erewhon revisited-第4节

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written　by　one　who　has　far　less　literary　skill　than　the　author　of
〃Erewhon；〃　but　again　I　would　ask　indulgence　on　the　score　of　youth；
and　the　fact　that　this　is　my　first　book。　　It　was　written　nearly　ten
years　ago；　i。e。　in　the　months　from　March　to　August　1891；　but　for
reasons　already　given　it　could　not　then　be　made　public。　　I　have　now
received　permission；　and　therefore　publish　the　following　chapters；
exactly；　or　very　nearly　exactly；　as　they　were　left　when　I　had
finished　editing　my　father's　diaries；　and　the　notes　I　took　down
from　his　own　mouthwith　the　exception；　of　course；　of　these　last
few　lines；　hurriedly　written　as　I　am　on　the　point　of　leaving
England；　of　the　additions　I　made　in　1892；　on　returning　from　my　own
three　hours'　stay　in　Erewhon；　and　of　the　Postscript。



CHAPTER　II：　　TO　THE　FOOT　OF　THE　PASS　INTO　EREWHON



When　my　father　reached　the　colony　for　which　he　had　left　England
some　twenty…two　years　previously；　he　bought　a　horse；　and　started　up
country　on　the　evening　of　the　day　after　his　arrival；　which　was；　as
I　have　said；　on　one　of　the　last　days　of　November　1890。　　He　had
taken　an　English　saddle　with　him；　and　a　couple　of　roomy　and
strongly　made　saddle…bags。　　In　these　he　packed　his　money；　his
nuggets；　some　tea；　sugar；　tobacco；　salt；　a　flask　of　brandy；
matches；　and　as　many　ship's　biscuits　as　he　thought　he　was　likely　to
want；　he　took　no　meat；　for　he　could　supply　himself　from　some
accommodation…house　or　sheep…station；　when　nearing　the　point　after
which　he　would　have　to　begin　camping　out。　　He　rolled　his　Erewhonian
dress　and　small　toilette　necessaries　inside　a　warm　red　blanket；　and
strapped　the　roll　on　to　the　front　part　of　his　saddle。　　On　to　other
D's；　with　which　his　saddle　was　amply　provided；　he　strapped　his
Erewhonian　boots；　a　tin　pannikin；　and　a　billy　that　would　hold　about
a　quart。　　I　should；　perhaps；　explain　to　English　readers　that　a
billy　is　a　tin　can；　the　name　for　which　（doubtless　of　French
Canadian　origin）　is　derived　from　the　words　〃faire　bouillir。〃　　He
also　took　with　him　a　pair　of　hobbles　and　a　small　hatchet。

He　spent　three　whole　days　in　riding　across　the　plains；　and　was
struck　with　the　very　small　signs　of　change　that　he　could　detect；
but　the　fall　in　wool；　and　the　failure；　so　far；　to　establish　a
frozen　meat　trade；　had　prevented　any　material　development　of　the
resources　of　the　country。　　When　he　had　got　to　the　front　ranges；　he
followed　up　the　river　next　to　the　north　of　the　one　that　he　had
explored　years　ago；　and　from　the　head　waters　of　which　he　had　been
led　to　discover　the　only　practicable　pass　into　Erewhon。　　He　did
this；　partly　to　avoid　the　terribly　dangerous　descent　on　to　the　bed
of　the　more　northern　river；　and　partly　to　escape　being　seen　by
shepherds　or　bullock…drivers　who　might　remember　him。

If　he　had　attempted　to　get　through　the　gorge　of　this　river　in　1870；
he　would　have　found　it　impassable；　but　a　few　river…bed　flats　had
been　discovered　above　the　gorge；　on　which　there　was　now　a
shepherd's　hut；　and　on　the　discovery　of　these　flats　a　narrow　horse
track　had　been　made　from　one　end　of　the　gorge　to　the　other。

He　was　hospitably　entertained　at　the　shepherd's　hut　just　mentioned；
which　he　reached　on　Monday；　December　1。　　He　told　the　shepherd　in
charge　of　it　that　he　had　come　to　see　if　he　could　find　traces　of　a
large　wingless　bird；　whose　existence　had　been　reported　as　having
been　discovered　among　the　extreme　head　waters　of　the　river。

〃Be　careful；　sir；　said　the　shepherd；　〃the　river　is　very　dangerous；
several　peopleone　only　about　a　year　agohave　left　this　hut；　and
though　their　horses　and　their　camps　have　been　found；　their　bodies
have　not。　　When　a　great　fresh　comes　down；　it　would　carry　a　body　out
to　sea　in　twenty…four　hours。〃

He　evidently　had　no　idea　that　there　was　a　pass　through　the　ranges
up　the　river；　which　might　explain　the　disappearance　of　an　explorer。

Next　day　my　father　began　to　ascend　the　river。　　There　was　so　much
tangled　growth　still　unburnt　wherever　there　was　room　for　it　to
grow；　and　so　much　swamp；　that　my　father　had　to　keep　almost　entirely
to　the　river…bedand　here　there　was　a　good　deal　of　quicksand。　　The
stones　also　were　often　large　for　some　distance　together；　and　he　had
to　cross　and　recross　streams　of　the　river　more　than　once；　so　that
though　he　travelled　all　day　with　the　exception　of　a　couple　of　hours
for　dinner；　he　had　not　made　more　than　some　five　and　twenty　miles
when　he　reached　a　suitable　camping　ground；　where　he　unsaddled　his
horse；　hobbled　him；　and　turned　him　out　to　feed。　　The　grass　was
beginning　to　seed；　so　that　though　it　was　none　too　plentiful；　what
there　was　of　it　made　excellent　feed。

He　lit　his　fire；　made　himself　some　tea；　ate　his　cold　mutton　and
biscuits；　and　lit　his　pipe；　exactly　as　he　had　done　twenty　years
before。　　There　was　the　clear　starlit　sky；　the　rushing　river；　and
the　stunted　trees　on　the　mountain…side；　the　woodhens　cried；　and　the
〃more…pork〃　hooted　out　her　two　monotonous　notes　exactly　as　they　had
done　years　since；　one　moment；　and　time　had　so　flown　backwards　that
youth　came　bounding　back　to　him　with　the　return　of　his　youth's
surroundings；　the　next；　and　the　intervening　twenty　yearsmost　of
them　grim　onesrose　up　mockingly　before　him；　and　the　buoyancy　of
hope　yielded　to　the　despondency　of　admitted　failure。　　By　and　by
buoyancy　reasserted　itself；　and；　soothed　by　the　peace　and　beauty　of
the　night；　he　wrapped　himself　up　in　his　blanket　and　dropped　off
into　a　dreamless　slumber。

Next　morning；　i。e。　December　3；　he　rose　soon　after　dawn；　bathed　in　a
backwater　of　the　river；　got　his　breakfast；　found　his　horse　on　the
river…bed；　and　started　as　soon　as　he　had　duly　packed　and　loaded。
He　had　now　to　cross　streams　of　the　river　and　recross　them　more
often　than　on　the　preceding　day；　and　this；　though　his　horse　took
well　to　the　water；　required　care；　for　he　was　anxious　not　to　wet　his
saddle…bags；　and　it　was　only　by　crossing　at　the　wide；　smooth；　water
above　a　rapid；　and　by　picking　places　where　the　river　ran　in　two　or
three　streams；　that　he　could　find　fords　where　his　practised　eye
told　him　that　the　water　would　not　be　above　his　horse's　bellyfor
the　river　was　of　great　volume。　　Fortunately；　there　had　been　a　late
fall　of　snow　on　the　higher　ranges；　and　the　river　was；　for　the
summer　season；　low。

Towards　evening；　having　travelled；　so　far　as　he　could　guess；　some
twenty　or　five　and　twenty　miles　（for　he　had　made　another　mid　day
halt）；　he　reached　the　place；　which　he　easily　recognised；　as　that
where　he　had　camped　before　crossing　to　the　pass　that　led　into
Erewhon。　　It　was　the　last　piece　of　ground　that　could　be　called　a
flat　（though　it　was　in　reality　only　the　sloping　delta　of　a　stream
that　descended　from　the　pass）　before　reaching　a　large　glacier　that
had　encroached　on　the　river…bed；　which　it　traversed　at　right　angles
for　a　considerable　distance。

Here　he　again　camped；　hobbled　his　horse；　and　turned　him　adrift；
hoping　that　he　might　again　find　him　some　two　or　three　months　hence；
for　there　was　a　good　deal　of　sweet　grass　here　and　there；　with　sow…
thistle　and　anise；　and　the　coarse　tussock　grass　would　be　in　full
seed　shortly；　which　alone　would　keep　him　going　for　as　long　a　time
as　my　father　expected　to　be　away。　　Little　did　he　think　that　he
should　want　him　again　so　shortly。

Having　attended　to　his　horse；　he　got　his　supper；　and　while　smoking
his　pipe　congratulated　himself　on　the　way　in　which　something　had
smoothed　away　all　the　obstacles　that　had　so　nearly　baffled　him　on
his　earlier　journey。　　Was　he　being　lured　on　to　his　destruction　by
some　malicious　fiend；　or　befriended　by　one　who　had　compassion　on
him　and　wished　him　well？　　His　naturally　sanguine　temperament
inclined　him　to　adopt　the　friendly　spirit　theory；　in　the　peace　of
which　he　again　laid　himself　down　to　rest；　and　slept　soundly　from
dark　till　dawn。

In　the　morning；　though　the　water　was　somewhat　icy；　he　again　bathed；
and　then　put　on　his　Erewhonian　boots　and　dress。　　He　stowed　his
European　clothes；　with　some　difficulty；　into　his　saddle…bags。
Herein　also　he　left　his　case　full　of　English　sovereigns；　his　spare
pipes；　his　purse；　which　contained　two　pounds　in　gold　and　seven　or
eight　shillings；　part　of　his　stock　of　tobacco；　and　whatever
provision　was　left　him；　except　the　meatwhich　he　left　for　sundry
hawks　and　parrots　that　were　eyeing　his　proceedings　apparently
without　fear　of　man。　　His　nuggets　he　concealed　in　the　secret
pockets　of　which　I　have　already　spoken；　keeping　one　bag　alone
accessible。

He　had　had　his　hair　and　beard　cut　short　on　shipboard　the　day　before
he　landed。　　These　he　now　dyed　with　a　dye　that　he　had　brought　from
England；　and　which　in　a　few　minutes　turned　them　very　nearly　black。
He　also　stained　his　face　and　hands　deep　brown。　　He　hung　his　saddle
and　bridle；　his　English　boots；　and　his　saddle…bags　on　the　highest
bough　that　he　could　reach；　and　made　them　fairly　fast　with　strips　of
flax　leaf；　for　there　was　some　stunted　flax　growing　on　the　ground
where　he　had　camped。　　He　feared　that；　do　what　he　might；　they　would
not　escape　the　inquisitive　thievishness　of　the　parrots；　whose
strong　beaks　could　easily　cut　leather；　but　he　could　do　nothing
more。　　It　occurs　to　me；　though　my　father　never　told　me　so；　that　it
was　perhaps　with　a　view　to　these　birds　that　he　had　chosen