the surprising adventures of baron munchausen-第23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！


termined　to　make　all　possible　sail　from　such　horrible　danger。　We　did　so；　but　all　in　vain；　for　about　eleven　o'clock　at　night；　blowing　a　very　hard　gale；　and　exceedingly　dark；　we　struck　upon　the　island。　Nothing　could　equal　the　distraction；　the　shrieks；　and　despair　of　the　whole　crew；　until　I；　knowing　there　was　not　a　moment　to　be　lost；　cheered　up　their　spirits；　and　bade　them　not　despond；　but　do　as　I　should　request　them。　In　a　few　minutes　the　vessel　was　half　full　of　water；　and　the　enormous　castle　of　ice　that　seemed　to　hem　us　in　on　every　side；　in　some　places　falling　in　hideous　fragments　upon　the　deck；　killed　one　half　of　the　crew；　upon　which；　getting　upon　the　summit　of　the　mast；　I　contrived　to　make　it　fast　to　a　great　promontory　of　the　ice；　and　calling　to　the　remainder　of　the　crew　to　follow　me；　we　all　escaped　from　the　wreck；　and　got　upon　the　summit　of　the　island。

The　rising　sun　soon　gave　us　a　dreadful　prospect　of　our　situation；　and　the　loss；　or　rather　iceification；　of　the　vessel；　for　being　closed　in　on　every　side　with　castles　of　ice　during　the　night；　she　was　absolutely　frozen　over　and　buried　in　such　a　manner　that　we　could　behold　her　under　our　feet；　even　in　the　central　solidity　of　the　island。　Having　debated　what　was　best　to　be　done；　we　immediately　cut　down　through　the　ice；　and　got　up　some　of　the　cables　of　the　vessel；　and　the　boats；　which；　making　fast　to　the　island；　we　towed　it　with　all　our　might；　determined　to　bring　home　island　and　all；　or　perish　in　the　attempt。　On　the　summit　of　the　island　we　placed　what　oakum　and　dregs　of　every　kind　of　matter　we　could　get　from　the　vessel；　which；　in　the　space　of　a　very　few　hours；　on　account　of　the　liquefying　of　the　ice；　and　the　warmth　of　the　sun；　were　transformed　into　a　very　fine　manure；　and　as　I　had　some　seeds　of　exotic　vegetables　in　my　pocket；　we　shortly　had　a　sufficiency　of　fruits　and　roots　growing　upon　the　island　to　supply　the　whole　crew；　especially　the　bread…fruit　tree；　a　few　plants　of　which　had　been　in　the　vessel；　and　another　tree；　which　bore　plum…puddings　so　very　hot；　and　with　such　exquisite　proportion　of　sugar；　fruit；　&c。；　that　we　all　acknowledged　it　was　not　possible　to　taste　anything　of　the　kind　more　delicious　in　England：　in　short；　though　the　scurvy　had　made　such　dreadful　progress　among　the　crew　before　our　striking　upon　the　ice；　the　supply　of　vegetables；　and　especially　the　bread…fruit　and　pudding…fruit；　put　an　almost　immediate　stop　to　the　distemper。

We　had　not　proceeded　thus　many　weeks；　advancing　with　incredible　fatigue　by　continual　towing；　when　we　fell　in　with　a　fleet　of　Negro…　men；　as　they　call　them。　These　wretches；　I　must　inform　you；　my　dear　friends；　had　found　means　to　make　prizes　of　those　vessels　from　some　Europeans　upon　the　coast　of　Guinea；　and　tasting　the　sweets　of　luxury；　had　formed　colonies　in　several　new　discovered　islands　near　the　South　Pole；　where　they　had　a　variety　of　plantations　of　such　matters　as　would　only　grow　in　the　coldest　climates。　As　the　black　inhabitants　of　Guinea　were　unsuited　to　the　climate　and　excessive　cold　of　the　country；　they　formed　the　diabolical　project　of　getting　Christian　slaves　to　work　for　them。　For　this　purpose　they　sent　vessels　every　year　to　the　coast　of　Scotland；　the　northern　parts　of　Ireland；　and　Wales；　and　were　even　sometimes　seen　off　the　coast　of　Cornwall。　And　having　purchased；　or　entrapped　by　fraud　or　violence；　a　great　number　of　men；　women；　and　children；　they　proceeded　with　their　cargoes　of　human　flesh　to　the　other　end　of　the　world；　and　sold　them　to　their　planters；　where　they　were　flogged　into　obedience；　and　made　to　work　like　horses　all　the　rest　of　their　lives。

My　blood　ran　cold　at　the　idea；　while　every　one　on　the　island　also　expressed　his　horror　that　such　an　iniquitous　traffic　should　be　suffered　to　exist。　But；　except　by　open　violence；　it　was　found　impossible　to　destroy　the　trade；　on　account　of　a　barbarous　prejudice；　entertained　of　late　by　the　negroes；　that　the　white　people　have　no　souls！　However；　we　were　determined　to　attack　them；　and　steering　down　our　island　upon　them；　soon　overwhelmed　them：　we　saved　as　many　of　the　white　people　as　possible；　but　pushed　all　the　blacks　into　the　water　again。　The　poor　creatures　we　saved　from　slavery　were　so　overjoyed；　that　they　wept　aloud　through　gratitude；　and　we　experienced　every　delightful　sensation　to　think　what　happiness　we　should　shower　upon　their　parents；　their　brothers　and　sisters　and　children；　by　bringing　them　home　safe；　redeemed　from　slavery；　to　the　bosom　of　their　native　country。

Having　happily　arrived　in　England；　I　immediately　laid　a　statement　of　my　voyage；　&c。；　before　the　Privy　Council；　and　entreated　an　immediate　assistance　to　travel　into　Africa；　and；　if　possible；　refit　my　former　machine；　and　take　it　along　with　the　rest。　Everything　was　instantly　granted　to　my　satisfaction；　and　I　received　orders　to　get　myself　ready　for　departure　as　soon　as　possible。

As　the　Emperor　of　China　had　sent　a　most　curious　animal　as　a　present　to　Europe；　which　was　kept　in　the　Tower；　and　it　being　of　an　enormous　stature；　and　capable　of　performing　the　voyage　with　/éclat/；　she　was　ordered　to　attend　me。　She　was　called　Sphinx；　and　was　one　of　the　most　tremendous　though　magnificent　figures　I　ever　beheld。　She　was　harnessed　with　superb　trappings　to　a　large　flat…bottomed　boat；　in　which　was　placed　an　edifice　of　wood；　exactly　resembling　Westminster　Hall。　Two　balloons　were　placed　over　it；　tackled　by　a　number　of　ropes　to　the　boat；　to　keep　up　a　proper　equilibrium；　and　prevent　it　from　overturning；　or　filling；　from　the　prodigious　weight　of　the　fabric。

The　interior　of　the　edifice　was　decorated　with　seats；　in　the　form　of　an　amphitheatre；　and　crammed　as　full　as　it　could　hold　with　ladies　and　lords；　as　a　council　and　retinue　for　your　humble　servant。　Nearly　in　the　centre　was　a　seat　elegantly　decorated　for　myself；　and　on　either　side　of　me　were　placed　the　famous　Gog　and　Magog　in　all　their　pomp。

The　Lord　Viscount　Gosamer　being　our　postillion；　we　floated　gallantly　down　the　river；　the　noble　Sphinx　gambolling　like　the　huge　leviathan；　and　towing　after　her　the　boat　and　balloons。

Thus　we　advanced；　sailing　gently；　into　the　open　sea；　being　calm　weather；　we　could　scarcely　feel　the　motion　of　the　vehicle；　and　passed　our　time　in　grand　debate　upon　the　glorious　intention　of　our　voyage；　and　the　discoveries　that　would　result。

〃I　am　of　opinion；〃　said　my　noble　friend；　Hilaro　Frosticos；　〃that　Africa　was　originally　inhabited　for　the　greater　part；　or；　I　may　say；　subjugated　by　lions　which；　next　to　man；　seem　to　be　the　most　dreaded　of　all　mortal　tyrants。　The　country　in　generalat　least；　what　we　have　been　hitherto　able　to　discover；　seems　rather　inimical　to　human　life；　the　intolerable　dryness　of　the　place；　the　burning　sands　that　overwhelm　whole　armies　and　cities　in　general　ruin；　and　the　hideous　life　many　roving　hordes　are　compelled　to　lead；　incline　me　to　think；　that　if　ever　we　form　any　great　settlements　therein；　it　will　become　the　grave　of　our　countrymen。　Yet　it　is　nearer　to　us　than　the　East　Indies；　and　I　cannot　but　imagine；　that　in　many　places　every　production　of　China；　and　of　the　East　and　West　Indies；　would　flourish；　if　properly　attended　to。　And　as　the　country　is　so　prodigiously　extensive　and　unknown；　what　a　source　of　discovery　must　not　it　contain！　In　fact；　we　know　less　about　the　interior　of　Africa　than　we　do　of　the　moon；　for　in　this　latter　we　measure　the　very　prominences；　and　observe　the　varieties　and　inequalities　of　the　surface　through　our　glasses

　〃Forests　and　mountains　on　her　spotted　orb。

〃But　we　see　nothing　in　the　interior　of　Africa；　but　what　some　compilers　of　maps　or　geographers　are　fanciful　enough　to　imagine。　What　a　happy　event；　therefore；　should　we　not　expect　from　a　voyage　of　discovery　and　colonisation　undertaken　in　so　magnificent　a　style　as　the　present！　what　a　pridewhat　an　acquisition　to　philosophy！〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　XXV

　　/Count　Gosamer　thrown　by　Sphinx　into　the　snow　on　the　top　of　　　TeneriffeGog　and　Magog　conduct　Sphinx　for　the　rest　of　the　voyage　　　The　Baron　arrives　at　the　Cape；　and　unites　his　former　chariot；　　　&c。；　to　his　new　retinuePasses　into　Africa；　proceeding　from　the　　　Cape　northwardsDefeats　a　host　of　lions　by　a　curious　stratagem　　　Travels　through　an　immense　desertHis　whole　company；　chariot；　　　&c。；　overwhelmed　by　a　whirlwind　of　sandExtricates　them；　and　　　arrives　in　a　fertile　country。/

The　brave　Count　Gosamer；　with　a　pair　of　hell…fire　spurs　on；　riding　upon　Sphinx；　directed　the　whole　retinue　towards　the　Madeiras。　But　the　Count　had　no　small　share　of　an　amiable　vanity；　and　perceiving　great　multitudes　of　people；　Gascons；　&c。；　assembled　upon　the　French　coast；　he　could　not　refrain　from　showing　some　singular　capers；　such　as　they　had　never　seen　before：　but　especially　when　he　observed　all　the　members　of　the　National　Assembly　extend　themselves　along　the　shore；　as　a　piece　of　French　politeness；　to　honour　this　expedition；　with　Rousseau；　Voltaire；　and　Beelzebub　at　their　head；　he　set　spurs　to　Sphinx；　and　at　the　same　time　cut　and　cracked　away　as　hard　as　he　could；　holding　in　the　reins　with　all　his　might；　striving　to　make　the　creature　plunge　and　show　some　uncommon　diversion。　But　sulky　and　ill…tempered　was　Sphinx　at　the　time：　she　plunged　indeedsuch　a　devil　of　a　plunge；　that　she　dashed　him　in　one　jerk　over　her　head；　and　he　fell　precipitately　into