memoir of fleeming jenkin-第25章

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cable　is　still　bad。



'May　23。



'We　arrived　in　the　morning　at　the　east　end　of　Candia；　and　had　a　

glorious　scramble　over　the　mountains　which　seem　built　of　adamant。　　

Time　has　worn　away　the　softer　portions　of　the　rock；　only　leaving　

sharp　jagged　edges　of　steel。　　Sea　eagles　soaring　above　our　heads；　

old　tanks；　ruins；　and　desolation　at　our　feet。　　The　ancient　Arsinoe　

stood　here；　a　few　blocks　of　marble　with　the　cross　attest　the　

presence　of　Venetian　Christians；　but　now　…　the　desolation　of　

desolations。　　Mr。　Liddell　and　I　separated　from　the　rest；　and　when　

we　had　found　a　sure　bay　for　the　cable；　had　a　tremendous　lively　

scramble　back　to　the　boat。　　These　are　the　bits　of　our　life　which　I　

enjoy；　which　have　some　poetry；　some　grandeur　in　them。



'May　29　（？）。



'Yesterday　we　ran　round　to　the　new　harbour　＇of　Alexandria＇；　landed　

the　shore　end　of　the　cable　close　to　Cleopatra's　bath；　and　made　a　

very　satisfactory　start　about　one　in　the　afternoon。　　We　had　

scarcely　gone　200　yards　when　I　noticed　that　the　cable　ceased　to　run　

out；　and　I　wondered　why　the　ship　had　stopped。　　People　ran　aft　to　

tell　me　not　to　put　such　a　strain　on　the　cable；　I　answered　

indignantly　that　there　was　no　strain；　and　suddenly　it　broke　on　

every　one　in　the　ship　at　once　that　we　were　aground。　　Here　was　a　

nice　mess。　　A　violent　scirocco　blew　from　the　land；　making　one's　

skin　feel　as　if　it　belonged　to　some　one　else　and　didn't　fit；　making　

the　horizon　dim　and　yellow　with　fine　sand；　oppressing　every　sense　

and　raising　the　thermometer　20　degrees　in　an　hour；　but　making　calm　

water　round　us　which　enabled　the　ship　to　lie　for　the　time　in　

safety。　　The　wind　might　change　at　any　moment；　since　the　scirocco　

was　only　accidental；　and　at　the　first　wave　from　seaward　bump　would　

go　the　poor　ship；　and　there　would　＇might＇　be　an　end　of　our　voyage。　　

The　captain；　without　waiting　to　sound；　began　to　make　an　effort　to　

put　the　ship　over　what　was　supposed　to　be　a　sandbank；　but　by　the　

time　soundings　were　made；　this　was　found　to　be　impossible；　and　he　

had　only　been　jamming　the　poor　ELBA　faster　on　a　rock。　　Now　every　

effort　was　made　to　get　her　astern；　an　anchor　taken　out；　a　rope　

brought　to　a　winch　I　had　for　the　cable；　and　the　engines　backed；　but　

all　in　vain。　　A　small　Turkish　Government　steamer；　which　is　to　be　

our　consort；　came　to　our　assistance；　but　of　course　very　slowly；　and　

much　time　was　occupied　before　we　could　get　a　hawser　to　her。　　I　

could　do　no　good　after　having　made　a　chart　of　the　soundings　round　

the　ship；　and　went　at　last　on　to　the　bridge　to　sketch　the　scene。　　

But　at　that　moment　the　strain　from　the　winch　and　a　jerk　from　the　

Turkish　steamer　got　off　the　boat；　after　we　had　been　some　hours　

aground。　　The　carpenter　reported　that　she　had　made　only　two　inches　

of　water　in　one　compartment；　the　cable　was　still　uninjured　astern；　

and　our　spirits　rose；　when；　will　you　believe　it？　after　going　a　

short　distance　astern；　the　pilot　ran　us　once　more　fast　aground　on　

what　seemed　to　me　nearly　the　same　spot。　　The　very　same　scene　was　

gone　through　as　on　the　first　occasion；　and　dark　came　on　whilst　the　

wind　shifted；　and　we　were　still　aground。　　Dinner　was　served　up；　but　

poor　Mr。　Liddell　could　eat　very　little；　and　bump；　bump；　grind；　

grind；　went　the　ship　fifteen　or　sixteen　times　as　we　sat　at　dinner。　　

The　slight　sea；　however；　did　enable　us　to　bump　off。　　This　morning　

we　appear　not　to　have　suffered　in　any　way；　but　a　sea　is　rolling　in；　

which　a　few　hours　ago　would　have　settled　the　poor　old　ELBA。



'June　…。



'The　Alexandria　cable　has　again　failed；　after　paying　out　two…thirds　

of　the　distance　successfully；　an　unlucky　touch　in　deep　water　

snapped　the　line。　　Luckily　the　accident　occurred　in　Mr。　Liddell's　

watch。　　Though　personally　it　may　not　really　concern　me；　the　

accident　weighs　like　a　personal　misfortune。　　Still　I　am　glad　I　was　

present：　　a　failure　is　probably　more　instructive　than　a　success；　

and　this　experience　may　enable　us　to　avoid　misfortune　in　still　

greater　undertakings。



'June　…。



'We　left　Syra　the　morning　after　our　arrival　on　Saturday　the　4th。　　

This　we　did　（first）　because　we　were　in　a　hurry　to　do　something　and　

（second）　because；　coming　from　Alexandria；　we　had　four　days'　

quarantine　to　perform。　　We　were　all　mustered　along　the　side　while　

the　doctor　counted　us；　the　letters　were　popped　into　a　little　tin　

box　and　taken　away　to　be　smoked；　the　guardians　put　on　board　to　see　

that　we　held　no　communication　with　the　shore　…　without　them　we　

should　still　have　had　four　more　days'　quarantine；　and　with　twelve　

Greek　sailors　besides；　we　started　merrily　enough　picking　up　the　

Canea　cable。　。　。　。　To　our　utter　dismay；　the　yarn　covering　began　to　

come　up　quite　decayed；　and　the　cable；　which　when　laid　should　have　

borne　half　a　ton；　was　now　in　danger　of　snapping　with　a　tenth　part　

of　that　strain。　　We　went　as　slow　as　possible　in　fear　of　a　break　at　

every　instant。　　My　watch　was　from　eight　to　twelve　in　the　morning；　

and　during　that　time　we　had　barely　secured　three　miles　of　cable。　　

Once　it　broke　inside　the　ship；　but　I　seized　hold　of　it　in　time　…　

the　weight　being　hardly　anything　…　and　the　line　for　the　nonce　was　

saved。　　Regular　nooses　were　then　planted　inboard　with　men　to　draw　

them　taut；　should　the　cable　break　inboard。　　A…；　who　should　have　

relieved　me；　was　unwell；　so　I　had　to　continue　my　look…out；　and　

about　one　o'clock　the　line　again　parted；　but　was　again　caught　in　

the　last　noose；　with　about　four　inches　to　spare。　　Five　minutes　

afterwards　it　again　parted　and　was　yet　once　more　caught。　　Mr。　

Liddell　（whom　I　had　called）　could　stand　this　no　longer；　so　we　

buoyed　the　line　and　ran　into　a　bay　in　Siphano；　waiting　for　calm　

weather；　though　I　was　by　no　means　of　opinion　that　the　slight　sea　

and　wind　had　been　the　cause　of　our　failures。　…　All　next　day　

（Monday）　we　lay　off　Siphano；　amusing　ourselves　on　shore　with　

fowling　pieces　and　navy　revolvers。　　I　need　not　say　we　killed　

nothing；　and　luckily　we　did　not　wound　any　of　ourselves。　　A　

guardiano　accompanied　us；　his　functions　being　limited　to　preventing　

actual　contact　with　the　natives；　for　they　might　come　as　near　and　

talk　as　much　as　they　pleased。　　These　isles　of　Greece　are　sad；　

interesting　places。　　They　are　not　really　barren　all　over；　but　they　

are　quite　destitute　of　verdure；　and　tufts　of　thyme；　wild　mastic　or　

mint；　though　they　sound　well；　are　not　nearly　so　pretty　as　grass。　　

Many　little　churches；　glittering　white；　dot　the　islands；　most　of　

them；　I　believe；　abandoned　during　the　whole　year　with　the　exception　

of　one　day　sacred　to　their　patron　saint。　　The　villages　are　mean；　

but　the　inhabitants　do　not　look　wretched　and　the　men　are　good　

sailors。　　There　is　something　in　this　Greek　race　yet；　they　will　

become　a　powerful　Levantine　nation　in　the　course　of　time。　…　What　a　

lovely　moonlight　evening　that　was！　the　barren　island　cutting　the　

clear　sky　with　fantastic　outline；　marble　cliffs　on　either　hand　

fairly　gleaming　over　the　calm　sea。　　Next　day；　the　wind　still　

continuing；　I　proposed　a　boating　excursion　and　decoyed　A…；　L…；　and　

S…　into　accompanying　me。　　We　took　the　little　gig；　and　sailed　away　

merrily　enough　round　a　point　to　a　beautiful　white　bay；　flanked　with　

two　glistening　little　churches；　fronted　by　beautiful　distant　

islands；　when　suddenly；　to　my　horror；　I　discovered　the　ELBA　

steaming　full　speed　out　from　the　island。　　Of　course　we　steered　

after　her；　but　the　wind　that　instant　ceased；　and　we　were　left　in　a　

dead　calm。　　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　unship　the　mast；　get　

out　the　oars　and　pull。　　The　ship　was　nearly　certain　to　stop　at　the　

buoy；　and　I　wanted　to　learn　how　to　take　an　oar；　so　here　was　a　

chance　with　a　vengeance！　　L…　steered；　and　we　three　pulled　…　a　

broiling　pull　it　was　about　half　way　across　to　Palikandro　…　still　we　

did　come　in；　pulling　an　uncommon　good　stroke；　and　I　had　learned　to　

hang　on　my　oar。　　L…　had　pressed　me　to　let　him　take　my　place；　but　

though　I　was　very　tired　at　the　end　of　the　first　quarter