masterman ready-第39章

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〃In　what　points　does　man　show　that　he　is　led　by　instinct？〃

〃When　a　child　is　first　born；　William；　it　acts　by　instinct　only：　the　reasoning　powers　are　not　yet　developed；　as　we　grow　up；　our　reason　becomes　every　day　more　matured；　and　gains　the　mastery　over　our　instinct；　which　decreases　in　proportion。〃

〃Then　when　we　have　grown　to　a　good　old　age；　I　suppose　we　have　no　instinct　left　in　us？〃

〃Not　so；　my　dear　boy；　there　is　one　and　a　most　powerful　instinct　implanted　in　man　which　never　deserts　him　on　this　side　of　the　grave。　It　is　the　fear；　not　of　death；　but　of　utter　annihilation；　that　of　becoming　nothing　after　death。　This　instinctive　feeling　could　not　have　been　so　deeply　implanted　in　us；　but　as　an　assurance　that　we　shall　not　be　annihilated　after　death；　but　that　our　souls　shall　still　exist；　although　our　bodies　shall　have　perished。　It　may　be　termed　the　instinctive　evidence　of　a　future　existence。〃

〃That　is　very　true；　Mr。　Seagrave；〃　observed　Ready。

〃Instinct　in　animals；　William；〃　continued　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃is　a　feeling　which　compels　them　to　perform　certain　acts　without　previous　thought　or　reflection；　this　instinct　is　in　full　force　at　the　moment　of　their　birth；　it　was　therefore　perfect　in　the　beginning；　and　has　never　varied。　The　swallow　built　her　nest；　the　spider　its　web；　the　bee　formed　its　comb；　precisely　in　the　same　way　four　thousand　years　ago；　as　they　do　now。　I　may　here　observe；　that　one　of　the　greatest　wonders　of　instinct　is　the　mathematical　form　of　the　honeycomb　of　the　bee；　which　has　been　proved　by　demonstration　to　be　that　by　which　is　given　the　greatest　possible　saving　of　time　and　labour。〃

〃But　that　is　all　pure　instinct；　papa；　now　you　said　that　animals　had　reasoning　powers。　Will　you　point　out　to　me　how　they　show　that　they　have？〃

〃I　will；　my　dear　boy；　but　we　had　better　defer　it　till　another　evening。　It　is　now　time　to　go　to　bed。〃



Chapter　LIV

The　following　day；　being　Sunday；　was　devoted　to　the　usual　religious　exercises。　Tommy　stole　away　out　of　the　tent；　while　Mr。　Seagrave　was　reading　a　sermon；　to　have　a　peep　at　the　turtle…soup；　which　was　boiling　on　the　fire；　however；　Juno　suspected　him；　and　had　hold　of　him　just　as　he　was　taking　the　lid　off　the　pot。　He　was　well　scolded；　and　very　much　frightened　lest　he　should　have　no　soup　for　his　dinner；　however；　as　it　was　not　a　very　heavy　offence；　he　was　forgiven。

In　the　evening；　William　requested　his　father　to　renew　the　conversation　about　the　reasoning　powers　of　animals。

〃With　pleasure；　William；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃it　is　a　fit　discourse　for　a　Sunday　evening。　Let　us；　however；　first　examine　the　various　mental　faculties　discoverable　in　animals。　In　the　first　place；　they　have　memory；　especially　memory　of　persons　and　places；　quite　as　tenacious　as　our　own。　A　dog　will　recognize　an　old　master　after　many　years　absence。　An　elephant；　who　had　again　escaped　into　the　woods；　after　twenty　years　remaining　in　a　wild　state；　recognized　his　old　mahoot；　or　driver。　A　dog　will　find　his　way　back　when　taken　more　than　a　hundred　miles　from　his　master's　residence。　Another　proof　of　memory　in　animals；　were　it　required；　is　that　they　dream。　Now；　a　dream　is　a　confused　recollection　of　past　events；　and　how　often　do　you　not　hear　Romulus　and　Remus　growling；　barking；　and　whining　in　their　sleep！〃

〃Very　true；　papa。〃

〃Well；　then；　they　have　attention。　See　how　patiently　a　cat　will　remain　for　hours　before　a　hole；　in　watch　for　the　mouse　to　come　out。　A　spider　will　remain　for　months　watching　for　the　fly　to　enter　its　web；　but　this　quality　is　to　be　observed　in　every　animal　in　the　pursuit　of　its　prey。　They　have　also　association　of　ideas；　which　is；　in　fact；　reasoning。　A　dog　proves　that；　he　will　allow　a　gentleman　to　come　up　to　the　door；　but　fly　at　a　beggar。　When　he　is　in　charge　of　any　property　he　will　take　no　notice　of　a　passer…by；　but　if　a　man　stops；　he　barks　immediately。　In　the　elephant　this　association　of　ideas　is　even　more　remarkable；　indeed；　he　understands　what　is　said　to　him　better　than　any　other　animal；　his　reasoning　powers　are　most　extraordinary。　Promise　him　rewards；　and　he　will　make　wonderful　exertion。　He　is　also　extremely　alive　to　a　sense　of　shame。　The　elephants　were　employed　to　transport　the　heavy　artillery　in　India。　One　of　the　finest　attempted　in　vain　to　force　a　gun　through　a　swamp。　‘Take　away　that　lazy　beast；'　said　the　director　‘and　bring　another。'　The　animal　was　so　stung　with　the　reproach；　that　it　used　so　much　exertion　to　force　the　gun　on　with　its　head；　as　to　fracture　its　skull；　and　it　fell　dead。　When　Chunee；　the　elephant　which　was　so　long　in　Exeter　Change；　was　ordered　as　usual　to　take　up　a　sixpence　with　his　trunk；　it　happened　one　day　that　the　sixpence　rolled　against　the　skirting…board；　out　of　his　reach。　Chunee　stopped；　and　reflected　a　little　while；　and　then；　drawing　the　air　into　his　trunk；　he　threw　it　out　with　all　his　force　against　the　skirting…board；　the　rebound　of　the　air　from　the　skirting…board　blew　the　sixpence　towards　him；　and　he　was　enabled　to　reach　it。〃

〃That　was　very　clever　of　him；〃　replied　William。

〃Yes；　it　was　a　proof　of　thought；　with　a　knowledge　of　cause　and　effect。　There　was　a　curious　instance　of　a　horse；　which；　by　the　bye；　I　consider　the　most　noble　animal　of　creation；　which　was　ridden　round　by　his　master；　to　deliver　newspapers。　He　invariably　stopped　at　the　doors　where　papers　were　to　be　left；　but　it　happened　that　two　people；　living　at　different　houses；　took　in　a　weekly　newspaper　between　them；　and　it　was　agreed；　that　one　should　have　the　first　reading　of　it　on　one　week；　and　the　other　on　the　following。　After　a　short　time　the　horse　became　accustomed　to　this　arrangement；　and　stopped　at　the　one　house　on　the　one　week；　and　at　the　other　house　on　the　following；　never　making　a　mistake。〃

〃That　was　very　curious；　what　a　sagacious　animal　he　must　have　been！〃　observed　William。

〃Animals　also　are；　as　you　know；　capable　of　receiving　instruction；　which　is　another　proof　of　reasoning　powers。　The　elephant；　the　horse；　the　dog；　the　pig；　even　birds　may　be　taught　a　great　deal。〃

〃But　then；　papa；　I　still　wish　to　know　where　the　line　is　to　be　drawn　between　reason　and　instinct。〃

〃I　was　about　to　come　to　that　very　point；　William。　When　animals　follow　their　instinct　in　providing　their　food；　bringing　up　their　young；　and　in　their　precautions　against　danger；　they　follow　certain　fixed　rules；　from　which　they　never　deviate。　But　circumstances　may　occur　against　which　their　instinct　can　afford　them　no　regular　provision；　then　it　is　that　their　reasoning　powers　are　called　into　action。　I　will　explain　this　by　stating　a　fact　relative　to　the　bee；　one　of　the　animals　upon　which　instinct　is　most　powerful　in　its　action。　There　is　a　certain　large　moth；　called　the　Death's…head　moth；　which　is　very　fond　of　honey。　It　sometimes　contrives　to　force　its　way　through　the　aperture　of　the　hive；　and　gain　an　entrance。　The　bees　immediately　attack　it；　and　it　is　soon　destroyed　by　their　stings；　but　the　carcass　is　so　large；　that　they　cannot　carry　it　out　of　the　hive；　as　they　invariably　do　the　bodies　of　the　smaller　insects　which　may　have　intruded；　and　it　appears　that　their　sense　of　smell　is　very　acute。　What；　then；　do　they　do　to　avoid　the　stench　arising　from　the　dead　body　of　this　large　moth？　Why；　they　embalm　it；　covering　it　entirely　with　wax；　by　which　it　no　longer　becomes　offensive　to　them。〃

〃But；　papa；　might　not　their　instinct　have　provided　for　such　an　event？〃　observed　William。

〃If　such　an　event　could　have　occurred　to　the　bees　in　their　wild　state；　you　certainly　might　have　raised　the　question；　but　recollect；　William；　that　bees　in　their　wild　state　live　in　the　hollows　of　trees；　and　that　the　hole　by　which　they　enter　is　never　more　than　sufficiently　large　to　admit　one　bee　at　a　time；　consequently；　no　animal　larger　than　a　bee　could　gain　entrance；　and　if　it　did；　could　of　course　have　been　easily　removed　from　the　hive；　but　the　bees　were　here　in　a　new　position；　in　an　artificial　state；　in　a　hive　of　straw　with　a　large　aperture；　and　therefore　met　with　an　exigence　they　were　not　prepared　for；　and　acted　accordingly。〃

〃Yes；　papa；　I　perceive　the　difference。〃

〃I　will　conclude　my　observations　with　one　remark。　It　appears　to　me；　that　although　the　Almighty　has　thought　proper　to　vary　the　intellectual　and　the　reasoning　powers　of　animals　in　the　same　way　that　he　has　varied　the　species　and　the　forms；　yet　even　in　this　arrangement　he　has　not　been　unmindful　of　the　interest　and　welfare　of　man。　For　you　will　observe；　that　the　reasoning　powers　are　chiefly；　if　not　wholly；　given　to　those　animals　which　man　subjects　to　his　service　and　for　his　use　…　the　elephant；　the　horse；　and　the　dog；　thereby　making　these　animals　of　more　value；　as　the　powers　given　to　them　are　at　the　service　and　under　the　control　of　man。〃



Chapter　LV

On　the　Monday　morning；　William　and　Ready　went　away　in　the　boat；　as　before；　to　bring　round　the　various　articles　from　the　cove。　It　had　been　arranged　that　they　were　not　to　return　till　the　Saturday　evening；　and　that　the　dog　Remus　was　to　bring　intelligence　of　them　and　their　welfare　every　afternoon。　They　worked　hard　during　the　week；　and　on　Saturday　they　had　completed　their　task；　with　the　exception　of　a　portion　of　the　timbers　of　the　ship；　everything　had　been　brought　round；　but　had　not　been　carried　up　to　the　storehouse；　as　that　required　more　time。

On　Saturday　morning；　they　went　for　the　last　time　to　the　cove；　and　Ready　selected　some　heavy　oak　timber　out　of　the　quantity　which　was　lying　on　the　beach；　part　of　which　they　put　into　the　boat；　and　the　remainder　they　towed　astern。　It　was　a　heavy　load；　and　although　the　wind　was　fair　to　sail　hack　again　to　the　bay；　the　boat　went　but　slowly　through　the　water。

〃Well；　William；〃　said　Ready；　〃we　have　done　a　good　week's　work；　and　I　must　say　it　is　high　time　that　it　is　done；　for　the　boat　is　in　rather　a　crazy　condition；　and　I　must　contrive　to　patch　her　up　by　and　by；　when　there　is　time。〃

〃We　shall　not　want　to　use　her　very　much　after　this；　Ready；〃　replied　William；　〃a　few　trips　round　to　the　little　harbour　will　be　all　that　will　be　required　before　we　come　back　again　to　our　old　quarters。〃

〃That's　true；　William；　but　she　leaks　very　much；　and　at　all　events　I'll　give　her　a　coat　of　pitch　as　soon　as　possible。　For　a　slight…built　little　thing　as　she　is；　she　has　done　hard　duty。〃

〃Pray；　Ready；　why；　when　you　speak　of　a　ship　or　boat；　do　you　always　call　it　she？〃

〃Well；　William；　I　don't　know　why；　but　it　is　certain　that　we　sailors　always　do　so。　I　believe　it　is　because　a　sailor　loves　his　ship。　His　ship　is　his　wife；　is　a　very　common　saying　with　us；　and　then　you　see；　Master　William；　a　vessel　is　almost　a　thing　of　life　in　appearance。　I　believe　that's　the　reason；　and　of　course　if　a　vessel　is　she；　a　little　boat　must　be　a　she　also。〃

〃Well；　I　think　you　have　explained　it　very　well；　Ready。　I　suppose　on　Monday　we　shall　set　to　at　the　storehouse；　and　alter　it　for　our　future　residence？〃

〃Can't　begin　too　soon；　William；〃　replied　Ready；　〃I　don't　doubt　but　Mr。　Seagrave　has　finished　the　hedge　and　ditch　round　the　yams　by　this　time；　and　if　so；　I　expect　Madam　will　not　like　to　be　left　in　the　tents　alone　with　Juno　and　the　children；　and　so　we　shall　all　move　back　to　the　house　again　until　we　have　altered　the　storehouse；　I　must　say　that　I　would　rather　your　mamma　remained　in　the　tents　until　all　was　finished。〃

〃Because　you　are　afraid　of　a　visit　from　the　savages；　Ready？〃

〃I　am；