the works of edgar allan poe-3-第37节

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tenant　of　　the　deep。　The　article　is　then　washed；　and　afterward　boiled
to　a　certain　degree；　which　must　not　be　too　much　or　too　little。　They
are　then　buried　in　the　ground　for　four　hours；　then　boiled　again　for　a
short　time；　after　which　they　are　dried；　either　by　the　fire　or　the
sun。　Those　cured　by　the　sun　are　worth　the　most；　but　where　one　picul
（133　1/3　lbs。）　can　be　cured　that　way；　I　can　cure　thirty　piculs　by　the
fire。　When　once　properly　cured；　they　can　be　kept　in　a　dry　place　for
two　or　three　years　without　any　risk；　but　they　should　be　examined　once
in　every　few　months；　say　four　times　a　year；　to　see　if　any　dampness　is
likely　to　affect　them。

　　　　〃The　Chinese；　as　before　stated；　consider　_biche　de　mer_　a　very
great　luxury；　believing　that　it　wonderfully　strengthens　and　nourishes
the　system；　and　renews　the　exhausted　system　of　the　immoderate
voluptuary。　The　first　quality　commands　a　high　price　in　Canton；　being
worth　ninety　dollars　a　picul；　the　second　quality；　seventy…five
dollars；　the　third；　fifty　dollars；　the　fourth；　thirty　dollars；　the
fifth；　twenty　dollars；　the　sixth；　twelve　dollars；　the　seventh；　eight
dollars；　and　the　eighth；　four　dollars；　small　cargoes；　however；　will
often　bring　more　in　Manilla；　Singapore；　and　Batavia。〃

　　　　An　agreement　having　been　thus　entered　into；　we　proceeded
immediately　to　land　everything　necessary　for　preparing　the　buildings
and　clearing　the　ground。　A　large　flat　space　near　the　eastern　shore　of
the　bay　was　selected；　where　there　was　plenty　of　both　wood　and　water；
and　within　a　convenient　distance　of　the　principal　reefs　on　which　the
_biche　de　mer_　was　to　be　procured。　We　now　all　set　to　work　in　good
earnest；　and　soon；　to　the　great　astonishment　of　the　savages；　had
felled　a　sufficient　number　of　trees　for　our　purpose；　getting　them
quickly　in　order　for　the　framework　of　the　houses；　which　in　two　or
three　days　were　so　far　under　way　that　we　could　safely　trust　the　rest
of　the　work　to　the　three　men　whom　we　intended　to　leave　behind。　These
were　John　Carson；　Alfred　Harris；　and　___　Peterson　（all　natives　of
London；　I　believe）；　who　volunteered　their　services　in　this　respect。

　　　　By　the　last　of　the　month　we　had　everything　in　readiness　for
departure。　We　had　agreed；　however；　to　pay　a　formal　visit　of
leave…taking　to　the　village；　and　Too…wit　insisted　so　pertinaciously
upon　our　keeping　the　promise　that　we　did　not　think　it　advisable　to
run　the　risk　of　offending　him　by　a　final　refusal。　I　believe　that　not
one　of　us　had　at　this　time　the　slightest　suspicion　of　the　good　faith
of　the　savages。　They　had　uniformly　behaved　with　the　greatest　decorum；
aiding　us　with　alacrity　in　our　work；　offering　us　their　commodities；
frequently　without　price；　and　never；　in　any　instance；　pilfering　a
single　article；　although　the　high　value　they　set　upon　the　goods　we
had　with　us　was　evident　by　the　extravagant　demonstrations　of　joy
always　manifested　upon　our　making　them　a　present。　The　women
especially　were　most　obliging　in　every　respect；　and；　upon　the　whole；
we　should　have　been　the　most　suspicious　of　human　beings　had　we
entertained　a　single　thought　of　perfidy　on　the　part　of　a　people　who
treated　us　so　well。　A　very　short　while　sufficed　to　prove　that　this
apparent　kindness　of　disposition　was　only　the　result　of　a　deeply　laid
plan　for　our　destruction；　and　that　the　islanders　for　whom　we
entertained　such　inordinate　feelings　of　esteem；　were　among　the　most
barbarous；　subtle；　and　bloodthirsty　wretches　that　ever　contaminated
the　face　of　the　globe。

　　　　It　was　on　the　first　of　February　that　we　went　on　shore　for　the
purpose　of　visiting　the　village。　Although；　as　said　before；　we
entertained　not　the　slightest　suspicion；　still　no　proper　precaution
was　neglected。　Six　men　were　left　in　the　schooner；　with　instructions
to　permit　none　of　the　savages　to　approach　the　vessel　during　our
absence；　under　any　pretence　whatever；　and　to　remain　constantly　on
deck。　The　boarding…nettings　were　up；　the　guns　double…shotted　with
grape　and　canister；　and　the　swivels　loaded　with　canisters　of
musket…balls。　She　lay；　with　her　anchor　apeak；　about　a　mile　from　the
shore；　and　no　canoe　could　approach　her　in　any　direction　without　being
distinctly　seen　and　exposed　to　the　full　fire　of　our　swivels
immediately。

　　　　The　six　men　being　left　on　board；　our　shore…party　consisted　of
thirty。　two　persons　in　all。　We　were　armed　to　the　teeth；　having　with
us　muskets；　pistols；　and　cutlasses；　besides；　each　had　a　long　kind　of
seaman's　knife；　somewhat　resembling　the　bowie　knife　now　so　much　used
throughout　our　western　and　southern　country。　A　hundred　of　the　black
skin　warriors　met　us　at　the　landing　for　the　purpose　of　accompanying
us　on　our　way。　We　noticed；　however；　with　some　surprise；　that　they
were　now　entirely　without　arms；　and；　upon　questioning　Too…wit　in
relation　to　this　circumstance；　he　merely　answered　that　_Mattee　non　we
pa　pa　si_　　meaning　that　there　was　no　need　of　arms　where　all　were
brothers。　We　took　this　in　good　part；　and　proceeded。

　　　　We　had　passed　the　spring　and　rivulet　of　which　I　before　spoke；　and
were　now　entering　upon　a　narrow　gorge　leading　through　the　chain　of
soapstone　hills　among　which　the　village　was　situated。　This　gorge　was
very　rocky　and　uneven；　so　much　so　that　it　was　with　no　little
difficulty　we　scrambled　through　it　on　our　first　visit　to　Klock…klock。
The　whole　length　of　the　ravine　might　have　been　a　mile　and　a　half；　or
probably　two　miles。　It　wound　in　every　possible　direction　through　the
hills　（having　apparently　formed；　at　some　remote　period；　the　bed　of　a
torrent）；　in　no　instance　proceeding　more　than　twenty　yards　without　an
abrupt　turn。　The　sides　of　this　dell　would　have　averaged；　I　am　sure；
seventy　or　eighty　feet　in　perpendicular　altitude　throughout　the　whole
of　their　extent；　and　in　some　portions　they　arose　to　an　astonishing
height；　overshadowing　the　pass　so　completely　that　but　little　of　the
light　of　day　could　penetrate。　The　general　width　was　about　forty　feet；
and　occasionally　it　diminished　so　as　not　to　allow　the　passage　of　more
than　five　or　six　persons　abreast。　In　short；　there　could　be　no　place
in　the　world　better　adapted　for　the　consummation　of　an　ambuscade；　and
it　was　no　more　than　natural　that　we　should　look　carefully　to　our　arms
as　we　entered　upon　it。　When　I　now　think　of　our　egregious　folly；　the
chief　subject　of　astonishment　seems　to　be；　that　we　should　have　ever
ventured；　under　any　circumstances；　so　completely　into　the　power　of
unknown　savages　as　to　permit　them　to　march　both　before　and　behind　us
in　our　progress　through　this　ravine。　Yet　such　was　the　order　we
blindly　took　up；　trusting　foolishly　to　the　force　of　our　party；　the
unarmed　condition　of　Too…wit　and　his　men；　the　certain　efficacy　of　our
firearms　（whose　effect　was　yet　a　secret　to　the　natives）；　and；　more
than　all；　to　the　long…sustained　pretension　of　friendship　kept　up　by
these　infamous　wretches。　Five　or　six　of　them　went　on　before；　as　if　to
lead　the　way；　ostentatiously　busying　themselves　in　removing　the
larger　stones　and　rubbish　from　the　path。　Next　came　our　own　party。　We
walked　closely　together；　taking　care　only　to　prevent　separation。
Behind　followed　the　main　body　of　the　savages；　observing　unusual　order
and　decorum。

　　　　Dirk　Peters；　a　man　named　Wilson　Allen；　and　myself　were　on　the
right　of　our　companions；　examining；　as　we　went　along；　the　singular
stratification　of　the　precipice　which　overhung　us。　A　fissure　in　the
soft　rock　attracted　our　attention。　It　was　about　wide　enough　for　one
person　to　enter　without　squeezing；　and　extended　back　into　the　hill
some　eighteen　or　twenty　feet　in　a　straight　course；　sloping　afterward
to　the　left。　The　height　of　the　opening；　is　far　as　we　could　see　into
it　from　the　main　gorge；　was　perhaps　sixty　or　seventy　feet。　There　were
one　or　two　stunted　shrubs　growing　from　the　crevices；　bearing　a
species　of　filbert　which　I　felt　some　curiosity　to　examine；　and　pushed
in　briskly　for　that　purpose；　gathering　five　or　six　of　the　nuts　at　a
grasp；　and　then　hastily　retreating。　As　I　turned；　I　found　that　Peters
and　Allen　had　followed　me。　I　desired　them　to　go　back；　as　there　was
not　room　for　two　persons　to　pass；　saying　they　should　have　some　of　my
nuts。　They　accordingly　turned；　and　were　scrambling　back；　Allen　being
close　to　the　mouth　of　the　fissure；　when　I　was　suddenly　aware　of　a
concussion　resembling　nothing　I　had　ever　before　experienced；　and
which　impressed　me　with　a　vague　conception；　if　indeed　I　then　thought
of　anything；　that　the　whole　foundations　of　the　solid　globe　were
suddenly　rent　asunder；　and　that　the　day　of　universal　dissolution　was
at　hand。

~~~　End　of　Text　of　Chapter　20　~~~

CHAPTER　21



　　　　AS　soon　as　I　could　collect　my　scattered　senses；　I　found　myself
nearly　suffocated；　and　grovelling　in　utter　darkness　among　a　quantity
of　loose　earth；　which　was　also　falling　upon　me　heavily　in　every
direction；　threatening　to　bury　me　entirely。　Horribly　alarmed　at　this
idea；　I　struggled　to　gain　my　feet；　and　at　last　succeeded。　I　then
remained　motionless　for　some　moments；　endeavouring　to　conceive　what
had　happened　to　me；　and　where　I　was。　Presently　I　heard　a　deep　groan
just　at　my　ear；　and　afterward　the　smothered　voice　of　Peters　calling
to　me　for　aid　in　the　name　of　God。　I　scrambled　one　or　two　paces
forward；　when　I　fell　directly　over　the