Along the Briny Beach

Atmospheric Dust - Habits of a Sea-slug and Cuttle-fish - Rocks, non-volcanic - Singular Incrustations - Insects the first Colonists of Islands - Burnished Rocks - Causes of discoloured Sea. Great Evaporation - Slavery - Clouds on the Corcovado - Heavy Rain - Musical Frogs - Phosphorescent insects - Elater, springing powers of - Blue Haze - Noise made by a Butterfly - Entomology - Ants - Wasp killing a Spider - Parasitical Spider - Gregarious Spider - Spider with an unsymmetrical web. Partridges - Absence of trees - Deer - Capybara, or River Hog - Tucutuco - Molothrus, cuckoo-like habits - Tyrant-flycatcher - Mocking-bird - Carrion Hawks - Tubes formed by lightning - House struck. Salt-Lakes - Flamingoes - Sacred Tree - Sand Dunes - Saline incrustations. Geology - Numerous gigantic extinct Quadrupeds - Recent Extinction - Longevity of Species - Large Animals do not require a luxuriant vegetation - Fossils - Two Species of Ostrich - Habits of Oven-bird - Armadilloes - Venomous Snake, Toad, Lizard - Hybernation of Animals - Habits of Sea-Pen - Antiquarian Relic. Features of the country - Long-legged Plover - Hail-storm - Natural enclosures. Thistle Beds - Little Owl - Saline streams - Level plains - Change in landscape - Geology - Tooth of extinct Horse - Effects of a great drought - Parana - Scissor-beak - Kingfisher, Parrot, and Scissor-tail - Revolution - State of Government. Perforated pebbles - Shepherd-dogs - Horses broken-in, Gauchos riding - Character of Inhabitants - Flocks of Butterflies - Aeronaut Spiders - Phosphorescence of the Sea - Port Desire - Geology of Patagonia - Fossil gigantic Animal - Types of Organisation constant - Change in the Zoology - Causes of Extinction. Expedition up the River - Immense streams of basaltic lava - Fragments not transported by the river - Excavation of the valley - Condor, habits of - Cordillera - Erratic boulders of great size - Return to the ship - Islands - Fire made of bones - Geology - Streams of stones - Scenes of violence - Penguin - Geese - Eggs of Doris - Compound animals. Good Success Bay - Scenery of the forests - Interview with the savages - Miserable condition of the savages - Famines - Cannibals - Matricide - Religious feelings - Great Gale - Glaciers - Return to the Ship - Second visit in the Ship to the Settlement - Equality of condition amongst the natives. Zoology - Great Seaweed - Climate - Fruit-trees and productions of the southern coasts - Height of snow-line - Descent of glaciers to the sea - Icebergs formed - Transportal of boulders - Climate and productions of the Antarctic Islands - Preservation of frozen carcasses - Recapitulation. Structure of the land - Shattered masses of greenstone - Immense valleys - Mines - State of miners - Hot-baths - Gold-mines - Grinding-mills - Perforated stones - Habits of the Puma - Humming-birds. General aspect - Boat excursion - Native Indians - Tame fox - Archipelago - Peninsula - Granitic range - Boat-wrecked sailors - Harbour - Wild potato - Barking-bird - Singular character of ornithology. Impenetrable forests - Earthquake - Great earthquake - Rocks fissured - Appearance of the former towns - The sea black and boiling - Direction of the vibrations - Stones twisted round - Great Wave - Permanent Elevation of the land - Area of volcanic phenomena - The connection between the elevatory and eruptive forces - Cause of earthquakes - Slow elevation of mountain-chains. Coast-road - Great loads carried - Earthquake - Step-formed terraces - Absence of recent deposits - Deserts - Rain and Earthquakes - Hydrophobia - Probable change of climate - River-bed arched by an earthquake - Cold gales of wind - Noises from a hill - Salt alluvium - Nitrate of soda - Unhealthy country - Ruins, overthrown by an earthquake - Recent subsidence - Elevated shells, their decomposition - Plain with embedded shells and fragments of pottery - Antiquity. Archipelago - The whole group volcanic - Number of craters - Leafless bushes - Salt-lake in crater - Natural history - Ornithology, curious finches - Reptiles - Great tortoises, habits of - Marine lizard, feeds on seaweed - Terrestrial lizard, burrowing habits, herbivorous - Importance of reptiles in the Archipelago - Fish, shells, insects - Botany - Differences in the species or races on different islands - Tameness of the birds - Fear of man an acquired instinct. Pass through the Low Archipelago - Aspect - Vegetation on the mountains - Excursion into the interior - Profound ravines - Succession of waterfalls - Number of wild useful plants - Temperance of the inhabitants - Bay of Islands - Missionary establishment - English weeds now run wild. Gradual extinction - Infection - Blue Mountains - View of the grand gulf-like valleys - Their origin and formation - State of Society - Aborigines all banished - Cheerless aspect of the country. Singular appearance - Scanty Flora - Transport of seeds - Birds and insects - Ebbing and flowing springs - Fields of dead coral - Stones transported in the roots of trees - Great crab - Stinging corals - Coral-eating fish - Coral formations - Lagoon islands or atolls - Depth at which reef-building corals can live - Vast areas interspersed with low coral islands - Barrier-reefs - Fringing-reefs - Conversion of fringing-reefs into barrier-reefs, and into atolls - Evidence of changes in level - Breaches in barrier-reefs - Maldiva atolls, their peculiar structure - Dead and submerged reefs - Areas of subsidence and elevation - Distribution of volcanoes - Subsidence slow and vast in amount. Great crateriform ring of mountains - History of the changes in the vegetation - Cause of the extinction of land-shells - Ascension - Variation in the imported rats - Volcanic bombs - Beds of infusoria - Splendour of tropical scenery - Singular reefs - Slavery - Return to England - Retrospect on our voyage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sun was shining on the sea, Shining with all his might: He did his very best to make The billows smooth and bright -- And this was odd, because it was The middle of the night. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The moon was shining sulkily, Because she thought the sun Had got no business to be there After the day was done -- "It's very rude of him," she said, "To come and spoil the fun!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sea was wet as wet could be, The sands were dry as dry. You could not see a cloud, because No cloud was in the sky: No birds were flying overhead -- There were no birds to fly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Walrus and the Carpenter Were walking close at hand; They wept like anything to see Such quantities of sand: "If this were only cleared away," They said, "it would be grand!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "If seven maids with seven mops Swept it for half a year. Do you suppose," the Walrus said, "That they could get it clear?" "I doubt it," said the Carpenter, And shed a bitter tear. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "O Oysters, come and walk with us!" The Walrus did beseech. "A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk, Along the briny beach: We cannot do with more than four, To give a hand to each." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The eldest Oyster looked at him, But never a word he said: The eldest Oyster winked his eye, And shook his heavy head -- Meaning to say he did not choose To leave the oyster-bed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ But four young Oysters hurried up, All eager for the treat: Their coats were brushed, their faces washed, Their shoes were clean and neat -- And this was odd, because, you know, They hadn't any feet. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Four other Oysters followed them, And yet another four; And thick and fast they came at last, And more, and more, and more -- All hopping through the frothy waves, And scrambling to the shore. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Walrus and the Carpenter Walked on a mile or so, And then they rested on a rock Conveniently low: And all the little Oysters stood And waited in a row. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes -- and ships -- and sealing-wax -- Of cabbages -- and kings -- And why the sea is boiling hot -- And whether pigs have wings." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "But wait a bit," the Oysters cried, "Before we have our chat; For some of us are out of breath, And all of us are fat!" "No hurry!" said the Carpenter. They thanked him much for that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "A loaf of bread," the Walrus said, "Is what we chiefly need: Pepper and vinegar besides Are very good indeed -- Now if you're ready, Oysters dear, We can begin to feed." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "But not on us!" the Oysters cried, Turning a little blue. "After such kindness, that would be A dismal thing to do!" "The night is fine," the Walrus said. "Do you admire the view? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "It was so kind of you to come! And you are very nice!" The Carpenter said nothing but "Cut us another slice: I wish you were not quite so deaf -- I've had to ask you twice!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "It seems a shame," the Walrus said, "To play them such a trick, After we've brought them out so far, And made them trot so quick!" The Carpenter said nothing but "The butter's spread too thick!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I weep for you," the Walrus said: "I deeply sympathize." With sobs and tears he sorted out Those of the largest size, Holding his pocket-handkerchief Before his streaming eyes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "O Oysters," said the Carpenter, "You've had a pleasant run! Shall we be trotting home again?' But answer came there none -- And this was scarcely odd, because They'd eaten every one.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. There it is before you - smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute with an air of whispering, Come and find out. This coast was almost featureless, as if still in the making, with an aspect of monotonous grimness. The edge of a colossal jungle, so dark-green as to be almost black, fringed with white surf, ran straight, like a ruled line, far, far away along a blue sea whose glitter was blurred by a creeping mist. The sun was fierce, the land seemed to glisten and drip with steam. The oily and languid sea, the uniform sombreness of the coast, seemed to keep me away from the truth of things. The voice of the surf heard now and then was a positive pleasure, like the speech of a brother. It was something natural, that had its reason, that had a meaning. I listened, I listened for the sentence, for the word, that would give me the clue to the faint uneasiness inspired by this narrative that seemed to shape itself without human lips in the heavy night-air of the river. We were cut off from the comprehension of our surroundings; we glided past like phantoms, wondering and secretly appalled... We could not understand because we were too far and could not remember because we were travelling in the night of first ages, of those ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign - and no memories.

. : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . The End of March. . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . It was cold and windy, scarcely the day to take a walk on that long beach. Everything was withdrawn as far as possible, indrawn: the tide far out, the ocean shrunken, seabirds in ones or twos. The rackety, icy, offshore wind numbed our faces on one side; disrupted the formation of a lone flight of Canada geese; and blew back the low, inaudible rollers in upright, steely mist. . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . The sky was darker than the water -- it was the color of mutton-fat jade. Along the wet sand, in rubber boots, we followed a track of big dog-prints (so big they were more like lion-prints). Then we came on lengths and lengths, endless, of wet white string, looping up to the tide-line, down to the water, over and over. Finally, they did end: a thick white snarl, man-size, awash, rising on every wave, a sodden ghost, falling back, sodden, giving up the ghost... A kite string? -- But no kite. . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . I wanted to get as far as my proto-dream-house, my crypto-dream-house, that crooked box set up on pilings, shingled green, a sort of artichoke of a house, but greener (boiled with bicarbonate of soda?), protected from spring tides by a palisade of - are they railroad ties? (Many things about this place are dubious.) I'd like to retire there and do nothing, or nothing much, forever, in two bare rooms: look through binoculars, read boring books, old, long, long books, and write down useless notes, talk to myself, and, foggy days, watch the droplets slipping, heavy with light. At night, a grog à l'américaine. I'd blaze it with a kitchen match and lovely diaphanous blue flame would waver, doubled in the window. There must be a stove; there is a chimney, askew, but braced with wires, and electricity, possibly --at least, at the back another wire limply leashes the whole affair to something off behind the dunes. A light to read by-perfect! But-impossible. And that day the wind was much too cold even to get that far, and of course the house was boarded up. . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . On the way back our faces froze on the other side. The sun came out for just a minute. For just a minute, set in their bezels of sand, the drab, damp, scattered stones were multi-colored, and all those high enough threw out long shadows, individual shadows, then pulled them in again. The could have been teasing the lion sun, except that now he was behind them -- a sun who'd walked the beach with the last low tide, making those big, majestic paw-prints, who perhaps had batted a kite out of the sky to play with.