journal of a voyage to lisbon-第28节

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no　one　can　form　an　idea　of　anything　equal　to　it　on　shore。　　We

were　seated　on　the　deck；　women　and　all；　in　the　serenest　evening

that　can　be　imagined。　　Not　a　single　cloud　presented　itself　to　our

view；　and　the　sun　himself　was　the　only　object　which　engrossed　our

whole　attention。　　He　did　indeed　set　with　a　majesty　which　is

incapable　of　description；　with　which；　while　the　horizon　was　yet

blazing　with　glory；　our　eyes　were　called　off　to　the　opposite　part

to　survey　the　moon；　which　was　then　at　full；　and　which　in　rising

presented　us　with　the　second　object　that　this　world　hath　offered

to　our　vision。　　Compared　to　these　the　pageantry　of　theaters；　or

splendor　of　courts；　are　sights　almost　below　the　regard　of

children。　　We　did　not　return　from　the　deck　till　late　in　the

evening；　the　weather　being　inexpressibly　pleasant；　and　so　warm

that　even　my　old　distemper　perceived　the　alteration　of　the

climate。　　There　was　indeed　a　swell；　but　nothing　comparable　to

what　we　had　felt　before；　and　it　affected　us　on　the　deck　much　less

than　in　the　cabin。



Friday。The　calm　continued　till　sun…rising；　when　the　wind

likewise　arose；　but　unluckily　for　us　it　came　from　a　wrong

quarter；　it　was　S。S。E。；　which　is　that　very　wind　which　Juno　would

have　solicited　of　Aeolus；　had　Gneas　been　in　our　latitude　bound

for　Lisbon。



The　captain　now　put　on　his　most　melancholy　aspect；　and　resumed

his　former　opinion　that　he　was　bewitched。　　He　declared　with　great

solemnity　that　this　was　worse　and　worse；　for　that　a　wind　directly

in　his　teeth　was　worse　than　no　wind　at　all。　　Had　we　pursued　the

course　which　the　wind　persuaded　us　to　take　we　had　gone　directly

for　Newfoundland；　if　we　had　not　fallen　in　with　Ireland　in　our

way。　　Two　ways　remained　to　avoid　this；　one　was　to　put　into　a　port

of　Galicia；　the　other；　to　beat　to　the　westward　with　as　little

sail　as　possible：　　and　this　was　our　captain's　election。



As　for　us；　poor　passengers；　any　port　would　have　been　welcome　to

us；　especially；　as　not　only　our　fresh　provisions；　except　a　great

number　of　old　ducks　and　fowls；　but　even　our　bread　was　come　to　an

end；　and　nothing　but　sea…biscuit　remained；　which　I　could　not

chew。　　So　that　now　for　the　first　time　in　my　life　I　saw　what　it

was　to　want　a　bit　of　bread。



The　wind　however　was　not　so　unkind　as　we　had　apprehended；　but；

having　declined　with　the　sun；　it　changed　at　the　approach　of　the

moon；　and　became　again　favorable　to　us；　though　so　gentle　that　the

next　day's　observation　carried　us　very　little　to　the　southward　of

Cape　Finisterre。　　This　evening　at　six　the　wind；　which　had　been

very　quiet　all　day；　rose　very　high；　and　continuing　in　our　favor

drove　us　seven　knots　an　hour。



This　day　we　saw　a　sail；　the　only　one；　as　I　heard　of；　we　had　seen

in　our　whole　passage　through　the　bay。　　I　mention　this　on　account

of　what　appeared　to　me　somewhat　extraordinary。　　Though　she　was　at

such　a　distance　that　I　could　only　perceive　she　was　a　ship；　the

sailors　discovered　that　she　was　a　snow；　bound　to　a　port　in　Galicia。



Sunday。After　prayers；　which　our　good　captain　read　on　the　deck

with　an　audible　voice；　and　with　but　one　mistake；　of　a　lion　for

Elias；　in　the　second　lesson　for　this　day；　we　found　ourselves　far

advanced　in　42　degrees；　and　the　captain　declared　we　should　sup

off　Porte。　　We　had　not　much　wind　this　day；　but；　as　this　was

directly　in　our　favor；　we　made　it　up　with　sail；　of　which　we

crowded　all　we　had。　　We　went　only　at　the　rate　of　four　miles　an

hour；　but　with　so　uneasy　a　motion；　continuing　rolling　from　side

to　side；　that　I　suffered　more　than　I　had　done　in　our　whole

voyage；　my　bowels　being　almost　twisted　out　of　my　belly。　　However；

the　day　was　very　serene　and　bright；　and　the　captain；　who　was　in

high　spirits；　affirmed　he　had　never　passed　a　pleasanter　at　sea。



The　wind　continued　so　brisk　that　we　ran　upward　of　six　knots　an

hour　the　whole　night。



Monday。In　the　morning　our　captain　concluded　that　he　was　got

into　lat。　40　degrees；　and　was　very　little　short　of　the

Burlings；　as　they　are　called　in　the　charts。　　We　came　up　with　them

at　five　in　the　afternoon；　being　the　first　land　we　had　distinctly

seen　since　we　left　Devonshire。　　They　consist　of　abundance　of

little　rocky　islands；　a　little　distant　from　the　shore；　three　of

them　only　showing　themselves　above　the　water。



Here　the　Portuguese　maintain　a　kind　of　garrison；　if　we　may　allow

it　that　name。　　It　consists　of　malefactors；　who　are　banished

hither　for　a　term；　for　divers　small　offensesa　policy　which　they

may　have　copied　from　the　Egyptians；　as　we　may　read　in　Diodorus

Siculus。　　That　wise　people；　to　prevent　the　corruption　of　good

manners　by　evil　communication；　built　a　town　on　the　Red　Sea；

whither　they　transported　a　great　number　of　their　criminals；

having　first　set　an　indelible　mark　on　them；　to　prevent　their

returning　and　mixing　with　the　sober　part　of　their　citizens。

These　rocks　lie　about　fifteen　leagues　northwest　of　Cape　Roxent；

or；　as　it　is　commonly　called；　the　Rock　of　Lisbon；　which　we　passed

early　the　next　morning。　　The　wind；　indeed；　would　have　carried　us

thither　sooner；　but　the　captain　was　not　in　a　hurry；　as　he　was　to

lose　nothing　by　his　delay。



Tuesday。This　is　a　very　high　mountain；　situated　on　the　northern

side　of　the　mouth　of　the　river　Tajo；　which；　rising　about　Madrid；

in　Spain；　and　soon　becoming　navigable　for　small　craft；　empties

itself；　after　a　long　course；　into　the　sea；　about　four　leagues

below　Lisbon。



On　the　summit　of　the　rock　stands　a　hermitage；　which　is　now　in　the

possession　of　an　Englishman；　who　was　formerly　master　of　a　vessel

trading　to　Lisbon；　and；　having　changed　his　religion　and　his

manners；　the　latter　of　which；　at　least；　were　none　of　the　best；

betook　himself　to　this　place；　in　order　to　do　penance　for　his

sins。　　He　is　now　very　old；　and　hath　inhabited　this　hermitage　for

a　great　number　of　years；　during　which　he　hath　received　some

countenance　from　the　royal　family；　and　particularly　from　the

present　queen　dowager；　whose　piety　refuses　no　trouble　or　expense

by　which　she　may　make　a　proselyte；　being　used　to　say　that　the

saving　one　soul　would　repay　all　the　endeavors　of　her　life。　　Here

we　waited　for　the　tide；　and　had　the　pleasure　of　surveying　the

face　of　the　country；　the　soil　of　which；　at　this　season；　exactly

resembles　an　old　brick…kiln；　or　a　field　where　the　green　sward　is

pared　up　and　set　a…burning；　or　rather　a　smoking；　in　little　heaps

to　manure　the　land。　　This　sight　will；　perhaps；　of　all　others；

make　an　Englishman　proud　of；　and　pleased　with；　his　own　country；

which　in　verdure　excels；　I　believe；　every　other　country。　　Another

deficiency　here　is　the　want　of　large　trees；　nothing　above　a　shrub

being　here　to　be　discovered　in　the　circumference　of　many　miles。



At　this　place　we　took　a　pilot　on　board；　who；　being　the　first

Portuguese　we　spoke　to；　gave　us　an　instance　of　that　religious

observance　which　is　paid　by　all　nations　to　their　laws；　for；

whereas　it　is　here　a　capital　offense　to　assist　any　person　in

going　on　shore　from　a　foreign　vessel　before　it　hath　been

examined；　and　every　person　in　it　viewed　by　the　magistrates　of

health；　as　they　are　called；　this　worthy　pilot；　for　a　very　small

reward；　rowed　the　Portuguese　priest　to　shore　at　this　place；

beyond　which　he　did　not　dare　to　advance；　and　in　venturing　whither

he　had　given　sufficient　testimony　of　love　for　his　native　country。



We　did　not　enter　the　Tajo　till　noon；　when；　after　passing　several

old　castles　and　other　buildings　which　had　greatly　the　aspect　of

ruins；　we　came　to　the　castle　of　Bellisle；　where　we　had　a　full

prospect　of　Lisbon；　and　were；　indeed；　within　three　miles　of　it。



Here　we　were　saluted　with　a　gun；　which　was　a　signal　to　pass　no

farther　till　we　had　complied　with　certain　ceremonies　which　the

laws　of　this　country　require　to　be　observed　by　all　ships　which

arrive　in　this　port。　　We　were　obliged　then　to　cast　anchor；　and

expect　the　arrival　of　the　officers　of　the　customs；　without　whose

passport　no　ship　must　proceed　farther　than　this　place。



Here　likewise　we　received　a　visit　from　one　of　those　magistrates

of　health　before　mentioned。　　He　refused　to　come　on　board　the　ship

till　every　person　in　her　had　been　drawn　up　on　deck　and　personally

viewed　by　him。　　This　occasioned　some　delay　on　my　part；　as　it　was

not　the　work　of　a　minute　to　lift　me　from　the　cabin　to　the　deck。

The　captain　thought　my　particular　case　might　have　been　excused

from　this　ceremony；　and　that　it　would　be　abundantly　sufficient　if

the　magistrate；　who　was　obliged　afterwards　to　visit　the　cabin；

surveyed　me　there。　　But　this　did　not　satisfy　the　magistrate's

strict　regard　to　his　duty。　　When　he　was　told　of　my　lameness；　he

called　out；　with　a　voice　of　authority；　〃Let　him　be　brought　up；〃

and　his　orders　were　presently　complied　with。　　He　was；　indeed；　a

person　of　great　dignity；　as　well　as　of　the　most　exact　fidelity　in

the　discharge　of　his　trust。　　Both　which　are　the　more　admirable　as

his　salary　is　less　than　thirty　pounds　English　per　annum。



Before　a　ship　hath　been　visited　by　o