erewhon-第7部分

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quiet　comfortable　night　with　no　more　music；　for　which　I　was
thankful；　as　it　had　haunted　me　all　day；　although　I　perfectly　well
knew　that　it　had　been　nothing　but　my　own　fancy；　brought　on　by　the
reminiscence　of　what　I　had　heard　from　Chowbok　and　by　the　over…
excitement　of　the　preceding　evening。

Next　day　I　began　gathering　the　dry　bloom　stalks　of　a　kind　of　flag
or　iris…looking　plant；　which　was　abundant；　and　whose　leaves；　when
torn　into　strips；　were　as　strong　as　the　strongest　string。　　I
brought　them　to　the　waterside；　and　fell　to　making　myself　a　kind　of
rough　platform；　which　should　suffice　for　myself　and　my　swag　if　I
could　only　stick　to　it。　　The　stalks　were　ten　or　twelve　feet　long；
and　very　strong；　but　light　and　hollow。　　I　made　my　raft　entirely　of
them；　binding　bundles　of　them　at　right　angles　to　each　other；　neatly
and　strongly；　with　strips　from　the　leaves　of　the　same　plant；　and
tying　other　rods　across。　　It　took　me　all　day　till　nearly　four
o'clock　to　finish　the　raft；　but　I　had　still　enough　daylight　for
crossing；　and　resolved　on　doing　so　at　once。

I　had　selected　a　place　where　the　river　was　broad　and　comparatively
still；　some　seventy　or　eighty　yards　above　a　furious　rapid。　　At　this
spot　I　had　built　my　raft。　　I　now　launched　it；　made　my　swag　fast　to
the　middle；　and　got　on　to　it　myself；　keeping　in　my　hand　one　of　the
longest　blossom　stalks；　so　that　I　might　punt　myself　across　as　long
as　the　water　was　shallow　enough　to　let　me　do　so。　　I　got　on　pretty
well　for　twenty　or　thirty　yards　from　the　shore；　but　even　in　this
short　space　I　nearly　upset　my　raft　by　shifting　too　rapidly　from　one
side　to　the　other。　　The　water　then　became　much　deeper；　and　I　leaned
over　so　far　in　order　to　get　the　bloom　rod　to　the　bottom　that　I　had
to　stay　still；　leaning　on　the　rod　for　a　few　seconds。　　Then；　when　I
lifted　up　the　rod　from　the　ground；　the　current　was　too　much　for　me
and　I　found　myself　being　carried　down　the　rapid。　　Everything　in　a
second　flew　past　me；　and　I　had　no　more　control　over　the　raft；
neither　can　I　remember　anything　except　hurry；　and　noise；　and　waters
which　in　the　end　upset　me。　　But　it　all　came　right；　and　I　found
myself　near　the　shore；　not　more　than　up　to　my　knees　in　water　and
pulling　my　raft　to　land；　fortunately　upon　the　left　bank　of　the
river；　which　was　the　one　I　wanted。　　When　I　had　landed　I　found　that
I　was　about　a　mile；　or　perhaps　a　little　less；　below　the　point　from
which　I　started。　　My　swag　was　wet　upon　the　outside；　and　I　was
myself　dripping；　but　I　had　gained　my　point；　and　knew　that　my
difficulties　were　for　a　time　over。　　I　then　lit　my　fire　and　dried
myself；　having　done　so　I　caught　some　of　the　young　ducks　and　sea…
gulls；　which　were　abundant　on　and　near　the　river…bed；　so　that　I　had
not　only　a　good　meal；　of　which　I　was　in　great　want；　having　had　an
insufficient　diet　from　the　time　that　Chowbok　left　me；　but　was　also
well　provided　for　the　morrow。

I　thought　of　Chowbok；　and　felt　how　useful　he　had　been　to　me；　and　in
how　many　ways　I　was　the　loser　by　his　absence；　having　now　to　do　all
sorts　of　things　for　myself　which　he　had　hitherto　done　for　me；　and
could　do　infinitely　better　than　I　could。　　Moreover；　I　had　set　my
heart　upon　making　him　a　real　convert　to　the　Christian　religion；
which　he　had　already　embraced　outwardly；　though　I　cannot　think　that
it　had　taken　deep　root　in　his　impenetrably　stupid　nature。　　I　used
to　catechise　him　by　our　camp　fire；　and　explain　to　him　the　mysteries
of　the　Trinity　and　of　original　sin；　with　which　I　was　myself
familiar；　having　been　the　grandson　of　an　archdeacon　by　my　mother's
side；　to　say　nothing　of　the　fact　that　my　father　was　a　clergyman　of
the　English　Church。　　I　was　therefore　sufficiently　qualified　for　the
task；　and　was　the　more　inclined　to　it；　over　and　above　my　real
desire　to　save　the　unhappy　creature　from　an　eternity　of　torture；　by
recollecting　the　promise　of　St。　James；　that　if　any　one　converted　a
sinner　（which　Chowbok　surely　was）　he　should　hide　a　multitude　of
sins。　　I　reflected；　therefore；　that　the　conversion　of　Chowbok　might
in　some　degree　compensate　for　irregularities　and　short…comings　in
my　own　previous　life；　the　remembrance　of　which　had　been　more　than
once　unpleasant　to　me　during　my　recent　experiences。

Indeed；　on　one　occasion　I　had　even　gone　so　far　as　to　baptize　him；
as　well　as　I　could；　having　ascertained　that　he　had　certainly　not
been　both　christened　and　baptized；　and　gathering　（from　his　telling
me　that　he　had　received　the　name　William　from　the　missionary）　that
it　was　probably　the　first…mentioned　rite　to　which　he　had　been
subjected。　　I　thought　it　great　carelessness　on　the　part　of　the
missionary　to　have　omitted　the　second；　and　certainly　more
important；　ceremony　which　I　have　always　understood　precedes
christening　both　in　the　case　of　infants　and　of　adult　converts；　and
when　I　thought　of　the　risks　we　were　both　incurring　I　determined
that　there　should　be　no　further　delay。　　Fortunately　it　was　not　yet
twelve　o'clock；　so　I　baptized　him　at　once　from　one　of　the　pannikins
（the　only　vessels　I　had）　reverently；　and；　I　trust；　efficiently。　　I
then　set　myself　to　work　to　instruct　him　in　the　deeper　mysteries　of
our　belief；　and　to　make　him；　not　only　in　name；　but　in　heart　a
Christian。

It　is　true　that　I　might　not　have　succeeded；　for　Chowbok　was　very
hard　to　teach。　　Indeed；　on　the　evening　of　the　same　day　that　I
baptized　him　he　tried　for　the　twentieth　time　to　steal　the　brandy；
which　made　me　rather　unhappy　as　to　whether　I　could　have　baptized
him　rightly。　　He　had　a　prayer…bookmore　than　twenty　years　old
which　had　been　given　him　by　the　missionaries；　but　the　only　thing　in
it　which　had　taken　any　living　hold　upon　him　was　the　title　of
Adelaide　the　Queen　Dowager；　which　he　would　repeat　whenever　strongly
moved　or　touched；　and　which　did　really　seem　to　have　some　deep
spiritual　significance　to　him；　though　he　could　never　completely
separate　her　individuality　from　that　of　Mary　Magdalene；　whose　name
had　also　fascinated　him；　though　in　a　less　degree。

He　was　indeed　stony　ground；　but　by　digging　about　him　I　might　have
at　any　rate　deprived　him　of　all　faith　in　the　religion　of　his　tribe；
which　would　have　been　half　way　towards　making　him　a　sincere
Christian；　and　now　all　this　was　cut　off　from　me；　and　I　could
neither　be　of　further　spiritual　assistance　to　him　nor　he　of　bodily
profit　to　myself：　　besides；　any　company　was　better　than　being　quite
alone。

I　got　very　melancholy　as　these　reflections　crossed　me；　but　when　I
had　boiled　the　ducks　and　eaten　them　I　was　much　better。　　I　had　a
little　tea　left　and　about　a　pound　of　tobacco；　which　should　last　me
for　another　fortnight　with　moderate　smoking。　　I　had　also　eight　ship
biscuits；　and；　most　precious　of　all；　about　six　ounces　of　brandy；
which　I　presently　reduced　to　four；　for　the　night　was　cold。

I　rose　with　early　dawn；　and　in　an　hour　I　was　on　my　way；　feeling
strange；　not　to　say　weak；　from　the　burden　of　solitude；　but　full　of
hope　when　I　considered　how　many　dangers　I　had　overcome；　and　that
this　day　should　see　me　at　the　summit　of　the　dividing　range。

After　a　slow　but　steady　climb　of　between　three　and　four　hours；
during　which　I　met　with　no　serious　hindrance；　I　found　myself　upon　a
tableland；　and　close　to　a　glacier　which　I　recognised　as　marking　the
summit　of　the　pass。　　Above　it　towered　a　succession　of　rugged
precipices　and　snowy　mountain　sides。　　The　solitude　was　greater　than
I　could　bear；　the　mountain　upon　my　master's　sheep…run　was　a　crowded
thoroughfare　in　comparison　with　this　sombre　sullen　place。　　The　air；
moreover；　was　dark　and　heavy；　which　made　the　loneliness　even　more
oppressive。　　There　was　an　inky　gloom　over　all　that　was　not　covered
with　snow　and　ice。　　Grass　there　was　none。

Each　moment　I　felt　increasing　upon　me　that　dreadful　doubt　as　to　my
own　identityas　to　the　continuity　of　my　past　and　present
existencewhich　is　the　first　sign　of　that　distraction　which　comes
on　those　who　have　lost　themselves　in　the　bush。　　I　had　fought
against　this　feeling　hitherto；　and　had　conquered　it；　but　the
intense　silence　and　gloom　of　this　rocky　wilderness　were　too　much
for　me；　and　I　felt　that　my　power　of　collecting　myself　was　beginning
to　be　impaired。

I　rested　for　a　little　while；　and　then　advanced　over　very　rough
ground；　until　I　reached　the　lower　end　of　the　glacier。　　Then　I　saw
another　glacier；　descending　from　the　eastern　side　into　a　small
lake。　　I　passed　along　the　western　side　of　the　lake；　where　the
ground　was　easier；　and　when　I　had　got　about　half　way　I　expected
that　I　should　see　the　plains　which　I　had　already　seen　from　the
opposite　mountains；　but　it　was　not　to　be　so；　for　the　clouds　rolled
up　to　the　very　summit　of　the　pass；　though　they　did　not　overlip　it
on　to　the　side　from　which　I　had　come。　　I　therefore　soon　found
myself　enshrouded　by　a　cold　thin　vapour；　which　prevented　my　seeing
more　than　a　very　few　yards　in　front　of　me。　　Then　I　came　upon　a
large　patch　of　old　snow；　in　which　I　could　distinctly　trace　the
half…melted　tracks　of　goatsand　in　one　place；　as　it　seemed　to　me；
there　had　been　a　dog　following　them。　　Had　I　lighted　upon　a　land　of
shepherds？　　The　ground；　where　not　covered　with　snow；　was　so　poor
and　stony；　and　there　was　so　little　herbage；　that　I　could　see　no
sign　of　a　path　or　regular　sheep…track。　　But　I　could　not　help
feeling　rather　uneasy　as　I　wondered　what　sort　of　a　reception　I
might　meet　with　if　I　were　to　come　suddenly　upon　inhabitants。　　I　was
thinking　of　this；　and　proceeding　cautiously　through　the　mist；　when
I　began　to　fancy　that　I　saw　some　objects　darker　than　the　cloud
looming　in　front　of　me。　　A　few　steps　brought　me　nearer；　and　a
shudder　of　unutterable　horror　ran　through　me　when　I　saw　a　circle　of
gigantic　forms；　many　times　higher　than　myself；　upstanding　grim　and
grey　through　the　veil　of　cloud　before　me。

I　suppose　I　must　have　fainted；　for　I　found　myself　some　time
afterwards　sitting　upon　the　ground；　sick　and　deadly　cold。　　There
were　the　figures；　quite　still　and　silent；　seen　vaguely　through　the
thick　gloom；　but　in　human　shape　indisputably。

A　sudden　thought　occurred　to　me；　which　would　have　doubtless　struck
me　at　once　had　I　not　been　prepossessed　with　forebodings　at　the　time
that　I　first　saw　the　figures；　and　had　not　the　cloud　concealed　them
from　meI　mean　that　they　were　not　living　beings；　but　statues。　　I
determine