benito cereno-第15部分

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end　favourable　to　the　assailants。　　　　　Meantime；　with　a　strong　wind；　the　ship　still　clove　the　water；　the　boats　alternately　falling　behind；　and　pulling　up；　to　discharge　fresh　volleys。　　　　　The　fire　was　mostly　directed　toward　the　stern；　since　there；　chiefly；　the　Negroes；　at　present；　were　clustering。　But　to　kill　or　maim　the　Negroes　was　not　the　object。　To　take　them；　with　the　ship；　was　the　object。　To　do　it；　the　ship　must　be　boarded；　which　could　not　be　done　by　boats　while　she　was　sailing　so　fast。　　　　　A　thought　now　struck　the　mate。　Observing　the　Spanish　boys　still　aloft；　high　as　they　could　get；　he　called　to　them　to　descend　to　the　yards；　and　cut　adrift　the　sails。　It　was　done。　About　this　time；　owing　to　causes　hereafter　to　be　shown；　two　Spaniards；　in　the　dress　of　sailors　and　conspicuously　showing　themselves；　were　killed；　not　by　volleys；　but　by　deliberate　marksman's　shots；　while；　as　it　afterwards　appeared；　during　one　of　the　general　discharges；　Atufal；　the　black；　and　the　Spaniard　at　the　helm　likewise　were　killed。　What　now；　with　the　loss　of　the　sails；　and　loss　of　leaders；　the　ship　became　unmanageable　to　the　Negroes。　　　　　With　creaking　masts　she　came　heavily　round　to　the　wind；　the　prow　slowly　swinging　into　view　of　the　boats；　its　skeleton　gleaming　in　the　horizontal　moonlight；　and　casting　a　gigantic　ribbed　shadow　upon　the　water。　One　extended　arm　of　the　ghost　seemed　beckoning　the　whites　to　avenge　it。　　　　　〃Follow　your　leader！〃　cried　the　mate；　and；　one　on　each　bow；　the　boats　boarded。　Sealing…spears　and　cutlasses　crossed　hatchets　and　handspikes。　Huddled　upon　the　long…boat　amidships；　the　Negresses　raised　a　wailing　chant；　whose　chorus　was　the　clash　of　the　steel。　　　　　For　a　time；　the　attack　wavered；　the　Negroes　wedging　themselves　to　beat　it　back；　the　half…repelled　sailors；　as　yet　unable　to　gain　a　footing；　fighting　as　troopers　in　the　saddle；　one　leg　sideways　flung　over　the　bulwarks；　and　one　without；　plying　their　cutlasses　like　carters'　whips。　But　in　vain。　They　were　almost　overborne；　when；　rallying　themselves　into　a　squad　as　one　man；　with　a　huzza；　they　sprang　inboard；　where；　entangled；　they　involuntarily　separated　again。　For　a　few　breaths'　space　there　was　a　vague；　muffled；　inner　sound　as　of　submerged　sword…fish　rushing　hither　and　thither　through　shoals　of　black…fish。　Soon；　in　a　reunited　band；　and　joined　by　the　Spanish　seamen；　the　whites　came　to　the　surface；　irresistibly　driving　the　Negroes　toward　the　stern。　But　a　barricade　of　casks　and　sacks；　from　side　to　side；　had　been　thrown　up　by　the　mainmast。　Here　the　Negroes　faced　about；　and　though　scorning　peace　or　truce；　yet　fain　would　have　had　a　respite。　But；　without　pause；　overleaping　the　barrier；　the　unflagging　sailors　again　closed。　Exhausted；　the　blacks　now　fought　in　despair。　Their　red　tongues　lolled；　wolf…like；　from　their　black　mouths。　But　the　pale　sailors'　teeth　were　set；　not　a　word　was　spoken；　and；　in　five　minutes　more；　the　ship　was　won。　　　　　Nearly　a　score　of　the　Negroes　were　killed。　Exclusive　of　those　by　the　balls；　many　were　mangled；　their　wounds…　mostly　inflicted　by　the　long…edged　sealing…spears…　resembling　those　shaven　ones　of　the　English　at　Preston　Pans；　made　by　the　poled　scythes　of　the　Highlanders。　On　the　other　side；　none　were　killed；　though　several　were　wounded；　some　severely；　including　the　mate。　The　surviving　Negroes　were　temporarily　secured；　and　the　ship；　towed　back　into　the　harbour　at　midnight；　once　more　lay　anchored。　　　　　Omitting　the　incidents　and　arrangements　ensuing；　suffice　it　that；　after　two　days　spent　in　refitting；　the　two　ships　sailed　in　company　for　Concepcion　in　Chili；　and　thence　for　Lima　in　Peru；　where；　before　the　vice…regal　courts；　the　whole　affair；　from　the　beginning；　underwent　investigation。　　　　　Though；　midway　on　the　passage；　the　ill…fated　Spaniard；　relaxed　from　constraint；　showed　some　signs　of　regaining　health　with　free…will；　yet；　agreeably　to　his　own　foreboding；　shortly　before　arriving　at　Lima；　he　relapsed；　finally　becoming　so　reduced　as　to　be　carried　ashore　in　arms。　Hearing　of　his　story　and　plight；　one　of　the　many　religious　institutions　of　the　City　of　Kings　opened　an　hospitable　refuge　to　him；　where　both　physician　and　priest　were　his　nurses；　and　a　member　of　the　order　volunteered　to　be　his　one　special　guardian　and　consoler；　by　night　and　by　day。　　　　　The　following　extracts；　translated　from　one　of　the　official　Spanish　documents；　will；　it　is　hoped；　shed　light　on　the　preceding　narrative；　as　well　as；　in　the　first　place；　reveal　the　true　port　of　departure　and　true　history　of　the　San　Dominick's　voyage；　down　to　the　time　of　her　touching　at　the　island　of　Santa　Maria。　　　　　But；　ere　the　extracts　come；　it　may　be　well　to　preface　them　with　a　remark。　　　　　The　document　selected；　from　among　many　others；　for　partial　translation；　contains　the　deposition　of　Benito　Cereno；　the　first　taken　in　the　case。　Some　disclosures　therein　were；　at　the　time；　held　dubious　for　both　learned　and　natural　reasons。　The　tribunal　inclined　to　the　opinion　that　the　deponent；　not　undisturbed　in　his　mind　by　recent　events；　raved　of　some　things　which　could　never　have　happened。　But　subsequent　depositions　of　the　surviving　sailors；　bearing　out　the　revelations　of　their　captain　in　several　of　the　strangest　particulars；　gave　credence　to　the　rest。　So　that　the　tribunal；　in　its　final　decision；　rested　its　capital　sentences　upon　statements　which；　had　they　lacked　confirmation；　it　would　have　deemed　it　but　duty　to　reject。

　　　　I；　DON　JOSE　DE　ABOS　AND　PADILLA；　His　Majesty's　Notary　for　the　Royal　Revenue；　and　Register　of　this　Province；　and　Notary　Public　of　the　Holy　Crusade　of　this　Bishopric；　etc。　　　　　Do　certify　and　declare；　as　much　as　is　requisite　in　law；　that；　in　the　criminal　cause　commenced　the　twenty…fourth　of　the　month　of　September；　in　the　year　seventeen　hundred　and　ninety…nine；　against　the　Senegal　Negroes　of　the　ship　San　Dominick；　the　following　declaration　before　me　was　made。

　　　　Declaration　of　the　first　witness；　DON　BENITO　CERENO。

　　　　The　same　day；　and　month；　and　year；　His　Honour；　Doctor　Juan　Martinez　de　Dozas；　Councillor　of　the　Royal　Audience　of　this　Kingdom；　and　learned　in　the　law　of　this　Intendancy；　ordered　the　captain　of　the　ship　San　Dominick；　Don　Benito　Cereno；　to　appear；　which　he　did　in　his　litter；　attended　by　the　monk　Infelez；　of　whom　he　received；　before　Don　Jose　de　Abos　and　Padilla；　Notary　Public　of　the　Holy　Crusade；　the　oath；　which　he　took　by　God；　our　Lord；　and　a　sign　of　the　Cross；　under　which　he　promised　to　tell　the　truth　of　whatever　he　should　know　and　should　be　asked；…　and　being　interrogated　agreeably　to　the　tenor　of　the　act　commencing　the　process；　he　said；　that　on　the　twentieth　of　May　last；　he　set　sail　with　his　ship　from　the　port　of　Valparaiso；　bound　to　that　of　Callao；　loaded　with　the　produce　of　the　country　and　one　hundred　and　sixty　blacks；　of　both　sexes；　mostly　belonging　to　Don　Alexandro　Aranda；　gentleman；　of　the　city　of　Mendoza；　that　the　crew　of　the　ship　consisted　of　thirty…six　men；　beside　the　persons　who　went　as　passengers；　that　the　Negroes　were　in　part　as　follows：

　　　　＇Here；　in　the　original；　follows　a　list　of　some　fifty　names；　descriptions；　and　ages；　compiled　from　certain　recovered　documents　of　Aranda's；　and　also　from　recollections　of　the　deponent；　from　which　portions　only　are　extracted。＇

　　　　…One；　from　about　eighteen　to　nineteen　years；　named　Jose；　and　this　was　the　man　that　waited　upon　his　master；　Don　Alexandro；　and　who　speaks　well　the　Spanish；　having　served　him　four　or　five　years；。。。　a　mulatto；　named　Francesco；　the　cabin　steward；　of　a　good　person　and　voice；　having　sung　in　the　Valparaiso　churches；　native　of　the　province　of　Buenos　Ayres；　aged　about　thirty…five　years。。。。　A　smart　Negro；　named　Dago；　who　had　been　for　many　years　a　gravedigger　among　the　Spaniards；　aged　forty…six　years。。。。　Four　old　Negroes；　born　in　Africa；　from　sixty　to　seventy；　but　sound；　caulkers　by　trade；　whose　names　are　as　follows：…　the　first　was　named　Muri；　and　he　was　killed　（as　was　also　his　son　named　Diamelo）；　the　second；　Nacta；　the　third；　Yola；　likewise　killed；　the　fourth；　Ghofan；　and　six　full…grown　Negroes；　aged　from　thirty　to　forty…five；　all　raw；　and　born　among　the　Ashantees…　Martinqui；　Yan；　Lecbe；　Mapenda；　Yambaio；　Akim；　four　of　whom　were　killed；。。。　a　powerful　Negro　named　Atufal；　who；　being　supposed　to　have　been　a　chief　in　Africa；　his　owners　set　great　store　by　him。。。。　And　a　small　Negro　of　Senegal；　but　some　years　among　the　Spaniards；　aged　about　thirty；　which　Negro's　name　was　Babo；。。。　that　he　does　not　remember　the　names　of　the　others；　but　that　still　expecting　the　residue　of　Don　Alexandro's　papers　will　be　found；　will　then　take　due　account　of　them　all；　and　remit　to　the　court；。。。　and　thirty…nine　women　and　children　of　all　ages。

　　　　＇After　the　catalogue；　the　deposition　goes　on　as　follows：＇

　。。。That　all　the　Negroes　slept　upon　deck；　as　is　customary　in　this　navigation；　and　none　wore　fetters；　because　the　owner；　his　friend　Aranda；　told　him　that　they　were　all　tractable；。。。　that　on　the　seventh　day　after　leaving　port；　at　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　all　the　Spaniards　being　asleep　except　the　two　officers　on　the　watch；　who　were　the　boatswain；　Juan　Robles；　and　the　carpenter；　Juan　Bautista　Gayete；　and　the　helmsman　and　his　boy；　the　Negroes　revolted　suddenly；　wounded　dangerously　the　boatswain　and　the　carpenter；　and　successively　killed　eighteen　men　of　those　who　were　sleeping　upon　deck；　some　with　handspikes　and　hatchets；　and　others　by　throwing　them　alive　overboard；　after　tying　them；　that　of　the　Spaniards　upon　deck；　they　left　about　seven；　as　he　thinks；　alive　and　tied；　to　manoeuvre　the　ship；　and　three　or　four　more　who　hid　themselves　remained　also　alive。　Although　in　the　act　of　revolt　the　Negroes　made　themselves　masters　of　the　hatchway；　six　or　seven　wounded　went　through　it　to　the　cockpit；　without　any　hindrance　on　their　part；　that　in　the　act　of　revolt；　the　mate　and　another　person；　whose　name　he　does　not　recollect；　attempted　to　come　up　through　the　hatchway；　but　having　been　wounded　at　the　onset；　they　were　obliged　to　return　to　the　cabin；　that　the　deponent　resolved　at　break　of　day　to　come　up　the　companionway；　where　the　Negro　Babo　was；　being　the　ringleader；　and　Atufal；　who　assisted　him；　and　having　spoken　to　them；　exhorted　them　to　cease　committing　such　atrocities；　asking　them；　at　the　same　time；　what　they　wanted　and　intended　to　do；　offering；　himself；　to　obey　their　commands；　that；　notwithstanding　th