The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER IV.

  We examine into our personal property, and make a happy discovery--Ourisland described--Jack proves himself to be learned and sagacious abovehis fellows--Curious discoveries--Natural lemonade!

  We now seated ourselves upon a rock and began to examine into ourpersonal property. When we reached the shore, after being wrecked, mycompanions had taken off part of their clothes and spread them out in thesun to dry, for, although the gale was raging fiercely, there was not asingle cloud in the bright sky. They had also stripped off most part ofmy wet clothes and spread them also on the rocks. Having resumed ourgarments, we now searched all our pockets with the utmost care, and laidtheir contents out on a flat stone before us; and, now that our mindswere fully alive to our condition, it was with no little anxiety that weturned our several pockets inside out, in order that nothing might escapeus. When all was collected together we found that our worldly goodsconsisted of the following articles:--

  First, A small penknife with a single blade broken off about the middleand very rusty, besides having two or three notches on its edge.(Peterkin said of this, with his usual pleasantry, that it would do for asaw as well as a knife, which was a great advantage.) Second, An oldGerman-silver pencil-case without any lead in it. Third, A piece of whip-cord about six yards long. Fourth, A sailmaker's needle of a small size.Fifth, A ship's telescope, which I happened to have in my hand at thetime the ship struck, and which I had clung to firmly all the time I wasin the water. Indeed it was with difficulty that Jack got it out of mygrasp when I was lying insensible on the shore. I cannot understand whyI kept such a firm hold of this telescope. They say that a drowning manwill clutch at a straw. Perhaps it may have been some such feeling inme, for I did not know that it was in my hand at the time we werewrecked. However, we felt some pleasure in having it with us now,although we did not see that it could be of much use to us, as the glassat the small end was broken to pieces. Our sixth article was a brassring which Jack always wore on his little finger. I never understood whyhe wore it, for Jack was not vain of his appearance, and did not seem tocare for ornaments of any kind. Peterkin said "it was in memory of thegirl he left behind him!" But as he never spoke of this girl to eitherof us, I am inclined to think that Peterkin was either jesting ormistaken. In addition to these articles we had a little bit of tinder,and the clothes on our backs. These last were as follows:--

  Each of us had on a pair of stout canvass trousers, and a pair ofsailors' thick shoes. Jack wore a red flannel shirt, a blue jacket, anda red Kilmarnock bonnet or night-cap, besides a pair of worsted socks,and a cotton pocket-handkerchief, with sixteen portraits of Lord Nelsonprinted on it, and a union Jack in the middle. Peterkin had on a stripedflannel shirt,--which he wore outside his trousers, and belted round hiswaist, after the manner of a tunic,--and a round black straw hat. He hadno jacket, having thrown it off just before we were cast into the sea;but this was not of much consequence, as the climate of the island provedto be extremely mild; so much so, indeed, that Jack and I often preferredto go about without our jackets. Peterkin had also a pair of whitecotton socks, and a blue handkerchief with white spots all over it. Myown costume consisted of a blue flannel shirt, a blue jacket, a blackcap, and a pair of worsted socks, besides the shoes and canvass trousersalready mentioned. This was all we had, and besides these things we hadnothing else; but, when we thought of the danger from which we hadescaped, and how much worse off we might have been had the ship struck onthe reef during the night, we felt very thankful that we were possessedof so much, although, I must confess, we sometimes wished that we had hada little more.

  While we were examining these things, and talking about them, Jacksuddenly started and exclaimed--

  "The oar! we have forgotten the oar."

  "What good will that do us?" said Peterkin; "there's wood enough on theisland to make a thousand oars."

  "Ay, lad," replied Jack, "but there's a bit of hoop iron at the end ofit, and that may be of much use to us."

  "Very true," said I, "let us go fetch it;" and with that we all threerose and hastened down to the beach. I still felt a little weak fromloss of blood, so that my companions soon began to leave me behind; butJack perceived this, and, with his usual considerate good nature, turnedback to help me. This was now the first time that I had looked wellabout me since landing, as the spot where I had been laid was coveredwith thick bushes which almost hid the country from our view. As we nowemerged from among these and walked down the sandy beach together, I castmy eyes about, and, truly, my heart glowed within me and my spirits roseat the beautiful prospect which I beheld on every side. The gale hadsuddenly died away, just as if it had blown furiously till it dashed ourship upon the rocks, and had nothing more to do after accomplishing that.The island on which we stood was hilly, and covered almost everywherewith the most beautiful and richly coloured trees, bushes, and shrubs,none of which I knew the names of at that time, except, indeed, the cocoa-nut palms, which I recognised at once from the many pictures that I hadseen of them before I left home. A sandy beach of dazzling whitenesslined this bright green shore, and upon it there fell a gentle ripple ofthe sea. This last astonished me much, for I recollected that at homethe sea used to fall in huge billows on the shore long after a storm hadsubsided. But on casting my glance out to sea the cause became apparent.About a mile distant from the shore I saw the great billows of the oceanrolling like a green wall, and falling with a long, loud roar, upon a lowcoral reef, where they were dashed into white foam and flung up in cloudsof spray. This spray sometimes flew exceedingly high, and, every hereand there, a beautiful rainbow was formed for a moment among the fallingdrops. We afterwards found that this coral reef extended quite round theisland, and formed a natural breakwater to it. Beyond this the sea roseand tossed violently from the effects of the storm; but between the reefand the shore it was as calm and as smooth as a pond.

  My heart was filled with more delight than I can express at sight of somany glorious objects, and my thoughts turned suddenly to thecontemplation of the Creator of them all. I mention this the moregladly, because at that time, I am ashamed to say, I very seldom thoughtof my Creator, although I was constantly surrounded by the most beautifuland wonderful of His works. I observed from the expression of mycompanion's countenance that he too derived much joy from the splendidscenery, which was all the more agreeable to us after our long voyage onthe salt sea. There, the breeze was fresh and cold, but here it wasdelightfully mild; and, when a puff blew off the land, it came laden withthe most exquisite perfume that can be imagined. While we thus gazed, wewere startled by a loud "Huzza!" from Peterkin, and, on looking towardsthe edge of the sea, we saw him capering and jumping about like a monkey,and ever and anon tugging with all his might at something that lay uponthe shore.

  "What an odd fellow he is, to be sure," said Jack, taking me by the armand hurrying forward; "come, let us hasten to see what it is."

  "Here it is, boys, hurrah! come along. Just what we want," criedPeterkin, as we drew near, still tugging with all his power. "Firstrate; just the very ticket!"

  I need scarcely say to my readers that my companion Peterkin was in thehabit of using very remarkable and peculiar phrases. And I am free toconfess that I did not well understand the meaning of some of them,--such,for instance, as "the very ticket;" but I think it my duty to recounteverything relating to my adventures with a strict regard to truthfulnessin as far as my memory serves me; so I write, as nearly as possible, theexact words that my companions spoke. I often asked Peterkin to explainwhat he meant by "ticket," but he always answered me by going into fitsof laughter. However, by observing the occasions on which he used it, Icame to understand that it meant to show that something was remarkablygood, or fortunate.

  On coming up we found that Peterkin was vainly endeavouring to pull theaxe out of the oar, into which, it will be remembered, Jack struck itwhile endeavouring to cut away the cordage among which it had becomeentangled at the bow of the sh
ip. Fortunately for us the axe hadremained fast in the oar, and even now, all Peterkin's strength could notdraw it out of the cut.

  "Ah! that is capital indeed," cried Jack, at the same time giving the axea wrench that plucked it out of the tough wood. "How fortunate this is!It will be of more value to us than a hundred knives, and the edge isquite new and sharp."

  "I'll answer for the toughness of the handle at any rate," criedPeterkin; "my arms are nearly pulled out of the sockets. But see here,our luck is great. There is iron on the blade." He pointed to a pieceof hoop iron, as he spoke, which had been nailed round the blade of theoar to prevent it from splitting.

  This also was a fortunate discovery. Jack went down on his knees, andwith the edge of the axe began carefully to force out the nails. But asthey were firmly fixed in, and the operation blunted our axe, we carriedthe oar up with us to the place where we had left the rest of our things,intending to burn the wood away from the iron at a more convenient time.

  "Now, lads," said Jack, after we had laid it on the stone which containedour little all, "I propose that we should go to the tail of the island,where the ship struck, which is only a quarter of a mile off, and see ifanything else has been thrown ashore. I don't expect anything, but it iswell to see. When we get back here it will be time to have our supperand prepare our beds."

  "Agreed!" cried Peterkin and I together, as, indeed, we would have agreedto any proposal that Jack made; for, besides his being older and muchstronger and taller than either of us, he was a very clever fellow, and Ithink would have induced people much older than himself to choose him fortheir leader, especially if they required to be led on a bold enterprise.

  Now, as we hastened along the white beach, which shone so brightly in therays of the setting sun that our eyes were quite dazzled by its glare, itsuddenly came into Peterkin's head that we had nothing to eat except thewild berries which grew in profusion at our feet.

  "What shall we do, Jack?" said he, with a rueful look; "perhaps they maybe poisonous!"

  "No fear," replied Jack, confidently; "I have observed that a few of themare not unlike some of the berries that grow wild on our own nativehills. Besides, I saw one or two strange birds eating them just a fewminutes ago, and what won't kill the birds won't kill us. But look upthere, Peterkin," continued Jack, pointing to the branched head of acocoa-nut palm. "There are nuts for us in all stages."

  "So there are!" cried Peterkin, who being of a very unobservant naturehad been too much taken up with other things to notice anything so highabove his head as the fruit of a palm tree. But, whatever faults myyoung comrade had, he could not be blamed for want of activity or animalspirits. Indeed, the nuts had scarcely been pointed out to him when hebounded up the tall stem of the tree like a squirrel, and, in a fewminutes, returned with three nuts, each as large as a man's fist.

  "You had better keep them till we return," raid Jack. "Let us finish ourwork before eating."

  "So be it, captain, go ahead," cried Peterkin, thrusting the nuts intohis trousers pocket. "In fact I don't want to eat just now, but I wouldgive a good deal for a drink. Oh that I could find a spring! but I don'tsee the smallest sign of one hereabouts. I say, Jack, how does it happenthat you seem to be up to everything? You have told us the names of half-a-dozen trees already, and yet you say that you were never in the SouthSeas before."

  "I'm not up to _everything_, Peterkin, as you'll find out ere long,"replied Jack, with a smile; "but I have been a great reader of books oftravel and adventure all my life, and that has put me up to a good manythings that you are, perhaps, not acquainted with."

  "Oh, Jack, that's all humbug. If you begin to lay everything to thecredit of books, I'll quite lose my opinion of you," cried Peterkin, witha look of contempt. "I've seen a lot o' fellows that were _always_poring over books, and when they came to try to _do_ anything, they wereno better than baboons!"

  "You are quite right," retorted Jack; "and I have seen a lot of fellowswho never looked into books at all, who knew nothing about anythingexcept the things they had actually seen, and very little they knew evenabout these. Indeed, some were so ignorant that they did not know thatcocoa-nuts grew on cocoa-nut trees!"

  I could not refrain from laughing at this rebuke, for there was muchtruth in it, as to Peterkin's ignorance.

  "Humph! maybe you're right," answered Peterkin; "but I would not give_tuppence_ for a man of books, if he had nothing else in him."

  "Neither would I," said Jack; "but that's no reason why you should runbooks down, or think less of me for having read them. Suppose, now,Peterkin, that you wanted to build a ship, and I were to give you a longand particular account of the way to do it, would not that be veryuseful?"

  "No doubt of it," said Peterkin, laughing.

  "And suppose I were to write the account in a letter instead of tellingyou in words, would that be less useful?"

  "Well--no, perhaps not."

  "Well, suppose I were to print it, and send it to you in the form of abook, would it not be as good and useful as ever?"

  "Oh, bother! Jack, you're a philosopher, and that's worse than anything!"cried Peterkin, with a look of pretended horror.

  "Very well, Peterkin, we shall see," returned Jack, halting under theshade of a cocoa-nut tree. "You said you were thirsty just a minute ago;now, jump up that tree and bring down a nut,--not a ripe one, bring agreen, unripe one."

  Peterkin looked surprised, but, seeing that Jack was in earnest, heobeyed.

  "Now, cut a hole in it with your penknife, and clap it to your mouth, oldfellow," said Jack.

  Peterkin did as he was directed, and we both burst into uncontrollablelaughter at the changes that instantly passed over his expressivecountenance. No sooner had he put the nut to his mouth, and thrown backhis head in order to catch what came out of it, than his eyes opened totwice their ordinary size with astonishment, while his throat movedvigorously in the act of swallowing. Then a smile and look of intensedelight overspread his face, except, indeed, the mouth, which, beingfirmly fixed to the hole in the nut, could not take part in theexpression; but he endeavoured to make up for this by winking at usexcessively with his right eye. At length he stopped, and, drawing along breath, exclaimed--

  "Nectar! perfect nectar! I say, Jack, you're a Briton--the best fellow Iever met in my life. Only taste that!" said he, turning to me andholding the nut to my mouth. I immediately drank, and certainly I wasmuch surprised at the delightful liquid that flowed copiously down mythroat. It was extremely cool, and had a sweet taste, mingled with acid;in fact, it was the likest thing to lemonade I ever tasted, and was mostgrateful and refreshing. I handed the nut to Jack, who, after tastingit, said, "Now, Peterkin, you unbeliever, I never saw or tasted a cocoanut in my life before, except those sold in shops at home; but I onceread that the green nuts contain that stuff, and you see it is true!"

  "And pray," asked Peterkin, "what sort of 'stuff' does the ripe nutcontain?"

  "A hollow kernel," answered Jack, "with a liquid like milk in it; but itdoes not satisfy thirst so well as hunger. It is very wholesome food Ibelieve."

  "Meat and drink on the same tree!" cried Peterkin; "washing in the sea,lodging on the ground,--and all for nothing! My dear boys, we're set upfor life; it must be the ancient Paradise,--hurrah!" and Peterkin tossedhis straw hat in the air, and ran along the beach hallooing like a madmanwith delight.

  We afterwards found, however, that these lovely islands were very unlikeParadise in many things. But more of this in its proper place.

  We had now come to the point of rocks on which the ship had struck, butdid not find a single article, although we searched carefully among thecoral rocks, which at this place jutted out so far as nearly to join thereef that encircled the island. Just as we were about to return,however, we saw something black floating in a little cove that hadescaped our observation. Running forward, we drew it from the water, andfound it to be a long thick leather boot, such as fishermen at home wear;and a few paces farth
er on we picked up its fellow. We at oncerecognised these as having belonged to our captain, for he had worn themduring the whole of the storm, in order to guard his legs from the wavesand spray that constantly washed over our decks. My first thought onseeing them was that our dear captain had been drowned; but Jack soon putmy mind more at rest on that point, by saying that if the captain hadbeen drowned with the boots on, he would certainly have been washedashore along with them, and that he had no doubt whatever he had kickedthem off while in the sea, that he might swim more easily.

  Peterkin immediately put them on, but they were so large that, as Jacksaid, they would have done for boots, trousers, and vest too. I alsotried them, but, although I was long enough in the legs for them, theywere much too large in the feet for me; so we handed them to Jack, whowas anxious to make me keep them, but as they fitted his large limbs andfeet as if they had been made for him, I would not hear of it, so heconsented at last to use them. I may remark, however, that Jack did notuse them often, as they were extremely heavy.

  It was beginning to grow dark when we returned to our encampment; so weput off our visit to the top of a hill till next day, and employed thelight that yet remained to us in cutting down a quantity of boughs andthe broad leaves of a tree, of which none of us knew the name. Withthese we erected a sort of rustic bower, in which we meant to pass thenight. There was no absolute necessity for this, because the air of ourisland was so genial and balmy that we could have slept quite wellwithout any shelter; but we were so little used to sleeping in the openair, that we did not quite relish the idea of lying down without anycovering over us: besides, our bower would shelter us from the night dewsor rain, if any should happen to fall. Having strewed the floor withleaves and dry grass, we bethought ourselves of supper.

  But it now occurred to us, for the first time, that we had no means ofmaking a fire.

  "Now, there's a fix!--what shall we do?" said Peterkin, while we bothturned our eyes to Jack, to whom we always looked in our difficulties.Jack seemed not a little perplexed.

  "There are flints enough, no doubt, on the beach," said he, "but they areof no use at all without a steel. However, we must try." So saying, hewent to the beach, and soon returned with two flints. On one of these heplaced the tinder, and endeavoured to ignite it; but it was with greatdifficulty that a very small spark was struck out of the flints, and thetinder, being a bad, hard piece, would not catch. He then tried the bitof hoop iron, which would not strike fire at all; and after that the backof the axe, with no better success. During all these trials Peterkin satwith his hands in his pockets, gazing with a most melancholy visage atour comrade, his face growing longer and more miserable at eachsuccessive failure.

  "Oh dear!" he sighed, "I would not care a button for the cooking of ourvictuals,--perhaps they don't need it,--but it's so dismal to eat one'ssupper in the dark, and we have had such a capital day, that it's a pityto finish off in this glum style. Oh, I have it!" he cried, starting up;"the spy-glass,--the big glass at the end is a burning-glass!"

  "You forget that we have no sun," said I.

  Peterkin was silent. In his sudden recollection of the telescope he hadquite overlooked the absence of the sun.

  "Ah, boys, I've got it now!" exclaimed Jack, rising and cutting a branchfrom a neighbouring bush, which be stripped of its leaves. "I recollectseeing this done once at home. Hand me the bit of whip-cord." With thecord and branch Jack soon formed a bow. Then he cut a piece, about threeinches long, off the end of a dead branch, which he pointed at the twoends. Round this he passed the cord of the bow, and placed one endagainst his chest, which was protected from its point by a chip of wood;the other point he placed against the bit of tinder, and then began tosaw vigorously with the bow, just as a blacksmith does with his drillwhile boring a hole in a piece of iron. In a few seconds the tinderbegan to smoke; in less than a minute it caught fire; and in less than aquarter of an hour we were drinking our lemonade and eating cocoa nutsround a fire that would have roasted an entire sheep, while the smoke,flames, and sparks, flew up among the broad leaves of the overhangingpalm trees, and cast a warm glow upon our leafy bower.

  That night the starry sky looked down through the gently rustling treesupon our slumbers, and the distant roaring of the surf upon the coralreef was our lullaby.