Серце темряви
Chapter 2
Itwastheonythingofthekind;butasweopenedthereachmore,Iperceiveditwastheheadofalongsand-bank,orratherofachainofshallowpatchesstretchingdownthemiddleoftheriver.Theywerediscoloured,justawash,andthewholelotwasseenjustunderthewater,exactlyasaman’sbackboneisseenrunningdownthemiddleofhisbackundertheskin.Now,asfarasIdidsee,Icouldgototherightortotheleftofthis.Ididn’tknoweitherchannel,ofcourse.Thebankslookedprettywellalike,thedepthappearedthesame;butasIhadbeeninformedthestationwasonthewestside,Inaturallyheadedforthewesternpassage.
"NosoonerhadwefairlyentereditthanIbecameawareitwasmuchnarrowerthanIhadsupposed.Totheleftofustherewasthelonguninterruptedshoal,andtotherightahigh,steepbankheavilyovergrownwithbushes.Abovethebushthetreesstoodinserriedranks.Thetwigsoverhungthecurrentthickly,andfromdistancetodistancealargelimbofsometreeprojectedrigidlyoverthestream.Itwasthenwellonintheafternoon,thefaceoftheforestwasgloomy,andabroadstripofshadowhadalreadyfallenonthewater.Inthisshadowwesteamedup—veryslowly,asyoumayimagine.Isheeredherwellinshore—thewaterbeingdeepestnearthebank,asthesounding-poleinformedme.
"Oneofmyhungryandforbearingfriendswassoundinginthebowsjustbelowme.Thissteamboatwasexactlylikeadeckedscow.Onthedeck,thereweretwolittleteakwoodhouses,withdoorsandwindows.
