SHORTLYafterwardanincidentoccurredwhichIaminducedtolookuponasmoreintenselyproductiveofemotion,asfarmorerepletewiththeextremesfirstofdelightandthenofhorror,thanevenanyofthethousandchanceswhichafterwardbefellmeinninelongyears,crowdedwitheventsofthemoststartlingand,inmanycases,ofthemostunconceivedandunconceivablecharacter。Wewerelyingonthedecknearthecompanion-way,anddebatingthepossibilityofyetmakingourwayintothestoreroom,when,lookingtowardAugustus,wholayfrontingmyself,Iperceivedthathehadbecomeallatoncedeadlypale,andthathislipswerequiveringinthemostsingularandunaccountablemanner。Greatlyalarmed,Ispoketohim,buthemademenoreply,andIwasbeginningtothinkthathewassuddenlytakenill,whenItooknoticeofhiseyes,whichwereglaringapparentlyatsomeobjectbehindme。Iturnedmyhead,andshallneverforgettheecstaticjoywhichthrilledthrougheveryparticleofmyframe,whenIperceivedalargebrigbearingdownuponus,andnotmorethanacoupleofmilesoff。Isprungtomyfeetasifamusketbullethadsuddenlystruckmetotheheart;and,stretchingoutmyarmsinthedirectionofthevessel,stoodinthismanner,motionless,andunabletoarticulateasyllable。PetersandParkerwereequallyaffected,althoughindifferentways。Theformerdancedaboutthedecklikeamadman,utteringthemostextravagantrhodomontades,intermingledwithhowlsandimprecations,whilethelatterburstintotears,andcontinuedformanyminutesweepinglikeachild。
Thevesselinsightwasalargehermaphroditebrig,ofaDutchbuild,andpaintedblack,withatawdrygiltfigure-head。Shehadevidentlyseenagooddealofroughweather,and,wesupposed,hadsufferedmuchinthegalewhichhadprovedsodisastroustoourselves;forherforetopmastwasgone,andsomeofherstarboardbulwarks。Whenwefirstsawher,shewas,asIhavealreadysaid,abouttwomilesoffandtowindward,bearingdownuponus。Thebreezewasverygentle,andwhatastonisheduschieflywas,thatshehadnoothersailssetthanherforemastandmainsail,withaflyingjib
ofcourseshecamedownbutslowly,andourimpatienceamountednearlytophrensy。Theawkwardmannerinwhichshesteered,too,wasremarkedbyallofus,evenexcitedaswewere。Sheyawedaboutsoconsiderably,thatonceortwicewethoughtitimpossibleshecouldseeus,orimaginedthat,havingseenus,anddiscoverednopersononboard,shewasabouttotackandmakeoffinanotherdirection。Uponeachoftheseoccasionswescreamedandshoutedatthetopofourvoices,whenthestrangerwouldappeartochangeforamomentherintention,andagainholdontowardusthissingularconductbeingrepeatedtwoorthreetimes,sothatatlastwecouldthinkofnoothermannerofaccountingforitthanbysupposingthehelmsmantobeinliquor。
Nopersonwasseenuponherdecksuntilshearrivedwithinaboutaquarterofamileofus。Wethensawthreeseamen,whombytheirdresswetooktobeHollanders。Twoofthesewerelyingonsomeoldsailsneartheforecastle,andthethird,whoappearedtobelookingatuswithgreatcuriosity,wasleaningoverthestarboardbownearthebowsprit。Thislastwasastoutandtallman,withaverydarkskin。Heseemedbyhismannertobeencouragingustohavepatience,noddingtousinacheerfulalthoughratheroddway,andsmilingconstantly,soastodisplayasetofthemostbrilliantlywhiteteeth。Ashisvesseldrewnearer,wesawaredflannelcapwhichhehadonfallfromhisheadintothewater;butofthishetooklittleornonotice,continuinghisoddsmilesandgesticulations。Irelatethesethingsandcircumstancesminutely,andIrelatethem,itmustbeunderstood,preciselyasthey_appeared_tous。
Thebrigcameonslowly,andnowmoresteadilythanbefore,andIcannotspeakcalmlyofthiseventourheartsleapedupwildlywithinus,andwepouredoutourwholesoulsinshoutsandthanksgivingtoGodforthecomplete,unexpected,andgloriousdeliverancethatwassopalpablyathand。Ofasudden,andallatonce,therecamewaftedovertheoceanfromthestrangevesselwhichwasnowcloseuponusasmell,astench,suchasthewholeworldhasnonamefornoconceptionofhellishutterlysuffocating
insufferable,inconceivable。Igaspedforbreath,andturningtomycompanions,perceivedthattheywerepalerthanmarble。Butwehadnownotimeleftforquestionorsurmise-thebrigwaswithinfiftyfeetofus,anditseemedtobeherintentiontorununderourcounter,thatwemightboardherwithoutputtingoutaboat。Werushedaft,when,suddenly,awideyawthrewherofffullfiveorsixpointsfromthecourseshehadbeenrunning,and,asshepassedunderoursternatthedistanceofabouttwentyfeet,wehadafullviewofherdecks。ShallIeverforgetthetriplehorrorofthatspectacle?
Twenty-fiveorthirtyhumanbodies,amongwhomwereseveralfemales,layscatteredaboutbetweenthecounterandthegalleyinthelastandmostloathsomestateofputrefaction。Weplainlysawthatnotasoullivedinthatfatedvessel!Yetwecouldnothelpshoutingtothedeadforhelp!Yes,longandloudlydidwebeg,intheagonyofthemoment,thatthosesilentanddisgustingimageswouldstayforus,wouldnotabandonustobecomelikethem,wouldreceiveusamongtheirgoodlycompany!Wewereravingwithhorroranddespair-
thoroughlymadthroughtheanguishofourgrievousdisappointment。
Asourfirstloudyellofterrorbrokeforth,itwasrepliedtobysomething,fromnearthebowspritofthestranger,socloselyresemblingthescreamofahumanvoicethatthenicestearmighthavebeenstartledanddeceived。Atthisinstantanothersuddenyawbroughttheregionoftheforecastleforamomentintoview,andwebeheldatoncetheoriginofthesound。Wesawthetallstoutfigurestillleaningonthebulwark,andstillnoddinghisheadtoandfro,buthisfacewasnowturnedfromussothatwecouldnotbeholdit。
Hisarmswereextendedovertherail,andthepalmsofhishandsfelloutward。Hiskneeswerelodgeduponastoutrope,tightlystretched,andreachingfromtheheelofthebowsprittoacathead。Onhisback,fromwhichaportionoftheshirthadbeentorn,leavingitbare,theresatahugesea-gull,busilygorgingitselfwiththehorribleflesh,itsbillandtalonsdeepburied,anditswhiteplumagespatteredalloverwithblood。Asthebrigmovedfartherroundsoastobringuscloseinview,thebird,withmuchapparentdifficulty,drewoutitscrimsonedhead,and,aftereyeingusforamomentasifstupefied,aroselazilyfromthebodyuponwhichithadbeenfeasting,and,flyingdirectlyaboveourdeck,hoveredthereawhilewithaportionofclottedandliver-likesubstanceinitsbeak。ThehorridmorseldroppedatlengthwithasullensplashimmediatelyatthefeetofParker。MayGodforgiveme,butnow,forthefirsttime,thereflashedthroughmymindathought,athoughtwhichIwillnotmention,andIfeltmyselfmakingasteptowardtheensanguinedspot。
Ilookedupward,andtheeyesofAugustusmetmyownwithadegreeofintenseandeagermeaningwhichimmediatelybroughtmetomysenses。
Isprangforwardquickly,and,withadeepshudder,threwthefrightfulthingintothesea。
Thebodyfromwhichithadbeentaken,restingasitdidupontherope,hadbeeneasilyswayedtoandfrobytheexertionsofthecarnivorousbird,anditwasthismotionwhichhadatfirstimpresseduswiththebeliefofitsbeingalive。Asthegullrelieveditofitsweight,itswungroundandfellpartiallyover,sothatthefacewasfullydiscovered。Never,surely,wasanyobjectsoterriblyfullofawe!Theeyesweregone,andthewholeflesharoundthemouth,leavingtheteethutterlynaked。This,then,wasthesmilewhichhadcheeredusontohope!thisthebutIforbear。Thebrig,asIhavealreadytold,passedunderourstern,andmadeitswayslowlybutsteadilytoleeward。Withherandwithherterriblecrewwentallourgayvisionsofdeliveranceandjoy。Deliberatelyasshewentby,wemightpossiblyhavefoundmeansofboardingher,hadnotoursuddendisappointmentandtheappallingnatureofthediscoverywhichaccompanieditlaidentirelyprostrateeveryactivefacultyofmindandbody。Wehadseenandfelt,butwecouldneitherthinknoract,until,alas!toolate。Howmuchourintellectshadbeenweakenedbythisincidentmaybeestimatedbythefact,thatwhenthevesselhadproceededsofarthatwecouldperceivenomorethanthehalfofherhull,thepropositionwasseriouslyentertainedofattemptingtoovertakeherbyswimming!
Ihave,sincethisperiod,vainlyendeavouredtoobtainsomeclewtothehideousuncertaintywhichenvelopedthefateofthestranger。
Herbuildandgeneralappearance,asIhavebeforestated,ledustothebeliefthatshewasaDutchtrader,andthedressesofthecrewalsosustainedthisopinion。Wemighthaveeasilyseenthenameuponherstern,and,indeed,takenotherobservations,whichwouldhaveguidedusinmakingouthercharacter;buttheintenseexcitementofthemomentblindedustoeverythingofthatnature。Fromthesaffron-likehueofsuchofthecorpsesaswerenotentirelydecayed,weconcludedthatthewholeofhercompanyhadperishedbytheyellowfever,orsomeothervirulentdiseaseofthesamefearfulkind。IfsuchwerethecaseandIknownotwhatelsetoimagine,death,tojudgefromthepositionsofthebodies,musthavecomeupontheminamannerawfullysuddenandoverwhelming,inawaytotallydistinctfromthatwhichgenerallycharacterizeseventhemostdeadlypestilenceswithwhichmankindareacquainted。Itispossible,indeed,thatpoison,accidentallyintroducedintosomeoftheirsea-stores,mayhavebroughtaboutthedisaster,orthattheeatingofsomeunknownvenomousspeciesoffish,orothermarineanimal,oroceanicbird,mighthaveinduceditbutitisutterlyuselesstoformconjectureswhereallisinvolved,andwill,nodoubt,remainforeverinvolved,inthemostappallingandunfathomablemystery。
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CHAPTER11
WEspenttheremainderofthedayinaconditionofstupidlethargy,gazingaftertheretreatingvesseluntilthedarkness,hidingherfromoursight,recalledusinsomemeasuretooursenses。
Thepangsofhungerandthirstthenreturned,absorbingallothercaresandconsiderations。Nothing,however,couldbedoneuntilthemorning,and,securingourselvesaswellaspossible,weendeavouredtosnatchalittlerepose。InthisIsucceededbeyondmyexpectations,sleepinguntilmycompanions,whohadnotbeensofortunate,arousedmeatdaybreaktorenewourattemptsatgettingupprovisionsfromthehull。
Itwasnowadeadcalm,withtheseaassmoothashaveeverknownit,theweatherwarmandpleasant。Thebrigwasoutofsight。Wecommencedouroperationsbywrenchingoff,withsometrouble,anotheroftheforechains;andhavingfastenedbothtoPeters’feet,heagainmadeanendeavourtoreachthedoorofthestoreroom,thinkingitpossiblethathemightbeabletoforceitopen,providedhecouldgetatitinsufficienttime;andthishehopedtodo,asthehulklaymuchmoresteadilythanbefore。
Hesucceededveryquicklyinreachingthedoor,when,looseningoneofthechainsfromhisankle,bemadeeveryexertiontoforcethepassagewithit,butinvain,theframeworkoftheroombeingfarstrongerthanwasanticipated。Hewasquiteexhaustedwithhislongstayunderwater,anditbecameabsolutelynecessarythatsomeotheroneofusshouldtakehisplace。ForthisserviceParkerimmediatelyvolunteered;but,aftermakingthreeineffectualefforts,foundthathecouldneverevensucceedingettingnearthedoor。TheconditionofAugustus’swoundedarmrenderedituselessforhimtoattemptgoingdown,ashewouldbeunabletoforcetheroomopenshouldbereachit,anditaccordinglynowdevolveduponmetoexertmyselfforourcommondeliverance。
Petershadleftoneofthechainsinthepassage,andIfound,uponplungingin,thatIhadnotsufficientbalancetokeepmefirmlydown。Idetermined,therefore,toattemptnomore,inmyfirsteffort,thanmerelytorecovertheotherchain。Ingropingalongthefloorofthepassageforthis,Ifeltahardsubstance,whichI
immediatelygrasped,nothavingtimetoascertainwhatitwas,butreturningandascendinginstantlytothesurface。Theprizeprovedtobeabottle,andourjoymaybeconceivedwhenIsaythatitwasfoundtobefullofportwine。GivingthankstoGodforthistimelyandcheeringassistance,weimmediatelydrewthecorkwithmypenknife,and,eachtakingamoderatesup,feltthemostindescribablecomfortfromthewarmth,strength,andspiritswithwhichitinspiredus。Wethencarefullyrecorkedthebottle,and,bymeansofahandkerchief,swungitinsuchamannerthattherewasnopossibilityofitsgettingbroken。
Havingrestedawhileafterthisfortunatediscovery,Iagaindescended,andnowrecoveredthechain,withwhichIinstantlycameup。Ithenfasteneditonandwentdownforthethirdtime,whenI
becamefullysatisfiedthatnoexertionswhatever,inthatsituation,wouldenablemetoforceopenthedoorofthestoreroom。Ithereforereturnedindespair。