The Pacha of Many Tales Part 19

"Yes; I am about to procure some for dinner, and you shall see my preserve."

In the course of the day I walked with my host a short distance up the hill, when we stopped at a large pit, covered with a net-work, made of whales' sinews. The man who accompanied us, descended, and soon returned with a pail full of lizards, confined by a similar net over them. He then took them out one by one, and pulled their tails, which were immediately left in his hand. He then notched the stump, and threw the animal into the pit.

"Of what use is it to return the animals?" observed I.

"Because their tails will grow again, by next year."

"But why, then, were the stumps notched in the middle?"

"That they might have two tails instead of one, which is invariably the case," replied my host.

But I will not tire your highness with an account of all that I saw, and which occurred during my stay on that island. If I were to enter into the excellence of their government, which consisted of a great harpooner, and two councils of first and second harpoons, or of the manners and customs of the inhabitants, ceremonies at births, and marriages, and deaths--of their amus.e.m.e.nts, and their ingenious supply of all their wants, it would afford materials for at least two volumes quarto, without margin. I shall therefore confine myself to stating, that after a sojourn of six months, I became so impatient to quit the island, that I determined to encounter any risk, rather than not accomplish it.

My host, and all the princ.i.p.al inhabitants, finding that no persuasions could induce me to stay, consented at last to furnish me with the means, which I had hit upon to make my escape.

I omitted to mention to your highness, the whales had been rendered so docile, that they not only were used for draught on the lake, but even for carrying on their backs. I never could be persuaded to mount one, I had such a horror of being seated on a fish's back, after my travelling on the shark; but I had often crossed the lake in one of the great whale boats towed by one or two of the animals fastened to it by loops over their tails. This conveyance suggested to me the idea of my escape, which I proposed to make by means of one of these large whale boats, covered completely in, and to be towed out of the mouth of the lake by one of the draught whales.

At my request, a boat was prepared, and covered in with whalebone windows, to admit light; a stock of provisions were supplied me sufficient for a long voyage; and the whale being _put to_, I departed amidst the tears and lamentations of the friendly islanders, who looked upon me as a man bent upon my own destruction. But I was aware that the fishery would soon commence, and had great hopes of being picked up by one of the vessels. I was soon clear of the lake; and the lad who was on the back of the draught whale, having towed me out in pursuance of his orders, until the island appeared like a cloud on the horizon, cast me loose and hastened back, that he might return home before dark.

For three weeks I remained in the inside of this enormous boat, or rather I may say fish tossed upon the waves, but without injury, from its extreme buoyancy. One morning I was awakened from a sound sleep by a sudden blow on the outside of my vessel. I imagined that I had come in contact with an iceberg, but the sound of voices convinced me, that at last I had fallen in with my fellow creatures. A harpoon was now driven in, which I narrowly escaped, and a volley of execrations followed, by which I knew immediately that the people were English.

After a few minutes, they commenced sawing a hole in the side of my whale boat; and a piece being removed, a head was put in. Fearful of another harpoon, I had raised up my large white bear's skin as a defence, and the man perceiving it, immediately withdrew his head, swearing that there was a white bear in the belly of the whale. The boat shoved off and they commenced firing musket b.a.l.l.s, which pierced my boat through and through, and I was obliged to lie down at the bottom to save my life. After about twenty shots, the boat again came along side, and a man, putting his head in, and perceiving me at the bottom of the boat, covered over with the bear's skin, imagined that the animal had been killed, and reported to his companions. With some degree of apprehension they climbed in at the hole which they had cut, when I lifted up my bear's skin, and made my appearance, dressed in the black skin worn by the inhabitants of Whales' Island. This frightened them still more; one roared out that it was the devil, and they all ran to make their escape at the hole by which they entered, but in their eagerness they prevented each other.

It was with difficulty that I convinced them that I was harmless, which I did at last; and having explained in a few words how I came there, they permitted me to go with them on board of the s.h.i.+p. The captain was very sulky when he heard the story; he had imagined it to be a dead whale, and had ordered it to be towed alongside, to cut off the blubber.

Disappointed in his expectations, he swore that I was a Jonas, who had come out of the whale's belly, and there would be no luck in the s.h.i.+p, if I remained. The sailors, whose profits in the voyage were regulated by the number of fish taken, thought this an excellent reason for throwing me overboard; and had there not been two sail in sight, standing towards them, I certainly should have had some more adventures to narrate. At last they consented to put me on board of one which had hoisted French colours. She was from Havre, and having twelve fish on board, was returning home. The captain consented to give me a pa.s.sage, and in two months I was once more in my native country.

Such, your highness, were the adventures of my third voyage.

"Well, the story of the island was rather too long," observed the Pacha, "but, altogether, it was amusing. Mustapha, I think it is worth ten pieces of gold."

VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER THREE.

The next day the renegade commenced his fourth voyage, in the following words:--

FOURTH VOYAGE OF HUCKABACK.

Your highness may imagine, that I ought to have been pretty well tired of going to sea, after so many mishaps; but there is a restlessness attending a person who has once been a rover, that drives him from comfort and affluence in possession, to seek variety through danger and difficulty in perspective. Yet I cannot say that it was my case in the present instance, for I was forced to embark against my inclination. I had travelled through France to Ma.r.s.eilles, with a small sum of money presented me by the captain of the s.h.i.+p who gave me a pa.s.sage home, for I could no longer bear the idea of not again seeing my father, if he was alive; and I felt no apprehensions from the circ.u.mstance of the lady abbess, as I knew how soon every thing in this world is forgotten, and that I was so altered from time and hards.h.i.+p, that I was not likely to be recognised.

On my arrival at my native city, I proceeded to the well-known shop, where I had been accustomed to exercise my talents, under my father's superintendence. The pole was extended from the door, the bason still turned round in obedience to the wind; but when I entered the shop, which was crowded with people (for it was Sat.u.r.day afternoon), I perceived that all the operators were unknown to me, and that my father was not there. One of the expectants, who waited his turn, politely made room for me beside him on the bench, and I had time to look about me before I made any interrogations.

The shop had been newly painted, a looking-gla.s.s of considerable dimensions had been added, and the whole wore the appearance of a more thriving establishment.

"You are a stranger, monsieur," observed my neighbour.

"I am," replied I; "but I have been at Ma.r.s.eilles before, and when I was last here I used to frequent this shop. There was a short stout man who was at the head of it, but I do not recollect his name."

"Oh--Monsieur Maurepas. He is dead; he died about two months since."

"And what has become of his family?"

"He had but one son, who had an intrigue with the daughter of an old officer in this town, and was obliged to leave it. No one has heard of him since: he is supposed to have been lost at sea, as the vessel in which he embarked never arrived at the port to which she was bound. The old man died worth money, and there is a law-suit for his property now carried on between two distant relations."

"What became of the lady you were speaking of?"

"She retired to a convent, not three miles off, and is since dead.

There was some mystery about the abbess, and she was supposed to be able to explain it. I believe she was p.r.o.nounced 'contumacious' by the inquisition, and put into prison, where she died from the severity of her treatment."

My heart smote me when I heard this. The poor girl had endured all this severity on my account, and was faithful even to the last. I fell into a reverie of most painful feelings. Cerise, too, whose fate I had before ascertained when I was at Toulouse--dear, dear Cerise!

"I tell you again, Huckaback; I wish to have no more of Cerise," cried the pacha. "She is dead, and there's an end of her."

The information that I received made me doubtful how to proceed; I could easily prove my ident.i.ty, but I had a degree of apprehension that I might be catechised in such a manner as to raise suspicions. At the same time without a sou in the world, I did not much like the idea of abandoning all claim to my father's property. I had formerly dressed the peruke of an elderly gentleman who practised in the law, and with whom I was a great favourite. Although five years had elapsed since I first ran away from my father, I thought it very likely that he might be still alive. I resolved to call at his house. When I knocked and asked if he was at home, the girl who opened the door replied in the affirmative; and I was shown into the same little study, littered with papers, into which I formerly used to bring him his peruke.

"Your pleasure, sir?" inquired the old man, peering at me through his spectacles.

"I wish," replied I, "to ask your opinion relative to a disputed succession."

"What is the property?"

"That of Monsieur Maurepas, who died some short time since."

"What, have we another claimant? If so, as I am employed by one party already, you must go elsewhere. I wish Francois would make his appearance and claim his own, poor fellow."

Delighted to find that the old gentleman had still a regard for me, I made no scruple of making myself known.

"I am Francois, sir," replied I.

The old gentlemen rose from his seat, and coming close to me, looked at me earnestly in the face. After a minute's scrutiny--

"Well--I do believe you are; and pray, sir, where have you been all this while?"

"That's what I cannot very well tell; but I have seen, and suffered much."

"But that's what you must tell, if you wish to obtain your property-- that is to say, you must tell me. Don't be afraid, Francois: it is a part of our profession to be confidants to strange secrets; and I think there are many locked up in this breast of more importance than any which you can disclose."

"But, sir, if my life is concerned."

"What then--your life will be safe. If I told all I knew, I could hang half Ma.r.s.eilles. But laying my professional duty aside, I wish you well; so now sit down, and let me hear your narrative."

I felt that I could confide in my old acquaintance, and I therefore commenced a detail of my adventures. When I stated my being wrecked near Ma.r.s.eilles, he interrupted me, laughing--