首页 >出版文学> TYPEE>第41章

第41章

  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