第41章
加入书架 A- A+

  DuringourstayatPortFamine,theFuegianstwicecameandplaguedus。Asthereweremanyinstruments,clothes,andmenonshore,itwasthoughtnecessarytofrightenthemaway。Thefirsttimeafewgreatgunswerefired,whentheywerefardistant。ItwasmostludicroustowatchthroughaglasstheIndians,asoftenastheshotstruckthewater,takeupstones,and,asabolddefiance,throwthemtowardstheship,thoughaboutamileandahalfdistant!Aboatwassentwithorderstofireafewmusket-shotswideofthem。TheFuegianshidthemselvesbehindthetrees,andforeverydischargeofthemusketstheyfiredtheirarrows;all,however,fellshortoftheboat,andtheofficerashepointedatthemlaughed。ThismadetheFuegiansfranticwithpassion,andtheyshooktheirmantlesinvainrage。

  Atlast,seeingtheballscutandstrikethetrees,theyranaway,andwewereleftinpeaceandquietness。DuringtheformervoyagetheFuegianswerehereverytroublesome,andtofrightenthemarocketwasfiredatnightovertheirwigwams;itansweredeffectually,andoneoftheofficerstoldmethattheclamourfirstraised,andthebarkingofthedogs,wasquiteludicrousincontrastwiththeprofoundsilencewhichinaminuteortwoafterwardsprevailed。ThenextmorningnotasingleFuegianwasintheneighbourhood。

  WhentheBeaglewashereinthemonthofFebruary,Istartedonemorningatfouro’clocktoascendMountTarn,whichis2600feethigh,andisthemostelevatedpointinthisimmediatedistrict。Wewentinaboattothefootofthemountainbutunluckilynottothebestpart,andthenbeganourascent。Theforestcommencesatthelineofhigh-watermark,andduringthefirsttwohoursIgaveoverallhopesofreachingthesummit。Sothickwasthewood,thatitwasnecessarytohaveconstantrecoursetothecompass;

  foreverylandmark,thoughinamountainouscountry,wascompletelyshutout。Inthedeepravines,thedeath-likesceneofdesolationexceededalldescription;outsideitwasblowingagale,butinthesehollows,notevenabreathofwindstirredtheleavesofthetallesttrees。Sogloomy,cold,andwetwaseverypart,thatnoteventhefungi,mosses,orfernscouldflourish。Inthevalleysitwasscarcelypossibletocrawlalong,theyweresocompletelybarricadedbygreatmoulderingtrunks,whichhadfallendownineverydirection。Whenpassingoverthesenaturalbridges,one’scoursewasoftenarrestedbysinkingkneedeepintotherottenwood;atothertimes,whenattemptingtoleanagainstafirmtree,onewasstartledbyfindingamassofdecayedmatterreadytofallattheslightesttouch。

  Weatlastfoundourselvesamongthestuntedtrees,andthensoonreachedthebareridge,whichconductedustothesummit。HerewasaviewcharacteristicofTierradelFuego;irregularchainsofhills,mottledwithpatchesofsnow,deepyellowish-greenvalleys,andarmsoftheseaintersectingthelandinmanydirections。Thestrongwindwaspiercinglycold,andtheatmosphereratherhazy,sothatwedidnotstaylongonthetopofthemountain。Ourdescentwasnotquitesolaboriousasourascent,fortheweightofthebodyforcedapassage,andalltheslipsandfallswereintherightdirection。

......

购买会员看全站小说,或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载,搜索"THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE",免费读到尾
点击下载App,搜索"THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE",免费读到尾