Life And Adventures Of Peter Wilkins, Vol. I. (of II.)

  CHAPTER XXII.

  Reflections on mankind--The Author wants to be with his ship--Projects going, but perceives it impracticable-- Youwarkee offers her service y and goes--An account of her transactions on board-Remarks on her sagacity--She despatches several chests of goods through the gulf to the lake--An account of a danger she escaped--The Author has a fit of sickness

  Strange is the temper of mankind, who, the more they enjoy, themore they covet. Before I received any return from my ship, I restedtolerably easy, and but seldom thought upon what I had left behind mein her, thinking myself happy in what I had, and completely so sincemy union with my dear wife; but after I had got what I could neverhave expected, I grew more and more perplexed for want of the rest, andthought I should never enjoy true happiness while even a plank of theship remained. My head, be I where I would, or at what I would, was everon board. I wished for her in the lake, and could I but have got herthither, I thought I should be an emperor; and though I wanted fornothing to maintain life, and had so good a wife and five children I wasvery fond of, yet the one thing I had not, reduced the comfort of allthe rest to a scanty pattern, even so low as to destroy my whole peace.I was even mad enough to think of venturing up the cavern again, but wasrestrained from the attempt by the certain impracticableness of it ThenI thought Youwarkee should make another trip to the ship. But what canshe bring from it, says I to myself, in respect of what must be leftbehind? Her whole life will not suffice to clear it in, at the rate shecan fetch the loading hither in parcels. At last a project started, thatas there were so many chests on board, Youwarkee should fill some ofthem and send them through the gulf to take their chance for the lake.This, at first sight, seemed feasible; but then I considered how theycould be got from the ship to the gulf; and again, that they would neverkeep out the water, and if they filled with a lading in them they wouldsink; or, if this did not happen, they might be dashed to pieces againstthe crags in the cavern. These apprehensions stopped me again; till,unwilling to quit the thought, "True," says I, "this may happen to some;but if I get but one in five, it is better than nothing." Thus I turnedand wound the affair in my mind; but objections still started tooobstinate to be conquered.

  In the height of my soliloquy in comes Youwarkee, and seeing my dejectedlook, would needs know the meaning of it I told her plainly that I couldget no rest from day to day ever since she first went to the ship, tothink such a number of good things lay there to be a prey to the sea, asthe ship wasted, when they might be of such infinite service here; andthat, since her last flight, I had suffered the more, when I thought hownear the gulf was to the ship; so that could I but get thither myselfwith my boat, I would contrive to pack up the goods in the chests thatwere on board, and carrying them in the boat, drop them near the draughtof the water, which of itself would suck them under the rock down thegulf; and when they were passed through the cavern, I might take themup in the lake. "Well," says she, "Peter, and why cannot I do this foryou?"--"No," says I, "even this has its objections." Then I told herwhat I feared of their taking water, or dashing against the rock, andtwenty other ways of frustrating my views: "But, above all," says I,"how can you get such large and weighty things to the gulf without aboat? There is another impossibility! it won't do."

  Youwarkee eyed me attentively. "Pr'ythee, my dear Peter," says she, "setyour heart at rest about that. I can only try; if no good is to bedone, you shall soon know it, and must rest contented under thedisappointment."--I told her if I was there, I could take all the thingsout of the chests, and then melt some pitch and pour into every crack,to keep out the water when they were set afloat. "Pitch!" says she,"what's that?"--"Why," says I, "that is a nasty, hard, black stickingthing that stands in tubs in the ship, and which being put over the firein anything to melt will grow liquid, and when it is cold be hard again,and will resist the water and keep it out."--Says she, "How can I putthis pitch within-side of the chest-lid when I have tied it up?"--"It isto no manner of purpose," says I, "to talk of it; so there's an end ofit."--"But," says she, "suppose yourself there, what things would youbring first?"--I then entered into a long detail of particulars; sayingI would have this and that, and so on, till I had scarce left out athing I either knew of or could suppose to be in the ship; and for fearI had not mentioned all, says I at last, if I was there, I believe Ishould leave but little portable behind me.

  "So, so, my dear," says Youwarkee, "you would roll in riches, I find;but you have mentioned never a new gown for me."--"Why, aye!" says I,"I would have that too."--"But how would you melt the pitch?" saysshe.--"Oh," says I, "there is a tinder-box and matches in a room below,upon the side of the fire-hearth." And then I let her see one I hadbrought with me, and showed her the use of the flint and steel.--"Well,my dear," says she, "will you once more trust me?"--I told her, hergoing would be of little more use than to get a second gown or some suchthing; but if she was desirous, I would let her make another flight, onher promise to be back as soon as possible.

  In the evening she set out, and stayed two days, and till the nightof the third. I would here observe that though it was much lighter andbrighter on the outside of the rock where the ship lay than with us atGraundevolet, yet having always her spectacles with her, I heard nomore complaint of the glare of light she used to be so much afraid of:indeed, she always avoided the fire and lamp at home as much as shecould, because she generally took off her spectacles within doors; butwhen at any time she had them on, she could bear both well enough.

  Upon her return again, she told me she had shipped some goods to sea forme, which she hoped would arrive safe (for by this time she had had myseafaring terms so often over, she could apply them very properly),and that they were in six chests, which she had pitched after mydirections.--"Aye!" says I, "you have pitched them into the sea perhaps;but after my directions, I am satisfied was beyond your ability."--"Youglumms," says she, "think us gawrys very ignorant; but I'll satisfy youwe are not so dull of apprehension as you would make us. Did you notshow me one day how your boat was tarred and caulked, as you callit?"--"I did," says I; "what then?"--"I'll tell you," says she. "WhenI had emptied the first chest, and set it properly, I looked about foryour pitch, which at last I found by its sticking to my fingers; I thenput a good piece into a sort of little kettle, with a long handle, thatlay upon the pitch."--"Oh, the pitch-ladle!" says I.--"I know not whatyou call it," says she; "but then I made a fire, as you told me, andmelted that stuff; afterwards turning up the chest side-ways, and thenend-ways, I poured it into it, and let it settle in the cracks, and withan old stocking, such as yours, dipped into the pitch, I rubbed everyplace where the boards joined. I then set the chest on the side of theship, and when the pitch was cold and hardened in it, filled it top-fullof things: but when I had done thus, and shut the lid, I found thatwould not come so close but I could get the blade of a knife throughanywhere between it and the chest; whereupon I cut some long slips ofthe cloth I was packing up, and fitting them all round the edge of thechest, I dipped them into the pitch, and laid them on hot; and where oneslip would not do, I put two; and shutting the lid down close upon them,I nailed it, as I had seen you do some things, quite round; then tying arope to the handle, I tipped the chest into the sea, holding the rope.I watched it some time, and seeing it swim well, I took flight with therope in my hand, and drew the chest after me to the gulf, when, lettinggo the rope, away it went. I served five more in the same manner: andnow, my dearest, I am here to tell you I hope you will be able to see atleast some of them, one time or other, in the lake."

  I admired in all this at the sagacity of the gawrys. Alas! thinks I,what narrow-hearted creatures are mankind! Did I not heretofore lookupon the poor blacks in Africa as little better than beasts, till myfriend Glanlepze convinced me, by disabling the crocodile, the passageof the river, and several other achievements, that my own excellencesmight have perished in a desert without his genius; and now whatcould I, or almost any of us masterpieces of the creation (as we thinkourselves) and
Heaven's peculiar favourites, have done in this presentcase, that has been omitted by this woman (for I may justly style her soin an eminent degree), and that in a way to which she was bred an utterstranger?

  After what I had heard from Youwarkee, I grew much more cheerful;which she, poor creature, was remarkably pleased with. She went with meconstantly once, and sometimes twice a day, for several days together,to see what success at the lake; till at length she grew very impatient,for fear, as she afterwards told me, I should either think she had notdone what she said, or had done it in an ineffectual manner. But oneday, walking by the lake, I thought I saw something floating in thewater at a very great distance. "Youwarkee," says I, "I spy a sail!"Then running to my boat* and taking her in, away we went, plying my oarswith all my might; for I longed to see what it was. At nearer viewI perceived it to be one of my wife's fleet. But what added to mysatisfaction was to see Youwarkee so pleased, for she could scarcelycontain herself.

  When we came close to it, up she started: "Now, my dear Peter," saysshe, "torment yourself no more about your goods on board; for if thiswill do, all shall be your own."--She then lent me a hand to take itin; but we had both work enough to compass it, the wood had soaked in somuch water. We then made the best of our way homewards to my wet-dock;when, just as we had landed our treasure, we saw two more boxes comingdown the stream both together, whereupon we launched again, and broughtthem in one by one; for I did not care to trust them both on one bottom,my boat being in years, and growing somewhat crazy.

  We had now made a good day's work of it; so, mooring the boat, we wenthome, intending to be out next morning early with the cart, to conveyour imports to the grotto.

  After supper, Youwarkee looking very earnestly at me, with tears justglittering in her eyes, broke out in these words--"What should youhave thought, Peter, to have seen me come sailing, drowned, through thecavern, tied to one of your chests?"--"Heaven forbid such a thought, mycharmer!" says I. "But as you know I must have been rendered the mostmiserable of all living creatures by such a sight, or anything else thatwould deprive me of you, pray tell me how you could possibly have such athought in your head?"--She saw she had raised my concern, and was verysorry for what she had said. "Nothing, nothing," says she, "my dear!it was only a fancy just come into my head."--"My dear Youwee," says I,"you must let me know what you mean: I am in great pain till you explainyourself; for I am sure there is something more in what you saythan fancy; therefore, pray, if you love me, keep me on the rack nolonger."--"Ah, Peter!" says she, "there was but a span between me anddeath not many days ago; and when I saw the line of the last chest wetook up just now, it gave so much horror I could scarce keep upon myfeet."--"My dear Youwee, proceed," says I; "for I cannot bear my tormenttill I have heard the worst."--"Why, Peter," says she, "now the dangeris over, I shall tell you my escape with as much pleasure as I guessyou will take in hearing of it. You must know, my life," says she, "thathaving cast that chest into the sea, as I was tugging it along bythat very line, it being one of the heaviest, and moving but slowly, Itwisted the string several times round my hand, one fold upon another,the easier to tow it; when, drawing it rather too quick into the eddy,it pulled so hard against me, towards the gulf, and so quick, that Icould in no way loosen or disengage the cord from my fingers, butwas dragged thereby to the very rock, against which the chest struckviolently. My last thought, as I supposed it, was of you, my dear" (onwhich she clasped me round the neck, in sense of her past agony); "whentaking myself for lost, I forbore further resistance; at which instantthe line, slackening by the rebound of the chest, fell from my hand ofitself, and the chest returning to the rock, went down the current. Itook a turn or two round on my graundee to recollect my past danger, andwent back to the ship, fully resolved to avoid the like snare for thefuture. Indeed I did not easily recover my spirits, and was so terrifiedwith the thought, that I had half a mind to have left the two remainingchests behind me; but as danger overcome gives fresh resolution, I againset to work, and discharged them also down the gulf, as I hope you willsee in good time."

  My heart bled within me all the while she spoke, and I even feltten times more than she could have suffered by the gulf. "My dearestYouwee," says I, "why did you not tell me this adventure sooner?" "It istoo soon, I fear, now!" says she; for she then saw the colour forsakemy lips, my eyes grow languid, and myself dropping into her arms. Shescreamed out, and ran to the chest, where all was empty; but turningevery bottle up, and from the remaining drops in each collecting a smallquantity of liquor, and putting it by little and little to my lips, andrubbing my wrists and temples, she brought me to myself again; but Icontinued so extremely sick for some days after, that it was above aweek before I could get down with my cart to fetch up my chests.

  When I was able to go down, Youwarkee would not venture me alone, butwent herself with me. We then found two more of the chests, which welanded; and I had work sufficient for two or three days in getting themall up to the grotto, they were so heavy, and all the way through thewood being up hill.

  We had five in hand, and watched several days for the sixth, when seeingnothing of it we gave it over for lost; but one day, as I was going forwater, Youwarkee would go with me, and urged our carrying the net, thatwe might drag for some fish. Accordingly we did so; and now having takenwhat we wanted, we went to the rill, and pushing in the head of the boat(as I usually did, for by that means I could fill the vessel as I stoodon board), the first thing that appeared was my sixth chest. Youwarkeespied it first, and cried, pointing thereto, "O Peter, what we have longwished for, and almost despaired of, is come at last! let us meet andwelcome it." I was pleased with the gaiety of her fancy. I did as shedesired; we got it into the boat, after merrily saluting it, and soreturned home. It took us up several days time in searching, sorting,and disposing our cargo, and drying the chests; for the goods themselveswere so far from being wetted or spoiled, that even those in the lastchest, which had lain so long in the water, had not taken the leastmoisture.

  Youwarkee was quite alert at the success of her packing, but left meto ring her praises, which I did not fail of doing more than once atunpacking each chest, and could see her eyes glow with delight to seeshe had so pleased me.

  She had been so curious as to examine almost everything in the ship; andas well of things I had described, and she did know, as of what she didnot, brought me something for a sample; but, above all, had not forgotthe blue stuff, for the moment she had seen that she destined it to theuse of herself and children.