the jacket (the star-rover)-第27章

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mind　when　I　rapped　our　code…sign　for　BISHOP？　　In　vain　and　often　I

asked　him　this　very　question。　　In　vain　he　tried　to　describe　in　words

that　mental　image　of　something　he　had　never　seen　but　which

nevertheless　he　was　able　to　handle　in　such　masterly　fashion　as　to

bring　confusion　upon　me　countless　times　in　the　course　of　play。



I　can　only　contemplate　such　exhibitions　of　will　and　spirit　and

conclude；　as　I　so　often　conclude；　that　precisely　there　resides

reality。　　The　spirit　only　is　real。　　The　flesh　is　phantasmagoria　and

apparitional。　　I　ask　you　howI　repeat；　I　ask　you　HOW　matter　or

flesh　in　any　form　can　play　chess　on　an　imaginary　board　with

imaginary　pieces；　across　a　vacuum　of　thirteen　cell　spanned　only　with

knuckle…taps？







CHAPTER　XV







I　was　once　Adam　Strang；　an　Englishman。　　The　period　of　my　living；　as

near　as　I　can　guess　it；　was　somewhere　between　1550　and　1650；　and　I

lived　to　a　ripe　old　age；　as　you　shall　see。　　It　has　been　a　great

regret　to　me；　ever　since　Ed　Morrell　taught　me　the　way　of　the　little

death；　that　I　had　not　been　a　more　thorough　student　of　history。　　I

should　have　been　able　to　identity　and　place　much　that　is　obscure　to

me。　　As　it　is；　I　am　compelled　to　grope　and　guess　my　way　to　times　and

places　of　my　earlier　existences。



A　peculiar　thing　about　my　Adam　Strang　existence　is　that　I　recollect

so　little　of　the　first　thirty　years　of　it。　　Many　times；　in　the

jacket；　has　Adam　Strang　recrudesced；　but　always　he　springs　into

being　full…statured；　heavy…thewed；　a　full　thirty　years　of　age。



I；　Adam　Strang；　invariably　assume　my　consciousness　on　a　group　of

low；　sandy　islands　somewhere　under　the　equator　in　what　must　be　the

western　Pacific　Ocean。　　I　am　always　at　home　there；　and　seem　to　have

been　there　some　time。　　There　are　thousands　of　people　on　these

islands；　although　I　am　the　only　white　man。　　The　natives　are　a

magnificent　breed；　big…muscled；　broad…shouldered；　tall。　　A　six…foot

man　is　a　commonplace。　　The　king；　Raa　Kook；　is　at　least　six　inches

above　six　feet；　and　though　he　would　weigh　fully　three　hundred

pounds；　is　so　equitably　proportioned　that　one　could　not　call　him

fat。　　Many　of　his　chiefs　are　as　large；　while　the　women　are　not　much

smaller　than　the　men。



There　are　numerous　islands　in　the　group；　over　all　of　which　Raa　Kook

is　king；　although　the　cluster　of　islands　to　the　south　is　restive　and

occasionally　in　revolt。　　These　natives　with　whom　I　live　are

Polynesian；　I　know；　because　their　hair　is　straight　and　black。　　Their

skin　is　a　sun…warm　golden…brown。　　Their　speech；　which　I　speak

uncommonly　easy；　is　round　and　rich　and　musical；　possessing　a　paucity

of　consonants；　being　composed　principally　of　vowels。　　They　love

flowers；　music；　dancing；　and　games；　and　are　childishly　simple　and

happy　in　their　amusements；　though　cruelly　savage　in　their　angers　and

wars。



I；　Adam　Strang；　know　my　past；　but　do　not　seem　to　think　much　about

it。　　I　live　in　the　present。　　I　brood　neither　over　past　nor　future。

I　am　careless；　improvident；　uncautious；　happy　out　of　sheer　well…

being　and　overplus　of　physical　energy。　　Fish；　fruits；　vegetables；

and　seaweeda　full　stomachand　I　am　content。　　I　am　high　in　place

with　Raa　Kook；　than　whom　none　is　higher；　not　even　Abba　Taak；　who　is

highest　over　the　priest。　　No　man　dare　lift　hand　or　weapon　to　me。　　I

am　taboosacred　as　the　sacred　canoe…house　under　the　floor　of　which

repose　the　bones　of　heaven　alone　knows　how　many　previous　kings　of

Raa　Kook's　line。



I　know　all　about　how　I　happened　to　be　wrecked　and　be　there　alone　of

all　my　ship's　companyit　was　a　great　drowning　and　a　great　wind；　but

I　do　not　moon　over　the　catastrophe。　　When　I　think　back　at　all；

rather　do　I　think　far　back　to　my　childhood　at　the　skirts　of　my　milk…

skinned；　flaxen…haired；　buxom　English　mother。　　It　is　a　tiny　village

of　a　dozen　straw…thatched　cottages　in　which　I　lived。　　I　hear　again

blackbirds　and　thrushes　in　the　hedges；　and　see　again　bluebells

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