rambling idle excursion-第11章
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a person would properly expect to find there。 This gave it an
impressively fraudulent look。 There was exactly one mahogany tree on the
island。 I know this to be reliable; because I saw a man who said he had
counted it many a time and could not be mistaken。 He was a man with a
harelip and a pure heart; and everybody said he was as true as steel。
Such men are all too few。
One's eye caught near and far the pink cloud of the oleander and the red
blaze of the pomegranate blossom。 In one piece of wild wood the morning…
glory vines had wrapped the trees to their very tops; and decorated them
all over with couples and clusters of great bluebells…a fine and striking
spectacle; at a little distance。 But the dull cedar is everywhere; and
is the prevailing foliage。 One does not appreciate how dull it is until
the varnished; bright green attire of the infrequent lemon tree
pleasantly intrudes its contrast。 In one thing Bermuda is eminently
tropicalwas in May; at leastthe unbrilliant; slightly faded;
unrejoicing look of the landscape。 For forests arrayed in a blemishless
magnificence of glowing green foliage that seems to exult in its own
existence and can move the beholder to an enthusiasm that will make him
either shout or cry; one must go to countries that have malignant
winters。
We saw scores of colored farmers digging their crops of potatoes and
onions; their wives and children helpingentirely contented and
comfortable; if looks go for anything。 We never met a man; or woman; or
child anywhere in this sunny island who seemed to be unprosperous; or
discontented; or sorry about anything。 This sort of monotony became very
tiresome presently; and even something worse。 The spectacle of an entire
nation groveling in contentment is an infuriating thing。 We felt the
lack of something in this communitya vague; an indefinable; an elusive
something; and yet a lack。 But after considerable thought we made out
what it wastramps。 Let them go there; right now; in a body。 It is
utterly virgin soil。 Passage is cheap。 Every true patriot in America
will help buy tickets。 Whole armies of these excellent beings can be
spared from our midst and our polls; they will find a delicious climate
and a green; kind…hearted people。 There are potatoes and onions for all;
and a generous welcome for the first batch that arrives; and elegant
graves for the second。
It was the Early Rose potato the people were digging。 Later in the year
they have another crop; which they call the Garnet。 We buy their
potatoes (retail) at fifteen dollars a barrel; and those colored farmers
buy ours for a song; and live on them。 Havana might exchange cigars with
Connecticut in the same advantageous way; if she thought of it。
We passed a roadside grocery with a sign up; 〃Potatoes Wanted。〃 An
ignorant stranger; doubtless。 He could not have gone thirty steps from
his place without finding plenty of them。
In several fields the arrowroot crop was already sprouting。 Bermuda used
to make a vast annual profit out of this staple before firearms came into
such general use。
The island is not large。 Somewhere in the interior a man ahead of us had
a very slow horse。 I suggested that we had better go by him; but the
driver said the man had but a little way to go。 I waited to see;
wondering how he could know。 Presently the man did turn down another
road。 I asked; 〃How did you know he would?〃
〃Because I knew the man; and where he lived。〃
I asked him; satirically; if he knew everybody in the island; he
answered; very simply; that he did。 This gives a body's mind a good
substantial grip on the dimensions of the place。
At the principal hotel at St。 George's; a young girl; with a sweet;
serious face; said we could not be furnished with dinner; because we had
not been expected; and no preparation had been made。 Yet it was still an
hour before dinner…time。 We argued; she yielded not; we supplicated; she
was serene。 The hotel had not been expecting an inundation of two
people; and so it seemed that we should have to go home dinnerless。
I said we were not very hungry a fish would do。 My little maid answered;
it was not the market…day for fish。 Things began to look serious; but
presently the boarder who sustained the hotel came in; and when the case
was laid before him he was cheerfully willing to divide。 So we had much
pleasant chat at table about St。 George's chief industry; the repairing
of damaged ships; and in between we had a soup that had something in it
that seemed to taste like the hereafter; but it proved to be only pepper
of a particularly vivacious kind。 And we had an iron…clad chicken that
was deliciously cooked; but not in the right way。 Baking was not the
thing to convince this sort。 He ought to have been put through a quartz…
mill until the 〃tuck〃 was taken out of him; and then boiled till we came
again。 We got a good deal of sport out of him; but not enough sustenance
to leave the victory on our side。 No matter; we had potatoes and a pie
and a sociable good time。 Then a ramble through the town; which is a
quaint one; with interesting; crooked streets; and narrow; crooked lanes;
with here and there a grain of dust。 Here; as in Hamilton; the dwellings
had Venetian blinds of a very sensible pattern。 They were not double
shutters; hinged at the sides; but a single broad shutter; hinged at the
top; you push it outward; from the bottom; and fasten it at any angle
required by the sun or desired by yourself。
All about the island one sees great white scars on the hill…slopes。
These are dished spaces where the soil has been scraped off and the coral
exposed and glazed with hard whitewash。 Some of these are a quarter…acre
in size。 They catch and carry the rainfall to reservoirs; for the wells
are few and poor; and there are no natural springs and no brooks。
They say that the Bermuda climate is mild and equable; with never any
snow or ice; and that one may be very comfortable in spring clothing the
year round; there。 We had delightful and decided summer weather in May;
with a flaming sun that permitted the thinnest of raiment; and yet there
was a constant breeze; consequently we were never discomforted by heat。
At four or five in the afternoon the mercury began to go down; and then
it became necessary to change to thick garments。 I went to St。 George's
in the morning clothed in the thinnest of linen; and reached home at five
in the afternoon with two overcoats on。 The nights are said to be always
cool and bracing。 We had mosquito…nets; and the Reverend said the
mosquitoes persecuted him a good deal。 I often heard him slapping and
banging at these imaginary creatures with as much zeal as if they had
been real。 There are no mosquitoes in the Bermudas in May。
The poet Thomas Moore spent several months in Bermuda more than seventy
years ago。 He was sent out to be registrar of the admiralty。 I am not
quite clear as to the function of a registrar of the admiralty of
Bermuda; but I think it is his duty to keep a record of all the admirals
born there。 I will inquire into this。 There was not much doing in
admirals; and Moore got tired and went away。 A reverently preserved
souvenir of him is still one of the treasures of the islands: I gathered
the idea; vaguely; that it was a jug; but was persistently thwarted in
the twenty…two efforts I made to visit it。 However; it was no matter;
for I found out afterward that it was only a chair。
There are several 〃sights〃 in the Bermudas; of course; but they are
easily avoided。 This is a great advantageone cannot have it in Europe。
Bermuda is the right country for a jaded man to 〃loaf 〃 in。 There are no
harassments; the deep peace and quiet of the country sink into one's body
and bones and give his conscience a rest; and chloroform the legion of
invisible small devils that are always trying to whitewash his hair。
A good many Americans go there about the first of March and remain until
the early spring weeks have finished their villainies at home。
The Bermudians are hoping soon to have telegraphic communication with the
world。 But even after they shall have acquired this curse it will s