Masterman Ready; Or, The Wreck of the Pacific

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER NINETEEN.

  They went down to the beach. Ready first procured from the stores agood stout rope; and as the waves threw up casks and timbers of thevessel, they stopped them from being washed back again, and eitherrolled or hauled them up with the rope until they were safely landed.This occupied them for the major part of the day; and yet they had notcollected a quarter of the articles that were in their reach,independent of the quantity which floated about out at sea and at theentrance of the cove.

  "I think," said Ready, "we have done a good day's work; tomorrow weshall be able to do much more, for the sea is going down, and the sun isshowing himself from the corner of that cloud. Now we will go tosupper, and then see if we can make ourselves more comfortable for thenight."

  The tent which had not been blown down was given to Mrs Seagrave andthe children, and the other was fitted up as well as it could be. Thebedding being all wet, they procured some sails from the stores, which,being stowed away farther in the grove, had not suffered much from thetempest; and, spreading the canvas, they lay down, and the night passedwithout any disaster, for the wind was now lulled to a pleasant breeze.

  The next morning the sun shone bright--the air was fresh and bracing;but a slight breeze rippled the waters, and there was little or no surf.The various fragments of the wreck were tossed by the little surf thatstill remained; many things were lying on the beach which had landedduring the night, and many more required but a little trouble to securethem. There appeared to be a sort of in draught into the cove, as allthe articles which had been floating out at sea were now graduallycoming on shore in that direction. Ready and Mr Seagrave worked tillbreakfast-time, and had by that time saved a great many casks andpackages.

  After breakfast they went down again to the beach and resumed theirlabours. "Look, Ready; what is that?" said William, who was with them,as he pointed to a white-looking mass floating in the cove.

  "That, sir, is the poor cow; and if you look again, you will see thesharks are around, making a feast of her: don't you see them?"

  "Yes, I do--what a quantity!"

  "Yes, there's no want of them, William; so be very careful how you getinto the water, and never let Tommy go near it, for they don't care howshallow it is when they see their food. But now, sir," said Ready, "Imust leave you and William to do what you can in saving any more of thewreck, while I set to and put the boat in proper repair."

  Ready left them at their own employment, and went away for his tools.During this time Mr Seagrave and William occupied themselves incollecting the different articles thrown on shore, and rolling up thecasks as far as they could.

  As it would take some days for Ready to put the boat into proper order,Mr Seagrave determined that he would go to the other side of the islandwith William, that he might examine it himself; and, as Mrs Seagravehad no objection to be left with Ready and Juno, on the third day afterthe gale they set off. William led the way, guiding his footstepsthrough the grove by the blazing of the cocoa-nut trees; and in twohours they reached their destination.

  "Is not this beautiful, father?" said William.

  "Yes, indeed it is, my dear boy," replied Mr Seagrave. "I fancied thatnothing could be more beautiful than the spot where we reside, but thissurpasses it, not only in variety, but in extent."

  "And now let us examine the spring, father," said William, leading theway to the ravine.

  The spring was full and flowing, and the water excellent. They thendirected their steps towards the sandy beach, and, having walked sometime, sat down upon a coral rock.

  "Who would have ever imagined, William," said Mr Seagrave, "that thisisland, and so many more which abound in the Pacific Ocean, could havebeen raised by the work of little insects not bigger than a pin's head?"

  "Insects, father?" replied William.

  "Yes, insects. Give me that piece of dead coral, William. Do you seethat on every branch there are a hundred little holes? Well, in everyone of these little holes once lived a sea-insect; and as these insectsincrease, so do the branches of the coral-trees."

  "Yes, I understand that; but how do you make out that this island wasmade by them?"

  "Almost all the islands in these seas have been made by the labour andincrease of these small animals. The coral grows at first at the bottomof the sea, where it is not disturbed by the winds or waves: by degrees,as it increases, it advances higher and higher to the surface, till atlast it comes near to the top of the water; then it is stopped in itsgrowth by the force of the winds and waves, which break it off, and ofcourse it never grows above the water, for if it did the animals woulddie."

  "Then how does it become an island?"

  "By very slow degrees; the time, perhaps, much depending upon chance:for instance, a log of wood floating about, and covered with barnacles,may ground upon the coral reefs; that would be a sufficientcommencement, for it would remain above water, and then shelter thecoral to leeward of it, until a flat rock had formed, level with theedge of the water. The sea-birds are always looking for a place to restupon, and they would soon find it, and then their droppings would, incourse of time, form a little patch above water, and other floatingsubstances would be thrown on it; and land-birds, who are blown out tosea, might rest themselves on it, and the seeds from their stomachs,when dropped, would grow into trees or bushes."

  "I understand that."

  "Well then, William, you observe there is an island commenced, as itwere, and, once commenced, it soon increases, for the coral would thenbe protected to leeward, and grow up fast. Do you observe how the coralreefs extend at this side of the island, where they are protected fromthe winds and waves; and how different it is on the weather side, whichwe have just left? Just so the little patch above water protects thecorals to leeward, and there the island increases fast; for the birdsnot only settle on it, but they make their nests and rear their young,and so every year the soil increases; and then, perhaps, one cocoa-nutin its great outside shell at last is thrown on these little patches--ittakes root, and becomes a tree, every year shedding its large branches,which are turned into mould as soon as they decay, and then dropping itsnuts, which again take root and grow in this mould; and thus theycontinue, season after season, and year after year, until the islandbecomes as large and as thickly covered with trees as the one we are nowstanding upon. Is not this wonderful, my dear boy? Is not he a greatand good God who can make such minute animals as these work hispleasure, and at the time he thinks fit produce such a beautiful islandas this?"

  "Indeed he is!" exclaimed William.

  "We only need use our eyes, William, and we shall love as well as adore.Look at that shell--is it not beautifully marked?--could the bestpainter in the world equal its colouring?"

  "No, indeed,--I should think not."

  "And yet there are thousands of them in sight, and perhaps millions morein the water. They have not been coloured in this way to be admired,like the works of man; for this island has been till now probablywithout any one upon it, and no one has ever seen them. It makes nodifference to Him, who has but to wish, and all is complete."

  For a few minutes after this conversation, Mr Seagrave and William wereboth silent. Mr Seagrave then rose from where he was sitting: "Come,William, let us now find our way back again; we have three hours'daylight left, and shall be home in good time."