280 RECOLLECTIONS OF HOME. During their absence Ernest and I undertook a short excursion to see if we could find any palm-trees or a few patches of potatoes. We ascended for some distance the course of the brook, and found that it issued from a great swamp, in whose centre lay a lake, the abode of birds of all kinds and sizes. On the borders of the marsh grew a tall tufted grass with long spiky blades, which, on approaching, I discovered to be a small kind of rice; small, it is true, but apparently of excellent quality. As for the lake, it reminded us of our Swiss fatherland. I seemed to have seen from infancy its tranquil surface, its deep clear waters; and I cannot describe my emotions of happiness as I rested upon its shores. It was Switzerland. It recalled to us our dear native home; but the illusion soon vanished: the shores, with their 悲 RICE (Oryza sativa). trees and prolific vegetation, forcibly impressed upon us the gloomy fact that we were no longer in Europe, and that between us and our country stretched the impassable ocean. Ernest shot several birds with a skill and good fortune that surprised me. Meanwhile, Master Knips had made a rather interesting discovery; the epicure had smelt afar off the delicious odour of the fresh ananas, and when we were not paying him any attention, had softly leaped from Juno's back, and hastened to regale himself upon the delectable fruit. We profited by his example, when we ascertained the cause of his absence. Ernest did not forget his brothers and mother, and Knips' wallet was filled with fruit, which he was commissioned to carry to the farm. By way of precaution, we covered it with leaves and dry branches, lest the gluttony of our messenger should tempt him to lighten his burden on the road. At an easy pace we proceeded along the shores of the lake, the landscape changing its aspect at every step. The district was more smiling and fertile than any we had hitherto explored. It swarmed with all kinds of birds; but what surprised us most was the spectacle of two black swans majestically floating on the water; their gleaming feathers were jet black, all except the snowy tips RARA AVIS, SIMILLIMAQUE CYGNO." 281 of the broad expanded wings. In all other respects they exactly resembled their European congeners; they had the same stately port, the same slow and graceful movements. Ernest would willingly have given me, at their expense, a new proof of his skill; but I forbade him, for I should always have reproached myself if ANANAS, OR PINE-APPLE (Ananassa sativa). I had causelessly disturbed the serene tranquillity which prevailed among all these inoffensive creatures. But Juno, who, probably, did not experience the same feelings. of admiration for the beauties of nature, suddenly darting away from us, pounced upon an animal which was quietly swimming on the surface of the water, and brought it to our feet. Most singular was the creature's appearance; it resembled an otter in form, but was web-footed, like the aquatic birds; it had a long bushy tail, which it carried, like the squirrel, erect in the air. Its head was very small, its eyes and ears were almost invisible, and a long flat bill, 282 THE BEAST WITH THE BILL. like that of the duck, completed its fantastic appearance. All our knowledge of natural history was vainly tested to find a name for this strange animal. Not even Ernest could recollect it. I fruitlessly recalled all my memories of Buffon, and almost convinced that it had never before been discovered by man, we boldly christened it the Schnabeltheir, or "the beast with a bill."* I recommended Ernest to take care of it, for I wished to stuff it and preserve it as a rarity. "It shall be," said he, "the first curiosity of our museum.” "Exactly so," I replied; "and when that establishment shall be definitively constituted, I will name you its conservator." I now remembered that our absence had been of some duration, and as I was anxious to spare my wife any unnecessary anxiety, we returned towards the farm, choosing the most direct route. We found the good mother, whom a trifle alarmed, already beginning to grow disturbed. Our two messengers returned nearly at the same time from Falcon's-Nest, and we sat down to our evening meal an united and happy family. All related their deeds of prowess. Ernest favoured us with a lecture on his and my discoveries, and invested his descriptions with such an attractive colouring that I was obliged to promise Frederick I would take him on the next occasion. I learned with pleasure that all was well at Falcon's-Nest, and that my boys had had the good sense to leave the cattle a ten days' supply of provisions. This forethought on their part would enable us to prolong our absence, and to finish off the new settlement in a satisfactory manner. We remained there four days longer, and in that time completed the enclosures; while my wife and sons, in the portion reserved for our own use, arranged some cotton couches for our accommodation on our occasional visits. At length the moment of departure arrived. I gave the signal. The cart was loaded with our baggage, and we commenced our march. Our cattle would fain have followed us; and to prevent them Frederick was compelled to protect our rear, mounted on his onagra, sallying against them ever and anon, and driving them back towards the farm until they lost sight of us. *The bird intended is the Duck-billed Platypus. A PICTURE OF ARCADIA. 283 We had not as yet decided to return to Falcon's-Nest, and therefore took a different road, leading in the direction of the Monkeys' Grove, which we had descried from afar. The mischievous animals received us with a volley of pine-apples; but two or three discharges of small shot delivered us from their annoyance. Fritz picked up one of the fruits they had hurled at us, and I recognized it to be the stone pine, whose kernel is not only good eating but yields an excellent oil. We collected a supply, and continued our onward march. At a short distance from Cape Disappointment we halted, and deliberated whether we should cross the ridge that rose to the right of the cape. The council decided in the affirmative, and, consequently, we directed our course towards it. We were well repaid when we reached the summit for the fatigue we had suffered in the ascent. The view extended over a rich and glowing country, everywhere meadows, and brooks, and groves, and flowering plants, and birds warbling in the leafy shades. In a transport of admiration I exclaimed, "Oh, my children, this is Arcadia!" We pitched anew our travelling tent. We felt unwilling to quit this enchanting scene before we had built there another residence, for we resolved that our Arcadia should be the goal of frequent excursions. We had served an apprenticeship at the construction of the farm, and this time we raised our hut with far less toil and much more quickly. We prided ourselves on leaving at various 284 CONSTRUCTING THE CANOE. points in the island the memorials of our passage; they were so many conquests achieved by man over nature, by civilization over the desert. The new establishment was named Prospect Hill. I would simply have called it, in good German, Schattenbourg, or, "The leafy town;" but the English appellation suggested by Ernest found more favour, and was unanimously adopted. However, the object I had proposed to myself on undertaking this expedition was to find a suitable tree for making a canoe, or periagua, to replace our boat of tubs; this object was not yet attained, and had been almost forgotten in the various labours imposed upon us by our farm-building. We now remembered it, and after a careful inspection of all the trees in the neighbourhood, I halted before a kind of oak, whose bark was much smoother than that of the European oaks, and not at all unlike that of the cork tree. The trunk was fully five feet in diameter, and appeared to me admirably adapted for my intended purpose. I traced a circle at the foot, and cut the bark completely through; Fritz, by means of the rope-ladder we had brought with us, ascended to the lowest branches of the tree, and just beneath them, at eighteen feet from the ground, he cut a similar circle. This incision completed, we made another descending longitudinally, and in this direction cut off a large strip of bark; we were then able to introduce our wedges, and gradually detach the entire covering. We brought to the task our utmost skill and energy. The first part came away easily, but, as the work advanced, it became more difficult. After severe toil we accomplished it, however, and while the trunk stood bare and naked before us, its spoil fell gently on the ground. I immediately applied myself to the task of dressing this cylinder of bark while the sap rendered it moist and flexible. My sons imagined that nothing more need be done than nail a plank to either extremity, but this would have given us only an ungainly tube, without lightness or elegance. It was my intention that the boat I was building should not figure badly by the side of our beautiful pinnace, and this idea, much more than any considerations of fitness and convenience which I could put before |