In the Eastern Seas

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

  MR. SEDGWICK'S UNFORTUNATE EXPEDITION.

  My uncle and Mr Hooker are very, very kind; they do all they can tokeep up my spirits, though I see they are very anxious about Walter--indeed, how could they be otherwise? Oliver was much better in themorning, though he was still suffering from the effects of thesun-stroke, which might have proved fatal; and Mr Sedgwick will notallow him to leave the house, or in any way to exert himself. Some ofthe party go down constantly to the rock and look out for Walter; butwhen each comes back he gives the same answer, "No boat in sight." Boththe gentlemen do their best to interest me in other matters, so as totake off my thoughts from Walter. My uncle reminded me that I had notbeen for some time to the plantation, which is at a considerabledistance from the house. He took Grace and me there this afternoon.

  "There, young ladies," he observed, pointing to some of the tall stalkswith beautiful leaves surrounding them. "A month ago these were littleyellow seeds of maize. See how rapidly the germ within them has beendeveloped. See! already there are some ears which we will carry home tocook; and in another month's time they will be ripe, and fit for makinginto bread."

  There was a large plantation of them. We cut off a number of the headswhich grew on the side of the stalk, several on one. Each headconsisted of a long piece of pith, to which the grain was thicklyattached, the whole sheathed in broad oblong leaves, which protect themfrom injury, till the seed is perfectly hard and ripe. Here also was aplantation of sugar-cane. They also were tall, graceful, reed-likeplants, and were nearly ripe.

  Tanda was working in the plantation--or garden, shall I call it? Myuncle told him to bring home a quantity of the canes, and he begancutting them at once. He cut off the tops, and left them and the rooton the ground. I thought I could have carried a number, but I found asingle cane heavy, so loaded was it with juice.

  In another part of the ground there was a plantation of rice. It was onthe lowest level, where it could be well irrigated by a stream which rannear. The rice grew on the top of each blade, the head alone being cutoff. The rice, before the husk is taken off, is called paddy, andrice-fields are therefore generally called paddy fields.

  Among other productions of the garden are several bushes which producethe red pepper. They are covered with fruit of all sizes. Some of themare small and green, and some which are fully grown and ripe are of abright pink colour. These are now fit for gathering, and after beingdried are ready for use. It is called lombok by the Malays. Theyalways carry about a quantity of it, and use it at every meal. Onesmall plot was devoted to the cultivation of tobacco. That also wasalmost ready for use, and my uncle said we should have a good supply forthe voyage. The leaves, as soon as they have grown to a sufficientsize, are plucked off, and the petiole and part of the midrib are cutaway. The leaves are then cut transversely into strips aboutone-sixteenth of an inch wide. These are then hung up to dry in thesun, and have very much the appearance of bunches of oakum. It is inthis state ready for smoking in pipes. When employed for making cigars,the leaves are not cut, but dried more carefully in their whole state.Neither tobacco nor maize are natives of this region, but were broughtfrom the New World two hundred years ago.

  In the evening Tanda arrived with the bundles of sugar-cane.Fortunately the machine which my uncle had invented for crushing themwas at some distance from the house, and had escaped destruction. Itwas sufficient for the object, though rather roughly made. After thejuice had been pressed out it was boiled, and allowed to run into anumber of pots, where it was to cool and crystallise. It was then of adark brown colour. While so doing, a quantity of clay and water, ofabout the consistency of cream, was poured over it. The effect of thewater filtering through was to purify the crystals and make them almostwhite. My uncle told us that it was discovered that the clay wouldproduce this effect by a native, who observed that when birds stepped onthe brown sugar with their muddy feet, wherever their claws had beenplaced it became curiously white. When the finer part of the juice hadbeen pressed out, the remainder, which is thick brown molasses, isallowed to ferment with a little rice. Palm-wine is afterwards added,and from this compound arrack, the common spirit of the East, isdistilled. My uncle manufactured it for the sake of preserving hisspecimens; but he said he considered it one of the most destructivestimulants which can be taken into the human body, especially in thishot country.

  We had all gone to bed last night, and I believe everybody was asleep,when Grace and I were awoke by a curious sensation, as if our beds werebeing rocked. We sat up and began talking to each other, both havingexperienced the same feeling. Again the movement began, at first _very_gently, and then rapidly increasing till the whole house seemed to bemoving up and down, like a ship at sea, while all the timbers creakedand cracked as if it were about to fall to pieces.

  "What is the matter? What is it?" cried Frau Ursula, starting up. "Ohdear! oh dear! there's an earthquake!" and she sprang from her bed."Come! fly, girls, fly! The house will come down!" she screamed out.

  Her voice awakened those in the other rooms who were still asleep."Don't be alarmed!" I heard my uncle saying. "A marble palace would bethrown to the ground long before this house will be. We are as safehere as anywhere."

  Scarcely had he spoken, however, when several crashes were heard insuccession, and the house shook so much that I felt almost sea-sick. Inspite of my uncle's exhortation, the Frau hastily threw on her clothes,and we, imitating her example, followed her down the steps, where wewere speedily joined by the rest of the inmates. There were strangenoises in the forest, and it seemed as if the trees were knockingtogether, while the animals round us uttered unusual cries. My uncleand Tanda were the only people who remained inside. He again cried tous to come back, and at length the Frau was persuaded to return. He hadstruck a light, and enabled us to see our way.

  "There, go to bed again," he said; "a few bottles and cases only havebeen tumbled down, and no harm has been done."

  It was some time, however, after we had gone to our room, before wecould again go to sleep. It seemed to me that we had scarcely beenasleep many minutes before we felt another shock, very nearly as violentas the first. We again started up, and my uncle's voice was once moreheard, urging us all to remain quiet, and not expose ourselves to thedamp night air. This time we obeyed him, though the Frau sitting upwrung her hands, wishing herself in some region where earthquakes werenot experienced, and burning mountains were not to be seen. NeitherGrace nor I could sleep for the remainder of the night; and I found thatOliver had been kept awake.

  The next morning, when we met at breakfast, we looked somewhat pale, Isuspect. My uncle was inclined to banter us, and told us that we shouldnot mind such things, as he had felt several since he had been on theisland, and no harm had come from them. I saw him, however, soon afterthat looking somewhat anxiously, I thought, up at the mountain, fromwhich wreaths of smoke were ascending somewhat thicker than usual; and Iheard him urging Mr Thudicumb to hasten on with the vessel. "Tanda andI will prepare stores as fast as we can," he observed. Theship-builders hurried off with their tools, but he and Tanda and Oliverremained behind. They afterwards set off to what we call Cocoa-nutGrove, as a large number of cocoa-nuts grow there. Tanda led one of thebuffaloes with huge panniers on his back. After a time they returned,having procured a number of cocoa-nuts. They were very different fromthe cocoa-nuts we had been some time before eating, far more like thoseI had been accustomed to see in England. When the nut is young theshell is soft, and of a pale green colour. It shortly afterwards, whenthe shell is formed, turns to a light yellow, and on the other side is athin layer of so soft a consistency, that it can easily be cut with aspoon. In this condition it is always eaten by the natives. When itgrows older, the outside assumes a wood colour. The husk becomes dry,and the hard shell is surrounded within by a thick, tough oilysubstance, and, indeed, just as we see it in England. The natives lookupon it in this condition as very indigesti
ble, and seldom eat it. Itis of value, however, for the oil which it now contains. Such were thenuts which Tanda brought to the house. We all set to work to break thenuts and to scrape out the interior substance with knives. When thiswas done, it was put into a large pan and boiled over the fire. After atime the oil was separated from the pulp, and floated on the top. Wethen, under my uncle's directions, skimmed it off, and poured it intobowls and bottles. It was now fit for use--a very sweet, pure oil. Asour pan was not very large, it took some time to make a quantity. Wewanted some for present use, but the chief object was to have a supplyfor our lamps on board the vessel. This oil, my uncle said, isgenerally used throughout the archipelago for lamps; indeed, it isalmost the only substance used for lighting.

  We were so busily employed during the day, that we almost forgot allabout the earthquake. There was one thing, however, we did not forget;for, in spite of occupation, my thoughts were constantly recurring toWalter. As soon as our work was over, we ran down to the beach,accompanied by Oliver, who carried his gun for our defence, lest anothermias might appear. In vain we scanned the horizon. No sail appeared,no object which we could even mistake for the boat, and with sad heartswe returned to the house. The sun had just set. As we were comingalong the path to the house, we saw some large creatures moving about inthe air with a peculiar motion unlike birds. Going a little way we sawtwo more, and then another couple appeared. Oliver raised his gun andfired, when down fell a huge creature which looked like a quadruped withwings. Though unable to fly, it began to defend itself bravely, andOliver had to give it several severe blows before he could venture totouch it. "It will be a prize to Mr Sedgwick, whatever it is," heobserved, fastening a line round the animal's neck. He dragged it up tothe house, and when we brought it up to the light we found that it was ahuge bat. The Frau, when she saw it, declared that it was a flying-fox.Mr Sedgwick, however, said it was really a bat, and when he measuredit he found that is was four feet six inches from tip to tip of itswings. Oliver said it looked quite like an antediluvian animal. MrHooker said he had often seen them; that one day he found one hanging tothe bough of a tree with its head downwards. He fired several shotsbefore the creature would release its crooked claws from the bough towhich it held. Tanda proposed skinning and cooking it, saying it wasgood to eat. However, Grace and I begged that we might not be asked tosup upon it, as the appearance of the animal was far from tempting. MrHooker called the creature Oliver had shot a _Pteropus_.

  Although, through the industry of my uncle and Tanda, we were wellsupplied with vegetable food, we were greatly in want of meat. Hetherefore invited Oliver to accompany him on an expedition to shoot wildducks on a lagoon at some distance. He advised us, during theirabsence, to keep within sight of the house, or at all events not to gofar from it. Ursula begged that Merlin should remain with us.

  "Yes, yes," said my uncle: "he might act as a retriever for us; at thesame time, I dare say, we can do without him, and he will serve as yourguard, and a very faithful one he seems to be."

  I do not know why, but I felt rather anxious about my uncle and Oliverwhen they set out. I could not help thinking of the serpents and wildbeasts they might encounter. They were going also to a district wherecrocodiles abounded. I was more anxious because they despised thecrocodiles, and said they were stupid creatures, and would never hurtany one who was on his guard; and that only animals when very thirstyand drinking, or people incautiously bathing, were ever caught. As soonas they were gone, we set to work with our various duties in the house.I have not described them, but we had plenty to do, and wished to employourselves usefully. After that, Grace and I agreed to go down to thebeach in the vain hope--I am almost compelled to acknowledge that it isso--that Walter might be returning. I can now understand how those whohave lost some dear one at sea go to the shore day after day and monthafter month, hoping against hope, that they might return. When I amaway from the beach, I am constantly wishing to return to it, and oftenin the house I look down the pathway leading to the shore, fancying thatpossibly I might see Walter coming up it. Oh, what joy it would be tomy heart! My dear, dear brother!--the only person in the world nearlyrelated to me, whom I know well and love thoroughly. Our uncle is verykind, but I as yet do not know him well, and he is odd in some things.Oliver truly acts the part of a brother, and I am sure loves me as asister, and I value his regard. Merlin seemed also to watch the horizonas anxiously as we did. I am sure he knows that Walter is away, and isalso looking for him.

  We watched and watched, till the sun, sinking low in the horizon, warnedus that we must go back and prepare supper for our friends. Theship-builders would soon be coming back, and we hoped that my uncle andOliver would also be coming home. Again we cast one lingering looktowards the horizon, but there was no break in its clear, well-markedline. We found the Frau somewhat anxious about us. "I do always thinkof that horrid mias, for though Merlin would fight for you, yet thecreature would kill the dog with one grip of his big hands," sheobserved. We had got the table spread, and the Frau was putting somedishes on it, when Mr Hooker and the rest arrived from Hope Harbour.They had seen nothing of my uncle and Oliver. Why had they not comeback? I remembered my forebodings in the morning, and again began tofear that some accident had happened to them. Mr Hooker, however, saidhe thought they would have been led, by their anxiety to obtain game,further than they intended; and as all the party were very hungry, theycommenced supper without waiting for them. Grace and I sat down, butcould eat nothing. Oliver had scarcely recovered his strength, and Iwas afraid that he might have been seized with the same sort of attackas he was a short time ago. It grew darker and darker, and very rapidlynight came down upon us. Still no sign of the missing ones. Mr Tarboxproposed going out to search for them with torches. Roger Trew andPotto Jumbo agreed to accompany him. A supply of dammar torches wassoon manufactured, and each carrying a bundle on his back, with one inone hand and a gun in the other, they sallied forth. As long as theycould find their way, there would be less danger moving through theforest at night with torches than in the day-time, as savage beasts andsnakes avoid the light, and only harmless moths and bats fly against it.In my eagerness I should have liked to have gone with them, but theywould not hear of it. Merlin, however, having performed his duty inwatching over us, when he saw them going out, quickly followed, and ofcourse he was likely to be of use in searching for the lost ones. MrHooker and the mate were not so strong as they were before theirillness, and were therefore easily persuaded to stay behind. They triedto keep up my spirits, and reminded me that my uncle was so wellacquainted with the country, that he was not likely to have got into anydanger himself, or to have allowed his companions to do so.

  Often Grace and I ran out to the verandah to watch for them, hoping tosee the bright light of the torches re-appearing along the path. How myheart bounded when at length I heard a shout and saw a gleam of light inthe distance! It grew brighter and brighter, and then I could make outseveral people carrying torches. I tried to count them. I saw three,and then a fourth figure. There ought to have been six. I coulddistinguish my uncle from his tall figure and peculiar dress. Then itseemed to me as if they were carrying something between them. In vain Ilooked for Oliver, whom I should have known by his being shorter thanthe rest. We ran down the steps to welcome them, and inquired what hadhappened.

  "Don't be alarmed, Miss Emily," I heard Roger Trew, who came first,exclaim. "Your uncle is all right, but Oliver--" Oh, how my heart sank."Well, he has been somewhat hurt. He will come round, though; don't beafraid, miss. Poor Tanda, it has been a bad job for him."

  Before I could make any more inquiries, the rest of the party, who boreOliver among them, arrived, and he was carried up the steps. I ran tohis side. He could speak but faintly. My uncle seemed very much out ofspirits, as his faithful Tanda had lost his life.

  "I do not know which of us may go next," he observed. "Oliver has had anarrow escape, let me tell you; and he deserved
to escape, for a verybold thing he did. He is a brave lad. It would have been a pity tolose him."

  "But what has happened? What has happened?" exclaimed the Frau. "WhyOliver again ill?"

  "You shall hear all about it by-and-by, Frau. But here, give Oliversome food, he requires it, for even I am almost faint for want of mysupper."

  The Frau attended to Oliver's wants, and my uncle sat down to thesupper-table and began eating away without speaking further. He was nota man of many words, and when anything had annoyed him, I observed thathe was more silent even than usual. As I did not think Oliver was in afit state to speak, I resolved to bridle my curiosity till the next day.Food and a night's rest greatly restored Oliver, and he was up nextmorning at the usual hour. He then gave me a short account of what hadhappened:--

  "Instead of taking our usual course across the bamboo bridge," heobserved, "we struck away to the right to explore a part of the countryMr Sedgwick had not visited. We caught sight of several wildcreatures, and among others a mias which led us a long chase, and eventhen managed to climb up into his nest in a tall tree where we could notreach him. You see, Emily, these creatures build nests for themselvesand their young ones, and indeed, from what Tanda told Mr Sedgwick, Ibelieve they build one every night when they go to sleep in the boughsof a large tree. Certainly this one seemed to have no inclination toattack us, and I could easily believe that they would not generally doso, unless alarmed and afraid of being attacked themselves. After alittle time we reached a most curious spot, all around destitute ofvegetation. The ground rose towards it, and in the centre was aminiature conical hill, out of which there bubbled a stream of waterrunning down on one side of it. Mr Sedgwick hurried forward to examinethis curious spring, and on tasting the water, he took some grease outof his wallet to wash his hands in the fountain. Immediately heproduced a thick lather, and shouted out to me to come near and wash myhands if so disposed, as he had discovered a veritable soap-spring.[Note. There is a soap-spring of this description in Timor, an islandour friends did not visit.] I proposed that as the spot was at no greatdistance, we should mark it, so as to be able to repair there to washour clothes, preparatory to our voyage. Mr Sedgwick said he had nodoubt it contained a large quantity of alkali and iodine, which had beenthe cause of the destruction of the surrounding vegetation. Not far offwere some beautiful clear springs, which possessed none of thesequalities. We drank the water from the latter, which tasted thoroughlypure, and was beautifully clear. Above them rose several loftybanyan-trees, their numberless stems forming cool arbours which temptedus greatly to rest there, and I could not help wishing that you hadaccompanied us thus far. I think, had Mr Sedgwick discovered itbefore, he would have built his house in the neighbourhood. Howdelighted Walter would have been with the picturesque beauty of thescene. Going on for some way over a variety of hills, we descended to abeautiful lake, where we soon discovered a flock of brown ducks. Ongetting down, however, to the edge, we found a border so marshy that wecould not get a good shot at them. On the side where we were was a bandof dead trees. We proceeded along the lake, through the tall,sharp-edged grass, till we got exactly opposite the spot where the flockhad settled. They could not see us, as we were thoroughly sheltered bythe grass and trunks of trees; at the same time it was difficult toshoot them on account of the trees which intervened. We kept as closeas we could, expecting them every instant to take to flight, when MrSedgwick sprang up, and I followed his example. We both fired at thesame time. Although a number of the ducks flew away, six or seven atleast remained floating on the water. Had Merlin been with us, wethought we should soon have had them; but now, how to get them out wasthe question. I proposed swimming off for them, but Mr Sedgwick saidthat after my illness I ought not to make the attempt, and then Tandaoffered to go. `Very well,' said Mr Sedgwick; `you, Oliver, stay andtake care of the guns, and Tanda and I will go.' Accordingly, throwingoff his clothes, he and Tanda began to wade through the mud and reeds.It appeared dangerous work, as the mud was very soft and the reeds verytall, and often they were hid from sight. I had never felt so anxiousbefore. Presently I saw them emerge from the reeds and begin to swimtowards the ducks. Some of them not having been killed outright, hadfloated to a distance from the others. Towards these Tanda made hisway, while Mr Sedgwick swam towards the four which were still floating.He was already bringing them back, when, to my horror, I saw betweenhim and Tanda a huge snout appear above the surface. I knew it to bethat of a crocodile. I trembled for the fate of our kind friend.Tanda, I thought, would be safe, as he was near the shore. Could I saveMr Sedgwick? Whether Tanda saw the crocodile or not, I do not know;but he had already seized the ducks, and had once more plunged into thewater, swimming towards his master. Mr Sedgwick struck out boldly. Hehad caught sight of the creature, but it did not unnerve his arm, norwould he let go his ducks. I heard his voice shouting. `Fire!' Ithought he said. Putting the other guns down, I immediately loaded withball, knowing that shot would be utterly useless. I approached the edgeof the lake, and fired at the monster's head, feeling that the lives ofmy companions might depend on my aim. The ball struck the monster, butI saw it bound off into the water. The creature sank, and I dreaded tosee it come up near our friend. The next instant, what was my horror toobserve it rise again, and with open jaws rush at Tanda. The bravefellow shouted out and thrust the ducks forward, hoping, apparently, todraw back in time to escape those terrible jaws; but the monster was alarge one and hungry, and so great was his impetus that it seemed almostas if not an instant had passed before the upper part of the unfortunateTanda's body was seized and he was dragged to the bottom of the pond.Not a shriek escaped him; not a sound was heard.

  "Great as was my horror, I still had presence of mind again to load, tobe prepared to assist Mr Sedgwick, should it be necessary. I scarcelythink he saw what had occurred, and with powerful strokes he made hisway towards the bank. Even when he had reached the sedges, I knew thathe might not be safe, as those terrible monsters could easily followhim. To assist him, however, I kept shouting at the top of my voice,holding my gun ready to fire should one appear. At length he made hisway across the sedges, and landed on the bank, holding up the birds, andexclaiming with a laugh, `We have done well! I hope Tanda has beenequally successful!' Sad was the change which came over his countenancewhen I told him what had occurred. Not till then did I know how anxiousI had been. The sun all the time was burning down on my head, and asudden sickness overpowered me. I knew no more till I found myself inthe shade of the banyan-trees, near the cool fountain I have described.Mr Sedgwick was sitting near me, and looking very sad. He felt greatlythe loss of Tanda, and, I believe, thought that I also was dying. Thecool air of evening, and the water with which Mr Sedgwick had liberallybathed my head, had revived me. It had been a great exertion to himcarrying me thus far, and he seemed to doubt whether he could manage toconvey me to the house. However, he at length took me up, but he wasvery nearly overcome, I suspect, when we were met by our friends."