Отрывок из книги
Melchior Yvan
Published by Good Press, 2021
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This is how we started:—Four Chinamen, armed with long poles, thrust them to the bottom of the water, and leaning on them with all their weight, caused the rounded belly of the vessel to glide through the liquid mud. When it was afloat, a sailor hung, fastened to the end of a stick, a long chaplet of grenades, the explosive materials of which were enclosed in cylinders of red paper, and then set light to the cartridge which terminated this inflammable chain, so that, as the fire spread from one end to the other, sudden detonations were heard, which sounded like platoon firing, executed by badly-drilled soldiers. During this time, a man at the foot of the mizenmast struck repeatedly on a gong; the dry sharp explosions and the vibrations of the metal harmonised very well; the saltpetre went off with a rumbling noise, like the roll of a drum, while the sonorous vibrations of the gong filled the entire atmosphere, like the waves which extend over the immensity of the ocean. This cabalistic ceremony terminated, we hoisted our sails. The faï-tings have no keel, and draw very little water; everything had been calculated to ensure these vessels the greatest possible speed; hence their name, which signifies "fast boat." A high wave, an unexpected gust, cause the rounded hulls to capsize, but they right with extreme facility. A faï-ting resembles those joyous birds of the sea who disport themselves in the midst of the waves, like colts in the high grass. The sails having been hoisted, the vessel seemed to be left to the care of Heaven. A single sailor remained at the rudder; the others went away to take or prepare their meals. Soon at the stern of the vessel columns of steam were seen to rise from the boiling saucepans, in which rice was being cooked, while the most hungry of the crew eat the grains which had already become swollen out by the moist heat, accompanied by dried fish. The passengers walked about, and smoked the detestable tobacco of the Celestial Empire, or they collected in groups, and devoted themselves with phrensy to the fetal passion of gambling. The Chinese, for the most part, are born with a taste either for gambling or gastronomy. They never lose a chance of having a feast. Marriages, births, and burials are all so many pretexts for a banquet. It is the same thing with gambling; a Chinaman plays with dice, with cards, and with his fingers, and, in his eyes, every subject is a subject for betting. Our companions, by way of dramatising the ordinary chances of play, intrusted the defence of their money to some unfortunate fowls, who, in order to satisfy the passions of their masters, engaged in a most desperate combat. In general, all the gallinacious race have warlike instincts, and the Chinese have profited by this martial inclination to teach quails how to kill one another. These birds are much smaller in China than with us; their plumage is varied in the same manner; but the quail of the Celestial Empire appears more irascible, more petulant, than its European sister.
A circle of men crouched together in the unnatural position peculiar to the Chinese, formed the spectators to this combat. The birds were enclosed in baskets of bamboos, with openings at the top, through which it was just possible to pass one's hand, and they were only taken out of this prison to be placed on the field of battle. I assisted at the commencement of the action. The adversaries were removed from their respective cages; their feathers were smoothed, a few words of encouragement were addressed to them, and, with a sharp pinch on the lower part of the beak, they were placed opposite to each other. The birds looked at one another at first with an air of defiance; then, as if moved by the same impulse, they sprang forwards. This first shock decided the victory; one of the combatants seized with his beak of steel the skin which covered his adversary's head, and pulled it back over his eyes. The unfortunate bird who was thus blinded uttered a cry, and ran away. A new enemy was opposed to the conqueror. This one waited firmly for the attack, and when he saw his antagonist rushing towards him, struck out at him with his feet, and upset him. Then profiting by the surprise of his adversary, he took him by the throat, tore a quantity of feathers from him, which he threw to the wind, and then resumed his place, waiting bravely for a second attack; but the recent conqueror, like a clever tactician, now prudently beat a retreat. As has been seen, a few passes sufficed to terminate the combat; however, on one occasion, two duellists of equal skill and valour prolonged the struggle for a long time. After each attack they separated to regain force, until, fatigued by their ineffectual efforts, they ceased to fight. In the hands of the avaricious Chinese, they resemble the plumed warriors whom rival ambitions cast upon the field of battle.
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