erewhon revisited-第4章

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piece　what　I　tell　you　together；　and　tell　it　as　I　should　have　told
it　if　I　had　been　still　sound。　　But　do　not　publish　it　yet；　it　might
do　harm　to　those　dear　good　people。　　Take　the　notes　now；　and　arrange
them　the　sooner　the　better；　for　you　may　want　to　ask　me　questions；
and　I　shall　not　be　here　much　longer。　　Let　publishing　wait　till　you
are　confident　that　publication　can　do　no　harm；　and　above　all；　say
nothing　to　betray　the　whereabouts　of　Erewhon；　beyond　admitting
（which　I　fear　I　have　already　done）　that　it　is　in　the　Southern
hemisphere。〃

These　instructions　I　have　religiously　obeyed。　　For　the　first　days
after　his　return；　my　father　had　few　attacks　of　loss　of　memory；　and
I　was　in　hopes　that　his　former　health　of　mind　would　return　when　he
found　himself　in　his　old　surroundings。　　During　these　days　he　poured
forth　the　story　of　his　adventures　so　fast；　that　if　I　had　not　had　a
fancy　for　acquiring　shorthand；　I　should　not　have　been　able　to　keep
pace　with　him。　　I　repeatedly　urged　him　not　to　overtax　his　strength；
but　he　was　oppressed　by　the　fear　that　if　he　did　not　speak　at　once；
he　might　never　be　able　to　tell　me　all　he　had　to　say；　I　had；
therefore；　to　submit；　though　seeing　plainly　enough　that　he　was　only
hastening　the　complete　paralysis　which　he　so　greatly　feared。

Sometimes　his　narrative　would　be　coherent　for　pages　together；　and
he　could　answer　any　questions　without　hesitation；　at　others；　he　was
now　here　and　now　there；　and　if　I　tried　to　keep　him　to　the　order　of
events　he　would　say　that　he　had　forgotten　intermediate　incidents；
but　that　they　would　probably　come　back　to　him；　and　I　should　perhaps
be　able　to　put　them　in　their　proper　places。

After　about　ten　days　he　seemed　satisfied　that　I　had　got　all　the
facts；　and　that　with　the　help　of　the　pamphlets　which　he　had　brought
with　him　I　should　be　able　to　make　out　a　connected　story。
〃Remember；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　thought　I　was　quite　well　so　long　as　I
was　in　Erewhon；　and　do　not　let　me　appear　as　anything　else。〃

When　he　had　fully　delivered　himself；　he　seemed　easier　in　his　mind；
but　before　a　month　had　passed　he　became　completely　paralysed；　and
though　he　lingered　till　the　beginning　of　June；　he　was　seldom　more
than　dimly　conscious　of　what　was　going　on　around　him。

His　death　robbed　me　of　one　who　had　been　a　very　kind　and　upright
elder　brother　rather　than　a　father；　and　so　strongly　have　I　felt　his
influence　still　present；　living　and　working；　as　I　believe　for
better　within　me；　that　I　did　not　hesitate　to　copy　the　epitaph　which
he　saw　in　the　Musical　Bank　at　Fairmead；　｛1｝　and　to　have　it
inscribed　on　the　very　simple　monument　which　he　desired　should　alone
mark　his　grave。

*　*　*

The　foregoing　was　written　in　the　summer　of　1891；　what　I　now　add
should　be　dated　December　3；　1900。　　If；　in　the　course　of　my　work；　I
have　misrepresented　my　father；　as　I　fear　I　may　have　sometimes　done；
I　would　ask　my　readers　to　remember　that　no　man　can　tell　another's
story　without　some　involuntary　misrepresentation　both　of　facts　and
characters。　　They　will；　of　course；　see　that　〃Erewhon　Revisited〃　is
written　by　one　who　has　far　less　literary　skill　than　the　author　of
〃Erewhon；〃　but　again　I　would　ask　indulgence　on　the　score　of　youth；
and　the　fact　that　this　is　my　first　book。　　It　was　written　nearly　ten
years　ago；　i。e。　in　the　months　from　March　to　August　1891；　but　for
reasons　already　given　it　could　not　then　be　made　public。　　I　have　now
received　permission；　and　therefore　publish　the　following　chapters；
exactly；　or　very　nearly　exactly；　as　they　were　left　when　I　had
finished　editing　my　father's　diaries；　and　the　notes　I　took　down
from　his　own　mouthwith　the　exception；　of　course；　of　these　last
few　lines；　hurriedly　written　as　I　am　on　the　point　of　leaving
England；　of　the　additions　I　made　in　1892；　on　returning　from　my　own
three　hours'　stay　in　Erewhon；　and　of　the　Postscript。



CHAPTER　II：　　TO　THE　FOOT　OF　THE　PASS　INTO　EREWHON



When　my　father　reached　the　colony　for　which　he　had　left　England
some　twenty…two　years　previously；　he　bought　a　horse；　and　started　up
country　on　the　evening　of　the　day　after　his　arrival；　which　was；　as
I　have　said；　on　one　of　the　last　days　of　November　1890。　　He　had
taken　an　English　saddle　with　him；　and　a　couple　of　roomy　and
strongly　made　saddle…bags。　　In　these　he　packed　his　money；　his
nuggets；　some　tea；　sugar；　tobacco；　salt；　a　flask　of　brandy；
matches；　and　as　many　ship's　biscuits　as　he　thought　he　was　likely　to
want；　he　took　no　meat；　for　he　could　supply　himself　from　some
accommodation…house　or　sheep…station；　when　nearing　the　point　after
which　he　would　have　to　begin　camping　out。　　He　rolled　his　Erewhonian
dress　and　small　toilette　necessaries　inside　a　warm　red　blanket；　and
strapped　the　roll　on　to　the　front　part　of　his　saddle。　　On　to　other
D's；　with　which　his　saddle　was　amply　provided；　he　strapped　his
Erewhonian　boots；　a　tin　pannikin；　and　a　billy　that　would　hold　about
a　quart。　　I　should；　perhaps；　explain　to　English　readers　that　a
billy　is　a　tin　can；　the　name　for　which　（doubtless　of　French
Canadian　origin）　is　derived　from　the　words　〃faire　bouillir。〃　　He
also　took　with　him　a　pair　of　hobbles　and　a　small　hatchet。

He　spent　three　whole　days　in　riding　across　the　plains；　and　was
struck　with　the　very　small　signs　of　change　that　he　could　detect；
but　the　fall　in　wool；　and　the　failure；　so　far；　to　establish　a
frozen　meat　trade；　had　prevented　any　material　development　of　the
resources　of　the　country。　　When　he　had　got　to　the　front　ranges；　he
followed　up　the　river　next　to　the　north　of　the　one　that　he　had
explored　years　ago；　and　from　the　head　waters　of　which　he　had　been
led　to　discover　the　only　practicable　pass　into　Erewhon。　　He　did
this；　partly　to　avoid　the　terribly　dangerous　descent　on　to　the　bed
of　the　more　northern　river；　and　partly　to　escape　being　seen　by
shepherds　or　bullock…drivers　who　might　remember　him。

If　he　had　attempted　to　get　through　the　gorge　of　this　river　in　1870；
he　would　have　found　it　impassable；　but　a　few　river…bed　flats　had
been　discovered　above　the　gorge；　on　which　there　was　now　a
shepherd's　hut；　and　on　the　discovery　of　these　flats　a　narrow　horse
track　had　been　made　from　one　end　of　the　gorge　to　the　other。

He　was　hospitably　entertained　at　the　shepherd's　hut　just　mentioned；
which　he　reached　on　Monday；　December　1。　　He　told　the　shepherd　in
charge　of　it　that　he　had　come　to　see　if　he　could　find　traces　of　a
large　wingless　bird；　whose　existence　had　been　reported　as　having
been　discovered　among　the　extreme　head　waters　of　the　river。

〃Be　careful；　sir；　said　the　shepherd；　〃the　river　is　very　dangerous；
several　peopleone　only　about　a　year　agohave　left　this　hut；　and
though　their　horses　and　their　camps　have　been　found；　their　bodies
have　not。　　When　a　great　fresh　comes　down；　it　would　carry　a　body　out
to　sea　in　twenty…four　hours。〃

He　evidently　had　no　idea　that　there　was　a　pass　through　the　ranges
up　the　river；　which　might　explain　the　disappearance　of　an　explorer。

Next　day　my　father　began　to　ascend　the　river。　　There　was　so　much
tangled　growth　still　unburnt　wherever　there　was　room　for　it　to
grow；　and　so　much　swamp；　that　my　father　had　to　keep　almost　entirely
to　the　river…bedand　here　there　was　a　good　deal　of　quicksand。　　The
stones　also　were　often　large　for　some　distance　together；　and　he　had
to　cross　and　recross　streams　of　the　river　more　than　once；　so　that
though　he　travelled　all　day　with　the　exception　of　a　couple　of　hours
for　dinner；　he　had　not　made　more　than　some　five　and　twenty　miles
when　he　reached　a　suitable　camping　ground；　where　he　unsaddled　his
horse；　hobbled　him；　and　turned　him　out　to　feed。　　The　grass　was
beginning　to　seed；　so　that　though　it　was　none　too　plentiful；　what
there　was　of　it　made　excellent　feed。

He　lit　his　fire；　made　himself　some　tea；　ate　his　cold　mutton　and
biscuits；　and　lit　his　pipe；　exactly　as　he　had　done　twenty　years
before。　　There　was　the　clear　starlit　sky；　the　rushing　river；　and
the　stunted　trees　on　the　mountain…side；　the　woodhens　cried；　and　the
〃more…pork〃　hooted　out　her　two　monotonous　notes　exactly　as　they　had
done　years　since；　one　moment；　and　time　had　so　flown　backwards　that
youth　came　bounding　back　to　him　with　the　return　of　his　youth's
surroundings；　the　next；　and　the　intervening　twenty　yearsmost　of
them　gri