the mirror of the sea-第5节

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company　expected　to　drag　up　out　of　the　depths；　each　man　all　his



personal　hopes　into　the　reach　of　a　securing　hand　…　the　hope　of



home；　the　hope　of　rest；　of　liberty；　of　dissipation；　of　hard



pleasure；　following　the　hard　endurance　of　many　days　between　sky　and



water。　　And　this　noisiness；　this　exultation　at　the　moment　of　the



ship's　departure；　make　a　tremendous　contrast　to　the　silent　moments



of　her　arrival　in　a　foreign　roadstead　…　the　silent　moments　when；



stripped　of　her　sails；　she　forges　ahead　to　her　chosen　berth；　the



loose　canvas　fluttering　softly　in　the　gear　above　the　heads　of　the



men　standing　still　upon　her　decks；　the　master　gazing　intently



forward　from　the　break　of　the　poop。　　Gradually　she　loses　her　way；



hardly　moving；　with　the　three　figures　on　her　forecastle　waiting



attentively　about　the　cat…head　for　the　last　order　of；　perhaps；　full



ninety　days　at　sea：　　〃Let　go！〃







This　is　the　final　word　of　a　ship's　ended　journey；　the　closing　word



of　her　toil　and　of　her　achievement。　　In　a　life　whose　worth　is　told



out　in　passages　from　port　to　port；　the　splash　of　the　anchor's　fall



and　the　thunderous　rumbling　of　the　chain　are　like　the　closing　of　a



distinct　period；　of　which　she　seems　conscious　with　a　slight　deep



shudder　of　all　her　frame。　　By　so　much　is　she　nearer　to　her



appointed　death；　for　neither　years　nor　voyages　can　go　on　for　ever。



It　is　to　her　like　the　striking　of　a　clock；　and　in　the　pause　which



follows　she　seems　to　take　count　of　the　passing　time。







This　is　the　last　important　order；　the　others　are　mere　routine



directions。　　Once　more　the　master　is　heard：　　〃Give　her　forty…five



fathom　to　the　water's　edge；〃　and　then　he；　too；　is　done　for　a　time。



For　days　he　leaves　all　the　harbour　work　to　his　chief　mate；　the



keeper　of　the　ship's　anchor　and　of　the　ship's　routine。　　For　days



his　voice　will　not　be　heard　raised　about　the　decks；　with　that　curt；



austere　accent　of　the　man　in　charge；　till；　again；　when　the　hatches



are　on；　and　in　a　silent　and　expectant　ship；　he　shall　speak　up　from



aft　in　commanding　tones：　　〃Man　the　windlass！〃















VII。















The　other　year；　looking　through　a　newspaper　of　sound　principles；



but　whose　staff　WILL　persist　in　〃casting〃　anchors　and　going　to　sea



〃on〃　a　ship　（ough！）；　I　came　across　an　article　upon　the　season's



yachting。　　And；　behold！　it　was　a　good　article。　　To　a　man　who　had



but　little　to　do　with　pleasure　sailing　（though　all　sailing　is　a



pleasure）；　and　certainly　nothing　whatever　with　racing　in　open



waters；　the　writer's　strictures　upon　the　handicapping　of　yachts



were　just　intelligible　and　no　more。　　And　I　do　not　pretend　to　any



interest　in　the　enumeration　of　the　great　races　of　that　year。　　As　to



the　52…foot　linear　raters；　praised　so　much　by　the　writer；　I　am



warmed　up　by　his　approval　of　their　performances；　but；　as　far　as　any



clear　conception　goes；　the　descriptive　phrase；　so　precise　to　the



comprehension　of　a　yachtsman；　evokes　no　definite　image　in　my　mind。







The　writer　praises　that　class　of　pleasure　vessels；　and　I　am　willing



to　endorse　his　words；　as　any　man　who　loves　every　craft　afloat　would



be　ready　to　do。　　I　am　disposed　to　admire　and　respect　the　52…foot



linear　raters　on　the　word　of　a　man　who　regrets　in　such　a



sympathetic　and　understanding　spirit　the　threatened　decay　of



yachting　seamanship。







Of　course；　yacht　racing　is　an　organized　pastime；　a　function　of



social　idleness　ministering　to　the　vanity　of　certain　wealthy



inhabitants　of　these　isles　nearly　as　much　as　to　their　inborn　love



of　the　sea。　　But　the　writer　of　the　article　in　question　goes　on　to



point　out；　with　insight　and　justice；　that　for　a　great　number　of



people　（20；000；　I　think　he　says）　it　is　a　means　of　livelihood　…　that



it　is；　in　his　own　words；　an　industry。　　Now；　the　moral　side　of　an



industry；　productive　or　unproductive；　the　redeeming　and　ideal



aspect　of　this　bread…winning；　is　the　attainment　and　preservation　of



the　highest　possible　skill　on　the　part　of　the　craftsmen。　　Such



skill；　the　skill　of　technique；　is　more　than　honesty；　it　is



something　wider；　embracing　honesty　and　grace　and　rule　in　an



elevated　and　clear　sentiment；　not　altogether　utilitarian；　which　may



be　called　the　honour　of　labour。　　It　is　made　up　of　accumulated



tradition；　kept　alive　by　individual　pride；　rendered　exact　by



professional　opinion；　and；　like　the　higher　arts；　it　spurred　on　and



sustained　by　discriminating　praise。







This　is　why　the　attainment　of　proficiency；　the　pushing　of　your



skill　with　attention　to　the　most　delicate　shades　of　excellence；　is



a　matter　of　vital　concern。　　Efficiency　of　a　practically　flawless



kind　may　be　reached　naturally　in　the　struggle　for　bread。　　But　there



is　something　beyond　…　a　higher　point；　a　subtle　and　unmistakable



touch　of　love　and　pride　beyond　mere　skill；　almost　an　inspiration



which　gives　to　all　work　that　finish　which　is　almost　art　…　which　IS



art。







As　men　of　scrupulous　honour　set　up　a　high　standard　of　public



conscience　above　the　dead…level　of　an　honest　community；　so　men　of



that　skill　which　passes　into　art　by　ceaseless　striving　raise　the



dead…level　of　correct　practice　in　the　crafts　of　land　and　sea。　　The



conditions　fostering　the　growth　of　that　supreme；　alive　excellence；



as　well　in　work　as　in　play；　ought　to　be　preserved　with　a　most



careful　regard　lest　the　industry　or　the　game　should　perish　of　an



insidious　and　inward　decay。　　Therefore　I　have　read　with　profound



regret；　in　that　article　upon　the　yachting　season　of　a　certain　year；



that　the　seamanship　on　board　racing　yachts　is　not　now　what　it　used



to　be　only　a　few；　very　few；　years　ago。







For　that　was　the　gist　of　that　article；　written　evidently　by　a　man



who　not　only　knows　but　UNDERSTANDS　…　a　thing　（let　me　remark　in



passing）　much　rarer　than　one　would　expect；　because　the　sort　of



understanding　I　mean　is　inspired　by　love；　and　love；　though　in　a



sense　it　may　be　admitted　to　be　stronger　than　death；　is　by　no　means



so　universal　and　so　sure。　　In　fact；　love　is　rare　…　the　love　of　men；



of　things；　of　ideas；　the　love　of　perfected　skill。　　For　love　is　the



enemy　of　haste；　it　takes　count　of　passing　days；　of　men　who　pass



away；　of　a　fine　art　matured　slowly　in　the　course　of　years　and



doomed　in　a　short　time　to　pass　away　too；　and　be　no　more。　　Love　and



regret　go　hand　in　hand　in　this　world　of　changes　swifter　than　the



shifting　of　the　clouds　reflected　in　the　mirror　of　the　sea。







To　penalize　a　yacht　in　proportion　to　the　fineness　of　her



performance　is　unfair　to　the　craft　and　to　her　men。　　It　is　unfair　to



the　perfection　of　her　form　and　to　the　skill　of　her　servants。　　For



we　men　are；　in　fact；　the　servants　of　our　creations。　　We　remain　in



everlasting　bondage　to　the　productions　of　our　brain　and　to　the　work



of　our　hands。　　A　man　is　born　to　serve　his　time　on　this　earth；　and



there　is　something　fine　in　the　service　being　given　on　other　grounds



than　that　of　utility。　　The　bondage　of　art　is　very　exacting。　　And；



as　the　writer　of　the　article　which　started　this　train　of　thought



says　with　lovable　warmth；　the　sailing　of　yachts　is　a　fine　art。







His　contention　is　that　racing；　without　time　allowances　for　anything



else　but　tonnage　…　that　is；　for　size　…　has　fostered　the　fine　art　of



sailing　to　the　pitch　of　perfection。　　Every　sort　of　demand　is　made



upon　the　master　of　a　sailing…yacht；　and　to　be　penalized　in



proportion　to　your　success　may　be　of　advantage　to　the　sport　itself；



but　it　has　an　obviously　deteriorating　effect　upon　the　seamanship。



The　fine　art　is　being　lost。















VIII。















The　sailing　and　racing　of　yachts　has　developed　a　class　of　fore…and…



aft　sailors；　men　born　and　bred　to　the　sea；　fishing　in　winter　and



yachting　in　summer；　men　to　whom　the　handling　of　that　particular　rig



presents　no　mystery。　　It　is　their　striving　for　victory　that　has



elevated　the　sailing　of　pleasure　craft　to　the　dignity　of　a　fine　art



in　that　special　sense。　　As　I　have　said；　I　know　nothing　of　racing



and　but　little　of　fore…and…aft　rig；　but　the　advantages　of　such　a



rig　are　obvious；　especially　for　purposes　of　pleasure；　whether　in



cruising　or　racing。　　It　requires　less　effort　in　handling；　the



trimming　of　the　sail…planes　to　the　wind　can　be　done　with　speed　and



accuracy；　the　unbroken　spread　of　the　sail…area　is　of　infinite



advantage；　and　the　greatest　possible　amount　of　canvas　can　be



displayed　upon　the　least　possible　quantity　of　spars。　　Lightness　and



concentrated　power　are　the　great　qualities　of　fore…and…aft　rig。







A　fleet　of　fore…and…afters　at　anchor　has　its　own　slender



graciousness。　　The　setting　of　their　sails　resembles　more　than



anything　else　the　unfolding　of　a　bird's　wings；　the　facility　of



their　evolutions　is　a　pleasure　to　the　eye。　　They　are　birds　of　the



sea；　whose　swimming　is　like　flying；　and　resembles　more