The Swiss Family Robinson

Robinson and his sons survey the swamp and cliff face in search of more snakes. In the process, they discover a large cave covered in crystal formations. They characterize it as a “great treasure,” even though precious crystals have little value here beyond the aesthetic. With the immediate area clear of snakes, they decide to explore further out. It will be a long excursion, so the entire family comes along.

The next morning, Robinson takes his youngest son, Franz, exploring. They traverse a reedy bog, and Franz makes his first kill: a wild capybara, a large rodent normally found in South America. They return to find that Ernest stumbled upon a muskrat’s nest. Breaking it open, he kills a slew of the rodents with the help of Knips the monkey and one of the mastiffs; they decide to use the pelts for hats.

The next morning while moving further inland, they come across a herd of peccaries, a breed of small pig. They kill several and, after removing the scent glands to preserve the meat, they smoke “this fine supply of hams” (233). When they reach Prospect Hill, they discover their stores were once again “ravaged” by apes. They decide to repair the damage another day and press on to the edge of their coastal territory. They camp at the edge of the cliffs. The next day, for the first time, they will explore beyond the cliffs.

Crossing through the break in the cliff wall, Robinson and his sons find evidence of the snake’s passage from the other side. They must fortify the gap once again. Once on the other side, they discover a stretch of plains leading to a wooded valley and mountains beyond. Looking out over the landscape, they spy a small flock of ostriches approaching. Hoping to capture one, they lie in wait. Fritz unleashes his eagle which brings an ostrich down with a precision strike to the head. A bit further inland, they find a shaded valley with plentiful signs of animal life. Ernest and one of the dogs explore ahead but return in a panic; two bears are approaching. The dogs distract them, allowing Robinson and Fritz to get close enough to kill them with pistols. After securing the carcasses in their den, the Robinsons return to camp. The spend the next several days skinning the bears, smoking the meat, and rendering the fat.

Realizing that his family might have to survive without him should misfortune strike, Robinson tries to instill in his sons a sense of self-confidence by letting them explore on their own. All are enthusiastic except Ernest, a studious boy with little taste for adventure. Robinson, Elizabeth, and Ernest keep busy with tasks around Rockburg while the boys are gone, but their attention is never far from the wandering adventurers. When the boys return later that evening, they bring a plentiful bounty of antelope fawns, angora rabbits, and more.

The next day, the Robinsons collect a store of poisonous tree sap to use as insect repellent and as a deterrent against the apes. Spotting the ostrich flock, they capture one alive and bring it back to camp with the hope of taming it, much to Elizabeth’s chagrin at having another mouth to feed. On the way back to Rockburg, they take stock of their crops, smokehouse, and farm animals. Everything is prospering.

The next day, the Robinsons release the rabbits and the antelope to safe locations for future use, and they begin the laborious work of planting crops. After much trial and error, they manage to tame the ostrich, even fashioning a saddle and bridle so it can be ridden. With crops planted and winter stores laid in, Robinson uses a mixture of talc and clay to craft porcelain dinnerware. As the family dines in style, distant thunder heralds the winter rainy season. 

Trapped inside Rockburg for the long, wet winter, the family’s morale sags. Fritz suggests building a light and maneuverable canoe to take their minds off the boredom. Construction occupies them for the duration of the rainy season, and when Spring arrives, they cover the canoe’s skeleton in sealskin. They now have a functional kayak which they sail, along with the pinnace, out to Whale Island. The flourishing rabbits and antelope picked the whale skeleton clean. Robinson decides to use the massive vertebrae to build a “crushing machine.” While searching for a tree to use, he finds that foraging pigs destroyed the young cassava plants. He follows their tracks and brings down two young pigs while the dogs chase down the mother. Back at camp, the boys return from their hunting expedition with “four birds, a kangaroo, at least twenty muskrats, a monkey, and two hares” (263).

With the grains ready to harvest, they level a patch of earth near the wheat field, cover it with clay, and let it dry to form a “threshing floor.” The grain harvest yields a rich supply of wheat, corn, rye, and barley. As Robinson puts the final touches on the kayak—creating airtight compartments and arming it with harpoons—Fritz takes it out for a test run. He sails it into the current which carries him out into open sea. Robinson and the other boys give chase in the pinnace, but a pistol shot from a nearby beach tells them he is okay. They find him with his most recent kill: a walrus, which he beheads for the ivory tusks and as a figurehead for the kayak. With storm clouds on the horizon, they set off for camp. Before they reach home, however, a storm strikes, causing angry waves to toss the pinnace like a cork. Fritz is ahead of them in the kayak, and Robinson fears for his eldest son’s safety. When they finally reach the security of the beach, they find Fritz and the kayak safely ashore. In a rare display of emotion, Robinson confesses he had “[given] him up for lost” (272).