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The Crater by James Fenimore Cooper

J >> James Fenimore Cooper >> The Crater




Bob greatly approved of this arrangement, though all the seamen were too
much accustomed to obey their officers to raise the smallest objections
to anything that Mark proposed. Betts was the only person who had made
the circuit of the Peak; but he, and Mark, and Heaton, who had been a
good deal round the cliffs, on the side of the water, all agreed in
saying they did not believe it possible for a human being to reach the
plain, unless the ascent was made by the Stairs. This, of course,
rendered the fortifying of the last a matter of so much the greater
importance, since it converted the whole island into a second Gibraltar.
It was true, the Reef would remain exposed to depredations; though Mark
was of opinion that, by leaving a portion of their force in the ship,
with two or three of the guns at command, it would not be difficult to
beat off five hundred natives. As for the crater, it might very easily
be made impregnable.

At this meeting Heaton proposed the establishment of some sort of
government and authority, which they should all solemnly swear to
support. The idea was favourably received, and Mark was unanimously
chosen governor for life, the law being the rule of right, with such
special enactments as might, from time to time, issue from a council of
three, who were also elected for life. This council consisted of the
governor, Heaton, and Setts. Human society has little difficulty in
establishing itself on just principles, when the wants are few and
interests simple. It is the bias given by these last that perverts it
from the true direction. In our island community, most of its citizens
were accustomed to think that education and practice gave a man certain
claims to control, and, as yet, demagogueism had no place with them. A
few necessary rules, that were connected with their particular
situation, were enacted by the council and promulgated, when the meeting
adjourned. Happily they were as yet far, very far from that favourite
sophism of the day, which would teach the inexperienced to fancy it an
advantage to a legislator to commence his career as low as possible on
the scale of ignorance, in order that he might be what it is the
fashion, to term "a self-made man."

Mark now took the command, and issued his orders with a show of
authority. His attention was first turned to rendering the Peak
impregnable. There were a plenty of muskets and fowling-pieces already
there, Heaton having come well provided with arms and ammunition. As
respects the last, Peters and Jones were set to work to clear out a sort
of cavern in the rock, that was not only of a convenient size, but which
was conveniently placed for such a purpose, at no great distance from
the head of the Stairs, to receive the powder, &c. The cavity was
perfectly dry, an indispensable requisite, and it was equally well
protected against the admission of water.

The next thing was to collect a large pile of dry wood on the naked
height of the Peak. This was to be lighted, at night, in the event of
the canoes appearing while he was absent, Mark being of opinion that he
could see such a beacon-fire from the Reef, whither he was about to
proceed. Having made these arrangements, the governor set sail with
Betts, Bigelow, and Socrates for his companions; leaving Heaton, with
Peters and Jones, to take care of most of the females. We say of most,
since Dido and Juno went along, in order to cook, and to wash all the
clothes of the whole colony, a part of which were sent in the pinnace,
but most of which were on hoard the ship. This was a portion of his
duty, when a solitary man, to which Mark was exceedingly averse, and
having shirts almost _ad libitum_, Bridget had found nearly a hundred
ready for the 'buck-basket.' There was no danger, therefore, that the
'wash' would be too small.

Betts was deeply impressed with the change that he found in the rocks.
There, where he had left, water over which he had often floated his
raft, appeared dry land. Nor was he much less struck with the appearance
of the crater. It was now a hill of a bright, lively verdure, Kitty and
her new friend keeping it quite as closely cropped as was desirable. The
interior, too, struck him forcibly; for there, in addition to the
garden, now flourishing, though a little in want of the hoe, was a
meadow of acres in extent, in which the grass was fit to cut. Mark had
observed this circumstance when last at the crater, and Socrates had
brought his scythe and forks, to cut and cure the hay.

The morning after the arrival, everybody went to work. The women set up
their tubs, under an awning spread for that purpose, near the spring,
and were soon up to their elbows in suds. The scythe was set in motion,
and the pinnace was taken round to the ship. Three active seamen soon
hoisted out the carronades, and stowed them in the little sloop. The
ammunition followed, and half-a-dozen barrels of the beef and pork were,
put in the Neshamony also. Mark scarcely ever touched this food now, the
fish, eggs, chickens, and pigs, keeping his larder sufficiently well
supplied. But some of the men pined for _ship's_ provisions, beef and
pork that had now been packed more than two years, and the governor
thought it might be well enough to indulge them. The empty barrels would
be convenient on the Peak, and the salt would be acceptable, after being
dried and pulverized.

The day was passed in loading the Neshamony, and in looking after
various interests on the Reef. The hogs had all come in, and were fed.
Mark shot one, and had it dressed, putting most of its meat into the
pinnace. He also sent Bob out to his old place of resort, near Loam
Island, whence he brought back near a hundred hog-fish. These were
divided, also, some being given to Dido's mess, and the rest put in the
pinnace, after taking out enough for a good supper. About ten at night
the Neshamony sailed, Mark carrying her out into the open water, when he
placed Bob at the helm. Bigelow had remained in the ship, to overhaul
the lumber, of which there were still large piles both betwixt decks and
in the lower hold, as did the whole of the Socrates family, who were yet
occupied with the hay harvest and the 'wash.' Before he lay down to
catch his nap, Mark took a good look to the southward, in quest of the
beacon, but it was not burning, a sign the savages had not appeared in
the course of the day. With this assurance he fell asleep, and slept
until informed by Bob that the pinnace was running in beneath the
cliffs. Betts called him, because the honest fellow was absolutely at a
loss to know where to find the entrance of the cove. So closely did the
rocks lap, that this mouth of the harbour was most effectually concealed
from all but those who happened to get quite close in with the cliffs,
and in a particular position. Mark, himself, had caught a glimpse of
this narrow entrance accidentally, on his first voyage, else might he
have been obliged to abandon the hope of getting on the heights; for
subsequent examination showed that there was but that one spot, on the
whole circuit of Vulcan's Peak, where man could ascend to the plain,
without having recourse to engineering and the labour of months, if not
of years.

Bob had brought along one of the two swivels of the ship, as an armament
for the Neshamony, and he fired it under the cliffs, as a signal of her
return. This brought down all the men, who, with their united strength,
dragged the carronades up the Stairs, and placed them in position. With
a view to scale the guns, the governor now had each loaded, with a round
shot and a case of canister. The gun just above the pass, he pointed
himself, at the entrance of the cove, and touched it off. The whole of
the missiles went into the passage, making the water fairly foam again.
The other gun was depressed so as to sweep the Stairs and, on
examination, it was found that its shot had raked the path most
effectually for a distance exceeding a hundred yards. Small magazines
were made in the rocks, near each guy, when the most important part of
the arangements for defence were considered to be satisfactorily made
for the present. The remainder of the cargo was discharged, and got up
the mountain, though it took three days to effect the last. The
provisions were opened below and overhauled, quite one-half of the pork
being consigned to the soap-fat, though the beef proved to be still
sound and sweet. Such as was thought fit to be consumed was carried up
in baskets, and re-packed on the mountain, the labour of rolling up the
barrels satisfying everybody, after one experiment. This difficulty set
Mark to work with his wits, and he found a shelf that overhung the
landing, at a height of fully a hundred yards above it, where there was
a natural platform of rock, that would suffice for the parade of a
regiment of men. Here he determined to rig a derrick, for there was an
easy ascent and descent to this 'platform,' as the place was called, and
down which a cart might go without any difficulty, if a cart was to be
had. The 'platform' might also be used for musketeers, in an action, and
on examining it, Mark determined to bring over one of the two long
sixes, and mount it there, with a view to command the offing. From that
height a shot could be thrown in any direction, for more than a mile,
outside of the harbour.

Heaton had seen no signs of the canoes, nor could Mark, at any time
during the next four clays after his return, though he was each day on
the Peak itself, to examine the ocean. On the fifth day, therefore, he
and Bob crossed over to the Reef again, taking Bridget along this time.
The latter delighted in the ship, the cabins of which were so much more
agreeable and comfortable than the tents, and which had so long been her
husband's solitary abode.

On reaching the Reef, the governor was greatly surprised to find that
Bigelow had the frame of a boat even larger than the pinnace set up, one
that measured fourteen tons, though modelled to carry, rather than to
sail. In overhauling the 'stuff' in the ship, he had found not only all
the materials for this craft, but those necessary for a boat a little
larger than the Bridget, which, it seems, had been sent for the
ordinary service of the ship, should anything occur to occasion the loss
of the two she commonly used, in addition to the dingui. These were
treasures, indeed, vessels of this size being of the utmost use to the
colonists. For the next month, several hands were kept at work on these
two boats, when both were got into the water, rigged, and turned over
for duty. The largest boat of the little fleet, which had no deck at
all, not even forward, and which was not only lighter-built but
lighter-rigged, having one large sprit-sail that brailed, was called the
Mary, in honour of Heaton's mother; while the jolly-boat carried joy to
the hearts of the house of Socrates, by being named the Dido. As she was
painted black as a crow, this appellation was not altogether
inappropriate, Soc declaring, "dat 'e boat did a good deal favour his
ole woman."

While these things were in progress, the Neshamony was not idle. She
made six voyages between the Reef and the Peak in that month, carrying
to the last, fish, fresh pork, various necessaries from the ship, as
well as eggs and salt. Some of the fowls were caught and transferred to
the Peak, as well as half-a-dozen of the porkers. The return cargo
consisted of reed-birds, in large quantities, several other varieties of
birds, bread-fruits, bananas, yams, cocoa-nuts, and a fruit that Heaton
discovered, which was of a most delicious flavour, resembling
strawberries and cream, and which was afterwards ascertained to be the
charra-moya, the fruit that, of all others, when good, is thought to
surpass everything else of that nature. Bridget also picked a basket of
famously large wild strawberries on the Summit, and sent them to Anne.
In return. Anne sent her sister, not only cream and milk, by each
passage, but a little fresh butter. The calves had been weaned, and the
two cows were now giving their largest quantity of milk, furnishing
almost as much butter as was wanted.

At the crater, Socrates put everything in order. He mowed the grass, and
made a neat stack of it, in the centre of the meadow. He cleaned the
garden thoroughly, and made some arrangements for enlarging it, though
the yield, now, was quite as great as all the colonists could consume;
for, no sooner was one vegetable dug, or cut, than another was put in
its place. On the Peak, Peters, who was half a farmer, dug over an acre
or two of rich loam, and made a fence of brush, with a view of having a
garden in Eden. Really, it almost seemed superfluous; though those who
had been accustomed to salads, and beans, and beets, and onions, and
cucumbers, and all the other common vegetables of a civilized kitchen,
soon began to weary of the more luscious fruits of the tropics. With the
wild figs, however, Heaton, who was a capital horticulturist, fancied he
could do something. He picked out three or four thriving young trees of
that class, which bore fruit a little better flavoured than most around
them, and cut away all their neighbours, letting in the sun and air
freely. He also trimmed their branches, and dug around the roots, which
he refreshed with guano; the use of which had been imparted by Mark to
his fellow-colonists, though Bigelow knew all about it from-having lived
in Peru, and Bob had early let the governor himself into the secret.

The governor and his lady, as the community now began to term Mr. and
Mrs. Mark Woolston, were on the point of embarking in the Neshamony, to
visit Vulcan's Peak, after a residence on the Reef of more than a month,
when the orders for sailing were countermanded, in consequence of
certain signs in the atmosphere, which indicated something like another
hurricane. The tempest came, and in good earnest, but without any of the
disastrous consequences which had attended that of the previous year. It
blew fearfully, and the water was driven into all the sounds, creeks,
channels and bays of the group, bringing many of the islands, isthmuses,
peninsulas, and plains of rock, what the seamen call 'awash,' though no
material portion was actually overflowed. At the Reef itself, the water
rose a fathom, but it did not reach the surface of the island by several
feet, and all passed off without any other consequences than giving the
new colonists a taste of the climate.

Mark, on this occasion, for the first time, noted a change that was
gradually taking place on the surface of the Reef, without the crater.
Most of its cavities were collecting deposits, that were derived from
various sources. Sea-weed, offals, refuse stuff of all kinds, the
remains of the deluge of fish that occurred the past year, and all the
indescribable atoms that ever contribute to form soil in the
neighbourhood of man. There were many spots on the Reef, of acres in
extent, that formed shallow basins, in which the surface might be two or
three inches lower than the surrounding rocks, and, in these spots in
particular, the accumulations of an incipient earthy matter were plainly
visible. As these cavities collected and retained the moisture, usually
from rain to rain, Mark had some of Friend Abraham White's grass-seed
sown over them, in order to aid nature in working out her own benevolent
designs. In less than a month, patches of green began to appear on the
dusky rocks, and there was good reason to hope that a few years would
convert the whole Reef into a smiling, verdant plain. It was true, the
soil could not soon obtain any useful depth, except in limited spots;
but, in that climate, where warmth and moisture united to push
vegetation to the utmost, it was an easy thing to obtain a bottom for
grasses of almost all kinds.

Nor did Mark's provident care limit itself to this one instance of
forethought. Socrates was sent in the dinghy to the prairie, over which
the hogs had now been rooting for fully two months, mixing together mud
and sea-weed, somewhat loosely it is true, but very extensively; and
there he scattered Timothy-seed in tolerable profusion. Socrates was a
long-headed, as well as a long-footed fellow, and he brought back from
this expedition a report that was of material importance to the future
husbandry of the colonists. According to his statement, this large
deposit of mud and sea-weed lay on a peninsula, that might be barricaded
against the inroads of hogs, cattle, &c., by a fence of some two or
three rods in length. This was a very favourable circumstance, where
wood was to be imported for many years to come, if not for ever; though
the black had brought the seeds of certain timbers, from the Peak, and
put them into the ground in a hundred places on the Reef, where the
depth of deposit, and other circumstances, seemed favourable to their
growth. As for the Prairie, could it be made to grow grasses, it would
be a treasure to the colony, inasmuch as its extent reached fully to a
thousand acres. The examination of Socrates was flattering in other
respects. The mud was already dry, and the deposit of salt did riot seem
to be very great; little water having been left there after the
eruption, or lifting of the earth's crust. The rains had done much, and
certain coarse, natural grasses, were beginning to show themselves in
various parts of the field. As the hogs would not be likely to root over
the same spot twice, it was not proposed to exclude them, but they were
permitted to range over the field at pleasure, in the hope that they
would add to its fertility by mixing the materials for soil. In such a
climate, every change of a vegetable character was extremely rapid, and
now that no one thought of abandoning the settlement, it was very
desirable to obtain the different benefits of civilization as soon as
possible.

All the blacks remained at the Reef, where Mark himself passed a good
deal of his time. In their next visit to the Peak, they found things
flourishing, and the garden looking particularly well. The Vulcanists
had their melons in any quantity, as well as most vegetables without
limits. It was determined to divide the cows, leaving one on the Peak,
and sending the other to the crater, where there was now sufficient
grass to keep two or three such animals. With a view to this
arrangement, Bob had been directed to fence in the garden and stack, by
means of ropes and stanchions let into the ground. When the Anne
returned to the Reef, therefore, from her first voyage to the Peak, a
cow was sent over in her. This change was made solely for the
convenience of the milk, all the rest of the large stock being retained
on the plain, where there was sufficient grass to sustain thousands of
hoofs.

But the return cargo of the Anne, on this her first voyage, was composed
mainly of ship-timber. Heaton had found a variety of the teak in the
forests that skirted the plain, and Bigelow had got out of the trees the
frame of a schooner that was intended to measure about eighty tons. A
craft of that size would be of the greatest service to them, as it would
enable the colonists to visit any part of the Pacific they pleased, and
obtain such supplies as they might find necessary. Nor was this all; by
mounting on her two of the carronades, she would effectually give them
the command of their own seas, so far as the natives were concerned at
least. Mark had some books on the draughting of vessels, and Bigelow had
once before laid down a brig of more than a hundred tons in dimensions.
Then the stores, rigging, copper, &c., of the ship, could never be
turned to better account than in the construction of another vessel, and
it was believed she could furnish materials enough for two or three such
craft. Out of compliment to his old owner, Mark named this schooner in
embryo, the 'Friend Abraham White,' though she was commonly known
afterwards as the 'Abraham.'

The cutting of the frame of the intended schooner was a thing easy
enough, with expert American axemen, and with that glorious implement of
civilization, the American axe. But it was not quite so easy to get the
timber down to the cove. The keel, in particular, gave a good deal of
trouble. Heaton had brought along with him both cart and wagon wheels,
and without that it is questionable if the stick could have been moved
by any force then at the command of the colony. By suspending it in
chains beneath the axles, however, it was found possible to draw it,
though several of the women had to lend their aid in moving the mass.
When at the head of the Stairs, the timber was lowered on the rock, and
was slid downwards, with occasional lifts by the crowbar and handspike.
When it reached the water it was found to be much too heavy to float,
and it was by no means an easy matter to buoy it up in such a way that
it might be towed. The Anne was three times as long making her passage
with this keel in tow, as she was without it. It was done, however, and
the laying of the keel was effected with some little ceremony, in the
presence of nearly every soul belonging to the colony.

The getting out and raising of the frame of the 'Friend Abraham White'
took six weeks. Great importance was attached to success in this matter,
and everybody assisted in the work with right good will. At one time it
was doubted if stuff enough could be found in the ship to plank her up
with, and it was thought it might become necessary to break up the
Rancocus, in order to complete the job. To Bridgets great joy, however,
the good _old_ Rancocus--so they called her, though she was even then
only eight years old--the good old Rancocus' time had not yet come, and
she was able to live in her cabin for some months longer. Enough planks
were found by using those of the 'twixt decks, a part of which were not
bolted down at all to accomplish all that was wanted.

Heaton was a man of singular tastes, which led him to as remarkable
acquirements. Among other accomplishments, he was a very good general
mechanician, having an idea of the manner in which most of the ordinary
machinery ought to be, not only used, but fabricated. At the point where
the rivulet descended the cliff into the sea, he discovered as noble a
mill-seat as the heart of man could desire to possess. To have such a
mill-seat at command, and not to use it, would, of itself, have made him
unhappy, and he could not be easy until he and Peters, who had also a
great taste and some skill in that sort of thing, were hard at work
building a saw-mill. The saw had been brought from America, as a thing
very likely to be wanted, and three months after these, two ingenious
men had commenced their work, the saw was going, cutting teak, as well
as a species of excellent yellow pine that was found in considerable
quantities, and of very respectable size, along the cliffs in the
immediate vicinity of the mill. The great difficulty to be overcome in
that undertaking, was the transportation of the timber. By cutting the
trees most favourably situated first, logs were got into the pond
without much labour; but after they were in planks, or boards, or
joists, they were quite seven miles horn the head of the Stairs, in the
vicinity of which it was, on several accounts, the most desirable to
dwell. Had the Abraham been kept on the stocks, until the necessary
timber was brought from the mill, across the plain of Eden, she would
have been well seasoned before launching; but, fortunately, that was not
necessary--materials sufficient for her were got on board the ship, as
mentioned, with some small additions of inch boards that were cut to
finish her joiners' work.

Months passed, as a matter of course, while the schooner and the mill
were in the course of construction. The work on the first was frequently
intermitted, by little voyages in the other craft, and by labour
necessary to be done in preparing dwellings on the Peak, to meet the
rainy season, which was now again near at hand. Past experience had told
Mark that the winter months in his islands, if winter a season could be
termed, during which most of the trees, all the grasses, and many of the
fruits continued to grow and ripen as in summer, were not very
formidable. It is true it then rained nearly every day, but it was very
far from raining all day. Most of the rain, in fact, fell at night,
commencing a little after the turn in the day, and terminating about
midnight. Still it must be very unpleasant to pass such a season beneath
canvass, and, about six weeks ere the wet time commenced, everybody
turned to, with a will, to erect, proper framed houses. Now that the
mill was sawing, this was no great task, the pine working beautifully
and easily into almost every article required.

Heaton laid out his house with some attention to taste, and more to
comfort. It was of one story, but fully a hundred feet in length, and of
half that in depth. Being a common American dwelling that was
clap-boarded, it was soon put up and enclosed, the climate requiring
very little attention to warmth. There were windows, and even glass, a
small quantity of that article having been brought along by the
colonists. The floors were beautiful, and extremely well laid down; nor
were the doors, window-shutters, &c., neglected. The whole, moreover,
was painted, the stores of the ship still furnishing the necessary
materials. But there was neither chimney nor plastering, for Heaton had
neither bricks nor lime. Bricks he insisted he could and would make, and
did, though in no great number; but lime, for some time, baffled his
ingenuity. At last, Socrates suggested the burning of oyster-shells, and
by dint of fishing a good deal, among the channels of the reef, a noble
oyster-bed was found, and the boats brought in enough of the shells to
furnish as much lime as would put up a chimney for the kitchen; one
apartment for that sort of work being made, as yet, to suffice for the
wants of all who dwelt in Eden.