20000 лье под водой

Chapter 22. The Lightning Bolts of Captain Nemo

           Thenativeswerethere,morenumerousthanonthedaybeforefiveorsixhundredperhapssomeofthem,profitingbythelowwater,hadcomeontothecoral,atlessthantwocable-lengthsfromtheNautilus.Idistinguishedthemeasily;theyweretruePapuans,withathleticfigures,menofgoodrace,largehighforeheads,large,butnotbroadandflat,andwhiteteeth.Theirwoollyhair,withareddishtinge,showedoffontheirblackshiningbodieslikethoseoftheNubians.Fromthelobesoftheirears,cutanddistended,hungchapletsofbones.Mostofthesesavageswerenaked.Amongstthem,Iremarkedsomewomen,dressedfromthehipstokneesinquiteacrinolineofherbs,thatsustainedavegetablewaistband.Somechiefshadornamentedtheirneckswithacrescentandcollarsofglassbeads,redandwhite;nearlyallwerearmedwithbows,arrows,andshieldsandcarriedontheirshouldersasortofnetcontainingthoseroundstoneswhichtheycastfromtheirslingswithgreatskill.Oneofthesechiefs,ratherneartotheNautilus,examineditattentively.Hewas,perhaps,a"mado"ofhighrank,forhewasdrapedinamatofbanana-leaves,notchedroundtheedges,andsetoffwithbrilliantcolours.

           Icouldeasilyhaveknockeddownthisnative,whowaswithinashortlength;butIthoughtthatitwasbettertowaitforrealhostiledemonstrations.BetweenEuropeansandsavages,itisproperfortheEuropeanstoparrysharply,nottoattack.

           DuringlowwaterthenativesroamedaboutneartheNautilus,butwerenottroublesome;Iheardthemfrequentlyrepeattheword"Assai,"andbytheirgesturesIunderstoodthattheyinvitedmetogoonland,aninvitationthatIdeclined.

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