The Coral Island, Robert Michael Ballantyne [inspirational novels .TXT] 📗

common among the South Sea

islanders, and which was named TARO. Also we found a large supply

of yams, and another root like a potato in appearance. As these

were all quite new to us, we regarded our lot as a most fortunate

one, in being thus cast on an island which was so prolific and so

well stored with all the necessaries of life. Long afterwards we

found out that this island of ours was no better in these respects

than thousands of other islands in those seas. Indeed, many of

them were much richer and more productive; but that did not render

us the less grateful for our present good fortune. We each put one

of these roots in our pocket, intending to use them for our supper;

of which more hereafter. We also saw many beautiful birds here,

and traces of some four-footed animal again. Meanwhile the sun

began to descend, so we returned to the shore, and pushed on round

the spouting rocks into the next valley. This was that valley of

which I have spoken as running across the entire island. It was by

far the largest and most beautiful that we had yet looked upon.

Here were trees of every shape and size and hue which it is

possible to conceive of, many of which we had not seen in the other

valleys; for, the stream in this valley being larger, and the mould

much richer than in the Valley of the Wreck, it was clothed with a

more luxuriant growth of trees and plants. Some trees were dark

glossy green, others of a rich and warm hue, contrasting well with

those of a pale light green, which were everywhere abundant. Among

these we recognised the broad dark heads of the bread-fruit, with

its golden fruit; the pure, silvery foliage of the candle-nut, and

several species which bore a strong resemblance to the pine; while

here and there, in groups and in single trees, rose the tall forms

of the cocoa-nut palms, spreading abroad, and waving their graceful

plumes high above all the rest, as if they were a superior race of

stately giants keeping guard over these luxuriant forests. Oh! it

was a most enchanting scene, and I thanked God for having created

such delightful spots for the use of man.

 

Now, while we were gazing around us in silent admiration, Jack

uttered an exclamation of surprise, and, pointing to an object a

little to one side of us, said, -

 

“That’s a banian-tree.”

 

“And what’s a banian-tree?” inquired Peterkin, as we walked towards

it.

 

“A very curious one, as you shall see presently,” replied Jack.

“It is called the AOA here, if I recollect rightly, and has a

wonderful peculiarity about it. What an enormous one it is, to be

sure.”

 

“IT!” repeated Peterkin; “why, there are dozens of banians here!

What do you mean by talking bad grammar? Is your philosophy

deserting you, Jack?”

 

“There is but one tree here of this kind,” returned Jack, “as you

will perceive if you will examine it.” And, sure enough, we did

find that what we had supposed was a forest of trees was in reality

only one. Its bark was of a light colour, and had a shining

appearance, the leaves being lance-shaped, small, and of a

beautiful pea-green. But the wonderful thing about it was, that

the branches, which grew out from the stem horizontally, sent down

long shoots or fibres to the ground, which, taking root, had

themselves become trees, and were covered with bark like the tree

itself. Many of these fibres had descended from the branches at

various distances, and thus supported them on natural pillars, some

of which were so large and strong, that it was not easy at first to

distinguish the offspring from the parent stem. The fibres were of

all sizes and in all states of advancement, from the pillars we

have just mentioned to small cords which hung down and were about

to take root, and thin brown threads still far from the ground,

which swayed about with every motion of wind. In short, it seemed

to us that, if there were only space afforded to it, this single

tree would at length cover the whole island.

 

Shortly after this we came upon another remarkable tree, which, as

its peculiar formation afterwards proved extremely useful to us,

merits description. It was a splendid chestnut, but its proper

name Jack did not know. However, there were quantities of fine

nuts upon it, some of which we put in our pockets. But its stem

was the wonderful part of it. It rose to about twelve feet without

a branch, and was not of great thickness; on the contrary, it was

remarkably slender for the size of the tree; but, to make up for

this, there were four or five wonderful projections in this stem,

which I cannot better describe than by asking the reader to suppose

that five planks of two inches thick and three feet broad had been

placed round the trunk of the tree, with their EDGES closely fixed

to it, from the ground up to the branches, and that these planks

bad been covered over with the bark of the tree and incorporated

with it. In short, they were just natural buttresses, without

which the stem could not have supported its heavy and umbrageous

top. We found these chestnuts to be very numerous. They grew

chiefly on the banks of the stream, and were of all sizes.

 

While we were examining a small tree of this kind, Jack chipped a

piece off a buttress with his axe, and found the wood to be firm

and easily cut. He then struck the axe into it with all his force,

and very soon split it off close to the tree, first, however,

having cut it across transversely above and below. By this means

he satisfied himself that we could now obtain short planks, as it

were all ready sawn, of any size and thickness that we desired;

which was a very great discovery indeed, perhaps the most important

we had yet made.

 

We now wended our way back to the coast, intending to encamp near

the beach, as we found that the mosquitoes were troublesome in the

forest. On our way we could not help admiring the birds which flew

and chirped around us. Among them we observed a pretty kind of

paroquet, with a green body, a blue head, and a red breast; also a

few beautiful turtledoves, and several flocks of wood-pigeons. The

hues of many of these birds were extremely vivid, - bright green,

blue, and scarlet, being the prevailing tints. We made several

attempts throughout the day to bring down one of these, both with

the bow and the sling, - not for mere sport, but to ascertain

whether they were good for food. But we invariably missed,

although once or twice we were very near hitting. As evening drew

on, however, a flock of pigeons flew past. I slung a stone into

the midst of them at a venture, and had the good fortune to kill

one. We were startled, soon after, by a loud whistling noise above

our heads; and on looking up, saw a flock of wild ducks making for

the coast. We watched these, and, observing where they alighted,

followed them up until we came upon a most lovely blue lake, not

more than two hundred yards long, imbosomed in verdant trees. Its

placid surface, which reflected every leaf and stem, as if in a

mirror, was covered with various species of wild ducks, feeding

among the sedges and broad-leaved water-plants which floated on it,

while numerous birds like water-hens ran to and fro most busily on

its margin. These all with one accord flew tumultuously away the

instant we made our appearance. While walking along the margin we

observed fish in the water, but of what sort we could not tell.

 

Now, as we neared the shore, Jack and I said we would go a little

out of our way to see if we could procure one of those ducks; so,

directing Peterkin to go straight to the shore and kindle a fire,

we separated, promising to rejoin him speedily. But we did not

find the ducks, although we made a diligent search for half an

hour. We were about to retrace our steps, when we were arrested by

one of the strangest sights that we had yet beheld.

 

Just in front of us, at the distance of about ten yards, grew a

superb tree, which certainly was the largest we had yet seen on the

island. Its trunk was at least five feet in diameter, with a

smooth gray bark; above this the spreading branches were clothed

with light green leaves, amid which were clusters of bright yellow

fruit, so numerous as to weigh down the boughs with their great

weight. This fruit seemed to be of the plum species, of an oblong

form, and a good deal larger than the magnum bonum plum. The

ground at the foot of this tree was thickly strewn with the fallen

fruit, in the midst of which lay sleeping, in every possible

attitude, at least twenty hogs of all ages and sizes, apparently

quite surfeited with a recent banquet.

 

Jack and I could scarce restrain our laughter as we gazed at these

coarse, fat, ill-looking animals, while they lay groaning and

snoring heavily amid the remains of their supper.

 

“Now, Ralph,” said Jack, in a low whisper, “put a stone in your

sling, - a good big one, - and let fly at that fat fellow with his

back toward you. I’ll try to put an arrow into yon little pig.”

 

“Don’t you think we had better put them up first?” I whispered; “it

seems cruel to kill them while asleep.”

 

“If I wanted SPORT, Ralph, I would certainly set them up; but as we

only want PORK, we’ll let them lie. Besides, we’re not sure of

killing them; so, fire away.”

 

Thus admonished, I slung my stone with so good aim that it went

bang against the hog’s flank as if against the head of a drum; but

it had no other effect than that of causing the animal to start to

its feet, with a frightful yell of surprise, and scamper away. At

the same instant Jack’s bow twanged, and the arrow pinned the

little pig to the ground by the ear.

 

“I’ve missed, after all,” cried Jack, darting forward with uplifted

axe, while the little pig uttered a loud squeal, tore the arrow

from the ground, and ran away with it, along with the whole drove,

into the bushes and disappeared, though we heard them screaming

long afterwards in the distance.

 

“That’s very provoking, now,” said Jack, rubbing the point of his

nose.

 

“Very,” I replied, stroking my chin.

 

“Well, we must make haste and rejoin Peterkin,” said Jack. “It’s

getting late.” And, without further remark, we threaded our way

quickly through the woods towards the shore.

 

When we reached it, we found wood laid out, the fire lighted and

beginning to kindle up, with other signs of preparation for our

encampment, but Peterkin was nowhere to be found. We wondered very

much at this; but Jack suggested that he might have gone to fetch

water; so he gave a shout to let him know that we had arrived, and

sat down upon a rock, while I threw off my jacket and seized the

axe, intending to split up one or two billets of wood. But I had

scarce moved from the spot when, in the distance, we heard a most

appalling shriek, which was followed up by a chorus of yells from

the hogs, and a loud “hurrah!”

 

“I do believe,” said