CHAP. V
Make buckets of the boar’s skin. Make thread of the guts. Feed a year on hog meat. Take a progress. Are stuff by wild cattle. Find nuts. Ascend a mountain. Discover they are on an island. Know not what part of the world they are in. Set their pit trap. Catch a calf. Durst not come out of their tree for three days. Venture to their pit. Are frighted. Kill a cow. Take the calf. Reflections on the cow’s tenderness to her calf. Find salt.
IN all our operations, though I had observed my friend Thomas to be very slack of invention, yet no body could be more ready at the execution of any project I put him upon; and this himself perceiving, in every thing gave my judgment the preference; saying, come, if you think it will do, I’ll follow your directions; neither was this seeming subordination of opinion of the least disservice to our affairs; for by that means, there never arose the least disagreement between us, he being but as one of the hands, that were subservient to my head.
But to proceed, we went into the pit, when I ordered him to cut the boar in two just at the loins, and then we cut off one leg and thigh, and a vast one it was, even as much as we could both well lift, at arms length, to the verge of the pit; we then lifted up the other also, and laid by it; we then ript up the body, and took out all the small guts, which I bidding Thomas lay carefully by themselves, he wondered, he said, what I was under such concern about them for as he was sure we had ten times more good meat than we could eat, whilst it would keep sweet. Never mind, says I, you shall see the use of them hereafter. When we had properly disposed of the haunches, and guts, we cut the remainder into portable pieces, with great difficulty, and threw it out; then cleaning the bottom of the pit, left it open to sweeten.
The next thing we did, was to flea the skin off the hams, beginning at the largest end, and turning it down quite round as we proceeded, till we came to the hock bone, and then we cut it off; so that when we had stuffed and dried the skin, to its proper dimensions, by tying up the lower small end, we had a vessel which would contain and carry full two gallons of water without spilling.
Having served the other leg in the same manner, we bundled up the guts, and turning them, washed them heartily at the rivulet, then drawing them out at length, we began to twist them for drying, I intending them to supply the place of thread; but I found, upon my first experiment, that they would be too thick and stubborn for common uses; however, before it was quite dry, I tied up both the lower ends of my leather bottles, (as I shall call them,) and making a handle to each, of the same materials, in about a week’s time, they were, by the heat of the country, as hard and strong as a bucket and from that time we never wanted water either for drinking, or any other necessary use without the trouble of going upon every separate occasion to the rivulet.
The next creature we killed was a young sow her we skinned entire, and then washing and cutting the guts into long strips, we twisted and dryed them into a special cat gut thread, which was very useful.
Thus we went on for above a year, till we had a vast quantity of leather hanging all about the wood, besides abundance of utensils which we had made of it, and had soled our shoes frequently with it; for having observed a long prickly thorn, which was very hard, sharp, and tough when dry; we cut the shape of the soles out in the wet hides, and making our sewing holes in it, they were then ready for use, upon just opening the holes a little before we wrought them; and indeed, the soleing our shoes was of infinite comfort to us.
Having brought all our affairs into some regularity, we were desirous of informing ourselves, whether there might never be a prospect of communicating with mankind again; and for that purpose, determined to travel to some distant parts of the country, for so long a space as the victuals and water we could carry with us would hold sweet; and it being now the coolest part of the year, we set out, in order to through the wood we had lodged in, observing what course to lie inland from the sea. When came to the further skirt of it, we beheld a beautiful savannah before us, with a great number of wild cows and bulls in it, which gave a sudden check to our progress: For about a mile on the other side of it, there rose another very tall wood, which though we wanted much to arrive at, yet we durst not venture cross the plain to come at it; and then, what further put a stop to us was, a broad water that run winding thro’ it, so far as we could see; but upon our nearer approach to the outward trees, we observed, that the wood we were in, and the other beyond the savannah, had a communication at the head of the savannah, about a quarter of a mile to our right; this gave us some hope; and moving that way through the trees, we encompassed the plain, and entered the wood on the other side, which we traversed in about two hours, and arrived at a vast opening, which extended some miles round, and was as full of bushes, shrubs, and thorns, as the first valley was. In the middle, or rather towards the eastern part of this opening, was a prodigious high and bare mountain, which seemed to run across the whole plain; thither we inclined to pass, but the badness of the way, rendered it exceeding difficult and laborious to us.
We had found abundance of nuts, or mast, being only covered with a husk, somewhat larger than an acorn, in the further part of the wood, and the trees were covered with a sort of dove, or small pigeon, which we perceived were feeding upon them; the sight of which induced us freely to make the experiment ourselves when we found them very palatable, but a little bitterish; they grew chiefly towards the tops of the branches, (which were very lofty) where the tender shoots had the freedom of the air; but the birds had beaten so many of them down, that we were at no loss to find plenty, and this change of diet gave us no small pleasure.
Having filled all our pockets with these, we set forward for the mountain, which in some places we were obliged to wind about a long way, before we could ascend, it lying so broken and steep; but at last we conquered it, and taking a prospect every way, we could observe the sea all round us, save to the north, where we could not in our present situation overlook the further end of the mountain: However, about an hour’s walk more upon the ridge of it, brought us to that, where we plainly then perceived, that the land we inhabited was an island, which to our apprehensions might be about ten miles over, the way we came, and might be the transverse way, near as long again; and wherever there was any large savannah, or plain, we were sure to see a river, or brook running along it.
The prospect we enjoyed upon this mountain, inviting our eyes longer than we had purposed to stay there, we could not possibly reach our lodging by day light, and therefore determined to lye that night upon the mountain; when having found a snug hollow, we both slept very agreeably, and being now (over and above our store of flesh which we carried sewed up in a skin,) supplied with so large a quantity of the nuts we. were not so solicitous for returning, as we otherwise must have been; so the next morning passing down the northern end of the mountain, we arrived in an hour’s march to the sea shore.
Here we supplied ourselves with divers kinds of shell fish, which we roasted, and eat very greedily, they being a novelty to us, and surveyed several miles of the coast; but neither here or on the mountain, could behold any thing like land all round us, but the small spot we were upon; nor could we see any sign of a vessel, or give the least guess where we were; being neither of us supplied with sufficient seafaring observations.
Having spent two or three days upon the coast, and the fish growing less and less agreeable to us, (for we had thrown our pork into the sea? it stank so) we resolved to return home; (as we called it,) and when we had ascended the mountain again, began to form a design of establishing there a place for a signal, in case we should happen to see any vessel passing by us; for we were now persuaded there were no inhabitants in the island, and could form no prospect of relief, but from what we might providentially observe, from the height of the mountain; so choosing an agreeable spot for the purpose, we resolved to return to it, when we had received a fresh supply, and to spend our time between that and our lodging, which were almost half a day’s journey from each other.
Upon our arrival, we covered our pit, in hopes of getting some more pork, tho’ we had nothing to bait our pole with, for all the flesh we had left behind us was clean gone, and even the bones removed; but we thought, that if the swine should prowl that way by accident, some one might be taken in our trap; for we never failed, when we had any stinking thing to draw them with. We then mounted on our tree, and went to sleep; but had not lain long, before we were roused by the violent bleating of a calf, which having attended to for some time, we heard a lowing of cattle, from all quarters of the woods quite round us, and soon after were gathered together, the whole forces of the island, I believe; for by the moon-light, we could see an excessive number of them; they ran, they fought, they lowed, and bellowed with such hideous din, and clattering of their horns, that nothing could possibly have the appearance of greater horror; neither did they at all disperse upon the return of the light.
It is true we were safe where we were, and what added to our comfort was, that we were in no want of provision, having filled all our pockets again, at our return from the mountain with nuts, and had yet water hanging by us in our skin bottles; but then the uncertainty of our deliverance from these turbulent and dangerous creatures, gave us inexpressible disquiet. In short they passed the next night, and part of the second day in the same unruly exercises; so that we were forced to enter upon short allowance of water, and had come to a determination either to remove our lodging, (if ever we escaped safe) further from our pit, or to provide a new pit further from our lodging; which latter seemed most likely; for in all our walks, we had observed no tree to compare with what we had selected.
In short, towards the second evening, they began to disperse a little, the calf by that time bleating very sparingly, and by dark there remained but very few of them, and they, all seemed upon their departure, except one cow, which we took to be the mother of the calf, for we were now sure it must be a calf that was trapped; because though we could not see, we could now and then hear it, and that much plainer since the dispersion of the multitude: However, as the cow still remained, we could not think of venturing down, even the third morning; not doubting but as she was the party concerned, her rage would not be restrained from attacking us.
It was now the third night that we had been in the tree, and hearing nothing of them when we awaked before day-light, we were in great hopes, that the cow being gone, we should have the calf for our trouble; but on the approach of day, we saw the cow stretched along by the side of the pit, as we thought quite dead; this was joy indeed to us, and we made no more words of it, but leaping from the tree, ran towards the pit, with our spike poles in our hands; but how terribly were we shocked in our march, at the motion of one of the cow’s ears, which gave two or three brisk flaps; we stood like posts, neither daring to approach or fly; till stepping gently backwards a few paces, and not seeing her rise, we both turned tail, and ran furiously towards the water, hoping that if we could reach the bushes, we should avoid her. Our fright, and expecting her at our heels, had prevented our looking behind us, till we judged we were in a place of safety; and then listening for a good while, and perceiving nothing to stir, or make the least noise, we condemned each other for our causeless fear; though we could both have sworn, all the way we went that we had heard her just behind us: Rejoicing to find things no worse, we stepped down to the rivulet, and drinking a hearty swig of water, returned to the wood; but with great caution and circumspection. We entered it now lower to our left, and so came as it were beyond the pit, where still saw the cow in her prior position; but knowing that she was not dead by our former experiment, we were afraid of ventures too near her; and then, having dropped our spike poles when we ran away, we had no defence without them; neither could we come at them, but in the very sight of the beast.
These thoughts agitated us very much, and save us a deep concern; but that we might act with caution, I told Thomas, that I would go round to the poles, and if the beast rose and made at me, I could but be in the case we were in at first with the bull, and I would try to gain my divided tree, where perhaps we might serve her as we had done him. Thomas said, if I went he would; so we both advanced, and possessed ourselves of the poles; when viewing the creature, and observing, that though she saw us, yet she did not raise her head, which then lay quite extended; I told Thomas I would go to her, for we could not always remain in this uncertainty. I found him ready to second roe, but resolving not to act rashly, I went round a little towards her hinder parts, when perceiving her ordure to come involuntarily from her, Thomas, says I, she will never rise more; fear nothing, let us both proceed, and dart her together.
We need not (as we soon found) have been in such fear, for the creature was past rising, and two or three strokes of our spikes dispatched her; now my great concern was for the calf, which lay dying also in the pit. I took my hat, and whilst the cow was yet warm, I milked her into it, near a quart; then descending into the pit, I dipped my hand into it, and rubbed the calf’s nose and mouth, and lifting up her head, I poured about a spoonful into her jaws, and let it lie till it purged out again by degrees; then calling Thomas, I made him hold the calf’s mouth open, with its head up, and poured in half a pint, moving and shaking the gullet, , till opening her eyes, she gave a gulp, and swallowed it.
I stayed a little longer, and then gave her the like dose, which, with the like difficulty, she again swallowing, I set down my hat, and taking off Thomas’s, I tried what I could do, to procure some more from the cow, but her udder by this time growing stiffish, I could, with great difficulty, obtain scarce half a pint.
I then returned to my calf again, and at several repeated tryals, got down my whole hat full of milk; when laying my hat crown upwards, I placed the calf’s head gently upon it, and got out of the pit to make the best of the cow, whose throat I now cut; but the blood was chilled too much to flow, and I must own, that although the death of the beast was the preservation of us, yet, I could not help being very melancholy, to reflect upon the tenderness of the brute to her young, rather persevering to death, than deserting it: In the midst of these thoughts, looking down upon Thomas, his head was bowed over the calf’s, whilst he was rubbing and chafing its limbs very tenderly; and though I spoke two or three times to him to come to me he never lifted up his head, or returned me an answer; this I wondering at, and more narrowly observing him, perceived the tears to trickle down his face in great abundance. The sight of this moved me too much to permit me to blame him; so letting him go on, I proceeded to skin some part of the beast for our dinners, and carrying it to the fire place, I got it ready, and then called him. I observed the poor fellow to wipe his eyes several times as he came to me; when he was sat down, I asked him how the calf did; when he told me, (with great seeming satisfaction,) that he hoped he should raise it, for that it was grown much better; I replied, smiling, one would think, Thomas, this calf and you were relations, by your concern for her, for I perceived you wept over it. It may be a weakness in me, said he, I own; but confess I did, and can scarce refrain from it now, when I consider the poor mother’s love, ln yielding up herself a sacrifice, to the misfortune of her young helpless calf; but then to reflect that even when dead, she contributed that nourishment to the poor little creature, which I still hope will add years to its being, that circumstance moved my passions exceedingly.
I never conceived a truer love for any one in my life, than this notion of my companion’s compassion gave me for him; and far from charging it with any thing unmanly, I looked upon human nature in a more exalted view, from this example, both for its capacity, and will of commiseration for its fellow creature; and the idea of Thomas’s gentle disposition, had given me such a good opinion of him, that nothing but a discovery I made some months after, could have heightened.
But to return to my narration, we having dined, Thomas told me, he would go look after the poor little calf again, and I went with him, when we found the creature lying upon its belly, with its legs under it, in an easy manner, and with its head looking very brisk and upright. We judged it to be about six months old, and upon our offering to get down to it, up it started, and made us sensible of the wildness of its nature; for it bounded about, round and round the pit? making several fruitless efforts to leap out. Thomas said, he was resolved to try and tame it, which I was not against; but told him, if we attempted any such thing, it must be by hunger and strait confinement; wherefore I proposed giving it nothing more that night, but for both of us both to jump into the pit, and tie its legs, so that it could not rise to hurt us, and then to let it eat nothing for some time, but what it received immediately from our hands.
We consulted several other methods of management; but I insisting on tying its legs, and hampering its head, before it got so much strength as to become more mischievous, we descended the pit, and having avoided some of its pushes, we hampered her so well, that we could do what we pleased with her. Thomas then cut an armful of grass and carried it, with a bottle of water; but though she did not show any regard for the grass at first, seeming too fearful to taste it, yet upon being offered the water, she clapped her nose to it, and drank it all up, as far as she could follow it with her head, whisking her tail, and seeming highly delighted; and though Thomas stroked his hand over her body most part of the time, she would not withdraw her nose from it.
She had no sooner done drinking, than she fell to the grass and made a good meal of it, Thomas standing by and serving her all the time; and in three or four days more, being kept from the other beasts, and only seeing us, she became so familiar, as to follow us round the pit for grass or water, and in less than a month, she would go through the wood with us to the mountain, and suffer herself to be led about like a dog by us in a halter, of which we had by this time good store, from the thickness of my thumb to the fineness of a twine pack-thread, made from the guts we had dried.
The next morning after the death of the cow and captivity of the calf, we fed it well very early, and then took a walk to the shore we were cast upon; where sauntering about an hour on the strand, we ascended a small rough rock that jutted into the sea, it may be a hundred yards. We went to the point of it, and sitting down, were reflecting upon the alteration of our present condition, from what it was on our being cast on the shore about two years before; and while we were thinking, and scrabbling with our hands upon the dust that lay in the roughness of the rock, I putting my finger (on some account) to my mouth, cried out, Thomas, I have found salt. That were a find indeed, says he; but I insisting upon it, clapped some of the dust between my fingers to his mouth, when we both agreed, that it was a very good and sharp salt: We then took a pinch to palate again more narrowly, but upon sucking and chewing it, found it to be very gritty and full of sand; this was some discouragement, but having found the thing we so long wanted, we despaired not of rendering it profitable to us. We then followed our search over the whole rock, and in some places, where there were large hollows, which the sea often washed over, we found great quantities, even bushels in a place.
This lucky accident made us so alert, that (resolved not to return empty,) we filled as much as our jackets would hold, and carried home with us. This salt, where it lay thick, was very good, and free from grit; so that we no sooner arrived, than we not only fell to work with the flesh we had cut from the cow, and cased that up in our leathern cupboards, but we cut also a vast quantity, sufficient to fill several skins. In short, we spent all our salt, and fetching a great parcel more the next day, in a large skin, which we slung upon a pole, and carried between us; with that, we salted up as much as we could eat in six weeks or two months at least.