in search of the castaways-第94章

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　said　Glenarvan；　〃according　to　your　mode　of　reasoning；　Paganel；　cannibalism　will　not　cease　in　New　Zealand　until　her　pastures　teem　with　sheep　and　oxen。〃　〃Evidently；　my　dear　Lord；　and　even　then　it　will　take　years　to　wean　them　from　Maori　flesh；　which　they　prefer　to　all　others；　for　the　children　will　still　have　a　relish　for　what　their　fathers　so　highly　appreciated。　According　to　them　it　tastes　like　pork；　with　even　more　flavor。　As　to　white　men's　flesh；　they　do　not　like　it　so　well；　because　the　whites　eat　salt　with　their　food；　which　gives　a　peculiar　flavor；　not　to　the　taste　of　connoisseurs。〃　〃They　are　dainty；〃　said　the　Major。　　〃But；　black　or　white；　do　they　eat　it　raw；　or　cook　it？〃　〃Why；　what　is　that　to　you；　Mr。　McNabbs？〃　cried　Robert。　〃What　is　that　to　me！〃　exclaimed　the　Major；　earnestly。　　〃If　I　am　to　make　a　meal　for　a　cannibal；　I　should　prefer　being　cooked。〃　〃Why？〃　〃Because　then　I　should　be　sure　of　not　being　eaten　alive！〃　〃Very　good。　　Major；〃　said　Paganel；　〃but　suppose　they　cooked　you　alive？〃　〃The　fact　is；〃　answered　the　Major；　〃I　would　not　give　half…a…crown　for　the　choice！〃　〃Well；　McNabbs；　if　it　will　comfort　youyou　may　as　well　be　told　the　New　Zealanders　do　not　eat　flesh　without　cooking　or　smoking　it。　They　are　very　clever　and　experienced　in　cookery。　For　my　part；　I　very　much　dislike　the　idea　of　being　eaten！　The　idea　of　ending　one's　life　in　the　maw　of　a　savage！　bah！〃　〃The　conclusion　of　all；〃　said　John　Mangles；　〃is　that　we　must　not　fall　into　their　hands。　　Let　us　hope　that　one　day　Christianity　will　abolish　all　these　monstrous　customs。〃　〃Yes；　we　must　hope　so；〃　replied　Paganel；　〃but；　believe　me；　a　savage　who　has　tasted　human　flesh；　is　not　easily　persuaded　to　forego　it。　I　will　relate　two　facts　which　prove　it。〃　〃By　all　means　let　us　have　the　facts；　Paganel；〃　said　Glenarvan。　〃The　first　is　narrated　in　the　chronicles　of　the　Jesuit　Society　in　Brazil。　　A　Portuguese　missionary　was　one　day　visiting　an　old　Brazilian　woman　who　was　very　ill。　　She　had　only　a　few　days　to　live。　　The　Jesuit　inculcated　the　truths　of　religion；　which　the　dying　woman　accepted；　without　objection。　Then　having　attended　to　her　spiritual　wants；　he　bethought　himself　of　her　bodily　needs；　and　offered　her　some　European　delicacies。　'Alas；'　said　she；　'my　digestion　is　too　weak　to　bear　any　kind　of　food。　There　is　only　one　thing　I　could　fancy；　and　nobody　here　could　get　it　for　me。'　　'What　is　it？'　asked　the　Jesuit。　　'Ah！　my　son；'　said　she；　'it　is　the　hand　of　a　little　boy！　　I　feel　as　if　I　should　enjoy　munching　the　little　bones！'〃　〃Horrid！　but　I　wonder　is　it　so　very　nice？〃　said　Robert。　〃My　second　tale　will　answer　you；　my　boy；〃　said　Paganel：　　〃One　day　a　missionary　was　reproving　a　cannibal　for　the　horrible　custom；　so　abhorrent　to　God's　laws；　of　eating　human　flesh！　　'And　beside；'　said　he；　'it　must　be　so　nasty！'　　'Oh；　father；'　said　the　savage；　looking　greedily　at　the　missionary；　'say　that　God　forbids　it！　That　is　a　reason　for　what　you　tell　us。　　But　don't　say　it　is　nasty！　If　you　had　only　tasted　it！'〃

CHAPTER　VI　A　DREADED　COUNTRY　PAGANEL'S　facts　were　indisputable。　　The　cruelty　of　the　New　Zealanders　was　beyond　a　doubt；　therefore　it　was　dangerous　to　land。　But　had　the　danger　been　a　hundredfold　greater；　it　had　to　be　faced。　John　Mangles　felt　the　necessity　of　leaving　without　delay　a　vessel　doomed　to　certain　and　speedy　destruction。　There　were　two　dangers；　one　certain　and　the　other　probable；　but　no　one　could　hesitate　between　them。　As　to　their　chance　of　being　picked　up　by　a　passing　vessel；　they　could　not　reasonably　hope　for　it。　　The　MACQUARIE　was　not　in　the　track　of　ships　bound　to　New　Zealand。　　They　keep　further　north　for　Auckland；　further　south　for　New　Plymouth；　and　the　ship　had　struck　just　between　these　two　points；　on　the　desert　region　of　the　shores　of　Ika…na…Mani；　a　dangerous；　difficult　coast；　and　infested　by　desperate　characters。　〃When　shall　we　get　away？〃　asked　Glenarvan。　〃To…morrow　morning　at　ten　o'clock；〃　replied　John　Mangles。　　〃The　tide　will　then　turn　and　carry　us　to　land。〃　Next　day；　February　5；　at　eight　o'clock；　the　raft　was　finished。　John　had　given　all　his　attention　to　the　building　of　this　structure。　The　foreyard；　which　did　very　well　for　mooring　the　anchors；　was　quite　inadequate　to　the　transport　of　passengers　and　provisions。　What　was　needed　was　a　strong；　manageable　raft；　that　would　resist　the　force　of　the　waves　during　a　passage　of　nine　miles。　Nothing　but　the　masts　could　supply　suitable　materials。　Wilson　and　Mulrady　set　to　work；　the　rigging　was　cut　clear；　and　the　mainmast；　chopped　away　at　the　base；　fell　over　the　starboard　rail；　which　crashed　under　its　weight。　The　MACQUARIE　was　thus　razed　like　a　pontoon。　When　the　lower　mast；　the　topmasts；　and　the　royals　were　sawn　and　split；　the　principal　pieces　of　the　raft　were　ready。　　They　were　then　joined　to　the　fragments　of　the　foremast　and　the　whole　was　fastened　securely　together。　John　took　the　precaution　to　place　in　the　interstices　half　a　dozen　empty　barrels；　which　would　raise　the　structure　above　the　level　of　the　water。　On　this　strong　foundation；　Wilson　laid　a　kind　of　floor　in　open　work；　made　of　the　gratings　off　the　hatches。　　The　spray　could　then　dash　on　the　raft　without　staying　there；　and　the　passengers　would　be　kept　dry。　In　addition　to　this；　the　hose…pipes　firmly　lashed　together　formed　a　kind　of　circular　barrier　which　protected　the　deck　from　the　waves。　That　morning；　John　seeing　that　the　wind　was　in　their　favor；　rigged　up　the　royal…yard　in　the　middle　of　the　raft　as　a　mast。　It　was　stayed　with　shrouds；　and　carried　a　makeshift　sail。　A　large　broad…bladed　oar　was　fixed　behind　to　act　as　a　rudder　in　case　the　wind　was　sufficient　to　require　it。　　The　greatest　pains　had　been　expended　on　strengthening　the　raft　to　resist　the　force　of　the　waves；　but　the　question　remained　whether；　in　the　event　of　a　change　of　wind；　they　could　steer；　or　indeed；　whether　they　could　hope　ever　to　reach　the　land。　At　nine　o'clock　they　began　to　load。　　First　came　the　provisions；　in　quantity　sufficient　to　last　till　they　should　reach　Auckland；　for　they　could　not　count　on　the　productions　of　this　barren　region。　Olbinett's　stores　furnished　some　preserved　meat　which　remained　of　the　purchase　made　for　their　voyage　in　the　MACQUARIE。　　This　was　but　a　scanty　resource。　　They　had　to　fall　back　on　the　coarse　viands　of　the　ship；　sea　biscuits　of　inferior　quality；　and　two　casks　of　salt　fish。　The　steward　was　quite　crestfallen。　These　provisions　were　put　in　hermetically　sealed　cases；　staunch　and　safe　from　sea　water；　and　then　lowered　on　to　the　raft　and　strongly　lashed　to　the　foot　of　the　mast。　　The　arms　and　ammunition　were　piled　in　a　dry　corner。　Fortunately　the　travelers　were　well　armed　with　carbines　and　revolvers。　A　holding　anchor　was　also　put　on　board　in　case　John　should　be　unable　to　make　the　land　in　one　tide；　and　would　have　to　seek　moorings。　At　ten　o'clock　the　tide　turned。　　The　breeze　blew　gently　from　the　northwest；　and　a　slight　swell　rocked　the　frail　craft。　〃Are　we　ready？〃　asked　John。　〃All　ready；　captain；〃　answered　Wilson。　〃All　aboard！〃　cried　John。　Lady　Helena　and　Mary　Grant　descended　by　a　rope　ladder；　and　took　their　station　at　the　foot　of　the　mast　on　the　cases　of　provisions；　their　companions　near　them。　　Wilson　took　the　helm。　John　stood　by　the　tackle；　and　Mulrady　cut　the　line　which　held　the　raft　to　the　ship's　side。　The　sail　was　s