登陆注册
5214000000053

第53章 THE HIGH SEAT OF ABUNDANCE(3)

We sat on the cool porch, on Bihaura's best mats while dinner was preparing, and at the same time met the villagers.In twos and threes and groups they strayed along, shaking hands and uttering the Tahitian word of greeting--Ioarana, pronounced yo-rah-nah.The men, big strapping fellows, were in loin-cloths, with here and there no shirt, while the women wore the universal ahu, a sort of adult pinafore that flows in graceful lines from the shoulders to the ground.Sad to see was the elephantiasis that afflicted some of them.Here would be a comely woman of magnificent proportions, with the port of a queen, yet marred by one arm four times--or a dozen times--the size of the other.Beside her might stand a six-foot man, erect, mighty-muscled, bronzed, with the body of a god, yet with feet and calves so swollen that they ran together, forming legs, shapeless, monstrous, that were for all the world like elephant legs.

No one seems really to know the cause of the South Sea elephantiasis.One theory is that it is caused by the drinking of polluted water.Another theory attributes it to inoculation through mosquito bites.A third theory charges it to predisposition plus the process of acclimatization.On the other hand, no one that stands in finicky dread of it and similar diseases can afford to travel in the South Seas.There will be occasions when such a one must drink water.There may be also occasions when the mosquitoes let up biting.But every precaution of the finicky one will be useless.If he runs barefoot across the beach to have a swim, he will tread where an elephantiasis case trod a few minutes before.

If he closets himself in his own house, yet every bit of fresh food on his table will have been subjected to the contamination, be it flesh, fish, fowl, or vegetable.In the public market at Papeete two known lepers run stalls, and heaven alone knows through what channels arrive at that market the daily supplies of fish, fruit, meat, and vegetables.The only happy way to go through the South Seas is with a careless poise, without apprehension, and with a Christian Science-like faith in the resplendent fortune of your own particular star.When you see a woman, afflicted with elephantiasis wringing out cream from cocoanut meat with her naked hands, drink and reflect how good is the cream, forgetting the hands that pressed it out.Also, remember that diseases such as elephantiasis and leprosy do not seem to be caught by contact.

We watched a Raratongan woman, with swollen, distorted limbs, prepare our cocoanut cream, and then went out to the cook-shed where Tehei and Bihaura were cooking dinner.And then it was served to us on a dry-goods box in the house.Our hosts waited until we were done and then spread their table on the floor.But our table! We were certainly in the high seat of abundance.First, there was glorious raw fish, caught several hours before from the sea and steeped the intervening time in lime-juice diluted with water.Then came roast chicken.Two cocoanuts, sharply sweet, served for drink.

There were bananas that tasted like strawberries and that melted in the mouth, and there was banana-poi that made one regret that his Yankee forebears ever attempted puddings.Then there was boiled yam, boiled taro, and roasted feis, which last are nothing more or less than large mealy, juicy, red-coloured cooking bananas.We marvelled at the abundance, and, even as we marvelled, a pig was brought on, a whole pig, a sucking pig, swathed in green leaves and roasted upon the hot stones of a native oven, the most honourable and triumphant dish in the Polynesian cuisine.And after that came coffee, black coffee, delicious coffee, native coffee grown on the hillsides of Tahaa.

Tehei's fishing-tackle fascinated me, and after we arranged to go fishing, Charmian and I decided to remain all night.Again Tehei broached Samoa, and again my petit bateau brought the disappointment and the smile of acquiescence to his face.Bora Bora was my next port.It was not so far away but that cutters made the passage back and forth between it and Raiatea.So I invited Tehei to go that far with us on the Snark.Then I learned that his wife had been born on Bora Bora and still owned a house there.She likewise was invited, and immediately came the counter invitation to stay with them in their house in Born Bora.It was Monday.Tuesday we would go fishing and return to Raiatea.Wednesday we would sail by Tahaa and off a certain point, a mile away, pick up Tehei and Bihaura and go on to Bora Bora.All this we arranged in detail, and talked over scores of other things as well, and yet Tehei knew three phrases in English, Charmian and I knew possibly a dozen Tahitian words, and among the four of us there were a dozen or so French words that all understood.Of course, such polyglot conversation was slow, but, eked out with a pad, a lead pencil, the face of a clock Charmian drew on the back of a pad, and with ten thousand and one gestures, we managed to get on very nicely.

同类推荐
  • 大八义

    大八义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 黄宗羲梨洲文

    黄宗羲梨洲文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Desperate Remedies

    Desperate Remedies

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 李氏小池亭十二韵

    李氏小池亭十二韵

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Adam Smith

    Adam Smith

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 一路锦绣之小户千金

    一路锦绣之小户千金

    水涨船高,随着落败书香世族子弟的老爹中举,原来不受喜欢的童若瑶突然成了抢手货。是抛弃青梅竹马的小情人?还是另选高枝?这貌似是一个问题。前来提亲的人比比皆是,连抛弃他们一家子的本家亲戚也来凑热闹。名门?正妻?小麻雀飞上枝头变凤凰……大户人家是非多,婆家的人更是极品赛极品。大房、二房、叔叔婶子、小姑子、妯娌个个都不是省油的灯。一句话简介:一个小户千金高嫁皇商大族的故事,到底是高嫁还是低嫁,问题有待考究。女主非圣母,非万能种田、爱情、宅斗、一对一、家长里短、温馨甜蜜、天雷狗血、非喜勿入小果新文,望大家多多支持,简介不会写,先用着这个,想好了再改吧,鞠躬谢谢亲亲们的支持!推荐小果自己的完结文:《任家五小姐》《长媳》《都怪父王过分妖孽》推荐好友的文文:《丑女戏邪君》
  • 光宣诗坛点将录

    光宣诗坛点将录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 重生庶女宫心计

    重生庶女宫心计

    天,她这个天才美容师怎么会落得这样的下场?还有,这么多只对她不怀好意的东西,她要怎么解决?好吧,真是一未平一波又起,这嫡姐进宫关她啥事,她咋就苦命的跟着进宫当宫女了呢?这太后,皇后,后妃那都是虎呀!只能小心小心加小心,看看能不能全身而退了!那个,宫里的事她都解决不过来了,感情啥的就先别来烦她了好么?她还小,感情的事还可以先放一放,保命要紧……
  • 我的美女公寓

    我的美女公寓

    陶宝阴差阳错的住进一个公寓
  • 九拳古帝

    九拳古帝

    炼尊唐牧,死于红颜之手,重生在百年后,势必要报仇!别人求宝,唐牧炼宝!这一世,要上九重天,杀个血雨腥风。
  • 劝忍百箴

    劝忍百箴

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 狂野少女:我是乖乖女

    狂野少女:我是乖乖女

    舒辰靖活了17年,一向中规中矩,谁会料想到他有一天会被一个染了一头黄毛儿的小丫头扭送公安局?可是不幸的是事情总是朝着不幸的方向发展,他只是在路边看看文件而已,结果莫名其妙被一袋垃圾砸中,又莫名其妙被一个衣着怪异的小丫头揪住不放破口大骂一顿,最后更是让她一个擒拿手,扭送公安局。什么?这么彪悍的女孩子竟然叫“言浅秋”?有没有搞错?她还真对得起给她取这么“琼瑶”名字的人呐!
  • 话痨球王

    话痨球王

    他是NBA历史上最话痨的天王巨星......
  • 残唐五代史演义传

    残唐五代史演义传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • King Henry VIII

    King Henry VIII

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。