the jacket (the star-rover)-第38章

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shall　see。



Toward　the　end　we　came　to　the　charted　country　of　Japan。　　But　the

people　would　have　no　dealings　with　us；　and　two　sworded　officials；　in

sweeping　robes　of　silk　that　made　Captain　Johannes　Maartens'　mouth

water；　came　aboard　of　us　and　politely　requested　us　to　begone。　　Under

their　suave　manners　was　the　iron　of　a　warlike　race；　and　we　knew；　and

went　our　way。



We　crossed　the　Straits　of　Japan　and　were　entering　the　Yellow　Sea　on

our　way　to　China；　when　we　laid　the　Sparwehr　on　the　rocks。　　She　was　a

crazy　tub　the　old　Sparwehr；　so　clumsy　and　so　dirty　with　whiskered

marine…life　on　her　bottom　that　she　could　not　get　out　of　her　own　way。

Close…hauled；　the　closest　she　could　come　was　to　six　points　of　the

wind；　and　then　she　bobbed　up　and　down；　without　way；　like　a　derelict

turnip。　　Galliots　were　clippers　compared　with　her。　　To　tack　her

about　was　undreamed　of；　to　wear　her　required　all　hands　and　half　a

watch。　　So　situated；　we　were　caught　on　a　lee　shore　in　an　eight…point

shift　of　wind　at　the　height　of　a　hurricane　that　had　beaten　our　souls

sick　for　forty…eight　hours。



We　drifted　in　upon　the　land　in　the　chill　light　of　a　stormy　dawn

across　a　heartless　cross…sea　mountain　high。　　It　was　dead　of　winter；

and　between　smoking　snow…squalls　we　could　glimpse　the　forbidding

coast；　if　coast　it　might　be　called；　so　broken　was　it。　　There　were

grim　rock　isles　and　islets　beyond　counting；　dim　snow…covered　ranges

beyond；　and　everywhere　upstanding　cliffs　too　steep　for　snow；　outjuts

of　headlands；　and　pinnacles　and　slivers　of　rock　upthrust　from　the

boiling　sea。



There　was　no　name　to　this　country　on　which　we　drove；　no　record　of　it

ever　having　been　visited　by　navigators。　　Its　coast…line　was　only

hinted　at　in　our　chart。　　From　all　of　which　we　could　argue　that　the

inhabitants　were　as　inhospitable　as　the　little　of　their　land　we

could　see。



The　Sparwehr　drove　in　bow…on　upon　a　cliff。　　There　was　deep　water　to

its　sheer　foot；　so　that　our　sky…aspiring　bowsprit　crumpled　at　the

impact　and　snapped　short　off。　　The　foremast　went　by　the　board；　with

a　great　snapping　of　rope…shrouds　and　stays；　and　fell　forward　against

the　cliff。



I　have　always　admired　old　Johannes　Maartens。　　Washed　and　rolled　off

the　high　poop　by　a　burst　of　sea；　we　were　left　stranded　in　the　waist

of　the　ship；　whence　we　fought　our　way　for'ard　to　the　steep…pitched

forecastle…head。　　Others　joined　us。　　We　lashed　ourselves　fast　and

counted　noses。　　We　were　eighteen。　　The　rest　had　perished。



Johannes　Maartens　touched　me　and　pointed　upward　through　cascading

salt…water　from　the　back…fling　of　the　cliff。　　I　saw　what　he　desired。

Twenty　feet　below　the　truck　the　foremast　ground　and　crunched　against

a　boss　of　the　cliff。　　Above　the　boss　was　a　cleft。　　He　wanted　to　know

if　I　would　dare　the　leap　from　the　mast…head　into　the　cleft。

Sometimes　the　distance　was　a　scant　six　feet。　　At　other　times　it　was

a　score；　for　the　mast　reeled　drunkenly　to　the　rolling　and　pounding

of　the　hull　on　which　rested　its　splintered　butt。



I　began　the　climb。　　But　they　did　not　wait。　　One　by　one　they　unlashed

themselves　and　followed　me　up　the　perilous　mast。　　There　was　reason

for　haste；　for　at　any　moment　the　Sparwehr　might　slip　off　into　deep

water。　　I　timed　my　leap；　and　made　it；　landing　in　the　cleft　in　a

scramble　and　ready　to　lend　a　hand　to　those　who　leaped　after。　　It　was

slow　work。　　We　were　wet　and　half　freezing　in　the　wind…drive。

Besides；　the　leaps　had　to　be　timed　to　the　roll　of　the　hull　and　the

sway　of　the　mast。



The　cook　was　the　first　to　go。　　He　was　snapped　off　the　mast…end；　and

his　body　performed　cart…wheels　in　its　fall。　　A　fling　of　sea　caught

him　and　crushed　him　to　a　pulp　against　the　cliff。　　The　cabin　boy；　a

bearded　man　of　twenty…odd；　lost　hold；　slipped；　swung　around　the

mast；　and　was　pinched　against　the　boss　of　rock。　　Pinched？　　The　life

squeezed　from　him　on　the　instant。　　Two　others　followed　the　way　of

the　cook。　　Captain　Johannes　Maartens　was　the　last；　completing　the

fourteen　of　us　that　clung　on　in　the　cleft。　　An　hour　afterward　the

Sparwehr　slipped　off　and　sank　in　deep　water。



Two　days　and　nights　saw　us　near　to　perishing　on　that　cliff；　for

there　was　way　neither　up　nor　down。　　The　third　morning　a　fishing…boat

found　us。　　The　men　were　clad　entirely　in　dirt　white；　with　their　long

hair　done　up　in　a　curious　knot　on　their　patesthe　marriage　knot；　as

I　was　afterward　to　learn；　and　also；　as　I　was　to　learn；　a　handy　thing

to　clutch　hold　of　with　one　hand　whilst　you　clouted　with　the　other

when　an　argument　went　beyond　words。



The　boat　went　back　to　the　village　for　help；　and　most　of　the

villagers；　most　of　their　gear；　and　most　of　the　day　were　required　to

get　us　down。　　They　were　a　poor　and　wretched　folk；　their　food

difficult　even　for　the　stomach　of　a　sea…cuny　to　countenance。　　Their

rice　was　brown　as　chocolate。　　Half　the　husks　remained　in　it；　along

with　bits　of　chaff；　splinters；　and　unidentifiable　dirt　which　made

one　pause　often　in　the　chewing　in　order　to　stick　into　his　mouth

thumb　and　forefinger　and　pluck　out　the　offending　stuff。　　Also；　they

ate　a　sort　of　millet；　and　pickles　of　astounding　variety　and　ungodly

hot。



Their　houses　were　earthen…walled　and　straw…thatched。　　Under　the

floors　ran　flues　through　which　the　kitchen　smoke　escaped；　warming

the　sleeping…room　in　its　passage。　　Here　we　lay　and　rested　for　days；

soothing　ourselves　with　their　mild　and　tasteless　tobacco；　which　we

smoked　in　tiny　bowls　at　the　end　of　yard…long　pipes。　　Also；　there　was

a　warm；　sourish；　milky…looking　drink；　heady　only　when　taken　in

enormous　doses。　　After　guzzling　I　swear　gallons　of　it；　I　got　singing

drunk；　which　is　the　way　of　sea…cunies　the　world　over。　　Encouraged　by

my　success；　the　others　persisted；　and　soon　we　were　all　a…roaring；

little　reeking　of　the　fresh　snow　gale　piping　up　outside；　and　little

worrying　that　we　were　cast　away　in　an　uncharted；　God…forgotten　land。

Old　Johannes　Maartens　laughed　and　trumpeted　and　slapped　his　thighs

with　the　best　of　us。　　Hendrik　Hamel；　a　cold…blooded；　chilly…poised

dark　brunette　of　a　Dutchman　with　beady　black　eyes；　was　as　rarely

devilish　as　the　rest　of　us；　and　shelled　out　silver　like　any　drunken

sailor　for　the　purchase　of　more　of　the　milky　brew。　　Our　carrying…on

was　a　scandal；　but　the　women　fetched　the　drink　while　all　the　village

that　could　crowd　in　jammed　the　room　to　witness　our　antics。



The　white　man　has　gone　around　the　world　in　mastery；　I　do　believe；

because　of　his　unwise　uncaringness。　　That　has　been　the　manner　of　his

going；　although；　of　course；　he　was　driven　on　by　restiveness　and　lust

for　booty。　　So　it　was　that　Captain　Johannes　Maartens；　Hendrik　Hamel；

and　the　twelve　sea…cunies　of　us　roystered　and　bawled　in　the　fisher

village　while　the　winter　gales　whistled　across　the　Yellow　Sea。



From　the　little　we　had　seen　of　the　land　and　the　people　we　were　not

impressed　by　Cho…Sen。　　If　these　miserable　fishers　were　a　fair　sample

of　the　natives；　we　could　understand　why　the　land　was　unvisited　of

navigators。　　But　we　were　to　learn　different。　　The　village　was　on　an

in…lying　island；　and　its　headmen　must　have　sent　word　across　to　the

mainland；　for　one　morning　three　big　two…masted　junks　with　lateens　of

rice…matting　dropped　anchor　off　the　beach。



When　the　sampans　came　ashore　Captain　Johannes　Maartens　was　all

interest；　for　here　were　silks　again。　　One　strapping　Korean；　all　in

pale…tinted　silks　of　various　colours；　was　surrounded　by　half　a　dozen

obsequious　attendants；　also　clad　in　silk。　　Kwan　Yung…jin；　as　I　came

to　know　his　name；　was　a　YANG…BAN；　or　noble；　also　he　was　what　might

be　called　magistrate　or　governor　of　the　district　or　province。　　This

means　that　his　office　was　appointive；　and　that　he　was　a　tithe…

squeezer　or　tax…farmer。



Fully　a　hundred　soldiers　were　also　landed　and　marched　into　the

village。　　They　were　armed　with　three…pronged　spears；　slicing　spears；

and　chopping　spears；　with　here　and　there　a　matchlock　of　so　heroic

mould　that　there　were　two　soldiers　to　a　matchlock；　one　to　carry　and