第41章

类别:其他 作者:Herman Melville字数:4956更新时间:18/12/27 09:00:37
sangitagainandagain,andnothingcouldbemoreludicrousthanhisvainattemptstocatchtheairandthewords。Theroyalsavageseemedtothinkthatbyscrewingallthefeaturesofhisfaceintotheendofhisnose,hemightpossiblysucceedintheundertaking,butitfailedtoanswerthepurpose;andintheendhegaveitup,andconsoledhimselfbylisteningtomyrepetitionofthesoundsfiftytimesover。 PrevioustoMehevi’smakingthediscovery,Ihadneverbeenawarethattherewasanythingofthenightingaleaboutme;butIwasnowpromotedtotheplaceofcourtminstrel,inwhichcapacityIwasafterwardsperpetuallycalledupontoofficiate。 Besidesthesticksandthedrums,therearenoothermusicalinstrumentsamongtheTypees,exceptonewhichmightappropriatelybedenominatedanasalflute。Itissomewhatlongerthananordinaryfife,ismadeofabeautifulscarlet-colouredreed,andhasfourorfivestops,withalargeholenearoneend,whichlatterisheldjustbeneaththeleftnostril。Theothernostrilbeingclosedbyapeculiarmovementofthemusclesaboutthenose,thebreathisforcedintothetube,andproducesasoftdulcetsound,whichisvariedbythefingersrunningatrandomoverthestops。Thisisafavouriterecreationwiththefemales,andoneinwhichFayawaygreatlyexcelled。Awkwardassuchaninstrumentmayappear,itwas,inFayaway’sdelicatelittlehands,oneofthemostgracefulIhaveeverseen。Ayoungladyintheactoftormentingaguitar,strungaboutherneckbyacoupleofyardsofblueribbon,isnothalfsoengaging。 SingingwasnottheonlymeansIpossessedofdivertingtheroyalMeheviandhiseasy-goingsubjects。Nothingaffordedthemmorepleasurethantoseemegothroughtheattitudesofapugilisticencounter。Asnotoneofthenativeshadsoulenoughinhimtostanduplikeaman,andallowmetohammerawayathim,formyownpersonalgratificationandthatoftheking,Iwasnecessitatedtofightwithanimaginaryenemy,whomIinvariablymadetoknockundertomysuperiorprowess。Sometimes,whenthissorelybatteredshadowretreatedprecipitatelytowardsagroupofthesavages,and,followinghimup,Irushedamongthem,dealingmyblowsrightandleft,theywoulddisperseinalldirections,muchtotheenjoymentofMehevi,thechiefs,andthemselves。 Thenobleartofself-defenceappearedtoberegardedbythemasthepeculiargiftofthewhiteman;andImakelittledoubtbutthattheysupposedarmiesofEuropeansweredrawnupprovidedwithnothingelsebutbonyfistsandstouthearts,withwhichtheysettoincolumn,andpummelledoneanotheratthewordofcommand。 Oneday,incompanywithKory-Kory,Ihadrepairedtothestreamforthepurposeofbathing,whenIobservedawomansittinguponarockinthemidstofthecurrent,andwatchingwiththeliveliestinterestthegambolsofsomething,whichatfirstItooktobeanuncommonlylargespeciesoffrogthatwassportinginthewaternearher。Attractedbythenoveltyofthesight,Iwadedtowardsthespotwhereshesat,andcouldhardlycredittheevidenceofmysenseswhenIbeheldalittleinfant,theperiodofwhosebirthcouldnothaveextendedbackmanydays,paddlingaboutasifithadjustrisentothesurface,afterbeinghatchedintoexistenceatthebottom。 Occasionallythedelightedparentreachedoutherhandtowardsit,whenthelittlething,utteringafaintcry,andstrikingoutitstinylimbs,wouldsidlefortherock,andthenextmomentbeclaspedtoitsmother’sbosom。Thiswasrepeatedagainandagain,thebabyremaininginthestreamaboutaminuteatatime。Onceortwiceitmadewryfacesatswallowingamouthfulofwater,andchokedandsplutteredasifonthepointofstrangling。Atsuchtimes,however,themothersnatcheditup,andbyaprocessscarcelytobementionedobligedittoejectthefluid。ForseveralweeksafterwardsIobservedthewomanbringingherchilddowntothestreamregularlyeveryday,inthecoolofthemorningandevening,andtreatingittoabath。 NowonderthattheSouthSeaislandersaresoamphibiousarace,whentheyarethuslaunchedintothewaterassoonastheyseethelight。Iamconvincedthatitisasnaturalforahumanbeingtoswimasitisforaduck。Andyet,incivilizedcommunities,howmanyable-bodiedindividualsdie,likesomanydrowningkittens,fromtheoccurrenceofthemosttrivialaccidents! Thelong,luxuriant,andglossytressesoftheTypeedamselsoftenattractedmyadmiration。Afineheadofhairistheprideandjoyofeverywoman’sheart!Whether,againsttheexpresswillofProvidence,itistwisteduponthecrownoftheheadandtherecoiledaway;whetheritbebuiltupinagreattower,withcombsandpins,orisplasteredovertheheadinsleek,shinyfolds;orwhetheritbepermittedtoflowovertheshouldersinnaturalringlets,itisalwaystheprideoftheowner,andthegloryofthetoilette。 TheTypeegirlsdevotemuchoftheirtimetothedressingoftheirhairandredundantlocks。Afterbathing,astheysometimesdofiveorsixtimeseveryday,thehairiscarefullydried,andiftheyhavebeeninthesea,invariablywashedinfreshwater,andanointedwithahighly-scentedoilextractedfromthemeatofthecocoa-nut。 Thisoilisobtainedingreatabundance,bythefollowingverysimpleprocess:- Alargevesselofwood,withholesperforatedinthebottom,isfilledwiththepoundedmeat,andexposedtotheraysofthesun。Astheoleaginousmatterexudes,itfallsindropsthroughtheaperturesintoawide-mouthedcalabashplacedunderneath。Afterasufficientquantityhasthusbeencollected,theoilundergoesapurifyingprocess,andisthenpouredintothesmallsphericalshellsofthenutsofthemoo-tree,whicharehollowedouttoreceiveit。Thesenutsarethenhermeticallysealedwitharesinousgum,andthevegetablefragranceoftheirgreenrindsoonimpartstotheoiladelightfulodour。Afterthelapseofafewweeks,theexteriorshellofthenutsbecomesquitedryandhard,andassumesabeautifulcarnationtint;andwhenopenedtheyarefoundtobeabouttwo-thirdsfullofanointmentofalightyellowcolour,anddiffusingthesweetestperfume。Thiselegantlittleodorousglobewouldnotbeoutofplaceevenuponthetoiletteofaqueen。Itsmeritsasapreparationforthehairareundeniable,-itimpartstoitasuperbglossandasilkyfineness。 FROMthetimeofmycasualencounterwithKarkytheartist,mylifewasoneofabsolutewretchedness。NotadaypassedbutIwaspersecutedbythesolicitationsofsomeofthenativestosubjectmyselftotheodiousoperationoftattooing。Theirimportunitiesdrovemehalfwild,forIfelthoweasilytheymightworktheirwilluponmeregardingthis,oranythingelsewhichtheytookintotheirheads。 Still,however,thebehaviouroftheislanderstowardsmewasaskindasever。Fayawaywasquiteasengaging;Kory-Koryasdevoted;andMehevithekingjustasgraciousandcondescendingasbefore。ButI hadnowbeenthreemonthsintheirvalley,asnearlyasIcouldestimate;Ihadgrownfamiliarwiththenarrowlimitstowhichmywanderingshadbeenconfined;andIbeganbitterlytofeelthestateofcaptivityinwhichIwasheld。TherewasnoonewithwhomIcouldfreelyconverse;noonetowhomIcouldcommunicatemythoughts;noonewhocouldsympathizewithmysufferings。AthousandtimesI thoughthowmuchmoreendurablewouldhavebeenmylothadTobystillbeenwithme。ButIwasleftalone,andthethoughtwasterribletome。Still,despitemygriefs,Ididallinmypowertoappearcomposedandcheerful,wellknowingthatbymanifestinganyuneasiness,oranydesiretoescape,Ishouldonlyfrustratemyobject。 ItwasduringtheperiodIwasinthisunhappyframeofmind,thatthepainfulmaladyunderwhichIhadbeenlabouring-afterhavingalmostcompletelysubsided-beganagaintoshowitself,andwithsymptomsasviolentasever。Thisaddedcalamitynearlyunmannedme; therecurrenceofthecomplaintprovedthat,withoutpowerfulremedialapplications,allhopeofcurewasfutile;andwhenIreflectedthatjustbeyondtheelevationswhichboundmein,wasthemedicalreliefI needed,andthat,althoughsonear,itwasimpossibleformetoavailmyselfofit,thethoughtwasmisery。 InthiswretchedsituationeverycircumstancewhichevincedthesavagenatureofthebeingsatwhosemercyIwas,augmentedthefearfulapprehensionsthatconsumedme。Anoccurrencewhichhappenedaboutthistimeaffectedmemostpowerfully。 Ihavealreadymentioned,thatfromtheridge-poleofMarheyo’shouseweresuspendedanumberofpackagesenvelopedintappa。ManyoftheseIhadoftenseeninthehandsofthenatives,andtheircontentshadbeenexaminedinmypresence。ButtherewerethreepackageshangingverynearlyovertheplacewhereIlay,whichfromtheirremarkableappearancehadoftenexcitedmycuriosity。SeveraltimesIhadaskedKory-Korytoshowmetheircontents;butmyservitor,whoinalmosteveryotherparticularhadaccededtomywishes,alwaysrefusedtogratifymeinthis。 Oneday,returningunexpectedlyfromtheTi,myarrivalseemedtothrowtheinmatesofthehouseintothegreatestconfusion。Theywereseatedtogetheronthemats,andbythelineswhichextendedfromtherooftothefloorIimmediatelyperceivedthatthemysteriouspackageswere,forsomepurposeorother,underinspection。Theevidentalarmthesavagesbetrayedfilledmewithforebodingsofevil,andwithanuncontrollabledesiretopenetratethesecretsojealouslyguarded。DespitetheeffortsofMarheyoandKory-Korytorestrainme,Iforcedmywayintothemidstofthecircle,andjustcaughtaglimpseofthreehumanheads,whichothersofthepartywerehurriedlyenvelopinginthecoveringsfromwhichtheyhadbeentaken。 OneofthethreeIdistinctlysaw。Itwasinastateofperfectpreservation,andfromtheslightglimpseIhadofit,seemedtohavebeensubjectedtosomesmokingoperationwhichhadreducedittothedry,hard,andmummylikeappearanceitpresented。Thetwolongscalp-locksweretwistedupintoballsuponthecrownofthehead,inthesamewaythattheindividualhadwornthemduringlife。 Thesunkencheekswererenderedyetmoreghastlybytherowsofglisteningteethwhichprotrudedfrombetweenthelips,whilethesocketsoftheeyes-filledwithovalbitsofmother-of-pearlshell,withablackspotinthecentre-heightenedthehideousnessofitsaspect。 Twoofthethreewereheadsoftheislanders;butthethird,tomyhorror,wasthatofawhiteman。Althoughithadbeenquicklyremovedfrommysight,stilltheglimpseIhadofitwasenoughtoconvincemethatIcouldnotbemistaken。 GraciousGod!whatdreadfulthoughtsenteredmymind。Insolvingthismystery,perhapsIhadsolvedanother,andthefateofmylostcompanionmightberevealedintheshockingspectacleIhadjustwitnessed。Ilongedtohavetomoffthefoldsofcloth,andsatisfiedtheawfuldoubtsunderwhichIlaboured。ButbeforeIhadrecoveredfromtheconsternationintowhichIhadbeenthrown,thefatalpackageswerehoistedaloftandoncemoreswungovermyhead。 Thenativesnowgatheredroundmetumultuously,andlabouredtoconvincemethatwhatIhadjustseenweretheheadsofthreeHapparwarriors,whohadbeenslaininbattle。Thisglaringfalsehoodaddedtomyalarm,anditwasnotuntilIreflectedthatIhadobservedthepackagesswingingfromtheirelevationbeforeToby’sdisappearance,thatIcouldatallrecovermycomposure。 Butalthoughthishorribleapprehensionhadbeendispelled,I