The Great Ideas Today 1972 0852292759

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Angel

Family

Animal

Fate

Aristocracy

Form

Art

Astronomy

God Good and

Beauty

Government

Being

Habit

Can

Happiness

Chance

History

Change

Honor

Citiz
like, accidental destruction would put an end to the species. Any organism therefore to

he

is

this necessity

if

value

it

perfect individuals

and take their would remain even individuals possessed the power of continually

and

perfectly obvious that

of

species. Individ-

for this reason alone

new and

animals became immortal; it

its

uals are injured by the operation of exter-

should

death. 8

1

lived, the more defective and crippled it would become, and the less perfectly would

are not only valueless to the species, but

they are even harmful, for they take the place of those which are sound.

Hence by

the operation of natural selection, the

life

of our hypothetically immortal individual

would be shortened by the amount which useless to the species. It would be re-

was

and hence the larger individuals would probably decompose or diminish in size. The scarce,

deficiency of

nourishment would lead

to parts

of the organism not being renewed; they would become fixed, and liable to more or less slow

decomposition as dead parts within a living body. The smaller organisms would have a better chance of finding food, the larger ones less chance. That one which gave off several small portions to form each a new organism would have a better chance of leaving descendants like itself than one which divided equally or gave off a large part of itself. Hence it would happen that those which gave off very small portions would probably soon after cease to maintain their own existence while they would leave a numerous offspring. This state of things would be in any case for the advantage of the race, and would therefore, by natural selection, soon become established as the regular course of things, and thus we have the origin of old age,

decay,

when one

and death; for it is evident that more individuals have provided

or

viduals did not die they would soon multipl) inordinate!) and would interfere with each

number of successors they themconsumers of nourishment in a constantly increasing degree, are an injury to those successors. Natural selection therefore weeds them out, and in many cases favours such races as die almost immediately after they have left successors. Many moths and other insects are in this condition, living only to propagate their kind and then immediately dying, some not even taking any food in the perfect and re-

other's health)

productive

that.

l)\

accidental oi spontaneous fission, could

become two organisms, and thus multiply itself indefinitely without increasing in size beyond tfie limits most favourable foi nourishment and ii...

the

stroyed,

408

toidd not he thus exterminated: since be accidentally de

individual only could the

race

would

existence.

survive,

but

if

indi-

Food would become

a

sufficient

selves, as

state.

The Duration of

duced to a length which would afford the most favourable conditions for the existence of as large a

number

individuals, at the

same time.

by these considerations death

If

to

as possible of vigorous

be a beneficial occurrence,

follows that

is

shown

by no means

be solely accounted for

to

it is

it

on grounds of utility. Death might also depend upon causes which lie in the nature of life itself. The floating of ice upon water seems to us to be a useful arrangement,

although the fact that

upon

does

it

depends

float

molecular structure and not upon the fact that its doing so is of any advanits

manner

tage to us. In like

the necessity of

death has been hitherto explained

poraries believe that a race of

I

I

consider that death

not a primary necessity, but that

been secondarily acquired I

believe that

life is

it

has

an adaptation.

as

endowed with

duration, not because

it

a fixed

contrary to

is

its

existed

constructed, contain within

The

question

however arises as to how this has come to pass; and I reply that death is to be looked upon as an occurrence which is advantageous to the species as a concession to the outer conditions absolute

of

Death, that

is

and not

life,

essentially

necessity,

end

the

of

as

an

inherent

in

life,

by no

is

usually assumed, an attribute

is

An immense number

of all organisms.

of this explanation; is

now

themselves the germs of death.

means, as

in the validity

contem-

the least doubt, that the higher organisms, as they are

which are inherent in organic naand not to the fact that it may be

do not however believe

his

men

which the individuals died regularly every year on the 27th of November, and returned to life on the 24th of the following April. There cannot however be

life itself.

advantageous.

Weismann

in Russia, of

to causes ture,

made

Colonel Aless. Guaguino

due

as

Lite:

low organisms do not

die,

of

although they are

being killed by heat, poi-

easily destroyed,

As long, however, as those conditions which are necessary for their life are fulfilled, they continue to live, and they thus carry the potentiality of unending life sons, etc.

am

speaking not only of

nature to be unlimited, but because the

in themselves.

unlimited existence of individuals would

the

be a luxury without any corresponding ad-

but also of far more highly organized uni-

vantage.

upon leads

The above-mentioned

the

me

origin

and

hypothesis of

necessity

to believe that the

The

process of fission in the

Amoeba has I am well

been recently much discussed, and

not finally cease to renew the worn-out

cell

aware that the

material because the nature of the

did

erally believed to

cells

the low unicellular Algae,

cellular animals, such as the Infusoria.

death

organism did

I

Amoebae and

of the individual

life

come

not permit them to multiply indefinitely,

division which gives rise to two

but because the power of multiplying

viduals, as

was

definitely

lost

when

it

in-

ceased to be of

I

consider that this view,

if

not exactly

proved, can at any rate be rendered ex-

It is useless to

object that

the higher animals)

dies

man

(or

any of

from the physical

necessity of his nature, just as the specific

gravity of ice results from ture.

I

am

its

physical na-

quite ready to admit that this

is

John Hunter,* supported by his experiments on anabiosis, hoped to prolong

the case.

the

life

freezing

of

man

indefinitely

and thawing; and

by alternate the

Veronese

new

indi-

the same thing. But this process cannot be

What

is it

Where

that dies?

is

the dead body?

Nothing

dies; the

bod)

of the animal only divides into two siinil.n parts, possessing the

tremely probable.

gen-

death and reproduction were

if

truly called death.

use.

is

an end with the

to

of these parts

is

same constitution. Each

exactly

like

1

its

parent, lives

same manner, and finally also cli\ul( is into two hakes. As lar as these organisms are concerned, death can onl\ be spoken ol in the

in

the most

There

are

figurative sense.

no grounds

lot

the assumption

•(1728-93), English surgeon, anatomist, and physiologist.

409

Great Books Library

Amoeba

the two halves of an

thai

are dif-

ferently constituted internally, so that after

time our

them will die while the other continues to live. Such an idea is disproved l>\ a recently discovered fact. It has been .i

noticed

l

Euglypha (one of the Foraminilow animals of the same

in

and group,

in other

when

that

division

is

almost com-

and the two halves are only con-

plete,

there

nothing comparable

is

the higher organisms. Unicellular animals are too simply constructed for this to be

an infusorian

possible. If

some part

loss of

its

jury

too great

is

always

both parts begins to circulate, and for some

destruction.

complete mingling of the

whole substance of the animal and a resulting identity in the constitution of each half brought

thus

is

about

before

the

final

separation.

The it

parent animal does not exactly

vidual. it is

nevertheless disappears as an indi-

cannot however

I

also

let this

maintained that the

pass unless

man

of to-day

no longer the same individual as the boy of twenty years ago. In the growth of man, neither structure nor the components of structure remain precisely the same; the is

material

continually changing.

is

If

we can

an Amoeba endowed with selfconsciousness, it might think before dividimagine

ing "I will give birth to a daughter," and I

have no doubt that each half would

re-

paid the other as the daughter, and would consider itself to be the original parent.

We

cannot however appeal to

personality in the

of

this criterion

Amoeba, but

there

decide the matter:

to

uity of

Now with

life if

I

is

refer to the contin-

same form. numerous organisms, endowed in the

the potentiality of never-ending

life,

have real existence, the question arises as to whether the- fact can be understood from the

point

of

been shown for

the

view to

higher

of

be a

utility.

If

death has

necessary adaptation

organisms,

why should

it

not be so for the lower also? Are they not

decimated by enemies? Are they not often impelled:' \re they not worn out by contact

410

with the external world? Although they

it

The

dies.

if

often

the in-

alternative

or

integrity

may

complete

leave this part of the sub-

obvious that normal death,

is

death which

arises from interan impossibility among these lower organisms. In those species at any

that

to say,

is

is

which

fission

is

accompanied by a

circulation of the protoplasm of the parent,

must possess the same

the two halves

potentiality for

endowed

so

is

the species

if

the

that

clear

is

to persist,

other exactly

similar

must be endowed with equal

now

Let us

quali-

endowed with a unending life, and must be

Since one of them

ties.

consider

how

it

is

half

potentiality.

happened and plants,

it

that the multicellular animals

which arose from unicellular forms of life, came to lose this power of living for ever. The answer to this question is closely

bound up with

the principle of division of

labour which appeared

among

multicellu-

and which has gradually led to the production of greater and greater complexity in their lar

organisms

at

a

very early stage,

structure.

me

nevertheless a criterion which seems to

it

nal causes,

rate in

objection might perhaps be raised

that, if the die,

for

ject,

injured by the

is

body,

its

it

perfect

We may now

time passes backwards and forwards between

of

former integrity, but

recover

is

A

to that deteri-

oration of the body which takes place in

nected by a short strand, the protoplasm of

the two halves.

destroyed by other animals,

certainly

are

The

first

multicellular organism was prob-

but these units

ably a cluster of similar

cells,

soon

homogeneity. As the

lost their original

result of cells

the

mere

relative position,

were especially

fitted

to

some

of the

provide for

nutrition of the colony, while others

undertook the work of reproduction. Hence the single group would come to be divided into two groups of cells, which may be called

somatic and reproductive— the

cells

body as opposed to those which are concerned with reproduction. This differentiation was not at first absolute, and indeed

of the

it

is

not always so to-day.

Among

the lower

The Duration of

Metazoa, such as the polypes, the capacity for reproduction still exists to such a degree in the somatic cells, that a small number of

them are able to give rise to a new organism—in fact new individuals are normally produced by means of so-called buds. Furthermore,

well

it is

known

many

that

of the

higher animals have retained considerable powers of regeneration; the salamander can replace

its

lost tail or foot,

can reproduce

horns, eyes,

its

and the

snail

Weismann

Life:

tecting the individual from accidents, and from the deterioration which follows them.

Normal death could not

take place

among

unicellular organisms, because the individ-

and the reproductive cell are one and on the other hand, normal death possible, and as we see, has made its ap-

ual

the same: is

among

pearance,

multicellular organisms in

which the somatic and reproductive

cells

are distinct.

etc.

have endeavoured

I

death as

to explain

As the complexity of the Metazoan body increased, the two groups of cells became more sharply separated from each other. Very soon the somatic cells surpassed the reproductive in number, and during this increase they became more and more broken

have suggested that such restriction may conceivably follow from a limitation

up by

unable to indicate the molecular and chem-

into

As

the principle of the division of labour

separated systems of

sharply

tissues.

power

these changes took place, the

of

reproducing large parts of the organism was lost, while the power of reproducing the whole individual became concentrated in the reproductive cells alone.

But

it

somatic

power

does not therefore follow that the cells

of

were compelled to

unlimited

lose

the

cell-production,

al-

though in accordance with the law of heredity, they could only give rise to cells which resembled themselves, and belonged to the same differentiated histological system. But

normal death seems to teach us that they have lost even this power, the causes of the loss must be sought outside

the result of restriction in the powers of re-

production possessed by the somatic

and

in the

the organism, that life;

is

to say, in the external

and we have already seen

that death can be very well explained as a

acquired adaptation.

secondarily

productive

cells

The

re-

cannot lose the capacity

number

of cell-generations possible

and

for the cells of each organ

duration of

its

upon which the power of reproduction de-

demand an

explana-

tion of the nature of heredity— a

problem

pends: to ask this

is

to

occupy many generations of scientists. At present we can hardly venture to propose any explanation

may

the solution of which

still

of the real nature of heredity.

But the question must be answered as whether the kind and degree of reproductive power resides in the nature of the cell itself, or in any way depends upon the to

quality of

its

nutriment.

Virchow, in his Cellular Pathology, has

remarked that the

cells are

not only nour-

ished, but that they actively supply themselves

with food.*

condition of the

therefore the internal

If

cell

is

offered,

cells

may

it

whether

decides

shall accept or reject the

becomes conceivable that power of refusing

possess the

absorb nutriment, and therefore

which they belong would suffer extincBut the somatic cells have lost this power to a gradually increasing extent, so that at length they became restricted to a fixed, though perhaps very large number of cell-generations. This restriction, which

to

tion.

implies the continual influx of viduals,

has

new

been explained above

of

undergo further division, 'Modern embryology affords

proofs,

and

in

the segmentation

in

the

changes,

that

cmscs

forms of reproductive

f

us

the

all

to

ceasing

man) ovum,

developmental

subsequent the

it

nutriment which

for unlimited reproduction, or the species to

am

tissue. I

ical properties of the cell

as the fact of

conditions of

cells,

I

i

activity

the

different

witnessed

in

indias

a

result of the impossibility of entirely pro-

*

Rudolf Virchow (1821-1902), the founder of

cellular pathology. See

GBWW,

Vol.

3. p.

1213.

411

Great Books Library

cell*

the essential nature of the cells

in

lie

Wh)

themselves.

one

hall

eggs proceed twice as

certain

ol

as

rapidl)

does the segmentation of

Why do ectoderm divide so much

of the other half?

that

the cells of the

mote quickly than those of the endoderm? does not only the rate, but also the

\\'h\

produced (so far as we can follow them) always remain the same? Why

number

of cells

does the multiplication of

cells

every

in

part of the blastoderm take place with the

amount

exact

and rapidity

of energy

neces-

produce the various elevations,

sary to

invaginations,

which the different

in

etc.,

folds,

organs and tissues have their origin, and

from which

finally the

organism

itself arises?

There can be no doubt that the causes of these

all

phenomena

themselves; that in the

which

ovum and

immediately

are

derived

cells

(I

might almost say

Why

should

and

it

any more than that of unlimited is

as

everywhere a

maximum

our experience goes,

The mosquito

size,

There

life.

which, as far

never surpassed.

is

never reaches the

size of

an

elephant, nor the elephant that of a whale.

Upon what

does

this

depend?

tation entirely

Is

Or

external obstacle to growth?

there any

is

the limi-

imposed from within?

Perhaps you may answer, that there

is an between the increase of surface and mass, and it cannot be denied that these relations do largely deter-

established

mine the

relation

size of

never reach the

A

the body.

of an

size

cause, constituted as

it

it

is,

beetle could

elephant,

be-

would be

in-

from

dimensions. But nevertheless the relations

it,

specific)

not also exist in

mature animal? The phenomena of heredity which make their appearance even in old age afford us the young,

this that

capable

mode and energy of cell-multiplication. And why should we regard this inherited tendency as confined to the building up of the embryo?

we do not mean by

life,

they possess the power of unlimited growth

the cells

tendency towards a certain

there exists a

determined

within the

lie

animals are said to grow during the whole of their

later in the

existence

of

if

attained

it

such

between surface and mass do not form the why any given individual does

only reason

not exceed the average

size

Each individual does not the largest possible tion

from

its its

cause

cells

it

grow

to

becomes insuffigrow be-

ceases to

cannot be

ished in consequence of

species.

its

until the absorp-

digestive area

mass; but

cient for its

size,

of

strive to

nour-

sufficiently its

increased

size.

regulate the growth of the organism during

The giants which occasionally appear in the human species prove that the plan upon which man is constructed can also be car-

the whole of

ried out

proofs that a tendency towards a certain

mode

ol

he

I

continues

(ell-multiplication

its

to

life.

above-mentioned

considerations

show us that the degree of reproductive present

fit]

regulated

is

interna] causes, while the natural death

Ia ol

the tissues

in

an organism

is

the termination— the he-

reditary

limitation— of the process of

division,

which began in the segmentation

ol

the

ovum.

Ulow me tion

mer.

to suggest a

further considera-

which may be compared with the

The organism

is

time, but also in space: a

cell-

limited period, but

for-

not only limited in it

it

not onl\ lives for

can only attain

Many animals grow

a

limited

size.

lull si/e

long before their natural end: and

although

412

many

fishes,

reptiles,

to

their

and lower

on

a scale

the normal one.

which

If

is

far larger

the size of the

than

body

depends upon amount of nutriment, would be possible to make giants and dwarfs at will. But we know, on the contrary, that the size of the body is hereditary in families to a very marked extent; in fact so much so that the size of an individual depends chiefly upon heredity, and not upon amount of food. These observations point to the concluchiefly

it

sion

that the size of the individual

reality pre-determined, tially

and

that

it is

is

in

poten-

contained in the egg from which the

individual develops.

We know

further that the growth of the

individual depends chiefly

upon

the multi-

a

The Duration of plication of cells

upon

tent

and only

to a slight ex-

the growth of single

cells.

It

is

therefore clear that a limit of growth is imposed by a limitation in the processes by which cells are increased, both as regards the number of cells produced and the rate at which they are formed. How could we

otherwise explain the fact that an animal

grow long before

ceases to

its

has reached

it

the physiologically attainable

maximum

without at the same time

species,

of

suffer-

ing any loss of vital energy?

In

many

cases at least, the

duty of an organism,

upon

lows

the

viz.

tion—the

upon

most important

attainment of

full

fol-

size—

which induced Johannes Miiller to the prevailing hypothesis which explained the death of animals as due to "the

of

increase of which

gave

first

ture animal, cell-reproduction

but

time

compensates for

just

it

begins to decline. sated for,

the

The

tions incompletely, is

waste

environment,

inorganic

ginning," while the facts indicate that this is

not

why the egg should give rise to a fixed number of cell-generations, although perhaps a number which varies widely within certain limits, we may now refer to the operation of natural selection upon the relation of surface to mass, and upon other physiological necessities further asked

which are peculiar a certain size

is

to the species.

Because

the most favourable for a

certain plan of organization, the process of

natural selection size

determined that such

should be within certain variable This

characteristic of each species.

a

limits, size

is

then transmitted from generation to generation, for

when once

for the species, the

established as normal

most favourable

size is

potentially present in the reproductive

from which each individual If

that

conclusion holds, and

this

no

against

is

essential it,

cell

developed. I

believe

objection can be raised

some and then not compen-

loss, is

and thus the way

prepared, until

its

final

for

appearance

by one of the three great Atria mortis. I admit that which to base

reproduction of

deficient

same time

the

at

cells:

supposition gains in prob-

this

when we

ability

wanting upon is a pure changes are due to

facts are still

this hypothesis. It

are enabled to reduce the

limitations of the organism in both time

and space

to

one and the same principle.

cannot however be asserted under any

It

circumstances that that the

ovum

it

is

a pure supposition

possesses a capacity for cell-

multiplication which

so. 4

If it is

goes on, for

perform their func-

tissues

supposition that senile

the

still

no longer exceeds the waste;

it

a

of

rise to the char-

form of the mature body, and then continued at a slower rate. In the ma-

fact

which gradually wear away the life of the individual." He argued that, if this were the case, "the organic energy of an individual would steadily decrease from the be-

the rapid

cells,

acteristic

reject

influences

depends

life— also

the multiplication of

death

reproduction,

duration

Weismann

Life:

is

limited both as to

numbers produced and

rate of production.

The

fact

average

each species maintains an

that

size is a sufficient

proof of the truth

of this conclusion.

Hitherto

I

have only spoken of animals

and have hardly mentioned

plants.

should

I

not have been able to consider them

had

it

not happened that a work

at all,

Hilde-

i

brand's* has recently appeared, which has, for the

first

time, provided us with

exact

observations on the duration ol plant-life.

The

chief results obtained

this

l>\

agree very well with the view which

brought

before

you

also

is

that

by no

it

ma\

l

life

means completely be

\ci\

I

have

Eiildebrand

to-day.

shows that the duration

author

in

plants

fixed,

considerably

alti

and red

through the agency ol the externa] condi tions of lib'. He shows th.it, in COUTSC ol time,

and under (hanged conditions

entering

same

the

unlike

i

intriguante's one stnistei eye peering

across the Plaza from the Indian loop-hole oi

her dusk saya-y-manto. It

might have been but

Cap-

watched

might have deepened into some uneasiness had he not been a pertain Delano's surprise

of

company with

in

vapours,

at that day, associated with those

matin

Ear

from her cabin streamed equivocally enough; like the sun— In tins time hemisphered

sort of stories, seas,

the

much

on the run

a

facili

tated

foreshadowing

upon entering

however uninhabited

watch her— a proceeding not much

they

Delano's surprise, the stranger,

viewed through the

though

fitfully

meadows

Shadows present, deeper shadows to come. storms.

To Captain

flights

among which

that ocean.

but,

the

a

deception

oi the

longer the strangei

was

Ik appean manoeuvres, lie long it seemed hard t e rendered. But. .is it was, to

unwilling anew to subjei

I

himseli

i

rebuffs,

455

Tsm

»

,¥

[^

-f-

Benito Cereno: Melville

now

he resolved,

Dominick

had seen the San

that he

moored, immediately

safely

to

quit her, without further allusion to hos-

motioned toward his hat; then, in an instant, all was eclipsed in sinister muteness and gloom. Did this imply one brief, re-

pitality or business. Indefinitely

pentant relenting

his ulterior plans,

some iniquitous

ture

according

actions

future

to

His boat was ready

stances.

but

postponing he would regulate his fu-

his

host

still

him;

below.

Well,

tarried

thought Captain Delano,

circum-

to receive

he has little breeding, the more need to show mine. He descended to the cabin to bid a ceremonious, and,

it

may

if

be, tacitly rebukeful adieu.

But to his great satisfaction, Don Benito, as if he began to feel the weight of that treatment with which his slighted guest had,

return to

less

followed by remorse-

His

it?

moment, from

at the final

plot,

glance seemed to

last

express a calamitous, yet acquiescent farewell to Captain Delano forever.

Why

de-

cline the invitation to visit the sealer that

evening?

Or was

the Spaniard less hardened

Jew, who refrained not from supping at the board of him whom the same

than

the

What imported

night he meant to betray? all

those day-long enigmas

and contradic-

except they were intended to mystify,

tions,

not indecorously, retaliated upon him,

now

preliminary to some stealthy blow? Atufal,

supported by his servant, rose to his

feet,

the pretended rebel, but punctual shadow, that

moment

out.

He seemed

and grasping Captain Delano's hand, stood tremulous; too much agitated to speak. But the good augury hence drawn was suddenly

by his

dashed, by his resuming

there?

serve,

all his

with augmented gloom,

previous

as,

re-

on

With

his cushions.

turn of his

own

a corresponding re-

Captain

chilled feelings,

Delano bowed and withdrew. He was hardly midway in the narrow corridor, dim as a tunnel, leading from the cabin to the

stairs,

when

tolling for execution in

on

his ears. It

flawed

bell,

a sound, as of the

some

jail-yard, fell

was the echo of the

ship's

striking the hour, drearily re-

verberated in this subterranean vault. In-

a sentry, and more. Who, own confession, had stationed him Was the negro now lying in wait?

The Spaniard behind— his

with half-

averted eyes, he silently reseated himself

lurked by the threshold with-

fore:

The next moment, with clenched jaw and hand, he passed Atufal, and stood unharmed in the light. As he saw his trim ship lying peacefully at anchor, and almost within ordinary

and

fingers;

He

paused. In

minutest details of

all his

former distrusts

Hitherto, credulous good-nature had been too ready to furnish excuses for reasonable

Why

was the Spaniard,

fluously punctilious at times,

of

common

falling

plying

gravely

still

their

and heard the low, bu/zing whistle

and industrious hum ishers, still bestirring

endless occupation;

of

hatchet-pol-

the

themselves over their

and more than

all,

as

he saw the benign aspect of nature, taking

swept through him.

fears.

pa-

it,

on the short waves by the San Dominick's side; and then, glancing about the decks where he stood, saw the tiently rising

oakum-pickers

images far swifter than these sentences, the

he saw his house-

as

call;

hold boat, with familiar faces in

stantly,

with superstitious suspicions.

be-

the involuntary choice.

his

by a fatality not to be withstood, mind, responsive to the portent, swarmed

creature

rush from darkness to light was

to

so

now

super-

heedless

propriety in not accompanying

her innocent repose in

the

screened sun in the quiet

camp

shining out like the mild

light

ham's all

tent; as

these,

evening;

the

of the west

from

Abra-

charmed eve and ear took

with

the

chained

figure

i

in

the

den more irksome exertion that day. His last equivocal demeanour recurred. He had

and hand relaxed. Once phantoms which had mocked him, and felt something like a tinge of remorse, that. I>\ harbouring them

risen to his feet, grasped his guest's hand.

even for a moment, he should, by implica-

to the side his

departing guest? Did indispo-

sition forbid? Indisposition

had not

forbid-

black, clenched jaw

again he smiled

a!

the

457

Great Books Library

tion,

There was

a

hooked along interval,

a

few minutes' delay, while, in to the

sort

gangway. During

saddened

of

had

the kindly offices he

much

however

that day discharged

Ah, thought he, after good

actions one's conscience

may

is

never ungrateful, party

benefited

the

so

be.

Presently, his foot, in the

the

side-ladder,

his

act of de-

first

scent into the boat, pressed the of

this

satisfaction

over Captain Delano, at thinking of

for a stranger.

face

first

round

presented in-

ward upon the deck. In the same moment, he heard his

name

courteously sounded; and,

to his pleased surprise,

saw

Don

Benito ad-

vancing— an unwonted energy in

his air, as

moment, intent upon making amends for his recent discourtesy. With instinctive good feeling, Captain Delano, withdrawing his foot, turned and reciprocally advanced. As he did so, the Spaniard's at the last

if,

up

their curious eyes.

for the

Spaniard

tone, he said, "I can go no further; here I must bid you adieu. Adieu, my dear, dear Don Amasa. Go— go!" suddenly tearing his hand loose, "go, and God guard you better than me, my best friend." Not unaffected, Captain Delano would now have lingered; but catching the meekly admonitory eye of the servant, with a hasty farewell he descended into his boat, followed by the continual adieus of Don Benito, standing rooted in the gangway. Seating himself in the stern, Captain

Delano, making a

on end.

ordered the

off.

sufficient distance for the oars to

Don

The

be length-

instant that was done,

Benito sprang over the bulwarks,

fall-

ing at the feet of Captain Delano; at the

naked shoulder, and gently holding formed himself into a sort of

same time calling towards his ship, but in tones so frenzied, that none in the boat could understand him. But, as if not equally obtuse, three sailors, from three different and distant parts of the ship, splashed into

on

his

it

there,

crutch.

When

the two captains met, the Span-

iard again fervently took the

American,

at

the

hand

of the

same time casting an

earnest glance into his eyes, but, as before,

much overcome

ness has deceived

me; in no instance has he

to offend.

terminate as a

the servant seemed anxious to it.

And

so

still

presenting him-

and walking between the he advanced with them to-

crutch,

two captains, wards the gangway; while

as

if full

of

Benito would not go the hand of Captain Delano, but

let

kindly contrition,

it

if

intent

still,

swimming after upon his rescue.

asked what

Don

in his, across the black's body.

re-

this

their captain,

officer of the

meant.

To

as

boat eagerly

which, Captain

Delano, turning a disdainful smile upon the

unaccountable Spaniard, answered his part,

Meanwhile, as if fearful that the continuance of the scene might too much unstring his master,

the sea,

The dismayed

to speak.

have done him wrong, self-reproachfully thought Captain Delano; his apparent coldI

458

last salute,

The crew had their oars The bowsman pushed the boat a

boat shoved

hand

him, the servant, placing his master's

tained

open

gangway; but still Don Benito would not let go his hand. And yet, with an agitated

energy failed; so that, the better to support

self

lifted his

foot, to overstep the threshold of the

wise dropped.

meant

Waiting a moment

to relinquish his hold, the

now embarrassed Captain Delano

nervous eagerness increased, but his vital

too

side, look-

ing over into the boat, whose crew turned

obedience to his orders, the boat was being

stole

Soon they were standing by the

have betrayed an atheist doubt of the

ever-watchful Providence above.

that, for

he neither knew nor cared; but

it

seemed as if Don Benito had taken it into his head to produce the impression among his people that the boat wanted to kidnap him. "Or else— give way for your lives," he wildly added, starting at a clattering hub-

bub

in

the

ship,

above which rang the

tocsin of the hatchet-polishers;

and

seizing

Don Benito by

the throat he added, "this

plotting pirate

means murder!" Here,

apparent

verification

of

the

words,

in

the

Benito Cereno: Melville servant, a dagger in his hand,

was seen on the rail overhead, poised, in the act of leap-

ing, as if

with desperate

befriend

fidelity to

his master to the last; while, seemingly to

aid the black, the three white sailors were trying to clamber into the hampered bow.

Meantime, the whole host of negroes,

as

if

inflamed at the sight of their jeopardized

impended

captain,

one sooty avalanche

in

over the bulwarks. All

with what preceded, and what

this,

followed, occurred with such involutions of rapidity,

that

and

present,

past,

future

seemed one.

countenance

lividly

expressing

vindictive,

the centered purpose of his soul; while the

Spaniard, half-choked, was vainly shrinking away, with husky words, incoherent to all

but the Portuguese.

That moment, across the long-benighted mind of Captain Delano, a flash of revelation swept, illuminating, in unanticipated his host's whole mysterious demeanour, with every enigmatic event of the clearness,

day, as well as the entire past voyage of the

He

San Dominick. but his

own

smote Babo's hand down,

heart smote

him

With

harder.

Benito.

he withdrew his hold from Not Captain Delano, but

Benito,

the

Don Don

infinite pity

Seeing the negro coming, Captain Delano

had flung the Spaniard

aside,

almost in the

very act of clutching him, and, by the un-

black,

leaping

in

into

the

presented at Captain Delano's heart, the

had intended to stab. Both the black's hands were held, as, glancing up towards the San Dominick, Captain Delano, now with scales dropped from his eyes, saw the negroes, not in mis-

black seemed of purpose to have leaped

rule,

conscious

servant

in

his

his place, with promptly grappled the

shifting

recoil,

arms thrown up,

so

descent,

there as to his mark.

that

with dagger

But the weapon was

boat,

not in tumult, not as

Don

concerned for

frantically

if

mask

Benito, but with

wrenched away, and the assailant dashed down into the bottom of the boat, which now, with disentangled oars, began to speed

in ferocious piratical revolt. Like delirious

through the

on the poop. Prevented by

At

sea.

this juncture, the left

Delano, on one half-reclining

side,

Don

hand

of Captain

again clutched the

Benito, heedless that he

was in a speechless faint, while his right foot, on the other side, ground the prostrate negro; and his right arm pressed for added speed on the after oar, his eye bent forward, encouraging his men to their utmost. But here, the officer of the boat, who had at last succeeded in beating off the towing sailors, and was now, with face turned aft,

bowsman

torn away, flourishing hatchets, and knives,

black dervishes, the six Ashantees danced

from

their foes

springing into the water, the Spanish boys

were hurrying up

to

topmost

the

while such of the few Spanish already in the sea, helplessly

mixed

on

not

were descried,

less alert, in,

spars,

sailors,

with

the

hailed his

own

deck,

blacks.

Meantime Captain Delano vessel,

ordering the ports up, and the guns

run out. But by this time the (able of the San Dominick had been cut; and the fag« end,

in

lashing

whipped away

out,

the

at his oar,

suddenly

canvas shroud about the beak, sudden 1\

called to Captain Delano, to see

what the

vealing, as the bleached hull

assisting the

black was about; while a Portuguese oars-

towards the open ocean, death

man

what

ure-head, in a

Captain Del-

your leader."

shouted to him to give heed

to

ment on

the Spaniard was saying.

Glancing down

at his feet,

ano saw the freed hand of the servant aiming with a second dagger— a small one, before

concealed in his wool— with

this

he

was snakishly writhing up from the boat's bottom,

at

the

heart

of

his

master,

his

At the face,

human

re

swung round foi

the

skeleton: chalk)

fi.u

com

the chalked words below. "Follow

sight,

wailed

Don

out:

Benito,

"'lis

he,

covering lus

Arandal

my

calling

for

murdered, unburied friend!"

Upon ropes,

reaching

Captain

the

sealer,

Delano bound the negro, 459

Benito Cereno: Melville

who made no

and had him

resistance,

He would then have assisted the now almost helpless Don Benito up the side; but Don Benito, wan as he was,

hoisted to the deck.

refused to move, or be moved, until the

negro should have been

When,

of view.

first

put below out

presently assured that

was

it

done, he no more shrank from the ascent.

The back

was

boat

to pick

up

immediately

sailors.

Meantime, the guns were in readiness, though, owing to the San Dominick having glided somewhat astern of the sealer, only the aftermost one could be brought to bear.

With

this,

they fired six times; thinking to

cripple the fugitive ship by bringing

down

her spars. But only a few inconsiderable ropes were shot away. Soon the ship was

beyond the gun's range, steering broad out of

bay;

the

round

the

the

blacks

thickly

clustering

moment

one

bowsprit,

with

taunting cries towards the whites, the next

with upthrown gestures hailing the

now

dusky moors of ocean— cawing crows

es-

caped from the hand of the fowler. The first impulse was to slip the cables

and give to

upon second

chase. But,

thoughts,

pursue with whale-boat and yawl seemed

The

officers

inquiring of

Don

Benito what

connected

for reasons

also,

with their interests and those of the voyage,

and

a duty

owing

to the owners, strongly

Weighing their remonstrances a moment, Captain Delano felt bound to remain; appointing his chief mate— an athletic and resolute man, who had been a privateer'sman— to head the party. The more to encourage the the

they were

sailors,

Spanish

captain

fire-

told,

that

his

ship

considered

good as lost; that she and her cargo, including some gold and silver, were worth more than a thousand doubloons. Take her, and no small part should be theirs. The sailors replied with a shout.

The

fugitives

had now almost gained an

was nearly night; but the moon was rising. After hard, prolonged pulling, the boats came up on the ship's quarters, at offing.

It

upon their Having no

a suitable distance lying

discharge their muskets. to return, the

upon

the second volley,

fingers.

One

oars to bullets

yells.

But,

Indian-like,

they

negroes sent their

hurled their hatchets.

more promising.

Upon

"What! have you saved my life, Sefior, and are you now going to throw away your own?"

objected against their commander's going.

dispatched

swimming

the three

grasped his arm.

took

off a sailor's

Another struck the whale-boat's bow.

arms they had on board the San Dominick, Captain Delano was answered that they had

cutting off the rope there, and remaining

none

Snatching

because, in the

that could be used;

earlier stages of the

mutiny, a cabin-passen-

stuck in the gunwale like a

the

mate hurled

now

gauntlet

what few muskets there were. But with all his remaining strength, Don Benito entreated the American not to give

quarter-gallery,

chase,

either

with

ship

or

boat;

for

the

negroes had already proved themselves such desperadoes, that, in case of a present assault,

nothing but a

total

whites could be looked

for.

massacre of the But, regarding

The

and

its

the

Hovering now

just

encounter

broken

out

which

a

reception,

respectful distance

reach

of

hurtling hatchets, they, with close

returned

ship's

so remained.

more

a

axe,

lodgment,

The

back. in

negroes giving too hot

the whites kept

a

must

ol

tin

view

to the

soon

come,

SOUght to decoN the blacks into eniiieh (lis arming themselves l their most murderous

hand-to-hand

warning as coming from one whose spirit had been crushed by misery, the

weapons

American did not give up his design. The boats were got ready and aimed Captain Delano ordered his men into them. He was going himself when Don Benito

mark, into the

this

it

stuck

ger, since dead, had secretly put out of order

the locks of

woodman's

quivering from

it,

in

a

ishly flinging

ing

the

them, sea.

stratagem,

their

lost

I"1

i>\

ol

the

But. eie Long, peiceix

the

though not before main place

fight,

as missiles, shoit

negroes ol

desisted.

them had

hatchets with

to ie

handspikes; 461

Great Books Library

exchange

an

proved,

which,

as

upon,

counted

favourable

end,

the

in

the

to

assailants.

Meantime, with

wind, the ship

a strong

clove the water; the boats alternately

still

falling behind,

and pulling up,

to discharge

was mostly directed towards the

fire

since

stern,

like

sprang

they

huzza,

where,

inboard,

en-

tangled, they involuntarily separated again.

For a few breaths' space, there was a vague,

fresh volleys.

The

and one without, plying their carters' whips. But in vain. They were almost overborne, when, rallying themselves into a squad as one man, with a bulwarks,

cutlasses

there,

chiefly,

present, were clustering.

the negroes, at

But

to kill or

maim

muffled, inner sound, as of

rushing

fish

shoals

of

hither

black-fish.

submerged sword-

and

thither

through

a

reunited

Soon,

in

To take To do

band, and joined by the Spanish seamen,

them, with the ship, was the object.

the whites

must be boarded; which could not be done by boats while she was sailing

driving the negroes toward the stern. But a

so fast.

he called to them to descend to

side, had been thrown up by the main-mast. Here the negroes faced about, and though scorning peace or truce, yet fain would have had respite. But, without pause, overleaping

and

the

negroes was not the object.

the

the ship

it,

A

thought

now

struck the mate. Observ-

ing the Spanish boys

could

get,

the yards,

still aloft,

cut adrift the

high

as they

It

sails.

was

done. About this time, owing to causes hereafter

be shown, two Spaniards, in the

to

and conspicuously showing

dress of sailors,

themselves, were killed; not by volleys, but

by deliberate marksman's shots; while, as

it

afterwards appeared, by one of the general discharges, Atufal, the black,

iard at the

helm

and the Span-

likewise were killed.

What

and loss of the ship became unmanageable to

now, with the leaders,

loss of the sails,

With creaking ing

to the

into

to the surface, irresistibly

barricade of casks and sacks, from side to

the

barrier,

unflagging

closed. Exhausted, the blacks

sailors

now

again

fought in

Their red tongues lolled, wolf-like, 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 despair.

from

the

their

long-edged

resembling

sealing-spears,

those shaven ones of the English at Preston

the negroes.

round

came

masts,

came heavily

she

wind; the prow slowly swing-

view of the boats,

skeleton

its

made by

Pans,

Highlanders. killed,

On

the

poled scythes of the

the other side,

none were

though several were wounded; some

The

gleaming in the horizontal moonlight, and

severely, including the mate.

shadow upon the water. One extended arm of the ghost

negroes were temporarily secured, and the

casting a gigantic ribbed

seemed beckoning the whites to avenge it. "Follow your leader!" cried the mate; and, one on each bow, the boats boarded. Seating-spears and cutlasses crossed hatchets and handspikes. Huddled upon the long-

ship,

surviving

towed back into the harbour

night, once

more

at

mid-

lay anchored.

Omitting the incidents and arrangements it that, after two days spent

ensuing, suffice

in refitting, the ships sailed in

company

for

Concepcion, in Chile, and thence for Lima,

boat amidships, the negresses raised a wail-

in Peru; where, before the vice-regal courts,

ing chant, whose chorus was the clash of

the whole affair, from the beginning, underwent investigation. Though, midway on the passage, the illfated Spaniard, relaxed from constraint, showed some signs of regaining health with

i

eel.

For roes

time,

a

the

attack

wedging themselves

wavered; to beat

it

the half-repelled sailors, as yet unable

gain

a

saddle,

462

the

back; to

footing, fighting as troopers in the

one

leg

sideways

flung

over

the

free-will;

yet,

agreeably

to

his

own

fore-

boding, shortly before arriving at Lima, he

Benito Cereno: Melville

becoming

relapsed, finally

so

reduced

as to

be carried ashore in arms. Hearing of his

one of the many religious opened an hospitable refuge to him, where both physician and priest were his nurses, and a mem-

and

story

one

plight,

order volunteered

the

and

special guardian

be his

to

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

Declaration

the

of

The same day and month and year, His Honour, Doctor Juan Martinez de Rozas, Councillor of the Royal Audience of this Kingdom, and learned in the law of this Intendency, ordered the captain of the ship San Dominick, Don Benito Cereno, to ap-

first

place, re-

pear; which he did in his

and true

by the

narrative, as well as, in the

down

history of the San Dominick's voyage,

time of her touching at the island of

But, ere the extracts come,

it

may

be well

them with a remark. document selected, from

The many others,

for partial

among

translation,

con-

tains the deposition of Benito Cereno; the

taken

in

the

case.

Some

Infelez; of

litter,

whom

disclosures

attended

he received

the oath, which he took by God, our Lord,

and

a Sign of the Cross; under which he

of the act,

commencing

on the twentieth

that

whatever he

to tell the truth of

should know and should

be

being interrogated agreeably

to preface

first

monk

promised

Santa Maria.

Don

Witness,

first

Benito Cereno.

veal the true port of departure

to the

the following

me was made:

declaration before

institutions of the City of Kings

ber of

the ship San Dominick,

of

and

asked;

the tenor

to

the process, he said, of

May

last,

he

produce of the country beside hardware and one hundred

therein were, at the time, held dubious for

with

both learned and natural reasons. The tribunal inclined to the opinion that the

thirty cases of

and

deponent, not undisturbed in his mind by

longing to

recent events, raved of some things which

man,

could never have happened. But subsequent

of the ship consisted of thirty-six

depositions of the surviving sailors, bearing

side

out the revelations of their captain in sev-

that the negroes were in part as follows:

the

of

eral

strangest

credence to the in

its

rest.

sixty blacks, of both sexes, mostly

Don Alexandro Aranda, Mendoza;

of the City of

who went

the persons

be-

gentle-

that the crew

men,

be-

as passengers;

[Here, in the original, follows a

So that the tribunal,

final decision, rested its capital sen-

upon statements which, had they lacked confirmation, it would have deemed but duty to

the

gave

particulars,

tences

it

set

with his ship from the port of Valparaiso, bound to that of Callao; loaded sail

some

fifty

of

list

names, descriptions, and ages,

compiled from certain recovered documents and also from recollections of

of Aranda's

the deponent, from which portions onl\ arc

reject.

extracted.]

I,

Don

Jose de Abos and Padilla, His

Majesty's Notary for the Royal Revenue,

and Register Public

Bishoprick,

Do

of this Province,

the

of

Holy

and Notary

Crusade

of

this

and

declare,

as

much

as

is

requisite in law, that, in the criminal cause

commenced

andro, and xuho speaks well the Spanish,

having served him

etc.

certify

—One, from about eighteen to nineteen named Josi, and this was the man Ilex that waited upon his master. Don

years,

the twenty-fourth of the

month

of September, in the year seventeen hundred and ninety-nine, against the negroes

a

mulatto,

\ur or free years; •

named

I-'raneeseo.

the

*

*

cabin

steward, of a good person and voice having sun^ in the Valparaiso churches, native of (he province Of

Buenos Ayres, aged about

thirty-five years. * * *

A

smart negro,

named 463

Great Books Library

.

digger years.

who had been for many years a graveamong the Spaniards, aged forty-six * * * Four old negroes, born in from

Africa,

sixty

seventy, but sound,

to

the

first

whose names are as follows: was named Mure, and he was killed

(as

was

also his son

named Diamelo);

Nacta;

third,

calkers by trade,

second,

the

the

likewise

Yola,

Ghofan; and six fullgrown negroes, aged from thirty to fortyfive, all raw, and born among the Ashantees —Matinqui, Yau, Lecbe, Mapenda, Yambaio, the fourth,

killed;

whom

made them-

wounded went through

to

it

the cockpit,

without any hindrance on their part; that

during the act of revolt, the mate and another person, whose name he does not recol-

attempted

lect,

to

come up through

the

hatchway, but being quickly wounded, were obliged

to

return

cabin; that

the

to

the

deponent resolved at break of day to come up the companion-way, where the negro

have been a chief in Africa, his great store by him. * * * And a

such atrocities, asking them, at the same

were killed;

*

*

*

a

to

owner

set

small

negro

some years

but

Senegal,

of

Spaniards, aged about

the

which negro's name was Babo;

*

*

thirty, *

that

he does not remember the names of the others, but that still expecting the residue of

Don

negroes

Babo was, being the ringleader, and Atufal, who assisted him, and having spoken to

of

powerful negro named Atufal,

among

in the act of revolt the

selves masters of the hatchway, six or seven

who being

Akim, four supposed

themselves, remained also alive. Although

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

[The catalogue

all ages.

over, the deposition goes

on:

them, exhorted them to cease committing

what they wanted and intended to himself, to obey their commands; that notwithstanding this, they threw, in his presence, three men, alive and tied, overboard; that they told the deponent to come up, and that they would not kill him; which having done, the negro Babo asked him whether there were in those seas any negro countries where they might be carried, and he answered them, No; that time,

do,

offering,

the negro

Babo afterwards

them

Senegal, or to the neighbouring

to

told

him

to carry

and he answered, was impossible, on account of the

islands of St. Nicholas; *

*

That

*

deck, as

is

customary in

none wore

fetters,

tractable; * * * that

leaving port, at

morning,

all the

this

because the owner, his

friend Aranda, told

ter

upon navigation, and

the negroes slept

all

him

that they were on the seventh day

three

o'clock

all af-

the

in

Spaniards being asleep ex-

cept two officers of the watch,

who were

the

Juan Robles, and the carpenter, Juan Bautista Gayete, and the helmsman and his boy, the negroes revolted sudboat-swain,

denly,

wounded dangerously

and the carpenter, and -en

upon

men

of

those

the boat-swain

successively killed

who were

some with handspikes and others by throwing them

overboard, after tying them;

Spaniards upon deck, they as

left

that

464

distance,

the

involved

necessity

of

rounding Cape Horn, the bad condition of the vessel, the want of provisions, sails, and water; but that the negro Babo replied to him he must carry them in any way; that they would do and conform themselves to anything the deponent should require as to eating and drinking; that after a long conference, being absolutely compelled to please

them, for they threatened if they were not, at

whites

ried to Senegal, he told

to

kill

all

the

all events, car-

them

that

what was

and alive

thence they would proceed on their course;

the

that the negro Babo agreed to it; and the deponent steered towards the intermediate ports, hoping to meet some Spanish or foreign vessel that would save them; that

of

about seven,

he thinks, alive and tied, to manoeuvre

the ship,

great

most wanting for the voyage was water; that they would go near the coast to take it, and

sleeping

deck,

hatchets,

that this

and three or four more, who hid

Benito Cereno: Melville

within ten or eleven days they saw the land,

the death of

and continued

would

cinity of

their course by

in the vi-

it

Nasca; that the deponent observed

that the negroes were

now

restless

and mu-

tinous, because he did not effect the taking in

of

water,

the

negro Babo having

quired, with threats, that

without

fail,

re-

should be done,

it

the following day; he told

him

he saw plainly that the coast was steep, and

maps were not

the rivers designated in the to be

found, with other reasons suitable

to

Don Alexandro,

best be given; but, that

that the death of

Don Alexandro was

ponent,

all

him and

he should perceive any

the rest; that the de-

the friend,

from youth,

of

Alexandro, prayed and conjured, but was useless; for the negro Babo answered

nent did not go to Pisco, that was near, nor

moment

who was

Don

island, as the foreigners did; that the depo-

make any other port of the coast, because the negro Babo had intimated to him several times, that he would kill all the whites

in-

Raneds, who was sleeping in the cabin, before the thing was done, for fear, as the deponent understood it, that the mate, who was a good navigator, should be killed with

Don Alexandro and

being a solitary

this last

tended; and moreover the negro Babo proposed to the deponent to call the mate

be to go to the island of they might water easily,

it

warning

meant, the deponent did not at the time comprehend, nor could not, further than

the circumstances; that the best

way would Santa Maria, where

that

what

if

in

that the thing could not be prevented, that all the Spaniards risked their death

they should attempt to frustrate his will this matter, or

any other,

that, in

this

Santa Maria, as the deponent had planned,

deponent called the mate, Raneds, who was forced to go apart, and immediately the negro Babo commanded the Ashantee Matinqui and the Ashantee Lecbe to go and commit the murder; that

for the purpose of trying whether, on the

those two went

passage or near the island

berth of

the very city,

town, or settlement of any kind on the

shores to which they should be carried: that

having determined

to

go

to

the island of

itself,

they could

conflict,

the

Don

down

with hatchets to the

Alexandro;

that, yet half alive

find any vessel that should favour them, or

and mangled,

whether he could escape from it in a boat to the neighbouring coast of Arauco, to adopt the necessary means he immediately changed

that they were going to throw

him on deck; him overboard in that state, but the negro Babo stopped them, bidding the murder be com-

his course, steering for the island; that the

pleted on the deck before him, which was

negroes

Babo and Atufal held

ferences, in

daily

con-

which they discussed what was

necessary for their design of returning to

they dragged

done, when, by his orders, the body was carried below, forward; that nothing

was seen of

it

Don Alonzo

Senegal, whether they were to kill all the

days; * * * that

Spaniards, and particularly the deponent;

man, long resident

that eight days after parting

from

the coast

of Nasca, the deponent being on the watch a little after day-break, and soon after the

negroes had their meeting, the negro

Babo

appointed

more

by the deponent for three Sidonia, an old

Valparaiso,

at

and

to a civil office in Peru,

he had taken passage, was ing in the berth opposite

awakening at his them, and at the sight that

at the

lately

whi her t

time sleep-

Don Alexandro's;

cries,

surprised

by

came to the place where the deponent was, and told him that he had determined to kill his master, Don Alexandro Aranda, both because he and his companions could not otherwise be sure of their liberty, and that to keep the seamen in subjection, he wanted to prepare a warning of what road they

short time after killing Aranda. they brought

should be made to take did they or any of them oppose him; and that, by means of

Don

their

bloody hatcJiets

of the negroes with in

their

hands,

he

threw himself into the sea through a window which was near him, and was drowned, without nent to

it

being

assist

Upon deck

his

power him up;

in the

or take

of the depo•

•

•

(hat a

(ousin-german, of middle-age.

Francisco Masa, of Mendoza, and the

465

Great Books Library

young Don Joaquin, Marques de Aramboathen lately from Spain, with his Spanish

laza,

servant Ponce,

A ran da,

and

the three

young

clerks

peated the words in the *

the deponent; *

*

being then assembled

iards),

place said to

first

that they (the Spanaft,

Babo harangued them, saying

the negro

though they made no resistance, nor begged

had deponent (as navigator for the negroes) might pursue his course, warning him and all of them that they should, soul and body, go the way of Don Alexandro, if he saw them (the Spaniards) speak or plot anything against them (the negroes), a threat which was repeated every day; that, before the events last mentioned, they had tied the cook to throw him overboard, for it is not known what thing they heard him speak, but finally the negro

for anything else but mercy; that the boat-

Babo spared

of

Jose Morairi, Lorenzo Bargas,

and Hermenegildo Gandix, all of Cadiz; that Don Joaquin and Hermenegildo Gandix, the

negro Babo, for purposes hereafter preserved alive; but Don Fran-

to appear,

Masa,

cisco

and Lorenzo

Morairi,

Jose

Bargas, zuith Ponce the servant, beside the

Juan Robles, the boat-swain's Viscaya and Roderigo Hurta,

boat-swain,

mates,

Manuel

Babo

or-

dered to be thrown alive into the sea,

al-

and four

of the sailors, the negro

swain Juan Robles,

who knew how

to

swim,

kept the longest above water, making acts

words he utdeponent to cause mass to be said for his soul to our Lady of Succour; * * * that, during the three days which followed, the deponent, uncertain what fate had befallen the remains of Don of contrition, and, in the last tered,

charged

this

Alexandro, frequently asked the negro Babo where they were, and, if still on board,

whether they were

to

be preserved for inter-

ment ashore, entreating him

so to order

it;

Babo answered nothing till the fourth day, when at sunrise, the deponent coming on deck, the negro Babo showed him a skeleton, which had been that the negro

now done

all;

that the

his life, at the request of the

deponent; that a few days ponent, endeavouring not

means

that he

after,

to

to preserve the lives of the

the

de-

any

omit

remaining

and and agreed to draw up a paper, signed by the deponent and the sailors who whites,

spoke

to

negroes peace

the

tranquillity ,

could write, as also by the negro Babo, for blacks, in which the

himself and all the

deponent obliged himself to carry them to and they not to kill any more, and he formally to make over to them the ship, with the cargo, with which they were for that time satisfied and quieted. * * * But the next day, the more surely to guard Senegal,

against the sailors' escape, the negro

commanded

all

Babo

the boats to be destroyed

substituted for the ship's proper figure-head

but the long-boat, which was unseaworthy,

—the image of Cristobal Colon, the discoverer of the New World; that the negro Babo asked him whose skeleton that was, and whether from its whiteness, he should

and another, a which knowing

not think

it

upon

a white's; that,

words

the blacks in

spirit,

to this effect:

from here as

now

"Keep

body,

nme morning

the negro

you

follow

Under," pointing to the prow; ession each

faith with

to Senegal, or in

*

that

each

Spaniard

466

into the hold. * * *

*

*

[Various particulars of the prolonged and

perplexed navigation ensuing here follow, with incidents of a calamitous calm, from

your

which portion one passage

that

is

extracted, to

wit:]

Babo took by

him whose skeleton that was, and whether, from its whiteness, he should not think it a while's;

casks,

yet be

shall

Spaniard forward, and asked

fare; that then to each the

would

discover-

ing his face the negro Babo, coming close, said

towing the water

down

good condition, wanted for he had it lowered

cutter in it

covered

negro Babo

— That

on the fifth day of the calm, all on board suffering much from the heat, and want of water, and five having died in fits,

his

and mad,

re-

for a chance gesture, which

the negroes

became

and deemed

irritable,

they

Benito Cereno: Melville

suspicious— though

it

was harmless— made by deponent in the

the mate, Raneds, to the

handing a quadrant, they

act of

killed

him;

but that for this they afterwards were sorry, the

mate being the only remaining naviga-

tor on

board, except the deponent.

would be

alert as his eye;

Babo then announced

companions, which pleased them; that he then, the better to disguise the truth, de-

many

vised

expedients,

—That

omitting other events which daily happened, and which can only serve userecall past

misfortunes and con-

to

flicts,

after seventy-three

navigation,

days'

and distribute them at need, and at a given word he told them; that, among other devices,

his right

with

the

calms

and were

af-

mentioned,

before

them he

his bravoes; that

part of the cargo), but in reality to use them,

reckoned from the time they sailed from a scanty allowance of water,

them

of

stationed on the break of the poop, as if to clean certain hatchets (in cases, which were

Nasca, during which they navigated under

flicted

some

in

uniting deceit and defense; that of this sort was the device of the six Ashantees before

named, who were

lessly

that the negro

the plan to all his

a

was the device of presenting Atufal, hand man, as chained, though in

moment

that

the chains could

every particular he

in

be dropped;

informed the

they at last arrived at the island of Santa

deponent what part he was expected

Maria, on the seventeenth of the month of August, at about six o'clock in the after-

enact in every device, and what story he

noon,

at

which hour they

cast

anchor very

was to tell on every occasion, always threatening him with instant death if he varied

near the American ship, Bachelor's Delight,

in

same bay, commanded by the generous Captain Amasa Delano; but at six o'clock in the morning, they had already descried the port, and the negroes became uneasy, as soon as at distance they saw the ship, not having expected to see one

the negroes

which

lay in the

there; that the negro

Babo

pacified them,

assuring them that no fear need be had; that straightway he ordered the figure

the

bow

repairs,

on

to be covered with canvas, as for

and had

the decks a

little

order; that for a time the negro

set

in

Babo and

would be turbulent,

the four aged negroes

were calkers,

keep what domestic order

to

they could on

the

decks;

that

companions, informing them of

and

he came

him

to the de-

and do all have said and

to say

deponent declares to American captain; * * * thai the negro Babo warned him that if he varied in the least, or uttered any word, o% that the

done

to the

gave any look that should give intimation

of

the

past

tlic

least

events or present

he would instantly kill him, with all companions, showing a dagger, which he carried hid, saying something which, as he understood it, meant that that d,i..

state,

his

and

his intent,

and of the invented story that this deponent was to tell; charging them lest any of them varied from that story; that these arrangements were made and matured during the interval of two devices,

his

of

or three hours, between their

and

Amasa Delano;

tain

first

sighting

the arrival on hoard oj Cap-

about half-past seven o'clock

to

again

who

again he harangued the Spaniards and his

Atufal was for sailing away, but the negro Babo would not, and, by himself, cast about to do; that at last

of

the negro

Babo appointed

the ship

what

many

the least: that, conscious that

the negro Atufal conferred; that the negro

ponent, proposing

to

that

this

in

happened the morn-

Captain Amasa Delano coming

ing,

boat,

and

deponent,

all

as well OS

then

acting

in

Ins

gladly retei, ing him; that the

the

he