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

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Speaker 1: The Young Croissoe or The Shipwrecked Boy by Barbara Hofland,
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Speaker 1: Chapter six, opens his box the Contents, opens the locker
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Speaker 1: of the boat, kills two birds. Finds a biscuit case
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Speaker 1: frightened with small serpents, parrot in danger, contrivance forgetting his
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Speaker 1: tin case, finds a book in jacket pocket. It was
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Speaker 1: Charles's great object to obtain entrance into the box, but
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Speaker 1: by no means to break it in pieces. He had
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Speaker 1: found it a difficult matter to construct a table on
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Speaker 1: which to place his necessaries, and he was aware that
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Speaker 1: he had no means of replacing his seat. By calculating
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Speaker 1: the strength required for making a sufficient aperture, he had
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Speaker 1: the satisfaction of making a large hole in the lid
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Speaker 1: without shattering it, And he then dragged it back again,
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Speaker 1: eager to examine the contents, and earnestly hoping that he
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Speaker 1: should find it contained the clothes of a very small
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Speaker 1: gentleman who had been drowned with the rest of the
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Speaker 1: passengers when their ship was wrecked, to the great mortification
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Speaker 1: of poor Charles. The uppermost thing in the box was
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Speaker 1: a number of ostrich feathers, carefully enclosed in silk handkerchiefs.
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Speaker 1: What a very foolish person, cried he must the owner
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Speaker 1: of this box, have been to pack up such paltry
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Speaker 1: things as feathers. Why all this end of the island
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Speaker 1: is full of feathers, and in my opinion, much more
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Speaker 1: beautiful ones than these, and I have never picked up
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Speaker 1: any of them. Well, let us see a little farther.
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Speaker 1: He next drew out a piece of muslin as thin
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Speaker 1: as a cobweb, sprigged with gold. The poor boy shook
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Speaker 1: his head. A piece of silver muslin, followed, then a
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Speaker 1: case of trinkets, and after that a beautiful gown of
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Speaker 1: china crape. What a great deal of trouble I have
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Speaker 1: taken for nothing, cried Charles, looking towards his parrot as
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Speaker 1: if asking for sympathy. Don't despair, my dear boy, cried Paul,
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Speaker 1: winking his eyes and shaking his head very significantly. Something
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Speaker 1: soft to the touch now encouraged the seeker, and he
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Speaker 1: drew forth a large camel's hair shawl, on which he
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Speaker 1: gazed with great delight, knowing that it was both the
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Speaker 1: lightest and warmest of all substances, and that he could
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Speaker 1: fold it about his body in such a manner as
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Speaker 1: to afford him great relief from the severest weather. Next
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Speaker 1: came some linen garments, which, although not of the form
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Speaker 1: he desired, were yet very welcome, as were also some
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Speaker 1: silk stockings and kid's shoes. I wish, said Charles, they
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Speaker 1: had been worsted stockings and stout shoes. But these will
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Speaker 1: be better than nothing, for I can twist grass ropes
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Speaker 1: all over them. And here is another shawl, a great beauty,
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Speaker 1: worked with a gold border, and altogether thick and strong.
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Speaker 1: Of this I will make a sail. When I put
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Speaker 1: my boat in order, it will be just the thing
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Speaker 1: for it. The next thing was a lady's dressing box,
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Speaker 1: in which, to his great joy, were needles and thread,
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Speaker 1: with a pen, knife, scissors, inkstandish writing paper and pens.
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Speaker 1: This was a great treasure. Indeed, there was also a
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Speaker 1: purse with money in it, and some rings, but as
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Speaker 1: they were quite useless, they scarcely drew his eye. But
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Speaker 1: at the bottom there were some valuable furs, intended probably
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Speaker 1: for muffs or trimmings. Of these, Charles determined to make
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Speaker 1: himself some sort of cap, having no other covering for
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Speaker 1: his head than a kind of turban formed for him
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Speaker 1: by his papa out of the captain's pillow case, as
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Speaker 1: he had been without his hat at the time of
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Speaker 1: the wreck. The first use which he made of his
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Speaker 1: prize was to take the largest skin and make it
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Speaker 1: as well as he could into a bag, into which
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Speaker 1: he put the parchments and jewels of poor Captain Gordon,
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Speaker 1: and sewed them carefully up, determining since the weather was
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Speaker 1: so cold to wear them at present about his person.
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Speaker 1: I am but a young guardian, said he for the
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Speaker 1: widow and the fatherless. But I will be a careful one.
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Speaker 1: Many and many a time. Do I fear that my
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Speaker 1: poor father and Sambo were stolen from this island by
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Speaker 1: pirates or some kind of bad people. And if, by
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Speaker 1: the poor boy's con fashion or my papa's entreaties, they
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Speaker 1: should return here to take me and what else they
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Speaker 1: might find, by this means, I might save the property
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Speaker 1: and send it some time to the true owner. When
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Speaker 1: any idea of his papa's imprisonment or suffering got possession
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Speaker 1: of Charles's mind, it gave him such a deep sorrow
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Speaker 1: that he was compelled to drive it from him, either
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Speaker 1: by setting out on some little expedition or reading in
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Speaker 1: his Bible. He now thought the best thing he could
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Speaker 1: do was to write, and became impatient to try. Unfortunately,
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Speaker 1: he had no table, and if he turned up the
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Speaker 1: box to make it one, he had no seat, And
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Speaker 1: with all his care to keep the hut dry, it
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Speaker 1: was still damp on the ground. He was therefore obliged
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Speaker 1: to renounce this amusement for the present and employ himself
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Speaker 1: in restoring the contents of the box to their old place,
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Speaker 1: as well as he was able. But this was no
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Speaker 1: easy matter. Whilst he was doing this, he recollected that
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Speaker 1: he had never explored the locker of the boat, in
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Speaker 1: which it was possible there might be something useful in
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Speaker 1: which he might enter by the same key which had
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Speaker 1: opened the box. And as he must now endeavor to
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Speaker 1: shoot a bird, of which there were great numbers on
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Speaker 1: the island, he might as well go on the morrow.
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Speaker 1: Yet surely his first care ought to be given to
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Speaker 1: the dates, which were too probably all spoiling, in which
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Speaker 1: the parrot greatly needed in the multiplicity of his business.
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Speaker 1: On this eventful night, he almost forgot his desolate situation.
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Speaker 1: But the cold wind which blew through his little den,
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Speaker 1: and the insufficient food he had taken compelled him to
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Speaker 1: remember it, and he crept to bed to forget his
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Speaker 1: wants and his cares in sleep, but not till he
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Speaker 1: had devoutly thanked God for the blessings which remained to him.
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Speaker 1: The next day, Charles opened out his dates and had
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Speaker 1: the satisfaction to find that, except the topmost layers, they
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Speaker 1: remained uninjured. He took out a stock for several days
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Speaker 1: and covered the remainder with more care than before, heaping
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Speaker 1: up the sand over them in the form of a pyramid,
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Speaker 1: by which means he not only saved them from any
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Speaker 1: future rain, but marked the place where they were laid.
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Speaker 1: He had not much fear of the winter, for he
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Speaker 1: knew the climate here must be warmer than in Bombay,
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Speaker 1: and of the frost and snow of England. He had
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Speaker 1: no recollection, and he reflected with some comfort that his
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Speaker 1: food would now keep a much longer time than it
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Speaker 1: used to. He now went towards the shore, where many
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Speaker 1: aquatic birds were assembled together, apparently preparing for flight. They
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Speaker 1: had come in great numbers just before the rain, and
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Speaker 1: seemed now about to return to the neighboring island. Thinking
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Speaker 1: he ought to lose no time, Charles, who had by
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Speaker 1: this time become very expert, shot two of them, which
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Speaker 1: were large and very beautiful, somewhat resembling geese, but with
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Speaker 1: much greater beauty of plumage. As he knew that birds
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Speaker 1: of this description have generally a fishy, disagreeable taste, it
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Speaker 1: struck him that if he could cook them with some
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Speaker 1: of the hot pickle, which he had not yet tasted,
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Speaker 1: as he never liked anything of it that kind, it
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Speaker 1: would render them more palatable and make them keep longer. Accordingly,
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Speaker 1: he took them to the hut, stripped off their skins
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Speaker 1: with the feathers, and having with a great deal of trouble,
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Speaker 1: cut them to pieces. He put part of them into
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Speaker 1: the kettle with a little water and some of the pickle,
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Speaker 1: and stewed them gently for a long time until all
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Speaker 1: was done, when he put them into a calabash, which
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Speaker 1: he called a tureen. The gourds, which are so called,
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Speaker 1: grow all over India, and are used in many places
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Speaker 1: by the natives as saucepans, for they will bear the
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Speaker 1: action of fire exceedingly well. But on this island they
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Speaker 1: did not grow to a large size. Charles had provided
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Speaker 1: himself with several that he might never have his hut
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Speaker 1: without a supply of water, which he frequently wanted in
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Speaker 1: the night, and also to put his food into as
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Speaker 1: in the present instances. He did not find his new
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Speaker 1: cookery half so good as the turtle had been, but
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Speaker 1: it was very welcome to hungry boy, and very nutritious.
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Speaker 1: The hot spices likewise answered the purpose, and he found
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Speaker 1: that he might now be easy on the subject of
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Speaker 1: eating for two or three days, as both himself and
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Speaker 1: Paul were provided for. He therefore wrapped himself up as
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Speaker 1: well as he could, took his gun on his shoulder,
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Speaker 1: and set out to make his usual circuit of the island.
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Speaker 1: Everywhere he was struck with a quantity of fallen leaves
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Speaker 1: and the feathers that were flying about, and he had
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Speaker 1: frequently great difficulty in pursuing his way. He found the
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Speaker 1: sheet still flapping in the air at the end of
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Speaker 1: the island, his great satisfaction, as he had feared that
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Speaker 1: it was lost, and he knew that he could not
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Speaker 1: have fastened any other thing so well as his father
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Speaker 1: had done. This. He then went forward, and in due
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Speaker 1: time reached the beach where he left the boat, which
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Speaker 1: was now riding on the water, but appeared perfectly safe
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Speaker 1: and sound, to his great satisfaction, and as he was
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Speaker 1: naturally a courageous boy and very fond of the water,
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Speaker 1: his heart throbbed with delight at the idea of setting
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Speaker 1: out in this little vessel and sailing over the wide sea,
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Speaker 1: which at this moment lay like a clear blue mirror
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Speaker 1: before him. Being extremely anxious to secure it, he tightened
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Speaker 1: the ropes and drew it a little nearer to the shore,
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Speaker 1: when his desire to examine it so far influenced him
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Speaker 1: that he waded into the water and got into it,
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Speaker 1: and was rewarded for his exertion by finding a turtle
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Speaker 1: within it, which had probably been washed into it by
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Speaker 1: the late commotion of the elements. Having turned the creature
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Speaker 1: on its back, he began his preparation for shooting open
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Speaker 1: the locker of the boat, but soon found that with
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Speaker 1: the help of a stone, he could open it by
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Speaker 1: taking the little pains, and he was of poorse glad
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Speaker 1: to save powder. To his joy and surprise, the locker
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Speaker 1: was quite full of something, and as it was always
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Speaker 1: likely that the poor people who took refuge in the
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Speaker 1: boat would take with them what supplies they could procure.
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Speaker 1: In the terror and hurry of the moment, Charles felt
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Speaker 1: surprised to think that he had hitherto overlooked such a
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Speaker 1: material probability. How often said he have I been hungry
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Speaker 1: since this boat was driven on shore, and above all
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Speaker 1: things distressed for a bit of bread to eat with
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Speaker 1: my coffee. And all the time there was a case
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Speaker 1: of biscuits lying here. Here is some beef, also, I declare,
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Speaker 1: and a pair of trousers. They are a great prize.
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Speaker 1: And here is something rolled up in this jacket. It
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Speaker 1: is a little keg, and most probably has brandy in it,
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Speaker 1: And even that may be useful to me. The bitter
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Speaker 1: hot liquid in the captain's bottle did me a great
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Speaker 1: deal of good when I was so weak and ill,
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Speaker 1: I remember. The next question was how he could get
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Speaker 1: these things home. The biscuits were in a tin case
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Speaker 1: and appeared to have been something of a superior quality,
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Speaker 1: probably having belonged to some delicate female, And though they
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Speaker 1: were now far from their first state, were too valuable
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Speaker 1: to be parted with. And these he resolved in the
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Speaker 1: first place to secure, together with the turtle. The latter
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Speaker 1: he tied with the grass bands, which he had twisted
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Speaker 1: round his ankles fast by the claws and swung it over
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Speaker 1: his neck. In the tin case he took under his
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Speaker 1: right arm, and jumping into the water, he took hold
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Speaker 1: of the rope with the left hand, and so guided
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Speaker 1: himself to the land. He found it very difficult to
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Speaker 1: wade through the sand when he was so much loaded,
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Speaker 1: and when he got out of the water, his feet
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Speaker 1: and ankles were exceedingly cold for want of the grass bands,
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Speaker 1: as he had worn them constantly ever since the rain.
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Speaker 1: In consequence of this feeling, he thought he would go
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Speaker 1: across the island by a nearer cut than usual to
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Speaker 1: get to his hut. And as the leaves were fallen,
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Speaker 1: he knew he could see his way, and accordingly he
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Speaker 1: pushed into the most woody part of the plain. Charles
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Speaker 1: had soon great reason to believe that the nearest way
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Speaker 1: was nevertheless the farthest, for he had much difficulty, being
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Speaker 1: so loaded, to push his way through the brushwood, and
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Speaker 1: the load of his back rendered him several times in
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Speaker 1: danger of being suffocated, for when the trees caught the turtle,
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Speaker 1: the bandage was suddenly drawn across his throat. He had
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Speaker 1: many times obliged to stop and lay down his tin
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Speaker 1: case whilst he had just dust at his other loath,
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Speaker 1: and he could not help observing that sometimes riches themselves
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Speaker 1: were very burdensome. His spirits were, however, greatly elevated the
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Speaker 1: air for the first time, since the rain was pure
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Speaker 1: and clear, and the sight of the calm, open sea,
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Speaker 1: the soundness of the boat, and the acquisitions found in
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Speaker 1: it had all contributed to give him spirits, and he
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Speaker 1: tried to keep them up by whistling and contriving where
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Speaker 1: he should stow his new found property. When he had
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Speaker 1: proceeded about two thirds of the way and began to
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Speaker 1: seek his almanac trees near the hut, he again put
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Speaker 1: down his case and stood to rest himself for a
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Speaker 1: few minutes. At this time he was surprised to hear
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Speaker 1: a low, rustling noise which did not at all resemble
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Speaker 1: those sounds made by the boundings of the hares with
12:46
Speaker 1: which he was well acquainted. He thought, however, that it
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Speaker 1: might possibly be some of their young when in a
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Speaker 1: very feeble state, so he stooped down to look at them,
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Speaker 1: judge of his surprise. His absolute horror on seaying what
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Speaker 1: appeared to be a whole nest of small green serpents
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Speaker 1: issuing on every side from under the tin case. Of
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Speaker 1: all other things, Charles had the most utmost aversion from
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Speaker 1: a snake or any of the serpent tribe. The dreadful
13:15
Speaker 1: tales he had heard in Bombay of the Cobra Capello
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Speaker 1: had greatly increased this feeling, and he would have preferred
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Speaker 1: meeting a tiger. Forcing himself through all impediments, he scampered
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Speaker 1: away as fast as possible towards the sands of the shore,
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Speaker 1: well knowing that the viprous animals he dreaded never exposed
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Speaker 1: their delicate skins to the rough stones and gravel, Nor
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Speaker 1: did he dare once to take a breath or look
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Speaker 1: behind him, till he found his feet wounded by those
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Speaker 1: welcome safeguards. On arriving at his hut, he was not
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Speaker 1: only wearied, but very uneasy. He had hitherto believed the
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Speaker 1: island to be entirely free from those noxious reptiles, and
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Speaker 1: he was aware that his ignorance had been happiness to him,
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Speaker 1: and that he could never again walk about with the
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Speaker 1: same fearless ease to which he had been accustomed. He
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Speaker 1: had also lost his precious case of biscuits in his fright,
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Speaker 1: and he thought it would be the height of imprudence
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Speaker 1: to return, for it. Had he come the old road,
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Speaker 1: all this vexation would have been spared him. The reptiles
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Speaker 1: were still a long way from him. It was possible
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Speaker 1: that they might be harmless, and it was very probable
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Speaker 1: that they lived entirely on that spot, as he had
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Speaker 1: never seen any before, even when he went to his church,
14:29
Speaker 1: which was a cluster of trees through the way to
14:32
Speaker 1: which he had always to encounter the same impediments of
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Speaker 1: brushwood that he had met with this morning. Having devoutly
14:39
Speaker 1: thanked God for the danger from which he had escaped,
14:42
Speaker 1: his first care was to replace the grass bands with
14:45
Speaker 1: which his ankles had been wrapped, their present nakedness, rendering
14:48
Speaker 1: his past danger the more striking. This was easily done,
14:53
Speaker 1: as he had a considerable quantity of long dried grass,
14:56
Speaker 1: or rather hay within the hut, where he held it
15:00
Speaker 1: up for the purpose of giving general warmth and to
15:02
Speaker 1: help the quick lighting of his fire. When he had
15:05
Speaker 1: accomplished this, he made two long stout ropes on which
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Speaker 1: to sling the other packages, and having placed his turtle
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Speaker 1: in a secure place. He once more set out for
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Speaker 1: the boat, fearing lest his gun, which was in it,
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Speaker 1: should be injured. This time he went safely, but he
15:22
Speaker 1: could not bring away the barrel, even by the aid
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Speaker 1: of his ropes. So he determined to take away the
15:26
Speaker 1: contents by degrees as he should want them, seeing that
15:30
Speaker 1: they were in such a situation that only extreme necessity
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Speaker 1: could compel him to have recourse to such food. The
15:36
Speaker 1: jacket and trousers were, on the contrary, most welcome things,
15:40
Speaker 1: especially as they had belonged to a small man, and
15:43
Speaker 1: he had no doubt but with his newly acquired implements
15:46
Speaker 1: of needle, thread and scissors, he should soon render them
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Speaker 1: very comfortable fitting things. It was well for Charles that
15:54
Speaker 1: he was so completely tired that he could not forbear
15:56
Speaker 1: to sleep soundly on this night, otherwise he would probably
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Speaker 1: spent an uneasy time thinking of the serpents. The next morning,
16:04
Speaker 1: he was so very busy that in a great measure
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Speaker 1: they went out of his head. His first care was
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Speaker 1: to examine the trousers in the pocket, of which he found,
16:12
Speaker 1: to his great delight a comb, a knife for cutting
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Speaker 1: bread and cheese, and a purse with a marriage certificate.
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Speaker 1: In it a testimonial of good conduct to one John Fleming,
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Speaker 1: written by Captain Gordon, and a few shillings. The tears
16:27
Speaker 1: sprang to Charles's eyes as he recollected that both the
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Speaker 1: writer and the poor man written for were now no more,
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Speaker 1: and that of all that noble ship's company, it was
16:37
Speaker 1: but too probable that he alone survived. For surely, if
16:41
Speaker 1: his dear father had lived before this time, he would
16:44
Speaker 1: have been able to have sent or come for him.
16:48
Speaker 1: It seemed now too plain a case that he had
16:50
Speaker 1: no father, that his relations mourned for him as dead,
16:54
Speaker 1: and would therefore never seek for him. No, his fate
16:57
Speaker 1: was evident. He must die in this solitude, or venture
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Speaker 1: out in the boat and perish at sea, for how little,
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Speaker 1: how very little chance he had for being seen and
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Speaker 1: taken up in this wide ocean. Charles wept long and
17:14
Speaker 1: bitterly at this, as he had frequently done before, when
17:17
Speaker 1: the thoughts of his dear father's death came into his mind.
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Speaker 1: But he was roused from his present sorrow by a
17:23
Speaker 1: loud screaming of birds at a little distance, amongst which
17:27
Speaker 1: he fancied the voice of his own parrot might be distinguished.
17:31
Speaker 1: On looking, he saw that his cage was empty, and
17:34
Speaker 1: as he had of late, either kept within or gone
17:37
Speaker 1: about the hut at his pleasure. It struck Charles that
17:40
Speaker 1: he had gone abroad too far and was got again
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Speaker 1: into some kind of danger, and he eagerly flew out
17:47
Speaker 1: to seek him, calling him at the same time as
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Speaker 1: loud as he could. At a little distance, he found,
17:53
Speaker 1: to his sorrow, poor Paul in great distress, as three
17:56
Speaker 1: parrots surrounded him and were violently pecking in ill tree,
18:00
Speaker 1: eating him. Whilst fluttering his wings and unable to defend himself,
18:04
Speaker 1: he screamed out propria que marabous, Captain Gordon ahoy, And
18:10
Speaker 1: when the boldest pounced forward as if to destroy him,
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Speaker 1: his cry was never despair, my dear boy. Charles often
18:18
Speaker 1: laughed afterwards when he recollected poor Paul's display of learning
18:22
Speaker 1: at this time, but he was at the moment too
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Speaker 1: angry and too much frightened to smile, For it will
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Speaker 1: be readily believed the parrot was of great consequence to
18:31
Speaker 1: his master. Taking up the instrument he called his spear,
18:35
Speaker 1: which we have already mentioned, he flew to the spot,
18:37
Speaker 1: and just as the largest opponent of his bird was
18:40
Speaker 1: again pouncing upon Paul. He gave it a blow which
18:43
Speaker 1: proved fatal as he fell down upon his unresisting foe,
18:48
Speaker 1: and Charles took them both together. The rest of the
18:51
Speaker 1: noisy tribe took to flight, and poor Paul soon nestled
18:55
Speaker 1: into his master's bosom, who found his feathers torn and
18:58
Speaker 1: his neck bleeding to his gris great sorrow. On taking
19:02
Speaker 1: up a bird he had killed, he found him remarkably
19:05
Speaker 1: large and more beautiful than any he had ever seen,
19:08
Speaker 1: and he wished he could have taken him alive and
19:10
Speaker 1: tamed him, as however, what was past could not be recalled,
19:15
Speaker 1: and he recollected that these birds were good eating. He
19:18
Speaker 1: proceeded to dress and roast him, and found that parrot
19:21
Speaker 1: was good food as well as company. Thinking it probable
19:24
Speaker 1: that his lady's dressing box might probably contain lip salve
19:28
Speaker 1: or something of the same kind, which might be serviceable
19:32
Speaker 1: to poor Paul's wounds, he searched it carefully found a
19:35
Speaker 1: bottle of cold cream, and he also saw that in
19:38
Speaker 1: the lid there was a looking glass. Nobody can conceive
19:42
Speaker 1: how Charles started when he beheld his own face. It
19:46
Speaker 1: almost frightened him. His complexion was tanned from continual exposure
19:51
Speaker 1: to the elements, till he was almost this color of sambo.
19:55
Speaker 1: His hair was grown prodigiously, and as it was always
19:57
Speaker 1: a curly nature, it stuck out like an old matted wig.
20:01
Speaker 1: And as he had no shirt collar, and his clothes
20:03
Speaker 1: consisted of all colors and shapes, his array was more
20:07
Speaker 1: like that of a gipsy than a gentleman. It is
20:11
Speaker 1: a lucky thing, said he, that nobody sees me, but
20:14
Speaker 1: a still better that I have now got a pair
20:16
Speaker 1: of scissors, a comb, and above all half a dozen
20:20
Speaker 1: pieces of sweet smelling soap. I am determined now to
20:24
Speaker 1: make myself very neat and comfortable. Accordingly, Charles cut off
20:30
Speaker 1: a considerable quantity of his profuse locks, and very prudently
20:33
Speaker 1: rubbed his head with a little brandy. And he took
20:36
Speaker 1: great pains in constructing a cap which would somewhat shade
20:39
Speaker 1: his face, being aware that his eyes would be benefited
20:42
Speaker 1: from it, not less than his complexion. For this purpose
20:45
Speaker 1: he contrived a cap both inside and out, of a
20:48
Speaker 1: beautiful skin. In the crown part and for the brim
20:51
Speaker 1: he got those large palm leaves which the Native Indians
20:54
Speaker 1: use as umbrellas, which he cut and fastened so that
20:57
Speaker 1: they shaded both his eyes and shoulders, yet could be
21:01
Speaker 1: for convenience turned up in a moment, finding he became
21:05
Speaker 1: expert by practice. He next contrived to make the sailor's
21:08
Speaker 1: trousers tie down under his feet, and so altered the
21:11
Speaker 1: buttons that they could be made to fasten round his waist.
21:15
Speaker 1: Finding this additional clothing not only a relief from the cold,
21:18
Speaker 1: but a probable guard from the enemies he most dreaded.
21:22
Speaker 1: The following day was Sunday, and he hoped to get
21:25
Speaker 1: once more to his church, which was one reason why
21:27
Speaker 1: he hastened his work. I know, he said, it can
21:31
Speaker 1: make no difference whether I go to church or stay home,
21:34
Speaker 1: seeing I have no sermon to hear, nor any Christian
21:36
Speaker 1: people to meet. Yet I do like to get up
21:39
Speaker 1: into my tree and consider that I am employed in
21:42
Speaker 1: looking up to God for help and protection at the
21:45
Speaker 1: same moment when my dear mother and sister are looking
21:48
Speaker 1: up to Him for me, that I am reading what
21:51
Speaker 1: they are reading and thinking as they think. Besides, I
21:55
Speaker 1: like to look over the wide sea when it is calm,
21:57
Speaker 1: and think by and by I shall get a cross it,
22:01
Speaker 1: and when I am able to see the island of Amsterdam,
22:04
Speaker 1: I always fancy myself a step nearer to the world.
22:08
Speaker 1: With these reasons, Charles so far reassured himself that, with
22:11
Speaker 1: his spear in hand, he once more set out for
22:14
Speaker 1: his place of worship, and, climbing into his usual branch,
22:17
Speaker 1: read prayed and sung for about an hour. As he descended,
22:21
Speaker 1: he cast many anxious looks around, but he saw nothing
22:24
Speaker 1: of the serpents, and he could perceive at no very
22:27
Speaker 1: great distance his own tin canister, and he therefore concluded
22:32
Speaker 1: on the following day he would make an effort to
22:34
Speaker 1: recover it, by climbing from tree to tree till he
22:37
Speaker 1: arrived over the spot where it was, and then pushing
22:40
Speaker 1: it from place to place with his spear. On second thoughts,
22:45
Speaker 1: as it seemed likely for rain, he thought it best
22:48
Speaker 1: to do it now, For as he had been reading
22:51
Speaker 1: that the disciples plucked corn on the Sabbath to appease
22:53
Speaker 1: their hunger, he thought it was lawful for him to
22:57
Speaker 1: secure that bread, which he had lately received as a
22:59
Speaker 1: mista vicial gift of providence. He soon accomplished the task
23:04
Speaker 1: of reaching the spot, for he had become almost as
23:07
Speaker 1: nimble as a squirrel, several of which pretty animals he
23:10
Speaker 1: found in these large trees. But when he stooped down
23:13
Speaker 1: his spear to move the canister, he found that it
23:16
Speaker 1: went every way but the right, and there was so
23:19
Speaker 1: much brushwood about the place it was impossible to move
23:22
Speaker 1: it more than a quarter of a yard at a time.
23:24
Speaker 1: He however, got it into a good position for removing
23:28
Speaker 1: by a new plan, which on the following day he
23:31
Speaker 1: thus affected. Having got three nice long sticks of the
23:35
Speaker 1: willow kind, he tied them very well in the bow
23:38
Speaker 1: form to three others, and then took two strong slips,
23:42
Speaker 1: to which he tied them at equal distances, making a
23:45
Speaker 1: thing something like a coal shovel, to which he suspended
23:48
Speaker 1: a cord. With this and his spear, he went again
23:51
Speaker 1: as before into the trees and let down his willow
23:54
Speaker 1: net with much care, close to the tin case, hoping
23:57
Speaker 1: that he should be able to catch it and hook
23:59
Speaker 1: it up. He having secured one end so that he
24:02
Speaker 1: if he managed to get it in at one side,
24:05
Speaker 1: it should not slip out at the other. Often did
24:08
Speaker 1: he now wish that, like Robinson Crusoe, he had possessed
24:12
Speaker 1: a sagacious animal that could have given him a little assistance,
24:16
Speaker 1: But as after above two hours trial he found it
24:19
Speaker 1: would not go in without a little lift, at length
24:23
Speaker 1: he let himself down by the bows till he could
24:25
Speaker 1: reach it with one hand and slip it into the trap.
24:29
Speaker 1: He then got up again into the tree, and, drawing
24:32
Speaker 1: the cord very steadily, had the satisfaction of finding himself
24:36
Speaker 1: in possession of that which was to him a richer
24:39
Speaker 1: prize than all the diamonds of Golconda. It was, however,
24:45
Speaker 1: a most difficult thing for him to travel back again
24:47
Speaker 1: from bow to bow and tree to tree with this
24:50
Speaker 1: cumbersome package and his spear also. Nevertheless, but being careful
24:54
Speaker 1: and patient, he at length effected it. When he got
24:58
Speaker 1: near home, he placed the tin case in the sand
25:00
Speaker 1: and threw many calabashes of water over it, and wiped
25:03
Speaker 1: it very clean with one of the silk handkerchiefs he
25:05
Speaker 1: had found in the box before he carried it into
25:08
Speaker 1: his hut, for he thought that many of the serpents
25:11
Speaker 1: had gone over it and perhaps left a poisonous slime
25:14
Speaker 1: upon it. Well, now said he I have got something
25:19
Speaker 1: steady on which I can lean to write. I will
25:22
Speaker 1: empty the biscuits into my leaves and calabashes, and fetch
25:25
Speaker 1: loads of sand in the tin case, till I have
25:28
Speaker 1: raised up a kind of table, on the top of
25:30
Speaker 1: which I can lay the lids steady. And then I
25:33
Speaker 1: can write nicely with a little silver pen or the
25:36
Speaker 1: nice pencil that is in the work box. And if
25:39
Speaker 1: it should be slippery, I can lay the sailor's jacket
25:42
Speaker 1: over it. With these words, Charles took up the jacket
25:45
Speaker 1: to see if it would answer the purpose. He then
25:48
Speaker 1: looked for the pockets, and to his equal surprise and delight,
25:51
Speaker 1: found in one of them a book and a roll
25:54
Speaker 1: of old songs, and in the other tobacco box. The
25:57
Speaker 1: book was a volume of Cook's voyages. May readily suppose
26:01
Speaker 1: it appeared, at the present moment of more value to
26:03
Speaker 1: the poor boy than all he had met with before.
26:06
Speaker 1: It was like meeting a friend in a strange land.
26:09
Speaker 1: The pleasures of sympathy and companionship seemed to visit his cell.
26:14
Speaker 1: Lighting his lamp and closing his door, he began to
26:17
Speaker 1: read with all the avidity natural to a young and
26:19
Speaker 1: curious mind, and probably continue to do so for great
26:23
Speaker 1: part of the night, for the subjects were of a
26:25
Speaker 1: nature particularly to interest one who, young as he was,
26:29
Speaker 1: had experienced so much of the dangers and distresses to
26:32
Speaker 1: which seamen are subject. At length, he recollected himself and exclaimed,
26:37
Speaker 1: what a treat this book is to me. But I
26:39
Speaker 1: must not allow it to spend any more of my oil,
26:42
Speaker 1: especially now I have got food beforehand and can read
26:45
Speaker 1: it by daylight. Let me thank God that I am
26:48
Speaker 1: not eaten as poor Captain Cook was by a parcel
26:51
Speaker 1: of cannibal wretches. I see there is nothing so bad
26:54
Speaker 1: in my situation as it might have been. I had
26:58
Speaker 1: rather be as I am than make a feat east,
27:00
Speaker 1: for a carib will become a slave to an Algerine.
27:03
Speaker 1: If I keep clear of the snakes, I shall do
27:06
Speaker 1: very well. Yet at least I will continue to hope
27:08
Speaker 1: so end of chapter six recording by Chieco