green mansions-第27节

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d　with　a　stick　I　had　used　to　aid　me　in　my　ascent　I　traced　a　circle　six　or　seven　inches　in　circumference　on　the　soft　stone；　and　in　its　centre　placed　a　small　pebble。　　〃This　represents　the　mountain　we　are　standing　on；〃　I　continued；　touching　the　pebble；　〃and　this　line　encircling　it　encloses　all　of　the　earth　we　can　see　from　the　mountain…top。　　Do　you　understand？the　line　I　have　traced　is　the　blue　line　of　the　horizon　beyond　which　we　cannot　see。　　And　outside　of　this　little　circle　is　all　the　flat　top　of　Ytaioa　representing　the　world。　　Consider；　then；　how　small　a　portion　of　the　world　we　can　see　from　this　spot！〃

〃And　do　you　know　it　all？〃　　she　returned　excitedly。　　〃All　the　world？〃　　waving　her　hand　to　indicate　the　little　stone　plain。　　〃All　the　mountains；　and　rivers；　and　forestsall　the　people　in　the　world？〃

〃That　would　be　impossible；　Rima；　consider　how　large　it　is。〃

〃That　does　not　matter。　　Come；　let　us　go　togetherwe　two　and　grandfatherand　see　all　the　world；　all　the　mountains　and　forests；　and　know　all　the　people。〃

〃You　do　not　know　what　you　are　saying；　Rima。　　You　might　as　well　say：　'Come；　let　us　go　to　the　sun　and　find　out　everything　in　it。'〃

〃It　is　you　who　do　not　know　what　you　are　saying；〃　she　retorted；　with　brightening　eyes　which　for　a　moment　glanced　full　into　mine。　〃We　have　no　wings　like　birds　to　fly　to　the　sun。　　Am　I　not　able　to　walk　on　the　earth；　and　run？　　Can　I　not　swim？　　Can　I　not　climb　every　mountain？〃

〃No；　you　cannot。　　You　imagine　that　all　the　earth　is　like　this　little　portion　you　see。　　But　it　is　not　all　the　same。　　There　are　great　rivers　which　you　cannot　cross　by　swimming；　mountains　you　cannot　climb；　forests　you　cannot　penetratedark；　and　inhabited　by　dangerous　beasts；　and　so　vast　that　all　this　space　your　eyes　look　on　is　a　mere　speck　of　earth　in　comparison。〃

She　listened　excitedly。　　〃Oh；　do　you　know　all　that？〃　　she　cried；　with　a　strangely　brightening　look；　and　then　half　turning　from　me；　she　added；　with　sudden　petulance：　〃Yet　only　a　minute　ago　you　knew　nothing　of　the　worldbecause　it　is　so　large！　　Is　anything　to　be　gained　by　speaking　to　one　who　says　such　contrary　things？〃

I　explained　that　I　had　not　contradicted　myself；　that　she　had　not　rightly　interpreted　my　words。　　I　knew；　I　said；　something　about　the　principal　features　of　the　different　countries　of　the　world；　as；　for　instance；　the　largest　mountain　ranges；　and　rivers；　and　the　cities。　　Also　something；　but　very　little；　about　the　tribes　of　savage　men。　　She　heard　me　with　impatience；　which　made　me　speak　rapidly；　in　very　general　terms；　and　to　simplify　the　matter　I　made　the　world　stand　for　the　continent　we　were　in。　　It　seemed　idle　to　go　beyond　that；　and　her　eagerness　would　not　have　allowed　it。

〃Tell　me　all　you　know；〃　she　said　the　moment　I　ceased　speaking。　〃What　is　thereand　thereand　there？〃　　pointing　in　various　directions。　　〃Rivers　and　foreststhey　are　nothing　to　me。　　The　villages；　the　tribes；　the　people　everywhere；　tell　me；　for　I　must　know　it　all。〃

〃It　would　take　long　to　tell；　Rima。〃

〃Because　you　are　so　slow。　　Look　how　high　the　sun　is！　　Speak；　speak！　What　is　there？〃　　pointing　to　the　north。

〃All　that　country；〃　I　said；　waving　my　hands　from　east　to　west；　〃is　Guayana；　and　so　large　is　it　that　you　could　go　in　this　direction；　or　in　this；　travelling　for　months；　without　seeing　the　end　of　Guayana。　　Still　it　would　be　Guayana；　rivers；　rivers；　rivers；　with　forests　between；　and　other　forests　and　rivers　beyond。　　And　savage　people；　nations　and　tribesGuahibo；　Aguaricoto；　Ayano；　Maco；　Piaroa；　Quiriquiripo；　Tuparitoshall　I　name　a　hundred　more？　　It　would　be　useless；　Rima；　they　are　all　savages；　and　live　widely　scattered　in　the　forests；　hunting　with　bow　and　arrow　and　the　zabatana。　　Consider；　then；　how　large　Guayana　is！〃

〃GuayanaGuayana！　　Do　I　not　know　all　this　is　Guayana？　　But　beyond；　and　beyond；　and　beyond？　　Is　there　no　end　to　Guayana？〃

〃Yes；　there　northwards　it　ends　at　the　Orinoco；　a　mighty　river；　coming　from　mighty　mountains；　compared　with　which　Ytaioa　is　like　a　stone　on　the　Around　on　which　we　have　sat　down　to　rest。　　You　must　know　that　guayana　is　only　a　portion；　a　half；　of　our　country；　Venezuela。　　Look；〃　I　continued；　putting　my　hand　round　my　shoulder　to　touch　the　middle　of　my　back；　〃there　is　a　groove　running　down　my　spine　dividing　my　body　into　equal　parts。　　Thus　does　the　great　Orinoco　divide　Venezuela；　and　on　one　side　of　it　is　all　Guayana；　and　on　the　other　side　the　countries　or　provinces　of　Cumana；　Maturm；　Barcelona；　Bolivar；　Guarico；　Apure；　and　many　others。〃　　I　then　gave　a　rapid　description　of　the　northern　half　of　the　country；　with　its　vast　llanos　covered　with　herds　in　one　part；　its　plantations　of　coffee；　rice；　and　sugar…cane　in　another；　and　its　chief　towns；　last　of　all　Caracas；　the　gay　and　opulent　little　Paris　in　America。

This　seemed　to　weary　her；　but　the　moment　I　ceased　speaking；　and　before　I　could　well　moisten　my　dry　lips；　she　demanded　to　know　what　came　after　Caracasafter　all　Venezuela。

〃The　oceanwater；　water；　water；〃　I　replied。

〃There　are　no　people　therein　the　water；　only　fishes；〃　she　remarked；　then　suddenly　continued：　〃Why　are　you　silentis　Venezuela；　then；　all　the　world？〃

The　task　I　had　set　myself　to　perform　seemed　only　at　its　commencement　yet。　　Thinking　how　to　proceed　with　it；　my　eyes　roved　over　the　level　area　we　were　standing　on；　and　it　struck　me　that　this　little　irregular　plain；　broad　at　one　end　and　almost　pointed　at　the　other；　roughly　resembled　the　South　American　continent　in　its　form。

〃Look；　Rima；〃　I　began；　〃here　we　are　on　this　small　pebbleYtaioa；　and　this　line　round　it　shuts　us　inwe　cannot　see　beyond。　　Now　let　us　imagine　that　we　can　see　beyondthat　we　can　see　the　whole　flat　mountaintop；　and　that；　you　know；　is　the　whole　world。　　Now　listen　while　I　tell　you　of　all　the　countries；　and　principal　mountains；　and　rivers；　and　cities　of　the　world。〃

The　plan　I　had　now　fixed　on　involved　a　great　deal　of　walking　about　and　some　hard　work　in　moving　and　setting　up　stones　and　tracing　boundary　and　other　lines；　but　it　gave　me　pleasure；　for　Rima　was　close　by　all　the　time；　following　me　from　place　to　place；　listening　to　all　I　said　in　silence　but　with　keen　interest。　　At　the　broad　end　of　the　level　summit　I　marked　out　Venezuela；　showing　by　means　of　a　long　line　how　the　Orinoco　divided　it；　and　also　marking　several　of　the　greater　streams　flowing　into　it。　　I　also　marked　the　sites　of　Caracas　and　other　large　towns　with　stones；　and　rejoiced　that　we　are　not　like　the　Europeans；　great　city…builders；　for　the　stones　proved　heavy　to　lift。　　Then　followed　Colombia　and　Ecuador　on　the　west；　and；　successively；　Bolivia；　Peru；　Chile；　ending　at　last　in　the　south　with　Patagonia；　a　cold　arid　land；　bleak　and　desolate。　　I　marked　the　littoral　cities　as　we　progressed　on　that　side；　where　earth　ends　and　the　Pacific　Ocean　begins；　and　infinitude。

Then；　in　a　sudden　burst　of　inspiration；　I　described　the　Cordilleras　to　herthat　world…long；　stupendous　chain；　its　sea　of　Titicaca；　and　wintry；　desolate　Paramo；　where　lie　the　ruins　of　Tiahuanaco；　older　than　Thebes。　　I　mentioned　its　principal　citiesthose　small　inflamed　or　festering　pimples　that　attract　much　attention　from　appearing　on　such　a　body。　　Quito；　callednot　in　irony；　but　by　its　own　peoplethe　Splendid　and　the　Magnificent；　so　high　above　the　earth　as　to　appear　but　a　little　way　removed　from　heaven〃de　Quito　al　cielo；〃　as　the　saying　is。　　But　of　its　sublime　history；　its　kings　and　conquerors；　Haymar　Capac　the　Mighty；　and　Huascar；　and　Atahualpa　the　Unhappy；　not　one　word。　Many　wordshow　inadequate！of　the　summits；　white　with　everlasting　snows；　above　itabove　this　navel　of　the　world；　above　the　earth；　the　ocean；　the　darkening　tempest；　the　condor's　flight。　Flame…breathing　Cotopaxi；　whose　wrathful　mutterings　are　audible　two　hundred　leagues　away；　and　Chimborazo；　Antisana；　Sarata；　Illimani；　Aconcaguanames　of　mountains　that　affect　us　like　the　names　of　gods；　implacable　Pachacamac　and　Viracocha；　whose　everlasting　granite　thrones　they　are。　　At　the　last　I　showed　her　Cuzco；　the　city　of　the　sun；　and　the　highest　dwelling…place　of　men　on　earth。

I　was　carried　away　by　so　sublime　a　theme；　and　remembering　that　I　had　no　critical　hearer；　I　gave　free　reins　to　fancy；　forgetting　for　the　moment　that　some　undiscovered　thought　or　feeling　had　prompted　her　questions。　　And　while　I　spoke　of　the　mountains；　she　hung　on　my　words；　following　me　closely　in　my　walk；　her　countenance　brilliant。　　her　frame　quivering　with　excitement。

There　yet　remained　to　be　described　all　that　unimaginable　space　east　of　the　Andes；　the　riverswhat　rivers！the　green　plains　that　are　like　the　seathe　illimitable　waste　of　water　where　there　is　no　landand　the　forest　region。　　The　very　thought　of　the　Amazonian　forest　made　my　spirit　droop。　　If　I　could　have　snatched　her　up　and　placed　her　on　the　dome　of　Chimborazo　she　would　have　looked　on　an　area　of　ten　thousand　square　miles　of　earth；　so　vast　is　the　horizon　at　that　elevation。　　And　possibly　her　imagination　would　have　been　able　to　clothe　it　all　with　an　unbroken　forest。　Yet　how　small　a　portion　this　would　be　of　the　stupendous　wholeof　a　forest　region　equal　in　extent　to　the　whole　of　Europe！　　All　loveliness；　all　grace；　all　majesty　are　there；　but　we　cannot　see；　cannot　conceivecome　away！　　From　this　vast　stage；　to　be　occupied　in　the　distant　future　by　millions　and　myriads　of　beings；　like　us　of　upright　fo