IN WHICH IT IS SHOWN THAT CRUSOES DO NOT HAVE EVERYTHING AS THEY WISH.
That done, the professor and his pupil rushed into one another's arms.
"My good Tartlet!" replied Godfrey.
"At last we are arrived in port!" observed the professor in the tone of a man who had had enough of navigation and its accidents.
He called it arriving in port!
Godfrey had no desire to contradict him.
"Do you think I can do so without inconvenience?" asked Tartlet.
"Without any inconvenience," answered Godfrey. "Now put up your fiddle4, and let us take a look round."
"Come on," replied the professor; "but if you don't[Pg 92] mind, Godfrey, let us go to the first restaurant we see. I am dying of hunger, and a dozen sandwiches washed down with a glass or two of wine will soon set me on my legs again."
"Yes! to the first restaurant!" answered Godfrey, nodding his head; "and even to the last, if the first does not suit us."
"And," continued Tartlet, "we can ask some fellow as we go along the road to the telegraph office so as to send a message off to your Uncle Kolderup. That excellent man will hardly refuse to send on some necessary cash for us to get back to Montgomery Street, for I have not got a cent with me!"
"Agreed, to the first telegraph office," answered Godfrey, "or if there isn't one in this country, to the first post office. Come on, Tartlet."
The professor took off his swimming apparatus5, and passed it over his shoulder like a hunting-horn, and then both stepped out for the edge of the dunes7 which bordered the shore.
What more particularly interested Godfrey, whom the encounter with Tartlet had imbued8 with some hope, was to see if they too were the only survivors9 of the Dream.
A quarter of an hour after the explorers had left the edge of the reef they had climbed a dune6 about sixty or[Pg 93] eighty feet high, and stood on its crest10. Thence they looked on a large extent of coast, and examined the horizon in the east, which till then had been hidden by the hills on the shore.
Two or three miles away in that direction a second line of hills formed the background, and beyond them nothing was seen of the horizon.
Towards the north the coast trended off to a point, but it could not be seen if there was a corresponding cape12 behind. On the south a creek13 ran some distance into the shore, and on this side it looked as though the ocean closed the view. Whence this land in the Pacific was probably a peninsula, and the isthmus14 which joined it to the continent would have to be sought for towards the north or north-east.
The country, however, far from being barren, was hidden beneath an agreeable mantle15 of verdure; long prairies, amid which meandered16 many limpid17 streams, and high and thick forests, whose trees rose above one another to the very background of hills. It was a charming landscape.
But of houses forming town, village, or hamlet, not one was in sight! Of buildings grouped and arranged as a farm of any sort, not a sign! Of smoke in the sky, betraying some dwelling18 hidden among the trees, not a trace. Not a steeple above the branches, not a windmill[Pg 94] on an isolated19 hill. Not even in default of houses a cabin, a hut, an ajoupa, or a wigwam? No! nothing. If human beings inhabited this unknown land, they must live like troglodytes20, below, and not above the ground. Not a road was visible, not a footpath21, not even a track. It seemed that the foot of man had never trod either a rock of the beach or a blade of the grass on the prairies.
"I don't see the town," remarked Tartlet, who, however, remained on tiptoe.
"That is perhaps because it is not in this part of the province!" answered Godfrey.
"But a village?"
"There's nothing here."
"Where are we then?"
"I know nothing about it."
"What! You don't know! But Godfrey, we had better make haste and find out."
"Who is to tell us?"
"What will become of us then?" exclaimed Tartlet, rounding his arms and lifting them to the sky.
"Become a couple of Crusoes!"
At this answer the professor gave a bound such as no clown had ever equalled.
Crusoes! They! A Crusoe! He! Descendants of that Selkirk who had lived for long years on the island of Juan[Pg 95] Fernandez! Imitators of the imaginary heroes of Daniel Defoe and De Wyss whose adventures they had so often read! Abandoned, far from their relatives, their friends; separated from their fellow-men by thousands of miles, destined23 to defend their lives perhaps against wild beasts, perhaps against savages24 who would land there, wretches25 without resources, suffering from hunger, suffering from thirst, without weapons, without tools, almost without clothes, left to themselves. No, it was impossible!
"Don't say such things, Godfrey," exclaimed Tartlet. "No! Don't joke about such things! The mere26 supposition will kill me! You are laughing at me, are you not?"
"Yes, my gallant27 Tartlet," answered Godfrey. "Reassure28 yourself. But in the first place, let us think about matters that are pressing."
In fact, they had to try and find some cavern29, a grotto30 or hole, in which to pass the night, and then to collect some edible31 mollusks so as to satisfy the cravings of their stomachs.
Godfrey and Tartlet then commenced to descend22 the talus of the dunes in the direction of the reef. Godfrey showed himself very ardent32 in his researches, and Tartlet considerably33 stupefied by his shipwreck34 experiences. The first looked before him, behind him, and all around him; the second hardly saw ten paces in front of him.
[Pg 96]
"If there are no inhabitants on this land, are there any animals?" asked Godfrey.
He meant to say domestic animals, such as furred and feathered game, not wild animals which abound36 in tropical regions, and with which they were not likely to have to do.
Several flocks of birds were visible on the shore, bitterns, curlews, bernicle geese, and teal, which hovered37 and chirped38 and filled the air with their flutterings and cries, doubtless protesting against the invasion of their domain39.
Godfrey was justified40 in concluding that where there were birds there were nests, and where there were nests there were eggs. The birds congregated41 here in such numbers, because rocks provided them with thousands of cavities for their dwelling-places. In the distance a few herons and some flocks of snipe indicated the neighbourhood of a marsh42.
Birds then were not wanting, the only difficulty was to get at them without fire-arms. The best thing to do now was to make use of them in the egg state, and consume them under that elementary but nourishing form.
But if the dinner was there, how were they to cook it? How were they to set about lighting43 a fire? An important question, the solution of which was postponed44.
Godfrey and Tartlet returned straight towards the reef, over which some sea-birds were circling. An agreeable surprise there awaited them.
[Pg 97]
Among the indigenous45 fowl46 which ran along the sand of the beach and pecked about among the sea-weed and under the tufts of aquatic47 plants, was it a dozen hens and two or three cocks of the American breed that they beheld48? No! There was no mistake, for at their approach did not a resounding49 cock-a-doodle-do-oo-oo rend11 the air like the sound of a trumpet50?
And farther off, what were those quadrupeds which were gliding51 in and out of the rocks, and making their way towards the first slopes of the hills, or grubbing beneath some of the green shrubs52? Godfrey could not be mistaken. There were a dozen agouties, five or six sheep, and as many goats, who were quietly browsing53 on the first vegetation on the very edge of the prairie.
"Look there, Tartlet!" he exclaimed.
And the professor looked, but saw nothing, so much was he absorbed with the thought of this unexpected situation.
A thought flashed across the mind of Godfrey, and it was correct: it was that these hens, agouties, goats, and sheep had belonged to the Dream. At the moment she went down, the fowls54 had easily been able to reach the reef and then the beach. As for the quadrupeds, they could easily have swum ashore55.
"And so," remarked Godfrey, "what none of our unfortunate companions have been able to do, these simple[Pg 98] animals, guided by their instinct, have done! And of all those on board the Dream, none have been saved but a few beasts!"
As far as he was concerned, he had come ashore unconsciously, very much like one of the animals. It mattered little. It was a very fortunate thing for the two shipwrecked men that a certain number of these animals had reached the shore. They would collect them, fold them, and with the special fecundity57 of their species, if their stay on this land was a lengthy58 one, it would be easy to have quite a flock of quadrupeds, and a yard full of poultry59.
But on this occasion, Godfrey wished to keep to such alimentary60 resources as the coast could furnish, either in eggs or shell-fish. Professor Tartlet and he set to work to forage61 among the interstices of the stones, and beneath the carpet of sea-weeds, and not without success. They soon collected quite a notable quantity of mussels and periwinkles, which they could eat raw. A few dozen eggs of the bernicle geese were also found among the higher rocks which shut in the bay on the north. They had enough to satisfy a good many; and, hunger pressing, Godfrey and Tartlet hardly thought of making difficulties about their first repast.
"And the fire?" said the professor.
[Pg 99]
"Yes! The fire!" said Godfrey.
It was the most serious of questions, and it led to an inventory62 being made of the contents of their pockets. Those of the professor were empty or nearly so. They contained a few spare strings63 for his kit64, and a piece of rosin for his bow. How would you get a light from that, I should like to know? Godfrey was hardly better provided. However, it was with extreme satisfaction that he discovered in his pocket an excellent knife, whose leather case had kept it from the sea-water. This knife, with blade, gimlet, hook, and saw, was a valuable instrument under the circumstances. But besides this tool, Godfrey and his companion had only their two hands; and as the hands of the professor had never been used except in playing his fiddle, and making his gestures, Godfrey concluded that he would have to trust to his own.
He thought, however, of utilizing65 those of Tartlet for procuring66 a fire by means of rubbing two sticks of wood rapidly together. A few eggs cooked in the embers would be greatly appreciated at their second meal at noon.
While Godfrey then was occupied in robbing the nests in spite of the proprietors67, who tried to defend their progeny68 in the shell, the professor went off to collect some pieces of wood which had been dried by the sun at the foot of the dunes. These were taken behind a rock sheltered[Pg 100] from the wind from the sea. Tartlet then chose two very dry pieces, with the intention of gradually obtaining sufficient heat by rubbing them vigorously and continuously together. What simple Polynesian savages commonly did, why should not the professor, so much their superior in his own opinion, be able to do?
Behold69 him then, rubbing and rubbing, in a way to dislocate the muscles of his arm and shoulder. He worked himself into quite a rage, poor man! But whether it was that the wood was not right, or its dryness was not sufficient, or the professor held it wrongly, or had not got the peculiar70 turn of hand necessary for operations of this kind, if he did not get much heat out of the wood, he succeeded in getting a good deal out of himself. In short, it was his own forehead alone which smoked under the vapours of his own perspiration71.
When Godfrey returned with his collection of eggs, he found Tartlet in a rage, in a state to which his choregraphic exercises had never doubtless provoked him.
"Doesn't it do?" he asked.
"No, Godfrey, it does not do," replied the professor. "And I begin to think that these inventions of the savages are only imaginations to deceive the world."
"No," answered Godfrey. "But in that, as in all things, you must know how to do it."
[Pg 101]
"These eggs, then?"
"There is another way. If you attach one of these eggs to the end of a string and whirl it round rapidly, and suddenly arrest the movement of rotation72, the movement may perhaps transform itself into heat, and then—"
"And then the egg will be cooked?"
"Yes, if the rotation has been swift enough and the stoppage sudden enough. But how do you produce the stoppage without breaking the egg? Now, there is a simpler way, dear Tartlet. Behold!"
And carefully taking one of the eggs of the bernicle goose, he broke the shell at its end, and adroitly73 swallowed the inside without any further formalities.
It now remained to look for a grotto or some shelter in which to pass the night.
"It is an unheard-of thing," observed the professor, "that Crusoes cannot at the least find a cavern, which, later on, they can make their home!"
"Let us look," said Godfrey.
It was unheard of. We must avow75, however, that on this occasion the tradition was broken. In vain did they search along the rocky shore on the southern part of the bay. Not a cavern, not a grotto, not a hole was there that[Pg 102] would serve as a shelter. They had to give up the idea. Godfrey resolved to reconnoitre up to the first trees in the background beyond the sandy coast.
Tartlet and he then remounted the first line of sandhills and crossed the verdant76 prairies which they had seen a few hours before.
A very odd circumstance, and a very fortunate one at the time, that the other survivors of the wreck35 voluntarily followed them. Evidently, cocks and hens, and sheep, goats and agouties, driven by instinct, had resolved to go with them. Doubtless they felt too lonely on the beach, which did not yield sufficient food.
Three-quarters of an hour later Godfrey and Tartlet—they had scarcely spoken during the exploration—arrived at the outskirt of the trees. Not a trace was there of habitation or inhabitant. Complete solitude77. It might even be doubted if this part of the country had ever been trodden by human feet.
In this place were a few handsome trees, in isolated groups, and others more crowded about a quarter of a mile in the rear formed a veritable forest of different species.
Godfrey looked out for some old trunk, hollowed by age, which could offer a shelter among its branches, but his researches were in vain, although he continued them till night was falling.
[Pg 103]
Hunger made itself sharply felt, and the two contented themselves with mussels, of which they had thoughtfully brought an ample supply from the beach. Then, quite tired out, they lay down at the foot of a tree, and trusting to Providence78, slept through the night.
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1
tartlet
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| n.小形的果子馅饼 | |
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suffocates
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| （使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的第三人称单数 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气 | |
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hampers
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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fiddle
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| n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动 | |
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apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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dune
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| n.(由风吹积而成的)沙丘 | |
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dunes
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| 沙丘( dune的名词复数 ) | |
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imbued
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| v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等） | |
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survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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rend
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| vt.把…撕开，割裂；把…揪下来，强行夺取 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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isthmus
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| n.地峡 | |
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mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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meandered
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| （指溪流、河流等）蜿蜒而流( meander的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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limpid
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| adj.清澈的，透明的 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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troglodytes
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| n.类人猿( troglodyte的名词复数 )；隐居者；穴居者；极端保守主义者 | |
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footpath
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| n.小路，人行道 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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grotto
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| n.洞穴 | |
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edible
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| n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的 | |
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ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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chirped
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| 鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的过去式 ) | |
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domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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congregated
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| （使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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indigenous
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| adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的 | |
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fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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aquatic
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| adj.水生的，水栖的 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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resounding
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| adj. 响亮的 | |
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trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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browsing
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| v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息 | |
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fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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naively
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| adv. 天真地 | |
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fecundity
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| n.生产力；丰富 | |
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lengthy
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| adj.漫长的，冗长的 | |
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poultry
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| n.家禽，禽肉 | |
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alimentary
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| adj.饮食的，营养的 | |
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forage
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| n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻 | |
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inventory
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| n.详细目录，存货清单 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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utilizing
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| v.利用，使用( utilize的现在分词 ) | |
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procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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proprietors
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| n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 ) | |
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progeny
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| n.后代，子孙；结果 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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rotation
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| n.旋转；循环，轮流 | |
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73
adroitly
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| adv.熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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74
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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75
avow
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| v.承认，公开宣称 | |
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76
verdant
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| adj.翠绿的，青翠的，生疏的，不老练的 | |
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77
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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78
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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