The Plant Hunters Part 23

Caspar rather hastily took hold of one of the plants; and, plucking off the spike, held it to his nose, to see whether the flowers had any perfume. But Caspar dropped the nosegay as hastily as he had seized it, and with an exclamation of terror turned towards his brother, into whose arms he staggered half swooning! Fortunately he had taken but a very slight "sniff" of that dangerous perfume, else he might have been laid up for days. As it was he felt giddy for hours after.

Now this singular plant the botanist Karl recognised at a glance. It was a species of aconite, or wolf's-bane, and _very_ similar to the kindred species, _Aconitum napellus_, or "monk's hood," of Europe, whose roots furnish the most potent of poisons.

The whole plant--leaves, flowers, and stem--is of a poisonous nature, but the roots, which resemble small turnips, contain the essence of the poison. There are many species of the plant found in different parts of the world, and nearly a dozen kinds in the Himalaya Mountains themselves; but the one pointed out by Ossaroo was the _Aconitum ferox_ of botanists, the species from which the celebrated "bikh" poison of the Hindoos is obtained.

Ossaroo then proposed to poison the fish by throwing a sufficient quant.i.ty of the roots and stems of the plant into the lake.

This proposal, however, was rejected by Karl, who very properly observed, that although by that means they might obtain a plentiful supply of fish, they would destroy more than they could use at the time, and perhaps leave none for the future. Karl had already begun to talk about a "future" to be spent on the sh.o.r.es of this lovely lake. The belief that they might never go out of the valley was already taking shape in the minds of all three, though they did not care to give expression to such sad imaginings.

Karl tried to be cheerful, as he saw that Caspar was gay.

"Come," said he, "let us not mind the fish to-day. I own that fish is usually the first course, but go along with me. Let us see what kind of vegetables our garden has got. I am sure we may live better if we only try. For my part I am getting tired of broiled meat, and neither bread nor vegetables to eat along with it. Here I dare say we shall find both; for whether it be due to the birds, or its peculiar climate--or a little to both most likely--our valley has a flora such as you can only meet with in a botanic garden. Come then! let us see what we can find for the pot."

So saying Karl led the way, followed by Caspar, Ossaroo, and the faithful Fritz.

"Look up there!" said the botanist, pointing to a tall pine that grew near. "See those large cones. Inside them we shall obtain seeds, as large as pistachio-nuts, and very good to eat. By roasting them, we can make an excellent subst.i.tute for bread."

"Ha, indeed!" exclaimed Caspar, "that is a pine-tree. What large cones!

They are as big as artichokes. What sort of pine is it, brother?"

"It is one of the kind known as the 'edible pines,' because their seeds are fit for food. It is the species called by botanists _Pinus Gerardiana_, or the 'neosa' pine. There are pines whose seeds are eatable in other parts of the world, as well as in the Himalaya Mountains,--for instance, the _Pinus cembra_ of Europe, the 'ghik' of j.a.pan, the 'Lambert' pine of California, and several species in New Mexico, known among the people as 'pinon' trees. So you perceive that besides their valuable timber--to say nothing of their pitch, turpentine, and resin--the family of the pines also furnishes food to the human race. We shall get some bread from those cones whenever we desire it!"

So saying, Karl continued on in the direction of the lake.

"There again!" said he, pointing to a gigantic herbaceous plant, "rhubarb, you see!"

It was, in fact, the true rhubarb, which grows wild among the Himalaya Mountains, and whose great broad red-edged leaves, contrasting with its tall pyramid of yellow bracts, render it one of the most striking and beautiful of herbaceous plants. Its large acid stems--which are hollow and full of pure water--are eaten by the natives of the Himalayas, both raw and boiled, and its leaves when dried are smoked as tobacco. But there was a smaller species that grew near, which Ossaroo said produced much better tobacco; and Ossaroo was good authority, since he had already dried some of the leaves, and had been smoking them ever since their arrival in the valley. In fact, Ossaroo was quite out of betel-nut, and suffered so much from the want of his favourite stimulant, that he was glad to get any thing to smoke; and the "chula,"

or wild rhubarb-leaves, answered his purpose well. Ossaroo's pipe was an original one certainty; and he could construct one in a few minutes.

His plan was to thrust a piece of stick into the ground, pa.s.sing it underneath the surface--horizontally for a few inches, and then out again--so as to form a double orifice to the hole. At one end of this channel he would insert a small joint of reed for his mouth-piece, while the other was filled with the rhubarb tobacco, which was then set on fire. It was literally turning the earth into a tobacco-pipe!

This method of smoking is by no means uncommon among the half-civilised inhabitants of India as well as Africa, and Ossaroo preferred a pipe of this kind to any other.

Karl continued onward, pointing out to his companions several species of edible roots, fruits, and vegetables which the valley contained. There were wild leeks among the number. These would a.s.sist them in making soup. There were fruits too,--several species of currants, and cherries, and strawberries, and raspberries,--kinds that had long been introduced to European gardens, and that to Karl and Caspar looked like old acquaintances.

"And there!" continued Karl, "see the very water produces food for us.

Look at the lotus, (_Nelumbium speciosum_). Those large pink and white flowers are the flowers of the famed lotus. Its stalks may be eaten, or, if you will, their hollow tubes will serve us as cups to drink, out of. There, too, is the horned water root (_Trapa bicornis_), also excellent eating. Oh! we should be thankful. We are well provided with food."

Yet the heart of Karl was sore while thus endeavouring to talk cheerfully.

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE.

NEW SURVEY OF THE CLIFF.

Yes, the hearts of all three were far from being contented, though they returned to the hut laden with fruits, and roots, and nuts, and vegetables; out of which they intended to concoct a better dinner than they had been lately accustomed to.

The rest of that day was spent about the hut, and a good deal of it was given up to culinary operations. Not that any of the party cared so much for a good dinner; but being thus engaged prevented them from reflecting as much as they would otherwise have done upon their painful situation. Besides, they had no other work to do. They had no longer a motive for doing any thing. Up to that moment the preparing the ropes and timbers of the bridge had kept them employed; and the very work itself, combined with the hope which they then felt, enabled them to pa.s.s the time pleasantly enough. Now that these hopes were no more,-- that their whole scheme had ended in failure, they felt restless,--and could think of nothing upon which to employ themselves. Preparing their dinner, therefore, out of the new and varied materials that had come into their hands, was, at least, some distraction to their gloomy thoughts.

When dinner was ready, all of them ate heartily, and with a relish.

Indeed, they had been so long without vegetables that these tasted to them as fine as any they had ever eaten. Even the wild fruits appeared equal to the best they had ever gathered from an orchard!

It was a little after midday, as they were enjoying this dessert. They were seated in the open air, in front of the hut, and Caspar was doing most part of the talking, he was doing his best to be cheerful, and to make his companions so as well.

"They're the best strawberries I've eaten for a month," said he; "but I think a trifle of sugar and a drop of cream would be an improvement.

What say you, Karl?"

"It would," he replied, nodding a.s.sent.

"We did wrong to kill all our cows," continued Caspar, with a significant look at one of the yak-skins that lay near.

"By-the-bye," said Karl, interrupting him, "I was just thinking of that.

If we are to stay here all our lives,--oh!"

The painful reflection, again crossing Karl's mind, caused him to exclaim as he did. He left his hypothetic sentence unfinished, and relapsed into silence.

Several days after this Karl left the hut, and, without telling his intention to either of his companions, walked off in the direction of the cliffs. Indeed, he had no very definite nor determined aim in so doing; a sort of hopeless idea had come into his mind of making the circuit of the valley, and once more surveying the precipice all round it.

Neither of the others offered to accompany him, nor did they question him as to his object in setting out. Both had gone about business of their own. Caspar had become engaged in making a wash-rod for his gun, and Ossaroo a net to catch the large and beautiful fish that abounded in the lake. Karl, therefore, was permitted to set forth alone.

On reaching the precipice, he turned along its base, and walked slowly forward, stopping every yard or two, and looking upward. Every foot-- nay, I might say every inch, of the cliff did he scan with care,--even with more care than he had hitherto done; though that would appear hardly possible, for on the former occasions on which the three had examined it, their reconnoissance had been most particular and _minute_.

But a new idea had shadowed itself in the mind of Karl; and it was in obedience to this, that he now proceeded with a fresh examination of the precipitous enclosure that imprisoned them. It is true it was but a sort of forlorn hope that he had conceived; but a forlorn hope was better than no hope at all, and therefore Karl was determined to be satisfied.

The thought that had been forming in his mind was, that after all it might be possible for them to _scale the cliff_. That they could not do so by climbing he was already satisfied; as were all three. Of this their former examinations had convinced them. But there were other ways of getting up a precipice, besides merely climbing with one's hands and feet; and one of these ways, as already said, had for some time been shadowing itself in the mind of Karl.

What plan, you will ask, had he now conceived? Did he design to make use of ropes?

Not at all. Ropes could be of no service to him in going up a cliff.

They might, had they been fastened at the top; for then both he and his companions would soon have contrived some way of getting up the ropes.

They could have made a ladder of a single rope by which they might have ascended, by simply knotting pieces of sticks at short intervals, to serve as rests for their feet, and they knew this well. Such a contrivance would have suited admirably, if they had been required to _descend_ a precipice, for then they could have let the rope down, and fastened it at the top themselves. But to go up was altogether a different operation; and it was necessary for at least one to be above to render it at all practicable or possible. Of course, if one could have got to the top by any means, the others could have done so by the same; and then the rope-ladder would not have been needed at all.

No. Such a contrivance could not be used, and indeed they had never thought of it--since to the meanest comprehension it was plainly impossible. Karl therefore was not thinking of a rope-ladder.

Nevertheless it was actually about a _ladder_ that he was thinking--not made of ropes, but of timber--of sides and rounds like any other ladder.

"What!" you will exclaim, "a ladder by which to scale the cliff! Why, you have told us that it was three hundred feet in sheer height? The longest ladder in the world would not reach a third of the way up such a precipice. Even a fireman's ladder, that is made to reach to the tops of the highest houses, would be of no use for such a height as that?"

"Quite true! I know all that as well as you," would have been Karl's reply to your objections.

"What, then, Master Karl? Do you design to make a ladder that will be taller than all we have ever seen--tall enough to reach to the top of a precipice three hundred feet high? We know you have both energy and perseverance; and, after witnessing the way that you worked at the building of your bridge, and the skill with which you built it, we are ready to believe that you can accomplish a very great feat in the joiner's line; but that _you_ can make a ladder three hundred feet in length, we are not prepared to believe--not if you had a whole chest of tools and the best timber in the world. We know you might put a ladder together ever so long, but would it hold together? or even if it did, how could you set it up against the cliff? Never. Three of the strongest men could not do it,--nor six neither,--nor a dozen, without machinery to a.s.sist them; therefore scaling the cliff by means of a wooden ladder is plainly impracticable; and if that be your idea, you may as well abandon it."

"Quite true, I know all this as well as you," would have been Karl's reply; "but I had no idea of being able to scale the cliff by means of a ladder. It was not of _a ladder_, but of _ladders_, I was thinking."

"Ha! there may be something in that."

Karl knew well enough that no single ladder could be made of sufficient length and strength to have reached from the bottom to the top of that great wall; or if such could be constructed, he knew equally well that it would be impossible to set it up.