the sight, and I praised his courage, but warned him to be cautious and remember that animals of this species might, in a state of hunger, be dangerous.
When we reassembled in the cabin, we all displayed our treasures.
Fritz brought a couple of guns, shot belt, powder-flasks, and plenty of bullets.
Ernest produced a cap full of nails, a pair of large scissors, an axe, and a hammer, while pincers, chisels and augers stuck out of all
his pockets.
Even little Franz* carried a box of no small size, and eagerly began to show us the `nice sharp little hooks' it contained. His brothers smiled scornfully.
* Some editions translate this to Francis, apparently to avoid confusion with Fritz. I see no reason for the change, and am retaining the original spelling. Ed.
`Well, done, Franz!' cried I, `these fish hooks, which you the youngest have found, may contribute more than anything else in the ship to save our lives by procuring food for us. Fritz and Ernest, you have chosen well.'
`Will you praise me too?' said my dear wife. `I have nothing to show, but I can give you good news. Some useful animals are still alive: a donkey, two goats, six sheep, a ram, and a cow and a fine sow both big with young. I was but just in time to save their lives by taking food to them. The goats I milked, though I do not know how I shall preserve the milk in this dreadful heat.'
`All these things are excellent indeed,' said I, `but my friend Jack here has presented me with a couple of huge hungry useless dogs, who will eat more than any of us.'
`Oh, papa! They will be of use! Why, they will help us to hunt when we get on shore!'
`No doubt they will, if ever we do get on shore, Jack; but I must say I don't know how it is to be done.'
`Can't we each get into a big tub, and float there?' returned he.
`I have often sailed splendidly like that, round the pond at home.'
`My child, you have hit on a capital idea,' cried I. `That is certainly worth trying. Now, Ernest, let me have your tools, hammers, nails, saws, augers, and all; and then make haste to collect any tubs you can find!'
We very soon found four large casks, made of sound wood and strongly bound with iron hoops; they were floating with many other things in the water in the hold, but we managed to fish them out, and place them on the lower deck, which was at that time scarcely above water. They were exactly what I wanted, and I succeeded in sawing them across the middle. Hard work it was, and we were glad enough to stop and refresh ourselves with goat's milk, wine,* and biscuits.
* Even as late as this book was written, public water was likely to be polluted. Children as well as adults drank alcoholic beverages, often considerably diluted with water, because it had been observed that children who did not drink plain water were more likely to survive childhood.
My eight tubs now stood ranged in a row near the water's edge, and I looked at them with great satisfaction; to my surprise, my wife did not seem to share my pleasure!
3
`I shall never,' said she, `muster courage to get into one of these!'
`Do not be too sure of that, dear wife; when you see my contrivance completed, you will perhaps prefer it to this immovable wreck.' I next procured a long thin plank on which my tubs could be fixed, and the two ends of this I bent upwards so as to form a keel.
Other two planks were nailed along the sides of the tubs; they, also being flexible, were brought to a point at each end, and all firmly secured and nailed together, producing a kind of narrow boat, divided into eight compartments, which I had no doubt would float adequately in calm water. But when we thought all was ready for the launch, we found, to our dismay, that the grand contrivance was so heavy and clumsy that even our united efforts could not move it an inch.
`I must have a lever,' cried I. `Run and fetch the capstan bar!'
Fritz quickly brought one and, having formed rollers by cutting up a long spar, I raised the forepart of my boat with the bar, and my sons placed a roller under it.
`How is it, father,' inquired Ernest, `that with that thing you alone can do more than all of us together?'
I explained, as well as I could in a hurry, the principle of Archimedes' lever; from which he said he could move the world if he had
a point from which his mechanism might operate, and promised to have a long talk on the subject of mechanics when we should be
safe on land.
I now made fast a long rope to the stern of our boat, attaching the other end to a beam; then placing a second and third roller under it, we once more began to push, this time with success, and soon our gallant craft was safely launched: so swiftly indeed did she glide into the water that, if the rope had not been well secured, she would have passed beyond our reach. The boys wished to jump in directly; but, alas, she leaned so much on one side that they could not venture to do so.
Some heavy things being thrown in, however, the boat righted itself by degrees, and the boys were so delighted that they struggled which should first leap in to have the fun of sitting down in the tubs. But it was plain to me at once that something more was required to make her perfectly safe, so I contrived outriggers to preserve the balance, by nailing long poles across at the stem and stern, and fixing at the ends of each empty brandy cask.
Then, the boat appearing steady, I got in; and turning it towards the most open side of the wreck, I cut and cleared away obstruc-tions, so as to leave a free passage for our departure, and the boys brought oars to be ready for the voyage. This important undertaking we were forced to postpone until the next day, as it was by this time far too late to attempt it.
It was not pleasant to have to spend another night in so precarious a situation; but, yielding to necessity, we sat down to enjoy a com-
fortable supper, for during our exciting and incessant work all day we had taken nothing but an occasional biscuit and a little wine.
We prepared for rest in a much happier frame of mind than on the preceding day, but I did not forget the possibility of a renewed storm, and therefore made every one put on the belts as before. I persuaded my wife (not without considerable difficulty), to put on a sailor's dress, assuring her she would find it much more comfortable and convenient for all she would have to go through.
She at last consented to do this, and left us for a short time, reappearing with much embarrassment and many blushes, in a most becoming suit, which she had found in a midshipman's chest.* We all admired her costume, and any awkwardness she felt soon began to pass off; then we retired to our hammocks, where peaceful sleep prepared us all for the exertions of the coming day.
* At the time this book was written, women always wore long skirts. A woman wearing trousers would be considered so shocking that if she were so garbed on a public street she would probably be arrested for indecency.