Chapter 8. The Cave-Dwellers Capítulo 8. Los cavernícolas

The cavern into which the chief led me was very spacious, but had no light except that which entered through the portal. It was with difficulty that I could see anything, but I found that there were many people here moving about, all as intent upon their own pursuits as those which one encounters in the streets of our cities. C'était avec difficulté que je pouvais voir quoi que ce soit, mais je trouvai qu'il y avait ici beaucoup de gens qui se déplaçaient, tous aussi occupés à leurs propres poursuites que ceux que l'on rencontre dans les rues de nos villes. As we went on farther the darkness increased, until at last I lost sight of the chief altogether, and he had to come back and lead me. After going a little farther we came to a long, broad passage-way like a subterranean street, about twenty feet in width, and as many in height. Here there were discernible a few twinkling lamps, which served to make the darkness less intense and enabled me to see the shadowy figures around. These were numerous, and all seemed busy, though what their occupation might be I could not guess. I was amazed at the extent of these caverns, and at the multitude of the people. J'étais étonné de l'étendue de ces cavernes et de la multitude des gens. I saw also that from the nature of their eyes the sunlight distressed them, and in this cavern gloom they found their most congenial dwelling-place. Je vis aussi que, par la nature de leurs yeux, la lumière du soleil les affligeait, et dans cette obscurité de la caverne ils trouvèrent leur demeure la plus agréable. From what I had thus far seen, this extraordinary people shrank from the sunlight; and when they had to move abroad they passed over roads which were darkened as much as possible by the deep shadows of mighty ferns, while for the most part they remained in dark caverns, in which they lived and moved and had their being. It was a puzzle to me whether the weakness of their eyes had caused this dislike of light, or the habit of cave-dwelling had caused this weakness of eyes. Here, in this darkness, where there was but a faint twinkle from the feeble lamps, their eyes seemed to serve them as well as mine did in the outer light of day; and the chief, who outside had moved with an uncertain step, and had blinked painfully at objects with his eyes almost closed, now appeared to be in his proper element; and while I hesitated like a blind man and groped along with a faltering step, he guided me, and seemed to see everything with perfect vision.

At length we stopped, and the chief raised up a thick, heavy mat which hung like an unwieldly curtain in front of a doorway. Enfin nous nous arrêtâmes, et le chef souleva une natte épaisse et lourde qui pendait comme un rideau encombrant devant une porte. This the chief lifted. Ceci le chef a levé. At once a blaze of light burst forth, gleaming into the dark, and appearing to blind him. Aussitôt un éclat de lumière éclata, étincelant dans l'obscurité et semblant l'aveugler. His eyes closed. He held up the veil for me to pass through. Il a levé le voile pour que je puisse le traverser. I did so. He followed, and then groped his way slowly along, while I accompanied and assisted him.

I now found myself in a large grotto with an arched roof, from which was suspended an enormous lamp, either golden or gilded. All around were numerous lamps. The walls were adorned with rich hangings; couches were here, with soft cushions, and divans and ottomans; soft mats were on the floor, and everything gave indications of luxury and wealth. Les murs étaient ornés de riches tentures ; des canapés étaient là, avec des coussins moelleux, des divans et des poufs ; des nattes molles étaient sur le sol, et tout donnait des indications de luxe et de richesse. Other doors, covered with overhanging mats, seemed to lead out of this grotto. To one of these the chief walked, and raising the mat he led the way into another grotto like the last, with the same bright lights and the same adornments, but of smaller size. Here I saw someone who at once took up all my attention.

It was a young maiden. C'était une jeune fille. Her face and form, but especially her eyes, showed her to be of quite a different race from these others. To me she was of medium height, yet she was taller than any of the people here that I had hitherto seen. Her complexion was much lighter; her hair was dark, luxuriant, and wavy, and arranged in a coiffure secured with a golden band. Her features were of a different cast from those of the people here, for they were regular in outline and of exquisite beauty; her nose was straight; she had a short upper lip, arched eyebrows finely pencilled, thin lips, and well-rounded chin. But the chief contrast was in her eyes. These were large, dark, liquid, with long lashes, and with a splendid glow in their lustrous depths. Ceux-ci étaient grands, sombres, liquides, avec de longs cils, et avec une lueur splendide dans leurs profondeurs brillantes. She stood looking at me with her face full of amazement; and as I caught the gaze of her glorious eyes I rejoiced that I had at last found one who lived in the light and loved it--one who did not blink like a bat, but looked me full in the face, and allowed me to see all her soul revealed. The chief, who still was pained by the glare of light, kept his eyes covered, and said a few hasty words to the maiden. After this he hurried away, leaving me there.

The maiden stood for a moment looking at me. As the chief spoke to her a change came over her face. She looked at me in silence, with an expression of sad and mournful interest, which seemed to increase every moment. At length she approached and said something in the same strange language which the chief had used. I shook my head and replied in English, whereupon she shook her head with a look of perplexity. Then, anxious to conciliate her, I held out my hand. Puis, soucieux de la concilier, je lui tendis la main. She looked at it in some surprise. Upon this I took her hand, and pressed it to my lips, feeling, however, somewhat doubtful as to the way in which she might receive such an advance. Là-dessus, je lui pris la main et la pressai contre mes lèvres, me sentant cependant quelque peu sceptique quant à la manière dont elle pourrait recevoir une telle avance. To my great delight she accepted it in a friendly spirit, and seemed to consider it my foreign fashion of showing friendship and respect. She smiled and nodded, and pointed to my gun, which thus far I had carried in my hand. I smiled and laid it down. Then she pointed to a seat. I sat down, and then she seated herself close by me, and we looked at each other in mutual wonder and mutual inquiry. Je me suis assis, puis elle s'est assise à côté de moi, et nous nous sommes regardés avec un émerveillement et une recherche mutuels mutuels.

I was full of amazement at thus meeting with so exquisite a being, and lost myself in conjectures as to her race, her office, and her position here. J'étais plein d'étonnement de rencontrer ainsi un être si exquis, et je me perdais en conjectures sur sa race, sa charge et sa position ici. Who was she, or what? She was unlike the others, and reminded me of those Oriental beauties whose portraits I had seen in annuals and illustrated books. Her costume was in keeping with such a character. Son costume était en accord avec un tel personnage. She wore a long tunic that reached from the neck to the ground, secured at the waist with a golden girdle; the sleeves were long and loose; over this she had a long mantle; on her feet were light slippers, white and glistening. Elle portait une longue tunique qui allait du cou au sol, attachée à la taille par une ceinture dorée ; les manches étaient longues et amples ; sur cela, elle avait un long manteau ; à ses pieds, des pantoufles légères, blanches et luisantes. All about her, in her room and in her costume, spoke of light and splendor and luxury. Tout autour d'elle, dans sa chambre et dans son costume, parlait de lumière, de splendeur et de luxe. To these others who shrank so from the light she could not be related in any way. The respect with which she was treated by the chief, the peculiar splendor of her apartments, seemed to indicate some high rank. Was she, then, the queen of the land? Was she a princess? I could not tell. At any rate, whatever she was, she seemed anxious to show me the utmost attention. Her manner was full of dignity and sweet graciousness, and she appeared particularly anxious to make herself understood. At first she spoke in a language that sounded like that of the chief, and was full of gutturals and broad vowels; afterward she spoke in another that was far more euphonious. Au début, elle parlait dans une langue qui ressemblait à celle du chef, et était pleine de gutturales et de voyelles larges ; ensuite, elle parla dans un autre qui était beaucoup plus euphonique. I, on the other hand spoke in English and in French; but of course I was as unintelligible to her as she was to me.

Language was, therefore, of no use. It was necessary to go back to first principles and make use of signs, or try to gain the most elementary words of her language; so first of all I pointed to her, and tried to indicate that I wanted to know her name. She caught my meaning at once, and, pointing to herself, she looked fixedly at me and said, "Almah, Almah!" I repeated these words after her, saying, "Almah, Almah!" She smiled and nodded, and then pointed to me with a look of inquiry that plainly asked for my name. Elle a souri et a hoché la tête, puis m'a pointé du doigt avec un regard interrogateur qui demandait clairement mon nom. I said "Adam More." She repeated this, and it sounded like "A-tam-or." But as she spoke this slowly her smile died away. She looked anxious and troubled, and once more that expression of wondering sadness came over her face. She repeated my name over and over in this way with a mournful intonation that thrilled through me, and excited forebodings of evil. Elle répétait ainsi mon nom à plusieurs reprises avec une intonation lugubre qui me faisait vibrer et éveillait des pressentiments de mal. "Atamor, Atamor!" And always after that she called me "Atamor." But now she sat for some time, looking at me with a face full of pity and distress. At this I was greatly astonished; for but a moment before she had been full of smiles, and it was as though something in my name had excited sorrowful thoughts. J'en fus fort étonné ; un instant auparavant, elle était pleine de sourires, et c'était comme si quelque chose en mon nom avait excité des pensées douloureuses. Yet how could that be, since she could never by any possibility have heard my name before? The beautiful Almah seemed to be not altogether happy, or why should she be so quick to sadness? There was a mystery about all this which was quite unaccountable. Il y avait un mystère à propos de tout cela qui était tout à fait inexplicable.

It was a singular situation, and one which excited within me feelings of unutterable delight. C'était une situation singulière, et qui excitait en moi des sentiments de joie indicible. This light and splendor, this warmth and peace--what a contrast it offered to the scenes through which I had but lately passed! Those scenes of horror, of ice and snow, of storm and tempest, of cold and hunger, of riven cliff and furious ocean stream, and, above all, that crowning agony in the bleak iron-land of the cannibals--from all these I had escaped. I had been drawn down under the earth to experience the terrors of that unspeakable passage, and had at last emerged to light and life, to joy and hope. In this grotto I had found the culmination of all happiness. It was like a fairy realm; and here was one whose very look was enough to inspire the most despairing soul with hop and peace and happiness. C'était comme un royaume des fées ; et en voici un dont l'aspect même suffisait à inspirer à l'âme la plus désespérée le houblon, la paix et le bonheur. The, only thing that was now left to trouble me was this mournful face of Almah. Why did she look at me with such sad interest and such melancholy meaning? Pourquoi me regardait-elle avec un intérêt si triste et un sens si mélancolique ? Did she know of any evil fate in store for me? Yet how could there be any evil fate to be feared from people who had received me with such unparalleled generosity? No, it could not be; so I resolved to try to bring back again the smile that had faded out of her face.

I pointed to her, and said, "Almah." She said, "Atam-or." And the smile did not come back, but the sadness remained in her face.

My eager desire now was to learn her language, and I resolved at once to acquire as many words and phrases as possible. Mon désir ardent était maintenant d'apprendre sa langue, et je résolus immédiatement d'acquérir autant de mots et de phrases que possible. I began by asking the names of things, such as "seat," "table," "mat," "coat," "hat," "shoe," "lamp," "floor," "wall," and all the common objects around. She gave all the names, and soon became so deeply interested that her sadness departed, and the smile came back once more. For my own part, I was always rather quick at learning languages. I had a correct ear and a retentive memory; in my wanderings round the world I had picked up a smattering of many languages, such as French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, German, Hindoostanee, and a few others. The words which I learned from Almah had a remote resemblance to Arabic; and, in fact, my knowledge of Arabic was actually of some assistance, though how it was that these people should have a language with that resemblance was certainly a mystery, and I did not try to solve it. Les mots que j'ai appris d'Almah avaient une lointaine ressemblance avec l'arabe ; et, en fait, ma connaissance de l'arabe était en fait d'une certaine aide, bien que comment il se faisait que ces gens aient une langue avec cette ressemblance était certainement un mystère, et je n'ai pas essayé de le résoudre. The beautiful Almah soon grew immensely interested in my efforts to learn, and also in the English words which I gave when I pointed to any object.

Thus I pointed to myself, and said "Man," then pointing to her, I said, "Woman." She laughed, and pointing to me said "Iz," and pointing to herself said, "Izza." Then I pointed to the row of lights, and said "Light;" she did the same, and said, "Or." Then her face grew mournful, and she pointed to me, saying "Atam-or." It struck me then that there was some chance resemblance between "or," the word meaning "light," and one of the syllables of my name as she pronounced it, and that this might cause her sadness; but as I could make out nothing of this, I dismissed the thought, and went on with my questions. This took up the time, until at length someone appeared who looked like a servant. He said something, whereupon Almah arose and beckoned to me to follow. I did so, and we went to a neighboring apartment, where there was spread a bounteous repast. Je l'ai fait, et nous sommes allés dans un appartement voisin, où l'on a servi un repas copieux. Here we sat and ate, and Almah told me the names of all the dishes. After dinner we returned to the room.

It was a singular and a delightful position. I was left alone with the beautiful Almah, who herself showed the utmost graciousness and the kindest interest in me. I could not understand it, nor did I try to; it was enough that I had such a happy lot. Je ne pouvais pas le comprendre, et je n'essayais pas de le comprendre ; il suffisait que j'aie eu un sort si heureux. For hours we thus were together, and I learned many words. To insure remembrance, I wrote them down in my memorandum-book with a pencil and both of these were regarded by Almah with greatest curiosity. Pour assurer le souvenir, je les ai notés dans mon carnet de notes avec un crayon et les deux ont été considérés par Almah avec la plus grande curiosité. She felt the paper, inspected it, touched it with her tongue, and seemed to admire it greatly; but the pencil excited still greater admiration. I signed to her to write in the book. She did so, but the characters were quite unlike anything that I had ever seen. They were not joined like our writing and like Arabic letters, but were separate like our printed type, and were formed in an irregular manner. She then showed me a book made of a strange substance. It was filled with characters like those which she had just written. The leaves were not at all like paper, but seemed like some vegetable product, such as the leaves of a plant or the bark of a tree. They were very thin, very smooth, all cut into regular size, and fastened together by means of rings. This manuscript is written upon the same material. I afterward found that it was universally used here, and was made of a reed that grows in marshes. J'ai découvert par la suite qu'il était universellement utilisé ici et qu'il était fait d'un roseau qui pousse dans les marais.

Here in these vast caverns there was no way by which I could tell the progress of time, but Almah had her own way of finding out when the hours of wakeful life were over. Ici, dans ces vastes cavernes, je n'avais aucun moyen de connaître la progression du temps, mais Almah avait sa propre façon de découvrir quand les heures de la vie éveillée étaient terminées. She arose and said, "Salonla." This I afterward found out to be common salutation of the country. I said it after her. She then left me. Shortly afterward a servant appeared, who took me to a room, which I understood to be mine. Here I found everything that I could wish, either for comfort or luxury; and as I felt fatigue, I flung myself upon the soft bed of down, and soon was sound asleep.

I slept for a long time. When I awoke I heard sounds in the distance, and knew that people were moving. Here in these caverns there was no difference between day and night, but, by modes of which I was ignorant, a regular succession was observed of waking times and sleeping times. Ici, dans ces cavernes, il n'y avait aucune différence entre le jour et la nuit, mais, par des modes que j'ignorais, on observait une succession régulière d'heures de veille et d'heure de sommeil.