Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

Author:Johann David Wyss [Wyss, Johann David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Survival after airplane accidents, shipwrecks, etc. -- Fiction, Islands -- Fiction, Family -- Fiction
Published: 2003-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

I was pleased to see that they had fulfilled their orders intelligently, carrying out my intentions in the spirit and not blindly to the letter.

Next morning we quitted the farm (which we named Woodlands), after providing amply for the wants of the animals, sheep, goats and poultry, which we left there.

Shortly afterwards, on entering a wood, we found it tenanted by an enormous number of apes, who instantly assailed us with showers of fir-cones, uttering hideous and angry cries, and effectually checking our progress, until we put them to flight by a couple of shots, which not a little astonished their weak minds.

Fritz picked up some of their missiles, and, showing them to me, I recognized the cone of the stone-pine.

`By all means gather some of these cones, boys,' said I; `you will find the kernel has a pleasant taste, like almonds, and from it we can, by pressing, obtain an excellent oil. Therefore I should like to carry some home with us.'

A hill, which seemed to promise a good view from its summit, next attracted my notice, and, on climbing it we were more than repaid for the exertion by the extensive and beautiful prospect which lay spread before our eyes.

The situation altogether was so agreeable, that here also I resolved to make a settlement, to be visited occasionally, and, after resting awhile and talking the matter over we set to work to build a cottage such as we had lately finished at Woodlands.

Our experience there enabled us to proceed quickly with the work, and in a few days the rustic abode was completed, and received, by Ernest's choice, the grand name of Prospect Hill.

My chief object in undertaking this expedition had been to discover some tree from whose bark I could hope to make a useful light boat or canoe. Hitherto I had met with none at all fit for my purpose, but, not despairing of success, I began, when the cottage was built, to examine carefully the surrounding woods, and, after considerable trouble, came upon two magnificent tall straight trees, the bark of which seemed something like that of the birch.

Selecting one whose trunk was, to a great height, free from branches, we attached to one of the lower of these boughs the rope ladder we had with us, and, Fritz ascending it, cut the bark through in a circle; I did the same at the foot of the tree, and then, from between the circles, we took a narrow perpendicular slip of bark entirely out, so that we could introduce the proper tools by which gradually to loosen and raise the main part, so as finally to separate it from the tree uninjured and entire. This we found possible, because the bark was moist and flexible.

Great care and exertion were necessary, as the bark became detached, to support it, until the whole was ready to be let gently down upon the grass. This seemed a great achievement; but our work was by no means ended, nor

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