第1章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"A First Year in Canterbury Settlement",免费读到尾

  INTRODUCTION

  ByR。A。StreatfeildSinceButler’sdeathin1902hisfamehasspreadsorapidlyandtheworldoflettersnowtakessokeenininterestinthemanandhiswritingsthatnoapologyisnecessaryfortherepublicationofevenhisleastsignificantworks。IhadlongdesiredtobringoutaneweditionofhisearliestbookAFIRSTYEARINCANTERBURYSETTLEMENT,togetherwiththeotherpiecesthathewroteduringhisresidenceinNewZealand,and,thatwishbeingnowrealised,IhaveaddedasupplementarygroupofpieceswrittenduringhisundergraduatedaysatCambridge,sothatthepresentvolumeformsatolerablycompleterecordofButler’sliteraryactivityuptothedaysofEREWHON,theonlyomissionofanyimportancebeingthatofhispamphlet,publishedanonymouslyin1865,THEEVIDENCE

  FORTHERESURRECTIONOFJESUSCHRISTASCONTAINEDINTHEFOUR

  EVANGELISTSCRITICALLYEXAMINED。Ihavenotreprintedthis,becausepracticallythewholeofitwasincorporatedintoTHEFAIRHAVEN。

  AFIRSTYEARINCANTERBURYSETTLEMENThaslongbeenoutofprint,andcopiesoftheoriginaleditionaredifficulttoprocure。Butlerprofessedtothinkpoorlyofit。Writingin1889tohisfriendAlfredMarks,whohadpickedupasecond-handcopyandfeltsomedoubtastoitsauthorship,hesaid:\"Iamafraidthelittlebookyouhavereferredtowaswrittenbyme。Mypeopleeditedmylettershome。Ididnotwritefreelytothem,ofcourse,becausetheyweremypeople。IfIwasatallfreeranywheretheycutitoutbeforeprintingit;besides,IhadnotyetshedmyCambridgeskinanditstrailiseverywhere,Iamafraid,perceptible。Ihaveneverreadthebookmyself。IdippedintoafewpageswhentheysentittomeinNewZealand,butsaw’prig’writtenuponthemsoplainlythatIreadnomoreandneverhaveandnevermeanto。Iamtoldthebooksellsfor1poundacopyinNewZealand;infact,lastautumnIknowSirWalterBullergavethatforacopyinEngland,soasaspeculationitisworth2s。6d。or3s。IstoleapassageortwofromitforEREWHON,meaningtoletitgoandneverbereprintedduringmylifetime。\"

  Thismustbetakenwithagrainofsalt。ItwasButler’shabitsometimestoentertainhisfriendsandhimselfbyspeakingofhisownworkswithstudieddisrespect,aswhen,withreferencetohisownDARWIN

  ANDTHEORIGINOFSPECIES,whichalsoisreprintedinthisvolume,hedescribedphilosophicaldialoguesas\"themostoffensiveform,exceptpoetryandbooksoftravelintosupposedunknowncountries,thatevenliteraturecanassume。\"ThecircumstanceswhichledtoAFIRSTYEAR

  beingwrittenhavebeenfullydescribedbyMr。FestingJonesinhissketchofButler’slifeprefixedtoTHEHUMOUROFHOMER(Fifield,London,1913,Kennerley,NewYork),andIwillonlybrieflyrecapitulatethem。ButlerleftEnglandforNewZealandinSeptember,1859,remaininginthecolonyuntil1864。AFIRSTYEARwaspublishedin1863inButler’snamebyhisfather,whocontributedashortpreface,statingthatthebookwascompiledfromhisson’sjournalandletters,withextractsfromtwopaperscontributedtoTHEEAGLE,themagazineofSt。

  John’sCollege,Cambridge。Thesetwopapershadappearedin1861intheformofthreearticlesentitled\"OurEmigrant\"andsigned\"Cellarius。\"

  BycomparingthesearticleswiththebookaspublishedbyButler’sfatheritispossibletoarriveatsomeconclusionastotheamountofeditingtowhichButler’sprosewassubmitted。Somepassagesinthearticlesdonotappearinthebookatall;othersappearunaltered;

  othersagainhavebeenslightlydoctored,apparentlywiththeobjectofrobbingthemofacertainyouthful\"cocksureness,\"whichprobablygrateduponthepaternalnerves,butseemstometocreateanatmosphereofanengagingfreshnesswhichImissintheeditedversion。Somuchofthe\"OurEmigrant\"articlesisrepeatedinAFIRSTYEARalmostifnotquiteverbatimthatitdidnotseemworthwhiletoreprintthearticlesintheirentirety。Ihave,however,includedinthiscollectiononeextractfromthelatterwhichwasnotincorporatedintoAFIRSTYEAR,thoughitdescribesatgreaterlengthanincidentreferredtoonp。74。

  Fromthisextract,whichIhavecalled\"CrossingtheRangitata,\"readerswillbeabletoseeforthemselveshowfreshandspiritedButler’soriginaldescriptionsofhisadventureswere,andwillprobablyregretthathedidnottakethepublicationofAFIRSTYEARintohisownhands,insteadofallowinghisfathertohaveahandinit。

  Withregardtotheotherpiecesincludedinthisvolume{1}Ihavethoughtitbesttoprefixbriefnotes,whennecessary,toeachinturnexplainingthecircumstancesinwhichtheywerewrittenand,whenitwaspossible,givingthedateofcomposition。

  InpreparingthebookforpublicationIhavebeenmateriallyhelpedbyfriendsinbothhemispheres。MythanksarespeciallyduetoMissColborne-Veel,ofChrist-church,N。Z。,forcopyingsomeofButler’searlycontributionstoTHEPRESS,andinparticularforherkindnessinallowingmetomakeuseofhernoteson\"TheEnglishCricketers\";toMr。

  A。T。Bartholomewforhiscourtesyinallowingmetoreprinthisarticleon\"ButlerandtheSimeonites,\"whichoriginallyappearedinTHE

  CAMBRIDGEMAGAZINEof1March,1913,andthrowssointerestingalightuponacertainpassageinTHEWAYOFALLFLESH。ThearticleisherereprintedbythekindpermissionoftheeditorandproprietorofTHE

  CAMBRIDGEMAGAZINE;toMr。J。F。HarrisforhisgenerousassistanceintracingandcopyingseveralofButler’searlycontributionstoTHE

  EAGLE;toMr。W。H。Triggs,theeditorofTHEPRESS,forallowingmetomakeuseofmuchinterestingmatterrelatingtoButlerthathasappearedinthecolumnsofthatjournal;andlastlytoMr。HenryFestingJones,whosehelpandcounselhavebeenasinvaluabletomeinpreparingthisvolumeforthePressastheyhavebeeninpastyearsinthecaseoftheotherbooksbyButlerthatIhavebeenprivilegedtoedit。

  R。A。STREATFEILD。

  PREFACE

  [BytheRev。ThomasButler]

  Thewriterofthefollowingpages,havingresolvedonemigratingtoNewZealand,tookhispassageintheill-fatedshipBurmah,whichneverreachedherdestination,andisbelievedtohaveperishedwithallonboard。Hisberthwaschosen,andthepassage-moneypaid,whenimportantalterationsweremadeinthearrangementsofthevessel,inordertomakeroomforsomestockwhichwasbeingsentouttotheCanterburySettlement。

  Thespaceleftfortheaccommodationofthepassengersbeingthuscurtailed,andthecomfortsofthevoyageseeminglikelytobemuchdiminished,thewriterwasmostprovidentiallyinducedtochangehisship,and,afewweekslater,securedaberthinanothervessel。

  Theworkiscompiledfromtheactuallettersandjournalofayoungemigrant,withextractsfromtwopaperscontributedbyhimtotheEagle,aperiodicalissuedbysomeofthemembersofSt。John’sCollege,Cambridge,atwhichthewritertookhisdegree。Thisvarietyinthesourcesfromwhichthematerialsareputtogethermustbetheapologyforsomedefectsintheirconnectionandcoherence。Itishopedalsothatthecircumstancesofbodilyfatigueandactualdifficultyunderwhichtheywereoftenwritten,willexcusemanyfaultsofstyle。

  Forwhateverofpresumptionmayappearingivingthislittlebooktothepublic,thefriendsofthewriteraloneareanswerable。Itwasattheirwishonlythatheconsentedtoitsbeingprinted。Itis,however,submittedtothereader,inthehopethattheunbiassedimpressionsofcoloniallife,astheyfellfreshlyonayoungmind,maynotbewhollydevoidofinterest。ItsvaluetohisfriendsathomeisnotdiminishedbythefactthattheMS。,havingbeensentouttoNewZealandforrevision,was,onitsreturn,lostintheColombo,andwasfishedupfromtheIndianOceansonearlywashedoutastohavebeenwithsomedifficultydeciphered。

  Itshouldbefurtherstated,fortheencouragementofthosewhothinkoffollowingtheexampleoftheauthor,andemigratingtothesamesettlement,thathismostrecentlettersindicatethathehasnoreasontoregretthestepthathehastaken,andthattheresultsofhisundertakinghavehithertofullyjustifiedhisexpectations。

  LANGARRECTORY

  June29,1863

  CHAPTERI

  EmbarkationatGravesend——ArrestofPassenger——TilburyFort——Deal——BayofBiscayGale——BecalmedoffTeneriffe——FireintheGalley——TradeWinds——

  BeltofCalms——DeathonBoard——Shark——Current——S。E。TradeWinds——

  Temperature——Birds——SouthernCross——Cyclone。

  Itisawindy,rainyday——coldwithal;alittleboatisputtingofffromthepieratGravesend,andmakingforashipthatislyingmooredinthemiddleoftheriver;thereinaresomehalf-dozenpassengersandalotofheterogeneous-lookingluggage;amongthepassengers,andtheownerofsomeofthemostheterogeneousoftheheterogeneousluggage,ismyself。

  Theshipisanemigrantship,andIamoneoftheemigrants。

  Onhavingclamberedovertheship’ssideandfoundmyselfondeck,Iwassomewhattakenabackwiththeapparentlyinextricableconfusionofeverythingonboard;theslushuponthedecks,thecrying,thekissing,themusteringofthepassengers,thestowingawayofbaggagestillleftuponthedecks,therainandthegloomyskycreatedakindofhalf-

  amusing,half-distressingbewilderment,whichIcouldplainlyseetobeparticipatedinbymostoftheotherlandsmenonboard。Honestcountryagriculturistsandtheirwiveswerelookingasthoughtheywonderedwhatitwouldendin;someweresittingontheirboxesandmakingashowofreadingtractswhichwerebeingpresentedtothembyaserious-lookinggentlemaninawhitetie;butalldaylongtheyhadperusedthefirstpageonly,atleastIsawnoneturnoverthesecond。

  Andsotheafternoonworeon,wet,cold,andcomfortless——nodinnerservedonaccountofthegeneralconfusion。Theemigrationcommissionerwastakingafinalsurveyoftheshipandshakinghandswiththis,that,andtheotherofthepassengers。Fresharrivalskeptcontinuallycreatingalittleadditionalexcitement——theseweresaloonpassengers,whoalonewerepermittedtojointheshipatGravesend。Byandbyacoupleofpolicemenmadetheirappearanceandarrestedoneoftheparty,aLondoncabman,fordebt。Hehadalargefamily,andasubscriptionwassoonstartedtopaythesumheowed。Subsequently,amuchlargersubscriptionwouldhavebeenmadeinordertohavehimtakenawaybyanybodyoranything。

  Littlebylittletheconfusionsubsided。Theemigrationcommissionerleft;atsixwewereatlastallowedsomevictuals。Unpackingmybooksandarrangingtheminmycabinfilleduptheremainderoftheevening,savethetimedevotedtoacoupleofmeditativepipes。Theemigrantswenttobed,andwhen,ataboutteno’clock,Iwentupforalittletimeuponthepoop,IheardnosoundsavetheclangingoftheclocksfromthevariouschurchesofGravesend,thepatteringofrainuponthedecks,andtherushingoftheriverasitgurgledagainsttheship’sside。

  Earlynextmorningthecocksbegantocrowvociferously。Wehadaboutsixtycoupleoftheoldestinhabitantsofthehen-roostonboard,whichwereintendedfortheconsumptionofthesaloonpassengers——adestinywhichtheyhavesincefulfilled:youngfowlsdieonshipboard,onlyoldonesstandingtheweatherabouttheline。Besidesthis,thepigsbegangruntingandthesheepgaveventtoanoccasionalfeeblebleat,theonlyexpressionofsurpriseordiscontentwhichIheardthemutterduringtheremainderoftheirexistence,fornow,alas!theyarenomore。I

  rememberdreamingIwasinafarmyard,andwokeassoonasitwaslight。

  Risingimmediately,Iwentondeckandfoundthemorningcalmandsulky——

  norain,buteverythingverywetandverygrey。TherewasTilburyFort,sodifferentfromStanfield’sdashingpicture。TherewasGravesend,whichbutayearbeforeIhadpassedonmywaytoAntwerpwithsolittlenotionthatIshouldeverleaveitthus。Musinginthisway,andtakingalastlookatthegreenfieldsofoldEngland,soakingwithrain,andcomfortlessthoughtheythenlooked,Isoonbecameawarethatwehadweighedanchor,andthatasmallsteam-tugwhichhadbeengettinghersteamupforsomelittletimehadalreadybeguntosubtractamiteofthedistancebetweenourselvesandNewZealand。Andso,earlyinthemorningofSaturday,October1,1859,westartedonourvoyage。

  Theriverwidenedouthourbyhour。Soonourlittlesteam-tugleftus。

  Afairwindsprungup,andattwoo’clock,orthereabouts,wefoundourselvesoffRamsgate。Hereweanchoredandwaitedtillthetide,earlynextmorning。ThistookustoDeal,offwhichweagainremainedawholeday。OnMondaymorningweweighedanchor,andsincethenwehavehaditontheforecastle,andtrustwemayhavenofurtheroccasionforituntilwearriveatNewZealand。

  Iwillnotwastetimeandspacebydescribingthehorriblesea-sicknessofmostofthepassengers,amiserywhichIdidnotmyselfexperience,noryetwillIprolongthenarrativeofourvoyagedowntheChannel——itwasshortandeventless。ThecaptainsaysthereismoredangerbetweenGravesendandtheStartPoint(wherewelostsightofland)thanallthewaybetweenthereandNewZealand。Fogsaresofrequentandcollisionsoccursooften。Ourownpassagewasfreefromadventure。IntheBayofBiscaythewaterassumedabluehueofalmostincredibledepth;there,moreover,wehadourfirsttouchofagale——notthatitdeservedtobecalledagaleincomparisonwithwhatwehavesinceexperienced,stillwelearntwhatdouble-reefsmeant。Afterthisthewindfellverylight,andcontinuedsoforafewdays。Onreferringtomydiary,Iperceivethatonthe10thofOctoberwehadonlygotasfarsouthastheforty-

  firstparalleloflatitude,andlateonthatnightaheavysquallcomingupfromtheS。W。broughtafoulwindwithit。Itsoonfreshened,andbytwoo’clockinthemorningthenoiseoftheflappingsails,asthemenwerereefingthem,andofthewindroaringthroughtherigging,wasdeafening。Allnextdaywelayhovetounderaclose-reefedmain-

  topsail,which,beinginterpreted,meansthattheonlysailsetwasthemain-topsail,andthatthatwasclosereefed;moreover,thattheshipwaslaidatrightanglestothewindandtheyardsbracedsharpup。

  Thusashipdriftsveryslowly,andremainssteadierthanshewouldotherwise;sheshipsfewornoseas,and,thoughsherollsagooddeal,ismuchmoreeasyandsafethanwhenrunningatallnearthewind。Nextdaywedriftedduenorth,andonthethirdday,thefuryofthegalehavingsomewhatmoderated,weresumed——notourcourse,butacourseonlyfourpointsoffit。Thenextseveraldayswewerebaffledbyfoulwinds,jammeddownonthecoastofPortugal;andthenwehadanothergalefromthesouth,notsuchaoneasthelast,butstillenoughtodriveusmanymilesoutofourcourse;andthenitfellcalm,whichwasalmostworse,forwhenthewindfellthesearose,andweweretossedaboutinsuchamanneraswouldhaveforbiddenevenMorpheushimselftosleep。Andsowecrawledontill,onthemorningofthe24thofOctober,bywhichtime,ifwehadhadanythinglikeluck,weshouldhavebeencloseontheline,wefoundourselvesaboutthirtymilesfromthePeakofTeneriffe,becalmed。Thiswasalongwayoutofourcourse,whichlaythreeorfourdegreestothewestwardattheveryleast;butthesightofthePeakwasagreattreat,almostcompensatingforpastmisfortunes。TheIslandofTeneriffeliesinlatitude28degrees,longitude16degrees。Itisaboutsixtymileslong;towardsthesouthernextremitythePeaktowersupwardstoaheightof12,300feet,farabovetheotherlandoftheisland,thoughthattooisveryelevatedandrugged。Ourtelescopesrevealedserratedgulliesuponthemountainsides,andshowedusthefastnessesoftheislandinamannerthatmadeuslongtoexplorethem。Wedeceivedourselveswiththehopethatsomespeculativefishermanmightcomeouttouswithorangesandgrapesforsale。Hewouldhaverealisedahandsomesumifhehad,butunfortunatelynonewasawareoftheadvantagesoffered,andsowelookedandlongedinvain。TheotherislandswerePalma,Gomera,andFerro,allofthemlofty,especiallyPalma——allofthembeautiful。OntheseaboardofPalmawecoulddetecthousesinnumerable;itseemedtobeverythicklyinhabitedandcarefullycultivated。Thecalmcontinuingthreedays,wetookstockoftheislandsprettyminutely,clearastheywere,andrarelyobscuredevenbyapassingcloud;theweatherwasblazinghot,butbeneaththeawningitwasverydelicious;acalm,however,isamonotonousthingevenwhenanislandlikeTeneriffeisinview,andwesoontiredbothofitandofthegambolsoftheblackfish(aspeciesofwhale),andtheoperationsonboardanAmericanvesselhardby。

  Ontheeveningofthethirddayalightairsprungup,andwewatchedtheislandsgraduallyretireintothedistance。Nextmorningtheywerefaintandshrunken,andbymiddaytheyweregone。Thewindwasthecommencementofthenorth-easttrades。Onthenextday(Thursday,October27,lat。27degrees40minutes)thecookwasboilingsomefatinalargesaucepan,whenthebottomburntthroughandthefatfelloutoverthefire,gotlighted,andthenranaboutthewholegalley,blazingandflamingasthoughitwouldsettheplaceonfire,whereatanalarmoffirewasraised,theeffectofwhichwaselectrical:therewasnorealdangerabouttheaffair,forafireiseasilyextinguishableonashipwhenonlyaboveboard;itiswhenitbreaksoutinthehold,isunperceived,gainsstrength,andfinallyburstsitsprison,thatitbecomesaseriousmattertoextinguishit。Thiswasquenchedinfiveminutes,butthefacesofthefemalesteeragepassengerswereawful。I

  noticedaboutmanyapeculiarcontractionandelevationofoneeyebrow,whichIhadneverseenbeforeonthelivinghumanface,thoughofteninpictures。Idon’tmeantosaythatallthefacesofallthesaloonpassengerswerevoidofanyemotionwhatever。

  Thetradescarriedusdowntolatitude9degrees。Theywerebutlightwhiletheylasted,andleftussoon。ThereisnowindmoreagreeablethantheN。E。trades。Thesunkeepstheairdeliciouslywarm,thebreezedeliciouslyfresh。Thevesselsitsboltupright,steeringaS。S。W。course,withthewindnearlyaft:sheglidesalongwithscarcelyanyperceptiblemotion;sometimes,inthecabin,onewouldfancyonemustbeondryland。Theskyisofagreyishblue,andtheseasilvergrey,withaveryslighthazeroundthehorizon。Thewaterisverysmooth,evenwithawindwhichwouldelsewhereraiseaconsiderablesea。

  Inlatitude19degrees,longitude25degrees,wefirstfellinwithflyingfish。Theseareusuallyinflocks,andareseeningreatestabundanceinthemorning;theyflyagreatwayandverywell,notwiththekindofjumpwhichafishtakeswhenspringingoutofthewater,butwithabonafideflight,sometimesclosetothewater,sometimessomefeetaboveit。Oneflewonboard,andmeasuredroughlyeighteeninchesbetweenthetipsofitswings。OnSaturday,November5,thetradesleftussuddenlyafterathunder-storm,whichgaveusanopportunityofseeingchainlightning,whichIonlyremembertohaveseenonceinEngland。Assoonasthestormwasover,weperceivedthatthewindwasgone,andknewthatwehadenteredthatunhappyregionofcalmswhichextendsoverabeltofsomefivedegreesrathertothenorthoftheline。

  Weknewthattheweatheraboutthelinewasoftencalm,buthadpicturedtoourselvesagorgeoussun,goldensunsets,cloudlesssky,andseaofthedeepestblue。Onthecontrary,suchweatherisneverknownthere,oronlybymistake。Itisagloomyregion。Sombreskyandsombresea。

  Largecauliflower-headedmassesofdazzlingcumulustowerinfrontofabackgroundoflavender-colouredsatin。Therearecloudsofeveryshapeandsize。Thesailsidlyflapasthesearisesandfallswithaheavyregularbutwindlessswell。Creakingyardsandgroaningrudderseemtolamentthattheycannotgeton。Thehorizonishardandblack,savewhenblentsoftlyintotheskyupononequarteroranotherbyarapidlyapproachingsquall。Apuffofwind——\"Squaretheyards!\"——theshipsteersagain;another——shemovesslowlyonward;itblows——sheslipsthroughthewater;itblowshard——sherunsveryhard——sheflies;adropofrain——thewindlulls;threeorfourmoreofthesizeofhalfacrown——

  itfallsverylight;itrainshard,andthenthewindisdead——whereontheraincomesdowninatorrentwhichthosemustseewhowouldbelieve。

  Theairissohighlychargedwithmoisturethatanydampthingremainsdampandanydrythingdampens:thedecksarealwayswet。Mouldspringsupanywhere,evenontheverybootswhichoneiswearing;theatmosphereislikethatofavapourbath,andthedensecloudsseemtowardoffthelight,butnottheheat,ofthesun。Thedrearymonotonyofsuchweatheraffectsthespiritsofall,andeventhehealthofsome。

  Onepoorgirlwhohadlongbeenconsumptive,butwhoapparentlyhadralliedmuchduringthevoyage,seemedtogivewaysuddenlyassoonaswehadbeenadayinthisbeltofcalms,andfourdaysafter,weloweredherovertheship’ssideintothedeep。

  Onedaywehadalittleexcitementincapturingashark,whosetriangularblackfinhadbeenveeringaboutabovewaterforsometimeatalittledistancefromtheship。Iwillnotdetailaprocessthathassooftenbeendescribed,butwillcontentmyselfwithsayingthathedidnotdieunavenged,inasmuchasheadministeredaseriesofcuffsandblowstoanyonethatwasnearhimwhichwouldhavedonecredittoaprize-fighter,andseveralofthemengotseverehandlingor,Ishouldrathersay,\"tailing\"fromhim。Hewasaccompaniedbytwobeautifullystripedpilotfish——thenever-failingattendantsoftheshark。

  Onedayduringthiscalmwefellinwithacurrent,whentheaspectoftheseawascompletelychanged。Itresembledafuriouslyrushingriver,andhadthesoundbelongingtoastrongstream,onlymuchintensified;

  thewaves,too,tosseduptheirheadsperpendicularlyintotheair;

  whilsttheemptyflour-casksdriftedaheadofusandtooneside。Itwasimpossibletolookattheseawithoutnoticingitsverysingularappearance。Soonawindspringingupraisedthewavesandobliteratedthemoremanifestfeaturesofthecurrent,butfortwoorthreedaysafterwardswecouldperceiveitmoreorless。Thereisalwaysatthistimeofyearastrongwesterlysethere。ThewindwasthecommencementoftheS。E。trades,andwaswelcomedbyallwiththegreatestpleasure。

  Intwodaysmorewereachedtheline。

  Wecrossedthelinefartoomuchtothewest,inlongitude31degrees6

  minutes,afteraverylongpassageofnearlysevenweeks,suchasourcaptainsaysheneverrememberstohavemade;finewinds,however,nowbegantofavourus,andinanotherweekwegotoutofthetropics,havinghadthesunverticallyoverhead,soastohavenoshadow,ontheprecedingday。Strangetosay,theweatherwasneveratalloppressivelyhotafterlatitude2degreesnorth,orthereabouts。Afinewind,orindeedalightwind,atsearemovesallunpleasantheatevenofthehottestandmostperpendicularsun。Theonlytimethatwesufferedanyinconvenienceatallfromheatwasduringthebeltofcalms;whenthesunwasverticallyoverourheadsitfeltnohotterthanonanordinarysummerday。Immediately,however,uponleavingthetropicsthecoldincreasedsensibly,andinlatitude27degrees8minutesIfindthatIwasnotwarmonceallday。Sincethenwehavenoneofuseverbeenwarm,savewhentakingexerciseorinbed;whenthethermometerwasupat50degreeswethoughtitveryhighandcalleditwarm。Thereasonofthemuchgreatercoldofthesouthernthanofthenorthernhemisphereisthattheformercontainssomuchlessland。Ihavenotseenthethermometerbelow42degreesinmycabin,butamsurethatoutsideithasoftenbeenverymuchlower。Wealmostallgotchilblains,andwonderedmuchwhatthewinterofthishemispheremustbelikeifthiswasitssummer:Ibelieve,however,thatassoonaswegetoffthecoastofAustralia,whichIhopewemaydoinacoupleofdays,weshallfeelaverysensibleriseinthethermometeratonce。Hadweknownwhatwascoming,weshouldhavepreparedbetteragainstit,butweweremostofusundertheimpressionthatitwouldbewarmsummerweatheralltheway。Nodoubtwefeltitmorethanweshouldotherwiseonaccountofourhavingsolatelycrossedtheline。

  Thegreatfeatureofthesouthernseasisthemultitudeofbirdswhichinhabitit。Hugealbatrosses,molimorks(asmalleralbatross),Capehens,Capepigeons,parsons,boobies,whalebirds,muttonbirds,andmanymore,wheelcontinuallyabouttheship’sstern,sometimesindozens,sometimesinscores,alwaysinconsiderablenumbers。Ifapersontakestwopiecesofporkandtiesthemtogether,leavingperhapsayardofstringbetweenthetwopieces,andthenthrowsthemintothesea,onealbatrosswillcatchholdofoneend,andanotheroftheother,eachboltshisownendandthentugsandfightswithhisrivaltilloneorotherhastodisgorgehisprize;wehavenot,however,succeededincatchingany,neitherhavewetriedtheaboveexperimentourselves。

  Albatrossesarenotwhite;theyaregrey,orbrownwithawhitestreakdowntheback,andspreadingalittleintothewings。Theunderpartofthebirdisabluish-white。TheyremainwithoutmovingthewingalongertimethananybirdthatIhaveeverseen,butsomesupposethateachindividualfeatherisvibratedrapidly,thoughinverysmallspace,withoutanymotionbeingimpartedtothemainpinionsofthewing。Iaminformedthatthereisastrongmuscleattachedtoeachofthelargeplumesintheirwings。Itcertainlyisstrangehowsolargeabirdshouldbeabletotravelsofarandsofastwithoutanymotionofthewing。Albatrossesareoftenentirelybrown,butfarthersouth,andwhenold,Iamtold,theybecomesometimesquitewhite。Thestarsofthesouthernhemispherearelaudedbysome:Icannotseethattheysurpassorequalthoseofthenorthern。Some,ofcourse,arethesame。Thesoutherncrossisaverygreatdelusion。Itisn’tacross。Itisakite,akiteupsidedown,anirregularkiteupsidedown,withonlythreerespectablestarsandoneverypoorandverymuchoutofplace。Nearit,however,isatrulymysteriousandinterestingobjectcalledthecoalsack:itisablackpatchintheskydistinctlydarkerthanalltherestoftheheavens。Nostarshinesthroughit。ThepropernameforitistheblackMagellancloud。

  WereachedtheCape,passingaboutsixdegreessouthofit,intwenty-

  fivedaysaftercrossingtheline,averyfairpassage;andsincetheCapewehavedonewelluntilaweekago,when,afteraseriesofveryfineruns,andduringasfairabreezeasonewouldwishtosee,weweresomeofusastonishedtoseethecaptaingivingorderstoreeftopsails。

  Theroyalswerestowed,sowerethetop-gallant-sails,topsailsclosereefed,mainsailreefed,andjustat10。45p。m。,asIwasgoingtobed,Iheardthecaptaingivetheordertotakeareefintheforesailandfurlthemainsail;butbeforeIwasinbedaquarterofanhourafterwards,ablastofwindcameuplikeawall,andallnightitblewaregularhurricane。Theglass,whichhaddroppedveryfastallday,andfallenlowerthanthecaptainhadeverseenitinthesouthernhemisphere,hadgivenhimwarningwhatwascoming,andhehadpreparedforit。Thatnightweranawaybeforethewindtothenorth,nextdaywelayhove-totillevening,andtwodaysafterwardsthegalewasrepeated,butwithstillgreaterviolence。Thecaptainwasallreadyforit,andaship,ifsheisagoodsea-boat,maylaughatanywindsoranywavesprovidedshebeprepared。Thedangeriswhenashiphasgotallsailsetandoneoftheseburstsofwindisshotoutather;thenhermastsgooverboardinnotime。Sailorsgenerallyestimateagaleofwindbytheamountofdamageitdoes,iftheydon’tloseamastorgettheirbulwarkswashedaway,oratanyratecarryawayafewsails,theydon’tcallitagale,butastiffbreeze;if,however,theyarecaughtevenbycomparativelyaveryinferiorsquall,andlosesomething,theycallitagale。

  Thecaptainassuredusthattheseaneverassumesamuchgranderormoreimposingaspectthanthatwhichitworeonthisoccasion。Hecalledmetolookatitbetweentwoandthreeinthemorningwhenitwasatitsworst;itwascertainlyverygrand,andmadeatremendousnoise,andthewindwouldscarcelyletonestand,andmadesucharoaringintheriggingasIneverheard,buttherewasnotthatterrificappearancethatIhadexpected。Itdidn’tsuggestanyideastoone’smindaboutthepossibilityofanythinghappeningtoone。Itwasexcessivelyunpleasanttoberolledhitherandthither,andIneverfelttheforceofgravitysuchanuisancebefore;one’ssoupatdinnerwouldfaceoneatanangleof45degreeswiththehorizon,itwouldlookasthoughimmovableonasteepinclinedplane,anditrequiredthenicesthandlingtokeeptheplanetrulyhorizontal。Sowithone’stea,whichwouldalternatelyrushforwardtobedrunkandflyasthoughonewereaTantalus;sowithallone’sgoods,whichwouldbeseizedwiththemosterraticpropensities。Stillwewereunabletoimagineourselvesinanydanger,savethatoneflaxen-headedyouthoftwo-and-twentykeptwakinguphiscompanionforthepurposeofsayingtohimatintervalsduringthenight,\"Isay,isn’titawful?\"tillfinallysilencedhimwithaboot。WhileonthesubjectofstormsImayadd,thatacaptain,ifatallascientificman,cantellwhetherheisinacyclone(aswewere)

  ornot,andifheisinacyclonehecantellinwhatpartofitheis,andhowhemuststeersoastogetoutofit。Acycloneisastormthatmovesinacircleroundacalmofgreaterorlessdiameter;thecalmmovesforwardinthecentreoftherotatorystormattherateoffromoneortwotothirtymilesanhour。Alargecyclone500milesindiameter,rushingfuriouslyrounditscentre,willstilladvanceinarightline,onlyveryslowlyindeed。Asmallone50or60milesacrosswillprogressmorerapidly。Onevesselsailedforfivedaysattherateof12,13,and14knotsanhourroundoneofthesecyclonesbeforethewindallthetime,yetinthefivedaysshehadmadeonly187milesinastraightline。Itellthistaleasitwastoldtome,buthavenotstudiedthesubjectsmyself。Whateversaloonpassengersmaythinkaboutagaleofwind,Iamsurethatthepoorsailorswhohavetogoaloftinitandreeftopsailscannotwelcomeitwithanypleasure。

  CHAPTERII

  LifeonBoard——Calm——BoatLowered——SnaresandTraps——Land——Drivenoffcoast——EnterPortLyttelton——RequisitesforaSeaVoyage——SpiritofAdventurearoused。

  Beforecontinuingthenarrativeofmyvoyage,Imustturntoothertopicsandgiveyousomeaccountofmylifeonboard。Mytimehaspassedverypleasantly:Ihavereadagooddeal;IhavenearlyfinishedGibbon’sDeclineandFalloftheRomanEmpire,amstudyingLiebig’sAgriculturalChemistry,andlearningtheconcertinaontheinstrumentofoneofmyfellow-passengers。Besidesthis,Ihavehadthegettingupandmanagementofourchoir。Wepractisethreeorfourtimesaweek;wechanttheVenite,Glorias,andTeDeums,andsingonehymn。Ihavetwobasses,twotenors,onealto,andlotsofgirls,andthesingingcertainlyisbetterthanyouwouldhearinninecountryplacesoutoften。Ihavebeengladbythismeanstoformtheacquaintanceofmanyofthepoorerpassengers。Myhealthhasbeenverygoodallthevoyage:I

  havenothadaday’ssea-sickness。Theprovisionsarenotveryfirst-

  rate,andthedayafterto-morrow,beingChristmasDay,weshallsighfortheroastbeefofOldEngland,asourdinnerwillbesomewhatofthemeagrest。Nevermind!OnthewholeIcannotseereasontofindanygreatfault。Wehaveagoodship,agoodcaptain,andvictualssufficientinquantity。Everyonebutmyselfabusestheownerslikepickpockets,butIratherfancythatsomeofthemwillfindthemselvesworseoffinNewZealand。WhenIcomeback,ifIlivetodoso(andI

  sometimesamassawonderfulfortuneinaveryshorttime,andcomebackfabulouslyrich,anddoallsortsofthings),IthinkIshalltrytheoverlandroute。Almosteveryeveningfourofushaveaverypleasantrubber,whichnevergetsstale。Soyouwillhavegatheredthat,thoughveryanxioustogettoourjourney’send,which,withluck,wehopetodoinaboutthreeweeks’time,stillthevoyagehasnotprovedatalltheunbearablethingthatsomeofusimagineditwouldhavebeen。OnegreatamusementIhaveforgottentomention——thatis,shuffle-board,agamewhichconsistsinsendingsomeroundwoodenplattersalongthedeckintosquareschalkedandnumberedfromonetoten。Thisgamewillreallykeeponequitehotinthecoldestweatherifplayedwithspirit。

  Duringthemonththathaselapsedsincewritingthelastsentence,wehavehadstronggalesandlong,tediouscalms。Ononeoftheseoccasionsthecaptainloweredaboat,andalotofusscrambledovertheship’ssideandgotin,takingitinturnstorow。Thefirstthingthatsurpriseduswastheverymuchwarmertemperatureofthesea-levelthanthatondeck。Thechangewasastonishing。Ihavesufferedfromaseverecoldeversincemyreturntotheship。Ondeckitwascold,thermometer46degrees;onthesea-levelitwasdeliciouslywarm。Thenextthingthatsurpriseduswasthewayinwhichtheshipwaspitching,thoughitappearedadeadcalm。UpsheroseanddownshefelluponagreathummockyswellwhichcamelazilyupfromtheS。W。,makingourhorizonfromtheboatalluneven。Ondeckwehadthoughtitaveryslightswell;intheboatweperceivedwhataheavy,humpy,ungainlyheapofwaterskeptrisingandsinkingallroundus,sometimesblockingoutthewholeship,savethetopofthemainroyal,inthestrangestwayintheworld。Wepulledroundtheship,thinkingwehadneverinourlivesseenanythingsobeautifulasshethenlookedinthesunnymorning,whensuddenlywesawalargerippleinthewatersnotfaroff。

  Atfirstthecaptainimaginedittohavebeencausedbyawhale,andwasratheralarmed,butbyandbyitturnedouttobenothingbutashoaloffish。Thenwemadeforalargepieceofseaweedwhichwehadseensomewayastern。Itextendedsometenfeetdeep,andwasahuge,tangled,loose,floatingmass;amongitnestledlittlefishesinnumerable,andaswelookeddownamiditsintricatebranchesthroughthesun-litazureofthewater,theeffectwasbeautiful。Thismassweattachedtotheboat,andwithgreatlabourandlongtimesucceededingettingituptotheship,thelittlefishesfollowingbehindtheseaweed。Itwasimpossibletoliftitonboard,sowefastenedittotheship’ssideandcameintoluncheon。Afterlunchsomeropeswerearrangedtohoisttheladiesinachairovertheship’ssideandlowerthemintotheboat——aprocesswhichcreatedmuchmerriment。Intotheboatweputhalfadozenofchampagne——

  asightwhichgavecouragetooneortwotobravethedescentwhohadnotpreviouslyventuredonsuchafeat。Thentheladieswerepulledroundtheship,and,whenaboutamileaheadofher,wedrankthechampagneandhadaregularjollification。Returningtoshowthemtheseaweed,thelittlefisheslookedsogoodthatsomeonethoughtofacertainnetwherewiththedoctorcatchesoceaninsects,porpytas,clios,spinulas,etc。Withthiswecaughtinhalfanhouramidmuchscreaming,laughter,andunspeakableexcitement,nolessthan250ofthem。Theywereaboutfiveincheslong——funnylittlebluefisheswithwholesome-

  lookingscales。Weatethemnextday,andtheywereexcellent。Someexpectedthatweshouldhaveswollenorsufferedsomebadeffects,butnoevilhappenedtous:notbutwhatthesedeep-seafishesarefrequentlypoisonous,butIbelievethatscalyfishesarealwaysharmless。Wereturnedbyhalf-pastthree,afteramostenjoyableday;

  but,asproofoftheheatbeingmuchgreaterintheboat,Imaymentionthatoneofthepartylosttheskinfromhisfaceandarms,andthatwewereallmuchsunburnteveninsoshortatime;yetonemanwhobathedthatdaysaidhehadneverfeltsuchcoldwaterinhislife。

  Wearenow(January21)ingreathopesofsightinglandinthreeorfourdays,andarereallybeginningtofeelneartheendofourvoyage:notthatIcanrealisethistomyself;itseemsasthoughIhadalwaysbeenonboardtheship,andwasalwaysgoingtobe,andasifallmypastlifehadnotbeenmine,buthadbelongedtosomebodyelse,orasthoughsomeonehadtakenmineandleftmehisbymistake。Iexpect,however,thatwhenthelandactuallycomesinsightweshallhavelittledifficultyinrealisingthefactthatthevoyagehascometoaclose。

  TheweatherhasbeenmuchwarmersincewehavebeenoffthecoastofAustralia,eventhoughAustraliaissome100northofourpresentposition。Ihavenot,however,yetseenthethermometerhigherthansincewepassedtheCape。NowweareduesouthofthesouthpointofVanDiemen’sLand,andconsequentlynearerlandthanwehavebeenforsometime。WearemakingfortheSnares,twohighisletsaboutsixtymilessouthofStewart’sIsland,thesouthernmostoftheNewZealandgroup。Wesailimmediatelytothenorthofthem,andthenturnupsuddenly。TheroutewehavetotakepassesbetweentheSnaresandtheTraps——tworatherominous-soundingnames,butIbelievemoreterribleinnamethaninanyotherparticular。

  January22。——YesterdayatmiddayIwassittingwritinginmycabin,whenIheardthejoyfulcryof\"Land!\"and,rushingondeck,sawtheswellingandbeautifuloutlineofthehighlandinStewart’sIsland。WehadpassedclosebytheSnaresinthemorning,buttheweatherwastoothickforustoseethem,thoughthebirdsflockedtherefrominmyriads。WethenpassedbetweentheTraps,whichthecaptainsawdistinctly,oneoneachsideofhim,fromthemaintopgallantyard。Landcontinuedinsighttillsunset,butsincethenithasdisappeared。To-day(Sunday)

  wearespeedingupthecoast;theanchorsareready,andto-morrowbyearlydaylightwetrusttodropthemintheharbourofLyttelton。Wehavereason,fromcertainnewspapers,tobelievethatthemailsleaveonthe23rdofthemonth,inwhichcaseIshallhavenotimeormeanstoaddasinglesyllable。

  January26。——Alasforthevanityofhumanspeculation!Afterwritingthelastparagraphthewindfelllight,thensprungupfoul,andsowewereslowlydriventotheE。N。E。OnMondaynightitblewhard,andwehadclose-reefedtopsails。Tuesdaymorningatfiveitwaslovely,andthereefswereallshakenout;alightairsprangup,andtheship,at10o’clock,hadcomeuptohercourse,whensuddenly,withoutthesmallestwarning,agalecamedownuponusfromtheS。W。likeawall。

  Themenwereluckilyverysmartintakingincanvas,butatonetimethecaptainthoughtheshouldhavehadtocutawaythemizzenmast。Wewerereducedliterallytobarepoles,andlay-tounderapieceoftarpaulin,sixtimesdoubled,andabouttwoyardssquare,fastenedupinthemizzenrigging。Alldayandnightwelaythus,driftingtoleewardatthreeknotsanhour。Inthetwenty-fourhourswehaddriftedsixtymiles。

  Nextdaythewindmoderated;butat12wefoundthatwewereeightymilesnorthofthepeninsulaandsome3degreeseastofit。Sowesetalittlesail,andcommencedforereachingslowlyonourcourse。Littleandlittlethewinddied,anditsoonfelldeadcalm。Thatevening(Wednesday),sometwentyalbatrossesbeingcongregatedlikeaflockofgeeseroundtheship’sstern,wesucceededincatchingsomeofthem,thefirstwehadcaughtonthevoyage。Wewouldhaveletthemgoagain,butthesailorsthinkthemgoodeating,andbeggedthemofus,atthesametimeprophesyingtwodays’foulwindforeveryalbatrosstaken。Itwasthendeadcalm,butalightwindsprangupinthenight,andonThursdaywesightedBanksPeninsula。Againthewindfelltantalisinglylight,butwekeptdrawingslowlytowardland。Inthebeautifulsunsetsky,crimsonandgold,blue,silver,andpurple,exquisiteandtranquillising,layridgebehindridge,outlinebehindoutline,sunlightbehindshadow,shadowbehindsunlight,gullyandserratedravine。Hotpuffsofwindkeptcomingfromtheland,andtherewereseveralfiresburning。Igotmyarm-chairondeck,andsmokedaquietpipewiththeintensestsatisfaction。Littlebylittlethenightdrewdown,andthenweroundedtheheadlands。Strangelydidthewavessoundbreakingagainsttherocksoftheharbour;strangely,too,lookedtheoutlinesofthemountainsthroughthenight。Presentlywesawalightaheadfromaship:wedrewslowlynear,andaswepassedyoumighthaveheardapindrop。\"Whatship’sthat?\"saidastrangevoice。——TheRomanEmperor,saidthecaptain。\"Areyouallwell?\"——\"Allwell。\"Thenthecaptainasked,\"HastheRobertSmallarrived?\"——\"No,\"wastheanswer,\"noryettheBurmah。\"{2}YoumayimaginewhatIfelt。Thenarocketwassentup,andthepilotcameonboard。HegaveusaroaringrepublicanspeechonthesubjectofIndia,China,etc。Iratheradmiredhim,especiallyashefaithfullypromisedtosendussomefreshbeefsteaksandpotatoesforbreakfast。Anorth-westersprungupassoonaswehaddroppedanchor:haditcommencedalittlesoonerweshouldhavehadtoputoutagaintosea。ThatnightIpackedaknapsacktogoonshore,butthewindblewsohardthatnoboatcouldputofftilloneo’clockintheday,atwhichhourIandoneortwootherslanded,and,proceedingtothepostoffice,weretoldtherewerenolettersforus。Iafterwardsfoundminehadgonehundredsofmilesawaytoanamesake——acrueldisappointment。

  Afewwordsconcerningtheprecautionsadvisableforanyonewhoisabouttotakealongsea-voyagemayperhapsbeuseful。Firstandforemost,unlessprovidedwithacompanionwhomhewellknowsandcantrust,hemusthaveacabintohimself。Therearemanymenwithwhomonecanbeonexcellenttermswhennotcompelledtobeperpetuallywiththem,butwhomthepropinquityofthesamecabinwouldrendersimplyintolerable。

  Itwouldnotevenbeparticularlyagreeabletobeawakenedduringahardlycapturedwinkofsleepbythequestion\"Isitnotawful?\"that,however,wouldbeaminorinconvenience。Noone,Iamsure,willrepentpayingafewpoundsmoreforasinglecabinwhohasseentheinconveniencethatothershavesufferedfromhavingadrunkenordisagreeablecompanioninsoconfinedaspace。Itisnotevenlikealargeroom。Heshouldhavebooksinplenty,bothlightandsolid。A

  foldingarm-chairisagreatcomfort,andaverycheapone。InthehotweatherIfoundmineinvaluable,and,inthebush,itwillstillcomeinusefully。Heshouldhavealittletableandcommonchair:thesearerealluxuries,asallwhohavetriedtowrite,orseenothersattemptit,fromalowarm-chairatawashing-standwillreadilyacknowledge。

  Asmalldisinfectingcharcoalfilterisverydesirable。Ship’swaterisoftenbad,andtheship’sfiltermaybeoldanddefective。Minehassecuredmeandothersduringthevoyagepureandsweet-tastingwater,whenwecouldnotdrinkthatsuppliedusbytheship。Abottleortwoofraspberryvinegarwillbefoundaluxurywhenneartheline。BytheaidofthesemeansandappliancesIhavesucceededinmakingmyselfexceedinglycomfortable。Asmallchestofdrawerswouldhavebeenpreferabletoacoupleofboxesformyclothes,andIshouldrecommendanothertogetone。Aten-poundnotewillsufficeforallthesethings。

  Thebunkshouldnotbetoowide:onerollssoinroughweather;ofcourseitshouldnotbeathwartships,ifavoidable。Nooneinhisrightmindwillgosecondclassifhecan,byanyhookorcrook,raisemoneyenoughtogofirst。

  Onthewhole,therearemanyadvantageousresultsfromasea-voyage。

  One’sgeographyimprovesapace,andnumberlessincidentsoccurpregnantwithinteresttoalandsman;moreover,therearesuretobemanyonboardwhohavetravelledfarandwide,andonegainsagreatdealofinformationaboutallsortsofracesandplaces。Oneeffectis,perhaps,pernicious,butthiswillprobablysoonwearoffonland。Itawakensanadventurousspirit,andkindlesastrongdesiretovisitalmosteveryspotuponthefaceoftheglobe。ThecaptainyarnsaboutCaliforniaandtheChinaseas——thedoctoraboutValparaisoandtheAndes——anotherravesaboutHawaiiandtheislandsofthePacific——whileafourthwillcomparenothingwithJapan。

  Theworldbeginstofeelverysmallwhenonefindsonecangethalfrounditinthreemonths;andonementallydeterminestovisitalltheseplacesbeforecomingbackagain,nottomentionagoodmanymore。

  Isearchmydiaryinvaintofindsomepretermittedadventurewherewithtogiveyouathrill,or,asgoodMrs。B。callsit,\"afeel\";butIcanfindnone。Themailisgoing;Iwillwriteagainbythenext。

  CHAPTERIII

  AspectofPortLyttelton——AscentofHillbehindit——View——ChristChurch——

  Yankeeisms——ReturntoPortLytteltonandShip——PhormiumTenax——VisittoaFarm——MoaBones。

  January27,1860。——Oh,theheat!thecleartransparentatmosphere,andthedust!HowshallIdescribeeverything——thelittletownlet,forI

  cannotcallittown,nestlingbeneaththebarehillsthatwehadbeenlookingatsolonginglyallthemorning——thescatteredwoodenboxesofhouses,withraggedroodsofscrubbygroundbetweenthem——thetussocksofbrowngrass——thehugewide-leafedflax,withitsnowseedystem,sometimes15or16feethigh,luxuriantandtropical-looking——thehealthyclear-complexionedmen,shaggy-bearded,rowdy-hatted,andindependent,picturesofrudehealthandstrength——thestores,supplyingallheterogeneouscommodities——themountains,risingrightbehindtheharbourtoaheightofoverathousandfeet——thevariedoutlineoftheharbournowsmoothandsleeping。Ahme!pleasantsightandfreshtosea-strickeneyes。Thehotair,too,wasverywelcomeafterourlongchill。

  Wedinedatthetabled’hoteattheMitre——soforeignandyetsoEnglish——thewindowsopentotheground,lookinguponthelovelyharbour。Hithercomemoreoftheshaggyclear-complexionedmenwiththerowdyhats;lookedatthemwithaweandbefittingrespect。Muchgrievedtofindbeersixpenceaglass。Thiswasindeedserious,andwasoneofthefirstintimationswhichwereceivedthatwewereinalandwheremoneyflieslikewild-fire。

  AfterdinnerIandanothercommencedtheascentofthehillbetweenportandChristChurch。Wehadnotgonefarbeforeweputourknapsacksonthebackofthepack-horsethatgoesoverthehilleveryday(poorpack-

  horse!)。Itisindeedanawfulpullupthathill;yetweweresoanxioustoseewhatwasontheothersideofitthatwescarcelynoticedthefatigue:Ithoughtitverybeautiful。Itisvolcanic,brown,anddry;largeintervalsofcrumblingsoil,andthenastiff,wiry,uncompromising-lookingtussockoftheveryhardestgrass;thenperhapsaflaxbush,or,asweshouldhavesaid,aflaxplant;thenmorecrumbly,brown,drysoil,mixedwithfinebutdriedgrass,andthenmoretussocks;volcanicrockeverywherecroppingout,sometimesredandtolerablysoft,sometimesblackandabominablyhard。Therewasagreatdeal,too,ofaveryuncomfortablepricklyshrub,whichtheycallIrishman,andwhichIdonotlikethelookofatall。Therewerecattlebrowsingwheretheycould,buttomyeyesitseemedasthoughtheyhadbutpoortimesofit。Sowecontinuedtoclimb,pantingandbroilingintheafternoonsun,andmuchadmiringthelovelyviewbeneath。Atlastwenearthetop,andlookdownupontheplain,boundedbythedistantApennines,thatrunthroughthemiddleoftheisland。Nearathand,atthefootofthehill,wesawafewprettylittlebox-likehousesintrim,prettylittlegardens,stacksofcornandfields,alittleriverwithacraftortwolyingnearawharf,whilstthenearercountrywassquaredintomany-colouredfields。But,afterall,theviewwasratherofthe\"longstare\"description。Therewasagreatextentofcountry,butveryfewobjectstoattracttheeyeandmakeitrestanywhileinanygivendirection。Themountainswantedoutlines;theywerenotbrokenupintofineformsliketheCarnarvonshiremountains,butwereratheralong,blue,lofty,evenline,liketheJurafromGenevaortheBerwynfromShrewsbury。Theplains,too,werelovelyincolouring,butwouldhavebeenwonderfullyimprovedbyanobjectortwoalittlenearerthanthemountains。Imustconfessthattheview,thoughundoubtedlyfine,ratherdisappointedme。Theoneinthedirectionoftheharbourwasinfinitelysuperior。

  AtthebottomofthehillwemetthecartoChristChurch;ithaltedsometimeatalittlewoodenpublic-house,andbyandbyatanother,wherewasaMethodistpreacher,whohadjustbeenreapingcornfortwopoundsanacre。Heshowedmesomehalf-dozenstalksofgiganticsize,butmostofthatalongtheroadsidewasthinandpoor。ThenwereachedChristChurchonthelittleriverAvon;itislargerthanLytteltonandmorescattered,butnotsopretty。Here,too,themenareshaggy,clear-complexioned,brown,andhealthy-looking,andwearexceedinglyrowdyhats。IputupatMr。RowlandDavis’s;andasnooneduringtheeveningseemedmuchinclinedtotalktome,Ilistenedtotheconversation。

  Theall-engrossingtopicsseemedtobesheep,horses,dogs,cattle,Englishgrasses,paddocks,bush,andsoforth。Fromaboutseveno’clockintheeveningtillabouttwelveatnightIcannotsaythatIheardmuchelse。TheseweretheexactthingsIwantedtohearabout,andI

  listenedtilltheyhadbeenrepeatedsomanytimesoverthatIalmostgrewtiredofthesubject,andwishedtheconversationwouldturntosomethingelse。Afewexpressionswerenotfamiliartome。WhenweshouldsayinEngland\"Certainlynot,\"itishere\"Nofear,\"or\"Don’tYOUbelieveit。\"Whentheywanttoanswerintheaffirmativetheysay\"ItisSO,\"\"ItdoesSO。\"Theword\"hum,\"too,withoutpronouncingtheU,isinamusingrequisition。Iperceivedthatthisstoodeitherforassent,ordoubt,orwonder,orageneralexpressionofcomprehensionwithoutcompromisingthehummer’sownopinion,andindeedforagreatmanymorethingsthanthese;infact,ifamandidnotwanttosayanythingatallhesaid\"humhum。\"Itisaverygoodexpression,andsavesmuchtroublewhenitsfamiliarusehasbeenacquired。BeyondthesetriflesInoticednoYankeeism,andtheconversationwasEnglishinpointofexpression。Iwasratherstartledathearingonegentlemanaskanotherwhetherhemeanttowashthisyear,andreceivetheanswer\"No。\"Isoondiscoveredthataperson’ssheeparehimself。Ifhissheepareclean,heisclean。Hedoesnotwashhissheepbeforeshearing,buthewashes;and,mostmarvellousofall,itisnothissheepwhichlamb,buthe\"lambsdown\"himself。

  ***

  Ihavepurchasedahorse,bynameDoctor。Ihopeheisahomoeopathist。

  Heisincolourbay,distinctlybrandedP。C。onthenearshoulder。I

  amgladthebrandisclear,for,asyouwellknow,allhorsesarealiketomeunlessthereissomeviolentdistinctionintheircolour。ThishorseIboughtfrom——,towhomMr。FitzGeraldkindlygavemealetterofintroduction。IthoughtIcouldnotdobetterthanbuyfromapersonofknowncharacter,seeingthatmyownignoranceissoverygreatuponthesubject。Ihadtogive55pounds,but,ashorsesaregoing,thatdoesnotseemmuchoutoftheway。Heisagoodriver-horse,andverystrong。Ahorseisanabsolutenecessityinthissettlement;heisyourcarriage,yourcoach,andyourrailwaytrain。

  OnFridayIwenttoPortLyttelton,meetingonthewaymanyofourlatefellow-passengers——somedespondent,somehopeful;oneortwodinnerlessandinthedumpswhenwefirstencounteredthem,butdinneredandhopefulwhenwemetthemagainonourreturn。Wechattedwithandencouragedthemall,pointingoutthegeneralhealthy,well-conditionedlookoftheresidents。Wentonboard。Howstrangelychangedtheshipappeared!Sunny,motionless,andquiet;nonoisychildren,noslatternly,slipshodwomenrollingaboutthedecks,noslush,nowashingofdirtylinenindirtierwater。Therewastheoldmateinacleanshirtatlast,leaningagainstthemainmast,andsmokinghisyardofclay;thebutcherclose——shavenandclean;thesailorssmart,andwelcominguswithasmile。Italmostlookedlikegoinghome。DinedinLytteltonwithseveralofmyfellow-passengers,whoevidentlythoughtitbesttobeoffwiththeoldlovebeforetheywereonwiththenew,i。e。

  tospendalltheybroughtwiththembeforetheysetaboutacquiringanewfortune。ThenwentandhelpedMr。andMrs。R。toarrangetheirnewhouse,i。e。R。andIscrubbedthefloorsofthetworoomstheyhavetakenwithsoap,scrubbing-brushes,flannel,andwater,madethemrespectablyclean,andremovedhisboxesintotheirproperplaces。

  Saturday。——Rodeagaintoport,andsawmycaseofsaddlerystillonboard。Whenridingbackthehazeobscuredthesnowyrange,andthesceneryremindedmemuchofCambridgeshire。ThedistinctivemarkswhichcharacteriseitasnotEnglisharetheoccasionalTipalms,whichhaveaverytropicalappearance,andtheluxurianceofthePhormiumtenax。Ifyoustripashredofthisleafnotthickerthananordinarypieceofstring,youwillfindithardworktobreakit,ifyousucceedindoingsoatallwithoutcuttingyourfinger。Onthewhole,iftheroadleadingfromHeathcoteFerrytoChristChurchwerethroughanavenueofmulberrytrees,andthefieldsoneithersidewerecultivatedwithIndiancornandvineyards,andifthroughtheseyoucouldcatchanoccasionalglimpseofadistantcathedralofpurewhitemarble,youmightwellimagineyourselfnearingMilan。Asitis,thecountryisasortofacrossbetweentheplainsofLombardyandthefensofNorthCambridgeshire。

  Atnight,alotofNelsonandWellingtonmencametotheclub。Iwasamusedatdinnerbyacertainsailorandothers,whomaintainedthattheendoftheworldwaslikelytoarriveshortly;theprincipalargumentappearingtobe,thattherewasnomoresheepcountrytobefoundinCanterbury。Thisfactis,Ifear,onlytootrue。Withthissingleexception,theconversationwaspurelyhorsyandsheepy。Thefactis,theracesareapproaching,andtheyarethegrandannualjubileeofCanterbury。

  Nextmorning,Irodesomemilesintothecountry,andvisitedafarm。

  Foundtheinmates(twobrothers)atdinner。Coldboiledmuttonandbread,andcoldteawithoutmilk,pouredstraightfromahugekettleinwhichitismadeeverymorning,seemthestaplecommodities。Nopotatoes——nothinghot。Theyhadnoservant,andnocow。Thebread,whichwasverywhite,wasmadebytheyounger。Theyshowedme,withsomelittlepleasure,someoftheimprovementstheyweremaking,andtoldmewhattheymeanttodo;andIlookedatthemwithgreatrespect。

  Thesemenwereasgoodgentlemen,intheconventionalsenseoftheword,asanywithwhomweassociateinEngland——Idaresay,defacto,muchbetterthanmanyofthem。Theyshowedmesomemoaboneswhichtheyhadploughedup(themoa,asyoudoubtlessknow,wasanenormousbird,whichmusthavestoodsomefifteenfeethigh),alsosomestoneMaoribattle-

  axes。Theyboughtthislandtwoyearsago,andassuredmethat,eventhoughtheyhadnottouchedit,theycouldgetforitcentpercentuponthepricewhichtheythengave。

  CHAPTERIV

  SheeponTerms,ScheduleandExplanation——InvestmentinSheep-run——RiskofDisease,andLawsupontheSubject——InvestmentinlayingdownLandinEnglishGrass——InFarming——JourneytoOxford——JourneytotheGlaciers——

  RemoteSettlers——LiteratureintheBush——BlanketsandFlies——AscentoftheRakaia——Campingout——Glaciers——Minerals——Parrots——UnexploredCol——

  BurningtheFlats——Return。

  February10,1860。——Imustconfesstobeingfairlypuzzledtoknowwhattodowiththemoneyyouhavesentme。Everyonesuggestsdifferentinvestments。Onesaysbuysheepandputthemoutonterms。Iwillexplaintoyouwhatthismeans。Icanbuyathousandewesfor1250

  pounds;theseIshouldplaceinthechargeofasquatterwhoserunisnotfullystocked(andindeedthereishardlyarunintheprovincefullystocked)。Thispersonwouldtakemysheepforeitherthree,four,five,ormoreyears,aswemightarrange,andwouldallowmeyearly2s。

  6d。perheadinlieuofwool。Thiswouldgiveme2s。6d。astheyearlyintereston25s。Besidesthishewouldallowme40percentperannumofincrease,halfmale,andhalffemale,andofthesethefemaleswouldbearincreasealsoassoonastheyhadattainedtheageoftwoyears;

  moreover,theincreasewouldreturnme2s。6d。perheadwoolmoneyassoonastheybecamesheep。Attheendoftheterm,mysheepwouldbereturnedtomeasperagreement,withnodeductionfordeaths,buttheoriginalsheepwouldbe,ofcourse,somuchtheolder,andsomeofthembeingdoubtlessdead,sheepofthesameageastheywouldhavebeenwillbereturnedintheirplace。

  Iwillsubjoinascheduleshowingwhat500eweswillamounttoinsevenyears;wewilldatefromJanuary,1860,andwillsupposetheyearlyincreasetobeone-halfmaleandone-halffemale。

  EwesEweWetherEweWetherWethersTotalLambsLambsHoggetsHoggets1yearold}

  January,}

  1860}500——————————500

  1861500100100——————700

  1862500100100100100——900

  18636001201201001001001140

  18647001401401201202001420

  18658201641641401403201748

  18669601921921641644602132

  186711242252251921926242582

  Theyearlywoolmoneywouldbe:-

  Poundss。d。

  January,1861……2s。6d。perhead62100

  1862……87100

  1863……112100

  1864……142100

  1865……177100

  1866……218100

  1867……266100

  Totalwoolmoneyreceived……1067100

  Originalcapitalexpended……62500

  Iwillexplainbrieflythemeaningofthis。

  Wewillsupposethattheeweshavealltwoteethtostartwith——twoteethindicateoneyearold,fourteethtwoyears,sixteeththreeyears,eightteeth(orfullmouthed)fouryears。FortheedificationofsomeofmyreadersasignorantasIammyselfuponovinematters,Imaymentionthattheaboveteetharetobelookedforinthelowerjawandnottheupper,thefrontportionofwhichistoothless。Theewes,then,beingoneyearoldtostartwith,theywillbeeightyearsoldattheendofsevenyears。Ihaveonly,however,givenyousolongatermthatyoumayseewhatwouldbetheresultofputtingoutsheepontermseitherforthree,four,five,six,orsevenyears,accordingasyoulike。Sheepateightyearsoldwillbeintheiroldage:theywilllivenineortenyears——sometimesmore,butaneight-year-oldsheepwouldbewhatiscalledabroken-mouthedcreature;thatistosay,itwouldhavelostsomeofitsteethfromoldage,andwouldgenerallybefoundtocrawlalongatthetailendofthemob;sothatofthe2582

  sheepreturnedtome,500wouldbeveryold,200wouldbesevenyearsold,200sixyearsold。Allthesewouldpassasoldsheep,andnotfetchverymuch;onemightgetabout15s。aheadforthelotallround。

  Perhaps,however,youmightsellthe200sixyearsoldwiththeyoungerones。Nottooverestimate,countthese700oldsheepasworthnothingatall,andconsiderthatIhave1800sheepinprimeorder,reckoningthelambsassheep(aweanedlambbeingworthnearlyasmuchasafull-

  grownsheep)。Supposethesesheeptohavegonedowninvaluefrom25s。

  aheadto10s。,andattheendofmytermIrealise900pounds。SupposethatofthewoolmoneyIhaveonlyspent62pounds10s。perannum,i。e。

  tenpercentontheoriginaloutlay,andthatIhavelaidbytheremainderofthewoolmoney。Ishallhavefromthewoolmoneyasurplusof630pounds(someofwhichshouldhavebeenmakingtenpercentinterestforsometime);thatistosay,mytotalreceiptsforthesheepshouldbeattheleast1530pounds。Saythatthecapitalhadonlydoubleditselfinthesevenyears,theinvestmentcouldnotbeconsideredabadone。Theaboveisabona-fidestatementofoneofthecommonestmethodsofinvestingmoneyinsheep。IcannotthinkfromallIhaveheardthatsheepwillbelowerthan10s。ahead,stillsomeplacetheminimumvalueaslowas6s。{3}

  Thequestionarises,Whatistobedonewithone’smoneywhenthetermisout?Icannotanswer;yetsurelythecolonycannotbequiteusedupinsevenyears,andonecanhardlysupposebutthat,eveninthatadvancedstateofthesettlement,meanswillnotbefoundofinvestingafewthousandpoundstoadvantage。

  ThegeneralrecommendationwhichIreceiveistobuythegoodwillofarun;thiscannotbedoneunderabout100poundsforeverythousandacres。Thus,arunof20,000acreswillbeworth2000pounds。Still,ifamanhassufficientcapitaltostockitwellatonce,itwillpayhim,evenatthisprice。Wewillsupposetheruntocarry10,000sheep。

  Thewoolmoneyfromtheseshouldbe2500poundsperannum。Ifamancanstartwith2000ewes,itwillnotbelongbeforehefindshimselfworth10,000sheep。Thenthesaleofsurplusstockwhichhehasnotcountrytofeedshouldfetchhiminfully1000poundsperannum;sothat,allowingthecountrytocost2000pounds,andthesheep2500pounds,andallowing1000poundsforworking,plant,buildings,dray,bullocks,andstores,and500poundsmoreforcontingenciesandexpensesofthefirsttwoyears,duringwhichtherunwillnotfullypayitsownexpenses——foracapitalof6000poundsamanmayinafewyearsfindhimselfpossessedofsomethinglikeanetincomeof2000poundsperannum。Marvellousasallthissounds,Iamassuredthatitistrue。{4}Ontheotherhand,therearerisks。Thereistheuncertaintyofwhatwillbedoneintheyear1870,whentherunslapsetotheGovernment。Thegeneralopinionappearstobe,thattheywillbere-let,atagreatlyadvancedrent,tothepresentoccupiers。Thepresentrentoflandisafarthingperacreforthefirstandsecondyears,ahalfpennyforthethird,andthreefarthingsforthefourthandeverysucceedingyear。Mostofthewastelandsintheprovincearenowpayingthreefarthingsperacre。Thereisthedangeralsoofscab。Thisappearstodependagooddealuponthepositionoftherunanditsnature。Thus,arunsituatedintheplainsoverwhichsheeparebeingconstantlydrivenfromtheprovinceofNelson,willbeinmoredangerthanoneontheremoterregionsofthebackcountry。InNelsontherearefew,ifany,lawsagainstcarelessnessinrespectofscab。InCanterburythelawsareverystringent。SheephavetobedippedthreemonthsbeforetheyquitNelson,andinspectedandre-dipped(intobaccowaterandsulphur)ontheirentryintothisprovince。Nevertheless,asinglesheepmayremaininfected,evenafterthisseconddipping。Thescabmaynotbeapparent,butitmaybreakoutafterhavingbeenamonthortwoinalatentstate。

  Onesheepwillinfectothers,andthewholemobwillsoonbecomediseased;indeed,amobisconsideredunsound,andcompelledtobedipped,ifevenasinglescabbysheephavejoinedit。Dippingisanexpensiveprocess,andifaman’ssheeptrespassontohisneighbour’srunhehastodiphisneighbour’salso。Moreover,scabmaybreakoutjustbeforeorinmid-winter,whenitisalmostimpossible,ontheplains,togetfirewoodsufficienttoboilthewaterandtobacco(sheepmustbedippedwhilsttheliquidisatatemperatureofnotlessthan90

  degrees),andwhentheseverityofthesou’-westersrendersitnearlycertainthatagoodfewsheepwillbelost。Lambs,too,iftherebelambsabout,willbelostwholesale。Ifthesheepbenotcleanwithinsixmonthsaftertheinformationislaid,thesumrequiredtobedepositedwithGovernmentbytheowner,onthelayingofsuchinformation,isforfeited。Thissumisheavy,thoughIdonotexactlyknowitsamount。Onedippingwouldnotberuinous,butthereisalwaysachanceofsomescabbysheephavingbeenleftupontherununmustered,andtheflockthusbecominginfectedafresh,sothatthewholeworkmayhavetobedoneoveragain。Iperceiveasortofshuddertorunthroughasheepfarmerattheverynameofthisdisease。Therearenofourlettersinthealphabetwhichheappearssomortallytodetest,andwithgoodreason。

点击下载App,搜索"A First Year in Canterbury Settlement",免费读到尾