the mirror of the sea-第2章

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abiding　thought　of　a　whole　year　of　more　or　less　hard　life　before



one；　because　there　was　hardly　a　southern…going　voyage　in　the



yesterday　of　the　sea　which　meant　anything　less　than　a　twelvemonth。



Yes；　it　needed　a　few　days　after　the　taking　of　your　departure　for　a



ship's　company　to　shake　down　into　their　places；　and　for　the



soothing　deep…water　ship　routine　to　establish　its　beneficent　sway。







It　is　a　great　doctor　for　sore　hearts　and　sore　heads；　too；　your



ship's　routine；　which　I　have　seen　soothe　…　at　least　for　a　time　…



the　most　turbulent　of　spirits。　　There　is　health　in　it；　and　peace；



and　satisfaction　of　the　accomplished　round；　for　each　day　of　the



ship's　life　seems　to　close　a　circle　within　the　wide　ring　of　the　sea



horizon。　　It　borrows　a　certain　dignity　of　sameness　from　the



majestic　monotony　of　the　sea。　　He　who　loves　the　sea　loves　also　the



ship's　routine。







Nowhere　else　than　upon　the　sea　do　the　days；　weeks　and　months　fall



away　quicker　into　the　past。　　They　seem　to　be　left　astern　as　easily



as　the　light　air…bubbles　in　the　swirls　of　the　ship's　wake；　and



vanish　into　a　great　silence　in　which　your　ship　moves　on　with　a　sort



of　magical　effect。　　They　pass　away；　the　days；　the　weeks；　the



months。　　Nothing　but　a　gale　can　disturb　the　orderly　life　of　the



ship；　and　the　spell　of　unshaken　monotony　that　seems　to　have　fallen



upon　the　very　voices　of　her　men　is　broken　only　by　the　near　prospect



of　a　Landfall。







Then　is　the　spirit　of　the　ship's　commander　stirred　strongly　again。



But　it　is　not　moved　to　seek　seclusion；　and　to　remain；　hidden　and



inert；　shut　up　in　a　small　cabin　with　the　solace　of　a　good　bodily



appetite。　　When　about　to　make　the　land；　the　spirit　of　the　ship's



commander　is　tormented　by　an　unconquerable　restlessness。　　It　seems



unable　to　abide　for　many　seconds　together　in　the　holy　of　holies　of



the　captain's　state…room；　it　will　out　on　deck　and　gaze　ahead；



through　straining　eyes；　as　the　appointed　moment　comes　nearer。　　It



is　kept　vigorously　upon　the　stretch　of　excessive　vigilance。



Meantime　the　body　of　the　ship's　commander　is　being　enfeebled　by



want　of　appetite；　at　least；　such　is　my　experience；　though



〃enfeebled〃　is　perhaps　not　exactly　the　word。　　I　might　say；　rather；



that　it　is　spiritualized　by　a　disregard　for　food；　sleep；　and　all



the　ordinary　comforts；　such　as　they　are；　of　sea　life。　　In　one　or



two　cases　I　have　known　that　detachment　from　the　grosser　needs　of



existence　remain　regrettably　incomplete　in　the　matter　of　drink。







But　these　two　cases　were；　properly　speaking；　pathological　cases；



and　the　only　two　in　all　my　sea　experience。　　In　one　of　these　two



instances　of　a　craving　for　stimulants；　developed　from　sheer



anxiety；　I　cannot　assert　that　the　man's　seaman…like　qualities　were



impaired　in　the　least。　　It　was　a　very　anxious　case；　too；　the　land



being　made　suddenly；　close…to；　on　a　wrong　bearing；　in　thick



weather；　and　during　a　fresh　onshore　gale。　　Going　below　to　speak　to



him　soon　after；　I　was　unlucky　enough　to　catch　my　captain　in　the



very　act　of　hasty　cork…drawing。　　The　sight；　I　may　say；　gave　me　an



awful　scare。　　I　was　well　aware　of　the　morbidly　sensitive　nature　of



the　man。　　Fortunately；　I　managed　to　draw　back　unseen；　and；　taking



care　to　stamp　heavily　with　my　sea…boots　at　the　foot　of　the　cabin



stairs；　I　made　my　second　entry。　　But　for　this　unexpected　glimpse；



no　act　of　his　during　the　next　twenty…four　hours　could　have　given　me



the　slightest　suspicion　that　all　was　not　well　with　his　nerve。















III。















Quite　another　case；　and　having　nothing　to　do　with　drink；　was　that



of　poor　Captain　B…。　　He　used　to　suffer　from　sick　headaches；　in　his



young　days；　every　time　he　was　approaching　a　coast。　　Well　over　fifty



years　of　age　when　I　knew　him；　short；　stout；　dignified；　perhaps　a



little　pompous；　he　was　a　man　of　a　singularly　well…informed　mind；



the　least　sailor…like　in　outward　aspect；　but　certainly　one　of　the



best　seamen　whom　it　has　been　my　good　luck　to　serve　under。　　He　was　a



Plymouth　man；　I　think；　the　son　of　a　country　doctor；　and　both　his



elder　boys　were　studying　medicine。　　He　commanded　a　big　London　ship；



fairly　well　known　in　her　day。　　I　thought　no　end　of　him；　and　that　is



why　I　remember　with　a　peculiar　satisfaction　the　last　words　he　spoke



to　me　on　board　his　ship　after　an　eighteen　months'　voyage。　　It　was



in　the　dock　in　Dundee；　where　we　had　brought　a　full　cargo　of　jute



from　Calcutta。　　We　had　been　paid　off　that　morning；　and　I　had　come



on　board　to　take　my　sea…chest　away　and　to　say　good…bye。　　In　his



slightly　lofty　but　courteous　way　he　inquired　what　were　my　plans。　　I



replied　that　I　intended　leaving　for　London　by　the　afternoon　train；



and　thought　of　going　up　for　examination　to　get　my　master's



certificate。　　I　had　just　enough　service　for　that。　　He　commended　me



for　not　wasting　my　time；　with　such　an　evident　interest　in　my　case



that　I　was　quite　surprised；　then；　rising　from　his　chair；　he　said：







〃Have　you　a　ship　in　view　after　you　have　passed？〃







I　answered　that　I　had　nothing　whatever　in　view。







He　shook　hands　with　me；　and　pronounced　the　memorable　words：







〃If　you　happen　to　be　in　want　of　employment；　remember　that　as　long



as　I　have　a　ship　you　have　a　ship；　too。〃







In　the　way　of　compliment　there　is　nothing　to　beat　this　from　a



ship's　captain　to　his　second　mate　at　the　end　of　a　voyage；　when　the



work　is　over　and　the　subordinate　is　done　with。　　And　there　is　a



pathos　in　that　memory；　for　the　poor　fellow　never　went　to　sea　again



after　all。　　He　was　already　ailing　when　we　passed　St。　Helena；　was



laid　up　for　a　time　when　we　were　off　the　Western　Islands；　but　got



out　of　bed　to　make　his　Landfall。　　He　managed　to　keep　up　on　deck　as



far　as　the　Downs；　where；　giving　his　orders　in　an　exhausted　voice；



he　anchored　for　a　few　hours　to　send　a　wire　to　his　wife　and　take



aboard　a　North　Sea　pilot　to　help　him　sail　the　ship　up　the　east



coast。　　He　had　not　felt　equal　to　the　task　by　himself；　for　it　is　the



sort　of　thing　that　keeps　a　deep…water　man　on　his　feet　pretty　well



night　and　day。







When　we　arrived　in　Dundee；　Mrs。　B…　was　already　there；　waiting　to



take　him　home。　　We　travelled　up　to　London　by　the　same　train；　but　by



the　time　I　had　managed　to　get　through　with　my　examination　the　ship



had　sailed　on　her　next　voyage　without　him；　and；　instead　of　joining



her　again；　I　went　by　request　to　see　my　old　commander　in　his　home。



This　is　the　only　one　of　my　captains　I　have　ever　visited　in　that



way。　　He　was　out　of　bed　by　then；　〃quite　convalescent；〃　as　he



declared；　making　a　few　tottering　steps　to　meet　me　at　the　sitting…



room　door。　　Evidently　he　was　reluctant　to　take　his　final　cross…



bearings　of　this　earth　for　a　Departure　on　the　only　voyage　to　an



unknown　destination　a　sailor　ever　undertakes。　　And　it　was　all　very



nice　…　the　large；　sunny　room；　his　deep；　easy…chair　in　a　bow　window；



with　pillows　and　a　footstool；　the　quiet；　watchful　care　of　the



elderly；　gentle　woman　who　had　borne　him　five　children；　and　had　not；



perhaps；　lived　with　him　more　than　five　full　years　out　of　the　thirty



or　so　of　their　married　life。　　There　was　also　another　woman　there　in



a　plain　black　dress；　quite　gray…haired；　sitting　very　erect　on　her



chair　with　some　sewing；　from　which　she　snatched　side…glances　in　his



direction；　and　uttering　not　a　single　word　during　all　the　time　of　my



call。　　Even　when；　in　due　course；　I　carried　over　to　her　a　cup　of



tea；　she　only　nodded　at　me　silently；　with　the　faintest　ghost　of　a



smile　on　her　tight…set　lips。　　I　imagine　she　must　have　been　a　maiden



sister　of　Mrs。　B…　come　to　help　nurse　her　brother…in…law。　　His



youngest　boy；　a　late…comer；　a　great　cricketer　it　seemed；　twelve



years　old　or　thereabouts；　chattered　enthusiastically　of　the



exploits　of　W。　G。　Grace。　　And　I　remember　his　eldest　son；　too；　a



newly…fledged　doctor；　who　took　me　ou