journal of a voyage to lisbon-第13节

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Dungeness；　with　much　more　pleasure　than　progress；　for　the　weather

was　almost　a　perfect　calm；　and　the　moon；　which　was　almost　at　the

full；　scarce　suffered　a　single　cloud　to　veil　her　from　our　sight。



Tuesday；　Wednesday；　July　9；　10。These　two　days　we　had　much　the

same　fine　weather；　and　made　much　the　same　way；　but　in　the　evening

of　the　latter　day　a　pretty　fresh　gale　sprung　up　at　N。N。W。；　which

brought　us　by　the　morning　in　sight　of　the　Isle　of　Wight。



Thursday；　July　11。This　gale　continued　till　towards　noon；　when

the　east　end　of　the　island　bore　but　little　ahead　of　us。　　The

captain　swaggered　and　declared　he　would　keep　the　sea；　but　the

wind　got　the　better　of　him；　so　that　about　three　he　gave　up　the

victory；　and　making　a　sudden　tack　stood　in　for　the　shore；　passed

by　Spithead　and　Portsmouth；　and　came　to　an　anchor　at　a　place

called　Ryde　on　the　island。



A　most　tragical　incident　fell　out　this　day　at　sea。　　While　the

ship　was　under　sail；　but　making　as　will　appear　no　great　way；　a

kitten；　one　of　four　of　the　feline　inhabitants　of　the　cabin；　fell

from　the　window　into　the　water：　　an　alarm　was　immediately　given

to　the　captain；　who　was　then　upon　deck；　and　received　it　with　the

utmost　concern　and　many　bitter　oaths。　　He　immediately　gave　orders

to　the　steersman　in　favor　of　the　poor　thing；　as　he　called　it；　the

sails　were　instantly　slackened；　and　all　hands；　as　the　phrase　is；

employed　to　recover　the　poor　animal。　　I　was；　I　own；　extremely

surprised　at　all　this；　less　indeed　at　the　captain's　extreme

tenderness　than　at　his　conceiving　any　possibility　of　success；　for

if　puss　had　had　nine　thousand　instead　of　nine　lives；　I　concluded

they　had　been　all　lost。　　The　boatswain；　however；　had　more

sanguine　hopes；　for；　having　stripped　himself　of　his　jacket；

breeches；　and　shirt；　he　leaped　boldly　into　the　water；　and　to　my

great　astonishment　in　a　few　minutes　returned　to　the　ship；　bearing

the　motionless　animal　in　his　mouth。　　Nor　was　this；　I　observed；　a

matter　of　such　great　difficulty　as　it　appeared　to　my　ignorance；

and　possibly　may　seem　to　that　of　my　fresh…water　reader。　　The

kitten　was　now　exposed　to　air　and　sun　on　the　deck；　where　its

life；　of　which　it　retained　no　symptoms；　was　despaired　of　by　all。



The　captain's　humanity；　if　I　may　so　call　it；　did　not　so　totally

destroy　his　philosophy　as　to　make　him　yield　himself　up　to

affliction　on　this　melancholy　occasion。　　Having　felt　his　loss

like　a　man；　he　resolved　to　show　he　could　bear　it　like　one；　and；

having　declared　he　had　rather　have　lost　a　cask　of　rum　or　brandy；

betook　himself　to　threshing　at　backgammon　with　the　Portuguese

friar；　in　which　innocent　amusement　they　had　passed　about

two…thirds　of　their　time。



But　as　I　have；　perhaps；　a　little　too　wantonly　endeavored　to　raise

the　tender　passions　of　my　readers　in　this　narrative；　I　should

think　myself　unpardonable　if　I　concluded　it　without　giving　them

the　satisfaction　of　hearing　that　the　kitten　at　last　recovered；　to

the　great　joy　of　the　good　captain；　but　to　the　great

disappointment　of　some　of　the　sailors；　who　asserted　that　the

drowning　a　cat　was　the　very　surest　way　of　raising　a　favorable

wind；　a　supposition　of　which；　though　we　have　heard　several

plausible　accounts；　we　will　not　presume　to　assign　the　true

original　reason。



Friday；　July　12。This　day　our　ladies　went　ashore　at　Ryde；　and

drank　their　afternoon　tea　at　an　ale…house　there　with　great

satisfaction：　　here　they　were　regaled　with　fresh　cream；　to　which

they　had　been　strangers　since　they　left　the　Downs。



Saturday；　July　13。The　wind　seeming　likely　to　continue　in　the

same　corner　where　it　had　been　almost　constantly　for　two　months

together；　I　was　persuaded　by　my　wife　to　go　ashore　and　stay　at

Ryde　till　we　sailed。　　I　approved　the　motion　much；　for　though　I　am

a　great　lover　of　the　sea；　I　now　fancied　there　was　more　pleasure

in　breathing　the　fresh　air　of　the　land；　but　how　to　get　thither

was　the　question；　for；　being　really　that　dead　luggage　which　I

considered　all　passengers　to　be　in　the　beginning　of　this

narrative；　and　incapable　of　any　bodily　motion　without　external

impulse；　it　was　in　vain　to　leave　the　ship；　or　to　determine　to　do

it；　without　the　assistance　of　others。　　In　one　instance；　perhaps；

the　living；　luggage　is　more　difficult　to　be　moved　or　removed　than

an　equal　or　much　superior　weight　of　dead　matter；　which；　if　of　the

brittle　kind；　may　indeed　be　liable　to　be　broken　through

negligence；　but　this；　by　proper　care；　may　be　almost　certainly

prevented；　whereas　the　fractures　to　which　the　living　lumps　are

exposed　are　sometimes　by　no　caution　avoidable；　and　often　by　no

art　to　be　amended。



I　was　deliberating　on　the　means　of　conveyance；　not　so　much　out　of

the　ship　to　the　boat　as　out　of　a　little　tottering　boat　to　the

land；　a　matter　which；　as　I　had　already　experienced　in　the　Thames；

was　not　extremely　easy；　when　to　be　performed　by　any　other　limbs

than　your　own。　　Whilst　I　weighed　all　that　could　suggest　itself　on

this　head；　without　strictly　examining　the　merit　of　the　several

schemes　which　were　advanced　by　the　captain　and　sailors；　and；

indeed；　giving　no　very　deep　attention　even　to　my　wife；　who；　as

well　as　her　friend　and　my　daughter；　were　exerting　their　tender

concern　for　my　ease　and　safety；　Fortune；　for　I　am　convinced　she

had　a　hand　in　it；　sent　me　a　present　of　a　buck；　a　present　welcome

enough　of　itself；　but　more　welcome　on　account　of　the　vessel　in

which　it　came；　being　a　large　hoy；　which　in　some　places　would　pass

for　a　ship；　and　many　people　would　go　some　miles　to　see　the　sight。



I　was　pretty　easily　conveyed　on　board　this　hoy；　but　to　get　from

hence　to　the　shore　was　not　so　easy　a　task；　for；　however　strange

it　may　appear；　the　water　itself　did　not　extend　so　far；　an

instance　which　seems　to　explain　those　lines　of　Ovid；



Omnia　pontus　erant；　deerant　quoque　littora　ponto；



in　a　less　tautological　sense　than　hath　generally　been　imputed　to　them。



In　fact；　between　the　sea　and　the　shore　there　was；　at　low　water；

an　impassable　gulf；　if　I　may　so　call　it；　of　deep　mud；　which　could

neither　be　traversed　by　walking　nor　swimming；　so　that　for　near

one　half　of　the　twenty…four　hours　Ryde　was　inaccessible　by　friend

or　foe。　　But　as　the　magistrates　of　this　place　seemed　more　to

desire　the　company　of　the　former　than　to　fear　that　of　the　latter；

they　had　begun　to　make　a　small　causeway　to　the　low…water　mark；　so

that　foot　passengers　might　land　whenever　they　pleased；　but　as

this　work　was　of　a　public　kind；　and　would　have　cost　a　large　sum

of　money；　at　least　ten　pounds；　and　the　magistrates；　that　is　to

say；　the　churchwardens；　the　overseers；　constable；　and　tithingman；

and　the　principal　inhabitants；　had　every　one　of　them　some

separate　scheme　of　private　interest　to　advance　at　the　expense　of

the　public；　they　fell　out　among　themselves；　and；　after　having

thrown　away　one　half　of　the　requisite　sum；　resolved　at　least　to

save　the　other　half；　and　rather　be　contented　to　sit　down　losers

themselves　than　to　enjoy　any　benefit　which　might　bring　in　a

greater　profit　to　another。　　Thus　that　unanimity　which　is　so

necessary　in　all　public　affairs　became　wanting；　and　every　man；

from　the　fear　of　being　a　bubble　to　another；　was；　in　reality；　a

bubble　to　himself。



However；　as　there　is　scarce　any　difficulty　to　which　the　strength

of　men；　assisted　with　the　cunning　of　art；　is　not　equal；　I　was　at

last　hoisted　into　a　small　boat；　and　being　rowed　pretty　near　the

shore；　was　taken　up　by　two　sailors；　who　waded　with　me　through　the

mud；　and　placed　me　in　a　chair　on　the　land；　whence　they　afterwards

conveyed　me　a　quarter　of　a　mile　farther；　and　brought　me　to　a

house　which　seemed　to　bid　the　fairest　for　hospitality　of　any　in

Ryde。



We　brought　with　us　our　provisions　from　the　ship；　so　that　we

wanted　nothing　but　a　fire　to　dress　our　dinner；　and　a　room　in

which　we　might　eat　it。　　In　neither　of　these　had　we　any　reason　to

apprehend　a　disappointment；　our　dinner　consisting　only　of　beans

and　bacon；　and　the　worst　apartment　in　his　majesty's　dominions；

either　at　home　or　abroad；　being　fully　sufficient　to　answer　our

present　ideas　of　delicacy。



Unluckily；　however；　we　were　disappointed　in　both；　for　when　we

arrived　about　four　at　our　inn；　exulting　in　the　hopes　of

immediately　seeing　our　beans　smoking　on　the　table；　we　had　the

mortification　of　seeing　them　on　the　table　indeed；　but　without

that　circumstance　which　would　have　made　the　sight　agreeable；

being　in　the　same　state　in　which　we　had　dispatched　them　from　our

ship。　　In　excuse　for　this　delay；　though　we　had　exceeded；　almost

purposely；　the　time　appointed；　and　our　provision　had　arrived

three　hours　before；　the　mistress　of　the　house　acquainted　us　that

it　was　not　for　want　of　time　to　dress　them　that　they　were　not

ready；　but　for　fear　of　their　being　cold　or　over…done　before　we

should　come；　which　she　assured　us　was　much　worse　than　waiting　a

few　minutes　for　our　dinner；　an　observation　so　very　just；　that　it

is　impossible　to　find　any　objection　in　it；　but；　indeed；　it　was

not　altogether