the mirror of the sea-第20章

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



horizon；　a　mysterious　veiling　of　the　shores　with　clouds　that　seem



to　make　a　low…vaulted　dungeon　around　the　running　ship。　　It　is　not



blindness；　it　is　a　shortening　of　the　sight。　　The　West　Wind　does　not



say　to　the　seaman；　〃You　shall　be　blind〃；　it　restricts　merely　the



range　of　his　vision　and　raises　the　dread　of　land　within　his　breast。



It　makes　of　him　a　man　robbed　of　half　his　force；　of　half　his



efficiency。　　Many　times　in　my　life；　standing　in　long　sea…boots　and



streaming　oilskins　at　the　elbow　of　my　commander　on　the　poop　of　a



homeward…bound　ship　making　for　the　Channel；　and　gazing　ahead　into



the　gray　and　tormented　waste；　I　have　heard　a　weary　sigh　shape



itself　into　a　studiously　casual　comment：







〃Can't　see　very　far　in　this　weather。〃







And　have　made　answer　in　the　same　low；　perfunctory　tone







〃No；　sir。〃







It　would　be　merely　the　instinctive　voicing　of　an　ever…present



thought　associated　closely　with　the　consciousness　of　the　land



somewhere　ahead　and　of　the　great　speed　of　the　ship。　　Fair　wind；



fair　wind！　　Who　would　dare　to　grumble　at　a　fair　wind？　　It　was　a



favour　of　the　Western　King；　who　rules　masterfully　the　North



Atlantic　from　the　latitude　of　the　Azores　to　the　latitude　of　Cape



Farewell。　　A　famous　shove　this　to　end　a　good　passage　with；　and　yet；



somehow；　one　could　not　muster　upon　one's　lips　the　smile　of　a



courtier's　gratitude。　　This　favour　was　dispensed　to　you　from　under



an　overbearing　scowl；　which　is　the　true　expression　of　the　great



autocrat　when　he　has　made　up　his　mind　to　give　a　battering　to　some



ships　and　to　hunt　certain　others　home　in　one　breath　of　cruelty　and



benevolence；　equally　distracting。







〃No；　sir。　　Can't　see　very　far。〃







Thus　would　the　mate's　voice　repeat　the　thought　of　the　master；　both



gazing　ahead；　while　under　their　feet　the　ship　rushes　at　some　twelve



knots　in　the　direction　of　the　lee　shore；　and　only　a　couple　of　miles



in　front　of　her　swinging　and　dripping　jib…boom；　carried　naked　with



an　upward　slant　like　a　spear；　a　gray　horizon　closes　the　view　with　a



multitude　of　waves　surging　upwards　violently　as　if　to　strike　at　the



stooping　clouds。







Awful　and　threatening　scowls　darken　the　face　of　the　West　Wind　in



his　clouded；　south…west　mood；　and　from　the　King's　throne…hall　in



the　western　board　stronger　gusts　reach　you；　like　the　fierce　shouts



of　raving　fury　to　which　only　the　gloomy　grandeur　of　the　scene



imparts　a　saving　dignity。　　A　shower　pelts　the　deck　and　the　sails　of



the　ship　as　if　flung　with　a　scream　by　an　angry　hand；　and　when　the



night　closes　in；　the　night　of　a　south…westerly　gale；　it　seems　more



hopeless　than　the　shade　of　Hades。　　The　south…westerly　mood　of　the



great　West　Wind　is　a　lightless　mood；　without　sun；　moon；　or　stars；



with　no　gleam　of　light　but　the　phosphorescent　flashes　of　the　great



sheets　of　foam　that；　boiling　up　on　each　side　of　the　ship；　fling



bluish　gleams　upon　her　dark　and　narrow　hull；　rolling　as　she　runs；



chased　by　enormous　seas；　distracted　in　the　tumult。







There　are　some　bad　nights　in　the　kingdom　of　the　West　Wind　for



homeward…bound　ships　making　for　the　Channel；　and　the　days　of　wrath



dawn　upon　them　colourless　and　vague　like　the　timid　turning　up　of



invisible　lights　upon　the　scene　of　a　tyrannical　and　passionate



outbreak；　awful　in　the　monotony　of　its　method　and　the　increasing



strength　of　its　violence。　　It　is　the　same　wind；　the　same　clouds；



the　same　wildly　racing　seas；　the　same　thick　horizon　around　the



ship。　　Only　the　wind　is　stronger；　the　clouds　seem　denser　and　more



overwhelming；　the　waves　appear　to　have　grown　bigger　and　more



threatening　during　the　night。　　The　hours；　whose　minutes　are　marked



by　the　crash　of　the　breaking　seas；　slip　by　with　the　screaming；



pelting　squalls　overtaking　the　ship　as　she　runs　on　and　on　with



darkened　canvas；　with　streaming　spars　and　dripping　ropes。　　The



down…pours　thicken。　　Preceding　each　shower　a　mysterious　gloom；　like



the　passage　of　a　shadow　above　the　firmament　of　gray　clouds；　filters



down　upon　the　ship。　　Now　and　then　the　rain　pours　upon　your　head　in



streams　as　if　from　spouts。　　It　seems　as　if　your　ship　were　going　to



be　drowned　before　she　sank；　as　if　all　atmosphere　had　turned　to



water。　　You　gasp；　you　splutter；　you　are　blinded　and　deafened；　you



are　submerged；　obliterated；　dissolved；　annihilated；　streaming　all



over　as　if　your　limbs；　too；　had　turned　to　water。　　And　every　nerve



on　the　alert　you　watch　for　the　clearing…up　mood　of　the　Western



King；　that　shall　come　with　a　shift　of　wind　as　likely　as　not　to　whip



all　the　three　masts　out　of　your　ship　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye。















XXVII。















Heralded　by　the　increasing　fierceness　of　the　squalls；　sometimes　by



a　faint　flash　of　lightning　like　the　signal　of　a　lighted　torch　waved



far　away　behind　the　clouds；　the　shift　of　wind　comes　at　last；　the



crucial　moment　of　the　change　from　the　brooding　and　veiled　violence



of　the　south…west　gale　to　the　sparkling；　flashing；　cutting；　clear…



eyed　anger　of　the　King's　north…westerly　mood。　　You　behold　another



phase　of　his　passion；　a　fury　bejewelled　with　stars；　mayhap　bearing



the　crescent　of　the　moon　on　its　brow；　shaking　the　last　vestiges　of



its　torn　cloud…mantle　in　inky…black　squalls；　with　hail　and　sleet



descending　like　showers　of　crystals　and　pearls；　bounding　off　the



spars；　drumming　on　the　sails；　pattering　on　the　oilskin　coats；



whitening　the　decks　of　homeward…bound　ships。　　Faint；　ruddy　flashes



of　lightning　flicker　in　the　starlight　upon　her　mastheads。　　A　chilly



blast　hums　in　the　taut　rigging；　causing　the　ship　to　tremble　to　her



very　keel；　and　the　soaked　men　on　her　decks　to　shiver　in　their　wet



clothes　to　the　very　marrow　of　their　bones。　　Before　one　squall　has



flown　over　to　sink　in　the　eastern　board；　the　edge　of　another　peeps



up　already　above　the　western　horizon；　racing　up　swift；　shapeless；



like　a　black　bag　full　of　frozen　water　ready　to　burst　over　your



devoted　head。　　The　temper　of　the　ruler　of　the　ocean　has　changed。



Each　gust　of　the　clouded　mood　that　seemed　warmed　by　the　heat　of　a



heart　flaming　with　anger　has　its　counterpart　in　the　chilly　blasts



that　seem　blown　from　a　breast　turned　to　ice　with　a　sudden　revulsion



of　feeling。　　Instead　of　blinding　your　eyes　and　crushing　your　soul



with　a　terrible　apparatus　of　cloud　and　mists　and　seas　and　rain；　the



King　of　the　West　turns　his　power　to　contemptuous　pelting　of　your



back　with　icicles；　to　making　your　weary　eyes　water　as　if　in　grief；



and　your　worn…out　carcass　quake　pitifully。　　But　each　mood　of　the



great　autocrat　has　its　own　greatness；　and　each　is　hard　to　bear。



Only　the　north…west　phase　of　that　mighty　display　is　not



demoralizing　to　the　same　extent；　because　between　the　hail　and　sleet



squalls　of　a　north…westerly　gale　one　can　see　a　long　way　ahead。







To　see！　to　see！　…　this　is　the　craving　of　the　sailor；　as　of　the　rest



of　blind　humanity。　　To　have　his　path　made　clear　for　him　is　the



aspiration　of　every　human　being　in　our　beclouded　and　tempestuous



existence。　　I　have　heard　a　reserved；　silent　man；　with　no　nerves　to



speak　of；　after　three　days　of　hard　running　in　thick　south…westerly



weather；　burst　out　passionately：　　〃I　wish　to　God　we　could　get　sight



of　something！〃







We　had　just　gone　down　below　for　a　moment　to　commune　in　a　battened…



down　cabin；　with　a　large　white　chart　lying　limp　and　damp　upon　a



cold　and　clammy　table　under　the　light　of　a　smoky　lamp。　　Sprawling



over　that　seaman's　silent　and　trusted　adviser；　with　one　elbow　upon



the　coast　of　Africa　and　the　other　planted　in　the　neighbourhood　of



Cape　Hatteras　（it　was　a　general　track…chart　of　the　North　Atlantic）；



my　skipper　lifted　his　rugged；　hairy　face；　and　glared　at　me　in　a



half…exasperated；　half…appealing　way。　　We　have　seen　no　sun；　moon；



or　stars　for