Morning. The air is mild and balmy as that of an Italian spring; thick mists roll down the valleys along the sea, and a haze3 like mother-o’-pearl crowns the headlands. The distant rocks show Titanic4 walls, lofty donjons, huge projecting bastions, and moats full of deep shade. At their base runs a sea of amethyst5, and as earth receives the first touches of light, their summits, almost transparent6, mingle7 with the jasper tints9 of the sky. Nothing can be more delicious than this hour. But as
“les plus belles10 choses
Ont le pire destin,”
so lovely Morning soon fades. The sun bursts up from behind the main, a fierce enemy, a foe11 that will force every one to crouch12 before him. He dyes the sky orange, and the sea “incarnadine,” where its violet surface is stained by his rays, and he mercilessly puts to flight the mists and haze and the little agate-coloured masses of cloud that were before floating in the firmament13. The atmosphere is so clear that now and then a planet is visible. For the two hours following sunrise the rays are endurable; after that they become a fiery14 ordeal15. The morning beams oppress you with a feeling of sickness; their steady glow, reflected by the glaring waters, blinds your eyes, blisters16 your skin, and parches17 your mouth: you now become a monomaniac; you do nothing but count the slow hours that must “minute by” before you can be relieved.1
Midday. The wind, reverberated18 by the glowing hills is like the blast of a lime-kiln. All colour melts away with the canescence from above. The sky is a dead milk-white, and the mirror-like sea so reflects the tint8 that you can scarcely distinguish the line of the horizon. After noon the wind sleeps upon the reeking19 shore; there is a deep stillness; the only sound heard is the melancholy20 flapping of the sail. Men are not so much sleeping as half-senseless; they feel as if a few more degrees of heat would be death.
Sunset. The enemy sinks behind the deep cerulean sea, under a canopy21 of gigantic rainbow which covers half the face of heaven. Nearest to the horizon is an arch of tawny23 orange; above it another of the brightest gold, and based upon these a semi-circle of tender sea-green blends with a score of delicate gradations into the sapphire24 sky. Across the rainbow the sun throws its rays in the form of giant wheel-spokes tinged25 with a beautiful pink. The Eastern sky is mantled26 with a purple flush that picks out the forms of the hazy27 Desert and the sharp-cut Hills. Language is a thing too cold, too poor, to express the harmony and the majesty28 of this hour, which is as evanescent, however, as it is lovely. Night falls rapidly, when suddenly the appearance of the Zodiacal Light2 restores the scene to what it was. Again the grey hills and the grim rocks become rosy29 or golden, the palms green, the sands saffron, and the sea wears a lilac surface of dimpling waves. But after a quarter of an hour all fades once more; the cliffs are naked and ghastly under the moon, whose light falling upon this wilderness30 of white crags and pinnacles31 is most strange-most mysterious.
Night. The horizon is all darkness, and the sea reflects the white visage of the night-sun as in a mirror of steel. In the air we see giant columns of pallid32 light, distinct, based upon the indigo-coloured waves, and standing33 with their heads lost in endless space. The stars glitter with exceeding brilliance34.3 At this hour are
“ — river and hill and wood,
With all the numberless goings on of life,
Inaudible as dreams”;
while the planets look down upon you with the faces of smiling friends. You feel the “sweet influence of the Pleiades.” You are bound by the “bond of Orion.” Hesperus bears with him a thousand things. In communion with them your hours pass swiftly by, till the heavy dews warn you to cover up your face and sleep. And with one look at a certain little Star in the north, under which lies all that makes life worth living through-surely it is a venial35 superstition36 to sleep with your eyes towards that Kiblah! — you fall into oblivion.
Those thirty-six hours were a trial even to the hard-headed Badawin. The Syrian and his two friends fell ill. Omar Effendi, it is true, had the courage to say his sunset prayers, but the exertion37 so altered him that he looked another man. Salih Shakkar in despair ate dates till threatened with a dysentery. Sa’ad the Demon38 had rigged out for himself a cot three feet long, which, arched over with bent39 bamboo, and covered with cloaks, he had slung40 on to the larboard side; but the loud grumbling41 which proceeded from his nest proved that his precaution had not been a cure. Even the boy Mohammed forgot to chatter42, to scold, to smoke, and to make himself generally disagreeable. The Turkish baby appeared to be dying, and was not strong enough to wail43. How the poor mother stood her trials so well, made every one wonder. The most pleasant trait in my companions’ characters was the consideration they showed to her, and their attention to her children. Whenever one of the party drew forth44 a little delicacy-a few dates or a pomegranate-they gave away a share of it to the children, and most of them took their turns to nurse the baby. This was genuine politeness-kindness of heart. It would be well for those who sweepingly45 accuse Easterns of want of gallantry, to contrast this trait of character with the savage47 scenes of civilisation48 that take place among the “Overlands” at Cairo and Suez.4 No foreigner could be present for the first time without bearing away the lasting49 impression that the sons of Great Britain are model barbarians50.5 On board the “Golden Wire” Salih Shakkar was the sole base exception to the general geniality51 of my companions.
As the sun starts towards the West, falling harmlessly upon our heads, we arise, still faint and dizzy, calling for water-which before we had not the strength to drink-and pipes, and coffee, and similar luxuries. Our primitive52 kitchen is a square wooden box, lined with clay, and filled with sand, upon which three or four large stones are placed to form a hearth53. Preparations are now made for the evening meal, which is of the simplest description. A little rice, a few dates, or an onion, will keep a man alive in our position; a single “good dinner” would justify54 long odds55 against his seeing the next evening. Moreover, it is impossible in such cases to have an appetite-fortunately, as our store of provisions is a scanty56 one. Arabs consider it desirable on a journey to eat hot food once in the twenty-four hours; so we determine to cook, despite all difficulties. The operation, however, is by no means satisfactory; twenty expectants surround the single fire, and there is sure to be a quarrel amongst them every five minutes.
As the breeze, cooled by the dew, begins to fan our parched58 faces, we recover our spirits amazingly. Songs are sung; tales are told; and rough jests are bandied about till, not unfrequently, Oriental sensitiveness is sorely tried. Or, if we see the prospect59 of storm or calm, we draw forth, and piously60 peruse61, a “Hizb al-Bahr.” As this prayer is supposed to make all safe upon the ocean wave, I will not selfishly withhold62 it from the British reader. To draw forth all its virtues63, the reciter should receive it from the hands of his Murshid or spiritual guide, and study it during the Chillah, or forty days of fast, of which, I venture to observe, few Sons of Bull are capable.
“O Allah, O Exalted64, O Almighty65, O All-pitiful, O All-powerful, Thou art my God, and sufficeth to me the knowledge of it! Glorified67 be the Lord my Lord, and glorified be the Faith my Faith! Thou givest Victory to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou art the Glorious, the Merciful! We pray Thee for Safety in our goings forth and our standings still, in our Words and our Designs, in our Dangers of Temptation and Doubt, and the secret Designs of our Hearts. Subject unto us this Sea, even as Thou didst subject the Deep to Musa” (Moses), “and as Thou didst subject the Fire to Ibrahim6” (Abraham), “and as Thou didst subject the Iron to Daud7” (David), “and as Thou didst subject the Wind and the Devils and Jinnis and Mankind to Sulayman8” (Solomon), “and as Thou didst subject the Moon and Al-Burak to Mohammed, upon whom be Allah’s Mercy and His Blessing68! And subject unto us all the Seas in Earth and Heaven, in Thy visible and in Thine invisible Worlds, the Sea of this Life, and the Sea of Futurity. O Thou who reignest over everything, and unto whom all Things return, Khyas! Khyas! Khyas9!”
And lastly, we lie down upon our cribs, wrapped up in thickly padded cotton coverlets; we forget the troubles of the past day, and we care nought69 for the discomforts70 of that to come.
Late on the evening of the 11th July we passed in sight of the narrow mouth of Al-’Akabah, whose famosi rupes are a terror to the voyagers of these latitudes71. Like the Gulf72 of Cambay, here a tempest is said to be always brewing73, and men raise their hands to pray as they cross it. We had no storm that day from without, but a fierce one was about to burst within our ship. The essence of Oriental discipline is personal respect based upon fear. Therefore it often happens that the commanding officer, if a mild old gentleman, is the last person whose command is obeyed, — his only privilege being that of sitting apart from his inferiors. And such was the case with our Rais. On the present occasion, irritated by the refusal of the Maghrabis to stand out of the steerman’s way, and excited by the prospect of losing sight of shore for a whole day, he threatened one of the fellows with his slipper75. It required all our exertions76, even to a display of the dreaded77 quarter-staves, to calm the consequent excitement. After passing Al-’Akabah, we saw nothing but sea and sky, and we spent a weary night and day tossing upon the waters, our only exercise; every face brightened as, about sunset on the 12th July, we suddenly glided78 into the mooring-place.
Marsa (anchorage) Damghah,10 or rather Dumayghah, is scarcely visible from the sea. An islet of limestone79 rock defends the entrance, leaving a narrow passage to the south. It is not before he enters that the mariner80 discovers the extent and the depth of this creek81, which indents82 far into the land, and offers 15 to 20 feet of fine clear anchorage which no swell83 can reach. Inside it looks more like a lake, and at night its colour is gloriously blue as Geneva itself. I could not help calling to mind, after dinner, the old school lines
“Est in secessu longo locus84; insula portum
Efficit objectu laterum; quibus omnis ab alto
Frangitur, inque sinus scindit sese unda reductos.”
Nothing was wanted but the “atrum nemus.” Where however, shall we find such luxuries in arid85 Arabia?
The Rais, as usual, attempted to deter57 us from landing, by romancing about the “Bedoynes and Ascopards,” representing them to be “folke ryghte felonouse and foule and of cursed kynde.” To which we replied by shouldering our Nabbuts and scrambling87 into the cock-boat.
On shore we saw a few wretched-looking beings, Juhaynah11 or Hutaym, seated upon heaps of dried wood, which they sold to travellers; and three boat-loads of Syrian pilgrims who had preceded us. We often envied them their small swift craft, with their double latine sails disposed in “hare-ears” which, about eventide in the far distance, looked like a white gull88 alighting upon the purple wave; and they justified89 our jealousy90 by arriving at Yambu’ two days before us. The pilgrims had bivouacked upon the beach, and were engaged in drinking their after-dinner coffee. They received us with all the rights of hospitality, as natives of Al-Madinah should everywhere be received; we sat an hour with them, ate a little fruit, satisfied our thirst, smoked their pipes, and when taking leave blessed them. Then returning to the vessel91 we fed, and lost no time in falling asleep.
The dawn of the next day saw our sail flapping in the idle air. And it was not without difficulty that in the course of the forenoon we entered Wijh Harbour, distant from Dumayghah but very few miles. Al-Wijh is also a natural anchorage, in no way differing from that where we passed the night, except in being smaller and shallower and less secure. From this place to Cairo the road is safe. The town is a collection of round huts meanly built of round stones, and clustering upon a piece of elevated rock on the northern side of the creek. It is distant about six miles from the inland fort of the same name, which receives the Egyptian caravan92, and which thrives, like its port, by selling water and provisions to pilgrims. The little bazar, almost washed by every high tide, provided us with mutton, rice, baked bread, and the other necessaries of life at a moderate rate. Luxuries also were to be found: a druggist sold me an ounce of opium93 at a Chinese price.
With reeling limbs we landed at Al-Wijh,12 and finding a large coffee-house above and near the beach, we installed ourselves there. But the Persians who preceded us had occupied all the shady places outside, and were correcting their teeth with their case knives; we were forced to content ourselves with the interior. It was a building of artless construction, consisting of little but a roof supported by wooden posts, roughly hewn from date trees: round the tamped94 earthen floor ran a raised bench of unbaked brick, forming a diwan for mats and sleeping-rugs. In the centre a huge square Mastabah, or platform, answered a similar purpose. Here and there appeared attempts at long and side walls, but these superfluities had been allowed to admit daylight through large gaps. In one corner stood the apparatus95 of the “Kahwahji,” an altar-like elevation96, also of earthen-work, containing a hole for a charcoal97 fire, upon which were three huge coffee-pots dirtily tinned. Near it were ranged the Shishas, or Egyptian hookahs, old, exceedingly unclean, and worn by age and hard work. A wooden framework, pierced with circular apertures98, supported a number of porous99 earthenware100 gullehs (gargoulettes, or monkey jars) full of cold, sweet water; the charge for each was, as usual in Al-Hijaz, five paras. Such was the furniture of the cafe, and the only relief to the barrenness of the view was a fine mellowing101 atmosphere composed of smoke, steam, flies, and gnats102 in about equal proportions. I have been diffuse103 in my description of the coffee-house, as it was a type of its class: from Alexandria to Aden the traveller will everywhere meet with buildings of the same kind.
Our happiness in this Paradise-for such it was to us after the “Golden Wire” — was nearly sacrificed by Sa’ad the Demon, whose abominable104 temper led him at once into a quarrel with the master of the cafe. And the latter, an ill-looking, squint-eyed, low-browed, broad-shouldered fellow, showed himself nowise unwilling105 to meet the Demon half way. The two worthies106, after a brief bandying of bad words, seized each other’s throats leisurely107, so as to give the spectators time and encouragement to interfere108. But when friends and acquaintances were hanging on to both heroes so firmly that they could not move hand or arm, their wrath109, as usual, rose, till it was terrible to see. The little village resounded110 with the war, and many a sturdy knave111 rushed in, sword or cudgel in hand, so as not to lose the sport. During the heat of the fray112, a pistol which was in Omar Effendi’s hand went off-accidentally of course-and the ball passed so close to the tins containing the black and muddy Mocha, that it drew the attention of all parties. As if by magic, the storm was lulled113. A friend recognised Sa’ad the Demon, and swore that he was no black slave, but a soldier at Al-Madinah — “no waiter, but a Knight114 Templar.” This caused him to be looked upon as rather a distinguished115 man, and he proved his right to the honour by insisting that his late enemy should feed with him, and when the other decorously hung back, by dragging him to dinner with loud cries.
My alias116 that day was severely117 tried. Besides the Persian pilgrims, a number of nondescripts who came in the same vessel were hanging about the coffee-house; lying down, smoking, drinking water, bathing and picking their teeth with their daggers118. One inquisitive119 man was always at my side. He called himself a Pathan (Afghan settled in India); he could speak five or six languages, he knew a number of people everywhere, and he had travelled far and wide over Central Asia. These fellows are always good detectors120 of an incognito121. I avoided answering his question about my native place, and after telling him that I had no longer name or nation, being a Darwaysh, I asked him, when he insisted upon my having been born somewhere, to guess for himself. To my joy he claimed me for a brother Pathan, and in course of conversation he declared himself to be the nephew of an Afghan merchant, a gallant46 old man who had been civil to me at Cairo. We then sat smoking together with “effusion.” Becoming confidential122, he complained that he, a Sunni, or orthodox Moslem123, had been abused, maltreated, and beaten by his fellow-travellers, the heretical Persian pilgrims. I naturally offered to arm my party, to take up our cudgels, and to revenge my compatriot. This thoroughly124 Sulaymanian style of doing business could not fail to make him sure of his man. He declined, however, wisely remembering that he had nearly a fortnight of the Persians’ society still to endure. But he promised himself the gratification, when he reached Meccah, of sheathing125 his Charay13 in the chief offender’s heart.
At 8 A.M. on the 14th July we left Al-Wijh, after passing a night, tolerably comfortable by contrast, in the coffee-house. We took with us the stores necessary, for though our Rais had promised to anchor under Jabal Hassani that evening, no one believed him. We sailed among ledges126 of rock, golden sands, green weeds, and in some places through yellow lines of what appeared to me at a distance foam127 after a storm. All day a sailor sat upon the masthead, looking at the water, which was transparent as blue glass, and shouting out the direction. This precaution was somewhat stultified128 by the roar of voices, which never failed to mingle with the warning, but we wore every half hour, and we did not run aground. About midday we passed by Shaykh Hasan al-Marabit’s tomb. It is the usual domed129 and whitewashed130 building, surrounded by the hovels of its guardians131, standing upon a low flat island of yellow rock, vividly132 reminding me of certain scenes in Sind. Its dreary133 position attracts to it the attention of passing travellers; the dead saint has a prayer and a Fatihah for the good of his soul, and the live sinner wends his way with religious refreshment134.
Near sunset the wind came on to blow freshly, and we cast anchor together with the Persian pilgrims upon a rock. This was one of the celebrated135 coral reefs of the Red Sea, and the sight justified Forskal’s emphatic136 description-luxus lususque naturae. It was a huge ledge66 or platform rising but little above the level of the deep; the water-side was perpendicular137 as the wall of a fort; and, whilst a frigate138 might have floated within a yard of it, every ripple139 dashed over the reef, replenishing the little basins and hollows in the surface. The colour of the waves near it was a vivid amethyst. In the distance the eye rested upon what appeared to be meadows of brilliant flowers resembling those of earth, only far brighter and more lovely. Nor was this Land of the Sea wholly desolate140. Gulls141 and terns here swam the tide; there, seated upon the coral, devoured142 their prey143. In the air, troops of birds contended noisily for a dead flying fish,14 and in the deep water they chased a shoal, which, in fright and hurry to escape the pursuers, veiled the surface with spray and foam. And as night came on the scene shifted, displaying fresh beauties. Shadows clothed the background, whose features, dimly revealed, allowed full scope to the imagination. In the forepart of the picture lay the sea, shining under the rays of the moon with a metallic144 lustre145; while its border, where the wavelets dashed upon the reef, was lit by what the Arabs call the “jewels of the deep15” — brilliant flashes of phosphoric light giving an idea of splendour which Art would vainly strive to imitate. Altogether it was a bit of fairyland, a spot for nymphs and sea-gods to disport146 upon: you might have heard, without astonishment147, old Proteus calling his flocks with the writhed148 conch; and Aphrodite seated in her shell would have been only a fit and proper climax149 for its loveliness.
But — as philosophically150 remarked by Sir Cauline the Knyghte —
“Every whyte must have its blacke,
And every sweete its soure”
— this charming coral reef was nearly being the scene of an ugly accident. The breeze from seaward set us slowly but steadily151 towards the reef, a fact of which we soon became conscious. Our anchor was not dragging; it had not rope enough to touch the bottom, and vainly we sought for more. In fact the “Golden Wire” was as disgracefully deficient152 in all the appliances of safety, as any English merchantman in the nineteenth century, — a circumstance which accounts for the shipwrecks153 and for the terrible loss of life perpetually occurring about the Pilgrimage-season in these seas. Had she struck upon the razor-like edges of the coral-reef, she would have melted away like a sugar-plum in the ripple, for the tide was rising at the time. Having nothing better to do, we began to make as much noise as possible. Fortunately for us, the Rais commanding the Persian’s boat was an Arab from Jeddah; and more than once we had treated him with great civility. Guessing the cause of our distress154, he sent two sailors overboard with a cable; they swam gallantly155 up to us; and in a few minutes we were safely moored156 to the stern of our useful neighbour. Which done, we applied157 ourselves to the grateful task of beating our Rais, and richly had he deserved it. Before noon, when the wind was shifting, he had not once given himself the trouble to wear; and when the breeze was falling, he preferred dosing to taking advantage of what little wind remained. With energy we might have been moored that night comfortably under the side of Hassani Island, instead of floating about on an unquiet sea with a lee-shore of coral-reef within a few yards of our counter.
At dawn the next day (15th July) we started. We made Jabal Hassani16 about noon, and an hour or so before sunset we glided into Marsa Mahar. Our resting-place resembled Marsa Dumayghah at an humble158 distance; the sides of the cove22, however, were bolder and more precipitous. The limestone rocks presented a peculiar159 appearance; in some parts the base and walls had crumbled160 away, leaving a coping to project like a canopy; in others the wind and rain had cut deep holes, and pierced the friable161 material with caverns162 that looked like the work of art. There was a pretty opening of backwood at the bottom of the cove; and palm trees in the blue distance gladdened our eyes, which pined for the sight of something green. The Rais, as usual, would have terrified us with a description of the Hutaym tribe that holds these parts, and I knew from Welsted and Moresby that it is a debased race. But forty-eight hours of cramps163 on board ship would make a man think lightly of a much more imminent164 danger.
Wading165 to shore we cut our feet with the sharp rocks. I remember to have felt the acute pain of something running into my toe: but after looking at the place and extracting what appeared to be a bit of thorn,17 I dismissed the subject, little guessing the trouble it was to give me. Having scaled the rocky side of the cove, we found some half-naked Arabs lying in the shade; they were unarmed, and had nothing about them except their villainous countenances166 wherewith to terrify the most timid. These men still live in limestone caves, like the Thamud tribe of tradition; also they are Ichthyophagi, existing without any other subsistence but what the sea affords. They were unable to provide us with dates, flesh, or milk, but they sold us a kind of fish called in India “Bui”: broiled167 upon the embers, it proved delicious.
After we had eaten and drunk and smoked, we began to make merry; and the Persians, who, fearing to come on shore, had kept to their conveyance168, appeared proper butts169 for the wit of some of our party: one of us stood up and pronounced the orthodox call to prayer, after which the rest joined in a polemical hymn170, exalting171 the virtues and dignity of the first three Caliphs.18 Then, as general on such occasions, the matter was made personal by informing the Persians in a kind of rhyme sung by the Meccan gamins, that they were the “slippers of Ali and the dogs of Omar.” But as they were too frightened to reply, my companions gathered up their cooking utensils172, and returned to the “Golden Wire,” melancholy, like disappointed candidates for the honours of Donnybrook.
Our next day was silent and weary, for we were all surly, and heartily173 sick of being on board ship. We should have made Yambu’ in the evening but for the laziness of the Rais. Having duly beaten him, we anchored on the open coast, insufficiently174 protected by a reef, and almost in sight of our destination. In the distance rose Jabal Radhwah or Radhwa,19 one of the “Mountains of Paradise20” in which honoured Arabia abounds175. It is celebrated by poetry as well as by piety176.
“Did Radhwah strive to support my woes177,
Radhwah itself would be crushed by the weight,”
says Antar.21 It supplies Al-Madinah with hones. I heard much of its valleys and fruits and bubbling springs, but afterwards I learned to rank these tales with the superstitious178 legends which are attached to it. Gazing at its bare and ghastly heights, one of our party, whose wit was soured by the want of fresh bread, surlily remarked that such a heap of ugliness deserved ejection from heaven, — an irreverence179 too public to escape general denunciation. We waded180 on shore, cooked there, and passed the night; we were short of fresh water, which, combined with other grievances181, made us as surly as bears. Sa’ad the Demon was especially vicious; his eyes gazed fixedly182 on the ground, his lips protruded183 till you might have held up his face by them, his mouth was garnished184 with bad wrinkles, and he never opened it but he grumbled185 out a wicked word. He solaced186 himself that evening by crawling slowly on all-fours over the boy Mohammed, taking scrupulous187 care to place one knee upon the sleeper’s face. The youth awoke in a fiery rage: we all roared with laughter; and the sulky Negro, after savouring the success of his spite, grimly, as but half satisfied, rolled himself, like a hedgehog, into a ball; and, resolving to be offensive even in his forgetfulness, snored violently all night.
We slept upon the sands and arose before dawn (July 17), determined188 to make the Rais start in time that day. A slip of land separated us from our haven189, but the wind was foul86, and by reason of rocks and shoals, we had to make a considerable detour190.
It was about noon on the twelfth day after our departure from Suez, when, after slowly beating up the narrow creek leading to Yambu’ harbour, we sprang into a shore-boat and felt new life when bidding an eternal adieu to the vile74 “Golden Wire.”
I might have escaped much of this hardship and suffering by hiring a vessel to myself. There would then have been a cabin to retire into at night, and shade from the sun; moreover, the voyage would have lasted five, not twelve, days. But I wished to witness the scenes on board a pilgrim ship, — scenes so much talked of by the Moslem palmer home-returned. Moreover, the hire was exorbitant191, ranging from L40 to L50, and it would have led to a greater expenditure192, as the man who can afford to take a boat must pay in proportion during his land journey. In these countries you perforce go on as you begin: to “break one’s expenditure,” that is to say, to retrench193 expenses, is considered all but impossible. We have now left the land of Egypt.
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1
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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steadfast
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| adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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titanic
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| adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的 | |
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amethyst
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| n.紫水晶 | |
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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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7
mingle
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| vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往 | |
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tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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9
tints
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| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
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belles
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| n.美女( belle的名词复数 )；最美的美女 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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firmament
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| n.苍穹；最高层 | |
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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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ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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blisters
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| n.水疱( blister的名词复数 )；水肿；气泡 | |
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parches
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| v.（使）焦干， （使）干透( parch的第三人称单数 )；使（某人）极口渴 | |
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reverberated
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| 回响，回荡( reverberate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射 | |
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reeking
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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21
canopy
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| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
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22
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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23
tawny
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| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
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24
sapphire
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| n.青玉，蓝宝石；adj.天蓝色的 | |
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25
tinged
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
mantled
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| 披着斗篷的，覆盖着的 | |
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27
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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29
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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30
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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31
pinnacles
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| 顶峰( pinnacle的名词复数 )； 顶点； 尖顶； 小尖塔 | |
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32
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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33
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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34
brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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35
venial
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| adj.可宽恕的；轻微的 | |
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36
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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37
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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38
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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39
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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40
slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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41
grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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42
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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43
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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44
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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45
sweepingly
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| adv.扫荡地 | |
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46
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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47
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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48
civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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49
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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50
barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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51
geniality
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| n.和蔼，诚恳；愉快 | |
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52
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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53
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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54
justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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55
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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56
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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57
deter
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| vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住 | |
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58
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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59
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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60
piously
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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61
peruse
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| v.细读，精读 | |
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62
withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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63
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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64
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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65
almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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66
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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67
glorified
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| 美其名的，变荣耀的 | |
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68
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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69
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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70
discomforts
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| n.不舒适( discomfort的名词复数 )；不愉快，苦恼 | |
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71
latitudes
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| 纬度 | |
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72
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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73
brewing
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| n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式 | |
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74
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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75
slipper
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| n.拖鞋 | |
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76
exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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77
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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78
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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79
limestone
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| n.石灰石 | |
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80
mariner
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| n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者 | |
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81
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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82
indents
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| v.切割…使呈锯齿状( indent的第三人称单数 )；缩进排版 | |
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83
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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84
locus
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| n.中心 | |
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85
arid
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| adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的 | |
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86
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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87
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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88
gull
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| n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈 | |
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89
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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90
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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91
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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92
caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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93
opium
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| n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的 | |
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94
tamped
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| v.捣固( tamp的过去式和过去分词 )；填充；（用炮泥）封炮眼口；夯实 | |
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95
apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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96
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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97
charcoal
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| n.炭，木炭，生物炭 | |
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98
apertures
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| n.孔( aperture的名词复数 )；隙缝；（照相机的）光圈；孔径 | |
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99
porous
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| adj.可渗透的，多孔的 | |
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100
earthenware
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| n.土器，陶器 | |
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101
mellowing
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| 软化，醇化 | |
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102
gnats
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| n.叮人小虫( gnat的名词复数 ) | |
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103
diffuse
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| v.扩散；传播；adj.冗长的；四散的，弥漫的 | |
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104
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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105
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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106
worthies
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| 应得某事物( worthy的名词复数 )； 值得做某事； 可尊敬的； 有（某人或事物）的典型特征 | |
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107
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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108
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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109
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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110
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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111
knave
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| n.流氓；（纸牌中的）杰克 | |
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112
fray
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| v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗 | |
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113
lulled
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| vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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114
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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115
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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116
alias
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| n.化名；别名；adv.又名 | |
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117
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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118
daggers
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| 匕首，短剑( dagger的名词复数 ) | |
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119
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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120
detectors
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| 探测器( detector的名词复数 ) | |
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121
incognito
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| adv.匿名地；n.隐姓埋名；adj.化装的，用假名的，隐匿姓名身份的 | |
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122
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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123
Moslem
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| n.回教徒，穆罕默德信徒；adj.回教徒的，回教的 | |
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124
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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125
sheathing
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| n.覆盖物，罩子v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的现在分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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126
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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127
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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128
stultified
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| v.使成为徒劳，使变得无用( stultify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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129
domed
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| adj. 圆屋顶的, 半球形的, 拱曲的 动词dome的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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130
whitewashed
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| 粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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131
guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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132
vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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133
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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134
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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135
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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136
emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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137
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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138
frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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139
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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140
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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141
gulls
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| n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 ) | |
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142
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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143
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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144
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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145
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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146
disport
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| v.嬉戏，玩 | |
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147
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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148
writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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149
climax
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| n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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philosophically
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| adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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152
deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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153
shipwrecks
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| 海难，船只失事( shipwreck的名词复数 )； 沉船 | |
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154
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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155
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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156
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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157
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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158
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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160
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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friable
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| adj.易碎的 | |
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162
caverns
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| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
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163
cramps
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| n. 抽筋, 腹部绞痛, 铁箍 adj. 狭窄的, 难解的 v. 使...抽筋, 以铁箍扣紧, 束缚 | |
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164
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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166
countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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167
broiled
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| a.烤过的 | |
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168
conveyance
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| n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具 | |
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169
butts
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| 笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂 | |
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170
hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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171
exalting
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| a.令人激动的，令人喜悦的 | |
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172
utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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173
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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174
insufficiently
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| adv.不够地，不能胜任地 | |
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175
abounds
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的第三人称单数 ) | |
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piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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177
woes
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| 困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉 | |
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178
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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179
irreverence
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| n.不尊敬 | |
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180
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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181
grievances
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| n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚 | |
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fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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183
protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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garnished
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| v.给（上餐桌的食物）加装饰( garnish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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185
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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186
solaced
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| v.安慰，慰藉( solace的过去分词 ) | |
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187
scrupulous
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| adj.审慎的，小心翼翼的，完全的，纯粹的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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189
haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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190
detour
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| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
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191
exorbitant
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| adj.过分的；过度的 | |
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192
expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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193
retrench
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| v.节省，削减 | |
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