首页 >出版文学> TYPEE>第3章

第3章

  Havingsettledtheprinciple,then,letmeapplyittotheparticularcaseinquestion。InnumberlessinstanceshadnotonlytheimpliedbutthespecifiedconditionsofthearticlesbeenviolatedonthepartoftheshipinwhichIserved。Theusageonboardofherwastyrannical;thesickhadbeeninhumanlyneglected;theprovisionshadbeendoledoutinscantyallowance;andhercruiseswereunreasonablyprotracted。Thecaptainwastheauthoroftheseabuses;itwasinvaintothinkthathewouldeitherremedythem,oralterhisconduct,whichwasarbitraryandviolentintheextreme。Hispromptreplytoallcomplaintsandremonstranceswasthe-butt-endofahand-spike,soconvincinglyadministeredaseffectuallytosilencetheaggrievedparty。
  Towhomcouldweapplyforredress?WehadleftbothlawandequityontheothersideoftheCape;andunfortunately,withaveryfewexceptions,ourcrewwascomposedofaparcelofdastardlyandmean-spiritedwretches,dividedamongthemselves,andonlyunitedinenduringwithoutresistancetheunmitigatedtyrannyofthecaptain。Itwouldhavebeenmeremadnessforanytwoorthreeofthenumber,unassistedbytherest,toattemptmakingastandagainsthisillusage。Theywouldonlyhavecalleddownuponthemselvestheparticularvengeanceofthis“LordofthePlank,“andsubjectedtheirshipmatestoadditionalhardships。
  But,afterall,thesethingscouldhavebeenenduredawhile,hadweentertainedthehopeofbeingspeedilydeliveredfromthembytheduecompletionofthetermofourservitude。Butwhatadismalprospectawaitedusinthisquarter!ThelongevityofCapeHornwhalingvoyagesisproverbial,frequentlyextendingoveraperiodoffourorfiveyears。
  Somelong-haired,bare-neckedyouths,who,forcedbytheunitedinfluencesofarovingspiritandhardtimes,embarkatNantucketforapleasureexcursiontothePacific,andwhoseanxiousmothersprovidethemwithbottledmilkfortheoccasion,oftentimesreturnveryrespectablemiddleagedgentlemen。
  Theverypreparationsmadeforoneoftheseexpeditionsareenoughtofrightenone。Asthevesselcarriesoutnocargo,herholdisfilledwithprovisionsforherownconsumption。Theowners,whoofficiateascaterersforthevoyage,supplythelarderwithanabundanceofdainties。Delicatemorselsofbeefandpork,cutonscientificprinciplesfromeverypartoftheanimal,andofallconceivableshapesandsizes,arecarefullypackedinsalt,andstoredawayinbarrels;affordinganever-endingvarietyintheirdifferentdegreesoftoughness,andinthepeculiaritiesoftheirsalineproperties。Choiceoldwatertoo,decantedintostoutsix-barrelcasks,andtwopintsofwhichisallowedeverydaytoeachsoulonboard;togetherwithamplestoreofsea-bread,previouslyreducedtoastateofpetrifaction,withaviewtopreserveiteitherfromdecayorconsumptionintheordinarymode,arelikewiseprovidedforthenourishmentandgastronomicenjoymentofthecrew。
  Butnottospeakofthequalityofthesearticlesofsailors’
  fare,theabundanceinwhichtheyareputonboardawhalingvesselisalmostincredible。Oftentimes,whenwehadoccasiontobreakoutinthehold,andIbeheldthesuccessivetiersofcasksandbarrels,whosecontentswerealldestinedtobeconsumedinduecoursebytheship’scompany,myhearthassunkwithinme。
  Although,asageneralcase,ashipunluckyinfallinginwithwhalescontinuestocruiseafterthemuntilshehasbarelysufficientprovisionsremainingtotakeherhome,turningroundthenquietlyandmakingthebestofherwaytoherfriends,yetthereareinstanceswheneventhisnaturalobstacletothefurtherprosecutionofthevoyageisovercomebyheadstrongcaptains,who,barteringthefruitsoftheirhard-earnedtoilsforanewsupplyofprovisionsinsomeoftheportsofChiliorPeru,beginthevoyageafreshwithunabatedzealandperseverance。Itisinvainthattheownerswriteurgentletterstohimtosailforhome,andfortheirsaketobringbacktheship,sinceitappearshecanputnothinginher。Nothe。
  Hehasregisteredavow:hewillfillhisvesselwithgoodspermoil,orfailingtodoso,neveragainstrikeYankeesoundings。
  Iheardofonewhaler,whichaftermanyyears’absencewasgivenupforlost。ThelastthathadbeenheardofherwasashadowyreportofherhavingtouchedatsomeofthoseunstableislandsinthefarPacific,whoseeccentricwanderingsarecarefullynotedineachneweditionoftheSouthSeacharts。Afteralonginterval,however,thePerseverance-forthatwashername-wasspokensomewhereintheendsoftheearth,cruisingalongasleisurelyasever,hersailsallbepatchedandbequiltedwithrope-yarns,hersparsfishedwitholdpipestaves,andherriggingknottedandsplicedineverypossibledirection。HercrewwascomposedofsometwentyvenerableGreenwich-pensioner-lookingoldsalts,whojustmanagedtohobbleaboutdeck。Theendsofalltherunningropes,withtheexceptionofthesignalhalyardsandpoop-down-haul,wererovethroughsnatch-blocks,andledtothecapstanorwindlass,sothatnotayardwasbracedorasailsetwithouttheassistanceofmachinery。
  Herhullwasencrustedwithbarnacles,whichcompletelyencasedher。Threepetsharksfollowedinherwake,andeverydaycamealongsidetoregalethemselvesfromthecontentsofthecook’sbucket,whichwerepitchedovertothem。Avastshoalofbonetasandalbicoresalwayskepthercompany。
  SuchwastheaccountIheardofthisvessel,andtheremembranceofitalwayshauntedme;whateventuallybecameofherIneverlearned;atanyratesheneverreachedhome,andIsupposesheisstillregularlytackingtwiceinthetwenty-fourhourssomewhereoffBuggerryIsland,ortheDevil’s-TailPeak。
  Havingsaidthusmuchtouchingtheusuallengthofthesevoyages,whenIinformthereaderthatourshadasitwerejustcommenced,webeingonlyfifteenmonthsout,andevenatthattimehailedasalatearrival,andboardedfornews,hewillreadilyperceivethattherewaslittletoencourageoneinlookingforwardtothefuture,especiallyasIhadalwayshadapresentimentthatweshouldmakeanunfortunatevoyage,andourexperiencesofarhadjustifiedtheexpectation。
  Imayherestate,andonmyfaithasanhonestman,thatsometimeafterarrivinghomefrommyadventures,IlearnedthatthisvesselwasstillinthePacific,andthatshehadmetwithverypoorsuccessinthefishery。Verymanyofhercrew,also,lefther;andhervoyagelastedaboutfiveyears。
  Buttoreturntomynarrative。Placedinthesecircumstances,then,withnoprospectofmattersmendingifIremainedaboardtheDolly,Iatoncemadeupmymindtoleaveher;tobesure,itwasratheraningloriousthingtostealawayprivatelyfromthoseatwhosehandsIhadreceivedwrongsandoutragesthatIcouldnotresent;
  buthowwassuchacoursetobeavoidedwhenitwastheonlyalternativeleftme?Havingmadeupmymind,IproceededtoacquirealltheinformationIcouldobtainrelatingtotheislandanditsinhabitants,withaviewofshapingmyplansofescapeaccordingly。
  TheresultoftheseinquiriesIwillnowstate,inorderthattheensuingnarrativemaybethebetterunderstood。
  ThebayofNukuheva,inwhichwewerethenlying,isanexpanseofwaternotunlikeinfigurethespaceincludedwithinthelimitsofahorse-shoe。Itis,perhaps,ninemilesincircumference。Youapproachitfromtheseabyanarrowentrance,flankedoneithersidebytwosmalltwinisletswhichsoarconicallytotheheightofsomefivehundredfeet。Fromthesetheshorerecedesonbothhands,anddescribesadeepsemicircle。
  Fromthevergeofthewaterthelandrisesuniformlyonallsides,withgreenandslopingacclivities,untilfromgentlyrollinghillsidesandmoderateelevationsitinsensiblyswellsintoloftyandmajesticheights,whoseblueoutlines,rangedallaround,closeintheview。Thebeautifulaspectoftheshoreisheightenedbydeepandromanticglens,whichcomedowntoitatalmostequaldistances,allapparentlyradiatingfromacommoncentre,andtheupperextremitiesofwhicharelosttotheeyebeneaththeshadowofthemountains。Downeachoftheselittlevalleysflowsaclearstream,hereandthereassumingtheformofaslendercascade,thenstealinginvisiblyalonguntilitburstsuponthesightagaininlargerandmorenoisywaterfalls,andatlastdemurelywandersalongtothesea。
  Thehousesofthenatives,constructedoftheyellowbamboo,tastefullytwistedtogetherinakindofwicker-work,andthatchedwiththelongtaperingleavesofthepalmetto,arescatteredirregularlyalongthesevalleysbeneaththeshadybranchesofthecocoa-nuttrees。
  Nothingcanexceedtheimposingsceneryofthisbay。Viewedfromourshipasshelayatanchorinthemiddleoftheharbour,itpresentedtheappearanceofavastnaturalamphitheatreindecay,andovergrownwithvines,thedeepglensthatfurroweditssidesappearinglikeenormousfissurescausedbytheravagesoftime。Veryoftenwhenlostinadmirationatitsbeauty,Ihaveexperiencedapangofregretthatascenesoenchantingshouldbehiddenfromtheworldintheseremoteseas,andseldommeettheeyesofdevotedloversofnature。
  Besidesthisbaytheshoresoftheislandareindentedbyseveralotherextensiveinlets,intowhichdescendbroadandverdantvalleys。Theseareinhabitedbyasmanydistincttribesofsavages,who,althoughspeakingkindreddialectsofacommonlanguage,andhavingthesamereligionandlaws,havefromtimeimmemorialwagedhereditarywarfareagainsteachother。Theinterveningmountains,generallytwoorthreethousandfeetabovethelevelofthesea,geographicallydefinetheterritoriesofeachofthesehostiletribes,whonevercrossthem,saveonsomeexpeditionofwarorplunder。
  ImmediatelyadjacenttoNukuheva,andonlyseparatedfromitbythemountainsseenfromtheharbour,liesthelovelyvalleyofHappar,whoseinmatescherishthemostfriendlyrelationswiththeinhabitantsofNukuheva。OntheothersideofHappar,andcloselyadjoiningit,isthemagnificentvalleyofthedreadedTypees,theunappeasableenemiesofboththesetribes。
  Thesecelebratedwarriorsappeartoinspiretheotherislanderswithunspeakableterrors。Theirverynameisafrightfulone;fortheword“Typee“intheMarquesandialectsignifiesaloverofhumanflesh。Itisrathersingularthatthetideshouldhavebeenbestoweduponthemexclusively,inasmuchasthenativesofallthisgroupareirreclaimablecannibals。Thenamemay,perhaps,havebeengiventodenotethepeculiarferocityofthisclan,andtoconveyaIit。
  specialstigmaalongwithit。
  ThesesameTypeesenjoyaprodigiousnotorietyallovertheislands。ThenativesofNukuhevawouldfrequentlyrecountinpantomimetoourship’scompanytheirterriblefeats,andwouldshowthemarksofwoundstheyhadreceivedindesperateencounterswiththem。Whenashoretheywouldtrytofrightenusbypointingtooneoftheirownnumber,andcallinghimaTypee,manifestingnolittlesurprisethatwedidnottaketoourheelsatsoterribleanannouncement。Itwasquiteamusing,too,toseewithwhatearnestnesstheydisclaimedallcannibalpropensitiesontheirownpart,whiletheydenouncedtheirenemies-theTypees-asinveterategormandizersofhumanflesh;butthisisapeculiaritytowhichIshallhereafterhaveoccasiontoallude。
  AlthoughIwasconvincedthattheinhabitantsofourbaywereasarrantcannibalsasanyoftheothertribesontheisland,stillI