It was a beautiful spot. A mountain stream here flowed at the foot of a verdant1 slope; on one hand, it murmured along until the waters, spreading themselves upon a beach of small, sparkling shells, trickled2 into the sea; on the other was a long defile3, where the eye pursued a gleaming, sinuous4 thread, lost in shade and verdure.
The ground next the road was walled in by a low, rude parapet of stones; and, upon the summit of the slope beyond, was a large, native house, the thatch5 dazzling white, and in shape an oval.
"Calabooza! Calabooza Beretanee!" (the English Jail), cried our conductor, pointing to the building.
For a few months past, having been used by the consul6 as a house of confinement7 for his refractory8 sailors, it was thus styled to distinguish it from similar places in and about Papeetee.
Though extremely romantic in appearance, on a near approach it proved hut ill adapted to domestic comfort. In short, it was a mere9 shell, recently built, and still unfinished. It was open all round, and tufts of grass were growing here and there under the very roof. The only piece of furniture was the "stocks," a clumsy machine for keeping people in one place, which, I believe, is pretty much out of date in most countries. It is still in use, however, among the Spaniards in South America; from whom, it seems, the Tahitians have borrowed the contrivance, as well as the name by which all places of confinement are known among them.
The stocks were nothing more than two stout10 timbers, about twenty feet in length, and precisely11 alike. One was placed edgeways on the ground, and the other, resting on top, left, at regular intervals12 along the seam, several round holes, the object of which was evident at a glance.
By this time, our guide had informed us that he went by the name of "Capin Bob" (Captain Bob); and a hearty13 old Bob he proved. It was just the name for him. From the first, so pleased were we with the old man that we cheerfully acquiesced14 in his authority.
Entering the building, he set us about fetching heaps of dry leaves to spread behind the stocks for a couch. A trunk of a small cocoa-nut tree was then placed for a bolster—rather a hard one, but the natives are used to it. For a pillow, they use a little billet of wood, scooped15 out, and standing16 on four short legs—a sort of head-stool.
These arrangements completed, Captain Bob proceeded to "hanna-par," or secure us, for the night. The upper timber of the machine being lifted at one end, and our ankles placed in the semicircular spaces of the lower one, the other beam was then, dropped; both being finally secured together by an old iron hoop17 at either extremity18. This initiation19 was performed to the boisterous20 mirth of the natives, and diverted ourselves not a little.
Captain Bob now bustled21 about, like an old woman seeing the children to bed. A basket of baked "taro22," or Indian turnip23, was brought in, and we were given a piece all round. Then a great counterpane of coarse, brown "tappa," was stretched over the whole party; and, after sundry24 injunctions to "moee-moee," and be "maitai"—in other words, to go to sleep, and be good boys—we were left to ourselves, fairly put to bed and tucked in.
Much talk was now had concerning our prospects25 in life; but the doctor and I, who lay side by side, thinking the occasion better adapted to meditation26, kept pretty silent; and, before long, the rest ceased conversing27, and, wearied with loss of rest on board the frigate28, were soon sound asleep.
After sliding from one reverie into another, I started, and gave the doctor a pinch. He was dreaming, however; and, resolved to follow his example, I troubled him no more.
How the rest managed, I know not; but for my own part, I found it very hard to get to sleep. The consciousness of having one's foot pinned; and the impossibility of getting it anywhere else than just where it was, was most distressing29.
But this was not all: there was no way of lying but straight on your back; unless, to be sure, one's limb went round and round in the ankle, like a swivel. Upon getting into a sort of doze30, it was no wonder this uneasy posture31 gave me the nightmare. Under the delusion32 that I was about some gymnastics or other, I gave my unfortunate member such a twitch33 that I started up with the idea that someone was dragging the stocks away.
Captain Bob and his friends lived in a little hamlet hard by; and when morning showed in the East, the old gentleman came forth34 from that direction likewise, emerging from a grove35, and saluting36 us loudly as he approached.
Finding everybody awake, he set us at liberty; and, leading us down to the stream, ordered every man to strip and bathe.
"All han's, my boy, hanna-hanna, wash!" he cried. Bob was a linguist37, and had been to sea in his day, as he many a time afterwards told us.
At this moment, we were all alone with him; and it would have been the easiest thing in the world to have given him the slip; but he seemed to have no idea of such a thing; treating us so frankly39 and cordially, indeed, that even had we thought of running, we should have been ashamed of attempting it. He very well knew, nevertheless (as we ourselves were not slow in finding out), that, for various reasons, any attempt of the kind, without some previously40 arranged plan for leaving the island, would be certain to fail.
As Bob was a rare one every way, I must give some account of him. There was a good deal of "personal appearance" about him; in short, he was a corpulent giant, over six feet in height, and literally41 as big round as a hogshead. The enormous bulk of some of the Tahitians has been frequently spoken of by voyagers.
Beside being the English consul's jailer, as it were, he carried on a little Tahitian farming; that is to say, he owned several groves42 of the bread-fruit and palm, and never hindered their growing. Close by was a "taro" patch of his which he occasionally visited.
Bob seldom disposed of the produce of his lands; it was all needed for domestic consumption. Indeed, for gormandizing, I would have matched him against any three common-council men at a civic43 feast.
A friend of Bob's told me that, owing to his voraciousness44, his visits to other parts of the island were much dreaded45; for, according to Tahitian customs, hospitality without charge is enjoined46 upon everyone; and though it is reciprocal in most cases, in Bob's it was almost out of the question. The damage done to a native larder47 in one of his morning calls was more than could be made good by his entertainer's spending the holidays with them.
The old man, as I have hinted, had, once upon a time, been a cruise or two in a whaling-vessel; and, therefore, he prided himself upon his English. Having acquired what he knew of it in the forecastle, he talked little else than sailor phrases, which sounded whimsically enough.
I asked him one day how old he was. "Olee?" he exclaimed, looking very profound in consequence of thoroughly48 understanding so subtile a question—"Oh! very olee—'tousand 'ear—more—big man when Capin Tootee (Captain Cook) heavey in sight." (In sea parlance49, came into view.)
This was a thing impossible; but adapting my discourse50 to the man, I rejoined—"Ah! you see Capin Tootee—well, how you like him?"
"Oh! he maitai: (good) friend of me, and know my wife."
On my assuring him strongly that he could not have been born at the time, he explained himself by saying that he was speaking of his father, all the while. This, indeed, might very well have been.
It is a curious fact that all these people, young and old, will tell you that they have enjoyed the honour of a personal acquaintance with the great navigator; and if you listen to them, they will go on and tell anecdotes51 without end. This springs from nothing but their great desire to please; well knowing that a more agreeable topic for a white man could not be selected. As for the anachronism of the thing, they seem to have no idea of it: days and years are all the same to them.
After our sunrise bath, Bob once more placed us in the stocks, almost moved to tears at subjecting us to so great a hardship; but he could not treat us otherwise, he said, on pain of the consul's displeasure. How long we were to be confined, he did not know; nor what was to be done with us in the end.
As noon advanced, and no signs of a meal were visible, someone inquired whether we were to be boarded, as well as lodged52, at the Hotel de Calabooza?
"Vast heavey" (avast heaving, or wait a bit)—said Bob—"kow-kow" (food) "come ship by by."
And, sure enough, along comes Rope Tarn53 with a wooden bucket of the Julia's villainous biscuit. With a grin, he said it was a present from Wilson: it was all we were to get that day. A great cry was now raised; and well was it for the land-lubber that lie had a pair of legs, and the men could not use theirs. One and all, we resolved not to touch the bread, come what come might; and so we told the natives.
Being extravagantly54 fond of ship-biscuit—the harder the better—they were quite overjoyed; and offered to give us, every day, a small quantity of baked bread-fruit and Indian turnip in exchange for the bread. This we agreed to; and every morning afterward38, when the bucket came, its contents were at once handed over to Bob and his friends, who never ceased munching55 until nightfall.
Our exceedingly frugal56 meal of bread-fruit over, Captain Bob waddled57 up to us with a couple of long poles hooked at one end, and several large baskets of woven cocoa-nut branches.
Not far off was an extensive grove of orange-trees in full bearing; and myself and another were selected to go with him, and gather a supply for the party. When we went in among the trees, the sumptuousness58 of the orchard59 was unlike anything I had ever seen; while the fragrance60 shaken from the gently waving boughs61 regaled our senses most delightfully63.
In many places the trees formed a dense64 shade, spreading overhead a dark, rustling65 vault66, groined with boughs, and studded here and there with the ripened67 spheres, like gilded68 balls. In several places, the overladen branches were borne to the earth, hiding the trunk in a tent of foliage69. Once fairly in the grove, we could see nothing else; it was oranges all round.
To preserve the fruit from bruising70, Bob, hooking the twigs71 with his pole, let them fall into his basket. But this would not do for us. Seizing hold of a bough62, we brought such a shower to the ground that our old friend was fain to run from under. Heedless of remonstrance72, we then reclined in the shade, and feasted to our heart's content. Heaping up the baskets afterwards, we returned to our comrades, by whom our arrival was hailed with loud plaudits; and in a marvellously short time, nothing was left of the oranges we brought but the rinds.
While inmates73 of the Calabooza, we had as much of the fruit as we wanted; and to this cause, and others that might be mentioned, may be ascribed the speedy restoration of our sick to comparative health.
The orange of Tahiti is delicious—small and sweet, with a thin, dry rind. Though now abounding74, it was unknown before Cook's time, to whom the natives are indebted for so great a blessing75. He likewise introduced several other kinds of fruit; among these were the fig76, pineapple, and lemon, now seldom met with. The lime still grows, and some of the poorer natives express the juice to sell to the shipping77. It is highly valued as an anti-scorbutic. Nor was the variety of foreign fruits and vegetables which were introduced the only benefit conferred by the first visitors to the Society group. Cattle and sheep were left at various places. More of them anon.
Thus, after all that of late years has been done for these islanders, Cook and Vancouver may, in one sense at least, be considered their greatest benefactors78.
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1
verdant
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| adj.翠绿的，青翠的，生疏的，不老练的 | |
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trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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defile
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| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
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sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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thatch
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| vt.用茅草覆盖…的顶部；n.茅草(屋) | |
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consul
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| n.领事；执政官 | |
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confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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8
refractory
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| adj.倔强的，难驾驭的 | |
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9
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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13
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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14
acquiesced
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| v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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16
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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17
hoop
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| n.（篮球）篮圈，篮 | |
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18
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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19
initiation
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| n.开始 | |
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20
boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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21
bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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22
taro
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| n.芋，芋头 | |
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turnip
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| n.萝卜，芜菁 | |
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24
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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28
frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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distressing
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| a.使人痛苦的 | |
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30
doze
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| v.打瞌睡；n.打盹，假寐 | |
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31
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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32
delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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33
twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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34
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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36
saluting
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的现在分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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37
linguist
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| n.语言学家；精通数种外国语言者 | |
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38
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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42
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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43
civic
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| adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的 | |
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44
voraciousness
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| n.贪婪，贪吃 | |
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45
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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46
enjoined
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| v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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48
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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49
parlance
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| n.说法；语调 | |
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50
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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51
anecdotes
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| n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 ) | |
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52
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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53
tarn
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| n.山中的小湖或小潭 | |
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54
extravagantly
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| adv.挥霍无度地 | |
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55
munching
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| v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的现在分词 ) | |
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56
frugal
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| adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的 | |
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57
waddled
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
sumptuousness
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| 奢侈，豪华 | |
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59
orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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60
fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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61
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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62
bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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63
delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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64
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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65
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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66
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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67
ripened
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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68
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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69
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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70
bruising
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| adj.殊死的；十分激烈的v.擦伤(bruise的现在分词形式) | |
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71
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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72
remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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73
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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74
abounding
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| adj.丰富的，大量的v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的现在分词 ) | |
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75
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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76
fig
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| n.无花果(树) | |
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77
shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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benefactors
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| n.捐助者，施主( benefactor的名词复数 )；恩人 | |
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