journal of a voyage to lisbon-第26节

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drawing　up　the　anchor；　both　were　finished　at　the　same　time；　we

unfurled　our　sails　and　soon　passed　the　Berry…head；　which　forms

the　mouth　of　the　bay。



We　had　not　however　sailed　far　when　the　wind；　which；　had　though

with　a　slow　pace；　kept　us　company　about　six　miles；　suddenly

turned　about；　and　offered　to　conduct　us　back　again；　a　favor　which；

though　sorely　against　the　grain；　we　were　obliged　to　accept。



Nothing　remarkable　happened　this　day；　for　as　to　the　firm

persuasion　of　the　captain　that　he　was　under　the　spell　of

witchcraft；　I　would　not　repeat　it　too　often；　though　indeed　he

repeated　it　an　hundred　times　every　day；　in　truth；　he　talked　of

nothing　else；　and　seemed　not　only　to　be　satisfied　in　general　of

his　being　bewitched；　but　actually　to　have　fixed　with　good

certainty　on　the　person　of　the　witch；　whom；　had　he　lived　in　the

days　of　Sir　Matthew　Hale；　he　would　have　infallibly　indicted；　and

very　possibly　have　hanged；　for　the　detestable　sin　of　witchcraft；

but　that　law；　and　the　whole　doctrine　that　supported　it；　are　now

out　of　fashion；　and　witches；　as　a　learned　divine　once　chose　to

express　himself；　are　put　down　by　act　of　parliament。　　This　witch；

in　the　captain's　opinion；　was　no　other　than　Mrs。　Francis　of　Ryde；

who；　as　he　insinuated；　out　of　anger　to　me　for　not　spending　more

money　in　her　house　than　she　could　produce　anything　to　exchange

for；　or　ally　pretense　to　charge　for；　had　laid　this　spell　on　his　ship。



Though　we　were　again　got　near　our　harbor　by　three　in　the

afternoon；　yet　it　seemed　to　require　a　full　hour　or　more　before　we

could　come　to　our　former　place　of　anchoring；　or　berth；　as　the

captain　called　it。　　On　this　occasion　we　exemplified　one　of　the

few　advantages　which　the　travelers　by　water　have　over　the

travelers　by　land。　　What　would　the　latter　often　give　for　the

sight　of　one　of　those　hospitable　mansions　where　he　is　assured

THAT　THERE　IS　GOOD　ENTERTAINMENT　FOR　MAN　AND　HORSE；　and　where

both　may　consequently　promise　themselves　to　assuage　that　hunger

which　exercise　is　so　sure　to　raise　in　a　healthy　constitution。



At　their　arrival　at　this　mansion　how　much　happier　is　the　state　of

the　horse　than　that　of　the　master！　　The　former　is　immediately　led

to　his　repast；　such　as　it　is；　and；　whatever　it　is；　he　falls　to　it

with　appetite。　　But　the　latter　is　in　a　much　worse　situation。　　His

hunger；　however　violent；　is　always　in　some　degree　delicate；　and

his　food　must　have　some　kind　of　ornament；　or；　as　the　more　usual

phrase　is；　of　dressing；　to　recommend　it。　　Now　all　dressing

requires　time；　and　therefore；　though　perhaps　the　sheep　might　be

just　killed　before　you　came　to　the　inn；　yet　in　cutting　him　up；

fetching　the　joint；　which　the　landlord　by　mistake　said　he　had　in

the　house；　from　the　butcher　at　two　miles'　distance；　and

afterwards　warming　it　a　little　by　the　fire；　two　hours　at　least

must　be　consumed；　while　hunger；　for　want　of　better　food；　preys

all　the　time　on　the　vitals　of　the　man。



How　different　was　the　case　with　us！　　we　carried　our　provision；

our　kitchen；　and　our　cook　with　us；　and　we　were　at　one　and　the

same　time　traveling　on　our　road；　and　sitting　down　to　a　repast　of

fish；　with　which　the　greatest　table　in　London　can　scarce　at　any

rate　be　supplied。



Friday。As　we　were　disappointed　of　our　wind；　and　obliged　to

return　back　the　preceding　evening；　we　resolved　to　extract　all　the

good　we　could　out　of　our　misfortune；　and　to　add　considerably　to

our　fresh　stores　of　meat　and　bread；　with　which　we　were　very

indifferently　provided　when　we　hurried　away　yesterday。　　By　the

captain's　advice　we　likewise　laid　in　some　stores　of　butter；　which

we　salted　and　potted　ourselves；　for　our　use　at　Lisbon；　and　we　had

great　reason　afterwards　to　thank　him　for　his　advice。



In　the　afternoon　I　persuaded　my　wife　whom　it　was　no　easy　matter

for　me　to　force　from　my　side；　to　take　a　walk　on　shore；　whither

the　gallant　captain　declared　he　was　ready　to　attend　her。

Accordingly　the　ladies　set　out；　and　left　me　to　enjoy　a　sweet　and

comfortable　nap　after　the　operation　of　the　preceding　day。



Thus　we　enjoyed　our　separate　pleasures　full　three　hours；　when　we

met　again；　and　my　wife　gave　the　foregoing　account　of　the

gentleman　whom　I　have　before　compared　to　Axylus；　and　of　his

habitation；　to　both　which　she　had　been　introduced　by　the　captain；

in　the　style　of　an　old　friend　and　acquaintance；　though　this

foundation　of　intimacy　seemed　to　her　to　be　no　deeper　laid　than　in

an　accidental　dinner；　eaten　many　years　before；　at　this　temple　of

hospitality；　when　the　captain　lay　wind…bound　in　the　same　bay。



Saturday。Early　this　morning　the　wind　seemed　inclined　to　change

in　our　favor。　　Our　alert　captain　snatched　its　very　first　motion；

and　got　under　sail　with　so　very　gentle　a　breeze　that；　as　the　tide

was　against　him；　he　recommended　to　a　fishing　boy　to　bring　after

him　a　vast　salmon　and　some　other　provisions　which　lay　ready　for

him　on　shore。



Our　anchor　was　up　at　six；　and　before　nine　in　the　morning　we　had

doubled　the　Berry…head；　and　were　arrived　off　Dartmouth；　having

gone　full　three　miles　in　as　many　hours；　in　direct　opposition　to

the　tide；　which　only　befriended　us　out　of　our　harbor；　and　though

the　wind　was　perhaps　our　friend；　it　was　so　very　silent；　and

exerted　itself　so　little　in　our　favor；　that；　like　some　cool

partisans；　it　was　difficult　to　say　whether　it　was　with　us　or

against　us。　　The　captain；　however；　declared　the　former　to　be　the

case　during　the　whole　three　hours；　but　at　last　he　perceived　his

error；　or　rather；　perhaps；　this　friend；　which　had　hitherto

wavered　in　choosing　his　side；　became　now　more　determined。　　The

captain　then　suddenly　tacked　about；　and；　asserting　that　he　was

bewitched；　submitted　to　return　to　the　place　from　whence　he　came。

Now；　though　I　am　as　free　from　superstition　as　any　man　breathing；

and　never　did　believe　in　witches；　notwithstanding　all　the

excellent　arguments　of　my　lord　chief…justice　Hale　in　their　favor；

and　long　before　they　were　put　down　by　act　of　parliament；　yet　by

what　power　a　ship　of　burden　should　sail　three　miles　against　both

wind　and　tide；　I　cannot　conceive；　unless　there　was　some

supernatural　interposition　in　the　case；　nay；　could　we　admit　that

the　wind　stood　neuter；　the　difficulty　would　still　remain。　　So

that　we　must　of　necessity　conclude　that　the　ship　was　either

bewinded　or　bewitched。　　The　captain；　perhaps；　had　another

meaning。　　He　imagined　himself；　I　believe；　bewitched；　because　the

wind；　instead　of　persevering　in　its　change　in　his　favor；　for

change　it　certainly　did　that　morning；　should　suddenly　return　to

its　favorite　station；　and　blow　him　back　towards　the　bay。　　But；　if

this　was　his　opinion；　he　soon　saw　cause　to　alter；　for　he　had　not

measured　half　the　way　back　when　the　wind　again　declared　in　his

favor；　and　so　loudly；　that　there　was　no　possibility　of　being

mistaken。　　The　orders　for　the　second　tack　were　given；　and　obeyed

with　much　more　alacrity　than　those　had　been　for　the　first。　　We

were　all　of　us　indeed　in　high　spirits　on　the　occasion；　though

some　of　us　a　little　regretted　the　good　things　we　were　likely　to

leave　behind　us　by　the　fisherman's　neglect；　I　might　give　it　a

worse　name；　for　he　faithfully　promised　to　execute　the　commission；

which　he　had　had　abundant　opportunity　to　do；　but　nautica　fides

deserves　as　much　to　be　proverbial　as　ever　Punica　fides　could

formerly　have　done。　　Nay；　when　we　consider　that　the　Carthaginians

came　from　the　Phenicians　who　are　supposed　to　have　produced　the

first　mariners；　we　may　probably　see　the　true　reason　of　the　adage；

and　it　may　open　a　field　of　very　curious　discoveries　to　the　antiquarian。



We　were；　however；　too　eager　to　pursue　our　voyage　to　suffer

anything　we　left　behind　us　to　interrupt　our　happiness；　which；

indeed；　many　agreeable　circumstances　conspired　to　advance。　　The

weather　was　inexpressibly　pleasant；　and　we　were　all　seated　on　the

deck；　when　our　canvas　began　to　swell　with　the　wind。　　We　had

likewise　in　our　view　above　thirty　other　sail　around　us；　all　in

the　same　situation。　　Here　an　observation　occurred　to　me；　which；

perhaps；　though　extremely　obvious；　did　not　offer　itself　to　every

individual　in　our　little　fleet：　　when　I　perceived　with　what

different　success　we　proceeded　under　the　influence　of　a　superior

power　which；　while　we　lay　almost　idle　ourselves；　pushed　us

forward　on　our　intended　voyage；　and　compared　this　with　the　slow

progress　which　we　had　made　in　the　morning；　of　ourselves；　and

without　any　such　assistance；　I　could　not　help　reflecting　how

often　the　greatest　abilities　lie　wind…bound　as　it　were　in　life；

or；　if　they　venture　out　and　attempt　to　beat　the　seas；　they

struggle　in　vain　against　wind　and　tide；　and；　if　they　have　not

sufficient　prudence　to　put　back；　are　most　probably　cast　away　on

the　rocks　and　quicksands　which　are　every　day　ready　to　devour　them。



It　was　now　our　fortune　to　set　out　melioribus　avibus。　　The　wind

freshened　so　briskly　in　our　poop　that　the　shore　appeared　to　move

from　us　as　fast　as　we　did　from　the　shore。　　The　captain　declared

h