前言

秘方简介

常用词列表

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

CHAPTER I.

The year 1839 will long be remembered by all those who have taken any interest in Eastern 东方的 affairs. The harsh 苛刻 and unwarrantable measures of Commissioner Lin, the imprisonment 徒刑 of Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary and all other English subjects, and the wild but brief 简要 career of uncontrolled violence 暴力 which marked his reign 统治, called imperatively 势在必行 on our part for stronger measures than had yet been resorted 度假胜地 to; and such measures were at once adopted by the Court of Directors of the East India Company, as well as by the government of the country, their direct object being to ensure 确保 the speedy 迅速 departure 离开 of an adequate 足够的；合格的；合乎需要的 force for the protection of British subjects and British trade in China, and to demand proper reparation 赔偿 for the violence 暴力 and insult 侮辱 offered to Her Majesty's representative.

It was scarcely 缺乏的 to be expected that, under these circumstances 环境, hostilities 敌意 could be altogether 全部地 avoided; and, as the principal 主要 scene of them, if they occurred 发生, would be in rivers and along the coasts, attention was directed to the fitting out of armed vessels 容器, which should be peculiarly 奇怪的 adapted 改变；适应于 for that particular service. Iron 铁器, as a material for ship-building, had been already tried, and found to answer; and this was considered an extremely favourable opportunity for testing the advantages or otherwise of iron steam 蒸汽-vessels; and the numerous 很多的 rivers along the coast of China, hitherto 迄今 very imperfectly 不完善 known, and almost totally unsurveyed, presented an admirable 令人钦佩 field for these experiments. If successful 成功 there, it might be readily inferred 推断 that their utility 效用 in the fine rivers and along the shores of Hindostan, and other portions 一部分；一份 of the Company's territories 疆土，领域, would be demonstrated 演示, and by degrees a very powerful 强大 steam 蒸汽 fleet 舰队 would become an invaluable 无价 addition 加成 to the already vast 广大 resources 资源 of the Indian government.

Orders were therefore given for the immediate building of several stout 肥硕 iron 铁器 steamers 汽船, to be constructed 构造 with peculiar 奇怪的 reference to their employment 雇用 in river navigation 导航. They were all to be adequately 足够的；合格的；合乎需要的 armed and manned, and no reasonable expense was to be spared 节省；多余的；备用件 in fitting them out in a manner best adapted to the particular object sought to be attained 达到 by them. No iron steamer 蒸汽 had ever yet doubled the Cape 海角；斗篷 of Good Hope; their qualities, therefore, remained yet to be tested in the stormy 暴风雨 seas about Southern 南部的 Africa; and various questions respecting the errors 错误 of the compasses 罗盘, the effects of lightning 闪电, & 功放;c., upon vessels of this description, remained still imperfectly 不完善 solved 解决, particularly in reference to those tropical 热带 regions 地区, where the great phenomena of nature are exhibited 展示 in a more intense 强烈的，极度的 and dangerous 危险 degree. In fact, no experience had yet been gained of their cap‧ability 能力 for the performance of long and perilous voyages 旅行; and it was a bold 胆大的；醒目的 concept‧ion 概念 which suggested that they should be sent send round the Cape 海角；斗篷, to the east‧ward 东方的, in the very worst 生病:ill season of the year, when even the stoutest 肥硕 and largest wooden 木制的 ships trust themselves as little as possible in that stormy 暴风雨 region 地区.

The equipment 设备 and destination 目的地 of the Nemesis, however, was kept a profound 深刻 secret, except to those who were personally 亲自 concerned in it, and even they (with the exception of the authorities 权威) had little notion 概念 of the precise 精确 service upon which she was to be employed.

The Nemesis was at length finished, and sent to sea as a private armed steamer. She was never commissioned 佣金 under the articles of war, although commanded principally 原则上 by officers belonging to the Royal 王国的 Navy; neither was she classed among the ships of the regular navy 海军 of the East India Company. In short, the Nemesis was equipped 装备 under very peculiar 奇怪的 circumstances 环境, which, together with the novelty 新奇 of her construction 施工, caused her to become an object of very general interest. The " wooden 木制的 walls" of England had, in fact, been so long identified 鉴定 with her proudest recollections 回忆, and had constituted 构成，组成，被视作 for so many centuries her national 国民 " boast 自夸," that it seemed an almost unnational innovation 新观念；新方法；创造 to attempt to build them of iron. Indeed, it was rather looked upon as one of the dangerous 危险 experiments of modern days. Moreover, as the floating 漂浮 property of wood, without reference to its shape or fashion, rendered 给予 it the most natural 自然 material for the construction 施工 of ships, so did the sinking 淹没 property of iron make it appear, at first sight, very ill 生病 adapted for a similar 类似 purpose. It was sometimes forgotten forget that even wooden ships are composed of wood, iron, and copper 铜 together, and that the bulkiness of these necessary materials greatly diminishes 减少 the buoyancy of the wood.

A minute and scientific description of the structure 结构体 of the Nemesis will be found in the United Service Journal 日志 for May, 1840, and it will therefore be sufficient 足够, in this place, merely to notice one or two peculiarities, in which it differs 不同 from that of wooden ships in general. With the exception of the great paddle 桨-beams 梁, across the ship, and the planks 板 of the deck 甲板 and the cabin 舱-fittings, together with one or two other parts, the names of which would be only intelligible to the scientific reader, the whole vessel 容器 was built of iron.

Credit 信用 is due to Mr. Laird, of the Birkenhead Iron Works, Liverpool, for the admirable 令人钦佩 manner in which she was constructed 构造, and for the elegance 优雅 of her form and model, which fully 充分 answered every purpose required of her.

Her burden 负荷，重负 was about 680 tons 吨, and her engines of 120-horse power, constructed 构造 by Messrs. Forrester and Co., also of Liverpool; and with twelve 十二 days' supply of coals 煤, together with water and provisions 规定 for four months, and stores of all sorts for two years, with duplicate 重复 machinery, & 功放;c., and all her armament complete, her mean load draught of water was only six feet. But commonly, in actual service, she drew draw little more than five feet. Her length over all was 184 feet, her breadth 宽度 29 feet, and her depth 11 feet. Her keel-plate 盘子 was laid, and the vessel 容器 built and launched 发射, in the short space of three months.

Strictly speaking, the Nemesis has no fixed keel, but the lower plate of iron, which connects 连接 the two sides of the ship together along its middle, is called the keel-plate. She is, therefore, almost perfectly flat-bottomed; and, in order to obviate, as much as possible, the disadvantages 坏处 attend‧ant 服务员 upon this peculiar construction 施工, there are two sliding or move‧able 移动‧能够的 keels, cap‧able 能 of being raised or lowered to the depth of five feet below the bottom of the vessel 容器. Each of these keels is about seven 七 feet in length, one being placed before and the other abaft the engine-room. They are each enclosed 围起来 in a narrow case or tank 容器, one foot wide, running from the bottom of the vessel 3 up to the deck 甲板, and which, of course being open below, allows the water to rise in it, to the level of the sea on the outside of the vessel. In this, the keel, which is of wood, 4½ inches thick, works up and down by means of a small winch, and a strong chain which is attached 连接 to it. Thus it is evident 明显, that either the fore‧most 最重要的是 or the after‧most …之后‧最 keel can be raised or lowered, independently 独立地 of the other, if circumstances 环境 require it.

As it would, however, be impossible to steer 驾驶 with accuracy 准确性, a vessel of this construction 施工, with a rudder merely of the ordinary description, and which, from its shallowness, would, in a heavy sea, be in a great measure out of water, there is a contrivance by which a move‧able 移动‧能够的 or false 虚伪的 rudder is attached 连接 to the lower part of the true or fixed rudder, and which descends 下来 to the same depth as the two false keels, and, like them, can be raised or lowered at pleasure.

The main or true rudder was composed of wood, but the lower or false rudder was made of iron, and was so constructed 构造 as to grasp 把握 the lower part of the upper or fixed one, firmly on either side, but was bolted 螺栓 through in such a way as to be move‧able 移动‧能够的, as if it were fastened 系牢 by a hinge 合页, so that, by means of a chain run up to the taffrail from its outer edge, it could be hauled 运输 up to any height required.

The next striking peculiarity in the construction 施工 of the Nemesis was, that the entire vessel was divided into seven 七 water-tight 紧的 compartments 隔室, by means of iron bulkheads; so that, in fact, it some‧what 有些 resembled 类似 a number of iron tanks 容器, cased over, so as to assume 承担 the external 外面的；外表的；来自外部的 form of one connected 连接 vessel. By this means, the occurrence 发生 of any accident 意外事件, such as striking on a rock, or shot shoot-holes, & 功放;c., which might occasion a dangerous 危险 leak 泄漏 in one compartment 隔室, would have no effect upon any other part of the vessel.

The advantages of this arrangement 安排 were often tested, during her three years' hard service; and, indeed, within a few days after her first departure 离开 from Liverpool, as will be presently related, this contrivance sufficed 满足 to save her from the almost certain destruction 破坏 which would otherwise have awaited 等待 her.

The last peculiarity which it seems necessary here to mention, was the provision 规定 of some kind of instrument for counter‧act 抵消 the effect of the local attraction 吸引 of so large a mass of iron upon the compasses 罗盘, and for correcting the errors 错误 occasioned thereby 从而. This difficulty had been seriously felt by Colonel Chesney, on board the small iron steamers 汽船 which he had under his orders, during his expedition 远征 to the Euphrates; although he was of opinion, that the placing of the compasses 罗盘 at a certain height above the vessel, so as to be further removed 去掉 from the sphere 领域 of the local attraction 吸引 of the iron, was sufficient 足够 to reduce their errors 错误 materially.

Without entering into the merits 值得 of Barlow's counter‧act 抵消 plates 盘子, or Professor 教授 Airy's interesting discoveries 发现, it will be sufficient 足够 here to mention, that the Nemesis was fitted with correctors, very much according to the system of Professor 教授 Airy, but not under his own superintendence; that the experiments were conducted 进行 at Liverpool under every disadvantage 坏处, and that the result was never perfectly satisfactory. Indeed, the accident 意外事件 which shortly befel her, has been attributed 特性；特质；属性, upon strong grounds, principally 原则上 to the imperfection of her compasses 罗盘. It is right, however, to mention, that other vessels, such as the Phlegethon and Pluto, which have been fitted with Airy's correctors, tested according to the most approved principles 原理, and after experiments conducted 进行 with great attention, have been totally relieved 解除 from this source 资源 of danger and anxiety 焦虑, and have been navigated 导航 with perfect accuracy 准确性 and confidence 信心.

We may now come to the interesting moment of the departure 离开 of the Nemesis from Liverpool, where she was built. Everything seemed at first to prosper 繁荣; the weather was favourable, and the machinery perfect in all its parts. She had cleared the narrowest part of the Irish Channel 渠道, had passed the coast of Wales, and crossed the entrance 入口 to the Bristol Channel 渠道; and the course she had been steering 驾驶 would have taken her well clear of the Land's End.

It was now the second day since her departure 离开. About two o' clock 钟 in the morning, the weather being still hazy and the night dark, she struck strike heavily 很大，沉重地 on a rock.

Of course the engines were instantly stopped, but the way she already had on her appeared sufficient 足够 to carry her over the reef 礁; and, indeed, the actual rocks themselves could be seen outside of her, so that she had evidently 明显地 passed between them and the land, and had merely struck the edge of the reef 礁.

Finding that the vessel did not hang upon the reef 礁, and was therefore still afloat, her head was turned to sea‧ward 海‧病房, and the engines kept working slowly, while the dawn 黎明 was anxiously 焦急的 expected. It was now discovered, that the rocks upon which she had struck were aptly 易于 enough called "The Stones," lying at the entrance 入口 to the bay of St. Ives, in Cornwall, and not very far distant 遥远的 from the Land's End. It was soon evident 明显, also, that the accident had occasioned a very serious leak 泄漏, in one of the fore‧most 最重要的是 compartments 隔室 of the vessel. It was with difficulty that the water could be kept lower in it than the level of the sea outside, with the hand-pump 泵; and, in fact, if the vessel had not been divided into these water-tight 紧的 compartments 隔室, it is difficult to imagine that the accident would not have been fatal 致命 to her.

However, she was carried, without much difficulty, round the Land's End, into Mount 增加's Bay, where she anchored 锚 about three miles from Penzance, off St. Michael's Mount. The object here was to pro‧cure 促成 an additional 额外pump 泵, in the hope of being able, by that means, to empty the tank 容器 or compartment 隔室, so as to be able to stop the leak 泄漏 from the inside. Fortunately, one perfectly adapted for the purpose was obtained 获得 from a small coasting-vessel which was at anchor 锚 in the bay. It was an iron one, and has been preserved on board ever since, and, on many occasions, has been found of the greatest utility 效用. Indeed, every vessel of this description should be provided with an extra 额外的pump 泵 of this kind, to be worked by hand, and at all times ready to be placed into any compartment 隔室, as an additional 额外 means of pumping 泵 it out, and also as a security 安全 against fire, for the purpose of pumping water into the vessel in case of necessity 必须.

With the assistance 帮助 of this additional 额外 pump 3, the water in the compartment 隔室 was completely emptied, and, then it was discovered that a hole had been cut completely through her bottom by the rock, but could now be easily stopped from the inside.

This being speedily 迅速 effected, the vessel pursued 追求 her voyage 旅行 without the least difficulty, and came to anchor 锚 on the following evening in Yarmouth Roads, inside the Isle of Wight.

It should here be mentioned, that every compartment 隔室 of the vessel was provided with a small pipe 管子 and cock 公鸡, by means of which, the water could be let out of one compartment 隔室 into another, and so passed on, from one to the other, into the engine-room, where it could be pumped 泵 out by the machinery. But, as this appeared a rather clumsy 笨拙 mode 方式 of doing it, namely, by floating nearly half the ship unnecessarily 不必要的, it was not resorted to. But, in vessels more recently constructed 构造, a great improvement 起色 has been introduced in this respect. From each of the compartments 隔室, a pipe 管子 leads directly into the engine-room itself 本身, without communicating 通信 with any other part; so that, by means of a cock 公鸡, the water can at once be pumped out by the engine, or else can be con‧fine 局限 to the compartment 隔室 itself 本身, and pumped out by hand, when it is not desirable 合意 to let it flow into the engine-room.

As little time as possible was lost in completing the necessary repairs 修理, and in rendering 给予 her in all respects fit to under‧take 承担 the long and unknown 未知 voyage 旅行 she was about to perform. At length she was cleared out for the Russian port 港口 of Odessa, much to the astonishment 惊愕 of every one; but those who gave themselves time to reflect hardly believed it possible that such could be her real destination 目的地.

She was armed with two 32-pounder guns, mounted 增加 on pivot 枢, or traversing 横过 carriages 运输, for the purpose of throwing either shot or shell 壳, one being placed forward and the other aft, as in all armed steamers 汽船.[1]

On leaving England she had on board about sixty 六十 men and officers; but, during the operations in China, she usually had about ninety 九十 men and officers.[2] Her daily consumption 消费 of fuel 汽油 was about eleven 十一 tons.

She had no paddle 桨-boats; but in other respects, she was well found in boats, while in China. She had two cutters 切割机, pinnace, gig 演出, jolly 欢乐-boat, dingy, and always a large Chinese boat. A large platform 平台 was also built between the paddle 桨-boxes, instead of the small bridge which is usually constructed 构造 there. This platform covered the whole space between the paddle 桨-boxes, and was found particularly convenient 方便的, when troops 部队 were on board, as it was always occupied 占据 by the officers, while the decks 甲板 were crowded with the soldiers. There was also a 6-pounder brass 黄铜 pivot 枢 gun, mounted upon the bridge, which was very useful 有用 for trying the range. A rocket 火箭 tube 管 and a supply of rockets 火箭 were always kept in readiness 准备就绪 upon this platform 平台, besides ammunition 弹药 for the brass gun, & 功放;c. In hot weather an awning was spread over it, and it was always a most convenient 方便的 place for watching and directing the operations of the steamer.

Besides the guns above-mentioned, the Nemesis carried four brass 6-pounders and one small howitzer.

Unusual 异常 interest was excited by the expected departure 离开 of this strange vessel, upon a voyage 旅行 of which both the purpose and the destination 目的地 were alike 同样的 unknown 未知. Even the Admiral himself was ignorant 愚昧 of the service which she was called upon to perform.

At length, on the 28th of March 行军；三月, 1840, she really had sailed 航行；帆. The Needle 针 Rocks, the high cliffs 悬崖 at the back of the Isle of Wight, the shores of England her‧self 她自己, had gradually 逐步地 sunk 淹没:sink below the horizon 地平线, and the excitement 激动 attending departure 离开 had at length settled down into the cold reality 现实 of a first night at sea.

On the third day, the 30th of March 行军；三月, at day‧light 日光, the last glimpse 一瞥 was taken of the land of our birth. The Lizard disappeared 不见, and nothing was around but the wide expanse 广阔 of the blue ocean 洋. On the gallant vessel went gaily 快乐的 through the Bay of Biscay, at an average rate of seven 七 to eight 八 knots 结 under steam 蒸汽, moving gracefully 优美 to the heavy swell 膨胀；增强 which at all times prevails 战胜 there.

On the 2nd of April, she was well in sight of Cape 海角；斗篷 Finisterre, the dread 恐惧 of seamen, on the rock-bound 必定；跳 coast of Portugal, and encountered 遭遇 a mode‧rate 有节制的 gale 大风 of wind, but made head against it without difficulty.

On the 6th of April, the lovely 可爱的 island of Madeira came full in sight, the ninth day since she had left Portsmouth, and only the seventh from the Land's End.

At day‧light 日光, the little island of Porto Santo having been passed, the full prospect 展望 of the larger island of Madeira lay lie exposed 暴露.

Though sailors 水手 are seldom 很少 poets, there is something in the aspect 方面 of this lovely island which speaks poetry 诗歌 to the least poetical; and where nature looks so eloquent 雄辩, and the fresh green of the loaded vine‧yard 葡萄园 contrasts 对比 so beautifully 精美 with the wilder rocks above it, while the sun of its scarce 缺乏的-failing summer sheds 棚 its glow 辉光 upon the varied 变化 woods around, even the iron Nemesis and her iron-hearted crew 全体工作人员；全体船员 were cheered 欢呼 and gladdened, as she glided 滑行 close along the shore.

The Nemesis was not long in coming to anchor 锚 within the bay, not very far from the town, and between it and the remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的 rock called the Loo Rock.

Time was precious 宝贵的, and the great object of her visit was to be accomplished 完成；实现；达到；做到 as soon as possible—namely, in the stoker's language, " coaling 煤"—an operation anything but pleasant. But they who would enjoy the steamer's "stately march upon the waters" must be content to purchase 采购 it at the price of this necessary evil.

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CHAPTER II.

On the evening of the 8th April, the steamer was again standing out of the Bay of Funchal, after being detained 扣留 there only three days. It has been already stated that the vessel was not under the articles of war; this was well known to all the crew 全体工作人员；全体船员, although the majority 多数 of her officers belonged to Her Majesty's navy 海军. Even in this early part of her career the difficulty had been seriously felt; and none but those who have been placed in similar 类似 circumstances 环境, as commanding officers, can form any notion 概念 of the great forbearance, tact, and judgment 判断 which are daily required on their part, in the management 管理 of their men.

On the 11th, she passed quietly through the Canary Islands, between Palma and Teneriffe, the high peak 峰 of the latter, however, not being visible 可以看见的；可视的, owing 欠…债 to the hazy weather. The Nemesis was now entirely under canvass 帆布, and the steam 3 was not got up for twelve 十二 or thirteen 十三 days after her departure 离开 from Madeira. The north-east trade-wind soon carried her smoothly along, as she passed about midway 中途 between the Cape 3 de Verd Islands and the coast of Africa, and it was only in a calm, not far from Sierra Leone, that she had occasion to use her engines. She was found to sail 航行；帆 remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的 well without steam, although so flat-bottomed.

Thus she proceeded 继续 quietly along the coast, until she reached the neighbourhood of Cape Formoso, towards which she was set by strong and unusual 异常 southerly winds and a lee-current. She was, however, not long in reaching Princes' Island, situated 位于 near the coast of Africa. This is a settlement 沉降 belonging to the Portuguese, and the principal 主要 place of resort 度假胜地 for our cruisers in that quarter, not very far from Fernando Po. She cast 投 anchor 锚 in West Bay, Princes' Island, on the evening of the 14th May, forty 四十-four days from England, principally 原则上 under sail 航行；帆. Here she remained, undergoing 经历 a necessary refit, cutting wood for fuel 汽油, and preparing for sea, until the evening of the 23rd.

It is the practice here for every English man-of-war, of those stationed on the coast, which resort 度假胜地 to the island, to leave a Krooman[3] in her pay, for the purpose of cutting wood for the ship, in readiness 准备就绪 for her return. As there are generally several vessels on the coast, so are there also several Kroomen belonging to them, who join together, and go out to cut wood, lending 把…借给 each other mutual 相互 assistance 帮助. The wood is then brought down to the coast, and stacked 堆 in piles 堆, one for each ship, the name of the particular ship being written on it.

As the Nemesis was furnished with a letter from the Admiralty, requiring all Her Majesty's ships to give her every assistance 帮助 in their power, she was not long in taking on board the whole stock of wood already laid up for the little squadron 队. Captain Tucker, then commanding the Wolverine, was most active in lending his aid 援助, and even gave up the supply of wood he already had on board. In this way about seventy 七十 tons of good hard wood were at last taken on board the Nemesis, and, as plenty of coal 煤 still remained, there could be little doubt that, with this reinforcement 加强, she would be able to reach the Cape of Good Hope without difficulty. Water is easily pro‧cure 促成 in the immediate neighbourhood of the landing-place, of excellent quality; and thus two very important items 项目 for the recruiting 招聘，吸收；征募新兵 of a ship are to be found in abundance 丰富 in Princes' Island. Pigs, poultry 家禽, and goats 山羊 are to be had in any quantity 量, as well as yams, Indian corn 玉米, coffee, bananas 香蕉, pine‧apple 菠萝, and limes 青柠. Above all, the anchor‧age 锚‧年龄 at Princes' Island is good in all seasons, and of easy access 访问, either by day or night. It is consequently 所以 a very valuable 贵重的 place of call for vessels going by the eastern 东方的 passage to the Cape, which in some seasons is to be preferred to the western route 路线, particularly for steamers 汽船.

On the side of the island opposite to West Bay, or the north-east, is the town and harbour of Port 港口 St. Antonio, where the governor of the island resides 居住. It is tolerably secure 安全, but con‧fine 局限, and by no means equal to West Bay for shipping. There is a respect‧able 可敬 Portuguese merchant 商人 there, who is in the habit 习惯 of supplying the ships at West Bay with various stores that they may require; and, with the view of furnishing all the information which could be pro‧cure 促成, in case any other steamer should touch there, application was made to Mr. Carnaero, the reply to which was, that he would supply any quantity 量, at the rate of one Spanish dollar for every hundred 百 logs 记录;[4] but if they were required to be cut into smaller pieces it would cost more, as negroes would have to be hired 聘用 for the purpose, at the rate of one dollar a day for every three men. Further, as regarded the time necessary, he thought it would require from thirty 三十 to forty 四十 days to provide five thou‧sand 千 logs. Coals were to be had at West Bay, of course imported 进口 from England, but only at the enormous 巨大 rate of about £6 sterling 英镑 per ton 吨.

Princes' Island is being greatly benefited 效益 already by the demand for its wood. Land is, in consequence 后果, being cleared and planted, and the coffee grown grow there is of good quality, and cheap 便宜的. In fact, from its position and capabilities, it is likely to become a place of great resort 度假胜地, as steam communication 通讯, viâ the Cape of Good Hope, gradually 逐步地 becomes more extended.

It must be mentioned here, that ships sailing 航行；帆 much along the coast are pretty sure to get their bottoms covered with large barnacles; and the Nemesis, so far from being exempt 豁免 from this annoyance 恼怒, being entirely of iron, was, perhaps, more troubled with them than a coppered 铜 ship would have been. The quantity, in fact, was enormous 巨大, and they adhered 附着 so firmly, that it was with some difficulty they were taken off, commonly bringing away the paint with them. Kroomen belonging to the men-of-war were employed to dive 潜水 under the ship's bottom for the purpose, and a very curious and amusing 使人发笑 scene it was. It is quite astonishing 使惊讶 how long these men can remain at work under water, and no light work either. Great, muscular 肌肉发达, black, curly 卷曲-headed fellows, bobbing 短发 down under water, some with brooms 扫帚, some with scrapers, and others with bits 一点 of iron bar; anything, in short, with which they could attack the tenacious visiters which clung so lovingly 含情脉脉 to the iron Nemesis. The Kroomen are an active, laborious, and faithful 可信 race, as all will testify 作证 who have occasion to employ them on the coast. They are received as seamen in our men-of-war upon the station; and, on her return to Calcutta, after long and arduous service, the Nemesis had still two of them remaining on board, out of three who accompanied 陪 her from the coast, the other having died in the service.

At length, on the 22nd of May, the steam was once more got up, boats hoisted 提升 in, anchor 锚 weighed 称重, and the word "full speed" being passed below, away went the still mysterious 神秘 Nemesis, as the sun had just dipped 浸 below the horizon 地平线. Her course would necessarily lead her towards the island of St Thomas's, another Portuguese settlement 沉降, lying as nearly as possible under the Line, and, therefore, scarcely a day's voyage 3 from Princes' Island. She accordingly 于是 approached it on the following afternoon, and did not lose the opportunity of entering the Bay of Chaves, where lies the principal 主要 town, called St. Anne de Chaves.

Some parts of this small island are very pretty and picturesque 如画, others are wild and thickly wooded. It produces large quantities 量 of fruit and vegetables 蔬菜, but is principally 原则上 valuable 贵重的 on account of the excellence 优秀 of its coffee, which, however, is not cultivated 耕作 in very large quantity. St Anne, the principal 主要 town, lies at the bottom of a lovely bay. The greater part of the inhabitants 居民 of St. Anne are negro slaves and Kroomen. The latter come over from the coast to the north‧ward 北方 of the Line, and are tall, athletic 竞技 men, very industrious, (in this respect different from most other Africans,) intelligent 智能, and, when well treated, faithful 可信 and honest. All the Kroomen are strongly attached 连接 to the English, and willingly 甘心 serve on board our ships. They have great faith in an Englishman's word, and, to whatever part of the world they may be carried, they always feel confident 确信的 of being sent back to their own country free of expense, when‧ever 随时 their services are no longer required. They are an independent 独立 people, and have never been connected with slave-dealers 商人，商贩, whom 谁, indeed, they seem to hold in great con‧tempt 鄙视. Nevertheless 虽然, they have the woolly 羊毛 hair and thick lips and nose of the true negro. Of all the Africans whom I have seen, they appear most to resemble 类似 the Abyssinians in their character and habits 习惯, though improved by more frequent contact 联系 with our countrymen.

The governor's house is the best in the place, and is distinguished from the more humble 谦逊的 ones around it by the luxury 豪华 of a green verandah. Across the entrance to the principal 主要 apartment, a large curtain 窗帘 or screen of drapery was hung, richly emblazoned with the arms of Portugal, and almost the only real token 代币 of her power.

It was naturally 自然地 a matter of curiosity 好奇心 to visit his Excellency in state, and, accordingly 于是, Captain Hall and his officers were ushered 招待员 into the presence by a grand 宏大的 Master of the Ceremonies, who was also command‧ant 命令‧蚂蚁 of the island. This person was a huge 巨大 black negro, "richly caparisoned" for the occasion, and, as he spoke speak a little English, he proceeded 继续, immediately after the presentation 介绍, to expound to his Excellency the object of the visit. That object was, first, of course, to pay respect to so distinguished an officer, and next, to ascertain 探明 whether, in case a steamer should happen to touch there at any other time, a depôt for coal 煤 could be formed on the island, and whether wood could be pro‧cure 促成 for fuel 汽油, and a proper place provided for storing it until required. His Excellency condescended to be extremely polite 有礼貌的, saying that both these matters could be accomplished, and that he should be happy to lend 把…借给 his assistance 帮助 in any manner he could. He added that he perfectly well remembered that the Enterprise 企业, a wooden steamer, had touched there on her way to India many years before, but that he had never till 到 now heard of an iron one.

The interview 访问 was soon ended, and was so far perfectly satisfactory. But, as the party were on the way down to the ship again, the black master of the ceremonies 典礼, aide 助手-de-camp, command‧ant 命令‧蚂蚁, & 功放;c., made a particular request that no salute 礼炮 should be fired, for that they happened to be "very badly 很糟地 off for powder 粉" themselves, and should find it inconvenient 不方便 to be obliged 责成 to return it; probably a gentle hint 暗示 that a little powder would be accept‧able 接受.

Little time could be devoted 奉献 to the further examination 检查 of the island, which would seem to be of very small value to its masters. There is reason, however, to believe, that to a certain degree, although unacknowledged and in secret, it is made use of as a sort of intermediate 中间 trading-place for slaves.

It was on this island that the distinguished Major Sabine conducted 进行 his scientific and interesting observations 意见 upon the swinging of the pendulum in 1822, as it lies as nearly as possible under the Line.

On the following morning, the 25th, the Nemesis crossed the Line, with the thermometer at 96°, which had been the average temperature for several days. Strong adverse 不利的 winds prevailed 战胜, with a heavy swell 膨胀；增强 for many days after‧ward 之后, against which she went ahead very steadily, at the rate of five to five and a half knots an hour; but, as it was desirable 合意 to save fuel 汽油 as much as possible, it was at length determined to make a hitherto 迄今 untried experiment—viz., to work the lee paddle 桨-wheel only, while under sail, (the other wheel being disconnected 断开, and allowed to revolve 围绕 by the motion of the vessel,) and also to use only one boiler 煮沸. She was steered 驾驶 about five and a half points from the wind, and in this position, with a rolling sea and steady breeze 微风, she continued to make head at the rate of six and a half to seven 七 knots an hour, the active or lee paddle 桨-wheel making twelve 十二 to fifteen 十五 revolutions 革命 per minute. Thus the success of the trial was complete, particularly as it appeared to counter‧act 抵消 the lee-way of the vessel. The helm 舵 did not seem to be materially affected 影响 by the unequal 不等 force applied to the two sides of the vessel.

Some pains have been taken to ascertain 探明 whether both engines could be worked to any good purpose with one boiler. In reply to this question, it appears that, except in the river Mersey, at Liverpool, with all circumstances 环境 particularly favourable, the Nemesis was never able to work both engines with one boiler with more than very inconsiderable effect. But it must be very evident 明显 that any vessel, having power enough to do so in case of emergency 急, must possess 拥有 a great advantage; and there is little doubt that, with twenty 二十 or thirty 三十 horse power more, she would have been able to accomplish 完成；实现；达到；做到 it in smooth water, particularly with sails 航行；帆 set. It is therefore to be regretted 后悔 that her power (only one hundred 百 and twenty 二十 horse) was scarcely sufficient 足够 for her size and weight.

On the 2nd of June, the ship all at once seemed to be lost to the control of the helmsman, and, no other very good reason suggesting itself 本身, the rudder was naturally 自然地 examined with care. It was at once discovered that the drop or false 3 rudder had been carried away, but by what means did not sufficiently 充分地 appear, except that, on examination 检查, there was reason to think it must have been fairly worn wear through at the point of junction 连接点 with the lower edge of the upper or true rudder—for at this part nearly the whole strain 压力 of its action operated.

No time was to be lost in attempting to repair 修理 this injury 伤, as the vessel became almost unmanageable, the true rudder, at times, being nearly above water, in the heavy pitching 沥青 of the ship. With the utmost 极 exertion on the part of the officers and the intelligent 智能 carp‧enter 木匠 of the ship, a temporary 临时 false rudder was constructed 构造, and securely 安全 fixed before night‧fall 夜‧落下. It was, moreover, found to act even better than the original 原版的 one, having more hold in the water, as well as a larger surface of attachment 附件 to the upper rudder. Subjoined is a plan of this contrivance, which will almost suffice 满足 to explain its ingenuity 创造力. It was made of planks 板 of wood, instead of solid iron, and was secured 安全 by chains, in such a manner as to grasp 把握 the upper or true rudder firmly, while it could also be raised or lowered at pleasure.

A Main Rudder.
B Side view of temporary 临时 rudder, made double, (out of six spare 节省；多余的；备用件 float 漂浮-boards,) so as to clasp 钩 the main rudder on each side.
C Pigs of ballast between the floats 漂浮, resting on the heel 脚跟-piece.
D Lower chain guys 家伙, which pass round the heel 脚跟 of the rudder, crossing it at the fore 前面 part, and leading up on each quarter, with a tackle 滑车 attached 连接 to each side.
E Chain-head guys 家伙, passing through bolts 螺栓 in the main rudder, and set up over the stern 严肃.
F Strengthening pieces of iron.

The whole apparatus 仪器 was found to answer remarkably well, and, during the remainder 余 of the voyage to the Cape, (and that a trying one,) it never got out of order, or required additional 额外 support. Indeed, it was remarked by every one, that the vessel was more easily steered than it had been before.

But the difficulties which the Nemesis had to encounter 遭遇 were not yet ended. Strong breezes 微风 from the south‧ward 南方‧病房 still prevailed 战胜, without any prospect 展望 of a speedy 迅速 change; her progress was slow, and there only remained on board thirty 三十-two tons of coal, with a little wood; nor was there any place at hand to which she could run for fuel 汽油. It was therefore resolved 解决 to stand out to sea, trusting to her canvas 帆布 only. Thus her remaining fuel 汽油 would be reserved for any emergency 急, and would suffice 满足 to ensure 确保 her being able to get into port 港口 when within a reasonable distance. A reference to the map 地图 will shew her position at this time.

As much sail was set as she could carry, and her course was altered 改变 according to the wind. Away stood the fear‧less 害怕‧少 Nemesis, disdaining 蔑视 the land, and boldly 胆大的；醒目的 venturing 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 out to dare 敢 the stormy 暴风雨 seas of those regions 地区 in the depth of winter. The heavy winds from the south‧ward 南方‧病房, which had so long prevailed 战胜, had baffled 障 all the usual calculations 计算.

On the first day of their standing away, it became more than ever apparent 清晰可见的；显而易见的；明白易懂的 that, being very light, and in fact scarcely drawing five feet and a half of water, as she was really flat-bottomed, the vessel fell fall so much to leeward, that she made very little progress on a wind and in a heavy sea; and, in short, that her deep move‧able 移动‧能够的 keels were far from sufficient 足够 to counter‧act 抵消 this tendency 趋势. It therefore became of the utmost 极 importance to endeavour to invent 发明 some additional 额外 means of remedying 治疗法 this inconvenience 不方便.

Calling to mind his former experience on the coast of Holland, and remembering the great advantage which the flat-bottomed Dutch vessels derive 派生 from the use of their lee-boards, when sailing in light winds or close hauled 运输, with a head sea, it occurred 发生 to the commander 命令 that something of a similar 类似 kind might be adopted on the present occasion. The officers concurred 同意 in this suggestion 建议; and when all are animated 活跃 with the same cordial and enterprising 企业 spirit, few things are found to be so difficult as they at first appear. It is the mutual 相互 reliance 依赖 upon each other, in the moment of difficulty, which enables 启用 British seamen boldly and successfully 顺利 to brave 勇敢的 many perils 岌 which a moment's doubt or hesitation 犹豫 might render 给予 insurmountable.

1 Main piece, made of birch, 4 inches by 12.
2 Nine 九 floats, 7 ft. 8 in. long, 11 in. broad, and 2½ thick.
3 Two-inch plank 板.
4 Iron braces 支撑, 1½ in. thick, to strengthen 加强 it.
5 Ring-bolt 螺栓 to get it in and out with.
6 Beam 梁 covered with iron, for lee-board to work on.
7 Iron clamp 钳, extending two feet, ½ in. thick.
8 After-guy 家伙, for tricing up.
9 Fore ditto, to steady heel 脚跟.
10 } Upper guys 家伙.
11 }
N.B. The chain guys 家伙 were all set up with a rope 粗绳 and tackle 滑车.

The above diagram 图 will sufficiently 充分地 explain the nature of the contrivance adopted on this occasion, without the assistance 帮助 of minute and tedious 乏味 description. It is only necessary to remark, that in addition 加成 to the four chains which are seen in the plan, a fifth was found necessary, to keep the lee-board close to the side of the vessel. It was secured 安全 to the lower end of the lee-board at its centre, and, having then been carried across the vessel's bottom, was fastened to the opposite side by a rope 粗绳 and tackle 滑车.

Thus equipped 装备, the Nemesis proceeded 继续 on her voyage, and was found to derive 派生 great assistance 帮助 from this new contrivance. It was found that her lee-way was reduced fully 充分 one-half, as ascertained 探明 by careful 小心 observation 意见.[5]

Gradually 逐步地 the breeze 微风 freshened on the subsequent 随后的，接着的 days, until, at last, about the 18th, it amounted to a mode‧rate 有节制的 gale 大风, with that high and heavy sea which all who have visited the Cape will long remember, threatening, every now and then, to break on board or poop the ship; but the steady little vessel rose rise to it like a swan 天鹅, and never shipped one heavy or dangerous 危险 sea.

Confidence 信心 in all her qualities daily increased, and, with a strong breeze 微风 on the quarter, she was now sailing, under canvas 帆布 only, at the rate of eight 八 to nine 九 and a half knots an hour. The lee-board was found at all times useful 有用 in making the ship stanch under sail, but as it was constructed 构造 in haste 匆忙, and only with such materials as were at hand, it required to be repaired 修理 and strengthened 加强 several times.

At length, on the 29th, being still two hundred 百 and thirty 三十 miles from the Cape, but well down to the south‧ward 南方‧病房, and it appearing that there was sufficient 足够 fuel 汽油 left to carry her into port 港口, the steam was for the last time got up. On the morning of the 1st July, the remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的 land of the Table Mountain, and the conical peak 峰 to the south‧ward 南方‧病房 of it, were well in sight. The Nemesis had made a long and tire‧some 使…疲惫‧一些 voyage in the most unfavourable season of the year, and the anxiety 焦虑 which had been shared by all on board may well be conceived 构想. The dangers of the Cape, at that time of year, have not been exaggerated 夸大. On the 1st July, much to the astonishment 惊愕 of every one at Cape Town, she was descried, late in the evening, quietly steaming 蒸汽 into Table Bay.

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CHAPTER III.

During the winter season, few vessels, and those only of light burden 负荷，重负, venture 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 into Table Bay, exposed 暴露 as it is to the full fury 愤怒 of the north-west gales 大风. But the Nemesis had little cause for fear; her light draught of water enabling 启用 her to anchor 锚 in a well-sheltered cove 拱, near the stone jetty which has recently been constructed 构造.

On the second day after her arrival 到达, the governor of the colony paid a visit on board, and, as he appeared to take the greatest interest in all that related to her construction 施工 and equipment 设备, the steam was got up, and the whole party were carried round the bay, apparently 据…所知；看来；据说；听说 much to their satisfaction 满足 and enjoyment 享受. The fore‧most 最重要的是 gun was fired in every position, and with different charges of powder, to shew its power and range; and the interest awakened 憬 as to the future destination 目的地 of the vessel was much increased by what they then witnessed.

Everything contributed 有助于 to make the day remembered; and as the Nemesis, returning from her trip, approached the landing-place, thou‧sand 千 came to greet 欢迎 her. To the astonishment 惊愕 of all, she ran in close to the side of the old jetty, where no vessel had ever been seen before. Nothing could exceed 超过 the wonder of the people at seeing so long and large a vessel floating along‧side 并肩 their old wooden pier 码头, usually frequented only by boats. It created quite an excitement 激动 in quiet Cape Town, and the steady, sober 清醒-thinking Dutchmen could hardly bring themselves to believe that iron would float 漂浮 at all, and still less with such astonishing buoyancy.

Scarcely had the governor and his suite 套房 landed, when hundreds 百, one might almost say thou‧sand 千, of curious people crowded on board. The report that an iron steamer was lying close to the town had spread so fast, and had excited so much curiosity 好奇心, that even the sick made it an excuse 原谅 for an airing; and such a motley crowd of people of every caste 种姓 and colour as gathered round the vessel is rarely 很少；不常见；难得 to be met with else‧where 在别处. The negro, the Hottentot, the Caffir, and the Malay, with all the intermediate 中间 shades 遮阳；阴 of colour, hastened 加速 down with idle 无意义的 curiosity 好奇心; while the respect‧able 可敬 Europeans and colonists 殖民者, young and old, were admitted on board, and seemed delighted to gaze 凝视 on something new.

As it was desirable 合意 that as much coal as possible should be taken on board before the vessel was compelled 迫使 to haul 运输 off, owing to the falling of the tide 潮汐, no time was lost in commencing 开始 the trouble‧some 麻烦 process. Even this did not at all deter 阻止 the visiters, who continued to succeed each other in crowds, in spite 恶意 of the inconvenience 不方便 they suffered.

Several repairs were now to be made with all expedition 远征. The drop, or false rudder, was first to be restored 修复；使复位；使复职, and required to be much strengthened. This was a very essential matter; and a suggestion 建议 now occurred 发生 worth noticing, namely, that in the event of other vessels of the same description being sent to sea, they should be provided with some means of being able completely to choke 呛 the rudder temporarily 暂时, or prevent its action altogether 全部地, while at sea, in case of its being found requisite 必要 to repair 修理 the drop-rudder. The want of some means of keeping the rudder stationary 静止的 while repairing 修理 it at sea was frequently felt, and something might easily be provided to effect this object. The whole delay 延迟 at the Cape amounted to nine 九 clear days.

On the 11th of July, all being completed, she once more stood out of Table Bay, with the cheers 欢呼 and hearty 爽朗 good wishes of all for her success, although they wondered what her mysterious 神秘 destination 目的地 could be.

It is evident 明显 that a steamerbound 必定；跳 to Singapore, or to any place still further east‧ward 东方的, would have a choice of three routes 路线; either she might make her passage from the Cape towards the Straits of Sunda, between the islands of Java and Sumatra, trusting principally 原则上 to her sails, the winds being generally strong in those latitudes 纬度, and thereby 从而 saving her fuel 汽油; or she might run from the Cape up to the Mauritius, to take in coal, which has been done by many steamers 汽船, and thence proceed 继续 by the Straits of Malacca; or, lastly, she might run through the Mozambique Channel 渠道, between the continent 大陆 of Africa and the island of Madagascar, and, touching at Ceylon for coals, proceed 继续 like‧wise 同样 down the Straits of Malacca to her destination 目的地.

On the present occasion, the Nemesis had distinct 不同 orders to choose the latter route 路线, the season of the year being considered the most favourable for it, and it being thought desirable 合意 that a visit should be paid to the island of Johanna, the most frequented of the group called the Comoro Islands, situated 位于 at the northern 北方的 end of the Mozambique Channel 渠道. This island will be more particularly alluded 暗示 to in its proper place. Thence she was to proceed 继续 direct to Ceylon for coals. But even this was only known to her commander 命令; and all that either officers or men could learn about her destination 目的地, when they left the Cape, was, that they were at once to proceed 继续 through the Mozambique Channel 渠道, but with what object they knew not.

The Nemesis now approaches to one of the most eventful periods of her history. Six days had scarcely passed since her departure 离开 from the Cape, when a new and quite unforeseen danger awaited 等待 her, and threatened the most appalling 惊恐 consequences 后果, without any port 港口 being at hand for refuge 避难所. It has very rarely 很少；不常见；难得 happened that a ship has been so near destruction 破坏, and yet escaped at last. The first few days of her passage alternated 备用 between gales 大风 and calms, and the high sea which she encountered 遭遇 only gave her a further opportunity of proving the good qualities which she possessed 拥有 as a sea-boat. Cape Francis, on the southern 南部的 side of the coast of Africa, within the colony, near Algoa Bay, was in sight from the mast 桅杆-head on the 14th. The barometer began to fall on the 15th, and at length, on the following day, had almost sunk to twenty 二十-eight 八 inches. Vivid flashes 使闪光 of lightning 闪电 now ran along the sky to the west‧ward 向西; the wind, which had been strong and steady from the N.N.W., freshened to a heavy gale 大风; every appearance threatened an increase rather than a diminution of the storm 暴风雨; and the sea became so high and heavy, that it threatened every moment to overwhelm 压倒 the long, low Nemesis, for the sail that could be put upon her scarcely sufficed 满足 to keep her before the sea.

The float 漂浮-boards had been taken off the wheels before the gale 大风 commenced 开始, and she had continued under canvas 帆布 ever since. Algoa Bay had been passed long before the weather had become so threatening; to return to it was now impossible; the gale 大风 went on increasing 增加, the sea rose fearfully 可怕, and the ship's course was slightly altered, so as to carry her further away from the land. Her danger even at this time was great, as she lay so low upon the sea, which heaved 举起 its convulsive waves high above her.

In the night, or rather about three o' clock 钟 in the morning of the 17th, a tremendous 巨大 sea at length struck her upon the larboard quarter. Her whole frame quivered 颤动 with the blow; and so violent 猛烈 was the shock, that the first impression 印象 of all on board was, that the ship had been actually riven asunder. The violence of the blow made her broach to the sea and wind; but, happily, she was got before it again as speedily 迅速 as possible.

As day‧light 日光 dawned 黎明, the injuries 伤 which the vessel had received were soon discovered. The star‧board 星‧板，上船 paddle 桨-wheel had been seriously damaged 损害; in fact, a consider‧able 大量 portion 一部分；一份 of it had been nearly carried away, and only hung by a very small attachment 附件, by which it was then dragging 拖拽 through the water.

Scarcely had the necessary means been adopted to save this portion of the wheel, when another and more serious injury 伤 was found to have happened to the body of the ship itself 本身. An immense 极大的 perpendicular crack was discovered, on both sides of the vessel, just before the after paddle 桨 or sponson beam 梁, extending almost entirely through the second iron plate from the top, and also through a small portion of the upper one. These had been broken break asunder with such violence, that, at the worst point of the injury 伤, the plate had bulged 凸 outwards 向外的 in such a manner, that one portion 3 of the broken surface projected 项目 to the extent of about two inches, leaving a most formidable 强大 opening in the ship's side. In reality 现实, the vessel had begun to separate amidships, from one side to the other. There was every probability 可能性, too, that the crack, which at this time was nearly two feet and a half in length, would rapidly extend itself 本身 by the working of the ship, unless the weather mode‧rate 有节制的 very speedily 迅速. There was every cause for alarm 警告, and little prospect 展望 of being able, even temporarily 暂时, to repair so serious an injury 伤 in the then state of the weather.

It was evident 明显 that the broken paddle 桨-wheel could not long hold together, and scarcely any one thought it possible to save the broken portion of it from being lost. But a little ingenuity 创造力, stimulated 刺激 by the necessity 必须 of the moment, often suggests the most effectual contrivances, which are, after all, the most simple. The great object was to secure 安全 it temporarily 暂时 in some way or other; so that, as soon as the rim 轮缘 became completely broken through, the mass might hang suspended 暂停 by some other means from the ship's side. The vessel was rolling heavily 很大，沉重地, so that there was little chance of being able to pass a rope 粗绳 round it; but the ingenious 巧妙 thought quickly suggested itself 本身, that one of the large boat-anchors 锚 would make a capital fish-hook 钩 for the purpose. With this, one of the arms was at last caught catch hold of, and supported, until the rim 轮缘 was completely torn tear through; and then, by means of a tackle 滑车, the large broken portion of the wheel was, with some difficulty, hauled 运输 on board.

So far there had been good for‧tune 命运 in the midst 中间 of trouble, for, had this portion of the wheel been entirely lost, there is good reason to fear, as will presently be seen, that with only one wheel, which might also have easily become injured 损伤, the unfortunate 不幸的 Nemesis would very probably have been unable 无法 to out‧live 出‧生活；住；有生命的 the still worse weather which she after‧ward 之后 encountered 遭遇, and would have scarcely reached a port 港口, even in a sinking state.

And here we may make two observations 意见. First, that the practice of taking off the float 3-boards under sail, which, in some steamers 汽船, is made a regular exercise for the men, at all times materially weakens 柔弱的:weak the paddle 桨-wheel, particularly in a heavy sea, and may end‧anger 危害 it altogether 全部地. Secondly, that an additional 额外 paddle 桨-ring, running round the centre of the paddle 桨-arms, and tying them together, contributes 有助于 very much to the strength of the wheel; and further, that the paddle 桨-centre should never be made of cast 投 iron. It is the most important part of the whole wheel, and should have the utmost 极 strength, which wrought 锻 iron alone can give it. It should here be mentioned, that even on this occasion eight 八 only, out of the six‧teen 十六 float-boards, had been removed 去掉, otherwise very probably still more serious damage 损害 would have happened. In order to provide against the recurrence 循环 of any similar 类似 accident, orders were subsequently given, to prepare several small bars of iron, which were to be screwed 螺丝钉 on in the place of every second float-board removed 去掉; so that, if eight 八 float-boards were taken off, four small bars of iron would be put on in their places. Thus the wheel would not lose its proper support and connexion. But, from the experience which had now been gained, it was rarely 很少；不常见；难得 after‧ward 之后 thought expedient to take the float-boards off at all, and certainly only in smooth water, and with every appearance of settled weather. The portion of the paddle 桨-wheel which had been torn away on this occasion comprised 包括 no less than two-fifths of the entire circumference of the wheel. This large mass of iron could not have weighed less than fifteen 十五 to six‧teen 十六 cwt.

On the following day, the 18th, the weather moderated consider‧able 相当, and the vessel proceeded 继续, with the help of one wheel only, at the rate of about four knots an hour. In the mean‧time 其时, every possible effort was used to get the broken wheel repaired; and, in the short space of three days after the accident, the broken portion was got over the vessel's side with extra‧ordinary 非凡的 labour, and was ultimately 最终 secured 安全 by bolts 螺栓 in its original 原版的 place.

On the 20th, she passed within forty 四十 miles of Port 港口 Natal, (become so famous 著名 as the place the eminent 杰出 Dutch farmers, from the Cape Colony, have attempted to make independent 独立.) But there was little chance of being able to make the necessary repairs in such a place.

The dangerous 危险 condition of the vessel, after the iron plates on both sides had begun to open, could be concealed 隐藏 from none on board; but, as long as the weather was mode‧rate 有节制的, there appeared little doubt of her being able to reach Delagoa Bay without very great risk of foundering 创办人. On the following day, however, the 21st, the wind again began to freshen from the north-east, an unusual 异常 quarter at that time of the year. Again the mighty 威武 sea arose arise, and damped 微湿的 the reviving 复活 hopes of all, and the heavy cross swell 膨胀；增强 could be looked on only with deep alarm 警告.

Gradually 逐步地, the opening in the ship's sides, which hitherto 迄今 had been sufficiently 充分地 limited to cause her to take in but little water, began to extend itself 本身 in an alarming 警告 manner. Indeed, it was impossible to guess where it would stop, or how any efficient 有效率的 means could be adopted to check it. Both sides were so bad that it was difficult to say which was worst. The vessel was evidently 明显地 working amidships, as it is called; or, in other words, it had not only opened up and down, but was moving in and out from side to side. Moreover, the weather threatened to become rather worse than better; and, to add to the difficulty, the furnace 炉 of the larboard boiler was now found to be like‧wise 同样 injured 损伤, and, in fact, could scarcely be used at all. Thus it became more and more uncertain 不确定 whether the engines could be kept working, so as to pump the water out of the hold; to say nothing of urging the vessel along.

Temporary 临时 expedients were at once to be resorted to; repairs were wanted at various parts at the same time, and every hand on board was now to be occupied 占据 day and night in contriving 图谋 means to keep the vessel afloat. The heavy sea which, since the change of wind, had met the full current, and rolled heavily 很大，沉重地 behind the vessel, threatened to break over her every instant. To provide as well as possible against this danger, four breadths 宽度 of stout 肥硕 plank 板 were secured 安全, as strongly as possible, over the stern 严肃 and along the quarters, in order to keep the sea out, or at all events to break its force. So heavy was the sea, that at this time the main rudder was sometimes completely out of water, and at the same moment the jib-boom 繁荣 was under it.

In the midst 中间 of this, with the hope of relieving 解除 the strain 压力, by diminishing 减少 the top weight at the extremities, the after‧most …之后‧最 or large stern 严肃 gun was with great labour dismounted from its pivot 枢-carriage 运输, and safely deposited 留下 in one of the after coal-bunkers 掩体; and the bower 弓 anchors 锚, which had already been brought inboard, were now dragged 拖拽 further amidships. This eased 轻松 the ship a little. But gradually 4 as the day advanced, the wind increased, and hourly the sea became more dangerous 危险.

An attempt was, however, made on the 22nd to effect a temporary 临时 repair to the ship's sides, which were straining 压力 very much. For this purpose, two or three rivets 铆钉 were cut out on each side of the crack in the plates, and a portion of a new iron plate was with difficulty fixed on the outside, upon the worst part, and bolted 螺栓 through into a piece of stout 肥硕 oak 橡木 plank 板, placed across it on the inside. The openings had by this time extended down‧ward 向下 more than three feet and a half on both sides of the vessel.

They were, at this time, at no great distance from Cape Vidal; but a tremendous 巨大 current was setting to the south-west, at the rate of more than fifty 五十 miles a day, and helped to throw up a very heavy, dangerous 危险 sea. At length the morning dawned 黎明 once more, and, as the day advanced, the north-east gale 大风 had moderated; and gradually 5 it declined 下降, until, in the afternoon, the wind changed round towards the south-east. The repairs to the damaged wheel were by this time completed, and although the injury 伤 to the ship's sides was hourly increasing 增加, the hopes of all on board redoubled as they saw the double power of both wheels once more at work. But Delagoa Bay, for which they struggled still so hard, was not less than two hundred 百 miles distant 遥远的. As night closed in again, the angry 生气的 wind began to howl 嗥, and burst 爆裂 upon the fated 命运 bark 吠 in heavy gusts 阵风 and squalls. And all around was dark and solemn 庄严的, as the fate 命运 which seemed again to threaten misery 痛苦 and destruction.

The only sail she now carried was torn away in shreds 撕碎, and the steam itself 本身 had little power to stand the fury 愤怒 of the winds and waves. At length it lulled 麻痹: again she moved, and yet again the mighty 威武 storm 暴风雨 increased, and with alternate 备用 hopes and fears the morning's dawn 黎明 was looked for. She heaved 举起 and strained 压力 most fearfully 可怕, the leaks 泄漏 increased, the openings spread, and yet she floated 漂浮. 'Twas hoped that, as the day advanced, the storm would yield; but hour after hour, as it passed, had brought no sign of change or promise of amendment 修订. Their danger was at this time imminent 即将来临; but it became so evident 明显 to all that the only chance of safety 安全 lay in using unremitting exertions, and labouring day and night with hearty 爽朗 good-will, that their very efforts produced confidence, which, in its turn, redoubled all their strength. Nevertheless 虽然, it seemed as if new dangers were constantly 总是；经常地，不断地 in store.

The leaks 泄漏 continued to increase, her sides strained and opened fearfully 可怕, and the apertures had by this time extended upwards 向上 completely to the deck 甲板, and down‧ward 向下 far below the water-line. As the vessel heaved 举起 and rolled from side to side, the broken edges of the iron plates sometimes opened to the extent of an inch, while their lateral 侧 motion, as the vessel worked, in the part that had bulged 凸, was frequently not less than five inches. As the storm increased, it was found that in the short space of two and a half hours, and in spite 恶意 of every exertion to strengthen 加强 the part, the openings on both sides had further increased in length no less than eighteen 十八 inches.

The motion of the vessel, in such a pitching 沥青 cross sea, was very quick; and every time the sides opened, the rush of wind and water through them was terrific 了不起. Luckily, the engines were still able to work, and continued to pump the water out very fast, although the openings were actually close to the engine-room itself 本身. But the dangerous 危险 state of the vessel was appalling 惊恐, not only from the fear of her separating amidships, but from the chance of the bilge-pumps 泵 becoming choked 呛, or the fires being put out by the rush of water.

The struggle was evidently 明显地 to be one for life or death. She groaned 呻吟 and worked tremendously 异常, and reports were brought in quick success‧ion 演替 from different parts of the vessel, that she was fast breaking up in pieces.

In this dilemma 困境, it was still necessary to inspire 激励，鼓舞 the drooping spirits of the men with some new exertion. The captain tried to smile, and, by a cool, collected manner, sought to awaken 憬 hope which in secret he himself could scarcely feel. "You may smile, sir 先生," said one of the sturdiest of the men, a hardy 耐寒 boiler-maker 做；逼 by trade, "but you don't know the nature of iron; how should you!" (as if in pity 怜悯 of his ignorance 无知,) and then added, as if for comfort, "Ah, sir, when once it works and cracks, as our sides are doing now, it's sure to go on; nothing can stop it."

However, it was evident 明显 that talking about it would not mend 修理 the matter, and all that could be said was, "The greater our danger, the more must our exertions be increased to counter‧act 抵消 it." And increased they were. Every officer and man set-to again in earnest 热心的, to try to keep the ship together. One party was employed to nail 钉子 down thick planks 板 and spars upon the deck 甲板, fore 前面 and aft, over the broken part of the ship; others were busy bolting 螺栓 the ends of them into the sponson-beams, between the paddle 桨-boxes; while another party, engineers and firemen, were busy strengthening 加强 the ship's sides below.

To understand this latter part of the condition of affairs, it must be explained that, what in a wooden ship would be called the ribs 肋骨, are, in an iron one, called the "angle-irons 铁器." They are, in fact, strong angular 角 bars, extending up and down the ship's sides like ribs 肋骨, having a flat surface, to which the plates of iron are bolted 螺栓. These angle-irons, or ribs 肋骨, are seven‧teen 十七 inches distant 遥远的 from each other, and at about the centre, between two of them, the crack had taken place in the plates of iron. The accident had occurred 发生 precisely 精确地 in the weakest part of the vessel, amidships; and it would seem probable that, as there was a heavy cross sea in the Mozambique Channel 渠道 when the misfortune 不幸 happened, the head of the vessel was held firm in the hollow 空的 of one sea at the moment the top of another sea struck her heavily 很大，沉重地 on the quarter. It made her frame quiver 颤动; and her length and shallowness rendered 给予 her the more liable 容易 to suffer injury 伤 from a similar 类似 blow.[6]

As regards the temporary 临时 repairs, it was evident 明显 that two contrivances were necessary for holding the broken plate together in its proper position. In the first place, small blocks of wood were fixed across between the angle-irons from one to the other, in such a manner that they crossed each other like the letter X, and gave support against the working of the ship, and the tendency 趋势 of the plates to over‧lap 交叠 each other. Next, strong bolts 螺栓 or bars of iron were passed through the angle-irons from one to the other, and tightened 收紧 by means of a nut 螺母 and screw 螺丝钉 at their extremities. By these means, the angle-irons, being now strongly connected together, were made to hold the edges of the broken plates in contact 联系 between them, which, as long as the bolts 螺栓 held good, would be quite sufficient 足够 as a temporary 临时 repair. But all these contrivances were adopted with extreme difficulty, and during a gale 大风 of wind, when all attempts of the kind appeared desperate 殊死. Fortunately, towards morning of the next day, the 26th, the gale 大风 slightly moderated; and these repairs being now completed as well as circumstances 环境 would permit, rendered 给予 her in all respects stronger, so that she strained much less than before.

By this time the land was not far distant 3, and the hopes of those who had most despaired 绝望 revived 复活 again. By degrees the haze 阴霾 began to clear; and now what new sensations 感觉 crowded in the anxious 焦急的 mind! what thrills 颤抖 of joyous gratitude 感谢, as the straining eye first caught the doubtful 疑 land! The heavy sea had gradually diminished 减少 as the Nemesis approached the coast, and she at length ran into smooth water, near a bold 胆大的；醒目的 cape. Never was the sound of the running out of a cable 电线 after an almost hope‧less 绝望 voyage heard with greater joy 喜悦 than on this occasion. She was now safe at last, and rescued 营救 from an almost desperate 殊死 fate 命运. Congratulations were mutual 相互; and it may well be said that those who toil 辛劳 and share their fears and hopes together become more firmlybound 必定；跳 in sympathy 同情 and friend‧ship 友情.

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CHAPTER IV.

The anchor‧age 锚‧年龄 which the Nemesis had now so providentially reached was situated 位于 close to Cape Inyache, at the entrance of Delagoa Bay. This settlement 沉降, which still belongs to the Portuguese, was once famous 著名 in the annals of slavery 奴隶制度, as one of the principal 主要 marts in which that revolting 反叛 traffic 交通 was carried on. It is still far from being undeserving of the stigma 柱头 which attaches 连接 to its name, although it has greatly fallen fall from its once thriving 兴旺 condition. It is situated 位于 on the eastern 东方的 coast of Africa, (see map 地图,) and at daylight 3, on the morning of the 27th July, 1840, the Nemesis steamed 蒸汽 into the river which runs into the bay, and is known by the name of English River.

The Portuguese have a small fort 堡 near its entrance, from which the approach of the steamer was no sooner discovered than a mighty 威武 stir 搅动 was made. Steamers had scarcely even been heard of, much less seen. The object of her visit none could guess; but all were conscious of partaking more or less in both the sins 罪 and the profits of the slave-trade; and, therefore, all regarded the approaching vessel as no friendly visiter. Guns were made to bear, ammunition 弹药 was got into readiness 准备就绪, and everything would have looked very formidable 强大 had it not been fully 充分 known that a single shot from the stern 严肃 gun of the Nemesis would have made the walls tremble 发抖, and the defenders 辩护人 hide themselves.

The Nemesis being uncertain 不确定 whether her reception 招待会 would be friendly or otherwise, slowly passed up beyond the fort 堡, to explore the river, and great was the surprise of all the lookers-on, to see her move so easily through water so shallow 浅的, that they thought it could scarcely float one of their smallest slavers. They had little dreamed dream that so large a vessel could, if necessary, pursue 追求 even the boats of the slavers into their most secret haunts 出没.

As she again descended 下来 and approached the fort 堡, there was evidently 明显地 some excitement 激动, as if they doubted what would happen next.

An aide 助手-de-camp soon came on board from the governor of the fort 堡, to inquire 打听 whence the vessel came, and what her object might be in visiting such an unfrequented place; but neither he nor any one on board could make each other understood understand.

On the same day, the captain and some of the officers of the Nemesis went on shore, to pay their respects to his Excellency, who affected 影响 to be exceedingly 非常 glad 高兴的 to see them, and shewed them all possible civility and attention. This was, no doubt, politic on his part, for he had every reason to believe that the Nemesis was a man-of-war, and he also well knew, that had she been so, it would have been a difficult matter for him to exculpate himself from the charge of openly aiding 助手 and abetting the slave-trade, which was at that very moment being carried on under his own eyes, and within reach of his own guns. It was, moreover, sanctioned 制裁 by the very flag 旗；石地板 flying at the peak 峰 of the slavers. Yet the same flag was hoisted 提升 on the fort 堡 itself 本身, under the stipulations of a treaty 条约, by which its exertions were to be used to prevent the continuance of the horrid traffic 交通 in the river. A slaver was, in fact, lying in the river, not far from the fort 堡, and, as the steamer was passing up, it was easily observed that the crew 全体工作人员；全体船员 were deserting 沙漠；抛弃 her, and trying to make good their escape, leaving their craft 手艺 at the mercy 宽容 of a single boat's crew 3. But the Nemesis was not a man-of-war, and had no right to capture 捕获 her; and it was therefore more politic not to seem to notice, in the first instance 例, what was very apparent 清晰可见的；显而易见的；明白易懂的 to all.

For some time, there was a difficulty in communicating 通信 with the governor at all, no one knowing the language; but, at length, a Parsee merchant 商人 was sent for, who could speak Hindostanee as well as Portuguese, and as there was also a man on board who could speak Hindostanee, a regular cross-fire conversation was thus maintained 保持, in a round‧about 迂回 manner. One would hardly have expected to find a Parsee merchant settled in such a remote 远程 and unhealthy 不良 spot as Delagoa Bay, under the Portuguese government. But where will not the "auri sacra fames" tempt 引诱 man‧kind 人类 to court the smile of Fortune 命运, even with the grin 微笑 of Pestilence and Death before them?

As a settlement 沉降, Delagoa Bay is of very little use to the Portuguese, of whom 谁 very few reside 居住 there; and without the stain of slavery 奴隶制度, it could scarcely linger 萦绕 on. There is, however, a limited trade in ivory 象牙 and gold 金-dust, and the coast is frequented by whalers, particularly Americans, who come into the settlement 沉降 for supplies. The narrative 叙述 of Captain Owen's survey 调查 on the coast gives a melancholy 愁绪 picture of the deadly nature of the climate 气候, which very few, either of his officers or his men, were fortunate 侥幸的 enough to survive 生存.

The fact of a slaver lying under the guns of the fort 堡, and other little evidences 证据 that the governor was very backward 向后的 in carrying out the instructions 指令 he had received respecting the slave-trade, went hard with him after‧ward 之后. This case was mentioned to the governor of Mozambique, under whose 谁的 jurisdiction 管辖权 Delagoa Bay is placed, and by whom 3 the deputy 副-governor is appointed. It will here‧after 此后 be seen, that he was, at all events, sincere 真诚的 and energetic 有活力 in his efforts to stop the trade. He became excessively 过度的 angry 生气的 when the circumstances 环境 were stated to him, and declared that it was in violation 违反 of his most strict 严格的 and positive 正 orders, and instantly directed that the deputy 副-governor should be removed 去掉 from his post.

The slaver, which was a fine Portuguese brig, was subsequently visited by some of the officers of the Nemesis, and found to be regularly 经常 fitted out for the trade, the planks 板 for the slave-deck 甲板 being all ready, with boilers 锅炉 for their food, and shackles, & 功放;c. Her masts 桅杆 and spars were large, and of excellent stuff 塞满；材料, and advantage was soon taken of this circumstance 环境, to pro‧cure 促成 some necessary materials for the repairs.

It appeared that there were some excellent timbers 木材 lying on the beach 海滩, which had probably belonged to some large ship wrecked 破坏；使遇难 in the neighbourhood. They were precisely 精确地 such as would best suit the wants of our vessel; and, as it was stated that they belonged to a Portuguese merchant in the town, inquiry 调查 was at once made about the purchase 采购 of them. Various excuses 原谅, however, were made, and unnecessary 不必要 difficulty suggested. It was evident 明显 that there was a " screw 螺丝钉 loose" somewhere or other, or else that they wished to impose 强加 an exorbitant price for them. A message was therefore immediately sent, declaring that if the timbers 木材 were not given up at a fair valuation 计价, within twenty 二十 minutes, the captain of the Nemesis "would go on board the slaver with his men, and take the masts 桅杆 and spars out of her, and as they appeared to be exceedingly 非常 good ones, they would answer her purpose rather better."

No talisman could have acted more instantaneously 瞬间 than this well-timed threat 威胁, which, moreover, would certainly have been put in execution 执行. The whole community, from the governor down‧ward 向下, were more or less interested in the affair; the report rapidly reached the master of the slaver; his alarm 警告 was natural 自然 enough, and his reasons for urging the immediate surrender 投降 of the timbers 木材 sufficiently 充分地 evident 明显. "Pray give them anything in the world they want," said he; "let me rather pay for it a dozen times over, than keep that strange-looking ship here. She will ruin 破坏 us altogether 3; we must get rid 使摆脱 of her in any way we can; give her, by all means, everything she wants, and let her be off, for mercy 宽容's sake 缘故."

Long before the twenty 二十 minutes had expired 到期, the timbers 木材 were given up. The governor himself, on the following day, the 29th of July, sent a present of some vegetables and ivory 象牙 on board, and after‧ward 之后 came in person to look at the ship, and was, to all appearance, so pleased with his reception 招待会, and doubt‧less 毫无疑问，, so well impressed 给…留下深刻印象；使钦佩 with the appearance of the vessel, that he stayed to dinner, and did his best to shew himself a good fellow.

It may here be observed, that the so-called "English River," which empties itself 本身 into the sea at Delagoa Bay, is, in reality 现实, the estuary 河口 of three rivers, called the Temby, the Dundas, and the Mattoll. But they are none of them of much importance, considered separately, having their sources 资源 at scarcely more than a good day's journey 旅行 from the entrance, and forming rather the drains 排水 of a rich, alluvial country, than the outlets 出口 of the super 超-abundant 丰富 waters of distant tiers 一线 of mountains. They run into the English River at the distance of little more than five miles above the fort 堡. Their shores are generally bordered 边；界 by an extensive 广阔的 muddy 浑 flat, gradually rising towards higher land, covered with large bushes 灌木, but which can hardly be said to be crowned 王冠 with luxuriant woods. Nothing can be imagined more calculated 计算, under a tropical 热带 sun, to produce the most deadly pestilence. No wonder that those who have endeavoured to trace 跟踪 up these rivers, for even a short distance, have so commonly fallen victims 受害者 to their enthusiasm 热情.

The entrance to English River, from its breadth 宽度 and general appearance, leads you to imagine it of greater importance than it really is. Yet it is not without something of a picturesque 如画 character; the sand 沙 hills covered with calabash trees, and the aspect 方面 of the village and Portuguese Fort, tottering though it be, all present a refreshing 使恢复 picture, when first viewed, after a long and dangerous 危险 voyage.

The neighbouring country is divided among different tribes 部落, who are frequently at war with each other, and over whom the Portuguese have very little control. Their own factory 工厂, or fort 堡, is situated 位于 on the north side of the river, in the country of Mafoomo. But the most war‧like 战争‧喜欢；象 and trouble‧some 麻烦 of all the tribes are the so-called Hollontontes, living some distance to the south‧ward 南方‧病房, and resembling 类似, or indeed probably a branch of, the Zooloo Caffirs, of whom we have lately 近来 heard so much in connexion with the unfortunate 不幸的 Dutch emigrant-farmers at Port 港口 Natal. These Hollontontes (probably a corruption 腐败 from Hottentots) have, on more than one occasion, made themselves formidable 强大, even to the Portuguese themselves.

On the 31st, the Nemesis was hauled 运输 on shore on the fine sandy 沙 beach 海滩 near the fort 堡, and, in fact, within range of its guns.

It was on this day that a remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的 phenomenon 现象，存在的事物 occurred 发生, which is here worth mentioning; the more particularly as it was followed at night and during the subsequent 随后的，接着的 day by a very heavy gale 大风 of wind, whose 谁的 approach it might, in a manner, be said to have indicated 表明. This was, in fact, the seventh[7] great plague 鼠疫 of Egypt, the plague 鼠疫 of locusts, which filled the atmosphere 大气层 in myriads 无数的, as far as the eye could reach on every side; and indeed much further, for, during the time it lasted, the very sky was darkened 变暗, and the whole air was filled with a sound as of "a mighty 威武 rushing wind," by the flapping 拍打 of their wings 翅膀. You could scarcely open either your eyes or your mouth, without fear of being blinded or choked 呛 by them.

Fortunately, the visitation did not last long enough to commit 承诺 extensive 广阔的 destruction, but it was nevertheless 虽然 a source 资源 of great alarm 警告 and inconvenience 不方便. In some parts of China, also, the swarms 一群 of locusts occasionally 偶尔，间或；有时 produce a great deal of mischief 恶作剧, and are very naturally 自然地 dreaded 恐惧, both by the people and the government. But those visitations are not so severe as this was, during the short time it lasted.[8]

Large quantities of locusts were collected by the natives 本土的 for food; and it was a very curious sight, for two or three days after‧ward 之后, to watch the different groups of black men, as nearly naked 裸 as possible, crowding round their fires, with all the eagerness of hunger 饿, and all the longing of an epicure, to enjoy a feast 盛会 of locusts. They stripped off the wings and legs, and having slightly roasted 烤 or grilled 烤架 them, appeared to find them a capital luxury 豪华, even not unworthy of the dance and song with which they accompanied 陪 their repast.

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CHAPTER V.

No time was now lost in commencing 开始 the repairs of which the steamer stood so much in need. It will be remembered, that the structure 结构体 of the ship's side has been else‧where 在别处 described, and that the angle-irons are, in fact, the ship's ribs 肋骨. The split 分裂 amidships had taken place in the middle of the iron plate, between the two angle-irons immediately before the after sponson-beam. It extended down‧ward 向下 full seven 七 feet from the deck 甲板 on either side the vessel; and, as the distance from the deck 甲板 to the water-line, with a moderate 3 draught of water, is only from three feet four inches to three feet six inches, it must have extended under water for about the same distance as it did above. But the whole semi 半-circumference of the vessel's hull 船壳 is only about twenty 二十-three feet and a half. Therefore, as the crack was full seven 七 feet in length on each side of the ship, there only remained six‧teen 十六 feet on each side of the ship's hull 船壳, or about two-thirds in all, not separated in two.

In other iron vessels more recently constructed 构造 by the same builder, Mr. Laird, of Birkenhead, it is satisfactory to know that full provision 规定 has been made against the recurrence 循环 of any similar 类似 accidents 意外事件. The Phlegethon, which was after‧ward 之后 built upon the same model, has been constructed 构造 in such a manner, by the addition 加成 of bulkheads, & 功放;c., that not only could there be no apprehension 顾虑 of the accident, but an almost impossibility 不可能的事 of its recurrence 循环. The accompanying 陪 wood‧cut 木材；树林‧砍 will explain the improvement 起色.

Shewing the method 方法 of giving additional 额外 strength by originally 本来 building-in the coal-box bulkheads as part of the vessel.

A Keel.
B Floorings.
C Keelsons.
D Deck beams (iron).
E Deck.
F Covering-board, 18ft. by 4in.
G Longitudinal iron bulkheads, built into the vessel, forming the sides of the coal-boxes.
H Angle-iron stay-beam between.
I Side frame and coal-box bulk‧head 块‧头；上端.

N.B.—These bulkheads appear to have remedied 治疗法 the weakness 弱点 complained 抱怨 of in the Nemesis, as the Phlegethon is reported, after nearly three years' hard service (including the passage round the Cape, when she experienced very bad weather), in as good order as when she left England, never having required any alteration 改造 or strengthening.

The first thing now to be done was evidently 明显地 to remove 去掉 the broken iron plates, and to rivet 铆钉 in new ones in their place. In order to provide for additional 额外 strengthening of the vessel inside, the large timbers 木材 which had been purchased 采购 were made use of, as being exactly adapted for the purpose. Three of these were placed across the angle-irons against the side of the vessel, the longest and stoutest 肥硕, which was twenty 二十-three feet in length, one foot broad, and six inches thick, being placed highest up, about two to three feet below the deck 甲板. This was secured 安全 in its place by bolts 螺栓, each a foot long, which were run through the ship's side, one at the centre of the space between each of the angle-irons. As there would, however, be a space left between the face of the beam and the side of the vessel, except at those points where it rested upon the angle-irons, this interval 间隔 was filled up with well-seasoned red pine 松树, which added very much to the solidity of the contrivance. To "make assurance 保证 doubly sure," two other beams, of the same depth and thickness 厚度, but not of the same length, and secured 安全 in a similar 类似 manner, were also employed. By this means, it is very evident 明显 that the ship was made a vast 广大 deal stronger than she ever was before, though not stronger than was proper for her size and shape. The whole length of the new plates put in the ship's sides was eight 八 feet two inches; and so effectually was the work done that the whole of it remained perfect, stringers and all, at the end of two years and a half of severe and uninterrupted service.

These contrivances added very little to the weight of the vessel, and gave it very great support in the weakest part, and just where it was most required, to enable 启用 her to carry coals on deck 甲板, & 功放;c.

A The old plate cut away between the angle-iron frames.
B Part of the old plate left remaining inside the new.
C Stringers, 1ft. by 6in.; the space under them between the angle-irons made solid with wood.
D Knee.
E Deck angle-iron.
F Angle-iron side-frames.
G Coal-box bulk‧head 块‧头；上端 angle-iron.
H Paddle-beam, of wood, 21 in. by 15.
N Diagonal bracing 支撑 of wood between the stringers.

N.B.—Stringers secured 安全 by seven 七-eighths in.; bolts 螺栓 driven drive through all between each two angle-irons.

I Deck beam of iron.
K Flat of deck 甲板.
L Covering board, 12 in. by 4 in.
M Waist 腰 stanchion.
C Ends of the stringers.

During her detention 拘留 of twelve 十二 days, the Nemesis had been an object of great curiosity 好奇心 to the native 本土的 Africans, as well as to the Portuguese settlers 定居者. The chiefs of some of the tribes were occasionally 偶尔，间或；有时 allowed to look at the vessel, and expressed the greatest possible astonishment 惊愕 at what they saw. It happened to be just the time of year when the king of one of the tribes most friendly to the Portuguese (probably, as it appeared, because they have large dealings together in slaves) usually came down from his own country, about thirty 三十 miles distant, to pay his annual 全年 visit to the Portuguese governor. On these occasions, there is a vast 广大 attempt on both sides to appear very friendly to each other, with precisely 精确地 that degree of sincerity 诚意 which, as a minimum 最低限度, is indispensable 不可缺少 to the advantageous 有利 barter of slaves and ivory 象牙 for iron and spirits, or occasionally 偶尔，间或；有时 gold 金-dust for various trifling 琐事 articles, which in the eyes of a savage 野蛮人 possess 拥有 inestimable value.

There appears, in general, to be very little good feeling existing between the native tribes and the Portuguese. The former look upon the latter with some degree of dread 恐惧, arising from the injuries 伤 which they have at various times received at their hands; and the latter regard the former merely as degraded 降级 savages 野蛮人, fit for little else than the speculations 推测 of the slave trade. On both sides there is a degree of mist‧rust 不信任, arising from the debasing tendency 趋势 which such a traffic 交通 necessarily exercises upon all concerned in it. In Captain Owens narrative 叙述, an instance 例 is related of the most savage 野蛮人 cruelty 残酷, exercised by Portuguese Christians upon a few unarmed and oppressed 压迫 natives who fell into their hands, which it is impossible to read without shuddering 不寒而栗.

On the present occasion, the native chief who came to do honour to the governor was a decrepit old man, nearly seventy 七十 years of age, attended by about seven 七 hundred 百 or eight 八 hundred 百 of his most doughty warriors 战士, partially 部分 clothed in skins, and ornamented 装饰 with ostrich-feathers 羽毛 stuck stick in their heads. He himself, as being a very great man, was clothed in a loose sort of dressing-gown 袍, with a red night‧cap 夜‧盖 on his head, a present from the governor himself. Every man had three spears 矛 of different sizes, probably to be thrown throw at different distances, together with a stout 肥硕 club and shield 盾; and in the use of these weapons they exhibited 展示 great dexterity.

The governor had invited Captain Hall and his officers to witness the performance of their war-dance, which was, in reality 现实, as savage 野蛮人 an exhibition 展览 as it was possible to conceive 构想.

As evening advanced, the attend‧ant 服务员 of the old chief were called upon to drink the governor's health, out of a large tub 桶-full of rum 朗姆酒; and, in order to ensure 确保 fair play, a corporal 下士 stood by with a stout 肥硕 cane 甘蔗 in his hand, with which he most courageously 勇敢 belaboured all those who shewed an uncivilized disposition 性格 for helping themselves to more than their share. But the passions 激情，热情；强烈情感 of the savage 野蛮人 are not so easily to be subdued 征服; and, if the mere sight and smell of the liquor 酒 had warmed them up into something like a quarrel‧some 争吵‧一些 mood 心境, what was to be expected from the actual taste and fire of it? Words ran high, and all the threatening gestures 手势 of the excited savage 野蛮人 promised even blood‧shed 血‧棚; until, at length, the corporal 下士's stick being insufficient 不足 to allay the disturbance 骚乱, he very quietly upset 打翻 the whole remaining contents of the tub 桶, and soon dispersed 分散 the mighty 威武 men-of-war, in apparent 清晰可见的；显而易见的；明白易懂的 reconciliation 和解.

The negro tribes of these parts adopt the practice of tattooing 黥 their faces, but not in that peculiarly neat 整洁的 and regular manner for which the New Zealanders are distinguished. It is here more like a rude 粗鲁的 system of notching 缺口 the skin, as if done rather to shew how man‧fully 男人‧完全地 they can endure 忍受 pain, than as a mere ornamental 装饰 art.

A more sensible 明智 practice among some of the tribes about Delagoa Bay, is that of shaving 剃须 a large portion of the thick wool 羊毛 off their heads, tending greatly to cleanliness in a tropical 热带 country. Occasionally 偶尔，间或；有时 it is trimmed 修剪 into some fanciful shape, like the old yew-trees in some of our English villages, which stand forth as curious specimens 标本 of nature improved; while, again, the natives on some parts of the Madagascar coast, generally stout 肥硕, athletic 竞技 men, divide their hair into little tufts all over the head, each of which is frequently tied round the roots, and thus made to stand out on all sides in little knobs 把手, giving a very singular 单数 appearance to the head, more particularly when they are seen working side by side, as I have often witnessed at the Mauritius, with close-shaved 剃须 Indian or Chinese labourers.

As the king above-mentioned and his followers 信徒 had come from a consider‧able 大量 distance, and were reported to possess great influence among their neighbours, it was thought a good opportunity both to impress 给…留下深刻印象；使钦佩 them with a knowledge of our power, and to conciliate them by a show of our good-nature. There was the more reason for this, in consequence 后果 of pretty certain evidence 证据 having been obtained 获得 that the crew of an American trading-vessel, which had been wrecked on the coast not long before, had been most barbarously treated by the tribe 部落 into whose 谁的 hands they fell. As such a misfortune 不幸 might again happen, it was thought a good opportunity to make an impression 印象 upon the native tribes, which was sure to be communicated 通信 from one to the other, by means of the old king and his adherents. Accordingly, the old man (who was called Appelli by the Portuguese) was one day invited to go on board the Nemesis, with one or two of his attend‧ant 服务员. The vessel had by this time been got nearly ready for sea, and on this occasion, in order to produce greater effect upon all the lookers-on, was dressed out with her flags 旗；石地板, and, being newly 最近，新近-painted, presented a very gay 快乐的 appearance. A Portuguese merchant accompanied 陪 the veteran 老将 chief to the ship as interpreter 翻译，弄清含义, and, rather unexpectedly 不料, several women also came off with him, dressed in showy colours, and impelled, perhaps, as much by the flattering 奉承 thought that they would quite astonish 使惊讶 the white man, as by the mere feeling of curiosity 好奇心.

The moment the king put his foot upon the deck 甲板, the single fife and drum 鼓 which was on board set up "God save the king!" and the old man appeared well pleased both with the tune 曲调 and the attention. After this, a particularly ugly 难看的, repulsive-looking fellow, who turned out to be the king's fool, though as old as the king himself, set up a most discordant note of admiration 钦佩 upon three reeds 芦苇 which he held in his hand, something after the manner of pan 平底锅-pipes 管子. At intervals 间隔 he treated you to a sort of explanatory 解释性 text 文本 of his own, in the shape of a few uncouth words, yelled 叫喊 out in a manner particularly edifying to all except those in whose 3 honour it is supposed they were especially poured 淋；倒 forth. His appearance was rendered 给予 more uncouth by a large bag 袋 tied under his chin 下巴, for what purpose was not very evident 明显, but probably to contain either his charms 魔力；使陶醉 or his tobacco 烟草.

The queen 女王 her‧self 她自己 had also accompanied 陪 her lord upon this occasion, and exhibited 展示 no fear, and certainly no beauty. Picture to your‧self 你自己 a young sable queen, a capital caricature 漫画 of one of the Egyptian statues 雕像 in black marble 大理石, plump 丰满 and shiny 闪亮 as her prototype 原型, only less expressive 表现的. Then invest 投资 her in your imagination 想像力 with sundry huge 巨大 scars 瘢痕 about her cheek 脸颊 and nose; not those delicate 微妙的；纤弱的 lines and graceful 优美 curves which decorate 装饰 the upper lip of royalty 王族成员 among New Zealand tribes, but regular lumps 块, squeezed 挤 up and dried, as it were into large warts, particularly about the nose, as if a race of gigantic 巨大 musquitoes had held a feast 盛会 there!

However, to do justice to the lady's rank 排列, if not to her looks, Captain Hall thought proper to shew her due attention, and, accordingly 于是, a glass of wine was offered to her, as well as to her lord. The old man, though at first suspicious 可疑的, like all half-savages 野蛮人, very gladly 高兴的 swallowed 吞 it, as soon as one of the officers had tasted it first. But for the queen wine was not good enough; rum 朗姆酒 was the nectar for her—that was the soul-stirring 搅动 influence which could bend her pride 自尊, and warm her heart to gentleness.

Having by these means warmed the royal 王国的 pair to good humour, the next thing was to bewilder 困惑 them with astonishment 惊愕. This was not difficult. They were requested to examine the ship's side, and to assure 向…保证；肯定地说 themselves that she was made entirely of iron. A loud 响亮的 Heugh! was their exclamation. To them it seemed a bound‧less 必定；跳‧少 mine of wealth 财产, that mass of precious 宝贵的 stuff 塞满；材料, to purchase 采购 which was all their ambition 抱负. They were calculating 计算 in their own minds how many thou‧sand 千 and tens 十 of thou‧sand 千 of slaves they would have to pro‧cure 促成, before they could be able to obtain 获得 so much of the valued metal. But, when the engine was shewn to them, with all its polished 擦光 bars, and massive 大规模的 parts, and its uses partly explained through the interpreter, their astonishment 惊愕 knew no bounds 必定；跳.

Before the chief's departure 离开, great care was taken to explain to him the barbarous cruelties 残酷 which had been committed 承诺 upon the shipwrecked seamen by some of the tribes on the coast. He declared that he had never heard of the occurrence 发生, and affected 影响 to be very much horrified 惊吓 at it. He was made to understand that he was to communicate 通信 to all the people of his tribe 部落, as well as to all others whom he might fall in with, that, if ever any injury 伤 were done to any white men when driven upon any part of the coast, an iron vessel, even more terrible than the one he was then in, would be sent to punish 处罚 the people. On the contrary 相反, if he conducted 进行 himself peaceably, and treated white men well on all occasions, he would be considered the friend of the English, and of all other white men. He was also to make it publicly known wherever 随地 he went, that white men were always to be treated kindly when in distress 苦难. This he promised to do, with every appearance of sincerity 诚意, and upon the whole shewed more intelligence 情报 than might have been expected.

In consideration 考虑 of the king's promises, and in order the more fully 充分 to gain his influence, a present was made to him, the most valuable he could have received—namely, a musket and bayonet, with its accoutrements. His surprise and delight were beyond all bounds; he almost seemed to get young again with pleasure as he grasped 把握 the precious 宝贵的 weapon in his hands. On leaving the vessel, he insisted 咬定 on shaking hands with almost every one on board.

On the following day, he returned again to the ship in high glee, bringing with him his own spear 矛 and shield 盾, with other implements 实行 of war and of the chase 追, which he laid at the captain's feet, as the most valuable presents he could offer to a "faithful 可信 ally 联盟；盟友."

CHAPTER VI.

The circumstances 环境 relating to the distressed 苦难 seamen on the coast, alluded 暗示 to in the foregoing 放弃 chapter 章节, were first stated by one of the unfortunate 不幸的 sufferers 患者 himself, who accosted, in very good English, some of the officers of the Nemesis, as they were returning to their ship, and soon proved himself to have belonged to an American vessel, but stated that he was a native of Hanover. His name was Samuel Reid, or something very much like it. His right eye and lower jaw 下巴 appeared to have been dreadfully 可怕 wounded 创伤, and gave a practical introduction 介绍 to the following tale 故事，不实之词, every part of which there is too much reason to believe is strictly 严格的 true.

It appears that an American schooner, called the Colonel Crockett, of one hundred 百 and forty 四十 tons, belonging to Newburgh, U. S., sailed from New York in the summer of 1839, bound 3 on a voyage to the West Coast of Africa, to pro‧cure 促成 bullocks for salting, principally 原则上 for the St. Helena market. She subsequently, also, proceeded 继续 to Madagascar, and touched at Delagoa Bay, on her way to Inhampura River, high up on the east coast, to trade for ivory 象牙. There she remained three weeks, without being able to accomplish 完成；实现；达到；做到 her object. In working out of it again, in May, 1840, she missed stays, and went on shore on the sand 沙 at the river's mouth. They tried in vain 徒劳的 to get the vessel off on the following day, there not being enough men fit for work, as all, except three out of eleven 十一, were sick with fever 发热. There she lay, nearly high and dry. It seems they had only one boat remaining, which was too small to contain all the people, and, therefore, it was agreed that the captain and second mate, (Samuel Reid,) with two men, should start off in her, and try to reach Delagoa Bay, which was only about seventy 七十 miles distant, where they were to pro‧cure 促成 a larger boat and other assistance 帮助, and then return to bring away the remainder 余 of the crew, and whatever could be saved from the wreck 破坏；使遇难.

Unfortunately 不幸, they found the surf 冲浪 beating over the bar at the mouth of the Inhampura so heavily 4, that they could not succeed in getting the boat out. In this predicament 困境, the captain and second mate volunteered 志愿者 to set out together, to try to reach Delagoa Bay by land—a most hazardous 危险 experiment under any circumstances 环境, with the dangers of the fatal 致命 fevers 发热, and the treachery of the savage 野蛮人 native tribes, staring them in the face. The attempt was, in fact, almost hope‧less 绝望. Nevertheless 虽然, on the morning of the 9th of May, 1840, they landed from the vessel, totally unarmed, thinking, probably, that it would be both use‧less 无用 and laborious for two men to carry arms which they could scarcely use for more than one or two discharges 卸货, owing to the difficulty of carrying ammunition 弹药.

They proceeded 继续 for about twenty 二十 to twenty 二十-five miles on that day, without mole‧station 痣‧站, but were at length joined by three natives, one of whom left them, under the pretence of going to pro‧cure 促成 water, while the other two lighted a fire, and began to roast 烤 some corn, of which they all partook equally. In the mean‧time 其时, the native who had been absent 缺席的 returned, bringing with him seven 七 others.

The captain, being anxious 焦急的 to make the most of his time, determined to proceed 继续, although the day was fast declining 下降. But, in order to relieve 解除 themselves from the weight of their bags 袋 of clothes which they had each brought with them, they entrusted 委托 them to the care of the natives who followed. On arriving at the bottom of a steep 陡峭的 hill, where there was a picturesque 如画 valley, they all halted 停 for the night, and soon made a capital fire. As might have been expected, the curiosity 好奇心 of the natives, to say nothing of their treacherous 奸诈 disposition 性格, could not with‧stand 经受 the temptation 诱惑 of looking into the bags they had carried, to examine their contents. This was resisted 抵抗 by the captain, who was rather a hasty 匆 man; a scuffle ensued 接踵而至, and thus the opportunity the natives sought for was at once afforded them.

Their intentions might have been foreseen the moment the man left the party, ostensibly 表面上 to look for water, but in reality 现实 to look for assistance 帮助. And although a natural 自然 dread 恐惧 of the white man had hitherto 迄今 prevented them from openly commencing 开始 their attack—waiting, probably, for a more favourable opportunity at night‧fall 夜‧落下—a quarrel 争吵 having once arisen arise, however trifling 琐事, their savage 野蛮人 blood was roused 唤醒, and all their bad feelings awakened 憬. They immediately rose in a body, and made a general discharge 卸货 of their spears 矛 at the two unhappy 不快乐 white men. The captain faced them boldly, and soon received several severe wounds 创伤 in front, and at last tried to save himself by flight 飞行. But, wounded as he was, they soon overtook him, and struck him down, it is to be hoped, quite dead, although even that does not appear certain.

The mate, on the other hand, who stood sideways 侧身 to receive the discharge 卸货 of spears 矛, presenting a narrower surface than in front, was wounded with two spears 矛 in the right arm, and one in the neighbourhood of the right eye, and, having picked up one of them, made a furious 狂怒 charge at those who were nearest to him, and killed two of the savages 野蛮人 on the spot. Numbers, however, necessarily prevailed 战胜 over the most desperate 殊死 courage 勇气, and he was at last struck down by a heavy blow of a club over the head, and, being sense‧less 感觉‧少, was considered dead. They now dragged him towards the fire, as he after‧ward 之后 found, and must have struck him several heavy blows upon different parts of the body. On coming to himself again, he found that he was stripped of all his clothes, lying naked 裸 upon the sand, and so exhausted 排气 that he could neither speak nor move. Gradually, however, becoming sensible 明智 of his help‧less 无助 situation, he looked around him, from time to time, unobserved; and, at length, to his great horror 恐怖, discovered the body of his unfortunate 不幸的 captain lying by the side of the fire, and several natives standing around it, some of whom were busy cutting off slices 片 from the fleshy parts of the body, while others roasted them in the fire, with all the appearance of anxious 焦急的 longing for the feast 盛会!

Can any situation be conceived 构想 more horrible 可怕 at this moment than that of the unfortunate 不幸的 wounded man? If he betrayed 背叛 symptoms 症状 of life, he was sure to be beaten beat with heavy clubs to death; if he lay quiet, to all appearance life‧less 生活‧少, it was far from improbable 难以置信 that, when they should have become satiated with the flesh 肉 of his companion 同伴, they might be ready to commence 开始 their butchery upon himself. Who can picture to himself without horror 恐怖 the dreadful 可怕 moments which lingered 萦绕 as they passed, and seemed end‧less 无穷 in the anxiety of suspense 悬念! There the poor fellow lay, in speech‧less 演说‧少 agony 痛苦, the fated witness of barbarity the most revolting 反叛.

At length, having gorged 峡谷 themselves with that horrible 可怕 repast in the peculiar manner which those who have ever seen the hungry 饥饿 savage 野蛮人 at his meal 餐 can never forget, they fell asleep 睡着的 round the fire, under the full oppression 压迫 of repletion. The poor mate, perceiving 认为 this, made a desperate 殊死 effort to rouse 唤醒 himself from his death-like dreaminess, and try to fly from his impending 即将发生 fate, he knew not how or whither. He could not stand, he could not walk, and almost feinted with the effort; yet he crawled 爬行 on hands and knees towards the neighbouring bush 灌木 or thicket, and there contrived 图谋 to hide himself.

He lay concealed 隐藏, in helplessness, until the following day, when he was discovered by the rest‧less 不安 eye of the suspicious 可疑的 savage 野蛮人. He asked, by signs, for water; but not only was that refused to him, but he was given to understand, without difficulty, that they looked forward to the pleasure of eating him for their evening meal 餐 with particular satisfaction 满足; and a sort of rude 粗鲁的 table was pointed out to him, upon which they intended to cut him up for their repast, according to their most approved fashion. After this, they left him alone in his misery 痛苦. It should be mentioned, that when they refused him drink, they did give him a little food, which they forced him to eat, and—horrible 可怕 to think of!—it was not improbably 难以置信 a part of his murdered companion 同伴, upon which they had regaled themselves the evening before.

As night approached, the man, finding himself some‧what 有些 recovered 恢复 from the shock of his wounds, made another desperate 殊死 effort to escape. He could now walk; and slowly and cautiously 小心的 he pursued 追求 his way, tracing 跟踪 back his course with the almost unerring instinct 直觉 which the resolution 解析度 of despair 绝望 awakens 憬. The darkness 黑暗 of the night favoured him; and, by sometimes diving 潜水 into the wood for concealment, sometimes resting in the darkest part of the thicket to collect his failing strength, and then again boldly urging on his course along the more open beach 海滩 by the sea-side, he at length eluded 躲避 all his pursuers. They had followed him, for some distance, in vain 徒劳的; and he safely reached, on the following day, the schooner he had left, completely exhausted 排气 and help‧less 无助.

Here he found that, even during his short absence 缺席, death had done its work among his messmates on board. Finding that there was no hope of pro‧cure 促成 relief on shore, another attempt was made to get the boat over the bar—and with success. In this the chief mate, with two other men, embarked 从事, in the hope of being able to make their passage along the coast of Delagoa Bay. The attempt fortunately 侥幸的 succeeded; and, at the end of five days, a large boat was descried approaching the wreck 破坏；使遇难, which had been hired by their comrades 同志 from the Portuguese authorities 权威 for two hundred 百 dollars, for the purpose of bringing them off. But their troubles were not yet destined 注定 to end. A heavy sea still continued to beat upon the bar, creating such a surf 冲浪 that they were compelled 迫使 to wait at least four‧teen 十四 days more before they could leave the schooner. Happily, they were at length able to embark 从事; and, carrying with them the most port‧able 手提 articles of value they could stow away, they ultimately 最终 succeeded in reaching Delagoa Bay.

It has more than once been suspected that some of the tribes on the eastern 3 coast of Africa were cannibals, under certain circumstances 环境: but others again, and Captain Owen among the number, have declared that, "on inquiry 调查, even their greatest enemies acquitted 开释 them of the suspicion 怀疑." There does not, however, appear to be any well-grounded reason for calling in question the truth of the statement 声明 made by this unfortunate 不幸的 man, Reid. His tale 故事，不实之词 was told to Captain Hall with every appearance of truth; and, although it might be suggested that the man was not unlikely 不会 to have been in a state of dreamy delirium, after the wounds and blows he had received upon the head, and might have been led by fear to imagine what he pictured to himself to be true, still this is a very unsatisfactory 不满意 answer to a simple tale 故事，不实之词 of facts, artlessly told, and without any object to be gained by inventing 发明 a case of horror 恐怖. Besides which, he could hardly have found his way back to the schooner without assistance 帮助, had he not perfectly recovered 恢复 his senses before he started.

Two of the unfortunate 不幸的 men entered as able seamen on board the Nemesis, with liberty 自由 to be discharged 卸货 when they pleased, and continued on board until she arrived at Singapore; but the second mate preferred waiting for any American vessel that might touch at the settlement 沉降.

It may seem that I have dwelt long upon the subjects of interest connected with the stay of the Nemesis at Delagoa Bay; but, in reality 现实, it is a part of the coast of Africa little known to the general reader, and as the vessel was detained 扣留 there for a consider‧able 大量 time, many objects of interest were noticed and remembered. I have before mentioned that the Portuguese have been very far from advancing the civilization 文明 of the natives. There is certainly no love for each other between them; and the debasing influences of the slave-trade seem universally 普遍的 to poison 毒药 the heart, and destroy all the sympathies 同情 of our nature.

One poor native woman was discovered who spoke English tolerably well, and was found to have been extremely useful 有用 as interpreter to all the English and American vessels, whalers, and others, which touched there for supplies. For what particular reason does not appear, but this woman had been strictly forbidden 禁止:forbid by the governor to go on board the Nemesis, under pain of the severest punishment 惩罚; indeed, she had been kept in close confinement 坐月子 nearly ever since the arrival 到达 of the vessel. But, at length, when an American whaler 鲸 came into the bay, she was allowed to visit that ship as usual. There was something peculiarly art‧less 艺术‧少 and good-natured about the poor woman's manner, and she expressed a particular wish to be allowed to see some person from the English ship. Word was accordingly 于是 brought from the American captain to that effect.

Her tale 故事，不实之词 was a remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的 one, and told with consider‧able 大量 intelligence 情报. She expressed her attachment 附件 to the English in strong terms, enumerated the various kindnesses 善良 she had received from them, inquired 打听 after particular ships and individuals, and seemed to remember almost every trifling 琐事 incident 事件 that had occurred 发生. She was greatly afraid of being punished 处罚 by the governor for having dared 敢 to talk to the English, but could assign 分配 no particular grounds for the harsh 苛刻 treatment 治疗 she received. It was, however, shrewdly 精明 suspected that it arose from fear that she might furnish information about the slave-trade, and that, in fact, her remarks might already have been very useful 有用 to the English cruisers, and, consequently 所以, injurious to the Portuguese dealers. It has been before stated that the governor himself was not free from the suspicion 怀疑 of countenancing 面容 the traffic 交通; and, taking all the circumstances 环境 together, it became pretty evident 明显 that this poor woman's treatment 治疗 was only one of the links 链接 in the chain of turpitude forged 锻造 out of the iron rod 杆 of slavery 奴隶制度.

For the first time since the arrival 到达 of the Nemesis, some of her officers were now able to leave the ship for a day, and make an interesting excursion 短途旅行 up the river. They started early in the morning, accompanied 陪 by a Portuguese merchant and his servant 仆人. It being now the least unhealthy 不良 season of the year, there was little or no danger to be apprehended 拘押 from sickness 疾病, particularly as it was not their intention to remain out at night.

It has already been noticed that the English River, is, in fact, formed by the united waters of three rivers, at the distance of only five or six miles from the fort 堡, the largest being the Temby, to the south‧ward 南方‧病房, and the smallest the Dundas, to the west‧ward 向西, while the Mattoll runs up towards the north‧ward 北方. The Dundas was the one chosen choose on the present excursion 短途旅行, as there was good expectation 期望 of finding large herds 放牧 of hippopotami upon its banks, and perhaps other wild animals, which would furnish a capital day's sport. The banks of the river were low, and the stream sluggish 迟缓, and on all sides abundance 丰富 of man‧grove 男人‧树林 shrubs 灌木 and bushes, sufficient 足够 of themselves to indicate 表明 that the country must frequently be flooded 洪水. Birds of various kinds, particularly such as feed upon small fish and worms 虫, were seen in great numbers, curlews and crows 乌鸦, and occasionally 4 a pelican, with wild geese and pigeons 鸽子, and now and then birds of more beautiful 美丽 plum‧age 李子‧年龄.

As the boat ascended 登, four wild buffaloes 水牛 were seen at a distance, and a beautiful 美丽 zebra was descried, galloping 驰骋 away from the river-side. But the most striking objects were the numerous 很多的 hippopotami, in the midst 中间 of whose favourite haunts 出没 they now found themselves. A more curious or exciting scene can scarcely be imagined; and when it was resolved 解决 to continue the ascent 上升, in the hope of having some fine sport, the Portuguese merchant was so alarmed 警告, that he very humbly 谦逊的 requested that he might be left behind. The strange animals opened their huge 巨大 mouths, and bellowed 怒吼 forth a sound something like the roar 咆哮 of an ox 牛 in concert 音乐会 with the grunt 咕噜 of a wild boar 公猪, with a little accompaniment 伴奏 of the braying of an ass. They did not at first seem frightened 使惊恐, but shewed their formidable 强大-looking teeth, as if they had some right to frighten 使惊恐 others. Hundreds of them started up at different times, some rising from the shallow 浅的 mud 泥 in which they had been lying, and hastening 加速 off with a quick, heavy tread 踏; others, again, just raising their heads up from the deeper parts of the river, and diving again like porpoises. Several of them were fired at and wounded, upon which they dived 潜水 instantly out of sight, without rising again. Indeed, they are hardly ever killed in such a way as to be taken on the spot at once; but, dying under water, the car‧case 汽车‧盒子；案件；例子 of course rises to the surface after two or three days, and is then taken possession 所有物 of by the natives. Their flesh 肉 is eaten with great avidity in times of scar‧city 缺乏; but, generally speaking, they are more valued for the beautiful 美丽 ivory 象牙 of their teeth, which are collected and bartered for various articles of European manufacture.

Several natives were seen paddling 桨 about the river in their little canoes 独木舟, apparently without any fear of the hippopotami, and one party of them was spoken speak to, and appeared harm‧less 无害 and contented; but their invitation 邀请 to land and look at the country was not accepted, as there was little time to spare 节省；多余的；备用件, and their treacherous 奸诈 character was sufficiently 充分地 known to make it imprudent to divide a small party into still smaller ones. They, however, explained very intelligibly the mode in which they contrived 图谋 to kill the hippopotami—viz., sometimes by making a regular charge at some of them, singled out on purpose, with their spears 矛. To effect this, they go in large numbers together, but the expedition 远征 is attended with consider‧able 大量 danger, and rarely 很少；不常见；难得 resorted to, except in times of dearth. A more common method 方法 is to lay traps 陷阱；诱骗 of various kinds for them, either upon the banks of the river itself 本身, or among the neighbouring trees, a party being constantly 总是；经常地，不断地 at hand, in concealment, to despatch them at the last moment.

The whole distance ascended 登, from the junction 连接点 of the Dundas with the English River was about seven 七 or eight 八 miles, when the water became so shallow 浅的 that the boats could scarcely proceed 继续. Towards evening, therefore, they again descended with the ebb 落潮- tide 潮汐, having the full light of the moon to guide them down to their ship, after a laborious but very agree‧able 合适的 day, which fully 充分 repaid them by the interesting objects which presented themselves to their notice.

Their last day had now arrived; and, with a view to shew them every possible attention, as well as to conciliate their good offices, the governor invited Captain Hall and his officers to a grand 宏大的 entertainment 娱乐, on which occasion all the delicacies 美味 of the African coast had been sought out to do honour to the guests, and nothing was omitted 省略 which could contribute 有助于 to the novelty 新奇 and perfection 完美 of the entertainment 娱乐.

The exterior 外观 of the governor's residence 住宅 was something like a good-sized English cottage 小屋, consisting 组成 of only one floor, as is commonly the case in hot countries, and having two white pillars 支柱 in front, which supported a portion of the roof, serving at the same time for a verandah. It was ornamented with green branches for the occasion, affording a very necessary protection from the glare 强光 of the sun, which was still high and powerful 强大. There were several other smaller cottages 小屋 disposed 部署 around it, something in the form of a square, but not a single tree or other relieving object to soften 软的:soft the burning reflection 反映 from the deep sand which formed the site of the fort 堡 and of the governor's residence 住宅.

The dinner went off with great éclat, and no little amusement 娱乐 at the original 原版的 attempts of the black waiters 侍者 (of course slaves) to vie 争夺 with European refinement 精致. Towards evening, when tea 茶水 had at length been handed round, the entertainment 娱乐 was concluded 得出结论 with, "for the last time of performance," a dance of the native women belonging to the neighbouring village. The whole affair lasted for about an hour, when, glad 高兴的 to escape the heat and noise 噪音, the officers returned to their ship.

Little further remains to be said of Delagoa Bay, though many interesting facts might have been elicited 引出 in relation to the slave-trade, had the Nemesis remained there longer. It appears very evident 明显 that formerly the trade was carried on with greater atrocity 暴行 than at present, but enough is still known respecting it to make us look upon the natives themselves as the worst abettors of the traffic 交通. The passions of the savage 野蛮人 chiefs seem only to be withheld for a moment, not sup‧press 压制, by the difficulty of pro‧cure 促成 slaves; and when they can neither find enemies to seize 抓住, nor culprits 罪魁祸首 to condemn 谴责, they sometimes send a sort of marauding expedition 远征 to seize by treachery their own people, and sell them into slavery 3. It is stated by Captain Owen, that, within even a few years, under a former command‧ant 命令‧蚂蚁, some of the chiefs had been persuaded 说服 to sell their harm‧less 无害 subjects for so trifling 琐事 a sum 和 as a dollar and a half each, or about seven 七 shillings 一毛钱, to be paid, not in money, but in merchandize of trifling 琐事 value, and that several cargoes 货物 had been obtained 获得 in this way for the Brazilian market.

If we look for the most thriving 兴旺 mart for slaves upon the east coast of Africa at the present time, we shall find it at the river Quillimane, a little more than five hundred 百 miles to the north of Delagoa Bay. It lies about midway 中途 between that settlement 沉降 and Mozambique. There the slaves are purchased 采购 for coarse 粗鄙的 cloth 布, gun‧powder 枪‧粉, beads 珠子, cutlery, & 功放;c.; and the "arrival 到达 of one of the little traders 商人, with his pedler-kind of stock, among one of the native tribes in the interior 室内, becomes the signal for general war‧fare 战, in which the weak become the victims 受害者 of the strong." A few years ago, no less than five thou‧sand 千 slaves were annually 每年 exported 出口, from this mart alone, to Rio Janeiro.

It is indeed astonishing that a place so unhealthy 不良 in itself 本身 as Quillimane should be able to keep up its constant 不变 supply of human export 出口. The soil and the very air are no less pestilential than the traffic 交通 which debases it; but the effects of the demand are felt far and wide, and, hundreds 百 of miles in the interior 室内, the slave hunt, as it may be called, is carried on; and the ramifications 分枝 of this odious traffic 交通 spread themselves like the branches of the upas-tree, not merely poisoning 毒药 all within its shade 遮阳；阴, but becoming more and more infectious 传染病 as it branches out further from the root.

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CHAPTER VII.

All preparations 制备 being at length completed, on the morning of the 17th of August, just twenty 二十 days after having so providentially succeeded in reaching her port 港口 of refuge 避难所, the Nemesis was once more ready to continue her voyage.

On the 22nd August, she passed near the group of Rocky Islands, called Bassa da India, which are situated 位于 nearly in the middle of the channel 渠道, and pursued 追求 her voyage under sail. Of course, her progress was slow against an adverse 不利的 wind, and no little anxiety was felt by her captain, on account of the uncertainty 不确定 of the compasses 罗盘, and their discrepancy 差异 with each other. She arrived, however, safely at Mozambique on the afternoon of the 31st, without having had occasion to use her engines, except just to carry her into the anchor‧age 锚‧年龄.

As she passed through the outer roads, she communicated 通信 with H.M. brig Acorn, Captain Adams, which was on the look-out for two slavers daily expected to arrive for cargoes 货物; and, the better to entrap them, she had hoisted 提升 a sort of decoy- flag 旗；石地板 at her main, which she had already taken from one of the same description. While a short visit was being paid on board, a pilot 飞行员 had come off from the shore, to conduct 进行 the Nemesis into the inner 里面的 harbour, where she was soon brought to within a quarter of a mile of the town. Little time, however, could be spared for the visit, but there was still some necessary work to be done on board, which could not be completed until the following day.

As the errors 错误 of the compasses 罗盘 have been alluded 暗示 to above, and seem to have occasioned very great anxiety upon this passage, it may be well to make some remarks about them again in this place. It will be remembered, that before leaving Liverpool a long series 系列 of experiments had been made, which were intended to provide means of counter‧act 抵消 the local action of the iron of the ship's hull 船壳 upon the compasses 罗盘. But no worse place can be imagined than a crowded dock 码头 for the purpose of carrying on experiments of such nicety. Disturbing causes were continually 不断 operating, and the accident she met with on her way to Portsmouth proved that the correctness 正确性 of the compasses 罗盘 was very far from being satisfactory. The experiments which were after‧ward 之后 made at Portsmouth were also very doubtful 疑 in their result, in all probability 可能性 owing, as before explained, to the absence 缺席 of the boxes of chain or broken iron, which are always used by Professor 教授 Airy. It may readily be imagined that the utmost 极 anxiety was always felt on board the vessel on this account, particularly when near the land; and many a long and anxious 3 night has been spent spend on deck 甲板, with frequently a leadsman upon each of the paddle 桨-boxes, to take soundings, and one in the bowsprit besides.

The large magnets 磁铁, as originally 本来 placed in their positions, have never been moved, neither has the compass 罗盘 been changed in the slightest degree. But although they have greatly modified 修改 the errors 错误, they have by no means sufficed 满足 to correct them. It has been always found the safest course not to put faith in the compasses 罗盘 at all; or rather, in this instance 例, observation 意见 showed that a compass 罗盘, suspended 暂停 in a box from a cross spar 温泉, at the height of ten 十 or twelve 十二 feet above the head of the man at the helm 舵, acted with much more accuracy 准确性 than any other, and it was always the most relied 依靠 on whenever it could be used.

It is scarcely to be doubted that the vessel has often made a longer passage than she would have done had the compasses 罗盘 been correct; for, in bad weather, when observations 意见 of the celestial 天上 bodies could not be taken, she could scarcely have avoided making many errors 错误 in her course. But now‧here 无处 were these difficulties felt more anxiously than in this passage through the Mozambique Channel 渠道, where land could never be very far distant. The necessity for a constant 不变 good look-out, and for two or even three men in the chains, produced anxiety and fatigue 疲劳 in itself 本身; while it was also necessary for the officers to have the advantage of taking the altitudes 高度 of the stars, whenever the night was clear enough, not only once, but many times during the night. The compasses 罗盘 not only differed 不同 from the true points, but differed 不同 also from each other; and particularly in the Mozambique Channel 渠道, it was observed that they differed 不同 more than elsewhere, without being influenced however by the rapid atmospheric 大气的 changes which prevailed 战胜. The more the ship's course was directed towards the true pole 极, the less was the error 错误 of the compass 罗盘; but gradually, as her course was changed towards the east or west, so did the errors 错误 and discrepancies 差异 of the compasses 罗盘 increase.

It is satisfactory to know that the same degree of difficulty was not experienced on board the other iron steamers 汽船 which were sent out after‧ward 之后; and as the Nemesis was the first of her class that ever made the voyage, it is right here to record the difficulties she encountered 遭遇 under this head. Many an anxious watch has been spent on deck 甲板, trying to catch the altitude 高度 of particular stars as they emerged 出现, for a moment, from the dense 稠密 clouds or haze 阴霾; and much of this kind of labour, so frequently repeated, would have been saved had her compasses 罗盘 been trust‧worthy 可靠.[9]

It is now time to return to the anchor‧age 锚‧年龄 at Mozambique, where we left the Nemesis. Of course as she passed the principal 主要 Portuguese fort 堡, she fired a salute 礼炮, which was returned, and immediately became the signal to the whole town that something uncommon 罕见 was to be expected. The arrival 到达 of a large steamer was soon made known in every direction, and not only became a source 资源 of curiosity 好奇心 to all, but an object of great alarm 4 to many. The first impression 印象 was that she was sent purposely to put an end to the slave-trade at that place, and the consternation became general; for the governor, of whom more will presently be said, at once encouraged this opinion, which he felt would strengthen his power, as it did his determination 决心, which was proved to be perfectly sincere 真诚的, to do his utmost 极 to stop the trade. Those most interested in the traffic 交通 had already begun openly to defy 违抗 his power, and had not hesitated 犹豫 to declare to him that they would still carry it on in some of the shallow 3 rivers, where vessels of war could not approach them. But the sight of a large steamer, running along close in shore, almost as if she were a small boat, drawing at the same time only five feet and a half of water, at once damped their ardour. They never could have dreamed that a large heavily 5-armed vessel could move wherever 随地 she pleased through their smallest streams; and their alarm 5 was proportioned 比例 to their surprise.

Shortly before this, there had been so strong a disposition 性格 to resist 抵抗 the governor's power, that it had amounted almost to a rebellion 暴动; and his Excellency, though a bold 胆大的；醒目的 man, and the first governor of the Portuguese possessions 所有物 on that coast, who had come with the honest determination 决心 to stop the trade at all hazards 冒险, felt himself in a very awkward 难堪 position. He, however, felt himself strong enough to take extreme measures, the moment he saw the steamer so close to the town. He after‧ward 之后 admitted that her arrival 到达 was most opportune, and so pleased was he, at the same time, that he turned at once upon the slave-dealers; even that very day he seized 抓住 two large slavers, condemned 谴责 them at once, and publicly sold sell them by auction 拍卖 before the day was over. Such vigorous 蓬勃 measures had been quite unknown 未知 under any former governor, and at once proved, both to the Portuguese and to the world, that his professions were real, and that he meant to keep his word. He had before this taken strong measures against the dealers in slaves, but this bold 3 step was the finishing stroke 一击;轻抚 of his policy, and at once filled all parties with dismay 沮丧. In fact, trade of all kinds was stagnant 滞 for the moment, in consequence 后果 of the measures adopted; and large heaps 堆 of valuable ivory 象牙 were lying there use‧less 无用, in consequence 后果 of the impossibility 不可能的事, or, at all events, extreme hazard 冒险, of sending the usual slave-ships to sea, which would convey 传达 it to a market.

The governor is a brigadier-general in the Portuguese service, by name Joachim Pereira Morinho, and had formerly served under the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsula. He had not been long on the coast; but, as he had come with a full determination 决心 to destroy the slave-trade, or, at all events, to do his utmost 极 towards it, he had already been long enough there to gain the ill 生病-will of all the Portuguese residents 居民. Indeed, he did not live altogether in security 安全 from violence, arising from the vindictive feelings of those interested in the traffic 交通; and he had, therefore, requested Captain Adams, in the Acorn, to remain there as long as he could, to afford him protection; and had also detained 扣留 a small brig-of-war, belonging to his own country, named the Villa Flora, to over‧awe 之上‧威严 the sea-faring 票价 part of the population.

The governor seemed to entertain the best feelings towards the English generally, with whom he had associated 关联 a good deal, and particularly inquired what assistance 帮助 he could give to the Nemesis. As fuel 汽油 and vegetables were, of course, most in request, they were mentioned. He appeared quite pleased to have it in his power to furnish something that would be of use to her; and, to the gratification of every one, a large boat came off to the ship early in the morning, bringing a fat ox 牛, four sheep 羊, a large pig 猪, and some vegetables and fruit; besides which, there was also a large country boat, full of wood, containing eight 八 thou‧sand 千 pieces. In addition 加成 to these very hand‧some 英俊 presents, he also proposed to fill up the ship's water free of expense. This was accompanied 陪 by a note, in Portuguese, from the secretary-general of the province 省, Don Antonio Julio di Castro Pinto, of high degree and higher-sounding name, who was charged by his Excellency to offer the good things above-mentioned, "as a mark of his good-will, and of his sense of the service which the visit of the Nemesis would render 给予 to the cause of anti 抗-slavery, and, at the same time, as a trifling 琐事 present to a brother in arms from an old soldier, grown grey 灰色:gray in the service of his country, both at home and abroad 到国外."

Nothing could have been more accept‧able 接受, and, through the active assistance 帮助 which the Nemesis received, she was enabled 启用 to proceed 继续 on her voyage, after little more than a day's delay 延迟. As an acknowledgment 承认 of his Excellency's attention, a trifling 琐事 present of some capital hollands, preserved salmon 三文鱼, and English pickles 泡菜, were sent to him, which were very great luxuries 豪华 in that part of the world, and appeared to be duly 适时地 appreciated 欣赏. His Excellency had never before seen a steamer in those parts; and, the better to acknowledge 确认 his good-nature, and increase the sensation 感觉 her arrival 到达 had produced on shore, he was invited by Captain Hall, to come on board to look at the ship, and to par‧take 平价‧拿 of such refreshment 爽快 as she had to offer. This was, accordingly 于是, a grand day for all parties, and the 1st of September, 1840, will, on many accounts, be long remembered at Mozambique.

His Excellency came on board in his state-barge 驳船, attended by all his suite 套房, in full uniform 制服, under a salute 礼炮 from the batteries 电池 and the Portuguese brig-of-war, while crowds of spectators 观众 stood upon every point on shore, whence a good view could be obtained 获得. The deck 甲板 of the Nemesis, though rather crowded with visitors 访问者, presented a gay 快乐的 appearance, from the variety of uniforms 制服 and foreign orders, which all those who were entitled 使有资格，允许 to them, not few in number, displayed 显示 upon the occasion.

Sufficient 足够 time having been spent in viewing the ship and inspecting 检查 the machinery, which few of them had ever seen before, the whole party sat sit down to a grand déjeûner à la fourchette. Now, it may seem that a trifling 琐事 incident 事件 of this sort could have no possible connexion with the suppression 抑制 of the slave-trade; and, moreover, this latter question has been more frequently discussed at tea-drinking parties among benevolent ladies, than at champagne 香槟酒 luncheons 午餐 among the redoubtable sons of Mars. Yet the impression 印象 which a thing makes is often of more consequence 后果 than might otherwise be anticipated 预期 from the trifling 琐事 nature of the thing itself 本身.

The healths of the Queens of England and of Portugal were drank drink with three times three, followed immediately by a salute 礼炮 of twenty 二十-one guns, both from the steamer and the Portuguese brig. The effect of this upon the inhabitants 居民 was by no means unimportant 不重要; it impressed them more than ever with the conviction 定罪, that the governments of the two countries were perfectly united in their determination 决心 to sup‧press 压制 the slave-trade; and the sound of the royal salutes 礼炮 ringing in their ears, completely put an end, for the moment certainly, to all their inclinations 倾角 to resist 抵抗 the governor's authority 权威.

In proof 证明 of his determination 决心 to do his utmost 极 to sup‧press 压制 the slave-trade, General Morinho had already ordered one of the deputy 副-governors to be brought up to Mozambique, to be tried by court-martial 武 for disobedience of orders, in permitting the trade under his own eyes; and, it has already been mentioned, that, from the information which was given by the Nemesis, of the slave-brig at Delagoa Bay, lying under the very guns of the fort 堡, the governor of that settlement 沉降 was also to be sent for.

That no attention might be omitted, after the great kindness 善良 his Excellency had shown to all on board, he and his party were steamed some way up the river, to show them the capabilities of the vessel; thou‧sand 千 of boats crowded round her in all directions, while the house-tops, the fort 堡, the beach 海滩, and all the ships in port 港口, were covered with people anxious to see the greatest novelty 新奇 the place had ever been witness to—the first steamer, moving with rapidity about their fine harbour, and in whatever direction she pleased.

A few words may not be out of place concerning the position of Mozambique, and its eligibility 合格 as a place of call for fuel 汽油, should steamers 汽船 be sent more frequently by that route 路线 to India. The following description of the harbour, taken from Captain Owen's narrative 叙述 of his surveys 调查 on that coast, will be found perfectly correct. "It is formed by a deep inlet 进口 of the sea, five and a half miles broad and six long, receiving the waters of three inconsiderable rivers at its head. At the entrance are three small islands, which, together with reefs 礁 and shoals, render 给予 the anchor‧age 锚‧年龄 perfectly safe in the worst weather. Of these islands, that of Mozambique, on which stands the city, is completely formed of coral 珊瑚, very low and narrow, and scarcely one mile and a half in length. It is situated 位于 nearly in the centre of the inlet 进口, and just within the line of the two points that form its extremities. The other two islands, called St. George and St. Jago, lie about three miles outside of Mozambique, but close to each other. They are uninhabited, although covered with rich verdure and trees, but upon a coral 珊瑚 foundation 基础."

Mozambique was taken from the Arabs by the Portuguese, at the very commencement 开始 of the sixteenth century; and the extent of the fort 堡 of St. Sebastian, built there by them, and which, even now, might be rendered 给予 a very strong fortification, cap‧able 能 of mounting 增加 nearly a hundred 百 guns, if in proper repair, will be sufficient 足够 to show the great importance which they attributed to it, even in that early period of its settlement 沉降. It still contains large bar‧rack 营房 and extensive quarters and storehouses, but only a very small and feeble 微弱 garrison 驻军, of scarcely more than a couple of hundred 百 men, either black or creole sepoys. There are like‧wise 同样 two other smaller forts 堡 upon the island, which may therefore be considered strongly fortified 强化, although more indebted 感激的 to the past than to the present, for the importance, which, at first view, it appears to possess.

The public buildings of Mozambique all bespeak the value of the settlement 沉降 to its possessors, in the days of Portuguese maritime 海上 distinction 区别. The governor's palace 宫 must have been, in its best days, a residence 住宅 worthy 值得 of an influential 有影响的 ruler. It is built of stone, is of consider‧able 大量 extent, and has some fine rooms in it; in fact, it speaks much for the importance attached 连接 by the Portuguese, in former times, to their eastern possessions. The large stone wharf, built on hand‧some 英俊 arches 弓形, with the fine Custom 习惯 House, in a sort of square at the extremity of it, clearly point out the ancient commercial value of the settlement 沉降; withered 枯萎 at last, perhaps, more by the paralysing effects of the slave-trade, than by any natural 自然 decrease 减少 in the commercial capabilities of the east coast of Africa.

In short, the city has retrograded into comparative 比较 insignificance; the number of resident 居民 Portuguese has become very inconsiderable, with the exception of some Canareens or creole Portuguese, born bear in other Portuguese possessions in India, and, though commonly called white, only so "by courtesy 礼貌," being often quite as black as the true Indians. Bad government and moral deterioration 恶化 have added not a little to the other causes of its down‧fall 倒台; and it will scarcely be credited 信用, that a distinct 不同 law has been passed, that those who were married should be compelled 迫使 to remain there, or, at least, not return to their own country. The effect of so extra‧ordinary 非凡的 a measure, has been, that nobody is disposed 部署 to get married at all; and, so low a tone 音 of moral feeling has come to prevail 战胜, that the sexes 性别 live together openly, without any matrimonial or moral ties, and with little feeling of shame 羞愧 at the absence of them.

I have dwelt a little upon these particulars concerning Mozambique, because it is the principal 主要 of all the Portuguese settlements 沉降 on that coast; and if, as such, it has fallen so far from its former state, we may judge how the others must now be lingering 萦绕 on between life and death. The fatal 致命 influence of the slave-trade appears to paralyse the whole commercial traffic 交通 of the country; the natives, being reduced to mutual 相互 distrust 怀疑 of each other, and continually 不断 living in fear and poverty 贫穷, are unable 无法 to purchase 采购 the comforts of foreign manufactures. The selling of slaves is almost the only profit of the chiefs, unfitting 不适当 them for every other enterprise 企业, and deadening within them every feeling of honour and every hope of improvement 起色. A universal 普遍的 stagnation seems to hang over the mind of man, as well as over the productions of the earth. Were it not for the industry of the Arab population in the neighbourhood, a periodical 期刊 famine 饥荒 would inevitably 必将 occur 发生. At the present moment, the whole of the Portuguese possessions, along the Rios da Senna, do not supply even enough grain 谷物 for their own consumption 消费. Yet the country is a remarkably fine one, cap‧able 能 of producing luxuriantly all the fruits of the earth, and, were it cleared and cultivated, would become habit‧able 习惯‧能够的 even for Europeans, through the improvement 起色 of its climate 气候; yet, there is much land now neglected 疏忽 and barren 荒芜, which was once highly cultivated.

The slave-trade is, in fact, a worse pestilence to the country than even the fever 发热 itself 本身; and Mozambique, Quillimane, Delagoa Bay, Sofala, and Inhamban, are all fallen to the lowest grade 年级 of civilization 文明. If you ask the simple tale 4 of history, what has been the effect of Portuguese rule upon that coast, you will hear neither of savages 野蛮人 reclaimed 回收, soil improved, commerce extended, justice and mercy 宽容 practised, nor Christianity taught teach. The blight 枯萎病 of slavery has poisoned 毒药 everything on which it rested.

Nevertheless 虽然, as a place of call for refreshment 爽快, for ships passing through the Channel 渠道, Mozambique has some claims to attention. Abundance of vegetables and fruit are to be obtained 获得 there; pigs 猪 and goats are readily to be purchased 采购, as well as poultry 家禽, and, were the demand for bullocks larger, they would soon be brought to market in numbers. At present, however, they are very dear.

But the great treasure 金银财宝 of the place remains yet to be developed; at all events, the subject is well open to investigation 调查. The existence of good coal in that neighbourhood is now, I believe for the first time, made public. There is reason to expect that it will be found in large quantity, and of good quality, although as yet the search for it has not been carried on to any great extent. The all-engrossing subject of the slave-trade seems to darken 变暗 every other object of attention in that quarter, and the Portuguese are probably afraid that the discovery 发现 of coal in their settlements 沉降 would occasion the continual 持续 visits of so many steamers 汽船 and other vessels, that even greater difficulty would be thrown in the way of the traffic 交通.

Just as the Nemesis was leaving the harbour, the captain of an English merchant ship, the only one there at the time, brought off a large piece of excellent coal for inspection 检查. It had all the appearance of coal perfectly adapted for steaming purposes; it was stated to be found at Quillimane, (the settlement 沉降 before alluded 暗示 to) about three hundred 百 miles to the south‧ward 南方‧病房 of Mozambique, and that there is every reason to believe it might be pro‧cure 促成 in large quantities, and worked without difficulty. This specimen 标本 was sent to England for examination 检查, by Captain Hall; but it has since been ascertained 探明 that it did not reach its destination 目的地. This is on all accounts to be regretted. It was sent down to the Cape of Good Hope from Mozambique, in a box, with directions that it should be forwarded to the India House, but was probably lost, or set aside at the Cape.

If further investigation 调查 should prove what is here stated to be correct, there can be no reason for not searching for coal upon other parts of the coast; and under any circumstances 环境, as Quillimane is so short a distance from Mozambique, the coal might easily be brought up to the latter at little expense; and, if it were to become a more frequented route 路线 to India, it would be desirable 合意 to moor 泊 a large coal-hulk off the town, in which a constant 不变 supply of coal could be kept ready, and which could be taken in rapidly, and at little expense, by a steamer running up along‧side 并肩 of her.

But the Portuguese, unfortunately 不幸, seem quite blind, even to their own interests; and they cannot perceive 认为, that if they could work coal-mines, they would employ a large population, circulate 流通 wealth 财产 through‧out 始终 their territory 疆土，领域, and attract 吸引 a consider‧able 大量 and improving commerce to their port 港口. But then their slave-trade would be ruined 破坏: and they are not even wise 明智的；聪明的 enough in their own generation 代 to perceive 认为, that out of its very ashes 灰 would gradually spring up the healthy 健康 and vigorous 蓬勃 plant of commerce, upon an extensive scale, not only with foreign parts, but with the native tribes of Africa. These, however, are now continually 不断 desolated 荒凉 by the scourge of war and slavery. But they would soon learn to value peace and peaceful 平静的 arts, and the taste for new articles of manufacture would grow gradually into wants, and wants in course of time give birth to the wish for luxuries 豪华. Far above all the profits of the traffic 交通 in human beings 蜜蜂, would then become the fruits of whole‧some 全部的‧一些 trade; the country would advance, instead of being driven back; and the welfare 津贴，福利 of the community and of the government be simultaneously 同时 promoted 促进.

New regulations 规 respecting trade would in the first instance 例 be indispensable 不可缺少, as at the present time the commandants or little governors of all the minor 次要 Portuguese settlements 沉降 are themselves allowed to trade, and often are the principal 主要, or in a manner the only, merchants 商人 in the place. This alone must destroy all healthy 健康 competition, the soul of commerce. But, were trade placed upon a proper footing, and coal likely to become an article of demand, it would easily be exported 出口 to the Cape, Mauritius, and up to Aden for the Bombay steamers 汽船, and to numerous other parts, in which the demand for coal is yearly increasing 增加, and likely to become almost unlimited 无限.

I have here rather assumed 承担 that coal will be found in large quantity than proved it; but sufficient 足够 has been said to point out the great probability 可能性 of its existence upon that coast in more places than one, and the question involves such important consequences 后果 that it deserves 应受 the fullest investigation 调查.

It was at one time thought that coal would be found in some one of the Comoro islands before alluded 暗示 to, at the northern 北方的 extremity of the Mozambique Channel 渠道; and the Nemesis was directed, at all events, to touch there on her way, for the purpose of inquiring 打听 into its eligibility 合格 as a depôt, and place of refreshment 爽快 for steamers 汽船.

The distance of the nearest of the Comoro islands, Mohilla, from Mozambique, is scarcely two hundred 百 and fifty 五十 miles; and from thence to Johanna, which is the principal 主要 one, and the place of residence 住宅 of the sultan or ruler of the islands, is about thirty 三十 miles. Johanna lies as near as possible in the middle of the Channel 渠道, between Madagascar and the main‧land 大陆 of Africa, just where it widens 放宽 into the open sea.

The Nemesis took her departure 离开 from Mozambique on the evening of the 1st of September, but did not reach Johanna until the afternoon of the 4th, having made nearly the whole distance under sail only, against a very strong south-westerly current.

The island of Mohilla is, of course, the first seen, and strikes you by its lofty 高远, wooded summit 首脑, and the numerous small islets which surround it to the south‧ward 南方‧病房. The Channel 渠道 between Mohilla and Johanna is picturesque 如画, and the high inland 内陆 mountains every where present a rich and refreshing appearance, being covered with luxuriant wood, and broken occasionally 5 into deep glens, marked by the usual rich tropical 热带 verdure. Johanna is the most frequented of all the islands, and affords the best anchor‧age 锚‧年龄. But it was quite dark before the Nemesis approached the bay, and an occasional 偶然 blue light and a rocket 火箭 were let off, to give notice of her approach, in order that a pilot 飞行员 might come off, or else a signal be made to direct her to the best anchor‧age 锚‧年龄.

A large fire was soon lighted on shore for this purpose; and, no sooner did she come within a moderate distance, than numerous boats came along‧side 并肩; the natives jumped on board, in apparent 清晰可见的；显而易见的；明白易懂的 delight at seeing her come in, not unmixed with extreme surprise at her appearance, and the mode in which she moved through the water. Several of them spoke broken English, and although they were naturally 自然地 delighted at the prospect 展望 of earning a little money, they were even more so at the sight of her armament, and at once concluded 得出结论 that she was sent purposely to assist 帮助；协助；援助 the sultan and the people of the island, who were at that time in great danger and trouble.

Johanna is occasionally frequented by English ships, for provisions 规定, which are there abundant 丰富 and reasonable, and the people have become favourably known in England, in consequence 后果 of their kind treatment 治疗 of numerous poor English seamen, who have from time to time been wrecked on those islands, or on the neighbouring coasts. The great bay, which is on the northern side of the island, is not, however, a very suit‧able 适当 anchor‧age 锚‧年龄, except, perhaps, during the S.W. monsoon. At all times, there is a very heavy surf 冲浪 rolling in shore; and, during the N.E. monsoon, which sets directly into it, the heavy swell 3 renders 给予 the anchor‧age 锚‧年龄 unsafe 不安全. It cannot, therefore, be considered at all eligible 合格 as a coal depôt for steamers 汽船, particularly when Mozambique, which has greater claims to attention, is within such a moderate distance. Still, it is a very useful 有用 place of refuge 避难所 for our whaling 鲸 ships in that part of the world; and, as the inhabitants 居民, as well as the authorities 权威, have always shewn great kindness 善良 to the English, and, in fact, consider themselves almost in the light of allies 联盟；盟友 of England, it would seem politic to keep alive 活的；有生命的 the good feeling they evince toward us.

The inhabitants 居民 of these islands are principally 原则上 of Moorish origin, nearly all Mohammedans, and they wear the turban and loose dress which belong to no part of the neighbouring coast; and a dagger or pistols 手枪 in their girdle are by no means uncommon 罕见. They have a genuine 真正 old English or Arab mode of shaking hands, with a gaiety 快乐 of manner that is very pleasing. Their features 特征 are regular, and well formed, and their complex‧ion 肤色, though dark, is very different from that of the inhabitants 居民, either of the neighbouring continent 大陆, or of the island of Madagascar. In short, it is evident 明显, that they were originally 本来 emigrants from some distant part, probably Arab traders 商人, although their appearance has become modified 修改 in the course of successive 连续 generations 代.

These islanders appear to be rather favourites of the different men-of-war and merchant ships which touch there; though they have acquired 获得 a character for duplicity and cunning 狡猾, and, consequently 所以, for telling falsehoods, which at the same time they smooth over with the most artful flattery. But high testimony 见证 has been often borne bear to their kindness 善良 and hospitality 待客 towards Englishmen in distress 苦难; and, when the Exmouth grounded there several years ago, with a great number of passengers 乘客, on her way home, the Sultan Abdallah, the father of his present highness, particularly distinguished himself, by even attending in person to direct the efforts of his men, who came to assist 帮助；协助；援助 in getting the vessel off. He paid the utmost 极 attention to all the passengers, particularly to the women and children, taking care that they should be provided with every thing he could furnish for their comfort, until they could pursue 追求 their voyage further. Nor is this by any means a solitary 孤 instance 例 of the kind services which they have rendered 给予 to our countrymen.

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CHAPTER VIII.

The present ruler, or sultan, of the Comoro Islands, by name Alloué, is the son of the late sultan Abdallah, before alluded 暗示 to as having been particularly kind to distressed 苦难 Englishmen. He is a young man under thirty 三十, of moderate height, agree‧able 合适的 countenance 面容, and easy, pleasant manners. But his character is not distinguished for energy 能源, and the difficulties with which he has had to con‧tend 抗衡 appear to have been rather beyond his powers. His father, Abdallah, had made a treaty 条约 with Colonel Farquhar, when governor of the Mauritius, by which he undertook to sup‧press 压制, by every means in his power, the extensive trade in slaves which was at that time carried on at the islands which were under his dominion; and he particularly distinguished himself by the zeal 热情 and perfect good faith with which he carried out its provisions 规定. Indeed, to this cause, much of the subsequent 随后的，接着的 difficulties of his family, and the impoverishment of his people, seem to have been attributed.

In the latter days of Abdallah's life, he appears to have met with sad 悲哀的 reverses 反向；倒转; and, judging from the documents 文件 which I have been able to examine, it would seem that his determined resistance 抵抗 to the continuance of the slave-trade raised up enemies against him, not only in his own islands, but in the more powerful 强大 one of Madagascar, and on the coast of Africa itself 本身. It is certain, also, that he was at all times favourably regarded by the government of Bombay, for his services to the Company's ships, and, as an acknowledgment 承认 of his assistance 帮助, a present was sent to him every three years, of a small supply of arms and ammunition 弹药. Abdallah's death was, however, at length brought about, after suffering numerous hard‧ship 苦, by the treacherous 奸诈 and cruel 残酷的 treatment 治疗 of an emissary from Madagascar, or one of the more than half-savage 野蛮人 chiefs of that island, into whose hands he at length fell.

This is not the place to enter at large into the subject of Madagascar history; it will be sufficient 足够 to remark that the present queen of that country is a most cruel and tyrannical sovereign 君主; that she sets little value upon the lives or blood of her subjects, and that she is supposed to have poisoned her predecessor 前任, the late King Radaman; further, that she did not succeed in winning the throne 王座 without sacrificing 牺牲 most of the chiefs who were opposed to her, and that she has since contrived 图谋 to bring under her subject‧ion 主题‧离子 many who were formerly independent 独立 governors, or chiefs, of the territory 疆土，领域 they severally occupied 占据. Those who take an interest in missionary 传教士 enterprises 企业 will also have heard of the dreadful 可怕 cruelties 残酷 she has exercised upon those unhappy 不快乐 men within her territories, most of whom were barbarously put to death, some in her presence, and partly, it is said, by her own hand. Only one or two of them escaped from the island.

It was not unnatural 不自然, under these circumstances 环境, that one or more of the chiefs of the island should have taken refuge 避难所 in the neighbouring islands of Johanna and Mohilla. Accordingly, so long ago as 1828, a chief, called Raymanytek, who had been governor of an important province 省 in Madagascar under the old king, and was said by some to be his brother, came over to Johanna with about one hundred 百 followers 信徒, and represented to Sultan Abdallah, that he had made his escape from his own country, through fear of the queen, who sought his life, (probably he had tried to get possession 所有物 of the chief authority 权威 himself,) and that, as he understood the inhabitants 居民 of the Comoro Islands were allies of the English, as well as himself, he came there to beg 乞讨 for an asylum 避难所. There was something very suspicious 可疑的 in his story; but, nevertheless 虽然, Abdallah received him in a very friendly manner, placing a house and lands at his disposal 处置, and she‧wing 她‧翅膀 him other civilities.

Probably, however, entertaining some mist‧rust 不信任 of his new visitor 访问者, Abdallah sent an envoy 使者 to Bombay to make known the particulars of his arrival 到达, and to ask whether the government would feel satisfied with his residence 住宅 upon the islands under his dominion. He suspected, no doubt, that the new chief might soon become a trouble‧some 麻烦 visitor, and was anxious to endeavour to secure 安全 some further assistance 帮助 from Bombay, should he stand in need of it. It is likely, also, that he wished to obtain 获得 some information respecting the character of Raymanytek.

From Bombay, reference was made to the government of the Mauritius upon the subject, as being better acquainted 认识 with the political state of Madagascar. In the mean‧time 其时, the chief, not content with a residence 住宅 in the neighbourhood of Sultan Abdallah, went to the opposite or southern 南部的 side of the island, where he purchased 采购 a small native vessel, for the evident 明显 purpose of trading in slaves. The little craft 手艺 made several voyages across to the coast of Africa; and, at length, Abdallah remonstrated with him upon the subject, and informed him that if this clandestine trade were not discontinued 中止, he should make him leave the island altogether. To this no reply was made; and still the vessel went across to the coast, bringing back, on one occasion, nearly two hundred 百 slaves. Many of these were probably re-exported 出口 to other parts.

Abdallah here‧upon 在这里‧在…上面 ordered his disobedient visitor immediately to quit 放弃 the island, upon the ground grind that the slave-trade could not be permitted within his territory 疆土，领域, the more particularly as he was bound by treaty 条约 with the English to prevent it in every way he could.

To this summons 召唤 Raymanytek made no other reply than to bring all his followers 信徒 together armed, and, by means of bribery 行贿 and fair promises, to enlist 招募 in his cause some of the poorer inhabitants 居民 in his neighbourhood, and also to arm as many of his negro slaves as he could prevail 战胜 upon, and who appeared trust‧worthy 可靠. Money seemed at all times to be at his command, and he is said to have brought a well-filled purse 钱包 with him when he landed from Madagascar. With the force he had now collected, he made an unexpected 意外 descent 下降 upon the capital of the island, which, being unprepared, was, of course, unable 无法 to resist him. The consternation was general, in addition 加成 to which, his money is believed to have influenced some of the people to remain quiet.

Almost immediately the old Sultan Abdallah was deposed 免职, and his brother Ali took the chief power into his hands. Abdallah, with all the rest of his family, left the island, with the hope of being able to find an opportunity of reaching some English port 港口, where he might represent his case, and ask for assistance 帮助. He reached the island of Comoro in safety 安全; but what became of him after‧ward 之后, until he was ultimately 最终 put to death with extreme barbarity, as before stated, I have hitherto 迄今 not been able to ascertain 探明.

During this short interval 间隔, Raymanytek had been able to get possession 所有物 of the arms belonging to Abdallah, and which I have stated were supplied every two or three years by the government of Bombay, as a recompence for his friendly assistance 帮助 when needed; and, having burnt burn and ruined the greater part of the town, and completely destroyed the crops 农作物 and plantations 种植园 in the neighbourhood, he embarked 从事 on board his little vessel, and, taking with him all that he could conveniently 方便的 carry away of any value, he withdrew to the island of Mohilla, and established 建立 himself there in a position easy of defence; all the subsequent 随后的，接着的 efforts of the rightful authorities 权威 to turn him out were of no avail 果.

This man must have been supplied, by some means or other, with abundance 丰富 of ammunition 弹药; and it is not unlikely 不会 that his speculations 推测 in the slave-trade, by means of his own vessel, may have supplied him not only with money, but also with war‧like 战争‧喜欢；象 weapons and ammunition 弹药. It is well surmised, too, that he received assistance 帮助 direct from Madagascar at various times; and it must not be forgotten that the nine 九 or ten 十 years which elapsed 过去 between the commencement 开始 of these occurrences 发生 and the visit of the Nemesis was a period particularly fraught 误人子弟 with difficulties in relation to the traffic 交通 in slaves, and that it appears primâ facie, highly probable that this marauding rebel 反叛 may have been strongly encouraged, and even aided 助手, in his attempts, by distant parties interested in the traffic 交通. Indeed, unless some assistance 帮助 of this kind had been furnished to him, it is difficult to see how he could so long have found means to maintain 保持 himself.

The sultan applied for assistance 帮助 on several occasions to the government of the Mauritius, of the Cape, and of Bombay. The letter of the young sultan Alloué, after the death of his father, in 1836, addressed to the governor of the Cape of Good Hope, and to the admiral of the station, asking for assistance 帮助, was a really pathetic 可怜 appeal 上诉 to their good feelings. It detailed the horrors 恐怖 of poor old Abdallah's death, and the violent 猛烈 acts of the invader 侵略者; it related the defenceless state in which he found himself on taking the reins 缰绳 into his hands; and then appealed 上诉 to British generosity 慷慨, in return for the faithful 可信 adhesion of his family to Great Britain, and the hospitality 待客 of his people towards all British subjects.

The answer on that occasion was prompt 敏捷的, and worthy 值得 of the cause—namely, "that in consequence 后果 of the difficulties in which the sultan of Johanna was placed, and in consideration 考虑 of the fidelity 保真度 with which the late Sultan Abdallah had fulfilled 履行 his engagements 订婚 for the suppression 抑制 of the slave-trade, and the hospitality 待客 which he had on all occasions shewn to British vessels touching at Johanna, the governor and admiral readily yield to the earnest 热心的 desire of the Sultan Alloué for the aid 援助 of arms and ammunition 弹药, and send an ample 充足 supply thereof 其 to Johanna in one of his majesty 威严's sloops of war," & 功放;c.

With this assistance 帮助, Alloué was once more able to make head for the time against his enemy. But the country still continued in a very unsettled 搞糟 state; and, as the assistance 帮助 was only temporary 临时, he again fell into extreme difficulty, and addressed himself to the governor of the Mauritius upon the subject. Sir William Nicolai, who was governor and commander 命令-in-chief of that island at that time, referred the application to the consideration 考虑 of the home government. But it would seem that some little intrigues 诡计 had sprung up among the sultan's own family, which it is not very easy, and so far very unimportant 不重要, to fathom.

The Sultan Alloué's uncle, Seyd Abbas, had about the same time sent two young men, either his sons or nephews 侄子, to the Mauritius, to report the unhappy 不快乐 state of the island, and to request assistance 帮助 in support of the actual Sultan Alloué. Not long after‧ward 之后 two or three other young men arrived at the Mauritius, also bearing letters from Seyd Abbas to the same purport 旨趣. As this man was thought to be well disposed 部署 towards the English, and had been favourably spoken of by all those who had visited the island, and as, moreover, his object seemed to be the laudable one of trying to support the young sultan's authority 权威, even though without his highness's acknowledged 确认 sanction 制裁, it was judged proper to maintain 保持 all these young men at the public expense, until an opportunity should offer for sending them back again. After the lapse 失误 of some months, a vessel was hired on purpose to carry them back; and it was at the same time distinctly 历历 intimated 亲密 that, "however praise‧worthy 赞扬‧值得 the intentions of Seyd Abbas may have been in sending his own relations from home as political messengers 信使, and however high he may stand personally 亲自 in the respect of Englishmen, it would in future be impossible for British authorities 权威 to maintain 保持 political correspondence 对应 with him or with any other person in Johanna than his highness the sultan of the island." The sultan was further recommended hence‧forth 今后 to give Seyd Abbas a share of his confidence in his councils, in consequence 后果 of his age and experience, and the apparent 4 sincerity 诚意 with which he espoused 拥护 his interest; and, at the same time, the young men were recommended to his notice as very sensible 明智 and well-informed persons. The friendly interest and intentions of the government towards the sultan and people of Johanna were then in general terms expressed; and thus, with kind words and kinder hopes for better days for his subjects, the young sultan was left for the present to take care of himself.

It was only a few months before the arrival 到达 of the Nemesis that some of the events which have been recorded had occurred 发生. The Sultan Alloué was still in extreme danger; and another letter was addressed by him to the governor of the Mauritius, only about five months previously 先前. It appears to have been remarkably well written, and contains some ingenious 巧妙 observations 意见 which, as being written by a young Moorish prince 王子, the ruler of an island in a remote 远程 corner of the globe 地球, under circumstances 环境 of great difficulty, it may be worth while to dwell 住 upon it for a moment.

He thanks his excellency the governor of the Mauritius for the kindness 善良 he had shewn to the young men, whom he admits to be distantly 遥远的 related to him; but shrewdly 精明 remarks that their "clandestine departure 离开 from Johanna, contrary 相反 to his express orders, and during the night, had given him reason to suppose that they were not quite so friendly disposed 部署 towards him as they wished his excellency to believe: and that he feared the object of their journey 旅行 had been a pecuniary speculation 推测 upon the governor's goodness 善良 and British hospitality 待客." He proceeds 继续 to express his thanks for being apprised that persons had entertained political correspondence 对应 with English authorities 权威 without his knowledge or consent 同意; and adds, that, although he fully 充分 concurs 同意 in his excellency's opinion with regard to the age and experience of his uncle, Seyd Abbas, still there are many others in Johanna who possess the same qualities, and whose attachment 附件 and loyalty 忠诚 he had never had occasion to doubt.

The suspicion 怀疑 here betrayed 背叛 is self 自己-evident 明显, and sufficiently 充分地 delicately 微妙的；纤弱的 expressed. The picture he then draws of the state of his country is a pitiable one for a prince 王子 himself to be obliged 责成 to depict 描绘—"The town burnt; the country ravaged 蹂躏; all our cattle killed by the chief, Raymanytek, aided 助手 by natives of Mohilla, under his orders." He distinctly 历历 intimates 亲密 that the rebel 反叛 chief was receiving "assistance 帮助 from the French;" and, although he does not state reasonable grounds for the assertion 断言, the statement 声明 is not altogether an improbable 难以置信 one, considering that the abolition 废除 of slavery in the Mauritius had roused 唤醒 the feeling of the French population against us and our allies: and, moreover, slavery was still in existence in the neighbouring island of Bourbon, where strong feelings against the English had been undisguisedly avowed; while, at the same time, the difficulty of pro‧cure 促成 fresh slaves had greatly raised their price.

Intrigues were thought to have been carried on by the French traders 商人 in Madagascar itself 本身, where they have long attempted to obtain 获得 a footing, but with little success, owing to the deadly nature of the climate 气候. It is, however, perfectly well-known that they are still anxious to strain 压力 every nerve 神经 to establish 建立 themselves in some place east‧ward 东方的 of the Cape, in addition 加成 to the island of Bourbon, where there is no harbour whatever, but merely an open roadstead. They are, moreover, anxious to get some point d'appui whence they may injure 损伤 British trade, in case of war, in that quarter; and, at the same time, by establishing 建立 a little colony of their own, find some means of augmenting 增加 their mercantile marine 海洋.

One of their latest attempts has been at the Isle Madame; and it is perfectly well known that several other efforts have been made, and still more talked about.

If, however, Raymanytek really did receive any foreign assistance 帮助, it is not probable that it was with the knowledge or connivance of the government of Bourbon, but rather from the rest‧less 不安 enterprise 企业 of private individuals interested in the slave trade. However that may be, there seems to be very good grounds for our hoping that the Sultan Alloué may be permitted to remain in the peace‧able 和平‧能够的 possession 3 of his own rightful territories. It is our evident 明显 interest to prevent those fine islands from falling into any other hands, more especially now that the inter‧course 交往 between the West and East, through the Mozambique channel 渠道, is likely to be more extensive than formerly; and that the opening for legitimate 合法 commerce, within the channel 渠道 itself 本身, cannot but attract 吸引 the attention of British merchants. The trade in slaves will become yearly more difficult, and, indeed, nothing would tend more to cause its total down‧fall 倒台 than the gradual extension 伸展, under proper government protection, of the legitimate 合法 trade in British manufactures along that coast.

The young Sultan Alloué further went on to declare in his letter that numbers of his people had been captured 捕获 and taken to Mozambique and Zanzibar, where they were sold into slavery; and that several such cargoes 货物 had already been sent over. He begged 乞讨 ear‧nest 热心的 that assistance 帮助 might speedily 迅速 be sent to him, in arms and ammunition 弹药, and that he particularly stood in need of lead and flints, and a couple of small field-pieces. At the same time, he entreated that some small vessel of war might be sent to his aid 援助; for that such were his difficulties, that, unless speedy 迅速 assistance 帮助 should arrive, he feared that he should be driven to abandon 放弃 the town, and seek 寻求 personally 亲自 an asylum 避难所 in British India. He then appealed 上诉 to the magnanimity of the British government, in the hope that he and his people might not be compelled 迫使 to abandon 放弃 their homes for want of timely assistance 帮助.[10]

Such, then, was the unhappy 不快乐 situation of the beautiful 美丽 little island of Johanna, as described by its own prince 王子, only a few months before the unexpected 意外 visit of the Nemesis. Little change had taken place; the town still held out, but it does not appear that any assistance 帮助 had been sent to it. The very sight of the steamer gladdened the young sultan's heart, and encouraged the people, who stood greatly in need of it; the rebel 反叛 chief being then at only a short distance from the town.

Late as it was, the captain and Lieut. Pedder landed in uniform 制服 to wait upon the sultan at once, as their time was so limited. One of his uncles and his prime 主要 minister received them, and accompanied 陪 them through a few narrow streets, built in the Moorish style 样式, to the sultan's palace 宫. At the entrance were stationed four half-clad 包层的 soldiers, with muskets, as a personal 个人 guard; and, on reaching the reception 招待会 room, the sultan was discovered sitting on a high-backed chair, at the further end of the apartment. He immediately rose and advanced towards them in a very friendly manner, welcoming them to Johanna with a good, hearty 爽朗 shake by the hand. Two chairs were placed on his left, for his guests, while, on his right, sat the governor of the town, and several other of the principal 主要 people, all on the tip 尖；窍门-toe 脚趾 of expectation 期望 for the news from England, the more particularly as they were in some hope that the strange-looking " devil 魔鬼-ship," as they called her, might have brought a letter from the English government, in answer to his application for assistance 帮助.

They were doomed 厄运, however, to be again disappointed 使失望; but the sultan made many inquiries 调查 about the Queen and Prince Albert, and whether an heir 继承者 to the throne 王座 had yet been born, and seemed not a little curious to know if the Thames Tunnel was finished. In short, he appeared to be a very well-bred 养育；繁殖:breed and courteous young man. He alluded 暗示 painfully 痛苦 to the distressed 苦难 state of the island, and to his being surrounded by his enemies under Raymanytek, and begged hard for at least a little powder and shot, with which to endeavour to hold out until better assistance 帮助 could reach him.

As it was already quite late, the interview 访问 did not last long, but promises were made to renew 更新 it on the subsequent 4 day, and a party was arranged for an excursion 短途旅行 outside the town on the following morning. Accordingly, at daylight, the party were again met by the king's uncle on the beach 海滩, who appointed three soldiers to act both as guides and guards. These men appeared quite pleased with the duty assigned 分配 to them, and through‧out 始终 the whole trip did everything in their power to amuse 使人发笑 the party, and to point out to them the objects best worth notice; one man went in search of shells 壳 upon the beach 海滩, another to pro‧cure 促成 fruit, and scarcely a wish was expressed that was not immediately gratified 取悦.

Having ascended 登 the hills on the eastern side of the valley, they were gratified 取悦 by a delightful 愉快 prospect 展望 in every direction. The valley below was rich and cap‧able 能 of high cultivation 教养, but only partially 部分 cleared of wood, and in other parts covered with long grass 草 and low shrubs 灌木, varied 变化 by the numerous wild flowers which were then in blossom 开花. In the rear 后 were high and thickly-wooded mountains, picturesque 如画 in themselves, but shutting 关闭 out the view of the opposite side of the island, while, in the other direction, the eye could trace 跟踪 the long line of picturesque 如画 coast, giving altogether a very favourable impression 印象 of the character of the island, the more particular as some of the timber 木材 is very fine, and calculated for repairing ships.

The town itself 本身 could only be viewed from the top of a higher hill behind it, which was now ascended 登, and its character well made out. Its little white flat-topped houses and turreted walls, with very narrow streets, pointed out its Moorish origin. But there was nothing to render 给予 it otherwise striking.

The whole population appeared to be abroad 到国外, each struggling which should gratify 取悦 his curiosity 好奇心 the quickest, in running down to the beach 海滩 to catch a glimpse 一瞥 of the strange vessel, the like of which none had ever seen before. Boats were seen crowding round her on all sides, and, as she lay there, decked 甲板 out with all her flags, the scene was both animated 活跃 and picturesque 如画.

On descending 下来 the hill, the party were again met by the sultan's uncle, who invited them to break‧fast 早餐 with his highness, and accompanied 陪 them, first to his own house, where they met the sultan himself, and thence to the palace 宫, which was close at hand. But it was still rather an early hour for a reception 招待会, and on entering the palace 宫, it was very evident 明显 that the preparations 制备 had not yet been completed for their arrival 到达. His highness's ladies, the sultana and her companions 同伴, had only just time to make their escape, leaving everything in disorder 混乱, and, in short, break‧fast 早餐 was not quite ready.

His highness was very condescending, but it was clear that his attentions were being divided between two or more objects at the same time, one of which was readily guessed to be the ladies fair, who had so suddenly decamped. But this was not the only one, and, in the little intervals 间隔 between his exits 出口 and his entrances 入口, an opportunity was taken to ask his uncle, who was present, what it was all about. The mystery was solved. His highness was condescending to super‧intend 超‧意欲 the preparation 制备 of the breakfast for his guests, that it might be worthy 值得 of them. The kitchen was on this occasion converted 转变 into the council-chamber 室, and quite as weighty matters there discussed, and certainly with equal warmth 温暖, and probably, too, with the full "ore 矿石 rot‧undo 腐烂‧解开" of hungry 饥饿 eloquence, as are often treated of with greater solemnity in higher conclaves.

The result, indeed, was worthy 值得 of the cause. The breakfast was pronounced 发音 capital, and ample 充足 justice done, after the morning's walk, to the wisdom 智慧 of his highness's deliberations 审议. He himself seemed quite delighted, and his uncle declared to Captain Hall, in his absence, that the young man's greatest pleasure was to contrive 图谋 some new means of gratifying 取悦 the English who came in his way, and that there was nothing he would not con‧descend CON‧下来 to do for them, in his enthusiastic 热情 admiration 钦佩 of the nation. A little of this might be said and done for effect, but there has always been good reason to believe that he was on all occasions a sincere 真诚的, and, in some respects, useful 有用 ally 联盟；盟友.

The same day, a grand entertainment 娱乐 was to be given by some relation of the Sultan's, in his uncle's house, in honour of the performance of the first Mohammedan rite 仪式 upon the young infant 婴儿, his son and heir 继承者, upon the eighth day after its birth. The sultan himself, with his chief minister, accompanied 陪 them to see the festivities 欢宴. On this occasion, the ladies of the court were all found to be in the apartment adjoining 毗 the reception 招待会 room, and only separated from it by a large screen or curtain 窗帘 before the door. Now, according to all the prescribed 规定 rules of civilized life, it may reasonably be supposed that the fair damsels, secluded 隔离 as they usually were, had just as much curiosity 好奇心 to see the lions 狮子 of the day, the English officers in uniform 制服, as the latter had to catch a glimpse 一瞥 of eastern beauty, the more sought the more forbidden. Every now and then you could see the curtain 窗帘 moved gently on one side, and a young lady's head peep 窥视 out; and then another would steal a quiet look on the other side; then again, by pressing against each other, more of them would be seen than they intended, but quite enough to make you wish to see more still. In the mean‧time 其时 his highness had retired, or perhaps they might not have been so bold.

As the gallantry of the sons of Neptune has at all times been famous 著名, so in this instance 例 it innocently 无辜 got the better of their discretion 慎重, and, with an apparently accidental 偶然, though well-premeditated charge at the curtain 3, which was most gallantly pushed on one side, a full view of all the fair ladies was obtained 获得, much more to the apparent 5 horror 恐怖 of the old uncle, who was a spectator 观众 of the achievement 成就, than to that of the fair damsels themselves, who, nevertheless 虽然, quietly retreated 撤退 in some trepidation. The ladies were all very hand‧some 英俊 and gaudily dressed, it being a gala 节日-day, but they were not altogether the most Venus-like of beauties.

But a more curious scene was brought to view on being conducted 进行 to another apartment, where a large and merry 愉快的 party of ladies of less distinguished rank 排列 were amusing themselves with dancing and singing, but certainly without much grace 优雅；惠赐 in the one or melody 旋律 in the other. There was only one good-looking female among the whole assembly 部件, and she appeared to be the queen of beauty, or mistress 情妇 of the feast 盛会, for she was treated with the utmost 极 attention and deference 尊重 by all the rest.

On returning again to the presence of the sultan, refreshments 爽快 were handed round, and, as the weather was hot, a whole train of the female servants 仆人 of the house were ushered 招待员 into the room, each with a fan 扇子, or sort of port‧able 手提 punka, in her hand. They were all very neatly 整洁的 and cleanly dressed, and immediately set their fans 扇子 most dexterously to work, taking their stations behind each person of the party.

In the midst 中间 of this scene the sultan disappeared, followed by his uncle, and, after a few minutes' consultation 会诊, the attendance 勤 of Captain Hall was requested in his highness's private apartment. Something important was evidently 明显地 about to happen, but, before there was much time to conjecture 推测 what it might be, he found himself alone with the sultan. His highness frankly 坦率地说 confessed 供认 the alarm which the strength of the chief named Raymanytek had excited in his mind, that he was even then not far from the town, and that he himself was determined at once to march out against the rebels 反叛, if he could get a sufficient 足够 supply of powder and shot. At the same time he begged that, if necessary, he might have the assistance 帮助 of the steamer to protect his town.

Only one reply could be given, namely, that the visit of the steamer was a mere casual 随便 thing, with a view to ascertain 探明 the nature of the harbour; that the service she was engaged 从事 on would admit of no delay, but that, as long as she was there, which could not be many hours more, she should give protection to himself and his family, as well as to the town, if in danger, and that a small supply of ammunition 弹药 should be given to him to enable 启用 him to defend himself. He appeared quite satisfied, and pleased with the reply. At the same time, as the danger was imminent 即将来临, and much blood might otherwise be shed, he requested that, since the orders by which the steamer was obliged 责成 to abide 遵守 would necessitate 必要 her immediate departure 离开, the British flag 3 might be hoisted 提升 upon his citadel before she started, and receive the proper salute 礼炮, in order to intimidate 威吓 the rebel 反叛 chief; and further, that a letter might be written to the latter, stating that the sultan of Johanna was an old ally 联盟；盟友 of Great Britain, and that the taking up arms against him could no longer be permitted; in short, that he had, therefore, better take himself off as quickly as possible, and return to obedience 遵守.

This was a request which demanded very serious consideration 考虑. It was evident 明显 that Captain Hall had no authority 权威 whatever to interfere 干预 in the matter. And such, consequently 所以 would have been the only reply of many officers, perhaps most, under the same circumstances 环境. But, there was now something of humanity 人性 called into play, something of pity 怜悯, and something, perhaps, of pride 自尊. It was impossible not to feel a deep interest in the unhappy 不快乐 position of the young sultan, more particularly as he and all his family had on so many occasions behaved 表现 with kindness 善良 and humanity 人性 towards Englishmen in distress 苦难. He had, moreover, stated his positive 正 wish to become not only the ally 联盟；盟友, but even the subject of Great Britain, and that he would rather give up the island altogether to the English, and, if necessary, retire from it elsewhere, than see it in its then state of misery 痛苦 from the incursions of Raymanytek.

There was, in fact, something in Alloué's appeal 上诉, which was altogether irresistible 不可抗拒; and after much reflection 反映, and well knowing the responsibility 责任 incurred 招致, it was agreed that the British flag should be hoisted 提升 upon the citadel, under a salute 礼炮 of twenty 二十-one guns. This was accordingly 于是 done, and for the first time, the flag, which so many millions look upon with pride, waved over the citadel and walls of Johanna. The sultan smiled, and appeared to take far greater pride in that unstained ensign, than in his own independent 独立 flag, or his own precarious 危险的 authority 权威.

Great were the rejoicings 欢庆 of the whole people of the town; in fact, the day had been one of continued excitement 激动 to all parties. To crown 王冠 the whole, a letter was written to the rebel 反叛 chief, according to the tenour of what has been stated above, and which, it was hoped, would induce 促使 Raymanytek to retire peaceably for the present, and to defer 延缓 to an opportunity less favourable for himself, if not altogether to forego 放弃, his treason‧able 叛逆‧能够的 designs, which had evidently 明显地 been to depose 免职 the sultan, and probably put him to death, and banish 放逐 all his family, assuming 承担 the whole authority 权威 himself in his place.

This had been a long and eventful day for the Nemesis, and while we have been relating what was passing on shore, those on board had been busy taking in water and wood for the immediate continuance of the voyage. One thing, however, yet remained; the sultan was to visit the ship, and see what to him were wonders. He came on board in the afternoon, with several attend‧ant 服务员, in full Moorish dress, and, of course, evinced the utmost 极 astonishment 惊愕 at the arrangement 安排 of the ship, the machinery, & 功放;c. To him and his followers 信徒 all was new. As they steamed round the bay, their wonderment increased more and more at the ease 轻松 and rapidity with which she moved; and having partaken of a little fruit and bread 面包, and taken a most friendly and, to all appearance, grateful 感激的 leave of Captain Hall, and all on board, he was landed in the ship's boat, with his own flag flying upon it.

On landing, he seemed quite overwhelmed 压倒 with thankfulness for the timely assistance 帮助 rendered 给予 to him, and unaffectedly 未受影响 sorry 对不起的 at parting with friends, he had so recently made.

On the afternoon of the 5th September, 1840, the interesting little island of Johanna was left behind, with many good wishes for the success of the sultan's arms, and for the speedy 迅速 restoration 恢复 of peace and plenty to his harassed 骚扰 subjects. It is feared, however, that these hopes have scarcely yet been realized.[11]

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CHAPTER IX.

The next place towards which the Nemesis was destined 注定 to shape her course was the island of Ceylon, where at length was to be made known to her the ultimate 最终 service upon which she was to be employed. It was not until the 10th that she lost sight of Comoro island, the northern‧most 北方的‧最 of the group of that name, and, if measured in a direct line, consider‧able 相当 less than one hundred 百 miles from Johanna.

Horsburgh particularly notices the light, baffling 障 winds, and the strong, south-west and southerly currents, which prevail 战胜 during the months of October and November among the Comoro Islands. But it was found upon this voyage that these difficulties presented themselves sometimes much earlier than stated by him. It was now only the beginning of September, and the southerly current was found setting down at the rate of even sixty 六十 miles a day. Indeed, both the winds and currents in the Mozambique Channel 渠道 had been found very different from what had been expected. It was the season of the south-west monsoon when she entered it in the month of August; and as it is usually stated that this wind continues to blow until early in November, the Nemesis ought to have had favourable winds to carry her quite through, even later in the season. On the contrary 相反, she met with a strong head-wind, and a much stronger southerly current than she had reason to expect.

The opinion of Horsburgh seems to be fully 充分 confirmed 确认, that late in the season it is better for ships to avoid the Mozambique Channel 渠道, and rather to proceed 继续 to the east‧ward 东方的 of Madagascar, and then pass between Diego Garcia and the Seychelle Islands. Steamers, however, would have less need of this were coal to be had at Mozambique.

From the equator, the current was always easterly; but nothing particular occurred 发生 worth noticing, except that, as she approached the Maldive Islands, she encountered 遭遇 very heavy squalls, accompanied 陪 with rain.

On the following day, the 1st October, the Maldives were in sight; and, in order to carry her through them rapidly, steam was got up for a few hours, until she came to, in the afternoon, within a quarter of a mile of the shore, under one of the eastern‧most 东方的‧最 of the islands, named Feawar, having shaped her course straight across the middle of the long, and until lately 近来, much dreaded 恐惧 group of the Maldive Archipelago.

This extensive chain or archipelago of islands lies in the very centre of the Indian Ocean 洋, and, being placed in the direct track of ships coming from the south-west towards Ceylon, and the southern 南部的 parts of Hindostan, it was long dreaded 恐惧 by mariners, and shunned 顺 by them as an almost impenetrable and certainly dangerous 危险 barrier 屏障. It is stated by Horsburgh, that the early traders 商人 from Europe to India were much better acquainted 认识 with these islands than modern navigators 航海家, and that they were often passed through in these days without any apprehension 顾虑 of danger. The knowledge of their navigable channels 渠道 must therefore have been, in a great measure, lost; and, although the utmost 极 credit 信用 is due to the indefatigable Horsburgh for his arduous efforts to restore 修复；使复位；使复职 some of the lost information, it is to the liberality of the Indian government, and particularly to the scientific labours and distinguished services of Captain Moresby and Commander Powell, of the Indian navy 海军, that we are indebted 感激的 for the minute and beautiful 美丽 surveys 调查 of all these intricate 错综复杂 channels 渠道 which have been given to the world since 1835.

This archipelago is divided into numerous groups of islands, called by the natives Atolls, each comprising 包括 a consider‧able 大量 number of islands, some of which are inhabited 居住于, and abound 盛产 in cocoa 可可- nut 螺母 trees, while the smaller ones are often mere barren 荒芜 rocks or sandy 沙 islets. The number of these islands, large and small, amounts to several hundred 百; and the groups, or Atolls, into which they are divided, are numerous. They are laid down with wonderful 精彩 accuracy 准确性 and minuteness by Captains Moresby and Powell; so that, with the aid 援助 of their charts 图表, the intricate 错综复杂 channels 渠道 between them can be read with almost the same facility 设施 as the type of a book. Thus one of the greatest boons has been conferred 授予 upon navigators 航海家 of all nations. They are disposed 部署 in nearly a meridian line from latitude 纬度 7° 6' N. to latitude 纬度 0° 47' S., and consequently 所以 extend over the hottest portion of the tropics, for the distance of more than three hundred 百 and seventy 七十 miles.

As the Nemesis passed through these islands, she found that all the former difficulties had now vanished 消失. So accurate 准确的；精确的；正确的 were the soundings, and given on so large a scale, that it was more like reading a European road-book than guiding a vessel through an intricate 错综复杂 labyrinth of islands.

The very sight of a steamer completely frightened the inhabitants 居民 of the little island of Feawar; who, although they at length came along‧side 并肩 without much fear, could never be persuaded to come on board the vessel. However, they had no objection 反对 to act as guides, for the purpose of she‧wing 她‧翅膀 what was to be seen upon their island; and, while a little necessary work was being done to the vessel, Captain Hall and two or three of the officers landed, and were soon surrounded by a crowd of natives upon the beach 海滩, quite unarmed.

A stroll 漫步 along the shore, covered with pieces of coral 珊瑚, soon brought them to a mosque 清真寺 and burial 葬礼-ground, which was remarkable 4 for the neatness with which it was disposed 部署. The little ornamented head-stones, with inscriptions 题词, and flowers in many places planted round them, probably refreshed 使恢复 by the sacred 神圣的 water of a well close at hand, proved, at all events, the great respect paid to their dead, which is common among all Mohammedans. Indeed, the inhabitants 居民 of all these numerous islands are mostly of that persuasion 劝说, and consider themselves to be under the protection of England, the common wish of almost all the little independent 独立 tribes of the East.

The village itself 本身 appeared to be at least half deserted 沙漠；抛弃, the poor people, particularly the women, having hastily 草草 run away, leaving their spinning 旋转；纺纱-wheels at their doors. They appear to carry their produce, consisting 组成 of oil, fish, rope, mats 席子, & 功放;c., to Ceylon and other parts of India, in large boats of their own construction 施工, bringing back in return rice 稻 and English manufactured goods. Indeed, an extensive traffic 交通 is carried on between all the northern‧most 北方的‧最 of this extensive chain of islands, or submarine 潜艇 mountains, and the nearer parts of the coast of India.

On the same evening, the Nemesis continued her voyage, and, on the afternoon of the 5th October, reached the harbour of Pointe de Galle, in Ceylon. She came in under steam, with about eight 八 tons of coal remaining, having been exactly one month from Johanna.

The mystery attending the Nemesis was now to end. Scarcely had she fairly reached her moorings 泊, when a despatch was delivered to the captain from the government of India, containing orders from the Governor-general in council, to complete the necessary repairs, and take in coal and provisions 规定, with all possible expedition 远征, and then to proceed 继续 to join the fleet 舰队 off the mouth of the Canton River, placing himself under the orders of the naval 海 commander 命令-in-chief.

Great was now the rejoicing 欢庆 of both officers and men. Her captain had already been made acquainted 认识 with his destination 目的地, as far as Ceylon, before leaving England, but no one on board, until now, had any certain information as to what particular service they were to under‧take 承担 after‧ward 之后. The road to distinction 区别 was now made known to them; they were at once to be engaged 从事 in active operations, in conjunction 连词 with her majesty 威严's forces.

Notwithstanding, however, the unremitted exertions of all on board, the Nemesis could not be got ready to proceed 继续 on her voyage in less than eight 八 clear days from the time of her arrival 到达 at Pointe de Galle. Added to this, the whole of the stores and supplies had to be sent by land from Columbo, a distance of seventy 七十-two miles, as it was not then so well known that all these things could be readily obtained 获得 at Singapore, and that therefore a smaller quantity would have sufficed 满足. Indeed, from the more frequent communication 通讯 with Ceylon, through vessels touching at Pointe de Galle for supplies, which has since taken place, every provision 规定 has now been made at that port 港口, without the necessity of sending for stores to so great a distance as Columbo.

Under all circumstances 环境, no time was to be lost; and the anxiety to proceed 继续 on the voyage as quickly as possible was so great, that Captain Hall determined to start off for Columbo the same evening, in order to wait upon his Excellency the Governor, and expedite the sending on of the requisite 必要 stores. A highly respect‧able 可敬 merchant, Mr. Gibb, who was going over, kindly offered him a seat in his gig 演出, and, after consider‧able 大量 exertion and fatigue 疲劳, they arrived at Columbo late on the following evening.

On the following morning, the country presented itself 本身 in all the rich tropical 热带 aspect 方面 of these regions 地区. The whole road to Columbo pointed out a fertile 沃 and luxuriant country, and was in itself 本身 admirably 令人钦佩 adapted for travelling.

For my own part, the more I have seen of tropical 热带 countries, the more I have every‧where 到处 been fascinated 深深吸引；迷住 by their luxuriance, and enjoyed the brilliancy of their skies 滑雪. There is much to compensate 补偿 for the occasional 偶然 oppression 压迫 of the heat, which, after all, is less trouble‧some 麻烦 or injurious than the chilling 寒意 blasts 爆破 of northern climes; and, generally speaking, with proper pre‧caution 预防, it has been hardly a question with myself 我 whether the average degree of health and buoyancy of spirits is not far greater than in less favoured though more hardy 耐寒 regions 地区. Every day that passes is one in which you feel that you really live, for every thing around you lives and thrives 兴旺 so beautifully 精美. Nevertheless 虽然, it must not be forgotten that, after a few years spent in so relaxing 放松 a climate 气候 the constitution 宪法 becomes enfeebled, and is only to be restored by a visit to more bracing 支撑 regions 地区.

Governor Mackenzie seemed to take much interest in the steamer, and in her probable capabilities for the peculiar service likely to be required of her in China; he had evidently 明显地 made the subject his study, and upon this, as upon other questions, evinced great intelligence 情报.

Little need here be said about the island of Ceylon, which has been recently so well described and treated of by able and well-informed writers 作家. The fine fortifications of Columbo, (the capital of the island,) the governor's palace 宫, the bar‧rack 营房 and public offices, are all worth seeing; indeed, it is to be regretted that arrangements 安排 have not yet been made, by which the steamers 汽船 from Calcutta to the Red Sea, touching at Point de Galle, might allow some of their passengers, instead of wasting the valuable time necessary for taking in fuel 汽油 at Point de Galle, to cross over to Columbo. The steamers 汽船 might then, with a very trifling 琐事 additional 额外 expense, touch at Columbo to pick them up, together with other passengers likely to be found there, now that the over‧land 之上‧陆地；着陆 route 路线 is daily becoming more frequented.

The most curious sight at Columbo is the little fleet 舰队 of fishing-boats, in the shape of long, narrow canoes 独木舟, each made out of the single trunk 树干 of a tree, with upper works rigged 操纵 on to them, falling in in such a way, that there is just sufficient 足够 room for a man's body to turn round. They start off with the land-wind in the morning, and run out a long distance to fish, returning again with the sea-breeze 微风 in the afternoon. Both ends are made exactly alike 同样的, so that, instead of going about, they have only to shift 转移 the large lug-sail, the mast 桅杆 being in the middle, and it is quite indifferent 冷漠 which end of the boat goes fore‧most 最重要的是. To counter‧act 抵消 the natural 自然 tendency 趋势 of so narrow a body to upset 打翻, two slight long spars are run out at the side, connected at the outer ends by a long and stout 肥硕 piece of wood, tapering 锥体 at either extremity, not unlike 不像 a narrow canoe 独木舟; this acts as a lever 杠杆 to keep the boat upright 直立的, and is generally rigged 操纵 out upon the wind‧ward 风‧病房 side. If the breeze 微风 freshens, it is easy to send a man or two out upon it, as an additional 额外 counter‧poise 反；表面‧平衡 by their weight, and there they sit, without any apparent apprehension 顾虑.

The healthiness of Ceylon is within the last few years greatly improved, principally 原则上 owing to the extensive clearing of land which has taken place. The plantations 种植园 of coffee having been found at one time, as indeed they are still, to yield a very large profit, induced 促使 a great number of persons to enter into the speculation 推测. Land was readily purchased 采购 from government as quickly as it could be obtained 获得, at the rate of five shillings an acre 英亩; and the result has been a consider‧able 大量 increase in the exports 出口 of the island, as well as an amelioration of its condition.

Coals, provisions 规定, and stores of all kinds, were sent on board the Nemesis with the utmost 极 expedition 远征, and, on the afternoon of the 14th October, she was once more ready for sea. The public interest in the events gradually growing up out of the negotiations 谈判 which were then being carried on with the Chinese had gradually been raised to a high pitch 沥青, and a passage to China, to join the force as a volunteer 志愿者, was readily provided for the governor's son, Lieutenant Mackenzie. Crowds of people gathered upon the shore in all directions to witness her departure 离开, and the discharge 卸货 of a few signal-rockets 火箭 as soon as it was dark added a little additional 额外 novelty 新奇 to the event.

Ten 十 days sufficed 满足 to carry the Nemesis to the island of Penang, or Prince of Wales's island. Her passage had been longer than might have been expected, owing in a great measure to the badness of the coal, which caked 蛋糕 and clogged 阻塞 up the furnaces 炉 in such a way that, instead of requiring to be cleaned out only once in about twenty 二十-four hours, as would have been the case with good coal, it was necessary to perform this process no less than four times within the same period; added to which, the enormous 巨大 quantity of barnacles which adhered 附着 to her bottom (a frequent source 资源 of annoyance 恼怒 before) greatly retarded 减速 her progress.

The island of Penang, which lies close upon the coast of the peninsula 半岛 of Malacca, from which it is separated by a channel 渠道 scarcely more than two miles broad, would seem to be a place particularly adapted for steamers 汽船 to touch at. Indeed, it has become a question of late whether it should not be provided with a sort of government dock‧yard 码头‧院子, for the repair of the increased number of ships of war and transports 运输, both belonging to the service of government and the East India Company, which will necessarily have to pass through the straits of Malacca, now that our inter‧course 交往 with China is so rapidly increasing 增加. The harbour is perfectly safe, the water at all times smooth; coals can easily be stored there, and good wood can be obtained 获得 on the spot; moreover, it lies directly in the track of ships, or very little out of it, as they generally prefer passing on the Malacca side of the straits, particularly during the south-west monsoon. The heavy squalls which prevail 战胜 on the opposite coast are so severe, that they have at length taken its very name, and are called Sumatras. They are accompanied 陪 with terrific 了不起 lightning 闪电, which often does great mischief 恶作剧, and they are justly looked upon with great dread 恐惧.

Penang is very properly considered one of the loveliest spots in the eastern world, considering its limited extent; and, from the abundance 丰富 and excellence 优秀 of its spice 香料 productions, which come to greater perfection 完美 in the straits than in any other part in which they have been tried, (except, perhaps, in the island of Java,) this little island has proved to be an extremely valuable possession. It abounds 盛产 in picturesque 如画 scenery 风景, heightened 变高 by the lovely views of the opposite coast of Malacca, called Province 省 Wellesley, which also belongs to the East India Company. The numerous and excellent roads, the hospitality 待客 of the inhabitants 居民, and the richness 丰富 of the plain, or belt 腰带, which lies between the high, wooded mountains in the rear 后, and the town and harbour are, perhaps, unequalled 不等. This plain, together with the sides of some of the adjoining 毗 mountains, is covered with luxuriant plantations 种植园 of nutmegs, cocoa 可可- nut 螺母-trees, and spice 香料-trees of all kinds; and altogether Penang is one of the most attractive 有魅力的, as it is also one of the healthiest spots in the East. It has by some been even called the "Gem of the Eastern seas." There is a fort 堡 not far from the fine, covered jetty, or landing-place, of consider‧able 大量 strength; and, with very moderate trouble and expense, there is little doubt that Penang could be made a valuable naval 海 depôt.

The short passage down the straits of Malacca, towards Singapore, was easily performed in three days. But here again some detention 拘留 was inevitable 必然. The north-east monsoon had already fairly set in, and as vessels proceeding 继续 up the China Sea, at this season, would have the wind directly against them, it was necessary that the steamer should take in the greatest possible quantity of fuel 汽油 she could carry, before she could venture 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 to leave Singapore. On this occasion, every spare 节省；多余的；备用件 corner that could be found was filled with coal, and even the decks 甲板 were almost covered with coal-bags. By this means, she was enabled 启用 to carry enough fuel 汽油 for full fifteen 十五 days' consumption 消费, or about one hundred 百 and seventy 七十-five tons.

The small island of Singapore being situated 位于 just off the southern 南部的 extremity of the peninsula 半岛 of Malacca, from which it is separated only by a very narrow strait, must necessarily lie almost directly in the track of all vessels passing up or down the straits of Malacca, either to or from China, or any of the intermediate 中间 places. Being easy of access 访问 to all the numerous half-civilized tribes and nations which inhabit 居住于 the islands of those seas, and within the influence of the periodical 期刊 winds or monsoons which, at certain seasons, embolden even the Chinese, Siamese, and other nations to venture 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 upon the distant voyage, it is not surprising that in the space of a few years it should have risen rise to a very high degree of importance as a commercial emporium.

The wisdom 智慧 of the policy of Sir Stamford Raffles, in establishing 建立 a free port 港口 in such an advantageous 有利 position, has been proved beyond all previous 以前 anticipation 预期. The perfect freedom of commercial inter‧course 交往, without any restriction 受限制的，受约束的 or charges of any kind, has given birth to a yearly increasing 4 commercial spirit among all the surrounding nations. It is impossible to see the immense 极大的 number of curious junks 破烂 and trading-vessels which arrive from all parts during the proper season, without admiring the enterprising 企业 commercial spirit of all those different tribes, and acknowledging 确认 the immense value to England of similar 类似 distant outports, for the security 安全 and extension 伸展 of her commerce.

The inter‧course 交往 with Singapore has been rapidly increasing 5 every year, but especially since the commencement 开始 of the war in China. Of course, all our ships of war and transports 运输 touch at so convenient 方便的 a place, where supplies of every description can easily be obtained 获得, and where every attention and kindness 善良 are shewn to strangers 陌生人, both by the authorities 权威 and by the resident 居民 merchants. Much credit 信用 is due to the late governor, Mr. Bonham, for the intelligence 情报 and activity which he exhibited 展示, in everything that could in any way forward the objects of the expedition 远征, and for the readiness 准备就绪 with which he endeavoured to meet all the wishes of those who were concerned in it. His hospitality 待客 and personal 个人 attention was acknowledged 确认 by all.

In some respects, Singapore forms a good introduction 介绍 to a first visit to China. It has a very large Chinese population, (not less than 20,000,) to which yearly additions 加成 are made, on the arrival 到达 of the large trading junks 破烂, in which they come down voluntarily 自行 to seek 寻求 employment 雇用. Hundreds of them arrive in the greatest destitution, without even the means of paying the boat-hire 聘用 to enable 启用 them to reach the shore, until they are hired by some masters. They are the principal 主要 mechanics and labourers of the town, and also act as house‧hold 家庭 servants, while many of them are employed in the cultivation 教养 of spices 香料 and of sugar 食糖, or in clearing land. There is no kind of labour or employment 雇用 which a Chinaman will not readily under‧take 承担; and they appear to succeed equally well in all, with the exception of tending sheep 羊 or cattle, which is an occupation 占用 they are little fond 喜欢的 of.

The town has something of a Chinese aspect 方面, from the number of Chinamen who are employed in every capacity 容量; and the fruits and vegetables are principally 原则上 cultivated and brought to market by people of that nation. In Java, Penang, and elsewhere, they are also to be met with in great numbers; which is quite sufficient 足够 to prove (were proof 证明 wanting) how much they are naturally 4 disposed 部署 to become a colonizing 拓殖 people. There is hardly any part of the world to which a Chinaman would refuse to go, if led and managed by some of his own countrymen. But, wherever 随地 they go, they carry the vice 副职的；副的 of opium 鸦片-smoking with them, and it is need‧less 不必要 to say that it thrives 兴旺 at Singapore to its fullest extent, and that a large revenue 收入 is annually 每年 derived 派生 from the monopoly 垄断 of the sale of the drug 药物.

The climate 气候 of Singapore is healthy 健康, although the soil is wet, owing to the constant 不变 rains; and the heat is, perhaps, never excessive 过度的, although the place is situated 位于 only about seventy 七十 miles from the equator.

It might be expected that the recent opening of the new Chinese ports 港口, from some of which large trading junks 破烂 have annually 每年 come down to seek 寻求 their cargoes 货物 at Singapore, would prove injurious to the future trade of the latter, since it would no longer be necessary for the Chinese to go abroad to seek 寻求 for that which will now be brought to them at their own doors. This apprehension 顾虑, however, seems to be little entertained on the spot, because there can be little doubt, that whatever tends to augment 增加 the general foreign trade with China must benefit 效益 Singapore, which lies on the high‧road 高的‧路 to it, to a greater or less extent. Singapore has nothing to fear as regards its future commercial prosperity 繁荣, which is likely rather to increase than to diminish 减少, in consequence 后果 of the general increase of trade with China and the neighbouring islands.

On the 4th of November, the Nemesis resumed 恢复 her voyage, and passed the little rocky 岩石 island of Pedra Branca early on the following morning. This dangerous 危险 and sometimes half-covered rock lies nearly in the direct track for vessels proceeding 继续 up the China Sea; and on its southern 南部的 side are two dangerous 危险 ledges 窗台 or reefs 礁, running out from it to the distance of more than a mile, which, at high water, can scarcely be traced 跟踪 above the surface. On the opposite, or northern side, there is deep water in not less than six‧teen 十六 or seven‧teen 十七 fathoms, close in to the rock; and, moreover, the tides 潮汐 in its neighbourhood are very irregular 不规则, not only in point of time, but also in direction and velocity 速度. Nor are these the only dangers to be met with in this locality 局部性. Hence 因此 it will readily appear that a light‧house 灯塔 placed upon Pedra Branca would be of essential utility 效用 to all navigators 航海家 who have occasion to pass up or down the China Sea. A ship leaving Singapore for Hong-Kong, for instance 例, might then start at such an hour in the evening as would enable 启用 her to make the light on Pedra Branca before morning; by which means, her true position being ascertained 探明, she might stand on without fear of any danger. The expense of erecting 直立 the light‧house 灯塔 would not be great, as the elevation 海拔 would only be moderate, and the expense of maintaining 保持 it might be defrayed by levying 征收 a small light-duty at Singapore upon all vessels passing up or down the China Sea.

It has been often suggested that this would be a most advantageous 有利 site for the proposed monument 纪念碑 to the memory of the distinguished Horsburgh, to whom too much honour cannot be paid for his inestimable works, so much relied 依靠 on by all navigators 航海家 who frequent the eastern seas. It would be difficult to find a more advantageous 有利 or appropriate 适当 position, for the best of all monuments 纪念碑 to his fame, than this little, dangerous 危险 island of Pedra Branca, situated 位于 as it is in the very centre of some of his most valued researches; while the recent opening of the new ports 港口 in China, and the possession of Hong-Kong, give an increased importance to subjects connected with the navigation 导航 of those seas. There is not a single vessel, either British or foreign, which traverses 横过 those regions 地区, which is not indebted 感激的 to Horsburgh for the instructions 指令 which render 给予 her voyage secure 安全; and a light‧house 灯塔 upon Pedra Branca would do no less service to navigators 航海家 than it would honour to the memory of Horsburgh.

The Nemesis had now passed this rocky 岩石 little island, and at once found the full strength of the north-east monsoon blowing steadily against her, so that "full steam" was necessary to enable 启用 her to proceed 继续. On the afternoon of the 16th, the high land of the Spanish possessions of Luconia (better known by the name of the capital town, Manilla) came in sight; and, on the following morning, the Nemesis passed very near the port 港口, but without venturing to enter it, on account of the delay which it would cause, although fuel 汽油 was already much wanted.

The appearance of the island was very striking. Bold, picturesque 如画 mountains, fine woods, with here and there a few sugar 食糖 plantations 种植园 extending along the valleys, and rich, green, cocoa 可可-nut 3 groves 树林, to vary 变化 the prospect 展望—all these combined, or alternating 备用 with each other, made the aspect 方面 of the island very attractive 有魅力的.

Unfortunately 不幸, no time could be spared to visit the interior 室内 of the country, as the voyage had already been much protracted 拖长, and the north-east monsoon was blowing directly against the vessel. Her progress was therefore slow, and the want of fuel 汽油 began to be much felt.

On the 24th, the Lieu-chew 嚼 Islands came in sight; but these are not the same islands which were visited by Capt. Basil Hall, whose descriptions excited so much attention.[12]

At daylight on the following morning, the 25th of November, the Nemesis steamed through the Typa anchor‧age 锚‧年龄, which lies opposite Macao, and ran close in to the town, where the water is so shallow that none but trading-boats can venture 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 so far. The sudden appearance of so large and mysterious 神秘-looking a vessel naturally 5 excited the greatest astonishment 惊愕 among all classes, both of the Portuguese and Chinese residents 居民. The saluting 礼炮 of the Portuguese flag, as she passed, sufficed 满足 to announce 宣布 that something unusual 异常 had happened; and crowds of people came down to the Praya Grande, or Esplanade, to look at the first iron steamer which had ever anchored 锚 in their quiet little bay. Her very light draught of water seemed to them quite incompatible 不相容 with her size; and even the Portuguese governor was so much taken by surprise, that he sent off a messenger 信使 expressly to the vessel, to warn her captain of the supposed danger which he ran by venturing so close in shore. It is probable, however, that his excellency was not quite satisfied with the near approach of an armed steamer, within a short range of his own palace 宫; and, moreover, the firing of a salute 礼炮, almost close under his windows, had speedily 迅速 frightened away the fair ladies who had been observed crowding at all the windows with eager 渴望的 curiosity 好奇心.

As soon as the first excitement 激动 had passed, Captain Hall waited upon the governor, to assure 向…保证；肯定地说 him that he had come with the most peace‧able 和平‧能够的 intentions, and to thank his excellency for the friendly warning he had given, with respect to the safety of the vessel. At the same time, he begged to inform his excellency, that he was already thoroughly acquainted 认识 with the harbour and anchor‧age 锚‧年龄 of Macao, from early recollection 回忆 of all those localities 局部性, as he had served as midshipman on board the Lyra, during Lord Amherst's embassy 大使馆 to China, in 1816.

It was now ascertained 探明 that the English admiral, the Hon. George Elliot, was at anchor 锚 with his fleet 舰队 in Tongkoo roads, below the Bogue forts 堡; and, accordingly 于是, the Nemesis proceeded 继续 to join the squadron 队, after the delay of only a few hours. Her arrival 到达 was announced 宣布 by the salute 礼炮 to the admiral's flag, which was immediately returned by the Melville, precisely 4 as if the Nemesis had been a regular man-of-war.

The Nemesis now found her‧self 她自己 in company with the three line-of-battle ships, Wellesley, Melville, and Blenheim, together with H.M.S. Druid, Herald, Modeste, Hyacinth, and the Jupiter troop 部队-ship. Thus, then, after all her toil 辛劳 and hard‧ship 苦, the gallant Nemesis had at length reached the proud post towards which she had so long been struggling. Her voyage from England had, indeed, been a long one, very nearly eight 八 months having elapsed 过去 since she bade adieu to Portsmouth. But her trials had been many during that period. She had started in the worst season of the year, and had encountered 遭遇, through‧out 始终 nearly the whole voyage, unusual 异常 weather and unforeseen difficulties. She had happily survived 生存 them all, and the efforts which had been already made to enable 启用 her to earn for her‧self 她自己 a name gave happy promise of her future destiny 命运.

The excitement 激动 on board was general, now that she at length found her iron frame swinging, side by side, with the famed "wooden walls" of England's glory 光荣; and the prospect 展望 of immediate service, in active operations against the enemy, stimulated 刺激 the exertions of every individual. For some days, however, she was compelled 迫使 to content her‧self 她自己 with the unwelcome 不受欢迎 operation of "coaling" in Tongkoo Bay. In the meantime 4, the ships of war had sailed, leaving her to follow them as soon as she could be got ready; and now, while this black and tedious 乏味 process is going on, we cannot be better employed than in taking a short survey 调查 of the events which had immediately preceded 优于 her arrival 到达, and of the more important occurrences 发生 which led to such momentous consequences 后果.

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CHAPTER X.

The abolition 废除 of the privileges 特权 of the East India Company in China, and the difficulties which soon resulted there‧from 在那里‧从, concerning the mode of conducting 进行 our negotiations 谈判 with the Chinese, will be remembered by most readers 读者; and, whatever part the questions arising out of the trade in opium 鸦片, may have after‧ward 之后 borne in the complication 复杂化 of difficulties, there is little doubt that the first germ 病菌 of them all was developed at the moment when the general trade with China became free. This freedom of trade, too, was forced upon the government and the company in a great degree, by the competition of the American interests; and by the fact, that British trade came to be carried on partly under the American flag, and through American agency, because it was prevented from being brought into fair competition in the market, under the free protection of its own flag.

The unhappy 不快乐 death of the lamented 哀叹 Lord Napier, principally 原则上 occasioned by the ill treatment 治疗 of the Chinese, and the mental 心理 vexation of having been compelled 迫使 to submit 给 to the daily insults 侮辱 of the Chinese authorities 权威, in his attempts to carry out the orders of his government, will be remembered with deep regret 后悔. With the nature of those orders we have here nothing to do. No one can question Lord Napier's talent 天赋, energy 能源, and devotedness to the object of his mission 任务.

The attempts of Captain Elliot, when he after‧ward 之后 took upon himself the duties of chief superintendent 所长, to carry out the same instructions 指令, were scarcely less unfortunate 不幸的. And finding, as he publicly stated, that "the governor had declined 下降 to accede to the conditions involved in the instructions 指令 which he had received from her majesty 威严's government, concerning the manner of his inter‧course 交往 with his Excellency," the British flag was struck at the factories 工厂 at Canton, on the 2nd of December, 1837, and her majesty 威严's principal 主要 superintendent 所长 retired to Macao.

During the year 1838, very serious and determined measures began to be adopted by the Chinese authorities 权威, directed generally against the trade in opium 鸦片; and imperial 帝国 edicts threatened death as the punishment 惩罚, for both the dealers in, and the smokers 抽烟者 of the drug 药物. Several unfortunate 不幸的 Chinese were executed 执行 in consequence 后果. Attempts were now made to execute 执行 the criminals 罪犯 in front of the foreign factories along the river side, contrary 相反 to all former usage 用法 and public right. A remonstrance followed, addressed to the governor, who, in reply, gave them a sort of moral lecture 讲座，课, instead of a political lesson 教训, and, then, condescendingly admitted, that "foreigners 外国人, though born and brought up beyond the pale of civilization 文明, must yet have human hearts."

Nevertheless 虽然, in the following December, 1838, the insulting 侮辱 attempt was again repeated, close under the American flag-staff, which was not then placed, as it has since been, in an enclosure 圈占, surrounded with a brick 砖 wall, and high paling. The flag was immediately hauled 运输 down by the consul, in consequence 后果 of the preparations 制备 which were going on, for the erection 勃起 of the cross upon which the criminal 罪犯 was to be strangled 扼杀.

At first, a few foreigners 外国人 interfered 干预, and, without violence, induced 促使 the officers to desist from their proceedings 继续. But, gradually, the crowd increased, and, a Chinese mob 暴民, when excited, is fully 充分 as unruly as an English one; and, thus, each imprudent act, as usual, led to another. No Chinese authorities 权威 were at hand to control the disturbance 骚乱; stones began to fly in all directions; and the foreigners 外国人, who, by this time, had come forward, to the aid 援助 of their brethren, were at length, through the increasing numbers of the mob 暴民, fairly driven to take refuge 避难所 in the neighbouring factories. Here they were obliged 责成 to barricade 壅 the doors and windows, many of which, were, nevertheless 虽然, destroyed, and the buildings end‧anger 危害, before a sufficient 足够 force of Chinese soldiers had arrived to disperse 分散 the mob 暴民. In the evening, however, quiet was perfectly restored.

In the meantime 5, the alarm had spread to Whampoa, whence Captain Elliot set out, accompanied 陪 by about one hundred 百 and twenty 二十 armed men, for Canton, and arrived at the British factory 工厂 late in the evening. Both parties were now clearly placed in a false position, yet one which it would have been very difficult to have avoided. During many preceding 优于 months, the unfortunate 不幸的 Hong merchants had been in constant 不变 collision 碰撞 with their own government on the one hand, and with the foreign merchants, on the other. There was scarcely any species 种类 of indignity, to which they were not exposed 暴露, and they were even threatened with death itself 本身. The Chinese government had daily become more overbearing towards all foreigners 外国人; and its habitual 惯常的 cold and haughty tone 音 had grown into undisguised con‧tempt 鄙视 and unqualified contumely. Their treatment 治疗 of Lord Napier had been considered on their part as a victory; and their successful 成功 repulse of all Captain Elliot's advances, was viewed by them as an evidence 证据 of their own power, and of Great Britain's weakness 弱点.

It has been already stated in the first chapter 章节, that Sir Frederick Maitland, who had a short time previously 先前 paid a visit to China, in a line of battle ship, had left those seas altogether, just before the collision 碰撞 took place; and, in proportion 比例 as the foreigners 外国人 were left unprotected, so did the Chinese become more overbearing.

At the same time, it cannot be denied 拒绝, that their determination 决心 to put a stop, as far as possible, to the opium 鸦片-trade, was for the time sincere 3; though their measures might have been hasty 匆 and unwarrantable. A few days after the preceding 优于 disturbance 骚乱, Captain Elliot distinctly 历历 ordered, that "all British owned schooners, or other vessels, habitually 惯常的, or occasionally engaged 从事 in the illicit 非法的 opium 鸦片 traffic 交通, within the Bocca Tigris, should remove 去掉 before the expiration of three days, and not again return within the Bocca Tigris, being so engaged 从事." And they were, at the same time, distinctly 历历 warned, that if "any British subjects were feloniously to cause the death of any Chinaman, in consequence 后果 of persisting 坚持 in the trade within the Bocca Tigris, he would be liable 容易 to capital punishment 惩罚; that no owners 所有者 of such vessels, so engaged 从事, would receive any assistance 帮助 or inter‧position 间‧位置 from the British government, in case the Chinese government should seize 抓住 any of them; and, that all British subjects, employed in these vessels, would be held responsible for any consequences 后果 which might arise from forcible resistance 抵抗 offered to the Chinese government, in the same manner as if such resistance were offered to their own or any other government, in their own or in any foreign country."

So far Captain Elliot evinced consider‧able 大量 energy 能源 and determination 决心; but he, probably, had scarcely foreseen that the shrewd 精明 and wily government of China would very soon put the question to him, "if you can order the discontinuance of the traffic 交通 within the Bocca Tigris, why can you not also put an end to it in the outer waters beyond the Bogue?"

As it seems scarcely possible to avoid all direct allusion 典故 to the difficult question of the traffic 交通 in opium 鸦片, I shall take this opportunity of saying a few words upon this important subject. A detailed account of its remarkable 5 history, and of the vicissitudes which attended it, both within and without the Chinese empire 帝国, would afford matter of the greatest interest, but could hardly find a place in this work.

In former times, as is well known, opium 鸦片 was admitted into China as a drug 药物, upon payment 付款 of duty; and, even the prohibition 禁令 which was ultimately 最终 laid upon it, was regarded by the Chinese themselves as a mere dead letter. Indeed, precisely 5 in proportion 比例 to the difficulty of obtaining 获得 the drug 药物, did the longing for it increase.

The great events which sprang out of this appetite 食欲 of a whole nation for "forbidden fruit," on the one hand, and of the temptations 诱惑 held out to foreigners 外国人 to furnish it to them, on the other, may be considered as one of those momentous crises in a nation's history, which seem almost pre 预-ordained 注定, as stages or epochs 时代 to mark the world's progress.

It is curious enough, that, at the very time when a mercantile crisis 危机 was growing up at Canton, a political intrigue 诡计, or, as it might be called, a cabinet 内阁 crisis 危机, was breaking out at Pekin. In fact, strange as it may appear, it is believed in China, upon tolerably good authority 权威, that there was actually a reform 改革 party struggling to shew its head at Pekin, and, that the question of more extended inter‧course 交往 with foreigners 外国人, was quite as warmly discussed as that of the prohibition 禁令 of the import 进口 of opium 鸦片, or of the export 出口 of silver 银.

Memorials were presented to the emperor 皇帝 on both sides of the question; and his Majesty Taou-kwang, being old, and personally 亲自 of feeble 微弱 character, halted 停 for a time "between two opinions," alternately 备用 yielding both to the one and to the other, until he at length settled down into his old bigotry against change, and felt all the native prejudices 成见 of a true son of Han, revive 复活 more strongly than ever within his bosom.

But the question of the Opium-trade, or Opium laws, which for some time had been almost a party matter, like the corn laws in our own country, became at length a question of interest and importance to the whole nation, and was magnified 放大 in its relations by the very discussion of the points which it involved.

It is said that the head of the reform 改革 party (if it can so be called) in China was a Tartar lady, belonging to the emperor 皇帝's court, remarkable for her abilities no less than her personal 个人 attractions 吸引, and possessed of certain very strong points of character, which made her as much feared by some as she was loved by others. She was soon raised even to the throne 王座 itself 本身, as the emperor 皇帝's wife, but lived only a few years to enjoy her power. Her influence soon came to be felt through‧out 始终 the whole of that vast 广大 empire 帝国; it was the means of rewarding 报酬 talent 天赋, and of detecting 发现，察觉，看出 inability 无力. She seemed to possess, in a marked degree, that intuitive 直观的 discernment which sometimes bursts 爆裂 upon the female mind as if by inspiration 灵感. The tone 音 and energy 能源 of her character were in advance of her age and of her country. She had many grateful 感激的 friends, but she had raised up for her‧self 她自己 many bitter enemies; party feeling ran high, and became at length too powerful 强大 even for an empress.

Gradually her influence diminished 减少, the favour of the emperor 皇帝 declined 下降, her opponent 反对者；对手；敌手 again got the upper hand, and at length she pined 松树 away under the effects of disappointment 失望, and perhaps injustice 不公正, and died. But her influence, so long as it lasted, was unbounded, and was felt through every province 省.

Her principal 主要 adherents and dependents naturally lost their power when that of their mistress 情妇 was gone. The question of more extended trade with foreigners 外国人 was now again set aside; the old feelings of bigotry and national 国民 pride resumed 恢复 even more than their former vigour. Opium at once became the instrument, but ostensibly 表面上 PATRIOTISM became the ground‧work 地面‧工作 of their measures. The old national 国民 feeling against foreigners 外国人 through‧out 始终 the empire 帝国 was revived 复活; and in the midst 中间 of it all, as if ordained 注定 to hasten 加速 on the momentous crisis 危机 which waited for its fulfilment, the son of the emperor 皇帝 himself died in his very palace 宫, from the effects of the excessive 过度的 use of opium 鸦片.

Even before this unfortunate 不幸的 event, strong measures had began to be adopted in some parts of the empire 3 against the preparers and smokers 抽烟者 of the drug 药物. As is usually the case when one party has become victorious over another after a severe struggle, the course which they advocate 主张；拥护；支持；提倡 is followed up with even more than their former vigour. When once the advocates 主张；拥护；支持；提倡 of a severe compulsion 义务 for stopping the use of opium 鸦片, and with it the export 出口 of silver 银, had gained the upper hand in the cabinet 内阁, measures of a very stringent 严格 kind were immediately adopted, as if with the full determination 决心 of giving them a fair trial.

The evil had certainly reached a very high pitch 沥青; and from having been formerly con‧fine 局限 to the wealthier 富裕 and more indolent classes, it spread its deadly grasp 把握 among the lower grades 年级, so that even the lowest at length came to be confirmed 确认 debauchees. Not that their fair earnings could generally enable 启用 them to pro‧cure 促成 enough of so costly an article, but because they were led to deprive 剥夺 themselves and their families of other comforts, and even necessaries, in order to obtain 获得 the means of gratifying 取悦 their irresistible 不可抗拒 longing for the poison 毒药. Not unfrequently was even crime 罪行 itself 本身 committed 承诺 in order to obtain 获得 the means; and the opium 鸦片 shops, particularly in the maritime 海上 towns and villages, became the last resort 度假胜地 of all the thieves, vagabonds, gamblers, and bad characters through‧out 始终 the district.

The demand for opium 鸦片, and consequently 所以 its price, increased remarkably, and the numerous statements 声明 which have been published 发布 under this head have not been by any means exaggerated 夸大. It penetrated 穿透 the most secret haunts 出没, in proportion 比例 as the danger of using it more publicly increased; and the more numerous were the edicts which were issued against it, the greater did the craving 渴望 for the forbidden luxury 豪华, amounting almost to a national 国民 MANIA, go on increasing day by day. The moral lectures 讲座，课 of the emperor 皇帝, which appeared in the Pekin Gazette, were very pretty to read, but very futile 无用 in their effects. And if the great despotic ruler over hundreds 百 of millions of people, whose very word was law, still found himself totally unable 无法 to exclude 阻止…进入；把…排斥在外 the drug 药物 (even under the severest prohibitions 禁令) from his own palace 宫, is it to be wondered at that all his strongest measures should have totally failed in with‧draw 撤回 the mass of the nation from the temptation 诱惑?

The enormous 巨大 profits derived 派生 from the clandestine sale of opium 鸦片 induced 促使 many of the Chinese to embark 从事 in it as a speculation 推测, who neither used it themselves, nor were habituated to any other commercial traffic 交通. Official men both smoked and sold it; hundreds 百 of people gained a livelihood 生计 by the manufacture or sale of opium 鸦片-pipes, and other apparatus 仪器 connected with its use; and even the armed soldier often carried an opium 鸦片- pipe 管子 in his girdle, with the same unconcern as he did the fan 扇子-case which is very commonly a part of his costume 服装.

All this was going on through‧out 始终 a great portion of the empire during the time that the question of its legalization or of its sterner 严肃 prohibition 禁令 was being so warmly debated 辩论 at court, and discussed through‧out 始终 the country. But the general impression 印象 was, that the importation of the drug 药物 would be legalized 合法化, and there was little apprehension 顾虑 of the violent persecution 迫害 which soon commenced 开始.

Instead of the foreigners 外国人 imposing 强加 upon them the barter of opium 鸦片 as a condition of trade, it was the Chinese themselves who begged and prayed that it might be supplied to them; who sought out the opium 鸦片-selling vessels at long distances, and were even then only permitted to receive it by paying hard cash 现金 for it. So determined were the Chinese to possess it at any cost, that they frequently were willing to purchase 采购 it for its own weight in silver 银, balanced fairly the one against the other in the scales. Boats belonging to the Custom 习惯 House engaged 从事 in the traffic 交通. The governor of Canton himself, Tang by name, was known to have employed his own boat to fetch 取 it; and so publicly and undisguisedly was the traffic 交通 carried on, that a stipulated 规定 sum 和 was paid to the officers for every chest 胸部 landed, precisely as if it had been a bale 包 of cotton 棉 or a box of glass.

It cannot be doubted, however, that after the death of the emperor 皇帝's son, public attention through‧out 始终 the empire became more strongly than ever directed to the increasing evils of the use and abuse 滥用 of opium 鸦片. Many instances 例 of its pernicious effects now rose to the recollection 回忆 of individuals who would otherwise have scarcely dwelt upon them. The agitation 搅动 of the question had indeed led to party feeling upon the subject. The thunders 雷声 of the emperor 皇帝 against foreigners 外国人 began to take effect; measures of a severer kind now began to be adopted; and the reaction 反应 through‧out 始终 the empire was almost universal 普遍的. The shock had not been expected, and it came upon them like an earthquake 地震.

Yet the justice of it appeared evident 明显 to many, for the evils had been concealed 隐藏 from none. It seemed as if all on a sudden the high‧road 高的‧路 to official favour and distinction 区别 could be found solely 独自 through the degree of energy 能源 shewn in ferreting 鼬 out the lowest opium 鸦片-smokers 抽烟者, and in publicly giving up the very pipes which were used; indeed it has been said that this enthusiasm 热情 was carried so far, that pipes were actually purchased 采购 for the purpose of giving them up to the officers, as if it indicated 表明 a voluntary 自主性 surrender 投降 of a vicious 恶毒 habit 习惯. These were all displayed 显示 as emblems 徽 of victory, and the most zealous were the best rewarded 报酬, while the government itself 本身 became astonished 使惊讶 at its own apparent success. It now thought itself 本身 irresistible 不可抗拒, and despised 讨厌 the foreigners 外国人 more than ever.

A grand crisis 危机 was produced by these proceedings 继续 in the interior 室内 of the country. All traffic 交通 of an extensive kind became nearly stopped; the prisons were filled with delinquents 拖欠的; and a great parade 游行 was made of the "stern 严肃 severity 严重" of the government, on the one hand, and of the obedient 顺从的 sub‧mission 服从 of the people, on the other. Yet, in spite of all this public display 显示, that traffic 交通 itself 本身 was in reality 现实 as flourishing 繁荣 as ever, although perhaps it might have changed hands. Opium was more eagerly 渴望的 sought after than before; the price of it rose in proportion 比例; and, precisely as had been predicted 预测 by the free trade or reform 改革 party in Pekin, it was found impossible to prevent its introduction into the country by the people themselves, even by the threat 威胁 of death itself 本身. Fishermen carried with them a single ball, and made a large profit by its sale; in short, the temptations 诱惑 and the profits were so large and irresistible 不可抗拒, that hundreds 百 of modes 方式 were discovered for conveying 传达 it from place to place, in spite of the penalties 罚款 which awaited 等待 detect‧ion 发现. The beheading of a few men, and the imprisonment 徒刑 of others, did not deter 阻止 the mass; the delicious 美味的 intoxication of the precious 3 drug 药物 proved far too attractive to be controlled by the horrors 恐怖 of death or torture 拷打.

The truth is, however specious the edicts and writings of the Chinese may appear on paper, they are perfectly futile 无用 in reality 现实, when the will of the people and the absence of any early prejudice 成见 is opposed to their accomplishment 成就.

Without further pursuing 追求 a subject which, though deeply interesting, has been already so much a matter of discussion, we may at once come to the conclusion 结论, that the passion 激情，热情；强烈情感 of the Chinese for the pernicious intoxication of opium 鸦片, was the first link 链接 in the chain which was destined 注定 to connect 连接 them at some future day with all the other families of man‧kind 人类. The abolition 废除 of the privileges 特权 of the East India Company first opened the door for the general trade of all foreign nations upon an extended scale; but the trade in opium 鸦片, which the Chinese were determined to carry on, in spite of all opposition 反对 of their own government, and with a full knowledge of the pernicious consequences 后果 which resulted from it, was the instrument by means of which the haughty tone 音 and the inapproachable reserve of their government were to be at length over‧come 战胜.

We now come to the period of the famous 著名 Commissioner Lin's appointment 约定 to Canton. This was indeed the climax 高潮 of all the perplexities. Lin himself was the Robespierre, the terrorist 恐怖分子, the reckless 鲁莽 despot, who represented a certain party in the empire, who conscientiously 有良心 believed that they could terrify 惊吓 not only their own countrymen, but even foreign nations, into patient sub‧mission 服从 to their will.

This singular 单数 man seems to have been composed of good and bad qualities in equal proportions 比例, but always of a violent kind. In any other country than China, he would have been either distinguished as a demagogue or branded 牌 as a tyrant, precisely as circumstances 环境 chanced to lead him into a particular channel 渠道. He was reckless 鲁莽 of consequences 后果, so long as he could carry out his will without control. He was violent, yet not selfish 自私的; change‧able 改变‧能够的, yet always clinging 依偎 to his original 原版的 views; severe, and even cruel 残酷的 and inexorable, in the measures by which he sought to gain his ends; yet, in reality 现实, he is believed to have meant well for his country, and to have had the interests and the wishes of the emperor 皇帝, his master, always at heart. He certainly believed that he could control both the people under his own government, and the foreigners 外国人 who came into contact 联系 with them, by force; and his very errors 错误 seem to have arisen from excess 超过 of zeal 热情 in the cause which he adopted. His talent 天赋 was unquestionable.

Lin became intoxicated with his own success (for the time, at all events) in whatever he undertook; and expected all his orders to be executed 执行 with the same energy 能源 and facility 设施 with which he gave them utterance 发声. It is said, moreover, that he pro‧cure 促成 a copy of a remarkable work called a "Digest of Foreign Customs, Practices, Manners," & 功放;c., in which bad deeds 行为 rather than good ones, and even the names of individual merchants, were brought forward; and that he studied this book with constant 不变 pleasure.

On the 10th of March, 1839, this redoubtable commissioner 专员 reached Canton, having travelled with extra‧ordinary 非凡的 speed from Pekin, whither he had been called to receive his appointment 约定 at the hands of the emperor 皇帝 himself; who is said to have even shed tears, as he parted with him.

He lost not a moment, upon his arrival 到达 at Canton, in setting all the powerful 强大 energies 能源 of his mind to work, to devise 设计 means of accomplishing 完成；实现；达到；做到 his ends. He determined to endeavour to put a complete stop to the traffic 交通 in opium 鸦片, both on the part of his own people and on that of foreigners 外国人; and his great aim was to "control, curb 抑制, and humble 谦逊的," the foreign community generally.

From this time forth, it became very evident 明显, that great and complicated 使复杂化 events must be looked for upon the political horizon 地平线. Even Captain Elliot himself could hardly hope that his little star of diplomacy 外交 could light the road to a solution of the difficulties, without an ultimate 最终 resort 4 to arms.

It is true, that for a brief 简要 interval 间隔 previous 以前 to Lin's arrival 到达, the prospect 展望 seemed to brighten 变亮 consider‧able 相当. Captain Elliot had partially 部分 succeeded in establishing 建立 direct official inter‧course 交往 with the governor of Canton; for it had been at length agreed, that all sealed 封上，海豹 communications 通讯 coming from the chief superintendent 所长, should be delivered into the hands of the governor, and the seal 封上，海豹 broken by him only. This was a great point gained; and Elliot seems to have managed it with consider‧able 大量 tact. Nevertheless 虽然, the correspondence 对应 could not be said even now, to be carried on upon terms of "perfect equality 平等;" and even this concession 让步 was quite as much a matter of necessity to the governor, as it was to Captain Elliot; for the cessation 戒烟 of inter‧course 交往 had been a source 资源 of equal embarrassment 困窘 to them both.

This Governor Tang was a crafty, cringing, self 自己-interested man; he derived 派生 immense 3 sums 和 from opium 鸦片, and his own son was said to be employed in the clandestine traffic 交通, against which, the father was uttering 说出 severe denunciations, followed by severer persecutions 迫害.

Lin after‧ward 之后 suspected, and, perhaps, even discovered his delinquencies 犯罪; and Tang became a willing and submissive instrument, if not a cringing sycophant. But his day of punishment 惩罚 came at last.

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