第2章

类别:其他 作者:Herman Melville字数:5253更新时间:18/12/27 09:00:37
Aswedrewnearertheland,Ihailedwithdelighttheappearanceofinnumerablesea-fowl。Screamingandwhirlinginspiraltracks,theywouldaccompanythevessel,andattimesalightonouryardsandstays。Thatpiratical-lookingfellow,appropriatelynamedtheman-of-war’s-hawk,withhisblood-redbillandravenplumage,wouldcomesweepingroundusingraduallydiminishingcircles,tillyoucoulddistinctlymarkthestrangeflashingsofhiseye;andthen,asifsatisfiedwithhisobservation,wouldsailupintotheairanddisappearfromtheview。Soon,otherevidencesofourvicinitytothelandwereapparent,anditwasnotlongbeforethegladannouncementofitsbeinginsightwasheardfromaloft,-givenwiththatpeculiarprolongationofsoundthatasailorloves-“Landho!“ Thecaptain,dartingondeckfromthecabin,bawledlustilyforhisspy-glass;themateinstilllouderaccentshailedthemast-headwithatremendous“Where-away?“Theblackcookthrusthiswoollyheadfromthegalley,andBoatswain,thedog,leapedupbetweentheknightheads,andbarkedmostfuriously。Landho!Ay,thereitwas。A hardlyperceptibleblueirregularoutline,indicatingtheboldcontouroftheloftyheightsofNukuheva。 Thisisland,althoughgenerallycalledoneoftheMarquesas,isbysomenavigatorsconsideredasformingoneofadistinctcluster,comprisingtheislandsofRoohka,Ropo,andNukuheva;uponwhichthreetheappellationoftheWashingtonGrouphasbeenbestowed。Theyformatriangle,andliewithintheparallelsof8deg。38’and9deg。32’ southlatitude,and139deg。20’and140deg。10’westlongitude,fromGreenwich。Withhowlittleproprietytheyaretoberegardedasformingaseparategroupwillbeatonceapparent,whenitisconsideredthattheylieintheimmediatevicinityoftheotherislands,thatistosay,lessthanadegreetothenorth-westofthem; thattheirinhabitantsspeaktheMarquesandialect,andthattheirlaws,religion,andgeneralcustomsareidentical。Theonlyreasonwhytheywereeverthusarbitrarilydistinguished,maybeattributedtothesingularfact,thattheirexistencewasaltogetherunknowntotheworlduntiltheyear1791,whentheywerediscoveredbyCaptainIngraham,ofBoston,Massachusetts,nearlytwocenturiesafterthediscoveryoftheadjacentislandsbytheagentoftheSpanishViceroy。 Notwithstandingthis,Ishallfollowtheexampleofmostvoyagers,andtreatofthemasformingpartandparceloftheMarquesas。 Nukuhevaisthemostimportantoftheseislands,beingtheonlyoneatwhichshipsaremuchinthehabitoftouching,andiscelebratedasbeingtheplacewheretheadventurousCaptainPorterrefittedhisshipsduringthelatewarbetweenEnglandandtheUnitedStates,andwhencehesalliedoutuponthelargewhalingfleetthensailingundertheenemy’sflaginthesurroundingseas。 Thisislandisabouttwentymilesinlength,andnearlyasmanyinbreadth。Ithasthreegoodharboursonitscoast,thelargestandbestofwhichiscalledbythepeoplelivinginitsvicinity,“Tyohee,“andbyCaptainPorterwasdenominatedMassachusettsBay。Amongtheadversetribesdwellingabouttheshoresoftheotherbays,andbyallvoyagers,itisgenerallyknownbythenamebestowedupontheislanditself-Nukuheva。Itsinhabitantshavebecomesomewhatcorrupted,owingtotheirrecentcommercewithEuropeans;butsofarasregardstheirpeculiarcustoms,andgeneralmodeoflife,theyretaintheiroriginalprimitivecharacter,remainingverynearlyinthesamestateofnatureinwhichtheywerefirstbeheldbywhitemen。Thehostileclans,residinginthemoreremotesectionsoftheisland,andveryseldomholdinganycommunicationwithforeigners,areineveryrespectunchangedfromtheirearliestknowncondition。 InthebayofNukuhevawastheanchoragewedesiredtoreach。Wehadperceivedtheloomofthemountainsaboutsunset;sothat,afterrunningallnightwithaverylightbreeze,wefoundourselvescloseinwiththeislandthenextmorning;butasthebaywesoughtlayonitsfartherside,wewereobligedtosailsomedistancealongtheshore,catching,asweproceeded,shortglimpsesofbloomingvalleys,deepglens,waterfalls,andwavinggroves,hiddenhereandtherebyprojectingandrockyheadlands,everymomentopeningtotheviewsomenewandstartlingsceneofbeauty。 ThosewhoforthefirsttimevisittheSouthSeas,generallyaresurprisedattheappearanceoftheislandswhenbeheldfromthesea。 Fromthevagueaccountswesometimeshaveoftheirbeauty,manypeopleareapttopicturetothemselvesenamelledandsoftlyswellingplains,shadedoverwithdeliciousgroves,andwateredbypurlingbrooks,andtheentirecountrybutlittleelevatedabovethesurroundingocean。Therealityisverydifferent;boldrock-boundcoasts,withthesurfbeatinghighagainsttheloftycliffs,andbrokenhereandthereintodeepinlets,whichopentotheviewthickly-woodedvalleys,separatedbythespursofmountainsclothedwithtuftedgrass,andsweepingdowntowardstheseafromanelevatedandfurrowedinterior,formtheprincipalfeaturesoftheseislands。 Towardsnoonwedrewabreasttheentrancetotheharbour,andatlastweslowlysweptbytheinterveningpromontory,andenteredthebayofNukuheva。Nodescriptioncandojusticetoitsbeauty;butthatbeautywaslosttomethen,andIsawnothingbutthetri-colouredflagofFrance,trailingoverthesternofsixvessels,whoseblackhulls,andbristlingbroadsides,proclaimedtheirwarlikecharacter。 Theretheywere,floatinginthatlovelybay,thegreeneminencesoftheshorelookingdownsotranquillyuponthem,asifrebukingthesternnessoftheiraspect。Tomyeye,nothingcouldbemoreoutofkeepingthanthepresenceofthesevessels;butwesoonlearntwhatbroughtthemthere。ThewholegroupofislandshadjustbeentakenpossessionofbyRear-AdmiralDuPetit-Thouars,inthenameoftheinvincibleFrenchnation。 Thisitemofinformationwasimpartedtousbyamostextraordinaryindividual,agenuineSouthSeavagabond,whocamealongsideofusinawhale-boatassoonasweenteredthebay,and,bytheaidofsomebenevolentpersonsatthegangway,wasassistedonboard,forourvisitorwasinthatinterestingstageofintoxicationwhenamanisamiableandhelpless。Althoughhewasutterlyunabletostanderect,ortonavigatehisbodyacrossthedeck,hestillmagnanimouslyprofferedhisservicestopilottheshiptoagoodandsecureanchorage。Ourcaptain,however,ratherdistrustedhisabilityinthisrespect,andrefusedtorecognisehisclaimtothecharacterheassumed;butourgentlemanwasdeterminedtoplayhispart,for,bydintofmuchscrambling,hesucceededingettingintotheweather-quarterboat,wherehesteadiedhimselfbyholdingontoashroud,andthencommencedissuinghiscommandswithamazingvolubilityandverypeculiargestures。Ofcourse,nooneobeyedhisorders;butasitwasimpossibletoquiethim,wesweptbytheshipsofthesquadronwiththisstrangefellowperforminghisanticsinfullviewofalltheFrenchofficers。 WeafterwardslearnedthatoureccentricfriendhadbeenalieutenantintheEnglishnavy,buthavingdisgracedhisflagbysomecriminalconductinoneoftheprincipalportsonthemain,hehaddesertedhisship,andspentmanyyearswanderingamongtheislandsofthePacific,untilaccidentallybeingatNukuhevawhentheFrenchtookpossessionoftheplace,hehadbeenappointedpilotoftheharbourbythenewlyconstitutedauthorities。 Asweslowlyadvancedupthebay,numerouscanoespushedofffromthesurroundingshores,andweweresooninthemidstofquiteaflotillaofthem,theirsavageoccupantsstrugglingtogetaboardofus,andjostlingoneanotherintheirineffectualattempts。 Occasionallytheprojectingout-riggersoftheirslightshallops,runningfoulofoneanother,wouldbecomeentangledbeneaththewater,threateningtocapsizethecanoes,whenasceneofconfusionwouldensuethatbafflesdescription。SuchstrangeoutcriesandpassionategesticulationsInevercertainlyheardorsawbefore。Youwouldhavethoughttheislanderswereonthepointofflyingatoneanother’sthroats,whereastheywereonlyamicablyengagedindisentanglingtheirboats。 Scatteredhereandthereamongthecanoesmightbeseennumbersofcocoa-nutsfloatingcloselytogetherincirculargroups,andbobbingupanddownwitheverywave。Bysomeinexplicablemeansthesecocoa-nutswereallsteadilyapproachingtowardstheship。AsIleanedcuriouslyoverdieside,endeavouringtosolvetheirmysteriousmovements,onemass,farinadvanceoftherest,attractedmyattention。InitscentrewassomethingIcouldtakefornothingelsethanacocoa-nut,butwhichIcertainlyconsideredoneofthemostextraordinaryspecimensofthefruitIhadeverseen。Itkepttwirlinganddancingaboutamongtherestinthemostsingularmanner:andasitdrewnearer,Ithoughtitborearemarkableresemblancetothebrownshavenskullofoneofthesavages。Presentlyitbetrayedapairofeyes,andsoonIbecameawarethatwhatIhadsupposedtohavebeenoneofthefruitwasnothingelsethantheheadofanislander,whohadadoptedthissingularmethodofbringinghisproducetomarket。 Thecocoa-nutswereallattachedtooneanotherbystripsofthehusk,partlytornfromtheshell,andrudelyfastenedtogether。Theirproprietor,insertinghisheadintothemidstofthem,impelledhisnecklaceofcocoa-nutsthroughthewaterbystrikingoutbeneaththesurfacewithhisfeet。 Iwassomewhatastonishedtoperceivethatamongthenumberofnativesthatsurroundedus,notasinglefemalewastobeseen。AtthattimeIwasignorantofthefactthatbytheoperationofthe“taboo,“theuseofcanoesinallpartsoftheislandisrigorouslyprohibitedtotheentiresex,forwhomitisdeatheventobeseenenteringonewhenhauledonshore;consequently,wheneveraMarquesanladyvoyagesbywater,sheputsinrequisitionthepaddlesofherownfairbody。 Wehadapproachedwithinamileandahalfperhapsofthefootofthebay,whensomeoftheislanders,whobythistimehadmanagedtoscrambleaboardofusattheriskofswampingtheircanoes,directedourattentiontoasingularcommotioninthewateraheadofthevessel。AtfirstIimaginedittobeproducedbyashoaloffishsportingonthesurface,butoursavagefriendsassuredusthatitwascausedbyashoalof“whinhenies“(younggirls),whointhismannerwerecomingofffromtheshoretowelcomeus。Astheydrewnearer,andIwatchedtherisingandsinkingoftheirforms,andbeheldtheupliftedrightarmbearingabovethewaterthegirdleoftappa,andtheirlongdarkconfiding,theyareeasilyledintoeveryvice,andhumanityweepsovertheruinthusremorselesslyinflicteduponthembytheirEuropeancivilizers。Thricehappyaretheywho,inhabitingsomeyetundiscoveredislandinthemidstoftheocean,haveneverbeenbroughtintocontaminatingcontactwiththewhiteman。 ITwasinthesummerof1842,thatwearrivedattheislands。 OurshiphadnotbeenmanydaysintheharbourofNukuhevabeforeI cametothedeterminationofleavingher。Thatmyreasonsforresolvingtotakethisstepwerenumerousandweighty,maybeinferredfromthefactthatIchoserathertoriskmyfortunesamongthesavagesoftheislandthantoendureanothervoyageonboardtheDolly。Tousetheconcise,point-blankphraseofthesailors,Ihadmadeupmymindto“runaway。“Now,asameaningisgenerallyattachedtothesetwowordsnowayflatteringtotheindividualtowhomtheyareapplied,itbehovesme,forthesakeofmyowncharacter,tooffersomeexplanationofmyconduct。 WhenIenteredonboardtheDolly,Isigned,asamatterofcourse,theship’sarticles,therebyvoluntarilyengagingandlegallybindingmyselftoserveinacertaincapacityfortheperiodofthevoyage;and,specialconsiderationsapart,Iwasofcourseboundtofulfiltheagreement。Butinallcontracts,ifonepartyfailtoperformhisshareofthecompact,isnottheothervirtuallyabsolvedfromhisliability?Whoistherewhowillnotanswerintheaffirmative?