the works of edgar allan poe-3-第39章

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　　　　　At　every　step　we　took　inland　the　conviction　forced　itself　upon
us　that　we　were　in　a　country　differing　essentially　from　any　hitherto
visited　by　civilized　men。　We　saw　nothing　with　which　we　had　been
formerly　conversant。　The　trees　resembled　no　growth　of　either　the
torrid；　the　temperate；　of　the　northern　frigid　zones；　and　were
altogether　unlike　those　of　the　lower　southern　latitudes　we　had
already　traversed。　The　very　rocks　were　novel　in　their　mass；　their
color；　and　their　stratification；　and　the　streams　themselves；　utterly
incredible　as　it　may　appear；　had　so　little　in　common　with　those　of
other　climates；　that　we　were　scrupulous　of　tasting　them；　and；　indeed；
had　difficulty　in　bringing　ourselves　to　believe　that　their　qualities
were　purely　those　of　nature。　At　a　small　brook　which　crossed　our　path
（the　first　we　had　reached）　Too…wit　and　his　attendants　halted　to
drink。　On　account　of　the　singular　character　of　the　water；　we　refused
to　taste　it；　supposing　it　to　be　polluted；　and　it　was　not　until　some
time　afterward　we　came　to　understand　that　such　was　the　appearance　of
the　streams　throughout　the　whole　group。　I　am　at　a　loss　to　give　a
distinct　idea　of　the　nature　of　this　liquid；　and　cannot　do　so　without
many　words。　Although　it　flowed　with　rapidity　in　all　declivities　where
common　water　would　do　so；　yet　never；　except　when　falling　in　a
cascade；　had　it　the　customary　appearance　of　limpidity。　It　was；
nevertheless；　in　point　of　fact；　as　perfectly　limpid　as　any　limestone
water　in　existence；　the　difference　being　only　in　appearance。　At　first
sight；　and　especially　in　cases　where　little　declivity　was　found；　it
bore　re。　semblance；　as　regards　consistency；　to　a　thick　infusion　of
gum　arabic　in　common　water。　But　this　was　only　the　least　remarkable　of
its　extraordinary　qualities。　It　was　not　colourless；　nor　was　it　of　any
one　uniform　colour…　presenting　to　the　eye；　as　it　flowed；　every
possible　shade　of　purple；　like　the　hues　of　a　changeable　silk。　This
variation　in　shade　was　produced　in　a　manner　which　excited　as　profound
astonishment　in　the　minds　of　our　party　as　the　mirror　had　done　in　the
case　of　Too…wit。　Upon　collecting　a　basinful；　and　allowing　it　to
settle　thoroughly；　we　perceived　that　the　whole　mass　of　liquid　was
made　up　of　a　number　of　distinct　veins；　each　of　a　distinct　hue；　that
these　veins　did　not　commingle；　and　that　their　cohesion　was　perfect　in
regard　to　their　own　particles　among　themselves；　and　imperfect　in
regard　to　neighbouring　veins。　Upon　passing　the　blade　of　a　knife
athwart　the　veins；　the　water　closed　over　it　immediately；　as　with　us；
and　also；　in　withdrawing　it；　all　traces　of　the　passage　of　the　knife
were　instantly　obliterated。　If；　however；　the　blade　was　passed　down
accurately　between　the　two　veins；　a　perfect　separation　was　effected；
which　the　power　of　cohesion　did　not　immediately　rectify。　The
phenomena　of　this　water　formed　the　first　definite　link　in　that　vast
chain　of　apparent　miracles　with　which　I　was　destined　to　be　at　length
encircled。

~~~　End　of　Text　of　Chapter　18　~~~

CHAPTER　19



　　　　　We　were　nearly　three　hours　in　reaching　the　village；　it　being
more　than　nine　miles　in　the　interior；　and　the　path　lying　through　a
rugged　country。　As　we　passed　along；　the　party　of　Too…wit　（the　whole
hundred　and　ten　savages　of　the　canoes）　was　momentarily　strengthened
by　smaller　detachments；　of　from　two　to　six　or　seven；　which　joined　us；
as　if　by　accident；　at　different　turns　of　the　road。　There　appeared　so
much　of　system　in　this　that　I　could　not　help　feeling　distrust；　and　I
spoke　to　Captain　Guy　of　my　apprehensions。　It　was　now　too　late；
however；　to　recede；　and　we　concluded　that　our　best　security　lay　in
evincing　a　perfect　confidence　in　the　good　faith　of　Too…wit。　We
accordingly　went　on；　keeping　a　wary　eye　upon　the　manoeuvres　of　the
savages；　and　not　permitting　them　to　divide　our　numbers　by　pushing　in
between。　In　this　way；　passing　through　a　precipitous　ravine；　we　at
length　reached　what　we　were　told　was　the　only　collection　of
habitations　upon　the　island。　As　we　came　in　sight　of　them；　the　chief
set　up　a　shout；　and　frequently　repeated　the　word　Klock…klock；　which
we　sup。　posed　to　be　the　name　of　the　village；　or　perhaps　the　generic
name　for　villages。

　　　　　The　dwellings　were　of　the　most　miserable　description　imaginable；
and；　unlike　those　of　even　the　lowest　of　the　savage　races　with　which
mankind　are　acquainted；　were　of　no　uniform　plan。　Some　of　them　（and
these　we　found　belonged　to　the　Wampoos　or　Yampoos；　the　great　men　of
the　land）　consisted　of　a　tree　cut　down　at　about　four　feet　from　the
root；　with　a　large　black　skin　thrown　over　it；　and　hanging　in　loose
folds　upon　the　ground。　Under　this　the　savage　nestled。　Others　were
formed　by　means　of　rough　limbs　of　trees；　with　the　withered　foliage
upon　them；　made　to　recline；　at　an　angle　of　forty…five　degrees；
against　a　bank　of　clay；　heaped　up；　without　regular　form；　to　the
height　of　five　or　six　feet。　Others；　again；　were　mere　holes　dug　in　the
earth　perpendicularly；　and　covered　over　with　similar　branches；　these
being　removed　when　the　tenant　was　about　to　enter；　and　pulled　on　again
when　he　had　entered。　A　few　were　built　among　the　forked　limbs　of　trees
as　they　stood；　the　upper　limbs　being　partially　cut　through；　so　as　to
bend　over　upon　the　lower；　thus　forming　thicker　shelter　from　the
weather。　The　greater　number；　however；　consisted　of　small　shallow
caverns；　apparently　scratched　in　the　face　of　a　precipitous　ledge　of
dark　stone；　resembling　fuller's　earth；　with　which　three　sides　of　the
village　were　bounded。　At　the　door　of　each　of　these　primitive　caverns
was　a　small　rock；　which　the　tenant　carefully　placed　before　the
entrance　upon　leaving　his　residence；　for　what　purpose　I　could　not
ascertain；　as　the　stone　itself　was　never　of　sufficient　size　to　close
up　more　than　a　third　of　the　opening。

　　　　　This　village；　if　it　were　worthy　of　the　name；　lay　in　a　valley　of
some　depth；　and　could　only　be　approached　from　the　southward；　the
precipitous　ledge　of　which　I　have　already　spoken　cutting　off　all
access　in　other　directions。　Through　the　middle　of　the　valley　ran　a
brawling　stream　of　the　same　magical…looking　water　which　has　been
described。　We　saw　several　strange　animals　about　the　dwellings；　all
appearing　to　be　thoroughly　domesticated。　The　largest　of　these
creatures　resembled　our　common　hog　in　the　structure　of　the　body　and
snout；　the　tail；　however；　was　bushy；　and　the　legs　slender　as　those　of
the　antelope。　Its　motion　was　exceedingly　awkward　and　indecisive；　and
we　never　saw　it　attempt　to　run。　We　noticed　also　several　animals　very
similar　in　appearance；　but　of　a　greater　length　of　body；　and　covered
with　a　black　wool。　There　were　a　great　variety　of　tame　fowls　running
about；　and　these　seemed　to　constitute　the　chief　food　of　the　natives。
To　our　astonishment　we　saw　black　albatross　among　these　birds　in　a
state　of　entire　domestication；　going　to　sea　periodically　for　food；
but　always　returning　to　the　village　as　a　home；　and　using　the　southern
shore　in　the　vicinity　as　a　place　of　incubation。　There　they　were
joined　by　their　friends　the　pelicans　as　usual；　but　these　latter　never
followed　them　to　the　dwellings　of　the　savages。　Among　the　other　kinds
of　tame　fowls　were　ducks；　differing　very　little　from　the　canvass…back
of　our　own　country；　black　gannets；　and　a　large　bird　not　unlike　the
buzzard　in　appearance；　but　not　carnivorous。　Of　fish　there　seemed　to
be　a　great　abundance。　We　saw；　during　our　visit；　a　quantity　of　dried
salmon；　rock　cod；　blue　dolphins；　mackerel；　blackfish；　skate；　conger
eels；　elephantfish；　mullets；　soles；　parrotfish；　leather…jackets；
gurnards；　hake；　flounders；　paracutas；　and　innumerable　other
varieties。　We　noticed；　too；　that　most　of　them　were　similar　to　the
fish　about　the　group　of　Lord　Auckland　Islands；　in　a　latitude　as　low
as　fifty…one　degrees　south。　The　Gallipago　tortoise　was　also　very
plentiful。　We　saw　but　few　wild　animals；　and　none　of　a　large　size；　or
of　a　species　with　which　we　were　familiar。　One　or　two　serpents　of　a
formidable　aspect　crossed　our　path；　but　the　natives　paid　them　little
attention；　and　we　concluded　that　they　were　not　venomous。

　　　　　As　we　approached　the　village　with　Too…wit　and　his　party；　a　vast
crowd　of　the　people　rushed　out　to　meet　us；　with　loud　shouts；　a