The Life AdventuresPiracies of the Famous Cap.docx
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The Life AdventuresPiracies of the Famous Cap.docx
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TheLifeAdventuresPiraciesoftheFamousCap
TheLife,Adventures&PiraciesoftheFamousCaptainSingleton(III)
辛格尔顿船长(英文版)
DanielDefoe
Ashehadbeencurioustohearthewholestoryofourtravels,andwasexceedinglydelightedwiththerelation,sowewerenolesstoknow,andpleasedwith,theaccountofhiscircumstances,andthehistoryofhiscomingtothatstrangeplacealone,andinthatconditionwhichwefoundhimin,asabove.Thisaccountofhiswouldindeedbeinitselfthesubjectofanagreeablehistory,andwouldbeaslonganddivertingasourown,havinginitmanystrangeandextraordinaryincidents;butwecannothaveroomheretolaunchoutintosolongadigression:
thesumofhishistorywasthis:
—
HehadbeenafactorfortheEnglishGuineaCompanyatSierraLeone,orsomeotheroftheirsettlementswhichhadbeentakenbytheFrench,wherehehadbeenplunderedofallhisowneffects,aswellasofwhatwasentrustedtohimbythecompany.Whetheritwasthatthecompanydidnotdohimjusticeinrestoringhiscircumstances,orinfurtheremployinghim,hequittedtheirservice,andwasemployedbythosecalledseparatetraders,andbeingafterwardsoutofemploytherealso,tradedonhisownaccount;when,passingunwarilyintooneofthecompany'ssettlements,hewaseitherbetrayedintothehandsofsomeofthenatives,or,somehoworother,wassurprisedbythem.However,astheydidnotkillhim,hefoundmeanstoescapefromthematthattime,andfledtoanothernationofthenatives,who,beingenemiestotheother,entertainedhimfriendly,andwiththemhelivedsometime;butnotlikinghisquartersorhiscompany,hefledagain,andseveraltimeschangedhislandlords:
sometimeswascarriedbyforce,sometimeshurriedbyfear,ascircumstancesalteredwithhim(thevarietyofwhichdeservesahistorybyitself),tillatlasthehadwanderedbeyondallpossibilityofreturn,andhadtakenuphisabodewherewefoundhim,wherehewaswellreceivedbythepettykingofthetribehelivedwith;andhe,inreturn,instructedthemhowtovaluetheproductoftheirlabour,andonwhattermstotradewiththosenegroeswhocameuptothemforteeth.
Ashewasnaked,andhadnoclothes,sohewasnakedofarmsforhisdefence,havingneithergun,sword,staff,oranyinstrumentofwarabouthim,no,nottoguardhimselfagainsttheattacksofawildbeast,ofwhichthecountrywasveryfull.Weaskedhimhowhecametobesoentirelyabandonedofallconcernforhissafety?
Heanswered,thattohim,thathadsooftenwishedfordeath,lifewasnotworthdefending;andthat,ashewasentirelyatthemercyofthenegroes,theyhadmuchthemoreconfidenceinhim,seeinghehadnoweaponstohurtthem.Asforwildbeasts,hewasnotmuchconcernedaboutthat,forhescarceeverwentfromhishut;butifhedid,thenegrokingandhismenwentallwithhim,andtheywereallarmedwithbowsandarrows,andlances,withwhichtheywouldkillanyoftheravenouscreatures,lionsaswellasothers;butthattheyseldomcameabroadintheday;andifthenegroeswanderanywhereinthenight,theyalwaysbuildahutforthemselves,andmakeafireatthedoorofit,whichisguardenough.
Weinquiredofhimwhatweshouldnextdotowardsgettingtotheseaside.HetolduswewereaboutonehundredandtwentyEnglishleaguesfromthecoast,wherealmostalltheEuropeansettlementsandfactorieswere,andwhichiscalledtheGoldCoast;butthatthereweresomanydifferentnationsofnegroesintheway,thatitwastentooneifwewerenoteitherfoughtwithcontinually,orstarvedforwantofprovisions;butthatthereweretwootherwaystogo,which,ifhehadhadanycompanytogowithhim,hehadoftencontrivedtomakehisescapeby.Theonewastotravelfullwest,which,thoughitwasfarthertogo,yetwasnotsofullofpeople,andthepeopleweshouldfindwouldbesomuchthecivillertous,orbesomuchtheeasiertofightwith;orthattheotherwaywas,ifpossible,togettotheRioGrande,andgodownthestreamincanoes.Wetoldhim,thatwasthewaywehadresolvedonbeforewemetwithhim;butthenhetoldustherewasaprodigiousdeserttogoover,andasprodigiouswoodstogothrough,beforewecametoit,andthatbothtogetherwereatleasttwentydays'marchforus,travelashardaswecould.
Weaskedhimiftherewerenohorsesinthecountry,orasses,orevenbullocksorbuffaloes,tomakeuseofinsuchajourney,andweshowedhimours,ofwhichwehadbutthreeleft.Hesaidno,allthecountrydidnotaffordanythingofthatkind.
Hetoldusthatinthisgreatwoodtherewereimmensenumbersofelephants;anduponthedesert,greatmultitudesoflions,lynxes,tigers,leopards,&c.;andthatitwastothatwoodandthatdesertthatthenegroeswenttogetelephants'teeth,wheretheyneverfailedtofindagreatnumber.
Weinquiredstillmore,andparticularlythewaytotheGoldCoast,andiftherewerenoriverstoeaseusinourcarriage;andtoldhim,astothenegroesfightingwithus,wewerenotmuchconcernedatthat;norwereweafraidofstarving,foriftheyhadanyvictualsamongthem,wewouldhaveourshareofit;and,therefore,ifhewouldventuretoshowustheway,wewouldventuretogo;andasforhimself,wetoldhimwewouldliveanddietogether—thereshouldnotamanofusstirfromhim.
Hetoldus,withallhisheart,ifweresolvedit,andwouldventure,wemightbeassuredhewouldtakehisfatewithus,andhewouldendeavourtoguideusinsuchawayasweshouldmeetwithsomefriendlysavageswhowoulduseuswell,andperhapsstandbyusagainstsomeothers,whowerelesstractable;so,inaword,weallresolvedtogofullsouthfortheGoldCoast.
Thenextmorninghecametousagain,andbeingallmetincouncil,aswemaycallit,hebegantotalkveryseriouslywithus,thatsincewewerenowcome,afteralongjourney,toaviewoftheendofourtroubles,andhadbeensoobligingtohimastooffertocarryhimwithus,hehadbeenallnightrevolvinginhismindwhatheandweallmightdotomakeourselvessomeamendsforalloursorrows;andfirst,hesaid,hewastoletmeknowthatwewerejusttheninoneoftherichestpartsoftheworld,thoughitwasreallyotherwisebutadesolate,disconsolatewilderness;"for,"sayshe,"thereisnotariverbutrunsgold—notadesertbutwithoutploughingbearsacropofivory.Whatminesofgold,whatimmensestoresofgold,thosemountainsmaycontain,fromwhencetheseriverscome,ortheshoreswhichthesewatersrunby,weknownot,butmayimaginethattheymustbeinconceivablyrich,seeingsomuchiswasheddownthestreambythewaterwashingthesidesoftheland,thatthequantitysufficesallthetraderswhichtheEuropeanworldsendthither."Weaskedhimhowfartheywentforit,seeingtheshipsonlytradeuponthecoast.Hetoldusthatthenegroesonthecoastsearchtheriversupforthelengthof150or200miles,andwouldbeoutamonth,ortwo,orthreeatatime,andalwayscomehomesufficientlyrewarded;"but,"sayshe,"theynevercomethusfar,andyethereaboutsisasmuchgoldasthere."Uponthishetoldusthathebelievedhemighthavegottenahundredpounds'weightofgoldsincehecamethither,ifhehademployedhimselftolookandworkforit;butasheknewnotwhattodowithit,andhadlongsincedespairedofbeingeverdeliveredfromthemiseryhewasin,hehadentirelyomittedit."Forwhatadvantagehaditbeentome,"saidhe,"orwhatricherhadIbeen,ifIhadatonofgolddust,andlayandwallowedinit?
Therichnessofit,"saidhe,"wouldnotgivemeonemoment'sfelicity,norrelievemeinthepresentexigency.Nay,"sayshe,"asyouallsee,itwouldnotbuymeclothestocoverme,oradropofdrinktosavemefromperishing.Itisofnovaluehere,"sayshe;"thereareseveralpeopleamongthesehutsthatwouldweighgoldagainstafewglassbeadsoracockle-shell,andgiveyouahandfulofgold-dustforahandfulofcowries."[1]
Whenhehadsaidthushepulledoutapieceofanearthenpotbakedhardinthesun."Here,"sayshe,"issomeofthedirtofthiscountry,andifIwouldIcouldhavegotagreatdealmore;"and,showingittous,Ibelievetherewasinitbetweentwoandthreepoundsweightofgold-dust,ofthesamekindandcolourwiththatwehadgottenalready,asbefore.Afterwehadlookedatitawhile,hetoldus,smiling,wewerehisdeliverers,andallhehad,aswellashislife,wasours;andtherefore,asthiswouldbeofvaluetouswhenwecametoourowncountry,sohedesiredwewouldacceptofitamongus;andthatwastheonlytimethathehadrepentedthathehadpickedupnomoreofit.
Ispokeforhim,ashisinterpreter,tomycomrades,andintheirnamesthankedhim;but,speakingtotheminPortuguese,Idesiredthemtodefertheacceptanceofhiskindnesstothenextmorning;andsoIdid,tellinghimwewouldfurthertalkofthispartinthemorning;sowepartedforthattime.
WhenhewasgoneIfoundtheywereallwonderfullyaffectedwithhisdiscourse,andwiththegenerosityofhistemper,aswellasthemagnificenceofhispresent,whichinanotherplacehadbeenextraordinary.Uponthewhole,nottodetainyouwithcircumstances,weagreedthat,seeinghewasnowoneofournumber,andthataswewerearelieftohimincarryinghimoutofthedismalconditionhewasin,sohewasequallyarelieftous,inbeingourguidethroughtherestofthecountry,ourinterpreterwiththenatives,andourdirectorhowtomanagewiththesavages,andhowtoenrichourselveswiththewealthofthecountry;that,therefore,wewouldputhisgoldamongourcommonstock,andeveryoneshouldgivehimasmuchaswouldmakehisupjustasmuchasanysinglesh
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