Chapter 3

A white man bathing (S. 16, N. 4) by the side of a Tahitian was like a plant bleached (S. 7, N. 3, attrib.) by the gardener’s art compared with a fine dark-green one growing vigorously in the field. Most of the men are tatooed, and the ornaments follow the curvature of the body so gracefully, that they have a very elegant effect. The most common pattern, varying in its details, is somewhat like the crown of a palm-tree. It springs from the central line of the back, and gracefully curls round both sides. The simile may be a fanciful one, but I thought the body of a man thus ornamented was (App. §§ 29 and 30) like the trunk of a noble tree embraced by a delicate creeper.

Many of the elder people had their feet covered with small figures, so placed as to resemble a sock. This fashion, however, is partly gone by, and has been succeeded by others. Here, although fashion is far from immutable, every one must abide by that prevailing at his youth. An old man has thus his age for ever stamped on his body, and he cannot assume the airs of a young dandy. The women are tatooed in the same manner as the men, and very commonly on their fingers.

In returning to the boat, we witnessed a very pretty scene. Numbers of children were playing on the beach, and had lighted bonfires, which illuminated the placid sea and surrounding trees; others, in circles, were singing Tahitian verses. We seated ourselves on the sand, and joined their party. The songs were impromptu, and I believe related to our arrival. One little girl sang a line, which the rest took up in parts, forming a very pretty chorus. The whole scene made us unequivocally aware that we were seated on the shore of an island in the far-famed South Sea.—CHARLES DARWIN.

= appeared.

= in (contracted with the Dat. of the def. art.) comparison.

= in full vigour (+Kraft+, f.).

+Kurvatur+, f.

+auf eine so anmutige Weise.+

they have a = they are of.

varying — details = the single parts of which often differ (+ab´weichen+) from each other.

springs from, +geht ... aus+; from — back, +vom Rückgrat+ (spine).

to curl round, +sich um ... herum´winden+.

may — one = is perhaps fanciful (+phantastisch+).

+ich dachte bei mir selbst.+

Use the attribut. const.

+wie.+

= which is embraced (+umschlin´gen+, insep. comp. str. v.) by (S. 106, N. 23) a delicate (+zart+) creeper (+Schlingpflanze+, f.).

= men.

= which were so arranged that they resembled (+gleichen+, to be like, str. v. governing the Dat.) a sock.

= antiquated, +veraltet+.

+verdrängt+, i.e. displaced.

Say ‘Although fashion here is far from (+weit davon entfernt+) being (S. 1, N. 3) immutable.

to abide by a thing, +bei etwas verbleiben+. Use the attributive constr. in this clause.

+Auf diese Weise+, which place at the head of the period. ‘Old’, here +bejahrt+; ‘to stamp’, here +aus´prägen+.

to assume the airs of a dandy, +den Stutzer spielen+. Render ‘not’ by ‘not possibly’, +unmöglich+.

= but generally also.

= When we returned to the vessel.

Yesterday I witnessed a very pretty scene, +gestern bot sich mir ein sehr hübsches Schauspiel dar+.

= Numerous children.

+und die in der Nähe stehenden Bäume.+

= who formed a circle (+Kreis+, m.), sang verses in their mother-tongue (i.e. native language).

= and joined them (+sich an´schließen+, sep. comp. str. v. refl., governing the Dat.).

+aus dem Stegreif.+

= and related (+sich beziehen+, insep. comp. irreg. v. refl.), I believe (inverted), to (+auf+) our arrival.

the ‘line’ of a verse is generally rendered by ‘+Strophe+’, f.

which — parts, +welche von den übrigen mehrstimmig aufgenommen wurde+.

= and formed.

made — aware, +legte unzweifelhaftes Zeugnis davon ab+.

= that we found ourselves.

here +vielbesungen+, adj.

Section 172.

AUDUBON, THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGIST, RELATES HOW NEARLY A THOUSAND OF HIS ORIGINAL DRAWINGS WERE DESTROYED.

I left the village of Henderson, in Kentucky, situated on the banks of the Ohio, where I resided for several years, to proceed to Philadelphia on business. I (S. 115, N. 1) looked to my drawings before my departure, placed them carefully in a wooden box, and gave them in charge of a relative, with injunctions to see that no injury should happen to them. My absence was of (= lasted) several months; and when I returned, after having enjoyed the pleasures of home for a few days, I inquired after my box, and what I was pleased to call my treasure. The box was produced and opened; but, reader, feel for me—a pair of Norway rats had taken possession of the whole, and reared a young family among the gnawed bits of paper, which, but a month previous, had represented nearly a thousand inhabitants of the air! The burning heat which instantly rushed through my brain was too great without affecting my whole nervous system. I slept for (S. 166, N. 10) several nights, and the days passed like days of oblivion—until the animal powers being recalled into action, through the strength of my constitution, I took up my gun, my note-book and my pencils, and went forth to the woods as gaily as if nothing had happened. I felt pleased that I might now make better drawings than before; and, ere a period not exceeding three years had elapsed, my portfolio was again filled.—JOHN AUDUBON.

+~John James Audubon~, der berühmte amerikanische Ornithologe (oder Vogelkundige), geboren den 4. Mai 1780 in Louisiana, gestorben den 27. Januar 1851 zu New-York, befuhr die Ströme und Flüsse des Westens, um die Vögel zu beobachten und zu zeichnen.+

nearly a thousand, +nahe an tausend+.

Use the attributive constr., and see S. 7, N. 3, and S. 48, N. 6.

= I had resided for (+seit+).

+reisen+; on business, +in Geschäften+.

to look to a thing, +nach etwas sehen+.

to give a thing in charge to a person, +einem etwas überge´ben+.

= with the express command to protect (+bewahren+) them from (+vor+) any (+jeder+) injury.

= and had enjoyed. The pleasures of home, +die Freuden der Häuslichkeit+.

to inquire after a thing, +nach etwas fragen+.

= and after (+nach+) my treasure, as I was pleased to call its contents (+wie ich dessen Inhalt gerne zu bezeichnen pflegte+).

= brought.

= but have pity on (+mit+) me, O reader!

+zernagt+; bits of paper, +Papierfetzen+.

+noch vor einem Monat.+

+der Lüfte+, which is the poetic form.

= which instantly took possession of my brain (+Gehirn+, n.). To take possession of a thing, +sich einer Sache bemächtigen+.

+um nicht auch mein ganzes Nervensystem zu erschüttern.+

like — oblivion, +im gänzlichen Vergessen alles Geschehenen+.

= till my vital powers (+Lebenskräfte+) were reanimated (+wieder angeregt waren+, App. § 17) through the strength of my constitution (+Natur+, f.).

Say ‘and I was able (+imstande sein+) to take up (+ergreifen+) my gun (+Büchse+, f.), my sketch-book and my pencils to (S. 19, N. 7) go therewith again as (+so+) cheerfully into the woods as if nothing had happened (+als ob nichts vorgefallen wäre+)’.

Say ‘It gave me pleasure to think that I would now perhaps produce better drawings than ever (+je+) before; and even before (+noch ehe+) three years had passed away, my portfolio was again filled with drawings.

Section 173.

THE BATTLE OF KASSASSIN.