journal of a voyage to lisbon-第24节

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any　other　body　of　men　to　attempt　to　remove　so　stubborn　a

nuisance。



If　it　should　be　doubted　whether　we　can　bring　this　case　within　the

letter　of　any　capital　law　now　subsisting；　I　am　ashamed　to　own　it

cannot；　for　surely　no　crime　better　deserves　such　punishment；　but

the　remedy　may；　nevertheless；　be　immediate；　and　if　a　law　was　made

at　the　beginning　of　next　session；　to　take　place　immediately；　by

which　the　starving　thousands　of　poor　was　declared　to　be　felony；

without　benefit　of　clergy；　the　fishmongers　would　be　hanged　before

the　end　of　the　session。　　A　second　method　of　filling　the　mouths　of

the　poor；　if　not　with　loaves　at　least　with　fishes；　is　to　desire

the　magistrates　to　carry　into　execution　one　at　least　out　of　near

a　hundred　acts　of　parliament；　for　preserving　the　small　fry　of　the

river　of　Thames；　by　which　means　as　few　fish　would　satisfy

thousands　as　may　now　be　devoured　by　a　small　number　of

individnals。　　But　while　a　fisherman　can　break　through　the

strongest　meshes　of　an　act　of　parliament；　we　may　be　assured　he

will　learn　so　to　contrive　his　own　meshes　that　the　smallest　fry

will　not　be　able　to　swim　through　them。



Other　methods　may；　we　doubt　not；　he　suggested　by　those　who　shall

attentively　consider　the　evil　here　hinted　at；　but　we　have　dwelt

too　long　on　it　already；　and　shall　conclude　with　observing　that　it

is　difficult　to　affirm　whether　the　atrocity　of　the　evil　itself；

the　facility　of　curing　it；　or　the　shameful　neglect　of　the　cure；

be　the　more　scandalous　or　more　astonishing。



After　having；　however；　gloriously　regaled　myself　with　this　food；

I　was　washing　it　down　with　some　good　claret　with　my　wife　and　her

friend；　in　the　cabin；　when　the　captain's　valet…de…chambre；　head

cook；　house　and　ship　steward；　footman　in　livery　and　out　on't；

secretary　and　fore…mast　man；　all　burst　into　the　cabin　at　once；

being；　indeed；　all　but　one　person；　and；　without　saying；　by　your

leave；　began　to　pack　half　a　hogshead　of　small　beer　in　bottles；

the　necessary　consequence　of　which　must　have　been　either　a　total

stop　to　conversation　at　that　cheerful　season　when　it　is　most

agreeable；　or　the　admitting　that　polyonymous　officer　aforesaid　to

the　participation　of　it。　　I　desired　him　therefore　to　delay　his

purpose　a　little　longer；　but　he　refused　to　grant　my　request；　nor

was　he　prevailed　on　to　quit　the　room　till　he　was　threatened　with

having　one　bottle　to　pack　more　than　his　number；　which　then

happened　to　stand　empty　within　my　reach。　　With　these　menaces　he

retired　at　last；　but　not　without　muttering　some　menaces　on　his

side；　and　which；　to　our　great　terror；　he　failed　not　to　put　into

immediate　execution。



Our　captain　was　gone　to　dinner　this　day　with　his　Swiss　brother；

and；　though　he　was　a　very　sober　man；　was　a　little　elevated　with

some　champagne；　which；　as　it　cost　the　Swiss　little　or　nothing；　he

dispensed　at　his　table　more　liberally　than　our　hospitable　English

noblemen　put　about　those　bottles；　which　the　ingenious　Peter

Taylor　teaches　a　led　captain　to　avoid　by　distinguishing　by　the

name　of　that　generous　liquor；　which　all　humble　companions　are

taught　to　postpone　to　the　flavor　of　methuen；　or　honest　port。



While　our　two　captains　were　thus　regaling　themselves；　and

celebrating　their　own　heroic　exploits　with　all　the　inspiration

which　the　liquor；　at　least；　of　wit　could　afford　them；　the

polyonymous　officer　arrived；　and；　being　saluted　by　the　name　of

Honest　Tom；　was　ordered　to　sit　down　and　take　his　glass　before　he

delivered　his　message；　for　every　sailor　is　by　turns　his　captain's

mate　over　a　cann；　except　only　that　captain　bashaw　who　presides　in

a　man…of…war；　and　who　upon　earth　has　no　other　mate；　unless　it　be

another　of　the　same　bashaws。　　Tom　had　no　sooner　swallowed　his

draught　than　he　hastily　began　his　narrative；　and　faithfully

related　what　had　happened　on　board　our　ship；　we　say　faithfully；

though　from　what　happened　it　may　be　suspected　that　Tom　chose　to

add　perhaps　only　five　or　six　immaterial　circumstances；　as　is

always　I　believe　the　case；　and　may　possibly　have　been　done　by　me

in　relating　this　very　story；　though　it　happened　not　many　hours　ago。



No　sooner　was　the　captain　informed　of　the　interruption　which　had

been　given　to　his　officer；　and　indeed　to　his　orders；　for　he

thought　no　time　so　convenient　as　that　of　his　absence　for　causing

any　confusion　in　the　cabin；　than　he　leaped　with　such　haste　from

his　chair　that　he　had　like　to　have　broke　his　sword；　with　which　he

always　begirt　himself　when　he　walked　out　of　his　ship；　and

sometimes　when　he　walked　about　in　it；　at　the　same　time；　grasping

eagerly　that　other　implement　called　a　cockade；　which　modern

soldiers　wear　on　their　helmets　with　the　same　view　as　the　ancients

did　their　creststo　terrify　the　enemy　he　muttered　something；　but

so　inarticulately　that　the　word　DAMN　was　only　intelligible；　he

then　hastily　took　leave　of　the　Swiss　captain；　who　was　too　well

bred　to　press　his　stay　on　such　an　occasion；　and　leaped　first　from

the　ship　to　his　boat；　and　then　from　his　boat　to　his　own　ship；

with　as　much　fierceness　in　his　looks　as　he　had　ever　expressed　on

boarding　his　defenseless　prey　in　the　honorable　calling　of　a

privateer。　　Having　regained　the　middle　deck；　he　paused　a　moment

while　Tom　and　others　loaded　themselves　with　bottles；　and　then

descending　into　the　cabin　exclaimed　with　a　thundering　voice；

〃Dn　me；　why　arn't　the　bottles　stowed　in；　according　to　my　orders？〃



I　answered　him　very　mildly　that　I　had　prevented　his　man　from

doing　it；　as　it　was　at　an　inconvenient　time　to　me；　and　as　in　his

absence；　at　least；　I　esteemed　the　cabin　to　be　my　own。　　〃Your

cabin！〃　repeated　he　many　times；　〃no；　dn　me！　'tis　my　cabin。

Your　cabin！　dn　me！　I　have　brought　my　hogs　to　a　fair　market。　　I

suppose　indeed　you　think　it　your　cabin；　and　your　ship；　by　your

commanding　in　it；　but　I　will　command　in　it；　dn　me！　I　will　show

the　world　I　am　the　commander；　and　nobody　but　I！　Did　you　think　I

sold　you　the　command　of　my　ship　for　that　pitiful　thirty　pounds？　I

wish　I　had　not　seen　you　nor　your　thirty　pounds　aboard　of　her。〃

He　then　repeated　the　words　thirty　pounds　often；　with　great

disdain；　and　with　a　contempt　which　I　own　the　sum　did　not　seem　to

deserve　in　my　eye；　either　in　itself　or　on　the　present　occasion；

being；　indeed；　paid　for　the　freight　of　　weight　of　human

flesh；　which　is　above　fifty　per　cent　dearer　than　the　freight　of

any　other　luggage；　whilst　in　reality　it　takes　up　less　room；　in

fact；　no　room　at　all。



In　truth；　the　sum　was　paid　for　nothing　more　than　for　a　liberty　to

six　persons　（two　of　them　servants）　to　stay　on　board　a　ship　while

she　sails　from　one　port　to　another；　every　shilling　of　which　comes

clear　into　the　captain's　pocket。　　Ignorant　people　may　perhaps

imagine；　especially　when　they　are　told　that　the　captain　is

obliged　to　sustain　them；　that　their　diet　at　least　is　worth

something；　which　may　probably　be　now　and　then　so　far　the　case　as

to　deduct　a　tenth　part　from　the　net　profits　on　this　account；　but

it　was　otherwise　at　present；　for　when　I　had　contracted　with　the

captain　at　a　price　which　I　by　no　means　thought　moderate；　I　had

some　content　in　thinking　I　should　have　no　more　to　pay　for　my

voyage；　but　I　was　whispered　that　it　was　expected　the　passengers

should　find　themselves　in　several　things；　such　as　tea；　wine；　and

such　like；　and　particularly　that　gentlemen　should　stow　of　the

latter　a　much　larger　quantity　than　they　could　use；　in　order　to

leave　the　remainder　as　a　present　to　the　captain　at　the　end　of　the

voyage；　and　it　was　expected　likewise　that　gentlemen　should　put

aboard　some　fresh　stores；　and　the　more　of　such　things　were　put

aboard　the　welcomer　they　would　be　to　the　captain。



I　was　prevailed　with　by　these　hints　to　follow　the　advice

proposed；　and　accordingly；　besides　tea　and　a　large　hamper　of

wine；　with　several　hams　and　tongues；　I　caused　a　number　of　live

chickens　and　sheep　to　be　conveyed　aboard；　in　truth；　treble　the

quantity　of　provisions　which　would　have　supported　the　persons　I

took　with　me；　had　the　voyage　continued　three　weeks；　as　it　was

supposed；　with　a　bare　possibility；　it　might。



Indeed　it　continued　much　longer；　but　as　this　was　occasioned　by

our　being　wind…bound　in　our　own　ports；　it　was　by　no　means　of　any

ill　consequence　to　the　captain；　as　the　additional　stores　of　fish；

fresh　meat；　butter；　bread；　&c。；　which　I　constantly　laid　in；

greatly　exceeded　the　consumption；　and　went　some　way　in

maintaining　the　ship's　crew。　　It　is　true　I　was　not　obliged　to　do

this；　but　it　seemed　to　be　expected；　for　the　captain　did　not　think

himself　obliged　to　do　it；　and　I　can　truly　say　I　soon　ceased　to

expect　it　of　him。　　He　had；　I　confess；　on　board　a　number　of　fowls

and　ducks　sufficient　for　a　West　India　voyage；　all　of　them；　as　he

often　said；　〃Very　fine　birds；　and　of　the　largest　breed。〃　　This　I

believe　was　really　the　fact；　and　I　can　add　that　they　were　all

arrived　at　the　full　perfection　of　their　size。　　Nor　was　there；　I

am　convinced；　any　want　of　provisions　of　a　more　substantial　kind；

such　as　dried　beef；　po