Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

A CROCODILE HUNT.

The first time a man fires at a crocodile is an epoch in his life. We had only now arrived in the waters where they abound, for it is a curious fact that none are ever seen3 below Mineyeh, though Herodotus speaks of them as fighting with the dolphins at the mouths of the Nile. A prize had been offered for the first man who detected1 a crocodile, and the crew had now been for two days on the alert in search of them. Buoyed up with the expectation of such game, we had latterly reserved our fire for them exclusively; and the wild duck and turtle, nay, even the vulture and eagle had swept past, or soared above us, in security.

8

9

13

At length the cry of "Timseach! timseach!" was heard from 10 half-a-dozen claimants of the proffered prize, and half-a-dozen black fingers were eagerly pointed to a spit 12 of sand, on which were strewn apparently some logs of trees.14 It was a covey of crocodiles. Hastily and silently the boat was run in shore.15 R. was ill, so I had the enterprise to myself, and clambered up the steep bank with a quicker pulse than when I first levelled a rifle at a Highland

Is an epoch, fait époque-2 we had only now arrived, nous ne faisions que d'arriver-3 none are ever seen, on n'en voit jamais aucun 4 detected, découvrirait-5 had now been for, était depuis-6 in search of them, à leur recherche (or: à leur piste)—7 buoyed up with, animés par- nay, even, voire même-9 had swept past or soared above us, avaient passé près de nous ou volé au-dessus de nos têtes10 was heard from, fut poussé par-11 claimants of, prétendants à— 12 were......pointed to a spit, indiquèrent......une langue-13 strewn, étendus 14 logs of trees, troncs d'arbres-15 .....the boat was run in shore, le bateau fut poussé à la rive......

5

deer.1 My intended victims might have prided themselves on3 their superior nonchalance; and indeed, as I approached them, there seemed to be a sneer on their ghastly mouths and1 winking eyes, Slowly they rose, one after the other, and waddled to the water, all but one, the most gallant or most gorged of the party.6 He lay still until I was within a hundred yards of him; then, slowly rising on his fin-like legs, he lumbered towards the river, looking askance at me with an expression of countenance 10 that seemed to say, 66 He can do me no harm; however, I may as well have a swim." I took aim at the throat of the supercilious brute, and, as soon as my hand steadied, 12 the very 13 pulsation of my finger pulled 14 the trigger. Bang! went the gun; whizz! flew the bullet; 15 and my excited ear could catch the thud16 with which it plunged into the scaly leather of his neck. His waddle became a plunge; 17 the waves closed over 18 him, and the sun shone on the calm water, as I reached the brink of the shore,19 that was still indented by the waving 20 of his gigantic tail. But there is blood upon the

1 When I first levelled a rifle at a Highland deer, lorsque j'ajustai pour la première fois avec une carabine un daim des Highlands-2 my intended victims, mes victimes en perspective—3 on, de—1 and indeed, etc......a sneer on. ....and, le fait est qu'en approchant, il me sembla voir un sourire moqueur sur......et dans-5 waddled to the water, s'avancèrent vers l'eau en se dandinant-6 party, bande-7 he lay still, il resta tranquillement allongé-8 within a......yards, à moins de...... pas-9 fin-like, en forme de nageoires-10 with an expression of countenance, d'un air-11 I may as well have a swim, autant vaut me mettre à nager-12 steadied, fut assurée-13 the very, la seule 14 pulled, lâcha-15 bang! etc......bullet, pan! le coup part; la balle vole et siffle-16 could catch the thud, put entendre le bruit sourd-17 his waddle became a plunge, son dandinement se changea en un plongeon -18 the waves closed over, les ondes se fermèrent sur-19 the brink of the shore, le bord de la rive-20 was still indented by the waving, était encore marquée de l'empreinte.

water, and he rises for a moment to the surface. "A hundred piastres for the timseach!" I exclaimed,' and half-a-dozen Arabs plunged into the stream. There! he rises again, and the blacks dash at him as if he hadn't a tooth in his head. Now he is gone, and the waters close over him, and I never saw him since.

E. WARBURTON, "The Crescent and the Cross."

ON DEDICATIONS.

Though most things which are wrong in their own nature are at once" confessed and absolved in that single word Custom, yet there are some which, as they have a dangerous tendency, a thinking man' will the less excuse on that 8 very account. Among these I cannot but 10 reckon the common practice of dedications, which is of so much the worse consequence as it is generally used 12 by the people of politeness,13 and whom a learned education for the most part ought to have inspired with 11 nobler and juster sentiments.. Though the merit of the person 15 is beyond dispute,16 I see no reason that because one man is eminent, therefore another has a

17

11

18

1 I exclaimed, m'écriai-je-2 there! he rises again, le voilà qui remonte à la surface-3 a tooth in his, une seule dent dans la- now he is gone, il disparait de nouveau.

5 In their own nature, de leur nature-6 are at once, se trouvent à la fois- there are some which, as......a thinking man, il en est certaines qu'un homme réfléchi, comme.... 8 the less, d'autant moins on that very account, précisément pour cette raison-10 among these I cannot but, dans ce nombre je ne puis m'empêcher de11 which is of so much the worse consequence, qui est d'autant plus pernicieuse 12 used, adoptée-13 of politeness, polis-14 and whom, etc......with, et auxquels pour la plupart une éducation libérale aurait dû inspirer— 15 person, personnage― —16 beyond dispute, incontestable-17 I see no reason that because, je ne vois pas pourquoi, de ce que-18 a, le.

right to be impertinent, and throw praises in his face.1 'Tis just the very reverse of the practice of the ancient Romans, when a person was advanced to triumph for his services. As they hired people to rail at him in that circumstance to make him as humble as possible, we have fellows to flatter him, and make him as proud as they can. . . . To express my notion of the thing in a word: to say more to a man than one thinks, with a prospect of interest," is dishonest; and without it, foolish. And whoever has had success in such an undertaking, must of necessity at once think himself in his heart a knave9 for having done it, and 10 his patron a fool for having believed it.

I have sometimes been entertained with considering dedications in no very common light.12 By observing what qualities our writers think it will be most pleasing to others to compliment them with,13 one may form some judgment which are most so to themselves; 14 and, in consequence, what sort of people they are. Without this view one can read few dedications but will give us cause to wonder 15

very

15

1 And......in his face, et de lui......au visage-2 just the very, exactement le--3 was advanced to triumph, recevait les honneurs du triomphe to make him, afin de le rendre-5 we have fellows, nous avons nous, des individus-6 my notion of the thing, mon idée-7 with a prospect of interest, dans un but intéressé-8 without it, sans ce but -9 at once think himself in his heart a knave, se regarder au fond du cœur comme un malhonnête homme-10 and, et regarder-11 I have ...been entertained with considering, je me suis......amusé à considérer—12 in no very common light, en dehors du point de vue ordinaire 13 by observing, etc......with, en observant à quelles qualités nos écrivains supposent que ceux qu'ils complimentent seront le plus sensibles-14 one may, etc...... themselves, on peut se faire une idée de celles qui leur plaisent le plus à eux-mêmes-15 but will give us cause to wonder, sans trouver lieu de se demander.

how such things came to be said at all, or how they were said to such persons!

POPE.

5

ON FEMALE EDUCATION.

8

It is one of those sayings which are so familiar that they seem trite-but which do indeed gather up3 in a few words the deepest and most solemn lessons of history-that there is no sign so certain and unmistakable of the state of civilization among any people, as the way in which its women are treated, and the estimation in which its women are held. And this holds good not merely of the wide interval that separates the savage state, the drudgery and degradation of the American squaw, from the polish of our modern refinement, but of all intermediate stages. That drudgery may pass away, woman may be rescued from those degrading labours and that crushing oppression. She may become the object of the seemingly idolatrous adoration of a fantastic and frivolous age, and so be unworthily dealt with and wrongly thought of 10 There have been times when11 men have sought to place her as on a pedestal of honour, and have offered to her an incense it were no true honour for her to receive. 12

1 Came to be said at all, purent être dites.

_6

2 They seem trite, ils en paraissent rebattus-3 do...gather up, résument— that, à savoir que-5 among any people, chez un peuple as the way, etc......are held, que la manière dont la femme y est traitée et la position qu'elle y occupe- this holds good......of, ceci s'applique......à 8 the A. squaw, la squaw (or: femme) A.-9 rescued from, affranchie de-10 and so be unworthily dealt with and wrongly thought of, et être ainsi jugée et traitée d'une manière injuste et indigne d'elle-11 times when, des époques où-12 it were no true honour for her to receive, qu'elle ne pouvait recevoir honorablement.

« AnteriorContinuar »