when the world shook-第13章

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uttered　some　Danish　oath　and　with　a　single　blow　smashed　the

planchette　to　fragments；　after　which　he　strode　away；　leaving　me

astonished　and　somewhat　disturbed。　When　I　met　him　the　next

morning　I　asked　him　what　was　on　the　paper。



〃Oh！〃　he　said　quietly；　〃something　I　should　not　like　you　too…

proper　English　gentlemens　to　see。　Something　not　nice。　You

understand。　Those　spirits　not　always　good；　they　do　that　kind　of

thing　sometimes。　That's　why　I　broke　up　this　planchette。〃



Then　he　began　to　talk　of　something　else　and　there　the　matter

ended。



I　should　have　said　that；　principally　with　a　view　to　putting

themselves　in　a　position　to　confute　each　other；　ever　since　we　had

started　from　Marseilles　both　Bastin　and　Bickley　spent　a　number　of

hours　each　day　in　assiduous　study　of　the　language　of　the　South

Sea　Islands。　It　became　a　kind　of　competition　between　them　as　to

which　could　learn　the　most。　Now　Bastin；　although　simple　and　even

stupid　in　some　ways；　was　a　good　scholar；　and　as　I　knew　at

college；　had　quite　a　faculty　for　acquiring　languages　in　which　he

had　taken　high　marks　at　examinations。　Bickley；　too；　was　an

extraordinarily　able　person　with　an　excellent　memory；　especially

when　he　was　on　his　mettle。　The　result　was　that　before　we　ever

reached　a　South　Sea　island　they　had　a　good　working　knowledge　of

the　local　tongues。



As　it　chanced；　too；　at　Perth　we　picked　up　a　Samoan　and　his　wife

who；　under　some　of　the　〃white　Australia〃　regulations；　were　not

allowed　to　remain　in　the　country　and　offered　to　work　as　servants

in　return　for　a　passage　to　Apia　where　we　proposed　to　call　some

time　or　other。　With　these　people　Bastin　and　Bickley　talked　all

day　long　till　really　they　became　fairly　proficient　in　their　soft

and　beautiful　dialect。　They　wished　me　to　learn　also；　but　I　said

that　with　two　such　excellent　interpreters　and　the　natives　while

they　remained　with　us；　it　seemed　quite　unnecessary。　Still；　I

picked　up　a　good　deal　in　a　quiet　way；　as　much　as　they　did

perhaps。



At　length；　travelling　on　and　on　as　a　voyager　to　the　planet　Mars

might　do；　we　sighted　the　low　shores　of　Australia　and　that　same

evening　were　towed；　for　our　coal　was　quite　exhausted；　to　the

wharf　at　Fremantle。　Here　we　spent　a　few　days　exploring　the

beautiful　town　of　Perth　and　its　neighbourhood　where　it　was　very

hot　just　then；　and　eating　peaches　and　grapes　till　we　made

ourselves　ill；　as　a　visitor　often　does　who　is　unaware　that　fruit

should　not　be　taken　in　quantity　in　Australia　while　the　sun　is

high。　Then　we　departed　for　Melbourne　almost　before　our　arrival

was　generally　known；　since　I　did　not　wish　to　advertise　our

presence　or　the　object　of　our　journey。



We　crossed　the　Great　Australian　Bight；　of　evil　reputation；　in

the　most　perfect　weather；　indeed　it　might　have　been　a　mill　pond；

and　after　a　short　stay　at　Melbourne；　went　on　to　Sydney；　where　we

coaled　again　and　laid　in　supplies。



Then　our　real　journey　began。　The　plan　we　laid　out　was　to　sail

to　Suva　in　Fiji；　about　1；700　miles　away；　and　after　a　stay　there；

on　to　Hawaii　or　the　Sandwich　Islands；　stopping　perhaps　at　the

Phoenix　Islands　and　the　Central　Polynesian　Sporades；　such　as

Christmas　and　Fanning　Isles。　Then　we　proposed　to　turn　south　again

through　the　Marshall　Archipelago　and　the　Caroline　Islands；　and　so

on　to　New　Guinea　and　the　Coral　Sea。　Particularly　did　we　wish　to

visit　Easter　Island　on　account　of　its　marvelous　sculptures　that

are　supposed　to　be　the　relics　of　a　preeminent…historic　race。　In　truth；

however；　we　had　no　fixed　plan　except　to　go　wherever　circumstance

and　chance　might　take　us。　Chance；　I　may　add；　or　something　else；

took　full　advantage　of　its　opportunities。



We　came　to　Suva　in　safety　and　spent　a　while　in　exploring　the

beautiful　Fiji　Isles　where　both　Bastin　and　Bickley　made　full

inquiries　about　the　work　of　the　missionaries；　each　of　them

drawing　exactly　opposite　conclusions　from　the　same　set　of

admitted　facts。　Thence　we　steamed　to　Samoa　and　put　our　two

natives　ashore　at　Apia；　where　we　procured　some　coal。　We　did　not

stay　long　enough　in　these　islands　to　investigate　them；　however；

because　persons　of　experience　there　assured　us　from　certain

familiar　signs　that　one　of　the　terrible　hurricanes　with　which

they　are　afflicted；　was　due　to　arrive　shortly　and　that　we　should

do　well　to　put　ourselves　beyond　its　reach。　So　having　coaled　and

watered　we　departed　in　a　hurry。



Up　to　this　time　I　should　state　we　had　met　with　the　most

wonderful　good　fortune　in　the　matter　of　weather；　so　good　indeed

that　never　on　one　occasion　since　we　left　Marseilles；　had　we　been

obliged　to　put　the　fiddles　on　the　tables。　With　the　superstition

of　a　sailor　Captain　Astley；　when　I　alluded　to　the　matter；　shook

his　head　saying　that　doubtless　we　should　pay　for　it　later　on；

since　〃luck　never　goes　all　the　way〃　and　cyclones　were　reported　to

be　about。



Here　I　must　tell　that　after　we　were　clear　of　Apia；　it　was

discovered　that　the　Danish　mate　who　was　believed　to　be　in　his

cabin　unwell　from　something　he　had　eaten；　was　missing。　The

question　arose　whether　we　should　put　back　to　find　him；　as　we

supposed　that　he　had　made　a　trip　inland　and　met　with　an　accident；

or　been　otherwise　delayed。　I　was　in　favour　of　doing　so　though　the

captain；　thinking　of　the　threatened　hurricane；　shook　his　head　and

said　that　Jacobsen　was　a　queer　fellow　who　might　just　as　well　have

gone　overboard　as　anywhere　else；　if　he　thought　he　heard　〃the

spirits；　of　whom　he　was　so　fond；〃　calling　him。　While　the　matter

was　still　in　suspense　I　happened　to　go　into　my　own　stateroom　and

there；　stuck　in　the　looking…glass；　saw　an　envelope　in　the　Dane's

handwriting　addressed　to　myself。　On　opening　it　I　found　another

sealed　letter；　unaddressed；　also　a　note　that　ran　as　follows：



〃Honoured　Sir；



〃You　will　think　very　badly　of　me　for　leaving　you；　but　the

enclosed　which　I　implore　you　not　to　open　until　you　have　seen　the

last　of　the　Star　of　the　South；　will　explain　my　reason　and　I　hope

clear　my　reputation。　I　thank　you　again　and　again　for　all　your

kindness　and　pray　that　the　Spirits　who　rule　the　world　may　bless

and　preserve　you；　also　the　Doctor　and　Mr。　Bastin。〃





This　letter；　which　left　the　fate　of　Jacobsen　quite　unsolved；

for　it　might　mean　either　that　he　had　deserted　or　drowned　himself；

I　put　away　with　the　enclosure　in　my　pocket。　Of　course　there　was

no　obligation　on　me　to　refrain　from　opening　the　letter；　but　I

shrank　from　doing　so　both　from　some　kind　of　sense　of　honour　and；

to　tell　the　truth；　for　fear　of　what　it　might　contain。　I　felt　that

this　would　be　disagreeable；　also；　although　there　was　nothing　to

connect　them　together；　I　bethought　me　of　the　scene　when　Jacobsen

had　smashed　the　planchette。



On　my　return　to　the　deck　I　said　nothing　whatsoever　about　the

discovery　of　the　letter；　but　only　remarked　that　on　reflection　I

had　changed　my　mind　and　agreed　with　the　captain　that　it　would　be

unwise　to　attempt　to　return　in　order　to　look　for　Jacobsen。　So　the

boatswain；　a　capable　individual　who　had　seen　better　days；　was

promoted　to　take　his　watches　and　we　went　on　as　before。　How

curiously　things　come　about　in　the　world！　For　nautical　reasons

that　were　explained　to　me；　but　which　I　will　not　trouble　to　set

down；　if　indeed　I　could　remember　them；　I　believe　that　if　we　had

returned　to　Apia　we　should　have　missed　the　great　gale　and

subsequent　cyclone；　and　with　these　much　else。　But　it　was　not　so

fated。



It　was　on　the　fourth　day；　when　we　were　roughly　seven　hundred

miles　or　more　north　of　Samoa；　that　we　met　the　edge　of　this　gale

about　sundown。　The　captain　put　on　steam　in　the　hope　of　pushing

through　it；　but　that　night　we　dined　for　the　first　time　with　the

fiddles　on；　and　by　eleven　o'clock　it　was　as　much　as　one　could　do

to　stand　in　the　cabin；　while　the　water　was　washing　freely　over

the　deck。　Fortunately；　however；　the　wind　veered　more　aft　of　us；

so　that　by　putting　about　her　head　a　little　（seamen　must　forgive

me　if　I　talk　of　these　matters　as　a　landlubber）　we　ran　almost

before　the　wind；