Blown to Bits: The Lonely Man of Rakata, the Malay Archipelago by R. M. Ballantyne
CHAPTER TEN.
A CURIOUS SEA-GOING CRAFT--THE UNKNOWN VOYAGE BEGUN.
It was early next morning when Van der Kemp and his man left theircouches and descended to the shore, leaving their visitor enjoying thebenefit of that profound slumber which bids defiance to turmoil andnoise, however stupendous, and which seems to be the peculiar privilegeof healthy infants and youthful seamen.
Perboewatan had subsided considerably towards morning, and had taken tothat internal rumbling, which in the feline species indicates mitigatedindignation. The hermit had therefore come to the conclusion that theoutburst was over, and went with Moses to make arrangements for settingforth on his expedition after breakfast.
They had scarcely left the cave when Nigel awoke. Feeling indisposedfor further repose, he got up and went out in that vague state of mindwhich is usually defined as "having a look at the weather." Whether ornot he gathered much information from the look we cannot tell, but,taking up his short gun, which stood handy at the entrance of the cave,he sauntered down the path which his host had followed a short timebefore. Arrived at the shore, he observed that a branch path divergedto the left, and appeared to run in the direction of a high precipice.He turned into it, and after proceeding through the bushes for a shortway he came quite unexpectedly on a cavern, the mouth of whichresembled, but was much higher and wider than that which led to thehermit's home.
Just as he approached it there issued from its gloomy depths a strangerumbling sound which induced him to stop and cock his gun. A curiousfeeling of serio-comic awe crept over him as the idea of a fiery dragonleaped into his mind! At the same time, the fancy that the immenseabyss of darkness might be one of the volcanic vents diminished thecomic and increased the serious feeling. Ere long the sound assumed thedefinite tone of footsteps, and the dragon fancy seemed about to becomea reality when he beheld a long narrow thing of uncertain form emergingfrom the darkness.
"It must be coming out tail-foremost!" he muttered, with a short laughat his semi-credulity.
Another instant and the hermit emerged into the blazing sunshine, andstood pictured against the intense darkness like a being of supernaturalradiance, with the end of a long narrow canoe on his shoulder.
As Nigel passed round a bush to reach him he perceived the dark form ofMoses emerging from the depths and supporting the body of the canoe.
"I see you are active and an early riser," said the hermit, with a nodof approval on seeing our hero.
"I almost took you for a Krakatoa monster!" said Nigel, as they came outin front of the cavern and laid the canoe on the ground. "Why, you'vegot here one of the craft which we in England call a Rob Roy canoe."
"It is fashioned on the same pattern," said the hermit, "but with one ortwo alterations of my own devising, and an improvement--as I think--founded on what I have myself seen, when travelling with the Eskimos ofGreenland."
Van der Kemp here pointed out that the canoe was not only somewhatbroader than the kind used in England, but was considerably longer, andwith three openings or manholes in the deck, so that it was capable ofholding three persons. Also, that there was a large rounded mass ofwood fixed in front of the three manholes.
"These saddles, as I call them," said the hermit, "have been suggestedto me by the Eskimos, who, instead of wearying their arms by supportingthe double-bladed paddle continuously, rest it on the saddle and let itslide about thereon while being used. Thus they are able to carry amuch longer and heavier paddle than that used in the Rob Roy canoe, theweight of which, as it rests on the saddle, is not felt. Moreover itdoes not require nearly so much dip to put it in the water. I haveheard of a sort of upright with a universal joint being applied to theEnglish canoe, but it seems to me a much more clumsy and much lesseffective, because rigid, contrivance than the Eskimo saddle. Inside,under the deck, as I will show you by and by, I have lighter and shorterpaddles for use when in narrow rivers, but I prefer the long heavypaddle when traversing great stretches of ocean."
"You don't mean to say you ever go to sea in an eggshell like that!"exclaimed Nigel in surprise.
"Indeed we do," returned the hermit, "and we are fitted out for longishvoyages and rough weather. Besides, it is not so much of an eggshell asyou suppose. I made it myself, and took care that it should be fit forthe work required of it. The wood of which it is made, although light,is very tough, and it is lined with a skin of strong canvas which isfixed to the planks with tar. This makes the craft watertight as wellas strong. The ribs also are very light and close together, and everysixth rib is larger and longer than the others and made of tougher wood.All these ribs are bound together by longitudinal pieces, or laths, ofvery tough wood, yet so thin that the whole machine is elastic withoutbeing weak. Besides this, there are two strong oiled-canvas partitions,which divide the canoe into three watertight compartments, any two ofwhich will float it if the third should get filled."
"Is this then the craft in which you intend to voyage?" asked Nigel.
"It is. We shall start in an hour or two. I keep it in this cavebecause it is near the landing-place. But come, you will understandthings better when you see us making our arrangements. Of course youunderstand how to manage sails of every kind?"
"If I did not it would ill become me to call myself a sailor," returnedour hero.
"That is well, because you will sit in the middle, from which positionthe sail is partly managed. I usually sit in the bow to have free rangefor the use of my gun, if need be, and Moses steers."
Van der Kemp proceeded down the track as he said this, having, with thenegro, again lifted the canoe on his shoulder.
A few minutes' walk brought them to the beach at the spot where Nigelhad originally landed. Here a quantity of cargo lay on the rocks readyto be placed in the canoe. There were several small bags of pemmican,which Van der Kemp had learned to make while travelling on the prairiesof North America among the Red Indians,--for this singular being seemedto have visited most parts of the habitable globe during his not yetvery long life. There were five small casks of fresh water, two orthree canisters of gunpowder, a small box of tea and another of sugar,besides several bags of biscuits. There were also other bags and boxeswhich did not by their appearance reveal their contents, and all thearticles were of a shape and size which seemed most suitable for passingthrough the manholes, and being conveniently distributed and stowed inthe three compartments of the canoe. There was not very much ofanything, however, so that when the canoe was laden and ready for itsvoyage, the hermit and his man were still able to raise and carry it ontheir shoulders without the assistance of Nigel.
There was one passenger whom we have not yet mentioned, namely, a smallmonkey which dwelt in the cave with the canoe, and which, althoughperfectly free to come and go when he pleased, seldom left the caveexcept for food, but seemed to have constituted himself the guardian ofthe little craft.
Spinkie, as Moses had named him, was an intensely affectionate creature,with a countenance of pathetic melancholy which utterly belied hischaracter, for mischief and fun were the dominating qualities of thatmonkey. He was seated on a water-cask when Nigel first caught sight ofhim, holding the end of his long tail in one hand, and apparently wipinghis nose with it.
"Is that what he is doing?" asked Nigel of the negro.
"Oh no, Massa Nadgel," said Moses. "Spinkie nebber ketch cold an' habno need ob a pocket-hang-kitcher. He only tickles his nose wid 'istail. But he's bery fond ob doin' dat."
Being extremely fond of monkeys, Nigel went forward to fondle him, andSpinkie being equally fond of fondling, resigned himself placidly--afterone interrogative gaze of wide-eyed suspicion--into the stranger'shands. A lifelong friendship was cemented then and there.
After stowing the cargo the party returned to the upper cavern, leavingthe monkey to guard the canoe.
"An' he's a good defender ob it," said Moses, "for if man or beasthappen to come near it when Spinkie's in charge, dat monkey sets up askriekin' fit to cause a 'sp
Breakfast over, the hermit put his cave in order for a pretty longabsence, and they again descended to the shore, each man carrying hisbed on his shoulder. Each bed, however, was light and simple. Itconsisted merely of one blanket wrapped up in an oil-cloth sheet.Besides, an old-fashioned powder-flask and shot belt. Van der Kemp andNigel had slung a bullet-pouch on their shoulders, and carried smallhatchets and hunting-knives in their belts. Moses was similarly armed,with this difference, that his _couteau de chasse_ bore strongerresemblance to an ancient Roman sword than a knife, and his axe was oflarger size than the hatchets of his companions.
Launching the canoe, the hermit and his man held it fast at either endwhile Nigel was directed to take his place in the central of the threeopenings or manholes. He did so and found himself seated on a flatboard on the bottom of the canoe, which was so shallow that the deckscarcely rose as high as his waist.
Round the manhole there was a ledge of thin wood, about three incheshigh, to which a circular apron of oiled-canvas was attached.
"Yes, you'd better understand that thing before we start," said Van derKemp, observing that Nigel was examining the contrivance with somecuriosity. "It's an apron to tie round you in bad weather to keep thewater out. In fine weather it is rolled as you see it now round theledge. Undo the buckle before and behind and you will see how it is tobe used."
Acting as directed, Nigel unbuckled the roll and found that he wassurrounded by a sort of petticoat of oil-skin which could be drawn upand buckled round his chest. In this position it could be kept by aloop attached to a button, or a wooden pin, thrust through the coat.
"You see," explained the hermit, "the waves may wash all over our deckand round our bodies without being able to get into the canoe while wehave these things on--there are similar protections round the otherholes."
"I understand," said Nigel. "But how if water gets in through a leakbelow?"
"Do you see that brass thing in front of you?" returned the hermit."That is a pump which is capable of keeping under a pretty extensiveleak. The handle unships, so as to be out of the way when not wanted.I keep it here, under the deck in front of me, along with mast and sailsand a good many other things."
As he spoke he raised a plank of the deck in front of the foremost hole,and disclosed a sort of narrow box about six feet long by six inchesbroad. The plank was hinged at one end and fastened with a hook at theother so as to form a lid to the box. The hole thus disclosed was notan opening into the interior of the canoe, but was a veritablewatertight box just under the deck, so that even if it were to getfilled with water not a drop could enter the canoe itself. But theplank-lid was so beautifully fitted, besides shutting tightly down onindia-rubber, that the chance of leakage through that source was veryremote. Although very narrow, this box was deep, and contained avariety of useful implements; among them a slender mast and tiny sail,which could be rendered still smaller by means of reef-points. Allthese things were fitted into their respective places with so keen aneye to economy of space that the arrangement cannot be better describedthan by the familiar phrase--_multum in parvo_.
"We don't use the sails much; we depend chiefly on this," said thehermit, as he seated himself in the front hole and laid the long, heavy,double-bladed paddle on the saddle in front of him. "Moses uses asingle-blade, partly because it is handier for steering and partlybecause he has been accustomed to it in his own land. You are atliberty to use which you prefer."
"Thanks, I will follow the lead of Moses, for I also have beenaccustomed to the single-blade and prefer it--at least while I am one ofthree. If alone, I should prefer the double-blade."
"Now, Moses, are you ready?" asked the hermit.
"All ready, massa."
"Get in then and shove off. Come along, Spinkie."
The monkey, which all this time had been seated on a rock looking onwith an expression of inconsolable sorrow, at once accepted theinvitation, and with a lively bound alighted on the deck close to thelittle mast, which had been set up just in front of Nigel, and to whichit held on when the motions of the canoe became unsteady.
"You need not give yourself any concern about Spinkie," said the hermit,as they glided over the still water of the little cove in which thecanoe and boat were harboured. "He is quite able to take care ofhimself."
Rounding the entrance to the cove and shooting out into the ocean underthe influence of Van der Kemp's powerful strokes, they were soon clearof the land, and proceeded eastward at a rate which seemed unaccountableto our hero, for he had not sufficiently realised the fact that inaddition to the unusual physical strength of Van der Kemp as well asthat of Moses, to say nothing of his own, the beautiful fish-likeadaptation of the canoe to the water, the great length and leverage ofthe bow-paddle, and the weight of themselves as well as the cargo, gavethis canoe considerable advantage over other craft of the kind.
About a quarter of an hour later the sun arose in cloudless splendour ona perfectly tranquil sea, lighted up the shores of Java, glinted overthe mountains of Sumatra, and flooded, as with a golden haze, theforests of Krakatoa--emulating the volcanic fires in gilding the volumesof smoke that could be seen rolling amid fitful mutterings fromPerboewatan, until the hermit's home sank from view in the westernhorizon.