south sea tales-第12章

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hundreds　of　us　on　board；　trying　to　put　out　the　fire；　heaving　up　water　from

overside；　when　the　schooner　blew　up。　So　that　all　we　had　fought　for　was　lost　to

us；　besides　many　more　of　us　being　killed。　Sometimes；　even　now；　in　my　old　age；

I　have　bad　dreams　in　which　I　hear　that　mate　yell；　Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'　In　a　voice

of　thunder　he　yells；　Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'　But　all　those　in　the　fishing　camps　were

killed。



〃The　mate　went　out　of　the　passage　in　his　little　boat；　and　that　was　the　end　of

him　we　made　sure；　for　how　could　so　small　a　boat；　with　four　men　in　it；　live　on

the　ocean？　A　month　went　by；　and　then；　one　morning；　between　two　rain　squalls；　a

schooner　sailed　in　through　our　passage　and　dropped　anchor　before　the　village。　

The　king　and　the　headmen　made　big　talk；　and　it　was　agreed　that　we　would　take

the　schooner　in　two　or　three　days。　In　the　meantime；　as　it　was　our　custom

always　to　appear　friendly；　we　went　off　to　her　in　canoes；　bringing　strings　of

cocoanuts；　fowls；　and　pigs；　to　trade。　But　when　we　were　alongside；　many　canoes

of　us；　the　men　on　board　began　to　shoot　us　with　rifles；　and　as　we　paddled　away

I　saw　the　mate　who　had　gone　to　sea　in　the　little　boat　spring　upon　the　rail　and

dance　and　yell；　　Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'



〃That　afternoon　they　landed　from　the　schooner　in　three　small　boats　filled　with

white　men。　They　went　right　through　the　village；　shooting　every　man　they　saw。　

Also　they　shot　the　fowls　and　pigs。　We　who　were　not　killed　got　away　in　canoes

and　paddled　out　into　the　lagoon。　Looking　back；　we　could　see　all　the　houses　on

fire。　　Late　in　the　afternoon　we　saw　many　canoes　coming　from　Nihi；　which　is　the

village　near　the　Nihi　Passage　in　the　northeast。　They　were　all　that　were　left；

and　like　us　their　village　had　been　burned　by　a　second　schooner　that　had　come

through　Nihi　Passage。



〃We　stood　on　in　the　darkness　to　the　westward　for　Pauloo；　but　in　the　middle　of

the　night　we　heard　women　wailing　and　then　we　ran　into　a　big　fleet　of　canoes。

They　were　all　that　were　left　of　Pauloo；　which　likewise　was　in　ashes；　for　a

third　schooner　had　come　in　through　the　Pauloo　Passage。　You　see；　that　mate；

with　his　black　boys；　had　not　been　drowned。　He　had　made　the　Solomon　Islands；

and　there　told　his　brothers　of　what　we　had　done　in　Oolong。　And　all　his

brothers　had　said　they　would　come　and　punish　us；　and　there　they　were　in　the

three　schooners；　and　our　three　villages　were　wiped　out。



〃And　what　was　there　for　us　to　do？　In　the　morning　the　two　schooners　from

windward　sailed　down　upon　us　in　the　middle　of　the　lagoon。　The　trade　wind　was

blowing　fresh；　and　by　scores　of　canoes　they　ran　us　down。　And　the　rifles　never

ceased　talking。　We　scattered　like　flying　fish　before　the　bonita；　and　there

were　so　many　of　us　that　we　escaped　by　thousands；　this　way　and　that；　to　the

islands　on　the　rim　of　the　atoll。



〃And　thereafter　the　schooners　hunted　us　up　and　down　the　lagoon。　In　the

nighttime　we　slipped　past　them。　But　the　next　day；　or　in　two　days　or　three

days；　the　schooners　would　be　coming　back；　hunting　us　toward　the　other　end　of

the　lagoon。　　And　so　it　went。　We　no　longer　counted　nor　remembered　our　dead。

True；　we　were　many　and　they　were　few。　But　what　could　we　do？　I　was　in　one　of

the　twenty　canoes　filled　with　men　who　were　not　afraid　to　die。　We　attacked　the

smallest　schooner。　　They　shot　us　down　in　heaps。　They　threw　dynamite　into　the

canoes；　and　when　the　dynamite　gave　out；　they　threw　hot　water　down　upon　us。　And

the　rifles　never　ceased　talking。　And　those　whose　canoes　were　smashed　were　shot

as　they　swam　away。　　And　the　mate　danced　up　and　down　upon　the　cabin　top　and

yelled；　〃Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'



〃Every　house　on　every　smallest　island　was　burned。　Not　a　pig　nor　a　fowl　was

left　alive。　Our　wells　were　defiled　with　the　bodies　of　the　slain；　or　else

heaped　high　with　coral　rock。　We　were　twenty…five　thousand　on　Oolong　before　the

three　schooners　came。　Today　we　are　five　thousand。　After　the　schooners　left；　we

were　but　three　thousand；　as　you　shall　see。



〃At　last　the　three　schooners　grew　tired　of　chasing　us　back　and　forth。　So　they

went；　the　three　of　them；　to　Nihi；　in　the　northeast。　And　then　they　drove　us

steadily　to　the　west。　Their　nine　boats　were　in　the　water　as　well。　They　beat　up

every　island　as　they　moved　along。　They　drove　us；　drove　us；　drove　us　day　by

day。　　And　every　night　the　three　schooners　and　the　nine　boats　made　a　chain　of

watchfulness　that　stretched　across　the　lagoon　from　rim　to　rim；　so　that　we

could　not　escape　back。



〃They　could　not　drive　us　forever　that　way；　for　the　lagoon　was　only　so　large；

and　at　last　all　of　us　that　yet　lived　were　driven　upon　the　last　sand　bank　to

the　west。　　Beyond　lay　the　open　sea。　There　were　ten　thousand　of　us；　and　we

covered　the　sand　bank　from　the　lagoon　edge　to　the　pounding　surf　on　the　other

side。　No　one　could　lie　down。　There　was　no　room。　We　stood　hip　to　hip　and

shoulder　to　shoulder。　Two　days　they　kept　us　there；　and　the　mate　would　climb　up

in　the　rigging　to　mock　us　and　yell；　Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'　till　we　were　well　sorry

that　we　had　ever　harmed　him　or　his　schooner　a　month　before。　We　had　no　food；

and　we　stood　on　our　feet　two　days　and　nights。　The　little　babies　died；　and　the

old　and　weak　died；　and　the　wounded　died。　And　worst　of　all；　we　had　no　water　to

quench　our　thirst；　and　for　two　days　the　sun　beat　down　on　us；　and　there　was　no

shade。　Many　men　and　women　waded　out　into　the　ocean　and　were　drowned；　the　surf

casting　their　bodies　back　on　the　beach。　And　there　came　a　pest　of　flies。　Some

men　swam　to　the　sides　of　the　schooners；　but　they　were　shot　to　the　last　one。

And　we　that　lived　were　very　sorry　that　in　our　pride　we　tried　to　take　the

schooner　with　the　three　masts　that　came　to　fish　for　beche…de…mer。



〃On　the　morning　of　the　third　day　came　the　skippers　of　the　three　schooners　and

that　mate　in　a　small　boat。　They　carried　rifles；　all　of　them；　and　revolvers；

and　they　made　talk。　It　was　only　that　they　were　weary　of　killing　us　that　they

had　stopped；　they　told　us。　And　we　told　them　that　we　were　sorry；　that　never

again　would　we　harm　a　white　man；　and　in　token　of　our　submission　we　poured　sand

upon　our　heads。　And　all　the　women　and　children　set　up　a　great　wailing　for

water；　so　that　for　some　time　no　man　could　make　himself　heard。　Then　we　were

told　our　punishment。　　We　must　fill　the　three　schooners　with　copra　and

beche…de…mer。　And　we　agreed；　for　we　wanted　water；　and　our　hearts　were　broken；

and　we　knew　that　we　were　children　at　fighting　when　we　fought　with　white　men

who　fight　like　hell。　And　when　all　the　talk　was　finished；　the　mate　stood　up　and

mocked　us；　and　yelled；　Yah！　Yah！　　Yah！'　After　that　we　paddled　away　in　our

canoes　and　sought　water。



〃And　for　weeks　we　toiled　at　catching　beche…de…mer　and　curing　it；　in　gathering

the　cocoanuts　and　turning　them　into　copra。　By　day　and　night　the　smoke　rose　in

clouds　from　all　the　beaches　of　all　the　islands　of　Oolong　as　we　paid　the

penalty　of　our　wrongdoing。　For　in　those　days　of　death　it　was　burned　clearly　on

all　our　brains　that　it　was　very　wrong　to　harm　a　white　man。



〃By　and　by；　the　schooners　full　of　copra　and　beche…de…mer　and　our　trees　empty

of　cocoanuts；　the　three　skippers　and　that　mate　called　us　all　together　for　a

big　talk。　And　they　said　they　were　very　glad　that　we　had　learned　our　lesson；

and　we　said　for　the　ten…thousandth　time　that　we　were　sorry　and　that　we　would

not　do　it　again。　Also；　we　poured　sand　upon　our　heads。　Then　the　skippers　said

that　it　was　all　very　well；　but　just　to　show　us　that　they　did　not　forget　us；

they　would　send　a　devil…devil　that　we　would　never　forget　and　that　we　would

always　remember　any　time　we　might　feel　like　harming　a　white　man。　After　that

the　mate　mocked　us　one　more　time　and　yelled；　Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'　Then　six　of　our

men；　whom　we　thought　long　dead；　were　put　ashore　from　one　of　the　schooners；　and

the　schooners　hoisted　their　sails　and　ran　out　through　the　passage　for　the

Solomons。



〃The　six　men　who　were　put　ashore　were　the　first　to　catch　the　devil…devil　the

skippers　sent　back　after　us。〃



〃A　great　sickness　came；〃　I　interrupted；　for　I　recognized　the　trick。　The

schooner　had　had　measles　on　board；　and　the　six　prisoners　had　been　deliberately

exposed　to　it。



〃Yes；　a　great　sickness；〃　Oti　went　on。　〃It　was　a　powerful　devil…devil。　The

oldest　man　had　never　heard　of　the　like。　Those　of　our　priests　that　yet　lived　we

killed　because　they　could　not　overcome　the　devil…devil。　The　sickness　spread。　

I　have　said　that　there　were　ten　thousand　of　us　that　stood　hip　to　hip　and

shoulder　to　shoulder　on　the　sandbank。　When　the　sickness　left　us；　there　were

three　thousand　yet　alive。　Also；　having　made　all　our　cocoanuts　into　copra；

there　was　a　famine。



〃That　fella　trader；〃　Oti　concluded；　〃he　like　'm　that　much　dirt。　He　like　'm

clam　he　die　KAI…KAI　（meat）　he　stop；　stink　'm　any　amount。　He　like　'm　one　fella

dog；　one　sick　fella　dog　plenty　fleas　stop　along　him。　We　no　fright　along　that

fella　trader。　We　fright　because　he　white　man。　We　savve　plenty　too　much　no　good

kill　white　man。　That　one　fella　sick　dog　trader　he　plenty　brother　stop　along

him；　white　men　like　'm　you　fight　like　hell。　We　no　fright　that　damn　trader。

Some　time　he　made　kanaka　plenty　cross　along　him　and　kanaka　want　'm　kill　m；

kanaka　he　think　devil…devil　and　kanaka　he　hear　that　fella　mate　sing　out；　Yah！

Yah！　Yah！'　and　kanaka　no　kill　m。〃



Oti　baited　his　hook　with　a　piece　of　squid；　which　he　tore　with　his　teeth　from

the　live　and　squirming　monster；　and　hook　and　bait　sank　in　white　flames　to　the

bottom。



〃Shark　walk　about　he　finish；〃　he　said。　〃I　think　we　catch　'm　plenty　fella

fish。〃



His　line　jerked　savagely。　He　pulled　it　in　rapidly；　hand　under　hand；　and　landed

a　big　gasping　rock　cod　in　the　bottom　of　the　canoe。



〃Sun　he　come　up；　I　make　'm　that　dam　fella　trader　one　present　big　fella　fish；〃

said　Oti。





THE　HEATHEN



I　met　him　first　in　a　hurricane；　and　though　we　had　gone　through　the　hurricane

on　the　same　schooner；　it　was　not　until　the　schooner　had　gone　to　pieces　under

us　that　I　first　laid　eyes　on　him。　Without　doubt　I　had　seen　him　with　the　rest

of　the　kanaka　crew　on　board；　but　I　had　not　consciously　been　aware　of　his

existence；　for　the　Petite　Jeanne　was　rather　overcrowded。　In　addition　to　her

eight　or　ten　kanaka　seamen；　her　white　captain；　mate；　and　supercargo；　and　her

six　cabin　passengers；　she　sailed　from　Rangiroa　with　something　like　eighty…five

deck　passengers　Paumotans　and　Tahitians；　men；　women；　and　children　each　with

a　trade　box；　to　say　nothing　of　sleeping　mats；　blankets；　and　clothes　bundles。



The　pearling　season　in　the　Paumotus　was　over；　and　all　hands　were　returning　to

Tahiti。　The　six　of　us　cabin　passengers　were　pearl　buyers。　Two　were　Americans；

one　was　Ah　Choon　（the　whitest　Chinese　I　have　ever　known）；　one　was　a　German；

one　was　a　Polish　Jew；　and　I　completed　the　half　dozen。



It　had　been　a　prosperous　season。　Not　one　of　us　had　cause　for　complaint；　nor

one　of　the　eighty…five　deck　passengers　either。　　All　had　done　well；　and　all

were　looking　forward　to　a　rest…off　and　a　good　time　in　Papeete。