The Island Home

by Richard Archer

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

  WINTER EVENINGS AT HOME.

  AMUSEMENTS AND OCCUPATIONS--STORY-TELLING--THE SOUTH-SEA LYCEUM.

  "When the winter nights grow long, And the winds without blow cold, We sit in a ring round the warm wood fire, And listen to stories old."

  Having now brought my story down to the period of our getting intowinter-quarters at Lake Laicomo, (where, during the last few weeks, theforegoing portion of this narrative has been written), I shall change mytenses, for the present chapter at least, while I sketch the occupationsand amusements by which we endeavour to fill up the time of ourimprisonment.

  The rainy season is now nearly over, and we have got through it muchmore comfortably and pleasantly than we anticipated. The few fine daysduring which we finished our preparations for it, as mentioned in thelast chapter, were succeeded, in accordance with Arthur's prediction, bymore than a week of steady rain, and for several weeks there was not aday without rain. During this time, of course, we were thrown entirelyupon our indoor resources, and, thanks to the forethought which hadprovided an abundant store of materials, upon which the ingenuity orindustry of each of us could be variously exercised, we have thus farmanaged to keep pretty busy.

  We have twisted a great store of cord for fishing-lines, nets, and otherpurposes, from the supply of hibiscus bark previously laid in. We havealso manufactured more than a dozen pairs of serviceable moccasins, withno other materials than cocoa-nut cotton and bread-fruit bark. Brownehas made a chess-board, and rudely but elaborately carved a complete setof men, of gigantic size, in which he has evinced much skill andingenuity, and a vast deal of perseverance. The castles are mountedupon the backs of elephants, which Johnny innocently mistook forenormous swine with two tails apiece. The knights are provided withshields, bearing Saint Andrew's cross and the thistle for a device, andwould have been arrayed, without doubt, in kilt and tartan had it beenpossible. The bishops wear grotesque-looking cocked hats, intended formitres, and their countenances are so singularly truculent andunprepossessing, that Max accuses the artist of having in this pettyway, evinced "his Scottish and Presbyterian spite against Episcopacy."

  Morton has, among other things, made a couple of nets, and a mortar andpestle for pounding bread-fruit and taro.

  Max's time and attention have been chiefly devoted to the manufacture ofa variety of warlike weapons, among which are four or five formidablebludgeons, which he styles "Feejee war-clubs," made from the hard andponderous wood of the casuarina. He has also worked a good deal, atintervals, upon the huge log, out of which the "Messenger ship" is to beconstructed.

  Arthur has been more usefully employed in contriving two frames orstands, designed as candlesticks for holding the native substitute forcandles, which substitute consists simply of a cocoa-nut stalk, someeighteen inches long, strung with candle-nuts. These nuts are of aboutthe size of a horse-chestnut, and contain a considerable quantity ofoil: they are the fruit of one of the largest and most magnificent treesof our island. One nut will burn from five to ten minutes, according toits size, and if they are pressed closely together upon the stalk, theflame communicates readily from one to another, affording a tolerablyclear and steady light until the entire string is consumed.

  To supply the place of Johnny's jacket and trousers, which arecompletely worn out, Arthur has made, from two or three large strips ofcocoa-nut cotton, a garment resembling the South American "poncho,"being a loose wrapper, with a circular aperture through which the headof the wearer is to be thrust. It is by no means an elegant article ofapparel, and Johnny was at first inclined to look upon it withdisfavour. But upon being informed that it was in all respects, exceptthe material of which it was made, like the "tiputa," formerly worn bythe Tahitian chiefs and men of note, he became fully reconciled to it.

  These, (which I mention merely as a sample of our industrial labours),and similar tasks, furnish us occupation during the day. As soon as itgets dark, we set out the broken-legged table in the middle of the room,and lighting three or four skewers of candle-nuts, amuse or employourselves in a variety of ways. Browne and Morton frequently sit downto a game of chess, or seizing a couple of Max's "Feejee war-clubs,"practise the broad-sword exercise, in which Browne, who has some skillin fencing, occasionally gives lessons to the rest.

  Arthur has opened an evening-school, in which he teaches Eiulo readingand writing, and gives Johnny instruction in botany and conchology,using his "herbarium," and Johnny's collection of shells, for thepurpose of illustration. He also writes a good deal, and asks Eiulomany questions respecting the customs, ceremonies, and traditions ofTewa. Occasionally, during such conversations, when he makes a note ofsomething new or striking, Max laughs, and says, that in addition to thegreat work on the botany of Polynesia, Arthur designs to enlighten theworld with a learned treatise on the "Traditions and Superstitions ofthe South-Sea Islanders."

  Johnny either re-arranges his "collection," or plays jack straws withEiulo, or devotes himself to the education of the parrot.

  As for me, I have hitherto amused myself during the evenings in writingup "the narrative," and occasionally reading portions of it aloud,claiming, however, the privilege of skipping such passages as I thinkproper. It having been solemnly resolved that the "history of ouradventures" must be written in the form of a "regular desert islandstory," to use Johnny's expression, and divided into chapters, Maxinsists that the commencement of each chapter should be furnished with apoetical motto, and offers, in the capacity of a dictionary ofquotations, to furnish scraps of rhyme for that purpose, to order, inany quantity required, and at the shortest notice, upon merely beinginformed of the sentiment with which the motto is desired to harmonise.

  After hearing the narrative thus far, with the exception of suchportions as I have thought proper to omit, Max expresses strong distrustof my fairness and impartiality as a historian. He accuses me inparticular, of having done him injustice by omitting some of his mostremarkable exploits, as well as many brilliant sayings upon a greatvariety of subjects. He declares that I do not understand andappreciate him--that I am incapable of doing so; and that I haveunjustly, though perhaps unintentionally, represented him as a trifling,light-minded sort of person. I have, therefore, felt bound to recordthis protest of the injured party, but having just read it to him, hepronounces it unsatisfactory, and an aggravation of the original wrong.

  Sometimes, as a variation of our evening amusements, we put out thelights, and sit and tell stories in the dark. Browne's memory is storedwith an unfailing supply of marvellous tales and legends, founded uponScottish history and tradition, or the habits and superstitions of thepeople; some relate to wraiths, warnings, second sight, etcetera; someillustrate the prowess of Scottish heroes and worthies, from Bruce andWallace, right down to Johnny Armstrong and Rob Roy Macgregor; others,again, are wild and tragical tales of covenanting times, or of thesufferings endured, and the dangers encountered by his countrymen, fortheir religious faith, from the time of the murder of "holy PatrickHamilton, the first Scottish martyr," to the forays of prelaticalmoss-troopers, and the butcheries of Claverhouse, in later days.

  The chief point of all Browne's narratives, however various theirsubjects, is to illustrate the superiority of Scotland, and every thingScottish, from martyrs to mendicants, and from heroes to highwaymen,over all the rest of the world in general, and the sister kingdom inparticular. I was greatly amused by one of his stories, which relatedhow a Scottish border-robber outwitted and plundered an Englishprofessional brother. In his patriotic resolution to uphold thesuperiority of his country in all respects, Browne was not even willingto allow that the pilferers and marauders south of the Tweed, could atall compare in address and audacity, with those who enjoyed theadvantage of having been bred to the north of it.

  Max, too, was, (at least in Johnny's estimation), a famous story-teller,almost equal in fact to Schehezerade, of the Thousand and One Nights.His stories, however, were of an entirely different character from t
hoseof Browne. They had no savour of historic or traditionary truth,--norelation to actual life,--and in this consisted their great charm.Their subject matter, was the wonderful exploits of bold knights-errant,sallying forth, attended by their trusty esquires, in search of highadventures; their chivalrous encounters with other knights in mortalquarrel, or for the honours of the tourney; their incredible feats ofstrength and valour in the rescue of captive maidens, wanderingprincesses, and distressed damsels, from all sorts of unheard-of perils,and in the redress of all manner of grievances, by whomsoever suffered.In his more romantic flights he described exploits yet more perilousthan these,--conflicts with giants and ogres,--the storming anddemolishing of enchanted castles, defended by scaly griffins, andfire-breathing dragons, backed by the potent spells and incantations ofsome hostile magician. To such narratives Johnny would willingly listenby the hour. Any trifling anachronisms or inconsistencies, whichsometimes occurred, never troubled him in the least. If some of Max'sknights, equipped with sword and shield, and sheathed in mail, were alsoexpert at fire-arms, and handled a rifle or a revolver, like aKentuckian, Johnny respected and admired them all the more on account ofthese varied accomplishments, and never troubled the narrator with anyvexatious demand for explanations.

  At first Max had been greatly piqued at the slight interest which Johnnyseemed to feel in the fate of his heroes. The fact was, that he hadbecome so familiar with that department of literature, and was soaccustomed to see the hero come safely out of the most horrible andunheard-of dangers, that he regarded it as quite a matter of course, andthere was now no such thing as alarming him for his safety. It was tono purpose that Max surrounded his heroes with fierce and numerous foes;Johnny took it quite coolly, expecting him to cut his way out as a heroshould. It was in vain to cover him with wounds--a hero's wounds arenever mortal. Cast him away upon an iron-bound coast in the midst of ahurricane--Johnny knew that _one_ would escape: drown a hero! who everheard of such a thing! Max at length resented this indifference, bysuddenly becoming quite tragical, and actually despatching two or threeheroes with very little ceremony. The first of these unfortunategentlemen perished, if I remember correctly, by "a tremendous backstrokeof a two-handed, double-edged sword, that severed his head from hisbody." At this sentence, which seemed pretty decisive, Johnny wassomewhat staggered, but, immediately recovering himself, he bade Max "goon," expecting, I verily believe, that it would turn out that the headwas not in fact _quite_ cut off or that if it was, it would, like thatof the physician Dubin, in the Arabian Nights, be again set upon theshoulders, and life restored by the healing virtue of some potentmedicament. Great was his astonishment and consternation, on being madeat last to comprehend, that the hero was actually dead; which fact hedid not, however, appear fully to realise, until Max, to put the matterbeyond doubt, buried him with great funereal pomp and ceremony, anderected over his remains a splendid monument, with an inscriptionrecording his exploits and his valour. This method of proceeding, Maxjudiciously followed up, by giving a tragical termination to hisromances, often enough to keep Johnny reminded that _his_ heroes at anyrate were mortal.

  In addition to these resources for our evenings, we have the semi-weeklymeetings of "The South-Sea Lyceum," which was organised soon after thecommencement of the rainy season, and of which Arthur is the presidenthaving been twice unanimously elected to that dignified and responsibleoffice. Recitations or declamations, essays, and debates upon questionspreviously selected, constitute the regular exercises at these meetings.Browne possesses quite a talent for dramatic recitation, and he hasShakespeare almost by heart, which circumstances, early on the voyageout, earned for him the nickname of "Shaks." At nearly every session ofthe "Lyceum," he is either among the regular appointees for arecitation, or is called out by acclamation for a voluntary one. Maxshines chiefly in debate, in which he is always ready to take eitherside, of any question. Indeed he sometimes speaks on both sides of thesame question, and displays his ingenuity by refuting his own arguments.

  These meetings have thus far been exceedingly pleasant, and on many anight when the driving rain was beating upon roof and window, and thewind was howling dismally around our solitary cabin, all has seemedbright and cheerful within, as Max and Morton carried on a spiriteddebate, or Browne declaimed Wolsey's soliloquy, or "To be, or not to be,that is the question."

  The minutes of one meeting of the Lyceum may answer as a sample of theirentertainments:--

  Recitation, (by Johnny), Lines supposed to have been written byAlexander Selkirk, "I am monarch of all I survey," etcetera.

  Recitation, (by Browne), Clarence's Dream.

  Essay, (by the President), on the traditions of a Deluge, to be foundamong the Polynesian tribes.

  Essay, (by myself), The theory of the formation and structure of CoralIslands.

  Debate. Question: Is childhood the happiest period of human life?

  Affirmative maintained by Max, negative by Morton.

  Summing up of the arguments by the President and decision by him in thenegative.

  Reading of the Polynesian Intelligencer, by the Editor, (Max).

  Recitation, (by Eiulo), a Tewan War-song, in the original.

  After the first protracted rain was over, there were frequent intervalsof fine weather, which lasted sometimes several days. But we found ongoing forth, that a change had taken place in the condition of things,which rendered any long excursion, even during these intervals, entirelyout of the question.

  Considerable streams poured down from the higher ground toward theinterior, and traversed the island at short distances, presentingformidable barriers to all travelling. The ground was everywhere somiry that it was difficult to avoid sinking above the ankles at everystep.

  As the season advanced it became still worse, and at length we confinedourselves almost entirely to the house. Lately, however, there has beena very perceptible improvement; the rains have become lighter, and lessfrequent, and the season is evidently drawing towards its close. We arealready discussing our plans for the summer, and have resolved upon athorough exploration of the island, as soon as the fine weather has beenlong enough established to remove the effects of the heavy rains.