By morning however the eruption13 slackened; the internal fires had worn themselves out. "Pélé has grown tired of kicking up such a rumpus," Frank remarked cheerfully; and as he himself was tired of watching her, too, he proposed we should go in and rest ourselves a little after our arduous14 labours. Indeed, the lava was now almost ceasing to flow, and the bombardment of pumice-stone and fiery cinders15 had intermitted a little. We returned to the house, and flung ourselves down on our beds in the clothes we wore, too fatigued16 after our long and sleepless17 watch to trouble ourselves with the needless bother of undressing. When you've sat up all night observing an eruption, you don't much care about such luxuries of an advanced civilization as nightshirts. Before we retired18 however Kea brought us in a big bowl of fresh taro-paste, and on this simple food we made a most excellent and substantial breakfast. In ten minutes we were snoring so hard on our bamboo beds that I don't believe even another eruption would have roused us up, if it had thundered at our doors with one of its monstrous19 subterranean20 boulders.
It was five in the evening before we woke again. Frank stretched himself with a yawn. "I don't know how you feel, Tom," he cried as he jumped out of bed, "but I feel as if that extinct instrument, the rack, had been invented over again for my special benefit. There's not a bone in my body that isn't aching."
"What does that matter," I answered, "if science is satisfied? I've got the very finest sketch2 of a first-class eruption that ever was taken since seismology became a separate study."
"Bother seismology!" Frank exclaimed with a snort. "What a jolly long word for such a simple thing! As if one couldn't say straight out, earthquakes. For my part, what I want satisfied isn't science at all, but an internal yearning21 for some breakfast or some supper, whichever you choose to call it."
The supper was soon upon the board (for by this time the native servants had returned), and as soon as it was finished, we sallied forth, all four together, to inspect the changes wrought22 in the mountain by last night's events. The effects of the eruption were indeed prodigious23. Great streams of fresh lava still lay dull and half-hot along the fertile valleys of the mountain side; and the ground about the house was strewn thick and deep with a white coat of powdery ashes. "This is splendid!" I said. "I shall have my work cut out for me now for several weeks. Nobody had ever a better chance afforded him of observing in detail the effects of a great volcanic24 effort."
Kalaua glanced grimly across at me as I spoke25. "I wonder," he murmured, with a sort of sphinx-like sardonic26 smile, "you have escaped so safe to observe and report upon them."
"Ah, you see, chief," Frank answered carelessly, "he was under your protection. Pélé wouldn't hurt us, you know, as we were guests of a friend of hers. That was awfully27 nice of her. She's a perfect lady, as volcanoes go. I call her a most polite and obliging goddess."
Kalaua turned away with a half angry look. It was clear that, converted or unconverted, he considered the terrible deity28 of his fathers no proper subject for light chaff29 or jesting.
We spent the next six weeks pleasantly enough in the old man's house, observing and making notes upon the curious facts connected with the crater30 and its recent outbreak. I will not narrate31 my results here at full for fear of boring you—the more so, as I have already devoted32 two large volumes to the subject in the British Association Reports, Manchester Meeting. It will be enough for the present to mention that Frank and I thoroughly33 explored the whole top of the crater, as far as the first floor, which Kea had described to us as the Floor of the Strangers. We measured and mapped it out in every direction with theodolite and chain, and we made numerous interesting, and, I venture to add, important observations upon the most disputed points in the phenomena34 of eruptions35. We knew our way about the Floor of the Strangers, in fact, as well as we knew our way down from our own home at Hampstead Heath to Charing36 Cross Station. Kalaua and Kea were surprised to find how accurately37 we had learnt the whole geography of the district; and Kalaua in particular seemed far from pleased at our perfect familiarity with the mountain and its ways, though he was much too polite ever to say so openly, holding his peace on the matter, at least to our faces, with true antique Hawaiian courtesy. For bland38 courtesy of demeanour, commend me to a cannibal.
One morning however about six weeks after our first arrival, I had occasion to send Frank by himself down to Hilo, on one of the sure-footed little mountain ponies39, to fetch up some ropes and other articles we needed for our exploration from the stores in the town; and I said good-bye to him just outside the house, where Kalaua was seated, smoking a cigarette, and wrapped up as usual in his own stern and sombre reveries.
"Good-bye, old fellow,"' Frank cried in farewell, as he mounted his horse and cantered gaily40 off. "Mind you take care of yourself while I'm away. Give the crater a wide berth41. Don't try to go exploring any further without me!"
"All right," I shouted back. "I won't get into mischief42. Trust me for saving my own skin. I shall just potter about a bit to amuse myself alone on the outer edge of the Floor of the Strangers."
"What do you want the rope for?" Kalaua asked moodily43, looking up from his cigarette as Frank rode away. "Better not go trusting yourself with any rope too far in the crater of Mauna Loa."
"I'm not afraid," I answered, with a short little laugh. "I want the rope to let myself down to the lower levels."
"What, the Floor of the Hawaiians?" the old chief cried with flashing eyes.
"Well, yes," I answered; "that first, of course, and then, after that, the Floor of Pélé."
If I had dropped a bomb-shell right in front of his house, the stern old chief could not have looked that moment more appalled44 and horrified45. "Young man," he cried, rising hastily to his feet and standing46 like a messenger of fate before me, "I warn you not to trifle with the burning mountain. Tread the Floor of the Strangers as much as you like, but the lower ledges47 of the crater are very dangerous. You're my guest, and I advise you. For unskilled feet to approach those levels is almost certain death. In the dark old days when we were all heathen, we used to say in our folly49 that the wrath50 of Pélé would burn you up like a leaf if you ventured to touch them. We no longer say that: we know better now. But we still say to all who would tamper51 with them that the mouth of the crater is most treacherous52 and perilous53."
"Oh," I answered lightly, turning on my heel, "don't trouble for me. I'm accustomed to volcanoes. I don't object I think no more of them than a sailor thinks of chapters of a storm at sea. Let them boil and seethe54 as much as they like. They're nothing after all, when a fellow's used to them."
"'YOUNG MAN,' HE CRIED, '...I WARN YOU NOT TO TRIFLE WITH THE BURNING MOUNTAIN.'"
The old man answered me never a word. He rose, and with a gesture of solemn dissent55 wrapped his native cloak severely56 round him; then he walked in grim and gloomy silence back by himself into his own chamber57.
As for me, I strolled off quietly, sketch-book in hand, up to the broken brink58 of the great crater. I had nothing in particular to do that morning, having in fact by this time quite exhausted59 the first ledge48 or Floor of the Strangers: and I could accomplish no work, now I had finished there, till Frank returned from town with the rope to lower us down to the Floor of the Hawaiians, the next ledge that I thought of mapping. So I sat myself down on a jagged peak of hardened cinders, cemented together by molten volcanic matter, and began in a lazy, idle, half-sleepy kind of way to sketch a distant point of the interior crater.
I had sat there listlessly, sketching and musing60, for about twenty minutes, when I saw a sight I can never resist. A beautiful butterfly, of a species quite new to me, attracted my attention on the side of the crater-wall over which my legs were carelessly dangling61. Now, though I am by trade (saving your presence) a seismologist and vulcanologist—no offence meant by those awesome62 words—I've always had a sneaking63 kindness in an underhand way for other departments of natural science, especially zoology64; and a new butterfly, with a red spot on its tail, is a severe temptation that my utmost philosophy can never induce me to disregard under any circumstances. There are some scientific men, I know, who seem to think science ought to be made as dull and as dry and as fusty as possible: for my own part, I never could take that eminently65 correct and respectable view: I like my science as amusing as I can get it, with a considerable spice of adventure thrown in; and I prefer specimen66-hunting among the Pacific Islands to name-hunting among the prodigiously67 learned and stupid memoirs68 of the British Museum. Between ourselves, too (but I wouldn't like this to reach the ears of the Royal Society), I regard a man as much more useful to science when engaged in catching69 birds or insects in the Malay Archipelago or the African mountains than when inventing names for them out of his own head in a fusty, dusty, musty room in the museum at South Kensington. Have the kindness to keep this dark however if you ever go to a British Association Meeting: for if it reached the ears of the Committee, they might think me an unfit person to entrust70 with any further volcanic investigations71.
Well, my butterfly was resting, poised72 like a statue, on a pretty flowering plant that grew out of a cranny in the sheer wall of rock, a yard or two below the precise point where I was then sitting. Said I to myself, with an eager dart73 forward, "I shall nab that specimen;" and laying aside my pencil and drawing-pad at once, I proceeded forthwith, at the top of my speed, incontinently to nab him.
It was with great difficulty however that I clambered down the side of the crag, for the lava just there was porous74 and bubbly. It crumbled75 and broke like thin ice under my feet; and wherever I thought I had just secured myself a firm foothold it gave way after a moment, bit by bit, with the force of my pressure. Nevertheless I managed somehow, to my great delight, to reach the plant that sprouted76 from the cranny without at all disturbing my friend the butterfly, who, engrossed77 on his dinner, was hardly expecting an attack from the rear; and clapping my hand upon him before he could say Jack78 Robinson, I popped him, triumphant79, into my pocket collecting case. Then, with a light heart, and the proud consciousness of a duty performed, I turned once more to climb up the cliff again.
But that, I found, was by no means so easy a matter as descending80. I had got down partly by the mean and illegitimate device of letting my feet slide; to get back I must somehow secure a firm and certain foothold in the loose lava. To my surprise and horror there was none to be found. The soft and creamy pumice-stone seemed nowhere to afford a single solid point of support. I struggled in vain to recover my balance; at last, to my dismay, I stumbled and fell—fell, as I feared, towards the Floor of the Hawaiians, that yawned a full hundred and twenty feet of sheer depth in the crater below me. With a wild lunge I clutched for support at the plant in the cranny. It broke short in my hand, and my one chance gone, I rolled down rapidly to the very bottom. I didn't exactly tumble down the entire sheer height in a single fall; if I had I shouldn't be here to tell you. I broke the force of the descent somewhat by digging my hands and feet with frantic81 efforts into the loose wall of rotten lava. But before I could realize precisely82 what was happening I lost my head. The world reeled round me; my eyes closed. Next moment I was aware of a horrid83 thud, and a fierce blow against some hard surface. I knew then just where I had landed. I had fallen or rolled by stages the whole way down the crag, and was lying on my side on the Floor of the Hawaiians!
"I ROLLED DOWN RAPIDLY TO THE VERY BOTTOM."
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1
sketching
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| n.草图 | |
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sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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flinch
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| v.畏缩，退缩 | |
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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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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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14
arduous
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| adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的 | |
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cinders
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| n.煤渣( cinder的名词复数 )；炭渣；煤渣路；煤渣跑道 | |
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16
fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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sleepless
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| adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的 | |
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18
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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19
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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21
yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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22
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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23
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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24
volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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26
sardonic
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| adj.嘲笑的，冷笑的，讥讽的 | |
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27
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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28
deity
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| n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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29
chaff
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| v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳 | |
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crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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narrate
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| v.讲，叙述 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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eruptions
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| n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 ) | |
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36
charing
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| n.炭化v.把…烧成炭，把…烧焦( char的现在分词 )；烧成炭，烧焦；做杂役女佣 | |
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37
accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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40
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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moodily
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| adv.喜怒无常地；情绪多变地；心情不稳地；易生气地 | |
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44
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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45
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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46
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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47
ledges
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| n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台 | |
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48
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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49
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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50
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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51
tamper
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| v.干预，玩弄，贿赂，窜改，削弱，损害 | |
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52
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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53
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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54
seethe
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| vi.拥挤，云集；发怒，激动，骚动 | |
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55
dissent
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| n./v.不同意，持异议 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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57
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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58
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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60
musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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61
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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awesome
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| adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的 | |
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sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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64
zoology
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| n.动物学，生态 | |
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eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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prodigiously
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| adv.异常地，惊人地，巨大地 | |
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memoirs
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| n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数) | |
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69
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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entrust
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| v.信赖，信托，交托 | |
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71
investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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72
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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porous
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| adj.可渗透的，多孔的 | |
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crumbled
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| （把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏 | |
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76
sprouted
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| v.发芽( sprout的过去式和过去分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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79
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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80
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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81
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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82
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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