allan quatermain-第34部分

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and　not；　as　in　England；　as　a　sort　of　necessary　appendage　to　the　

latter。　　For　murder　the　punishment　is　death；　for　treason　death；　

for　defrauding　the　orphan　and　the　widow；　for　sacrilege；　and　for　

attempting　to　quit　the　country　（which　is　looked　on　as　a　sacrilege）　

death。　　In　each　case　the　method　of　execution　is　the　same；　and　

a　rather　awful　one。　　The　culprit　is　thrown　alive　into　the　fiery　

furnace　beneath　one　of　the　altars　to　the　Sun。　　For　all　other　

offences；　including　the　offence　of　idleness；　the　punishment　is　

forced　labour　upon　the　vast　national　buildings　which　are　always　

going　on　in　some　part　of　the　country；　with　or　without　periodical　

floggings；　according　to　the　crime。



The　social　system　of　the　Zu…Vendi　allows　considerable　liberty　

to　the　individual；　provided　he　does　not　offend　against　the　laws　

and　customs　of　the　country。　　They　are　polygamous　in　theory；　though　

most　of　them　have　only　one　wife　on　account　of　the　expense。　　By　

law　a　man　is　bound　to　provide　a　separate　establishment　for　each　

wife。　　The　first　wife　also　is　the　legal　wife；　and　her　children　

are　said　to　be　'of　the　house　of　the　Father'。　　The　children　of　

the　other　wives　are　of　the　houses　of　their　respective　mothers。　　

This　does　not；　however；　imply　any　slur　upon　either　mother　or　

children。　　Again；　a　first　wife　can；　on　entering　into　the　married　

state；　make　a　bargain　that　her　husband　shall　marry　no　other　wife。　　

This；　however；　is　very　rarely　done；　as　the　women　are　the　great　

upholders　of　polygamy；　which　not　only　provides　for　their　surplus　

numbers　but　gives　greater　importance　to　the　first　wife；　who　is　

thus　practically　the　head　of　several　households。　　Marriage　is　

looked　upon　as　primarily　a　civil　contract；　and；　subject　to　certain　

conditions　and　to　a　proper　provision　for　children；　is　dissoluble　

at　the　will　of　both　contracting　parties；　the　divorce；　or　'unloosing'；　

being　formally　and　ceremoniously　accomplished　by　going　through　

certain　portions　of　the　marriage　ceremony　backwards。



The　Zu…Vendi　are　on　the　whole　a　very　kindly；　pleasant；　and　light…hearted　

people。　　They　are　not　great　traders　and　care　little　about　money；　

only　working　to　earn　enough　to　support　themselves　in　that　class　

of　life　in　which　they　were　born。　　They　are　exceedingly　conservative；　

and　look　with　disfavour　upon　changes。　　Their　legal　tender　is　

silver；　cut　into　little　squares　of　different　weights；　gold　is　

the　baser　coin；　and　is　about　of　the　same　value　as　our　silver。　　

It　is；　however；　much　prized　for　its　beauty；　and　largely　used　

for　ornaments　and　decorative　purposes。　　Most　of　the　trade；　however；　

is　carried　on　by　means　of　sale　and　barter；　payment　being　made　

in　kind。　　Agriculture　is　the　great　business　of　the　country；　and　

is　really　well　understood　and　carried　out；　most　of　the　available　

acreage　being　under　cultivation。　　Great　attention　is　also　given　

to　the　breeding　of　cattle　and　horses；　the　latter　being　unsurpassed　

by　any　I　have　ever　seen　either　in　Europe　or　Africa。



The　land　belongs　theoretically　to　the　Crown；　and　under　the　Crown　

to　the　great　lords；　who　again　divide　it　among　smaller　lords；　

and　so　on　down　to　the　little　peasant　farmer　who　works　his　forty　

'reestu'　（acres）　on　a　system　of　half…profits　with　his　immediate　

lord。　　In　fact　the　whole　system　is；　as　I　have　said；　distinctly　

feudal；　and　it　interested　us　much　to　meet　with　such　an　old　friend　

far　in　the　unknown　heart　of　Africa。



The　taxes　are　very　heavy。　　The　State　takes　a　third　of　a　man's　

total　earnings；　and　the　priesthood　about　five　per　cent　on　the　

remainder。　　But　on　the　other　hand；　if　a　man　through　any　cause　

falls　into　bona　fide　misfortune　the　State　supports　him　in　the　

position　of　life　to　which　he　belongs。　　If　he　is　idle；　however；　

he　is　sent　to　work　on　the　Government　undertakings；　and　the　State　

looks　after　his　wives　and　children。　　The　State　also　makes　all　

the　roads　and　builds　all　town　houses；　about　which　great　care　

is　shown；　letting　them　out　to　families　at　a　small　rent。　　It　also　

keeps　up　a　standing　army　of　about　twenty　thousand　men；　and　provides　

watchmen；　etc。　　In　return　for　their　five　per　cent　the　priests　

attend　to　the　service　of　the　temples；　carry　out　all　religious　

ceremonies；　and　keep　schools；　where　they　teach　whatever　they　

think　desirable；　which　is　not　very　much。　　Some　of　the　temples　

also　possess　private　property；　but　priests　as　individuals　cannot　

hold　property。



And　now　comes　a　question　which　I　find　some　difficulty　in　answering。　　

Are　the　Zu…Vendi　a　civilized　or　barbarous　people？　　Sometimes　

I　think　the　one；　sometimes　the　other。　　In　some　branches　of　art　

they　have　attained　the　very　highest　proficiency。　　Take　for　instance　

their　buildings　and　their　statuary。　　I　do　not　think　that　the　

latter　can　be　equalled　either　in　beauty　or　imaginative　power　

anywhere　in　the　world；　and　as　for　the　former　it　may　have　been　

rivalled　in　ancient　Egypt；　but　I　am　sure　that　it　has　never　been　

since。　　But；　on　the　other　hand；　they　are　totally　ignorant　of　

many　other　arts。　　Till　Sir　Henry；　who　happened　to　know　something　

about　it；　showed　them　how　to　do　it　by　mixing　silica　and　lime；　

they　could　not　make　a　piece　of　glass；　and　their　crockery　is　rather　

primitive。　　A　water…clock　is　their　nearest　approach　to　a　watch；　

indeed；　ours　delighted　them　exceedingly。　　They　know　nothing　about　

steam；　electricity；　or　gunpowder；　and　mercifully　for　themselves　

nothing　about　printing　or　the　penny　post。　　Thus　they　are　spared　

many　evils；　for　of　a　truth　our　age　has　learnt　the　wisdom　of　the　

old…world　saying；　'He　who　increaseth　knowledge；　increaseth　sorrow。'



As　regards　their　religion；　it　is　a　natural　one　for　imaginative　

people　who　know　no　better；　and　might　therefore　be　expected　to　

turn　to　the　sun　and　worship　him　as　the　all…Father；　but　it　cannot　

justly　be　called　elevating　or　spiritual。　　It　is　true　that　they　

do　sometimes　speak　of　the　sun　as　the　'garment　of　the　Spirit'；　

but　it　is　a　vague　term；　and　what　they　really　adore　is　the　fiery　

orb　himself。　　They　also　call　him　the　'hope　of　eternity'；　but　

here　again　the　meaning　is　vague；　and　I　doubt　if　the　phrase　conveys　

any　very　clear　impression　to　their　minds。　　Some　of　them　do　indeed　

believe　in　a　future　life　for　the　good　　I　know　Nyleptha　does　

firmly　　but　it　is　a　private　faith　arising　from　the　promptings　

of　the　spirit；　not　an　essential　of　their　creed。　　So　on　the　whole　

I　cannot　say　that　I　consider　this　sun…worship　as　a　religion　indicative　

of　a　civilized　people；　however　magnificent　and　imposing　its　ritual；　

or　however　moral　and　high…sounding　the　maxims　of　its　priests；　

many　of　whom；　I　am　sure；　have　their　own　opinions　on　the　whole　

subject；　though　of　course　they　have　nothing　but　praise　for　a　

system　which　provides　them　with　so　many　of　the　good　things　of　

this　world。



There　are　now　only　two　more　matters　to　which　I　need　allude　　

namely；　the　language　and　the　system　of　calligraphy。　　As　for　

the　former；　it　is　soft…sounding；　and　very　rich　and　flexible。　　

Sir　Henry　says　that　it　sounds　something　like　modern　Greek；　

but　of　course　it　has　no　connection　with　it。　　It　is　easy　to　acquire；　

being　simple　in　its　construction；　and　a　peculiar　quality　about　it　

is　its　euphony；　and　the　way　in　which　the　sound　of　the　words　

adapts　itself　to　the　meaning　to　be　expressed。　　Long　before　

we　mastered　the　language；　we　could　frequently　make　out　what　

was　meant　by　the　ring　of　the　sentence。　　It　is　on　this　account　

that　the　language　lends　itself　so　well　to　poetical　declamation；　

of　which　these　remarkable　people　are　very　fond。　　The　Zu…Vendi　

alphabet　seems；　Sir　henry　says；　to　be　derived；　like　every　other　

known　system　of　letters；　from　a　Phoenician　source；　and　therefore　

more　remotely　still　from　the　ancient　Egyptian　hieratic　writing。　　

Whether　this　is　a　fact　I　cannot　say；　not　being　learned　in　such　

matters。　　All　I　know　about　it　is　that　their　alphabet　consists　

of　twenty…two　characters；　of　which　a　few；　notably　B；　E；　and　O；　

are　not　very　unlike　our　own。　　The　whole　affair　is；　however；　clumsy　

and　puzzling。　｛Endnote　13｝　　But　as　the　people　of　Zu…Vendi　are　

not　given　to　the　writing　of　novels；　or　of　anything　except　business　

documents　and　records　of　the　briefest　character；　it　answers　their　

purpose　well　enough。









CHAPTER　XIV

THE　FLOWER　TEMPLE







It　was　half…past　eight　by　my　watch　when　I　woke　on　the　morning　

following　our　arrival　at　Milosis；　having　slept　almost　exactly　

twelve　hours；　and　I　must　say　that　I　did　indeed　feel　better。　　

Ah；　what　a　blessed　thing　is　sleep！　and　what　a　difference　twelve　

hours　of　it　or　so　makes　to　us　after　days　and　nights　of　toil　and　

danger。　　It　is　like　going　to　bed　one　man　and　getting　up　another。



I　sat　up　upon　my　silken　couch　　never　had　I　slept　upon　such　

a　bed　before　　and　the　first　thing　that　I　saw　was　Good's　eyeglass　

fixed　on　me　from　the　recesses　of　his　silken　couch。　　There　was　

nothing　else　of　him　to　be　seen　except　his　eyeglass；　but　I　knew　

from　the　look　of　it　that　he　was　awake；　and　waiting　till　I　woke　

up　to　begin。



'I　say；　Quatermain；'　he　commenced　sure　enough；　'did　you　observe　

her　skin？　　It　is　as　smooth　as　the　back　of　an　ivory　hairbrush。'



'Now　look　here；　Good；'　I　remonstrated；　when　there　came　a　sound　

at　the　curtain；　which；　on　being　drawn；　admitted　a　functionary；　

who　signified　by　signs　that　he　was　there　to　lead　us　to　the　bath。　　

We　gladly　consented；　and　were　conducted　to　a　delightful　marble　

chamber；　with　a　pool　of　running　crystal　water　in　the　centre　of　

it；　into　which　we　gaily　plunged。　　When　we　had　bathed；　we　returned　

to　our　apartment　and　dressed；　and　then　went　into　the　central　

room　where　we　had　supped　on　the　previous　evening；　to　find　a　morning　

meal　already　prepared　for　us；　and　a　capital　meal　it　was；　though　

I　should　be　puzzled　to　describe　the　dishes。　　After　breakfast　

we　lounged　round　and　admired　the　tapestries　and　carpets　and　some　

pieces　of　statuary　that　were　placed　about；　wondering　the　while　

what　was　going　to　happen　n