The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
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other side of_the rocks, where I_saw some superb unknown trees from_the height where we discovered the grotto; and who knows but I_may find my pretty gazelle there again . the rogue can leap better than I_can over those rocks .I had a great wish to descend them, but found it impossible; some are very high and perpendicular; others have overhanging summits; I_might, however, get round as_you_did by_the pass, between_the torrent and_the rocks at_the great Bay ."

jack offered to_be his guide, even with_his eyes shut, into that rich country where he conquered and captured his buffalo; and Ernest begged to_be of_the party . as this_was an expedition I had long projected, I agreed to accompany them next_day, their mother being content to_have Francis left with her as a protector .I cautioned Fritz not to fire off his gun when we approached the buffaloes, as any show of hostility might render them furious; otherwise the animals, unaccustomed to man, have no fear of him, and will not harm him ." in general," added I, " I_cannot sufficiently recommend to_you to_be careful of your powder; we_have_not more than will last us a year, and there_may_be a necessity to_have recourse to_it for_our defence ."

" I_have a plan for making it," said Fritz, who never saw a difficulty in anything ." I_know it_is composed of charcoal, saltpetre, and sulphur-- and we ought to_find all these materials in_the island . it_is only necessary to combine them, and to_form it into little round grains . this_is my only difficulty; but i_will consider it over; and I_have my mill to_think on first . I_have a confused recollection of a powder manufactory at Berne: there_was some machinery which went by water; this machinery moved some hammers, which pounded and mixed the ingredients-- was not this the case, father ? "

" something like it," said I; " but we_have many things to_do before making powder . first, we_must go to sleep; we_must set out before daybreak, if_we intend to return to- morrow evening ." we_did indeed rise before_the sun, which would_not rise for_us . the sky was very cloudy, and shortly we had an abundant and incessant rain, which obliged us to defer our journey, and put us all in bad humour, but my wife, who was not sorry to_keep us with her, and who declared this gracious rain would water her garden, and bring it forward .Fritz was_the first who consoled himself; he thought on nothing but building mills, and manufacturing gunpowder . he begged me to draw him a mill; this_was very easy, so_far as regards the exterior,-- that_is, the wheel, and_the waterfall that sets it in motion; but the interior,-- the disposition of_the wheels, the stones to bruise the grain, the sieve, or bolter, to separate the flour from_the bran; all this complicated machinery was difficult to explain; but he comprehended all, adding his usual expression,--" i_will try, and I_shall succeed ." not to lose any_time, and to profit by_this rainy day, he began by making sieves of different materials, which he fastened to a circle of pliant wood, and tried by passing through them the flour of_the cassava; he_made some with sailcloth, others with_the hair of_the onagra, which_is very long and strong, and some_of_the fibres of bark . his mother admired his work, which he continued to improve more and more; she assured him the sieve would_be sufficient for her; it_was useless to_have the trouble of building a mill .

" but how shall we bruise the grain, mamma ? " said he; " it would_be tedious and hard work ."

" and you_think there_will_be no hard work in building your mill ? " said jack ." I_am curious to_see how you_will contrive to_form that huge stone, which_is called the millstone ."

" you shall see," said Fritz; " only find me the stone, and it shall soon be_done . do_you_think, father, that of_our rock would_be suitable ? "

i_told him i_thought it would_be hard enough, but it would_be difficult to cut from_the rock a piece large enough for_the_purpose . he_made his usual reply,--"_I will try . Ernest and jack will assist me; and perhaps you, papa ."

I declared my willingness, but named him the master- mason; we_must only be his workmen . Francis was impatient to_see the mill in operation ."Oh ! " said jack, " you shall soon have that pleasure . it_is amere trifle; we only want stone, wood, tools, and science ."

at_the word "_science_," Ernest, who was reading in a corner, without listening to_us, raised his head suddenly, saying,--" what science are_you in need of ? "

" of one you_know nothing of, Mr philosopher," said jack ." come, tell us, do_you_know how to build a mill ? "

"A mill ? " answered Ernest; " of what description ? there_are many sorts . i_was just looking in my dictionary for_it . there_are corn-mills, and powder-mills, oil-mills, wind-mills, water-mills, hand-mills, and saw-mills; which do_you_want ? "

Fritz would_have liked them all .

" you remind me," said I, " that we brought from_the vessel a hand- mill and a saw- mill, taken to pieces, to_be_sure, but numbered and labelled, so_that they_could be easily united: they should_be in_the magazine, where you found the anvil and iron bars; I had forgotten them ."

" let_us go and examine them," said Fritz, lighting his lantern; " I_shall get some ideas from_them ."

" rather," said his mother, " they_will spare you the trouble of thinking and labouring ."

I_sent them all four to seek these treasures, which, heaped in an obscure corner of_the store- room, had escaped my recollection . when we were alone, I seriously besought my wife not to oppose any occupations our children might plan, however they_might seem beyond their power; the great point being, to_keep them continually occupied, so_that no evil or dangerous fancies might fill their minds ." let them," I_said, " cut stone, fell trees, or dig fountains, and bless god that their thoughts are so innocently directed ." she understood me, and promised not to discourage them, only fearing the excessive fatigue of_these undertakings .

our boys returned from_the magazine, delighted with what they had found, and loaded with work-tools . those of_the masons,-- the chisel, the short hammer, and_the trowel, were_not to_be found, and rarely are taken out to sea; but they had collected a great number of carpenters' tools,--saws, planes, rules, &c . and now that Fritz was a smith, he had no difficulty in making any tool he_wanted . he_was loaded on each shoulder, and in each hand he brought a specimen of gunpowder; one sort was in good condition, and_they had found a barrel of it; the other was much damaged by_the water . jack and Francis were also bending under the weight of various articles; among which I_saw some pieces of_the hand- mill Fritz wished to examine . Ernest, always rather idle, came proudly on, with a leather belt across his shoulders, to which_was suspended a large tin box for plants, and a leather portmanteau for stones, minerals, and shells . his brothers, even Francis, rallied him unmercifully on_his immense burden; one offered to help him, another to_go and bring the ass; he preserved his grave and thoughtful air, and extended himself on a seat near his mother, who was occupied with_his specimens of natural history . jack deposited his load in a corner, and ran out; we soon saw him return with a huge screw- machine on_his head, which he placed before Ernest, saying, with an air of respect,--

" I_have the honour to bring for_his highness the prince of_the idle Penguins, the press for_his August plants, which his highness doubtless found too heavy; and, truly, it_is no little weight ."

Ernest did_not know whether to thank him or to_be angry, but he decided to join in_the jest, and, therefore, answered gravely that he_was distressed that his highness the prince of_the Monkeys should_have taken so_much trouble to oblige him, that he ought_to_have employed some of_his docile subjects to_do_it; after all, he confessed that_the press, which he had_not noticed, gave him great pleasure, and he placed some plants in_it immediately, which he had collected the evening before .

the rain ceasing for a short time, I went with Fritz and jack to examine our embankment, and to open the sluices of_the pond . we_found all right, and_our garden looking beautiful after_the rain . on_our return, we looked in at_the grotto Ernestine, which we_found inundated from_the opening above . we proposed to_make a trench, or little channel, to carry off the rain- water from_it . we returned home, and retired to bed, in hopes of being able to set out next morning . we were, however, again disappointed, and for a longer period than we expected . the rain continued some days, and_the country was again a complete lake; we had, however, no storm or wind, and_our possessions did_not suffer; so we resolved to wait patiently till the weather would permit us to_go . my wife was delighted to_be in her comfortable abode, and to_have us round her; neither did we waste the time . Ernest finished the arrangement of_his collection with_his mother and Francis .Fritz and jack prepared the tools that_would_be wanted in their great undertaking-- the first attempt was to_be a saw- mill . in_order to_prepare the planks they wished, a very large saw, which they had found amongst the tools, would serve their purpose; but it_was necessary to set it in motion by water, and here was_the difficulty .Fritz made several models from_the thin wood of_our chests, and_the wheels of_our guns, but they were too small . in_the mean time, the mind of_my young mechanic was exercised, his ideas were enlarged and improved; and, as_this science was so necessary in_our situation, I allowed him to_go on with_his experiments . notwithstanding the rain, protected by my cloak, he went several_times to_the cascade to look out for a place where he_should place his mills to_the best advantage, and_have a constant supply of water . Ernest assisted him by his advice, and promised his labour when it should_be needed . jack and Francis were helping their mother to card cotton, of_which she had made a large collection, intending to spin it for_our clothing; and I exercised my mechanical talents in turning a large wheel for her, which it_was necessary should revolve very easily, her leg being still stiff; and a reel, by_which four bobbins were filled at once by turning a handle .

these different occupations aided us to_pass the rainy season, which visited us earlier this year, and did_not remain so_long . my wife knew something of dyeing cloth; and, some_of_the plants she had helped Ernest to dry having left their colour on_the papers, she made some experiments, and succeeded in obtaining a very pretty blue to dye our clothes with; and, with_the cochineal from_our fig- tree, a beautiful red brown, with_which she had dyed for herself a complete dress .

thus passed several weeks . Ernest read to_us from some amusing or instructive work every evening; and, when his collections were all put in_order, he worked at his lathe, or at_the business of weaving . at last the sun appeared; we spent some days enjoying it in_our delightful colonnade . we went to visit the grotto and_the garden, where all was going on well-- the embankment had prevented the inundation . satisfied with_our work, we now fixed our departure for_the next_day, once more hoping the rain would_not come again to disappoint us .

* * * * *

chapter XLIV .

the next_day the weather was delightful . we rose before daybreak . my eldest sons took their work-tools, which we_might want, and their guns also, but under the condition that_they should_not use them till I_gave the word, " fire ! " I carried the bag of provisions . our flock of sheep had increased so_much at_the farm, that we allowed ourselves to kill one, and my wife had roasted a piece for_us the preceding evening; to_this we added a cake of cassava, and for_our dessert we depended on_the fruits of_the trees we_might discover . but, previous to our departure, while i_was taking leave of_my wife and Francis, I heard a dispute in_the colonnade, which I hastened to learn the cause of . I_found it_was a question between Fritz and jack, whether we_should make_the tour of_the island by sea or land; and each was anxious for_my support .Fritz complained that, since their two expeditions in_the canoe, jack believed himself the first sailor in_the_world, and that_they had given him the name of lord of_the Waves, because he_was constantly saying--" when i_was under the waves-- when_the waves were washing over me, do_you_think that_they left me dry ? "

" no, Mr sportsman," said jack, " you got enough of_them, and_that's the reason you don't wish to_try them again . for_my part, I love the waves, and I sing, ' the sea ! the sea ! it was_the sea that brought us here ! '"

" what a boaster you_are," said Fritz: " it_was only yesterday you said to_me, ' i_will guide you; I_know the way by_the rocks; I got my buffalo there, and I intend to_have another .' was_it in_the pinnace you intended to_pass the defile, and pursue buffaloes ? "

" no, no ! I meant on foot," said jack; " but i_thought we_should_be only two then . but, as_we_are four--papa at_the helm, and three bold rowers, why should we fatigue ourselves in making the tour of_the island on_our legs, when we_have a good vessel to

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