letters from high latitudes-第9节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


lth；　to　which；　utterly　at　my　wits'　end；　I　had　the　audacity　to　reply　in　the　same　language。　As　it　is　fit　so　great　an　effort　of　oratory　should　not　perish；　I　send　you　some　of　its　choicest　specimens：

〃Viri　illustres；〃　I　began；　〃insolitus　ut　sum　ad　publicum　loquendum；　ego　propero　respondere　ad　complimentum　quod　recte　reverendus　prelaticus　mihi　fecit；　in　proponendo　meam　salutem：　et　supplico　vos　credere　quod　multum　gratificatus　et　flattificatus　sum　honore　tam　distincto。

〃Bibere；　viri　illustres；　res　est；　quae　in　omnibus　terris；　'domum　venit　ad　hominum　negotia　et　pectora：'

＇Footnote：　As　the　happiness　of　these　quotations　seemed　to　produce　a　very　pleasing　effect　on　my　auditors；　I　subjoin　a　translation　of　them　for　the　benefit　of　the　unlearned：

1。　〃Comes　home　to　men's　business　and　bosoms。〃　　　　　Paterfamilias；　Times。

2。　〃A　long　pull；　a　strong　pull；　and　a　pull　all　　　　　together。〃Nelson　at　the　Nile。

3。　〃One　touch　of　nature　makes　the　whole　world　kin。〃　　　　　Jeremy　Bentham。

4。　Apothegm　by　the　late　Lord　Mountcoffeehouse。

5。　〃Love　rules　the　court；　the　camp；　the　grove。〃　　　　Venerable　Bede。＇

（1）　requirit　'haustum　longum；　haustum　fortem；　et　haustum　omnes　simul：'　（2）　ut　canit　Poeta；　'unum　tactum　Naturae　totum　orben　facit　consanguineum；'　（3）　et　hominis　Natura　estbibere　（4）。

〃Viri　illustres；　alterum　est　sentimentum　equaliter　universale：　　terra　communis　super　quam　septentrionales　et　meridionales；　eadem　enthusiasma　convenire　possunt：　est　necesse　quod　id　nominarem？　Ad　pulchrum　sexum　devotio！

〃Amor　regit　palatium；　castra；　lucum：　（5）　Dubito　sub　quo　capite　vestram　jucundam　civitatem　numerare　debeam。　Palatium？　non　Regem！　Castra？　non　milites！　lucum？　non　ullam　arborem　habetis！　Tamen　Cupido　vos　dominat　haud　aliter　quam　alios；et　virginum　Islandarum　pulchritudo；　per　omnes　regiones　cognita　est。

〃Bibamus　salutem　earum；　et　confusionem　ad　omnes　bacularios：　speramus　quod　eae　carae　et　benedictae　creaturae　invenient　tot　maritos　quot　velint；quod　geminos　quottanis　habeant；　et　quod　earum　filiae；　maternum　exemplum　sequentes；　gentem　Islandicam　perpetuent　in　saecula　saeculorum。〃

The　last　words　mechanically　rolled　out；　in　the　same　〃ore　rotundo〃　with　which　the　poor　old　Dean　of　Christchurch　used　to　finish　his　Gloria；　etc。　in　the　Cathedral。

Then　followed　more　speeches；a　great　chinking　of　glasses；　a　Babel　of　conversation；a　kind　of　dance　round　the　table；　where　we　successively　gave　each　alternate　hand；　as　in　the　last　figure　of　the　Lancers；a　hearty　embrace　from　the　Governor；and　finally；silence；　daylight；　and　fresh　air；　as　we　stumbled　forth　into　the　street。

Now　what　was　to　be　done？　To　go　to　bed　was　impossible。　It　was　eleven　o'clock　by　our　watches；　and　as　bright　as　noon。　　Fitz　said　it　was　twenty…two　o'clock；　but　by　this　time　he　had　reached　that　point　of　enlargement　of　the　mind；　and　development　of　the　visual　organs；　which　is　expressed　by　the　term　〃seeing　double；〃though　he　now　pretends　he　was　only　reckoning　time　in　the　Venetian　manner。　We　were　in　the　position　of　three　fast　young　men　about　Reykjavik；　determined　to　make　a　night　of　it；　but　without　the　wherewithal。　　There　were　neither　knockers　to　steal；　nor　watchmen　to　bonnet。　　At　last　we　remembered　that　the　apothecary's　wife　had　a　conversazione；　to　which　she　had　kindly　invited　us；　and　accordingly；　off　we　went　to　her　house。　Here　we　found　a　number　of　French　officers；　a　piano；　and　a　young　lady；　in　consequence　of　which　the　drum　soon　became　a　ball。　Finally；　it　was　proposed　we　should　dance　a　reel；　the　second　lieutenant　of　the　〃Artemise〃　had　once　seen　one　when　his　ship　was　riding　out　a　gale　in　the　Clyde；the　little　lady　had　frequently　studied　a　picture　of　the　Highland　fling　on　the　outside　of　a　copy　of　Scotch　music；I　could　dance　a　jigthe　set　was　complete；　all　we　wanted　was　the　music。　Luckily　the　lady　of　the　house　knew　the　song　of　〃Annie　Laurie；〃played　fast　it　made　an　excellent　reel　tune。　As　you　may　suppose；　all　succeeded　admirably；　we　nearly　died　of　laughing；　and　I　only　wish　Lord　Breadalbane　had　been　by　to　see。

At　one　in　the　morning；　our　danseuse　retiring　to　rest；　the　ball　necessarily　terminated；　but　the　Governor's　dinner　still　forbidding　bed；　we　determined　on　a　sail　in　the　cutter　to　some　islands　about　three…quarters　of　a　mile　out　to　sea；　and　I　do　not　think　I　shall　ever　forget　the　delicious　sensation　of　lying　down　lazily　in　the　stern…sheets；　and　listening　to　the　rippling　of　the　water　against　the　bows　of　the　boat；　as　she　glided　away　towards　them。　The　dreamy；　misty　landscape；each　headland　silently　sleeping　in　the　unearthly　light；Snoefell；　from　whose　far…off　peaks　the　midnight　sun；　though　lost　to　us；　had　never　faded；the　Plutonic　crags　that　stood　around；　so　gaunt　and　weird；the　quaint　fresh　life　I　had　been　lately　leading；all　combined　to　promise　such　an　existence　of　novelty　and　excitement　in　that　strange　Arctic　region　on　the　threshold　of　which　we　were　now　pausing；　that　I　could　not　sufficiently　congratulate　myself　on　our　good　fortune。　Soon；　however；　the　grating　of　our　keel　upon　the　strand　disturbed　my　reflections；　and　by　the　time　I　had　unaccountably　stepped　up　to　my　knees　in　the　water；　I　was　thoroughly　awake；　and　in　a　condition　to　explore　the　island。　It　seemed　to　be　about　three…quarters　of　a　mile　long；　not　very　broad；　and　a　complete　rabbit…warren；　in　fact；　I　could　not　walk　a　dozen　yards　without　tripping　up　in　the　numerous　burrows　by　which　the　ground　was　honeycombed：　at　last；　on　turning　a　corner；　we　suddenly　came　on　a　dozen　rabbits；　gravely　sitting　at　the　mouths　of　their　holes。　They　were　quite　white；　without　ears；　and　with　scarlet　noses。　I　made　several　desperate　attempts　to　catch　some　of　these　singular　animals；　but　though　one　or　two　allowed　me　to　come　pretty　near；　just　as　I　thought　my　prize　was　secure；　in　some　unaccountable　mannerit　made　unto　itself　wings；　and　literally　flew　away！　Moreover；　if　my　eyesight　did　not　share　the　peculiar　development　which　affected　that　of　the　Doctor's；　I　should　say　that　these　rabbits　flew　in　PAIRS。　Red…nosed；　winged　rabbits！　I　had　never　heard　or　read　of　the　species；　and　I　naturally　grew　enthusiastic　in　the　chase；　hoping　to　bring　home　a　choice　specimen　to　astonish　our　English　naturalists。　With　some　difficulty　we　managed　to　catch　one　or　two；　which　had　run　into　their　holes　instead　of　flying　away。　　They　bit　and　scratched　like　tiger…cats；　and　screamed　like　parrots；　indeed；　on　a　nearer　inspection；　I　am　obliged　to　confess　that　they　assumed　the　appearance　of　birds；　＇Footnote：　The　Puffin　（Alca　arctica）。　In　Icelandic；　Soe　papagoie；　In　Scotland；　Priest；　and　in　Cornwall；　Pope。＇　which　may　perhaps　account　for　their　powers　of　flight。　A　slight　confusion　still　remains　in　my　mind　as　to　the　real　nature　of　the　creatures。

At　about　nine　o'clock　we　returned　to　breakfast；　and　the　rest　of　the　day　was　spent　in　taking　leave　of　our　friends；　and　organizing　the　baggage…train；　which　was　to　start　at　midnight；　under　the　command　of　the　cook。　The　cavalcade　consisted　of　eighteen　horses；　but　of　these　only　one…half　were　laden；　two　animals　being　told　off　to　each　burthen；　which　is　shifted　from　the　back　of　the　one　to　that　of　the　other　every　four　hours。　　The　pack…saddles　were　rude；　but　serviceable　articles；　with　hooks　on　either　side；　on　which　a　pair　of　oblong　little　chests　were　slung；　strips　of　turf　being　stuffed　beneath　to　prevent　the　creature's　back　being　galled。　Such　of　our　goods　as　could　not　be　conveniently　stowed　away　in　the　chests　were　fitted　on　to　the　top；　in　whatever　manner　their　size　and　weight　admitted；　each　pony　carrying　about　140　lbs。　The　photographic　apparatus　caused　us　the　greatest　trouble；　and　had　to　be　distributed　between　two　beasts。　As　was　to　be　expected；　the　guides　who　assisted　us　packed　the　nitrate　of　silver　bath　upside　down；　an　outrage　the　nature　of　which　you　cannot　appreciate。　　At　last　everything　was　pretty　well　arranged；guns；　powder；　shot；　tea…kettles；　rice；　tents；　beds；　portable　soups；　etc。　all　stowed　away；when　the　desponding　Wilson　came　to　me；　his　chin　sweeping　the　ground；　to　saythat　he　very　much　feared　the　cook　would　die　of　the　ride；that　he　had　never　been　on　horseback　in　his　life；that　as　an　experiment　he　had　hired　a　pony　that　very　morning　at　his　own　charges；had　been　run　away　with；　but　having　been　caught　and　brought　home　by　an　honest　Icelander；　was　now　lying　downthat　position　being　the　one　he　found　most　convenient。

As　the　first　day's　journey　was　two…and…thirty　miles；　and　would　probably　necessitate　his　being　twelve　or　thirteen　hours　in　the　saddle；　I　began　to　be　really　alarmed　for　my　poor　chef；　but　finding　on　inquiry　that　these　gloomy　prognostics　were　entirely　voluntary　on　the　part　of　Mr。　Wilson；　that　the　officer　in　question　was　full　of　zeal；　and　only　too　anxious　to　add　horsemanship　to　his　other　accomplishments；　I　did　not　interfere。　　As　for　Wilson　himself；　it　is　not　a　marvel　if　he　should　see　things　a　little　askew；　for　some　unaccountable　reason；　he　chose　to　sleep　last　night　in　the　open　air；　on　the　top　of　a　hen…　coop；　and　naturally　awoke　this　morning　with　a　crick　in　his　neck；　and　his　face　so　immovably　fixed　over　his　left　shoulder；　that　the　efforts　of　all　the　ship's　company　have　not　been　able　to　twist　it　back：　with　the　help　of　a　tackle；　however；　I　think　we　shall　eventually　brace　it　square　again。

At　two　we　went　to　lunch　with　the　Rector。　The　entertainment　bore　a　strong　family　likeness　to　our　last　night's　dinner；　but