CHAPTER XVIII.
A resume of three years on the island. Daily routine of life. Inventions, discoveries, etc. Fortification of the Hermitage. Manufacture of cannon and guns. Perfection and improvement of the machine shop. Implicit faith of ultimately overcoming all obstacles and escaping from the island. Desire to accumulate some kind of portable wealth to carry with me, and decide to explore the island for its hidden wealth and the surrounding ocean for pearl oysters.
I shall not become tedious by inflicting upon my readers the routineof each day, or even of each month or year that I have passed on thisisland, but shall pick out the most startling events of my life here,both as to the inventions that I have made and the accidents andadventures of which I have been the victim and hero.
Of course my discovery of iron gave me wonderful power to advance andpreserve myself. After my first set of tools were made, as I haveenumerated in detail, all other work, even if slow, was comparativelyeasy.
My next task, after making the common tools that I needed and variouscastings that were useful to me, was to erect a turning lathe,--one forwood, which was quite simple, and one for iron, which was a work ofsome magnitude,--and a whole year elapsed before I had it perfected tomy taste. The castings were rough, but solid and useful, and the otherparts were, with care and attention, at last made mathematically true,and this, with a drilling machine and some iron rollers to roll out mymetal when coming from the furnace, completed my iron foundry, as I wasnow pleased to call it.
Having all these things about me it was a small matter to cast severalsmall cannon, of some four or six pound calibre, and bore them outon my turning-lathe and table. These I mounted on wooden trucks, andplaced one on East Signal Point, one on Eastern Cape, one on SouthCape, which I transported there by water in the canoe Fairy, one onPenguin Point, and one on West Signal Point. It was fun for me to makethese things, and therefore, to protect myself still more, I made anumber, of smaller calibre even, which I placed pointing out throughembrasures in a wall with which I had encircled the Hermitage, andsurrounded with a strong picket fence, made of cast-iron, which I foundno difficulty in casting in sections of nearly ten feet in length. Atall the stations at the extremities of the island I hid a little amountof ammunition, near the cannon erected, and also a flint and steel anda limestock or slow-match, so that at any time, if needful, I couldload one of these cannon at once and discharge it. The touchholes Icovered nicely with a piece of goatskin, so as to protect the guns fromthe weather, and fitted all the muzzles with a wooden plug, so that theinterior would be kept clear and dry.
PLACING THE CANNON.--PAGE 190.]
In the wall that now surrounded my Hermitage I built a strong irongate, that I could see through and yet too strong to be broken down byany savage hands. The iron fence or comb which ran round the summit ofthis wall, and of which I have spoken, crossed also above the gateway,and made my house impregnable to anything except artillery. My doorwayfacing this, in the Hermitage itself, had long been replaced by a nicehard-wood one, with iron hinges, with several loopholes left, throughwhich I could poke a gun-barrel or discharge an arrow.
I had six cannon mounted on my wall, two in front, two on each side,and one in rear, which was, however, naturally protected by a thick andalmost impenetrable grove of trees and undergrowth. These guns weremounted in a peculiar manner upon carriages that allowed the muzzles tobe depressed at least thirty degrees, and I kept in store, to load themwith, quantities of iron ball castings, from the size of an Englishwalnut to a common musket bullet, which at close quarters would dofearful execution. I approached these guns, from the interior, by meansof step ladders, made of wood, leading up to each from the enclosure,and an oval hole, like an inverted letter U, was left in the ironfencing to allow the muzzle to protrude over the wall. This opening,however, was small, and not large enough to admit even the head of aman, much less his body. The erection of the whole wall, which was somenine feet high, cost me infinite labor and patience.
The fencing on top of it was, as I have said, rapidly turned out fromthe casting mould, and gave me, comparatively speaking, little trouble.To further protect this my fortress from any assaults, I brought thewater underground from Rapid River into the Hermitage, through a seriesof pipes made of pottery thoroughly baked, glazed, and made so as tofit one into the other, and controlled the flow by means of a stopcockfixed into a piece of cane. The signs of this underground connectionwith Rapid River I took care to thoroughly efface. And, furthermore, Imade it a duty to always keep at least six months' salted provisionsin store, ahead of all demands,--such as salted and smoked herring,salmon, and other fish, with corned and dried goat's flesh, and somefew preserved vegetables such as I might have on hand.
In rear of my house, between the end of the house and the wall, Idug a subterranean passage, leading under my wall, and coming againto the surface in the midst of a seemingly impenetrable thicket ofundergrowth, some thirty yards away from the wall. This outlet wascarefully closed by a trapdoor, and soil even strewed on top and grassallowed to grow over it. I did not know but what there might come atime when I should have to use this passage, as the last recourse, tosave my life; and although now in security I built it carefully, to beprepared for what might happen in the future.
After all these tasks for my defence were finished I commenced upona set of guns and pistols, or rather rifles,--for I had not theslightest use for a shotgun, being able, in a hundred ways, by means ofsteel-traps and similar devices, to capture all the birds and animals Ineeded,--which I desired to protect myself against any human enemies,should such ever appear. To this end I easily bored myself out somefour nice rifle barrels, and some half dozen of a smaller size forpistols; these I had to stock, and mount with the old-fashioned flintand steel, for I had no means of making any percussion-powder. I workedat these for a long time, but at last I had them all in good order,and used to amuse myself by practising with ball at the pigeons on thetrees, and the ducks on the river. I did not make the best shootingin the world, for, not being able to procure lead, I was forced tomake my bullets of steel, and to revolve them in a cylinder for a longtime with sand, to make them globular and regular. The barrels of myguns and pistols also had to be smooth bored to use these projectiles;as a rifled barrel, if I could have made one, would have been ruinedby cast-steel bullets; still at a hundred yards, with a nice greasedpatch, I was able to make good execution, and the pistols shot withstrength at a distance of at least twenty yards. Both weapons suited mepractically, and with my guns I had no difficulty in shooting severalof the wild goats, and also seals, whenever I needed their meat orskins.
My flock of tame goats all this while had grown and increased, andI added to my home comforts cheese and butter; but I made the wheelon the further side of the river do all the churning by a simpleapplication of the machinery to a revolving clapper in an upright churn.
The parchment windows in the Hermitage had long since been reinforcedby iron shutters on the outside, that, if needed, could be boltedsecurely on the inside, and the roof had been refitted and made oftimber and boards, and the whole covered with tiles, so as to befireproof. Up through this roof I had also built a tower, of brick,not very large but quite high, some feet above the ridge-pole, which Imounted to by a flight of stairs from the attic; for the upper part ofthe house was floored off and completed when I erected the new roof,having no want now of either boards or timber.
Up to this tower I trotted every morning before unbarring the door ofthe Hermitage or the gate of the enclosure. From this lookout I couldsee quite well in several directions, and notice if anything had beentouched or changed from the evening before. I missed, I think, at thistime, books more than anything, but then, again, from the very want ofthem, I was forced to study with my Epitome and Book of Useful Artsand Sciences, which possibly I might have thrown to one side for lessuseful but more entertaining ones if I had had them. Wanting them, Iwas becoming versed in many things which when I came upon the island Iknew nothing about, an
d I was pleased to think that, although alone,I was improving, and the usefulness of a really good book was broughtforcibly before me each day, for I could not open either of minewithout finding food for reflection and study. I had always had my headfull of vagaries of different kinds that I should like some time to tryand experiment upon, and here seemed my opportunity; and it will beobserved, in its proper place, further on, that I attempted many things.
It was, I think, in my third year that I felt that my daily routine wasfixed for life, as far as concerned comforts and food; for by that timeI had wheat for my bread, and all kinds of vegetables and fruits thatI have before enumerated, in profusion. My apple and pear trees wouldsoon begin to bear, and in a year or two more I should have them toadd to my comforts. I had already commenced to preserve blackberries,strawberries, etc., and found that my maple trees, in the spring,were just as prolific as those in my Vermont home, and that I had nodifficulty in obtaining all the sugar I needed. Roasted wheat had,however, to stand me instead of Java coffee, but this made me quite apleasant drink.
All these comforts were enhanced by a climate so uniform in temperaturethat it was a pleasure to even exist, the winters bringing scarcely aninch of snow or ice with them, and the summers even and mild; warm,to be sure, but still far from being hot or oppressive. As I havesaid so often in this narrative before, what in the world could onewant in excess of all this but companionship? Ah! it is little knownhow many bitter hours of solitude I passed in gathering all thesecomforts about me, and how, with a tenderness almost womanly, I madefriends with every kid, duck, young bird, seal, and living animal thatI gathered around me, and made pets of them all. My hardest dutieswere to destroy these animals for my own consumption, and I latterlydestroyed what I could with the gun rather than touch one of those thatwere domesticated. Some of these I could not bear to lay my hand upon,especially my young kids and team of goats; but thank God there was noneed of it. I could easily destroy one of their species, when I neededthe flesh, with my rifle, for I veritably believe that I should havegone without animal food rather than touch one of these pets. Two ofthe kids, especially, followed me about all the time, and even into mycanoe when I took short trips abroad.
I had by this time, by means of snares, captured seven species ofbirds which resembled our blackbirds and bobolinks of the north, and Itook great delight in feeding them in the cages I had made for them,and listening to their music in the morning and evening hours. Longsearch had taught me to feel sure that the island had no venomousinsects or reptiles, and it was also wholly free from that nuisancethe horse-fly, which is said to follow civilization, and that otherpest, the mosquito, was wholly unknown. In their stead there were a fewsand-fleas, a sort of wood-tick, which troubled the goats somewhat,and a small black wood-fly, that was not troublesome except in someseasons, in the woods, and on the coast. In December and January,green-headed flies were apt to take hold of me once in a while, but notso as to incommode me.
The air was so pure that meat would keep a long while withoutputrefaction, even in the warm weather, and having nothing better todo to take up my mind, I had, during the past winter, collected quitean amount of thin ice from Rapid River, which, in a small subterraneanice-house, roofed over with planks, and covered with sawdust, I hadstored for summer use, and on very warm days luxuriated in.
This life of solitude had made me tender to even inanimate things,and it was wonderful to myself how the passion, self-importance, andarbitrary manner of one accustomed to command at sea was dying out inme. I began to almost have a reverence for flowers and all beautifulinanimate things, and many hours of my life were passed in my gardenand on my farm, but especially the former, in examining and cultivatingsome beautiful wild flower or trailing vine that I had transportedhence from the forest. I felt even that the bearing of my body waschanged from what it used to be when in days gone by I trod thequarter-deck in all the pride and majesty of power.
I cannot say that I was at this time contented, but I can say thatI was much more patient, and the impetuosity of my temperament wasgreatly subdued, and many things, both animate and inanimate, werebecoming, in spite of myself, very dear to my eyes. I even at timesbegan to feel homesick when I was absent over a day, in my canoe, fromthe Hermitage, and came back to its comforts with an exclamation ofgratification and a swelling of the heart with joy when it came inview, and showed itself intact during my temporary absence; and thewelcome given me by my goats, tame pigeons, ducks, and birds was verytouching, and, as I have said, endeared them to me greatly. Still forno moment did the problem of escape leave my mind. Although withoutrelatives or children, I often dreamed of escaping from the island andreturning with friends to enjoy it with me and end my days here inpeace. I often thought how happy I could be here, far from the caresof the world and all its vain excitements, could I see around aboutme smiling faces of my fellow-men, who would look up to me as theirbenefactor and ruler, for I had yet left some of the seaman's instinctof desire to rule.
Up to this time I had done little exploring of the island; my firsttrip around about it had been my last, and my excursions into theinterior had been short, and without making any material discovery ofmoment. This was caused by the great tasks that I had given myself nearhome, and the consummation of which had taken all my time. I had workedvery hard to accomplish all that was laid out before my eyes, and hadhad little time for wandering about or being idle.
No sign of any vessel, or canoes of savages, had ever disturbed me.I had often, during the last year, visited the points of my islandnearest to me, _i.e._ East and West Signal Points and the breakwater,but no welcome sail had ever met my eye. The sight of the ocean alsofrom these points always gave me the blues, and sent me home troubledand discontented, for the intellect given me by the Creator on suchoccasions rebelled against my fate, and the ocean seemed my enemy, whomI must overcome, and whom I could overcome if I could only think of themeans, for I would never acknowledge myself beaten, but only unablefor the present to cope with my adversary; and I used to talk to it,and say: "Some day, thou mighty sea, with God's help, I will overcomeand conquer thee, and compel thee to carry me wherever I desire to beborne. Power has been given man over the beasts of the field and overall nature, and I have only to use my mind, with which God has endowedme, to some day make thee, now my master, my slave. Roll on, therefore,for a day shall come, God willing, in which thy billows shall carry me,and the winds of heaven waft me to civilized lands, where the Creatorof both thee and me is adored and worshipped. You shall not alwaysseparate me from the place whence I came. With my strong hold thatI have obtained I will yet overcome thee, and make thee my steed ofdeliverance, instead of, as now, the boundary line of my imprisonment."
My daily life at about this time was something like this. I arosein the morning, and, if the season would admit of it, took a plungein Stillwater Cove, first, however, visiting my tower to see ifeverything was all right in all directions. I usually, with a sailor'shabits, arose early, and with the sun. After my bath I proceeded tofeed my numerous flock of goats, kids, pigeons, etc., and then to thecares of my dairy, milking my goats and conveying the result of mylabors to my ice-house, near by, to be kept there, and at proper seasonto be made into butter and cheese. Then to my breakfast, which I couldchange in many various ways, as my appetite dictated, always commencingthe same, in these days, by thanking God for his preservation of me,and expressing gratitude for the food before me, and hopefulness ofultimate delivery from my island prison. After breakfast I went aboutany work that might be on hand, such as fishing, gunning, or arrangingmy household things, working in my iron ore, conveying coal or ironfrom the mines, or running my sawmill, or else digging in my garden orattending to my farm near the landing-place, and the thousand and onedaily things that had to be done with one pair of hands, to keep myestablishment in order.
When I thought it noon by the sun (for I soon gave over the attemptto keep my clumsy clock agoing after I had obtained my latitude andlongitude) I repaired to the Hermitage
, and if the weather was warmand pleasant made my meal in the outer air, under the shade of a finelarge tree of the maple species, surrounded by my domestic birds; ifin winter, by my fireside, inside the house. After dinner I againcommenced my daily toil, first taking a good long smoke of my favoritepipe, which, all things considered, was my greatest solace, and afterthis taking up the work that I had laid down at the dinner hour. I keptmyself employed till sunset, or nearly so,--for I did not now overworkmyself as I used to in the beginning, in my impetuosity, but tookeverything mildly, quietly, and comfortably,--when I again called myflock together and attended to my milking. I knew that cheeses wouldkeep a long while, and, looking always forward to an escape, I wasgradually laying up a stock of this nutritious article for use in thefuture should I ever need it, knowing well how palatable and refreshingit always is at sea. After the milking was finished, which was not tillI had gathered the flock from their feeding pastures, I entered myhouse for the night, taking with me one or two of my favorite kids, andbarring the iron gate in the enclosure wall carefully behind me, anddoing the same with the door of the Hermitage.
Once within, I lighted my lamps and gave myself plenty of light, andtook my supper, followed by the inevitable pipe, and often a glass ofmy claret wine, as I called it, made from the pure juice of the grape.Then I got out a sheet of parchment and commenced a history of theday's proceedings, which I wrote down in detail, and from which thisnarrative is condensed. This was a very important task, for upon thedaily performance of it rested the accuracy of my calendar. This oftencarried me well into the evening, and if it did not, and I was notvery tired, I got out my Bowditch's Epitome and solved a problem ortwo, and then turned to my Book of Useful Arts and Sciences and storedmy mind with some new fact, or tried to decipher some of the thingsthat were daily becoming more clear to me, and which I had commenced byunderstanding scarcely a word about. When I found myself nodding overthis work I quietly betook myself to bed, preferring, as a rule, myupright bedstead to the swinging hammock. I never put out the lightsand only removed my outer clothing when I slept, but then the latterwas a very natural act to a person who had for years turned in "alla standing," as sailors say, and ready for a call at any time of thenight or day. My arms and ammunition were placed within easy access ofmy hands, and, commending my soul to God, I used to sleep.
In winter I kept of course more within doors, and busied myself uponmy clothing and such things as needed sewing and lashing together,fixing little nicknacks of shell and wood around about the room, tohold flowers and ferns, or any little thing that had attracted my eye,or would please me in my solitude. On rainy days I almost always wentto work in my smelting house at the forge, and if there was nothingelse to do I would busy myself in the making of nails for future use,I having to beat out each one on the anvil; but when finished each ofmy nails was a wrought one, and worth a dozen cast by machinery. Ialways found plenty to do here, but I worked leisurely, always lookingtoward the future. I got together a large quantity of rolled iron, ofabout a quarter of an inch in thickness, and in sheets nearly two feetwide and some eight or nine in length. This workshop I kept improvingtill I had, besides my forge and all its tools, turning-lathes both forwood and iron, many other useful things, which I had constructed at oddtimes, such as a small but very strong derrick, which I fitted withiron blocks and chains and with a winch and band, so that I was able tohandle large masses of iron with ease. My rollers, also, for rollingout the iron when at a white heat, were in this room, and I had longsince improved and strengthened my water-wheel, so that I had all thepower at any time that I needed or desired, to move any or all of mymachinery.
Besides gathering together these sheets of iron I put them under mydrilling machine and punched the edges with holes of an uniform size,so that they could at some time be riveted together, for I had an ideain my head what I should use them for. The making of a large numberof rivets to fit these holes also took plenty of my time, as did themaking of different sizes of spikes, and once in a while some newtool that I felt the need of. My files, also, once in a while had tobe re-marked and again hardened, and thus I found myself always withplenty to do whenever I entered the smelting-house; and it was therethat I enjoyed myself the most, for I was a born mechanic, and I likedthe work, and nothing pleased me so much as to see something turningout under my hand from a crude mass of iron into some useful tool, orarticle of which I had need. Therefore when the stormy and rainy dayscame it was with absolute pleasure that I walked into my smelting-houseand set to work. It was here that I saw my deliverance must be workedout, and never a day passed but what my machinery was improved orincreased in some way, and made more perfect and reliable. A greatdeal of it, to be sure, was crude, but it was also practical; and whena piece of machinery would not perform well I went to work, and keptat it until it would, and in the end had not the slightest trouble inrolling, casting, drilling, planing, and turning iron or cast-steel, inall reasonable shapes. To be sure my machinery was not painted, or evenwell finished, except in the working parts, but to those sections Igave a mechanic's care. I not only worked here, however, on stormy daysalone, but also nearly every spare moment that I had from other dutiesthat were also pressing.
As my riches began to accumulate I began to think seriously ofexploring the island for its hidden wealth, and see if I could notduring these years that I was waiting for escape--which I had made upmy mind was sure to come--lay up enough wealth, in some shape, to takewith me when I should depart, that would make me rich for the remainderof my days. Knowing that such wealth, to be conveyed away by me, mustnecessarily be in a small compass, I was working out a problem at thisvery time to explore the bottom of the ocean around my island, and seeif I could not hit upon some pearl-oyster beds, whence I could drawriches to carry away with me when I should leave this island, and thetheory that I had gotten into my head, and which I was trying to putinto actual practice, was the following:--