journal of a voyage to lisbon-第24部分

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doubled　the　Berry…head；　and　were　arrived　off　Dartmouth；　having

gone　full　three　miles　in　as　many　hours；　in　direct　opposition　to

the　tide；　which　only　befriended　us　out　of　our　harbor；　and　though

the　wind　was　perhaps　our　friend；　it　was　so　very　silent；　and

exerted　itself　so　little　in　our　favor；　that；　like　some　cool

partisans；　it　was　difficult　to　say　whether　it　was　with　us　or

against　us。　　The　captain；　however；　declared　the　former　to　be　the

case　during　the　whole　three　hours；　but　at　last　he　perceived　his

error；　or　rather；　perhaps；　this　friend；　which　had　hitherto

wavered　in　choosing　his　side；　became　now　more　determined。　　The

captain　then　suddenly　tacked　about；　and；　asserting　that　he　was

bewitched；　submitted　to　return　to　the　place　from　whence　he　came。

Now；　though　I　am　as　free　from　superstition　as　any　man　breathing；

and　never　did　believe　in　witches；　notwithstanding　all　the

excellent　arguments　of　my　lord　chief…justice　Hale　in　their　favor；

and　long　before　they　were　put　down　by　act　of　parliament；　yet　by

what　power　a　ship　of　burden　should　sail　three　miles　against　both

wind　and　tide；　I　cannot　conceive；　unless　there　was　some

supernatural　interposition　in　the　case；　nay；　could　we　admit　that

the　wind　stood　neuter；　the　difficulty　would　still　remain。　　So

that　we　must　of　necessity　conclude　that　the　ship　was　either

bewinded　or　bewitched。　　The　captain；　perhaps；　had　another

meaning。　　He　imagined　himself；　I　believe；　bewitched；　because　the

wind；　instead　of　persevering　in　its　change　in　his　favor；　for

change　it　certainly　did　that　morning；　should　suddenly　return　to

its　favorite　station；　and　blow　him　back　towards　the　bay。　　But；　if

this　was　his　opinion；　he　soon　saw　cause　to　alter；　for　he　had　not

measured　half　the　way　back　when　the　wind　again　declared　in　his

favor；　and　so　loudly；　that　there　was　no　possibility　of　being

mistaken。　　The　orders　for　the　second　tack　were　given；　and　obeyed

with　much　more　alacrity　than　those　had　been　for　the　first。　　We

were　all　of　us　indeed　in　high　spirits　on　the　occasion；　though

some　of　us　a　little　regretted　the　good　things　we　were　likely　to

leave　behind　us　by　the　fisherman's　neglect；　I　might　give　it　a

worse　name；　for　he　faithfully　promised　to　execute　the　commission；

which　he　had　had　abundant　opportunity　to　do；　but　nautica　fides

deserves　as　much　to　be　proverbial　as　ever　Punica　fides　could

formerly　have　done。　　Nay；　when　we　consider　that　the　Carthaginians

came　from　the　Phenicians　who　are　supposed　to　have　produced　the

first　mariners；　we　may　probably　see　the　true　reason　of　the　adage；

and　it　may　open　a　field　of　very　curious　discoveries　to　the　antiquarian。



We　were；　however；　too　eager　to　pursue　our　voyage　to　suffer

anything　we　left　behind　us　to　interrupt　our　happiness；　which；

indeed；　many　agreeable　circumstances　conspired　to　advance。　　The

weather　was　inexpressibly　pleasant；　and　we　were　all　seated　on　the

deck；　when　our　canvas　began　to　swell　with　the　wind。　　We　had

likewise　in　our　view　above　thirty　other　sail　around　us；　all　in

the　same　situation。　　Here　an　observation　occurred　to　me；　which；

perhaps；　though　extremely　obvious；　did　not　offer　itself　to　every

individual　in　our　little　fleet：　　when　I　perceived　with　what

different　success　we　proceeded　under　the　influence　of　a　superior

power　which；　while　we　lay　almost　idle　ourselves；　pushed　us

forward　on　our　intended　voyage；　and　compared　this　with　the　slow

progress　which　we　had　made　in　the　morning；　of　ourselves；　and

without　any　such　assistance；　I　could　not　help　reflecting　how

often　the　greatest　abilities　lie　wind…bound　as　it　were　in　life；

or；　if　they　venture　out　and　attempt　to　beat　the　seas；　they

struggle　in　vain　against　wind　and　tide；　and；　if　they　have　not

sufficient　prudence　to　put　back；　are　most　probably　cast　away　on

the　rocks　and　quicksands　which　are　every　day　ready　to　devour　them。



It　was　now　our　fortune　to　set　out　melioribus　avibus。　　The　wind

freshened　so　briskly　in　our　poop　that　the　shore　appeared　to　move

from　us　as　fast　as　we　did　from　the　shore。　　The　captain　declared

he　was　sure　of　a　wind；　meaning　its　continuance；　but　he　had

disappointed　us　so　often　that　he　had　lost　all　credit。　　However；

he　kept　his　word　a　little　better　now；　and　we　lost　sight　of　our

native　land　as　joyfully；　at　least；　as　it　is　usual　to　regain　it。



Sunday。The　next　morning　the　captain　told　me　he　thought　himself

thirty　miles　to　the　westward　of　Plymouth；　and　before　evening

declared　that　the　Lizard　Point；　which　is　the　extremity　of

Cornwall；　bore　several　leagues　to　leeward。　　Nothing　remarkable

passed　this　day；　except　the　captain's　devotion；　who；　in　his　own

phrase；　summoned　all　hands　to　prayers；　which　were　read　by　a

common　sailor　upon　deck；　with　more　devout　force　and　address　than

they　are　commonly　read　by　a　country　curate；　and　received　with

more　decency　and　attention　by　the　sailors　than　are　usually

preserved　in　city　congregations。　　I　am　indeed　assured；　that　if

any　such　affected　disregard　of　the　solemn　office　in　which　they

were　engaged；　as　I　have　seen　practiced　by　fine　gentlemen　and

ladies；　expressing　a　kind　of　apprehension　lest　they　should　be

suspected　of　being　really　in　earnest　in　their　devotion；　had　been

shown　here；　they　would　have　contracted　the　contempt　of　the　whole

audience。　　To　say　the　truth；　from　what　I　observed　in　the　behavior

of　the　sailors　in　this　voyage；　and　on　comparing　it　with　what　I

have　formerly　seen　of　them　at　sea　and　on　shore；　I　am　convinced

that　on　land　there　is　nothing　more　idle　and　dissolute；　in　their

own　element　there　are　no　persons　near　the　level　of　their　degree

who　live　in　the　constant　practice　of　half　so　many　good　qualities。



They　are；　for　much　the　greater　part；　perfect　masters　of　their

business；　and　always　extremely　alert；　and　ready　in　executing　it；

without　any　regard　to　fatigue　or　hazard。　　The　soldiers　themselves

are　not　better　disciplined　nor　more　obedient　to　orders　than　these

whilst　aboard；　they　submit　to　every　difficulty　which　attends

their　calling　with　cheerfulness；　and　no　less　virtues　and　patience

and　fortitude　are　exercised　by　them　every　day　of　their　lives。

All　these　good　qualities；　however；　they　always　leave　behind　them

on　shipboard；　the　sailor　out　of　water　is；　indeed；　as　wretched　an

animal　as　the　fish　out　of　water；　for　though　the　former　hath；　in

common　with　amphibious　animals；　the　bare　power　of　existing　on　the

land；　yet　if　he　be　kept　there　any　time　he　never　fails　to　become　a

nuisance。　　The　ship　having　had　a　good　deal　of　motion　since　she

was　last　under　sail；　our　women　returned　to　their　sickness；　and　I

to　my　solitude；　having；　for　twenty…four　hours　together；　scarce

opened　my　lips　to　a　single　person。　　This　circumstance　of　being

shut　up　within　the　circumference　of　a　few　yards；　with　a　score　of

human　creatures；　with　not　one　of　whom　it　was　possible　to

converse；　was　perhaps　so　rare　as　scarce　ever　to　have　happened

before；　nor　could　it　ever　happen　to　one　who　disliked　it　more　than

myself；　or　to　myself　at　a　season　when　I　wanted　more　food　for　my

social　disposition；　or　could　converse　less　wholesomely　and

happily　with　my　own　thoughts。　　To　this　accident；　which　fortune

opened　to　me　in　the　Downs；　was　owing　the　first　serious　thought

which　I　ever　entertained　of　enrolling　myself　among　the

voyage…writers；　some　of　the　most　amusing　pages；　if；　indeed；　there

be　any　which　deserve　that　name；　were　possibly　the　production　of

the　most　disagreeable　hours　which　ever　haunted　the　author。



Monday。At　noon　the　captain　took　an　observation；　by　which　it

appeared　that　Ushant　bore　some　leagues　northward　of　us；　and　that

we　were　just　entering　the　bay　of　Biscay。　　We　had　advanced　a　very

few　miles　in　this　bay　before　we　were　entirely　becalmed：　　we

furled　our　sails；　as　being　of　no　use　to　us　while　we　lay　in　this

most　disagreeable　situation；　more　detested　by　the　sailors　than

the　most　violent　tempest：　　we　were　alarmed　with　the　loss　of　a

fine　piece　of　salt　beef；　which　had　been　hung　in　the　sea　to

freshen　it；　this　being；　it　seems；　the　strange　property　of

salt…water。　　The　thief　was　immediately　suspected；　and　presently

afterwards　taken　by　the　sailors。　　He　was；　indeed；　no　other　than　a

huge　shark；　who；　not　knowing　when　he　was　well　off；　swallowed

another　piece　of　beef；　together　with　a　great　iron　crook　on　which

it　was　hung；　and　by　which　he　was　dragged　into　the　ship。　　I　should

scarce　have　mentioned　the　catching　this　shark；　though　so　exactly

conformable　to　the　rules　and　practice　of　voyage…writing；　had　it

not　been　for　a　strange　circumstance　that　attended　it。　　This　was

the　recovery　of　the　stolen　beef　out　of　the　shark's　maw；　where　it

lay　unchewed　and　undigested；　and　whence；　being　conveyed　into　the

pot；　the　flesh；　and　the　thief　that　had　stolen　it；　joined　together

in　furnishing　　variety　to　the　ship's　crew。



During　this　calm　we　likewise　found　the　mast　of　a　large　vessel；

which　the　captain　thought　had　lain　at　least　three　years　in　the

sea。　　It　was　stuck　all　over　with　a　little　shell…fish　or　reptile；

called　a　barnacle；　　and　which　probably　are　the　prey　of　the

rockfish；　as　our　captain　calls　it；　asserting　that　it　is　the

finest　fish　in　the　world；　for　which　we　are　obliged　to　confide

entirely　to　his　taste；　for；　though　he　struck　the　fish　with　a　kind

of　harping…iron；　and　wounded　him；　I　am　convinced；　to　death；　yet

he　could　not　possess　himself　of　his　body；　but　the　poor　wretch

escaped　to　linger　out　a　few　hours　with　probably　great　torments。



In　the　evening　our　wind　returned；　and　so　briskly；　that　we　ran

upwards　of　twenty　leagues　before　the　next　day's　＇Tuesday's＇

observation；　which　brought　us　to　lat。　47　degrees　42'。　　The

captain　promised　us　a　very　speedy　passage　through　the　bay；　but　he

deceived　us；　or　the　wind　deceived　him；　for　it　so　slackened　at

sunset；　that　it　scarce　carried　us　a　mile　in　an　hour　during　the

whole　succeeding　night。



Wednesday。A　gale　struck　up　a　little　after　sunrising；　which

carried　us　between　three　and　four　knots　or　miles　an　hour。　　We

were　this　day　at　noon　about　the　middle　of　the　bay　of　Biscay；　when

the