the mirror of the sea-第8节

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this　was　the　homeward…bound　fleet　from　the　far…off　ends　of　the



earth；　and　a　Falmouth　fruit…schooner；　the　smallest　of　them　all；　was



heading　the　flight。　　One　could　have　imagined　her　very　fair；　if　not



divinely　tall；　leaving　a　scent　of　lemons　and　oranges　in　her　wake。







The　next　day　there　were　very　few　ships　in　sight　from　our　mast…heads



…　seven　at　most；　perhaps；　with　a　few　more　distant　specks；　hull



down；　beyond　the　magic　ring　of　the　horizon。　　The　spell　of　the　fair



wind　has　a　subtle　power　to　scatter　a　white…winged　company　of　ships



looking　all　the　same　way；　each　with　its　white　fillet　of　tumbling



foam　under　the　bow。　　It　is　the　calm　that　brings　ships　mysteriously



together；　it　is　your　wind　that　is　the　great　separator。







The　taller　the　ship；　the　further　she　can　be　seen；　and　her　white



tallness　breathed　upon　by　the　wind　first　proclaims　her　size。　　The



tall　masts　holding　aloft　the　white　canvas；　spread　out　like　a　snare



for　catching　the　invisible　power　of　the　air；　emerge　gradually　from



the　water；　sail　after　sail；　yard　after　yard；　growing　big；　till；



under　the　towering　structure　of　her　machinery；　you　perceive　the



insignificant；　tiny　speck　of　her　hull。







The　tall　masts　are　the　pillars　supporting　the　balanced　planes　that；



motionless　and　silent；　catch　from　the　air　the　ship's　motive…power；



as　it　were　a　gift　from　Heaven　vouchsafed　to　the　audacity　of　man；



and　it　is　the　ship's　tall　spars；　stripped　and　shorn　of　their　white



glory；　that　incline　themselves　before　the　anger　of　the　clouded



heaven。







When　they　yield　to　a　squall　in　a　gaunt　and　naked　submission；　their



tallness　is　brought　best　home　even　to　the　mind　of　a　seaman。　　The



man　who　has　looked　upon　his　ship　going　over　too　far　is　made　aware



of　the　preposterous　tallness　of　a　ship's　spars。　　It　seems



impossible　but　that　those　gilt　trucks　which　one　had　to　tilt　one's



head　back　to　see；　now　falling　into　the　lower　plane　of　vision；　must



perforce　hit　the　very　edge　of　the　horizon。　　Such　an　experience



gives　you　a　better　impression　of　the　loftiness　of　your　spars　than



any　amount　of　running　aloft　could　do。　　And　yet　in　my　time　the　royal



yards　of　an　average　profitable　ship　were　a　good　way　up　above　her



decks。







No　doubt　a　fair　amount　of　climbing　up　iron　ladders　can　be　achieved



by　an　active　man　in　a　ship's　engine…room；　but　I　remember　moments



when　even　to　my　supple　limbs　and　pride　of　nimbleness　the　sailing…



ship's　machinery　seemed　to　reach　up　to　the　very　stars。







For　machinery　it　is；　doing　its　work　in　perfect　silence　and　with　a



motionless　grace；　that　seems　to　hide　a　capricious　and　not　always



governable　power；　taking　nothing　away　from　the　material　stores　of



the　earth。　　Not　for　it　the　unerring　precision　of　steel　moved　by



white　steam　and　living　by　red　fire　and　fed　with　black　coal。　　The



other　seems　to　draw　its　strength　from　the　very　soul　of　the　world；



its　formidable　ally；　held　to　obedience　by　the　frailest　bonds；　like



a　fierce　ghost　captured　in　a　snare　of　something　even　finer　than



spun　silk。　　For　what　is　the　array　of　the　strongest　ropes；　the



tallest　spars　and　the　stoutest　canvas　against　the　mighty　breath　of



the　infinite；　but　thistle　stalks；　cobwebs　and　gossamer？















XI。















Indeed；　it　is　less　than　nothing；　and　I　have　seen；　when　the　great



soul　of　the　world　turned　over　with　a　heavy　sigh；　a　perfectly　new；



extra…stout　foresail　vanish　like　a　bit　of　some　airy　stuff　much



lighter　than　gossamer。　　Then　was　the　time　for　the　tall　spars　to



stand　fast　in　the　great　uproar。　　The　machinery　must　do　its　work



even　if　the　soul　of　the　world　has　gone　mad。







The　modern　steamship　advances　upon　a　still　and　overshadowed　sea



with　a　pulsating　tremor　of　her　frame；　an　occasional　clang　in　her



depths；　as　if　she　had　an　iron　heart　in　her　iron　body；　with　a



thudding　rhythm　in　her　progress　and　the　regular　beat　of　her



propeller；　heard　afar　in　the　night　with　an　august　and　plodding



sound　as　of　the　march　of　an　inevitable　future。　　But　in　a　gale；　the



silent　machinery　of　a　sailing…ship　would　catch　not　only　the　power；



but　the　wild　and　exulting　voice　of　the　world's　soul。　　Whether　she



ran　with　her　tall　spars　swinging；　or　breasted　it　with　her　tall



spars　lying　over；　there　was　always　that　wild　song；　deep　like　a



chant；　for　a　bass　to　the　shrill　pipe　of　the　wind　played　on　the　sea…



tops；　with　a　punctuating　crash；　now　and　then；　of　a　breaking　wave。



At　times　the　weird　effects　of　that　invisible　orchestra　would　get



upon　a　man's　nerves　till　he　wished　himself　deaf。







And　this　recollection　of　a　personal　wish；　experienced　upon　several



oceans；　where　the　soul　of　the　world　has　plenty　of　room　to　turn　over



with　a　mighty　sigh；　brings　me　to　the　remark　that　in　order　to　take　a



proper　care　of　a　ship's　spars　it　is　just　as　well　for　a　seaman　to



have　nothing　the　matter　with　his　ears。　　Such　is　the　intimacy　with



which　a　seaman　had　to　live　with　his　ship　of　yesterday　that　his



senses　were　like　her　senses；　that　the　stress　upon　his　body　made　him



judge　of　the　strain　upon　the　ship's　masts。







I　had　been　some　time　at　sea　before　I　became　aware　of　the　fact　that



hearing　plays　a　perceptible　part　in　gauging　the　force　of　the　wind。



It　was　at　night。　　The　ship　was　one　of　those　iron　wool…clippers　that



the　Clyde　had　floated　out　in　swarms　upon　the　world　during　the



seventh　decade　of　the　last　century。　　It　was　a　fine　period　in　ship…



building；　and　also；　I　might　say；　a　period　of　over…masting。　　The



spars　rigged　up　on　the　narrow　hulls　were　indeed　tall　then；　and　the



ship　of　which　I　think；　with　her　coloured…glass　skylight　ends



bearing　the　motto；　〃Let　Glasgow　Flourish；〃　was　certainly　one　of　the



most　heavily…sparred　specimens。　　She　was　built　for　hard　driving；



and　unquestionably　she　got　all　the　driving　she　could　stand。　　Our



captain　was　a　man　famous　for　the　quick　passages　he　had　been　used　to



make　in　the　old　Tweed；　a　ship　famous　the　world　over　for　her　speed。



The　Tweed　had　been　a　wooden　vessel；　and　he　brought　the　tradition　of



quick　passages　with　him　into　the　iron　clipper。　　I　was　the　junior　in



her；　a　third　mate；　keeping　watch　with　the　chief　officer；　and　it　was



just　during　one　of　the　night　watches　in　a　strong；　freshening　breeze



that　I　overheard　two　men　in　a　sheltered　nook　of　the　main　deck



exchanging　these　informing　remarks。　　Said　one：







〃Should　think　'twas　time　some　of　them　light　sails　were　coming　off



her。〃







And　the　other；　an　older　man；　uttered　grumpily：　　〃No　fear！　not　while



the　chief　mate's　on　deck。　　He's　that　deaf　he　can't　tell　how　much



wind　there　is。〃







And；　indeed；　poor　P…；　quite　young；　and　a　smart　seaman；　was　very



hard　of　hearing。　　At　the　same　time；　he　had　the　name　of　being　the



very　devil　of　a　fellow　for　carrying　on　sail　on　a　ship。　　He　was



wonderfully　clever　at　concealing　his　deafness；　and；　as　to　carrying



on　heavily；　though　he　was　a　fearless　man；　I　don't　think　that　he



ever　meant　to　take　undue　risks。　　I　can　never　forget　his　naive　sort



of　astonishment　when　remonstrated　with　for　what　appeared　a　most



dare…devil　performance。　　The　only　person；　of　course；　that　could



remonstrate　with　telling　effect　was　our　captain；　himself　a　man　of



dare…devil　tradition；　and　really；　for　me；　who　knew　under　whom　I　was



serving；　those　were　impressive　scenes。　　Captain　S…　had　a　great　name



for　sailor…like　qualities　…　the　sort　of　name　that　compelled　my



youthful　admiration。　　To　this　day　I　preserve　his　memory；　for；



indeed；　it　was　he　in　a　sense　who　completed　my　training。　　It　was



often　a　stormy　process；　but　let　that　pass。　　I　am　sure　he　meant



well；　and　I　am　certain　that　never；　not　even　at　the　time；　could　I



bear　him　malice　for　his　extraordinary　gift　of　incisive　criticism。



And　to　hear　HIM　make　a　fuss　about　too　much　sail　on　the　ship　seemed



one　of　those　incredible　experiences　that　take　place　only　in　one's



dreams。







It　generally　happened　in　this　way：　　Night；　clouds　racing　overhead；



wind　howling；　royals　set；　and　the　ship　rushing　on　in　the　dark；　an



immense　white　sheet　of　foam　level　with　the　lee　rail。　　Mr。　P…；　in



charge　of　the　deck；　hooked　on　to　the　windward　mizzen　rigging　in　a



state　of　perfect　serenity；　myself；　the　third　mate；　also　hooked　on



somewhere　to　windward　of　the　slanting　poop；　in　a　state　of　the



utmost　preparedness　to　jump　at　the　very　first　hint　of　some　sort　of



order；　but　otherwise　in　a　perfectly　acquiescent　state　of　mind。



Suddenly；　out　of　the　companion　would　appear　a　tall；　dark　figure；



bareheaded；　with　a　short　white　beard　of　a　perpendicular　cut；　very



visible　in　the　dark　…　Captain　S…；　disturbed　in　his　reading　down



below　by　the　frightful　bounding　and　lurching　of　the　ship。　　Leaning



very　much　against　the　precipitous　incline　of　the　deck；　he　would



take　a　turn　or　two；　perfectly　silent；　hang　on　by　the　compass　for　a



while；　take　another　couple　o