He read of the exploration of the island, where mention was made of the extinct volcano which he had already seen, and learned that the village was on the southernmost of the Toukang-Basi group.
Then, in rapid succession, he noted3 the author’s remarks relative to certain portions of the land which it was proposed to cultivate, ran his eye carelessly over the meteorological observations, and passed quickly on to those pages where mention was made of the settlement, referring to which Captain Sea worth wrote:
The portable houses prove to be a most admirable invention. In fifteen days we have unloaded and set up every building, and not one joist has been wrongly measured or marked. In that short space of time we built an entire village resembling those to be found in Sumatra, and are as comfortably situated4 as the most captious5 colonist1 could desire.
The Reynard has been brought around to the[161] eastern shore, where we have found a small bay with water enough to float a line-of-battle ship, and the banks of which are so densely6 wooded that it is impossible to see a hundred yards in either direction. But for the fact that we are in the very center of a nest of Malay pirates, I should have no hesitation7 whatever about leaving her at moorings in charge of the boatswain. As it is, however, I am obliged to keep half the crew quartered on board, which reduces my working force very materially.
If this colony does not succeed it will unquestionably be because of the ever-increasing audacity8 of the pirates who infest9 the seas in this part of the world. Their power increases year by year, and their flotillas have become fleets. The proas and junks are armed like frigates10, and as sailors and fighting-men their crews are the most energetic of any nation; therefore it is that to guard against these marauders is the most important of all our duties, and better the work of planting should progress slowly than that we run the risk of having the fruits of our labor11 destroyed through neglect of precaution.
The soil of the island is evidently very fertile. Flowers and fruits are abundant, and the thickest positively12 swarm13 with game. Save for the apes, which are as thick here as grasshoppers14 in a country field, this would be a garden spot indeed. But the apes destroy the charm of the place, since one must be constantly on watch against them, and they increase like flies. Unless some means can be devised to exterminate15 them we shall be forced to guard our plantations17 by night as well as by day, and therefore I have many serious misgivings18 as to whether the venture which has been so admirably planned will prove successful. To defend ourselves against the pirates from the ocean, and to save our crops from[162] apes, we need at least two hundred more men; and whether I shall be justified19 in making the additional outlay20, after it was decided21 that there were to be no further expenditures22, is the question which disturbs me greatly.
To guard against these monkey-robbers, who pull up our plants from sheer love of mischief23, a high, barbed-wire fence would answer every purpose; but, unfortunately, it would cost more for such material than the additional force required, because it must be sent out in a ship from New York. My first officer counsels that we visit Lombok, Batavia, or Samarang, for the purpose of procuring24 natives, and his opinion I should incline to were it not for the fact that I am afraid to withdraw the entire ship’s crew from the island lest the colonists be overcome either by pirates or apes, the latter being quite as formidable as the former.
Here followed many notes regarding the labor already performed or projected; and continuing after the banana plantation16 had been started, Captain Seaworth wrote:
Our house life is charming. The colonists are enjoying the best of health, in houses surrounded with palm-trees; and as for our own quarters, I never had anything to compare with these, not even in Madras, in point of comfort and elegance25. We want for nothing, and our amusements are numerous. Once each week we give a ball in the drawing-room of the main building, and on Saturday mornings we hold an informal court on the open lawn to decide as to the business and government of our charming island.
Again I am constrained26 to speak of our pests,[163] the apes. So numerous are they, in fact, that one is almost certain, in discharging a gun at hazard, to bring down an animal; and their ferocity exceeds anything of which I have ever read. Those we brought from the establishment of Garland & Co. are civilized27 beings compared with the tribe we find here. It is a source of many jokes that we should have taken the trouble to bring so far pets which could be captured in such numbers. Instead of buying apes, we could ship a full cargo28 and never know they had left the island.
Again, the journal was continued with notes which would interest the stockholders of the enterprise more than they did Philip, and he passed hastily over them until he found the following:
I have been trying to teach the gigantic baboon29, Goliah, to follow me in the semi-weekly hunts we make for apes. Although hundreds are killed on each occasion the numbers do not seem to diminish, and we have decided to make hunters, if possible, of the apes we brought with us. Goliah, especially, would be invaluable30 could he be trained to prey31 upon those of his kind who so disturb us. Thus far, however, we have met with only partial success.
During our excursion yesterday, while in the center of a large wood of mimosas, where I had wandered with the baboon, I suddenly saw advancing toward me with a club, which he carried like a drum-major’s cane32, a gigantic mandrill, black as a negro, and followed by a regiment33 of apes.
Goliah, generally so fierce and courageous34, trembled with terror as he beheld35 this enormous animal. He recognized in him a conqueror36, and consequently one to be feared. For the first time[164] since owning him he crouched37 by my side like a frightened dog imploring38 protection, at the same time gnashing his teeth and beating his breast as he glanced furtively39 toward the gigantic beast who confronted him. This was the opportunity for which I had sought. If my baboon would fight the mandrill and come off victorious40 it might be possible the lesson had been learned, and I raised my rifle with the intention of wounding the brute41, in order to make it more certain Goliah would vanquish42 him.
Before I could discharge the weapon, however, the gigantic stranger leaped upon Goliah regardless of my presence, and the struggle between the two animals was terrific. Unquestionably my baboon would speedily have been killed, for in a few seconds he received most terrible punishment, and I was forced to fire at the risk of hitting the wrong one. Fortunately my aim was perfect, and the colossal43 mandrill fell dead.
Never have I seen any animal display so much joy as did Goliah when his enemy expired. He would first shower blows upon the body, and then fawn44 on me with the most extravagant45 demonstrations46 of pleasure and thankfulness. With each buffet47 of the carcass his courage seemed to return, and I flatter myself that after a few more lessons he will understand his mission is the slaughter48 of these long-tailed pests.
The apes who accompanied the mandrill dispersed49 immediately after his fall without offering any violence, but from the threatening demonstrations made to Goliah it seemed as if they were vowing50 vengeance51; and he must have understood something of the kind, for despite his returning courage he hugged closer to my side, trembling violently all the while. Could they have gotten hold of him at that moment, the largest baboon ever owned by[165] Garland & Co. would soon have been food for the ants.
I shall have this enormous mandrill skinned, and dry his hide and bones, in order to present them to the Museum at Central Park on my return home.
“Then this is the story of the skeleton I found hanging on the mimosas when I was first cast ashore52 here,” Philip said to himself. “He must have hung it there that the ants might devour53 the flesh. But how much different would have been my position had the captain or the mandrill killed Goliah! I think I should most heartily54 enjoy seeing the bones of that vicious baboon hanging side by side with those among the mimosas.”
This portion of the journal was concluded with two paragraphs, both of which were particularly interesting to Philip, and he read as follows:
From what I have heard of the habits of these peculiar55 animals, coupled with my own observations, I am of the opinion that the mandrill which I killed was the chief or leader of all the apes on the island, and am greatly in hopes the death of this beast may prevent many of their predatory excursions.
On returning from this hunt I placed my rifle in the concealed56 armory57, because I do not wish the baboons58 to get the idea that I use anything but the weapons provided by nature, for it might make them timid in the hunt which I am determined59 they shall indulge in before many weeks more.
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1
colonist
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| n.殖民者，移民 | |
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colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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3
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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captious
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| adj.难讨好的，吹毛求疵的 | |
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6
densely
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| ad.密集地；浓厚地 | |
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7
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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8
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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9
infest
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| v.大批出没于；侵扰；寄生于 | |
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frigates
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| n.快速军舰( frigate的名词复数 ) | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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12
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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13
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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14
grasshoppers
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| n.蚱蜢( grasshopper的名词复数 )；蝗虫；蚂蚱；（孩子）矮小的 | |
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15
exterminate
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| v.扑灭，消灭，根绝 | |
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16
plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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18
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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19
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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outlay
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| n.费用，经费，支出；v.花费 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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expenditures
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| n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 )；使用；（尤指金钱的）支出额；（精力、时间、材料等的）耗费 | |
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23
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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24
procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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baboon
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| n.狒狒 | |
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invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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35
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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36
conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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40
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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41
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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42
vanquish
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| v.征服，战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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43
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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44
fawn
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| n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承 | |
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45
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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46
demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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47
buffet
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| n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台 | |
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48
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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49
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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50
vowing
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式） | |
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51
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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52
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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53
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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54
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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55
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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56
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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57
armory
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| n.纹章，兵工厂，军械库 | |
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58
baboons
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| n.狒狒( baboon的名词复数 ) | |
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59
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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