means of assisting us.
They took with them nearly all the water that remained--leaving overseventy people to depend on the milk of cocoa-nuts as a substitute.
To go out to sea in an open boat, with but a short allowance of water,and some salt beef, was not a very pleasant undertaking; but the captainand his crew seemed highly elated at even this opportunity of gettingaway from the island. They preferred their chances to ours.
Although the island was small, there was a sufficient quantity of fruitgrowing upon it to have supported us for many weeks. The chief troubleto be apprehended, was from the lawless wretches who comprised a largeminority of the passengers.
After the shipwreck, these men became possessed with the idea: that theywere no longer to be under any restraint. The only law they appeareddisposed to regard was, that of might; and there was a sufficient numberof them to give trouble should they combine in any evil design.
The old convicts, of course, felt sympathy for, and aided one another,while those of the passengers that were honestly inclined, gavethemselves too little concern, on the score of combination.
The consequences were, that matters soon proceeded to a state ofdangerous insubordination; and each hour it was becoming more evident,that those who wished to live without molesting others, or beingmolested themselves, must enter into a league against the scoundrels,who would otherwise devote the whole community to destruction.
Volume Two, Chapter XII.
GOVERNMENT AGREED UPON.
The more respectable of the castaways were now convinced that some formof government was necessary; and that it should be a strong one. Somewho had been willing to acknowledge the authority of the officers of thebrig while aboard their craft, would now no longer concede it to them;and yet authority of some kind was essential to our salvation.
We had much to do. The boat had gone away in search of assistance. Itmight be lost; and the captain and crew along with it. Even if theyshould succeed in reaching some inhabited land, they might never returnto us? There was no wisdom in trusting to that source for relief. Wemust do something for ourselves.
A new vessel might be built from the materials of the wreck; but toaccomplish this we should have to adopt some form of government, andsubmit to its authority.
There was another and still stronger reason why some ruling power shouldbe established. The cocoa-nuts grew at a height rather inconvenient fora hungry or thirsty man to reach them; and a readier and simpler way ofobtaining them was by felling the trees. As we were well supplied withaxes brought from the wreck, those so inclined were able to effect thisobject; and, before we had been three days ashore, many of the treeswere thus ruthlessly levelled to the ground.
Considering, that we might have to reside on the island for weeks, oreven months, and that our only substitute for water was the milk to beobtained from these cocoa-nuts, it was evident that the trees should notbe destroyed.
A meeting of all hands was at length got together; and a committee offive appointed, to form some regulations by which we should all agree tobe governed.
Next day, something in the shape of order was inaugurated. We weredivided into three parties--to each of which special duties wereassigned. One party was entrusted with the business of carpentering.They were to take the wreck to pieces, and construct out of thefragments a new vessel. This party comprised half of the able-bodiedmen on the island; and was placed under the control of the first officerof the brig--with the carpenter to instruct them in their new duties.
Another party was appointed to act as fishermen--which calling alsoincluded the gathering of such shell-fish as could be found along theshore.
The third party--principally composed of the invalids--were to act ascooks, and fill other light offices, while a few young men who wereexpert in climbing the cocoa-nut trees, were specially appointed forprocuring the nuts.
A chief statute of our improvised code was: that any one who should cutdown, or in any way injure, a cocoa-nut tree, so as to cause itsdestruction, was, on conviction of the offence, to be shot!
The punishment may appear out of proportion to the offence; but when itis considered that our very existence might depend on the preservationof these precious trees, it will be seen at once, that the crime was ofno light character.
A majority of those who voted for this resolution were in earnest; and Iam positive that, any one acting in opposition to it, would havesuffered the punishment of death.
Some of the old convicts were much opposed to the arrangements thusmade; but they were compelled to submit, and act in accordance withthem.
These men were masters of the island when we first landed; and seemed tothink, they had the right to help themselves to whatever they wished,without regard to the general good.
Two of these "Sydney birds," who chanced to be a shade worse than theirfellows--were specially informed, that if they should be caughtviolating the rules we had established, no mercy would be shown them.
A man of some influence amongst the more respectable of the passengers,had detected one of these worthies in possession of some articles thathad been taken out of his chest on board the brig. He not onlycompelled a quick surrender of the misappropriated chattel, but promisedfor the future to watch for an opportunity of sending the thief where hewould be in no danger of repeating the theft. Several others threw outhints to the two men to behave themselves--telling them that their onlychance of life would be to act honestly, otherwise they would certainlymeet with immediate chastisement. Such hints were effectual; and for atime the peace of the community remained undisturbed.
Three weeks passed--during which the work of ship-building progressed,as well as could be expected. The wreck had been taken to pieces, andfloated ashore; and from the materials a tolerable commencement had beenmade in the construction of a new craft.
At this time serious fears began to be entertained, that many of us mustdie for the want of water. The cocoa-nuts were each day becomingscarcer; the trees did not grow them as fast as they were consumed; anda close watch was kept on the actions of every one in the community--inorder that no one should have more than his share.
This duty was very harassing: as it had to be performed by the honestand respectable men, who were far from being the majority among us.
To our great relief, we were one night favoured by a fall of rain.
It rained but very little--a mere shower--and we had a good deal oftrouble in collecting it. All the shirts on the island, clean or dirty,as they chanced to be, were spread out upon the grass; and, whensaturated with the rain, were wrung into vessels.
Every exertion was made to save as much water as possible; and notwithout some success: for a sufficient quantity was collected to placeus beyond the fear of want for several days longer.
Some of the men began to suffer severely from the want of tobacco. Onlythose, who had originally acted in the salvage of the wreck, were inpossession of this precious commodity--having freely helped themselveswhile in the performance of that duty. Some of them did not refuse tosell a portion of their stock; and small plugs of tobacco, weighingabout a quarter of a pound, readily found purchasers at ten dollars theplug!
One man, on paying his "eagle" for a pair of these plugs, was heard toremark: "Well! this is the second time I've bought this tobacco, thoughthe price has been awfully raised since my first purchase. I know theseplugs well. They've been taken out of my own chest!"
The person from whom the tobacco was purchased seemed highly amused, andnot a little flattered. He was proud to think the purchaser did nottake him for a fool!
It gradually became the conviction of all: that we should have to dependon our own vessel for getting away from the island. It was not a veryagreeable prospect: since we knew that we should have to put to sea,with but little food and less water. Even from the first, it had seemedexceedingly doubtful that the captain would ever return.
Some were of the opinion that he could not, even if inclined; that heknew not the p
osition of the island, on which we had been cast away;and, consequently, could give no instructions about finding it--evenshould he be so fortunate as to fall in with a ship.
There were many probabilities in favour of this belief; and those whoentertained it did not fail to bring them forward.
"If he knew where the island lay," argued they, "why was the brig runashore upon it on a calm, clear night?"
Certainly this question suggested a very discouraging answer.
At the end of the fifth week, our new vessel was nearly completed; andwe set industriously to the collecting of shell-fish, cocoa-nuts, andother articles of food, to serve as stores for our intended voyage.
The craft we had constructed was not a very beautiful creature to lookat; but I have no doubt it would have answered the purpose for which wehad designed it.
By good fortune, we were never called upon to make trial of its sailingqualities. Just as we were about to launch it, a ship was seen bearingdown for the island!
Before her anchor was dropped, a boat was seen shoving off for