journal of a voyage to lisbon-第20节

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conversation；　it　is　true；　there　was　something　military　enough；　as

it　consisted　chiefly　of　oaths；　and　of　the　great　actions　and　wise

sayings　of　Jack；　and　Will；　and　Tom　of　our　regiment；　a　phrase

eternally　in　his　mouth；　and　he　seemed　to　conclude　that　it

conveyed　to　all　the　officers　such　a　degree　of　public　notoriety

and　importance　that　it　entitled　him　like　the　head　of　a

profession；　or　a　first　minister；　to　be　the　subject　of

conversation　among　those　who　had　not　the　least　personal

acquaintance　with　him。　　This　did　not　much　surprise　me；　as　I　have

seen　several　examples　of　the　same；　but　the　defects　in　his

address；　especially　to　the　women；　were　so　great　that　they　seemed

absolutely　inconsistent　with　the　behavior　of　a　pretty　fellow；

much　less　of　one　in　a　red　coat；　and　yet；　besides　having　been

eleven　years　in　the　army；　he　had　had；　as　his　uncle　informed　me；

an　education　in　France。　　This；　I　own；　would　have　appeared　to　have

been　absolutely　thrown　away　had　not　his　animal　spirits；　which

were　likewise　thrown　away　upon　him　in　great　abundance；　borne　the

visible　stamp　of　the　growth　of　that　country。　　The　character　to

which　he　had　an　indisputable　title　was　that　of　a　merry　fellow；　so

very　merry　was　he　that　he　laughed　at　everything　he　said；　and

always　before　he　spoke。　　Possibly；　indeed；　he　often　laughed　at

what　he　did　not　utter；　for　every　speech　begun　with　a　laugh；

though　it　did　not　always　end　with　a　jest。　　There　was　no　great

analogy　between　the　characters　of　the　uncle　and　the　nephew；　and

yet　they　seemed　entirely　to　agree　in　enjoying　the　honor　which　the

red…coat　did　to　his　family。　　This　the　uncle　expressed　with　great

pleasure　in　his　countenance；　and　seemed　desirous　of　showing　all

present　the　honor　which　he　had　for　his　nephew；　who；　on　his　side；

was　at　some　pains　to　convince　us　of　his　concurring　in　this

opinion；　and　at　the　same　time　of　displaying　the　contempt　he　had

for　the　parts；　as　well　as　the　occupation　of　his　uncle；　which　he

seemed　to　think　reflected　some　disgrace　on　himself；　who　was　a

member　of　that　profession　which　makes　every　man　a　gentleman。

Not　that　I　would　be　understood　to　insinuate　that　the　nephew

endeavored　to　shake　off　or　disown　his　uncle；　or　indeed　to　keep

him　at　any　distance。　　On　the　contrary；　he　treated　him　with　the

utmost　familiarity；　often　calling　him　Dick；　and　dear　Dick；　and

old　Dick；　and　frequently　beginning　an　oration　with　Dn　me；　Dick。



All　this　condescension　on　the　part　of　the　young　man　was　received

with　suitable　marks　of　complaisance　and　obligation　by　the　old

one；　especially　when　it　was　attended　with　evidences　of　the　same

familiarity　with　general　officers　and　other　persons　of　rank；　one

of　whom；　in　particular；　I　know　to　have　the　pride　and　insolence　of

the　devil　himself；　and　who；　without　some　strong　bias　of　interest；

is　no　more　liable　to　converse　familiarly　with　a　lieutenant　than

of　being　mistaken　in　his　judgment　of　a　fool；　which　was　not；

perhaps；　so　certainly　the　case　of　the　worthy　lieutenant；　who；　in

declaring　to　us　the　qualifications　which　recommended　men　to　his

countenance　and　conversation；　as　well　as　what　effectually　set　a

bar　to　all　hopes　of　that　honor；　exclaimed；　〃No；　sir；　by　the　d　I

hate　all　fools　No；　dn　me；　excuse　me　for　that。　　That's　a

little　too　much；　old　Dick。　　There　are　two　or　three　officers　of

our　regiment　whom　I　know　to　be　fools；　but　dn　me　if　I　am　ever

seen　in　their　company。　　If　a　man　hath　a　fool　of　a　relation；　Dick；

you　know　he　can't　help　that；　old　boy。〃　　Such　jokes　as　these　the

old　man　not　only　tools　in　good　part；　but　glibly　gulped　down　the

whole　narrative　of　his　nephew；　nor　did　he；　I　am　convinced；　in　the

least　doubt　of　our　as　readily　swallowing　the　same。　　This　made　him

so　charmed　with　the　lieutenant；　that　it　is　probable　we　should

have　been　pestered　with　him　the　whole　evening；　had　not　the　north

wind；　dearer　to　our　sea…captain　even　than　this　glory　of　his

family；　sprung　suddenly　up；　and　called　aloud　to　him　to　weigh　his

anchor。　　While　this　ceremony　was　performing；　the　sea…captain

ordered　out　his　boat　to　row　the　land…captain　to　shore；　not　indeed

on　an　uninhabited　island；　but　one　which；　in　this　part；　looked　but

little　better；　not　presenting　us　the　view　of　a　single　house。

Indeed；　our　old　friend；　when　his　boat　returned　on　shore；　perhaps

being　no　longer　able　to　stifle　his　envy　of　the　superiority　of　his

nephew；　told　us　with　a　smile　that　the　young　man　had　a　good　five

mile　to　walk　before　he　could　be　accommodated　with　a　passage　to

Portsmouth。



It　appeared　now　that　the　captain　had　been　only　mistaken　in　the

date　of　his　prediction；　by　placing　the　event　a　day　earlier　than

it　happened；　for　the　wind　which　now　arose　was　not　only　favorable

but　brisk；　and　was　no　sooner　in　reach　of　our　sails　than　it　swept

us　away　by　the　back　of　the　Isle　of　Wight；　and；　having　in　the

night　carried　us　by　Christchurch　and　Peveral…point；　brought　us

the　next　noon；　Saturday；　July　25；　oft　the　island　of　Portland；　so

famous　for　the　smallness　and　sweetness　of　its　mutton；　of　which　a

leg　seldom　weighs　four　pounds。　　We　would　have　bought　a　sheep；　but

our　captain　would　not　permit　it；　though　he　needed　not　have　been

in　such　a　hurry；　for　presently　the　wind；　I　will　not　positively

assert　in　resentment　of　his　surliness；　showed　him　a　dog's　trick；

and　slyly　slipped　back　again　to　his　summer…house　in　the

south…west。



The　captain　now　grew　outrageous；　and；　declaring　open　war　with　the

wind；　took　a　resolution；　rather　more　bold　than　wise；　of　sailing

in　defiance　of　it；　and　in　its　teeth。　　He　swore　he　would　let　go

his　anchor　no　more；　but　would　beat　the　sea　while　he　had　either

yard　or　sail　left。　　He　accordingly　stood　from　the　shore；　and　made

so　large　a　tack　that　before　night；　though　he　seemed　to　advance

but　little　on　his　way；　he　was　got　out　of　sight　of　land。



Towards　evening　the　wind　began；　in　the　captain's　own　language；

and　indeed　it　freshened　so　much；　that　before　ten　it　blew　a

perfect　hurricane。　　The　captain　having　got；　as　he　supposed；　to　a

safe　distance；　tacked　again　towards　the　English　shore；　and　now

the　wind　veered　a　point　only　in　his　favor；　and　continued　to　blow

with　such　violence；　that　the　ship　ran　above　eight　knots　or　miles

an　hour　during　this　whole　day　and　tempestuous　night　till

bed…time。　　I　was　obliged　to　betake　myself　once　more　to　my

solitude；　for　my　women　were　again　all　down　in　their　sea…sickness；

and　the　captain　was　busy　on　deck；　for　he　began　to　grow　uneasy；

chiefly；　I　believe；　because　he　did　not　well　know　where　he　was；

and　would；　I　am　convinced；　have　been　very　glad　to　have　been　in

Portland…road；　eating　some　sheep's…head　broth。



Having　contracted　no　great　degree　of　good…humor　by　living　a　whole

day　alone；　without　a　single　soul　to　converse　with；　I　took　but　ill

physic　to　purge　it　off；　by　a　bed…conversation　with　the　captain；

who；　amongst　many　bitter　lamentations　of　his　fate；　and　protesting

he　had　more　patience　than　a　Job；　frequently　intermixed　summons　to

the　commanding　officer　on　the　deck；　who　now　happened　to　be　one

Morrison；　a　carpenter；　the　only　fellow　that　had　either　common

sense　or　common　civility　in　the　ship。　　Of　Morrison　he　inquired

every　quarter　of　an　hour　concerning　the　state　of　affairs：　　the

wind；　the　care　of　the　ship；　and　other　matters　of　navigation。　　The

frequency　of　these　summons；　as　well　as　the　solicitude　with　which

they　were　made；　sufficiently　testified　the　state　of　the　captain's

mind；　he　endeavored　to　conceal　it；　and　would　have　given　no　small

alarm　to　a　man　who　had　either　not　learned　what　it　is　to　die；　or

known　what　it　is　to　be　miserable。　　And　my　dear　wife　and　child

must　pardon　me；　if　what　I　did　not　conceive　to　be　any　great　evil

to　myself　I　was　not　much　terrified　with　the　thoughts　of　happening

to　them；　in　truth；　I　have　often　thought　they　are　both　too　good

and　too　gentle　to　be　trusted　to　the　power　of　any　man　I　know；　to

whom　they　could　possibly　be　so　trusted。



Can　I　say　then　I　had　no　fear？　indeed　I　cannot。　　Reader；　I　was

afraid　for　thee；　lest　thou　shouldst　have　been　deprived　of　that

pleasure　thou　art　now　enjoying；　and　that　I　should　not　live　to

draw　out　on　paper　that　military　character　which　thou　didst　peruse

in　the　journal　of　yesterday。



From　all　these　fears　we　were　relieved；　at　six　in　the　morning；　by

the　arrival　of　Mr。　Morrison；　who　acquainted　us　that　he　was　sure

he　beheld　land　very　near；　for　he　could　not　see　half　a　mile；　by

reason　of　the　haziness　of　the　weather。　　This　land　he　said　was；　he

believed；　the　Berry…head；　which　forms　one　side　of　Torbay：　　the

captain　declared　that　it　was　impossible；　and　swore；　on　condition

he　was　right；　he　would　give　him　his　mother　for　a　maid。　　A　forfeit

which　became　afterwards　strictly　due　and　payable；　for　the

captain；　whipping　on　his　night…gown；　ran　up　without　his　breeches；

and　within　half　an　hour　returning　into　the　cabin；　wished　me　joy

of　our　lying　safe　at　anchor　in　the　bay。



Sunday；　July　26。Things　now　began　to　put　on　an　aspect　very

different　from　what　they　had　lately　worn；　the　news　that　the　ship

had　almost