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Wyss, Johann David, 1743-1818

"The Swiss Family Robinson; or Adventures in a Desert Island"

They left the pannier on his back night and day, and only
allowed him to eat what he had previously put into it. After a little
time, he became so accustomed to it, that he rebelled if they wished to
remove it, and threw into it everything they gave him to hold. He was
very useful to us, but he obeyed only Ernest, who had very properly
taught him equally to love and fear him.
Jack was not so successful with his jackal; for, though he gave him the
name of _"The Hunter,"_ yet, for the first six months, the carnivorous
animal chased only for himself, and, if he brought anything to his
master, it was only the skin of the animal he had just devoured; but I
charged him not to despair, and he continued zealously his instructions.
During this time I had perfected my candle manufacture; by means of
mixing the bees' wax with that obtained from the candle-berry, and by
using cane moulds, which Jack first suggested to me, I succeeded in
giving my candles the roundness and polish of those of Europe. The wicks
were for some time an obstacle. I did not wish to use the small quantity
of calico we had left, but my wife happily proposed to me to substitute
the pith of a species of elder, which answered my purpose completely.
I now turned myself to the preparation of the caoutchouc, of which we
had found several trees.


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