The Wonder Island Boys: Adventures on Strange Islands Read online

  THE WONDER ISLAND BOYS

  by

  ROGER T. FINLAY

  A new series of books, each complete in itself, relating the remarkableexperiences of two boys and a man, who are cast upon an island in theSouth Seas with absolutely nothing but the clothing they wore. By theexercise of their ingenuity they succeed in fashioning clothing, toolsand weapons and not only do they train nature's forces to work for thembut they subdue and finally civilize neighboring savage tribes. Thebooks contain two thousand items of interest that every boy ought toknow.

  THE WONDER ISLAND BOYS The Castaways

  THE WONDER ISLAND BOYS Exploring the Island

  THE WONDER ISLAND BOYS The Mysteries of the Caverns

  THE WONDER ISLAND BOYS The Tribesmen

  THE WONDER ISLAND BOYS The Capture and Pursuit

  THE WONDER ISLAND BOYS The Conquest of the Savages

  THE WONDER ISLAND BOYS Adventures on Strange Islands

  THE WONDER ISLAND BOYS Treasures of the Islands

  _Large 12mo, cloth. Many illustrations._ _60 cents per vol., postpaid._

  PUBLISHED BY THE NEW YORK BOOK COMPANY 147 FOURTH AVENUE NEW YORK

  ADVENTURES ON STRANGE ISLANDS

  THE WONDER ISLAND BOYS

  ADVENTURES ON STRANGE ISLANDS

  by

  ROGER T. FINLAY

  Illustrated

  NYBC]

  The New York Book CompanyNew York

  Copyright, 1915, byThe New York Book Company

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER

  I. THE STRANGE OARS AND ROPES Page 15

  The charted island. Previous history of the boys. The professor. Mysteries. The strange oars and ropes. Experiments. The various trips through the Island. Meeting the natives. The caves. Finding metals and ores. A strange village.

  II. A MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE Page 26

  The Town of Unity. Enterprises on the island. Building a ship. Homesick. Considering the question of other islands. Treasure hunting. The Krishnos. Their beliefs and practices. The comparison of customs with the white people. Preparing to launch the vessel. The professor decides to remain. Angel. The message. Blakely. A scrap of paper with illegible words. The V-shaped tracing. Guessing the contents of the note.

  III. THE ARROW ON THE SHEET Page 38

  Deciphering the discolored paper. The arrow on the sheet. The first Walter letter. The comparison. Dimensions of the vessel. The engine. The professor and John's error. Pointing to an island. Convinced of the correctness of the boys' views. Launching of the vessel. The feast day. Putting up the rigging. Selecting a crew. Preliminary trials. The day for departure. The trip to Valparaiso. Reshipping to New York. Telegrams home after three years. Angels and the wonders of New York. The great change in the boys. The return to Wonder Island. Reaching Valparaiso. Meeting Blakely. The new steamer. Installation of a line to Wonder Island. The return trip.

  IV. THE SKULL WITH THE CRYPTIC WRITING Page 51

  Steaming up Enterprise River. Unity in sight. The natives at the wharf. The enthusiasm. The chiefs witness the arrival. A "Grand Homecoming." The boys visit the natives. Contemplating voyages to discover other islands. Native sailors. Sutoto captain of the _Pioneer_. Rumors about the boys. Plans for the proposed trips. The force for the expedition. A cargo of copper. The trip to the copper treasure cave. Tides. Fireflies. Explanation of the light. Light without heat The problem of light. Advantages of light which generates no heat. Color of daylight. Phosphorescent glow. Catching fireflies. Scaling the heights. The spot where the Walter note was found. A skull with mysterious characters on it. The mark on the skull and the mark in the message. The star. Cryptic signs.

  V. THE TRIP TO THE NEW ISLAND Page 63

  Sutoto at the top of the peak. The telescope. The view of Unity. The Illyas' village. The visit to the last captured village. The reception. The kindness of the chief. The great change in the village. The feast of John and the boys. Happiness of the people. The Illyas at work. Return of the _Wonder_ to Unity. The _Pioneer_ on its way to other Islands. Seasickness of the crew. Trying the new cure. Atrophine, and how administered. Explaining its origin, and how it acts. The effect on the crew. Driven out of their course. A light in the dense darkness. Land ahead. Awaiting the morning. Fifty leagues from Wonder Island. The cove in the shore line. Anchoring. The two boats sent ashore. Signs to indicate that people lived on the island. Reminiscences of the Yaks and bears. The discovery of coffee trees. The wild variety. Identity of vegetation in widely-separated countries.

  VI. DISCOVERY OF THE ISLAND AND EXPLORATIONS Page 75

  Return to the landing. John's advice. Surveying the island. The cardinal points of the compass. Laying out the coast line by triangulation. What measurement of angles means. Transferring the angles to paper. Making plans by means of a scale. Proportionate lengths of the different limbs of the angles. The shore line to the south. Instructions to Sutoto. The party to explore the interior. Starting on their mission. The equipment of the party. The spears, and bolos. The camera and field glasses. Amazing tropical vegetation and fruit. Stone hatchet found. Independent exploits of the boys. Temporary separation. Disappearance of George. A pistol shot in the distance. The search. Evidences of a scuffle. George's tracks found. The footprints of natives. Muro scouting in the direction of the natives. The runner to the ship. The _Pioneer_ sailing away. The new landing place. Uraso advised of the capture.

  VII. CAPTURE OF GEORGE BY THE NATIVES Page 89

  George's capture. Hearing John's whistle. Firing the gun. The surprise of the natives. Rendered unconscious. He recovers. Sees his gun and glasses in the hands of the natives. Discovers that his revolver is still in his pocket. The natives see him trying to discover the time by his watch. The fight of the savages for the watch. George's determination to escape. The natives discover the revolver. He surprises the natives by explaining the knife and glasses. While explaining the glasses accidentally discovers the ocean in the distance. The matchsafe. Discovers the village. Tries to escape before reaching there. Planning the details. Surprised at the appearance of another party. All hope lost. A powerful Chief. George and the Chief. Investigating George's belongings. How George unwittingly told the Chief about the gun and glasses. The Chief arrests the captors. George explains the weapons. Returns the revolver to George. Invites him to the village. In the home of the Chieftain. Description of the "Palace."

  VIII. FIGHT OF THE NATIVES FOR THE TRINKETS Page 102

  Scouting. Muro's work. The first traces. Arrival of Uraso. His grief at the news. The conference. John and party march to the east. Finding George's chain. Evidences of a struggle. Determining the number of enemies by the footprints. Reading characters by feet. How people are distinguished. Observing peculiarities of actions. Estimating the number of native
s in the party which captured George. Discovering the Chief's footmarks. Judging of the safety of George by the marks of the feet. Uraso discovers the tree where George exhibited the power of the bullet to the Chief. Inferences as to the characters of the natives who captured George. The trinkets and buttons of more importance to the savages than the person of the captive. Power as the great factor with savages. Why right is might.

  IX. THE GIANT CHIEF AND HIS "PALACE" Page 113

  The Chief interested in George's belongings. Discovery of a ship's chair. The matchsafe in the Chief's hands. The imitative quality. The first meal. The peculiar knives and forks. The Chief's capacity for food. The character of the meal. The siesta after the meal. George's opportunity. Stealing from the Chief's house. The daughter of the Chief. Wandering from the Chief's house. His midnight sleep from exhaustion. The watchers at his bedside. Finding the soap plant. Breakfast. Absence of the Chief. George's suspicions. Follows the Chief. The appearance of John and Harry. The meeting. George introduces the party to the Chief. Uraso and Muro able to converse with the Chief. George's story. "The Palace." The village. The feast.

  X. PECULIARITIES OF THE NATIVE TRIBE Page 125

  How the feast was served. John relates the story of the boys to the Chief. The Chief interested in the wonderful ship. The story of the island. The runner to the ship. No Krishnos on the islands. Sutoto sees the runners. Sails for the village. The Chief does not believe in a great spirit. His philosophy. Strength is the only right. No caves on the island. Disappointment of the boys. Bad people to the north. Their own kin, but convicts. Stealing and lying the only crimes. No crime to steal from each other, only from the Chief. The sun as a great Chief. The coming of the ship. The natives on the seashore. Casting of the anchor. Sutoto sees the Chief's daughter. George's captors on the way to the convict colony. Intercession on the part of the boys. The food at the banquet. The natives' aversion to fish. Snake worshippers. Witch doctors. The bad god Baigona. Peculiar ideas of right and wrong among the natives. The survey of the southern part of the island. Triangulation from the mast of a ship.

  XI. SUTOTO AND THE CHIEF'S DAUGHTER Page 137

  Sutoto's love affair. Cinda, the Chief's daughter. The Chief is told of the wonders of Wonder Island. About the activities of the natives on that island. His curiosity. John tells him how the white people live. The acute questionings of the Chief. Teaching him how trade and commerce is carried on. Money and its uses. How it gets its value. Why it is a measure only. The trip to the north in charge of the Chief's son. Gruesome tales of the ferocity of the convicts. John still anxious to find some particular cave. His chart. The unsolved mystery of the boat. The clothing of the natives. Bracelets. Glitter to attract natives. Weaving, the only industry. The aptness of native women to adopt fancy articles of dress and ornament. John's scheme, anticipating the wedding of Sutoto and Cinda. A "State affair." The mission to the Professor. Sending the _Pioneer_ to Wonder Island. Stut captain of the ship. Sutoto's secret mission through Stut.

  XII. THE SKELETON BENEATH THE BOAT Page 148

  How the present journey reminded the boys of their first adventure on Wonder Island. Peculiar animals. The kagu. The fashionable millinery styles. Singular habit of the bird. The benne plant. Its remarkable properties. Lard from trees. The coffee trees. A tree with sandpaper leaves. The indicus. Analyzing soils. How plants digest food. Larvae. The early forms of many animals. Kinds of food in the earth. The bruang. The sun-bear of Malay. The bear and the honey pot. How it was tamed. The sport. The ocean. George and Harry at the beach. Bathing in the surf. The discovery of the wreck of an upturned boat. Finding the compartments belonging to their lost boat on Wonder Island. Sending for John. The skeleton beneath the upturned boat. The bound skeleton. The startling discovery of the same kinds of ropes found in their lost boat. Evidence of a crime.

  XIII. A CONVICT COLONY OF NATIVES Page 161

  Describing the skeleton. A soldier or an adventurer. Their first hatchet. The narrow neck of land. The Rose of Jericho. The resurrection plant. The Australian kangaroo. The exiled people. The Chief's son tells about them. Explains they do not believe in killing except in self-defense. The upas tree. Its flowering branch. Valuable mineral in the hills. Description of the convict's home. Banishment one of the most serious forms of punishment for crimes. The survey of the mountains. Hunting for caves. How the parties, were organized. The influence of odors on human actions. Tests of odors on patients. How they affect dreams. Calcareous formations. Where the real caves are found. Erosive action of water on limestone.

  XIV. A WHITE PARALYTIC IN THE CONVICT COLONY Page 174

  The wide search for the caves. George finds a cave entrance. Preparing to explore the cave. The lamps. A blind lead. A fissure, not an erosion. The joke on George. The first sight of the location of the dreaded criminal colony. The magnificent wild fruits. The beautiful flowers. The first criminals. The industry of the people. Cultivating fruit and vegetables. Hutoton. Peculiarity in names. Well-dressed natives. The distinguished head of the village. His dignity. The welcome to the village. The well-kept huts. The garden plots and bowers of flowers. The criminals preparing a feast of welcome. The boys discover a white man. A paralytic patient. How the convicts cared for him. Surprised to learn that the convicts rewarded the men who rescued the paralytic. How the savages calculated time. The movement of the sun, and how it gave them the time.

  XV. SAVAGE MARRIAGE CUSTOMS Page 185

  Criminal Colonies. The effects on the people. Its advantages. The principles of punishment. Protecting society. Isolating patients who have contagious or infectious diseases. Trying to ascertain the identity of the paralytic. John's promise to reward the people for the care bestowed on the white man. Refusing to be paid, for taking care of him. Contrasting Hutoton with Sasite, the home of the Chief. Returning to Sasite. The first glimpse of the returning _Pioneer_. The interesting party aboard. The Chief and the entire village at the seashore. The Professor. Muro's wife. Blakely. The Chief meets the Professor. The Chief knows why the Professor is a wise man. The double eyes, spectacles. The Chief with the spectacles. Muro's wife meets the Chief's wife. They confer about Cinda and Sutoto. The savage customs in marriage. The ceremonies. Stut tells the boys about Sutoto's mission to procure his wedding outfit. The surprising news that Sutoto and Cinda were to be secretly married that night. The plot. Muro's wife informed.

  XVI. SUTOTO AND CINDA'S MARRIAGE; AND THE SURPRISE Page 193

  The Chief's wife gets the news. The Chief brought into the conference. His will the only law on the matter of marriage. He consents to their plan. The two requirements in the ceremony of marriage according to their rites. The gift of fruit, of fowl, and of game. The blindfolding of the bridegroom. The absolute silence when eating. Preparation for the banquet that night. Sutoto and Cinda arrange to be married that night while the people are at the banquet. Decide to conform strictly to the rites of the tribe. The boys learn of the stealthy plans. Witness the ceremony in Cinda's home. The Chief arrests the bridal couple and takes them aboard the ship. The criminals before the Chief. The Chief upbraids Sutoto. The reconciliation. The presents brought over from Wonder Island. Grief of the boys because they had forgotten a present. The surprise of the
natives at the beautiful silver forks. Spices. Coffee. Cream and sugar. Curiosity about the cows. The great surprise to Sutoto. He is made Chief of his tribe. Monuments. The presents. The great mirror, the present of the boys. The crowns. The final ceremony. The dance. Originally a religious ceremony. The encircling wreath.

  XVII. HUTOTON; THE PLACE OF DEATH Page 207

  Preparations for further explorations. Consulting the charts. Determine to sail northward, on way to Wonder Island. Reasons from shape of the island why an island might be to the north. Geological formations. Upheavals. Islands mere ridges. Sutoto to return to Wonder Island. The Chief agrees to go to Wonder Island. His family to accompany him. Proposed visit to Hutoton. Boarding the ship. The welcome of the convicts. Taking the paralytic to the ship. Stores from the ships for the convict colony. The _Pioneer_ sails to the north. Discovery of a new island. Taking observations from the sun. The calendar. Summer and winter. Taking the angle of the sun, and what it means. Triangulation. The nautical chart. Greenwich or Standard time. The island which they had left named _Venture_. The new island and its magnificent vegetation. John, with the boys and two boatloads, land. The exploring parties formed. The boys and Muro at the head of one party. Traces of savages. Appearances that cannibals were there. A shower of arrows their first surprise. The volley and the disappearance of the natives. Reappearance of the savages. Surrounded. Preparing for defense. The second attack. The fight. The natives apparently preparing to rush them.

  XVIII. DISCOVERY OF A NEW ISLAND, AND A SAVAGE TRIBE Page 222

  The effect of the second volley. The determination of the attacking party. The fire on all sides. The ammunition getting low. The relief party under John. Hearing the sounds of firing. The surprise of the natives. The savages repulsed. Muro and the men follow the fleeing natives. Recalled by John. Aiding the wounded. Taking along a wounded Chief. The litter. The decoy. Returning to the ship. Observing the enemy from a tree-top. Following up the party. A rear guard. The runner reports the determination of the natives to follow. The signal shots to the ship. Reinforcements. The determination to explore the island and meet the natives. John with the boys and a strong party remain. The _Pioneer_ sails for Wonder Island. Holding a council.

  XIX. FIGHT WITH NATIVES AND RETURN TO WONDER ISLAND Page 231

  Arrangements for the _Pioneer_ to return. Ammunition needed. The arrangement of the men for scouting and picketing. Leaving security harbor. A plant which devours insects. Venus's fly-trap. How plants absorb food. Irritability. How the leaf digests the fly. Food absorbed by leaves as well as by roots. A cache of human skulls. Head hunters. The vele. A hoodoo. The rattle. The vele and the bamboo box. How it is worked to produce the charm. Evidences of extreme superstitions. Witch doctors. Peculiar noises. Doleful sounds. Speculating on the mysteries of the island.