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off the land, he followed Jones into her, and was half a mile from the
shore before he had time to reflect much on her he had left behind him.
His companion consoled him by telling him that an opportunity might
occur of sending a message to Petrina, as they had named the pretty
young savage, who would not fail to find her way to Rancocus, sooner or
later.
With these important accessions to his forces, Bob did not hesitate
about putting to sea, leaving Waally to make what discoveries he might.
Should the natives ascend to the higher parts of the mountain, they
could hardly fail to see both the smoke of the volcano and the Peak,
though it would luckily not be in their power to see the Reef, or any
part of that low group of rocks. It was very possible they might attempt
to cross the passage between the two mountains, though the circumstance
that Vulcan's Peak lay so directly to windward of Rancocus offered a
very serious obstacle to their succeeding. Had the two sailors remained
with them, _they_, indeed, might have taught the Indians to overcome the
winds and waves; but these very men were of opinion, from what they had
seen of the natives and of their enterprises, that it rather exceeded
their skill and perseverance, to work their canoes a hundred miles dead
to windward, and against the sea that was usually on in that quarter of
the Pacific.
The colonists, generally, gave the two recruits a very welcome
reception. Bridget smiled when Mark suggested that Jones, who was a
well-looking lad enough, would make a very proper husband for Joan, and
that he doubted not his being called on, in his character of magistrate,
to unite them in the course of the next six months. The designs of the
savages, however, caused the party to think of anything but weddings,
just at that moment, and a council was held to devise a plan for their
future government. As Mark was considered the head of the colony, and
had every way the most experience, his opinion swayed those of his
companions, and all his recommendations were adopted. There were on
board the ship eight carronades, then quite a new gun, and mounted on
trucks. They were of the bore of twelve-pounders, but light and
manageable, There was also abundance of ammunition in the vessel's
magazine, no ship coming to the Fejees to trade without a proper regard
to the armament. Mark proposed going over to the Reef with the
Neshamony, the very next day, in order to transport two of the guns,
with a proper supply of powder and shot, to the Peak. Now there was one
place on the path, or Stairs, where it would be easy to defend the last
against an army, the rocks, which were absolutely perpendicular on each
side of it, coming so close together, as to render it practicable to
close the passage by a narrow gate. This gate Mark did not purpose to
erect now, for he thought it unnecessary. All he intended was to plant
the two guns at this pass; one on a piece of level rock directly over
it, and a little on one side, which would command the entrance of the
cove, and the cove itself, as well as the whole of the path beneath, and
the other on another natural platform, a short distance above, where it
could not only command the pass, but, by using the last as a sort of
embrasure, by firing through it, could not only sweep the ravine for
some distance down, but could also rake the entrance of the cove, and
quite half of the little basin itself.
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Bob greatly approved of this arrangement, though all the seamen were too
much accustomed to obey their officers to raise the smallest objections
to anything that Mark proposed. Betts was the only person who had made
the circuit of the Peak; but he, and Mark, and Heaton, who had been a
good deal round the cliffs, on the side of the water, all agreed in
saying they did not believe it possible for a human being to reach the
plain, unless the ascent was made by the Stairs. This, of course,
rendered the fortifying of the last a matter of so much the greater
importance, since it converted the whole island into a second Gibraltar.
It was true, the Reef would remain exposed to depredations; though Mark
was of opinion that, by leaving a portion of their force in the ship,
with two or three of the guns at command, it would not be difficult to
beat off five hundred natives. As for the crater, it might very easily
be made impregnable.
At this meeting Heaton proposed the establishment of some sort of
government and authority, which they should all solemnly swear to
support. The idea was favourably received, and Mark was unanimously
chosen governor for life, the law being the rule of right, with such
special enactments as might, from time to time, issue from a council of
three, who were also elected for life. This council consisted of the
governor, Heaton, and Setts. Human society has little difficulty in
establishing itself on just principles, when the wants are few and
interests simple. It is the bias given by these last that perverts it
from the true direction. In our island community, most of its citizens
were accustomed to think that education and practice gave a man certain
claims to control, and, as yet, demagogueism had no place with them. A
few necessary rules, that were connected with their particular
situation, were enacted by the council and promulgated, when the meeting
adjourned. Happily they were as yet far, very far from that favourite
sophism of the day, which would teach the inexperienced to fancy it an
advantage to a legislator to commence his career as low as possible on
the scale of ignorance, in order that he might be what it is the
fashion, to term "a self-made man."
Mark now took the command, and issued his orders with a show of
authority. His attention was first turned to rendering the Peak
impregnable. There were a plenty of muskets and fowling-pieces already
there, Heaton having come well provided with arms and ammunition. As
respects the last, Peters and Jones were set to work to clear out a sort
of cavern in the rock, that was not only of a convenient size, but which
was conveniently placed for such a purpose, at no great distance from
the head of the Stairs, to receive the powder, &c. The cavity was
perfectly dry, an indispensable requisite, and it was equally well
protected against the admission of water.
The next thing was to collect a large pile of dry wood on the naked
height of the Peak. This was to be lighted, at night, in the event of
the canoes appearing while he was absent, Mark being of opinion that he
could see such a beacon-fire from the Reef, whither he was about to
proceed. Having made these arrangements, the governor set sail with
Betts, Bigelow, and Socrates for his companions; leaving Heaton, with
Peters and Jones, to take care of most of the females. We say of most,
since Dido and Juno went along, in order to cook, and to wash all the
clothes of the whole colony, a part of which were sent in the pinnace,
but most of which were on hoard the ship. This was a portion of his
duty, when a solitary man, to which Mark was exceedingly averse, and
having shirts almost _ad libitum_, Bridget had found nearly a hundred
ready for the 'buck-basket.' There was no danger, therefore, that the
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'wash' would be too small.
Betts was deeply impressed with the change that he found in the rocks.
There, where he had left, water over which he had often floated his
raft, appeared dry land. Nor was he much less struck with the appearance
of the crater. It was now a hill of a bright, lively verdure, Kitty and
her new friend keeping it quite as closely cropped as was desirable. The
interior, too, struck him forcibly; for there, in addition to the
garden, now flourishing, though a little in want of the hoe, was a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] - zanotowane.pl
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