the jacket (the star-rover)- 第30部分

spilling　out　from　the　oak　woods　and　over　the　velvet　turf　like　a

creaming　of　blue　water。　　And　most　of　all　I　remember　a　great；　hairy…

fetlocked　stallion；　often　led　dancing；　sidling；　and　nickering　down

the　narrow　street。　　I　was　frightened　of　the　huge　beast　and　always

fled　screaming　to　my　mother；　clutching　her　skirts　and　hiding　in　them

wherever　I　might　find　her。



But　enough。　　The　childhood　of　Adam　Strang　is　not　what　I　set　out　to

write。



I　lived　for　several　years　on　the　islands　which　are　nameless　to　me；

and　upon　which　I　am　confident　I　was　the　first　white　man。　　I　was

married　to　Lei…Lei；　the　king's　sister；　who　was　a　fraction　over　six

feet　and　only　by　that　fraction　topped　me。　　I　was　a　splendid　figure

of　a　man；　broad…shouldered；　deep…chested；　well…set…up。　　Women　of　any

race；　as　you　shall　see；　looked　on　me　with　a　favouring　eye。　　Under　my

arms；　sun…shielded；　my　skin　was　milk…white　as　my　mother's。　　My　eyes

were　blue。　　My　moustache；　beard　and　hair　were　that　golden…yellow

such　as　one　sometimes　sees　in　paintings　of　the　northern　sea…kings。

AyI　must　have　come　of　that　old　stock；　long…settled　in　England；

and；　though　born　in　a　countryside　cottage；　the　sea　still　ran　so　salt

in　my　blood　that　I　early　found　my　way　to　ships　to　become　a　sea…cuny。

That　is　what　I　wasneither　officer　nor　gentleman；　but　sea…cuny；

hard…worked；　hard…bitten；　hard…enduring。



I　was　of　value　to　Raa　Kook；　hence　his　royal　protection。　　I　could

work　in　iron；　and　our　wrecked　ship　had　brought　the　first　iron　to　Raa

Kook's　land。　　On　occasion；　ten　leagues　to　the　north…west；　we　went　in

canoes　to　get　iron　from　the　wreck。　　The　hull　had　slipped　off　the

reef　and　lay　in　fifteen　fathoms。　　And　in　fifteen　fathoms　we　brought

up　the　iron。　　Wonderful　divers　and　workers　under　water　were　these

natives。　　I　learned　to　do　my　fifteen　fathoms；　but　never　could　I

equal　them　in　their　fishy　exploits。　　On　the　land；　by　virtue　of　my

English　training　and　my　strength；　I　could　throw　any　of　them。　　Also；

I　taught　them　quarter…staff；　until　the　game　became　a　very　contagion

and　broken　heads　anything　but　novelties。



Brought　up　from　the　wreck　was　a　journal；　so　torn　and　mushed　and

pulped　by　the　sea…water；　with　ink　so　run　about；　that　scarcely　any　of

it　was　decipherable。　　However；　in　the　hope　that　some　antiquarian

scholar　may　be　able　to　place　more　definitely　the　date　of　the　events

I　shall　describe；　I　here　give　an　extract。　　The　peculiar　spelling　may

give　the　clue。　　Note　that　while　the　letter　S　is　used；　it　more

commonly　is　replaced　by　the　letter　F。





The　wind　being　favourable；　gave　us　an　opportunity　of　examining　and

drying　some　of　our　provifion；　particularly；　fome　Chinefe　hams　and

dry　filh；　which　conftituted　part　of　our　victualling。　　Divine　service

alfo　was　performed　on　deck。　　In　the　afternoon　the　wind　was

foutherly；　with　frefh　gales；　but　dry；　fo　that　we　were　able　the

following　morning　to　clean　between　decks；　and　alfo　to　fumigate　the

fhip　with　gunpowder。





But　I　must　hasten；　for　my　narrative　is　not　of　Adam　Strang　the

shipwrecked　sea…cuny　on　a　coral　isle；　but　of　Adam　Strang；　later

named　Yi　Yong…ik；　the　Mighty　One；　who　was　one　time　favourite　of　the

powerful　Yunsan；　who　was　lover　and　husband　of　the　Lady　Om　of　the

princely　house　of　Min；　and　who　was　long　time　beggar　and　pariah　in

all　the　villages　of　all　the　coasts　and　roads　of　Cho…Sen。　　（Ah；　ha；　I

have　you　thereCho…Sen。　　It　means　the　land　of　the　morning　calm。　　In

modern　speech　it　is　called　Korea。）



Remember；　it　was　between　three　and　four　centuries　back　that　I　lived；

the　first　white　man；　on　the　coral　isles　of　Raa　Kook。　　In　those

waters；　at　that　time；　the　keels　of　ships　were　rare。　　I　might　well

have　lived　out　my　days　there；　in　peace　and　fatness；　under　the　sun

where　frost　was　not；　had　it　not　been　for　the　Sparwehr。　　The　Sparwehr

was　a　Dutch　merchantman　daring　the　uncharted　seas　for　Indies　beyond

the　Indies。　　And　she　found　me　instead；　and　I　was　all　she　found。



Have　I　not　said　that　I　was　a　gay…hearted；　golden；　bearded　giant　of

an　irresponsible　boy　that　had　never　grown　up？　　With　scarce　a　pang；

when　the　Sparwehrs'　water…casks　were　filled；　I　left　Raa　Kook　and　his

pleasant　land；　left　Lei…Lei　and　all　her　flower…garlanded　sisters；

and　with　laughter　on　my　lips　and　familiar　ship…smells　sweet　in　my

nostrils；　sailed　away；　sea…cuny　once　more；　under　Captain　Johannes

Maartens。



A　marvellous　wandering；　that　which　followed　on　the　old　Sparwehr。　　We

were　in　quest　of　new　lands　of　silk　and　spices。　　In　truth；　we　found

fevers；　violent　deaths；　pestilential　paradises　where　death　and

beauty　kept　charnel…house　together。　　That　old　Johannes　Maartens；

with　no　hint　of　romance　in　that　stolid　face　and　grizzly　square　head

of　his；　sought　the　islands　of　Solomon；　the　mines　of　Golcondaay；　he

sought　old　lost　Atlantis　which　he　hoped　to　find　still　afloat

unscuppered。　　And　he　found　head…hunting；　tree…dwelling　anthropophagi

instead。



We　landed　on　strange　islands；　sea…pounded　on　their　shores　and

smoking　at　their　summits；　where　kinky…haired　little　animal…men　made

monkey…wailings　in　the　jungle；　planted　their　forest　run…ways　with

thorns　and　stake…pits；　and　blew　poisoned　splinters　into　us　from　out

the　twilight　jungle　bush。　　And　whatsoever　man　of　us　was　wasp…stung

by　such　a　splinter　died　horribly　and　howling。　　And　we　encountered

other　men；　fiercer；　bigger；　who　faced　us　on　the　beaches　in　open

fight；　showering　us　with　spears　and　arrows；　while　the　great　tree

drums　and　the　little　tom…toms　rumbled　and　rattled　war　across　the

tree…filled　hollows；　and　all　the　hills　were　pillared　with　signal…

smokes。



Hendrik　Hamel　was　supercargo　and　part　owner　of　the　Sparwehr

adventure；　and　what　he　did　not　own　was　the　property　of　Captain

Johannes　Maartens。　　The　latter　spoke　little　English；　Hendrik　Hamel

but　little　more。　　The　sailors；　with　whom　I　gathered；　spoke　Dutch

only。　　But　trust　a　sea…cuny　to　learn　Dutchay；　and　Korean；　as　you

shall　see。



Toward　the　end　we　came　to　the　charted　country　of　Japan。　　But　the

people　would　have　no　dealings　with　us；　and　two　sworded　officials；　in

sweeping　robes　of　silk　that　made　Captain　Johannes　Maartens'　mouth

water；　came　aboard　of　us　and　politely　requested　us　to　begone。　　Under

their　suave　manners　was　the　iron　of　a　warlike　race；　and　we　knew；　and

went　our　way。



We　crossed　the　Straits　of　Japan　and　were　entering　the　Yellow　Sea　on

our　way　to　China；　when　we　laid　the　Sparwehr　on　the　rocks。　　She　was　a

crazy　tub　the　old　Sparwehr；　so　clumsy　and　so　dirty　with　whiskered

marine…life　on　her　bottom　that　she　could　not　get　out　of　her　own　way。

Close…hauled；　the　closest　she　could　come　was　to　six　points　of　the

wind；　and　then　she　bobbed　up　and　down；　without　way；　like　a　derelict

turnip。　　Galliots　were　clippers　compared　with　her。　　To　tack　her

about　was　undreamed　of；　to　wear　her　required　all　hands　and　half　a

watch。　　So　situated；　we　were　caught　on　a　lee　shore　in　an　eight…point

shift　of　wind　at　the　height　of　a　hurricane　that　had　beaten　our　souls

sick　for　forty…eight　hours。



We　drifted　in　upon　the　land　in　the　chill　light　of　a　stormy　dawn

across　a　heartless　cross…sea　mountain　high。　　It　was　dead　of　winter；

and　between　smoking　snow…squalls　we　could　glimpse　the　forbidding

coast；　if　coast　it　might　be　called；　so　broken　was　it。　　There　were

grim　rock　isles　and　islets　beyond　counting；　dim　snow…covered　ranges

beyond；　and　everywhere　upstanding　cliffs　too　steep　for　snow；　outjuts

of　headlands；　and　pinnacles　and　slivers　of　rock　upthrust　from　the

boiling　sea。



There　was　no　name　to　this　country　on　which　we　drove；　no　record　of　it

ever　having　been　visited　by　navigators。　　Its　coast…line　was　only

hinted　at　in　our　chart。　　From　all　of　which　we　could　argue　that　the

inhabitants　were　as　inhospitable　as　the　little　of　their　land　we

could　see。



The　Sparwehr　drove　in　bow…on　upon　a　cliff。　　There　was　deep　water　to

its　sheer　foot；　so　that　our　sky…aspiring　bowsprit　crumpled　at　the

impact　and　snapped　short　off。　　The　foremast　went　by　the　board；　with

a　great　snapping　of　rope…shrouds　and　stays；　and　fell　forward　against

the　cliff。



I　have　always　admired　old　Johannes　Maartens。　　Washed　and　rolled　off

the　high　poop　by　a　burst　of　sea；　we　were　left　stranded　in　the　waist

of　the　ship；　whence　we　fought　our　way　for'ard　to　the　steep…pitched

forecastle…head。　　Others　joined　us。　　We　lashed　ourselves　fast　and

counted　noses。　　We　were　eighteen。　　The　rest　had　perished。



Johannes　Maartens　touched　me　and　pointed　upward　through　cascading

salt…water　from　the　back…fling　of　the　cliff。　　I　saw　what　he　desired。

Twenty　feet　below　the　truck　the　foremast　ground　and　crunched　against

a　boss　of　the　cliff。　　Above　the　boss　was　a　cleft。　　He　wanted　to　know

if　I　would　dare　the　leap　from　the　mast…head　into　the　cleft。

Sometimes　the　distance　was　a　scant　six　feet。　　At　other　times　it　was

a　score；　for　the　mast　reeled　drunkenly　to　the　rolling　and　pounding

of　the　hull　on　which　rested　its　splintered　butt。



I　began　the　climb。　　But　they　did　not　wait。　　One　by　one　they　unlashed

themselves　and　followed　me　up　the　perilous　mast。　　There　was　reason

for　haste；　for　at　any　moment　the　Sparwehr　might　slip　off　into　deep

water。　　I　timed　my　leap；　and　made　it；　landing　in　the　cleft　in　a

scramble　and　ready　to　lend　a　hand　to　those　who　leaped　after。　　It　was

slow　work。　　We　were　wet　and　half　freezing　in　the　wind…drive。

Besides；　the　leaps　had　to　be　timed　to　the　roll　of　the　hull　and　the

sway　of　the　mast。



The　cook　was　the　first　to　go。　　He　was　snapped　off　the　mast…end；　and

his　body　performed　cart…wheels　in　its　fall。　　A　fling　of　sea　caught

him　and　crushed　him　to　a　pulp　against　the　cliff。　　The　cabin　boy；　a

bearded　man　of　twenty…odd；　lost　hold；　slipped；　swung　around　the

mast；　and　was　pinched　against　the　boss　of　rock。　　Pinched？　　The　life

squeezed　from　him　on　the　instant。　　Two　others　followed　the　way　of

the　cook。　　Captain　Johannes　Maartens　was　the　last；　completing　the

fourteen　of　us　that　clung　on　in　the　cleft。　　An　hour　afterward　the

Sparwehr　slipped　of