masterman ready-第2节

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〃I　thump　my　head　very　hard；〃　said　Juno；　smiling。

〃Yes；　and　it's　lucky　that　you　have　a　good　thick　woolly　coat　over　it；〃　replied　Captain　Osborn；　laughing。

〃It　is　12　o'clock　by　the　sun；　sir；〃　said　Mackintosh；　the　first　mate；　to　the　captain。

〃Then　bring　me　up　the　latitude；　Mr。　Mackintosh；　while　I　work　out　the　longitude　from　the　sights　which　I　took　this　morning。　In　five　minutes；　Mr。　Seagrave；　I　shall　be　ready　to　prick　off　over　our　place　on　the　chart。〃

〃Here　are　the　dogs　come　up　on　deck；〃　said　William；　〃I　dare　say　they　are　as　glad　of　the　fine　weather　as　we　are。　Come　here；　Romulus！　Here；　Remus！　…　Remus！〃

〃Well；　sir；〃　said　Ready；　who　was　standing　by　them　with　his　quadrant　in　his　hand；　〃I　should　like　to　ask　you　a　question。　Those　dogs　of　yours　have　two　very　odd　names　which　I　never　heard　before。　Who　were　Romulus　and　Remus？〃

〃Romulus　and　Remus；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃were　the　names　of　two　shepherds；　brothers；　who　in　ancient　days　founded　the　city　of　Rome；　which　eventually　became　the　largest　and　most　celebrated　empire　in　the　world。　They　were　the　first　kings　of　Rome；　and　reigned　together。　History　says　that　Remus　affronted　Romulus　by　leaping　over　a　wall　he　had　raised；　and　Romulus；　in　his　anger；　took　away　his　life；　but　the　history　of　early　days　is　not　to　be　depended　upon。〃

〃No；　nor　the　brothers　either；　it　appears；〃　replied　Ready；　〃however；　it　is　the　old　story　…　two　of　a　trade　can　never　agree。　One　sometimes　hears　of　Rome　now　…　is　that　the　same　place？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　William；　〃it　is　the　remains　of　the　old　city。〃

〃Well；　one　lives　and　learns；〃　said　Ready。　〃I　have　learnt　something　to…day；　which　everyone　will　to　the　last　day　of　his　life；　if　he　will　only　ask　questions。　I'm　an　old　man；　and　perhaps　don't　know　much；　except　in　the　seafaring　way；　but　I　should　have　known　much　less　if　I　did　not　ask　for　information；　and　was　not　ashamed　to　acknowledge　my　ignorance；　that's　the　way　to　learn；　Master　William。〃

〃Very　good　advice；　Ready；　…　and；　William；　I　hope　you　will　profit　by　it；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃never　be　ashamed　to　ask　the　meaning　of　what　you　do　not　understand。〃

〃I　always　do；　papa。　Do　I　not　ask　you　questions；　Ready？〃

〃Yes；　you　do；　and　very　clever　questions　for　a　boy　of　your　age；　and　I　only　wish　that　I　could　answer　them　better　than　I　can　sometimes。〃

〃I　should　like　to　go　down　now；　my　dear；〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave；　〃perhaps　Ready　will　see　the　baby　down　safe。〃

〃That　I　will；　ma'am；〃　said　Ready；　putting　his　quadrant　on　the　capstan：　〃now；　Juno；　give　me　the　child；　and　go　down　first；　…　backwards；　you　stupid　girl！　how　often　do　I　tell　you　that？　Some　day　or　another　you　will　come　down　with　a　run。〃

〃And　break　my　head；〃　said　Juno。

〃Yes；　or　break　your　arm；　and　then　who　is　to　hold　the　child？〃

As　soon　as　they　were　all　down　in　the　cabin；　the　captain　and　Mr。　Seagrave　marked　the　position　of　the　vessel　on　the　chart；　and　found　that　they　were　one　hundred　and　thirty　miles　from　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。

〃If　the　wind　holds；　we　shall　be　in　to…morrow；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave　to　his　wife。　〃Juno；　perhaps　you　may　see　your　father　and　mother。〃

Poor　Juno　shook　her　head；　and　a　tear　or　two　stole　down　her　dark　cheek。　With　a　mournful　face　she　told　them；　that　her　father　and　mother　belonged　to　a　Dutch　boor；　who　had　gone　with　them　many　miles　into　the　interior：　she　had　been　parted　from　them　when　quite　a　little　child；　and　had　been　left　at　Cape　Town。



Chapter　III

The　next　morning　the　Pacific　arrived　at　the　Cape　and　anchored　in　Table　Bay。

〃Why　do　they　call　this　Table　Bay；　Ready？〃　said　William。

〃I　suppose　it's　because　they　call　that　great　mountain　the　Table　Mountain；　Master　William；　you　see　how　flat　the　mountain　is　on　the　top。〃

〃Yes；　it　is　quite　as　flat　as　a　table。〃

〃Yes；　and　sometimes　you　will　see　the　white　clouds　rolling　down　over　the　top　of　it　in　a　very　curious　manner；　and　that　the　sailors　call　spreading　the　tablecloth：　it　is　a　sign　of　bad　weather。〃

〃Then　I　hope　they　will　not　spread　the　tablecloth　while　we　are　here；　Ready；〃　said　William；　〃for　I　shall　certainly　have　no　appetite。　We　have　had　bad　weather　enough　already；　and　mamma　suffers　so　much　from　it。　What　a　pretty　place　it　is！〃

〃We　shall　remain　here　two　days；　sir；〃　said　Captain　Osborn　to　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃if　you　and　Mrs。　Seagrave　would　like　to　go　on　shore。〃

〃I　will　go　down　and　ask　Mrs。　Seagrave；〃　said　her　husband；　who　went　down　the　ladder；　followed　by　William。

Upon　the　question　being　put　to　Mrs。　Seagrave；　she　replied　that　she　was　quite　satisfied　with　the　ship　having　no　motion；　and　did　not　feel　herself　equal　to　going　on　shore；　it　was　therefore　decided　that　she　should　remain　on　board　with　the　two　younger　children；　and　that；　on　the　following　day；　Mr。　Seagrave　should　take　William　and　Tommy　to　see　Cape　Town；　and　return　on　board　before　night。

The　next　morning；　Captain　Osborn　lowered　down　one　of　the　large　boats；　and　Mr。　Seagrave；　accompanied　by　Captain　Osborn；　went　on　shore　with　William　and　Tommy。　Tommy　had　promised　his　mamma　to　be　very　good；　but　that　he　always　did；　and　almost　always　forgot　his　promise　directly　he　was　out　of　sight。　As　soon　as　they　landed；　they　went　up　to　a　gentleman's　house；　with　whom　Captain　Osborn　was　acquainted。　They　stayed　for　a　few　minutes　to　drink　a　glass　of　lemonade；　for　it　was　very　warm；　and　then　it　was　proposed　that　they　should　go　to　the　Company's　Gardens　and　see　the　wild　beasts　which　were　confined　there；　at　which　William　was　much　delighted；　and　Tommy　clapped　his　hands　with　joy。

〃What　are　the　Company's　Gardens；　papa？〃　inquired　William。

〃They　were　made　by　the　Dutch　East　India　Company；　at　the　time　that　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　was　in　their　possession。　They　are；　properly　speaking；　Botanical　Gardens；　but；　at　the　same　time；　the　wild　animals　are　kept　there。　Formerly　there　were　a　great　many；　but　they　have　not　been　paid　attention　to　lately；　for　we　have　plenty　of　these　animals　in　England　now。〃

〃What　shall　we　see？〃　said　Tommy。

〃You　will　see　lions；　Tommy；　a　great　many　in　a　large　den　together；〃　said　Captain　Osborn。

〃Oh！　I　want　to　see　a　lion。〃

〃You　must　not　go　too　near　them；　recollect。〃

〃No；　I　won't；〃　said　Tommy。

As　soon　as　they　entered　the　gates；　Tommy　escaped　from　Captain　Osborn；　and　ran　away　in　his　hurry　to　see　the　lions；　but　Captain　Osborn　caught　him　again；　and　held　him　fast　by　the　hand。

〃Here　is　a　pair　of　very　strange　birds；〃　said　the　gentleman　who　accompanied　them；　〃they　are　called　Secretaries；　on　account　of　the　feathers　which　hang　behind　their　heads；　as　the　feather　of　a　pen　does　when　a　clerk　puts　it　behind　his　ear：　but　they　are　very　useful；　for　they　are　snake…killers；　indeed；　they　would；　if　they　could；　live　altogether　upon　snakes；　which　they　are　very　great　enemies　to；　never　letting　one　escape。　They　strike　them　with　their　feet；　and　with　such　force　as　to　kill　them　immediately。〃

〃Are　there　many　snakes　in　this　country？〃　inquired　William。

〃Yes；　and　very　venomous　snakes；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃so　that　these　birds　are　very　useful　in　destroying　them。　You　observe；　William；　that　the　Almighty；　in　his　wisdom；　has　so　arranged　it　that　no　animal　（especially　of　a　noxious　kind）　shall　be　multiplied　to　excess；　but　kept　under　by　being　preyed　upon　by　some　other；　indeed；　wherever　in　any　country　an　animal　exists　in　any　quantity；　there　is　generally　found　another　animal　which　destroys　it。　The　Secretary　inhabits　this　country　where　snakes　exist　in　numbers；　that　it　may　destroy　them：　in　England　the　bird　would　be　of　little　value。〃

〃But　some　animals　are　too　large　or　too　fierce　to　be　destroyed　by　others；　papa；　for　instance；　the　elephant　and　the　lion。〃

〃Very　true；　but　these　larger　animals　do　not　breed　so　fast；　and　therefore　their　numbers　do　not　increase　so　rapidly。　For　instance；　a　pair　of　elephants　will　not　have　more　than　one　young　one　in　the　space　of　two　years　or　more；　while　the　rabbits；　which　are　preyed　upon　and　the　food　of　so　many　other　beasts　as　well　as　birds；　would　increase　enormously；　if　they　were　not　destroyed。　Examine　through　the　whole　of　creation；　and　you　will　find　that　there　is　an　unerring　hand；　which　invariably　preserves　the　balance　exact；　and　that　there　are　no　more　mouths　than　for　which　food　is　provided；　although　accidental　circumstances　may　for　a　time　occasion　a　slight　alteration。〃

They　continued　their　walk　until　they　came　to　the　den　of　the　lions。　It　was　a　large　place；　in　closed　with　a　strong　and　high　wall　of　stone；　with　only　one　window　to　it　for　the　visitors　to　look　at　them；　as　it　was　open　above。　This　window　was　wide；　and　with　strong　iron　bars　running　from　the　top　to　the　bottom；　but　the　width　between　the　bars　was　such　that　a　lion　could　put　his　paw　out　with　ease；　and　they　were　therefore　cautioned　not　to　go　too　near。　It　was　a　fine　sight　to　see　eight　or　ten　of　these　noble…looking　animals　lying　down　in　various　attitudes；　quite　indifferent　apparently　to　the　people　outsidebasking　in　the　sun；　and　slowly　moving　their　tufted　tails　to　and　fro。　William　examined　them　at　a　respectful　distance　from　the　bars；　and　so　did　Tommy；　who　had　his　mouth　open　with　astonishment；　in　which　there　was　at　first　not　a　little　fear　mixed；　but　he　soon　got　bolder。　The　gentleman　who　had　accompanied　them；　and　who　had　been　long　at　the　Cape；　was　relating　to　Mr。　Seagrave　and　Captain　Osborn　some　very　curious　anecdotes　about　the　lion。　William　and　they　were　so　interested；　that　they　did　not　p