erewhon-第57章

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waiting…rooms　of　the　railway　stations；　have　proceeded　from　my　pen。
During　the　time　that　I　could　spare；　I　arranged　my　notes　and　diary
till　they　assumed　their　present　shape。　　There　remains　nothing　for
me　to　add；　save　to　unfold　the　scheme　which　I　propose　for　the
conversion　of　Erewhon。

That　scheme　has　only　been　quite　recently　decided　upon　as　the　one
which　seems　most　likely　to　be　successful。

It　will　be　seen　at　once　that　it　would　be　madness　for　me　to　go　with
ten　or　a　dozen　subordinate　missionaries　by　the　same　way　as　that
which　led　me　to　discover　Erewhon。　　I　should　be　imprisoned　for
typhus；　besides　being　handed　over　to　the　straighteners　for　having
run　away　with　Arowhena：　　an　even　darker　fate；　to　which　I　dare
hardly　again　allude；　would　be　reserved　for　my　devoted　fellow…
labourers。　　It　is　plain；　therefore；　that　some　other　way　must　be
found　for　getting　at　the　Erewhonians；　and　I　am　thankful　to　say　that
such　another　way　is　not　wanting。　　One　of　the　rivers　which　descends
from　the　Snowy　Mountains；　and　passes　through　Erewhon；　is　known　to
be　navigable　for　several　hundred　miles　from　its　mouth。　　Its　upper
waters　have　never　yet　been　explored；　but　I　feel　little　doubt　that
it　will　be　found　possible　to　take　a　light　gunboat　（for　we　must
protect　ourselves）　to　the　outskirts　of　the　Erewhonian　country。

I　propose；　therefore；　that　one　of　those　associations　should　be
formed　in　which　the　risk　of　each　of　the　members　is　confined　to　the
amount　of　his　stake　in　the　concern。　　The　first　step　would　be　to
draw　up　a　prospectus。　　In　this　I　would　advise　that　no　mention
should　be　made　of　the　fact　that　the　Erewhonians　are　the　lost
tribes。　　The　discovery　is　one　of　absorbing　interest　to　myself；　but
it　is　of　a　sentimental　rather　than　commercial　value；　and　business
is　business。　　The　capital　to　be　raised　should　not　be　less　than
fifty　thousand　pounds；　and　might　be　either　in　five　or　ten　pound
shares　as　hereafter　determined。　　This　should　be　amply　sufficient
for　the　expenses　of　an　experimental　voyage。

When　the　money　had　been　subscribed；　it　would　be　our　duty　to　charter
a　steamer　of　some　twelve　or　fourteen　hundred　tons　burden；　and　with
accommodation　for　a　cargo　of　steerage　passengers。　　She　should　carry
two　or　three　guns　in　case　of　her　being　attacked　by　savages　at　the
mouth　of　the　river。　　Boats　of　considerable　size　should　be　also
provided；　and　I　think　it　would　be　desirable　that　these　also　should
carry　two　or　three　six…pounders。　　The　ship　should　be　taken　up　the
river　as　far　as　was　considered　safe；　and　a　picked　party　should　then
ascend　in　the　boats。　　The　presence　both　of　Arowhena　and　myself
would　be　necessary　at　this　stage；　inasmuch　as　our　knowledge　of　the
language　would　disarm　suspicion；　and　facilitate　negotiations。

We　should　begin　by　representing　the　advantages　afforded　to　labour
in　the　colony　of　Queensland；　and　point　out　to　the　Erewhonians　that
by　emigrating　thither；　they　would　be　able　to　amass；　each　and　all　of
them；　enormous　fortunesa　fact　which　would　be　easily　provable　by　a
reference　to　statistics。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　a　very　great　number
might　be　thus　induced　to　come　back　with　us　in　the　larger　boats；　and
that　we　could　fill　our　vessel　with　emigrants　in　three　or　four
journeys。

Should　we　be　attacked；　our　course　would　be　even　simpler；　for　the
Erewhonians　have　no　gunpowder；　and　would　be　so　surprised　with　its
effects　that　we　should　be　able　to　capture　as　many　as　we　chose；　in
this　case　we　should　feel　able　to　engage　them　on　more　advantageous
terms；　for　they　would　be　prisoners　of　war。　　But　even　though　we　were
to　meet　with　no　violence；　I　doubt　not　that　a　cargo　of　seven　or
eight　hundred　Erewhonians　could　be　induced；　when　they　were　once　on
board　the　vessel；　to　sign　an　agreement　which　should　be　mutually
advantageous　both　to　us　and　them。

We　should　then　proceed　to　Queensland；　and　dispose　of　our　engagement
with　the　Erewhonians　to　the　sugar…growers　of　that　settlement；　who
are　in　great　want　of　labour；　it　is　believed　that　the　money　thus
realised　would　enable　us　to　declare　a　handsome　dividend；　and　leave
a　considerable　balance；　which　might　be　spent　in　repeating　our
operations　and　bringing　over　other　cargoes　of　Erewhonians；　with
fresh　consequent　profits。　　In　fact　we　could　go　backwards　and
forwards　as　long　as　there　was　a　demand　for　labour　in　Queensland；　or
indeed　in　any　other　Christian　colony；　for　the　supply　of　Erewhonians
would　be　unlimited；　and　they　could　be　packed　closely　and　fed　at　a
very　reasonable　cost。

It　would　be　my　duty　and　Arowhena's　to　see　that　our　emigrants　should
be　boarded　and　lodged　in　the　households　of　religious　sugar…growers；
these　persons　would　give　them　the　benefit　of　that　instruction
whereof　they　stand　so　greatly　in　need。　　Each　day；　as　soon　as　they
could　be　spared　from　their　work　in　the　plantations；　they　would　be
assembled　for　praise；　and　be　thoroughly　grounded　in　the　Church
Catechism；　while　the　whole　of　every　Sabbath　should　be　devoted　to
singing　psalms　and　church…going。

This　must　be　insisted　upon；　both　in　order　to　put　a　stop　to　any
uneasy　feeling　which　might　show　itself　either　in　Queensland　or　in
the　mother　country　as　to　the　means　whereby　the　Erewhonians　had　been
obtained；　and　also　because　it　would　give　our　own　shareholders　the
comfort　of　reflecting　that　they　were　saving　souls　and　filling　their
own　pockets　at　one　and　the　same　moment。　　By　the　time　the　emigrants
had　got　too　old　for　work　they　would　have　become　thoroughly
instructed　in　religion；　they　could　then　be　shipped　back　to　Erewhon
and　carry　the　good　seed　with　them。

I　can　see　no　hitch　nor　difficulty　about　the　matter；　and　trust　that
this　book　will　sufficiently　advertise　the　scheme　to　insure　the
subscription　of　the　necessary　capital；　as　soon　as　this　is
forthcoming　I　will　guarantee　that　I　convert　the　Erewhonians　not
only　into　good　Christians　but　into　a　source　of　considerable　profit
to　the　shareholders。

I　should　add　that　I　cannot　claim　the　credit　for　having　originated
the　above　scheme。　　I　had　been　for　months　at　my　wit's　end；　forming
plan　after　plan　for　the　evangelisation　of　Erewhon；　when　by　one　of
those　special　interpositions　which　should　be　a　sufficient　answer　to
the　sceptic；　and　make　even　the　most　confirmed　rationalist
irrational；　my　eye　was　directed　to　the　following　paragraph　in　the
Times　newspaper；　of　one　of　the　first　days　in　January　1872：…


〃POLYNESIANS　IN　QUEENSLAND。The　Marquis　of　Normanby；　the　new
Governor　of　Queensland；　has　completed　his　inspection　of　the
northern　districts　of　the　colony。　　It　is　stated　that　at　Mackay；　one
of　the　best　sugar…growing　districts；　his　Excellency　saw　a　good　deal
of　the　Polynesians。　　In　the　course　of　a　speech　to　those　who
entertained　him　there；　the　Marquis　said：…　'I　have　been　told　that
the　means　by　which　Polynesians　were　obtained　were　not　legitimate；
but　I　have　failed　to　perceive　this；　in　so　far　at　least　as
Queensland　is　concerned；　and；　if　one　can　judge　by　the　countenances
and　manners　of　the　Polynesians；　they　experience　no　regret　at　their
position。'　　But　his　Excellency　pointed　out　the　advantage　of　giving
them　religious　instruction。　　It　would　tend　to　set　at　rest　an　uneasy
feeling　which　at　present　existed　in　the　country　to　know　that　they
were　inclined　to　retain　the　Polynesians；　and　teach　them　religion。〃


I　feel　that　comment　is　unnecessary；　and　will　therefore　conclude
with　one　word　of　thanks　to　the　reader　who　may　have　had　the　patience
to　follow　me　through　my　adventures　without　losing　his　temper；　but
with　two；　for　any　who　may　write　at　once　to　the　Secretary　of　the
Erewhon　Evangelisation　Company；　limited　（at　the　address　which　shall
hereafter　be　advertised）；　and　request　to　have　his　name　put　down　as
a　shareholder。


P。S。I　had　just　received　and　corrected　the　last　proof　of　the
foregoing　volume；　and　was　walking　down　the　Strand　from　Temple　Bar
to　Charing　Cross；　when　on　passing　Exeter　Hall　I　saw　a　number　of
devout…looking　people　crowding　into　the　building　with　faces　full　of
interested　and　complacent　anticipation。　　I　stopped；　and　saw　an
announcement　that　a　missionary　meeting　was　to　be　held　forthwith；
and　that　the　native　missionary；　the　Rev。　William　Habakkuk；　from
（the　colony　from　which　I　had　started　on　my　adventures）；　would　be
introduced；　and　make　a　short　address。