large/9571/short_ghost_and_horror_collection_025_1411_librivox_64kb_mp3/ghohor025_14_various_64kb_7
large/9571/short_ghost_and_horror_collection_025_1411_librivox_64kb_mp3/ghohor025_14_various_64kb
English
9571
What annoyed me was merely the persistent way in which the volume tended to fall open of itself at Plate XII, which represented in gruesome detail a butcher's shop of the cannibal Anziques. I experienced some shame at my susceptibility to so slight a thing, but the drawing nevertheless disturbed me, especially in connexion with some adjacent passages descriptive of Anzique gastronomy. WHAT ANNOYED ME WAS MERELY THE PERSISTENT WAY IN WHICH THE VOLUME TENDED TO FALL OPEN OF ITSELF AT PLATE TWELVE WHICH REPRESENTED IN GRUESOME DETAIL A BUTCHER'S SHOP OF THE ANZIGUS CANNIBALS I EXPERIENCED SOME SHAME AT MY SUSCEPTIBILITY TO SO SLIGHT A THING BUT THE DRAWING NEVERTHELESS DISTURBED ME ESPECIALLY IN CONNECTION WITH SOME ADJACENT PASSAGES DESCRIPTIVE OF ANZICUS GASTRONOMY
ing upon the table and presenting such an antediluvian aspect that I marvelled at beholding it outside a museum or library. It was bound in leather with metal fittings, and was in an excellent state of preservation; being altogether an unusual sort of volume to encounter in an abode so lowly. When I opened it to the title page my wonder grew even greater, for it proved to be nothing less rare than Pigafetta’s account of the Congo region, written in Latin from the notes of the sailor Lopez and printed at Frankfort in 1598. I had often heard of this work, with its curious illustrations by the brothers De Bry, hence for a moment forgot my uneasiness in my desire to turn the pages before me. The engravings were indeed interesting, drawn wholly from imagination and careless descriptions, and represented negroes with white skins and Caucasian features; nor would I soon have closed the book had not an exceedingly trivial circumstance upset my tired nerves and revived my sensation of disquiet.  UPON THE TABLE AND PRESENTING SUCH AN ANTEDILUVIAN ASPECT THAT I MARVELLED AT BEHOLDING IT OUTSIDE A MUSEUM OR LIBRARY IT WAS BOUND IN LEATHER WITH METAL FITTINGS AND WAS IN AN EXCELLENT STATE OF PRESERVATION BEING ALTOGETHER AN UNUSUAL SORT OF VOLUME TO ENCOUNTER IN AN ABODE SO LOWLY WHEN I OPENED IT TO THE TITLE PAGE MY WONDER GREW EVEN GREATER FOR IT PROVED TO BE NOTHING LESS RARE THAN PIGAFETTA'S ACCOUNT OF THE CONGO REGION WRITTEN IN LATIN FROM THE NOTES OF THE SAILOR LOPEZ AND PRINTED IN FRANKFORT IN FIFTEEN NINETY EIGHT I HAD OFTEN HEARD OF THIS WORK WITH ITS CURIOUS ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE BROTHERS DEBRAY HENCE FOR A MOMENT FORGOT MY UNEASINESS AND MY DESIRE TO TURN THE PAGES BEFORE ME THE ENGRAVINGS WERE INDEED INTERESTING DRAWN WHOLLY FROM IMAGINATION AND CARELESS DESCRIPTIONS AND REPRESENTED NEGROES WITH WHITE SKINS AND CAUCASIAN FEATURES NOR WOULD I SOON HAVE CLOSED THE BOOK HAD NOT AN EXCEEDINGLY TRIVIAL CIRCUMSTANCE UPSET MY TIRED NERVES AND REVIVED MY SENSATION OF DISQUIET
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