Mardi: and A Voyage Thither, Vol. I

  Hereupon, the Twice-Blind, who being deaf, heard not what was said,tore his gray hair, and cried, "Alas! alas! my boy; thou wert themerriest man in Mardi, and now thy pranks are over!"

  But the other proceeded--"Mourn not, I say, oh friends of Karhownoo;the dead whom ye deplore is happier than the living; is not hisspirit in the aerial isles?"

  "True! true!" responded the raving wife, mingling her blood with hertears, "my own poor hapless Karhownoo is thrice happy inParadise!" And anew she wailed, and lacerated her cheeks.

  "Rave not, I say."

  But she only raved the more.

  And now the good stranger departed; saying, he must hie to a wedding,waiting his presence in an arbor adjoining.

  Understanding that the removal of the body would not take place tillmidnight, we thought to behold the mode of marrying in Mondoldo.

  Drawing near the place, we were greeted by merry voices, and muchsinging, which greatly increased when the good stranger wasperceived.

  Gayly arrayed in fine robes, with plumes on their heads, the brideand groom stood in the middle of a joyous throng, in readiness forthe nuptial bond to be tied.

  Standing before them, the stranger was given a cord, so bedecked withflowers, as to disguise its stout fibers; and taking: the bride'shands, he bound them together to a ritual chant; about her neck, infestoons, disposing the flowery ends of the cord. Then turning to thegroom, he was given another, also beflowered; but attached theretowas a great stone, very much carved, and stained; indeed, so everyway disguised, that a person not knowing what it was, and lifting it,would be greatly amazed at its weight. This cord being attached tothe waist of the groom, he leaned over toward the bride, by reason ofthe burden of the drop.

  All present now united in a chant, and danced about the happy pair,who meanwhile looked ill at ease; the one being so bound by thehands, and the other solely weighed down by his stone.

  A pause ensuing, the good stranger, turning them back to back, thusspoke:--

  "By thy flowery gyves, oh bride, I make thee a wife; and by thyburdensome stone, oh groom, I make thee a husband. Live and be happy,both; for the wise and good Oro hath placed us in Mardi to be glad.Doth not all nature rejoice in her green groves and herflowers? and woo and wed not the fowls of the air, trilling theirbliss in their bowers? Live then, and be happy, oh bride and groom;for Oro is offended with the unhappy, since he meant them to be gay."

  And the ceremony ended with a joyful feast.

  But not all nuptials in Mardi were like these. Others were weddedwith different rites; without the stone and flowery gyves. These werethey who plighted their troth with tears not smiles, and maderesponses in the heart.

  Returning from the house of the merry to the house of the mournful,we lingered till midnight to witness the issuing forth of the body.

  By torch light, numerous canoes, with paddlers standing by, weredrawn up on the beach, to accommodate those who purposed followingthe poor diver to his home.

  The remains embarked, some confusion ensued concerning the occupancyof the rest of the shallops. At last the procession glided off, ourparty included. Two by two, forming a long line of torches trailinground the isle, the canoes all headed toward the opening in the reef.

  For a time, a decorous silence was preserved; but presently, somewhispering was heard; perhaps melancholy discoursing touching theclose of the diver's career. But we were shocked to discover, thatpoor Karhownoo was not much in their thoughts; they were conversingabout the next bread-fruit harvest, and the recent arrival of KingMedia and party at Mondoldo. From far in advance, however, were heardthe lamentations of the true mourners, the relatives of the diver.

  Passing the reef, and sailing a little distance therefrom, the canoeswere disposed in a circle; the one bearing the corpse in the center.Certain ceremonies over, the body was committed to the waves; thewhite foam lighting up the last, long plunge of the diver, to seesights more strange than ever he saw in the brooding cells of theTurtle Reef.

  And now, while in the still midnight, all present were gazing downinto the ocean, watching the white wake of the corpse, ever and anonilluminated by sparkles, an unknown voice was heard, and all startedand vacantly stared, as this wild song was sung:--

  We drop our dead in the sea, The bottomless, bottomless sea; Each bubble a hollow sigh, As it sinks forever and aye.

  We drop our dead in the sea,-- The dead reek not of aught; We drop our dead in the sea,-- The sea ne'er gives it a thought.

  Sink, sink, oh corpse, still sink, Far down in the bottomless sea, Where the unknown forms do prowl, Down, down in the bottomless sea.

  'Tis night above, and night all round, And night will it be with thee; As thou sinkest, and sinkest for aye, Deeper down in the bottomless sea.

  The mysterious voice died away; no sign of the corpse was now seen;and mute with amaze, the company long listed to the low moan of thebillows and the sad sough of the breeze.

  At last, without speaking, the obsequies were concluded by slidinginto the ocean a carved tablet of Palmetto, to mark the place of theburial. But a wave-crest received it, and fast it floated away.

  Returning to the isle, long silence prevailed. But at length, as ifthe scene in which they had just taken part, afresh reminded them ofthe mournful event which had called them together, the company againrecurred to it; some present, sadly and incidentally alluding toBorabolla's banquet of turtle, thereby postponed.

  CHAPTER CThe Pursuer Himself Is Pursued

  Next morning, when much to the chagrin of Borabolla we were preparingto quit his isle, came tidings to the palace, of a wonderful event,occurring in one of the "Motoos," or little islets of the great reef;which "Motoo" was included in the dominions of the king.

  The men who brought these tidings were highly excited; and no soonerdid they make known what they knew, than all Mondoldo was in a tumultof marveling.

  Their story was this.

  Going at day break to the Motoo to fish, they perceived a strangeproa beached on its seaward shore; and presently were hailed byvoices; and saw among the palm trees, three specter-like men, whowere not of Mardi.

  The first amazement of the fishermen over, in reply to their eagerquestions, the strangers related, that they were the survivors of acompany of men, natives of some unknown island to the northeast;whence they had embarked for another country, distant three days'sail to the southward of theirs. But falling in with a terribleadventure, in which their sire had been slain, they altered theircourse to pursue the fugitive who murdered him; one and all vowing,never more to see home, until their father's fate was avenged. Themurderer's proa outsailing theirs, soon ran out of sight; yet afterhim they blindly steered by day and by night: steering by the blood-red star in Bootes. Soon, a violent gale overtook them; driving themto and fro; leaving them they knew not where. But still strugglingagainst strange currents, at times counteracting their sailing, theydrifted on their way; nigh to famishing for water; and no shore insight. In long calms, in vain they held up their dry gourds to heaven,and cried "send us a breeze, sweet gods!" The calm still brooded; andere it was gone, all but three gasped; and dead from thirst, wereplunged into the sea. The breeze which followed the calm, soon broughtthem in sight of a low, uninhabited isle; where tarrying many days,they laid in good store of cocoanuts and water, and again embarked.

  The next land they saw was Mardi; and they landed on the Motoo, stillintent on revenge.

  This recital filled Taji with horror.

  Who could these avengers be, but the sons of him I had slain. I hadthought them far hence, and myself forgotten; and now, like adders,they started up in my path, as I hunted for Yillah.

  But I dissembled my thoughts.

  Without waiting to hear more, Borabolla, all curiosity to behold thestrangers, instantly dispatched to the Motoo one of his fleetestcanoes, with orders to return with the voyagers.

  Ere long they came in sight; and perceiving that strange pros
in towof the king's, Samoa cried out: "Lo! Taji, the canoe that was goingto Tedaidee!"

  Too true; the same double-keeled craft, now sorely broken, the fataldais in wild disarray: the canoe, the canoe of Aleema! And with itcame the spearmen three, who, when the Chamois was fleeing from theirbow, had poised their javelins. But so wan their aspect now, theirfaces looked like skulls.

  Then came over me the wild dream of Yillah; and, for a space, like amadman, I raved. It seemed as if the mysterious damsel must still bethere; the rescue yet to be achieved. In my delirium I rushed uponthe skeletons, as they landed--"Hide not the maiden!" Butinterposing, Media led me aside; when my transports abated.

  Now, instantly, the strangers knew who I was; and, brandishing theirjavelins, they rushed upon me, as I had on them, with a yell. Butdeeming us all mad, the crowd held us apart; when, writhing in thearms that restrained them, the pale specters foamed out their cursesagain and again: "Oh murderer! white curses upon thee! Bleached bethy soul with our hate! Living, our brethren cursed thee; and dying,dry-lipped, they cursed thee again. They died not through famishingfor water, but for revenge upon thee! Thy blood, their thirst wouldhave slaked!"

  I lay fainting against the hard-throbbing heart of Samoa, while theyshowered their yells through the air. Once more, in my thoughts, thegreen corpse of the priest drifted by.

  Among the people of Mondoldo, a violent commotion now raged. Theywere amazed at Taji's recognition by the strangers, and at the deadlyferocity they betrayed.

  Rallying upon this, and perceiving that by divulging all they knew,these sons of Aleema might stir up the Islanders against me, Iresolved to anticipate their story; and, turning to Borabolla, said--"In these strangers, oh, king! you behold the survivors of a band weencountered on our voyage. From them I rescued a maiden, calledYillah, whom they were carrying captive. Little more of their historydo I know."

  "Their maledictions?" exclaimed Borabolla.

  "Are they not delirious with suffering?" I cried. "They know not whatthey say."

  So, moved by all this, he commanded them to be guarded, and conductedwithin his palisade; and having supplied them with cheer, enteredinto earnest discourse. Yet all the while, the pale strangers on mefixed their eyes; deep, dry, crater-like hollows, lurid with flames,reflected from the fear-frozen glacier, my soul.

  But though their hatred appalled, spite of that spell, again thesweet dream of Yillah stole over me, with all the mysteriousthings by her narrated, but left unexplained. And now, before me werethose who might reveal the lost maiden's whole history, previous tothe fatal affray.

  Thus impelled, I besought them to disclose what they knew.

  But, "Where now is your Yillah?" they cried. "Is the murderer weddedand merry? Bring forth the maiden!"

  Yet, though they tore out my heart's core, I told them not of my loss.

  Then, anxious, to learn the history of Yillah, all present commandedthem to divulge it; and breathlessly I heard what follows.

  "Of Yillah, we know only this:--that many moons ago, a mighty canoe,full of beings, white, like this murderer Taji, touched at our islandof Amma. Received with wonder, they were worshiped as gods; werefeasted all over the land. Their chief was a tower to behold; andwith him, was a being, whose cheeks were of the color of the redcoral; her eye, tender as the blue of the sky. Every day our peoplebrought her offerings of fruit and flowers; which last she would notretain for herself; but hung them round the neck of her child,Yillah; then only an infant in her mother's arms; a bud, nestlingclose to a flower, full-blown. All went well between our people andthe gods, till at last they slew three of our countrymen, chargedwith stealing from their great canoe. Our warriors retired to thehills, brooding over revenge. Three days went by; when by night,descending to the plain, in silence they embarked; gained the greatvessel, and slaughtered every soul but Yillah. The bud was torn fromthe flower; and, by our father Aleema, was carried to the Valley ofArdair; there set apart as a sacred offering for Apo, our deity. Manymoons passed; and there arose a tumult, hostile to our sire's longerholding custody of Yillah; when, foreseeing that the holy glen wouldere long be burst open, he embarked the maiden in yonder canoe, toaccelerate her sacrifice at the great shrine of Apo, inTedaidee.--The rest thou knowest, murderer!"

  "Yillah! Yillah!" now hunted again that sound through my soul. "Oh,Yillah! too late, too late have I learned what thou art!"

  Apprised of the disappearance of their former captive, the meagerstrangers exulted; declaring that Apo had taken her to himself. Forme, ere long, my blood they would quaff from my skull.

  But though I shrunk from their horrible threats, I dissembled anew;and turning, again swore that they raved.

  "Ay!" they retorted, "we rave and raven for you; and your white heartwill we have!"

  Perceiving the violence of their rage, and persuaded from what Isaid, that much suffering at sea must have maddened them; Borabollathought fit to confine them for the present; so that they could notmolest me.

  CHAPTER CIThe Iris

  That evening, in the groves, came to me three gliding forms:--Hautia'sheralds: the Iris mixed with nettles. Said Yoomy, "A cruel message!"

  With the right hand, the second syren presented glossy, green wax-myrtle berries, those that burn like tapers; the third, a lily of thevalley, crushed in its own broad leaf.

  This done, they earnestly eyed Yoomy; who, after much pondering,said--"I speak for Hautia; who by these berries says, I willenlighten you."

  "Oh, give me then that light! say, where is Yillah?" and I rushedupon the heralds.

  But eluding me, they looked reproachfully at Yoomy; and seemedoffended.

  "Then, I am wrong," said Yoomy. "It is thus:--Taji, you have beenenlightened, but the lily you seek is crushed."

  Then fell my heart, and the phantoms nodded; flinging upon mebilberries, like rose pearls, which bruised against my skin,left stains.

  Waving oleanders, they retreated.

  "Harm! treachery! beware!" cried Yoomy.

  Then they glided through the wood: one showering dead leaves alongthe path I trod, the others gayly waving bunches of spring-crocuses,yellow, white, and purple; and thus they vanished.

  Said Yoomy, "Sad your path, but merry Hautia's."

  "Then merry may she be, whoe'er she is; and though woe be mine, Iturn not from that to Hautia; nor ever will I woo her, though she woome till I die;--though Yillah never bless my eyes."

  CHAPTER CIIThey Depart From Mondoldo

  Night passed; and next morning we made preparations for leavingMondoldo that day.

  But fearing anew, lest after our departure, the men of Amma mightstir up against me the people of the isle, I determined to yield tothe earnest solicitations of Borabolla, and leave Jarl behind, for aremembrance of Taji; if necessary, to vindicate his name. Apprisedhereof, my follower was loth to acquiesce. His guiltless spiritfeared not the strangers: less selfish considerations prevailed. Hewas willing to remain on the island for a time, but not without me.Yet, setting forth my reasons; and assuring him, that our tour wouldnot be long in completing, when we would not fail to return, previousto sailing for Odo, he at last, but reluctantly, assented.

  At Mondoldo, we also parted with Samoa. Whether it was, that hefeared the avengers, whom he may have thought would follow on mytrack; or whether the islands of Mardi answered not in attractivenessto the picture his fancy had painted; or whether the restraint putupon him by the domineering presence of King Media, was too irksomewithal; or whether, indeed, he relished not those disquisitions withwhich Babbalanja regaled us: however it may have been, certain itwas, that Samoa was impatient of the voyage. He besought permissionto return to Odo, there to await my return; and a canoe of Mondoldobeing about to proceed in that direction, permission was granted; anddeparting for the other side of the island, from thence he embarked.

  Long after, dark tidings came, that at early dawn he had been founddead in the canoe: three arrows in his side.

  Yoomy was at a loss to account for the departure of S
amoa; who, whileashore, had expressed much desire to roam.

  Media, however, declared that he must be returning to some inamorata.

  But Babbalanja averred, that the Upoluan was not the first man, whohad turned back, after beginning a voyage like our own.

  To this, after musing, Yoomy assented. Indeed, I had noticed, thatalready the Warbler had abated those sanguine assurances of success,with which he had departed from Odo. The futility of our search thusfar, seemed ominous to him, of the end.

  On the eve of embarking, we were accompanied to the beach byBorabolla; who, with his own hand, suspended from the shark's mouthof Media's canoe, three red-ripe bunches of plantains, a farewellgift to his guests.

  Though he spoke not a word, Jarl was long in taking leave. His eyesseemed to say, I will see you no more.

  At length we pushed from the strand; Borabolla waving his adieus witha green leaf of banana; our comrade ruefully eyeing the recedingcanoes; and the multitude loudly invoking for us a prosperous voyage.

  But to my horror, there suddenly dashed through the crowd, the threespecter sons of Aleema, escaped from their prison. With clenchedhands, they stood in the water, and cursed me anew. And with thatcurse in our sails, we swept off.

  CHAPTER CIIIAs They Sail

  As the canoes now glided across the lagoon, I gave myself up toreverie; and revolving over all that the men of Amma had rehearsed ofthe history of Yillah, I one by one unriddled the mysteries, beforeso baffling. Now, all was made plain: no secret remaining, but thesubsequent event of her disappearance. Yes, Hautia! enlightened I hadbeen but where was Yillah?