Part 19 (1/2)
”Yes; I am about to procure some for dinner, and you shall see my preserve”
In the course of the day I walked with my host a short distance up the hill, e stopped at a large pit, covered with a net-work, made of whales' sinews The man who accompanied us, descended, and soon returned with a pail full of lizards, confined by a similar net over them He then took them out one by one, and pulled their tails, which were immediately left in his hand He then notched the stump, and threw the animal into the pit
”Of what use is it to return the aniain, by next year”
”But why, then, were the stuht have two tails instead of one, which is invariably the case,” replied hness with an account of all that I saw, and which occurred during my stay on that island If I were to enter into the excellence of their governreat harpooner, and two councils of first and second harpoons, or of the manners and custoes, and deaths--of their aenious supply of all their wants, it would afford in I shall therefore confine , that after a sojourn of six months, I became so impatient to quit the island, that I determined to encounter any risk, rather than not accomplish it
My host, and all the principal inhabitants, finding that no persuasions could induce me to stay, consented at last to furnish me with the means, which I had hit upon to hness, the whales had been rendered so docile, that they not only were used for draught on the lake, but even for carrying on their backs I never could be persuaded toseated on a fish's back, afteron the shark; but I had often crossed the lake in one of the great whale boats towed by one or two of the animals fastened to it by loops over their tails This conveyance suggested to me the idea of my escape, which I proposed to e whale boats, covered completely in, and to be towed out of the ht whales
At my request, a boat was prepared, and covered in halebone s, to adht; a stock of provisions were supplied_put to_, I departed amidst the tears and lamentations of the friendly islanders, who looked upon me as a man bent upon my own destruction But I are that the fishery would soon co picked up by one of the vessels I was soon clear of the lake; and the lad as on the back of the draught whale, having towed me out in pursuance of his orders, until the island appeared like a cloud on the horizon, cast ht return home before dark
For three weeks I remained in the inside of this enormous boat, or rather I may say fish tossed upon the waves, but without injury, fro I akened from a sound sleep by a sudden blow on the outside of ined that I had co, but the sound of voices convinced me, that at last I had fallen in with my fellow creatures A harpoon was now driven in, which I narrowly escaped, and a volley of execrations followed, by which I knew ilish
After a fewa hole in the side ofremoved, a head was put in Fearful of another harpoon, I had raised up e white bear's skin as a defence, and thethat there was a white bear in the belly of the whale The boat shoved off and they coh and through, and I was obliged to lie down at the bottoain ca me at the bottoined that the animal had been killed, and reported to his coree of apprehension they climbed in at the hole which they had cut, when I lifted up my bear's skin, and made my appearance, dressed in the black skin worn by the inhabitants of Whales' Island This frightened them still more; one roared out that it was the devil, and they all ran to make their escape at the hole by which they entered, but in their eagerness they prevented each other
It ith difficulty that I convinced the explained in a feords how I cao with them on board of the shi+p The captain was very sulky when he heard the story; he had iined it to be a dead whale, and had ordered it to be towed alongside, to cut off the blubber
Disappointed in his expectations, he swore that I was a Jonas, who had come out of the whale's belly, and there would be no luck in the shi+p, if I reulated by the nuht this an excellent reason for throwing ht, standing towards them, I certainly should have had some more adventures to narrate At last they consented to put me on board of one which had hoisted French colours She was fro hoe, and in two months I was once hness, were the adventures of e
”Well, the story of the island was rather too long,” observed the Pacha, ”but, altogether, it was aold”
VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER THREE
The next day the renegade co words:--
FOURTH VOYAGE OF HUCKABACK
Your highness oing to sea, after soa person who has once been a rover, that drives him froh danger and difficulty in perspective Yet I cannot say that it was ainst h France to Marseilles, with a small suave er bear the idea of not again seeing my father, if he was alive; and I felt no apprehensions from the circu in this world is forgotten, and that I was so altered fronised
On my arrival at my native city, I proceeded to the well-known shop, where I had been accustomed to exercise my talents, under my father's superintendence The pole was extended from the door, the bason still turned round in obedience to the wind; but when I entered the shop, which was croith people (for it was Saturday afternoon), I perceived that all the operators were unknown to me, and that my father was not there One of the expectants, aited his turn, politely made room for me beside him on the bench, and I had tiations
The shop had been newly painted, a looking-glass of considerable dimensions had been added, and the whole wore the appearance of a er, hbour
”I am,” replied I; ”but I have been at Marseilles before, and when I was last here I used to frequent this shop There was a short stout man as at the head of it, but I do not recollect his name”
”Oh--Monsieur Maurepas He is dead; he died about two months since”