the mirror of the sea-第20节

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foray　upon　the　dominions　of　that　noisy　barbarian；　a　great　raid　from



Finisterre　to　Hatteras；　catching　his　fishermen　unawares；　baffling



the　fleets　that　trust　to　his　power；　and　shooting　sly　arrows　into



the　livers　of　men　who　court　his　good　graces。　　He　is；　indeed；　a



worthless　fellow。〃　　And　forthwith；　while　the　West　Wind　meditates



upon　the　vanity　of　his　irresistible　might；　the　thing　is　done；　and



the　Easterly　weather　sets　in　upon　the　North　Atlantic。







The　prevailing　weather　of　the　North　Atlantic　is　typical　of　the　way



in　which　the　West　Wind　rules　his　realm　on　which　the　sun　never　sets。



North　Atlantic　is　the　heart　of　a　great　empire。　　It　is　the　part　of



the　West　Wind's　dominions　most　thickly　populated　with　generations



of　fine　ships　and　hardy　men。　　Heroic　deeds　and　adventurous　exploits



have　been　performed　there；　within　the　very　stronghold　of　his　sway。



The　best　sailors　in　the　world　have　been　born　and　bred　under　the



shadow　of　his　sceptre；　learning　to　manage　their　ships　with　skill



and　audacity　before　the　steps　of　his　stormy　throne。　　Reckless



adventurers；　toiling　fishermen；　admirals　as　wise　and　brave　as　the



world　has　ever　known；　have　waited　upon　the　signs　of　his　westerly



sky。　　Fleets　of　victorious　ships　have　hung　upon　his　breath。　　He　has



tossed　in　his　hand　squadrons　of　war…scarred　three…deckers；　and



shredded　out　in　mere　sport　the　bunting　of　flags　hallowed　in　the



traditions　of　honour　and　glory。　　He　is　a　good　friend　and　a



dangerous　enemy；　without　mercy　to　unseaworthy　ships　and　faint…



hearted　seamen。　　In　his　kingly　way　he　has　taken　but　little　account



of　lives　sacrificed　to　his　impulsive　policy；　he　is　a　king　with　a



double…edged　sword　bared　in　his　right　hand。　　The　East　Wind；　an



interloper　in　the　dominions　of　Westerly　weather；　is　an　impassive…



faced　tyrant　with　a　sharp　poniard　held　behind　his　back　for　a



treacherous　stab。







In　his　forays　into　the　North　Atlantic　the　East　Wind　behaves　like　a



subtle　and　cruel　adventurer　without　a　notion　of　honour　or　fair



play。　　Veiling　his　clear…cut；　lean　face　in　a　thin　layer　of　a　hard；



high　cloud；　I　have　seen　him；　like　a　wizened　robber　sheik　of　the



sea；　hold　up　large　caravans　of　ships　to　the　number　of　three　hundred



or　more　at　the　very　gates　of　the　English　Channel。　　And　the　worst　of



it　was　that　there　was　no　ransom　that　we　could　pay　to　satisfy　his



avidity；　for　whatever　evil　is　wrought　by　the　raiding　East　Wind；　it



is　done　only　to　spite　his　kingly　brother　of　the　West。　　We　gazed



helplessly　at　the　systematic；　cold；　gray…eyed　obstinacy　of　the



Easterly　weather；　while　short　rations　became　the　order　of　the　day；



and　the　pinch　of　hunger　under　the　breast…bone　grew　familiar　to



every　sailor　in　that　held…up　fleet。　　Every　day　added　to　our



numbers。　　In　knots　and　groups　and　straggling　parties　we　flung　to



and　fro　before　the　closed　gate。　　And　meantime　the　outward…bound



ships　passed；　running　through　our　humiliated　ranks　under　all　the



canvas　they　could　show。　　It　is　my　idea　that　the　Easterly　Wind　helps



the　ships　away　from　home　in　the　wicked　hope　that　they　shall　all



come　to　an　untimely　end　and　be　heard　of　no　more。　　For　six　weeks　did



the　robber　sheik　hold　the　trade　route　of　the　earth；　while　our　liege



lord；　the　West　Wind；　slept　profoundly　like　a　tired　Titan；　or　else



remained　lost　in　a　mood　of　idle　sadness　known　only　to　frank



natures。　　All　was　still　to　the　westward；　we　looked　in　vain　towards



his　stronghold：　　the　King　slumbered　on　so　deeply　that　he　let　his



foraging　brother　steal　the　very　mantle　of　gold…lined　purple　clouds



from　his　bowed　shoulders。　　What　had　become　of　the　dazzling　hoard　of



royal　jewels　exhibited　at　every　close　of　day？　　Gone；　disappeared；



extinguished；　carried　off　without　leaving　a　single　gold　band　or　the



flash　of　a　single　sunbeam　in　the　evening　sky！　　Day　after　day



through　a　cold　streak　of　heavens　as　bare　and　poor　as　the　inside　of



a　rifled　safe　a　rayless　and　despoiled　sun　would　slink　shamefacedly；



without　pomp　or　show；　to　hide　in　haste　under　the　waters。　　And　still



the　King　slept　on；　or　mourned　the　vanity　of　his　might　and　his



power；　while　the　thin…lipped　intruder　put　the　impress　of　his　cold



and　implacable　spirit　upon　the　sky　and　sea。　　With　every　daybreak



the　rising　sun　had　to　wade　through　a　crimson　stream；　luminous　and



sinister；　like　the　spilt　blood　of　celestial　bodies　murdered　during



the　night。







In　this　particular　instance　the　mean　interloper　held　the　road　for



some　six　weeks　on　end；　establishing　his　particular　administrative



methods　over　the　best　part　of　the　North　Atlantic。　　It　looked　as　if



the　easterly　weather　had　come　to　stay　for　ever；　or；　at　least；　till



we　had　all　starved　to　death　in　the　held…up　fleet　…　starved　within



sight；　as　it　were；　of　plenty；　within　touch；　almost；　of　the



bountiful　heart　of　the　Empire。　　There　we　were；　dotting　with　our



white　dry　sails　the　hard　blueness　of　the　deep　sea。　　There　we　were；



a　growing　company　of　ships；　each　with　her　burden　of　grain；　of



timber；　of　wool；　of　hides；　and　even　of　oranges；　for　we　had　one　or



two　belated　fruit　schooners　in　company。　　There　we　were；　in　that



memorable　spring　of　a　certain　year　in　the　late　seventies；　dodging



to　and　fro；　baffled　on　every　tack；　and　with　our　stores　running　down



to　sweepings　of　bread…lockers　and　scrapings　of　sugar…casks。　　It　was



just　like　the　East　Wind's　nature　to　inflict　starvation　upon　the



bodies　of　unoffending　sailors；　while　he　corrupted　their　simple



souls　by　an　exasperation　leading　to　outbursts　of　profanity　as　lurid



as　his　blood…red　sunrises。　　They　were　followed　by　gray　days　under



the　cover　of　high；　motionless　clouds　that　looked　as　if　carved　in　a



slab　of　ash…coloured　marble。　　And　each　mean　starved　sunset　left　us



calling　with　imprecations　upon　the　West　Wind　even　in　its　most



veiled　misty　mood　to　wake　up　and　give　us　our　liberty；　if　only　to



rush　on　and　dash　the　heads　of　our　ships　against　the　very　walls　of



our　unapproachable　home。















XXIX。















In　the　atmosphere　of　the　Easterly　weather；　as　pellucid　as　a　piece



of　crystal　and　refracting　like　a　prism；　we　could　see　the　appalling



numbers　of　our　helpless　company；　even　to　those　who　in　more　normal



conditions　would　have　remained　invisible；　sails　down　under　the



horizon。　　It　is　the　malicious　pleasure　of　the　East　Wind　to　augment



the　power　of　your　eyesight；　in　order；　perhaps；　that　you　should　see



better　the　perfect　humiliation；　the　hopeless　character　of　your



captivity。　　Easterly　weather　is　generally　clear；　and　that　is　all



that　can　be　said　for　it　…　almost　supernaturally　clear　when　it



likes；　but　whatever　its　mood；　there　is　something　uncanny　in　its



nature。　　Its　duplicity　is　such　that　it　will　deceive　a　scientific



instrument。　　No　barometer　will　give　warning　of　an　easterly　gale；



were　it　ever　so　wet。　　It　would　be　an　unjust　and　ungrateful　thing　to



say　that　a　barometer　is　a　stupid　contrivance。　　It　is　simply　that



the　wiles　of　the　East　Wind　are　too　much　for　its　fundamental



honesty。　　After　years　and　years　of　experience　the　most　trusty



instrument　of　the　sort　that　ever　went　to　sea　screwed　on　to　a　ship's



cabin　bulkhead　will；　almost　invariably；　be　induced　to　rise　by　the



diabolic　ingenuity　of　the　Easterly　weather；　just　at　the　moment　when



the　Easterly　weather；　discarding　its　methods　of　hard；　dry；



impassive　cruelty；　contemplates　drowning　what　is　left　of　your



spirit　in　torrents　of　a　peculiarly　cold　and　horrid　rain。　　The



sleet…and…hail　squalls　following　the　lightning　at　the　end　of　a



westerly　gale　are　cold　and　benumbing　and　stinging　and　cruel　enough。



But　the　dry；　Easterly　weather；　when　it　turns　to　wet；　seems　to　rain



poisoned　showers　upon　your　head。　　It　is　a　sort　of　steady；



persistent；　overwhelming；　endlessly　driving　downpour；　which　makes



your　heart　sick；　and　opens　it　to　dismal　forebodings。　　And　the



stormy　mood　of　the　Easterly　weather　looms　black　upon　the　sky　with　a



peculiar　and　amazing　blackness。　　The　West　Wind　hangs　heavy　gray



curtains　of　mist　and　spray　before　your　gaze；　but　the　Eastern



interloper　of　the　narrow　seas；　when　he　has　mustered　his　courage　and



cruelty　to　the　point　of　a　gale；　puts　your　eyes　out；　puts　them　out



completely；　makes　you　feel　blind　for　life　upon　a　lee…shore。　　It　is



the　wind；　also；　that　brings　snow。







Out　of　his　black　and　merciless　heart　he　flings　a　white　blinding



sheet　upon　the　ships　of　the　sea。　　He　has　more　manners　of　villainy；



and　no　more　conscience　than　an　Italian　prince　of　the　seventeenth



century。　　His　weapon　is　a　dagger　carried　under　a　black　cloak　when



he　goes　out　on　his　unlawful　enterprises。　　The　mere　hint　of　his



approach　fills　with　dread　every　craft　that　swims　the　sea；　from



fishing…smacks　to　four…masted　ships　that　recognise　the　sway　of　the



West　Wind。　　Even　in　his　most　accommodating　mood　he　inspires　a　dread



of　treachery。　　I　have　he