CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
OUR FIRST EXCURSION IN THE ISLAND.
On our arrival at the beach, we found that the indefatigable Frau andher young companions had carried up all the articles to the house. Onseeing us return, they had again come down, with Potto Jumbo, to helpus. The Frau, lifting a coil of rope, put it round her neck,exclaiming, "Ah! I have one fine necklace--I carry this;" and off sheset, with a bag of biscuit at her back. The girls each loadedthemselves with blocks and ropes, while we carried up the chests andheavier articles.
Great was Mr Hooker's delight when he saw his beloved cases arrive.
"What! you have saved these?" he exclaimed, lifting up his hands, andgazing at them with affection. "I am indeed indebted to you. I littlethought any one else appreciated them as I do. But it shows you aretrue lovers of science, that you value such treasures as these--not asordinary persons value them, but as men of science look at them--attheir true worth. Thank you, my friends--thank you;" and he shook usall warmly by the hand.
I really believe that the restoration of his collections contributedgreatly to his recovery.
The next day we were employed in the same way--in getting on shore asmany of the stores as we could fish up from the wreck. Mr Sedgwick waswell pleased at the appearance of the case of wine.
"It is just what my patients want," he observed; "and though I canmanufacture palm-wine and arrack, they will not answer the purposenearly so well. Indeed, the arrack is poisonous stuff at the best."
For some days both Mr Hooker and the mate appeared to hang between lifeand death. Our uncle, I saw, was very anxious about them, and seldomabsent from their room. When he went away, the good Frau took hisplace. When absent, however, he was still engaged in their service, ashe was either concocting medicines or cooking dishes to suit theirtaste.
"Potto Jumbo is a very good sea-cook," he observed to me, "but not quitecapable of producing a dish fit for an invalid; and as to my Dyak,Tanda, his ideas are somewhat limited in that way."
The weather continued fine, and the vessel hung together; but theboatswain was of opinion that should another gale come on, she wouldquickly go to pieces.
"Though we might get some of her timbers and planks, they would besorely battered by getting knocked on the rocks," he observed; "and tomy mind it would be better if we could get them ripped off at once. Itwill be a pretty tough job; but it is to be done."
I proposed the matter to Mr Sedgwick, but he rather doubted ourcapability of performing the operation. He could not help us, as he wasrequired to attend to our friends, while his man had to look after theplantations and animals, and indeed had ample work. He thought thatfresh planks from the trees in the forest would be of more use than thebroken ones we might get from the vessel. We, indeed, were preventedfrom returning to her for some days, on account of a strong wind settingin directly on the shore, which created so much surf that we were unableto pass through it in our small boat.
Mr Thudicumb was to be our master-builder. He had more acquaintancewith ship-building than any of us--indeed, probably than all the partyput together; but he was yet too ill even to superintend theundertaking. We hoped, however, that in the course of a week or two hewould be sufficiently recovered to set us to work. At present, indeed,he could scarcely even give his thoughts to the subject.
I proposed that we should employ the time in exploring the island. MrSedgwick had never gone to any great distance from the spot where he hadlocated himself. He had been unable to do so, as directly he began tocollect his menagerie it was necessary for him to remain to attend tohis animals. He was also unwilling to go far from the coast, lest, avessel passing, he might lose the opportunity of getting on board her.This had kept him week after week, and month after month, within a fewmiles of the shore. He was now, however, very glad to make the proposedexpedition.
Mr Hooker and the mate were sufficiently recovered to move about thehouse and to take short walks in the neighbourhood. The girls were bothvery anxious to go also, but the Frau strongly objected to their doingso.
"Suppose we meet snakes, or wild beasts, or savages?" she asked. "Ohno, no, Frauline Emily and Grace. You must stop and take care of MrHooker and poor Mr Thudicumb. What they do without you?"
We were much amused at the Frau's anxiety, because we suspected that shesupposed if they went she would have to go also, and for this she had nofancy. She was a very good nurse, and a very good cook; but she tooklittle interest in beautiful scenery or in natural history.
"We will take very good care of the young ladies if you like to remainbehind," said our uncle. "We can easily make some litters to carrythem, should they be tired, and we will leave you to assist ingarrisoning our castle."
"Oh, but I not like to lose sight of them," she answered; and indeed shewas afraid that they might meet with some accident, or suffer from thehardships of the journey.
They, however, pleaded their cause so well, that at length it wasarranged they were to go with us.
"I have read that Lady Raffles accompanied her husband, Sir Stamford, inmany of his excursions through Sumatra and other islands of these seas,and I do not see why we should be afraid of any of the hardships whichshe had to go through," observed Emily.
We now busied ourselves in making preparations for our journey. Ourparty consisted of our uncle as leader, Oliver and I, Dick Tarbox, RogerTrew, and Potto Jumbo. Merlin evidently understood that we were goingon an expedition, and wagged his tail and looked up in my face as if toask if he might accompany us. First he went to one, and then toanother, making the same request.
"If you can spare him, Hooker, we will take him," observed my uncle."He seems so well trained, that I think he will not range too widely anddisturb our game."
"Speak to him, and he will do whatever you tell him," said Mr Hooker;and so Merlin was added to our party.
We promised the Frau that should the difficulties we might meet with betoo great for the girls to encounter, we would at once return, andleaving them, set off again by ourselves. We each of us earned afowling-piece, an axe, and a knife, with flint and steel, and a bag ofsago-cake, prepared as have before described. We felt very sure that wecould provide ourselves with an ample supply of animal food, as alsovegetables, wherever we might go. Nature has been lavishly bountiful inthat region in her supply of food for the wants of man; indeed, thereare no parts of the world where a little labour will produce such anabundance of all the necessaries of life as in most of the islands ofthat archipelago.
Several streams ran down from the neighbouring mountains fertilising theland, and, in the intervals, cocoa-nut trees grew, with fruit nowsufficiently ripe to afford a delicious draught of cool liquid wheneverwe might want it.
We rose before daybreak to breakfast, that we might commence our journeyin the cool of the morning. Our friends collected in the verandah towish us good-bye. Mr Hooker, however, seemed very unhappy at beingunable to accompany us.
"Cheer up, friends," said our uncle. "We shall be back, probably, intwo or three days; and having stretched our legs, we shall be the betterable to make another excursion, and I hope by that time you will be ofthe party."
My uncle led, axe in hand, to clear away any creepers or underwood whichmight impede our progress. The girls, with Oliver and I on either hand,followed, while the three men, with their guns ready for use, brought upthe rear. The views were, however, confined, in consequence of thethickness of the forest and the somewhat level nature of the country;but in the distance we could see mountains rising, with interveninghills, which showed us that there was some climbing in prospect.Nothing could exceed the beauty of the woods, or the great variety ofstrange trees and plants which met our sight in every direction. Amongthe most beautiful and curious were the orchids. One especiallyarrested our attention. It had large yellow clusters of flowers hangingdown from some of the lower branches of the trees, so that it was morethan usually conspicuous. Our uncle called it the _Vanda Lowii_. Manyof its strange
pendent flower-spikes almost reached the ground. Eachwas about six or eight feet long, with large, handsome flowers threeinches across, varying in colour from orange to red, with deeppurple-red spots. Some, indeed, were even longer than that; and wecounted on one thirty-six flowers arranged in a spiral way upon aslender, thread-like stalk.
A shout from one of the men a short distance behind made us stop.
"Why, that is a rum-looking creature!" exclaimed Dick Tarbox.
"Dat?--dat one big frog with wing!" cried Potto Jumbo, with a loudlaugh.
We turned round, and just at the same moment a companion probably of thefirst that had been seen seemed to be flying in a slanting directionfrom the bough of a high tree into a small pool which we had noticed aswe passed. Potto sprang forward, and caught it just as it was reachingthe water. It was a curious-looking creature, certainly. The back andlimbs were of a dark shining green colour, while the under surface andinner toes were yellow. The body was about four inches long, while thewebs of each hind foot, when fully stretched out, covered a surface ofnot less than four square inches. Its toes were peculiarly long, andfully webbed to their extremity, so that, when expanded, they presenteda surface to the air considerably larger than the whole of the body,which was also capable of being filled out by wind.
"Ah, this is a real flying-frog!" observed our uncle.
However, it was altogether a very curious creature. We were anxious topreserve it to show to Mr Hooker. It was accordingly consigned toRoger Trew's bag, our uncle saying that he would preserve it when westopped to rest.
The tree-ferns also were very graceful, of various heights and forms,from eight to fifteen feet high, their tall leaves waving over in themost picturesque manner.
"We shall soon have a stream to cross," said my uncle, "which I considerthe boundary of my domain. However, as I have made excursions a shortdistance beyond it, I have built a bridge that I might get acrosswithout difficulty. You must, however, string up your nerves, as,probably, you have seldom passed over such a structure. It is exactlysuch as I have seen built by the Dyaks in Borneo."
On getting to the banks of the stream it was evident that without a boator a bridge we should be unable to cross. We now, however, saw themeans my uncle had contrived. The bridge was made entirely of bamboo.A number of stout pieces crossed each other like the letter X, fixed inthe bank on either side, and rising a few feet above it. They were thenfirmly bound together, as also to a long bamboo of the largest sizewhich rested on them, and formed the only pathway over which we had tocross. Another long bamboo, raised three feet above the other on eitherside, formed the hand-rails. It was, however, supported also by ratans,which led from some overhanging trees above it, while other bamboos werestuck into the banks, and leaning outward over the stream, formeddiagonal supports.
"Come, Emily and Grace," said my uncle. "If you find that I get acrosssafely, you need have no fear; and I repaired it completely but a fewdays ago, little thinking how soon it was to be crossed by any oneelse."
When my uncle had got about half-way across the stream, I began totremble for his safety. The bamboo seemed to me to be creaking andcracking, and every instant I expected it to give way. However, heappeared perfectly at his ease, and walking calmly on, soon reached theother bank in safety.
"Shall I go next, Emily, or will you?" I asked.
"Oh no, no," said Emily; "Grace and I will go," and bravely she led theway.
Grace was a little more timid, but followed her closely, and they tooreached the opposite bank. When the rest of the party came over, theysaid they had seen a large bird on the bank of the stream flying nearthe decayed trunk of a huge tree.
"Whereabouts is it?" exclaimed my uncle with great eagerness.
"Dere, dere!" said Potto Jumbo, whose eyes in these thick woods wereevidently sharper than those of his companions, who might, however, havebeen able to see further than he could on the ocean.
We crept carefully along the bank. It was a huge bird of dark plumage,with a vast bill, and a curious sort of cap on its head. It hadsomething in its mouth, with which it went to a hole in the tree I havedescribed. My uncle, telling us to remain quiet, crept nearer andfired. The bird fell with a loud flop into the stream.
"After him!" I said to Merlin, as the bird was floating down.
Merlin dashed forward, and springing in, approached the bird, who,however, was only wounded, and began to show battle with his formidablebill. Merlin wisely kept out of his reach, for a peck of that billwould soon have taken out one of his eyes. The bird, at length,however, became exhausted, and then Merlin sprang on him, and seizinghim by the neck, quickly dragged him to the shore.
"It is a magnificent hornbill!" exclaimed our uncle--"_Bucerosbicornis_."
Merlin had killed the bird in bringing it on shore, and it now laystretched out before us. My uncle eagerly went forward to the tree, andlooking up about fifteen feet from the ground, we saw a small holesurrounded by mud. Directly afterwards, out came the white end of abeak, which seemed to gape as if expecting to have some food put intoit. We were silent for an instant, and then heard the harsh croaking ofa bird, which seemed to come from the interior of the tree. How to getat it, however, was the question.
"We will soon be up there," said Tarbox. "I have seen the way the blackfellows get up a tree, and I think we can do the same."
He soon cut down some bamboos, which, cutting into pieces about a footand a half in length, he drove into the tree, we all assisting him. Hethen secured some upright bamboos to the pieces which had thus beenstuck in one above another. As soon as he had stuck them in as high ashe could reach, he mounted on the first, and then put in some more abovehis head, and thus in a very short time got up to a level with the hole.
"I have no fancy, though, for having my eyes picked out, which theymight very quickly be if the creature inside has got as big a beak asthe one you killed, sir," he observed.
He accordingly got somewhat higher up. He then with his axe began toknock away the mud, and in a short time cleared out a large hole, whennot only the beak but the head of a bird similar to the one which hadbeen killed was poked out.
Dick seized it by the neck in spite of its furious struggles, and givingit a swing, threw it down to the ground, where the rest of us pouncedupon it, when it commenced uttering the most tremendously loud, hoarsescreaming I ever heard.
"There is something else in the nest, though!" he exclaimed; and puttingin his hand he drew out an extraordinary little lump of vitality, which,however, was evidently a young bird. "I will bring it down to itsmother," he said; "for if I threw it, the poor little creature would bekilled."
Holding the creature in one hand with as much care as if it had been ayoung child, he descended with the other. It was a bird as large as apigeon, but without a single feather on any part of its body. It waswonderfully plump and soft, with a skin almost transparent, so that itlooked more like a bag of jelly than any living thing, with a head andfeet and commencement of wings stuck on to it. The little creatureseemed in no way frightened, but opened its mouth as if expecting to befed. We brought it to its mother, who immediately recognised it, andwhen we handed her a piece of fruit she took it and gave a portion toher offspring, who lifted up its beak to receive it.
"Oh, I will carry it!" cried Grace. "I should not like the poor littlething to be hurt."
Grace had a kind heart, and was always ready to sympathise with any onein distress. We accordingly made a basket of palm-leaves, and Dickagain ascended the tree to bring out the lining of the nest. This weput into the basket, and the bird was placed upon it. The mother againbegan to scream loudly when we took away its young.
"Come, old lady, I'll carry you," said Roger Trew, lifting up the henhornbill; but the bird fought so desperately that he was glad to put herdown again. "We must tie your legs and put your nose in a bag, ma'am,"said Roger, "or you will be doing some one a mischief."
A larger basket was therefore made, into which w
e put the old bird,fastening in its head at the same time. Mr Sedgwick was highlydelighted with his prize. He had always wished to get one of thesebirds; but had failed to find them, though he had seen them at adistance, and therefore knew that they were in the island. He was awareof this habit of the male bird of plastering up his mate with her egg,and bringing her food while it was being hatched. Several otherhornbills act in the same way.
We continued our journey for some time along the banks of the stream,which sparkled brightly as it made its way through the forest. Then webegan gradually to ascend the mountains we had seen in the distance.Nothing could exceed the beauty of the forest trees amid which we weremaking our way--lofty palms, and the wonderful screw-palm, tallcocoa-nut palms, and a number of trees of the same description. Hereand there also were groups of bamboos; and in many places ratans grew,hanging from tree to tree. Now and then we met with beautiful flowersand flowering shrubs, but they were not so common as we expected. Theirsize and brilliancy, however, made amends for their scarcity. Amongthem were some creepers, having crimson and yellow flowers; others wereof a rich purple colour. Among the most beautiful was one which MrSedgwick called an _anonaceous_ tree: it was about thirty feet high, andits slender trunk was covered with large star-like crimson flowers,which surrounded it like a garland, and Grace and Emily declared theythought some one had come on purpose to adorn it. In one spot a numberof these trees grew all together, producing a most beautiful andbrilliant effect; others were immense trees with furrowed stems; and nowand then we came to a magnificent fig-tree, which was altogether unlikeany tree I had ever seen. It seemed as if its trunk had been dividedinto hundreds of small stems and roots. The most curious, however, wasone which had its base eighty feet up from the ground, while that restedon a wonderful pyramid of roots which, shooting downwards, spread out onevery side, while the branches started off and rose again to a vastheight above the stem. Then, again, from its branches hung down avariety of creepers, like the shrouds of a vessel, to keep it apparentlyfrom being blown away by a tornado.
I cannot attempt to describe all the beautiful butterflies we saw. Nowand then Mr Sedgwick made chase after one. Once he returned with one,which he considered a valuable prize. The ground colour of its wingswas a rich shining black, the lower wings being of a delicate grey withwhite, and bordered by a row of large spots of the most brilliantsatin-like yellow. The body was marked with shade spots of white,yellow, and fiery orange, while the head and thorax were intense black.The under sides of the lower wings were of soft white, the marginalspots being half black and half yellow.
Scarcely had this one been caught, than he gave chase to anothersuperb-looking one, of a rich purple, variously tinged with ash colour,a broad bar of deep orange running across the fore wings. Away it flew,and we ran after to assist him, when it seemed to drop among some driedleaves, and there it totally disappeared. What had become of it, wecould not tell, when suddenly, almost from before our eyes, it roseagain in the air, and gave us another chase, till it again disappearedas before. At length we saw Mr Sedgwick fall almost prostrate, withhis net over the leaves; and then what appeared to be a dry leafsuddenly rose and turned into a large butterfly. It was, however, underhis net, and was quickly made his prisoner. We soon discovered thecurious arrangement by which the creature is enabled to escape capture.The end of the upper wings terminated in a fine point, just as is thecase with the leaves of many tropical shrubs. The lower wings were moreobtuse, and lengthened out into a short thin tail. Between these twopoints ran a dark curved line, representing the mid rib of a leaf, whilethe other marks were radiated exactly like the lateral fans of leaves;indeed, the wings of the creature when closed were so like a leaf, thatit was scarcely possible to distinguish it from those amidst which ithad pitched.
As we rose higher and higher in this mountainous region towards which wewere bending our steps, gigantic ferns became more numerous. Among themwere most curious pitcher-plants. They took the form of half-climbingshrubs, their pitchers, of various sizes and forms, hanging in numbersfrom their leaves. Every ridge was now crowned with gigantic ferns,which reminded us of the descriptions of the antediluvian world, whenferns appear to have been the chief vegetation which covered the surfaceof the globe.--I will not mention our dinner.
It was now time to encamp for the night. Our first care was to makearrangements for the accommodation of the young ladies. We had anabundance of materials at hand, and soon cut down branches and leavessufficient to make a very comfortable bower in which they might rest. Afire was then lighted, and similar bowers, though of less carefulconstruction, were erected for the rest of the party. Our unclearranged that one of the party should remain on watch.
"I cannot tell what sort of creatures inhabit these wilds," he observed;"but I have every reason to believe that many of those that range overBorneo and Sumatra are to be found here. They have probably beenprevented coming to my territory by the river which separates it fromthe rest of the island; but I have seen traces of the rhinoceros, andtrees broken down in a way elephants alone could accomplish. Wild boarsI have shot; and tigers and huge serpents, I have reason to believe, areto be found in some parts of the island."
"How delightful!" I exclaimed; but then I recollected the danger towhich Emily and Grace might be exposed. I said something to thateffect.
"We must keep a careful watch," he answered; "and in truth I believethat generally wild animals are more afraid of man than man need he ofthem, if he is on his guard."
I did not wish to frighten the girls, and therefore did not talk to themof these things. As I lay down to waistcoat, I could not help thinkingof the various fierce creatures we might possibly meet with, and in mydreams I was engaged in desperate encounters with all those my uncle hadmentioned, and not a few others--such as have no existence except in theimagination.