voyage of the paper canoe-第38节
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e me 〃fear nuffing； stay here all de night； long's you please； treat you like white man。 I'se mity poor； but gib you de berry best I hab。〃 He locked my boat in a rickety old storehouse； and gave me to understand 〃dat niggers will steal de berry breff from a man's mouff。〃
He took me to his home； and soon showed me how he managed 〃de niggers。〃 His wife sat silently by the fire。 He ordered her to 〃pound de rice；〃 and she threw a quantity of unhulled rice into a wooden mortar three feet high planted in the ground in front of the shanty。 Then； with an enormous pestle； the black woman pounded the grains until the hulls were removed； when； seating herself upon the floor of the dark； smoky cabin； she winnowed the rice with her breath； while her long； slim fingers caught and removed all the specks of dirt from the mass。 It was cooked as the Chinese cook it not to a glutinous mass； as we of the north prepare it… but each grain was dry and entire。 Then eggs and bacon were prepared； not by the woman； but by the son； a lad of fourteen years。
All these movements were superintended by old Seba； who sat looking as dark and as solemn and as learned as an associate judge on the bench of a New Jersey county court。 On the blackest of tables； minus a cloth； the well…cooked food was placed for the stranger。 As soon as my meal was finished； every member of the family made a dash for the fragments； and the board was cleared in a wonderfully short space of time。
Then we gathered round the great； black…mouthed fireplace； and while the bright coals of live…oak spread a streak of light through the darkness； black men and black women stole into the room until everything from floor to ceiling； from door to chimney…place； seemed to be growing blacker and blacker； and I felt as black as my surroundings。 The scant clothing of the men only half covered their shiny； ebony skins。 The whole company preserved a dignified silence； which was occasionally broken by deep sighs coming from the women in reply to a half…whispered 〃All de way from de norf in a paper canno bless de Lord！ bless de Lord！〃
This dull monotony was broken by the entrance of a young negro who； having made a passage in a sloop to Charleston through Bull's Bay； was looked upon as a great traveller； and to him were referred disputes upon nautical matters。 He had not yet seen the boat； but he proceeded to tell the negroes present all about it。 He first bowed to me with a 〃How'dy； how'dy； cap'n；〃 and then struck an attitude in the middle of the floor。 Upon this natural orator Seba Gillings' dignity had no effect was he not a travelled man？
His exordium was： 〃How fur you cum； sar？〃 I replied； about fourteen hundred miles。 〃 Fourteen hundred miles！〃 he roared； 〃duz you knows how much dat is； honnies？ it's jes one thousand four hundred miles。〃 All the women groaned out； 〃Bless de Lord！ bless de Lord！〃 and clapped their shrivelled hands in ecstasy。
The little black tried to run his fingers through his short； woolly hair as he continued： 〃What is dis yere world a…coming to？ Now； yous ere folks； did ye's eber hear de likes o' dis a paper boat？〃 To which the crones replied； clapping their hands； 〃Bless de Lord！ bless de Lord！ Only the Yankee…mens up norf can make de paper boats。 Bless de Lord！〃
〃And what；〃 continued the orator； 〃and what will the Yankee…mens do next？ Dey duz ebery ting。 Can dey bring a man back agen？ Can dey bring a man back to bref？〃 〃No！ no！〃 howled the women； 〃only de Lord can bring a man back agen no Yankee…mens can do dat。 Bless de Lord！ bless de Lord！〃 〃And what sent dis Yankee…man one tousand four hundred miles in his paper boat？〃 〃De Lord！ de Lord！ bless de Lord！〃 shouted the now highly excited women； violently striking the palms of their hands together。
〃And why；〃 went on this categorical negro； 〃did de Lord send him down souf in de paper boat？〃 〃Kase he couldn't hab cum in de paper boat ef de Lord hadn't a…sent him。 O； bless de Lord！ bless de Lord！〃 〃And what duz he call his paper boat？〃 〃Maria Theresa；〃 I replied。 〃Maria Truss Her；〃 cried the orator。 〃He calls her Maria Truss Her。 Berry good； berry good name； kase he truss his life in her ebry day； and dat's why he calls his little boat Truss Her。 Yes； de Yankee…mans makes de gunboats and de paper boats。 Has de gemmin from de norf any bacca for dis yere chile？〃
As the women had become very piously inclined； and were in just the state of nervous excitement to commence 〃de shoutings；〃 old Uncle Seba rudely informed them that 〃de Yankee…mans wants sleep；〃 and cleared the room of the crowd； to my great relief； for the state of the atmosphere was beyond description。 Seba had a closet where he kept onions； muskrat skins； and other pieces of personal property。 He now set his wife to sweeping it out； and I spread my clean blankets with a sigh upon the black floor； knowing I should carry away in the morning more than I had brought into Seba's dwelling。
I will not now expatiate upon the small annoyances of travel； but to the canoeist who may follow the southern watercourses traversed by the paper canoe； I would quietly say； 〃Keep away from cabins of all kinds； and you will by so doing travel with a light heart and even temper。〃
When I cast up my account with old Seba the next morning； he said that by trading the rice he raised he could obtain 〃bout ebbry ting he wanted； 'cept rum。〃 Rum was his medicine。 So long as he kept a little stowed away； he admitted he was often sick。 Having been destitute of cash； and consequently of rum for some time； he acknowledged his state of health remarkable； and he was a model of strength and manly development。 All the other negroes were dwarfish…looking specimens； while their hair was so very short that it gave them the appearance of being bald。
When the canoe was taken out of the storehouse to be put into the canal； these half…naked； ebony…skinned creatures swarmed about it like bees。 Not a trace of white blood could be detected in them。 Each tried to put a finger upon the boat。 They seemed to regard it as a Fetich； and； I believe； had it been placed upon an end they would have bowed down and paid their African devotions to it。 Only the oldest ones could speak English well enough to be understood。 The youths chattered in African tongue； and wore talismans about their necks。 They were； to say the least； verging on barbarism。 The experience gathered among the blacks of other lands impressed me with the well…founded belief； that in more than one place in the south would the African Fetich be set up and worshipped before long； unless the church bestirs herself to look well to her home missions。
In all my travels； outside of the cities； in the south it has not been my good fortune to find an educated white man preaching to negroes； yet everywhere the poor blacks gather in the log…cabin； or rudely constructed church； to listen to ignorant preachers of their own color。 The blind leading the blind。
A few men of negro extraction； with white blood in their veins； not any more negro than white man； consequently not negroes in the true sense of the word； are sent from the negro colleges of the south to lecture northern congregations upon the needs of their race； and these one…quarter； or perhaps three…quarters； white men are； with their intelligence； and sometimes brilliant oratory； held up as true types of the negro race by northerners； while there is； in fact； as much difference between the pureblooded negro of the rice…field and this false representative of 〃his needs；〃 as can well be imagined。
An Irishman； just from the old country； listened one evening to the fascinating eloquence of a mulatto freedman。 The good Irishman had never seen a pure…blooded black man。 The orator said； 〃I am only half a black man。 My mother was a slave； my father a white planter。〃 〃Be jabbers；〃 shouted the excited Irishman； who was charmed with the lecturer； 〃if you are only half a nigger； what must a whole one be like！〃
The blacks were kind and civil； as they usually are when fairly treated。 They stood upon the dike and shouted unintelligible farewells as I descended the canal to Alligator Creek。 This thoroughfare soon carried me on its salt…water current to the sea； for I missed a narrow entrance to the marshes； called the Eye of the Needle （a steamboat thoroughfare）； and found myself upon the calm sea； which pulsated in long swells。 To the south was the low island of Cape Roman； which； like a protecting arm； guarded the quiet bay behind it。 The marshes extended from the main almost to the cape； while upon the edge of the rushy meadows； upon an island just inside of the cape； rose the tower of Roman Light。
This was the first time my tiny shell had floated upon the ocean。 I coasted the sandy beach of the muddy lowlands； towards the lighthouse； until I found a creek debouching from the marsh； which I entered； and from one watercourse to another； without a chart； found my way at dusk into Bull's Bay。 The see was rolling in and breaking upon the ashore； which I was forced to hug closely； as the old disturbers of my peace； the porpoises were visible； fishing in numbers。 To escape the dangerous raccoon oyster reefs of the shoal
