Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2)Melville, Herman
Philosophy
Mardi, and a voyage thither, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Melville, Herman
Adventure stories; Polynesia -- Description and travel -- Fiction
In the wild heart of the island, was said still to lurk the remnant of
a band of warriors, who, in the days of the sire of the present
pontiff, had risen in arms to dethrone him, headed by Foni, an upstart
prophet, a personage distinguished for the uncommon beauty of his
person. With terrible carnage, these warriors had been defeated; and
the survivors, fleeing into the interior, for thirty days were pursued
by the victors. But though many were overtaken and speared, a number
survived; who, at last, wandering forlorn and in despair, like
demoniacs, ran wild in the woods. And the islanders, who at times
penetrated into the wilderness, for the purpose of procuring rare
herbs, often scared from their path some specter, glaring through the
foliage. Thrice had these demoniacs been discovered prowling about the
inhabited portions of the isle; and at day-break, an attendant of the
holy Morai once came upon a frightful figure, doubled with age, helping
itself to the offerings in the image of Doleema. The demoniac was
slain; and from his ineffaceable tatooing, it was proved that this was
no other than Foni, the false prophet; the splendid form he had carried
into the rebel fight, now squalid with age and misery.
CHAPTER VII.
They Visit The Lake Of Yammo
From the Morai, we bent our steps toward an unoccupied arbor; and here,
refreshing ourselves with the viands presented by Borabolla, we passed
the night. And next morning proceeded to voyage round to the opposite
quarter of the island; where, in the sacred lake of Yammo, stood the
famous temple of Oro, also the great gallery of the inferior deities.
The lake was but a portion of the smooth lagoon, made separate by an
arm of wooded reef, extending from the high western shore of the
island, and curving round toward a promontory, leaving a narrow channel
to the sea, almost invisible, however, from the land-locked interior.
In this lake were many islets, all green with groves. Its main-shore
was a steep acclivity, with jutting points, each crowned with mossy old
altars of stone, or ruinous temples, darkly reflected in the green,
glassy water; while, from its long line of stately trees, the low
reef-side of the lake looked one verdant bluff.
Gliding in upon Yammo, its many islets greeted us like a little Mardi;
but ever and anon we started at long lines of phantoms in the water,
reflections of the long line of images on the shore.
Toward the islet of Dolzono we first directed our way; and there we
beheld the great gallery of the gods; a mighty temple, resting on one
hundred tall pillars of palm, each based, below the surface, on the
buried body of a man; its nave one vista of idols; names carved on
their foreheads: Ogre, Tripoo, Indrimarvoki, Parzillo, Vivivi,
Jojijojorora, Jorkraki, and innumerable others.
Crowds of attendants were new-grouping the images.
“My lord, you behold one of their principal occupations,” said Mohi.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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