The Swiss Family Robinson · Chapter
The Discovery of the Lake and the Building of Arcadia explained
The family explores a marsh and discovers a lake, where they observe black swans and a strange duck-billed creature.
What happens
The family explores a marsh and discovers a lake, where they observe black swans and a strange duck-billed creature. They gather wild rice and strawberries, then return to the farm. After completing work there, they journey to Cape Disappointment and build a second cottage, which they name Arcadia.
Themes in this chapter
Resourcefulness and Industry
The family efficiently builds a second cottage in six days, using prior experience, and dispatches Fritz and Jack for supplies to sustain their work.
Nature and Divine Order
The father's emotional response to the lake and the observation of black swans and other wildlife emphasize the beauty and order of the natural world.
Gratitude and Contentment
The family expresses joy at the strawberries and rice, and the father names the new site 'Arcadia' as a symbol of contentment and harmony.
Characters to notice
- Father
Leads the exploration, gathers rice, and decides to build a second cottage at Cape Disappointment, naming it Arcadia.
- Ernest
Collects strawberries for his mother, demonstrates skill in shooting birds, and remains calm and observant throughout the journey.
- Fritz
Dispatched with Jack to fetch supplies from Falcon's Stream and Tent-House; returns successfully.
- Jack
Accompanies Fritz on the supply mission and helps quicken the old ass's pace with a whip.
- Knips
Discovers a patch of large strawberries, which the family then eats.
- Ponto
Retrieves a duck-billed creature from the water and carries Knips on his back during the walk.
Key passages
“How glad I am to see a lake! I could almost think myself in Switzerland, father, said Ernest.”
Ernest expresses joy at seeing the lake, which reminds him of Switzerland.
Highlights the family's nostalgia for their homeland.
“We threw ourselves upon the ground, as near to Knips as we could creep, and devoured as fast as we could swallow, till we felt sufficiently refreshed.”
The family imitates Knips the monkey and eagerly eats the strawberries he discovered.
Shows the family's resourcefulness and willingness to learn from animals.
“Let us build here, exclaimed I, and call the spot—Arcadia; to which my wife and all agreed.”
The father proposes building a cottage at the new site and naming it Arcadia, and the family agrees.
Marks the establishment of a second home, symbolizing hope and permanence.