roughing it-第64章

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But　Admiral；　why　overlook　the　Willis　and　Morgan　case　in　South　Carolina？
You　are　too　well　informed　a　man　not　to　know　all　about　that　circumstance。
Your　arguments　and　your　conversations　have　shown　you　to　be　intimately
conversant　with　every　detail　of　this　national　quarrel。　　You　develop
matters　of　history　every　day　that　show　plainly　that　you　are　no　smatterer
in　it；　content　to　nibble　about　the　surface；　but　a　man　who　has　searched
the　depths　and　possessed　yourself　of　everything　that　has　a　bearing　upon
the　great　question。　　Therefore；　let　me　just　recall　to　your　mind　that
Willis　and　Morgan　casethough　I　see　by　your　face　that　the　whole　thing　is
already　passing　through　your　memory　at　this　moment。　　On　the　12th　of
August；　1860；　two　months　before　the　Waite　and　Granger　affair；　two　South
Carolina　clergymen；　named　John　H。　Morgan　and　Winthrop　L。　　Willis；　one　a
Methodist　and　the　other　an　Old　School　Baptist；　disguised　themselves；　and
went　at　midnight　to　the　house　of　a　planter　named　ThompsonArchibald　F。
Thompson；　Vice　President　under　Thomas　Jefferson；and　took　thence；　at
midnight；　his　widowed　aunt；　（a　Northern　woman；）　and　her　adopted　child；　an
orphannamed　Mortimer　Highie；　afflicted　with　epilepsy　and　suffering　at
the　time　from　white　swelling　on　one　of　his　legs；　and　compelled　to　walk　on
crutches　in　consequence；　and　the　two　ministers；　in　spite　of　the　pleadings
of　the　victims；　dragged　them　to　the　bush；　tarred　and　feathered　them；　and
afterward　burned　them　at　the　stake　in　the　city　of　Charleston。　　You
remember　perfectly　well　what　a　stir　it　made；　you　remember　perfectly　well
that　even　the　Charleston　Courier　stigmatized　the　act　as　being　unpleasant；
of　questionable　propriety；　and　scarcely　justifiable；　and　likewise　that　it
would　not　be　matter　of　surprise　if　retaliation　ensued。　　And　you　remember
also；　that　this　thing　was　the　cause　of　the　Massachusetts　outrage。　　Who；
indeed；　were　the　two　Massachusetts　ministers？　　and　who　were　the　two
Southern　women　they　burned？　　I　do　not　need　to　remind　you；　Admiral；　with
your　intimate　knowledge　of　history；　that　Waite　was　the　nephew　of　the
woman　burned　in　Charleston；　that　Granger　was　her　cousin　in　the　second
degree；　and　that　the　woman　they　burned　in　Boston　was　the　wife　of　John　H。
Morgan；　and　the　still　loved　but　divorced　wife　of　Winthrop　L。　Willis。
Now；　Admiral；　it　is　only　fair　that　you　should　acknowledge　that　the　first
provocation　came　from　the　Southern　preachers　and　that　the　Northern　ones
were　justified　in　retaliating。　　In　your　arguments　you　never　yet　have
shown　the　least　disposition　to　withhold　a　just　verdict　or　be　in　anywise
unfair；　when　authoritative　history　condemned　your　position；　and　therefore
I　have　no　hesitation　in　asking　you　to　take　the　original　blame　from　the
Massachusetts　ministers；　in　this　matter；　and　transfer　it　to　the　South
Carolina　clergymen　where　it　justly　belongs。〃

The　Admiral　was　conquered。　　This　sweet　spoken　creature　who　swallowed　his
fraudulent　history　as　if　it　were　the　bread　of　life；　basked　in　his　furious
blasphemy　as　if　it　were　generous　sunshine；　found　only　calm；　even…handed
justice　in　his　rampart　partisanship；　and　flooded　him　with　invented
history　so　sugarcoated　with　flattery　and　deference　that　there　was　no
rejecting　it；　was　〃too　many〃　for　him。　　He　stammered　some　awkward；　profane
sentences　about　the…Willis　and　Morgan　business　having　escaped　his
memory；　but　that　he　〃remembered　it　now；〃　and　then；　under　pretence　of
giving　Fan　some　medicine　for　an　imaginary　cough；　drew　out　of　the　battle
and　went　away；　a　vanquished　man。　　Then　cheers　and　laughter　went　up；　and
Williams；　the　ship's　benefactor　was　a　hero。　　The　news　went　about　the
vessel；　champagne　was　ordered；　and　enthusiastic　reception　instituted　in
the　smoking　room；　and　everybody　flocked　thither　to　shake　hands　with　the
conqueror。　　The　wheelman　said　afterward；　that　the　Admiral　stood　up　behind
the　pilot　house　and　〃ripped　and　cursed　all　to　himself〃　till　he　loosened
the　smokestack　guys　and　becalmed　the　mainsail。

The　Admiral's　power　was　broken。　　After　that；　if　he　began　argument；
somebody　would　bring　Williams；　and　the　old　man　would　grow　weak　and　begin
to　quiet　down　at　once。　　And　as　soon　as　he　was　done；　Williams　in　his
dulcet；　insinuating　way；　would　invent　some　history　（referring　for　proof；
to　the　old　man's　own　excellent　memory　and　to　copies　of　〃The　Old　Guard〃
known　not　to　be　in　his　possession）　that　would　turn　the　tables　completely
and　leave　the　Admiral　all　abroad　and　helpless。　　By　and　by　he　came　to　so
dread　Williams　and　his　gilded　tongue　that　he　would　stop　talking　when　he
saw　him　approach；　and　finally　ceased　to　mention　politics　altogether；　and
from　that　time　forward　there　was　entire　peace　and　serenity　in　the　ship。




CHAPTER　LXIII。

On　a　certain　bright　morning　the　Islands　hove　in　sight；　lying　low　on　the
lonely　sea；　and　everybody　climbed　to　the　upper　deck　to　look。　　After　two
thousand　miles　of　watery　solitude　the　vision　was　a　welcome　one。　　As　we
approached；　the　imposing　promontory　of　Diamond　Head　rose　up　out　of　the
ocean　its　rugged　front　softened　by　the　hazy　distance；　and　presently　the
details　of　the　land　began　to　make　themselves　manifest：　first　the　line　of
beach；　then　the　plumed　coacoanut　trees　of　the　tropics；　then　cabins　of　the
natives；　then　the　white　town　of　Honolulu；　said　to　contain　between　twelve
and　fifteen　thousand　inhabitants　spread　over　a　dead　level；　with　streets
from　twenty　to　thirty　feet　wide；　solid　and　level　as　a　floor；　most　of　them
straight　as　a　line　and　few　as　crooked　as　a　corkscrew。

The　further　I　traveled　through　the　town　the　better　I　liked　it。　　Every
step　revealed　a　new　contrastdisclosed　something　I　was　unaccustomed　to。
In　place　of　the　grand　mud…colored　brown　fronts　of　San　Francisco；　I　saw
dwellings　built　of　straw；　adobies；　and　cream…colored　pebble…and…shell…
conglomerated　coral；　cut　into　oblong　blocks　and　laid　in　cement；　also　a
great　number　of　neat　white　cottages；　with　green　window…shutters；　in　place
of　front　yards　like　billiard…tables　with　iron　fences　around　them；　I　saw
these　homes　surrounded　by　ample　yards；　thickly　clad　with　green　grass；　and
shaded　by　tall　trees；　through　whose　dense　foliage　the　sun　could　scarcely
penetrate；　in　place　of　the　customary　geranium；　calla　lily；　etc。；
languishing　in　dust　and　general　debility；　I　saw　luxurious　banks　and
thickets　of　flowers；　fresh　as　a　meadow　after　a　rain；　and　glowing　with　the
richest　dyes；　in　place　of　the　dingy　horrors　of　San　Francisco's　pleasure
grove；　the　〃Willows；〃　I　saw　huge…bodied；　wide…spreading　forest　trees；
with　strange　names　and　stranger　appearancetrees　that　cast　a　shadow　like
a　thunder…cloud；　and　were　able　to　stand　alone　without　being　tied　to　green
poles；　in　place　of　gold　fish；　wiggling　around　in　glass　globes；　assuming
countless　shades　and　degrees　of　distortion　through　the　magnifying　and
diminishing　qualities　of　their　transparent　prison　houses；　I　saw　cats
Tom…cats；　Mary　Ann　cats；　long…tailed　cats；　bob…tailed　cats；　blind　cats；
one…eyed　cats；　wall…eyed　cats；　cross…eyed　cats；　gray　cats；　black　cats；
white　cats；　yellow　cats；　striped　cats；　spotted　cats；　tame　cats；　wild
cats；　singed　cats；　individual　cats；　groups　of　cats；　platoons　of　cats；
companies　of　cats；　regiments　of　cats；　armies　of　cats；　multitudes　of　cats；
millions　of　cats；　and　all　of　them　sleek；　fat；　lazy　and　sound　asleep。
I　looked　on　a　multitude　of　people；　some　white；　in　white　coats；　vests；
pantaloons；　even　white　cloth　shoes；　made　snowy　with　chalk　duly　laid　on
every　morning；　but　the　majority　of　the　people　were　almost　as　dark　as
negroeswomen　with　comely　features；　fine　black　eyes；　rounded　forms；
inclining　to　the　voluptuous；　clad　in　a　single　bright　red　or　white　garment
that　fell　free　and　unconfined　from　shoulder　to　heel；　long　black　hair
falling　loose；　gypsy　hats；　encircled　with　wreaths　of　natural　flowers　of　a
brilliant　carmine　tint；　plenty　of　dark　men　in　various　costumes；　and　some
with　nothing　on　but　a　battered　stove…pipe　hat　tilted　on　the　nose；　and　a
very　scant　breech…clout；certain　smoke…dried　children　were　clothed　in
nothing　but　sunshinea　very　neat　fitting　and　picturesque　apparel　indeed。

In　place　of　roughs　and　rowdies　staring　and　blackguarding　on　the　corners；
I　saw　long…haired；　saddle…colored　Sandwich　Island　maidens　sitting　on　the
ground　in　the　shade　of　corner　houses；　gazing　indolently　at　whatever　or
whoever　happened　along；　instead　of　wretched　cobble…stone　pavements；　I
walked　on　a　firm　foundation　of　coral；　built　up　from　the　bottom　of　the　sea
by　the　absurd　but　persevering　insect　of　that　name；　with　a　light　layer　of
lava　and　cinders　overlying　the　coral；　belched　up　out　of　fathomless
perdition　long　ago　through　the　seared　and　blackened　crater　that　stands
dead　and　harmless　in　the　distance　now；　instead　of　cramped　and　crowded
street…cars；　I　met　dusky　native　women　sweeping　by；　free　as　the　wind；　on
fleet　horses　and　astride；　with　gaudy　riding…sashes；　streaming　like
banners　behind　them；　instead　of　the　combined　stenches　of　Chinadom　and
Brannan　street　slaughter…houses；　I　breathed　the　balmy　fragrance　of
jessamine；　oleander；　and　the　Pride　of　India；　in　place　of　the　hurry　and
bustle　and　noisy　confusion　of　San　Francisco；　I　moved　in　the　midst　of　a
Summer　calm　as　tranquil　as　dawn　in　the　Garden　of　Eden；　in　place　of　the
Golden　City's　skirting　sand　hills　and　the　placid　bay；　I　saw　on　the　one
side　a　frame…work　of　tall；　precipitous　mountains　close　at　hand；　clad　in
refreshing　green；　and　cleft　by　deep；　cool；　chasm…like　valleysand　in
front　the　grand　sweep　of　the　ocean；　a　brilliant；　transparent　green　near
the　shore；　bound　and　bordered　by　a　long　white　line　of　foamy　spray　dashing
against　the　reef；　and　further　out　the　dead　blue　water　of　the　deep　sea；
flecked　with　〃white　caps；〃　and　in　the　far　horizon　a　single；　lonely　sail
a　mere　accent…mark　to　emphasize　a　slumberous　calm　and　a　solitude　that
were　without　sound　or　limit。　　When　the　sun　sunk　downthe　one　intruder
from　other　realms　and　persistent　in　suggestions　of　themit　was　tranced
luxury　to　sit　in　the　perfumed　air　and　forget　that　there　was　any　world　but
these　enchanted　islands。

It　was　such　ecstacy　to　dream；　and　dreamtill　you　got　a　bite。

A　scorpion　bite。　　Then　the　first　duty　was　to　get　up　out　of　the　grass　and
kill　the　scorpion；　and　the　next　to　bathe　the　bitten　place　with　alcohol　or
brandy；　and　the　next　to　resolve　to　keep　out　of　the　grass　in　future。　　Then
came　an　adjournment　to　the　bed…chamber　and　the　pastime　of　writing　up　the
day's　journal　with　one　hand　and　the　destruction　of　mosquitoes　with　the
othera　whole　community　of　them　at　a　slap。　　Then；　observing　an　enemy
approaching；a　hairy　tarantula　on　stiltswhy　not　set　the　spittoon　on
him？　　It　is　done；　and　the　projecting　ends　of　his　paws　give　a　luminous
idea　of　the　magnitude　of　his　reach。　　Then　to　bed　and　become　a　promenade
for　a　centipede　with　forty…two　legs　on　a　side　and　every　foot　hot　enough
to　burn　a　hole　through　a　raw…hide。　　More　soaking　with　alcohol；　and　a
resolution　to　examine　the　bed　before　entering　it；　in　future。　　Then　wait；
and　suffer；　till　all　the　mosquitoes　in　the　neighborhood　have　crawled　in
under　the　bar；　then　slip　out　quickly；　shut　them　in　and　sleep　peacefully
on　the　floor　till　morning。　　Meantime　it　is　comforting　to　curse　the
tropics　in　occasional　wakeful　intervals。

We　had　an　abundance　of　fruit　in　Honolulu；　of　course。　　Oranges；　pine