Adrift in Pacific and Other Great Adventures – 17 Titles in One Volume (Illustrated Edition). Jules Verne
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birds close handy which filled Moko's larder, although he did not always manage to cook them so as to get rid of their marshy taste.
When things were fairly in order Gordon proposed drawing up a programme to which all would have to submit when it had been approved by all. How long was their stay to be on this island ? When they came to leave it, would it not be a satisfaction to think that the time had not been wasted. With the books from the schooner's library the bigger boys could increase their knowledge at the same time as they taught the younger ones. An excellent task, which would usefully and agreeably occupy the long hours of winter!
However, before the programme was finished, another measure was adopted, under the following circumstances.
On the night of June 10th, after supper, all were in the hall, seated round the stove, when conversation turned on the chance that offered to give names to the chief portions of the island.
" That would be very useful," said Briant.
" Yes, let's have names," said Iverson, " and let us have nice names."
"Let us do the same as has been done by other Crusoes, real or imaginary," said Webb.
"And in reality," said Gordon, "we are nothing more than—"
" A Crusoe school! " interrupted Service.
" Besides," continued Gordon, " with names given to the bay, the stream, the forests, the lake, the cliff, the marshes and capes, we shall find it easier to speak of them,
" We have Schooner Bay, on which the yacht was wrecked," said Donagan, " and I think we might as well keep to the name we are used to."
" Right you are," said Cross.
" And in the same way we'll keep the name of French Den for our cave, in memory of poor Baudoin whose place we have taken."
There was no objection to this proposal, even from Donagan, although the suggestion came from Briant.
" And now," said Wilcox, " what shall we call the river which flows into Schooner Bay ? "
"Zealand River," said Baxter, "the name will remind us of our country."
" Agreed ! Agreed !" Carried unanimously.
" And the lake ? " asked Garnett.
" As you gave the name of Zealand to the river in memory of your country," said Donagan, " you might as well call the lake Family Lake, in memory of your relatives."'
This was also agreed to; and in the same way the name of Auckland Hill was given to the cliff. The cape at the end whence Briant thought he had seen the sea to the eastward was called False Point.
The other names adopted one after the other, were: Trap Woods, for the part of the forest where the trap had been found ; Bog Wood, for the other part between Schooner Bay and the cliff; South Moor, for the marsh
covering the whole of the south of the island; Dike Creek, for the brook in which they had found the causeway ; Wreck Coast, for the coast on which the yacht had come ashore ; Game Terrace, for the space between the banks of the river and lake where the games on the programme were to take place.
The other parts of the island were named as they were discovered, and the names bore reference to what had happened there at the time of their discovery. It, however, seemed advisable to give names to the principal capes marked on Baudoin's map, so that in the north of the island there was a North Cape, and in the south of the island there was a South Cape, and it was agreed to give the three western capes the names of the nations represented in the colony, which meant a British Cape, an American Cape, and a French Cape.
We said colony! Yes! The boys were no longer the castaways of the schooner; they were the colonists of an island—
But of what island? The island wanted naming in its turn—
" Here! Here! I know what to call it I" said Costar.
" You know, do you ? " said Donagan.
" You are getting on, little Costar! " said Garnett,
" Of course you'll call it Baby Island ? " said Service.
" Come, don't chaff him," said Briant, " let us hear what he has to say."
The little fellow did not speak.
" Speak up, Costar," said Briant, "lam sure your idea is a good one. What is it ? "
" Well," said Costar," as we all come from Charman's School, we ought to call it Charman Island!"
Than this they could not do better, and the name was received with general applause—which made Costar look quite important.
Charman Island! Really the name had the true ring about it, and would not disgrace any atlas!
The ceremony being at an end—to the general satisfaction—the time had come to go to bed, when Briant begged to be allowed to speak.
" My friends," he said," now that we have named our island, is it not fitting that we should choose a chief ts rule it ? "
" A chief ? " asked Donagan.
" Yes. It seems to me that things would go better," continued Briant, " if one of us had authority over the others! What is done in every other country ought we not to do in Charman Island ? "
" Yes! A chief! Let us have a chief! " said the little and the big together.
" Let us have a chief," said Donagan, " but on condition that it is only for some stated time—a year, for example—"
" And who can be re-elected" added Briant.
" Agreed ! Who is it to be ? " asked Donagan in an anxious tone.
And it seemed that the jealous lad had only one fear, that in spite of him the choice of his companions would fall on Briant. He was wrong.
" Who is it to be ? " replied Briant. " Why, the wisest of us to be sure, our friend Gordon! "
" Yes! Yes! Hurrah for Gordon ! "
Gordon would at first have refused the honour they would have bestowed on him, saying that he was better fitted to organize than to command. But he foresaw the trouble that the passions of these young people might lead to in the future, and it appeared to him that his authority might not be without its value.
And that is how Gordon was proclaimed chief of the little colony of Charman Island.
CHAPTER VIII.
Winter Quarters
The winter season had definitely set in on Charman Island at the beginning of May. How long would it last ? Five months or less if the latitude was the same as that of New Zealand. And therefore Gordon prepared for the rigours of a long winter.
The young American made careful note of his meteorological observations. He found that as the winter did not begin until May, that is two months before July, which answers to January in the northern hemisphere, it would probably last for two months afterwards, or about the middle of September, when the storms prevalent about the time of the equinox would follow on to prolong it. Consequently the young colonists might be kept at French Den till the early days of October before they were able to make a long excursion either across or round Charman Island. He had thus to draw up a programme of daily work such as would be the best for the life in the cave.
And in the first place he decided to have nothing to do with faggism such as they had been used to at Charman's School. His whole effort was directed to accustoming the boys to the idea that they were almost men, and had to act as such. There were to be no fags at French Den, that is to say the younger boys were not to be the servants of the elders.
The library of French Den contained only a few books of science and travel, so that the bigger boys could only pursue their studies to a limited extent. But