In the whaler went my father, the doctor, and five seamen5, while the gig contained Uncle Herbert, three seamen, and myself; the bos'n and the quartermaster, two deck hands, and Yadillah remaining on board the "Fortuna." Both boats were armed, while the Q.-F. was ready for instant action in case of a surprise.
A gentle pull for about half a mile brought the boats to the approximate position of the wreck of the Spanish treasure ship. This we found to be just inside the reef, which at this point was less than a foot above the surface, the gush6 of the breakers causing a heavy swell7 as the larger of the rollers broke over the ridge8 of coral.
Inside the reef at this point the lagoon9 was too deep to distinguish the bottom, while, judging from the colour of the water, it descended11 abruptly12 into a large hole or crater13. After sounding for two hours we found that such was the case, for, although the average depth of the lagoon was but six fathoms14, there was a sunken bed, roughly 400 yards in length and 120 in breadth, where bottom was found at from twelve to fifteen fathoms, the deepest part being close to the reef. By the "arming" of the lead—the tallow placed in a cavity in the bottom of the sinker—the bed was found to be composed, not of fine white sand like the greater part of the lagoon, but of mud and sand mixed into a dark, gritty substance, with plenty of vegetable growth.
It was the time of spring tides, and the rise, though but three feet, was sufficient to prevent the divers15 from descending16 on account of the constant swell over the reef; so, while waiting till the tide had subsided17 sufficiently18 to allow the coral to act as a breakwater, the grapnels were brought into play in the hope of finding some portions of the wreck.
Cast after cast resulted in nothing more than the disturbing of the bottom to such an extent that the clear water became discoloured till it resembled liquid mud, and though masses of long, tendril-like seaweed were brought up, there were no indications of any foreign substance lying on the floor of the lagoon. At length one of the irons brought up a piece of wood, water-logged and covered with weeds and barnacles.
Whipping out his knife, Uncle Herbert scraped the excrescences from the piece of timber and, to the delight of the crews of both boats—for the whaler, on hearing of the find, had come alongside the gig—he announced that it was a fragment of oak planking, with the marks of the bolts and trenails still plainly visible.
"It's part of an old ship, beyond doubt," he remarked. "See! the wood is almost as hard as iron, yet black with years of submersion in salt water. I think we are somewhere near the mark."
"So far, so good," replied my father. "But I think we'll have a spell now. Just buoy19 the spot before we leave, and the divers can descend10 later in the day."
We returned to the "Fortuna," the boats being left at the booms instead of being hoisted20 inboard, while the diving-suits were carefully overhauled21 and the valves tested.
While we were at lunch the bos'n reported: "Natives coming off, sir."
"Bother the natives!" exclaimed Dr. Conolly. "Their attentions are becoming too frequent. Let's see what they want this time."
Upon going on deck we found that a fleet of twenty small outrigger canoes was approaching, their occupants being without the war costumes which they wore on the previous occasion. As they came nearer they waved their hands in token of friendship, and displayed baskets of yams, coconuts22, taro23, and bananas, while one or two had live pigs trussed to bamboos.
"We shall have to watch them carefully," remarked my father, "although they are not armed. Keep your rifles handy, but on no account frighten them. The provisions will be most acceptable, for we will have to be dependent on the island for food and water for some time."
The leading canoe came dexterously24 alongside, and a tall, well-built man, who was apparently25 a chief, sprang up the side and gained the deck, accompanied by five of his companions. Others would have followed, but by a peremptory26 gesture the bos'n kept them off.
The chief, who was head and shoulders taller than the rest of the natives, ran towards my father and went through the nose-rubbing ceremony, doing the same honour to my Uncle Herbert, Dr. Conolly, and myself; then, rapidly speaking a few words to his companions, he made signs for us to accept the presents they brought.
In a few minutes the various eatables were flying over the bulwarks27 in a manner somewhat resembling, but far more pleasant than, the shower of stones with which they had greeted us on the previous day, till the skylight was heaped with enough fruit and vegetables to last us a week, and half a dozen squealing28 pigs lay struggling in the scuppers.
In return we presented the chief with a small looking-glass, which he hung round his neck, a hatchet29, some cloth and beads30, and two empty three-pounder brass31 cylinders32. The latter he received with considerable trepidity, but finally he bound them with a strip of cocoa-fibre and dangled33 them from his mop of thick hair, laughing in high glee as they clanked with every movement of his head.
We then took him all over the yacht, keeping a sharp eye on the natives, who, having recovered their usual spirits, were laughing and talking and making signs in dumb show like delighted children, and showed a tendency to pilfer34 any small metal articles they could conveniently hide. Even when detected in the act of thieving they would roar with merriment as if proud of being found out, and on putting down the stolen articles they would rub noses with the nearest member of the crew, and immediately lay hands on the next object that took their fancy.
For the chief's edification the Q.-F. was discharged, upon which he fell on the deck and hid his head in his arms. To still further impress him, a barrel was towed to a good distance from the yacht and a few rounds from the maxim35 knocked it into a multitude of splinters. The bilgepump took his fancy to such an extent that he ordered two of his followers36 to continue working on it, till the pump sucked dry with a gurgling noise that caused the men to drop the levers as if they were red-hot.
At length, after many signs whereby he clearly expressed a wish for us to visit him ashore37, the chief was induced to go over the side, and to the accompaniment of a weird38 song of welcome uttered by fifty lusty voices, he was paddled at a great rate to the beach.
"A spell ashore will be a change, Reggie," remarked my father. "Shall we have a look at their village?"
"Will it be safe?"
"I think so, if we take proper precautions. The natives evidently have had a good object-lesson, and I don't think they will give us any trouble."
So the gig was manned, and my father, the doctor, myself, and five men went ashore. We were all armed, and, in addition, four large breakers were taken in order to replenish39 the supply of fresh water.
"We will be back within two hours, I hope," said my father to Uncle Herbert on pushing off; "keep an eye on the shore, however, although I don't anticipate any trouble. In the meantime get the diving-gear into the whaler and we'll make a start directly we return."
Nearly the whole village awaited us on the sandy shore, and once again the ceremony of rubbing noses was performed with the chief and several of the head men. Leaving two of the men to guard the boat, with instructions to lie a few yards off shore and to fire their rifles should they hear the report of ours, we made our way towards the village, accompanied by the chief men and followed by the shouting throng40.
There was a broad but winding41 path through the dense42 scrub, which, ascending43 a gentle rise, presently entered a thick belt of palm-trees. On one side of the road was a bubbling stream, but from the "Fortuna" there were no signs of its entering the sea, so we concluded it fed a lake in the depths of the brushwood.
On emerging from the palm-wood half an hour later we came upon a large clearing, in the centre of which was a stockade44 surrounding the village. A narrow gateway45 gave access to the huts, which were substantially built and roofed with palm-leaves. The chief led the way to his house, a long structure built of trimmed trunks of trees, decorated in many vivid colours.
Outside was a kind of veranda46, under which rugs of coco-fibre were placed, and squatting47 down on his heels, the chief motioned us to do likewise, while pieces of baked meat, yams, and coco-nuts were placed before us.
"I don't think we had better touch the meat," remarked the doctor. "It might be——" and a suggestive shrug48 of his shoulders completed the sentence.
"Do you think it possible that these men are cannibals?" I asked.
"Possible and highly probable," replied Dr. Conolly. "But that we shall soon find out."
Presently the chief clapped his hands, and the crowd in front of us, who were regarding us with the greatest curiosity, fell back, forming a large semicircle. Into the space sprang two men, dressed in full native armour49 of thick fibre with fish-skin helmets, and without a moment's hesitation50 they attacked each other with large clubs of heavy wood.
Yelling and shouting, they jumped about with marvellous agility51, their ponderous52 weapons clashing with a dull thud so frequently that the sound resembled the beating of a rattle53.
"Don't worry, Reggie," said my father, noticing the anxious look on my face; "they are only playing to amuse us—a sort of return on the part of the chief for showing him——"
"Are they playing? Look!" exclaimed the doctor, springing to his feet, for at that moment one of the combatants, nimbly avoiding a sweeping54 blow, had shortened his club and struck his opponent fairly between the eyes. The fish-skin crumpled55 before the blow as if made of paper, and the man sank senseless to the ground, and with a whoop56 of triumph the victor tore off the other's head-dress, and, drawing a jagged-edged sword of shark's teeth, proceeded to make a variety of fancy cuts and passes before hewing57 off the head of his senseless victim.
"Stop that!" shouted the doctor, in a voice that made his meaning perfectly58 clear, and, seeing that the savage59 was still bent60 on carrying out his intention, Dr. Conolly sprang over the intervening ground in three bounds, and, before the man could grasp the situation, he struck him such a blow on the extremity61 of the jaw-bone that, in spite of the protection afforded by the stiff cocoafibre, the native was hurled62 backwards63 as if struck by a thunderbolt.
Fortunately for us, the chief took this interruption in apparent good part; the stricken victor of the fight picked himself up and disappeared amongst the crowd while the senseless man was carried to a hut in a most indifferent manner by a party of women.
Presently my father made signs to the chief that he would like to inspect the village, to which request he assented64.
Facing the chief's hut was a stockade similar to, though smaller than, that which surrounded the village, and towards this he led the way. At the gateway were two men, dressed in long cloak-like dresses of white feathers, their faces painted red and yellow, and their hair stiffened65 out like an enormous turban. Bending thrice, the chief made obeisance66 to these fearsome-looking individuals, then he turned and walked slowly past the gate, without attempting to enter.
"What's inside, I wonder?" exclaimed the doctor. "Let's have a peep in." And, leaving us, he made for the entrance to the inner stockade; but, before he could carry out his intention, the crowds of natives who followed in our footsteps ran between him and the gate, uttering shrill67 cries of rage, while the chief, roused to sudden anger, seized him by the shoulders and dragged him away, as if incensed68 at the doctor's audacity69.
It seemed as if a serious affray was imminent70, but at length the tumult71 died away, and the chief resumed his tour of inspection72, though, I noticed, he scowled73 at Dr. Conolly whenever he glanced that way.
"They cut up pretty rough over that affair, didn't they?" remarked the doctor, on returning to the shore.
"Yes; I thought we were in for trouble. You really must be careful, Conolly, not to offend them."
"But I couldn't sit there and see a fellow's head hacked74 off in that cold-blooded fashion."
"I do not refer to that, although the consequences might have been awkward. It's the other incident. No doubt that enclosure contains a temple, and is held in veneration75 by these savages76."
"They are only a horde77 of heathen fanatics78."
"Yes, but there are quite enough of them to wipe us out. Remember, we are not here to give the British Government an excuse for colonial expansion, but to try and wrest79 a treasure from the depths of the ocean. However, here come the men with the breakers, so we'll hurry back to the yacht."
The fresh-water barricoes were placed in the gig, and we shoved off, the boat cutting through the placid80 water at a great pace, for much work had to be done in the three hours that remained before sunset.
On running alongside the "Fortuna" the breakers were slung81 on board, and, in company with the whaler, in which were the divers and their apparatus82, we made for the buoy marking the spot where the piece of timber had been brought up by the grapnel.
Here the whaler was anchored fore1 and aft, and the two divers, Lewis and Burbidge, who were already clad in their dresses, were taken in hand by their attendants, who proceeded to affix83 the lead weights to their shoes, back, and chest. Then the copper84 helmets were firmly secured, the life-line and air-tube connections made, and the glass front was screwed in position.
The air-pumps began to work, and, assisted by willing hands, both divers crawled over the side of the whaler, and amidst a turmoil85 of bubbles caused by the escaping air, they sank beneath the surface. For a considerable distance they were plainly visible, but gradually their grotesque86 outlines grew fainter and fainter, till a slight bubbling on the surface alone betrayed their whereabouts.
Over half an hour passed, but no signal came from either man, though we observed that the water became discoloured with dirt, and the train of bubbles, after leading some distance from the boats, finally became stationary87. The divers had ceased their submarine walk, and had evidently found something worthy88 of their attention.
At length came a series of tugs89 on the life-lines, and slowly ropes and air-tubes came home over the gunwale, till both copper helmets appeared simultaneously90 on opposite sides of the whaler, where ready hands helped the wearers on board.
"Found anything?" asked my father, the moment the glass discs were unscrewed.
"Yes, sir," replied Lewis, who held in his hand a weed-grown object that had once been a dead-eye. "Yes, sir. She's there, right enough, but she's sunk in the mud and sand, and her decks are covered with long weeds ."
"Aye," assented Burbidge. "She's on an even keel, but nearly flush with the bottom; and, worse luck, her decks seem as sound as ever they were."
"Not worse luck," replied my father "for had the decks been rotten, the timbers would have been rotten also, and the wreck would have been strewn all over the bed of the lagoon. All we have to do, my lads, is to put a charge under her upper deck and blow it up."
"And then?" asked the doctor.
"And then," rejoined my father, with a voice that carried conviction, "we'll bring up the treasure."
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1
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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awnings
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| 篷帐布 | |
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enervating
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| v.使衰弱，使失去活力( enervate的现在分词 ) | |
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seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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gush
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| v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发 | |
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swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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10
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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15
divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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buoy
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| n.浮标；救生圈；v.支持，鼓励 | |
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hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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overhauled
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| v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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coconuts
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| n.椰子( coconut的名词复数 )；椰肉，椰果 | |
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taro
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| n.芋，芋头 | |
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dexterously
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| adv.巧妙地，敏捷地 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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bulwarks
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| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
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squealing
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
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hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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cylinders
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| n.圆筒( cylinder的名词复数 )；圆柱；汽缸；（尤指用作容器的）圆筒状物 | |
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dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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pilfer
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| v.盗，偷，窃 | |
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maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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replenish
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| vt.补充；(把…)装满；(再)填满 | |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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42
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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stockade
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| n.栅栏，围栏；v.用栅栏防护 | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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46
veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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48
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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49
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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50
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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51
agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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52
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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53
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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54
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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55
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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56
whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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57
hewing
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| v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的现在分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟 | |
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58
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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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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60
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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61
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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62
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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63
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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64
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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66
obeisance
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| n.鞠躬，敬礼 | |
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67
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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68
incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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69
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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70
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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71
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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73
scowled
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hacked
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| 生气 | |
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veneration
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| n.尊敬，崇拜 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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horde
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| n.群众，一大群 | |
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fanatics
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| 狂热者，入迷者( fanatic的名词复数 ) | |
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wrest
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| n.扭，拧，猛夺；v.夺取，猛扭，歪曲 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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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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apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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affix
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| n.附件，附录 vt.附贴，盖(章)，签署 | |
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84
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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86
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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tugs
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| n.猛拉( tug的名词复数 )；猛拖；拖船v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的第三人称单数 ) | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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