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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/38891-8.txt b/38891-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2b3be70 --- /dev/null +++ b/38891-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8081 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Cruise of the 'Alerte', by E. F. Knight + +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: The Cruise of the 'Alerte' + The narrative of a search for treasure on the desert island of Trinidad + +Author: E. F. Knight + +Release Date: February 15, 2012 [EBook #38891] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE' *** + + + + +Produced by Mark C. Orton and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was +produced from images made available by the HathiTrust +Digital Library.) + + + + + + +THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE' + +_UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME._ + + THE GREAT BOER WAR. _Arthur Conan Doyle._ + COLLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS. _G. W. E. Russell._ + FROM THE CAPE TO CAIRO. _E. S. Grogan._ + LIFE OF LORD DUFFERIN. _Sir A. Lyall._ + SIR FRANK LOCKWOOD. _Augustine Birrell, K.C., M.P._ + THE MAKING OF A FRONTIER. _Colonel Durand._ + LIFE OF RICHARD COBDEN. _Lord Morley._ + LIFE OF PARNELL. _R. Barry O'Brien._ + MEMORIES GRAVE AND GAY. _Dr. John Kerr._ + A BOOK ABOUT ROSES. _S. Reynolds Hole._ + RANDOM REMINISCENCES. _Charles Brookfield._ + AT THE WORKS. _Lady Bell._ + MEXICO AS I SAW IT. _Mrs. Alec Tweedie._ + PARIS TO NEW YORK BY LAND. _Harry de Windt._ + LIFE OF LEWIS CARROLL. _Stuart Dodgson Collingwood._ + NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS. _Eugène André._ + THE MANTLE OF THE EAST. _Edmund Candler._ + LETTERS OF DR. JOHN BROWN. + JUBILEE BOOK OF CRICKET. _Prince Ranjitsinhji._ + BY DESERT WAYS TO BAGHDAD. _Louisa Jebb._ + SOME OLD LOVE STORIES. _T. P. O'Connor._ + FIELDS, FACTORIES, & WORKSHOPS. _Prince Kropotkin._ + LIFE OF LORD LAWRENCE. _R. Bosworth Smith._ + PROBLEMS OF POVERTY. _Dr. Chalmers._ + THE BURDEN OF THE BALKANS. _M. E. Durham._ + LIFE AND LETTERS OF LORD MACAULAY.-- + I. & II. _Sir George O. Trevelyan, + Bart._ + WHAT I SAW IN RUSSIA. _Hon. Maurice Baring._ + WILD ENGLAND OF TO-DAY. _C. J. Cornish._ + THROUGH FINLAND IN CARTS. _Mrs. Alec Tweedie._ + THE VOYAGE OF THE "DISCOVERY."-- + I. & II. _Captain Scott._ + FELICITY IN FRANCE. _Constance E. Maud._ + MY CLIMBS IN THE ALPS AND CAUCASUS. _A. F. Mummery._ + JOHN BRIGHT. _R. Barry O'Brien._ + POVERTY. _B. Seebohm Rowntree._ + SEA WOLVES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN. _Commander E. Hamilton Currey, + R.N._ + FAMOUS MODERN BATTLES. _A. Hilliard Atteridge._ + THE CRUISE OF THE "FALCON." _E. F. Knight._ + A. K. H. B. (A Volume of Selections). + THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS. _Jack London._ + GRAIN OR CHAFF. _A. Chichele Plowden._ + LIFE AT THE ZOO. _C. J. Cornish._ + THE FOUR MEN. _Hilaire Belloc._ + + _Etc., etc. + Others to follow._ + + + + +THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE' + +THE NARRATIVE OF A SEARCH FOR TREASURE +ON THE DESERT ISLAND OF TRINIDAD + + +BY + +E. F. KNIGHT + + +THOMAS NELSON AND SONS +LONDON, EDINBURGH, DUBLIN +AND NEW YORK + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + I. THE HISTORY OF THE TREASURE 7 + + II. THE 'ALERTE' IS FITTED OUT 32 + + III. THE SHIP'S COMPANY 49 + + IV. A ROMANCE OF THE SALVAGES 62 + + V. OUR FIRST VOYAGE 78 + + VI. ON THE SALVAGES 97 + + VII. RUNNING DOWN THE TRADES 121 + + VIII. BAHIA 141 + + IX. TREASURE ISLAND AT LAST 158 + + X. THE SUMMIT OF TRINIDAD 174 + + XI. ON THE ROAD TO TREASURE BAY 190 + + XII. WE EXPLORE THE RAVINE 208 + + XIII. A NARROW ESCAPE 226 + + XIV. WE LAND THE STORES IN THE BAY 237 + + XV. OUR CAMP 252 + + XVI. DISCOVERIES IN SOUTH-WEST BAY 269 + + XVII. PICK AND SHOVEL 282 + +XVIII. A VOYAGE TO MARKET 300 + + XIX. HOVE TO 314 + + XX. THE ADVENTURES OF THE SHORE-PARTY 329 + + XXI. WE ABANDON THE SEARCH 355 + + XXII. HOMEWARD BOUND 366 + + + + +THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE.' + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +THE HISTORY OF THE TREASURE. + + +In the course of a long cruise in the South Atlantic and up the South +American rivers, in the years 1880 and 1881, with my little yacht the +'Falcon,' I found myself, more by accident than intention, in the +neighbourhood of the small desert island of Trinidad. We were bound +from Montevideo to Bahia, and, after running before a heavy pampero +off the River Plate, we fell in with strong head winds, and had to +thrash our way to windward for upwards of a thousand miles of choppy +seas and boisterous weather, while the rain poured down upon us almost +without cessation, as it not unfrequently does during the season of +the northerly Brazilian monsoon. + +We steered a course away from the land to the eastward, hoping to meet +with more favourable winds when we had obtained an offing of some four +or five hundred miles. Vessels bound north from the Plate during the +season of the northerly monsoon invariably pursue this plan, sailing +as much as seven hundred miles close hauled on the port tack before +they go about and make their northering. Thus it was that our course +brought us in the vicinity of Trinidad, which lies in latitude 20° 30' +south and longitude 29° 22' west, distant about seven hundred miles +from the coast of Brazil, and my curiosity being aroused by the +description of the islet in the 'South Atlantic Directory' I decided +to land and explore it. + +We came to an anchor off this desolate spot on December 8, 1881, and +we remained there for nine days. Our adventures of various sorts, the +perils of landing, the attacks made on us by the multitudes of hideous +land-crabs and ferocious sea-birds, our difficult climb over the +volcanic mountains, and finally our anything but regretful departure +from one of the most uncanny and dispiriting spots on earth, are fully +set out in my book, 'The Cruise of the "Falcon."' On turning to that +book I find that I state there that I had had more than enough of +Trinidad, and would on no account set foot on its barren shores +again--a rash resolution which I was destined to break nearly ten +years after my first visit to the island. + +The descriptions of Trinidad in the 'South Atlantic Directory' are all +of an old date, and were supplied at different times by captains of +vessels in want of water or with crews stricken with scurvy, who +effected a landing in order to procure water or the purslain and other +greens which abound on some portions of the shore. Halley in 1700, +Amaso Delano in 1803, and Commodore Owen in 1822 visited the island, +and it is from their accounts that most of the information concerning +it has been gathered. All describe the landing as extremely difficult, +and often quite impracticable, on account of the almost perpetual surf +which breaks on the iron-bound coast. Consequently mariners avoided +the coral reefs and sea-worn crags, and, though the masters of +homeward-bound vessels from around Cape Horn often sighted the island +from a safe distance in order to correct the rate of their +chronometers, it was rare indeed that the foot of a human being trod +its shores. + +But now the land-crabs and sea-birds of Trinidad must be becoming +almost familiarised with the sight of man, for the report of a vast +treasure that is supposed to have been buried here some seventy years +ago, has induced no less than five different bands of adventurers in +the course of the last twelve years to fit out vessels for the purpose +of seeking their fortunes among the volcanic ash. + +This is an account of the most recent of these ventures, and I think +it will be the last of them; for whereas all the previous +explorers--in consequence of mutiny, the difficulty of landing, and +other causes--failed to make any real attempt at digging into the +landslip which now covers the spot where the treasure is supposed to +lie, and, losing heart in the presence of the preliminary perils and +discomforts, abandoned the island after a few days' stay, we succeeded +in landing by degrees our tents, tools, and stores, and established +quite a comfortable little settlement, while the digging was steadily +carried on for three months, and many thousands of tons of earth and +rock were removed. + +We worked on until we were satisfied that further search was useless. +We failed to find the treasure, but we did what our predecessors did +not--we had a very good try for it; and we have, I think, at any rate +proved that it is not worth the while of any other adventurers to go +in search of this too carefully concealed hoard. + +When I visited Trinidad in 1881 I was not aware that a treasure was +supposed to be buried there, else I should most probably have +prosecuted some preliminary search with the small crew--we were five +all told--and the inadequate tools I had on board, so as to ascertain +whether it would be worth while to organise a properly equipped +expedition on my return home. It was not until the year 1885 that my +attention was directed to paragraphs in the newspapers which spoke of +the departure from the Tyne of the barque 'Aurea' with a considerable +company, including navvies, and well provided with the tools that were +considered necessary for the recovery of the treasure. + +These adventurers started full of hope, but were doomed to +disappointment, as is shown in the following extract which I cut from +a daily paper some months later:-- + +'Further information has been received regarding the unfortunate +expedition of the "Aurea," the vessel chartered by a number of +Tynesiders for a voyage to the small island of Trinidad, off the coast +of Brazil, where it was reported a large amount of treasure was +concealed. The last letter is from one of the seamen, a young man +named Russell, to his parents in North Shields. Russell states that it +is with _"the greatest pleasure" that he has an opportunity of +writing, and continues to say that the "Aurea" left the island on +April 29, and, he was sure, the crew were not sorry at leaving. He +states that eight seamen were ashore fourteen days, and at the end of +that time they were so exhausted with the want of water and +provisions, and with the scorching heat, that they had all to be +carried on board. As a consequence eight of them were laid down with +fever, and out of the eight two seamen died. The expedition was thus +unfortunate in more than one respect. The "Aurea," according to the +writer of the letter, was at Trinidad in the West Indies, and was +expected to leave for England. Russell says nothing about treasure; +the burden of his letter is that the crew left the island with the +greatest satisfaction.'_ + +This ill-fated expedition of the 'Aurea' was, so far as my information +goes, the last before that of the 'Alerte.' + +In the autumn of 1888, I happened to meet some South Shields people +who knew the history of the treasure and of the previous expeditions. +They told me that there had been some talk lately of fitting out +another vessel to renew the quest, and that many undeniably shrewd +Tynesiders had a complete faith in the existence of the treasure, and +were willing, despite former failures, to risk their money and lives +in order to discover it. My informant gave me an outline of the +evidence on which this faith was based, and I heard enough to so +interest me that I forthwith took train to South Shields and put +myself into communication with the heads of the 'Aurea' expedition, +with the view, in case I should consider the prospects of securing the +treasure to be not too remote, of fitting out a small yacht and +sailing away once more to Trinidad. + +The following is the substance of the story as I heard it from Mr. +A----, who was the prime mover of the last venture, and who himself +sailed in the 'Aurea,' and passed fourteen days on the island. + +'There is now living, not far from Newcastle, a retired sea captain, +Captain P----, who was in command of an East Indiaman engaged in the +opium trade in the years 1848 to 1850. At that time the China seas +were infested by pirates, so that his vessel carried a few guns, and a +larger crew than is usual in these days. He had four quartermasters, +one of whom was a foreigner. Captain P---- is not sure of his +nationality, but thinks he was a Russian Finn. On board the vessel the +man went under the name of the pirate, on account of a deep scar +across his cheek, which gave him a somewhat sinister appearance. He +was a reserved man, better educated than the ordinary sailor, and +possessing a good knowledge of navigation. + +'Captain P---- took a liking to him, and showed him kindness on +various occasions. This man was attacked by dysentery on the voyage +from China to Bombay, and by the time the vessel reached Bombay he was +so ill, in spite of the captain's nursing, that he had to be taken to +the hospital. He gradually sank, and when he found that he was dying, +he told Captain P----, who frequently visited him at the hospital, +that he felt very grateful for the kind treatment he had received at +his captain's hands, and that he would prove his gratitude by +revealing a secret to him that might make him one of the richest men +in England. Captain P---- says that he appeared very uneasy about this +secret, and insisted on the door of the ward being closed, so that +there might be no listeners. He then asked Captain P---- to go to his +chest and take out from it a parcel. The parcel contained a piece of +old tarpaulin with a plan of the island of Trinidad on it. + +'The man gave him this plan, and told him that at the place indicated +on it--that is, under the mountain known as the Sugarloaf--there was +an immense treasure buried, consisting principally of gold and silver +plate and ornaments, the plunder of Peruvian churches which certain +pirates had concealed there in the year 1821. Much of this plate, he +said, came from the cathedral of Lima, having been carried away from +there during the war of independence when the Spaniards were escaping +the country, and that among other riches there were several massive +golden candlesticks. + +'He further stated that he was the only survivor of the pirates, as +all the others had been captured by the Spaniards and executed in Cuba +some years before, and consequently it was probable that no one but +himself knew of this secret. He then gave Captain P---- instructions +as to the exact position of the treasure in the bay under the +Sugarloaf, and enjoined him to go there and search for it, as it was +almost certain that it had not been removed. The quartermaster died +shortly afterwards.' + +Now this story, so far, bears a strong family resemblance to many +other stories of pirate treasure, mythical or otherwise, and, though +there can be no doubt that great stores of valuable plunder are still +lying hidden away in this fashion on many a West Indian cay and desert +ocean island, the dying quartermaster's deposition was hardly enough +by itself to warrant the expense of fitting out an expedition for +Trinidad. But on making researches it was found that his story was +corroborated in many remarkable ways. + +In the first place the archives of Cuba were inspected, and a record +was discovered which showed that a gang of pirates who had plundered +Spanish vessels sailing from Lima had been hanged at Havannah at the +time mentioned. + +The probability of the story is further strengthened by the actual +history of Peru during the war of independence. It appears that the +Spanish population of Lima entertained a wholesome dread of the +liberators of their country, and deposited large sums of money and a +vast amount of plate in the forts for security. Lima was then a city +extremely rich in gold and silver plate, and the value of the property +lying in the fortress alone was estimated by Lord Dundonald as at +least six millions sterling. + +Lord Dundonald, who was at the time in command of the Chilian fleet +which had been sent to the assistance of the liberators of Peru, +endeavoured to obtain possession of this fortress by negotiations, and +offered the Spanish governor to permit his free departure with +two-thirds of this treasure on condition of the remainder, together +with the fortress, being given up to the Chilian squadron. The admiral +hoped by means of this one-third to abate the mutinous spirit of his +men, who had received no pay for a long period, and who were, +moreover, in a state of actual destitution. But, to Lord Dundonald's +disgust, the Peruvian Protector, San Martin, for purposes of his own, +allowed the garrison to evacuate the fortress, carrying away with them +the whole of these riches. Later on, however, Lord Dundonald took the +responsibility on himself of seizing the Protector's yacht at Ancon, +and discovered that it was entirely ballasted with silver coin and +uncoined gold. With this he paid his sailors some of their arrears of +pay and prize-money. + +During the first few years of their liberty the unhappy Limenos must +have occasionally regretted the old Spanish misrule, bad as it was; +for their liberators plundered them in the most shameless fashion, and +most of the wealthy citizens of Lima were reduced to a state of abject +poverty. The tyrannical Protector inflicted great hardships on the +Spanish inhabitants, and among other of his decrees one was passed +confiscating to the public treasury one-half of all their property. +When some of these unhappy people, driven to desperation, took to sea +and endeavoured to escape with the remaining half of their +possessions, the Republican officers boarded their vessels and, wholly +regardless of the decree, appropriated this half also. + +The wealth of Lima, the richest city of Spanish America, was soon +scattered far and wide, and disappeared for ever; but it is probable +that only a small proportion of it fell into the hands of the +liberators; for the executive was not sufficiently well organised to +carry out fully the decrees of confiscation. I do not think that the +property to the value of six millions sterling which was carried away +by the Spanish garrison has been all traced, but the records of the +day show that the Spaniards took every opportunity of escaping to sea +in any sort of vessel they could procure, carrying with them all the +property they could collect, in the hope of reaching the mother +country or some neutral port. + +It must have been a glorious time for adventurous persons not +overburdened with scruples; for it seems that all the gold and +precious stones of Peru were travelling about recklessly by sea and +land without any proper protection. The pirates who then swarmed in +those seas were not slow to avail themselves of this rare opportunity, +and carried on a flourishing business until such time as they were +caught and hanged by that terrible English admiral. + +Numbers of piratical craft hovered around the Peruvian ports, and the +badly equipped vessels of the Spanish fugitives fell an easy prey to +them. But Lord Dundonald, on the other hand, was ever pursuing the +pirates with great energy. He captured many of them, and, later on, he +was able to boast that he had swept the West Coast clean of these +scourges of the sea. + +It is known, however, that several of these vessels escaped his +vigilance, and that enormous quantities of cathedral plate and specie +were never recovered from their hands. + +The pirate vessel that succeeded in reaching the islet of Trinidad is +supposed to have been one of these. + +Captain P----, on leaving Bombay after the death of his quartermaster, +had intended to land on Trinidad and examine the spot indicated on the +pirate's plan; but as he had a rather unruly crew, and was himself +crippled with a broken arm, he thought it prudent not to make the +attempt then, and so passed the islet and sailed home. + +On his return to England he told the pirate's story to many people, +but of course preserved the secret of the exact position of the +hiding-place. Nothing, however, seems to have been done towards +recovering the treasure until 1880, when Captain P---- persuaded a +shipping firm at Newcastle to allow one of their vessels trading to +the Brazils to visit the island. It was arranged that the barquentine +'John' should call at Trinidad on her way from Santos to Bull River, +and that Captain P----'s son should go with the vessel so as to +identify the spot and act on his father's behalf. + +The 'John' reached the islet, but, after beating about off it for a +week, no landing-place could be found, and the captain decided to give +up the attempt. But young P---- was very disinclined to return without +having effected a landing, and persuaded the captain to allow him to +swim ashore from a boat. The ship's longboat was therefore put out, +and was pulled as close to the long roll of furious breakers as was +considered safe. Then young P---- plunged into the sea, and contrived, +after a narrow escape from drowning, to reach the land. The surf +became more furious while he was on shore, so that it was impossible +for him to swim off again that day. He had, consequently, to pass the +night on the sands without either clothes or provisions, and was, +moreover, in danger of being eaten alive by the land-crabs. + +On the following morning the captain succeeded in casting the end of a +line on shore, and the young man was dragged through the surf to the +longboat, and carried on board the vessel. He reported to the captain +that he had discovered the spot described by the pirate; but that a +great landslip of red débris had fallen on the treasure, which could +not be removed without great labour. He said the place tallied exactly +with the description furnished by his father, and that he firmly +believed the story to be true and that the treasure was still there; +but that he would not spend such another night on the island even if +he could get the whole treasure for himself by doing so. + +The captain of the 'John,' on hearing the young man's story, +considered that any further attempt to land would involve great +danger, which he would not be justified in risking, and, declining to +lend further assistance in the matter, set sail at once for his +destination. + +The next expedition was organised by my informant, Mr. A---- of South +Shields. The 'Aurea,' a barque of 600 tons burthen, was chartered. She +was provided with lifeboats suitable for surf work, and an ample +supply of picks, shovels, timber, blasting powder, and other stores. +She was partly ballasted with a cargo of steam coal, which it was +intended to sell in some foreign port, so as to pay part of the +expenses of the expedition. The necessary funds were subscribed by +several gentlemen, most of whom, I believe, accompanied the +expedition. Proper agreements were drawn up, and were signed by the +officers and members of the expedition, setting forth the proportion +of the treasure each was to receive, should the search be successful. + +This party also found the island to be almost inaccessible, on account +of the surrounding circle of savage breakers, and experienced great +difficulty in landing. + +The following extract from the letter of one of the expedition +describes only the commencement of their perils and adventures:-- + +'We sighted the island on March 23, 1885, but, as it was very squally +weather, we could do nothing until the next morning, when we got out +the lifeboat, fitted her with mast and sail, and loaded her with +provisions and baggage. The ship towed us as near to the shore as was +deemed prudent, and then left us to make the best of our way there, +while she stood on her course. The weather was very wet and squally, +and, with our deeply-laden boat, we found we made no progress, either +with the sails or oars, and, after toiling until after sunset, we +found ourselves in a most deplorable position. We were all wet to the +skin, and exhausted with pulling, and the seas were continually on the +point of swamping our boat. Darkness then set in; our vessel was out +of sight, and we scarcely knew what to do. However, I took a lantern +from among the stores, and got one of the men to light it and hoist it +at our boat's masthead as a signal to our vessel. It blew out almost +as soon as it was up, but we succeeded at last in sighting the +vessel's port light, and got safely on board. The next day we +determined to take the ship's boat and small dinghy with us, and tow +the lifeboat ashore. We started early in the morning, the ship towing +the three boats as close as possible to the Sugarloaf, and as the +weather was now fine we soon got into South-west Bay, but found that +the surf was much worse than we anticipated. We anchored the lifeboat +with her cargo of stores close to the edge of the surf, and then Mr. +D----, the mate, myself, and two hands, pulled along the weather side +of the island, seeking a landing-place; but found a heavy surf at all +points, and the bottom sown with sunken rocks. We then pulled back to +South-west Bay, to consult with the others as to the best course to +pursue. At last the mate volunteered to scull the dinghy ashore +through the surf, if one man would go with him. One of the crew agreed +to go, so they partly undressed, and took their places in the dinghy. +A line was made fast to the stern, and as they pulled towards the +shore we paid out, intending to haul the dinghy back again when they +had reached the shore. All went well for a time, but when near the +beach a tremendous roller caught the stern of the dinghy, drove the +bow under, and turned her right over. The two men managed to get clear +of the boat, and with some difficulty swam ashore.' + +Eventually Mr. A---- and seven other men succeeded in landing, +carrying with them a limited quantity of provisions and some of the +tools. They remained on the island from March 25 to April 17, during +which time the vessel had been blown out of sight. Insufficient food +and exposure to rain dispirited the men, and their imaginations were +dismayed by the dismal aspect of these barren volcanic crags, and by +the loathsome appearance of the land-crabs, which swarmed everywhere +and continually attacked them. + +They found what they considered to be the spot described by the +pirate, but do not appear to have been quite so certain on this point +as was young P----. Very little digging was actually done, 'for,' says +Mr. A----, 'we had few hands on shore capable of standing the heavy +work under such a burning sun.' They had only dug a small trench four +feet deep into the landslip when the 'Aurea' was sighted; then the +sick and disheartened band refused to stay any longer on this accursed +island, and insisted on being taken on board. So, leaving all their +tools behind them--for in their anxiety to get away safely they would +not be burdened with these--they were carried off to the vessel, so +emaciated, weak, and ill that the captain came to the conclusion that +he would lose most of his men if he landed them on so uninhabitable a +spot, and, abandoning the search, he set sail for the West Indies. + +This expedition, therefore, practically accomplished nothing. The +problem as to whether the treasure was or was not lying under the +landslips in South-west Bay was as far from solution as ever. + +Before the departure of the 'Aurea' expedition from South Shields, a +good deal had been written concerning it in the English papers, with +the result that some other adventurous spirits, having had their +attention drawn to this possible El Dorado, hurried away to Trinidad +in order to anticipate the Tynesiders. The following letter appeared +in an English paper on May 14, 1885. The 'Aurea' people, of course, +knew nothing of this rival expedition, until they returned to +England:-- + + TRINIDAD IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. + + _The Hidden Treasure Expedition._ + + [FROM A CORRESPONDENT.] + + Kiel, May 11, 1885. + + 'Under this heading I have just now noticed a paragraph sent to + the editor of a Danish daily paper, which, in its bearing on the + well-known search-for-treasure expedition, may prove of interest + to your readers, being in the shape of a letter sent from New + York:-- + + 'New York, April 17, 1885. + + 'On my arrival in New York from Aracaju, I read in your + paper of January 14, 1885, about an expedition to be + started from Newcastle, to proceed to the island of + Trinidad in the South Atlantic, with the object in view of + finding a treasure buried there some time ago by pirates: + and I am in a position to furnish some particulars which, + in all probability, are connected with this affair. On + January 13, 1885, I was chartered with my vessel in Rio de + Janeiro to take over to the above mentioned island an + American captain and four Portuguese sailors, together with + a number of pickaxes, spades, &c., and a whale-boat. I was + told that these people intended to go to this island to + investigate if any "guano" was to be found. A voyage of + eleven days brought us there, but we had to keep off the + shore on account of breakers for over three days. The men + were then put ashore, and remained on the island for four + days, during which time they were occupied with boring and + digging, whereupon we sailed back to Bahia, and landed them + there. I believe that these men, either by telegram from + England or by other means, had heard of the existence of a + treasure on this island, and that they meant to anticipate + the English expedition. However, they found nothing. I + noticed very well that the American captain, as well as his + men, were highly disappointed. Let me take this opportunity + to dissuade all masters of vessels to search in this + uninhabited island for fresh water. It is a matter of great + difficulty and danger to put boats on shore, through coral + reefs. The indications on the charts for casting the lead + should be a good deal further from the shore. During the + time we were there the wind was N.N.E. and the current to + S.W., upon a speed of from 12 to 15 quarter-miles in 24 + hours. In South-west Bay, two cable-lengths from the shore, + there is a reef not mentioned on the charts. + + 'H. N. ANKERSEN, + + 'Master of sailing vessel from Fanoe.' + +I found that the correspondent who sent this letter was correct +in his information. When I called at Bahia with the 'Alerte,' my +ship-chandler, Mr. Wilson, told me the whole of this story as it was +related to him by the American adventurer on his arrival at Bahia from +Trinidad. It is somewhat strange that the excavations made by this +party were not seen by the 'Aurea' people, who landed on the island +within two months of the departure of the Americans; but this islet +has been so shaken to its foundations by earthquake shock and volcanic +action, that it is brittle from its mountain-tops to the beach, and is +in a state of perpetual change. Gigantic landslips are frequent, and I +should not be surprised to find that all traces of our three months' +hard digging have by now been entirely obliterated. + +There might have been some fun, by the way, had the 'Aurea' and the +American arrived off the island at the same time. + +Since my return, I have heard of two other expeditions which started +from the other side of the Atlantic in search of the hidden treasure +of Trinidad, but, as with the former expeditions, nothing was +accomplished. The loss of men and boats in the surf, sickness, and the +numerous difficulties and dangers encountered, disheartened the men, +and the attempt was abandoned before any serious work was done. It +would seem as if this was one of those forlorn islands of which one +reads in the old romances of the sea, on which the bloody deeds of the +pirates have left a curse behind, so that the treasure is protected by +evil spirits; and the great roaring seas which roll up seemingly +without any natural cause, even after days of windless weather, and +the ever-tottering crags, and all the forces and terrors of nature are +made to keep man off from the inviolate hoard; while the loathsome +land-crabs might well be the restless spirits of the pirates +themselves, for they are indeed more ugly and evil, and generally more +diabolical-looking, than the bloodiest pirate who ever lived. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE 'ALERTE' IS FITTED OUT. + + +Such is the story of the Trinidad treasure, a story that seemed to +me to bear the stamp of truth, and it was difficult to conceive +that--allowing Captain P----'s narrative to be correct, and there is +every reason to believe it as such--so many coincidences could have +collected round a mere fabrication. + +It is highly improbable that the foreign quartermaster evolved the +whole matter from an imaginative brain, especially on his deathbed, +when he was professing to confide a valuable secret to a friend as a +token of his gratitude; neither can his statements be considered as +being the ravings of a sick man, for they were far too circumstantial +and compatible with facts. + +In the first place, his carefully prepared plan of the island, the +minute directions he gave as to the best landing, and his description +of the features of the bay on whose shores the treasure was concealed, +prove beyond doubt to myself and others who know Trinidad that he, or +if not himself some informant of his, had landed on this so rarely +visited islet; and not only landed, but passed some time on it, and +carefully surveyed the approaches to the bay, so as to be able to +point out the dangers and show the safest passage through the reefs. +This information could not have been obtained from any pilot-book. The +landing recommended by previous visitors is at the other side of the +island. This bay is described by them as inaccessible, and the +indications on the Admiralty chart are completely erroneous. + +And, beyond this, the quartermaster must have been acquainted with +what was taking place in two other distant portions of the world +during the year of his professed landing on the desert island. He knew +of the escape of pirates with the cathedral plate of Lima. He was also +aware that, shortly afterwards, there were hanged in Cuba the crew of +a vessel that had committed acts of piracy on the Peruvian coast. It +is scarcely credible that an ordinary seaman--even allowing that he +was superior in education to the average of his fellows--could have +pieced these facts together so ingeniously into this plausible story. + +It is needless to say that one like myself--who knew Trinidad, and who +had personally sifted the evidence, and was constantly coming across +numbers of incidents not mentioned here, trifling in themselves, but, +taken together, strongly corroborative--would be more impressed by the +coincidences, and consequently be more inclined to give credence to +the story than one who merely reads the narrative in the pages of this +book. + +Hence the result of my interview with Mr. A---- was that I decided to +sail to Trinidad and search for the treasure. I knew, of course, that +the chances were greatly against my finding anything. I was quite +prepared for complete failure; but I considered that there was a +sufficient possibility of success to make the venture worth the +undertaking. + +I, of course, saw that the great impediment was the landslip, which +might have covered the landmarks, and so altered the features of the +ravine as to render recognition of the exact spot extremely difficult; +for it is quite possible that young Mr. P---- was somewhat +over-sanguine, and that the grounds for his so readily identifying the +pirate's hiding-place were inadequate. + +The former adventurers seem to have considered that the difficulties +of landing constituted almost as great an obstacle to success as the +landslip itself; but I was confident that these difficulties were +anything but insuperable, and that, by taking proper precautions, it +would be quite possible to land a working-party with all necessary +stores and tools, and even, if necessary, heavy machinery as well. I +had myself, nine years previously, landed at three different points of +the island, and had passed several days on shore, so I quite realised +what was before me. + +There is no doubt that the former adventurers failed from +precipitancy. Patience is a necessary quality for those who wish to +land on Trinidad. One must not expect to sail there and forthwith +disembark with one's baggage as if it were on Southsea Pier. It +appears, too, that the captains of the square-rigged vessels which +carried the expeditions to the island were largely responsible for the +failure of the former quests; they would not approach the islands +within several miles; they became anxious as to the safety of their +boats and men, were fidgety to sail away again to the safety of the +broad ocean, and hurried the adventurers off the shore before they had +had scarce time to look around them. The captains, no doubt, were +quite right from their point of view; but it is also certain that the +treasure could never be recovered by this way of going to work. To dig +away the landslip would involve many months of labour, and during that +time the captain of the vessel must be prepared to stand off and on, +or heave to off the island--for to remain at anchor for any length of +time would be dangerous. And again, there must be no hurry in landing: +the working-party may have to remain on board the vessel for weeks at +a stretch gazing at that wild shore, before it be possible for them to +attain it. I have seen the great rollers dashing on the beach with a +dreadful roar for days together, and the surf--as the 'South Atlantic +Directory' observes without any exaggeration--'is often incredibly +great, and has been seen to break over a bluff which is two hundred +feet high.' + +Notwithstanding this, if one is patient and bides one's opportunity, +there are days when landing can be accomplished without any difficulty +whatever. + +When I visited Trinidad with the 'Falcon' I discovered one especially +safe landing-place on the lee side of the island, where a natural pier +of coral projects into the sea beyond the breakers. I knew that it was +possible to effect a landing here ten times to once that this could be +done on the more exposed beach of the bay under the Sugarloaf, where +the 'Aurea' party landed. A considerable and, I believe, perennial +stream of water runs down as a cascade into the sea close to my +landing-place, and I knew that it would be easy to disembark here a +quantity of provisions, and establish a depot to which the +working-party in Sugarloaf Bay could repair in the case of their +stores falling short and their communication with the vessel being cut +off by bad weather. I had myself crossed the lofty mountains which +separate this landing-place from the bay under the Sugarloaf, and knew +that, though difficult, they were not inaccessible. + +My negotiations with Mr. A---- terminated in his furnishing me with +the bearings of the hidden treasure, and handing over to me the copy +of the pirate's plan of the island, which the 'Aurea' people had taken +with them. This plan merely indicated the safest landing-place in the +bay. + +Mr. A----'s account of his own experiences were of great service to me +in fitting out this expedition. He told me that there was no constant +stream of fresh water on the shores of this bay, or anywhere near it; +but that a little water of an inferior quality could be collected +after rain. There was, however, according to him, an abundance of dead +wood on the hill-sides, which served admirably as fuel; so I took note +that a condensing apparatus would be an indispensable addition to our +stores. He told me that I should find the 'Aurea' tools lying on the +beach, which if not too corroded, might be of use to us. We did +eventually find some of these, and employed them in our operations: I +have now in my possession an 'Aurea' pick which I brought away with +me. I have to thank Mr. A---- for a variety of valuable hints, which I +did not neglect. + +Having decided to go, the first thing to be done was to find a vessel, +a fore-and-after which could accommodate thirteen or fourteen men on +an ocean voyage, and which could yet be easily handled by two or three +while hove to off the island. + +I went down to my old headquarters, Southampton, and explained what I +was in search of to Mr. Picket, of West Quay, who had been my +shipwright from my earliest yachting days, and who fitted out the old +'Falcon' for her long voyage. With his assistance I soon discovered a +very suitable vessel, the cutter-yacht 'Alerte,' of fifty-six tons +yacht measurement, and thirty-three tons register. This was, +therefore, a considerably larger vessel than the 'Falcon,' with which +I had made my first voyage to Trinidad, for she was twenty-four feet +shorter than the 'Alerte,' and was only of fifteen tons register. + +The dimensions of the 'Alerte' are as follows:--length, 64.3 feet; +beam, 14.5 feet; depth, 9 feet. She was built by Ratsey of Cowes in +1864, so she is rather an ancient vessel; but she was constructed in a +much stronger fashion than is usual in these days, of thoroughly +seasoned teak. There had been no scamping of work in her case, and +now, after twenty-six years of service, she is as sound as on the day +she left the stocks; there is not a weak spot in her, and she is in +fact a far more reliable craft than a newer vessel would have proved; +for, even as a human life is more secure after it has safely passed +through the period of infantile disorders, so a vessel, if she does +not develop dry-rot within a few years of her launching, is not likely +to do so afterwards. She has proved herself to have been honestly put +together of seasoned timber, and not of sappy rubbish. + +The 'Alerte,' moreover, was of the good old-fashioned build, with +ample beam, and not of the modern plank-on-end style. She had only two +tons of lead outside, the remainder of her ballast was in her hold--a +great advantage for real cruising; for a vessel with a lead mine on +her keel cannot but strain herself in heavy weather with the violent +jerkiness of her action, instead of rolling about with a leisurely +motion on the top of the water as if she were quite at home there, +like a vessel of the comfortable 'Alerte' type. + +This was not the first ocean cruise the gallant old cutter had +undertaken; for she once accomplished the voyage from Southampton to +Sydney in 103 days, which is very creditable work. + +She was provided, I found, with new sails by Lapthorn, and an +excellent inventory throughout, so little was required besides making +the alterations necessary for the particular objects of our cruise. I +accordingly purchased the vessel, very pleased at having without delay +discovered a craft so suitable, and put her into Mr. Picket's hands to +be got ready for sea. While this was being done I let it be widely +known that I was organising a treasure-hunting expedition and was in +search of volunteers. Numbers applied, and I gradually selected my +crew, some of whom made themselves of use in assisting me to fit out +at Southampton. + +A cruise of this description involves a good deal of preparation. In +the first place, seeing that the 'Alerte' was a somewhat heavily +sparred vessel, I resolved to convert her into a yawl. So the main +boom and gaff were shortened, the area of the mainsail considerably +reduced, and a mizzen mast was stepped in the counter, on which we set +a snug jib-headed sail. No other alterations of importance were +required on deck. + +Below we had to find room for, and construct, extra bunks, and extra +water-tanks occupied all available room. A condensing apparatus +intended for use on the island was made for me by Mr. Hornsey of +Southampton. The boiler was a strong twenty-gallon drum, and a +forty-gallon tank contained the worm. At sea these two were +disconnected and lashed in the saloon, serving as water-tanks. We +carried in all 600 gallons of water. The precious fluid was, of +course, never used for washing purposes at sea. Salt-water-soap and +the Atlantic had to content us for our ablutions, and, where possible, +sea-water was employed for cooking purposes as well. + +The 'Alerte' carried two boats, a dinghy and a gig. We condemned the +gig, as being quite unfit for our work, and left her behind. As a +capacious lifeboat was necessary for landing men and stores on the +island, Mr. White of Cowes built one for us--a light yet strong +mahogany boat, double ended, with water-tight compartments at either +end. She was easy to pull, considering her size, and sailed fairly +well under two sprit-sails. We carried this boat on deck on the +starboard side, as she was too heavy for our davits. The dinghy, on +the other hand, was always swung on the port davits. + +As the stores would put down the vessel a good deal, we took out of +her a corresponding weight of ballast--about eight tons. Two tiers of +lead were removed from under the saloon floor, and in the space thus +gained we stowed the greater part of our tools. + +Among these was a complete set of boring apparatus constructed for us +by Messrs. Tilley, by means of which we should be enabled to explore +through earth and rock to the depth of fifty feet. We also carried a +Tangye's hydraulic jack, capable of lifting twelve tons, which we +found of service when large rocks had to be removed from the trenches. +Shovels, picks, crowbars, iron wheel-barrows, carpenters' and other +tools; a portable forge and anvil, dogs and other materials for +timbering a shaft if necessary, and a variety of other useful +implements were on board. We took with us two of Messrs. Piggot's +large emigrant tents, wire-fencing with which to surround our camp and +so keep off the land-crabs, a few gardener's tools and seeds of +quick-growing vegetables for the kitchen-garden which we intended to +plant on the island--a horticultural scheme which never came off in +consequence of the want of water--taxidermic gear with view to the +rare sea-birds that breed on the island, medical stores and surgical +instruments, fishing-tackle; and, in short, we were well-equipped with +all needful things, a full inventory of which would nearly fill this +book. + +Neither did we omit the precaution of arming ourselves in case any one +should choose to molest us, a not altogether improbable event; for +there was a talk of rival expeditions starting for the island at the +very time we were fitting out; our plans had been fully discussed in +the newspapers, despite our attempt to keep secret our destination at +least; and I called to mind the Yankee vessel that had endeavoured to +anticipate the 'Aurea.' Should some such vessel appear on the scene +just as we had come across the treasure, it would be well for us to be +prepared to defend it. + +Each man, therefore, was provided with a Colt's repeating-rifle, and +in addition to these there were other rifles and several revolvers on +board, and no lack of ammunition for every weapon. The Duke of +Sutherland kindly lent us one of Bland's double-barrelled +whaling-guns, which was carried on his Grace's yacht, the 'Sans Peur,' +during her foreign cruises. This was a quick firing and formidable +weapon, discharging steel shot, grape, shell, and harpoons, and +capable of sending to the bottom any wooden vessel. I think the sight +of it inspired some of my crew with ideas almost piratical. I have +heard them express the opinion that it was a shame to have such a gun +lying idle on board, and that an opportunity ought to be found of +testing its powers. + +Of the provisioning of the 'Alerte' I need say little, for all +foreign-going vessels are provisioned more or less in the same way; +but to foresee all that would be necessary for thirteen men for a +period of at least six months, and to stow away this great bulk of +stores, was not the least troublesome part of our fitting out. + +Former experience had taught me that it would not do to rely too much +on tinned meats, more especially in the tropics. I am confident that a +diet composed principally of these is extremely unwholesome, and to +this cause alone can be attributed an illness that attacked the whole +crew of the 'Falcon' during the latter months of her South American +voyage. The old-fashioned sea-food is the best after all. Salt beef +and salt pork, even after it has travelled a few times round the +world, and is consequently somewhat malodorous, forms a far more +sustaining diet than the very best of tinned meats. The instinct of +the sailor teaches him this; as a rule he detests the flabby, +overcooked stuff out of the cans, and, even if he tolerates it, will +always prefer to it the commonest mess beef, which in odour, taste, +and appearance would be horrible to a fastidious person. But let this +same person have been at sea for a few months, and the chances are +that he will look forward with pleasure to the days on which the salt +junk appears on the ship's bill of fare. + +So, though we took on board a large quantity of tinned meats of +various kinds, we also had some 600 pounds of beef and pork salted +down for us, with which we filled the vessel's harness casks and meat +tanks. This meat was of the very best quality, and for this very +reason a great deal of it was spoiled and had to be thrown overboard. +It had been salted too recently. Barrels of ancient mess beef soaked +with saltpetre and hardened into almost the consistency of a deal +board, though far from being so tasty as was our meat before it was +tainted, would have answered our purpose far better, and would have +kept well despite the high temperature of a small vessel in the +tropics. + +In the same way a short-sighted love of luxury induced us to supply +the vessel with barrels of the best cabin biscuit. The result was that +our bread, long before the termination of the cruise, was swarming +with maggots and an exceedingly unpleasant species of small beetle, +and was, in addition to this, attacked by mildew. A commoner quality +of ship's bread would not have spoiled so readily, for it is known +that insects thrive best and multiply amazingly on this tempting +first-class flour. + +All sorts of preserved food, jams, vegetables, &c., were of course +included in our store-list, as was also the indispensable +lime-juice--the vessel was, in short, supplied with a sufficient +quantity of necessaries and luxuries. + +We got our tobacco out of bond, also our rum, which was the only +alcoholic beverage on board; it certainly is the most wholesome spirit +for sea use, especially within the tropics. + +During the first portion of the voyage small rations of rum were +served out daily to each person on board. Later on, when it was clear +that none of the gentlemen-adventurers showed any inclination to +exceed in this respect at sea, the first mate, Mr. Meredyth, +petitioned me to give up the ration system so far as they were +concerned, and to allow the bottle of spirit to be put on the saloon +table at dinner for their free use. This was done, with no bad result. +The paid hands were, of course, always limited to rations of spirit. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +THE SHIP'S COMPANY. + + +To fit out and store a vessel for a lengthy expedition may be a +somewhat arduous task, but it is an interesting and pleasant one, +which is more than can be said with regard to that equally important +work, the choice of one's companions. One cannot make any very serious +mistake in the selection of one's provisions, but to take the wrong +man with one on a voyage that involves a complete severance from all +the influences of civilisation for months at a time may bring +exceedingly unpleasant consequences. + +I determined to ship as few paid hands as possible, and to outnumber +them with a chosen body of what, in the parlance of the old +privateering days, may be termed gentlemen-adventurers, volunteers who +would contribute to the cost of the expedition, would work as sailors +on board and as navvies on the island, and who would each be entitled +to receive a considerable share of the proceeds of the venture, should +anything be discovered. The officers of the vessel would be selected +from this body, and I myself would act as captain. In this way the +causes which led to the failure of some of the previous expeditions +would be wanting. The professional sailors would be unable--in their +disinclination to face the difficulties of the island--to insist on +the adventurers abandoning the project. There would be no paid captain +to lay down the law to his employers. + +I knew that by the time we should reach Trinidad even those gentlemen +who had never been to sea before would have learnt a good deal, so +that in the case of our paid hands proving mutinous we could dispense +with them altogether. I was well aware that if I undertook such an +expedition with a paid crew of the ordinary type, far outnumbering the +gentlemen aft, the value of the treasure, if discovered, would not +improbably tempt them to murder their officers and employers and seize +it for themselves. With a majority of volunteers on board, each +entitled to a large share in the find, all risk of this description +would be avoided. + +I decided that our complement should be thirteen all told, consisting +of nine gentlemen-adventurers, myself included, and four paid hands. + +The following are extracts from some of the clauses of the agreement +which was entered into between myself and the volunteers:-- + +'Mr. E. F. Knight undertakes to provide a vessel, stores, etc., +suitable for the expedition, and to provide at least sufficient +provisions for the voyage out and home and six months besides. + +'Each member of the expedition will pay in advance to Mr. Knight +100_l._, and undertake to work both on board and on shore under +Mr. Knight's directions. This 100_l._ will be the extent of each +member's liability. + +'During the first six months from the time of landing on the island, +the enterprise can only be abandoned with the consent of Mr. Knight, +and on decision by vote of three-quarters of the members. After six +months have elapsed, a majority of three-quarters of the members will +determine whether the enterprise is to be continued or abandoned. + +'Each member, or, if he die in the course of the expedition, his legal +representative, will receive one-twentieth of the gross proceeds of +the venture. + +'If any member of the expedition mutiny or incite to mutiny, he shall +be tried by a court-martial of the other members of the expedition, +and, if it be decided by a majority of three-quarters that the offence +be sufficiently grave, he shall forfeit all share in the proceeds of +the expedition, subject to an appeal to the English Courts on his +return. + +'None of these rules apply to the paid hands on the vessel.' + + * * * * * + +The paid hands received good wages and were entitled to no share of +the treasure, though they, of course, knew well that, should our +search prove successful and their conduct have been satisfactory, they +would receive a substantial present. + +It would, of course, have been very pleasant for me to have selected +my volunteers from among my own friends, especially those who had been +at sea with me before; but this I found to be impossible, at any rate +at such short notice. I knew dozens of men who would have liked +nothing better than to have joined me, but all were engaged in some +profession or other which it would have been folly to have neglected +for so problematic a gain. The type of man who is willing to toil +hard, endure discomfort and peril, and abandon every luxury for nine +months on the remote chance of discovering treasure, and is, moreover, +willing to pay 100_l._ for the privileges of doing so, is not to be +found easily, either in the professional or wealthy classes. + +There are, doubtless, thousands of Englishmen willing to embark on a +venture of this description, but it is obvious that there is a +likelihood of a fair percentage of these volunteers being adventurers +in the unfavourable sense of the term--men anxious to get away from +England for reasons not creditable to themselves, men, too, of the +rolling-stone description and more or less worthless in a variety of +ways, and who would be more likely than the paid sailors to wax +discontented and foment mutiny. I realised that the selection of my +men should be made with great care. + +Of volunteers I had no lack. An article in the _St. James's +Gazette_ describing my project brought me applications to join from +something like 150 men. + +Some of the letters I received were great curiosities in their way, +and would cause much amusement could I publish them. I interviewed +some sixty of the applicants, and this was certainly far the most +arduous and difficult work connected with the undertaking, so far as I +was concerned. I shall never forget how weary I became of the +repetition to each fresh visitor of the conditions and object of the +voyage, and with what dread I looked forward to my visits to the +little club at which these interviews were held. + +All manner of men made appointments to meet me--the sanguine young +spirits eager for adventure, the cautious and suspicious who would not +risk their 100_l._ unless they were guaranteed a return of 50,000_l._ +or so. There were also those who wasted my time out of mere curiosity, +never having entertained any intention of joining me, and others who +hoped to pump enough information out of me to enable them to earn a +few guineas by writing an article for the newspapers. + +But the majority of my applicants were in earnest, and I will here +take the opportunity of expressing my regret if, in the midst of all +the hurry and worry of that time, I omitted to reply to some of my +correspondents. All the preparations for the voyage had to be carried +out in a very limited space of time, in order that we should get away +from England before the autumnal equinox; I was fitting out the vessel +and selecting gentlemen-adventurers simultaneously, constantly +travelling backwards and forwards between London and Southampton, and +by the time we were ready for sea I was pretty well worn out with +anxious work. + +One by one I selected my men, and those who saw them congratulated me +on having got together a most promising-looking crew. Some, it is +true, proved themselves to be quite unsuitable for the purpose; but at +the end of the expedition, when we were at Port of Spain, I had on +board seven men at least who were ready to go anywhere and do anything +with me, all of them more cheerful, fit, and capable in every respect +than they were on leaving Southampton. + +References were brought to me by each volunteer for the expedition. I +know how worthless references generally are, but never before did I so +strongly realize this fact. The most undesirable person can often +produce excellent testimonials from undoubtedly worthy people, who +have met him in London society, for instance, but who know absolutely +nothing of the true nature of the man, least of all of how he would +prove himself in such an undertaking as this was, when traits are +revealed that do not generally declare themselves in a drawing-room. + +The volunteer whom I made first mate turned out very badly. He was +afraid himself, and he did his best to scare the other gentlemen and +the paid hands. He came to the conclusion that the 'Alerte' was a bad +sea-boat, cranky, too heavily sparred, and generally too small and +unsafe to be entrusted with his valuable life. I found out afterwards +that a little conspiracy was hatching to compel me to sell the +'Alerte' in the Cape Verde Islands for what she would fetch, and +charter a large Yankee schooner. He endeavoured to disseminate +discontent behind my back and to undermine my authority, with the sole +result that he made himself detestable to his companions fore and aft, +and ultimately, having made the vessel too warm to hold him, packed up +his traps and deserted her at Bahia, without giving me any reason for +so doing. + +Not content to desert himself, he did his best to persuade others to +do likewise. He succeeded with one timid individual, who also went off +at Bahia--luckily for us, as we did not want him. There was yet a +third who had half a mind to desert with them, but who remained with +us, a discontented young man to the end. Being the one man of the sort +left on board, his opinions were a matter of indifference to us; but +he was the sole cause of those 'disagreements' of which he has since +complained in print, and I have no doubt made his own life +'disagreeable' enough. To do him justice, he was the ablest swimmer +and the best judge of blue china on board. + +I should not have alluded to our squabbles in this book had not the +men who caused them spread all manner of false reports on their +return, which have appeared in the newspapers and magazines. +Therefore, instead of treating the whole matter with the contempt it +deserves, I am justified, I think, in entering into this explanation +on behalf of myself and of my loyal companions who stuck to the +expedition to the end. + +Only one other of my companions aft voluntarily left me, a very good +fellow, who had undertaken a job the nature of which he had not fully +realised; for the sea, at any rate as viewed from a yacht, had such +terrors for him, and his health suffered to such an extent, that, +under our doctor's advice, he left us at St. Vincent. I believe that a +good deal of his nervousness was due to the insinuations of the first +mate's evil tongue. + +Having rid ourselves of these two people at Bahia, everything went on +much better, all work was done more promptly and smoothly, the old +friction disappeared, a cloud seemed to have been lifted from the +vessel, cheerfulness prevailed, and when we sailed to Trinidad and the +real business and difficulties commenced all was got through in a most +satisfactory fashion. + +Grumbling is the Englishman's privilege on land, still more so at sea, +where some growling is absolutely necessary to relieve the monotony of +ship-life; after leaving Bahia an unusually small amount of this +privilege was enjoyed on the 'Alerte.' + +As I was taking a fair number of paid hands with me, I did not +consider it necessary that all the gentlemen-adventurers should have a +knowledge of seamanship. Indeed, I believe that only the first mate +and the doctor had ever before handled a fore-and-after. However, most +of the others were willing, and soon learnt to take a trick at the +tiller and haul at a rope in a satisfactory manner. + +Some of the volunteers did not treat me quite fairly, for, after +deciding to join me and so causing me to refuse other eligible +candidates, they discovered at the very last moment that something +prevented them from going. This naturally put me to great +inconvenience, and obliged me to take others, to replace them, at the +shortest notice. Thus I had to ship my last two men the day before we +sailed. + +Remembering how interesting was the scenery of Trinidad, I had +intended to acquire some knowledge of photography and carry an +apparatus with me. But one of my volunteers professed to be an +excellent amateur photographer, and as he promised to take upon +himself that part of the work I relied upon him to do so and left it +to him. He was one of those who failed to turn up on the day of +sailing, and we had to put to sea, to my great regret afterwards, +without a camera. + +We were equally unfortunate with our taxidermist. One of the +volunteers had undertaken to take lessons in bird-skinning at my +suggestion; for I knew that Trinidad was the principal breeding place +for sea-birds in the South Atlantic, and that very rare specimens can +be collected there. He, too, never reached the desert island--more, I +must allow, on account of illness than through any fault of his own. +But it was very disappointing, for all that. + +For such a voyage as the one contemplated the presence of a surgeon +was advisable. A young doctor was therefore included among the +gentlemen-adventurers--Mr. Cloete-Smith, who also occupied the post of +mate after the desertion of the officers at Bahia. + +Of the four paid hands one, the boatswain, only accompanied us as far +as Teneriffe. + +Our cook, John Wright, had been with me on three previous voyages as +sole hand. One of our A.B.'s was Arthur Cotton, who, as a boy nine +years before, had been the only paid hand on the 'Falcon' when we +sailed from Southampton to South America. In the course of that voyage +he had visited Trinidad with me, and was now able to spin to his +shipmates long and more or less fantastic yarns concerning the place +we were bound to. The strange island had evidently made a great +impression on his imagination. Our other A.B. was Ted Milner, a lad +from the North Sea fishing-smacks. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +A ROMANCE OF THE SALVAGES. + + +The article in the _St. James's Gazette_ attracted a considerable +amount of attention, as was proved by the bewildering mass of +correspondence with reference to the expedition which I received +during the weeks preceding our departure. Many of these letters were +prompted evidently by mere curiosity, others contained suggestions--of +which some were sensible enough; a few, whimsical in the extreme. +Cranks wrote to me who professed to be acquainted with certain methods +for discovering treasure by means of divining rods, or charms, or +other uncanny tricks. Others had dreamt dreams, in which they had seen +the exact position of the wealth; but most curious of all were the +letters from individuals in all parts of Europe and America who were +acquainted with the existence of other treasures, which they proposed +I should search for in the course of my voyage. To have sought them +all would have meant to sail every navigable sea on the face of the +earth, and to have travelled into the heart of continents; in short, +to have undertaken a voyage which would have extended over a century +or so. To have found them all would have necessitated my chartering +all the merchant fleets of Europe to carry them home; and then gold +would have become a valueless drug on the markets, and my labours +would have been all in vain. + +One individual modestly asked for 1,000_l._ down before he would give +the slightest hint as to the nature of his treasure or its locality; +but, according to him, there could not be the slightest doubt as to +my finding it, and as one item alone of this pile consisted of ten +million pounds' worth of golden bars, it would be the height of folly +on my part not to send him a cheque for the comparatively ridiculous +sum of 1,000_l._ in return for such information. + +Some of these treasure tales were very terrible, and the most +bloodthirsty villains figured in the ghastly narratives. Among my +correspondence I have materials that would supply all our writers of +boys' stories for years. + +But in addition to the numerous impossible tales, there were some well +authenticated, and people who had taken an interest in these matters, +and had carefully collected their data, wrote to me concerning several +promising schemes. + +A few days before sailing, a retired naval officer residing in Exeter +came to see me at Southampton; he told me he had guessed that our +destination was the islet of Trinidad, and that he was acquainted with +the record of another treasure which had been concealed on a desert +island lying on our route, distant about 1,400 miles from Southampton +and 3,400 from Trinidad; and he thought it would be worth our while to +make a call there, and endeavour to identify the spot. + +An outline of this story is given in the 'North Atlantic Directory,' +but the following account was copied by my informant from the +Government documents relating to the matter. + +Early in 1813 the then Secretary of the Admiralty wrote to Sir Richard +Bickerton, the Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, instructing him to +let a seaman who had given information respecting a hidden treasure be +sent in the first King's ship likely to touch at Madeira, so that the +truth of his story might be put to the test. + +The 'Prometheus,' Captain Hercules Robinson, was then refitting at +Portsmouth, and to this officer was entrusted the carrying out of the +Admiralty orders. In his report Captain Robinson states that after +being introduced to the foreign seaman referred to in the above +letter, and reading the notes which had been taken of his information, +he charged him to tell no person what he knew or what was his +business, that he was to mess with the captain's coxswain, and that no +duty would be required of him. To this the man replied that that was +all he desired, that he was willing to give his time, and would ask no +remuneration if nothing resulted from his intelligence. + +A few days afterwards the ship sailed, and in a week anchored at +Funchal, Madeira. During the passage, Captain Robinson took occasion +to examine and cross-question the man, whose name was Christian +Cruise, and compare his verbal with his written testimony. + +The substance of both was that some years before he was sent to the +hospital in Santa Cruz, with yellow fever, with a Spanish sailor, who +had served for three or four voyages in the Danish merchant ship in +which Cruise was employed. He was in a raging fever, but, +notwithstanding, recovered. The Spaniard, though less violently ill, +sank under a gradual decay, in which medical aid was unavailing, and, +a few days before his death, told Cruise he had something to disclose +which troubled him, and accordingly made the following statement. + +He said that in 1804 he was returning in a Spanish ship from South +America to Cadiz, with a cargo of produce and about two millions of +dollars in chests, that when within a few days' sail of Cadiz they +boarded a neutral, who told them that their four galleons had been +taken by a squadron of English frigates, war having been declared, and +that a cordon of cruisers from Trafalgar to Cape Finisterre would make +it impossible for any vessel to reach Cadiz, or any other Spanish +port. What was to be done? Returning to South America was out of the +question, and the captain resolved to try back for the West Indies, +run for the north part of the Spanish Main or some neutral island, and +have a chance thus of saving at least the treasure with which he was +intrusted. The crew, who preferred the attempt of making Cadiz, were +all but in a state of mutiny. But they acquiesced in the proceeding, +and, keeping out of the probable track of cruisers, reached a few +degrees to the southward of Madeira, where they hoped to meet the +trade-winds. + +They had familiarised their minds to plans of resistance and outrage, +but had not the heart to carry them into effect, till, one daybreak, +they found themselves off a cluster of small uninhabited islands fifty +leagues to the southward of Madeira, and nearly in its longitude, the +name of which the narrator did not know. The central island, about +three miles round, was high, flat and green at top, but clearly +uninhabited; the temptation was irresistible: here was a place where +everything might be hidden; why run risks to avoid the English, in +order to benefit their captain and the owners? why not serve +themselves? The captain was accordingly knocked on the head, or +stabbed and carried below, and the ship hauled in to what appeared the +anchorage on the south side of the island. There they found a snug +little bay, in which they brought up, landed the chests of dollars, +and cut a deep trench in the white sand above high-water mark, and +buried the treasure and covered it over, and, some feet above the +chests, deposited in a box the body of their murdered captain. They +then put to sea, resolving to keep well to the southward, and try to +make the Spanish Main, or a neutral island, run the ship on shore and +set her on fire, agree on some plausible lie, and with the portion of +the money which they retained and carried on their persons they were +to purchase a small vessel, and, under English or other safe colours, +to revisit their hoard, and carry it off at once or in portions. In +time, they passed Tobago, and in their clumsy, ignorant navigation, +while it was blowing hard, ran on an uninhabited cay on which the ship +went to pieces, and only two lives were saved. These got to Santa Cruz +or St. Thomas, one died, and the other was the seaman who made the +statement to Christian Cruise. The name of the ship, the owners, the +port she sailed from, the exact date, or various other particulars by +which the truth might be discovered, were not told to Christian +Cruise, or not remembered. + +Captain Robinson gave at length, and in a quaint old-fashioned way, +his impressions as to the _bona fides_ of Cruise. He says:--'May +he not have some interested object in fabricating this story? Why did +he not tell it before? Is not the cold-blooded murder inconceivable +barbarity, and the burying the body over the treasure too dramatic and +buccaneer-like? or might not the Spaniard have lied from love of lying +and mystifying his simple shipmate, or might he not have been raving?' +Captain Robinson then thus satisfactorily replies to his own queries: +'As to the first difficulty, I had the strongest conviction of the +honesty of Christian Cruise, and I think I could hardly be grossly +deceived as to his character, and his disclaiming any reward unless +the discovery was made went to confirm my belief that he was an honest +man. And then, as to his withholding his information for four or five +years, be it remembered that the war with Denmark might truly have +shut him out from any possibility of intercourse with England. Next, +as to the wantonness and indifference with which the murder was +perpetrated: I am afraid there is no great improbability in this; with +self-interest in the scales, humanity is but as dust in the balance. I +have witnessed a disregard of human life in matters of promotion in +our service, etc., even among men of gentle blood, which makes the +conduct of these Spaniards under vehement temptation, and when they +could do as they pleased, sufficiently intelligible. But, certainly, +the coffin over the treasure looked somewhat theatrical, had given it +the air of Sadler's Wells or a novel, rather than matter of fact. I +inquired, therefore, from Christian why the body was thus buried, and +he replied that he understood the object was, that in case any person +should find the marks of their proceeding, and dig to discover what +they had been about, they might come to the body and go no further. +Then, as to the supposition of the Spaniard lying from mere +_méchanceté_, this conduct would be utterly out of keeping in an +ignorant Spanish seaman. But, lastly, he might have been raving, and +on this point I was particular in my inquiries. Cruise said, +'Certainly not, he was quite clear in his mind; his conscience might +be troubled, but his head was not disturbed,' and it is conceivable +enough that this dying criminal might have been able to bring into +such correct review, as he was stated to have done, these portions of +his dark history. The result of my inquiries and cogitations on the +subject was, that the probability was strongly in favour of the +substantial truth of this romance of real life, that I considered +would be still further substantiated if the _locus in quo_, the +Salvages (for to them alone the latitude and longitude pointed), +corresponded with the account given of the tomb of the dollars.' + +Captain Robinson goes on to state that he inquired at Madeira whether +anything had ever been picked up at the Salvages, and was informed +that some years before the taffrail of a foreign ship had been found +there and two boxes of dollars. Being unable to obtain any precise +information, he then proceeded for the islands. On arriving off the +Great Salvage, they found it was about a league in circumference, flat +at top, and green with salsola or saltwort and other alcalescent +plants; and on hauling round the east point opened up a sandy bay with +white beach and the little level spot above high-water mark just as +they wanted to find it. Captain Robinson asked Christian, 'Will this +do?' and the man replied, 'No doubt, sir, it must be the place.' The +captain then sent for the officers, and, pledging them to secrecy that +others might not interfere with them, told them all the story, but +desired them to announce only half the truth to the men--namely, that +they were in search of a murdered man who was supposed to be buried +somewhere above high-water mark. Fifty or sixty of the ship's crew +were then landed, provided with all the shovels there were on board, +and boarding-pikes; and to encourage them they were told that the +discoverer of the coffin should have a reward of one hundred dollars. +Their embarrassment, however, was now extreme; the white sand extended +round the bay, and a large area intervened between the high-water and +the foot of the cliff, which a month would not turn up. They selected +the centre of the beach and went beyond high-water mark to where +Captain Robinson thought the breaking of the sea and the drainage +through the sand might terminate, and where a man would be likely to +drop his burden, and then they dug a deep hole, but with no greater +success than finding some broken shells and rounded pebbles. The men +in the meanwhile were probing with their boarding-pikes in all +directions, and digging in every promising spot. This went on for +several hours, and finally the captain abandoned the search and +ordered the boats on board, and, as night was approaching, and the +ship's situation unsafe, hoisted them in, weighed, and stood out of +the bay and shaped course for Madeira. On arriving at Funchal they +found other orders and occupation, and had no opportunity of +revisiting the spot before their return to England. Nor did the +Admiralty of the day, on receiving Captain Robinson's report, think it +worth while to prosecute the matter further. + +In conclusion, Captain Robinson remarks that, 'In favour of the +affirmative view, there is the apparent honesty, fairness, candour, +and clear-headedness of Christian Cruise, as well as the entire +correspondence of the place with that described; and opposed to this +are the many motives to falsehood, deceit, and self-interest in some +obscure shape, or even mere love of lying; or it may be the ravings of +lunacy and the wonderful plausibility of perverted reason. If I am +asked for my own opinion, I would say that my judgment leans, as I +have already declared, to the probability of some transaction having +taken place, so much so that I certainly think it worth the while of +any yachtsman to try what this might turn up.' + +My informant from Exeter told me that he had sailed by these islands +close in shore while he was serving in the navy, and he gave me an +account of their appearance. He said he had perceived men on the Great +Salvage, and understood that Portuguese or other fishermen visit the +island at one season of the year in order to catch and salt down the +fish that abound in the surrounding sea. He did not consider that +there was ever a large body of these men on the island, so that in the +event of our digging there and discovering the treasure, our party +would be strong enough, well armed as we were, to protect and carry it +off in spite of any opposition that might be offered. + +As my informant pointed out, one curious feature in this vague and not +very encouraging tale of hidden treasure was that the foreign seaman, +according to the report, stated that the chests of dollars were landed +on the middle island, whereas Captain Robinson prosecuted his search +on the Great Salvage, or northernmost island. + +The Salvages consist of three islands, of which the middle one, known +as the Great Piton, is the largest; and if the man's tale be true, it +is on this island that the treasure should be sought. + +It would not be worth while to fit out an expedition to the Salvages +on such evidence as this; 'but,' argued my informant, 'as you must +pass near the group with your vessel, it would not delay you much to +discover whether any bay answering to the man's description exists on +the south side of the Great Piton.' + +I told this gentleman that I would put the matter before my +companions, and that in case they agreed to this deviation from our +original scheme, we would, if possible, land on the Great Piton and +explore the likely portions of the sands for the chests of dollars. + +Seeing that the Salvages, adjacent as they are to both Madeira and the +Canaries, might belong to either Spain or Portugal--though I could +find no record of such being the case--I thought it prudent to keep +this portion of our programme a secret; for the publication of our +intentions in the papers might attract the attention of those who laid +claim to the islets and cause them to interfere with our operations. +Consequently, when we sailed only three men knew whither we were +bound, and I said nothing about the Salvages until we had been two +days at sea, when I repeated the whole story to my companions after +dinner. They were unanimously of opinion that we should visit the +island and see what could be done there. Our course was accordingly +shaped for it. We talked over the possibility of our finding foreign +fishermen on the Salvages, and some of my companions proposed that in +this case we should take charge of their boats for them during our +stay, so that they would have no means of communicating with their +countries and giving notice of our arrival. Having thus, as it were, +taken temporary possession of the island, we were to compel the +fishermen to dig for us at a reasonable rate of pay--a somewhat +high-handed proceeding, but the suggestion at any rate showed that +there were those among my crew who would not be deterred by small +difficulties, when impelled by the prospect of discovering gold. + +I was unable to take a bill of health for our first port of call, as I +did not myself know what it would be, our stoppages on the way out +entirely depending on our necessities, such as want of water or +repairs of any damage to the vessel. If it had been possible to have +done so I would have called at no inhabited place until the +termination of the expedition; but I was well aware that the lack of +something or other would sooner or later drive us into port. I +accordingly procured a bill of health for Sydney; not that I had the +slightest intention of going there, but I knew that this document +would satisfy the authorities of any place at which I was likely to +call for stores: every harbour on either side of the Atlantic can be +considered as being more or less on the way to Australia, and on +entering a port a visé of our bill of health would be all that was +necessary; for there is no law against zigzagging across the world to +one's destination in a leisurely fashion if one chooses to do so. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +OUR FIRST VOYAGE. + + +Our preparations were hurried on at Southampton, and I was never left +in peace, but was in a condition of perpetual work and travel, my sole +relaxation being the frequent farewell dinners given to myself and my +companions by our friends and sympathisers; and very jolly as these +dinners were, they were relaxations in the other sense of the term +rather than reposeful amusements for a weary man. Some of them were +arduous undertakings. + +Our expedition interested the Southampton people a good deal, and all +wished us well; but I do not think many thought that we should be +successful in realizing our fortunes on Trinidad. + +At last all was ready for our departure, when to my considerable +disgust, just as we were about to put to sea, two of the volunteers +suddenly found themselves prevented from going with us. + +I forthwith telegraphed to others on my list of applicants, and at the +very last moment received telegrams from two gentlemen who were +willing to join at this short notice. When their messages arrived, all +my crew and other companions were on board, comfortably settled down, +having bidden their farewells and done with the shore; so I thought it +prudent to send them away from Southampton, where the 'Alerte' was +perpetually surrounded by boatfuls of visitors, to the seclusion of +the little bay under Calshot Castle at the mouth of Southampton Water. +Here they would be out of the way of temptation, as there are no +buildings save the coastguard station. + +Therefore, on the evening of August 28, 1889, the 'Alerte' sailed +slowly down to Calshot, and came to an anchor there, while I waited at +Southampton until the following morning, with the object of securing +my new volunteers as soon as they should arrive, and carrying them +down to the yacht. + +The said volunteers turned up early on August 29. Then, with a party +of some of my old Southampton friends, we steamed down the river on a +launch which had been very kindly placed at our disposal for the +purpose by the Isle of Wight Steamboat Company. Mr. Picket, of course, +would have nothing to do with work in his yard on that day; he took a +holiday and came down to see the last of us. + +We were now all on board; but, finding that some of the fresh stores, +such as vegetables and bread, had not yet arrived, we postponed our +departure until the following day. In the meanwhile we were not idle; +we sent a boat to the Hamble River to fill up those breakers that had +been emptied, we got our whale-boat on deck and secured it, and, in +short, made all ready for sea. + +On the following day the Isle of Wight boat, while passing, left the +missing stores with us; then Mr. Picket's sloop sailed down with some +friends who had determined to bid us even yet another last farewell; +and, after dinner, we weighed anchor and were off, while the friends +on the sloop and the crew of a yacht which was brought up near us gave +us a hearty good-bye in British cheers. + +But our anchor had not yet had its last hold of English mud, and we +were not to lose sight of the Solent that day; for, in consequence of +some clumsiness, or possibly too much zeal on the part of those who +were catting the anchor, the bowsprit whisker on the starboard side +was doubled up; so we had to proceed to Cowes, and bring up there +while we sent the iron on shore to be put in the fire and straightened +again. However, this did not delay us much, for it fell a flat calm, +which lasted through the night; we were better off sleeping +comfortably at anchor than we should have been drifting helplessly up +and down with the tides. + +At 11 a.m. the next morning, it being high-water, we weighed anchor, +and were really off at last, the weather glorious and hot, but the +wind light and variable. + +For weeks, while we had been lying off Southampton, the weather had +been detestable--blusterous north-west winds, accompanied by heavy +rains, prevailing. But now, very opportunely for us, a complete change +set in just as we started, and it was evident that we were at the +commencement of a long spell of settled fine weather. I had +anticipated this luck; for I knew by experience that the last weeks of +August and the first weeks in September are the most favourable for a +voyage south across the bay, for then there generally comes a period +of moderate easterly winds and warm weather, which precedes the stormy +season of the equinox. Thus, when I sailed in the 'Falcon' at this +very time of the year, I was fortunate enough to carry a north-east +wind all the way from Southampton into the north-east trades, and I +was confident that we were destined to do something of the sort now; +nor was I disappointed. + +We got outside the Needles, and, the wind being light from west to +south-west, we tacked very slowly down Channel, always in sight of the +English coast, until nightfall, when the wind dropped altogether, and +we lay becalmed in sight of Portland lights. It was our first Saturday +night at sea (August 31), so we kept up the good old fashion of +drinking to our wives and sweethearts at eight o'clock. We never +neglected this sacred duty on any Saturday night during the whole +cruise. A light air from the east sprang up at night, but, though we +now had racing spinnaker and topsail on the vessel, we made little +progress, and it seemed as if we could not lose sight of the lights of +Portland. + +Throughout the following day--September 1--the same far too fine +weather continued, with light airs from various directions, +alternating with calms. But we did at last contrive to get out of +sight of land this day; Portland, to our delight, became invisible, +and we saw no more of the English coast. + +This calm weather was trying to the patience; but it was perhaps well +for us to have this experience at the commencement of the voyage; for +it enabled the raw hands to settle down to their work quickly, and +there was but little sea-sickness on board. + +At midday, September 2, we were off the chops of the Channel, a fresh +easterly wind that lasted some hours having carried us so far. Then +the wind fell again, and we sailed on in a very leisurely fashion +until the morning of September 5, when, being well in the middle of +the Bay of Biscay, the wind, which was from the south-east, began +gradually to freshen. First we were going five knots through the +water, then seven, and by midday we were travelling between eight and +nine. In the afternoon the wind increased to the force of a moderate +gale and the sea began to rise. During the night some rather high seas +rolled up after us occasionally, so that we had to bear away and run +before them, and only the old hands could be entrusted with the +tiller. We passed Finisterre on this night, but were too far off to +see the lights; and now we had done with the Bay of Biscay, which had +certainly treated the 'Alerte' with great consideration, and not shown +us any of its proverbial bad temper. The wind had gone down by midday +on the 6th, and the run for the previous twenty-four hours was found +to have been 158 miles. + +From this date we kept up a fair average speed; though our voyage +could not be termed a smart one, for there was scarcely a day on which +we were not retarded by several hours of calm. + +While going down Channel we had kept watch and watch in the usual sea +fashion, the first mate taking one watch and myself the other. But now +that we were out at sea, clear of all danger, it became unnecessary to +continue this somewhat wearisome four hours up and four hours down +system; so we divided ourselves into three watches, the second mate +taking the third watch. This gave the men an eight hours' rest below +at a stretch, instead of only four. As we had three paid hands in +addition to the cook, one of these was allotted to each watch. But +before reaching the South American coast the second mate resigned his +post, and we reverted to the watch-and-watch system again, which was +observed until the termination of the cruise. + +A good deal of useless form was kept up at this early stage of the +voyage. A log-slate was suspended in the saloon, and each officer as +he came below would write up a full account of all that had occurred +in his watch. The most uninteresting details were minutely +chronicled--only to be rubbed off the slate each midday, and I think +there was a little disappointment expressed because I would not copy +all these down in my log-book. Had I done so that log-book would have +been a dreadful volume to peruse. + +To us, however, the log-slate was a source of great amusement on +account of its utter fallaciousness. The patent log was, of course, +put overboard when we were making the land, but when we were out on +the ocean and no land was near us we naturally did not take the +trouble to do this, neither did we make use of the common log-ship or +keep a strict dead reckoning. But, despite this, the officer of a +watch would religiously jot down the exact number of knots and +furlongs he professed to have sailed during each of his four hours on +duty; he did not even try to guess the distance to the best of his +ability; he was fired with an ambition to show the best record for his +watch; so he would first scan the slate to see how many knots the +officer just relieved boasted to have accomplished, and then he would +unblushingly write down a slightly greater number of miles as the +result of his own watch, quite regardless of any fall in the wind or +other retarding cause. + +Thus: if five knots an hour had been made in one watch, five and a +quarter would probably be logged for the next, and five and a half for +the next. Sometimes there was a flat calm throughout a watch, and then +the ingenious officer, though he could not help himself and was +compelled to write himself down a zero before three of the hours, +would compensate for this by putting down a big number in front of +that hour during which he imagined that all the individuals of his +rival watches were fast asleep below, and would boldly assert in +explanation that just then he had been favoured with a strong squall +to help him along. + +No one put any confidence in this mendacious slate, which soon became +known on board as the 'Competition Log,' and inspired our wits with +many merry quips. The distance made in each twenty-four hours as +recorded by the Competition Log was about fifty per cent. greater than +that calculated from the observations of the sun. + +At last, on the morning of September 13, having been fourteen days at +sea, and having accomplished a voyage of something under fifteen +hundred miles, we knew that we were in the close vicinity of the +Salvages, and a sharp look-out for land was accordingly kept. We had +seen nothing but water round us since leaving Portland Bill, and all +on board were excited at the prospect of so soon discovering what +manner of place was this desert treasure-island of which we had been +talking so much. + +The Salvages lie between Madeira and the Canaries, being 160 miles +from the former and about 85 from Teneriffe. Vessels avoid their +vicinity, especially at night, on account of the dangerous shoals that +surround them. The description of the group in the 'North Atlantic +Memoir' is as follows:-- + +'The Salvages consist of an island named the Ilha Grande, or the Great +Salvage, a larger island named Great Piton, and a smaller one called +the Little Piton, together with several rocks. The Great Salvage lies +in lat. 30° 8´, long. 15° 55´. It is of very irregular shape, and has +a number of rocks about it within the distance of a mile. It is much +intersected, and has several deep inlets, the most accessible of which +is on the east side. It is covered with bushes, amongst which the +thousands of sea-fowl make their nests. It is surrounded on all sides +with dangers, most of which show, but many require all caution in +approaching. + +'The Great Piton lies at the distance of 8-1/4 miles W.S.W. 3/4 W. +from Ilha Grande. This islet is 2-3/8 miles long, and has a hill or +peak near its centre. The Little Piton lies at a mile from the western +side of the former, and is three-quarters of a mile long; both are +comparatively narrow. These isles are seated upon and surrounded by +one dangerous rocky bank, which extends from the western side of the +little isle half a league to the westward.'... 'The southern part of +the Great Piton appears green, its northern part barren. It may be +seen 5 or 6 leagues off. The Little Piton is very flat, and is +connected to the south point of the greater one by a continued ledge +of rocks. The whole of the eastern side of the Great Piton is rocky +and dangerous.' + +A light north-east trade-wind was blowing, and we were running before +it at a fair rate through the smooth water, with topsail and racing +spinnaker set. It was a glorious morning, with but few clouds in the +sky, and those were of that fleecy, broken appearance that +characterises the regions of the trade-winds. + +At 8.30 a.m. the man on the look-out at the cross-trees sang +out:--'Land right ahead, sir!' Yes--no doubt about it--there it was, +still several leagues off, a faint blue hill of rugged form on the +horizon; we had made an excellent land-fall. While we were straining +our eyes to make out the features of our desert island, our attention +was attracted to a still nearer object which suddenly gleamed out +snowy white as the sun's rays fell on it, triangular in form and +appearing like a small chalk rock, but too far off to be clearly +distinguished. Gradually we approached this, and, after a little +doubt, it proved to be no rock, but a sailing vessel of some kind. +Then with the aid of the binoculars we made her out; she was a small +schooner of foreign rig, evidently hailing from the Canaries or +Madeiras, and she was sailing as we were, shaping a course direct for +the island. + +We had seen no vessel for several days, and the appearance of this +suspicious-looking craft caused some excitement on the 'Alerte.' We +called to mind the foreign fishermen who, according to rumour, +occasionally visit this uninhabited archipelago. Was this one of their +vessels? If so, there might be trouble ahead for us. + +We rapidly gained on the enemy, though we were engaged in a stern +chase. This adventure put my crew in lively spirits, and I think that +some of them began half to imagine themselves to be bold privateers of +the olden days, after a Spaniard or a Frenchman. + +Gradually we approached the Great Salvage, which, lying between us and +the Pitons, concealed the latter from our view. Its appearance was +very different from what we had expected. We had come to the +conclusion, I know not for what reason, that we should find an island +consisting for the most part of great sand-hills; but there was not +the smallest patch of sandy beach to be seen anywhere. Sheer from the +sea rose great rocks of volcanic formation, dark and rugged; and, +though we were still several miles off, we could perceive that the sea +was breaking heavily on every part of the weather coast, for we could +hear the booming of the rollers and see the frequent white flash of +the foam against the black cliff-sides. But above these precipices +towards the centre of the island there was a plateau, or rather an +undulating green down, with one steep green dome dominating all, +looking very fresh and pleasant to eyes that for two weeks had only +gazed at the monotonous plains of the sea. + +As I have already explained, my informant from Exeter was of opinion +that the 'Prometheus' people were wrong in digging on the shores of +the Great Salvage, and that the treasure had been concealed on the +Great Piton or middle island. We decided in the first place to come to +an anchor off the Great Salvage, and after having explored that +island, to sail for the Great Piton. + +According to the Admiralty charts there are two anchorages off the +Great Salvage, one in the East Bay and one in the South Bay. We +accordingly steered so as to coast down the east side of the island, +and thus open out both of these inlets. + +At midday we were not quite a league astern of the schooner. She was +close under the north point of the island, when suddenly she hauled +her wind and steered in a westerly direction, seemingly for the open +sea; so we came to the conclusion that our excitement had been +groundless, and that in all probability we should not be troubled by +inquisitive foreigners during our exploration of the Salvages. + +We soon found that it was necessary to exercise considerable caution +while approaching this island. Nearly two miles away from it there was +a shoal over which the sea was breaking heavily; we passed between +this and the island as directed by the chart, and kept close under the +shore, where the dark violet of the deep sea was changed for the +transparent green of comparatively shallow water. Here again we had to +pick our way through outlying rocks and shoals. One of these shoals is +particularly dangerous, for, as there is some depth of water over it, +the sea only occasionally breaks, and for a quarter of an hour at a +time there is nothing to indicate the danger, so that a vessel might, +through inadvertence, be taken right on to it. + +When we were close to it the sea happened to break, and the sight was +a lovely, yet a terrible one. A huge green roller, very high and +steep, suddenly rose as if by magic from the deep; then swept over the +shoal, and, when it reached the shallowest part, its crest hung over, +forming a cavern underneath, through whose transparent roof the sun +shone with a beautiful green light; and lastly, the mass overtopping +itself fell with a great hollow sound, and was dashed to pieces in a +whirl of hissing foam. Had the old 'Alerte' been there at that moment +her end would have come swiftly, and perhaps ours too. + +The chart seems to mark these rocks and breakers very correctly, and +there is small danger of falling a victim to them if proper +precautions are observed. Besides which, the water is so clear that +one can see through it many fathoms down, and a man in the cross-trees +with an eye experienced to the work could always detect a danger in +good time. + +We rounded the north-east point and opened East Bay. We did not like +the look of the anchorage here, which is in ten fathoms, and could see +no good landing nor any signs of a sandy beach; so we sailed on and +doubled the south-east point and the shoals that extend some way from +it, suddenly opening out South Bay, the one in which it seems that the +'Prometheus' came to an anchor. + +And then, to our astonishment, we beheld a very unexpected sight. +Rolling easily on the green ocean swell, at some three cables' length +from the shore, lay a small schooner at anchor; her crew--a +half-naked, bronzed, and savage-looking lot--were engaged in stowing +her mainsail. She was evidently the same schooner we had seen outside. +While we had been coasting round the east side of the island, she had +followed the west side, and here we had met again. But she was not the +only surprise in store for us. There were no sandy dunes in this bay; +its shores were steep and rocky, and on either side reefs, on which +the sea broke, protected the anchorage to some extent. At the head of +one picturesque cove, wherein was evidently the best landing-place, +were two small huts, put together of rough stones from the beach, and +from these a footpath wound up the bare volcanic cliffs to the green +plateau some four hundred feet above. A quantity of barrels were being +quickly landed here from one of the schooner's boats, and several +other wild-looking men were carrying these up to a cavern a little way +up the rocks behind the huts. The whole formed a wild and fantastic +picture. It was just such a scene as Salvator Rosa would have +delighted to paint, it would have suited the savage austerity of his +style. The rugged cove might well have been the haunt of smugglers or +pirates. And who, we wondered, were these people, and what were they +doing; these were mysterious proceedings for a desert island! The +evident labour of the men while carrying the barrels proved to us that +they were very heavy. 'Perhaps,' suggested one of us--'perhaps we have +just arrived at the right moment to interrupt another band of pirates +in the act of hiding another immense treasure.' + +This would have been almost too great a stroke for my band of +adventurers. It would have been very pleasant to have saved ourselves +all the trouble of digging, and to have simply carried off the +evilly-earned hoard of these wicked men and divided it among our +virtuous selves. We had sanguine men on board whom no failure +disheartened, despite their invariable habit of counting their +chickens before they were hatched; so I was not surprised to be now +asked by the sportsman of our party how long I thought it would +take us to get back to England. When I had replied, he evinced +great satisfaction. 'Oh, that is all right then!' he said. 'We can +get this stuff on board and be back home just in time for the +pheasant-shooting; and, after that, we can fit out again and fetch +our other treasures.' + +We came to an anchor in seven fathoms of water a short distance +outside the schooner. It was not the sort of roadstead I should like +to remain long in; for an iron-bound shore was before us, and around +were numerous shoals on which the rollers kept up a perpetual +hulla-balloo--a nasty trap to be caught in should the wind suddenly +veer to the southward. + +It was after one o'clock when we brought up, so we decided to go below +and dine before doing anything else, and the conversation at table +became more piratical in its tone than ever. After the details of how +we were to enrich ourselves despite all obstacles had been thoroughly +discussed, each of the adventurers explained in what way he would +spend his share of the booty; how it should be invested was, of +course, far too prosaic a matter for his consideration. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +ON THE SALVAGES. + + +As soon as dinner was over the whale-boat was put into the water, and +I pulled off to the landing-place with two of my companions. + +The men on shore were still employed in carrying the barrels up to the +cavern, but when we approached they ceased working, and stood gazing +at us, with a not unnatural curiosity. We found the landing-place to +be a queer one. A little channel clove the rocks for sixty or seventy +feet inland. This inlet was so narrow that there was scarce room +within it to work a boat with oars, and, as the ocean swell entered it +with sufficient force to render a collision with the rocks dangerous +for any boat, an ingenious arrangement had been placed there to +facilitate the landing. Just outside the entrance of the inlet a +barrel floated, which was moored to a big stone or anchor at the +bottom; a stout grass rope was attached to this barrel, and the other +end of it was made fast to a rock on shore at the head of the inlet. +By hauling along this rope, which was sufficiently taut for the +purpose, the boat was kept well in the centre of the channel, and all +risk of getting foul of the rocks on either side was avoided. At the +end of the inlet was a rocky shelf, on to which we jumped, having +first made our boat fast to the rope in such a way that she could not +bump against the shore. + +Then there came down to us a very brown and amiable-looking old +gentleman, whose dress consisted solely of a short, ragged shirt, +which had once, I think, been of a vivid green, but which had now been +toned down to a more æsthetic tint with age and dirt. He welcomed us +to the island by silently shaking each of us by the hand very +cordially. + +I addressed him in Spanish, but he shook his head and commenced to +speak in a language which I recognised as a Portuguese patois of some +description. But we soon contrived to understand each other fairly +well. He told me that he was the padron of the wild crew who stood +round listening to our conversation with grave faces--a sort of +governor of the islet, and chief owner of the barrels of wealth which +lay before us. He was also captain of the schooner. + +Then he beckoned us to follow him, and he led us into one of the stone +huts, the furniture of which consisted of barrels like those that were +being landed from the schooner, an open hogs-head of black grapes, and +a demijohn. The good old man pulled out a pannikin from between the +stones of the wall, and proceeded to serve out to each of us a tot of +excellent aguardiente from the demijohn. + +One of the half-naked men happened to be bringing another of the +mysterious barrels into the hut; so, without showing any impolite +curiosity, I contrived to hint that I should like to know what it +contained. The padron forthwith dipped the pannikin into a barrel that +had been already broached, and poured the contents into my hand. It +was, as I had expected, not pirate treasure, but coarse salt. + +Then he explained to me that he and his companions were natives of +Madeira, that they were in the habit of coming here with their +schooner at this season of the year, and that they made this bay their +headquarters for salting down the fish which they caught, but that for +the remainder of the year there were no human beings on these islands. +He further said that the Salvages were claimed by the Portuguese, and +not by the Spanish. On being asked whether there was any fresh water +on the island, he said there was a small fountain in a hollow on the +summit, and that all the water they used had to be brought down from +there in small breakers on the heads of his men. They were nimble +enough in scrambling down the cliffs under their burdens, as we saw +later on; but all Madeirans are excellent mountaineers. + +Then the padron, looking rather sly, inquired in his turn:--'What have +you Englishmen come here for? It is rare that vessels come by here.' + +'It is on our way to Teneriffe,' I replied, 'and as this is a pleasure +yacht we are not bound to time.' + +'Once before an Englishman came here. I thought you might have come +for the same reason as he.' + +'And why did he come?' + +'To look for hidden money.' + +This was very interesting, but we tried to assume a look of innocent +surprise, as if we had heard nothing of this before. + +'There is a great treasure hidden on this island somewhere,' he +continued, 'and the English know of it. Some years ago this milord +came with his yacht, a bigger one than yours, a steamer with three +masts, and they dug for the treasure. Oh! it is a great treasure, more +than a thousand English pounds they say; but the Englishmen did not +find it.' + +'Where did they dig?' I asked. + +'I do not know. I was not on the island at the time. It was several +years ago.' + +That was all he seemed to know; we could elicit no further information +on the subject from him; but it was evident that the 'Alerte' was not +the first yacht that had come to the Salvages in search of the hidden +chests of dollars. + +We then set forth to explore the island. We climbed the narrow path +that zigzagged up the bare cliffs, and in the construction of which a +considerable amount of labour must have been expended, a proof in +itself that the rare visitors to the island were Portuguese, for these +people alone take the trouble to make roads on desert islands. They +seem to love for its own sake the arduous work of cutting paths up +difficult precipices, and very cleverly they do it too. We came across +the remains of excellent Portuguese roads even among the apparently +inaccessible crags of Trinidad. + +We reached the green downs on the summit. The sky was cloudless and a +fresh breeze was blowing over the sea, so the tramp was very enjoyable +to us after the cramped life on board of a small vessel. + +On every portion of these downs we found walls roughly put together of +piled-up stones, which in some places formed long parallel lines, in +others square enclosures. The object of these had probably been to +prevent the soil from being washed into the sea; but whatever +cultivation had formerly been carried on here had evidently been +abandoned long since, in consequence, no doubt, of the insufficiency +of the water-supply. The fishermen appeared to be entirely ignorant of +the history of these old walls. In one place there were traces of an +ancient vineyard. Wherever the ground was not too stony a coarse grass +grew luxuriantly over the downs. There were also wild tomatoes in +profusion and alkaline sea plants of various species. + +We saw many rabbits dodging among the rocks, and gulls and cormorants +in quantities. The cormorants dwelt with their families in fine stone +houses which they had constructed with great ingenuity. Some of the +stones were large and heavy; it would be interesting to observe how +the birds set to work to move these and how they put their roofs on. I +have been told that they rake up a mound of stones with their powerful +wings in such a way that by removing some of those underneath they +leave the roof above them. The gulls are not such good architects as +the cormorants, and for the most part live in the natural crevices of +the rocks, or in holes which they steal from the rabbits. We, however, +saw one conscientious gull in the act of making his own house. He had +selected a large stone lying on soft soil, and was burrowing a deep +cavern underneath it. + +We walked round the downs, looking over the cliffs into every bay; but +we could see no extensive sandy beach such as that described by +Captain Robinson. There were small patches of sand here and there, and +that was all. The shore was formed of rock and shingle. It is probable +that many changes have taken place on this exposed islet since the +visit of the 'Prometheus'; the sands may have been washed away, and +there is no doubt that rocks and rocky landslips are constantly +falling from above. + +We saw clearly that it would be useless for us to dig in any of these +bays; for none of them corresponded with the description given by the +Spanish sailor; so we came to the conclusion that our search must be +undertaken, if anywhere, on the middle island and not on the Great +Salvage. + +When on the summit of the island we looked out towards the south for +the famous Peak of Teneriffe, which is said to be sometimes visible at +a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. We were not much more than +eighty miles from it here and the day was quite clear, but we could +see no signs of it; neither was it visible while we were on the Great +Piton, which is eight miles nearer. I have been at sea in the +neighbourhood of Teneriffe on several occasions, but have never yet +had a view of the great mountain, so either I am very unlucky or it +must be rare indeed that it is to be distinguished at anything like +the distance alleged. + +Having explored the islet, we proceeded to hunt rabbits. We had +brought no guns with us, so tried to kill them with stones, but failed +completely; we were all out of practice at this sort of sport. We then +descended the path to the huts, where the padron gave us a smiling +welcome, and, inviting us again into the hut, produced for our benefit +an unwonted luxury, a bottle of rough Madeira. We purchased some +grapes from him and a bottle of aguardiente, and, having bade farewell +to our Portuguese friends, we pulled off to the yacht and recounted +our adventures to the others. + +When we tasted the aguardiente we discovered that the monarch of the +desert island understood how to trade in quite a civilised fashion; it +was horrible stuff, not at all up to the excellent sample he had +treated us to on our landing. + +Shortly before sunset the schooner, having discharged all her salt, +weighed anchor and set sail for Madeira, leaving about six men behind +on the island. + +As some of my companions seemed rather keen on taking their guns on +shore and having a few hours' rabbit-shooting, I decided that the +yacht should remain at anchor where she was during the following +forenoon, so as to enable them to enjoy their sport and stock our +larder with fresh meat--a very acceptable luxury--while I would sail +with a few hands in the whale-boat at daybreak to the Great Piton, +effect a landing there if possible, and discover whether there was any +bay which answered to the Spanish sailor's description. In the +afternoon the yacht was to get under weigh, and rejoin me at the other +island. + +So at 4 o'clock the next morning, September 14, we had coffee, put +some provisions and two breakers of water into the boat, together with +a few picks and shovels, a compass and other necessaries, and then +sailed away. + +I left the first mate in charge of the yacht, having first arranged a +short code of signals with him, so that I could communicate from the +shore when the yacht appeared off the Great Piton. + +I took one of the signal code flags with me, which when flying from a +perpendicular staff was to signify 'All Right,' two waves of the flag +indicated that we were coming off to the yacht in the boat, four waves +was an order to the mate to send the dinghy off to us, and eight or +more waves meant that we had found a likely-looking place and that I +had decided to carry on digging operations. We were to indicate the +best anchorage by pointing the flag in the direction we wished the +yacht to be steered. + +It was still dark when we got under weigh in the whale-boat, so the +binnacle light was lit, and we shaped our course by compass towards +the still invisible island, which was about nine miles distant. + +I had with me the doctor, the second mate, and one of the paid +hands--Arthur Cotton. When we got clear of the protecting island we +found that a fresh wind was blowing nearly right aft; so we set the +two sprit-sails and ran fast across a tumbling sea, the Atlantic swell +looking formidable when our little boat was in the deep hollows +between the lofty crests. + +By-and-by a faint light appeared in the east, and a red, rather +stormy-looking dawn broadened across the dark sky. + +Shortly after sunrise, the mists clearing from the islet, we perceived +the Great Piton right ahead of us; but we only caught sight of it when +we were on the summits of the waves, losing it again when we were in +the deep valleys between. + +We scudded on, and as we approached nearer, the sea became more +confused and a little water tumbled on board occasionally. Outlying +rocks showed their black heads above the water here and there, while +curling breakers indicated the presence of other invisible dangers. + +We lowered our sails and inspected the island from a safe distance +before venturing to land; for if proper precautions are not exercised +it is a very easy matter to lose one's boat in a moment while beaching +on any of these small oceanic islets. + +We saw that the Great Piton was much lower than the Great Salvage, the +shore was rocky and indented, and there was a good deal of surf in +places. Above the shore was a green undulating plain, while towards +the middle of it rose a steep dome with dark rocks at the summit. + +The average height of the plain above the sea seemed to be about +twenty feet, and the central hill, according to the chart, is only 140 +feet high. We observed that there were sandy beaches in many of the +little coves, and some of these tallied well with the spot described +by the Spaniard. + +The Great Piton is a long narrow island extending from north-east to +south-west magnetic; therefore the whole side facing the south-east +could be accurately described as the south side. It was somewhere on +this shore that the mutineers must have landed with the chests. + +Picking our way through the outer shoals we made for what appeared to +be the best landing-place, a snug little cove at the eastern extremity +of this south side. Here we landed without any difficulty; but, +finding it impossible to haul our heavy boat up the beach, we moored +her safely in the bay and waded on shore with our stores. + +On a sandy slope above the rocks we found the ruined walls of a stone +hut. By placing our sails over these we made a snug little house. 'And +now,' cried our medical adviser, 'I suggest that, before doing +anything else, we have breakfast.' Our early morning sail on the ocean +had given us all a hearty appetite; so a fire was lit, cocoa made, and +the ship biscuits and tinned beef were duly appreciated. Then we +enjoyed our pipes, and leaving Arthur behind to make the camp as +comfortable as he could, we set forth to explore the island. Our first +discovery was that the corner on which we had landed became a separate +islet at high-water; for it was divided from the bulk of the Great +Piton by a broad depression, across which at about three-quarters +flood the sea rushed with a violent current. This depression was of +rock and lava, and it had been worn into a smooth and level floor by +the action of innumerable tides. At low water it was several feet +above the sea, so that one could then walk across dryshod. + +We walked along the whole southern shore of the island, and it +appeared to us that there were at least three coves to which the +Spaniard's description could apply equally well. We found no +inhabitants, but there were frequent signs of the Portuguese fishermen +who occasionally visit the islet. We saw many foot-prints on the +sands, showing that some men had been here very recently. We came +across their rough stone huts full of fleas, some of their +fishing-tackle, mounds of coarse salt, the ashes of their fires, and +in one cavern there were stored the large iron pots in which they +cooked their food. + +We found no rabbits on the island, and very few birds. The sole +creatures on shore were beetles, flies, and fleas. The latter lively +insects were a great plague to us at night; it was unwise of us to +pitch our camp in the hut of a Portuguese fisherman. On the beach were +great numbers of very active little crabs. There was no fresh water on +the island. + +We ascended the peak, which is named Hart Hill. Its top is formed of +rugged masses of coal-black rock, evidently of volcanic formation, and +this is studded with large black crystals, like plums in a +plum-pudding. These crystals attracted our attention at once. We +chipped off some and found them hard and heavy. We began to speculate +on the nature of this substance, and, as none of us knew much of +mineralogy, we of course at once decided, in our usual sanguine way, +that this must be an oxide of antimony, or manganese, or some other +valuable product. There were thousands of tons of this stuff on the +island, so we clearly saw our way to another vast fortune of a +different description to that we were seeking. It was settled that we +would obtain a concession from the Portuguese before the value of our +find leaked out, then we would sell our rights to an English company +or syndicate for an immense sum. We sat there on the top of our +crystalline treasure and arranged it all. 'It might be worth while,' +suggested one humdrum individual, 'in the first place to send a +specimen home to be assayed, so that we may form some approximate idea +of the extent of our fortunes; but we must send it to some person whom +we can rely upon not to breathe a word of the secret and so stop our +chances of making an advantageous bargain with the Portuguese.' + +Later on, when we reached Teneriffe, we did send some of the crystals +home, and when we arrived at Bahia we were informed by letter of the +result of the assay and of the exact market value per ton of the +stuff. + +But I will not keep any of my friends who may read this book in +suspense. They need not apply to me for an early allotment of shares +in the great syndicate. We have not made our fortunes just yet. I will +anticipate by giving the assayist's report. It ran thus:--'Volcanic +hornblende. Commercial value--nil.' + +But we did not waste much time in building our castles in the air, and +returned to business. + +Looking from the summit of our hornblende peak the whole island lay +stretched out before us like a map, and we could easily distinguish +all the features of the Little Piton, which seemed to be about two +miles away. On the Admiralty chart the coast and shoals of the Great +Salvage are correctly drawn; but this cannot be said of the plan of +the Great Piton: this is utterly unreliable. The survey does not +profess to be more than a superficial one, but great changes must have +occurred here since it was made. There are not wanting signs that the +sea has encroached a great deal on the land, and that it is still +doing so. In the first place the island is not three miles long, as +shown on the chart; its length cannot exceed one mile and a half. The +shores, again, are far more irregular in shape, the outer islands and +shoals more numerous, than the chart indicates. Perhaps these last +have been cut off the island by the sea since the survey. We perceived +that the sea was breaking all round the island on far projecting +promontories and shallow reefs; but, strangely enough, where the chart +does mark one well-defined continuous reef joining the Great Piton to +the Little Piton, there appeared to be a broad open channel of deep +water. + +We saw one likely-looking bay to the southward of our camp, so, while +we were waiting for the yacht, we three of us set to with our shovels, +and dug parallel trenches in the sand at right angles to the shore, +working upwards from a short distance above high-water mark. We did +not dig these trenches to a greater depth than three feet, for we then +came to a hard soil which to all appearance had never been disturbed. +We found it pretty hard work under that fiery subtropical sun, +unaccustomed as we were to the use of pick and shovel. + +In the afternoon the yacht appeared off the island; so we signalled to +her with the flag in the preconcerted manner: 'Come to an anchor.' 'We +will pass the night on shore.' And, whereas eight or more waves of the +flag were to signify that we had found a likely place for the hidden +treasure, we waved most energetically for quite two minutes--a +sanguine signal that must have led my companions on board to conclude +that we had at least discovered the first of the chests of dollars. + +The yacht came to an anchor off the bay at which we had first landed. +The mate came off to us in the dinghy, and I told him our plans and +instructed him to send other hands off to us in the morning, together +with all necessary stores. He then returned to the yacht, while we +passed the night in our hut in the company of the innumerable +sleepless fleas. + +Early on the following morning--September 15--the boat came off with +five more of my companions, which raised our shore-party to nine. + +We then shifted our camp from the torture hut of fleas to a sandy spot +further to the southward under Hart Hill, and here we pitched the two +emigrant tents which had been brought for Trinidad. The boat returned +to the yacht for the stores, and brought back to us all the picks, +shovels, and crowbars, a forty-gallon tank of water, and plenty of +provisions, including a savoury stew of Salvagee rabbits, for our +sportsmen had had good luck on the previous day. + +After the camp had been put in order the whole party set forth to +survey the southern shore, and each, having read the Spaniard's +narrative, gave his opinion as to the most likely spot. + +Then we arranged a methodical plan of action, and his portion of work +was allotted to each man. We dug trenches in parallel lines in some +places, in others we drew them in A shapes, gold prospector's fashion, +generally working in a sandy earth, but sometimes through shingle. + +The surface of the island has, no doubt, undergone many changes since +1804, the year in which it is alleged that the treasure was buried. It +was therefore often difficult to decide to what depth the trenches +should be dug; for we came to a hard, darker soil, which some of us +considered to be of ancient formation, undisturbed for centuries, +while others were of opinion that loose sand mixing with vegetable +matter could easily have consolidated into this in the course of +eighty years. When we had dug the trenches as far down as we intended +we sounded the earth to a still greater depth by driving in the +crowbars at short intervals. At one time some excitement was caused by +the discovery of bones, but our doctor pronounced them to be the bones +of a whale and not of a human being. + +By dinner time we had dug a goodly array of trenches; for we were +working energetically despite the burning sun. + +While we were enjoying an interval of rest after the midday meal and +smoking our pipes, I took those of the working-party who had not yet +seen the black crystals to the summit of Hart Hill, and asked their +opinion of the mineral. None of them had seen a rock of like formation +before, and they thought this might prove a valuable discovery. Our +sportsman took in the value of the hill at a glance. 'Well,' he said, +'I don't think so much of this as of the other treasures. However, it +may be worth a quarter of a million or so to us. I will put my share +of it on "X" for the Derby.' I may mention that the horse he selected +did not turn out to be this year's Derby winner. + +We worked steadily through the afternoon, also for the whole of the +next day, September 16. On this day the mate reported that the +remainder of our salt beef, some 400 pounds, was spoiled. It had, +accordingly, to be thrown overboard. + +It was just possible that the treasure had been hidden on the Little +Piton, and not on the island on which we were working. The Little +Piton might be described as the middle island, for it lies between the +Great Piton and another small islet or rock, apparently not marked in +the chart; while the Great Salvage is as often as not invisible from +here. + +So on the morning of September 17, leaving the other hands to continue +the trenches, I sailed in the whale-boat with two of my companions to +the Little Piton. We found that this islet also had a sandy down in +its centre; but after several trials we saw that it was impossible to +effect a landing on any part of it. There was no snug little cove, +such as the one described by Cruise. The sea was breaking in an ugly +way along the rocky coast, and the water round the islet was so +thickly studded with rocks and reefs that it was dangerous to approach +it. + +After inspecting the shore as closely as we dared we abandoned the +attempt, and, setting sail, hurried back to the Great Piton; for the +sky looked stormy to windward, and a heavy rain-squall came up which +for a time hid all land from our sight--not desirable weather for +cruising about the Atlantic in an open boat, for should a strong wind +rise we should be unable to make any way against it, and might easily +be blown away from the islets out to sea. + +We landed again safely on the Great Piton, and after digging for some +more hours, we sat together in council, and upon a little discussion +it was unanimously decided that it was not worth our while to carry on +any further operations on the Salvages. We had already dug hard for +four days and might easily dig for forty more without having explored +more than a small fraction of the sandy beaches on the south side of +the island. Besides this there existed a considerable doubt whether +this was the right island at all. The information was of far too vague +a nature, our chance of success far too remote, to encourage us to +stay longer. Moreover, the anchorage was a very unsafe one should it +come on to blow, and even now the glass was falling rapidly and the +sky looked ominous. + +I had originally intended to sail for St. Vincent in the Cape Verde +islands, and had indeed directed letters to be forwarded to us there; +but this island was still a thousand miles distant, and, seeing that +we had lost all our salt beef and had consumed a good deal of our +water--the digging on the island under the sun had, of course, +produced great thirst--it became almost necessary to call for +provisions at some nearer port than St. Vincent. + +I accordingly decided to sail for Santa Cruz on Teneriffe, which is +less than a day's sail from the Great Piton, if one have any luck in +one's winds. + +So we broke up our camp, struck the tents, carried everybody and +everything on board in two journeys of the boat, then got both boats +on board, and made all ready for sea. + +With the exception of the Salvages, I had before visited every place +at which we called with the 'Alerte'; and even the Salvages were not +entirely new to me, for I had seen them from the deck of the +steam-yacht 'Sans Peur' in 1885, when she was on her way from Madeira +to Teneriffe. + +This cruise consequently was not quite so fresh and interesting to me +as to my companions, and would have seemed almost a dull one had it +not been for the excitement of treasure-hunting. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +RUNNING DOWN THE TRADES. + + +At four in the afternoon we hoisted the sails and weighed the anchor. +I was at the helm at the time, and was very surprised at the +extraordinary manner in which the vessel now behaved. She seemed +bewitched; a nice breeze was blowing, her sails were full, and yet she +gathered no way on her, forged not a foot ahead, but remained where +she was, tumbling about uneasily on the long ground-swell. + +She was acting for all the world like an obstinate buckjumping horse. +Never before had the amiable old yawl evinced any signs of temper, and +this display grieved me very much, for I had thought better of her. + +This strange behaviour went on for quite a minute, when suddenly she +seemed to come to her senses, gave herself a shake, and with a quick +leap darted ahead and was rushing through the water in her usual +steady style. + +One of the crew now happened to look over the side, and called the +attention of the others to something that he saw dangling there. There +was a roar of laughter. The good old vessel had been cruelly wronged +by our suspicions; she was entirely innocent of obstinacy or temper of +any sort. Our purser alone was to blame for what had occurred. He was +a most energetic but unsuccessful fisherman, and had come on board at +Southampton well provided with fishing tackle of all descriptions; he +was prepared for every inhabitant of the deep, from the narwhal and +the whale to whelks and whitebait. So on this afternoon, while we were +getting ready for sea, he had been vainly attempting to catch sharks +with a bit of our condemned beef as bait, and had forgotten to take +his line on board when we got under weigh. The stout shark hook had +got hold of the rocks at the bottom and had securely anchored us by +the stern. The strong line held well, but something had to give way +before the increasing straining of the vessel as the wind filled her +sails; on hauling in the line we found that one arm of the hook had +broken off and so released us. + +At sunset the desert islets faded out of sight, and we sailed on +through the night across a smooth sea with a light westerly breeze on +our beam. + +That we failed to discover the treasure on the Salvages did not +dishearten my companions in the least. It is true that all had +realised beforehand how remote were our chances of success; still, it +was very encouraging to find that there was no grumbling or expression +of disappointment after those four days of hard digging in vain under +a hot sun: it argued well for the way in which these men would face +the far greater difficulties of Trinidad. + +On the following morning, September 18, we caught sight of the Peak of +Teneriffe, about twenty miles distant. We sailed past the north point +of the island, coasted by the volcanic mountains that, with their +barren inhospitable crags, give so little indication of the fertile +vales within, and came to an anchor at 2 p.m. off Santa Cruz. + +The Port doctor immediately came off to us, and was quite satisfied +with my bill of health for Sydney, and my explanation that we had +called here for provisions and water; so he gave us pratique without +demur. + +Then land-clothes were donned, and some of my companions went on shore +to enjoy the luxuries of civilisation once again. + +Santa Cruz is a pleasant little place, and seemed to me to have +improved a good deal since my last visit. The hotels at any rate are +far better than they were; I remember that it was once impossible to +get a decent meal in the town, but we were now quite satisfied with +the International Hotel in the Plaza. It is under English management, +and several of our countrymen and countrywomen were passing the winter +there. Some of my companions dined at this hotel every night during +our stay, and expressed themselves well contented with the table; like +all pirates, they were, of course, great gourmets while on shore and +knew the difference between good and bad. + +We remained a week at Santa Cruz, being delayed by a variety of +causes, so some of the party were enabled to travel over the island on +donkeys and see its peculiar scenery. + +A very sharp little ragged boy took a great fancy to the 'Alerte' +crew. He insisted on protecting the innocent foreigners and acting as +their cicerone when they walked about the town. He drove all other +beggars and loafers away from them, and even bullied the sentries when +they raised objections to a couple of my men trespassing on the +forbidden precincts of the citadel. This urchin was afraid of no one, +and was very intelligent; as few of us understood his Spanish, he +communicated all that he had to say by means of a most expressive +pantomime. It was grand to observe his apologetic manner when he took +us into the cathedral and showed us the flags that had been captured +from Nelson during his disastrous attack on Teneriffe in 1797. He +looked up into our faces with a solemn and sympathetic look. He would +not hurt our feelings for worlds. + +The ragged urchins of Santa Cruz are as like each other as so many +John Chinamen; so, when our own particular boy was not by, some other +would come to us with a welcoming smile and attempt to impersonate +him. Therefore, in order to distinguish our own from his pretenders, +we decorated him with an old brass button, which he wore proudly on +his breast. + +I will not attempt here a description of this so often described +island. In my opinion it must be a far pleasanter winter resort than +that somewhat melancholy island Madeira, where there is a depressing +sense of being imprisoned by the steep mountains. The mountains of +Teneriffe are still higher, but there are broad and beautiful plains +beneath them that give an idea of freedom and breathing-room. There +are excellent hotels in other portions of Teneriffe, and in the +neighbourhood of Santa Cruz there are many beautifully situated villas +and châteaux belonging to the native gentry that can be hired at very +moderate rates indeed, while provisions are good and cheap. + +The ship's complement was diminished by two at Santa Cruz, the +boatswain and one of the volunteers leaving us. + +Before sailing we took on board a large quantity of stores, including +barrels of salt beef which proved to be of a very inferior quality to +that we had brought from Southampton, but this was ancient, and, +having arrived at a certain stage of nastiness, was not likely to get +any worse. The paid hands quite approved of it, for it was at any rate +better than that served out on the majority of merchant vessels. We +also procured some very fair native wine, like a rough port, which, +mixed with water, formed a wholesome drink for the tropics. The high +temperature we experienced while crossing the equator nearly spoiled +this, so that we had to fortify it further with rum in order to +preserve it. On the last day of our stay we went to the excellent +fruit market, and laid in a good supply of grapes, bananas, and other +fruits and vegetables. We also purchased a quantity of the cheap +native cigars; so for a while we lived luxuriously on board ship. + +I would have sailed from here direct for Bahia, at which port--as +being the nearest to Trinidad--it was my intention to fill up with +water and other necessaries before commencing our chief operations; +but as letters were awaiting many of us at St. Vincent in the Cape +Verdes I decided to call at that island on the way. + +At 9 a.m., September 25, we weighed anchor and sailed to St. Vincent. +The distance is a little under 900 miles, which we accomplished in +seven days. + +For the first three days we encountered south to south-east winds, +with fine weather. On September 28 the wind veered to the north-east, +being thus right aft. As the boom of our racing spinnaker was a very +heavy spar and formed a considerable top weight while standing along +the mainmast in the usual way, we unshipped it from its gooseneck and +laid it on deck. + +We had now come into a region of strong trades. The wind was fresh and +squally and we ran through the night with the tack of our mainsail +triced well up and our mizzen stowed. + +On the following day, September 29, the glass was still falling, and +the sea running up astern of us was occasionally high and steep. There +were signs of worse weather coming, so we prepared for it by striking +the topmast, lowering our mainsail, and setting our trysail. The day's +run was 174 miles. + +The glass had given us a false alarm after all; for on the following +day the wind moderated, and we were enabled to hoist our large balloon +foresail; but a heavy sea was still rolling up from the north-east. It +was evident that a gale had been recently blowing over the disturbed +tract of ocean which we were now crossing. + +The Cape Verde islands are frequently enveloped in clouds, so that +they cannot be distinguished until one is quite close to them. This +had been my former experience and the same thing occurred now. In the +night of October 1, we knew that we were in the vicinity of the island +of St. Antonio, the northernmost of the archipelago, but right ahead +of us there stretched a great bank of cloud, concealing everything +behind. At last, however, a squall partly cleared the rolling vapour +and we perceived, a few miles distant, the black mountainous mass of +the island, whose volcanic peaks rise to a height of upwards of 7,000 +feet above the sea. Then the bright flash from the light-house on Bull +Point became visible. + +The islands of St. Vincent and St. Antonio are separated from each +other by a channel two leagues broad, so I decided to heave to in +sight of the St. Antonio light until daybreak. + +We got under weigh again at dawn, October 2, and in a few hours were +lying at anchor in Porto Grande Bay, St. Vincent. This desolate +island, which is an important coaling station and nothing else, +inhabited by a robust but ruffianly race of negroes, has been often +described; a mere cinder-heap, arid, bare of verdure, almost destitute +of water, it is the most dreary, inhospitable-looking place I know, +and the volcanic soil seems to soak in the rays of the tropical sun +and convert it into a veritable oven at times. But the dismalness of +nature is atoned for by the cheeriness and hospitality of one section +of the population. For the white community here is almost entirely +composed of Englishmen, the staff of the Anglo-Brazilian Telegraph +Company--of which this is a very important station--and the employés +of the two British coal-kings of the island. Though there had sprung +up a new generation of these young fellows since I had visited the +island in the 'Falcon,' yet I met several old friends whose +acquaintance I had then made. + +Porto Grande, miserable place as it still is, had improved a good deal +since I had seen it last. There are hotels here now of a sort, and at +one of these on the beach, kept by a pleasant Italian and his +Provençal wife, we found it possible to lunch and dine very decently. +I notice that I have a tendency in this book to speak of little else +save the gastronomic possibilities of the ports I called at in the +course of the voyage. But I had visited and described all these places +before, and that is some excuse, for the sights were not new to me, +whereas a good dinner seems always to have the freshness of novelty. +This may sound disgustingly greedy to a sedentary and dyspeptic +person; but may I ask whether every sound Britisher does not look upon +the quality of his food as one of his most important considerations +during his travels abroad. How natural, then, was it that seafarers +like ourselves, who were seldom in port and whose diet for months +consisted chiefly of tough salt junk and weevily biscuit, should be +more vividly impressed by a luxurious meal on shore than by all the +lions of these foreign lands. + +Here one of the volunteers, our poor old purser, generally known on +board as the bellman, left us, and returned to England. The state of +his health rendered it unwise for him to proceed further on a voyage +of this description. + +Suspecting that I might lose others of my crew, I looked round Porto +Grande for two fresh paid hands. This is a very bad place to pick up +sailors in, but I was lucky in my search. I shipped two young coloured +men from the West Indies--one a native of St. Kitt's and, therefore, +an English subject, and the other a Dutchman, hailing from St. +Eustatius. These two negroes, whose names were respectively John +Joseph Marshall and George Theodosius Spanner, had been loafing about +Porto Grande for some time in search of a vessel. The poor fellows had +been jumped from a Yankee whaler that had called here. + +'Jumping,' I may explain, for the benefit of those who do not know the +term, is the process by which an unprincipled skipper obtains a crew +for nothing. It is done in this way. Hands are shipped, say for a +whaling voyage. In time, long arrears of pay are due to the men, as +also are their shares in the results of the fishery. But the period +for which they have signed articles has not yet been completed, and so +they are at the captain's mercy for some time to come. This tyrant, +therefore, proceeds to ill-treat them to such an extent that, as soon +as a port is reached, they escape on shore and desert the vessel, +thereby forfeiting all claim to the money due to them. Thereupon the +skipper pockets the earnings of his men, and sails away with a fresh +crew, with whom he repeats the process. Some whaling captains are +great adepts at jumping, and will even sometimes bully the entire crew +into desertion. But those who are not masters of the art dare not risk +this, but content themselves with selecting a few hands only, +generally those who are weak or unpopular in the forecastle, as +victims for their brutality. + +John Joseph and Theodosius, as being innocent West Indian blacks, had +been the victims of this particular skipper, and nine months' pay was +due to them when they deserted. John Joseph shipped with us as cook, +Wright being now rated as A.B., while Theodosius served before the +mast. They both proved to be excellent fellows. + +We found fresh provisions very scarce and dear at Porto Grande. As a +rule, tropical fruits and vegetables are plentiful and cheap here, for +though St. Vincent is barren, the inner valleys of the neighbouring +island of St. Antonio are extremely fertile, and provisions of all +sorts, and even fresh water, are brought over from it in the native +boats. But small-pox happened now to be very prevalent among the negro +population of St. Antonio, so that the island was strictly +quarantined, and St. Vincent was cut off from its usual source of +supplies. + +Our racing spinnaker and its boom had proved to be rather large and +unmanageable for the purposes of an ocean voyage; but our balloon +foresail was of about the right size for a cruising spinnaker. I +accordingly had a small boom made for it here, and it was invariably +used for the future in place of the unwieldy racing sail. + +From St. Vincent we sailed across the Atlantic to Bahia in Brazil. I +had followed exactly the same route with the 'Falcon,' and found the +voyage a tedious one; for, on leaving the region of the north-east +trades, a vessel encounters the squally and rainy south-west African +monsoons, blowing right in her teeth; and, when these are passed, +there lies before one the broad belt of the equatorial doldrums, a +region of steaming, debilitating calms, that divides the north-east +from the south-east trades. + +Under the impression that the log of a small vessel that had made this +uncomfortable passage might be of interest to yachting men, I +described this portion of the 'Falcon's' voyage in my book with more +minuteness than usual, with the result that one reviewer characterised +the perusal of that particular chapter as being 'like eating sawdust.' +I will profit by this warning, and spare my readers too much log of +calms and squalls, doldrums and monsoons, and treat them to as little +sawdust as possible. + +With the 'Falcon' we accomplished the voyage from St. Vincent to Bahia +in twenty-two days; but with the 'Alerte' we were twenty-six days +doing this, for we were not so lucky in our weather, and were delayed +by a much longer spell of calms on the line than we had experienced in +the 'Falcon.' + +We weighed anchor in the afternoon of October 9, and got out of the +harbour under all plain sail. For the first four days we did very +well; the wind was south-east and the sea moderate, so that at midday +of October 13 we were well on our way, being in latitude 2° 25' north +and longitude 28° 52' west. + +But now our troubles commenced. With a squall the wind shifted to the +south-west, and we knew that we had reached the dreaded monsoon +region. The log was now a record for days of what sailors call dusty +weather, and I fear that the reading of it would prove 'sawdusty' in +the extreme. The south-west monsoon is accompanied by violent +thunderstorms, rain, and squalls, and the sea in this portion of the +ocean is perpetually confused, so that a vessel turning to windward +can make but little progress. Then we came into the abominable region +of calms, where we rolled helplessly on the smooth, long swell, while +our ropes and sails chafed themselves away with idleness, suffering +more wear and tear than they would in a week of gales. Ours was indeed +a very unpleasant experience of the doldrums. For some days we made no +progress whatever, not even an occasional squall coming down to help +us along for a mile or so. In two weeks we only travelled 400 miles, +and we did not cross the equator until October 27. + +We saw few vessels on this voyage. We spoke two: the French mail +steamer 'Parana,' homeward-bound, and the British ship 'Merioneth,' of +Liverpool, bound south. + +We were not only unlucky with our winds but also with our fishing. +While crossing this sea on the 'Falcon' we had caught quantities of +dolphins, thrashers, and kingfish; but on this voyage we caught +nothing until we had sighted Fernando Noronha, when we did manage to +secure a barracouta and a kingfish. + +While rolling about helplessly in the dreary doldrums in the +atmosphere of a Turkish bath, there was nothing to interest us save +the sunrises and sunsets over the monotonous, oily-looking sea. And +these for several days in succession were more magnificent than I +think I have ever seen before. Sometimes the whole heaven seemed +ablaze with flames, and at other times sharply-defined, black, opaque +masses of cloud stood out in strange contrast to a background of +brilliant and transparent colour, and behind the nearer atmosphere one +caught glimpses of vast spreads of the most delicate and tender tints, +pink, green, blue, and creamy white, looking like a glorious placid +ocean of light infinitely far away, studded with ever-changing fairy +islands. With the exercise of a very little imagination one could +distinguish on that wonderful equatorial sky oceans and continents, +mountains of snow and glowing volcanoes, and immense plains of +indescribable beauty. + +One of the characteristics of the atmosphere of the doldrums is the +opaque appearance of the lower banks of clouds. At night they often +look like solid black walls close to one; so much so that I was twice +called up by our absurd second mate, who had been terrified by the +sudden discovery that a large, hitherto unknown island was just under +our lee. + +We fell in with the south-east trades when we were but two degrees +north of the equator; but it was not until we had crossed the line +that we were able to record anything like a good run each midday. We +were then sailing full and by, on the port tack, and the trades were +so high that for three days we were under two reefed mainsail and +reefed foresail, the vessel occasionally plunging her bows into the +short seas. + +At dawn on October 29 we sighted the island of Fernando Noronha on the +port bow, and at midday we were close under it. This island, which is +about six miles long, presents a beautiful appearance from the sea, +with its lofty pinnacles of bare rock towering above the dense green +vegetation that covers the hill-sides. Fernando Noronha is used as a +penal settlement by the Brazilians, and is commanded by a major who +has a hundred black troops under him. There are about 1,500 convicts +on the island, chiefly blacks and mulattoes; but there is or recently +was, one Englishman among them. It is almost impossible for a prisoner +to escape, for there are no boats on the island, and the regulations +about landing are very strict; indeed, I believe that no foreign +vessel is allowed to hold any communication with the shore, unless in +want of water, or other urgent necessity. + +On the morning of October 31 we sighted the Brazilian coast near +Pernambuco--a long stretch of golden sands beaten by the surf, fringed +with waving cocoa-nuts, behind which, far inland, were swelling ranges +of forest-clad mountains. + +It was a beautiful and very tropical-looking shore, familiar to me, +for I had sailed by it on several previous occasions. + +We now followed the coast for upwards of 400 miles, observing a +distance of five miles off it, so as to be clear of the outlying coral +reefs. We passed many of the native fishing catamarans manned by naked +negroes, quaint rafts with triangular sails and decks that were under +water with every wave. + +For three days we coasted along this beautiful land with a favouring +wind. On Saturday night, November 2, we opened out the entrance of the +Reconcavo or Gulf of Bahia, and, sailing up, we let go our anchor at +midnight off the city of Bahia, close under Fort la Mar, where I had +anchored in the 'Falcon.' + +All my companions were amazed at the beautiful appearance of the city +as seen from the sea by night. The churches and houses of the upper +town gleaming like white marble in the moonlight, with lofty cabbage +palms and rank tropical vegetation growing between, the long lines of +well-lit streets extending for miles round the bay, gave them an idea +of the magnificence of Bahia that a walk through the dirty streets by +daylight on the morrow did much to modify. The old Portuguese city is +picturesque but scarcely magnificent. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +BAHIA. + + +All hands turned out early on the morning after our arrival anxious +for shore leave, so that they might inspect the city that rose before +them so majestically from the edge of the green water. Now could they +realise better than by night what a magnificent harbour is this +Reconcavo--an extensive inland sea 100 miles in circumference, into +which several large rivers pour their waters, surrounded by a country +of prodigal fertility, and studded with beautiful islands! + +The town was merry as usual with a sound of bells, crackers, and +rockets. These are never silent in Bahia. It is a most religious city. +It is called Bahia de Todos os Santos, the Bay of All Saints, and +every day of the year is the saint's day of some parish or street or +even family, and it has to be celebrated by fireworks, which, +according to the custom of the country, are let off by day quite as +much as by night. If there happened a sudden cessation of this noise +of bells, crackers, and rockets, I believe the inhabitants would run +out of their houses in consternation, under the impression that an +earthquake or a revolution had come upon them. + +The Bahian custom-house is not open on Sundays; but the authorities +were good enough to break through their rule, and, coming off to us in +their launch at an early hour, gave us pratique. They also gave us +permission to land with our boats at the arsenal, and to put off from +it at any hour of the day or night. This important privilege is +granted as a matter of courtesy to every foreign man-of-war and yacht. +On the other hand, very inconvenient restrictions are placed on +merchantmen, originally, I believe, for the purpose of preventing +slaves from escaping on board foreign vessels. Slavery has been +abolished quite recently, but the old rules still remain in force. No +one may leave or board a merchantman after 8 p.m., and any one who is +not on the ship's articles cannot do so even in the daytime without a +special permit from the custom-house. We were free to do what we +pleased during our stay, but I observed that the custom-house boats +hovered round the 'Alerte' a good deal at night, and that a sharp +watch was evidently kept on us. All manual labour is left to the +negroes in the Brazils, and a yacht manned for the most part with +volunteer milords instead of paid hands must have appeared to the +natives an incomprehensible, and consequently a highly suspicious, +phenomenon. + +Even before we had obtained pratique the energetic ship-chandlers were +off to us in their boats, soliciting our custom by shouting to us from +a distance. Pratique granted, they closed in upon us. There is a +tremendous competition between these gentry at Bahia, as I had +discovered while here in the 'Falcon.' But I was soon recognised, and +then all retired from the field save two, between whom the competition +waxed most furiously. It seemed that my old ship-chandling firm had +split itself into two houses, so the two ex-partners and now bitter +rivals boarded the 'Alerte,' and each claimed me as his own lawful +prey. + +This was embarrassing, for I had been satisfied with both when they +were as one at the time of the 'Falcon's' visit; but, as a single +ship-chandler at a time is quite enough, I had to make an invidious +choice between my old friends. One was an Englishman, the other a +Brazilian; so I thought it right to surrender myself into the hands of +a fellow-countryman, Mr. Wilson, who carried us off in triumph in his +boat as soon as we had donned our shore-going clothes. + +We landed at the Praya, the ancient and dirty stone quay which +stretches along the shore for four miles, a spot of great commercial +activity. Here are the great ware-houses whence the coffee, sugar, +tobacco, cotton, logwood, and the other produce of this rich tropical +land, are shipped to every quarter of the globe. Here, too, are +markets of strange fruits and vegetables, and a bazaar where one can +buy gorgeous or voluble parrots, baboons and monkeys of many species, +pumas and jaguars too, and indeed specimens of nearly all the wild +beasts of South America. Grog shops, where poisonous white rum is sold +to British seamen, are frequent. Along the quay are ranged the quaint +native lighters with their half-naked ebon crews. A jostling, +jabbering crowd of negroes and negresses with gaudy robes and turbans +throngs the Praya, and when one first lands one is oppressed by a +bewildering sense of confusion--a flashing of bright colours--a din of +negroes, parrots, and monkeys--a compound smell of pineapples and +other fruit, of molasses, Africans, bilgewater, tar, filth too of +every description; not a monotonous smell, however, but ever varying, +now a whiff of hot air sweet with spice, then an odour that might well +be the breath of Yellow Jack himself. + +There was no yellow fever at the time in Bahia, though it had been +rather severe at Rio not long before. We repaired to the +ship-chandler's, saw the latest papers and heard all the news. I found +that Brazilian politics formed the chief topic of conversation. A +stranger visiting this country ten years back would have almost +imagined that this was a happy land in which politics were unknown, so +little did he hear of them. Now all was changed. Everybody was +complaining of the stagnation of business. The Creoles were irritated +at the recent abolition of slavery--a measure which, according to +them, would ruin the country, but which, in the opinion of some was +rendered necessary by the determined resistance of the large bands of +fugitive slaves in the southern provinces. The troops were unable to +put them down, their success had brought the country to the verge of a +general servile insurrection, so that it became merely a question +whether the Government should submit quietly to their demands at once +or be compelled to do so later on after much bloodshed. I do not think +the revolution that took place a few days later was altogether +unexpected. There were rumours of it in the air and an uneasy feeling +existed among the mercantile classes. + +This was my third visit to this port, so I had, of course, plenty of +friends in the city. These soon found me out, and I noticed that, +despite the supposed unhealthiness of Bahia, none of them looked much +the worse for the eight years they had spent here since I had seen +them last. There can be no doubt that Brazil enjoys a very healthy +climate considering its position within the tropics. + +We were elected honorary members of the English Club during our stay +at Bahia, and there we found that the object of our voyage had been +much discussed. The English papers had advertised us somewhat too +well, and though the name of the island we were bound for was not +exactly mentioned, my Bahian friends had formed more than a suspicion +as to our destination. They, of course, knew that I had visited +Trinidad before, and they also were aware that treasure was supposed +to be concealed there, for the American adventurer called here after +the unsuccessful search to which I have alluded. + +'Tell me,' said Mr. Wilson, with a smile, when he got me alone, 'tell +me in confidence. Are you not going to Trinidad again from here?' + +When I had replied in the affirmative, he said, 'Three years after you +sailed from here with the 'Falcon' an American came into my office. He +had just come from Trinidad, and was very reserved about it. But two +of the crew told me that they had been on shore digging for three +days, they did not know what for, but they supposed the captain had +some information about hidden treasure. At any rate they found +nothing, and while he was at Bahia, the captain seemed to be very +disappointed and would speak of his adventures to no one.' + +This tallied exactly with the letter of the Danish captain which I +have already quoted. It was not altogether agreeable to us to find +that our plans were so generally canvassed, for we knew that the +Portuguese had laid claim to Trinidad something like two hundred years +ago, and it was possible that the Brazilians, as successors to the +Portuguese in this quarter of the globe, might consider the island as +their own, and assert their right to any valuables we might find upon +it. I need scarcely say that I had made up my mind, should we find the +treasure, to sail directly to some British port. I would not trust +myself in any country of the Spanish or Portuguese; for once in their +clutches we should in all probability lose all the results of our +labour. The Roman Catholic Church of Spain or Lima might, with a fair +show of right, demand the treasure as her own; so might the +Governments of Peru, Chile, Brazil, Spain, or Portugal. But if we +could once secure it, get it safely home, and divide it, it would be +exceedingly difficult for any one to establish a better right to it +than we could--for should we not have the right of possession, with +nine-tenths of the law on our side? + +Bahia is a dull place, but it is an interesting old city, and contains +some very picturesque streets, especially those which connect the +upper and the lower town, and which wind, in flights of stone steps, +up a precipitous wall of rock 240 feet in height. This cliff, despite +its steepness, is green with bananas, palms, and other tropical +plants, which fill up all the space between the ancient stone houses +and tortuous alleys, producing a very pleasing effect from the sea. + +The old Dutch and Portuguese houses are very solidly built of stone, +and among them are some of the most ancient buildings of the New +World. The Fort la Mar, under which we were anchored, is a picturesque +fortress constructed by the Dutch 400 years ago on a rocky islet in +the harbour. The cathedral and some other of the ecclesiastical +buildings in the upper town are built of marble that was brought from +Europe. In the olden days--and to some extent this is the case even +now--everything needed by the Spanish and Portuguese colonists of the +New World, with the exception of gold and jewels, was imported to them +from the mother-countries. Thus there are cities in the heart of South +America which have quarries of marble in their immediate vicinity, and +whose churches are, notwithstanding, built of marble blocks carried +from Europe by sea and land at tremendous cost. With its vast arable +lands, that might supply the granaries of the world, the River Plate +district, until quite recently, depended on foreign countries for its +supplies of grain. The old theory of the Conquistadores, that it was +beneath their dignity to perform any labour save that of extracting +gold from the country and its natives, seems never to have been quite +eradicated from the Creole mind. + +I could see few changes in Bahia since my last visit. It seemed the +same busy, dirty, old place. A new broad carriage-road had been +carried up the cliff, and this, together with the hydraulic lift which +connects the lower with the upper town, has certainly diminished the +number of sedan chairs. Once these were a quaint feature in a Bahian +street scene. They are almost of the same model as those in use in +London 200 years ago, and are carried by stout negroes. Now they are +only employed by Creole ladies of the old school, who do not care to +sit in the trams by the side of their late slaves. + +The crew of the 'Alerte' had now the opportunity of relaxing +themselves a little before sailing away for the scene of their real +work. Some made expeditions up the rivers into the beautiful country +that surrounds Bahia, and the frequent race-meetings afforded +amusement to others. I believe we were lucky, on the whole, while +matching ourselves against the local bookmaker, and realised a few +thousands--not of pounds, but reis, of which a thousand are equivalent +to two shillings. + +Our first and second mate left us after we had been a few days at +Bahia, packing up their traps and getting ashore before they ventured +to announce their intention. From this date things went smoother with +us. The cause of all the mischief on board had departed. There was an +alacrity and cheerfulness fore and aft that had been wanting so far. +Now when reefing or other work had to be done it was accomplished by a +third of the number of hands, in one-third of the time, and with none +of the fuss that seemed to be necessary before. I do not go so far as +to say that a sort of millennium came to the 'Alerte'--there was +still, of course, occasional discord, but on what vessel are there not +rows and growlings? It can be safely asserted, however, that from the +time we left Bahia the 'Alerte' was far freer than the average +foreign-going vessel from troubles of this description; and this is +very creditable seeing that our crew was so unusually constituted, +half of the men being paying, instead of paid, hands, and, therefore, +possibly inclined to imagine that they had a right to more voice in +the management of things than was quite feasible. + +The crew of the 'Alerte' now consisted of ten all told:--Dr. +Cloete-Smith, Mr. Pollock, Mr. Powell, Mr. Pursell, and myself aft; +Ted Milner, John Wright, Arthur Cotton, and the two coloured men +forward. Of the nine volunteers who sailed from England five thus +remained. + +None of the gentlemen above mentioned had any practical knowledge of +the sea when we left Southampton; but they picked up a good deal in +the course of the voyage to Bahia, and now set to with a will to learn +more. I was the only navigator on board when we sailed from Bahia, but +before the cruise was over everybody aft could take his observations +of the sun and work out his latitude and longitude. I now appointed +Dr. Cloete-Smith as my mate, he to take the port watch and myself the +starboard. Mr. Pollock and Mr. Pursell undertook the posts of purser +and carpenter. + +We laid in a quantity of provisions at Bahia; these, in consequence +partly of the heavy duties and partly of the constant obstacles placed +by a corrupt administration in the way of all commerce, are +excessively dear in this port. Among other stores we procured two +barrels of salt beef, which proved to be somewhat better than we got +at Santa Cruz, a cask of rough and strong Portuguese wine, cases of +preserved guavas, tamarinds, and figs; and, of course, as many +pineapples, hands of bananas, oranges, yams, sweet potatoes, and +pumpkins as we could carry. + +Here, too, we purchased some tools, a large iron cooking-pot for our +camp on the island, some blasting powder, and several stout bamboos +for the purpose of constructing rafts. + +We had had enough of Bahia in a week, and were all ready for sea again +on November 9; but as several letters expected by members of the +expedition had not arrived, we put off our departure until the coming +of the next mail steamer from England. It was lucky for us that we did +this, for we thereby escaped some rather tempestuous weather. + +On November 11 the Royal Mail steamer 'La Plata' arrived from the +north, bringing with her the missing letters. We had intended to sail +at daybreak on the following morning, but the glass began to fall and +the wind rose in the night. In the morning the sky had a very stormy +appearance and a fresh south-west gale was blowing. On the following +day--November 13--there was a continuance of the same weather, and the +scud overhead was travelling at a great rate. + +An English cargo steamer came in this day from the southward, so I +went on shore to find her captain and inquire from him what it was +like outside the bay. He told me that he had been overtaken by the +gale in the latitude of Cape Frio, and that a heavy sea was running in +the Atlantic, while on the bar the breakers would be dangerous for a +small vessel. Hearing this, impatient as we were to get away, I +decided that it would be better to remain where we were until the gale +had blown itself out. + +This was, no doubt, the fag-end of a _pampero_ or River Plate +hurricane. The _pampero_--so called because, after rising in the +Andes, it sweeps over the vast plains of the _pampas_, increasing +in force as it travels--blows with great fury at the mouth of the +River Plate and sometimes extends far north. I had had some experience +of _pamperos_, and was not fond of them. I rode out one on the +'Falcon' at anchor off Montevideo, and on that occasion fifteen solid +stone houses were blown down in a row on the sea front, the exhibition +building at Buenos Ayres was destroyed, and a barque lying at anchor +near us was capsized by the first gust. We ran before another of these +storms for three days and were nearly lost. + +The _pampero_ was our bugbear while we lay off Trinidad; for this +islet is within the range of the more formidable of these gales, and, +even when they do not extend so far, the great swell raised by them +rolls up hundreds of miles to the northward of the wind's influence +and breaks furiously all around the exposed shores of Trinidad. + +Towards evening the wind moderated and the glass began to rise, but +the rain continued to fall heavily. On the following morning, November +14, the weather had still further improved; so anchor was weighed at 8 +a.m. and we sailed out of the harbour, my companions in very cheerful +spirits, and eager to get to the desert island and be at work with +pick and shovel as soon as possible. + +We had now done with civilisation for some time to come, and we had no +idea when and where, and under what conditions, we should next see any +men save those forming our own little band. + +Trinidad is roughly 680 nautical miles from Bahia; we sighted it in +exactly six days from the time we weighed anchor. + +The experiences of our first day out did not promise well for a smart +voyage. We tumbled about a good deal on the bar at the mouth of the +bay, and found that the sea outside had not yet gone down. The wind +was moderate and variable, but generally south-east--that is, right in +our teeth. We tacked ship three times in the course of the day, and +made little progress against the head sea. + +On the following day, November 15, things looked better; the wind +veered to the eastward, so that the yacht could lay her course with +her sheets slacked off a bit. + +The next day the wind was fairer still--from the east-north-east--blowing +fresh, and raising a steep, confused sea, for the south-west swell of +the _pampero_ had not yet entirely subsided. We close-reefed the +foresail so as to prevent the vessel driving her nose into the seas, +and during this day and the next, November 17, we were constantly +tricing up the tack of the mainsail in the squalls. + +On the 18th and 19th the wind was moderate, so we had all canvas on +the old vessel again, including topsail and balloon foresail; and on +the morning of November 20 all hands were in eager expectance of +catching the first glimpse of Treasure Island. + +At about 8 a.m. it suddenly appeared right ahead, a faint blue peak on +the horizon, fully forty miles away. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +TREASURE ISLAND AT LAST. + + +We sailed on towards the desert island under all canvas, but did not +reach it for eight hours from the time we first sighted it. + +As we neared it, the features of this extraordinary place could +gradually be distinguished. The north side, that which faced us, is +the most barren and desolate portion of the island, and appears to be +utterly inaccessible. Here the mountains rise sheer from the boiling +surf--fantastically shaped of volcanic rock; cloven by frightful +ravines; lowering in perpendicular precipices; in places over-hanging +threateningly, and, where the mountains have been shaken to pieces by +the fires and earthquakes of volcanic action, huge landslips slope +steeply into the yawning ravines--landslips of black and red volcanic +_débris_, and loose rocks large as houses, ready on the slightest +disturbance to roll down, crashing, into the abysses below. On the +summit of the island there floats almost constantly, even on the +clearest day, a wreath of dense vapour, never still, but rolling and +twisting into strange shapes as the wind eddies among the crags. And +above this cloud-wreath rise mighty pinnacles of coal-black rock, like +the spires of some gigantic Gothic cathedral piercing the blue +southern sky. + +The loftiest peak is about three thousand feet above the sea, but on +account of the extreme precipitousness of the island it appears much +higher. + +As a consequence of the recoil of the rollers from the shore we found +that, as we got nearer in, the ocean swell under us increased in +height, and rose and fell in an uneasy confused fashion. The breakers +were dashing up the cliffs with an ominous roar, showing us that, in +all probability, landing would be out of the question for the present. + +We passed North Point and opened out North-west Bay. At the farther +end of the bay we saw before us the Monument, or Ninepin, as it is +called on the charts--a stupendous pinnacle of basaltic rock 850 feet +in height, which rises from the edge of the surf, and is detached from +the main cliffs. + +The scenery was indescribably savage and grand, and its effect was +heightened by the roaring of the surf on the beach and the echoes of +it in the ravines, as well as by the shrill and melancholy cries of +thousands of sea-birds so unaccustomed to the presence of man that +they came off the crags and flew round us in evident wonder as we +sailed by, often approaching so close to us that we could strike them +with our hands. + +My companions had expected, from what I had told them, to find this +islet a strange, uncanny place, barren, torn by volcanic action and +generally forbidding, and now they gazed at the shore with amazement, +and confessed that my description of its scenery was anything but +exaggerated. It would be impossible to convey in words a just idea of +the mystery of Trinidad. The very colouring seems unearthly--in places +dismal black, and in others the fire-consumed crags are of strange +metallic hues, vermilion red and copper yellow. When one lands on its +shores this uncanny impression is enhanced. It bears all the +appearance of being an accursed spot, whereupon no creatures can live, +save the hideous land-crabs and foul and cruel sea-birds. + +We were now coasting under the lee of the island and our progress was +but slow, for the high mountains intercepted the wind from us, and we +were often becalmed on the oily swell under the hottest sun we had yet +experienced. Occasionally a violent squall, but of short duration, +would sweep down on us from some ravine and help us along. What wind +there was between the squalls came from every point of the compass in +turns, and we were constantly taken aback. + +But at last we passed the rocky islet which I named Bird Island at the +time of my former visit, and, doubling the West Point, we entered a +bay which I recognised well, for there was the cascade still falling +over the cliff, and, near it, the landing-place off which I had +anchored in the 'Falcon.' As the swell was not high here, I decided to +anchor at once; so, bringing the vessel as near in as was +prudent--about six cables from the shore--I let go in eighteen +fathoms. + +The scene before us was a fine one. A very steep and rugged ravine +clove the mountain from summit to base. At the bottom of this ravine a +stream fell in a cascade over a ledge of black rock on to the beach, +about thirty feet below. One could trace the silver line of the +falling water in many other parts of the ravine, especially in one +place far up, where it fell over a gigantic black precipice. + +The mountain-sides were barren, save in spots where a coarse grass +grew sparsely. At the very head of the ravine were downs beautifully +green, with a dense grove of trees the nature of which it was not easy +to distinguish from so far below; but, as I had ascended this ravine +during my last visit to Trinidad, I knew that these were tree-ferns, +which only grow on this portion of the island high up among the damp +clouds, and are in charming contrast to the desolation that prevails +around them. + +Between the foot of the mountains and the surf extends a narrow beach +of rugged stones of all sizes fallen from above, and the black heads +of rocks appear here and there in the middle of the surf, so that any +attempt at landing seems a risky venture. + +But I knew where the safe landing-place was, and soon recognised it +again, though it was not to be easily distinguished from the vessel. I +pointed it out to my companions. Some forty yards to the left of the +cascade an irregularly shaped rocky ledge extends from the beach some +way out into the deep water beyond the beach, and thus forms a natural +pier. I had often found it quite an easy matter to land here when to +do so anywhere else would be impossible; for, as a rule, the seas do +not break until they have rolled some way inside the end of this +point; so that, by approaching it carefully, and waiting till the boat +is on the summit of a wave and near the level of the top of the rock, +one can leap or scramble on to it with the exercise of a little +agility. There are occasions, however, when the seas wash right over +this ledge. + +Looking from our anchorage we could see the coast as far as West Point +on one side of us, with the head of the Ninepin just visible above the +cape; and on the other side as far as the promontory of basaltic +columns which forms the western extremity of West Bay, and which I +named the Ness. + +As soon as the sails were stowed I went below with the doctor to talk +over our immediate plans. It was now five in the evening, so it was +too late to attempt a landing, even if the conditions were favourable, +which they were not; for every now and again a sea would break over +the pier, sending showers of spray high into the air. + +While we were discussing things, there suddenly came a violent +thumping on the deck above us, and from the shouts and laughter of the +men we knew that something exciting was going on; so we went up the +companion-ladder to see what the fun might be. We found that a +fair-sized shark was tumbling about the deck in very active fashion, +while Ted was dodging him, knife in hand, ready to give him his +_coup de grâce_. Our sportsman had got his lines out as soon as +all had been made snug on deck, but his sport for the first hour +consisted of nothing but sharks, of which he caught several. After +this he had better luck and was able to supply the cook with fish +enough for dinner and breakfast for all hands. + +The sea round Trinidad swarms with fish; but, for some reason, though +we got as many as we required, they were not to be so readily caught +now as at the time of my first visit; for then we hauled them in as +fast as we could drop our hooks in the water. + +There are various species of edible fish here--among others, dolphins, +rock-cod, hind-fish, black-fish, and pig-fish. None of these +hot-water-fish are to be compared in flavour to those of Europe, and +we found that the sharks were the least insipid of the lot; stewed +shark and onions is not a dish to be despised. + +According to the chart of the South Atlantic which I made use of on +this voyage, the island of Trinidad is rather more than five miles +long. Another chart which I possess gives its length as only three +miles, which I am sure is wrong; but, on the other hand, this latter +chart is the more correct in some other respects, and marks outlying +shoals which are not indicated on the other. There are, indeed, no +absolutely reliable charts of this island; for the different surveys +have been somewhat cursory, and each has repeated the faults of its +predecessors. The longitude has, I believe, never been accurately +determined, and even the latitude of the landing-place is, if I am not +much mistaken, more than a mile out on the chart. + +Before going further with the narrative, however, it will be well to +enter into some explanation of the task that was before us. + +The treasure was supposed to be hidden in South-west Bay, in a little +ravine just to the left of our camp. + +The yacht was anchored out of sight of this spot, and at a distance of +two and a half miles from it as the crow flies. My companions were, I +imagine, somewhat surprised at this manoeuvre of mine, especially +when I told them that it was highly improbable that we should shift +our anchorage any nearer to the scene of our operations on shore. +Later on, however, they realised that there was a good reason for the +course I had taken. + +My former experiences off Trinidad with the 'Falcon' had convinced me +that the anchorage off the cascade was far the safest; indeed that +here only could one remain at all for any length of time. It must be +remembered that a vessel is never really secure when anchored off a +small oceanic island like Trinidad. One should be always prepared to +slip one's anchor and be off to sea at once should it come on to blow. +It is therefore necessary to lie at some distance from the land, so as +to have plenty of room to get away on either tack. If one is too near +the shore one incurs great risk, as I frequently discovered while +coasting later on; for even though it be blowing hard outside, one is +becalmed under the cliffs or subjected to shifting flaws and +whirlwinds, so that the vessel becomes unmanageable, and is driven +straight on to the fatal rocks by the send of the swell. I need +scarcely say that to come in contact with this shore, even in the +finest weather, would involve the certain destruction of any craft in +a very few seconds. + +The anchorage off the cascade possesses many advantages. The coast +here is free from any outlying dangers, and there is a depth of five +fathoms close to the beach. One cannot be embayed there, for the coast +beyond West Point trends away northward almost at right angles to the +south-west shore, so that from the anchorage it is easy to get away on +either tack, according to the direction of the wind. Here, too, the +sea is smoother than anywhere else, except on rare occasions, for the +prevailing winds are north-east to south-east, more generally +south-east. + +Now, the only other possible anchorage for us would have been in +South-west Bay, in very convenient proximity to our camp; but this, +though it might do for a day or two, was absolutely unfitted for a +lengthy stay, more especially as difficulties might occur with the +vessel while I was on shore myself and only inexperienced people were +in charge of her. In this bay one is surrounded by dangers. South +Point is on one side, with the current generally setting directly on +to it and across the perilous shoals that extend a mile and a half +seaward. On the other side is the cape dividing West and South-west +Bays, off which also lie several dangerous islets and rocks. According +to the Admiralty chart South-west Bay itself is quite clean, with a +uniform depth of ten fathoms. As a matter of fact, it is full of +sunken rocks, and there is an island right in the middle of it; its +existence is ignored by all the charts. Surrounded as the bay is by +lofty mountains, the winds are very uncertain within it, so that if +one should have to weigh anchor it might be difficult to extricate the +vessel from her dangerous position even by the exercise of the +smartest seamanship. Lastly, it affords no shelter from the prevailing +wind, south-east, which often raises a nasty sea, and, what is more, +it is entirely exposed to the storm-wind of these seas, the dreaded +_pampero_, which blows right into it. Any one in charge of a vessel +brought up in this trap would be compelled to get under weigh +frequently under most difficult circumstances, and would live an +unenviable life of perpetual anxiety. This information will, I trust, +be of use to any fresh adventurers who propose to hunt for the +treasure of Trinidad. + +Though I would not venture into South-west Bay with the yacht, I knew +that we should have to carry our stores and tools there by boat and +land them on the beach opposite to the treasure ravine; for to +transport them by land from the easy landing-place near the cascade +would be an almost impossible undertaking. + +According to the dead pirate's statement, he and his comrades had +surveyed South-west Bay and discovered the best channel between the +rocks. He gave the directions for finding this channel to Captain +P----, and its existence had been verified by both the South Shields +explorers; but as they had brought back an alarming account of its +dangers, and boats had been lost in it, I considered that it would be +a wise precaution for me to land at the pier in the first place, +walk--or rather crawl and climb, for there is not much walking to be +done on that journey--across the island and survey South-west Bay from +the hills above it, before attempting to beach a boat there. + +In the evening we held a council in the saloon over our pipes, and I +explained my plans for the following day. + +I had explored the island pretty thoroughly while here before, and I +knew that it mainly consisted of inaccessible peaks and precipices, +among which there were very few passes practicable for men. In many +places the cliffs fall precipitously into the sea, affording no +foothold. I had landed in both North-west Bay and the bay beyond it, +and, though there were sandy beaches in both these, still, one could +go no further, for sheer promontories on either side and mountains +equally insurmountable at the back cut off all communication between +these coves and the rest of the island. I also knew that it would be +impossible for me to walk along the beach from the pier to South-west +Bay, for between these were the two capes that bound West Bay, both +opposing barriers of precipices to one's advance. + +But while here with the 'Falcon,' after a difficult and dangerous +search which has been fully described in the narrative of that voyage, +I at last discovered a pass, and I believe it is the only one, by +which the mountains at the centre of the island can be traversed and +the windward shore attained. + +First, I ascended the steep ravine down which the cascade flows. +Having arrived at the summit of the ravine I crossed the groves of +tree-ferns, and, after making several descents into ravines which +terminated in precipices and so compelled me to retrace my steps, I +succeeded in discovering a gully which led me to the beach on the +north-east side of the island. From here I found it possible to walk +along the beach to South Point, for no insurmountable capes +intervened; and from South-east Bay there was an easy pass under the +Sugarloaf Mountain by which the Treasure Bay could be reached. This +was the journey which I intended to make once again on the following +morning. This route, together with others taken in the course of our +explorations, are I believe the only accessible ways on the island. + +I knew by experience that the passage over the mountains to the +windward beach was both arduous and perilous, and that to climb to +South-west Bay, survey it, and return to the pier would occupy the +best part of three days. + +The doctor volunteered to accompany me, and I decided to take him with +me. It was indeed important that he should make himself acquainted +with the pass, for it had been settled that whenever I remained with +the yacht he should be in command of the party working on shore, and, +as the only reliable water-supply I knew of was at the cascade, it +might become necessary for him to lead the men across the mountains to +it should a water-famine occur at South-west Bay. Again, it was +certain that bad weather would occasionally make the landing of boats +at South-west Bay impossible for weeks at a time, so that, if there +were some urgent reason for communicating with the yacht, this could +only be done by crossing to the pier landing-place, at which I am of +opinion that one can land ten times with safety to once in South-west +Bay. It had been my intention to form a depot of stores at the pier, +but this we found to be unnecessary. + +After I had made the above explanations to my companions assembled in +the saloon, our sportsman, who had been listening attentively, +remarked: 'Skipper, you have given us plenty of reason for taking +Cloete-Smith with you tomorrow and teaching him the roads; but you +have omitted the most important reason of all. Let me inform you that +you won't get us to do any work on shore on Sundays; so on every +Sunday afternoon we will put on our best clothes and the doctor will +have to take us over the pass to the pier, where we can do a sort of +church-parade, and listen to the band. I suppose there will be a bar +there, too, with Theodosius as bar-man presiding over the rum-barrel.' + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +THE SUMMIT OF TRINIDAD. + + +On the following morning--November 21--as soon as breakfast was over, +the doctor and myself started for the shore. In view of the rough +climbing before us we did not burden ourselves with much baggage, but +set forth in light marching order. We dispensed with blankets, and, in +addition to the somewhat scanty clothing we had on, we carried merely +provisions for three days, consisting of some ship's biscuit, a few +strips of Brazilian _charki_ or jerked beef--rather rank--some +dried figs, a flask of rum, a tin bottle to hold water, one pannikin, +tobacco, pipes, and matches. + +We could see from the deck that there was considerable surf on the +beach, and it was evident that we should not find the landing at the +pier to be so easy a matter as it often is. + +Two of the paid hands pulled us off in the dinghy. When we were about +halfway to the shore we perceived a bright red object on an eminence +near the cascade. On getting nearer we distinguished this to be a +ragged red flag flying from a pole. This was a startling discovery for +us, and might signify that some rival expedition had landed on the +island. + +We reached the pier and found a high swell rolling by it, while eddies +and overfalls round the outer end of it caused the boat to become more +or less unmanageable, driving her first in one direction, then in +another, so that she could not be brought very close to, without risk +of staving her in against the rocks. + +Under these circumstances the only safe method of getting on shore was +to jump into the water. The boat was backed in towards the pier end, +the men pulling a few strokes ahead whenever a wave threatened to dash +her on to it. I stood in the stern and awaited a favourable +opportunity, then jumped overboard and clambered quickly up the pier +side before the next roller should wash me off. Then the boat was +backed in again, and the doctor repeated the performance. + +We had no particular objection to the wetting we had received, but a +good many of our biscuits were converted into a pulp and our figs were +pickled with the sea-water. + +So here we were at last safely on shore at Trinidad, both in high +spirits at the prospect before us, for we were eager to commence the +exploration that might result in who could tell what magnificent +results. + +Climbing over the rugged top of the pier we descended on the beach, +which at high-water is partly overflowed, the pier being then +converted into an island. We scrambled over the rocks and scoriæ to +the height by the cascade on which the flag was, and then our +suspicions were put at rest by what we discovered. A good-sized barrel +had been firmly jammed between the rocks in a prominent place and +filled with stones. A pole had been planted in the barrel, and from +this floated the red flag we had seen. It was in so ragged a condition +that it was impossible to say whether it had ever been a British flag +or not. Under it was a wooden tablet, on which was painted the +following inscription: 'H.M.S. "Ruby," February 26, 1889.' There was +also a bottle on the cask containing the cards of the commander of the +vessel, Captain Kennedy, and his wardroom officers. + +Having thus satisfied ourselves that no enemy was in possession of the +island, we went to the cascade. This stream rises among the tree-ferns +at the summit of the mountain and rushes down the gully with a +considerable volume of water. This issue is, I should imagine, +perennial. + +Then we commenced our ascent, which involved no light work. The gully +was excessively steep. We were climbing up a staircase of great rocks, +and often where there were insurmountable precipices we had to make +a _détour_ round the mountain-side, creeping carefully along the +steep declivities that overhung the cliffs, the rock and earth +crumbling beneath our feet as we went: for one of the most unpleasant +peculiarities of this island is that it is nowhere solid; it is rotten +throughout, its substance has been disintegrated by volcanic fires and +by the action of water, so that it is everywhere tumbling to pieces. +As one travels over the mountains one is ever starting miniature +landslips and dislodging great stones, which roll, thundering, down +the cliffs, gathering other companions as they go until a very +avalanche is formed. On this day the doctor, who was a little ahead of +me at the time, sent adrift a stone weighing a hundredweight at the +least, which just cleared my head as I stooped down to dodge it. We +were on a dangerous part of the mountain, and had it struck me it must +have impelled me over a precipice several hundred feet in height. +After this we followed parallel tracks wherever this was feasible. + +The unstableness of Trinidad causes a perpetual sense of insecurity +while one is on the mountains. One knows not when some over-hanging +pinnacle may topple down. One great source of danger is that there are +many declivities which can be descended but not ascended, and it would +be easy to get hopelessly imprisoned at the foot of one of these. In +the 'Cruise of the "Falcon"' is described one really terrible +experience we went through. Our exploring party had found no water, +and the boy was practically dying of thirst. So, driven by urgent +necessity--for we saw by the configuration of the mountains that we +should almost certainly find water at the bottom of a certain +ravine--we proceeded to descend to it down a great slope, not of +loose _débris_, but of half-consolidated volcanic matter like +half-baked bricks, and very brittle. + +This slope became steeper as we advanced and very dangerous, but it +was impossible to retrace our steps. When we attempted to ascend, the +mountain slid away under our feet, crumbling into ashes. It was like +climbing a treadmill. So we had to abandon this hope and go still +further down, lying on our backs, progressing inch by inch carefully, +one of us occasionally sliding down a few yards and sending an +avalanche before him. We knew not to the edge of what precipices this +dreadful way would lead us. Luckily we reached the bottom and found +water in safety. I determined not to get into any difficulties of this +description in the course of our present journey. + +We gradually ascended the ravine, sometimes climbing on one side of +it, sometimes on the other, and occasionally wading through the water +at the bottom, according to which route was the safest. + +The nature of the scenery around us was now grand in the extreme, and +had a weird character of its own that I have never perceived on other +mountains. The jagged and torn peaks, the profound chasms, the huge +landslips of black rocks, the slopes of red volcanic ash destitute of +vegetation, in themselves produce a sense of extreme desolation; but +this is heightened by the presence of a ghastly dead vegetation and by +the numberless uncanny birds and land-crabs which cover all the rocks. + +This lonely islet is perhaps the principal breeding place for +sea-birds in the South Atlantic. Here multitudes of man-of-war birds, +gannets, boobies, cormorants, and petrels have their undisturbed +haunts. Not knowing how dangerous he is, they treat their superior +animal, man, with a shocking want of due respect. The large birds more +especially attack one furiously if one approaches their nests in the +breeding season, and in places where one has to clamber with hands as +well as feet, and is therefore helpless, they are positively +dangerous. + +As for the land-crabs, which are unlike any I have seen elsewhere, +they swarm all over the island in incredible numbers. I have even seen +them two or three deep in shady places under the rocks; they crawl +over everything, polluting every stream, devouring anything--a +loathsome lot of brutes, which were of use, however, round our camp as +scavengers. They have hard shells of a bright saffron colour, and +their faces have a most cynical and diabolic expression. As one +approaches them they stand on their hind legs and wave their pincers +threateningly, while they roll their hideous goggle eyes at one in a +dreadful manner. If a man is sleeping or sitting down quietly, these +creatures will come up to have a bite at him, and would devour him if +he was unable for some reason to shake them off; but we murdered so +many in the vicinity of our camp during our stay on the island, that +they certainly became less bold, and it seemed almost as if the word +had been passed all over Trinidad that we were dangerous animals, to +be shunned by every prudent crab. Even when we were exploring remote +districts we at last found that they fled in terror, instead of +menacing us with their claws. + +But the great mystery of this mysterious island is the forest of dead +trees which covers it and which astonishes every visitor. + +The following account of this wood is taken from the 'Cruise of the +"Falcon,"' and as it was nine years ago, so is it now:-- + +'What struck us as remarkable was, that though in this cove there was +no live vegetation of any kind, there were traces of an abundant +extinct vegetation. The mountain slopes were thickly covered with dead +wood--wood, too, that had evidently long since been dead; some of +these leafless trunks were prostrate, some still stood up as they had +grown.... When we afterwards discovered that over the whole of this +extensive island--from the beach up to the summit of the highest +mountain--at the bottom and on the slopes of every now barren ravine, +on whose loose-rolling stones no vegetation could possibly take +root--these dead trees were strewed as closely as it is possible for +trees to grow; and when we further perceived that they all seemed to +have died at one and the same time, as if plague-struck, and that no +single live specimen, young or old, was to be found anywhere--our +amazement was increased. + +'At one time Trinidad must have been covered with one magnificent +forest, presenting to passing vessels a far different appearance to +that it now does, with its inhospitable and barren crags. + +'The descriptions given in the "Directory" allude to these forests; +therefore, whatever catastrophe it may have been that killed off all +the vegetation of the island, it must have occurred within the memory +of man. + +'Looking at the rotten, broken up condition of the rock, and the +nature of the soil, where there is a soil--a loose powder, not +consolidated like earth, but having the appearance of fallen volcanic +ash--I could not help imagining that some great eruption had brought +about all this desolation; Trinidad is the acknowledged centre of a +small volcanic patch that lies in this portion of the South Atlantic, +therefore I think this theory a more probable one than that of a long +drought, a not very likely contingency in this rather rainy region.' + +Some time after the publication of the 'Cruise of the "Falcon"' I came +across an excellent description of Trinidad in Captain Marryat's +novel, 'Frank Mildmay.' It is obvious from the following passage, +which I quote from that work, that the trees had been long dead at the +date of its publication, 1829:-- + +'Here a wonderful and most melancholy phenomenon arrested our +attention. Thousands and thousands of trees covered the valley, each +of them about thirty feet high; but every tree was dead, and extended +its leafless boughs to another--a forest of desolation, as if nature +had at some particular moment ceased to vegetate! There was no +underwood or grass. On the lowest of the dead boughs, the gannets, and +other sea-birds, had built their nests, in numbers uncountable. Their +tameness, as Cowper says, "was shocking to me." So unaccustomed did +they seem to man that the mothers brooding over their young only +opened their beaks, in a menacing attitude, at us as we passed by +them. How to account satisfactorily for the simultaneous destruction +of this vast forest of trees was very difficult; there was no want of +rich earth for nourishment of the roots. The most probable cause +appeared to me a sudden and continued eruption of sulphuric effluvia +from the volcano; or else by some unusually heavy gale of wind or +hurricane the trees had been drenched with salt water to the roots. +One or the other of these causes must have produced the effect. The +philosopher or the geologist must decide.' + +Captain Marryat was evidently unaware that these dead trees are to be +found on the heights 3,000 feet above the sea-level as well as in the +valleys, or he would not have suggested salt water as the cause of +their destruction. + +His description proves that the trees were dead at least sixty years +ago, and in all probability they had been dead for a long time before. +The latest record I have been able to discover which describes live +trees as existing on Trinidad is dated as far back as 1700. The +Ninepin and the Sugarloaf, now utterly barren, were then crowded with +trees of a great size. + +Though some of this timber is rotten, a large proportion of it is not +decayed in the least, but when cut with the axe presents the +appearance of a sound, well-seasoned wood. It is gnarled and knotty, +extremely hard and heavy, its specific gravity being but slightly less +than that of water. It is of a dark reddish colour and of very close +grain. + +I brought a log of it home and sent it to a cabinetmaker, who found +that it would take an excellent polish. On sending this specimen to +Kew I was informed that the wood 'probably belongs to the family +Myrtaceæ, and possibly to the species Eugenia.' I find that this +species includes the pimento or allspice, the rose-apple, and other +aromatic and fruit-producing trees; so that desert Trinidad may at one +time have been a delicious spice-island. + +The doctor and myself toiled on up the gully, whose slopes, as we +approached the summit, became less rugged, and here the ferns grew up +between the trunks of the dead trees, spreading wide their beautiful +fronds of fresh green. + +When we had come to a spot a little below the source of the stream we +left the gully--not before we had drunk our fill and replenished the +bottle--and ascended the down where the tree-ferns grow thickest. The +soil is here very loose and presents the appearance of having been +quite recently ploughed up, while it is honeycombed with the holes of +the teeming land-crabs. + +Soon we reached the summit of the plateau, where a pleasant breeze +stirred the ferns and we could now command a magnificent view not only +over the mountains we had climbed but over the weather side of the +island as well. I remembered the scene, for I had looked down from +here nine years before. On the weather side of the island the +mountains are even more precipitous than on the lee side; but, on the +other hand, they do not run sheer into the sea, for at their base +extend great green slopes continued by broad sandy beaches. Along all +this coast are shallow flats and outlying rocks on which the surf +breaks perpetually. Thirty miles out to sea rise the inaccessible +rocky islets of Martin Vas. + +The plateau we were on was covered with a luxuriant vegetation, for +in addition to the tree-ferns there were large bushes of some +species of acacia--a tall thorny plant with flowers like those of +scarlet-runners, and bearing large beans--flowering grasses, and +various other plants. I collected specimens of these later on, which +were lost, however, with other stores shortly before we abandoned +the island, in consequence of the capsizing of our boat while +launching her in Treasure Bay. + +It seemed strange to find so beautiful a garden, high up, almost +unapproachable for the perils that surround it, throned as it is on a +wilderness of rock rising up to it in chaotic masses and sheer +precipices from the shore far below. The sailors under Frank Mildmay +discovered this grove before me. In all his descriptions of places and +scenery Captain Marryat is singularly faithful to the truth, even in +the minutest details. In this respect indeed he is more conscientious +in his works of fiction than are most travellers in their presumedly +true narratives. The most minute and accurate description of Trinidad +that I have come across is in 'Frank Mildmay,' and it is easy to +identify every spot mentioned in that book. The author must himself +have visited this strange place, and his imagination was strongly +stirred by it. He gives us graphic pictures of 'the iron-bound coast +with high and pointed rocks, frowning defiance over the unappeasable +and furious waves which break incessantly at their feet.' His hero +also experiences the usual difficulty in landing; men and boat are +nearly lost, and in all his thrilling narrative there is not the least +exaggeration. All the events described might well have happened, and +probably did happen. + +Of the grove he says:--'The men reported that they had gained the +summit of the mountain, where they had discovered a large plain, +skirted by a species of fern-tree from twelve to eighteen feet +high--that on this plain they had seen a herd of goats; and among them +could distinguish one of enormous size which appeared to be their +leader. They also found many wild hogs.' + +We saw no goats or hogs, and I am confident that none are now left +alive. We did, however, in the course of our digging discover what +appeared to be the bones of a goat. It is well known that these +animals once abounded here. Captain Halley, of the 'Paramore Pink,' +afterwards Dr. Halley, Astronomer-Royal, landed on this island April +17, 1700, and put on it some goats and hogs for breeding, as also a +pair of guinea-fowl which he carried from St. Helena. 'I took,' says +his journal,'possession of the island in his Majesty's name, as +knowing it to be granted by the King's letters-patent, leaving the +Union Jack flying.' + +The American commander, Amaso Delano, visited Trinidad in 1803. He +writes:--'We found plenty of goats and hogs. We saw some cats, and +these three sorts of quadrupeds were the only animals we saw on the +island.' + +Possibly the land-crabs have gobbled all these up, for the only +quadrupeds we came across were mice. + +Having attained the summit of the island, the doctor and myself took a +rest under the shade of the tree-ferns, while we partook of a frugal +lunch of biscuits and rum, the indispensable pipes, of course, +following. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +ON THE ROAD TO TREASURE BAY. + + +Having smoked our pipes we continued our journey. At first I was a +very sanguine guide. I thought I should have no difficulty in +recognising the ravine by which, nine years before, I had descended to +the windward shore. But in this I was mistaken, for I found it +extremely difficult to find my way to it again. + +At any rate we were not now about to undergo the great toil, thirst, +and danger that I had experienced during my former visit, for I at +least knew some of the places to avoid, and this was a matter of +importance. As we clambered along the edges of the mountains, looking +for the pass, I was able to condemn at once as false passages several +promising-looking routes, the vain trial of which had exhausted myself +and my companions on my previous expedition. + +For instance, there was one long slope of volcanic _débris_ of a +ruddy colour which appeared from where we stood to join on to the +green hills below and so to lead to the sandy beaches. The doctor was +anxious to attempt this easy-looking way, but I knew the deceitful +place too well of old. It tempts one further and further down, ever +getting steeper, until one suddenly finds oneself at the edge of a +frightful precipice, invisible from above, which compels one at great +risk to retrace one's painful steps to the heights. + +In the course of my first exploration we made so many false descents +of these ravines and slopes, all terminating in precipices and driving +us back again, that at last, finding no water, we were completely worn +out and nearly perished of thirst. The heat is intense on Trinidad, +especially at this season of the year, when the sun is vertical, and +to climb these hot crags through the suffocating air is the most +completely exhausting work I have ever undertaken. No other place +within the tropics that I have visited has such an oppressive climate. +I, therefore, determined to make no foolish experiments on this +occasion, and not to attempt the descent until I was certain of my +pass. + +We crawled along the cliff-side for a long way, looking over at every +point; but I could see nothing like my old ravine, and soon got fairly +puzzled. At last we had followed the mountain ridges almost to the +north end of the island, where the plateau of tree-ferns ceases, and +where the mountains fall nearly perpendicularly into the sea, and +culminate in needle-like peaks, affording no soil for vegetation of +any description. So I knew that we had come too far and had passed the +entrance to the ravine. We accordingly retraced our steps. We had now +exhausted our bottle of water and were suffering from thirst. My old +experience had taught me never, if possible, to be far from a stream +while wandering over Trinidad. To toil among these arid rocks produces +an insatiable thirst, and one's strength fails if one is deprived of +water even for a short time. Therefore as we saw below us a ravine +that looked like a water-course and which bore some resemblance to the +one I was in search of, we decided to explore it. We lowered ourselves +down from rock to rock for some way, and soon, to our delight, found a +small issue of cool water. But this was not my ravine, for, on +descending further, we came to the edge of one of the usual +precipices, and we had to clamber up again. + +We attempted yet another ravine, which I did not recognise as +_the_ one, but which might prove to be it nevertheless, for I had +to confess that I was quite at sea. This in time led us to a sloping +shelf of rock overhanging another precipice. This shelf was extremely +slippery, for the stream flowed over it in a thin film and it was +covered with a short moss. This, too, exactly corresponds with a +description in 'Frank Mildmay,' that excellent guide to Trinidad, and +what is said about the spot in that work may serve as a warning to +any--if such there ever be--who may meditate a tour on this island. +Two of Mildmay's sailors had been lost while goat-hunting, so he sets +forth in search of them. 'I was some yards in advance of my +companions,' he says, 'and the dog a little distance from me, near the +shelving part of a rock terminating in a precipice. The shelf I had to +cross was about six or seven feet wide and ten or twelve long, with a +very little inclined plane towards the precipice, so that I thought it +perfectly safe. A small rill of water trickled down from the rock +above it, and, losing itself among the moss and grass, fell over the +precipice below, which, indeed, was of a frightful depth. This +causeway was to all appearance safe, compared with many which we had +passed, and I was just going to step upon it when my dog ran before +me, jumped on the fatal pass--his feet slipped from under him--he fell +and disappeared over the precipice! I started back--I heard a heavy +squelch and a howl; another fainter succeeded, and all was still. I +advanced with the utmost caution to the edge of the precipice, where I +discovered that the rill of water had nourished a short moss, close +and smooth as velvet, and so slippery as not to admit of the lightest +footstep; this accounted for the sudden disappearance and, as I +concluded, the inevitable death of my dog.' Later on, far below, he +found 'the two dead bodies of our companions and that of my dog, all +mangled in a shocking manner; both, it would appear, had attempted to +cross the shelf in the same careless way which I was about to do when +Providence interposed the dog in my behalf.' The adventures of Frank +Mildmay and his crew on Trinidad are recorded with such realism and +with--as I have before said--such accuracy of local colouring, that I +suspect Captain Marryat in this portion of his work is recounting his +personal experiences. + +So, foiled once again, we reascended the ravine and walked along the +edge of the mountains, till we came to a projecting rock that +commanded an extensive view over the cliffs. Here we sat down and +discussed the problem before us. I assured the doctor that my ravine +was certainly close to us somewhere, but that I altogether failed to +identify it among the ravines before us, though I carried in my mind's +eye a very vivid picture of its appearance. + +'Perhaps it has disappeared,' suggested the doctor. This seemed +scarcely possible, but it might, I acknowledged, have been so changed +by landslips as to be unrecognisable. + +Being people of logical mind, we reasoned that, if the ravine still +existed, we ought now to discover it without any difficulty by a +simple process of elimination. There was only a limited number of even +possible-looking ways down the precipices. Of these we had now tried +two in vain. Again, there were several others which I remembered well +to have attempted at the time of my previous visit and to have found +impracticable. It followed that we had now to confine our attention to +any remaining possible routes, and of these there could be very few. + +Indeed, after a careful survey along the edge of the cliffs, we found +that there was but one such way left to us, and that looked very ugly. +Everywhere else were precipices that could obviously only be descended +by a means of progression more rapid than we cared to undertake. + +This way seemed as if it might afford a passage to the beach, but it +was not a ravine at all. The mountain on which we stood had fallen +away, leaving a precipitous step some fifty or sixty feet in height, +and from this step there sloped down to a depth, I should say, of +quite 1,500 feet a great landslip of broken rocks, the _débris_ +of the fallen mountain. This landslip appeared to have taken place not +long since. It was composed of rocks of all sizes and shapes, almost +coal black, piled one on the other at so steep an angle that it was +extraordinary how the mass held together and did not topple over. It +was indeed in places more like an artificial wall of rough stones on a +gigantic scale than a landslip. + +The pass I was searching for was utterly unlike this. I remembered +well that I had found a ravine extending from the mountain top to the +beach, which I described in my narrative as 'a gloomy gorge with sides +formed of black rocks piled on each other in chaotic masses, with a +small stream trickling into it.' We had experienced little difficulty +in ascending or descending it. Before us were now a sufficiency 'of +black rocks piled on each other in chaotic masses,' but no signs of a +ravine or stream. + +It did not look a tempting route, but we could see nothing else, so +decided to try it. The descent was anything but easy and was certainly +rather trying to the nerves. To begin with, the descent of the +precipitous step I have mentioned was a very creepy business. Having +accomplished this without accident, we clambered down the giant +staircase of black rocks the best way we could, and also with as much +speed as was consistent with safety; for the sun was low, the sudden +tropical night would soon be on us, and as it would be, of course, +impossible to proceed in the dark, we should be compelled to camp out +in this very uncomfortable place if we did not hurry on. + +We at last reached the foot of the landslip, and were on the green +down we had seen from above, and which slopes gently to the beach. All +our difficulties were over. + +These slopes on the windward side of Trinidad are overgrown chiefly +with a sturdy species of bean. This plant creeps along the ground, +throwing out long tough tendrils, whose mission it evidently is to +climb up something for support; but in this they are generally +unsuccessful, for nearly all the dead trees have been blown down on +this wind-swept corner of the island. A few trees are still standing, +and these are overgrown with clinging creepers more lucky than the +rest. The scene reminded me of countries I had visited where there are +ten women to one man and where, consequently, the male is properly +appreciated and made much of, while thousands of luckless old maids +vegetate hopelessly with no one to cling to. When I imparted this +simile to the doctor he implored me not to be sentimental. + +The flowers of this bean are pink, and the pods are as large as broad +beans. These the doctor at once pronounced to be edible, for, as he +explained to me, none of these leguminosæ are poisonous. This was a +good thing to know, for they grow so thickly on these shores that we +could have collected any quantity we pleased during our stay on +Trinidad; and with these, the fish, the turtle, the birds and their +eggs, all of which are procurable here without any difficulty, it +would be possible for men left on this island to ward off starvation +for any length of time. + +When I speak of the slopes we were now on as downs, the reader must +not conjure up a picture of the grassy downs of the English coast, +pleasant under foot and easy to travel on. To drag one's feet over the +downs of Trinidad is a very weary business. There are large rocks and +deep pits everywhere. One's progress is impeded by the extreme +softness of the soil, into which one's feet sink deeply, and this is +made still worse by the burrows of the land-crabs, while the roots of +the tall grasses and the trailing tendrils of the beans try to trip +one up at every step. + +Here, to our relief, we found water again. At the foot of the landslip +a deep gully opened out which clove the down to the edge of the shore. +At the bottom of this a little stream flowed for a short distance, +being absorbed by the thirsty soil long before it could reach the +sands below. + +In order to avoid the entangling vegetation we walked down this gully, +and an exceedingly unpleasant place we found it. For here an +incredible number of large fluffy white birds, a sort of gannet, were +sitting on their nests with their young. They covered the rocks and +the branches of the dead trees. They attacked us savagely whenever we +came within reach of them, and the whole of the hot narrow gorge stank +most offensively of the rotten fish they had strewed about. The +different species of birds occupy different portions of this island, +and this ravine is the chief haunt of this particular disagreeable +tribe. + +The whole scene now seemed strangely familiar to me--the ravine, the +black rocks, the crowds of brooding white birds--and when at last we +came to what appeared to be an old road of piled-up stones crossing +the gully I stood still and cried in astonishment: 'Why, doctor, this +is my ravine after all! I remember this place well!' + +Then I looked behind me at the mountain we had descended, and I began +to understand how it was that I had been unable to find out my old +route. As I have explained, the ravine I had travelled down nine years +before extended from the plateau of tree-ferns to the shore. But since +then a gigantic landslip had evidently taken place. The mountain-side +had fallen away, and millions and millions of tons of rocks had rolled +below, entirely filling up the ravine and destroying all traces of it, +until far down, where it appeared again on the downs beyond the limit +of the landslip. + +This was one among other instances I can mention showing that enormous +changes have taken place on this island even in the course of the last +nine years. When this terrific fall of rocks occurred, it would have +been a wonderful sight to one gazing at it in safety from the sea, and +the noise of it must have made itself heard for many leagues around. +It has certainly converted what was once a comparatively easy and +perfectly safe road from the mountain-tops to the windward shore into +an extremely difficult and dangerous one. So much so that the doctor +and myself saw at once that it would be useless to establish a depot +of stores at the pier, as it would be out of the question to lead the +members of the expedition up such a perilous place as this. It was +absolutely certain that lives would be lost if this pass were often +attempted. No skilful mountaineering would avail against the +treacherous rottenness of the precipitous step which surmounts the +landslip, and which did not exist of old, There is no certain foothold +anywhere upon its face, and we looked forward with no pleasurable +anticipation to our enforced return by this way on the morrow. + +The birds' eggs lay on every stone in this valley. We tasted some of +them, but the flavour bore too much resemblance to the stench of +rotten fish around us to be altogether pleasing. + +The bank of stones which I had recognised in the ravine was of far too +regular formation to be otherwise than the work of men's hands. + +Some hundreds of years ago, the Portuguese had a penal settlement on +this side of Trinidad, and this, no doubt, was what remained of one of +their roads. Some weeks later, I explored the ruins of this +settlement, which is a short distance to the north of this gully. I +will describe it when I come to that portion of my narrative. + +Before we came to the spot where the stream soaks into the earth we +filled our bottle with water; then we walked down to the sandy beach, +reaching it just before it became too dark to see our way. We were not +long in selecting our camp. There was a large rock on the sands above +high-water mark, whose hollow side afforded good shelter from wind and +rain. In front of this, we lit a fire of the wreckwood, of which there +was no lack round us, and after a supper of roasted _charki_ and +biscuit, we proceeded to make ourselves comfortable over our pipes and +rum. We were tired, and would have slept very soundly with the sound +of the surf on the reefs as our lullaby, had it not been for the +land-crabs, which would not let us alone, but pulled our hair or +nipped our necks as soon as we began to doze off. + +At last their conduct became unbearable, and our patience worn out, so +we got up, seized two sticks, and slaughtered some fifty of them. Then +we had a little rest, for the others left us alone for a while and +devoured their dead brethren, making a merry crackling noise all round +us, as they pulled the joints asunder and opened the shells. It was, +as the doctor remarked, like the sound of many lobster suppers going +on together at Scott's. + +At daybreak (Nov. 22) we started for South-west Bay. We had drunk all +our water, and so were anxious to reach the bay, explore it, and be +back to our stream as quickly as possible. While making this same +journey nine years before, I had found no signs of fresh water between +this and South Point. The streams that flow from the mountain-tops are +absorbed far up by the slopes of _débris_ and never reach the shore. +Mr. A---- did discover a small, but uncertain, supply near his camp at +the head of South-west Bay, but we felt that we could not rely on +this, and that the issue in the ravine above us, which we had left on +the previous evening, was the only one we could fall back upon with +certainty on the whole weather shore of the island. + +We walked along the sandy beach, with the mountains towering to the +right of us and the ocean swell breaking heavily on the reefs to our +left. The beach was covered with wreckage--planks, barrels, spars, +timbers of vessels with the corroded iron bolts still sticking in +them--a melancholy spectacle; but I was unable to find one particular +wreck which I had seen here nine years before--the complete framework +of a vessel partly buried in the sands, into which I had thought it +might be worth while for our party now to dig, as some valuables might +be lying in her hold. Either the sea had broken up or the sands had +completely covered this wreck since my last visit. + +We found traces of turtle on the sands, and we saw that the pools of +clear water left by the tide were full of fish, while sea-crabs +scampered over the rocks in quantities. The beans, too, grew in +profusion on the downs above the beach, so there was plenty of food +all round us, and, if there had only been fresh water, we could have +made ourselves very comfortable here. There were, of course, plenty of +land-crabs everywhere, but one would have to be hard driven to eat +these ugly brutes. + +At last we came to a promontory of rock jutting out into the sea. We +climbed up this without difficulty, and descended the other side by a +steep slope of soft white sand. + +From here we could see before us the Sugarloaf and Noah's Ark. The +former mountain, as its name implies, is of conical shape--a +stupendous mass, apparently of grey granite, whose summit is about +1,500 feet above the sea, and which on one side is very nearly +perpendicular. Noah's Ark (South Point on the Admiralty chart) was so +named by myself at the time of my former visit, in consequence of its +resemblance both in shape and colour to the favourite toy of my +childhood. It is of oblong form, with perpendicular sides and with a +top exactly like the roof of a house. It is formed of volcanic rock of +a peculiar reddish colour, and is about 800 feet in height. These two +strangely-shaped mountains are joined together by an apparently +inaccessible ridge composed chiefly of the red detritus from Noah's +Ark. + +Our destination, South-west Bay, is bounded on its east side by these +mountains; it was, therefore, necessary for us now, being south of +East Point, to cross the intervening heights. + +The only pass I knew was just under the Sugarloaf. This we used +generally to speak of as the Sugarloaf Col, so as to distinguish it +from another pass which we afterwards discovered. Sugarloaf Col is the +gap which divides the Sugarloaf from a jagged peak to the north of it, +and which, in its turn, is continued by the steep downs which lie to +the back of South-west Bay. + +We crossed the sands, and then a small plain covered with a variety of +bushes, which brought us to the foot of the Col. This gap is formed of +rocks piled on one another, and is not difficult to surmount. + +We reached the summit of it and then, looking down on the other side, +we beheld, lying at our feet, Treasure Bay at last. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +WE EXPLORE THE RAVINE. + + +AS we stood on the Col, the steep wall of the Sugarloaf rising to the +left of us, the view over South-west Bay was exceedingly fine. The bay +is of semicircular form, with a distance of about a mile and a half +from point to point. Broad sands, with green downs behind them, border +the central portion; but it is bounded by steep bare mountains on +either side: on the east side by Noah's Ark, the Sugarloaf and the +peaks beyond; and on the west side by the rugged promontories and +islands which divide it from South Bay. In contrast to the savage +cliffs that shut them in, the sands and downs in the middle of the bay +present a very pleasing and fertile appearance, especially when seen +from the sea, conveying the idea that this is a far more agreeable +spot to live on than proves to be the case after a closer examination. + +From the Col we could look right down on the bay, and, as the water +was very clear, we were able to distinguish all the dangers below the +surface, as well as those above. It was, no doubt, from here that the +pirate captain made his survey. + +We saw that an islet, unmarked on any chart, rose in the middle of the +bay, while a reef of rocks, apparently coral, extended right round the +bay, parallel to the beach, and at a short distance from it. Some of +these rocks were above the surface of the water, some just below, and +others--the most dangerous--further down, so that it was only +occasionally that the sea broke upon them. The pirate in his +confession had spoken of a channel he had discovered through this +reef, situated under the Sugarloaf, at the eastern extremity of the +bay. We now saw that it existed there exactly as he had described +it--a broad opening in the line of rocks, through which a boat could +be pulled, and beached on the sands. + +But still, it was an awkward place, and it would be impossible to land +there on such a day as this was, for immense rollers were sweeping up +the shore which would have almost certainly dashed any boat to pieces +that ventured among them. We were, however, very satisfied with the +success of our expedition so far. We had discovered and taken bearings +of the channel, and we knew how to pilot a boat through it, when the +weather should be favourable. Our next duty was to descend into the +bay and identify the place where the treasure was supposed to be +hidden. + +It was not long before we had discovered what we considered to be the +right spot. + +The pirate had described a small gully in the middle of this bay, at +the foot of which he and his men had erected three cairns, which +should serve as landmarks to those who had the clue, and point the way +to the treasure. + +Mr. P----, and, after him, Mr. A----, had found this gully and the +three cairns, just as they had been described. Mr. A----, either for +the purpose of putting others off the scent, or in order to discover +if anything had been concealed beneath them, blew up these cairns with +gun-powder and dug into them, so that now we could only see traces of +one of them. He had, however, communicated to me what he understood to +be their signification, and how he had been led by them to the first +bend in the ravine, at which spot the plunder had been buried under a +hollow rock. + +We walked up the ravine till we came to a bend, and here, as we had +expected, we saw what appeared to be a landslip of red earth, filling +up the corner of it, blocking up the mouth of any cave that might +exist there, even as Mr. P---- and Mr. A---- had described. And here +before us lay a small trench, with a broken earthenware water jar and +the remains of a wheel-barrow lying in it--all that remained to show +where Mr. A---- had carried on his not very extensive works. + +This, therefore, was the spot we had crossed the Atlantic to find. We +stood and looked at it in silence for a while. 'What do you think of +it?' asked the doctor at last. + +It was not an easy question to reply to, for I did not quite know +myself what to think of it. I had pictured to myself a very different +place. I saw that our work would in one respect be more difficult than +I had anticipated, in another respect far more easy. For this landslip +was not nearly so extensive as I had understood it to be, and the +slopes of the ravine were not of such a character as to render our +operations dangerous, or to necessitate any timbering of our shafts or +trenches. But, on the other hand, there was a want of definiteness +that was disappointing. There were no really sharp bends in the +ravine, and there were several landslips. It was impossible to be +quite certain of what was meant by 'the first bend;' for there were +bends of so insignificant a character that they might easily be +overlooked; and we had no knowledge of the number of paces from the +cairns to the cavern. Therefore, should we fail to find the treasure +at the spot where Mr. A---- commenced to dig, it would be necessary +for us to clear the landslip off the face of the cliff for some +considerable distance. + +Having inspected the scene of Mr. A----'s operations, we set out to +explore the ravine carefully, and, bearing in mind what we knew of the +pirate's original instructions, we endeavoured to reason out whether +this or some other neighbouring bend was the most likely spot. The +treasure was lying, or had been lying, very close to us somewhere; of +that I felt confident at the time, and I have had no reason for +altering my opinion since. + +First, we went down the ravine again, and when we reached the bottom +of it, where it opens out upon the back of the beach, we observed, +what had escaped our notice at first, an extensive excavation in the +hard soil--which is not so encumbered with boulders here as it is +higher up--a cutting so regular in form and with such perpendicular +sides that it was difficult to imagine that it had not been the work +of men's hands. This was certainly not one of Mr. A----'s trenches; +for to have removed such a quantity of earth and stones would have +occupied such a party as he had with him for six months at least. + +Was it possible that the American, or some other adventurer, had been +here before us and carried away the treasure? We could find no marks +of tools or other traces of man in or near this trench, so it was +impossible to decide whether it was artificial or natural. Some of us +afterwards came to the conclusion that it was most probably the +latter, for we came across other cuttings, somewhat similar to this, +in other portions of the ravine, which had evidently been produced by +the action of water. + +Next we went up the gully beyond Mr. A----'s trench, in the hopes of +finding water, of which we were beginning to feel the want. There was +no running stream here, though it was evident from its formation that +the ravine was swept by a mighty torrent after heavy rains. The water +that drained into it from the over-hanging mountain was soaked up by +the loose red soil that lay between the boulders. + +But at last we came to a little hollow at the foot of a rocky step, +where was a tiny pool of tepid and muddy water. However, this was all +we required, for we could now afford time to survey the scene of our +operations more thoroughly, instead of hurrying back, driven by +thirst, to our distant water-course. + +Between the hills and the beach, close to the mouth of the ravine, +there is a sort of plateau of sand and stones, and it was evidently on +this that Mr. A---- had pitched his camp, for here we came across his +tent poles, the remains of wheelbarrows, and some empty meat-tins. + +We walked down to the eastern beach, where the landing was, opposite +the channel between the coral rocks. The sands here sloped steeply +into deepish water; it was, apparently, an excellent place for +beaching a boat when the state of the weather should allow. Though it +was a windless day the ocean swell was high, and it was a grand sight +to see the great green rollers sweep majestically up till they were +close to the beach, and then curl over and break in showers of +sparkling spray. While we stood there admiring the scene, we saw a +curious sight. A roller was travelling towards us, rearing its arched +neck high up, so that the light of the sun shining through it made it +transparent, and in the middle of the clear green mass we saw a long +dark body suspended, borne along helplessly. It was a large shark +that, venturing too near the beach, had been carried up by the +breaker; he floated there a moment, erect on his tail, his fins +beating impotently, when the roller broke and he was dashed with a +loud thud on the beach; then the recoil of the surf swept him seawards +and we saw no more of him. + +Having carried out the object of our journey, we filled our bottle +with water and set forth on our return march. We recrossed Sugarloaf +Col and tramped along the sands. There was no wind and the day was +terribly hot. The sands reflected the burning sun into our faces, and +we felt as if we were literally roasting. Now and then we lay down, +clothes and all, in the salt-water pools, to cool ourselves, and we +rolled handkerchiefs round our heads, which we kept constantly wet. As +my hat had disappeared over a precipice on the previous day, this was +a very necessary precaution against sunstroke, so far as I was +concerned. + +When we were not far from our previous night's camp, we saw what +appeared to be an easier way up the mountains than the one by which we +had come down. The precipitous step at the top of the landslip had +been difficult enough to descend, and on account of the rottenness of +its substance we felt that the ascent might be impossible. + +Whether this new way of ours would have led us to the plateau of +tree-ferns high above us, I cannot tell; but I doubt it. At any rate, +we abandoned it before we had satisfied ourselves as to whether it was +a practicable route or not, for a most excellent reason on +Trinidad--the want of water. We had exhausted our bottle, and were +clambering up difficult declivities on hands and knees, with the +fierce sun blazing down upon our backs. As there was no wind, the air +that lay on the roasting rocks was so oppressive that we had to rest +frequently, and lie on our backs panting for breath. + +I was in the worse condition of the two, in consequence of the loss of +my hat, for, when the thin handkerchief I had wrapped round my head +was dry, it was altogether insufficient for protection, and I ran some +risk of being struck down by sunstroke or heat-apoplexy. + +Accordingly, as we saw no signs of water above us, and as it was more +than likely that this way would lead us to inaccessible precipices +which would drive us back again, we thought it prudent to retrace our +steps before we were quite exhausted, and make our way to the stream +we knew of. We could rest by it until the sun had dipped below the +mountain-tops, and then resume our climb in the shade. + +We descended to the beach, and walked along the sands until we came to +the rock under which we had camped on the previous night, and then, +being opposite to our ravine, we struck out inland towards it across +the down of beans. We must have turned rather to the right of the +track we had followed on the previous day, for we suddenly came to a +terrace of stones which we had not seen before, and which had +evidently formed part of the Portuguese settlement. We clambered up +this, and then perceived, still further to the right, the ruins of +several huts and walls, built of unhewn stones and overgrown with the +creeping beans. Most of the huts were built at the edge of a deep +steep gully. As soon as we saw this, the same idea struck both of us: +the Portuguese would most certainly have chosen the vicinity of a +stream for their settlement, and in all probability there was running +water at the bottom of that gully. + +As it would not take us much out of our way to satisfy our curiosity, +we climbed over the bean-covered rocks until we came to the edge of +the gully, and, looking over, saw, to our delight and astonishment, +not a tiny issue trickling drop by drop, like most of the streams of +these ravines, but a regular little river of sparkling water, rushing +down with a merry noise over the stones. + +We drank our fill, and found the water cool and delicious, but +slightly fishy in flavour, for the large white gannets thronged the +hills above. This is the most considerable stream on the island, and +the only one that reaches the weather shore, all the others, as I have +explained, being sucked up high above by the slopes of _débris_. +This drains an extensive area, and several ravines meet at the head of +the gully, each contributing its share of water. Among others was one +of the ravines we had attempted to descend on the previous day, and +which had led us to the brink of the precipice. From below we could +now see the whole face of that precipice--a fearful wall of black +rock, with a thin thread of water falling over it. + +We walked down the gully, and found that the stream, not only crossed +the down, but flowed right across the sands into the sea, the volume +of water being too great to allow of its being all swallowed up by the +thirsty soil on the way. We should have been more comfortable in our +camp on the night before had we known there was a stream so near to +us, and would have drunk our fill, instead of doling out to each other +thimblefuls of water with a grudging hand. It was strange, too, that I +had not discovered this river when I was here before. I had then, on +descending from the mountains, turned to the right, even as we had +done on the previous day, and suffered much from want of water; +whereas, had I turned to the left, I should have come upon this +generous supply after a few minutes' walk. + +This was, indeed, a most valuable discovery for us, for now, should +the supply of water fail in South-west Bay, our working-party would +merely have to cross the Sugarloaf Col, and follow the sands to this +river--no very arduous journey. + +The heat had been so intense this day that our recent vain climb upon +the mountain-side had somewhat exhausted us, and we did not feel +prepared to accomplish the whole of the long journey to the pier +before dark; moreover, the position of the sun showed us that it was +long past noon, and we should have had to hurry along without pause, +in order to save our daylight. + +So we decided to take it easily, and select a camp for the night close +to water, on the weather slopes of the mountains. We should have liked +to remain where we were, by the river, in the midst of the old +Portuguese settlement, but, knowing the difficulties of the homeward +journey, we felt that it would be advisable to proceed some way +further on our road before camping, and so leave a shorter distance to +travel on the morrow. + +We accordingly left the river-side and struck across the downs to the +foot of the ravine by which we had descended on the previous day. On +our way we gathered a quantity of beans for our supper. + +We soon found the ravine, and began to ascend it. The foul white birds +again attacked us as we climbed from rock to rock, and the ugly crabs +waved their pincers at us with menacing gestures. Then we came to the +lowest point on the hill-side where water is found. This was at a much +greater distance from the beach than it had seemed to be while we were +descending on the day before; for the stream disappears in the soil at +a spot at least 600 feet above the level of the sea, and to attain it +from below involves a pretty stiff climb. + +We went still higher up the ravine, until we were close to the place +where the stream issues from the ground, a short distance below the +foot of the great landslip of black rocks. Here we found an admirable +site for our camp. This gully, as I have explained, falls towards the +shore at a very steep angle, the rocks, as it were, forming a gigantic +flight of steps. We were now on one of these steps, a flat surface, +about ten feet across, covered with red sand. The stream fell on to +this from the step above, forming a little cascade some twelve feet in +height, and, after crossing one side of the flat, fell over another +wall of rock on to the step below. + +The scene around us was strangely picturesque. Our step was simply a +small ledge in this wilderness of broken black rocks; above us and +below us were precipices and landslips. It was an excellent situation +for an eagle's nest, but not an over-secure spot for a camp of men. +Our narrow bed would not do for a restless sleeper: to slip off the +edge of it would insure a broken neck. A coarse grass grew here and +there between the rocks by the water-side, but there was no other +vegetation on the bleak crags, though of course the mysterious dead +trees, as everywhere else on this island, were lying thickly all +around. The foul birds and the land-crabs were the sole inhabitants of +this solitude. + +We now proceeded to make ourselves at home for the night. I collected +the branches and trunks of the dead trees and built up a goodly pile +of firewood, while the doctor prepared our supper. We had no saucepan +with us, so the pannikin had to do duty for one. In this the doctor +concocted a stew, the ingredients of which were _charki_, biscuit, +figs, and Trinidad beans. It turned out to be a far more tasty dish +than one would have supposed. + +After dinner the saucepan was cleaned out and grog was served out in +it--the last of our supply of rum. We had just lit our pipes and were +settling ourselves down to a comfortable half-hour's smoke and chat +before turning in (to whom is a pipe so sweet as to one camping out +under the stars after the day's work?) when suddenly the doctor cried +out, 'Hullo, look at our beds!' I looked, and lo! to my dismay, those +luxurious couches were under water. + +I must explain that we had pulled up a quantity of grass and strewed +it over the sand, so as to make a snug soft sleeping-place for the +night. While we were enjoying our dinner, the river, unobserved by us, +had risen considerably, and was now flowing over that portion of the +step whereon we had made up our beds. There had been no rain to +account for this, so I suppose that the sun, blazing down on the +rocks, causes a great evaporation of water during the day, and that, +consequently, the volume of the stream is greater after sunset. + +So we had now to put aside our pipes and grog for a few moments and +undertake some necessary engineering operations: we cleared away a +channel through the natural dam of grass, stones, and sand at the +lower edge of the step, and so gave a free passage to the swollen +stream. The flood subsided at once, and our beds were above water +again. The doctor, then, acting in his medical capacity, suggested +that damp mattresses were unhealthy; so we threw a few handfuls of +grass on the top of the sodden mass, and our beds were what we were +pleased to call dry again. + +We lit a fire of the dead wood and kept it alight all night, so that +we could occasionally warm ourselves by it; for a wind had sprung up +at sunset, which swept up the ravine from the sea, making us feel +uncomfortably chilly, thinly clad as we were and having no blankets to +cover us. + +We soon found that it would be impossible for us both to sleep at the +same time, for the land-crabs had smelt us out and swarmed down upon +us from all sides. We kept watch and watch; while one slept the other +tended the fire and killed the land-crabs, as they approached, with +sticks and stones. The other crabs, as usual, fed on the dead. I have, +in the 'Cruise of the "Falcon,"' described the peculiarly uncanny way +in which a land-crab eats his food. I saw this night, as I kept watch, +at least twenty of them at a time devouring the carcasses of their +slain friends. Each stood quite still, looking me straight in the face +with his fixed outstarting eyes, and with an expression absolutely +diabolical. He pulled the food to pieces with his two front claws, and +then, with deliberate motion, brought the fragments of flesh to his +mouth with one claw, and chewed them up with a slow automatic action, +but still those horrible eyes never moved, but stared steadily into +mine. + +As we had no means of judging the time, it was difficult to divide the +night into watches of even length, so we had to portion it out between +us the best way we could. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +A NARROW ESCAPE. + + +We started early on the following morning, November 23, and reached +the summit of the landslip before the sun had heated the black rocks, +and the layer of close air immediately over them, to that high +temperature which we had found so insupportable on the previous day. + +We managed to ascend the cliff which hangs over the landslip without +accident, but it was anxious work, and we experienced a sense of +relief when we found ourselves safe once more on the upper plateau. + +From here we took a short cut across the groves of tree-ferns towards +the head of the cascade ravine, and came unexpectedly upon a green +valley in the middle of the plateau which we had not seen before, and +which is, without doubt, the most beautiful place on the island. At +the bottom of it a cool stream flowed through thickly-growing ferns +and grass. The scenery all round us was of a soft and pleasing +character, very strange to us after the dreary barrenness of the +mountain slopes beneath this elevated and almost inaccessible garden. + +We might have been in some fair vale of Paraguay, instead of on the +summit of rugged Trinidad. Here were gently sloping green hills that +shut out all view of the jagged peaks. The vegetation was of a more +luxuriant nature than in any other portion of the island; tall +grasses, bushes, and plants of various kinds, most of them covered +with flowers, carpeted the soft red soil, while the tall and beautiful +tree-ferns stood in scattered clumps, casting a pleasant shade with +their fronds of darker green. Even the dead trees were not so +melancholy in appearance as elsewhere on the island; for from their +branches--as well as from those of the older bushes and +tree-ferns--there hung swaying festoons of a parasitic plant something +like the Spanish moss that covers the pines and live-oaks of Florida, +but more beautiful, for this was of a silvery white colour. + +Besides those tyrants of Trinidad, the birds and land-crabs, mice, +flies, ants, earwigs, and big spiders dwelt in this happy valley. + +From here we walked to the head of our ravine, where the principal +grove of tree-ferns crowns the cliffs, and now we looked down upon the +'Alerte,' seeming very small from this dizzy height, '_and yon tall +anchoring bark, diminished to her cock; her cock, a buoy almost too +small for sight_.' We observed that the wind was blowing rather +freshly from an unusual quarter--north-west--making this a lee shore +to our vessel, but there were no signs of bad weather in the sky. + +While descending the ravine we were shut in by the walls of rock, so +that we were unable to see the yacht; but on reaching a point just +above the cascade we again commanded a view over the whole roadstead, +and lo! we found, to our dismay, that the 'Alerte' was no longer lying +at her anchorage, nor was she anywhere in sight. + +We stood and stared round the horizon, scarcely believing the evidence +of our eyes. Not an hour before we had looked down upon her from the +mountain, riding snugly to her anchor, with sails stowed. What +possible mischance could have occurred since then? + +We proceeded to the pier, on to which we perceived that the sea was +breaking much more heavily than when we had landed on it, and from +here we were enabled to see further round the coast to the north-west. +Then we caught a glimpse of our vessel just before she rounded, and +was hidden by, the first promontory. She was about two miles away, +with all plain sail set, beating against the wind towards the northern +end of the island. + +We surmised that those on board had become anxious about our safety, +and were sailing round the island in order, if possible, to discover +where we were--a course which they had no right to undertake, seeing +that the doctor and myself had not yet been two and a half days away, +and were not likely to have lost ourselves. Besides which, I knew that +there was no one on board competent to take charge of the vessel on a +cruise of this sort. Under these circumstances I was in anything but +an amiable temper, more especially as the doctor and myself were now +fagged out by our exertions, and had been looking forward to a square +meal, and some good red wine with it, on our return on board. + +As it appeared that they were bent on sailing round the island, and +might not be off the pier again until the following day--for the yacht +was evidently progressing very slowly, plunging her nose constantly +into the steep head seas--I determined to recall them, if possible. So +we hurried back to a slope near the cascade where the grass was +growing thickly, and applied a match to it. As I expected, there was +soon a great blaze, and a dense volume of smoke arose which must have +made itself visible for many miles around. The wind fanned the flames, +and the fire crept slowly up the mountain-side wherever the dry grass +afforded a track for it; the dead trees, too, began to burn fiercely, +and we discovered that we had started a somewhat larger conflagration +than we had intended, and had set the whole of this side of the island +on fire. + +However, it produced the desired effect: we saw the yacht sail clear +of the point again, on the starboard tack, bear away, and run down the +coast towards us. And now, at the suggestion, as I afterwards learnt, +of Arthur Cotton, who ought to have known better, but who, as having +been here before with me, professed to be well acquainted with the +pilotage of Trinidad, the anchor was let go, to my horror, quite close +to the edge of the breakers. Our vessel was now in very convenient +proximity to the end of the pier, it is true, but in a most perilous +position: for no sea-room had been allowed her--a very necessary +precaution under these cliffs, where the wind is never steady--and I +saw that, when the anchor was weighed again, we should run great risk +of being carried on to the rocks by the rollers before we could get +the yacht under command. + +It may be imagined what was my condition of mind when I realised all +this, and the doctor was naturally as savage as myself. We stood on +the pier and watched the men as they lowered the sails and then +launched the whale-boat in order to fetch us off. Powell, Pursell, and +two of the paid hands manned the boat. The sea was now so high that +they could not approach very near to the shore. The waves were dashing +high up the sides of the pier, and, in recoiling, rushed across the +end of it in the form of a cascade. + +Seeing that we must swim for it, we took off our coats and placed them +in a hole at the top of the rocks. I shouted to those in the boat to +keep some distance off, and throw a life-buoy with a line attached to +it towards the pier, so that we could jump in and be hauled off by it. +This was done. Choosing my time I leapt in, held on to the line, the +boat was pulled seaward out of reach of the breakers and I clambered +on board. Then we returned for the doctor. He stood on the pier, +waiting for his opportunity, but one much higher roller than the rest +came up and swept him off into the sea. Luckily, he was not dashed +against any of the rocks, but managed to swim out clear of the recoil, +while we backed towards him and took him on board. + +Once safe on the deck of the 'Alerte' I listened to an explanation of +the extraordinary manoeuvres which had been taking place. + +It seemed that either the yacht had dragged her anchor, or it was +supposed that she had dragged her anchor--for the opinions on the +matter were at variance--so the anchor was weighed, and, of course, as +the chain got short, the yacht, even if she had not done so before, +began to drag at a merry pace. Then sail was hoisted. By this time she +had drifted very close to the rocks, but, as far as I understand, she +was filling and would soon have been in safety again, when, for some +reason or other, down went the anchor, and she lay rolling about close +under the rocky Ness and the dangerous islets that lie off it. Up came +the anchor once more, and this time the yacht drove so very near to +the rocks that every one on board gave her up as lost, and some were +looking out for the safest spot on shore to swim to. A high sea was +breaking over the cliffs--one touch and she would have broken up. And +now, as by a miracle--for I don't know how it happened, and no one on +board seems to have known--the vessel got way on her and forged ahead, +so that she became manageable, and was steered out to sea, clear of +danger. + +That she had been very nearly wrecked there can be no doubt, and that +this had been due to very awkward handling was also certain. I was +myself much to blame for the serious risk the poor old vessel had +incurred. Had I left the doctor in charge on board, in his capacity of +mate, while I was exploring the island, he would, no doubt, have +extricated the yacht from her difficulty as soon as she began to +drag--an easy task. I did not consider that there was any one else +among the volunteers capable of undertaking the responsibility of +command, but I was under the impression--wrongly it seems--that the +five paid hands on board would have had the common sense to give her +more chain when they perceived that the wind was freshening. Ted, for +instance, was bos'n, and might have taken it upon himself to do this, +as was indeed his understood duty when no officers were on board. + +For the first and only time during the cruise these men lost their +heads, and, having no recognised leader to direct them, each +volunteered his own opinion as to what should be done, or as to +whether the vessel was dragging at all; but, as far as I can make out, +with one man giving one order at one end of the vessel, and another +man giving a contradictory order at the other end, nothing at all was +done until it was almost too late. + +I made up my mind never from this time to leave the vessel, even for a +short time, without putting some one definitely in charge, even if he +were an incompetent person. + +But the danger was not all over yet. The vessel was now tumbling about +in the high swell at the edge of the breakers, the wind had dropped, +and to have weighed the anchor would have been to have run great risk +of being carried on to the rocks by the rollers. So, as she was safe +where she was for the time, I saw it was advisable to wait until the +conditions should be more favourable, before shifting our anchorage. +The doctor and myself enjoyed our square meal to which we had been +looking forward, and then I turned in to sleep, giving orders that I +should be called at four in the afternoon. + +At four the sea had gone down a good deal and there was a moderate +breeze, so I decided to move to a safer berth. We hoisted the sails +and, while we were getting the anchor up, I took the precaution, +seeing what little sea-room we had, of putting the whale-boat in the +water, with a long line fastened to the yacht's bows, ready to pull +her head round and tow her seawards should she not cant in the right +direction. + +We got away safely, and the anchor was let go in nineteen fathoms +close to where we had brought up on our arrival. + +The night was fine, but the surf was still roaring on the beach. The +mountains now presented a curious appearance, for our fire had spread +up the various arms of the ravine almost to the summit, and there were +clusters of lights, as of villages, in all directions, while here and +there what appeared to be bonfires were blazing, possibly at spots +where several dead trees had fallen together. We began to fear lest +the illumination, which must have been visible for leagues out to sea, +might attract the attention of passing vessels. A captain would +naturally conclude that these fires were the signals of a shipwrecked +crew, and therefore go out of his course to render assistance. Luckily +this did not happen. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +WE LAND THE STORES IN THE BAY. + + +The patience of my men was now to be severely tried. Here before them +was the mysterious isle, with all its golden possibilities; but for +five days the sea was in far too disturbed a condition to permit of a +landing; so they were confined to their floating prison, which rolled +and pitched at her anchorage all the while, and gazed with vain desire +at the forbidden land. + +It was now that Ted came up to me, as spokesman for the rest of his +shipmates in the forecastle, and said that they were all anxious to go +on shore in turn, and do their share of digging with the rest of us. +It had been part of the original scheme to keep the paid hands--with +the exception, perhaps, of the cook--on board the vessel; but as by +this time we knew the ways of the 'Alerte,' and could handle her with +fewer men than when we had started. I decided that an officer and two +paid hands would be a sufficient crew while she was lying off the +island, and that all the other men could be spared for the work on +shore. I therefore acceded to Ted's request. + +The men were led to understand that they would be entitled to no share +of the proceeds if the treasure were found, though they, of course, +knew that, should fortune favour us, a handsome present would be given +to them. + +The agreement as to the division of the spoil among the +gentlemen-adventurers had also to be revised in one respect. It was +settled that the shares of those who had abandoned the expedition were +to be portioned out among those who remained. By this arrangement each +of my companions became nearly twice as rich--in expectations--as when +he sailed from England. + +Trinidad is supposed to be outside the limit of the south-east +trade-winds, but I think this is doubtful; for, so far as my +experience goes, the prevailing winds are from the easterly quarter, +and more commonly from the south-east. When the winds are in the west +quadrant, and more especially when from the south-west, a heavy sea +rises, and landing is rendered altogether impossible. This was our +experience for the next few days. + +On November 24, there was a high wind from the north-west and a great +swell. We were now on a lee shore, and a very dangerous one too; so +all was got ready for slipping the anchor and running to the open sea +in a moment, should it become necessary to do so. We gave the yacht +all her starboard chain--sixty fathoms. We got up the end of the +chain, and made it fast to the mainmast in such a way that we could +let it go at once. One end of a stout thirty-fathom hawser was +attached to the chain, just below the hawse-pipe, and to the other end +of it we fastened an improvised buoy, made of a breaker and a small +bamboo raft. In order to get under way we should now merely have to +throw the buoy overboard and cast off the end of the chain from the +mast. We could then sail away and leave our moorings behind us. + +Then we set to work to bend the storm-trysail, a very handy sail, +which could be hoisted much more readily than our heavy mainsail. We +reefed the foresail, had a storm-jib ready, and housed our topmast. We +were now prepared for anything that might turn up. + +We were not idle this day, for after making all snug, we got the +spades, hydraulic jack, and other tools out of the hold, so as to have +them in readiness to put in the boat the moment there was a chance of +landing. + +Our fire on the mountain blazed away all this night and was not +entirely extinguished for six days afterwards. + +The next day was overcast, and the wind was from the south-west; then +it veered to the southward. The sea was higher than on the previous +day. The vessel tumbled about a great deal, rolling her scuppers under +water, flooding her decks, and running her bowsprit under, all the +while. Still, she rode very easily, the great length of heavy chain we +had given her acting as a spring. We watched carefully for the first +signs of dragging, but the anchor had evidently got a good hold now +and she did not budge a foot. In the afternoon the glass fell rapidly +and the sky looked very stormy, while the temperature in our saloon +fell to 75°, which made us feel quite chilly. + +It is probable that this disturbed weather and high sea were the +results of a _pampero_ raging thousands of miles to the southward +of us. + +On this day we took our dinghy on deck--a dilapidated little boat--and +proceeded to stop her leaks, in a novel, but for the time effectual, +manner, with plaster of Paris and tar. + +The fish would not be caught while this heavy sea was running, but we +secured some sharks and ate their flesh for dinner, to the horror of +our black cook, whom I overheard telling his shipmates that he +considered it 'degrading to eat de meat of de dam shark.' + +_November 26._--Same weather, blowing, raining, rolling, and +impatient grumbling of men. Even the two amiable blacks, eager to be +at work on shore, fretted a bit at the enforced imprisonment on board. +They had always been fond of argument, but now the arguments became +stormy, and we could hear them laying down the law to each other in +the forecastle, while the English sailors sat round them, smoking in +silence and listening with amused wonder. One black was a Roman +Catholic, the other a Methodist; their discussions were generally +theological, and they exchanged vituperations with a fine theological +fury. It was grand to hear Theodosius rail at the Pope and call his +comrade a heathen idolater, while George would pour the vials of his +wrath on the Methodist heretic. These two poor fellows were the +greatest friends, but, of course, each was confident that the other +was doomed to perdition. When, in the course of one of these +controversies, a theologian found himself caught in a dilemma, he +would wax impatient and cry, 'Oh, chew it!'--an expression I have +never heard before--indicating that one has been worsted in argument, +but will not allow it, and insists, having had enough of it, on +winding up the debate at once. + +On the 27th the glass rose, the wind veered to north-east, and the +sea moderated; but the surf was still dangerous, and we could see it +breaking over a rock sixty feet in height. On this day we sighted +two homeward-bound sailing-vessels. During our stay on Trinidad +we saw a good many craft, sometimes four or five in a week, all +homeward-bounders, for, as I have already explained, it is usual for +vessels coming round Cape Horn to make for and sight this island, so +as to correct the rate of their chronometers. Few outward-bounders +pass it, and it is altogether out of the track of steamers. + +On November 28 things looked better, the sea had all gone down. In the +morning a few hands pulled off to the pier, where they found the +landing perfectly easy, and brought off the coat which the doctor had +left on the rock when we had jumped into the sea. My coat could not be +found, as it had been washed off by a wave. They also brought off a +specimen of a land-crab, which did not seem at all at home on our +deck. He was introduced to Master Jacko, our monkey, whose horror at +the uncouth apparition was intense. The wise monkey would not get +within reach of the crab's nippers, but, having cleverly driven him +into a corner, tried to push his ugly visitor through a scupper into +the sea with a bit of firewood. + +I must now apologise to Jacko for not having before this introduced +him to my readers. He was a delightful little creature that we had +purchased on the Praya at Bahia. He was very affectionate, and was +free from malice, though, of course, full of mischief. He had a red +blanket of his own, which he would carry about with him wherever he +went, and, should a few drops of rain fall or spray come on board, he +would deftly roll it about him in the fashion of a cloak, with his +funny little head just peeping out of the hood. He was very fond of +tea, and while we were at sea he took his 4 a.m. cup with the others. +As soon as the cook began to lift the boiler of tea from the stove +Jacko would give a whistle of delight, clamber up the pantry wall, +unhook a pannikin, and walk up with it to be filled, 'all de same as a +little ole man,' as the cook used to say. It was amusing to see him +test the temperature of the tea with his fingers before drinking it. +He was a marvellously intelligent and jolly little creature, and is +now dwelling happily in a little house on a cocoanut tree in a +plantation near Port-of-Spain. He prefers a West Indian life of warmth +and unlimited bananas to an existence in a damp ship on salt junk and +biscuit. + +At noon, as the sea was still smooth, we made our first attempt at +landing in Treasure Bay. We put the whale-boat in the water, and +loaded her with about a ton of stores, consisting of tinned provisions +of various sorts, biscuit, salt beef, the picks, spades, crowbars, +wheelbarrows, hydraulic jack, and other tools. We also took in tow a +raft constructed of the long bamboos we had brought from Bahia. These +we knew would be useful for several purposes. + +I steered the boat, while the doctor, Powell, Pursell, and two paid +hands, took the oars. Having the wind behind us we were not long in +crossing the two miles of smoothly heaving sea that lay between us and +South-west Bay. We rounded the point into the bay, and, leaving on our +port hand the islet in the middle, we made for the channel which the +doctor and myself had surveyed from the mountains. When we came near +we found that there were three parallel lines of breakers to be +traversed, and, consequently, there was a treble chance of swamping. +The surf was much more formidable than we had expected to find it, +considering how smooth the sea was outside the bay. The wind was +blowing in strong gusts right off shore, over the depression in the +mountains at the back of the bay. It drove off the tops of the +oncoming waves into great veils of spray, curling over in a contrary +direction to the curl of the swell, and bright with shifting rainbows +as the sun's rays fell upon it. The bay presented a most beautiful +appearance from the boat, and those who had not seen the pirates' +haunt before uttered exclamations of admiration and wonder. Between +the gloomy black mountains on the left and the unearthly-looking dark +red walls of Noah's Ark on the right was a scene in which, flooded +with tropical sunlight, earth and ocean vied with each other in +vividness of colouring. Directly in front were the great rollers of +transparent green, their snowy crests flashing with rainbows; beyond, +dazzling golden sands; above, domes of brilliant emerald cleaving the +cloudless sky. + +But this was no time to dwell on the beautiful; we had other matters +to consider. The grand rollers with their breaking tops had no charms +for us, for we had to get through them--a risky undertaking with a +deeply-laden boat. + +We discovered afterwards that it is almost impossible to judge from +the height of the swell near our anchorage, or from the surf on the +pier, whether landing in South-west Bay is likely to be easy or the +reverse. The surf on this sandy beach is governed by a different +system of laws to that which prevails on other portions of the coast +of Trinidad. Here, curiously enough, there is more surf when the wind +is blowing off shore than when it is blowing on. The north-east wind, +sweeping in violent gusts down the slopes that back the bay, offers a +resistance to the swell rolling in, and piles it into steep walls of +water, breaking dangerously. The south-east wind raises a higher swell +outside, but, blowing right into this bay, drives the sea down, and +the landing becomes comparatively easy. At the anchorage opposite the +cascade the contrary is the rule: with a north-east wind blowing off +shore the sea is smooth, with a south-east wind the surf increases; +but, as I have already stated, it is always smoother there than in +South-west Bay. + +The men rested on their oars, and we watched the surf from a safe +distance, to discover if there were any chance of picking a favourable +opportunity for landing. It would be a disappointing matter if we had +to pull our boat-load of stores back to the yacht against the wind; +so, after a little hesitation, I decided to risk the landing. One must +run some risks on such a place as Trinidad, and we might as well +commence at once. All in the boat were delighted at the decision. + +Every one knows how the ocean swell proceeds in regular rhythm, and +how one sees at intervals three greater waves than usual come up, one +after the other, to be succeeded by a comparative calm. We took the +boat just outside the outer breakers and awaited one of these +smoothes. Soon three great waves passed under us, and broke beyond us +with terrific force. Now was our time, and we made a dash for it. The +long ash oars bent as the men, putting their backs into their work, +drove the boat through the sea. Pull away! Pull away! The first row of +breakers is passed; then we are safely borne on the top of the second, +looking down upon the beach as from a hill. It passes us and breaks. +All safe so far. We are close to the beach. Then, behind us, we see a +wall of water suddenly rise, curling over. We should simply be rolled +over if we tried to back the boat against it, so the men strain at +their oars to reach the shore before it. The boat is just touching the +sand, the order is given: 'All hands overboard and haul her up,' when +the sea pours over our heads, filling the boat. The men leap or are +washed overboard. One catches hold of the long painter we had provided +in view of such an emergency and contrives to reach the shore; then, +planting his heels in the sand, he holds on with all his strength, to +prevent the boat being swept off into deep water by the receding wave. +At first the other hands are out of their depth, but, as the roller +recoils, they feel bottom; then, two of us holding on to one side of +the boat and two on the other, while the remaining man scrambles on +shore to assist the man with the painter, we haul the boat up till she +grounds; then we all stand by till the next roller comes on to help us +up a bit further. Here it comes! right over our heads, and we are +afloat once more. But the two men on shore haul away with all their +might, as do the others when they touch bottom, and when the wave +recoils it has left us fifty feet higher up the bank, and out of reach +of any heavy body of water. + +It was lucky for us that ours was a lifeboat with a water-tight +compartment at either end or we should not have got out of this scrape +so well. The boat did not capsize when she filled, neither did she +broach to, her head was always direct for the shore. The tide was +coming in fast, so we lost no time in getting her safely drawn up. +While some hands took out the stores and tools, others baled her out, +and, by placing bamboo rollers under her, we dragged her up the steep +incline of sand until she was quite out of reach of the sea. We found +that we had not lost or damaged any of our stores, so had good reason +to congratulate ourselves on our success. + +A tot of rum was served to all hands after their exertions, and then +we carried all our property up to the spot we had selected for our +camp--a plateau of sand and earth opposite the mouth of the ravine. + +Then, as all were, of course, anxious to see the supposed hiding-place +of the treasure, the doctor and myself took them to it. On ascending +the gully somewhat higher than we had gone on our previous visit we +discovered two or three small pools of inferior water. But the supply +was insufficient, even after the recent heavy rains; so it was evident +that, unless we found some other source, our condensing apparatus +would not have been brought in vain. There was, fortunately, an +abundance of fuel in the neighbourhood, for the dead trees were +strewed over all the hill-side. + +We had not brought off any of the tents, but, with a good fire and +plenty to eat, drink, and smoke, there would be little hardship in +sleeping out; and the doctor and Powell volunteered to stay on shore, +while I went back to the yacht. It was my intention to return, if +possible, on the following day, with the tents and other stores, and +to then leave a working-party on the island. We might, of course, on +the other hand, be prevented by a heavy sea from landing again for a +week or more; so we bade our comrades an affectionate farewell, and +enjoined them not to be lazy, but to dig away until they saw us +again--a quite unnecessary suggestion, for they were very keen to +begin work. + +Taking with me Pursell and the paid hands, we hauled the boat down to +the beach; we dragged her into the water quickly, just as one big +roller was recoiling, jumped in and pulled hard out to sea. We shipped +a little water at the second line of breakers, and were then in +safety. + +We soon found, as we pulled back to the yacht, that our boat had +sprung a leak, for the water was pouring in fast through her bottom, +so that we had to stop and bale occasionally. She was an excellent +sea-boat, but lightly built, and her bump on the sands had done her no +good. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +OUR CAMP. + + +We hoisted our leaky lifeboat into the davits when we got on board, +intending to repair her on the following morning. + +During the night fierce gusts blew down the ravine from the +north-east, and black masses of cloud were constantly sweeping across +the mountains. The wind howled as it does in a wintry gale on the +North Sea, and, to all appearance, a heavy storm was raging. Still, it +was quite smooth at our anchorage under the lee of the island, and we +noticed that seawards the sky looked fine enough, and the clouds were +travelling at no great pace. The storm, in fact, was entirely local, +and was limited to the islet and its immediate neighbourhood. We +afterwards became quite accustomed to these harmless gales, which had +a habit of springing up at sunset. + +Trinidad, in consequence of the loftiness of its mountains, can boast +of a climate of its own. It is subject to miniature cyclones, whose +influence does not extend a mile from the shore, and which, therefore, +cannot raise a heavy sea. We were sometimes riding with straining +chain to a wind of hurricane force, when we could see a vessel a +league or so from the land making no progress, her canvas shaking in +the calm; and, however fine it might be outside, the clouds would +collect upon the peaks in ominous torn masses, that whirled along as +if impelled by a terrific blast, and which looked very alarming until +we came to understand the innocence of the phenomenon. We also found +that the landing was often the most perilous on clear, windless days, +when no clouds crowned the mountains. + +These storms were, however, a nuisance to us; for the squalls would +strike the yacht with great force, so that she strained at her chain +and was likely to drag; consequently the officer in charge was unable +to enjoy an undisturbed night's rest, but was in a state of constant +anxiety for the vessel, and was often brought on deck by the turmoil +to satisfy himself that all was going well. + +The next day, November 29, was fine, the wind being still from the +north-east. There was even less swell than on the previous day, so we +saw that no time must be lost in landing more stores. A neglected +opportunity on Trinidad might mean a month's delay. + +We examined the boat, and found that she had started a plank, but that +the damage was slight and could be easily repaired. A few copper +nails, some cotton thrust between the seams with a knife, and a little +marine glue, made her right again; and, after breakfast, she put off +to Treasure Bay with a miscellaneous cargo--the tents, a barrel of +flour, wire-fencing, the blankets and baggage for the shore-party, +etc.; but we did not venture to put nearly so heavy a weight into her +as on the previous day. + +The surf in the bay was no longer dangerous, and, though water was +shipped, all was landed without accident. At midday the boat returned +to the yacht, was reloaded, and another successful disembarkation was +effected. This put us in very good spirits. We had succeeded in +overcoming the difficulties that had caused previous expeditions to +fail, and had now got on shore all that was absolutely necessary for +carrying on the digging for some time to come. The doctor, Pursell, +Powell, and Ted Milner were left on shore for the night, and the boat +returned to the yacht. + +The next day, November 30, was the first on which we divided ourselves +definitely into two parties, the working-gang on shore and a crew of +three to take charge of the yacht. I had talked our plans over on the +previous day with my sole officer, our medico-mate, and we came to the +conclusion that it would be advisable for me to stay on board for the +first fortnight, at least; for we did not know as yet whether it would +be safe to remain at anchor for any length of time, or what steps +might become necessary in order to ensure the safety of the vessel; +and, until such knowledge had been gained by experience of the +conditions of the place, it was right that I should undertake the +responsibility of looking after the yacht. + +So, on this morning, I went on shore for the last time, before +settling down to my fortnight's watch. We took another cargo of stores +in the boat, and landed without difficulty. This long spell of smooth +sea was a most fortunate occurrence for us. + +On landing I found that the shore-party had been hard at work. They +had arranged the camp--and very snug it looked. Two ridge tents had +been placed side by side, to be occupied by the gentlemen-volunteers, +two in each; while a short way off was a larger tent, constructed of +our racing spinnaker and the quarter-deck awning supported by bamboos. +This was our dining-room and kitchen, and also served as sleeping +quarters for the paid hands. At one end of it was an elegant +dining-table--planks from the deck of some old wreck, supported by one +of Mr. A----'s wheelbarrows which had been found in the ravine. A few +campstools and barrels served as chairs, and the arrangements +generally were almost luxurious. + +Many improvements were made to the camp during our stay in Trinidad, +and at last it became a comfortable little village. A conspicuous +object near the tents was the condensing apparatus. Later on, the +cooking was all done out of doors, a neat oven having been constructed +of stones and plaster of Paris. The plaster of Paris had formed part +of the taxidermist's stores, but, little used for its original +purpose, it was found to be of much service in the way of cement. + +A list of all that we landed on the shore of South-west Bay would be a +long one. There was, at the very least, eight tons weight in all. I +need not say that the cook was well provided with culinary apparatus, +and that such articles as paraffin lamps for the tents, a library of +books, fishing lines and hooks, and carpenter's tools had not been +forgotten--our camp, in short, was fully furnished with everything +that could be required. + +The doctor and myself discussed the scheme of work on shore, and, when +all was settled we launched the boat again and pulled off to the +yacht. It was decided that the shore-party should keep the +whale-boat--in the first place, because the crew on board would be +insufficient to man her, and, secondly, because it was only right and +prudent to leave a boat on the island in case of any accident +happening to the yacht. It would be easy for the working-party to pull +off, if necessary, and intercept a passing vessel. The dilapidated +dinghy was left on board for our use. + +The hands who had come off in the boat dined on board, and then the +doctor, taking with him those who were going to stay on shore, pulled +back to the bay, to commence his duties as Governor of Trinidad, +leaving me with my two hands, Wright, and the coloured man Spanner. +And a very good governor the doctor proved too, as I discovered when I +next went on shore and saw the work that had been got through. He kept +up a discipline quite strict enough for all practical purposes. He did +more work than any one else himself, being physically the strongest +man of us all, and he superintended all the operations with great +skill and judgment. The control could not have been left in better +hands, and he was well backed up by his comrades. There was hard work +done on that island, considerable hardships were undergone, there was +often dangerous landing and beaching of boats, and all was carried on +under a vertical sun on one of the hottest and most depressing spots +on earth. Great credit is due to the doctor and the others who worked +so hard and with such pluck and cheerful zeal, and the ungenerous +remarks of the one discontented volunteer we had left--a man who did +not do his share of work either at sea or on shore, but who did far +more than his share of criticism and fault-finding--can only reflect +upon himself. As he has favoured the world with his sneers through the +medium of the papers, I feel bound to say this much. + +The doctor remained and worked hard on the island during the whole +time that our operations were being carried on, as did Powell and +Pursell, and they, with the paid hands, who relieved each other at +intervals, practically did all the digging. I was on shore for one +fortnight only, as will appear in the course of this narrative. I had, +consequently, but a very small share of the hard work and of roughing +it, for the life on board ship was incomparably more comfortable and +easy than the life on shore. Our critical volunteer also only passed +about two weeks, of not arduous work, on the island; for the rest of +the time he was on the yacht. + +This night we had another local storm, but by now we were getting +accustomed to this. + +Shortly after dawn on the following morning, Sunday, December 1, I +saw, to my surprise, the whale-boat rounding the point. She came +alongside, and the doctor, who was in charge of her boarded us. Seeing +that there was very little surf in South-west Bay, he had rightly +taken the opportunity of putting off for another cargo of stores. +Among other articles, he carried away some large cocoanut mats we had +purchased at Bahia, and which, when laid on the sandy floor of the +tents, would make things more comfortable. He also took off the heavy +boiler and receiving tank of the condensing apparatus, which could +only be landed on a favourable day such as this was. Having loaded the +boat, he left us again. + +We had now taken so much weight out of the yacht that she was high out +of the water, and might possibly prove somewhat cranky under canvas. +So, after dinner, I took the two men off with me in the dinghy, for +the purpose of fetching some heavy stones from the beach, to put in +our hold in the place of all the tools we had taken out. First we +pulled to the pier, where we landed without the slightest difficulty. +Wright, while wandering about the beach, came across the last object +one would expect to find on a desert island--a rather smart lady's +straw-hat, so far as my judgment goes, of modern fashion. It had, +probably, been blown off some fair head on a passenger steamer. The +gallant gentlemen-adventurers, when they heard of this discovery, +proposed that it should be stuck on a pole in the middle of the camp, +to remind them of home and beauty. + +Finding that there were no suitable stones near this beach, we got in +the boat again and rowed to West Bay, to see if we should have better +luck there. Three islets lie off the east side of the Ness. We found +that the narrow deep-water channel between these and the cape could be +taken with safety on a fine day like this. As a rule, this channel is +impracticable, for the ocean swell penetrating it produces a great +commotion, the sea being dashed with violence from the cliffs on one +side to those on the other, so that the entire channel presents the +appearance of a boiling cauldron; and, even on this quiet day, we had +to keep the boat carefully in the middle, for the waves leapt high up +the rocky walls with a loud noise, which was repeated in manifold +echoes by the crags above. When we were in the passage between the +third islet and the shore the scene before us was most impressive. The +black cliffs rose perpendicularly on either side of us, about thirty +feet apart, casting a profound shade on the heaving water, so that it +looked like ink beneath us; and between these cliffs, as through a +dark tunnel, we saw the sunlit waters and shores of West Bay. The +mountains that lay to the back of it were barren and of bold outline, +great pinnacles of rock dominating huge landslips that slope to the +shingle-beach. We could distinguish the familiar forms of the +Sugarloaf and Noah's Ark towering over the depressions of the hills. + +At the farther end of the bay we found a suitable place for getting +stones. Here a rocky shelf formed a sort of jetty. George leapt on +shore and brought down the stones, while Wright, sitting in the stern, +took them from him, and placed them at the bottom of the boat, while I +backed in towards the jetty and pulled out again between the waves; +for there was sufficient sea to do damage if proper caution was not +observed. Having taken on board about half a ton of large heavy +stones, we returned to the yacht and stowed them under the +cabin-floor. + +On the following morning, December 2, the doctor came off again in the +lifeboat, and carried off another moderate load of stores. He reported +that on the previous day, being Sunday, he had given all hands a +holiday on his return to the shore, and that they had passed the day +in exploring the neighbourhood of Treasure Bay. They came across some +more tent poles and picks left by Mr. A----'s party. They also made +one very curious discovery--a quantity of broken pottery, lying in a +little rocky ravine at a considerable height above the shore. All this +was of Oriental manufacture. Some was of unglazed earthenware, some of +glazed china--the remains of what appeared to have been water-jars and +punch-bowls. There were also some broken case-bottles of glass, +oxidised and brittle from long exposure. The bowls proved to be of +Blue Dragon china, about a hundred years old, and, therefore, of some +value to the connoisseur. + +Pottery of this description had certainly not formed part of the +equipment of Mr. A----'s, or of any other of the treasure-hunting +expeditions. Could these be relics of the pirates' booty--articles +they had thrown away as being of no value to them when they buried the +rest of the treasure? It was, certainly, difficult to account for the +presence of old blue china on a barren hill-side of Trinidad. It has +been suggested by an old sea captain that an East Indiaman may have +been wrecked here many years ago, and that her crew had contrived to +reach the shore with provisions and other property, for bowls of the +same description as those of which these fragments had formed part +were commonly used by the Malay sailors to eat their curry in. + +The doctor soon left me, and hurried back with his boat's crew to the +camp, for the sea was rising, the glass had been falling for +twenty-four hours, and the sky had a stormy appearance, not only over +the mountains, but on the sea-horizon as well. + +These signs of foul weather did not deceive us, for it now blew hard +from the south-east for several days, and the sea was so rough that we +were unable to launch the dinghy, while, on the other hand, it was +impossible to put out from the bay in the whale-boat. All +communication was, therefore, cut off between the yacht and the shore +for six days, and we could not even see each other during this time, +as two capes stretched out between us. + +It was fortunate that we had landed such an ample supply of stores +while the weather was fine. + +We had rather an uncomfortable time of it on board for the next few +days. For a good part of the time the wind was blowing with the force +of a gale, and it howled and whistled among the crags in a dreadful +fashion, while the surf thundered at the base of the cliffs. The wind +being south-east was parallel to this portion of the coast; so we were +scarcely, if at all, protected by the island. A great swell rolled up, +travelling in the same direction as the wind. But as violent squalls +occasionally rushed down the ravines at right angles to the true wind, +we were blown round by them, so that we were riding broadside on to +the sea, rolling scuppers under in the trough of it, pitching the +whole bowsprit in at one moment and thumping our counter on to the +water the next. + +Things looked so bad on December 4 that I was thinking of slipping the +anchor and putting to sea, but, as the vessel did not appear to be +straining herself, I held on. Our dinghy was dipping into the sea as +we rolled, so we took it from the davits and secured it on deck. + +We had now ample leisure to study the meteorology of Trinidad. The +rains were heavy during this stormy period and the cascade swelled +visibly. I do not think this island is subject to drought; for, +notwithstanding that this--the summer--was the dry season here, +scarcely a day passed without a shower during our long stay. In the +winter season this is, to judge from the logs of passing vessels, a +very rainy spot. The glass never fell below thirty inches while we +were here, and generally stood at about thirty and two-tenths. The +temperature in the shade on board averaged about eighty. In the tents +on shore it was far hotter. The sunsets are often very fine on +Trinidad, of wild and stormy appearance and full of vivid colouring; +these indicate fine weather. The boisterous south-west winds, +extensions of River Plate _pamperos_, are heralded by clear blue +skies. + +We three now imprisoned on the yacht occupied our time in tidying her +up, and making all necessary repairs in the sails and gear generally. +We occasionally knocked down some birds as they flew over us. Some +would coolly perch on our davits and stare at us very rudely, to the +great indignation of Jacko, who swore at them in his own language. It +was curious to watch the birds fly far out to sea each morning for +their day's fishing, the air full of their shrill and melancholy +cries, and return again in the evening. It was invariably while +starting at daybreak that they called on the yacht. While going home +in the evening they had their business to attend to. It was then that +they carried food to their young--fluffy balls of insatiable appetite, +which, I am afraid, had sometimes to go to bed supperless; for the +anxious mothers are often robbed of their hard-earned fish by the +cruel pirates who are perpetually hovering round this island. + +These pirates are the frigate or man-of-war birds. They do not fish +themselves, but attack the honest fishers in mid-air, and compel them +to surrender what they have caught. The frigate-bird is of the +orthodox piratical colour--black--but has a vermilion beak and a few +white patches on its throat. It has a forked tail, and wings of +extraordinary length in proportion to its body, their spread sometimes +attaining, it is said, as much as fifteen feet. + +There are other pirates here as well, of a meaner description, who, +being able to fish for themselves, have no excuse for their crimes; +whereas the frigate-bird is unable to skim the sea after fish. Should +he touch the water he cannot make use of his unwieldy wings and +flounders helplessly about until he becomes the prey of sharks. + +But these other robbers have taken to dishonest ways from sheer +laziness and lack of principle. Their favourite method is to seize a +smaller fisher by the throat, and hold him under water until he is +half drowned and has to disgorge his fish. Sometimes two or three +plucky little birds will assist a neighbour in resisting the big +bully, and often drive him off discomfited. We witnessed several most +exciting combats of this description. + +We skinned the birds we killed, and I have brought these specimens +home with me. Of fish we now caught plenty. We salted and sun-dried +some, but these were not a great success, and had a rank flavour in +consequence of their oily nature. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +DISCOVERIES IN SOUTH-WEST BAY. + + +At last, on December 7, communication between the yacht and the shore +was resumed; for the wind and sea had greatly moderated, and the +doctor was enabled to come off to us at midday, with four volunteers +and paid hands. They had been labouring hard with pick and shovel, and +looked like it too. Digging into the volcanic soil of Trinidad soon +takes all superfluous flesh off. Indeed, led on by the energetic +doctor, they had worked harder, perhaps, than white men should in such +a climate, and had a stale overstrained appearance, while they +admitted that they felt somewhat slack. + +They brought us off a quantity of turtle-eggs. The female turtle +frequent South-west Bay in large numbers, for the purpose of +depositing their eggs in the sand. But up till now, they had failed to +catch any of the turtle. The eggs are excellent, and can be used for +every purpose for which fowl's eggs are employed. Here is a receipt +for making egg-nog which I have tried myself and can recommend:--Two +turtle-eggs, a tea-spoonful of tinned milk, some water, sugar, and a +small glass of rum. + +The shore-party had obtained an abundance of fish; they used to catch +them not only with hook and line, but with an extemporized seine net, +which they dragged with great success through the pools left by the +receding tide. This seine was simply a long piece of the wire-netting +which we had brought with us to serve as land-crab-proof fencing round +the camp. It seems that this netting did not fulfil its original +purpose very satisfactorily, as the crabs could burrow under it. + +The land-crabs however, did not molest the shore-party to any extent, +and it was only now and then that a man found one of these unpleasant +creatures in his bed. It was the custom for the men to sally forth +every evening, just before dark, and kill, with sticks, every +land-crab they could find in the immediate neighbourhood of the camp, +each man slaying his sixty or seventy. This afforded an abundance of +food for the others during the night, so that they had no need to +stray into the tents. The crabs, I was informed, were excellent +scavengers, and consumed all the cook's refuse. + +The doctor and his companions had no lack of news to impart. I was +anxious, of course, in the first place, to learn how the work had +progressed. I was told that some hundreds of tons of earth had been +already removed, and that a broad trench was being dug, along the face +of the cliff, through the landslip in the first bend of the ravine, +but that, so far, no indications of the treasure had been come across. +The chief difficulty consisted in the presence of a great many stones +of all sizes that were mixed up with the fallen soil, some of them +being of several tons weight. In digging the trench an inclined plane +was left at either end, up which the barrows of earth could be +wheeled; and when one of the big stones was found, the earth was, in +the first place, cleared from round it, and then it was dragged from +the bottom of the trench up one of these inclined planes by means of +powerful tackle, assisted by the hydraulic jack. When they had got it +by these means to the top of the trench, they could easily roll it +down the ravine. + +The doctor explained to me all the routine that he had laid down for +observance on shore, and the different details of the work. Sunday was +always a holiday, and was occupied, as a rule, in wandering about and +exploring; but it was sometimes too terribly hot for this. + +I was informed that a crowbar and several other fresh relics of Mr. +A----'s expedition had been discovered, and that a wooden box had been +found, carefully hidden away at the farther end of the bay, which +contained a chess-board, a quantity of shot cartridges, and several +London and Newcastle newspapers, dated October 1875. Mr. A----'s +expedition took place in 1885, Mr. P----'s--the first expedition--in +1880; so the papers gave us no clue as to who had brought them here. +The shore-party had amused themselves by reading these ancient +journals. In them they found accounts of the Wainwright trial and of +the collision between the 'Mistletoe' and the 'Alberta.' It was +strange to read, on Trinidad, the old theatrical advertisements in the +_Standard_, with Charles Matthews acting at the Gaiety and Miss +Marie Wilton at some other house. There was an excellent notice of the +latter charming actress in one of these papers. + +I was told that there had not been so much surf in South-west Bay as +might have been expected with so strong a wind; but, as I have +explained, the south-east is the wind that raises the least surf on +this sandy beach, though it blows right on to it. + +The doctor told me that they had experienced, on every occasion they +had landed, a strong current sweeping along the shore of the bay in an +easterly direction, so that, no sooner did the bow of the boat touch +the sand, than her stern was driven round by the current to the left, +and, unless proper precautions were taken, she would get broadside on +to the next sea and be rolled over. + +On being asked whether they had had much rain in the bay, they replied +that the showers had been as heavy as those tropical downpours we had +experienced in the doldrums. They said that the Sugarloaf presented a +magnificent appearance after one of these showers, for then a cascade +700 feet in height would pour down its almost perpendicular sides. +They had been enabled to fill their tanks and breakers with +rain-water, and had only used the condensing apparatus on one or two +occasions, and then more by way of experiment, to see how it worked, +than from necessity. It acted perfectly, and with it five gallons of +fresh water were distilled from sea-water in a very short time. + +The fortunate discovery had also been made of two small issues of +water among the cliffs at the east end of the bay. The supply was +sufficient, and though the carrying of the water in breakers from here +to the camp over the rough ground entailed heavy labour, it was easier +to fetch it in this way than to collect the large quantity of firewood +necessary for condensing an equal amount of water. + +The doctor reported Arthur Cotton as being ill, and unfit for further +digging for the present; so he was left on board with me, while George +went on shore to take his place. The doctor promised to come off for +me on the following morning, so that I could pay a short visit to the +shore and inspect the works--provided, of course, the surf permitted. +Then we bade each other farewell, and the working-party returned to +the bay. + +The boat did not come off for me on the following day, as the surf was +dangerous in South-west Bay; and I held no communication with the +shore-party for another week. During this time the wind was from the +south-east; but though it rushed down the ravine with the usual +violent squalls, it was moderate outside, and we had no more of the +heavy sea which had been running throughout the previous week. It +would have been possible for me to have landed at the pier on nearly +any day, but there was still a sufficient surf to prevent our carrying +off any more stones from the shore. + +We were anchored on a sandy bottom, but we could feel, by the +grumbling of our chain as the yacht swung, that there were many rocks +under us as well. These caused us a good deal of annoyance; for on +several occasions, when the vessel was lying right over her anchor, +the slack of the chain would take a turn round a rock and give us a +short nip; so that when a swell passed under us, the vessel could not +rise to it, but was held down by the tautened chain, which dragged her +bows under, producing a great strain. The rocks must have been of +brittle coral formation, for, after giving two or three violent jerks +as the sea lifted her, the vessel would suddenly shake herself free +with a wrench, evidently by the breaking away of the obstruction. At +last all the projecting portions of the coral rock in our immediate +neighbourhood must have been torn off, the chain having swept a clear +space for itself all round, for after a time we were no longer caught +in this way. These great strains loosened our starboard hawse-pipe +badly, so that we had to slip our chain and pass it through the other +hawse-pipe. + +On December 9, it being a very fine day, I made an expedition in the +dinghy toward the north end of the island. We found no good +landing-place in that direction, for a coral ledge extends along the +whole coast, causing broken water, and there are dangerous rocks in +the midst of the breakers. We pulled into several little bays, each +hemmed in by inaccessible barren mountains, so crowded with birds +that, from the sea, the black crags looked quite white with them. We +pulled inside Bird Island and inspected the Ninepin from close to. +This huge cylinder of rock, 900 feet in height, is described by old +navigators as having been crowned with large trees. It is now +completely bare of vegetation, as it also was when I first saw it in +1881. I observed that, since my last visit, a huge mass had fallen off +the top of it, which now lay by its side in shattered fragments. We +caught a quantity of fish in these bays, one a fine fellow weighing +thirty pounds; and we saw several large turtle floating on the water, +but they sank as soon as we got near them. + +The uneventful days passed by, and I grew stout on laziness, salt +beef, and duff. At last, on December 14, we pulled off in the dinghy +to South-west Bay, to see how the shore-party was getting on. We took +with us a signal code book and the flags, so as to converse with our +diggers in case we could not effect a landing--a feat not to be +attempted with our rotten little dinghy except under the most +exceptional circumstances. The shore-party was, of course, also +provided with a code book and set of flags. + +As I required some more specimens of birds, I took with me, not a gun +with which to shoot them, but simply a ramrod, the end of which I had +loaded with a piece of lead. With this, as I sat in the boat, I found +no difficulty in knocking down the inquisitive birds as they flew just +over our heads, and I thus procured several good specimens. + +When we had pulled round the point and were in South-west Bay we saw +the white tents of the camp in front of us, and we could plainly +distinguish, in a ravine behind, the great trench which the men had +dug at the side of the cliff. We found little surf in the bay, but I +would not risk a landing; for it would not require much bumping to +knock our dinghy's ancient bottom off; so we remained outside the +breakers and signalled: 'Any news?' + +There was no reply with the flags, but some of the men walked down to +the rocks under the Sugarloaf, so that we could come near enough to +them to hail. A very disreputable lot our friends looked, too: as +unkempt and rough as the original pirates might have been. The costume +of each consisted merely of shirt, trousers, and belt, some sort of an +apology for a hat crowning all. They were all more or less ragged, and +were stained from head to foot with the soil in which they had been +digging, so that they presented a uniform dirty, brownish yellow +appearance, and, from a passing vessel, might easily have been taken +for Brazilian convicts. + +They shouted what news they had to tell. They reported that they were +progressing well with the digging, and that they had caught a number +of turtle. They promised to come off to the yacht the next morning, +surf permitting. I made some sketches of Treasure Bay and West Bay as +seen from the sea, and then returned to the vessel, to skin my birds. + +The whale-boat was alongside on the following morning, December 15, +and the doctor, Powell, Pollock, and two paid hands, boarded us. They +had brought off some fresh and salted turtle and a quantity of +turtle-eggs. + +The yacht had now been lying off Trinidad for twenty-five days, and +the shore-party had been hard at work for seventeen days; so I thought +it was quite time for me to join the camp, and do my share of the +work. I could see that the energetic doctor was anything but anxious +to change the hard labour on shore for the lazy life on board ship, +and though, as mate, he would have been the proper person to take +charge of the vessel during my absence on land, still we considered it +advisable to arrange matters differently. + +The doctor, as I have said, was a most useful man on shore, and, as we +were anxious to complete our operations as quickly as possible and +leave the island before the stormy season should set in, it seemed a +pity to waste so much energy and muscle as his in an idle life on +board the yacht. Having remained at anchor for so long, and knowing +that our anchor had now got such a firm hold that there was but little +chance of its dragging, and having, moreover, discovered by experience +that it was possible to ride where we were even in bad weather, I had +acquired a considerable confidence in the safety of the vessel, and I +believe that she could have remained off the cascade for six months +without suffering damage. I, therefore, now came to the conclusion +that it would not be very imprudent to leave a somewhat incompetent +person in charge, as the chances were that he would have nothing to +do. Pollock, who had complained of slackness for some time, was the +one from whom the least amount of work could be extracted on shore, +and was, therefore, the one who could be the most easily spared. I, +consequently, decided to leave him on board the yacht, instead of the +doctor. + +The weather now looked very settled and there was little chance of bad +weather for a time. I gave Pollock his instructions, and left with +him, as a crew, Ted Milner and George Spanner. I packed up my traps +and pulled off with the others to the bay, not at all sorry to do a +little work, for a change. + +We took Jacko on shore with us. He did not admire the island, and +particularly objected to the land-crabs. His favourite amusement was +to turn on the tap of our tank, when no one was looking, and let all +our hard-got supply of water run out. + +He behaved very well on the whole, however, except on Christmas Day, +when he drank some rum which he found at the bottom of a pannikin, +and, I am grieved to say, became disgracefully intoxicated. He had a +dreadful headache the next day. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +PICK AND SHOVEL. + + +As it was a Sunday there was no work done on the first day of my stay +in camp; all hands had the usual holiday, which they chiefly employed +in fishing, and in mending their clothes. I walked up the ravine and +was surprised to find that so much of the landslip had been already +removed. The trench was about twenty feet broad, and ultimately +attained a depth of upwards of twenty feet in places. It extended for +some distance along the face of the cliff--if that term can be +properly applied to a steep slope of a sort of natural concrete, a +compact but somewhat brittle mass of stones and earth. It was at the +foot of this cliff that we expected to find the cave described by the +pirate, but how far we should have to dig down through the +accumulation of earth and rocks that had fallen from above and now +filled up the bottom of the ravine it was not easy even to conjecture. + +Our object, it will be seen, was to clear the face of the cliff until +we came to the original bottom of the ravine. Though the cliff was, as +I have explained, composed of brittle matter, as if in an intermediate +state between earth and rock, and of comparatively modern formation, +it was easy to distinguish it from the much looser soil of the +landslip that lay along its sides; this last, too, was of a very +different colour, being reddish brown, whereas the cliff was +slate-blue. + +The men had constructed several little paths leading from the trench, +down the ravine, to the edges of the chasms and precipitous steps +which are frequent in this gully, and the earth and stones that were +dug out of the trench were carried down these paths in the +wheelbarrows and tilted over the precipices. As we gradually filled up +these chasms the roads had to be extended further down the ravine, and +at last we had formed a great dyke which stretched right across it. I +was satisfied that all the operations had been conducted with +judgment, and, if the treasure were in the ravine at all, there was +but little doubt that we should find it. + +The same rules that had been laid down by the doctor for the +discipline of the camp were observed during my stay on shore. All +hands turned out at dawn, and cocoa and biscuit were served out. Then +we worked hard from half-past five till nine, at which hour the +temperature in that closed in ravine became so high that it was quite +impossible even for a black man to work with pick and shovel. A bath +in the sea, to refresh ourselves and wash off the clinging red dust, +was our next proceeding. Then we put off our working clothes for +others, and partook of a good breakfast, consisting chiefly of +oatmeal, which we found by experience was the best food to work on. +During the heat of the day we lay in our tents, almost panting for +breath at times, so intolerably hot and close it was. At half-past +three we returned to the ravine and did another three hours' work. +After this was another bath, then supper. There was a whole holiday on +Sunday and a half holiday on Wednesday. + +Even during the early hours of the morning, when the sides of the +ravine shaded us from the sun, digging was hot and trying work for +white men. We were, of course, bathed in perspiration all the while, +and were, consequently very thirsty, so that the cook was kept busily +employed in going backwards and forwards between camp and trench to +refill our water-bottles. + +In the middle of the day the sun, blazing on the sands, made them +terribly hot. No one could step on them with bare feet, even for a +moment; one could not even lay one's hand on the ground. + +The sand here is mixed with a finely granulated black mineral +substance, and I think it is the presence of this that causes so great +an absorption of heat. I have never found sands elsewhere, even in the +Sahara, attain so high a temperature. + +We were not altogether lazy out of digging hours. One's clothes had to +be washed, water had to be brought down in breakers and demi-johns +from the distant issue in the cliffs, and firewood had to be gathered. +We sometimes went out in a body to perform this last duty. We would +climb high up the mountain-sides, where the dead trees lay thickest, +and throw down the timber before us as we descended, until we had +accumulated a large quantity at the bottom. + +I shared one of the tents with Pursell, while the doctor and Powell +occupied the other. On my first night on shore we caught three turtle. +Our black cook, who was always looking out for them, came to my tent +and reported that, while prowling about the beach, he had observed +several large females crawling up the sands. It was a very dark night, +so, taking a lantern, four of us set out. We soon came across one of +the creatures, and followed her quietly until she had reached a spot +far above high-water mark, and then we turned her over on her back. +This is by no means an easy undertaking when one has to deal with a +seven-hundred-pound turtle, and requires at least four men to carry it +out. The turtle does not permit this liberty to be taken with her +without offering considerable resistance: with her powerful flippers +she drives the sand violently into the faces of her aggressors, +attempting to blind them, so that caution has to be observed in +approaching her. We turned over three turtle, and, on the following +day, salted down the meat that we could not eat in a fresh state. + +Turtle are kept alive for weeks on board ship, even in the tropics, +and all the care that is taken of them consists in placing pillows +under their heads, as they lie on their backs on deck--so as to +prevent apoplexy, I suppose--and in throwing an occasional bucket of +water over them. These creatures seem to be able to do without food +for a very long period. We found that we could not employ this method +of keeping alive the turtle we caught, for, though we constantly +poured buckets of water over them, and shaded them with matting, they +could not exist on these blazing sands; and the practice, cruel enough +at sea, would have been much more so here. + +The paid hands enjoyed turtle-hunting, and were inclined, +thoughtlessly, to turn over more turtle than were required for +purposes of food; so that I had to give an order that no turtle should +be turned over without leave, and the destruction of the creatures was +strictly limited to the requirements of the larder. A similar law was +made for the protection of the silly sea-birds, and the only animals +that could be slaughtered with impunity were the unfortunate +land-crabs, for they had no friends among us to take their part and +legislate on their behalf. They were now not nearly so plentiful in +the vicinity of the camp as they had been. They had begun to give up +their ignorant contempt for man, and on only one occasion during my +stay on shore was it considered necessary for four of us to sally +forth with sticks, before supper, and slay about a hundred each. + +The turtle were now so plentiful that we could have caught in a +fortnight sufficient to last us for six months, had we even lived on +nothing else. The Trinidad turtle are of large size--500 to 700 +pounds--and their flavour is excellent. We had turtle-soup and +turtle-steak every day for breakfast and dinner, so that we became +utterly weary of the rich food, and I do not think any of us wish to +see calipash or calipee for a long time to come. + +We did not neglect the other useful products of the island. We +gathered the wild beans, and found them a very welcome addition to our +diet. Of fish we always had plenty. Powell was our great fisherman, +and was the inventor of the seine constructed of wire-fencing which I +have already described. In addition to the edible fish I have +mentioned as swarming in these waters there are several other species +that we looked upon with some doubt, and refrained from eating. Some +of these were of quaint forms and dazzling colours, so that their +appearance seemed to warn us of their poisonous nature. There were +fish of brilliant blue, others with stripes of white and purple, +others with vermilion fins and yellow bands like those of a wasp. +Sea-snakes abounded in the pools. These, according to an Italian cook +we had on the 'Falcon,' are edible; but we did not venture to try +them. They attain the length of five feet and are of a grey colour, +with yellow stripes. They appear to be of savage disposition, for, +when harpooned, they twist about and bite with fury anything within +their reach. + +I stayed on shore altogether for a fortnight, and kept a journal of +our proceedings, which, together with several sketches, specimens of +the flora, and other articles, were washed out of the lifeboat and +lost when we abandoned the island. The loss of the journal, however, +matters little, for our life on shore was almost devoid of incident, +and was chiefly made up of monotonous work with pick, shovel, and +wheelbarrow. + +We dug away, still through loose soil that had evidently formed part +of the landslip, and removed some thousands of tons; but we did not +come to the foot of the cliff, or the cave which is described to be +there. Some of the stones that we had to remove in the course of our +digging were very large. We had a quantity of strong ropes and blocks +on shore, and when we came across an exceptionally big rock, we +clapped a number of watch-tackles one on the other, and, by putting +all hands on the fall of the last tackle, we obtained a very powerful +purchase, equivalent, I calculated on one occasion, to the power of +five hundred men. We found bones and bits of decayed wood among the +earth, but the former always proved to be the remains of a goat and +not of a pirate, and the latter were the fragments of dead trees and +not of chests of loot. + +But shortly before Christmas there were some encouraging signs. We had +now got down to a considerable depth, and we noticed that, when a pick +was driven into the bottom of the trench, a hollow sound was given +out, as if we were on the roof of a cavern, and, occasionally, little +holes would open out and the earth would slip down into some chasm +underneath. We dug still deeper, and we came to a collection of very +large rocks, which we were unable to move. They were jammed together, +and evidently formed the roof of a cavern, for, wherever we could +clear away the earth that lay between any two of these rocks, we +looked down through the opening into a black, empty space, the bottom +of which we could not touch by thrusting through our longest crowbar. +This looked promising, for it was just such a cavern as this that we +were seeking. + +We found that the rocks were too close together to allow of our +effecting an entrance from above, so we dug down along the side of the +last and largest of these until we came to its foot; and there indeed +was a sort of cavern, partly filled up with loose earth, which we +cleared out. + +There was no treasure in it, and nothing to show that any human being, +before us, had ever visited the spot. I think it was at this stage of +our operations that each man began very seriously to doubt whether we +were searching in the right place at all, and whether there might not +be some further clue that was missing, and, without which, search +would almost certainly be futile. But, whatever may have been thought, +there was, so far as I can remember, no expression given to these +doubts, and each worked on with the same cheery will as at the +beginning, even as if he were confident of success. These men were +determined, in an almost literal sense, to leave no stone unturned, +and not to abandon that ravine until they had satisfied themselves as +to whether the treasure was or was not there. + +On the Sunday after my arrival on shore, December 22, we went off in +the whale-boat to see how Pollock was getting on. The weather had been +exceedingly fine throughout the week in South-west Bay, and we might +have launched the boat on almost any day; but, though there had been +no heavy wind in the neighbourhood of the island, there had been a +considerable swell at the anchorage for part of the time, and Pollock +reported that the yacht had tumbled about a good deal. He had found +opportunities for landing at the pier with the dinghy, and had brought +off some breakers of water from the cascade and a quantity of +firewood. He had been very lucky with his fishing, having caught +several germanic, weighing from twenty to forty pounds apiece, and an +abundance of other fish. Ted Milner was now taken on shore with us, +while Arthur Cotton was left on board. + +We worked away steadily in the ravine until Christmas Day, when there +was, of course, a holiday. We had a most luxurious dinner on shore, as +also had the three men on board the vessel. The menu of our +shore-dinner was as follows:--Turtle soup, boiled hind-fish, curried +turtle-steak, boiled salt junk, tinned plum-pudding. For vegetables we +had preserved potatoes and carrots, and Trinidad beans. Good old rum +was the only beverage. There were some other luxuries, chief of which +was a box of cigars, which had been put away for this occasion. +Christmas Day was intensely hot, so that we remained in our tents, +having no energy for exploring mountains. With the exception of +Jacko's disgraceful intoxication, no incidents of note occurred. + +On the Sunday after Christmas Day, Pursell and myself set out to +explore the weather side of the island, taking our lunch in our +pockets--biscuits, figs, rum, and tobacco. We crossed the Sugarloaf +Col and descended upon the coast of South-east Bay, then we turned to +the right and followed the shore to the extreme south end of the +island, where Noah's Ark falls a sheer wall into the surf. + +There was a quantity of wreckage in this bay, and in one place we +found a topmast and some ribs of a vessel which might have been the +remains of the hull I had seen here nine years before. The broken bits +of planks, timbers, barrels, hen-coops and other relics of ships, were +piled quite thickly on the rocks above high-water mark, and we came +across a square-faced gin bottle, full of fresh water, which, from its +position, could not have been washed ashore, but must have been left +here by some human being. We saw the foot-prints of turtle, showing +that every sandy beach on this island is frequented by numbers of +these creatures. In view of the threatened turtle-famine we read of, +it might be worth some one's while to come here for a cargo of them; +but the difficulty of getting any quantity off alive would be great. + +The scenery of East Bay is very extraordinary, for here the signs of +volcanic action are more evident than on any other portion of the +island. At the south end of the bay there is no sandy beach; masses of +shattered rocks, fallen from above, strew the shore, and between these +are solidified streams of black lava, which appear to have followed +each other in successive waves, one having cooled before the next has +poured down upon it, so that a series of rounded steps is formed. The +ledges of lava extend far out to sea, producing a dangerous reef, on +which the sea always breaks heavily. + +As we advanced over the boulders there towered above us on our right +hand the perpendicular side of Noah's Ark, of a strange red colour, +looking like molten iron where the sun's rays fell upon it. A quantity +of red _débris_ from the roof of this mountain was also lying on the +shore, and at the north end of it we observed that a gigantic +_couloir_--as it would be called in the Alps--of volcanic ashes and +lava sloped down from its summit to the gap which connects it with the +Sugarloaf. It was obvious, from the vast amount of these fire-consumed +_débris_ and waves of lava surrounding its base, that Noah's Ark had +once been a very active volcano, and I think it highly probable that +there is a crater at the top of it. Though it is perpendicular on +three sides, it might be possible to ascend it from the fourth side, +by the _couloir_ connecting it with the gap under the Sugarloaf; +but the attempt would be risky, and a slip on its steep, sloping roof +would mean a drop over a wall 800 feet in height. + +We clambered over the rocks until we came to the end of Noah's Ark, +and we stood on a ledge of lava and gazed at one of the strangest +sights of this strange island. The base of the great red mountain is +pierced by a magnificent tunnel, known as the Archway, which connects +South-west Bay with East Bay. What seem to be gigantic stalactites +depend from its roof; and the different gradations of colour and shade +on its rugged sides--from glowing red in the blaze of the sun to +terra-cotta, delicate pink, and rich purple, and then to deepest black +in the inmost recesses--produce a very beautiful effect. The heaving +water is black within it, save where the white spray flashes; but, +looking through it, one perceives, beyond, the bright green waves of +South-west Bay, and the blue sky above them. + +The sea does not flow freely through the tunnel, except at high-water; +for, on the side we were standing, its mouth is crossed by a ledge of +lava, which is left dry by the receding tide. But inside the tunnel +there is deep water, and the ocean swell always penetrates it from +South-west Bay, dashing up its sides with a great roar, which is +repeated in hoarse echoes by the mountain. + +According to an ancient description of Trinidad quoted in the +'South-Atlantic Directory,' the Archway is 40 feet in breadth, 50 in +height, and 420 in length. I think it far higher and broader than +this--at any rate, at its mouth. No doubt the action of the surf is +continually enlarging it. + +Pursell and myself, having admired this beautiful scene for some time, +turned back, crossed the rocky promontory of East Point, and proceeded +along the sands till we came to the Portuguese settlement, which I +wished to examine more carefully than I had been able to do when here +with the doctor a month before. + +We had lunch by the side of the river which flows under the Portuguese +ruins, and then commenced to explore. The Portuguese had certainly +selected the only spot on the island at all suitable for a permanent +settlement; for not only is there here the best supply of water, but +there is also a considerable area of fairly fertile land, though it is +greatly encumbered with rocks. The downs by the river are densely +covered with beans, which also grow all over the ruined huts. It is +possible that these beans were originally planted here by the +settlers, and have since spread over all the downs between this and +South-west Bay; for they are not to be found on the other side of the +island. + +The huts, of which the rough walls of unhewn stone alone remain, are +built in terraces one above the other on the hill-side. A great deal +of labour was evidently expended in the construction of these +terraces, and of the roads leading to them, and quantities of stones +had been piled-up in order to obtain a level surface. This must have +been a picturesque little village in its day--whenever that day was, +for, though I have searched diligently, I can find no record to show +at what period Trinidad was used as a penal settlement by the +Portuguese. Amaso Delano, writing of his visit to the island in 1803, +speaks of a 'beach above which the Portuguese once had a settlement;' +and a still older narrative alludes to a Portuguese penal +establishment here as a thing of the long past. Malley, who was here +in 1700, took Trinidad in the name of the King of England--as I have +already mentioned--and he says nothing of such a settlement. + +Near the huts we found places where the soil had been cleared of +stones, for purposes of cultivation, and there were several walled-in +enclosures. + +We saw a good deal of broken pottery and tiles lying about, not such +as we had discovered in South-west Bay, of Oriental manufacture, but +of a very rough description, probably home-made. For, on the top of a +hill overlooking our ravine, we came across a hole that had evidently +been dug for the purpose of extracting a sort of clay that is there, +and there were signs of fire near it, and many fragments of +earthenware, so we conjectured that we were looking at all that +remained of the ancient Trinidad pottery-works. + +We did not return to South-west Bay by the Sugarloaf Col, but by +another route, which the shore-party had discovered in the course of a +previous Sunday's tour of exploration. This lay over the gap in the +downs at the back of our bay, and presented no difficulties; but the +soft soil and tangled vegetation made the climb a rather laborious +one. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +A VOYAGE TO MARKET. + + +I remained on shore for a fortnight, during which the weather was +fine, though a slight shower generally fell in the morning. + +We had still a large supply of stores, both on shore and on board; but +there was one article of food which we were consuming in much larger +quantities than had been anticipated--the necessary oatmeal--and it +was now found that but very little of it was left. It was, therefore, +decided that I should sail to Bahia--our nearest market-town--with the +yacht, and procure some more. + +A voyage of 1,400 miles in order to purchase a little oatmeal sounds +like a rather large order; but, as a matter of fact, it was more +comfortable to be under weigh than to lie at anchor where we were, +exposed to the ocean swell. So we did not look upon the journey as a +troublesome duty. + +My crew was to consist of Pollock and the three white sailors. + +I put Ted Milner, the boatswain, on Pollock's watch, and took Arthur +Cotton on mine. John Wright did the cooking and kept no watch, though +he was always ready to lend a hand if necessary. + +On Sunday, December 29th, the whale-boat went off to the yacht for +another load of stores, so that there might be an ample supply on the +island during the absence of the vessel; for it was not possible to +foresee how long we should be away. + +On Monday, 30th, I returned on board, and, after the two parties had +bade each other good-bye and good luck, the whale-boat went off to the +shore with a last cargo of provisions. We now got the vessel ready for +sea. We unbent the storm-trysail and storm-foresail, and bent the +large foresail; being rather short-handed, we left our topmast housed +during this voyage. + +We did not weigh the anchor until 5 p.m.; we set the whole mainsail, +the mizzen, foresail, and second jib. The wind, at first, was +exceedingly light, so that we drifted helplessly about for a time, and +we did not get clear of the island until after dark. I was thus unable +to sail round to the mouth of South-west Bay and satisfy myself that +the boat had been safely beached. However, seeing that so many +successful landings had been accomplished, I considered it unnecessary +to hang about the island until the following daylight, so we shaped +our course for Bahia. A moderate wind sprang up in the night and we +soon left the island far behind us. + +This was a most successful voyage. The wind was from the north-east +all the time, right abeam, and therefore as favourable as it could be. +There was not quite enough of it, however, and our best day's work was +only 154 miles. On one day it was rather squally, and we had to trice +up the main tack now and then. The voyage only occupied five days, for +we sighted the white sands and the cocoanut groves of the Brazilian +coast at 5 p.m. on January 4, and at 7.30 we rounded St. Antonio +Point, and entered the bay of Bahia. Here we found that a strong tide +was running against us, and, as is usually the case in the gulf at +this hour, there was scarcely any wind; so we were compelled to let go +our anchor near the light-house. A Newfoundland barque that had +followed us in had to do likewise. + +The next day, January 5, we rose early and saw before us again the +beautiful white city which we had left nearly two months before. We +got up the anchor as soon as the morning breeze had sprung up, and +sailed slowly to our anchorage under Fort la Mar, where we let go in +three fathoms of water. + +We noticed that a strange flag was flying on all the forts and +government buildings, as well as on the guard-ship and a little +gunboat that was lying near us. It bore no resemblance to the flag of +Brazil, or to that of any other nationality, and puzzled us somewhat. + +Though it was Sunday, our old friend, the harbour doctor, came off to +us in his launch. I was uncertain as to how he would receive us; for +the regulations of Brazilian ports are strict, and our entry here was +most informal. We had sailed out of Bahia, as the doctor himself must +have known, two months before, presumedly for Sydney, Australia; and +now, here we were again at Bahia, with no bill of health, and only +half of our crew on board. + +He came alongside, and we greeted each other. 'What port do you come +from?' he then asked. + +'We have been in no port since we left here,' I replied. + +'How--in no port!' he exclaimed, raising his eyebrows in slight +astonishment. He was too thorough a Brazilian to express much surprise +at anything, or to rouse himself from the almost Oriental apathy of +manner that distinguishes this somewhat indolent race. + +Then I explained to him that we had been passing our Christmas +holidays on the desert island of Trinidad, that I had left most of my +companions there while I had sailed to Bahia for more stores, and +that, having been in no inhabited port, I had, consequently, been +unable to provide myself with a bill of health. + +'And what were you doing on Trinidad all this time?' + +'Among other things, we were making collections of the fauna and +flora. There are some rare birds.' + +'Have you any specimens of the birds on board?' + +Luckily I had a few, and exhibited them. He was somewhat of a +naturalist himself, and recognised one species which he had seen on +Fernando Noronha. + +He seemed satisfied, and gave us pratique without any demur. + +Mr. Wilson had, of course, seen us, and had sent his boat to fetch me +on shore. Leaving the others on board, I got into the boat, and, as +the black boatman pulled me under the fort, it occurred to me to ask +him, in the best Portuguese I could muster, what was the signification +of the new flag that floated above the battlements. In my anxiety +concerning pratique I had forgotten to make any inquiries on the +subject from the doctor. The black looked up at the flag, smiled +faintly, and replied with an indifferent air--'Ah! la Republica.' + +And so indeed it was--the Republic! When I reached the store, Mr. +Wilson told me all about the revolution, which had occurred quite +suddenly and quietly on the day after we had last sailed from Bahia. I +learned that the much esteemed Emperor had been deposed, and that a +Republican form of government had been proclaimed. And a very shabby +sort of a revolution it had been, too, for there had been no +slaughter, to give an air of dignity and respectability to it. The +people themselves appeared to be heartily ashamed of such a feeble +thing, and spoke little of it. The most insignificant Republic of +Central America could have got up a far more exciting and sanguinary +affair at a few hours' notice. The harbour doctor had not even thought +it worth while to mention the change of government when he gave me +pratique. + +No national flag had yet been selected for this latest addition to the +list of American Republics, and the flag we saw was that of the State +of Bahia. There had been no disturbance in the city when the news of +the _pronunciamento_ was telegraphed from Rio. The negroes did +not raise a hand to support the Emperor, to whom they owed their +freedom. The only incident of note that occurred at Bahia was the +salute that was fired at Fort la Mar in honour of the new Government. +This salute did cause some little excitement; for, by some mistake, +round shot were fired instead of blank cartridges, and one shot went +through a longboat swinging on the davits of a Norwegian barque, and +did other damage. + +The United States gunboat 'Richmond' was at anchor in the bay, +awaiting instructions from Washington, it was said, before officially +recognising the new sister Republic. + +The next day was the feast of the Epiphany, a great holiday, and no +Brazilian could be got to work under any circumstances whatever. +Crackers, rockets, and bells were the order of the day. Even for the +two days succeeding the festival these pious people were disinclined +to work, and I heard the skippers of vessels raving in Wilson's store +because they could not get the water-boats alongside, or ship their +ballast, as the lightermen were still busy letting off crackers in the +streets. However, we managed to get all our stores off--oatmeal, +plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit, molasses, and a small barrel of +_cana_ or white rum. + +On Thursday, January 9, I renewed my acquaintance with some old +friends. The telegraph steamer 'Norseman' came into the port. She was +still under the command of Captain Lacy, who had taken the 'Falcon' in +tow with her from Rio to Maldonado nearly ten years before. + +We had intended to sail on this day, but the glass had been falling +and it was blowing hard from the south-east, so that it seemed +advisable to wait for some improvement in the weather. The next day, +January 10, the glass began to rise and the sky looked less +threatening, the scud no longer rushing across the heavens at a wild +pace; so we got under weigh after breakfast, and once more set sail +for the desert island. + +For a vessel sailing from Trinidad to Bahia the wind is always fair, +being from north-east to south-east; but for one sailing the reverse +way the wind is, as often as not, right ahead. This bad luck we now +experienced. Trinidad lay to the south-east of us, and south-east was +also the direction of the wind. When we were outside the bay we put +the vessel on the port tack and at five in the evening we were off the +Moro San Paulo light-house. Then we went about and steered away from +the land. + +This was, I think, our most disagreeable voyage. It blew hard all the +time, and there were violent squalls of wind and rain that frequently +compelled us to scandalise our mainsail and lower the foresail. The +sea ran high, and was very confused, so that, sailing full and by, the +yacht made little progress, labouring a good deal, and constantly +driving her bowsprit into the short, steep waves. On the third day out +we took two reefs down in the mainsail and two in the foresail. The +wind was constantly shifting between east and south, so that we often +went about so as to sail on the tack which enabled the vessel to point +nearest to her destination. + +When we had been six days out we were only half way to Trinidad, +having accomplished the distance of 350 miles from Bahia. + +On this day I had some trouble with Arthur. He had, I think, brought a +bottle of rum on board surreptitiously at Bahia, or, possibly, he had +helped himself from the barrel, which was always kept, for security, +in my cabin. As I used to sleep on deck during Pollock's watch, he +could then find his opportunity, as no one was below to catch him. At +midnight, when I relieved the other watch, he refused to obey an +order. He had done this on two previous occasions, also when under the +influence of smuggled spirits, and had quickly been brought to his +senses and to his work by having his head punched. It was his wont to +become repentant and make amends for his bad conduct by extra good +behaviour; and I must allow that he did his work willingly enough, as +a rule, but drink converted him into a foolish sea-lawyer. + +The offence was flagrant on this occasion, and as a head-punching only +resulted in making him sulky, I determined to discharge him. Seeing +that months might elapse before we left Trinidad for the West Indies, +and not wishing to have him on my hands all that time, I made up my +mind to run back to Bahia with him at once; so the mainsheet was +promptly slacked off, and we bore away, to the young man's great +surprise. I would not let him go below, in case he should get at the +rum again; so ordered him to stay on the deck forward. Before the end +of my watch he disobeyed this order and sneaked below in the dark. +When I discovered this I went down and ordered him to come on deck at +once. He obeyed, promptly this time, as he was, no doubt, reaching the +sober and repentant stage; but I would not trust him, and tied him up +by his foot to the bulwarks forward, and kept him a prisoner until we +came into port. + +He was the only paid hand we had who was subject to these fits of +insubordination. The doctor and myself never had any difficulties with +the others; they did their work cheerfully. + +Now that we were running before the wind and sea we made good +progress, and we sighted the Moro San Paulo light at 2 a.m. on Sunday, +January 19. The distance, therefore, that we had made after six days +of tacking was now accomplished before the wind in 50 hours. + +We were becalmed off the entrance of the bay for several hours. It was +an excessively hot day, and the morning breeze did not spring up till +later than usual, so that we did not let go our anchor under Fort la +Mar until midday. And now, lo! the flags of the State of Bahia no +longer decorated the city and forts, but a flag something like the old +Brazilian flag, but yet not the same, floated everywhere. Had there, +then, been yet another revolution while we were away, and was some new +form of government--communistical or oligarchical or what not--being +experimented upon? We learnt, on landing, that this was the National +flag of the Brazilian Republic, but only a tentative one, which was +being flown so that the citizens could see how it looked. I believe +several other patterns were tried, and thus exhibited in the cities +for public approval, before one was definitely selected. + +The harbour doctor came off to us, was amused at our story, and again +gave us pratique. Wilson had, of course, been much puzzled at the +re-appearance of the 'Alerte,' and was anxious to hear what had +happened. + +I took Arthur before the Consul on Monday morning, and formally +discharged him. + +New brooms sweep clean, they say, and the new Republican Municipality +had decided to clean dirty Bahia as economically as possible, and had +hit upon the following ingenious plan. The police were instructed to +consider any one, whatever his rank, who was found walking in the +streets after bed-time, as a dangerous conspirator, and to promptly +arrest him. All men locked up on any night for this crime were sent +out the next morning in a gang to sweep the streets. It was +interesting, I was told, to observe some gay young Brazilian masher, +in silk hat, lofty collar, and pointed patent boots, cleaning a gutter +out, with an armed policeman standing over him to see that he did not +shirk his work. I was instructed by the Consul to warn any of my men +who should come on shore as to the danger of strolling about the city +at night. + +I did not wish to remain at Bahia one moment longer than was +necessary; but I thought it would be well, as we were here, to fill up +our water-tanks. But it happened to be another fiesta this day--bells +and crackers again!--and the water-boat could not come off. So we had +to wait till the following day, January 21, when the water was put on +board of us, and in the afternoon we got under weigh. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +HOVE TO. + + +It was blowing hard on the day of our departure from Bahia, and we +sailed down the bay under mizzen and head sails, so as to see what it +was like outside before hoisting our mainsail. + +A high sea was running on the bar, and while the yacht was tumbling +about in the broken water, an accident happened to Wright. He was +preparing our tea, when a lurch of the vessel capsized a kettle of +boiling water, the whole contents of which poured over his hands and +wrists, scalding them severely, and causing intense pain; so that we +had to administer a strong sleeping draught to the poor fellow, after +the usual remedies had been applied to the scalded parts. He was on +the sick list for a long time, and was, of course, incapable of doing +work of any description during this voyage; though, as soon as he got +a bit better, it worried him to think that he was of no use, and he +insisted, though his hands were bandaged up, in trying to steer with +his arms. + +This accident made us still more short-handed. There were but three of +us left to work the vessel. Luckily, I had one good man with me, in +the person of Ted Milner, who not only did the cooking, but worked +hard on deck during my watch as well as on the other, and was very +cheery over it all the while, too. + +When we were outside, we took two reefs down in the mainsail before +hoisting it, and close-reefed the foresail, for it was evident that we +were in for a spell of squally weather. + +We had better luck now than during our previous attempt at reaching +Trinidad, for the wind, instead of being right ahead from the +south-east, kept shifting backwards and forwards between north and +east, so that we could always lay our course on the port tack, and +could often do so with our sheets well off. But the wind was squally +and uncertain, and for much of the time the sea was rough, so that we +were eight days in reaching the island. + +At dawn on January 29, we sighted Trinidad, right ahead, and in the +afternoon we were about two miles off, opposite to the Ninepin rock. +It was blowing hard from the eastward, and the sea was, I think, +running higher than on any occasion since we left Southampton. The +surf on the island was far heavier than we had ever seen it before, +and was breaking on every portion of the coast with great fury. + +We now ran before the wind towards South-west Bay, and the squalls +that occasionally swept down the ravines were so fierce that we sailed +with foresail down and the tack of our reefed mainsail triced well up. +We saw that the seas were dashing completely over the pier, and +sending great fountains of spray high into the air. When we opened out +South-west Bay the scene before us was terribly grand. Huge green +rollers, with plumes of snowy spray, were breaking on the sandy beach; +and the waves were dashing up the sides of Noah's Ark, and the +Sugarloaf to an immense height, the cliffs being wet with spray quite +200 feet up. The loud roaring of the seas was echoed by the mountains, +and the frequent squalls whistled and howled frightfully among the +crags, so that even the wild sea-birds were alarmed at the commotion +of the elements: for they had risen in multitudes from all the rocks +around the bay, and were flying hither and thither in a scared +fashion, while their melancholy cries added to the weirdness of the +general effect. + +And once more we saw before us, high above the sea-foam, our little +camp, with its three tents, and the whale-boat hauled up on the sands +not far off, with its white canvas cover stretched over it; but we +were surprised to see no men about: the camp appeared to be deserted. + +It was, obviously, impossible for the shore-party to launch the boat +with so high a sea running, neither could we approach within +signalling distance of the beach; so that there was no chance of our +being able to communicate with our friends for the present. I also saw +that it would be highly imprudent, if not impossible, to come to an +anchor off the cascade with the yacht. There was to be no harbour for +us just yet, and the only thing to be done was to put to sea and heave +to until the weather improved. + +We did not anticipate that we should have to wait long for this +improvement; but, as it turned out, we had to remain hove to for eight +days, before the state of the sea permitted the boat to come off to +us, during which time the bananas, pumpkins, and other luxuries of the +sort, which we had brought from Bahia for the working-party, began to +spoil, and we had to eat them ourselves to save them; so that, when at +last the men boarded us, we had but little left for them of the fresh +fruit and vegetables which were so grateful to them, though of oatmeal +and other provisions there was an ample store. + +We soon discovered that it was much better in every way for the yacht +to be hove to than to be lying at anchor off Trinidad. To strain at +her chain in an ocean swell must be injurious even to such a strong +vessel as the 'Alerte' is; and, as I have said, we did pull one +hawse-pipe nearly out of her on the occasion that the chain got foul +of the rocks at the bottom, thus giving her a short nip. Even in fine +weather we experienced a lot of wear and tear; for the yacht used to +swing first in one direction, then in another, as the various flaws of +wind struck her, so that the chain was constantly getting round her +stem, and we found that a large piece of her copper had been worn away +in this manner, just below the water-line. + +Had I fully realised before the great advantages of heaving to, I do +not think I should have ever let go my anchor at all here; but, in +that case, I should have been compelled to remain on board all the +while, and would not have had my fortnight's stay in camp. To remain +hove to off this lee side of the island is a very easy matter. Our +method was to sail out to sea from South-west Bay until we had got out +of the baffling local squalls into the steady breeze, and then we hove +to under reefed mainsail, small jib with sheet to windward, and helm +lashed. The yacht then looked after herself; and, as the wind was +always more or less off shore and the current was setting to the +south, she would drift away about twelve miles in the night towards +the open sea, always remaining right opposite our bay, so that those +on shore could see us at daybreak. We divided ourselves into three +watches at night, one man being sufficient for a watch, for he never +had anything to do but look-out for the passing vessels. Hove to as we +were under such short canvas the fiercest squall we ever encountered +had no effect on the vessel, and she was in every way very +comfortable. + +In the morning we would hoist the foresail and tack towards South-west +Bay, so as to attempt communication with the shore; if that were +impossible, we hove to once more, to drift slowly seawards; and we +repeated this process several times in the course of a day, before we +finally sailed out for our night's rest on the bosom of the ocean. + +We could sail into South-west Bay until we were abreast of the +Sugarloaf, but no further; we were then at least a mile and a quarter +from the camp, and it was difficult to read the signals of the +shore-party at that distance, as the flags they had with them were of +a small size. + +To have approached nearer than this would have been a very risky +proceeding; for, though we might have succeeded in getting some way +further in, and out again, with safety, time after time, the day would +most assuredly have come when a serious accident would have happened. +For, as soon as the yacht had sailed across the line connecting the +two extreme points of the bay, the high cliffs diverted the wind so +that it was only felt occasionally, and then in short squalls, from +various directions; and between those baffling squalls were long +spells of calm, during which the vessel would drift helplessly before +the swell towards the surf under the cliffs, or would be carried by +the southerly current towards the lava reefs off South Point, in both +cases at imminent risk of destruction. And even when the squalls did +come down to render assistance, they shifted so suddenly that the +sails were taken aback two or three times in as many minutes, so that +all way was lost, or even stern way was got on the vessel, and one +lost control over her at a critical moment. + +The 'Alerte' sailed into that bay a great many times without mishap; +but there were anxious moments now and then, and I was always glad to +escape out of this treacherous trap to the open sea, clear of the +rocks and squalls, with deep water round, and a comparatively steady +wind to help me. + +We remained thus, standing off and on, and hove to, during the rest of +our stay at Trinidad. Our anchor was never let go here again. We had +been lucky with our weather when we first arrived at the island, and +had successively landed our working-party and stores, and our +whale-boat had been beached in South-west Bay a good many times, +without serious accident, though very seldom without risk. But now all +this was changed. High seas and squally weather were the rule during +the eighteen days we remained hove to: for the first eight days, as I +have said, we were unable to hold communication with the shore; and, +after that, there were but few occasions on which we could beach the +boat, and then this feat was generally attended with a capsize, loss +of property, and risk of life. But, fortunately, as will be seen, the +two days preceding our final departure from the islet were fine, and +we were thus enabled to carry off our tents and other stores. Had it +not been for this short spell of calm, we should have probably been +compelled to leave behind everything we possessed. + +The fine season here is in the southern summer--our winter. In +winter--especially in the months of June, July, and August--landing on +Trinidad is almost always impossible. Strong winds and heavy rains +then prevail, while the seas run high. It is possible that the fine +weather was now beginning to break up, and that when we sailed from +the island--February 15--the stormy autumn season was setting in. + +The ship's log for this period presents a monotonous repetition of +vain attempts at boating, as the following short record of our +proceedings for the first eight days will show. It will be remembered +that we arrived off the island and hove to on the evening of January +29. + +_January 30._--Sailed into South-west Bay after breakfast. Though +we saw the camp standing as we had left it, could not perceive any +men, neither had we done so on the previous day. Wonder if, for some +reason or other, the shore-party have left the island, and been +carried away by a passing vessel? Drift out of bay and heave to. In +afternoon sail into bay again. This time are glad to see all the men +walking down to the beach. We signal for news. They reply, 'All well,' +and 'Too rough for boating.' We signal, that we have brought them some +letters from Bahia. When outside bay heave to for night. + +_January 31._--At dawn ten miles off island. Tack towards island. +Sea high; squally. Sail into bay. No signals from shore. We conclude +it is too rough for boating, and that the men are at work in the +ravine. In afternoon sail again into bay. No signals. Heave to for +night, as before. + +_February 1._--Sail into bay in morning. See the men on shore +taking the cover off the whale-boat, as if with the intention of +coming off. They drag her down to the edge of the sea. We cannot now +distinguish them, so cannot tell whether they have launched the boat +or not, or whether they have capsized, or what may have happened. All +is hidden from us for some time; then we see them hauling the boat up +the beach again. They have evidently abandoned the attempt as too +dangerous. Very squally. While hove to, drive a long way from island. +In evening, sail towards the bay again and heave to for night. + +_February 2._--Heavy showers of rain obscuring island from our +view. Enter bay in morning. It being Sunday no work is done in the +ravine, but the shore-party make many fruitless attempts at launching +the boat during the day. We stand in and out of the bay all day, +watching the proceedings of those on shore through our glasses. On +several occasions the men draw the boat down to the edge of the sea, +disappear from our sight for a time, and at last reappear hauling the +boat up again. They persevere despite repeated failures. Think they +have capsized once at least, as they are baling the boat out on the +beach. At last, at 4 p.m., they give up the attempt as hopeless, and +hoist the signal: 'Impossible to launch lifeboat.' We exchange several +signals, but find it difficult to distinguish their small flags from +the yacht. At sunset we sail out to sea and heave to. Choppy sea. +Tumble about a good deal. Stormy-looking sky. + +_February 3._--This morning very clear; so see distinctly for +first time the three rocky islets of Martin Vas, distant about +twenty-five miles from Trinidad, bearing east. Sail into bay. Again +several vain attempts to launch boat. Heave to. Drift this night +upwards of fifteen miles from island. + +_February 4._--Sail into bay. Still high surf. A signal flying on +shore which we cannot distinguish, so sail somewhat nearer in. Are +becalmed under Sugarloaf. Then a squall--then taken aback by another +squall--then calm again. We drift towards Noah's Ark, up whose face +the sea is breaking fifty or sixty feet high. Another squall; wear +vessel and clear out of bay. A very squally day, with baffling winds +making it more than usually dangerous to enter the bay. + + * * * * * + +At last, on February 5, after having made three vain attempts to cross +the barrier of tumbling surf, the whale-boat was successfully +launched, and we saw her come out safely from the line of breakers at +the end of the bay; then the men pulled away towards us, visible one +moment as the boat rose to the top of the swell, and hidden the next +moment from our sight by the rollers as she sank into the valleys +between them. + +We sailed into the bay to meet her, and hove to abreast of the +Sugarloaf. The boat came nearer, and we saw that the doctor, Powell, +Pursell, and the two black men, were in her. It was now thirty-eight +days since we had last seen our companions. They all looked gaunt and +haggard, and were clad in flannel shirts and trousers, ragged and +earth-stained from the work in the ravine. + +But they were the same cheery boys as ever, as I discovered by the +jovial manner of their greeting as soon as they were within hail. +'Hullo!' sang out the doctor, 'what vessel's that, and where do you +come from? I am the doctor of the port here. Hand over your bill of +health, that I may see whether you can have pratique.' + +'And I am the governor of this island of Trinidad,' cried Powell, with +affable pompousness from under an extraordinary hat that had been +manufactured by himself, apparently out of the remains of old hampers +and bird's-nests; 'will you do me the honour of dining with me at +Government House to-night? I shall be glad to learn from you how the +revolution is progressing in our neighbouring State of Brazil. I was +just on the point of sending out my squadron here'--patting the +whale-boat on the side--'to Bahia, to look after the interests of any +of our subjects who may be there.' + +It was startling for us to find that these dwellers on a desert island +had already heard of the Brazilian revolution, and we were still more +amazed when they proved to us that they were well informed as to all +that had been going on in the outer world. We had been looking forward +to imparting the latest news to them, but lo! all that we had to tell +was stale to them. They kept us in a state of mystification for some +time before they revealed the source of this marvellous knowledge, and +the only information that Powell would vouchsafe us on the subject was +to the effect that:--'We found it slow here without the newspapers at +breakfast, and have established telegraphic communication with +England. All the latest racing intelligence comes through the tape in +the doctor's tent.' But, before asking any questions, we greeted our +long-absent friends. They came on board and had a good square meal, +such as they had not enjoyed for a long time, with red wine, cigars, +and other luxuries, and after this we sat down to a long yarn and an +exchange of news. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +THE ADVENTURES OF THE SHORE-PARTY. + + +The doctor and his companions had plenty to tell. They had dug a great +deal and had cleared away the landslip, till they had arrived at what +appeared to be the original rocky bottom of the ravine. They had found +no signs of the treasure, and they had evidently come to the +conclusion that there was but little chance of finding it; but they +had not lost heart, and were of opinion that it would be advisable to +dig for a few weeks more, in the likely parts of the ravine, before +abandoning the search for good. + +The doctor told me that the surf had been exceedingly heavy recently, +and that a storm had completely changed the character of the beach, a +sandbank having been formed at some distance from the shore, deep +water intervening. He explained to me that this bank was only just +awash at low water, and that the sea always broke upon it, ploughing +it up, so that sand and water were rolled up together, forming a +boiling surf dangerous for the boat to cross. + +The adventures of the shore-party during our absence, the visit of the +man-of-war, and the marvellous escape from drowning of several of our +men, were very interesting to hear. Mr. Pursell, as being one of those +on shore, can tell the story better than I can, and he has kindly +written for me the following account of all that occurred whilst the +yacht was away. His narrative commences with our separation on +December 30. + + * * * * * + +After parting with our comrades on the 'Alerte,' we made haste to get +ashore again, as the weather looked threatening, and there was every +prospect of a rough landing. As soon as we had turned the corner of +Treasure Bay we found that the wind was blowing hard right on shore, +and that the sea had begun to break heavily on the beach, throwing +dense masses of spray into the air, which glistened like silver in the +sunshine--a magnificent sight, but one which portended a good ducking +for us. However, there was no help for it; we had to make the best of +it and get ashore somehow. + +We waited for a comparative calm. We allowed three big waves to pass +and spend their fury on the beach; the word was given, and we dashed +on towards the land with all the force we could put into our oars. On +we flew, crossing one sandbank on the summit of a curling wave that +broke with a sound of thunder on the next bank. On we pulled with set +teeth and straining muscles. 'Hurrah!' cried the doctor, 'one more +stroke and we have done it!'--when, suddenly, we were in the +back-wash--the water seemed to shrink from under us into the wave that +followed--the stem of the boat ploughed into a sandbank, while a huge +wall of water rose up behind us, lifting the stern high in the air +till the boat stood end on, and the next moment oars, tins, boat, and +men were rolled over and over each other in the boiling foam. + +Our first thought, on struggling to our feet, was naturally for the +boat. We found her turned right over and thrown almost on dry land. We +hastened to right her, bale her out, and drag her up out of harm's +way; then, having collected the oars, stretchers, rudder, etc., which +were floating about, we set to work to rescue our provisions. For two +hours we dived about in the surf, picking up tins of meat, Swiss milk, +and oatmeal, a bag of biscuit utterly spoiled, another of flour +reduced to paste, a couple of rifles, and one or two boxes of +cartridges. Our two happy-dispositioned coloured men had great fun +with the ruined flour, pelting each other with it until their shining +black bodies were almost covered with the white paste, and roaring +with laughter at each successful hit. + +Though we did not abandon the search until nothing else could be +found, an inspection showed us that we had lost a good half of the +stores we had brought off in the boat. Having rescued all we could, +the doctor ordered all hands up to the camp for a tot of rum, which, I +need hardly say, we were very glad to get. The most important loss, of +course, was that of the biscuit and flour: for it was quite possible +that the yacht might be away for several weeks, on her voyage to and +from Bahia, and we had only a small supply of these articles on shore; +so we had to go on short rations, so far as they were concerned. + +Cloete-Smith, Powell, and myself had now been on shore for about five +weeks, working steadily all the time, and we were beginning to feel +the effects of it--in trainers' language, we were getting horribly +stale. The doctor, therefore, decided that we should take holidays on +the following two days--Saturday and Sunday--and recommence work on +the Monday. + +Now that the yacht had sailed we were quite cut off from the outer +world, and began to feel very much like shipwrecked sailors, with the +exception that we had many more comforts than usually fall to their +lot, I suppose it is only in novels that those convenient hulks drift +ashore containing just the very things the belated mariners are in +want of, for, though we kept a careful look-out, nothing of the kind +came our way. Powell, I believe, though naturally a most kind-hearted +fellow, would have cheerfully sacrificed a vessel for a few hundred +Turkish cigarettes, and we should all have been glad of a change of +literature. The library we had brought with us was well thumbed and +well read, even to the advertisements. We had a motley assortment. We +all became Shakespearean scholars; Bret Harte's poems and the 'Bab +Ballads' we almost knew by heart; and we came to look upon, as very +old friends, characters of all sorts and conditions; among others, +Othmar, Quilp, Adam Bede, Lord Fauntleroy, the Modern Circe, and Mrs. +Gamp. + +On Monday we resumed our digging, with renewed vigour after our two +days' rest, and worked steadily at the landslip. After we had +thoroughly excavated under the big rock which had been discovered when +the skipper was on shore, without result, Powell and myself were sent +to examine two or three likely-looking places higher up the ravine, so +as not to leave any chance untried; while the others still worked away +at the old trench. + +On the Wednesday morning our work was stopped for a time by the +heaviest storm of rain I have ever witnessed. After the first few +minutes the tents were no protection from the water, which quickly +swamped them, so we armed ourselves with soap, and, going out into the +open, enjoyed a glorious fresh water bath. At the same time we had a +view of a splendid waterfall. The rain beating on to the windward side +of the Sugarloaf gathered in a deep gully on its summit, and, rushing +down, struck a projecting rock, and leaped headlong into the sea, +seven hundred feet below. The effect was very fine, and, later on, +when the clouds lightened a little and the morning sun shone through +the rain, the whole island appeared to be covered with a transparent +veil of prismatic colour. + +On the following Sunday the doctor and I set off for an expedition +into the mountains. On a previous occasion we had noticed a steep +landslip of red earth, mixed with cinders that looked very much as if +they had been thrown up from a volcano; so we made up our minds to go +to the top and see if we could find a crater. Slowly and carefully we +crawled on hands and knees up the steep slide, clinging like cats to +the side of the mountain, whose loose, charred soil crumbled away +beneath us. We reached the summit of the red landslip, and found +ourselves on a projecting spur of the mountain where the rocks had +fallen away, leaving a great obelisk, seventy feet in height, standing +on a narrow ridge, its base crumbling away with every storm, so that +it looked as though a push would send the whole mass crashing down on +to our camp far below. We could see no signs of a crater. Leaving this +ridge, we ascended the mountain behind, and when we reached the top we +sat down to rest and get cool under the shadow of a big rock. + +From here the view was a grand one. To our right, nearly a thousand +feet above us, rose the highest peak on the island. At our feet was +Treasure Bay, our camp looking like a tiny white speck, even the great +obelisk of rock we had just left appeared insignificant from this +elevation, while the sea seemed smooth and innocent as the Serpentine, +and the roar of the breakers sounded like a gentle murmur. + +Away at sea two vessels were in sight--one a full-rigged ship, not far +from the island; the other a barque, just breaking the horizon, with +her white sails gleaming in the sunshine. Suddenly, as I watched the +nearer vessel, I saw her royals taken in, and, looking to windward, +perceived a large black cloud hurrying towards her, the water being +churned up under it as it came along. The next moment the vessel was +hidden from our sight by the squall of wind and rain, though all the +while the sun was shining brightly on our island and not a drop of +rain fell near us. The cloud passed by, the brave ship seemed to shake +herself after the struggle, the sun shone once more on her dripping +canvas, and by the time she had set her royals again and resumed her +course, the squall had passed away below the horizon. + +About this time we caught plenty of turtle, which formed a very +welcome addition to our larder, and they also enabled us to husband +our other stores, which were beginning to get low. Biscuit was +entirely exhausted, and of flour we had but little, and, though Joe +managed to make a very eatable cake out of preserved potatoes, the +absence of bread-food was a serious inconvenience. The wild beans that +grow on the island were now of great use. + +For another fortnight we dug steadily on, gradually getting worn out +with the hard work, and seeing our hopes of fortune diminish as, one +by one, the likely places up the ravine were tried and found wanting, +and the big trench grew deeper and wider without giving any promise of +yielding up the golden hoard. The life was dreadfully monotonous, not +an incident occurring worth the mention to vary the daily drudgery +with pick and shovel. We no longer set out on Sundays and +half-holidays for those glorious but exhausting climbs over the +mountains, as we had to cherish all our strength for our work; and, +after each spell of digging, were glad to rest in our tents, sheltered +from the burning sun. However, we kept up our spirits, were cheery +enough, and always got on splendidly together. + +The yacht had now been away three weeks, and we began to look forward +to her return. We kept a good look-out, expecting to see her at any +moment turn the corner of Treasure Bay. Just at this time we found +considerable difficulty in obtaining fish. The weather had been bad +for many days, the wind strong and squally from the north-east, and a +heavy surf running on the shore. The effect of this on our sandy beach +was to completely change its shape and appearance, and the little +pool, in which we used to catch small fish with our wire-netting, +entirely disappeared. Moreover, although Powell was energetic, and +indeed very often rash, in venturing out on to the rocks with his +bamboo rod, the seas now constantly broke right over them, so that +another of our food-supplies was cut off. + +On Sunday, January 19, we had an unexpected and most welcome visit. As +we turned out of our banqueting hall after breakfast, we saw, to our +amazement, a large man-of-war standing right into the bay from the +south-east. Our camp was instantly a scene of excitement. We got out +our glasses and strained our eyes to make out her nationality. + +Was it possible that the Brazilian Government had heard of our +expedition and had sent a gunboat to wrest our treasure from us and +bear us away in chains? As a relief to the monotony of this long +expedition we were always chaffing and talking nonsense--a very good +plan, too; so we began to discuss the approaching vessel in our usual +mock-grave fashion. If she should prove to be an enemy, we said that +we would defend our island to the last gasp. Cloete-Smith began to +reckon up what forces he had at his disposal. There were the two +Englishmen, more or less white: these he called his Light Brigade. He +called the two coloured men the Black Watch. There was the monkey too, +who could serve as an irregular force to harass the enemy generally--a +sort of 'gorilla warfare' as I put it--a remark which called forth a +severe reprimand from the commander-in-chief. In the armoury +department we had three repeating-rifles, two revolvers, and a case of +surgical instruments. Fortunately we were not called upon to fight, +for, when the vessel had approached close to Noah's Ark, we were able +to make out the glorious old white ensign of England floating over her +stern. + +We greeted it with a wild cheer. + +Presently we saw that two boats were lowered and manned. Then the +doctor gave the order: 'All hands shave and prepare for visitors.' We +turned to with a will to make ourselves comparatively respectable, all +the while eagerly watching the proceedings in the bay. We saw the two +boats pull close into the shore, and then retire, evidently not liking +the look of the tremendous surf. They were then taken in tow by the +vessel, which steamed slowly across the bay and disappeared round the +west corner, evidently to see if they could effect a landing in the +other bay. + +In about twenty minutes, just as we had completed our toilet, she came +back again, the boats were hoisted on board, and, to our dismay, she +steamed away and vanished from our sight round South Point. We were +deeply disappointed and returned to our tents in no amiable frame of +mind. + +But we had not been deserted, after all; for, three hours later, just +as we had finished our midday meal, we perceived four white-helmeted +figures making their way down the green slopes at the back of our +ravine. We hastened to meet them, greeted them like long-lost +brothers, and brought them in triumph to the camp, for glad we were to +see fresh friendly faces. As soon as they had refreshed themselves +after their long walk, we sat down to hear all the news. Our visitors +proved to be the captain, the surgeon, and two of the wardroom +officers of H.M.S. 'Bramble,' which vessel was on her way from +Ascension Island to her station at Montevideo. They had sighted +Trinidad at daybreak, and, standing in close to examine it, had +discovered our tents on the shore. Having found the surf too heavy +both in South-west Bay and at the pier, they had steamed round to the +other side of the island. Here, after having attempted a landing at +various places, they had at last succeeded in getting on shore, and +after an hour's walk over the mountains had reached our camp. + +Then we, in our turn, explained to them who we were and what we were +doing here; and took them up to see our diggings, in which they seemed +highly interested, though somewhat amused at our method of searching +for fortune. + +The officers asked us to go off and mess with them on the +'Bramble'--an invitation we gladly accepted. We accordingly set out +with them across the mountains, leaving our two black men in charge of +the island during our absence. We found that their jollyboat was in +South-west Bay, with five men in her. They had dropped their anchor +near a coral reef running out at right angles to the shore, and now +they allowed the boat to back near enough to it for one of us to +scramble on board at a time, seizing, of course, the most favourable +opportunity when the sea was comparatively steady, and hauling the +boat off after each attempt, for had she touched the rock, not much of +her would have been left in a couple of minutes. + +We pulled off to the vessel, which was lying at about half a mile from +the shore. As soon as we were on board the captain gave the order to +get under weigh, and we steamed at half speed into Treasure Bay, and +the vessel was anchored for the night near the Noah's Ark mountain, in +twenty fathoms of water. Then some one suggested cocktails--a most +unwonted luxury for us--and we adjourned below for a chat. We found +the officers of the 'Bramble' most pleasant fellows, and they treated +us with the greatest hospitality. They ransacked their private stores +for our delectation, and promised to give us a supply of biscuit, some +flour, books, and tobacco to take ashore with us on the following +morning. They even said, jokingly, that they were sure the 'Alerte' +had gone to the bottom, and that, if we were tired of digging on the +island, they would give us a passage to Montevideo as distressed +British subjects. They appeared greatly interested in the story we +told of the origin of the treasure and the account of our voyage and +subsequent adventures. In return, they gave us all the latest news. We +learnt that there had been a revolution in Brazil, which had broken +out on the day after we had sailed from Bahia, and we speculated as to +whether it would cause any delay to our shipmates who had gone to +Brazil marketing. We also heard that Lord Salisbury had despatched a +fleet to demonstrate on the west coast of Africa. We were told that +the 'Bramble' was to form part of the expedition sent to observe the +eclipse of the sun. They had, in short, plenty of news to impart, and +it was so long since we had had any opportunity of hearing what was +going on in the world that we talked like a vestry meeting till dinner +time. + +All our shore-going clothes were on board the yacht, and we were clad +in our rough working clothes, with only one coat between us; so I +fancy our appearance at mess was a source of great amusement to the +wardroom servants. Indeed, all the time we were on board we were +evidently objects of considerable interest to the crew; the men seemed +hardly to know what to make of us, and to wonder what manner of people +we could be who chose for a residence this desolate spot. + +After dinner we went on deck, and Captain Langdon produced some +excellent cigars, which we thoroughly enjoyed, while listening to a +selection of music performed for our benefit by the ship's volunteer +fife-and-drum band--a capital one. + +We slept on board the vessel, and the next morning our first thought +was about landing; we went on deck to have a look at the shore. We saw +that the surf was breaking very heavily, and that it would be +impossible to beach a boat without running considerable risk of +smashing her up. However, get on shore we must, as the 'Bramble' could +not delay any longer, and had to be off. + +So, after breakfast, the books, flour, and other things were handed up +in a cask and lowered into a boat, together with a tin of biscuit, +and, having bidden good-bye to our generous hosts, we started off +under the command of Captain Langdon. As soon as we were near the +breakers it was seen that to beach the boat was impossible, so, after +a little consultation Powell determined to try and swim ashore with +the end of a rope. We pulled in as close as we could with safety, and +then he jumped overboard, with the end of a grass line fastened to his +arm, and made for the shore. He got on all right at first, though the +strong current had a tendency to set him on the dangerous rocks on the +left of the open channel. As soon as he got into the breaking rollers +it was evident that he could not take the rope on shore. He struggled +bravely on, being dashed on the beach by each wave, and then sucked +back into the next wave by the irresistible back-wash. + +By this time the two black men on shore had seen him, and they rushed +into the water to render assistance. Then Powell, almost exhausted, +handed them the rope and just managed to struggle ashore, and he lay +down on the sand for a while, dead beat. But we were by no means out +of the wood yet. The two men to whom Powell had given the rope were +themselves carried off their feet by the big breakers and were washed +out to sea. They both let go the rope and tried in vain to get on +shore again, for they were much impeded by their clothes. At last +Theodosius managed to cling to a rock and hold on to it till a +recoiling wave had passed him; then he made a rush for it and +succeeded in reaching the land. But Joe could make no way and was +carried further out. He was for some time in great danger of drowning, +and his cries for help were piteous. But we could not with safety take +the boat any nearer to him than we were, for she would have been stove +in by the sunken rocks; and, as we could not make him understand that +his proper course was, instead of attempting to land through the +breakers in his exhausted condition, to turn and swim out to us, the +doctor and myself went out to him, and towed him to the boat on a +barrel. + +We were now no better off than when we had started, for we still had +three of our party in the boat and two on shore. It was clear that it +was more than a man could do to swim to land with a rope; so we +decided to go to the western end of the bay, where a large rock, on +which Powell sometimes fished, stood out some way into the sea, and +endeavour to throw a line on to it. So we pulled off there, the two +men on the shore following us over the rocks. Powell and the coloured +man clambered on to this natural pier, and, after several attempts, I +managed to throw to them the end of a light line to which a bolt had +been attached; we then bent the end of the grass rope on to this and +they hauled it on shore. + +But now we found that the sea was breaking with such great violence +that it would be extremely perilous for a man to attempt to get on +shore by hauling himself along the rope: he would most probably be +beaten to death on the coral rocks. We therefore attempted to work the +line to the eastward for a distance of about half a mile, to where the +sandy beach afforded a safer landing-place. Powell and Theodosius +carried their end of the rope along the shore, while we pulled in a +direction parallel to theirs with our end. We progressed but +gradually, having to stop frequently to jerk the bight of the rope +over the rocks in which it caught. + +After about three-quarters of an hour of this work we had nearly got +to our journey's end and were beginning to think that our troubles +were over, when the rope got foul of a sharp piece of coral and parted +in the middle like a bit of pack-thread. Captain Langdon used no bad +language when this happened, but he looked all sorts of imprecations +at this inaccessible home of ours. It was now one o'clock, and we had +been trying in vain to land for four hours, and, moreover, had lost a +kedge anchor and the greater portion of the grass rope; so Captain +Langdon decided to return to the 'Bramble' to change the boat's crew +and get a fresh supply of rope. + +We had some lunch and then set off again with two boats, another kedge +and grass rope, a light cod-line and a large rocket. We pulled in till +we were near the breakers, then one boat let go her anchor, and, the +other boat having her painter fast to her, the first was backed in +towards the shore until she was right on the top of the rollers, just +before they broke. Then the cod-line was fixed on to the rocket, and, +as there was no proper rocket apparatus on board, the rocket was held +in the hand, while the gunner, who had come with us, applied a match +to it. In consequence of some accident the rocket, instead of flying +on shore and taking the cod-line with it, fizzed away in the boat, +burning off the gunner's moustache and beard before he had time to +move his head aside, and then dropped overboard and expended its force +in the water. So we had failed again. + +The wind, however, had changed by this time, and for a couple of hours +had been blowing off shore, instead of on shore, from the south, so +that the violence of the sea had abated considerably, and Cloete-Smith +decided to have one more try at swimming on shore. He very nearly +succeeded in doing so; but the current caught him, and swept him down +on the rocks, so he had to return. Then I made another attempt, but +with no better success, and we were at our wits' end and were getting +worn out with our efforts, when we saw Powell preparing to swim off to +us with the end of that portion of the broken grass rope which had +remained on shore. + +He waited for his opportunity, then dashed into the surf, dived +through the breakers, and managed to get out into the deep water +safely. We swam off to meet him with the end of another rope, bent +them together and swam back to the boat. The rest was easy. We had now +got a connection with the shore; for the farther end of the rope was +safely secured to a rock. One by one we made our way along the rope to +dry land, then hauled the stores off with another light line, and, +making the shore end of the grass rope fast to a turtle we had caught +two days before, we sent it off as a present to the 'Bramble.' + +It was a relief to find ourselves all safe on shore at last. We went +up to the tents in a fairly exhausted condition for a much needed tot +of rum. The boats pulled back to the ship and were hoisted up. 'Wish +you good luck' was run up to the peak; we gave her a parting volley +from our rifles, and then the gallant vessel steamed away--as it +turned out, to take part in another revolution in Buenos Ayres--and we +were alone once more. + +On the following day we settled down to work again, cheered and +refreshed. We had now got a supply of biscuit and flour which we hoped +would last us until the return of the yacht, so we were much more +comfortable in our minds than before the arrival of the 'Bramble.' We +resumed our life of monotonous digging, and the only event of +importance about this time was an accident which nearly proved fatal +to Powell. He was fishing one afternoon on the big rock mentioned +above, when one of the large waves which sometimes roll in +unexpectedly here washed him off his perch into the sea. He was dashed +violently on the rocks, and it was only by a piece of wonderful luck +that he managed to clamber up again before he was stunned. He was much +bruised, and lost his rod, his pipe, and hat--everything, in fact, +except his life. + +Day by day the work went on, and, as each morning broke, we hoped it +would bring our missing vessel; but when another week went by and +still she had not appeared, things began to look serious. She had now +been away nearly five weeks, and we feared that some mischance had +befallen her. Our stores were getting exhausted, and the weather +seemed to have broken up, for there was now always so much surf that +the turtle could not come up the sands, and fishing was generally +impossible. + +Our stores would not last much longer, so the doctor had two days' +provisions and a breaker of water put aside, and decided that, if the +yacht did not return within a few days, we would put to sea in the +whale-boat and stand out into the track of passing vessels, in the +hope of being picked up. Friday and Saturday passed and no yacht +arrived. We spent Sunday in getting the boat ready for sea. Monday +morning broke with half a gale of wind blowing and a terrific surf on +the beach, so that it would have been impossible to launch the +whale-boat, and about midday, just as we had given up all hope of +seeing her again, the good old 'Alerte' came round the corner, rolling +and pitching in the heavy sea under a close-reefed mainsail, small +jib, and reefed foresail. + +Next morning we ran the boat down to the water's edge and tried to +launch her. Two of us got into her and made ready to pull, while the +others shoved her off. Then the others jumped in and we pulled five or +six strokes, when a huge breaker caught her, lifted her up and turned +her right over, rolling us all in a heap on to the beach. We tried +again, with the same result, and then gave the attempt up, and went +back to our morning's dig, hoping for better luck in the afternoon. + +Day after day we tried and always failed. It seemed as if the sea +would never go down. Our stores were now all but exhausted, and we +lived chiefly on the wild sea-birds. Every morning we would climb to a +ravine where the birds are in great quantities, and pluck the young, +unfledged ones from their nests, their mothers circling round us, +striking at us with beaks and wings, uttering hoarse cries, and even +spitting morsels of fish at us in their fury. We then took our victims +down to the camp, cooked and ate them. The old birds are inedible, and +even the flesh of the young ones is, without exception, the most +horrible kind of food I have ever tasted. + +At last, on February 5, after a week of this sort of thing, we could +stand it no longer, and determined to get off somehow. Three times we +tried, and each time were swamped and driven back; the fourth time we +waited for a lull, ran the boat out, jumped in, and pulled away with +all our strength. A huge breaker rolled up. The boat stood up on end, +hesitated for an instant; one mighty tug at the oars, she righted, and +before another wave could catch us we were out of danger, soon reached +the 'Alerte,' and our imprisonment was at an end. + +I cannot close this account of our life on the island without saying a +word in praise of the two coloured seamen who were left with us. +Always willing to work hard, and always cheerful and obliging, they +tried to make our life as comfortable for us as possible. When the +provisions ran short, they would have lived, had we allowed them, on +nothing but a few handfuls of rice or cassava, saying:--'You gentlemen +eat the meat; me and George, we used to anything, even starving--you +gentlemen not. We don't want meat--you do.' In saying this, I do not +wish it to be thought that I am making any invidious comparison +between these two men and the two white sailors whom Knight had with +him on board at this time. They also were good men and capable +sailors, and had they been ashore with us would, I know, have done +their duty well and willingly. They deserved thoroughly the good +discharge which Knight gave them on parting. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +WE ABANDON THE SEARCH. + + +The five men I had left on the island had certainly done their work +well. The doctor had made an excellent leader, and had organised all +the operations capitally. They had toiled hard, and had kept up their +spirits all the while, and, what is really wonderful under +circumstances so calculated to try the temper and wear out patience, +they had got on exceedingly well with each other, and there had been +no quarrelling or ill-feeling of any sort. + +The ravine had been very thoroughly explored, and we felt that there +was but little chance of our finding the treasure. It was highly +improbable that the massive golden candlesticks of the Cathedral of +Lima would ornament our homes in England. It was decided, however, +that, if the weather permitted, we should stay here another three +weeks or so, and--as we were satisfied that the treasure could not be +at the first bend of the ravine--that we should dig in such other +spots as appeared suitable hiding-places, and would be naturally +selected for the purpose by a party of men landing in this bay. + +The shore-party were glad of a holiday on the yacht after all their +labours and privations, and no attempt was made to take the whale-boat +through the surf again that day. All hands stayed on board for the +night, and on the following morning, as the sea was still breaking too +heavily on the beach of South-west Bay to permit of a landing, I +proposed to my companions that we should take another holiday and go +for a picnic on the water. The cook, was, therefore, instructed to +prepare an especially good dinner, and, after shaking the reefs out of +our mainsail, we proceeded to circumnavigate the island, keeping as +close to the shore as we were able, so that we could have a good view +of the scenery. + +We sailed by the different points which we now knew so well--the Ness, +the Pier, the Ninepin--and at last doubled North Point. This extremity +of the island is extremely wild and desolate, and is utterly +inaccessible. Many of the sharp pinnacles which cap the mountains are +out of the perpendicular, and lean threateningly over the sea. I have +already explained that the different species of birds occupy different +portions of the island; the crags by North Point are inhabited by the +frigate-birds and sea-hawks. + +We coasted along the weather side of the island, and when we were +nearly opposite to the Portuguese settlement the wind dropped and we +had to man the whale-boat and tow the yacht seaward; for we found that +she was gradually sagging before the swell towards the reefs, on which +the sea was breaking heavily. We could not get round the island, so +sailed back, before a very light wind, to South-west Bay, and hove to +as usual for the night. + +Work was resumed the next day, and a boat-load of stores was sent on +shore. The newly-formed sandbank which I have mentioned appeared to +increase and become a more serious obstacle to landing every day. On +this occasion the boat again drove her stem into the sand as she +crossed this shoal, and the next wave swamped and capsized her, so +that boat, men, and stores were tumbling about in the deep water +between the sandbank and the shore. + +They managed to haul the boat safely up, and, by diving in the surf, +recovered a good many of the tins of food. Then the boat returned to +the yacht, Joe being left alone in the camp. He did not relish this at +all, for, like most black men, he was very afraid of ghosts, and had +come to the conclusion that Trinidad was a place more than usually +haunted by unsettled spirits. He told us that if he were left alone on +shore for the night his only course would be to light a ring of fires +and sit in the middle, with a tight bandage round his head, keeping +awake till dawn. If he failed to take these precautions he would most +certainly be torn to pieces, or otherwise seriously damaged, by the +spirits. We took compassion on him and did not leave him to face the +terrors of the darkness alone. In the afternoon the whale-boat +returned to the bay, and Pollock swam on shore to remain with him. + +A description of what happened for the next few days would be merely a +repetition of what has gone before. The yacht was hove to at night, +and sailed about the mouth of the bay all day. The surf was always +breaking dangerously on the sands, so that it was impossible to beach +the boat, and the men had to swim to and fro from whale-boat to shore, +or haul themselves along a line which we had rigged up for the +purpose, and which was carried from a rock on shore to a buoy moored +with the ship's kedge outside the breakers. We used also to haul the +provisions on shore with a line, having lashed them to the bamboo +rafts which we had constructed for this purpose. + +The weather became so unsettled and the surf was so invariably high +that, after a few days, we came to the conclusion that the sooner we +left the island the better, and we decided to take the first +favourable opportunity for bringing off our property from the shore. +The bad season was approaching--if it had not already commenced--and +if we waited much longer we might find it impossible, for months at a +time, to carry off stores or men. The yacht only remained hove to for +eleven days after the shore-party had first boarded us, and during +that time the men with me on the vessel were employed in setting up +the rigging, rattling down the shrouds, and effecting all necessary +repairs. + +There was nearly always a high swell running now, which was especially +uncomfortable when there was no wind, for then we would often roll +scuppers under. For nearly a week it was quite impossible to beach the +boat, and all communication with the shore had to be effected in the +way I have described above. At last, on February 13, luckily for us, +it was exceptionally calm in South-west Bay, so that it would be very +easy to carry off our stores. + +Such a chance was not to be lost. In the morning all hands went off in +the boats, with the exception of myself and Wright, who stayed on +board to work the vessel. A landing was effected without any +difficulty, and the boats returned with heavy loads, bringing off the +hydraulic jack, the guns, the bedding, and other articles. + +I, of course, wished to see what work had been done, before giving my +final decision as to the continuance or abandonment of our +exploration--not that there was any doubt as to what that decision +would be, after I had heard the doctor's report. In the afternoon I +went off in the whale-boat, and landed on the island for the first +time for forty-eight days, leaving the doctor in charge of the yacht +while she lay hove to outside the bay. I had not put foot on shore +here for so long that I was astonished at the aspect of the ravine, +which had been completely changed in my absence by the labours of my +comrades. + +I stood and contemplated the melancholy scene--the great trenches, the +piled-up mounds of earth, the uprooted rocks, with broken wheelbarrows +and blocks, worn out tools, and other relics of our three months' work +strewed over the ground; and it was sad to think that all the energy +of these men had been spent in vain. They well deserved to succeed, +and all the more so because they bore their disappointment with such +philosophic cheeriness. + +It was, obviously, quite useless to persevere any further in this vain +search, especially as the difficulties of landing had so increased of +late that our operations could only be conducted at a great risk to +life. So the fiat went forth--the expedition was to be abandoned; we +were to clear out of Trinidad, bag and baggage, as quickly as we +could. + +We returned to the yacht with a good load of stores, the condensing +apparatus, and the faithful Jacko. After dinner we sailed round to the +cascade and hove to off it. I remained on board with Wright while all +the other hands went off in the boats and obtained six casks of water +to replenish the ship's now nearly empty tanks. This was altogether a +most satisfactory day's work, and we were very well pleased with +ourselves when we hove to at sunset and drifted out to the ocean for +our well-deserved night's rest. + +On the following morning--Friday, 14th--we tacked to the north of +South-west Bay, and found that, though there was more surf than on the +previous day, landing was feasible. The boat went off under the +doctor's charge, and the tents and all the remaining stores were +brought safely on board. Nothing of any value was left; we not only +carried off our own tools, but also the picks that had been used by +Mr. A----'s expedition. Only broken wheelbarrows and such like useless +articles remained in the ravine. From the vessel the only sign of our +late camp that could be seen was Powell's disabled armchair, which he +had left standing, a melancholy object, on the top of the beach. + +We stowed the heavier tools and stores under the saloon floor and then +sailed again to the cascade. The whale-boat went off to the pier and a +quantity of water was brought on board, so that we had a sufficient +supply--but not much to spare--for the voyage we now contemplated. + +When the watering-party returned we had done with Trinidad; so both +boats were hoisted on deck, and a melancholy ceremony was performed: +our very ancient dinghy, which was too rotten to bear any further +patching, and was not worth the room she used to take up on deck, was +broken up and handed over to the cook as firewood. + +A tot of rum was served out to each hand, we bade farewell to +Trinidad, the foresail was allowed to draw, and we sailed away. + +It had long since been decided that, whether the treasure was +discovered or not, we should sail from our desert island to its +wealthy namesake, Trinidad in the West Indies--a very different sort +of a place. The distance between the two Trinidads is, roughly, 2,900 +miles; but we knew that the voyage before us was not likely to be a +lengthy one, for everything is in favour of a vessel bound the way we +were going. In the first place, it was very unlikely that we should +encounter head winds between our islet and Cape St. Roque, and from +that point we should most probably have the wind right aft for the +rest of the way, as the trade-winds blow regularly along the coasts of +north Brazil and the Guianas. In the next place, by sailing at a +certain distance from the land, we could keep our vessel in the full +strength of the south equatorial current, which runs at the rate of +two or three miles an hour in the direction of our course. We had, it +is true, to cross the line once more, with its belt of doldrums; but +we knew that we should not be much delayed by these tedious equatorial +calms, as they do not prevail on the coast of Brazil to anything like +the extent they do in mid-Atlantic; besides which, the favourable +current would be carrying us along with it across the belt, and enable +us to travel fifty miles or so a day, even in a flat calm. + +This kindly current would, indeed, carry us straight to our port, for +it sweeps through the Gulf of Paria as well as by the east side of +Trinidad, and, as every schoolboy knows in these enlightened days, +thence flows round the Caribbean Sea and ultimately emerges from it +under another and better-known title--the Gulf Stream. + +With the old 'Falcon' I had sailed over a portion of this route, +accomplishing the voyage from Pernambuco to Georgetown, Demerara--a +distance of about 2,000 miles--in ten days, thus keeping up an average +of 200 miles a day. At this rate the 'Alerte' ought to get to Trinidad +in fifteen days; but we were not fated to have such luck as that. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + +HOMEWARD BOUND. + + +We had bidden farewell to the wild spot that had been our home for +three months, but we did not lose sight of Trinidad for upwards of +thirty hours. + +We had got under weigh at sunset on February 14. A slight draught from +the hills carried us a mile or so outside North Point, when we were +becalmed and made no progress at all for many hours; and when at last +the north-east breeze sprang up, it was so very light that at eight on +the following morning the island was not more than twelve miles astern +of us. + +Throughout the day calms and light airs succeeded to each other, and +at sunset the high peaks were still visible. The same weather +continued during our second night at sea, and at daybreak on February +16, we could just distinguish one faint blue mountain summit behind +us, the rest of the islet being below the horizon. But the wind now +freshened and all signs of the land soon disappeared, and once again +there was nothing to be seen round us but ocean. + +It was evident that we were not to be favoured with the smart voyage I +had anticipated. We had fair winds, it is true, and a fair current, +but it was rare that we had fresh breezes, while long spells of calm +were frequent, so that we did not double Cape St. Roque till February +22. + +Our best day's run up to this point was on the 19th, when we made 182 +miles in the twenty-four hours--nothing much to boast of, seeing that +the difference between our distance, according to our dead reckoning +and that calculated by observation of the sun, showed that we had a +two-knot current under us all the while. + +At 9 a.m. on February 22, having passed between Cape St. Roque and the +Rocas islets--not sighting either--we altered our course from +north-by-east to north-west, so as to sail parallel to the mainland, +at a distance of about 120 miles from it, and thus benefit by the full +strength of the current. Having doubled the cape we encountered, as we +had expected, south-east wind, and were thus able to set our +spinnaker. + +As we approached the Equator we experienced the usual unpleasant +weather of this region: the sky was almost always overcast, the calms +were only broken by heavy squalls, and no night passed without vivid +lightning; but, so far, there was little rain. It was very close in +our cabins, and even on deck the men were languid with the oppressive, +muggy heat. + +We crossed the line on February 26. We now had a few days of drifting +over a calm sea, under a soft drizzling rain, and we were unable to +take any sights of the sun. On March 1, the wind veered round to the +north for a change, so that we were close-hauled on the starboard +tack. This wind, being in the opposite direction to the regular +trades, was caused by some local disturbance, and only lasted for +twelve hours. This was our sixteenth day out, and we were still nearly +1,200 miles from our destination, which we might have made by this +time had our luck been good. + +If we only progressed at this rate, our water could not hold out to +Trinidad; and though this was no cause for anxiety, as we could easily +sail for one of the ports on the mainland--Cayenne or Surinam, for +instance--I was particularly anxious not to call anywhere on the way; +so the order was given that all hands should be put on rations of +water. Our usual rule was to allow the men to use as much water as +they pleased, without waste; though all washing had, of course to be +done with salt water. + +This order brought us luck, for not an hour after it had been given +the whole sky was covered over with one vast cloud, so dense that, +though it was midday, it became as dark on the ocean as when dusk is +deepening into night. Then it began to rain. Hitherto there had only +been drizzle or short showers, which did not afford an opportunity for +collecting water; but now it was very different--it poured steadily +down as it only can in the tropics, so that, by merely collecting the +water in the hollow of the whale-boat cover, we soon filled up every +tank and breaker on board, and had a sufficient supply to have lasted +us to Southampton, had we been bound there. The order as to rations +was at once countermanded, and even washing with fresh water was +permitted on this extravagant day. + +Delighted as we had been to get all this water, we soon wearied of +such excessively unpleasant weather, for not only did it rain in +torrents, but every now and again a violent squall would sweep over +the sea, so that 'Scandalise the mainsail, and down foresail' was a +frequent order. + +'It looks like breakers ahead, sir,' sang out Ted in the afternoon, +and we quite suddenly entered into a tract of very disturbed water. +The swell was unaccountably high, and the seas were curling over each +other and breaking all round us just as if we were in a tide-race or +overfall. The water, too, which had up till now been of the usual dark +deep ocean tint, became yellowish brown, and, when a bucket of it was +brought up on deck, it was found to be full of a fine powder, like the +seed of some grass. As we had not been able to take any sights for +some days, I thought we might be somewhat nearer the shoals on the +coast than I supposed; so hove to and took soundings, but found no +bottom. On tasting the water, it was quite salty, so that these +phenomena could scarcely have been caused by the violent stream of the +Amazon, which often makes itself felt and sweetens the water far out +to sea. It is possible that all this commotion was produced by some +volcanic eruption at the bottom of the ocean far beneath us--not an +uncommon event in this portion of the South Atlantic. As we sailed +through this confused water we found that the vessel steered wildly, +as if eddies and contrary currents were driving her first in one +direction then in another, while the tops of the steep waves kept +tumbling down upon our decks, compelling us to keep all skylights +closed; this made still more objectionable the atmosphere of our +already unpleasantly reeking cabins, where the wet clothes which we +had no means of drying had been accumulating for days. The oppressive +closeness of this equatorial climate is spoken of with horror even by +those who go to sea on big ships; but it is far worse on a little +fore-and-after. + +Another peculiarity of this tract of broken water--out of which we +soon emerged as quickly as we had got into it--was that it swarmed +with fish and other forms of life. Shoals of small fish were dashing +about merrily in the spray, while fleets of large pink Portuguese +men-of-war--as the sailors call the Nautilus--were floating on the +surface. Until we had got into this curious portion of the ocean we +had seen very few fish. + +After some days of similar uncomfortable weather, we drifted or +sailed--when the squalls allowed--into a respectable climate again, +and ran before the trade-wind at a fair pace. Our best day's run was +on March 6, when we made 192 miles. On this day we got into soundings, +the colour of the deep ocean changing to the dark green of +comparatively shallow water; for we were nearing the coast, so as to +make the entrance of the Gulf of Paria. We sighted the mountains of +Trinidad right ahead of us at daybreak of March 8, about two leagues +distant. We ran, before a light wind, between Galeota Point and Baja +Point. The sun now blazed down out of a cloudless sky, the morning +mists lifted and disclosed the scenery around us, which was of a very +different nature from that we had left on the desert Trinidad. + +We were no longer tumbling about on the great transparent green +rollers that perpetually break upon the coasts of our Treasure Island, +but sailing on the smooth, muddy water of a shallow inland sea. On our +left were the low shores of Venezuela--a long line of dreary mangrove +swamps that form the delta of the Orinoco; the peculiar, and, I should +say, somewhat malarious, odour of the steaming mud being plainly +perceptible for leagues out to sea. + +On our right were the shores of Trinidad--one of the fairest islands +of the Caribbean Sea. The sandy beaches were fringed with cocoanut +palms, and behind rose gently swelling mountains, covered with fine +forests, the lordly palmistes towering above all the lesser +foliage--forests in which the trees were of various forms and tints, +presenting a beautiful appearance, the feathery bamboos and the +scarlet and purple blossoms of bougainvillea and other flowering trees +relieving the dark green slopes of dense vegetation. On the plains +that lay under the mountains, and in the broad valleys that clove +them, could be seen the pale green spreads of the sugar-cane +plantations, with the tall chimneys of the boiling-houses rising above +them, and the darker clumps of the cacao groves. + +When we were near Point Icacos we saw a school of whales, but, not +having the whale-boat or gun ready, we did not go in chase. + +We passed through the narrow Serpent's Mouth, and were inside the Gulf +of Paria; from here we coasted along the shores of Trinidad by many a +landmark familiar to myself, and still more so to our two coloured +men, who became quite excited when they once more beheld their native +islands after an absence of two years and more. We sailed by Cedros +Point; by the curious row of rocks that are known as the Serpent's +Teeth; by the village of Brea, off which several vessels were lying at +anchor, loading with the bitumen that is dug out of the famous Pitch +Lake about a mile in shore. + +We did not reach Port of Spain this day, for the wind fell away, and +we had to come to an anchor off St. Fernando for the night; but on the +following day, March 9, we completed our voyage, and let go our anchor +off Port of Spain early in the afternoon, having been twenty-two days +out from our desert island. + +We were anchored at about two-thirds of a mile from the jetty, and +there was only eight feet of water under us at low tide. As the +draught of the 'Alerte' is ten feet, she then sank two feet into the +mud. This is quite the proper way to do things at Port of Spain. +Sailing-vessels bound here with timber are in the habit of running as +high up as they can into the mud, knowing that when they have +discharged their cargo they will easily float off again. The mud +deposited in the Gulf of Paria by the outflow of the Orinoco and its +tributaries is the softest possible, and is very deep, so that a +vessel can suffer no injury by lying in it, even when the sea is +rough. So shallow is the water in this roadstead that at a mile and a +half from the shore the depth is only three fathoms, while a ship's +boat cannot approach the end of the jetty at low water. + +I had visited Trinidad before, and had many friends here, so was at +once at home on shore, as, too, were, very soon, my companions. We +were made honorary members of the pleasant Port of Spain Club, and +were treated everywhere with that hearty hospitality for which the +West Indies have always been noted. + +Our voyage was now over, and though most of my companions were anxious +to sail away with me in search of any other treasure we might hear of +on West Indian cays--or to turn our vessel's head southward again, and +make for Demerara, to travel inland to the gold districts of Upper +Guiana on the Venezuelan frontier--or, in short, set sail for any part +of the world that promised adventure and possible profit (I believe +they would have turned filibusters if the chance had presented +itself)--and though I had four paid hands on board also willing to +have gone anywhere we should choose to lead them--still, I could not +see my way to extending the voyage any further for the present, and +decided to lay up the 'Alerte' at Port of Spain. + +It was with reluctance that I made up my mind to do this; for the men +we did not want had been weeded out, and I had round me a compact crew +of seven, tested and trained by their seven months' travels and +hardships, and I also had the right vessel for any adventure. I had +several reasons for laying up the yacht in the West Indies, instead of +sailing her home. I had no use for her in England, and should I +undertake another voyage similar to the last, Port of Spain would be a +most convenient place to start from; besides, stores are cheap there, +and an excellent coloured crew, well adapted for work in the unhealthy +tropics, can be readily procured. Moreover, if I decided to sell the +yacht, I was certain to get a better price for her in the West Indies, +or on the Spanish Main, where there is a demand for this sort of +craft, than at home, where the market is glutted with second-hand +yachts. + +Before leaving Trinidad--that cosmopolitan island of Britons, +Frenchmen, Spaniards, East Indiamen, Chinamen, and negroes--we +undertook several pleasant little voyages with the yacht in the +neighbourhood of Port of Spain, taking with us several friends from +the shore. One of these voyages took place in the Easter holidays, +which are properly observed on this island. We had a merry party on +board, and visited several of the beautiful bays on the islands that +divide the Bocas, or northern entrances to the Gulf of Paria. Our crew +had by that time been reduced to myself, Mr. Pursell, and John Wright: +for my companions took opportunities of returning home as they +occurred. + +When the old vessel was dismantled and laid up, we last remaining +three took passage on the Royal Mail Steamer 'Dee,' which, being an +extra-cargo boat, was bound on a sort of roving commission round the +West Indies, in search of bags of cacao to complete her cargo. This +was a most enjoyable voyage, thanks to the officers of the 'Dee.' +Pursell and myself were the only passengers. We visited several of the +Windward Islands--old friends of mine, most of them--before sailing +across the Atlantic to Havre, and thence to London Docks. + +Thus ended our treasure-hunting expedition--a vain search; but, as I +have already said, my companions bore their disappointment well. It +was amusing to hear them argue, like the grape-loving fox in the +fable, but in a more good-natured way, that we were far better off +without the treasure. I remember one favourite argument to this +effect. It had been decided that, if the treasure was found, we should +not return to England in the yacht, but insure our wealth and go home +in the biggest mail steamer we could find. That was our great +difficulty--how to find a suitable vessel. As we were now, we cared +not much what sort of a craft we sailed in; but, once wealthy, how +terribly valuable would our lives become! In anticipation even of it +we became nervous. Would any vessel be large and safe enough for us +then that we were millionaires? Well, indeed, was it for us that we +had not found the pirates' gold; for we seemed happy enough as we +were, and if possessed of this hoard our lives would of a certainty +have become a burden to us. We should be too precious to be +comfortable. We should degenerate into miserable, fearsome +hypochondriacs, careful of our means of transit, dreadfully anxious +about what we ate or drank, miserably cautious about everything, +'Better far, no doubt,' exclaimed these cheerful philosophers, 'to +remain the careless, happy paupers that we are.' + +'Do you still believe in the existence of the treasure?' is a question +that has been often put to me since my return. Knowing all I do, I +have very little doubt that the story of the Russian Finn is +substantially true--that the treasures of Lima were hidden on +Trinidad; but whether they have been taken away, or whether they are +still there and we failed to find them because we were not in +possession of one link in the directions, I am unable to say. + + +THE END. + + + + +ESTABLISHED 1798 + +T. NELSON + +AND SONS + +PRINTERS AND + +PUBLISHERS + + +FAMOUS MODERN BATTLES. Captain Atteridge. + +This book may be taken as an appendix to Creasy's "Decisive Battles of +the World." Captain Atteridge describes those battles which have most +materially shaped the destiny of the nations of to-day, such as the +Alma, Solferino, Gettysburg, Gravelotte, Omdurman, and the recent +fights in the Balkan war. The book is fully provided with excellent +maps. + + +POPULAR ASTRONOMY. Camille Flammarion. + +This is an authorized translation of the most popular book on +astronomy ever written. The name of Camille Flammarion stands high +among modern scientists, and in addition to wide knowledge he has the +power of attractive exposition. The book is a delightful introduction +to a fascinating study. + + +BY DESERT WAYS TO BAGHDAD. Mrs. Wilkins. + +This is the record of the adventurous journey of two ladies from +Constantinople through Asia Minor and Kurdistan to Baghdad. The tale +is full of incidents and colour, and the style is as vivacious as the +adventures. + + +FROM PARIS TO NEW YORK BY LAND. Harry de Windt. + +In this book Mr. de Windt recounts an adventurous journey through +Europe, across Siberia, and then _viâ_ Alaska to New York. He +covered a good deal of unexplored country, and travelled at a pace +which few explorers have ever approached. It is a fascinating +narrative of adventure in little-known countries. + + + + +NELSON LIBRARY OF NOTABLE BOOKS + +CONDENSED LIST. + + + Scrambles Amongst the Alps. + Collections and Recollections. + The Great Boer War. + Life of John Nicholson. + Dean Hole's "Memories." + Life of Gladstone. + Psalms in Human Life. + Wild Life in a Southern County. + The Forest. + The Golden Age. + Sir Henry Hawkins's Reminiscenses. + Selected Essays. + Life of Lord Russell of Killowen. + Making of Modern Egypt. + From the Cape to Cairo. + Life of Alexander Hamilton. + A Book about the Garden. + Culture and Anarchy. + Collections and Recollections, 2nd Series. + Life of Frank Buckland. + A Modern Utopia. + With Kitchener to Khartum. + Unveiling of Lhasa. + Life of Lord Dufferin. + Life of Dean Stanley. + Popular Astronomy. + Round the World on a Wheel. + Dream Days. + Path to Rome. + The Life of Canon Ainger. + Reminiscences of Lady Dorothy Nevill. + A Social Departure. + Letters and Recollections of Sir Walter Scott. + Literature and Dogma. + Sermons by the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon. + My Confidences. + Sir Frank Lockwood. + The Making of a Frontier. + Life of General Gordon. + Collected Poems of Henry Newbolt. + Pot-Pourri from a Surrey Garden. + The Ring and the Book. + The Alps from End to End. + The English Constitution. + The Life of Cobden. + In India. + Life of Parnell. + Havelock's March. + Up from Slavery. + Where Black Rules White. + Historical Mysteries. + Recollections of the Rt. Hon. Sir Algernon West. + Great Englishmen of the Sixteenth Century. + The Strenuous Life. + Memories Grave and Gay. + Life of Tolstoy. + Life of Danton. + A Pocketful of Sixpences. + The Romance of a Proconsul. + A Book about Roses. + Random Reminiscences. + The London Police Courts. + The Amateur Poacher. + The Bancrofts. + At the Works. + Mexico as I Saw It. + Eighteenth Century Vignettes. + The Great Andes of the Equator. + The Early History of C. J. Fox. + Through the Heart of Patagonia. + Browning as a Religious Teacher. + Paris to New York. + Life of Lewis Carroll. + A Naturalist in the Guianas. + The Mantle of the East. + Letters of Dr. John Brown. + Jubilee Book of Cricket. + By Desert Ways to Baghdad. + Some Old Love Stories. + Fields, Factories, and Workshops. + Life of Lord Lawrence. + Problems of Poverty. + The Burden of the Balkans. + Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay--I. and II. + What I Saw in Russia. + Wild England of To-day. + Leaves from an Inspector's Logbook. + Through Finland in Carts. + Voyage of the "Discovery."--I. & II. + Felicity in France. + My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus. + John Bright. + Poverty. + Sea Wolves of the Mediterranean. + Famous Modern Battles. + The Cruise of the "Falcon." + A. K. H. B. (A Volume of Selections.) + The People of the Abyss. + Grain or Chaff? + Life at the Zoo. + The Four Men. + + +THOMAS NELSON AND SONS. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Cruise of the 'Alerte', by E. F. Knight + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE' *** + +***** This file should be named 38891-8.txt or 38891-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/8/9/38891/ + +Produced by Mark C. 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F. Knight + +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: The Cruise of the 'Alerte' + The narrative of a search for treasure on the desert island of Trinidad + +Author: E. F. Knight + +Release Date: February 15, 2012 [EBook #38891] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE' *** + + + + +Produced by Mark C. Orton and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was +produced from images made available by the HathiTrust +Digital Library.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<p class="ctr"> +THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE' +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<i>UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME.</i> +</p> +<hr class="tiny"> +<table summary="List of books and authors"> +<tr> +<td class="list">THE GREAT BOER WAR.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Arthur Conan Doyle.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">COLLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS.</td> +<td class="list"><i>G. W. E. Russell.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">FROM THE CAPE TO CAIRO.</td> +<td class="list"><i>E. S. Grogan.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">LIFE OF LORD DUFFERIN.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Sir A. Lyall.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">SIR FRANK LOCKWOOD.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Augustine Birrell, K.C., M.P.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">THE MAKING OF A FRONTIER.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Colonel Durand.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">LIFE OF RICHARD COBDEN.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Lord Morley.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">LIFE OF PARNELL.</td> +<td class="list"><i>R. Barry O'Brien.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">MEMORIES GRAVE AND GAY.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Dr. John Kerr.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">A BOOK ABOUT ROSES.</td> +<td class="list"><i>S. Reynolds Hole.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">RANDOM REMINISCENCES.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Charles Brookfield.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">AT THE WORKS.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Lady Bell.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">MEXICO AS I SAW IT.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Mrs. Alec Tweedie.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">PARIS TO NEW YORK BY LAND.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Harry de Windt.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">LIFE OF LEWIS CARROLL.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Stuart Dodgson Collingwood.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Eugène André.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">THE MANTLE OF THE EAST.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Edmund Candler.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">LETTERS OF DR. JOHN BROWN.</td> +<td class="list"> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">JUBILEE BOOK OF CRICKET.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Prince Ranjitsinhji.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">BY DESERT WAYS TO BAGHDAD.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Louisa Jebb.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">SOME OLD LOVE STORIES.</td> +<td class="list"><i>T. P. O'Connor.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">FIELDS, FACTORIES, & WORKSHOPS.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Prince Kropotkin.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">LIFE OF LORD LAWRENCE.</td> +<td class="list"><i>R. Bosworth Smith.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">PROBLEMS OF POVERTY.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Dr. Chalmers.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">THE BURDEN OF THE BALKANS.</td> +<td class="list"><i>M. E. Durham.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">LIFE AND LETTERS OF LORD MACAULAY.—I. & II.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Sir George O. Trevelyan, Bart.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">WHAT I SAW IN RUSSIA.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Hon. Maurice Baring.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">WILD ENGLAND OF TO-DAY.</td> +<td class="list"><i>C. J. Cornish.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">THROUGH FINLAND IN CARTS.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Mrs. Alec Tweedie.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">THE VOYAGE OF THE "DISCOVERY."—I. & II.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Captain Scott.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">FELICITY IN FRANCE.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Constance E. Maud.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">MY CLIMBS IN THE ALPS AND CAUCASUS.</td> +<td class="list"><i>A. F. Mummery.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">JOHN BRIGHT.</td> +<td class="list"><i>R. Barry O'Brien.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">POVERTY.</td> +<td class="list"><i>B. Seebohm Rowntree.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">SEA WOLVES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Commander E. Hamilton Currey, R.N.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">FAMOUS MODERN BATTLES.</td> +<td class="list"><i>A. Hilliard Atteridge.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">THE CRUISE OF THE "FALCON."</td> +<td class="list"><i>E. F. Knight.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">A. K. H. B. (A Volume of Selections).</td> +<td class="list"> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Jack London.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">GRAIN OR CHAFF.</td> +<td class="list"><i>A. Chichele Plowden.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">LIFE AT THE ZOO.</td> +<td class="list"><i>C. J. Cornish.</i></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="list">THE FOUR MEN.</td> +<td class="list"><i>Hilaire Belloc.</i></td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p class="ctr"> + <i>Etc., etc.<br> + Others to follow.</i> +</p> + +<hr class="short"> + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/001.jpg" alt="A sailing ship" width="550" height="357"></div> + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/titlepage.jpg" alt="Title page" width="301" height="500"></div> + +<hr class="short"> + +<h1> +THE CRUISE<br> +<small>OF THE</small><br> +'ALERTE' +</h1> + +<h3> +THE NARRATIVE OF A SEARCH<br> +FOR TREASURE ON THE<br> +DESERT ISLAND OF<br> +TRINIDAD +</h3> +<br> +<h3> +BY +</h3> + +<h2> +E. F. KNIGHT +</h2> + + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/logo1.jpg" alt="Publisher's logo" width="58" height="88"></div> + +<h4> +THOMAS NELSON AND SONS<br> +<small>LONDON, EDINBURGH, DUBLIN<br> +AND NEW YORK</small> +</h4> + +<hr class="med"> + + +<p class="section"> +CONTENTS. +</p> + +<table summary="Contents"> +<tr> +<td class="chpt">I.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">The History of the Treasure</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#I">7</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">II.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">The 'Alerte' Is fitted out</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#II">32</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">III.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">The Ship's Company</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#III">49</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">IV.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">A Romance of the Salvages</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#IV">62</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">V.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">Our First Voyage</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#V">78</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">VI.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">On the Salvages</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#VI">97</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">VII.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">Running down the Trades</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#VII">121</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">VIII.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">Bahia</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#VIII">141</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">IX.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">Treasure Island at Last</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#IX">158</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">X.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">The Summit of Trinidad</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#X">174</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">XI.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">On the Road to Treasure Bay</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#XI">190</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">XII.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">We explore the Ravine</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#XII">208</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">XIII.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">A Narrow Escape</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#XIII">226</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">XIV.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">We Land the Stores in the Bay</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#XIV">237</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">XV.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">Our Camp</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#XV">252</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">XVI.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">Discoveries in South-west Bay</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#XVI">269</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">XVII.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">Pick and Shovel</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#XVII">282</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">XVIII.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">A Voyage To Market</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#XVIII">300</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">XIX.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">Hove to</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#XIX">314</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">XX.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">The Adventures of the Shore-Party</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#XX">329</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">XXI.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">We abandon the Search</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#XXI">355</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="chpt">XXII.</td> +<td class="txt"><span class="sc">Homeward Bound</span></td> +<td class="pg"><a href="#XXII">366</a></td> +</tr> +</table> + +<hr class="med"> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<big><b>THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE.'</b> +</big></p> + + + +<a name="I"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER I. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +THE HISTORY OF THE TREASURE. +</p> + + +<p> +In the course of a long cruise in the South Atlantic and up the South +American rivers, in the years 1880 and 1881, with my little yacht the +'Falcon,' I found myself, more by accident than intention, in the +neighbourhood of the small desert island of Trinidad. We were bound +from Montevideo to Bahia, and, after running before a heavy pampero +off the River Plate, we fell in with strong head winds, and had to +thrash our way to windward for upwards of a thousand miles of choppy +seas and boisterous weather, while the rain poured down upon us almost +without cessation, as it not unfrequently does during the season of +the northerly Brazilian monsoon. +</p> + +<p> +We steered a course away from the land to the eastward, hoping to meet +with more favourable winds when we had obtained an offing of some four +or five hundred miles. Vessels bound north from the Plate during the +season of the northerly monsoon invariably pursue this plan, sailing +as much as seven hundred miles close hauled on the port tack before +they go about and make their northering. Thus it was that our course +brought us in the vicinity of Trinidad, which lies in latitude 20° 30′ +south and longitude 29° 22′ west, distant about seven hundred miles +from the coast of Brazil, and my curiosity being aroused by the +description of the islet in the 'South Atlantic Directory' I decided +to land and explore it. +</p> + +<p> +We came to an anchor off this desolate spot on December 8, 1881, and +we remained there for nine days. Our adventures of various sorts, the +perils of landing, the attacks made on us by the multitudes of hideous +land-crabs and ferocious sea-birds, our difficult climb over the +volcanic mountains, and finally our anything but regretful departure +from one of the most uncanny and dispiriting spots on earth, are fully +set out in my book, 'The Cruise of the "Falcon."' On turning to that +book I find that I state there that I had had more than enough of +Trinidad, and would on no account set foot on its barren shores +again—a rash resolution which I was destined to break nearly ten +years after my first visit to the island. +</p> + +<p> +The descriptions of Trinidad in the 'South Atlantic Directory' are all +of an old date, and were supplied at different times by captains of +vessels in want of water or with crews stricken with scurvy, who +effected a landing in order to procure water or the purslain and other +greens which abound on some portions of the shore. Halley in 1700, +Amaso Delano in 1803, and Commodore Owen in 1822 visited the island, +and it is from their accounts that most of the information concerning +it has been gathered. All describe the landing as extremely difficult, +and often quite impracticable, on account of the almost perpetual surf +which breaks on the iron-bound coast. Consequently mariners avoided +the coral reefs and sea-worn crags, and, though the masters of +homeward-bound vessels from around Cape Horn often sighted the island +from a safe distance in order to correct the rate of their +chronometers, it was rare indeed that the foot of a human being trod +its shores. +</p> + +<p> +But now the land-crabs and sea-birds of Trinidad must be becoming +almost familiarised with the sight of man, for the report of a vast +treasure that is supposed to have been buried here some seventy years +ago, has induced no less than five different bands of adventurers in +the course of the last twelve years to fit out vessels for the purpose +of seeking their fortunes among the volcanic ash. +</p> + +<p> +This is an account of the most recent of these ventures, and I think +it will be the last of them; for whereas all the previous +explorers—in consequence of mutiny, the difficulty of landing, and +other causes—failed to make any real attempt at digging into the +landslip which now covers the spot where the treasure is supposed to +lie, and, losing heart in the presence of the preliminary perils and +discomforts, abandoned the island after a few days' stay, we succeeded +in landing by degrees our tents, tools, and stores, and established +quite a comfortable little settlement, while the digging was steadily +carried on for three months, and many thousands of tons of earth and +rock were removed. +</p> + +<p> +We worked on until we were satisfied that further search was useless. +We failed to find the treasure, but we did what our predecessors did +not—we had a very good try for it; and we have, I think, at any rate +proved that it is not worth the while of any other adventurers to go +in search of this too carefully concealed hoard. +</p> + +<p> +When I visited Trinidad in 1881 I was not aware that a treasure was +supposed to be buried there, else I should most probably have +prosecuted some preliminary search with the small crew—we were five +all told—and the inadequate tools I had on board, so as to ascertain +whether it would be worth while to organise a properly equipped +expedition on my return home. It was not until the year 1885 that my +attention was directed to paragraphs in the newspapers which spoke of +the departure from the Tyne of the barque 'Aurea' with a considerable +company, including navvies, and well provided with the tools that were +considered necessary for the recovery of the treasure. +</p> + +<p> +These adventurers started full of hope, but were doomed to +disappointment, as is shown in the following extract which I cut from +a daily paper some months later:— +</p> + +<p> +'Further information has been received regarding the unfortunate +expedition of the "Aurea," the vessel chartered by a number of +Tynesiders for a voyage to the small island of Trinidad, off the coast +of Brazil, where it was reported a large amount of treasure was +concealed. The last letter is from one of the seamen, a young man +named Russell, to his parents in North Shields. Russell states that it +is with <i>"the greatest pleasure" that he has an opportunity of +writing, and continues to say that the "Aurea" left the island on +April 29, and, he was sure, the crew were not sorry at leaving. He +states that eight seamen were ashore fourteen days, and at the end of +that time they were so exhausted with the want of water and +provisions, and with the scorching heat, that they had all to be +carried on board. As a consequence eight of them were laid down with +fever, and out of the eight two seamen died. The expedition was thus +unfortunate in more than one respect. The "Aurea," according to the +writer of the letter, was at Trinidad in the West Indies, and was +expected to leave for England. Russell says nothing about treasure; +the burden of his letter is that the crew left the island with the +greatest satisfaction.'</i> +</p> + +<p> +This ill-fated expedition of the 'Aurea' was, so far as my information +goes, the last before that of the 'Alerte.' +</p> + +<p> +In the autumn of 1888, I happened to meet some South Shields people +who knew the history of the treasure and of the previous expeditions. +They told me that there had been some talk lately of fitting out +another vessel to renew the quest, and that many undeniably shrewd +Tynesiders had a complete faith in the existence of the treasure, and +were willing, despite former failures, to risk their money and lives +in order to discover it. My informant gave me an outline of the +evidence on which this faith was based, and I heard enough to so +interest me that I forthwith took train to South Shields and put +myself into communication with the heads of the 'Aurea' expedition, +with the view, in case I should consider the prospects of securing the +treasure to be not too remote, of fitting out a small yacht and +sailing away once more to Trinidad. +</p> + +<p> +The following is the substance of the story as I heard it from Mr. +A——, who was the prime mover of the last venture, and who himself +sailed in the 'Aurea,' and passed fourteen days on the island. +</p> + +<p> +'There is now living, not far from Newcastle, a retired sea captain, +Captain P——, who was in command of an East Indiaman engaged in the +opium trade in the years 1848 to 1850. At that time the China seas +were infested by pirates, so that his vessel carried a few guns, and a +larger crew than is usual in these days. He had four quartermasters, +one of whom was a foreigner. Captain P—— is not sure of his +nationality, but thinks he was a Russian Finn. On board the vessel the +man went under the name of the pirate, on account of a deep scar +across his cheek, which gave him a somewhat sinister appearance. He +was a reserved man, better educated than the ordinary sailor, and +possessing a good knowledge of navigation. +</p> + +<p> +'Captain P—— took a liking to him, and showed him kindness on +various occasions. This man was attacked by dysentery on the voyage +from China to Bombay, and by the time the vessel reached Bombay he was +so ill, in spite of the captain's nursing, that he had to be taken to +the hospital. He gradually sank, and when he found that he was dying, +he told Captain P——, who frequently visited him at the hospital, +that he felt very grateful for the kind treatment he had received at +his captain's hands, and that he would prove his gratitude by +revealing a secret to him that might make him one of the richest men +in England. Captain P—— says that he appeared very uneasy about this +secret, and insisted on the door of the ward being closed, so that +there might be no listeners. He then asked Captain P—— to go to his +chest and take out from it a parcel. The parcel contained a piece of +old tarpaulin with a plan of the island of Trinidad on it. +</p> + +<p> +'The man gave him this plan, and told him that at the place indicated +on it—that is, under the mountain known as the Sugarloaf—there was +an immense treasure buried, consisting principally of gold and silver +plate and ornaments, the plunder of Peruvian churches which certain +pirates had concealed there in the year 1821. Much of this plate, he +said, came from the cathedral of Lima, having been carried away from +there during the war of independence when the Spaniards were escaping +the country, and that among other riches there were several massive +golden candlesticks. +</p> + +<p> +'He further stated that he was the only survivor of the pirates, as +all the others had been captured by the Spaniards and executed in Cuba +some years before, and consequently it was probable that no one but +himself knew of this secret. He then gave Captain P—— instructions +as to the exact position of the treasure in the bay under the +Sugarloaf, and enjoined him to go there and search for it, as it was +almost certain that it had not been removed. The quartermaster died +shortly afterwards.' +</p> + +<p> +Now this story, so far, bears a strong family resemblance to many +other stories of pirate treasure, mythical or otherwise, and, though +there can be no doubt that great stores of valuable plunder are still +lying hidden away in this fashion on many a West Indian cay and desert +ocean island, the dying quartermaster's deposition was hardly enough +by itself to warrant the expense of fitting out an expedition for +Trinidad. But on making researches it was found that his story was +corroborated in many remarkable ways. +</p> + +<p> +In the first place the archives of Cuba were inspected, and a record +was discovered which showed that a gang of pirates who had plundered +Spanish vessels sailing from Lima had been hanged at Havannah at the +time mentioned. +</p> + +<p> +The probability of the story is further strengthened by the actual +history of Peru during the war of independence. It appears that the +Spanish population of Lima entertained a wholesome dread of the +liberators of their country, and deposited large sums of money and a +vast amount of plate in the forts for security. Lima was then a city +extremely rich in gold and silver plate, and the value of the property +lying in the fortress alone was estimated by Lord Dundonald as at +least six millions sterling. +</p> + +<p> +Lord Dundonald, who was at the time in command of the Chilian fleet +which had been sent to the assistance of the liberators of Peru, +endeavoured to obtain possession of this fortress by negotiations, and +offered the Spanish governor to permit his free departure with +two-thirds of this treasure on condition of the remainder, together +with the fortress, being given up to the Chilian squadron. The admiral +hoped by means of this one-third to abate the mutinous spirit of his +men, who had received no pay for a long period, and who were, +moreover, in a state of actual destitution. But, to Lord Dundonald's +disgust, the Peruvian Protector, San Martin, for purposes of his own, +allowed the garrison to evacuate the fortress, carrying away with them +the whole of these riches. Later on, however, Lord Dundonald took the +responsibility on himself of seizing the Protector's yacht at Ancon, +and discovered that it was entirely ballasted with silver coin and +uncoined gold. With this he paid his sailors some of their arrears of +pay and prize-money. +</p> + +<p> +During the first few years of their liberty the unhappy Limenos must +have occasionally regretted the old Spanish misrule, bad as it was; +for their liberators plundered them in the most shameless fashion, and +most of the wealthy citizens of Lima were reduced to a state of abject +poverty. The tyrannical Protector inflicted great hardships on the +Spanish inhabitants, and among other of his decrees one was passed +confiscating to the public treasury one-half of all their property. +When some of these unhappy people, driven to desperation, took to sea +and endeavoured to escape with the remaining half of their +possessions, the Republican officers boarded their vessels and, wholly +regardless of the decree, appropriated this half also. +</p> + +<p> +The wealth of Lima, the richest city of Spanish America, was soon +scattered far and wide, and disappeared for ever; but it is probable +that only a small proportion of it fell into the hands of the +liberators; for the executive was not sufficiently well organised to +carry out fully the decrees of confiscation. I do not think that the +property to the value of six millions sterling which was carried away +by the Spanish garrison has been all traced, but the records of the +day show that the Spaniards took every opportunity of escaping to sea +in any sort of vessel they could procure, carrying with them all the +property they could collect, in the hope of reaching the mother +country or some neutral port. +</p> + +<p> +It must have been a glorious time for adventurous persons not +overburdened with scruples; for it seems that all the gold and +precious stones of Peru were travelling about recklessly by sea and +land without any proper protection. The pirates who then swarmed in +those seas were not slow to avail themselves of this rare opportunity, +and carried on a flourishing business until such time as they were +caught and hanged by that terrible English admiral. +</p> + +<p> +Numbers of piratical craft hovered around the Peruvian ports, and the +badly equipped vessels of the Spanish fugitives fell an easy prey to +them. But Lord Dundonald, on the other hand, was ever pursuing the +pirates with great energy. He captured many of them, and, later on, he +was able to boast that he had swept the West Coast clean of these +scourges of the sea. +</p> + +<p> +It is known, however, that several of these vessels escaped his +vigilance, and that enormous quantities of cathedral plate and specie +were never recovered from their hands. +</p> + +<p> +The pirate vessel that succeeded in reaching the islet of Trinidad is +supposed to have been one of these. +</p> + +<p> +Captain P——, on leaving Bombay after the death of his quartermaster, +had intended to land on Trinidad and examine the spot indicated on the +pirate's plan; but as he had a rather unruly crew, and was himself +crippled with a broken arm, he thought it prudent not to make the +attempt then, and so passed the islet and sailed home. +</p> + +<p> +On his return to England he told the pirate's story to many people, +but of course preserved the secret of the exact position of the +hiding-place. Nothing, however, seems to have been done towards +recovering the treasure until 1880, when Captain P—— persuaded a +shipping firm at Newcastle to allow one of their vessels trading to +the Brazils to visit the island. It was arranged that the barquentine +'John' should call at Trinidad on her way from Santos to Bull River, +and that Captain P——'s son should go with the vessel so as to +identify the spot and act on his father's behalf. +</p> + +<p> +The 'John' reached the islet, but, after beating about off it for a +week, no landing-place could be found, and the captain decided to give +up the attempt. But young P—— was very disinclined to return without +having effected a landing, and persuaded the captain to allow him to +swim ashore from a boat. The ship's longboat was therefore put out, +and was pulled as close to the long roll of furious breakers as was +considered safe. Then young P—— plunged into the sea, and contrived, +after a narrow escape from drowning, to reach the land. The surf +became more furious while he was on shore, so that it was impossible +for him to swim off again that day. He had, consequently, to pass the +night on the sands without either clothes or provisions, and was, +moreover, in danger of being eaten alive by the land-crabs. +</p> + +<p> +On the following morning the captain succeeded in casting the end of a +line on shore, and the young man was dragged through the surf to the +longboat, and carried on board the vessel. He reported to the captain +that he had discovered the spot described by the pirate; but that a +great landslip of red débris had fallen on the treasure, which could +not be removed without great labour. He said the place tallied exactly +with the description furnished by his father, and that he firmly +believed the story to be true and that the treasure was still there; +but that he would not spend such another night on the island even if +he could get the whole treasure for himself by doing so. +</p> + +<p> +The captain of the 'John,' on hearing the young man's story, +considered that any further attempt to land would involve great +danger, which he would not be justified in risking, and, declining to +lend further assistance in the matter, set sail at once for his +destination. +</p> + +<p> +The next expedition was organised by my informant, Mr. A—— of South +Shields. The 'Aurea,' a barque of 600 tons burthen, was chartered. She +was provided with lifeboats suitable for surf work, and an ample +supply of picks, shovels, timber, blasting powder, and other stores. +She was partly ballasted with a cargo of steam coal, which it was +intended to sell in some foreign port, so as to pay part of the +expenses of the expedition. The necessary funds were subscribed by +several gentlemen, most of whom, I believe, accompanied the +expedition. Proper agreements were drawn up, and were signed by the +officers and members of the expedition, setting forth the proportion +of the treasure each was to receive, should the search be successful. +</p> + +<p> +This party also found the island to be almost inaccessible, on account +of the surrounding circle of savage breakers, and experienced great +difficulty in landing. +</p> + +<p> +The following extract from the letter of one of the expedition +describes only the commencement of their perils and adventures:— +</p> + +<p> +'We sighted the island on March 23, 1885, but, as it was very squally +weather, we could do nothing until the next morning, when we got out +the lifeboat, fitted her with mast and sail, and loaded her with +provisions and baggage. The ship towed us as near to the shore as was +deemed prudent, and then left us to make the best of our way there, +while she stood on her course. The weather was very wet and squally, +and, with our deeply-laden boat, we found we made no progress, either +with the sails or oars, and, after toiling until after sunset, we +found ourselves in a most deplorable position. We were all wet to the +skin, and exhausted with pulling, and the seas were continually on the +point of swamping our boat. Darkness then set in; our vessel was out +of sight, and we scarcely knew what to do. However, I took a lantern +from among the stores, and got one of the men to light it and hoist it +at our boat's masthead as a signal to our vessel. It blew out almost +as soon as it was up, but we succeeded at last in sighting the +vessel's port light, and got safely on board. The next day we +determined to take the ship's boat and small dinghy with us, and tow +the lifeboat ashore. We started early in the morning, the ship towing +the three boats as close as possible to the Sugarloaf, and as the +weather was now fine we soon got into South-west Bay, but found that +the surf was much worse than we anticipated. We anchored the lifeboat +with her cargo of stores close to the edge of the surf, and then Mr. +D——, the mate, myself, and two hands, pulled along the weather side +of the island, seeking a landing-place; but found a heavy surf at all +points, and the bottom sown with sunken rocks. We then pulled back to +South-west Bay, to consult with the others as to the best course to +pursue. At last the mate volunteered to scull the dinghy ashore +through the surf, if one man would go with him. One of the crew agreed +to go, so they partly undressed, and took their places in the dinghy. +A line was made fast to the stern, and as they pulled towards the +shore we paid out, intending to haul the dinghy back again when they +had reached the shore. All went well for a time, but when near the +beach a tremendous roller caught the stern of the dinghy, drove the +bow under, and turned her right over. The two men managed to get clear +of the boat, and with some difficulty swam ashore.' +</p> + +<p> +Eventually Mr. A—— and seven other men succeeded in landing, +carrying with them a limited quantity of provisions and some of the +tools. They remained on the island from March 25 to April 17, during +which time the vessel had been blown out of sight. Insufficient food +and exposure to rain dispirited the men, and their imaginations were +dismayed by the dismal aspect of these barren volcanic crags, and by +the loathsome appearance of the land-crabs, which swarmed everywhere +and continually attacked them. +</p> + +<p> +They found what they considered to be the spot described by the +pirate, but do not appear to have been quite so certain on this point +as was young P——. Very little digging was actually done, 'for,' says +Mr. A——, 'we had few hands on shore capable of standing the heavy +work under such a burning sun.' They had only dug a small trench four +feet deep into the landslip when the 'Aurea' was sighted; then the +sick and disheartened band refused to stay any longer on this accursed +island, and insisted on being taken on board. So, leaving all their +tools behind them—for in their anxiety to get away safely they would +not be burdened with these—they were carried off to the vessel, so +emaciated, weak, and ill that the captain came to the conclusion that +he would lose most of his men if he landed them on so uninhabitable a +spot, and, abandoning the search, he set sail for the West Indies. +</p> + +<p> +This expedition, therefore, practically accomplished nothing. The +problem as to whether the treasure was or was not lying under the +landslips in South-west Bay was as far from solution as ever. +</p> + +<p> +Before the departure of the 'Aurea' expedition from South Shields, a +good deal had been written concerning it in the English papers, with +the result that some other adventurous spirits, having had their +attention drawn to this possible El Dorado, hurried away to Trinidad +in order to anticipate the Tynesiders. The following letter appeared +in an English paper on May 14, 1885. The 'Aurea' people, of course, +knew nothing of this rival expedition, until they returned to +England:— +</p> +<div class="blockquote"> +<p class="ctr"> + TRINIDAD IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> + <i>The Hidden Treasure Expedition.</i> +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> + [<span class="smcaplc">From a Correspondent.</span>] +</p> + +<p class="ralign"> + Kiel, May 11, 1885. +</p> + +<p> + 'Under this heading I have just now noticed a paragraph sent to + the editor of a Danish daily paper, which, in its bearing on the + well-known search-for-treasure expedition, may prove of interest + to your readers, being in the shape of a letter sent from New + York:— +</p> +<div class="blockquote"> +<p class="ralign"> + 'New York, April 17, 1885. +</p> + +<p> + 'On my arrival in New York from Aracaju, I read in your + paper of January 14, 1885, about an expedition to be + started from Newcastle, to proceed to the island of + Trinidad in the South Atlantic, with the object in view of + finding a treasure buried there some time ago by pirates: + and I am in a position to furnish some particulars which, + in all probability, are connected with this affair. On + January 13, 1885, I was chartered with my vessel in Rio de + Janeiro to take over to the above mentioned island an + American captain and four Portuguese sailors, together with + a number of pickaxes, spades, &c., and a whale-boat. I was + told that these people intended to go to this island to + investigate if any "guano" was to be found. A voyage of + eleven days brought us there, but we had to keep off the + shore on account of breakers for over three days. The men + were then put ashore, and remained on the island for four + days, during which time they were occupied with boring and + digging, whereupon we sailed back to Bahia, and landed them + there. I believe that these men, either by telegram from + England or by other means, had heard of the existence of a + treasure on this island, and that they meant to anticipate + the English expedition. However, they found nothing. I + noticed very well that the American captain, as well as his + men, were highly disappointed. Let me take this opportunity + to dissuade all masters of vessels to search in this + uninhabited island for fresh water. It is a matter of great + difficulty and danger to put boats on shore, through coral + reefs. The indications on the charts for casting the lead + should be a good deal further from the shore. During the + time we were there the wind was N.N.E. and the current to + S.W., upon a speed of from 12 to 15 quarter-miles in 24 + hours. In South-west Bay, two cable-lengths from the shore, + there is a reef not mentioned on the charts. +</p> + +<p class="sig"> + '<span class="sc">H. N. Ankersen</span>, +<br> + 'Master of sailing vessel from Fanoe.' +</p> +</div></div> +<p> +I found that the correspondent who sent this letter was correct +in his information. When I called at Bahia with the 'Alerte,' my +ship-chandler, Mr. Wilson, told me the whole of this story as it was +related to him by the American adventurer on his arrival at Bahia from +Trinidad. It is somewhat strange that the excavations made by this +party were not seen by the 'Aurea' people, who landed on the island +within two months of the departure of the Americans; but this islet +has been so shaken to its foundations by earthquake shock and volcanic +action, that it is brittle from its mountain-tops to the beach, and is +in a state of perpetual change. Gigantic landslips are frequent, and I +should not be surprised to find that all traces of our three months' +hard digging have by now been entirely obliterated. +</p> + +<p> +There might have been some fun, by the way, had the 'Aurea' and the +American arrived off the island at the same time. +</p> + +<p> +Since my return, I have heard of two other expeditions which started +from the other side of the Atlantic in search of the hidden treasure +of Trinidad, but, as with the former expeditions, nothing was +accomplished. The loss of men and boats in the surf, sickness, and the +numerous difficulties and dangers encountered, disheartened the men, +and the attempt was abandoned before any serious work was done. It +would seem as if this was one of those forlorn islands of which one +reads in the old romances of the sea, on which the bloody deeds of the +pirates have left a curse behind, so that the treasure is protected by +evil spirits; and the great roaring seas which roll up seemingly +without any natural cause, even after days of windless weather, and +the ever-tottering crags, and all the forces and terrors of nature are +made to keep man off from the inviolate hoard; while the loathsome +land-crabs might well be the restless spirits of the pirates +themselves, for they are indeed more ugly and evil, and generally more +diabolical-looking, than the bloodiest pirate who ever lived. +</p> + + + + +<a name="II"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER II. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +THE 'ALERTE' IS FITTED OUT. +</p> + + +<p> +Such is the story of the Trinidad treasure, a story that seemed to +me to bear the stamp of truth, and it was difficult to conceive +that—allowing Captain P——'s narrative to be correct, and there is +every reason to believe it as such—so many coincidences could have +collected round a mere fabrication. +</p> + +<p> +It is highly improbable that the foreign quartermaster evolved the +whole matter from an imaginative brain, especially on his deathbed, +when he was professing to confide a valuable secret to a friend as a +token of his gratitude; neither can his statements be considered as +being the ravings of a sick man, for they were far too circumstantial +and compatible with facts. +</p> + +<p> +In the first place, his carefully prepared plan of the island, the +minute directions he gave as to the best landing, and his description +of the features of the bay on whose shores the treasure was concealed, +prove beyond doubt to myself and others who know Trinidad that he, or +if not himself some informant of his, had landed on this so rarely +visited islet; and not only landed, but passed some time on it, and +carefully surveyed the approaches to the bay, so as to be able to +point out the dangers and show the safest passage through the reefs. +This information could not have been obtained from any pilot-book. The +landing recommended by previous visitors is at the other side of the +island. This bay is described by them as inaccessible, and the +indications on the Admiralty chart are completely erroneous. +</p> + +<p> +And, beyond this, the quartermaster must have been acquainted with +what was taking place in two other distant portions of the world +during the year of his professed landing on the desert island. He knew +of the escape of pirates with the cathedral plate of Lima. He was also +aware that, shortly afterwards, there were hanged in Cuba the crew of +a vessel that had committed acts of piracy on the Peruvian coast. It +is scarcely credible that an ordinary seaman—even allowing that he +was superior in education to the average of his fellows—could have +pieced these facts together so ingeniously into this plausible story. +</p> + +<p> +It is needless to say that one like myself—who knew Trinidad, and who +had personally sifted the evidence, and was constantly coming across +numbers of incidents not mentioned here, trifling in themselves, but, +taken together, strongly corroborative—would be more impressed by the +coincidences, and consequently be more inclined to give credence to +the story than one who merely reads the narrative in the pages of this +book. +</p> + +<p> +Hence the result of my interview with Mr. A—— was that I decided to +sail to Trinidad and search for the treasure. I knew, of course, that +the chances were greatly against my finding anything. I was quite +prepared for complete failure; but I considered that there was a +sufficient possibility of success to make the venture worth the +undertaking. +</p> + +<p> +I, of course, saw that the great impediment was the landslip, which +might have covered the landmarks, and so altered the features of the +ravine as to render recognition of the exact spot extremely difficult; +for it is quite possible that young Mr. P—— was somewhat +over-sanguine, and that the grounds for his so readily identifying the +pirate's hiding-place were inadequate. +</p> + +<p> +The former adventurers seem to have considered that the difficulties +of landing constituted almost as great an obstacle to success as the +landslip itself; but I was confident that these difficulties were +anything but insuperable, and that, by taking proper precautions, it +would be quite possible to land a working-party with all necessary +stores and tools, and even, if necessary, heavy machinery as well. I +had myself, nine years previously, landed at three different points of +the island, and had passed several days on shore, so I quite realised +what was before me. +</p> + +<p> +There is no doubt that the former adventurers failed from +precipitancy. Patience is a necessary quality for those who wish to +land on Trinidad. One must not expect to sail there and forthwith +disembark with one's baggage as if it were on Southsea Pier. It +appears, too, that the captains of the square-rigged vessels which +carried the expeditions to the island were largely responsible for the +failure of the former quests; they would not approach the islands +within several miles; they became anxious as to the safety of their +boats and men, were fidgety to sail away again to the safety of the +broad ocean, and hurried the adventurers off the shore before they had +had scarce time to look around them. The captains, no doubt, were +quite right from their point of view; but it is also certain that the +treasure could never be recovered by this way of going to work. To dig +away the landslip would involve many months of labour, and during that +time the captain of the vessel must be prepared to stand off and on, +or heave to off the island—for to remain at anchor for any length of +time would be dangerous. And again, there must be no hurry in landing: +the working-party may have to remain on board the vessel for weeks at +a stretch gazing at that wild shore, before it be possible for them to +attain it. I have seen the great rollers dashing on the beach with a +dreadful roar for days together, and the surf—as the 'South Atlantic +Directory' observes without any exaggeration—'is often incredibly +great, and has been seen to break over a bluff which is two hundred +feet high.' +</p> + +<p> +Notwithstanding this, if one is patient and bides one's opportunity, +there are days when landing can be accomplished without any difficulty +whatever. +</p> + +<p> +When I visited Trinidad with the 'Falcon' I discovered one especially +safe landing-place on the lee side of the island, where a natural pier +of coral projects into the sea beyond the breakers. I knew that it was +possible to effect a landing here ten times to once that this could be +done on the more exposed beach of the bay under the Sugarloaf, where +the 'Aurea' party landed. A considerable and, I believe, perennial +stream of water runs down as a cascade into the sea close to my +landing-place, and I knew that it would be easy to disembark here a +quantity of provisions, and establish a depot to which the +working-party in Sugarloaf Bay could repair in the case of their +stores falling short and their communication with the vessel being cut +off by bad weather. I had myself crossed the lofty mountains which +separate this landing-place from the bay under the Sugarloaf, and knew +that, though difficult, they were not inaccessible. +</p> + +<p> +My negotiations with Mr. A—— terminated in his furnishing me with +the bearings of the hidden treasure, and handing over to me the copy +of the pirate's plan of the island, which the 'Aurea' people had taken +with them. This plan merely indicated the safest landing-place in the +bay. +</p> + +<p> +Mr. A——'s account of his own experiences were of great service to me +in fitting out this expedition. He told me that there was no constant +stream of fresh water on the shores of this bay, or anywhere near it; +but that a little water of an inferior quality could be collected +after rain. There was, however, according to him, an abundance of dead +wood on the hill-sides, which served admirably as fuel; so I took note +that a condensing apparatus would be an indispensable addition to our +stores. He told me that I should find the 'Aurea' tools lying on the +beach, which if not too corroded, might be of use to us. We did +eventually find some of these, and employed them in our operations: I +have now in my possession an 'Aurea' pick which I brought away with +me. I have to thank Mr. A—— for a variety of valuable hints, which I +did not neglect. +</p> + +<p> +Having decided to go, the first thing to be done was to find a vessel, +a fore-and-after which could accommodate thirteen or fourteen men on +an ocean voyage, and which could yet be easily handled by two or three +while hove to off the island. +</p> + +<p> +I went down to my old headquarters, Southampton, and explained what I +was in search of to Mr. Picket, of West Quay, who had been my +shipwright from my earliest yachting days, and who fitted out the old +'Falcon' for her long voyage. With his assistance I soon discovered a +very suitable vessel, the cutter-yacht 'Alerte,' of fifty-six tons +yacht measurement, and thirty-three tons register. This was, +therefore, a considerably larger vessel than the 'Falcon,' with which +I had made my first voyage to Trinidad, for she was twenty-four feet +shorter than the 'Alerte,' and was only of fifteen tons register. +</p> + +<p> +The dimensions of the 'Alerte' are as follows:—length, 64.3 feet; +beam, 14.5 feet; depth, 9 feet. She was built by Ratsey of Cowes in +1864, so she is rather an ancient vessel; but she was constructed in a +much stronger fashion than is usual in these days, of thoroughly +seasoned teak. There had been no scamping of work in her case, and +now, after twenty-six years of service, she is as sound as on the day +she left the stocks; there is not a weak spot in her, and she is in +fact a far more reliable craft than a newer vessel would have proved; +for, even as a human life is more secure after it has safely passed +through the period of infantile disorders, so a vessel, if she does +not develop dry-rot within a few years of her launching, is not likely +to do so afterwards. She has proved herself to have been honestly put +together of seasoned timber, and not of sappy rubbish. +</p> + +<p> +The 'Alerte,' moreover, was of the good old-fashioned build, with +ample beam, and not of the modern plank-on-end style. She had only two +tons of lead outside, the remainder of her ballast was in her hold—a +great advantage for real cruising; for a vessel with a lead mine on +her keel cannot but strain herself in heavy weather with the violent +jerkiness of her action, instead of rolling about with a leisurely +motion on the top of the water as if she were quite at home there, +like a vessel of the comfortable 'Alerte' type. +</p> + +<p> +This was not the first ocean cruise the gallant old cutter had +undertaken; for she once accomplished the voyage from Southampton to +Sydney in 103 days, which is very creditable work. +</p> + +<p> +She was provided, I found, with new sails by Lapthorn, and an +excellent inventory throughout, so little was required besides making +the alterations necessary for the particular objects of our cruise. I +accordingly purchased the vessel, very pleased at having without delay +discovered a craft so suitable, and put her into Mr. Picket's hands to +be got ready for sea. While this was being done I let it be widely +known that I was organising a treasure-hunting expedition and was in +search of volunteers. Numbers applied, and I gradually selected my +crew, some of whom made themselves of use in assisting me to fit out +at Southampton. +</p> + +<p> +A cruise of this description involves a good deal of preparation. In +the first place, seeing that the 'Alerte' was a somewhat heavily +sparred vessel, I resolved to convert her into a yawl. So the main +boom and gaff were shortened, the area of the mainsail considerably +reduced, and a mizzen mast was stepped in the counter, on which we set +a snug jib-headed sail. No other alterations of importance were +required on deck. +</p> + +<p> +Below we had to find room for, and construct, extra bunks, and extra +water-tanks occupied all available room. A condensing apparatus +intended for use on the island was made for me by Mr. Hornsey of +Southampton. The boiler was a strong twenty-gallon drum, and a +forty-gallon tank contained the worm. At sea these two were +disconnected and lashed in the saloon, serving as water-tanks. We +carried in all 600 gallons of water. The precious fluid was, of +course, never used for washing purposes at sea. Salt-water-soap and +the Atlantic had to content us for our ablutions, and, where possible, +sea-water was employed for cooking purposes as well. +</p> + +<p> +The 'Alerte' carried two boats, a dinghy and a gig. We condemned the +gig, as being quite unfit for our work, and left her behind. As a +capacious lifeboat was necessary for landing men and stores on the +island, Mr. White of Cowes built one for us—a light yet strong +mahogany boat, double ended, with water-tight compartments at either +end. She was easy to pull, considering her size, and sailed fairly +well under two sprit-sails. We carried this boat on deck on the +starboard side, as she was too heavy for our davits. The dinghy, on +the other hand, was always swung on the port davits. +</p> + +<p> +As the stores would put down the vessel a good deal, we took out of +her a corresponding weight of ballast—about eight tons. Two tiers of +lead were removed from under the saloon floor, and in the space thus +gained we stowed the greater part of our tools. +</p> + +<p> +Among these was a complete set of boring apparatus constructed for us +by Messrs. Tilley, by means of which we should be enabled to explore +through earth and rock to the depth of fifty feet. We also carried a +Tangye's hydraulic jack, capable of lifting twelve tons, which we +found of service when large rocks had to be removed from the trenches. +Shovels, picks, crowbars, iron wheel-barrows, carpenters' and other +tools; a portable forge and anvil, dogs and other materials for +timbering a shaft if necessary, and a variety of other useful +implements were on board. We took with us two of Messrs. Piggot's +large emigrant tents, wire-fencing with which to surround our camp and +so keep off the land-crabs, a few gardener's tools and seeds of +quick-growing vegetables for the kitchen-garden which we intended to +plant on the island—a horticultural scheme which never came off in +consequence of the want of water—taxidermic gear with view to the +rare sea-birds that breed on the island, medical stores and surgical +instruments, fishing-tackle; and, in short, we were well-equipped with +all needful things, a full inventory of which would nearly fill this +book. +</p> + +<p> +Neither did we omit the precaution of arming ourselves in case any one +should choose to molest us, a not altogether improbable event; for +there was a talk of rival expeditions starting for the island at the +very time we were fitting out; our plans had been fully discussed in +the newspapers, despite our attempt to keep secret our destination at +least; and I called to mind the Yankee vessel that had endeavoured to +anticipate the 'Aurea.' Should some such vessel appear on the scene +just as we had come across the treasure, it would be well for us to be +prepared to defend it. +</p> + +<p> +Each man, therefore, was provided with a Colt's repeating-rifle, and +in addition to these there were other rifles and several revolvers on +board, and no lack of ammunition for every weapon. The Duke of +Sutherland kindly lent us one of Bland's double-barrelled +whaling-guns, which was carried on his Grace's yacht, the 'Sans Peur,' +during her foreign cruises. This was a quick firing and formidable +weapon, discharging steel shot, grape, shell, and harpoons, and +capable of sending to the bottom any wooden vessel. I think the sight +of it inspired some of my crew with ideas almost piratical. I have +heard them express the opinion that it was a shame to have such a gun +lying idle on board, and that an opportunity ought to be found of +testing its powers. +</p> + +<p> +Of the provisioning of the 'Alerte' I need say little, for all +foreign-going vessels are provisioned more or less in the same way; +but to foresee all that would be necessary for thirteen men for a +period of at least six months, and to stow away this great bulk of +stores, was not the least troublesome part of our fitting out. +</p> + +<p> +Former experience had taught me that it would not do to rely too much +on tinned meats, more especially in the tropics. I am confident that a +diet composed principally of these is extremely unwholesome, and to +this cause alone can be attributed an illness that attacked the whole +crew of the 'Falcon' during the latter months of her South American +voyage. The old-fashioned sea-food is the best after all. Salt beef +and salt pork, even after it has travelled a few times round the +world, and is consequently somewhat malodorous, forms a far more +sustaining diet than the very best of tinned meats. The instinct of +the sailor teaches him this; as a rule he detests the flabby, +overcooked stuff out of the cans, and, even if he tolerates it, will +always prefer to it the commonest mess beef, which in odour, taste, +and appearance would be horrible to a fastidious person. But let this +same person have been at sea for a few months, and the chances are +that he will look forward with pleasure to the days on which the salt +junk appears on the ship's bill of fare. +</p> + +<p> +So, though we took on board a large quantity of tinned meats of +various kinds, we also had some 600 pounds of beef and pork salted +down for us, with which we filled the vessel's harness casks and meat +tanks. This meat was of the very best quality, and for this very +reason a great deal of it was spoiled and had to be thrown overboard. +It had been salted too recently. Barrels of ancient mess beef soaked +with saltpetre and hardened into almost the consistency of a deal +board, though far from being so tasty as was our meat before it was +tainted, would have answered our purpose far better, and would have +kept well despite the high temperature of a small vessel in the +tropics. +</p> + +<p> +In the same way a short-sighted love of luxury induced us to supply +the vessel with barrels of the best cabin biscuit. The result was that +our bread, long before the termination of the cruise, was swarming +with maggots and an exceedingly unpleasant species of small beetle, +and was, in addition to this, attacked by mildew. A commoner quality +of ship's bread would not have spoiled so readily, for it is known +that insects thrive best and multiply amazingly on this tempting +first-class flour. +</p> + +<p> +All sorts of preserved food, jams, vegetables, &c., were of course +included in our store-list, as was also the indispensable +lime-juice—the vessel was, in short, supplied with a sufficient +quantity of necessaries and luxuries. +</p> + +<p> +We got our tobacco out of bond, also our rum, which was the only +alcoholic beverage on board; it certainly is the most wholesome spirit +for sea use, especially within the tropics. +</p> + +<p> +During the first portion of the voyage small rations of rum were +served out daily to each person on board. Later on, when it was clear +that none of the gentlemen-adventurers showed any inclination to +exceed in this respect at sea, the first mate, Mr. Meredyth, +petitioned me to give up the ration system so far as they were +concerned, and to allow the bottle of spirit to be put on the saloon +table at dinner for their free use. This was done, with no bad result. +The paid hands were, of course, always limited to rations of spirit. +</p> + + + +<a name="III"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER III. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +THE SHIP'S COMPANY. +</p> + + +<p> +To fit out and store a vessel for a lengthy expedition may be a +somewhat arduous task, but it is an interesting and pleasant one, +which is more than can be said with regard to that equally important +work, the choice of one's companions. One cannot make any very serious +mistake in the selection of one's provisions, but to take the wrong +man with one on a voyage that involves a complete severance from all +the influences of civilisation for months at a time may bring +exceedingly unpleasant consequences. +</p> + +<p> +I determined to ship as few paid hands as possible, and to outnumber +them with a chosen body of what, in the parlance of the old +privateering days, may be termed gentlemen-adventurers, volunteers who +would contribute to the cost of the expedition, would work as sailors +on board and as navvies on the island, and who would each be entitled +to receive a considerable share of the proceeds of the venture, should +anything be discovered. The officers of the vessel would be selected +from this body, and I myself would act as captain. In this way the +causes which led to the failure of some of the previous expeditions +would be wanting. The professional sailors would be unable—in their +disinclination to face the difficulties of the island—to insist on +the adventurers abandoning the project. There would be no paid captain +to lay down the law to his employers. +</p> + +<p> +I knew that by the time we should reach Trinidad even those gentlemen +who had never been to sea before would have learnt a good deal, so +that in the case of our paid hands proving mutinous we could dispense +with them altogether. I was well aware that if I undertook such an +expedition with a paid crew of the ordinary type, far outnumbering the +gentlemen aft, the value of the treasure, if discovered, would not +improbably tempt them to murder their officers and employers and seize +it for themselves. With a majority of volunteers on board, each +entitled to a large share in the find, all risk of this description +would be avoided. +</p> + +<p> +I decided that our complement should be thirteen all told, consisting +of nine gentlemen-adventurers, myself included, and four paid hands. +</p> + +<p> +The following are extracts from some of the clauses of the agreement +which was entered into between myself and the volunteers:— +</p> + +<p> +'Mr. E. F. Knight undertakes to provide a vessel, stores, etc., +suitable for the expedition, and to provide at least sufficient +provisions for the voyage out and home and six months besides. +</p> + +<p> +'Each member of the expedition will pay in advance to Mr. Knight +100<i>l.</i>, and undertake to work both on board and on shore under +Mr. Knight's directions. This 100<i>l.</i> will be the extent of each +member's liability. +</p> + +<p> +'During the first six months from the time of landing on the island, +the enterprise can only be abandoned with the consent of Mr. Knight, +and on decision by vote of three-quarters of the members. After six +months have elapsed, a majority of three-quarters of the members will +determine whether the enterprise is to be continued or abandoned. +</p> + +<p> +'Each member, or, if he die in the course of the expedition, his legal +representative, will receive one-twentieth of the gross proceeds of +the venture. +</p> + +<p> +'If any member of the expedition mutiny or incite to mutiny, he shall +be tried by a court-martial of the other members of the expedition, +and, if it be decided by a majority of three-quarters that the offence +be sufficiently grave, he shall forfeit all share in the proceeds of +the expedition, subject to an appeal to the English Courts on his +return. +</p> + +<p> +'None of these rules apply to the paid hands on the vessel.' +</p> + +<hr class="short"> + +<p> +The paid hands received good wages and were entitled to no share of +the treasure, though they, of course, knew well that, should our +search prove successful and their conduct have been satisfactory, they +would receive a substantial present. +</p> + +<p> +It would, of course, have been very pleasant for me to have selected +my volunteers from among my own friends, especially those who had been +at sea with me before; but this I found to be impossible, at any rate +at such short notice. I knew dozens of men who would have liked +nothing better than to have joined me, but all were engaged in some +profession or other which it would have been folly to have neglected +for so problematic a gain. The type of man who is willing to toil +hard, endure discomfort and peril, and abandon every luxury for nine +months on the remote chance of discovering treasure, and is, moreover, +willing to pay 100<i>l.</i> for the privileges of doing so, is not to be +found easily, either in the professional or wealthy classes. +</p> + +<p> +There are, doubtless, thousands of Englishmen willing to embark on a +venture of this description, but it is obvious that there is a +likelihood of a fair percentage of these volunteers being adventurers +in the unfavourable sense of the term—men anxious to get away from +England for reasons not creditable to themselves, men, too, of the +rolling-stone description and more or less worthless in a variety of +ways, and who would be more likely than the paid sailors to wax +discontented and foment mutiny. I realised that the selection of my +men should be made with great care. +</p> + +<p> +Of volunteers I had no lack. An article in the <i>St. James's +Gazette</i> describing my project brought me applications to join from +something like 150 men. +</p> + +<p> +Some of the letters I received were great curiosities in their way, +and would cause much amusement could I publish them. I interviewed +some sixty of the applicants, and this was certainly far the most +arduous and difficult work connected with the undertaking, so far as I +was concerned. I shall never forget how weary I became of the +repetition to each fresh visitor of the conditions and object of the +voyage, and with what dread I looked forward to my visits to the +little club at which these interviews were held. +</p> + +<p> +All manner of men made appointments to meet me—the sanguine young +spirits eager for adventure, the cautious and suspicious who would not +risk their 100<i>l.</i> unless they were guaranteed a return of +50,000<i>l.</i> or so. There were also those who wasted my time out of +mere curiosity, never having entertained any intention of joining me, +and others who hoped to pump enough information out of me to enable +them to earn a few guineas by writing an article for the newspapers. +</p> + +<p> +But the majority of my applicants were in earnest, and I will here +take the opportunity of expressing my regret if, in the midst of all +the hurry and worry of that time, I omitted to reply to some of my +correspondents. All the preparations for the voyage had to be carried +out in a very limited space of time, in order that we should get away +from England before the autumnal equinox; I was fitting out the vessel +and selecting gentlemen-adventurers simultaneously, constantly +travelling backwards and forwards between London and Southampton, and +by the time we were ready for sea I was pretty well worn out with +anxious work. +</p> + +<p> +One by one I selected my men, and those who saw them congratulated me +on having got together a most promising-looking crew. Some, it is +true, proved themselves to be quite unsuitable for the purpose; but at +the end of the expedition, when we were at Port of Spain, I had on +board seven men at least who were ready to go anywhere and do anything +with me, all of them more cheerful, fit, and capable in every respect +than they were on leaving Southampton. +</p> + +<p> +References were brought to me by each volunteer for the expedition. I +know how worthless references generally are, but never before did I so +strongly realize this fact. The most undesirable person can often +produce excellent testimonials from undoubtedly worthy people, who +have met him in London society, for instance, but who know absolutely +nothing of the true nature of the man, least of all of how he would +prove himself in such an undertaking as this was, when traits are +revealed that do not generally declare themselves in a drawing-room. +</p> + +<p> +The volunteer whom I made first mate turned out very badly. He was +afraid himself, and he did his best to scare the other gentlemen and +the paid hands. He came to the conclusion that the 'Alerte' was a bad +sea-boat, cranky, too heavily sparred, and generally too small and +unsafe to be entrusted with his valuable life. I found out afterwards +that a little conspiracy was hatching to compel me to sell the +'Alerte' in the Cape Verde Islands for what she would fetch, and +charter a large Yankee schooner. He endeavoured to disseminate +discontent behind my back and to undermine my authority, with the sole +result that he made himself detestable to his companions fore and aft, +and ultimately, having made the vessel too warm to hold him, packed up +his traps and deserted her at Bahia, without giving me any reason for +so doing. +</p> + +<p> +Not content to desert himself, he did his best to persuade others to +do likewise. He succeeded with one timid individual, who also went off +at Bahia—luckily for us, as we did not want him. There was yet a +third who had half a mind to desert with them, but who remained with +us, a discontented young man to the end. Being the one man of the sort +left on board, his opinions were a matter of indifference to us; but +he was the sole cause of those 'disagreements' of which he has since +complained in print, and I have no doubt made his own life +'disagreeable' enough. To do him justice, he was the ablest swimmer +and the best judge of blue china on board. +</p> + +<p> +I should not have alluded to our squabbles in this book had not the +men who caused them spread all manner of false reports on their +return, which have appeared in the newspapers and magazines. +Therefore, instead of treating the whole matter with the contempt it +deserves, I am justified, I think, in entering into this explanation +on behalf of myself and of my loyal companions who stuck to the +expedition to the end. +</p> + +<p> +Only one other of my companions aft voluntarily left me, a very good +fellow, who had undertaken a job the nature of which he had not fully +realised; for the sea, at any rate as viewed from a yacht, had such +terrors for him, and his health suffered to such an extent, that, +under our doctor's advice, he left us at St. Vincent. I believe that a +good deal of his nervousness was due to the insinuations of the first +mate's evil tongue. +</p> + +<p> +Having rid ourselves of these two people at Bahia, everything went on +much better, all work was done more promptly and smoothly, the old +friction disappeared, a cloud seemed to have been lifted from the +vessel, cheerfulness prevailed, and when we sailed to Trinidad and the +real business and difficulties commenced all was got through in a most +satisfactory fashion. +</p> + +<p> +Grumbling is the Englishman's privilege on land, still more so at sea, +where some growling is absolutely necessary to relieve the monotony of +ship-life; after leaving Bahia an unusually small amount of this +privilege was enjoyed on the 'Alerte.' +</p> + +<p> +As I was taking a fair number of paid hands with me, I did not +consider it necessary that all the gentlemen-adventurers should have a +knowledge of seamanship. Indeed, I believe that only the first mate +and the doctor had ever before handled a fore-and-after. However, most +of the others were willing, and soon learnt to take a trick at the +tiller and haul at a rope in a satisfactory manner. +</p> + +<p> +Some of the volunteers did not treat me quite fairly, for, after +deciding to join me and so causing me to refuse other eligible +candidates, they discovered at the very last moment that something +prevented them from going. This naturally put me to great +inconvenience, and obliged me to take others, to replace them, at the +shortest notice. Thus I had to ship my last two men the day before we +sailed. +</p> + +<p> +Remembering how interesting was the scenery of Trinidad, I had +intended to acquire some knowledge of photography and carry an +apparatus with me. But one of my volunteers professed to be an +excellent amateur photographer, and as he promised to take upon +himself that part of the work I relied upon him to do so and left it +to him. He was one of those who failed to turn up on the day of +sailing, and we had to put to sea, to my great regret afterwards, +without a camera. +</p> + +<p> +We were equally unfortunate with our taxidermist. One of the +volunteers had undertaken to take lessons in bird-skinning at my +suggestion; for I knew that Trinidad was the principal breeding place +for sea-birds in the South Atlantic, and that very rare specimens can +be collected there. He, too, never reached the desert island—more, I +must allow, on account of illness than through any fault of his own. +But it was very disappointing, for all that. +</p> + +<p> +For such a voyage as the one contemplated the presence of a surgeon +was advisable. A young doctor was therefore included among the +gentlemen-adventurers—Mr. Cloete-Smith, who also occupied the post of +mate after the desertion of the officers at Bahia. +</p> + +<p> +Of the four paid hands one, the boatswain, only accompanied us as far +as Teneriffe. +</p> + +<p> +Our cook, John Wright, had been with me on three previous voyages as +sole hand. One of our A.B.'s was Arthur Cotton, who, as a boy nine +years before, had been the only paid hand on the 'Falcon' when we +sailed from Southampton to South America. In the course of that voyage +he had visited Trinidad with me, and was now able to spin to his +shipmates long and more or less fantastic yarns concerning the place +we were bound to. The strange island had evidently made a great +impression on his imagination. Our other A.B. was Ted Milner, a lad +from the North Sea fishing-smacks. +</p> + + + +<a name="IV"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER IV. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +A ROMANCE OF THE SALVAGES. +</p> + + +<p> +The article in the <i>St. James's Gazette</i> attracted a considerable +amount of attention, as was proved by the bewildering mass of +correspondence with reference to the expedition which I received +during the weeks preceding our departure. Many of these letters were +prompted evidently by mere curiosity, others contained suggestions—of +which some were sensible enough; a few, whimsical in the extreme. +Cranks wrote to me who professed to be acquainted with certain methods +for discovering treasure by means of divining rods, or charms, or +other uncanny tricks. Others had dreamt dreams, in which they had seen +the exact position of the wealth; but most curious of all were the +letters from individuals in all parts of Europe and America who were +acquainted with the existence of other treasures, which they proposed +I should search for in the course of my voyage. To have sought them +all would have meant to sail every navigable sea on the face of the +earth, and to have travelled into the heart of continents; in short, +to have undertaken a voyage which would have extended over a century +or so. To have found them all would have necessitated my chartering +all the merchant fleets of Europe to carry them home; and then gold +would have become a valueless drug on the markets, and my labours +would have been all in vain. +</p> + +<p> +One individual modestly asked for 1,000<i>l.</i> down before he would +give the slightest hint as to the nature of his treasure or its +locality; but, according to him, there could not be the slightest +doubt as to my finding it, and as one item alone of this pile +consisted of ten million pounds' worth of golden bars, it would be the +height of folly on my part not to send him a cheque for the +comparatively ridiculous sum of 1,000<i>l.</i> in return for such +information. +</p> + +<p> +Some of these treasure tales were very terrible, and the most +bloodthirsty villains figured in the ghastly narratives. Among my +correspondence I have materials that would supply all our writers of +boys' stories for years. +</p> + +<p> +But in addition to the numerous impossible tales, there were some well +authenticated, and people who had taken an interest in these matters, +and had carefully collected their data, wrote to me concerning several +promising schemes. +</p> + +<p> +A few days before sailing, a retired naval officer residing in Exeter +came to see me at Southampton; he told me he had guessed that our +destination was the islet of Trinidad, and that he was acquainted with +the record of another treasure which had been concealed on a desert +island lying on our route, distant about 1,400 miles from Southampton +and 3,400 from Trinidad; and he thought it would be worth our while to +make a call there, and endeavour to identify the spot. +</p> + +<p> +An outline of this story is given in the 'North Atlantic Directory,' +but the following account was copied by my informant from the +Government documents relating to the matter. +</p> + +<p> +Early in 1813 the then Secretary of the Admiralty wrote to Sir Richard +Bickerton, the Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, instructing him to +let a seaman who had given information respecting a hidden treasure be +sent in the first King's ship likely to touch at Madeira, so that the +truth of his story might be put to the test. +</p> + +<p> +The 'Prometheus,' Captain Hercules Robinson, was then refitting at +Portsmouth, and to this officer was entrusted the carrying out of the +Admiralty orders. In his report Captain Robinson states that after +being introduced to the foreign seaman referred to in the above +letter, and reading the notes which had been taken of his information, +he charged him to tell no person what he knew or what was his +business, that he was to mess with the captain's coxswain, and that no +duty would be required of him. To this the man replied that that was +all he desired, that he was willing to give his time, and would ask no +remuneration if nothing resulted from his intelligence. +</p> + +<p> +A few days afterwards the ship sailed, and in a week anchored at +Funchal, Madeira. During the passage, Captain Robinson took occasion +to examine and cross-question the man, whose name was Christian +Cruise, and compare his verbal with his written testimony. +</p> + +<p> +The substance of both was that some years before he was sent to the +hospital in Santa Cruz, with yellow fever, with a Spanish sailor, who +had served for three or four voyages in the Danish merchant ship in +which Cruise was employed. He was in a raging fever, but, +notwithstanding, recovered. The Spaniard, though less violently ill, +sank under a gradual decay, in which medical aid was unavailing, and, +a few days before his death, told Cruise he had something to disclose +which troubled him, and accordingly made the following statement. +</p> + +<p> +He said that in 1804 he was returning in a Spanish ship from South +America to Cadiz, with a cargo of produce and about two millions of +dollars in chests, that when within a few days' sail of Cadiz they +boarded a neutral, who told them that their four galleons had been +taken by a squadron of English frigates, war having been declared, and +that a cordon of cruisers from Trafalgar to Cape Finisterre would make +it impossible for any vessel to reach Cadiz, or any other Spanish +port. What was to be done? Returning to South America was out of the +question, and the captain resolved to try back for the West Indies, +run for the north part of the Spanish Main or some neutral island, and +have a chance thus of saving at least the treasure with which he was +intrusted. The crew, who preferred the attempt of making Cadiz, were +all but in a state of mutiny. But they acquiesced in the proceeding, +and, keeping out of the probable track of cruisers, reached a few +degrees to the southward of Madeira, where they hoped to meet the +trade-winds. +</p> + +<p> +They had familiarised their minds to plans of resistance and outrage, +but had not the heart to carry them into effect, till, one daybreak, +they found themselves off a cluster of small uninhabited islands fifty +leagues to the southward of Madeira, and nearly in its longitude, the +name of which the narrator did not know. The central island, about +three miles round, was high, flat and green at top, but clearly +uninhabited; the temptation was irresistible: here was a place where +everything might be hidden; why run risks to avoid the English, in +order to benefit their captain and the owners? why not serve +themselves? The captain was accordingly knocked on the head, or +stabbed and carried below, and the ship hauled in to what appeared the +anchorage on the south side of the island. There they found a snug +little bay, in which they brought up, landed the chests of dollars, +and cut a deep trench in the white sand above high-water mark, and +buried the treasure and covered it over, and, some feet above the +chests, deposited in a box the body of their murdered captain. They +then put to sea, resolving to keep well to the southward, and try to +make the Spanish Main, or a neutral island, run the ship on shore and +set her on fire, agree on some plausible lie, and with the portion of +the money which they retained and carried on their persons they were +to purchase a small vessel, and, under English or other safe colours, +to revisit their hoard, and carry it off at once or in portions. In +time, they passed Tobago, and in their clumsy, ignorant navigation, +while it was blowing hard, ran on an uninhabited cay on which the ship +went to pieces, and only two lives were saved. These got to Santa Cruz +or St. Thomas, one died, and the other was the seaman who made the +statement to Christian Cruise. The name of the ship, the owners, the +port she sailed from, the exact date, or various other particulars by +which the truth might be discovered, were not told to Christian +Cruise, or not remembered. +</p> + +<p> +Captain Robinson gave at length, and in a quaint old-fashioned way, +his impressions as to the <i>bona fides</i> of Cruise. He says:—'May +he not have some interested object in fabricating this story? Why did +he not tell it before? Is not the cold-blooded murder inconceivable +barbarity, and the burying the body over the treasure too dramatic and +buccaneer-like? or might not the Spaniard have lied from love of lying +and mystifying his simple shipmate, or might he not have been raving?' +Captain Robinson then thus satisfactorily replies to his own queries: +'As to the first difficulty, I had the strongest conviction of the +honesty of Christian Cruise, and I think I could hardly be grossly +deceived as to his character, and his disclaiming any reward unless +the discovery was made went to confirm my belief that he was an honest +man. And then, as to his withholding his information for four or five +years, be it remembered that the war with Denmark might truly have +shut him out from any possibility of intercourse with England. Next, +as to the wantonness and indifference with which the murder was +perpetrated: I am afraid there is no great improbability in this; with +self-interest in the scales, humanity is but as dust in the balance. I +have witnessed a disregard of human life in matters of promotion in +our service, etc., even among men of gentle blood, which makes the +conduct of these Spaniards under vehement temptation, and when they +could do as they pleased, sufficiently intelligible. But, certainly, +the coffin over the treasure looked somewhat theatrical, had given it +the air of Sadler's Wells or a novel, rather than matter of fact. I +inquired, therefore, from Christian why the body was thus buried, and +he replied that he understood the object was, that in case any person +should find the marks of their proceeding, and dig to discover what +they had been about, they might come to the body and go no further. +Then, as to the supposition of the Spaniard lying from mere +<i>méchanceté</i>, this conduct would be utterly out of keeping in an +ignorant Spanish seaman. But, lastly, he might have been raving, and +on this point I was particular in my inquiries. Cruise said, +'Certainly not, he was quite clear in his mind; his conscience might +be troubled, but his head was not disturbed,' and it is conceivable +enough that this dying criminal might have been able to bring into +such correct review, as he was stated to have done, these portions of +his dark history. The result of my inquiries and cogitations on the +subject was, that the probability was strongly in favour of the +substantial truth of this romance of real life, that I considered +would be still further substantiated if the <i>locus in quo</i>, the +Salvages (for to them alone the latitude and longitude pointed), +corresponded with the account given of the tomb of the dollars.' +</p> + +<p> +Captain Robinson goes on to state that he inquired at Madeira whether +anything had ever been picked up at the Salvages, and was informed +that some years before the taffrail of a foreign ship had been found +there and two boxes of dollars. Being unable to obtain any precise +information, he then proceeded for the islands. On arriving off the +Great Salvage, they found it was about a league in circumference, flat +at top, and green with salsola or saltwort and other alcalescent +plants; and on hauling round the east point opened up a sandy bay with +white beach and the little level spot above high-water mark just as +they wanted to find it. Captain Robinson asked Christian, 'Will this +do?' and the man replied, 'No doubt, sir, it must be the place.' The +captain then sent for the officers, and, pledging them to secrecy that +others might not interfere with them, told them all the story, but +desired them to announce only half the truth to the men—namely, that +they were in search of a murdered man who was supposed to be buried +somewhere above high-water mark. Fifty or sixty of the ship's crew +were then landed, provided with all the shovels there were on board, +and boarding-pikes; and to encourage them they were told that the +discoverer of the coffin should have a reward of one hundred dollars. +Their embarrassment, however, was now extreme; the white sand extended +round the bay, and a large area intervened between the high-water and +the foot of the cliff, which a month would not turn up. They selected +the centre of the beach and went beyond high-water mark to where +Captain Robinson thought the breaking of the sea and the drainage +through the sand might terminate, and where a man would be likely to +drop his burden, and then they dug a deep hole, but with no greater +success than finding some broken shells and rounded pebbles. The men +in the meanwhile were probing with their boarding-pikes in all +directions, and digging in every promising spot. This went on for +several hours, and finally the captain abandoned the search and +ordered the boats on board, and, as night was approaching, and the +ship's situation unsafe, hoisted them in, weighed, and stood out of +the bay and shaped course for Madeira. On arriving at Funchal they +found other orders and occupation, and had no opportunity of +revisiting the spot before their return to England. Nor did the +Admiralty of the day, on receiving Captain Robinson's report, think it +worth while to prosecute the matter further. +</p> + +<p> +In conclusion, Captain Robinson remarks that, 'In favour of the +affirmative view, there is the apparent honesty, fairness, candour, +and clear-headedness of Christian Cruise, as well as the entire +correspondence of the place with that described; and opposed to this +are the many motives to falsehood, deceit, and self-interest in some +obscure shape, or even mere love of lying; or it may be the ravings of +lunacy and the wonderful plausibility of perverted reason. If I am +asked for my own opinion, I would say that my judgment leans, as I +have already declared, to the probability of some transaction having +taken place, so much so that I certainly think it worth the while of +any yachtsman to try what this might turn up.' +</p> + +<p> +My informant from Exeter told me that he had sailed by these islands +close in shore while he was serving in the navy, and he gave me an +account of their appearance. He said he had perceived men on the Great +Salvage, and understood that Portuguese or other fishermen visit the +island at one season of the year in order to catch and salt down the +fish that abound in the surrounding sea. He did not consider that +there was ever a large body of these men on the island, so that in the +event of our digging there and discovering the treasure, our party +would be strong enough, well armed as we were, to protect and carry it +off in spite of any opposition that might be offered. +</p> + +<p> +As my informant pointed out, one curious feature in this vague and not +very encouraging tale of hidden treasure was that the foreign seaman, +according to the report, stated that the chests of dollars were landed +on the middle island, whereas Captain Robinson prosecuted his search +on the Great Salvage, or northernmost island. +</p> + +<p> +The Salvages consist of three islands, of which the middle one, known +as the Great Piton, is the largest; and if the man's tale be true, it +is on this island that the treasure should be sought. +</p> + +<p> +It would not be worth while to fit out an expedition to the Salvages +on such evidence as this; 'but,' argued my informant, 'as you must +pass near the group with your vessel, it would not delay you much to +discover whether any bay answering to the man's description exists on +the south side of the Great Piton.' +</p> + +<p> +I told this gentleman that I would put the matter before my +companions, and that in case they agreed to this deviation from our +original scheme, we would, if possible, land on the Great Piton and +explore the likely portions of the sands for the chests of dollars. +</p> + +<p> +Seeing that the Salvages, adjacent as they are to both Madeira and the +Canaries, might belong to either Spain or Portugal—though I could +find no record of such being the case—I thought it prudent to keep +this portion of our programme a secret; for the publication of our +intentions in the papers might attract the attention of those who laid +claim to the islets and cause them to interfere with our operations. +Consequently, when we sailed only three men knew whither we were +bound, and I said nothing about the Salvages until we had been two +days at sea, when I repeated the whole story to my companions after +dinner. They were unanimously of opinion that we should visit the +island and see what could be done there. Our course was accordingly +shaped for it. We talked over the possibility of our finding foreign +fishermen on the Salvages, and some of my companions proposed that in +this case we should take charge of their boats for them during our +stay, so that they would have no means of communicating with their +countries and giving notice of our arrival. Having thus, as it were, +taken temporary possession of the island, we were to compel the +fishermen to dig for us at a reasonable rate of pay—a somewhat +high-handed proceeding, but the suggestion at any rate showed that +there were those among my crew who would not be deterred by small +difficulties, when impelled by the prospect of discovering gold. +</p> + +<p> +I was unable to take a bill of health for our first port of call, as I +did not myself know what it would be, our stoppages on the way out +entirely depending on our necessities, such as want of water or +repairs of any damage to the vessel. If it had been possible to have +done so I would have called at no inhabited place until the +termination of the expedition; but I was well aware that the lack of +something or other would sooner or later drive us into port. I +accordingly procured a bill of health for Sydney; not that I had the +slightest intention of going there, but I knew that this document +would satisfy the authorities of any place at which I was likely to +call for stores: every harbour on either side of the Atlantic can be +considered as being more or less on the way to Australia, and on +entering a port a visé of our bill of health would be all that was +necessary; for there is no law against zigzagging across the world to +one's destination in a leisurely fashion if one chooses to do so. +</p> + + + +<a name="V"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER V. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +OUR FIRST VOYAGE. +</p> + + +<p> +Our preparations were hurried on at Southampton, and I was never left +in peace, but was in a condition of perpetual work and travel, my sole +relaxation being the frequent farewell dinners given to myself and my +companions by our friends and sympathisers; and very jolly as these +dinners were, they were relaxations in the other sense of the term +rather than reposeful amusements for a weary man. Some of them were +arduous undertakings. +</p> + +<p> +Our expedition interested the Southampton people a good deal, and all +wished us well; but I do not think many thought that we should be +successful in realizing our fortunes on Trinidad. +</p> + +<p> +At last all was ready for our departure, when to my considerable +disgust, just as we were about to put to sea, two of the volunteers +suddenly found themselves prevented from going with us. +</p> + +<p> +I forthwith telegraphed to others on my list of applicants, and at the +very last moment received telegrams from two gentlemen who were +willing to join at this short notice. When their messages arrived, all +my crew and other companions were on board, comfortably settled down, +having bidden their farewells and done with the shore; so I thought it +prudent to send them away from Southampton, where the 'Alerte' was +perpetually surrounded by boatfuls of visitors, to the seclusion of +the little bay under Calshot Castle at the mouth of Southampton Water. +Here they would be out of the way of temptation, as there are no +buildings save the coastguard station. +</p> + +<p> +Therefore, on the evening of August 28, 1889, the 'Alerte' sailed +slowly down to Calshot, and came to an anchor there, while I waited at +Southampton until the following morning, with the object of securing +my new volunteers as soon as they should arrive, and carrying them +down to the yacht. +</p> + +<p> +The said volunteers turned up early on August 29. Then, with a party +of some of my old Southampton friends, we steamed down the river on a +launch which had been very kindly placed at our disposal for the +purpose by the Isle of Wight Steamboat Company. Mr. Picket, of course, +would have nothing to do with work in his yard on that day; he took a +holiday and came down to see the last of us. +</p> + +<p> +We were now all on board; but, finding that some of the fresh stores, +such as vegetables and bread, had not yet arrived, we postponed our +departure until the following day. In the meanwhile we were not idle; +we sent a boat to the Hamble River to fill up those breakers that had +been emptied, we got our whale-boat on deck and secured it, and, in +short, made all ready for sea. +</p> + +<p> +On the following day the Isle of Wight boat, while passing, left the +missing stores with us; then Mr. Picket's sloop sailed down with some +friends who had determined to bid us even yet another last farewell; +and, after dinner, we weighed anchor and were off, while the friends +on the sloop and the crew of a yacht which was brought up near us gave +us a hearty good-bye in British cheers. +</p> + +<p> +But our anchor had not yet had its last hold of English mud, and we +were not to lose sight of the Solent that day; for, in consequence of +some clumsiness, or possibly too much zeal on the part of those who +were catting the anchor, the bowsprit whisker on the starboard side +was doubled up; so we had to proceed to Cowes, and bring up there +while we sent the iron on shore to be put in the fire and straightened +again. However, this did not delay us much, for it fell a flat calm, +which lasted through the night; we were better off sleeping +comfortably at anchor than we should have been drifting helplessly up +and down with the tides. +</p> + +<p> +At 11 a.m. the next morning, it being high-water, we weighed anchor, +and were really off at last, the weather glorious and hot, but the +wind light and variable. +</p> + +<p> +For weeks, while we had been lying off Southampton, the weather had +been detestable—blusterous north-west winds, accompanied by heavy +rains, prevailing. But now, very opportunely for us, a complete change +set in just as we started, and it was evident that we were at the +commencement of a long spell of settled fine weather. I had +anticipated this luck; for I knew by experience that the last weeks of +August and the first weeks in September are the most favourable for a +voyage south across the bay, for then there generally comes a period +of moderate easterly winds and warm weather, which precedes the stormy +season of the equinox. Thus, when I sailed in the 'Falcon' at this +very time of the year, I was fortunate enough to carry a north-east +wind all the way from Southampton into the north-east trades, and I +was confident that we were destined to do something of the sort now; +nor was I disappointed. +</p> + +<p> +We got outside the Needles, and, the wind being light from west to +south-west, we tacked very slowly down Channel, always in sight of the +English coast, until nightfall, when the wind dropped altogether, and +we lay becalmed in sight of Portland lights. It was our first Saturday +night at sea (August 31), so we kept up the good old fashion of +drinking to our wives and sweethearts at eight o'clock. We never +neglected this sacred duty on any Saturday night during the whole +cruise. A light air from the east sprang up at night, but, though we +now had racing spinnaker and topsail on the vessel, we made little +progress, and it seemed as if we could not lose sight of the lights of +Portland. +</p> + +<p> +Throughout the following day—September 1—the same far too fine +weather continued, with light airs from various directions, +alternating with calms. But we did at last contrive to get out of +sight of land this day; Portland, to our delight, became invisible, +and we saw no more of the English coast. +</p> + +<p> +This calm weather was trying to the patience; but it was perhaps well +for us to have this experience at the commencement of the voyage; for +it enabled the raw hands to settle down to their work quickly, and +there was but little sea-sickness on board. +</p> + +<p> +At midday, September 2, we were off the chops of the Channel, a fresh +easterly wind that lasted some hours having carried us so far. Then +the wind fell again, and we sailed on in a very leisurely fashion +until the morning of September 5, when, being well in the middle of +the Bay of Biscay, the wind, which was from the south-east, began +gradually to freshen. First we were going five knots through the +water, then seven, and by midday we were travelling between eight and +nine. In the afternoon the wind increased to the force of a moderate +gale and the sea began to rise. During the night some rather high seas +rolled up after us occasionally, so that we had to bear away and run +before them, and only the old hands could be entrusted with the +tiller. We passed Finisterre on this night, but were too far off to +see the lights; and now we had done with the Bay of Biscay, which had +certainly treated the 'Alerte' with great consideration, and not shown +us any of its proverbial bad temper. The wind had gone down by midday +on the 6th, and the run for the previous twenty-four hours was found +to have been 158 miles. +</p> + +<p> +From this date we kept up a fair average speed; though our voyage +could not be termed a smart one, for there was scarcely a day on which +we were not retarded by several hours of calm. +</p> + +<p> +While going down Channel we had kept watch and watch in the usual sea +fashion, the first mate taking one watch and myself the other. But now +that we were out at sea, clear of all danger, it became unnecessary to +continue this somewhat wearisome four hours up and four hours down +system; so we divided ourselves into three watches, the second mate +taking the third watch. This gave the men an eight hours' rest below +at a stretch, instead of only four. As we had three paid hands in +addition to the cook, one of these was allotted to each watch. But +before reaching the South American coast the second mate resigned his +post, and we reverted to the watch-and-watch system again, which was +observed until the termination of the cruise. +</p> + +<p> +A good deal of useless form was kept up at this early stage of the +voyage. A log-slate was suspended in the saloon, and each officer as +he came below would write up a full account of all that had occurred +in his watch. The most uninteresting details were minutely +chronicled—only to be rubbed off the slate each midday, and I think +there was a little disappointment expressed because I would not copy +all these down in my log-book. Had I done so that log-book would have +been a dreadful volume to peruse. +</p> + +<p> +To us, however, the log-slate was a source of great amusement on +account of its utter fallaciousness. The patent log was, of course, +put overboard when we were making the land, but when we were out on +the ocean and no land was near us we naturally did not take the +trouble to do this, neither did we make use of the common log-ship or +keep a strict dead reckoning. But, despite this, the officer of a +watch would religiously jot down the exact number of knots and +furlongs he professed to have sailed during each of his four hours on +duty; he did not even try to guess the distance to the best of his +ability; he was fired with an ambition to show the best record for his +watch; so he would first scan the slate to see how many knots the +officer just relieved boasted to have accomplished, and then he would +unblushingly write down a slightly greater number of miles as the +result of his own watch, quite regardless of any fall in the wind or +other retarding cause. +</p> + +<p> +Thus: if five knots an hour had been made in one watch, five and a +quarter would probably be logged for the next, and five and a half for +the next. Sometimes there was a flat calm throughout a watch, and then +the ingenious officer, though he could not help himself and was +compelled to write himself down a zero before three of the hours, +would compensate for this by putting down a big number in front of +that hour during which he imagined that all the individuals of his +rival watches were fast asleep below, and would boldly assert in +explanation that just then he had been favoured with a strong squall +to help him along. +</p> + +<p> +No one put any confidence in this mendacious slate, which soon became +known on board as the 'Competition Log,' and inspired our wits with +many merry quips. The distance made in each twenty-four hours as +recorded by the Competition Log was about fifty per cent. greater than +that calculated from the observations of the sun. +</p> + +<p> +At last, on the morning of September 13, having been fourteen days at +sea, and having accomplished a voyage of something under fifteen +hundred miles, we knew that we were in the close vicinity of the +Salvages, and a sharp look-out for land was accordingly kept. We had +seen nothing but water round us since leaving Portland Bill, and all +on board were excited at the prospect of so soon discovering what +manner of place was this desert treasure-island of which we had been +talking so much. +</p> + +<p> +The Salvages lie between Madeira and the Canaries, being 160 miles +from the former and about 85 from Teneriffe. Vessels avoid their +vicinity, especially at night, on account of the dangerous shoals that +surround them. The description of the group in the 'North Atlantic +Memoir' is as follows:— +</p> + +<p> +'The Salvages consist of an island named the Ilha Grande, or the Great +Salvage, a larger island named Great Piton, and a smaller one called +the Little Piton, together with several rocks. The Great Salvage lies +in lat. 30° 8′, long. 15° 55′. It is of very irregular shape, and has +a number of rocks about it within the distance of a mile. It is much +intersected, and has several deep inlets, the most accessible of which +is on the east side. It is covered with bushes, amongst which the +thousands of sea-fowl make their nests. It is surrounded on all sides +with dangers, most of which show, but many require all caution in +approaching. +</p> + +<p> +'The Great Piton lies at the distance of 8<small>-1/4</small> miles W.S.W. <small>3/4</small> W. +from Ilha Grande. This islet is 2<small>-3/8</small> miles long, and has a hill or +peak near its centre. The Little Piton lies at a mile from the western +side of the former, and is three-quarters of a mile long; both are +comparatively narrow. These isles are seated upon and surrounded by +one dangerous rocky bank, which extends from the western side of the +little isle half a league to the westward.'… 'The southern part of +the Great Piton appears green, its northern part barren. It may be +seen 5 or 6 leagues off. The Little Piton is very flat, and is +connected to the south point of the greater one by a continued ledge +of rocks. The whole of the eastern side of the Great Piton is rocky +and dangerous.' +</p> + +<p> +A light north-east trade-wind was blowing, and we were running before +it at a fair rate through the smooth water, with topsail and racing +spinnaker set. It was a glorious morning, with but few clouds in the +sky, and those were of that fleecy, broken appearance that +characterises the regions of the trade-winds. +</p> + +<p> +At 8.30 a.m. the man on the look-out at the cross-trees sang +out:—'Land right ahead, sir!' Yes—no doubt about it—there it was, +still several leagues off, a faint blue hill of rugged form on the +horizon; we had made an excellent land-fall. While we were straining +our eyes to make out the features of our desert island, our attention +was attracted to a still nearer object which suddenly gleamed out +snowy white as the sun's rays fell on it, triangular in form and +appearing like a small chalk rock, but too far off to be clearly +distinguished. Gradually we approached this, and, after a little +doubt, it proved to be no rock, but a sailing vessel of some kind. +Then with the aid of the binoculars we made her out; she was a small +schooner of foreign rig, evidently hailing from the Canaries or +Madeiras, and she was sailing as we were, shaping a course direct for +the island. +</p> + +<p> +We had seen no vessel for several days, and the appearance of this +suspicious-looking craft caused some excitement on the 'Alerte.' We +called to mind the foreign fishermen who, according to rumour, +occasionally visit this uninhabited archipelago. Was this one of their +vessels? If so, there might be trouble ahead for us. +</p> + +<p> +We rapidly gained on the enemy, though we were engaged in a stern +chase. This adventure put my crew in lively spirits, and I think that +some of them began half to imagine themselves to be bold privateers of +the olden days, after a Spaniard or a Frenchman. +</p> + +<p> +Gradually we approached the Great Salvage, which, lying between us and +the Pitons, concealed the latter from our view. Its appearance was +very different from what we had expected. We had come to the +conclusion, I know not for what reason, that we should find an island +consisting for the most part of great sand-hills; but there was not +the smallest patch of sandy beach to be seen anywhere. Sheer from the +sea rose great rocks of volcanic formation, dark and rugged; and, +though we were still several miles off, we could perceive that the sea +was breaking heavily on every part of the weather coast, for we could +hear the booming of the rollers and see the frequent white flash of +the foam against the black cliff-sides. But above these precipices +towards the centre of the island there was a plateau, or rather an +undulating green down, with one steep green dome dominating all, +looking very fresh and pleasant to eyes that for two weeks had only +gazed at the monotonous plains of the sea. +</p> + +<p> +As I have already explained, my informant from Exeter was of opinion +that the 'Prometheus' people were wrong in digging on the shores of +the Great Salvage, and that the treasure had been concealed on the +Great Piton or middle island. We decided in the first place to come to +an anchor off the Great Salvage, and after having explored that +island, to sail for the Great Piton. +</p> + +<p> +According to the Admiralty charts there are two anchorages off the +Great Salvage, one in the East Bay and one in the South Bay. We +accordingly steered so as to coast down the east side of the island, +and thus open out both of these inlets. +</p> + +<p> +At midday we were not quite a league astern of the schooner. She was +close under the north point of the island, when suddenly she hauled +her wind and steered in a westerly direction, seemingly for the open +sea; so we came to the conclusion that our excitement had been +groundless, and that in all probability we should not be troubled by +inquisitive foreigners during our exploration of the Salvages. +</p> + +<p> +We soon found that it was necessary to exercise considerable caution +while approaching this island. Nearly two miles away from it there was +a shoal over which the sea was breaking heavily; we passed between +this and the island as directed by the chart, and kept close under the +shore, where the dark violet of the deep sea was changed for the +transparent green of comparatively shallow water. Here again we had to +pick our way through outlying rocks and shoals. One of these shoals is +particularly dangerous, for, as there is some depth of water over it, +the sea only occasionally breaks, and for a quarter of an hour at a +time there is nothing to indicate the danger, so that a vessel might, +through inadvertence, be taken right on to it. +</p> + +<p> +When we were close to it the sea happened to break, and the sight was +a lovely, yet a terrible one. A huge green roller, very high and +steep, suddenly rose as if by magic from the deep; then swept over the +shoal, and, when it reached the shallowest part, its crest hung over, +forming a cavern underneath, through whose transparent roof the sun +shone with a beautiful green light; and lastly, the mass overtopping +itself fell with a great hollow sound, and was dashed to pieces in a +whirl of hissing foam. Had the old 'Alerte' been there at that moment +her end would have come swiftly, and perhaps ours too. +</p> + +<p> +The chart seems to mark these rocks and breakers very correctly, and +there is small danger of falling a victim to them if proper +precautions are observed. Besides which, the water is so clear that +one can see through it many fathoms down, and a man in the cross-trees +with an eye experienced to the work could always detect a danger in +good time. +</p> + +<p> +We rounded the north-east point and opened East Bay. We did not like +the look of the anchorage here, which is in ten fathoms, and could see +no good landing nor any signs of a sandy beach; so we sailed on and +doubled the south-east point and the shoals that extend some way from +it, suddenly opening out South Bay, the one in which it seems that the +'Prometheus' came to an anchor. +</p> + +<p> +And then, to our astonishment, we beheld a very unexpected sight. +Rolling easily on the green ocean swell, at some three cables' length +from the shore, lay a small schooner at anchor; her crew—a +half-naked, bronzed, and savage-looking lot—were engaged in stowing +her mainsail. She was evidently the same schooner we had seen outside. +While we had been coasting round the east side of the island, she had +followed the west side, and here we had met again. But she was not the +only surprise in store for us. There were no sandy dunes in this bay; +its shores were steep and rocky, and on either side reefs, on which +the sea broke, protected the anchorage to some extent. At the head of +one picturesque cove, wherein was evidently the best landing-place, +were two small huts, put together of rough stones from the beach, and +from these a footpath wound up the bare volcanic cliffs to the green +plateau some four hundred feet above. A quantity of barrels were being +quickly landed here from one of the schooner's boats, and several +other wild-looking men were carrying these up to a cavern a little way +up the rocks behind the huts. The whole formed a wild and fantastic +picture. It was just such a scene as Salvator Rosa would have +delighted to paint, it would have suited the savage austerity of his +style. The rugged cove might well have been the haunt of smugglers or +pirates. And who, we wondered, were these people, and what were they +doing; these were mysterious proceedings for a desert island! The +evident labour of the men while carrying the barrels proved to us that +they were very heavy. 'Perhaps,' suggested one of us—'perhaps we have +just arrived at the right moment to interrupt another band of pirates +in the act of hiding another immense treasure.' +</p> + +<p> +This would have been almost too great a stroke for my band of +adventurers. It would have been very pleasant to have saved ourselves +all the trouble of digging, and to have simply carried off the +evilly-earned hoard of these wicked men and divided it among our +virtuous selves. We had sanguine men on board whom no failure +disheartened, despite their invariable habit of counting their +chickens before they were hatched; so I was not surprised to be now +asked by the sportsman of our party how long I thought it would +take us to get back to England. When I had replied, he evinced +great satisfaction. 'Oh, that is all right then!' he said. 'We can +get this stuff on board and be back home just in time for the +pheasant-shooting; and, after that, we can fit out again and fetch +our other treasures.' +</p> + +<p> +We came to an anchor in seven fathoms of water a short distance +outside the schooner. It was not the sort of roadstead I should like +to remain long in; for an iron-bound shore was before us, and around +were numerous shoals on which the rollers kept up a perpetual +hulla-balloo—a nasty trap to be caught in should the wind suddenly +veer to the southward. +</p> + +<p> +It was after one o'clock when we brought up, so we decided to go below +and dine before doing anything else, and the conversation at table +became more piratical in its tone than ever. After the details of how +we were to enrich ourselves despite all obstacles had been thoroughly +discussed, each of the adventurers explained in what way he would +spend his share of the booty; how it should be invested was, of +course, far too prosaic a matter for his consideration. +</p> + + + +<a name="VI"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER VI. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +ON THE SALVAGES. +</p> + + +<p> +As soon as dinner was over the whale-boat was put into the water, and +I pulled off to the landing-place with two of my companions. +</p> + +<p> +The men on shore were still employed in carrying the barrels up to the +cavern, but when we approached they ceased working, and stood gazing +at us, with a not unnatural curiosity. We found the landing-place to +be a queer one. A little channel clove the rocks for sixty or seventy +feet inland. This inlet was so narrow that there was scarce room +within it to work a boat with oars, and, as the ocean swell entered it +with sufficient force to render a collision with the rocks dangerous +for any boat, an ingenious arrangement had been placed there to +facilitate the landing. Just outside the entrance of the inlet a +barrel floated, which was moored to a big stone or anchor at the +bottom; a stout grass rope was attached to this barrel, and the other +end of it was made fast to a rock on shore at the head of the inlet. +By hauling along this rope, which was sufficiently taut for the +purpose, the boat was kept well in the centre of the channel, and all +risk of getting foul of the rocks on either side was avoided. At the +end of the inlet was a rocky shelf, on to which we jumped, having +first made our boat fast to the rope in such a way that she could not +bump against the shore. +</p> + +<p> +Then there came down to us a very brown and amiable-looking old +gentleman, whose dress consisted solely of a short, ragged shirt, +which had once, I think, been of a vivid green, but which had now been +toned down to a more æsthetic tint with age and dirt. He welcomed us +to the island by silently shaking each of us by the hand very +cordially. +</p> + +<p> +I addressed him in Spanish, but he shook his head and commenced to +speak in a language which I recognised as a Portuguese patois of some +description. But we soon contrived to understand each other fairly +well. He told me that he was the padron of the wild crew who stood +round listening to our conversation with grave faces—a sort of +governor of the islet, and chief owner of the barrels of wealth which +lay before us. He was also captain of the schooner. +</p> + +<p> +Then he beckoned us to follow him, and he led us into one of the stone +huts, the furniture of which consisted of barrels like those that were +being landed from the schooner, an open hogs-head of black grapes, and +a demijohn. The good old man pulled out a pannikin from between the +stones of the wall, and proceeded to serve out to each of us a tot of +excellent aguardiente from the demijohn. +</p> + +<p> +One of the half-naked men happened to be bringing another of the +mysterious barrels into the hut; so, without showing any impolite +curiosity, I contrived to hint that I should like to know what it +contained. The padron forthwith dipped the pannikin into a barrel that +had been already broached, and poured the contents into my hand. It +was, as I had expected, not pirate treasure, but coarse salt. +</p> + +<p> +Then he explained to me that he and his companions were natives of +Madeira, that they were in the habit of coming here with their +schooner at this season of the year, and that they made this bay their +headquarters for salting down the fish which they caught, but that for +the remainder of the year there were no human beings on these islands. +He further said that the Salvages were claimed by the Portuguese, and +not by the Spanish. On being asked whether there was any fresh water +on the island, he said there was a small fountain in a hollow on the +summit, and that all the water they used had to be brought down from +there in small breakers on the heads of his men. They were nimble +enough in scrambling down the cliffs under their burdens, as we saw +later on; but all Madeirans are excellent mountaineers. +</p> + +<p> +Then the padron, looking rather sly, inquired in his turn:—'What have +you Englishmen come here for? It is rare that vessels come by here.' +</p> + +<p> +'It is on our way to Teneriffe,' I replied, 'and as this is a pleasure +yacht we are not bound to time.' +</p> + +<p> +'Once before an Englishman came here. I thought you might have come +for the same reason as he.' +</p> + +<p> +'And why did he come?' +</p> + +<p> +'To look for hidden money.' +</p> + +<p> +This was very interesting, but we tried to assume a look of innocent +surprise, as if we had heard nothing of this before. +</p> + +<p> +'There is a great treasure hidden on this island somewhere,' he +continued, 'and the English know of it. Some years ago this milord +came with his yacht, a bigger one than yours, a steamer with three +masts, and they dug for the treasure. Oh! it is a great treasure, more +than a thousand English pounds they say; but the Englishmen did not +find it.' +</p> + +<p> +'Where did they dig?' I asked. +</p> + +<p> +'I do not know. I was not on the island at the time. It was several +years ago.' +</p> + +<p> +That was all he seemed to know; we could elicit no further information +on the subject from him; but it was evident that the 'Alerte' was not +the first yacht that had come to the Salvages in search of the hidden +chests of dollars. +</p> + +<p> +We then set forth to explore the island. We climbed the narrow path +that zigzagged up the bare cliffs, and in the construction of which a +considerable amount of labour must have been expended, a proof in +itself that the rare visitors to the island were Portuguese, for these +people alone take the trouble to make roads on desert islands. They +seem to love for its own sake the arduous work of cutting paths up +difficult precipices, and very cleverly they do it too. We came across +the remains of excellent Portuguese roads even among the apparently +inaccessible crags of Trinidad. +</p> + +<p> +We reached the green downs on the summit. The sky was cloudless and a +fresh breeze was blowing over the sea, so the tramp was very enjoyable +to us after the cramped life on board of a small vessel. +</p> + +<p> +On every portion of these downs we found walls roughly put together of +piled-up stones, which in some places formed long parallel lines, in +others square enclosures. The object of these had probably been to +prevent the soil from being washed into the sea; but whatever +cultivation had formerly been carried on here had evidently been +abandoned long since, in consequence, no doubt, of the insufficiency +of the water-supply. The fishermen appeared to be entirely ignorant of +the history of these old walls. In one place there were traces of an +ancient vineyard. Wherever the ground was not too stony a coarse grass +grew luxuriantly over the downs. There were also wild tomatoes in +profusion and alkaline sea plants of various species. +</p> + +<p> +We saw many rabbits dodging among the rocks, and gulls and cormorants +in quantities. The cormorants dwelt with their families in fine stone +houses which they had constructed with great ingenuity. Some of the +stones were large and heavy; it would be interesting to observe how +the birds set to work to move these and how they put their roofs on. I +have been told that they rake up a mound of stones with their powerful +wings in such a way that by removing some of those underneath they +leave the roof above them. The gulls are not such good architects as +the cormorants, and for the most part live in the natural crevices of +the rocks, or in holes which they steal from the rabbits. We, however, +saw one conscientious gull in the act of making his own house. He had +selected a large stone lying on soft soil, and was burrowing a deep +cavern underneath it. +</p> + +<p> +We walked round the downs, looking over the cliffs into every bay; but +we could see no extensive sandy beach such as that described by +Captain Robinson. There were small patches of sand here and there, and +that was all. The shore was formed of rock and shingle. It is probable +that many changes have taken place on this exposed islet since the +visit of the 'Prometheus'; the sands may have been washed away, and +there is no doubt that rocks and rocky landslips are constantly +falling from above. +</p> + +<p> +We saw clearly that it would be useless for us to dig in any of these +bays; for none of them corresponded with the description given by the +Spanish sailor; so we came to the conclusion that our search must be +undertaken, if anywhere, on the middle island and not on the Great +Salvage. +</p> + +<p> +When on the summit of the island we looked out towards the south for +the famous Peak of Teneriffe, which is said to be sometimes visible at +a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. We were not much more than +eighty miles from it here and the day was quite clear, but we could +see no signs of it; neither was it visible while we were on the Great +Piton, which is eight miles nearer. I have been at sea in the +neighbourhood of Teneriffe on several occasions, but have never yet +had a view of the great mountain, so either I am very unlucky or it +must be rare indeed that it is to be distinguished at anything like +the distance alleged. +</p> + +<p> +Having explored the islet, we proceeded to hunt rabbits. We had +brought no guns with us, so tried to kill them with stones, but failed +completely; we were all out of practice at this sort of sport. We then +descended the path to the huts, where the padron gave us a smiling +welcome, and, inviting us again into the hut, produced for our benefit +an unwonted luxury, a bottle of rough Madeira. We purchased some +grapes from him and a bottle of aguardiente, and, having bade farewell +to our Portuguese friends, we pulled off to the yacht and recounted +our adventures to the others. +</p> + +<p> +When we tasted the aguardiente we discovered that the monarch of the +desert island understood how to trade in quite a civilised fashion; it +was horrible stuff, not at all up to the excellent sample he had +treated us to on our landing. +</p> + +<p> +Shortly before sunset the schooner, having discharged all her salt, +weighed anchor and set sail for Madeira, leaving about six men behind +on the island. +</p> + +<p> +As some of my companions seemed rather keen on taking their guns on +shore and having a few hours' rabbit-shooting, I decided that the +yacht should remain at anchor where she was during the following +forenoon, so as to enable them to enjoy their sport and stock our +larder with fresh meat—a very acceptable luxury—while I would sail +with a few hands in the whale-boat at daybreak to the Great Piton, +effect a landing there if possible, and discover whether there was any +bay which answered to the Spanish sailor's description. In the +afternoon the yacht was to get under weigh, and rejoin me at the other +island. +</p> + +<p> +So at 4 o'clock the next morning, September 14, we had coffee, put +some provisions and two breakers of water into the boat, together with +a few picks and shovels, a compass and other necessaries, and then +sailed away. +</p> + +<p> +I left the first mate in charge of the yacht, having first arranged a +short code of signals with him, so that I could communicate from the +shore when the yacht appeared off the Great Piton. +</p> + +<p> +I took one of the signal code flags with me, which when flying from a +perpendicular staff was to signify 'All Right,' two waves of the flag +indicated that we were coming off to the yacht in the boat, four waves +was an order to the mate to send the dinghy off to us, and eight or +more waves meant that we had found a likely-looking place and that I +had decided to carry on digging operations. We were to indicate the +best anchorage by pointing the flag in the direction we wished the +yacht to be steered. +</p> + +<p> +It was still dark when we got under weigh in the whale-boat, so the +binnacle light was lit, and we shaped our course by compass towards +the still invisible island, which was about nine miles distant. +</p> + +<p> +I had with me the doctor, the second mate, and one of the paid +hands—Arthur Cotton. When we got clear of the protecting island we +found that a fresh wind was blowing nearly right aft; so we set the +two sprit-sails and ran fast across a tumbling sea, the Atlantic swell +looking formidable when our little boat was in the deep hollows +between the lofty crests. +</p> + +<p> +By-and-by a faint light appeared in the east, and a red, rather +stormy-looking dawn broadened across the dark sky. +</p> + +<p> +Shortly after sunrise, the mists clearing from the islet, we perceived +the Great Piton right ahead of us; but we only caught sight of it when +we were on the summits of the waves, losing it again when we were in +the deep valleys between. +</p> + +<p> +We scudded on, and as we approached nearer, the sea became more +confused and a little water tumbled on board occasionally. Outlying +rocks showed their black heads above the water here and there, while +curling breakers indicated the presence of other invisible dangers. +</p> + +<p> +We lowered our sails and inspected the island from a safe distance +before venturing to land; for if proper precautions are not exercised +it is a very easy matter to lose one's boat in a moment while beaching +on any of these small oceanic islets. +</p> + +<p> +We saw that the Great Piton was much lower than the Great Salvage, the +shore was rocky and indented, and there was a good deal of surf in +places. Above the shore was a green undulating plain, while towards +the middle of it rose a steep dome with dark rocks at the summit. +</p> + +<p> +The average height of the plain above the sea seemed to be about +twenty feet, and the central hill, according to the chart, is only 140 +feet high. We observed that there were sandy beaches in many of the +little coves, and some of these tallied well with the spot described +by the Spaniard. +</p> + +<p> +The Great Piton is a long narrow island extending from north-east to +south-west magnetic; therefore the whole side facing the south-east +could be accurately described as the south side. It was somewhere on +this shore that the mutineers must have landed with the chests. +</p> + +<p> +Picking our way through the outer shoals we made for what appeared to +be the best landing-place, a snug little cove at the eastern extremity +of this south side. Here we landed without any difficulty; but, +finding it impossible to haul our heavy boat up the beach, we moored +her safely in the bay and waded on shore with our stores. +</p> + +<p> +On a sandy slope above the rocks we found the ruined walls of a stone +hut. By placing our sails over these we made a snug little house. 'And +now,' cried our medical adviser, 'I suggest that, before doing +anything else, we have breakfast.' Our early morning sail on the ocean +had given us all a hearty appetite; so a fire was lit, cocoa made, and +the ship biscuits and tinned beef were duly appreciated. Then we +enjoyed our pipes, and leaving Arthur behind to make the camp as +comfortable as he could, we set forth to explore the island. Our first +discovery was that the corner on which we had landed became a separate +islet at high-water; for it was divided from the bulk of the Great +Piton by a broad depression, across which at about three-quarters +flood the sea rushed with a violent current. This depression was of +rock and lava, and it had been worn into a smooth and level floor by +the action of innumerable tides. At low water it was several feet +above the sea, so that one could then walk across dryshod. +</p> + +<p> +We walked along the whole southern shore of the island, and it +appeared to us that there were at least three coves to which the +Spaniard's description could apply equally well. We found no +inhabitants, but there were frequent signs of the Portuguese fishermen +who occasionally visit the islet. We saw many foot-prints on the +sands, showing that some men had been here very recently. We came +across their rough stone huts full of fleas, some of their +fishing-tackle, mounds of coarse salt, the ashes of their fires, and +in one cavern there were stored the large iron pots in which they +cooked their food. +</p> + +<p> +We found no rabbits on the island, and very few birds. The sole +creatures on shore were beetles, flies, and fleas. The latter lively +insects were a great plague to us at night; it was unwise of us to +pitch our camp in the hut of a Portuguese fisherman. On the beach were +great numbers of very active little crabs. There was no fresh water on +the island. +</p> + +<p> +We ascended the peak, which is named Hart Hill. Its top is formed of +rugged masses of coal-black rock, evidently of volcanic formation, and +this is studded with large black crystals, like plums in a +plum-pudding. These crystals attracted our attention at once. We +chipped off some and found them hard and heavy. We began to speculate +on the nature of this substance, and, as none of us knew much of +mineralogy, we of course at once decided, in our usual sanguine way, +that this must be an oxide of antimony, or manganese, or some other +valuable product. There were thousands of tons of this stuff on the +island, so we clearly saw our way to another vast fortune of a +different description to that we were seeking. It was settled that we +would obtain a concession from the Portuguese before the value of our +find leaked out, then we would sell our rights to an English company +or syndicate for an immense sum. We sat there on the top of our +crystalline treasure and arranged it all. 'It might be worth while,' +suggested one humdrum individual, 'in the first place to send a +specimen home to be assayed, so that we may form some approximate idea +of the extent of our fortunes; but we must send it to some person whom +we can rely upon not to breathe a word of the secret and so stop our +chances of making an advantageous bargain with the Portuguese.' +</p> + +<p> +Later on, when we reached Teneriffe, we did send some of the crystals +home, and when we arrived at Bahia we were informed by letter of the +result of the assay and of the exact market value per ton of the +stuff. +</p> + +<p> +But I will not keep any of my friends who may read this book in +suspense. They need not apply to me for an early allotment of shares +in the great syndicate. We have not made our fortunes just yet. I will +anticipate by giving the assayist's report. It ran thus:—'Volcanic +hornblende. Commercial value—nil.' +</p> + +<p> +But we did not waste much time in building our castles in the air, and +returned to business. +</p> + +<p> +Looking from the summit of our hornblende peak the whole island lay +stretched out before us like a map, and we could easily distinguish +all the features of the Little Piton, which seemed to be about two +miles away. On the Admiralty chart the coast and shoals of the Great +Salvage are correctly drawn; but this cannot be said of the plan of +the Great Piton: this is utterly unreliable. The survey does not +profess to be more than a superficial one, but great changes must have +occurred here since it was made. There are not wanting signs that the +sea has encroached a great deal on the land, and that it is still +doing so. In the first place the island is not three miles long, as +shown on the chart; its length cannot exceed one mile and a half. The +shores, again, are far more irregular in shape, the outer islands and +shoals more numerous, than the chart indicates. Perhaps these last +have been cut off the island by the sea since the survey. We perceived +that the sea was breaking all round the island on far projecting +promontories and shallow reefs; but, strangely enough, where the chart +does mark one well-defined continuous reef joining the Great Piton to +the Little Piton, there appeared to be a broad open channel of deep +water. +</p> + +<p> +We saw one likely-looking bay to the southward of our camp, so, while +we were waiting for the yacht, we three of us set to with our shovels, +and dug parallel trenches in the sand at right angles to the shore, +working upwards from a short distance above high-water mark. We did +not dig these trenches to a greater depth than three feet, for we then +came to a hard soil which to all appearance had never been disturbed. +We found it pretty hard work under that fiery subtropical sun, +unaccustomed as we were to the use of pick and shovel. +</p> + +<p> +In the afternoon the yacht appeared off the island; so we signalled to +her with the flag in the preconcerted manner: 'Come to an anchor.' 'We +will pass the night on shore.' And, whereas eight or more waves of the +flag were to signify that we had found a likely place for the hidden +treasure, we waved most energetically for quite two minutes—a +sanguine signal that must have led my companions on board to conclude +that we had at least discovered the first of the chests of dollars. +</p> + +<p> +The yacht came to an anchor off the bay at which we had first landed. +The mate came off to us in the dinghy, and I told him our plans and +instructed him to send other hands off to us in the morning, together +with all necessary stores. He then returned to the yacht, while we +passed the night in our hut in the company of the innumerable +sleepless fleas. +</p> + +<p> +Early on the following morning—September 15—the boat came off with +five more of my companions, which raised our shore-party to nine. +</p> + +<p> +We then shifted our camp from the torture hut of fleas to a sandy spot +further to the southward under Hart Hill, and here we pitched the two +emigrant tents which had been brought for Trinidad. The boat returned +to the yacht for the stores, and brought back to us all the picks, +shovels, and crowbars, a forty-gallon tank of water, and plenty of +provisions, including a savoury stew of Salvagee rabbits, for our +sportsmen had had good luck on the previous day. +</p> + +<p> +After the camp had been put in order the whole party set forth to +survey the southern shore, and each, having read the Spaniard's +narrative, gave his opinion as to the most likely spot. +</p> + +<p> +Then we arranged a methodical plan of action, and his portion of work +was allotted to each man. We dug trenches in parallel lines in some +places, in others we drew them in A shapes, gold prospector's fashion, +generally working in a sandy earth, but sometimes through shingle. +</p> + +<p> +The surface of the island has, no doubt, undergone many changes since +1804, the year in which it is alleged that the treasure was buried. It +was therefore often difficult to decide to what depth the trenches +should be dug; for we came to a hard, darker soil, which some of us +considered to be of ancient formation, undisturbed for centuries, +while others were of opinion that loose sand mixing with vegetable +matter could easily have consolidated into this in the course of +eighty years. When we had dug the trenches as far down as we intended +we sounded the earth to a still greater depth by driving in the +crowbars at short intervals. At one time some excitement was caused by +the discovery of bones, but our doctor pronounced them to be the bones +of a whale and not of a human being. +</p> + +<p> +By dinner time we had dug a goodly array of trenches; for we were +working energetically despite the burning sun. +</p> + +<p> +While we were enjoying an interval of rest after the midday meal and +smoking our pipes, I took those of the working-party who had not yet +seen the black crystals to the summit of Hart Hill, and asked their +opinion of the mineral. None of them had seen a rock of like formation +before, and they thought this might prove a valuable discovery. Our +sportsman took in the value of the hill at a glance. 'Well,' he said, +'I don't think so much of this as of the other treasures. However, it +may be worth a quarter of a million or so to us. I will put my share +of it on "X" for the Derby.' I may mention that the horse he selected +did not turn out to be this year's Derby winner. +</p> + +<p> +We worked steadily through the afternoon, also for the whole of the +next day, September 16. On this day the mate reported that the +remainder of our salt beef, some 400 pounds, was spoiled. It had, +accordingly, to be thrown overboard. +</p> + +<p> +It was just possible that the treasure had been hidden on the Little +Piton, and not on the island on which we were working. The Little +Piton might be described as the middle island, for it lies between the +Great Piton and another small islet or rock, apparently not marked in +the chart; while the Great Salvage is as often as not invisible from +here. +</p> + +<p> +So on the morning of September 17, leaving the other hands to continue +the trenches, I sailed in the whale-boat with two of my companions to +the Little Piton. We found that this islet also had a sandy down in +its centre; but after several trials we saw that it was impossible to +effect a landing on any part of it. There was no snug little cove, +such as the one described by Cruise. The sea was breaking in an ugly +way along the rocky coast, and the water round the islet was so +thickly studded with rocks and reefs that it was dangerous to approach +it. +</p> + +<p> +After inspecting the shore as closely as we dared we abandoned the +attempt, and, setting sail, hurried back to the Great Piton; for the +sky looked stormy to windward, and a heavy rain-squall came up which +for a time hid all land from our sight—not desirable weather for +cruising about the Atlantic in an open boat, for should a strong wind +rise we should be unable to make any way against it, and might easily +be blown away from the islets out to sea. +</p> + +<p> +We landed again safely on the Great Piton, and after digging for some +more hours, we sat together in council, and upon a little discussion +it was unanimously decided that it was not worth our while to carry on +any further operations on the Salvages. We had already dug hard for +four days and might easily dig for forty more without having explored +more than a small fraction of the sandy beaches on the south side of +the island. Besides this there existed a considerable doubt whether +this was the right island at all. The information was of far too vague +a nature, our chance of success far too remote, to encourage us to +stay longer. Moreover, the anchorage was a very unsafe one should it +come on to blow, and even now the glass was falling rapidly and the +sky looked ominous. +</p> + +<p> +I had originally intended to sail for St. Vincent in the Cape Verde +islands, and had indeed directed letters to be forwarded to us there; +but this island was still a thousand miles distant, and, seeing that +we had lost all our salt beef and had consumed a good deal of our +water—the digging on the island under the sun had, of course, +produced great thirst—it became almost necessary to call for +provisions at some nearer port than St. Vincent. +</p> + +<p> +I accordingly decided to sail for Santa Cruz on Teneriffe, which is +less than a day's sail from the Great Piton, if one have any luck in +one's winds. +</p> + +<p> +So we broke up our camp, struck the tents, carried everybody and +everything on board in two journeys of the boat, then got both boats +on board, and made all ready for sea. +</p> + +<p> +With the exception of the Salvages, I had before visited every place +at which we called with the 'Alerte'; and even the Salvages were not +entirely new to me, for I had seen them from the deck of the +steam-yacht 'Sans Peur' in 1885, when she was on her way from Madeira +to Teneriffe. +</p> + +<p> +This cruise consequently was not quite so fresh and interesting to me +as to my companions, and would have seemed almost a dull one had it +not been for the excitement of treasure-hunting. +</p> + + + +<a name="VII"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER VII. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +RUNNING DOWN THE TRADES. +</p> + + +<p> +At four in the afternoon we hoisted the sails and weighed the anchor. +I was at the helm at the time, and was very surprised at the +extraordinary manner in which the vessel now behaved. She seemed +bewitched; a nice breeze was blowing, her sails were full, and yet she +gathered no way on her, forged not a foot ahead, but remained where +she was, tumbling about uneasily on the long ground-swell. +</p> + +<p> +She was acting for all the world like an obstinate buckjumping horse. +Never before had the amiable old yawl evinced any signs of temper, and +this display grieved me very much, for I had thought better of her. +</p> + +<p> +This strange behaviour went on for quite a minute, when suddenly she +seemed to come to her senses, gave herself a shake, and with a quick +leap darted ahead and was rushing through the water in her usual +steady style. +</p> + +<p> +One of the crew now happened to look over the side, and called the +attention of the others to something that he saw dangling there. There +was a roar of laughter. The good old vessel had been cruelly wronged +by our suspicions; she was entirely innocent of obstinacy or temper of +any sort. Our purser alone was to blame for what had occurred. He was +a most energetic but unsuccessful fisherman, and had come on board at +Southampton well provided with fishing tackle of all descriptions; he +was prepared for every inhabitant of the deep, from the narwhal and +the whale to whelks and whitebait. So on this afternoon, while we were +getting ready for sea, he had been vainly attempting to catch sharks +with a bit of our condemned beef as bait, and had forgotten to take +his line on board when we got under weigh. The stout shark hook had +got hold of the rocks at the bottom and had securely anchored us by +the stern. The strong line held well, but something had to give way +before the increasing straining of the vessel as the wind filled her +sails; on hauling in the line we found that one arm of the hook had +broken off and so released us. +</p> + +<p> +At sunset the desert islets faded out of sight, and we sailed on +through the night across a smooth sea with a light westerly breeze on +our beam. +</p> + +<p> +That we failed to discover the treasure on the Salvages did not +dishearten my companions in the least. It is true that all had +realised beforehand how remote were our chances of success; still, it +was very encouraging to find that there was no grumbling or expression +of disappointment after those four days of hard digging in vain under +a hot sun: it argued well for the way in which these men would face +the far greater difficulties of Trinidad. +</p> + +<p> +On the following morning, September 18, we caught sight of the Peak of +Teneriffe, about twenty miles distant. We sailed past the north point +of the island, coasted by the volcanic mountains that, with their +barren inhospitable crags, give so little indication of the fertile +vales within, and came to an anchor at 2 p.m. off Santa Cruz. +</p> + +<p> +The Port doctor immediately came off to us, and was quite satisfied +with my bill of health for Sydney, and my explanation that we had +called here for provisions and water; so he gave us pratique without +demur. +</p> + +<p> +Then land-clothes were donned, and some of my companions went on shore +to enjoy the luxuries of civilisation once again. +</p> + +<p> +Santa Cruz is a pleasant little place, and seemed to me to have +improved a good deal since my last visit. The hotels at any rate are +far better than they were; I remember that it was once impossible to +get a decent meal in the town, but we were now quite satisfied with +the International Hotel in the Plaza. It is under English management, +and several of our countrymen and countrywomen were passing the winter +there. Some of my companions dined at this hotel every night during +our stay, and expressed themselves well contented with the table; like +all pirates, they were, of course, great gourmets while on shore and +knew the difference between good and bad. +</p> + +<p> +We remained a week at Santa Cruz, being delayed by a variety of +causes, so some of the party were enabled to travel over the island on +donkeys and see its peculiar scenery. +</p> + +<p> +A very sharp little ragged boy took a great fancy to the 'Alerte' +crew. He insisted on protecting the innocent foreigners and acting as +their cicerone when they walked about the town. He drove all other +beggars and loafers away from them, and even bullied the sentries when +they raised objections to a couple of my men trespassing on the +forbidden precincts of the citadel. This urchin was afraid of no one, +and was very intelligent; as few of us understood his Spanish, he +communicated all that he had to say by means of a most expressive +pantomime. It was grand to observe his apologetic manner when he took +us into the cathedral and showed us the flags that had been captured +from Nelson during his disastrous attack on Teneriffe in 1797. He +looked up into our faces with a solemn and sympathetic look. He would +not hurt our feelings for worlds. +</p> + +<p> +The ragged urchins of Santa Cruz are as like each other as so many +John Chinamen; so, when our own particular boy was not by, some other +would come to us with a welcoming smile and attempt to impersonate +him. Therefore, in order to distinguish our own from his pretenders, +we decorated him with an old brass button, which he wore proudly on +his breast. +</p> + +<p> +I will not attempt here a description of this so often described +island. In my opinion it must be a far pleasanter winter resort than +that somewhat melancholy island Madeira, where there is a depressing +sense of being imprisoned by the steep mountains. The mountains of +Teneriffe are still higher, but there are broad and beautiful plains +beneath them that give an idea of freedom and breathing-room. There +are excellent hotels in other portions of Teneriffe, and in the +neighbourhood of Santa Cruz there are many beautifully situated villas +and châteaux belonging to the native gentry that can be hired at very +moderate rates indeed, while provisions are good and cheap. +</p> + +<p> +The ship's complement was diminished by two at Santa Cruz, the +boatswain and one of the volunteers leaving us. +</p> + +<p> +Before sailing we took on board a large quantity of stores, including +barrels of salt beef which proved to be of a very inferior quality to +that we had brought from Southampton, but this was ancient, and, +having arrived at a certain stage of nastiness, was not likely to get +any worse. The paid hands quite approved of it, for it was at any rate +better than that served out on the majority of merchant vessels. We +also procured some very fair native wine, like a rough port, which, +mixed with water, formed a wholesome drink for the tropics. The high +temperature we experienced while crossing the equator nearly spoiled +this, so that we had to fortify it further with rum in order to +preserve it. On the last day of our stay we went to the excellent +fruit market, and laid in a good supply of grapes, bananas, and other +fruits and vegetables. We also purchased a quantity of the cheap +native cigars; so for a while we lived luxuriously on board ship. +</p> + +<p> +I would have sailed from here direct for Bahia, at which port—as +being the nearest to Trinidad—it was my intention to fill up with +water and other necessaries before commencing our chief operations; +but as letters were awaiting many of us at St. Vincent in the Cape +Verdes I decided to call at that island on the way. +</p> + +<p> +At 9 a.m., September 25, we weighed anchor and sailed to St. Vincent. +The distance is a little under 900 miles, which we accomplished in +seven days. +</p> + +<p> +For the first three days we encountered south to south-east winds, +with fine weather. On September 28 the wind veered to the north-east, +being thus right aft. As the boom of our racing spinnaker was a very +heavy spar and formed a considerable top weight while standing along +the mainmast in the usual way, we unshipped it from its gooseneck and +laid it on deck. +</p> + +<p> +We had now come into a region of strong trades. The wind was fresh and +squally and we ran through the night with the tack of our mainsail +triced well up and our mizzen stowed. +</p> + +<p> +On the following day, September 29, the glass was still falling, and +the sea running up astern of us was occasionally high and steep. There +were signs of worse weather coming, so we prepared for it by striking +the topmast, lowering our mainsail, and setting our trysail. The day's +run was 174 miles. +</p> + +<p> +The glass had given us a false alarm after all; for on the following +day the wind moderated, and we were enabled to hoist our large balloon +foresail; but a heavy sea was still rolling up from the north-east. It +was evident that a gale had been recently blowing over the disturbed +tract of ocean which we were now crossing. +</p> + +<p> +The Cape Verde islands are frequently enveloped in clouds, so that +they cannot be distinguished until one is quite close to them. This +had been my former experience and the same thing occurred now. In the +night of October 1, we knew that we were in the vicinity of the island +of St. Antonio, the northernmost of the archipelago, but right ahead +of us there stretched a great bank of cloud, concealing everything +behind. At last, however, a squall partly cleared the rolling vapour +and we perceived, a few miles distant, the black mountainous mass of +the island, whose volcanic peaks rise to a height of upwards of 7,000 +feet above the sea. Then the bright flash from the light-house on Bull +Point became visible. +</p> + +<p> +The islands of St. Vincent and St. Antonio are separated from each +other by a channel two leagues broad, so I decided to heave to in +sight of the St. Antonio light until daybreak. +</p> + +<p> +We got under weigh again at dawn, October 2, and in a few hours were +lying at anchor in Porto Grande Bay, St. Vincent. This desolate +island, which is an important coaling station and nothing else, +inhabited by a robust but ruffianly race of negroes, has been often +described; a mere cinder-heap, arid, bare of verdure, almost destitute +of water, it is the most dreary, inhospitable-looking place I know, +and the volcanic soil seems to soak in the rays of the tropical sun +and convert it into a veritable oven at times. But the dismalness of +nature is atoned for by the cheeriness and hospitality of one section +of the population. For the white community here is almost entirely +composed of Englishmen, the staff of the Anglo-Brazilian Telegraph +Company—of which this is a very important station—and the employés +of the two British coal-kings of the island. Though there had sprung +up a new generation of these young fellows since I had visited the +island in the 'Falcon,' yet I met several old friends whose +acquaintance I had then made. +</p> + +<p> +Porto Grande, miserable place as it still is, had improved a good deal +since I had seen it last. There are hotels here now of a sort, and at +one of these on the beach, kept by a pleasant Italian and his +Provençal wife, we found it possible to lunch and dine very decently. +I notice that I have a tendency in this book to speak of little else +save the gastronomic possibilities of the ports I called at in the +course of the voyage. But I had visited and described all these places +before, and that is some excuse, for the sights were not new to me, +whereas a good dinner seems always to have the freshness of novelty. +This may sound disgustingly greedy to a sedentary and dyspeptic +person; but may I ask whether every sound Britisher does not look upon +the quality of his food as one of his most important considerations +during his travels abroad. How natural, then, was it that seafarers +like ourselves, who were seldom in port and whose diet for months +consisted chiefly of tough salt junk and weevily biscuit, should be +more vividly impressed by a luxurious meal on shore than by all the +lions of these foreign lands. +</p> + +<p> +Here one of the volunteers, our poor old purser, generally known on +board as the bellman, left us, and returned to England. The state of +his health rendered it unwise for him to proceed further on a voyage +of this description. +</p> + +<p> +Suspecting that I might lose others of my crew, I looked round Porto +Grande for two fresh paid hands. This is a very bad place to pick up +sailors in, but I was lucky in my search. I shipped two young coloured +men from the West Indies—one a native of St. Kitt's and, therefore, +an English subject, and the other a Dutchman, hailing from St. +Eustatius. These two negroes, whose names were respectively John +Joseph Marshall and George Theodosius Spanner, had been loafing about +Porto Grande for some time in search of a vessel. The poor fellows had +been jumped from a Yankee whaler that had called here. +</p> + +<p> +'Jumping,' I may explain, for the benefit of those who do not know the +term, is the process by which an unprincipled skipper obtains a crew +for nothing. It is done in this way. Hands are shipped, say for a +whaling voyage. In time, long arrears of pay are due to the men, as +also are their shares in the results of the fishery. But the period +for which they have signed articles has not yet been completed, and so +they are at the captain's mercy for some time to come. This tyrant, +therefore, proceeds to ill-treat them to such an extent that, as soon +as a port is reached, they escape on shore and desert the vessel, +thereby forfeiting all claim to the money due to them. Thereupon the +skipper pockets the earnings of his men, and sails away with a fresh +crew, with whom he repeats the process. Some whaling captains are +great adepts at jumping, and will even sometimes bully the entire crew +into desertion. But those who are not masters of the art dare not risk +this, but content themselves with selecting a few hands only, +generally those who are weak or unpopular in the forecastle, as +victims for their brutality. +</p> + +<p> +John Joseph and Theodosius, as being innocent West Indian blacks, had +been the victims of this particular skipper, and nine months' pay was +due to them when they deserted. John Joseph shipped with us as cook, +Wright being now rated as A.B., while Theodosius served before the +mast. They both proved to be excellent fellows. +</p> + +<p> +We found fresh provisions very scarce and dear at Porto Grande. As a +rule, tropical fruits and vegetables are plentiful and cheap here, for +though St. Vincent is barren, the inner valleys of the neighbouring +island of St. Antonio are extremely fertile, and provisions of all +sorts, and even fresh water, are brought over from it in the native +boats. But small-pox happened now to be very prevalent among the negro +population of St. Antonio, so that the island was strictly +quarantined, and St. Vincent was cut off from its usual source of +supplies. +</p> + +<p> +Our racing spinnaker and its boom had proved to be rather large and +unmanageable for the purposes of an ocean voyage; but our balloon +foresail was of about the right size for a cruising spinnaker. I +accordingly had a small boom made for it here, and it was invariably +used for the future in place of the unwieldy racing sail. +</p> + +<p> +From St. Vincent we sailed across the Atlantic to Bahia in Brazil. I +had followed exactly the same route with the 'Falcon,' and found the +voyage a tedious one; for, on leaving the region of the north-east +trades, a vessel encounters the squally and rainy south-west African +monsoons, blowing right in her teeth; and, when these are passed, +there lies before one the broad belt of the equatorial doldrums, a +region of steaming, debilitating calms, that divides the north-east +from the south-east trades. +</p> + +<p> +Under the impression that the log of a small vessel that had made this +uncomfortable passage might be of interest to yachting men, I +described this portion of the 'Falcon's' voyage in my book with more +minuteness than usual, with the result that one reviewer characterised +the perusal of that particular chapter as being 'like eating sawdust.' +I will profit by this warning, and spare my readers too much log of +calms and squalls, doldrums and monsoons, and treat them to as little +sawdust as possible. +</p> + +<p> +With the 'Falcon' we accomplished the voyage from St. Vincent to Bahia +in twenty-two days; but with the 'Alerte' we were twenty-six days +doing this, for we were not so lucky in our weather, and were delayed +by a much longer spell of calms on the line than we had experienced in +the 'Falcon.' +</p> + +<p> +We weighed anchor in the afternoon of October 9, and got out of the +harbour under all plain sail. For the first four days we did very +well; the wind was south-east and the sea moderate, so that at midday +of October 13 we were well on our way, being in latitude 2° 25′ north +and longitude 28° 52′ west. +</p> + +<p> +But now our troubles commenced. With a squall the wind shifted to the +south-west, and we knew that we had reached the dreaded monsoon +region. The log was now a record for days of what sailors call dusty +weather, and I fear that the reading of it would prove 'sawdusty' in +the extreme. The south-west monsoon is accompanied by violent +thunderstorms, rain, and squalls, and the sea in this portion of the +ocean is perpetually confused, so that a vessel turning to windward +can make but little progress. Then we came into the abominable region +of calms, where we rolled helplessly on the smooth, long swell, while +our ropes and sails chafed themselves away with idleness, suffering +more wear and tear than they would in a week of gales. Ours was indeed +a very unpleasant experience of the doldrums. For some days we made no +progress whatever, not even an occasional squall coming down to help +us along for a mile or so. In two weeks we only travelled 400 miles, +and we did not cross the equator until October 27. +</p> + +<p> +We saw few vessels on this voyage. We spoke two: the French mail +steamer 'Parana,' homeward-bound, and the British ship 'Merioneth,' of +Liverpool, bound south. +</p> + +<p> +We were not only unlucky with our winds but also with our fishing. +While crossing this sea on the 'Falcon' we had caught quantities of +dolphins, thrashers, and kingfish; but on this voyage we caught +nothing until we had sighted Fernando Noronha, when we did manage to +secure a barracouta and a kingfish. +</p> + +<p> +While rolling about helplessly in the dreary doldrums in the +atmosphere of a Turkish bath, there was nothing to interest us save +the sunrises and sunsets over the monotonous, oily-looking sea. And +these for several days in succession were more magnificent than I +think I have ever seen before. Sometimes the whole heaven seemed +ablaze with flames, and at other times sharply-defined, black, opaque +masses of cloud stood out in strange contrast to a background of +brilliant and transparent colour, and behind the nearer atmosphere one +caught glimpses of vast spreads of the most delicate and tender tints, +pink, green, blue, and creamy white, looking like a glorious placid +ocean of light infinitely far away, studded with ever-changing fairy +islands. With the exercise of a very little imagination one could +distinguish on that wonderful equatorial sky oceans and continents, +mountains of snow and glowing volcanoes, and immense plains of +indescribable beauty. +</p> + +<p> +One of the characteristics of the atmosphere of the doldrums is the +opaque appearance of the lower banks of clouds. At night they often +look like solid black walls close to one; so much so that I was twice +called up by our absurd second mate, who had been terrified by the +sudden discovery that a large, hitherto unknown island was just under +our lee. +</p> + +<p> +We fell in with the south-east trades when we were but two degrees +north of the equator; but it was not until we had crossed the line +that we were able to record anything like a good run each midday. We +were then sailing full and by, on the port tack, and the trades were +so high that for three days we were under two reefed mainsail and +reefed foresail, the vessel occasionally plunging her bows into the +short seas. +</p> + +<p> +At dawn on October 29 we sighted the island of Fernando Noronha on the +port bow, and at midday we were close under it. This island, which is +about six miles long, presents a beautiful appearance from the sea, +with its lofty pinnacles of bare rock towering above the dense green +vegetation that covers the hill-sides. Fernando Noronha is used as a +penal settlement by the Brazilians, and is commanded by a major who +has a hundred black troops under him. There are about 1,500 convicts +on the island, chiefly blacks and mulattoes; but there is or recently +was, one Englishman among them. It is almost impossible for a prisoner +to escape, for there are no boats on the island, and the regulations +about landing are very strict; indeed, I believe that no foreign +vessel is allowed to hold any communication with the shore, unless in +want of water, or other urgent necessity. +</p> + +<p> +On the morning of October 31 we sighted the Brazilian coast near +Pernambuco—a long stretch of golden sands beaten by the surf, fringed +with waving cocoa-nuts, behind which, far inland, were swelling ranges +of forest-clad mountains. +</p> + +<p> +It was a beautiful and very tropical-looking shore, familiar to me, +for I had sailed by it on several previous occasions. +</p> + +<p> +We now followed the coast for upwards of 400 miles, observing a +distance of five miles off it, so as to be clear of the outlying coral +reefs. We passed many of the native fishing catamarans manned by naked +negroes, quaint rafts with triangular sails and decks that were under +water with every wave. +</p> + +<p> +For three days we coasted along this beautiful land with a favouring +wind. On Saturday night, November 2, we opened out the entrance of the +Reconcavo or Gulf of Bahia, and, sailing up, we let go our anchor at +midnight off the city of Bahia, close under Fort la Mar, where I had +anchored in the 'Falcon.' +</p> + +<p> +All my companions were amazed at the beautiful appearance of the city +as seen from the sea by night. The churches and houses of the upper +town gleaming like white marble in the moonlight, with lofty cabbage +palms and rank tropical vegetation growing between, the long lines of +well-lit streets extending for miles round the bay, gave them an idea +of the magnificence of Bahia that a walk through the dirty streets by +daylight on the morrow did much to modify. The old Portuguese city is +picturesque but scarcely magnificent. +</p> + + + +<a name="VIII"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER VIII. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +BAHIA. +</p> + + +<p> +All hands turned out early on the morning after our arrival anxious +for shore leave, so that they might inspect the city that rose before +them so majestically from the edge of the green water. Now could they +realise better than by night what a magnificent harbour is this +Reconcavo—an extensive inland sea 100 miles in circumference, into +which several large rivers pour their waters, surrounded by a country +of prodigal fertility, and studded with beautiful islands! +</p> + +<p> +The town was merry as usual with a sound of bells, crackers, and +rockets. These are never silent in Bahia. It is a most religious city. +It is called Bahia de Todos os Santos, the Bay of All Saints, and +every day of the year is the saint's day of some parish or street or +even family, and it has to be celebrated by fireworks, which, +according to the custom of the country, are let off by day quite as +much as by night. If there happened a sudden cessation of this noise +of bells, crackers, and rockets, I believe the inhabitants would run +out of their houses in consternation, under the impression that an +earthquake or a revolution had come upon them. +</p> + +<p> +The Bahian custom-house is not open on Sundays; but the authorities +were good enough to break through their rule, and, coming off to us in +their launch at an early hour, gave us pratique. They also gave us +permission to land with our boats at the arsenal, and to put off from +it at any hour of the day or night. This important privilege is +granted as a matter of courtesy to every foreign man-of-war and yacht. +On the other hand, very inconvenient restrictions are placed on +merchantmen, originally, I believe, for the purpose of preventing +slaves from escaping on board foreign vessels. Slavery has been +abolished quite recently, but the old rules still remain in force. No +one may leave or board a merchantman after 8 p.m., and any one who is +not on the ship's articles cannot do so even in the daytime without a +special permit from the custom-house. We were free to do what we +pleased during our stay, but I observed that the custom-house boats +hovered round the 'Alerte' a good deal at night, and that a sharp +watch was evidently kept on us. All manual labour is left to the +negroes in the Brazils, and a yacht manned for the most part with +volunteer milords instead of paid hands must have appeared to the +natives an incomprehensible, and consequently a highly suspicious, +phenomenon. +</p> + +<p> +Even before we had obtained pratique the energetic ship-chandlers were +off to us in their boats, soliciting our custom by shouting to us from +a distance. Pratique granted, they closed in upon us. There is a +tremendous competition between these gentry at Bahia, as I had +discovered while here in the 'Falcon.' But I was soon recognised, and +then all retired from the field save two, between whom the competition +waxed most furiously. It seemed that my old ship-chandling firm had +split itself into two houses, so the two ex-partners and now bitter +rivals boarded the 'Alerte,' and each claimed me as his own lawful +prey. +</p> + +<p> +This was embarrassing, for I had been satisfied with both when they +were as one at the time of the 'Falcon's' visit; but, as a single +ship-chandler at a time is quite enough, I had to make an invidious +choice between my old friends. One was an Englishman, the other a +Brazilian; so I thought it right to surrender myself into the hands of +a fellow-countryman, Mr. Wilson, who carried us off in triumph in his +boat as soon as we had donned our shore-going clothes. +</p> + +<p> +We landed at the Praya, the ancient and dirty stone quay which +stretches along the shore for four miles, a spot of great commercial +activity. Here are the great ware-houses whence the coffee, sugar, +tobacco, cotton, logwood, and the other produce of this rich tropical +land, are shipped to every quarter of the globe. Here, too, are +markets of strange fruits and vegetables, and a bazaar where one can +buy gorgeous or voluble parrots, baboons and monkeys of many species, +pumas and jaguars too, and indeed specimens of nearly all the wild +beasts of South America. Grog shops, where poisonous white rum is sold +to British seamen, are frequent. Along the quay are ranged the quaint +native lighters with their half-naked ebon crews. A jostling, +jabbering crowd of negroes and negresses with gaudy robes and turbans +throngs the Praya, and when one first lands one is oppressed by a +bewildering sense of confusion—a flashing of bright colours—a din of +negroes, parrots, and monkeys—a compound smell of pineapples and +other fruit, of molasses, Africans, bilgewater, tar, filth too of +every description; not a monotonous smell, however, but ever varying, +now a whiff of hot air sweet with spice, then an odour that might well +be the breath of Yellow Jack himself. +</p> + +<p> +There was no yellow fever at the time in Bahia, though it had been +rather severe at Rio not long before. We repaired to the +ship-chandler's, saw the latest papers and heard all the news. I found +that Brazilian politics formed the chief topic of conversation. A +stranger visiting this country ten years back would have almost +imagined that this was a happy land in which politics were unknown, so +little did he hear of them. Now all was changed. Everybody was +complaining of the stagnation of business. The Creoles were irritated +at the recent abolition of slavery—a measure which, according to +them, would ruin the country, but which, in the opinion of some was +rendered necessary by the determined resistance of the large bands of +fugitive slaves in the southern provinces. The troops were unable to +put them down, their success had brought the country to the verge of a +general servile insurrection, so that it became merely a question +whether the Government should submit quietly to their demands at once +or be compelled to do so later on after much bloodshed. I do not think +the revolution that took place a few days later was altogether +unexpected. There were rumours of it in the air and an uneasy feeling +existed among the mercantile classes. +</p> + +<p> +This was my third visit to this port, so I had, of course, plenty of +friends in the city. These soon found me out, and I noticed that, +despite the supposed unhealthiness of Bahia, none of them looked much +the worse for the eight years they had spent here since I had seen +them last. There can be no doubt that Brazil enjoys a very healthy +climate considering its position within the tropics. +</p> + +<p> +We were elected honorary members of the English Club during our stay +at Bahia, and there we found that the object of our voyage had been +much discussed. The English papers had advertised us somewhat too +well, and though the name of the island we were bound for was not +exactly mentioned, my Bahian friends had formed more than a suspicion +as to our destination. They, of course, knew that I had visited +Trinidad before, and they also were aware that treasure was supposed +to be concealed there, for the American adventurer called here after +the unsuccessful search to which I have alluded. +</p> + +<p> +'Tell me,' said Mr. Wilson, with a smile, when he got me alone, 'tell +me in confidence. Are you not going to Trinidad again from here?' +</p> + +<p> +When I had replied in the affirmative, he said, 'Three years after you +sailed from here with the 'Falcon' an American came into my office. He +had just come from Trinidad, and was very reserved about it. But two +of the crew told me that they had been on shore digging for three +days, they did not know what for, but they supposed the captain had +some information about hidden treasure. At any rate they found +nothing, and while he was at Bahia, the captain seemed to be very +disappointed and would speak of his adventures to no one.' +</p> + +<p> +This tallied exactly with the letter of the Danish captain which I +have already quoted. It was not altogether agreeable to us to find +that our plans were so generally canvassed, for we knew that the +Portuguese had laid claim to Trinidad something like two hundred years +ago, and it was possible that the Brazilians, as successors to the +Portuguese in this quarter of the globe, might consider the island as +their own, and assert their right to any valuables we might find upon +it. I need scarcely say that I had made up my mind, should we find the +treasure, to sail directly to some British port. I would not trust +myself in any country of the Spanish or Portuguese; for once in their +clutches we should in all probability lose all the results of our +labour. The Roman Catholic Church of Spain or Lima might, with a fair +show of right, demand the treasure as her own; so might the +Governments of Peru, Chile, Brazil, Spain, or Portugal. But if we +could once secure it, get it safely home, and divide it, it would be +exceedingly difficult for any one to establish a better right to it +than we could—for should we not have the right of possession, with +nine-tenths of the law on our side? +</p> + +<p> +Bahia is a dull place, but it is an interesting old city, and contains +some very picturesque streets, especially those which connect the +upper and the lower town, and which wind, in flights of stone steps, +up a precipitous wall of rock 240 feet in height. This cliff, despite +its steepness, is green with bananas, palms, and other tropical +plants, which fill up all the space between the ancient stone houses +and tortuous alleys, producing a very pleasing effect from the sea. +</p> + +<p> +The old Dutch and Portuguese houses are very solidly built of stone, +and among them are some of the most ancient buildings of the New +World. The Fort la Mar, under which we were anchored, is a picturesque +fortress constructed by the Dutch 400 years ago on a rocky islet in +the harbour. The cathedral and some other of the ecclesiastical +buildings in the upper town are built of marble that was brought from +Europe. In the olden days—and to some extent this is the case even +now—everything needed by the Spanish and Portuguese colonists of the +New World, with the exception of gold and jewels, was imported to them +from the mother-countries. Thus there are cities in the heart of South +America which have quarries of marble in their immediate vicinity, and +whose churches are, notwithstanding, built of marble blocks carried +from Europe by sea and land at tremendous cost. With its vast arable +lands, that might supply the granaries of the world, the River Plate +district, until quite recently, depended on foreign countries for its +supplies of grain. The old theory of the Conquistadores, that it was +beneath their dignity to perform any labour save that of extracting +gold from the country and its natives, seems never to have been quite +eradicated from the Creole mind. +</p> + +<p> +I could see few changes in Bahia since my last visit. It seemed the +same busy, dirty, old place. A new broad carriage-road had been +carried up the cliff, and this, together with the hydraulic lift which +connects the lower with the upper town, has certainly diminished the +number of sedan chairs. Once these were a quaint feature in a Bahian +street scene. They are almost of the same model as those in use in +London 200 years ago, and are carried by stout negroes. Now they are +only employed by Creole ladies of the old school, who do not care to +sit in the trams by the side of their late slaves. +</p> + +<p> +The crew of the 'Alerte' had now the opportunity of relaxing +themselves a little before sailing away for the scene of their real +work. Some made expeditions up the rivers into the beautiful country +that surrounds Bahia, and the frequent race-meetings afforded +amusement to others. I believe we were lucky, on the whole, while +matching ourselves against the local bookmaker, and realised a few +thousands—not of pounds, but reis, of which a thousand are equivalent +to two shillings. +</p> + +<p> +Our first and second mate left us after we had been a few days at +Bahia, packing up their traps and getting ashore before they ventured +to announce their intention. From this date things went smoother with +us. The cause of all the mischief on board had departed. There was an +alacrity and cheerfulness fore and aft that had been wanting so far. +Now when reefing or other work had to be done it was accomplished by a +third of the number of hands, in one-third of the time, and with none +of the fuss that seemed to be necessary before. I do not go so far as +to say that a sort of millennium came to the 'Alerte'—there was +still, of course, occasional discord, but on what vessel are there not +rows and growlings? It can be safely asserted, however, that from the +time we left Bahia the 'Alerte' was far freer than the average +foreign-going vessel from troubles of this description; and this is +very creditable seeing that our crew was so unusually constituted, +half of the men being paying, instead of paid, hands, and, therefore, +possibly inclined to imagine that they had a right to more voice in +the management of things than was quite feasible. +</p> + +<p> +The crew of the 'Alerte' now consisted of ten all told:—Dr. +Cloete-Smith, Mr. Pollock, Mr. Powell, Mr. Pursell, and myself aft; +Ted Milner, John Wright, Arthur Cotton, and the two coloured men +forward. Of the nine volunteers who sailed from England five thus +remained. +</p> + +<p> +None of the gentlemen above mentioned had any practical knowledge of +the sea when we left Southampton; but they picked up a good deal in +the course of the voyage to Bahia, and now set to with a will to learn +more. I was the only navigator on board when we sailed from Bahia, but +before the cruise was over everybody aft could take his observations +of the sun and work out his latitude and longitude. I now appointed +Dr. Cloete-Smith as my mate, he to take the port watch and myself the +starboard. Mr. Pollock and Mr. Pursell undertook the posts of purser +and carpenter. +</p> + +<p> +We laid in a quantity of provisions at Bahia; these, in consequence +partly of the heavy duties and partly of the constant obstacles placed +by a corrupt administration in the way of all commerce, are +excessively dear in this port. Among other stores we procured two +barrels of salt beef, which proved to be somewhat better than we got +at Santa Cruz, a cask of rough and strong Portuguese wine, cases of +preserved guavas, tamarinds, and figs; and, of course, as many +pineapples, hands of bananas, oranges, yams, sweet potatoes, and +pumpkins as we could carry. +</p> + +<p> +Here, too, we purchased some tools, a large iron cooking-pot for our +camp on the island, some blasting powder, and several stout bamboos +for the purpose of constructing rafts. +</p> + +<p> +We had had enough of Bahia in a week, and were all ready for sea again +on November 9; but as several letters expected by members of the +expedition had not arrived, we put off our departure until the coming +of the next mail steamer from England. It was lucky for us that we did +this, for we thereby escaped some rather tempestuous weather. +</p> + +<p> +On November 11 the Royal Mail steamer 'La Plata' arrived from the +north, bringing with her the missing letters. We had intended to sail +at daybreak on the following morning, but the glass began to fall and +the wind rose in the night. In the morning the sky had a very stormy +appearance and a fresh south-west gale was blowing. On the following +day—November 13—there was a continuance of the same weather, and the +scud overhead was travelling at a great rate. +</p> + +<p> +An English cargo steamer came in this day from the southward, so I +went on shore to find her captain and inquire from him what it was +like outside the bay. He told me that he had been overtaken by the +gale in the latitude of Cape Frio, and that a heavy sea was running in +the Atlantic, while on the bar the breakers would be dangerous for a +small vessel. Hearing this, impatient as we were to get away, I +decided that it would be better to remain where we were until the gale +had blown itself out. +</p> + +<p> +This was, no doubt, the fag-end of a <i>pampero</i> or River Plate +hurricane. The <i>pampero</i>—so called because, after rising in the +Andes, it sweeps over the vast plains of the <i>pampas</i>, increasing +in force as it travels—blows with great fury at the mouth of the +River Plate and sometimes extends far north. I had had some experience +of <i>pamperos</i>, and was not fond of them. I rode out one on the +'Falcon' at anchor off Montevideo, and on that occasion fifteen solid +stone houses were blown down in a row on the sea front, the exhibition +building at Buenos Ayres was destroyed, and a barque lying at anchor +near us was capsized by the first gust. We ran before another of these +storms for three days and were nearly lost. +</p> + +<p> +The <i>pampero</i> was our bugbear while we lay off Trinidad; for this +islet is within the range of the more formidable of these gales, and, +even when they do not extend so far, the great swell raised by them +rolls up hundreds of miles to the northward of the wind's influence +and breaks furiously all around the exposed shores of Trinidad. +</p> + +<p> +Towards evening the wind moderated and the glass began to rise, but +the rain continued to fall heavily. On the following morning, November +14, the weather had still further improved; so anchor was weighed at 8 +a.m. and we sailed out of the harbour, my companions in very cheerful +spirits, and eager to get to the desert island and be at work with +pick and shovel as soon as possible. +</p> + +<p> +We had now done with civilisation for some time to come, and we had no +idea when and where, and under what conditions, we should next see any +men save those forming our own little band. +</p> + +<p> +Trinidad is roughly 680 nautical miles from Bahia; we sighted it in +exactly six days from the time we weighed anchor. +</p> + +<p> +The experiences of our first day out did not promise well for a smart +voyage. We tumbled about a good deal on the bar at the mouth of the +bay, and found that the sea outside had not yet gone down. The wind +was moderate and variable, but generally south-east—that is, right in +our teeth. We tacked ship three times in the course of the day, and +made little progress against the head sea. +</p> + +<p> +On the following day, November 15, things looked better; the wind +veered to the eastward, so that the yacht could lay her course with +her sheets slacked off a bit. +</p> + +<p> +The next day the wind was fairer still—from the +east-north-east—blowing fresh, and raising a steep, confused sea, for +the south-west swell of the <i>pampero</i> had not yet entirely +subsided. We close-reefed the foresail so as to prevent the vessel +driving her nose into the seas, and during this day and the next, +November 17, we were constantly tricing up the tack of the mainsail in +the squalls. +</p> + +<p> +On the 18th and 19th the wind was moderate, so we had all canvas on +the old vessel again, including topsail and balloon foresail; and on +the morning of November 20 all hands were in eager expectance of +catching the first glimpse of Treasure Island. +</p> + +<p> +At about 8 a.m. it suddenly appeared right ahead, a faint blue peak on +the horizon, fully forty miles away. +</p> + + + +<a name="IX"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER IX. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +TREASURE ISLAND AT LAST. +</p> + + +<p> +We sailed on towards the desert island under all canvas, but did not +reach it for eight hours from the time we first sighted it. +</p> + +<p> +As we neared it, the features of this extraordinary place could +gradually be distinguished. The north side, that which faced us, is +the most barren and desolate portion of the island, and appears to be +utterly inaccessible. Here the mountains rise sheer from the boiling +surf—fantastically shaped of volcanic rock; cloven by frightful +ravines; lowering in perpendicular precipices; in places over-hanging +threateningly, and, where the mountains have been shaken to pieces by +the fires and earthquakes of volcanic action, huge landslips slope +steeply into the yawning ravines—landslips of black and red volcanic +<i>débris</i>, and loose rocks large as houses, ready on the slightest +disturbance to roll down, crashing, into the abysses below. On the +summit of the island there floats almost constantly, even on the +clearest day, a wreath of dense vapour, never still, but rolling and +twisting into strange shapes as the wind eddies among the crags. And +above this cloud-wreath rise mighty pinnacles of coal-black rock, like +the spires of some gigantic Gothic cathedral piercing the blue +southern sky. +</p> + +<p> +The loftiest peak is about three thousand feet above the sea, but on +account of the extreme precipitousness of the island it appears much +higher. +</p> + +<p> +As a consequence of the recoil of the rollers from the shore we found +that, as we got nearer in, the ocean swell under us increased in +height, and rose and fell in an uneasy confused fashion. The breakers +were dashing up the cliffs with an ominous roar, showing us that, in +all probability, landing would be out of the question for the present. +</p> + +<p> +We passed North Point and opened out North-west Bay. At the farther +end of the bay we saw before us the Monument, or Ninepin, as it is +called on the charts—a stupendous pinnacle of basaltic rock 850 feet +in height, which rises from the edge of the surf, and is detached from +the main cliffs. +</p> + +<p> +The scenery was indescribably savage and grand, and its effect was +heightened by the roaring of the surf on the beach and the echoes of +it in the ravines, as well as by the shrill and melancholy cries of +thousands of sea-birds so unaccustomed to the presence of man that +they came off the crags and flew round us in evident wonder as we +sailed by, often approaching so close to us that we could strike them +with our hands. +</p> + +<p> +My companions had expected, from what I had told them, to find this +islet a strange, uncanny place, barren, torn by volcanic action and +generally forbidding, and now they gazed at the shore with amazement, +and confessed that my description of its scenery was anything but +exaggerated. It would be impossible to convey in words a just idea of +the mystery of Trinidad. The very colouring seems unearthly—in places +dismal black, and in others the fire-consumed crags are of strange +metallic hues, vermilion red and copper yellow. When one lands on its +shores this uncanny impression is enhanced. It bears all the +appearance of being an accursed spot, whereupon no creatures can live, +save the hideous land-crabs and foul and cruel sea-birds. +</p> + +<p> +We were now coasting under the lee of the island and our progress was +but slow, for the high mountains intercepted the wind from us, and we +were often becalmed on the oily swell under the hottest sun we had yet +experienced. Occasionally a violent squall, but of short duration, +would sweep down on us from some ravine and help us along. What wind +there was between the squalls came from every point of the compass in +turns, and we were constantly taken aback. +</p> + +<p> +But at last we passed the rocky islet which I named Bird Island at the +time of my former visit, and, doubling the West Point, we entered a +bay which I recognised well, for there was the cascade still falling +over the cliff, and, near it, the landing-place off which I had +anchored in the 'Falcon.' As the swell was not high here, I decided to +anchor at once; so, bringing the vessel as near in as was +prudent—about six cables from the shore—I let go in eighteen +fathoms. +</p> + +<p> +The scene before us was a fine one. A very steep and rugged ravine +clove the mountain from summit to base. At the bottom of this ravine a +stream fell in a cascade over a ledge of black rock on to the beach, +about thirty feet below. One could trace the silver line of the +falling water in many other parts of the ravine, especially in one +place far up, where it fell over a gigantic black precipice. +</p> + +<p> +The mountain-sides were barren, save in spots where a coarse grass +grew sparsely. At the very head of the ravine were downs beautifully +green, with a dense grove of trees the nature of which it was not easy +to distinguish from so far below; but, as I had ascended this ravine +during my last visit to Trinidad, I knew that these were tree-ferns, +which only grow on this portion of the island high up among the damp +clouds, and are in charming contrast to the desolation that prevails +around them. +</p> + +<p> +Between the foot of the mountains and the surf extends a narrow beach +of rugged stones of all sizes fallen from above, and the black heads +of rocks appear here and there in the middle of the surf, so that any +attempt at landing seems a risky venture. +</p> + +<p> +But I knew where the safe landing-place was, and soon recognised it +again, though it was not to be easily distinguished from the vessel. I +pointed it out to my companions. Some forty yards to the left of the +cascade an irregularly shaped rocky ledge extends from the beach some +way out into the deep water beyond the beach, and thus forms a natural +pier. I had often found it quite an easy matter to land here when to +do so anywhere else would be impossible; for, as a rule, the seas do +not break until they have rolled some way inside the end of this +point; so that, by approaching it carefully, and waiting till the boat +is on the summit of a wave and near the level of the top of the rock, +one can leap or scramble on to it with the exercise of a little +agility. There are occasions, however, when the seas wash right over +this ledge. +</p> + +<p> +Looking from our anchorage we could see the coast as far as West Point +on one side of us, with the head of the Ninepin just visible above the +cape; and on the other side as far as the promontory of basaltic +columns which forms the western extremity of West Bay, and which I +named the Ness. +</p> + +<p> +As soon as the sails were stowed I went below with the doctor to talk +over our immediate plans. It was now five in the evening, so it was +too late to attempt a landing, even if the conditions were favourable, +which they were not; for every now and again a sea would break over +the pier, sending showers of spray high into the air. +</p> + +<p> +While we were discussing things, there suddenly came a violent +thumping on the deck above us, and from the shouts and laughter of the +men we knew that something exciting was going on; so we went up the +companion-ladder to see what the fun might be. We found that a +fair-sized shark was tumbling about the deck in very active fashion, +while Ted was dodging him, knife in hand, ready to give him his +<i>coup de grâce</i>. Our sportsman had got his lines out as soon as +all had been made snug on deck, but his sport for the first hour +consisted of nothing but sharks, of which he caught several. After +this he had better luck and was able to supply the cook with fish +enough for dinner and breakfast for all hands. +</p> + +<p> +The sea round Trinidad swarms with fish; but, for some reason, though +we got as many as we required, they were not to be so readily caught +now as at the time of my first visit; for then we hauled them in as +fast as we could drop our hooks in the water. +</p> + +<p> +There are various species of edible fish here—among others, dolphins, +rock-cod, hind-fish, black-fish, and pig-fish. None of these +hot-water-fish are to be compared in flavour to those of Europe, and +we found that the sharks were the least insipid of the lot; stewed +shark and onions is not a dish to be despised. +</p> + +<p> +According to the chart of the South Atlantic which I made use of on +this voyage, the island of Trinidad is rather more than five miles +long. Another chart which I possess gives its length as only three +miles, which I am sure is wrong; but, on the other hand, this latter +chart is the more correct in some other respects, and marks outlying +shoals which are not indicated on the other. There are, indeed, no +absolutely reliable charts of this island; for the different surveys +have been somewhat cursory, and each has repeated the faults of its +predecessors. The longitude has, I believe, never been accurately +determined, and even the latitude of the landing-place is, if I am not +much mistaken, more than a mile out on the chart. +</p> + +<p> +Before going further with the narrative, however, it will be well to +enter into some explanation of the task that was before us. +</p> + +<p> +The treasure was supposed to be hidden in South-west Bay, in a little +ravine just to the left of our camp. +</p> + +<p> +The yacht was anchored out of sight of this spot, and at a distance of +two and a half miles from it as the crow flies. My companions were, I +imagine, somewhat surprised at this manœuvre of mine, especially +when I told them that it was highly improbable that we should shift +our anchorage any nearer to the scene of our operations on shore. +Later on, however, they realised that there was a good reason for the +course I had taken. +</p> + +<p> +My former experiences off Trinidad with the 'Falcon' had convinced me +that the anchorage off the cascade was far the safest; indeed that +here only could one remain at all for any length of time. It must be +remembered that a vessel is never really secure when anchored off a +small oceanic island like Trinidad. One should be always prepared to +slip one's anchor and be off to sea at once should it come on to blow. +It is therefore necessary to lie at some distance from the land, so as +to have plenty of room to get away on either tack. If one is too near +the shore one incurs great risk, as I frequently discovered while +coasting later on; for even though it be blowing hard outside, one is +becalmed under the cliffs or subjected to shifting flaws and +whirlwinds, so that the vessel becomes unmanageable, and is driven +straight on to the fatal rocks by the send of the swell. I need +scarcely say that to come in contact with this shore, even in the +finest weather, would involve the certain destruction of any craft in +a very few seconds. +</p> + +<p> +The anchorage off the cascade possesses many advantages. The coast +here is free from any outlying dangers, and there is a depth of five +fathoms close to the beach. One cannot be embayed there, for the coast +beyond West Point trends away northward almost at right angles to the +south-west shore, so that from the anchorage it is easy to get away on +either tack, according to the direction of the wind. Here, too, the +sea is smoother than anywhere else, except on rare occasions, for the +prevailing winds are north-east to south-east, more generally +south-east. +</p> + +<p> +Now, the only other possible anchorage for us would have been in +South-west Bay, in very convenient proximity to our camp; but this, +though it might do for a day or two, was absolutely unfitted for a +lengthy stay, more especially as difficulties might occur with the +vessel while I was on shore myself and only inexperienced people were +in charge of her. In this bay one is surrounded by dangers. South +Point is on one side, with the current generally setting directly on +to it and across the perilous shoals that extend a mile and a half +seaward. On the other side is the cape dividing West and South-west +Bays, off which also lie several dangerous islets and rocks. According +to the Admiralty chart South-west Bay itself is quite clean, with a +uniform depth of ten fathoms. As a matter of fact, it is full of +sunken rocks, and there is an island right in the middle of it; its +existence is ignored by all the charts. Surrounded as the bay is by +lofty mountains, the winds are very uncertain within it, so that if +one should have to weigh anchor it might be difficult to extricate the +vessel from her dangerous position even by the exercise of the +smartest seamanship. Lastly, it affords no shelter from the prevailing +wind, south-east, which often raises a nasty sea, and, what is more, +it is entirely exposed to the storm-wind of these seas, the dreaded +<i>pampero</i>, which blows right into it. Any one in charge of a +vessel brought up in this trap would be compelled to get under weigh +frequently under most difficult circumstances, and would live an +unenviable life of perpetual anxiety. This information will, I trust, +be of use to any fresh adventurers who propose to hunt for the +treasure of Trinidad. +</p> + +<p> +Though I would not venture into South-west Bay with the yacht, I knew +that we should have to carry our stores and tools there by boat and +land them on the beach opposite to the treasure ravine; for to +transport them by land from the easy landing-place near the cascade +would be an almost impossible undertaking. +</p> + +<p> +According to the dead pirate's statement, he and his comrades had +surveyed South-west Bay and discovered the best channel between the +rocks. He gave the directions for finding this channel to Captain +P——, and its existence had been verified by both the South Shields +explorers; but as they had brought back an alarming account of its +dangers, and boats had been lost in it, I considered that it would be +a wise precaution for me to land at the pier in the first place, +walk—or rather crawl and climb, for there is not much walking to be +done on that journey—across the island and survey South-west Bay from +the hills above it, before attempting to beach a boat there. +</p> + +<p> +In the evening we held a council in the saloon over our pipes, and I +explained my plans for the following day. +</p> + +<p> +I had explored the island pretty thoroughly while here before, and I +knew that it mainly consisted of inaccessible peaks and precipices, +among which there were very few passes practicable for men. In many +places the cliffs fall precipitously into the sea, affording no +foothold. I had landed in both North-west Bay and the bay beyond it, +and, though there were sandy beaches in both these, still, one could +go no further, for sheer promontories on either side and mountains +equally insurmountable at the back cut off all communication between +these coves and the rest of the island. I also knew that it would be +impossible for me to walk along the beach from the pier to South-west +Bay, for between these were the two capes that bound West Bay, both +opposing barriers of precipices to one's advance. +</p> + +<p> +But while here with the 'Falcon,' after a difficult and dangerous +search which has been fully described in the narrative of that voyage, +I at last discovered a pass, and I believe it is the only one, by +which the mountains at the centre of the island can be traversed and +the windward shore attained. +</p> + +<p> +First, I ascended the steep ravine down which the cascade flows. +Having arrived at the summit of the ravine I crossed the groves of +tree-ferns, and, after making several descents into ravines which +terminated in precipices and so compelled me to retrace my steps, I +succeeded in discovering a gully which led me to the beach on the +north-east side of the island. From here I found it possible to walk +along the beach to South Point, for no insurmountable capes +intervened; and from South-east Bay there was an easy pass under the +Sugarloaf Mountain by which the Treasure Bay could be reached. This +was the journey which I intended to make once again on the following +morning. This route, together with others taken in the course of our +explorations, are I believe the only accessible ways on the island. +</p> + +<p> +I knew by experience that the passage over the mountains to the +windward beach was both arduous and perilous, and that to climb to +South-west Bay, survey it, and return to the pier would occupy the +best part of three days. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor volunteered to accompany me, and I decided to take him with +me. It was indeed important that he should make himself acquainted +with the pass, for it had been settled that whenever I remained with +the yacht he should be in command of the party working on shore, and, +as the only reliable water-supply I knew of was at the cascade, it +might become necessary for him to lead the men across the mountains to +it should a water-famine occur at South-west Bay. Again, it was +certain that bad weather would occasionally make the landing of boats +at South-west Bay impossible for weeks at a time, so that, if there +were some urgent reason for communicating with the yacht, this could +only be done by crossing to the pier landing-place, at which I am of +opinion that one can land ten times with safety to once in South-west +Bay. It had been my intention to form a depot of stores at the pier, +but this we found to be unnecessary. +</p> + +<p> +After I had made the above explanations to my companions assembled in +the saloon, our sportsman, who had been listening attentively, +remarked: 'Skipper, you have given us plenty of reason for taking +Cloete-Smith with you tomorrow and teaching him the roads; but you +have omitted the most important reason of all. Let me inform you that +you won't get us to do any work on shore on Sundays; so on every +Sunday afternoon we will put on our best clothes and the doctor will +have to take us over the pass to the pier, where we can do a sort of +church-parade, and listen to the band. I suppose there will be a bar +there, too, with Theodosius as bar-man presiding over the rum-barrel.' +</p> + + + +<a name="X"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER X. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +THE SUMMIT OF TRINIDAD. +</p> + + +<p> +On the following morning—November 21—as soon as breakfast was over, +the doctor and myself started for the shore. In view of the rough +climbing before us we did not burden ourselves with much baggage, but +set forth in light marching order. We dispensed with blankets, and, in +addition to the somewhat scanty clothing we had on, we carried merely +provisions for three days, consisting of some ship's biscuit, a few +strips of Brazilian <i>charki</i> or jerked beef—rather rank—some +dried figs, a flask of rum, a tin bottle to hold water, one pannikin, +tobacco, pipes, and matches. +</p> + +<p> +We could see from the deck that there was considerable surf on the +beach, and it was evident that we should not find the landing at the +pier to be so easy a matter as it often is. +</p> + +<p> +Two of the paid hands pulled us off in the dinghy. When we were about +halfway to the shore we perceived a bright red object on an eminence +near the cascade. On getting nearer we distinguished this to be a +ragged red flag flying from a pole. This was a startling discovery for +us, and might signify that some rival expedition had landed on the +island. +</p> + +<p> +We reached the pier and found a high swell rolling by it, while eddies +and overfalls round the outer end of it caused the boat to become more +or less unmanageable, driving her first in one direction, then in +another, so that she could not be brought very close to, without risk +of staving her in against the rocks. +</p> + +<p> +Under these circumstances the only safe method of getting on shore was +to jump into the water. The boat was backed in towards the pier end, +the men pulling a few strokes ahead whenever a wave threatened to dash +her on to it. I stood in the stern and awaited a favourable +opportunity, then jumped overboard and clambered quickly up the pier +side before the next roller should wash me off. Then the boat was +backed in again, and the doctor repeated the performance. +</p> + +<p> +We had no particular objection to the wetting we had received, but a +good many of our biscuits were converted into a pulp and our figs were +pickled with the sea-water. +</p> + +<p> +So here we were at last safely on shore at Trinidad, both in high +spirits at the prospect before us, for we were eager to commence the +exploration that might result in who could tell what magnificent +results. +</p> + +<p> +Climbing over the rugged top of the pier we descended on the beach, +which at high-water is partly overflowed, the pier being then +converted into an island. We scrambled over the rocks and scoriæ to +the height by the cascade on which the flag was, and then our +suspicions were put at rest by what we discovered. A good-sized barrel +had been firmly jammed between the rocks in a prominent place and +filled with stones. A pole had been planted in the barrel, and from +this floated the red flag we had seen. It was in so ragged a condition +that it was impossible to say whether it had ever been a British flag +or not. Under it was a wooden tablet, on which was painted the +following inscription: 'H.M.S. "Ruby," February 26, 1889.' There was +also a bottle on the cask containing the cards of the commander of the +vessel, Captain Kennedy, and his wardroom officers. +</p> + +<p> +Having thus satisfied ourselves that no enemy was in possession of the +island, we went to the cascade. This stream rises among the tree-ferns +at the summit of the mountain and rushes down the gully with a +considerable volume of water. This issue is, I should imagine, +perennial. +</p> + +<p> +Then we commenced our ascent, which involved no light work. The gully +was excessively steep. We were climbing up a staircase of great rocks, +and often where there were insurmountable precipices we had to make a +<i>détour</i> round the mountain-side, creeping carefully along the +steep declivities that overhung the cliffs, the rock and earth +crumbling beneath our feet as we went: for one of the most unpleasant +peculiarities of this island is that it is nowhere solid; it is rotten +throughout, its substance has been disintegrated by volcanic fires and +by the action of water, so that it is everywhere tumbling to pieces. +As one travels over the mountains one is ever starting miniature +landslips and dislodging great stones, which roll, thundering, down +the cliffs, gathering other companions as they go until a very +avalanche is formed. On this day the doctor, who was a little ahead of +me at the time, sent adrift a stone weighing a hundredweight at the +least, which just cleared my head as I stooped down to dodge it. We +were on a dangerous part of the mountain, and had it struck me it must +have impelled me over a precipice several hundred feet in height. +After this we followed parallel tracks wherever this was feasible. +</p> + +<p> +The unstableness of Trinidad causes a perpetual sense of insecurity +while one is on the mountains. One knows not when some over-hanging +pinnacle may topple down. One great source of danger is that there are +many declivities which can be descended but not ascended, and it would +be easy to get hopelessly imprisoned at the foot of one of these. In +the 'Cruise of the "Falcon"' is described one really terrible +experience we went through. Our exploring party had found no water, +and the boy was practically dying of thirst. So, driven by urgent +necessity—for we saw by the configuration of the mountains that we +should almost certainly find water at the bottom of a certain +ravine—we proceeded to descend to it down a great slope, not of +loose <i>débris</i>, but of half-consolidated volcanic matter like +half-baked bricks, and very brittle. +</p> + +<p> +This slope became steeper as we advanced and very dangerous, but it +was impossible to retrace our steps. When we attempted to ascend, the +mountain slid away under our feet, crumbling into ashes. It was like +climbing a treadmill. So we had to abandon this hope and go still +further down, lying on our backs, progressing inch by inch carefully, +one of us occasionally sliding down a few yards and sending an +avalanche before him. We knew not to the edge of what precipices this +dreadful way would lead us. Luckily we reached the bottom and found +water in safety. I determined not to get into any difficulties of this +description in the course of our present journey. +</p> + +<p> +We gradually ascended the ravine, sometimes climbing on one side of +it, sometimes on the other, and occasionally wading through the water +at the bottom, according to which route was the safest. +</p> + +<p> +The nature of the scenery around us was now grand in the extreme, and +had a weird character of its own that I have never perceived on other +mountains. The jagged and torn peaks, the profound chasms, the huge +landslips of black rocks, the slopes of red volcanic ash destitute of +vegetation, in themselves produce a sense of extreme desolation; but +this is heightened by the presence of a ghastly dead vegetation and by +the numberless uncanny birds and land-crabs which cover all the rocks. +</p> + +<p> +This lonely islet is perhaps the principal breeding place for +sea-birds in the South Atlantic. Here multitudes of man-of-war birds, +gannets, boobies, cormorants, and petrels have their undisturbed +haunts. Not knowing how dangerous he is, they treat their superior +animal, man, with a shocking want of due respect. The large birds more +especially attack one furiously if one approaches their nests in the +breeding season, and in places where one has to clamber with hands as +well as feet, and is therefore helpless, they are positively +dangerous. +</p> + +<p> +As for the land-crabs, which are unlike any I have seen elsewhere, +they swarm all over the island in incredible numbers. I have even seen +them two or three deep in shady places under the rocks; they crawl +over everything, polluting every stream, devouring anything—a +loathsome lot of brutes, which were of use, however, round our camp as +scavengers. They have hard shells of a bright saffron colour, and +their faces have a most cynical and diabolic expression. As one +approaches them they stand on their hind legs and wave their pincers +threateningly, while they roll their hideous goggle eyes at one in a +dreadful manner. If a man is sleeping or sitting down quietly, these +creatures will come up to have a bite at him, and would devour him if +he was unable for some reason to shake them off; but we murdered so +many in the vicinity of our camp during our stay on the island, that +they certainly became less bold, and it seemed almost as if the word +had been passed all over Trinidad that we were dangerous animals, to +be shunned by every prudent crab. Even when we were exploring remote +districts we at last found that they fled in terror, instead of +menacing us with their claws. +</p> + +<p> +But the great mystery of this mysterious island is the forest of dead +trees which covers it and which astonishes every visitor. +</p> + +<p> +The following account of this wood is taken from the 'Cruise of the +"Falcon,"' and as it was nine years ago, so is it now:— +</p> + +<p> +'What struck us as remarkable was, that though in this cove there was +no live vegetation of any kind, there were traces of an abundant +extinct vegetation. The mountain slopes were thickly covered with dead +wood—wood, too, that had evidently long since been dead; some of +these leafless trunks were prostrate, some still stood up as they had +grown.... When we afterwards discovered that over the whole of this +extensive island—from the beach up to the summit of the highest +mountain—at the bottom and on the slopes of every now barren ravine, +on whose loose-rolling stones no vegetation could possibly take +root—these dead trees were strewed as closely as it is possible for +trees to grow; and when we further perceived that they all seemed to +have died at one and the same time, as if plague-struck, and that no +single live specimen, young or old, was to be found anywhere—our +amazement was increased. +</p> + +<p> +'At one time Trinidad must have been covered with one magnificent +forest, presenting to passing vessels a far different appearance to +that it now does, with its inhospitable and barren crags. +</p> + +<p> +'The descriptions given in the "Directory" allude to these forests; +therefore, whatever catastrophe it may have been that killed off all +the vegetation of the island, it must have occurred within the memory +of man. +</p> + +<p> +'Looking at the rotten, broken up condition of the rock, and the +nature of the soil, where there is a soil—a loose powder, not +consolidated like earth, but having the appearance of fallen volcanic +ash—I could not help imagining that some great eruption had brought +about all this desolation; Trinidad is the acknowledged centre of a +small volcanic patch that lies in this portion of the South Atlantic, +therefore I think this theory a more probable one than that of a long +drought, a not very likely contingency in this rather rainy region.' +</p> + +<p> +Some time after the publication of the 'Cruise of the "Falcon"' I came +across an excellent description of Trinidad in Captain Marryat's +novel, 'Frank Mildmay.' It is obvious from the following passage, +which I quote from that work, that the trees had been long dead at the +date of its publication, 1829:— +</p> + +<p> +'Here a wonderful and most melancholy phenomenon arrested our +attention. Thousands and thousands of trees covered the valley, each +of them about thirty feet high; but every tree was dead, and extended +its leafless boughs to another—a forest of desolation, as if nature +had at some particular moment ceased to vegetate! There was no +underwood or grass. On the lowest of the dead boughs, the gannets, and +other sea-birds, had built their nests, in numbers uncountable. Their +tameness, as Cowper says, "was shocking to me." So unaccustomed did +they seem to man that the mothers brooding over their young only +opened their beaks, in a menacing attitude, at us as we passed by +them. How to account satisfactorily for the simultaneous destruction +of this vast forest of trees was very difficult; there was no want of +rich earth for nourishment of the roots. The most probable cause +appeared to me a sudden and continued eruption of sulphuric effluvia +from the volcano; or else by some unusually heavy gale of wind or +hurricane the trees had been drenched with salt water to the roots. +One or the other of these causes must have produced the effect. The +philosopher or the geologist must decide.' +</p> + +<p> +Captain Marryat was evidently unaware that these dead trees are to be +found on the heights 3,000 feet above the sea-level as well as in the +valleys, or he would not have suggested salt water as the cause of +their destruction. +</p> + +<p> +His description proves that the trees were dead at least sixty years +ago, and in all probability they had been dead for a long time before. +The latest record I have been able to discover which describes live +trees as existing on Trinidad is dated as far back as 1700. The +Ninepin and the Sugarloaf, now utterly barren, were then crowded with +trees of a great size. +</p> + +<p> +Though some of this timber is rotten, a large proportion of it is not +decayed in the least, but when cut with the axe presents the +appearance of a sound, well-seasoned wood. It is gnarled and knotty, +extremely hard and heavy, its specific gravity being but slightly less +than that of water. It is of a dark reddish colour and of very close +grain. +</p> + +<p> +I brought a log of it home and sent it to a cabinetmaker, who found +that it would take an excellent polish. On sending this specimen to +Kew I was informed that the wood 'probably belongs to the family +Myrtaceæ, and possibly to the species Eugenia.' I find that this +species includes the pimento or allspice, the rose-apple, and other +aromatic and fruit-producing trees; so that desert Trinidad may at one +time have been a delicious spice-island. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor and myself toiled on up the gully, whose slopes, as we +approached the summit, became less rugged, and here the ferns grew up +between the trunks of the dead trees, spreading wide their beautiful +fronds of fresh green. +</p> + +<p> +When we had come to a spot a little below the source of the stream we +left the gully—not before we had drunk our fill and replenished the +bottle—and ascended the down where the tree-ferns grow thickest. The +soil is here very loose and presents the appearance of having been +quite recently ploughed up, while it is honeycombed with the holes of +the teeming land-crabs. +</p> + +<p> +Soon we reached the summit of the plateau, where a pleasant breeze +stirred the ferns and we could now command a magnificent view not only +over the mountains we had climbed but over the weather side of the +island as well. I remembered the scene, for I had looked down from +here nine years before. On the weather side of the island the +mountains are even more precipitous than on the lee side; but, on the +other hand, they do not run sheer into the sea, for at their base +extend great green slopes continued by broad sandy beaches. Along all +this coast are shallow flats and outlying rocks on which the surf +breaks perpetually. Thirty miles out to sea rise the inaccessible +rocky islets of Martin Vas. +</p> + +<p> +The plateau we were on was covered with a luxuriant vegetation, for +in addition to the tree-ferns there were large bushes of some +species of acacia—a tall thorny plant with flowers like those of +scarlet-runners, and bearing large beans—flowering grasses, and +various other plants. I collected specimens of these later on, which +were lost, however, with other stores shortly before we abandoned +the island, in consequence of the capsizing of our boat while +launching her in Treasure Bay. +</p> + +<p> +It seemed strange to find so beautiful a garden, high up, almost +unapproachable for the perils that surround it, throned as it is on a +wilderness of rock rising up to it in chaotic masses and sheer +precipices from the shore far below. The sailors under Frank Mildmay +discovered this grove before me. In all his descriptions of places and +scenery Captain Marryat is singularly faithful to the truth, even in +the minutest details. In this respect indeed he is more conscientious +in his works of fiction than are most travellers in their presumedly +true narratives. The most minute and accurate description of Trinidad +that I have come across is in 'Frank Mildmay,' and it is easy to +identify every spot mentioned in that book. The author must himself +have visited this strange place, and his imagination was strongly +stirred by it. He gives us graphic pictures of 'the iron-bound coast +with high and pointed rocks, frowning defiance over the unappeasable +and furious waves which break incessantly at their feet.' His hero +also experiences the usual difficulty in landing; men and boat are +nearly lost, and in all his thrilling narrative there is not the least +exaggeration. All the events described might well have happened, and +probably did happen. +</p> + +<p> +Of the grove he says:—'The men reported that they had gained the +summit of the mountain, where they had discovered a large plain, +skirted by a species of fern-tree from twelve to eighteen feet +high—that on this plain they had seen a herd of goats; and among them +could distinguish one of enormous size which appeared to be their +leader. They also found many wild hogs.' +</p> + +<p> +We saw no goats or hogs, and I am confident that none are now left +alive. We did, however, in the course of our digging discover what +appeared to be the bones of a goat. It is well known that these +animals once abounded here. Captain Halley, of the 'Paramore Pink,' +afterwards Dr. Halley, Astronomer-Royal, landed on this island April +17, 1700, and put on it some goats and hogs for breeding, as also a +pair of guinea-fowl which he carried from St. Helena. 'I took,' says +his journal,'possession of the island in his Majesty's name, as +knowing it to be granted by the King's letters-patent, leaving the +Union Jack flying.' +</p> + +<p> +The American commander, Amaso Delano, visited Trinidad in 1803. He +writes:—'We found plenty of goats and hogs. We saw some cats, and +these three sorts of quadrupeds were the only animals we saw on the +island.' +</p> + +<p> +Possibly the land-crabs have gobbled all these up, for the only +quadrupeds we came across were mice. +</p> + +<p> +Having attained the summit of the island, the doctor and myself took a +rest under the shade of the tree-ferns, while we partook of a frugal +lunch of biscuits and rum, the indispensable pipes, of course, +following. +</p> + + + +<a name="XI"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER XI. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +ON THE ROAD TO TREASURE BAY. +</p> + + +<p> +Having smoked our pipes we continued our journey. At first I was a +very sanguine guide. I thought I should have no difficulty in +recognising the ravine by which, nine years before, I had descended to +the windward shore. But in this I was mistaken, for I found it +extremely difficult to find my way to it again. +</p> + +<p> +At any rate we were not now about to undergo the great toil, thirst, +and danger that I had experienced during my former visit, for I at +least knew some of the places to avoid, and this was a matter of +importance. As we clambered along the edges of the mountains, looking +for the pass, I was able to condemn at once as false passages several +promising-looking routes, the vain trial of which had exhausted myself +and my companions on my previous expedition. +</p> + +<p> +For instance, there was one long slope of volcanic <i>débris</i> of a +ruddy colour which appeared from where we stood to join on to the +green hills below and so to lead to the sandy beaches. The doctor was +anxious to attempt this easy-looking way, but I knew the deceitful +place too well of old. It tempts one further and further down, ever +getting steeper, until one suddenly finds oneself at the edge of a +frightful precipice, invisible from above, which compels one at great +risk to retrace one's painful steps to the heights. +</p> + +<p> +In the course of my first exploration we made so many false descents +of these ravines and slopes, all terminating in precipices and driving +us back again, that at last, finding no water, we were completely worn +out and nearly perished of thirst. The heat is intense on Trinidad, +especially at this season of the year, when the sun is vertical, and +to climb these hot crags through the suffocating air is the most +completely exhausting work I have ever undertaken. No other place +within the tropics that I have visited has such an oppressive climate. +I, therefore, determined to make no foolish experiments on this +occasion, and not to attempt the descent until I was certain of my +pass. +</p> + +<p> +We crawled along the cliff-side for a long way, looking over at every +point; but I could see nothing like my old ravine, and soon got fairly +puzzled. At last we had followed the mountain ridges almost to the +north end of the island, where the plateau of tree-ferns ceases, and +where the mountains fall nearly perpendicularly into the sea, and +culminate in needle-like peaks, affording no soil for vegetation of +any description. So I knew that we had come too far and had passed the +entrance to the ravine. We accordingly retraced our steps. We had now +exhausted our bottle of water and were suffering from thirst. My old +experience had taught me never, if possible, to be far from a stream +while wandering over Trinidad. To toil among these arid rocks produces +an insatiable thirst, and one's strength fails if one is deprived of +water even for a short time. Therefore as we saw below us a ravine +that looked like a water-course and which bore some resemblance to the +one I was in search of, we decided to explore it. We lowered ourselves +down from rock to rock for some way, and soon, to our delight, found a +small issue of cool water. But this was not my ravine, for, on +descending further, we came to the edge of one of the usual +precipices, and we had to clamber up again. +</p> + +<p> +We attempted yet another ravine, which I did not recognise as +<i>the</i> one, but which might prove to be it nevertheless, for I had +to confess that I was quite at sea. This in time led us to a sloping +shelf of rock overhanging another precipice. This shelf was extremely +slippery, for the stream flowed over it in a thin film and it was +covered with a short moss. This, too, exactly corresponds with a +description in 'Frank Mildmay,' that excellent guide to Trinidad, and +what is said about the spot in that work may serve as a warning to +any—if such there ever be—who may meditate a tour on this island. +Two of Mildmay's sailors had been lost while goat-hunting, so he sets +forth in search of them. 'I was some yards in advance of my +companions,' he says, 'and the dog a little distance from me, near the +shelving part of a rock terminating in a precipice. The shelf I had to +cross was about six or seven feet wide and ten or twelve long, with a +very little inclined plane towards the precipice, so that I thought it +perfectly safe. A small rill of water trickled down from the rock +above it, and, losing itself among the moss and grass, fell over the +precipice below, which, indeed, was of a frightful depth. This +causeway was to all appearance safe, compared with many which we had +passed, and I was just going to step upon it when my dog ran before +me, jumped on the fatal pass—his feet slipped from under him—he fell +and disappeared over the precipice! I started back—I heard a heavy +squelch and a howl; another fainter succeeded, and all was still. I +advanced with the utmost caution to the edge of the precipice, where I +discovered that the rill of water had nourished a short moss, close +and smooth as velvet, and so slippery as not to admit of the lightest +footstep; this accounted for the sudden disappearance and, as I +concluded, the inevitable death of my dog.' Later on, far below, he +found 'the two dead bodies of our companions and that of my dog, all +mangled in a shocking manner; both, it would appear, had attempted to +cross the shelf in the same careless way which I was about to do when +Providence interposed the dog in my behalf.' The adventures of Frank +Mildmay and his crew on Trinidad are recorded with such realism and +with—as I have before said—such accuracy of local colouring, that I +suspect Captain Marryat in this portion of his work is recounting his +personal experiences. +</p> + +<p> +So, foiled once again, we reascended the ravine and walked along the +edge of the mountains, till we came to a projecting rock that +commanded an extensive view over the cliffs. Here we sat down and +discussed the problem before us. I assured the doctor that my ravine +was certainly close to us somewhere, but that I altogether failed to +identify it among the ravines before us, though I carried in my mind's +eye a very vivid picture of its appearance. +</p> + +<p> +'Perhaps it has disappeared,' suggested the doctor. This seemed +scarcely possible, but it might, I acknowledged, have been so changed +by landslips as to be unrecognisable. +</p> + +<p> +Being people of logical mind, we reasoned that, if the ravine still +existed, we ought now to discover it without any difficulty by a +simple process of elimination. There was only a limited number of even +possible-looking ways down the precipices. Of these we had now tried +two in vain. Again, there were several others which I remembered well +to have attempted at the time of my previous visit and to have found +impracticable. It followed that we had now to confine our attention to +any remaining possible routes, and of these there could be very few. +</p> + +<p> +Indeed, after a careful survey along the edge of the cliffs, we found +that there was but one such way left to us, and that looked very ugly. +Everywhere else were precipices that could obviously only be descended +by a means of progression more rapid than we cared to undertake. +</p> + +<p> +This way seemed as if it might afford a passage to the beach, but it +was not a ravine at all. The mountain on which we stood had fallen +away, leaving a precipitous step some fifty or sixty feet in height, +and from this step there sloped down to a depth, I should say, of +quite 1,500 feet a great landslip of broken rocks, the <i>débris</i> +of the fallen mountain. This landslip appeared to have taken place not +long since. It was composed of rocks of all sizes and shapes, almost +coal black, piled one on the other at so steep an angle that it was +extraordinary how the mass held together and did not topple over. It +was indeed in places more like an artificial wall of rough stones on a +gigantic scale than a landslip. +</p> + +<p> +The pass I was searching for was utterly unlike this. I remembered +well that I had found a ravine extending from the mountain top to the +beach, which I described in my narrative as 'a gloomy gorge with sides +formed of black rocks piled on each other in chaotic masses, with a +small stream trickling into it.' We had experienced little difficulty +in ascending or descending it. Before us were now a sufficiency 'of +black rocks piled on each other in chaotic masses,' but no signs of a +ravine or stream. +</p> + +<p> +It did not look a tempting route, but we could see nothing else, so +decided to try it. The descent was anything but easy and was certainly +rather trying to the nerves. To begin with, the descent of the +precipitous step I have mentioned was a very creepy business. Having +accomplished this without accident, we clambered down the giant +staircase of black rocks the best way we could, and also with as much +speed as was consistent with safety; for the sun was low, the sudden +tropical night would soon be on us, and as it would be, of course, +impossible to proceed in the dark, we should be compelled to camp out +in this very uncomfortable place if we did not hurry on. +</p> + +<p> +We at last reached the foot of the landslip, and were on the green +down we had seen from above, and which slopes gently to the beach. All +our difficulties were over. +</p> + +<p> +These slopes on the windward side of Trinidad are overgrown chiefly +with a sturdy species of bean. This plant creeps along the ground, +throwing out long tough tendrils, whose mission it evidently is to +climb up something for support; but in this they are generally +unsuccessful, for nearly all the dead trees have been blown down on +this wind-swept corner of the island. A few trees are still standing, +and these are overgrown with clinging creepers more lucky than the +rest. The scene reminded me of countries I had visited where there are +ten women to one man and where, consequently, the male is properly +appreciated and made much of, while thousands of luckless old maids +vegetate hopelessly with no one to cling to. When I imparted this +simile to the doctor he implored me not to be sentimental. +</p> + +<p> +The flowers of this bean are pink, and the pods are as large as broad +beans. These the doctor at once pronounced to be edible, for, as he +explained to me, none of these leguminosæ are poisonous. This was a +good thing to know, for they grow so thickly on these shores that we +could have collected any quantity we pleased during our stay on +Trinidad; and with these, the fish, the turtle, the birds and their +eggs, all of which are procurable here without any difficulty, it +would be possible for men left on this island to ward off starvation +for any length of time. +</p> + +<p> +When I speak of the slopes we were now on as downs, the reader must +not conjure up a picture of the grassy downs of the English coast, +pleasant under foot and easy to travel on. To drag one's feet over the +downs of Trinidad is a very weary business. There are large rocks and +deep pits everywhere. One's progress is impeded by the extreme +softness of the soil, into which one's feet sink deeply, and this is +made still worse by the burrows of the land-crabs, while the roots of +the tall grasses and the trailing tendrils of the beans try to trip +one up at every step. +</p> + +<p> +Here, to our relief, we found water again. At the foot of the landslip +a deep gully opened out which clove the down to the edge of the shore. +At the bottom of this a little stream flowed for a short distance, +being absorbed by the thirsty soil long before it could reach the +sands below. +</p> + +<p> +In order to avoid the entangling vegetation we walked down this gully, +and an exceedingly unpleasant place we found it. For here an +incredible number of large fluffy white birds, a sort of gannet, were +sitting on their nests with their young. They covered the rocks and +the branches of the dead trees. They attacked us savagely whenever we +came within reach of them, and the whole of the hot narrow gorge stank +most offensively of the rotten fish they had strewed about. The +different species of birds occupy different portions of this island, +and this ravine is the chief haunt of this particular disagreeable +tribe. +</p> + +<p> +The whole scene now seemed strangely familiar to me—the ravine, the +black rocks, the crowds of brooding white birds—and when at last we +came to what appeared to be an old road of piled-up stones crossing +the gully I stood still and cried in astonishment: 'Why, doctor, this +is my ravine after all! I remember this place well!' +</p> + +<p> +Then I looked behind me at the mountain we had descended, and I began +to understand how it was that I had been unable to find out my old +route. As I have explained, the ravine I had travelled down nine years +before extended from the plateau of tree-ferns to the shore. But since +then a gigantic landslip had evidently taken place. The mountain-side +had fallen away, and millions and millions of tons of rocks had rolled +below, entirely filling up the ravine and destroying all traces of it, +until far down, where it appeared again on the downs beyond the limit +of the landslip. +</p> + +<p> +This was one among other instances I can mention showing that enormous +changes have taken place on this island even in the course of the last +nine years. When this terrific fall of rocks occurred, it would have +been a wonderful sight to one gazing at it in safety from the sea, and +the noise of it must have made itself heard for many leagues around. +It has certainly converted what was once a comparatively easy and +perfectly safe road from the mountain-tops to the windward shore into +an extremely difficult and dangerous one. So much so that the doctor +and myself saw at once that it would be useless to establish a depot +of stores at the pier, as it would be out of the question to lead the +members of the expedition up such a perilous place as this. It was +absolutely certain that lives would be lost if this pass were often +attempted. No skilful mountaineering would avail against the +treacherous rottenness of the precipitous step which surmounts the +landslip, and which did not exist of old, There is no certain foothold +anywhere upon its face, and we looked forward with no pleasurable +anticipation to our enforced return by this way on the morrow. +</p> + +<p> +The birds' eggs lay on every stone in this valley. We tasted some of +them, but the flavour bore too much resemblance to the stench of +rotten fish around us to be altogether pleasing. +</p> + +<p> +The bank of stones which I had recognised in the ravine was of far too +regular formation to be otherwise than the work of men's hands. +</p> + +<p> +Some hundreds of years ago, the Portuguese had a penal settlement on +this side of Trinidad, and this, no doubt, was what remained of one of +their roads. Some weeks later, I explored the ruins of this +settlement, which is a short distance to the north of this gully. I +will describe it when I come to that portion of my narrative. +</p> + +<p> +Before we came to the spot where the stream soaks into the earth we +filled our bottle with water; then we walked down to the sandy beach, +reaching it just before it became too dark to see our way. We were not +long in selecting our camp. There was a large rock on the sands above +high-water mark, whose hollow side afforded good shelter from wind and +rain. In front of this, we lit a fire of the wreckwood, of which there +was no lack round us, and after a supper of roasted <i>charki</i> and +biscuit, we proceeded to make ourselves comfortable over our pipes and +rum. We were tired, and would have slept very soundly with the sound +of the surf on the reefs as our lullaby, had it not been for the +land-crabs, which would not let us alone, but pulled our hair or +nipped our necks as soon as we began to doze off. +</p> + +<p> +At last their conduct became unbearable, and our patience worn out, so +we got up, seized two sticks, and slaughtered some fifty of them. Then +we had a little rest, for the others left us alone for a while and +devoured their dead brethren, making a merry crackling noise all round +us, as they pulled the joints asunder and opened the shells. It was, +as the doctor remarked, like the sound of many lobster suppers going +on together at Scott's. +</p> + +<p> +At daybreak (Nov. 22) we started for South-west Bay. We had drunk all +our water, and so were anxious to reach the bay, explore it, and be +back to our stream as quickly as possible. While making this same +journey nine years before, I had found no signs of fresh water between +this and South Point. The streams that flow from the mountain-tops are +absorbed far up by the slopes of <i>débris</i> and never reach the +shore. Mr. A—— did discover a small, but uncertain, supply near his +camp at the head of South-west Bay, but we felt that we could not rely +on this, and that the issue in the ravine above us, which we had left +on the previous evening, was the only one we could fall back upon with +certainty on the whole weather shore of the island. +</p> + +<p> +We walked along the sandy beach, with the mountains towering to the +right of us and the ocean swell breaking heavily on the reefs to our +left. The beach was covered with wreckage—planks, barrels, spars, +timbers of vessels with the corroded iron bolts still sticking in +them—a melancholy spectacle; but I was unable to find one particular +wreck which I had seen here nine years before—the complete framework +of a vessel partly buried in the sands, into which I had thought it +might be worth while for our party now to dig, as some valuables might +be lying in her hold. Either the sea had broken up or the sands had +completely covered this wreck since my last visit. +</p> + +<p> +We found traces of turtle on the sands, and we saw that the pools of +clear water left by the tide were full of fish, while sea-crabs +scampered over the rocks in quantities. The beans, too, grew in +profusion on the downs above the beach, so there was plenty of food +all round us, and, if there had only been fresh water, we could have +made ourselves very comfortable here. There were, of course, plenty of +land-crabs everywhere, but one would have to be hard driven to eat +these ugly brutes. +</p> + +<p> +At last we came to a promontory of rock jutting out into the sea. We +climbed up this without difficulty, and descended the other side by a +steep slope of soft white sand. +</p> + +<p> +From here we could see before us the Sugarloaf and Noah's Ark. The +former mountain, as its name implies, is of conical shape—a +stupendous mass, apparently of grey granite, whose summit is about +1,500 feet above the sea, and which on one side is very nearly +perpendicular. Noah's Ark (South Point on the Admiralty chart) was so +named by myself at the time of my former visit, in consequence of its +resemblance both in shape and colour to the favourite toy of my +childhood. It is of oblong form, with perpendicular sides and with a +top exactly like the roof of a house. It is formed of volcanic rock of +a peculiar reddish colour, and is about 800 feet in height. These two +strangely-shaped mountains are joined together by an apparently +inaccessible ridge composed chiefly of the red detritus from Noah's +Ark. +</p> + +<p> +Our destination, South-west Bay, is bounded on its east side by these +mountains; it was, therefore, necessary for us now, being south of +East Point, to cross the intervening heights. +</p> + +<p> +The only pass I knew was just under the Sugarloaf. This we used +generally to speak of as the Sugarloaf Col, so as to distinguish it +from another pass which we afterwards discovered. Sugarloaf Col is the +gap which divides the Sugarloaf from a jagged peak to the north of it, +and which, in its turn, is continued by the steep downs which lie to +the back of South-west Bay. +</p> + +<p> +We crossed the sands, and then a small plain covered with a variety of +bushes, which brought us to the foot of the Col. This gap is formed of +rocks piled on one another, and is not difficult to surmount. +</p> + +<p> +We reached the summit of it and then, looking down on the other side, +we beheld, lying at our feet, Treasure Bay at last. +</p> + + + +<a name="XII"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER XII. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +WE EXPLORE THE RAVINE. +</p> + + +<p> +AS we stood on the Col, the steep wall of the Sugarloaf rising to the +left of us, the view over South-west Bay was exceedingly fine. The bay +is of semicircular form, with a distance of about a mile and a half +from point to point. Broad sands, with green downs behind them, border +the central portion; but it is bounded by steep bare mountains on +either side: on the east side by Noah's Ark, the Sugarloaf and the +peaks beyond; and on the west side by the rugged promontories and +islands which divide it from South Bay. In contrast to the savage +cliffs that shut them in, the sands and downs in the middle of the bay +present a very pleasing and fertile appearance, especially when seen +from the sea, conveying the idea that this is a far more agreeable +spot to live on than proves to be the case after a closer examination. +</p> + +<p> +From the Col we could look right down on the bay, and, as the water +was very clear, we were able to distinguish all the dangers below the +surface, as well as those above. It was, no doubt, from here that the +pirate captain made his survey. +</p> + +<p> +We saw that an islet, unmarked on any chart, rose in the middle of the +bay, while a reef of rocks, apparently coral, extended right round the +bay, parallel to the beach, and at a short distance from it. Some of +these rocks were above the surface of the water, some just below, and +others—the most dangerous—further down, so that it was only +occasionally that the sea broke upon them. The pirate in his +confession had spoken of a channel he had discovered through this +reef, situated under the Sugarloaf, at the eastern extremity of the +bay. We now saw that it existed there exactly as he had described +it—a broad opening in the line of rocks, through which a boat could +be pulled, and beached on the sands. +</p> + +<p> +But still, it was an awkward place, and it would be impossible to land +there on such a day as this was, for immense rollers were sweeping up +the shore which would have almost certainly dashed any boat to pieces +that ventured among them. We were, however, very satisfied with the +success of our expedition so far. We had discovered and taken bearings +of the channel, and we knew how to pilot a boat through it, when the +weather should be favourable. Our next duty was to descend into the +bay and identify the place where the treasure was supposed to be +hidden. +</p> + +<p> +It was not long before we had discovered what we considered to be the +right spot. +</p> + +<p> +The pirate had described a small gully in the middle of this bay, at +the foot of which he and his men had erected three cairns, which +should serve as landmarks to those who had the clue, and point the way +to the treasure. +</p> + +<p> +Mr. P——, and, after him, Mr. A——, had found this gully and the +three cairns, just as they had been described. Mr. A——, either for +the purpose of putting others off the scent, or in order to discover +if anything had been concealed beneath them, blew up these cairns with +gun-powder and dug into them, so that now we could only see traces of +one of them. He had, however, communicated to me what he understood to +be their signification, and how he had been led by them to the first +bend in the ravine, at which spot the plunder had been buried under a +hollow rock. +</p> + +<p> +We walked up the ravine till we came to a bend, and here, as we had +expected, we saw what appeared to be a landslip of red earth, filling +up the corner of it, blocking up the mouth of any cave that might +exist there, even as Mr. P—— and Mr. A—— had described. And here +before us lay a small trench, with a broken earthenware water jar and +the remains of a wheel-barrow lying in it—all that remained to show +where Mr. A—— had carried on his not very extensive works. +</p> + +<p> +This, therefore, was the spot we had crossed the Atlantic to find. We +stood and looked at it in silence for a while. 'What do you think of +it?' asked the doctor at last. +</p> + +<p> +It was not an easy question to reply to, for I did not quite know +myself what to think of it. I had pictured to myself a very different +place. I saw that our work would in one respect be more difficult than +I had anticipated, in another respect far more easy. For this landslip +was not nearly so extensive as I had understood it to be, and the +slopes of the ravine were not of such a character as to render our +operations dangerous, or to necessitate any timbering of our shafts or +trenches. But, on the other hand, there was a want of definiteness +that was disappointing. There were no really sharp bends in the +ravine, and there were several landslips. It was impossible to be +quite certain of what was meant by 'the first bend;' for there were +bends of so insignificant a character that they might easily be +overlooked; and we had no knowledge of the number of paces from the +cairns to the cavern. Therefore, should we fail to find the treasure +at the spot where Mr. A—— commenced to dig, it would be necessary +for us to clear the landslip off the face of the cliff for some +considerable distance. +</p> + +<p> +Having inspected the scene of Mr. A——'s operations, we set out to +explore the ravine carefully, and, bearing in mind what we knew of the +pirate's original instructions, we endeavoured to reason out whether +this or some other neighbouring bend was the most likely spot. The +treasure was lying, or had been lying, very close to us somewhere; of +that I felt confident at the time, and I have had no reason for +altering my opinion since. +</p> + +<p> +First, we went down the ravine again, and when we reached the bottom +of it, where it opens out upon the back of the beach, we observed, +what had escaped our notice at first, an extensive excavation in the +hard soil—which is not so encumbered with boulders here as it is +higher up—a cutting so regular in form and with such perpendicular +sides that it was difficult to imagine that it had not been the work +of men's hands. This was certainly not one of Mr. A——'s trenches; +for to have removed such a quantity of earth and stones would have +occupied such a party as he had with him for six months at least. +</p> + +<p> +Was it possible that the American, or some other adventurer, had been +here before us and carried away the treasure? We could find no marks +of tools or other traces of man in or near this trench, so it was +impossible to decide whether it was artificial or natural. Some of us +afterwards came to the conclusion that it was most probably the +latter, for we came across other cuttings, somewhat similar to this, +in other portions of the ravine, which had evidently been produced by +the action of water. +</p> + +<p> +Next we went up the gully beyond Mr. A——'s trench, in the hopes of +finding water, of which we were beginning to feel the want. There was +no running stream here, though it was evident from its formation that +the ravine was swept by a mighty torrent after heavy rains. The water +that drained into it from the over-hanging mountain was soaked up by +the loose red soil that lay between the boulders. +</p> + +<p> +But at last we came to a little hollow at the foot of a rocky step, +where was a tiny pool of tepid and muddy water. However, this was all +we required, for we could now afford time to survey the scene of our +operations more thoroughly, instead of hurrying back, driven by +thirst, to our distant water-course. +</p> + +<p> +Between the hills and the beach, close to the mouth of the ravine, +there is a sort of plateau of sand and stones, and it was evidently on +this that Mr. A—— had pitched his camp, for here we came across his +tent poles, the remains of wheelbarrows, and some empty meat-tins. +</p> + +<p> +We walked down to the eastern beach, where the landing was, opposite +the channel between the coral rocks. The sands here sloped steeply +into deepish water; it was, apparently, an excellent place for +beaching a boat when the state of the weather should allow. Though it +was a windless day the ocean swell was high, and it was a grand sight +to see the great green rollers sweep majestically up till they were +close to the beach, and then curl over and break in showers of +sparkling spray. While we stood there admiring the scene, we saw a +curious sight. A roller was travelling towards us, rearing its arched +neck high up, so that the light of the sun shining through it made it +transparent, and in the middle of the clear green mass we saw a long +dark body suspended, borne along helplessly. It was a large shark +that, venturing too near the beach, had been carried up by the +breaker; he floated there a moment, erect on his tail, his fins +beating impotently, when the roller broke and he was dashed with a +loud thud on the beach; then the recoil of the surf swept him seawards +and we saw no more of him. +</p> + +<p> +Having carried out the object of our journey, we filled our bottle +with water and set forth on our return march. We recrossed Sugarloaf +Col and tramped along the sands. There was no wind and the day was +terribly hot. The sands reflected the burning sun into our faces, and +we felt as if we were literally roasting. Now and then we lay down, +clothes and all, in the salt-water pools, to cool ourselves, and we +rolled handkerchiefs round our heads, which we kept constantly wet. As +my hat had disappeared over a precipice on the previous day, this was +a very necessary precaution against sunstroke, so far as I was +concerned. +</p> + +<p> +When we were not far from our previous night's camp, we saw what +appeared to be an easier way up the mountains than the one by which we +had come down. The precipitous step at the top of the landslip had +been difficult enough to descend, and on account of the rottenness of +its substance we felt that the ascent might be impossible. +</p> + +<p> +Whether this new way of ours would have led us to the plateau of +tree-ferns high above us, I cannot tell; but I doubt it. At any rate, +we abandoned it before we had satisfied ourselves as to whether it was +a practicable route or not, for a most excellent reason on +Trinidad—the want of water. We had exhausted our bottle, and were +clambering up difficult declivities on hands and knees, with the +fierce sun blazing down upon our backs. As there was no wind, the air +that lay on the roasting rocks was so oppressive that we had to rest +frequently, and lie on our backs panting for breath. +</p> + +<p> +I was in the worse condition of the two, in consequence of the loss of +my hat, for, when the thin handkerchief I had wrapped round my head +was dry, it was altogether insufficient for protection, and I ran some +risk of being struck down by sunstroke or heat-apoplexy. +</p> + +<p> +Accordingly, as we saw no signs of water above us, and as it was more +than likely that this way would lead us to inaccessible precipices +which would drive us back again, we thought it prudent to retrace our +steps before we were quite exhausted, and make our way to the stream +we knew of. We could rest by it until the sun had dipped below the +mountain-tops, and then resume our climb in the shade. +</p> + +<p> +We descended to the beach, and walked along the sands until we came to +the rock under which we had camped on the previous night, and then, +being opposite to our ravine, we struck out inland towards it across +the down of beans. We must have turned rather to the right of the +track we had followed on the previous day, for we suddenly came to a +terrace of stones which we had not seen before, and which had +evidently formed part of the Portuguese settlement. We clambered up +this, and then perceived, still further to the right, the ruins of +several huts and walls, built of unhewn stones and overgrown with the +creeping beans. Most of the huts were built at the edge of a deep +steep gully. As soon as we saw this, the same idea struck both of us: +the Portuguese would most certainly have chosen the vicinity of a +stream for their settlement, and in all probability there was running +water at the bottom of that gully. +</p> + +<p> +As it would not take us much out of our way to satisfy our curiosity, +we climbed over the bean-covered rocks until we came to the edge of +the gully, and, looking over, saw, to our delight and astonishment, +not a tiny issue trickling drop by drop, like most of the streams of +these ravines, but a regular little river of sparkling water, rushing +down with a merry noise over the stones. +</p> + +<p> +We drank our fill, and found the water cool and delicious, but +slightly fishy in flavour, for the large white gannets thronged the +hills above. This is the most considerable stream on the island, and +the only one that reaches the weather shore, all the others, as I have +explained, being sucked up high above by the slopes of <i>débris</i>. +This drains an extensive area, and several ravines meet at the head of +the gully, each contributing its share of water. Among others was one +of the ravines we had attempted to descend on the previous day, and +which had led us to the brink of the precipice. From below we could +now see the whole face of that precipice—a fearful wall of black +rock, with a thin thread of water falling over it. +</p> + +<p> +We walked down the gully, and found that the stream, not only crossed +the down, but flowed right across the sands into the sea, the volume +of water being too great to allow of its being all swallowed up by the +thirsty soil on the way. We should have been more comfortable in our +camp on the night before had we known there was a stream so near to +us, and would have drunk our fill, instead of doling out to each other +thimblefuls of water with a grudging hand. It was strange, too, that I +had not discovered this river when I was here before. I had then, on +descending from the mountains, turned to the right, even as we had +done on the previous day, and suffered much from want of water; +whereas, had I turned to the left, I should have come upon this +generous supply after a few minutes' walk. +</p> + +<p> +This was, indeed, a most valuable discovery for us, for now, should +the supply of water fail in South-west Bay, our working-party would +merely have to cross the Sugarloaf Col, and follow the sands to this +river—no very arduous journey. +</p> + +<p> +The heat had been so intense this day that our recent vain climb upon +the mountain-side had somewhat exhausted us, and we did not feel +prepared to accomplish the whole of the long journey to the pier +before dark; moreover, the position of the sun showed us that it was +long past noon, and we should have had to hurry along without pause, +in order to save our daylight. +</p> + +<p> +So we decided to take it easily, and select a camp for the night close +to water, on the weather slopes of the mountains. We should have liked +to remain where we were, by the river, in the midst of the old +Portuguese settlement, but, knowing the difficulties of the homeward +journey, we felt that it would be advisable to proceed some way +further on our road before camping, and so leave a shorter distance to +travel on the morrow. +</p> + +<p> +We accordingly left the river-side and struck across the downs to the +foot of the ravine by which we had descended on the previous day. On +our way we gathered a quantity of beans for our supper. +</p> + +<p> +We soon found the ravine, and began to ascend it. The foul white birds +again attacked us as we climbed from rock to rock, and the ugly crabs +waved their pincers at us with menacing gestures. Then we came to the +lowest point on the hill-side where water is found. This was at a much +greater distance from the beach than it had seemed to be while we were +descending on the day before; for the stream disappears in the soil at +a spot at least 600 feet above the level of the sea, and to attain it +from below involves a pretty stiff climb. +</p> + +<p> +We went still higher up the ravine, until we were close to the place +where the stream issues from the ground, a short distance below the +foot of the great landslip of black rocks. Here we found an admirable +site for our camp. This gully, as I have explained, falls towards the +shore at a very steep angle, the rocks, as it were, forming a gigantic +flight of steps. We were now on one of these steps, a flat surface, +about ten feet across, covered with red sand. The stream fell on to +this from the step above, forming a little cascade some twelve feet in +height, and, after crossing one side of the flat, fell over another +wall of rock on to the step below. +</p> + +<p> +The scene around us was strangely picturesque. Our step was simply a +small ledge in this wilderness of broken black rocks; above us and +below us were precipices and landslips. It was an excellent situation +for an eagle's nest, but not an over-secure spot for a camp of men. +Our narrow bed would not do for a restless sleeper: to slip off the +edge of it would insure a broken neck. A coarse grass grew here and +there between the rocks by the water-side, but there was no other +vegetation on the bleak crags, though of course the mysterious dead +trees, as everywhere else on this island, were lying thickly all +around. The foul birds and the land-crabs were the sole inhabitants of +this solitude. +</p> + +<p> +We now proceeded to make ourselves at home for the night. I collected +the branches and trunks of the dead trees and built up a goodly pile +of firewood, while the doctor prepared our supper. We had no saucepan +with us, so the pannikin had to do duty for one. In this the doctor +concocted a stew, the ingredients of which were <i>charki</i>, +biscuit, figs, and Trinidad beans. It turned out to be a far more +tasty dish than one would have supposed. +</p> + +<p> +After dinner the saucepan was cleaned out and grog was served out in +it—the last of our supply of rum. We had just lit our pipes and were +settling ourselves down to a comfortable half-hour's smoke and chat +before turning in (to whom is a pipe so sweet as to one camping out +under the stars after the day's work?) when suddenly the doctor cried +out, 'Hullo, look at our beds!' I looked, and lo! to my dismay, those +luxurious couches were under water. +</p> + +<p> +I must explain that we had pulled up a quantity of grass and strewed +it over the sand, so as to make a snug soft sleeping-place for the +night. While we were enjoying our dinner, the river, unobserved by us, +had risen considerably, and was now flowing over that portion of the +step whereon we had made up our beds. There had been no rain to +account for this, so I suppose that the sun, blazing down on the +rocks, causes a great evaporation of water during the day, and that, +consequently, the volume of the stream is greater after sunset. +</p> + +<p> +So we had now to put aside our pipes and grog for a few moments and +undertake some necessary engineering operations: we cleared away a +channel through the natural dam of grass, stones, and sand at the +lower edge of the step, and so gave a free passage to the swollen +stream. The flood subsided at once, and our beds were above water +again. The doctor, then, acting in his medical capacity, suggested +that damp mattresses were unhealthy; so we threw a few handfuls of +grass on the top of the sodden mass, and our beds were what we were +pleased to call dry again. +</p> + +<p> +We lit a fire of the dead wood and kept it alight all night, so that +we could occasionally warm ourselves by it; for a wind had sprung up +at sunset, which swept up the ravine from the sea, making us feel +uncomfortably chilly, thinly clad as we were and having no blankets to +cover us. +</p> + +<p> +We soon found that it would be impossible for us both to sleep at the +same time, for the land-crabs had smelt us out and swarmed down upon +us from all sides. We kept watch and watch; while one slept the other +tended the fire and killed the land-crabs, as they approached, with +sticks and stones. The other crabs, as usual, fed on the dead. I have, +in the 'Cruise of the "Falcon,"' described the peculiarly uncanny way +in which a land-crab eats his food. I saw this night, as I kept watch, +at least twenty of them at a time devouring the carcasses of their +slain friends. Each stood quite still, looking me straight in the face +with his fixed outstarting eyes, and with an expression absolutely +diabolical. He pulled the food to pieces with his two front claws, and +then, with deliberate motion, brought the fragments of flesh to his +mouth with one claw, and chewed them up with a slow automatic action, +but still those horrible eyes never moved, but stared steadily into +mine. +</p> + +<p> +As we had no means of judging the time, it was difficult to divide the +night into watches of even length, so we had to portion it out between +us the best way we could. +</p> + + + +<a name="XIII"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER XIII. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +A NARROW ESCAPE. +</p> + + +<p> +We started early on the following morning, November 23, and reached +the summit of the landslip before the sun had heated the black rocks, +and the layer of close air immediately over them, to that high +temperature which we had found so insupportable on the previous day. +</p> + +<p> +We managed to ascend the cliff which hangs over the landslip without +accident, but it was anxious work, and we experienced a sense of +relief when we found ourselves safe once more on the upper plateau. +</p> + +<p> +From here we took a short cut across the groves of tree-ferns towards +the head of the cascade ravine, and came unexpectedly upon a green +valley in the middle of the plateau which we had not seen before, and +which is, without doubt, the most beautiful place on the island. At +the bottom of it a cool stream flowed through thickly-growing ferns +and grass. The scenery all round us was of a soft and pleasing +character, very strange to us after the dreary barrenness of the +mountain slopes beneath this elevated and almost inaccessible garden. +</p> + +<p> +We might have been in some fair vale of Paraguay, instead of on the +summit of rugged Trinidad. Here were gently sloping green hills that +shut out all view of the jagged peaks. The vegetation was of a more +luxuriant nature than in any other portion of the island; tall +grasses, bushes, and plants of various kinds, most of them covered +with flowers, carpeted the soft red soil, while the tall and beautiful +tree-ferns stood in scattered clumps, casting a pleasant shade with +their fronds of darker green. Even the dead trees were not so +melancholy in appearance as elsewhere on the island; for from their +branches—as well as from those of the older bushes and +tree-ferns—there hung swaying festoons of a parasitic plant something +like the Spanish moss that covers the pines and live-oaks of Florida, +but more beautiful, for this was of a silvery white colour. +</p> + +<p> +Besides those tyrants of Trinidad, the birds and land-crabs, mice, +flies, ants, earwigs, and big spiders dwelt in this happy valley. +</p> + +<p> +From here we walked to the head of our ravine, where the principal +grove of tree-ferns crowns the cliffs, and now we looked down upon the +'Alerte,' seeming very small from this dizzy height, '<i>and yon tall +anchoring bark, diminished to her cock; her cock, a buoy almost too +small for sight</i>.' We observed that the wind was blowing rather +freshly from an unusual quarter—north-west—making this a lee shore +to our vessel, but there were no signs of bad weather in the sky. +</p> + +<p> +While descending the ravine we were shut in by the walls of rock, so +that we were unable to see the yacht; but on reaching a point just +above the cascade we again commanded a view over the whole roadstead, +and lo! we found, to our dismay, that the 'Alerte' was no longer lying +at her anchorage, nor was she anywhere in sight. +</p> + +<p> +We stood and stared round the horizon, scarcely believing the evidence +of our eyes. Not an hour before we had looked down upon her from the +mountain, riding snugly to her anchor, with sails stowed. What +possible mischance could have occurred since then? +</p> + +<p> +We proceeded to the pier, on to which we perceived that the sea was +breaking much more heavily than when we had landed on it, and from +here we were enabled to see further round the coast to the north-west. +Then we caught a glimpse of our vessel just before she rounded, and +was hidden by, the first promontory. She was about two miles away, +with all plain sail set, beating against the wind towards the northern +end of the island. +</p> + +<p> +We surmised that those on board had become anxious about our safety, +and were sailing round the island in order, if possible, to discover +where we were—a course which they had no right to undertake, seeing +that the doctor and myself had not yet been two and a half days away, +and were not likely to have lost ourselves. Besides which, I knew that +there was no one on board competent to take charge of the vessel on a +cruise of this sort. Under these circumstances I was in anything but +an amiable temper, more especially as the doctor and myself were now +fagged out by our exertions, and had been looking forward to a square +meal, and some good red wine with it, on our return on board. +</p> + +<p> +As it appeared that they were bent on sailing round the island, and +might not be off the pier again until the following day—for the yacht +was evidently progressing very slowly, plunging her nose constantly +into the steep head seas—I determined to recall them, if possible. So +we hurried back to a slope near the cascade where the grass was +growing thickly, and applied a match to it. As I expected, there was +soon a great blaze, and a dense volume of smoke arose which must have +made itself visible for many miles around. The wind fanned the flames, +and the fire crept slowly up the mountain-side wherever the dry grass +afforded a track for it; the dead trees, too, began to burn fiercely, +and we discovered that we had started a somewhat larger conflagration +than we had intended, and had set the whole of this side of the island +on fire. +</p> + +<p> +However, it produced the desired effect: we saw the yacht sail clear +of the point again, on the starboard tack, bear away, and run down the +coast towards us. And now, at the suggestion, as I afterwards learnt, +of Arthur Cotton, who ought to have known better, but who, as having +been here before with me, professed to be well acquainted with the +pilotage of Trinidad, the anchor was let go, to my horror, quite close +to the edge of the breakers. Our vessel was now in very convenient +proximity to the end of the pier, it is true, but in a most perilous +position: for no sea-room had been allowed her—a very necessary +precaution under these cliffs, where the wind is never steady—and I +saw that, when the anchor was weighed again, we should run great risk +of being carried on to the rocks by the rollers before we could get +the yacht under command. +</p> + +<p> +It may be imagined what was my condition of mind when I realised all +this, and the doctor was naturally as savage as myself. We stood on +the pier and watched the men as they lowered the sails and then +launched the whale-boat in order to fetch us off. Powell, Pursell, and +two of the paid hands manned the boat. The sea was now so high that +they could not approach very near to the shore. The waves were dashing +high up the sides of the pier, and, in recoiling, rushed across the +end of it in the form of a cascade. +</p> + +<p> +Seeing that we must swim for it, we took off our coats and placed them +in a hole at the top of the rocks. I shouted to those in the boat to +keep some distance off, and throw a life-buoy with a line attached to +it towards the pier, so that we could jump in and be hauled off by it. +This was done. Choosing my time I leapt in, held on to the line, the +boat was pulled seaward out of reach of the breakers and I clambered +on board. Then we returned for the doctor. He stood on the pier, +waiting for his opportunity, but one much higher roller than the rest +came up and swept him off into the sea. Luckily, he was not dashed +against any of the rocks, but managed to swim out clear of the recoil, +while we backed towards him and took him on board. +</p> + +<p> +Once safe on the deck of the 'Alerte' I listened to an explanation of +the extraordinary manœuvres which had been taking place. +</p> + +<p> +It seemed that either the yacht had dragged her anchor, or it was +supposed that she had dragged her anchor—for the opinions on the +matter were at variance—so the anchor was weighed, and, of course, as +the chain got short, the yacht, even if she had not done so before, +began to drag at a merry pace. Then sail was hoisted. By this time she +had drifted very close to the rocks, but, as far as I understand, she +was filling and would soon have been in safety again, when, for some +reason or other, down went the anchor, and she lay rolling about close +under the rocky Ness and the dangerous islets that lie off it. Up came +the anchor once more, and this time the yacht drove so very near to +the rocks that every one on board gave her up as lost, and some were +looking out for the safest spot on shore to swim to. A high sea was +breaking over the cliffs—one touch and she would have broken up. And +now, as by a miracle—for I don't know how it happened, and no one on +board seems to have known—the vessel got way on her and forged ahead, +so that she became manageable, and was steered out to sea, clear of +danger. +</p> + +<p> +That she had been very nearly wrecked there can be no doubt, and that +this had been due to very awkward handling was also certain. I was +myself much to blame for the serious risk the poor old vessel had +incurred. Had I left the doctor in charge on board, in his capacity of +mate, while I was exploring the island, he would, no doubt, have +extricated the yacht from her difficulty as soon as she began to +drag—an easy task. I did not consider that there was any one else +among the volunteers capable of undertaking the responsibility of +command, but I was under the impression—wrongly it seems—that the +five paid hands on board would have had the common sense to give her +more chain when they perceived that the wind was freshening. Ted, for +instance, was bos'n, and might have taken it upon himself to do this, +as was indeed his understood duty when no officers were on board. +</p> + +<p> +For the first and only time during the cruise these men lost their +heads, and, having no recognised leader to direct them, each +volunteered his own opinion as to what should be done, or as to +whether the vessel was dragging at all; but, as far as I can make out, +with one man giving one order at one end of the vessel, and another +man giving a contradictory order at the other end, nothing at all was +done until it was almost too late. +</p> + +<p> +I made up my mind never from this time to leave the vessel, even for a +short time, without putting some one definitely in charge, even if he +were an incompetent person. +</p> + +<p> +But the danger was not all over yet. The vessel was now tumbling about +in the high swell at the edge of the breakers, the wind had dropped, +and to have weighed the anchor would have been to have run great risk +of being carried on to the rocks by the rollers. So, as she was safe +where she was for the time, I saw it was advisable to wait until the +conditions should be more favourable, before shifting our anchorage. +The doctor and myself enjoyed our square meal to which we had been +looking forward, and then I turned in to sleep, giving orders that I +should be called at four in the afternoon. +</p> + +<p> +At four the sea had gone down a good deal and there was a moderate +breeze, so I decided to move to a safer berth. We hoisted the sails +and, while we were getting the anchor up, I took the precaution, +seeing what little sea-room we had, of putting the whale-boat in the +water, with a long line fastened to the yacht's bows, ready to pull +her head round and tow her seawards should she not cant in the right +direction. +</p> + +<p> +We got away safely, and the anchor was let go in nineteen fathoms +close to where we had brought up on our arrival. +</p> + +<p> +The night was fine, but the surf was still roaring on the beach. The +mountains now presented a curious appearance, for our fire had spread +up the various arms of the ravine almost to the summit, and there were +clusters of lights, as of villages, in all directions, while here and +there what appeared to be bonfires were blazing, possibly at spots +where several dead trees had fallen together. We began to fear lest +the illumination, which must have been visible for leagues out to sea, +might attract the attention of passing vessels. A captain would +naturally conclude that these fires were the signals of a shipwrecked +crew, and therefore go out of his course to render assistance. Luckily +this did not happen. +</p> + + + +<a name="XIV"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER XIV. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +WE LAND THE STORES IN THE BAY. +</p> + + +<p> +The patience of my men was now to be severely tried. Here before them +was the mysterious isle, with all its golden possibilities; but for +five days the sea was in far too disturbed a condition to permit of a +landing; so they were confined to their floating prison, which rolled +and pitched at her anchorage all the while, and gazed with vain desire +at the forbidden land. +</p> + +<p> +It was now that Ted came up to me, as spokesman for the rest of his +shipmates in the forecastle, and said that they were all anxious to go +on shore in turn, and do their share of digging with the rest of us. +It had been part of the original scheme to keep the paid hands—with +the exception, perhaps, of the cook—on board the vessel; but as by +this time we knew the ways of the 'Alerte,' and could handle her with +fewer men than when we had started. I decided that an officer and two +paid hands would be a sufficient crew while she was lying off the +island, and that all the other men could be spared for the work on +shore. I therefore acceded to Ted's request. +</p> + +<p> +The men were led to understand that they would be entitled to no share +of the proceeds if the treasure were found, though they, of course, +knew that, should fortune favour us, a handsome present would be given +to them. +</p> + +<p> +The agreement as to the division of the spoil among the +gentlemen-adventurers had also to be revised in one respect. It was +settled that the shares of those who had abandoned the expedition were +to be portioned out among those who remained. By this arrangement each +of my companions became nearly twice as rich—in expectations—as when +he sailed from England. +</p> + +<p> +Trinidad is supposed to be outside the limit of the south-east +trade-winds, but I think this is doubtful; for, so far as my +experience goes, the prevailing winds are from the easterly quarter, +and more commonly from the south-east. When the winds are in the west +quadrant, and more especially when from the south-west, a heavy sea +rises, and landing is rendered altogether impossible. This was our +experience for the next few days. +</p> + +<p> +On November 24, there was a high wind from the north-west and a great +swell. We were now on a lee shore, and a very dangerous one too; so +all was got ready for slipping the anchor and running to the open sea +in a moment, should it become necessary to do so. We gave the yacht +all her starboard chain—sixty fathoms. We got up the end of the +chain, and made it fast to the mainmast in such a way that we could +let it go at once. One end of a stout thirty-fathom hawser was +attached to the chain, just below the hawse-pipe, and to the other end +of it we fastened an improvised buoy, made of a breaker and a small +bamboo raft. In order to get under way we should now merely have to +throw the buoy overboard and cast off the end of the chain from the +mast. We could then sail away and leave our moorings behind us. +</p> + +<p> +Then we set to work to bend the storm-trysail, a very handy sail, +which could be hoisted much more readily than our heavy mainsail. We +reefed the foresail, had a storm-jib ready, and housed our topmast. We +were now prepared for anything that might turn up. +</p> + +<p> +We were not idle this day, for after making all snug, we got the +spades, hydraulic jack, and other tools out of the hold, so as to have +them in readiness to put in the boat the moment there was a chance of +landing. +</p> + +<p> +Our fire on the mountain blazed away all this night and was not +entirely extinguished for six days afterwards. +</p> + +<p> +The next day was overcast, and the wind was from the south-west; then +it veered to the southward. The sea was higher than on the previous +day. The vessel tumbled about a great deal, rolling her scuppers under +water, flooding her decks, and running her bowsprit under, all the +while. Still, she rode very easily, the great length of heavy chain we +had given her acting as a spring. We watched carefully for the first +signs of dragging, but the anchor had evidently got a good hold now +and she did not budge a foot. In the afternoon the glass fell rapidly +and the sky looked very stormy, while the temperature in our saloon +fell to 75°, which made us feel quite chilly. +</p> + +<p> +It is probable that this disturbed weather and high sea were the +results of a <i>pampero</i> raging thousands of miles to the southward +of us. +</p> + +<p> +On this day we took our dinghy on deck—a dilapidated little boat—and +proceeded to stop her leaks, in a novel, but for the time effectual, +manner, with plaster of Paris and tar. +</p> + +<p> +The fish would not be caught while this heavy sea was running, but we +secured some sharks and ate their flesh for dinner, to the horror of +our black cook, whom I overheard telling his shipmates that he +considered it 'degrading to eat de meat of de dam shark.' +</p> + +<p> +<i>November 26.</i>—Same weather, blowing, raining, rolling, and +impatient grumbling of men. Even the two amiable blacks, eager to be +at work on shore, fretted a bit at the enforced imprisonment on board. +They had always been fond of argument, but now the arguments became +stormy, and we could hear them laying down the law to each other in +the forecastle, while the English sailors sat round them, smoking in +silence and listening with amused wonder. One black was a Roman +Catholic, the other a Methodist; their discussions were generally +theological, and they exchanged vituperations with a fine theological +fury. It was grand to hear Theodosius rail at the Pope and call his +comrade a heathen idolater, while George would pour the vials of his +wrath on the Methodist heretic. These two poor fellows were the +greatest friends, but, of course, each was confident that the other +was doomed to perdition. When, in the course of one of these +controversies, a theologian found himself caught in a dilemma, he +would wax impatient and cry, 'Oh, chew it!'—an expression I have +never heard before—indicating that one has been worsted in argument, +but will not allow it, and insists, having had enough of it, on +winding up the debate at once. +</p> + +<p> +On the 27th the glass rose, the wind veered to north-east, and the +sea moderated; but the surf was still dangerous, and we could see it +breaking over a rock sixty feet in height. On this day we sighted +two homeward-bound sailing-vessels. During our stay on Trinidad +we saw a good many craft, sometimes four or five in a week, all +homeward-bounders, for, as I have already explained, it is usual for +vessels coming round Cape Horn to make for and sight this island, so +as to correct the rate of their chronometers. Few outward-bounders +pass it, and it is altogether out of the track of steamers. +</p> + +<p> +On November 28 things looked better, the sea had all gone down. In the +morning a few hands pulled off to the pier, where they found the +landing perfectly easy, and brought off the coat which the doctor had +left on the rock when we had jumped into the sea. My coat could not be +found, as it had been washed off by a wave. They also brought off a +specimen of a land-crab, which did not seem at all at home on our +deck. He was introduced to Master Jacko, our monkey, whose horror at +the uncouth apparition was intense. The wise monkey would not get +within reach of the crab's nippers, but, having cleverly driven him +into a corner, tried to push his ugly visitor through a scupper into +the sea with a bit of firewood. +</p> + +<p> +I must now apologise to Jacko for not having before this introduced +him to my readers. He was a delightful little creature that we had +purchased on the Praya at Bahia. He was very affectionate, and was +free from malice, though, of course, full of mischief. He had a red +blanket of his own, which he would carry about with him wherever he +went, and, should a few drops of rain fall or spray come on board, he +would deftly roll it about him in the fashion of a cloak, with his +funny little head just peeping out of the hood. He was very fond of +tea, and while we were at sea he took his 4 a.m. cup with the others. +As soon as the cook began to lift the boiler of tea from the stove +Jacko would give a whistle of delight, clamber up the pantry wall, +unhook a pannikin, and walk up with it to be filled, 'all de same as a +little ole man,' as the cook used to say. It was amusing to see him +test the temperature of the tea with his fingers before drinking it. +He was a marvellously intelligent and jolly little creature, and is +now dwelling happily in a little house on a cocoanut tree in a +plantation near Port-of-Spain. He prefers a West Indian life of warmth +and unlimited bananas to an existence in a damp ship on salt junk and +biscuit. +</p> + +<p> +At noon, as the sea was still smooth, we made our first attempt at +landing in Treasure Bay. We put the whale-boat in the water, and +loaded her with about a ton of stores, consisting of tinned provisions +of various sorts, biscuit, salt beef, the picks, spades, crowbars, +wheelbarrows, hydraulic jack, and other tools. We also took in tow a +raft constructed of the long bamboos we had brought from Bahia. These +we knew would be useful for several purposes. +</p> + +<p> +I steered the boat, while the doctor, Powell, Pursell, and two paid +hands, took the oars. Having the wind behind us we were not long in +crossing the two miles of smoothly heaving sea that lay between us and +South-west Bay. We rounded the point into the bay, and, leaving on our +port hand the islet in the middle, we made for the channel which the +doctor and myself had surveyed from the mountains. When we came near +we found that there were three parallel lines of breakers to be +traversed, and, consequently, there was a treble chance of swamping. +The surf was much more formidable than we had expected to find it, +considering how smooth the sea was outside the bay. The wind was +blowing in strong gusts right off shore, over the depression in the +mountains at the back of the bay. It drove off the tops of the +oncoming waves into great veils of spray, curling over in a contrary +direction to the curl of the swell, and bright with shifting rainbows +as the sun's rays fell upon it. The bay presented a most beautiful +appearance from the boat, and those who had not seen the pirates' +haunt before uttered exclamations of admiration and wonder. Between +the gloomy black mountains on the left and the unearthly-looking dark +red walls of Noah's Ark on the right was a scene in which, flooded +with tropical sunlight, earth and ocean vied with each other in +vividness of colouring. Directly in front were the great rollers of +transparent green, their snowy crests flashing with rainbows; beyond, +dazzling golden sands; above, domes of brilliant emerald cleaving the +cloudless sky. +</p> + +<p> +But this was no time to dwell on the beautiful; we had other matters +to consider. The grand rollers with their breaking tops had no charms +for us, for we had to get through them—a risky undertaking with a +deeply-laden boat. +</p> + +<p> +We discovered afterwards that it is almost impossible to judge from +the height of the swell near our anchorage, or from the surf on the +pier, whether landing in South-west Bay is likely to be easy or the +reverse. The surf on this sandy beach is governed by a different +system of laws to that which prevails on other portions of the coast +of Trinidad. Here, curiously enough, there is more surf when the wind +is blowing off shore than when it is blowing on. The north-east wind, +sweeping in violent gusts down the slopes that back the bay, offers a +resistance to the swell rolling in, and piles it into steep walls of +water, breaking dangerously. The south-east wind raises a higher swell +outside, but, blowing right into this bay, drives the sea down, and +the landing becomes comparatively easy. At the anchorage opposite the +cascade the contrary is the rule: with a north-east wind blowing off +shore the sea is smooth, with a south-east wind the surf increases; +but, as I have already stated, it is always smoother there than in +South-west Bay. +</p> + +<p> +The men rested on their oars, and we watched the surf from a safe +distance, to discover if there were any chance of picking a favourable +opportunity for landing. It would be a disappointing matter if we had +to pull our boat-load of stores back to the yacht against the wind; +so, after a little hesitation, I decided to risk the landing. One must +run some risks on such a place as Trinidad, and we might as well +commence at once. All in the boat were delighted at the decision. +</p> + +<p> +Every one knows how the ocean swell proceeds in regular rhythm, and +how one sees at intervals three greater waves than usual come up, one +after the other, to be succeeded by a comparative calm. We took the +boat just outside the outer breakers and awaited one of these +smoothes. Soon three great waves passed under us, and broke beyond us +with terrific force. Now was our time, and we made a dash for it. The +long ash oars bent as the men, putting their backs into their work, +drove the boat through the sea. Pull away! Pull away! The first row of +breakers is passed; then we are safely borne on the top of the second, +looking down upon the beach as from a hill. It passes us and breaks. +All safe so far. We are close to the beach. Then, behind us, we see a +wall of water suddenly rise, curling over. We should simply be rolled +over if we tried to back the boat against it, so the men strain at +their oars to reach the shore before it. The boat is just touching the +sand, the order is given: 'All hands overboard and haul her up,' when +the sea pours over our heads, filling the boat. The men leap or are +washed overboard. One catches hold of the long painter we had provided +in view of such an emergency and contrives to reach the shore; then, +planting his heels in the sand, he holds on with all his strength, to +prevent the boat being swept off into deep water by the receding wave. +At first the other hands are out of their depth, but, as the roller +recoils, they feel bottom; then, two of us holding on to one side of +the boat and two on the other, while the remaining man scrambles on +shore to assist the man with the painter, we haul the boat up till she +grounds; then we all stand by till the next roller comes on to help us +up a bit further. Here it comes! right over our heads, and we are +afloat once more. But the two men on shore haul away with all their +might, as do the others when they touch bottom, and when the wave +recoils it has left us fifty feet higher up the bank, and out of reach +of any heavy body of water. +</p> + +<p> +It was lucky for us that ours was a lifeboat with a water-tight +compartment at either end or we should not have got out of this scrape +so well. The boat did not capsize when she filled, neither did she +broach to, her head was always direct for the shore. The tide was +coming in fast, so we lost no time in getting her safely drawn up. +While some hands took out the stores and tools, others baled her out, +and, by placing bamboo rollers under her, we dragged her up the steep +incline of sand until she was quite out of reach of the sea. We found +that we had not lost or damaged any of our stores, so had good reason +to congratulate ourselves on our success. +</p> + +<p> +A tot of rum was served to all hands after their exertions, and then +we carried all our property up to the spot we had selected for our +camp—a plateau of sand and earth opposite the mouth of the ravine. +</p> + +<p> +Then, as all were, of course, anxious to see the supposed hiding-place +of the treasure, the doctor and myself took them to it. On ascending +the gully somewhat higher than we had gone on our previous visit we +discovered two or three small pools of inferior water. But the supply +was insufficient, even after the recent heavy rains; so it was evident +that, unless we found some other source, our condensing apparatus +would not have been brought in vain. There was, fortunately, an +abundance of fuel in the neighbourhood, for the dead trees were +strewed over all the hill-side. +</p> + +<p> +We had not brought off any of the tents, but, with a good fire and +plenty to eat, drink, and smoke, there would be little hardship in +sleeping out; and the doctor and Powell volunteered to stay on shore, +while I went back to the yacht. It was my intention to return, if +possible, on the following day, with the tents and other stores, and +to then leave a working-party on the island. We might, of course, on +the other hand, be prevented by a heavy sea from landing again for a +week or more; so we bade our comrades an affectionate farewell, and +enjoined them not to be lazy, but to dig away until they saw us +again—a quite unnecessary suggestion, for they were very keen to +begin work. +</p> + +<p> +Taking with me Pursell and the paid hands, we hauled the boat down to +the beach; we dragged her into the water quickly, just as one big +roller was recoiling, jumped in and pulled hard out to sea. We shipped +a little water at the second line of breakers, and were then in +safety. +</p> + +<p> +We soon found, as we pulled back to the yacht, that our boat had +sprung a leak, for the water was pouring in fast through her bottom, +so that we had to stop and bale occasionally. She was an excellent +sea-boat, but lightly built, and her bump on the sands had done her no +good. +</p> + + + +<a name="XV"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER XV. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +OUR CAMP. +</p> + + +<p> +We hoisted our leaky lifeboat into the davits when we got on board, +intending to repair her on the following morning. +</p> + +<p> +During the night fierce gusts blew down the ravine from the +north-east, and black masses of cloud were constantly sweeping across +the mountains. The wind howled as it does in a wintry gale on the +North Sea, and, to all appearance, a heavy storm was raging. Still, it +was quite smooth at our anchorage under the lee of the island, and we +noticed that seawards the sky looked fine enough, and the clouds were +travelling at no great pace. The storm, in fact, was entirely local, +and was limited to the islet and its immediate neighbourhood. We +afterwards became quite accustomed to these harmless gales, which had +a habit of springing up at sunset. +</p> + +<p> +Trinidad, in consequence of the loftiness of its mountains, can boast +of a climate of its own. It is subject to miniature cyclones, whose +influence does not extend a mile from the shore, and which, therefore, +cannot raise a heavy sea. We were sometimes riding with straining +chain to a wind of hurricane force, when we could see a vessel a +league or so from the land making no progress, her canvas shaking in +the calm; and, however fine it might be outside, the clouds would +collect upon the peaks in ominous torn masses, that whirled along as +if impelled by a terrific blast, and which looked very alarming until +we came to understand the innocence of the phenomenon. We also found +that the landing was often the most perilous on clear, windless days, +when no clouds crowned the mountains. +</p> + +<p> +These storms were, however, a nuisance to us; for the squalls would +strike the yacht with great force, so that she strained at her chain +and was likely to drag; consequently the officer in charge was unable +to enjoy an undisturbed night's rest, but was in a state of constant +anxiety for the vessel, and was often brought on deck by the turmoil +to satisfy himself that all was going well. +</p> + +<p> +The next day, November 29, was fine, the wind being still from the +north-east. There was even less swell than on the previous day, so we +saw that no time must be lost in landing more stores. A neglected +opportunity on Trinidad might mean a month's delay. +</p> + +<p> +We examined the boat, and found that she had started a plank, but that +the damage was slight and could be easily repaired. A few copper +nails, some cotton thrust between the seams with a knife, and a little +marine glue, made her right again; and, after breakfast, she put off +to Treasure Bay with a miscellaneous cargo—the tents, a barrel of +flour, wire-fencing, the blankets and baggage for the shore-party, +etc.; but we did not venture to put nearly so heavy a weight into her +as on the previous day. +</p> + +<p> +The surf in the bay was no longer dangerous, and, though water was +shipped, all was landed without accident. At midday the boat returned +to the yacht, was reloaded, and another successful disembarkation was +effected. This put us in very good spirits. We had succeeded in +overcoming the difficulties that had caused previous expeditions to +fail, and had now got on shore all that was absolutely necessary for +carrying on the digging for some time to come. The doctor, Pursell, +Powell, and Ted Milner were left on shore for the night, and the boat +returned to the yacht. +</p> + +<p> +The next day, November 30, was the first on which we divided ourselves +definitely into two parties, the working-gang on shore and a crew of +three to take charge of the yacht. I had talked our plans over on the +previous day with my sole officer, our medico-mate, and we came to the +conclusion that it would be advisable for me to stay on board for the +first fortnight, at least; for we did not know as yet whether it would +be safe to remain at anchor for any length of time, or what steps +might become necessary in order to ensure the safety of the vessel; +and, until such knowledge had been gained by experience of the +conditions of the place, it was right that I should undertake the +responsibility of looking after the yacht. +</p> + +<p> +So, on this morning, I went on shore for the last time, before +settling down to my fortnight's watch. We took another cargo of stores +in the boat, and landed without difficulty. This long spell of smooth +sea was a most fortunate occurrence for us. +</p> + +<p> +On landing I found that the shore-party had been hard at work. They +had arranged the camp—and very snug it looked. Two ridge tents had +been placed side by side, to be occupied by the gentlemen-volunteers, +two in each; while a short way off was a larger tent, constructed of +our racing spinnaker and the quarter-deck awning supported by bamboos. +This was our dining-room and kitchen, and also served as sleeping +quarters for the paid hands. At one end of it was an elegant +dining-table—planks from the deck of some old wreck, supported by one +of Mr. A——'s wheelbarrows which had been found in the ravine. A few +campstools and barrels served as chairs, and the arrangements +generally were almost luxurious. +</p> + +<p> +Many improvements were made to the camp during our stay in Trinidad, +and at last it became a comfortable little village. A conspicuous +object near the tents was the condensing apparatus. Later on, the +cooking was all done out of doors, a neat oven having been constructed +of stones and plaster of Paris. The plaster of Paris had formed part +of the taxidermist's stores, but, little used for its original +purpose, it was found to be of much service in the way of cement. +</p> + +<p> +A list of all that we landed on the shore of South-west Bay would be a +long one. There was, at the very least, eight tons weight in all. I +need not say that the cook was well provided with culinary apparatus, +and that such articles as paraffin lamps for the tents, a library of +books, fishing lines and hooks, and carpenter's tools had not been +forgotten—our camp, in short, was fully furnished with everything +that could be required. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor and myself discussed the scheme of work on shore, and, when +all was settled we launched the boat again and pulled off to the +yacht. It was decided that the shore-party should keep the +whale-boat—in the first place, because the crew on board would be +insufficient to man her, and, secondly, because it was only right and +prudent to leave a boat on the island in case of any accident +happening to the yacht. It would be easy for the working-party to pull +off, if necessary, and intercept a passing vessel. The dilapidated +dinghy was left on board for our use. +</p> + +<p> +The hands who had come off in the boat dined on board, and then the +doctor, taking with him those who were going to stay on shore, pulled +back to the bay, to commence his duties as Governor of Trinidad, +leaving me with my two hands, Wright, and the coloured man Spanner. +And a very good governor the doctor proved too, as I discovered when I +next went on shore and saw the work that had been got through. He kept +up a discipline quite strict enough for all practical purposes. He did +more work than any one else himself, being physically the strongest +man of us all, and he superintended all the operations with great +skill and judgment. The control could not have been left in better +hands, and he was well backed up by his comrades. There was hard work +done on that island, considerable hardships were undergone, there was +often dangerous landing and beaching of boats, and all was carried on +under a vertical sun on one of the hottest and most depressing spots +on earth. Great credit is due to the doctor and the others who worked +so hard and with such pluck and cheerful zeal, and the ungenerous +remarks of the one discontented volunteer we had left—a man who did +not do his share of work either at sea or on shore, but who did far +more than his share of criticism and fault-finding—can only reflect +upon himself. As he has favoured the world with his sneers through the +medium of the papers, I feel bound to say this much. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor remained and worked hard on the island during the whole +time that our operations were being carried on, as did Powell and +Pursell, and they, with the paid hands, who relieved each other at +intervals, practically did all the digging. I was on shore for one +fortnight only, as will appear in the course of this narrative. I had, +consequently, but a very small share of the hard work and of roughing +it, for the life on board ship was incomparably more comfortable and +easy than the life on shore. Our critical volunteer also only passed +about two weeks, of not arduous work, on the island; for the rest of +the time he was on the yacht. +</p> + +<p> +This night we had another local storm, but by now we were getting +accustomed to this. +</p> + +<p> +Shortly after dawn on the following morning, Sunday, December 1, I +saw, to my surprise, the whale-boat rounding the point. She came +alongside, and the doctor, who was in charge of her boarded us. Seeing +that there was very little surf in South-west Bay, he had rightly +taken the opportunity of putting off for another cargo of stores. +Among other articles, he carried away some large cocoanut mats we had +purchased at Bahia, and which, when laid on the sandy floor of the +tents, would make things more comfortable. He also took off the heavy +boiler and receiving tank of the condensing apparatus, which could +only be landed on a favourable day such as this was. Having loaded the +boat, he left us again. +</p> + +<p> +We had now taken so much weight out of the yacht that she was high out +of the water, and might possibly prove somewhat cranky under canvas. +So, after dinner, I took the two men off with me in the dinghy, for +the purpose of fetching some heavy stones from the beach, to put in +our hold in the place of all the tools we had taken out. First we +pulled to the pier, where we landed without the slightest difficulty. +Wright, while wandering about the beach, came across the last object +one would expect to find on a desert island—a rather smart lady's +straw-hat, so far as my judgment goes, of modern fashion. It had, +probably, been blown off some fair head on a passenger steamer. The +gallant gentlemen-adventurers, when they heard of this discovery, +proposed that it should be stuck on a pole in the middle of the camp, +to remind them of home and beauty. +</p> + +<p> +Finding that there were no suitable stones near this beach, we got in +the boat again and rowed to West Bay, to see if we should have better +luck there. Three islets lie off the east side of the Ness. We found +that the narrow deep-water channel between these and the cape could be +taken with safety on a fine day like this. As a rule, this channel is +impracticable, for the ocean swell penetrating it produces a great +commotion, the sea being dashed with violence from the cliffs on one +side to those on the other, so that the entire channel presents the +appearance of a boiling cauldron; and, even on this quiet day, we had +to keep the boat carefully in the middle, for the waves leapt high up +the rocky walls with a loud noise, which was repeated in manifold +echoes by the crags above. When we were in the passage between the +third islet and the shore the scene before us was most impressive. The +black cliffs rose perpendicularly on either side of us, about thirty +feet apart, casting a profound shade on the heaving water, so that it +looked like ink beneath us; and between these cliffs, as through a +dark tunnel, we saw the sunlit waters and shores of West Bay. The +mountains that lay to the back of it were barren and of bold outline, +great pinnacles of rock dominating huge landslips that slope to the +shingle-beach. We could distinguish the familiar forms of the +Sugarloaf and Noah's Ark towering over the depressions of the hills. +</p> + +<p> +At the farther end of the bay we found a suitable place for getting +stones. Here a rocky shelf formed a sort of jetty. George leapt on +shore and brought down the stones, while Wright, sitting in the stern, +took them from him, and placed them at the bottom of the boat, while I +backed in towards the jetty and pulled out again between the waves; +for there was sufficient sea to do damage if proper caution was not +observed. Having taken on board about half a ton of large heavy +stones, we returned to the yacht and stowed them under the +cabin-floor. +</p> + +<p> +On the following morning, December 2, the doctor came off again in the +lifeboat, and carried off another moderate load of stores. He reported +that on the previous day, being Sunday, he had given all hands a +holiday on his return to the shore, and that they had passed the day +in exploring the neighbourhood of Treasure Bay. They came across some +more tent poles and picks left by Mr. A——'s party. They also made +one very curious discovery—a quantity of broken pottery, lying in a +little rocky ravine at a considerable height above the shore. All this +was of Oriental manufacture. Some was of unglazed earthenware, some of +glazed china—the remains of what appeared to have been water-jars and +punch-bowls. There were also some broken case-bottles of glass, +oxidised and brittle from long exposure. The bowls proved to be of +Blue Dragon china, about a hundred years old, and, therefore, of some +value to the connoisseur. +</p> + +<p> +Pottery of this description had certainly not formed part of the +equipment of Mr. A——'s, or of any other of the treasure-hunting +expeditions. Could these be relics of the pirates' booty—articles +they had thrown away as being of no value to them when they buried the +rest of the treasure? It was, certainly, difficult to account for the +presence of old blue china on a barren hill-side of Trinidad. It has +been suggested by an old sea captain that an East Indiaman may have +been wrecked here many years ago, and that her crew had contrived to +reach the shore with provisions and other property, for bowls of the +same description as those of which these fragments had formed part +were commonly used by the Malay sailors to eat their curry in. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor soon left me, and hurried back with his boat's crew to the +camp, for the sea was rising, the glass had been falling for +twenty-four hours, and the sky had a stormy appearance, not only over +the mountains, but on the sea-horizon as well. +</p> + +<p> +These signs of foul weather did not deceive us, for it now blew hard +from the south-east for several days, and the sea was so rough that we +were unable to launch the dinghy, while, on the other hand, it was +impossible to put out from the bay in the whale-boat. All +communication was, therefore, cut off between the yacht and the shore +for six days, and we could not even see each other during this time, +as two capes stretched out between us. +</p> + +<p> +It was fortunate that we had landed such an ample supply of stores +while the weather was fine. +</p> + +<p> +We had rather an uncomfortable time of it on board for the next few +days. For a good part of the time the wind was blowing with the force +of a gale, and it howled and whistled among the crags in a dreadful +fashion, while the surf thundered at the base of the cliffs. The wind +being south-east was parallel to this portion of the coast; so we were +scarcely, if at all, protected by the island. A great swell rolled up, +travelling in the same direction as the wind. But as violent squalls +occasionally rushed down the ravines at right angles to the true wind, +we were blown round by them, so that we were riding broadside on to +the sea, rolling scuppers under in the trough of it, pitching the +whole bowsprit in at one moment and thumping our counter on to the +water the next. +</p> + +<p> +Things looked so bad on December 4 that I was thinking of slipping the +anchor and putting to sea, but, as the vessel did not appear to be +straining herself, I held on. Our dinghy was dipping into the sea as +we rolled, so we took it from the davits and secured it on deck. +</p> + +<p> +We had now ample leisure to study the meteorology of Trinidad. The +rains were heavy during this stormy period and the cascade swelled +visibly. I do not think this island is subject to drought; for, +notwithstanding that this—the summer—was the dry season here, +scarcely a day passed without a shower during our long stay. In the +winter season this is, to judge from the logs of passing vessels, a +very rainy spot. The glass never fell below thirty inches while we +were here, and generally stood at about thirty and two-tenths. The +temperature in the shade on board averaged about eighty. In the tents +on shore it was far hotter. The sunsets are often very fine on +Trinidad, of wild and stormy appearance and full of vivid colouring; +these indicate fine weather. The boisterous south-west winds, +extensions of River Plate <i>pamperos</i>, are heralded by clear blue +skies. +</p> + +<p> +We three now imprisoned on the yacht occupied our time in tidying her +up, and making all necessary repairs in the sails and gear generally. +We occasionally knocked down some birds as they flew over us. Some +would coolly perch on our davits and stare at us very rudely, to the +great indignation of Jacko, who swore at them in his own language. It +was curious to watch the birds fly far out to sea each morning for +their day's fishing, the air full of their shrill and melancholy +cries, and return again in the evening. It was invariably while +starting at daybreak that they called on the yacht. While going home +in the evening they had their business to attend to. It was then that +they carried food to their young—fluffy balls of insatiable appetite, +which, I am afraid, had sometimes to go to bed supperless; for the +anxious mothers are often robbed of their hard-earned fish by the +cruel pirates who are perpetually hovering round this island. +</p> + +<p> +These pirates are the frigate or man-of-war birds. They do not fish +themselves, but attack the honest fishers in mid-air, and compel them +to surrender what they have caught. The frigate-bird is of the +orthodox piratical colour—black—but has a vermilion beak and a few +white patches on its throat. It has a forked tail, and wings of +extraordinary length in proportion to its body, their spread sometimes +attaining, it is said, as much as fifteen feet. +</p> + +<p> +There are other pirates here as well, of a meaner description, who, +being able to fish for themselves, have no excuse for their crimes; +whereas the frigate-bird is unable to skim the sea after fish. Should +he touch the water he cannot make use of his unwieldy wings and +flounders helplessly about until he becomes the prey of sharks. +</p> + +<p> +But these other robbers have taken to dishonest ways from sheer +laziness and lack of principle. Their favourite method is to seize a +smaller fisher by the throat, and hold him under water until he is +half drowned and has to disgorge his fish. Sometimes two or three +plucky little birds will assist a neighbour in resisting the big +bully, and often drive him off discomfited. We witnessed several most +exciting combats of this description. +</p> + +<p> +We skinned the birds we killed, and I have brought these specimens +home with me. Of fish we now caught plenty. We salted and sun-dried +some, but these were not a great success, and had a rank flavour in +consequence of their oily nature. +</p> + + + +<a name="XVI"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER XVI. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +DISCOVERIES IN SOUTH-WEST BAY. +</p> + + +<p> +At last, on December 7, communication between the yacht and the shore +was resumed; for the wind and sea had greatly moderated, and the +doctor was enabled to come off to us at midday, with four volunteers +and paid hands. They had been labouring hard with pick and shovel, and +looked like it too. Digging into the volcanic soil of Trinidad soon +takes all superfluous flesh off. Indeed, led on by the energetic +doctor, they had worked harder, perhaps, than white men should in such +a climate, and had a stale overstrained appearance, while they +admitted that they felt somewhat slack. +</p> + +<p> +They brought us off a quantity of turtle-eggs. The female turtle +frequent South-west Bay in large numbers, for the purpose of +depositing their eggs in the sand. But up till now, they had failed to +catch any of the turtle. The eggs are excellent, and can be used for +every purpose for which fowl's eggs are employed. Here is a receipt +for making egg-nog which I have tried myself and can recommend:—Two +turtle-eggs, a tea-spoonful of tinned milk, some water, sugar, and a +small glass of rum. +</p> + +<p> +The shore-party had obtained an abundance of fish; they used to catch +them not only with hook and line, but with an extemporized seine net, +which they dragged with great success through the pools left by the +receding tide. This seine was simply a long piece of the wire-netting +which we had brought with us to serve as land-crab-proof fencing round +the camp. It seems that this netting did not fulfil its original +purpose very satisfactorily, as the crabs could burrow under it. +</p> + +<p> +The land-crabs however, did not molest the shore-party to any extent, +and it was only now and then that a man found one of these unpleasant +creatures in his bed. It was the custom for the men to sally forth +every evening, just before dark, and kill, with sticks, every +land-crab they could find in the immediate neighbourhood of the camp, +each man slaying his sixty or seventy. This afforded an abundance of +food for the others during the night, so that they had no need to +stray into the tents. The crabs, I was informed, were excellent +scavengers, and consumed all the cook's refuse. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor and his companions had no lack of news to impart. I was +anxious, of course, in the first place, to learn how the work had +progressed. I was told that some hundreds of tons of earth had been +already removed, and that a broad trench was being dug, along the face +of the cliff, through the landslip in the first bend of the ravine, +but that, so far, no indications of the treasure had been come across. +The chief difficulty consisted in the presence of a great many stones +of all sizes that were mixed up with the fallen soil, some of them +being of several tons weight. In digging the trench an inclined plane +was left at either end, up which the barrows of earth could be +wheeled; and when one of the big stones was found, the earth was, in +the first place, cleared from round it, and then it was dragged from +the bottom of the trench up one of these inclined planes by means of +powerful tackle, assisted by the hydraulic jack. When they had got it +by these means to the top of the trench, they could easily roll it +down the ravine. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor explained to me all the routine that he had laid down for +observance on shore, and the different details of the work. Sunday was +always a holiday, and was occupied, as a rule, in wandering about and +exploring; but it was sometimes too terribly hot for this. +</p> + +<p> +I was informed that a crowbar and several other fresh relics of Mr. +A——'s expedition had been discovered, and that a wooden box had been +found, carefully hidden away at the farther end of the bay, which +contained a chess-board, a quantity of shot cartridges, and several +London and Newcastle newspapers, dated October 1875. Mr. A——'s +expedition took place in 1885, Mr. P——'s—the first expedition—in +1880; so the papers gave us no clue as to who had brought them here. +The shore-party had amused themselves by reading these ancient +journals. In them they found accounts of the Wainwright trial and of +the collision between the 'Mistletoe' and the 'Alberta.' It was +strange to read, on Trinidad, the old theatrical advertisements in the +<i>Standard</i>, with Charles Matthews acting at the Gaiety and Miss +Marie Wilton at some other house. There was an excellent notice of the +latter charming actress in one of these papers. +</p> + +<p> +I was told that there had not been so much surf in South-west Bay as +might have been expected with so strong a wind; but, as I have +explained, the south-east is the wind that raises the least surf on +this sandy beach, though it blows right on to it. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor told me that they had experienced, on every occasion they +had landed, a strong current sweeping along the shore of the bay in an +easterly direction, so that, no sooner did the bow of the boat touch +the sand, than her stern was driven round by the current to the left, +and, unless proper precautions were taken, she would get broadside on +to the next sea and be rolled over. +</p> + +<p> +On being asked whether they had had much rain in the bay, they replied +that the showers had been as heavy as those tropical downpours we had +experienced in the doldrums. They said that the Sugarloaf presented a +magnificent appearance after one of these showers, for then a cascade +700 feet in height would pour down its almost perpendicular sides. +They had been enabled to fill their tanks and breakers with +rain-water, and had only used the condensing apparatus on one or two +occasions, and then more by way of experiment, to see how it worked, +than from necessity. It acted perfectly, and with it five gallons of +fresh water were distilled from sea-water in a very short time. +</p> + +<p> +The fortunate discovery had also been made of two small issues of +water among the cliffs at the east end of the bay. The supply was +sufficient, and though the carrying of the water in breakers from here +to the camp over the rough ground entailed heavy labour, it was easier +to fetch it in this way than to collect the large quantity of firewood +necessary for condensing an equal amount of water. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor reported Arthur Cotton as being ill, and unfit for further +digging for the present; so he was left on board with me, while George +went on shore to take his place. The doctor promised to come off for +me on the following morning, so that I could pay a short visit to the +shore and inspect the works—provided, of course, the surf permitted. +Then we bade each other farewell, and the working-party returned to +the bay. +</p> + +<p> +The boat did not come off for me on the following day, as the surf was +dangerous in South-west Bay; and I held no communication with the +shore-party for another week. During this time the wind was from the +south-east; but though it rushed down the ravine with the usual +violent squalls, it was moderate outside, and we had no more of the +heavy sea which had been running throughout the previous week. It +would have been possible for me to have landed at the pier on nearly +any day, but there was still a sufficient surf to prevent our carrying +off any more stones from the shore. +</p> + +<p> +We were anchored on a sandy bottom, but we could feel, by the +grumbling of our chain as the yacht swung, that there were many rocks +under us as well. These caused us a good deal of annoyance; for on +several occasions, when the vessel was lying right over her anchor, +the slack of the chain would take a turn round a rock and give us a +short nip; so that when a swell passed under us, the vessel could not +rise to it, but was held down by the tautened chain, which dragged her +bows under, producing a great strain. The rocks must have been of +brittle coral formation, for, after giving two or three violent jerks +as the sea lifted her, the vessel would suddenly shake herself free +with a wrench, evidently by the breaking away of the obstruction. At +last all the projecting portions of the coral rock in our immediate +neighbourhood must have been torn off, the chain having swept a clear +space for itself all round, for after a time we were no longer caught +in this way. These great strains loosened our starboard hawse-pipe +badly, so that we had to slip our chain and pass it through the other +hawse-pipe. +</p> + +<p> +On December 9, it being a very fine day, I made an expedition in the +dinghy toward the north end of the island. We found no good +landing-place in that direction, for a coral ledge extends along the +whole coast, causing broken water, and there are dangerous rocks in +the midst of the breakers. We pulled into several little bays, each +hemmed in by inaccessible barren mountains, so crowded with birds +that, from the sea, the black crags looked quite white with them. We +pulled inside Bird Island and inspected the Ninepin from close to. +This huge cylinder of rock, 900 feet in height, is described by old +navigators as having been crowned with large trees. It is now +completely bare of vegetation, as it also was when I first saw it in +1881. I observed that, since my last visit, a huge mass had fallen off +the top of it, which now lay by its side in shattered fragments. We +caught a quantity of fish in these bays, one a fine fellow weighing +thirty pounds; and we saw several large turtle floating on the water, +but they sank as soon as we got near them. +</p> + +<p> +The uneventful days passed by, and I grew stout on laziness, salt +beef, and duff. At last, on December 14, we pulled off in the dinghy +to South-west Bay, to see how the shore-party was getting on. We took +with us a signal code book and the flags, so as to converse with our +diggers in case we could not effect a landing—a feat not to be +attempted with our rotten little dinghy except under the most +exceptional circumstances. The shore-party was, of course, also +provided with a code book and set of flags. +</p> + +<p> +As I required some more specimens of birds, I took with me, not a gun +with which to shoot them, but simply a ramrod, the end of which I had +loaded with a piece of lead. With this, as I sat in the boat, I found +no difficulty in knocking down the inquisitive birds as they flew just +over our heads, and I thus procured several good specimens. +</p> + +<p> +When we had pulled round the point and were in South-west Bay we saw +the white tents of the camp in front of us, and we could plainly +distinguish, in a ravine behind, the great trench which the men had +dug at the side of the cliff. We found little surf in the bay, but I +would not risk a landing; for it would not require much bumping to +knock our dinghy's ancient bottom off; so we remained outside the +breakers and signalled: 'Any news?' +</p> + +<p> +There was no reply with the flags, but some of the men walked down to +the rocks under the Sugarloaf, so that we could come near enough to +them to hail. A very disreputable lot our friends looked, too: as +unkempt and rough as the original pirates might have been. The costume +of each consisted merely of shirt, trousers, and belt, some sort of an +apology for a hat crowning all. They were all more or less ragged, and +were stained from head to foot with the soil in which they had been +digging, so that they presented a uniform dirty, brownish yellow +appearance, and, from a passing vessel, might easily have been taken +for Brazilian convicts. +</p> + +<p> +They shouted what news they had to tell. They reported that they were +progressing well with the digging, and that they had caught a number +of turtle. They promised to come off to the yacht the next morning, +surf permitting. I made some sketches of Treasure Bay and West Bay as +seen from the sea, and then returned to the vessel, to skin my birds. +</p> + +<p> +The whale-boat was alongside on the following morning, December 15, +and the doctor, Powell, Pollock, and two paid hands, boarded us. They +had brought off some fresh and salted turtle and a quantity of +turtle-eggs. +</p> + +<p> +The yacht had now been lying off Trinidad for twenty-five days, and +the shore-party had been hard at work for seventeen days; so I thought +it was quite time for me to join the camp, and do my share of the +work. I could see that the energetic doctor was anything but anxious +to change the hard labour on shore for the lazy life on board ship, +and though, as mate, he would have been the proper person to take +charge of the vessel during my absence on land, still we considered it +advisable to arrange matters differently. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor, as I have said, was a most useful man on shore, and, as we +were anxious to complete our operations as quickly as possible and +leave the island before the stormy season should set in, it seemed a +pity to waste so much energy and muscle as his in an idle life on +board the yacht. Having remained at anchor for so long, and knowing +that our anchor had now got such a firm hold that there was but little +chance of its dragging, and having, moreover, discovered by experience +that it was possible to ride where we were even in bad weather, I had +acquired a considerable confidence in the safety of the vessel, and I +believe that she could have remained off the cascade for six months +without suffering damage. I, therefore, now came to the conclusion +that it would not be very imprudent to leave a somewhat incompetent +person in charge, as the chances were that he would have nothing to +do. Pollock, who had complained of slackness for some time, was the +one from whom the least amount of work could be extracted on shore, +and was, therefore, the one who could be the most easily spared. I, +consequently, decided to leave him on board the yacht, instead of the +doctor. +</p> + +<p> +The weather now looked very settled and there was little chance of bad +weather for a time. I gave Pollock his instructions, and left with +him, as a crew, Ted Milner and George Spanner. I packed up my traps +and pulled off with the others to the bay, not at all sorry to do a +little work, for a change. +</p> + +<p> +We took Jacko on shore with us. He did not admire the island, and +particularly objected to the land-crabs. His favourite amusement was +to turn on the tap of our tank, when no one was looking, and let all +our hard-got supply of water run out. +</p> + +<p> +He behaved very well on the whole, however, except on Christmas Day, +when he drank some rum which he found at the bottom of a pannikin, +and, I am grieved to say, became disgracefully intoxicated. He had a +dreadful headache the next day. +</p> + + + +<a name="XVII"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER XVII. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +PICK AND SHOVEL. +</p> + + +<p> +As it was a Sunday there was no work done on the first day of my stay +in camp; all hands had the usual holiday, which they chiefly employed +in fishing, and in mending their clothes. I walked up the ravine and +was surprised to find that so much of the landslip had been already +removed. The trench was about twenty feet broad, and ultimately +attained a depth of upwards of twenty feet in places. It extended for +some distance along the face of the cliff—if that term can be +properly applied to a steep slope of a sort of natural concrete, a +compact but somewhat brittle mass of stones and earth. It was at the +foot of this cliff that we expected to find the cave described by the +pirate, but how far we should have to dig down through the +accumulation of earth and rocks that had fallen from above and now +filled up the bottom of the ravine it was not easy even to conjecture. +</p> + +<p> +Our object, it will be seen, was to clear the face of the cliff until +we came to the original bottom of the ravine. Though the cliff was, as +I have explained, composed of brittle matter, as if in an intermediate +state between earth and rock, and of comparatively modern formation, +it was easy to distinguish it from the much looser soil of the +landslip that lay along its sides; this last, too, was of a very +different colour, being reddish brown, whereas the cliff was +slate-blue. +</p> + +<p> +The men had constructed several little paths leading from the trench, +down the ravine, to the edges of the chasms and precipitous steps +which are frequent in this gully, and the earth and stones that were +dug out of the trench were carried down these paths in the +wheelbarrows and tilted over the precipices. As we gradually filled up +these chasms the roads had to be extended further down the ravine, and +at last we had formed a great dyke which stretched right across it. I +was satisfied that all the operations had been conducted with +judgment, and, if the treasure were in the ravine at all, there was +but little doubt that we should find it. +</p> + +<p> +The same rules that had been laid down by the doctor for the +discipline of the camp were observed during my stay on shore. All +hands turned out at dawn, and cocoa and biscuit were served out. Then +we worked hard from half-past five till nine, at which hour the +temperature in that closed in ravine became so high that it was quite +impossible even for a black man to work with pick and shovel. A bath +in the sea, to refresh ourselves and wash off the clinging red dust, +was our next proceeding. Then we put off our working clothes for +others, and partook of a good breakfast, consisting chiefly of +oatmeal, which we found by experience was the best food to work on. +During the heat of the day we lay in our tents, almost panting for +breath at times, so intolerably hot and close it was. At half-past +three we returned to the ravine and did another three hours' work. +After this was another bath, then supper. There was a whole holiday on +Sunday and a half holiday on Wednesday. +</p> + +<p> +Even during the early hours of the morning, when the sides of the +ravine shaded us from the sun, digging was hot and trying work for +white men. We were, of course, bathed in perspiration all the while, +and were, consequently very thirsty, so that the cook was kept busily +employed in going backwards and forwards between camp and trench to +refill our water-bottles. +</p> + +<p> +In the middle of the day the sun, blazing on the sands, made them +terribly hot. No one could step on them with bare feet, even for a +moment; one could not even lay one's hand on the ground. +</p> + +<p> +The sand here is mixed with a finely granulated black mineral +substance, and I think it is the presence of this that causes so great +an absorption of heat. I have never found sands elsewhere, even in the +Sahara, attain so high a temperature. +</p> + +<p> +We were not altogether lazy out of digging hours. One's clothes had to +be washed, water had to be brought down in breakers and demi-johns +from the distant issue in the cliffs, and firewood had to be gathered. +We sometimes went out in a body to perform this last duty. We would +climb high up the mountain-sides, where the dead trees lay thickest, +and throw down the timber before us as we descended, until we had +accumulated a large quantity at the bottom. +</p> + +<p> +I shared one of the tents with Pursell, while the doctor and Powell +occupied the other. On my first night on shore we caught three turtle. +Our black cook, who was always looking out for them, came to my tent +and reported that, while prowling about the beach, he had observed +several large females crawling up the sands. It was a very dark night, +so, taking a lantern, four of us set out. We soon came across one of +the creatures, and followed her quietly until she had reached a spot +far above high-water mark, and then we turned her over on her back. +This is by no means an easy undertaking when one has to deal with a +seven-hundred-pound turtle, and requires at least four men to carry it +out. The turtle does not permit this liberty to be taken with her +without offering considerable resistance: with her powerful flippers +she drives the sand violently into the faces of her aggressors, +attempting to blind them, so that caution has to be observed in +approaching her. We turned over three turtle, and, on the following +day, salted down the meat that we could not eat in a fresh state. +</p> + +<p> +Turtle are kept alive for weeks on board ship, even in the tropics, +and all the care that is taken of them consists in placing pillows +under their heads, as they lie on their backs on deck—so as to +prevent apoplexy, I suppose—and in throwing an occasional bucket of +water over them. These creatures seem to be able to do without food +for a very long period. We found that we could not employ this method +of keeping alive the turtle we caught, for, though we constantly +poured buckets of water over them, and shaded them with matting, they +could not exist on these blazing sands; and the practice, cruel enough +at sea, would have been much more so here. +</p> + +<p> +The paid hands enjoyed turtle-hunting, and were inclined, +thoughtlessly, to turn over more turtle than were required for +purposes of food; so that I had to give an order that no turtle should +be turned over without leave, and the destruction of the creatures was +strictly limited to the requirements of the larder. A similar law was +made for the protection of the silly sea-birds, and the only animals +that could be slaughtered with impunity were the unfortunate +land-crabs, for they had no friends among us to take their part and +legislate on their behalf. They were now not nearly so plentiful in +the vicinity of the camp as they had been. They had begun to give up +their ignorant contempt for man, and on only one occasion during my +stay on shore was it considered necessary for four of us to sally +forth with sticks, before supper, and slay about a hundred each. +</p> + +<p> +The turtle were now so plentiful that we could have caught in a +fortnight sufficient to last us for six months, had we even lived on +nothing else. The Trinidad turtle are of large size—500 to 700 +pounds—and their flavour is excellent. We had turtle-soup and +turtle-steak every day for breakfast and dinner, so that we became +utterly weary of the rich food, and I do not think any of us wish to +see calipash or calipee for a long time to come. +</p> + +<p> +We did not neglect the other useful products of the island. We +gathered the wild beans, and found them a very welcome addition to our +diet. Of fish we always had plenty. Powell was our great fisherman, +and was the inventor of the seine constructed of wire-fencing which I +have already described. In addition to the edible fish I have +mentioned as swarming in these waters there are several other species +that we looked upon with some doubt, and refrained from eating. Some +of these were of quaint forms and dazzling colours, so that their +appearance seemed to warn us of their poisonous nature. There were +fish of brilliant blue, others with stripes of white and purple, +others with vermilion fins and yellow bands like those of a wasp. +Sea-snakes abounded in the pools. These, according to an Italian cook +we had on the 'Falcon,' are edible; but we did not venture to try +them. They attain the length of five feet and are of a grey colour, +with yellow stripes. They appear to be of savage disposition, for, +when harpooned, they twist about and bite with fury anything within +their reach. +</p> + +<p> +I stayed on shore altogether for a fortnight, and kept a journal of +our proceedings, which, together with several sketches, specimens of +the flora, and other articles, were washed out of the lifeboat and +lost when we abandoned the island. The loss of the journal, however, +matters little, for our life on shore was almost devoid of incident, +and was chiefly made up of monotonous work with pick, shovel, and +wheelbarrow. +</p> + +<p> +We dug away, still through loose soil that had evidently formed part +of the landslip, and removed some thousands of tons; but we did not +come to the foot of the cliff, or the cave which is described to be +there. Some of the stones that we had to remove in the course of our +digging were very large. We had a quantity of strong ropes and blocks +on shore, and when we came across an exceptionally big rock, we +clapped a number of watch-tackles one on the other, and, by putting +all hands on the fall of the last tackle, we obtained a very powerful +purchase, equivalent, I calculated on one occasion, to the power of +five hundred men. We found bones and bits of decayed wood among the +earth, but the former always proved to be the remains of a goat and +not of a pirate, and the latter were the fragments of dead trees and +not of chests of loot. +</p> + +<p> +But shortly before Christmas there were some encouraging signs. We had +now got down to a considerable depth, and we noticed that, when a pick +was driven into the bottom of the trench, a hollow sound was given +out, as if we were on the roof of a cavern, and, occasionally, little +holes would open out and the earth would slip down into some chasm +underneath. We dug still deeper, and we came to a collection of very +large rocks, which we were unable to move. They were jammed together, +and evidently formed the roof of a cavern, for, wherever we could +clear away the earth that lay between any two of these rocks, we +looked down through the opening into a black, empty space, the bottom +of which we could not touch by thrusting through our longest crowbar. +This looked promising, for it was just such a cavern as this that we +were seeking. +</p> + +<p> +We found that the rocks were too close together to allow of our +effecting an entrance from above, so we dug down along the side of the +last and largest of these until we came to its foot; and there indeed +was a sort of cavern, partly filled up with loose earth, which we +cleared out. +</p> + +<p> +There was no treasure in it, and nothing to show that any human being, +before us, had ever visited the spot. I think it was at this stage of +our operations that each man began very seriously to doubt whether we +were searching in the right place at all, and whether there might not +be some further clue that was missing, and, without which, search +would almost certainly be futile. But, whatever may have been thought, +there was, so far as I can remember, no expression given to these +doubts, and each worked on with the same cheery will as at the +beginning, even as if he were confident of success. These men were +determined, in an almost literal sense, to leave no stone unturned, +and not to abandon that ravine until they had satisfied themselves as +to whether the treasure was or was not there. +</p> + +<p> +On the Sunday after my arrival on shore, December 22, we went off in +the whale-boat to see how Pollock was getting on. The weather had been +exceedingly fine throughout the week in South-west Bay, and we might +have launched the boat on almost any day; but, though there had been +no heavy wind in the neighbourhood of the island, there had been a +considerable swell at the anchorage for part of the time, and Pollock +reported that the yacht had tumbled about a good deal. He had found +opportunities for landing at the pier with the dinghy, and had brought +off some breakers of water from the cascade and a quantity of +firewood. He had been very lucky with his fishing, having caught +several germanic, weighing from twenty to forty pounds apiece, and an +abundance of other fish. Ted Milner was now taken on shore with us, +while Arthur Cotton was left on board. +</p> + +<p> +We worked away steadily in the ravine until Christmas Day, when there +was, of course, a holiday. We had a most luxurious dinner on shore, as +also had the three men on board the vessel. The menu of our +shore-dinner was as follows:—Turtle soup, boiled hind-fish, curried +turtle-steak, boiled salt junk, tinned plum-pudding. For vegetables we +had preserved potatoes and carrots, and Trinidad beans. Good old rum +was the only beverage. There were some other luxuries, chief of which +was a box of cigars, which had been put away for this occasion. +Christmas Day was intensely hot, so that we remained in our tents, +having no energy for exploring mountains. With the exception of +Jacko's disgraceful intoxication, no incidents of note occurred. +</p> + +<p> +On the Sunday after Christmas Day, Pursell and myself set out to +explore the weather side of the island, taking our lunch in our +pockets—biscuits, figs, rum, and tobacco. We crossed the Sugarloaf +Col and descended upon the coast of South-east Bay, then we turned to +the right and followed the shore to the extreme south end of the +island, where Noah's Ark falls a sheer wall into the surf. +</p> + +<p> +There was a quantity of wreckage in this bay, and in one place we +found a topmast and some ribs of a vessel which might have been the +remains of the hull I had seen here nine years before. The broken bits +of planks, timbers, barrels, hen-coops and other relics of ships, were +piled quite thickly on the rocks above high-water mark, and we came +across a square-faced gin bottle, full of fresh water, which, from its +position, could not have been washed ashore, but must have been left +here by some human being. We saw the foot-prints of turtle, showing +that every sandy beach on this island is frequented by numbers of +these creatures. In view of the threatened turtle-famine we read of, +it might be worth some one's while to come here for a cargo of them; +but the difficulty of getting any quantity off alive would be great. +</p> + +<p> +The scenery of East Bay is very extraordinary, for here the signs of +volcanic action are more evident than on any other portion of the +island. At the south end of the bay there is no sandy beach; masses of +shattered rocks, fallen from above, strew the shore, and between these +are solidified streams of black lava, which appear to have followed +each other in successive waves, one having cooled before the next has +poured down upon it, so that a series of rounded steps is formed. The +ledges of lava extend far out to sea, producing a dangerous reef, on +which the sea always breaks heavily. +</p> + +<p> +As we advanced over the boulders there towered above us on our right +hand the perpendicular side of Noah's Ark, of a strange red colour, +looking like molten iron where the sun's rays fell upon it. A quantity +of red <i>débris</i> from the roof of this mountain was also lying on +the shore, and at the north end of it we observed that a gigantic +<i>couloir</i>—as it would be called in the Alps—of volcanic ashes +and lava sloped down from its summit to the gap which connects it with +the Sugarloaf. It was obvious, from the vast amount of these +fire-consumed <i>débris</i> and waves of lava surrounding its base, +that Noah's Ark had once been a very active volcano, and I think it +highly probable that there is a crater at the top of it. Though it is +perpendicular on three sides, it might be possible to ascend it from +the fourth side, by the <i>couloir</i> connecting it with the gap +under the Sugarloaf; but the attempt would be risky, and a slip on its +steep, sloping roof would mean a drop over a wall 800 feet in height. +</p> + +<p> +We clambered over the rocks until we came to the end of Noah's Ark, +and we stood on a ledge of lava and gazed at one of the strangest +sights of this strange island. The base of the great red mountain is +pierced by a magnificent tunnel, known as the Archway, which connects +South-west Bay with East Bay. What seem to be gigantic stalactites +depend from its roof; and the different gradations of colour and shade +on its rugged sides—from glowing red in the blaze of the sun to +terra-cotta, delicate pink, and rich purple, and then to deepest black +in the inmost recesses—produce a very beautiful effect. The heaving +water is black within it, save where the white spray flashes; but, +looking through it, one perceives, beyond, the bright green waves of +South-west Bay, and the blue sky above them. +</p> + +<p> +The sea does not flow freely through the tunnel, except at high-water; +for, on the side we were standing, its mouth is crossed by a ledge of +lava, which is left dry by the receding tide. But inside the tunnel +there is deep water, and the ocean swell always penetrates it from +South-west Bay, dashing up its sides with a great roar, which is +repeated in hoarse echoes by the mountain. +</p> + +<p> +According to an ancient description of Trinidad quoted in the +'South-Atlantic Directory,' the Archway is 40 feet in breadth, 50 in +height, and 420 in length. I think it far higher and broader than +this—at any rate, at its mouth. No doubt the action of the surf is +continually enlarging it. +</p> + +<p> +Pursell and myself, having admired this beautiful scene for some time, +turned back, crossed the rocky promontory of East Point, and proceeded +along the sands till we came to the Portuguese settlement, which I +wished to examine more carefully than I had been able to do when here +with the doctor a month before. +</p> + +<p> +We had lunch by the side of the river which flows under the Portuguese +ruins, and then commenced to explore. The Portuguese had certainly +selected the only spot on the island at all suitable for a permanent +settlement; for not only is there here the best supply of water, but +there is also a considerable area of fairly fertile land, though it is +greatly encumbered with rocks. The downs by the river are densely +covered with beans, which also grow all over the ruined huts. It is +possible that these beans were originally planted here by the +settlers, and have since spread over all the downs between this and +South-west Bay; for they are not to be found on the other side of the +island. +</p> + +<p> +The huts, of which the rough walls of unhewn stone alone remain, are +built in terraces one above the other on the hill-side. A great deal +of labour was evidently expended in the construction of these +terraces, and of the roads leading to them, and quantities of stones +had been piled-up in order to obtain a level surface. This must have +been a picturesque little village in its day—whenever that day was, +for, though I have searched diligently, I can find no record to show +at what period Trinidad was used as a penal settlement by the +Portuguese. Amaso Delano, writing of his visit to the island in 1803, +speaks of a 'beach above which the Portuguese once had a settlement;' +and a still older narrative alludes to a Portuguese penal +establishment here as a thing of the long past. Malley, who was here +in 1700, took Trinidad in the name of the King of England—as I have +already mentioned—and he says nothing of such a settlement. +</p> + +<p> +Near the huts we found places where the soil had been cleared of +stones, for purposes of cultivation, and there were several walled-in +enclosures. +</p> + +<p> +We saw a good deal of broken pottery and tiles lying about, not such +as we had discovered in South-west Bay, of Oriental manufacture, but +of a very rough description, probably home-made. For, on the top of a +hill overlooking our ravine, we came across a hole that had evidently +been dug for the purpose of extracting a sort of clay that is there, +and there were signs of fire near it, and many fragments of +earthenware, so we conjectured that we were looking at all that +remained of the ancient Trinidad pottery-works. +</p> + +<p> +We did not return to South-west Bay by the Sugarloaf Col, but by +another route, which the shore-party had discovered in the course of a +previous Sunday's tour of exploration. This lay over the gap in the +downs at the back of our bay, and presented no difficulties; but the +soft soil and tangled vegetation made the climb a rather laborious +one. +</p> + + + +<a name="XVIII"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER XVIII. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +A VOYAGE TO MARKET. +</p> + + +<p> +I remained on shore for a fortnight, during which the weather was +fine, though a slight shower generally fell in the morning. +</p> + +<p> +We had still a large supply of stores, both on shore and on board; but +there was one article of food which we were consuming in much larger +quantities than had been anticipated—the necessary oatmeal—and it +was now found that but very little of it was left. It was, therefore, +decided that I should sail to Bahia—our nearest market-town—with the +yacht, and procure some more. +</p> + +<p> +A voyage of 1,400 miles in order to purchase a little oatmeal sounds +like a rather large order; but, as a matter of fact, it was more +comfortable to be under weigh than to lie at anchor where we were, +exposed to the ocean swell. So we did not look upon the journey as a +troublesome duty. +</p> + +<p> +My crew was to consist of Pollock and the three white sailors. +</p> + +<p> +I put Ted Milner, the boatswain, on Pollock's watch, and took Arthur +Cotton on mine. John Wright did the cooking and kept no watch, though +he was always ready to lend a hand if necessary. +</p> + +<p> +On Sunday, December 29th, the whale-boat went off to the yacht for +another load of stores, so that there might be an ample supply on the +island during the absence of the vessel; for it was not possible to +foresee how long we should be away. +</p> + +<p> +On Monday, 30th, I returned on board, and, after the two parties had +bade each other good-bye and good luck, the whale-boat went off to the +shore with a last cargo of provisions. We now got the vessel ready for +sea. We unbent the storm-trysail and storm-foresail, and bent the +large foresail; being rather short-handed, we left our topmast housed +during this voyage. +</p> + +<p> +We did not weigh the anchor until 5 p.m.; we set the whole mainsail, +the mizzen, foresail, and second jib. The wind, at first, was +exceedingly light, so that we drifted helplessly about for a time, and +we did not get clear of the island until after dark. I was thus unable +to sail round to the mouth of South-west Bay and satisfy myself that +the boat had been safely beached. However, seeing that so many +successful landings had been accomplished, I considered it unnecessary +to hang about the island until the following daylight, so we shaped +our course for Bahia. A moderate wind sprang up in the night and we +soon left the island far behind us. +</p> + +<p> +This was a most successful voyage. The wind was from the north-east +all the time, right abeam, and therefore as favourable as it could be. +There was not quite enough of it, however, and our best day's work was +only 154 miles. On one day it was rather squally, and we had to trice +up the main tack now and then. The voyage only occupied five days, for +we sighted the white sands and the cocoanut groves of the Brazilian +coast at 5 p.m. on January 4, and at 7.30 we rounded St. Antonio +Point, and entered the bay of Bahia. Here we found that a strong tide +was running against us, and, as is usually the case in the gulf at +this hour, there was scarcely any wind; so we were compelled to let go +our anchor near the light-house. A Newfoundland barque that had +followed us in had to do likewise. +</p> + +<p> +The next day, January 5, we rose early and saw before us again the +beautiful white city which we had left nearly two months before. We +got up the anchor as soon as the morning breeze had sprung up, and +sailed slowly to our anchorage under Fort la Mar, where we let go in +three fathoms of water. +</p> + +<p> +We noticed that a strange flag was flying on all the forts and +government buildings, as well as on the guard-ship and a little +gunboat that was lying near us. It bore no resemblance to the flag of +Brazil, or to that of any other nationality, and puzzled us somewhat. +</p> + +<p> +Though it was Sunday, our old friend, the harbour doctor, came off to +us in his launch. I was uncertain as to how he would receive us; for +the regulations of Brazilian ports are strict, and our entry here was +most informal. We had sailed out of Bahia, as the doctor himself must +have known, two months before, presumedly for Sydney, Australia; and +now, here we were again at Bahia, with no bill of health, and only +half of our crew on board. +</p> + +<p> +He came alongside, and we greeted each other. 'What port do you come +from?' he then asked. +</p> + +<p> +'We have been in no port since we left here,' I replied. +</p> + +<p> +'How—in no port!' he exclaimed, raising his eyebrows in slight +astonishment. He was too thorough a Brazilian to express much surprise +at anything, or to rouse himself from the almost Oriental apathy of +manner that distinguishes this somewhat indolent race. +</p> + +<p> +Then I explained to him that we had been passing our Christmas +holidays on the desert island of Trinidad, that I had left most of my +companions there while I had sailed to Bahia for more stores, and +that, having been in no inhabited port, I had, consequently, been +unable to provide myself with a bill of health. +</p> + +<p> +'And what were you doing on Trinidad all this time?' +</p> + +<p> +'Among other things, we were making collections of the fauna and +flora. There are some rare birds.' +</p> + +<p> +'Have you any specimens of the birds on board?' +</p> + +<p> +Luckily I had a few, and exhibited them. He was somewhat of a +naturalist himself, and recognised one species which he had seen on +Fernando Noronha. +</p> + +<p> +He seemed satisfied, and gave us pratique without any demur. +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Wilson had, of course, seen us, and had sent his boat to fetch me +on shore. Leaving the others on board, I got into the boat, and, as +the black boatman pulled me under the fort, it occurred to me to ask +him, in the best Portuguese I could muster, what was the signification +of the new flag that floated above the battlements. In my anxiety +concerning pratique I had forgotten to make any inquiries on the +subject from the doctor. The black looked up at the flag, smiled +faintly, and replied with an indifferent air—'Ah! la Republica.' +</p> + +<p> +And so indeed it was—the Republic! When I reached the store, Mr. +Wilson told me all about the revolution, which had occurred quite +suddenly and quietly on the day after we had last sailed from Bahia. I +learned that the much esteemed Emperor had been deposed, and that a +Republican form of government had been proclaimed. And a very shabby +sort of a revolution it had been, too, for there had been no +slaughter, to give an air of dignity and respectability to it. The +people themselves appeared to be heartily ashamed of such a feeble +thing, and spoke little of it. The most insignificant Republic of +Central America could have got up a far more exciting and sanguinary +affair at a few hours' notice. The harbour doctor had not even thought +it worth while to mention the change of government when he gave me +pratique. +</p> + +<p> +No national flag had yet been selected for this latest addition to the +list of American Republics, and the flag we saw was that of the State +of Bahia. There had been no disturbance in the city when the news of +the <i>pronunciamento</i> was telegraphed from Rio. The negroes did +not raise a hand to support the Emperor, to whom they owed their +freedom. The only incident of note that occurred at Bahia was the +salute that was fired at Fort la Mar in honour of the new Government. +This salute did cause some little excitement; for, by some mistake, +round shot were fired instead of blank cartridges, and one shot went +through a longboat swinging on the davits of a Norwegian barque, and +did other damage. +</p> + +<p> +The United States gunboat 'Richmond' was at anchor in the bay, +awaiting instructions from Washington, it was said, before officially +recognising the new sister Republic. +</p> + +<p> +The next day was the feast of the Epiphany, a great holiday, and no +Brazilian could be got to work under any circumstances whatever. +Crackers, rockets, and bells were the order of the day. Even for the +two days succeeding the festival these pious people were disinclined +to work, and I heard the skippers of vessels raving in Wilson's store +because they could not get the water-boats alongside, or ship their +ballast, as the lightermen were still busy letting off crackers in the +streets. However, we managed to get all our stores off—oatmeal, +plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit, molasses, and a small barrel of +<i>cana</i> or white rum. +</p> + +<p> +On Thursday, January 9, I renewed my acquaintance with some old +friends. The telegraph steamer 'Norseman' came into the port. She was +still under the command of Captain Lacy, who had taken the 'Falcon' in +tow with her from Rio to Maldonado nearly ten years before. +</p> + +<p> +We had intended to sail on this day, but the glass had been falling +and it was blowing hard from the south-east, so that it seemed +advisable to wait for some improvement in the weather. The next day, +January 10, the glass began to rise and the sky looked less +threatening, the scud no longer rushing across the heavens at a wild +pace; so we got under weigh after breakfast, and once more set sail +for the desert island. +</p> + +<p> +For a vessel sailing from Trinidad to Bahia the wind is always fair, +being from north-east to south-east; but for one sailing the reverse +way the wind is, as often as not, right ahead. This bad luck we now +experienced. Trinidad lay to the south-east of us, and south-east was +also the direction of the wind. When we were outside the bay we put +the vessel on the port tack and at five in the evening we were off the +Moro San Paulo light-house. Then we went about and steered away from +the land. +</p> + +<p> +This was, I think, our most disagreeable voyage. It blew hard all the +time, and there were violent squalls of wind and rain that frequently +compelled us to scandalise our mainsail and lower the foresail. The +sea ran high, and was very confused, so that, sailing full and by, the +yacht made little progress, labouring a good deal, and constantly +driving her bowsprit into the short, steep waves. On the third day out +we took two reefs down in the mainsail and two in the foresail. The +wind was constantly shifting between east and south, so that we often +went about so as to sail on the tack which enabled the vessel to point +nearest to her destination. +</p> + +<p> +When we had been six days out we were only half way to Trinidad, +having accomplished the distance of 350 miles from Bahia. +</p> + +<p> +On this day I had some trouble with Arthur. He had, I think, brought a +bottle of rum on board surreptitiously at Bahia, or, possibly, he had +helped himself from the barrel, which was always kept, for security, +in my cabin. As I used to sleep on deck during Pollock's watch, he +could then find his opportunity, as no one was below to catch him. At +midnight, when I relieved the other watch, he refused to obey an +order. He had done this on two previous occasions, also when under the +influence of smuggled spirits, and had quickly been brought to his +senses and to his work by having his head punched. It was his wont to +become repentant and make amends for his bad conduct by extra good +behaviour; and I must allow that he did his work willingly enough, as +a rule, but drink converted him into a foolish sea-lawyer. +</p> + +<p> +The offence was flagrant on this occasion, and as a head-punching only +resulted in making him sulky, I determined to discharge him. Seeing +that months might elapse before we left Trinidad for the West Indies, +and not wishing to have him on my hands all that time, I made up my +mind to run back to Bahia with him at once; so the mainsheet was +promptly slacked off, and we bore away, to the young man's great +surprise. I would not let him go below, in case he should get at the +rum again; so ordered him to stay on the deck forward. Before the end +of my watch he disobeyed this order and sneaked below in the dark. +When I discovered this I went down and ordered him to come on deck at +once. He obeyed, promptly this time, as he was, no doubt, reaching the +sober and repentant stage; but I would not trust him, and tied him up +by his foot to the bulwarks forward, and kept him a prisoner until we +came into port. +</p> + +<p> +He was the only paid hand we had who was subject to these fits of +insubordination. The doctor and myself never had any difficulties with +the others; they did their work cheerfully. +</p> + +<p> +Now that we were running before the wind and sea we made good +progress, and we sighted the Moro San Paulo light at 2 a.m. on Sunday, +January 19. The distance, therefore, that we had made after six days +of tacking was now accomplished before the wind in 50 hours. +</p> + +<p> +We were becalmed off the entrance of the bay for several hours. It was +an excessively hot day, and the morning breeze did not spring up till +later than usual, so that we did not let go our anchor under Fort la +Mar until midday. And now, lo! the flags of the State of Bahia no +longer decorated the city and forts, but a flag something like the old +Brazilian flag, but yet not the same, floated everywhere. Had there, +then, been yet another revolution while we were away, and was some new +form of government—communistical or oligarchical or what not—being +experimented upon? We learnt, on landing, that this was the National +flag of the Brazilian Republic, but only a tentative one, which was +being flown so that the citizens could see how it looked. I believe +several other patterns were tried, and thus exhibited in the cities +for public approval, before one was definitely selected. +</p> + +<p> +The harbour doctor came off to us, was amused at our story, and again +gave us pratique. Wilson had, of course, been much puzzled at the +re-appearance of the 'Alerte,' and was anxious to hear what had +happened. +</p> + +<p> +I took Arthur before the Consul on Monday morning, and formally +discharged him. +</p> + +<p> +New brooms sweep clean, they say, and the new Republican Municipality +had decided to clean dirty Bahia as economically as possible, and had +hit upon the following ingenious plan. The police were instructed to +consider any one, whatever his rank, who was found walking in the +streets after bed-time, as a dangerous conspirator, and to promptly +arrest him. All men locked up on any night for this crime were sent +out the next morning in a gang to sweep the streets. It was +interesting, I was told, to observe some gay young Brazilian masher, +in silk hat, lofty collar, and pointed patent boots, cleaning a gutter +out, with an armed policeman standing over him to see that he did not +shirk his work. I was instructed by the Consul to warn any of my men +who should come on shore as to the danger of strolling about the city +at night. +</p> + +<p> +I did not wish to remain at Bahia one moment longer than was +necessary; but I thought it would be well, as we were here, to fill up +our water-tanks. But it happened to be another fiesta this day—bells +and crackers again!—and the water-boat could not come off. So we had +to wait till the following day, January 21, when the water was put on +board of us, and in the afternoon we got under weigh. +</p> + + + +<a name="XIX"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER XIX. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +HOVE TO. +</p> + + +<p> +It was blowing hard on the day of our departure from Bahia, and we +sailed down the bay under mizzen and head sails, so as to see what it +was like outside before hoisting our mainsail. +</p> + +<p> +A high sea was running on the bar, and while the yacht was tumbling +about in the broken water, an accident happened to Wright. He was +preparing our tea, when a lurch of the vessel capsized a kettle of +boiling water, the whole contents of which poured over his hands and +wrists, scalding them severely, and causing intense pain; so that we +had to administer a strong sleeping draught to the poor fellow, after +the usual remedies had been applied to the scalded parts. He was on +the sick list for a long time, and was, of course, incapable of doing +work of any description during this voyage; though, as soon as he got +a bit better, it worried him to think that he was of no use, and he +insisted, though his hands were bandaged up, in trying to steer with +his arms. +</p> + +<p> +This accident made us still more short-handed. There were but three of +us left to work the vessel. Luckily, I had one good man with me, in +the person of Ted Milner, who not only did the cooking, but worked +hard on deck during my watch as well as on the other, and was very +cheery over it all the while, too. +</p> + +<p> +When we were outside, we took two reefs down in the mainsail before +hoisting it, and close-reefed the foresail, for it was evident that we +were in for a spell of squally weather. +</p> + +<p> +We had better luck now than during our previous attempt at reaching +Trinidad, for the wind, instead of being right ahead from the +south-east, kept shifting backwards and forwards between north and +east, so that we could always lay our course on the port tack, and +could often do so with our sheets well off. But the wind was squally +and uncertain, and for much of the time the sea was rough, so that we +were eight days in reaching the island. +</p> + +<p> +At dawn on January 29, we sighted Trinidad, right ahead, and in the +afternoon we were about two miles off, opposite to the Ninepin rock. +It was blowing hard from the eastward, and the sea was, I think, +running higher than on any occasion since we left Southampton. The +surf on the island was far heavier than we had ever seen it before, +and was breaking on every portion of the coast with great fury. +</p> + +<p> +We now ran before the wind towards South-west Bay, and the squalls +that occasionally swept down the ravines were so fierce that we sailed +with foresail down and the tack of our reefed mainsail triced well up. +We saw that the seas were dashing completely over the pier, and +sending great fountains of spray high into the air. When we opened out +South-west Bay the scene before us was terribly grand. Huge green +rollers, with plumes of snowy spray, were breaking on the sandy beach; +and the waves were dashing up the sides of Noah's Ark, and the +Sugarloaf to an immense height, the cliffs being wet with spray quite +200 feet up. The loud roaring of the seas was echoed by the mountains, +and the frequent squalls whistled and howled frightfully among the +crags, so that even the wild sea-birds were alarmed at the commotion +of the elements: for they had risen in multitudes from all the rocks +around the bay, and were flying hither and thither in a scared +fashion, while their melancholy cries added to the weirdness of the +general effect. +</p> + +<p> +And once more we saw before us, high above the sea-foam, our little +camp, with its three tents, and the whale-boat hauled up on the sands +not far off, with its white canvas cover stretched over it; but we +were surprised to see no men about: the camp appeared to be deserted. +</p> + +<p> +It was, obviously, impossible for the shore-party to launch the boat +with so high a sea running, neither could we approach within +signalling distance of the beach; so that there was no chance of our +being able to communicate with our friends for the present. I also saw +that it would be highly imprudent, if not impossible, to come to an +anchor off the cascade with the yacht. There was to be no harbour for +us just yet, and the only thing to be done was to put to sea and heave +to until the weather improved. +</p> + +<p> +We did not anticipate that we should have to wait long for this +improvement; but, as it turned out, we had to remain hove to for eight +days, before the state of the sea permitted the boat to come off to +us, during which time the bananas, pumpkins, and other luxuries of the +sort, which we had brought from Bahia for the working-party, began to +spoil, and we had to eat them ourselves to save them; so that, when at +last the men boarded us, we had but little left for them of the fresh +fruit and vegetables which were so grateful to them, though of oatmeal +and other provisions there was an ample store. +</p> + +<p> +We soon discovered that it was much better in every way for the yacht +to be hove to than to be lying at anchor off Trinidad. To strain at +her chain in an ocean swell must be injurious even to such a strong +vessel as the 'Alerte' is; and, as I have said, we did pull one +hawse-pipe nearly out of her on the occasion that the chain got foul +of the rocks at the bottom, thus giving her a short nip. Even in fine +weather we experienced a lot of wear and tear; for the yacht used to +swing first in one direction, then in another, as the various flaws of +wind struck her, so that the chain was constantly getting round her +stem, and we found that a large piece of her copper had been worn away +in this manner, just below the water-line. +</p> + +<p> +Had I fully realised before the great advantages of heaving to, I do +not think I should have ever let go my anchor at all here; but, in +that case, I should have been compelled to remain on board all the +while, and would not have had my fortnight's stay in camp. To remain +hove to off this lee side of the island is a very easy matter. Our +method was to sail out to sea from South-west Bay until we had got out +of the baffling local squalls into the steady breeze, and then we hove +to under reefed mainsail, small jib with sheet to windward, and helm +lashed. The yacht then looked after herself; and, as the wind was +always more or less off shore and the current was setting to the +south, she would drift away about twelve miles in the night towards +the open sea, always remaining right opposite our bay, so that those +on shore could see us at daybreak. We divided ourselves into three +watches at night, one man being sufficient for a watch, for he never +had anything to do but look-out for the passing vessels. Hove to as we +were under such short canvas the fiercest squall we ever encountered +had no effect on the vessel, and she was in every way very +comfortable. +</p> + +<p> +In the morning we would hoist the foresail and tack towards South-west +Bay, so as to attempt communication with the shore; if that were +impossible, we hove to once more, to drift slowly seawards; and we +repeated this process several times in the course of a day, before we +finally sailed out for our night's rest on the bosom of the ocean. +</p> + +<p> +We could sail into South-west Bay until we were abreast of the +Sugarloaf, but no further; we were then at least a mile and a quarter +from the camp, and it was difficult to read the signals of the +shore-party at that distance, as the flags they had with them were of +a small size. +</p> + +<p> +To have approached nearer than this would have been a very risky +proceeding; for, though we might have succeeded in getting some way +further in, and out again, with safety, time after time, the day would +most assuredly have come when a serious accident would have happened. +For, as soon as the yacht had sailed across the line connecting the +two extreme points of the bay, the high cliffs diverted the wind so +that it was only felt occasionally, and then in short squalls, from +various directions; and between those baffling squalls were long +spells of calm, during which the vessel would drift helplessly before +the swell towards the surf under the cliffs, or would be carried by +the southerly current towards the lava reefs off South Point, in both +cases at imminent risk of destruction. And even when the squalls did +come down to render assistance, they shifted so suddenly that the +sails were taken aback two or three times in as many minutes, so that +all way was lost, or even stern way was got on the vessel, and one +lost control over her at a critical moment. +</p> + +<p> +The 'Alerte' sailed into that bay a great many times without mishap; +but there were anxious moments now and then, and I was always glad to +escape out of this treacherous trap to the open sea, clear of the +rocks and squalls, with deep water round, and a comparatively steady +wind to help me. +</p> + +<p> +We remained thus, standing off and on, and hove to, during the rest of +our stay at Trinidad. Our anchor was never let go here again. We had +been lucky with our weather when we first arrived at the island, and +had successively landed our working-party and stores, and our +whale-boat had been beached in South-west Bay a good many times, +without serious accident, though very seldom without risk. But now all +this was changed. High seas and squally weather were the rule during +the eighteen days we remained hove to: for the first eight days, as I +have said, we were unable to hold communication with the shore; and, +after that, there were but few occasions on which we could beach the +boat, and then this feat was generally attended with a capsize, loss +of property, and risk of life. But, fortunately, as will be seen, the +two days preceding our final departure from the islet were fine, and +we were thus enabled to carry off our tents and other stores. Had it +not been for this short spell of calm, we should have probably been +compelled to leave behind everything we possessed. +</p> + +<p> +The fine season here is in the southern summer—our winter. In +winter—especially in the months of June, July, and August—landing on +Trinidad is almost always impossible. Strong winds and heavy rains +then prevail, while the seas run high. It is possible that the fine +weather was now beginning to break up, and that when we sailed from +the island—February 15—the stormy autumn season was setting in. +</p> + +<p> +The ship's log for this period presents a monotonous repetition of +vain attempts at boating, as the following short record of our +proceedings for the first eight days will show. It will be remembered +that we arrived off the island and hove to on the evening of January +29. +</p> + +<p> +<i>January 30.</i>—Sailed into South-west Bay after breakfast. Though +we saw the camp standing as we had left it, could not perceive any +men, neither had we done so on the previous day. Wonder if, for some +reason or other, the shore-party have left the island, and been +carried away by a passing vessel? Drift out of bay and heave to. In +afternoon sail into bay again. This time are glad to see all the men +walking down to the beach. We signal for news. They reply, 'All well,' +and 'Too rough for boating.' We signal, that we have brought them some +letters from Bahia. When outside bay heave to for night. +</p> + +<p> +<i>January 31.</i>—At dawn ten miles off island. Tack towards island. +Sea high; squally. Sail into bay. No signals from shore. We conclude +it is too rough for boating, and that the men are at work in the +ravine. In afternoon sail again into bay. No signals. Heave to for +night, as before. +</p> + +<p> +<i>February 1.</i>—Sail into bay in morning. See the men on shore +taking the cover off the whale-boat, as if with the intention of +coming off. They drag her down to the edge of the sea. We cannot now +distinguish them, so cannot tell whether they have launched the boat +or not, or whether they have capsized, or what may have happened. All +is hidden from us for some time; then we see them hauling the boat up +the beach again. They have evidently abandoned the attempt as too +dangerous. Very squally. While hove to, drive a long way from island. +In evening, sail towards the bay again and heave to for night. +</p> + +<p> +<i>February 2.</i>—Heavy showers of rain obscuring island from our +view. Enter bay in morning. It being Sunday no work is done in the +ravine, but the shore-party make many fruitless attempts at launching +the boat during the day. We stand in and out of the bay all day, +watching the proceedings of those on shore through our glasses. On +several occasions the men draw the boat down to the edge of the sea, +disappear from our sight for a time, and at last reappear hauling the +boat up again. They persevere despite repeated failures. Think they +have capsized once at least, as they are baling the boat out on the +beach. At last, at 4 p.m., they give up the attempt as hopeless, and +hoist the signal: 'Impossible to launch lifeboat.' We exchange several +signals, but find it difficult to distinguish their small flags from +the yacht. At sunset we sail out to sea and heave to. Choppy sea. +Tumble about a good deal. Stormy-looking sky. +</p> + +<p> +<i>February 3.</i>—This morning very clear; so see distinctly for +first time the three rocky islets of Martin Vas, distant about +twenty-five miles from Trinidad, bearing east. Sail into bay. Again +several vain attempts to launch boat. Heave to. Drift this night +upwards of fifteen miles from island. +</p> + +<p> +<i>February 4.</i>—Sail into bay. Still high surf. A signal flying on +shore which we cannot distinguish, so sail somewhat nearer in. Are +becalmed under Sugarloaf. Then a squall—then taken aback by another +squall—then calm again. We drift towards Noah's Ark, up whose face +the sea is breaking fifty or sixty feet high. Another squall; wear +vessel and clear out of bay. A very squally day, with baffling winds +making it more than usually dangerous to enter the bay. +</p> + +<hr class="short"> + +<p> +At last, on February 5, after having made three vain attempts to cross +the barrier of tumbling surf, the whale-boat was successfully +launched, and we saw her come out safely from the line of breakers at +the end of the bay; then the men pulled away towards us, visible one +moment as the boat rose to the top of the swell, and hidden the next +moment from our sight by the rollers as she sank into the valleys +between them. +</p> + +<p> +We sailed into the bay to meet her, and hove to abreast of the +Sugarloaf. The boat came nearer, and we saw that the doctor, Powell, +Pursell, and the two black men, were in her. It was now thirty-eight +days since we had last seen our companions. They all looked gaunt and +haggard, and were clad in flannel shirts and trousers, ragged and +earth-stained from the work in the ravine. +</p> + +<p> +But they were the same cheery boys as ever, as I discovered by the +jovial manner of their greeting as soon as they were within hail. +'Hullo!' sang out the doctor, 'what vessel's that, and where do you +come from? I am the doctor of the port here. Hand over your bill of +health, that I may see whether you can have pratique.' +</p> + +<p> +'And I am the governor of this island of Trinidad,' cried Powell, with +affable pompousness from under an extraordinary hat that had been +manufactured by himself, apparently out of the remains of old hampers +and bird's-nests; 'will you do me the honour of dining with me at +Government House to-night? I shall be glad to learn from you how the +revolution is progressing in our neighbouring State of Brazil. I was +just on the point of sending out my squadron here'—patting the +whale-boat on the side—'to Bahia, to look after the interests of any +of our subjects who may be there.' +</p> + +<p> +It was startling for us to find that these dwellers on a desert island +had already heard of the Brazilian revolution, and we were still more +amazed when they proved to us that they were well informed as to all +that had been going on in the outer world. We had been looking forward +to imparting the latest news to them, but lo! all that we had to tell +was stale to them. They kept us in a state of mystification for some +time before they revealed the source of this marvellous knowledge, and +the only information that Powell would vouchsafe us on the subject was +to the effect that:—'We found it slow here without the newspapers at +breakfast, and have established telegraphic communication with +England. All the latest racing intelligence comes through the tape in +the doctor's tent.' But, before asking any questions, we greeted our +long-absent friends. They came on board and had a good square meal, +such as they had not enjoyed for a long time, with red wine, cigars, +and other luxuries, and after this we sat down to a long yarn and an +exchange of news. +</p> + + + +<a name="XX"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER XX. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +THE ADVENTURES OF THE SHORE-PARTY. +</p> + + +<p> +The doctor and his companions had plenty to tell. They had dug a great +deal and had cleared away the landslip, till they had arrived at what +appeared to be the original rocky bottom of the ravine. They had found +no signs of the treasure, and they had evidently come to the +conclusion that there was but little chance of finding it; but they +had not lost heart, and were of opinion that it would be advisable to +dig for a few weeks more, in the likely parts of the ravine, before +abandoning the search for good. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor told me that the surf had been exceedingly heavy recently, +and that a storm had completely changed the character of the beach, a +sandbank having been formed at some distance from the shore, deep +water intervening. He explained to me that this bank was only just +awash at low water, and that the sea always broke upon it, ploughing +it up, so that sand and water were rolled up together, forming a +boiling surf dangerous for the boat to cross. +</p> + +<p> +The adventures of the shore-party during our absence, the visit of the +man-of-war, and the marvellous escape from drowning of several of our +men, were very interesting to hear. Mr. Pursell, as being one of those +on shore, can tell the story better than I can, and he has kindly +written for me the following account of all that occurred whilst the +yacht was away. His narrative commences with our separation on +December 30. +</p> + +<hr class="short"> + +<p> +After parting with our comrades on the 'Alerte,' we made haste to get +ashore again, as the weather looked threatening, and there was every +prospect of a rough landing. As soon as we had turned the corner of +Treasure Bay we found that the wind was blowing hard right on shore, +and that the sea had begun to break heavily on the beach, throwing +dense masses of spray into the air, which glistened like silver in the +sunshine—a magnificent sight, but one which portended a good ducking +for us. However, there was no help for it; we had to make the best of +it and get ashore somehow. +</p> + +<p> +We waited for a comparative calm. We allowed three big waves to pass +and spend their fury on the beach; the word was given, and we dashed +on towards the land with all the force we could put into our oars. On +we flew, crossing one sandbank on the summit of a curling wave that +broke with a sound of thunder on the next bank. On we pulled with set +teeth and straining muscles. 'Hurrah!' cried the doctor, 'one more +stroke and we have done it!'—when, suddenly, we were in the +back-wash—the water seemed to shrink from under us into the wave that +followed—the stem of the boat ploughed into a sandbank, while a huge +wall of water rose up behind us, lifting the stern high in the air +till the boat stood end on, and the next moment oars, tins, boat, and +men were rolled over and over each other in the boiling foam. +</p> + +<p> +Our first thought, on struggling to our feet, was naturally for the +boat. We found her turned right over and thrown almost on dry land. We +hastened to right her, bale her out, and drag her up out of harm's +way; then, having collected the oars, stretchers, rudder, etc., which +were floating about, we set to work to rescue our provisions. For two +hours we dived about in the surf, picking up tins of meat, Swiss milk, +and oatmeal, a bag of biscuit utterly spoiled, another of flour +reduced to paste, a couple of rifles, and one or two boxes of +cartridges. Our two happy-dispositioned coloured men had great fun +with the ruined flour, pelting each other with it until their shining +black bodies were almost covered with the white paste, and roaring +with laughter at each successful hit. +</p> + +<p> +Though we did not abandon the search until nothing else could be +found, an inspection showed us that we had lost a good half of the +stores we had brought off in the boat. Having rescued all we could, +the doctor ordered all hands up to the camp for a tot of rum, which, I +need hardly say, we were very glad to get. The most important loss, of +course, was that of the biscuit and flour: for it was quite possible +that the yacht might be away for several weeks, on her voyage to and +from Bahia, and we had only a small supply of these articles on shore; +so we had to go on short rations, so far as they were concerned. +</p> + +<p> +Cloete-Smith, Powell, and myself had now been on shore for about five +weeks, working steadily all the time, and we were beginning to feel +the effects of it—in trainers' language, we were getting horribly +stale. The doctor, therefore, decided that we should take holidays on +the following two days—Saturday and Sunday—and recommence work on +the Monday. +</p> + +<p> +Now that the yacht had sailed we were quite cut off from the outer +world, and began to feel very much like shipwrecked sailors, with the +exception that we had many more comforts than usually fall to their +lot, I suppose it is only in novels that those convenient hulks drift +ashore containing just the very things the belated mariners are in +want of, for, though we kept a careful look-out, nothing of the kind +came our way. Powell, I believe, though naturally a most kind-hearted +fellow, would have cheerfully sacrificed a vessel for a few hundred +Turkish cigarettes, and we should all have been glad of a change of +literature. The library we had brought with us was well thumbed and +well read, even to the advertisements. We had a motley assortment. We +all became Shakespearean scholars; Bret Harte's poems and the 'Bab +Ballads' we almost knew by heart; and we came to look upon, as very +old friends, characters of all sorts and conditions; among others, +Othmar, Quilp, Adam Bede, Lord Fauntleroy, the Modern Circe, and Mrs. +Gamp. +</p> + +<p> +On Monday we resumed our digging, with renewed vigour after our two +days' rest, and worked steadily at the landslip. After we had +thoroughly excavated under the big rock which had been discovered when +the skipper was on shore, without result, Powell and myself were sent +to examine two or three likely-looking places higher up the ravine, so +as not to leave any chance untried; while the others still worked away +at the old trench. +</p> + +<p> +On the Wednesday morning our work was stopped for a time by the +heaviest storm of rain I have ever witnessed. After the first few +minutes the tents were no protection from the water, which quickly +swamped them, so we armed ourselves with soap, and, going out into the +open, enjoyed a glorious fresh water bath. At the same time we had a +view of a splendid waterfall. The rain beating on to the windward side +of the Sugarloaf gathered in a deep gully on its summit, and, rushing +down, struck a projecting rock, and leaped headlong into the sea, +seven hundred feet below. The effect was very fine, and, later on, +when the clouds lightened a little and the morning sun shone through +the rain, the whole island appeared to be covered with a transparent +veil of prismatic colour. +</p> + +<p> +On the following Sunday the doctor and I set off for an expedition +into the mountains. On a previous occasion we had noticed a steep +landslip of red earth, mixed with cinders that looked very much as if +they had been thrown up from a volcano; so we made up our minds to go +to the top and see if we could find a crater. Slowly and carefully we +crawled on hands and knees up the steep slide, clinging like cats to +the side of the mountain, whose loose, charred soil crumbled away +beneath us. We reached the summit of the red landslip, and found +ourselves on a projecting spur of the mountain where the rocks had +fallen away, leaving a great obelisk, seventy feet in height, standing +on a narrow ridge, its base crumbling away with every storm, so that +it looked as though a push would send the whole mass crashing down on +to our camp far below. We could see no signs of a crater. Leaving this +ridge, we ascended the mountain behind, and when we reached the top we +sat down to rest and get cool under the shadow of a big rock. +</p> + +<p> +From here the view was a grand one. To our right, nearly a thousand +feet above us, rose the highest peak on the island. At our feet was +Treasure Bay, our camp looking like a tiny white speck, even the great +obelisk of rock we had just left appeared insignificant from this +elevation, while the sea seemed smooth and innocent as the Serpentine, +and the roar of the breakers sounded like a gentle murmur. +</p> + +<p> +Away at sea two vessels were in sight—one a full-rigged ship, not far +from the island; the other a barque, just breaking the horizon, with +her white sails gleaming in the sunshine. Suddenly, as I watched the +nearer vessel, I saw her royals taken in, and, looking to windward, +perceived a large black cloud hurrying towards her, the water being +churned up under it as it came along. The next moment the vessel was +hidden from our sight by the squall of wind and rain, though all the +while the sun was shining brightly on our island and not a drop of +rain fell near us. The cloud passed by, the brave ship seemed to shake +herself after the struggle, the sun shone once more on her dripping +canvas, and by the time she had set her royals again and resumed her +course, the squall had passed away below the horizon. +</p> + +<p> +About this time we caught plenty of turtle, which formed a very +welcome addition to our larder, and they also enabled us to husband +our other stores, which were beginning to get low. Biscuit was +entirely exhausted, and of flour we had but little, and, though Joe +managed to make a very eatable cake out of preserved potatoes, the +absence of bread-food was a serious inconvenience. The wild beans that +grow on the island were now of great use. +</p> + +<p> +For another fortnight we dug steadily on, gradually getting worn out +with the hard work, and seeing our hopes of fortune diminish as, one +by one, the likely places up the ravine were tried and found wanting, +and the big trench grew deeper and wider without giving any promise of +yielding up the golden hoard. The life was dreadfully monotonous, not +an incident occurring worth the mention to vary the daily drudgery +with pick and shovel. We no longer set out on Sundays and +half-holidays for those glorious but exhausting climbs over the +mountains, as we had to cherish all our strength for our work; and, +after each spell of digging, were glad to rest in our tents, sheltered +from the burning sun. However, we kept up our spirits, were cheery +enough, and always got on splendidly together. +</p> + +<p> +The yacht had now been away three weeks, and we began to look forward +to her return. We kept a good look-out, expecting to see her at any +moment turn the corner of Treasure Bay. Just at this time we found +considerable difficulty in obtaining fish. The weather had been bad +for many days, the wind strong and squally from the north-east, and a +heavy surf running on the shore. The effect of this on our sandy beach +was to completely change its shape and appearance, and the little +pool, in which we used to catch small fish with our wire-netting, +entirely disappeared. Moreover, although Powell was energetic, and +indeed very often rash, in venturing out on to the rocks with his +bamboo rod, the seas now constantly broke right over them, so that +another of our food-supplies was cut off. +</p> + +<p> +On Sunday, January 19, we had an unexpected and most welcome visit. As +we turned out of our banqueting hall after breakfast, we saw, to our +amazement, a large man-of-war standing right into the bay from the +south-east. Our camp was instantly a scene of excitement. We got out +our glasses and strained our eyes to make out her nationality. +</p> + +<p> +Was it possible that the Brazilian Government had heard of our +expedition and had sent a gunboat to wrest our treasure from us and +bear us away in chains? As a relief to the monotony of this long +expedition we were always chaffing and talking nonsense—a very good +plan, too; so we began to discuss the approaching vessel in our usual +mock-grave fashion. If she should prove to be an enemy, we said that +we would defend our island to the last gasp. Cloete-Smith began to +reckon up what forces he had at his disposal. There were the two +Englishmen, more or less white: these he called his Light Brigade. He +called the two coloured men the Black Watch. There was the monkey too, +who could serve as an irregular force to harass the enemy generally—a +sort of 'gorilla warfare' as I put it—a remark which called forth a +severe reprimand from the commander-in-chief. In the armoury +department we had three repeating-rifles, two revolvers, and a case of +surgical instruments. Fortunately we were not called upon to fight, +for, when the vessel had approached close to Noah's Ark, we were able +to make out the glorious old white ensign of England floating over her +stern. +</p> + +<p> +We greeted it with a wild cheer. +</p> + +<p> +Presently we saw that two boats were lowered and manned. Then the +doctor gave the order: 'All hands shave and prepare for visitors.' We +turned to with a will to make ourselves comparatively respectable, all +the while eagerly watching the proceedings in the bay. We saw the two +boats pull close into the shore, and then retire, evidently not liking +the look of the tremendous surf. They were then taken in tow by the +vessel, which steamed slowly across the bay and disappeared round the +west corner, evidently to see if they could effect a landing in the +other bay. +</p> + +<p> +In about twenty minutes, just as we had completed our toilet, she came +back again, the boats were hoisted on board, and, to our dismay, she +steamed away and vanished from our sight round South Point. We were +deeply disappointed and returned to our tents in no amiable frame of +mind. +</p> + +<p> +But we had not been deserted, after all; for, three hours later, just +as we had finished our midday meal, we perceived four white-helmeted +figures making their way down the green slopes at the back of our +ravine. We hastened to meet them, greeted them like long-lost +brothers, and brought them in triumph to the camp, for glad we were to +see fresh friendly faces. As soon as they had refreshed themselves +after their long walk, we sat down to hear all the news. Our visitors +proved to be the captain, the surgeon, and two of the wardroom +officers of H.M.S. 'Bramble,' which vessel was on her way from +Ascension Island to her station at Montevideo. They had sighted +Trinidad at daybreak, and, standing in close to examine it, had +discovered our tents on the shore. Having found the surf too heavy +both in South-west Bay and at the pier, they had steamed round to the +other side of the island. Here, after having attempted a landing at +various places, they had at last succeeded in getting on shore, and +after an hour's walk over the mountains had reached our camp. +</p> + +<p> +Then we, in our turn, explained to them who we were and what we were +doing here; and took them up to see our diggings, in which they seemed +highly interested, though somewhat amused at our method of searching +for fortune. +</p> + +<p> +The officers asked us to go off and mess with them on the +'Bramble'—an invitation we gladly accepted. We accordingly set out +with them across the mountains, leaving our two black men in charge of +the island during our absence. We found that their jollyboat was in +South-west Bay, with five men in her. They had dropped their anchor +near a coral reef running out at right angles to the shore, and now +they allowed the boat to back near enough to it for one of us to +scramble on board at a time, seizing, of course, the most favourable +opportunity when the sea was comparatively steady, and hauling the +boat off after each attempt, for had she touched the rock, not much of +her would have been left in a couple of minutes. +</p> + +<p> +We pulled off to the vessel, which was lying at about half a mile from +the shore. As soon as we were on board the captain gave the order to +get under weigh, and we steamed at half speed into Treasure Bay, and +the vessel was anchored for the night near the Noah's Ark mountain, in +twenty fathoms of water. Then some one suggested cocktails—a most +unwonted luxury for us—and we adjourned below for a chat. We found +the officers of the 'Bramble' most pleasant fellows, and they treated +us with the greatest hospitality. They ransacked their private stores +for our delectation, and promised to give us a supply of biscuit, some +flour, books, and tobacco to take ashore with us on the following +morning. They even said, jokingly, that they were sure the 'Alerte' +had gone to the bottom, and that, if we were tired of digging on the +island, they would give us a passage to Montevideo as distressed +British subjects. They appeared greatly interested in the story we +told of the origin of the treasure and the account of our voyage and +subsequent adventures. In return, they gave us all the latest news. We +learnt that there had been a revolution in Brazil, which had broken +out on the day after we had sailed from Bahia, and we speculated as to +whether it would cause any delay to our shipmates who had gone to +Brazil marketing. We also heard that Lord Salisbury had despatched a +fleet to demonstrate on the west coast of Africa. We were told that +the 'Bramble' was to form part of the expedition sent to observe the +eclipse of the sun. They had, in short, plenty of news to impart, and +it was so long since we had had any opportunity of hearing what was +going on in the world that we talked like a vestry meeting till dinner +time. +</p> + +<p> +All our shore-going clothes were on board the yacht, and we were clad +in our rough working clothes, with only one coat between us; so I +fancy our appearance at mess was a source of great amusement to the +wardroom servants. Indeed, all the time we were on board we were +evidently objects of considerable interest to the crew; the men seemed +hardly to know what to make of us, and to wonder what manner of people +we could be who chose for a residence this desolate spot. +</p> + +<p> +After dinner we went on deck, and Captain Langdon produced some +excellent cigars, which we thoroughly enjoyed, while listening to a +selection of music performed for our benefit by the ship's volunteer +fife-and-drum band—a capital one. +</p> + +<p> +We slept on board the vessel, and the next morning our first thought +was about landing; we went on deck to have a look at the shore. We saw +that the surf was breaking very heavily, and that it would be +impossible to beach a boat without running considerable risk of +smashing her up. However, get on shore we must, as the 'Bramble' could +not delay any longer, and had to be off. +</p> + +<p> +So, after breakfast, the books, flour, and other things were handed up +in a cask and lowered into a boat, together with a tin of biscuit, +and, having bidden good-bye to our generous hosts, we started off +under the command of Captain Langdon. As soon as we were near the +breakers it was seen that to beach the boat was impossible, so, after +a little consultation Powell determined to try and swim ashore with +the end of a rope. We pulled in as close as we could with safety, and +then he jumped overboard, with the end of a grass line fastened to his +arm, and made for the shore. He got on all right at first, though the +strong current had a tendency to set him on the dangerous rocks on the +left of the open channel. As soon as he got into the breaking rollers +it was evident that he could not take the rope on shore. He struggled +bravely on, being dashed on the beach by each wave, and then sucked +back into the next wave by the irresistible back-wash. +</p> + +<p> +By this time the two black men on shore had seen him, and they rushed +into the water to render assistance. Then Powell, almost exhausted, +handed them the rope and just managed to struggle ashore, and he lay +down on the sand for a while, dead beat. But we were by no means out +of the wood yet. The two men to whom Powell had given the rope were +themselves carried off their feet by the big breakers and were washed +out to sea. They both let go the rope and tried in vain to get on +shore again, for they were much impeded by their clothes. At last +Theodosius managed to cling to a rock and hold on to it till a +recoiling wave had passed him; then he made a rush for it and +succeeded in reaching the land. But Joe could make no way and was +carried further out. He was for some time in great danger of drowning, +and his cries for help were piteous. But we could not with safety take +the boat any nearer to him than we were, for she would have been stove +in by the sunken rocks; and, as we could not make him understand that +his proper course was, instead of attempting to land through the +breakers in his exhausted condition, to turn and swim out to us, the +doctor and myself went out to him, and towed him to the boat on a +barrel. +</p> + +<p> +We were now no better off than when we had started, for we still had +three of our party in the boat and two on shore. It was clear that it +was more than a man could do to swim to land with a rope; so we +decided to go to the western end of the bay, where a large rock, on +which Powell sometimes fished, stood out some way into the sea, and +endeavour to throw a line on to it. So we pulled off there, the two +men on the shore following us over the rocks. Powell and the coloured +man clambered on to this natural pier, and, after several attempts, I +managed to throw to them the end of a light line to which a bolt had +been attached; we then bent the end of the grass rope on to this and +they hauled it on shore. +</p> + +<p> +But now we found that the sea was breaking with such great violence +that it would be extremely perilous for a man to attempt to get on +shore by hauling himself along the rope: he would most probably be +beaten to death on the coral rocks. We therefore attempted to work the +line to the eastward for a distance of about half a mile, to where the +sandy beach afforded a safer landing-place. Powell and Theodosius +carried their end of the rope along the shore, while we pulled in a +direction parallel to theirs with our end. We progressed but +gradually, having to stop frequently to jerk the bight of the rope +over the rocks in which it caught. +</p> + +<p> +After about three-quarters of an hour of this work we had nearly got +to our journey's end and were beginning to think that our troubles +were over, when the rope got foul of a sharp piece of coral and parted +in the middle like a bit of pack-thread. Captain Langdon used no bad +language when this happened, but he looked all sorts of imprecations +at this inaccessible home of ours. It was now one o'clock, and we had +been trying in vain to land for four hours, and, moreover, had lost a +kedge anchor and the greater portion of the grass rope; so Captain +Langdon decided to return to the 'Bramble' to change the boat's crew +and get a fresh supply of rope. +</p> + +<p> +We had some lunch and then set off again with two boats, another kedge +and grass rope, a light cod-line and a large rocket. We pulled in till +we were near the breakers, then one boat let go her anchor, and, the +other boat having her painter fast to her, the first was backed in +towards the shore until she was right on the top of the rollers, just +before they broke. Then the cod-line was fixed on to the rocket, and, +as there was no proper rocket apparatus on board, the rocket was held +in the hand, while the gunner, who had come with us, applied a match +to it. In consequence of some accident the rocket, instead of flying +on shore and taking the cod-line with it, fizzed away in the boat, +burning off the gunner's moustache and beard before he had time to +move his head aside, and then dropped overboard and expended its force +in the water. So we had failed again. +</p> + +<p> +The wind, however, had changed by this time, and for a couple of hours +had been blowing off shore, instead of on shore, from the south, so +that the violence of the sea had abated considerably, and Cloete-Smith +decided to have one more try at swimming on shore. He very nearly +succeeded in doing so; but the current caught him, and swept him down +on the rocks, so he had to return. Then I made another attempt, but +with no better success, and we were at our wits' end and were getting +worn out with our efforts, when we saw Powell preparing to swim off to +us with the end of that portion of the broken grass rope which had +remained on shore. +</p> + +<p> +He waited for his opportunity, then dashed into the surf, dived +through the breakers, and managed to get out into the deep water +safely. We swam off to meet him with the end of another rope, bent +them together and swam back to the boat. The rest was easy. We had now +got a connection with the shore; for the farther end of the rope was +safely secured to a rock. One by one we made our way along the rope to +dry land, then hauled the stores off with another light line, and, +making the shore end of the grass rope fast to a turtle we had caught +two days before, we sent it off as a present to the 'Bramble.' +</p> + +<p> +It was a relief to find ourselves all safe on shore at last. We went +up to the tents in a fairly exhausted condition for a much needed tot +of rum. The boats pulled back to the ship and were hoisted up. 'Wish +you good luck' was run up to the peak; we gave her a parting volley +from our rifles, and then the gallant vessel steamed away—as it +turned out, to take part in another revolution in Buenos Ayres—and we +were alone once more. +</p> + +<p> +On the following day we settled down to work again, cheered and +refreshed. We had now got a supply of biscuit and flour which we hoped +would last us until the return of the yacht, so we were much more +comfortable in our minds than before the arrival of the 'Bramble.' We +resumed our life of monotonous digging, and the only event of +importance about this time was an accident which nearly proved fatal +to Powell. He was fishing one afternoon on the big rock mentioned +above, when one of the large waves which sometimes roll in +unexpectedly here washed him off his perch into the sea. He was dashed +violently on the rocks, and it was only by a piece of wonderful luck +that he managed to clamber up again before he was stunned. He was much +bruised, and lost his rod, his pipe, and hat—everything, in fact, +except his life. +</p> + +<p> +Day by day the work went on, and, as each morning broke, we hoped it +would bring our missing vessel; but when another week went by and +still she had not appeared, things began to look serious. She had now +been away nearly five weeks, and we feared that some mischance had +befallen her. Our stores were getting exhausted, and the weather +seemed to have broken up, for there was now always so much surf that +the turtle could not come up the sands, and fishing was generally +impossible. +</p> + +<p> +Our stores would not last much longer, so the doctor had two days' +provisions and a breaker of water put aside, and decided that, if the +yacht did not return within a few days, we would put to sea in the +whale-boat and stand out into the track of passing vessels, in the +hope of being picked up. Friday and Saturday passed and no yacht +arrived. We spent Sunday in getting the boat ready for sea. Monday +morning broke with half a gale of wind blowing and a terrific surf on +the beach, so that it would have been impossible to launch the +whale-boat, and about midday, just as we had given up all hope of +seeing her again, the good old 'Alerte' came round the corner, rolling +and pitching in the heavy sea under a close-reefed mainsail, small +jib, and reefed foresail. +</p> + +<p> +Next morning we ran the boat down to the water's edge and tried to +launch her. Two of us got into her and made ready to pull, while the +others shoved her off. Then the others jumped in and we pulled five or +six strokes, when a huge breaker caught her, lifted her up and turned +her right over, rolling us all in a heap on to the beach. We tried +again, with the same result, and then gave the attempt up, and went +back to our morning's dig, hoping for better luck in the afternoon. +</p> + +<p> +Day after day we tried and always failed. It seemed as if the sea +would never go down. Our stores were now all but exhausted, and we +lived chiefly on the wild sea-birds. Every morning we would climb to a +ravine where the birds are in great quantities, and pluck the young, +unfledged ones from their nests, their mothers circling round us, +striking at us with beaks and wings, uttering hoarse cries, and even +spitting morsels of fish at us in their fury. We then took our victims +down to the camp, cooked and ate them. The old birds are inedible, and +even the flesh of the young ones is, without exception, the most +horrible kind of food I have ever tasted. +</p> + +<p> +At last, on February 5, after a week of this sort of thing, we could +stand it no longer, and determined to get off somehow. Three times we +tried, and each time were swamped and driven back; the fourth time we +waited for a lull, ran the boat out, jumped in, and pulled away with +all our strength. A huge breaker rolled up. The boat stood up on end, +hesitated for an instant; one mighty tug at the oars, she righted, and +before another wave could catch us we were out of danger, soon reached +the 'Alerte,' and our imprisonment was at an end. +</p> + +<p> +I cannot close this account of our life on the island without saying a +word in praise of the two coloured seamen who were left with us. +Always willing to work hard, and always cheerful and obliging, they +tried to make our life as comfortable for us as possible. When the +provisions ran short, they would have lived, had we allowed them, on +nothing but a few handfuls of rice or cassava, saying:—'You gentlemen +eat the meat; me and George, we used to anything, even starving—you +gentlemen not. We don't want meat—you do.' In saying this, I do not +wish it to be thought that I am making any invidious comparison +between these two men and the two white sailors whom Knight had with +him on board at this time. They also were good men and capable +sailors, and had they been ashore with us would, I know, have done +their duty well and willingly. They deserved thoroughly the good +discharge which Knight gave them on parting. +</p> + + + +<a name="XXI"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER XXI. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +WE ABANDON THE SEARCH. +</p> + + +<p> +The five men I had left on the island had certainly done their work +well. The doctor had made an excellent leader, and had organised all +the operations capitally. They had toiled hard, and had kept up their +spirits all the while, and, what is really wonderful under +circumstances so calculated to try the temper and wear out patience, +they had got on exceedingly well with each other, and there had been +no quarrelling or ill-feeling of any sort. +</p> + +<p> +The ravine had been very thoroughly explored, and we felt that there +was but little chance of our finding the treasure. It was highly +improbable that the massive golden candlesticks of the Cathedral of +Lima would ornament our homes in England. It was decided, however, +that, if the weather permitted, we should stay here another three +weeks or so, and—as we were satisfied that the treasure could not be +at the first bend of the ravine—that we should dig in such other +spots as appeared suitable hiding-places, and would be naturally +selected for the purpose by a party of men landing in this bay. +</p> + +<p> +The shore-party were glad of a holiday on the yacht after all their +labours and privations, and no attempt was made to take the whale-boat +through the surf again that day. All hands stayed on board for the +night, and on the following morning, as the sea was still breaking too +heavily on the beach of South-west Bay to permit of a landing, I +proposed to my companions that we should take another holiday and go +for a picnic on the water. The cook, was, therefore, instructed to +prepare an especially good dinner, and, after shaking the reefs out of +our mainsail, we proceeded to circumnavigate the island, keeping as +close to the shore as we were able, so that we could have a good view +of the scenery. +</p> + +<p> +We sailed by the different points which we now knew so well—the Ness, +the Pier, the Ninepin—and at last doubled North Point. This extremity +of the island is extremely wild and desolate, and is utterly +inaccessible. Many of the sharp pinnacles which cap the mountains are +out of the perpendicular, and lean threateningly over the sea. I have +already explained that the different species of birds occupy different +portions of the island; the crags by North Point are inhabited by the +frigate-birds and sea-hawks. +</p> + +<p> +We coasted along the weather side of the island, and when we were +nearly opposite to the Portuguese settlement the wind dropped and we +had to man the whale-boat and tow the yacht seaward; for we found that +she was gradually sagging before the swell towards the reefs, on which +the sea was breaking heavily. We could not get round the island, so +sailed back, before a very light wind, to South-west Bay, and hove to +as usual for the night. +</p> + +<p> +Work was resumed the next day, and a boat-load of stores was sent on +shore. The newly-formed sandbank which I have mentioned appeared to +increase and become a more serious obstacle to landing every day. On +this occasion the boat again drove her stem into the sand as she +crossed this shoal, and the next wave swamped and capsized her, so +that boat, men, and stores were tumbling about in the deep water +between the sandbank and the shore. +</p> + +<p> +They managed to haul the boat safely up, and, by diving in the surf, +recovered a good many of the tins of food. Then the boat returned to +the yacht, Joe being left alone in the camp. He did not relish this at +all, for, like most black men, he was very afraid of ghosts, and had +come to the conclusion that Trinidad was a place more than usually +haunted by unsettled spirits. He told us that if he were left alone on +shore for the night his only course would be to light a ring of fires +and sit in the middle, with a tight bandage round his head, keeping +awake till dawn. If he failed to take these precautions he would most +certainly be torn to pieces, or otherwise seriously damaged, by the +spirits. We took compassion on him and did not leave him to face the +terrors of the darkness alone. In the afternoon the whale-boat +returned to the bay, and Pollock swam on shore to remain with him. +</p> + +<p> +A description of what happened for the next few days would be merely a +repetition of what has gone before. The yacht was hove to at night, +and sailed about the mouth of the bay all day. The surf was always +breaking dangerously on the sands, so that it was impossible to beach +the boat, and the men had to swim to and fro from whale-boat to shore, +or haul themselves along a line which we had rigged up for the +purpose, and which was carried from a rock on shore to a buoy moored +with the ship's kedge outside the breakers. We used also to haul the +provisions on shore with a line, having lashed them to the bamboo +rafts which we had constructed for this purpose. +</p> + +<p> +The weather became so unsettled and the surf was so invariably high +that, after a few days, we came to the conclusion that the sooner we +left the island the better, and we decided to take the first +favourable opportunity for bringing off our property from the shore. +The bad season was approaching—if it had not already commenced—and +if we waited much longer we might find it impossible, for months at a +time, to carry off stores or men. The yacht only remained hove to for +eleven days after the shore-party had first boarded us, and during +that time the men with me on the vessel were employed in setting up +the rigging, rattling down the shrouds, and effecting all necessary +repairs. +</p> + +<p> +There was nearly always a high swell running now, which was especially +uncomfortable when there was no wind, for then we would often roll +scuppers under. For nearly a week it was quite impossible to beach the +boat, and all communication with the shore had to be effected in the +way I have described above. At last, on February 13, luckily for us, +it was exceptionally calm in South-west Bay, so that it would be very +easy to carry off our stores. +</p> + +<p> +Such a chance was not to be lost. In the morning all hands went off in +the boats, with the exception of myself and Wright, who stayed on +board to work the vessel. A landing was effected without any +difficulty, and the boats returned with heavy loads, bringing off the +hydraulic jack, the guns, the bedding, and other articles. +</p> + +<p> +I, of course, wished to see what work had been done, before giving my +final decision as to the continuance or abandonment of our +exploration—not that there was any doubt as to what that decision +would be, after I had heard the doctor's report. In the afternoon I +went off in the whale-boat, and landed on the island for the first +time for forty-eight days, leaving the doctor in charge of the yacht +while she lay hove to outside the bay. I had not put foot on shore +here for so long that I was astonished at the aspect of the ravine, +which had been completely changed in my absence by the labours of my +comrades. +</p> + +<p> +I stood and contemplated the melancholy scene—the great trenches, the +piled-up mounds of earth, the uprooted rocks, with broken wheelbarrows +and blocks, worn out tools, and other relics of our three months' work +strewed over the ground; and it was sad to think that all the energy +of these men had been spent in vain. They well deserved to succeed, +and all the more so because they bore their disappointment with such +philosophic cheeriness. +</p> + +<p> +It was, obviously, quite useless to persevere any further in this vain +search, especially as the difficulties of landing had so increased of +late that our operations could only be conducted at a great risk to +life. So the fiat went forth—the expedition was to be abandoned; we +were to clear out of Trinidad, bag and baggage, as quickly as we +could. +</p> + +<p> +We returned to the yacht with a good load of stores, the condensing +apparatus, and the faithful Jacko. After dinner we sailed round to the +cascade and hove to off it. I remained on board with Wright while all +the other hands went off in the boats and obtained six casks of water +to replenish the ship's now nearly empty tanks. This was altogether a +most satisfactory day's work, and we were very well pleased with +ourselves when we hove to at sunset and drifted out to the ocean for +our well-deserved night's rest. +</p> + +<p> +On the following morning—Friday, 14th—we tacked to the north of +South-west Bay, and found that, though there was more surf than on the +previous day, landing was feasible. The boat went off under the +doctor's charge, and the tents and all the remaining stores were +brought safely on board. Nothing of any value was left; we not only +carried off our own tools, but also the picks that had been used by +Mr. A——'s expedition. Only broken wheelbarrows and such like useless +articles remained in the ravine. From the vessel the only sign of our +late camp that could be seen was Powell's disabled armchair, which he +had left standing, a melancholy object, on the top of the beach. +</p> + +<p> +We stowed the heavier tools and stores under the saloon floor and then +sailed again to the cascade. The whale-boat went off to the pier and a +quantity of water was brought on board, so that we had a sufficient +supply—but not much to spare—for the voyage we now contemplated. +</p> + +<p> +When the watering-party returned we had done with Trinidad; so both +boats were hoisted on deck, and a melancholy ceremony was performed: +our very ancient dinghy, which was too rotten to bear any further +patching, and was not worth the room she used to take up on deck, was +broken up and handed over to the cook as firewood. +</p> + +<p> +A tot of rum was served out to each hand, we bade farewell to +Trinidad, the foresail was allowed to draw, and we sailed away. +</p> + +<p> +It had long since been decided that, whether the treasure was +discovered or not, we should sail from our desert island to its +wealthy namesake, Trinidad in the West Indies—a very different sort +of a place. The distance between the two Trinidads is, roughly, 2,900 +miles; but we knew that the voyage before us was not likely to be a +lengthy one, for everything is in favour of a vessel bound the way we +were going. In the first place, it was very unlikely that we should +encounter head winds between our islet and Cape St. Roque, and from +that point we should most probably have the wind right aft for the +rest of the way, as the trade-winds blow regularly along the coasts of +north Brazil and the Guianas. In the next place, by sailing at a +certain distance from the land, we could keep our vessel in the full +strength of the south equatorial current, which runs at the rate of +two or three miles an hour in the direction of our course. We had, it +is true, to cross the line once more, with its belt of doldrums; but +we knew that we should not be much delayed by these tedious equatorial +calms, as they do not prevail on the coast of Brazil to anything like +the extent they do in mid-Atlantic; besides which, the favourable +current would be carrying us along with it across the belt, and enable +us to travel fifty miles or so a day, even in a flat calm. +</p> + +<p> +This kindly current would, indeed, carry us straight to our port, for +it sweeps through the Gulf of Paria as well as by the east side of +Trinidad, and, as every schoolboy knows in these enlightened days, +thence flows round the Caribbean Sea and ultimately emerges from it +under another and better-known title—the Gulf Stream. +</p> + +<p> +With the old 'Falcon' I had sailed over a portion of this route, +accomplishing the voyage from Pernambuco to Georgetown, Demerara—a +distance of about 2,000 miles—in ten days, thus keeping up an average +of 200 miles a day. At this rate the 'Alerte' ought to get to Trinidad +in fifteen days; but we were not fated to have such luck as that. +</p> + + + +<a name="XXII"> </a> +<p class="chapter"> +CHAPTER XXII. +</p> + +<p class="head"> +HOMEWARD BOUND. +</p> + + +<p> +We had bidden farewell to the wild spot that had been our home for +three months, but we did not lose sight of Trinidad for upwards of +thirty hours. +</p> + +<p> +We had got under weigh at sunset on February 14. A slight draught from +the hills carried us a mile or so outside North Point, when we were +becalmed and made no progress at all for many hours; and when at last +the north-east breeze sprang up, it was so very light that at eight on +the following morning the island was not more than twelve miles astern +of us. +</p> + +<p> +Throughout the day calms and light airs succeeded to each other, and +at sunset the high peaks were still visible. The same weather +continued during our second night at sea, and at daybreak on February +16, we could just distinguish one faint blue mountain summit behind +us, the rest of the islet being below the horizon. But the wind now +freshened and all signs of the land soon disappeared, and once again +there was nothing to be seen round us but ocean. +</p> + +<p> +It was evident that we were not to be favoured with the smart voyage I +had anticipated. We had fair winds, it is true, and a fair current, +but it was rare that we had fresh breezes, while long spells of calm +were frequent, so that we did not double Cape St. Roque till February +22. +</p> + +<p> +Our best day's run up to this point was on the 19th, when we made 182 +miles in the twenty-four hours—nothing much to boast of, seeing that +the difference between our distance, according to our dead reckoning +and that calculated by observation of the sun, showed that we had a +two-knot current under us all the while. +</p> + +<p> +At 9 a.m. on February 22, having passed between Cape St. Roque and the +Rocas islets—not sighting either—we altered our course from +north-by-east to north-west, so as to sail parallel to the mainland, +at a distance of about 120 miles from it, and thus benefit by the full +strength of the current. Having doubled the cape we encountered, as we +had expected, south-east wind, and were thus able to set our +spinnaker. +</p> + +<p> +As we approached the Equator we experienced the usual unpleasant +weather of this region: the sky was almost always overcast, the calms +were only broken by heavy squalls, and no night passed without vivid +lightning; but, so far, there was little rain. It was very close in +our cabins, and even on deck the men were languid with the oppressive, +muggy heat. +</p> + +<p> +We crossed the line on February 26. We now had a few days of drifting +over a calm sea, under a soft drizzling rain, and we were unable to +take any sights of the sun. On March 1, the wind veered round to the +north for a change, so that we were close-hauled on the starboard +tack. This wind, being in the opposite direction to the regular +trades, was caused by some local disturbance, and only lasted for +twelve hours. This was our sixteenth day out, and we were still nearly +1,200 miles from our destination, which we might have made by this +time had our luck been good. +</p> + +<p> +If we only progressed at this rate, our water could not hold out to +Trinidad; and though this was no cause for anxiety, as we could easily +sail for one of the ports on the mainland—Cayenne or Surinam, for +instance—I was particularly anxious not to call anywhere on the way; +so the order was given that all hands should be put on rations of +water. Our usual rule was to allow the men to use as much water as +they pleased, without waste; though all washing had, of course to be +done with salt water. +</p> + +<p> +This order brought us luck, for not an hour after it had been given +the whole sky was covered over with one vast cloud, so dense that, +though it was midday, it became as dark on the ocean as when dusk is +deepening into night. Then it began to rain. Hitherto there had only +been drizzle or short showers, which did not afford an opportunity for +collecting water; but now it was very different—it poured steadily +down as it only can in the tropics, so that, by merely collecting the +water in the hollow of the whale-boat cover, we soon filled up every +tank and breaker on board, and had a sufficient supply to have lasted +us to Southampton, had we been bound there. The order as to rations +was at once countermanded, and even washing with fresh water was +permitted on this extravagant day. +</p> + +<p> +Delighted as we had been to get all this water, we soon wearied of +such excessively unpleasant weather, for not only did it rain in +torrents, but every now and again a violent squall would sweep over +the sea, so that 'Scandalise the mainsail, and down foresail' was a +frequent order. +</p> + +<p> +'It looks like breakers ahead, sir,' sang out Ted in the afternoon, +and we quite suddenly entered into a tract of very disturbed water. +The swell was unaccountably high, and the seas were curling over each +other and breaking all round us just as if we were in a tide-race or +overfall. The water, too, which had up till now been of the usual dark +deep ocean tint, became yellowish brown, and, when a bucket of it was +brought up on deck, it was found to be full of a fine powder, like the +seed of some grass. As we had not been able to take any sights for +some days, I thought we might be somewhat nearer the shoals on the +coast than I supposed; so hove to and took soundings, but found no +bottom. On tasting the water, it was quite salty, so that these +phenomena could scarcely have been caused by the violent stream of the +Amazon, which often makes itself felt and sweetens the water far out +to sea. It is possible that all this commotion was produced by some +volcanic eruption at the bottom of the ocean far beneath us—not an +uncommon event in this portion of the South Atlantic. As we sailed +through this confused water we found that the vessel steered wildly, +as if eddies and contrary currents were driving her first in one +direction then in another, while the tops of the steep waves kept +tumbling down upon our decks, compelling us to keep all skylights +closed; this made still more objectionable the atmosphere of our +already unpleasantly reeking cabins, where the wet clothes which we +had no means of drying had been accumulating for days. The oppressive +closeness of this equatorial climate is spoken of with horror even by +those who go to sea on big ships; but it is far worse on a little +fore-and-after. +</p> + +<p> +Another peculiarity of this tract of broken water—out of which we +soon emerged as quickly as we had got into it—was that it swarmed +with fish and other forms of life. Shoals of small fish were dashing +about merrily in the spray, while fleets of large pink Portuguese +men-of-war—as the sailors call the Nautilus—were floating on the +surface. Until we had got into this curious portion of the ocean we +had seen very few fish. +</p> + +<p> +After some days of similar uncomfortable weather, we drifted or +sailed—when the squalls allowed—into a respectable climate again, +and ran before the trade-wind at a fair pace. Our best day's run was +on March 6, when we made 192 miles. On this day we got into soundings, +the colour of the deep ocean changing to the dark green of +comparatively shallow water; for we were nearing the coast, so as to +make the entrance of the Gulf of Paria. We sighted the mountains of +Trinidad right ahead of us at daybreak of March 8, about two leagues +distant. We ran, before a light wind, between Galeota Point and Baja +Point. The sun now blazed down out of a cloudless sky, the morning +mists lifted and disclosed the scenery around us, which was of a very +different nature from that we had left on the desert Trinidad. +</p> + +<p> +We were no longer tumbling about on the great transparent green +rollers that perpetually break upon the coasts of our Treasure Island, +but sailing on the smooth, muddy water of a shallow inland sea. On our +left were the low shores of Venezuela—a long line of dreary mangrove +swamps that form the delta of the Orinoco; the peculiar, and, I should +say, somewhat malarious, odour of the steaming mud being plainly +perceptible for leagues out to sea. +</p> + +<p> +On our right were the shores of Trinidad—one of the fairest islands +of the Caribbean Sea. The sandy beaches were fringed with cocoanut +palms, and behind rose gently swelling mountains, covered with fine +forests, the lordly palmistes towering above all the lesser +foliage—forests in which the trees were of various forms and tints, +presenting a beautiful appearance, the feathery bamboos and the +scarlet and purple blossoms of bougainvillea and other flowering trees +relieving the dark green slopes of dense vegetation. On the plains +that lay under the mountains, and in the broad valleys that clove +them, could be seen the pale green spreads of the sugar-cane +plantations, with the tall chimneys of the boiling-houses rising above +them, and the darker clumps of the cacao groves. +</p> + +<p> +When we were near Point Icacos we saw a school of whales, but, not +having the whale-boat or gun ready, we did not go in chase. +</p> + +<p> +We passed through the narrow Serpent's Mouth, and were inside the Gulf +of Paria; from here we coasted along the shores of Trinidad by many a +landmark familiar to myself, and still more so to our two coloured +men, who became quite excited when they once more beheld their native +islands after an absence of two years and more. We sailed by Cedros +Point; by the curious row of rocks that are known as the Serpent's +Teeth; by the village of Brea, off which several vessels were lying at +anchor, loading with the bitumen that is dug out of the famous Pitch +Lake about a mile in shore. +</p> + +<p> +We did not reach Port of Spain this day, for the wind fell away, and +we had to come to an anchor off St. Fernando for the night; but on the +following day, March 9, we completed our voyage, and let go our anchor +off Port of Spain early in the afternoon, having been twenty-two days +out from our desert island. +</p> + +<p> +We were anchored at about two-thirds of a mile from the jetty, and +there was only eight feet of water under us at low tide. As the +draught of the 'Alerte' is ten feet, she then sank two feet into the +mud. This is quite the proper way to do things at Port of Spain. +Sailing-vessels bound here with timber are in the habit of running as +high up as they can into the mud, knowing that when they have +discharged their cargo they will easily float off again. The mud +deposited in the Gulf of Paria by the outflow of the Orinoco and its +tributaries is the softest possible, and is very deep, so that a +vessel can suffer no injury by lying in it, even when the sea is +rough. So shallow is the water in this roadstead that at a mile and a +half from the shore the depth is only three fathoms, while a ship's +boat cannot approach the end of the jetty at low water. +</p> + +<p> +I had visited Trinidad before, and had many friends here, so was at +once at home on shore, as, too, were, very soon, my companions. We +were made honorary members of the pleasant Port of Spain Club, and +were treated everywhere with that hearty hospitality for which the +West Indies have always been noted. +</p> + +<p> +Our voyage was now over, and though most of my companions were anxious +to sail away with me in search of any other treasure we might hear of +on West Indian cays—or to turn our vessel's head southward again, and +make for Demerara, to travel inland to the gold districts of Upper +Guiana on the Venezuelan frontier—or, in short, set sail for any part +of the world that promised adventure and possible profit (I believe +they would have turned filibusters if the chance had presented +itself)—and though I had four paid hands on board also willing to +have gone anywhere we should choose to lead them—still, I could not +see my way to extending the voyage any further for the present, and +decided to lay up the 'Alerte' at Port of Spain. +</p> + +<p> +It was with reluctance that I made up my mind to do this; for the men +we did not want had been weeded out, and I had round me a compact crew +of seven, tested and trained by their seven months' travels and +hardships, and I also had the right vessel for any adventure. I had +several reasons for laying up the yacht in the West Indies, instead of +sailing her home. I had no use for her in England, and should I +undertake another voyage similar to the last, Port of Spain would be a +most convenient place to start from; besides, stores are cheap there, +and an excellent coloured crew, well adapted for work in the unhealthy +tropics, can be readily procured. Moreover, if I decided to sell the +yacht, I was certain to get a better price for her in the West Indies, +or on the Spanish Main, where there is a demand for this sort of +craft, than at home, where the market is glutted with second-hand +yachts. +</p> + +<p> +Before leaving Trinidad—that cosmopolitan island of Britons, +Frenchmen, Spaniards, East Indiamen, Chinamen, and negroes—we +undertook several pleasant little voyages with the yacht in the +neighbourhood of Port of Spain, taking with us several friends from +the shore. One of these voyages took place in the Easter holidays, +which are properly observed on this island. We had a merry party on +board, and visited several of the beautiful bays on the islands that +divide the Bocas, or northern entrances to the Gulf of Paria. Our crew +had by that time been reduced to myself, Mr. Pursell, and John Wright: +for my companions took opportunities of returning home as they +occurred. +</p> + +<p> +When the old vessel was dismantled and laid up, we last remaining +three took passage on the Royal Mail Steamer 'Dee,' which, being an +extra-cargo boat, was bound on a sort of roving commission round the +West Indies, in search of bags of cacao to complete her cargo. This +was a most enjoyable voyage, thanks to the officers of the 'Dee.' +Pursell and myself were the only passengers. We visited several of the +Windward Islands—old friends of mine, most of them—before sailing +across the Atlantic to Havre, and thence to London Docks. +</p> + +<p> +Thus ended our treasure-hunting expedition—a vain search; but, as I +have already said, my companions bore their disappointment well. It +was amusing to hear them argue, like the grape-loving fox in the +fable, but in a more good-natured way, that we were far better off +without the treasure. I remember one favourite argument to this +effect. It had been decided that, if the treasure was found, we should +not return to England in the yacht, but insure our wealth and go home +in the biggest mail steamer we could find. That was our great +difficulty—how to find a suitable vessel. As we were now, we cared +not much what sort of a craft we sailed in; but, once wealthy, how +terribly valuable would our lives become! In anticipation even of it +we became nervous. Would any vessel be large and safe enough for us +then that we were millionaires? Well, indeed, was it for us that we +had not found the pirates' gold; for we seemed happy enough as we +were, and if possessed of this hoard our lives would of a certainty +have become a burden to us. We should be too precious to be +comfortable. We should degenerate into miserable, fearsome +hypochondriacs, careful of our means of transit, dreadfully anxious +about what we ate or drank, miserably cautious about everything, +'Better far, no doubt,' exclaimed these cheerful philosophers, 'to +remain the careless, happy paupers that we are.' +</p> + +<p> +'Do you still believe in the existence of the treasure?' is a question +that has been often put to me since my return. Knowing all I do, I +have very little doubt that the story of the Russian Finn is +substantially true—that the treasures of Lima were hidden on +Trinidad; but whether they have been taken away, or whether they are +still there and we failed to find them because we were not in +possession of one link in the directions, I am unable to say. +</p> + +<br> +<p class="ctr"> +THE END. +</p> + + +<hr class="med"> + +<p class="ctr"> +<span class="sc">Established</span> 1798 +</p> +<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/logo2.jpg" alt="Logo" width="78" height="100"></div> +<p class="ctr"> +T. NELSON +<br> +AND SONS +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<small>PRINTERS AND +<br> +PUBLISHERS</small> +</p> + +<br> +<p> +FAMOUS MODERN BATTLES.<span class="right">Captain Atteridge.</span> +</p> + +<p class="indent"> +This book may be taken as an appendix to Creasy's "Decisive Battles of +the World." Captain Atteridge describes those battles which have most +materially shaped the destiny of the nations of to-day, such as the +Alma, Solferino, Gettysburg, Gravelotte, Omdurman, and the recent +fights in the Balkan war. The book is fully provided with excellent +maps. +</p> + + +<p> +POPULAR ASTRONOMY.<span class="right">Camille Flammarion.</span> +</p> + +<p class="indent"> +This is an authorized translation of the most popular book on +astronomy ever written. The name of Camille Flammarion stands high +among modern scientists, and in addition to wide knowledge he has the +power of attractive exposition. The book is a delightful introduction +to a fascinating study. +</p> + + +<p> +BY DESERT WAYS TO BAGHDAD.<span class="right">Mrs. Wilkins.</span> +</p> + +<p class="indent"> +This is the record of the adventurous journey of two ladies from +Constantinople through Asia Minor and Kurdistan to Baghdad. The tale +is full of incidents and colour, and the style is as vivacious as the +adventures. +</p> + + +<p> +FROM PARIS TO NEW YORK BY LAND.<span class="right">Harry de Windt.</span> +</p> + +<p class="indent"> +In this book Mr. de Windt recounts an adventurous journey through +Europe, across Siberia, and then <i>viâ</i> Alaska to New York. He +covered a good deal of unexplored country, and travelled at a pace +which few explorers have ever approached. It is a fascinating +narrative of adventure in little-known countries. +</p> + +<hr class="short"> + + +<p class="ctr"> +NELSON LIBRARY OF NOTABLE BOOKS +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<span class="sc">Condensed List.</span> +</p> + + +<ul> +<li>Scrambles Amongst the Alps.</li> +<li>Collections and Recollections.</li> +<li>The Great Boer War.</li> +<li>Life of John Nicholson.</li> +<li>Dean Hole's "Memories."</li> +<li>Life of Gladstone.</li> +<li>Psalms in Human Life.</li> +<li>Wild Life in a Southern County.</li> +<li>The Forest.</li> +<li>The Golden Age.</li> +<li>Sir Henry Hawkins's Reminiscenses.</li> +<li>Selected Essays.</li> +<li>Life of Lord Russell of Killowen.</li> +<li>Making of Modern Egypt.</li> +<li>From the Cape to Cairo.</li> +<li>Life of Alexander Hamilton.</li> +<li>A Book about the Garden.</li> +<li>Culture and Anarchy.</li> +<li>Collections and Recollections, 2nd Series.</li> +<li>Life of Frank Buckland.</li> +<li>A Modern Utopia.</li> +<li>With Kitchener to Khartum.</li> +<li>Unveiling of Lhasa.</li> +<li>Life of Lord Dufferin.</li> +<li>Life of Dean Stanley.</li> +<li>Popular Astronomy.</li> +<li>Round the World on a Wheel.</li> +<li>Dream Days.</li> +<li>Path to Rome.</li> +<li>The Life of Canon Ainger.</li> +<li>Reminiscences of Lady Dorothy Nevill.</li> +<li>A Social Departure.</li> +<li>Letters and Recollections of Sir Walter Scott.</li> +<li>Literature and Dogma.</li> +<li>Sermons by the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon.</li> +<li>My Confidences.</li> +<li>Sir Frank Lockwood.</li> +<li>The Making of a Frontier.</li> +<li>Life of General Gordon.</li> +<li>Collected Poems of Henry Newbolt.</li> +<li>Pot-Pourri from a Surrey Garden.</li> +<li>The Ring and the Book.</li> +<li>The Alps from End to End.</li> +<li>The English Constitution.</li> +<li>The Life of Cobden.</li> +<li>In India.</li> +<li>Life of Parnell.</li> +<li>Havelock's March.</li> +<li>Up from Slavery.</li> +<li>Where Black Rules White.</li> +<li>Historical Mysteries.</li> +<li>Recollections of the Rt. Hon. Sir Algernon West.</li> +<li>Great Englishmen of the Sixteenth Century.</li> +<li>The Strenuous Life.</li> +<li>Memories Grave and Gay.</li> +<li>Life of Tolstoy.</li> +<li>Life of Danton.</li> +<li>A Pocketful of Sixpences.</li> +<li>The Romance of a Proconsul.</li> +<li>A Book about Roses.</li> +<li>Random Reminiscences.</li> +<li>The London Police Courts.</li> +<li>The Amateur Poacher.</li> +<li>The Bancrofts.</li> +<li>At the Works.</li> +<li>Mexico as I Saw It.</li> +<li>Eighteenth Century Vignettes.</li> +<li>The Great Andes of the Equator.</li> +<li>The Early History of C. J. Fox.</li> +<li>Through the Heart of Patagonia.</li> +<li>Browning as a Religious Teacher.</li> +<li>Paris to New York.</li> +<li>Life of Lewis Carroll.</li> +<li>A Naturalist in the Guianas.</li> +<li>The Mantle of the East.</li> +<li>Letters of Dr. John Brown.</li> +<li>Jubilee Book of Cricket.</li> +<li>By Desert Ways to Baghdad.</li> +<li>Some Old Love Stories.</li> +<li>Fields, Factories, and Workshops.</li> +<li>Life of Lord Lawrence.</li> +<li>Problems of Poverty.</li> +<li>The Burden of the Balkans.</li> +<li>Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay—I. and II.</li> +<li>What I Saw in Russia.</li> +<li>Wild England of To-day.</li> +<li>Leaves from an Inspector's Logbook.</li> +<li>Through Finland in Carts.</li> +<li>Voyage of the "Discovery."—I. & II.</li> +<li>Felicity in France.</li> +<li>My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus.</li> +<li>John Bright.</li> +<li>Poverty.</li> +<li>Sea Wolves of the Mediterranean.</li> +<li>Famous Modern Battles.</li> +<li>The Cruise of the "Falcon."</li> +<li>A. K. H. B. (A Volume of Selections.)</li> +<li>The People of the Abyss.</li> +<li>Grain or Chaff?</li> +<li>Life at the Zoo.</li> +<li>The Four Men.</li> +</ul> + +<br> +<p class="ctr"> +THOMAS NELSON AND SONS. +</p> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Cruise of the 'Alerte', by E. F. Knight + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE' *** + +***** This file should be named 38891-h.htm or 38891-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/8/9/38891/ + +Produced by Mark C. 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F. Knight + +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: The Cruise of the 'Alerte' + The narrative of a search for treasure on the desert island of Trinidad + +Author: E. F. Knight + +Release Date: February 15, 2012 [EBook #38891] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE' *** + + + + +Produced by Mark C. Orton and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was +produced from images made available by the HathiTrust +Digital Library.) + + + + + + +THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE' + +_UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME._ + + THE GREAT BOER WAR. _Arthur Conan Doyle._ + COLLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS. _G. W. E. Russell._ + FROM THE CAPE TO CAIRO. _E. S. Grogan._ + LIFE OF LORD DUFFERIN. _Sir A. Lyall._ + SIR FRANK LOCKWOOD. _Augustine Birrell, K.C., M.P._ + THE MAKING OF A FRONTIER. _Colonel Durand._ + LIFE OF RICHARD COBDEN. _Lord Morley._ + LIFE OF PARNELL. _R. Barry O'Brien._ + MEMORIES GRAVE AND GAY. _Dr. John Kerr._ + A BOOK ABOUT ROSES. _S. Reynolds Hole._ + RANDOM REMINISCENCES. _Charles Brookfield._ + AT THE WORKS. _Lady Bell._ + MEXICO AS I SAW IT. _Mrs. Alec Tweedie._ + PARIS TO NEW YORK BY LAND. _Harry de Windt._ + LIFE OF LEWIS CARROLL. _Stuart Dodgson Collingwood._ + NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS. _Eugene Andre._ + THE MANTLE OF THE EAST. _Edmund Candler._ + LETTERS OF DR. JOHN BROWN. + JUBILEE BOOK OF CRICKET. _Prince Ranjitsinhji._ + BY DESERT WAYS TO BAGHDAD. _Louisa Jebb._ + SOME OLD LOVE STORIES. _T. P. O'Connor._ + FIELDS, FACTORIES, & WORKSHOPS. _Prince Kropotkin._ + LIFE OF LORD LAWRENCE. _R. Bosworth Smith._ + PROBLEMS OF POVERTY. _Dr. Chalmers._ + THE BURDEN OF THE BALKANS. _M. E. Durham._ + LIFE AND LETTERS OF LORD MACAULAY.-- + I. & II. _Sir George O. Trevelyan, + Bart._ + WHAT I SAW IN RUSSIA. _Hon. Maurice Baring._ + WILD ENGLAND OF TO-DAY. _C. J. Cornish._ + THROUGH FINLAND IN CARTS. _Mrs. Alec Tweedie._ + THE VOYAGE OF THE "DISCOVERY."-- + I. & II. _Captain Scott._ + FELICITY IN FRANCE. _Constance E. Maud._ + MY CLIMBS IN THE ALPS AND CAUCASUS. _A. F. Mummery._ + JOHN BRIGHT. _R. Barry O'Brien._ + POVERTY. _B. Seebohm Rowntree._ + SEA WOLVES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN. _Commander E. Hamilton Currey, + R.N._ + FAMOUS MODERN BATTLES. _A. Hilliard Atteridge._ + THE CRUISE OF THE "FALCON." _E. F. Knight._ + A. K. H. B. (A Volume of Selections). + THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS. _Jack London._ + GRAIN OR CHAFF. _A. Chichele Plowden._ + LIFE AT THE ZOO. _C. J. Cornish._ + THE FOUR MEN. _Hilaire Belloc._ + + _Etc., etc. + Others to follow._ + + + + +THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE' + +THE NARRATIVE OF A SEARCH FOR TREASURE +ON THE DESERT ISLAND OF TRINIDAD + + +BY + +E. F. KNIGHT + + +THOMAS NELSON AND SONS +LONDON, EDINBURGH, DUBLIN +AND NEW YORK + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + I. THE HISTORY OF THE TREASURE 7 + + II. THE 'ALERTE' IS FITTED OUT 32 + + III. THE SHIP'S COMPANY 49 + + IV. A ROMANCE OF THE SALVAGES 62 + + V. OUR FIRST VOYAGE 78 + + VI. ON THE SALVAGES 97 + + VII. RUNNING DOWN THE TRADES 121 + + VIII. BAHIA 141 + + IX. TREASURE ISLAND AT LAST 158 + + X. THE SUMMIT OF TRINIDAD 174 + + XI. ON THE ROAD TO TREASURE BAY 190 + + XII. WE EXPLORE THE RAVINE 208 + + XIII. A NARROW ESCAPE 226 + + XIV. WE LAND THE STORES IN THE BAY 237 + + XV. OUR CAMP 252 + + XVI. DISCOVERIES IN SOUTH-WEST BAY 269 + + XVII. PICK AND SHOVEL 282 + +XVIII. A VOYAGE TO MARKET 300 + + XIX. HOVE TO 314 + + XX. THE ADVENTURES OF THE SHORE-PARTY 329 + + XXI. WE ABANDON THE SEARCH 355 + + XXII. HOMEWARD BOUND 366 + + + + +THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE.' + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +THE HISTORY OF THE TREASURE. + + +In the course of a long cruise in the South Atlantic and up the South +American rivers, in the years 1880 and 1881, with my little yacht the +'Falcon,' I found myself, more by accident than intention, in the +neighbourhood of the small desert island of Trinidad. We were bound +from Montevideo to Bahia, and, after running before a heavy pampero +off the River Plate, we fell in with strong head winds, and had to +thrash our way to windward for upwards of a thousand miles of choppy +seas and boisterous weather, while the rain poured down upon us almost +without cessation, as it not unfrequently does during the season of +the northerly Brazilian monsoon. + +We steered a course away from the land to the eastward, hoping to meet +with more favourable winds when we had obtained an offing of some four +or five hundred miles. Vessels bound north from the Plate during the +season of the northerly monsoon invariably pursue this plan, sailing +as much as seven hundred miles close hauled on the port tack before +they go about and make their northering. Thus it was that our course +brought us in the vicinity of Trinidad, which lies in latitude 20 deg. 30' +south and longitude 29 deg. 22' west, distant about seven hundred miles +from the coast of Brazil, and my curiosity being aroused by the +description of the islet in the 'South Atlantic Directory' I decided +to land and explore it. + +We came to an anchor off this desolate spot on December 8, 1881, and +we remained there for nine days. Our adventures of various sorts, the +perils of landing, the attacks made on us by the multitudes of hideous +land-crabs and ferocious sea-birds, our difficult climb over the +volcanic mountains, and finally our anything but regretful departure +from one of the most uncanny and dispiriting spots on earth, are fully +set out in my book, 'The Cruise of the "Falcon."' On turning to that +book I find that I state there that I had had more than enough of +Trinidad, and would on no account set foot on its barren shores +again--a rash resolution which I was destined to break nearly ten +years after my first visit to the island. + +The descriptions of Trinidad in the 'South Atlantic Directory' are all +of an old date, and were supplied at different times by captains of +vessels in want of water or with crews stricken with scurvy, who +effected a landing in order to procure water or the purslain and other +greens which abound on some portions of the shore. Halley in 1700, +Amaso Delano in 1803, and Commodore Owen in 1822 visited the island, +and it is from their accounts that most of the information concerning +it has been gathered. All describe the landing as extremely difficult, +and often quite impracticable, on account of the almost perpetual surf +which breaks on the iron-bound coast. Consequently mariners avoided +the coral reefs and sea-worn crags, and, though the masters of +homeward-bound vessels from around Cape Horn often sighted the island +from a safe distance in order to correct the rate of their +chronometers, it was rare indeed that the foot of a human being trod +its shores. + +But now the land-crabs and sea-birds of Trinidad must be becoming +almost familiarised with the sight of man, for the report of a vast +treasure that is supposed to have been buried here some seventy years +ago, has induced no less than five different bands of adventurers in +the course of the last twelve years to fit out vessels for the purpose +of seeking their fortunes among the volcanic ash. + +This is an account of the most recent of these ventures, and I think +it will be the last of them; for whereas all the previous +explorers--in consequence of mutiny, the difficulty of landing, and +other causes--failed to make any real attempt at digging into the +landslip which now covers the spot where the treasure is supposed to +lie, and, losing heart in the presence of the preliminary perils and +discomforts, abandoned the island after a few days' stay, we succeeded +in landing by degrees our tents, tools, and stores, and established +quite a comfortable little settlement, while the digging was steadily +carried on for three months, and many thousands of tons of earth and +rock were removed. + +We worked on until we were satisfied that further search was useless. +We failed to find the treasure, but we did what our predecessors did +not--we had a very good try for it; and we have, I think, at any rate +proved that it is not worth the while of any other adventurers to go +in search of this too carefully concealed hoard. + +When I visited Trinidad in 1881 I was not aware that a treasure was +supposed to be buried there, else I should most probably have +prosecuted some preliminary search with the small crew--we were five +all told--and the inadequate tools I had on board, so as to ascertain +whether it would be worth while to organise a properly equipped +expedition on my return home. It was not until the year 1885 that my +attention was directed to paragraphs in the newspapers which spoke of +the departure from the Tyne of the barque 'Aurea' with a considerable +company, including navvies, and well provided with the tools that were +considered necessary for the recovery of the treasure. + +These adventurers started full of hope, but were doomed to +disappointment, as is shown in the following extract which I cut from +a daily paper some months later:-- + +'Further information has been received regarding the unfortunate +expedition of the "Aurea," the vessel chartered by a number of +Tynesiders for a voyage to the small island of Trinidad, off the coast +of Brazil, where it was reported a large amount of treasure was +concealed. The last letter is from one of the seamen, a young man +named Russell, to his parents in North Shields. Russell states that it +is with _"the greatest pleasure" that he has an opportunity of +writing, and continues to say that the "Aurea" left the island on +April 29, and, he was sure, the crew were not sorry at leaving. He +states that eight seamen were ashore fourteen days, and at the end of +that time they were so exhausted with the want of water and +provisions, and with the scorching heat, that they had all to be +carried on board. As a consequence eight of them were laid down with +fever, and out of the eight two seamen died. The expedition was thus +unfortunate in more than one respect. The "Aurea," according to the +writer of the letter, was at Trinidad in the West Indies, and was +expected to leave for England. Russell says nothing about treasure; +the burden of his letter is that the crew left the island with the +greatest satisfaction.'_ + +This ill-fated expedition of the 'Aurea' was, so far as my information +goes, the last before that of the 'Alerte.' + +In the autumn of 1888, I happened to meet some South Shields people +who knew the history of the treasure and of the previous expeditions. +They told me that there had been some talk lately of fitting out +another vessel to renew the quest, and that many undeniably shrewd +Tynesiders had a complete faith in the existence of the treasure, and +were willing, despite former failures, to risk their money and lives +in order to discover it. My informant gave me an outline of the +evidence on which this faith was based, and I heard enough to so +interest me that I forthwith took train to South Shields and put +myself into communication with the heads of the 'Aurea' expedition, +with the view, in case I should consider the prospects of securing the +treasure to be not too remote, of fitting out a small yacht and +sailing away once more to Trinidad. + +The following is the substance of the story as I heard it from Mr. +A----, who was the prime mover of the last venture, and who himself +sailed in the 'Aurea,' and passed fourteen days on the island. + +'There is now living, not far from Newcastle, a retired sea captain, +Captain P----, who was in command of an East Indiaman engaged in the +opium trade in the years 1848 to 1850. At that time the China seas +were infested by pirates, so that his vessel carried a few guns, and a +larger crew than is usual in these days. He had four quartermasters, +one of whom was a foreigner. Captain P---- is not sure of his +nationality, but thinks he was a Russian Finn. On board the vessel the +man went under the name of the pirate, on account of a deep scar +across his cheek, which gave him a somewhat sinister appearance. He +was a reserved man, better educated than the ordinary sailor, and +possessing a good knowledge of navigation. + +'Captain P---- took a liking to him, and showed him kindness on +various occasions. This man was attacked by dysentery on the voyage +from China to Bombay, and by the time the vessel reached Bombay he was +so ill, in spite of the captain's nursing, that he had to be taken to +the hospital. He gradually sank, and when he found that he was dying, +he told Captain P----, who frequently visited him at the hospital, +that he felt very grateful for the kind treatment he had received at +his captain's hands, and that he would prove his gratitude by +revealing a secret to him that might make him one of the richest men +in England. Captain P---- says that he appeared very uneasy about this +secret, and insisted on the door of the ward being closed, so that +there might be no listeners. He then asked Captain P---- to go to his +chest and take out from it a parcel. The parcel contained a piece of +old tarpaulin with a plan of the island of Trinidad on it. + +'The man gave him this plan, and told him that at the place indicated +on it--that is, under the mountain known as the Sugarloaf--there was +an immense treasure buried, consisting principally of gold and silver +plate and ornaments, the plunder of Peruvian churches which certain +pirates had concealed there in the year 1821. Much of this plate, he +said, came from the cathedral of Lima, having been carried away from +there during the war of independence when the Spaniards were escaping +the country, and that among other riches there were several massive +golden candlesticks. + +'He further stated that he was the only survivor of the pirates, as +all the others had been captured by the Spaniards and executed in Cuba +some years before, and consequently it was probable that no one but +himself knew of this secret. He then gave Captain P---- instructions +as to the exact position of the treasure in the bay under the +Sugarloaf, and enjoined him to go there and search for it, as it was +almost certain that it had not been removed. The quartermaster died +shortly afterwards.' + +Now this story, so far, bears a strong family resemblance to many +other stories of pirate treasure, mythical or otherwise, and, though +there can be no doubt that great stores of valuable plunder are still +lying hidden away in this fashion on many a West Indian cay and desert +ocean island, the dying quartermaster's deposition was hardly enough +by itself to warrant the expense of fitting out an expedition for +Trinidad. But on making researches it was found that his story was +corroborated in many remarkable ways. + +In the first place the archives of Cuba were inspected, and a record +was discovered which showed that a gang of pirates who had plundered +Spanish vessels sailing from Lima had been hanged at Havannah at the +time mentioned. + +The probability of the story is further strengthened by the actual +history of Peru during the war of independence. It appears that the +Spanish population of Lima entertained a wholesome dread of the +liberators of their country, and deposited large sums of money and a +vast amount of plate in the forts for security. Lima was then a city +extremely rich in gold and silver plate, and the value of the property +lying in the fortress alone was estimated by Lord Dundonald as at +least six millions sterling. + +Lord Dundonald, who was at the time in command of the Chilian fleet +which had been sent to the assistance of the liberators of Peru, +endeavoured to obtain possession of this fortress by negotiations, and +offered the Spanish governor to permit his free departure with +two-thirds of this treasure on condition of the remainder, together +with the fortress, being given up to the Chilian squadron. The admiral +hoped by means of this one-third to abate the mutinous spirit of his +men, who had received no pay for a long period, and who were, +moreover, in a state of actual destitution. But, to Lord Dundonald's +disgust, the Peruvian Protector, San Martin, for purposes of his own, +allowed the garrison to evacuate the fortress, carrying away with them +the whole of these riches. Later on, however, Lord Dundonald took the +responsibility on himself of seizing the Protector's yacht at Ancon, +and discovered that it was entirely ballasted with silver coin and +uncoined gold. With this he paid his sailors some of their arrears of +pay and prize-money. + +During the first few years of their liberty the unhappy Limenos must +have occasionally regretted the old Spanish misrule, bad as it was; +for their liberators plundered them in the most shameless fashion, and +most of the wealthy citizens of Lima were reduced to a state of abject +poverty. The tyrannical Protector inflicted great hardships on the +Spanish inhabitants, and among other of his decrees one was passed +confiscating to the public treasury one-half of all their property. +When some of these unhappy people, driven to desperation, took to sea +and endeavoured to escape with the remaining half of their +possessions, the Republican officers boarded their vessels and, wholly +regardless of the decree, appropriated this half also. + +The wealth of Lima, the richest city of Spanish America, was soon +scattered far and wide, and disappeared for ever; but it is probable +that only a small proportion of it fell into the hands of the +liberators; for the executive was not sufficiently well organised to +carry out fully the decrees of confiscation. I do not think that the +property to the value of six millions sterling which was carried away +by the Spanish garrison has been all traced, but the records of the +day show that the Spaniards took every opportunity of escaping to sea +in any sort of vessel they could procure, carrying with them all the +property they could collect, in the hope of reaching the mother +country or some neutral port. + +It must have been a glorious time for adventurous persons not +overburdened with scruples; for it seems that all the gold and +precious stones of Peru were travelling about recklessly by sea and +land without any proper protection. The pirates who then swarmed in +those seas were not slow to avail themselves of this rare opportunity, +and carried on a flourishing business until such time as they were +caught and hanged by that terrible English admiral. + +Numbers of piratical craft hovered around the Peruvian ports, and the +badly equipped vessels of the Spanish fugitives fell an easy prey to +them. But Lord Dundonald, on the other hand, was ever pursuing the +pirates with great energy. He captured many of them, and, later on, he +was able to boast that he had swept the West Coast clean of these +scourges of the sea. + +It is known, however, that several of these vessels escaped his +vigilance, and that enormous quantities of cathedral plate and specie +were never recovered from their hands. + +The pirate vessel that succeeded in reaching the islet of Trinidad is +supposed to have been one of these. + +Captain P----, on leaving Bombay after the death of his quartermaster, +had intended to land on Trinidad and examine the spot indicated on the +pirate's plan; but as he had a rather unruly crew, and was himself +crippled with a broken arm, he thought it prudent not to make the +attempt then, and so passed the islet and sailed home. + +On his return to England he told the pirate's story to many people, +but of course preserved the secret of the exact position of the +hiding-place. Nothing, however, seems to have been done towards +recovering the treasure until 1880, when Captain P---- persuaded a +shipping firm at Newcastle to allow one of their vessels trading to +the Brazils to visit the island. It was arranged that the barquentine +'John' should call at Trinidad on her way from Santos to Bull River, +and that Captain P----'s son should go with the vessel so as to +identify the spot and act on his father's behalf. + +The 'John' reached the islet, but, after beating about off it for a +week, no landing-place could be found, and the captain decided to give +up the attempt. But young P---- was very disinclined to return without +having effected a landing, and persuaded the captain to allow him to +swim ashore from a boat. The ship's longboat was therefore put out, +and was pulled as close to the long roll of furious breakers as was +considered safe. Then young P---- plunged into the sea, and contrived, +after a narrow escape from drowning, to reach the land. The surf +became more furious while he was on shore, so that it was impossible +for him to swim off again that day. He had, consequently, to pass the +night on the sands without either clothes or provisions, and was, +moreover, in danger of being eaten alive by the land-crabs. + +On the following morning the captain succeeded in casting the end of a +line on shore, and the young man was dragged through the surf to the +longboat, and carried on board the vessel. He reported to the captain +that he had discovered the spot described by the pirate; but that a +great landslip of red debris had fallen on the treasure, which could +not be removed without great labour. He said the place tallied exactly +with the description furnished by his father, and that he firmly +believed the story to be true and that the treasure was still there; +but that he would not spend such another night on the island even if +he could get the whole treasure for himself by doing so. + +The captain of the 'John,' on hearing the young man's story, +considered that any further attempt to land would involve great +danger, which he would not be justified in risking, and, declining to +lend further assistance in the matter, set sail at once for his +destination. + +The next expedition was organised by my informant, Mr. A---- of South +Shields. The 'Aurea,' a barque of 600 tons burthen, was chartered. She +was provided with lifeboats suitable for surf work, and an ample +supply of picks, shovels, timber, blasting powder, and other stores. +She was partly ballasted with a cargo of steam coal, which it was +intended to sell in some foreign port, so as to pay part of the +expenses of the expedition. The necessary funds were subscribed by +several gentlemen, most of whom, I believe, accompanied the +expedition. Proper agreements were drawn up, and were signed by the +officers and members of the expedition, setting forth the proportion +of the treasure each was to receive, should the search be successful. + +This party also found the island to be almost inaccessible, on account +of the surrounding circle of savage breakers, and experienced great +difficulty in landing. + +The following extract from the letter of one of the expedition +describes only the commencement of their perils and adventures:-- + +'We sighted the island on March 23, 1885, but, as it was very squally +weather, we could do nothing until the next morning, when we got out +the lifeboat, fitted her with mast and sail, and loaded her with +provisions and baggage. The ship towed us as near to the shore as was +deemed prudent, and then left us to make the best of our way there, +while she stood on her course. The weather was very wet and squally, +and, with our deeply-laden boat, we found we made no progress, either +with the sails or oars, and, after toiling until after sunset, we +found ourselves in a most deplorable position. We were all wet to the +skin, and exhausted with pulling, and the seas were continually on the +point of swamping our boat. Darkness then set in; our vessel was out +of sight, and we scarcely knew what to do. However, I took a lantern +from among the stores, and got one of the men to light it and hoist it +at our boat's masthead as a signal to our vessel. It blew out almost +as soon as it was up, but we succeeded at last in sighting the +vessel's port light, and got safely on board. The next day we +determined to take the ship's boat and small dinghy with us, and tow +the lifeboat ashore. We started early in the morning, the ship towing +the three boats as close as possible to the Sugarloaf, and as the +weather was now fine we soon got into South-west Bay, but found that +the surf was much worse than we anticipated. We anchored the lifeboat +with her cargo of stores close to the edge of the surf, and then Mr. +D----, the mate, myself, and two hands, pulled along the weather side +of the island, seeking a landing-place; but found a heavy surf at all +points, and the bottom sown with sunken rocks. We then pulled back to +South-west Bay, to consult with the others as to the best course to +pursue. At last the mate volunteered to scull the dinghy ashore +through the surf, if one man would go with him. One of the crew agreed +to go, so they partly undressed, and took their places in the dinghy. +A line was made fast to the stern, and as they pulled towards the +shore we paid out, intending to haul the dinghy back again when they +had reached the shore. All went well for a time, but when near the +beach a tremendous roller caught the stern of the dinghy, drove the +bow under, and turned her right over. The two men managed to get clear +of the boat, and with some difficulty swam ashore.' + +Eventually Mr. A---- and seven other men succeeded in landing, +carrying with them a limited quantity of provisions and some of the +tools. They remained on the island from March 25 to April 17, during +which time the vessel had been blown out of sight. Insufficient food +and exposure to rain dispirited the men, and their imaginations were +dismayed by the dismal aspect of these barren volcanic crags, and by +the loathsome appearance of the land-crabs, which swarmed everywhere +and continually attacked them. + +They found what they considered to be the spot described by the +pirate, but do not appear to have been quite so certain on this point +as was young P----. Very little digging was actually done, 'for,' says +Mr. A----, 'we had few hands on shore capable of standing the heavy +work under such a burning sun.' They had only dug a small trench four +feet deep into the landslip when the 'Aurea' was sighted; then the +sick and disheartened band refused to stay any longer on this accursed +island, and insisted on being taken on board. So, leaving all their +tools behind them--for in their anxiety to get away safely they would +not be burdened with these--they were carried off to the vessel, so +emaciated, weak, and ill that the captain came to the conclusion that +he would lose most of his men if he landed them on so uninhabitable a +spot, and, abandoning the search, he set sail for the West Indies. + +This expedition, therefore, practically accomplished nothing. The +problem as to whether the treasure was or was not lying under the +landslips in South-west Bay was as far from solution as ever. + +Before the departure of the 'Aurea' expedition from South Shields, a +good deal had been written concerning it in the English papers, with +the result that some other adventurous spirits, having had their +attention drawn to this possible El Dorado, hurried away to Trinidad +in order to anticipate the Tynesiders. The following letter appeared +in an English paper on May 14, 1885. The 'Aurea' people, of course, +knew nothing of this rival expedition, until they returned to +England:-- + + TRINIDAD IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. + + _The Hidden Treasure Expedition._ + + [FROM A CORRESPONDENT.] + + Kiel, May 11, 1885. + + 'Under this heading I have just now noticed a paragraph sent to + the editor of a Danish daily paper, which, in its bearing on the + well-known search-for-treasure expedition, may prove of interest + to your readers, being in the shape of a letter sent from New + York:-- + + 'New York, April 17, 1885. + + 'On my arrival in New York from Aracaju, I read in your + paper of January 14, 1885, about an expedition to be + started from Newcastle, to proceed to the island of + Trinidad in the South Atlantic, with the object in view of + finding a treasure buried there some time ago by pirates: + and I am in a position to furnish some particulars which, + in all probability, are connected with this affair. On + January 13, 1885, I was chartered with my vessel in Rio de + Janeiro to take over to the above mentioned island an + American captain and four Portuguese sailors, together with + a number of pickaxes, spades, &c., and a whale-boat. I was + told that these people intended to go to this island to + investigate if any "guano" was to be found. A voyage of + eleven days brought us there, but we had to keep off the + shore on account of breakers for over three days. The men + were then put ashore, and remained on the island for four + days, during which time they were occupied with boring and + digging, whereupon we sailed back to Bahia, and landed them + there. I believe that these men, either by telegram from + England or by other means, had heard of the existence of a + treasure on this island, and that they meant to anticipate + the English expedition. However, they found nothing. I + noticed very well that the American captain, as well as his + men, were highly disappointed. Let me take this opportunity + to dissuade all masters of vessels to search in this + uninhabited island for fresh water. It is a matter of great + difficulty and danger to put boats on shore, through coral + reefs. The indications on the charts for casting the lead + should be a good deal further from the shore. During the + time we were there the wind was N.N.E. and the current to + S.W., upon a speed of from 12 to 15 quarter-miles in 24 + hours. In South-west Bay, two cable-lengths from the shore, + there is a reef not mentioned on the charts. + + 'H. N. ANKERSEN, + + 'Master of sailing vessel from Fanoe.' + +I found that the correspondent who sent this letter was correct +in his information. When I called at Bahia with the 'Alerte,' my +ship-chandler, Mr. Wilson, told me the whole of this story as it was +related to him by the American adventurer on his arrival at Bahia from +Trinidad. It is somewhat strange that the excavations made by this +party were not seen by the 'Aurea' people, who landed on the island +within two months of the departure of the Americans; but this islet +has been so shaken to its foundations by earthquake shock and volcanic +action, that it is brittle from its mountain-tops to the beach, and is +in a state of perpetual change. Gigantic landslips are frequent, and I +should not be surprised to find that all traces of our three months' +hard digging have by now been entirely obliterated. + +There might have been some fun, by the way, had the 'Aurea' and the +American arrived off the island at the same time. + +Since my return, I have heard of two other expeditions which started +from the other side of the Atlantic in search of the hidden treasure +of Trinidad, but, as with the former expeditions, nothing was +accomplished. The loss of men and boats in the surf, sickness, and the +numerous difficulties and dangers encountered, disheartened the men, +and the attempt was abandoned before any serious work was done. It +would seem as if this was one of those forlorn islands of which one +reads in the old romances of the sea, on which the bloody deeds of the +pirates have left a curse behind, so that the treasure is protected by +evil spirits; and the great roaring seas which roll up seemingly +without any natural cause, even after days of windless weather, and +the ever-tottering crags, and all the forces and terrors of nature are +made to keep man off from the inviolate hoard; while the loathsome +land-crabs might well be the restless spirits of the pirates +themselves, for they are indeed more ugly and evil, and generally more +diabolical-looking, than the bloodiest pirate who ever lived. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE 'ALERTE' IS FITTED OUT. + + +Such is the story of the Trinidad treasure, a story that seemed to +me to bear the stamp of truth, and it was difficult to conceive +that--allowing Captain P----'s narrative to be correct, and there is +every reason to believe it as such--so many coincidences could have +collected round a mere fabrication. + +It is highly improbable that the foreign quartermaster evolved the +whole matter from an imaginative brain, especially on his deathbed, +when he was professing to confide a valuable secret to a friend as a +token of his gratitude; neither can his statements be considered as +being the ravings of a sick man, for they were far too circumstantial +and compatible with facts. + +In the first place, his carefully prepared plan of the island, the +minute directions he gave as to the best landing, and his description +of the features of the bay on whose shores the treasure was concealed, +prove beyond doubt to myself and others who know Trinidad that he, or +if not himself some informant of his, had landed on this so rarely +visited islet; and not only landed, but passed some time on it, and +carefully surveyed the approaches to the bay, so as to be able to +point out the dangers and show the safest passage through the reefs. +This information could not have been obtained from any pilot-book. The +landing recommended by previous visitors is at the other side of the +island. This bay is described by them as inaccessible, and the +indications on the Admiralty chart are completely erroneous. + +And, beyond this, the quartermaster must have been acquainted with +what was taking place in two other distant portions of the world +during the year of his professed landing on the desert island. He knew +of the escape of pirates with the cathedral plate of Lima. He was also +aware that, shortly afterwards, there were hanged in Cuba the crew of +a vessel that had committed acts of piracy on the Peruvian coast. It +is scarcely credible that an ordinary seaman--even allowing that he +was superior in education to the average of his fellows--could have +pieced these facts together so ingeniously into this plausible story. + +It is needless to say that one like myself--who knew Trinidad, and who +had personally sifted the evidence, and was constantly coming across +numbers of incidents not mentioned here, trifling in themselves, but, +taken together, strongly corroborative--would be more impressed by the +coincidences, and consequently be more inclined to give credence to +the story than one who merely reads the narrative in the pages of this +book. + +Hence the result of my interview with Mr. A---- was that I decided to +sail to Trinidad and search for the treasure. I knew, of course, that +the chances were greatly against my finding anything. I was quite +prepared for complete failure; but I considered that there was a +sufficient possibility of success to make the venture worth the +undertaking. + +I, of course, saw that the great impediment was the landslip, which +might have covered the landmarks, and so altered the features of the +ravine as to render recognition of the exact spot extremely difficult; +for it is quite possible that young Mr. P---- was somewhat +over-sanguine, and that the grounds for his so readily identifying the +pirate's hiding-place were inadequate. + +The former adventurers seem to have considered that the difficulties +of landing constituted almost as great an obstacle to success as the +landslip itself; but I was confident that these difficulties were +anything but insuperable, and that, by taking proper precautions, it +would be quite possible to land a working-party with all necessary +stores and tools, and even, if necessary, heavy machinery as well. I +had myself, nine years previously, landed at three different points of +the island, and had passed several days on shore, so I quite realised +what was before me. + +There is no doubt that the former adventurers failed from +precipitancy. Patience is a necessary quality for those who wish to +land on Trinidad. One must not expect to sail there and forthwith +disembark with one's baggage as if it were on Southsea Pier. It +appears, too, that the captains of the square-rigged vessels which +carried the expeditions to the island were largely responsible for the +failure of the former quests; they would not approach the islands +within several miles; they became anxious as to the safety of their +boats and men, were fidgety to sail away again to the safety of the +broad ocean, and hurried the adventurers off the shore before they had +had scarce time to look around them. The captains, no doubt, were +quite right from their point of view; but it is also certain that the +treasure could never be recovered by this way of going to work. To dig +away the landslip would involve many months of labour, and during that +time the captain of the vessel must be prepared to stand off and on, +or heave to off the island--for to remain at anchor for any length of +time would be dangerous. And again, there must be no hurry in landing: +the working-party may have to remain on board the vessel for weeks at +a stretch gazing at that wild shore, before it be possible for them to +attain it. I have seen the great rollers dashing on the beach with a +dreadful roar for days together, and the surf--as the 'South Atlantic +Directory' observes without any exaggeration--'is often incredibly +great, and has been seen to break over a bluff which is two hundred +feet high.' + +Notwithstanding this, if one is patient and bides one's opportunity, +there are days when landing can be accomplished without any difficulty +whatever. + +When I visited Trinidad with the 'Falcon' I discovered one especially +safe landing-place on the lee side of the island, where a natural pier +of coral projects into the sea beyond the breakers. I knew that it was +possible to effect a landing here ten times to once that this could be +done on the more exposed beach of the bay under the Sugarloaf, where +the 'Aurea' party landed. A considerable and, I believe, perennial +stream of water runs down as a cascade into the sea close to my +landing-place, and I knew that it would be easy to disembark here a +quantity of provisions, and establish a depot to which the +working-party in Sugarloaf Bay could repair in the case of their +stores falling short and their communication with the vessel being cut +off by bad weather. I had myself crossed the lofty mountains which +separate this landing-place from the bay under the Sugarloaf, and knew +that, though difficult, they were not inaccessible. + +My negotiations with Mr. A---- terminated in his furnishing me with +the bearings of the hidden treasure, and handing over to me the copy +of the pirate's plan of the island, which the 'Aurea' people had taken +with them. This plan merely indicated the safest landing-place in the +bay. + +Mr. A----'s account of his own experiences were of great service to me +in fitting out this expedition. He told me that there was no constant +stream of fresh water on the shores of this bay, or anywhere near it; +but that a little water of an inferior quality could be collected +after rain. There was, however, according to him, an abundance of dead +wood on the hill-sides, which served admirably as fuel; so I took note +that a condensing apparatus would be an indispensable addition to our +stores. He told me that I should find the 'Aurea' tools lying on the +beach, which if not too corroded, might be of use to us. We did +eventually find some of these, and employed them in our operations: I +have now in my possession an 'Aurea' pick which I brought away with +me. I have to thank Mr. A---- for a variety of valuable hints, which I +did not neglect. + +Having decided to go, the first thing to be done was to find a vessel, +a fore-and-after which could accommodate thirteen or fourteen men on +an ocean voyage, and which could yet be easily handled by two or three +while hove to off the island. + +I went down to my old headquarters, Southampton, and explained what I +was in search of to Mr. Picket, of West Quay, who had been my +shipwright from my earliest yachting days, and who fitted out the old +'Falcon' for her long voyage. With his assistance I soon discovered a +very suitable vessel, the cutter-yacht 'Alerte,' of fifty-six tons +yacht measurement, and thirty-three tons register. This was, +therefore, a considerably larger vessel than the 'Falcon,' with which +I had made my first voyage to Trinidad, for she was twenty-four feet +shorter than the 'Alerte,' and was only of fifteen tons register. + +The dimensions of the 'Alerte' are as follows:--length, 64.3 feet; +beam, 14.5 feet; depth, 9 feet. She was built by Ratsey of Cowes in +1864, so she is rather an ancient vessel; but she was constructed in a +much stronger fashion than is usual in these days, of thoroughly +seasoned teak. There had been no scamping of work in her case, and +now, after twenty-six years of service, she is as sound as on the day +she left the stocks; there is not a weak spot in her, and she is in +fact a far more reliable craft than a newer vessel would have proved; +for, even as a human life is more secure after it has safely passed +through the period of infantile disorders, so a vessel, if she does +not develop dry-rot within a few years of her launching, is not likely +to do so afterwards. She has proved herself to have been honestly put +together of seasoned timber, and not of sappy rubbish. + +The 'Alerte,' moreover, was of the good old-fashioned build, with +ample beam, and not of the modern plank-on-end style. She had only two +tons of lead outside, the remainder of her ballast was in her hold--a +great advantage for real cruising; for a vessel with a lead mine on +her keel cannot but strain herself in heavy weather with the violent +jerkiness of her action, instead of rolling about with a leisurely +motion on the top of the water as if she were quite at home there, +like a vessel of the comfortable 'Alerte' type. + +This was not the first ocean cruise the gallant old cutter had +undertaken; for she once accomplished the voyage from Southampton to +Sydney in 103 days, which is very creditable work. + +She was provided, I found, with new sails by Lapthorn, and an +excellent inventory throughout, so little was required besides making +the alterations necessary for the particular objects of our cruise. I +accordingly purchased the vessel, very pleased at having without delay +discovered a craft so suitable, and put her into Mr. Picket's hands to +be got ready for sea. While this was being done I let it be widely +known that I was organising a treasure-hunting expedition and was in +search of volunteers. Numbers applied, and I gradually selected my +crew, some of whom made themselves of use in assisting me to fit out +at Southampton. + +A cruise of this description involves a good deal of preparation. In +the first place, seeing that the 'Alerte' was a somewhat heavily +sparred vessel, I resolved to convert her into a yawl. So the main +boom and gaff were shortened, the area of the mainsail considerably +reduced, and a mizzen mast was stepped in the counter, on which we set +a snug jib-headed sail. No other alterations of importance were +required on deck. + +Below we had to find room for, and construct, extra bunks, and extra +water-tanks occupied all available room. A condensing apparatus +intended for use on the island was made for me by Mr. Hornsey of +Southampton. The boiler was a strong twenty-gallon drum, and a +forty-gallon tank contained the worm. At sea these two were +disconnected and lashed in the saloon, serving as water-tanks. We +carried in all 600 gallons of water. The precious fluid was, of +course, never used for washing purposes at sea. Salt-water-soap and +the Atlantic had to content us for our ablutions, and, where possible, +sea-water was employed for cooking purposes as well. + +The 'Alerte' carried two boats, a dinghy and a gig. We condemned the +gig, as being quite unfit for our work, and left her behind. As a +capacious lifeboat was necessary for landing men and stores on the +island, Mr. White of Cowes built one for us--a light yet strong +mahogany boat, double ended, with water-tight compartments at either +end. She was easy to pull, considering her size, and sailed fairly +well under two sprit-sails. We carried this boat on deck on the +starboard side, as she was too heavy for our davits. The dinghy, on +the other hand, was always swung on the port davits. + +As the stores would put down the vessel a good deal, we took out of +her a corresponding weight of ballast--about eight tons. Two tiers of +lead were removed from under the saloon floor, and in the space thus +gained we stowed the greater part of our tools. + +Among these was a complete set of boring apparatus constructed for us +by Messrs. Tilley, by means of which we should be enabled to explore +through earth and rock to the depth of fifty feet. We also carried a +Tangye's hydraulic jack, capable of lifting twelve tons, which we +found of service when large rocks had to be removed from the trenches. +Shovels, picks, crowbars, iron wheel-barrows, carpenters' and other +tools; a portable forge and anvil, dogs and other materials for +timbering a shaft if necessary, and a variety of other useful +implements were on board. We took with us two of Messrs. Piggot's +large emigrant tents, wire-fencing with which to surround our camp and +so keep off the land-crabs, a few gardener's tools and seeds of +quick-growing vegetables for the kitchen-garden which we intended to +plant on the island--a horticultural scheme which never came off in +consequence of the want of water--taxidermic gear with view to the +rare sea-birds that breed on the island, medical stores and surgical +instruments, fishing-tackle; and, in short, we were well-equipped with +all needful things, a full inventory of which would nearly fill this +book. + +Neither did we omit the precaution of arming ourselves in case any one +should choose to molest us, a not altogether improbable event; for +there was a talk of rival expeditions starting for the island at the +very time we were fitting out; our plans had been fully discussed in +the newspapers, despite our attempt to keep secret our destination at +least; and I called to mind the Yankee vessel that had endeavoured to +anticipate the 'Aurea.' Should some such vessel appear on the scene +just as we had come across the treasure, it would be well for us to be +prepared to defend it. + +Each man, therefore, was provided with a Colt's repeating-rifle, and +in addition to these there were other rifles and several revolvers on +board, and no lack of ammunition for every weapon. The Duke of +Sutherland kindly lent us one of Bland's double-barrelled +whaling-guns, which was carried on his Grace's yacht, the 'Sans Peur,' +during her foreign cruises. This was a quick firing and formidable +weapon, discharging steel shot, grape, shell, and harpoons, and +capable of sending to the bottom any wooden vessel. I think the sight +of it inspired some of my crew with ideas almost piratical. I have +heard them express the opinion that it was a shame to have such a gun +lying idle on board, and that an opportunity ought to be found of +testing its powers. + +Of the provisioning of the 'Alerte' I need say little, for all +foreign-going vessels are provisioned more or less in the same way; +but to foresee all that would be necessary for thirteen men for a +period of at least six months, and to stow away this great bulk of +stores, was not the least troublesome part of our fitting out. + +Former experience had taught me that it would not do to rely too much +on tinned meats, more especially in the tropics. I am confident that a +diet composed principally of these is extremely unwholesome, and to +this cause alone can be attributed an illness that attacked the whole +crew of the 'Falcon' during the latter months of her South American +voyage. The old-fashioned sea-food is the best after all. Salt beef +and salt pork, even after it has travelled a few times round the +world, and is consequently somewhat malodorous, forms a far more +sustaining diet than the very best of tinned meats. The instinct of +the sailor teaches him this; as a rule he detests the flabby, +overcooked stuff out of the cans, and, even if he tolerates it, will +always prefer to it the commonest mess beef, which in odour, taste, +and appearance would be horrible to a fastidious person. But let this +same person have been at sea for a few months, and the chances are +that he will look forward with pleasure to the days on which the salt +junk appears on the ship's bill of fare. + +So, though we took on board a large quantity of tinned meats of +various kinds, we also had some 600 pounds of beef and pork salted +down for us, with which we filled the vessel's harness casks and meat +tanks. This meat was of the very best quality, and for this very +reason a great deal of it was spoiled and had to be thrown overboard. +It had been salted too recently. Barrels of ancient mess beef soaked +with saltpetre and hardened into almost the consistency of a deal +board, though far from being so tasty as was our meat before it was +tainted, would have answered our purpose far better, and would have +kept well despite the high temperature of a small vessel in the +tropics. + +In the same way a short-sighted love of luxury induced us to supply +the vessel with barrels of the best cabin biscuit. The result was that +our bread, long before the termination of the cruise, was swarming +with maggots and an exceedingly unpleasant species of small beetle, +and was, in addition to this, attacked by mildew. A commoner quality +of ship's bread would not have spoiled so readily, for it is known +that insects thrive best and multiply amazingly on this tempting +first-class flour. + +All sorts of preserved food, jams, vegetables, &c., were of course +included in our store-list, as was also the indispensable +lime-juice--the vessel was, in short, supplied with a sufficient +quantity of necessaries and luxuries. + +We got our tobacco out of bond, also our rum, which was the only +alcoholic beverage on board; it certainly is the most wholesome spirit +for sea use, especially within the tropics. + +During the first portion of the voyage small rations of rum were +served out daily to each person on board. Later on, when it was clear +that none of the gentlemen-adventurers showed any inclination to +exceed in this respect at sea, the first mate, Mr. Meredyth, +petitioned me to give up the ration system so far as they were +concerned, and to allow the bottle of spirit to be put on the saloon +table at dinner for their free use. This was done, with no bad result. +The paid hands were, of course, always limited to rations of spirit. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +THE SHIP'S COMPANY. + + +To fit out and store a vessel for a lengthy expedition may be a +somewhat arduous task, but it is an interesting and pleasant one, +which is more than can be said with regard to that equally important +work, the choice of one's companions. One cannot make any very serious +mistake in the selection of one's provisions, but to take the wrong +man with one on a voyage that involves a complete severance from all +the influences of civilisation for months at a time may bring +exceedingly unpleasant consequences. + +I determined to ship as few paid hands as possible, and to outnumber +them with a chosen body of what, in the parlance of the old +privateering days, may be termed gentlemen-adventurers, volunteers who +would contribute to the cost of the expedition, would work as sailors +on board and as navvies on the island, and who would each be entitled +to receive a considerable share of the proceeds of the venture, should +anything be discovered. The officers of the vessel would be selected +from this body, and I myself would act as captain. In this way the +causes which led to the failure of some of the previous expeditions +would be wanting. The professional sailors would be unable--in their +disinclination to face the difficulties of the island--to insist on +the adventurers abandoning the project. There would be no paid captain +to lay down the law to his employers. + +I knew that by the time we should reach Trinidad even those gentlemen +who had never been to sea before would have learnt a good deal, so +that in the case of our paid hands proving mutinous we could dispense +with them altogether. I was well aware that if I undertook such an +expedition with a paid crew of the ordinary type, far outnumbering the +gentlemen aft, the value of the treasure, if discovered, would not +improbably tempt them to murder their officers and employers and seize +it for themselves. With a majority of volunteers on board, each +entitled to a large share in the find, all risk of this description +would be avoided. + +I decided that our complement should be thirteen all told, consisting +of nine gentlemen-adventurers, myself included, and four paid hands. + +The following are extracts from some of the clauses of the agreement +which was entered into between myself and the volunteers:-- + +'Mr. E. F. Knight undertakes to provide a vessel, stores, etc., +suitable for the expedition, and to provide at least sufficient +provisions for the voyage out and home and six months besides. + +'Each member of the expedition will pay in advance to Mr. Knight +100_l._, and undertake to work both on board and on shore under +Mr. Knight's directions. This 100_l._ will be the extent of each +member's liability. + +'During the first six months from the time of landing on the island, +the enterprise can only be abandoned with the consent of Mr. Knight, +and on decision by vote of three-quarters of the members. After six +months have elapsed, a majority of three-quarters of the members will +determine whether the enterprise is to be continued or abandoned. + +'Each member, or, if he die in the course of the expedition, his legal +representative, will receive one-twentieth of the gross proceeds of +the venture. + +'If any member of the expedition mutiny or incite to mutiny, he shall +be tried by a court-martial of the other members of the expedition, +and, if it be decided by a majority of three-quarters that the offence +be sufficiently grave, he shall forfeit all share in the proceeds of +the expedition, subject to an appeal to the English Courts on his +return. + +'None of these rules apply to the paid hands on the vessel.' + + * * * * * + +The paid hands received good wages and were entitled to no share of +the treasure, though they, of course, knew well that, should our +search prove successful and their conduct have been satisfactory, they +would receive a substantial present. + +It would, of course, have been very pleasant for me to have selected +my volunteers from among my own friends, especially those who had been +at sea with me before; but this I found to be impossible, at any rate +at such short notice. I knew dozens of men who would have liked +nothing better than to have joined me, but all were engaged in some +profession or other which it would have been folly to have neglected +for so problematic a gain. The type of man who is willing to toil +hard, endure discomfort and peril, and abandon every luxury for nine +months on the remote chance of discovering treasure, and is, moreover, +willing to pay 100_l._ for the privileges of doing so, is not to be +found easily, either in the professional or wealthy classes. + +There are, doubtless, thousands of Englishmen willing to embark on a +venture of this description, but it is obvious that there is a +likelihood of a fair percentage of these volunteers being adventurers +in the unfavourable sense of the term--men anxious to get away from +England for reasons not creditable to themselves, men, too, of the +rolling-stone description and more or less worthless in a variety of +ways, and who would be more likely than the paid sailors to wax +discontented and foment mutiny. I realised that the selection of my +men should be made with great care. + +Of volunteers I had no lack. An article in the _St. James's +Gazette_ describing my project brought me applications to join from +something like 150 men. + +Some of the letters I received were great curiosities in their way, +and would cause much amusement could I publish them. I interviewed +some sixty of the applicants, and this was certainly far the most +arduous and difficult work connected with the undertaking, so far as I +was concerned. I shall never forget how weary I became of the +repetition to each fresh visitor of the conditions and object of the +voyage, and with what dread I looked forward to my visits to the +little club at which these interviews were held. + +All manner of men made appointments to meet me--the sanguine young +spirits eager for adventure, the cautious and suspicious who would not +risk their 100_l._ unless they were guaranteed a return of 50,000_l._ +or so. There were also those who wasted my time out of mere curiosity, +never having entertained any intention of joining me, and others who +hoped to pump enough information out of me to enable them to earn a +few guineas by writing an article for the newspapers. + +But the majority of my applicants were in earnest, and I will here +take the opportunity of expressing my regret if, in the midst of all +the hurry and worry of that time, I omitted to reply to some of my +correspondents. All the preparations for the voyage had to be carried +out in a very limited space of time, in order that we should get away +from England before the autumnal equinox; I was fitting out the vessel +and selecting gentlemen-adventurers simultaneously, constantly +travelling backwards and forwards between London and Southampton, and +by the time we were ready for sea I was pretty well worn out with +anxious work. + +One by one I selected my men, and those who saw them congratulated me +on having got together a most promising-looking crew. Some, it is +true, proved themselves to be quite unsuitable for the purpose; but at +the end of the expedition, when we were at Port of Spain, I had on +board seven men at least who were ready to go anywhere and do anything +with me, all of them more cheerful, fit, and capable in every respect +than they were on leaving Southampton. + +References were brought to me by each volunteer for the expedition. I +know how worthless references generally are, but never before did I so +strongly realize this fact. The most undesirable person can often +produce excellent testimonials from undoubtedly worthy people, who +have met him in London society, for instance, but who know absolutely +nothing of the true nature of the man, least of all of how he would +prove himself in such an undertaking as this was, when traits are +revealed that do not generally declare themselves in a drawing-room. + +The volunteer whom I made first mate turned out very badly. He was +afraid himself, and he did his best to scare the other gentlemen and +the paid hands. He came to the conclusion that the 'Alerte' was a bad +sea-boat, cranky, too heavily sparred, and generally too small and +unsafe to be entrusted with his valuable life. I found out afterwards +that a little conspiracy was hatching to compel me to sell the +'Alerte' in the Cape Verde Islands for what she would fetch, and +charter a large Yankee schooner. He endeavoured to disseminate +discontent behind my back and to undermine my authority, with the sole +result that he made himself detestable to his companions fore and aft, +and ultimately, having made the vessel too warm to hold him, packed up +his traps and deserted her at Bahia, without giving me any reason for +so doing. + +Not content to desert himself, he did his best to persuade others to +do likewise. He succeeded with one timid individual, who also went off +at Bahia--luckily for us, as we did not want him. There was yet a +third who had half a mind to desert with them, but who remained with +us, a discontented young man to the end. Being the one man of the sort +left on board, his opinions were a matter of indifference to us; but +he was the sole cause of those 'disagreements' of which he has since +complained in print, and I have no doubt made his own life +'disagreeable' enough. To do him justice, he was the ablest swimmer +and the best judge of blue china on board. + +I should not have alluded to our squabbles in this book had not the +men who caused them spread all manner of false reports on their +return, which have appeared in the newspapers and magazines. +Therefore, instead of treating the whole matter with the contempt it +deserves, I am justified, I think, in entering into this explanation +on behalf of myself and of my loyal companions who stuck to the +expedition to the end. + +Only one other of my companions aft voluntarily left me, a very good +fellow, who had undertaken a job the nature of which he had not fully +realised; for the sea, at any rate as viewed from a yacht, had such +terrors for him, and his health suffered to such an extent, that, +under our doctor's advice, he left us at St. Vincent. I believe that a +good deal of his nervousness was due to the insinuations of the first +mate's evil tongue. + +Having rid ourselves of these two people at Bahia, everything went on +much better, all work was done more promptly and smoothly, the old +friction disappeared, a cloud seemed to have been lifted from the +vessel, cheerfulness prevailed, and when we sailed to Trinidad and the +real business and difficulties commenced all was got through in a most +satisfactory fashion. + +Grumbling is the Englishman's privilege on land, still more so at sea, +where some growling is absolutely necessary to relieve the monotony of +ship-life; after leaving Bahia an unusually small amount of this +privilege was enjoyed on the 'Alerte.' + +As I was taking a fair number of paid hands with me, I did not +consider it necessary that all the gentlemen-adventurers should have a +knowledge of seamanship. Indeed, I believe that only the first mate +and the doctor had ever before handled a fore-and-after. However, most +of the others were willing, and soon learnt to take a trick at the +tiller and haul at a rope in a satisfactory manner. + +Some of the volunteers did not treat me quite fairly, for, after +deciding to join me and so causing me to refuse other eligible +candidates, they discovered at the very last moment that something +prevented them from going. This naturally put me to great +inconvenience, and obliged me to take others, to replace them, at the +shortest notice. Thus I had to ship my last two men the day before we +sailed. + +Remembering how interesting was the scenery of Trinidad, I had +intended to acquire some knowledge of photography and carry an +apparatus with me. But one of my volunteers professed to be an +excellent amateur photographer, and as he promised to take upon +himself that part of the work I relied upon him to do so and left it +to him. He was one of those who failed to turn up on the day of +sailing, and we had to put to sea, to my great regret afterwards, +without a camera. + +We were equally unfortunate with our taxidermist. One of the +volunteers had undertaken to take lessons in bird-skinning at my +suggestion; for I knew that Trinidad was the principal breeding place +for sea-birds in the South Atlantic, and that very rare specimens can +be collected there. He, too, never reached the desert island--more, I +must allow, on account of illness than through any fault of his own. +But it was very disappointing, for all that. + +For such a voyage as the one contemplated the presence of a surgeon +was advisable. A young doctor was therefore included among the +gentlemen-adventurers--Mr. Cloete-Smith, who also occupied the post of +mate after the desertion of the officers at Bahia. + +Of the four paid hands one, the boatswain, only accompanied us as far +as Teneriffe. + +Our cook, John Wright, had been with me on three previous voyages as +sole hand. One of our A.B.'s was Arthur Cotton, who, as a boy nine +years before, had been the only paid hand on the 'Falcon' when we +sailed from Southampton to South America. In the course of that voyage +he had visited Trinidad with me, and was now able to spin to his +shipmates long and more or less fantastic yarns concerning the place +we were bound to. The strange island had evidently made a great +impression on his imagination. Our other A.B. was Ted Milner, a lad +from the North Sea fishing-smacks. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +A ROMANCE OF THE SALVAGES. + + +The article in the _St. James's Gazette_ attracted a considerable +amount of attention, as was proved by the bewildering mass of +correspondence with reference to the expedition which I received +during the weeks preceding our departure. Many of these letters were +prompted evidently by mere curiosity, others contained suggestions--of +which some were sensible enough; a few, whimsical in the extreme. +Cranks wrote to me who professed to be acquainted with certain methods +for discovering treasure by means of divining rods, or charms, or +other uncanny tricks. Others had dreamt dreams, in which they had seen +the exact position of the wealth; but most curious of all were the +letters from individuals in all parts of Europe and America who were +acquainted with the existence of other treasures, which they proposed +I should search for in the course of my voyage. To have sought them +all would have meant to sail every navigable sea on the face of the +earth, and to have travelled into the heart of continents; in short, +to have undertaken a voyage which would have extended over a century +or so. To have found them all would have necessitated my chartering +all the merchant fleets of Europe to carry them home; and then gold +would have become a valueless drug on the markets, and my labours +would have been all in vain. + +One individual modestly asked for 1,000_l._ down before he would give +the slightest hint as to the nature of his treasure or its locality; +but, according to him, there could not be the slightest doubt as to +my finding it, and as one item alone of this pile consisted of ten +million pounds' worth of golden bars, it would be the height of folly +on my part not to send him a cheque for the comparatively ridiculous +sum of 1,000_l._ in return for such information. + +Some of these treasure tales were very terrible, and the most +bloodthirsty villains figured in the ghastly narratives. Among my +correspondence I have materials that would supply all our writers of +boys' stories for years. + +But in addition to the numerous impossible tales, there were some well +authenticated, and people who had taken an interest in these matters, +and had carefully collected their data, wrote to me concerning several +promising schemes. + +A few days before sailing, a retired naval officer residing in Exeter +came to see me at Southampton; he told me he had guessed that our +destination was the islet of Trinidad, and that he was acquainted with +the record of another treasure which had been concealed on a desert +island lying on our route, distant about 1,400 miles from Southampton +and 3,400 from Trinidad; and he thought it would be worth our while to +make a call there, and endeavour to identify the spot. + +An outline of this story is given in the 'North Atlantic Directory,' +but the following account was copied by my informant from the +Government documents relating to the matter. + +Early in 1813 the then Secretary of the Admiralty wrote to Sir Richard +Bickerton, the Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, instructing him to +let a seaman who had given information respecting a hidden treasure be +sent in the first King's ship likely to touch at Madeira, so that the +truth of his story might be put to the test. + +The 'Prometheus,' Captain Hercules Robinson, was then refitting at +Portsmouth, and to this officer was entrusted the carrying out of the +Admiralty orders. In his report Captain Robinson states that after +being introduced to the foreign seaman referred to in the above +letter, and reading the notes which had been taken of his information, +he charged him to tell no person what he knew or what was his +business, that he was to mess with the captain's coxswain, and that no +duty would be required of him. To this the man replied that that was +all he desired, that he was willing to give his time, and would ask no +remuneration if nothing resulted from his intelligence. + +A few days afterwards the ship sailed, and in a week anchored at +Funchal, Madeira. During the passage, Captain Robinson took occasion +to examine and cross-question the man, whose name was Christian +Cruise, and compare his verbal with his written testimony. + +The substance of both was that some years before he was sent to the +hospital in Santa Cruz, with yellow fever, with a Spanish sailor, who +had served for three or four voyages in the Danish merchant ship in +which Cruise was employed. He was in a raging fever, but, +notwithstanding, recovered. The Spaniard, though less violently ill, +sank under a gradual decay, in which medical aid was unavailing, and, +a few days before his death, told Cruise he had something to disclose +which troubled him, and accordingly made the following statement. + +He said that in 1804 he was returning in a Spanish ship from South +America to Cadiz, with a cargo of produce and about two millions of +dollars in chests, that when within a few days' sail of Cadiz they +boarded a neutral, who told them that their four galleons had been +taken by a squadron of English frigates, war having been declared, and +that a cordon of cruisers from Trafalgar to Cape Finisterre would make +it impossible for any vessel to reach Cadiz, or any other Spanish +port. What was to be done? Returning to South America was out of the +question, and the captain resolved to try back for the West Indies, +run for the north part of the Spanish Main or some neutral island, and +have a chance thus of saving at least the treasure with which he was +intrusted. The crew, who preferred the attempt of making Cadiz, were +all but in a state of mutiny. But they acquiesced in the proceeding, +and, keeping out of the probable track of cruisers, reached a few +degrees to the southward of Madeira, where they hoped to meet the +trade-winds. + +They had familiarised their minds to plans of resistance and outrage, +but had not the heart to carry them into effect, till, one daybreak, +they found themselves off a cluster of small uninhabited islands fifty +leagues to the southward of Madeira, and nearly in its longitude, the +name of which the narrator did not know. The central island, about +three miles round, was high, flat and green at top, but clearly +uninhabited; the temptation was irresistible: here was a place where +everything might be hidden; why run risks to avoid the English, in +order to benefit their captain and the owners? why not serve +themselves? The captain was accordingly knocked on the head, or +stabbed and carried below, and the ship hauled in to what appeared the +anchorage on the south side of the island. There they found a snug +little bay, in which they brought up, landed the chests of dollars, +and cut a deep trench in the white sand above high-water mark, and +buried the treasure and covered it over, and, some feet above the +chests, deposited in a box the body of their murdered captain. They +then put to sea, resolving to keep well to the southward, and try to +make the Spanish Main, or a neutral island, run the ship on shore and +set her on fire, agree on some plausible lie, and with the portion of +the money which they retained and carried on their persons they were +to purchase a small vessel, and, under English or other safe colours, +to revisit their hoard, and carry it off at once or in portions. In +time, they passed Tobago, and in their clumsy, ignorant navigation, +while it was blowing hard, ran on an uninhabited cay on which the ship +went to pieces, and only two lives were saved. These got to Santa Cruz +or St. Thomas, one died, and the other was the seaman who made the +statement to Christian Cruise. The name of the ship, the owners, the +port she sailed from, the exact date, or various other particulars by +which the truth might be discovered, were not told to Christian +Cruise, or not remembered. + +Captain Robinson gave at length, and in a quaint old-fashioned way, +his impressions as to the _bona fides_ of Cruise. He says:--'May +he not have some interested object in fabricating this story? Why did +he not tell it before? Is not the cold-blooded murder inconceivable +barbarity, and the burying the body over the treasure too dramatic and +buccaneer-like? or might not the Spaniard have lied from love of lying +and mystifying his simple shipmate, or might he not have been raving?' +Captain Robinson then thus satisfactorily replies to his own queries: +'As to the first difficulty, I had the strongest conviction of the +honesty of Christian Cruise, and I think I could hardly be grossly +deceived as to his character, and his disclaiming any reward unless +the discovery was made went to confirm my belief that he was an honest +man. And then, as to his withholding his information for four or five +years, be it remembered that the war with Denmark might truly have +shut him out from any possibility of intercourse with England. Next, +as to the wantonness and indifference with which the murder was +perpetrated: I am afraid there is no great improbability in this; with +self-interest in the scales, humanity is but as dust in the balance. I +have witnessed a disregard of human life in matters of promotion in +our service, etc., even among men of gentle blood, which makes the +conduct of these Spaniards under vehement temptation, and when they +could do as they pleased, sufficiently intelligible. But, certainly, +the coffin over the treasure looked somewhat theatrical, had given it +the air of Sadler's Wells or a novel, rather than matter of fact. I +inquired, therefore, from Christian why the body was thus buried, and +he replied that he understood the object was, that in case any person +should find the marks of their proceeding, and dig to discover what +they had been about, they might come to the body and go no further. +Then, as to the supposition of the Spaniard lying from mere +_mechancete_, this conduct would be utterly out of keeping in an +ignorant Spanish seaman. But, lastly, he might have been raving, and +on this point I was particular in my inquiries. Cruise said, +'Certainly not, he was quite clear in his mind; his conscience might +be troubled, but his head was not disturbed,' and it is conceivable +enough that this dying criminal might have been able to bring into +such correct review, as he was stated to have done, these portions of +his dark history. The result of my inquiries and cogitations on the +subject was, that the probability was strongly in favour of the +substantial truth of this romance of real life, that I considered +would be still further substantiated if the _locus in quo_, the +Salvages (for to them alone the latitude and longitude pointed), +corresponded with the account given of the tomb of the dollars.' + +Captain Robinson goes on to state that he inquired at Madeira whether +anything had ever been picked up at the Salvages, and was informed +that some years before the taffrail of a foreign ship had been found +there and two boxes of dollars. Being unable to obtain any precise +information, he then proceeded for the islands. On arriving off the +Great Salvage, they found it was about a league in circumference, flat +at top, and green with salsola or saltwort and other alcalescent +plants; and on hauling round the east point opened up a sandy bay with +white beach and the little level spot above high-water mark just as +they wanted to find it. Captain Robinson asked Christian, 'Will this +do?' and the man replied, 'No doubt, sir, it must be the place.' The +captain then sent for the officers, and, pledging them to secrecy that +others might not interfere with them, told them all the story, but +desired them to announce only half the truth to the men--namely, that +they were in search of a murdered man who was supposed to be buried +somewhere above high-water mark. Fifty or sixty of the ship's crew +were then landed, provided with all the shovels there were on board, +and boarding-pikes; and to encourage them they were told that the +discoverer of the coffin should have a reward of one hundred dollars. +Their embarrassment, however, was now extreme; the white sand extended +round the bay, and a large area intervened between the high-water and +the foot of the cliff, which a month would not turn up. They selected +the centre of the beach and went beyond high-water mark to where +Captain Robinson thought the breaking of the sea and the drainage +through the sand might terminate, and where a man would be likely to +drop his burden, and then they dug a deep hole, but with no greater +success than finding some broken shells and rounded pebbles. The men +in the meanwhile were probing with their boarding-pikes in all +directions, and digging in every promising spot. This went on for +several hours, and finally the captain abandoned the search and +ordered the boats on board, and, as night was approaching, and the +ship's situation unsafe, hoisted them in, weighed, and stood out of +the bay and shaped course for Madeira. On arriving at Funchal they +found other orders and occupation, and had no opportunity of +revisiting the spot before their return to England. Nor did the +Admiralty of the day, on receiving Captain Robinson's report, think it +worth while to prosecute the matter further. + +In conclusion, Captain Robinson remarks that, 'In favour of the +affirmative view, there is the apparent honesty, fairness, candour, +and clear-headedness of Christian Cruise, as well as the entire +correspondence of the place with that described; and opposed to this +are the many motives to falsehood, deceit, and self-interest in some +obscure shape, or even mere love of lying; or it may be the ravings of +lunacy and the wonderful plausibility of perverted reason. If I am +asked for my own opinion, I would say that my judgment leans, as I +have already declared, to the probability of some transaction having +taken place, so much so that I certainly think it worth the while of +any yachtsman to try what this might turn up.' + +My informant from Exeter told me that he had sailed by these islands +close in shore while he was serving in the navy, and he gave me an +account of their appearance. He said he had perceived men on the Great +Salvage, and understood that Portuguese or other fishermen visit the +island at one season of the year in order to catch and salt down the +fish that abound in the surrounding sea. He did not consider that +there was ever a large body of these men on the island, so that in the +event of our digging there and discovering the treasure, our party +would be strong enough, well armed as we were, to protect and carry it +off in spite of any opposition that might be offered. + +As my informant pointed out, one curious feature in this vague and not +very encouraging tale of hidden treasure was that the foreign seaman, +according to the report, stated that the chests of dollars were landed +on the middle island, whereas Captain Robinson prosecuted his search +on the Great Salvage, or northernmost island. + +The Salvages consist of three islands, of which the middle one, known +as the Great Piton, is the largest; and if the man's tale be true, it +is on this island that the treasure should be sought. + +It would not be worth while to fit out an expedition to the Salvages +on such evidence as this; 'but,' argued my informant, 'as you must +pass near the group with your vessel, it would not delay you much to +discover whether any bay answering to the man's description exists on +the south side of the Great Piton.' + +I told this gentleman that I would put the matter before my +companions, and that in case they agreed to this deviation from our +original scheme, we would, if possible, land on the Great Piton and +explore the likely portions of the sands for the chests of dollars. + +Seeing that the Salvages, adjacent as they are to both Madeira and the +Canaries, might belong to either Spain or Portugal--though I could +find no record of such being the case--I thought it prudent to keep +this portion of our programme a secret; for the publication of our +intentions in the papers might attract the attention of those who laid +claim to the islets and cause them to interfere with our operations. +Consequently, when we sailed only three men knew whither we were +bound, and I said nothing about the Salvages until we had been two +days at sea, when I repeated the whole story to my companions after +dinner. They were unanimously of opinion that we should visit the +island and see what could be done there. Our course was accordingly +shaped for it. We talked over the possibility of our finding foreign +fishermen on the Salvages, and some of my companions proposed that in +this case we should take charge of their boats for them during our +stay, so that they would have no means of communicating with their +countries and giving notice of our arrival. Having thus, as it were, +taken temporary possession of the island, we were to compel the +fishermen to dig for us at a reasonable rate of pay--a somewhat +high-handed proceeding, but the suggestion at any rate showed that +there were those among my crew who would not be deterred by small +difficulties, when impelled by the prospect of discovering gold. + +I was unable to take a bill of health for our first port of call, as I +did not myself know what it would be, our stoppages on the way out +entirely depending on our necessities, such as want of water or +repairs of any damage to the vessel. If it had been possible to have +done so I would have called at no inhabited place until the +termination of the expedition; but I was well aware that the lack of +something or other would sooner or later drive us into port. I +accordingly procured a bill of health for Sydney; not that I had the +slightest intention of going there, but I knew that this document +would satisfy the authorities of any place at which I was likely to +call for stores: every harbour on either side of the Atlantic can be +considered as being more or less on the way to Australia, and on +entering a port a vise of our bill of health would be all that was +necessary; for there is no law against zigzagging across the world to +one's destination in a leisurely fashion if one chooses to do so. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +OUR FIRST VOYAGE. + + +Our preparations were hurried on at Southampton, and I was never left +in peace, but was in a condition of perpetual work and travel, my sole +relaxation being the frequent farewell dinners given to myself and my +companions by our friends and sympathisers; and very jolly as these +dinners were, they were relaxations in the other sense of the term +rather than reposeful amusements for a weary man. Some of them were +arduous undertakings. + +Our expedition interested the Southampton people a good deal, and all +wished us well; but I do not think many thought that we should be +successful in realizing our fortunes on Trinidad. + +At last all was ready for our departure, when to my considerable +disgust, just as we were about to put to sea, two of the volunteers +suddenly found themselves prevented from going with us. + +I forthwith telegraphed to others on my list of applicants, and at the +very last moment received telegrams from two gentlemen who were +willing to join at this short notice. When their messages arrived, all +my crew and other companions were on board, comfortably settled down, +having bidden their farewells and done with the shore; so I thought it +prudent to send them away from Southampton, where the 'Alerte' was +perpetually surrounded by boatfuls of visitors, to the seclusion of +the little bay under Calshot Castle at the mouth of Southampton Water. +Here they would be out of the way of temptation, as there are no +buildings save the coastguard station. + +Therefore, on the evening of August 28, 1889, the 'Alerte' sailed +slowly down to Calshot, and came to an anchor there, while I waited at +Southampton until the following morning, with the object of securing +my new volunteers as soon as they should arrive, and carrying them +down to the yacht. + +The said volunteers turned up early on August 29. Then, with a party +of some of my old Southampton friends, we steamed down the river on a +launch which had been very kindly placed at our disposal for the +purpose by the Isle of Wight Steamboat Company. Mr. Picket, of course, +would have nothing to do with work in his yard on that day; he took a +holiday and came down to see the last of us. + +We were now all on board; but, finding that some of the fresh stores, +such as vegetables and bread, had not yet arrived, we postponed our +departure until the following day. In the meanwhile we were not idle; +we sent a boat to the Hamble River to fill up those breakers that had +been emptied, we got our whale-boat on deck and secured it, and, in +short, made all ready for sea. + +On the following day the Isle of Wight boat, while passing, left the +missing stores with us; then Mr. Picket's sloop sailed down with some +friends who had determined to bid us even yet another last farewell; +and, after dinner, we weighed anchor and were off, while the friends +on the sloop and the crew of a yacht which was brought up near us gave +us a hearty good-bye in British cheers. + +But our anchor had not yet had its last hold of English mud, and we +were not to lose sight of the Solent that day; for, in consequence of +some clumsiness, or possibly too much zeal on the part of those who +were catting the anchor, the bowsprit whisker on the starboard side +was doubled up; so we had to proceed to Cowes, and bring up there +while we sent the iron on shore to be put in the fire and straightened +again. However, this did not delay us much, for it fell a flat calm, +which lasted through the night; we were better off sleeping +comfortably at anchor than we should have been drifting helplessly up +and down with the tides. + +At 11 a.m. the next morning, it being high-water, we weighed anchor, +and were really off at last, the weather glorious and hot, but the +wind light and variable. + +For weeks, while we had been lying off Southampton, the weather had +been detestable--blusterous north-west winds, accompanied by heavy +rains, prevailing. But now, very opportunely for us, a complete change +set in just as we started, and it was evident that we were at the +commencement of a long spell of settled fine weather. I had +anticipated this luck; for I knew by experience that the last weeks of +August and the first weeks in September are the most favourable for a +voyage south across the bay, for then there generally comes a period +of moderate easterly winds and warm weather, which precedes the stormy +season of the equinox. Thus, when I sailed in the 'Falcon' at this +very time of the year, I was fortunate enough to carry a north-east +wind all the way from Southampton into the north-east trades, and I +was confident that we were destined to do something of the sort now; +nor was I disappointed. + +We got outside the Needles, and, the wind being light from west to +south-west, we tacked very slowly down Channel, always in sight of the +English coast, until nightfall, when the wind dropped altogether, and +we lay becalmed in sight of Portland lights. It was our first Saturday +night at sea (August 31), so we kept up the good old fashion of +drinking to our wives and sweethearts at eight o'clock. We never +neglected this sacred duty on any Saturday night during the whole +cruise. A light air from the east sprang up at night, but, though we +now had racing spinnaker and topsail on the vessel, we made little +progress, and it seemed as if we could not lose sight of the lights of +Portland. + +Throughout the following day--September 1--the same far too fine +weather continued, with light airs from various directions, +alternating with calms. But we did at last contrive to get out of +sight of land this day; Portland, to our delight, became invisible, +and we saw no more of the English coast. + +This calm weather was trying to the patience; but it was perhaps well +for us to have this experience at the commencement of the voyage; for +it enabled the raw hands to settle down to their work quickly, and +there was but little sea-sickness on board. + +At midday, September 2, we were off the chops of the Channel, a fresh +easterly wind that lasted some hours having carried us so far. Then +the wind fell again, and we sailed on in a very leisurely fashion +until the morning of September 5, when, being well in the middle of +the Bay of Biscay, the wind, which was from the south-east, began +gradually to freshen. First we were going five knots through the +water, then seven, and by midday we were travelling between eight and +nine. In the afternoon the wind increased to the force of a moderate +gale and the sea began to rise. During the night some rather high seas +rolled up after us occasionally, so that we had to bear away and run +before them, and only the old hands could be entrusted with the +tiller. We passed Finisterre on this night, but were too far off to +see the lights; and now we had done with the Bay of Biscay, which had +certainly treated the 'Alerte' with great consideration, and not shown +us any of its proverbial bad temper. The wind had gone down by midday +on the 6th, and the run for the previous twenty-four hours was found +to have been 158 miles. + +From this date we kept up a fair average speed; though our voyage +could not be termed a smart one, for there was scarcely a day on which +we were not retarded by several hours of calm. + +While going down Channel we had kept watch and watch in the usual sea +fashion, the first mate taking one watch and myself the other. But now +that we were out at sea, clear of all danger, it became unnecessary to +continue this somewhat wearisome four hours up and four hours down +system; so we divided ourselves into three watches, the second mate +taking the third watch. This gave the men an eight hours' rest below +at a stretch, instead of only four. As we had three paid hands in +addition to the cook, one of these was allotted to each watch. But +before reaching the South American coast the second mate resigned his +post, and we reverted to the watch-and-watch system again, which was +observed until the termination of the cruise. + +A good deal of useless form was kept up at this early stage of the +voyage. A log-slate was suspended in the saloon, and each officer as +he came below would write up a full account of all that had occurred +in his watch. The most uninteresting details were minutely +chronicled--only to be rubbed off the slate each midday, and I think +there was a little disappointment expressed because I would not copy +all these down in my log-book. Had I done so that log-book would have +been a dreadful volume to peruse. + +To us, however, the log-slate was a source of great amusement on +account of its utter fallaciousness. The patent log was, of course, +put overboard when we were making the land, but when we were out on +the ocean and no land was near us we naturally did not take the +trouble to do this, neither did we make use of the common log-ship or +keep a strict dead reckoning. But, despite this, the officer of a +watch would religiously jot down the exact number of knots and +furlongs he professed to have sailed during each of his four hours on +duty; he did not even try to guess the distance to the best of his +ability; he was fired with an ambition to show the best record for his +watch; so he would first scan the slate to see how many knots the +officer just relieved boasted to have accomplished, and then he would +unblushingly write down a slightly greater number of miles as the +result of his own watch, quite regardless of any fall in the wind or +other retarding cause. + +Thus: if five knots an hour had been made in one watch, five and a +quarter would probably be logged for the next, and five and a half for +the next. Sometimes there was a flat calm throughout a watch, and then +the ingenious officer, though he could not help himself and was +compelled to write himself down a zero before three of the hours, +would compensate for this by putting down a big number in front of +that hour during which he imagined that all the individuals of his +rival watches were fast asleep below, and would boldly assert in +explanation that just then he had been favoured with a strong squall +to help him along. + +No one put any confidence in this mendacious slate, which soon became +known on board as the 'Competition Log,' and inspired our wits with +many merry quips. The distance made in each twenty-four hours as +recorded by the Competition Log was about fifty per cent. greater than +that calculated from the observations of the sun. + +At last, on the morning of September 13, having been fourteen days at +sea, and having accomplished a voyage of something under fifteen +hundred miles, we knew that we were in the close vicinity of the +Salvages, and a sharp look-out for land was accordingly kept. We had +seen nothing but water round us since leaving Portland Bill, and all +on board were excited at the prospect of so soon discovering what +manner of place was this desert treasure-island of which we had been +talking so much. + +The Salvages lie between Madeira and the Canaries, being 160 miles +from the former and about 85 from Teneriffe. Vessels avoid their +vicinity, especially at night, on account of the dangerous shoals that +surround them. The description of the group in the 'North Atlantic +Memoir' is as follows:-- + +'The Salvages consist of an island named the Ilha Grande, or the Great +Salvage, a larger island named Great Piton, and a smaller one called +the Little Piton, together with several rocks. The Great Salvage lies +in lat. 30 deg. 8', long. 15 deg. 55'. It is of very irregular shape, and has +a number of rocks about it within the distance of a mile. It is much +intersected, and has several deep inlets, the most accessible of which +is on the east side. It is covered with bushes, amongst which the +thousands of sea-fowl make their nests. It is surrounded on all sides +with dangers, most of which show, but many require all caution in +approaching. + +'The Great Piton lies at the distance of 8-1/4 miles W.S.W. 3/4 W. +from Ilha Grande. This islet is 2-3/8 miles long, and has a hill or +peak near its centre. The Little Piton lies at a mile from the western +side of the former, and is three-quarters of a mile long; both are +comparatively narrow. These isles are seated upon and surrounded by +one dangerous rocky bank, which extends from the western side of the +little isle half a league to the westward.'... 'The southern part of +the Great Piton appears green, its northern part barren. It may be +seen 5 or 6 leagues off. The Little Piton is very flat, and is +connected to the south point of the greater one by a continued ledge +of rocks. The whole of the eastern side of the Great Piton is rocky +and dangerous.' + +A light north-east trade-wind was blowing, and we were running before +it at a fair rate through the smooth water, with topsail and racing +spinnaker set. It was a glorious morning, with but few clouds in the +sky, and those were of that fleecy, broken appearance that +characterises the regions of the trade-winds. + +At 8.30 a.m. the man on the look-out at the cross-trees sang +out:--'Land right ahead, sir!' Yes--no doubt about it--there it was, +still several leagues off, a faint blue hill of rugged form on the +horizon; we had made an excellent land-fall. While we were straining +our eyes to make out the features of our desert island, our attention +was attracted to a still nearer object which suddenly gleamed out +snowy white as the sun's rays fell on it, triangular in form and +appearing like a small chalk rock, but too far off to be clearly +distinguished. Gradually we approached this, and, after a little +doubt, it proved to be no rock, but a sailing vessel of some kind. +Then with the aid of the binoculars we made her out; she was a small +schooner of foreign rig, evidently hailing from the Canaries or +Madeiras, and she was sailing as we were, shaping a course direct for +the island. + +We had seen no vessel for several days, and the appearance of this +suspicious-looking craft caused some excitement on the 'Alerte.' We +called to mind the foreign fishermen who, according to rumour, +occasionally visit this uninhabited archipelago. Was this one of their +vessels? If so, there might be trouble ahead for us. + +We rapidly gained on the enemy, though we were engaged in a stern +chase. This adventure put my crew in lively spirits, and I think that +some of them began half to imagine themselves to be bold privateers of +the olden days, after a Spaniard or a Frenchman. + +Gradually we approached the Great Salvage, which, lying between us and +the Pitons, concealed the latter from our view. Its appearance was +very different from what we had expected. We had come to the +conclusion, I know not for what reason, that we should find an island +consisting for the most part of great sand-hills; but there was not +the smallest patch of sandy beach to be seen anywhere. Sheer from the +sea rose great rocks of volcanic formation, dark and rugged; and, +though we were still several miles off, we could perceive that the sea +was breaking heavily on every part of the weather coast, for we could +hear the booming of the rollers and see the frequent white flash of +the foam against the black cliff-sides. But above these precipices +towards the centre of the island there was a plateau, or rather an +undulating green down, with one steep green dome dominating all, +looking very fresh and pleasant to eyes that for two weeks had only +gazed at the monotonous plains of the sea. + +As I have already explained, my informant from Exeter was of opinion +that the 'Prometheus' people were wrong in digging on the shores of +the Great Salvage, and that the treasure had been concealed on the +Great Piton or middle island. We decided in the first place to come to +an anchor off the Great Salvage, and after having explored that +island, to sail for the Great Piton. + +According to the Admiralty charts there are two anchorages off the +Great Salvage, one in the East Bay and one in the South Bay. We +accordingly steered so as to coast down the east side of the island, +and thus open out both of these inlets. + +At midday we were not quite a league astern of the schooner. She was +close under the north point of the island, when suddenly she hauled +her wind and steered in a westerly direction, seemingly for the open +sea; so we came to the conclusion that our excitement had been +groundless, and that in all probability we should not be troubled by +inquisitive foreigners during our exploration of the Salvages. + +We soon found that it was necessary to exercise considerable caution +while approaching this island. Nearly two miles away from it there was +a shoal over which the sea was breaking heavily; we passed between +this and the island as directed by the chart, and kept close under the +shore, where the dark violet of the deep sea was changed for the +transparent green of comparatively shallow water. Here again we had to +pick our way through outlying rocks and shoals. One of these shoals is +particularly dangerous, for, as there is some depth of water over it, +the sea only occasionally breaks, and for a quarter of an hour at a +time there is nothing to indicate the danger, so that a vessel might, +through inadvertence, be taken right on to it. + +When we were close to it the sea happened to break, and the sight was +a lovely, yet a terrible one. A huge green roller, very high and +steep, suddenly rose as if by magic from the deep; then swept over the +shoal, and, when it reached the shallowest part, its crest hung over, +forming a cavern underneath, through whose transparent roof the sun +shone with a beautiful green light; and lastly, the mass overtopping +itself fell with a great hollow sound, and was dashed to pieces in a +whirl of hissing foam. Had the old 'Alerte' been there at that moment +her end would have come swiftly, and perhaps ours too. + +The chart seems to mark these rocks and breakers very correctly, and +there is small danger of falling a victim to them if proper +precautions are observed. Besides which, the water is so clear that +one can see through it many fathoms down, and a man in the cross-trees +with an eye experienced to the work could always detect a danger in +good time. + +We rounded the north-east point and opened East Bay. We did not like +the look of the anchorage here, which is in ten fathoms, and could see +no good landing nor any signs of a sandy beach; so we sailed on and +doubled the south-east point and the shoals that extend some way from +it, suddenly opening out South Bay, the one in which it seems that the +'Prometheus' came to an anchor. + +And then, to our astonishment, we beheld a very unexpected sight. +Rolling easily on the green ocean swell, at some three cables' length +from the shore, lay a small schooner at anchor; her crew--a +half-naked, bronzed, and savage-looking lot--were engaged in stowing +her mainsail. She was evidently the same schooner we had seen outside. +While we had been coasting round the east side of the island, she had +followed the west side, and here we had met again. But she was not the +only surprise in store for us. There were no sandy dunes in this bay; +its shores were steep and rocky, and on either side reefs, on which +the sea broke, protected the anchorage to some extent. At the head of +one picturesque cove, wherein was evidently the best landing-place, +were two small huts, put together of rough stones from the beach, and +from these a footpath wound up the bare volcanic cliffs to the green +plateau some four hundred feet above. A quantity of barrels were being +quickly landed here from one of the schooner's boats, and several +other wild-looking men were carrying these up to a cavern a little way +up the rocks behind the huts. The whole formed a wild and fantastic +picture. It was just such a scene as Salvator Rosa would have +delighted to paint, it would have suited the savage austerity of his +style. The rugged cove might well have been the haunt of smugglers or +pirates. And who, we wondered, were these people, and what were they +doing; these were mysterious proceedings for a desert island! The +evident labour of the men while carrying the barrels proved to us that +they were very heavy. 'Perhaps,' suggested one of us--'perhaps we have +just arrived at the right moment to interrupt another band of pirates +in the act of hiding another immense treasure.' + +This would have been almost too great a stroke for my band of +adventurers. It would have been very pleasant to have saved ourselves +all the trouble of digging, and to have simply carried off the +evilly-earned hoard of these wicked men and divided it among our +virtuous selves. We had sanguine men on board whom no failure +disheartened, despite their invariable habit of counting their +chickens before they were hatched; so I was not surprised to be now +asked by the sportsman of our party how long I thought it would +take us to get back to England. When I had replied, he evinced +great satisfaction. 'Oh, that is all right then!' he said. 'We can +get this stuff on board and be back home just in time for the +pheasant-shooting; and, after that, we can fit out again and fetch +our other treasures.' + +We came to an anchor in seven fathoms of water a short distance +outside the schooner. It was not the sort of roadstead I should like +to remain long in; for an iron-bound shore was before us, and around +were numerous shoals on which the rollers kept up a perpetual +hulla-balloo--a nasty trap to be caught in should the wind suddenly +veer to the southward. + +It was after one o'clock when we brought up, so we decided to go below +and dine before doing anything else, and the conversation at table +became more piratical in its tone than ever. After the details of how +we were to enrich ourselves despite all obstacles had been thoroughly +discussed, each of the adventurers explained in what way he would +spend his share of the booty; how it should be invested was, of +course, far too prosaic a matter for his consideration. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +ON THE SALVAGES. + + +As soon as dinner was over the whale-boat was put into the water, and +I pulled off to the landing-place with two of my companions. + +The men on shore were still employed in carrying the barrels up to the +cavern, but when we approached they ceased working, and stood gazing +at us, with a not unnatural curiosity. We found the landing-place to +be a queer one. A little channel clove the rocks for sixty or seventy +feet inland. This inlet was so narrow that there was scarce room +within it to work a boat with oars, and, as the ocean swell entered it +with sufficient force to render a collision with the rocks dangerous +for any boat, an ingenious arrangement had been placed there to +facilitate the landing. Just outside the entrance of the inlet a +barrel floated, which was moored to a big stone or anchor at the +bottom; a stout grass rope was attached to this barrel, and the other +end of it was made fast to a rock on shore at the head of the inlet. +By hauling along this rope, which was sufficiently taut for the +purpose, the boat was kept well in the centre of the channel, and all +risk of getting foul of the rocks on either side was avoided. At the +end of the inlet was a rocky shelf, on to which we jumped, having +first made our boat fast to the rope in such a way that she could not +bump against the shore. + +Then there came down to us a very brown and amiable-looking old +gentleman, whose dress consisted solely of a short, ragged shirt, +which had once, I think, been of a vivid green, but which had now been +toned down to a more aesthetic tint with age and dirt. He welcomed us +to the island by silently shaking each of us by the hand very +cordially. + +I addressed him in Spanish, but he shook his head and commenced to +speak in a language which I recognised as a Portuguese patois of some +description. But we soon contrived to understand each other fairly +well. He told me that he was the padron of the wild crew who stood +round listening to our conversation with grave faces--a sort of +governor of the islet, and chief owner of the barrels of wealth which +lay before us. He was also captain of the schooner. + +Then he beckoned us to follow him, and he led us into one of the stone +huts, the furniture of which consisted of barrels like those that were +being landed from the schooner, an open hogs-head of black grapes, and +a demijohn. The good old man pulled out a pannikin from between the +stones of the wall, and proceeded to serve out to each of us a tot of +excellent aguardiente from the demijohn. + +One of the half-naked men happened to be bringing another of the +mysterious barrels into the hut; so, without showing any impolite +curiosity, I contrived to hint that I should like to know what it +contained. The padron forthwith dipped the pannikin into a barrel that +had been already broached, and poured the contents into my hand. It +was, as I had expected, not pirate treasure, but coarse salt. + +Then he explained to me that he and his companions were natives of +Madeira, that they were in the habit of coming here with their +schooner at this season of the year, and that they made this bay their +headquarters for salting down the fish which they caught, but that for +the remainder of the year there were no human beings on these islands. +He further said that the Salvages were claimed by the Portuguese, and +not by the Spanish. On being asked whether there was any fresh water +on the island, he said there was a small fountain in a hollow on the +summit, and that all the water they used had to be brought down from +there in small breakers on the heads of his men. They were nimble +enough in scrambling down the cliffs under their burdens, as we saw +later on; but all Madeirans are excellent mountaineers. + +Then the padron, looking rather sly, inquired in his turn:--'What have +you Englishmen come here for? It is rare that vessels come by here.' + +'It is on our way to Teneriffe,' I replied, 'and as this is a pleasure +yacht we are not bound to time.' + +'Once before an Englishman came here. I thought you might have come +for the same reason as he.' + +'And why did he come?' + +'To look for hidden money.' + +This was very interesting, but we tried to assume a look of innocent +surprise, as if we had heard nothing of this before. + +'There is a great treasure hidden on this island somewhere,' he +continued, 'and the English know of it. Some years ago this milord +came with his yacht, a bigger one than yours, a steamer with three +masts, and they dug for the treasure. Oh! it is a great treasure, more +than a thousand English pounds they say; but the Englishmen did not +find it.' + +'Where did they dig?' I asked. + +'I do not know. I was not on the island at the time. It was several +years ago.' + +That was all he seemed to know; we could elicit no further information +on the subject from him; but it was evident that the 'Alerte' was not +the first yacht that had come to the Salvages in search of the hidden +chests of dollars. + +We then set forth to explore the island. We climbed the narrow path +that zigzagged up the bare cliffs, and in the construction of which a +considerable amount of labour must have been expended, a proof in +itself that the rare visitors to the island were Portuguese, for these +people alone take the trouble to make roads on desert islands. They +seem to love for its own sake the arduous work of cutting paths up +difficult precipices, and very cleverly they do it too. We came across +the remains of excellent Portuguese roads even among the apparently +inaccessible crags of Trinidad. + +We reached the green downs on the summit. The sky was cloudless and a +fresh breeze was blowing over the sea, so the tramp was very enjoyable +to us after the cramped life on board of a small vessel. + +On every portion of these downs we found walls roughly put together of +piled-up stones, which in some places formed long parallel lines, in +others square enclosures. The object of these had probably been to +prevent the soil from being washed into the sea; but whatever +cultivation had formerly been carried on here had evidently been +abandoned long since, in consequence, no doubt, of the insufficiency +of the water-supply. The fishermen appeared to be entirely ignorant of +the history of these old walls. In one place there were traces of an +ancient vineyard. Wherever the ground was not too stony a coarse grass +grew luxuriantly over the downs. There were also wild tomatoes in +profusion and alkaline sea plants of various species. + +We saw many rabbits dodging among the rocks, and gulls and cormorants +in quantities. The cormorants dwelt with their families in fine stone +houses which they had constructed with great ingenuity. Some of the +stones were large and heavy; it would be interesting to observe how +the birds set to work to move these and how they put their roofs on. I +have been told that they rake up a mound of stones with their powerful +wings in such a way that by removing some of those underneath they +leave the roof above them. The gulls are not such good architects as +the cormorants, and for the most part live in the natural crevices of +the rocks, or in holes which they steal from the rabbits. We, however, +saw one conscientious gull in the act of making his own house. He had +selected a large stone lying on soft soil, and was burrowing a deep +cavern underneath it. + +We walked round the downs, looking over the cliffs into every bay; but +we could see no extensive sandy beach such as that described by +Captain Robinson. There were small patches of sand here and there, and +that was all. The shore was formed of rock and shingle. It is probable +that many changes have taken place on this exposed islet since the +visit of the 'Prometheus'; the sands may have been washed away, and +there is no doubt that rocks and rocky landslips are constantly +falling from above. + +We saw clearly that it would be useless for us to dig in any of these +bays; for none of them corresponded with the description given by the +Spanish sailor; so we came to the conclusion that our search must be +undertaken, if anywhere, on the middle island and not on the Great +Salvage. + +When on the summit of the island we looked out towards the south for +the famous Peak of Teneriffe, which is said to be sometimes visible at +a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. We were not much more than +eighty miles from it here and the day was quite clear, but we could +see no signs of it; neither was it visible while we were on the Great +Piton, which is eight miles nearer. I have been at sea in the +neighbourhood of Teneriffe on several occasions, but have never yet +had a view of the great mountain, so either I am very unlucky or it +must be rare indeed that it is to be distinguished at anything like +the distance alleged. + +Having explored the islet, we proceeded to hunt rabbits. We had +brought no guns with us, so tried to kill them with stones, but failed +completely; we were all out of practice at this sort of sport. We then +descended the path to the huts, where the padron gave us a smiling +welcome, and, inviting us again into the hut, produced for our benefit +an unwonted luxury, a bottle of rough Madeira. We purchased some +grapes from him and a bottle of aguardiente, and, having bade farewell +to our Portuguese friends, we pulled off to the yacht and recounted +our adventures to the others. + +When we tasted the aguardiente we discovered that the monarch of the +desert island understood how to trade in quite a civilised fashion; it +was horrible stuff, not at all up to the excellent sample he had +treated us to on our landing. + +Shortly before sunset the schooner, having discharged all her salt, +weighed anchor and set sail for Madeira, leaving about six men behind +on the island. + +As some of my companions seemed rather keen on taking their guns on +shore and having a few hours' rabbit-shooting, I decided that the +yacht should remain at anchor where she was during the following +forenoon, so as to enable them to enjoy their sport and stock our +larder with fresh meat--a very acceptable luxury--while I would sail +with a few hands in the whale-boat at daybreak to the Great Piton, +effect a landing there if possible, and discover whether there was any +bay which answered to the Spanish sailor's description. In the +afternoon the yacht was to get under weigh, and rejoin me at the other +island. + +So at 4 o'clock the next morning, September 14, we had coffee, put +some provisions and two breakers of water into the boat, together with +a few picks and shovels, a compass and other necessaries, and then +sailed away. + +I left the first mate in charge of the yacht, having first arranged a +short code of signals with him, so that I could communicate from the +shore when the yacht appeared off the Great Piton. + +I took one of the signal code flags with me, which when flying from a +perpendicular staff was to signify 'All Right,' two waves of the flag +indicated that we were coming off to the yacht in the boat, four waves +was an order to the mate to send the dinghy off to us, and eight or +more waves meant that we had found a likely-looking place and that I +had decided to carry on digging operations. We were to indicate the +best anchorage by pointing the flag in the direction we wished the +yacht to be steered. + +It was still dark when we got under weigh in the whale-boat, so the +binnacle light was lit, and we shaped our course by compass towards +the still invisible island, which was about nine miles distant. + +I had with me the doctor, the second mate, and one of the paid +hands--Arthur Cotton. When we got clear of the protecting island we +found that a fresh wind was blowing nearly right aft; so we set the +two sprit-sails and ran fast across a tumbling sea, the Atlantic swell +looking formidable when our little boat was in the deep hollows +between the lofty crests. + +By-and-by a faint light appeared in the east, and a red, rather +stormy-looking dawn broadened across the dark sky. + +Shortly after sunrise, the mists clearing from the islet, we perceived +the Great Piton right ahead of us; but we only caught sight of it when +we were on the summits of the waves, losing it again when we were in +the deep valleys between. + +We scudded on, and as we approached nearer, the sea became more +confused and a little water tumbled on board occasionally. Outlying +rocks showed their black heads above the water here and there, while +curling breakers indicated the presence of other invisible dangers. + +We lowered our sails and inspected the island from a safe distance +before venturing to land; for if proper precautions are not exercised +it is a very easy matter to lose one's boat in a moment while beaching +on any of these small oceanic islets. + +We saw that the Great Piton was much lower than the Great Salvage, the +shore was rocky and indented, and there was a good deal of surf in +places. Above the shore was a green undulating plain, while towards +the middle of it rose a steep dome with dark rocks at the summit. + +The average height of the plain above the sea seemed to be about +twenty feet, and the central hill, according to the chart, is only 140 +feet high. We observed that there were sandy beaches in many of the +little coves, and some of these tallied well with the spot described +by the Spaniard. + +The Great Piton is a long narrow island extending from north-east to +south-west magnetic; therefore the whole side facing the south-east +could be accurately described as the south side. It was somewhere on +this shore that the mutineers must have landed with the chests. + +Picking our way through the outer shoals we made for what appeared to +be the best landing-place, a snug little cove at the eastern extremity +of this south side. Here we landed without any difficulty; but, +finding it impossible to haul our heavy boat up the beach, we moored +her safely in the bay and waded on shore with our stores. + +On a sandy slope above the rocks we found the ruined walls of a stone +hut. By placing our sails over these we made a snug little house. 'And +now,' cried our medical adviser, 'I suggest that, before doing +anything else, we have breakfast.' Our early morning sail on the ocean +had given us all a hearty appetite; so a fire was lit, cocoa made, and +the ship biscuits and tinned beef were duly appreciated. Then we +enjoyed our pipes, and leaving Arthur behind to make the camp as +comfortable as he could, we set forth to explore the island. Our first +discovery was that the corner on which we had landed became a separate +islet at high-water; for it was divided from the bulk of the Great +Piton by a broad depression, across which at about three-quarters +flood the sea rushed with a violent current. This depression was of +rock and lava, and it had been worn into a smooth and level floor by +the action of innumerable tides. At low water it was several feet +above the sea, so that one could then walk across dryshod. + +We walked along the whole southern shore of the island, and it +appeared to us that there were at least three coves to which the +Spaniard's description could apply equally well. We found no +inhabitants, but there were frequent signs of the Portuguese fishermen +who occasionally visit the islet. We saw many foot-prints on the +sands, showing that some men had been here very recently. We came +across their rough stone huts full of fleas, some of their +fishing-tackle, mounds of coarse salt, the ashes of their fires, and +in one cavern there were stored the large iron pots in which they +cooked their food. + +We found no rabbits on the island, and very few birds. The sole +creatures on shore were beetles, flies, and fleas. The latter lively +insects were a great plague to us at night; it was unwise of us to +pitch our camp in the hut of a Portuguese fisherman. On the beach were +great numbers of very active little crabs. There was no fresh water on +the island. + +We ascended the peak, which is named Hart Hill. Its top is formed of +rugged masses of coal-black rock, evidently of volcanic formation, and +this is studded with large black crystals, like plums in a +plum-pudding. These crystals attracted our attention at once. We +chipped off some and found them hard and heavy. We began to speculate +on the nature of this substance, and, as none of us knew much of +mineralogy, we of course at once decided, in our usual sanguine way, +that this must be an oxide of antimony, or manganese, or some other +valuable product. There were thousands of tons of this stuff on the +island, so we clearly saw our way to another vast fortune of a +different description to that we were seeking. It was settled that we +would obtain a concession from the Portuguese before the value of our +find leaked out, then we would sell our rights to an English company +or syndicate for an immense sum. We sat there on the top of our +crystalline treasure and arranged it all. 'It might be worth while,' +suggested one humdrum individual, 'in the first place to send a +specimen home to be assayed, so that we may form some approximate idea +of the extent of our fortunes; but we must send it to some person whom +we can rely upon not to breathe a word of the secret and so stop our +chances of making an advantageous bargain with the Portuguese.' + +Later on, when we reached Teneriffe, we did send some of the crystals +home, and when we arrived at Bahia we were informed by letter of the +result of the assay and of the exact market value per ton of the +stuff. + +But I will not keep any of my friends who may read this book in +suspense. They need not apply to me for an early allotment of shares +in the great syndicate. We have not made our fortunes just yet. I will +anticipate by giving the assayist's report. It ran thus:--'Volcanic +hornblende. Commercial value--nil.' + +But we did not waste much time in building our castles in the air, and +returned to business. + +Looking from the summit of our hornblende peak the whole island lay +stretched out before us like a map, and we could easily distinguish +all the features of the Little Piton, which seemed to be about two +miles away. On the Admiralty chart the coast and shoals of the Great +Salvage are correctly drawn; but this cannot be said of the plan of +the Great Piton: this is utterly unreliable. The survey does not +profess to be more than a superficial one, but great changes must have +occurred here since it was made. There are not wanting signs that the +sea has encroached a great deal on the land, and that it is still +doing so. In the first place the island is not three miles long, as +shown on the chart; its length cannot exceed one mile and a half. The +shores, again, are far more irregular in shape, the outer islands and +shoals more numerous, than the chart indicates. Perhaps these last +have been cut off the island by the sea since the survey. We perceived +that the sea was breaking all round the island on far projecting +promontories and shallow reefs; but, strangely enough, where the chart +does mark one well-defined continuous reef joining the Great Piton to +the Little Piton, there appeared to be a broad open channel of deep +water. + +We saw one likely-looking bay to the southward of our camp, so, while +we were waiting for the yacht, we three of us set to with our shovels, +and dug parallel trenches in the sand at right angles to the shore, +working upwards from a short distance above high-water mark. We did +not dig these trenches to a greater depth than three feet, for we then +came to a hard soil which to all appearance had never been disturbed. +We found it pretty hard work under that fiery subtropical sun, +unaccustomed as we were to the use of pick and shovel. + +In the afternoon the yacht appeared off the island; so we signalled to +her with the flag in the preconcerted manner: 'Come to an anchor.' 'We +will pass the night on shore.' And, whereas eight or more waves of the +flag were to signify that we had found a likely place for the hidden +treasure, we waved most energetically for quite two minutes--a +sanguine signal that must have led my companions on board to conclude +that we had at least discovered the first of the chests of dollars. + +The yacht came to an anchor off the bay at which we had first landed. +The mate came off to us in the dinghy, and I told him our plans and +instructed him to send other hands off to us in the morning, together +with all necessary stores. He then returned to the yacht, while we +passed the night in our hut in the company of the innumerable +sleepless fleas. + +Early on the following morning--September 15--the boat came off with +five more of my companions, which raised our shore-party to nine. + +We then shifted our camp from the torture hut of fleas to a sandy spot +further to the southward under Hart Hill, and here we pitched the two +emigrant tents which had been brought for Trinidad. The boat returned +to the yacht for the stores, and brought back to us all the picks, +shovels, and crowbars, a forty-gallon tank of water, and plenty of +provisions, including a savoury stew of Salvagee rabbits, for our +sportsmen had had good luck on the previous day. + +After the camp had been put in order the whole party set forth to +survey the southern shore, and each, having read the Spaniard's +narrative, gave his opinion as to the most likely spot. + +Then we arranged a methodical plan of action, and his portion of work +was allotted to each man. We dug trenches in parallel lines in some +places, in others we drew them in A shapes, gold prospector's fashion, +generally working in a sandy earth, but sometimes through shingle. + +The surface of the island has, no doubt, undergone many changes since +1804, the year in which it is alleged that the treasure was buried. It +was therefore often difficult to decide to what depth the trenches +should be dug; for we came to a hard, darker soil, which some of us +considered to be of ancient formation, undisturbed for centuries, +while others were of opinion that loose sand mixing with vegetable +matter could easily have consolidated into this in the course of +eighty years. When we had dug the trenches as far down as we intended +we sounded the earth to a still greater depth by driving in the +crowbars at short intervals. At one time some excitement was caused by +the discovery of bones, but our doctor pronounced them to be the bones +of a whale and not of a human being. + +By dinner time we had dug a goodly array of trenches; for we were +working energetically despite the burning sun. + +While we were enjoying an interval of rest after the midday meal and +smoking our pipes, I took those of the working-party who had not yet +seen the black crystals to the summit of Hart Hill, and asked their +opinion of the mineral. None of them had seen a rock of like formation +before, and they thought this might prove a valuable discovery. Our +sportsman took in the value of the hill at a glance. 'Well,' he said, +'I don't think so much of this as of the other treasures. However, it +may be worth a quarter of a million or so to us. I will put my share +of it on "X" for the Derby.' I may mention that the horse he selected +did not turn out to be this year's Derby winner. + +We worked steadily through the afternoon, also for the whole of the +next day, September 16. On this day the mate reported that the +remainder of our salt beef, some 400 pounds, was spoiled. It had, +accordingly, to be thrown overboard. + +It was just possible that the treasure had been hidden on the Little +Piton, and not on the island on which we were working. The Little +Piton might be described as the middle island, for it lies between the +Great Piton and another small islet or rock, apparently not marked in +the chart; while the Great Salvage is as often as not invisible from +here. + +So on the morning of September 17, leaving the other hands to continue +the trenches, I sailed in the whale-boat with two of my companions to +the Little Piton. We found that this islet also had a sandy down in +its centre; but after several trials we saw that it was impossible to +effect a landing on any part of it. There was no snug little cove, +such as the one described by Cruise. The sea was breaking in an ugly +way along the rocky coast, and the water round the islet was so +thickly studded with rocks and reefs that it was dangerous to approach +it. + +After inspecting the shore as closely as we dared we abandoned the +attempt, and, setting sail, hurried back to the Great Piton; for the +sky looked stormy to windward, and a heavy rain-squall came up which +for a time hid all land from our sight--not desirable weather for +cruising about the Atlantic in an open boat, for should a strong wind +rise we should be unable to make any way against it, and might easily +be blown away from the islets out to sea. + +We landed again safely on the Great Piton, and after digging for some +more hours, we sat together in council, and upon a little discussion +it was unanimously decided that it was not worth our while to carry on +any further operations on the Salvages. We had already dug hard for +four days and might easily dig for forty more without having explored +more than a small fraction of the sandy beaches on the south side of +the island. Besides this there existed a considerable doubt whether +this was the right island at all. The information was of far too vague +a nature, our chance of success far too remote, to encourage us to +stay longer. Moreover, the anchorage was a very unsafe one should it +come on to blow, and even now the glass was falling rapidly and the +sky looked ominous. + +I had originally intended to sail for St. Vincent in the Cape Verde +islands, and had indeed directed letters to be forwarded to us there; +but this island was still a thousand miles distant, and, seeing that +we had lost all our salt beef and had consumed a good deal of our +water--the digging on the island under the sun had, of course, +produced great thirst--it became almost necessary to call for +provisions at some nearer port than St. Vincent. + +I accordingly decided to sail for Santa Cruz on Teneriffe, which is +less than a day's sail from the Great Piton, if one have any luck in +one's winds. + +So we broke up our camp, struck the tents, carried everybody and +everything on board in two journeys of the boat, then got both boats +on board, and made all ready for sea. + +With the exception of the Salvages, I had before visited every place +at which we called with the 'Alerte'; and even the Salvages were not +entirely new to me, for I had seen them from the deck of the +steam-yacht 'Sans Peur' in 1885, when she was on her way from Madeira +to Teneriffe. + +This cruise consequently was not quite so fresh and interesting to me +as to my companions, and would have seemed almost a dull one had it +not been for the excitement of treasure-hunting. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +RUNNING DOWN THE TRADES. + + +At four in the afternoon we hoisted the sails and weighed the anchor. +I was at the helm at the time, and was very surprised at the +extraordinary manner in which the vessel now behaved. She seemed +bewitched; a nice breeze was blowing, her sails were full, and yet she +gathered no way on her, forged not a foot ahead, but remained where +she was, tumbling about uneasily on the long ground-swell. + +She was acting for all the world like an obstinate buckjumping horse. +Never before had the amiable old yawl evinced any signs of temper, and +this display grieved me very much, for I had thought better of her. + +This strange behaviour went on for quite a minute, when suddenly she +seemed to come to her senses, gave herself a shake, and with a quick +leap darted ahead and was rushing through the water in her usual +steady style. + +One of the crew now happened to look over the side, and called the +attention of the others to something that he saw dangling there. There +was a roar of laughter. The good old vessel had been cruelly wronged +by our suspicions; she was entirely innocent of obstinacy or temper of +any sort. Our purser alone was to blame for what had occurred. He was +a most energetic but unsuccessful fisherman, and had come on board at +Southampton well provided with fishing tackle of all descriptions; he +was prepared for every inhabitant of the deep, from the narwhal and +the whale to whelks and whitebait. So on this afternoon, while we were +getting ready for sea, he had been vainly attempting to catch sharks +with a bit of our condemned beef as bait, and had forgotten to take +his line on board when we got under weigh. The stout shark hook had +got hold of the rocks at the bottom and had securely anchored us by +the stern. The strong line held well, but something had to give way +before the increasing straining of the vessel as the wind filled her +sails; on hauling in the line we found that one arm of the hook had +broken off and so released us. + +At sunset the desert islets faded out of sight, and we sailed on +through the night across a smooth sea with a light westerly breeze on +our beam. + +That we failed to discover the treasure on the Salvages did not +dishearten my companions in the least. It is true that all had +realised beforehand how remote were our chances of success; still, it +was very encouraging to find that there was no grumbling or expression +of disappointment after those four days of hard digging in vain under +a hot sun: it argued well for the way in which these men would face +the far greater difficulties of Trinidad. + +On the following morning, September 18, we caught sight of the Peak of +Teneriffe, about twenty miles distant. We sailed past the north point +of the island, coasted by the volcanic mountains that, with their +barren inhospitable crags, give so little indication of the fertile +vales within, and came to an anchor at 2 p.m. off Santa Cruz. + +The Port doctor immediately came off to us, and was quite satisfied +with my bill of health for Sydney, and my explanation that we had +called here for provisions and water; so he gave us pratique without +demur. + +Then land-clothes were donned, and some of my companions went on shore +to enjoy the luxuries of civilisation once again. + +Santa Cruz is a pleasant little place, and seemed to me to have +improved a good deal since my last visit. The hotels at any rate are +far better than they were; I remember that it was once impossible to +get a decent meal in the town, but we were now quite satisfied with +the International Hotel in the Plaza. It is under English management, +and several of our countrymen and countrywomen were passing the winter +there. Some of my companions dined at this hotel every night during +our stay, and expressed themselves well contented with the table; like +all pirates, they were, of course, great gourmets while on shore and +knew the difference between good and bad. + +We remained a week at Santa Cruz, being delayed by a variety of +causes, so some of the party were enabled to travel over the island on +donkeys and see its peculiar scenery. + +A very sharp little ragged boy took a great fancy to the 'Alerte' +crew. He insisted on protecting the innocent foreigners and acting as +their cicerone when they walked about the town. He drove all other +beggars and loafers away from them, and even bullied the sentries when +they raised objections to a couple of my men trespassing on the +forbidden precincts of the citadel. This urchin was afraid of no one, +and was very intelligent; as few of us understood his Spanish, he +communicated all that he had to say by means of a most expressive +pantomime. It was grand to observe his apologetic manner when he took +us into the cathedral and showed us the flags that had been captured +from Nelson during his disastrous attack on Teneriffe in 1797. He +looked up into our faces with a solemn and sympathetic look. He would +not hurt our feelings for worlds. + +The ragged urchins of Santa Cruz are as like each other as so many +John Chinamen; so, when our own particular boy was not by, some other +would come to us with a welcoming smile and attempt to impersonate +him. Therefore, in order to distinguish our own from his pretenders, +we decorated him with an old brass button, which he wore proudly on +his breast. + +I will not attempt here a description of this so often described +island. In my opinion it must be a far pleasanter winter resort than +that somewhat melancholy island Madeira, where there is a depressing +sense of being imprisoned by the steep mountains. The mountains of +Teneriffe are still higher, but there are broad and beautiful plains +beneath them that give an idea of freedom and breathing-room. There +are excellent hotels in other portions of Teneriffe, and in the +neighbourhood of Santa Cruz there are many beautifully situated villas +and chateaux belonging to the native gentry that can be hired at very +moderate rates indeed, while provisions are good and cheap. + +The ship's complement was diminished by two at Santa Cruz, the +boatswain and one of the volunteers leaving us. + +Before sailing we took on board a large quantity of stores, including +barrels of salt beef which proved to be of a very inferior quality to +that we had brought from Southampton, but this was ancient, and, +having arrived at a certain stage of nastiness, was not likely to get +any worse. The paid hands quite approved of it, for it was at any rate +better than that served out on the majority of merchant vessels. We +also procured some very fair native wine, like a rough port, which, +mixed with water, formed a wholesome drink for the tropics. The high +temperature we experienced while crossing the equator nearly spoiled +this, so that we had to fortify it further with rum in order to +preserve it. On the last day of our stay we went to the excellent +fruit market, and laid in a good supply of grapes, bananas, and other +fruits and vegetables. We also purchased a quantity of the cheap +native cigars; so for a while we lived luxuriously on board ship. + +I would have sailed from here direct for Bahia, at which port--as +being the nearest to Trinidad--it was my intention to fill up with +water and other necessaries before commencing our chief operations; +but as letters were awaiting many of us at St. Vincent in the Cape +Verdes I decided to call at that island on the way. + +At 9 a.m., September 25, we weighed anchor and sailed to St. Vincent. +The distance is a little under 900 miles, which we accomplished in +seven days. + +For the first three days we encountered south to south-east winds, +with fine weather. On September 28 the wind veered to the north-east, +being thus right aft. As the boom of our racing spinnaker was a very +heavy spar and formed a considerable top weight while standing along +the mainmast in the usual way, we unshipped it from its gooseneck and +laid it on deck. + +We had now come into a region of strong trades. The wind was fresh and +squally and we ran through the night with the tack of our mainsail +triced well up and our mizzen stowed. + +On the following day, September 29, the glass was still falling, and +the sea running up astern of us was occasionally high and steep. There +were signs of worse weather coming, so we prepared for it by striking +the topmast, lowering our mainsail, and setting our trysail. The day's +run was 174 miles. + +The glass had given us a false alarm after all; for on the following +day the wind moderated, and we were enabled to hoist our large balloon +foresail; but a heavy sea was still rolling up from the north-east. It +was evident that a gale had been recently blowing over the disturbed +tract of ocean which we were now crossing. + +The Cape Verde islands are frequently enveloped in clouds, so that +they cannot be distinguished until one is quite close to them. This +had been my former experience and the same thing occurred now. In the +night of October 1, we knew that we were in the vicinity of the island +of St. Antonio, the northernmost of the archipelago, but right ahead +of us there stretched a great bank of cloud, concealing everything +behind. At last, however, a squall partly cleared the rolling vapour +and we perceived, a few miles distant, the black mountainous mass of +the island, whose volcanic peaks rise to a height of upwards of 7,000 +feet above the sea. Then the bright flash from the light-house on Bull +Point became visible. + +The islands of St. Vincent and St. Antonio are separated from each +other by a channel two leagues broad, so I decided to heave to in +sight of the St. Antonio light until daybreak. + +We got under weigh again at dawn, October 2, and in a few hours were +lying at anchor in Porto Grande Bay, St. Vincent. This desolate +island, which is an important coaling station and nothing else, +inhabited by a robust but ruffianly race of negroes, has been often +described; a mere cinder-heap, arid, bare of verdure, almost destitute +of water, it is the most dreary, inhospitable-looking place I know, +and the volcanic soil seems to soak in the rays of the tropical sun +and convert it into a veritable oven at times. But the dismalness of +nature is atoned for by the cheeriness and hospitality of one section +of the population. For the white community here is almost entirely +composed of Englishmen, the staff of the Anglo-Brazilian Telegraph +Company--of which this is a very important station--and the employes +of the two British coal-kings of the island. Though there had sprung +up a new generation of these young fellows since I had visited the +island in the 'Falcon,' yet I met several old friends whose +acquaintance I had then made. + +Porto Grande, miserable place as it still is, had improved a good deal +since I had seen it last. There are hotels here now of a sort, and at +one of these on the beach, kept by a pleasant Italian and his +Provencal wife, we found it possible to lunch and dine very decently. +I notice that I have a tendency in this book to speak of little else +save the gastronomic possibilities of the ports I called at in the +course of the voyage. But I had visited and described all these places +before, and that is some excuse, for the sights were not new to me, +whereas a good dinner seems always to have the freshness of novelty. +This may sound disgustingly greedy to a sedentary and dyspeptic +person; but may I ask whether every sound Britisher does not look upon +the quality of his food as one of his most important considerations +during his travels abroad. How natural, then, was it that seafarers +like ourselves, who were seldom in port and whose diet for months +consisted chiefly of tough salt junk and weevily biscuit, should be +more vividly impressed by a luxurious meal on shore than by all the +lions of these foreign lands. + +Here one of the volunteers, our poor old purser, generally known on +board as the bellman, left us, and returned to England. The state of +his health rendered it unwise for him to proceed further on a voyage +of this description. + +Suspecting that I might lose others of my crew, I looked round Porto +Grande for two fresh paid hands. This is a very bad place to pick up +sailors in, but I was lucky in my search. I shipped two young coloured +men from the West Indies--one a native of St. Kitt's and, therefore, +an English subject, and the other a Dutchman, hailing from St. +Eustatius. These two negroes, whose names were respectively John +Joseph Marshall and George Theodosius Spanner, had been loafing about +Porto Grande for some time in search of a vessel. The poor fellows had +been jumped from a Yankee whaler that had called here. + +'Jumping,' I may explain, for the benefit of those who do not know the +term, is the process by which an unprincipled skipper obtains a crew +for nothing. It is done in this way. Hands are shipped, say for a +whaling voyage. In time, long arrears of pay are due to the men, as +also are their shares in the results of the fishery. But the period +for which they have signed articles has not yet been completed, and so +they are at the captain's mercy for some time to come. This tyrant, +therefore, proceeds to ill-treat them to such an extent that, as soon +as a port is reached, they escape on shore and desert the vessel, +thereby forfeiting all claim to the money due to them. Thereupon the +skipper pockets the earnings of his men, and sails away with a fresh +crew, with whom he repeats the process. Some whaling captains are +great adepts at jumping, and will even sometimes bully the entire crew +into desertion. But those who are not masters of the art dare not risk +this, but content themselves with selecting a few hands only, +generally those who are weak or unpopular in the forecastle, as +victims for their brutality. + +John Joseph and Theodosius, as being innocent West Indian blacks, had +been the victims of this particular skipper, and nine months' pay was +due to them when they deserted. John Joseph shipped with us as cook, +Wright being now rated as A.B., while Theodosius served before the +mast. They both proved to be excellent fellows. + +We found fresh provisions very scarce and dear at Porto Grande. As a +rule, tropical fruits and vegetables are plentiful and cheap here, for +though St. Vincent is barren, the inner valleys of the neighbouring +island of St. Antonio are extremely fertile, and provisions of all +sorts, and even fresh water, are brought over from it in the native +boats. But small-pox happened now to be very prevalent among the negro +population of St. Antonio, so that the island was strictly +quarantined, and St. Vincent was cut off from its usual source of +supplies. + +Our racing spinnaker and its boom had proved to be rather large and +unmanageable for the purposes of an ocean voyage; but our balloon +foresail was of about the right size for a cruising spinnaker. I +accordingly had a small boom made for it here, and it was invariably +used for the future in place of the unwieldy racing sail. + +From St. Vincent we sailed across the Atlantic to Bahia in Brazil. I +had followed exactly the same route with the 'Falcon,' and found the +voyage a tedious one; for, on leaving the region of the north-east +trades, a vessel encounters the squally and rainy south-west African +monsoons, blowing right in her teeth; and, when these are passed, +there lies before one the broad belt of the equatorial doldrums, a +region of steaming, debilitating calms, that divides the north-east +from the south-east trades. + +Under the impression that the log of a small vessel that had made this +uncomfortable passage might be of interest to yachting men, I +described this portion of the 'Falcon's' voyage in my book with more +minuteness than usual, with the result that one reviewer characterised +the perusal of that particular chapter as being 'like eating sawdust.' +I will profit by this warning, and spare my readers too much log of +calms and squalls, doldrums and monsoons, and treat them to as little +sawdust as possible. + +With the 'Falcon' we accomplished the voyage from St. Vincent to Bahia +in twenty-two days; but with the 'Alerte' we were twenty-six days +doing this, for we were not so lucky in our weather, and were delayed +by a much longer spell of calms on the line than we had experienced in +the 'Falcon.' + +We weighed anchor in the afternoon of October 9, and got out of the +harbour under all plain sail. For the first four days we did very +well; the wind was south-east and the sea moderate, so that at midday +of October 13 we were well on our way, being in latitude 2 deg. 25' north +and longitude 28 deg. 52' west. + +But now our troubles commenced. With a squall the wind shifted to the +south-west, and we knew that we had reached the dreaded monsoon +region. The log was now a record for days of what sailors call dusty +weather, and I fear that the reading of it would prove 'sawdusty' in +the extreme. The south-west monsoon is accompanied by violent +thunderstorms, rain, and squalls, and the sea in this portion of the +ocean is perpetually confused, so that a vessel turning to windward +can make but little progress. Then we came into the abominable region +of calms, where we rolled helplessly on the smooth, long swell, while +our ropes and sails chafed themselves away with idleness, suffering +more wear and tear than they would in a week of gales. Ours was indeed +a very unpleasant experience of the doldrums. For some days we made no +progress whatever, not even an occasional squall coming down to help +us along for a mile or so. In two weeks we only travelled 400 miles, +and we did not cross the equator until October 27. + +We saw few vessels on this voyage. We spoke two: the French mail +steamer 'Parana,' homeward-bound, and the British ship 'Merioneth,' of +Liverpool, bound south. + +We were not only unlucky with our winds but also with our fishing. +While crossing this sea on the 'Falcon' we had caught quantities of +dolphins, thrashers, and kingfish; but on this voyage we caught +nothing until we had sighted Fernando Noronha, when we did manage to +secure a barracouta and a kingfish. + +While rolling about helplessly in the dreary doldrums in the +atmosphere of a Turkish bath, there was nothing to interest us save +the sunrises and sunsets over the monotonous, oily-looking sea. And +these for several days in succession were more magnificent than I +think I have ever seen before. Sometimes the whole heaven seemed +ablaze with flames, and at other times sharply-defined, black, opaque +masses of cloud stood out in strange contrast to a background of +brilliant and transparent colour, and behind the nearer atmosphere one +caught glimpses of vast spreads of the most delicate and tender tints, +pink, green, blue, and creamy white, looking like a glorious placid +ocean of light infinitely far away, studded with ever-changing fairy +islands. With the exercise of a very little imagination one could +distinguish on that wonderful equatorial sky oceans and continents, +mountains of snow and glowing volcanoes, and immense plains of +indescribable beauty. + +One of the characteristics of the atmosphere of the doldrums is the +opaque appearance of the lower banks of clouds. At night they often +look like solid black walls close to one; so much so that I was twice +called up by our absurd second mate, who had been terrified by the +sudden discovery that a large, hitherto unknown island was just under +our lee. + +We fell in with the south-east trades when we were but two degrees +north of the equator; but it was not until we had crossed the line +that we were able to record anything like a good run each midday. We +were then sailing full and by, on the port tack, and the trades were +so high that for three days we were under two reefed mainsail and +reefed foresail, the vessel occasionally plunging her bows into the +short seas. + +At dawn on October 29 we sighted the island of Fernando Noronha on the +port bow, and at midday we were close under it. This island, which is +about six miles long, presents a beautiful appearance from the sea, +with its lofty pinnacles of bare rock towering above the dense green +vegetation that covers the hill-sides. Fernando Noronha is used as a +penal settlement by the Brazilians, and is commanded by a major who +has a hundred black troops under him. There are about 1,500 convicts +on the island, chiefly blacks and mulattoes; but there is or recently +was, one Englishman among them. It is almost impossible for a prisoner +to escape, for there are no boats on the island, and the regulations +about landing are very strict; indeed, I believe that no foreign +vessel is allowed to hold any communication with the shore, unless in +want of water, or other urgent necessity. + +On the morning of October 31 we sighted the Brazilian coast near +Pernambuco--a long stretch of golden sands beaten by the surf, fringed +with waving cocoa-nuts, behind which, far inland, were swelling ranges +of forest-clad mountains. + +It was a beautiful and very tropical-looking shore, familiar to me, +for I had sailed by it on several previous occasions. + +We now followed the coast for upwards of 400 miles, observing a +distance of five miles off it, so as to be clear of the outlying coral +reefs. We passed many of the native fishing catamarans manned by naked +negroes, quaint rafts with triangular sails and decks that were under +water with every wave. + +For three days we coasted along this beautiful land with a favouring +wind. On Saturday night, November 2, we opened out the entrance of the +Reconcavo or Gulf of Bahia, and, sailing up, we let go our anchor at +midnight off the city of Bahia, close under Fort la Mar, where I had +anchored in the 'Falcon.' + +All my companions were amazed at the beautiful appearance of the city +as seen from the sea by night. The churches and houses of the upper +town gleaming like white marble in the moonlight, with lofty cabbage +palms and rank tropical vegetation growing between, the long lines of +well-lit streets extending for miles round the bay, gave them an idea +of the magnificence of Bahia that a walk through the dirty streets by +daylight on the morrow did much to modify. The old Portuguese city is +picturesque but scarcely magnificent. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +BAHIA. + + +All hands turned out early on the morning after our arrival anxious +for shore leave, so that they might inspect the city that rose before +them so majestically from the edge of the green water. Now could they +realise better than by night what a magnificent harbour is this +Reconcavo--an extensive inland sea 100 miles in circumference, into +which several large rivers pour their waters, surrounded by a country +of prodigal fertility, and studded with beautiful islands! + +The town was merry as usual with a sound of bells, crackers, and +rockets. These are never silent in Bahia. It is a most religious city. +It is called Bahia de Todos os Santos, the Bay of All Saints, and +every day of the year is the saint's day of some parish or street or +even family, and it has to be celebrated by fireworks, which, +according to the custom of the country, are let off by day quite as +much as by night. If there happened a sudden cessation of this noise +of bells, crackers, and rockets, I believe the inhabitants would run +out of their houses in consternation, under the impression that an +earthquake or a revolution had come upon them. + +The Bahian custom-house is not open on Sundays; but the authorities +were good enough to break through their rule, and, coming off to us in +their launch at an early hour, gave us pratique. They also gave us +permission to land with our boats at the arsenal, and to put off from +it at any hour of the day or night. This important privilege is +granted as a matter of courtesy to every foreign man-of-war and yacht. +On the other hand, very inconvenient restrictions are placed on +merchantmen, originally, I believe, for the purpose of preventing +slaves from escaping on board foreign vessels. Slavery has been +abolished quite recently, but the old rules still remain in force. No +one may leave or board a merchantman after 8 p.m., and any one who is +not on the ship's articles cannot do so even in the daytime without a +special permit from the custom-house. We were free to do what we +pleased during our stay, but I observed that the custom-house boats +hovered round the 'Alerte' a good deal at night, and that a sharp +watch was evidently kept on us. All manual labour is left to the +negroes in the Brazils, and a yacht manned for the most part with +volunteer milords instead of paid hands must have appeared to the +natives an incomprehensible, and consequently a highly suspicious, +phenomenon. + +Even before we had obtained pratique the energetic ship-chandlers were +off to us in their boats, soliciting our custom by shouting to us from +a distance. Pratique granted, they closed in upon us. There is a +tremendous competition between these gentry at Bahia, as I had +discovered while here in the 'Falcon.' But I was soon recognised, and +then all retired from the field save two, between whom the competition +waxed most furiously. It seemed that my old ship-chandling firm had +split itself into two houses, so the two ex-partners and now bitter +rivals boarded the 'Alerte,' and each claimed me as his own lawful +prey. + +This was embarrassing, for I had been satisfied with both when they +were as one at the time of the 'Falcon's' visit; but, as a single +ship-chandler at a time is quite enough, I had to make an invidious +choice between my old friends. One was an Englishman, the other a +Brazilian; so I thought it right to surrender myself into the hands of +a fellow-countryman, Mr. Wilson, who carried us off in triumph in his +boat as soon as we had donned our shore-going clothes. + +We landed at the Praya, the ancient and dirty stone quay which +stretches along the shore for four miles, a spot of great commercial +activity. Here are the great ware-houses whence the coffee, sugar, +tobacco, cotton, logwood, and the other produce of this rich tropical +land, are shipped to every quarter of the globe. Here, too, are +markets of strange fruits and vegetables, and a bazaar where one can +buy gorgeous or voluble parrots, baboons and monkeys of many species, +pumas and jaguars too, and indeed specimens of nearly all the wild +beasts of South America. Grog shops, where poisonous white rum is sold +to British seamen, are frequent. Along the quay are ranged the quaint +native lighters with their half-naked ebon crews. A jostling, +jabbering crowd of negroes and negresses with gaudy robes and turbans +throngs the Praya, and when one first lands one is oppressed by a +bewildering sense of confusion--a flashing of bright colours--a din of +negroes, parrots, and monkeys--a compound smell of pineapples and +other fruit, of molasses, Africans, bilgewater, tar, filth too of +every description; not a monotonous smell, however, but ever varying, +now a whiff of hot air sweet with spice, then an odour that might well +be the breath of Yellow Jack himself. + +There was no yellow fever at the time in Bahia, though it had been +rather severe at Rio not long before. We repaired to the +ship-chandler's, saw the latest papers and heard all the news. I found +that Brazilian politics formed the chief topic of conversation. A +stranger visiting this country ten years back would have almost +imagined that this was a happy land in which politics were unknown, so +little did he hear of them. Now all was changed. Everybody was +complaining of the stagnation of business. The Creoles were irritated +at the recent abolition of slavery--a measure which, according to +them, would ruin the country, but which, in the opinion of some was +rendered necessary by the determined resistance of the large bands of +fugitive slaves in the southern provinces. The troops were unable to +put them down, their success had brought the country to the verge of a +general servile insurrection, so that it became merely a question +whether the Government should submit quietly to their demands at once +or be compelled to do so later on after much bloodshed. I do not think +the revolution that took place a few days later was altogether +unexpected. There were rumours of it in the air and an uneasy feeling +existed among the mercantile classes. + +This was my third visit to this port, so I had, of course, plenty of +friends in the city. These soon found me out, and I noticed that, +despite the supposed unhealthiness of Bahia, none of them looked much +the worse for the eight years they had spent here since I had seen +them last. There can be no doubt that Brazil enjoys a very healthy +climate considering its position within the tropics. + +We were elected honorary members of the English Club during our stay +at Bahia, and there we found that the object of our voyage had been +much discussed. The English papers had advertised us somewhat too +well, and though the name of the island we were bound for was not +exactly mentioned, my Bahian friends had formed more than a suspicion +as to our destination. They, of course, knew that I had visited +Trinidad before, and they also were aware that treasure was supposed +to be concealed there, for the American adventurer called here after +the unsuccessful search to which I have alluded. + +'Tell me,' said Mr. Wilson, with a smile, when he got me alone, 'tell +me in confidence. Are you not going to Trinidad again from here?' + +When I had replied in the affirmative, he said, 'Three years after you +sailed from here with the 'Falcon' an American came into my office. He +had just come from Trinidad, and was very reserved about it. But two +of the crew told me that they had been on shore digging for three +days, they did not know what for, but they supposed the captain had +some information about hidden treasure. At any rate they found +nothing, and while he was at Bahia, the captain seemed to be very +disappointed and would speak of his adventures to no one.' + +This tallied exactly with the letter of the Danish captain which I +have already quoted. It was not altogether agreeable to us to find +that our plans were so generally canvassed, for we knew that the +Portuguese had laid claim to Trinidad something like two hundred years +ago, and it was possible that the Brazilians, as successors to the +Portuguese in this quarter of the globe, might consider the island as +their own, and assert their right to any valuables we might find upon +it. I need scarcely say that I had made up my mind, should we find the +treasure, to sail directly to some British port. I would not trust +myself in any country of the Spanish or Portuguese; for once in their +clutches we should in all probability lose all the results of our +labour. The Roman Catholic Church of Spain or Lima might, with a fair +show of right, demand the treasure as her own; so might the +Governments of Peru, Chile, Brazil, Spain, or Portugal. But if we +could once secure it, get it safely home, and divide it, it would be +exceedingly difficult for any one to establish a better right to it +than we could--for should we not have the right of possession, with +nine-tenths of the law on our side? + +Bahia is a dull place, but it is an interesting old city, and contains +some very picturesque streets, especially those which connect the +upper and the lower town, and which wind, in flights of stone steps, +up a precipitous wall of rock 240 feet in height. This cliff, despite +its steepness, is green with bananas, palms, and other tropical +plants, which fill up all the space between the ancient stone houses +and tortuous alleys, producing a very pleasing effect from the sea. + +The old Dutch and Portuguese houses are very solidly built of stone, +and among them are some of the most ancient buildings of the New +World. The Fort la Mar, under which we were anchored, is a picturesque +fortress constructed by the Dutch 400 years ago on a rocky islet in +the harbour. The cathedral and some other of the ecclesiastical +buildings in the upper town are built of marble that was brought from +Europe. In the olden days--and to some extent this is the case even +now--everything needed by the Spanish and Portuguese colonists of the +New World, with the exception of gold and jewels, was imported to them +from the mother-countries. Thus there are cities in the heart of South +America which have quarries of marble in their immediate vicinity, and +whose churches are, notwithstanding, built of marble blocks carried +from Europe by sea and land at tremendous cost. With its vast arable +lands, that might supply the granaries of the world, the River Plate +district, until quite recently, depended on foreign countries for its +supplies of grain. The old theory of the Conquistadores, that it was +beneath their dignity to perform any labour save that of extracting +gold from the country and its natives, seems never to have been quite +eradicated from the Creole mind. + +I could see few changes in Bahia since my last visit. It seemed the +same busy, dirty, old place. A new broad carriage-road had been +carried up the cliff, and this, together with the hydraulic lift which +connects the lower with the upper town, has certainly diminished the +number of sedan chairs. Once these were a quaint feature in a Bahian +street scene. They are almost of the same model as those in use in +London 200 years ago, and are carried by stout negroes. Now they are +only employed by Creole ladies of the old school, who do not care to +sit in the trams by the side of their late slaves. + +The crew of the 'Alerte' had now the opportunity of relaxing +themselves a little before sailing away for the scene of their real +work. Some made expeditions up the rivers into the beautiful country +that surrounds Bahia, and the frequent race-meetings afforded +amusement to others. I believe we were lucky, on the whole, while +matching ourselves against the local bookmaker, and realised a few +thousands--not of pounds, but reis, of which a thousand are equivalent +to two shillings. + +Our first and second mate left us after we had been a few days at +Bahia, packing up their traps and getting ashore before they ventured +to announce their intention. From this date things went smoother with +us. The cause of all the mischief on board had departed. There was an +alacrity and cheerfulness fore and aft that had been wanting so far. +Now when reefing or other work had to be done it was accomplished by a +third of the number of hands, in one-third of the time, and with none +of the fuss that seemed to be necessary before. I do not go so far as +to say that a sort of millennium came to the 'Alerte'--there was +still, of course, occasional discord, but on what vessel are there not +rows and growlings? It can be safely asserted, however, that from the +time we left Bahia the 'Alerte' was far freer than the average +foreign-going vessel from troubles of this description; and this is +very creditable seeing that our crew was so unusually constituted, +half of the men being paying, instead of paid, hands, and, therefore, +possibly inclined to imagine that they had a right to more voice in +the management of things than was quite feasible. + +The crew of the 'Alerte' now consisted of ten all told:--Dr. +Cloete-Smith, Mr. Pollock, Mr. Powell, Mr. Pursell, and myself aft; +Ted Milner, John Wright, Arthur Cotton, and the two coloured men +forward. Of the nine volunteers who sailed from England five thus +remained. + +None of the gentlemen above mentioned had any practical knowledge of +the sea when we left Southampton; but they picked up a good deal in +the course of the voyage to Bahia, and now set to with a will to learn +more. I was the only navigator on board when we sailed from Bahia, but +before the cruise was over everybody aft could take his observations +of the sun and work out his latitude and longitude. I now appointed +Dr. Cloete-Smith as my mate, he to take the port watch and myself the +starboard. Mr. Pollock and Mr. Pursell undertook the posts of purser +and carpenter. + +We laid in a quantity of provisions at Bahia; these, in consequence +partly of the heavy duties and partly of the constant obstacles placed +by a corrupt administration in the way of all commerce, are +excessively dear in this port. Among other stores we procured two +barrels of salt beef, which proved to be somewhat better than we got +at Santa Cruz, a cask of rough and strong Portuguese wine, cases of +preserved guavas, tamarinds, and figs; and, of course, as many +pineapples, hands of bananas, oranges, yams, sweet potatoes, and +pumpkins as we could carry. + +Here, too, we purchased some tools, a large iron cooking-pot for our +camp on the island, some blasting powder, and several stout bamboos +for the purpose of constructing rafts. + +We had had enough of Bahia in a week, and were all ready for sea again +on November 9; but as several letters expected by members of the +expedition had not arrived, we put off our departure until the coming +of the next mail steamer from England. It was lucky for us that we did +this, for we thereby escaped some rather tempestuous weather. + +On November 11 the Royal Mail steamer 'La Plata' arrived from the +north, bringing with her the missing letters. We had intended to sail +at daybreak on the following morning, but the glass began to fall and +the wind rose in the night. In the morning the sky had a very stormy +appearance and a fresh south-west gale was blowing. On the following +day--November 13--there was a continuance of the same weather, and the +scud overhead was travelling at a great rate. + +An English cargo steamer came in this day from the southward, so I +went on shore to find her captain and inquire from him what it was +like outside the bay. He told me that he had been overtaken by the +gale in the latitude of Cape Frio, and that a heavy sea was running in +the Atlantic, while on the bar the breakers would be dangerous for a +small vessel. Hearing this, impatient as we were to get away, I +decided that it would be better to remain where we were until the gale +had blown itself out. + +This was, no doubt, the fag-end of a _pampero_ or River Plate +hurricane. The _pampero_--so called because, after rising in the +Andes, it sweeps over the vast plains of the _pampas_, increasing +in force as it travels--blows with great fury at the mouth of the +River Plate and sometimes extends far north. I had had some experience +of _pamperos_, and was not fond of them. I rode out one on the +'Falcon' at anchor off Montevideo, and on that occasion fifteen solid +stone houses were blown down in a row on the sea front, the exhibition +building at Buenos Ayres was destroyed, and a barque lying at anchor +near us was capsized by the first gust. We ran before another of these +storms for three days and were nearly lost. + +The _pampero_ was our bugbear while we lay off Trinidad; for this +islet is within the range of the more formidable of these gales, and, +even when they do not extend so far, the great swell raised by them +rolls up hundreds of miles to the northward of the wind's influence +and breaks furiously all around the exposed shores of Trinidad. + +Towards evening the wind moderated and the glass began to rise, but +the rain continued to fall heavily. On the following morning, November +14, the weather had still further improved; so anchor was weighed at 8 +a.m. and we sailed out of the harbour, my companions in very cheerful +spirits, and eager to get to the desert island and be at work with +pick and shovel as soon as possible. + +We had now done with civilisation for some time to come, and we had no +idea when and where, and under what conditions, we should next see any +men save those forming our own little band. + +Trinidad is roughly 680 nautical miles from Bahia; we sighted it in +exactly six days from the time we weighed anchor. + +The experiences of our first day out did not promise well for a smart +voyage. We tumbled about a good deal on the bar at the mouth of the +bay, and found that the sea outside had not yet gone down. The wind +was moderate and variable, but generally south-east--that is, right in +our teeth. We tacked ship three times in the course of the day, and +made little progress against the head sea. + +On the following day, November 15, things looked better; the wind +veered to the eastward, so that the yacht could lay her course with +her sheets slacked off a bit. + +The next day the wind was fairer still--from the east-north-east--blowing +fresh, and raising a steep, confused sea, for the south-west swell of +the _pampero_ had not yet entirely subsided. We close-reefed the +foresail so as to prevent the vessel driving her nose into the seas, +and during this day and the next, November 17, we were constantly +tricing up the tack of the mainsail in the squalls. + +On the 18th and 19th the wind was moderate, so we had all canvas on +the old vessel again, including topsail and balloon foresail; and on +the morning of November 20 all hands were in eager expectance of +catching the first glimpse of Treasure Island. + +At about 8 a.m. it suddenly appeared right ahead, a faint blue peak on +the horizon, fully forty miles away. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +TREASURE ISLAND AT LAST. + + +We sailed on towards the desert island under all canvas, but did not +reach it for eight hours from the time we first sighted it. + +As we neared it, the features of this extraordinary place could +gradually be distinguished. The north side, that which faced us, is +the most barren and desolate portion of the island, and appears to be +utterly inaccessible. Here the mountains rise sheer from the boiling +surf--fantastically shaped of volcanic rock; cloven by frightful +ravines; lowering in perpendicular precipices; in places over-hanging +threateningly, and, where the mountains have been shaken to pieces by +the fires and earthquakes of volcanic action, huge landslips slope +steeply into the yawning ravines--landslips of black and red volcanic +_debris_, and loose rocks large as houses, ready on the slightest +disturbance to roll down, crashing, into the abysses below. On the +summit of the island there floats almost constantly, even on the +clearest day, a wreath of dense vapour, never still, but rolling and +twisting into strange shapes as the wind eddies among the crags. And +above this cloud-wreath rise mighty pinnacles of coal-black rock, like +the spires of some gigantic Gothic cathedral piercing the blue +southern sky. + +The loftiest peak is about three thousand feet above the sea, but on +account of the extreme precipitousness of the island it appears much +higher. + +As a consequence of the recoil of the rollers from the shore we found +that, as we got nearer in, the ocean swell under us increased in +height, and rose and fell in an uneasy confused fashion. The breakers +were dashing up the cliffs with an ominous roar, showing us that, in +all probability, landing would be out of the question for the present. + +We passed North Point and opened out North-west Bay. At the farther +end of the bay we saw before us the Monument, or Ninepin, as it is +called on the charts--a stupendous pinnacle of basaltic rock 850 feet +in height, which rises from the edge of the surf, and is detached from +the main cliffs. + +The scenery was indescribably savage and grand, and its effect was +heightened by the roaring of the surf on the beach and the echoes of +it in the ravines, as well as by the shrill and melancholy cries of +thousands of sea-birds so unaccustomed to the presence of man that +they came off the crags and flew round us in evident wonder as we +sailed by, often approaching so close to us that we could strike them +with our hands. + +My companions had expected, from what I had told them, to find this +islet a strange, uncanny place, barren, torn by volcanic action and +generally forbidding, and now they gazed at the shore with amazement, +and confessed that my description of its scenery was anything but +exaggerated. It would be impossible to convey in words a just idea of +the mystery of Trinidad. The very colouring seems unearthly--in places +dismal black, and in others the fire-consumed crags are of strange +metallic hues, vermilion red and copper yellow. When one lands on its +shores this uncanny impression is enhanced. It bears all the +appearance of being an accursed spot, whereupon no creatures can live, +save the hideous land-crabs and foul and cruel sea-birds. + +We were now coasting under the lee of the island and our progress was +but slow, for the high mountains intercepted the wind from us, and we +were often becalmed on the oily swell under the hottest sun we had yet +experienced. Occasionally a violent squall, but of short duration, +would sweep down on us from some ravine and help us along. What wind +there was between the squalls came from every point of the compass in +turns, and we were constantly taken aback. + +But at last we passed the rocky islet which I named Bird Island at the +time of my former visit, and, doubling the West Point, we entered a +bay which I recognised well, for there was the cascade still falling +over the cliff, and, near it, the landing-place off which I had +anchored in the 'Falcon.' As the swell was not high here, I decided to +anchor at once; so, bringing the vessel as near in as was +prudent--about six cables from the shore--I let go in eighteen +fathoms. + +The scene before us was a fine one. A very steep and rugged ravine +clove the mountain from summit to base. At the bottom of this ravine a +stream fell in a cascade over a ledge of black rock on to the beach, +about thirty feet below. One could trace the silver line of the +falling water in many other parts of the ravine, especially in one +place far up, where it fell over a gigantic black precipice. + +The mountain-sides were barren, save in spots where a coarse grass +grew sparsely. At the very head of the ravine were downs beautifully +green, with a dense grove of trees the nature of which it was not easy +to distinguish from so far below; but, as I had ascended this ravine +during my last visit to Trinidad, I knew that these were tree-ferns, +which only grow on this portion of the island high up among the damp +clouds, and are in charming contrast to the desolation that prevails +around them. + +Between the foot of the mountains and the surf extends a narrow beach +of rugged stones of all sizes fallen from above, and the black heads +of rocks appear here and there in the middle of the surf, so that any +attempt at landing seems a risky venture. + +But I knew where the safe landing-place was, and soon recognised it +again, though it was not to be easily distinguished from the vessel. I +pointed it out to my companions. Some forty yards to the left of the +cascade an irregularly shaped rocky ledge extends from the beach some +way out into the deep water beyond the beach, and thus forms a natural +pier. I had often found it quite an easy matter to land here when to +do so anywhere else would be impossible; for, as a rule, the seas do +not break until they have rolled some way inside the end of this +point; so that, by approaching it carefully, and waiting till the boat +is on the summit of a wave and near the level of the top of the rock, +one can leap or scramble on to it with the exercise of a little +agility. There are occasions, however, when the seas wash right over +this ledge. + +Looking from our anchorage we could see the coast as far as West Point +on one side of us, with the head of the Ninepin just visible above the +cape; and on the other side as far as the promontory of basaltic +columns which forms the western extremity of West Bay, and which I +named the Ness. + +As soon as the sails were stowed I went below with the doctor to talk +over our immediate plans. It was now five in the evening, so it was +too late to attempt a landing, even if the conditions were favourable, +which they were not; for every now and again a sea would break over +the pier, sending showers of spray high into the air. + +While we were discussing things, there suddenly came a violent +thumping on the deck above us, and from the shouts and laughter of the +men we knew that something exciting was going on; so we went up the +companion-ladder to see what the fun might be. We found that a +fair-sized shark was tumbling about the deck in very active fashion, +while Ted was dodging him, knife in hand, ready to give him his +_coup de grace_. Our sportsman had got his lines out as soon as +all had been made snug on deck, but his sport for the first hour +consisted of nothing but sharks, of which he caught several. After +this he had better luck and was able to supply the cook with fish +enough for dinner and breakfast for all hands. + +The sea round Trinidad swarms with fish; but, for some reason, though +we got as many as we required, they were not to be so readily caught +now as at the time of my first visit; for then we hauled them in as +fast as we could drop our hooks in the water. + +There are various species of edible fish here--among others, dolphins, +rock-cod, hind-fish, black-fish, and pig-fish. None of these +hot-water-fish are to be compared in flavour to those of Europe, and +we found that the sharks were the least insipid of the lot; stewed +shark and onions is not a dish to be despised. + +According to the chart of the South Atlantic which I made use of on +this voyage, the island of Trinidad is rather more than five miles +long. Another chart which I possess gives its length as only three +miles, which I am sure is wrong; but, on the other hand, this latter +chart is the more correct in some other respects, and marks outlying +shoals which are not indicated on the other. There are, indeed, no +absolutely reliable charts of this island; for the different surveys +have been somewhat cursory, and each has repeated the faults of its +predecessors. The longitude has, I believe, never been accurately +determined, and even the latitude of the landing-place is, if I am not +much mistaken, more than a mile out on the chart. + +Before going further with the narrative, however, it will be well to +enter into some explanation of the task that was before us. + +The treasure was supposed to be hidden in South-west Bay, in a little +ravine just to the left of our camp. + +The yacht was anchored out of sight of this spot, and at a distance of +two and a half miles from it as the crow flies. My companions were, I +imagine, somewhat surprised at this manoeuvre of mine, especially +when I told them that it was highly improbable that we should shift +our anchorage any nearer to the scene of our operations on shore. +Later on, however, they realised that there was a good reason for the +course I had taken. + +My former experiences off Trinidad with the 'Falcon' had convinced me +that the anchorage off the cascade was far the safest; indeed that +here only could one remain at all for any length of time. It must be +remembered that a vessel is never really secure when anchored off a +small oceanic island like Trinidad. One should be always prepared to +slip one's anchor and be off to sea at once should it come on to blow. +It is therefore necessary to lie at some distance from the land, so as +to have plenty of room to get away on either tack. If one is too near +the shore one incurs great risk, as I frequently discovered while +coasting later on; for even though it be blowing hard outside, one is +becalmed under the cliffs or subjected to shifting flaws and +whirlwinds, so that the vessel becomes unmanageable, and is driven +straight on to the fatal rocks by the send of the swell. I need +scarcely say that to come in contact with this shore, even in the +finest weather, would involve the certain destruction of any craft in +a very few seconds. + +The anchorage off the cascade possesses many advantages. The coast +here is free from any outlying dangers, and there is a depth of five +fathoms close to the beach. One cannot be embayed there, for the coast +beyond West Point trends away northward almost at right angles to the +south-west shore, so that from the anchorage it is easy to get away on +either tack, according to the direction of the wind. Here, too, the +sea is smoother than anywhere else, except on rare occasions, for the +prevailing winds are north-east to south-east, more generally +south-east. + +Now, the only other possible anchorage for us would have been in +South-west Bay, in very convenient proximity to our camp; but this, +though it might do for a day or two, was absolutely unfitted for a +lengthy stay, more especially as difficulties might occur with the +vessel while I was on shore myself and only inexperienced people were +in charge of her. In this bay one is surrounded by dangers. South +Point is on one side, with the current generally setting directly on +to it and across the perilous shoals that extend a mile and a half +seaward. On the other side is the cape dividing West and South-west +Bays, off which also lie several dangerous islets and rocks. According +to the Admiralty chart South-west Bay itself is quite clean, with a +uniform depth of ten fathoms. As a matter of fact, it is full of +sunken rocks, and there is an island right in the middle of it; its +existence is ignored by all the charts. Surrounded as the bay is by +lofty mountains, the winds are very uncertain within it, so that if +one should have to weigh anchor it might be difficult to extricate the +vessel from her dangerous position even by the exercise of the +smartest seamanship. Lastly, it affords no shelter from the prevailing +wind, south-east, which often raises a nasty sea, and, what is more, +it is entirely exposed to the storm-wind of these seas, the dreaded +_pampero_, which blows right into it. Any one in charge of a vessel +brought up in this trap would be compelled to get under weigh +frequently under most difficult circumstances, and would live an +unenviable life of perpetual anxiety. This information will, I trust, +be of use to any fresh adventurers who propose to hunt for the +treasure of Trinidad. + +Though I would not venture into South-west Bay with the yacht, I knew +that we should have to carry our stores and tools there by boat and +land them on the beach opposite to the treasure ravine; for to +transport them by land from the easy landing-place near the cascade +would be an almost impossible undertaking. + +According to the dead pirate's statement, he and his comrades had +surveyed South-west Bay and discovered the best channel between the +rocks. He gave the directions for finding this channel to Captain +P----, and its existence had been verified by both the South Shields +explorers; but as they had brought back an alarming account of its +dangers, and boats had been lost in it, I considered that it would be +a wise precaution for me to land at the pier in the first place, +walk--or rather crawl and climb, for there is not much walking to be +done on that journey--across the island and survey South-west Bay from +the hills above it, before attempting to beach a boat there. + +In the evening we held a council in the saloon over our pipes, and I +explained my plans for the following day. + +I had explored the island pretty thoroughly while here before, and I +knew that it mainly consisted of inaccessible peaks and precipices, +among which there were very few passes practicable for men. In many +places the cliffs fall precipitously into the sea, affording no +foothold. I had landed in both North-west Bay and the bay beyond it, +and, though there were sandy beaches in both these, still, one could +go no further, for sheer promontories on either side and mountains +equally insurmountable at the back cut off all communication between +these coves and the rest of the island. I also knew that it would be +impossible for me to walk along the beach from the pier to South-west +Bay, for between these were the two capes that bound West Bay, both +opposing barriers of precipices to one's advance. + +But while here with the 'Falcon,' after a difficult and dangerous +search which has been fully described in the narrative of that voyage, +I at last discovered a pass, and I believe it is the only one, by +which the mountains at the centre of the island can be traversed and +the windward shore attained. + +First, I ascended the steep ravine down which the cascade flows. +Having arrived at the summit of the ravine I crossed the groves of +tree-ferns, and, after making several descents into ravines which +terminated in precipices and so compelled me to retrace my steps, I +succeeded in discovering a gully which led me to the beach on the +north-east side of the island. From here I found it possible to walk +along the beach to South Point, for no insurmountable capes +intervened; and from South-east Bay there was an easy pass under the +Sugarloaf Mountain by which the Treasure Bay could be reached. This +was the journey which I intended to make once again on the following +morning. This route, together with others taken in the course of our +explorations, are I believe the only accessible ways on the island. + +I knew by experience that the passage over the mountains to the +windward beach was both arduous and perilous, and that to climb to +South-west Bay, survey it, and return to the pier would occupy the +best part of three days. + +The doctor volunteered to accompany me, and I decided to take him with +me. It was indeed important that he should make himself acquainted +with the pass, for it had been settled that whenever I remained with +the yacht he should be in command of the party working on shore, and, +as the only reliable water-supply I knew of was at the cascade, it +might become necessary for him to lead the men across the mountains to +it should a water-famine occur at South-west Bay. Again, it was +certain that bad weather would occasionally make the landing of boats +at South-west Bay impossible for weeks at a time, so that, if there +were some urgent reason for communicating with the yacht, this could +only be done by crossing to the pier landing-place, at which I am of +opinion that one can land ten times with safety to once in South-west +Bay. It had been my intention to form a depot of stores at the pier, +but this we found to be unnecessary. + +After I had made the above explanations to my companions assembled in +the saloon, our sportsman, who had been listening attentively, +remarked: 'Skipper, you have given us plenty of reason for taking +Cloete-Smith with you tomorrow and teaching him the roads; but you +have omitted the most important reason of all. Let me inform you that +you won't get us to do any work on shore on Sundays; so on every +Sunday afternoon we will put on our best clothes and the doctor will +have to take us over the pass to the pier, where we can do a sort of +church-parade, and listen to the band. I suppose there will be a bar +there, too, with Theodosius as bar-man presiding over the rum-barrel.' + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +THE SUMMIT OF TRINIDAD. + + +On the following morning--November 21--as soon as breakfast was over, +the doctor and myself started for the shore. In view of the rough +climbing before us we did not burden ourselves with much baggage, but +set forth in light marching order. We dispensed with blankets, and, in +addition to the somewhat scanty clothing we had on, we carried merely +provisions for three days, consisting of some ship's biscuit, a few +strips of Brazilian _charki_ or jerked beef--rather rank--some +dried figs, a flask of rum, a tin bottle to hold water, one pannikin, +tobacco, pipes, and matches. + +We could see from the deck that there was considerable surf on the +beach, and it was evident that we should not find the landing at the +pier to be so easy a matter as it often is. + +Two of the paid hands pulled us off in the dinghy. When we were about +halfway to the shore we perceived a bright red object on an eminence +near the cascade. On getting nearer we distinguished this to be a +ragged red flag flying from a pole. This was a startling discovery for +us, and might signify that some rival expedition had landed on the +island. + +We reached the pier and found a high swell rolling by it, while eddies +and overfalls round the outer end of it caused the boat to become more +or less unmanageable, driving her first in one direction, then in +another, so that she could not be brought very close to, without risk +of staving her in against the rocks. + +Under these circumstances the only safe method of getting on shore was +to jump into the water. The boat was backed in towards the pier end, +the men pulling a few strokes ahead whenever a wave threatened to dash +her on to it. I stood in the stern and awaited a favourable +opportunity, then jumped overboard and clambered quickly up the pier +side before the next roller should wash me off. Then the boat was +backed in again, and the doctor repeated the performance. + +We had no particular objection to the wetting we had received, but a +good many of our biscuits were converted into a pulp and our figs were +pickled with the sea-water. + +So here we were at last safely on shore at Trinidad, both in high +spirits at the prospect before us, for we were eager to commence the +exploration that might result in who could tell what magnificent +results. + +Climbing over the rugged top of the pier we descended on the beach, +which at high-water is partly overflowed, the pier being then +converted into an island. We scrambled over the rocks and scoriae to +the height by the cascade on which the flag was, and then our +suspicions were put at rest by what we discovered. A good-sized barrel +had been firmly jammed between the rocks in a prominent place and +filled with stones. A pole had been planted in the barrel, and from +this floated the red flag we had seen. It was in so ragged a condition +that it was impossible to say whether it had ever been a British flag +or not. Under it was a wooden tablet, on which was painted the +following inscription: 'H.M.S. "Ruby," February 26, 1889.' There was +also a bottle on the cask containing the cards of the commander of the +vessel, Captain Kennedy, and his wardroom officers. + +Having thus satisfied ourselves that no enemy was in possession of the +island, we went to the cascade. This stream rises among the tree-ferns +at the summit of the mountain and rushes down the gully with a +considerable volume of water. This issue is, I should imagine, +perennial. + +Then we commenced our ascent, which involved no light work. The gully +was excessively steep. We were climbing up a staircase of great rocks, +and often where there were insurmountable precipices we had to make +a _detour_ round the mountain-side, creeping carefully along the +steep declivities that overhung the cliffs, the rock and earth +crumbling beneath our feet as we went: for one of the most unpleasant +peculiarities of this island is that it is nowhere solid; it is rotten +throughout, its substance has been disintegrated by volcanic fires and +by the action of water, so that it is everywhere tumbling to pieces. +As one travels over the mountains one is ever starting miniature +landslips and dislodging great stones, which roll, thundering, down +the cliffs, gathering other companions as they go until a very +avalanche is formed. On this day the doctor, who was a little ahead of +me at the time, sent adrift a stone weighing a hundredweight at the +least, which just cleared my head as I stooped down to dodge it. We +were on a dangerous part of the mountain, and had it struck me it must +have impelled me over a precipice several hundred feet in height. +After this we followed parallel tracks wherever this was feasible. + +The unstableness of Trinidad causes a perpetual sense of insecurity +while one is on the mountains. One knows not when some over-hanging +pinnacle may topple down. One great source of danger is that there are +many declivities which can be descended but not ascended, and it would +be easy to get hopelessly imprisoned at the foot of one of these. In +the 'Cruise of the "Falcon"' is described one really terrible +experience we went through. Our exploring party had found no water, +and the boy was practically dying of thirst. So, driven by urgent +necessity--for we saw by the configuration of the mountains that we +should almost certainly find water at the bottom of a certain +ravine--we proceeded to descend to it down a great slope, not of +loose _debris_, but of half-consolidated volcanic matter like +half-baked bricks, and very brittle. + +This slope became steeper as we advanced and very dangerous, but it +was impossible to retrace our steps. When we attempted to ascend, the +mountain slid away under our feet, crumbling into ashes. It was like +climbing a treadmill. So we had to abandon this hope and go still +further down, lying on our backs, progressing inch by inch carefully, +one of us occasionally sliding down a few yards and sending an +avalanche before him. We knew not to the edge of what precipices this +dreadful way would lead us. Luckily we reached the bottom and found +water in safety. I determined not to get into any difficulties of this +description in the course of our present journey. + +We gradually ascended the ravine, sometimes climbing on one side of +it, sometimes on the other, and occasionally wading through the water +at the bottom, according to which route was the safest. + +The nature of the scenery around us was now grand in the extreme, and +had a weird character of its own that I have never perceived on other +mountains. The jagged and torn peaks, the profound chasms, the huge +landslips of black rocks, the slopes of red volcanic ash destitute of +vegetation, in themselves produce a sense of extreme desolation; but +this is heightened by the presence of a ghastly dead vegetation and by +the numberless uncanny birds and land-crabs which cover all the rocks. + +This lonely islet is perhaps the principal breeding place for +sea-birds in the South Atlantic. Here multitudes of man-of-war birds, +gannets, boobies, cormorants, and petrels have their undisturbed +haunts. Not knowing how dangerous he is, they treat their superior +animal, man, with a shocking want of due respect. The large birds more +especially attack one furiously if one approaches their nests in the +breeding season, and in places where one has to clamber with hands as +well as feet, and is therefore helpless, they are positively +dangerous. + +As for the land-crabs, which are unlike any I have seen elsewhere, +they swarm all over the island in incredible numbers. I have even seen +them two or three deep in shady places under the rocks; they crawl +over everything, polluting every stream, devouring anything--a +loathsome lot of brutes, which were of use, however, round our camp as +scavengers. They have hard shells of a bright saffron colour, and +their faces have a most cynical and diabolic expression. As one +approaches them they stand on their hind legs and wave their pincers +threateningly, while they roll their hideous goggle eyes at one in a +dreadful manner. If a man is sleeping or sitting down quietly, these +creatures will come up to have a bite at him, and would devour him if +he was unable for some reason to shake them off; but we murdered so +many in the vicinity of our camp during our stay on the island, that +they certainly became less bold, and it seemed almost as if the word +had been passed all over Trinidad that we were dangerous animals, to +be shunned by every prudent crab. Even when we were exploring remote +districts we at last found that they fled in terror, instead of +menacing us with their claws. + +But the great mystery of this mysterious island is the forest of dead +trees which covers it and which astonishes every visitor. + +The following account of this wood is taken from the 'Cruise of the +"Falcon,"' and as it was nine years ago, so is it now:-- + +'What struck us as remarkable was, that though in this cove there was +no live vegetation of any kind, there were traces of an abundant +extinct vegetation. The mountain slopes were thickly covered with dead +wood--wood, too, that had evidently long since been dead; some of +these leafless trunks were prostrate, some still stood up as they had +grown.... When we afterwards discovered that over the whole of this +extensive island--from the beach up to the summit of the highest +mountain--at the bottom and on the slopes of every now barren ravine, +on whose loose-rolling stones no vegetation could possibly take +root--these dead trees were strewed as closely as it is possible for +trees to grow; and when we further perceived that they all seemed to +have died at one and the same time, as if plague-struck, and that no +single live specimen, young or old, was to be found anywhere--our +amazement was increased. + +'At one time Trinidad must have been covered with one magnificent +forest, presenting to passing vessels a far different appearance to +that it now does, with its inhospitable and barren crags. + +'The descriptions given in the "Directory" allude to these forests; +therefore, whatever catastrophe it may have been that killed off all +the vegetation of the island, it must have occurred within the memory +of man. + +'Looking at the rotten, broken up condition of the rock, and the +nature of the soil, where there is a soil--a loose powder, not +consolidated like earth, but having the appearance of fallen volcanic +ash--I could not help imagining that some great eruption had brought +about all this desolation; Trinidad is the acknowledged centre of a +small volcanic patch that lies in this portion of the South Atlantic, +therefore I think this theory a more probable one than that of a long +drought, a not very likely contingency in this rather rainy region.' + +Some time after the publication of the 'Cruise of the "Falcon"' I came +across an excellent description of Trinidad in Captain Marryat's +novel, 'Frank Mildmay.' It is obvious from the following passage, +which I quote from that work, that the trees had been long dead at the +date of its publication, 1829:-- + +'Here a wonderful and most melancholy phenomenon arrested our +attention. Thousands and thousands of trees covered the valley, each +of them about thirty feet high; but every tree was dead, and extended +its leafless boughs to another--a forest of desolation, as if nature +had at some particular moment ceased to vegetate! There was no +underwood or grass. On the lowest of the dead boughs, the gannets, and +other sea-birds, had built their nests, in numbers uncountable. Their +tameness, as Cowper says, "was shocking to me." So unaccustomed did +they seem to man that the mothers brooding over their young only +opened their beaks, in a menacing attitude, at us as we passed by +them. How to account satisfactorily for the simultaneous destruction +of this vast forest of trees was very difficult; there was no want of +rich earth for nourishment of the roots. The most probable cause +appeared to me a sudden and continued eruption of sulphuric effluvia +from the volcano; or else by some unusually heavy gale of wind or +hurricane the trees had been drenched with salt water to the roots. +One or the other of these causes must have produced the effect. The +philosopher or the geologist must decide.' + +Captain Marryat was evidently unaware that these dead trees are to be +found on the heights 3,000 feet above the sea-level as well as in the +valleys, or he would not have suggested salt water as the cause of +their destruction. + +His description proves that the trees were dead at least sixty years +ago, and in all probability they had been dead for a long time before. +The latest record I have been able to discover which describes live +trees as existing on Trinidad is dated as far back as 1700. The +Ninepin and the Sugarloaf, now utterly barren, were then crowded with +trees of a great size. + +Though some of this timber is rotten, a large proportion of it is not +decayed in the least, but when cut with the axe presents the +appearance of a sound, well-seasoned wood. It is gnarled and knotty, +extremely hard and heavy, its specific gravity being but slightly less +than that of water. It is of a dark reddish colour and of very close +grain. + +I brought a log of it home and sent it to a cabinetmaker, who found +that it would take an excellent polish. On sending this specimen to +Kew I was informed that the wood 'probably belongs to the family +Myrtaceae, and possibly to the species Eugenia.' I find that this +species includes the pimento or allspice, the rose-apple, and other +aromatic and fruit-producing trees; so that desert Trinidad may at one +time have been a delicious spice-island. + +The doctor and myself toiled on up the gully, whose slopes, as we +approached the summit, became less rugged, and here the ferns grew up +between the trunks of the dead trees, spreading wide their beautiful +fronds of fresh green. + +When we had come to a spot a little below the source of the stream we +left the gully--not before we had drunk our fill and replenished the +bottle--and ascended the down where the tree-ferns grow thickest. The +soil is here very loose and presents the appearance of having been +quite recently ploughed up, while it is honeycombed with the holes of +the teeming land-crabs. + +Soon we reached the summit of the plateau, where a pleasant breeze +stirred the ferns and we could now command a magnificent view not only +over the mountains we had climbed but over the weather side of the +island as well. I remembered the scene, for I had looked down from +here nine years before. On the weather side of the island the +mountains are even more precipitous than on the lee side; but, on the +other hand, they do not run sheer into the sea, for at their base +extend great green slopes continued by broad sandy beaches. Along all +this coast are shallow flats and outlying rocks on which the surf +breaks perpetually. Thirty miles out to sea rise the inaccessible +rocky islets of Martin Vas. + +The plateau we were on was covered with a luxuriant vegetation, for +in addition to the tree-ferns there were large bushes of some +species of acacia--a tall thorny plant with flowers like those of +scarlet-runners, and bearing large beans--flowering grasses, and +various other plants. I collected specimens of these later on, which +were lost, however, with other stores shortly before we abandoned +the island, in consequence of the capsizing of our boat while +launching her in Treasure Bay. + +It seemed strange to find so beautiful a garden, high up, almost +unapproachable for the perils that surround it, throned as it is on a +wilderness of rock rising up to it in chaotic masses and sheer +precipices from the shore far below. The sailors under Frank Mildmay +discovered this grove before me. In all his descriptions of places and +scenery Captain Marryat is singularly faithful to the truth, even in +the minutest details. In this respect indeed he is more conscientious +in his works of fiction than are most travellers in their presumedly +true narratives. The most minute and accurate description of Trinidad +that I have come across is in 'Frank Mildmay,' and it is easy to +identify every spot mentioned in that book. The author must himself +have visited this strange place, and his imagination was strongly +stirred by it. He gives us graphic pictures of 'the iron-bound coast +with high and pointed rocks, frowning defiance over the unappeasable +and furious waves which break incessantly at their feet.' His hero +also experiences the usual difficulty in landing; men and boat are +nearly lost, and in all his thrilling narrative there is not the least +exaggeration. All the events described might well have happened, and +probably did happen. + +Of the grove he says:--'The men reported that they had gained the +summit of the mountain, where they had discovered a large plain, +skirted by a species of fern-tree from twelve to eighteen feet +high--that on this plain they had seen a herd of goats; and among them +could distinguish one of enormous size which appeared to be their +leader. They also found many wild hogs.' + +We saw no goats or hogs, and I am confident that none are now left +alive. We did, however, in the course of our digging discover what +appeared to be the bones of a goat. It is well known that these +animals once abounded here. Captain Halley, of the 'Paramore Pink,' +afterwards Dr. Halley, Astronomer-Royal, landed on this island April +17, 1700, and put on it some goats and hogs for breeding, as also a +pair of guinea-fowl which he carried from St. Helena. 'I took,' says +his journal,'possession of the island in his Majesty's name, as +knowing it to be granted by the King's letters-patent, leaving the +Union Jack flying.' + +The American commander, Amaso Delano, visited Trinidad in 1803. He +writes:--'We found plenty of goats and hogs. We saw some cats, and +these three sorts of quadrupeds were the only animals we saw on the +island.' + +Possibly the land-crabs have gobbled all these up, for the only +quadrupeds we came across were mice. + +Having attained the summit of the island, the doctor and myself took a +rest under the shade of the tree-ferns, while we partook of a frugal +lunch of biscuits and rum, the indispensable pipes, of course, +following. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +ON THE ROAD TO TREASURE BAY. + + +Having smoked our pipes we continued our journey. At first I was a +very sanguine guide. I thought I should have no difficulty in +recognising the ravine by which, nine years before, I had descended to +the windward shore. But in this I was mistaken, for I found it +extremely difficult to find my way to it again. + +At any rate we were not now about to undergo the great toil, thirst, +and danger that I had experienced during my former visit, for I at +least knew some of the places to avoid, and this was a matter of +importance. As we clambered along the edges of the mountains, looking +for the pass, I was able to condemn at once as false passages several +promising-looking routes, the vain trial of which had exhausted myself +and my companions on my previous expedition. + +For instance, there was one long slope of volcanic _debris_ of a +ruddy colour which appeared from where we stood to join on to the +green hills below and so to lead to the sandy beaches. The doctor was +anxious to attempt this easy-looking way, but I knew the deceitful +place too well of old. It tempts one further and further down, ever +getting steeper, until one suddenly finds oneself at the edge of a +frightful precipice, invisible from above, which compels one at great +risk to retrace one's painful steps to the heights. + +In the course of my first exploration we made so many false descents +of these ravines and slopes, all terminating in precipices and driving +us back again, that at last, finding no water, we were completely worn +out and nearly perished of thirst. The heat is intense on Trinidad, +especially at this season of the year, when the sun is vertical, and +to climb these hot crags through the suffocating air is the most +completely exhausting work I have ever undertaken. No other place +within the tropics that I have visited has such an oppressive climate. +I, therefore, determined to make no foolish experiments on this +occasion, and not to attempt the descent until I was certain of my +pass. + +We crawled along the cliff-side for a long way, looking over at every +point; but I could see nothing like my old ravine, and soon got fairly +puzzled. At last we had followed the mountain ridges almost to the +north end of the island, where the plateau of tree-ferns ceases, and +where the mountains fall nearly perpendicularly into the sea, and +culminate in needle-like peaks, affording no soil for vegetation of +any description. So I knew that we had come too far and had passed the +entrance to the ravine. We accordingly retraced our steps. We had now +exhausted our bottle of water and were suffering from thirst. My old +experience had taught me never, if possible, to be far from a stream +while wandering over Trinidad. To toil among these arid rocks produces +an insatiable thirst, and one's strength fails if one is deprived of +water even for a short time. Therefore as we saw below us a ravine +that looked like a water-course and which bore some resemblance to the +one I was in search of, we decided to explore it. We lowered ourselves +down from rock to rock for some way, and soon, to our delight, found a +small issue of cool water. But this was not my ravine, for, on +descending further, we came to the edge of one of the usual +precipices, and we had to clamber up again. + +We attempted yet another ravine, which I did not recognise as +_the_ one, but which might prove to be it nevertheless, for I had +to confess that I was quite at sea. This in time led us to a sloping +shelf of rock overhanging another precipice. This shelf was extremely +slippery, for the stream flowed over it in a thin film and it was +covered with a short moss. This, too, exactly corresponds with a +description in 'Frank Mildmay,' that excellent guide to Trinidad, and +what is said about the spot in that work may serve as a warning to +any--if such there ever be--who may meditate a tour on this island. +Two of Mildmay's sailors had been lost while goat-hunting, so he sets +forth in search of them. 'I was some yards in advance of my +companions,' he says, 'and the dog a little distance from me, near the +shelving part of a rock terminating in a precipice. The shelf I had to +cross was about six or seven feet wide and ten or twelve long, with a +very little inclined plane towards the precipice, so that I thought it +perfectly safe. A small rill of water trickled down from the rock +above it, and, losing itself among the moss and grass, fell over the +precipice below, which, indeed, was of a frightful depth. This +causeway was to all appearance safe, compared with many which we had +passed, and I was just going to step upon it when my dog ran before +me, jumped on the fatal pass--his feet slipped from under him--he fell +and disappeared over the precipice! I started back--I heard a heavy +squelch and a howl; another fainter succeeded, and all was still. I +advanced with the utmost caution to the edge of the precipice, where I +discovered that the rill of water had nourished a short moss, close +and smooth as velvet, and so slippery as not to admit of the lightest +footstep; this accounted for the sudden disappearance and, as I +concluded, the inevitable death of my dog.' Later on, far below, he +found 'the two dead bodies of our companions and that of my dog, all +mangled in a shocking manner; both, it would appear, had attempted to +cross the shelf in the same careless way which I was about to do when +Providence interposed the dog in my behalf.' The adventures of Frank +Mildmay and his crew on Trinidad are recorded with such realism and +with--as I have before said--such accuracy of local colouring, that I +suspect Captain Marryat in this portion of his work is recounting his +personal experiences. + +So, foiled once again, we reascended the ravine and walked along the +edge of the mountains, till we came to a projecting rock that +commanded an extensive view over the cliffs. Here we sat down and +discussed the problem before us. I assured the doctor that my ravine +was certainly close to us somewhere, but that I altogether failed to +identify it among the ravines before us, though I carried in my mind's +eye a very vivid picture of its appearance. + +'Perhaps it has disappeared,' suggested the doctor. This seemed +scarcely possible, but it might, I acknowledged, have been so changed +by landslips as to be unrecognisable. + +Being people of logical mind, we reasoned that, if the ravine still +existed, we ought now to discover it without any difficulty by a +simple process of elimination. There was only a limited number of even +possible-looking ways down the precipices. Of these we had now tried +two in vain. Again, there were several others which I remembered well +to have attempted at the time of my previous visit and to have found +impracticable. It followed that we had now to confine our attention to +any remaining possible routes, and of these there could be very few. + +Indeed, after a careful survey along the edge of the cliffs, we found +that there was but one such way left to us, and that looked very ugly. +Everywhere else were precipices that could obviously only be descended +by a means of progression more rapid than we cared to undertake. + +This way seemed as if it might afford a passage to the beach, but it +was not a ravine at all. The mountain on which we stood had fallen +away, leaving a precipitous step some fifty or sixty feet in height, +and from this step there sloped down to a depth, I should say, of +quite 1,500 feet a great landslip of broken rocks, the _debris_ +of the fallen mountain. This landslip appeared to have taken place not +long since. It was composed of rocks of all sizes and shapes, almost +coal black, piled one on the other at so steep an angle that it was +extraordinary how the mass held together and did not topple over. It +was indeed in places more like an artificial wall of rough stones on a +gigantic scale than a landslip. + +The pass I was searching for was utterly unlike this. I remembered +well that I had found a ravine extending from the mountain top to the +beach, which I described in my narrative as 'a gloomy gorge with sides +formed of black rocks piled on each other in chaotic masses, with a +small stream trickling into it.' We had experienced little difficulty +in ascending or descending it. Before us were now a sufficiency 'of +black rocks piled on each other in chaotic masses,' but no signs of a +ravine or stream. + +It did not look a tempting route, but we could see nothing else, so +decided to try it. The descent was anything but easy and was certainly +rather trying to the nerves. To begin with, the descent of the +precipitous step I have mentioned was a very creepy business. Having +accomplished this without accident, we clambered down the giant +staircase of black rocks the best way we could, and also with as much +speed as was consistent with safety; for the sun was low, the sudden +tropical night would soon be on us, and as it would be, of course, +impossible to proceed in the dark, we should be compelled to camp out +in this very uncomfortable place if we did not hurry on. + +We at last reached the foot of the landslip, and were on the green +down we had seen from above, and which slopes gently to the beach. All +our difficulties were over. + +These slopes on the windward side of Trinidad are overgrown chiefly +with a sturdy species of bean. This plant creeps along the ground, +throwing out long tough tendrils, whose mission it evidently is to +climb up something for support; but in this they are generally +unsuccessful, for nearly all the dead trees have been blown down on +this wind-swept corner of the island. A few trees are still standing, +and these are overgrown with clinging creepers more lucky than the +rest. The scene reminded me of countries I had visited where there are +ten women to one man and where, consequently, the male is properly +appreciated and made much of, while thousands of luckless old maids +vegetate hopelessly with no one to cling to. When I imparted this +simile to the doctor he implored me not to be sentimental. + +The flowers of this bean are pink, and the pods are as large as broad +beans. These the doctor at once pronounced to be edible, for, as he +explained to me, none of these leguminosae are poisonous. This was a +good thing to know, for they grow so thickly on these shores that we +could have collected any quantity we pleased during our stay on +Trinidad; and with these, the fish, the turtle, the birds and their +eggs, all of which are procurable here without any difficulty, it +would be possible for men left on this island to ward off starvation +for any length of time. + +When I speak of the slopes we were now on as downs, the reader must +not conjure up a picture of the grassy downs of the English coast, +pleasant under foot and easy to travel on. To drag one's feet over the +downs of Trinidad is a very weary business. There are large rocks and +deep pits everywhere. One's progress is impeded by the extreme +softness of the soil, into which one's feet sink deeply, and this is +made still worse by the burrows of the land-crabs, while the roots of +the tall grasses and the trailing tendrils of the beans try to trip +one up at every step. + +Here, to our relief, we found water again. At the foot of the landslip +a deep gully opened out which clove the down to the edge of the shore. +At the bottom of this a little stream flowed for a short distance, +being absorbed by the thirsty soil long before it could reach the +sands below. + +In order to avoid the entangling vegetation we walked down this gully, +and an exceedingly unpleasant place we found it. For here an +incredible number of large fluffy white birds, a sort of gannet, were +sitting on their nests with their young. They covered the rocks and +the branches of the dead trees. They attacked us savagely whenever we +came within reach of them, and the whole of the hot narrow gorge stank +most offensively of the rotten fish they had strewed about. The +different species of birds occupy different portions of this island, +and this ravine is the chief haunt of this particular disagreeable +tribe. + +The whole scene now seemed strangely familiar to me--the ravine, the +black rocks, the crowds of brooding white birds--and when at last we +came to what appeared to be an old road of piled-up stones crossing +the gully I stood still and cried in astonishment: 'Why, doctor, this +is my ravine after all! I remember this place well!' + +Then I looked behind me at the mountain we had descended, and I began +to understand how it was that I had been unable to find out my old +route. As I have explained, the ravine I had travelled down nine years +before extended from the plateau of tree-ferns to the shore. But since +then a gigantic landslip had evidently taken place. The mountain-side +had fallen away, and millions and millions of tons of rocks had rolled +below, entirely filling up the ravine and destroying all traces of it, +until far down, where it appeared again on the downs beyond the limit +of the landslip. + +This was one among other instances I can mention showing that enormous +changes have taken place on this island even in the course of the last +nine years. When this terrific fall of rocks occurred, it would have +been a wonderful sight to one gazing at it in safety from the sea, and +the noise of it must have made itself heard for many leagues around. +It has certainly converted what was once a comparatively easy and +perfectly safe road from the mountain-tops to the windward shore into +an extremely difficult and dangerous one. So much so that the doctor +and myself saw at once that it would be useless to establish a depot +of stores at the pier, as it would be out of the question to lead the +members of the expedition up such a perilous place as this. It was +absolutely certain that lives would be lost if this pass were often +attempted. No skilful mountaineering would avail against the +treacherous rottenness of the precipitous step which surmounts the +landslip, and which did not exist of old, There is no certain foothold +anywhere upon its face, and we looked forward with no pleasurable +anticipation to our enforced return by this way on the morrow. + +The birds' eggs lay on every stone in this valley. We tasted some of +them, but the flavour bore too much resemblance to the stench of +rotten fish around us to be altogether pleasing. + +The bank of stones which I had recognised in the ravine was of far too +regular formation to be otherwise than the work of men's hands. + +Some hundreds of years ago, the Portuguese had a penal settlement on +this side of Trinidad, and this, no doubt, was what remained of one of +their roads. Some weeks later, I explored the ruins of this +settlement, which is a short distance to the north of this gully. I +will describe it when I come to that portion of my narrative. + +Before we came to the spot where the stream soaks into the earth we +filled our bottle with water; then we walked down to the sandy beach, +reaching it just before it became too dark to see our way. We were not +long in selecting our camp. There was a large rock on the sands above +high-water mark, whose hollow side afforded good shelter from wind and +rain. In front of this, we lit a fire of the wreckwood, of which there +was no lack round us, and after a supper of roasted _charki_ and +biscuit, we proceeded to make ourselves comfortable over our pipes and +rum. We were tired, and would have slept very soundly with the sound +of the surf on the reefs as our lullaby, had it not been for the +land-crabs, which would not let us alone, but pulled our hair or +nipped our necks as soon as we began to doze off. + +At last their conduct became unbearable, and our patience worn out, so +we got up, seized two sticks, and slaughtered some fifty of them. Then +we had a little rest, for the others left us alone for a while and +devoured their dead brethren, making a merry crackling noise all round +us, as they pulled the joints asunder and opened the shells. It was, +as the doctor remarked, like the sound of many lobster suppers going +on together at Scott's. + +At daybreak (Nov. 22) we started for South-west Bay. We had drunk all +our water, and so were anxious to reach the bay, explore it, and be +back to our stream as quickly as possible. While making this same +journey nine years before, I had found no signs of fresh water between +this and South Point. The streams that flow from the mountain-tops are +absorbed far up by the slopes of _debris_ and never reach the shore. +Mr. A---- did discover a small, but uncertain, supply near his camp at +the head of South-west Bay, but we felt that we could not rely on +this, and that the issue in the ravine above us, which we had left on +the previous evening, was the only one we could fall back upon with +certainty on the whole weather shore of the island. + +We walked along the sandy beach, with the mountains towering to the +right of us and the ocean swell breaking heavily on the reefs to our +left. The beach was covered with wreckage--planks, barrels, spars, +timbers of vessels with the corroded iron bolts still sticking in +them--a melancholy spectacle; but I was unable to find one particular +wreck which I had seen here nine years before--the complete framework +of a vessel partly buried in the sands, into which I had thought it +might be worth while for our party now to dig, as some valuables might +be lying in her hold. Either the sea had broken up or the sands had +completely covered this wreck since my last visit. + +We found traces of turtle on the sands, and we saw that the pools of +clear water left by the tide were full of fish, while sea-crabs +scampered over the rocks in quantities. The beans, too, grew in +profusion on the downs above the beach, so there was plenty of food +all round us, and, if there had only been fresh water, we could have +made ourselves very comfortable here. There were, of course, plenty of +land-crabs everywhere, but one would have to be hard driven to eat +these ugly brutes. + +At last we came to a promontory of rock jutting out into the sea. We +climbed up this without difficulty, and descended the other side by a +steep slope of soft white sand. + +From here we could see before us the Sugarloaf and Noah's Ark. The +former mountain, as its name implies, is of conical shape--a +stupendous mass, apparently of grey granite, whose summit is about +1,500 feet above the sea, and which on one side is very nearly +perpendicular. Noah's Ark (South Point on the Admiralty chart) was so +named by myself at the time of my former visit, in consequence of its +resemblance both in shape and colour to the favourite toy of my +childhood. It is of oblong form, with perpendicular sides and with a +top exactly like the roof of a house. It is formed of volcanic rock of +a peculiar reddish colour, and is about 800 feet in height. These two +strangely-shaped mountains are joined together by an apparently +inaccessible ridge composed chiefly of the red detritus from Noah's +Ark. + +Our destination, South-west Bay, is bounded on its east side by these +mountains; it was, therefore, necessary for us now, being south of +East Point, to cross the intervening heights. + +The only pass I knew was just under the Sugarloaf. This we used +generally to speak of as the Sugarloaf Col, so as to distinguish it +from another pass which we afterwards discovered. Sugarloaf Col is the +gap which divides the Sugarloaf from a jagged peak to the north of it, +and which, in its turn, is continued by the steep downs which lie to +the back of South-west Bay. + +We crossed the sands, and then a small plain covered with a variety of +bushes, which brought us to the foot of the Col. This gap is formed of +rocks piled on one another, and is not difficult to surmount. + +We reached the summit of it and then, looking down on the other side, +we beheld, lying at our feet, Treasure Bay at last. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +WE EXPLORE THE RAVINE. + + +AS we stood on the Col, the steep wall of the Sugarloaf rising to the +left of us, the view over South-west Bay was exceedingly fine. The bay +is of semicircular form, with a distance of about a mile and a half +from point to point. Broad sands, with green downs behind them, border +the central portion; but it is bounded by steep bare mountains on +either side: on the east side by Noah's Ark, the Sugarloaf and the +peaks beyond; and on the west side by the rugged promontories and +islands which divide it from South Bay. In contrast to the savage +cliffs that shut them in, the sands and downs in the middle of the bay +present a very pleasing and fertile appearance, especially when seen +from the sea, conveying the idea that this is a far more agreeable +spot to live on than proves to be the case after a closer examination. + +From the Col we could look right down on the bay, and, as the water +was very clear, we were able to distinguish all the dangers below the +surface, as well as those above. It was, no doubt, from here that the +pirate captain made his survey. + +We saw that an islet, unmarked on any chart, rose in the middle of the +bay, while a reef of rocks, apparently coral, extended right round the +bay, parallel to the beach, and at a short distance from it. Some of +these rocks were above the surface of the water, some just below, and +others--the most dangerous--further down, so that it was only +occasionally that the sea broke upon them. The pirate in his +confession had spoken of a channel he had discovered through this +reef, situated under the Sugarloaf, at the eastern extremity of the +bay. We now saw that it existed there exactly as he had described +it--a broad opening in the line of rocks, through which a boat could +be pulled, and beached on the sands. + +But still, it was an awkward place, and it would be impossible to land +there on such a day as this was, for immense rollers were sweeping up +the shore which would have almost certainly dashed any boat to pieces +that ventured among them. We were, however, very satisfied with the +success of our expedition so far. We had discovered and taken bearings +of the channel, and we knew how to pilot a boat through it, when the +weather should be favourable. Our next duty was to descend into the +bay and identify the place where the treasure was supposed to be +hidden. + +It was not long before we had discovered what we considered to be the +right spot. + +The pirate had described a small gully in the middle of this bay, at +the foot of which he and his men had erected three cairns, which +should serve as landmarks to those who had the clue, and point the way +to the treasure. + +Mr. P----, and, after him, Mr. A----, had found this gully and the +three cairns, just as they had been described. Mr. A----, either for +the purpose of putting others off the scent, or in order to discover +if anything had been concealed beneath them, blew up these cairns with +gun-powder and dug into them, so that now we could only see traces of +one of them. He had, however, communicated to me what he understood to +be their signification, and how he had been led by them to the first +bend in the ravine, at which spot the plunder had been buried under a +hollow rock. + +We walked up the ravine till we came to a bend, and here, as we had +expected, we saw what appeared to be a landslip of red earth, filling +up the corner of it, blocking up the mouth of any cave that might +exist there, even as Mr. P---- and Mr. A---- had described. And here +before us lay a small trench, with a broken earthenware water jar and +the remains of a wheel-barrow lying in it--all that remained to show +where Mr. A---- had carried on his not very extensive works. + +This, therefore, was the spot we had crossed the Atlantic to find. We +stood and looked at it in silence for a while. 'What do you think of +it?' asked the doctor at last. + +It was not an easy question to reply to, for I did not quite know +myself what to think of it. I had pictured to myself a very different +place. I saw that our work would in one respect be more difficult than +I had anticipated, in another respect far more easy. For this landslip +was not nearly so extensive as I had understood it to be, and the +slopes of the ravine were not of such a character as to render our +operations dangerous, or to necessitate any timbering of our shafts or +trenches. But, on the other hand, there was a want of definiteness +that was disappointing. There were no really sharp bends in the +ravine, and there were several landslips. It was impossible to be +quite certain of what was meant by 'the first bend;' for there were +bends of so insignificant a character that they might easily be +overlooked; and we had no knowledge of the number of paces from the +cairns to the cavern. Therefore, should we fail to find the treasure +at the spot where Mr. A---- commenced to dig, it would be necessary +for us to clear the landslip off the face of the cliff for some +considerable distance. + +Having inspected the scene of Mr. A----'s operations, we set out to +explore the ravine carefully, and, bearing in mind what we knew of the +pirate's original instructions, we endeavoured to reason out whether +this or some other neighbouring bend was the most likely spot. The +treasure was lying, or had been lying, very close to us somewhere; of +that I felt confident at the time, and I have had no reason for +altering my opinion since. + +First, we went down the ravine again, and when we reached the bottom +of it, where it opens out upon the back of the beach, we observed, +what had escaped our notice at first, an extensive excavation in the +hard soil--which is not so encumbered with boulders here as it is +higher up--a cutting so regular in form and with such perpendicular +sides that it was difficult to imagine that it had not been the work +of men's hands. This was certainly not one of Mr. A----'s trenches; +for to have removed such a quantity of earth and stones would have +occupied such a party as he had with him for six months at least. + +Was it possible that the American, or some other adventurer, had been +here before us and carried away the treasure? We could find no marks +of tools or other traces of man in or near this trench, so it was +impossible to decide whether it was artificial or natural. Some of us +afterwards came to the conclusion that it was most probably the +latter, for we came across other cuttings, somewhat similar to this, +in other portions of the ravine, which had evidently been produced by +the action of water. + +Next we went up the gully beyond Mr. A----'s trench, in the hopes of +finding water, of which we were beginning to feel the want. There was +no running stream here, though it was evident from its formation that +the ravine was swept by a mighty torrent after heavy rains. The water +that drained into it from the over-hanging mountain was soaked up by +the loose red soil that lay between the boulders. + +But at last we came to a little hollow at the foot of a rocky step, +where was a tiny pool of tepid and muddy water. However, this was all +we required, for we could now afford time to survey the scene of our +operations more thoroughly, instead of hurrying back, driven by +thirst, to our distant water-course. + +Between the hills and the beach, close to the mouth of the ravine, +there is a sort of plateau of sand and stones, and it was evidently on +this that Mr. A---- had pitched his camp, for here we came across his +tent poles, the remains of wheelbarrows, and some empty meat-tins. + +We walked down to the eastern beach, where the landing was, opposite +the channel between the coral rocks. The sands here sloped steeply +into deepish water; it was, apparently, an excellent place for +beaching a boat when the state of the weather should allow. Though it +was a windless day the ocean swell was high, and it was a grand sight +to see the great green rollers sweep majestically up till they were +close to the beach, and then curl over and break in showers of +sparkling spray. While we stood there admiring the scene, we saw a +curious sight. A roller was travelling towards us, rearing its arched +neck high up, so that the light of the sun shining through it made it +transparent, and in the middle of the clear green mass we saw a long +dark body suspended, borne along helplessly. It was a large shark +that, venturing too near the beach, had been carried up by the +breaker; he floated there a moment, erect on his tail, his fins +beating impotently, when the roller broke and he was dashed with a +loud thud on the beach; then the recoil of the surf swept him seawards +and we saw no more of him. + +Having carried out the object of our journey, we filled our bottle +with water and set forth on our return march. We recrossed Sugarloaf +Col and tramped along the sands. There was no wind and the day was +terribly hot. The sands reflected the burning sun into our faces, and +we felt as if we were literally roasting. Now and then we lay down, +clothes and all, in the salt-water pools, to cool ourselves, and we +rolled handkerchiefs round our heads, which we kept constantly wet. As +my hat had disappeared over a precipice on the previous day, this was +a very necessary precaution against sunstroke, so far as I was +concerned. + +When we were not far from our previous night's camp, we saw what +appeared to be an easier way up the mountains than the one by which we +had come down. The precipitous step at the top of the landslip had +been difficult enough to descend, and on account of the rottenness of +its substance we felt that the ascent might be impossible. + +Whether this new way of ours would have led us to the plateau of +tree-ferns high above us, I cannot tell; but I doubt it. At any rate, +we abandoned it before we had satisfied ourselves as to whether it was +a practicable route or not, for a most excellent reason on +Trinidad--the want of water. We had exhausted our bottle, and were +clambering up difficult declivities on hands and knees, with the +fierce sun blazing down upon our backs. As there was no wind, the air +that lay on the roasting rocks was so oppressive that we had to rest +frequently, and lie on our backs panting for breath. + +I was in the worse condition of the two, in consequence of the loss of +my hat, for, when the thin handkerchief I had wrapped round my head +was dry, it was altogether insufficient for protection, and I ran some +risk of being struck down by sunstroke or heat-apoplexy. + +Accordingly, as we saw no signs of water above us, and as it was more +than likely that this way would lead us to inaccessible precipices +which would drive us back again, we thought it prudent to retrace our +steps before we were quite exhausted, and make our way to the stream +we knew of. We could rest by it until the sun had dipped below the +mountain-tops, and then resume our climb in the shade. + +We descended to the beach, and walked along the sands until we came to +the rock under which we had camped on the previous night, and then, +being opposite to our ravine, we struck out inland towards it across +the down of beans. We must have turned rather to the right of the +track we had followed on the previous day, for we suddenly came to a +terrace of stones which we had not seen before, and which had +evidently formed part of the Portuguese settlement. We clambered up +this, and then perceived, still further to the right, the ruins of +several huts and walls, built of unhewn stones and overgrown with the +creeping beans. Most of the huts were built at the edge of a deep +steep gully. As soon as we saw this, the same idea struck both of us: +the Portuguese would most certainly have chosen the vicinity of a +stream for their settlement, and in all probability there was running +water at the bottom of that gully. + +As it would not take us much out of our way to satisfy our curiosity, +we climbed over the bean-covered rocks until we came to the edge of +the gully, and, looking over, saw, to our delight and astonishment, +not a tiny issue trickling drop by drop, like most of the streams of +these ravines, but a regular little river of sparkling water, rushing +down with a merry noise over the stones. + +We drank our fill, and found the water cool and delicious, but +slightly fishy in flavour, for the large white gannets thronged the +hills above. This is the most considerable stream on the island, and +the only one that reaches the weather shore, all the others, as I have +explained, being sucked up high above by the slopes of _debris_. +This drains an extensive area, and several ravines meet at the head of +the gully, each contributing its share of water. Among others was one +of the ravines we had attempted to descend on the previous day, and +which had led us to the brink of the precipice. From below we could +now see the whole face of that precipice--a fearful wall of black +rock, with a thin thread of water falling over it. + +We walked down the gully, and found that the stream, not only crossed +the down, but flowed right across the sands into the sea, the volume +of water being too great to allow of its being all swallowed up by the +thirsty soil on the way. We should have been more comfortable in our +camp on the night before had we known there was a stream so near to +us, and would have drunk our fill, instead of doling out to each other +thimblefuls of water with a grudging hand. It was strange, too, that I +had not discovered this river when I was here before. I had then, on +descending from the mountains, turned to the right, even as we had +done on the previous day, and suffered much from want of water; +whereas, had I turned to the left, I should have come upon this +generous supply after a few minutes' walk. + +This was, indeed, a most valuable discovery for us, for now, should +the supply of water fail in South-west Bay, our working-party would +merely have to cross the Sugarloaf Col, and follow the sands to this +river--no very arduous journey. + +The heat had been so intense this day that our recent vain climb upon +the mountain-side had somewhat exhausted us, and we did not feel +prepared to accomplish the whole of the long journey to the pier +before dark; moreover, the position of the sun showed us that it was +long past noon, and we should have had to hurry along without pause, +in order to save our daylight. + +So we decided to take it easily, and select a camp for the night close +to water, on the weather slopes of the mountains. We should have liked +to remain where we were, by the river, in the midst of the old +Portuguese settlement, but, knowing the difficulties of the homeward +journey, we felt that it would be advisable to proceed some way +further on our road before camping, and so leave a shorter distance to +travel on the morrow. + +We accordingly left the river-side and struck across the downs to the +foot of the ravine by which we had descended on the previous day. On +our way we gathered a quantity of beans for our supper. + +We soon found the ravine, and began to ascend it. The foul white birds +again attacked us as we climbed from rock to rock, and the ugly crabs +waved their pincers at us with menacing gestures. Then we came to the +lowest point on the hill-side where water is found. This was at a much +greater distance from the beach than it had seemed to be while we were +descending on the day before; for the stream disappears in the soil at +a spot at least 600 feet above the level of the sea, and to attain it +from below involves a pretty stiff climb. + +We went still higher up the ravine, until we were close to the place +where the stream issues from the ground, a short distance below the +foot of the great landslip of black rocks. Here we found an admirable +site for our camp. This gully, as I have explained, falls towards the +shore at a very steep angle, the rocks, as it were, forming a gigantic +flight of steps. We were now on one of these steps, a flat surface, +about ten feet across, covered with red sand. The stream fell on to +this from the step above, forming a little cascade some twelve feet in +height, and, after crossing one side of the flat, fell over another +wall of rock on to the step below. + +The scene around us was strangely picturesque. Our step was simply a +small ledge in this wilderness of broken black rocks; above us and +below us were precipices and landslips. It was an excellent situation +for an eagle's nest, but not an over-secure spot for a camp of men. +Our narrow bed would not do for a restless sleeper: to slip off the +edge of it would insure a broken neck. A coarse grass grew here and +there between the rocks by the water-side, but there was no other +vegetation on the bleak crags, though of course the mysterious dead +trees, as everywhere else on this island, were lying thickly all +around. The foul birds and the land-crabs were the sole inhabitants of +this solitude. + +We now proceeded to make ourselves at home for the night. I collected +the branches and trunks of the dead trees and built up a goodly pile +of firewood, while the doctor prepared our supper. We had no saucepan +with us, so the pannikin had to do duty for one. In this the doctor +concocted a stew, the ingredients of which were _charki_, biscuit, +figs, and Trinidad beans. It turned out to be a far more tasty dish +than one would have supposed. + +After dinner the saucepan was cleaned out and grog was served out in +it--the last of our supply of rum. We had just lit our pipes and were +settling ourselves down to a comfortable half-hour's smoke and chat +before turning in (to whom is a pipe so sweet as to one camping out +under the stars after the day's work?) when suddenly the doctor cried +out, 'Hullo, look at our beds!' I looked, and lo! to my dismay, those +luxurious couches were under water. + +I must explain that we had pulled up a quantity of grass and strewed +it over the sand, so as to make a snug soft sleeping-place for the +night. While we were enjoying our dinner, the river, unobserved by us, +had risen considerably, and was now flowing over that portion of the +step whereon we had made up our beds. There had been no rain to +account for this, so I suppose that the sun, blazing down on the +rocks, causes a great evaporation of water during the day, and that, +consequently, the volume of the stream is greater after sunset. + +So we had now to put aside our pipes and grog for a few moments and +undertake some necessary engineering operations: we cleared away a +channel through the natural dam of grass, stones, and sand at the +lower edge of the step, and so gave a free passage to the swollen +stream. The flood subsided at once, and our beds were above water +again. The doctor, then, acting in his medical capacity, suggested +that damp mattresses were unhealthy; so we threw a few handfuls of +grass on the top of the sodden mass, and our beds were what we were +pleased to call dry again. + +We lit a fire of the dead wood and kept it alight all night, so that +we could occasionally warm ourselves by it; for a wind had sprung up +at sunset, which swept up the ravine from the sea, making us feel +uncomfortably chilly, thinly clad as we were and having no blankets to +cover us. + +We soon found that it would be impossible for us both to sleep at the +same time, for the land-crabs had smelt us out and swarmed down upon +us from all sides. We kept watch and watch; while one slept the other +tended the fire and killed the land-crabs, as they approached, with +sticks and stones. The other crabs, as usual, fed on the dead. I have, +in the 'Cruise of the "Falcon,"' described the peculiarly uncanny way +in which a land-crab eats his food. I saw this night, as I kept watch, +at least twenty of them at a time devouring the carcasses of their +slain friends. Each stood quite still, looking me straight in the face +with his fixed outstarting eyes, and with an expression absolutely +diabolical. He pulled the food to pieces with his two front claws, and +then, with deliberate motion, brought the fragments of flesh to his +mouth with one claw, and chewed them up with a slow automatic action, +but still those horrible eyes never moved, but stared steadily into +mine. + +As we had no means of judging the time, it was difficult to divide the +night into watches of even length, so we had to portion it out between +us the best way we could. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +A NARROW ESCAPE. + + +We started early on the following morning, November 23, and reached +the summit of the landslip before the sun had heated the black rocks, +and the layer of close air immediately over them, to that high +temperature which we had found so insupportable on the previous day. + +We managed to ascend the cliff which hangs over the landslip without +accident, but it was anxious work, and we experienced a sense of +relief when we found ourselves safe once more on the upper plateau. + +From here we took a short cut across the groves of tree-ferns towards +the head of the cascade ravine, and came unexpectedly upon a green +valley in the middle of the plateau which we had not seen before, and +which is, without doubt, the most beautiful place on the island. At +the bottom of it a cool stream flowed through thickly-growing ferns +and grass. The scenery all round us was of a soft and pleasing +character, very strange to us after the dreary barrenness of the +mountain slopes beneath this elevated and almost inaccessible garden. + +We might have been in some fair vale of Paraguay, instead of on the +summit of rugged Trinidad. Here were gently sloping green hills that +shut out all view of the jagged peaks. The vegetation was of a more +luxuriant nature than in any other portion of the island; tall +grasses, bushes, and plants of various kinds, most of them covered +with flowers, carpeted the soft red soil, while the tall and beautiful +tree-ferns stood in scattered clumps, casting a pleasant shade with +their fronds of darker green. Even the dead trees were not so +melancholy in appearance as elsewhere on the island; for from their +branches--as well as from those of the older bushes and +tree-ferns--there hung swaying festoons of a parasitic plant something +like the Spanish moss that covers the pines and live-oaks of Florida, +but more beautiful, for this was of a silvery white colour. + +Besides those tyrants of Trinidad, the birds and land-crabs, mice, +flies, ants, earwigs, and big spiders dwelt in this happy valley. + +From here we walked to the head of our ravine, where the principal +grove of tree-ferns crowns the cliffs, and now we looked down upon the +'Alerte,' seeming very small from this dizzy height, '_and yon tall +anchoring bark, diminished to her cock; her cock, a buoy almost too +small for sight_.' We observed that the wind was blowing rather +freshly from an unusual quarter--north-west--making this a lee shore +to our vessel, but there were no signs of bad weather in the sky. + +While descending the ravine we were shut in by the walls of rock, so +that we were unable to see the yacht; but on reaching a point just +above the cascade we again commanded a view over the whole roadstead, +and lo! we found, to our dismay, that the 'Alerte' was no longer lying +at her anchorage, nor was she anywhere in sight. + +We stood and stared round the horizon, scarcely believing the evidence +of our eyes. Not an hour before we had looked down upon her from the +mountain, riding snugly to her anchor, with sails stowed. What +possible mischance could have occurred since then? + +We proceeded to the pier, on to which we perceived that the sea was +breaking much more heavily than when we had landed on it, and from +here we were enabled to see further round the coast to the north-west. +Then we caught a glimpse of our vessel just before she rounded, and +was hidden by, the first promontory. She was about two miles away, +with all plain sail set, beating against the wind towards the northern +end of the island. + +We surmised that those on board had become anxious about our safety, +and were sailing round the island in order, if possible, to discover +where we were--a course which they had no right to undertake, seeing +that the doctor and myself had not yet been two and a half days away, +and were not likely to have lost ourselves. Besides which, I knew that +there was no one on board competent to take charge of the vessel on a +cruise of this sort. Under these circumstances I was in anything but +an amiable temper, more especially as the doctor and myself were now +fagged out by our exertions, and had been looking forward to a square +meal, and some good red wine with it, on our return on board. + +As it appeared that they were bent on sailing round the island, and +might not be off the pier again until the following day--for the yacht +was evidently progressing very slowly, plunging her nose constantly +into the steep head seas--I determined to recall them, if possible. So +we hurried back to a slope near the cascade where the grass was +growing thickly, and applied a match to it. As I expected, there was +soon a great blaze, and a dense volume of smoke arose which must have +made itself visible for many miles around. The wind fanned the flames, +and the fire crept slowly up the mountain-side wherever the dry grass +afforded a track for it; the dead trees, too, began to burn fiercely, +and we discovered that we had started a somewhat larger conflagration +than we had intended, and had set the whole of this side of the island +on fire. + +However, it produced the desired effect: we saw the yacht sail clear +of the point again, on the starboard tack, bear away, and run down the +coast towards us. And now, at the suggestion, as I afterwards learnt, +of Arthur Cotton, who ought to have known better, but who, as having +been here before with me, professed to be well acquainted with the +pilotage of Trinidad, the anchor was let go, to my horror, quite close +to the edge of the breakers. Our vessel was now in very convenient +proximity to the end of the pier, it is true, but in a most perilous +position: for no sea-room had been allowed her--a very necessary +precaution under these cliffs, where the wind is never steady--and I +saw that, when the anchor was weighed again, we should run great risk +of being carried on to the rocks by the rollers before we could get +the yacht under command. + +It may be imagined what was my condition of mind when I realised all +this, and the doctor was naturally as savage as myself. We stood on +the pier and watched the men as they lowered the sails and then +launched the whale-boat in order to fetch us off. Powell, Pursell, and +two of the paid hands manned the boat. The sea was now so high that +they could not approach very near to the shore. The waves were dashing +high up the sides of the pier, and, in recoiling, rushed across the +end of it in the form of a cascade. + +Seeing that we must swim for it, we took off our coats and placed them +in a hole at the top of the rocks. I shouted to those in the boat to +keep some distance off, and throw a life-buoy with a line attached to +it towards the pier, so that we could jump in and be hauled off by it. +This was done. Choosing my time I leapt in, held on to the line, the +boat was pulled seaward out of reach of the breakers and I clambered +on board. Then we returned for the doctor. He stood on the pier, +waiting for his opportunity, but one much higher roller than the rest +came up and swept him off into the sea. Luckily, he was not dashed +against any of the rocks, but managed to swim out clear of the recoil, +while we backed towards him and took him on board. + +Once safe on the deck of the 'Alerte' I listened to an explanation of +the extraordinary manoeuvres which had been taking place. + +It seemed that either the yacht had dragged her anchor, or it was +supposed that she had dragged her anchor--for the opinions on the +matter were at variance--so the anchor was weighed, and, of course, as +the chain got short, the yacht, even if she had not done so before, +began to drag at a merry pace. Then sail was hoisted. By this time she +had drifted very close to the rocks, but, as far as I understand, she +was filling and would soon have been in safety again, when, for some +reason or other, down went the anchor, and she lay rolling about close +under the rocky Ness and the dangerous islets that lie off it. Up came +the anchor once more, and this time the yacht drove so very near to +the rocks that every one on board gave her up as lost, and some were +looking out for the safest spot on shore to swim to. A high sea was +breaking over the cliffs--one touch and she would have broken up. And +now, as by a miracle--for I don't know how it happened, and no one on +board seems to have known--the vessel got way on her and forged ahead, +so that she became manageable, and was steered out to sea, clear of +danger. + +That she had been very nearly wrecked there can be no doubt, and that +this had been due to very awkward handling was also certain. I was +myself much to blame for the serious risk the poor old vessel had +incurred. Had I left the doctor in charge on board, in his capacity of +mate, while I was exploring the island, he would, no doubt, have +extricated the yacht from her difficulty as soon as she began to +drag--an easy task. I did not consider that there was any one else +among the volunteers capable of undertaking the responsibility of +command, but I was under the impression--wrongly it seems--that the +five paid hands on board would have had the common sense to give her +more chain when they perceived that the wind was freshening. Ted, for +instance, was bos'n, and might have taken it upon himself to do this, +as was indeed his understood duty when no officers were on board. + +For the first and only time during the cruise these men lost their +heads, and, having no recognised leader to direct them, each +volunteered his own opinion as to what should be done, or as to +whether the vessel was dragging at all; but, as far as I can make out, +with one man giving one order at one end of the vessel, and another +man giving a contradictory order at the other end, nothing at all was +done until it was almost too late. + +I made up my mind never from this time to leave the vessel, even for a +short time, without putting some one definitely in charge, even if he +were an incompetent person. + +But the danger was not all over yet. The vessel was now tumbling about +in the high swell at the edge of the breakers, the wind had dropped, +and to have weighed the anchor would have been to have run great risk +of being carried on to the rocks by the rollers. So, as she was safe +where she was for the time, I saw it was advisable to wait until the +conditions should be more favourable, before shifting our anchorage. +The doctor and myself enjoyed our square meal to which we had been +looking forward, and then I turned in to sleep, giving orders that I +should be called at four in the afternoon. + +At four the sea had gone down a good deal and there was a moderate +breeze, so I decided to move to a safer berth. We hoisted the sails +and, while we were getting the anchor up, I took the precaution, +seeing what little sea-room we had, of putting the whale-boat in the +water, with a long line fastened to the yacht's bows, ready to pull +her head round and tow her seawards should she not cant in the right +direction. + +We got away safely, and the anchor was let go in nineteen fathoms +close to where we had brought up on our arrival. + +The night was fine, but the surf was still roaring on the beach. The +mountains now presented a curious appearance, for our fire had spread +up the various arms of the ravine almost to the summit, and there were +clusters of lights, as of villages, in all directions, while here and +there what appeared to be bonfires were blazing, possibly at spots +where several dead trees had fallen together. We began to fear lest +the illumination, which must have been visible for leagues out to sea, +might attract the attention of passing vessels. A captain would +naturally conclude that these fires were the signals of a shipwrecked +crew, and therefore go out of his course to render assistance. Luckily +this did not happen. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +WE LAND THE STORES IN THE BAY. + + +The patience of my men was now to be severely tried. Here before them +was the mysterious isle, with all its golden possibilities; but for +five days the sea was in far too disturbed a condition to permit of a +landing; so they were confined to their floating prison, which rolled +and pitched at her anchorage all the while, and gazed with vain desire +at the forbidden land. + +It was now that Ted came up to me, as spokesman for the rest of his +shipmates in the forecastle, and said that they were all anxious to go +on shore in turn, and do their share of digging with the rest of us. +It had been part of the original scheme to keep the paid hands--with +the exception, perhaps, of the cook--on board the vessel; but as by +this time we knew the ways of the 'Alerte,' and could handle her with +fewer men than when we had started. I decided that an officer and two +paid hands would be a sufficient crew while she was lying off the +island, and that all the other men could be spared for the work on +shore. I therefore acceded to Ted's request. + +The men were led to understand that they would be entitled to no share +of the proceeds if the treasure were found, though they, of course, +knew that, should fortune favour us, a handsome present would be given +to them. + +The agreement as to the division of the spoil among the +gentlemen-adventurers had also to be revised in one respect. It was +settled that the shares of those who had abandoned the expedition were +to be portioned out among those who remained. By this arrangement each +of my companions became nearly twice as rich--in expectations--as when +he sailed from England. + +Trinidad is supposed to be outside the limit of the south-east +trade-winds, but I think this is doubtful; for, so far as my +experience goes, the prevailing winds are from the easterly quarter, +and more commonly from the south-east. When the winds are in the west +quadrant, and more especially when from the south-west, a heavy sea +rises, and landing is rendered altogether impossible. This was our +experience for the next few days. + +On November 24, there was a high wind from the north-west and a great +swell. We were now on a lee shore, and a very dangerous one too; so +all was got ready for slipping the anchor and running to the open sea +in a moment, should it become necessary to do so. We gave the yacht +all her starboard chain--sixty fathoms. We got up the end of the +chain, and made it fast to the mainmast in such a way that we could +let it go at once. One end of a stout thirty-fathom hawser was +attached to the chain, just below the hawse-pipe, and to the other end +of it we fastened an improvised buoy, made of a breaker and a small +bamboo raft. In order to get under way we should now merely have to +throw the buoy overboard and cast off the end of the chain from the +mast. We could then sail away and leave our moorings behind us. + +Then we set to work to bend the storm-trysail, a very handy sail, +which could be hoisted much more readily than our heavy mainsail. We +reefed the foresail, had a storm-jib ready, and housed our topmast. We +were now prepared for anything that might turn up. + +We were not idle this day, for after making all snug, we got the +spades, hydraulic jack, and other tools out of the hold, so as to have +them in readiness to put in the boat the moment there was a chance of +landing. + +Our fire on the mountain blazed away all this night and was not +entirely extinguished for six days afterwards. + +The next day was overcast, and the wind was from the south-west; then +it veered to the southward. The sea was higher than on the previous +day. The vessel tumbled about a great deal, rolling her scuppers under +water, flooding her decks, and running her bowsprit under, all the +while. Still, she rode very easily, the great length of heavy chain we +had given her acting as a spring. We watched carefully for the first +signs of dragging, but the anchor had evidently got a good hold now +and she did not budge a foot. In the afternoon the glass fell rapidly +and the sky looked very stormy, while the temperature in our saloon +fell to 75 deg., which made us feel quite chilly. + +It is probable that this disturbed weather and high sea were the +results of a _pampero_ raging thousands of miles to the southward +of us. + +On this day we took our dinghy on deck--a dilapidated little boat--and +proceeded to stop her leaks, in a novel, but for the time effectual, +manner, with plaster of Paris and tar. + +The fish would not be caught while this heavy sea was running, but we +secured some sharks and ate their flesh for dinner, to the horror of +our black cook, whom I overheard telling his shipmates that he +considered it 'degrading to eat de meat of de dam shark.' + +_November 26._--Same weather, blowing, raining, rolling, and +impatient grumbling of men. Even the two amiable blacks, eager to be +at work on shore, fretted a bit at the enforced imprisonment on board. +They had always been fond of argument, but now the arguments became +stormy, and we could hear them laying down the law to each other in +the forecastle, while the English sailors sat round them, smoking in +silence and listening with amused wonder. One black was a Roman +Catholic, the other a Methodist; their discussions were generally +theological, and they exchanged vituperations with a fine theological +fury. It was grand to hear Theodosius rail at the Pope and call his +comrade a heathen idolater, while George would pour the vials of his +wrath on the Methodist heretic. These two poor fellows were the +greatest friends, but, of course, each was confident that the other +was doomed to perdition. When, in the course of one of these +controversies, a theologian found himself caught in a dilemma, he +would wax impatient and cry, 'Oh, chew it!'--an expression I have +never heard before--indicating that one has been worsted in argument, +but will not allow it, and insists, having had enough of it, on +winding up the debate at once. + +On the 27th the glass rose, the wind veered to north-east, and the +sea moderated; but the surf was still dangerous, and we could see it +breaking over a rock sixty feet in height. On this day we sighted +two homeward-bound sailing-vessels. During our stay on Trinidad +we saw a good many craft, sometimes four or five in a week, all +homeward-bounders, for, as I have already explained, it is usual for +vessels coming round Cape Horn to make for and sight this island, so +as to correct the rate of their chronometers. Few outward-bounders +pass it, and it is altogether out of the track of steamers. + +On November 28 things looked better, the sea had all gone down. In the +morning a few hands pulled off to the pier, where they found the +landing perfectly easy, and brought off the coat which the doctor had +left on the rock when we had jumped into the sea. My coat could not be +found, as it had been washed off by a wave. They also brought off a +specimen of a land-crab, which did not seem at all at home on our +deck. He was introduced to Master Jacko, our monkey, whose horror at +the uncouth apparition was intense. The wise monkey would not get +within reach of the crab's nippers, but, having cleverly driven him +into a corner, tried to push his ugly visitor through a scupper into +the sea with a bit of firewood. + +I must now apologise to Jacko for not having before this introduced +him to my readers. He was a delightful little creature that we had +purchased on the Praya at Bahia. He was very affectionate, and was +free from malice, though, of course, full of mischief. He had a red +blanket of his own, which he would carry about with him wherever he +went, and, should a few drops of rain fall or spray come on board, he +would deftly roll it about him in the fashion of a cloak, with his +funny little head just peeping out of the hood. He was very fond of +tea, and while we were at sea he took his 4 a.m. cup with the others. +As soon as the cook began to lift the boiler of tea from the stove +Jacko would give a whistle of delight, clamber up the pantry wall, +unhook a pannikin, and walk up with it to be filled, 'all de same as a +little ole man,' as the cook used to say. It was amusing to see him +test the temperature of the tea with his fingers before drinking it. +He was a marvellously intelligent and jolly little creature, and is +now dwelling happily in a little house on a cocoanut tree in a +plantation near Port-of-Spain. He prefers a West Indian life of warmth +and unlimited bananas to an existence in a damp ship on salt junk and +biscuit. + +At noon, as the sea was still smooth, we made our first attempt at +landing in Treasure Bay. We put the whale-boat in the water, and +loaded her with about a ton of stores, consisting of tinned provisions +of various sorts, biscuit, salt beef, the picks, spades, crowbars, +wheelbarrows, hydraulic jack, and other tools. We also took in tow a +raft constructed of the long bamboos we had brought from Bahia. These +we knew would be useful for several purposes. + +I steered the boat, while the doctor, Powell, Pursell, and two paid +hands, took the oars. Having the wind behind us we were not long in +crossing the two miles of smoothly heaving sea that lay between us and +South-west Bay. We rounded the point into the bay, and, leaving on our +port hand the islet in the middle, we made for the channel which the +doctor and myself had surveyed from the mountains. When we came near +we found that there were three parallel lines of breakers to be +traversed, and, consequently, there was a treble chance of swamping. +The surf was much more formidable than we had expected to find it, +considering how smooth the sea was outside the bay. The wind was +blowing in strong gusts right off shore, over the depression in the +mountains at the back of the bay. It drove off the tops of the +oncoming waves into great veils of spray, curling over in a contrary +direction to the curl of the swell, and bright with shifting rainbows +as the sun's rays fell upon it. The bay presented a most beautiful +appearance from the boat, and those who had not seen the pirates' +haunt before uttered exclamations of admiration and wonder. Between +the gloomy black mountains on the left and the unearthly-looking dark +red walls of Noah's Ark on the right was a scene in which, flooded +with tropical sunlight, earth and ocean vied with each other in +vividness of colouring. Directly in front were the great rollers of +transparent green, their snowy crests flashing with rainbows; beyond, +dazzling golden sands; above, domes of brilliant emerald cleaving the +cloudless sky. + +But this was no time to dwell on the beautiful; we had other matters +to consider. The grand rollers with their breaking tops had no charms +for us, for we had to get through them--a risky undertaking with a +deeply-laden boat. + +We discovered afterwards that it is almost impossible to judge from +the height of the swell near our anchorage, or from the surf on the +pier, whether landing in South-west Bay is likely to be easy or the +reverse. The surf on this sandy beach is governed by a different +system of laws to that which prevails on other portions of the coast +of Trinidad. Here, curiously enough, there is more surf when the wind +is blowing off shore than when it is blowing on. The north-east wind, +sweeping in violent gusts down the slopes that back the bay, offers a +resistance to the swell rolling in, and piles it into steep walls of +water, breaking dangerously. The south-east wind raises a higher swell +outside, but, blowing right into this bay, drives the sea down, and +the landing becomes comparatively easy. At the anchorage opposite the +cascade the contrary is the rule: with a north-east wind blowing off +shore the sea is smooth, with a south-east wind the surf increases; +but, as I have already stated, it is always smoother there than in +South-west Bay. + +The men rested on their oars, and we watched the surf from a safe +distance, to discover if there were any chance of picking a favourable +opportunity for landing. It would be a disappointing matter if we had +to pull our boat-load of stores back to the yacht against the wind; +so, after a little hesitation, I decided to risk the landing. One must +run some risks on such a place as Trinidad, and we might as well +commence at once. All in the boat were delighted at the decision. + +Every one knows how the ocean swell proceeds in regular rhythm, and +how one sees at intervals three greater waves than usual come up, one +after the other, to be succeeded by a comparative calm. We took the +boat just outside the outer breakers and awaited one of these +smoothes. Soon three great waves passed under us, and broke beyond us +with terrific force. Now was our time, and we made a dash for it. The +long ash oars bent as the men, putting their backs into their work, +drove the boat through the sea. Pull away! Pull away! The first row of +breakers is passed; then we are safely borne on the top of the second, +looking down upon the beach as from a hill. It passes us and breaks. +All safe so far. We are close to the beach. Then, behind us, we see a +wall of water suddenly rise, curling over. We should simply be rolled +over if we tried to back the boat against it, so the men strain at +their oars to reach the shore before it. The boat is just touching the +sand, the order is given: 'All hands overboard and haul her up,' when +the sea pours over our heads, filling the boat. The men leap or are +washed overboard. One catches hold of the long painter we had provided +in view of such an emergency and contrives to reach the shore; then, +planting his heels in the sand, he holds on with all his strength, to +prevent the boat being swept off into deep water by the receding wave. +At first the other hands are out of their depth, but, as the roller +recoils, they feel bottom; then, two of us holding on to one side of +the boat and two on the other, while the remaining man scrambles on +shore to assist the man with the painter, we haul the boat up till she +grounds; then we all stand by till the next roller comes on to help us +up a bit further. Here it comes! right over our heads, and we are +afloat once more. But the two men on shore haul away with all their +might, as do the others when they touch bottom, and when the wave +recoils it has left us fifty feet higher up the bank, and out of reach +of any heavy body of water. + +It was lucky for us that ours was a lifeboat with a water-tight +compartment at either end or we should not have got out of this scrape +so well. The boat did not capsize when she filled, neither did she +broach to, her head was always direct for the shore. The tide was +coming in fast, so we lost no time in getting her safely drawn up. +While some hands took out the stores and tools, others baled her out, +and, by placing bamboo rollers under her, we dragged her up the steep +incline of sand until she was quite out of reach of the sea. We found +that we had not lost or damaged any of our stores, so had good reason +to congratulate ourselves on our success. + +A tot of rum was served to all hands after their exertions, and then +we carried all our property up to the spot we had selected for our +camp--a plateau of sand and earth opposite the mouth of the ravine. + +Then, as all were, of course, anxious to see the supposed hiding-place +of the treasure, the doctor and myself took them to it. On ascending +the gully somewhat higher than we had gone on our previous visit we +discovered two or three small pools of inferior water. But the supply +was insufficient, even after the recent heavy rains; so it was evident +that, unless we found some other source, our condensing apparatus +would not have been brought in vain. There was, fortunately, an +abundance of fuel in the neighbourhood, for the dead trees were +strewed over all the hill-side. + +We had not brought off any of the tents, but, with a good fire and +plenty to eat, drink, and smoke, there would be little hardship in +sleeping out; and the doctor and Powell volunteered to stay on shore, +while I went back to the yacht. It was my intention to return, if +possible, on the following day, with the tents and other stores, and +to then leave a working-party on the island. We might, of course, on +the other hand, be prevented by a heavy sea from landing again for a +week or more; so we bade our comrades an affectionate farewell, and +enjoined them not to be lazy, but to dig away until they saw us +again--a quite unnecessary suggestion, for they were very keen to +begin work. + +Taking with me Pursell and the paid hands, we hauled the boat down to +the beach; we dragged her into the water quickly, just as one big +roller was recoiling, jumped in and pulled hard out to sea. We shipped +a little water at the second line of breakers, and were then in +safety. + +We soon found, as we pulled back to the yacht, that our boat had +sprung a leak, for the water was pouring in fast through her bottom, +so that we had to stop and bale occasionally. She was an excellent +sea-boat, but lightly built, and her bump on the sands had done her no +good. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +OUR CAMP. + + +We hoisted our leaky lifeboat into the davits when we got on board, +intending to repair her on the following morning. + +During the night fierce gusts blew down the ravine from the +north-east, and black masses of cloud were constantly sweeping across +the mountains. The wind howled as it does in a wintry gale on the +North Sea, and, to all appearance, a heavy storm was raging. Still, it +was quite smooth at our anchorage under the lee of the island, and we +noticed that seawards the sky looked fine enough, and the clouds were +travelling at no great pace. The storm, in fact, was entirely local, +and was limited to the islet and its immediate neighbourhood. We +afterwards became quite accustomed to these harmless gales, which had +a habit of springing up at sunset. + +Trinidad, in consequence of the loftiness of its mountains, can boast +of a climate of its own. It is subject to miniature cyclones, whose +influence does not extend a mile from the shore, and which, therefore, +cannot raise a heavy sea. We were sometimes riding with straining +chain to a wind of hurricane force, when we could see a vessel a +league or so from the land making no progress, her canvas shaking in +the calm; and, however fine it might be outside, the clouds would +collect upon the peaks in ominous torn masses, that whirled along as +if impelled by a terrific blast, and which looked very alarming until +we came to understand the innocence of the phenomenon. We also found +that the landing was often the most perilous on clear, windless days, +when no clouds crowned the mountains. + +These storms were, however, a nuisance to us; for the squalls would +strike the yacht with great force, so that she strained at her chain +and was likely to drag; consequently the officer in charge was unable +to enjoy an undisturbed night's rest, but was in a state of constant +anxiety for the vessel, and was often brought on deck by the turmoil +to satisfy himself that all was going well. + +The next day, November 29, was fine, the wind being still from the +north-east. There was even less swell than on the previous day, so we +saw that no time must be lost in landing more stores. A neglected +opportunity on Trinidad might mean a month's delay. + +We examined the boat, and found that she had started a plank, but that +the damage was slight and could be easily repaired. A few copper +nails, some cotton thrust between the seams with a knife, and a little +marine glue, made her right again; and, after breakfast, she put off +to Treasure Bay with a miscellaneous cargo--the tents, a barrel of +flour, wire-fencing, the blankets and baggage for the shore-party, +etc.; but we did not venture to put nearly so heavy a weight into her +as on the previous day. + +The surf in the bay was no longer dangerous, and, though water was +shipped, all was landed without accident. At midday the boat returned +to the yacht, was reloaded, and another successful disembarkation was +effected. This put us in very good spirits. We had succeeded in +overcoming the difficulties that had caused previous expeditions to +fail, and had now got on shore all that was absolutely necessary for +carrying on the digging for some time to come. The doctor, Pursell, +Powell, and Ted Milner were left on shore for the night, and the boat +returned to the yacht. + +The next day, November 30, was the first on which we divided ourselves +definitely into two parties, the working-gang on shore and a crew of +three to take charge of the yacht. I had talked our plans over on the +previous day with my sole officer, our medico-mate, and we came to the +conclusion that it would be advisable for me to stay on board for the +first fortnight, at least; for we did not know as yet whether it would +be safe to remain at anchor for any length of time, or what steps +might become necessary in order to ensure the safety of the vessel; +and, until such knowledge had been gained by experience of the +conditions of the place, it was right that I should undertake the +responsibility of looking after the yacht. + +So, on this morning, I went on shore for the last time, before +settling down to my fortnight's watch. We took another cargo of stores +in the boat, and landed without difficulty. This long spell of smooth +sea was a most fortunate occurrence for us. + +On landing I found that the shore-party had been hard at work. They +had arranged the camp--and very snug it looked. Two ridge tents had +been placed side by side, to be occupied by the gentlemen-volunteers, +two in each; while a short way off was a larger tent, constructed of +our racing spinnaker and the quarter-deck awning supported by bamboos. +This was our dining-room and kitchen, and also served as sleeping +quarters for the paid hands. At one end of it was an elegant +dining-table--planks from the deck of some old wreck, supported by one +of Mr. A----'s wheelbarrows which had been found in the ravine. A few +campstools and barrels served as chairs, and the arrangements +generally were almost luxurious. + +Many improvements were made to the camp during our stay in Trinidad, +and at last it became a comfortable little village. A conspicuous +object near the tents was the condensing apparatus. Later on, the +cooking was all done out of doors, a neat oven having been constructed +of stones and plaster of Paris. The plaster of Paris had formed part +of the taxidermist's stores, but, little used for its original +purpose, it was found to be of much service in the way of cement. + +A list of all that we landed on the shore of South-west Bay would be a +long one. There was, at the very least, eight tons weight in all. I +need not say that the cook was well provided with culinary apparatus, +and that such articles as paraffin lamps for the tents, a library of +books, fishing lines and hooks, and carpenter's tools had not been +forgotten--our camp, in short, was fully furnished with everything +that could be required. + +The doctor and myself discussed the scheme of work on shore, and, when +all was settled we launched the boat again and pulled off to the +yacht. It was decided that the shore-party should keep the +whale-boat--in the first place, because the crew on board would be +insufficient to man her, and, secondly, because it was only right and +prudent to leave a boat on the island in case of any accident +happening to the yacht. It would be easy for the working-party to pull +off, if necessary, and intercept a passing vessel. The dilapidated +dinghy was left on board for our use. + +The hands who had come off in the boat dined on board, and then the +doctor, taking with him those who were going to stay on shore, pulled +back to the bay, to commence his duties as Governor of Trinidad, +leaving me with my two hands, Wright, and the coloured man Spanner. +And a very good governor the doctor proved too, as I discovered when I +next went on shore and saw the work that had been got through. He kept +up a discipline quite strict enough for all practical purposes. He did +more work than any one else himself, being physically the strongest +man of us all, and he superintended all the operations with great +skill and judgment. The control could not have been left in better +hands, and he was well backed up by his comrades. There was hard work +done on that island, considerable hardships were undergone, there was +often dangerous landing and beaching of boats, and all was carried on +under a vertical sun on one of the hottest and most depressing spots +on earth. Great credit is due to the doctor and the others who worked +so hard and with such pluck and cheerful zeal, and the ungenerous +remarks of the one discontented volunteer we had left--a man who did +not do his share of work either at sea or on shore, but who did far +more than his share of criticism and fault-finding--can only reflect +upon himself. As he has favoured the world with his sneers through the +medium of the papers, I feel bound to say this much. + +The doctor remained and worked hard on the island during the whole +time that our operations were being carried on, as did Powell and +Pursell, and they, with the paid hands, who relieved each other at +intervals, practically did all the digging. I was on shore for one +fortnight only, as will appear in the course of this narrative. I had, +consequently, but a very small share of the hard work and of roughing +it, for the life on board ship was incomparably more comfortable and +easy than the life on shore. Our critical volunteer also only passed +about two weeks, of not arduous work, on the island; for the rest of +the time he was on the yacht. + +This night we had another local storm, but by now we were getting +accustomed to this. + +Shortly after dawn on the following morning, Sunday, December 1, I +saw, to my surprise, the whale-boat rounding the point. She came +alongside, and the doctor, who was in charge of her boarded us. Seeing +that there was very little surf in South-west Bay, he had rightly +taken the opportunity of putting off for another cargo of stores. +Among other articles, he carried away some large cocoanut mats we had +purchased at Bahia, and which, when laid on the sandy floor of the +tents, would make things more comfortable. He also took off the heavy +boiler and receiving tank of the condensing apparatus, which could +only be landed on a favourable day such as this was. Having loaded the +boat, he left us again. + +We had now taken so much weight out of the yacht that she was high out +of the water, and might possibly prove somewhat cranky under canvas. +So, after dinner, I took the two men off with me in the dinghy, for +the purpose of fetching some heavy stones from the beach, to put in +our hold in the place of all the tools we had taken out. First we +pulled to the pier, where we landed without the slightest difficulty. +Wright, while wandering about the beach, came across the last object +one would expect to find on a desert island--a rather smart lady's +straw-hat, so far as my judgment goes, of modern fashion. It had, +probably, been blown off some fair head on a passenger steamer. The +gallant gentlemen-adventurers, when they heard of this discovery, +proposed that it should be stuck on a pole in the middle of the camp, +to remind them of home and beauty. + +Finding that there were no suitable stones near this beach, we got in +the boat again and rowed to West Bay, to see if we should have better +luck there. Three islets lie off the east side of the Ness. We found +that the narrow deep-water channel between these and the cape could be +taken with safety on a fine day like this. As a rule, this channel is +impracticable, for the ocean swell penetrating it produces a great +commotion, the sea being dashed with violence from the cliffs on one +side to those on the other, so that the entire channel presents the +appearance of a boiling cauldron; and, even on this quiet day, we had +to keep the boat carefully in the middle, for the waves leapt high up +the rocky walls with a loud noise, which was repeated in manifold +echoes by the crags above. When we were in the passage between the +third islet and the shore the scene before us was most impressive. The +black cliffs rose perpendicularly on either side of us, about thirty +feet apart, casting a profound shade on the heaving water, so that it +looked like ink beneath us; and between these cliffs, as through a +dark tunnel, we saw the sunlit waters and shores of West Bay. The +mountains that lay to the back of it were barren and of bold outline, +great pinnacles of rock dominating huge landslips that slope to the +shingle-beach. We could distinguish the familiar forms of the +Sugarloaf and Noah's Ark towering over the depressions of the hills. + +At the farther end of the bay we found a suitable place for getting +stones. Here a rocky shelf formed a sort of jetty. George leapt on +shore and brought down the stones, while Wright, sitting in the stern, +took them from him, and placed them at the bottom of the boat, while I +backed in towards the jetty and pulled out again between the waves; +for there was sufficient sea to do damage if proper caution was not +observed. Having taken on board about half a ton of large heavy +stones, we returned to the yacht and stowed them under the +cabin-floor. + +On the following morning, December 2, the doctor came off again in the +lifeboat, and carried off another moderate load of stores. He reported +that on the previous day, being Sunday, he had given all hands a +holiday on his return to the shore, and that they had passed the day +in exploring the neighbourhood of Treasure Bay. They came across some +more tent poles and picks left by Mr. A----'s party. They also made +one very curious discovery--a quantity of broken pottery, lying in a +little rocky ravine at a considerable height above the shore. All this +was of Oriental manufacture. Some was of unglazed earthenware, some of +glazed china--the remains of what appeared to have been water-jars and +punch-bowls. There were also some broken case-bottles of glass, +oxidised and brittle from long exposure. The bowls proved to be of +Blue Dragon china, about a hundred years old, and, therefore, of some +value to the connoisseur. + +Pottery of this description had certainly not formed part of the +equipment of Mr. A----'s, or of any other of the treasure-hunting +expeditions. Could these be relics of the pirates' booty--articles +they had thrown away as being of no value to them when they buried the +rest of the treasure? It was, certainly, difficult to account for the +presence of old blue china on a barren hill-side of Trinidad. It has +been suggested by an old sea captain that an East Indiaman may have +been wrecked here many years ago, and that her crew had contrived to +reach the shore with provisions and other property, for bowls of the +same description as those of which these fragments had formed part +were commonly used by the Malay sailors to eat their curry in. + +The doctor soon left me, and hurried back with his boat's crew to the +camp, for the sea was rising, the glass had been falling for +twenty-four hours, and the sky had a stormy appearance, not only over +the mountains, but on the sea-horizon as well. + +These signs of foul weather did not deceive us, for it now blew hard +from the south-east for several days, and the sea was so rough that we +were unable to launch the dinghy, while, on the other hand, it was +impossible to put out from the bay in the whale-boat. All +communication was, therefore, cut off between the yacht and the shore +for six days, and we could not even see each other during this time, +as two capes stretched out between us. + +It was fortunate that we had landed such an ample supply of stores +while the weather was fine. + +We had rather an uncomfortable time of it on board for the next few +days. For a good part of the time the wind was blowing with the force +of a gale, and it howled and whistled among the crags in a dreadful +fashion, while the surf thundered at the base of the cliffs. The wind +being south-east was parallel to this portion of the coast; so we were +scarcely, if at all, protected by the island. A great swell rolled up, +travelling in the same direction as the wind. But as violent squalls +occasionally rushed down the ravines at right angles to the true wind, +we were blown round by them, so that we were riding broadside on to +the sea, rolling scuppers under in the trough of it, pitching the +whole bowsprit in at one moment and thumping our counter on to the +water the next. + +Things looked so bad on December 4 that I was thinking of slipping the +anchor and putting to sea, but, as the vessel did not appear to be +straining herself, I held on. Our dinghy was dipping into the sea as +we rolled, so we took it from the davits and secured it on deck. + +We had now ample leisure to study the meteorology of Trinidad. The +rains were heavy during this stormy period and the cascade swelled +visibly. I do not think this island is subject to drought; for, +notwithstanding that this--the summer--was the dry season here, +scarcely a day passed without a shower during our long stay. In the +winter season this is, to judge from the logs of passing vessels, a +very rainy spot. The glass never fell below thirty inches while we +were here, and generally stood at about thirty and two-tenths. The +temperature in the shade on board averaged about eighty. In the tents +on shore it was far hotter. The sunsets are often very fine on +Trinidad, of wild and stormy appearance and full of vivid colouring; +these indicate fine weather. The boisterous south-west winds, +extensions of River Plate _pamperos_, are heralded by clear blue +skies. + +We three now imprisoned on the yacht occupied our time in tidying her +up, and making all necessary repairs in the sails and gear generally. +We occasionally knocked down some birds as they flew over us. Some +would coolly perch on our davits and stare at us very rudely, to the +great indignation of Jacko, who swore at them in his own language. It +was curious to watch the birds fly far out to sea each morning for +their day's fishing, the air full of their shrill and melancholy +cries, and return again in the evening. It was invariably while +starting at daybreak that they called on the yacht. While going home +in the evening they had their business to attend to. It was then that +they carried food to their young--fluffy balls of insatiable appetite, +which, I am afraid, had sometimes to go to bed supperless; for the +anxious mothers are often robbed of their hard-earned fish by the +cruel pirates who are perpetually hovering round this island. + +These pirates are the frigate or man-of-war birds. They do not fish +themselves, but attack the honest fishers in mid-air, and compel them +to surrender what they have caught. The frigate-bird is of the +orthodox piratical colour--black--but has a vermilion beak and a few +white patches on its throat. It has a forked tail, and wings of +extraordinary length in proportion to its body, their spread sometimes +attaining, it is said, as much as fifteen feet. + +There are other pirates here as well, of a meaner description, who, +being able to fish for themselves, have no excuse for their crimes; +whereas the frigate-bird is unable to skim the sea after fish. Should +he touch the water he cannot make use of his unwieldy wings and +flounders helplessly about until he becomes the prey of sharks. + +But these other robbers have taken to dishonest ways from sheer +laziness and lack of principle. Their favourite method is to seize a +smaller fisher by the throat, and hold him under water until he is +half drowned and has to disgorge his fish. Sometimes two or three +plucky little birds will assist a neighbour in resisting the big +bully, and often drive him off discomfited. We witnessed several most +exciting combats of this description. + +We skinned the birds we killed, and I have brought these specimens +home with me. Of fish we now caught plenty. We salted and sun-dried +some, but these were not a great success, and had a rank flavour in +consequence of their oily nature. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +DISCOVERIES IN SOUTH-WEST BAY. + + +At last, on December 7, communication between the yacht and the shore +was resumed; for the wind and sea had greatly moderated, and the +doctor was enabled to come off to us at midday, with four volunteers +and paid hands. They had been labouring hard with pick and shovel, and +looked like it too. Digging into the volcanic soil of Trinidad soon +takes all superfluous flesh off. Indeed, led on by the energetic +doctor, they had worked harder, perhaps, than white men should in such +a climate, and had a stale overstrained appearance, while they +admitted that they felt somewhat slack. + +They brought us off a quantity of turtle-eggs. The female turtle +frequent South-west Bay in large numbers, for the purpose of +depositing their eggs in the sand. But up till now, they had failed to +catch any of the turtle. The eggs are excellent, and can be used for +every purpose for which fowl's eggs are employed. Here is a receipt +for making egg-nog which I have tried myself and can recommend:--Two +turtle-eggs, a tea-spoonful of tinned milk, some water, sugar, and a +small glass of rum. + +The shore-party had obtained an abundance of fish; they used to catch +them not only with hook and line, but with an extemporized seine net, +which they dragged with great success through the pools left by the +receding tide. This seine was simply a long piece of the wire-netting +which we had brought with us to serve as land-crab-proof fencing round +the camp. It seems that this netting did not fulfil its original +purpose very satisfactorily, as the crabs could burrow under it. + +The land-crabs however, did not molest the shore-party to any extent, +and it was only now and then that a man found one of these unpleasant +creatures in his bed. It was the custom for the men to sally forth +every evening, just before dark, and kill, with sticks, every +land-crab they could find in the immediate neighbourhood of the camp, +each man slaying his sixty or seventy. This afforded an abundance of +food for the others during the night, so that they had no need to +stray into the tents. The crabs, I was informed, were excellent +scavengers, and consumed all the cook's refuse. + +The doctor and his companions had no lack of news to impart. I was +anxious, of course, in the first place, to learn how the work had +progressed. I was told that some hundreds of tons of earth had been +already removed, and that a broad trench was being dug, along the face +of the cliff, through the landslip in the first bend of the ravine, +but that, so far, no indications of the treasure had been come across. +The chief difficulty consisted in the presence of a great many stones +of all sizes that were mixed up with the fallen soil, some of them +being of several tons weight. In digging the trench an inclined plane +was left at either end, up which the barrows of earth could be +wheeled; and when one of the big stones was found, the earth was, in +the first place, cleared from round it, and then it was dragged from +the bottom of the trench up one of these inclined planes by means of +powerful tackle, assisted by the hydraulic jack. When they had got it +by these means to the top of the trench, they could easily roll it +down the ravine. + +The doctor explained to me all the routine that he had laid down for +observance on shore, and the different details of the work. Sunday was +always a holiday, and was occupied, as a rule, in wandering about and +exploring; but it was sometimes too terribly hot for this. + +I was informed that a crowbar and several other fresh relics of Mr. +A----'s expedition had been discovered, and that a wooden box had been +found, carefully hidden away at the farther end of the bay, which +contained a chess-board, a quantity of shot cartridges, and several +London and Newcastle newspapers, dated October 1875. Mr. A----'s +expedition took place in 1885, Mr. P----'s--the first expedition--in +1880; so the papers gave us no clue as to who had brought them here. +The shore-party had amused themselves by reading these ancient +journals. In them they found accounts of the Wainwright trial and of +the collision between the 'Mistletoe' and the 'Alberta.' It was +strange to read, on Trinidad, the old theatrical advertisements in the +_Standard_, with Charles Matthews acting at the Gaiety and Miss +Marie Wilton at some other house. There was an excellent notice of the +latter charming actress in one of these papers. + +I was told that there had not been so much surf in South-west Bay as +might have been expected with so strong a wind; but, as I have +explained, the south-east is the wind that raises the least surf on +this sandy beach, though it blows right on to it. + +The doctor told me that they had experienced, on every occasion they +had landed, a strong current sweeping along the shore of the bay in an +easterly direction, so that, no sooner did the bow of the boat touch +the sand, than her stern was driven round by the current to the left, +and, unless proper precautions were taken, she would get broadside on +to the next sea and be rolled over. + +On being asked whether they had had much rain in the bay, they replied +that the showers had been as heavy as those tropical downpours we had +experienced in the doldrums. They said that the Sugarloaf presented a +magnificent appearance after one of these showers, for then a cascade +700 feet in height would pour down its almost perpendicular sides. +They had been enabled to fill their tanks and breakers with +rain-water, and had only used the condensing apparatus on one or two +occasions, and then more by way of experiment, to see how it worked, +than from necessity. It acted perfectly, and with it five gallons of +fresh water were distilled from sea-water in a very short time. + +The fortunate discovery had also been made of two small issues of +water among the cliffs at the east end of the bay. The supply was +sufficient, and though the carrying of the water in breakers from here +to the camp over the rough ground entailed heavy labour, it was easier +to fetch it in this way than to collect the large quantity of firewood +necessary for condensing an equal amount of water. + +The doctor reported Arthur Cotton as being ill, and unfit for further +digging for the present; so he was left on board with me, while George +went on shore to take his place. The doctor promised to come off for +me on the following morning, so that I could pay a short visit to the +shore and inspect the works--provided, of course, the surf permitted. +Then we bade each other farewell, and the working-party returned to +the bay. + +The boat did not come off for me on the following day, as the surf was +dangerous in South-west Bay; and I held no communication with the +shore-party for another week. During this time the wind was from the +south-east; but though it rushed down the ravine with the usual +violent squalls, it was moderate outside, and we had no more of the +heavy sea which had been running throughout the previous week. It +would have been possible for me to have landed at the pier on nearly +any day, but there was still a sufficient surf to prevent our carrying +off any more stones from the shore. + +We were anchored on a sandy bottom, but we could feel, by the +grumbling of our chain as the yacht swung, that there were many rocks +under us as well. These caused us a good deal of annoyance; for on +several occasions, when the vessel was lying right over her anchor, +the slack of the chain would take a turn round a rock and give us a +short nip; so that when a swell passed under us, the vessel could not +rise to it, but was held down by the tautened chain, which dragged her +bows under, producing a great strain. The rocks must have been of +brittle coral formation, for, after giving two or three violent jerks +as the sea lifted her, the vessel would suddenly shake herself free +with a wrench, evidently by the breaking away of the obstruction. At +last all the projecting portions of the coral rock in our immediate +neighbourhood must have been torn off, the chain having swept a clear +space for itself all round, for after a time we were no longer caught +in this way. These great strains loosened our starboard hawse-pipe +badly, so that we had to slip our chain and pass it through the other +hawse-pipe. + +On December 9, it being a very fine day, I made an expedition in the +dinghy toward the north end of the island. We found no good +landing-place in that direction, for a coral ledge extends along the +whole coast, causing broken water, and there are dangerous rocks in +the midst of the breakers. We pulled into several little bays, each +hemmed in by inaccessible barren mountains, so crowded with birds +that, from the sea, the black crags looked quite white with them. We +pulled inside Bird Island and inspected the Ninepin from close to. +This huge cylinder of rock, 900 feet in height, is described by old +navigators as having been crowned with large trees. It is now +completely bare of vegetation, as it also was when I first saw it in +1881. I observed that, since my last visit, a huge mass had fallen off +the top of it, which now lay by its side in shattered fragments. We +caught a quantity of fish in these bays, one a fine fellow weighing +thirty pounds; and we saw several large turtle floating on the water, +but they sank as soon as we got near them. + +The uneventful days passed by, and I grew stout on laziness, salt +beef, and duff. At last, on December 14, we pulled off in the dinghy +to South-west Bay, to see how the shore-party was getting on. We took +with us a signal code book and the flags, so as to converse with our +diggers in case we could not effect a landing--a feat not to be +attempted with our rotten little dinghy except under the most +exceptional circumstances. The shore-party was, of course, also +provided with a code book and set of flags. + +As I required some more specimens of birds, I took with me, not a gun +with which to shoot them, but simply a ramrod, the end of which I had +loaded with a piece of lead. With this, as I sat in the boat, I found +no difficulty in knocking down the inquisitive birds as they flew just +over our heads, and I thus procured several good specimens. + +When we had pulled round the point and were in South-west Bay we saw +the white tents of the camp in front of us, and we could plainly +distinguish, in a ravine behind, the great trench which the men had +dug at the side of the cliff. We found little surf in the bay, but I +would not risk a landing; for it would not require much bumping to +knock our dinghy's ancient bottom off; so we remained outside the +breakers and signalled: 'Any news?' + +There was no reply with the flags, but some of the men walked down to +the rocks under the Sugarloaf, so that we could come near enough to +them to hail. A very disreputable lot our friends looked, too: as +unkempt and rough as the original pirates might have been. The costume +of each consisted merely of shirt, trousers, and belt, some sort of an +apology for a hat crowning all. They were all more or less ragged, and +were stained from head to foot with the soil in which they had been +digging, so that they presented a uniform dirty, brownish yellow +appearance, and, from a passing vessel, might easily have been taken +for Brazilian convicts. + +They shouted what news they had to tell. They reported that they were +progressing well with the digging, and that they had caught a number +of turtle. They promised to come off to the yacht the next morning, +surf permitting. I made some sketches of Treasure Bay and West Bay as +seen from the sea, and then returned to the vessel, to skin my birds. + +The whale-boat was alongside on the following morning, December 15, +and the doctor, Powell, Pollock, and two paid hands, boarded us. They +had brought off some fresh and salted turtle and a quantity of +turtle-eggs. + +The yacht had now been lying off Trinidad for twenty-five days, and +the shore-party had been hard at work for seventeen days; so I thought +it was quite time for me to join the camp, and do my share of the +work. I could see that the energetic doctor was anything but anxious +to change the hard labour on shore for the lazy life on board ship, +and though, as mate, he would have been the proper person to take +charge of the vessel during my absence on land, still we considered it +advisable to arrange matters differently. + +The doctor, as I have said, was a most useful man on shore, and, as we +were anxious to complete our operations as quickly as possible and +leave the island before the stormy season should set in, it seemed a +pity to waste so much energy and muscle as his in an idle life on +board the yacht. Having remained at anchor for so long, and knowing +that our anchor had now got such a firm hold that there was but little +chance of its dragging, and having, moreover, discovered by experience +that it was possible to ride where we were even in bad weather, I had +acquired a considerable confidence in the safety of the vessel, and I +believe that she could have remained off the cascade for six months +without suffering damage. I, therefore, now came to the conclusion +that it would not be very imprudent to leave a somewhat incompetent +person in charge, as the chances were that he would have nothing to +do. Pollock, who had complained of slackness for some time, was the +one from whom the least amount of work could be extracted on shore, +and was, therefore, the one who could be the most easily spared. I, +consequently, decided to leave him on board the yacht, instead of the +doctor. + +The weather now looked very settled and there was little chance of bad +weather for a time. I gave Pollock his instructions, and left with +him, as a crew, Ted Milner and George Spanner. I packed up my traps +and pulled off with the others to the bay, not at all sorry to do a +little work, for a change. + +We took Jacko on shore with us. He did not admire the island, and +particularly objected to the land-crabs. His favourite amusement was +to turn on the tap of our tank, when no one was looking, and let all +our hard-got supply of water run out. + +He behaved very well on the whole, however, except on Christmas Day, +when he drank some rum which he found at the bottom of a pannikin, +and, I am grieved to say, became disgracefully intoxicated. He had a +dreadful headache the next day. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +PICK AND SHOVEL. + + +As it was a Sunday there was no work done on the first day of my stay +in camp; all hands had the usual holiday, which they chiefly employed +in fishing, and in mending their clothes. I walked up the ravine and +was surprised to find that so much of the landslip had been already +removed. The trench was about twenty feet broad, and ultimately +attained a depth of upwards of twenty feet in places. It extended for +some distance along the face of the cliff--if that term can be +properly applied to a steep slope of a sort of natural concrete, a +compact but somewhat brittle mass of stones and earth. It was at the +foot of this cliff that we expected to find the cave described by the +pirate, but how far we should have to dig down through the +accumulation of earth and rocks that had fallen from above and now +filled up the bottom of the ravine it was not easy even to conjecture. + +Our object, it will be seen, was to clear the face of the cliff until +we came to the original bottom of the ravine. Though the cliff was, as +I have explained, composed of brittle matter, as if in an intermediate +state between earth and rock, and of comparatively modern formation, +it was easy to distinguish it from the much looser soil of the +landslip that lay along its sides; this last, too, was of a very +different colour, being reddish brown, whereas the cliff was +slate-blue. + +The men had constructed several little paths leading from the trench, +down the ravine, to the edges of the chasms and precipitous steps +which are frequent in this gully, and the earth and stones that were +dug out of the trench were carried down these paths in the +wheelbarrows and tilted over the precipices. As we gradually filled up +these chasms the roads had to be extended further down the ravine, and +at last we had formed a great dyke which stretched right across it. I +was satisfied that all the operations had been conducted with +judgment, and, if the treasure were in the ravine at all, there was +but little doubt that we should find it. + +The same rules that had been laid down by the doctor for the +discipline of the camp were observed during my stay on shore. All +hands turned out at dawn, and cocoa and biscuit were served out. Then +we worked hard from half-past five till nine, at which hour the +temperature in that closed in ravine became so high that it was quite +impossible even for a black man to work with pick and shovel. A bath +in the sea, to refresh ourselves and wash off the clinging red dust, +was our next proceeding. Then we put off our working clothes for +others, and partook of a good breakfast, consisting chiefly of +oatmeal, which we found by experience was the best food to work on. +During the heat of the day we lay in our tents, almost panting for +breath at times, so intolerably hot and close it was. At half-past +three we returned to the ravine and did another three hours' work. +After this was another bath, then supper. There was a whole holiday on +Sunday and a half holiday on Wednesday. + +Even during the early hours of the morning, when the sides of the +ravine shaded us from the sun, digging was hot and trying work for +white men. We were, of course, bathed in perspiration all the while, +and were, consequently very thirsty, so that the cook was kept busily +employed in going backwards and forwards between camp and trench to +refill our water-bottles. + +In the middle of the day the sun, blazing on the sands, made them +terribly hot. No one could step on them with bare feet, even for a +moment; one could not even lay one's hand on the ground. + +The sand here is mixed with a finely granulated black mineral +substance, and I think it is the presence of this that causes so great +an absorption of heat. I have never found sands elsewhere, even in the +Sahara, attain so high a temperature. + +We were not altogether lazy out of digging hours. One's clothes had to +be washed, water had to be brought down in breakers and demi-johns +from the distant issue in the cliffs, and firewood had to be gathered. +We sometimes went out in a body to perform this last duty. We would +climb high up the mountain-sides, where the dead trees lay thickest, +and throw down the timber before us as we descended, until we had +accumulated a large quantity at the bottom. + +I shared one of the tents with Pursell, while the doctor and Powell +occupied the other. On my first night on shore we caught three turtle. +Our black cook, who was always looking out for them, came to my tent +and reported that, while prowling about the beach, he had observed +several large females crawling up the sands. It was a very dark night, +so, taking a lantern, four of us set out. We soon came across one of +the creatures, and followed her quietly until she had reached a spot +far above high-water mark, and then we turned her over on her back. +This is by no means an easy undertaking when one has to deal with a +seven-hundred-pound turtle, and requires at least four men to carry it +out. The turtle does not permit this liberty to be taken with her +without offering considerable resistance: with her powerful flippers +she drives the sand violently into the faces of her aggressors, +attempting to blind them, so that caution has to be observed in +approaching her. We turned over three turtle, and, on the following +day, salted down the meat that we could not eat in a fresh state. + +Turtle are kept alive for weeks on board ship, even in the tropics, +and all the care that is taken of them consists in placing pillows +under their heads, as they lie on their backs on deck--so as to +prevent apoplexy, I suppose--and in throwing an occasional bucket of +water over them. These creatures seem to be able to do without food +for a very long period. We found that we could not employ this method +of keeping alive the turtle we caught, for, though we constantly +poured buckets of water over them, and shaded them with matting, they +could not exist on these blazing sands; and the practice, cruel enough +at sea, would have been much more so here. + +The paid hands enjoyed turtle-hunting, and were inclined, +thoughtlessly, to turn over more turtle than were required for +purposes of food; so that I had to give an order that no turtle should +be turned over without leave, and the destruction of the creatures was +strictly limited to the requirements of the larder. A similar law was +made for the protection of the silly sea-birds, and the only animals +that could be slaughtered with impunity were the unfortunate +land-crabs, for they had no friends among us to take their part and +legislate on their behalf. They were now not nearly so plentiful in +the vicinity of the camp as they had been. They had begun to give up +their ignorant contempt for man, and on only one occasion during my +stay on shore was it considered necessary for four of us to sally +forth with sticks, before supper, and slay about a hundred each. + +The turtle were now so plentiful that we could have caught in a +fortnight sufficient to last us for six months, had we even lived on +nothing else. The Trinidad turtle are of large size--500 to 700 +pounds--and their flavour is excellent. We had turtle-soup and +turtle-steak every day for breakfast and dinner, so that we became +utterly weary of the rich food, and I do not think any of us wish to +see calipash or calipee for a long time to come. + +We did not neglect the other useful products of the island. We +gathered the wild beans, and found them a very welcome addition to our +diet. Of fish we always had plenty. Powell was our great fisherman, +and was the inventor of the seine constructed of wire-fencing which I +have already described. In addition to the edible fish I have +mentioned as swarming in these waters there are several other species +that we looked upon with some doubt, and refrained from eating. Some +of these were of quaint forms and dazzling colours, so that their +appearance seemed to warn us of their poisonous nature. There were +fish of brilliant blue, others with stripes of white and purple, +others with vermilion fins and yellow bands like those of a wasp. +Sea-snakes abounded in the pools. These, according to an Italian cook +we had on the 'Falcon,' are edible; but we did not venture to try +them. They attain the length of five feet and are of a grey colour, +with yellow stripes. They appear to be of savage disposition, for, +when harpooned, they twist about and bite with fury anything within +their reach. + +I stayed on shore altogether for a fortnight, and kept a journal of +our proceedings, which, together with several sketches, specimens of +the flora, and other articles, were washed out of the lifeboat and +lost when we abandoned the island. The loss of the journal, however, +matters little, for our life on shore was almost devoid of incident, +and was chiefly made up of monotonous work with pick, shovel, and +wheelbarrow. + +We dug away, still through loose soil that had evidently formed part +of the landslip, and removed some thousands of tons; but we did not +come to the foot of the cliff, or the cave which is described to be +there. Some of the stones that we had to remove in the course of our +digging were very large. We had a quantity of strong ropes and blocks +on shore, and when we came across an exceptionally big rock, we +clapped a number of watch-tackles one on the other, and, by putting +all hands on the fall of the last tackle, we obtained a very powerful +purchase, equivalent, I calculated on one occasion, to the power of +five hundred men. We found bones and bits of decayed wood among the +earth, but the former always proved to be the remains of a goat and +not of a pirate, and the latter were the fragments of dead trees and +not of chests of loot. + +But shortly before Christmas there were some encouraging signs. We had +now got down to a considerable depth, and we noticed that, when a pick +was driven into the bottom of the trench, a hollow sound was given +out, as if we were on the roof of a cavern, and, occasionally, little +holes would open out and the earth would slip down into some chasm +underneath. We dug still deeper, and we came to a collection of very +large rocks, which we were unable to move. They were jammed together, +and evidently formed the roof of a cavern, for, wherever we could +clear away the earth that lay between any two of these rocks, we +looked down through the opening into a black, empty space, the bottom +of which we could not touch by thrusting through our longest crowbar. +This looked promising, for it was just such a cavern as this that we +were seeking. + +We found that the rocks were too close together to allow of our +effecting an entrance from above, so we dug down along the side of the +last and largest of these until we came to its foot; and there indeed +was a sort of cavern, partly filled up with loose earth, which we +cleared out. + +There was no treasure in it, and nothing to show that any human being, +before us, had ever visited the spot. I think it was at this stage of +our operations that each man began very seriously to doubt whether we +were searching in the right place at all, and whether there might not +be some further clue that was missing, and, without which, search +would almost certainly be futile. But, whatever may have been thought, +there was, so far as I can remember, no expression given to these +doubts, and each worked on with the same cheery will as at the +beginning, even as if he were confident of success. These men were +determined, in an almost literal sense, to leave no stone unturned, +and not to abandon that ravine until they had satisfied themselves as +to whether the treasure was or was not there. + +On the Sunday after my arrival on shore, December 22, we went off in +the whale-boat to see how Pollock was getting on. The weather had been +exceedingly fine throughout the week in South-west Bay, and we might +have launched the boat on almost any day; but, though there had been +no heavy wind in the neighbourhood of the island, there had been a +considerable swell at the anchorage for part of the time, and Pollock +reported that the yacht had tumbled about a good deal. He had found +opportunities for landing at the pier with the dinghy, and had brought +off some breakers of water from the cascade and a quantity of +firewood. He had been very lucky with his fishing, having caught +several germanic, weighing from twenty to forty pounds apiece, and an +abundance of other fish. Ted Milner was now taken on shore with us, +while Arthur Cotton was left on board. + +We worked away steadily in the ravine until Christmas Day, when there +was, of course, a holiday. We had a most luxurious dinner on shore, as +also had the three men on board the vessel. The menu of our +shore-dinner was as follows:--Turtle soup, boiled hind-fish, curried +turtle-steak, boiled salt junk, tinned plum-pudding. For vegetables we +had preserved potatoes and carrots, and Trinidad beans. Good old rum +was the only beverage. There were some other luxuries, chief of which +was a box of cigars, which had been put away for this occasion. +Christmas Day was intensely hot, so that we remained in our tents, +having no energy for exploring mountains. With the exception of +Jacko's disgraceful intoxication, no incidents of note occurred. + +On the Sunday after Christmas Day, Pursell and myself set out to +explore the weather side of the island, taking our lunch in our +pockets--biscuits, figs, rum, and tobacco. We crossed the Sugarloaf +Col and descended upon the coast of South-east Bay, then we turned to +the right and followed the shore to the extreme south end of the +island, where Noah's Ark falls a sheer wall into the surf. + +There was a quantity of wreckage in this bay, and in one place we +found a topmast and some ribs of a vessel which might have been the +remains of the hull I had seen here nine years before. The broken bits +of planks, timbers, barrels, hen-coops and other relics of ships, were +piled quite thickly on the rocks above high-water mark, and we came +across a square-faced gin bottle, full of fresh water, which, from its +position, could not have been washed ashore, but must have been left +here by some human being. We saw the foot-prints of turtle, showing +that every sandy beach on this island is frequented by numbers of +these creatures. In view of the threatened turtle-famine we read of, +it might be worth some one's while to come here for a cargo of them; +but the difficulty of getting any quantity off alive would be great. + +The scenery of East Bay is very extraordinary, for here the signs of +volcanic action are more evident than on any other portion of the +island. At the south end of the bay there is no sandy beach; masses of +shattered rocks, fallen from above, strew the shore, and between these +are solidified streams of black lava, which appear to have followed +each other in successive waves, one having cooled before the next has +poured down upon it, so that a series of rounded steps is formed. The +ledges of lava extend far out to sea, producing a dangerous reef, on +which the sea always breaks heavily. + +As we advanced over the boulders there towered above us on our right +hand the perpendicular side of Noah's Ark, of a strange red colour, +looking like molten iron where the sun's rays fell upon it. A quantity +of red _debris_ from the roof of this mountain was also lying on the +shore, and at the north end of it we observed that a gigantic +_couloir_--as it would be called in the Alps--of volcanic ashes and +lava sloped down from its summit to the gap which connects it with the +Sugarloaf. It was obvious, from the vast amount of these fire-consumed +_debris_ and waves of lava surrounding its base, that Noah's Ark had +once been a very active volcano, and I think it highly probable that +there is a crater at the top of it. Though it is perpendicular on +three sides, it might be possible to ascend it from the fourth side, +by the _couloir_ connecting it with the gap under the Sugarloaf; +but the attempt would be risky, and a slip on its steep, sloping roof +would mean a drop over a wall 800 feet in height. + +We clambered over the rocks until we came to the end of Noah's Ark, +and we stood on a ledge of lava and gazed at one of the strangest +sights of this strange island. The base of the great red mountain is +pierced by a magnificent tunnel, known as the Archway, which connects +South-west Bay with East Bay. What seem to be gigantic stalactites +depend from its roof; and the different gradations of colour and shade +on its rugged sides--from glowing red in the blaze of the sun to +terra-cotta, delicate pink, and rich purple, and then to deepest black +in the inmost recesses--produce a very beautiful effect. The heaving +water is black within it, save where the white spray flashes; but, +looking through it, one perceives, beyond, the bright green waves of +South-west Bay, and the blue sky above them. + +The sea does not flow freely through the tunnel, except at high-water; +for, on the side we were standing, its mouth is crossed by a ledge of +lava, which is left dry by the receding tide. But inside the tunnel +there is deep water, and the ocean swell always penetrates it from +South-west Bay, dashing up its sides with a great roar, which is +repeated in hoarse echoes by the mountain. + +According to an ancient description of Trinidad quoted in the +'South-Atlantic Directory,' the Archway is 40 feet in breadth, 50 in +height, and 420 in length. I think it far higher and broader than +this--at any rate, at its mouth. No doubt the action of the surf is +continually enlarging it. + +Pursell and myself, having admired this beautiful scene for some time, +turned back, crossed the rocky promontory of East Point, and proceeded +along the sands till we came to the Portuguese settlement, which I +wished to examine more carefully than I had been able to do when here +with the doctor a month before. + +We had lunch by the side of the river which flows under the Portuguese +ruins, and then commenced to explore. The Portuguese had certainly +selected the only spot on the island at all suitable for a permanent +settlement; for not only is there here the best supply of water, but +there is also a considerable area of fairly fertile land, though it is +greatly encumbered with rocks. The downs by the river are densely +covered with beans, which also grow all over the ruined huts. It is +possible that these beans were originally planted here by the +settlers, and have since spread over all the downs between this and +South-west Bay; for they are not to be found on the other side of the +island. + +The huts, of which the rough walls of unhewn stone alone remain, are +built in terraces one above the other on the hill-side. A great deal +of labour was evidently expended in the construction of these +terraces, and of the roads leading to them, and quantities of stones +had been piled-up in order to obtain a level surface. This must have +been a picturesque little village in its day--whenever that day was, +for, though I have searched diligently, I can find no record to show +at what period Trinidad was used as a penal settlement by the +Portuguese. Amaso Delano, writing of his visit to the island in 1803, +speaks of a 'beach above which the Portuguese once had a settlement;' +and a still older narrative alludes to a Portuguese penal +establishment here as a thing of the long past. Malley, who was here +in 1700, took Trinidad in the name of the King of England--as I have +already mentioned--and he says nothing of such a settlement. + +Near the huts we found places where the soil had been cleared of +stones, for purposes of cultivation, and there were several walled-in +enclosures. + +We saw a good deal of broken pottery and tiles lying about, not such +as we had discovered in South-west Bay, of Oriental manufacture, but +of a very rough description, probably home-made. For, on the top of a +hill overlooking our ravine, we came across a hole that had evidently +been dug for the purpose of extracting a sort of clay that is there, +and there were signs of fire near it, and many fragments of +earthenware, so we conjectured that we were looking at all that +remained of the ancient Trinidad pottery-works. + +We did not return to South-west Bay by the Sugarloaf Col, but by +another route, which the shore-party had discovered in the course of a +previous Sunday's tour of exploration. This lay over the gap in the +downs at the back of our bay, and presented no difficulties; but the +soft soil and tangled vegetation made the climb a rather laborious +one. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +A VOYAGE TO MARKET. + + +I remained on shore for a fortnight, during which the weather was +fine, though a slight shower generally fell in the morning. + +We had still a large supply of stores, both on shore and on board; but +there was one article of food which we were consuming in much larger +quantities than had been anticipated--the necessary oatmeal--and it +was now found that but very little of it was left. It was, therefore, +decided that I should sail to Bahia--our nearest market-town--with the +yacht, and procure some more. + +A voyage of 1,400 miles in order to purchase a little oatmeal sounds +like a rather large order; but, as a matter of fact, it was more +comfortable to be under weigh than to lie at anchor where we were, +exposed to the ocean swell. So we did not look upon the journey as a +troublesome duty. + +My crew was to consist of Pollock and the three white sailors. + +I put Ted Milner, the boatswain, on Pollock's watch, and took Arthur +Cotton on mine. John Wright did the cooking and kept no watch, though +he was always ready to lend a hand if necessary. + +On Sunday, December 29th, the whale-boat went off to the yacht for +another load of stores, so that there might be an ample supply on the +island during the absence of the vessel; for it was not possible to +foresee how long we should be away. + +On Monday, 30th, I returned on board, and, after the two parties had +bade each other good-bye and good luck, the whale-boat went off to the +shore with a last cargo of provisions. We now got the vessel ready for +sea. We unbent the storm-trysail and storm-foresail, and bent the +large foresail; being rather short-handed, we left our topmast housed +during this voyage. + +We did not weigh the anchor until 5 p.m.; we set the whole mainsail, +the mizzen, foresail, and second jib. The wind, at first, was +exceedingly light, so that we drifted helplessly about for a time, and +we did not get clear of the island until after dark. I was thus unable +to sail round to the mouth of South-west Bay and satisfy myself that +the boat had been safely beached. However, seeing that so many +successful landings had been accomplished, I considered it unnecessary +to hang about the island until the following daylight, so we shaped +our course for Bahia. A moderate wind sprang up in the night and we +soon left the island far behind us. + +This was a most successful voyage. The wind was from the north-east +all the time, right abeam, and therefore as favourable as it could be. +There was not quite enough of it, however, and our best day's work was +only 154 miles. On one day it was rather squally, and we had to trice +up the main tack now and then. The voyage only occupied five days, for +we sighted the white sands and the cocoanut groves of the Brazilian +coast at 5 p.m. on January 4, and at 7.30 we rounded St. Antonio +Point, and entered the bay of Bahia. Here we found that a strong tide +was running against us, and, as is usually the case in the gulf at +this hour, there was scarcely any wind; so we were compelled to let go +our anchor near the light-house. A Newfoundland barque that had +followed us in had to do likewise. + +The next day, January 5, we rose early and saw before us again the +beautiful white city which we had left nearly two months before. We +got up the anchor as soon as the morning breeze had sprung up, and +sailed slowly to our anchorage under Fort la Mar, where we let go in +three fathoms of water. + +We noticed that a strange flag was flying on all the forts and +government buildings, as well as on the guard-ship and a little +gunboat that was lying near us. It bore no resemblance to the flag of +Brazil, or to that of any other nationality, and puzzled us somewhat. + +Though it was Sunday, our old friend, the harbour doctor, came off to +us in his launch. I was uncertain as to how he would receive us; for +the regulations of Brazilian ports are strict, and our entry here was +most informal. We had sailed out of Bahia, as the doctor himself must +have known, two months before, presumedly for Sydney, Australia; and +now, here we were again at Bahia, with no bill of health, and only +half of our crew on board. + +He came alongside, and we greeted each other. 'What port do you come +from?' he then asked. + +'We have been in no port since we left here,' I replied. + +'How--in no port!' he exclaimed, raising his eyebrows in slight +astonishment. He was too thorough a Brazilian to express much surprise +at anything, or to rouse himself from the almost Oriental apathy of +manner that distinguishes this somewhat indolent race. + +Then I explained to him that we had been passing our Christmas +holidays on the desert island of Trinidad, that I had left most of my +companions there while I had sailed to Bahia for more stores, and +that, having been in no inhabited port, I had, consequently, been +unable to provide myself with a bill of health. + +'And what were you doing on Trinidad all this time?' + +'Among other things, we were making collections of the fauna and +flora. There are some rare birds.' + +'Have you any specimens of the birds on board?' + +Luckily I had a few, and exhibited them. He was somewhat of a +naturalist himself, and recognised one species which he had seen on +Fernando Noronha. + +He seemed satisfied, and gave us pratique without any demur. + +Mr. Wilson had, of course, seen us, and had sent his boat to fetch me +on shore. Leaving the others on board, I got into the boat, and, as +the black boatman pulled me under the fort, it occurred to me to ask +him, in the best Portuguese I could muster, what was the signification +of the new flag that floated above the battlements. In my anxiety +concerning pratique I had forgotten to make any inquiries on the +subject from the doctor. The black looked up at the flag, smiled +faintly, and replied with an indifferent air--'Ah! la Republica.' + +And so indeed it was--the Republic! When I reached the store, Mr. +Wilson told me all about the revolution, which had occurred quite +suddenly and quietly on the day after we had last sailed from Bahia. I +learned that the much esteemed Emperor had been deposed, and that a +Republican form of government had been proclaimed. And a very shabby +sort of a revolution it had been, too, for there had been no +slaughter, to give an air of dignity and respectability to it. The +people themselves appeared to be heartily ashamed of such a feeble +thing, and spoke little of it. The most insignificant Republic of +Central America could have got up a far more exciting and sanguinary +affair at a few hours' notice. The harbour doctor had not even thought +it worth while to mention the change of government when he gave me +pratique. + +No national flag had yet been selected for this latest addition to the +list of American Republics, and the flag we saw was that of the State +of Bahia. There had been no disturbance in the city when the news of +the _pronunciamento_ was telegraphed from Rio. The negroes did +not raise a hand to support the Emperor, to whom they owed their +freedom. The only incident of note that occurred at Bahia was the +salute that was fired at Fort la Mar in honour of the new Government. +This salute did cause some little excitement; for, by some mistake, +round shot were fired instead of blank cartridges, and one shot went +through a longboat swinging on the davits of a Norwegian barque, and +did other damage. + +The United States gunboat 'Richmond' was at anchor in the bay, +awaiting instructions from Washington, it was said, before officially +recognising the new sister Republic. + +The next day was the feast of the Epiphany, a great holiday, and no +Brazilian could be got to work under any circumstances whatever. +Crackers, rockets, and bells were the order of the day. Even for the +two days succeeding the festival these pious people were disinclined +to work, and I heard the skippers of vessels raving in Wilson's store +because they could not get the water-boats alongside, or ship their +ballast, as the lightermen were still busy letting off crackers in the +streets. However, we managed to get all our stores off--oatmeal, +plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit, molasses, and a small barrel of +_cana_ or white rum. + +On Thursday, January 9, I renewed my acquaintance with some old +friends. The telegraph steamer 'Norseman' came into the port. She was +still under the command of Captain Lacy, who had taken the 'Falcon' in +tow with her from Rio to Maldonado nearly ten years before. + +We had intended to sail on this day, but the glass had been falling +and it was blowing hard from the south-east, so that it seemed +advisable to wait for some improvement in the weather. The next day, +January 10, the glass began to rise and the sky looked less +threatening, the scud no longer rushing across the heavens at a wild +pace; so we got under weigh after breakfast, and once more set sail +for the desert island. + +For a vessel sailing from Trinidad to Bahia the wind is always fair, +being from north-east to south-east; but for one sailing the reverse +way the wind is, as often as not, right ahead. This bad luck we now +experienced. Trinidad lay to the south-east of us, and south-east was +also the direction of the wind. When we were outside the bay we put +the vessel on the port tack and at five in the evening we were off the +Moro San Paulo light-house. Then we went about and steered away from +the land. + +This was, I think, our most disagreeable voyage. It blew hard all the +time, and there were violent squalls of wind and rain that frequently +compelled us to scandalise our mainsail and lower the foresail. The +sea ran high, and was very confused, so that, sailing full and by, the +yacht made little progress, labouring a good deal, and constantly +driving her bowsprit into the short, steep waves. On the third day out +we took two reefs down in the mainsail and two in the foresail. The +wind was constantly shifting between east and south, so that we often +went about so as to sail on the tack which enabled the vessel to point +nearest to her destination. + +When we had been six days out we were only half way to Trinidad, +having accomplished the distance of 350 miles from Bahia. + +On this day I had some trouble with Arthur. He had, I think, brought a +bottle of rum on board surreptitiously at Bahia, or, possibly, he had +helped himself from the barrel, which was always kept, for security, +in my cabin. As I used to sleep on deck during Pollock's watch, he +could then find his opportunity, as no one was below to catch him. At +midnight, when I relieved the other watch, he refused to obey an +order. He had done this on two previous occasions, also when under the +influence of smuggled spirits, and had quickly been brought to his +senses and to his work by having his head punched. It was his wont to +become repentant and make amends for his bad conduct by extra good +behaviour; and I must allow that he did his work willingly enough, as +a rule, but drink converted him into a foolish sea-lawyer. + +The offence was flagrant on this occasion, and as a head-punching only +resulted in making him sulky, I determined to discharge him. Seeing +that months might elapse before we left Trinidad for the West Indies, +and not wishing to have him on my hands all that time, I made up my +mind to run back to Bahia with him at once; so the mainsheet was +promptly slacked off, and we bore away, to the young man's great +surprise. I would not let him go below, in case he should get at the +rum again; so ordered him to stay on the deck forward. Before the end +of my watch he disobeyed this order and sneaked below in the dark. +When I discovered this I went down and ordered him to come on deck at +once. He obeyed, promptly this time, as he was, no doubt, reaching the +sober and repentant stage; but I would not trust him, and tied him up +by his foot to the bulwarks forward, and kept him a prisoner until we +came into port. + +He was the only paid hand we had who was subject to these fits of +insubordination. The doctor and myself never had any difficulties with +the others; they did their work cheerfully. + +Now that we were running before the wind and sea we made good +progress, and we sighted the Moro San Paulo light at 2 a.m. on Sunday, +January 19. The distance, therefore, that we had made after six days +of tacking was now accomplished before the wind in 50 hours. + +We were becalmed off the entrance of the bay for several hours. It was +an excessively hot day, and the morning breeze did not spring up till +later than usual, so that we did not let go our anchor under Fort la +Mar until midday. And now, lo! the flags of the State of Bahia no +longer decorated the city and forts, but a flag something like the old +Brazilian flag, but yet not the same, floated everywhere. Had there, +then, been yet another revolution while we were away, and was some new +form of government--communistical or oligarchical or what not--being +experimented upon? We learnt, on landing, that this was the National +flag of the Brazilian Republic, but only a tentative one, which was +being flown so that the citizens could see how it looked. I believe +several other patterns were tried, and thus exhibited in the cities +for public approval, before one was definitely selected. + +The harbour doctor came off to us, was amused at our story, and again +gave us pratique. Wilson had, of course, been much puzzled at the +re-appearance of the 'Alerte,' and was anxious to hear what had +happened. + +I took Arthur before the Consul on Monday morning, and formally +discharged him. + +New brooms sweep clean, they say, and the new Republican Municipality +had decided to clean dirty Bahia as economically as possible, and had +hit upon the following ingenious plan. The police were instructed to +consider any one, whatever his rank, who was found walking in the +streets after bed-time, as a dangerous conspirator, and to promptly +arrest him. All men locked up on any night for this crime were sent +out the next morning in a gang to sweep the streets. It was +interesting, I was told, to observe some gay young Brazilian masher, +in silk hat, lofty collar, and pointed patent boots, cleaning a gutter +out, with an armed policeman standing over him to see that he did not +shirk his work. I was instructed by the Consul to warn any of my men +who should come on shore as to the danger of strolling about the city +at night. + +I did not wish to remain at Bahia one moment longer than was +necessary; but I thought it would be well, as we were here, to fill up +our water-tanks. But it happened to be another fiesta this day--bells +and crackers again!--and the water-boat could not come off. So we had +to wait till the following day, January 21, when the water was put on +board of us, and in the afternoon we got under weigh. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +HOVE TO. + + +It was blowing hard on the day of our departure from Bahia, and we +sailed down the bay under mizzen and head sails, so as to see what it +was like outside before hoisting our mainsail. + +A high sea was running on the bar, and while the yacht was tumbling +about in the broken water, an accident happened to Wright. He was +preparing our tea, when a lurch of the vessel capsized a kettle of +boiling water, the whole contents of which poured over his hands and +wrists, scalding them severely, and causing intense pain; so that we +had to administer a strong sleeping draught to the poor fellow, after +the usual remedies had been applied to the scalded parts. He was on +the sick list for a long time, and was, of course, incapable of doing +work of any description during this voyage; though, as soon as he got +a bit better, it worried him to think that he was of no use, and he +insisted, though his hands were bandaged up, in trying to steer with +his arms. + +This accident made us still more short-handed. There were but three of +us left to work the vessel. Luckily, I had one good man with me, in +the person of Ted Milner, who not only did the cooking, but worked +hard on deck during my watch as well as on the other, and was very +cheery over it all the while, too. + +When we were outside, we took two reefs down in the mainsail before +hoisting it, and close-reefed the foresail, for it was evident that we +were in for a spell of squally weather. + +We had better luck now than during our previous attempt at reaching +Trinidad, for the wind, instead of being right ahead from the +south-east, kept shifting backwards and forwards between north and +east, so that we could always lay our course on the port tack, and +could often do so with our sheets well off. But the wind was squally +and uncertain, and for much of the time the sea was rough, so that we +were eight days in reaching the island. + +At dawn on January 29, we sighted Trinidad, right ahead, and in the +afternoon we were about two miles off, opposite to the Ninepin rock. +It was blowing hard from the eastward, and the sea was, I think, +running higher than on any occasion since we left Southampton. The +surf on the island was far heavier than we had ever seen it before, +and was breaking on every portion of the coast with great fury. + +We now ran before the wind towards South-west Bay, and the squalls +that occasionally swept down the ravines were so fierce that we sailed +with foresail down and the tack of our reefed mainsail triced well up. +We saw that the seas were dashing completely over the pier, and +sending great fountains of spray high into the air. When we opened out +South-west Bay the scene before us was terribly grand. Huge green +rollers, with plumes of snowy spray, were breaking on the sandy beach; +and the waves were dashing up the sides of Noah's Ark, and the +Sugarloaf to an immense height, the cliffs being wet with spray quite +200 feet up. The loud roaring of the seas was echoed by the mountains, +and the frequent squalls whistled and howled frightfully among the +crags, so that even the wild sea-birds were alarmed at the commotion +of the elements: for they had risen in multitudes from all the rocks +around the bay, and were flying hither and thither in a scared +fashion, while their melancholy cries added to the weirdness of the +general effect. + +And once more we saw before us, high above the sea-foam, our little +camp, with its three tents, and the whale-boat hauled up on the sands +not far off, with its white canvas cover stretched over it; but we +were surprised to see no men about: the camp appeared to be deserted. + +It was, obviously, impossible for the shore-party to launch the boat +with so high a sea running, neither could we approach within +signalling distance of the beach; so that there was no chance of our +being able to communicate with our friends for the present. I also saw +that it would be highly imprudent, if not impossible, to come to an +anchor off the cascade with the yacht. There was to be no harbour for +us just yet, and the only thing to be done was to put to sea and heave +to until the weather improved. + +We did not anticipate that we should have to wait long for this +improvement; but, as it turned out, we had to remain hove to for eight +days, before the state of the sea permitted the boat to come off to +us, during which time the bananas, pumpkins, and other luxuries of the +sort, which we had brought from Bahia for the working-party, began to +spoil, and we had to eat them ourselves to save them; so that, when at +last the men boarded us, we had but little left for them of the fresh +fruit and vegetables which were so grateful to them, though of oatmeal +and other provisions there was an ample store. + +We soon discovered that it was much better in every way for the yacht +to be hove to than to be lying at anchor off Trinidad. To strain at +her chain in an ocean swell must be injurious even to such a strong +vessel as the 'Alerte' is; and, as I have said, we did pull one +hawse-pipe nearly out of her on the occasion that the chain got foul +of the rocks at the bottom, thus giving her a short nip. Even in fine +weather we experienced a lot of wear and tear; for the yacht used to +swing first in one direction, then in another, as the various flaws of +wind struck her, so that the chain was constantly getting round her +stem, and we found that a large piece of her copper had been worn away +in this manner, just below the water-line. + +Had I fully realised before the great advantages of heaving to, I do +not think I should have ever let go my anchor at all here; but, in +that case, I should have been compelled to remain on board all the +while, and would not have had my fortnight's stay in camp. To remain +hove to off this lee side of the island is a very easy matter. Our +method was to sail out to sea from South-west Bay until we had got out +of the baffling local squalls into the steady breeze, and then we hove +to under reefed mainsail, small jib with sheet to windward, and helm +lashed. The yacht then looked after herself; and, as the wind was +always more or less off shore and the current was setting to the +south, she would drift away about twelve miles in the night towards +the open sea, always remaining right opposite our bay, so that those +on shore could see us at daybreak. We divided ourselves into three +watches at night, one man being sufficient for a watch, for he never +had anything to do but look-out for the passing vessels. Hove to as we +were under such short canvas the fiercest squall we ever encountered +had no effect on the vessel, and she was in every way very +comfortable. + +In the morning we would hoist the foresail and tack towards South-west +Bay, so as to attempt communication with the shore; if that were +impossible, we hove to once more, to drift slowly seawards; and we +repeated this process several times in the course of a day, before we +finally sailed out for our night's rest on the bosom of the ocean. + +We could sail into South-west Bay until we were abreast of the +Sugarloaf, but no further; we were then at least a mile and a quarter +from the camp, and it was difficult to read the signals of the +shore-party at that distance, as the flags they had with them were of +a small size. + +To have approached nearer than this would have been a very risky +proceeding; for, though we might have succeeded in getting some way +further in, and out again, with safety, time after time, the day would +most assuredly have come when a serious accident would have happened. +For, as soon as the yacht had sailed across the line connecting the +two extreme points of the bay, the high cliffs diverted the wind so +that it was only felt occasionally, and then in short squalls, from +various directions; and between those baffling squalls were long +spells of calm, during which the vessel would drift helplessly before +the swell towards the surf under the cliffs, or would be carried by +the southerly current towards the lava reefs off South Point, in both +cases at imminent risk of destruction. And even when the squalls did +come down to render assistance, they shifted so suddenly that the +sails were taken aback two or three times in as many minutes, so that +all way was lost, or even stern way was got on the vessel, and one +lost control over her at a critical moment. + +The 'Alerte' sailed into that bay a great many times without mishap; +but there were anxious moments now and then, and I was always glad to +escape out of this treacherous trap to the open sea, clear of the +rocks and squalls, with deep water round, and a comparatively steady +wind to help me. + +We remained thus, standing off and on, and hove to, during the rest of +our stay at Trinidad. Our anchor was never let go here again. We had +been lucky with our weather when we first arrived at the island, and +had successively landed our working-party and stores, and our +whale-boat had been beached in South-west Bay a good many times, +without serious accident, though very seldom without risk. But now all +this was changed. High seas and squally weather were the rule during +the eighteen days we remained hove to: for the first eight days, as I +have said, we were unable to hold communication with the shore; and, +after that, there were but few occasions on which we could beach the +boat, and then this feat was generally attended with a capsize, loss +of property, and risk of life. But, fortunately, as will be seen, the +two days preceding our final departure from the islet were fine, and +we were thus enabled to carry off our tents and other stores. Had it +not been for this short spell of calm, we should have probably been +compelled to leave behind everything we possessed. + +The fine season here is in the southern summer--our winter. In +winter--especially in the months of June, July, and August--landing on +Trinidad is almost always impossible. Strong winds and heavy rains +then prevail, while the seas run high. It is possible that the fine +weather was now beginning to break up, and that when we sailed from +the island--February 15--the stormy autumn season was setting in. + +The ship's log for this period presents a monotonous repetition of +vain attempts at boating, as the following short record of our +proceedings for the first eight days will show. It will be remembered +that we arrived off the island and hove to on the evening of January +29. + +_January 30._--Sailed into South-west Bay after breakfast. Though +we saw the camp standing as we had left it, could not perceive any +men, neither had we done so on the previous day. Wonder if, for some +reason or other, the shore-party have left the island, and been +carried away by a passing vessel? Drift out of bay and heave to. In +afternoon sail into bay again. This time are glad to see all the men +walking down to the beach. We signal for news. They reply, 'All well,' +and 'Too rough for boating.' We signal, that we have brought them some +letters from Bahia. When outside bay heave to for night. + +_January 31._--At dawn ten miles off island. Tack towards island. +Sea high; squally. Sail into bay. No signals from shore. We conclude +it is too rough for boating, and that the men are at work in the +ravine. In afternoon sail again into bay. No signals. Heave to for +night, as before. + +_February 1._--Sail into bay in morning. See the men on shore +taking the cover off the whale-boat, as if with the intention of +coming off. They drag her down to the edge of the sea. We cannot now +distinguish them, so cannot tell whether they have launched the boat +or not, or whether they have capsized, or what may have happened. All +is hidden from us for some time; then we see them hauling the boat up +the beach again. They have evidently abandoned the attempt as too +dangerous. Very squally. While hove to, drive a long way from island. +In evening, sail towards the bay again and heave to for night. + +_February 2._--Heavy showers of rain obscuring island from our +view. Enter bay in morning. It being Sunday no work is done in the +ravine, but the shore-party make many fruitless attempts at launching +the boat during the day. We stand in and out of the bay all day, +watching the proceedings of those on shore through our glasses. On +several occasions the men draw the boat down to the edge of the sea, +disappear from our sight for a time, and at last reappear hauling the +boat up again. They persevere despite repeated failures. Think they +have capsized once at least, as they are baling the boat out on the +beach. At last, at 4 p.m., they give up the attempt as hopeless, and +hoist the signal: 'Impossible to launch lifeboat.' We exchange several +signals, but find it difficult to distinguish their small flags from +the yacht. At sunset we sail out to sea and heave to. Choppy sea. +Tumble about a good deal. Stormy-looking sky. + +_February 3._--This morning very clear; so see distinctly for +first time the three rocky islets of Martin Vas, distant about +twenty-five miles from Trinidad, bearing east. Sail into bay. Again +several vain attempts to launch boat. Heave to. Drift this night +upwards of fifteen miles from island. + +_February 4._--Sail into bay. Still high surf. A signal flying on +shore which we cannot distinguish, so sail somewhat nearer in. Are +becalmed under Sugarloaf. Then a squall--then taken aback by another +squall--then calm again. We drift towards Noah's Ark, up whose face +the sea is breaking fifty or sixty feet high. Another squall; wear +vessel and clear out of bay. A very squally day, with baffling winds +making it more than usually dangerous to enter the bay. + + * * * * * + +At last, on February 5, after having made three vain attempts to cross +the barrier of tumbling surf, the whale-boat was successfully +launched, and we saw her come out safely from the line of breakers at +the end of the bay; then the men pulled away towards us, visible one +moment as the boat rose to the top of the swell, and hidden the next +moment from our sight by the rollers as she sank into the valleys +between them. + +We sailed into the bay to meet her, and hove to abreast of the +Sugarloaf. The boat came nearer, and we saw that the doctor, Powell, +Pursell, and the two black men, were in her. It was now thirty-eight +days since we had last seen our companions. They all looked gaunt and +haggard, and were clad in flannel shirts and trousers, ragged and +earth-stained from the work in the ravine. + +But they were the same cheery boys as ever, as I discovered by the +jovial manner of their greeting as soon as they were within hail. +'Hullo!' sang out the doctor, 'what vessel's that, and where do you +come from? I am the doctor of the port here. Hand over your bill of +health, that I may see whether you can have pratique.' + +'And I am the governor of this island of Trinidad,' cried Powell, with +affable pompousness from under an extraordinary hat that had been +manufactured by himself, apparently out of the remains of old hampers +and bird's-nests; 'will you do me the honour of dining with me at +Government House to-night? I shall be glad to learn from you how the +revolution is progressing in our neighbouring State of Brazil. I was +just on the point of sending out my squadron here'--patting the +whale-boat on the side--'to Bahia, to look after the interests of any +of our subjects who may be there.' + +It was startling for us to find that these dwellers on a desert island +had already heard of the Brazilian revolution, and we were still more +amazed when they proved to us that they were well informed as to all +that had been going on in the outer world. We had been looking forward +to imparting the latest news to them, but lo! all that we had to tell +was stale to them. They kept us in a state of mystification for some +time before they revealed the source of this marvellous knowledge, and +the only information that Powell would vouchsafe us on the subject was +to the effect that:--'We found it slow here without the newspapers at +breakfast, and have established telegraphic communication with +England. All the latest racing intelligence comes through the tape in +the doctor's tent.' But, before asking any questions, we greeted our +long-absent friends. They came on board and had a good square meal, +such as they had not enjoyed for a long time, with red wine, cigars, +and other luxuries, and after this we sat down to a long yarn and an +exchange of news. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +THE ADVENTURES OF THE SHORE-PARTY. + + +The doctor and his companions had plenty to tell. They had dug a great +deal and had cleared away the landslip, till they had arrived at what +appeared to be the original rocky bottom of the ravine. They had found +no signs of the treasure, and they had evidently come to the +conclusion that there was but little chance of finding it; but they +had not lost heart, and were of opinion that it would be advisable to +dig for a few weeks more, in the likely parts of the ravine, before +abandoning the search for good. + +The doctor told me that the surf had been exceedingly heavy recently, +and that a storm had completely changed the character of the beach, a +sandbank having been formed at some distance from the shore, deep +water intervening. He explained to me that this bank was only just +awash at low water, and that the sea always broke upon it, ploughing +it up, so that sand and water were rolled up together, forming a +boiling surf dangerous for the boat to cross. + +The adventures of the shore-party during our absence, the visit of the +man-of-war, and the marvellous escape from drowning of several of our +men, were very interesting to hear. Mr. Pursell, as being one of those +on shore, can tell the story better than I can, and he has kindly +written for me the following account of all that occurred whilst the +yacht was away. His narrative commences with our separation on +December 30. + + * * * * * + +After parting with our comrades on the 'Alerte,' we made haste to get +ashore again, as the weather looked threatening, and there was every +prospect of a rough landing. As soon as we had turned the corner of +Treasure Bay we found that the wind was blowing hard right on shore, +and that the sea had begun to break heavily on the beach, throwing +dense masses of spray into the air, which glistened like silver in the +sunshine--a magnificent sight, but one which portended a good ducking +for us. However, there was no help for it; we had to make the best of +it and get ashore somehow. + +We waited for a comparative calm. We allowed three big waves to pass +and spend their fury on the beach; the word was given, and we dashed +on towards the land with all the force we could put into our oars. On +we flew, crossing one sandbank on the summit of a curling wave that +broke with a sound of thunder on the next bank. On we pulled with set +teeth and straining muscles. 'Hurrah!' cried the doctor, 'one more +stroke and we have done it!'--when, suddenly, we were in the +back-wash--the water seemed to shrink from under us into the wave that +followed--the stem of the boat ploughed into a sandbank, while a huge +wall of water rose up behind us, lifting the stern high in the air +till the boat stood end on, and the next moment oars, tins, boat, and +men were rolled over and over each other in the boiling foam. + +Our first thought, on struggling to our feet, was naturally for the +boat. We found her turned right over and thrown almost on dry land. We +hastened to right her, bale her out, and drag her up out of harm's +way; then, having collected the oars, stretchers, rudder, etc., which +were floating about, we set to work to rescue our provisions. For two +hours we dived about in the surf, picking up tins of meat, Swiss milk, +and oatmeal, a bag of biscuit utterly spoiled, another of flour +reduced to paste, a couple of rifles, and one or two boxes of +cartridges. Our two happy-dispositioned coloured men had great fun +with the ruined flour, pelting each other with it until their shining +black bodies were almost covered with the white paste, and roaring +with laughter at each successful hit. + +Though we did not abandon the search until nothing else could be +found, an inspection showed us that we had lost a good half of the +stores we had brought off in the boat. Having rescued all we could, +the doctor ordered all hands up to the camp for a tot of rum, which, I +need hardly say, we were very glad to get. The most important loss, of +course, was that of the biscuit and flour: for it was quite possible +that the yacht might be away for several weeks, on her voyage to and +from Bahia, and we had only a small supply of these articles on shore; +so we had to go on short rations, so far as they were concerned. + +Cloete-Smith, Powell, and myself had now been on shore for about five +weeks, working steadily all the time, and we were beginning to feel +the effects of it--in trainers' language, we were getting horribly +stale. The doctor, therefore, decided that we should take holidays on +the following two days--Saturday and Sunday--and recommence work on +the Monday. + +Now that the yacht had sailed we were quite cut off from the outer +world, and began to feel very much like shipwrecked sailors, with the +exception that we had many more comforts than usually fall to their +lot, I suppose it is only in novels that those convenient hulks drift +ashore containing just the very things the belated mariners are in +want of, for, though we kept a careful look-out, nothing of the kind +came our way. Powell, I believe, though naturally a most kind-hearted +fellow, would have cheerfully sacrificed a vessel for a few hundred +Turkish cigarettes, and we should all have been glad of a change of +literature. The library we had brought with us was well thumbed and +well read, even to the advertisements. We had a motley assortment. We +all became Shakespearean scholars; Bret Harte's poems and the 'Bab +Ballads' we almost knew by heart; and we came to look upon, as very +old friends, characters of all sorts and conditions; among others, +Othmar, Quilp, Adam Bede, Lord Fauntleroy, the Modern Circe, and Mrs. +Gamp. + +On Monday we resumed our digging, with renewed vigour after our two +days' rest, and worked steadily at the landslip. After we had +thoroughly excavated under the big rock which had been discovered when +the skipper was on shore, without result, Powell and myself were sent +to examine two or three likely-looking places higher up the ravine, so +as not to leave any chance untried; while the others still worked away +at the old trench. + +On the Wednesday morning our work was stopped for a time by the +heaviest storm of rain I have ever witnessed. After the first few +minutes the tents were no protection from the water, which quickly +swamped them, so we armed ourselves with soap, and, going out into the +open, enjoyed a glorious fresh water bath. At the same time we had a +view of a splendid waterfall. The rain beating on to the windward side +of the Sugarloaf gathered in a deep gully on its summit, and, rushing +down, struck a projecting rock, and leaped headlong into the sea, +seven hundred feet below. The effect was very fine, and, later on, +when the clouds lightened a little and the morning sun shone through +the rain, the whole island appeared to be covered with a transparent +veil of prismatic colour. + +On the following Sunday the doctor and I set off for an expedition +into the mountains. On a previous occasion we had noticed a steep +landslip of red earth, mixed with cinders that looked very much as if +they had been thrown up from a volcano; so we made up our minds to go +to the top and see if we could find a crater. Slowly and carefully we +crawled on hands and knees up the steep slide, clinging like cats to +the side of the mountain, whose loose, charred soil crumbled away +beneath us. We reached the summit of the red landslip, and found +ourselves on a projecting spur of the mountain where the rocks had +fallen away, leaving a great obelisk, seventy feet in height, standing +on a narrow ridge, its base crumbling away with every storm, so that +it looked as though a push would send the whole mass crashing down on +to our camp far below. We could see no signs of a crater. Leaving this +ridge, we ascended the mountain behind, and when we reached the top we +sat down to rest and get cool under the shadow of a big rock. + +From here the view was a grand one. To our right, nearly a thousand +feet above us, rose the highest peak on the island. At our feet was +Treasure Bay, our camp looking like a tiny white speck, even the great +obelisk of rock we had just left appeared insignificant from this +elevation, while the sea seemed smooth and innocent as the Serpentine, +and the roar of the breakers sounded like a gentle murmur. + +Away at sea two vessels were in sight--one a full-rigged ship, not far +from the island; the other a barque, just breaking the horizon, with +her white sails gleaming in the sunshine. Suddenly, as I watched the +nearer vessel, I saw her royals taken in, and, looking to windward, +perceived a large black cloud hurrying towards her, the water being +churned up under it as it came along. The next moment the vessel was +hidden from our sight by the squall of wind and rain, though all the +while the sun was shining brightly on our island and not a drop of +rain fell near us. The cloud passed by, the brave ship seemed to shake +herself after the struggle, the sun shone once more on her dripping +canvas, and by the time she had set her royals again and resumed her +course, the squall had passed away below the horizon. + +About this time we caught plenty of turtle, which formed a very +welcome addition to our larder, and they also enabled us to husband +our other stores, which were beginning to get low. Biscuit was +entirely exhausted, and of flour we had but little, and, though Joe +managed to make a very eatable cake out of preserved potatoes, the +absence of bread-food was a serious inconvenience. The wild beans that +grow on the island were now of great use. + +For another fortnight we dug steadily on, gradually getting worn out +with the hard work, and seeing our hopes of fortune diminish as, one +by one, the likely places up the ravine were tried and found wanting, +and the big trench grew deeper and wider without giving any promise of +yielding up the golden hoard. The life was dreadfully monotonous, not +an incident occurring worth the mention to vary the daily drudgery +with pick and shovel. We no longer set out on Sundays and +half-holidays for those glorious but exhausting climbs over the +mountains, as we had to cherish all our strength for our work; and, +after each spell of digging, were glad to rest in our tents, sheltered +from the burning sun. However, we kept up our spirits, were cheery +enough, and always got on splendidly together. + +The yacht had now been away three weeks, and we began to look forward +to her return. We kept a good look-out, expecting to see her at any +moment turn the corner of Treasure Bay. Just at this time we found +considerable difficulty in obtaining fish. The weather had been bad +for many days, the wind strong and squally from the north-east, and a +heavy surf running on the shore. The effect of this on our sandy beach +was to completely change its shape and appearance, and the little +pool, in which we used to catch small fish with our wire-netting, +entirely disappeared. Moreover, although Powell was energetic, and +indeed very often rash, in venturing out on to the rocks with his +bamboo rod, the seas now constantly broke right over them, so that +another of our food-supplies was cut off. + +On Sunday, January 19, we had an unexpected and most welcome visit. As +we turned out of our banqueting hall after breakfast, we saw, to our +amazement, a large man-of-war standing right into the bay from the +south-east. Our camp was instantly a scene of excitement. We got out +our glasses and strained our eyes to make out her nationality. + +Was it possible that the Brazilian Government had heard of our +expedition and had sent a gunboat to wrest our treasure from us and +bear us away in chains? As a relief to the monotony of this long +expedition we were always chaffing and talking nonsense--a very good +plan, too; so we began to discuss the approaching vessel in our usual +mock-grave fashion. If she should prove to be an enemy, we said that +we would defend our island to the last gasp. Cloete-Smith began to +reckon up what forces he had at his disposal. There were the two +Englishmen, more or less white: these he called his Light Brigade. He +called the two coloured men the Black Watch. There was the monkey too, +who could serve as an irregular force to harass the enemy generally--a +sort of 'gorilla warfare' as I put it--a remark which called forth a +severe reprimand from the commander-in-chief. In the armoury +department we had three repeating-rifles, two revolvers, and a case of +surgical instruments. Fortunately we were not called upon to fight, +for, when the vessel had approached close to Noah's Ark, we were able +to make out the glorious old white ensign of England floating over her +stern. + +We greeted it with a wild cheer. + +Presently we saw that two boats were lowered and manned. Then the +doctor gave the order: 'All hands shave and prepare for visitors.' We +turned to with a will to make ourselves comparatively respectable, all +the while eagerly watching the proceedings in the bay. We saw the two +boats pull close into the shore, and then retire, evidently not liking +the look of the tremendous surf. They were then taken in tow by the +vessel, which steamed slowly across the bay and disappeared round the +west corner, evidently to see if they could effect a landing in the +other bay. + +In about twenty minutes, just as we had completed our toilet, she came +back again, the boats were hoisted on board, and, to our dismay, she +steamed away and vanished from our sight round South Point. We were +deeply disappointed and returned to our tents in no amiable frame of +mind. + +But we had not been deserted, after all; for, three hours later, just +as we had finished our midday meal, we perceived four white-helmeted +figures making their way down the green slopes at the back of our +ravine. We hastened to meet them, greeted them like long-lost +brothers, and brought them in triumph to the camp, for glad we were to +see fresh friendly faces. As soon as they had refreshed themselves +after their long walk, we sat down to hear all the news. Our visitors +proved to be the captain, the surgeon, and two of the wardroom +officers of H.M.S. 'Bramble,' which vessel was on her way from +Ascension Island to her station at Montevideo. They had sighted +Trinidad at daybreak, and, standing in close to examine it, had +discovered our tents on the shore. Having found the surf too heavy +both in South-west Bay and at the pier, they had steamed round to the +other side of the island. Here, after having attempted a landing at +various places, they had at last succeeded in getting on shore, and +after an hour's walk over the mountains had reached our camp. + +Then we, in our turn, explained to them who we were and what we were +doing here; and took them up to see our diggings, in which they seemed +highly interested, though somewhat amused at our method of searching +for fortune. + +The officers asked us to go off and mess with them on the +'Bramble'--an invitation we gladly accepted. We accordingly set out +with them across the mountains, leaving our two black men in charge of +the island during our absence. We found that their jollyboat was in +South-west Bay, with five men in her. They had dropped their anchor +near a coral reef running out at right angles to the shore, and now +they allowed the boat to back near enough to it for one of us to +scramble on board at a time, seizing, of course, the most favourable +opportunity when the sea was comparatively steady, and hauling the +boat off after each attempt, for had she touched the rock, not much of +her would have been left in a couple of minutes. + +We pulled off to the vessel, which was lying at about half a mile from +the shore. As soon as we were on board the captain gave the order to +get under weigh, and we steamed at half speed into Treasure Bay, and +the vessel was anchored for the night near the Noah's Ark mountain, in +twenty fathoms of water. Then some one suggested cocktails--a most +unwonted luxury for us--and we adjourned below for a chat. We found +the officers of the 'Bramble' most pleasant fellows, and they treated +us with the greatest hospitality. They ransacked their private stores +for our delectation, and promised to give us a supply of biscuit, some +flour, books, and tobacco to take ashore with us on the following +morning. They even said, jokingly, that they were sure the 'Alerte' +had gone to the bottom, and that, if we were tired of digging on the +island, they would give us a passage to Montevideo as distressed +British subjects. They appeared greatly interested in the story we +told of the origin of the treasure and the account of our voyage and +subsequent adventures. In return, they gave us all the latest news. We +learnt that there had been a revolution in Brazil, which had broken +out on the day after we had sailed from Bahia, and we speculated as to +whether it would cause any delay to our shipmates who had gone to +Brazil marketing. We also heard that Lord Salisbury had despatched a +fleet to demonstrate on the west coast of Africa. We were told that +the 'Bramble' was to form part of the expedition sent to observe the +eclipse of the sun. They had, in short, plenty of news to impart, and +it was so long since we had had any opportunity of hearing what was +going on in the world that we talked like a vestry meeting till dinner +time. + +All our shore-going clothes were on board the yacht, and we were clad +in our rough working clothes, with only one coat between us; so I +fancy our appearance at mess was a source of great amusement to the +wardroom servants. Indeed, all the time we were on board we were +evidently objects of considerable interest to the crew; the men seemed +hardly to know what to make of us, and to wonder what manner of people +we could be who chose for a residence this desolate spot. + +After dinner we went on deck, and Captain Langdon produced some +excellent cigars, which we thoroughly enjoyed, while listening to a +selection of music performed for our benefit by the ship's volunteer +fife-and-drum band--a capital one. + +We slept on board the vessel, and the next morning our first thought +was about landing; we went on deck to have a look at the shore. We saw +that the surf was breaking very heavily, and that it would be +impossible to beach a boat without running considerable risk of +smashing her up. However, get on shore we must, as the 'Bramble' could +not delay any longer, and had to be off. + +So, after breakfast, the books, flour, and other things were handed up +in a cask and lowered into a boat, together with a tin of biscuit, +and, having bidden good-bye to our generous hosts, we started off +under the command of Captain Langdon. As soon as we were near the +breakers it was seen that to beach the boat was impossible, so, after +a little consultation Powell determined to try and swim ashore with +the end of a rope. We pulled in as close as we could with safety, and +then he jumped overboard, with the end of a grass line fastened to his +arm, and made for the shore. He got on all right at first, though the +strong current had a tendency to set him on the dangerous rocks on the +left of the open channel. As soon as he got into the breaking rollers +it was evident that he could not take the rope on shore. He struggled +bravely on, being dashed on the beach by each wave, and then sucked +back into the next wave by the irresistible back-wash. + +By this time the two black men on shore had seen him, and they rushed +into the water to render assistance. Then Powell, almost exhausted, +handed them the rope and just managed to struggle ashore, and he lay +down on the sand for a while, dead beat. But we were by no means out +of the wood yet. The two men to whom Powell had given the rope were +themselves carried off their feet by the big breakers and were washed +out to sea. They both let go the rope and tried in vain to get on +shore again, for they were much impeded by their clothes. At last +Theodosius managed to cling to a rock and hold on to it till a +recoiling wave had passed him; then he made a rush for it and +succeeded in reaching the land. But Joe could make no way and was +carried further out. He was for some time in great danger of drowning, +and his cries for help were piteous. But we could not with safety take +the boat any nearer to him than we were, for she would have been stove +in by the sunken rocks; and, as we could not make him understand that +his proper course was, instead of attempting to land through the +breakers in his exhausted condition, to turn and swim out to us, the +doctor and myself went out to him, and towed him to the boat on a +barrel. + +We were now no better off than when we had started, for we still had +three of our party in the boat and two on shore. It was clear that it +was more than a man could do to swim to land with a rope; so we +decided to go to the western end of the bay, where a large rock, on +which Powell sometimes fished, stood out some way into the sea, and +endeavour to throw a line on to it. So we pulled off there, the two +men on the shore following us over the rocks. Powell and the coloured +man clambered on to this natural pier, and, after several attempts, I +managed to throw to them the end of a light line to which a bolt had +been attached; we then bent the end of the grass rope on to this and +they hauled it on shore. + +But now we found that the sea was breaking with such great violence +that it would be extremely perilous for a man to attempt to get on +shore by hauling himself along the rope: he would most probably be +beaten to death on the coral rocks. We therefore attempted to work the +line to the eastward for a distance of about half a mile, to where the +sandy beach afforded a safer landing-place. Powell and Theodosius +carried their end of the rope along the shore, while we pulled in a +direction parallel to theirs with our end. We progressed but +gradually, having to stop frequently to jerk the bight of the rope +over the rocks in which it caught. + +After about three-quarters of an hour of this work we had nearly got +to our journey's end and were beginning to think that our troubles +were over, when the rope got foul of a sharp piece of coral and parted +in the middle like a bit of pack-thread. Captain Langdon used no bad +language when this happened, but he looked all sorts of imprecations +at this inaccessible home of ours. It was now one o'clock, and we had +been trying in vain to land for four hours, and, moreover, had lost a +kedge anchor and the greater portion of the grass rope; so Captain +Langdon decided to return to the 'Bramble' to change the boat's crew +and get a fresh supply of rope. + +We had some lunch and then set off again with two boats, another kedge +and grass rope, a light cod-line and a large rocket. We pulled in till +we were near the breakers, then one boat let go her anchor, and, the +other boat having her painter fast to her, the first was backed in +towards the shore until she was right on the top of the rollers, just +before they broke. Then the cod-line was fixed on to the rocket, and, +as there was no proper rocket apparatus on board, the rocket was held +in the hand, while the gunner, who had come with us, applied a match +to it. In consequence of some accident the rocket, instead of flying +on shore and taking the cod-line with it, fizzed away in the boat, +burning off the gunner's moustache and beard before he had time to +move his head aside, and then dropped overboard and expended its force +in the water. So we had failed again. + +The wind, however, had changed by this time, and for a couple of hours +had been blowing off shore, instead of on shore, from the south, so +that the violence of the sea had abated considerably, and Cloete-Smith +decided to have one more try at swimming on shore. He very nearly +succeeded in doing so; but the current caught him, and swept him down +on the rocks, so he had to return. Then I made another attempt, but +with no better success, and we were at our wits' end and were getting +worn out with our efforts, when we saw Powell preparing to swim off to +us with the end of that portion of the broken grass rope which had +remained on shore. + +He waited for his opportunity, then dashed into the surf, dived +through the breakers, and managed to get out into the deep water +safely. We swam off to meet him with the end of another rope, bent +them together and swam back to the boat. The rest was easy. We had now +got a connection with the shore; for the farther end of the rope was +safely secured to a rock. One by one we made our way along the rope to +dry land, then hauled the stores off with another light line, and, +making the shore end of the grass rope fast to a turtle we had caught +two days before, we sent it off as a present to the 'Bramble.' + +It was a relief to find ourselves all safe on shore at last. We went +up to the tents in a fairly exhausted condition for a much needed tot +of rum. The boats pulled back to the ship and were hoisted up. 'Wish +you good luck' was run up to the peak; we gave her a parting volley +from our rifles, and then the gallant vessel steamed away--as it +turned out, to take part in another revolution in Buenos Ayres--and we +were alone once more. + +On the following day we settled down to work again, cheered and +refreshed. We had now got a supply of biscuit and flour which we hoped +would last us until the return of the yacht, so we were much more +comfortable in our minds than before the arrival of the 'Bramble.' We +resumed our life of monotonous digging, and the only event of +importance about this time was an accident which nearly proved fatal +to Powell. He was fishing one afternoon on the big rock mentioned +above, when one of the large waves which sometimes roll in +unexpectedly here washed him off his perch into the sea. He was dashed +violently on the rocks, and it was only by a piece of wonderful luck +that he managed to clamber up again before he was stunned. He was much +bruised, and lost his rod, his pipe, and hat--everything, in fact, +except his life. + +Day by day the work went on, and, as each morning broke, we hoped it +would bring our missing vessel; but when another week went by and +still she had not appeared, things began to look serious. She had now +been away nearly five weeks, and we feared that some mischance had +befallen her. Our stores were getting exhausted, and the weather +seemed to have broken up, for there was now always so much surf that +the turtle could not come up the sands, and fishing was generally +impossible. + +Our stores would not last much longer, so the doctor had two days' +provisions and a breaker of water put aside, and decided that, if the +yacht did not return within a few days, we would put to sea in the +whale-boat and stand out into the track of passing vessels, in the +hope of being picked up. Friday and Saturday passed and no yacht +arrived. We spent Sunday in getting the boat ready for sea. Monday +morning broke with half a gale of wind blowing and a terrific surf on +the beach, so that it would have been impossible to launch the +whale-boat, and about midday, just as we had given up all hope of +seeing her again, the good old 'Alerte' came round the corner, rolling +and pitching in the heavy sea under a close-reefed mainsail, small +jib, and reefed foresail. + +Next morning we ran the boat down to the water's edge and tried to +launch her. Two of us got into her and made ready to pull, while the +others shoved her off. Then the others jumped in and we pulled five or +six strokes, when a huge breaker caught her, lifted her up and turned +her right over, rolling us all in a heap on to the beach. We tried +again, with the same result, and then gave the attempt up, and went +back to our morning's dig, hoping for better luck in the afternoon. + +Day after day we tried and always failed. It seemed as if the sea +would never go down. Our stores were now all but exhausted, and we +lived chiefly on the wild sea-birds. Every morning we would climb to a +ravine where the birds are in great quantities, and pluck the young, +unfledged ones from their nests, their mothers circling round us, +striking at us with beaks and wings, uttering hoarse cries, and even +spitting morsels of fish at us in their fury. We then took our victims +down to the camp, cooked and ate them. The old birds are inedible, and +even the flesh of the young ones is, without exception, the most +horrible kind of food I have ever tasted. + +At last, on February 5, after a week of this sort of thing, we could +stand it no longer, and determined to get off somehow. Three times we +tried, and each time were swamped and driven back; the fourth time we +waited for a lull, ran the boat out, jumped in, and pulled away with +all our strength. A huge breaker rolled up. The boat stood up on end, +hesitated for an instant; one mighty tug at the oars, she righted, and +before another wave could catch us we were out of danger, soon reached +the 'Alerte,' and our imprisonment was at an end. + +I cannot close this account of our life on the island without saying a +word in praise of the two coloured seamen who were left with us. +Always willing to work hard, and always cheerful and obliging, they +tried to make our life as comfortable for us as possible. When the +provisions ran short, they would have lived, had we allowed them, on +nothing but a few handfuls of rice or cassava, saying:--'You gentlemen +eat the meat; me and George, we used to anything, even starving--you +gentlemen not. We don't want meat--you do.' In saying this, I do not +wish it to be thought that I am making any invidious comparison +between these two men and the two white sailors whom Knight had with +him on board at this time. They also were good men and capable +sailors, and had they been ashore with us would, I know, have done +their duty well and willingly. They deserved thoroughly the good +discharge which Knight gave them on parting. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +WE ABANDON THE SEARCH. + + +The five men I had left on the island had certainly done their work +well. The doctor had made an excellent leader, and had organised all +the operations capitally. They had toiled hard, and had kept up their +spirits all the while, and, what is really wonderful under +circumstances so calculated to try the temper and wear out patience, +they had got on exceedingly well with each other, and there had been +no quarrelling or ill-feeling of any sort. + +The ravine had been very thoroughly explored, and we felt that there +was but little chance of our finding the treasure. It was highly +improbable that the massive golden candlesticks of the Cathedral of +Lima would ornament our homes in England. It was decided, however, +that, if the weather permitted, we should stay here another three +weeks or so, and--as we were satisfied that the treasure could not be +at the first bend of the ravine--that we should dig in such other +spots as appeared suitable hiding-places, and would be naturally +selected for the purpose by a party of men landing in this bay. + +The shore-party were glad of a holiday on the yacht after all their +labours and privations, and no attempt was made to take the whale-boat +through the surf again that day. All hands stayed on board for the +night, and on the following morning, as the sea was still breaking too +heavily on the beach of South-west Bay to permit of a landing, I +proposed to my companions that we should take another holiday and go +for a picnic on the water. The cook, was, therefore, instructed to +prepare an especially good dinner, and, after shaking the reefs out of +our mainsail, we proceeded to circumnavigate the island, keeping as +close to the shore as we were able, so that we could have a good view +of the scenery. + +We sailed by the different points which we now knew so well--the Ness, +the Pier, the Ninepin--and at last doubled North Point. This extremity +of the island is extremely wild and desolate, and is utterly +inaccessible. Many of the sharp pinnacles which cap the mountains are +out of the perpendicular, and lean threateningly over the sea. I have +already explained that the different species of birds occupy different +portions of the island; the crags by North Point are inhabited by the +frigate-birds and sea-hawks. + +We coasted along the weather side of the island, and when we were +nearly opposite to the Portuguese settlement the wind dropped and we +had to man the whale-boat and tow the yacht seaward; for we found that +she was gradually sagging before the swell towards the reefs, on which +the sea was breaking heavily. We could not get round the island, so +sailed back, before a very light wind, to South-west Bay, and hove to +as usual for the night. + +Work was resumed the next day, and a boat-load of stores was sent on +shore. The newly-formed sandbank which I have mentioned appeared to +increase and become a more serious obstacle to landing every day. On +this occasion the boat again drove her stem into the sand as she +crossed this shoal, and the next wave swamped and capsized her, so +that boat, men, and stores were tumbling about in the deep water +between the sandbank and the shore. + +They managed to haul the boat safely up, and, by diving in the surf, +recovered a good many of the tins of food. Then the boat returned to +the yacht, Joe being left alone in the camp. He did not relish this at +all, for, like most black men, he was very afraid of ghosts, and had +come to the conclusion that Trinidad was a place more than usually +haunted by unsettled spirits. He told us that if he were left alone on +shore for the night his only course would be to light a ring of fires +and sit in the middle, with a tight bandage round his head, keeping +awake till dawn. If he failed to take these precautions he would most +certainly be torn to pieces, or otherwise seriously damaged, by the +spirits. We took compassion on him and did not leave him to face the +terrors of the darkness alone. In the afternoon the whale-boat +returned to the bay, and Pollock swam on shore to remain with him. + +A description of what happened for the next few days would be merely a +repetition of what has gone before. The yacht was hove to at night, +and sailed about the mouth of the bay all day. The surf was always +breaking dangerously on the sands, so that it was impossible to beach +the boat, and the men had to swim to and fro from whale-boat to shore, +or haul themselves along a line which we had rigged up for the +purpose, and which was carried from a rock on shore to a buoy moored +with the ship's kedge outside the breakers. We used also to haul the +provisions on shore with a line, having lashed them to the bamboo +rafts which we had constructed for this purpose. + +The weather became so unsettled and the surf was so invariably high +that, after a few days, we came to the conclusion that the sooner we +left the island the better, and we decided to take the first +favourable opportunity for bringing off our property from the shore. +The bad season was approaching--if it had not already commenced--and +if we waited much longer we might find it impossible, for months at a +time, to carry off stores or men. The yacht only remained hove to for +eleven days after the shore-party had first boarded us, and during +that time the men with me on the vessel were employed in setting up +the rigging, rattling down the shrouds, and effecting all necessary +repairs. + +There was nearly always a high swell running now, which was especially +uncomfortable when there was no wind, for then we would often roll +scuppers under. For nearly a week it was quite impossible to beach the +boat, and all communication with the shore had to be effected in the +way I have described above. At last, on February 13, luckily for us, +it was exceptionally calm in South-west Bay, so that it would be very +easy to carry off our stores. + +Such a chance was not to be lost. In the morning all hands went off in +the boats, with the exception of myself and Wright, who stayed on +board to work the vessel. A landing was effected without any +difficulty, and the boats returned with heavy loads, bringing off the +hydraulic jack, the guns, the bedding, and other articles. + +I, of course, wished to see what work had been done, before giving my +final decision as to the continuance or abandonment of our +exploration--not that there was any doubt as to what that decision +would be, after I had heard the doctor's report. In the afternoon I +went off in the whale-boat, and landed on the island for the first +time for forty-eight days, leaving the doctor in charge of the yacht +while she lay hove to outside the bay. I had not put foot on shore +here for so long that I was astonished at the aspect of the ravine, +which had been completely changed in my absence by the labours of my +comrades. + +I stood and contemplated the melancholy scene--the great trenches, the +piled-up mounds of earth, the uprooted rocks, with broken wheelbarrows +and blocks, worn out tools, and other relics of our three months' work +strewed over the ground; and it was sad to think that all the energy +of these men had been spent in vain. They well deserved to succeed, +and all the more so because they bore their disappointment with such +philosophic cheeriness. + +It was, obviously, quite useless to persevere any further in this vain +search, especially as the difficulties of landing had so increased of +late that our operations could only be conducted at a great risk to +life. So the fiat went forth--the expedition was to be abandoned; we +were to clear out of Trinidad, bag and baggage, as quickly as we +could. + +We returned to the yacht with a good load of stores, the condensing +apparatus, and the faithful Jacko. After dinner we sailed round to the +cascade and hove to off it. I remained on board with Wright while all +the other hands went off in the boats and obtained six casks of water +to replenish the ship's now nearly empty tanks. This was altogether a +most satisfactory day's work, and we were very well pleased with +ourselves when we hove to at sunset and drifted out to the ocean for +our well-deserved night's rest. + +On the following morning--Friday, 14th--we tacked to the north of +South-west Bay, and found that, though there was more surf than on the +previous day, landing was feasible. The boat went off under the +doctor's charge, and the tents and all the remaining stores were +brought safely on board. Nothing of any value was left; we not only +carried off our own tools, but also the picks that had been used by +Mr. A----'s expedition. Only broken wheelbarrows and such like useless +articles remained in the ravine. From the vessel the only sign of our +late camp that could be seen was Powell's disabled armchair, which he +had left standing, a melancholy object, on the top of the beach. + +We stowed the heavier tools and stores under the saloon floor and then +sailed again to the cascade. The whale-boat went off to the pier and a +quantity of water was brought on board, so that we had a sufficient +supply--but not much to spare--for the voyage we now contemplated. + +When the watering-party returned we had done with Trinidad; so both +boats were hoisted on deck, and a melancholy ceremony was performed: +our very ancient dinghy, which was too rotten to bear any further +patching, and was not worth the room she used to take up on deck, was +broken up and handed over to the cook as firewood. + +A tot of rum was served out to each hand, we bade farewell to +Trinidad, the foresail was allowed to draw, and we sailed away. + +It had long since been decided that, whether the treasure was +discovered or not, we should sail from our desert island to its +wealthy namesake, Trinidad in the West Indies--a very different sort +of a place. The distance between the two Trinidads is, roughly, 2,900 +miles; but we knew that the voyage before us was not likely to be a +lengthy one, for everything is in favour of a vessel bound the way we +were going. In the first place, it was very unlikely that we should +encounter head winds between our islet and Cape St. Roque, and from +that point we should most probably have the wind right aft for the +rest of the way, as the trade-winds blow regularly along the coasts of +north Brazil and the Guianas. In the next place, by sailing at a +certain distance from the land, we could keep our vessel in the full +strength of the south equatorial current, which runs at the rate of +two or three miles an hour in the direction of our course. We had, it +is true, to cross the line once more, with its belt of doldrums; but +we knew that we should not be much delayed by these tedious equatorial +calms, as they do not prevail on the coast of Brazil to anything like +the extent they do in mid-Atlantic; besides which, the favourable +current would be carrying us along with it across the belt, and enable +us to travel fifty miles or so a day, even in a flat calm. + +This kindly current would, indeed, carry us straight to our port, for +it sweeps through the Gulf of Paria as well as by the east side of +Trinidad, and, as every schoolboy knows in these enlightened days, +thence flows round the Caribbean Sea and ultimately emerges from it +under another and better-known title--the Gulf Stream. + +With the old 'Falcon' I had sailed over a portion of this route, +accomplishing the voyage from Pernambuco to Georgetown, Demerara--a +distance of about 2,000 miles--in ten days, thus keeping up an average +of 200 miles a day. At this rate the 'Alerte' ought to get to Trinidad +in fifteen days; but we were not fated to have such luck as that. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + +HOMEWARD BOUND. + + +We had bidden farewell to the wild spot that had been our home for +three months, but we did not lose sight of Trinidad for upwards of +thirty hours. + +We had got under weigh at sunset on February 14. A slight draught from +the hills carried us a mile or so outside North Point, when we were +becalmed and made no progress at all for many hours; and when at last +the north-east breeze sprang up, it was so very light that at eight on +the following morning the island was not more than twelve miles astern +of us. + +Throughout the day calms and light airs succeeded to each other, and +at sunset the high peaks were still visible. The same weather +continued during our second night at sea, and at daybreak on February +16, we could just distinguish one faint blue mountain summit behind +us, the rest of the islet being below the horizon. But the wind now +freshened and all signs of the land soon disappeared, and once again +there was nothing to be seen round us but ocean. + +It was evident that we were not to be favoured with the smart voyage I +had anticipated. We had fair winds, it is true, and a fair current, +but it was rare that we had fresh breezes, while long spells of calm +were frequent, so that we did not double Cape St. Roque till February +22. + +Our best day's run up to this point was on the 19th, when we made 182 +miles in the twenty-four hours--nothing much to boast of, seeing that +the difference between our distance, according to our dead reckoning +and that calculated by observation of the sun, showed that we had a +two-knot current under us all the while. + +At 9 a.m. on February 22, having passed between Cape St. Roque and the +Rocas islets--not sighting either--we altered our course from +north-by-east to north-west, so as to sail parallel to the mainland, +at a distance of about 120 miles from it, and thus benefit by the full +strength of the current. Having doubled the cape we encountered, as we +had expected, south-east wind, and were thus able to set our +spinnaker. + +As we approached the Equator we experienced the usual unpleasant +weather of this region: the sky was almost always overcast, the calms +were only broken by heavy squalls, and no night passed without vivid +lightning; but, so far, there was little rain. It was very close in +our cabins, and even on deck the men were languid with the oppressive, +muggy heat. + +We crossed the line on February 26. We now had a few days of drifting +over a calm sea, under a soft drizzling rain, and we were unable to +take any sights of the sun. On March 1, the wind veered round to the +north for a change, so that we were close-hauled on the starboard +tack. This wind, being in the opposite direction to the regular +trades, was caused by some local disturbance, and only lasted for +twelve hours. This was our sixteenth day out, and we were still nearly +1,200 miles from our destination, which we might have made by this +time had our luck been good. + +If we only progressed at this rate, our water could not hold out to +Trinidad; and though this was no cause for anxiety, as we could easily +sail for one of the ports on the mainland--Cayenne or Surinam, for +instance--I was particularly anxious not to call anywhere on the way; +so the order was given that all hands should be put on rations of +water. Our usual rule was to allow the men to use as much water as +they pleased, without waste; though all washing had, of course to be +done with salt water. + +This order brought us luck, for not an hour after it had been given +the whole sky was covered over with one vast cloud, so dense that, +though it was midday, it became as dark on the ocean as when dusk is +deepening into night. Then it began to rain. Hitherto there had only +been drizzle or short showers, which did not afford an opportunity for +collecting water; but now it was very different--it poured steadily +down as it only can in the tropics, so that, by merely collecting the +water in the hollow of the whale-boat cover, we soon filled up every +tank and breaker on board, and had a sufficient supply to have lasted +us to Southampton, had we been bound there. The order as to rations +was at once countermanded, and even washing with fresh water was +permitted on this extravagant day. + +Delighted as we had been to get all this water, we soon wearied of +such excessively unpleasant weather, for not only did it rain in +torrents, but every now and again a violent squall would sweep over +the sea, so that 'Scandalise the mainsail, and down foresail' was a +frequent order. + +'It looks like breakers ahead, sir,' sang out Ted in the afternoon, +and we quite suddenly entered into a tract of very disturbed water. +The swell was unaccountably high, and the seas were curling over each +other and breaking all round us just as if we were in a tide-race or +overfall. The water, too, which had up till now been of the usual dark +deep ocean tint, became yellowish brown, and, when a bucket of it was +brought up on deck, it was found to be full of a fine powder, like the +seed of some grass. As we had not been able to take any sights for +some days, I thought we might be somewhat nearer the shoals on the +coast than I supposed; so hove to and took soundings, but found no +bottom. On tasting the water, it was quite salty, so that these +phenomena could scarcely have been caused by the violent stream of the +Amazon, which often makes itself felt and sweetens the water far out +to sea. It is possible that all this commotion was produced by some +volcanic eruption at the bottom of the ocean far beneath us--not an +uncommon event in this portion of the South Atlantic. As we sailed +through this confused water we found that the vessel steered wildly, +as if eddies and contrary currents were driving her first in one +direction then in another, while the tops of the steep waves kept +tumbling down upon our decks, compelling us to keep all skylights +closed; this made still more objectionable the atmosphere of our +already unpleasantly reeking cabins, where the wet clothes which we +had no means of drying had been accumulating for days. The oppressive +closeness of this equatorial climate is spoken of with horror even by +those who go to sea on big ships; but it is far worse on a little +fore-and-after. + +Another peculiarity of this tract of broken water--out of which we +soon emerged as quickly as we had got into it--was that it swarmed +with fish and other forms of life. Shoals of small fish were dashing +about merrily in the spray, while fleets of large pink Portuguese +men-of-war--as the sailors call the Nautilus--were floating on the +surface. Until we had got into this curious portion of the ocean we +had seen very few fish. + +After some days of similar uncomfortable weather, we drifted or +sailed--when the squalls allowed--into a respectable climate again, +and ran before the trade-wind at a fair pace. Our best day's run was +on March 6, when we made 192 miles. On this day we got into soundings, +the colour of the deep ocean changing to the dark green of +comparatively shallow water; for we were nearing the coast, so as to +make the entrance of the Gulf of Paria. We sighted the mountains of +Trinidad right ahead of us at daybreak of March 8, about two leagues +distant. We ran, before a light wind, between Galeota Point and Baja +Point. The sun now blazed down out of a cloudless sky, the morning +mists lifted and disclosed the scenery around us, which was of a very +different nature from that we had left on the desert Trinidad. + +We were no longer tumbling about on the great transparent green +rollers that perpetually break upon the coasts of our Treasure Island, +but sailing on the smooth, muddy water of a shallow inland sea. On our +left were the low shores of Venezuela--a long line of dreary mangrove +swamps that form the delta of the Orinoco; the peculiar, and, I should +say, somewhat malarious, odour of the steaming mud being plainly +perceptible for leagues out to sea. + +On our right were the shores of Trinidad--one of the fairest islands +of the Caribbean Sea. The sandy beaches were fringed with cocoanut +palms, and behind rose gently swelling mountains, covered with fine +forests, the lordly palmistes towering above all the lesser +foliage--forests in which the trees were of various forms and tints, +presenting a beautiful appearance, the feathery bamboos and the +scarlet and purple blossoms of bougainvillea and other flowering trees +relieving the dark green slopes of dense vegetation. On the plains +that lay under the mountains, and in the broad valleys that clove +them, could be seen the pale green spreads of the sugar-cane +plantations, with the tall chimneys of the boiling-houses rising above +them, and the darker clumps of the cacao groves. + +When we were near Point Icacos we saw a school of whales, but, not +having the whale-boat or gun ready, we did not go in chase. + +We passed through the narrow Serpent's Mouth, and were inside the Gulf +of Paria; from here we coasted along the shores of Trinidad by many a +landmark familiar to myself, and still more so to our two coloured +men, who became quite excited when they once more beheld their native +islands after an absence of two years and more. We sailed by Cedros +Point; by the curious row of rocks that are known as the Serpent's +Teeth; by the village of Brea, off which several vessels were lying at +anchor, loading with the bitumen that is dug out of the famous Pitch +Lake about a mile in shore. + +We did not reach Port of Spain this day, for the wind fell away, and +we had to come to an anchor off St. Fernando for the night; but on the +following day, March 9, we completed our voyage, and let go our anchor +off Port of Spain early in the afternoon, having been twenty-two days +out from our desert island. + +We were anchored at about two-thirds of a mile from the jetty, and +there was only eight feet of water under us at low tide. As the +draught of the 'Alerte' is ten feet, she then sank two feet into the +mud. This is quite the proper way to do things at Port of Spain. +Sailing-vessels bound here with timber are in the habit of running as +high up as they can into the mud, knowing that when they have +discharged their cargo they will easily float off again. The mud +deposited in the Gulf of Paria by the outflow of the Orinoco and its +tributaries is the softest possible, and is very deep, so that a +vessel can suffer no injury by lying in it, even when the sea is +rough. So shallow is the water in this roadstead that at a mile and a +half from the shore the depth is only three fathoms, while a ship's +boat cannot approach the end of the jetty at low water. + +I had visited Trinidad before, and had many friends here, so was at +once at home on shore, as, too, were, very soon, my companions. We +were made honorary members of the pleasant Port of Spain Club, and +were treated everywhere with that hearty hospitality for which the +West Indies have always been noted. + +Our voyage was now over, and though most of my companions were anxious +to sail away with me in search of any other treasure we might hear of +on West Indian cays--or to turn our vessel's head southward again, and +make for Demerara, to travel inland to the gold districts of Upper +Guiana on the Venezuelan frontier--or, in short, set sail for any part +of the world that promised adventure and possible profit (I believe +they would have turned filibusters if the chance had presented +itself)--and though I had four paid hands on board also willing to +have gone anywhere we should choose to lead them--still, I could not +see my way to extending the voyage any further for the present, and +decided to lay up the 'Alerte' at Port of Spain. + +It was with reluctance that I made up my mind to do this; for the men +we did not want had been weeded out, and I had round me a compact crew +of seven, tested and trained by their seven months' travels and +hardships, and I also had the right vessel for any adventure. I had +several reasons for laying up the yacht in the West Indies, instead of +sailing her home. I had no use for her in England, and should I +undertake another voyage similar to the last, Port of Spain would be a +most convenient place to start from; besides, stores are cheap there, +and an excellent coloured crew, well adapted for work in the unhealthy +tropics, can be readily procured. Moreover, if I decided to sell the +yacht, I was certain to get a better price for her in the West Indies, +or on the Spanish Main, where there is a demand for this sort of +craft, than at home, where the market is glutted with second-hand +yachts. + +Before leaving Trinidad--that cosmopolitan island of Britons, +Frenchmen, Spaniards, East Indiamen, Chinamen, and negroes--we +undertook several pleasant little voyages with the yacht in the +neighbourhood of Port of Spain, taking with us several friends from +the shore. One of these voyages took place in the Easter holidays, +which are properly observed on this island. We had a merry party on +board, and visited several of the beautiful bays on the islands that +divide the Bocas, or northern entrances to the Gulf of Paria. Our crew +had by that time been reduced to myself, Mr. Pursell, and John Wright: +for my companions took opportunities of returning home as they +occurred. + +When the old vessel was dismantled and laid up, we last remaining +three took passage on the Royal Mail Steamer 'Dee,' which, being an +extra-cargo boat, was bound on a sort of roving commission round the +West Indies, in search of bags of cacao to complete her cargo. This +was a most enjoyable voyage, thanks to the officers of the 'Dee.' +Pursell and myself were the only passengers. We visited several of the +Windward Islands--old friends of mine, most of them--before sailing +across the Atlantic to Havre, and thence to London Docks. + +Thus ended our treasure-hunting expedition--a vain search; but, as I +have already said, my companions bore their disappointment well. It +was amusing to hear them argue, like the grape-loving fox in the +fable, but in a more good-natured way, that we were far better off +without the treasure. I remember one favourite argument to this +effect. It had been decided that, if the treasure was found, we should +not return to England in the yacht, but insure our wealth and go home +in the biggest mail steamer we could find. That was our great +difficulty--how to find a suitable vessel. As we were now, we cared +not much what sort of a craft we sailed in; but, once wealthy, how +terribly valuable would our lives become! In anticipation even of it +we became nervous. Would any vessel be large and safe enough for us +then that we were millionaires? Well, indeed, was it for us that we +had not found the pirates' gold; for we seemed happy enough as we +were, and if possessed of this hoard our lives would of a certainty +have become a burden to us. We should be too precious to be +comfortable. We should degenerate into miserable, fearsome +hypochondriacs, careful of our means of transit, dreadfully anxious +about what we ate or drank, miserably cautious about everything, +'Better far, no doubt,' exclaimed these cheerful philosophers, 'to +remain the careless, happy paupers that we are.' + +'Do you still believe in the existence of the treasure?' is a question +that has been often put to me since my return. Knowing all I do, I +have very little doubt that the story of the Russian Finn is +substantially true--that the treasures of Lima were hidden on +Trinidad; but whether they have been taken away, or whether they are +still there and we failed to find them because we were not in +possession of one link in the directions, I am unable to say. + + +THE END. + + + + +ESTABLISHED 1798 + +T. NELSON + +AND SONS + +PRINTERS AND + +PUBLISHERS + + +FAMOUS MODERN BATTLES. Captain Atteridge. + +This book may be taken as an appendix to Creasy's "Decisive Battles of +the World." Captain Atteridge describes those battles which have most +materially shaped the destiny of the nations of to-day, such as the +Alma, Solferino, Gettysburg, Gravelotte, Omdurman, and the recent +fights in the Balkan war. The book is fully provided with excellent +maps. + + +POPULAR ASTRONOMY. Camille Flammarion. + +This is an authorized translation of the most popular book on +astronomy ever written. The name of Camille Flammarion stands high +among modern scientists, and in addition to wide knowledge he has the +power of attractive exposition. The book is a delightful introduction +to a fascinating study. + + +BY DESERT WAYS TO BAGHDAD. Mrs. Wilkins. + +This is the record of the adventurous journey of two ladies from +Constantinople through Asia Minor and Kurdistan to Baghdad. The tale +is full of incidents and colour, and the style is as vivacious as the +adventures. + + +FROM PARIS TO NEW YORK BY LAND. Harry de Windt. + +In this book Mr. de Windt recounts an adventurous journey through +Europe, across Siberia, and then _via_ Alaska to New York. He +covered a good deal of unexplored country, and travelled at a pace +which few explorers have ever approached. It is a fascinating +narrative of adventure in little-known countries. + + + + +NELSON LIBRARY OF NOTABLE BOOKS + +CONDENSED LIST. + + + Scrambles Amongst the Alps. + Collections and Recollections. + The Great Boer War. + Life of John Nicholson. + Dean Hole's "Memories." + Life of Gladstone. + Psalms in Human Life. + Wild Life in a Southern County. + The Forest. + The Golden Age. + Sir Henry Hawkins's Reminiscenses. + Selected Essays. + Life of Lord Russell of Killowen. + Making of Modern Egypt. + From the Cape to Cairo. + Life of Alexander Hamilton. + A Book about the Garden. + Culture and Anarchy. + Collections and Recollections, 2nd Series. + Life of Frank Buckland. + A Modern Utopia. + With Kitchener to Khartum. + Unveiling of Lhasa. + Life of Lord Dufferin. + Life of Dean Stanley. + Popular Astronomy. + Round the World on a Wheel. + Dream Days. + Path to Rome. + The Life of Canon Ainger. + Reminiscences of Lady Dorothy Nevill. + A Social Departure. + Letters and Recollections of Sir Walter Scott. + Literature and Dogma. + Sermons by the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon. + My Confidences. + Sir Frank Lockwood. + The Making of a Frontier. + Life of General Gordon. + Collected Poems of Henry Newbolt. + Pot-Pourri from a Surrey Garden. + The Ring and the Book. + The Alps from End to End. + The English Constitution. + The Life of Cobden. + In India. + Life of Parnell. + Havelock's March. + Up from Slavery. + Where Black Rules White. + Historical Mysteries. + Recollections of the Rt. Hon. Sir Algernon West. + Great Englishmen of the Sixteenth Century. + The Strenuous Life. + Memories Grave and Gay. + Life of Tolstoy. + Life of Danton. + A Pocketful of Sixpences. + The Romance of a Proconsul. + A Book about Roses. + Random Reminiscences. + The London Police Courts. + The Amateur Poacher. + The Bancrofts. + At the Works. + Mexico as I Saw It. + Eighteenth Century Vignettes. + The Great Andes of the Equator. + The Early History of C. J. Fox. + Through the Heart of Patagonia. + Browning as a Religious Teacher. + Paris to New York. + Life of Lewis Carroll. + A Naturalist in the Guianas. + The Mantle of the East. + Letters of Dr. John Brown. + Jubilee Book of Cricket. + By Desert Ways to Baghdad. + Some Old Love Stories. + Fields, Factories, and Workshops. + Life of Lord Lawrence. + Problems of Poverty. + The Burden of the Balkans. + Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay--I. and II. + What I Saw in Russia. + Wild England of To-day. + Leaves from an Inspector's Logbook. + Through Finland in Carts. + Voyage of the "Discovery."--I. & II. + Felicity in France. + My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus. + John Bright. + Poverty. + Sea Wolves of the Mediterranean. + Famous Modern Battles. + The Cruise of the "Falcon." + A. K. H. B. (A Volume of Selections.) + The People of the Abyss. + Grain or Chaff? + Life at the Zoo. + The Four Men. + + +THOMAS NELSON AND SONS. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Cruise of the 'Alerte', by E. F. Knight + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CRUISE OF THE 'ALERTE' *** + +***** This file should be named 38891.txt or 38891.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/8/9/38891/ + +Produced by Mark C. 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