首页 >出版文学> In the South Seas>第4章
  Ihavementionedtwofacts-thedistastefulbehaviourofourearliestvisitors,andthecaseoftheladywhorubbedherselfuponthecushions-whichwouldgiveaveryfalseopinionofMarquesanmanners。ThegreatmajorityofPolynesiansareexcellentlymannered;buttheMarquesanstandsapart,annoyingandattractive,wild,shy,andrefined。Ifyoumakehimapresentheaffectstoforgetit,anditmustbeofferedhimagainathisgoing:aprettyformalityIhavefoundnowhereelse。Ahintwillgetridofanyoneoranynumber;theyaresofiercelyproudandmodest;whilemanyofthemorelovablebutblunterislanderscrowduponastranger,andcanbenomoredrivenoffthanflies。AslightoraninsulttheMarquesanseemsnevertoforget。IwasonedaytalkingbythewaysidewithmyfriendHoka,whenIperceivedhiseyessuddenlytoflashandhisstaturetoswell。Awhitehorsemanwascomingdownthemountain,andashepassed,andwhilehepausedtoexchangesalutationswithmyself,Hokawasstillstaringandrufflinglikeagamecock。ItwasaCorsicanwhohadyearsbeforecalledhimCOCHONSAUVAGE-COCONCHAUVAGE,asHokamispronouncedit。Withpeoplesoniceandsotouchy,itwasscarcetobesupposedthatourcompanyofgreenhornsshouldnotblunderintooffences。Hoka,ononeofhisvisits,fellsuddenlyinabroodingsilence,andpresentlyafterlefttheshipwithcoldformality。
  Whenhetookmebackintofavour,headroitlyandpointedlyexplainedthenatureofmyoffence:Ihadaskedhimtosellcocoa-
  nuts;andinHoka’sviewarticlesoffoodwerethingsthatagentlemanshouldgive,notsell;oratleastthatheshouldnotselltoanyfriend。OnanotheroccasionIgavemyboat’screwaluncheonofchocolateandbiscuits。Ihadsinned,Icouldneverlearnhow,againstsomepointofobservance;andthoughIwasdrilythanked,myofferingswereleftuponthebeach。ButourworstmistakewasaslightweputonToma,Hoka’sadoptivefather,andinhisowneyestherightfulchiefofAnaho。Inthefirstplace,wedidnotcalluponhim,asperhapsweshould,inhisfinenewEuropeanhouse,theonlyoneinthehamlet。Inthesecond,whenwecameashoreuponavisittohisrival,Taipi-Kikino,itwasTomawhomwesawstandingattheheadofthebeach,amagnificentfigureofaman,magnificentlytattooed;anditwasofTomathatweaskedourquestion:’Whereisthechief?’’Whatchief?’criedToma,andturnedhisbackontheblasphemers。Nordidheforgiveus。Hokacameandwentwithusdaily;but,aloneIbelieveofallthecountryside,neitherTomanorhiswifesetfootonboardtheCASCO。
  ThetemptationresisteditishardforaEuropeantocompute。TheflyingcityofLaputamooredforafortnightinSt。James’sParkaffordsbutapalefigureoftheCASCOanchoredbeforeAnaho;fortheLondonerhasstillhischangeofpleasures,buttheMarquesanpassestohisgravethroughanunbrokenuniformityofdays。
  Ontheafternoonbeforeitwasintendedweshouldsail,avaledictorypartycameonboard:nineofourparticularfriendsequippedwithgiftsanddressedasforafestival。Hoka,thechiefdancerandsinger,thegreatestdandyofAnaho,andoneofthehandsomestyoungfellowsintheworld-sullen,showy,dramatic,lightasafeatherandstrongasanox-itwouldhavebeenhard,onthatoccasion,torecognise,ashesattherestoopedandsilent,hisfaceheavyandgrey。Itwasstrangetoseetheladsomuchaffected;strangerstilltorecogniseinhislastgiftoneofthecurioswehadrefusedonthefirstday,andtoknowourfriend,sogailydressed,soplainlymovedatourdeparture,foroneofthehalf-nakedcrewthathadbesiegedandinsultedusonourarrival:
  strangestofall,perhaps,tofind,inthatcarvedhandleofafan,thelastofthosecuriositiesofthefirstdaywhichhadnowallbeengiventousbytheirpossessors-theirchiefmerchandise,forwhichtheyhadsoughttoransomusaslongaswewerestrangers,whichtheypressedonusfornothingassoonaswewerefriends。
  Thelastvisitwasnotlongprotracted。Oneafteranothertheyshookhandsandgotdownintotheircanoe;whenHokaturnedhisbackimmediatelyupontheship,sothatwesawhisfacenomore。
  Taipi,ontheotherhand,remainedstandingandfacinguswithgraciousvaledictorygestures;andwhenCaptainOtisdippedtheensign,thewholepartysalutedwiththeirhats。Thiswasthefarewell;theepisodeofourvisittoAnahowasheldconcluded;andthoughtheCASCOremainednearlyfortyhoursathermoorings,notonereturnedonboard,andIaminclinedtothinktheyavoidedappearingonthebeach。ThisreserveanddignityisthefinesttraitoftheMarquesan。
  CHAPTERIII-THEMAROON
  OFthebeautiesofAnahobooksmightbewritten。Irememberwakingaboutthree,tofindtheairtemperateandscented。Thelongswellbrimmedintothebay,andseemedtofillitfullandthensubside。
  Gently,deeply,andsilentlytheCASCOrolled;onlyattimesablockpipedlikeabird。Oceanward,theheavenwasbrightwithstarsandtheseawiththeirreflections。IfIlookedtothatside,ImighthavesungwiththeHawaiianpoet:
  UAMAOMAOKALANI,UAKAHAEALUNA,UAPIPIKAMAKAOKAHOKU。
  Theheavenswerefair,theystretchedabove,Manyweretheeyesofthestars。
  AndthenIturnedshoreward,andhighsquallswereoverhead;themountainsloomedupblack;andIcouldhavefanciedIhadslippedtenthousandmilesawayandwasanchoredinaHighlandloch;thatwhenthedaycame,itwouldshowpine,andheather,andgreenfern,androofsofturfsendingupthesmokeofpeats;andthealienspeechthatshouldnextgreetmyearsmustbeGaelic,notKanaka。
  Andday,whenitcame,broughtothersightsandthoughts。Ihavewatchedthemorningbreakinmanyquartersoftheworld;ithasbeencertainlyoneofthechiefjoysofmyexistence,andthedawnthatIsawwithmostemotionshoneuponthebayofAnaho。Themountainsabruptlyoverhangtheportwitheveryvarietyofsurfaceandofinclination,lawn,andcliff,andforest。Notoneofthesebutworeitspropertintofsaffron,ofsulphur,oftheclove,andoftherose。Thelustrewaslikethatofsatin;onthelighterhuesthereseemedtofloatanefflorescence;asolemnbloomappearedonthemoredark。Thelightitselfwastheordinarylightofmorning,colourlessandclean;andonthisgroundofjewels,pencilledouttheleastdetailofdrawing。Meanwhile,aroundthehamlet,underthepalms,wheretheblueshadowlingered,theredcoalsofcocoahuskandthelighttrailsofsmokebetrayedtheawakeningbusinessoftheday;alongthebeachmenandwomen,ladsandlasses,werereturningfromthebathinbrightraiment,redandblueandgreen,suchaswedelightedtoseeinthecolouredlittlepicturesofourchildhood;andpresentlythesunhadclearedtheeasternhill,andtheglowofthedaywasoverall。
  Theglowcontinuedandincreased,thebusiness,fromthemainpart,ceasedbeforeithadbegun。Twiceinthedaytherewasacertainstirofshepherdingalongtheseawardhills。Attimesacanoewentouttofish。Attimesawomanortwolanguidlyfilledabasketinthecottonpatch。Attimesapipewouldsoundoutoftheshadowofahouse,ringingthechangesonitsthreenotes,withaneffectlikeQUELEJOURMEDURE,repeatedendlessly。Orattimes,acrossacornerofthebay,twonativesmightcommunicateintheMarquesanmannerwithconventionalwhistlings。Allelsewassleepandsilence。Thesurfbrokeandshonearoundtheshores;aspeciesofblackcranefishedinthebrokenwater;theblackpigswerecontinuallygallopingbyonsomeaffair;butthepeoplemightneverhaveawaked,ortheymightallbedead。
  Myfavouritehauntwasoppositethehamlet,wherewasalandinginacoveunderalianaedcliff。Thebeachwaslinedwithpalmsandatreecalledthepurao,somethingbetweenthefigandmulberryingrowth,andbearingaflowerlikeagreatyellowpoppywithamaroonheart。Inplacesrocksencroacheduponthesand;thebeachwouldbeallsubmerged;andthesurfwouldbubblewarmlyashighastomyknees,andplaywithcocoa-nuthusksasourmorehomelyoceanplayswithwreckandwrackandbottles。Astherefluxdrewdown,marvelsofcolouranddesignstreamedbetweenmyfeet;whichI
  wouldgraspat,miss,orseize:nowtofindthemwhattheypromised,shellstograceacabinetorbesetingolduponalady’sfinger;nowtocatchonlyMAYAofcolouredsand,poundedfragmentsandpebbles,that,assoonastheyweredry,becameasdullandhomelyastheflintsuponagardenpath。Ihavetoiledatthischildishpleasureforhoursinthestrongsun,consciousofmyincurableignorance;buttookeenlypleasedtobeashamed。
  Meanwhile,theblackbirdorhistropicalunderstudywouldbeflutinginthethicketsoverhead。
  Alittlefurther,intheturnofthebay,astreamlettrickledinthebottomofaden,thencespillingdownastairofrockintothesea。Thedraughtofairdrewdownunderthefoliageintheverybottomoftheden,whichwasaperfectarbourforcoolness。InfrontitstoodopenonthebluebayandtheCASCOlyingthereunderherawningandhercheerfulcolours。Overheadwasathatchofpuraos,andovertheseagainpalmsbrandishedtheirbrightfans,asIhaveseenaconjurermakehimselfahalooutofnakedswords。
  Forinthisspot,overaneckoflowlandatthefootofthemountains,thetrade-windstreamsintoAnahoBayinafloodofalmostconstantvolumeandvelocity,andofaheavenlycoolness。
  ItchancedonedaythatIwasashoreinthecove,withMrs。
  Stevensonandtheship’scook。ExceptfortheCASCOlyingoutside,andacraneortwo,andtheever-busywindandsea,thefaceoftheworldwasofaprehistoricemptiness;lifeappearedtostandstock-
  still,andthesenseofisolationwasprofoundandrefreshing。Onasudden,thetrade-wind,cominginagustovertheisthmus,struckandscatteredthefansofthepalmsabovetheden;and,behold!intwoofthetopstheresatanative,motionlessasanidolandwatchingus,youwouldhavesaid,withoutawink。Thenextmomentthetreeclosed,andtheglimpsewasgone。Thisdiscoveryofhumanpresenceslatentover-headinaplacewherewehadsupposedourselvesalone,theimmobilityofourtree-topspies,andthethoughtthatperhapsatallhoursweweresimilarlysupervised,struckuswithachill。Talklanguishedonthebeach。Asforthecookwhoseconsciencewasnotclear,heneverafterwardssetfootonshore,andtwice,whentheCASCOappearedtobedrivingontherocks,itwasamusingtoobservethatman’salacrity;death,hewaspersuaded,awaitinghimuponthebeach。Itwasmorethanayearlater,intheGilberts,thattheexplanationdawneduponmyself。
  Thenativesweredrawingpalm-treewine,athingforbiddenbylaw;
  andwhenthewindthussuddenlyrevealedthem,theyweredoubtlessmoretroubledthanourselves。
  Atthetopofthedentheredweltanold,melancholy,grizzledmanofthenameofTariCharlieCoffin。HewasanativeofOahu,intheSandwichIslands;andhadgonetoseainhisyouthintheAmericanwhalers;acircumstancetowhichheowedhisname,hisEnglish,hisdown-easttwang,andthemisfortuneofhisinnocentlife。Foronecaptain,sailingoutofNewBedford,carriedhimtoNuka-hivaandmaroonedhimthereamongthecannibals。Themotiveforthisactwasinconceivablysmall;poorTari’swages,whichwerethuseconomised,wouldscarcehaveshookthecreditoftheNewBedfordowners。Andtheactitselfwassimplymurder。Tari’slifemusthavehunginthebeginningbyahair。Inthegriefandterrorofthattime,itisnotunlikelyhewentmad,aninfirmitytowhichhewasstillliable;orperhapsachildmayhavetakenafancytohimandordainedhimtobespared。Heescapedatleastalive,marriedintheisland,andwhenIknewhimwasawidowerwithamarriedsonandagranddaughter。ButthethoughtofOahuhauntedhim;itspraisewasforeveronhislips;hebeheldit,lookingback,asaplaceofceaselessfeasting,song,anddance;andinhisdreamsIdaresayherevisitsitwithjoy。Iwonderwhathewouldthinkifhecouldbecarriedthereindeed,andseethemoderntownofHonolulubriskwithtraffic,andthepalacewithitsguards,andthegreathotel,andMr。Berger’sbandwiththeiruniformsandoutlandishinstruments;orwhathewouldthinktoseethebrownfacesgrownsofewandthewhitesomany;andhisfather’slandsold,forplantingsugar,andhisfather’shousequiteperished,orperhapsthelastofthemstruckleprousandimmuredbetweenthesurfandthecliffsonMolokai?Sosimply,eveninSouthSeaIslands,andsosadly,thechangescome。