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diff --git a/23050.txt b/23050.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..61144e8 --- /dev/null +++ b/23050.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3204 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Peter Biddulph, by W.H.G. Kingston + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Peter Biddulph + The Story of an Australian Settler + +Author: W.H.G. Kingston + +Release Date: October 17, 2007 [EBook #23050] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PETER BIDDULPH *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + +Peter Biddulph, by W.H.G. Kingston. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +Peter's mother and father were barge people on the London river, the +Thames. But the father dies, and Peter and his mother are destitute. +She goes out to do cleaning etcetera, and Peter scavenges by the +river-side. The boys who did this used to be called mudlarks. Peter's +mother dies. One day a man called Mr Wells and his friends come by in +a boat, and cast money for the mudlarks to dive for. Unfortunately +Wells loses his valuable gold ring in doing this. He leaves his card +with Peter, who finds the ring, and returns it. + +Struck with this honesty Wells gives the orphan and destitute boy a +home. Wells is a shipowner, and when Peter is fourteen he is given an +apprenticeship on one of his ships. Peter makes his way up till he is a +senior officer, but marries a girl in London, whose father owns one +small vessel, and when he is dying he makes the vessel and the goodwill +over to Peter. Wells's business fails, and with it go Peter's savings. + +Peter and his wife and children have a sea-going life, but eventually +decide to settle in Australia. Arriving there they found it hard to +avoid the escaped convicts who are roaming the land and giving everybody +a hard time. + +All these situations are well written, and you will enjoy the book. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +PETER BIDDULPH, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON. + + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +THE SETTLER'S EARLY DAYS. + +From my earliest days to the present time I have been gradually climbing +up the ladder towards a comfortable berth on the top; and if a ratlin +has given way beneath my feet, I always have had a firm hold above my +head. The first step I took was off the mud on to dry ground. I can +recollect nothing clearly before that time. I was born on board a river +barge, and never left it, winter nor summer, till I was fully six years +old. One day the barge took the mud, which is not surprising, +considering that I was the only person on deck. I ran to the helm to +turn her head off the shore, but it was too late--there she stuck hard +and fast. My mother was below, tending my father, and he lay dying. It +was the barge's last voyage, and his too. Both had seen much service. +The barge never moved again, but went on rotting and rotting till the +owner sold her and she was broken up. + +Father died that night, and a boat came and took mother and me on shore, +with father's body, and such property as we possessed--not much, I +fancy,--a kettle and pot, some plates, and knives, and cups, and a few +clothes,--we hadn't wanted furniture, and with these mother and I had to +begin the world. She said things might have been worse, for she might +have had a dozen children instead of one, and debts to pay--and she +didn't owe a farthing, which was a great comfort in her affliction. + +My mother was indeed, while she lived, a very good mother to me, for she +taught me to distinguish right from wrong, to love the former and to +hate the latter. As may be supposed, she was very poor, and I was often +without a meal. I know, too, that she frequently stinted herself to +give me food. She lived on the banks of the Thames somewhere below +London, and I very soon found my way down to the mud, where I now and +then used to pick up odds and ends, bits of iron and copper, and +sometimes even coin, and chips of wood. The first my mother used to +sell, and I often got enough in the week to buy us a hearty meal; the +last served to boil our kettle when we had any food to cook in it. Few +rich people know how the poor live; our way was a strange one. My poor +mother used to work with her needle, and go out as a charwoman, and to +wash, when she could get any one to wash for, but that was seldom; and +toil as hard as she might, a difficult matter she had to pay the rent of +the little room in which we lived. She felt sorely the struggle she had +to endure with poverty, for she had seen better days--far better, I +suspect,--and was not accustomed to it. She was, I have reason to +believe, well educated--at all events, much above most persons in the +station in life she then occupied; and, young as I was, she taught me to +read, and to repeat poetry, and to sing psalms; and though I forget +nearly all the events of my life at that time, I remember many of the +verses she taught me; they have been a wonderful comfort to me through +life. My mother had married unwisely, I have no doubt, and if she ever +had any relations, they discarded her; so she was very soon reduced to +the condition I have described, aided by an illness which at length +terminated in her death. + +I was about eight years old when I became an orphan; but my intellects +were sharpened by exercise, and I was as precocious as many children +double my age. As I was able to do something to gain my own livelihood, +the people of the house where we lodged took compassion on me, and, +instead of sending me to the workhouse, gave me the corner of a garret +to sleep in. I understood the compact, and worked harder than ever. + +Young as I was I felt my mother's loss most bitterly. We had been all +in all to each other, and I should have broken down altogether with +grief, had not my kind host roused me up and advised me to go out and +try and do something to gain my livelihood. Hunger is a severe +taskmaster; it makes many an idle man work. + +I now became a regular mudlark, though I got employment when I could by +running on errands and in assisting the boatmen on the river. I was one +summer's day, with a number of other boys, wading up to my knees in the +water, when a boat with several gentlemen on a pleasure excursion came +down the river, and pulled into the shore near where we were. Some of +the gentlemen landed, while the others who remained in the boat amused +themselves by throwing halfpence into the water for us to dive after. +They scattered them about in every direction, so that many coins were +altogether lost; for as the boys rushed after them they drove them into +the mud. + +At last, as I was standing some way from the other boys, a gentleman +threw a penny towards me; but it passed over my head and fell into deep +water, and directly afterwards I heard him exclaim-- + +"Dear me! I've lost my ring--my diamond ring, too. I would not have +lost it for a hundred pounds." + +As he had been throwing pence in various directions, he had no notion +where it had fallen, though he naturally concluded that it had come off +at one of those times. As I saw that he was very much annoyed at his +loss I felt sorry for him; so I went up to him, and told him that I +would hunt about for his ring, and that if I found it I would gladly +bring it to him, provided he would tell me where he lived. + +"But don't you bargain for a reward?" asked one of his companions. + +"That depends upon how far off the gentleman lives," I replied. "If +near at hand this errand may be only worth a sixpence; but if far off, +perhaps he won't think a shilling too much to give me." + +"I'll tell you what, my man; I'll gladly give you ten shillings if you +find it; but I fear there is little chance of your so doing," replied +the gentleman, smiling. + +"There's nothing like trying, sir," I replied; "and if you'll tell me +your name and where you live, if I pick it up you shall have it again." + +"Well, then, you must inquire for Mr Wells, -- Street, -- Square, +London," said the gentleman. + +"If you write it down I shall have less chance of forgetting it," I +replied. + +"That would be little use to you, my man," he observed; "you cannot +read, I should suppose." + +"But I can, though," I replied. "Give me your card, and you will see I +speak the truth." + +On this one of the gentlemen drew out a card from his pocket, and wrote +some words on it with a pencil, while I washed my hands and dried them +in my shirt-sleeves. He then handed me the card. I looked at it and +saw that it was in a language I could not understand. + +"Those are Latin words, and I did not say I could read any language," I +observed, handing him back his card. + +"You are right, my boy," said the gentleman who had lost his ring; "but +here are some lines in English: let us hear if you can read them." + +I looked at the lines attentively: they were at the commencement of a +poem my mother had taught me; so I not only read them off fluently, but, +to the great surprise of all present, went on repeating the succeeding +ones. + +"Bravo! bravo!" exclaimed the gentlemen, highly delighted. "You're a +genius, my lad--a perfect marvel. A mudlark spout poetry! Truly the +schoolmaster is abroad." + +"Who taught you your learning, my boy?" asked another. + +"My mother, sir," I replied, calmly, and rather surprised at their +expressions, for I saw nothing wonderful in my performance. + +"I should like to see this mother of yours; she must be out of the +common way too," observed the same person. + +"Mother is dead, sir," I answered, crying; for the very mention of her +name wrung my young heart with grief. + +"There is something more here than meets the eye," said Mr Wells. "My +poor boy, don't cry. Come to-morrow to my house, whether you find my +ring or not. In the meantime here is half a crown; your poetry deserves +it." + +I took the money almost mechanically; for I was thinking of my mother, +and was scarcely aware of the amount of wealth I was receiving. + +On seeing Mr Wells give me money, the other gentlemen did the same, and +some even gave me as much as five shillings; so that I felt as if coin +was raining down on me from the skies. My tears dried up, and, for a +minute, I felt supremely happy; but on a sudden the thought occurred to +me, that if my mother had been alive how happy it would have made her, +and I burst forth into tears again. + +Mr Wells on this asked me why I cried; so I told him the truth, and he +believed me; though I believe, from the expression of some of the other +gentlemen's faces, that they fancied I was crying to gain their +compassion: at all events, they gave me no more money, and their +companions returning to the boat, they shoved off and continued their +course down the river. + +As soon as they were gone I began to collect my thoughts, and to +consider my best chance of finding the lost ring. As I heard Mr Wells +say that he would not have lost it for a hundred pounds, I believed that +was its value, and though I had no just conception of how much a hundred +pounds was, I knew that it must be a great deal of money. I was +therefore very anxious to restore it to the kind gentleman. + +Here I benefited by my good mother's instruction; and I believed her +spirit watched over me to keep me from evil; for it never occurred to +me, as I am sorry to say it did to some of the other boys who overheard +the gentleman's observation, that it would be easier if the ring was +found to sell it and secure its value, than to trust to the chance of +obtaining a small reward by returning it to its proper owner. + +I fortunately overheard them plotting to secure the ring for themselves, +and I determined to counteract their plan. Though the water was deep +where the ring had fallen there was no current, as it was in a little +bay in the bank of the river, and what was more, I remembered that the +ground was rather harder than that surrounding it, and that it rose +slightly outside. + +These circumstances gave me hopes of finding the ring; so I sat down at +some little distance on the bank, pretending to be counting the money I +had received, but in reality watching narrowly the spot where I thought +it had fallen. + +I do not mean to say that I was indifferent to my good fortune, but I +honestly believe I thought much more of the pleasure it would give the +poor people who had charitably taken care of me in my destitution, than +of the benefit I should myself derive from it. + +The tide had only run off a very little when the ring was thrown in, so +that I had a considerable time to wait; but though I grew very hungry, +and felt that I might enjoy a plentiful meal, I would not quit my post; +indeed, I was accustomed to starve, so that did not incommode me much. + +Slowly the tide receded, and one after one the other boys went away. At +last the bank appeared, and the intervening space was left with very +little water over it. I was in hopes that none of the other boys would +return to interrupt me in my search; but, to my annoyance, just as the +mud was left quite clear, two of them came back, and immediately tucking +up their trousers, hurried into the mud. + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +NEW FRIENDS. + +Now it so happened that I had carefully noted where the penny had +fallen, and if I had been alone, I could have gone straight to the +place. But, wishing to mislead my rivals in the search, I waded into +the water at a considerable distance from the spot. Glad of a clue, the +other mud-larks came over to me in a hurry, and began hunting about. +Leaving them there, I went to another place, and so on till I gradually +approached the spot where I thought the ring had fallen. They again +followed me, and as I was stooping down I heard one of them cry out, and +I thought he had found the treasure, but it was only the penny Mr Wells +had thrown me. "Ho! ho!" I thought, "the ring will not have reached as +far as that, but I must make haste and find it, or it will be too dark +to see anything." The other boys thought the ring must be close to the +penny, and kept turning up the mud in every direction round it, while I +worked my way straight on to where the boat had been. I had begun to +think that I must have passed it, when I saw something glitter in a +little pool of water just under a large stone. I stooped down, and to +my joy I found that it was the gold ring. My first impulse was to sing +out, but then it struck me that I might run some chance of being robbed +of my treasure, and that it would be a just punishment to the naughty +boys to keep them still hunting for it; so, instead of saying anything +about the matter, I pretended to be groping on as before, and at last, +on getting near the shore, I exclaimed that there was no chance of any +one finding it that night, and that I should go home. On getting on +shore I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, eager to give my +charitable friends an account of my good fortune, but with regard to the +ring I said not a word. The instinctive caution I possessed taught me +that it would be wiser to say nothing, even to them, about it. I told +them, as was the case, that the money had been given to me by the +gentlemen for repeating poetry to them. + +We had a capital supper that night, the best I had ever enjoyed; and +giving my wealth to my friends to keep for me, I set off the next +morning, my heart beating high with satisfaction, to restore the ring to +Mr Wells. + +I found his house without much difficulty, although I had never been in +that part of London before, but my wits were not at fault on this +occasion more than on any other. A domestic opened the door, whom I at +first took to be a very great lord, for I had seldom before seen a +livery servant; but when he told me that his master was not at home, and +he could not say when he would return, and without deigning any further +answer slammed the door in my face, I guessed who he was. I accordingly +sat down on the steps to wait patiently for the return of Mr Wells. As +I had been thinking all night long of my good fortune, I had not slept a +wink, and it was therefore not surprising that I fell very fast asleep +where I sat. How long I thus remained dreaming of the events of the +previous day I do not know, when I was awaked by the sound of a kind +voice in my ear, and opening my eyes I saw Mr Wells standing before me. + +"Ah, my little poet!" he exclaimed; "you here already!" + +"Yes, sir," I answered, jumping up; "and I have found your ring, and +brought it to you too." + +"Have you indeed? That is more than I expected," he replied. "But come +in, and you can then give me the ring, and tell me something about +yourself." + +So I went into his house, and he was evidently pleased when he saw the +ring, which I had washed and wrapped up carefully in a bit of rag, and +it looked clean and bright. He then took me into the parlour, where two +ladies were sitting at breakfast, where he made me join them, all untidy +as I was, at their meal; after which he desired me to give a full +account of myself, and to recite some more poetry, all of which I did, +apparently much to the satisfaction of the party present. + +"'Twere a pity for the child to grow up neglected and uncared for, as +will probably be his fate, till he becomes in no way superior to the +uncultivated, ignorant men among whom he will be doomed to live," +observed one of the ladies to Mr Wells, who was, I found, his wife. +"Can you do anything for him?" + +"I was thinking on the subject, my love," answered Mr Wells. "The +question in my mind is, `In what position shall he be placed?'" + +"Oh, my dear, that is very easy," replied the lady, in an eager tone; +"send him to a good school, and then make him one of your clerks." + +"That might not prove a real kindness after all," said her husband; "he +has already, by his own exertions and good conduct, made one step up the +ladder, and I think it will be wiser to leave him to work his own way +upward. He will then be less liable to slip down again. I will keep an +eye on him, and give him advice when he requires it." + +This I believe he said for my benefit, that I might not fancy that I had +nothing further to do than to wait for the coming of good luck, as is +the case too often with certain people, who then grumble and find fault +with the world because their luck never comes. I do not mean to say +that opportunities do not occur to some men more frequently than to +others, but I believe that they visit most of us at some time or other +of our lives, and that it is our own fault if we do not take advantage +of them. + +"But I will learn what the boy himself has to say on the subject," said +Mr Wells.--"What would you like to do, my lad?" + +"I want to be a sailor, sir," I answered, promptly; for such had been +the earnest desire of my life; "I wish to go to some of the places the +ships I see passing up and down the river visit." + +"You are too young yet to go to sea, but when you are old enough you +cannot perhaps do better. The sea requires people of sense more than +any other, and yet some persons send the dunce of the family on board +ship, and then are surprised that he does not get on. You shall now go +back to the friends who have taken care of you, and who seem good +people. We must find somebody to whom you may go when you wish to get +some more learning, and I dare say you will find some means of earning +your bread till you are old enough to go to sea. + +"By-the-by, I must not forget the reward I promised you for finding my +ring. I will bring it down to you to-morrow or next day, if you will in +the meantime trust me." + +He said this smiling, and I felt sure he would not deceive me. At the +same time I told him that he had paid me before handsomely, and that I +did not want any other reward. He told me that must rest with him, and +that I was fairly entitled to it. He then bade me good-bye. + +With a joyful heart I returned home to record to my friends all that had +happened. + +Mr Wells was as good as his word, and the following day I saw him on +horseback, inquiring his way to the street where I lived. I went up to +him, and led him to the house. He then dismounted, and giving his horse +to another boy to hold, he called me in, and told my friends that he had +spoken to the curate of the parish about me, and that I might go to him +two hours every evening after I had done my work. He then gave me five +pounds, advising me to rig myself out neatly; and he told me besides +that he had spoken to some of the boatmen in the neighbourhood, who he +thought were very likely to employ me if I applied to them. After a few +more words of advice the good gentleman took his departure. + +Now Mr Wells was a man of sound sense, and his conduct was, I have +reason to know, most judicious. He saw that I was accustomed to act for +myself, young as I was, and that I should have less chance of slipping +off the ladder, if I mounted each ratlin by myself; and he considered +that as I was of somewhat a poetical temperament, if my mind received a +hot bed forcing at too early an age, I should be unfitted to struggle on +in this every-day working world. Had he, as his wife recommended him, +sent me to a boarding school, where I should have had everything done +for me, I should probably very soon have lost that habit of dependence +on my own exertions which has been the great cause of my success in +life; and the routine style of education I should there have received +would certainly not have compensated for the loss of the other +advantage, nor would the amount of knowledge I should have gained have +been in all probability in any way equal to that I obtained from my +evenings' study with the good curate, Mr Hamlin. + +Depend upon it, after children are shown what is right, the sooner they +are taught self-reliance the better. It is the principle I have +followed out with my own, and they are now independent men, and are +grateful to me for it. I began with them as soon as they were weaned; +before that time I did not consider I ought to interfere with my wife. +I never let one of them have a meal before he had performed some task +for it, nor a new frock or jacket. Sometimes I would set a week's work, +and let them get through it as they liked, provided they had earned +their food. I thus very early found out their characters, and the +amount of perseverance and energy they possessed, and managed them +accordingly. They all got through their work in the set time, but in +different ways. One would set to work the moment he knew what he was to +do, and toil away till it was completed; another would commence more +leisurely, then go to some other occupation or amusement, and then +return to his regular labours; a third would take the whole time to +complete the undertaking, but it was invariably done well. I taught my +own boys the advantages of industry, and they soon learned to like +labour for itself. They have never been idle, and consequently have +never been vicious. + +For six or seven years I lived on with my old friends, spending all the +day on the river assisting the boatmen to take care of their boats, and, +as I grew bigger, in rowing, till I had saved enough money to get a +share of a boat myself, while every evening that Mr Hamlin was able to +receive me I paid him a visit. At the time I was fourteen my wish to go +to sea, grew stronger than ever, and Mr Wells at once acceded to it, +and told me that he would gladly find me a berth in one of his own +vessels, for he was, what I forgot before to say, an extensive +shipowner. He advised me to sell my share in the boat, and to invest +the amount, with my subsequent savings, in the savings bank, telling me +that he had such entire confidence in me that he would gladly advance +the money for my outfit. + +I was accordingly entered as an apprentice, and made my first voyage, in +the good ship the _Mary Jane_, to the Brazils. The next was round Cape +Horn to the coast of Chili and Peru, and on my return I made a trip up +the Baltic. Indeed, for many years I was constantly at sea, during +which time I visited various parts of the world. + +When I was out of my apprenticeship I began to lay by half of my wages, +and then to do a little trading on my own account, by which I made +money. I at last worked my way from before the mast to the +quarter-deck, and became third officer of a fine ship trading to the +Cape. I probably should have become master of her in time, but on my +return home I fell in love and married. My wife was young, pretty, and +well educated according to my taste--that is to say, she had been +brought up at home by a good sensible mother, who never thought of +letting her learn to play on the piano, nor to dance, nor any +accomplishment useless to one in the rank she appeared destined to fill. +Her father was the owner and master of a small trader running between +London and Ramsgate. After I married I made two more trips to the Cape, +and on my return from the second I found my father-in-law on the point +of death. He made me promise to remain at home to take care of his +widow and daughter, and on these conditions made me over his vessel and +the goodwill of his trade. For some years I followed this line with +varied success, but I did not save much money, as my family increased +rapidly, and my expenses were proportionably heavy. I lost a +considerable part of my savings through the failure of my poor friend +Mr Wells, in whose hands my money was placed; but I did not repine at +this on my own account, for I considered that the lessons he had taught +me were of far more value than the amount of my wealth, but I grieved +deeply that he should be the sufferer. He was by this time an old man, +and his creditors allowed him a comfortable income till his death. + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +THE VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA. + +At length my vessel wore out, and I was compelled to build a new one. +She was a fine schooner of nearly sixty tons, and was a capital sea +boat. I ran her for about three years, but I found that she was almost +too good for the trade she was engaged in. At this time I met with an +old shipmate who had made several trips to New South Wales, or, as it +was then called commonly, to Botany Bay, and he gave me glowing accounts +of the success of some of the free settlers who had gone out there. +This made me think about the subject and set to work to collect +information from all the people I met who knew anything about the +country. One and all combined in asserting that it was a very fine +country, and that large fortunes were to be made in one way or another, +but they chiefly spoke in praise of the fine pastures for sheep which +existed. From what I could pick up, however, I surmised that the sheep +in general were of a very inferior quality, and that if some of the best +breeds could be introduced, not only would the colony be benefited, but +the person who brought them over. For some weeks I turned the subject +in my mind. I had plenty of time to think about it in my passages up +and down the river when obliged to bring up for the tide, and at last I +broached it to my wife, and told her that my opinion was that a far +better livelihood might be made in the new country than such people as +ourselves could hope for in England. + +"You see how it is, my dear Martha," I said, "for many years your good +father toiled on in this trade, and though he lived comfortably and +brought you up well, he saved no money; and had he met with any reverse +like the loss of his vessel the case might have been different, and he +might easily have been ruined. Now, although I have worked harder than +he was able to do, and consequently have kept my head above water, with +a large family and greater expenses, I also have saved little, and am +sadly puzzled to know what to do with our boys, and I shall be unwilling +to send our pretty girls out to service; yet if they do not marry I can +never expect to leave enough to support them. + +"I have been thinking of a hundred different ways of improving our +fortune in England, but not one has occurred to me in which the risk of +loss has not been too great. Thousands of families are exactly in our +position, and the fathers must feel that not only have they no chance of +rising in the world, but that when they die they must leave their +daughters exposed to all the dangers of a life of dependence. For the +boys I fear less; they will if they survive make their own way in life +as I have done, and are more fitted to bear its ups and downs. Now, my +dear wife, I know you would be ready to follow me to the end of the +world, even if it were to penury or death, but I am not going to ask you +to do that. I am going to propose to go to a far distant land, where I +trust we shall not only gain wealth, but happiness and contentment, and +see our family happily settled." + +My wife, as I knew she would be, was ready to enter into my views, +though, as she had never been at sea further than Ramsgate, she could +not help looking with some dread at the long voyage, and she had read +some rather exaggerated accounts of bush-rangers and savages in Botany +Bay which were enough to frighten her. I soon, however, quieted all her +fears about the voyage as well as about the savages and bush-rangers, +and though I did not conceal from her that there were many difficulties +to be overcome, and dangers to be encountered, I pictured the future to +her in the bright colours it appeared to my own imagination. My eldest +boy was at sea, but we expected his return every day, and at all events +I determined to wait his arrival. The two next were accustomed to sail +with me in the schooner, where I did my beat to give them all the +learning I had gained from the good curate, Mr Hamlin, and had since +then picked up by my own exertions. Though they were still boys, they +were very useful on board, and could take the helm and work the vessel +as well as any grownup man. I had eight of them, four boys and four +girls, and the two youngest were still children. The elder ones were +delighted at my proposal,--the boy, at the thought of making a long sea +voyage, of seeing strange lands, and hunting the kangaroo; the girl, at +being able to accompany me and their brothers, and having to tend a +farm, and live under a bright blue sky. Whether it entered into the +calculation of the eldest that she might be able to pick and choose a +husband from the number of young men who were certain to be on the shore +with speaking-trumpets to beg her to marry them, I do not pretend to +say, but it was then the case as now,--no girl could remain in the +colony without being asked to wed every day in the week till she made +her choice. + +Having made up our minds to go, the next thing to be thought of was the +way to accomplish our objects. Without hesitation, I determined to +perform the voyage in my own vessel. She was a remarkably good sea +boat, and a fast sailer, and for her size was very roomy. She was +called by a curious coincidence the _May Flower_, which was the name of +the vessel which carried over the first pilgrim fathers to America; and +certainly, when my vessel was named, I never contemplated attempting to +cross the ocean in her. Although she was under sixty tons, I considered +that properly handled she was as well calculated to double the Cape as a +far larger vessel, and I felt sure from what I had heard, that if I got +her out safe to the colony she would fetch a high price. If, however, +she was to be swamped--as my whole family and property would have gone +to the bottom at the same time--there would be no one left behind to +mourn our loss. I do not mean to say that I for one moment thought we +should be lost, but still I knew that it was possible, and I reconciled +myself to the chance with that reflection. + +The first thing I did was to haul up my vessel, and to give her a +thorough repair, then to refit her rigging, and to raise her bulwarks +somewhat, so as to make her snugger. As she was from the first fitted +so as to be easily handled, her masts were short and very stout; and as +her hull was as strong as wood and iron could make it, she was in every +way suited for a long sea voyage. As I had made up my mind to attempt +to carry out some sheep, I divided her hold into compartments, one as a +pen, another for hay and water, a third for implements of agriculture, +and a few select goods which I calculated would sell well, and +provisions for ourselves. In the after part of the vessel were cabins +for my wife, myself, and my daughters, while the boys with the two men +who formed the crew were berthed forward. + +Just as my preparations were ready my eldest son returned home from sea, +and delighted he was to find that his next voyage was to be made with +those he loved. + +I was fortunate in disposing of my house and the heavier part of my +furniture to advantage, and the remainder I stowed away on board. It is +extraordinary what number of things the little vessel held. There were +numerous casks of water, salted meat, potatoes, bread, rice, and many +other sorts of provisions for six or seven months. I had no wish to be +starved; then there was the hay for the sheep, which I got pressed into +very tight packages in a way since become common, and by the time the +sheep came on board there was not much space to spare, I can assure you. + +When all was ready for sea, my wife and I and all my children took a +last farewell of the house where we had lived, and the neighbours we had +known so many years, and we then went to church to pray God for a safe +passage, and as soon as service was over we returned on board, and that +evening dropped down the Thames. I have not yet said a word about the +sheep, for I did not take them on board till afterwards. I was +acquainted with a man at Hamburg who understood sheep well, and to him I +had written to buy for me the two finest merino rams he could find, and +four ewes of the same breed. I calculated that I could not carry hay +and water for more. We had fine summer weather and a fair wind to carry +us across Channel, and when I put into Hamburg to take the sheep on +board, I found that my friend had not disappointed me; he had in truth +selected six magnificent animals, and I felt certain that if I could +carry them safely to the colony they would fetch a pretty high price. +Having filled up one water-cask, we again put to sea, and were now +fairly on our voyage. + +We had a beautiful run down Channel, and indeed from first to last +Providence watched over us, nothing went wrong, and everything prospered +far more than we could have expected. My wife and daughters turned out +capital sailors, and soon learned to take their turn at the helm, to +relieve my boys and our two men. Both of these were characters in their +way. Old Bob Hunt had sailed with me for many years in the coasting +trade, and a trusty hand he was, but he knew no more of the broad seas +than the child unborn, or of geography either; and when I told him that +I was thinking of going out to New Holland, he asked if I expected to +make the place in a week or so, as he supposed it wasn't very far from +Old Holland, where the people speak Dutch. And when I told him that the +natives were as black as his shoe, and spoke a language no Christian man +could understand, he would scarcely believe me. + +"Never mind," he said, after a moment's thought, "no one shall say I +deserted you because you were bound on a long voyage; if we were to be a +year about getting there I would go with you. I shall leave behind no +more kith nor kin than you do, so that's settled." + +Old Bob was a capital seaman, but what is strange, he never touched +liquor, nor smoked, nor over chewed tobacco. He ate, too, as little as +any man I ever saw at his meals; and as for sleeping, it was difficult +to find him with his eyes shut. The least noise would awake him, and if +the breeze freshened up a bit he was sure to be on deck in a moment to +see that all was right. He was a most invaluable hand, and worth any +two other men I ever had. In spite of his age Bob was active as a +monkey, and short and thin, and so occupied wonderfully little space in +the small craft; which was convenient, as also for another reason, for +his companion, Dick Nailor, was one of the biggest men I ever met, a +perfect giant, but gentle as a lamb, and with an excellent temper. He +used to say that he and Bob together only took up their fair amount of +room. If Bob was never seen asleep Dick was seldom found broad awake, +but he was keeping a bright look-out notwithstanding, and when roused up +he was active enough, and strong as a lion. The children were very fond +of him. He could take them all up in his arms and dance a hornpipe with +them hanging about him, as lightly as a young lady in satin shoes. + +My eldest boy, Peter, named after me, was one of the steadiest fellows I +ever met. At eighteen he was second officer of a ship, and might have +been entrusted with the command. I was sorry to take him away from the +line he was following, and yet it was a great thing to have all my +family together. He wished to come, and did not disappoint my +expectation. + +Mark and John, my next boys, were always together, and yet very +different. Mark was one of the merriest chaps you ever saw, and up to +all sorts of harmless pranks. John looked like gravity itself, but that +arose from his eyes and the shape of his mouth; give him anything to +laugh at and he would indeed laugh heartily. Mark was his chief object +of admiration. He thought no one his equal, yet many people liked John +the most. He was so humble and gentle, and never thought a thing about +himself. + +My eldest girl, Mary, was like her elder brother as to steadiness and +discretion, just what an elder sister should be; so good-natured and +kind, too, it was pleasant to see her standing all the bothering the +young ones gave her without a word of complaint. It was a valuable +quality in a person who was to be shut up for four or five months in a +small craft with a number of youngsters. She was next to Peter in age, +and then came Susan, as kind-hearted, industrious a little creature as +ever lived, not very bright, but wanting to do right; and then the two +boys, and then Margaret, a bright-eyed, fair child, such a little dear; +then another boy, Tommy, always in a mess because he didn't know how to +keep out of one; and one more girl, Sarah Ann, and there you have the +whole lot of them; they, with their mother, a good woman if any one ever +deserved the name, with the two men and myself, made up the complement +of the human souls embarked on board the _May Flower_. + +Then we had a dog, _Steadfast_, and a cat, _Duchess_, the only thing of +much rank aboard us; two fine cocks and ten hens for laying eggs, +besides a couple of dozen other fowls, to be eaten by my wife and the +girls. We had a pair of pigeons, a pair of robins and sparrows, and a +hen lark--her mate died just as we were going on board--belonging to +Mark and John. I don't think we had much else. Yes, we had some +primrose, violets, snowdrops, daisies, and other roots and small plants, +which took up little space, to remind us of old England. + +We sailed in the autumn, so as to arrive in the summer, and to get +housed before the rains set in. We took our departure from Ashanto, and +shaped a course for Rio Janeiro, in the Brazils, there to take in a +further supply of water and fresh provisions. Thence I hoped to carry +the trade wind across the Atlantic, and round the Cape, though I thought +it possible that I might have to touch at the Cape, unless we had an +unusually fast run, for water. You see our little craft couldn't carry +enough for ourselves and the sheep for as long a time as we could have +wished, and yet you may depend on it we wasted none. I have often +thought of the story of the poor Arab who, wishing to make the caliph +the most valuable present in his power, took him a skin bottle full of +muddy water from the desert. He, when journeying across the desert +esteemed it of more value than silver, gold, or precious stones. We, +too, learned how to value fresh water, and I would not have filled up my +cask with wine instead of it, had I been offered the finest in the +world. We were especially favoured with fine weather and a fair wind, +and we made good use of our time, for every one on board was as busy as +a bee from morning till night. We had prayers regularly morning and +evening out of the Prayer-book, and on a Sunday I read out of Galpin's +sermons, and that the lessons it taught might not be forgotten I used to +talk about them every day for the week which the Sunday began, and asked +the young people questions about it. Then I set them their lessons, and +Mary or Peter heard them, and they got on famously. They gave their +mind to the work, do you see, and did it well. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +THE RESCUED STRANGER. + +We made the Desertas off Rio without having had one day on which my wife +and the children couldn't be on deck with comfort. They were tried +somewhat by the heat, for it was hot in our little cabin with the sun +striking down on the deck all day, but they didn't mind that much. I +was most anxious about the sheep. I had made up my mind that we were to +do great things with them, and I dreaded any of them dying. We used to +have them up on deck every day to walk about, two at a time, and they +all became as tame as lambs; indeed, they lived like aldermen, and grew +as sleek and fat, for we kept them well washed and clean, for I couldn't +help thinking that would be conducive to their health. + +It was necessary to go into Rio, but I was sorry to have to do it on one +account. It is so beautiful a place that I thought my wife and daughter +might think meanly of our future home after it. It is a beautiful +country, with its magnificent harbour, and surrounding hills, and +tropical trees and villas, and the city looks very fine till you get +into it. I hoped not to be detained there more than three days, so as +soon as Peter had returned from the shore where he went to order our +provisions, and to learn where we could get the best water, I took my +wife and Mary and the rest of the children there, that they might see +what a foreign city is like. + +Scarcely had we set foot on shore than we saw collected on the quay +nearly two hundred black people all huddled together, men and women, +young girls and boys, and little children, with hardly a rag to cover +them, looking wretched and startled and wild, very little like human +beings. Mary drew closer to me. + +"Oh, father, what are they?" she asked. + +"Those are negroes just landed from a slave ship," said I, for in those +days the Brazilians had no law against slaving. "They are on their way +to a shed, to be washed, fed, and dressed a little may be, and then sent +up to the slave market, where they will be sold one by one, or a lot +together, just as buyers may require, as a farmer sells his sheep and +cattle to a butcher or a grazier, to kill or fatten." + +"And those poor people have souls just as we have," exclaimed Mary. +"How dreadful!" + +As we walked on we passed numbers of negroes grunting under heavy loads, +some working for their owners, others let out to hire like beasts of +burden, but none labouring for themselves. A little further on we +passed a shrine, a little house open in front, with a figure in it, and +ornamented with flowers, and candles burning; and some people, women and +old men, were kneeling down before it, and muttering words as quickly as +their lips could move, and counting on necklaces with small and large +beads, and a cross at the end; and suddenly, as soon as they had done, +it seemed, up they jumped, and walked on, and other people passing just +made a bow and the sign of the cross, and hurried away. + +"Is that an idol, father?" asked Mary; "I didn't know these people were +heathen." + +I thereon told her that the figure was that of a saint, and that the +people in their ignorance had got to worship the figure instead of +saying prayers to the saint, though even that to our notion was very +bad, as Christ had taught us to pray to God only. I saw that my dear +wife, and Mary and Susan, were greatly shocked at this, but they were to +see something worse, for before long we espied a great crowd moving +towards us, and we got up into a porch to avoid them. Presently there +came by first some men holding up a rich silken canopy, under which +walked a priest in magnificent robes all gold and silver, and he had +something in his hand; and as soon as the people saw him, whites and +blacks alike fell down on their knees and worshipped him, or rather, as +we were afterwards told, what he carried in his hands, which was the +host. This is a wafer and some wine, which the people believe is turned +into the real body and blood of Christ. After him came a number of +people with masks on their faces, and large cloaks on, so that they +could not be known, bearing on their shoulders a huge figure of the +Virgin Mary, and the infant Jesus in her arms. She was dressed in robes +of silk with a crown of gold on her head, and numberless jewels +glittering on her shoulders. Many other figures followed--one of Christ +bearing the cross, and of various saints; and there were little boys +looking like girls dressed up in pink and blue silk, and gold and silver +dresses all stuck out with glittering wings; and there were big boys or +priests in red and white gowns swinging censers, and others ringing +bells and chanting; and lastly there came regiments of soldiers with +bands playing before them, and the procession went on through a number +of streets, and at last into a church, when the soldiers marched away in +different directions. We were told that it was a religious procession, +though we could not understand how it was to advance the cause of +religion; indeed, we were particularly struck by the indifference with +which all the people looked on, and those especially who walked in the +procession. The men in black masks and hoods who carried the figures +were, we were told, doing penance for their sins, and that they believed +that they were thus washing away all the sins they had committed for the +year past; they, poor people, were not told by their priests that the +blood of Christ can alone cleanse men from sin. We saw many other +things, some of which we admired, for the city has some fine squares, +and open places, and broad streets, and handsome buildings. I need not +have been afraid of my wife wishing to remain in the country, for she +was in a hurry to get on board again, and declared that no money would +tempt her to live among people who held their fellow-creatures in +slavery, and practised such wicked mummeries and idolatries. + +"No," she exclaimed, "let me live where I can have a parish church, in +which all pray and sing praises to God together in our own language, and +hear a simple sermon which we can understand, reminding us of our +duties, and admonishing us of our faults. That's what I call public +worship." + +"And that's what I hope we shall get, dear wife, in time, out where we +are going, but I doubt whether we have much chance of it yet," said I; +for I knew that people when they get away from England are too apt to +grow careless about their church, and their religion also. + +We quickly got on board our water, and fuel, and fresh provisions, and +some green stuff, and hay for the sheep, and corn for the fowls. The +two boys went on shore with their brothers and brought off a bowl of +gold and silver fish, as they said, to make amends for the lark and one +of the robins which had died. Once more the little _May Flower_ was +ploughing the ocean with her head to the east. People at Rio were very +much astonished when they heard of the long voyage we were making. + +"I would rather be in that little craft with a clear conscience, than in +many a ship ten times her size which I have met at sea," I answered, and +it was proved that I was right. + +As we were losing sight of the coast of South America, my wife, looking +back at it again, expressed her thankfulness that we were not compelled +to live among its inhabitants. + +"But," said I, "it's a beautiful place, Martha. So is this world a very +beautiful world, but it's man that mars it. If man were free from sin, +it would be next to heaven itself." + +For ten days or more we had a beautiful run to the eastward. I never +saw the little craft go along so fast; it was difficult to believe that, +with the smooth sea we now had, we were out in mid-ocean, hundreds of +miles from any land. + +We were in the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope, and expected to make +the land in a few days, when the weather gave signs of changing. We had +hitherto been greatly favoured, and I had, with the rest, begun to +believe that we should escape bad weather altogether. The sea got up, +and the wind went on increasing, but we got the schooner under snug +canvas in good time. As we were undermanned, it was necessary to be +very careful in that respect. I told my wife and children that they +must look out for a regular gale, such as they had not been accustomed +to, and make everything fast in the cabins. We got the sheep slung, so +as to prevent them being knocked over, and then at last battened down +the hatches, intending to heave the vessel to, should the gale not +abate. + +I had been well accustomed to face bad weather in the Channel in my +little vessel, and so had my boys; and I knew well what she would do; +but when they saw the heavy seas now rolling up towards us, their young +cheeks turned pale with alarm. It certainly did look as if one of those +heavy, moving, dark green, watery hills rising up on every side, with +the spoon-drift flying from their summits, must ere long engulf us; but +the tight little craft, buoyant as a cork, with her stout masts and +strong new canvas, every rope well served, and not a strand even chafed, +rose up, and then sunk down the steep slopes into the wide valleys +between the seas, not one breaking aboard us, though we were every now +and then pretty well blinded with the showers of spray which drove +across the deck. Still we could not tell what might happen, and the +time was an anxious one. At last, when I found how beautifully the +schooner was behaving, I determined to call my wife and daughters up, +that they might witness a sight which I certainly hoped they might never +have to look on again. I slid back the companion hatch and called them. +My wife would not venture to move, but Mary and Susan came up. They +stood for a minute or more with their eyes opening and very pale; Mary +holding my arm, Susan her brother's. + +"I called you girls to show you what the ocean is like sometimes, +happily not very often." + +Mary continued silent for some time. At last she gasped out, "Oh, +father, what nothings we are!" + +"That's what many a seaman feels, even on board a line-of-battle ship, +when in a sea like this, though he doesn't say it," I remarked. "Yes, +Mary, we are indeed nothing, but we are in the hands of God, and He it +is with His wise laws governs the movement of every one of those vast +mountain billows. Let but one of them in our track go out of its +course, and this little craft, ay, and the biggest afloat, would be +utterly overwhelmed and driven down by the tremendous weight of water +which would fall over her." + +Mary stood gazing, lost in wonder, and not a little fear also, and +unable to speak. However, when I proposed her going below again, she +was very unwilling to quit the deck. "I shall dream of this for many a +night," she said. + +While I was speaking, I caught sight of a sail to the eastward. I +looked for her again, as we rose to the top of the next sea, and pointed +her out to Peter. "Yes, father, sure enough there is a sail, and a +large craft too, though she has but little canvas set: we are nearing +her, I fancy." + +The stranger was, however, nearing us, and as we occasionally got a +glimpse of her through our glasses, we saw that she had carried away her +main-topmast and mizzenmast, and that she was labouring much, running +before the wind with only a close-reefed fore-topsail set. As far as we +could judge she looked indeed in some distress. On she came towards us. +The wind now again increased, and the seas became more dangerous. +Fearing that one might break over us, I sent Mary and Susan and the boys +below again, and secured the hatches over them; which done, we passed +life lines fore and aft, to give us a holdfast in case of accidents. +The stranger drew nearer and nearer. We now saw how deep she was in the +water, and how terribly she was labouring. I watched her with double +anxiety, on her account as well as on our own. In another ten minutes +she would be down upon us, and from the course she was steering, it +would be a miracle if we escaped destruction. Just then a signal of +distress was run up, but the flag was instantly blown away, and the next +minute she gave a plunge forward, and before she rose her remaining mast +went over the bows, where the spars hung seemingly engaged in battering +them in. Scarcely had this occurred than she broached to, and lay like +a helpless log in the trough of the seas. Still she was fearfully near, +and I was far from satisfied that she would not drive down upon us, and +if so, inevitably with one touch send us to the bottom. Our only chance +of escape was to make sail, but the alternative was a dangerous one. I +was preparing to do this when we saw those on board stretching out their +hands towards us imploring help. It was a piteous sight, for none could +we afford, and all her own boats had, we saw, been washed away. Now, as +we mounted to the summit of a sea, she began, it seemed, to climb up +another watery height, but a still vaster billow came rolling on, and +thundering over her deck; down she went beneath it, and the next moment, +when we looked, not a trace of her was to be seen except a few planks +and spars, which rose to the surface out of the vortex she formed as she +sank. Yes, as we continued to gaze, between us and where she had been +floated a grating, and to it clung a human form. He was alive, for he +turned his head towards us, as if beseeching us to save him. It is +strange that we felt more eager to do so than we had been to save all +the poor beings who had just gone down before our eyes. The reason was +plain; in the first instance we knew that we could not help them; there +seemed a possibility that we might rescue the person now floating so +close to us. He was being cast by the sea nearer and nearer to us. We +got ropes ready at either end of the vessel to heave to him. Peter +fastened one round his own waist. "Take care, Peter," said I. + +"He may not be able to seize a rope, father, as he drives by, and I may +have a chance of getting hold of him," he answered. + +I couldn't deny him, but I trembled for my son's safety; still, when a +right thing is to be done, when life is to be saved, we must not be too +nice about calculating the loss we may suffer. Now we thought that the +stranger would be driven away from us, now again he was washed towards +the schooner; if our feelings of anxiety were intense, how much greater +must his have been? Now he appeared on the foaming summit of a sea far +above us, then he went sinking down deep into the gulf below. Truly +there seemed to be a power above guiding him. I can have no doubt there +was. Suddenly a sea drove him close to the schooner; I thought for a +moment that it would have actually washed him on board. "Hold on," +cried Peter, springing into the foaming water; and before the drowning +man was carried away again he had grasped him by the shoulders, the man +still holding to the raft. Thus together they were towed alongside, and +Peter holding on to the man with a strength which I scarcely supposed he +possessed, they were hauled up on deck. The stranger immediately +fainted, and Peter was in a very little better condition for a short +time; however, he soon recovered. The stranger we took below, and by +rubbing his body with hot flannels, putting bags of sand made hot to his +feet and hands, and pouring a little weak brandy and water down his +throat, he at length, to our great satisfaction, came round. He +remained in bed all that day and the next, and I wouldn't let him say +anything, not even to tell us who he was, greatly to the disappointment +of my wife and daughters, who were naturally curious to know. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +CHARLEY WHITE. + +One thought the stranger was a cabin passenger--another, an officer of +the ship--another, a seaman; and Mary observed, that supposing he was a +steerage passenger without a farthing in the world, it was equally our +duty to take the best care we could of him. + +"I hope that he isn't quite a gentleman," said Susan, "because, if he +is, he'll be thinking himself above us." + +"Not if he has right feeling," remarked Mary. "I cannot see why we +should fancy that people are always considering whether they are above +or below each other, or better or worse than one another. I know that +the Bible tells us to consider each person better than ourselves, and, +in another place, not to mind high things, but to condescend to men of +low estate. If people obeyed that rule, there wouldn't be the disputes +and quarrels there are between neighbours. I wonder if we shall find +that sort of thing out in Australia." + +"I am afraid that a voyage half round the world won't change people's +hearts," said I; "the only difference is, that people have so much to do +and think of, they have no time to attend to the private concerns of +others; and so I hope that they keep on good terms at all events with +their neighbours." + +"Do you think, father, that a voyage quite round the world, or twice +round, would change a man's heart?" asked John; "I should think it +ought." + +"No, John, I am very certain that it would not," remarked his mother, +now first joining in the conversation; "there is but one way by which a +man's heart can change, and that is through God's Holy Spirit, to be +obtained through His grace by earnest prayer." + +My wife knew the truth, and showed that she did, not only by her words +but by her life. + +"Well, sisters, to relieve your minds about the young stranger whom I +hauled out of the water," said Peter; "I'm pretty certain that he is a +gentleman, judging by a few words he uttered as I caught hold of him. +His first object seemed to be to thank me for the risk I was running to +save him. However, we shall see." + +The young stranger recovered sufficiently to talk without risk before +the gale was over, and he then told us that his name was Charles White, +that he was fourth officer of the ship we had seen go down--a homeward +bound Indiaman--that he was an orphan, with very few friends in England +or anywhere else; "Indeed," he added, "had I shared the fate of my +shipmates, there would have been but a small quantity of salt tears shed +or crape worn for me; but I am wrong,--there is one who would have +mourned for me; oh, if you knew her, such a good creature--Aunt +Priscilla; she was my mother's aunt; she has never married; Miss Beamish +she is called. I believe that I am the only human male-being she cares +for, except two tom cats and a dog, and one of them isn't a tom; at +least, it had kittens, and they are not human either. Whenever I go +home, I always go and see Aunt Priscilla, and carry her all sorts of +things, and feed the cats, and take the little dog out to walk; but when +I went, I never intended to stay there long, because, you see, she and I +are not much of companions to each other, and yet, somehow or other, +what with telling her my adventures, and reading to her, and playing +backgammon and such like things, we used to get on wonderfully well +together. Then my coming was always a signal for her to give a series +of tea-parties; they were not very large ones, because her room wouldn't +hold many people at a time, and then I used to have to tell my stories +to each set of guests. Aunt Priscilla was never tired of listening to +them, and I found out by the way she corrected me if I made the +slightest variation. I had, therefore, to be very particular the first +time I told a story, so that I might not afterwards be caught tripping. +Yes; dear, good Aunt Priscilla, I am sure that she will be anxious when +she finds that the old tea-chest hasn't arrived at the time expected. +There's one comfort, I shall be able to give her notice of my safety +before she hears positively of the fate of the ship." + +Though Charley White did not talk of himself, I was able to form a very +fair judgment of his character from the way he spoke of the old lady, +and I found afterwards that I was correct. We found him a very pleasant +addition to our family party on board, and I soon got to look on him +like one of my own sons; he was, besides, of great assistance to us in +navigating the little schooner. The gale at length ceased, and we stood +for Table Bay. I was afraid of venturing the run across the Indian +Ocean without landing at Cape Town, lest we might get short of water; a +want, which besides exposing us to suffering, would have caused the +destruction of all our sheep. We remained but a few days at Cape Town. +Charley White wrote home an account of the loss of the ship, and sent a +letter to his Aunt Priscilla assuring her of his safety. I expected, +and thought of it with much regret, that he would here leave us. I +invited him, however, to cast in his fortunes with ours, and without +hesitation, much to the satisfaction of all our party, he accepted my +offer. "You know," he said, "when we get settled, I can send home for +Aunt Priscilla, or go and fetch her, and I think that she would like the +life. It would be much more satisfactory than her round of tea-parties, +and give her something to think of besides her cats and dog, and I am +sure that you would all like her." + +We of course said that we had no doubt we should, though Susan remarked +afterwards, that a real lady, as she supposed she was, from her giving +tea-parties and having two cats and a poodle, would scarcely like to +come out and live in the bush with such homely people as we were. I +will tell you by and by what came of it. + +The people at the Cape, when they saw the size of the _May Flower_ and +the way she was laden, were surprised at our having come so far in +safety, and some chose to declare that we should never reach the end of +our voyage. I replied that they did not know the qualities of the +little craft; that many a big ship had gone down when small ones had +floated; that it was not so much the size of a vessel as the way she was +put together, and the quality of her gear, which made her safe or +unsafe, and moreover, that the same Providence which had protected us +hitherto was not sleeping. That was the feeling which kept me up from +first to last throughout our undertaking. + +We heard at the Cape some news which gave me more concern than anything +else. It was, that war was again about to break out between England and +France, and that as many other nations were likely to be leagued with +France in arms against our country, we should have no small number of +enemies among whom to run the gauntlet. My chief hope was that we +should arrive at our destination before the news of the actual +commencement of hostilities could reach the enemy's cruisers in the +Eastern seas. One thing, however, I remembered; it was, that bad news +travels fast, and I have come to the conclusion that no news is worse +than that which tells of two civilised nations going to war. + +Earthquakes, fires, floods, disasters at sea, are very bad; but war +means that thousands of the flowers of manhood are to be cut down in +their prime, or maimed, or wounded; that numbers of children are to be +made orphans; wives are to become widows; and fruitful lands laid +desolate. Such is war; ah! such is war. + +I had made up my mind to go on to Australia, though I had many tempting +offers to remain at the Cape. I daresay that we should have found a +happy home there, and it is a fine colony; but I have reason to be +thankful that we persevered. My children enjoyed their visit to the +shore, and the fresh bread and butter, and the fruit and vegetables; but +after all, they said that there was nothing like home (meaning the +little schooner), and they were glad to get back to her, thus showing +that they were not tired of the voyage. Our old dog, Steadfast, made +himself particularly happy, frisking and scampering about in every +conceivable manner, till he looked, the children said, as if he would +tumble to pieces in the exuberance of his spirits. They tried to induce +our cat, the Duchess, to accompany them, but she had learned to look on +the schooner as her home and wouldn't go. Whenever they tried to catch +her, she ran up the rigging, though on other occasions she allowed them +to handle her as much as they liked. Curious as it may seem, the +circumstance had a great effect on Bob Hunt and Dick Nailor, who were, +like many seamen, very superstitious. + +"She knows it's all right aboard here, and that we shan't come to no +harm," observed Bob to his mate. + +"Oh, course," answered Dick; "I never knowed a cat stick to a ship, if +she could get away, which was to go down. They are wonderful wise +creatures, and knows all sorts of things as is going to happen. To be +sure they can scratch a bit when they fancies." + +Cats will certainly stick to vessels whether they are to be wrecked or +not. I remember falling in with an abandoned ship, the only living +thing on board being a cat; we took her off, and the vessel soon +afterwards went to pieces. + +Once more we were at sea. A westerly wind, which I was afraid we might +lose if we stood to the southward, induced me to run along the coast +closer in than I might otherwise have ventured. The weather had +hitherto been very fine, and I persuaded myself that there was no risk. +I was wrong. Suddenly, the wind shifted to the southwest of west, and +blowing strong, and though we hauled up immediately, before we got a +good offing it blew a strong gale from the southward directly on shore, +and a heavy rolling sea came tumbling in. We could not venture to heave +to, and yet there was more sea and wind than the little craft could well +bear. All we could do was to keep sail on her, and to steer as close to +the wind as she would lie. I watched the coast with deep anxiety, and +couldn't help feeling that the foaming, raging waters, which now dashed +impetuously against it, might prove my grave and that of all dear to me. + +Of course my son and Charley White and the two seamen saw our danger as +clearly as I did, but we did not communicate our ideas to each other, +and I was anxious not to alarm my dear wife and daughters. The little +craft looked up bravely however, and my hopes revived; again they sank, +for the gale came down stronger than ever on us, and I saw that we were +driving closer and closer towards the shore. A large ship might +possibly, by cutting away her masts have ridden out the gale at her +anchors; we, had we made the attempt, should have foundered. My wife +and Mary and Susan had one after the other appeared at the companion +hatch, and with pale faces, as they saw the state of things, had gone +below again. I hadn't the heart even to tell them my fears. Bob Hunt +and Dick Nailor took matters very coolly. + +"The Duchess don't think anything will come of it," observed Bob to +Dick, pointing to the cat who was sitting on a coil of rope on the head +of a water cask lashed to the weather bulwarks. + +"May be not, but she may be mistaken once in a way, Bob," answered Dick, +who, seeing the imminent danger in which we were placed, lost his +confidence in the fore-knowledge of the cat. + +From what may sound ridiculous, but was not really so, I must turn to a +more serious matter. I suspected that my wife and daughters knew our +danger, though I had not told them of it. + +We had driven still nearer to the land, and wishing to ascertain exactly +on what part of the coast we were, that I might, if possible, run the +vessel on shore on some spot where we might have a chance of saving our +lives I went below to examine the chart. + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +IN SMOOTH WATER. + +The cabin was very dark, from the skylight being covered over and +battened down. The schooner was however so tight and strong, that +provided the hatches were on, I knew that she might almost roll over and +over, and yet not fill. This gave me great confidence as long as we +kept to the open sea; but driven on rocks or quicksands, with such a +gale as was then blowing, there could have been no hope for the stoutest +ship that ever floated on the salt ocean. As I was saying, I went into +the cabin; although gloomy enough on deck, it was still darker below; +for the gleam of light which came down the companion-hatch scarcely +found its way beyond the foot of the ladder. I looked about me, and at +first thought that my wife and daughters had, in their terror, turned +into their berths; but soon, amid the creaking of the bulkheads, and the +rattling of the rigging, and the roaring of the storm, a gentle, sweet +voice reached my ears. It was that of my daughter Susan. She had not +heard me enter. She was on her knees praying, so were her mother and +sisters, all round the table in the cabin. She was lifting up her voice +to our loving, merciful Father in Heaven;--to the same God who stilled +the raging of the storm on Gennesaret, and said to the sea, "Peace, be +still." She was praying, dear girl, for me especially, that I might be +preserved, even though the vessel were dashed to pieces; but, that if it +was His will, that the schooner and all on board might be saved. + +I cannot tell you how much confidence the prayer of that dear child gave +me; I am sure--I was then sure--that God hears such prayers. The rest +of the family too had been praying; they were not prayers forced out by +fear, but just such trusting, hopeful prayers as God loves to honour. I +stood for a few moments till Susan ceased, and when she did, I uttered a +low "Amen." The dear ones heard me, and looked up, but did not rise +from their knees; indeed, the vessel was tumbling about so much, that it +was with difficulty they could hold on. I told them what I was come +down for, and striking a light, I took down my chart from the beckets in +which it hung, and spread it out on the table. I anxiously marked down +the position in which, by my calculations, I believed the schooner then +was. A league or more to the eastward there was, I found, an island +with a bay inside it, affording anchorage for small vessels. For a +large ship it would have been utterly useless. Here, again, was an +advantage which my humble little schooner possessed over a bigger craft. +Giving a parting kiss to my wife and daughters, I leaped again on deck. + +It was a question whether we should be able to keep off the shore till +we could reach the island. I could see the surf breaking furiously on +the rocks to leeward, and the gale blew as heavily as ever. A slight +shift of wind might save us. If the wind held as it then did, I had no +hopes for the little _May Flower_. + +The day was drawing to a close. Every instant the danger increased. +The gale, instead of breaking, raged more furiously than ever. Closer +and closer the schooner drifted towards the shore. It would have been +madness to carry more sail; for already her lee bulwarks were under +water, and yet I dared not take any off her with the slightest hopes of +being able to claw off shore. The seas came breaking on board, deluging +our decks, and, had not the hatches been firmly secured, would quickly +have swamped us. I was at the helm, with Charley White by my side, my +boys and the two men having lashed themselves to the weather rigging. +No one appeared to be terror-stricken, and yet the youngest, as well as +old Bob Hunt, knew perfectly well that there was every probability of +our being in a few short minutes overwhelmed among the foaming breakers +under our lee. Anxiously I looked out for the island; and the wind blew +fiercer and fiercer. + +Suddenly there was a lull; but it was of no advantage to us, as the huge +rollers were literally throwing us rapidly towards the rocks. Again the +gale came down on us, but its direction was altered. It blew nearer +from the westward, by several points, than it had before done. Already +the schooner was heading off from the shore, but very slowly; and I was +doubtful how far she would make way against the rollers, which sent her +bodily back towards it. Still there was hope, and I could venture to +slide back the hatch and to sing out to the dear ones below that the +wind had changed. "Thank God for His mercy," was the reply from below, +for I had speedily to shut the hatch again. Just afterwards I saw an +opening in the land to the westward, and I knew that it must be the +passage between the island and the main. There was a hillock and a +peculiar rock, which prevented me from having any doubt about the +matter. What a comfort to feel sure that we were steering a right +course for a safe harbour! I could now venture to keep away again a +little. + +The entrance to the sound became more and more distinct as we advanced. +The various landmarks noted in the chart, appeared one after the other, +and in half an hour we ran into a beautiful little harbour, with the +water as smooth as a mill-pond. Our first care, directly the anchor was +dropped, was to take off the hatches and give air to our poor sheep. +The boys jumped below to ascertain if they had suffered. + +"All the animals are alive," they cried out; "but send us down a bucket +of water." The creatures sucked it up quickly. They probably would not +have held out many hours longer; but we lifted them up, two at a time, +on deck, and the fresh air soon revived them. We had only just light +enough to see our way into the harbour, but we hoped in the morning to +get on shore and to cut some grass, which would do them more good than +the fresh air. + +I should have said that directly we were in smooth water my wife and +daughters came on deck, and, as they gazed on the sheltering shore under +which we were running, they lifted up their hands in earnest +thankfulness to that merciful God who had brought us into a haven of +rest. + +On sounding the well, we found that, notwithstanding all the tossing we +had gone through, the stout little craft had not made a drop of water. +We spent two very busy days in Refuge harbour, cutting grass and wood, +and filling up our water casks. All this time no natives were seen. +There are indeed but few on that part of the coast. Short-sighted +mortals that we are--we had been inclined to complain of our detention, +but we had reason to be thankful that we had gone into Refuge harbour. + +As soon as we had filled up with wood and water, we got under weigh, and +stood out through the eastern end of the sound. Before, however, we had +got from under the shelter of the island--a long, low sandy point +intervening between us and the ocean--we saw to the southward a dark +bank of clouds coming, like an army in close rank, rapidly up towards +us. + +The breeze was light, and the sea comparatively calm, but underneath the +cloud there came a line of white foam, beyond which the whole ocean +seemed a mass of tossing seas. I knew what to expect, and, going about, +stood back to our snug little bay. Scarcely had we dropped our anchor +and furled sails than the hurricane burst above the island, and we could +see the breakers dashing furiously on the opposite shore. For nearly +three days the tempest--one of the most violent ever known on that +coast--continued raging. Many a big ship went down, and many a stout +one was cast upon the rooks and dashed to pieces. + +We waited--grateful for our escape--till the wind moderated and the sea +went down, and then once again sailed for our final destination. In our +small vessel we had to economise fresh water, fodder for the animals, +and fuel; and it was very important that we should have a quick passage. +We had, therefore, again filled up with those necessary articles, and +in every corner we had stowed away all the fresh grass we could cut. +This, mixed with the hay, kept the sheep in excellent condition. We had +ere long to be thankful that we had not neglected to prepare for all +contingencies. + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +FRESH WATER. + +We had for some time very fine weather, which confirmed Bob Hunt in his +opinion that the cat, Duchess, was as wise as he had at first believed. + +"She knowed it," he observed, looking sagaciously at Dick Nailor, who +was sitting on the capstan with his arms folded across his broad chest, +looking out ahead, "she knowed it, and she'll stick by this craft till +we get safe into Port Jackson, you'll see that." + +"As to that, I see that the cat is there, and that our little craft is +afloat, and every prospect of remaining so!" answered Dick. It was +seldom he uttered so long an expression. "You don't even say that the +cat has had any hand in keeping her afloat; and to my mind, it's just +this: she found the craft tight and wholesome, she was fond of us, and +she saw that we didn't leave her, and so she didn't. No, no, Bob, the +old Duchess had nothing to do with the matter. There's one aloft who +took care of us, and if the cat had fallen overboard, or gone ashore and +been left behind, it would have made no manner of difference." + +"Then, I suppose you mean to say that there is no such person as the +Flying Dutchman?" observed Bob; "everybody who has rounded the Cape has +heard of him." + +"There might have been some villain of a Dutchman who swore that he'd +beat about the seas till the Day of Judgment; but depend on it, if he +ever did utter such an oath, he's gone to answer for it long ago--far +away from this world," said Dick Nailor, solemnly. "I've heard many, +many men talk of the Flying Dutchman, but I never yet met with one who +had seen him." + +Neither had Bob Hunt, and so he had nothing to answer to this--indeed, +talkative as he was, he always had to knock under to Dick's sturdy, +matter-of-fact arguments, or to his pertinacious silence, if no argument +was forthcoming. + +The quaint fellow would fold his arms, sit down, and look a picture of +stolidity. + +I have not said much about how my children passed their time during the +voyage. The boys were generally employed in sailing the vessel, or +about the rigging; for my object was not only to keep the vessel in good +order during the voyage, but to take her into Port Jackson looking as +fresh as I could. However, the boys had time to practice writing and to +study their books, and both Peter and Charles White were able to help +them. The girls had plenty of work to do, as my wife had laid in a +store of all sorts of things to make up. They also were not idle with +regard to their books; and they had several pleasant ones to read. I +found also that Charley White was very happy to help them forward in +their studies, and Susan took it into her head that she should very much +like to learn navigation. She, however, gave up that idea, and took to +singing, as Charley, who knew something about music, thought he could +help her, and it was likely to prove a more amusing study, and quite as +useful to her. I may safely say that no one was idle on board; and what +is more, that not a real quarrel, and scarcely a dispute of any sort +occurred among the inhabitants of our little world. If one differed in +opinion from another, it was always good naturedly, and all discussions +were finished amicably. People in families on shore would always be +able to do the same if they kept a watch over their tempers, and did not +allow envy, jealousy, and pride to spring up and hold dominion in their +hearts. + +Our tempers were occasionally tried. When within a week's sail of the +western shores of Australia the wind fell to a dead calm. The sea was +smooth as glass, and the hot sun came down with fearful force on our +heads, while the reflection of his rays from the glittering sea almost +blinded our eyes. Long as I had ploughed the salt ocean, I had never +felt the heat greater. For two or three days it was endurable, but +after that every one began to complain; even Duchess looked out for a +shady place, under the sail or bulwarks, to lie down in, and poor +Steadfast went panting about the deck with his tongue out, the fowls +hung down their heads, and the merry robins and sparrows ceased to +chirp. If a chip or a feather was thrown overboard, it lay motionless +alongside, though the schooner herself kept moving round, with her head +towards all the points of the compass. + +The heat created a violent thirst: everybody was thirsty--the men, my +children, my wife and I, and the poor animals; they required water more +than we did, for they got no moisture out of the packed hay. We gave +them as much as we dared, and, as soon as the sun was down, had them on +deck to give them fresh air. + +We were not alone in our misfortunes, however, for when the sun rose, on +the first morning of the calm, his rays fell on the white canvas of a +ship, just rising out of the western horizon. After some time she +disappeared, either because her sails had been clewed up, or that she +was too far off to be seen unless the sun was shining directly on them. +We had many discussions as to what she was. I need scarcely say that +she caused us no little uneasiness. + +Still the calm continued. Day after day the sun went down in the calm +ocean, and rose again to cast a ruddy glow over its mirror-like surface, +and there in the distance lay the stranger, though only sharp eyes could +have detected her. + +I began to be very anxious about the sheep. The success of the +undertaking depended in a great measure on their being kept alive, +still, we had to put them on an allowance, as we had ourselves. Little +Margaret and Tommy couldn't understand why they shouldn't have as much +water as they wanted, when there was plenty alongside. They could not +understand that salt water was worse than no water at all; nor could the +poor sheep, probably, when they were brought up on deck, and gazed out +on the glittering ocean around them. + +When matters had come to this pass, I began for the first time to lose +heart. I was sitting with my head bowed down, resting on my hand, when +my boy Peter said to me--"Father I have an idea--I have heard that fresh +water may be got out of salt, and I think I can manage it, if you do not +mind expending our fuel." + +These words restored my spirits. We had laid in a large supply of fuel +at the Cape; water was of more consequence than anything else. It would +be better to break up all the spare cases, and even the bulkheads and +cabin furniture, than to go without it. Peter soon explained his plan; +I agreed to try it. We, after a search among the cargo, found two large +camp kettles. Soldering down their lids, we bored a hole in the top of +one and in the side of the other, and joined the two with a piece of +piping, three feet long. The one with a hole in the top we placed on +the fire. We fitted a funnel to the spout, through which we poured in +water; the other kettle was fixed on a stand, and we soldered a small +pipe in at the bottom. Above the outside kettle we slung a bucket full +of water also, with a small pipe in it, and the top of the kettle we +covered over with cloths, which, by the means of the bucket, were kept +constantly wet. The kettle on the fire was filled, the fire blazed up, +and, as the water boiled, we watched with anxiety the result of the +process. Some drops at length fell from the lower kettle, and a jug was +ready to catch them. Peter eagerly poured the water into a mug, and, +putting it to his lips, with a triumphant smile passed it round to us +all. It was deliciously cool and perfectly sweet. It now came pouring +out quickly, and we got up an empty cask to contain it. We all knelt +down and thanked God that we had obtained the means for sustaining life, +should our supply of water altogether fail. It took a long time, and +used up a large quantity of fuel to produce even a gallon of fresh +water, yet a gallon was sufficient liquid for everybody on board for a +couple of days, and we might thus give a larger share to the sheep. + +You might not think so, but the gale off the Cape did not cause me as +much anxiety as this long calm. I ought, I confess, to have remembered +that in both instances God was watching over us. In the one, I trusted +to my stout little craft and my seamanship; in the other, my seamanship +was of no avail--the stoutest ship would not have prevented all on board +dying a frightful death had the calm continued. Here was my human +folly: on both occasions, had I thrown all my care on God, I should have +saved myself from all the anxiety I had suffered. This was increased by +the uncertainty I felt as to the character of the sail we saw in the +distance. I was in my own mind persuaded that she was a French +privateer, and if we were discovered, her boats would probably pay us a +visit, even if she did not. + +We were all seated languidly about on the deck, under an awning rigged +to give us some shade, when Peter started up, exclaiming, "There comes +the breeze." Some downy feathers, fastened by a silk thread to the +after backstay, had, he thought, moved for a moment though the vane +quickly dropped again. We were speedily on foot, but the first glance +at the glowing, tranquil ocean, like some huge mirror on which we were +resting, made me fear that my son had been mistaken. I shook my head, +and a sigh escaped from several of our party, as they sank down again on +their seats. Just then, however, I caught sight of a light cat's-paw +skimming over the water in the distance, and Peter, springing at the +same moment into the rigging and pointing westward, exclaimed, "Here it +comes, father, no mistake about it now." I followed him up the rigging, +and saw in the far west a wide-extending dark blue line moving quickly +on towards us. Peter and I sprang back on deck, got the awning stowed, +the head sails set, and the big square-sail ready for hoisting. The +cat's-paws came thicker and thicker, the dark blue line increasing in +width, till in a short time we were staggering away before as brisk a +breeze as the little craft could desire. All languor quickly vanished, +and we served out an additional supply of water to our poor sheep. My +anxiety, however, did not cease, for just afterwards, as I was sweeping +the horizon with my telescope, I saw, rising above it, the royals of a +square-rigged ship, the same, I concluded, which I had seen at the +commencement of the calm. She might be a friend, or an English ship, +and be ready to supply us with any necessaries we might require: but I +had taken it into my head that she was an enemy, and I could not tell to +what treatment we might be subjected. Sometimes French officers behaved +very kindly to passengers captured by them, but during the republican +period many of those in command were brutal men, who outraged all the +laws of humanity when they got the crews and passengers of an English +ship into their power. I, of course, said nothing of this to my wife or +children. I, however consulted with Charley White and Peter, and we +agreed that it would be more prudent to alter our course to the +northward for a few hours, so as to allow the ship to pass us during the +night. Though we were not now visible to her, when the sun came to set +in the west she would have got so far nearer to us that his rays falling +on our canvas, we should be probably seen from her tops. + +This plan we followed. Charley White had become even more anxious than +I was, and he was constantly going aloft to watch the stranger. Half an +hour before sunset, we could see half way down her topsails from the +deck. Though they looked no bigger than a small pocket handkerchief, +the sharp eyes of my girls caught sight of them, and seemed much +surprised that we were not eager to speak with the stranger. I was very +glad when darkness hid us, as I hoped, from her. We arranged, however, +to keep a bright look out all night, and to furl everything, should she +pass near us, so as to escape observation. Charley and Peter kept a +watch together. They insisted on my turning in after my first watch was +over, and in truth I could leave the vessel in their care with as much +confidence as if I had her myself. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +A JOYFUL DISCOVERY. + +More than once I saw in my dreams a big ship closing rapidly with us and +the French flag run up at the main, and a voice ordering us to heave to. +We were all to be made prisoners; horrible would be the fate of those +dearest to me. I started up in a cold perspiration, though the weather +was hot enough as may be supposed. + +There was scarcely a sound except the rippling of the water against the +vessel's side, the breathing of those sleeping round me in our little +cabin, and the tread of Peter's feet overhead. Charley was at the helm +I guessed. He said something, and then they both burst into a merry +laugh. "All's right," I thought to myself, "I know why I had that +uncomfortable dream. I was over anxious. I ought, having done my best, +to have thrown all my care and anxiety on God; knowing that He cares for +me and those dear to me." I got out of bed, knelt down, and prayed, and +when I lay down again I slept as soundly as I had ever done in my life. +Awaking at daylight, I went on deck to relieve the young men. No sail +was in sight. Once more we put the schooner on her proper course. I +proposed touching on the western or southern coast of Australia for the +sake of obtaining grass or hay for the sheep, and water and fuel. We +had found the importance of having a good supply of fuel. I was no +longer anxious about the stranger, but still I knew that if he was bound +in the same direction that we were, owing to the uncertain winds and +calms, we might very possibly again fall in with him. Still, he might +after all be a friend. I would banish the subject from my mind. I did +so. In the next week we had fine weather and a fair breeze, till the +land, stretching away in the north, blue and indistinct, was seen on our +larboard bow. We hauled up for it till we got near enough to +distinguish objects on shore. I cannot say that the appearance of that +part of the new country which was to be our future home was at all +attractive. Backs and sand-hills, and slight elevations covered with +dark green trees, were the only objects we could discern. We could +obtain plenty of wood, but that we could find any water in that dry +looking country seemed very doubtful, even if we could manage to land. +We had all been so eagerly watching the coast, that for a long time no +one had turned their eyes to the southward; Mary, happening to do so, +exclaimed, "Father, there's a sail in the horizon no bigger than my +hand, but I see it clearly." + +Charley, on hearing this, sprang aloft with his glass. He quickly +returned, and quietly remarked to me, "A ship standing in for the land, +not unlike our friend of last week." + +I agreed with him it would be prudent to avoid her. The best way to do +this was to stand close in, so that our masts should not appear above +the land. The shore was here higher and more broken than that which we +had before passed. + +The stranger was drawing near, and judging from the cut of his sails I +had little doubt that he was a Frenchman. Whether or not he saw us it +was hard to say; I was afraid he did, as he was steering a course which +would inevitably cut us off. I still did not like to communicate my +fears to my wife and daughters. It must be done soon I felt, for the +nearer the stranger drew the more convinced I was that he was French. +While we were watching our supposed enemy we did not neglect to look out +for a place of refuge, and we kept scanning the coast anxiously for any +opening into which we might run to hide ourselves. My wife and +daughters suspected, from what they observed, that I did not like the +look of the stranger; and when at last I saw that it was no use +concealing from them what I suspected, Mary, I think it was, proposed +loading the boats with as many necessaries as they could carry, running +close in, and, having deserted the vessel, hiding ourselves in the woods +till our enemies had gone away. + +Her sisters chimed in, and thought that it would not be at all +unpleasant to picnic in the woods for a few days, or perhaps settle +there altogether. They little dreamed of the inhospitable character of +that part of the country; still I would say nothing to damp their +courage. The breeze was fresh and from the south-west, and though it +brought up the stranger, it enabled us to stand close in shore with less +danger than if the wind had been dead on it. As far as we could judge, +there was no opening to indicate a harbour or shelter of any sort. The +big ship was approaching rapidly; I felt as if we were caught in a trap. +We had no choice now but to stand on; the wind was too much to the +westward to allow us to retrace our course, and so double on the +stranger. I thought by this time that we must be seen. We were small, +that was one thing; and another was, probably, that no one was looking +for us. If not seen now, we should be in a few minutes; of that I felt +sure. Again and again I examined the strange vessel, and became more +and more convinced that if not a government ship she was worse; one of +the large privateers which were known to infest the Indian seas, and +which occasionally made excursions to other regions. They were +generally commanded by ruffians, and manned with desperadoes of all +nations--the scourings of the French galleys. To fall into such hands +would be worse than death. I cannot tell you what fearful suggestions +were offered to my mind. To run the vessel in among the breakers, to +scuttle her, to set her on fire; anything seemed better than being +taken. + +We stood on; the atmosphere was so clear that it seemed impossible to +escape the observation of the stranger. Just then a line of white foam +appeared almost ahead. It was, I judged, a reef extending from the +shore. Hauling round it, I observed an indentation in the coast, the +first we had seen in that long, unbroken line of sandy shore. I steered +towards it; an opening appeared; the lead was kept going; the wind +favoured us; we shortened sail, and in a few minutes brought up within a +high woody point, completely concealed from any vessel passing even +close outside. As soon as the canvas was made snug, Charley and the +boys hurried on shore to watch the strange ship. I followed them. She +was steering it seemed for the very end of the reef. It struck me that +perhaps she was looking for the very harbour in which we had brought up. +If so, after all our efforts to escape, we should fall into her power. +She drew closer and closer. Could the entrance of our harbour be seen +from her deck? + +"She is a good way to the eastward of the reef," observed Charley. "Her +lead is going; she intends to bring up; she is looking for a harbour, +and probably this one." + +"She has missed it, though," observed Peter, "see, she is standing on to +the eastward." + +We remained on the height to which we had climbed, so hidden among the +trees, that even if glasses had been directed towards us we should not +have been seen. The stranger stood on for about three miles, and then, +furling sails, brought up at the entrance of what we thought was perhaps +a harbour, from the appearance of the land about it. Our hope was that +she would send her boats to examine the harbour, and that if she went in +we might put to sea late in the evening and escape her. We were, +however, pretty safe in our present position, and we determined to +profit by it. + +We divided for this purpose into three parties: one to search for water, +another to land the sheep, and a third to cut wood. + +Charley and I set off to look for water. No signs were to be seen near +where we landed. To the west the country looked especially barren, and +we therefore agreed to go towards the east, although it was in the +direction where the Frenchmen were supposed to be. We first explored +the shore of the harbour, but found no stream running into it. Indeed +it was a mere inlet of the sea and of small extent. + +An old settler would have had far less difficulty than we experienced in +discovering water, because he would have known exactly the sort of trees +to look out for, such as grow only on the banks of streams or water +holes. + +"What a fearfully arid country this is," I observed to Charley, "I hope +the part we are going to is not like it." + +We were about to turn back in despair, when my companion, who was a +little ahead, exclaimed that he saw some water just below us. We were +not long in reaching a pure and clear pool or water-hole. We slaked our +own thirst, but it was a long way to bring our sheep, while it would +have been nearly impossible to fill our casks from it. We discovered, +however, that water ran into it, therefore it must have an outlet. This +we discovered, and traced it down towards the sea. Great was our +pleasure to find that it ran into a small harbour, where we could +quickly fill our casks. We hastened back, and trusting to be able to +obtain as much as we required, brought a supply for the sheep from the +vessel. We had as yet seen no natives; indeed, from the barren nature +of the country, I could scarcely believe that any could exist there. + +There were animals, however, for at night the boys, who were watching +over the sheep, saw a creature approaching stealthily. + +Mark fired, but missed, and then made chase. The creature got off, +leaving some traces of blood seen in the morning. It was a dingo, or +native dog. Early next day, the weather being very fine, we went in the +boat with the casks to the small harbour we had discovered. We had +brought some wooden pipes, and by placing them a little way up the +stream, we were able to conduct the water so as to fall over a rock +directly into the casks. While the boys were filling them, I climbed to +a height at the mouth of the harbour. There the masts of the French +ship were plainly discernible. This did not give me much concern, but +directly afterwards I perceived, through my glass, a party of men coming +along the beach and rapidly approaching us. + + + +CHAPTER NINE. + +LAND, HURRAH! + +I hurried back to the boat. The casks were filled. We got them in. +Should we remain in the harbour and try to conceal ourselves, or should +we boldly pull out with the certainty of being seen, but yet with the +possibility of getting back to the schooner and putting to sea before +the privateer's men could reach us. We decided on the latter course, +not a moment was to be lost. If we should succeed in getting out to sea +we should be safe; for with so large a number of her people on shore it +was not likely that the French ships would chase us. + +"Now, my lads, pull for life and liberty!" I exclaimed, as I took the +helm. "Gently at first till we are clear of the harbour. The Frenchmen +won't see us till then." + +The entrance was not very easy; as soon as we were outside the boys gave +way. I every now and then turned my head round to ascertain if we were +observed. The Frenchmen were most probably, as we had been, searching +for water and did not see us. At length they caught sight of us, I +concluded, as I saw them running along the shore as fast as their legs +would carry them. My boys exerted their arms in a like manner. The +Frenchmen, although they saw that we were beyond their reach, fired a +shot at us. Another and another followed. It was done in mere +wantonness, for they could not have known who we were. We were much too +distant from them, however, for the shot to reach us. Heavily laden as +was our boat, the boys urged her on fast, and in a short time we were +alongside the schooner. Charley White, who had remained in charge, had +heard the shots, and guessing who had fired them, had got the sheep on +board with the wood and grass, and made everything ready for weighing. +Happily, the breeze blew down the harbour. We speedily hoisted the +boats on board and got the anchors up, and while the Frenchmen were +climbing up a height which formed the eastern shore of the inlet, we ran +out and were speedily clear of the land. We could see them through the +glass stamping on the ground, apparently with rage at our having escaped +them. The northerly breeze carried us in a short time out of their +sight and indeed out of sight of the land itself. We were to the south +of the equator, and that northerly wind was the hottest I ever +experienced; from its very smell we could tell that it had blown over +many hundred miles of burnt earth or dry sand. We kept south; for I +purposed going round Van Diemen's Land instead of through Bass's +Straits--not then very well known. + +Next day we looked out with some anxiety for the Frenchman, but he was +nowhere to be seen, and we entertained the hope that we had escaped him +altogether. + +We sighted the southern part of Van Diemen's Land. But as we should not +have been allowed to land at the new settlement then even had we wished +it, unless we had put in there in distress, we continued our course for +Port Jackson. It was time for us to be in port. We had eaten up all +the fowls except those we wanted to land; the biscuits were becoming +mouldy, the water bad, the hay was nearly consumed, and the sheep, put +on short allowance, were looking thin, though otherwise healthy. + +The lads were continually going to the mast-head, each one eager to be +the first to discover land. + +We were edging in for the coast, from which I knew that we were not far +distant, when Mark, who was aloft, shouted out, "Land! land! Hurrah! +the land we are bound for!" I was afraid that in the exuberance of his +delight he would have let go his hold, and come down by the run on deck. +John thought so too, and with alarm expressed in his countenance, ran +under him to catch him in his arms. He held on, however, and in a few +seconds his brother and White joined him, and shouted with almost as +much glee as he had exhibited, "Land! land!" We stood in directly for +it, for by my calculations we were not far off Botany Bay, or rather +Port Jackson, for that in reality was the port for which we were bound. + +In England in those days people always spoke of Botany Bay, because that +was the place where Captain Cook landed before Port Jackson was +discovered. + +A strong breeze was blowing, which carried us rapidly towards the land. +The wind increased, and dark clouds were seen gathering in the +south-east. I had heard of a black squall off that coast, and from the +darkness of the sky and the increasing wind, I was afraid that one was +now brewing. Charley White was of my opinion, I found. This made me +more than ever anxious to get into harbour before dark. Still it +increased the danger of approaching the shore, and the bay afforded no +shelter to the wind then blowing. We flew rapidly on; the dim outline +of the coast became more and more distinct. At length we could +distinguish some lofty headlands directly ahead. + +Charley White knew that two such headlands mark the entrance to Port +Jackson, but he reminded me that there is a third, which forms the side +of False Bay, and that more than one ship had run in there, and that +instead of finding a sheltering harbour they had been thrown against the +rugged cliffs which form its sides. + +The knowledge of this increased my anxiety. The sky in the east became +darker and darker, and the wind yet further increased, till it blew +almost a hurricane; heavy seas came rolling up, topped with white foam, +leaping in eagerness it seemed to catch the little craft which had borne +us in safety so far over the bosom of the ocean, and was about to escape +altogether from their power. + +Peter stood at the helm. Charley and I kept a keen look-out ahead. As +we flew on, the land became more distinct, and the outline of the +headlands appeared; still darkness was coming on--a mistake would be +fatal. + +"I see the heads!" exclaimed Charley at length. "There is no mistake; I +am certain of it. Starboard a little, Peter. That will do, she is +heading right in for the entrance. Take the bearings now; keep her +exact on that course. My life for it, we shall get safe into the +harbour." + +My anxiety was lifted off my shoulders. I had a confidence in Charley's +judgment and knowledge which I should have placed in few people, but he +had already shown me that he was to be trusted. The darkness now came +rapidly on, and so heavy a sea got up, and so furiously blew the gale, +that I often doubted whether the little _May Flower_ would stand it. I +doubt whether alone I could have found the entrance; but Charley never +wavered in his opinion. Keeping his eye towards the land, now gradually +becoming shrouded in deeper and deeper gloom, he continued to direct +Peter how to steer. + +After a time the land rose up close ahead of us, but there was a deep +slit in the centre, which seemed each instant to increase in width, and +then the cliffs appeared on either side. The roar of the waves was +tremendous, deafening to our ears; but we felt them less and less, till, +rushing on, a wide, open, smooth expanse lay before us, and we were in +smooth water--the haven where we would be. + + + +CHAPTER TEN. + +OUR CONVICT HOST + +Oh, the rest, the satisfaction, and, I may say, the thankfulness we +felt. We shortened sail, and rounded to for a pilot, who came on board, +and took us up to a berth opposite to Sydney, or the camp, as it was +even then frequently called. As soon as we had dropped our anchor and +furled sails, we one and all of us, young and old, my wife and daughters +and my boys, and White and the crew, went down on our knees and returned +thanks to the God of love and mercy who had thus brought us in safety in +our small vessel across the great ocean. The tempest raged on without, +but we lay quiet and secure within the harbour. I cannot describe to +you how free from care I slept that night, and yet many people would +have said that our troubles were only now going to begin. + +As soon as the morning broke, all on board assembled on deck to look out +on the new world to which we had come. The magnificent harbour, its +surrounding heights and numerous points and inlets were the same then as +now, but the ground on which the large city of Sydney now stands was +then dotted over with a few Government buildings and merchants' stores, +and here and there a large private residence, and not a few big +public-houses; but most of the dwelling-houses were of plank, and some +even of canvas, belonging to newcomers. Still there was evidence of +progress, and as the day advanced, and people began to move about, a +good deal of animation and activity was visible. + +We were soon surrounded by boats, with people eager to know where we had +come from, and what cargo we had got. Many of the visitors were not +pleasant-looking customers, and I was in no wise inclined to encourage +them on board. Those who did come looked with very great interest at +the sheep, and I soon found from their remarks that they considered them +of much value, and that the speculation was likely to prove a good one. + +Before, however, I entered into any engagements, I went on shore to +ascertain the state of affairs. I found that I could obtain a large +grant of land free, and that as many convicts would be assigned to me as +I could maintain, to cultivate the land. I knew a little about farming, +and I forgot at the time that the convicts were not likely to become +very pleasant servants, so that everything to be done appeared plain and +easy before me, and in high spirits I returned on board. + +My family were, of course, all eager to get on shore, but as they had no +home to go to, it was arranged that I and Charley White and John should +set out at once to select some land, while Peter remained on board to +take care of the family and look after the vessel. We none of us knew +much about land, as to which was likely to prove good or bad, but then +we could take advantage of the experience of earlier settlers. We could +ascertain how some had failed, and others had been successful, and +follow, with such modifications as circumstances might require, the +example of the latter. We each carried a knapsack with provisions, and +a cloak to sleep in at night; said Charley, who was a good shot, had a +gun, that he might kill a kangaroo, or any other animal we might fall in +with, for food. We each of us had also a pocket compass, without which +no man should attempt to travel in a new country like Australia. + +My wife and daughters seemed very anxious when we were all ready and +about to set out, but I reminded them that we were only just going to do +what we had come all the way from England to do, and that there were no +wild beasts or other dangers that I knew of to fear. "Oh, but there are +those hideous black men, father," exclaimed Susan; "do take care of +them, for I am sure that they look as if they would do any mischief." + +"No fear," answered Charley, "they look worse than they are, and we +shall be able to manage any number of them, even if they should take it +into their heads to play us tricks. Mary is not afraid, you see." Mary +looked as if she thought Charley would be able, with his single arm, to +put to flight a whole host of blacks. Those we had seen, though ugly +enough, were not very terrific-looking fellows. We heard, however, that +away from Sydney, where the white settlers had found some blacks +pilfering, and had shot them dead, the survivors had retaliated, and +murdered two or three white men. + +As horses were at that time very dear, I did not wish to purchase any +for our journey, and none were to be hired. We had therefore to trudge +forward on foot. One thing we wanted, and that was a guide who knew the +nature of the country, the best mode of traversing it, and where farms +were situated. Unaccustomed to walking, we felt very weary the first +day of our journey as night approached, and yet no house appeared in +sight. We were travelling along a high road made by convicts. The +worst characters were employed on the roads, a labour which they +especially detested. They were generally doubly convicted felons. They +were worked in chains, but sometimes even then they broke away, and, +taking to the bush, robbed every one they met, and murdered those who +resisted them. + +We thought at last that we should have to camp out, instead of getting +the shelter of a roof, which we had expected to do. Just, however, as +we were about to stop, a light appeared ahead. We made for it. The +door of a cottage stood open. We entered. A fire was blazing on the +hearth, with a large damper baking under the ashes, and a huge teapot of +tea was steaming away on a table set out for a meal; while a joint of a +kangaroo was among the good things which gladdened our eyes. + +"You may walk in, strangers, and welcome," said a rough-looking man, who +at that moment appeared from the back part of the cottage. "Here, +missus, I see you have supper ready, where are you?" His wife, a buxom +dame, came when called from an inner room, and welcomed us as her +husband had done. We were soon seated at the table, doing justice to +the kangaroo and damper. When our host and his wife heard that we had +lately arrived, they were eager for us to tell them all the news from +England, but what we had to say was not what they cared much to hear, +that was very evident. As I examined their countenances, I did not like +the expression they bore, nor warn the way they spoke altogether +satisfactory. I suspected, and I was right, that they were convicts. +At that time there were many of that class, who had already risen to +considerable wealth, in the colony. + + + +CHAPTER ELEVEN. + +OUR JOURNEY INLAND. + +Although, as I have said, the faces of our host and hostess did not +please me, and indeed gave me some disquietude, they both made +themselves so pleasant, and were so civil and hospitable, that I could +not help feeling it was ungrateful for me to harbour hard thoughts of +them. While we were still at the table, a man came in and took his seat +opposite to me. I supposed that he was living in the house, at all +events that he was expected. He eyed me very hard, and then went on +eating his supper. At last Charley White addressed me as Mr Biddulph, +though he generally called me father. Immediately the stranger started +up, and coming round to me and taking my hand, exclaimed, "Why, Mr +Biddulph, I thought that I knew your face, but I little expected to see +you out here." When he spoke I recognised a man to whom I had once +rendered a considerable service. He was in debt. I gave him a sum of +money to save him from prison, and he promised to repay me. Before he +did so he disappeared, and I did not expect to receive a farthing, but +on two occasions small amounts were sent to me, which I knew came from +him, though the larger portion still remained unpaid. + +"I hope that you are doing well, Jacob," said I, not thinking of the +debt. + +"Pretty well, but not as well as I could wish, Mr Biddulph," he +answered. "I have been in the country about five years, and know it as +well as most men, but there are one or two things on my mind which I +should like to get free of. One of them is my debt to you, and the +honest truth is, that though I have worked hard, of money I have none. +Most of my wages have come in the shape of rum, and I never yet heard of +a man getting rich on such payment as that." + +I saw that our host and hostess exchanged glances, but I took no notice +of them. + +"If you know the country you are just the man I want, and can quickly +repay me, and place me in your debt also," I observed. "I want a guide +through the country, and some one who knows the nature of the land, to +help me in choosing a farm." + +"Just the thing I should like," he exclaimed, jumping at the proposal; +"I'm a free man, and can go where I like." + +I judged from this that he had not always been free. Our entertainers +did not seem over well pleased at his so readily accepting my proposal. +Still they treated us civilly, and we had no cause to complain. They +brought us some sacks full of dry grass, which they spread on the floor, +with some kangaroo skins to cover us; in those days sheep skins were +rare. We lay down, commending ourselves to God, and felt as secure +among convicts, with the possibility of a visit from the bush-rangers, +as we had done in our tight little craft in the middle of the ocean. + +We were on foot before daybreak, and with Jacob Rawdon as our guide, set +out, as soon as we had taken some food, on our journey. Our host and +his wife were evidently displeased at his leaving them. + +After we had got to a distance I asked him why this was. "The reason is +that I had become well-nigh their slave," he answered. "They paid me my +wages in rum, which I drank mostly, or exchanged at a great loss for +necessaries, and so you see that I am not a shilling the richer than I +was when I first began to work for myself. Still I hope to be able to +repay you, and it will be a great satisfaction to me to do so." + +I did not doubt him, and had heard enough about the people I was likely +to meet to know that it would not do to question him too closely as to +why he had come to the country. I observed that he was frequently +downcast, and that an expression of grief passed over his countenance; +indeed, from several things he said, I felt great hopes that, whatever +had been his errors, he was resolved to turn from them and to lead a new +life. Under this belief I spoke seriously to him, and reminded him that +he could not go on in his own strength, that the best man alive could +not; and that if he would do right he must seek for aid from God the +Father, through the influence of the Holy Spirit, trusting entirely and +alone to the perfect sacrifice of Christ. He listened attentively. The +doctrine seemed entirely new to him, but he did not in any way appear +inclined to reject it. He walked on by my side, often silent, now and +then he made a remark. His voice faltered. I saw that he was in tears. +"Can God pardon such a vile, mad sinner as I have been?" he asked at +length. + +"If you are looking to Christ as the Lamb slain for you, you are +pardoned, completely, entirely," I answered; "though your sins be as +scarlet, they shall be white as snow in God's sight." + +His step became elastic; a brightness spread over his countenance. "I +see it, I see it, but I would not have believed it," I heard him saying +to himself. + +I cannot describe all the incidents of our journey. + +One painful sight was a road-gang of convicts chained by the legs. They +were certainly a villainous-looking set, mostly doubly convicted felons. +Despair was depicted in the countenances of many. Jacob told me that +he had known several who had been guilty of murder, that they might be +hanged, and as they thought put out of their misery; others had +committed suicide. Yet these men were once joyous, bright-cheeked, +innocent little boys, the pride of their parents. Some had grown into +manhood before they fell into open sin, though many probably were born +among scenes of vice, ignorant even of the name of virtue or religion. +"Still, debased as they are, all have souls to be saved," I thought to +myself, and I resolved that, though I could do those poor wretches no +good, I would do my best to improve the convicts assigned to me as +servants. + +We soon came to the end of the road, and struck across the country. +Here Jacob's guidance became of great value. We were much interested by +the novel appearance of the country, so different from anything we had +seen before. + +The huge gum-trees (_eucalypti_), with their evergreen, +mistletoe-looking leaves, standing apart from each other, impressed us +most. It seemed to us as if we were walking through a large park, with +wide open spaces and clumps of trees here and there; only the leaves of +the trees hung down long and thin, with their edges upwards, and the +grass, though tall, was sparse, the blades growing apart from each +other. + +In some places the ground was covered with heather, and with other +bright-coloured small flowers, but all without scent. This was +supplied, however, in abundance from the groves of acacia, near which we +passed. The birds with gay plumage, especially the parrots--parroquets +climbing from branch to branch or flying amid the trees--made us feel +still more that we had got into a new land. + +The greatest excitement, however, was caused the first time we fell in +with a kangaroo, now so scarce near the settled districts. Jacob +seizing Charley White's gun said that he knew we should soon fall in +with some more, and going on cautiously ahead he very soon fired, and +then shouted to us to give chase. He had severely wounded but not +killed a large kangaroo; and the animal went leaping over the ground +with his long legs, leaving, however, a thick trace of blood behind him, +which showed that he could not run a long course. This encouraged us to +follow with greater zeal, and we enjoyed it the more as we dashed +through the forest after having been shut up so many months in our +little vessel. At last we got up close to the kangaroo, a huge fellow, +who turned round boldly to meet us. My son John, being close to the +animal, was going to strike him with a stick, when Jacob Rawdon cried +out to him to beware, and he had just time to spring back as the animal +struck at him with the formidable claw of one of his hinder feet. +However, it was his last effort before the animal sank exhausted from +loss of blood to the ground. + +Jacob told us that he had seen many a dog killed when rushing in on a +kangaroo standing at bay, by being ripped up, and that John had had a +narrow escape. The countenance of the animal had so mild an expression +that we could scarcely believe that he could commit so much damage. + +We at once set to work to cut him up, and then, each of us loaded with +the best parts selected by Jacob, we continued our journey. We slept at +the cottage of a settler, who received us very kindly. We feasted on +our kangaroo flesh, and were able to repay him with a portion of it. +The next night we camped out near a stream. Jacob Rawdon shot a number +of parrots, which we roasted for supper. The next morning we reached a +lightly timbered, undulating country, with a river running through it. +Rawdon stopped and looked round. + +"Here, Mr Biddulph, if you take my advice you will pitch your tent. +You have grass and water for sheep and cattle, and timber to build your +house, and barns, and fences, and to keep your fires burning. What more +do you desire? the soil is good; you may grow corn and vegetables and +fruit-trees. You think that we are now in a desert: in a few years you +will find yourself in the midst of civilisation." + +I talked over the matter. Jacob showed me that he was right, and the +boys agreed with him. He understood surveying, and we measured out +roughly two thousand acres. He told me that as a free settler I should +have no difficulty in obtaining a grant of it. We soon fixed on a site +for a house--not far from the stream, but at a sufficient height to be +out of its influence when swollen by rains. The stream ran into a +navigable river not far off, and from a neighbouring height we could see +it and the sea in the far distance. Charley and John were highly +pleased with the country, and were eager to get back to Sydney to secure +the grant, lest any one else should make application. Jacob laughed at +their eagerness. + +"It is a good big country, and there is room for all," he observed. + +He was right. A large part of half a century has passed since then, and +a steady stream of human beings has been setting in ever since, and +still there is room for all who come wishing to work. + +John wanted Charley to stay and camp out with him while Jacob and I went +back; but to that Charley would not agree. He did not like leaving me +to travel alone with a doubtful character such as Jacob, and he besides +wished, I have no doubt, to see Mary. I, however, was very strongly +disposed to trust Jacob. + +We got back to Sydney without any adventure, and found all well on +board. The sheep had greatly improved in appearance. I sold a ram and +four ewes for a price which fully covered all the charges of the voyage; +the rest of those I had brought I kept, that I might have a good stock +with which I might commence on my own property. I at once also made +application for a grant of the land I had seen, and obtained it without +difficulty. I got an excellent price for the whole of my cargo, and +soon found a purchaser for our little schooner. She was to run between +Port Jackson and other ports, either opened or about to be opened, to +the north and south. Altogether my speculation turned out a most +successful one. + +I felt something like Noah coming out of the ark when I landed, for the +last time, with my wife and family and chattels and sheep; and having +selected a quiet place, we all knelt down and returned hearty thanks to +God for the protection He had afforded us during our passage across the +ocean. We asked Him to guide and protect us for the future; and I am +very sure that He heard our prayers. + + + +CHAPTER TWELVE. + +BUSH-RANGERS. + +Having bought a couple of horses at great cost, and a light waggon, or +dray rather, I stowed therein the most indispensable portion of our +goods and provisions. The rest we stored, to fetch when we had got up a +cottage. My wife and daughters insisted on walking, saying that they +weighed more than all the tea and sugar we should require for many +months, and they were sure it would be wise to take all the stores we +could carry. The sheep were so tame that they did not require to be +driven, but followed the boys, who took especial charge of them, like +lambs. + +Steadfast, the dog, ran alongside the horses, and Duchess, the cat, took +up her post on the top of the dray with the cocks and hens, and cages +containing the other birds. Bob Hunt and Dick Nailor, having made up +their minds to quit the sea, speedily turned into sturdy draymen, though +they kept to their sailor's rig, and could not easily lay aside their +nautical expressions. "As the horses, or their immediate progenitors, +had, however, come across the sea, it was but natural that they should +understand them," observed Mark, when Dick shouted out occasionally, +"Starboard Dobbin, lay the fore-topsail abaft, Bob;" "It's time to +shorten sail, and bring the ship to an anchor;" or, "Luff, lad, luff, or +you'll be into that tree on the lee bow." Sometimes when the ground +looked rougher and more impracticable than usual, Dick would cry out, +"Breakers ahead; we must haul our wind and see if we can't get round the +shoal; won't do to wreck the waggon out here, where shipwrights', I mean +blacksmiths', shops are pretty scarce, I fancy." + +Notwithstanding the inexperience of our men, and our own also, indeed, +we got on wonderfully well. We all gave our minds to the work, and thus +made amends for other deficiencies. Rawdon proved a first-rate guide, +and by his knowledge and sagacity we avoided many of the difficulties +which might have impeded our progress. + +Our boys and girls enjoyed the journey very much. They especially liked +camping out at night, for the novelty of the thing, I suspect. The +parrots and parroquets, and other gay-coloured birds, with which they +now made an intimate acquaintance, were a source of great interest. The +girls were rather horrified when several were brought in shot by Charley +White and the boys. Rawdon at once plucked them, and put them before +the fire to roast. Pretty Polly pie soon became a favourite dish in our +establishment, as it was at that time in the houses of most settlers. +He also showed us how to make damper, a wheaten cake baked under the +ashes. At first it seemed very doubtful how it would turn out, as we +saw the lump of dough placed in a hole, and then covered up with bits of +burning wood. + +Our chief prize was a kangaroo. The boys caught sight of the creature +as we were moving on, and gave chase. Away he went, hopping along on +his hind legs, with his little front ones tucked up, just as some women +in cold weather hold their arms with their shawls drawn over their +shoulders. Charley White, however, brought him down, and he soon shared +the fate of the parrots. We pronounced the flesh not very inferior to +mutton, and more suited to our taste in a hot climate. A good sportsman +need not starve in the fertile parts of Australia, but there is one +great necessary of life, of which he may find himself fearfully +deficient--that is, water. We were obliged to make very irregular +stages, that we might camp near a stream or water hole; and explorers +dare not move from one source of supply till they have discovered a +fresh one, at which they and their animals may drink. + +At length we reached the spot we had fixed on for a location, and of +which I had procured a grant. I had to make certain arrangements before +I could get the assigned servants, or, in other words, the convicts who +would be required to carry on farming operations on a large scale. I +was glad not to have them in the first instance, and we were so +strong-handed that we could do very well without them. + +My wife and girls were delighted with the position of their new home. +We camped on a spot close to a situation which seemed the best suited +for our proposed house, on a gentle slope, with a hill covered with +trees behind it, and a stream some distance below us. The spot was +pretty clear of wood, that is to say, just out of the bush, and there +was excellent pasture on either side for our sheep and for our cattle, +whenever we should obtain them. They were not so plentiful as they now +are. + +As soon as we had pitched our tent we all knelt down and returned thanks +to that merciful God who had brought us across the ocean into this +lovely haven of rest--so it seemed, for we thought not then of the +troubles before us. + +What a privilege it is to be able to go direct to God in prayer, through +the sure mediation of the loving Jesus, pleading His perfect, +all-sufficient sacrifice--His precious blood shed for sinful man on +Calvary. I felt it then: I have felt it ever since; and I would not +give up that privilege of prayer for anything else the world can bestow. +I have sometimes thought what a fearful thing it would be for a man who +has enjoyed that blessing to lose it altogether, if that were possible; +to be told, "You must not pray! God will not hear your prayers! From +henceforth you must have no communion with the Most High!" The thought +has just occurred to me as I have been speaking of this our first night +on our new location. + +We, of course, gave water to our sheep and penned them carefully before +lying down to rest. We knew that we had not so many enemies to guard +against as there are in many countries; but still there were some. +First, there were dingoes, or native dogs, who play the part of wolves +as well as foxes, in Australia, by attacking sheepfolds and poultry +yards: they were certain in an out-station to visit us. Then we were +told there were natives who might very likely come in the night to steal +a fat sheep, or to attack us if they could find us unprepared; and +lastly, there were some bush-rangers already abroad--ruffians who had +escaped from road-gangs, and not being able to return to the settlement, +lived a wild, desperate life in the bush, and procured their stores by +plundering drays coming up from Port Jackson, or out-stations where they +thought anything was to be got. However, as none had been heard of for +some time, we had no apprehensions about them. + +We were too strong a party to invite attack, and only a very hungry, and +therefore desperate man, would think of molesting us. Still, it was +prudent for one to remain on watch. Charley White took the first watch, +as he had done at sea. Peter was to take the second. I heard Charley +call him up, but not feeling disposed to sleep myself, I told him to +rest on, as I knew that he was very tired, and that I would look out +instead. I took a gun in my hand, and walked round and round our little +camp. There was no moon, but the stars were very bright, proving the +clearness of the atmosphere. Now and then I stopped and gazed up at +them, admiring their beauty, and thinking how greatly increased must be +our powers of comprehension before we should understand all about them. +I must have been standing thus silent and quiet for some time, when, +casting my eyes down on the earth, I thought I saw an object moving +slowly among some brushwood or scrub at a little distance. I stood +still a minute longer, and just as I was moving the creature came out of +the scrub. It was a dingo, I had little doubt of that; I was on the +point of lifting my gun to my shoulder to fire, when probably seeing me, +it ran quickly back. I instantly went after it, hoping to get a fair +shot at the other side of the scrub, which was but a small patch of +underwood. I felt sure that he would go through it, and followed. I +worked my way along--no difficult matter where the scrub is open, as it +generally is out here--and once more caught sight of the creature +stealing cautiously away at no great distance. They are cunning beasts, +those dingoes. Often I have knocked one over, and left him for dead, +when after a little time, turning round, I have seen him stealing off; +but the moment he saw that he was observed, dropping down and looking as +dead as before. I was sure that I should hit the dingo and prevent him +coming again to visit our sheep; so I raised my gun to fire. At that +instant I received a blow on the side of my head, which would have +brought me to the ground had its strength not been broken by a bough. +My hand was on the trigger, and I fired my gun. A man stood before me, +and closing, attempted to wrench the weapon out of my hand. I had too +firm a hold of it, however, for I was a stronger man than he. He was +active though, and tried all sorts of ways to get the better of me. +Finding that he could not succeed, he uttered several coos--a sound +heard a long way in the bush, and just then coming into use among the +settlers. Again he closed with me, so that I could not strike him with +my gun, while he tried with his legs to trip me up. I thought that it +was now high time for me to cry out; so I shouted at the top of my +voice, as loud as if I was hailing a ship at sea in a gale of wind. It +rather astonished my friend, I suspect; especially when I dropped my +gun, and seizing him in my arms, lifted him off the ground. He begged +me to let him go. "No, no," I answered, "you wanted to rob me; but you +find that you have caught a Tartar, and I shall not release you till you +give an account of yourself." The cooing had been heard by the man's +companions, for just as I had mastered him, two men appeared coming out +of the wood which covered the hill under which we had camped. My +assailant saw them, and began to struggle to free himself from me; but +starvation and rough living had weakened him. Still it was hard work to +get him along while he struggled in the hope that his comrades would +come to his assistance. They were getting very near indeed, when I +heard a shout close to me, and as the bush-rangers were darting towards +me, Charley, Peter, the other boys, and Dick Nailor came rushing up from +the other side. + +The two bush-rangers took to flight, leaving their companion in our +power. + +"You have got the better of me, I must own!" he exclaimed. "Perhaps you +will not believe me when I say that all I wanted was your gun and +ammunition. If I had got that I might have demanded some food, for I am +starving, but I did not wish to harm you or any one else." + +"A curious way you took to prove that, by trying to knock me down," I +answered, as Dick Nailor relieved me of the charge of the man, by taking +hold of his collar and one arm and forcing him onwards. + +"Come along with us to our camp, and we shall learn more about you." + +The man said nothing in return, and he felt that in the grasp of the +giant resistance was useless. + +We quickly reached the camp, where we found Bob Hunt trying to comfort +my wife and daughters, who had been much alarmed at hearing the shot +fired and finding me absent. + +By the light of the lantern held to the prisoner's face we saw that he +was pale and haggard, that his hair was long and uncombed, and that a +razor had not touched his chin or lips for many a day; while his clothes +were rudely patched, and even thus hardly hung together. Thus we could +not but believe the account he gave of his hunger and suffering--indeed, +I had heard that most of the men who had taken to the bush soon died of +starvation, or were killed by the blacks. + +We quickly put some biscuits and cheese before our prisoner. He ate of +it ravenously, giving way occasionally to an hysterical laugh. His eyes +sparkled when I gave him some rum and water. I saw that he required a +stimulant, and I would not allow him to take any more solid food. +Compassion for the poor wretch predominated above any other feeling. + +It was useless to inquire what circumstances had brought him to that +condition. Sin was the cause of it, of course; but he required help, +and, in spite of his attack on me, I felt that it ought to be given him. + +While he was eating, it struck me that I was well acquainted with his +countenance. + +After looking again and again, I felt nearly sure that I was right, +strange as it seemed; and grateful I was that I had not in our struggle +taken his life or injured him. + + + +CHAPTER THIRTEEN. + +OUR PRISONER. + +We kept a strict watch over our wretched prisoner. For his own sake I +did not wish him to escape, and, far from having an intention of +delivering him up to justice, my earnest desire was to try and reclaim +him. I think that, under the circumstances, I should have acted as I +did had he been an indifferent person; but I felt sure, from the +peculiarity of his features, that he was the youngest son of my kind old +patron and friend, Mr Wells. Often in his childhood had he sat on my +knee when I came home from sea, and often he had listened attentively to +the accounts of my adventures. He was a pretty, interesting little +fellow. As he grew up he altered very much; became disobedient to his +parents, and ultimately growing wilder and wilder, went, as the +expression is, to the bad. For some years I had not even heard of him. + +Worn out with fatigue, our prisoner slept on till after the sun was up, +and we were busy in marking out the ground for our slate hut, and making +preparations for cutting down the nearest trees with which to build it. +More than once I looked at his countenance while he slept, and called my +wife to look at him. We were both convinced that my surmise was +correct. + +On awaking at last he gazed round with an astonished, puzzled look, and +sighed deeply. I happened to be near, and went up to him. + +"Arthur!" I said, gently, "what brought you here?" + +"What!--Who are you?--How do you know me?" he exclaimed, springing to +his feet. "I'll answer you though--my own folly and vice and sin. I am +in your power. I did not wish to take your life, but I hoped to get +your gun and then to force you to give me and my mates food--that was +all. You may, however, take me into camp and deliver me up to the +governor and his men; if they hang me at once I shall be grateful to +you, for I am weary of this life. I am a mere slave to my mates; they +would murder me in an instant if I should become burdensome to them; +and, bad as I am, they are so much worse that I can even now have no +fellowship with them." + +Thus the unhappy man ran on, eagerly discharging, as it were, at once +his long pent-up feelings and thoughts. For weeks and months he had +been wandering about, nearly starved, and ill-treated and despised by +his companions in crime. And this man had been in the rank of a +gentleman, and had been educated as one, and had once felt as one! I +know to a certainty that there are numbers of such wandering about the +world, and others who have died miserably,--outcasts from their friends +and, more terrible fate, from their God,--who little thought when they +made their first downward step in the path of sin to what a fearful +termination it was leading them. + +I let our unhappy prisoner grow calm before I again spoke to him. + +"You asked me," I said, "how I know your name, and who I am." And I +then went over many of the incidents of his early life, when he was a +happy, pleasant-mannered little boy at home. + +He made no reply; but he seemed to guess who I was, and bent down his +head between his hands. I saw tears dropping from between his fingers. +It was a good sign. I thought of the parable of the prodigal son. "He +has been eating the husks: perhaps he will soon say, `I will arise and +go to my Father.'" I prayed that the Holy Spirit would strive mightily +with him, and make him feel not only his sad moral and physical +condition, but his terribly dangerous spiritual state. Such prayers +are, I believe, never made in vain. + +I was eager, I must own, to begin my mornings work, but I did not wish +at that moment to interrupt the man's thoughts. I waited therefore +patiently till he should speak. After a time he lifted up his head, and +said, "Who are you?" I told him that I remembered him as a boy--that +his countenance was unchanged--and that his father had been my +benefactor. + +"Thank God for that! if such as I am may utter that name," he exclaimed. +"You'll not have me hung, then; you'll not deliver me up to a shameful +death?" + +"No indeed, Arthur," I answered; "I will rather do my best to protect +you. I do not know what crimes you have committed, and I do not wish to +know; but I hope to see you restored to tranquillity of mind, and that +you may find joy and peace in believing on that one only Saviour, +through whom you can obtain pardon for your transgressions and +reconciliation with God." + +I then and there unfolded to him God's merciful plan of salvation. I +was sure that then was the time. His heart was softened; he was ready +to receive the truths of the gospel. It was a happy thing for me that I +knew the plan of salvation before I left England. I was thus enabled to +impart it to this poor man and to others. His idea was that if he could +but be very sorry for all his misdeeds, and commit no more, and work +away hard to please God in some sort of fashion, he might have a chance +of going to heaven at last. He would scarcely believe me when I told +him that I found nothing of that sort throughout the Gospels and +Epistles; that Christ, the anointed One, had done all that was required +for us sinners; that all we have to do is to accept His glorious offer, +by faith in the perfect efficacy of His atoning blood, shed for all +mankind on Calvary. These truths and many more I tried to explain to +Arthur, and it was satisfactory to mark the readiness with which he +accepted them. + +He was for some time utterly prostrated and scarcely able to stand up, +much less to work. We, of course, were all very busy from sunrise to +sunset, and I could pay very little attention to him during the day. I +gave him, however, the few books we had brought with us; but I was glad +to see that the Book of books, long unread, was his chief delight. He +would sit with it in his hand all day, and at night would draw near to +the fire, and pore over its pages as long as the flames burnt with +sufficient brightness. I felt sure from the first that he was in +earnest, though J--- warned me that he was only shamming, and that as +soon as he could have a chance he would be off with anything he could +lay hands on. I said that I had no fear about the matter, and should +not keep a watch over him. + +We had pretty hard work, you may be sure, and I doubt if any men could +have worked harder; but we kept our health very well--indeed, in spite +of the heat, I never felt stronger. We had first our own dwelling-house +to get up, and then the huts for the men. Our own abode was, indeed, +but a hut--larger than the others, with divisions; but there was very +little finish or ornament about it. To be sure, it was a good deal +larger than the cabin of the _May Flower_, though the girls complained +that it was not half as neat; nor was it, indeed. Neatness was to come +by and by, we said. With many settlers, it must be owned, it never +comes at all. We, however, before long put up a verandah, almost a +necessary appendage to a house in that hot climate. There was thus +always shade and shelter on one side of the house or the other, and here +my wife and daughters could sit and work, and carry on all sorts of +operations. + +Our very first work, I should have said, was to make a pen for the +sheep, where they would be secure from the natives or dingoes at night. +In the daytime, when out feeding, they could be easily kept together, +and they were so tame that they would follow us about like dogs. Their +offspring learnt the same custom; and so instead of the sheep being +driven, as in England, they throughout the whole of the country follow +the shepherd wherever he leads, and know his voice. Often have I +thought of the parable of the Good Shepherd when I have heard a +shepherd, in a slightly undulating or hilly country, calling to his +sheep, and seen the flock come trooping over the ridges from afar, and +gradually drawing round him, not one being missing. + +As soon as we could, also, we got a garden fenced in and dug up, and a +paddock for wheat. We had no wish to starve, and at that time +provisions were often very scarce and enormously dear in the colony. At +one time, indeed, in consequence of the non-arrival of store-ships from +England, the settlers were nearly starved. + + + +CHAPTER FOURTEEN. + +A SETTLER'S LIFE. + +The number of people who knew anything about farming or gardening was +very small, and continued so long after the colony was settled. At +first, indeed, there were none, and they actually did not know what to +do with the seeds which had been sent out with them. + +At the time of our arrival a change for the better had taken place, and +a large proportion of free settlers were agriculturists, who soon taught +the labourers they employed, and several farms were established. + +We little thought at that time of the vast power of production possessed +by Australia. Day after day we worked on, cutting down trees, splitting +them with wedges, building huts, putting up fences, and digging and +planting. The latter operations were very important; from the number of +mouths we should soon have to feed, the expense of providing food would +be very great unless we could produce some on the estate. + +As soon as Arthur Wells had recovered his strength he willingly set to +work, and no man could have laboured harder than he did. He knew more +than any of us did about farming, though we had some books to help us. +What was of great consequence, also, he understood the climate; for it +was some time before we could bring ourselves to remember that the +Australian spring is in October; and that Christmas is the hottest time +of the year; and that the periods of seed-time and harvest are the +opposite to those of the old country. + +Jacob, besides being a good guide through the country, understood +felling trees, and splitting timber, and putting up huts--very valuable +arts in that country. He might have been a first-rate watchmaker or +jeweller, have known Hebrew or Greek, or been a good draughtsman, or +kept accounts in excellent style, or dressed to perfection, and been +able to leap with the most perfect grace and nimbleness over counters, +and yet have starved. Rough backwoodsmen, blacksmiths, carpenters, and +ploughmen have from the first been able to secure good wages in +Australia. Other men have succeeded by turning their hands to do +whatever might offer; but for such men as I have mentioned, the demand +remains as at first unabated. + +Having got through the work requiring immediate attention, I resolved to +return to Sydney to bring up the remainder of our stores, and to procure +a few assigned servants. Such was the name given to convicts when made +over to the charge of private persons. The duty of the master was to +find them employment, to feed them according to a certain scale, and +more than that, the original intention of those who formed the plan was +that he should do his best to instruct and improve them. I am afraid +that not many took much trouble about that; but some few conscientious +masters did all they could, and the consequence was that very many poor +fellows who might have been utterly lost, had they been turned loose at +home, became reformed characters, and respectable members of society. + +I took Dick Nailor and Mark with me to look after the dray, thinking +that the assigned men might know very little about the matter. + +We had a prosperous journey into Sydney. The first thing I did was to +sell the horses, for which there was a great demand; and I consequently +got a high price for them, more than double what I gave. Instead I +bought four working oxen, ten milch cows, and a fine bull. There would +be time enough to procure horses when they became more plentiful. +Though useful, of course they were not absolute necessaries; and I hoped +from the stock I had now got, to become possessed in a few years of a +fine herd of cattle. I might have had fifty servants assigned to me, +but I accepted only six; and those I had the opportunity of selecting. +I determined with these and the assistance of our own party to bring +under cultivation as many acres of ground as I could manage. + +A settler's life in a new country is not all plain sailing, as we were +to find--though in many instances it may be somewhat monotonous. We had +some expectation of meeting with an adventure, for we heard that several +bush-rangers were out, who were levying black-mail on all travellers. +We resolved at all events not to be taken unawares. + +I felt pretty sure that we might trust our new men, and Dick Nailor was +a man not to be attacked with impunity even by the most daring of +robbers. + +We found when we moved on that we had not more men than we required for +conducting the dray and driving the cattle. Had we possessed more +experience, half our number would have driven twenty times as many +cattle as we had, and more than that, with ease. + +We made good about twelve miles in the day. At night we had enough to +do to keep our valuable cattle from straying. We found the simplest +plan was to light a number of fires in a circle, beyond which the +animals were seldom disposed to move. It, however, required constant +attention to keep up the fires, for as soon as the flames dropped, the +animals seemed no longer disposed to be restrained within the circle. + +This occupied most of our party during the night, so that only two or +three at a time could get rest. We slept very fast when we did sleep, +to make up for lost time--as Mark observed. Either Dick Nailor or I was +always on the watch, as I did not think it prudent to trust the +convicts, though they had but little temptation to play us any tricks. +They were pretty well aware that they would have no prospect of setting +up for themselves, even if they should run away with our cattle. + +We had got within three or four miles of our station, but as we could +not reach it before dark, we camped as usual, hoping that we might get +there the next morning. + +Scarcely had we unyoked our oxen than several blacks appeared coming +towards us from a neighbouring bush. I was not aware at the time of the +dislike oxen have to the natives, and was astonished at the state of +excitement into which the animals were put as the blacks drew near. We +had the greatest difficulty, indeed, in restraining the animals from +breaking off into the bush. I accordingly, followed by Dick Nailor, +went forward to meet our visitors, both of us, however, carrying our +guns, for we could not tell what might be their intention. They stopped +when they saw the cattle snorting and turning about, seemingly as +unwilling to draw near them as the animals were to have their company. +They seemed to be a tribe not accustomed to white men, for they did not +understand a word we spoke, nor could we what they said. We discovered, +however, that they wanted something--it was tobacco,--we gave them some. +We showed them that we were ready to be on friendly terms. They then +begged for something to drink--rum, and seemed very much astonished to +find that we had none. To my belief they had never themselves tasted +any, but had heard of the white man's fire-water from other blacks--his +curse--their destruction. + +After a little time they intimated to us, so we understood them, that +there was something they wished to show to us in the bush at a little +distance. They seemed so well disposed that I did not at the time dream +of treachery. I told Dick Nailor that I would go forward and see what +they wanted to show us. Even Dick hesitated. + +"They may mean well, but if they don't they will have us at terrible +advantage all alone in the woods, and they are fearfully ugly fellows to +look at, they must allow," he observed, coming up close to me, to +protect me rather than to seek protection for himself. + +Still the blacks seemed so eager that we should go, and made so many +signs to us, that I was sure that there was something particular they +wished to show us. Had I been as well acquainted with them as I +afterwards became I should not have ventured. Still the greater number +of murders they have committed must be laid to the white man's charge. +They merely retaliated when treated by him with fearful cruelty and +injustice. The white man set them an example which the savages copied. +True, many of the convicts were reprobates and outcasts. Not once, but +frequently men have gone forth with fire-arms and shot down the blacks +as if they had been wild beasts. I speak of days happily gone by. + +I called out to Mark to keep in the camp with the men and beasts, and +Dick and I followed the black, I repeat that it was a very unwise thing +to do. + +However, on we went. I told Dick to keep his eyes about him, and his +gun ready for use. + +Having camped early, there was still plenty of daylight; indeed, the +blacks themselves will never move at night, from superstitious +feelings,--the dread of meeting evil spirits: of good ones they have no +notion. There were a good many blacks about, so we signed them to go on +ahead, and that we would follow. They did so--when suddenly they drew +back, and we saw before us, on the side of an open glade, under a +thick-stemmed tree, a rude hut, and just before it, on the ground, two +men, wretched, haggard creatures. + +On drawing nearer we discovered that the forms alone of the men were +there, the spirit had fled. Not a particle of food was to be found near +them, but there were the ashes of a small fire, and near it two or three +pieces of burnt leather. They had been endeavouring, when too late, to +satisfy the cravings of hunger with such food. We had more to discover. + + + +CHAPTER FIFTEEN. + +CONCLUSION. + +It was a sad sight, but what we saw when we got closer was of even +sadder significance. The blacks pointed to one of the bodies which lay +stretched out. There was a cut on the head, and, as if just fallen from +the right hand of the other man, an axe. There could be no doubt that +the last act of one of the famished men had been to murder his +companion--for what object it was horrible to think. + +But who were these poor wretches? We were convinced that they were +bush-rangers. It was even possible that they were the late companions +of Arthur Wells. He alone, however, could answer that question. We +made signs to the blacks that we would bury the bodies the following +day, but that we had not time to do so then. They seemed to understand +us, and apparently contentedly accompanied us from the spot. Although +convinced that they did not intend us any harm we were watchful as +before. This was the more necessary as the sun had set, and it would be +difficult to defend ourselves in the dark. + +We pushed on, therefore, to the camp as rapidly as we could. We found +all safe, and collected some articles which we thought would please the +natives. We presented them. They went away highly pleased. + +We had scarcely sat down to tea round our watch-fire when curious +shrieks and shouts--most unearthly sounds--reached our ears. They came +from the direction where we had last seen the natives. Some of the men +declared that the noise must be produced by evil spirits, and were in a +great fright; but Mark, who was too sensible to entertain so foolish a +notion, asserted that it must be made by the natives, and expressed his +wish to go and see what they were about. He wanted Dick Nailor to go +with him. Now Dick, though very big, and utterly fearless of human +foes, had not quite made up his mind as to the cause of the strange +sounds. I, therefore, fully agreeing with Mark, told Dick to take +charge of the camp, and that I would accompany my boy. Poor Dick was +really unhappy at this; but I, wishing to prove to the men that although +Satan was busy enough in the country, it was not by making strange +sounds in the bush, persisted in my determination. Mark, laughing +heartily at the fears of our companions, set off with me. + +We had not got far when we saw the light of a fire burning in an open +space among the trees, and figures passing in front of it. For a short +time the fire was hid from us by some thick bushes, but when we had got +round them we both stopped, and I must confess even I drew my breath +somewhat short, for just on the other side of the fire appeared twenty +or more skeletons dancing about in the most fantastic manner. Suddenly +they would disappear; then again return and frisk about more furiously +than before. I rubbed my eyes, I thought that I must be in a dream, or +deceived in some way or other. I asked Mark what he saw. + +"A skeleton dance, and a very curious thing it is too, but it's some +trick of those black fellows," he whispered. "Jacob was telling me that +they have meetings at night and play all sorts of pranks. I caught +sight of the figure of a man just now, between us and the fire, and I +could not see through his ribs. He was no skeleton, at all events." + +We crept cautiously nearer, and then saw that what looked like the bones +of skeletons were merely white marks painted on the bodies of the +blacks, and that when they turned round these were concealed from us. +Still I must say that their appearance was at first quite sufficient to +startle anybody not prepared to see them. + +Not wishing to disturb the natives we retreated quietly to our camp, but +though we described the curious sight none of the men seemed disposed to +go out and look at it. The natives kept up their revels for a +considerable time, and prevented us from getting much sleep. They +effectually prevented the cattle, however, from straying in their +direction. The natives were keeping what is called a Corroboree, and I +do not know that it is a much more barbarous amusement than many of more +civilised people. + +We were off by daybreak, and in three hours reached our settlement. All +had gone well, and I need scarcely say that we were heartily welcomed. +My purchase of cattle was greatly admired, and very valuable stock they +proved. I had still a good amount of cash left as capital, so that I +could go on for two or more years without having to sell any stock, and +I now hoped that the land would produce enough corn to feed all those +employed on the farm, with some over. I forgot to say that in the +afternoon Dick Nailor, with Arthur and two other men, set out to bury +the bodies of the white men. My suspicion was confirmed. They were +Arthur's wretched companions. Their fate has been that of hundreds who +have attempted to follow the same course. It made a deep impression on +Arthur Wells, who ultimately became, through God's grace, a thoroughly +changed man. + +I was not disappointed in any of my expectations. God prospered me on +every side. I was able to purchase more sheep in the course of another +year, so that my flocks rapidly increased. Small flocks, as may be +supposed, do not pay. In the course of time we got up a better and +larger house. We wanted one indeed, for our family increased in a way +we had not expected. Charley White was engaged, I should have said, to +my eldest girl, Mary; and just before they were to be married he started +off in the dray to Sydney. Whether or not Mary knew why he had gone we +could not tell. He was a very short time absent, and when the dray +appeared, there, seated under an awning in front, was a nice-looking old +lady, and Mary exclaimed, "That's Aunt Priscilla," but instead of her +cats she was accompanied by two young ladies. + +It appeared that Charley had been sending home such glowing accounts of +the colony, that Miss Beamish was seized with a strong desire to come +out and join her nephew; and, like a sagacious woman, had brought out +with her the commodity just then and ever since most required, in the +shape of two honest, well-educated, nice-looking girls. Peter and Mark +took a great fancy to them, and before long they became their wives. + +Miss Beamish got a grant of land close to mine, on which Charley put up +a house for her, he and his wife living with her and managing the farm, +which she, indeed, made over to him and his heirs, of whom there were, +in the course of a few years, no small number. + +I was soon able to start Peter in an estate of his own; and Mark a few +years afterwards. + +Arthur Wells obtained a free pardon and married Susan. I did not +consider that his having been a convict should be a bar to their +marriage, for I never met a more thoroughly reformed character. He made +her an excellent husband. + +All my children married as they grew up--the girls at an early age, but +the boys had to wait some time before they could find suitable wives. +However, in the course of years--I need not say how many--all my +children happily married, were settled either with me on my original +property, much increased both in value and size, or else on estates +around me. + +I have been greatly blessed in life. I have, however, a difficulty +which I do not think I shall ever get over--it is to remember the names +of my grand-children. Already upwards of fifty muster together at our +family meetings, and as far as I can judge, that number may be more than +doubled in the course of a few years. + +Australia still affords a fine field for settlers, but they must be +industrious, persevering, and energetic; idlers, rogues, and vagabonds +will starve there, as everywhere else. As in most parts of the world so +in Australia; trust in God, industry, and perseverance will conquer all +difficulties and lead on to success. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Peter Biddulph, by W.H.G. Kingston + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PETER BIDDULPH *** + +***** This file should be named 23050.txt or 23050.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/3/0/5/23050/ + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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