A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder
Page 27
CHAPTER XXVII
OXENDEN PREACHES A SERMON
"Magones," said the doctor, "is clearly a volcanic island, and, takenin connection with the other volcanoes around, shows how active mustbe the subterranean fires at the South Pole. It seems probable to methat the numerous caves of the Kosekin were originally fissures in themountains, formed by convulsions of nature; and also that the placesexcavated by man must consist of soft volcanic rock, such aspumice-stone, or rather tufa, easily worked, and remaining permanentlyin any shape into which it may be fashioned. As to Magones, it seemsanother Iceland; for there are the same wild and hideous desolation,the same impassable wildernesses, and the same universal scenes ofruin, lighted up by the baleful and tremendous volcanic fires."
"But what of that little island on which they landed?" askedFeatherstone. "That, surely, was not volcanic."
"No," said the doctor; "that must have been a coral island."
"By-the-bye, is it really true," asked Featherstone, "that these coralislands are the work of little insects?"
"Well, they may be called insects," replied the doctor; "they areliving zoophytes of most minute dimensions, which, however, compensatefor their smallness of size by their inconceivable numbers. Small asthese are they have accomplished infinitely more than all that everwas done by the ichthyosaurus, the plesiosaurus, the pterodactyl, andthe whole tribe of monsters that once filled the earth. Immensedistricts and whole mountains have been built up by these minutecreatures. They have been at work for ages, and are still at work. Itis principally in the South Seas that their labors are carried on.Near the Maldive Islands they have formed a mass whose volume is equalto the Alps. Around New Caledonia they have built a barrier of reefsfour hundred miles in length, and another along the northeast coast ofAustralia a thousand miles in length. In the Pacific Ocean, islands,reefs, and islets innumerable have been constructed by them, whichextend for an immense distance.
"The coral islands are called 'atolls.' They are nearly alwayscircular, with a depression in the centre. They are originally madering-shaped, but the action of the ocean serves to throw fragments ofrock into the inner depression, which thus fills up; firm landappears; the rock crumbles into soil; the winds and birds and currentsbring seeds here, and soon the new island is covered with verdure.These little creatures have played a part in the past quite asimportant as in the present. All Germany rests upon a bank of coral;and they seem to have been most active during the Oolitic Period."
"How do the creatures act?" asked Featherstone.
"Nobody knows," replied the doctor.
A silence now followed, which was at last broken by Oxenden.
"After all," said he, "these monsters and marvels of nature form theleast interesting feature in the land of the Kosekin. To me the peoplethemselves are the chief subject of interest. Where did they get thatstrange, all-pervading love of death, which is as strong in them aslove of life is in us?"
"Why, they got it from the imagination of the writer of themanuscript," interrupted Melick.
"Yes, it's easy to answer it from your point of view; yet from mypoint of view it is more difficult. I sometimes think that it may bethe strong spirituality of the Semitic race, carried out underexceptionally favorable circumstances to the ultimate results; for theSemitic race more than all others thought little of this life, andturned their affections to the life that lives beyond this. TheKosekin may thus have had a spiritual development of their own, whichended in this.
"Yet there may be another reason for it, and I sometimes think thatthe Kosekin may be nearer to the truth than we are. We have by naturea strong love of life--it is our dominant feeling--but yet there is inthe minds of all men a deep underlying conviction of the vanity oflife, and the worthlessness. In all ages and among all races the best,the purest, and the wisest have taught this truth--that human life isnot a blessing; that the evil predominates over the good; and that ourbest hope is to gain a spirit of acquiescence with its inevitableills. All philosophy and all religions teach us this one solemn truth,that in this life the evil surpasses the good. It has always been so.Suffering has been the lot of all living things, from the giant of theprimeval swamps down to the smallest zoophyte. It is far more so withman. Some favored classes in every age may furnish forth a fewindividuals who may perhaps lead lives of self-indulgence and luxury;but to the mass of mankind life has ever been, and must ever be, aprolonged scene of labor intermingled with suffering. The great Indianreligions, whether Brahmanic or Buddhistic, teach as their cardinaldoctrine that life is an evil. Buddhism is more pronounced in this,for it teaches more emphatically than even the Kosekin that the chiefend of man is to get rid of the curse of life and gain the bliss ofNirvana, or annihilation. True, it does not take so practical a formas among the Kosekin, yet it is believed by one-third of the humanrace as the foundation of the religion in which they live and die. Weneed not go to the Kosekin, however, for such maxims as these. Theintelligent Hindoos, the Chinese, the Japanese, with many othernations, all cling firmly to this belief. Sakyamoum Gautama Buddha,the son and heir of a mighty monarch, penetrated with the convictionof the misery of life, left his throne, embraced a life of voluntarypoverty, want, and misery, so that he might find his way to a betterstate--the end before him being this, that he might ultimately escapefrom the curse of existence. He lived till old age, gained innumerablefollowers, and left to them as a solemn legacy the maxim that not toexist is better than to exist; that death is better than life. Sincehis day millions of his followers have upheld his principles and livedhis life. Even among the joyous Greeks we find this feeling at timesbursting forth it comes when we least expect it, and not even aKosekin poet could express this view more forcibly than Sophocles inthe OEdipus at Colonus:
"'Not to be born surpasses every lot; And the next best lot by far, when one is born Is to go back whence he came as soon as possible; For while youth is present bringing vain follies, What woes does it not have, what ills does it not bear-- Murders, factions, strife, war, envy, But the extreme of misery is attained by loathsome old age-- Old age, strengthless, unsociable, friendless, Where all evils upon evils dwell together.'"
"I'll give you the words of a later poet," said Melick, "who takesa different view of the case. I think I'll sing them, with yourpermission."
Melick swallowed a glass of wine and then sang the following:
"'They may rail at this life: from the hour I began it I found it a life full of kindness and bliss, And until they can show me some happier planet, More social and bright, I'll content me with this. As long as the world has such lips and such eyes As before me this moment enraptured I see, They may say what they will of their orbs in the skies, But this earth is the planet for you, love, and me.'
"What a pity it is," continued Melick, "that the writer of thismanuscript had not the philological, theological, sociological,geological, palaeological, ontological, ornithological, and all theother logical attainments of yourself and the doctor! He could thenhave given us a complete view of the nature of the Kosekin, morallyand physically; he could have treated of the geology of the soil, theethnology of the people, and could have unfolded before us a full andcomprehensive view of their philosophy and religion, and could havecrammed his manuscript with statistics. I wonder why he didn't do iteven as it was. It must have been a strong temptation."
"More," said Oxenden, with deep impressiveness, "was a simple-mindedthough somewhat emotional sailor, and merely wrote in the hope thathis story might one day meet the eyes of his father. I certainlyshould like to find some more accurate statements about the science,philosophy, and religion of the Kosekin; yet, after all, such thingscould not be expected."
"Why not?" said Melick; "it was easy enough for him."
"How?" asked Oxenden.
"Why, he had only to step into the British Museum, and in a couple ofhours he could have crammed up on all those points in science,philosophy, ethnology, and theology, about which you a
re so anxious toknow."
"Well," said Featherstone, "suppose we continue our reading? I believeit is my turn now. I sha'n't be able to hold out so long as you did,Oxenden, but I'll do what I can."
Saying this, Featherstone took the manuscript and went on to read.