“We spend our years as a tale that is told,” said King David.
These words recurred to me again and again as I reviewed ten years, of which the story lay chronicled in the pages of my journal.
Year followed year; chapter succeeded chapter; steadily, imperceptibly, time was passing away.
The shade of sadness cast on my mind by retrospect of this kind was dispelled by thoughts full of gratitude to God, for the welfare and happiness of my beloved family during so long a period. I had cause especially to rejoice in seeing our sons advance to manhood, strengthened by early training for lives of usefulness and activity wherever their lot might fall.
And my great wish is that young people who read this record of our lives and adventures should learn from it how admirably suited is the peaceful, industrious, and pious life of a cheerful, united family to the formation of strong, pure, and manly character.
None takes a better place in the great national family, none is happier or more beloved than he who goes forth from such a home to fulfill new duties, and to gather fresh interests around him.
Having given a detailed account of several years’ residence in New Switzerland, as we liked to call our dominion, it is needless for me to continue what would exhaust the patience of the most long-suffering, by repeating monotonous narratives of exploring parties and hunting expeditions, wearisome descriptions of awkward inventions and clumsy machines, with an endless record of discoveries, more fit for the pages of an encyclopedia than a book of family history.
Yet before winding up with the concluding events, I may mention some interesting facts illustrative of our exact position at the time these took place.
Rockburg and Falconhurst continued to be our winter and summer headquarters, and improvements were added which made them more and more convenient, as well as attractive in appearance.
The fountains, trellised verandas, and plantations round Rockburg completely changed the character of the residence which, on account of the heat and want of vegetation, had in former days been so distasteful to my wife. Flowering creepers overhung the balconies and pillars, while shrubs and trees, both native and European, grew luxuriantly in groves of our planting.
In the distance, Shark Island, now clothed with graceful palms, guarded the entrance to Safety Bay, the battery and flagstaff prominently visible on its crested rock.
The swamp, cleared and drained, was now a considerable lake, with just marsh and reeds enough beyond it to form good cover for the waterfowl whose favorite retreat it was.
On its blue waters sailed stately black swans, snow-white geese, and richly colored ducks; while out and in among the water plants and rushes would appear at intervals glimpses of a brilliant sultan, marsh fowl, crimson flamingos, soft, blue-gray, demoiselle cranes, and crested keron, all associating in harmony and with no fear of us, their masters.
The giant frogs, Grace and Beauty, delighted Jack by actually attaining in time to the size of small rabbits. And, perfectly knowing thek very appropriate names, they would waddle out of the marsh at his call, to eat a grasshopper or dainty fly.
Beneath the spreading trees and through the aromatic shrubberies old Hurricane, the ostrich, was usually to be seen marching about, with grave and dignified pace, as though monarch of all he surveyed. Every variety of beautiful pigeon nested in the rocks and dovecotes, their soft cooing and glossy plumage making them favorite household pets.
By the bridge alone could Rockburg be approached; for higher up the river, where, near the cascade, it was fordable, a dense and impenetrable thicket of orange and lemon trees, Indian figs, prickly pears, and all manner of thorn-bearing shrubs, planted by us, now formed a complete barrier.
The farm at Woodlands flourished, and our flocks and herds supplied us with mutton, beef, and veal, while my wife’s dairy was almost more than she could manage.
My boys retained thek old love for giving names to the animals. They had a beautiful creamy-white cow called Blanche, and a bull with such a tremendous voice that he received the name of Stentor. Two fleet young onagers were named Arrow and Dart; and Jack had a descendant of his old favorite Fangs, the jackal, which he chose to call Coco, asserting that no word could be distinguished at a distance without the letter “o” in it, giving illustrations of his theory till our ears were almost deafened.
Excellent health had been enjoyed by us all during these ten years, though my wife occasionally suffered from slight attacks of fever and the boys sometimes met with little accidents.
They were an fine, handsome fellows: Fritz, now twenty-five, was of moderate height, uncommonly strong, active, muscular, and high-spirited.
Ernest, two years younger, was tall and slight; in disposition, mild, calm, and studious. His early faults of indolence and selfishness were almost entirely overcome. He possessed refined tastes and great intellectual power.
Jack, at twenty, strongly resembled Fritz, being about his height, though more lightly built, and remarkable rather for active grace and agility than for muscular strength.
Franz, a lively youth of seventeen, had some of the qualities of each of his brothers; he possessed wit and shrewdness, but not the arch of drollery of Jack.
All were honorable, God-fearing young men, dutiful and affectionate to their mother and myself and warmly attached to each other.
Although so many years had elapsed in total seclusion, it continued to be my strong impression that we should one day be restored to the society of our fellow men.
But time, which was bringing our sons to manhood, was also carrying their parents onward to old age; and anxious, gloomy thoughts relating to their future, should they be left indeed alone, sometimes oppressed my heart.
My elder sons often made expeditions of which we knew nothing until their return after many hours. Then any uneasiness I might have felt was dissipated by their joyous appearance, and reproof always died away on my lips.
Fritz had been absent one whole day from Rockburg, and not until evening did we remark that his kayak was gone and that he must be out at sea.
Anxious to see him return before nightfall, I went off to Shark Island with Ernest and Jack, in order to look out for him from the watchtower there, at the same time hoisting our signal flag and loading the gun.
Long we gazed across the expanse of ocean glittering in the level beams of the setting sun, and finally discerned a small black speck in the distance which, by the telescope, was proved to be the returning wanderer.
I remarked that his skiff sailed at a slower rate than usual toward the shore. The cannon was fired to let him know that his approach was observed, and then we joyfully hurried back to receive him at the harbor.
It was easy to see, as he drew near, what had delayed his progress. The kayak towed a large sack, besides being heavily laden.
“Welcome, Fritz!” I cried. “Welcome back, wherever you come from, and whatever you bring. You seem to have quite a cargo there!”
“Yes, and my trip has led to discoveries as well as booty,” answered he; “interesting discoveries which will tempt us again in the same direction. Come, boys, let’s carry up the things, and while I rest I will relate my adventures.”
As soon as possible all assembled round him.
“I think my absence without leave deserves reproach instead of this warm reception, father, and I must apologize for it,” he began. “But ever since I possessed the kayak it has been my ambition to make a voyage of discovery along the coast, which we have never explored beyond the point at which I killed the wakus.
“In order to be ready to start without delay when A convenient opportunity offered, I made preparations beforehand, such as provisioning my skiff, fixing the compass in front of my seat, arranging conveniently rifle, harpoon, ax, boat hook, and fishing net. I also resolved to take with me Pounce, my eagle, and this I always will do in future.
“This morning dawned magnificently; the calm sea, the gentle breeze, an drew me irresistibly to the fulfillment of my purpose.
“I left the harbor unperceived, the current quickly bore me out to sea, and I rounded the point to the left, passing just over the spot where, beneath the waves, lie the guns, cannon balls, ironwork, and an that was indestructible about our old wreck. And would you believe it? Through the glassy clear water, undisturbed by a ripple, I actually saw many such things strewn on the flat rocky bottom.
“Pursuing my way, I passed among rugged cliffs and rocks which jutted out from the shore or rose in rugged masses from the water. Myriads of sea fowl inhabited the most inaccessible of these, while on the lower ridges, seals, sea bears, and walruses were to be seen, some basking lazily in the sun, some plunging into the water or emerging awkwardly from it, hoisting their unwieldy bodies up the rocks by means of their tusks.
“I must confess to feeling anything but comfortable while going through the places held in possession by these monsters of the deep, and used every effort to pass quickly and unnoticed. Yet it was more than an hour and a half before I got clear of the rocks, cliffs, and shoals to which they resorted, and neared a high and precipitous cape, running far out to sea. Right opposite me, in the side of this rocky wall, was a magnificent archway, forming, as it first appeared to me, a lofty entrance to an immense vaulted cavern. I passed beneath this noble portal and examined the interior. It was tenanted by numbers of a small species of swallow, scarcely larger than a wren, and the walls were covered by thousands of their nests.
“I pursued my way through this vaulted cave or corridor,” continued Fritz, “which, presently turning, opened into a very lonely bay, so calm and lakelike, that, although of considerable size, I concluded at once it must be nearly landlocked.
“The water beneath me was clear as crystal. Gazing into its depths and shallows, I perceived beds of shellfish, like large oysters, attached to the rocks and to each other by tufts of hairy filaments.
“‘If these are oysters,’ thought I, ‘they must be better worth eating, as far as size goes, than our little friends in Safety Bay,’ and thereupon I hooked up several clusters with my boat hook, and landing soon after on the beach, I flung them on the sand, resolving to fetch another load, and then tow them after me in the fishing net.
“The hot sun disagreed with their constitution, I suppose, for when I came back the shells were all gaping wide open. So I began to examine them, thinking that after all they were probably much less delicate than the small oysters we have learned to like so much.
“Somehow, when a thing is to be ‘examined,’ one generally needs a knife. The blade met with resistance here and there in the creature’s body; and still closer ‘examination’ produced from it several pearly balls like peas, of different sizes. Do you think they can be pearls? I have a number here in a box.”
“Oh, show them to us, Fritz!” cried the boys. “What pretty shining things! And how delicately rounded, and how softly they gleam!”
“You have discovered treasure, indeed!” I exclaimed. “Why, these are most beautiful pearls! Valueless, certainly, under present circumstances; but they may prove a source of wealth should we ever again come into contact with the civilized world. We must visit your pearl-oysters beds at the earliest opportunity.”
“After resting for some time, and refreshing myself with food,” pursued Fritz, “I resumed my survey of the coast, my progress somewhat impeded by the bag of shellfish, which I drew after me. But I proceeded without accident past the mouth of the stream to the farther side of the bay, which was there enclosed by a point corresponding to that through which I had entered. And between these headlands I found a line of reefs and sandbanks. with but a single channel leading out to the open sea; from which, therefore, Pearl Bay, as I named it, lies completely sheltered.
“The tide was setting strongly inshore, so that I could not then attempt a passage through it, but examined the crags of the headland, thinking I might perchance discover a second vaulted archway. I saw nothing remarkable, however, but thousands of sea fowl of every sort and kind, from the gull and sea swallow to the mighty albatross.
“My approach was evidently regarded as an invasion and trespass; for they regularly beset me, screaming and wheeling over my head, till, out of all patience, I stood up, and hit furiously about me with the boat hook. Then, rather to my surprise, one blow struck an albatross with such force that he fell stunned into the water.
“I now once more attempted to cross the reef by the narrow channel and, happily succeeding, found myself in the open sea, and speeding homeward, joyfully saw our flag flying, and heard the welcome salute you fired.”
