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Ranolf and Amohia

A dream of two lives. By Alfred Domett. New edition, revised
Domett, Alfred (1811-1887)

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RANOLF AND AMOHIA:
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VOLUME I.
  
PRELUDE.
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BOOK THE FIRST. THE SAILOR-STUDENT.
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Canto the First. The Sea-boy.
 I. 
I.
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II.
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III.
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IV.
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V.
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VI.
  
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 VII. 
VII.
 VIII. 
VIII.
 IX. 
IX.
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Canto the Second. Will-o'-wisp-chasing.
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I.
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III.
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VI.
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VII.
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VIII.
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IX.
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X.
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Canto the Third. From Wisp to Morass.
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I.
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VII.
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VIII.
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IX.
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Canto the Fourth. Terra Firma.
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VIII.
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XII.
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XIII.
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Canto the Fifth. Cloud-blowing.
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VIII.
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XII.
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XIII.
 XIV. 
XIV.
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Canto the Sixth. Land-Life or Sea-Life?
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VII.
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VIII.
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Canto the Seventh. The Shipwreck.
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I.
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III.
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IV.
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V.
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BOOK THE SECOND. THE SOUTH-SEA VILLAGERS.
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Canto the First. The Rescue.
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I.
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III.
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VI.
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VII.
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VIII.
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IX.
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Canto the Second. The ‘Sounding Sea.’
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III.
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IV.
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VI.
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Canto the Third. The Magician.
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VIII.
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Canto the Fourth. A Woodland Jaunt.
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VIII.
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Canto the Fifth. The Legend of Tawhaki.
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VII.
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Canto the Sixth. Mythical Cosmogonies.
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Canto the Seventh. The Captive.
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VIII.
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BOOK THE THIRD. ALL IN A SUMMER NIGHT.
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Canto the First. Miroa's Tidings.
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III.
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VI.
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VII.
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VIII.
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Canto the Second. The Song-cheered Swimming.
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II.
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III.
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IV.
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Canto the Third. The Star-lit Swimming.
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VIII.
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Canto the Fourth. Legends of the Spirit-Land.
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Canto the Fifth. Amohia at the Fountain.
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Canto the Sixth. Silence and Moonlight.
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Canto the Seventh. The Meeting.
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VOLUME II.
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BOOK THE FOURTH. A LATTER-DAY EDEN.
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Canto the First. Flight of the Lovers.
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 XII. 
XII.
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Canto the Second. Miroa's Story.
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Canto the Third. Love and Nature luxuriant.
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Canto the Fourth. Trees and the Tree-God.
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Canto the Fifth. The Fountain-Terraces.
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Canto the Sixth. A Geyser Yoked.
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Canto the Seventh. English Maidens.
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BOOK THE FIFTH. STILL IN EDEN.
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Canto the First. The Haunted Mountain.
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Canto the Second. Sports on the Lake.
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Canto the Third. The Cicada.
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Canto the Fourth. A loving Questioner.
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Canto the Fifth. A cheery Theorist.
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Canto the Sixth. Love beats Logic.
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Canto the Seventh. An airy Nest.
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BOOK THE SIXTH WAR.
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Canto the First. The Beleaguered Fortress.
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IV.
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Canto the Second. War needs Idealizing.
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Canto the Third. The grand Assault.
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VIII.
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IX.
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Canto the Fourth. Fight between ‘Sounding Sea’ and ‘Angry Star.’
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Canto the Fifth. Love fed by War.
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Canto the Sixth. An old wrong avenged.
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VI.
  
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 VIII. 
VIII.
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Canto the Seventh. Death of the ‘Sounding Sea.’
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BOOK THE SEVENTH. SELF-SACRIFICE.
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Canto the First. Weariness.
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Canto the Second. A sad Resolve.
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Canto the Third. Death of the Magician.
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VI.
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VII.
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Canto the Fourth. Where is Comfort?
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Canto the Fifth. A Vision.
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VI.
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Canto the Sixth. The Departure.
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VIII.
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X.
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Canto the Seventh. After-Experiences.
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VII.
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VIII.
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XI.
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XII.

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VI.

Two scraps of boyish letters here may be
Thrown in, as roughly written home from sea.
“A noble sport—and my delight
That reefing topsails! just to make all right,
Ere the wind freshens to a gale at night.
10

See! clambering nimbly up the shrouds,
Go, thick as bees, the sailor-crowds;
The smartest for the post of honour vie
That weather yardarm pointing to the sky:
They gather at the topmast-head
And dark against the darkling cloud
Sidling along the foot-ropes spread:
Dim figures o'er the yardarm bowed,
How with the furious Sail, a glorious sight,
Up in the darkness of the Sky they fight!
While by the fierce encounter troubled
The heavy pitching of the Ship is doubled;
The big Sail's swelling, surging volumes, full
Of wind, the strong reef-tackle half restrains;
And like some lasso-tangled bull
Checked in its mid career of savage might
O'er far La Plata's plains,
It raves and tugs and plunges to get free
And flaps and bellows in its agony!
But slowly yielding to its scarce-seen foes
Faint and more faint its frenzied struggling grows;
Till, by its frantic rage at length
Exhausted, like that desert-ranger's strength,
Silent and still, it seems to shrink and close.
Then, tight comprest, the reef-points firmly tied,
Down to the deck again the sailors glide;
And easier now, with calm concentred force,
The Ship bounds forward on her lightened course.”
11

“Once, 'twas my watch below (worse luck!)
A sudden squall the vessel struck:
With half my clothes about me thrown
I rushed on deck; what havoc there!
The topsails from the bolt-ropes blown,
Topgallant-masts and royals gone,
And huddled sails and shattered spars
And tangled tackle everywhere;
While all amazed, our gallant tars
Stood at the sudden wreck aghast,
Nor seemed to heed the swift commands
The Captain shouted through the blast.
The heaving staysail swagged and swung
As from the strained jibboom it hung:
Of course with some sharp words addrest
To two or three, our smartest hands,
Forward I jumped to do my best.
They followed quick;—the lightest, I
The bowsprit's end could safest try;
We grasped the frail spar like grim death,
And shut our eyes and held our breath,
Clinging with tightened arms and knees
When o'er us dashed successive seas
And blinded, ducked, and drenched us, till
Seizing the chance of every lull
To look and lash and tug and pull,
We furled the sail and got it still;
Though no one knew as there we clung
How badly that jibboom was sprung.
But when I 'lighted on the deck
Shaking the water off, the good
White-headed Master, who had stood,
He told me since, in breathless mood
12

(His heart was in his mouth, he said,
While looking on, for very dread)
Threw his old arm about my neck,
‘God bless you!’ cried he, ‘my brave Son!
'Twas nobly, beautifully done!
The safety of my Ship and Crew
This blessed day—I swear 'tis true,
Is owing, under God, to you!’—
Mother! ten times the risk I'd run
To have such praise declared my due—
By such a gallant Seaman too!”
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