masterman ready-第34节

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ortions　of　them　of　a　very　degraded　class　…　indeed；　little　better　than　the　beasts　of　the　field。〃

〃I　have　seen　them；〃　said　Ready；　〃and　I　think　I　can　mention　a　people；　not　very　numerous　indeed；　who　are　still　more　like　the　beasts　of　the　field。　I　saw　them　once；　and；　at　first；　thought　they　were　animals；　and　not　human　beings。〃

〃Indeed；　Ready；　where　may　that　be？〃

〃In　the　Great　Andaman　Isles；　at　the　mouth　of　the　Bay　of　Bengal。　I　once　anchored　in　distress　in　Port　Cornwallis；　and　the　morning　after　we　anchored；　we　saw　some　black　things　going　upon　all　fours　under　the　trees　that　came　down　to　the　water's　edge。　We　got　the　telescope；　and　perceived　then　that　they　were　men　and　women；　for　they　stood　upright。〃

〃Did　you　ever　come　into　contact　with　them？〃

〃No；　sir；　I　did　not；　but　I　met；　at　Calcutta；　a　soldier　who　had；　for　at　one　time　the　East　India　Company　intended　making　a　settlement　on　the　island；　and　sent　some　troops　there。　He　said　that　they　caught　two　of　them；　that　they　were　not　more　than　four　feet　high；　excessively　stupid　and　shy；　they　had　no　houses　or　huts　to　live　in；　and　all　that　they　did　was　to　pile　up　some　bushes　to　keep　the　wind　off。〃

〃Had　they　any　arms？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　they　had　bows　and　arrows；　but　so　miserably　made；　and　so　small；　that　they　could　not　kill　anything　but　very　small　birds。〃

〃Where　did　the　people　come　from　who　inhabited　these　islands；　papa？〃

〃That　is　difficult　to　say；　William；　but　it　is　supposed　that　they　have　become　inhabited　in　much　the　same　way　as　this　our　island　has　been　…　that　is；　by　people　in　canoes　or　boats　driven　out　to　sea；　and　saving　their　lives　by　effecting　a　landing；　as　we　have　done。〃

〃I　believe　that's　the　truth；〃　replied　Ready；　〃I　heard　say　that　the　Andaman　Isles　were　supposed　to　have　been　first　inhabited　by　a　slaver　full　of　negroes；　who　were　wrecked　on　the　coast　in　a　typhoon。〃

〃What　is　a　typhoon；　Ready？〃

〃It　is　much　the　same　as　a　hurricane；　William；　it　comes　on　in　India　at　the　change　of　the　monsoons。〃

〃But　what　are　monsoons？〃

〃Winds　that　blow　regular　from　one　quarter　so　many　months　during　the　year；　and　then　change　round　and　blow　from　another　just　as　long。〃

〃And　what　are　the　trade…winds；　which　I　heard　poor　Captain　Osborn　talking　about　after　we　left　Madeira？〃

〃The　trade…winds　blow　on　the　equator；　and　several　degrees　north　and　south　of　it；　from　the　east　to　the　west；　following　the　course　of　the　sun。〃

〃Is　it　the　sun　which　produces　these　winds？〃

〃Yes；　the　extreme　heat　of　the　sun　between　the　tropics　rarefies　the　air　as　the　earth　turns　round；　and　the　trade…winds　are　produced　by　the　rushing　in　of　the　less　heated　air。〃

〃Yes；　William；　and　the　trade…winds　produce　what　they　call　the　Gulf　Stream；〃　observed　Ready。

〃How　is　that？　I　have　heard　it　spoken　of；　papa。〃

〃The　winds；　constantly　following　the　sun　across　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　and　blowing　from　east　to　west；　have　great　effect　upon　the　sea；　which　is　forced　up　into　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　（where　it　is　stopped　by　the　shores　of　America）；　so　that　it　is　many　feet　higher　in　the　Gulf　than　in　the　eastern　part　of　the　Atlantic。　This　accumulation　of　water　must　of　course　find　a　vent　somewhere；　and　it　does　in　what　is　called　the　Gulf　Stream；　by　which　the　waters　are　poured　out；　running　very　strong　to　the　northward；　along　the　shores　of　America；　and　then　eastward；　passing　not　far　from　Newfoundland；　until　its　strength　is　spent　somewhere　to　the　northward　of　the　Azores。〃

〃The　Gulf　Stream；　William；〃　said　Ready；　〃is　always　several　degrees　warmer　than　the　sea　in　general；　which　is；　they　say；　owing　to　its　waters　remaining　in　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　so　long；　where　the　heat　of　the　sun　is　so　great。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　by　the　land　and　sea　breezes　in　the　West　Indies；　and　other　hot　climates；　papa？〃

〃It　is　the　wind　first　blowing　off　from　the　shore；　and　then　blowing　from　the　sea　towards　the　shore；　during　certain　hours　of　the　day；　which　it　does　regularly　every　twenty…four　hours。　This　is　also　the　effect　of　the　heat　of　the　sun。　The　sea　breeze　commences　in　the　morning；　and　in　the　afternoon　it　dies　away；　when　the　land　breeze　commences；　which　lasts　till　midnight。〃

〃There　are　latitudes　close　to　the　trade…winds；〃　said　Ready；　〃where　the　wind　is　not　certain；　where　ships　have　been　becalmed　for　weeks；　the　crews　have　exhausted　the　water　on　board；　and　they　have　suffered　dreadfully。　We　call　them　the　Horse　latitudes　…　why；　I　do　not　know。　But　it　is　time　for　us　to　leave　off；　and　for　Master　William　to　go　into　the　house。〃

They　returned　home；　and　after　supper　Ready　went　on　with　his　narrative。

〃I　left　off　at　the　time　that　I　was　sent　on　board　of　the　man…of…war；　and　I　was　put　down　on　the　books　as　a　supernumerary　boy。　I　was　on　board　of　her　for　nearly　four　years；　and　we　were　sent　about　from　port　to　port；　and　from　clime　to　clime；　until　I　grew　a　strong；　tall　lad；　and　was　put　into　the　mizen…top。　I　found　it　very　comfortable。　I　did　my　duty；　and　the　consequence　was；　I　never　was　punished；　for　a　man　may　serve　on　board　of　a　man…of…war　without　fear　of　being　punished；　if　he　only　does　his　duty；　and　the　duty　is　not　very　hard　either；　not　like　on　board　of　the　merchant　vessels；　where　there　are　so　few　hands　…　there　it　is　hard　work。　Of　course；　there　are　some　captains　who　command　men…of…war　who　are　harsh　and　severe；　but　it　was　my　good　fortune　to　be　with　a　very　mild　and　steady　captain；　who　was　very　sorry　when　he　was　obliged　to　punish　the　men；　although　he　would　not　overlook　any　improper　conduct。　The　only　thing　which　was　a　source　of　constant　unhappiness　to　me　was；　that　I　could　not　get　to　England　again；　and　see　my　mother。　I　had　written　two　or　three　letters；　but　never　had　an　answer；　and　at　last　I　became　so　impatient　that　I　determined　to　run　away　the　very　first　opportunity　which　might　offer。　We　were　then　stationed　in　the　West　Indies；　and　I　had　very　often　consultations　with　Hastings　on　the　subject；　for　he　was　quite　as　anxious　to　get　away　as　I　was；　and　we　had　agreed　that　we　would　start　off　together　the　very　first　opportunity。　At　last　we　anchored　in　Port　Royal；　Jamaica；　and　there　was　a　large　convoy　of　West　India　ships；　laden　with　sugar；　about　to　sail　immediately。　We　knew　that　if　we　could　get　on　board　of　one；　they　would　secrete　us　until　the　time　of　sailing；　for　they　were　short…handed　enough；　the　men…of…war　having　pressed　every　man　they　could　lay　their　hands　upon。　There　was　but　one　chance；　and　that　was　by　swimming　on　board　of　one　of　the　vessels　during　the　night…time；　and　that　was　easy　enough；　as　they　were　anchored　not　a　hundred　yards　from　our　own　ship。　What　we　were　afraid　of　was　the　sharks；　which　were　so　plentiful　in　the　harbour。　However；　the　night　before　the　convoy　was　to　sail　we　made　up　our　minds　that　we　would　run　the　risk；　for　we　were　so　impatient　to　escape　that　we　did　not　care　for　anything。　It　was　in　the　middle　watch　…　I　recollect　it；　and　shall　recollect　it　all　my　life；　as　if　it　were　last　night　…　that　we　lowered　ourselves　down　very　softly　from　the　bows　of　the　ship；　and　as　soon　as　we　were　in　the　water　we　struck　out　for　one　of　the　West　Indiamen　close　to　us。　The　sentry　at　the　gangway　saw　the　light　in　the　water　made　by　our　swimming　through　it；　and　he　hailed；　of　course；　we　gave　no　answer；　but　swam　as　fast　as　we　could；　for　after　he　had　hailed　we　heard　a　bustle；　and　we　knew　that　the　officer　of　the　watch　was　manning　a　boat　to　send　after　us。　I　had　just　caught　hold　of　the　cable　of　the　West　Indiaman；　and　was　about　to　climb　up　by　it；　for　I　was　a　few　yards　before　Hastings；　when　I　heard　a　loud　shriek；　and；　turning　round；　perceived　a　shark　plunging　down　with　Hastings　in　his　jaws。　I　was　so　frightened；　that　for　a　short　time　I　could　not　move：　at　last　I　recovered　myself；　and　began　to　climb　up　by　the　cable　as　fast　as　I　could。　I　was　just　in　time；　for　another　shark　made　a　rush　at　me；　and　although　I　was　clear　out　of　the　water　more　than　two　feet；　he　sprung　up　and　just　caught　my　shoe　by　the　heel；　which　he　took　down　with　him。　Fear　gave　me　strength；　and　in　a　second　or　two　afterwards　I　was　up　at　the　hawse…holes；　and　the　men　on　board；　who　had　been　looking　over　the　bows；　and　had　witnessed　poor　Hastings'　death；　helped　me　on　board；　and　hurried　me　down　below；　for　the　boat　from　our　ship　was　now　nearly　alongside。　When　the　officer　of　the　boat　came　on　board；　they　told　him　they　had　perceived　us　both　in　the　water；　close　to　their　vessel；　and　that　the　sharks　had　taken　us　down。　As　the　shriek　of　Hastings　was　heard　by　the　people　in　the　boat；　the　officer　believed　that　it　was　the　case；　and　returned　to　the　ship。　I　heard　the　drum　beat　to　quarters　on　board　of　the　man…of…war；　that　they　might　ascertain　who　were　the　two　men　who　had　attempted　to　swim　away；　and　a　few　minutes　afterwards　they　beat　the　retreat；　having　put　down　D。　D。　against　my　name　on　the　books；　as　well　as　against　that　of　poor　Hastings。〃

〃What　does　D。　D。　mean？〃

〃D。　stands　for　discharged　from　the　service；　D。　D。　stands　for　dead；〃　replied　Ready；　〃and　it　was　only　through　the　mercy　of　Providence　that　I　was　not　so。〃

〃It　was　a　miraculous　escape　indeed；〃　observed　Mr。　Seagrave。

〃Yes；　indeed；　sir；　I　can　hardly　describe　my　sensations　for　some　hours　afterwards。　I　tried　to　sleep；　but　could　not　…　I　was　in　agony。　The　moment　I　slumbered；　I　thought　the　shark　had　hold　of　me；　and　I　would　start　up　and　shriek；　and　then　I　said　my　prayers　and　tried　to　go　to　sleep　again；　but　it　was　of　no　use。　The　captain　of　th