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第120章

westward ho-第120章

小说: westward ho 字数: 每页4000字

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The men were accustomed enough to strict and stern justice in their dealings with the savages: but they could not help looking slyly at each other; and hinting; when out of sight; that the captain seemed in a mighty fuss about his new acquaintance。

However; they were expert by this time in all the Indian's fishing methods; and so abundant was the animal life which swarmed around every rock; that in an hour fish enough lay on the beach to feed them all; whose forms and colors; names and families; I must leave the reader to guess from the wondrous pages of Sir Richard Schomburgk; for I know too little of them to speak without the fear of making mistakes。

A full hour passed before they saw anything more of their Indian neighbors; and then from under the bushes shot out a canoe; on which all eyes were fixed in expectation。

Amyas; who expected to find there some remnant of a higher race; was disappointed enough at seeing on board only the usual half… dozen of low…browed; dirty Orsons; painted red with arnotto: but a gray…headed elder at the stern seemed; by his feathers and gold ornaments; to be some man of note in the little woodland community。

The canoe came close up to the island; Amyas saw that they were unarmed; and; laying down his weapons; advanced alone to the bank; making all signs of amity。  They were returned with interest by the old man; and Amyas's next care was to bring forward the fish which the fair nymph had left behind; and; through the medium of the Indian lad; to give the cacique (for so he seemed to be) to understand that he wished to render every one his own。  This offer was received; as Amyas expected; with great applause; and the canoe came alongside; but the crew still seemed afraid to land。  Amyas bade his men throw the fish one by one into the boat; and then proclaimed by the boy's mouth; as was his custom with all Indians; that he and his were enemies of the Spaniards; and on their way to make war against them;and that all which they desired was a peaceable and safe passage through the dominions of the mighty potentate and renowned warrior whom they beheld before them; for Amyas argued rightly enough; that even if the old fellow aft was not the cacique; he would be none the less pleased at being mistaken for him。

Whereon the ancient worthy; rising in the canoe; pointed to heaven; earth; and the things under; and commenced a long sermon; in tone; manner; and articulation; very like one of those which the great black…bearded apes were in the habit of preaching every evening when they could get together a congregation of little monkeys to listen; to the great scandal of Jack; who would have it that some evil spirit set them on to mimic him; which sermon; being partly interpreted by the Indian lad; seemed to signify; that the valor and justice of the white men had already reached the ears of the speaker; and that he was sent to welcome them into those regions by the Daughter of the Sun。

〃The Daughter of the Sun!〃 quoth Amyas; 〃then we have found the lost Incas after all。〃

〃We have found something;〃 said Cary; 〃I only hope it may not be a mare's nest; like many another of our finding。〃

〃Or an adder's;〃 said Yeo。  〃We must beware of treachery。〃

〃We must beware of no such thing;〃 said Amyas; pretty sharply。 〃Have I not told you fifty times; that if they see that we trust them; they will trust us; and if they see that we suspect them; they will suspect us?  And when two parties are watching to see who strikes the first blow; they are sure to come to fisticuffs from mere dirty fear of each other。〃

Amyas spoke truth; for almost every atrocity against savages which had been committed by the Spaniards; and which was in later and worse times committed by the English; was wont to be excused in that same base fear of treachery。  Amyas's plan; like that of Drake; and Cook; and all great English voyagers; had been all along to inspire at once awe and confidence; by a frank and fearless carriage; and he was not disappointed here。  He bade the men step boldly into their canoes; and follow the old Indian whither he would。  The simple children of the forest bowed themselves reverently before the mighty strangers; and then led them smilingly across the stream; and through a narrow passage in the covert; to a hidden lagoon; on the banks of which stood; not Manoa; but a tiny Indian village。



CHAPTER XXIV

HOW AMYAS WAS TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL


〃Let us alone。  What pleasure can we have    To war with evil?  Is there any peace  In always climbing up the climbing wave?    All things have rest; and ripen toward the grave  In silence; ripen; fall; and cease:    Give us long rest or death; dark death; or dreamful ease。〃

                                                   TENNYSON。


Humboldt has somewhere a curious passage; in which; looking on some wretched group of Indians; squatting stupidly round their fires; besmeared with grease and paint; and devouring ants and clay; he somewhat naively remarks; that were it not for science; which teaches us that such is the crude material of humanity; and this the state from which we all have risen; he should have been tempted rather to look upon those hapless beings as the last degraded remnants of some fallen and dying race。  One wishes that the great traveller had been bold enough to yield to that temptation; which his own reason and common sense presented to him as the real explanation of the sad sight; instead of following the dogmas of a so…called science; which has not a fact whereon to base its wild notion; and must ignore a thousand facts in asserting it。  His own good sense; it seems; coincided instinctively with the Bible doctrine; that man in a state of nature is a fallen being; doomed to deatha view which may be a sad one; but still one more honorable to poor humanity than the theory; that we all began as some sort of two…handed apes。  It is surely more hopeful to believe that those poor Otomacs or Guahibas were not what they ought to be; than to believe that they were。  It is certainly more complimentary to them to think that they had been somewhat nobler and more prudent in centuries gone by; than that they were such blockheads as to have dragged on; the son after the father; for all the thousands of years which have elapsed since man was made; without having had wit enough to discover any better food than ants and clay。

Our voyagers; however; like those of their time; troubled their heads with no such questions。  Taking the Bible story as they found it; they agreed with Humboldt's reason; and not with his science; or; to speak correctly; agreed with Humboldt's self; and not with the shallow anthropologic theories which happened to be in vogue fifty years ago; and their new hosts were in their eyes immortal souls like themselves; 〃captivated by the devil at his will;〃 lost there in the pathless forests; likely to be lost hereafter。

And certainly facts seemed to bear out their old…fashioned theories; although these Indians had sunk by no means so low as the Guahibas whom they had met upon the lower waters of the same river。

They beheld; on landing; a scattered village of palm…leaf sheds; under which; as usual; the hammocks were slung from tree to tree。 Here and there; in openings in the forest; patches of cassava and indigo appeared; and there was a look of neatness and comfort about the little settlement superior to the average。

But now for the signs of the evil spirit。  Certainly it was no good spirit who had inspired them with the art of music; or else (as Cary said) Apollo and Mercury (if they ever visited America) had played their forefathers a shabby trick; and put them off with very poor instruments; and still poorer taste。  For on either side of the landing…place were arranged four or five stout fellows; each with a tall drum; or long earthen trumpet; swelling out in the course of its length into several hollow balls from which arose; the moment the strangers set foot on shore; so deafening a cacophony of howls; and groans; and thumps; as fully to justify Yeo's remark; 〃They are calling upon their devil; sir。〃  To which Cary answered; with some show of reason; that 〃they were the less likely to be disappointed; for none b

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