masterman ready-第18章

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〃Yes；　I　do　…　what　a　quantity！〃

〃Yes；　there's　no　want　of　them；　William；　so　be　very　careful　how　you　get　into　the　water；　and　never　let　Tommy　go　near　it；　for　they　don't　care　how　shallow　it　is　when　they　see　their　food。　But　now；　sir；〃　said　Ready；　〃I　must　leave　you　and　William　to　do　what　you　can　in　saving　any　more　of　the　wreck；　while　I　set　to　and　put　the　boat　in　proper　repair。〃

Ready　left　them　at　their　own　employment；　and　went　away　for　his　tools。　During　this　time　Mr。　Seagrave　and　William　occupied　themselves　in　collecting　the　different　articles　thrown　on　shore；　and　rolling　up　the　casks　as　far　as　they　could。

As　it　would　take　some　days　for　Ready　to　put　the　boat　into　proper　order；　Mr。　Seagrave　determined　that　he　would　go　to　the　other　side　of　the　island　with　William；　that　he　might　examine　it　himself；　and；　as　Mrs。　Seagrave　had　no　objection　to　be　left　with　Ready　and　Juno；　on　the　third　day　after　the　gale　they　set　off。　William　led　the　way；　guiding　his　footsteps　through　the　grove　by　the　blazing　of　the　cocoa…nut　trees；　and　in　two　hours　they　reached　their　destination。

〃Is　not　this　beautiful；　father？〃　said　William。

〃Yes；　indeed　it　is；　my　dear　boy；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave。　〃I　fancied　that　nothing　could　be　more　beautiful　than　the　spot　where　we　reside；　but　this　surpasses　it；　not　only　in　variety；　but　in　extent。〃

〃And　now　let　us　examine　the　spring；　father；〃　said　William；　leading　the　way　to　the　ravine。

The　spring　was　full　and　flowing；　and　the　water　excellent。　They　then　directed　their　steps　towards　the　sandy　beach；　and；　having　walked　some　time；　sat　down　upon　a　coral　rock。

〃Who　would　have　ever　imagined；　William；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃that　this　island；　and　so　many　more　which　abound　in　the　Pacific　Ocean；　could　have　been　raised　by　the　work　of　little　insects　not　bigger　than　a　pin's　head？〃

〃Insects；　father？〃　replied　William。

〃Yes；　insects。　Give　me　that　piece　of　dead　coral；　William。　Do　you　see　that　on　every　branch　there　are　a　hundred　little　holes？　Well；　in　every　one　of　these　little　holes　once　lived　a　sea…insect；　and　as　these　insects　increase；　so　do　the　branches　of　the　coral…trees。〃

〃Yes；　I　understand　that；　but　how　do　you　make　out　that　this　island　was　made　by　them？〃

〃Almost　all　the　islands　in　these　seas　have　been　made　by　the　labour　and　increase　of　these　small　animals。　The　coral　grows　at　first　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　where　it　is　not　disturbed　by　the　winds　or　waves：　by　degrees；　as　it　increases；　it　advances　higher　and　higher　to　the　surface；　till　at　last　it　comes　near　to　the　top　of　the　water；　then　it　is　stopped　in　its　growth　by　the　force　of　the　winds　and　waves；　which　break　it　off；　and　of　course　it　never　grows　above　the　water；　for　if　it　did　the　animals　would　die。〃

〃Then　how　does　it　become　an　island？〃

〃By　very　slow　degrees；　the　time；　perhaps；　much　depending　upon　chance：　for　instance；　a　log　of　wood　floating　about；　and　covered　with　barnacles；　may　ground　upon　the　coral　reefs；　that　would　be　a　sufficient　commencement；　for　it　would　remain　above　water；　and　then　shelter　the　coral　to　leeward　of　it；　until　a　flat　rock　had　formed；　level　with　the　edge　of　the　water。　The　sea…birds　are　always　looking　for　a　place　to　rest　upon；　and　they　would　soon　find　it；　and　then　their　droppings　would；　in　course　of　time；　form　a　little　patch　above　water；　and　other　floating　substances　would　be　thrown　on　it；　and　land…birds；　who　are　blown　out　to　sea；　might　rest　themselves　on　it；　and　the　seeds　from　their　stomachs；　when　dropped；　would　grow　into　trees　or　bushes。〃

〃I　understand　that。〃

〃Well　then；　William；　you　observe　there　is　an　island　commenced；　as　it　were；　and；　once　commenced；　it　soon　increases；　for　the　coral　would　then　be　protected　to　leeward；　and　grow　up　fast。　Do　you　observe　how　the　coral　reefs　extend　at　this　side　of　the　island；　where　they　are　protected　from　the　winds　and　waves；　and　how　different　it　is　on　the　weather　side；　which　we　have　just　left？　Just　so　the　little　patch　above　water　protects　the　corals　to　leeward；　and　there　the　island　increases　fast；　for　the　birds　not　only　settle　on　it；　hut　they　make　their　nests　and　rear　their　young；　and　so　every　year　the　soil　increases；　and　then；　perhaps；　one　cocoa…nut　in　its　great　outside　shell　at　last　is　thrown　on　these　little　patches　…　it　takes　root；　and　becomes　a　tree；　every　year　shedding　its　large　branches；　which　are　turned　into　mould　as　soon　as　they　decay；　and　then　dropping　its　nuts；　which　again　take　root　and　grow　in　this　mould；　and　thus　they　continue；　season　after　season；　and　year　after　year；　until　the　island　becomes　as　large　and　as　thickly　covered　with　trees　as　the　one　we　are　now　standing　upon。　Is　not　this　wonderful；　my　dear　boy？　Is　not　he　a　great　and　good　God　who　can　make　such　minute　animals　as　these　work　his　pleasure；　and　at　the　time　he　thinks　fit　produce　such　a　beautiful　island　as　this？〃

〃Indeed　he　is！〃　exclaimed　William。

〃We　only　need　use　our　eyes；　William；　and　we　shall　love　as　well　as　adore。　Look　at　that　shell　…　is　it　not　beautifully　marked？　…　could　the　best　painter　in　the　world　equal　its　colouring？〃

〃No；　indeed；　…　I　should　think　not。〃

〃And　yet　there　are　thousands　of　them　in　sight；　and　perhaps　millions　more　in　the　water。　They　have　not　been　coloured　in　this　way　to　be　admired；　like　the　works　of　man；　for　this　island　has　been　till　now　probably　without　any　one　upon　it；　and　no　one　has　ever　seen　them。　It　makes　no　difference　to　Him；　who　has　but　to　wish；　and　all　is　complete。〃

For　a　few　minutes　after　this　conversation；　Mr。　Seagrave　and　William　were　both　silent。　Mr。　Seagrave　then　rose　from　where　he　was　sitting：　〃Come；　William；　let　us　now　find　our　way　back　again；　we　have　three　hours'　daylight　left；　and　shall　be　home　in　good　time。〃



Chapter　XX

Everything　was　now　preparing　for　their　removal　to　the　leeward　side　of　the　island。　Ready　had　nearly　completed　the　boat；　he　had　given　it　a　thorough　repair；　and　fitted　a　mast　and　sail。　William　and　Mr。　Seagrave　continued　to　collect　and　secure　the　various　articles　thrown　on　shore；　particularly　such　as　would　be　injured　by　their　exposure　to　the　weather：　these　they　rolled　or　carried　into　the　cocoa…nut　grove；　so　as　to　be　sheltered　from　the　sun；　but　there　were　so　many　things　thrown　on　shore　day　after　day；　that　they　hardly　knew　what　they　had：　but　they　secured　case　and　cask　one　after　another；　waiting　for　a　better　opportunity　to　examine　their　contents。　At　last　they　collected　a　great　many　articles　together；　and；　with　their　shovels；　covered　them　over　with　sand；　it　being　impossible　to　get　them　from　the　beach　without　more　time　than　they　could　spare。

Neither　was　Mrs。　Seagrave；　who　was　now　getting　quite　strong；　or　Juno；　idle。　They　had　made　up　everything　that　they　could　in　packages；　ready　for　moving。　On　the　eighth　day　after　the　gale；　they　were　ready；　and　it　was　arranged　that　Ready　should　put　into　the　boat　the　bedding　and　canvas　of　one　tent；　and　should　take　William　with　him　on　his　expedition。　Having　transported　this　safe；　he　should　return　for　a　load　of　the　most　necessary　articles；　and　then　the　family　should　walk　through　the　grove　to　the　other　side　of　the　island；　and　remain　there　with　Mr。　Seagrave　while　Ready　and　William　returned　for　the　other　tent；　and　after　that；　the　boat　should　make　as　many　trips　as　the　weather　would　permit；　till　they　had　brought　all　the　things　absolutely　required。　It　was　a　lovely　calm　morning　when　Ready　and　William　pushed　off　in　the　boat；　which　was　well　loaded；　and　as　soon　as　they　were　clear　of　the　cove　they　hoisted　the　sail；　and　went　away　before　the　wind　along　the　coast。　In　two　hours　they　had　run　to　the　eastern　end　of　the　island；　and　hauled　up　close　inshore：　the　point　which　ran　out；　and　at　the　end　of　which　there　was　an　inlet；　was　not　a　mile　from　them；　and　in　a　very　short　time　they　had　lowered　the　sail；　and　were　pulling　in　for　the　sandy　beach。

〃You　see；　William；　it　is　fortunate　for　us　that　we　shall　always　have　a　fair　wind　when　we　come　down　loaded；　and　only　have　to　pull　our　empty　boat　back　again。〃

〃Indeed　it　is。　How　many　miles　do　you　think　it　is　from　the　cove　to　this　part　of　the　island？〃

〃About　six　or　seven；　not　more：　the　island；　you　see；　is　long　and　narrow。　Now　let　us　get　the　things　out　and　carry　them　up；　and　then　we　will　be　back　to　the　cove　long　before　dark。〃

The　boat　was　soon　unloaded；　but　they　had　some　way　to　carry　up　the　things。　〃We　shall　not　mind