the wreck of the golden mary-第4部分

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at；　and　not　very　blamable；　but；　he　had　made　a　lamentation　and　uproar

which　it　was　dangerous　for　the　people　to　hear；　as　there　is　always

contagion　in　weakness　and　selfishness。　　His　incessant　cry　had　been

that　he　must　not　be　separated　from　the　child；　that　he　couldn't　see

the　child；　and　that　he　and　the　child　must　go　together。　　He　had　even

tried　to　wrest　the　child　out　of　my　arms；　that　he　might　keep　her　in

his。　　〃Mr。　Rarx；〃　said　I　to　him　when　it　came　to　that；　〃I　have　a

loaded　pistol　in　my　pocket；　and　if　you　don't　stand　out　of　the　gang…

way；　and　keep　perfectly　quiet；　I　shall　shoot　you　through　the　heart；

if　you　have　got　one。〃　　Says　he；　〃You　won't　do　murder；　Captain

Ravender！〃　　　〃No；　sir；〃　says　I；　〃I　won't　murder　forty…four　people　to

humour　you；　but　I'll　shoot　you　to　save　them。〃　　After　that　he　was

quiet；　and　stood　shivering　a　little　way　off；　until　I　named　him　to　go

over　the　side。



The　Long…boat　being　cast　off；　the　Surf…boat　was　soon　filled。　　There

only　remained　aboard　the　Golden　Mary；　John　Mullion　the　man　who　had

kept　on　burning　the　blue…lights　（and　who　had　lighted　every　new　one

at　every　old　one　before　it　went　out；　as　quietly　as　if　he　had　been　at

an　illumination）；　John　Steadiman；　and　myself。　　I　hurried　those　two

into　the　Surf…boat；　called　to　them　to　keep　off；　and　waited　with　a

grateful　and　relieved　heart　for　the　Long…boat　to　come　and　take　me

in；　if　she　could。　　I　looked　at　my　watch；　and　it　showed　me；　by　the

blue…light；　ten　minutes　past　two。　　They　lost　no　time。　　As　soon　as

she　was　near　enough；　I　swung　myself　into　her；　and　called　to　the　men；

〃With　a　will；　lads！　　She's　reeling！〃　　We　were　not　an　inch　too　far

out　of　the　inner　vortex　of　her　going　down；　when；　by　the　blue…light

which　John　Mullion　still　burnt　in　the　bow　of　the　Surf…boat；　we　saw

her　lurch；　and　plunge　to　the　bottom　head…foremost。　　The　child　cried；

weeping　wildly；　〃O　the　dear　Golden　Mary！　　O　look　at　her！　　Save　her！

Save　the　poor　Golden　Mary！〃　　And　then　the　light　burnt　out；　and　the

black　dome　seemed　to　come　down　upon　us。



I　suppose　if　we　had　all　stood　a…top　of　a　mountain；　and　seen　the

whole　remainder　of　the　world　sink　away　from　under　us；　we　could

hardly　have　felt　more　shocked　and　solitary　than　we　did　when　we　knew

we　were　alone　on　the　wide　ocean；　and　that　the　beautiful　ship　in

which　most　of　us　had　been　securely　asleep　within　half　an　hour　was

gone　for　ever。　　There　was　an　awful　silence　in　our　boat；　and　such　a

kind　of　palsy　on　the　rowers　and　the　man　at　the　rudder；　that　I　felt

they　were　scarcely　keeping　her　before　the　sea。　　I　spoke　out　then；

and　said；　〃Let　every　one　here　thank　the　Lord　for　our　preservation！〃

All　the　voices　answered　（even　the　child's）；　〃We　thank　the　Lord！〃　　I

then　said　the　Lord's　Prayer；　and　all　hands　said　it　after　me　with　a

solemn　murmuring。　　Then　I　gave　the　word　〃Cheerily；　O　men；　Cheerily！〃

and　I　felt　that　they　were　handling　the　boat　again　as　a　boat　ought　to

be　handled。



The　Surf…boat　now　burnt　another　blue…light　to　show　us　where　they

were；　and　we　made　for　her；　and　laid　ourselves　as　nearly　alongside　of

her　as　we　dared。　　I　had　always　kept　my　boats　with　a　coil　or　two　of

good　stout　stuff　in　each　of　them；　so　both　boats　had　a　rope　at　hand。

We　made　a　shift；　with　much　labour　and　trouble；　to　got　near　enough　to

one　another　to　divide　the　blue…lights　（they　were　no　use　after　that

night；　for　the　sea…water　soon　got　at　them）；　and　to　get　a　tow…rope

out　between　us。　　All　night　long　we　kept　together；　sometimes　obliged

to　cast　off　the　rope；　and　sometimes　getting　it　out　again；　and　all　of

us　wearying　for　the　morningwhich　appeared　so　long　in　coming　that

old　Mr。　Rarx　screamed　out；　in　spite　of　his　fears　of　me；　〃The　world

is　drawing　to　an　end；　and　the　sun　will　never　rise　any　more！〃



When　the　day　broke；　I　found　that　we　were　all　huddled　together　in　a

miserable　manner。　　We　were　deep　in　the　water；　being；　as　I　found　on

mustering；　thirty…one　in　number；　or　at　least　six　too　many。　　In　the

Surf…boat　they　were　fourteen　in　number；　being　at　least　four　too

many。　　The　first　thing　I　did；　was　to　get　myself　passed　to　the

rudderwhich　I　took　from　that　timeand　to　get　Mrs。　Atherfield；　her

child；　and　Miss　Coleshaw；　passed　on　to　sit　next　me。　　As　to　old　Mr。

Rarx；　I　put　him　in　the　bow；　as　far　from　us　as　I　could。　　And　I　put

some　of　the　best　men　near　us　in　order　that　if　I　should　drop　there

might　be　a　skilful　hand　ready　to　take　the　helm。



The　sea　moderating　as　the　sun　came　up；　though　the　sky　was　cloudy　and

wild；　we　spoke　the　other　boat；　to　know　what　stores　they　had；　and　to

overhaul　what　we　had。　　I　had　a　compass　in　my　pocket；　a　small

telescope；　a　double…barrelled　pistol；　a　knife；　and　a　fire…box　and

matches。　　Most　of　my　men　had　knives；　and　some　had　a　little　tobacco：

some；　a　pipe　as　well。　　We　had　a　mug　among　us；　and　an　iron　spoon。　　As

to　provisions；　there　were　in　my　boat　two　bags　of　biscuit；　one　piece

of　raw　beef；　one　piece　of　raw　pork；　a　bag　of　coffee；　roasted　but　not

ground　（thrown　in；　I　imagine；　by　mistake；　for　something　else）；　two

small　casks　of　water；　and　about　half…a…gallon　of　rum　in　a　keg。　　The

Surf…boat；　having　rather　more　rum　than　we；　and　fewer　to　drink　it；

gave　us；　as　I　estimated；　another　quart　into　our　keg。　　In　return；　we

gave　them　three　double　handfuls　of　coffee；　tied　up　in　a　piece　of　a

handkerchief；　they　reported　that　they　had　aboard　besides；　a　bag　of

biscuit；　a　piece　of　beef；　a　small　cask　of　water；　a　small　box　of

lemons；　and　a　Dutch　cheese。　　It　took　a　long　time　to　make　these

exchanges；　and　they　were　not　made　without　risk　to　both　parties；　the

sea　running　quite　high　enough　to　make　our　approaching　near　to　one

another　very　hazardous。　　In　the　bundle　with　the　coffee；　I　conveyed

to　John　Steadiman　（who　had　a　ship's　compass　with　him）；　a　paper

written　in　pencil；　and　torn　from　my　pocket…book；　containing　the

course　I　meant　to　steer；　in　the　hope　of　making　land；　or　being　picked

up　by　some　vesselI　say　in　the　hope；　though　I　had　little　hope　of

either　deliverance。　　I　then　sang　out　to　him；　so　as　all　might　hear；

that　if　we　two　boats　could　live　or　die　together；　we　would；　but；　that

if　we　should　be　parted　by　the　weather；　and　join　company　no　more；

they　should　have　our　prayers　and　blessings；　and　we　asked　for　theirs。

We　then　gave　them　three　cheers；　which　they　returned；　and　I　saw　the

men's　heads　droop　in　both　boats　as　they　fell　to　their　oars　again。



These　arrangements　had　occupied　the　general　attention　advantageously

for　all；　though　（as　I　expressed　in　the　last　sentence）　they　ended　in

a　sorrowful　feeling。　　I　now　said　a　few　words　to　my　fellow…voyagers

on　the　subject　of　the　small　stock　of　food　on　which　our　lives

depended　if　they　were　preserved　from　the　great　deep；　and　on　the

rigid　necessity　of　our　eking　it　out　in　the　most　frugal　manner。　　One

and　all　replied　that　whatever　allowance　I　thought　best　to　lay　down

should　be　strictly　kept　to。　　We　made　a　pair　of　scales　out　of　a　thin

scrap　of　iron…plating　and　some　twine；　and　I　got　together　for　weights

such　of　the　heaviest　buttons　among　us　as　I　calculated　made　up　some

fraction　over　two　ounces。　　This　was　the　allowance　of　solid　food

served　out　once　a…day　to　each；　from　that　time　to　the　end；　with　the

addition　of　a　coffee…berry；　or　sometimes　half　a　one；　when　the

weather　was　very　fair；　for　breakfast。　　We　had　nothing　else　whatever；

but　half　a　pint　of　water　each　per　day；　and　sometimes；　when　we　were

coldest　and　weakest；　a　teaspoonful　of　rum　each；　served　out　as　a

dram。　　I　know　how　learnedly　it　can　be　shown　that　rum　is　poison；　but

I　also　know　that　in　this　case；　as　in　all　similar　cases　I　have　ever

read　ofwhich　are　numerousno　words　can　express　the　comfort　and

support　derived　from　it。　　Nor　have　I　the　least　doubt　that　it　saved

the　lives　of　far　more　than　half　our　number。　　Having　mentioned　half　a

pint　of　water　as　our　daily　allowance；　I　ought　to　observe　that

sometimes　we　had　less；　and　sometimes　we　had　more；　for　much　rain

fell；　and　we　caught　it　in　a　canvas　stretched　for　the　purpose。



Thus；　at　that　tempestuous　time　of　the　year；　and　in　that　tempestuous

part　of　the　world；　we　shipwrecked　people　rose　and　fell　with　the

waves。　　It　is　not　my　intention　to　relate　（if　I　can　avoid　it）　such

circumstances　appertaining　to　our　doleful　condition　as　have　been

better　told　in　many　other　narratives　of　the　kind　than　I　can　be

expected　to　tell　them。　　I　will　only　note；　in　so　many　passing　words；

that　day　after　day　and　night　after　night；　we　received　the　sea　upon

our　backs　to　prevent　it　from　swamping　the　boat；　that　one　party　was

always　kept　baling；　and　that　every　hat　and　cap　among　us　soon　got

worn　out；　though　patched　up　fifty　times；　as　the　only　vessels　we　had

for　that　service；　that　another　party　lay　down　in　the　bottom　of　the

boat；　while　a　third　rowed；　and　that　we　were　soon　all　in　boils　and

blisters　and　rags。



The　other　boat　was　a　source　of　such　anxious　interest　to　all　of　us

that　I　used　to　wonder　whether；　if　we　were　saved；　the　time　could　ever

come　when　the　survivors　in　this　boat　of　ours　could　be　at　all

indifferent　to　the　fortunes　of　the　survivors　in　that。　　We　got　out　a

tow…rope　whenever　the　weather　permitted；　but　that　did　not　often

happen；　and　how　we　two　parties　kept　within　the　same　horizon；　as　we

did；　He；　who　mercifully　permitted　it　to　be　so　for　our　consolation；

only　knows。　　I　never　shall　forget　the　looks　with　which；　when　the

morning　light　came；　we　used　to　gaze　about　us　over　the　stormy　waters；

for　the　other　boat。　　We　once　parted　company　for　seventy…two　hours；

and　we　believed　them　to　have　gone　down；　as　they　did　us。　　The　joy　on

both　sides　when　we　came　within　view　of　one　another　again；　had

something　in　a　manner　Divine　in　it；　each　was　so　forgetful　of

individual　suffering；　in　tears　of　delight　and　sympathy　for　the

people　in　the　other　boat。



I　have　been　wanting　to　get　round　to　the　individual　or　personal　part

of　my　subject；　as　I　call　it；　and　the　foregoing　incident　puts　me　in

the　right　way。　　The　patience　and　good　disposition　aboard　of　us；　was

wonderful。　　I　was　not　surprised　by　it　in　the　women；　for　all