第 20 节
作者:
乐乐陶陶 更新:2022-06-15 11:13 字数:9322
s owing to the generosity and piety of Amasa Delano; incapable of sounding such wickedness;。。。 that Luys Galgo; a sailor about sixty years of age; and formerly of the king's navy; was one of those who sought to convey tokens to Captain Amasa Delano; but his intent; though undiscovered; being suspected; he was; on a pretence; made to retire out of sight; and at last into the hold; and there was made away with。 This the Negroes have since said;。。。 that one of the ship…boys feeling; from Captain Amasa Delano's presence; some hopes of release; and not having enough prudence; dropped some chance…word respecting his expectations; which being overheard and understood by a slave…boy with whom he was eating at the time; the latter struck him on the head with a knife; inflicting a bad wound; but of which the boy is now healing; that likewise; not long before the ship was brought to anchor; one of the seamen; steering at the time; endangered himself by letting the blacks remark a certain unconscious hopeful expression in his countenance; arising from some cause similar to the above; but this sailor; by his heedful after conduct; escaped;。。。 that these statements are made to show the court that from the beginning to the end of the revolt; it was impossible for the deponent and his men to act otherwise than they did;。。。 …that the third clerk; Hermenegildo Gandix; who before had been forced to live among the seamen; wearing a seaman's habit; and in all respects appearing to be one for the time; he; Gandix; was killed by a musket…ball fired through a mistake from the American boats before boarding; having in his fright ran up the mizzen…rigging; calling to the boats… 〃don't board;〃 lest upon their boarding the Negroes should kill him; that this inducing the Americans to believe he some way favoured the cause of the Negroes; they fired two balls at him; so that he fell wounded from the rigging; and was drowned in the sea;。。。 …that the young Don Joaquin; Marques de Aramboalaza; like Hermenegildo Gandix; the third clerk; was degraded to the office and appearance of a common seaman; that upon one occasion; when Don Joaquin shrank; the Negro Babo commanded the Ashantee Lecbe to take tar and heat it; and pour it upon Don Joaquin's hands;。。。 …that Don Joaquin was killed owing to another mistake of the Americans; but one impossible to be avoided; as upon the approach of the boats; Don Joaquin; with a hatchet tied edge out and upright to his hand; was made by the Negroes to appear on the bulwarks; whereupon; seen with arms in his hands and in a questionable attitude; he was shot for a renegade seaman;。。。 …that on the person of Don Joaquin was found secreted a jewel; which; by papers that were discovered; proved to have been meant for the shrine of our Lady of Mercy in Lima; a votive offering; beforehand prepared and guarded; to attest his gratitude; when he should have landed in Peru; his last destination; for the safe conclusion of his entire voyage from Spain;。。。 …that the jewel; with the other effects of the late Don Joaquin; is in the custody of the brethren of the Hospital de Sacerdotes; awaiting the decision of the honourable court;。。。 …that; owing to the condition of the deponent; as well as the haste in which the boats departed for the attack; the Americans were not forewarned that there were; among the apparent crew; a passenger and one of the clerks disguised by the Negro Babo;。。。 …that; beside the Negroes killed in the action; some were killed after the capture and re…anchoring at night; when shackled to the ring…bolts on deck; that these deaths were committed by the sailors; ere they could be prevented。 That so soon as informed of it; Captain Amasa Delano used all his authority; and; in particular with his own hand; struck down Martinez Gola; who; having found a razor in the pocket of an old jacket of his; which one of the shackled Negroes had on; was aiming it at the Negro's throat; that the noble Captain Amasa Delano also wrenched from the hand of Bartholomew Barlo; a dagger secreted at the time of the massacre of the whites; with which he was in the act of stabbing a shackled Negro; who; the same day; with another Negro; had thrown him down and jumped upon him;。。。 that; for all the events; befalling through so long a time; during which the ship was in the hands of the Negro Babo; he cannot here give account; but that; what he has said is the most substantial of what occurs to him at present; and is the truth under the oath which he has taken; which declaration he affirmed and ratified; after hearing it read to him。 He said that he is twenty…nine years of age; and broken in body and mind; that when finally dismissed by the court; he shall not return home to Chili; but betake himself to the monastery on Mount Agonia without; and signed with his honour; and crossed himself; and; for the time; departed as he came; in his litter; with the monk Infelez; to the Hospital de Sacerdotes。 BENITO CERENO。 DOCTOR ROZAS。
If the deposition of Benito Cereno has served as the key to fit into the lock of the complications which preceded it; then; as a vault whose door has been flung back; the San Dominick's hull lies open to…day。 Hitherto the nature of this narrative; besides rendering the intricacies in the beginning unavoidable; has more or less required that many things; instead of being set down in the order of occurrence; should be retrospectively; or irregularly given; this last is the case with the following passages; which will conclude the account: During the long; mild voyage to Lima; there was; as before hinted; a period during which Don Benito a little recovered his health; or; at least in some degree; his tranquillity。 Ere the decided relapse which came; the two captains had many cordial conversations… their fraternal unreserve in singular contrast with former withdrawments。 Again and again; it was repeated; how hard it had been to enact the part forced on the Spaniard by Babo。 〃Ah; my dear Don Amasa;〃 Don Benito once said; 〃at those very times when you thought me so morose and ungrateful… nay when; as you now admit; you half thought me plotting your murder… at those very times my heart was frozen; I could not look at you; thinking of what; both on board this ship and your own; hung; from other hands; over my kind benefactor。 And as God lives; Don Amasa; I know not whether desire for my own safety alone could have nerved me to that leap into your boat; had it not been for the thought that; did you; unenlightened; return to your ship; you; my best friend; with all who might be with you; stolen upon; that night; in your hammocks; would never in this world have wakened again。 Do but think how you walked this deck; how you sat in this cabin; every inch of ground mined into honey…combs under you。 Had I dropped the least hint; made the least advance toward an understanding between us; death; explosive death… yours as mine… would have ended the scene。〃 〃True; true;〃 cried Captain Delano; starting; 〃you saved my life; Don Benito; more than I yours; saved it; too; against my knowledge and will。〃 〃Nay; my friend;〃 rejoined the Spaniard; courteous even to the point of religion; 〃God charmed your life; but you saved mine。 To think of some things you did… those smilings and chattings; rash pointings and gesturings。 For less than these; they slew my mate; Raneds; but you had the Prince of Heaven's safe conduct through all ambuscades。〃 〃Yes; all is owing to Providence; I know; but the temper of my mind that morning was more than commonly pleasant; while the sight of so much suffering… more apparent than real… added to my good nature; compassion; and charity; happily interweaving the three。 Had it been otherwise; doubtless; as you hint; some of my interferences with the blacks might have ended unhappily enough。 Besides that; those feelings I spoke of enabled me to get the better of momentary distrust; at times when acuteness might have cost me my life; without saving another's。 Only at the end did my suspicions get the better of me; and you know how wide of the mark they then proved。〃 〃Wide; indeed;〃 said Don Benito; sadly; 〃you were with me all day; stood with me; sat with me; talked with me; looked at me; ate with me; drank with me; and yet; your last act was to clutch for a villain; not only an innocent man; but the most pitiable of all men。 To such degree may malign machinations and deceptions impose。 So far may even the best men err; in judging the conduct of one with the recesses of whose condition he is not acquainted。 But you were forced to it; and you were in time undeceived。 Would that; in both respects; it was so ever; and with all men。〃 〃I think I understand you; you generalize; Don Benito; and mournfully enough。 But the past is passed; why moralize upon it? Forget it。 See; yon bright sun has forgotten it all; and the blue sea; and the blue sky; these have turned over new leaves。〃 〃Because they have no memory;〃 he dejectedly replied; 〃because they are not human。〃 〃But these mild trades that now fan your cheek; Don Benito; do they not come with a human…like healing to you? Warm friends; steadfast friends are the trades。〃 〃With their steadfastness they b