Jethou; or, Crusoe Life in the Channel IslesSuffling, Ernest R. (Ernest Richard)
General
Jethou; or, Crusoe Life in the Channel Isles
Suffling, Ernest R. (Ernest Richard)
Channel Islands; Jethou
All this took us till long after dark on the 2nd, so that when Graviot,
his wife, and daughter landed about five a.m. on the 3rd, we were both
fast asleep, so much so indeed that they had difficulty in finding our
whereabouts and awakening us. At last, by rattling at the windows we
were aroused, and turned out to bid the old couple and their pretty
daughter, Marie, welcome to Jethou.
They were very quickly busy, Marie especially, for with Alec's help she
soon had the breakfast spread and all ready, and anyone with half an eye
could see how matters stood between them. All appeared quite settled.
After breakfast we all walked round the island together, so that I might
point out what I required done during the absence of Alec. I introduced
them to "Flap," the gull, who seemed to be rather shy of them, as they
were the first human beings who had been permitted to interview him
since I captured him fifteen months before, except Alec. The goat,
"Unicorna," and her companion, or rather son, "Butt," for she had had a
son a couple of months after her landing, were next placed under Marie's
protection, while my dear old friend, "Eddy," was handed over to Graviot
pere, with strict injunctions to use him well and not to overload the
poor fellow. He seemed to know I was going to leave him, for he thrust
his nose into my hand, and made a great fuss of me as I caressed him.
At eleven a.m., all being in readiness, I strode down the well-known
pathway towards our little pier for the last time, and it was not
without deep regret and dim eyes that I bade farewell to the home in
which the past eighteen months of my life had been passed in perfect
peace, contentment, and happiness. I could not help a sigh as I thought
that this was the last tide I should see rise around Jethou. The last
time I should see
"The busy waters, multitudinous,
Lip the dry beach, and rippling every pool,
Embathe the limpets in their swirling cool,
And plash upon the rocks, returning thus
To their old haunts with pleasure tremulous."
I loved every rock and tree, and felt loath to part from them, for they
were all old friends to me.
I almost forgot to mention that after altering and painting our noble
craft, we re-christened her the "Happy Return," trusting that a good
name might give us a good voyage, and I am glad to say such proved to be
the case.
We calculated the distance from Jethou to Great Yarmouth to be about
three hundred and fifty miles, but before our voyage was finished we
found we had greatly under-estimated the actual course; but apart from
the wish of getting to the journey's end, we had a most enjoyable time
of it. We calculated the trip would take us about five days, if the
weather were at all favourable, and in this we were not far out. Perhaps
a few details of the trip may be of interest to my readers, for a voyage
across the channel is not often undertaken in such a small vessel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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