首页 >出版文学> TYPEE>第31章

第31章

  THEwholepopulationofthevalleyseemedtobegatheredwithintheprecinctsofthegrove。InthedistancecouldbeseenthelongfrontoftheTi,itsimmensepiazzaswarmingwithmen,arrayedineveryvarietyoffantasticcostume,andallvociferatingwithanimatedgestures;whilethewholeintervalbetweenitandtheplacewhereI
  stoodwasenlivenedbygroupsoffemalesfancifullydecorated,dancing,capering,andutteringwildexclamations。Assoonastheydescriedmetheysetupashoutofwelcome;andabandofthemcamedancingtowardsme,chantingastheyapproachedsomewildrecitative。Thechangeinmygarbseemedtotransportthemwithdelight,andclusteringaboutmeonallsides,theyaccompaniedmetowardstheTi。When,however,wedrewnearit,thesejoyousnymphspausedintheircareer,andpartingoneitherside,permittedmetopassontothenowdenselythrongedbuilding。
  SosoonasImountedtothepi-piIsawataglancethattherevelswerefairlyunderway。
  Whatlavishplentyreignedaround!-Warwickfeastinghisretainerswithbeefandale,wasaniggardtothenobleMehevi!-AllalongthepiazzaoftheTiwerearrangedelaborately-carvedcanoe-shapedvessels,sometwentyfeetinlength,filledwithnewly-madepoee-poee,andshelteredfromthesunbythebroadleavesofthebanana。Atintervalswereheapsofgreenbread-fruit,raisedinpyramidicalstacks,resemblingtheregularpilesofheavyshottobeseenintheyardofanarsenal。Insertedintotheintersticesofthehugestoneswhichformedthepi-piwerelargeboughsoftrees;hangingfromthebranchesofwhich,andscreenedfromthesunbytheirfoliage,wereinnumerablelittlepackageswithleafycoverings,containingthemeatofthenumeroushogswhichhadbeenslain,doneupinthismannertomakeitmoreaccessibletothecrowd。Leaningagainsttherailingofthepiazzawereanimmensenumberoflong,heavybamboos,pluggedatthelowerend,andwiththeirprojectingmuzzlesstuffedwithawadofleaves。Thesewerefilledwithwaterfromthestream,andeachofthemmightholdfromfourtofivegallons。
  Thebanquetbeingthusspread,noughtremainedbutforeveryonetohelphimselfathispleasure。Accordingly,notamomentpassedbutthetransplantedboughsIhavementionedwererifledbythethrongofthefruittheycertainlyhadneverbornebefore。Calabashesofpoee-poeewerecontinuallybeingreplenishedfromtheextensivereceptacleinwhichthatarticlewasstored,andmultitudesoflittlefireswerekindledabouttheTiforthepurposeofroastingthebread-fruit。
  Withinthebuildingitselfwaspresentedamostextraordinaryscene。Theimmenseloungeofmatslyingbetweentheparallelrowsofthetrunksofcocoa-nuttrees,andextendingtheentirelengthofthehouseatleasttwohundredfeet,wascoveredbytherecliningformsofahostofchiefsandwarriors,whowereeatingatagreatrate,orsoothingthecaresofPolynesianlifeinthesedativefumesoftobacco。Thesmokewasinhaledfromlargepipes,thebowlsofwhich,madeoutofsmallcocoa-nutshells,werecuriouslycarvedinstrangeheathenishdevices。Thesewerepassedfrommouthtomouthbytherecumbentsmokers,eachofwhom,takingtwoorthreeprodigiouswhiffs,handedthepipetohisneighbour;sometimesforthatpurposestretchingindolentlyacrossthebodyofsomedozingindividualwhoseexertionsatthedinner-tablehadalreadyinducedsleep。
  ThetobaccousedamongtheTypeeswasofaverymildandpleasingflavour,andasIalwayssawitinleaves,andthenativesappearedprettywellsuppliedwithit,Iwasledtobelievethatitmusthavebeenthegrowthofthevalley。IndeedKory-Korygavemetounderstandthatthiswasthecase;butIneversawasingleplantgrowingontheisland。AtNukuheva,and,Ibelieve,inalltheothervalleys,theweedisveryscarce,beingonlyobtainedinsmallquantitiesfromforeigners,andsmokingisconsequentlywiththeinhabitantsoftheseplacesaverygreatluxury。HowitwasthattheTypeesweresowellfurnishedwithitIcannotdivine。Ishouldthinkthemtooindolenttodevoteanyattentiontoitsculture;and,indeed,asfarasmyobservationextended,notasingleatomofthesoilwasunderanyothercultivationthanthatofshowerandsunshine。
  Thetabaccoandsunshine。Thetabacco-plant,however,likethesugar-cane,maygrowwildinsomeremotepartofthevale。
  ThereweremanyintheTiforwhomthetobaccodidnotfurnishasufficientstimulus,andwhoaccordinglyhadrecourseto“arva,“asamorepowerfulagentinproducingthedesiredeffect。
  “Arva“isarootverygenerallydispersedovertheSouthSeas,andfromitisextractedajuice,theeffectsofwhichuponthesystemareatfirststimulatinginamoderatedegree;butitsoonrelaxesthemuscles,and,exertinganarcoticinfluence,producesaluxurioussleep。Inthevalleythisbeveragewasuniversallypreparedinthefollowingway:-Somehalf-dozenyoungboysseatedthemselvesinacirclearoundanemptywoodenvessel,eachoneofthembeingsuppliedwithacertainquantityoftherootsofthe“arva,“brokenintosmallbitsandlaidbyhisside。Acoco-nutgobletofwaterwaspassedaroundthejuvenilecompany,whorinsingtheirmouthswithitscontents,proceededtothebusinessbeforethem。Thismerelyconsistedinthoroughlymasticatingthe“arva,“andthrowingitmouthfulaftermouthfulintothereceptacleprovided。Whenasufficientquantityhadbeenthusobtained,waterwaspoureduponthemass,andbeingstirredaboutwiththeforefingeroftherighthand,thepreparationwassooninreadinessforuse。The“arva“hasmedicinalqualities。
  UpontheSandwichIslandsithasbeenemployedwithnosmallsuccessinthetreatmentofscrofulousaffections,andincombatingtheravagesofadiseasewhichforsomanyyearshasbeengraduallydepopulatingthosefineandinterestingislands。ButthetenantsoftheTypeevalley,asyetexemptfromtheseinflictions,generallyemploythe“arva“asaministertosocialenjoyment,andacalabashoftheliquidcirculatesamongthemasthebottlewithus。
  Mehevi,whowasgreatlydelightedwiththechangeinmycostume,gavemeacordialwelcome。Hehadreservedformeamostdelectablemessof“cockoo,“wellknowingmypartialityforthatdish;andhadlikewiseselectedthreeorfouryoungcocoa-nuts,severalroastedbread-fruit,andamagnificentbunchofbananas,formyespecialcomfortandgratification。Thesevariousmatterswereatonceplacedbeforeme;butKory-Korydeemedthebanquetentirelyinsufficientformywantsuntilhehadsuppliedmewithoneoftheleafypackagesofpork,which,notwithstandingthesomewhathastymannerinwhichithadbeenprepared,possessedamostexcellentflavour,andwassurprisinglysweetandtender。
  PorkisnotastaplearticleoffoodamongthepeopleoftheMarquesas,consequentlytheypaylittleattentiontothebreedingoftheswine。Thehogsarepermittedtoroamatlargeinthegroves,wheretheyobtainnosmallportionoftheirnourishmentfromthecocoa-nutswhichcontinuallyfallfromthetrees。Butitisonlyafterinfinitelabouranddifficulty,thatthehungryanimalcanpiercethehuskandshellsoastogetatthemeat。Ihavefrequentlybeenamusedatseeingoneofthem,aftercrunchingtheobstinatenutwithhisteethforalongtimeunsuccessfully,getintoaviolentpassionwithit。Hewouldthenrootfuriouslyunderthecocoa-nut,and,withaflingofhissnout,tossitbeforehimontheground。Followingitup,hewouldcrunchatitagainsavagelyforamoment,andthenextknockitononeside,pausingimmediatelyafter,asifwonderinghowitcouldsosuddenlyhavedisappeared。Inthiswaythepersecutedcocoa-nutswereoftenchasedhalfacrossthevalley。
  TheseconddayoftheFeastofCalabasheswasusheredinbystillmoreuproariousnoisesthanthefirst。Theskinsofinnumerablesheepseemedtoberesoundingtotheblowsofanarmyofdrummers。Startledfrommyslumbersbythedin,Ileapedup,andfoundthewholehouseholdengagedinmakingpreparationsforimmediatedeparture。Curioustodiscoverofwhatstrangeeventsthesenovelsoundsmightbetheprecursors,andnotalittledesiroustocatchasightoftheinstrumentswhichproducedtheterrificnoise,I
  accompaniedthenativesassoonastheywereinreadinesstodepartfortheTabooGroves。
  ThecomparativelyopenspacethatextendedfromtheTitowardstherock,towhichIhavebeforealludedasformingtheascenttotheplace,was,withthebuildingitself,nowaltogetherdesertedbythemen;thewholedistancebeingfilledbybandsoffemales,shoutinganddancingundertheinfluenceofsomestrangeexcitement。
  Iwasamusedattheappearanceoffourorfiveoldwomen,whoinastateofutternudity,withtheirarmsextendedflatlydowntheirsides,andholdingthemselvesperfectlyerect,wereleapingstifflyintotheair,likesomanysticksbobbingtothesurfaceafterbeingpressedperpendicularlyintothewater。Theypreservedtheutmostgravityofcountenance,andcontinuedtheirextraordinarymovementswithoutasinglemoment’scessation。Theydidnotappeartoattracttheobservationofthecrowdaroundthem,butImustcandidlyconfessthat,formyownpart,Istaredatthemmostpertinaciously。
  Desirousofbeingenlightenedinregardtothemeaningofthispeculiardiversion,IturnedinquiringlytoKory-Kory:thatlearnedTypeeimmediatelyproceededtoexplainthewholematterthoroughly。
  ButallthatIcouldcomprehendfromwhathesaidwas,thattheleapingfiguresbeforemewerebereavedwidows,whosepartnershadbeenslaininbattlemanymoonspreviously;andwho,ateveryfestival,gavepublicevidenceinthismanneroftheircalamities。
  ItwasevidentthatKory-Koryconsideredthisanall-sufficientreasonforsoindecorousacustom;butImustsaythatitdidnotsatisfymeastoitspropriety。
  Leavingtheseafflictedfemales,wepassedontotheHoolahHoolahground。Withinthespaciousquadrangle,thewholepopulationofthevalleyseemedtobeassembled,andthesightpresentedwastrulyremarkable。Beneaththeshedsofbamboowhichopenedtowardstheinteriorofthesquare,reclinedtheprincipalchiefsandwarriors,whileamiscellaneousthronglayattheireaseundertheenormoustrees,whichspreadamajesticcanopyoverhead。Upontheterracesofthegiganticaltars,ateitherend,weredepositedgreenbread-fruitinbasketsofcocoa-nutleaves,largerollsoftappa,bunchesofwhitebananas,clustersofmammee-apples,thegolden-huedfruitoftheartutree,andbakedhogs,laidoutinlargewoodentrenchers,fancifullydecoratedwithfreshly-pluckedleaves,whilstavarietyofrudeimplementsofwarwerepiledinconfusedheapsbeforetheranksofhideousidols。Fruitsofvariouskindswerelikewisesuspendedinleafenbaskets,fromthetopsofpolesplanteduprightly,andatregularintervals,alongthelowerterracesofbothaltars。
  Attheirbasewerearrangedtwoparallelrowsofcumbersomedrums,standingatleastfifteenfeetinheight,andformedfromthehollowtrunksoflargetrees。Theirheadswerecoveredwithsharkskins,andtheirbarrelswereelaboratelycarvedwithvariousquaintfiguresanddevices。Atregularintervals,theywereboundroundbyaspeciesofsinnateofvariouscolours,andstripsofnativeclothflatteneduponthemhereandthere。Behindtheseinstrumentswerebuiltslightplatforms,uponwhichstoodanumberofyoungmen,who,beatingviolentlywiththepalmsoftheirhandsuponthedrum-heads,producedthoseoutrageoussoundswhichhadawakenedmeinthemorning。
  Everyfewminutesthesemusicalperformershoppeddownfromtheirelevationintothecrowdbelow,andtheirplaceswereimmediatelysuppliedbyfreshrecruits。ThusanincessantdinwaskeptupthatmighthavestartledPandemonium。
  Preciselyinthemiddleofthequadranglewereplacedperpendicularlyinthegroundahundredormoreslender,fresh-cutpoles,strippedoftheirbark,anddecoratedattheendwithafloatingpennonofwhitetappa,thewholebeingfencedaboutwithalittlepicketofcanes。Forwhatpurposethesesingularornamentswereintended,Iinvainendeavouredtodiscover。