按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
islands in his day； but I； please God； shall beat him at that
before the recall is sounded。 Would you be surprised to learn that
I contemplate becoming a shipowner？ I do； but it is a secret。
Life is far better fun than people dream who fall asleep among the
chimney stacks and telegraph wires。
Love to Henry James and others near。 … Ever yours； my dear fellow；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
EQUATOR TOWN； APEMAMA； OCTOBER 1889。
No MORNING STAR came； however； and so now I try to send this to you
by the schooner J。 L。 TIERNAN。 We have been about a month ashore；
camping out in a kind of town the king set up for us： on the idea
that I was really a 'big chief' in England。 He dines with us
sometimes； and sends up a cook for a share of our meals when he
does not come himself。 This sounds like high living！ alas；
undeceive yourself。 Salt junk is the mainstay； a low island；
except for cocoanuts； is just the same as a ship at sea： brackish
water； no supplies； and very little shelter。 The king is a great
character … a thorough tyrant； very much of a gentleman； a poet； a
musician； a historian； or perhaps rather more a genealogist … it is
strange to see him lying in his house among a lot of wives （nominal
wives） writing the History of Apemama in an account…book； his
description of one of his own songs； which he sang to me himself；
as 'about sweethearts； and trees； and the sea … and no true； all…
the…same lie；' seems about as compendious a definition of lyric
poetry as a man could ask。 Tembinoka is here the great attraction：
all the rest is heat and tedium and villainous dazzle； and yet more
villainous mosquitoes。 We are like to be here； however； many a
long week before we get away； and then whither？ A strange trade
this voyaging： so vague； so bound…down； so helpless。 Fanny has
been planting some vegetables； and we have actually onions and
radishes coming up： ah； onion…despiser； were you but awhile in a
low island； how your heart would leap at sight of a coster's
barrow！ I think I could shed tears over a dish of turnips。 No
doubt we shall all be glad to say farewell to low islands … I had
near said for ever。 They are very tame； and I begin to read up the
directory； and pine for an island with a profile； a running brook；
or were it only a well among the rocks。 The thought of a mango
came to me early this morning and set my greed on edge； but you do
not know what a mango is； so …。
I have been thinking a great deal of you and the Monument of late；
and even tried to get my thoughts into a poem； hitherto without
success。 God knows how you are： I begin to weary dreadfully to
see you … well； in nine months； I hope； but that seems a long time。
I wonder what has befallen me too； that flimsy part of me that
lives （or dwindles） in the public mind； and what has befallen THE
MASTER； and what kind of a Box the Merry Box has been found。 It is
odd to know nothing of all this。 We had an old woman to do devil…
work for you about a month ago； in a Chinaman's house on Apaiang
（August 23rd or 24th）。 You should have seen the crone with a noble
masculine face； like that of an old crone ＇SIC＇； a body like a
man's （naked all but the feathery female girdle）； knotting cocoanut
leaves and muttering spells： Fanny and I； and the good captain of
the EQUATOR； and the Chinaman and his native wife and sister…in…
law； all squatting on the floor about the sibyl； and a crowd of
dark faces watching from behind her shoulder （she sat right in the
doorway） and tittering aloud with strange； appalled； embarrassed
laughter at each fresh adjuration。 She informed us you were in
England； not travelling and now no longer sick； she promised us a
fair wind the next day； and we had it； so I cherish the hope she
was as right about Sidney Colvin。 The shipownering has rather
petered out since I last wrote； and a good many other plans beside。
Health？ Fanny very so…so； I pretty right upon the whole； and
getting through plenty work： I know not quite how； but it seems to
me not bad and in places funny。
South Sea Yarns：
1。 THE WRECKER ｝
｝ R。 L。 S。
2。 THE PEARL FISHER ｝ by and
｝ Lloyd O。
3。 THE BEACHCOMBERS ｝
THE PEARL FISHER； part done； lies in Sydney。 It is THE WRECKER we
are now engaged upon： strange ways of life； I think； they set
forth： things that I can scarce touch upon； or even not at all； in
my travel book； and the yarns are good； I do believe。 THE PEARL
FISHER is for the NEW YORK LEDGER： the yarn is a kind of Monte
Cristo one。 THE WRECKER is the least good as a story； I think； but
the characters seem to me good。 THE BEACHCOMBERS is more
sentimental。 These three scarce touch the outskirts of the life we
have been viewing； a hot…bed of strange characters and incidents：
Lord； how different from Europe or the Pallid States！ Farewell。
Heaven knows when this will get to you。 I burn to be in Sydney and
have news。
R。 L。 S。
Letter： TO SIDNEY COLVIN
SCHOONER 'EQUATOR；' AT SEA。 190 MILES OFF SAMOA。 MONDAY； DECEMBER
2ND； 1889
MY DEAR COLVIN； … We are just nearing the end of our long cruise。
Rain； calms； squalls； bang … there's the foretopmast gone； rain；
calm； squalls； away with the staysail； more rain； more calm； more
squalls； a prodigious heavy sea all the time； and the EQUATOR
staggering and hovering like a swallow in a storm； and the cabin； a
great square； crowded with wet human beings； and the rain
avalanching on the deck； and the leaks dripping everywhere： Fanny；
in the midst of fifteen males； bearing up wonderfully。 But such
voyages are at the best a trial。 We had one particularity： coming
down on Winslow Reef； p。 d。 （position doubtful）： two positions in
the directory； a third （if you cared to count that） on the chart；
heavy sea running； and the night due。 The boats were cleared；
bread put on board； and we made up our packets for a boat voyage of
four or five hundred miles； and turned in； expectant of a crash。
Needless to say it did not come； and no doubt we were far to
leeward。 If we only had twopenceworth of wind； we might be at
dinner in Apia to…morrow evening； but no such luck： here we roll；
dead before a light air … and that is no point of sailing at all
for a fore and aft schooner … the sun blazing overhead； thermometer
88 degrees； four degrees above what I have learned to call South
Sea temperature； but for all that； land so near； and so much grief
being happily astern； we are all pretty gay on board； and have been
photographing and draught…playing and sky…larking like anything。 I
am minded to stay not very long in Samoa and confine my studies
there （as far as any one can forecast） to the history of the late
war。 My book is now practically modelled： if I can execute what
is designed； there are few better books now extant on this globe；
bar the epics； and the big tragedies； and histories； and the choice
lyric poetics and a novel or so … none。 But it is not executed
yet； and let not him that putteth on his armour； vaunt himself。 At
least； nobody has had such stuff； such wild stories； such beautiful
scenes； such singular intimacies； such manners and traditions； so
incredible a mixture of the beautiful and horrible； the savage and
civilised。 I will give you here some idea of the table of
contents； which ought to make your mouth water。 I propose to call
the book THE SOUTH SEAS： it is rather a large title； but not many
people have seen more of them than I； perhaps no one … certainly no
one capable of using the material。
PART I。 GENERAL。 'OF SCHOONERS； ISLANDS； AND MAROONS。'
CHAPTER I。 Marine。
II。 Contraband （smuggling； barratry； labour traffic）。
III。 The Beachcomber。
IV。 Beachcomber stories。 i。 The Murder of the Chinama