There is always a certain amount of pleasure to be derived1 from the tracing of any subject of interest back to its origin. We have already seen how—like a noble river, which has its fountain-head in some mountain lakelet that would scarcely serve as a washing-basin for a Cyclops—the grand cod-fishing industry, which has enriched the world, and found employment for thousands of men for centuries, had its commencement in the crew of the Water Wagtail! we shall now show that another great industry, namely, the Newfoundland seal-fishery, had its origin in the same insignificant2 source.
King Grummidge was walking one morning along the shore of Wagtail Bay, with hands in pockets, hat on back of head, and that easy roll of gait so characteristic of nautical3 men and royalty4. He was evidently troubled in mind, for a frown rested on his brow, and his lips were compressed. It might have been supposed that the cares of state were beginning to tell upon him, but such was not the case: food was the cause of his trouble.
“Fish, fish, fish,” he growled5, to Little Stubbs, who was his companion in the walk. “I’m sick tired o’ fish. It’s my opinion that if we go on eatin’ fish like we’ve bin6 doin’ since we was cast away here, we will turn into fish, or mermaids7, if not somethin’ worse. What are ye laughin’ at?”
“At the notion o’ you turnin’ into a maid of any sort,” replied Stubbs.
“That’s got nothin’ to do wi’ the argiment,” returned Grummidge sternly, for his anxieties were too serious to permit of his indulging in levity8 at the time. “What we’ve got to do is to find meat, for them auks are nigh as dry as the fish. Meat, lad, meat, wi’ plenty o’ fat, that’s the question o’ the hour.”
“Yes, it’s our question, no doubt,” rejoined Stubbs.
He might as well have bestowed9 his bad pun on a rabbit, for Grummidge was essentially10 dense11 and sober-minded.
“But we’ve had a few rabbits of late, an’ ducks an’ partridges,” he added.
“Rabbits! ducks! partridges!” repeated his companion, with contempt. “How many of them delicacies12 have we had? That’s what I wants to know.”
“Not many, I admit for there’s none of us got much to boast of as shots.”
“Shots!” echoed Grummidge. “You’re right, Stubbs. Of all the blind bats and helpless boys with the bow, there’s not I believe, in the whole world such a lot as the popilation of Wagtail Bay. Why, there’s not two of ye who could hit the big shed at sixty paces, an’ all the fresh meat as you’ve brought in yet has bin the result o’ chance. Now look ’ee here, Stubbs, a notion has entered my head, an’ when a notion does that, I usually grab that notion an’ hold ’im a fast prisoner until I’ve made somethin’ useful an’ ship-shape of ’im. If it works properly we’ll soon have somethin’ better to eat than fish, an’ more substantial than rabbits, ducks, partridges, or auks.”
We may remark in passing that the animals which those wrecked13 sailors called rabbits were in reality hares. Moreover, the men took an easy, perhaps unscientific, method of classifying feathered game. Nearly everything with wings that dwelt chiefly on lake, river, or sea they called ducks, and all the feathered creatures of the forest they styled partridges. From this simple classification, however, were excepted swans, geese, eagles, and hawks14.
“Well, Grummidge, what may be your notion?” asked Stubbs.
“My notion is—seals! For all our hard rowin’ and wastin’ of arrows we’ve failed to catch or kill a single seal, though there’s such swarms15 of ’em all about. Now this is a great misfortin’, for it’s well known that seals make first-rate beef—leastwise to them as ain’t partic’lar—so we’ll set about catchin’ of ’em at once.”
“But how?” asked Stubbs, becoming interested under the influence of his comrade’s earnest enthusiasm.
“This is how. Look there, d’ye see that small island lyin’ close to the shore with several seals’ heads appearin’ in the channel between?”
“Yes—what then?”
“Well, then, what I mean to do is to have nets made with big meshes16, an’ set ’em between that island an’ the shore, and see what comes of it.”
“Twine! Ain’t there no end o’ cordage swashin’ about the Water Wagtail ever since she went ashore18? An’ haven’t we got fingers? Can’t we undo19 the strands20 an’ make small cord? Surely some of ye have picked oakum enough to understand what that means!”
Stubbs was convinced. Moreover, the rest of the men were so convinced that the plan promised well, when it was explained to them, that they set to work with alacrity21, and, in a brief space of time, made a strong net several fathoms22 in length, and with meshes large enough to permit of a seal’s head squeezing through.
No sooner was it ready than the whole community went down to see it set. Then, with difficulty, they were prevented from waiting on the shore to watch the result. In the afternoon, when Grummidge gave permission, they ran down again with all the eagerness of children, and were rewarded by finding six fat seals entangled23 in the net and inflated24 almost to bursting with the water that had drowned them.
Thus they were supplied with “beef,” and, what was of almost equal importance, with oil, which enabled them to fry the leanest food, besides affording them the means of making a steadier and stronger light than that of the log fires to which they had hitherto been accustomed.
It may be here remarked by captious26 readers, if such there be, that this cannot appropriately be styled the beginning of that grand sealing, or, as it is now styled, “swile huntin’,” industry, which calls into action every year hundreds of steam and other vessels27, and thousands of men, who slaughter28 hundreds of thousands of seals; which produces mints of money, and in the prosecutions29 of which men dare the terrible dangers of ice-drift and pack, in order that they may bludgeon the young seals upon the floes.
As well might it be objected that a tiny rivulet31 on the mountain-top is not the fountain-head of a mighty32 river, because its course is not marked by broad expanses and thundering cataracts33. Grummidge’s net was undoubtedly34 the beginning, the tiny rill, of the Newfoundland seal-fishery, and even the bludgeoning was initiated35 by one of his party. It happened thus:—
Big Swinton went out one morning to try his fortune with the bow and arrow in the neighbourhood of a range of cliffs that extended far away to the northward37. Swinton usually chose to hunt in solitude38. Having few sympathies with the crew he shut up his feelings within his own breast and brooded in silence on the revenge he was still resolved to take when a safe opportunity offered, for the man’s nature was singularly resolute39 and, at the same time, unforgiving.
Now it chanced that Grummidge, in utter ignorance of where his foe40 had gone, took the same direction that morning, but started some time later, intending to explore the neighbourhood of the cliffs in search of sea-fowls’ eggs.
On reaching the locality, Swinton found that a large ice-floe30 had come down from the Arctic regions, and stranded41 on the shore of the island. On the ice lay a black object which he rightly judged to be a seal. At first, he supposed it to be a dead one, but just as he was about to advance to examine it the animal raised its head and moved its tail. Love of the chase was powerful in Swinton’s breast. He instantly crouched42 behind a boulder43, and waited patiently till the seal again laid its head on the ice as if to continue its nap.
While the seaman44 crouched there, perfectly45 motionless, his brain was active. Arrows, he feared, would be of little use, even if he were capable of shooting well, which he was not. Other weapon he had none, with the exception of a clasp-knife. What was he to do? The only answer to that question was—try a club. But how was he to get at the seal with a club?
While pondering this question he observed that there was another seal on the same mass of ice, apparently46 sleeping, behind a hummock47. He also noticed that both seals were separated from the water by a considerable breadth of ice—especially the one behind the hummock, and that there was a tongue of ice extending from the floe to the shore by which it seemed possible to reach the floe by patient stalking without disturbing the game. Instantly Swinton decided48 on a plan, and commenced by crawling into the bushes. There, with his clasp-knife, he carefully cut and peeled a club which even Hercules might have deigned49 to wield50.
With this weapon he crawled on hands and knees slowly out to the floe, and soon discovered that the seals were much larger than he had at first supposed, and were probably a male and a female. Being ignorant of the nature of seals, and only acquainted with the fact that the tender nose of the animal is its most vulnerable part, he crept like a cat after a mouse towards the smaller seal, which he judged to be the female, until near enough to make a rush and cut off its retreat to the sea. He then closed with it, brought his great club down upon its snout, and laid it dead upon the ice. Turning quickly round, he observed, to his surprise, that the male seal instead of making for the water, as he had expected, was making towards himself in floundering and violent bounds!
It may be necessary here to state that there are several kinds of seals in the northern seas, and that the “hood36 seal”—or, as hunters call it the “dog-hood”—is among the largest and fiercest of them all. The male of this species is distinguished51 from the female by a singular hood, or fleshy bag, on his nose, which he has the power to inflate25 with air, so that it covers his eyes and face—thus forming a powerful protection to his sensitive nose, for, besides being elastic52, the hood is uncommonly53 tough. It is said that this guard will even resist shot and that the only sure way of killing54 the dog-hood seal is to hit him on the neck at the base of the skull55.
Besides possessing this safeguard, or natural buffer56, the dog-hood is full of courage, which becomes absolute ferocity when he is defending the female. This is now so well known that hunters always try to kill the male first, if possible, when the female becomes an easy victim.
Swinton saw at a single glance that he had to deal with a gigantic and furious foe, for the creature had inflated its hood and dilated57 its nostrils58 into two huge bladders, as with glaring eyes it bounced rather than rushed at him in terrific rage. Feeling that his arrows would be useless, the man flung them and the bow down, resolving to depend entirely59 on his mighty club. Being possessed60 of a good share of brute61 courage, and feeling confident in his great physical strength, Swinton did not await the attack, but ran to meet his foe, swung his ponderous62 weapon on high, and brought it down with tremendous force on the seal’s head, but the hood received it and caused it to rebound—as if from indiarubber—with such violence that it swung the man to one side. So far this was well, as it saved him from a blow of the dog-hood’s flipper63 that would probably have stunned64 him. As it was, it grazed his shoulder, tore a great hole in his strong canvas jacket and wounded his arm.
Experience usually teaches caution. When the seal turned with increased fury to renew the assault Swinton stood on the defensive65, and as soon as it came within reach brought his club down a second time on its head with, if possible, greater force than before; but again the blow was broken by the hood, though not again was the man struck by the flipper, for he was agile66 as a panther and evaded67 the expected blow. His foot slipped on the ice, however, and he fell so close to the seal that it tumbled over him and almost crushed him with its weight. At the same time the club flew from his hand.
Though much shaken by the fall, the seaman scrambled68 to his feet in time to escape another onslaught, but do what he would he could make no impression on the creature’s head, because of that marvellous hood, and body blows were, of course, useless. Still Big Swinton was not the man to give in easily to a seal! Although he slipped on the ice and fell several times, he returned again and again to the encounter until he began to feel his strength going. As muscular power was his sole dependence69, a sensation of fear now tended to make matters worse; at last he tripped over a piece of ice, and the seal fell upon him.
It was at this critical point that Grummidge came in sight of the combatants, and ran at full speed to the rescue. But he was still at a considerable distance, and had to cross the tongue of ice before he could reach the floe.
Meanwhile the seal opened its well-armed jaws70 to seize its victim by the throat. Swinton felt that death stared him in the face. Desperation sharpened his ingenuity71. He thrust his left hand as far as possible down the throat of his adversary72, and, seizing it with the other arm round the neck, held on in a tight though not loving embrace!
The struggle that ensued was brief. The seal shook off the man as if he had been but a child, and was on the point of renewing the attack when it caught sight of Grummidge, and reared itself to meet this new enemy.
Grummidge possessed a fair-sized clasp-knife. Armed with this, he rushed boldly in and made a powerful stab at the creature’s heart.
Alas73! for the poor man, even though his stabbing powers had been good instead of bad, for he would only have imbedded the short weapon in a mass of fat without touching74 the heart. But Grummidge was a bad stabber. He missed his aim so badly as to plunge75 his weapon into the hood! Nothing could have been more fortunate. The air escaped and the hood collapsed76. At the same moment Grummidge received an ugly scratch on the cheek which sent him sprawling77. As he rose quickly he observed Swinton’s club, which he grasped and brought vigorously down on the seal’s now unprotected nose, and felled it. Another effective blow terminated its career for ever, and then the victor turned to find that Big Swinton lay on the ice, quite conscious of what was going on though utterly78 unable to move hand or foot.
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1
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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nautical
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| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
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royalty
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| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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mermaids
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| n.（传说中的）美人鱼( mermaid的名词复数 ) | |
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levity
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| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
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bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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delicacies
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| n.棘手( delicacy的名词复数 )；精致；精美的食物；周到 | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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hawks
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| 鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物 | |
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swarms
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| 蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 ) | |
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meshes
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| 网孔( mesh的名词复数 )； 网状物； 陷阱； 困境 | |
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17
twine
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| v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕 | |
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18
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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21
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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23
entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inflated
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| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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inflate
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| vt.使膨胀，使骄傲，抬高（物价） | |
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26
captious
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| adj.难讨好的，吹毛求疵的 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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prosecutions
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| 起诉( prosecution的名词复数 )； 原告； 实施； 从事 | |
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floe
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| n.大片浮冰 | |
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rivulet
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| n.小溪，小河 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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cataracts
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| n.大瀑布( cataract的名词复数 )；白内障 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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36
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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stranded
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| a.搁浅的，进退两难的 | |
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42
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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44
seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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45
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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46
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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hummock
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| n.小丘 | |
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48
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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49
deigned
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
wield
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| vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等) | |
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51
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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52
elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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53
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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54
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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55
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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56
buffer
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| n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲 | |
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57
dilated
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| adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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59
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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60
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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61
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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62
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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63
flipper
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| n. 鳍状肢，潜水用橡皮制鳍状肢 | |
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64
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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65
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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66
agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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67
evaded
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| 逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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68
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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69
dependence
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| n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属 | |
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70
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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71
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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72
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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73
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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74
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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75
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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76
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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77
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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78
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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