journal of a voyage to lisbon-第27节

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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

he　was　sure　of　a　wind；　meaning　its　continuance；　but　he　had

disappointed　us　so　often　that　he　had　lost　all　credit。　　However；

he　kept　his　word　a　little　better　now；　and　we　lost　sight　of　our

native　land　as　joyfully；　at　least；　as　it　is　usual　to　regain　it。



Sunday。The　next　morning　the　captain　told　me　he　thought　himself

thirty　miles　to　the　westward　of　Plymouth；　and　before　evening

declared　that　the　Lizard　Point；　which　is　the　extremity　of

Cornwall；　bore　several　leagues　to　leeward。　　Nothing　remarkable

passed　this　day；　except　the　captain's　devotion；　who；　in　his　own

phrase；　summoned　all　hands　to　prayers；　which　were　read　by　a

common　sailor　upon　deck；　with　more　devout　force　and　address　than

they　are　commonly　read　by　a　country　curate；　and　received　with

more　decency　and　attention　by　the　sailors　than　are　usually

preserved　in　city　congregations。　　I　am　indeed　assured；　that　if

any　such　affected　disregard　of　the　solemn　office　in　which　they

were　engaged；　as　I　have　seen　practiced　by　fine　gentlemen　and

ladies；　expressing　a　kind　of　apprehension　lest　they　should　be

suspected　of　being　really　in　earnest　in　their　devotion；　had　been

shown　here；　they　would　have　contracted　the　contempt　of　the　whole

audience。　　To　say　the　truth；　from　what　I　observed　in　the　behavior

of　the　sailors　in　this　voyage；　and　on　comparing　it　with　what　I

have　formerly　seen　of　them　at　sea　and　on　shore；　I　am　convinced

that　on　land　there　is　nothing　more　idle　and　dissolute；　in　their

own　element　there　are　no　persons　near　the　level　of　their　degree

who　live　in　the　constant　practice　of　half　so　many　good　qualities。



They　are；　for　much　the　greater　part；　perfect　masters　of　their

business；　and　always　extremely　alert；　and　ready　in　executing　it；

without　any　regard　to　fatigue　or　hazard。　　The　soldiers　themselves

are　not　better　disciplined　nor　more　obedient　to　orders　than　these

whilst　aboard；　they　submit　to　every　difficulty　which　attends

their　calling　with　cheerfulness；　and　no　less　virtues　and　patience

and　fortitude　are　exercised　by　them　every　day　of　their　lives。

All　these　good　qualities；　however；　they　always　leave　behind　them

on　shipboard；　the　sailor　out　of　water　is；　indeed；　as　wretched　an

animal　as　the　fish　out　of　water；　for　though　the　former　hath；　in

common　with　amphibious　animals；　the　bare　power　of　existing　on　the

land；　yet　if　he　be　kept　there　any　time　he　never　fails　to　become　a

nuisance。　　The　ship　having　had　a　good　deal　of　motion　since　she

was　last　under　sail；　our　women　returned　to　their　sickness；　and　I

to　my　solitude；　having；　for　twenty…four　hours　together；　scarce

opened　my　lips　to　a　single　person。　　This　circumstance　of　being

shut　up　within　the　circumference　of　a　few　yards；　with　a　score　of

human　creatures；　with　not　one　of　whom　it　was　possible　to

converse；　was　perhaps　so　rare　as　scarce　ever　to　have　happened

before；　nor　could　it　ever　happen　to　one　who　disliked　it　more　than

myself；　or　to　myself　at　a　season　when　I　wanted　more　food　for　my

social　disposition；　or　could　converse　less　wholesomely　and

happily　with　my　own　thoughts。　　To　this　accident；　which　fortune

opened　to　me　in　the　Downs；　was　owing　the　first　serious　thought

which　I　ever　entertained　of　enrolling　myself　among　the

voyage…writers；　some　of　the　most　amusing　pages；　if；　indeed；　there

be　any　which　deserve　that　name；　were　possibly　the　production　of

the　most　disagreeable　hours　which　ever　haunted　the　author。



Monday。At　noon　the　captain　took　an　observation；　by　which　it

appeared　that　Ushant　bore　some　leagues　northward　of　us；　and　that

we　were　just　entering　the　bay　of　Biscay。　　We　had　advanced　a　very

few　miles　in　this　bay　before　we　were　entirely　becalmed：　　we

furled　our　sails；　as　being　of　no　use　to　us　while　we　lay　in　this

most　disagreeable　situation；　more　detested　by　the　sailors　than

the　most　violent　tempest：　　we　were　alarmed　with　the　loss　of　a

fine　piece　of　salt　beef；　which　had　been　hung　in　the　sea　to

freshen　it；　this　being；　it　seems；　the　strange　property　of

salt…water。　　The　thief　was　immediately　suspected；　and　presently

afterwards　taken　by　the　sailors。　　He　was；　indeed；　no　other　than　a

huge　shark；　who；　not　knowing　when　he　was　well　off；　swallowed

another　piece　of　beef；　together　with　a　great　iron　crook　on　which

it　was　hung；　and　by　which　he　was　dragged　into　the　ship。　　I　should

scarce　have　mentioned　the　catching　this　shark；　though　so　exactly

conformable　to　the　rules　and　practice　of　voyage…writing；　had　it

not　been　for　a　strange　circumstance　that　attended　it。　　This　was

the　recovery　of　the　stolen　beef　out　of　the　shark's　maw；　where　it

lay　unchewed　and　undigested；　and　whence；　being　conveyed　into　the

pot；　the　flesh；　and　the　thief　that　had　stolen　it；　joined　together

in　furnishing　　variety　to　the　ship's　crew。



During　this　calm　we　likewise　found　the　mast　of　a　large　vessel；

which　the　captain　thought　had　lain　at　least　three　years　in　the

sea。　　It　was　stuck　all　over　with　a　little　shell…fish　or　reptile；

called　a　barnacle；　　and　which　probably　are　the　prey　of　the

rockfish；　as　our　captain　calls　it；　asserting　that　it　is　the

finest　fish　in　the　world；　for　which　we　are　obliged　to　confide

entirely　to　his　taste；　for；　though　he　struck　the　fish　with　a　kind

of　harping…iron；　and　wounded　him；　I　am　convinced；　to　death；　yet

he　could　not　possess　himself　of　his　body；　but　the　poor　wretch

escaped　to　linger　out　a　few　hours　with　probably　great　torments。



In　the　evening　our　wind　returned；　and　so　briskly；　that　we　ran

upwards　of　twenty　leagues　before　the　next　day's　＇Tuesday's＇

observation；　which　brought　us　to　lat。　47　degrees　42'。　　The

captain　promised　us　a　very　speedy　passage　through　the　bay；　but　he

deceived　us；　or　the　wind　deceived　him；　for　it　so　slackened　at

sunset；　that　it　scarce　carried　us　a　mile　in　an　hour　during　the

whole　succeeding　night。



Wednesday。A　gale　struck　up　a　little　after　sunrising；　which

carried　us　between　three　and　four　knots　or　miles　an　hour。　　We

were　this　day　at　noon　about　the　middle　of　the　bay　of　Biscay；　when

the　wind　once　more　deserted　us；　and　we　were　so　entirely　becalmed；

that　we　did　not　advance　a　mile　in　many　hours。　　My　fresh…water

reader　will　perhaps　conceive　no　unpleasant　idea　from　this　calm；

but　it　affected　us　much　more　than　a　storm　could　have　done；　for；

as　the　irascible　passions　of　men　are　apt　to　swell　with

indignation　long　after　the　injury　which　first　raised　them　is

over；　so　fared　it　with　the　sea。　　It　rose　mountains　high；　and

lifted　our　poor　ship　up　and　down；　backwards　and　forwards；　with　so

violent　an　emotion；　that　there　was　scarce　a　man　in　the　ship

better　able　to　stand　than　myself。　　Every　utensil　in　our　cabin

rolled　up　and　down；　as　we　should　have　rolled　ourselves；　had　not

our　chairs　been　fast　lashed　to　the　floor。　　In　this　situation；

with　our　tables　likewise　fastened　by　ropes；　the　captain　and

myself　took　our　meal　with　some　difficulty；　and　swallowed　a　little

of　our　broth；　for　we　spilt　much　the　greater　part。　　The　remainder

of　our　dinner　being　an　old；　lean；　tame　duck　roasted；　I　regretted

but　little　the　loss　of；　my　teeth　not　being　good　enough　to　have

chewed　it。



Our　women；　who　began　to　creep　out　of　their　holes　in　the　morning；

retired　again　within　the　cabin　to　their　beds；　and　were　no　more

heard　of　this　day；　in　which　my　whole　comfort　was　to　find　by　the

captain's　relation　that　the　swelling　was　sometimes　much　worse；　he

did；　indeed；　take　this　occasion　to　be　more　communicative　than

ever；　and　informed　me　of　such　misadventures　that　had　befallen　him

within　forty…six　years　at　sea　as　might　frighten　a　very　bold

spirit　from　undertaking　even　the　shortest　voyage。　　Were　these；

indeed；　but　universally　known；　our　matrons　of　quality　would

possibly　be　deterred　from　venturing　their　tender　offspring　at

sea；　by　which　means　our　navy　would　lose　the　honor　of　many　a　young

commodore；　who　at　twenty…two　is　better　versed　in　maritime　affairs

than　real　seamen　are　made　by　experience　at　sixty。　　And　this　may；

perhaps；　appear　the　more　extraordinary；　as　the　education　of　both

seems　to　be　pretty　much　the　same；　neither　of　them　having　had

their　courage　tried　by　Virgil's　description　of　a　storm；　in　which；

inspired　as　he　was；　I　doubt　whether　our　captain　doth　not　exceed

him。　　In　the　evening　the　wind；　which　continued　in　the　N。W。；　again

freshened；　and　that　so　briskly　that　Cape　Finisterre　appeared　by

this　day's　observation　to　bear　a　few　miles　to　the　southward。　　We

now　indeed　sailed；　or　rather　flew；　near　ten　knots　an　hour；　and

the　captain；　in　the　redundancy　of　his　good…humor；　declared　he

would　go　to　church　at　Lisbon　on　Sunday　next；　for　that　he　was　sure

of　a　wind；　and；　indeed；　we　all　firmly　believed　him。　　But　the

event　again　contradicted　him；　for　we　were　again　visited　by　a　calm

in　the　evening。



But　here；　though　our　voyage　was　retarded；　we　were　entertained

with　a　scene；　which　as　no　one　can　behold　without　going　to　sea；　so

no　one　can　form　an　idea　of　anything　equal　to　it　o