首页 >出版文学> TYPEE>第29章

第29章

  notonlydotheirfeetdance,buttheirarms,hands,fingers,ay,theirveryeyesseemtodanceintheirheads。
  Thedamselswearnothingbutflowersandtheircompendiousgalatunics;andwhentheyplumethemselvesforthedance,onewouldalmostthinkthattheywereabouttotakewing。
  Unlesssomeparticularfestivitywasgoingforward,theinmatesofMarheyo’shouseretiredtotheirmatsratherearlyintheevening;butnotforthenight,since,afterslumberinglightlyforawhile,theyroseagain,relittheirtapers,partookofthethirdandlastmealoftheday,atwhichpoee-poeealonewaseaten,andthen,afterinhalinganarcoticwhifffromapipeoftobacco,disposedthemselvesforthegreatbusinessofthenight-sleep。WiththeMarquesansitmightalmostbestyledthegreatbusinessoflife,fortheypassalargeportionoftheirtimeinthearmsofSomnus。Thenativestrengthoftheirconstitutionisnowayshownmoreemphaticallythaninthequantityofsleeptheycanendure。Tomanyofthem,indeed,lifeislittleelsethananofteninterruptedandluxuriousnap。
  ALMOSTeverycountryhasitsmedicinalspringsfamedfortheirhealingvirtues。TheCheltenhamofTypeeisembosomedinthedeepestsolitude,andbutseldomreceivesavisitor。Itissituatedremotefromanydwelling,alittlewayupthemountain,neartheheadofthevalley;andyouapproachitbyapathwayshadedbythemostbeautifulfoliage,andadornedwithathousandfragrantplants。
  ThemineralwatersofArvaWai*oozedforthfromthecrevicesofarock,andglidingdownitsmossyside,fallatlast,inmanyclusteringdrops,intoanaturalbasinofstone,fringedroundwithgrassanddewy-lookinglittleviolet-colouredflowers,asfreshandbeautifulastheperpetualmoisturetheyenjoycanmakethem。
  *Ipresumethismightbetranslatedinto“StrongWaters。“Arvaisthenamebestoweduponaroot,thepropertiesofwhicharebothinebriatingandmedicinal。“Wai“istheMarquesanwordforwater。
  Thewaterisheldinhighestimationbytheislanders,someofwhomconsideritanagreeableaswellasamedicinalbeverage;theybringitfromthemountainintheircalabashes,andstoreitawaybeneathheapsofleavesinsomeshadynooknearthehouse。OldMarheyohadagreatloveforthewatersofthespring。Everynowandthenheluggedofftothemountainagreatrounddemijohnofacalabash,and,pantingwithhisexertions,broughtitbackfilledwithhisdarlingfluid。
  Thewatertastedlikeasolutionofadozendisagreeablethings,andwassufficientlynauseoustohavemadethefortuneoftheproprietor,hadthespabeensituatedinthemidstofanycivilizedcommunity。
  AsIamnochemist,Icannotgiveascientificanalysisofthewater。AllIknowaboutthematteris,thatonedayMarheyoinmypresencepouredoutthelastdropfromhishugecalabash,andI
  observedatthebottomofthevesselasmallquantityofgravellysedimentverymuchresemblingourcommonsand。Whetherthisisalwaysfoundinthewater,andgivesititspeculiarflavourandvirtues,orwhetheritspresencewasmerelyincidental,Iwasnotabletoascertain。
  Onedayinreturningfromthisspringbyacircuitouspath,IcameuponascenewhichremindedmeofStonehengeandthearchitecturallaboursoftheDruid。
  Atthebaseofoneofthemountains,andsurroundedonallsidesbydensegroves,aseriesofvastterracesofstonerises,stepbystep,foraconsiderabledistanceupthehillside。Theseterracescannotbelessthanonehundredyardsinlengthandtwentyinwidth。
  Theirmagnitude,however,islessstrikingthantheimmensesizeoftheblockscomposingthem。Someofthestones,ofanoblongshape,arefromtentofifteenfeetinlength,andfiveorsixfeetthick。
  Theirsidesarequitesmooth,butthoughsquare,andofprettyregularformation,theybearnomarkofthechisel。Theyarelaidtogetherwithoutcement,andhereandthereshowgapsbetween。Thetopmostterraceandtheloweronearesomewhatpeculiarintheirconstruction。
  Theyhavebothaquadrangulardepressioninthecentre,leavingtherestoftheterraceelevatedseveralfeetaboveit。Intheintervalsofthestonesimmensetreeshavetakenroot,andtheirbroadboughsstretchingfarover,andinterlacingtogether,supportacanopyalmostimpenetrabletothesun。Overgrowingthegreaterpartofthem,andclimbingfromonetoanother,isawildernessofvines,inwhosesinewyembracemanyofthestonesliehalf-hidden,whileinsomeplacesathickgrowthofbushesentirelycoversthem。Thereisawildpathwaywhichobliquelycrossestwooftheseterraces;andsoprofoundistheshade,sodensethevegetation,thatastrangertotheplacemightpassalongitwithoutbeingawareoftheirexistence。
  Thesestructuresbeareveryindicationofaveryhighantiquity,andKory-Kory,whowasmyauthorityinallmattersofscientificresearch,gavemetounderstandthattheywerecoevalwiththecreationoftheworld;thatthegreatgodsthemselveswerethebuilders;andthattheywouldendureuntiltimeshallbenomore。
  Kory-Kory’spromptexplanation,andhisattributingtheworktoadivineorigin,atonceconvincedmethatneitherhenortherestofhiscountrymenknewanythingaboutthem。
  AsIgazeduponthismonument,doubtlesstheworkofanextinctandforgottenrace,thusburiedinthegreennookofanislandattheendoftheearth,theexistenceofwhichwasyesterdayunknown,astrongerfeelingofawecameovermethanifIhadstoodmusingatthemightybaseofthePyramidofCheops。Therearenoinscriptions,nosculpture,noclue,bywhichtoconjectureitshistory:nothingbutthedumbstones。Howmanygenerationsofthosemajestictreeswhichovershadowedthemhavegrownandflourishedanddecayedsincefirsttheywereerected!
  Theseremainsnaturallysuggestmanyinterestingreflections。Theyestablishthegreatageoftheisland,anopinionwhichthebuildersoftheoriesconcerningthecreationofthevariousgroupsintheSouthSeasarenotalwaysinclinedtoadmit。Formyownpart,IthinkitjustasprobablethathumanbeingswerelivinginthevalleysoftheMarquesasthreethousandyearsagoasthattheywereinhabitingthelandofEgypt。TheoriginoftheislandofNukuhevacannotbeimputedtothecoralinsect:forindefatigableasthatwonderfulcreatureis,itwouldbehardlymuscularenoughtopilerocksoneupontheothermorethanthreethousandfeetabovethelevelofthesea。
  Thatthelandmayhavebeenthrownupbyasubmarinevolcanoisaspossibleasanythingelse。Noonecanmakeanaffidavittothecontrary,andthereforeIwillsaynothingagainstthesupposition:
  indeed,weregeologiststoassertthatthewholecontinentofAmericahadinlikemannerbeenformedbythesimultaneousexplosionofatrainofEtnas,laidunderthewaterallthewayfromtheNorthPoletotheparallelofCapeHorn,Iamthelastmanintheworldtocontradictthem。
  Ihavealreadymentionedthatthedwellingsoftheislanderswerealmostinvariablybuiltuponmassivestonefoundations,whichtheycallpi-pis。Thedimensionsofthese,however,aswellasofthestonescomposingthem,arecomparativelysmall:butthereareotherandlargererectionsofasimilardescriptioncomprisingthe“morals,“orburying-grounds,andfestival-places,innearlyallthevalleysoftheisland。Someofthesepilesaresoextensive,andsogreatadegreeoflabourandskillmusthavebeenrequisiteinconstructingthem,thatIcanscarcelybelievetheywerebuiltbytheancestorsofthepresentinhabitants。Ifindeedtheywere,theracehassadlydeterioratedintheirknowledgeofthemechanicarts。
  Tosaynothingoftheirhabitualindolence,bywhatcontrivancewithinthereachofsosimpleapeoplecouldsuchenormousmasseshavebeenmovedorfixedintheirplaces?andhowcouldtheywiththeirrudeimplementshavechiselledandhammeredthemintoshape?
  Alloftheselargerpi-pis-likethatoftheHoolahHoolahgroundintheTypeevalley-boreincontestablemarksofgreatage;andIamdisposedtobelievethattheirerectionmaybeascribedtothesameraceofmenwhowerethebuildersofthestillmoreancientremainsIhavejustdescribed。
  AccordingtoKory-Kory’saccount,thepi-pi,uponwhichstandstheHoolahHoolahwasbuiltagreatmanymoonsago,underthedirectionofMonoo,agreatchiefandwarrior,and,asitwouldappear,master-masonamongtheTypees。Itwaserectedfortheexpresspurposetowhichitisatpresentdevoted,intheincrediblyshortperiodofonesun;andwasdedicatedtotheimmortalwoodenidolsbyagrandfestival,whichlastedtendaysandnights。
  Amongthesmallerpi-pis,uponwhichstandthedwelling-housesofthenatives,Ineverobservedanywhichintimatedarecenterection。Thereareineverypartofthevalleyagreatmanyofthesemassivestonefoundationswhichhavenohousesuponthem。Thisisvastlyconvenient,forwheneveranenterprisingislanderchoosestoemigrateafewhundredyardsfromtheplacewherehewasborn,allhehastodoinordertoestablishhimselfinsomenewlocality,istoselectoneofthemanyunappropriatedpi-pis,andwithoutfurtherceremonypitchhisbambootentuponit。
  FROMthetimethatmylamenesshaddecreasedIhadmadeadailypracticeofvisitingMeheviattheTi,whoinvariablygavemeamostcordialreception。IwasalwaysaccompaniedintheseexcursionsbyFayawayandtheever-presentKory-Kory。Theformer,assoonaswereachedthevicinityoftheTi-whichwasrigorouslytabooedtothewholefemalesex-withdrewtoaneighbouringhut,asifherfemininedelicacyrestrainedherfromapproachingahabitationwhichmightberegardedasasortofBachelor’sHall。
  Andingoodtruthitmightwellhavebeensoconsidered。
  Althoughitwasthepermanentresidenceofseveraldistinguishedchiefs,andofthenobleMeheviinparticular,itwasstillatcertainseasonsthefavouritehauntofallthejolly,talkative,andelderlysavagesofthevale,whoresortedthitherinthesamewaythatsimilarcharactersfrequentatavernincivilizedcountries。Theretheywouldremainhourafterhour,chatting,smoking,eatingpoee-poee,orbusilyengagedinsleepingforthegoodoftheirconstitutions。
  Thisbuildingappearedtobetheheadquartersofthevalley,whereallflyingrumoursconcentrated;andtohaveseenitfilledwithacrowdofthenatives,allmales,conversinginanimatedclusters,whilemultitudeswerecontinuallycomingandgoing,onewouldhavethoughtitakindofsavageexchange,wheretheriseandfallofPolynesianStockwasdiscussed。