CHAPTER XX.
The Author observes her flight--A description of a glumm in the graundee--She finds out the gulf not far from the ship--Brings home more goods--Makes her a gown by her husband's instruction
I had ever since our marriage been desirous of seeing Youwarkee fly;but this was the first opportunity I had of it; and indeed the sight wasworthy of all the attention I paid it; for I desired her slowly to putherself in proper order for it, that I might make my observationthe more accurately; and shall now give you an account of the wholeapparatus, though several parts of the description were taken fromsubsequent views; for it would have been impossible to have made justremarks of everything at that once, especially as I only viewed her backparts then.
I told you before, I had seen her graundee open, and quite extended aslow as her middle; but that being in the grotto by lamplight, I couldnot take so just a survey as now, when the sort of light we ever had wasat the brightest.
She first threw up two long branches or ribs of the whalebone, asI called it before (and indeed for several of its properties, astoughness, elasticity, and pliableness, nothing I have ever seen can sojustly be compared to it), which were jointed behind to the upper boneof the spine, and which, when not extended, lie bent over the shoulderson each side of the neck forwards, from whence, by nearer and nearerapproaches, they just meet at the lower rim of the belly in a sortof point; but when extended, they stand their whole length above theshoulders, not perpendicularly, but spreading outwards, with a web ofthe softest and most pliable and springy membrane that can be imagined,in the interstice between them, reaching from their root or joint on theback up above the hinder part of the head, and near half-way their ownlength; but when closed, the membrane falls down in the middle upon theneck, like a handkerchief. There are also two other ribs rising as itwere from the same root, which, when open, run horizontally, but not solong as the others. These are filled up in the interstice between themand the upper ones with the same membrane; and on the lower side ofthis is also a deep flap of the membrane, so that the arms can be eitherabove or below it in flight, and are always above it when closed. Thislast rib, when shut, flaps under the upper one, and also falls down withit before to the waist, but is not joined to the ribs below. Along thewhole spine-bone runs a strong, flat, broad, grisly cartilage, to whichare joined several other of these ribs; all which open horizontally, andare filled in the interstices with the above membrane, and are jointedto the ribs of the person just where the plane of the back begins toturn towards the breast and belly; and, when shut, wrap the body roundto the joints on the contrary side, folding neatly one side over theother. At the lower spine are two more ribs, extended horizontally whenopen, jointed again to the hips, and long enough to meet the joint onthe contrary side cross the belly; and from the hip-joint, which is onthe outermost edge of the hip-bone, runs a pliable cartilage quite downthe outside of the thigh and leg to the ankle; from which there branchout divers other ribs horizontally also when open, but when closed, theyencompass the whole thigh and leg, rolling inwards cross the back ofthe leg and thigh till they reach and just cover the cartilage. Theinterstices of these are also filled up with the same membrane. From thetwo ribs which join to the lower spine-bone, there hangs down a sortof short apron, very full of plaits, from hip-joint to hip-joint, andreaches below the buttocks, half-way or more to the hams. This has alsoseveral small limber ribs in it. Just upon the lower spine-joint, andabove the apron, as I call it, there are two other long branches, which,when close, extend upon the back from the point they join at below tothe shoulders, where each rib has a clasper, which reaching over theshoulders, just under the fold of the uppermost branch or ribs, holdup the two ribs flat to the back like a V, the interstices of which arealso filled up with the aforesaid membrane. This last piece, in flight,falls down almost to the ankles, where the two claspers lapping undereach leg within-side, hold it very fast; and then also the short apronis drawn up by-the strength of the ribs in it, between the thighsforward, and covers the pudenda and groin as far as the rim of thebelly. The whole arms are covered also from the shoulders to the wristwith the same delicate membrane, fastened to ribs of proportionabledimensions, and jointed to a cartilage on the outside in the same manneras on the legs.
It is very surprising to feel the difference of these ribs when open andwhen closed; for, closed, they are as pliable as the finest whalebone,or more so, but when extended, are as strong and stiff as a bone. Theyare tapering from the roots, and are broader or narrower as best suitsthe places they occupy, and the stress they are put to, up to theirpoints, which are almost as small as a hair. The membrane between themis the most elastic thing I ever met with, occupying no more space, whenthe ribs are closed, than just from rib to rib, as flat and smoothas possible; but when extended in some postures, will dilate itselfsurprisingly. This will be better comprehend by the plates, where youwill see several figures of glumms and gawrys in different attitudes,than can be expressed by words.
As soon as my wife had expanded the whole graundee, being upon plainground, she stooped forward, moving with a heavy wriggling motion atfirst, which put me into some pain for her; but after a few strokes,beginning to rise a little, she cut through the air like lightning, andwas soon over the edge of the rock and out of my sight.
It is the most amazing thing in the world to observe the large expansionof this graundee when open; and when closed (as it all is in a momentupon the party's descent) to see it sit so close and compact to thebody, as no tailor can come up to it; and then the several ribs lie sojustly disposed in the several parts, that instead of being, as onewould imagine, a disadvantage to the shape, they make the body and limbslook extremely elegant; and by the different adjustment of their lineson the body and limbs, the whole, to my fancy, somewhat resembles thedress of the old Roman warriors in their buskins; and, to appearance,seems much more noble than any fictitious garb I ever saw, or can framea notion of to myself.
Though these people, in height, shape, and limb, very much resemble theEuropeans, there is yet this difference, that their bodies are ratherbroader and flatter, and their limbs, though as long and well shaped,are seldom as thick as ours. And this I observed generally in all I sawof them during a long time among them afterwards; but their skin, forbeauty and fairness, exceeds ours very much.
My wife having now taken her second flight, I went home, and never leftmy children till her return; this was three days after our parting. Iwas in bed with my little ones when she knocked at the door. I soon lether in, and we received each other with a glowing welcome. The news shebrought me was very agreeable. She told me she first went and pried intoevery nook in the ship, where she had seen such things, could we get atthem, as would make us very happy. Then she set out the way I told herto go, in order to find the gulf. She was much afraid she should nothave discovered it, though she flew very slow, that she might be sureto hear the waterfall and not over-shoot it. It was long ere she cameat it; but when she did, she perceived she might have spared most of hertrouble, had she set out the other way; for, after she had flown almostround the island, and not before, she began to hear the fall, and uponcoming up to it, found it to be not above six minutes' flight from theship. She said the entrance was very narrow, and, she thought, lowerthan I represented it; for she could scarce discern any space betweenthe surface of the water and the arch-way of the rock. I told her thatmight happen from the rise or fall of the sea itself. But I was glad tohear the ship was no farther from the gulf; for my head was never freefrom the thoughts of my ship and cargo. She then told me she had lefta small bundle for me without the wood, and went to look after herchildren. I brought up the bundle, and though it was not near so largeas the other, I found several useful things in it, wrapped up in fouror five yards of dark blue woollen cloth, which I knew no name for, butwhich was thin and light, and about a yard wide. I asked her where shemet with this stuff; she answered, where there was more of it, under athing like our bed, in a cloth like our sheet, wh
ich she cut open,and took it out of.--"Well," says I, "and what will you do withthis?"--"Why, I will make me a coat like yours," says she, "for I don'tlike to look different from my dear husband and children."--"No,Youwarkee," replied I, "you must not do so; if you make such a jacket asmine, there will be no distinction between glumm and gawry;* the gowrenpraave,** in my country, would not on any account go dressed like aglumm; for they wear a fine flowing garment called a gown, that sitstight about the waist, and hangs down from thence in folds, like yourbarras, *** almost to the ground, so that you can hardly discern theirfeet, and no other part of their body but their hands and face, andabout as much of their neck and breasts as you see in your graundee."
* Man and woman.
** Modest women.
***The back flap of the graundee.
Youwarkee seemed highly delighted with this new-fancied dress, andworked day and night at it against the cold weather. Whilst she employedherself thus, I was busied in providing my winter stores, which I wasforced to do alone now, herself and children taking up all my wife'stime. About a fortnight after she had begun mantua-making, she presentedherself to me one day, as I came from work, in her new gown; and, truly,considering the scanty description I had given her of such a garment,it appeared a good comely dress. Though it had not one plait about thebody, it sat very tight thereto, and yet hung down full enough for acountess; for she would have put it all in (all the stuff she had) hadthere been as much more of it. I could see no opening before, so askedher how she got it on. She told me she laid along on the ground, andcrept through the plaits at the bottom, and sewed the body round herafter she had got her hands and arms through the sleeves. I wondered ather contrivance; and, smiling, showed her how she should put it on, andalso how to pin it before: and after she had done that, and I had turnedup about half a yard of sleeve, which then hung down to her fingers'ends, I kissed her, and called her my country-woman; of which, and hernew gown, she was very proud for a long time.
Life And Adventures Of Peter Wilkins, Vol. I. (of II.) Page 24
