the mirror of the sea-第19章

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There　is　infinite　variety　in　the　gales　of　wind　at　sea；　and　except



for　the　peculiar；　terrible；　and　mysterious　moaning　that　may　be



heard　sometimes　passing　through　the　roar　of　a　hurricane　…　except



for　that　unforgettable　sound；　as　if　the　soul　of　the　universe　had



been　goaded　into　a　mournful　groan　…　it　is；　after　all；　the　human



voice　that　stamps　the　mark　of　human　consciousness　upon　the



character　of　a　gale。















XXV。















There　is　no　part　of　the　world　of　coasts；　continents；　oceans；　seas；



straits；　capes；　and　islands　which　is　not　under　the　sway　of　a



reigning　wind；　the　sovereign　of　its　typical　weather。　　The　wind



rules　the　aspects　of　the　sky　and　the　action　of　the　sea。　　But　no



wind　rules　unchallenged　his　realm　of　land　and　water。　　As　with　the



kingdoms　of　the　earth；　there　are　regions　more　turbulent　than



others。　　In　the　middle　belt　of　the　earth　the　Trade　Winds　reign



supreme；　undisputed；　like　monarchs　of　long…settled　kingdoms；　whose



traditional　power；　checking　all　undue　ambitions；　is　not　so　much　an



exercise　of　personal　might　as　the　working　of　long…established



institutions。　　The　intertropical　kingdoms　of　the　Trade　Winds　are



favourable　to　the　ordinary　life　of　a　merchantman。　　The　trumpet…call



of　strife　is　seldom　borne　on　their　wings　to　the　watchful　ears　of



men　on　the　decks　of　ships。　　The　regions　ruled　by　the　north…east　and



south…east　Trade　Winds　are　serene。　　In　a　southern…going　ship；　bound



out　for　a　long　voyage；　the　passage　through　their　dominions　is



characterized　by　a　relaxation　of　strain　and　vigilance　on　the　part



of　the　seamen。　　Those　citizens　of　the　ocean　feel　sheltered　under



the　aegis　of　an　uncontested　law；　of　an　undisputed　dynasty。　　There；



indeed；　if　anywhere　on　earth；　the　weather　may　be　trusted。







Yet　not　too　implicitly。　　Even　in　the　constitutional　realm　of　Trade



Winds；　north　and　south　of　the　equator；　ships　are　overtaken　by



strange　disturbances。　　Still；　the　easterly　winds；　and；　generally



speaking；　the　easterly　weather　all　the　world　over；　is　characterized



by　regularity　and　persistence。







As　a　ruler；　the　East　Wind　has　a　remarkable　stability；　as　an　invader



of　the　high　latitudes　lying　under　the　tumultuous　sway　of　his　great



brother；　the　Wind　of　the　West；　he　is　extremely　difficult　to



dislodge；　by　the　reason　of　his　cold　craftiness　and　profound



duplicity。







The　narrow　seas　around　these　isles；　where　British　admirals　keep



watch　and　ward　upon　the　marches　of　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　are　subject



to　the　turbulent　sway　of　the　West　Wind。　　Call　it　north…west　or



south…west；　it　is　all　one　…　a　different　phase　of　the　same



character；　a　changed　expression　on　the　same　face。　　In　the



orientation　of　the　winds　that　rule　the　seas；　the　north　and　south



directions　are　of　no　importance。　　There　are　no　North　and　South



Winds　of　any　account　upon　this　earth。　　The　North　and　South　Winds



are　but　small　princes　in　the　dynasties　that　make　peace　and　war　upon



the　sea。　　They　never　assert　themselves　upon　a　vast　stage。　　They



depend　upon　local　causes　…　the　configuration　of　coasts；　the　shapes



of　straits；　the　accidents　of　bold　promontories　round　which　they



play　their　little　part。　　In　the　polity　of　winds；　as　amongst　the



tribes　of　the　earth；　the　real　struggle　lies　between　East　and　West。















XXVI。















The　West　Wind　reigns　over　the　seas　surrounding　the　coasts　of　these



kingdoms；　and　from　the　gateways　of　the　channels；　from　promontories



as　if　from　watch…towers；　from　estuaries　of　rivers　as　if　from



postern　gates；　from　passage…ways；　inlets；　straits；　firths；　the



garrison　of　the　Isle　and　the　crews　of　the　ships　going　and　returning



look　to　the　westward　to　judge　by　the　varied　splendours　of　his



sunset　mantle　the　mood　of　that　arbitrary　ruler。　　The　end　of　the　day



is　the　time　to　gaze　at　the　kingly　face　of　the　Westerly　Weather；　who



is　the　arbiter　of　ships'　destinies。　　Benignant　and　splendid；　or



splendid　and　sinister；　the　western　sky　reflects　the　hidden　purposes



of　the　royal　mind。　　Clothed　in　a　mantle　of　dazzling　gold　or　draped



in　rags　of　black　clouds　like　a　beggar；　the　might　of　the　Westerly



Wind　sits　enthroned　upon　the　western　horizon　with　the　whole　North



Atlantic　as　a　footstool　for　his　feet　and　the　first　twinkling　stars



making　a　diadem　for　his　brow。　　Then　the　seamen；　attentive　courtiers



of　the　weather；　think　of　regulating　the　conduct　of　their　ships　by



the　mood　of　the　master。　　The　West　Wind　is　too　great　a　king　to　be　a



dissembler：　　he　is　no　calculator　plotting　deep　schemes　in　a　sombre



heart；　he　is　too　strong　for　small　artifices；　there　is　passion　in



all　his　moods；　even　in　the　soft　mood　of　his　serene　days；　in　the



grace　of　his　blue　sky　whose　immense　and　unfathomable　tenderness



reflected　in　the　mirror　of　the　sea　embraces；　possesses；　lulls　to



sleep　the　ships　with　white　sails。　　He　is　all　things　to　all　oceans；



he　is　like　a　poet　seated　upon　a　throne　…　magnificent；　simple；



barbarous；　pensive；　generous；　impulsive；　changeable；　unfathomable　…



but　when　you　understand　him；　always　the　same。　　Some　of　his　sunsets



are　like　pageants　devised　for　the　delight　of　the　multitude；　when



all　the　gems　of　the　royal　treasure…house　are　displayed　above　the



sea。　　Others　are　like　the　opening　of　his　royal　confidence；　tinged



with　thoughts　of　sadness　and　compassion　in　a　melancholy　splendour



meditating　upon　the　short…lived　peace　of　the　waters。　　And　I　have



seen　him　put　the　pent…up　anger　of　his　heart　into　the　aspect　of　the



inaccessible　sun；　and　cause　it　to　glare　fiercely　like　the　eye　of　an



implacable　autocrat　out　of　a　pale　and　frightened　sky。







He　is　the　war…lord　who　sends　his　battalions　of　Atlantic　rollers　to



the　assault　of　our　seaboard。　　The　compelling　voice　of　the　West　Wind



musters　up　to　his　service　all　the　might　of　the　ocean。　　At　the



bidding　of　the　West　Wind　there　arises　a　great　commotion　in　the　sky



above　these　Islands；　and　a　great　rush　of　waters　falls　upon　our



shores。　　The　sky　of　the　westerly　weather　is　full　of　flying　clouds；



of　great　big　white　clouds　coming　thicker　and　thicker　till　they　seem



to　stand　welded　into　a　solid　canopy；　upon　whose　gray　face　the　lower



wrack　of　the　gale；　thin；　black　and　angry…looking；　flies　past　with



vertiginous　speed。　　Denser　and　denser　grows　this　dome　of　vapours；



descending　lower　and　lower　upon　the　sea；　narrowing　the　horizon



around　the　ship。　　And　the　characteristic　aspect　of　westerly



weather；　the　thick；　gray；　smoky　and　sinister　tone　sets　in；



circumscribing　the　view　of　the　men；　drenching　their　bodies；



oppressing　their　souls；　taking　their　breath　away　with　booming



gusts；　deafening；　blinding；　driving；　rushing　them　onwards　in　a



swaying　ship　towards　our　coasts　lost　in　mists　and　rain。







The　caprice　of　the　winds；　like　the　wilfulness　of　men；　is　fraught



with　the　disastrous　consequences　of　self…indulgence。　　Long　anger；



the　sense　of　his　uncontrolled　power；　spoils　the　frank　and　generous



nature　of　the　West　Wind。　　It　is　as　if　his　heart　were　corrupted　by　a



malevolent　and　brooding　rancour。　　He　devastates　his　own　kingdom　in



the　wantonness　of　his　force。　　South…west　is　the　quarter　of　the



heavens　where　he　presents　his　darkened　brow。　　He　breathes　his　rage



in　terrific　squalls；　and　overwhelms　his　realm　with　an　inexhaustible



welter　of　clouds。　　He　strews　the　seeds　of　anxiety　upon　the　decks　of



scudding　ships；　makes　the　foam…stripped　ocean　look　old；　and



sprinkles　with　gray　hairs　the　heads　of　ship…masters　in　the



homeward…bound　ships　running　for　the　Channel。　　The　Westerly　Wind



asserting　his　sway　from　the　south…west　quarter　is　often　like　a



monarch　gone　mad；　driving　forth　with　wild　imprecations　the　most



faithful　of　his　courtiers　to　shipwreck；　disaster；　and　death。







The　south…westerly　weather　is　the　thick　weather　PAR　EXCELLENCE。　　It



is　not　the　thickness　of　the　fog；　it　is　rather　a　contraction　o