Alone on an Island

  CHAPTER SIX.

  Several weeks thus passed away before he thought of exploring hisisland.

  His stores had during this time visibly diminished. He therefore sawthe necessity of laying in a store of food which might serve him when hecould not obtain it either by his gun or fishing-lines.

  During bad weather, when the sea breaking over the reef washed into thebay, he was frequently unable to catch fish. He thought over variousways of preserving them. "I might dry some in the sun, and salt others;but I suspect they would keep better and be more palatable if I couldsmoke them."

  He found salt in the hollows of the rocks as he had expected, but itrequired much time and labour to collect. One of his small casks wasnow empty. A fine day, when the fish bit freely, enabled him to catch alarge number, and he made his first experiment. He had already got alarge pile of salt, though it was somewhat sandy, but he thought thatwould not signify. He cut off the heads and tails of the fish, thenrubbed the salt thoroughly into them, and packed them away in layers,with salt between each. It took him three or four days' fishing to fillhis cask, when all the salt was expended. He then stowed it away in adry part of his hut, hoping that he had now secured food to last him forseveral weeks.

  He next tried drying some in the sun, but did not succeed to hissatisfaction. He afterwards, however, built a smoking-house, and cureda considerable number in it, though they were less palatable than thosepreserved with salt.

  These tasks finished, one day, being prevented from fishing by a gale ofwind, he set out on his proposed expedition, taking his gun, with someprovisions in a wallet he had manufactured for the purpose.

  He made his way towards the nearest hill, and then struck down a valleywhich led to the sea. Between it and the bay a high ridge of rocksextended, so he continued his course along the shore in an oppositedirection. He had not gone far before he came to another ridge which hehad to surmount, the coast becoming wilder and wilder as he advanced,instead of improving, as he had hoped it might do. At last he reachedwhat he took to be the southern end of the island. Looking back he sawthe slope of the single high hill which composed its chief feature. Hehad now great difficulty in proceeding. The cliffs which faced the seawere almost perpendicular, and the rocks over which he climbed wereextremely rough. He proceeded cautiously, knowing the fearful positionin which he would be placed should he meet with an accident. He saw,however, at a little distance off, a number of wild-fowl circling roundthe cliffs. He was certain that they had come there for the purpose oflaying their eggs. Could he reach the spot, he might obtain a pleasantaddition to his larder.

  After great labour he reached the spot, when he found himself amonghundreds of birds, many of them already sitting. They screeched andquacked and scolded, pecking at his legs as he got among them. Withoutceremony he quickly filled his wallet with eggs.

  "This will serve me as a poultry-yard for a long time to come," hethought. "I will not kill any of the old birds, but will wait till theyoung ones are hatched, as they are likely to be more palatable thantheir parents. In the meantime, I will supply myself with eggs."

  It was now time for him to commence his return home. He felt very tiredwhen he reached his hut, for he had not taken so long a walk sincelanding on the island. To preserve his eggs, he covered them over withthe grease which remained in the pot after he had boiled his pork, andthen packed them away in cool, dry sand.

  Every day he had reason to be thankful that he had read so much, forrecollecting the various methods by which others had supportedthemselves, he was able to supply himself with food.

  His garden yielded him a daily meal of either sweet potatoes, yams,cabbages, or other vegetables. He now caught more fish than at first,and also from his poultry-yard obtained a good supply of young fowls.

  His shoes were wearing out, and he was desirous of catching some seals,from the skins of which he might manufacture others to supply theirplace. At last he saw several sporting in the bay. He at once got hisharpoon ready, and took post on a rock, expecting that one would beforelong approach him. He was not disappointed. Darting his weapon, hestruck the animal, which swam off, dragging out the line at a rapidrate. He found that he had made a mistake, and was nearly losing hisline and harpoon as well as the seal. Fortunately, just as it nearedthe end, he got a turn round a projecting piece of rock. The poor sealplunged and tumbled, and swam back to the rock to ascertain, it seemed,what had hurt it. He drew in the slack, and was thus able to secure itmore completely. After a time its struggles ceased, and he dragged itto the beach. He here took off the skin, with which he hoped to makeseveral pairs of shoes, while the flesh supplied him with a dinner offresh meat for a couple of days; the other portions he salted, in storefor future use. Stretching the hide on the ground, he dressed it with aley formed by mixing the ashes of his fire with water. This he foundwould not answer completely, and after searching in the forest hediscovered some bark which formed a strong tan.

  The seals now came on shore in large numbers. Recollecting that theirskins would be of value should a ship come to the island, he determinedto capture as many as he could. Arming himself with a thick club, heattacked them when asleep on the beach, and every day succeeded inknocking over a considerable number. This gave him abundant occupation;and continuing his experiments he succeeded in perfectly preserving theskins. When at length the creatures took their departure, his hut wasnearly filled with the result of his industry.

  Day after day went rapidly by, and had he not been careful in notchinghis stick, he would soon have lost all count of time.