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07 - Young Crusoe, or The Shipwrecked Boy by Barbara Hofland · Young Crusoe, or The Shipwrecked Boy

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  Speaker 1: The Young Crusoe or The Shipwrecked Boy by Barbara Hofland,
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  Speaker 1: Chapter seven, makes bows and arrows, sets out in the boat,
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  Speaker 1: and nears the island of Amsterdam. Driven back and lands
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  Speaker 1: with difficulty fire at his hut. His great distress and
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  Speaker 1: gratitude for his preservation, poor Charles now allowed himself to
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  Speaker 1: count the number of weeks upon the trees which he
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  Speaker 1: had marked, and found that he had passed almost thirteen
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  Speaker 1: in this state of solitude. Therefore, the time had arrived
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  Speaker 1: when he might, with probability, hope for relief if his father,
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  Speaker 1: en Sambo, as he had hoped, had been taken out
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  Speaker 1: of the boat and carried back to India or to
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  Speaker 1: some of the island and situate between Africa and Asia.
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  Speaker 1: By this time it might be supposed that they would
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  Speaker 1: find the means of returning. And at all events, this
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  Speaker 1: was the time when the captain said they might begin
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  Speaker 1: to look out for vessels. It was yet rather cool,
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  Speaker 1: but symptoms of spring were already seen, and he would
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  Speaker 1: begin to navigate his boat. Shortly he would manage to
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  Speaker 1: put in a mast, to spread his sail, lay in
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  Speaker 1: a little store, and stand out to sea, and he
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  Speaker 1: would take care that his two pennons were seen flying
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  Speaker 1: at either end of the island. Having contrived with some
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  Speaker 1: flexible branches the frame by which he extricated his tin case,
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  Speaker 1: Charles was induced to try his power of making a
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  Speaker 1: bow and arrow with which to kill the birds necessary
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  Speaker 1: for food, as he became more and more afraid of
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  Speaker 1: using powder, the nearest the time came when it was
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  Speaker 1: likely to aid him in escaping. Having found a paper
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  Speaker 1: of strong needles and bodkins in the work box already mentioned,
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  Speaker 1: he was enabled to manage this business in a short time,
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  Speaker 1: and became by practice and excellent marksman. But he had
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  Speaker 1: much trouble from the insufficient strength of the string, which
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  Speaker 1: was of silk twist found in the same depository. He
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  Speaker 1: also now used the pillowcase as a fishing net in
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  Speaker 1: the little streams, opening the mouth with bamboos, and placing
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  Speaker 1: it in the little falls of the rivulet, and when
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  Speaker 1: any fish went in, drawing it suddenly up, by which
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  Speaker 1: means he gained many delicious meals. But there were times
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  Speaker 1: when he was reduced to nothing but his dates, which
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  Speaker 1: lasted out extremely well, but had quite lost all sweetness
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  Speaker 1: and flavor, and afforded nourishment at length he succeeded in
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  Speaker 1: getting his boat out to sea, and, as he disliked
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  Speaker 1: that side of the island where it lay, as being
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  Speaker 1: frequented by enormous fishes, his first care was to get
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  Speaker 1: round to the little promontory, which he affected very successfully,
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  Speaker 1: contriving to fasten it to the tree from which his
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  Speaker 1: flag was suspended, and on leaving it, waded to the
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  Speaker 1: shore a considerable distance. Having no better method of proceeding,
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  Speaker 1: it was now his constant custom to go every morning
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  Speaker 1: into the highest tree in the island, where he generally
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  Speaker 1: stayed to reconnoiter about an hour. He then returned to
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  Speaker 1: the hut and breakfasted, and afterwards, with pole on his shoulder,
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  Speaker 1: went down to the promontory, taking either his new book
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  Speaker 1: or his Bible, and there he sat where his poor
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  Speaker 1: father had sat before him, from time to time, casting
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  Speaker 1: anxious looks over the wide expanse of ocean around him,
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  Speaker 1: sometimes agitating himself with the idea that he perceived a
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  Speaker 1: far distant sail, but more frequently aware that he saw
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  Speaker 1: nothing beyond light clouds in the horizon, and that the
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  Speaker 1: time had not yet arrived when the ships might be expected.
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  Speaker 1: As he could now clearly perceive the island of Amsterdam.
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  Speaker 1: He could not forbear to fancy that if he could
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  Speaker 1: once reach that one great step would be taken towards
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  Speaker 1: his emancipation. If there are any American sailors there now,
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  Speaker 1: said he, as there was when the Captain was there,
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  Speaker 1: How happy I should be to see them and live
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  Speaker 1: with them, because I speak their language, and they would
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  Speaker 1: be just the same as my countrymen. And if they
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  Speaker 1: took me home to New York or Boston, I should
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  Speaker 1: feel as if I were going to London, and I
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  Speaker 1: could soon be sent thence to England. Or they would
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  Speaker 1: be very glad to use my boat and fetch fresh
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  Speaker 1: water from my island, as they have none of their own.
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  Speaker 1: At all events, I will go and see them. Full
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  Speaker 1: of this idea. One beautiful day, when there was a
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  Speaker 1: very pleasant breeze just in the right direction, Charles shipped
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  Speaker 1: his parrot and his tin case with provisions, hoisting the sail,
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  Speaker 1: which he had contrived to fix with considerable ingenuity in
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  Speaker 1: the manner he had seen practiced by the Hindoos in
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  Speaker 1: their market boats. He soon left his own little island
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  Speaker 1: far behind, and with a hard panting between hope and
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  Speaker 1: fear began to believe he had nearly achieved all his wishes. Well,
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  Speaker 1: recollecting that there was only one place where he could
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  Speaker 1: effect a landing. He kept his eye steadily fixed on
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  Speaker 1: the island, remembering those points mentioned by Captain Gordon, but
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  Speaker 1: became almost appalled as he approached nearer, for its appearance
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  Speaker 1: was forbidding almost terrific. Just at this time he fell
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  Speaker 1: it with a current, which rapidly drew him back, the
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  Speaker 1: kindly breeze having already failed. When he was about midway
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  Speaker 1: between the two islands, he found himself deserted, as it were,
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  Speaker 1: by both wind and current alike, unable to proceed or return,
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  Speaker 1: and his distress much increased by perceiving dark clouds portentous
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  Speaker 1: of rain and probably of storm, gathering over the face
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  Speaker 1: of the sky. Happily, the wind did not obtain much power,
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  Speaker 1: but a severe rain fell, which completely soaked him and
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  Speaker 1: rendered it so dark that he did not dare to proceed,
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  Speaker 1: knowing well there was no safe entrance to his island
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  Speaker 1: in this terrible situation. Therefore, he remained the whole night,
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  Speaker 1: his distress not a little increased by the moanings and
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  Speaker 1: vociferations of the parrot, which he heartily wished he had
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  Speaker 1: left behind. The rain ceased before morning, but it had
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  Speaker 1: left him so drenched, and the boat itself so wet,
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  Speaker 1: that he had scarcely the power to exert himself. And
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  Speaker 1: it was nearly evening the following day when he again
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  Speaker 1: found himself on the shores of his island, and succeeded,
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  Speaker 1: after many laborious efforts to bring his little vessel to
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  Speaker 1: the place whence he had set out. And it was
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  Speaker 1: not without danger that he landed himself and the parrot.
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  Speaker 1: It was with a feeling of an extraordinary nature that
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  Speaker 1: Charles pursued his way to the hut. Often had he thought,
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  Speaker 1: when contemplating the effort he had now made, that if
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  Speaker 1: he should perish in his attempt, it would be a
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  Speaker 1: much better thing than thus to drag on existence, cut
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  Speaker 1: off from all the ties of kindred and the blessings
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  Speaker 1: of social life. He now became fully aware that self
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  Speaker 1: preservation is one of the most abiding propensities of nature,
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  Speaker 1: and that he could not forbear to cherish his life.
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  Speaker 1: Since he was sincerely and warmly thankful to God for
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  Speaker 1: having preserved him from his late danger and restored him
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  Speaker 1: to his humble home, melancholy as it was. His first
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  Speaker 1: care was to take a little food, to which he
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  Speaker 1: drank some brandy and water, having frequently regretted during the
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  Speaker 1: preceding night that he had not placed his flask among
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  Speaker 1: his sea stores. He then proceeded to make a good
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  Speaker 1: fire that he might dry his clothes, and was now
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  Speaker 1: thankful for the old sailor's jacket, which he put on
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  Speaker 1: whilst his own driede taking off his other things by
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  Speaker 1: degrees and holding them till they were dry, as he
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  Speaker 1: durst not leave them out lest the rain should come
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  Speaker 1: on again. Finding himself many times so sleepy that he
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  Speaker 1: was nearly falling, he retired very soon to bed, thankful
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  Speaker 1: for that accommodation he had felt the want of so lately,
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  Speaker 1: and had soon forgotten all his troubles, and was perhaps
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  Speaker 1: in his dreams, wafted over pleasanter seas than those he
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  Speaker 1: had lately proved, and received into a far different dwelling
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  Speaker 1: from that where his weary head was now pillowed. How
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  Speaker 1: long he had continued in that deep sleep which followed
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  Speaker 1: his fatigue, we know not, but when he was awakened
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  Speaker 1: he thought for a moment that it was high noon,
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  Speaker 1: for the hut was full of light, more full, indeed,
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  Speaker 1: than it had been for a long time. He started
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  Speaker 1: up and became sensible of an oppression in his breathing,
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  Speaker 1: which at first he thought might proceed from the parrot
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  Speaker 1: hanging round his throat, as it sometimes did. But no
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  Speaker 1: parrot was there. His hand fell upon him under the bedclothes.
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  Speaker 1: At this moment there was a terrible crackling and hissing,
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  Speaker 1: like the burning of green wood, and instantly he became
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  Speaker 1: sensible that his hut was on fire. Gathering his blanket
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  Speaker 1: and the bird in it closely round him, he rose
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  Speaker 1: and burst resolutely through the stack of burning sticks which
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  Speaker 1: covered the front of his dwelling, and which were so
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  Speaker 1: far consumed that they gave way and crumbled the pieces
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  Speaker 1: as he pressed upon them, and he escaped without injury,
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  Speaker 1: except to his feet, which were a little scorched, but
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  Speaker 1: which he did not feel at the present moment of
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  Speaker 1: terrible alarm. When he had got sufficiently far from the
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  Speaker 1: fire for personal safety, his first care was to see
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  Speaker 1: if he had indeed preserved the parrot, and finding pole
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  Speaker 1: was uninjured save by fright, for the creature trembled exceedingly.
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  Speaker 1: He rolled him in the blanket and ventured again towards
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  Speaker 1: the hut. It was now early morning, but very gloomy.
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  Speaker 1: A slight rain was falling, and Charles earnestly hoped it
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  Speaker 1: would increase, as the only means of preserving the contents
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  Speaker 1: of his hut from destruction. The consequence of losing his mattress, clothes, gun, Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: all his means of existence rushed forcibly on his mind,
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  Speaker 1: and gave him a sense of new sorrow and helplessness,
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  Speaker 1: which almost distracted him. What shall I do, he cried
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  Speaker 1: in angony O, My God, have pity upon me, Have
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  Speaker 1: pity upon me. The sound of his voice alarmed the
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  Speaker 1: parrot anew, and the poor creature screamed so loud that
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  Speaker 1: Charles was called upon by his humanity, which never forsook
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  Speaker 1: him to return to it. He thought that perhaps, in
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  Speaker 1: his fright, he had smothered the poor bird, and he
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  Speaker 1: hastened to unroll the blanket and liberate the sufferer. In
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  Speaker 1: doing this he regained the presence of mind so necessary
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  Speaker 1: for himself. He recollected, hearing that a wet blanket was
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  Speaker 1: an excellent thing for putting out fire, and he lost
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  Speaker 1: not a moment in plunging this into the stream and
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  Speaker 1: then carrying it all dripping to his hut when he
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  Speaker 1: again stepped through the hot ashes and spread it over
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  Speaker 1: the place, which was just beginning to take fire. The
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  Speaker 1: heat and smoke were at this moment quite suffocating. Yet
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  Speaker 1: conscious of his own wet state, he stopped to snatch
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  Speaker 1: his shoes and an empty calabash with which he made
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  Speaker 1: so many journeys to the spring that, with the assistance
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  Speaker 1: of the rain, he had soon the satisfaction of believing
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  Speaker 1: that the danger was over and the content of his
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  Speaker 1: hut safe. Though damaged, the smell was intolerable, the smoke oppressive,
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  Speaker 1: but the danger was past. Had it occurred in summer,
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  Speaker 1: the whole island would unquestionably have been on fire, like
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  Speaker 1: that of Madeira soon after its discovery. Kneeling down within
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  Speaker 1: sight of the smoldering spot, Charles devoutly thanked his almighty
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  Speaker 1: preserver for his almost miraculous delivery from an awful and
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  Speaker 1: terrible death, and under the impression thus made professed himself
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  Speaker 1: humbly resigned to enduring the evils of life and that
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  Speaker 1: way which it might please his heavenly father to inflict,
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  Speaker 1: entreating that he might in all things be enabled to
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  Speaker 1: save from his heart not my will, but thine be done.
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  Speaker 1: When he rose from his knees, Paul flew up upon
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  Speaker 1: his shoulder, and in his usual way, intimated his desire
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  Speaker 1: for breakfast. After throwing a few more gallons of water
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  Speaker 1: about the place, Charles took the only method of complying
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  Speaker 1: with his request, now convenient, by setting off for the boat.
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  Speaker 1: The morning was exceedingly misty, so that it was of
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  Speaker 1: no use to climb the trees which he had passed
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  Speaker 1: in his road, but by the time he arrived the
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  Speaker 1: sun shone pleasantly and the rain seamed over. He stripped
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  Speaker 1: off his clothes, thinking that a sea bathe would do
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  Speaker 1: him good, and on getting to the boat, found the
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  Speaker 1: tin case and the shawls sail perfectly safe. But he
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  Speaker 1: brought them both away with him, and on his return
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  Speaker 1: sat down and breakfasted as well as pole. Though the
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  Speaker 1: repeated frights he had suffered in the last forty eight
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  Speaker 1: hours and the great fatigue he had gone through made
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  Speaker 1: him feel so unwell that for a short time he
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  Speaker 1: was afraid that the fever was returning. After sitting two
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  Speaker 1: hours quietly and reading two or three chapters in the
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  Speaker 1: New Testament, his Bible having been left in his tin box.
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  Speaker 1: He felt himself much recovered and not doubting. But the
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  Speaker 1: smoke was now entirely gone. He determined on returning to
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  Speaker 1: the hut and examining the extent of his loss, concluding
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  Speaker 1: with great truth that although he should have occasion for
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  Speaker 1: much toil in setting his little homestead to rights, yet
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  Speaker 1: that very thing he saw would remind him of the
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  Speaker 1: goodness and mercy of God, whose eye must be over
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  Speaker 1: all his works. Since he had looked upon him in
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  Speaker 1: this desert corner, Ah, exclaimed he as he pressed the
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  Speaker 1: blessed volume to his lips in which he had been reading.
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  Speaker 1: It is indeed plain that though I am a poor,
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  Speaker 1: useless child, and often a naughty one too, I am
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  Speaker 1: of more value than many sparrows. Yet even they are
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  Speaker 1: cared for by Him who created them. End of Chapter
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  Speaker 1: seven recording by Adam