Коралловый остров

Chapter 25

           "But,"saidhe,"suchathingasyouhaveseenjustnowdon’tfrightenthemmuch.They’llbeatitagaintomorrowornextday,justasiftherewasn’tasinglesharkbetweenFeejeeandNovaZembla."

           Afterthisthenativeshadaseriesofwrestlingandboxingmatches;andbeingmenofimmensesizeandmuscle,theydidagooddealofinjurytoeachother,especiallyinboxing,inwhichnotonlythelowerordersbutseveralofthechiefsandpriestsengaged.Eachboutwasveryquicklyterminated;fortheydidnotpretendtoascientificknowledgeoftheart,andwasted,notimeinsparring,buthitstraightoutateachother’sheads,andtheirblowsweredeliveredwithgreatforce.Frequentlyoneofthecombatantswasknockeddownwithasingleblow,andonegiganticfellowhithisadversarysoseverelythathedrovetheskinentirelyoffhisforehead.Thisfeatwashailedwithimmenseapplausebythespectators.

           Duringtheseexhibitions,whichwereverypainfultome,thoughIconfessIcouldnotrefrainfrombeholdingthem,Iwasstruckwiththebeautyofmanyofthefiguresanddesignsthatweretattooedonthepersonsofthechiefsandprincipalmen.Onefigure,thatseemedtomeveryelegant,wasthatofapalm-treetattooedonthebackofaman’sleg,therootsrising,asitwere,fromunderhisheel,thestemascendingthetendonoftheankle,andthegracefulheadbranchingoutuponthecalf.

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