Miss Blanche was walking the deck with Louis on one side of her, and Sir Modava on the other. All the ladies had declared over and over again that the latter was a very fascinating man; but he was a person of discernment, and he could not very well help seeing that the young millionaire had a special interest in the beautiful young lady.
Like a small boy, the young couple ate sugar because they liked it, and not to swell5 the saccharine6 importance of the article, and probably never gave a thought to the natural results of their daily intimacy7. It is absolutely certain that they had never indulged in any actual "spooning;" for Louis had never proceeded far enough to call the fair maiden8 by her given name, without "Miss" before it, precisely9 as everybody else in the cabin did. They were entirely10 respectful to each other, and she invariably addressed him as Mr. Belgrave.
"Miss Blanche was walking the deck with Louis and Sir Modava."--Page 90.
"Miss Blanche was walking the deck with Louis and Sir Modava."--Page 90.
They were not as familiar as brother and sister, and doubtless neither of them reasoned over the situation, or considered to what it might lead. Though Miss Blanche was with Louis most of the time when they were on deck, and walked and rode with him when they were on shore, she was just as kind and pleasant with all the members of the "Big Four;" and when Louis was engaged in a special study, as when he was preparing his "talk for the conference," Scott or Felix found a chance for a promenade with her. But everybody else on board understood the situation better than those the most intimately concerned. But no one had any objection, not even Mrs. Belgrave or the parents of Miss Blanche.
At half-past three in the afternoon the signal was given for the meeting in Conference Hall. The ladies would have been glad to hear Sir Modava again; but the commander invited the speakers, and kept his own counsels, so that the party did not know whom they were to hear first.
"There is still a great deal to be said about India, and I am trying to dispose of some of the dryest subjects first. Dr. Ferrolan has very unselfishly consented to make a martyr11 of himself in the treatment of one of these topics, though I hope another time to assign him something more to his mind. Dr. Ferrolan."
This gentleman was received almost as enthusiastically as the handsome Hindu; for the Americans were disposed to treat all their guests with uniform courtesy, though it was hardly possible not to make an exception in favor of Sir Modava.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have to admit that, with the limitations the excellent commander has put upon me, there is force in what he said about the dryness of the subject. I delight in botany; and it will not be my fault that I fail to interest you, especially the ladies, who are always and everywhere fond of flowers. But I bow to the mandate12 of the supreme13 authority here, and will do the best I can with the broad topic with which I am to struggle. But I will do you the justice to believe that you all want to know something more about the fauna14 of India.
"I have to observe in the first place that almost one-half of this great region is tropical, though not a square foot of it is within three hundred and fifty miles of the equator. In the Himalaya Mountains we have regions of perpetual snow; and in the country south of them it is more than temperate15; it is cold in its season. You can see for yourselves that in a territory extending from the island paradise of Ceylon to the frozen regions of the highest mountain in the world, we have every variety of climate, and consequently about every production that grows on the surface of the earth.
"Our tropical productions are not quite equal to those that grow on the equator. The coffee, sugar, tobacco, and spices are somewhat inferior to those of Java, Sumatra, and Celebes. Rice is the staple16 food of the common people, and has been raised from prehistoric17 periods. Maize18, which I believe you Americans call Indian corn"--
"Simply corn, if you please," interposed the commander.
"But corn covers grain of all kinds," suggested the doctor.
"Not with us; we call each grain by its own name, and never include them under the name of corn. It is simply the fashion of the country; and if you spoke19 of corn in Chicago, it would mean maize to the people who heard you."
"I shall know how to speak to an American audience on this subject hereafter; but corn and millet20 are raised for the food of some of the animals. Oilseeds, as flax for linseed, are largely exported. The cultivation21 of wheat has been greatly improved, and all the grains are raised. In the Himalayas, on the borders of China, teas are grown under European direction; and you will excuse me if I suggest that they are better than those of 'the central flowery nation.' Dye-stuffs, indigo22, and lac are noted23 for their quality and their quantity.
"The native flowers are not so rich as you would expect to find; but the white lilies of the water are as pretty as anywhere, and the flowering shrubs24 are beautiful. Of course, if you went out to walk in the jungle you would find wild-flowers enough to make a bouquet25."
"But who would do it?" asked Mr. Woolridge.
"I would for one," replied the doctor. "Why not?"
"The cobra-de-capello!" exclaimed the magnate.
"They are not agreeable companions; but we don't make half so much of them as you do, sir. I will not meddle26 with this subject, as it is assigned to another, and I have no desire to steal his thunder-box. We have all the flowers of Europe, and probably of America; but they are not indigenous27 to the soil, though they thrive very well.
"Especially on the coast, but of course not in the north, you will find stately palms of all varieties. The banian tree (the English write it banyan) grows here, and I might talk an hour about it. Something like it is the peepul, or pipal, though its branches do not take root in the ground like the other. Its scientific name is the Ficus religiosa; for it is the sacred fig28 of India, and it is called the bo-tree in Ceylon.
"The peepul is considered sacred by the Hindus, because Vishnu, the Preserver, and the second person in the Brahminical trinity, was born under it. This tree is extensively planted around the temples of the Hindus, and many religious devotees pass their lives under its shade for its sanctifying influence. It is useful for other purposes; for the lac-insect feeds upon its leaves, and the women get a kind of caoutchouc from its sap, which they use as bandoline."
"What in the world is bandoline, Mister?" asked Mrs. Blossom, who had listened with half-open mouth after the doctor called the tree sacred.
"It is quite English, I dare say," laughed the speaker, while Mrs. Belgrave was tugging29 at the sleeve of her friend in order to suppress her. "I venture to say you have used something of the kind, madame. Our women make it of Irish moss30, and use it to stiffen31 the hair, so as to make it lie in the right place.
"I must not forget the bamboo, which is found all over India, and even 12,000 feet up the mountains. Of course you know all about it, for the slender stem is carried to all Europe and America. As you look at it you observe that it has the same structure as some of the grasses, the same joints32 and cells. It is not sugar-cane, but at some seasons a sweet juice flows from the joints, which is here called Indian honey. I have no doubt my young friends have used the bamboo when they went fishing; and the most expensive fly-rods are made from its material, as well as canes33, and scores of other useful articles.
"The original forests which once covered hills and plains have been recklessly cut away; and long ago this source of wealth was driven back into the mountains, to the vast injury of the climate and the water supply for the nourishment34 of the arable35 lands of the Country. But the British government has taken hold of this matter since the middle of the present century, and has made considerable progress towards the restoration of the forests. Not less than 100,000 square miles of land are now under supervision36 to this end.
"India is a vast territory; but it is estimated that not more than one-third of it is under cultivation, or used for pasturage. Doubtless there is much more of it available; but a considerable of it consists of steep mountain-sides, of deserts, and the beds and overflow37 of the rivers. With your permission, Mr. Commander, I will retreat from this prominent position, after doing the best I could with a meagre subject;" and the doctor bowed to the audience, while they were applauding him warmly.
"I think you had better make no apology for your treatment of your subject. I can always tell by the expression of the company whether or not the speaker is interesting the party; and I am sure you have succeeded admirably. The next feature to which I call your attention is Sir Modava Rao, on snakes."
The gentleman was received quite as warmly as before; but Mrs. Belgrave was sorry that such a fine-looking gentleman should have to talk about snakes.
"I fully38 believe that the Good Father of us all distributed poisonous snakes over India for a good and wise purpose, though I do not know what it was; and if I had the power to do so, I should not dare to kill or banish39 them all, for I know not what injury I might do my country by removing them. Many thousand natives die every year from snakebites. Statistics say that 20,000 perish in this manner. But that is only one in 14,361; and a single malignant40 disease has destroyed more than that in the same time.
"The old woman who was accused of cruelty in skinning live eels41, replied that she had been doing so all her life, and the eels must be used to it by this time. We are used to snakes in India, and we don't mind them half as much as you think you would if you lived here. The government offers rewards for killing42 harmful animals, and thousands of snakes are destroyed every year."
"Do you think it is right to kill them if God put them here for a good purpose, Sir Modava?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.
"Certainly I do. God gave us fire: is it right, therefore, to let the city burn up when the fire is kindled43? God suffers sin and evil to remain in the world, though he could banish them by a wave of his mighty44 arm! Shall we not protect ourselves from the tempest he sends? Shall we permit the plague or the cholera45 to decimate our land because God punishes us in that way for violating the laws he has set up in our bodies?
"This subject is too large for me to pursue it in detail. I need not describe the cobra, for you will see no end of them about the streets of the cities in the hands of the snake-charmers. He is five feet or more in length. His fangs46 are in his upper jaw47. They are not tubed or hollow; but he has a sort of groove48 on the outside of the tooth, down which the deadly poison flows. In his natural state, his bite is sure death unless a specific or antidote49 is soon applied50. Thanks to modern science, the sufferer from the bite of a cobra is generally cured if the right remedy is applied soon enough. I have been twice bitten by cobras. The medicine used in my case was the Aristolochia Indica.
"There is such a thing as a snake-stone, which is applied to the wound, and is said to absorb the blood, and with it the poison; but medical men of character regard it as not entitled to the credit claimed for it. A chemical expert pronounced it to be nothing but a charred51 bone, which had probably been filled with blood, and again subjected to the action of fire. It is possible that the bone absorbs the blood; but that is not a settled fact, and I leave it to Dr. Ferrolan."
"I believe it is a fraud," replied the doctor.
"The color of the cobra varies from pale yellow to dark olive. One kind has something like a pair of spectacles on the back of his hood52, or it looks something like the eyes with which ladies fasten their dress. This hood or bonnet53 is spread out by the action of the ribs54 of the creature, and he opens it when he is angry.
"I had a tame mongoose, a sort of ichneumon. This animal, not much bigger than a weasel, is a great cobra-killer, and he understands his business. This snake is given to hiding himself in the gardens around the bungalow55 for the purpose of preying56 on the domestic fowls57. I found one once, and brought out the mongoose. He tackled him at once, and killed him about as quick as a rifle would have done it. I think you will learn all you want to know about snakes as you travel through India."
Sir Modava retired with the usual applause. As the company returned from the platform, a gun from the Blanche attracted their attention.
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1
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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monsoon
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| n.季雨，季风，大雨 | |
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promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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saccharine
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| adj.奉承的，讨好的 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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8
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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9
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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mandate
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| n.托管地；命令，指示 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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fauna
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| n.(一个地区或时代的)所有动物，动物区系 | |
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temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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staple
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| n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类 | |
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prehistoric
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| adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的 | |
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18
maize
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| n.玉米 | |
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19
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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millet
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| n.小米，谷子 | |
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cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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indigo
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| n.靛青，靛蓝 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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24
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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bouquet
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| n.花束，酒香 | |
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meddle
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| v.干预，干涉，插手 | |
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indigenous
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| adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的 | |
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fig
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| n.无花果(树) | |
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tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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30
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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31
stiffen
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| v.(使)硬，(使)变挺，(使)变僵硬 | |
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joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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33
canes
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| n.（某些植物，如竹或甘蔗的）茎( cane的名词复数 )；（用于制作家具等的）竹竿；竹杖 | |
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34
nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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arable
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| adj.可耕的，适合种植的 | |
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supervision
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| n.监督，管理 | |
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overflow
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| v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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banish
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| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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40
malignant
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| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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41
eels
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| abbr. 电子发射器定位系统（=electronic emitter location system） | |
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42
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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43
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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45
cholera
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| n.霍乱 | |
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46
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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47
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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48
groove
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| n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯 | |
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49
antidote
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| n.解毒药，解毒剂 | |
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50
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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51
charred
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| v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦 | |
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52
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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53
bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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54
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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55
bungalow
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| n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房 | |
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56
preying
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| v.掠食( prey的现在分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生 | |
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57
fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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