benito cereno-第4章

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department　of　a　populous　ship。　True；　the　old　oakum…pickers　appeared　at　times　to　act　the　part　of　monitorial　constables　to　their　countrymen；　the　blacks；　but　though　occasionally　succeeding　in　allaying　trifling　outbreaks　now　and　then　between　man　and　man；　they　could　do　little　or　nothing　toward　establishing　general　quiet。　The　San　Dominick　was　in　the　condition　of　a　transatlantic　emigrant　ship；　among　whose　multitude　of　living　freight　are　some　individuals；　doubtless；　as　little　troublesome　as　crates　and　bales；　but　the　friendly　remonstrances　of　such　with　their　ruder　companions　are　of　not　so　much　avail　as　the　unfriendly　arm　of　the　mate。　What　the　San　Dominick　wanted　was；　what　the　emigrant　ship　has；　stern　superior　officers。　But　on　these　decks　not　so　much　as　a　fourth　mate　was　to　be　seen。　　　　　The　visitor's　curiosity　was　roused　to　learn　the　particulars　of　those　mishaps　which　had　brought　about　such　absenteeism；　with　its　consequences；　because；　though　deriving　some　inkling　of　the　voyage　from　the　wails　which　at　the　first　moment　had　greeted　him；　yet　of　the　details　no　clear　understanding　had　been　had。　The　best　account　would；　doubtless；　be　given　by　the　captain。　Yet　at　first　the　visitor　was　loth　to　ask　it；　unwilling　to　provoke　some　distant　rebuff。　But　plucking　up　courage；　he　at　last　accosted　Don　Benito；　renewing　the　expression　of　his　benevolent　interest；　adding；　that　did　he　（Captain　Delano）　but　know　the　particulars　of　the　ship's　misfortunes；　he　would；　perhaps；　be　better　able　in　the　end　to　relieve　them。　Would　Don　Benito　favour　him　with　the　whole　story？　　　　　Don　Benito　faltered；　then；　like　some　somnambulist　suddenly　interfered　with；　vacantly　stared　at　his　visitor；　and　ended　by　looking　down　on　the　deck。　He　maintained　this　posture　so　long；　that　Captain　Delano；　almost　equally　disconcerted；　and　involuntarily　almost　as　rude；　turned　suddenly　from　him；　walking　forward　to　accost　one　of　the　Spanish　seamen　for　the　desired　information。　But　he　had　hardly　gone　five　paces；　when　with　a　sort　of　eagerness　Don　Benito　invited　him　back；　regretting　his　momentary　absence　of　mind；　and　professing　readiness　to　gratify　him。　　　　　While　most　part　of　the　story　was　being　given；　the　two　captains　stood　on　the　after　part　of　the　main…deck；　a　privileged　spot；　no　one　being　near　but　the　servant。　　　　　〃It　is　now　a　hundred　and　ninety　days；〃　began　the　Spaniard；　in　his　husky　whisper；　〃that　this　ship；　well　officered　and　well　manned；　with　several　cabin　passengers…　some　fifty　Spaniards　in　all…　sailed　from　Buenos　Ayres　bound　to　Lima；　with　a　general　cargo；　Paraguay　tea　and　the　like…　and；〃　pointing　forward；　〃that　parcel　of　Negroes；　now　not　more　than　a　hundred　and　fifty；　as　you　see；　but　then　numbering　over　three　hundred　souls。　Off　Cape　Horn　we　had　heavy　gales。　In　one　moment；　by　night；　three　of　my　best　officers；　with　fifteen　sailors；　were　lost；　with　the　main…yard；　the　spar　snapping　under　them　in　the　slings；　as　they　sought；　with　heavers；　to　beat　down　the　icy　sail。　To　lighten　the　hull；　the　heavier　sacks　of　mata　were　thrown　into　the　sea；　with　most　of　the　water…pipes　lashed　on　deck　at　the　time。　And　this　last　necessity　it　was；　combined　with　the　prolonged　detentions　afterwards　experienced；　which　eventually　brought　about　our　chief　causes　of　suffering。　When…〃　　　　　Here　there　was　a　sudden　fainting　attack　of　his　cough；　brought　on；　no　doubt；　by　his　mental　distress。　His　servant　sustained　him；　and　drawing　a　cordial　from　his　pocket　placed　it　to　his　lips。　He　a　little　revived。　But　unwilling　to　leave　him　unsupported　while　yet　imperfectly　restored；　the　black　with　one　arm　still　encircled　his　master；　at　the　same　time　keeping　his　eye　fixed　on　his　face；　as　if　to　watch　for　the　first　sign　of　complete　restoration；　or　relapse；　as　the　event　might　prove。　　　　　The　Spaniard　proceeded；　but　brokenly　and　obscurely；　as　one　in　a　dream。　　　　　…〃Oh；　my　God！　rather　than　pass　through　what　I　have；　with　joy　I　would　have　hailed　the　most　terrible　gales；　but…〃　　　　　His　cough　returned　and　with　increased　violence；　this　subsiding；　with　reddened　lips　and　closed　eyes　he　fell　heavily　against　his　supporter。　　　　　〃His　mind　wanders。　He　was　thinking　of　the　plague　that　followed　the　gales；〃　plaintively　sighed　the　servant；　〃my　poor；　poor　master！〃　wringing　one　hand；　and　with　the　other　wiping　the　mouth。　〃But　be　patient；　Senor；〃　again　turning　to　Captain　Delano；　〃these　fits　do　not　last　long；　master　will　soon　be　himself。〃　　　　　Don　Benito　reviving；　went　on；　but　as　this　portion　of　the　story　was　very　brokenly　delivered；　the　substance　only　will　here　be　set　down。　　　　　It　appeared　that　after　the　ship　had　been　many　days　tossed　in　storms　off　the　Cape；　the　scurvy　broke　out；　carrying　off　numbers　of　the　whites　and　blacks。　When　at　last　they　had　worked　round　into　the　Pacific；　their　spars　and　sails　were　so　damaged；　and　so　inadequately　handled　by　the　surviving　mariners；　most　of　whom　were　become　invalids；　that；　unable　to　lay　her　northerly　course　by　the　wind；　which　was　powerful；　the　unmanageable　ship　for　successive　days　and　nights　was　blown　northwestward；　where　the　breeze　suddenly　deserted　her；　in　unknown　waters；　to　sultry　calms。　The　absence　of　the　water…pipes　now　proved　as　fatal　to　life　as　before　their　presence　had　menaced　it。　Induced；　or　at　least　aggravated；　by　the　more　than　scanty　allowance　of　water；　a　malignant　fever　followed　the　scurvy；　with　the　excessive　heat　of　the　lengthened　calm；　making　such　short　work　of　it　as　to　sweep　away；　as　by　billows；　whole　families　of　the　Africans；　and　a　yet　larger　number；　proportionally；　of　the　Spaniards；　including；　by　a　luckless　fatality；　every　officer　on　board。　Consequently；　in　the　smart　west　winds　eventually　following　the　calm；　the　already　rent　sails　having　to　be　simply　dropped；　not　furled；　at　need；　had　been　gradually　reduced　to　the　beggar's　rags　they　were　now。　To　procure　substitutes　for　his　lost　sailors；　as　well　as　supplies　of　water　and　sails；　the　captain　at　the　earliest　opportunity　had　made　for　Baldivia；　the　southermost　civilized　port　of　Chili　and　South　America；　but　upon　nearing　the　coast　the　thick　weather　had　prevented　him　from　so　much　as　sighting　that　harbour。　Since　which　period；　almost　without　a　crew；　and　almost　without　canvas　and　almost　without　water；　and　at　intervals　giving　its　added　dead　to　the　sea；　the　San　Dominick　had　been　battle…dored　about　by　contrary　winds；　inveigled　by　currents；　or　grown　weedy　in　calms。　Like　a　man　lost　in　woods；　more　than　once　she　had　doubled　upon　her　own　track。　　　　　〃But　throughout　these　calamities；〃　huskily　continued　Don　Benito；　painfully　turning　in　the　half　embrace　of　his　servant；　〃I　have　to　thank　those　Negroes　you　see；　who；　though　to　your　inexperienced　eyes　appearing　unruly；　have；　indeed；　conducted　themselves　with　less　of　restlessness　than　even　their　owner　could　have　thought　possible　under　such　circumstances。〃　　　　　Here　he　again　fell　faintly　back。　Again　his　mind　wandered：　but　he　rallied；　and　less　obscurely　proceeded。　　　　　〃Yes；　their　owner　was　quite　right　in　assuring　me　that　no　fetters　would　be　needed　with　his　blacks；　so　that　while；　as　is　wont　in　this　transportation；　those　Negroes　have　always　remained　upon　deck…　not　thrust　below；　as　in　the　Guineamen…　they　have；　also；　from　the　beginning；　been　freely　permitted　to　range　within　given　bounds　at　their　pleasure。〃　　　　　Once　more　the　faintness　returned…　his　mind　roved…　but；　recovering；