when the world shook-第18节

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well　there；　and　awaiting　events。



For　Bickley　these　soon　began　to　happen　in　the　shape　of　an

ever…increasing　stream　of　patients。　The　population　of　the　island

was　considerable；　anything　between　five　and　ten　thousand；　so　far

as　we　could　judge；　and　among　these　of　course　there　were　a　number

of　sick。　Ophthalmia；　for　instance；　was　a　prevalent　disease；　as

were　the　growths　such　as　Marama　had　suffered　from；　to　say　nothing

of　surgical　cases　and　those　resulting　from　accident　or　from

nervous　ailments。　With　all　of　these　Bickley　was　called　upon　to

deal；　which　he　did　with　remarkable　success　by　help　of　his　books

on　Tropical　Diseases　and　his　ample　supplies　of　medical

necessaries。



At　first　he　enjoyed　it　very　much；　but　when　we　had　been

established　in　the　house　for　about　three　weeks　he　remarked；　after

putting　in　a　solid　ten　hours　of　work；　that　for　all　the　holiday　he

was　getting　he　might　as　well　be　back　at　his　old　practice；　with

the　difference　that　there　he　was　earning　several　thousands　a

year。　Just　then　a　poor　woman　arrived　with　a　baby　in　convulsions

to　whose　necessities　he　was　obliged　to　sacrifice　his　supper；

after　which　came　a　man　who　had　fallen　from　a　palm　tree　and　broken

his　leg。



Nor　did　I　escape；　since　having　somehow　or　other　established　a

reputation　for　wisdom；　as　soon　as　I　had　mastered　sufficient　of

the　language；　every　kind　of　knotty　case　was　laid　before　me　for

decision。　In　short；　I　became　a　sort　of　Chief　Justicenot　an　easy

office　as　it　involved　the　acquirement　of　the　native　law　which　was

intricate　and　peculiar；　especially　in　matrimonial　cases。



At　these　oppressive　activities　Bastin　looked　on　with　a　gloomy

eye。



〃You　fellows　seem　very　busy；〃　he　said　one　evening；　〃but　I　can

find　nothing　to　do。　They　don't　seem　to　want　me；　and　merely　to　set

a　good　example　by　drinking　water　or　tea　while　you　swallow　whisky

and　their　palm　wine；　or　whatever　it　is；　is　very　negative　kind　of

work；　especially　as　I　am　getting　tired　of　planting　things　in　the

garden　and　playing　policeman　round　the　wreck　which　nobody　goes

near。　Even　Tommy　is　better　off；　for　at　least　he　can　bark　and　hunt

rats。〃



〃You　see；〃　said　Bickley；　〃we　are　following　our　trades。

Arbuthnot　is　a　lawyer　and　acts　as　a　judge。　I　am　a　surgeon　and　I

may　add　a　generala　very　generalpractitioner　and　work　at

medicine　in　an　enormous　and　much…neglected　practice。　Therefore；

you；　being　a　clergyman；　should　go　and　do　likewise。　There　are　some

ten　thousand　people　here；　but　I　do　not　observe　that　as　yet　you

have　converted　a；　single　one。〃



Thus　spoke　Bickley　in　a　light　and　unguarded　moment　with　his

usual　object　of　what　is　known　as　〃getting　a　rise〃　out　of　Bastin。

Little　did　he　guess　what　he　was　doing。



Bastin　thought　a　while　ponderously；　then　said：



〃It　is　very　strange　from　what　peculiar　sources　Providence

sometimes　sends　inspirations。　If　wisdom　flows　from　babes　and

sucklings；　why　should　it　not　do　so　from　the　well　of　agnostics　and

mockers？〃



〃There　is　no　reason　which　I　can　see；〃　scoffed　Bickley；　〃except

that　as　a　rule　wells　do　not　flow。〃



〃Your　jest　is　ill…timed　and　I　may　add　foolish；〃　continued

Bastin。　〃What　I　was　about　to　add　was　that　you　have　given　me　an

idea；　as　it　was　no　doubt　intended　that　you　should　do。　I　will；

metaphorically　speaking；　gird　up　my　loins　and　try　to　bear　the

light　into　all　this　heathen　blackness。〃



〃Then　it　is　one　of　the　first　you　ever　had；　old　fellow。　But

what's　the　need　of　girding　up　your　loins　in　this　hot　climate？〃

inquired　Bickley　with　innocence。　〃Pyjamas　and　that　white　and

green　umbrella　of　yours　would　do　just　as　well。〃



Bastin　vouchsafed　no　reply　and　sat　for　the　rest　of　that　evening

plunged　in　deep　thought。



On　the　following　morning　he　approached　Marama　and　asked　his

leave　to　teach　the　people　about　the　gods。　The　chief　readily

granted　this；　thinking；　I　believe；　that　he　alluded　to　ourselves；

and　orders　were　issued　accordingly。　They　were　to　the　effect　that

Bastin　was　to　be　allowed　to　go　everywhere　unmolested　and　to　talk

to　whom　he　would　about　what　he　would；　to　which　all　must　listen

with　respect。



Thus　he　began　his　missionary　career　in　Orofena；　working　at　it；

good　and　earnest　man　that　he　was；　in　a　way　that　excited　even　the

admiration　of　Bickley。　He　started　a　school　for　children；。　which

was　held　under　a　fine；　spreading　tree。　These　listened　well；　and

being　of　exceedingly　quick　intellect　soon　began　to　pick　up　the

elements　of　knowledge。　But　when　he　tried　to　persuade　them　to

clothe　their　little　naked　bodies　his　failure　was　complete；

although　after　much　supplication　some　of　the　bigger　girls　did

arrive　with　a　chaplet　of　flowers膔ound　their　necks！



Also　he　preached　to　the　adults；　and　here　again　was　very

successful　in　a　way；　especially　after　he　became　more　familiar

with　the　language。　They　listened；　to　a　certain　extent　they

understood；　they　argued　and　put　to　poor　Bastin　the　most　awful

questions　such　as　the　whole　Bench　of　Bishops　could　not　have

answered。　Still　he　did　answer　them　somehow；　and　they　politely

accepted　his　interpretation　of　their　theological　riddles。　I

observed　that　he　got　on　best　when　he　was　telling　them　stories　out

of　the　Old　Testament；　such　as　the　account　of　the　creation　of　the

world　and　of　human　beings；　also　of　the　Deluge；　etc。　Indeed　one　of

their　elders　saidYes；　this　was　quite　true。　They　had　heard　it

all　before　from　their　fathers；　and　that　once　the　Deluge　had　taken

place　round　Orofena；　swallowing　up　great　countries；　but　sparing

them　because　they　were　so　good。



Bastin；　surprised；　asked　them　who　had　caused　the　deluge。　They

replied；　Oro　which　was　the　name　of　their　god；　Oro　who　dwelt

yonder　on　the　mountain　in　the　lake；　and　whose　representation　they

worshipped　in　idols。　He　said　that　God　dwelt　in　Heaven；　to　which

they　replied　with　calm　certainty：



〃No；　no；　he　dwells　on　the　mountain　in　the　lake；〃　which　was　why

they　never　dared　to　approach　that　mountain。



Indeed　it　was　only　by　giving　the　name　Oro　to　the　Divinity　and

admitting　that　He　might　dwell　in　the　mountain　as　well　as

everywhere　else；　that　Bastin　was　able　to　make　progress。　Having

conceded　this；　not　without　scruples；　however；　he　did　make

considerable　progress；　so　much；　in　fact；　that　I　perceived　that

the　priests　of　Oro　were　beginning　to　grow　very　jealous　of　him　and

of　his　increasing　authority　with　the　people。　Bastin　was　naturally

triumphant；　and　even　exclaimed　exultingly　that　within　a　year　he

would　have　half　of　the　population　baptised。



〃Within　a　year；　my　dear　fellow；〃　said　Bickley；　〃you　will　have

your　throat　cut　as　a　sacrifice；　and　probably　ours　also。　It　is　a

pity；　too；　as　within　that　time　I　should　have　stamped　out

ophthalmia　and　some　other　diseases　in　the　island。〃



Here；　leaving　Bastin　and　his　good　work　aside　for　a　while；　I

will　say　a　little　about　the　country。　From　information　which　I

gathered　on　some　journeys　that　I　made　and　by　inquiries　from　the

chief　Marama；　who　had　become　devoted　to　us；　I　found　that　Orofena

was　quite　a　large　place。　In　shape　the　island　was　circular；　a

broad　band　of　territory　surrounding　the　great　lake　of　which　I

have　spoken；　that　in　its　turn　surrounded　a　smaller　island　from

which　rose　the　mountain　top。　No　other　land　was　known　to　be　near

the　shores　of　Orofena；　which　had　never　been　visited　by　anyone

except　the　strangers　a　hundred　years　ago　or　so；　who　were

sacrificed　and　eaten。　Most　of　the　island　was　covered　with　forest

which　the　inhabitants　lacked　the　energy；　and　indeed　had　no　tools；

to　fell。　They　were　an　extremely　lazy　people　and　would　only

cultivate　enough　bananas　and　other　food　to　satisfy　their

immediate　needs。　In　truth　they　lived　mostly　upon　breadfruit　and

other　products　of　the　wild　trees。



Thus　it　came　about　that　in　years　of　scarcity　through　drought　or

climatic　causes；　which　prevented　the　forest　trees　from　bearing；

they　suffered　very　much　from　hunger。　In　such　years　hundreds　of

them　would　perish　and　the　remainder　resorted　to　the　dreadful

expedient　of　cannibalism。　Sometimes；　too；　the　shoals　of　fish

avoided　their　shores；　reducing　them　to　great　misery。　Their　only

domestic　animal　was　the　pig　which　roamed　about　half　wild　and　in

no　great　numbers；　for　they　had　never　taken　the　trouble　to　breed

it　in　captivity。　Their　resources；　therefore；　were　limited；　which

accounted　for　the　comparative　smallness　of　the　population；

further　reduced　as　it　was　by　a　wicked　habit　of　infanticide

practised　in　order　to　lighten　the　burden　of　bringing　up　children。



They　had　no　traditions　as　to　how　they　reached　this　land；　their

belief　being　that　they　had　always　been　there　but　that　their

forefathers　were　much　greater　than　they。　They　were　poetical；　and

sang　songs　in　a　language　which　themselves　they　could　not

understand；　they　said　that　it　was　the　tongue　their　forefathers

had　spoken。　Also　they　had　several　strange　customs　of　which　they

did　not　know　the　origin。　My　own　opinion；　which　Bickley　shared；

was　that　they　were　in　fact　a　shrunken　and　deteriorated　remnant　of

som