in search of the castaways-第93章

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　the　ship。　〃The　cowards　are　off！〃　said　John　Mangles。　　〃Well；　my　Lord；　so　much　the　better。　　They　have　spared　us　some　trying　scenes。〃　〃No　doubt；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃besides　we　have　a　captain　of　our　own；　and　courageous；　if　unskillful　sailors；　your　companions；　John。　　Say　the　word；　and　we　are　ready　to　obey。〃　The　Major；　Paganel；　Robert；　Wilson；　Mulrady；　Olbinett　himself；　applauded　Glenarvan's　speech；　and　ranged　themselves　on　the　deck；　ready　to　execute　their　captain's　orders。　〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　asked　Glenarvan。　It　was　evident　that　raising　the　MACQUARIE　was　out　of　the　question；　and　no　less　evident　that　she　must　be　abandoned。　　Waiting　on　board　for　succor　that　might　never　come；　would　have　been　imprudence　and　folly。　Before　the　arrival　of　a　chance　vessel　on　the　scene；　the　MACQUARIE　would　have　broken　up。　　The　next　storm；　or　even　a　high　tide　raised　by　the　winds　from　seaward；　would　roll　it　on　the　sands；　break　it　up　into　splinters；　and　scatter　them　on　the　shore。　John　was　anxious　to　reach　the　land　before　this　inevitable　consummation。　He　proposed　to　construct　a　raft　strong　enough　to　carry　the　passengers；　and　a　sufficient　quantity　of　provisions；　to　the　coast　of　New　Zealand。　There　was　no　time　for　discussion；　the　work　was　to　be　set　about　at　once；　and　they　had　made　considerable　progress　when　night　came　and　interrupted　them。　Toward　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening；　after　supper；　while　Lady　Helena　and　Mary　Grant　slept　in　their　berths；　Paganel　and　his　friends　conversed　on　serious　matters　as　they　walked　up　and　down　the　deck。　Robert　had　chosen　to　stay　with　them。　　The　brave　boy　listened　with　all　his　ears；　ready　to　be　of　use；　and　willing　to　enlist　in　any　perilous　adventure。　Paganel　asked　John　Mangles　whether　the　raft　could　not　follow　the　coast　as　far　as　Auckland；　instead　of　landing　its　freight　on　the　coast。　John　replied　that　the　voyage　was　impossible　with　such　an　unmanageable　craft。　〃And　what　we　cannot　do　on　a　raft　could　have　been　done　in　the　ship's　boat？〃　〃Yes；　if　necessary；〃　answered　John；　〃but　we　should　have　had　to　sail　by　day　and　anchor　at　night。〃　〃Then　those　wretches　who　abandoned　us〃　〃Oh；　as　for　them；〃　said　John；　〃they　were　drunk；　and　in　the　darkness　I　have　no　doubt　they　paid　for　their　cowardice　with　their　lives。〃　〃So　much　the　worse　for　them　and　for　us；〃　replied　Paganel；　〃for　the　boat　would　have　been　very　useful　to　us。〃　〃What　would　you　have；　Paganel？　　The　raft　will　bring　us　to　the　shore；〃　said　Glenarvan。　〃The　very　thing　I　would　fain　avoid；〃　exclaimed　the　geographer。　〃What！　do　you　think　another　twenty　miles　after　crossing　the　Pampas　and　Australia；　can　have　any　terrors　for　us；　hardened　as　we　are　to　fatigue？〃　〃My　friend；〃　replied　Paganel；　〃I　do　not　call　in　question　our　courage　nor　the　bravery　of　our　friends。　　Twenty　miles　would　be　nothing　in　any　other　country　than　New　Zealand。　　You　cannot　suspect　me　of　faint…heartedness。　I　was　the　first　to　persuade　you　to　cross　America　and　Australia。　　But　here　the　case　is　different。　　I　repeat；　anything　is　better　than　to　venture　into　this　treacherous　country。〃　〃Anything　is　better；　in　my　judgment；〃　said　John　Mangles；　〃than　braving　certain　destruction　on　a　stranded　vessel。〃　〃What　is　there　so　formidable　in　New　Zealand？〃　asked　Glenarvan。　〃The　savages；〃　said　Paganel。　〃The　savages！〃　repeated　Glenarvan。　　〃Can　we　not　avoid　them　by　keeping　to　the　shore？　　But　in　any　case　what　have　we　to　fear？　Surely；　two　resolute　and　well…armed　Europeans　need　not　give　a　thought　to　an　attack　by　a　handful　of　miserable　beings。〃　Paganel　shook　his　head。　　〃In　this　case　there　are　no　miserable　beings　to　contend　with。　　The　New　Zealanders　are　a　powerful　race；　who　are　rebelling　against　English　rule；　who　fight　the　invaders；　and　often　beat　them；　and　who　always　eat　them！〃　〃Cannibals！〃　exclaimed　Robert；　〃cannibals？〃　　Then　they　heard　him　whisper；　〃My　sister！　　Lady　Helena。〃　〃Don't　frighten　yourself；　my　boy；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃our　friend　Paganel　exaggerates。〃　〃Far　from　it；〃　rejoined　Paganel。　　〃Robert　has　shown　himself　a　man；　and　I　treat　him　as　such；　in　not　concealing　the　truth　from　him。〃　Paganel　was　right。　　Cannibalism　has　become　a　fixed　fact　in　New　Zealand；　as　it　is　in　the　Fijis　and　in　Torres　Strait。　　Superstition　is　no　doubt　partly　to　blame；　but　cannibalism　is　certainly　owing　to　the　fact　that　there　are　moments　when　game　is　scarce　and　hunger　great。　　The　savages　began　by　eating　human　flesh　to　appease　the　demands　of　an　appetite　rarely　satiated；　subsequently　the　priests　regulated　and　satisfied　the　monstrous　custom。　What　was　a　meal；　was　raised　to　the　dignity　of　a　ceremony；　that　is　all。　Besides；　in　the　eyes　of　the　Maories；　nothing　is　more　natural　than　to　eat　one　another。　　The　missionaries　often　questioned　them　about　cannibalism。　　They　asked　them　why　they　devoured　their　brothers；　to　which　the　chiefs　made　answer　that　fish　eat　fish；　dogs　eat　men；　men　eat　dogs；　and　dogs　eat　one　another。　Even　the　Maori　mythology　has　a　legend　of　a　god　who　ate　another　god；　and　with　such　a　precedent；　who　could　resist　eating　his　neighbor？　Another　strange　notion　is；　that　in　eating　a　dead　enemy　they　consume　his　spiritual　being；　and　so　inherit　his　soul；　his　strength　and　his　bravery；　which　they　hold　are　specially　lodged　in　the　brain。　This　accounts　for　the　fact　that　the　brain　figures　in　their　feasts　as　the　choicest　delicacy；　and　is　offered　to　the　most　honored　guest。　But　while　he　acknowledged　all　this；　Paganel　maintained；　not　without　a　show　of　reason；　that　sensuality；　and　especially　hunger；　was　the　first　cause　of　cannibalism　among　the　New　Zealanders；　and　not　only　among　the　Polynesian　races；　but　also　among　the　savages　of　Europe。　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃cannibalism　was　long　prevalent　among　the　ancestors　of　the　most　civilized　people；　and　especially　（if　the　Major　will　not　think　me　personal）　among　the　Scotch。〃　〃Really；〃　said　McNabbs。　〃Yes；　Major；〃　replied　Paganel。　　〃If　you　read　certain　passages　of　Saint　Jerome；　on　the　Atticoli　of　Scotland；　you　will　see　what　he　thought　of　your　forefathers。　　And　without　going　so　far　back　as　historic　times；　under　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　when　Shakespeare　was　dreaming　out　his　Shy…lock；　a　Scotch　bandit；　Sawney　Bean；　was　executed　for　the　crime　of　cannibalism。　Was　it　religion　that　prompted　him　to　cannibalism？　No！　it　was　hunger。〃　〃Hunger？〃　said　John　Mangles。　〃Hunger！〃　repeated　Paganel；　〃but；　above　all；　the　necessity　of　the　carnivorous　appetite　of　replacing　the　bodily　waste；　by　the　azote　contained　in　animal　tissues。　　The　lungs　are　satisfied　with　a　provision　of　vegetable　and　farinaceous　food。　But　to　be　strong　and　active　the　body　must　be　supplied　with　those　plastic　elements　that　renew　the　muscles。　Until　the　Maories　become　members　of　the　Vegetarian　Association　they　will　eat　meat；　and　human　flesh　as　meat。〃　〃Why　not　animal　flesh？〃　asked　Glenarvan。　〃Because　they　have　no　animals；〃　replied　Paganel；　〃and　that　ought　to　be　taken　into　account；　not　to　extenuate；　but　to　explain；　their　cannibal　habits。　　Quadrupeds；　and　even　birds；　are　rare　on　these　inhospitable　shores；　so　that　the　Maories　have　always　eaten　human　flesh。　　There　are　even　'man…eating　seasons；'　as　there　are　in　civilized　countries　hunting　seasons。　Then　begin　the　great　wars；　and　whole　tribes　are　served　up　on　the　tables　of　the　conquerors。〃　〃Well；　then；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃according　to　your　mode　of　reasoning；　Paganel；　cannibalism　will　not　cease　in　New　Ze