westward ho-第118章

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　the　dizzy　spectator　is　fain　at　last　to　shut　the　eyes　of　his　soul；　and　take　refuge　（as　West　Indian　Spaniards　do）　in　tobacco　and　stupidity。　The　man；　too；　who　has　not　only　eyes　but　utterance；what　shall　he　do　where　all　words　fail　him？　　Superlatives　are　but　inarticulate；　after　all；　and　give　no　pictures　even　of　size　any　more　than　do　numbers　of　feet　and　yards：　and　yet　what　else　can　we　do；　but　heap　superlative　on　superlative；　and　cry；　〃Wonderful；　wonderful！〃　and　after　that；　〃wonderful；　past　all　whooping〃？　　What　Humboldt's　self　cannot　paint；　we　will　not　try　to　daub。　　The　voyagers　were　in　a　South　American　forest；　readers。　　Fill　up　the　meaning　of　those　words；　each　as　your　knowledge　enables　you；　for　I　cannot　do　it　for　you。

Certainly　those　adventurers　could　not。　　The　absence　of　any　attempt　at　word…painting；　even　of　admiration　at　the　glorious　things　which　they　saw；　is　most　remarkable　in　all　early　voyagers；　both　Spanish　and　English。　　The　only　two　exceptions　which　I　recollect　are　Columbus（but　then　all　was　new；　and　he　was　bound　to　tell　what　he　had　seen）and　Raleigh；　the　two　most　gifted　men；　perhaps；　with　the　exception　of　Humboldt；　who　ever　set　foot　in　tropical　America；　but　even　they　dare　nothing　but　a　few　feeble　hints　in　passing。　　Their　souls　had　been　dazzled　and　stunned　by　a　great　glory。　　Coming　out　of　our　European　Nature　into　that　tropic　one；　they　had　felt　like　Plato's　men；　bred　in　the　twilight　cavern；　and　then　suddenly　turned　round　to　the　broad　blaze　of　day；　they　had　seen　things　awful　and　unspeakable：　why　talk　of　them；　except　to　say　with　the　Turks；　〃God　is　great！〃

So　it　was　with　these　men。　　Among　the　higher…hearted　of　them；　the　grandeur　and　the　glory　around　had　attuned　their　spirits　to　itself；　and　kept　up　in　them　a　lofty；　heroical；　reverent　frame　of　mind；　but　they　knew　as　little　about　the　trees　and　animals　in　an　〃artistic〃　or　〃critical〃　point　of　view；　as　in　a　scientific　one。　　This　tree　the　Indians　called　one　unpronounceable　name；　and　it　made　good　bows；　that；　some　other　name；　and　it　made　good　canoes；　of　that；　you　could　eat　the　fruit；　that　produced　the　caoutchouc　gum；　useful　for　a　hundred　matters；　that　was　what　the　Indians　（and　they　likewise）　used　to　poison　their　arrows　with；　from　the　ashes　of　those　palm…nuts　you　could　make　good　salt；　that　tree；　again；　was　full　of　good　milk　if　you　bored　the　stem：　they　drank　it；　and　gave　God　thanks；　and　were　not　astonished。　　God　was　great：　but　that　they　had　discovered　long　before　they　came　into　the　tropics。　　Noble　old　child…hearted　heroes；　with　just　romance　and　superstition　enough　about　them　to　keep　them　from　that　prurient　hysterical　wonder　and　enthusiasm；　which　is　simply；　one　often　fears；　a　product　of　our　scepticism！　　We　do　not　trust　enough　in　God；　we　do　not　really　believe　His　power　enough；　to　be　ready；　as　they　were；　as　every　one　ought　to　be　on　a　God…made　earth；　for　anything　and　everything　being　possible；　and　then；　when　a　wonder　is　discovered；　we　go　into　ecstasies　and　shrieks　over　it；　and　take　to　ourselves　credit　for　being　susceptible　of　so　lofty　a　feeling；　true　index；　forsooth；　of　a　refined　and　cultivated　mind。

They　paddled　onward　hour　after　hour；　sheltering　themselves　as　best　they　could　under　the　shadow　of　the　southern　bank；　while　on　their　right　hand　the　full　sun…glare　lay　upon　the　enormous　wall　of　mimosas；　figs；　and　laurels；　which　formed　the　northern　forest；　broken　by　the　slender　shafts　of　bamboo　tufts；　and　decked　with　a　thousand　gaudy　parasites；　bank　upon　bank　of　gorgeous　bloom　piled　upward　to　the　sky；　till　where　its　outline　cut　the　blue；　flowers　and　leaves；　too　lofty　to　be　distinguished　by　the　eye；　formed　a　broken　rainbow　of　all　hues　quivering　in　the　ascending　streams　of　azure　mist；　until　they　seemed　to　melt　and　mingle　with　the　very　heavens。

And　as　the　sun　rose　higher　and　higher；　a　great　stillness　fell　upon　the　forest。　　The　jaguars　and　the　monkeys　had　hidden　themselves　in　the　darkest　depths　of　the　woods。　　The　birds'　notes　died　out　one　by　one；　the　very　butterflies　ceased　their　flitting　over　the　tree…tops；　and　slept　with　outspread　wings　upon　the　glossy　leaves；　undistinguishable　from　the　flowers　around　them。　　Now　and　then　a　colibri　whirred　downward　toward　the　water；　hummed　for　a　moment　around　some　pendent　flower；　and　then　the　living　gem　was　lost　in　the　deep　blackness　of　the　inner　wood；　among　tree…trunks　as　huge　and　dark　as　the　pillars　of　some　Hindoo　shrine；　or　a　parrot　swung　and　screamed　at　them　from　an　overhanging　bough；　or　a　thirsty　monkey　slid　lazily　down　a　liana　to　the　surface　of　the　stream；　dipped　up　the　water　in　his　tiny　hand；　and　started　chattering　back；　as　his　eyes　met　those　of　some　foul　alligator　peering　upward　through　the　clear　depths　below。　　In　shaded　nooks　beneath　the　boughs；　the　capybaras；　rabbits　as　large　as　sheep；　went　paddling　sleepily　round　and　round；　thrusting　up　their　unwieldy　heads　among　the　blooms　of　the　blue　water…lilies；　while　black　and　purple　water…hens　ran　up　and　down　upon　the　rafts　of　floating　leaves。　　The　shining　snout　of　a　freshwater　dolphin　rose　slowly　to　the　surface；　a　jet　of　spray　whirred　up；　a　rainbow　hung　upon　it　for　a　moment；　and　the　black　snout　sank　lazily　again。　　Here　and　there；　too；　upon　some　shallow　pebbly　shore；　scarlet　flamingoes　stood　dreaming　knee…deep；　on　one　leg；　crested　cranes　pranced　up　and　down；　admiring　their　own　finery；　and　ibises　and　egrets　dipped　their　bills　under　water　in　search　of　prey：　but　before　noon　even　those　had　slipped　away；　and　there　reigned　a　stillness　which　might　be　heardsuch　a　stillness　（to　compare　small　things　with　great）　as　broods　beneath　the　rich　shadows　of　Amyas's　own　Devon　woods；　or　among　the　lonely　sweeps　of　Exmoor；　when　the　heather　is　in　flowera　stillness　in　which；　as　Humboldt　says；　〃If　beyond　the　silence　we　listen　for　the　faintest　undertones；　we　detect　a　stifled；　continuous　hum　of　insects；　which　crowd　the　air　close　to　the　earth；　a　confused　swarming　murmur　which　hangs　round　every　bush；　in　the　cracked　bark　of　trees；　in　the　soil　undermined　by　lizards；　millepedes；　and　bees；　a　voice　proclaiming　to　us　that　all　Nature　breathes；　that　under　a　thousand　different　forms　life　swarms　in　the　gaping　and　dusty　earth；　as　much　as　in　the　bosom　of　the　waters；　and　the　air　which　breathes　around。〃

At　last　a　soft　and　distant　murmur；　increasing　gradually　to　a　heavy　roar；　announced　that　they　were　nearing　some　cataract；　till　turning　a　point；　where　the　deep　alluvial　soil　rose　into　a　low　cliff　fringed　with　delicate　ferns；　they　came　full　in　sight　of　a　scene　at　which　all　paused：　not　with　astonishment；　but　with　something　very　like　disgust。

〃Rapids　again！〃　grumbled　one。　　〃I　thought　we　had　had　enough　of　them　on　the　Orinoco。〃

〃We　shall　have　to　get　out；　and　draw　the　canoes　overland；　I　suppose。　Three　hours　will　be　lost；　and　in　the　very　hottest　of　the　day；　too。〃

〃There's　worse　behind；　don't　you　see　the　spray　behind　the　palms？〃

〃Stop　grumbling；　my　masters；　and　don't　cry　out　before　you　are　hurt。　Paddle　right　up　to　the　largest　of　those　islands；　and　let　us　look　about　us。〃

In　front　of　them　was　a　snow…white　bar　of　raging　foam；　some　ten　feet　high；　along　which　were　ranged　three　or　four　islands　of　black　rock。　Each　was　crested　with　a　knot　of　lofty　palms；　whose　green　tops　stood　out　clear　against　the　bright　sky；　while　the　lower　half　of　their　stems　loomed　hazy　through　a　luminous　veil　of　rainbowed　mist。　　The　banks　right　and　left　of　the　fall　were　so　densely　fringed　with　a　low　hedge　of　shrubs；　that　landing　seemed　all　but　impossible；　and　their　Indian　guide；　suddenly　looking　round　him　and　whispering；　bade　them　beware　of　savages；　and　pointed　to　a　canoe　which　lay　swinging　in　the　eddies　under　the　largest　island；　moored　apparently　to　the　root　of　some　tree。

〃Silence　all！〃　cried　Amyas；　〃and　paddle　up　thither　and　seize　the　canoe。　　If　there　be　an　Indian　on　the　island；　we　will　have　speech　of　him：　but　mind　and　treat　him　friendly；　and　on　your　lives；　neither　strike　nor　shoot；　even　if　he　offers　to　fight。〃

So；　choosing　a　line　of　smooth　backwater　just　in　the　wake　of　the　island；　they　drove　their　canoes　up　by　main　force；　and　fastened　them　safely　by　the　side　of　the　Indian's；　while　Amyas；　always　the　foremost；　sprang　boldly　on　shore；　whispering　to　the　Indian　boy　to　follow　him。

Once　on　the　island；　Amyas　felt　sure　enough；　that　if　its　wild　tenant　had　not　seen　them　approach；　he　certainl