letters from the cape-第2部分

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ok　and　servants。　Of　course；　I　get　all　I　want　in　double…quick　time；　as　I　try　to　save　my　man　trouble；　and　the　carpenter　leaves　my　scuttle　open　when　no　one　else　gets　it；　quite　willing　to　get　up　in　his　time　of　sleep　to　close　it；　if　it　comes　on　to　blow。　　A　maid　is　really　a　superfluity　on　board　ship；　as　the　men　rather　like　being　'AUX　PETITS　SOINS'。　The　boatswain　came　the　other　day　to　say　that　he　had　a　nice　carpet　and　a　good　pillow；　did　I　want　anything　of　the　sort？　　He　would　be　proud　that　I　should　use　anything　of　his。　　You　would　delight　in　Avery；　my　cuddy　man；　who　is　as　quick　as　'greased　lightning'；　and　full　of　fun。　　His　misery　is　my　want　of　appetite；　and　his　efforts　to　cram　me　are　very　droll。　　The　days　seem　to　slip　away；　one　can't　tell　how。　　I　sit　on　deck　from　breakfast　at　nine；　till　dinner　at　four；　and　then　again　till　it　gets　cold；　and　then　to　bed。　　We　are　now　about　100　miles　from　Madeira；　and　shall　have　to　run　inside　it；　as　we　were　thrown　so　far　out　of　our　course　by　the　foul　weather。

9th　Aug。　…　Becalmed；　under　a　vertical　sun。　　Lat。　17　degrees；　or　thereabouts。　　We　saw　Madeira　at　a　distance　like　a　cloud；　since　then；　we　had　about　four　days　trade　wind；　and　then　failing　or　contrary　breezes。　　We　have　sailed　so　near　the　African　shore　that　we　get　little　good　out　of　the　trades；　and　suffer　much　from　the　African　climate。　　Fancy　a　sky　like　a　pale　February　sky　in　London；　no　sun　to　be　seen；　and　a　heat　coming；　one　can't　tell　from　whence。　　To…day；　the　sun　is　vertical　and　invisible；　the　sea　glassy　and　heaving。　　I　have　been　ill　again；　and　obliged　to　lie　still　yesterday　and　the　day　before　in　the　captain's　cabin；　to…day　in　my　own；　as　we　have　the　ports　open；　and　the　maindeck　is　cooler　than　the　upper。　　The　men　have　just　been　holystoning　here；　singing　away　lustily　in　chorus。　Last　night　I　got　leave　to　sling　my　cot　under　the　main　hatchway；　as　my　cabin　must　have　killed　me　from　suffocation　when　shut　up。　　Most　of　the　men　stayed　on　deck；　but　that　is　dangerous　after　sunset　on　this　African　coast；　on　account　of　the　heavy　dew　and　fever。　　They　tell　me　that　the　open　sea　is　quite　different；　certainly；　nothing　can　look　duller　and　dimmer　than　this　specimen　of　the　tropics。　　The　few　days　of　trade　wind　were　beautiful　and　cold；　with　sparkling　sea；　and　fresh　air　and　bright　sun；　and　we　galloped　along　merrily。

We　are　now　close　to　the　Cape　de　Verd　Islands；　and　shall　go　inside　them。　　About　lat。　4　degrees　N。　we　expect　to　catch　the　S。E。　trade　wind；　when　it　will　be　cold　again。　　In　lat。　24　degrees；　the　day　before　we　entered　the　tropics；　I　sat　on　deck　in　a　coat　and　cloak；　the　heat　is　quite　sudden；　and　only　lasts　a　week　or　so。　　The　sea　to…　day　is　littered　all　round　the　ship　with　our　floating　rubbish；　so　we　have　not　moved　at　all。

I　constantly　long　for　you　to　be　here；　though　I　am　not　sure　you　would　like　the　life　as　well　as　I　do。　　All　your　ideas　of　it　are　wrong；　the　confinement　to　the　poop　and　the　stringent　regulations　would　bore　you。　　But　then；　sitting　on　deck　in　fine　weather　is　pleasure　enough；　without　anything　else。　　In　a　Queen's　ship；　a　yacht；　or　a　merchantman　with　fewer　passengers；　it　must　be　a　delightful　existence。

17th　Aug。　…　Since　I　wrote　last；　we　got　into　the　south…west　monsoon　for　one　day；　and　I　sat　up　by　the　steersman　in　intense　enjoyment　…　a　bright　sun　and　glittering　blue　sea；　and　we　tore　along；　pitching　and　tossing　the　water　up　like　mad。　　It　was　glorious。　　At　night；　I　was　calmly　reposing　in　my　cot；　in　the　middle　of　the　steerage；　just　behind　the　main　hatchway；　when　I　heard　a　crashing　of　rigging　and　a　violent　noise　and　confusion　on　deck。　　The　captain　screamed　out　orders　which　informed　me　that　we　were　in　the　thick　of　a　collision　…　of　course　I　lay　still；　and　waited　till　the　row；　or　the　ship；　went　down。　　I　found　myself　next　day　looked　upon　as　no　better　than　a　heathen　by　all　the　women；　because　I　had　been　cool；　and　declined　to　get　up　and　make　a　noise。　　Presently　the　officers　came　and　told　me　that　a　big　ship　had　borne　down　on　us　…　we　were　on　the　starboard　tack；　and　all　right　…　carried　off　our　flying　jib…boom　and　whisker　（the　sort　of　yard　to　the　bowsprit）。　　The　captain　says　he　was　never　in　such　imminent　danger　in　his　life；　as　she　threatened　to　swing　round　and　to　crush　into　our　waist；　which　would　have　been　certain　destruction。　　The　little　dandy　soldier…officer　behaved　capitally；　he　turned　his　men　up　in　no　time；　and　had　them　all　ready。　　He　said；　'Why；　you　know；　I　must　see　that　my　fellows　go　down　decently。'　　S…　was　as　cool　as　an　icicle；　offered　me　my　pea…jacket；　&c。；　which　I　declined；　as　it　would　be　of　no　use　for　me　to　go　off　in　boats；　even　supposing　there　were　time；　and　I　preferred　going　down　comfortably　in　my　cot。　　Finding　she　was　of　no　use　to　me；　she　took　a　yelling　maid　in　custody；　and　was　thought　a　brute　for　begging　her　to　hold　her　noise。　　The　first　lieutenant；　who　looks　on　passengers　as　odious　cargo；　has　utterly　mollified　to　me　since　this　adventure。　　I　heard　him　report　to　the　captain　that　I　was　'among　'em　all；　and　never　sung　out；　nor　asked　a　question　the　while'。　　This　he　called　'beautiful'。

Next　day　we　got　light　wind　S。W。　（which　ought　to　be　the　S。E。　trades）；　and　the　weather　has　been；　beyond　all　description；　lovely　ever　since。　　Cool；　but　soft；　sunny　and　bright　…　in　short；　perfect；　only　the　sky　is　so　pale。　　Last　night　the　sunset　was　a　vision　of　loveliness；　a　sort　of　Pompadour　paradise；　the　sky　seemed　full　of　rose…crowned　AMORINI；　and　the　moon　wore　a　rose…coloured　veil　of　bright　pink　cloud；　all　so　light；　so　airy；　so　brilliant；　and　so　fleeting；　that　it　was　a　kind　of　intoxication。　　It　is　far　less　grand　than　northern　colour；　but　so　lovely；　so　shiny。　　Then　the　flying　fish　skimmed　like　silver　swallows　over　the　blue　water。　　Such　a　sight！　　Also；　I　saw　a　whale　spout　like　a　very　tiny　garden　fountain。　The　Southern　Cross　is　a　delusion；　and　the　tropical　moon　no　better　than　a　Parisian　one；　at　present。　　We　are　now　in　lat。　31　degrees　about；　and　have　been　driven　halfway　to　Rio　by　this　sweet　southern　breeze。　　I　have　never　yet　sat　on　deck　without　a　cloth　jacket　or　shawl；　and　the　evenings　are　chilly。　　I　no　longer　believe　in　tropical　heat　at　sea。　　Even　during　the　calm　it　was　not　so　hot　as　I　have　often　felt　it　in　England　…　and　that；　under　a　vertical　sun。　The　ship　that　nearly　ran　us　and　herself　down；　must　have　kept　no　look…out；　and　refused　to　answer　our　hail。　　She　is　supposed　to　be　from　Glasgow　by　her　looks。　　We　may　speak　a　ship　and　send　letters　on　board；　so　excuse　scrawl　and　confusion；　it　is　so　difficult　to　write　at　all。

30th　August。　…　About　25　degrees　S。　lat。　and　very　much　to　the　west。　We　have　had　all　sorts　of　weather　…　some　beautiful；　some　very　rough；　but　always　contrary　winds　…　and　got　within　200　miles　of　the　coast　of　South　America。　　We　now　have　a　milder　breeze　from　the　SOFT　N。E。；　after　a　BITTER　S。W。；　with　Cape　pigeons　and　mollymawks　（a　small　albatross）；　not　to　compare　with　our　gulls。　　We　had　private　theatricals　last　night　…　ill　acted；　but　beautifully　got　up　as　far　as　the　sailors　were　concerned。　　I　did　not　act；　as　I　did　not　feel　well　enough；　but　I　put　a　bit　for　Neptune　into　the　Prologue　and　made　the　boatswain's　mate　speak　it；　to　make　up　for　the　absence　of　any　shaving　at　the　Line；　which　the　captain　prohibited　altogether；　I　thought　it　hard　the　men　should　not　get　their　'tips'。　　The　boatswain's　mate　dressed　and　spoke　it　admirably；　and　the　old　carpenter　sang　a　famous　comic　song；　dressed　to　perfection　as　a　ploughboy。

I　am　disappointed　in　the　tropics　as　to　warmth。　　Our　thermometer　stood　at　82　degrees　one　day　only；　under　the　vertical　sun；　N。　of　the　Line；　ON　the　Line　at　74　degrees；　and　at　sea　it　FEELS　10　degrees　colder　than　it　is。　　I　have　never　been　hot；　except　for　two　days　4　degrees　N。　of　the　Line；　and　now　it　is　very　cold；　but　it　is　very　invigorating。　　All　day　long　it　looks　and　feels　like　early　morning；　the　sky　is　pale　blue；　with　light　broken　clouds；　the　sea　an　inconceivably　pure　opaque　blue　…　lapis　lazuli；　but　far　brighter。　　I　saw　a　lovely　dolphin　three　days　ago；　his　body　five　feet　long　（some　said　more）　is　of　a　FIERY　blue…green；　and　his　huge　tail　golden　bronze。　　I　was　glad　he　scorned　the　bait　and　escaped　the　hook；　he　was　so　beautiful。　　This　is　the　sea　from　which　Venus　rose　in　her　youthful　glory。　　All　is　young；　fresh；　serene；　beautiful；　and　cheerful。

We　have　not　seen　a　sail　for　weeks。　　But　the　life　at　sea　makes　amends　for　anything；　to　my　mind。　　I　am　never　tired　of　the　calms；　and　I　enjoy　a　stiff　gale　like　a　Mother　Carey's　chicken；　so　long　as　I　can　be　on　deck　or　in　the　captain's　cabin。　　Between　decks　it　is　very　close　and　suffocating　in　rough　weather；　as　all　is　shut　up。　　We　shall　be　still　three　weeks　before　we　reach　the　Cape；　and　now　the　sun　sets　with　a　sudden　plunge　before　six；　and　the　evenings　are　growing　too　cold　again　for　me　to　go　on　deck　after　dinner。　　As　long　as　I　could；　I　spent　fourteen　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four　in　my　quiet　corner　by　the　wheel；　basking　in　the　tropical　sun。　　Never　again　will　I　believe　in　the　tales　of　a　burning　sun；　the　vertical　sun　just　kept　me　warm　…　no　more。　　In　two　days　we　shall　be　bitterly　cold　again。

Immediately　after　writing　the　above　it　began　to　blow　a　gale　（favourable；　indeed；　but　more　furious　than　the　captain　had　ever　known　in　these　seas）；　…　about　lat。　34　degrees　S。　and　long。　25　degrees。　　For　three　days　we　ran　under　close…reefed　（four　reefs）　topsails；　before　a　sea。　　The　gale　in　the　Bay　of　Biscay　was　a　little　shaking　up　in　a　puddle　（a　dirty　one）　compared　to　that　glorious　South　Atlantic　in　all　its　majestic　fury。　　The　intense　blue　waves；　crowned　with　fantastic　crests　of　bright　emeralds　and　with　the　spray　blowing　about　like　wild　dishevelled　hair；　came　after　us　to　swallow　us　up　at　a　mouthful；　but　took　us　up　on　their　backs；　and　hurried　us　along　as　if　our　ship　were　a　cork。　　Then　the　gale　slackened；　and　we　had　a　dead　calm；　during　which　the　waves　banged　us　about　frightfully；　and　our　masts　were　in　much　jeopardy。　　Then　a　foul　wind；　S。E。；　increased　into　a　gale；　lasting　five　days；　during　which　orders　were　given　in　dumb　show；　as　no　one's　voice　could　be　heard；　through　it　we　fought　and　laboured　and　dipped　under　water；　and　I　only　had　my　dry　corner　by　the　wheel；　where　the　kind　pleasant　little　third　officer　lashed　me　tight。　　It　was　far　more　formidable　than　the　first　gale；　but　less　beautiful；　and　we　made　so　much　lee…way　that　we　lost　ten　days；　and　only　arrived　here　yesterday。　　I　recomme