The Swiss Family Robinson - Full Audiobook : Chapter 01

Summary by Dream AudioBooks

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
The Swiss family Robinson or Adventures in a Desert Island
by Johann David Wiss introduction. It is very well known
that some years ago Councilor Horner, a Swiss, made a
voyage round the world in the Russian vessel La Podesta,

(00:25):
commanded by Captain Kruzenstern. They discovered many islands, and amongst others,
one very large and fertile till then unknown to navigators,
to the southwest of Java, near the coast of New Guinea.
They landed here, and to the great surprise of mister Horner,
he was received by a family who spoke to him

(00:46):
in German. They were a father and mother and four
robust and hardy sons. Their history was very interesting. The
father was a Swiss clergyman who, in the Revolution of
seventeen ninety eight had lost all his fortune and had
determined to emigrate in order to seek elsewhere the means
of supporting his family. He went first to England with

(01:09):
his wife and children, consisting of four sons between the
ages of twelve and five. He there undertook the office
of missionary to otaheite not that he intended to remain
on that uncivilized island, but he wished to proceed from
thence to Port Jackson as a free colonist. He invested
his little capital in seeds of every description and some

(01:31):
cattle to take out with him. They had a prosperous
voyage till they were near the coast of New Guinea,
when they were overtaken by a frightful storm. At this
period he commenced his journal, which he afterwards committed to
the care of mister Horner, to be forwarded to his
friends in Switzerland. Some time before, a boat from an

(01:52):
English vessel the adventurer had visited them, and the father
had sent the first part of his journal by Lieutenant
Bell to the captain, who remained in the vessel. A
violent tempest arose, which continued some days and drove the
adventurer from the coast. The family concluded the ship was lost,
but this was not the case, as will be seen

(02:14):
in the conclusion, Chapter one. The tempest had raged for
six days, and on the seventh seemed to increase. The
ship had been so far driven from its course that
no one on board knew where they were. Every One

(02:34):
was exhausted with fatigue in watching the shattered vessel began
to leak in many places. The oaths of the sailors
were changed to prayers, and each thought only how to
save his own life. Children, said I to my terrified boys,
who were clinging round me. God can save us if
he will. To him, nothing is impossible. But if he

(02:56):
thinks it good to call us to him, let us
not murmur. We shall not be separated. My excellent wife
dried her tears, and from that moment became more tranquil.
We knelt down to pray for the help of our
heavenly Father, and the fervor and emotion of my innocent
boys proved to me that even children can pray and

(03:16):
find in prayer consolation and peace. We rose from our knees,
strengthened to bear the afflictions that hung over us. Suddenly
we heard, amid the roaring of the waves, the cry
of land Land. At that moment, the ship struck on
a rock. The concussion threw us down. We heard a

(03:37):
loud cracking, as if the vessel were parting asunder. We
felt that we were aground, and heard the captain cry,
in a tone of despair, we are lost. Launched the boats.
These words were a dagger to my heart, and the
lamentations of my children were louder than ever. I then
recollected myself and said, courage, my darling. We are still

(04:00):
above water, and the land is near. God helps those
who trust in Him remain here, and I will endeavor
to save us. I went on deck and was instantly
thrown down and wet through by a huge sea. A
second followed. I struggled boldly with the waves and succeeded
in keeping myself up. When I saw with terror the

(04:23):
extent of our wretchedness. The shattered vessel was almost in two.
The crew had crowded into the boats, and the last
sailor was cutting the rope. I cried out and prayed
them to take us with them, but my voice was
drowned in the roar of the tempest. Nor could they
have returned for us through waves that ran mountains high.

(04:45):
All hope from their assistance was lost. But I was
consoled by observing that the water did not enter the
ship above a certain height. The stern under which lay
the cabin, which contained all that was dear to me
on Earth, was immovably fixed between two rocks. At the
same time, I observed towards the south traces of land, which,

(05:08):
though wild and barren, were now the haven of my
almost expiring hopes. No longer being able to depend on
any human aid, I returned to my family and endeavored
to appear calm, take courage, cried I, there is yet
hope for us. The vessel, in striking between the rocks,

(05:29):
is fixed in a position which protects our cabin above
the water, and if the wind should settle tomorrow, we
may possibly reach the land. This assurance called my children,
and as usual, they depended on all I told them.
They rejoiced that the heaving of the vessel had ceased,
as while it lasted, they were continually thrown against each other.

(05:52):
My wife, more accustomed to read my countenance, discovered my uneasiness,
and by a sign I explained to her that I
had lost all hope. I felt great consolation in seeing
that she supported our misfortune with truly Christian resignation. Let
us take some food, said she, With the body the

(06:13):
mind is strengthened. This must be a night of trial.
Night came, and the tempest continued its fury, tearing away
the planks from the devoted vessel with a fearful crashing.
It appeared absolutely impossible that the boats could have outlived
the storm. My wife had prepared some refreshment, of which

(06:34):
the children partook with an appetite that we would not feel.
The three younger ones retired to their beds and soon
slept soundly. Fritz, the eldest, watched with me. I have
been considering, said he, how we could save ourselves if
we only had some cork jackets or bladders for Mamma

(06:56):
and my brothers. You and I don't need them. We
could then swim the land. A good thought, said I.
I will try during the night to contrive some expedient
to secure our safety. We found some small empty barrels
in the cabin, which we tied two together with our handkerchiefs,
leaving a space between for each child, and fastened this

(07:19):
new swimming apparatus under our arms. My wife prepared the
same for herself. We then collected some knives, string, tinder box,
and such little necessaries as we could put in our pockets. Thus,
in case the vessel should fall to pieces during the night,
we hoped we might be enabled to reach land at length. Fritz,

(07:41):
overcome with fatigue, lay down and slept with his brothers.
My wife and I, too anxious to rest, spent that
dreadful night in prayer and in arranging various plans. How
gladly we welcomed the light of day shining through an opening.
The wind was subsiding, The sky is serene, and I

(08:03):
watched the sun rise with renewed hope. I called my
wife and children on deck. The younger ones were surprised
to find we were alone. They inquired what had become
of the sailors, and how we should manage the ship alone. Children,
said I, One more powerful than man has protected us

(08:23):
till now, and will still extend a saving arm to
us if we do not give way to complaint and despair.
Let all hands set to work. Remember that excellent maxim
God helps those who help themselves. Let us all consider
what is best to do now. Let us leap into
the sea, cried Fritz, and swim to the shore. Very

(08:46):
well for you, replied Ernest, who can swim. But we
should all be drowned. Would it not be better to construct
a raft and go all together? That might, too, added I,
if we were strong enough for such a work, and
if a raft was not always so dangerous a conveyance.
But away boys look about you and seek for anything

(09:09):
that might be useful to us. We all dispersed to
different parts of the vessel. For my own part, I
went to the provision room to look after the casks
of water and other necessaries of life. My wife visited
the live stock and fed them, for they were almost famished.
Fritz sought for arms and ammunition, earnest for the carpenter's tools.

(09:32):
Jack had opened the captain's cabin and was immediately thrown
down by two large dogs, who leaped on him so
roughly that he cried out as if they were going
to devour him. However, hunger had rendered them so docile
that they licked his hands, and he soon recovered his feet,
seized the largest by the ears, and, mounting his back, gravely,

(09:54):
rode up to me. As I was coming from the hold,
I could not help laughing. I applauded his courage, but
recommended him always to be prudent with animals of that kind,
who are often dangerous when hungry. My little troop began
to assemble. Fritz had found two fowling pieces, some bags

(10:14):
of powder and shot, and some balls in horn flasks.
Ernest was loaded with an axe and hammer, a pair
of pincers, a large pair of scissors, and an auger
showed itself half out of his pocket. Francis had a
large box under his arm, from which he eagerly produced
what he had called little pointed hooks. His brothers laughed

(10:36):
at his prize. Silence, said I, the youngest has made
the most valuable addition to our stores. These are fish hooks,
and may be more useful for the preservation of our
lives than anything this ship contains. However, Fritz and Ernest
have not done amiss For my part, said my wife.

(10:57):
I only contribute good news. I have found a cow,
an ass, two goats, six sheep, and a sow with
young I have fed them and hope we may preserve
them very well, said I to my little workman. I
am satisfied with all but master Jack, who, instead of
anything useful, has contributed to great eaters who will do

(11:20):
us more harm than good. They can help us to
hunt when we get the land, said Jack. Yes, replied I,
but can you devise any means of our getting there?
It does not seem at all difficult, said the spirited
little fellow. Put us each into a great tub, and
let us float to shore. I remember sailing capitally that

(11:43):
way on God Papa's great pond. That's a very good idea. Jack.
Good counsel may sometimes be given even by a child.
Be quick, boys, give me the saw and auger with
some nails. We will see what we can do. I
remembered seeing some empty casks in the hold. We went
down and found them floating. This gave us less difficulty

(12:06):
in getting them upon the lower deck, which was just
above the water. They were of strong wood, bound with
iron hoops, and exactly suited my purpose. My sons and
I therefore began to saw them through the middle. After
long labor, we had eight tubs, all the same height.
We refreshed ourselves with wine and biscuit, which we had

(12:28):
found in some of the casks. I then contemplated with
delight my little squadron of boats ranged in a line,
and was surprised that my wife still continued depressed. She
looked mournfully on them. I can never venture in one
of those tubs, she said. Wait a little till my
work is finished, replied I, and you will see. It

(12:50):
is more to be depended on than this broken vessel.
I sought out a long, flexible plank and enraged eight
tubs on it close to each other, leaving a piece
at each end to form a curve upwards, like the
keel of a vessel. We then nailed them firmly to
the plank and to each other. We nailed a plank

(13:11):
at each side of the same length as the first,
and succeeded in producing a sort of boat divided into
eight compartments, in which it did not appear difficult to
make a short voyage over a calm sea. But unluckily,
our wonderful vessel proved so heavy that our united efforts

(13:32):
could not move it an inch. I sent Fritz to
bring me the jackscrew, and in the meantime saw it
a thick round pole into pieces. Then raising the forepart
of our work by means of the powerful machine, Fritz
placed one of these rollers under it. Ernest was very
anxious to know how this small machine could accomplish more

(13:55):
than our united strength. I explained to him, as well
as I could, the power of the lever of Archimedes,
with which he had declared he could move the world
if he had but a point to rest it on,
and I promised my son to take the machine to
pieces when we were on shore and explain the mode
of operation. I then told them that God, to compensate

(14:18):
for the weakness of man, have bestowed on him reason,
invention and skill in workmanship. The result of these had
produced a science which, under the name of mechanics, taught
us to increase and extend our limited powers incredibly by
the aid of instruments. Jack remarked that the jack screw

(14:40):
worked very slowly, better slowly than not at all, said I.
It is a principle in mechanics that what is gained
in time is lost in power. The jack is not
meant to work rapidly, but to raise heavy weights, and
the heavier the weight, the slower the operation. But can

(15:00):
you tell me how we can make up for the slowness? Oh,
by turning the handle quicker. To be sure, quite wrong,
that would not aid us at all. Patience and reason
are the two fairies by whose potent help I hoped
to get our boat afloat. I quickly proceeded to tie
a strong cord to the after part of it, and

(15:21):
the other end to a beam in the ship, which
was still firm leaving it long enough for security. Then
introducing two more rollers underneath, and working with a jack,
we succeeded in launching our bark, which passed into the
water with such velocity that but for our rope, it
would have gone out to sea. Unfortunately, it leaned so

(15:44):
much on one side that none of the boys would
venture into it. I was in despair when I suddenly
remembered it only wanted ballast to keep it in equilibrium.
I hastily threw in anything I got hold of that
was heavy, and soon had my boat level and ready
for occupation. They now contended who should enter first, but

(16:07):
I stopped them, reflecting that these restless children might easily
capsize our vessel. I remembered that Savage Nations made use
of an outrigger to prevent their canoe over setting, and
this I determined to add to my work. I fixed
two portions of a topsail yard, one over the prow,

(16:27):
the other across the stern, in such a manner that
they should not be in the way in pushing off
our boat from the wreck. I forced the end of
each yard into the bung hole of an empty brandy
cask to keep them steady during our progress. It was
now necessary to clear the way for our departure. I
got into the first tub and managed to get the

(16:50):
boat into the cleft in the ship's side by way
of a haven. I then returned and with the axe
and saw, cut away right and left all that could
struck our passage. Then we secured some oars to be
ready for our voyage. Next day. The day had passed
in toil, and we were compelled to spend another night

(17:12):
on the wreck, though we knew it might not remain
until morning. We took a regular meal, for during the
day we had scarcely had time to snatch a morsel
of bread and a glass of wine, more composed than
on the preceding night. We retired to rest. I took
the precaution to fasten the swimming apparatus across the shoulders

(17:33):
of my three younger children and my wife, for fear
another storm might destroy the vessel and cast us into
the sea. I also advised my wife to put on
a sailor's dress, as more convenient for her expected toils
and trials. She reluctantly consented, and, after a short absence,
appeared in the dress of a youth who had served

(17:55):
as a volunteer in the vessel. She felt very timid
and awkward in her new dress, but I showed her
the advantage of the change, and at last she was
reconciled and joined in the laughter of the children at
her strange disguise. She then got into her hammock, and
we enjoyed a pleasant sleep to prepare us for new labors.

(18:20):
End of Chapter one