I can hardly describe our joy when, after many tedious and gloomy weeks of rain, the sky began to brighten, the sun to dart its benign rays on the humid earth, the winds to be lulled, and the state of the air became mild and serene. We issued from our dreary hovels with joyful shouts, and walked round our habitation breathing the enlivening balmy ether, while our eyes were regaled with the beauteous verdure beginning to shoot forth on every side. Reviving nature opened her arms, every creature seemed reanimated, and we felt the genial influence of that glorious luminary which had been so long concealed from our sight, now returned like a friend who has been absent, to bring us back blessings and delight. We rapidly forgot in new sensations the embarrasments and weary hours of the wet season, and with jocund, hopeful hearts, looked forward to the toils of summer as enviable amusements.
The vegetation of our plantation of trees was rapidly advancing; the seed we had thrown into the ground was sprouting in slender blades that waved luxuriantly; a pleasing tender foliage adorned the trees; the earth was enamelled with an infinite variety of flowers, whose agreeable tints diversified the verdure of the meadows. Odorous exhalations were diffused through the atmosphere; the song of birds was heard around; they were seen between the leaves joyfully fluttering from branch to branch; their various forms and brilliant plumage heightened this delightful picture of the most beautiful spring, and we were at once struck with wonder and penetrated with gratitude towards the Creator of so many beauties. Under these impressions we celebrated the ensuing Sunday in the open air, and with stronger emotions of piety than we had hitherto felt on the fertile shores upon which we had been so miraculously saved and fostered. The blessings which surrounded us were ample compensation for some uneasy moments which had occasionally intervened, and our hearts, filled with fresh zeal, were resolved to be resigned, if it should be the will of God, to pass the residue of our days in this solitude with serenity of soul and every due exertion. The force of paternal feelings, no doubt, made me sometimes form other wishes for my children; but these I buried in my own breast, for fear of disturbing their tranquillity: but if I secretly indulged a desire for some event that might prolong and even increase their happiness, I nevertheless wholly submitted all to the Divine will, the manifestation of which I awaited in becoming thankfulness and patience.
Our summer occupations commenced by arranging and thoroughly cleaning Falcon’s Nest, the order and neatness of which the rain and dead leaves blown by the wind had disturbed: in other respects, however, it was not injured, and in a few days we rendered it completely fit for our reception; the stairs were cleared, the rooms between the roots re-occupied, and we were left with leisure to proceed to other employments. My wife lost not a moment in resuming the process of her flax concern. Our sons hastened to lead the cattle to the fresh pastures, already dried by the sun; whilst it was my task to carry the bundles of flax into the open air, where by heaping stones together I contrived an oven sufficiently commodious to dry it well. The same evening we all set to work to peel, and afterwards to beat it and strip off the bark, and lastly to comb it with my carding machine, which fully answered the purpose. I took this somewhat laborious task on myself, and drew out such distaffsfull of long soft flax ready for spinning, that my enraptured wife ran to embrace me, to express her heartfelt acknowledgement, requesting me to make her a wheel without delay, that she might enter upon her favourite work.
At an earlier period of my life I had practised turnery1 for my amusement; now, however, I was unfortunately destitute of the requisite utensils; but as I had not forgotten the arrangement and component parts of a spinning-wheel and reel,2 I by repeated endeavours found means to accomplish those two machines to her satisfaction; and she fell so eagerly to spinning, as to allow herself no leisure even for a walk, and scarcely time to dress our dinners: nothing so much delighted her as to be left with her little boy, whom she employed to reel as fast as she could spin, and sometimes the other three were also engaged in turns at the wheel, to forward her business whilst she was occupied in culinary offices; but not one of them was found so tractable as the cool-tempered quiet Ernest, who preferred this to more laborious exertions, though such was our want of linen and clothes, that we ought all readily and even eagerly to have joined in procuring them; but our excursions, and the necessary liberty they involved, were more agreeable to us than this female occupation. Our first visit was to Tent-House, as we were anxious to ascertain the ravages of winter there, and we found them much more considerable than at Falcon’s Stream, and even dreadful: the tempest and rain had beaten down the tent, carried away a part of the sail-cloth, and made such havoc amongst our provisions, that by far the largest portion of them was spotted with mildew, and the remainder could be only saved by drying them instantly. Luckily, our handsome pinnace had been for the most part spared; it was still at anchor, ready to serve us in case of need; but our tub-boat was in too shattered a state to be of any further service.
In looking over the stores we were grieved to find the gunpowder most damaged, of which I had left three barrels in the tent instead of placing them in a more sheltered situation in the cavity of the rock. The contents of two were rendered wholly useless. I thought myself fortunate on finding the remaining one in tolerable condition, and derived from this great and irreparable loss a cogent motive to fix upon winter quarters where our stores and wealth would not be exposed to such cruel dilapidations.
Notwithstanding the gigantic plan suggested by the enterprising characters of Fritz and Jack, I had little hope of being able to effect the excavation of a dwelling in the side of the rock. Robinson Crusoe is supposed to have found a spacious cavern that merely required arrangement;3 no such cavity was apparent in our rock, which bore the aspect of primitive existence, and was of extreme hardness; so that with our limited powers, three or four summers would scarcely suffice to execute the design. Still, the earnest desire of a more substantial habitation to defend us from the elements, perplexed me incessantly, and I resolved to make at least the attempt of cutting out a recess that should contain the gunpowder, the most valuable of all our treasures; by which means it would be secured against injury from the vicissitudes of the weather. With this resolution I set off one day, accompanied by my two valiant workmen Fritz and Jack, leaving their mother at her spinning with her assistants Ernest and Francis. We took with us pickaxes, chisels, hammers, and iron levers, to try what impression we could make on the rock. I chose a part nearly perpendicular, and much better situated than our tent: the view from it was enchanting; for it embraced the whole range of Safety Bay, the banks of Jackal’s Stream and Family Bridge, and many of the picturesque projections of the rocks. I marked out with charcoal the circumference of the opening we wished to make, and we began the heavy toil of piercing the quarry. We made so little progress the first day, that in spite of all our courage we were tempted to relinquish the undertaking; we persevered however, and my hope was somewhat revived as I perceived the stone was of a softer texture as we penetrated deeper: we concluded from this, that the ardent rays of the sun striking upon the rock had hardened the external layer, and that the stone within would increase in softness as we advanced, and we admitted a ray of hope that the substance would prove to be a species of calcareous stone.4 When I had cut about a foot in depth, we could loosen it with the spade like dried mud; this determined me to proceed with double ardour, and my boys assisted me in the task with a zeal beyond their years.
After a few days of assiduous labour we measured the opening, and found we had already advanced seven feet into the rock. Fritz removed the fragments in a barrow, and discharged them in a line before the place to form a sort of terrace; I applied my own labour to the upper part to enlarge the aperture; Jack, the smallest of the three, was able to get in and cut away below. He had with him a long iron bar sharpened at the end, which he drove in with a hammer to loosen a large piece; suddenly he bawled out: It is pierced through, father! Fritz, I have pierced it through!
Hah, hah, master Jack at his jokes again!—But let us hear, what have you pierced? Is it the mountain? Not peradventure your hand or foot, Jack? cried I:
Jack.—No, no, it is the mountain; (the rocks resounding with his usual shout of joy) huzza, huzza, I have pierced the mountain!
Fritz now ran to him. Come, let us see then; it is no doubt the globe at least you have pierced, said he, in a bantering tone: you should have pushed on your tool boldly, till you reached Europe, which they say is under our feet; I should have been glad to peep into that hole.
Jack.—Well, then, peep you may, I can assure you, but I hardly know what you will see; now come and look how far the iron is gone in, and tell me if it is all my boasting;—if there were not a hollow space behind, how could it penetrate the rock so easily?
Come hither, father, said Fritz, this is really extraordinary; his iron bar seems to have got to a hollow place; see, it can be moved in every direction. I approached, thinking the incident worth attention: I took hold of the bar, which was still in the rock, and pressing it forcibly from one side to another, I made a sufficient aperture for one of my sons to pass, and I observed that in reality the rubbish fell within the cavity, the extent of which I could not ascertain, but I judged from the falling of the stones that it was not much deeper than the part we stood on. My two lads offered to go in together and examine it: this, however, I firmly opposed: I even made them remove from the opening, as I smelled the mephitic air that issued abundantly from it, and began myself to feel giddiness in consequence of having gone too near; so that I was compelled to withdraw quickly, and inhale a purer air. Beware, my dear children, said I in terror, of entering such a perilous cavern; life might be suddenly extinguished there.
Jack.—What, lose our lives, father! do you think then it contains lions or tigers? Only give me a gun, and let me speak a word to them.
Fritz.—How can you think such animals could live there? Father may indeed fear that it is inhabited by serpents or vipers.
Jack.—And what should hinder us, pray, from killing serpents and vipers?
I admire, said I, your courage, my brave Jack, but it shall not be tried on this occasion. Neither lions, serpents, nor men are there, yet the danger still exists: how would my young hero acquit himself, when on entering the aperture he should feel his respiration totally cease?
Jack.—Not be able to breathe! and why not?
Fritz.—Because the air is mephitic,5 that is, foul, and therefore unfit for breathing in, and those who are exposed to it must of course be suffocated. But in what manner, father, is this air corrupted?
Father.—In different ways: for example, when it is replete with noxious vapours, or when it contains too many igneous or inflammable particles, or when it is too heavy or dense, as fixed air is; but in general, when it merely loses its elasticity, it no longer passes freely into the lungs; respiration is then stopped, and suffocation speedily ensues, because air is indispensable to life and the circulation of the blood.
Jack.—Then all to be done is to be off quickly when one feels a stoppage of breath.
Father.—This is certainly the natural course when it can be taken; but the attack usually begins by a vertigo or dizziness of the head, so violent as to intercept motion, which is followed by an insurmountable oppression; efforts are made to breathe, fainting follows, and without speedy help, a sudden death takes place.
Fritz.—What assistance can be administered?
Father.—The first thing to be done is to remove the person so affected to pure fresh air, and to throw cold water over his body; he must then be well dried, and afterwards rubbed with warm cloths; vital air must be infused, or tobacco-smoke thrown up;—in short, he must be treated like a drowned person till signs of re-animation appear, which is not always the result.
Fritz.—But why do you think, father, the air in this cavern is mephitic, as you term it, or dangerous to breathe in?
Father.—All air confined and wholly separated from that of the atmosphere, gradually loses its elasticity, and can no longer pass through the lungs: in this state it generates injurious qualities that interrupt the process of respiration. It is in this act that the atmospheric air diffused around us, unites intimately with the blood, to which it communicates one of its most essential parts, called vital air, for without it life cannot be supported. This air failing, respiration ceases, and death succeeds in a few minutes: the consequence is similar when this air is impregnated too abundantly with injurious parts.
Fritz.—And by what is good air known? How judge that one may respire freely at a few paces from this mephitic cave?
Father.—This becomes evident when inspiration and expiration are performed with ease; besides, there is an infallible test: fire does not burn in foul air, yet it is made the means of correcting it. We must light a fire of sufficient strength in this hole to purify the air within, and render it friendly to respiration: at first the bad air will extinguish the fire, but by degrees the fire in its turn will expel the bad air and burn freely.
Fritz.—Oh! if that is all, it is an easy matter. As soon as the foul air is out, we can make a huge opening, and walk about in the whole interior as if it were a level plain. The boys now hastened to gather some dry grass, which they made into bundles; they then struck a light, and set fire to them, and threw the moss blazing into the opening; but, as I had described, the fire was extinguished at the very entrance, thus proving that the air within was highly mephitic. I now saw that it was to be rarefied by another and more effectual method; I recollected opportunely, that we had brought from the vessel a chest which had belonged to the artificer,6 and had put it by in the tent, and that it was full of granadoes and rockets, of which and other fire-works a number had been shipped for the purpose of making signals as well as for amusement. I sought this chest hastily, and took out of it some of the most requisite materials, and an iron mortar for the purpose of throwing them into the hollow: with these I speedily returned to attack with my artillery the aërial demons: I threw the whole in, with a train that extended to where we stood, and thus ignited the space. A general explosion took place, and an awful report reverberated through the dark recess; the granadoes flew about on all sides like brilliant meteors; we hurled them back to the extremity of the cavern, they rebounded and burst with a terrific sound. We then sent in the rockets, which had also a full effect; they hissed in the cavity like flying dragons, disclosing to our astonished view its vast extent. We beheld too, as we thought, numerous dazzling bodies that sparkled suddenly, as if by magic, and disappeared with the rapidity of lightning, leaving the place wrapped in the most profound obscurity. A squib7 bursting in the form of a star presented a spectacle we wished to be prolonged. On its separating, a crowd of little winged genii came forth, each holding a small lighted lamp, and the whole fluttering in every direction with a thousand varied reverberations: every thing in the cavern shone brilliantly, and offered instantly a truly enchanting sight; but they dropped in succession, fell to the ground without noise, and vanished like æthereal spirits.
After having played off our fire-works, I tried lighted straw: to our great satisfaction, the bundles thrown in were entirely consumed; we could then reasonably hope nothing was to be feared from the air; but there still remained the danger of plunging into some abyss, or of meeting with a body of water: from these considerations I deemed it more prudent to defer our entrance into this unknown recess till we had lights to guide us through it. I dispatched Jack on the buffalo to Falcon’s Stream, to impart our discovery to his mother and two brothers, directing him to return with them, and bring all the tapers8 that were left: my intention was to fasten them together on a stick, and form therewith a large torch, and thus illuminated, proceed with our whole troop to examine the interior of this grotto. I had not sent Jack on his embassy without a meaning; the boy possessed from nature a lively and poetical imagination: I knew he would tell his mother such wonders of the enchanted grotto, of the fire-works, and all they had brought to our view, that in spite of the charms of her spinning-wheel he would induce her to accompany him without delay, and bring us lights to penetrate the obscure sanctuary.
Overjoyed at his commission, Jack sprang on the buffalo, which he had nearly appropriated to himself, gaily smacked his whip, and set off so boldly that I almost trembled for his safety. The rash intrepid boy was unincumbered by fear, and made a complete race-horse of his horned Bucephalus.9
In waiting his coming back, I proposed to Fritz to widen the entrance to the subterraneous grotto, to remove the rubbish, and make a way for his mother to pass in easily. After labouring three or four hours we saw them coming up in our car of state,—the one I had equipped for the potatoes,—and which was now drawn by the cow and the ass, and conducted by Ernest. Francis too played his part in the cavalcade, and contended with his brother for the ropes that served as reins. Jack, mounted on his buffalo, came prancing before them, blew through his closed hand in imitation of a French horn, and now and then whipped the ass and cow to quicken their motion. When they had crossed Family Bridge, he came forward on the gallop; and when he got up to us, jumped off the beast, shook himself, took a spring or two from the ground, and thus refreshed, ran up to the car to hand his mother out like a true and gallant knight.
I immediately lighted my torches; but instead of tying them together as I had intended, I preferred each taking one in his right hand, an implement in his left in case of accident, a taper in his pocket, flint and steel; and thus we entered the rock in solemn procession. I took the lead, my sons followed me, and their beloved mother with the youngest brought up the rear, her interest and curiosity not unalloyed with tender apprehensions; and indeed I felt myself that sort of fear which an unknown object is apt to excite: even our dogs that accompanied us betrayed some timidity, and did not run before as usual; but we had scarcely advanced four paces within the grotto, when all was changed to more than admiration and surprise. The most beautiful and magnificent spectacle presented itself. The sides of the cavern sparkled like diamonds, the light from our six tapers was reflected from all parts, and had the effect of a grand illumination. Innumerable crystals of every length and shape hung from the top of the vault, which, uniting with those of the sides, formed pillars, altars, entablatures, and a variety of other figures, constituting the most splendid masses. We might have fancied ourselves in the palace of a fairy, or in an illumined temple. In some places all the colours of the prism were emitted from the angles of the crystals, and gave them the appearance of the finest precious stones. The waving of the lights, their bright coruscations, dark points here and there occurring, the dazzling lustre of others—the whole, in short, delighted and enchanted the sight and the fancy.
The astonishment of my family was so great as to be almost ludicrous; they were all in a kind of dumb stupor, half imagining it was a dream: I had seen stalactites and read the description of the famous grotto of Antiparos,10 far more considerable than this, which, however, gave an idea of it. The bottom was level, covered with a white and very fine sand, as if purposely strewed, and so dry that I could not see the least mark of humidity anywhere. All this led me to hope the spot would be healthy, convenient, and eligible for our proposed residence. I now formed a particular conjecture as to the nature of the crystallizations shooting out on all sides, and especially from the arch-roof; they could scarcely be of that species of rock crystals produced by the slow filtering of water falling in drops and coagulating in succession, and seldom found in excavations exhibiting so dry a nature, nor ever with so many of the crystals perpendicular and perfectly smooth. I was impatient to evince the truth or falsehood of my opinion by an experiment, and discovered with great joy, on breaking a portion of one of them, that I was in a grotto of sal gem, that is, fossil or rock salt,(t) found in the earth in solid crystallized masses, generally above a bed of spar or gypsum, and surrounded by layers of fossils or rock. The discovery of this fact, which no longer admitted a doubt, pleased us all exceedingly. The shape of the crystals, their little solidity, and finally their saline taste, were decisive evidences.
How highly advantageous to us and our cattle was this superabundance of salt, pure and ready to be shovelled out for use, and preferable in all respects to what we collected on the shore, which required to be refined!
My wife was charmed with my good fortune in having cut through the rock at this spot. I observed, that in all probability the mine extended a long way, and that I should have discovered salt had I opened at any other part, though such a wonderful grotto might not have been found every where.
Little Francis said to his brothers in a whisper, that it was certainly the palace of some good fairy, who would come with her wand and grant them every thing they wished for, if they were good. Well then, said Jack, I ask her to make you a little wiser and less credulous; don’t you hear father say all these diamonds are only salt? and how often has he told you that God alone does wonders? The dear child said no more, but shook his pretty fair locks as if he gave up his enchanted palace with some reluctance; and to say the truth, his notion did not surprise me. As we advanced in the grotto, remarkable figures formed by the saline matter every where presented themselves; columns reaching from the bottom to the top of the vault appeared to sustain it, and some even had cornices and capitals:11 here and there undulating masses which at certain distances resembled the sea. From the variegated and whimsical forms we beheld, fancy might make a thousand creations at its pleasure; windows, large open cupboards, benches, church ornaments, grotesque figures of men and animals; some like polished crystals or diamonds, others like blocks of alabaster.
We viewed with unwearied curiosity this repository of wonders, and we had all lighted our second taper, when I observed on the ground in some places a number of crystal fragments that seemed to have fallen off from the upper part. Such a separation might recur and expose us to danger; a piece falling on any of our heads might prove instantly fatal: but on closer inspection I was convinced they had not dropped of themselves spontaneously; the whole mass was too solid for fragments of that size to have been so detached from it; and had dampness loosened them they would have dissolved gradually: I rationally concluded they were broken off by the explosion of our artillery and fire-works, that had caused a violent concussion in this subterraneous palace. However, I thought it prudent to retire, as other loosened pieces might unexpectedly fall on us. I directed my wife and three of the children to place themselves in the entrance, while Fritz and I carefully examined every part that threatened danger. We loaded our guns with ball and fired them in the centre of the cavern, to be more fully assured of what produced the separation of the former pieces; one or two more fell, the rest remained immovable, though we went round with long poles and struck all we could reach. We at length felt confident that in point of solidity there was nothing to fear, and that we might proceed to fit up our new habitation without dread of accident. Our joy on this important discovery did not fully declare itself till after these trials. Loud exclamations, mixed with numerously varied questions, projects, consultations, now succeeded to our mute astonishment! Many schemes were formed for converting this beautiful grotto into a convenient and agreeable mansion for our abode. All the force of our imagination was centred in that point: the greatest difficulty was removed; we had possession of the most eligible premises; the sole business now was to turn them to the best account, and how to effect this was our unceasing theme: some voted for our immediate establishment there, but they were opposed by more sagacious counsel, and it was resolved that Falcon’s Stream should continue to be our head quarters till the end of the year.