the mirror of the sea-第5章

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The　bond　between　us　was　the　ship；　and　therein　a　ship；　though　she



has　female　attributes　and　is　loved　very　unreasonably；　is　different



from　a　woman。　　That　I　should　have　been　tremendously　smitten　with　my



first　command　is　nothing　to　wonder　at；　but　I　suppose　I　must　admit



that　Mr。　B…'s　sentiment　was　of　a　higher　order。　　Each　of　us；　of



course；　was　extremely　anxious　about　the　good　appearance　of　the



beloved　object；　and；　though　I　was　the　one　to　glean　compliments



ashore；　B…　had　the　more　intimate　pride　of　feeling；　resembling　that



of　a　devoted　handmaiden。　　And　that　sort　of　faithful　and　proud



devotion　went　so　far　as　to　make　him　go　about　flicking　the　dust　off



the　varnished　teak…wood　rail　of　the　little　craft　with　a　silk



pocket…handkerchief　…　a　present　from　Mrs。　B…；　I　believe。







That　was　the　effect　of　his　love　for　the　barque。　　The　effect　of　his



admirable　lack　of　the　sense　of　security　once　went　so　far　as　to　make



him　remark　to　me：　　〃Well；　sir；　you　ARE　a　lucky　man！〃







It　was　said　in　a　tone　full　of　significance；　but　not　exactly



offensive；　and　it　was；　I　suppose；　my　innate　tact　that　prevented　my



asking；　〃What　on　earth　do　you　mean　by　that？〃







Later　on　his　meaning　was　illustrated　more　fully　on　a　dark　night　in



a　tight　corner　during　a　dead　on…shore　gale。　　I　had　called　him　up　on



deck　to　help　me　consider　our　extremely　unpleasant　situation。　　There



was　not　much　time　for　deep　thinking；　and　his　summing…up　was：　　〃It



looks　pretty　bad；　whichever　we　try；　but；　then；　sir；　you　always　do



get　out　of　a　mess　somehow。〃















VI。















It　is　difficult　to　disconnect　the　idea　of　ships'　anchors　from　the



idea　of　the　ship's　chief　mate　…　the　man　who　sees　them　go　down　clear



and　come　up　sometimes　foul；　because　not　even　the　most　unremitting



care　can　always　prevent　a　ship；　swinging　to　winds　and　tide；　from



taking　an　awkward　turn　of　the　cable　round　stock　or　fluke。　　Then　the



business　of　〃getting　the　anchor〃　and　securing　it　afterwards　is



unduly　prolonged；　and　made　a　weariness　to　the　chief　mate。　　He　is



the　man　who　watches　the　growth　of　the　cable　…　a　sailor's　phrase



which　has　all　the　force；　precision；　and　imagery　of　technical



language　that；　created　by　simple　men　with　keen　eyes　for　the　real



aspect　of　the　things　they　see　in　their　trade；　achieves　the　just



expression　seizing　upon　the　essential；　which　is　the　ambition　of　the



artist　in　words。　　Therefore　the　sailor　will　never　say；　〃cast



anchor；〃　and　the　ship…master　aft　will　hail　his　chief　mate　on　the



forecastle　in　impressionistic　phrase：　　〃How　does　the　cable　grow？〃



Because　〃grow〃　is　the　right　word　for　the　long　drift　of　a　cable



emerging　aslant　under　the　strain；　taut　as　a　bow…string　above　the



water。　　And　it　is　the　voice　of　the　keeper　of　the　ship's　anchors



that　will　answer：　　〃Grows　right　ahead；　sir；〃　or　〃Broad　on　the　bow；〃



or　whatever　concise　and　deferential　shout　will　fit　the　case。







There　is　no　order　more　noisily　given　or　taken　up　with　lustier



shouts　on　board　a　homeward…bound　merchant　ship　than　the　command；



〃Man　the　windlass！〃　　The　rush　of　expectant　men　out　of　the



forecastle；　the　snatching　of　hand…spikes；　the　tramp　of　feet；　the



clink　of　the　pawls；　make　a　stirring　accompaniment　to　a　plaintive



up…anchor　song　with　a　roaring　chorus；　and　this　burst　of　noisy



activity　from　a　whole　ship's　crew　seems　like　a　voiceful　awakening



of　the　ship　herself；　till　then；　in　the　picturesque　phrase　of　Dutch



seamen；　〃lying　asleep　upon　her　iron。〃







For　a　ship　with　her　sails　furled　on　her　squared　yards；　and



reflected　from　truck　to　water…line　in　the　smooth　gleaming　sheet　of



a　landlocked　harbour；　seems；　indeed；　to　a　seaman's　eye　the　most



perfect　picture　of　slumbering　repose。　　The　getting　of　your　anchor



was　a　noisy　operation　on　board　a　merchant　ship　of　yesterday　…　an



inspiring；　joyous　noise；　as　if；　with　the　emblem　of　hope；　the　ship's



company　expected　to　drag　up　out　of　the　depths；　each　man　all　his



personal　hopes　into　the　reach　of　a　securing　hand　…　the　hope　of



home；　the　hope　of　rest；　of　liberty；　of　dissipation；　of　hard



pleasure；　following　the　hard　endurance　of　many　days　between　sky　and



water。　　And　this　noisiness；　this　exultation　at　the　moment　of　the



ship's　departure；　make　a　tremendous　contrast　to　the　silent　moments



of　her　arrival　in　a　foreign　roadstead　…　the　silent　moments　when；



stripped　of　her　sails；　she　forges　ahead　to　her　chosen　berth；　the



loose　canvas　fluttering　softly　in　the　gear　above　the　heads　of　the



men　standing　still　upon　her　decks；　the　master　gazing　intently



forward　from　the　break　of　the　poop。　　Gradually　she　loses　her　way；



hardly　moving；　with　the　three　figures　on　her　forecastle　waiting



attentively　about　the　cat…head　for　the　last　order　of；　perhaps；　full



ninety　days　at　sea：　　〃Let　go！〃







This　is　the　final　word　of　a　ship's　ended　journey；　the　closing　word



of　her　toil　and　of　her　achievement。　　In　a　life　whose　worth　is　told



out　in　passages　from　port　to　port；　the　splash　of　the　anchor's　fall



and　the　thunderous　rumbling　of　the　chain　are　like　the　closing　of　a



distinct　period；　of　which　she　seems　conscious　with　a　slight　deep



shudder　of　all　her　frame。　　By　so　much　is　she　nearer　to　her



appointed　death；　for　neither　years　nor　voyages　can　go　on　for　ever。



It　is　to　her　like　the　striking　of　a　clock；　and　in　the　pause　which



follows　she　seems　to　take　count　of　the　passing　time。







This　is　the　last　important　order；　the　others　are　mere　routine



directions。　　Once　more　the　master　is　heard：　　〃Give　her　forty…five



fathom　to　the　water's　edge；〃　and　then　he；　too；　is　done　for　a　time。



For　days　he　leaves　all　the　harbour　work　to　his　chief　mate；　the



keeper　of　the　ship's　anchor　and　of　the　ship's　routine。　　For　days



his　voice　will　not　be　heard　raised　about　the　decks；　with　that　curt；



austere　accent　of　the　man　in　charge；　till；　again；　when　the　hatches



are　on；　and　in　a　silent　and　expectant　ship；　he　shall　speak　up　from



aft　in　commanding　tones：　　〃Man　the　windlass！〃















VII。















The　other　year；　looking　through　a　newspaper　of　sound　principles；



but　whose　staff　WILL　persist　in　〃casting〃　anchors　and　going　to　sea



〃on〃　a　ship　（ough！）；　I　came　across　an　article　upon　the　season's



yachting。　　And；　behold！　it　was　a　good　article。　　To　a　man　who　had



but　little　to　do　with　pleasure　sailing　（though　all　sailing　is　a



pleasure）；　and　certainly　nothing　whatever　with　racing　in　open



waters；　the　writer's　strictures　upon　the　handicapping　of　yachts



were　just　intelligible　and　no　more。　　And　I　do　not　pretend　to　any



interest　in　the　enumeration　of　the　great　races　of　that　year。　　As　to



the　52…foot　linear　raters；　praised　so　much　by　the　writer；　I　am



warmed　up　by　his　approval　of　their　performances；　but；　as　far　as　any



clear　conception　goes；　the　descriptive　phrase；　so　precise　to　the



comprehension　of　a　yachtsman；　evokes　no　definite　image　in　my　mind。







The　writer　praises　that　class　of　pleasure　vessels；　and　I　am　willing



to　endorse　his　words；　as　any　man　who　loves　every　craft　afloat　would



be　ready　to　do。　　I　am　disposed　to　admire　and　respect　the　52…foot



linear　raters　on　the　word　of　a　man　who　regrets　in　such　a



sympathetic　and　understanding　spirit　the　threatened　decay　of



yachting　seamanship。







Of　course；　yacht　racing　is　an　organized　pastime；　a　function　of



social　idleness　ministering　to　the　vanity　of　certain　wealthy



inhabitants　of　these　isles　nearly　as　much　as　to　their　inborn　love



of　the　sea。　　But　the　writer　of　the　article　in　question　goes　on　to



point　out；　with　insight　and　justice；　that　for　a　great　number　of



people　（20；000；　I　think　he　says）　it　is　a　means　of　livelihood　…　that



it　is；　in　his　own　words；　an　industry。　　Now；　the　moral　side　of　an



industry；　productive　or　unproductive；　the　redeeming　and　ideal



aspect　of　this　bread…winning；　is　the　attainment　and　preservation　of



the　highest　possible　skil