III.

A white man bathing (S. 16, N. 4) by the side of a Tahitian was[1] like a plant bleached (S. 7, N. 3, attrib.) by the gardener’s art compared[2] with a fine dark-green _one_ growing vigorously[3] in the field. Most of the men are tatooed, and the ornaments follow the curvature[4] of the body so[5] gracefully, that they[6] have a very elegant effect. The most common pattern, varying[7] in its details, is _somewhat_ like[16] the crown of a palm-tree. It springs[8] from the central line of the back, and gracefully curls[9] round both sides. The simile may[10] be a fanciful one, but I[11] thought the body of a man thus ornamented[12] was (App. §§ 29 and 30) like[13] the trunk of a noble tree embraced[14] by a delicate creeper.

Many of the elder people[15] had their feet covered with small figures, so[16] placed as to resemble a sock. This fashion, however, is partly gone[17] by, and has been succeeded[18] by others. Here[19], although fashion is far from immutable, every one must abide[20] by that prevailing at his youth. An old man has thus[21] his age for ever stamped on his body, and _he_ cannot assume[22] the airs of a young dandy. The women are tatooed in the same manner as the men, and[23] very commonly on their fingers.

In[24] returning to the boat, we witnessed[25] a very pretty scene. Numbers[26] of children were playing on the beach, and had lighted bonfires, which illuminated the placid sea and[27] surrounding trees; others, in[28] circles, were singing Tahitian verses. We seated ourselves on the sand, and[29] joined their party. The songs were impromptu[30], and[31] I believe related to our arrival. One little girl sang a line[32], which[33] the rest took up in parts, forming[34] a very pretty chorus. The whole scene made[35] us unequivocally aware that[36] we were seated on the shore of an island in the far-famed[37] South Sea.—CHARLES DARWIN.

[1] = appeared.

[2] = in (contracted with the Dat. of the def. art.) comparison.

[3] = in full vigour (+Kraft+, f.).

[4] +Kurvatur+, f.

[5] +auf eine so anmutige Weise.+

[6] they have a = they are of.

[7] varying — details = the single parts of which often differ (+ab´weichen+) from each other.

[8] springs from, +geht ... aus+; from — back, +vom Rückgrat+ (spine).

[9] to curl round, +sich um ... herum´winden+.

[10] may — one = is perhaps fanciful (+phantastisch+).

[11] +ich dachte bei mir selbst.+

[12] Use the attribut. const.

[13] +wie.+

[14] = which is embraced (+umschlin´gen+, insep. comp. str. v.) by (S. 106, N. 23) a delicate (+zart+) creeper (+Schlingpflanze+, f.).

[15] = men.

[16] = which were so arranged that they resembled (+gleichen+, to be like, str. v. governing the Dat.) a sock.

[17] = antiquated, +veraltet+.

[18] +verdrängt+, i.e. displaced.

[19] Say ‘Although fashion here is far from (+weit davon entfernt+) being (S. 1, N. 3) immutable.

[20] to abide by a thing, +bei etwas verbleiben+. Use the attributive constr. in this clause.

[21] +Auf diese Weise+, which place at the head of the period. ‘Old’, here +bejahrt+; ‘to stamp’, here +aus´prägen+.

[22] to assume the airs of a dandy, +den Stutzer spielen+. Render ‘not’ by ‘not possibly’, +unmöglich+.

[23] = but generally also.

[24] = When we returned to the vessel.

[25] Yesterday I witnessed a very pretty scene, +gestern bot sich mir ein sehr hübsches Schauspiel dar+.

[26] = Numerous children.

[27] +und die in der Nähe stehenden Bäume.+

[28] = who formed a circle (+Kreis+, m.), sang verses in their mother-tongue (i.e. native language).

[29] = and joined them (+sich an´schließen+, sep. comp. str. v. refl., governing the Dat.).

[30] +aus dem Stegreif.+

[31] = and related (+sich beziehen+, insep. comp. irreg. v. refl.), I believe (inverted), to (+auf+) our arrival.

[32] the ‘line’ of a verse is generally rendered by ‘+Strophe+’, f.

[33] which — parts, +welche von den übrigen mehrstimmig aufgenommen wurde+.

[34] = and formed.

[35] made — aware, +legte unzweifelhaftes Zeugnis davon ab+.

[36] = that we found ourselves.

[37] here +vielbesungen+, adj.

_Section 172._

AUDUBON[1], THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGIST, RELATES HOW NEARLY[2] A THOUSAND OF HIS ORIGINAL DRAWINGS WERE DESTROYED.

I left the village _of_ Henderson, in Kentucky, situated[3] on the banks of the Ohio, where I[4] resided for several years, to proceed[5] to Philadelphia on business. I (S. 115, N. 1) looked[6] to my drawings before my departure, placed them carefully in a wooden box, and gave[7] them in charge of a relative, with[8] injunctions to see that no injury should happen to them. My absence was of (= lasted) several months; and when I returned, after[9] having enjoyed the pleasures of home _for_ a few days, I inquired[10] after my box, and[11] what I was pleased to call my treasure. The box was produced[12] and opened; but[13], reader, feel for me—a pair _of_ Norway rats had taken possession of the whole, and reared a young family among the gnawed[14] bits of paper, which, but[15] a month previous, had represented nearly a thousand inhabitants of[16] the air! The burning heat which[17] instantly rushed through my brain was too great without[18] affecting my whole nervous system. I slept for (S. 166, N. 10) several nights, and the days passed like[19] days of oblivion—until[20] the animal powers being recalled into action, through the strength of my constitution, I[21] took up my gun, my note-book and my pencils, and went forth to the woods as gaily as if nothing had happened. I[22] felt pleased that I might now make better drawings than before; and, ere a period not exceeding three years had elapsed, my portfolio was again filled.—JOHN AUDUBON.

[1] +~John James Audubon~, der berühmte amerikanische Ornithologe (oder Vogelkundige), geboren den 4. Mai 1780 in Louisiana, gestorben den 27. Januar 1851 zu New-York, befuhr die Ströme und Flüsse des Westens, um die Vögel zu beobachten und zu zeichnen.+

[2] nearly a thousand, +nahe an tausend+.

[3] Use the attributive constr., and see S. 7, N. 3, and S. 48, N. 6.

[4] = I had resided for (+seit+).

[5] +reisen+; on business, +in Geschäften+.

[6] to look to a thing, +nach etwas sehen+.

[7] to give a thing in charge to a person, +einem etwas überge´ben+.

[8] = with the express command to protect (+bewahren+) them from (+vor+) any (+jeder+) injury.

[9] = and had enjoyed. The pleasures of home, +die Freuden der Häuslichkeit+.

[10] to inquire after a thing, +nach etwas fragen+.

[11] = and after (+nach+) my treasure, as I was pleased to call its contents (+wie ich dessen Inhalt gerne zu bezeichnen pflegte+).

[12] = brought.

[13] = but have pity on (+mit+) me, O reader!

[14] +zernagt+; bits of paper, +Papierfetzen+.

[15] +noch vor einem Monat.+

[16] +der Lüfte+, which is the poetic form.

[17] = which instantly took possession of my brain (+Gehirn+, n.). To take possession of a thing, +sich einer Sache bemächtigen+.

[18] +um nicht auch mein ganzes Nervensystem zu erschüttern.+

[19] like — oblivion, +im gänzlichen Vergessen alles Geschehenen+.

[20] = till my vital powers (+Lebenskräfte+) were reanimated (+wieder angeregt waren+, App. § 17) through the strength of my constitution (+Natur+, f.).

[21] Say ‘and I was able (+imstande sein+) to take up (+ergreifen+) my gun (+Büchse+, f.), my sketch-book and my pencils to (S. 19, N. 7) go therewith again as (+so+) cheerfully into the woods as if nothing had happened (+als ob nichts vorgefallen wäre+)’.

[22] Say ‘It gave me pleasure to think that I would now perhaps produce better drawings than ever (+je+) before; and even before (+noch ehe+) three years had passed away, my portfolio was again filled with drawings.

_Section 173._

THE BATTLE OF[1] KASSASSIN.