With early light we commenced the next day’s journey, directing our course to a point between the sugar brake and the Gap, where we had once made a sort of arbor of the branches of trees. As this remained in pretty good condition, we spread a sailcloth over the top of it, instead of pitching the tent, and made it very comfortable quarters for the short time I proposed to stay there.
Our object being to search the neighborhood for traces of the boa constrictor, or any of his kindred, Fritz, Jack, and Franz went with me to the sugar-cane brake, and satisfied ourselves that our enemy had not been there. It was long since we had enjoyed the fresh juice of these canes, and we were refreshing ourselves therewith when a loud barking of dogs and loud rustling and rattling through the thicket of canes disturbed our pleasant occupation. As we could see nothing a yard off where we stood, I hurried to the open ground, and with guns in readiness we awaited what was coming.
In a few minutes a herd of creatures like little pigs issued from the thicket and made off in single file at a brisk trot. They were of a uniform gray color, and showed short sharp tusks.
My trusty double-barrel speedily laid low two of the fugitives. The others continued to follow the leader in line, scarcely turning aside to pass the dead bodies of their comrades, and maintaining the same steady pace, although Fritz and Jack also fired and killed several.
I felt certain that these were peccaries, and recollected that an odoriferous gland in the back must be removed immediately, otherwise the meat will become tainted, and quite unfit to eat. This operation, with the help of my boys, I accordingly performed at once.
Presently, hearing shots in the direction of the hut where we had left Ernest and his mother, I sent Jack to their assistance, desiring him to fetch the cart, that the booty might be conveyed to our encampment. We employed the time of his absence in opening and cleaning the animals, thus reducing their weight.
Ernest came back with Jack and the cart, and told us that the procession of peccaries had passed near the hut, and that he, with Juno’s help, had secured three of them.
I was glad to hear this, as I had determined to cure a good supply of hams, and we made haste to load the cart. The boys adorned it with flowers and green boughs, and with songs of triumph which made the woods ring they conveyed the valuable supply of game to the hut, where their mother anxiously waited for us.
After dinner we set to work upon our pigs, singeing and scalding off the bristles. I cut out the hams, divided the flitches, bestowed considerable portions of the carcass on the dogs, and diligently cleansed and salted the meat, while the boys prepared a shed where it was to be hung to be cured in the smoke of fires of green wood.
This unexpected business of course detained us in the place for some time. On the second day, when the smoking shed was ready, the boys were anxious to cook the smallest porker in the Otaheitian fashion. For this purpose they dug a hole, in which they burned a quantity of dry grass, sticks, and weeds, heating stones, which were placed round the sides of the pit.
While the younger boys made ready the oven, Fritz singed and washed his peccary, stuffing it with potatoes, onions, and herbs, and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper.
He then sewed up the opening, and enveloped the pig in large leaves to guard it from the ashes and dust of its cooking place.
The fire no longer blazed, but the embers and stones were glowing hot. The pig was carefully placed in the hole, covered over with hot ashes, and the hole with earth, so that it looked like a big mole heap.
Dinner was looked forward to with curiosity, as well as appetite. My wife, as usual, distrusting our experiments, was not sanguine of success, and made ready some plain food as a pis aller.
She was well pleased with the curing hut, which was roomy enough to hang all our hams and bacon. On a wide hearth in the middle we kindled a large fire, which was kept constantly smoldering by heaping it with damp grass and green wood. The hut being closed in above, the smoke filled it, and penetrated the meat thoroughly; this process it had to undergo for several days.
In a few hours Fritz gave notice that he was going to open his oven.
Great excitement prevailed as he removed the earth, turf, and stones, and a delicious appetizing odor arose from the opening. It was the smell of roast pork, certainly but with a flavor of spices which surprised me, until 1 thought of the leaves in which the food had been wrapped.
The peccary was carefully raised, and when a few cinders were picked off, it looked a remarkably well-cooked dish. Fritz was highly complimented on his success, even by his mother.
During the process of curing our large supply of hams and bacon, which occupied several days, we roamed about the neighborhood in all directions, finding no trace of the serpent, but making many valuable acquisitions, among which were some gigantic bamboos, from fifty to sixty feet in length and of proportionate thickness. These, when cut across near the joints, formed capital casks, tubs and pots; while the long sharp thorns which begirt the stem at intervals were as strong and useful as iron nails.
One day we made an excursion to the farm at Prospect Hill, and were grievously provoked to find that the vagabond apes had been there and wrought terrible mischief, as before at Woodlands.
The animals and poultry were scattered, and everything in the cottage so torn and dirtied that it was vain to think of setting things right that day. We therefore very unwillingly left the disorder as we found it, purposing to devote time to the work afterward.
When all was in readiness for the prosecution of our journey, we closed and barricaded the hut, in which, for the present, we left the store of bacon; and arranging our march in the usual patriarchal style, we took our way to the Gap, the thorough defense of which defile was the main object we had in view.
Our last halting place being much enclosed by shrubs, bamboos, and brushwood, we had during our stay opened a path through the cane thicket in the direction we were about to travel. This we now found of the greatest assistance, and the loaded cart passed on without impediment.
The ground was open and tolerably level beyond, so that in a few hours we arrived at the extreme limit of our coast territory.
We halted on the outskirts of a little wood, behind which, to the right, rose the precipitous and frowning cliffs of the mountain gorge, while to the left flowed the torrent, leaving between it and the rocks the narrow pass we called the Gap, and passing outward to mingle its water with the sea.
The wood afforded us pleasant shelter, and standing high and within gunshot of the mouth of the rocky pass, I resolved to make it our camping place. We therefore unpacked the cart and made our usual arrangements for safety and comfort, not forgetting to examine the wood itself, so as to ascertain whether it harbored any dangerous animals.
Nothing worse than wildcats was discovered. We disturbed several of these creatures in their pursuit of birds and small game, but they fled at our approach.
By the time dinner was ready we felt much fatigued, and some hours of unusually sultry and oppressive heat compelled us to rest until toward evening, when returning coolness revived our strength. We pitched the tent, and then occupied ourselves with preparations for the next day, when it was my intention to penetrate the country beyond the defile, and make a longer excursion across the savanna than had yet been undertaken.
All was ready for a start at an early hour. My brave wife consented to remain in camp with Franz as her companion, while the three elder boys, and all the dogs, except Juno, went with me.
We expected to find it somewhat difficult to make our way through the narrowest part of the pass, which had been so strongly barricaded and planted with thorny shrubs, but found on the contrary that the fences and walls were broken down and disarranged. It was thus very evident that the great snake, as well as the herd of peccaries, had made an entrance here.
This barricade was the first check that had been placed by hand of man upon the wild free will of nature in this lonely place.
With one consent storms, floods, torrents, and the wild beasts of the forest had set themselves to destroy it.
We resolved to make the defenses doubly strong, being convinced that the position was capable of being barricaded and fortified so as to resist the invaders we dreaded.
The prospect which opened before us on emerging from the rocky pass was wide and varied. Swelling hills and verdant wooded vales were seen on one hand, while a great plain stretched before us, extending from the banks of the river toward a chain of lofty mountains, whose summits were rendered indistinct in the haze of the distance.
We crossed the stream, which we named East River, filling our flasks with water, and it was well we did so, for in continuing our journey, we found the soil become more arid and parched than we had expected. In fact we soon appeared surrounded by a desert.
The boys were astonished at the altered appearance of the country, part of which had been explored when we met with the buffaloes. I reminded them of the difference of the season. The expedition had been made directly after the rains, when vegetation had clothed with transient beauty this region, which, possessing no source of moisture itself, had become scathed and bare during the blazing heat of summer.
Our march proceeded slowly, and many were the uncomplimentary remarks made on the “new country.”
It was “Arabia Petrea,” groaned one. “Desert of Sahara,” sighed another. “Fit abode for demons,” muttered a third. “Subterranean volcanic fires are raging beneath our feet.”
“Patience, my dear fellows!” cried I. “You are too easily discouraged. Look beyond the toilsome way to those grand mountains, whose spurs are already stretching forward to meet us. Who knows what pleasant surprises await us amid their steep declivities? I, for my part, expect to find water, fresh grass, trees, and a lovely resting place.”
We were all glad to repose beneath the shade of the first overhanging rock we came to, although by pressing farther upward we might have attained to a pleasanter spot.
Looking back toward the Gap, we marked the strange contrast of the smiling country bordering the river, and the dreary, monotonous plain we had traversed.
After gazing on the distant scene, we produced our store of provisions and were busily engaged when Knips (our constant companion) suddenly began to snuff and smell about in a very ridiculous way. Finally, with a shriek which we knew was expressive of pleasure, he set off at full speed, followed by all the dogs, up a sort of glen behind us.
We left them to their own devices, being far too pleasantly engaged with our refreshments to care much what fancy the little rogue had got in his head.
